The Story Continues......Watch This Space

Great news! It is now confirmed....I am heading back to South Africa on Dec. 23rd and will be working in a research position for a community development foundation with a really innovative approach! I cannot wait to go back!! I hope my poor student loan will somehow, someway get paid off as I am choosing to follow my heart rather than the bankbook but I feel it will all work out. I heard a great quote the other day: the best service that anyone can do for mankind is to find something that they are truly passionate about and pursue it. I think that's gonna be my MO for the next little while.

So it's Christmas with the new found family in Jozi, and NYE with some old and new friends in Cape Town and in the meantime, amazing times in Toronto with some of the best people ever (whom I wish I could kidnap and take with me). Could life get any better?? Well...I could win the lottery....but hey, let's not push it!

Keep the braai warm, South Africa

So the time is nigh. Today is my last day in Groblersdal, and my last week in South Africa – well, at least this time around! What an amazing, crazy, stressful and rewarding few months it has been though. I’ve met so many wonderful people and seen all sides of the country – from rich to poor, city to nature reserve, bush to coast, and everything in between. It feels like I’ve been here forever, except that forever is not long enough!

Next week I have a series of meetings with various people from international NGOs and UN agencies. I am hoping that someone somewhere will have a connection to a permanent position in this field. There are so many exciting things going on here in the field of economic development that I feel like this is the place to be right now. Because of the crisis though, many are not hiring non-South African citizens and so that is a large hindrance. Whatever happens though, I know that soon I will be back – whether it’s in a few weeks or a few months though, only time will tell.

On my final morning run today I was thinking about all the things I am going to miss – the children running alongside me on the jogs, the beautiful sunsets, the animals, the climate, and most of all the multitudes of amazing people that I have met while here. I will even miss the taxis and their crazy, death defying driving on narrow dirt roads with gospel music blasting in my ear.

It was also a happy coincidence that on my last weekend in Groblersdal the son of the family that I am staying with got married, and there was a huge traditional African wedding at the house. That was one hell of a party let me tell you. I had to fight off all kinds of chauvinistic men (including the Pastor in church pointing to me and asking “Is it also not true in your culture, that a man is master of the house?”. It was only my respect for the family I am staying with that kept me from telling him exactly what I think of that comment so I just fixed him with a sarcastic look instead and kept my mouth shut. There were quite a few drunken old men that got to hear exactly what I couldn’t say to the Pastor later on that night though, so I guess the universe balances in its own way). Ruth’s friends were great though, and once I finished serving food and making sure the guests were taken care of, I joined their little group, where the guys were thankfully normal, polite and quite fun! The highlight of the night for me was a beer run to the local shebeen which also serves as a brothel! Now THAT was an experience. I really wish I could have taken pictures of that place but it wasn’t the kind of place you want to flash anything of value around, especially when you’re already half in the bag. In any case, the whole affair was a wonderful, rich, cultural experience in national geographic terms – and one crazy ass romp in my terms.

This week I had to finish the odds and ends at work while also sending out multitudes of CVs and setting up meetings for next week. I have networked my ass off. Sometimes I have no idea how I got from geeky, reserved science kid to the person that I am today. I know it surprises my family, but it often surprises me even more. Especially on those days when I wake up and temporarily forget where I am and what I have done, only to have it all come back in a flash and slap me awake to say “right, get up, this is your life!”. I sort of find that I love everything that I have seen and done in my (almost!) 29 years. The memories alone could likely sustain me through a Siberian prison sentence, although I do hope never to test that. Instead, I hope to keep doing more of THIS. Travelling, learning, experiencing, meeting more amazing people, helping more amazing people and loving the world and life, despite all its unpredictability and the wide multitudes of things to worry about or dislike, because I know there are many more things on the other side of those that tip the scales into the realm of endless, beautiful, possibilities. So on that note, South Africa, I shall see you again soon. Keep the braai warm, and the beer cold.

As for the rest of the world – get ready, because there is a lot of you I haven’t see yet, and that is something that simply will not stand.

Hungry, Hungry Hippos

What a wonderful, relaxing, nature reserve weekend I just had. Just thinking about it makes me feel like someone slipped me a mild tranquilizer, or if am being less cynical, like I just got a really, really big hug from a magical creature of some sort.

Seeing as my time at Groblersdal is coming to an end and I had not managed to visit the nearby Loskop Dam Nature Reserve, I managed to convince Fleur and Phil to come up for the weekend so we could rent a cottage and look for hippos and crocs while relaxing next to a firey braai. We found a wonderful place (which by my Geneva skewed standards I find amazingly cheap) that had us mere meters from a river and surrounded by bush. The sound of birds and other animals was everywhere – which during the day and evening was magical, but early in the morning it made me realize for the first time why people enjoy hunting.

The weekend went by luxuriously slowly, and most of the activities revolved around eating, drinking, walking a few meters around our cottage, flopping ourselves into the pool to cool down, and lots and lots of nature in all its glorious, African glory. Followed by more eating.

Our nearby company was mainly Afrikaaner families so I think this made us reluctant to go out and make new friends – looking as we did, like pale, decadent city folk. A brief, brave sojourn into the lodge’s bar resulted in fancy looking cocktails and awesome views, but also meant a steady supply of Afrikaans country music, which made us quickly retreat back to the safety of our cottage.

We did manage to rent a boat at one point (well, more like homemade floating metal platform but it did the trick) and go on a “booze cruise” at around sunset. I was keeping my eyes peeled for all exotic and dangerous animals but the most I got was some surly looking birds, with rather cool nests overhanging the water. That night, I got one of the best views of the stars that I have ever seen though. The night was so clear that you could see not only stars but nebulae! I had never seen the Milky Way in such stark relief. It put me into that good kind of philosophical mood where you feel thoughtful and reflective but not so much so that you friends try to avoid talking to you. Unless Fleur and Phil were just too tired to run away from the conversation at that point. Even though I hate having stereotypical conversations, I think under that kind of a night sky, it is acceptable to have the same sort of conversation that billions of others have had under similar circumstance: about feeling both small and insignificant and yet somehow so connected to everything in the face of the vastness of the universe. Ok, so I may have been in the more annoying category of conversationalist after all. What can I say? Take me as I am.

The next day we headed to the dam itself, hoping to see more animals on the actual nature reserve. We saw warthogs in addition to the usual suspects (giraffes, impala, kudu) but 4 hours of driving yielded naught a hippo nor a rhino, except for one questionable blob seen from a great distance which had vaguely hippo-esque features. Of course, it could also have been a low bush. Or a rock. I think I might go with the hippo story however, if I ever find myself telling this to my grandchildren. Apart from the lack of large dangerous wildlife however, it really was a perfect day. The area at Loskop dam is mountainous and surrounded by water. The vistas were stunning (I know I say that a lot, but come to Africa and you will understand) – and this formed a perfect backdrop to eating mussels from a can (which
I don’t say a lot, but you gotta keep things interesting.

When Fleur and Phil dropped me off on Sunday night I was at complete peace, despite all the reasons I have for being a nervous wreck. I am determined as hell to enjoy the time that I have left here. I know I will be back, but who knows if it will be in this area and how much free time I will have to enjoy the gorgeous views next time around. I love it here, and as a friend pointed out to me ironically this morning, I seem to love it for the same reasons I fall in love with people – South Africa is complicated and filled with both amazing beauty and troubled darkness, and though it has never, and will never ask me for help, I desperately want to save it from itself. Of course, given the way my love life has been, perhaps I really should trust that everyone and everything is responsible for saving themselves, and just enjoy the crazy, unpredictable, and surprisingly wonderful experience that is my life for what it is -- an adventure!

