A racial clarification

This is a short response to my Aunt’s question about “colored” people from my last entry. When I last posted I actually thought about putting in a little of how race is treated in South African society, but there was already a lot to say. Unlike in the U.S. where everyone strives to be politically correct when it comes to sensitive subjects, South Africans find race to be a joke. No one is offended if you call them black, white, colored, Afrikaan, or a dirty Nigerian. I’ve heard it in casual conversation between teenagers and 50-year-olds alike. South Africa’s past is full of racial tension, and they have been pretty desensitized to being classified by their race. Here black means you have relatively immediate indigenous heritage (Zulu, Afrikaan, Xhosa, or another tribe), colored means you are a mixture of black, Indian, or another ethnicity with dark skin. (Basically if you don’t have really black skin and nappy hair you are colored) and white is, well, self-explanatory, haha.
Also Hannah (my roommate) and I are making dinner with two other girls and their family tomorrow. Thank you for the suggestions, but we actually eat hamburgers quite often! I must admit, the burgers aren’t as satisfying because the “tomato sauce” and mustard have the consistency and transparency of syrup you’d put on ice cream. I definitely miss my American condiments. We are planning on making baked ziti with Caesar salad, garlic bread and chocolate chip cookies. They don’t have cookies here they have biscuits, and they are all terribly boring to eat. Food for thought: What would life be like if you could never have chocolate chip cookies ever again? –I’ll go start digging my grave right now…

No such thing as all work and no play

This weekend was a much-needed break from a long week with Whizzkids and the constant business of our academic schedule. Friday I was picked up at 4 a.m. to head for Jburg for the USA vs. Slovenia match. We got there and did the “park and ride” service to the stadium, where we rode a double-decker bus. Of course we sat at the top of the bus, conducting patriotic songs like the country hit “Proud to be an American” and “God Bless America”, and they infamously carried on throughout the rest of our day. The game was a blast, it was fun meeting other Americans and sharing in the camaraderie of supporting our country. I haven’t been able to check out much media about the game itself, but I do know that I’m still celebrating that 3rd goal that would’ve won us the game.
Saturday we returned, and just hung out with the family. We watched Harry Potter and Hannah and I made the popcorn (the kind where the oil and kernels are separate) I brought from home. It was an entertaining sight to see us swirl the large pot, because I know for a fact that I cannot do it as handily as my dad does. But our family certainly loved the popcorn, and is excited for us to make the few other bags I brought.
Sunday we left for a resort along the South Coast, where the only plan was to arrive at noon and leave the next day. At the resort our chalets a.k.a mini houses were a 5 minute walk from the Indian Ocean beachfront, which is were everyone spent the afternoon playing football, getting tackled by waves, and exploring the rocky formations up the coast. We let loose at night, and I was up at 5:30 a.m. with some other people so we could catch the sunrise. We arrived at the beach a little early, but the view was spectacular as we sat atop the rocks watching the sun rise over the horizon, listening to the soundtrack of the crashing tide. Later there was a whale that came unusually close to the coast. He showed off flipping and splashing like Free Willy, it was really cool. The film crew for Blue Crush 3 (a surfing movie) and the Algeria soccer team was also staying in the same area as us. –Yeah, this place was legit.
It was interesting to see how the north coast, the coast right in the city is predominately black and colored people, and the south coast, in a more desolate and vacation-type area is predominately white people. It is so easy to identify what areas are affluent and what areas aren't. There were plenty more sellers of typical trinkets and such along south beach because the locals know north beach-goers are more likely to spend a few extra rand on some silly little toy or piece of jewelry.
I find myself going to bed earlier and earlier here, as I am usually conked out by 10 p.m. - and this is with me sleeping during every van ride (whether its 6 hours to Jburg or 30 minutes to the SIT offices). Tomorrow is the Algeria game, which should be even more fun than the Slovenia game. I can’t wait to use my new digital camera that I had to buy because my old one oh so conveniently decided to break itself beyond immediate repair. I used my camera at the beach this weekend, and after seeing some of the shots I snapped, considered dropping out of school to sell postcards in South Africa. The only postcards I can find here are of cartoon lions and rhinos, so if I can’t find some good scenic ones soon, I might have to set up shop to help others with this problem (haha, jk). Also, I want to make my family an “American dinner” soon. Anyone have suggestions? Let me know!

