Toil for firewood

So we were driving home yesterday and from a good distance I could see something that I thought looked rather funny and strange to me. Amongst the rolling hills along R61, in comparison to the amount of open fields, there are barely any trees - never mind any trees that are really that close to the road.

But from afar in one of those trees that happened to be closer to the road, I could see something in the tree a good 20-25 feet off of the ground, and the tree shaking and some of the branches bouncing up and down. As I peered closer, I noticed that it was two young boys that had climbed up the tree. And as we approached, I could see one of the boys, the younger one, balancing within two pretty thick branches and breaking smaller branches by hand. The older of the two was stomping on a larger extension off of the trunk and trying to break it off by foot. And then as we drove by, I noticed that under the tree was a woman looking up, watching the two boys.

In a quick moment, I had a feeling of wonderment, and out loud, said to myself... "What the..." - and before I could even speak any more, Heather, without even skipping a beat just cut me off and said "Firewood." Amazing. The woman was collecting the branches that came down.

Which reminded me, a few weeks back we got this photo - this is an image we see everyday. Often it is so incredible to see first hand, but in a quickly moving car, tough to capture on photo. There are moments that we all have when we're taking photos of crazy sights or occurrences here, where we second guess if we should take them, as if it's exploiting culture or a way of life... where our mental pictures and memories should do the trick. And I've seen many things, had no camera in hand or just decided it was best for my own memories. Though, this particular image and part of life here is so unbelievable that it has to be shared. It speaks on so many levels - and demonstrates an unbelievable mark of strength and labor in the people, as well as a lifestyle and a culture well built on an adaptation to the nature and means around them.

Just checking in...

I was on my way to work this morning thinking about signing onto the blog and wondering what I had to write about. And then I realized that there isn't too much... things have gotten pretty routine and I'm really used to my life here. I can honestly say that there is not a whole lot I long for or miss about home (especially winter, after sitting on the beach in Port Edward for two days this weekend striking up a pretty solid tan). Which is a good sign, after a little over two months, nothing is that out of the ordinary. Of course, just as I start to feel that way, it will soon be time to have to wrap up, pack up, and be on my way. But I'm not thinking about that yet.

Of course, the one thing I do feel out of touch with though is my sports. I read the headlines online, see some quick Sox and Pats news, and thanks to all who have sent emails and forwarded articles and news. I had a 45 minute conversation with my Dad on Sunday, and I'd say 30 minutes was dedicated to sports talk. I can say I am excited to return home and have the Sox in full swing.

But missing the NCAA hoops tourney (and the CBS music!) - now that is a big one. I caught a glimpse of the bracket yesterday morning, and minus knowing the top teams this year, the matchups didn't mean much to me.

Still haven't gone through my photos as promised... I will, I will...

Week 9 comes to a close

It's a really quiet Friday here today. Some of the department members are at a workshop, and the department manager is in the Executive Council meeting. I've been able to organize a little bit and get things straight on how to approach these final 3 weeks - areas to focus on to achieve some of our opportunities and initatives while I'm still here, as well as plans to equip the department to keep moving forward after I depart.

Got up pretty early this morning and had the chance to make my coffee, just sit out on my back porch and watch the sun rise, as the waves crashed and the tide came in. I will certainly miss those views and some of those peaceful moments, the relaxing times to take it all in and think about anything and everything.

Then when it was off to work, when I quickly forget about that serene view, as we drive away from the coast into the hills of the Eastern Cape. We happened to see a pretty bad car accident this morning (fairly common on that road, in addition to some of the atrocious driving... we drive by many of them). But one thing struck me today, which I've noticed before, but never really wrote upon or thought about how crazy it is, because it just seems so regular now.

I've talked about all the school children walking in packs along R61, 3 and 4 deep as they flow into the road of speeding cars. But many of them are carrying chairs in one arm in addition to their backpacks. So on top of having to walk a mile or two to school, some also have to carry a chair so they have somewhere to sit in the classroom all day. Could you imagine? And it's not all of them, it's just some... so it made me wonder what is the deciding factor of whether or not you have to carry your own chair to school...

