The US embassy in Zim and the Zim embassy in DC said I needed a business visa. When I arrived at the airport, the official told me a different story. I got the business visa for 30 days and they told me NUST could go to Town Hall and get it extended. I told Esabel, my host, quite a few weeks ago that we needed to get on this.
My visa expires Aug 2- Sunday. On Thursday NUST got on it. My Fulbright American friend had said business visas could not be extended. To get around this, I could go to Botswana for 2 days and then enter as a tourist. Botswana is just a bus ride away. I am teaching my class on Wed- Aug 5- so I wasn't really looking forward to a vacation in Botswana this coming week.
Thursday the Registrar finally admitted that he needed to take care of the issue and not HR. He had been copied on all correspondence- way before I arrived - but he never responded.
Thursday morn we drove to Immigration in town. He told me about the dire financial straits of the university. They were informed by the Govt that as of August, they must cover 25% of the budget and as of DEC they need to cover 50%- this includes salaries. The govt sets the price of tuition. The Registrar said that tuition would have to be raised. If it is, students will go on strike. If the university cannot raise the funds in August, faculty will go on strike if they are not paid. There is no one to get money from...businesses are closing all the time. A new executive council was formed; he lamented the political appointees that do not contribute to their efforts. He had just returned from a seminar in Nazareth, Israel! NUST does not get many visiting scholars because they are isolated from the rest of the world. The Registrar was quite open about the deplorable political situation. He appeared to be a real professional - once again, he has to deal with a very frustrating situation.
The same immigration official that was at the airport was in the Bulawayo office. He said I needed a Temporary Work Permit, for the bargain price of $500! I paid $30 for my business visa. I felt quite bad that NUST had to pay this money for me, but it was frustrating that the Registrar did not get involved earlier. He took the forms and we returned to NUST to get the necessary documents and the cash. At 3 pm we returned to the immigration office. Despite the fact that there were 3+ clerks there, we had to wait for our official to return from the airport. Then he said we didn't have everything, but then he admitted that he had told us different information in the morning, so once he saw the $500, he got his stamp working. $5 was requested from me to DHL the packet to Harare on Friday. The plan is that Monday I can show up and he will stamp my passport with an extension.
The US Embassy said that their intern did not renew her visa in time and she went to jail for 5 hours before they got her out. Hopefully everything will go smoothly on Monday. I return on a flight from Vic Falls on Sunday...hopefully all will go smoothly. Looks like I'll visit Botswana another day.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Zimbabwean International Book Fair
Monday, July 27 - The ZIBF opened in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Harare with a traditional ululation. Participants hail from S.A., Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, US and Kenya. Observed 2 minutes of silence for Zim writers who recently passed away. They were proud to annouce that more books were being published in the local languages. Most students study Shona in school, in my area in Bulawayo they study Ndebele. New Constitution recognizes 16 languages- including sign language.
A student played the violin and recited a poem, followed by a poet performing in Shona. Opening remarks and 3 artistic performers lasted for 1 hour. Sponsors thanked included the Cultural Fund which is supported by the EU, Sweden and Denmark. Tea break! Tables offered teas from different regions.
Sat next to a white woman who cataloged books at the National Gallery. She is writing a book on an Englishman who donated a lot of artwork to various institutions in Zim and S.A. She lives in a nice neighborhood, but residents stopped paying their taxes because they weren't getting city services. As a result, water is not available and goes untreated. As a group they buy water which is delivered to their tank. No water from a tap. They recycle bath water to flush their toilets. They've been doing this for 3 years.
At tea break met a Ndeble writer wearing a stunning traditional hat and dress. I am curious how many Ndeble writers there are, how many books are published and on what subjects. She said she has 7 novels waiting to be published, but the publishers are asking her for money in order to publish her works. She said she would give me the name of her tailor!
Chatted with a man that started a school in a slum. The people were forced to move so he started another school. I told him about the British Council who gives free books to libraries. He also wanted to start mobile libraries in rural areas so I connected him with the Rural Libraries Project.
The Tanzanian keynote stated that governments slap a high VAT tax on local and imported books (not textbooks.) He was disrupted in the middle of this talk by the announcement that the Minister was here. Everyone stands and waits in silence. He is then instructed that he can continue. A few minutes
later the minister enters, keynote speaker finishes and the ministers talks about the revised curriculum.
They want schools closer to the people. Plan to build 2000 schools, looking for partnerships. (Everyone agrees this is pure rubbish because the govt is broke.) The country was just founded in 1980. Curriculum emphasizes building the culture and nation. Heritage Studies is a new subject- want to instill in learners a "consciousness of what we value" - be proud of their heritage, language, natural resources, historic sites, etc. Curriculum based on principles including: inclusivity, gender sensitivity (aka - don't leave out the girls), embrace diversity and transparency.
Infant schools- up to about 4th grade- indigenous language will be medium of instruction. He said their challenge is to convince the parents that this is a good idea because parents think if English is not taught, then it's not a good school. He mentioned that there is a new family structure - due to AIDS crisis, many children are brought up by grandparents. With a population of around 12M (no accurate statistics) I was thinking it didn't make a lot of sense to be teaching 15 languages - need teachers, authors, publishers, etc. When I mentioned this to Gladys (Humphrey Fellow) she was quite insulted that years ago she was forced to learn Shona in school, even though this was not her native language. She said there are 3 dialects of Shona, one being the predominant one. If that one is taught, it is as if the others are considered less important languages. She said the language represents the culture. I would love to have more discussions on this issue.
Secondary schools should teach Drivers Ed - now they need to take private lessons. Will teach French, Swahili, Chinese and Portuguese. [a later speaker criticized this idea- just one African language included. He said Portuguese is non-relevant in the globalized world. Africans should be learning their neighbors' languages.] National pledge will honor those who lost their lives in Chimurenga/Umvukela - the independence wars. Also included, "We are proud creators and participants in our vibrant traditions and culture.
Curriculum will not teach a particular religion, but will teach the moral values of religion. The school pledge includes "Almighty God....."
Sometimes people asked questions in Shona. Questioner commented that "our struggle" was omitted from the pledge- he was referring to the massacre of 20,000 Ndebele people by M in the 1980s. The ministers replied that the committee will determine the final language
Most heated discussions were around copyright and textbooks. Publishers and govt agencies told about catching the violaters and jailing them- including school principals. Other speakers said parents cannot afford the books. There are many copy centers who copy the books. Trich- the white woman sitting next to me- sent me a long email after the conference. She said sometimes circumstances demand that the law be broken. The Ministry determines what textbooks are used. They charge exhoribant prices. That's all people have here is education. They talked about the Kenyan model where there are authorized copy centers and the publishers/authors get a cut.
At lunch I asked about the market for textbooks- asked if they use books from other countries.
The professors said no- context is different. I replied- Math is Math. The retort was Zambia is in a different place (maybe stage of development) than us. But people were talking about regional issues - a woman teaching disability studies at the Open University is doing her PhD in Botswana, remotely.
Interesting session on developing a reading culture. Zim is a very literate society, but students study for the test. Very few read for leisure. Presenter said that a Westerner once said, "If you want to hide something from an African, put it in a book."
A Dr. talked about his Shona Medical Dictionary. He got tired translating for all his relatives. Indigenous languages are not well developed in STEM. Some said this will be irrelevant in a few years because the younger gen knows English. His motivation - language is the basis of self-esteem. Language transmits knowledge and information, as well as values, beliefs and traditions. People have the impression that the white man is smart because we are learning in his language. NUST lecturer did a study in a rural area. Children never owned a book. The teacher was the one with the book, reading in class. No funding for libraries, books were old. Her final comment:"Donate a Book and Make a Difference."
Second day more talk on piracy and the rights of the authors to make a decent living. Poet performed by whitseling what sounded like a folk song - a woman tgot up to dance and then another one came up to dance and sing a song. Poet commented afterward that is was a magical, unexpected moment. Organizer asked for a volunteer to close the conference with a prayer.
A student played the violin and recited a poem, followed by a poet performing in Shona. Opening remarks and 3 artistic performers lasted for 1 hour. Sponsors thanked included the Cultural Fund which is supported by the EU, Sweden and Denmark. Tea break! Tables offered teas from different regions.
Sat next to a white woman who cataloged books at the National Gallery. She is writing a book on an Englishman who donated a lot of artwork to various institutions in Zim and S.A. She lives in a nice neighborhood, but residents stopped paying their taxes because they weren't getting city services. As a result, water is not available and goes untreated. As a group they buy water which is delivered to their tank. No water from a tap. They recycle bath water to flush their toilets. They've been doing this for 3 years.
At tea break met a Ndeble writer wearing a stunning traditional hat and dress. I am curious how many Ndeble writers there are, how many books are published and on what subjects. She said she has 7 novels waiting to be published, but the publishers are asking her for money in order to publish her works. She said she would give me the name of her tailor!
Chatted with a man that started a school in a slum. The people were forced to move so he started another school. I told him about the British Council who gives free books to libraries. He also wanted to start mobile libraries in rural areas so I connected him with the Rural Libraries Project.
The Tanzanian keynote stated that governments slap a high VAT tax on local and imported books (not textbooks.) He was disrupted in the middle of this talk by the announcement that the Minister was here. Everyone stands and waits in silence. He is then instructed that he can continue. A few minutes
later the minister enters, keynote speaker finishes and the ministers talks about the revised curriculum.
They want schools closer to the people. Plan to build 2000 schools, looking for partnerships. (Everyone agrees this is pure rubbish because the govt is broke.) The country was just founded in 1980. Curriculum emphasizes building the culture and nation. Heritage Studies is a new subject- want to instill in learners a "consciousness of what we value" - be proud of their heritage, language, natural resources, historic sites, etc. Curriculum based on principles including: inclusivity, gender sensitivity (aka - don't leave out the girls), embrace diversity and transparency.
Infant schools- up to about 4th grade- indigenous language will be medium of instruction. He said their challenge is to convince the parents that this is a good idea because parents think if English is not taught, then it's not a good school. He mentioned that there is a new family structure - due to AIDS crisis, many children are brought up by grandparents. With a population of around 12M (no accurate statistics) I was thinking it didn't make a lot of sense to be teaching 15 languages - need teachers, authors, publishers, etc. When I mentioned this to Gladys (Humphrey Fellow) she was quite insulted that years ago she was forced to learn Shona in school, even though this was not her native language. She said there are 3 dialects of Shona, one being the predominant one. If that one is taught, it is as if the others are considered less important languages. She said the language represents the culture. I would love to have more discussions on this issue.
Secondary schools should teach Drivers Ed - now they need to take private lessons. Will teach French, Swahili, Chinese and Portuguese. [a later speaker criticized this idea- just one African language included. He said Portuguese is non-relevant in the globalized world. Africans should be learning their neighbors' languages.] National pledge will honor those who lost their lives in Chimurenga/Umvukela - the independence wars. Also included, "We are proud creators and participants in our vibrant traditions and culture.
Curriculum will not teach a particular religion, but will teach the moral values of religion. The school pledge includes "Almighty God....."
Sometimes people asked questions in Shona. Questioner commented that "our struggle" was omitted from the pledge- he was referring to the massacre of 20,000 Ndebele people by M in the 1980s. The ministers replied that the committee will determine the final language
Most heated discussions were around copyright and textbooks. Publishers and govt agencies told about catching the violaters and jailing them- including school principals. Other speakers said parents cannot afford the books. There are many copy centers who copy the books. Trich- the white woman sitting next to me- sent me a long email after the conference. She said sometimes circumstances demand that the law be broken. The Ministry determines what textbooks are used. They charge exhoribant prices. That's all people have here is education. They talked about the Kenyan model where there are authorized copy centers and the publishers/authors get a cut.
