Saying good-bye

I took my last malaria pill yesterday, a sign that my adventure is coming to an end. I think I am ready to return, though it will be an adjustment. It's been incredible to wake up everyday and think - what's new to discover today? I am glad my first introduction to Africa was Zimbabwe. Before I arrived I imagined the people cowering in their houses, fearing Mugabe on a daily basis. What I witnessed were happy people struggling in a very difficult situation. I was told to stay away from political discussions, but invariably within 5 minutes of a conversation, my conversant mentioned the "difficult economic situation" and then followed some commentary.

I have experienced incredible hospitality and I plan to return such generosity in Atlanta and beyond! Reflections on Zimbabwe:

• The handshake - shake hands, then shake the thumb, then back to the handshake
• People receive a gift with both hands and a bow
• Cleaners are perhaps the most industrious- clean offices at 9 am, not before workers arrive, then clean again at 4- the mop is always in the hand
• Load sharing- in Zim and SA means the govt doesn't have the funds to pay for electricity so they turn it off in areas, on a random basis. When I arrived at my AirBnB in Cape Town, my host said our area was exempt. In the wine country, saw a big sign proclaiming: "Electricity all the time." At the movie theatre the sign read, "We are not responsible if the electricity goes out, no refunds."
• Sometimes the traffic lights do not work or one on the side works, so driving can be hazardous
• Drivers have to have a fire extinguisher in the car and pay for a radio license. Always have to take into consideration police checks- totally arbitrary- depends on how much money they need
• Zimbabweans are constantly studying- they don't have many other options
• Despite the desperate situation, many are preparing, readying themselves for change- similar to what SA went through
• I felt safe virtually everywhere- people were always willing to lend a hand. Today in Cape Town I saw a Parking Guard lady singing- no ear plugs - I stopped to chat- she said singing relieves the tension- she doesn't want to get upset, so she sings aloud!
• Family is central to their lives. Everyone has a rural area to go home to. No such thing as a nuclear family. Everyone is responsible for their siblings' children - most of all, to help with the education.
• Zim is a conservative society. Elders are highly respected, even if they may be doing the wrong thing. Most are religious. Therefore abortion, gay rights, etc. does not come into play in their lives
• Women's hairstyles range from short cropped to orange, yellow, red braids - hair piled high, hair flowing down the back - straight, curly and everything in between
• People buy airtime by the dollar- most do not have plans.
• Sadza - refined white cornmeal - is the staple. Eaten by most Zim at least once a day- with their hands and a small amount of meat and veggies with some gravy. A plate costs about $2.
• I am so thankful I brought Starbucks coffee. They drink tea or instant
• Why didn't someone at REI mention that it's winter in Zim and therefore I did not need my own mosquito net nor tubes of DEET?
• It's a mystery why they don't have more outbreaks of cholera - they wash their hands with water only - no soap, no drying
• America is a far away place. Often the question I got was: "How is America?" Obama is well-known and respected, they know where FL. is and that it's cold in the north
• I was an unknown commodity - older, single, no children
• I was always welcomed as a Jew....luckily we didn't get into those conversations of - & who do you think Jesus was again?
• Very dangerous driving- potholes (really little ravines,) cattle, cyclists, pedestrians, & more
• Not surprising- Africa is their focal point, in particular SDAC- Southern Africa
• What the colonialists did was indescribable- always need to remember this when they are hesitant to take advice from Westerners - in particular the UK
• How long can a country run on empty?
• I saw a small slice, I learned a lot, I have much to research, read and learn from others, so many questions were raised- there are no easy answers to this mysterious, incredible place called Zimbabwe.
• Anele says I must come back for a real safari - that means, get in a truck and travel many lands.
• Thanks, dear readers, for your interest. I'll talk to you all soon.

Brai in Bulawayo

Paty took me to this Brai in a garden with son & friends

Brai - African Bar-B-Q

when i ordered a beer, the woman gave me 3- people drink a lot at Brais!

Saturday July 25 Paty invited me to a brai - aka Bar-B-Q. She invited her friends along with the kids. As you see, they cook outside and we sat in a garden with plastic chairs. Food options were sausage, T-bone or chicken with a simple salad. When I went to order drinks, I requested a beer and the woman gave me 3- they just assume that you are there to sit, relax and drink! The H.S. kids asked me lots of questions about studying in the States. The older daughter was off to Armenia to study for 2 years on a scholarship. Hmmm....would we be excited about Armenia? She already knows one Zim student who is there. I put her in contact with some Fulbrighters who studied at Emory. These are middle class people - the friend worked at a telecom company. Kids were studying at private schools. I was lucky to have had this experience.

South Africa was the first

On my City Bus tour on Sunday I learned about the Heart of Cape Town museum at the Groote Schuur Hospital where Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant. They said they offered free shuttles from hotels, but when the Hilton called for me, she said the shuttle was in the shop. 100 Rand sounded like a lot for a taxi, so I decided to use my Citi Bus pass. It worked out fine. I had a 10 min or so walk to the hospital and wanted to make sure I got there in time for the 11 am tour, so I hopped on one of the vans that go up and down the main drag. In Zimbabwe, people are hanging out the windows, but this one was quite civilized- similar to Turkey.

The tour was great. The tour guide kept saying she was so proud of her country and that Barnard beat the Americans. He had trained at U of MN- he got his PhD there in 2 years + a Masters. What catapulted him was that he found a loop hole in the S.A. law on the definition of dead. Previously and in America and everywhere else, the doctors had to wait for the heart to stop. As soon as it does, the heart is damaged so there is a greater possibility of failure. Barnard realized that they could declare a person dead when s/he is brain dead. That is what happened with his first operation. A 23 yr old woman was killed in a car accident- right in front of the hospital. 5 months earlier they had already selected the patient- he was terminally ill. He was a Jewish man in his 50s. If you all remember, he lived 18 days after the operation. Turns out they had 2 hearts earlier, but those came from black men. Barnard came from a liberal family and he thought it was ridiculous to consider race. But the head of the hospital said they needed to think how it would look in apartheid SA to take a heart from a black and put it in a white person's body. The young woman and the recipient were a good match, but her heart was small for his body.

We toured the original operating rooms. Also learned that Barnard and his brother didn't get a lot of funding for his work, as they were researching the procedures on dogs. They trained a black man who had been taking care of the animals. He was so adept he also learned to do liver transplants. He was a high school drop out who later received an honorary degree.

