The Last Post

Went on Thursday to Fish Hoek, about an hour from Cape Town to see Gift and Sethu, two children sponsored by the school I teach in, in memory of a wondeerful colleague, now sadly deceased, who came from SA. These are township children, who would normally be taught, by rote learning, in a class of 40 to 45 children, with minimal resources, through the medium of Afrikaans. Life chances, minimal. Because of the sponsorship, they are now being taught in a semi private situation. That is, the sponsorship pays for their uniforms, taxi fares ( a mini bus shared taxi at 50p each way) to school and school fees that usually parents pay as a top up. This top up allows class sizes of 30 maximum, a library, computer room, after school clubs, swimming lessons, a choir and so on. There are children of all races, and English is the medium of education which gives these children maximum chances of employment after leaving. Employment, in its turn, means they can support themselves and their families and avoid the pretty horrendous alternatives. Pleased to report that both are wonderful children and the girl, Sethu, is doing particularly well.

Then along to visit Lieze, another ex colleague and her two children where they live on a private estate near Cape Town. Two security guards made my taxi driver fill in a form and phoned Lieze to check we were bona fide visitors before admitting us. Talk about how the other half live....had a lovely afternoon there and was taken to the local wine estate. This was like something out of Gone With the Wind, except vines, not cotton. Really beautiful white pillared house, with pond in front, acres of perfectly straight vines ( though no grapes yet, obviously) and several black workers planting out bedding plants along the drive way in readiness for summer visitors. All this, and pretty good wine too!

I was planning on spending the weekend there and Lieze had arranged a wonderful itinerary, but unfortunately, that evening, had to return to UK as husband unwell. As I type this we are awaiting various test results but whatever they are, I will not be going back this summer. Flight back went like clockwork, tube to King's Cross fast, connection to Peterborough perfect...then local cross country chugga train cancelled. Typical. Wished had taken photo of spotless, modern station at Cape Town with departure/ arrivals board showing nothing but"On Time" to wave under nose of Network Rail staff!

But I am going back one day. There is still so much to see and do. And I will see it and do it.

Health and safety

English Rules
1. Mind the gap between the platform and the train please.
2. This coffee is hot( I should jolly well hope so)
3. Please take care when using the stairs.
4. For your safety and protection this conversation is monitored/ CCTV cameras are in operation.
5. No going up step ladders with more than two steps without a colleague to hold same.( Schools would fall apart if we paid attention to this one).

South African Hand S
1. A six foot wooden plank with nails sticking out is a wonderful form of free amusement in orphanage play area.
2. If ball goes over fence, suggest to child they balance on wheelie bin and stick head through barbed wire loop to see where exactly ball gone.( Honest)
3. When volunteer asks where is long handled spoon to mix sugar into fruit salad, smile politely and suggest uses hands. No gloves provided.
4. Is waste of time putting disinfectant/ bleach away between cleaning stints in shared bathrooms. Leave out for ease of access.

And do you know, I know of no accident or illness in the orphanage.
Makes you wonder.

Typical teachers

Teachers striking today. Wanted 8% pay rise, offered seven % so no children! Seven percent....Hmmmmm Must have quiet word with own Union on return to UK.
Bank holiday over, so sun out again! Yesterday went to Kirstenbosch, the National Botanic Garden. I don't know what Kew charges now, but this was three pounds fifty. Could have stayed all day. I know nothing about plants, apart from they grow and die, some you eat and some you don't and they're usually green, but this was amazing. Bird of paradise flowers, currant trees and all sorts of aloe. Did you know that the fynbos( native mountain plants) of SA have three times the numbers of species per 10,000km that the Amazonian Rainforest has. I didn't. The setting was incredible. In the shadow of Table Mountain, with paths leading to such wonderful sounding places as Skeleton Gorge. Didn't do though cos it was getting late and they warn you about doing paths with fewer than four people in case of muggings. There were butterfly gardens, scented gardens, bird gardens and healing gardens( not yoga and wind chime therapy type healing, but plants grown for healing)
No gin plant though so shall stick to therapy I know best!

