tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16714020736195786252024-02-18T20:15:58.769-08:00Losing my edgeNot to suggest that I ever had an "edge", but a Blog's got to have a title:
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"But I'm losing my edge to better looking people with better ideas and more talent.
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And they're actually really, really nice."
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--LCD Soundsystem
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It is also description of what I'm doing: Blunting a career by living in Cape Town; selected for it's beauty, weather, culture, and 30 hours of plane rides from the United States. If that interests you read on...jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-35730711433371224262011-08-20T12:20:00.000-07:002011-08-20T12:27:47.800-07:00Home<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sweettater.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/interstate-food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://sweettater.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/interstate-food.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cruel mockery of interstate signage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This is my second day sitting in the office. We came home through Chicago, to Wisconsin (Julie's family), and then to South Dakota (my family). This amounted to a 26 hour adventure on America's interstate highway system. Eating was not easy, or pleasant.<br />
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In the office, there are lots of people coming in to welcome me back. 52 voice mails to listen to and 40 cm of mail. But it's nearly done now, I'm starting to work on things again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/2008/02/16-22/rachel-hunter-big-lots.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/famecrawler/2008/02/16-22/rachel-hunter-big-lots.jpg" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know you'll need it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And then, America. Fiddlesticks. I'm just trying to avoid becoming too fat to walk. It's a sorry state of affairs over here. I'm not one to pull a band aid off slowly, or venture into a cold swimming pool one toe at a time. Same goes for 'easing' into a culture. None of that for me. I went directly to Costco to observe America in action. I grabbed a foot long hot dog and 20 oz of Coca Cola (imperial units seem crude unless you're stuffing yourself with factory food, then they are completely logical) and walked around inspecting the contents of shopping carts, conducting my personal inquiry into over-consumption. Highlights, as I recall, were along the lines of: "Wow, that's really a lot of toilet paper! You'll be set for months. Such advanced planning in this country!"<br />
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It's all got me a little blue. To combat culture shock, I think I'll go buy a giant box of bad California wine and drown my sorrows with it and an entire season of 'True Blood', or some other American TV show. Apparently skin and violence go a long ways towards curing whatever ails you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy9oGw473x_Y_92W1m91JHggkeEVpaV5I2PRfuDu-2YofAm_bePUYfgr2KkwEVsKA21YDDVOuzH-fcA-X-TzTA7ek_b_-x-jL07ykgMV5Ok6XS_HjQ1nz-RuVgeJDwMv1THlS2dHs_gi7/s400/True_Blood_211_0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy9oGw473x_Y_92W1m91JHggkeEVpaV5I2PRfuDu-2YofAm_bePUYfgr2KkwEVsKA21YDDVOuzH-fcA-X-TzTA7ek_b_-x-jL07ykgMV5Ok6XS_HjQ1nz-RuVgeJDwMv1THlS2dHs_gi7/s320/True_Blood_211_0006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking in some of the culture helps</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In any case, I think I've adjusted to the culture. I'm even participating; buying all sorts of things I don't need. For instance, I got a smart phone. My smart phone is so smart, it's writing this blog. Moreover, we've got a lot of stuff to buy in America. And, it's pretty cheap. Participating is hard to avoid after a year of austerity, I can see my elbow through the taters of my long sleeve shirts. Still, I can't help feel a little exploited every time I swipe that piece of plastic. I bought a little piece of joy in South Africa, and I haven't found that on the shelves anywhere in America.<br />
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Consumerism aside, it's nice here in Montana; cool in the mornings, and warm in the afternoons. People are friendly, and it's quiet. I've continued jogging a little, and feel like a real activist riding my bike to commute and get groceries. Our kids wander off to who knows where, and I don't worry. There are plenty of clever, well traveled, well read, moderate, and healthy people.The stereotypical fat, ill informed, and angry America isn't so hard to avoid. It's funny, but when everyone overseas asks you about the ugly American, you begin to expect it yourself. As long as I don't study the newspapers too closely, or modulate the amplitude of radio waves, I don't know it exists at all. Our home is comfortable, and we were missed by our neighbors and co-workers. I'm always delighted to encounter something that I'd forgotten that I like, and occasionally shocked to encounter something I'd forgotten that I don't like. As a rule, these 'somethings' are people and not things. On the balance, its a pretty good place to come back to. I'm happy to be here.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-52494273260250865842011-08-12T10:50:00.000-07:002011-08-12T17:34:40.439-07:00Civillization<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUw0bCAfahAJxXI4T7dF2SJbaMTSr1QlBz5XvHexdX68jblfX_2drTj6oma1cm15knsWkLbQGfSz4sFAytLYt5gEQg9ki9XDUlBX4IMbnAOc7YaDv-PgAlMEIabFo9MKE6AP21q9lWZeOP/s1600/P7227889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUw0bCAfahAJxXI4T7dF2SJbaMTSr1QlBz5XvHexdX68jblfX_2drTj6oma1cm15knsWkLbQGfSz4sFAytLYt5gEQg9ki9XDUlBX4IMbnAOc7YaDv-PgAlMEIabFo9MKE6AP21q9lWZeOP/s320/P7227889.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of Hadrian, conqueror of the Brits.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I thought I'd begin this blog with the idea that we've just left one of the youngest civilizations, sub-Saharan Africa, and traveled to the world's oldest, Turkey. Before getting too far, I thought I'd better check something; civilization has the following definition (Oxford English Dictionary):<br />
<blockquote><i>the stage of human social development and organization that is considered most advanced.</i></blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MnlXKlTAOsfPkGgqzJ96SI30to_lVJX4Zegd5i1tZZBDcy-B-a6JqYrZuNWgdFPbj29R3obg6Ci7V369gLJ6oFzIWJ2HISl_MXIdD9shV-JgogpgEZtih_MD2xhH1RqLa9_AX0Dh5CBl/s1600/P7197545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_MnlXKlTAOsfPkGgqzJ96SI30to_lVJX4Zegd5i1tZZBDcy-B-a6JqYrZuNWgdFPbj29R3obg6Ci7V369gLJ6oFzIWJ2HISl_MXIdD9shV-JgogpgEZtih_MD2xhH1RqLa9_AX0Dh5CBl/s320/P7197545.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the Blue Mosque.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Wow, I suppose this post is in trouble already, especially if I have to tackle 'considered most advanced'. Considered by whom? I think Montana may have just lost its status as civilization. In any case, I'm going to use it as a starting point; this big transition, from Africa to Turkey. I'm saying it is big because in one case history is solid, hewn from marble. In the other history is ephemeral, and has been lost to the environment. I think that's fair to say.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedG-cvl-O9pbnzj1_oyvL5j6sbV4XcIEuuXjorbdRJQrf8POLHcPSSyH9ok4j6JYoo_c7Vsf8gCk4NVxV9R29b3IFSCgOysPA-RLn3JiUn4wOtF820jBFlMEB-76sEBk9oc-vOrnIUdIW/s1600/P7197494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiedG-cvl-O9pbnzj1_oyvL5j6sbV4XcIEuuXjorbdRJQrf8POLHcPSSyH9ok4j6JYoo_c7Vsf8gCk4NVxV9R29b3IFSCgOysPA-RLn3JiUn4wOtF820jBFlMEB-76sEBk9oc-vOrnIUdIW/s320/P7197494.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hagia Sophia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Given the large transition, have I gained any special insights? Well, Turkey is fantastic. It boggles the mind that some of these marvels of engineering and architecture are more than 2000 years old. And they are everywhere, setting the stage for modern living. When I think about this in relation to Africa (or the US), I have to ask why it is that nothing significant in terms of civilization emerged there. I should be careful though. There is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zimbabwe">great Zimbabwe</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashante">Ashante</a> civilization has a long and complex history. Nevertheless, the general lack of documented civilization in Africa is probably worth considering as we try to understand our differences.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/media_stream/politicsweb/1/128630/images/Zuma_Showerhead_Original_zapiro_resize.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/media_stream/politicsweb/1/128630/images/Zuma_Showerhead_Original_zapiro_resize.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zapiro lampoons Zuma's AIDS prevention method; showering.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>I don't forget that people were living like animals in Northern Europe through most of the early Roman Empire. I suppose my ancestors would have been in their company; drinking from skulls, rubbing animal fat on their bodies, burning witches, whacking each other over the head...<br />