We saw a couple of films. The guide did not gloss over the fact that he was a womanizer- got divorced 3 times- had 6 children- died a lonely man at 78- alone in Cyprus. But, he had guts and that was why he moved forward and took chances.

Toured the Castle of Good Hope in the afternoon. Lots of construction going on as they prepare for the 350th anniversary of the castle. The weather changed so many times during the day. A bit of drizzle, Table MT was in the clouds, but then the clouds cleared and the sun came out. Used the Time Out guidebook which was in my place to see some architecturally significant buildings. Really the city is quickly becoming a sea of skyscrapers. Found a new Nelson Mandela museum that I will visit tomorrow. Went to the Grand Daddy hotel to check out the Airstream Penthouse Trailer park. What a hoot! On the 3rd floor roof deck there are 5 Airstreams along with a rooftop bar and seating in the center. Each trailer has a little seating area. In the trailer is a double bed, with mounted TV. There a fridge and coffee service. The bathroom is tiny-  I think the shower would get the toilet seat wet! One is even smaller, so the bathroom is outside the trailer- in an enclosed area with a bigger shower! The owners sold this place and moved outside of Cape Town where they set up trailers on a terraced hillside in wine country...something to check out for your next vacation!

City Sightseeing Bus

The only way to get to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens was to take the hop on, hop off CitySightseeing bus. It was quite pleasant. They give you earpods to plug in next to your seat to hear the commentary. It was fun sitting on the upper deck. The gardens are so huge so I signed up for a tour with a Romanian woman- this super knowledgable elderly gentleman took us on a golf cart around the gardens for an hour. He was really good and explained a lot. Then I wandered a bit more aroound by myself.

Hopped on the bus and transferred to the Wine Route. We stopped at Groot Constantia Wine Estate - the oldest vineyard. I toured to House, which was a mistake. There was wine tasting, but I passed. Walked around a bit. They had a very busy restaurant. Met a German who came for the library conference- he works at the Goethe Institute in Namibia.

It was pleasant being on the bus as it took the coastal road. We passed a township- the bus company talked about how they partner with the locals for the tour- but no one got off at this stop.

I stayed on as it began the route again and got off at the Nelso hotel- one of the most exclusive hotels in the city. It is stately- like the Victoria Falls hotel- steeped in history. Letters from the Queen about how much she enjoyed her visit. They were serving high tea. Wandering around the corridors was like seeing amazing art work in a museum.

I then tried to go to the Progressive synagogue to see the History of the Jews film that was on the BBC. I thought I'd get off the bus at a nice suburb. Walk a bit and then someone from the shul would bring me back to the bus stop. However, the neighborhood was not nice and I could not find directions to the shul nor could I find a taxi. The weather was bad with some rain. So I heard David in the back of my mind saying, "Lee, this is not a good idea." So I simply took the bus back- it was still daylight so I could just walk home from the bus station.

Blessed are the Irish

Friday started at the Bo Kaap museum- very disappointing. They had a video of residents telling about how the neighborhood used to be. They could do so much more.

2nd stop: Slave Lodge. The indigenous people refused to work for the Dutch, so they had to import their slaves from elsewhere- Madagascar, Indonesia, etc. Excellent exhibit on the Carnesons- he was Catholic, she was Jewish. He was the editor of a Communist newspaper. Their daughter wrote a book about their struggle- Red in the Rainbow. He was arrested and sent to prison. She was under house arrest- could not speak to more than one person- very difficult as she was raising kids. He was released and then went to the UK. Then they showed pictures of them coming back to the new South Africa. Great exhibit on Freedom songs.

Next: National Gallery. Quite disappointing except for the exhibit on Irma Stern- one of SA most famous artists. When she was barred from traveling to Europe during WWII, she traveled to Africa. Her style is Impressionist- showed artifacts from her travels that she incorporated into her paintings.

Next door is the Garden Shul- a gigantic synagoue- but, closed because it was close to 4. Walked through the Gardens. Back home to change for Services. Walked to the Progressive synagogue, right across from the Waterfront. Didn't need to check the address, as soon as I saw the guard, knew I had arrived at the synagogue. No big inspection just asked for ID.

They were meeting in the smaller sanctuary. They are 3 congregations in the northern part of the city- meet in separate places but act as one. There was a Bar Mitzvah the next day, so the family came. There were about 50 or so people. In the front sat musicians- guitar, drums and singers. Pleasant songs. People were friendly. All seem to have relatives outside of SA

Then took the bus to the Arts Cinema. Luckily a friendly young woman was going my way and we changed buses together. The place was funky, but the Italian movie was boring. The parking attendant helped me get a cab back. Now I'm familiar with the area. It was actually close to me, but not good to walk back in the dark.

Friday afternoon I emailed Dominique- she is the tenant of Leslie in Harare. Leslie asked her to climb Table MT with me. The Irish girl on the Robben Island boat suggested taking the cable car down. I thought Dominique would not want to do this, but she agreed and I bought the tickets, which I could pay for at the Pick N Pay.

Saturday morning walked to the Garden Shul. They indicated choir at 8:30 and Torah reading at 9:15, so I thought I had to get there on time. Turns out I was the only woman up in the balcony. This is an Orthodox shul- could seat thousands. The men have wooden seats that open up as cabinets for their tallitot. Huge dome, stained glass windows, mosaics near the ark- just beautiful. By the Torah reading there were maybe 50 men and 20 women- about 5 children. The choir consisted of about 8 men- quite pleasant- not cantorial stuff. The Baal Koreh sang beautifully, new tunes. People were friendly, Rabbi greated me- asked what shul I attended- "Young Israel" was an acceptable response. The kiddush was beyond fantastic.

1 pm got a taxi from the Hilton. The driver called Dominique to confirm the drop off. We were climbing Platteklip Gorge. The start was 2 km from the park entrance. I got there early. There was a race- scores of people were running from Cape Point to the Waterfront- up and down hills for 100++ km. Crazy!!! There was quite a bit of traffic on the path. It was very difficult. It is the most popular route- there are hundreds of routes up the mountain. It is very steep, rocky path. I thought I would never have enough water. First time I was dreaming about ice. Dominique was very patient. Took off the lower part of my pants- first time being this hot. Unfortunately I lost one leg of the pants! Once I got to the top, I forgot the pain of the ascent. It felt so good to be on flat land. The top is nicely developed. Lots of viewpoints- you can see all sides of the city. The mountains are amazing. I paid 115 Rand for the cable car. [13 rands to the $] I would have paid $115 for that cable car. I thank that Irish girl a thousand times. The cable car took about 3 min. It revolves 360 degrees. We were blessed with an amazing sunny, cloudless day.