Further updates appear here

Well, have had a happy few days in CT, although am sad to report that even the southern hemisphere recognises Bank Holiday weekends. Has not stopped raining! The wind is pretty strong too. Here they call it the Cape Doctor because blows all pollution away, so air quality is great. It also makes ones nose run, but that might just be me and is probably TMI anyway!

Before I came away, I read and was verbally warned about crime here. Well, I have to say...grabbing wood...that the place feels incredibly safe. This is probably due to the vast number of police and security guards on patrol, the police kiosks at regular intervals around town and the feeling that if they suspected nefarious purposes, they'd shoot first and ask questions later. Yesterday at the Bus Station I counted five police( perhaps they are designed, like the buses, to all come at once), 3 security guys busy moving people on( all they were doing was sitting quietly around a statue) and a Town Inspector. These are people paid for by businesses/ community to improve the town generally. Not just security, but litter, graffitit etc. And it works.
Everyone is incredibly polite and helpful...when I wasn't sure which bus to get back to base, the Bus Inspector got on just before departure to check I was OK and tell the driver where to let me off, the people in shops ask you how you are and genuinely seem interested in the answer and not one child or adult misses a please or thank you when speaking to a shop assistant or bus driver. Still can't get used to being called ma'am though!

Have tried twice to get to Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisioned, but weather has put paid to that. So spent a happy couple of days wandering the Vand A Waterfront(Victoria and Alfred!) This is an amazing development of shops, cinema, restaurants, open air amphitheatre and craft centres built around the docks. Sort of Docklands with class and no Gherkin on the horizon...just mountains. I had a happy hour perusing the jewellers( De Beers rather pretty) and designer shops including Gucci, Mont Blanc and Louis Vuitton. Ten miles down the road people are living in shacks of cardboard, corrugated metal and wood. I suppose that may be the same in many places, but here it seems so much more visible than anything I've ever encountered. I refused the offer to have my future told(Crystal ball, not chicken entrails) on the basis that the fortune teller was not open to bargaining and I would have got it no cheaper at 48 than 22, the age of my companion yesterday!

Also went to the Slave Museum which was pretty harrowing but helped explain all the different ethnic aspects of the area. Finally to the Aquarium whicjh I imagine is like aquariums everywhere except this one had a love affair with sharks. Tried to convince customers that the Great White was a poor misunderstood sharky warky. Yeah, right. Two people in area recently eaten by same. Was not convinced. However, they did make their point quite well. Showed extracts from " Jaws" with people running screaming from the sea, only to reveal toasters, chairs and kites. Apparently last year over 700 people were killed by toasters and over 300 each by kites and chairs( don't ask), but only 9 worldwide by sharks. Will still refuse any offers to swim here though.

Well, that's all for now. Still raining so probably to Botanical Gardens where is nice big conservatory.

Well........

Have been here for a week now and all is well. The mornings are spent in one of two schools, doing a literacy programme, designed to help those who a struggling catch up. This is vital because English is the medium of education and once they get to 9, teaching reading stops...so if they can't read fluently, it is a lost cause. There are 40 to 45 children in a class and one teacher( all seriously scary ladies). I did some reading tests last week and in a class of 8 and 9 year olds, reading ages varied from 6.5 to 12.5 years...so pretty hard work!
After lunch to the Orphanage, where there are currently 35 children, aged 4 to 18. ASome pretty horrific stories, but we aren't told which story applies to which child. Work here varies from making salad for supper( in a huge laundry basket) to folding laundry( am pleased to report that South African tumble driers eat odd socks too). We also help with homework and play outside with the children. Since they have two footballs, one rugby ball and a climbing frame between them I have discovered English circle games a great way for preventing bloodshed. Or at least minimsing it. Last week was the Hokey Cokey( minor bloodshed when we all hurtled into the middle), farmers in his den( we all beat the bone to a pulp) and Oranges and lemons. The best part is seeing the great big 16 and 17 year old boys joining in and loving it....kids that you'd probably cross the street to avoid in certain situations back home.