I'm hanging around Port Edward this weekend, which I am looking forward to. Thinking about seeing if my local friends that work at the Estuary are around or I might just take it easy myself. Tomorrow a friend from the Municipality has invited the UNDP team over to his home for a braai, so looking forward to that.

Oh, and I've taken MANY photos here over the last few weeks (surprise, surprise). I need to put them on my computer and organize, but I'm hoping to post a mix of some for next week.

Have a good weekend!

Time is just moving

I haven’t logged into the blog in about a week here, so a warning before you start reading... this will be a longer posting! Busy last week and time is just moving so quickly. I’ve been meaning to write the last couple of days, but I arrive at the Municipality in the morning and through the chaos of the day, it’s over before I know it. Taking me a minute or two to jog my memory to remember everything to capture as much as possible…

We’re down to two of us in Port Edward/Bizana with just me and Heather (and Team Tata is still at the full 4). Mike and Cathy said their farewells, and I’ve already corresponded with Mike back in the US, who is having is own culture shock adjusting to being back in NYC.

At the end of last week, Team Bizana traveled to Umtata to join the team there for work. Last week our Chief Executive of Global Consulting went on a week long tour of ADP projects in Africa, accompanied by the Director and Founder of the Accenture Development Partnerships program. Our UNDP project was one of them that made the list… so they came on Thursday to meet our team, see the work that we are doing, meet some of our government clients as well as UNDP counterparts. Such a privilege to meet one of the highest executive leaders of Accenture in such a relaxed fashion – and the whole trip was geared to give him an insight into ADP, a chance to gain executive support, bring the publicity of ADP into the business, and make it part of our larger global consulting model. We met with them in the morning for a few hours, and then also had the chance to have a few drinks and enjoy dinner that evening. It was really a great opportunity to explain each of our backgrounds within Accenture, why we chose to pursue ADP, what we were learning, challenges we were facing, our opinions about the program and how it could grow within Accenture.

From Umtata, we drove 2.5 hrs to East London on Friday and hopped on a plane to Cape Town for the weekend. It was Heather’s birthday weekend, and it turned out to be a classic – one of the best that I’ve had in South Africa so far.

Cape Town is clearly one of the gems of South Africa. The views leading into the city, and the views from the city are simply breathtaking. The city is literally on the tip of the continent of Africa, where the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans meet, and the backdrop on the other end of the city is Table Mountain. Honestly, it doesn’t feel anything like the rest of Africa I’ve seen and experienced, but it was also nice to get some of the 1st world amenities for a weekend.

We made our way to V&A Waterfront (like Faneuil Hall or Navy Pier back home… touristy) and found a Mexican restaurant (hard to come by in Africa) as Heather was craving it. Actually turned out to be pretty good and they even had Corona… Heather and I checked out the Camps Bay area for lunch on Saturday, sat at a café overlooking the ocean and the beach, and we walked along the beach for a little bit after. It was a cloudy day, but I decided to dip my feet in… and I had heard the water in Cape Town was frigid (currents coming up from Antarctica). Now growing up in New England and heading to Maine every summer, the water is freezing up there but I still jump in, no problem. This water was colder than anything else I’d ever felt – with just my feet in, the first moment I felt nothing, then both my legs went entirely numb… Ended up walking around Cape Town and checking out some of the markets and sights of the city… and Saturday night, Pete, Heather, and I went to Long Street, which is the big “party” street, where there was a street music festival going on. Long Street has the feel of Bourbon Street, narrow, with bars and restaurants lining it, and balconies filled with onlookers drinking and socializing away.

Sunday was Heather’s official birthday – and the 6 of us went out and celebrated properly with a great dinner – had some seafood and sushi – and even found a spot with martinis. Heather was certainly happy. As most of you know, I am not a very big birthday/celebration person myself… but I can imagine for those who are that are used to spending birthdays with close family and friends (like Heather), it might be a little tough to be so far away from home. I think we celebrated well and she certainly felt the comforts of good friends and celebration. We spend so much time together that we’ve all gotten to know each other so well in such short time. The experience brings together a special bond, I think.