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So, who knows, maybe Zuma and company are building a new civilization in a circuitous way. These things don't happen overnight. Speaking of Zuma, I sure miss the news from South Africa. So much more entertaining that our loss of 'AAA credit rating'. Or the Iowa straw poll. Why can't we Americans have a president with a shower coming out of his head?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeiV02jJohBgnd3i2uKGAld4kyyj7Pec4cZ7ZZPgxsTlv8ElRnBj-jIt_2Yf39ooWOYPilof6L6mJdEXPj6YLqDEE_kH-S0Fwar3UbIMvLDza-9Euw2ZlJjjrOkY_Y9EdSnCbZsPerq0b/s1600/P7227898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeiV02jJohBgnd3i2uKGAld4kyyj7Pec4cZ7ZZPgxsTlv8ElRnBj-jIt_2Yf39ooWOYPilof6L6mJdEXPj6YLqDEE_kH-S0Fwar3UbIMvLDza-9Euw2ZlJjjrOkY_Y9EdSnCbZsPerq0b/s320/P7227898.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once the third largest library in the world.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I should comment on visiting a stable, secular, progressive, economically viable Islamic democracy. There aren't really any others like it, but there has been all sorts of change in the Islamic world this year. I suppose my hope is that Turkey can demonstrate the way forward in these parts of the world. But I'm pretty ignorant about these things. There must be a million reasons that a government like Turkey's would never work in say, Egypt. Tribes, money, resources, education, etc. etc. But too bad, Turkey really seems to work well. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYkYP7QmAUiRFNJVxOLfEQ6mtLVpV5O1cabszw_KANgAbe8MpsvSDxiRxVfIiyC5g4vgu7izuSp34wIctafE_wSFoSW0s6-L9UylAJCy-sd2xvemTkP3j-8qWBWJywDy3y5OTzLEFGvFJ/s1600/P7197595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYkYP7QmAUiRFNJVxOLfEQ6mtLVpV5O1cabszw_KANgAbe8MpsvSDxiRxVfIiyC5g4vgu7izuSp34wIctafE_wSFoSW0s6-L9UylAJCy-sd2xvemTkP3j-8qWBWJywDy3y5OTzLEFGvFJ/s320/P7197595.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurray for Turkey!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-34642022541817303442011-07-16T02:41:00.000-07:002011-07-16T09:08:42.236-07:00Namibia<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqrBGk9x2DlFLZyTQ2OP1qgKIe6hM4NwPXfwOgPWBU99devPbSd9PVxPnc2iY2N8-5E9GZga5m1oxJ9CYjmFwTKW1XXj7bOkAZAAy3jW-Qlz9Bl_o_0cn3CIfcO7ggla60MNQRPmXYUvp/s1600/P7057015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqrBGk9x2DlFLZyTQ2OP1qgKIe6hM4NwPXfwOgPWBU99devPbSd9PVxPnc2iY2N8-5E9GZga5m1oxJ9CYjmFwTKW1XXj7bOkAZAAy3jW-Qlz9Bl_o_0cn3CIfcO7ggla60MNQRPmXYUvp/s320/P7057015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The truck</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My wife Julie and I had something of an understanding before we came. Given that we would be living in a new place, without the support of friends and the distractions of our home, I'd spend time with the family during all the major school holidays. This has worked well. We've had some great times times together as a family, and managed to do so in some incredible places. It has been a little more vacation time than I'm accustomed to, and I could be found lugging around a laptop to several of these exotic locals. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjQxXFt01UXvDQANKi9s79D9TjaWg_HBggt-p6O9vZ7q-OkuFaex753zaV-kl47d21h6oiFrYzaxWcGPvIT_xrkHvO-Vm54zTyeD7PxyvQCcjNontfzjuyfDTEbMIZ_xfvGvsnRgIdmwY/s1600/P7077107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjQxXFt01UXvDQANKi9s79D9TjaWg_HBggt-p6O9vZ7q-OkuFaex753zaV-kl47d21h6oiFrYzaxWcGPvIT_xrkHvO-Vm54zTyeD7PxyvQCcjNontfzjuyfDTEbMIZ_xfvGvsnRgIdmwY/s320/P7077107.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Namibia landscape. There are Rhinos down there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The last of these vacations was in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namibia">Namibia</a>. During the 'scramble for Africa', when European powers divided up the continent for colonization, Germany was given a region then called South West Africa (as well as present day Tanzania). After the first world war, the Germans surrendered control of the holding to South Africa, which ran the place until independence in 1990. During the height of the apartheid regime, Namibia was a hub for South Africa to carry out various bush wars from. Many white South Africans were conscripted into military service and stationed in Namibia, venturing out to fight in Angola. These people are about my age now, and I've heard stories. I suspect it was awful, being shipped off to fight a bush war for nebulous reasons. Sort of a South African Vietnam.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVg-k9L6a7OfRE9PrAUD0ik6iTLDxwwgULR2j0yOlXEqt-sL3voF-th-KcXC-kHGUtNBOD7GIWGqjZjRvowiG_Gj97zCMl9CRyV5lsz3SYFZ-IkV6XLb58SNp4S6r0mLIlhhyphenhyphentvMmjUYp/s1600/P7087128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVg-k9L6a7OfRE9PrAUD0ik6iTLDxwwgULR2j0yOlXEqt-sL3voF-th-KcXC-kHGUtNBOD7GIWGqjZjRvowiG_Gj97zCMl9CRyV5lsz3SYFZ-IkV6XLb58SNp4S6r0mLIlhhyphenhyphentvMmjUYp/s320/P7087128.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local color. Those are grubs. Never tried them though.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Geographically, Namibia is dominated by the arid Namib desert. It's a large area, bigger than Texas, but has a population of only 2 million people. The long colonization period has left a good infrastructure, with excellent roads, reliable electricity and water, a stable currency linked to the rand, well provisioned shops, and comparatively little corruption. One goes there for isolation, quiet, sun, incredible landscapes, and wildlife viewing. We rented a big truck with tents on the roof and headed out without much planned.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzAo0tVdAxznUKfcWTEewPEq52iKCXpYnjpiEzcxBdpW-8fArVu0unSs8FqUAvwPdLk2DjuZrGtesxkiRjJEEywJf8Gt9MfviUT4UOdbuXzXxfCZwBVLWfZ1RwVfrsv6QREDTJbJVSlSV/s1600/P7077074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzAo0tVdAxznUKfcWTEewPEq52iKCXpYnjpiEzcxBdpW-8fArVu0unSs8FqUAvwPdLk2DjuZrGtesxkiRjJEEywJf8Gt9MfviUT4UOdbuXzXxfCZwBVLWfZ1RwVfrsv6QREDTJbJVSlSV/s320/P7077074.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African super store. You can get <i>anything</i> here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>While the days were warm and bright, the nights were cold, so we continued northward, toward the equator and lowlands. This promised warmer weather and something else. As one approaches the Angolan border and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caprivi_Strip">Caprivi</a> strip, there is more moisture, the climate changes, and the population density increases. This was exactly what I wanted. This was getting back to the Africa I love from my Peace Corps days in Malawi. Villages, traditional lifestyles, thick vegetation, and powerful rivers filled with hippos and crocodiles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBHXnCOaM38NdIAy7NdggmMjfvKmvqJhhQJSaeu73EPyLR_srUTfYzi_Z9j6JcVegg79b04hFKOR_nTDdGnfjI3F8dOr5SXySLrCxXBG4aA24N5yFZpZFViBOANS6ZhZx0VcHde1dG4C5/s1600/P7097182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWBHXnCOaM38NdIAy7NdggmMjfvKmvqJhhQJSaeu73EPyLR_srUTfYzi_Z9j6JcVegg79b04hFKOR_nTDdGnfjI3F8dOr5SXySLrCxXBG4aA24N5yFZpZFViBOANS6ZhZx0VcHde1dG4C5/s320/P7097182.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And craziness. For instance, one of my favorite experiences was stopping in front of a 'Road Closed' sign to ask around about how closed it really was. We were paying good money for a big ass truck after all. To inquire we went into a corner restaurant/bar/hotel/grocer kind of place that one finds in Africa. A small crowd had gathered around the truck while we drank Cokes and asked about road conditions. People indicated various places on their calves and knees to show how deep the water over the road was. I was able to piece together bits of the local language, it wasn't so different from what I'd learned in Malawi. Someone came over to let us know they were riding with us to the next town. Then another, and another. It just wasn't possible to take so many people, and I have no recollection of offering transport services. But then again, some of these folks were <i>way</i> too awesome to ignore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXauc4dPd3sr8yMs3HhkA5vUoC5FWJs18ljnGP1T-OhHb-yYhVO5kYJIW2pvgFJKnu6UYpzjCn5AJs0jclM0p_nSQ_QMOJUsa4drcN7zj-BmxIuklw7zSsnDAl2KPEwq5JLfqglyACnSqo/s1600/P7137439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXauc4dPd3sr8yMs3HhkA5vUoC5FWJs18ljnGP1T-OhHb-yYhVO5kYJIW2pvgFJKnu6UYpzjCn5AJs0jclM0p_nSQ_QMOJUsa4drcN7zj-BmxIuklw7zSsnDAl2KPEwq5JLfqglyACnSqo/s320/P7137439.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Etosha pan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My favorite was a 6 plus foot Macy Gray looking woman with crooked wig and purple sunglasses. There were two Angolan guys dressed in a pimp-ish manner trying to get me to take her in a Portuguese-English-Kavango patois. She had a bottle with a couple of very dirty liters of diesel to offer in exchange for a ride. She also had a jumbo sized 'Louis V.' bag for her junk. How could I refuse? She'd definitely keep the boys from arguing in the back seat. In the end, I was convinced to offer the seat to a woman that needed to go to the hospital. She was respectably dressed, and in spite of her medical condition, managed to knock several larger people aside to get into the back seat of the truck first. Winner. It all begs the question; in these rural villages, how many people are just sitting around, waiting to go somewhere else? 30-40%? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5ctaRy23-CFV8wrRejyMyWQIxei1i8nwnq5i0-YYIbwLvHGRPw81GOhOI2pElPiXPMJKXEwZlm6NplpFhGevTkihkFPcVYxkxIT4q8x-Geq-nJ1pL_v1vSTLeRXroouMYsy2W3gleKPr/s1600/P7137466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5ctaRy23-CFV8wrRejyMyWQIxei1i8nwnq5i0-YYIbwLvHGRPw81GOhOI2pElPiXPMJKXEwZlm6NplpFhGevTkihkFPcVYxkxIT4q8x-Geq-nJ1pL_v1vSTLeRXroouMYsy2W3gleKPr/s320/P7137466.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lilac breasted roller</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Even better than my giggles, I got to introduce my boys to this world, which is absent, or difficult to experience in South Africa. This was a pleasure: seeing them interact with villagers, make purchases of fried dough in the markets, ponder how life in the villages must be, and cruise along an ancient waterway, seeing people living as they have for countless years.<br />