Yesterday to Table Mountain. This was truly amazing, standing above the clouds, looking down on the city below, the soccer Stadium appearing through the mist like an alien saucer and all around the beginnings of the spring wild flowers. We even saw a daissie( think this is right spelling). A Daissie is like a cute giant guinea pig but they only like to come out when the weather is right, so felt very privelidged.
In the evening to Mama Africas. This a restaurant/ bar/ music venue which serves springbok, crocodile and warthog. Luckily also does a good line in vegetable curry...how can anyone eat things they loved watching in "The Lion King"? The music was unbelievable; drums that went right into your stomach( or that may have been the curry) and kept on in your head long after the taxi came to take us home. And man, can those guys dance!

Came back to the Volunteer Hostel where am staying for the weekend, to discover am sharing room tonight with Spanish new arrival. Is man. Mind you, is something of a sweetie, so they clearly feel he's safer with me than the other females, all of whom are currently offering to make him breakfast/ show him round and so on.........

Photos hopefully to follow next weekend when am able to do uploady stuff.

Bed alone, woke with 3 men..........!

Well, am here! The flight was brilliant, although I discovered that if you remove the trendy red South African Airways eye mask whilst hugging the equally trendy red blanket provided, you create little blue electricity sparks. Fun at zero feet, potentially worrying at 33, 000! And they advise you to do all these funny exercises jerking your knees around and rotating ankles. This is fun, but could appear peculiar if done under trendy red blanket!
Anyway, Cape Town...amazing. People really stop at Zebras, everyone is smily with excellent manners and they have McDonalds. So like home really!
Booked into a hostel for the first few nights The other two girls, from Sweden,(they are 21 so allowed to be girls) got a room together. I get a six bedded dorm. Just me. Joy. Snuggled under bedclothes. Slept. Awoke two hours later as a body clambered into bunk above. Bunk flimsy, so feared for safety below. Shortly afterwards, woke again aware of someone stripping off by next bed. But too tired to greet said body. Finally, a third person, about 1.30 am Oh boy, she could snore. And snore.
Next morning awoke to find had been spending night with three men, a Zambian Phd student from Cape Town University, a local barman and the unidentified snorer. He was too embarrased to stay and share his life story. Apologies all round from Hostel owners...but hey, can't let the teens have all the fun. Was promptly moved to single room. No snoring but no fun either.....

Today to a township. Just like you see on TV, but nothing can prepare for the reality of seeing people live in tin sheds. But a great sense of community, with everyone else looking out for each others children and so on. We helped to feed about 23 of them...veg soup, bread and a satsuma. For some, the only meal they'll get, their parents being too busy or out drinking to care for them. In return they demonstrated some amazing African dancing which we had to try and follow. Less said the better.
We had the chance to try our hand at grinding maize in a traditional giant stone pestle and to roll maize to make flour with a huge stone roller. Others very good at it. I nearly crushed my fingers by treating the roller like a rolling pin and imagining pastry. Was told would not make good African wife( thinks...do I even make a good English one?)

Then to visit a genuine sangoma, or witchdoctor. This conjures up pictures of dried skulls and feathered headdresses but this sangoma had a very little English and didn't have skulls. There was the chance to see her remedies, mostly herbal based and often now used in conjunction with medication from standard doctors. I think we'd understand this as complementary medicine and the idea of treating the whole person seems logical. Intrigued by fact various medicines were all stored in old Smirnoff bottles.

Also today yoga. Not a success for me. Find my brain doesn't think of nothing when instructed. It thinks" oops did I unlug the phone charger? " and "Wonder if it's rained at home yet?" And chanting ommmmmmmmmmm and laaaaaaa laaaaaaa simply made me feel slightly new aged hippy and as if needed loo urgently.

Tomorrow to meet host family. watch this space.......

Polonius wouldn't have used Post It notes

Well, a few hours to off and the house is scattered with Post It notes "Just remember, sometimes, to wash the dish cloths". "The Fiat takes DIESEL, fool, not petrol" and so on. One above daughter's bed reads"A good idea to launder bed linen sometimes" and one on the fridge"Green and furry is NOT GOOD" Six weeks worth of birthday cards are written, stamped and addressed with little green Post it notes for date of posting and the cleaners money is in little dated envelopes. But will they remember to change loo rolls (Am convinced that all my family think there is a Loo Roll Fairy who does this.) And despite huge post it note with reinforcing sellotape, will anyone actually record "Sherlock" next Sunday.......
And all Polonius could manage was "Neither a borrower nor a lender be"
He wasn't even trying........