There is no I in TEAM...but there should be one in NERD.

I realized today that doing an MBA has in fact made me into a slightly annoying form of nerd. This realization came from two recent observations: I now get ridiculously excited for debates on international economics (I was just flipping channels this weekend when I saw the World Bank President, Robert Zoellick together with Paul Collier, the UK writer and head of the Center for Studies of African Economies, participate in a debate on the financial crisis and what policies need to be undertaken internationally to help the world move forward, and I almost wet myself with excitement – but this could also be a result of my limited net access). The second observation came from a friend: it seems I now have an overfondness for acronyms – which I apparently use without explanation, expecting that everyone will understand what I am talking about. Right. Thank you for that, MBA. I am gonna have to work twice as hard now to keep friends.

In any case, it is Saturday and I am sitting now in post-financial-crisis-debate glow and enjoying the African sun. Just three weeks to go before the end of my internship and there is still so much to do! I have been so into what I am doing that I haven’t been able to devote as much time to job applications as I would have liked, though I have in fact networked my ass off. I have been looking for microfinance and small business development posts in international NGOs and IOs (Kara, that’s Non-Government Organizations, and International Organizations, i.e. the UN) and focusing on posts in South Africa. It seems that jobs are scarce though. I have also been debating with myself on whether to consider applying to a major consulting firm and finally decided to look into it more seriously. After some research I found that I actually really like the McKinsey model. They are of course one of the biggest consulting firms in the world but I like the fact that they encourage you to move around and allow you to apply to work anywhere in the world, regardless of work permits and so forth. A little more research revealed that two of their offices in fact have a high focus on social sector consulting: Geneva and Johannesburg! That sold me. I am hoping I can visit the Jo’burg office before I head back to Canada but I will definitely apply. The process is a long one, and they are very picky but I think I have a lot of the things they are looking for. Now I just have to convince them of that. It would be nice to work as part of a team again, as I find I am starting to miss the intensity of IOMBA. Wow, I never thought I would say that, but there ya go.

I am still completely unsure what will happen next month! This is probably the longest I have gone without knowing what the future will bring. As the cash starts to run out, I am getting a little more stressed. I have always known that I can get some sort of job if push comes to shove, at least in Canada. However, I really don’t want to just do any job anymore. I am now far pickier than I have ever been but I also believe in what I am doing much more than I ever have. Surely that counts for something? I feel like I am on the right path, despite the stress and uncertainty. I am sure that one way or another it will work out! And if it doesn’t, well, I am not too proud to bartend for a few months while I continue the search.

All this thinking made me want to stop writing and do something more social. I think I will go inside and join the company that’s visiting. I should point out that watching sesame street in SA is a bit of trip. Tumi and her parents are over so they are watching kiddie programming. On sesame street they keep switching languages without subtitles! Pretty cool. Tumi can keep up no problem, but as for me I am mostly lost, though I did just learn to count in Afrikaans. Cool.

Oh, and this coming weekend I am going to Loskop Dam for a water safari! So that's something to look forward to. Apparently I can expect to see hippos and crocodiles among other things. The chalet we rented is right on the river as well, and it looks like it's going to be another amazing weekend in South Africa. *Sigh*

As for my Canadian friends, I will see you in 4 weeks! I don’t know yet for how long, but be sure there will be a party or two! Korean karaoke anyone??

Of reunions and coincidences.

Sometimes, life can really surprise you with its coincidences. When I first told my parents that I was going to South Africa on an unpaid internship, my mother told me (after some incoherent screaming on the dangers of Africa and the size of my loan, which then dissolved into pleading to the heavens to tell her why it was SHE that had to have such a difficult child) that we in fact had some family in the area. She had no contact with them but advised that my aunt had gotten in touch as she had been trying to piece together the family tree.

The story is this. My maternal grandmother (who was a tough, intimidating and passionate woman – and therefore easily my favourite grandparent) was Serbian, as was my maternal grandfather. She had several siblings, most of whom stayed in Serbia while my grandparents moved to Croatia probably around 50 years ago. My mother and my aunt were therefore raised in Croatia, though they went back to Serbia often as kids. When I was young I went to Belgrade with my grandparents a lot as well, and met a lot of the Serbian side of the family (my father and his side are Croatian). However, because there had been some big falling out amongst the Simic (my grandmother’s maiden name) siblings, my mother rarely got to see her cousins. In fact, the last time she saw Bosko (the name of her first cousin who is now in his 50s and lives in Johannesburg) she was my age!

When the war hit, the Serbian and Croatian sides lost pretty much all contact. Many of both sides of the family moved abroad to Canada, the US, Australia, and as I now came to find out, to South Africa. In any case, I spoke with my aunt and asked her about this part of our family. She said they seemed eager to get in touch and so I figured why not? After all, they were the relations of my favourite grandparent!
In emailing Bosko I found out that he and his wife Melita have two kids, Ivana (21) and Nikola (20) and that they were quite eager to meet me. We arranged to meet up on the long weekend so that I could spend some time with them at their place in Johannesburg, as well as go on a safari or two.

Last Thursday I waited in anticipation as Bosko made his way up to Groblersdal to pick me up. Quite nice of him actually, since it’s a 2 hour drive! I had had a crazy week, because we had a big deadline at the MFI that day and so the past two weeks had been spent working from 8am to 8pm each day. As I watched Bosko pull up to the office and step out of the car, I found my excitement overtaking my tiredness however. Bosko is a tall man with a calm and friendly air. I searched for some evidence of my grandmother in his features, but I knew I was pushing it. He for his part said that I look exactly like my mother, which I get a lot.

Climbing into the car, I was a bit on edge. Who knew what my family would be like? With our people it’s always a bit of a wildcard, and you don’t know if you will get amazing or a little nuts. I was reassured by the two hour drive however. Bosko is an airplane engineer, and his wife a interior designer. He told me they were into healthy living and grew their own aloe and other health foods. We talked about our histories and our families and how we had gotten to where we were now. It was not a boring car ride!

Arriving in Johannesburg, I met Bosko’s wife and their children and was immediately surrounded by hospitality, thereby dissipating the rest of my worry. I found out they like spicy food as well as enjoy their liquor, like any good Serbo-Croat should, and from there on it was truly like family. Even though I could not see the physical resemblances per se, I could definitely sense a similarity in attitudes and beliefs. It felt like home, and it was great!

The rest of the weekend was a flurry of activity. From an accidental visit to a Chippendale party with Melita (it really was an accident! We were trying to go watch a movie when two women just came up to us at the theatre and gave us free tickets to a movie premiere—we didn’t realize there was a pre-show, but hey, bonus!), to a hike in a nearby game resort (where we saw giraffes, zebras, kudu, iland, etc.). There was of course a lot of eating and a lot of catching up as well. It was nice to see the SA braai tradition merged with the Serbian grill traditions to delicious result. Did I mention SA is making me fat?

