Pondo pants for my last day

The Municipality is sending me off in style. Like with Colleen, Mike, and Cathy, I am getting a traditional Pondo outfit to take back for to the US.

Vuyo (my Manager) had me go to the local crafter to be fitted so that everything fit well. Here I am standing with Radi (pronouced Hadi) who crafts and hand makes all of Vuyo's traditional clothing. Radi had me try on my new beaded vest and also the Pondo pants that I will take with me. Basically like khakis, but all sorts of patches and strings hanging from them. Radi has hanging over her shoulder a couple of the skirts that they are going to present to Heather too.

Look close enough too and Radi's skirt is made of cloth with Mandela's face on it.

My family would get a huge kick out of seeing this fitting and Radi's shop that I went into to be fit. My grandmother was a seamstress and a crafter of her own for about 60 years - tailoring clothes, making clothes, pillow cases, dust ruffles, curtains, etc etc - such an intricate skill and art that is dying out. Anyway, I walked into Radi's shop and I felt like I walked into Grandma's sewing room - it was surreal. Sewing machine, large rolls and random pieces of fabric all over the place, clothes hanging everywhere, yarn and string on the table next to sewing machine. I told Radi about my grandmother and we talked a bit more about their similar skill - she enjoyed that.

This morning, I presented everyone with 1 CD of photos and 1 CD of all the files and templates we've created. Success was marked by seeing them opening their CD-ROM drives after handing it to them.

Sendoff to start around lunch today... my last day in Bizana.