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It was a good experience. The pictures probably tell the story better than the blog entry. Clicking the "Slideshow" link in the upper right will show you more.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com3Namibia-22.95764 18.490409999999997-28.961216500000003 11.593755999999997 -16.9540635 25.387063999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-52463358427429184742011-07-01T23:35:00.000-07:002011-07-01T23:35:14.756-07:00Teaching<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cen9bpw5L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51cen9bpw5L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finite elements text.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As part of the exchange I am on I taught for a semester. I like teaching, so this was something I looked forward to, although during my first semester here I appreciated time away from teaching. It's always fun to meet a new group of people, and good students force you to understand the material well. I also looked forward to meeting more Africans, as well as teaching some course material I had not taught before. I'll comment on the differences in the teaching format and students between University of Montana and University of Cape Town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51h0MKQFVHL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51h0MKQFVHL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C++ was taught from this text.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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First, at UCT it's not uncommon to have two instructors take responsibility for a single course. Each then gives half the lectures, and develops half the assignments and exams. I entered into a couple of these relationships, one for a course in C++, and another for a introductory level finite elements course. This was good and bad. Just when I felt like I was getting to know the class, I stopped teaching. In this way, I don't think the students ever really caught on to what a charlatan I am, which is good. Then again, I never got to know some of them very well, which was bad. I enjoyed working with another instructor, but it was occasionally awkward to be so mixed up in one another's teaching.<br />
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The system here favors a final examination amounting to some 60% of course points. The process is highly formal with external reviewers looking at the exam itself, making sure the test is fair, and that it is graded in a consistent manner. The exams are three hours long. All of this meant for a busy week, preparing exams in time to get them off for external review before the end of classes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oAv0H1RL57BgI1_9It7pJ8nGus-FVft7bRhKLVQM23tTsCIlKiyNBibyDIzcD8xpyGGcGpWnnka3NoiK_0yuYfgq-3K4B6G4gDVc0b8S93rLhc_haM-r9xIaygT8I1O08mWv-H729xd0/s1600/P5306520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0oAv0H1RL57BgI1_9It7pJ8nGus-FVft7bRhKLVQM23tTsCIlKiyNBibyDIzcD8xpyGGcGpWnnka3NoiK_0yuYfgq-3K4B6G4gDVc0b8S93rLhc_haM-r9xIaygT8I1O08mWv-H729xd0/s320/P5306520.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting for final exam in Finite Elements.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Students here were a delight. I enjoyed meeting people not just from South Africa, but from all over Africa. I had students from Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, Nigeria, Mauritius, Lesotho, as well as all over South Africa. I also had recent immigrants to South Africa from Italy, Bulgaria, and Bosnia. I truly love the diversity that I experience here. This institution draws the finest from all over Africa, and beyond, and it's a pleasure to try and instruct them.<br />
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Outside of the wonderful assortment of backgrounds my students came from, the other most striking difference was the standards that are applied. 50% is a pass, and at about 75% one can be awarded a distinction, but that's not a primary concern. Hence, when designing assignments and exams, you make them much tougher than I would in the US. The students are used to taking a beating. Exam questions I know I'd have been hassled about the 'fairness' of in the US were received without comment. In the end, I fear I may not have been such a hard teacher, the years of writing tests targeted at about a 70% average was a hard habit to break.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsGv-cZ6hCY8FQBQbIpgppjn9Hau6m4FLewzpOmie75J4Vz3dcaHK8ecjXvIdQjRVe8jApA7PmPYJtjctU6bX_x9DEnufcjqFbQ2iRo3IQJwdl-pjjW5K9844inEJ4vem1DhqGPYK3wYU/s1600/P5306519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXsGv-cZ6hCY8FQBQbIpgppjn9Hau6m4FLewzpOmie75J4Vz3dcaHK8ecjXvIdQjRVe8jApA7PmPYJtjctU6bX_x9DEnufcjqFbQ2iRo3IQJwdl-pjjW5K9844inEJ4vem1DhqGPYK3wYU/s320/P5306519.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A student's version (left) of my notes (right).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally, the system stresses hand writing at all stages. I know my boys were taken to task about this at primary school level. I thought it would be fun to show a picture of just how tidy some of the student's notes are.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-55137110360493265882011-05-22T01:39:00.000-07:002011-05-22T01:42:09.975-07:00Mom's visit<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyrOPrZimc17gtWzUkmjidGRTgE6izlDFws01Kh-dwOTUWEwu3fGDc235CpraGaT-vLLwPzMzWJp9NThs12JPKWC8j0_b9aTM15muuJ2l4ZxMUhZGoitk-j3TS_l7z0xe0gWCZTnZmMrD/s1600/P4246020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyrOPrZimc17gtWzUkmjidGRTgE6izlDFws01Kh-dwOTUWEwu3fGDc235CpraGaT-vLLwPzMzWJp9NThs12JPKWC8j0_b9aTM15muuJ2l4ZxMUhZGoitk-j3TS_l7z0xe0gWCZTnZmMrD/s320/P4246020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The deck of the house we rented.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My mother visited over the Easter Holiday. In terms of living abroad, one great pleasure is to host a visitor. You can show them a few of the places you've fallen in love with, and reconnect with what you really are in terms of family, nationality, and culture. I think we are getting better at enjoying ourselves here. Rather than set out on an ambitious agenda of site seeing, we picked a few nice things and settled in for a relaxing stay. I was also happy that mom got to have a look at the boy's school, and see how things work there a little bit. That's a huge part of this experience, and often overlooked when confronted with the vast assortment of tourist options.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEPu4l1INmw5tK1cY7BAHAxzAFzl8EYZU2XELntnPEZA-NxA3AtYFd0yHDfiHfL9rne4yD1VnJQc8pdVjOKSnVM_FNGUoZc0XbTr7yV6K-PRL4HKw06UnrjUJcGx3HSujjuGF3EnKYxuC/s1600/P4245997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEPu4l1INmw5tK1cY7BAHAxzAFzl8EYZU2XELntnPEZA-NxA3AtYFd0yHDfiHfL9rne4yD1VnJQc8pdVjOKSnVM_FNGUoZc0XbTr7yV6K-PRL4HKw06UnrjUJcGx3HSujjuGF3EnKYxuC/s320/P4245997.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brenton on the Sea beach, near our rental house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We stayed a few days in Cape Town; she saw the wineries at walked through the vineyards. We ate at some nice restaurants, and watched the boys play soccer. After that we headed for the Garden Route, a lush coastal area of South Africa, about 4 hours drive east, along the coast. We rented a nice house, and made modest little trips out in the day. Walking on the beach, visiting an elephant sanctuary, walking through the forest, and doing a zip line tour of the canopy. Perfectly unambitious for a 5 day stay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_fYNNy-0SFHAgFSETr_aqwl_-paMbdb7hCOYCfvSyQDU3rmgs7ODT_8aIs9m-4inIKn-TWc4aP_Mo3h04s8Y3jSpJpw4tVd2dyQmA0trcsOidnNbxnBw6M2PQL4j6KGYG8Gp11LDCFQ0/s1600/P4235948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4_fYNNy-0SFHAgFSETr_aqwl_-paMbdb7hCOYCfvSyQDU3rmgs7ODT_8aIs9m-4inIKn-TWc4aP_Mo3h04s8Y3jSpJpw4tVd2dyQmA0trcsOidnNbxnBw6M2PQL4j6KGYG8Gp11LDCFQ0/s320/P4235948.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The broken window.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_M5MZ-jMSMRlmLnKiBC1qvntkXS-LQFspd3jp3FEpmw5IZNFT1KDYuYPflghai8uDHCqFWnzAOhKb6rPb86nQextpz68699dqQXcT8AP4ulMeJiMajzCj4DXr0vkQIqPY5jwN7TBSs5x/s1600/P4235976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_M5MZ-jMSMRlmLnKiBC1qvntkXS-LQFspd3jp3FEpmw5IZNFT1KDYuYPflghai8uDHCqFWnzAOhKb6rPb86nQextpz68699dqQXcT8AP4ulMeJiMajzCj4DXr0vkQIqPY5jwN7TBSs5x/s320/P4235976.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canopy tour.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I should write about the crime that occurred; sadly, it is part of South Africa. As the photos show, we were in a very comfortable place. The house was in a wealthy area, and seemed isolated from the poverty that is so common here. I had been warned, and generally know better, but feeling comfortable, I tossed my wallet, sunglasses, and cell phone on a counter near a window before going to bed. Around 5:45 the next morning, while we laid in bed listening to the birds and the surf, we heard the window smash. I got up and started shouting, hoping to frighten off whomever might be in the house. There was glass everywhere, I was barefooted, pacing back and forth, trying to find some shoes to put on. It was a scary morning. Who ever broke in was a timid sort, and did run off after they had taken my things. I didn't even realize I had lost those things until later, when we prepared to leave for the day. We spent the morning on the phone, calling police, security, credit card companies, etc. etc.