At lunch I asked about the market for textbooks- asked if they use books from other countries.
The professors said no- context is different. I replied- Math is Math. The retort was Zambia is in a different place (maybe stage of development) than us. But people were talking about regional issues - a woman teaching disability studies at the Open University is doing her PhD in Botswana, remotely.
Interesting session on developing a reading culture. Zim is a very literate society, but students study for the test. Very few read for leisure. Presenter said that a Westerner once said, "If you want to hide something from an African, put it in a book."
A Dr. talked about his Shona Medical Dictionary. He got tired translating for all his relatives. Indigenous languages are not well developed in STEM. Some said this will be irrelevant in a few years because the younger gen knows English. His motivation - language is the basis of self-esteem. Language transmits knowledge and information, as well as values, beliefs and traditions. People have the impression that the white man is smart because we are learning in his language. NUST lecturer did a study in a rural area. Children never owned a book. The teacher was the one with the book, reading in class. No funding for libraries, books were old. Her final comment:"Donate a Book and Make a Difference."
Second day more talk on piracy and the rights of the authors to make a decent living. Poet performed by whitseling what sounded like a folk song - a woman tgot up to dance and then another one came up to dance and sing a song. Poet commented afterward that is was a magical, unexpected moment. Organizer asked for a volunteer to close the conference with a prayer.
Saturday, July 25, 2015
The Safari
I was so surprised to see so many white tourists at the bus station. The bus was heading to Victoria Falls, the most popular tourist attraction in the country. I met Josh and Katy who were going on the same game drive as me. They were on World Missions- 9 countries in 9 months, doing volunteer work in various agencies. In Bulawayo they worked in an orphanage. I sat next to a Zambian. He told me Africans in sub-Sahara Africa in the SADC can visit neighboring countries for up to 3 mos without a visa.
After 3 1/2 hrs I disembarked at the Safari Lodge in Hwange National Park, among the top national parks in Africa in terms of sheer numbers and variety of game. With over 108 species, Hwange boasts the highest diversity of mammals of any national park in the world.
I made reservations with the park service to stay in Main Camp. I then registered for a game drive with Africa Wanderers.
At the Safari Lodge we met Ty, our guide, He drove us to Main Camp. Josh and Katy were camping, I rented a cottage with ensuite toilet. We arrived in the dark at 6:15, the gate was already closed. But they let us in and said we would register tomorrow.
My room was just fine, very basic Reminded me of the platform tents in Yosemite. I didn't want the luxury experience. I thought I would meet more locals. We were cautioned not to walk around at night- sunset is at 6 pm. The fences consist of chicken wire with many broken down posts. Ty said I would make it safely to the restaurant with my flashlight.
Mid-week things were pretty quiet. There were 2 couples at the restaurant. I joined a German couple. He was studying in Tanzania, she was working for a NGO. She had worked in Bulawayo for 4 months with an agency distributing food to people with AIDS in 2010. In 2010 (?) the grocery store shelves were empty. In some ways the situation has improved- the shops are full. However she says she is left with more questions about the country. She has no answers to the problems.
My room included a man starting a fire in a rather crumbling fireplace outside my door, but he started at 7 am. So they guys in the restaurant heated hot water in the microwave for my coffee.
We were off at 8 am- 4 people joined us from another group- 1 Italian, 1 English and an American couple. We were in an open air jeep- 3 benches. The temp. was in the 60s, but in the jeep the wind was really blowing. They claimed that because it was winter, the animals were waking up later- waiting for the warmth. We didn't see too many animals early on. (People who went on early morning drives at 6:30 also came back sometimes without seeing anything.) Ty stopped to pick a wild plant called Bushman's soap. You add a bit of water and it's a moisturing soap. Showed us an elephant's skull and teeth. There is trophy hunting in the park; all the proceeds go back to the park. Hunters can hunt 2% of the population of a species. The meat goes to local orphanages.
Elephant population estimates vary widely from 20K-75K. There are no fences so the animals roam from Botswana as far as Angola. There is a big debate about culling the population. The elephants do huge damage to the vegetation. Ty said they are losing 1000 elephants every year. They drink 200 liters a day. There is not enough water or food for them. When the park was founded, they dug water holes. Now some of them are solar-powered. With the dire economic situation, they don't always have fuel or manpower to maintain the watering holes. NGOs also finance them. They tend to maintain the waterholes near tourist sites, so the elephants are concentrated in these areas. If they were more spread out, there would be less destruction to the environment. Some say they should rotate the maintenance of the waterholes to prevent environmental destruction. But then that would hurt the tourist industry. Cooperation with neighboring countries is also advocated. More transfrontier parks are needed. When they cull, they must destroy the whole heard, otherwise the elephant remembers and will return and be violent. There are not enough professioinals who know how to destroy the herd. Recently 23 elephants were sold to China which created a huge outcry. Saw lots of elephant turds before we say the real thing. Every 15 min. they drop- they don't process their food well. Because of the sandy environment, elephants have a short lifespan here - 65 - 70 years. The sand is tough on their teeth.
During the day, we saw: zebra, elephants, giraffes, impalas (they roamed around the camp,) kudus, steembu (pigmy antelope,) sable, hippo (just submerged in the water,) 2 crocodiles, secretary bird, ostrich, gnu, arthog and black back jackals. We did not see lions. We would not see rhinos because of the poaching. The Chinese think the horn has special powers. They pay 50-100K for 1 kg- worth more than cocaine or gold. 750 were lost to poaching last year. A horn can fetch $1M. People risk their lives to kill the animals- they could get $10K. Ty was thinking they could be extinct shortly. There are only 2 in the park, in a protected area, under 24-hr guard.
Not sure 9 1/2 hours was worthwhile, but it was interesting seeing different parts of the park. We went off road, on to dirt paths. One moment in a grove to thick trees, the next in open fields. Our pit stop was at a camp ground. 2 elderly couples rented out the whole place. They had tents with cots. The spot had toilets. They brought their own solar mini panels to power their fridge so they could have cold beers. The caretaker had a hut to live in. He made sure they had water and firewood. He locked the gate each evening, even though the fence was torn in areas. Like campers world over, they enjoyed the experience. Sat their with their binoculars- knew all the birds. Came 3 times a year. Again, these guys were white. The park does bring school children for camp outings, so maybe the younger generation will learn to love the outdoors.
We stopped at a watering hole with a viewing stands. Our picnic lunch was cut short due to the bees. I brought lots of bug repellent with deet, but never used it. My camera battery died just when all the elephants were 50 yards from us. One crossed the road in front of us, turned to face us, lifted his foot as if he was doing a jig, then sauntered off. Josh will send me his pictures.
We had the option of a night drive. I was tired. The jeep is very bumpy. Thought the odds of seeing a lion were pretty low. Turns out the drive was cancelled due to truck malfunctioning. Here is a solar-powered watering hole
Next morning on our way to the bus, stopped at Painted Dog Sanctuary. The guide gave us a good tour. They wild dogs get trapped in the wire traps of the poachers. Population is down. They have a dog hospital. They put collars on the dogs. Artists make sculptors out of the salvaged wire.
Bus arrived early at 9:50, back to Bulawayo by 1:20. I will post pictures when the computer cooperates- so check back again.
Friday, July 24, 2015
The land grabs continue
This evening at synagogue I saw Kate. She had returned from her conversion in Maryland. Her father has a farm with oranges. The government wants to confiscate it. They have 150 workers and a school on the farm. There is some law that whites can own less than 150 hectares. They own 120, so they are fighting th eviction.
I could tell the guy saying kaddish tonight was Israeli. After services I talked with Shai and his wife. They are on their 1 1/2 month honeymoon in Africa. They gave me good advice about visiting Vic Falls. They stayed at the place I have booked. They told me to see the river by canoe- a guy padels, I just sit and drink.
I'm not allowed to walk home in the dark. The gentleman who brought me home told me they are also trying to take his farm. I asked about the recent announcement that the govt is inviting farmers back. He said it's rubbish, but may relate to those farmers in Zambia who are growing wheat and maize that Zim now imports. He said there are massive grain silos in Harare that when the whites were farming were always full. Now they are totally empty.
On his farm he had 300 giraffes that he used for photographic safaris. He said they have now all been slaughtered for meat. The govt is desperate for cash.
He is fighting his takeover. He says he wants to be able to give his farm to his black workers. He has cattle. They have hoof and mouth disease now so he cannot sell them. If the takeover could be delayed by a year, the cattle would recover and then he could sell them and take the money. All the machinery would be given to his workers.
He said he had a foundry that he sold for a lot of money. But when the govt converted the currency to dollars, he lost all his savings.
I asked how are things going to get better. He said the black Zimbabweans are the cream of the crop. But right now they are gutless. They are not standing up to the corruption. I said they're scared they could be killed. He said certainly that is the case in this area, where M. massacred 20K people in the 80s. He said it is not just M. The party is corrupt. To get anything done, you need to bribe. He said the land grabs are just showing people that you can get something by not working for it. He actually said that he thought M wife could be good because she can control things. I didn't exactly follow that train of thought. He also said the oppostion- who I thought were the good guys- ordered a large shipment of T-shirts and did not pay for them...now the business is going bankrupt.
He said the NGOs are problematic. Near him, some charity is giving all the children bicycles, but the education system is atrocious. The NGOs want to keep their jobs. Many of them have very nice homes.
When I asked him what the US could do to improve things- he said bring in advisors to teach the people about good goverance and the rule of law. The new constitution means nothing if there is no law enforcement. Then he mentioned that the African society respects the elders- even if the elder is totally corrupt. So, in short, there are many factors and it will take a long time to change things. The man's daughter is in Australia. He and his wife will have residency there. But, he said the move would be hard for him. His family came to Zim 3 generations ago from Lithuania.
I'm so glad I decided to go to services tonight!
I could tell the guy saying kaddish tonight was Israeli. After services I talked with Shai and his wife. They are on their 1 1/2 month honeymoon in Africa. They gave me good advice about visiting Vic Falls. They stayed at the place I have booked. They told me to see the river by canoe- a guy padels, I just sit and drink.
I'm not allowed to walk home in the dark. The gentleman who brought me home told me they are also trying to take his farm. I asked about the recent announcement that the govt is inviting farmers back. He said it's rubbish, but may relate to those farmers in Zambia who are growing wheat and maize that Zim now imports. He said there are massive grain silos in Harare that when the whites were farming were always full. Now they are totally empty.
On his farm he had 300 giraffes that he used for photographic safaris. He said they have now all been slaughtered for meat. The govt is desperate for cash.
He is fighting his takeover. He says he wants to be able to give his farm to his black workers. He has cattle. They have hoof and mouth disease now so he cannot sell them. If the takeover could be delayed by a year, the cattle would recover and then he could sell them and take the money. All the machinery would be given to his workers.
He said he had a foundry that he sold for a lot of money. But when the govt converted the currency to dollars, he lost all his savings.