Side note - one of the funny things of the weekend was that the Semester at Sea abroad program was docked in Cape Town that weekend as well. There were tons of American college kids running around the bars at V&A and Long Street - and as I said to a few people at home, that's probably the most Americans I'd seen at once since I left Logan. I think for me it was just amusing to see them all together, out partying, exploring the city - and it made me think a bit about when I was a junior in college or the trips I went on. I did feel a bit old watching them all... and there were moments it felt more like MTV cameras were going to pop out and be filming a TV show.

And then it was back to the Eastern Cape for Week 9… which I am about to finish. Like I said, the days are chaotic and there is so much to do in such little time. There are still many frustrations that I feel everyday... some challenges my colleagues/the Municipality cannot control, but more frustrating are the ones that they can and choose not to change or improve upon. Work with what I have, I guess. But I have seen some progress! Little things - them using the Meeting Minutes template we created, creating folders on their computers to save their files, seeing their confidence to present or lead part of a meeting.

I only have 3 weeks left of work – which is crazy! I feel like I just got here. Just have to make the most of it, accomplish as much as possible in the initiatives and opportunities we’ve started.

And yes, Tony...

... per your comment... potato chip flavors include smoked beef, prawn curry, chicken tikka, Thai sweet chili, and chutney. I've actually taken to the chutney flavored chips though.

Mike and Cathy's Sendoff

So yesterday was Mike and Cathy's last day at the Municipality. They both don't officially leave until the end of the week, but we have a meeting in Umtata today (Thursday), and we had to drive here last night. And then they will both head off from here.

The Municipality threw a Send Off Party and get-together for them. They have both been here for 6 months, since September, and have really become a part of the community and the Municipality. The Send Off was heartfelt and genuine, but of course equally crazy and over the top, but in such the way that they do it here. Always fun, always happy, always a lot of smiles and laughs. Sometimes people will yell in Xhosa and everyone starts cracking up - and the UNDP gang just looks at each other and shrugs our shoulders.

Mike and Cathy were each given traditional Pondo clothing (as Colleen was given when she left), and then everyone congregated in the Council Chamber for speeches, singing, and a toast.

The Municipal Manager spoke, Madam Speaker spoke, the Finance Manager spoke (Mike and Cathy both worked as part of the overall Finance organization - Mike with Finance, Cathy with IT). All the speeches expressed such gratitude for their work, their dedication, and the time they have spent becoming a part of Bizana... and that time moves so quickly that nobody is ready to say Good Bye. You can honestly feel the appreciation that eminates in their words and actions. Mike and Cathy were then invited to respond and had some great words to say, but you could tell they were both overwhelmed by the moment, the people, all the photos and farewells. I'll only be here 3 months and I'll be way overwhelmed and not ready to leave - I can't imagine their thoughts yesterday after 6 months.

Mike and Cathy invited to the front of the Council Chamber (next to Madam Speaker and Finance Manager, standing)

And of course in true fashion, there was singing - and a lot of it. Between every speech the entire group of 60+ was on their feet, singing traditional songs and clapping (I wish I could load/share videos on my connection). And it all ended with a champagne toast... followed by a braii out in the back of the Municipality building. Two big grills with more meat than you have ever seen cooked in one sitting. It's hard to explain.

The back of the Municipality building is a bit difficult to describe... (and I've tried to show a small photo)... but picture a fenced in area with a view of hills and houses off in the distance, as well as much roaming cattle and horses. And then in the lot is a garage, some old trucks, an abandoned car, a large tractor, spools of left electrical wiring, so much scrap metal just laying around... you just can't make this stuff up. But we braaied up beef, sausage, chicken, and one of our coworkers even went out and bought a few Hansas for us to enjoy (Mike's favorite SA beer). Good times, good times.