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfKf_KajK4Nr2q3VnGXjsmQtGW2UvObdWxXWojrIdqo6TOFX2oznzzAXWii-9L5oyyiZLnnwhd_d6AzEpOqDpKm-vTlMkFc19vr74aEfMmFZEmDhIH9vF1Z4De6NFp-iH-f9Iip42Rc6M/s1600/P4256068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfKf_KajK4Nr2q3VnGXjsmQtGW2UvObdWxXWojrIdqo6TOFX2oznzzAXWii-9L5oyyiZLnnwhd_d6AzEpOqDpKm-vTlMkFc19vr74aEfMmFZEmDhIH9vF1Z4De6NFp-iH-f9Iip42Rc6M/s320/P4256068.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant feeding.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Generally, the police and private security people were good. Competent individuals that see plenty of this sort of thing. The term for what we experienced is "smash and grab", and it happens in that area (according to the person that replaces windows) about 3-4 times a week! Perpetrators are non-violent, and sometimes items are recovered along the train tracks that run between the upscale housing and the townships. Something I'll never forget is the footprints around our bedroom windows. They'd looked into all the windows before committing the crime. They were bare footed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7gLIV0oy8mJylDMjnIPf-6aQHtKrpf3JMvm591IB6xXOnhXVJ_YGPLGq-4GEUyBu9BY2oIlJAF7W3TSGVDrWL-Txqku-BLCoXpS2bSGGFTNt_rCN3tcEEGIJdVMfgAS7Nq7sifXcFwUe/s1600/P4276264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7gLIV0oy8mJylDMjnIPf-6aQHtKrpf3JMvm591IB6xXOnhXVJ_YGPLGq-4GEUyBu9BY2oIlJAF7W3TSGVDrWL-Txqku-BLCoXpS2bSGGFTNt_rCN3tcEEGIJdVMfgAS7Nq7sifXcFwUe/s320/P4276264.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zach on a sunset cruise of the bay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anyway, the crime lowered our spirits for a day or two, and made us a little paranoid in our beautiful beach home. We made the best of it and had a lot of fun. Ours is a common story in South Africa, everyone here has a similar story, and many of them are worse. Sooner or later I'll have to tackle what I think the future might hold for this place, but today is not the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_xbKW05TymrCRYKSaf3QL8atWLKM4skR5Bg9wwTOiefG0jYLQdm7dPSsqOrcZteo7GRP7gd1mBO7-RpOl63kCr5hq61ox4lmIIEAiZ35Z1Z20LqT1CnWssmkoQ2Rf0YDJG564OaXQM76/s1600/P4256150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK_xbKW05TymrCRYKSaf3QL8atWLKM4skR5Bg9wwTOiefG0jYLQdm7dPSsqOrcZteo7GRP7gd1mBO7-RpOl63kCr5hq61ox4lmIIEAiZ35Z1Z20LqT1CnWssmkoQ2Rf0YDJG564OaXQM76/s320/P4256150.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and the boys.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-22373117981489869082011-05-21T12:02:00.000-07:002011-05-23T11:57:53.610-07:00Wild Animals<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51TteSORDTKXbLIMdJ6vKup3lNmp7BFQ_pRW8c4HI_kZnobrmP0_z3hH_ILTp-MCEDzr2Wm44OvGaYKj_wYbYo62G914mmHnIO-Hrgs2m0Tv73XQV_-g-AFEPFoYMm8URGvmK190XSulp/s1600/P3305402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51TteSORDTKXbLIMdJ6vKup3lNmp7BFQ_pRW8c4HI_kZnobrmP0_z3hH_ILTp-MCEDzr2Wm44OvGaYKj_wYbYo62G914mmHnIO-Hrgs2m0Tv73XQV_-g-AFEPFoYMm8URGvmK190XSulp/s320/P3305402.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Begin looking for game before sunrise.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As we prepared to leave for South Africa, the most frequently asked question was about seeing big game. I suppose its part of the romantic ideal of Africa; sleeping under a mosquito net in a candle lit thatch roofed hut, a purple sky out the window, silhouettes of giraffes near the watering hole... But how does it stand up, really? Cynics say that a game park is little better than a big zoo. Where there is wildlife, there are traffic jams, people lean out of over-sized 4x4s with jumbo camera lenses, trying to get that special shot of a lion. The climate is too hot, the air is too dusty, there are loads of nasty insects, you'll get malaria, the food is terrible and overpriced. And on it goes.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_U5IwI6HXEE47mKk6_poEoQHowRlW-L12szo2_ierwE0CK0D_2-yOc9-GB36JYD5FBNrhoGb_8o3RnFqU5_bbMSo4sJsV9P_FNJFD0vFlNbDveGGroAxfQVP6X52Muu0W94fcq1IqKNa/s1600/P3295201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_U5IwI6HXEE47mKk6_poEoQHowRlW-L12szo2_ierwE0CK0D_2-yOc9-GB36JYD5FBNrhoGb_8o3RnFqU5_bbMSo4sJsV9P_FNJFD0vFlNbDveGGroAxfQVP6X52Muu0W94fcq1IqKNa/s320/P3295201.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hyena in the morning mist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>None of these rumors deterred us from going, but we were psychologically prepared for a let down. We set decided on Kruger National Park, South Africa's largest. It's far to the north east of Cape Town, in a wetter, more tropical environment.<br />
<br />
So, how was it? There is nothing that can prepare you for the spectacle of the African bush. Life there is lived and lost on a scale that is unlike anything else. The juxtaposition of super-abundance and deadly competition generates and dizzying edifice to evolution that you can easily spend the rest of your life contemplating. Independent of seeing a single animal, the climate, the vegetation, and the landscapes make the African bush a worthwhile destination. And then the animals... they are terrific. Unless you've got an undersized soul to go along with your over-sized 4x4, you will enjoy being in a place like this.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy2r0ZsyQ5WSCuPSLCqMYZ-GQ0HKyd1yWsK18duzN0XZSwNAUH8fGn07BlrFSuK9zzY_kQYwYsyqif-63ap-l3l1upc9PmcxjVgIomq_iEr8xKA13smfoLqH9V-QpMuzbDp1dXzuFIVXU/s1600/P3315594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTy2r0ZsyQ5WSCuPSLCqMYZ-GQ0HKyd1yWsK18duzN0XZSwNAUH8fGn07BlrFSuK9zzY_kQYwYsyqif-63ap-l3l1upc9PmcxjVgIomq_iEr8xKA13smfoLqH9V-QpMuzbDp1dXzuFIVXU/s320/P3315594.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The buffalo have soulful eyes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0plqAbYg6dAy3o8JcnWhNWKe4W1XSnamEP3Uh-xWSauEQQvcl7ZvZWVgszipK3uH93d2M2cvEMXT-4zKXqiNzb_wFoyr0TihqJANHnawk7yzZswwy-J7X41ERHW8wTocW9Ws3xmNudfc/s1600/P3295207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0plqAbYg6dAy3o8JcnWhNWKe4W1XSnamEP3Uh-xWSauEQQvcl7ZvZWVgszipK3uH93d2M2cvEMXT-4zKXqiNzb_wFoyr0TihqJANHnawk7yzZswwy-J7X41ERHW8wTocW9Ws3xmNudfc/s320/P3295207.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetation excites the imagination. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Logistically, it's not hard. You fly to Johannesburg, and then travel about 5 hours by car. The roads are good, even in the park, and there is no real need for anything more than a economy car. That being said, it was nice to ride a little higher, to see more, so we rented a small SUV. The quality of accommodation was hard to guess in advance. There are a large number of private and semi-private concessions around the park, and South Africa National Parks accommodation inside. The question becomes; is it nicer to stay in the park, where accommodations might not be as nice (drab 'gubmint' housing), or stay outside where you're removed from the action, but in the lap of luxury? In our case, I think the answer was to stay in the park. The accommodations are not lavish, but completely adequate. Tidy little roundavles, with a shower, air conditioner, and two beds.<br />
<br />
Food was fine, and there were choices aplenty. There are effectively grocery stores in the park, and the premium for purchasing food in the park is minimal. The restaurants are fair, as are the prices. The sites are some of the more beautiful locales of the park; with commanding views, and real proximity to animals. For example; a hyena patrolled the fence outside of our roundavel in Satara, and Oliphants had one of the best views of a river basin I've ever experienced. As I write, I long to return, ache maybe a better word. So, unless you want to live out an expensive (but popular!) fantasy of being pampered on an African savanna, the SANP accommodation is the way to go.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRQ2qqMKzQECEjcmXGbvJFL5GurfkTSdZlellanEU9tvOlzMl9za9nweWqf9VYGHmJqzVqHAUhKovfpKxO7VwaTRRNEMaD7FLs_Z7pL3R0rRuXeZQLlLk6QEV6AXeO0UJbOCov5JKnS9b/s1600/P3295270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRQ2qqMKzQECEjcmXGbvJFL5GurfkTSdZlellanEU9tvOlzMl9za9nweWqf9VYGHmJqzVqHAUhKovfpKxO7VwaTRRNEMaD7FLs_Z7pL3R0rRuXeZQLlLk6QEV6AXeO0UJbOCov5JKnS9b/s320/P3295270.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The birds are fantastic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmFwghZ3FiXD4v-SqJnQyjj0T-eqRgYkF7h9BMLcjhYhvB2yhQ1og7AkWjhYWoR9cJ6s1pb81LZ2NXIgooR9AVkvfkBHPPJ5vteZKqn9EEN2IwEsPiHOTsy5g2UqrMVw5RIOrLFfj45xd/s1600/P4015673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCmFwghZ3FiXD4v-SqJnQyjj0T-eqRgYkF7h9BMLcjhYhvB2yhQ1og7AkWjhYWoR9cJ6s1pb81LZ2NXIgooR9AVkvfkBHPPJ5vteZKqn9EEN2IwEsPiHOTsy5g2UqrMVw5RIOrLFfj45xd/s320/P4015673.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voortrekker monument.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'll let the photographs tell the rest of the story.<br />
<br />
One final note, we returned to the airport by way of Pretoria, where we visited the Voortrekker memorial. This nation building myth, like those of most young nations, features courage and strength in the face of adversity. The Voortrekkers set out in about 1840, crossing the interior of Africa to escape British tyranny, and overcame African treachery to found a new nation. Their story is told in Italian frieze on the walls of the memorial, which was constructed from 1938-1949. This founders myth was a corner stone of of the apartheid regime. Architecturally, as you might guess from the dates, it is somewhere between Mormon and Nazi. I'd suppose I'd describe it as a church in need of worshipers. Better it stays that way. Well worth the trip, these relics of powerful ideology remind one of just how crazy people can get. Please never let me or my country become crazy.<br />