Melita and Bosko were also nice enough to introduce me to the sons of some friends of theirs (it’s kind of a funny thing that our people do, and akin to setting up play dates for adults) but the two guys turned out to be really fun. They showed me some of the more mainstream Jo’burg party spots. My only regret of the night was the fact that I didn’t bring nicer shoes and had to sneak around in flip-flops. A few Jager-bombs later though I was not as bothered. We partied till the wee hours and by the end of the night I had to try really hard not to keep losing my hat, as the men at the club we were at seemed to think that stealing a girl’s hat was a good way to get her attention. It felt a tad like grade school really. I was half-expecting one of these boys to shout “girls smell!” and then run away. Still, the guys I was with were great and it was a good night overall.

The next day we headed to the bird park in Monte Casino, which is this big entertainment complex in Fourways, the suburb of Johannesburg in which Bosko and family live. The birds were beautiful, but a little cheeky, and I have to admit their constant aggressive approaches towards us left me a little skittish. Especially since I was wearing my going out shirt and didn’t want it to get pooped on by a random bird, regardless of the beauty of said bird. We were also supposed to do the balloon ride but ran out of time. I will put it on my list of things to do next time I am there!

Of course it wouldn’t be a weekend in Jozi without a visit to Fleur. When I told her I was in town again, she told me that her and Phil were heading to a party and invited me along. She didn’t tell me it was a costume party and by the time I met up with her it was too late to put on an “army theme” so I just zipped up my black hoodie and tried to act tough. I was not in a really frat party mood though (and that was sort of the atmosphere of the place we went to) but luckily neither were Fleur or Phil so after a few quick drinks we snuck out and went to get a few more on a street called 7th avenue, in Melville. It was much more my style than most of the areas I had been out to so far in Jozi, because you could hop from one bar to the next without having to get into your car for a change. It reminded me a bit of Long Street in Cape Town (or for Torontonians, think Queen West but a little rougher around the edges).

Clearly, it wasn’t going to be a long night though, and at some point at the mention of new episodes of “Weeds” we made a hasty retreat back to Phil’s place to watch the new season, ice cream in hand. A little bit of heaven as far as I am concerned.
Getting back to Bosko’s place the next morning I found breakfast already in the works. As we spent our last few hours together before Nikola and Ivana drove me back to Groblersdal, I felt like I had known them for ages. We also found out through Facebook that one of my brother’s good friends was one of Melita’s closest relatives and was like a son to her when growing up! It was completely random but thus the weekend ended, as it had begun, with a coincidence. It kind of reminds me of a book I read a long time ago, which talked about how there were no coincidences, and that if they happened it meant just that you were on the right path. I know it sounds a little new-agey, but it somehow makes sense.

Despite the fact that I have no idea what will happen with my job or future, I hope I can see them all again soon, and maybe we can have a big reunion at some point as well. It just reminded me what an interesting, wonderful world it is and even if I cannot stay in SA right now, I have a strange feeling that I will be back at some point soon!

TIA: This Is Africa.

Just as I was getting comfortable here, and starting to let my guard down, I was suddenly reminded that I am in fact in a developing country with a high crime rate and if I want to stay safe, I am going to have to be a little more careful. This realization came to me last Friday as I stood in front of an abandoned rent-a-car office in a small town that I had travelled two hours by taxi (minibus) to get to and incidentally in the hottest, slowest taxi ever. As I made angry and desperate calls to try to remedy my situation, it was starting to get late and as far as I knew there was no other rental car in the small rural town in which I found myself. I was now quite far away from Jo’burg (where I was heading) and couldn’t go back to Groblersdal as the family I am staying with had also left for the weekend and I didn’t have the keys. Despite my ease with travelling alone and in places others consider dangerous I generally take reasonable precautions. I hadn’t really done that this time and South Africa is not the kind of place you want to wander around alone, on foot and in the dark with no place to go.

At first I was livid. I looked down at my printed voucher – the location was confirmed and I had even had a map. I had called the office earlier but the number had been busy. When I called head office they had confirmed the address and the phone number. It took several more angry calls from a street corner of Middleburg (the town that I was now in for the first time) to get someone at the travel place to finally admit that they had made a mistake. Luckily I found a garage nearby where the man was very nice and helpful as he listened to my situation. He said that there was a rental place in a town about 30 minutes away and he called them to see if they had cars. By some small miracle they did and I arranged with the booking place to cover the drop off fees for the car. Finally, about 4 hours after I was supposed to have been on my way, I got into the car with much relief (if I hadn’t been able to get the car, I honestly don’t know what I would have done. A bit of fool’s luck as it were). It was a good reminder to me, and next time I am going to be a lot more careful.

I now had a second challenge to face however. I had been in Johannesburg twice before, but each time in only very specific areas and I had never driven around the city at night (well I had been “driven” around in a semi-coherent state but I could hardly recall the streets I saw in my post-party blur). I had a few printed Google maps but it is a huge city and also one of the most dangerous in the world at night (Mom, if you’re reading: it’s not that bad. Really.). I had expected to come into the city early in the afternoon so that I could drive around at leisure and afford myself the luxury of getting lost. But now it was pitch dark and I was a woman, travelling alone. Thankfully for me, I don’t panic easily in such situations – I have seen enough in my life that for the most part it is incredibly hard to scare me (though large spiders seem to be one of the few things that still do the trick, but more on that later).

Also thankfully, I am good with maps and have a fairly decent sense of direction. With the exception of one major wrong turn which almost took me into the most dangerous part of town, I arrived reasonably close to where I needed to be and Fleur came to meet me at a gas station so we could go to her friend’s place nearby. I was pretty proud of myself, when all was said and done.

In any case, I was in town for Fleur’s birthday and so that night the festivities started with the usual pre-party followed by going to some random club that seemed to be playing all the hits from my high school days. Red bull became my best friend, as did some weird Turkish guy, his brother and his possibly mail-order bride girlfriend, when Fleur and company temporarily disappeared elsewhere. Or perhaps I had abandoned them at some point? Not really clear on the chronological sequence of events. The night is mostly a blur but it was a nice change from my little town life. The next morning I couldn’t sleep much, and it seemed that no one else could either so we decided to start the day off with some mimosas and rugby. A winning combination.

Most of the day was spent in the Jo’burg botanical gardens with Fleur’s friends making the rounds to wish her all the best. All together it was an interesting mix of people but I was starting to feel rather rough from the night before and spent most of the time chillin in the sun (aka, trying not to throw up). Luckily by late afternoon I was starting to bounce back. Right in time for a pool-side braaii, more red bull, and some absinthe (which will forever remind me of one Ms. Lori Stuckless: a good friend who, despite being famous for wearing country-club type debutant outfits as a matter of course, can and will get down and throw her posh body over a pile of suitcases at a dodgy British airport because she thinks shadows are after her underwear. That also is a story for another day.). There was however, no jumping into a pool this time. It’s now too warm to make it a crazy thing to do and so has temporarily lost its appeal to me as a party trick. In any case, I knew the next day would have lots of swimming in store.

On the Sunday I got to hang out with Fleur and family and eat the best meal I have had in a while. Of course, after stuffing yourself silly there is nothing like stripping into a bikini and jumping into the chilly pool to remind you why you wake up at 6 am to go jogging just to keep the lovehandles at bay. I have to stop eating the damn starch in this country! I miss my vegetarianism but damnit, the animals in South Africa just taste too good. Also to my fellow Croatians, you’ll be happy to know that there is yet another country that still revels in the goodness of MSG. It seems to be a key ingredient in half the sauces and seasonings here. Heading towards a slow painful death may just be worth the tasty ride though. Ah, MSG.
In any case, there is still no news in the job department though I am constantly pursuing opportunities and networking my ass off. IOMBA would be proud. I am also trying to accept the fact that there are some things I cannot control and I will have to deal with whatever happens in the end. At least I will have the comfort of knowing that I tried my damnedest to escape once again the icy clutches of Canadian winter. Seriously. I actually started to look for posts in Afghanistan to try to avoid the eventuality. In the end I know I will make the best of whatever happens though. Which is amazing. It means I’ve actually started to become an adult in there somewhere.