Cape Town

I arrived in Cape Town Tuesday, Aug. 18. Took the city shuttle from the airport and a Capetonian, who had just dropped off her American boyfriend, helped me get a cab to my AirBnB place in Bo Kaap. I imagined Joy to be this elderly woman owning a big house on a hill. However Joy is a young woman. Based on the pictures, I thought I was getting a small apartment in the back of the house. Now that I have been here a few days, I'm very happy with the place. It is set up on a hill, so we're not directly on the street, like most homes. From the street, there's a stone wall and a locked gate, then you walk up about 10 stairs. Joy has a 2-story place and then there are 3 flats attached. My first room has a table and chairs, 2 stuffed chairs and a kitchen on one wall. My second room is a bedroom and then a bath. I have a small porch. My doors are glass, then the second interior door are white bars. It's nice having direct access to the outside, something you wouldn't get in a hotel. Opposite me- up on a hill- are guys in a tent. I see their fire, every so often. Joy is very nice- I can use her phone. No sense getting a phone seeing as I know 2 people here. The other tenant is a German woman who has been here for a long time.

Bo Kaap was a Malay neighborhood, now it is getting gentrified. It's known for it's colorful houses- bright pink, green, yellow and blue stucco. Simple square houses. Weird walking out in the morning to see groups of tourists snapping their cameras. It's centrally located - I can walk most places. The call to prayer resonates about 4 am. Rain pounds the corrugated bathroom roof, but luckily it hasn't rained much.

Tuesday afternoon walked to the waterfront to get my ticket for Robben Island. The waterfront is like Boston or any other developed waterfront with tons of tourists and upscale restaurants, ferris wheel, etc. Went through the Robben Island Museum.

Wednesday morning went to the District 6 museum- all about a mixed, lower-class neighborhood in the center of the city that was evacuated to build a white neighborhood. They raised the neighborhood but never built the new one.

There's an international library conference in town (IFLA) so I'm meeting librarians everywhere. Met a librarian from Oman on the boat over. Robben Island is a beautiful island. We had a bus tour first. The best part was having a former prisoner give us the tour in the prison. Hard to understand what they went through. They had one bucket to relieve themselves- same one to bathe. They had to retrieve seaweed in the dead of winter. They liked working in the quarry mine because that was the only time they could talk to each other- they were always planning next steps.

On the boat back this young Irish girl told me about climbing Table Mountain. She said to take the taxi to the start of the trail and to take the cable car down. [more on this later.]

She also told me about the Watershed. I thought the waterfront just had touristy stuff. The Watershed really had quality crafts - everything there was beautiful...I'm glad I learned about it, but wish I had more $ to spend there!

People are very friendly. I found a shorter way with a pedestrian bridge to get to town- then this couple directed me to the Arts Center. The wind was so strong- it was like a hurricane.

I went to a performance of 14 school groups- they were fabulous- singing, dancing, rap, etc. From 2nd graders through high school. So interesting to see the mixed cultures here - black, white, Indian, head scarves...And the audience- full of parents was so responsive and engaged.

Checked TripAdvisor to select my Cape Point tour. Rob got good reviews. I met him at the Hilton Thurs morn, we picked up a couple from NYC with their 9 yr old son and then a retired librarian from Princeton. He talked non-stop, but when he brought us to a place he left us on our own for awhile. Everyone had said that Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point is the most spectacular...it was beautiful, but I kept thinking of the Oregon coast. The road heading down, south of Camps Bay was winding and amazing. They do incredible feats of preventing rock slides- lots of huge mesh covers all over the mountains. It was nice to walk on the beach a bit. Simon's Town really had nothing to offer.  We went to the penguin sanctuary- it was very well preserved. The terrain reminded me of Cape Cod. They had beautiful wooden boardwalks. The penguins were everywhere- they had what looked like plastic bunkers for them to next in.

It was sad to see the Zimbabweans waiting on street corners for work Rob also pointed out that they were selling stone sculptures along the roadway.

I was the only one who climbed to the lighthouse at Cape Point. It was a beautiful climb. All in all it was a good day- we were a small group- Rob allowed just enough time at all the spots. We had beautiful, sunny weather. There were lots of tourists around- sure wouldn't want to be here in the height of the season.

Thursday night, a Humphrey Fellow - Phoebe- took me out to dinner. She works in AIDS counseling We went to the waterfront mall- her husband was busy, she said she felt most comfortable eating in a mall. Turns out it was a lovely restaurant. I didn't feel too comfortable asking her about SA society - it was easy to talk with Zimbabweans about white and black culture. Here there again is a deep divide. Fancy shopping centers and guys sleeping in the parks. Clerks in the subway station warning me to only use an ATM in a mall, but I find the city quite safe. There are public policemen everywhere- very friendly, just carrying billy clubs. Guys will ask for a few rand for food and follow me a few steps, but then they walk away.

The Hills are Alive with....

Thanks to the one guidebook on Zimbabwe, I found Sally Preston and her cottages. She has a plant nursery in Mutare so I met her at work and she drove me to the Brumba Mountains. I have the whole cottage to myself- it resembles a Sue London cosy home. Think of a beautiful cabin in VT- and that's what I have for $20 including someone to wash the dishes and light the fireplace!! I will post pictures.

Whites here need to be creative, if they have lost their farms- and even if not, because the economy is so bad. Sally employs 17 people. She has 7 horses. I took a ride today. Julia and Hannah would have laughed their heads off. Nehemiah had my horse on a leash and I was as happy as a clam!! We went through the forests- down some steep, rocky paths to the very exclusive Leopard Rock Hotel. They have a game reserve. Even tho it was 11 am, we saw baby giraffes, pregnant zebra and ostriches. 2 hours was plenty for my butt bones.

Then Sally drove me down another road and I took the path to the hotel. Thought I could use a computer to download pics, but they don't have a business center. Chatted with lady in gift shop. She informed me that her daughter got asylum in KY because the farmer next to their farm was murdered. So questions keep coming up about this place.  This very exclusive hotel- Leopard Rock- has a PGA 18-hole golf course, but the place is a ghost town. I walked up to the original castle that the owners built as their home- it is now a wedding venue. Beautiful gardens everywhere.

