(The low veld and scattered townships)I have learned many things on my adventure thus far but perhaps the most prevalent lesson is to go with the flow. Nothing in South Africa seems to happen on time or as planned. However, I am convinced this is why South Africans are seemingly so happy. They live a life based on the famous saying from The Lion King, "hakuna matata" (no worries).
I arrived in Joburg yesterday afternoon with no place to stay. Ever the philanthropist and caring soul, David Harrison, the CEO of loveLife, offered for me to stay with him and his family for the evening. Little did I know that this would entail discussions of Harry Potter, homework, and naming the little girls' guinea pigs' babies. It was a wonderful reprieve to be in a home and around a family for the night.
The next morning, the loveTrain was scheduled to leave Joburg around 10 am. However, to my surprise, the train left early and was already in Piet Retief. Remembering hakuna matata, I relaxed and went with the flow. I ended up joining two outreach coordinators and the three of us drove to Piet Retief that afternoon.
Our drive began through the heart of Joburg (the loveLife office is in Sandton which is an extremely wealthy suburb of Joburg and it is where all the financial companies are moving to). The center of Joburg was what I had pictured most African cities to look like - dilapidated high rises, people wandering in the streets, and closed store fronts. Bus loads of Zimbabweans were unloading to purchase everyday essentials their country will not provide.
Leaving the city, we drove through the Mpumalanga province which is considered the low veld. The land seemed barren with the exception of a few smatterings of trees here and there. Every few kilometers, a township would appear and the bright blues, greens, and purples of the huts offered a break from the golds, oranges, and browns of the veld.
As we drove further away from Joburg and closer to Piet Retief, we entered the coal mining towns. It was around 4:30 pm and the sun was setting over the mountains. Buses jammed with men in blue jumpsuits were piling out of the trucks, exhausted and covered in dirt and coal from the mines. It reminded me of scenes in the movies but then I realized this was real life - their real lives. Women walked along the roadside carrying bags of groceries and tubs of water. Some women were even carrying babies tied to their backs as they lugged home food for supper.
We arrived at the loveTrain a few minutes before 7 pm only to find the entire town of Piet Retief closed. Although hungry, we realized we were going to have to wait until the morning to get food. Instead, we huddled around the little tv in the kitchen trying to make out the faces of characters in the static.
I arrived in Joburg yesterday afternoon with no place to stay. Ever the philanthropist and caring soul, David Harrison, the CEO of loveLife, offered for me to stay with him and his family for the evening. Little did I know that this would entail discussions of Harry Potter, homework, and naming the little girls' guinea pigs' babies. It was a wonderful reprieve to be in a home and around a family for the night.
The next morning, the loveTrain was scheduled to leave Joburg around 10 am. However, to my surprise, the train left early and was already in Piet Retief. Remembering hakuna matata, I relaxed and went with the flow. I ended up joining two outreach coordinators and the three of us drove to Piet Retief that afternoon.
Our drive began through the heart of Joburg (the loveLife office is in Sandton which is an extremely wealthy suburb of Joburg and it is where all the financial companies are moving to). The center of Joburg was what I had pictured most African cities to look like - dilapidated high rises, people wandering in the streets, and closed store fronts. Bus loads of Zimbabweans were unloading to purchase everyday essentials their country will not provide.
Leaving the city, we drove through the Mpumalanga province which is considered the low veld. The land seemed barren with the exception of a few smatterings of trees here and there. Every few kilometers, a township would appear and the bright blues, greens, and purples of the huts offered a break from the golds, oranges, and browns of the veld.
As we drove further away from Joburg and closer to Piet Retief, we entered the coal mining towns. It was around 4:30 pm and the sun was setting over the mountains. Buses jammed with men in blue jumpsuits were piling out of the trucks, exhausted and covered in dirt and coal from the mines. It reminded me of scenes in the movies but then I realized this was real life - their real lives. Women walked along the roadside carrying bags of groceries and tubs of water. Some women were even carrying babies tied to their backs as they lugged home food for supper.
We arrived at the loveTrain a few minutes before 7 pm only to find the entire town of Piet Retief closed. Although hungry, we realized we were going to have to wait until the morning to get food. Instead, we huddled around the little tv in the kitchen trying to make out the faces of characters in the static.
(The loveTrain crew huddled around our tv in the kitchen)
There are five people on the loveTrain, including me. Unfortunately, I am the only one who speaks English, the other four speaking Zulu and Xhosa. Although difficult at times, I think the next few days will be good for me to be quiet for a change!
I must sign off now as our generator is about out for the night!
(Goodnight from Piet Retief! This is essentially my entire bunk quarters)
1 comment:
I so enjoy reading your blog!! :)
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