Incidentally, it is now full blown summer here in Groblersdal. For some reason it seems to be the hottest place around, and driving 20km in any direction means a drop in temperature of about 10 degrees. It’s not a bad thing but it makes me miss the sea. Walking through sand and palm trees in 30 degrees seems odd when there is no swimming at the end of it. It also means that the bugs have started to come out. Sadly I have already encountered two quite large spiders. Not as big as what I saw in Japan but still, enough to scare the crap out of me. I hate spiders. Luckily the family I live with doesn’t share my fear and the spiders were quickly dispatched via shoe bludgeoning as I stood by blubbering. They didn’t understand why I was scared, since as Ruth pointed out, “they are not poisonous ones”. Arachnophobia really is an inconvenience when one loves to travel to warm countries like I do.

As a non-sequitur I have now also seen most of north-eastern South Africa. For work I had to drive across Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces extensively and went as far up as the Zimbabwe border. It just confirmed what a beautiful country this is as I drove through endless African vistas, with various animals running alongside the car at times. Sometimes I feel I am in one of those nature shows living here. Nature gets me a little too excited at times. In trying to guess what all the animals are I at one point spotted something smallish, orange and cat-like to a friend who was with me, and asked her excitedly if it was possibly a baby tiger or something. She looked at me flatly as she responded “Lana. It’s a cat. A regular cat.”. I have to remind myself to keep my childish excitement at seeing animals in check lest I start looking like a complete tool.

I am a corrupting force, but you know you love me!

It was very early on in life that I discovered I have a particular talent. Some people are good at selling things. Some are great at math. Yet others have a strange and magical aptitude for embroidering bunnies and roses onto misshapen sweaters. Me? I am great at corrupting others. It’s true. It is also something that I must confess a particular pride in. After all, being naughty and impulsive and making others join in the fun is one of life’s greatest pleasures – so long as no one is being hurt of course. Well seriously hurt anyways.

Almost three weeks ago I stepped into a sleepy little town in the South African bush, only to discover that I would be living in an even tinier township which is not exactly a walking distance from town. While this is a lot of fun in a National-Geographic-cultural-experience way, it is not always conducive to the crazy side of fun. Especially when the people around me are quite religious and most of them don’t drink, or even explore their surroundings to see what’s over the next hill for that matter. Usually I find that if I get excited enough about something though it will start to spread so that at least one person in a group of 10 will take on what I’m suggesting. However, in this case my calls for fun and exploration kept meeting walls of amused resistance. My suggestion of a walk to the nearby ridge to watch the sunset was met with bemused chuckling and head shaking, but an old lady almost fainted when she heard me ask to visit a local shebeen (bar)! Well. It’s a good thing I don’t give up easy. I just realized that I’d have to approach this on a slightly different tack if I was going to get anywhere. Anything is possible if one tries hard enough though.

So what did I do? Well I decided to wait for an opportunity, like a lion in the bush. So when two middle aged ladies visited us the other day, and one was complaining of a sore throat and asking me if I knew of any good remedies, I saw a golden opportunity. I explained with my most innocent and helpful look that in Croatia whiskey is often drank for throat problems (this is actually true, and it’s worked for me before so it’s not like I was entirely making stuff up really). In any case, the little church ladies seemed suspicious but promised they would try it. A few days later they returned with a half drunk bottle of the stuff in a decidedly better mood and with no sore throats to boot. Well at least none that they could feel any more. They also now call me “Doctor”, which is just an invitation for more “medical advice” I feel. Success.

Corruption number two came with the girl with whom I’m staying. She’s my age and very sweet. She also goes to church on Sundays and never drinks. Which is great, except when it also means you are afraid to try anything new. I am always trying to convince her to do stuff – from hiking, to waterfall swimming, to visiting the neighbouring town, but no go. So I decided to buy some red wine instead and asked her how it could be bad to drink it when Jesus himself had made water in to wine, did he not? (I was kinda fishing here, since not having been raised religious I got most of my knowledge of world religions from American TV shows and from watching evangelical services on public broadcast when I first came to Canada. For a long time I used to think that when people went to church they all got slapped on the forehead and fell to the ground in convulsions while speaking in tongues). In any case, it somehow worked! Before I knew it, we were both half in the bag and she was suddenly a lot more keen to go walking around the town exploring. The only bad part was that in her drunken excitement she called every single guy she knew and kept making me talk to them. I didn’t really understand what was going on at the time, but I think I now have 10 blind dates lined up for this coming Friday.

After all this corrupting I woke up on Saturday feeling satisfied and ready for exploration. I decided to hike the nearby mountains in order to get a better view of the valley as well as get some exercise. The surrounding area features an interesting mix of plants that I’m only half familiar with, and it was quite pretty to see that some of the more exotic flowers have started to bloom. I even saw a wild deer of some sort! We had caught each other by surprise, and were frozen staring at one another from a distance of about three meters, but when I tried to take a picture of him he bolted as soon as I made the slightest move.

From the top of the mountains I could see the valley around Groblersdal spread out beneath me. The savannah transformed into lush farmland and man-made lakes. Large farm estates and game lodges and dusty dirt roads. Quite a view. It was also a gorgeous day and quite hot. Since it’s only the beginning of Spring I’m having a hard time imagining what summer is going to feel like here! I hope I get to see Summer in full swing though because I will be quite miffed to leave just as it is starting out. So yah, whatever monotheistic or polytheistic deity you believe in, start praying for me getting a decently paid job in microfinance somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. Actually though, at this point, although I would love to stay here, I am quite ready to go virtually anywhere in the world that is warm and I can make enough to pay off my student loan! Given the way that my life has been for the last couple of years I know that I can be happy almost anywhere, and so I am incredibly open minded as to where I end up. The only thing that I find annoying is the fact that I somehow keep getting dragged back to Canada in the middle of winter. I have to make sure that if I get dragged back this time that it will be the absolutely last time it happens. So what I’m saying is, Africans, Californians, Hawaiians, Asia-Pacific and European friends….holla at yo girl if you hear of a microfinance, small business development or entry-level management consulting job pop-up near you.

And in case I haven't mentioned it....South African spring is gorgeous! Sun and the smell of lavender everywhere.....

Lebola Wedding Negotiations...aka Trying not to Get Traded for a Cow

You know, it’s amazing. I have the hardest time remembering people’s names, but teach me a new word for booze and I’m likely to remember it until the day I die. Point in case: this past weekend I went to my first Lebola wedding negotiations (traditional African ceremony that involves changing cows, goats and cash for the bride’s hand in marriage) and of all the words in Pedi, Zulu and Setswana that others tried to teach me the first ones that come to mind are Zamalek and Sogam. The words for a cheap local beer and for a homemade liquor made from mielie pap (cornmeal) respectively. I met a million people as well, but ask me for any of their names and all you will get from me is a blank stare. Food names I seem to be ok with though, so I’ve managed to pick up the basics there but I think my homestay mom may think I’m slow since I cannot for the life of me remember how to say good night in Pedi despite having been told a million times (I had to ask again just now, it’s: “robhala ghabots”). Clearly it’s not hard to see where my priorities lie. An ex once told me I was too complicated, but I think at times I am a ridiculously simple creature – give me a beer and some food and usually I’m quite happy.