Sally and her husband have a nursery up here in the mountains and at a restaurant garden in town. She has 3 cottages and manages 3 cottages for other people. At the cottage where I am, she has a small grocery store. They buy things in town and sell them because there is no store in the area. So the gift shop lady will bring me home because she wants to pick up fresh milk! Sitting waiting for my horse ride, I met a guy who is running Intnl Rescue Cmte projects - agricultural, etc. AND I met some other guests who will now bring me to Harare on Monday.

Saturday I went for a 4-hour hike with Charles. He is a certified guide who recently lost his job with a non-profit conservancy. Started at 8- he carries no water, no food and walked 1+ hrs to meet me. We walked through the forest to the waterfall. Saw the soccer ball fruit- even the animals don't want to eat it. Saw a very thick vine that strangles extremely large trees to death. Nature certainly is incomprehensible at times. A hole that resembled a grave was an old trap, people would cover it with boughs and there would be spikes in the bottom to catch the animal. People come in a make rings around the trees so they will die, fall and then be used as firewood. We saw some very rare bird- only in this area. He could identify all bird calls and dung along the way. In a million years I could not find the path on my own. There were markers (like grave stones) but sometimes they were lying on the ground or the letters were totally worn off. We then walked to George's Point- a magnificent viewpoint. Charles was very upset to see a cleared section below- people were illegally living in the national park. They cleared trees for their cattle to graze, then he said the person's cousin would come and do the same. He was very upset that there was no enforcement.

I was really tired after 4 hours. It was just devine to sit in the garden- it is terraced and very natural plantings everywhere you look.

The night guard is there to watch the horses and nursery...and me! He came to start my fire. Godfrey was very talkative. He was taking over the vacation hours of the regular guard. He walks 2 hours to work. It is very cold at night, but he doesn't light a fire because he said that would let intruders know where he is. He was so thankful when i gave him a tip and an apple. He doesn't bring food with him. Sunday night, I noticed this gigantic spider on the cupboard door. I thought is was a decoration at first, but then it moved. I quickly called the guard and he slammed it with some firewood!

Sunday morning was completely foggy- good excuse not to climb the mountain nearby. I walked to Leopard Rock. Luckily joined a man walking there so he showed me the quick way around the golf course. I left markers on the path- (ah, the benefits of litter.) A whiskey bottle and a can of beans marked my way home. The man said there would be people walking to church, so I won't get lost. The hotel wouldn't give me wi-fi, so I asked the way to church-which was by the workers' quarters. Told to turn at the gum trees, luckily there was a woman heading there. The quarters were like wooden barracks with tin roofs. Didn't look too bad, but families were living in one room. Saw women cooking outside on the fire. Laudry strung up between poles. Men sitting in doorways. In the dark room of the church, people were praying to themselves - sort of like Jews saying the Amida. Then a woman started a song which was beautiful harmony. But, when a guy stood up to talk scripture, I left as a young girl was guding the kids out for a lesson. Before that, 2 women came to invite me to sit closer. One woman asked if I understood Shona so she could bring me a translator. The young woman was just standing with the kids outside so I headed back. I followed my markers and remembered the landmarks so headed straight back.

Quite a few years ago a white woman started made some patterns and taught the local women embroidery. Now all along the road where I was, women hang clotheslines to display table cloths and aprons in various colors and patterns. They sit there from 8-5 - few tourists come by.

I loved the HIVU cottage. There were always workers around and people stopped by the store. It was so peaceful to read in the garden and enjoy the views of the mountains. Of course there were electricity outages. Luckily I had a gas stove and plenty of candles.

Monday Andrew and Judy arrived at 7. They told me the buses from Mutare were very dangerous. Judy was a very cautious driver. I'm glad I stayed we had really interesting conversations and arrived in 3 hrs. Andrew has a farm in Mozambique. Judy has a college counseling service. A  white farm can be taken at any time. The reason a white still has their farm is because political crony has not decided that he would like to take it over. Andrew had trained some black farmers, but now that has all ended.

I arrived at immigration at 12:07, by 4:15 I had my visa! First they couldn't find the paperwork, then the office who had to register my visa was not answering the phone then the clerk made a special effort for me and walked upstairs so they could type a 4-line letter and Voila: My Temporary Work Visa. The woman from the US embassay said the previous Fulbright Specialist had a Business Visa, the govt changed the rules because they are desperate for money. She provided me with a driver to get to my friedn Leslie's house. I had told Leslie I would take her and Sasha out for dinner. Sasha was working and she forgot and prepared dinner. So the 2 of us had a delicious dinner with delightful S.A. wine. She will bring me to the airport at 5 tomorrow. Need to go to bed, will write more relections later on leaving Zim. Right now I am in denial. Too sad. The time has flown by. I will miss the people most.

The Birthday Party

Chair keeps the oven door shut

Tari frosting cake

No Tari is not rolling cocaine, that's sprinkles

Decorating

We thought he was 11!

Surprise for Taro, with his parents and Tari

Taro cutting his cake

When Frazer was walking me to shul one Friday, I mentioned that Hannah was due July 17. He then told me that the 17th was Taro's bday. I asked how they celebrated - do they have cake? He replied that it depends on the money available. So I decided to bake a cake with Tari (the cleaner, but overall Madam of the lodge.) I thought of doing it Tuesday evening for our Thurs. night celebration, but Frazer said that black-outs usually happen on Tuesday. We actually had not had that many, but he was right- late Tues eve the lights went out. We were lucky that the electricity cooperated on WED. It was fun making the cake with Tari. Taro was happy to have cake left over to share with his friends the next day. 

If you're driving straight, it means...

I found my way back perfectly from Troutback. However, there was a bit of a misunderstanding about where Leslie or Ken would pick me up on the road. I waited by the side of the road where I exited the forest, but no one came so I started walking on the road toward the cottage. It was hot. I was fearful that I would get to the cottage and no one would be there...meaning they'd be waiting for me somewhere. Eventually Ken showed up- this was his second trip looking for me. Luckily it all worked out.

At 1 pm we had a brai. We feasted on Bar-B-Q chicken and potato salad. Leslie made a cola drink with selzer and cola syrup- much better than Coke! It was delightful sitting in the sun, eating great food, surrounded by mountains and lakes.