P.S. Happy Anniversary to my wonderful Mom and Dad, who have been married for 20 years! I would not be here if it weren’t for your continual love and support (meaning you keep putting money in my bank account while I'm here :P )

Paparazzi

So Whizzkids this week was really fun! We were placed in a township called Umlazi, and the scene of the football field was so picturesque. The dusty field had no trace of grass because of the constant trampling of footballers, and it sat atop a bluff that overlooked the surrounding neighborhoods. The kids were darling, they danced to hip-hop and sang any song related to the world cup. I was very impressed with their knowledge about HIV/AIDS, but us volunteers only knew this because we had zulu translators –a.k.a teachers from a local school. Yup, the kids’ English was pretty poor for the most part, and we had trouble getting them to understand us, so we had teachers and volunteers help with that. Today we went for a run down the street to pick up some “fat cooks” (AMAAAAZING pastry balls-just like dough boys) that were less than 20 cents a pop. Everything is so ridiculously cheap here, I could eat 2 of those, 2 cups of rooibos tea be satisfyingly full and score a meal for under a dollar. Crossing the street after getting the fat cooks I had my first really shocking encounter with African culture. Here citizens are allowed to carry guns for self-defense, and we saw an ordinary man carrying a pump-action shotgun with a device that rested on his shoulder. This gun was big enough to stop me in my tracks. I was later informed that he used it to secure the bus station that was right there because they once had an incident where there was a very violent drive-by shooting, and they had time to go by, go up the hill and come back without any safety interference for at least 5 minutes. I know its probably not what you want to hear while I’m here, but we take high safety precautions, so please understand that I am just expressing my disbelief to the reality of this country. The Dutch National Broadcasting company and their radio/TV crew showed up to the camp today, and it was kinda humorous because all I do is organize materials (balls, papers, kits, etc.) and when they showed up I was lugging things around with a stopwatch and whistle around my neck so I looked all official and in charge. They introduced themselves to me and started asking me questions and I played along until I couldn’t answer any more questions. I think they also lost faith in my importance when I said I had only been with Wizzkids for 4 days, haha. I am going to Joburg tomorrow for the Slovenia game, and I never thought I would have to buy winter clothing in Africa, but with a low of 23 degrees Fahrenheit outside and 2 cotton sweaters in my luggage, I find it necessary. Sunday we finally get to hang out as one big group again (we were separated into 2 different football camps this week) in South Beach, and are staying near a location where the movie Blood Diamond was filmed- should be fun!! Also, just in case you were hoping for an image of how awesome this experience is for me, check out #30 on this link. I’m pretty stoked, I WAS IN THE GLOBE!!! I’ll be signing autographs when I get home ;)

"So wave your [American] flag" -K'Naan

Friday was the opening day for the World Cup, and we headed to the Gateway Mall to start off our day. It was obvious that Gateway was where all the richer people shopped, as the mall had 3 stories and multiple high-end shops. At one point I joined a dance competition after learning the diski dance, and witnessed a jubilant parade of Bafana Bafana supporters that caused a ruckus in the congested mall walkways. It was a morning full of yellow jerseys and vuvuzela echoes, propelling the electric mood into full force. Leaving the mall we went to the Fan Park at the North Beach beachfront, which quickly filled to its 25,000 person capacity. Our group was situated right in the middle towards the front for both the opening ceremony and opening match that they projected onto a jumbo screen. My empathy got the best of me as the emotions of the locals ran high during the powerful opening ceremony. Looking like a bum with teary eyes, beach-blown hear and no Bafana Bafana gear, some generous guys outfitted me with a South African tattoo and armband, and life was a party from there on out. I cannot describe in words the experience of sharing in that joyous moment with the proud Africans, it is an experience I will never forget. I will also never forgive myself for being so hungry at the halftime break that I went to get food and missed the first goal scored in WC2010, by Bafana Bafana. I stood there with my falafel sandwich in one hand, and my South African flag in the other, dancing in the sand at the Fan Park as supporters rejoiced, embraced, vuvuzela’d (I’m officially making that a verb) and literally ripped their shirts off like the Incredible Hulk. Although the match ended in a draw, everyone left in high spirits.
Saturday was spent at an urban facility that had a big field as we went through training for a program called Whizzkids. It’s a grassroots soccer program that teaches kids about HIV/AIDS and healthy lifestyle choices while using various aspects of soccer as a vehicle for knowledge. Whizzkids is a part of FIFA’s “Football for Hope” initiative, and as a part of volunteering for the week-long camp we get to take all of the kids (there’s about 100 kids/program, and we’re running 2 programs in the same week) to a match at the Durban Stadium, courtesy of Sony Entertainment. I am so excited for the program, especially as I will be helping at the Umlazi camp, which is situated in a township. FYI - this is the best time to do the camp because although it is winter and kids are usually in school, all South African children are on holiday for the duration of the World Cup. The justification for this is that traffic on the roads and highways should decrease significantly and allow traffic traveling to and from games to have a quicker/more efficient trip.
Later Saturday night we went back to the Fan Park for our USA vs. England game. It was totally different from the day before because we were wearing our own country’s colors, more enthusiastic in our cheers, and got to sing our national anthem at the front of the park for all the foreigners to hear. Although that enthusiasm quickly subsided after England’s goal, we soon were able to shove our pathetic but nonetheless game-tying goal in their face, and it felt gooood. I believe my favorite quote of the night was said from a random USA fan to an England fan I was talking to which was “Congratulations, man! Your team is just as good as us, and you created the sport” Today is also my host-dad's birthday, so i cannot wait to go home and eat. Mama Dolly is taking great care of me and Hannah (my roommate), and tonight will be a celebration. Look for me on tv, I should be wearing a lime bandana at the Spain vs. Switzerland game surrounded by a bunch of little kids, and wearing my flag cape at the USA vs. Slovenia game. Hope all is well in the states!