I asked how are things going to get better. He said the black Zimbabweans are the cream of the crop. But right now they are gutless. They are not standing up to the corruption. I said they're scared they could be killed. He said certainly that is the case in this area, where M. massacred 20K people in the 80s. He said it is not just M. The party is corrupt. To get anything done, you need to bribe. He said the land grabs are just showing people that you can get something by not working for it. He actually said that he thought M wife could be good because she can control things. I didn't exactly follow that train of thought. He also said the oppostion- who I thought were the good guys- ordered a large shipment of T-shirts and did not pay for them...now the business is going bankrupt.
He said the NGOs are problematic. Near him, some charity is giving all the children bicycles, but the education system is atrocious. The NGOs want to keep their jobs. Many of them have very nice homes.
When I asked him what the US could do to improve things- he said bring in advisors to teach the people about good goverance and the rule of law. The new constitution means nothing if there is no law enforcement. Then he mentioned that the African society respects the elders- even if the elder is totally corrupt. So, in short, there are many factors and it will take a long time to change things. The man's daughter is in Australia. He and his wife will have residency there. But, he said the move would be hard for him. His family came to Zim 3 generations ago from Lithuania.
I'm so glad I decided to go to services tonight!
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Where I live and work
Mobile Book Truck
Monday morning I joined the Public Library's Mobile Library team as they visited 4 schools. I was surprised when they drove to my neighborhood, one of the richest in the city. Similar to other places in the world- the rich people send their kids to private school. This school is all black, many of the students are the kids of the caretakers and cooks. Most if not all homes have a shed where the help live.
The mobile library's offerings are meager. The books are organized sort of by grade level, but each time the truck moves books fall off the shelves. A single red string holds the books in place on one shelf.
The students must pay $4 per term (3 mos.) to check out 1 book for a fortnight. If they checked out more, there would not be enough books for all. Hence <50 borrow books out of 1000 students. We parked in the yard and the kids seemed to be going in the opposite direction, but soon they started appearing, with books in hand. The librarian spends his time checking out books and only advises kids when he spots a young child check out a difficult book. Then he instructs him to go choose another book.
I think the kids were rather surprised to see me, but they told me a bit about the books they had read and the subjects they like to read about.
The kids wearing the blue sweaters were situated just 20 min. from the city, but quite a rural area. Goats wandered into the school yard. I saw kids around some tables outside, thinking it's a nice day, the teacher decided to hold class outside. When I chatted with the headmistress, she said due to overcrowding, some classes are held outside. Class size is 35-45 students.
The last picture with the thatched roofs is a school for the disabled. The picture after the bookmobile is the teacher helping her students select a book. Teachers were surprised to hear that they could check out books for free.
It's too bad that Nozipho does not have time for some programming. He desires to fix up the bus and get better materials. Still, all the kids were smiling, happy to have books to read. But, seems like he needs more time to market this service. I've been invited back next week to go to the High-Density suburbs (aka: the slums.)
The mobile library's offerings are meager. The books are organized sort of by grade level, but each time the truck moves books fall off the shelves. A single red string holds the books in place on one shelf.
The students must pay $4 per term (3 mos.) to check out 1 book for a fortnight. If they checked out more, there would not be enough books for all. Hence <50 borrow books out of 1000 students. We parked in the yard and the kids seemed to be going in the opposite direction, but soon they started appearing, with books in hand. The librarian spends his time checking out books and only advises kids when he spots a young child check out a difficult book. Then he instructs him to go choose another book.
I think the kids were rather surprised to see me, but they told me a bit about the books they had read and the subjects they like to read about.
The last picture with the thatched roofs is a school for the disabled. The picture after the bookmobile is the teacher helping her students select a book. Teachers were surprised to hear that they could check out books for free.
It's too bad that Nozipho does not have time for some programming. He desires to fix up the bus and get better materials. Still, all the kids were smiling, happy to have books to read. But, seems like he needs more time to market this service. I've been invited back next week to go to the High-Density suburbs (aka: the slums.)
When elephants fight, just the grass is harmed
Innocent is the new guest in the guest lodge. He is from Harare, teaching Taxation to undergraduates. During our dinner conversation last night, he mentioned how the sanctions are only hurting the people, not the politicians at the top. Sanctions close down factories and businesses resulting in high unemployment. His solution to the economic mess is that Western countries should be training the locals on civil governance so they can confront their leaders. Right now, the leaders blame the economic slowdown on the sanctions. Innocent says they hide behind the sanctions and attribute all the problems to the sanctions. If the sanctions were lifted, they would have no excuse and they would be forced to explain to the people why they are in such a desperate economic state.
We got on this topic when I mentioned that Jimmy Carter monitors elections. Innocent said Zim would never accept an outsider to monitor their elections. He mentioned their new constitution that now has an anti-corruption unit as well as an independent election commission. He said that when westerners try to come in, they always suspect that they have a hidden agenda.
Gladys, who teaches civic education, also said that M. is trying to pit the Southern Hemisphere against the North. She said she understands where he is coming from. He's head of the African Union. Sort of like Chavez- he's saying enough is enough. We in the global south can stand up for ourselves. They don't want northeners/Westerners coming in to tell them what to do.
It is a sad state of affairs because it is like a pot ready to boil over. There is so much pent up energy. People are educating themselves. They are aware of what is going on outside of their country. However, with no money, they are stagnating. An infusion of advisors and exchange programs to empower the people could transform this place. Right now they are intimidated. The security forces are very strong. A Human Rights activist has disappeared and there is a lot of talk about his whereabouts. The French Ambassador called for an investigation and he was called to the Foreign Ministry to be reprimanded. On the US Embassy site there is his picture and the Ambassador is demanding his release.
Innocent said their proverb is, "When elephants fight, only the grass is harmed." That's how he describes what the US (and other countries) sanctions are doing to Zimbabwe.
We got on this topic when I mentioned that Jimmy Carter monitors elections. Innocent said Zim would never accept an outsider to monitor their elections. He mentioned their new constitution that now has an anti-corruption unit as well as an independent election commission. He said that when westerners try to come in, they always suspect that they have a hidden agenda.
Gladys, who teaches civic education, also said that M. is trying to pit the Southern Hemisphere against the North. She said she understands where he is coming from. He's head of the African Union. Sort of like Chavez- he's saying enough is enough. We in the global south can stand up for ourselves. They don't want northeners/Westerners coming in to tell them what to do.
It is a sad state of affairs because it is like a pot ready to boil over. There is so much pent up energy. People are educating themselves. They are aware of what is going on outside of their country. However, with no money, they are stagnating. An infusion of advisors and exchange programs to empower the people could transform this place. Right now they are intimidated. The security forces are very strong. A Human Rights activist has disappeared and there is a lot of talk about his whereabouts. The French Ambassador called for an investigation and he was called to the Foreign Ministry to be reprimanded. On the US Embassy site there is his picture and the Ambassador is demanding his release.
Innocent said their proverb is, "When elephants fight, only the grass is harmed." That's how he describes what the US (and other countries) sanctions are doing to Zimbabwe.
Monday, July 20, 2015
Dinner in Rhodesia
Saturday evening Leslie and Sasha picked me up for dinner. Sasha got his PhD at VA Tech. While there he met Cliff, who was his host family. Cliff was also a host family for Innocent, my Humphrey Fellow this past year. Cliff came to Innocent's graduation and that's when he told me about his friends in Zim.
They brought me to a beautiful restaurant. I felt like I could have been in Buckhead. It was located in an old home. I saw one black patron, otherwise everyone was white. I imagined this is what it must have been like before independence in 1980. The food was delicious, the S. African wine was superb and Leslie could even take the unfinished bottle home. (I didn't think this was permitted in the States.)
Sasha is an urban developer, very suave. His father was born in Zim, originally the family is from Gujarat, India. Leslie's ancestors arrived in the 1700s to S. Africa, she said Huguenots.
As Abraham explained to me this morning, things got really bad here in 2000. I wanted to probe Leslie and Sasha, but just listened. I thought that if he had projects, he must be in good relations with the govt. However they also attended the 4th of July celebration at the US Embassy. So I'm not sure where they stand. They did say they wanted to return to Zim after their time in VA. because they thought they had more to contribute here. Leslie was a school teacher.
Leslie gave me a lot of advice about traveling. When I mentioned that I want to go to the Eastern Highlands, she mentioned that they have a cottage there. No electricity, but I'm sure it is nice. Maybe it will work out for me to travel with them. She also has relatives and friends in Cape Town, so now I have someone to climb Table Mt with!
This morning Abraham brought me to the poorest part of town, the High Density suburbs (aka:slums.) Police wiped out many vendors on some streets recently. On Sunday the police don't work, so vendors were out again. Passed small concrete hovels, water running in the street, people everywhere. Wares for sale: sugar cane, hatchets, car parts, recycled oil, used clothes, plastic woven baskets, lumber, firewood, single pieces of candy and the list goes on. Single contractors can come here to get all their material. Seems like the market was bustling, but didn't see a lot of buyers.
Continued to the Medium-density suburbs where Abraham lives. He has 4 kids. He has a young man living in his courtyard, in a hut-like structure. Abraham's house has 4 bedrooms, screening room, dining room, living rm, family rm, exercise room, large kitchen, garden with patio and a bar on the top floor with a balcony. Rather ostentatious.
On to the Low-Density suburbs (aka where the rich live.) Passed the block long President's compound, where he doesn't live. There were lots of neighborhoods with huge homes- for generals, cousins of M and just plain rich Zimbabweans. Granted such disparity exists in many other countries, but here it is particularly sad - or I guess that is the case everywhere. I asked Abraham who is buying firewood out here- he said that's for the Bar-B-Q!
Passed lots of tracks of land which Grace, the president's wife, just took when she felt like it. Abraham explained that the British withdrew a lot of support in 2000. They had been sending teachers and supporting a lot of charities. When people got fed up with the govt and the opposition was formed- M felt threatened. In 2000 he started confiscating white farmers' lands. In addition to the war veterans getting land, the land was redistributed to many blacks because the whites owned a large portion of the land. After independence, the British sent advisers to train people in farming. But the huge land grab in 2000 turned them off and the British withdrew.
The bus was delayed because the driver showed up late on another bus. Our bus was very noisy, luckily I had a good book. They drive very fast and at night there are no lights. After 2 six-hour rides I had had enough and make a plane reservation for my next Harare trip (45 min. in the air.)
I'm scheduled to meet with the Ambassador next Tuesday while I'm at the book fair. His aid wanted to know what I was doing at NUST and what I wanted to talk about. I responded by saying I want to know what the US is doing to improve governance in the country.
They brought me to a beautiful restaurant. I felt like I could have been in Buckhead. It was located in an old home. I saw one black patron, otherwise everyone was white. I imagined this is what it must have been like before independence in 1980. The food was delicious, the S. African wine was superb and Leslie could even take the unfinished bottle home. (I didn't think this was permitted in the States.)
Sasha is an urban developer, very suave. His father was born in Zim, originally the family is from Gujarat, India. Leslie's ancestors arrived in the 1700s to S. Africa, she said Huguenots.
As Abraham explained to me this morning, things got really bad here in 2000. I wanted to probe Leslie and Sasha, but just listened. I thought that if he had projects, he must be in good relations with the govt. However they also attended the 4th of July celebration at the US Embassy. So I'm not sure where they stand. They did say they wanted to return to Zim after their time in VA. because they thought they had more to contribute here. Leslie was a school teacher.
Leslie gave me a lot of advice about traveling. When I mentioned that I want to go to the Eastern Highlands, she mentioned that they have a cottage there. No electricity, but I'm sure it is nice. Maybe it will work out for me to travel with them. She also has relatives and friends in Cape Town, so now I have someone to climb Table Mt with!