We played scrabble. Leslie claims she is not competitive, but that's not the case. I knew I had no chance against British-educated professionals (Teacher and DR.) but I managed to use all my tiles first on one game - however with the lowest score!

Lots of conversation in the early evening about life in Zim as a white person. Ken is moving to Cape Town. As a DR he has not been paid by the govt in months. People cannot afford to pay for medical care. You would think just this situation would cause a crisis, but not yet. He's very well connected. I asked him what he thought would happen when M dies. He said he would stay inside, first of all, to see what would happen. He said no one really knows what will be. Grace, the wife, could be killed or could take over. The army has many factions, they could take over. According to Ken, the opposition MDC leader is weak and the party if splintered. Zimbabweans are more gentle people than in other African countries...maybe there would be a peaceful transition. This is certainly an event to watch.

Solar lights created a warm atmoshpere in the cabin and there's always plenty of firewood. I was last to call it a day at 10 pm.

Mist totally concealed the lake during Tuesday's sunrise. When I took a walk, the grass was covered in frost. Within an hour the temperature warmed. I wanted to pay Leslie for the food, but she preferred I give money to the caretaker. We were all packed up by 9, so Leslie suggested we go to Troutbeck for coffee. Most of holiday crowd had left. They decided to get the car washed because in the past, Ken received a fine for a dirty car (police could not see the license plate.) Handwash tooked 45 min, so we walked around the property for awhile.

They dropped my off at 11:30 at a junction in Rupare. I called Passmore and he told me he was about 3 hrs away - not good news, but nothing I could do. The gas station had lots of action - tons of people returning home, stopping for chips and drinks. Lots of men folded themselves like spaghetti to fit themselves into pick-ups. Tons of kids, babies and more were packed into open-air pick-ups.

Passmore arrived about 3, very apologetic. He's great. Gave me lots of commentary - how the British didn't allow the blacks to have surnames, how the Black population now use totems to determine where they came from . The ride to Mutare is breathtaking. 4 lane highways blasted from the mountains.

Passmore is a lawyer in private practive. He was the youngest chairman appointed to Zim's Human Right Commission. His firm represents activists, journalists and others harrassed by the government. As I mentioned previously, an activist disappeared about 2 months ago. Passmore arranged the permit for the public protest about a month ago.

He informed his wife, Tsakani, that she would entertain me for a few days! She gave birth 3 mos ago and has a 4 yr old. As in African tradition, he has 4 children living with him, helping with their school fees. One is Tsakani's sister, one has a mother in Harare, I'm not sure about the others.

His neighborhood is quite nice. The driveway is steep with huge potholes and rocks. The kids watch cartoons non-stop. The said kids in pre-K learn to color, not the alpahbet. They are not aware of the public library in their town. The wife is studying on week-ends for a masters in public administration.

Tsakani treated me like a sister- totally open and super friendly. The kids answered my questions, 2 were friendlier than others.

Passmore and I went grocery shopping. Along the way he stopped to check on "the woman I call my mother" (his mother has "left," as they say.) It was in the high density area. He called for her from the gate and finally went around to the back and found her cooking on a fire outside.

He is planning on doing a Masters. The law degree here is a bachelor's. He went to find a friend who would review his thesis topics for his application. And he went to check on a girl who was watching his colleague in the hospital. So needless to say his 2 cellphones were ringing constantly.

Dinner was served to me and the wife - not the kids. We had rice and beans, coleslaw and grilled rabbit. They told me it was white meart, I picked a piece up and tried to eat it, but did not succeed in swallowing. it! An hour ago, Passmore showed me the cage where there were about 15 rabbits and informed me that he was taking one just for me for dinner! He came home late and consulted with an university registrar about some matters. He then decided that he will go with me to Africa University tomorrow and we should start our visit with the Registrar who will then arrange other meetings.

They gave me my own bedroom, obviously I was displacing about 4 people. No towel was offered. Passmore said the water heater was not working so hot water would be ready for me at 7am. Passmore told me to be ready at 7:30- he would take me to African University.

Wednesday I heated my own water and did pretty well with a coffee cup shower. The girls were all doing their chores- sweeping the floor, washing the dishes and polishing the floor with green soap - which I had used the night before to wash my face.

Africa University is a Methodist U and the former president of Emory was involved in its founding. The Emory Chaplain gave me a lot of contacts to look up. We went to chapel first- everyone was there. Beautiful singing with 3 instruments. The sermon was about - you have been chosen - you have the ability to make a difference. All 3 of us met with the Registrar. He studies with Tsakani. He told her he sent her  job announcement for a position in his office. Her school email was not working so she did not receive the information. They attributed their good luck to me! Because of my visit, they found out about the position.

I then met with the Vice Chancellor who had worked in CA. for 15 years. I mentioned that more should apply for Fulbrights. He also said he wanted to have more visiting scholars. Hopefully I will encourage some to come. This is the perfect place. They are educating leaders from all over Africa. Leadership is their mission.

The place was a polar opposite from NUST. No broken windows. Grassy commons between buildings with beautiful plants and trees. Lots of computer labs. Well stocked library. I visited Larry Kies - his daughter studies at Emory. He is from Iowa, his wife is English. He was in the Peace Corps in Botswana in the 70s. They decided Botswana was doing very well with their diamond industry and it was a well governed country. More challenges in Zim. He ran a mission farm for a while He teaches agriculture- they have animals and crops. Some of the students have farms, some will work in agribusiness. He invited Tsakani and I for lunch. They live on campus- his home is like a kibbutz home- small, very pleasant with a nice garden. We had the traditional sadza and veggies. Like everyone, he has a cook - and maybe she does the washing. He told us that every 6 yrs or so they go to the States for missionary work- he is going to churches to fundraise for scholarships, etc. His wife teaches English.

Tsakani and I then went to her relatives farm so we could deliver 2 chickens that had been covered up in the trunk for the past 7 hrs. She checked and they were still alive! They don't make money on raising chickens or rabbits because the feed is too expensive. They decided to give the chickens to the farm, then they will multiply and they'll come out to the farm when they want some meat. Didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me. The road is extremely bumpy. The Zim saying is, "If a driver is driving straight, he is drunk." A normal driver is constantly swerving to avoid the potholes.

They killed a roadrunner for me for dinner - supposedly a more tasty chicken. Again- I was served, the kids ate later- taking their own food. Passmore came late.