Durban!

Left Jburg early Monday morning and in true Tori fashion my alarm didn’t go off. The only reason I made the bus was because the maid walked in on me and screamed because I frightened her as I turned over in my bed, haha. After a long drive to Durban, we arrived at a conference center in the “Land of a Thousand Hills” and we literally had this view when we opened our doors in the morning. That night we went to a local shack and drank smoothies while watching the sunset behind the hilly landscape. We were given a lecture about the State of the Nation from South Africa’s most prominent political scientist John Daniel, and learned a lot about their political parties, history, and current social issues. The next day all the students were divided up into groups, taken into downtown Durban and dropped off to find our way back to a meeting point. It is funny to walk down the streets and get so much attention. People run up from behind and stop us, or literally run into the middle of traffic to ask where we are from. We say “America!” and after welcoming us with an enthusiastic smile, they make a comment about how lucky we are to be from America or how they want to go back to the states with us. One of the markets reminded me of Chinatown, with all the knock-offs and haggling, but the atmosphere was open and lively as small kids in Bafana Bafana jerseys kicked around an empty water bottle, emulating the players they admire. Later that night the group ventured to SunCoast, which is a casino/resort right on the beach, only a couple blocks from the Durban stadium, and toasted to the program and good times as we ate one last dinner as a big group.
Yesterday we got assignments for our host families, and I am rooming with another girl in the program. Our family is Mama Dolly and Jack Bezuidenhout (they are married, as Dolly has lived in Durban all her life and Jack grew up in the rural country in the Zulu community), with their children Michelle who is 18 and Michael who is 16. They run a school that facilitates learning for people that did not pass or never took the Matric (admissions test for college, similar to our ACT or SAT) and a Bed and Breakfast, and Mama Dolly also caters for both places and community events. Hannah and I are very fortunate to live with such an affluent family, as we have no restriction on our water usage, bathe using a shower (not a cup and a bucket like some of the other students), and get our own room with separate beds (our room is actually in the B&B itself, and a student from Cape Town is staying across from us right now as well).
My misconception about Africa was that the poverty was worse than the inequality, figuring that the end of apartheid dissolved a lot of those problems. But if there’s anything I’ve learned it’s that poverty is slowly decreasing but the social inequality is continuously becoming more and more drastic. One minute you are looking at large, luxurious houses on the left with security fences, BMW’s in the driveways, and luscious green yards, and the next minute, or sometimes at the same time, you witness a mile or so of township housing (slums) across the way where the largest structure is 12x12, the roof is a piece of sheet metal, and the shacks have at most 3 feet between each other. It is extremely powerful and disheartening that social classes at both ends of the spectrum can live in such juxtaposition. I love the drive to my house because it has many sights like the one I just described, and it humbles me every time. One of the most humbling things you can do is think of all that you have, all you can lose, and all that you take for granted, and just be thankful.

so. different.