This morning Abraham brought me to the poorest part of town, the High Density suburbs (aka:slums.) Police wiped out many vendors on some streets recently. On Sunday the police don't work, so vendors were out again. Passed small concrete hovels, water running in the street, people everywhere. Wares for sale: sugar cane, hatchets, car parts, recycled oil, used clothes, plastic woven baskets, lumber, firewood, single pieces of candy and the list goes on. Single contractors can come here to get all their material. Seems like the market was bustling, but didn't see a lot of buyers.
Continued to the Medium-density suburbs where Abraham lives. He has 4 kids. He has a young man living in his courtyard, in a hut-like structure. Abraham's house has 4 bedrooms, screening room, dining room, living rm, family rm, exercise room, large kitchen, garden with patio and a bar on the top floor with a balcony. Rather ostentatious.
On to the Low-Density suburbs (aka where the rich live.) Passed the block long President's compound, where he doesn't live. There were lots of neighborhoods with huge homes- for generals, cousins of M and just plain rich Zimbabweans. Granted such disparity exists in many other countries, but here it is particularly sad - or I guess that is the case everywhere. I asked Abraham who is buying firewood out here- he said that's for the Bar-B-Q!
Passed lots of tracks of land which Grace, the president's wife, just took when she felt like it. Abraham explained that the British withdrew a lot of support in 2000. They had been sending teachers and supporting a lot of charities. When people got fed up with the govt and the opposition was formed- M felt threatened. In 2000 he started confiscating white farmers' lands. In addition to the war veterans getting land, the land was redistributed to many blacks because the whites owned a large portion of the land. After independence, the British sent advisers to train people in farming. But the huge land grab in 2000 turned them off and the British withdrew.
The bus was delayed because the driver showed up late on another bus. Our bus was very noisy, luckily I had a good book. They drive very fast and at night there are no lights. After 2 six-hour rides I had had enough and make a plane reservation for my next Harare trip (45 min. in the air.)
I'm scheduled to meet with the Ambassador next Tuesday while I'm at the book fair. His aid wanted to know what I was doing at NUST and what I wanted to talk about. I responded by saying I want to know what the US is doing to improve governance in the country.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Meeting our MBAs
Judah, the business librarian, is just delightful. He suggested I accompany him to teach a library orientation class to the incoming MBAs in Harare. NUST has a sort of satellite campus in Harare. He arranged that the Dept. of Library Science and the business schools would cover our expenses. He told me to book at the Holiday Inn because that was closest to the facility. I booked online and got a good internet rate on Tuesday. Wednesday Judah informed me that all the rooms in the Harare campus were booked. I really wanted to go so I said I'll call the embassy to see if they have a room. Stephen, who is in charge of the Information Center, agreed to provide us with a room and he said, "you're one of us, so there is no charge." [today, SAT. we thanked Stephen very much- I casually said- Americans say it never hurts to ask and he replied, yes you request, but that means an order.]
Judah said as he departed work WED- just let me know when you hear back from Stephen, then I will email the students from home- this is the first time they were going to hear about the class. So I texted him and called him WED night.
Thurs. morning I get to work and Judah asks - so do we have the room? In short, he invited students to a Sat class on Thursday. He invited 150; I was skeptical that we'd get 50. We worked on our exercises together on Thursday.
Friday morning I met him at the bus station for a 7:30 bus. The company is S. African. As we departed, the steward slipped in a CD and we were offered a travel prayer, in the name of Jesus. We were then informed not to take any food from our fellow passengers, Interscape is not responsible for food contamination. And yes, there was an emergency toilet on board.
Along the road:
Judah said as he departed work WED- just let me know when you hear back from Stephen, then I will email the students from home- this is the first time they were going to hear about the class. So I texted him and called him WED night.
Thurs. morning I get to work and Judah asks - so do we have the room? In short, he invited students to a Sat class on Thursday. He invited 150; I was skeptical that we'd get 50. We worked on our exercises together on Thursday.
Friday morning I met him at the bus station for a 7:30 bus. The company is S. African. As we departed, the steward slipped in a CD and we were offered a travel prayer, in the name of Jesus. We were then informed not to take any food from our fellow passengers, Interscape is not responsible for food contamination. And yes, there was an emergency toilet on board.
Along the road:
Apostals - all in white- praying outside. They say that with the bad economy, people turn to prayer. This group has been accused on child marriages, refusing to vaccinate their kids and polygamy
- Truck with oversized load labeled: Abnormal
- Random police checks slow things down. This road between the 2 largest city is 2 lanes. Police are looking for bribes. They let the bus through
- 5 toll stations - no EZ pass!
- Firewood for sale along the way
- The vast majority of the land is fallow- M. threw out the white farmers, the war veterans got the land, they were inexperienced farmers. Just this week the govt. announced that they are inviting back the white farmers.
One pit stop at the Chicken Take-out. I was shocked to see a toilet with toilet paper and soap at the sink. Abraham told me to buy the paper so I would see all the events going on in Harare. There was one event listed- a H.S. Band competition sponsored by the Italian Embassy. Only when we got to the outskirts of Harare was there cultivated land.
Lucky me- half way through the trip, my fellow passenger starting chatting. He's a tour guide with Overseas Adventure Travel! He's going to check hotels for me at Vic Falls and gave me advice about the Eastern Highlands.
The 6 hrs actually went pretty fast. My Holiday Inn was right next to the bus stop. When I entered, the manager came to greet me and mentioned the email I wrote about requesting a non-smoking room. I said, "How did you recognize me?" Sort of forgetting that you can count the white people floating around on one hand. The S. African Soccer team is at the hotel- there's a big match on Sun.
I expected Harare to have some English charm, but it's a run-down, rather ugly city. Just a few buildings with nice architecture. Thanks to my guidebook found a nice gallery located in an old house. The resident artist was very friendly. Lots of great sculpture in the yard.
They have wine and cheese openings. I met Gladys, who was a Humphrey Fellow (part of Fulbright.) She works at an organization that teaches civil engagement. She said she was a student leader in university. The government targets students because that is where the protests usually start. She has been arrested. She works in the rural areas to try to get people from the 2 parties to respect each others' opinions and not kill each other. She tries to get them to work on local issues, showing them that they have common goals. They work to make sure people know their rights and register to vote. I asked if she was harassed by the govt- she said yes. In response to my question as to how she remains optimistic- her response was: "you don't choose where you are born. This is my country, I need to work for change." I was glad that I could connect her with other Humphrey Fellows and even the man who runs the Rural Library project because he is like a community organizer. It was strange to be in a restaurant in an upscale shopping mall. There is abject poverty in the city, but also villas and malls. Had my first Zim beer.
They have wine and cheese openings. I met Gladys, who was a Humphrey Fellow (part of Fulbright.) She works at an organization that teaches civil engagement. She said she was a student leader in university. The government targets students because that is where the protests usually start. She has been arrested. She works in the rural areas to try to get people from the 2 parties to respect each others' opinions and not kill each other. She tries to get them to work on local issues, showing them that they have common goals. They work to make sure people know their rights and register to vote. I asked if she was harassed by the govt- she said yes. In response to my question as to how she remains optimistic- her response was: "you don't choose where you are born. This is my country, I need to work for change." I was glad that I could connect her with other Humphrey Fellows and even the man who runs the Rural Library project because he is like a community organizer. It was strange to be in a restaurant in an upscale shopping mall. There is abject poverty in the city, but also villas and malls. Had my first Zim beer.
The US Information Center is in an award-winning building. Big atrium with lots of connecting bridges. The wi-fi did not work so the students couldn't use their laptops. Some came late, but we had 47!! They were very engaged. We could move to the the adjacent room and use some computers for hands-on exercises, but they had to work in groups. We took an hour lunch break; ended at 3. In total- 5-hr. class. They were engaged, asked questions, searched serious topics. They are all working. Got the most laughs when I used the example of legalizing pot.
After class went to National Gallery- quite depressing. Costs $1 entry. They had a school exhibit on Wetlands. Very little permanent collection. Folklore sculpture and a sculpture garden. Also nice gift shop. What they had was nice, but so meager. Now I'm off to have dinner with friends of friends.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Going to the Rural Areas
Rural Areas=countryside
Many people have homes in the rural areas, sort of back to their ancestral lands. Getrude's parents last week said they go on Saturdays, so I asked Getrude if I could go. Turns out her parents went to a funeral so her brother, sister and niece brought me.
The home was about 30 min. outside the city. The turnoff was not marked. Tha, the daughter, jumped out to open the gate and we proceeded down the dirt road. When we arrived at their land, another gate was opened. They pay people to live on their land. There was a thatched hut which served as the kitchen. The concrete block house had 2 small bedrooms and a sitting room. No electricity- outhouse in the yard. They were not born in this area. Tha told me many buy land in order to be buried in the countryside. There were chickens and then we walked to their fields which were quite extensive. The maize had already been harvested. They showed me the big crater. Someone showed up one day and started digging for gold. Getrude's sister called the police, supposedly he is going to fill in the hole.
They brought from home hot water for tea, fried eggs, cooked potatoes and bread. This was our appetizer! Nhlanhla, Getrude's sister, also brought a suitcase of used clothes for the neighbors. Nhlanhla asked that I pay $20 for the gas because as a public school teacher she had not been paid recently. It's surprising that she was still helping out others in the rural areas.
The woman who lives on the property cooked chicken and sadza for us. As she cooked I walked around with Tha and the boy who lived there.
It wasn't a comfortable house, but it was in the quiet country. They may consider cattle a type of secure investment- it's also prestigiouos. They still give cattle at a wedding.
I saw Tha had some cash to the woman who cooked our meal. I asked what to give and Tha told me $5.
On our way back, I said I would call Anele to see where he was working on his bus. Small world- Getrude's brother grew up with Anele so he called Anele and then brought me to where they were working.
Anele has a chicken farm. From the proceeds, he bought a 1975 bus in S. Africa that he is refurbishing so people in the city can go to funerals in the rural areas. The mechanics are working for free, they only get lunch. Anele stands in the lot for 12 hours supervising them because he said if he was not there- they would take 3 times as long to complete the work. I met Samson- who is Anele's community organizer/party official in his district. Anele is suppose to receive funds to pay such workers, but these funds have not come through, so Samson works for free. Anele and Samson are currently supporting 52 orphans. They pay their school fees, etc. They hope to offer the bus to schools so they can take field trips. They also hope to travel the rural routes and make some money on the fares so they can buy additional buses.
It was quite a day- seeing people take joy from the simplest structure to being there when the tail lights went on for the first time on the 1975 "chicken bus."
Many people have homes in the rural areas, sort of back to their ancestral lands. Getrude's parents last week said they go on Saturdays, so I asked Getrude if I could go. Turns out her parents went to a funeral so her brother, sister and niece brought me.
The home was about 30 min. outside the city. The turnoff was not marked. Tha, the daughter, jumped out to open the gate and we proceeded down the dirt road. When we arrived at their land, another gate was opened. They pay people to live on their land. There was a thatched hut which served as the kitchen. The concrete block house had 2 small bedrooms and a sitting room. No electricity- outhouse in the yard. They were not born in this area. Tha told me many buy land in order to be buried in the countryside. There were chickens and then we walked to their fields which were quite extensive. The maize had already been harvested. They showed me the big crater. Someone showed up one day and started digging for gold. Getrude's sister called the police, supposedly he is going to fill in the hole.