But enough introspection and on to the narrative! So the wedding negotiations took place in an even smaller town than Groblersdal called Burgersfort. It’s 3 hours North of Groblersdal meaning I was in total 6 hours away from any major city and even further in the middle of nowhere. The drive up, even though it was on my favourite cramped mode of transport, the minibus taxi, was rather a pretty one. Low rocky mountains, red earth, and yellow grassy savannah dotted with low trees and the occasional aloe or cactus like plant, with fruit and vegetable shacks adding intermittent colour and a human texture to the whole landscape. Thankfully the music on the taxi was kept at a reasonable level for once and consisted mainly of some recent hip-hop – a nice change from the country-western and cheesy retro 80’s tunes favoured by my everyday work taxi driver. Figures. I travel all the way across the world to the middle of nowhere in Africa where most of the drivers love afro-pop, reggae and hip-hop, and the minibus taxi driver servicing my end of town happens to be in love with Shania Twain.

Arriving in Burgersfort, Ruth and I were picked up by her cousin who took us back to his home for the preparations. The wedding negotiations were set to take place the following day so we lounged around with the family and mostly watched TV while I got to know the closer family members. We bonded over watching the E! Channel’s special on the Baddest Hollywood Boyfriends. Some things just transcend cultural barriers.

When asked what I wanted to drink they were all very surprised however, when I asked for a Black Label (zamalek) beer because it is generally considered the cheap ghetto beer. What can I say? Class is not always my thing, but in this case I just happen to like the ghetto beer! As I sat inside with some of the family, outside the music was blasting and the people of the township were dancing on the street. I figured I’d save the partying for the following day so instead I chatted with Ruth’s family until 1 am before heading to sleep. Since there were so many people over we had to share rooms and beds. For a little while it looked as if I would be sandwiched between my friend and her pregnant cousin on a double bed, but at the last moment the pregnant lady was replaced by a younger and thankfully smaller girl. Still it was cozy, but it was a chilly night and I really didn’t mind. Lord knows I’ve shared my various beds over the years with dozens of partied out friends in large cuddle puddles that defied physical laws of space utilization. I think my record in Japan was 5 people in a queen size bed. It makes for quicker bonding.

In the morning I was woken up early by the sounds of preparations. Entering the kitchen I found it packed and was offered milk and biscuits as everyone ran around doing something or other. Not being able to help with anything I joined the kids in the TV room for a bit and waited for the fun to start. Soon the yard and house were both packed (and it was a pretty big place!) with family and friends and lots and lots of biscuits. Most of the day consisted of people sitting around in smaller groups and drinking pop and juice and eating lots of different kinds of cookies and scones. The men of course were drinking beer from early on so most were in quite the state by the early afternoon. As I was mostly with the women, I had to gaze at the beer longingly from afar. Once the music started up though, a lot of the ladies started dancing. Many of them had on traditional costumes and the songs were decidedly African, as were the dances. It was great to watch but I felt a little self conscious to join – which is unusual for me, but hey, so is sobriety. I decided instead to wander around taking pictures and talking to whoever wanted to talk with me.

I soon happened upon an interesting character – an older guy with a funny hat who spotted me and practically leaped in my direction. As my mother would say, I have a special talent for befriending somewhat crazy older men who like to drink. In any case, he brought me over to his little group of guys and made them all sing for me. When I asked what they were all drinking from a large plastic vat in the center of the circle he told me it was “sogam” and insisted I try. When the people around us saw me with the milky white substance (which smelled a little like vinegar, a little like something burnt and, well, a little like vomit) they started to gather around in amazement. My host noticed my hesitation at the smell and so he grabbed the cup and drank some to show me it was ok. I decided to bite the bullet and drink. I can’t say it tasted great but it was definitely an experience. Imagine sour, roast corn-flavoured milk and you won’t be far off. The men all clapped loudly and cheered as I drank the stuff and after a full cup I was suddenly feeling tipsy. When I went back into the house for food and told the ladies what I had drunk, they practically fell over laughing with shocked amusement. I must at this point admit to a guilty pleasure of mine – I love surprising people by doing the unexpected. I think it’s mostly because I also love being surprised and seeing something different or new so I like bringing that feeling to others. It’s a great way to entertain people.

The rest of the day was spent in watching the dancing and finally dancing a little myself, though mostly from the sidelines. Eventually the groom came out of the house accompanied by a cousin and they, and a goat, were put into a car to go to the bride’s house for the negotiations. The rest of us stayed behind to continue eating and drinking. I was thoroughly stuffed that night. Pap is damn filling let me tell you. That night I headed back with Ruth’s parents in a bakkie (something akin to a pick-up truck, but usually covered at the back). This meant I spent two hours lying down in the back of a truck on a bed of pillows next to Ruth and another friend. It was surprisingly comfortable, except for when Ruth’s father hit some hidden speed bumps and my body literally came a half a meter off the back of the truck and crashed back down violently, causing me to be sketchy and anxious for the rest of the ride. For the most part though, I felt strangely at peace watching the sunset from the back of a speeding pick-up truck.

Today I had to go to work however, so alas I had to miss Sunday church. Darn. Since it was a gorgeous and warm morning (yay, Spring has started!) and since I had stuffed myself the previous day I decided to walk to town. Again I was met by shock at the suggestion as some warned that it was dangerous while others said it was just quite far. No one ever wants to walk anywhere in South Africa I am discovering, and everyone thinks I’m crazy for doing so. Again, I must refer to the previous point – I sometimes just like doing things a little differently. The taxis to and from where I’m staying usually take about 20 minutes so I figured it was about an hour and a half to town. It turned out to be over two dusty hours and I walk fast. I have some blisters now but it was worth it. The only thing that disturbed my peaceful rendezvous with a beautiful African Sunday morning in the savannah bush was the fact that almost every second car stopped and asked me if I needed a ride. Those that stopped seemed to be of every race and walk of life, but all were equally shocked to see me walking and despite my reassurances that I was fine and getting exercise, seemed to almost want to stuff me into their car and take me against my will into town. I managed to reassure them all but by the end of the 14 km walk I was getting bored with the explanations and reassurances. Honestly, I think South Africans need to take back their streets and walk more! I know it’s not always realistic and I would not be so stupid as to walk around most places in Johannesburg, but being careful doesn’t mean being paranoid.

As I write this I am now back in the place I call home for the next two months and I’m sitting in the back yard. It is a sunny place this little township, and last week I had climbed a nearby hill and watched the sunset on the valley below. It was a beautiful sight. The sun is setting now and I think I might go watch the sunset again if I can find some joiners. I am developing an obsession with sunsets, but they really are gorgeous here. Or perhaps I just never have the time to really admire them in most other places.

In any case I don’t feel like writing anymore as living in a township is definitely a loud and lively experience. Music, drums and voices are everywhere! I don’t mind though. It feels alive. And I feel at peace. But don’t get me wrong. In two months I am going to need to party in a city like nobody’s business. For now however, you’ll have to excuse me, as there is a sunset that I need to attend to.

On to Groblersdal....small town, Africa!