Johannesburg is so different, but in the best way possible. Every one is kind, and just wants to wave and smile and make sure you are loving Africa to the fullest extent. I don't mind long car rides because the scenery is so intriguing and passing vehicles are entertaining. I'm just getting use to the whole driving on the left side of the road thing, but all of the larger vehicles that pass our caravan are always waving at us, asking where we are from and carrying on the conversation until one of the vehicles pulls away. One of the coolest vehicles passed us today: It was a bus taxi that had South African flags and mementos plastered on the windows-at least the windows that weren't open with limbs hanging out. As the literally bouncing bus passed, we heard the chanting of "Bafana Bafana!!" and vuvuzela's piercing the air to the beat of a popular African song that is always on the radio. I am certain there is no lack of support for Bafana Bafana, and I'm pretty sure i'll be bringing back something that supports them too. Yesterday we went to the Apartheid Museum that had a Nelson Mandela exhibit. Today we took a day trip to Soweto. It included visits to Soccer City (the main World Cup stadium), views unlike any in the world, the Hector Pieterson Museum, and Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu's houses. I have learned so much about Africa and their culture just within the past weekend I've been here, it is truly a remarkable place to witness. I also love all of the other students that are on the trip. Everyone is pretty outgoing and fun, and wants to get the most out of this experience. It was already brought up tonight how much it's gonna stink to go home and separate in the states. -But anyway, tonight is our last night staying in this random monastery in Johannesburg until as we leave for Durban in the morning. I have been having some meat here and there, as the main staples at our meals have been salad, sweet potatoes, and rice.
I wish I could go into detail about all of my fun and heinous experiences, but I can't. I would love to blog everyday about what I've done, but internet is terribly expensive here. Apparently it costs the equivalent of $1 for every page loaded or re-loaded, which means just getting on here and making a post is going to cost at least $5. So I don't know how frequent my posts are going to be from here on out, but there are plenty of internet cafes in Durban so I hope to make it at least once a week. 4 DAYS UNTIL THE WORLD CUP!!!!

Life on and around 3rd

I'm here! My flight in Atlanta was delayed, and then we had to wait behind 16 other planes that were trying to leave the runway before my plane could depart. It was ridiculous to see the line of jets, but I am somewhat proud to say that every flight I have been on thus far has been delayed (that's 5 flights people!). I liked the longer flight soooo much more than the short 1 1/2 hour one because I was fed well, watched good movies, sat next to some awesome people, and saw Akon in first class.
Arriving in Africa, there was nothing but seemingly red barren desert and mountains, a terrain that was intricately designed by the elements that sweep across it. Because it is winter here, when we arrived the sun had set and it was dark, but it was still a lovely sight to see, as Johannesburg is a very large and wide-spread city, and I've been informed its a lot bigger than L.A. The airport was lovely, and I just stood in the welcome hallway, staring at the vibrant reds, greens and yellows that flooded the walls and assembled as World Cup designs. World cup logos, emblems, and images were everywhere- walls, support beams, doors, coke machines, luggage carts, the floor... it was certainly a neat place to experience my first encounter of South African culture.
I was able to find my driver that took me to my hotel, and he informed me a lot about the local culture and dangers of the area. I got to my hotel, Life on 3rd, and met Damien, the manager that I've been in contact with. He is hilarious and very hospitable, and put me and another guy in a honeymoon suite-style room with a double bed and toilet and shower in the wide open. He assumed we had met on some internet dating site because Ross (the guy I planned this part of the trip with) told him that we had never met before. That was a good laugh. He also did the whole honeymoon suite-style room with the other 2 guys that are in the program with us, but luckily Damien switched us to a different room.
We went out to get me some dinner and I discovered the restaurant employees to be overwhelmingly inviting, to the point of pushiness. Every restaurant we walked past they gestured toward us that they had a table of 4 waiting for us, right then. While eating dinner I mentioned that I liked the architecture, and the guys laughed. "You mean the barbed wire and electrical fences? Yeah, that does add a nice touch.." they said. It was dark out so I haven't seen the houses in the daylight, but I could certainly hear the humming of the electricity as we walked back. As I paid more attention, I noticed everything is high security-ADT and security signs are ubiquitous.
It is 10:50 p.m. here, and my clock on my computer is really throwing me off. It says that it's 4:50 p.m. Damien was surprised and confused as to why we "little roosters" weren't going out tonight. Everyone is still feeling a bit jet lagged, and I am going to go to sleep because I hardly slept on my flight. We also have a full itinerary tomorrow. We are getting up early to eat some special breakfast that Damien is making us (some dish baked with a lot of meat and milk and eggs poured over the top of it, as well as pancake bread with apricot jam), heading out to the Cradle of Humankind Caves (oldest on earth I believe?), then to Lion/Crocodile park, and finally meeting up with our program at the airport. Should be fun!

Here goes nothing... or, everything? I don't understand that phrase.