They brought from home hot water for tea, fried eggs, cooked potatoes and bread. This was our appetizer! Nhlanhla, Getrude's sister, also brought a suitcase of used clothes for the neighbors. Nhlanhla asked that I pay $20 for the gas because as a public school teacher she had not been paid recently. It's surprising that she was still helping out others in the rural areas.
The woman who lives on the property cooked chicken and sadza for us. As she cooked I walked around with Tha and the boy who lived there.
It wasn't a comfortable house, but it was in the quiet country. They may consider cattle a type of secure investment- it's also prestigiouos. They still give cattle at a wedding.
I saw Tha had some cash to the woman who cooked our meal. I asked what to give and Tha told me $5.
On our way back, I said I would call Anele to see where he was working on his bus. Small world- Getrude's brother grew up with Anele so he called Anele and then brought me to where they were working.
Anele has a chicken farm. From the proceeds, he bought a 1975 bus in S. Africa that he is refurbishing so people in the city can go to funerals in the rural areas. The mechanics are working for free, they only get lunch. Anele stands in the lot for 12 hours supervising them because he said if he was not there- they would take 3 times as long to complete the work. I met Samson- who is Anele's community organizer/party official in his district. Anele is suppose to receive funds to pay such workers, but these funds have not come through, so Samson works for free. Anele and Samson are currently supporting 52 orphans. They pay their school fees, etc. They hope to offer the bus to schools so they can take field trips. They also hope to travel the rural routes and make some money on the fares so they can buy additional buses.
It was quite a day- seeing people take joy from the simplest structure to being there when the tail lights went on for the first time on the 1975 "chicken bus."
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Great Zimbabwe & making David happy!
Sunday- July 12
When my plans fell through for going to the national park, I contemplated how to get to Great Zimbabwe, a world UNESCO site. Anele once again came through for me. He said he would lend me his Ford Ranger truck. Then Tari, who works in the guest house, said her friend who is a NUST driver would drive me. Of course I would pay him and for the gas. On Saturday, Tari said she'd like to come along and also invite a friend.
Anele arrived at 7:45 with the truck. Tari emerged in her sparkly T-shirt, hot peach Gucci pocketbook and purple eye shadow, so that was the signal we were ready to go.
We passed villages or settlements- appeared that they had a strips of stores, but most looked empty. Houses consist of a concrete, small square structure next to a round hut with a thatched roof that serves as the kitchen. There are about 15-20 houses in a settlement.
We shared the road with goats, dogs, cattle, donkeys, cyclists and pedestrians. Women carried buckets of water on their head and others balanced loads of firewood. As we headed east, the mountain ranges came into view. Most of the land was empty.
Great Zimbabwe is one of the major attractions in the country, but it is not well marked. I've heard that M took directional signs down to prevent foreign reporters from finding their way to villages. Directions said 25 km out of town. After 20 km, Domani decided to turn around. Then we saw a sign with 15 things listed and realized we needed to take the left. We confirmed with locals that we were on the right road. They told us 2nd right - the sign said Great Zim Hotel. The park entrance was at the end of the parking lot which we discovered by asking people- again- no signs.
Great Zimbabwe is the largest stone structure ever built south of the Sahara. First structures were erected around 1100. Europeans thought Africans could never build such sophisticated structures, so it had been linked to Sheba and King Solomon. Cecil Rhodes attributed it to the Phoenicians. It was an important religious and political center, not military. In its heyday, 200,000 people lived there.
We climbed the Hill Complex noting how the masonry has been integrated with the natural granite boulders.
We proceeded to the Great Enclosure - last to be completed, most sophisticated masonry. Walking through the Parallel Passage felt like being in a refrigerator.
The Shona village was a bit disappointing. They had laminated cards hooked to the huts for explanations. They did a dance for us.
The museum was rather disappointing. At 4pm we headed back
It is dark at 6, so driving on the pitch dark roads was quite something because again we were sharing the road with dogs, donkeys, goats, cyclists in black clothing, people walking along the road carrying firewood on their heads. There were very few signs. One would just have to remember - Turn at the sacks of avocados. The police road blocks had disappeared in the evening. During the day, groups of twos and threes just stand by the road, put up cones and arbitrarily stop cars. What is really dangerous is that speed bumps are not painted. Of course I am always looking on the right side of the road. Occasionally they'll have a sign on the left side. Drivers who frequent the road know where the bumps are. I'm not sure a 4-hour drive both ways was totally worth it, but I saw an historic site, enjoyed the countryside and brought 2 young Zimbabweans to a national monument they had never seen.
When my plans fell through for going to the national park, I contemplated how to get to Great Zimbabwe, a world UNESCO site. Anele once again came through for me. He said he would lend me his Ford Ranger truck. Then Tari, who works in the guest house, said her friend who is a NUST driver would drive me. Of course I would pay him and for the gas. On Saturday, Tari said she'd like to come along and also invite a friend.
Anele arrived at 7:45 with the truck. Tari emerged in her sparkly T-shirt, hot peach Gucci pocketbook and purple eye shadow, so that was the signal we were ready to go.
We passed villages or settlements- appeared that they had a strips of stores, but most looked empty. Houses consist of a concrete, small square structure next to a round hut with a thatched roof that serves as the kitchen. There are about 15-20 houses in a settlement.
We shared the road with goats, dogs, cattle, donkeys, cyclists and pedestrians. Women carried buckets of water on their head and others balanced loads of firewood. As we headed east, the mountain ranges came into view. Most of the land was empty.
Great Zimbabwe is one of the major attractions in the country, but it is not well marked. I've heard that M took directional signs down to prevent foreign reporters from finding their way to villages. Directions said 25 km out of town. After 20 km, Domani decided to turn around. Then we saw a sign with 15 things listed and realized we needed to take the left. We confirmed with locals that we were on the right road. They told us 2nd right - the sign said Great Zim Hotel. The park entrance was at the end of the parking lot which we discovered by asking people- again- no signs.
Great Zimbabwe is the largest stone structure ever built south of the Sahara. First structures were erected around 1100. Europeans thought Africans could never build such sophisticated structures, so it had been linked to Sheba and King Solomon. Cecil Rhodes attributed it to the Phoenicians. It was an important religious and political center, not military. In its heyday, 200,000 people lived there.
We climbed the Hill Complex noting how the masonry has been integrated with the natural granite boulders.
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Paying Salaries
Last evening at synagogue, I met a Dutch man who has a contract with the government to supply machinery to all the technical schools that have not been upgraded for 35 years. At dinner, I asked Abraham why the government suddenly decided to equip the schools. His response, "The elections are coming." Turns out the elections are in 2018!
I again asked Abraham why the govt felt they needed to do anything to woo over voters, seeing as they use intimidation tactics, etc. to get their way and rig the elections. He said that in the cities, the opposition rules- the people are against Mugabi. But in the rural areas, they can intimidate and manipulate the people. The party gets the chief on board. He then lines everyone up and tells them how to vote. They even tell people there are cameras in the voting booths; a idea that the city people know not to be true.
There are even people in Mugabi's party that know change is needed. But, if he thinks they are getting to popular, he gets rid of them. He dismissed the VP and 100+ of her support group.
Mugabi is now in NY at the Ebola conference because he is the head of the African Union. Due to US sanctions, he is only allowed to be in a 25 mi radius of the UN. The president's wife is known as Grace Gucci because everytime she goes abroad, she changes all her wardrobe and furniture. Luckily for the stores that are located near the UN!
The country is in dire straits, so how does the country pay salaries? They go to companies and say- give us $1M or something- we need to pay salaries. Abraham said they have been doing this for months. Before govt workers knew they would be paid by the 25th of the month, now there is no set pay date. Today I am going to visit the home village of my friend, Getrude. Her sister is taking me, but asked that I pay the gas because she has not been paid. I really need to be so conscious of everthing that I do with others- to be sure that I pay my way.
I said to Abraham- taking profits from companies is not a sustainable model! No wonder companies are pulling out of the country. I commented that people are driving nice cars. He said it is because of the underground economy. A tax collector can come to a company and give them the bill. If the company bribes the collector, they pay less. Same with a traffic stop.
A hope for the people is that election monitors will come for the election. The problem is that the neighboring heads of state support M. because they want to stay in power also.
Peace and Justice
Thanks to contacts via the chaplain at Emory, I contacted Rev. Washington. I was told he was involved in peace and justice work. He has a Methodist church and town and a school in the suburbs. He is concerned with the orphans, of which there are many due to the AIDS crisis. Children are left alone because their relatives cannot afford to help them. The girls can be exploited. He is building a science lab at the school, they have no library. I was thinking he was involved in this big organization doing Peace & Justice when in fact he works day and night to help these poor kids. I said I would give him the 6 books that I brought with me. When we said good-bye and I hope we would meet again- his reply, "Yes, I will come to get the books." My plan is to visit the school one morning.
Preparing for Class
We'll see if any librarian registers for my class, but I am preparing. I am doing a Google exercise so they can learn to evaluate credible sources. I needed to think of some relevant topics, so I asked Tari- the young woman who cleans the guest house. Her suggestions:
I again asked Abraham why the govt felt they needed to do anything to woo over voters, seeing as they use intimidation tactics, etc. to get their way and rig the elections. He said that in the cities, the opposition rules- the people are against Mugabi. But in the rural areas, they can intimidate and manipulate the people. The party gets the chief on board. He then lines everyone up and tells them how to vote. They even tell people there are cameras in the voting booths; a idea that the city people know not to be true.
There are even people in Mugabi's party that know change is needed. But, if he thinks they are getting to popular, he gets rid of them. He dismissed the VP and 100+ of her support group.
Mugabi is now in NY at the Ebola conference because he is the head of the African Union. Due to US sanctions, he is only allowed to be in a 25 mi radius of the UN. The president's wife is known as Grace Gucci because everytime she goes abroad, she changes all her wardrobe and furniture. Luckily for the stores that are located near the UN!
The country is in dire straits, so how does the country pay salaries? They go to companies and say- give us $1M or something- we need to pay salaries. Abraham said they have been doing this for months. Before govt workers knew they would be paid by the 25th of the month, now there is no set pay date. Today I am going to visit the home village of my friend, Getrude. Her sister is taking me, but asked that I pay the gas because she has not been paid. I really need to be so conscious of everthing that I do with others- to be sure that I pay my way.
I said to Abraham- taking profits from companies is not a sustainable model! No wonder companies are pulling out of the country. I commented that people are driving nice cars. He said it is because of the underground economy. A tax collector can come to a company and give them the bill. If the company bribes the collector, they pay less. Same with a traffic stop.
A hope for the people is that election monitors will come for the election. The problem is that the neighboring heads of state support M. because they want to stay in power also.
Peace and Justice
Thanks to contacts via the chaplain at Emory, I contacted Rev. Washington. I was told he was involved in peace and justice work. He has a Methodist church and town and a school in the suburbs. He is concerned with the orphans, of which there are many due to the AIDS crisis. Children are left alone because their relatives cannot afford to help them. The girls can be exploited. He is building a science lab at the school, they have no library. I was thinking he was involved in this big organization doing Peace & Justice when in fact he works day and night to help these poor kids. I said I would give him the 6 books that I brought with me. When we said good-bye and I hope we would meet again- his reply, "Yes, I will come to get the books." My plan is to visit the school one morning.