Leaving gorgeous, oceanic Cape Town, I returned to sunny but chilly Jo’burg for one day before heading off to the middle of the African bush. I was picked up by Fleur and we headed to a picnic with her friends near the botanical gardens. It’s quite a nice large park area actually, except for the fact that everything is super dry and the grass is yellow because it’s winter. Of course after a few glasses of wine I was a little too fascinated by the “African savannah” feel and I’m sure that most of Fleur’s friends think I’m a little bit retarded. Whatever. I taught a few of them how to pee in the bushes Canadian style so it’s all good. I knew it was going to be my last party day for a while so I made the most of it. I love the people in Jo’burg I have to say and Fleur is a doll for putting me up so many times.

In any case, Monday meant the journey off to the middle of nowhere. I had by now had a variety of reactions from the locals when I said I was going to Groblersdal – from “oh, that’s a nice little town...” to flat out laughter and outbursts of “you’re going WHERE??”, which I have to admit did not inspire much confidence. I was mostly told to expect a very small town feel and prepare to get in touch with Jesus as the little towns are quite into religion. I was also told I was going to pick up some Afrikaans and either Setswana or Sesotho up there, as English was likely to be a little less common. Since it’s only two and a half months however, I figured how bad could it be really? It’s all part of the adventure.

As Monday morning came I was picked up by Ruth, a rather nice and funny girl about my age with whom I will be working and living with for the next little while. She is the main administrator at the MFI where I will be interning.

As there is no major transport route to Groblersdal except car (already a good sign) we had to take a minibus taxi. So once again I found myself packed tightly into a minivan rolling through increasingly archetypal African landscapes, while having gospel music blasted in my ear. It was a three hour journey, the last hour of which was punctuated by my head hitting the “emergency exit” sign, painted rather ironically on a small glass window with no discernible emergency handle of any sort, as we hit pothole after pothole in the road.

Finally arriving in Groblersdal I felt a lot more like I was in the real Africa. It is definitely a small town, but situated in a pretty valley surrounded by farmland and mountains. There are oranges, avocados and other fresh produce everywhere. There are also tonnes, and tonnes of red dust.

Ruth had rather kindly arranged for me to stay with her family. I have to admit I had no idea what to expect, but since I am on a budget I was willing to pretty much take anything. I have to say I was more than pleasantly surprised. They have a one floor bungalow type house on a small dirt road settlement. The landmark of their house is the greenest lawn on the street since the father is retired and seems to have fully invested himself in the yard work. Everything is incredibly clean and meticulously cared for, and they have a dog which is always a bonus for me. Ruth’s parents are also just incredibly wonderful people. I was given my own room and told to help myself to whatever. So far their hospitality and generosity has overwhelmed me. I am trying to do my part by offering to cook and clean whenever I can but mostly they won’t let me. Today however I did manage to sneak my way into the kitchen in order to learn how to make a proper African meal. I think I could actually make a decent pap now! Two degrees later and I now well on my way to becoming a proper housewife. Mom and Dad will be proud.

Everyone in the neighbourhood seems fascinated by me and likely wonders what I am doing here, since I seem to be the only white person anywhere nearby. I’ve met a few of the neighbours and again, as I’ve noticed all over South Africa, everyone is just so friendly! People are curious and open and love to laugh and joke. They also all want to know what I think of South Africa. In some weird way it reminds me a little bit of Japan in fact.

I went in to work at the MFI today for the first time as well, and realized how much work there is to do! I am excited for it though. I have learned so much already. Finally all those MBA accounting courses are reluctantly coming to my aid. It is really nice to apply concepts to the real world and realize just how far you were from actually getting the concept until you have to use it. It is going to be a great experience.

It is definitely rural Africa though. Until now I have been having an amazing time in major cities but this is certainly not much like either Jo’burg or Cape Town. With the exception of the townships I have been to in the major cities I didn’t really feel that there was much of a culture shock in coming to South Africa. Here though I can see that I will be challenged and will see a whole other side to things.

For one, getting to work everyday is via taxi (minibus) of course so I expect I will be an expert in using them by the time I leave here – that is if I survive with the way that they drive. Today I also went for my first jog around the area where I am staying, which is just outside town, and it caused quite a stir. A lot of people here hang out on the street and there were lots of shocked faces when they saw me run by. Some of the braver young guys called out after me with suggestive smiles, while others shouted a surprised ‘hello’. A lot of the younger women giggled in surprise. Many of the kids on the other hand started running with me down the street and for a while I had a little jogging club. Everyone with whom I made eye contact smiled at me, though with a bit of shocked amusement. Again I was reminded of Japan as I felt like a celebrity for doing what to me seems like such an ordinary thing. I wonder if they will get used to me by the time that I leave.

This weekend I have been invited to a wedding negotiation which sounds exciting. And yes, it is what you are thinking! Apparently they discuss exchanging cows for the bride. Unless of course my host is pulling my leg, which she very well could be given that she seems to have a healthy sense of humour. In any case there should be lots of partying involved and I will report more on that next week.

Net access is in fact going to be difficult as there is nothing much at home nor even work but luckily there is a net café near the office so I am not totally without it. I am definitely going to get the local experience that I wanted though which is great. I might be a little stir crazy on the weekends but I’m sure I will find something to amuse myself. I always do. Fleur and co. have promised to visit one weekend though so at least I have that to look forward to! Since Ruth goes to Jo’burg and Pretoria lots as well I might join her one weekend too but I do have to watch the spending so its best that I just make the most of being in this little town surrounded by low mountains that seem to just be crying out for me to hike them. That, and there is always the possibility of suddenly being moved by the Holy Spirit and getting down with G.O.D. on the weekends….

Leaving Cape Town in Style....

Well my last day in Cape Town was a suitably crazy one. Having gone out the night before on Long St. (the main Cape Town party street that has a decidedly colonial charm to) I woke up at a friend’s house Satuday morning in a somewhat sorry state, and unsure of how to get back to the hostel to make it to my hike. Looking outside I soon realized that the hike was not likely to happen – it was raining and foggy meaning that there would be no visibility from Table Mountain. Crap. Not one to sit around lamenting the weather I reluctantly woke up my host and explained the situation. We soon hatched a brilliant plan – it was a perfect day for a road trip to Franschoek!

Packing ourselves into my friend’s car we first set off for the Biscuit Mill, which is a cute little warehouse district area that has been redone into artsey shops and food and alcohol stands. Naturally, what better way to avoid a hangover than gluhwine first thing in the morning along with some fresh made jalapeno rolls! The Biscuit Mill is incredibly charming and I highly recommend a visit if you’re in Cape Town. If (or rather, when!) I move here I plan to do most of my furniture, decoration and food shopping there.

As we wandered around slowly gathering strength and supplies for our trip we were stopped by a lady selling crystals. She offered to read our cards and though neither of us believes in that sort of thing the lady offered it for free. The thing is, she was amazingly good! She must just be really intuitive because she was eerily accurate in what she said. Kinda creeped me out! It was actually too personal to even share on a blog but yeah, if I am back there I kinda wanna go talk to her again. I mean the world is a strange place and really, you just never know.