Thursday Passmore and Tsakani went to the DR. with the kids. If the husband shows up, you don't need to wait in line- that is their method for getting fathers involved in child rearing- one of the most brilliant ideas I have seen implemented here.

2 of the kids were going to Harare - home for the school holiday. Tsakani brought me to Passmore's office to say good-bye. I gave him an Emory business card holder and some $. He then proceeded to quote some Scripture about Abraham. He said he never thought he would be blessed to have a Jew in his home! He mentioned that on his return journey on Tuesday, he didn't have enough money for fuel and the banks were closed. But, he could use some $ that were given to one of the children as a present. And here I come along....to help him out a bit and he feels so honored and blessed. I replied that anyone who helps another person is rewarded. He is doing good work, so things will work out for him. It was an emotional good-bye. They are a remarkable couple.

Now I am at the American Corner in the public library. The computers are so slow I can't download pictures. The place is like a morgue....no talking allowed, no use of social networking sites, no books to check out. I am meeting another Methodist in 20 min.- a youth organizer. Then at 3 I take off for the Brumba Mountains. Check back for pictures!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Last Days in Bulawayo

I was so very lucky to be in Bulawayo and not Harare. Bulawayo is laid back, quieter. There was plenty of activity downtown. I didn't even get to see everything. I don't know how the time passed so quickly. I didn't do anything in the evenings. I couldn't walk outside after dark- 6 pm. If I wanted to go anywhere, I needed to call NUST for transport. Luckily, Domani was the scheduler and he's Tari's boyfriend, the worker at the lodge. So I had his mobile number and got very good service. On Friday when I called for my last transport to the airport, suddenly 2 white vehicles showed up! Domani came to say good-bye to me and Snowman, my favorite driver, brought me to the airport. Tari stayed with me for awhile- we both said we would miss each other. She was worried about being laid off, with the government cuts. She asked about being a maid in the states.

Final thoughts

• Electricity cuts were more frequent. I only experienced it for hours at a time. NUST had a generator and I was gone most week-ends. 
• No wi-fi for last 3 days- NUST failed to pay the bill
• Other guests weren't that friendly. I was super lucky to have Abraham as a guest at the lodge for the first 2 weeks. He gave me a running commentary on the country during our evening meal.
• Workers aren't being paid on time. 
• Bulawayo Club was established during Rhodesian times. Sherl, Ken's wife, was more concerned about telling me when women were admitted. As we walked around, Ken introduced me to the black club president. 
• Black and white mixing raises a lot of questions for me. As I sit here at Troutbeck, a very exclusive hotel, blacks and whites are guests- though I see no mixing. The employees are all black.  
• Sheryl told me that they stay because this is their home. Africa is in their blood. Zim is much more interesting and challenging then living in the UK. There is a lot of work to be done. The reason their farm has not been taken- "God has watched over us." It is sad that their kids are in Australia and S. Africa. They couldn't afford their lifestyle in another country. She was at some government offices and complained about the state of disrepair. Her driver stopped the car and said look - there were 3 rhinos. Her comment was we live in such a unique place - we can only remain optimistic. 
• Police arbitrarily stop people on the road - just to collect fines. You need a fire extinguisher in the car and a license for your radio.
• more later...

Bulawayo Club

Ken and Sherl Jerrard on left

On the street- SIM cutting

outside of City Hall, funeral flower arrangements

Making Sadza- the staple eaten twice daily

Zimbabwe Academy of Music

British Friends of the Bulawayo Music Academy provide music lessons to pupils in the Western Suberbs (aka: the slums.) A few students are selected and come on Fridays with their teachers, who also get lessons. They learn the marimba. They don't take any instruments home. A very nice program, but seems like they should be learning recorders or some simple instrument so they could take it home to practice!

As luck would have it, every two years they put on a week of performances. I was lucky to be there July 30 and 31. The academy is very old. A lot of dedicated white people were working hard to keep the place running, the electricity on and the roof repaired. Thursday night featured white and black students playing piano, guitar, flutes and singing. Reminded me of Mrs. Thurston's piano recitals. They all had to bow. Some teachers played accompaniment. Between the students' performances and the professionals, they served dinner in the lobby. During the conversation, Ken said he and his wife (flute teacher)  had a farm with a beautiful garden. If I had time, perhaps I'd like to visit. [see Last Days in Bulawayo for more.] 

Friday the show kicked off outside with the marimbas- first the teachers, then the students. Such joy was on the students' faces. Then we moved inside. The teachers were very creative. One piece featured 3 students taking turns playing with the teacher. A 3 yr old played his recorder [father Chinese, mother Zim] I was very impressed by the dedication of the small group of people who were keeping the academy running. It's an important cultural institution for them. They bring in artists to perform. Friday night they were showing a DVD of a performance in Argentina. As everywhere in this country, they struggle, they persevere and they have fun doing it along the way.

is this real?!

Teachers come with their students to learn on Fridays

Marimba Band- this guy had rhythm!

Marimba Band  with kids from the Western Suberbs

3 1/2 yrs old- Father Chinese, Mother Black - played not a simple piece!

Pulling at the heart strings

Through Lisa Gavin, the chaplain at Emory, I got in touch with lots of Methodists in Zim. Reverand Washington was in Bulawayo. As mentioned earlier, I met him at his church. He remembered to call me weeks later so I could visit his school. They decided to build the secondary school- which is just 15 min from NUST, but in the country - because there was no H.S. in the area. The kids had to walk a long way or they quit school. There are 2 buildings. I noticed the building with the restrooms, but the students were all headed to the outhouses, across the field. The reason? It was the end of the month and they couldn't pay the water bill for the flush toilets.

The reverend wanted me to donate the few paperbacks that I had. However, their "library" consisted of a locked storage room with boxes of textbooks. Instead I gave my books to the public library.

I sat in on a math class pf 14 year olds. They were learning - how many weeks are in 3 wks and 10 days. Pretty disappointing to see this level. No computers. The science teacher left so others are pitching in. The teacher said they don't have enough calculators or compasses to do the work for the exams. They have a challenge getting teachers because they are located so far from the city. Their school day is shorter because of the teachers' commute. They want to build housing for teachers. Friends said they would still have problems recruiting teachers because of the distance.