I am FINALLY out of Grand Rapids! I feel like I was only moments away from overthrowing all airport/airline staff and flying a stinking plane out of there myself! An idea of how bad it was: flight originally scheduled for 6:45 a.m. was delayed 2 times, so I went to the airport at 9:15 or so because my flight wasn't going to depart until 10:45 a.m. Waiting at the gate, a plane from Chicago pulled in because it was diverted from Detroit due to bad weather. My plane was further delayed until 11:30 because of mechanical errors, and the flight leaving for Atlanta at 11:40 was supposed leave after mine-10 minutes, big whoop. Either way, I know my original flight didn't leave before the 11:40 one, it's actually probably still there. I quickly left the pity party of Detroit-bound people who had to wait a "long time" for parts to come in because their aircraft was "severely damaged, and switched flights. The flight was rather smooth, and above all the clouds was a vastly sunny sky. However since I’ve arrived in ATL I have felt my nerves take over.
I don’t know if it’s the reality that I am going to a strange country for 6 weeks, or that I am going to be on a 22 hour flight and hardly survived the 1 ½ hour one from Grand Rapids (headache and loss of appetite/not happy tummy), but something’s up. I'm probably even nervous about the guy from the UK that I contacted though craigslist who has good FIFA tickets… he “has proof” that they are authentic and can meet up in Durban, but he is asking $350 for them, twice as much as face value. Hmm… I should probably talk to someone about this before I get too excited about the potential purchase.
Anyway, it is 5:40 p.m. and I am in terminal E16, looking out the window at the jet that is taking us to Johannesburg. Its jets are approximately 3 times longer than me in diameter. Crazy. I also couldn’t help but smile as I sat down in the gate area. There’s families that obviously have some sort of African heritage, and it shows with their bright eclectic outfits and distinctive accents. I could for the most part tell who was going there for the world cup because I counted 6 futbol jerseys out of the probable 30 of us waiting. I am just a mixed bag of emotions. Going to walk around to get out of this funk, maybe skip or do some jumping jacks before I have to board this heinous plane ride…haha
(30 minutes later) Now I'm in a cafe. I’m too cheap to pay for wifi in the airport, so I’ve been doing all communicating though my phone, and looking around for free internet (Dad I told you that data plan would pay off!). I thought one of the bars would have free wifi, and I got to Sojourner's Cafe, in hope it would be free, but it wasn't. The waiter noticed my subtle frustration, and with my kissing up I was able to get the locked password so I could briefly get on here. Derric, your hospitality and charm has awarded you a mention in my post, you should be proud of yourself! :P Anyway, Dad just called and he confirmed my gut feeling that I should get going because my plane departs in an hour.
Next time I post I should be at my destination! :):):)

you can't see me.

Arrival in Johannesburg is just short of 2 hours. The flying experience has been eventful and I've met some great people! -That's probably what I would be saying if I was on flight 591, in the air about to land. But I'm not on that plane. I haven't even gone airborne yet. My flight at 3:45 p.m. yesterday was delayed 10 minutes, then half an hour, until 4:30. We boarded, and got to the end of the runway, until our pilot came on overhead announcing that we were ground-stopped for 45 minutes, in which case they stopped the jet engines and ran the air conditioning. The next announcement was that we had to wait for another half hour. I was fine with the wait because I had an emergency exit seat and had fun making small talk about wacky inventions like the the telekinetic obstacle course and the garden yeti with an army dude next to me with old-school cartoon tattoos flooding his left arm. Then another announcement was made saying we were delayed for another hour, but we were going to drive back to the terminal and get off. By that time I had missed my connecting flight from Detroit to Amsterdam, and by the time we were allowed to board the plane again there was no way I would be able to make my flight from Amsterdam to Johannesburg in time either. Waiting in line behind the 30 or so people that got off before me, it wasn't until 7:45 when I was finally able to get to the counter to reschedule my flight. Operating as a mediator between my Dad and the gate attendant, I easily became stressed and exhausted, and came home so we could just call Delta and get a new itinerary. That was an experience within itself, and I'll just leave it at that. But now I fly out tomorrow morning, at 6:45 a.m. to Atlanta where I have a 10 hour layover, and a nearly 22-hour flight straight into Johannesburg.
Today has been very redeeming compared to yesterday. I slept for a straight 13 hours, and have enjoyed the mild weather and sunshine. I've laid low, trying to act as if I'm not in Grand Rapids (because if I had it my way I wouldn't be here right now). Thinking about today, I think this must be how an illegal immigrant feels. I'm not working or anything, but I don't want anyone to know that I am here and I am avoiding anyone knowing that. In a way I also feel like I'm not supposed to be here because I've already been sent off and everyone already said their goodbyes and expects me to be gone. I thought about going to the YMCA tonight, pursuing the thrill of being discovered by someone that knows I'm not supposed to be here. But then again, Glee is on in an hour. I decided that I need to satisfy my last bit of Gleekiness before I go, and that washing my jeans I spilled my shake on last night is necessary, as I plan on wearing the same outfit I've worn yesterday and today tomorrow...