Finally ready for the day we set off on the road and the pretty Huguenot wine region of Franschoek. I found it much prettier than Stellenbosch actually as there were more mountains and it seemed less touristy. Of course we did the requisite tastings. I really must say that I now officially have a new favourite varietal – the Pinotage – which apparently is of South African origin. Following lunch in a gorgeous fusion restaurant (I still can’t get over how cheap it is here!) we strolled around the pretty town in the now fully sunny day. Everything was going well until we walked up to my friend’s car and realized that it was in fact missing the front bumper! Thankfully there were people nearby who had seen what happened. Some guy had backed up into her car while it was parked. The damage was so severe that I can’t imagine how fast he had to be going. Luckily it had been reported so we went to the police station to get the details. The day only gets weirder from here and I won’t go into too many details for a variety of reasons but let’s just say that I have now seen the inside of two South African police stations, and have had the experience of driving in a car while seated next to its front bumper. Good times.

Last night I had a really solid sleep curled up next to a friend’s dog, and I am now sitting at Cape Town airport for my flight back to Jozi. I get to spend another day with Fleur, and then I am being picked up to go to tiny, rural Groblersdal in the African bush. Not entirely sure what to expect! Hopefully my net access will be steady enough to update this blog once a week at least from here on in...

Last days in the Cape...heading to Groblersdal and the Bush!

So in the interest of simplicity I have decided to start a seperate blog that will deal with the more serious aspect of my time here in Africa: microfinance and social entrepreneurship. I will continue to write on this blog about my more fun extracurricular activities and will use the other one for those who are more interested in the technical details of what I am doing. There will be some overlap, especially when I get to do something really cool at work (which admittedly happens fairly often...see below.) but it should make it easier for everyone.

Ok so on that note, let me talk about my recent visit to a township here in Cape Town.

It was an exciting day. It was my first time joining a Loan Officer (LO) out in the field in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township. The idea was for me to see the daily functioning of an MFI that works well, before I go up north to help the one that is in trouble.

The day started with being dropped off in Khayelitsha, where I was supposed to meet the LO who would be my guide. After waiting for half an hour we were starting to wonder where he was and so called him to see if we could meet him. It turned out to be quite the ordeal to track him down but finally a little over an hour later we found him and the real work began. I guess "African Time" is just something I have to get used to though it is important to keep the context in mind as well -- the LO was probably more concerned with doing his job than showing some random girl around.

Once we met the LO it turned out he was a very friendly guy who seemed to know everyone. Something that is no doubt very useful in his line of work. The LOs are essentially the first line of an MFI. They are responsible for a certain region and will give all the relevant information about the loans to potential clients as well as help them fill out their loan applications and assess their small businesses. The loans are mainly for survivalist business -- meaning they just help their owners get by, and include things like small shops, hair salons (very popular for some reason! I guess everyone has to look good...), and market stands.

Being left with the LO, we set off on foot to the post office to collect payments. It was my first time being left alone in a township and I got some stares from the locals but people were mostly quite friendly. I do think that some of the danger is exaggerated, but that being said I had dressed down and was not carry anything valuable nor a bag of any kind. Still, some of my South African friends think I'm crazy for walking around in a township at all.

Once we had secured the first of the two payments we headed into the market in the center of the district where Eric had to meet another group of clients. It was a group that had taken out and repaid 5 previous loans and was now asking for a 6th. While I waited, I got a chance to talk to some of the borrowers, which was great. They were a bit shy to speak in English at first(most black Africans speak Xhosa in the Cape Town area, which is the infamous clicking language and is very, very cool to listen to) and were probably a little hesitant to talk to some strange girl who was asking all kinds of somewhat intrusive questions about their lives. I heard some interesting stories when they opened up a bit however. One lady in particular stood out. She has 6 kids to take care of and is a single mom. The income from her clothing stand supports the entire family, which is just incredible. I can't imagine how she finds the time to also feed all the kids and take care of them but she was very matter of fact about it. In asking her whether the loans have helped she said they had a lot. What better evidence of the effectiveness of microfinance than from those that it is supposed to help? It was very inspiring.

Back at the post we filled out the deposit slip for the last client that had to repay. As she waited in line the LO and I waited by the side and everyone coming in was asking him all kinds of questions about the post office. It was interesting that instead of asking the employees they came to him. He helped people fill in forms and gave people advice and everyone seemed to know that he knew what was going on. I could tell that he really enjoys helping others and being respected in the community, and that is another benefit of the MFIs -- providing respected jobs for individuals in the townships.

Unfortunately though just then the post machines went down, and they advised they couldn't take any more deposits. They wouldn't do it manually so the client was left with a large wad of cash with which it was dangerous for her to just walk around. Also, the taxi-buses had just gone on strike (it's the main form of transport for those in the townships) and so there was no way to get to another post office nearby! Luckily my supervisor had to come and get me anyways, so we ended up dropping them all off at another post office. It was a good thing we were there though.

All in all it was a great learning experience and I got to experience a totally different culture. It's amazing that you can drive 20 minutes in South Africa and be in a whole other world. From city life to small towns and farm to townships. All have their unique cultures, languages and vibes. All this complexity and beauty in one place: no wonder I am falling in love!

Tomorrow I am doing my last fun thing here in Cape town. I am hiking up table mountain through skeleton gorge. Sunday I am off to Johannesburg again for one night before being picked up to go to where I will spend the next two months -- the little town of Groblersdal out in the northeast Bush. It's supposed to be very rural but very beautiful there and I am staying with a local family. Should be quite the experience!

As a side note, I realize I probably sound like I am on drugs or something because I am constantly so excited. I assure you all I am not and that this is in fact a natural high. Unless rooibos tea has properties I am not aware of.....

Cape Town orientation

So I made it to Cape Town – also known as the most beautiful place on earth! Well the center city itself is ok, but the surrounding area is absolutely amazing.
I am staying in a very cool hostel in the suburb of Observatory – a little rundown but mostly student area so it’s not too bad danger wise. I’ve tried to avoid walking around at night but the once or twice that I have it turned out to be totally fine. Much safer than Johannesburg I am happy to report. Of course, I don’t carry anything when I go out. I put a little cash, my phone and my keys in my pockets and that’s it. If someone tries to rob me I know better than to put up a fight here so it’s good to carry nothing you cannot afford to lose.

My hostel is filled with all kinds of interesting characters. A lot of locals stay here in transition so it’s not your typical backpackers. There are people of all ages and the overall feel is a little more worldly and hardcore, which is exactly how I like it. It is never boring! So far I’ve gotten to play djembe, eat lots of African meals and have heard some great stories over beer and braais. I’ve also met a lot of people through Couchsurfing and have had some great times out and about as well.


The internship is exciting and a great education, but I will elaborate on that in the next section so that I can stick to my “Pleasure & Business” format.
On that note, the past weekend was one of the best ever. It was a three day weekend and I certainly made the most of it. On Saturday a local Afrikaner I met at a Couchsurfing party last week took me around to Simons town, Boulder beach and Cape Point. We covered the whole False Bay area culminating in a visit to the most south-west point of Africa – The Cape of Good Hope. It was stunning. We saw baboons on the road and stopped to take pictures but had to get back into the car quickly as the baboons actually invaded another stopped car down the road! It was pretty funny to watch but at the same time I was glad it wasn’t us! They sure are clever little pests.

Arriving in Simons town and heading to Boulder beach I got to see the Cape Penguins in their natural habitat, which was very cute and odd given that most people think of penguins in the cold. It was such a nice day however that people were actually swimming as well. Did I mention its winter here?? In any case we continued on and spent the day hiking to and from abandoned beaches, and through the bush, finding more wild animals along the way. The Cape of Good Hope was just as gorgeous as expected and after the exercise filled day, we ended up at Kalk Bay for a meal of freshly caught fish and chips. When I came back to the hostel there was a braai going so I decided to join and ended up staying till the wee hours chatting away on the terrace next to a roaring fire.