We walked to the fields to see the fruit trees that the students had planted. Each one had the student's name who was responsible for the watering. The parents, farmers in the area, had uprooted the thorn trees for the orchard. Visited the chicken coops and gardents. Saw the very nice house of the assistant Reverand. Told she provided counseling to all. I would want to find out why some of the rooms in her house could not be used as a library or some school activity!

The reverend is trying. After my visit, he was picking up a group of student visitors from Ohio. I told him not to be shy- be specific on the type of help you needed. Maybe this is a place I could go back and volunteer.

The Reverend and Headmaster

Math Class

Learning to feed rabbits

Agricultural teacher with students

Break Time

My Class

Google Exercise in the Computer Lab

Tea Break

Doing Exercises

Working in Pairs

14 students showed up for my class Aug 5-7- they were librarians from universities, teachers' colleges, polytcchnics and school librarians. I didn't exactly have enough material, but it worked. My main point was to make their classes more interactive, more student-centered. Don't just lecture. We had more in common than I thought. Some talked about the lack of respect for librarians. 2 were teaching a full-credit course on Information Literacy. Many talked about the challenges of working with faculty! Most were just doing orientation, not working too much with professors in their classes.

The facilities at NUST were horrible. No screen for the projector. No shades to block the sun. Windows were broken, so could not shut them on a cold day. Door kept slamming shut in the wind. The computer support was great. No wifi- they had to run a cord from the computer lab for internet access. It was a bit production to give the students bottles of water. They did manage to have cookies and cake at the tea break- students really filled up on these refreshments. After more than half had left on Friday the director produced very nice lamintated certificates for each participant.

Their institution paid their tution. I think many of them did not eat lunch. Mostly they were enthusiastic and engaged. They loved learning about Advanced Google searching and using Google Forms for exercises. We did quite a bit of group work- creating a Learning Outcome and an Assessment Rubric for a proposed class. Watched a Ted Video on Great Teachers. Searched Research Guides so they could get access to more Open Access sources. Warmed my heart that even the school librarian had Library Ambassadors that were 4th graders!

The lecturer who was suppose to help me plan the class, showed up in his red velvet blazer the first day. He was prepared for the photo op- university PR came to take pictures.

I was disappointed that Esabel, my host, the director of the library school, never met with me or had me meet with her staff of lecturers. I gave her a great article on how important it is that they teach librarians in library school how to teach- because that is what we do in the field. She never responded to me. They work with their doors closed - I would have liked to learn more about their work- but, she never raised this possiblity.

12 noon on Friday, I called it quits. I thanked them for their participation and expressed how much I enjoyed learning with them. A woman stood up and thanked me as a representative of the group. I gave them oranges for their journey - they were so appreciative. Then we took tons of photos- everyone wanted their individual picture with me and then lots of group photos.

My great fortune....Nyanga

I wrapped up my class Friday- more about that later. Friday night I flew to Harare. Leslie and Sasha picked me up- stayed at their home. Saturday Leslie and I, along with her friend Ken, took off for her cabin in Nyanga, in the Eastern Highlands. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive. We are on the border of Mozambique.

The road to the cottage is incredibly bumpy- dirt road, only for 4-wheel drive. Leslie flies over the potholes - really wide ravines. We didn't encounter traffic. Lots of people at junctions waiting for comvies- the local chicken buses. Mon and Tues are holidays, so they are heading to their home villages to visit parents and relatives.

The cottage is right across the road from World View, a viewpoint with distances of major African cities. The cottage is pink stucco- no electricity, but running water. There are scores of cottages in an association. Each cottage is assigned a caretaker from the village down in the valley. Aaron arrived after 30 min. He looks about 70, but is 50. Short, thin, few teeth, big smile. He lights the fire for the hot water boiler. He brings in firewood for the fireplace. He washes the dishes. He lives in a hut on the property- I am quite sure without water. Caretakers also build fire breaks. Some cottages have thatched roofs, but insurance is much higher on them. Many cottages are now owned by companies, of course some whites left and sold their places.

Ken is a retired DR, never married. Traveled the world. Fascinating listening to their white lives in Zim. We spend hours analyzing Sasha, Leslie's husband. He works 24/7. He's Indian, so doesn't feel he belongs in White or Black society. He supports Mugabi's party because he was the liberator. Before independence he was discrimminated against. Once Leslie married him, she could only teach in colored schools. He knows things are screwed up in the country, but wants to believe things will be right.

For lunch we dined on homemade tomato soup, facing the mountains, sitting in the warm sun. I went to climb the small mountain at World View. Got 2/3 up and lost the trail. I headed down with a nice family of 4. Bought some stone sculptures that are sold everywhere by local artists.

After enjoying some South African wine, all 3 of us watched the sunset at 6:30 at World View- a bit cloudy, but beautiful. Dinner is made by solar lamps and candles. Leslie brought everything in 2 huge coolers. There is ice, but it was so cold in the cabin, nothing really spoils.

The place reminds me of old cabins in Maine or Joe's Pond in VT. 1950's decor. There was a fire in the past, 2nd wooden floor was destroyed. As a result the bathtub is half brown inside, not too appealing.

Leslie goes to bed after supper. I kept adding wood to the fire. Finished Loving Frank- a fabulous book about Frank Lloyd Wright and the affair he had with his client- a feminist in the early 1900s.

Up at 6. We headed to the park to climb Mt. Nyangani, 2592m, highest point in Zim. Parking lot is at 2140m. Someone disappeared on the trail in FEB, so now a guide is required. We picked Paul up at the park office and then drove 15km on VERY bumpy roads. We pay him $5/hr. He was superb- young guy- thin and spry. Leslie didn't climb, Ken was slow and birding, so I hiked with Paul. The average amount of time is 3 hrs, we made it in 2 1/2! It is very rocky, but luckily the plants don't have thorns, so easy to grab on to them. It is welled marked with yellow up arrows and white down arrows. He stopped to drink from the waterfall- his comment was: "it's fine to drink here, this is national water." I only had 2 bottles, but passed up his offer. It was nice to see a large church group climbing and there was a small group of Asians. The locals don't take much interest in national parks. School groups bring kids, so hopefully nature appreciation will improve.

Dropped Paul off and bought some frozen trout from their hatchery. Saw baboons, warthogs and kudus along the way.

Although Julia and Hannah would laugh, I thought the climb was quite challenging and it was tough on the knees coming down. We threw corn, sweet potatoes and the fish in the fire for dinner- just delicious.