<br />
Concluding, it was a fantastic trip, I recommend something like it to everyone. We will return to the bush in July, when we go to Namibia. I hope it continues to thrill us, the way Kruger thrilled us.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-42660914832336687462011-04-17T12:51:00.000-07:002011-04-18T06:38:23.909-07:00What's happening?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnXw2DkMnVzg6F8bwIxm8NAhlox1Yp0r5gM6weiqRAbfnry7HKGxtiR36Vp5dqhnHCjzrb0sJNyeW66ebQ0CwDPiUPufgQ_9cN-J2YFOhvWO7tBKhlZpF7yFX4FoOmPFMK5b3hdv7X9da/s1600/P4175865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJnXw2DkMnVzg6F8bwIxm8NAhlox1Yp0r5gM6weiqRAbfnry7HKGxtiR36Vp5dqhnHCjzrb0sJNyeW66ebQ0CwDPiUPufgQ_9cN-J2YFOhvWO7tBKhlZpF7yFX4FoOmPFMK5b3hdv7X9da/s320/P4175865.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will this be the last gorgeous sunset? No, but its close. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm teaching now, and the boys are in school. The days are spinning by, and the blog is quiet. What a short time ago was a new adventure, has simply become our lives. We've moved to a new and more comfortable house. There seems an inexhaustible supply of social, cultural, and scenic events to attend. There's a growing sadness that our time here is coming to an end. And, we are busy; commuting, playing cricket, art clubs, chess tournaments, running... Against this background I prepare an entry that I've been planning for a while, but afraid of.<br />
<br />
As you can imagine, the legacy of apartheid is a significant part of modern South Africa. To read the papers here, is to step into deep water. You find a large cast of characters, moving across stage littered with historical artifacts. Dramatic tension is delivered by economically dominate ethnic minorities, living in a paradise stained with violent crime. Nearly all these stories are new to a typical American. Well, that South Africa is a country and not a continent is new to a typical American. Instead, say that one can consider themselves informed, and still find South African current affairs perplexing.<br />
<br />
Never-the-less, to ignore the happenings in this country is to eliminate one of the my major reasons for coming; <i>I'd like to know what's happening, post-apartheid</i>. With that in mind, I'm sitting down with a typical newspaper, although I confess that I've been waiting almost a month for a 'typical' paper. Too often the paper is consumed with something so hopelessly complicated, I dared not try and explain it. Or it's just about cricket, which I'm also at a loss to explain.<br />
<br />
I'll try to relate the contents of several articles in terms that a non-South African can understand. Apologies in advance to all the erudite South Africans who will scoff at my naive interpretations. I'm reading the weekend edition of the Argus. It seems to be a good seller, and is available everywhere.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA9TBJ_ZS-VX9btl1KHH4l1lkNWWqgMwklkWV8TmQOo2Zlk_JK5ftXBJUA8mLziQhvChxbkj9BMa1U6_Xwc2Gq1pH32ZtMtigTfkIqvoaZwYSE0IJ6hhCfr0KTbB8eQ4kIvCJIVGTx4o8/s1600/P4175860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA9TBJ_ZS-VX9btl1KHH4l1lkNWWqgMwklkWV8TmQOo2Zlk_JK5ftXBJUA8mLziQhvChxbkj9BMa1U6_Xwc2Gq1pH32ZtMtigTfkIqvoaZwYSE0IJ6hhCfr0KTbB8eQ4kIvCJIVGTx4o8/s320/P4175860.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front page news.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The lead story this weekend is <b>Protests hit Cape Flats</b>. The flats is a large area south east of Cape Town, designated during apartheid for non-white residents. It continues to be a home for the economically disadvantaged. In the flats and similarly impoverished areas of South Africa, a very hot issue is what is called <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Service_Delivery_Protests_%28South_Africa%29">delivery of services</a>.</i> This phrase is applied when discussing the quality of all forms of government service to communities, for example; electricity, water, sewer, trash collection, schools, roads, and policing. To understand the delivery of services, one has to go back to 1994, when there was genuine optimism about the changes that would come with a democratic society, and a more equitable distribution of government resources. My sense in that many believed that government would spend money improving the areas where they lived. This was seen as being an issue of fairness at the deepest level, South Africa had moved from being a nation that served the interest of 20% of the population, to one that served everyone's interests. <br />
<br />
Some 17 years have passed, and in that time there have been significant improvements in many of the communities that suffered from neglect under apartheid. New schools have been built, roads paved, electricity provided, teachers hired, police forces expanded, etc. A new problem has emerged from the new found freedom of movement within South Africa. Economic migrants of come to wealthier areas, such as Cape Town. Naturally, these migrants put a strain on the ability of government to provide services, as what are called <i>informal settlements</i> spring up across the unsettled areas of the Cape Flats. As time passes, residents of informal settlements demand services. Some informal settlement have existed for at least 15 years, and the protests have been gaining momentum for the last 6 years.<br />
<br />
In the nine months I've been here, front page news about delivery of service protests has been coming at a rate of about one every few weeks. The photos associated with these stories are often lurid and frightening, like the one posted here. Smaller incidents seem to occur almost daily, with a short note about someone injured in a protest buried deeper in the paper. <br />
<br />
Recently, probably due to the elections that are coming in about a month (May 18th), there have been more delivery of service protests. The protests have become more intense, with burning of tyres, looting, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyi-toyi">toyi toying</a>, blocking traffic, and violence. Key points in today's article are:<br />
<ul><li>Electricity has been turned off to residents of an informal settlement. </li>
<li>The electricity had been delivered via lines that were illegally strung from government built houses in a neighboring informal settlement.</li>
<li>The electric company claims that the power was turned off by the people living in the houses that the electricity was being stolen from. The protesters claim that the electric company turned off the power.</li>
<li>The electric company points out that such schemes involving the theft of electricity with adhoc networks are very dangerous, and illegal.</li>
<li>Protesters counter that burning kerosene to light derelict shacks in also dangerous.</li>
<li>Protesters also point out that they are unemployed, but operate small businesses, which require electricity and refrigeration. </li>
<li>This informal settlement has existed for 11 years. </li>
<li>Police responded forcefully, and calm was restored within 5 hours. </li>
</ul>All of this is closely tied to the lead stories on page two of the paper; <b>Police retain weapons</b>, and <b>Town's residents united in protest</b>, which are about the aftermath of a police crackdown on a delivery of service protest in Ficksburg (in the Free State) that lead to a protester being shot and killed by a police officer. The weapons retained are those of the officers suspected of shooting the man. The town's residents are united against police brutality. There is<a href="http://www.news24.com/Galleries/Video/Videos/South%20Africa/Man%20dies%20in%20Ficksburg%20protests/c6984530a6d8411096160755f04ba6ed/Man-dies-in-Ficksburg-protests"> amateur video</a> of the events leading to the shooting. This protest was about delivery of service, primarily water in this case. This is not a case where the settlement is informal, but a township outside of an existing community. The community appears affluent, with a terrific <a href="http://www.freestatetourism.org/about-the-free-state/thabo-mofutsanyana-ficksburg/index.html">web site</a> for tourists. This remains very common in South Africa, affluent communities with good delivery of service, and surrounding, historically non-white townships, where conditions are bad. I live in just such a place.<br />
<br />
Another thing might be involved that is worth relating. The African National Congress, the party most closely identified with the struggle against apartheid, the party of Nelson Mandela, and overwhelmingly the ruling party, selects elected representatives at national or regional conventions. Which is to say that you vote for the party and not the person. The party determines the person. Many communities dislike this intensely, but for lack of credible alternative continue to vote ANC. Indeed, ANC has a lock on power in this country unlike any majority government we've see in the United States. I reckon that people would like a representative that they know, rather than one that is appointed to them. Certainly this plays a part in the anger fueling the protests, if you watch the video, I believe that you see protest signs to that effect.<br />