The following day was wine country! I went with a really nice Pilipino-American guy from California who picked me up at the hostel. We headed for Stellenbosch and were joined by two more of his friends along the way. It was great! But how could wine and sunshine in Africa not be?? Stellenbosch looks more or less like the south of France though, just more exotic. I’ve always liked South African wines but I have to admit the ones you can get here are even better. Many don’t even get exported. It was yet another beautiful sunny day so we all sat drinking wine on the lawns of manicured Stellenbosch estates. The day ended in another seafood restaurant (ok, ok, those who know me know that I cannot resist seafood), this time at Gordon’s Bay. I had some Malay Curry Fish, a speciality of the region. After that and a few gluhwines (yes, they have them here too my European friends) the Afrikaner family at the next table somehow started talking to us. Well mostly the father was drunk and had to tell me that I had absolutely beautiful eyes. Repeatedly. Of course his wife was not too happy about that, but with a few well placed jokes they were at our table along with their daughter and her new fiancé – who had just proposed. I love how open and friendly people here seem to be because within minutes we were all laughing and celebrating together, even though their English wasn’t the greatest as they live in a small mainly Afrikaans town near Stellenbosch. Coming back in the evening from the great day I somehow got roped into going clubbing in the really posh Camps Bay. This was a whole other side of South Africa. Think Miami Beach. Very, very upscale. I managed to last the whole night but I can’t say I was really in the mood for clubbing. Something about Cape Town makes me just wanna be outside all the time or on a beach and actually talking to people. If I stayed here longer I am sure I would learn to appreciate the clubbing scene as well though, because after all, I am me.

The next day I woke up a little bleary eyed from lack of sleep as I had made plans to go surfing and sandboarding with a really hilarious and fun Dutch girl who is also here for an internship, and luckily also has a car. It had rained that morning so we couldn’t sandboard and I guess I will have to do that next time. The weather was great for surfing though so we got to spend the whole day doing that in Muizenberg beach instead. Having only done it twice before in Japan in not so great conditions I finally got to see what it feels like for real! I stood up pretty quickly and had some great runs. It was a bit cold though, even with a wetsuit, so it got pretty tiring. We ended up having to take a break for some quick shots of sherry at the beach bar in order to warm up and keep going. There were lots of people in the water even though the black flag was flying – meaning that visibility was poor and the shark spotters wouldn’t not be able to see anything. The danger is all part of the fun! Overall it was a great day and we were totally exhausted by the end. On the way back we found the cutest little restaurant bar called “Cape to Cuba”. If you’re ever down here I highly recommend it! Its fusion African and Cuban cuisine in the coolest, artsy, antiquey setting. They have great Mojitos as well. That night I only had enough energy to crash out on the couch and watch TV in the hostel common room. What a weekend!

I really am serious about wanting to stay here. If I have to leave, which is likely, I will work on paying off my loan as soon as possible so that I can come back here and start my own business. I think the surf beach bar plan is going to turn into a backpackers hostel, with a NGO and surf bar on the side. Plans within glorious plans! Now to just find some more partners in crime…..
And now, as promised, a little about the work that I swear I am actually doing!

MICROFINANCE: The internship so far

For my first two days of work I got to go to a workshop on social entrepreneurship (SE) hosted by The Business Place in the township of Phillipi, Cape Town. In total there were about 25 individuals present, including members of local NGOs (mostly business development related), government workers, a representative from the UN’s ILO, and an international consultant. It seemed that many local attendees were not familiar with SE nor impact measures, although there are many agencies that provide small business consulting services as well as microfinancing, thus suggesting that there is a lot of potential to stimulate SE in the South African context.

The bulk of the workshop was run by a consultant from the Netherlands who focused discussion on what SE is and how is differs from regular entrepreneurship and/or NGOs and how it differs from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). As this is something that is highly debated at the moment, it was no surprise to find a diversity of opinion on the subject. While some individuals feel that SE should include any and all business that has a social impact others think that this needs to be better proven and guidelines established. Otherwise it becomes difficult to know where to draw the line between that and just CSR; making it difficult to separate who should get grants or social start up funding for example. The key thing agreed on was that SE should have a social impact (and that the organization should strive to demonstrate this impact) and that it should be self-sustaining in the long-term.

The workshop also covered how to make a social business plan in the framework of the Theory of Change (which I have worked in a lot the past year and was excited to see used in a different context). The participants then practiced making social business plans and elements that were considered included the ability of the enterprise to generate money, the relevance of the social intervention for that particular community (i.e. how important/needed was that good or service in the context in question), whether the objectives stated were SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely), and so forth. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were also covered in the context of selecting the right KPIs for the desired impact and making sure that the relevant data can in fact be collected. Finally we went over social budgeting where KPIs were added to normal budgets and social benefits were quantified and things like volunteer time monetized.

For the final part of the workshop the ILO representative went over the ILO’s plans to host a local SE competition in the Cape Town area. The idea would be to have the local NGOs and the government workers use the knowledge obtained in the workshop in order to help individuals put together good social business plans that they can then submit into the competition. The prizes could include things like start up capital for the social enterprise; access to preferred loans; access to business consultants; office space; etc. The overall goal of the competition is to stimulate SE in the local townships as well as improve local infrastructure in order to promote the success of SE. The ILO representative went over all the ideas with the local representatives in order to make sure that there would be local buy in, and that the prizes, categories and so forth would all be relevant. I was really impressed by the participatory nature of the entire workshop. It looks like the UN and other NGOs are finally understanding the need for not only consulting but fully involving the communities with whom they work in the process of project development. That gives me a lot of hope, along with the focus on cross over fields such as SE in which I so strongly believe, especially since microfinance is one of the best examples of an SE.

After the workshop I finally got down to the real work. My first few days at the office I was presented with all the accounts and files of the small MFI that I will be helping and had to try to sort it all out. It is a lot of information to process but I have already learned a lot. I had to quickly try to make some basic spreadsheets as well as checklists in order to diagnose all their problems effectively. Their biggest problem seems to be a lack of adhering to procedures and lack of a proper entry and accounting system. Their numbers are in disarray. My first task when I get there will be to get their debtors book in order and to shadow their Loan Officers (LOs) and attend all the center meetings to see what is happening in the field. I have until end of August to get them on the right track or they might shut down. If I can get them going in a good direction then I will spend another month or so trying to formalize their systems and help them streamline. If all goes well I might get to go to another MFI as well which is also having trouble. The great thing about that would be that I would get to go to the Eastern Cape as well, meaning I would have seen a lot of South Africa at the end as well as been able to see 3 MFIs at work.

I have to admit it is a challenge and I was a bit overwhelmed at first, but I am also very dedicated and determined. Microfinance is very challenging in SA in particular. People tend to associate it with payroll lending which has done a lot of harm. The government also doesn’t have very good policies towards it and some government agencies do it so badly they ruin it for everyone else. There is a lot of potential though, and what is truly needed is an excellent PR campaign to get the government in line and make people more aware. It is something that I hope I can find some way of being involved with. I have never felt that I was on a more right career path.

Well that’s it for now! I had to force myself to finally sit down alone and write all this as I have been so busy. Only a week left in Cape Town though, and then off to Groblersdal to start the real work!