Now I am sitting in Troutbeck Inn, Monday morning. Leslie brought me to the trail, heading to the stream. Luck would have it- Mary had just crossed the road and was heading to Troutbeck where she catches a bus for her work in the town as a maid and cook. She looked about 18, but had 2 kids. We walked through the beautiful woods and on the road for 45 min.Hopefully I'll find my way back! I left one marker. She lives in town during the week. Today she was working just part-time due to the holiday. Her kids live with the grandmother while they go to school.

Tomorrow Lelslie will drop me off at the junction and Passmore- a Fulbrighter, lawyer and head of the Human Rights Commission will pick me up and we'll go to Mutare- still in the Eastern Highlands.

Canoeing down the Zambezi

After I paid a pretty penny for my Canoe adventure, I had little money for dinner! That allowed me to meet the locals. My lodge was "self-catering, " which included this contraption that looked like a microwave, however it had 2 burners on top of an oven. I had cast iron pots - everything I needed. 2 supermarkets are within a 5 min. walk. TM is the popular one- all the student groups that I met at the Falls were there- kids buying all sorts of junk food. A woman in line told me they sleep at area schools. She also said the supermarket was busy because it was the end of the month when people were paid and the store was running specials.

As I was eating I heard some music- I looked outside and saw dancers down by the restaurant, so I ran down. About 10 guys dressed in zebra skins were singing and dancing. They took turns performing- almost like break-dancing, but the songs were African! Then they passed the hat and tried to sell their CD. All the patrons were white. I was staying in a pretty cheap place- options ranged from tents to cabins. In the morning I did see some locals- I guess they cooked in their cabin just like me.

The Rest Camp was quite large offering lodges (2 bedroom cabins with kitchen and bath,) cabins with just beds and tents. It was nicely spread out- with a restaurant and pool. 

During the night I heard the elephant trumpets. Looked out my window and just across the road, by a cabin were 3 elephants!

Maganu Adventures picked me up at 7am- we were a Dutch couple and a Zimbabwean. We drove 1 1/2 hours through the Zambezi National Park on roads that looked like rocky riverbeds. This was like a game drive because we saw elephants, buffalo and kudo. It was amazing to see how excited the guide was to see the animals. He had a camera and stopped the jeep with every sighting. Seeing tracks along the road the guide explained that it was a trapped buffalo with a collar dragging the plank. Eventually the animal would die.

8:30 they set up for breakfast. First hot tea or coffee. Then 2 guys quickly gathered firewood to start a fire to fry eggs and bacon. The guide gave us the safety talk - I was a little uneasy- I thought it was going to be super calm water, no rapids! We were in 2-man inflatable canoes. A Zambian fisherman was at the shore with a big catch of fish.

Luckily I was with the main guide. We saw a herd of elephants as they contemplated crossing to the island. I did the half-day- about 6 km. We were 15 km upriver from the Falls. We saw crocodiles and hippos. He told us how hippos were territorial, live in pods of 10, the dominant male does not tolerate other males. They can stay under water for 8 min.

The Zambezi starts in Zambia and runs through Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. They want to build a bridge where the river intersects 4 countries, but some of the land would be taken away from Zim so they are objecting to the project. Then it flows into Lake Kariba, then Mozambique and finally into the Indian Ocean 2740 km.

The trip was fantastic. We stopped briefly on a sandbar to stretch our legs. Then the guide tightened my life jacket and we put our sunglasses, hats and cameras into the dry bag. He then told us about the series of rapids ahead of us. I was not too excited, but he said I could just hold on to the side ropes, no need to paddle. He expertly maneuvered us through as he squealed in joy. The river was wide, the trees were beautiful, the birds were large and plentiful, the weather was perfect, the company was enjoyable, it was everything and more than I expected.

7th Wonder of the World

Today I'm in Victoria Falls- one of the 7 Wonders of the World. Now in the Hertzel Pasackow tradition, I'm hanging out at the Victoria Falls Hotel, even tho I am sleeping down the road at the Rest Camp! (As Jay will remember during our Nova Scotia trip- that's what we did)

Plane trip was 35 min. First stop was the falls, a national park. Started at Livingston's statue and proceeded to 15 additional viewpoints. It is breathtaking. Like the Grand Canyon with waterfalls. The water cascades so much that it looks like steam rising. The indigenous named this place Mosi oa Tunya - "The smoke that thunders." That is a perfect explanation. In November 1855 at the age of 41, Livingston credited himself as the first white man to set eyes on the falls. Many question this claim.

It was nice to see lots of school groups. It was hot- maybe in the 80s; the students were walking around in their school uniforms with blazers and sweaters. To the left is the canyon, to the right is a rain forest- thick vegetation. In parts suddenly grass meadows appear- as if it was the California Coast at Point Reyes. Surprisingly at the last 2 viewpoints there is no fence. One is tempted to step just a bit too far to get a better view of the canyon. Monkeys scamper around.

Cecil Rhodes was the force behind the Falls bridge - a Zambezi crossing was a necessary part of his vision of a Cape-Cairo railway line. It was completed in 1905 and opened by George Darwin, son of Charles. Today the main attraction is bungee jumping. I got queasy just watching them. A harness is strapped onto these daredevils and they fall head first. The elasticity of the rope bobs them for a few minutes, then someone catches them.

I walked across and entered Zambia! A train goes across and cars and trucks cross one at a time.
Tons of hawkers selling all sorts of stuff- including old Zim dollars.

Activities are very expensive. Some English girls said the 1-hour elephant ride was definitely worth it, then a couple from PA. said they heard it was a total waste. I found the guy at the Information Booth that sold the Israelis their canoe tour. I'm paying more because I'm solo, but did get it reduced. They'll pick me up at 7 am for a 5 hour canoe ride- the guide does the paddling!

The Victoria Falls hotel is like a museum for this town. There are tons of pictures and photos of when the Queen came- Elizabeth was a young woman. They toured all the spots where I have been - Bulawayo, Matobos, the Falls, etc! The lounges are spectacular. The clientele white, the workers black. The lawn faces the falls, you can see the steam rising. Magnificent, enormous trees grace the grounds. Lots of animal trophy heads on the walls. Beautiful swimming pool with a lounge in the style of a Turkish bath. I think I'll come back here tomorrow.

I'm beyond happy knowing that Hannah delivered a healthy boy. Thanks to Robin and Julia for the pictures. Please everybody- send me more pictures and keep me updated on everything related to James!!