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The second article, about the residents united in protest, goes on to reveal some of the forms that the protest is taking. A library was burned, municipal buildings sacked, and shops looted.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvhSxLTA4_FkjYv0t-zj2yi0YfXFTLcFSbpb1OeAeQQa7rjahNI11UskISbI8dlPd1kMmAZxFNB9YOIP2QNRIX2Z3iDdLPxpjfjHV2L0w7b3zsH7poUeOnjfnYa8XDV8zn2pZF4fe_5aB/s1600/P4175861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPvhSxLTA4_FkjYv0t-zj2yi0YfXFTLcFSbpb1OeAeQQa7rjahNI11UskISbI8dlPd1kMmAZxFNB9YOIP2QNRIX2Z3iDdLPxpjfjHV2L0w7b3zsH7poUeOnjfnYa8XDV8zn2pZF4fe_5aB/s320/P4175861.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weekend Argus: it's got <i>sizzle.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are other, less depressing things in the newspaper. For instance, on the eve of the elections, there are new political parties forming. One of the more entertaining has to be the '<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagga">Dagga</a> Party', who's members encourage the electorate to 'listen to the herb'. Another party, the <a href="http://www.capeparty.com/">Cape Party</a>, is seeking any and all constitutional means for the Western Province to secede from the republic of South Africa. That is a big deal. <br />
<br />
South Africa is about to have its first African Playmate in Playboy magazine. The Argus has more salacious content than the other papers, and manages to find a story like this every weekend. "Bootiful", I wonder if that's funnier to dagga party members? <br />
<br />
In this part of the world, the English Premier League football players are the sports stars. Just ask my kids. These guys are not only amazing athletes, they also seem to lead the sorts of lifestyles that only an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliot_Spitzer_prostitution_scandal">attorney general of New York</a> might aspire too.<br />
<br />
Cape Town is in the running to become one of the <a href="http://sevennaturalwonders.org/africa">7 natural wonders of the world</a>. This would bring a lot of tourism dollars. Is it more than just a marketing gimmick? Absolutely, this place <i>is</i> a natural wonder. Come if you can. Nine months in, and I still feel we haven't even scratched the surface of what is here. We discover new delights every weekend.<br />
<br />
And, finally, I'll conclude with the story of Shrien and Anni Dewani. They were honeymooning in South Africa in November 2010. The couple decided to investigate a highly recommended, and colorful eatery in the Cape Flats. At this point, facts become a matter of dispute. According to Shrien, the hired vehicle they were in was car-jacked. Shrien got out, and his bride was driven away and murdered.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3u8EguNULVsQMFLG-_ntUc9cy-ugyi3yO9NcEFetqG-O60jvrBSvHN8R5sGuyRVwrG5B_hcXYthoQVuybRtGoOaGTDj9N7_fnzBVw-0UER1jsvmFm1GoGEdIKfb08PCd1MmdQUXwJLxF/s1600/P4175862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn3u8EguNULVsQMFLG-_ntUc9cy-ugyi3yO9NcEFetqG-O60jvrBSvHN8R5sGuyRVwrG5B_hcXYthoQVuybRtGoOaGTDj9N7_fnzBVw-0UER1jsvmFm1GoGEdIKfb08PCd1MmdQUXwJLxF/s320/P4175862.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing like this crowd to bring on a giggle.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We were in South Africa when this happened, and the spirit of the country was really troubled. This was a beautiful couple and for her to have died so senselessly reflected poorly on the status of modern South Africa. However, police quickly found the murderers, and they claimed that Shrien had paid them to kill his wife. Police also traced cellular phones, and records of conversations and text messages between Shrien and the killers.<br />
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There are other twists in the story that don't have the same credibility as the facts above, but are interesting. Another unsolved murder took place involving an associate of Shrien's in South Africa. Shrien was known to have been in South Africa at the time. And, a U.K. based male escort known as 'The German Master', and having a fondness for leather apparel, has publicly revealed a relationship with Dewani.<br />
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<div style="text-align: right;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01184/dewani-main_1184717a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01184/dewani-main_1184717a.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Master. Screaming for vengeance?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Shrien has been in England, fighting extradition to South Africa since January. His dramatic manoeuvrings have kept the press (and me) interested in the story. I think his basic argument is that his health is too frail to face trail in South Africa, and that the South African justice system is barbaric. I'm not quite sure how the British legal system is supporting him on this. I think he is just delaying the inevitable with appeals, exercising due process.<br />
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This week's story is just more of the same. As part of his bail agreement, Shrien is now in a mental hospital where he is being evaluated in some way. His behavior there has been erratic and volatile, and he's running out of options for interment, as the authorities at the facility would like him to leave. The judge is involved with the question of where Shrien can go until the extradition case is resolved. Shrien collapsed while leaving the court house.<br />
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Phew, that <i>was</i> hard. Perhaps I'll strive to make more, less challenging posts in the future. Note, there are some photos of a recent trip to Kruger in the upper right corner of the blog. Have a look.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-11759032059268896522011-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:002011-02-02T04:57:41.378-08:00Happy New Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs5fepDIaZCyLiZHt3nbKVKGHHAaT3LKhh-khBtyFJ4uIkZbCjklwKU8OeTveX2L7xWr5MnAte-XRiWGg3jPp6UG1-PJTJzU4Sw41W6GI047Qunungkfun6qkiyFHGQsbTVxZ2OPpnye9/s1600/P1194528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSs5fepDIaZCyLiZHt3nbKVKGHHAaT3LKhh-khBtyFJ4uIkZbCjklwKU8OeTveX2L7xWr5MnAte-XRiWGg3jPp6UG1-PJTJzU4Sw41W6GI047Qunungkfun6qkiyFHGQsbTVxZ2OPpnye9/s320/P1194528.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to school!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Happy new year to all. Presently, we find ourselves having finished five weeks of holiday. Now back in Cape Town, we've returned to school and work with a renewed sense of purpose. Five weeks was long enough to peer into the abyss that lies beyond this mortal coil. Naively one wishes for the unlimited beach and all that is associated with it; fine sunshine, cool water, rich feasts, care free days, play, and, allegedly relaxation. But when life delivers on this, experience begins to diverge from fantasy. One (or at least I) begins longing for the dull routine of work. The familiarity of surroundings and social contacts. The sense of accomplishing something, even if that something is make believe. In the end the experience was, if you'll indulge me; crystalline fragments of pure bliss, embedded in a gooey substrate of idleness. A summary follows.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jn0E50XZQ1wyeFG6SxPtwEfnL4Z9my0b3LMOjgvbWC-_qjNPfGvQjy8RL1FCbOeWhRrMG22POgqKmoJHTu3RuX13g-NYBA2-uq5SqqNdnF_fuLkYqmKzThuWgHZ01OqKU2yjIm3oLVbE/s1600/PC163785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jn0E50XZQ1wyeFG6SxPtwEfnL4Z9my0b3LMOjgvbWC-_qjNPfGvQjy8RL1FCbOeWhRrMG22POgqKmoJHTu3RuX13g-NYBA2-uq5SqqNdnF_fuLkYqmKzThuWgHZ01OqKU2yjIm3oLVbE/s320/PC163785.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vermont cottage lies behind the dam and to the left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Last you read, we had been to stay in a cottage in Citrusdal. Upon leaving there, we moved our life to a small town called Vermont. Named after the green hills visible from the town, this community is largely the result of the sprawl of beach homes that stretches out from the very popular resort town of Hermanus. We found an affordable cottage on a 'small holding' or estate of several acres in size. On the property, there was a small dam for swimming, and an enormous 'garden' (used the way we use 'yard') for playing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqU807E0WyNWCyf7XEuJAfyfH0LVqzpuot5kCiLKbML5FW3jYfeeRyP9BiWQfa3wexra8zJ4_XGOVT0XPVaXYFRbD9t3bOJjlKTVtdxRvxKw2xrWDWNgE_aM7rz0VRxB89be-GejRQ4CXg/s1600/PC163777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqU807E0WyNWCyf7XEuJAfyfH0LVqzpuot5kCiLKbML5FW3jYfeeRyP9BiWQfa3wexra8zJ4_XGOVT0XPVaXYFRbD9t3bOJjlKTVtdxRvxKw2xrWDWNgE_aM7rz0VRxB89be-GejRQ4CXg/s320/PC163777.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zach on the rocky coast near the cottage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>From our cottage, it was easy to walk to the coast, which in that area has a rocky, but attractive quality. Many small and fascinating creatures can be found in the pools left in the rocks at low tide, and kids carry small nets on the ends of sticks. 6 kilometers of well maintained coastal path made the morning jogs some of the best I've had. The area is very Afrikaans, and trail users greet you with a terse, 'mor-a'.<br />
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A short distance away from the cottage there were beaches with good swimming. One of our favorites was Ornus beach, where the Ornus river meets the ocean. The ocean can be intense, with its cold, powerful waves and stinging salt. A warm, fresh river to soak in was sometimes a welcome change.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNm16URXAxvFp3lNXKm7AJJvqeLunyt-QUILZa5ailNpbX-elSalFNm1w0F5ZNXWF5SmTqCqQHzDaqftw6xLVkXSFCxETX_75Je4SSsSeQzhGLNVb5omxo2wEv_U9WlXMC0cQR2SGu9kA/s1600/PC233994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnNm16URXAxvFp3lNXKm7AJJvqeLunyt-QUILZa5ailNpbX-elSalFNm1w0F5ZNXWF5SmTqCqQHzDaqftw6xLVkXSFCxETX_75Je4SSsSeQzhGLNVb5omxo2wEv_U9WlXMC0cQR2SGu9kA/s320/PC233994.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming in the ocean at Ornus beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We idled away the days on the beach, and occasionally would move inland, to some well developed hiking trails on the Fernkloof nature reserve. The wild flowers were putting on a good show, and we enjoyed a couple of pleasant walks. <br />