Preparing for Class
We'll see if any librarian registers for my class, but I am preparing. I am doing a Google exercise so they can learn to evaluate credible sources. I needed to think of some relevant topics, so I asked Tari- the young woman who cleans the guest house. Her suggestions:
- Using brown sugar and olive oil to exfoliate your skin
- Using rose water to tone your skin
- the benefits of Dead Sea minerals
- Using curry leaves to promote hair growth/give volume
- Moisturizing your hair with avocado
- scrubbing skin with mealie (the cornmeal mush)
- aerobics for shapely legs
- whitening teeth- she was not familiar with dental floss
- the effects of medicine
- buying a car
when I showed the topics to my colleague, he thought they were good. Interesting that I just assumed my class of librarians would be women, but he informed me the class would be 50/50.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Daily Life
First I'll tell you about Sunday. Getrude, who was a Humphrey Fellow in 2008, arranged to have her friend in Bulawayo bring me to meet her parents. They live in a simple neighborhood with a corrugated roof. Reminded me of my "family" in Nachlaot, a neighborhood in Jerusalem. They were extremely welcoming and warm, greeting me like a daughter. Their grandchild, Tha, was there. As you see- quite the beauty:
She brought me a bowl of water to wash my hands, before and after. She wanted to know about scholarships for studying in the States- like everyone else here. They have just 2 children here - the others are in Canada, UK and S. Africa. We will arrange on a Saturday to go to their village. I think I mentioned earlier- everyone has a home village where they return on week-ends.
Paty had to go back to work so we returned to the city. She works at a place that performs circumcision, as a way to prevent AIDS. I walked around for an hour. On Sundays, quite a few streets were closed and the vendors were out in force selling piles of clothes. I learned that some go to Mozambique to get cheap clothes to sell. Vendors sell pieces of candy and popcorn. You wonder how they earn enough for a meal. Also selling sweet potatoes, dried beans, veggies, etc.
The guy who was driving me back said he'd be back by 2. He returned at 3:30- claimed there was a line at the car wash!
Abraham then drove me to the oldest section of town- a planet away from our neighborhood. I asked about the satellite dishes on the hovels, he said one local subscription is free - you only need to pay for the equipment. We went by the hospital - almost looked abandoned in some areas. A soccer game was just getting out so there was tons of traffic. Nice to see that people had some enjoyment.
Daily Routine
The other guest here, Abraham, has his own car. Work supposedly starts at 8, but Abraham who is just teaching a course for 2 wks, goes at 9. My director said it was OK for me to go with Abraham. So now I have time to take a walk in the morning. I live in a very upscale neighborhood. Everyone has a solid wall with an electric fence on top of it. The roads are shaded with gigantic trees. It's me and the gardeners out in the morning. School starts about 7. There is a Catholic school down the block, but it appears that most are driven to school. They wear uniforms. The majority are black. I say hello to everyone and the response is:"Hello, howareyoumum?"
I have an office away from the people in my dept. It only has a computer that I can't use because they haven't set me up in the system. They wrote an email to the IT Director, but that person is gone and the interim did not get it so........I sit in the computer lab. Esabel, my host, says that is better because the room is warmer!
Esabel brought me to meet the Registrar. She instructed the guest house to give me the biggest room! Then we met the Vice Chancellor. He had been to Alabama so he talked a lot about that. And twice asked me what university I was from. As we progressed higher, the offices got more plush. When we arrived at the Chancellor's office, my feet didn't touch the ground, his sofa was so big. He barely said a word to me. His office had curtains and artwork. Everyone else's office is totally bare- just a calendar on the wall. The Registrar actually had a large refrigerator behind her - in the middle of the room.
Today is Tuesday and I already felt I needed to take some action. Seems like I was just working on a PowerPoint, by myself in the computer lab. One person wanted to know about online tutorials. I showed him a couple of library sites with good tutorials- then he disappeared and said he had to review them. This is Ernest who also informed me that I could have made a lot of $ if I had brought iPhones to resell. Then Abraham informed me that they buy Chinese iPhones for $99 and "they work just perfectly." Abraham also told me that the Japanese dump cars in Africa. So he can buy a car for $99, then has to pay the shipping and the tax is the cost of the car - so for $2000 or so they have a new car. There are lots of nice cars around.
Ernest told me about the 4 libraries in town so today I made an appt with the British Council Library. Turns out they have a music project in the Bulawayo schools and they support local basket weavers. The NUST library is in town. The Reference Librarian who was suppose to host me is gone for 26 days. So, Esabel is trying to find someone else.
I am preparing a class that may not happen. Esabel proposed 5 days for $300. Then she was told with the economy- no one would come. COMMENTARY: no one talks politics - they just say "with the downturn of the economy......." So now the class may be 2 1/2 days. Then it turns out the dates she selected is the national book fair, so now it may be a week later.
I was thrilled to hear about the national book fair- authors, publishers, artists- and the theme is the Knowledge Economy. Esabel said because they are not presenting, they are not authorized to go to Harare. So I said- I'll write Gladys - she's at the US Embassy. She originally had to approve our proposal and then send it on to Fulbright in DC. She called to greet me and told me to call her with anything I needed. Today I wrote to see if she had subsidized accommodations in Harare or whether she would pay for my transportation. I asked if she had any contacts at the book fair - mentioning I would volunteer to be on a panel or judge a school's essay competition. (I know my cousin Alix is thinking: What chutzpah!) We'll see how she responds.
I told Esabel I needed a bit more of a schedule - she was saying this is summer so everyone is taking off. I hate waiting in her office, having her direct things. Tomorrow we'll talk and hopefully put some things in place.
Today I left early - she called my driver at 2:30- so I could go to the tourist office to plan my trip to the national park this week-end! I talked to a woman on the phone in the morning and she seemed quite helpful. She told me she would not be there in the afternoon, but would leave information. When I got there, I told the gentleman I had spoken with someone earlier. He said, "Oh, did you speak to the white lady?" It's very apparent the division here. I could tell by her accent that she was white. He gave me a name to call in the park. Then I went to a tour agency mentioned in my book...Alec Bernstein. I said about one sentence and he asked if I was Jewish! He's on the board of the synagogue, according to him there are 45 Jews in Bulawayo. He called around. It's a bit of a challenge being on my own and finding a game drive. He'll call me back tomorrow.
Then I went to the national parks office. They were closing at 4:45, but one person gave me some info. I could have a chalet for $40- shared toilets and showers outside. I am leaning toward the cottage- ensuite toilet. I asked about hot water in the morning for coffee. She told me I can light a fire outside and she doesn't think I need to pay for the wood! Hopefully one of my neighbors will do that. Another tour operator will arrange a game drive. I thinks things are coming together.
OBSERVATION: The women wrap a cloth around their midriff to carry their babies on their back. Cutest thing I saw--- a little girl was carrying her teddy bear this way on her back!
The vendors do not harass you like in the shuk in Jerusalem or Istanbul. They just say- take your time and have a look. Outside of City Hall they have flower displays for graves and lots of crafts.
In the grocery store parking lot they sit and weave beautiful baskets for sale.
The food is very good at the guest house. I had to tell them I eat beans and sweet potatoes for dinner, not for breakfast. They bought me brown rice!
For lunch in the beginning colleagues walked me over to the staff dining room. Today I went outside with my sandwich to the picnic tables and talked with some students who were studying disaster management. There are food trucks selling food- looks the same as what they sell in the dining room, but probably cheaper. Their staple is Sadza, a heavy mash made from maize and water. They ball it up and scrape up with their hands the meat and vegetables on their plate. I don't think it's too tasty.
9:00 I watch BBC news. I'm sort of isolated at the guest house. Today I learned the NAST bus leaves from town at 5 pm. If I leave work early, now I always have a ride home. but, the driver gave me his mobile number - so I could call him directly!
No one has phone contracts. Guys on the street corners sell Buddy cards for $1, $5, etc. You put the code in to add minutes. Friends set me up so I can send texts for free. People don't want to call because it is quite expensive.
Signing off...time for bed
Paty had to go back to work so we returned to the city. She works at a place that performs circumcision, as a way to prevent AIDS. I walked around for an hour. On Sundays, quite a few streets were closed and the vendors were out in force selling piles of clothes. I learned that some go to Mozambique to get cheap clothes to sell. Vendors sell pieces of candy and popcorn. You wonder how they earn enough for a meal. Also selling sweet potatoes, dried beans, veggies, etc.
The guy who was driving me back said he'd be back by 2. He returned at 3:30- claimed there was a line at the car wash!
Abraham then drove me to the oldest section of town- a planet away from our neighborhood. I asked about the satellite dishes on the hovels, he said one local subscription is free - you only need to pay for the equipment. We went by the hospital - almost looked abandoned in some areas. A soccer game was just getting out so there was tons of traffic. Nice to see that people had some enjoyment.
Daily Routine
The other guest here, Abraham, has his own car. Work supposedly starts at 8, but Abraham who is just teaching a course for 2 wks, goes at 9. My director said it was OK for me to go with Abraham. So now I have time to take a walk in the morning. I live in a very upscale neighborhood. Everyone has a solid wall with an electric fence on top of it. The roads are shaded with gigantic trees. It's me and the gardeners out in the morning. School starts about 7. There is a Catholic school down the block, but it appears that most are driven to school. They wear uniforms. The majority are black. I say hello to everyone and the response is:"Hello, howareyoumum?"
I have an office away from the people in my dept. It only has a computer that I can't use because they haven't set me up in the system. They wrote an email to the IT Director, but that person is gone and the interim did not get it so........I sit in the computer lab. Esabel, my host, says that is better because the room is warmer!
Esabel brought me to meet the Registrar. She instructed the guest house to give me the biggest room! Then we met the Vice Chancellor. He had been to Alabama so he talked a lot about that. And twice asked me what university I was from. As we progressed higher, the offices got more plush. When we arrived at the Chancellor's office, my feet didn't touch the ground, his sofa was so big. He barely said a word to me. His office had curtains and artwork. Everyone else's office is totally bare- just a calendar on the wall. The Registrar actually had a large refrigerator behind her - in the middle of the room.
Today is Tuesday and I already felt I needed to take some action. Seems like I was just working on a PowerPoint, by myself in the computer lab. One person wanted to know about online tutorials. I showed him a couple of library sites with good tutorials- then he disappeared and said he had to review them. This is Ernest who also informed me that I could have made a lot of $ if I had brought iPhones to resell. Then Abraham informed me that they buy Chinese iPhones for $99 and "they work just perfectly." Abraham also told me that the Japanese dump cars in Africa. So he can buy a car for $99, then has to pay the shipping and the tax is the cost of the car - so for $2000 or so they have a new car. There are lots of nice cars around.
Ernest told me about the 4 libraries in town so today I made an appt with the British Council Library. Turns out they have a music project in the Bulawayo schools and they support local basket weavers. The NUST library is in town. The Reference Librarian who was suppose to host me is gone for 26 days. So, Esabel is trying to find someone else.
I am preparing a class that may not happen. Esabel proposed 5 days for $300. Then she was told with the economy- no one would come. COMMENTARY: no one talks politics - they just say "with the downturn of the economy......." So now the class may be 2 1/2 days. Then it turns out the dates she selected is the national book fair, so now it may be a week later.