Thoughts and comparisons to home

I completely forgot the Oscars were on Sunday night, and when I got to work on Monday morning, I saw the headlines online about the show and the big winners (good for The Departed). I tend to enjoy the Oscars, and in recent years, I’ve tried to make a point to see most of the Oscar nominated films, so that I have an opinion on most of the categories and the winners. While the show was on Sunday night in the States, I happened to catch a replay of the show on one of our South African stations on our TV last night. So I watched a little… and quite honestly, I rarely see TV here. I’ve maybe turned on our television 5 times since I’ve been here, and not for that long. How quickly I’ve forgotten about some of the celebrities that seem to be on TV all the time at home! From what I watched though, I enjoyed. Nice to get a little culture of home, I found Ellen Degeneres to be amusing… but what is Jack Nicholson doing with the completely shaved head… scary! Hope that’s for a new movie he’ll be in and not his new look.

Interesting conversation on the commute to work this morning. Mike was up early this morning, and turned on the TV to see that SkyNews SA broadcasts about 15 minutes of CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. So on the drive, he started talking about how just 15 minutes of watching that CBS news gave him some reminders of home – and some of the major contrasts of life here. Of course there were the reports of the war on Iraq, and also more discussion about Iran’s plans for nuclear warfare and the US plan against that. And a story about some new technology and further medical research to improve a particular disease (not sure which one it was)… but at the end of the report came a clip telling the viewer... “For more information, log on to www.cbs.com/...” And we started talking about how at home, we are so overwhelmed with information that we take it for granted. For example, we are privy to so much medical information in news segments and articles – about new treatments, new medicines, websites to research health conditions. And here we work in a community where people don’t have access to medical information or treatment – and many are suffering from diseases that they may not even know they have, or that they are too afraid to go get diagnosed.

And there’s a website for everything… and posted everywhere you look. Watching the Oscars, after every commercial break “Oscar.com” flashed across the bottom of the screen. Access to this at home is so normal that when we normally see it on TV, we just glance it over… on the SA news I’ve seen on TV, or even sports broadcasts or commercials, I don’t think I’ve noticed a website flashed for anything.

After 6 months here, this is Mike and Cathy’s last week; Mike returns to the U.S. on Saturday – and we were talking about how he anticipates having a bit of a culture shock returning home, maybe more so than that he experienced when he first arrived in South Africa, noticing all these things that we once glanced over, appreciating the constant access and information.

Speaking of Mike, we celebrated his birthday this past weekend in Durban, which is the city on the coast about 150 km north of Port Edward. Other than my original arrival at Durban Intl Airport, and flying out from there a few times since arriving, I had never actually been in the city itself. We stayed at a hotel right on the ocean front – and the piers and ocean boulevard reminded me of any other beach front boulevard at home. We went out for dinner on Saturday night in one of the “trendier” and safer areas of Durban – had a great dinner at a steak restaurant called Butcher Boys - completely packed with people, loud atmosphere, open kitchen that you could see into and watch the chefs cooking, big bar. Picture your typical steakhouse at home. Next we moved onto a bar with a completely mixed crowd of all ages, races, cultures that was pretty full, music blaring, felt like we could have been in the heart of Manhattan. We got around the city in taxis.

Now I realize that it’s only been a few months, but it was so strange to have a night of city life - to take a taxi, eat in a crowded and loud restaurant, go to a pretty trendy bar. I enjoyed myself and the whole group had a fun night… but honestly, I haven’t missed any of that city life at all. In short time, I’ve gotten pretty accustomed to driving everywhere ourselves, quiet Port Edward and Margate restaurants, low key evenings reading a book while hearing the waves crash. I think that’s a positive of this experience though; while I’ve escaped some of the regularities of my life at home, I’m still in a country and a region that if I need a taste or a comfort of home, I can still get it pretty easily.

Except for some of my favorite snacks… we stopped to get gas on the ride home from Durban and I went into the Food Mart at the station. I was completely longing for one of my simple favorites - those packages of 6 small peanut butter crackers… or even just traditional BBQ chips (all the flavored chips here are so different). And I couldn’t find either! So maybe not every comfort of home.