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As an indication of the social milieu that develops around a family spending so much time together, our most memorable experiences involved meeting friends who were also in the area. We hiked a few miles along a river to a secluded and refreshing swimming hole. We also did some horse back riding, and had a nice lunch with other friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluEQiUoq5P5K2ofZuxKRt979XDzq6JjcWxLYu9v4o0XuP9OADZ1fcLkRdPrnoQFlx0p9SjqNdG19MWy3nutnlTRTZv33nvFZ_honIqgkP3tKYvg3C7uzhnrl9RmpjCkd2YJXWIPwgNFVR/s1600/PC193871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluEQiUoq5P5K2ofZuxKRt979XDzq6JjcWxLYu9v4o0XuP9OADZ1fcLkRdPrnoQFlx0p9SjqNdG19MWy3nutnlTRTZv33nvFZ_honIqgkP3tKYvg3C7uzhnrl9RmpjCkd2YJXWIPwgNFVR/s320/PC193871.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fernkloof flower; lanaria lanata</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Another social outlet was provided by the owners of the cottage, who had us over on Christmas Eve. We had a fine evening, in what seemed to be a uniquely South African way. The dish that was most desired was the corned beef tongue. The family was Afrikaans, and very committed to the betterment of the country: running a charitable organization that promotes English literacy in Xhosa speaking families. They showed us the sort of hospitality that we've come to think of as normal here, but I still marvel over when I take a moment to think about it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyiBal7R-_ChcBCrlgTZaklpCuFrp6vltMBxuV6bGaP7C9Ku5wO-9nCem2eMzXg-enFrCjyLMIGUP4F7boA38Jd8f_2MkuRiocx3iFKOz_o8UioAGTha3uGrIcYOoK1DD2TlQS0KlW15T/s1600/PC193884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyiBal7R-_ChcBCrlgTZaklpCuFrp6vltMBxuV6bGaP7C9Ku5wO-9nCem2eMzXg-enFrCjyLMIGUP4F7boA38Jd8f_2MkuRiocx3iFKOz_o8UioAGTha3uGrIcYOoK1DD2TlQS0KlW15T/s320/PC193884.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking above Hermanus at the Fernkloof nature reserve.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Christmas itself was a quiet affair, with a few gifts, and, at Abe's insistence, some of the saltiest ham (called jammon here) I've ever had. Curiously, I think ham (or salt?) in those dosages can be something of a stimulant. I couldn't sleep at all that night.<br />
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Finally, our time there ended, and we returned to Cape Town to collect my father, who made the long trip form South Dakota. So began another long and indulgent adventure, this time with more money being spent.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaviscsnj69hxSa9ZagJP6_sWcqmQrU_SwcF07HISFXxJmJSBrDJkheUA2wIs-p9owuWC4y8thHVD0bC7FfCU_XdTgq7FSGLu8d9lIH5trnm_LWAe3U_7ZbAlbr348dTIZaUPIwIR58Dna/s1600/PC244028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaviscsnj69hxSa9ZagJP6_sWcqmQrU_SwcF07HISFXxJmJSBrDJkheUA2wIs-p9owuWC4y8thHVD0bC7FfCU_XdTgq7FSGLu8d9lIH5trnm_LWAe3U_7ZbAlbr348dTIZaUPIwIR58Dna/s320/PC244028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abe climbing on rocks at 'Breakfast beach'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
We spent a few days in Cape Town, seeing the things that most agree one should see. This was somewhat tiring, as there is a fair amount of driving involved in going to all the sites in a few days. I think it was good, but I'm sure dad was mostly in a haze of jet lag.<br />
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For us, the trip took a turn for the better when we went to Franschhoek, and settled in for a few nights. Once there, our driving time was reduced to simple jaunts for meals or wine tasting. There was more time to relax and read, or enjoy one anothers company. I caught up with dad on some family business, and eagerly participated in his favorite pastime, arguing. Dad involved himself in the poolside tomfoolery that 7 and 9 year old boys invent.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtw_amzSTCdR-ma0WfPSCc2z72-C88yXSm4jxg4kqT21drou1NtQOo66e2BN87yFHfpzpBHEAEBb8YFXvjdSffuMKIE04HefYhhyC_QF4SZUu1O8DATKQYlqugi3KoduaIMTpMka3SZ4p/s1600/P1074291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtw_amzSTCdR-ma0WfPSCc2z72-C88yXSm4jxg4kqT21drou1NtQOo66e2BN87yFHfpzpBHEAEBb8YFXvjdSffuMKIE04HefYhhyC_QF4SZUu1O8DATKQYlqugi3KoduaIMTpMka3SZ4p/s320/P1074291.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining in Franschhoek.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'm told by South Africans that Franschhoek has become an internationally recognized center for cuisine. I agree. Everything was superb, and the pairings of the wines with foods really adds to the enjoyment. I've never had it so good, I'm starting to think of wine as a staple, like bread. Always seeking to diversify the list of things I have consumed, I made some odd choices on the menus, opting for the suckling pig, and the lamb's liver. They were good, but it did seem that others did better with more conventional choices. Ah well, how many people can really say that they have experienced the finest liver possible? If you're curious, it still tastes like liver.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HrhYfwionKiZumJHShF6x9UsFQ39GpxwjAh8wjus8j_OKmpmGJacaG914h17YZHOQ4vEFClXxPO8olySANDyyK41NP5LlfwHLRqY_s0S1CRSaDxHPCCXWTE6r3w5gDHqKO8KGMzxY5zg/s1600/P1104427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2HrhYfwionKiZumJHShF6x9UsFQ39GpxwjAh8wjus8j_OKmpmGJacaG914h17YZHOQ4vEFClXxPO8olySANDyyK41NP5LlfwHLRqY_s0S1CRSaDxHPCCXWTE6r3w5gDHqKO8KGMzxY5zg/s320/P1104427.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waenhuiskrans, or (covered) wagon house cave, Arniston.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Dad's trip concluded in Arniston. Our friends suggested we come and visit them at their cabin there, and experience the delights of the 'Arniston hotel and spa'. It was a very good suggestion. Arniston comes as close to some beach ideal as it gets, I guess. Very few people, very good service, warm and calm waters for swimming. I sort of get it, understand why people get so excited about this. But I still haven't figured out what I'm supposed to be doing at a beach resort.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTK0rD_pKq35_1-6KY_3T3PwtaFDFR9BGvoqES9A6EYXPH7qirsziVtouTr-SLtezJYpPzja7fjHR5SOxQcKl8177HYjQ4jhERsmKtDscyRJZ9E9vode29Y4CCk2PgvJ7W6KhBQl_6S83/s1600/P1104357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTK0rD_pKq35_1-6KY_3T3PwtaFDFR9BGvoqES9A6EYXPH7qirsziVtouTr-SLtezJYpPzja7fjHR5SOxQcKl8177HYjQ4jhERsmKtDscyRJZ9E9vode29Y4CCk2PgvJ7W6KhBQl_6S83/s320/P1104357.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad looking for octopus.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And that, friends, is all. You're very patient to make it through this account, I think it's more for my own memory than something people would be interested in reading. But, it was getting to be time for another post, and the holidays are the obvious thing to discuss. Soon I'll be teaching, and the daily events will be worth relating.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-13607558152695470422010-12-20T02:13:00.000-08:002010-12-20T06:25:04.594-08:00Christmas 4th of July Beach Party Mashup<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf4McUslaFHOUEfgUfeDhyfZh5fwWKGnywLvbAxg7lhTzlcUaFQng9gfd-qCOBMVr50zotZN1IAU8-EOqjdGezEhXy2DuaCU-HxerByPXp-EoxJ1wndhtzxTWFWaBRDasgCGPxf9PotO6/s1600/PC033551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf4McUslaFHOUEfgUfeDhyfZh5fwWKGnywLvbAxg7lhTzlcUaFQng9gfd-qCOBMVr50zotZN1IAU8-EOqjdGezEhXy2DuaCU-HxerByPXp-EoxJ1wndhtzxTWFWaBRDasgCGPxf9PotO6/s320/PC033551.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abe receiving his award at the end of year ceremony.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Abe and Zach began summer break two weeks ago. This was preceded by a week of the hearty self-congratulation that private schools excel at; picnics, awards ceremonies, and galas. On the whole, I still find it all pleasant. The weather has eased into a smooth trajectory through warm sunny days and cool nights. The holidays are coming, there's a certain buzz of familial emotion in the air. Shops are stocked with specialty meats, fudges, puddings, and cakes. The campus is abandoned, and the streets of Cape Town have lost some of their manic energy. The youth wear small clothing and big sunglasses. Somehow, all of this is familiar, but is triggering memories from several different times of the year, and at least one show that I saw once (ok, twice) on MTV. What was Jesus thinking, arriving on the longest day of the year? Right now, I'm having a hard time reflecting on anything deeper than my tan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTK7i7SdazsK6Z_xISEupRJC29pCKY9dN1pENW9EP3PNOC8fYYERVmj_egFjtMSm1dwv67x0RwBSkkZlHk7OERMa-WMeZDk-seKqVdc75incdXozTjf8X6WBPzm0sXD1XUkkJbAN5i3dv/s1600/PC123753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTK7i7SdazsK6Z_xISEupRJC29pCKY9dN1pENW9EP3PNOC8fYYERVmj_egFjtMSm1dwv67x0RwBSkkZlHk7OERMa-WMeZDk-seKqVdc75incdXozTjf8X6WBPzm0sXD1XUkkJbAN5i3dv/s320/PC123753.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leisure, here we come!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>As pleasant as this backdrop may seem, there are hazards. Our routines are broken, there are no family or friends to fill the void. The requests for work from Northern Hemisphere colleges have slowed down. Left unattended, such periods of low stimulation can become distressing periods of listless boredom, quenched with mean spirited barbs, sibling combat, filial antagonism, and marital bickering. <br />