I was thrilled to hear about the national book fair- authors, publishers, artists- and the theme is the Knowledge Economy. Esabel said because they are not presenting, they are not authorized to go to Harare. So I said- I'll write Gladys - she's at the US Embassy. She originally had to approve our proposal and then send it on to Fulbright in DC. She called to greet me and told me to call her with anything I needed. Today I wrote to see if she had subsidized accommodations in Harare or whether she would pay for my transportation. I asked if she had any contacts at the book fair - mentioning I would volunteer to be on a panel or judge a school's essay competition. (I know my cousin Alix is thinking: What chutzpah!) We'll see how she responds.
I told Esabel I needed a bit more of a schedule - she was saying this is summer so everyone is taking off. I hate waiting in her office, having her direct things. Tomorrow we'll talk and hopefully put some things in place.
Today I left early - she called my driver at 2:30- so I could go to the tourist office to plan my trip to the national park this week-end! I talked to a woman on the phone in the morning and she seemed quite helpful. She told me she would not be there in the afternoon, but would leave information. When I got there, I told the gentleman I had spoken with someone earlier. He said, "Oh, did you speak to the white lady?" It's very apparent the division here. I could tell by her accent that she was white. He gave me a name to call in the park. Then I went to a tour agency mentioned in my book...Alec Bernstein. I said about one sentence and he asked if I was Jewish! He's on the board of the synagogue, according to him there are 45 Jews in Bulawayo. He called around. It's a bit of a challenge being on my own and finding a game drive. He'll call me back tomorrow.
Then I went to the national parks office. They were closing at 4:45, but one person gave me some info. I could have a chalet for $40- shared toilets and showers outside. I am leaning toward the cottage- ensuite toilet. I asked about hot water in the morning for coffee. She told me I can light a fire outside and she doesn't think I need to pay for the wood! Hopefully one of my neighbors will do that. Another tour operator will arrange a game drive. I thinks things are coming together.
OBSERVATION: The women wrap a cloth around their midriff to carry their babies on their back. Cutest thing I saw--- a little girl was carrying her teddy bear this way on her back!
The vendors do not harass you like in the shuk in Jerusalem or Istanbul. They just say- take your time and have a look. Outside of City Hall they have flower displays for graves and lots of crafts.
In the grocery store parking lot they sit and weave beautiful baskets for sale.
The food is very good at the guest house. I had to tell them I eat beans and sweet potatoes for dinner, not for breakfast. They bought me brown rice!
For lunch in the beginning colleagues walked me over to the staff dining room. Today I went outside with my sandwich to the picnic tables and talked with some students who were studying disaster management. There are food trucks selling food- looks the same as what they sell in the dining room, but probably cheaper. Their staple is Sadza, a heavy mash made from maize and water. They ball it up and scrape up with their hands the meat and vegetables on their plate. I don't think it's too tasty.
9:00 I watch BBC news. I'm sort of isolated at the guest house. Today I learned the NAST bus leaves from town at 5 pm. If I leave work early, now I always have a ride home. but, the driver gave me his mobile number - so I could call him directly!
No one has phone contracts. Guys on the street corners sell Buddy cards for $1, $5, etc. You put the code in to add minutes. Friends set me up so I can send texts for free. People don't want to call because it is quite expensive.
Signing off...time for bed
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Giraffes, monkeys and hippos
Saturday morning I had breakfast with Abraham, the other guest who is giving a course in Project Mgmt at NUST. He talked a lot and gave me the rundown of the country since independence.
It's hard to believe the country has made such strides since 2009. Previously people were murdered for their political beliefs and there was a huge cholera outbreak in 2008 due to the collapse of the water system. He talked about the inflation. People got paid, one hour later went to the store to buy food for their family and could only afford the bus ride home. He has a car and will bring me to the other side of town so I see another face of this city.
Anele's sister, Lindile, picked me up at 9. She got a young man from her work to drive us for the day in a tiny Honda. We dropped her daughter off at the library so she could study for her exams and picked up her friend. We headed to Matobo National Park, famous for sand rock paintings and rock "architecture." We spotted giraffes in the game reserve adjacent to the park.
There were quite a few road blocks along the way. In the first one, the friend got a $5 ticket for not wearing her seat belt.
First stop was Cecil Rhodes', founder of Rhodesia, grave. It is on top of a hill with massive boulders.
He selected a beautiful site for himself. Lindile and friend stayed behind because it was an extra fee to enter, so I was wondering around with Romeo. Also on this spot is a huge monument to Captain Wilson and his men, massacred in 1893 as they chased the king of the Ndbele people off their land. Romeo is Ndebele as are most in the Bulawayo area. Rhodes chose this spot which is sacred ground to the Ndebele. Romeo is in 4th grade, they had not learned yet about this part of their history so I gave him a brief overview of how some people take other people's land, etc. If it wasn't for Romeo, I would still be wandering around these boulders, but he found our way down.
Next stop Pomongwe Cave - the cave entrance is cordoned off, but we saw one painting on the wall. The ranger encouraged us to climb to the summit. The arrows were pointing in the opposite direction, but off we went up these steep boulders. As you see
the friend had quite a time maneuvering. It was challenging but this hike made the whole day worth it. Lindile decided it was too challenging going down the other side, so Romeo and I continued. It was well marked with arrows, they drove around the mountain and met us at the bottom. As we waited, Romeo told me that they study Ndbele in school. He speaks it at home, but is learning to read and write. He also plays rugby, hockey and swims.
We saw women along the road cutting hay for the thatched roofs that are using in villages.
Lindile jumped out to chat with them, they were from her home village. As she explained to me, everyone has a home in their village. She has one with chickens and cows. Someone lives there during the week and she goes there on week-ends.
We stopped at the cultural village just outside the park. It is a representation of an African village. Luckily we had a good guide to explain everything. The women opened their workshops for basket weaving and pottery making. Then there was a structure where he explained grinding the millet and straining the beer. Everything was familiar to Lindile because that is what she does in her village. Beautiful murals decorated the entrance to the village.
Instead of deer skipping across the road, like in VT, here the monkeys scamper across the road. Final stop was the game preserve. The ranger said we'd see zebras, but no luck. We got to the dam and saw 2 black rhinos sunning themselves.
Then we observed these guys joining their 2 friends in the dam- quite a site.
Thanks to Anele I had a great day with his family and friends.
It's hard to believe the country has made such strides since 2009. Previously people were murdered for their political beliefs and there was a huge cholera outbreak in 2008 due to the collapse of the water system. He talked about the inflation. People got paid, one hour later went to the store to buy food for their family and could only afford the bus ride home. He has a car and will bring me to the other side of town so I see another face of this city.
Anele's sister, Lindile, picked me up at 9. She got a young man from her work to drive us for the day in a tiny Honda. We dropped her daughter off at the library so she could study for her exams and picked up her friend. We headed to Matobo National Park, famous for sand rock paintings and rock "architecture." We spotted giraffes in the game reserve adjacent to the park.
There were quite a few road blocks along the way. In the first one, the friend got a $5 ticket for not wearing her seat belt.
First stop was Cecil Rhodes', founder of Rhodesia, grave. It is on top of a hill with massive boulders.
Next stop Pomongwe Cave - the cave entrance is cordoned off, but we saw one painting on the wall. The ranger encouraged us to climb to the summit. The arrows were pointing in the opposite direction, but off we went up these steep boulders. As you see
We saw women along the road cutting hay for the thatched roofs that are using in villages.
We stopped at the cultural village just outside the park. It is a representation of an African village. Luckily we had a good guide to explain everything. The women opened their workshops for basket weaving and pottery making. Then there was a structure where he explained grinding the millet and straining the beer. Everything was familiar to Lindile because that is what she does in her village. Beautiful murals decorated the entrance to the village.
Instead of deer skipping across the road, like in VT, here the monkeys scamper across the road. Final stop was the game preserve. The ranger said we'd see zebras, but no luck. We got to the dam and saw 2 black rhinos sunning themselves.
Thanks to Anele I had a great day with his family and friends.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Who said politics?
I survived the 15 hr flight from ATL\Joberg because 4 hrs before my flight I upgraded. Supposedly I got a seat that reclined more. Most importantly, there was an empty seat next to me! Until the cabin door closed, I had the whole row, then this 11 yr old changed seats. But, I slept on 2 seats, so that helped. My hotel guy wasn't there to meet me, so I borrowed someone's phone to call him and he was there in 10 min.
The lodge in Jberg was pleasant. I ate dinner with a woman from S. Africa, at the lodge for a seminar. Next morning left at 8:30 for my flight to Zim. The owner's mother gave me advice about visiting Kruger - turns out one can fly right into the park from Jberg.
Sat next to an white elderly Zim lady. Once again she told me not to talk politics with anyone, but gave me the rundown on what's going on. She repeatedly said - go for it, don't be afraid, the people are wonderful, you'll have a great time.
Waited 1 hr to get the visa- there were only about 12 people in line. I needed a business visa, but that is only for 30 days and I need more than that. Finally they said the university could ask for an extension. They were using carbon paper- I was just wondering who their supplier was.
A lecturer from the Dept of Library Science waited an hour for me. He immediately said let's get your phone set up- turns out his wife works in the phone office at the airport, so she would ask fewer questions to get the sim card.
We had a driver from NUST bring me to the guest house. Like in Turkey, these schools use private cars with drivers that just wait around for you all day.
Arrived about 2. I am the only person in the guest house with 5 bedrooms. The cook, cleaning person, gardener and security person greeted me. The guest house is located in a very upscale neighborhood. Everyone has big metal gates. Our security guard just sits in the car port all day. There are 2 guards in a 24 hr period. Sort of felt silly- all this staff. But, I realized the university is providing employment for people who really need it.
Luckily the cleaning person- Tari - is a young, super friendly woman. We went out for a walk. The cook asked what kind of food liked. She told Tari to take me to the supermarket and write down all the food I like!
The supermarket was small, but quite modern. 3 guards stood at the entrance. There certainly was food on the shelves, but not every freezer was full. (as I learned later- there are hungry people in the poorer sections and especially in the rural areas.)
Frazer, the gardener is very friendly. He and Tari live here. Frazer's wife and grandson also live here. His daughter is working in S. Africa.
We took another walk later and Tari pointed out the "Jewish church." I was so surprised, it's right around the corner. The lights were on so I walked in. Just a handful of men saw me...someone must have had yarhzeit.
It wasn't too fun eating by myself, but the food was tasty. Then watched some BBC and started my knitting.
Like in Israel in the 70s, they need to turn on the hot water heater for showers. I have this gigantic tub, but would feel very guilty filling it up. No hook on the wall for the sprayer, so showers go pretty quickly. Tari heats up water for her bath in the coffee urn, she says it's cheaper.
FIRST DAY AT WORK- FRIDAY
They told me they would come to pick me up at 8, they came around 9. A driver will supposedly pick me up everyday. Esabel, the chairperson of the library school, is very down to earth and friendly. She is planning the course I will teach. They are charging $300 for a 5-day course! Her director said the price may be a bit steep in the poor economy. He said she should reduce it and I said 2 1/2 days should work just fine. So she'll be calling around next week, encouraging librarians to register.
She gave me a flip phone to use. I went down to the business library which is a small room with some book shelves - mainly text books. The librarian is very friendly and was pleased to learn about our resources in our Guides - some of which are free. Students came in to ask for his help, so I got a bit of a feel for his work. He mentioned that he is going to Harare next week to teach a class for 2 days. He said it would be good if I could come along. When I asked Esabel- turns out she was hesitant because she thought she could not get the funds for my travel approved in time. And I think I understood that she did not want me to take the public bus. I told her that it would be fine to travel with my co-worker and that there are coaches - very nice buses to Harare. So maybe this will work out.
