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
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