When I was in Turkey, I was taken aback that they had squat toilets in the university. Here was surprised to learn they do not supply toilet paper. Maybe more upsetting - no soap. So when we have signs everywhere - WASH YOUR HANDS-- here they only supply cold water. Now I know what to pack for work for next week.
Elijah brought me to lunch. We walked across campus. From the outside, NUST looks like a modern university. But there are many unfinished buildings because the govt ran out of money. The dining room was nice, but the food came from a hole in the wall - the cook had 4 hot trays to choose from. They had a big container to wash hands, but the soap was sort of hidden. When I asked Elijah what he did on week-ends, his response was study. He's working on his PhD. That was somewhat startlingly to me. There is 95% unemployment here. I'm wondering if he thinks he's going to get a better job with a PhD. I'm so impressed with the people who are working. They are very dedicated and want to improve their country. I was told not to mention politics at all. In every conversation people talk about the poor economy and the inept, inefficient government.
Esabel took me to meet Lawton- the Dean of the School of Library and Information Science. He is Anele's friend - thanks to him I am here. He was very pleased to meet me and said Esabel should also schedule some fun things to do for me - like plan an outing to Matobo Hills - a national park near here.
Impressions: the place was rather depressing. No one has decorated their offices. Two share an office- they have computers, not much else. They gave me an office by myself with a computer, right across from Lawton, so that won't be too much fun. The students aren't around now so things are quiet. People work with their doors closed. They do have a tea break. The tea lady heats water in the hallway. Then on a table in the hallway there is tea, sugar and dry milk. At least it was an opportunity to meet a few more people. Esabel presented me as Dr. Pasackow. I told her right away that was incorrect- hopefully she wasn't too disappointed!
The Embassy in Harare wants my detailed schedule- Esabel wasn't too concerned with that, which I was happy to hear.
They knock off early on Friday (that's Zim for leave). At about 3, Esabel was going to call the driver and I asked to be dropped off in town. She was quite concerned. I said it doesn't get dark until 6 and he could show me where the taxi stand is for my return. She relented. When I stopped at the guest house to drop something off, Anele had called to say he was on his way. So, I went to town with him.
Anele is a Member of Parliament- he represents the poor Western suburbs. He's studying law now. Is very intent on implementing their new constitution.
We went to get my smartphone unlocked. Went to 2 different places, paid $20 to have it done. No parking meters, he tips the guy who watched his car. To add minutes to my phone, there are guys at all the intersections. They sell you a card for whatever amount you want. There are vendors everywhere - selling chips, old clothes, etc. The government is trying to crack down on them, but this is how many survive.
We went to meet Anele's niece who was waiting for a ride home. She's in HS. He basically told her to take me to the national park on SAT. She said fine. She just got her license. And then there's me...no experience driving on the left. And Anele was going to give me this gigantic truck to drive. David, don't worry....read on! Anele's cousin then drove me home. I met their nephew Romeo- a gorgeous 4th grader. These kids go to private schools- getting very good education.
I got home at dusk....quickly changed to a skirt and asked the gardener to walk me to the synagogue. I introduced myself to a man who was just entering. Asked if I could get a ride home with someone, he said sure - so Frazer could walk home in peace.
There were about 3000 Jews in Bulawayo, now there are 54. Most left at independence. As I was told, they combined the Reform and Orthodox congregations. They're now in the Reform synagoge, the Orthodox burnt down. The Orthodox rabbi came from Harare "to convert the Reform!" We were about 20, including 4 women. A woman is converting- she has been studying via Skype with a rabbi in DC. They leave next week for the conversion. The rabbi will be coming to Zim for the wedding. They were all excited to tell me that last Shabbat the place was packed. They had a Bar Mitzvah of a boy whose grandfather was from Bulawayo. About 60 friends and relatives came from San Diego.
It is cold here in the evening and early morning. I sleep with 3 blankets and have a space heater with 1 coil in my room. I brought the right things...within a few hours it is in the 70s during the day.
and so my first full day in Bulawayo came to a peaceful end.
The lodge in Jberg was pleasant. I ate dinner with a woman from S. Africa, at the lodge for a seminar. Next morning left at 8:30 for my flight to Zim. The owner's mother gave me advice about visiting Kruger - turns out one can fly right into the park from Jberg.
Sat next to an white elderly Zim lady. Once again she told me not to talk politics with anyone, but gave me the rundown on what's going on. She repeatedly said - go for it, don't be afraid, the people are wonderful, you'll have a great time.
Waited 1 hr to get the visa- there were only about 12 people in line. I needed a business visa, but that is only for 30 days and I need more than that. Finally they said the university could ask for an extension. They were using carbon paper- I was just wondering who their supplier was.
A lecturer from the Dept of Library Science waited an hour for me. He immediately said let's get your phone set up- turns out his wife works in the phone office at the airport, so she would ask fewer questions to get the sim card.
We had a driver from NUST bring me to the guest house. Like in Turkey, these schools use private cars with drivers that just wait around for you all day.
Arrived about 2. I am the only person in the guest house with 5 bedrooms. The cook, cleaning person, gardener and security person greeted me. The guest house is located in a very upscale neighborhood. Everyone has big metal gates. Our security guard just sits in the car port all day. There are 2 guards in a 24 hr period. Sort of felt silly- all this staff. But, I realized the university is providing employment for people who really need it.
Luckily the cleaning person- Tari - is a young, super friendly woman. We went out for a walk. The cook asked what kind of food liked. She told Tari to take me to the supermarket and write down all the food I like!
The supermarket was small, but quite modern. 3 guards stood at the entrance. There certainly was food on the shelves, but not every freezer was full. (as I learned later- there are hungry people in the poorer sections and especially in the rural areas.)
Frazer, the gardener is very friendly. He and Tari live here. Frazer's wife and grandson also live here. His daughter is working in S. Africa.
We took another walk later and Tari pointed out the "Jewish church." I was so surprised, it's right around the corner. The lights were on so I walked in. Just a handful of men saw me...someone must have had yarhzeit.
It wasn't too fun eating by myself, but the food was tasty. Then watched some BBC and started my knitting.
Like in Israel in the 70s, they need to turn on the hot water heater for showers. I have this gigantic tub, but would feel very guilty filling it up. No hook on the wall for the sprayer, so showers go pretty quickly. Tari heats up water for her bath in the coffee urn, she says it's cheaper.
FIRST DAY AT WORK- FRIDAY
They told me they would come to pick me up at 8, they came around 9. A driver will supposedly pick me up everyday. Esabel, the chairperson of the library school, is very down to earth and friendly. She is planning the course I will teach. They are charging $300 for a 5-day course! Her director said the price may be a bit steep in the poor economy. He said she should reduce it and I said 2 1/2 days should work just fine. So she'll be calling around next week, encouraging librarians to register.
She gave me a flip phone to use. I went down to the business library which is a small room with some book shelves - mainly text books. The librarian is very friendly and was pleased to learn about our resources in our Guides - some of which are free. Students came in to ask for his help, so I got a bit of a feel for his work. He mentioned that he is going to Harare next week to teach a class for 2 days. He said it would be good if I could come along. When I asked Esabel- turns out she was hesitant because she thought she could not get the funds for my travel approved in time. And I think I understood that she did not want me to take the public bus. I told her that it would be fine to travel with my co-worker and that there are coaches - very nice buses to Harare. So maybe this will work out.
When I was in Turkey, I was taken aback that they had squat toilets in the university. Here was surprised to learn they do not supply toilet paper. Maybe more upsetting - no soap. So when we have signs everywhere - WASH YOUR HANDS-- here they only supply cold water. Now I know what to pack for work for next week.
Elijah brought me to lunch. We walked across campus. From the outside, NUST looks like a modern university. But there are many unfinished buildings because the govt ran out of money. The dining room was nice, but the food came from a hole in the wall - the cook had 4 hot trays to choose from. They had a big container to wash hands, but the soap was sort of hidden. When I asked Elijah what he did on week-ends, his response was study. He's working on his PhD. That was somewhat startlingly to me. There is 95% unemployment here. I'm wondering if he thinks he's going to get a better job with a PhD. I'm so impressed with the people who are working. They are very dedicated and want to improve their country. I was told not to mention politics at all. In every conversation people talk about the poor economy and the inept, inefficient government.
Esabel took me to meet Lawton- the Dean of the School of Library and Information Science. He is Anele's friend - thanks to him I am here. He was very pleased to meet me and said Esabel should also schedule some fun things to do for me - like plan an outing to Matobo Hills - a national park near here.
Impressions: the place was rather depressing. No one has decorated their offices. Two share an office- they have computers, not much else. They gave me an office by myself with a computer, right across from Lawton, so that won't be too much fun. The students aren't around now so things are quiet. People work with their doors closed. They do have a tea break. The tea lady heats water in the hallway. Then on a table in the hallway there is tea, sugar and dry milk. At least it was an opportunity to meet a few more people. Esabel presented me as Dr. Pasackow. I told her right away that was incorrect- hopefully she wasn't too disappointed!
The Embassy in Harare wants my detailed schedule- Esabel wasn't too concerned with that, which I was happy to hear.
They knock off early on Friday (that's Zim for leave). At about 3, Esabel was going to call the driver and I asked to be dropped off in town. She was quite concerned. I said it doesn't get dark until 6 and he could show me where the taxi stand is for my return. She relented. When I stopped at the guest house to drop something off, Anele had called to say he was on his way. So, I went to town with him.
Anele is a Member of Parliament- he represents the poor Western suburbs. He's studying law now. Is very intent on implementing their new constitution.
We went to get my smartphone unlocked. Went to 2 different places, paid $20 to have it done. No parking meters, he tips the guy who watched his car. To add minutes to my phone, there are guys at all the intersections. They sell you a card for whatever amount you want. There are vendors everywhere - selling chips, old clothes, etc. The government is trying to crack down on them, but this is how many survive.
We went to meet Anele's niece who was waiting for a ride home. She's in HS. He basically told her to take me to the national park on SAT. She said fine. She just got her license. And then there's me...no experience driving on the left. And Anele was going to give me this gigantic truck to drive. David, don't worry....read on! Anele's cousin then drove me home. I met their nephew Romeo- a gorgeous 4th grader. These kids go to private schools- getting very good education.
I got home at dusk....quickly changed to a skirt and asked the gardener to walk me to the synagogue. I introduced myself to a man who was just entering. Asked if I could get a ride home with someone, he said sure - so Frazer could walk home in peace.
There were about 3000 Jews in Bulawayo, now there are 54. Most left at independence. As I was told, they combined the Reform and Orthodox congregations. They're now in the Reform synagoge, the Orthodox burnt down. The Orthodox rabbi came from Harare "to convert the Reform!" We were about 20, including 4 women. A woman is converting- she has been studying via Skype with a rabbi in DC. They leave next week for the conversion. The rabbi will be coming to Zim for the wedding. They were all excited to tell me that last Shabbat the place was packed. They had a Bar Mitzvah of a boy whose grandfather was from Bulawayo. About 60 friends and relatives came from San Diego.
It is cold here in the evening and early morning. I sleep with 3 blankets and have a space heater with 1 coil in my room. I brought the right things...within a few hours it is in the 70s during the day.
and so my first full day in Bulawayo came to a peaceful end.
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