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But I don't want that. I've put my efforts into a serious and studied life of leisure. Not hard here, and perhaps becoming a recurring, even boring theme on this blog. What sorts of fun are the Johnson's up to now? New and different kinds of fun that you're going to love reading about! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_NKHvo5eyMEhPZ1qohDPFRlaepFEy7Uf7OC7HpnEjwZ_UmbC2GWAFB74csGT26gex61JMbbCP0PTCHPRa5mZCbek8rAJuKIuwQjJ7xH4t0zp16NC9XFLVLyxseDEtEBlgolgxX4Ht98C/s1600/PC113673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT_NKHvo5eyMEhPZ1qohDPFRlaepFEy7Uf7OC7HpnEjwZ_UmbC2GWAFB74csGT26gex61JMbbCP0PTCHPRa5mZCbek8rAJuKIuwQjJ7xH4t0zp16NC9XFLVLyxseDEtEBlgolgxX4Ht98C/s320/PC113673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pomegranate cottage with pomegranate trees in foreground.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We celebrated the end of the school year by going to Citrusdal, which by car is some two hours north of Cape Town. We settled into 'the pomegranate cottage' which rests along the reservoir formed by a dam on a working citrus farm. The rhythms of the place were enjoyable; hot days and cool nights. Walks and runs were restricted to the mornings. Afternoons were reserved for swimming in the dam. Evenings we braaied over the coals of an open fire, then settled on a blanket under brilliant stars. All in all, a very good time.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztbicPK6t3Uc8Iv5na94yYHt3Xv3n4nDCRCJlnSvnPkN7wRVSycYqjQzX6zHRkBCeuH721QF1IjQjJSLFeavSGZ4GKwe0SsEX_tU0Et0bnh-FxJeAsd9MnjOJDGLV7c9BBvzNZfBrFa_f/s1600/PC113622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztbicPK6t3Uc8Iv5na94yYHt3Xv3n4nDCRCJlnSvnPkN7wRVSycYqjQzX6zHRkBCeuH721QF1IjQjJSLFeavSGZ4GKwe0SsEX_tU0Et0bnh-FxJeAsd9MnjOJDGLV7c9BBvzNZfBrFa_f/s320/PC113622.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stayed cool by hiking up the creek bed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I found the local nerd shop in Cape Town and bought the boys the 'Finland game of the year 2005'. As you might have guessed, what is big in Finland is usually pretty sweet. "Alhambra"; construct your Spanish wonder, impress the Sultan, manage your economy, crush your opponents. Something nice to do when not swimming.<br />
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There are some culturally interesting facts about the Ceaderburg /Citrusdal area. The land is primarily owned by Afrikaaners. Afrikaans is the the first language of most of the whites that live there. It's not a big tourist destination, the daytime temperatures are too high, and there isn't a lot to attract tourists. Without editorial, here are some observations (clues?) about the post-apartheid puzzle, as witnessed in Citrusdal:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGIOYPY8NtICzGS7dF9c8_NWxT438QyGCEyM6MXmsqt400hGTmUWWsjrRwmucg17NMvAf2Q0zHjVPl_gCTnK7y9hyphenhyphenj5l2v41rKiHVc8cXDrgCjUEP6m73tCQ1dhWRRTsu6RTqZR1P1oQ6/s1600/PC123739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSGIOYPY8NtICzGS7dF9c8_NWxT438QyGCEyM6MXmsqt400hGTmUWWsjrRwmucg17NMvAf2Q0zHjVPl_gCTnK7y9hyphenhyphenj5l2v41rKiHVc8cXDrgCjUEP6m73tCQ1dhWRRTsu6RTqZR1P1oQ6/s320/PC123739.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset posing, 'Merry Christmas, from the Johnsons'</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnb4ak8s2bGBITtQ0-7mtfrpT8uGenO7lGjVsGNDcBN4CA3Kp5_uqRKmMypWP4x-2ak1UUS3L-gU3XPzzWNF76X_c9OdlR_7EF8PEtTuHPLMlh0hyphenhyphenS_jc1eO0JLKjC8PhnjkJ1cHoVHOtZ/s1600/PC103608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnb4ak8s2bGBITtQ0-7mtfrpT8uGenO7lGjVsGNDcBN4CA3Kp5_uqRKmMypWP4x-2ak1UUS3L-gU3XPzzWNF76X_c9OdlR_7EF8PEtTuHPLMlh0hyphenhyphenS_jc1eO0JLKjC8PhnjkJ1cHoVHOtZ/s320/PC103608.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset from the stoop of the cottage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><ul><li>A team of 5 Africans were cleaning out the Mrs' Mercedes when we arrived.</li>
<li>The workers quarters on this farm were some of the best I've ever seen, spacious and well kept. There were pleasant gardens, and satellite dishes on most. Nearby, there seemed to be a farm subsidized primary school and clinic. All very tidy.</li>
<li>The Mrs. told us about her children. One is attending public primary school in Citrusdal. The other has started attending a private boarding school in Stellenbosch. She says that the public secondary schools are no longer an option in Citrusdal, and the primary schools are deteriorating quickly. Public schools were adequate 15, even 10 years ago. One of the hazards of having a team of Mercedes washers is that their children will join yours at the public school. But I'm editorializing.</li>
<li>The Mrs. likes to hide behind some bushes near the house and steal a smoke when her husband is out. She's got a fluffy little dog that accompanies her. </li>
<li>All the land west of the approach is for the laborers to grow what they like on. Presumably they keep the profits. It looks to be mostly grapes and tea and is a big track of land.</li>
</ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA0E2IZCCVJoyLruu9VuIRpfCoxlJPF1h5Ge2pNKthwnBof5SvSKQZZH2TkKh45UfyYINVwscVv5aKI90UI3N1sn8krDvmDdC1Cb8Rz-ztXYhZ9g-epawO5ly4CdY1kftGkTg2d86YjEo/s1600/PC103578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggA0E2IZCCVJoyLruu9VuIRpfCoxlJPF1h5Ge2pNKthwnBof5SvSKQZZH2TkKh45UfyYINVwscVv5aKI90UI3N1sn8krDvmDdC1Cb8Rz-ztXYhZ9g-epawO5ly4CdY1kftGkTg2d86YjEo/s320/PC103578.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jump in!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'll leave as an exercise for the reader how all of this will all work out. That's enough for now. In a few days, I'll fill you in on our Christmas plans.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-73685644964418346852010-11-21T08:13:00.000-08:002010-11-21T10:05:22.024-08:00RoutineWe are establishing routines. I get satisfaction from this because the routines make us feel like we've successfully negotiated life in South Africa. We go to school and work, pay bills, exercise, socialize, and relax. Our routines here are different from those we had in the United States. Sometimes for the better, other times for the worse. In this post I report on our routines, and how they make us feel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zPv2O9Q_UsQY23ySR_aNNzsRHrg5aTtuu3iu_Zn4pmWxJ-szah3RaSZTtV8x_uXi7s_mtw31BoIJHCPHfTeDANF4c6Tt9a1SnHXn3IjVYNbW0kqBgENjqsV2FNYPDjqdzcl6UsFgeaT3/s800/P8232109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zPv2O9Q_UsQY23ySR_aNNzsRHrg5aTtuu3iu_Zn4pmWxJ-szah3RaSZTtV8x_uXi7s_mtw31BoIJHCPHfTeDANF4c6Tt9a1SnHXn3IjVYNbW0kqBgENjqsV2FNYPDjqdzcl6UsFgeaT3/s320/P8232109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from the trail we've been jogging on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We've been early risers. At first, it was because we lived on a street that was loud, but the habit stuck. Julie and I are out of bed by six, and like to go jogging. This is a change for me, but Julie's been running for a while. I like the feeling I get from it. The neighborhoods are pleasant, and morning light is enchanted. Our best runs take us up on the side of Table Mountain, where wild flowers and low clouds grace the experience. As we round the final corner, we see the ocean beyond the city center. <br />
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We all eat breakfast together. The boys like a banana flavored cream of wheat called 'pro-Nutro'. I like a dense whole grain seed seed bread with peanut butter and chili jam. Chili jam is a real find, lekker (Afrikaans for good)! I've switched to tea; English breakfast with milk and sugar. Julie drinks Illy coffee and has a little 'double cream' yogurt with Cape Fruit. Breakfast is better here, as is most food.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmuh5aCTlIOlENPNufl72lUQ9dWWhbEeZVVrOsw3Ukt2xfhFNSapMuVYcIP5oPej288ElhuGdocYHIXgK-oSxp68Qy6ijSJMTwP2CcAcJK-QpdmgGwF5WF94mL02caJyXDcNVjknx8Dj4/s800/PA223092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmuh5aCTlIOlENPNufl72lUQ9dWWhbEeZVVrOsw3Ukt2xfhFNSapMuVYcIP5oPej288ElhuGdocYHIXgK-oSxp68Qy6ijSJMTwP2CcAcJK-QpdmgGwF5WF94mL02caJyXDcNVjknx8Dj4/s320/PA223092.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the morning commute to the Grove Primary School.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We have to drive the kids to school. It's about 6 km. With traffic, this takes a total of 20 minutes. There's nothing like public radio here. Just hyper-commercial crap, which the kids have taken a liking to. There's nothing good about this routine, count one big one in favor of Missoula. I do miss the chill morning walks and bike rides to school with the neighbors.<br />
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Then comes work for me. As with in the US, I can walk. This is a very positive thing, something impossible to monetize, but worth 'a lot' to me. Here, it is 12 minutes, up a hill. I get into a good sweat, walking up the 291 stairs. Once there, there are few distractions, and I can focus on research. Overall, I miss some of the distractions. Teaching always provided me with something to escape from. I do love the time and the focus, but don't know if I could sustain it for much more than a year. There is tea though, ten and two. Tea is social, and can last far too long.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneeJDaB-jgFX389iq6WIUswQ1A7qKry_ThQvtecLrC-TIbba2B52pWr5GPeF0fpk369MhEdh0HoeX_oL_iQI0XbBCvUgM4ef8DhLmSmimGP0UqS7WF6lgw3lYQcn1YB9_4YwxR4dz3xG4/s1600/Greenland_Mesh.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneeJDaB-jgFX389iq6WIUswQ1A7qKry_ThQvtecLrC-TIbba2B52pWr5GPeF0fpk369MhEdh0HoeX_oL_iQI0XbBCvUgM4ef8DhLmSmimGP0UqS7WF6lgw3lYQcn1YB9_4YwxR4dz3xG4/s320/Greenland_Mesh.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speeds from a higher order momentum balance on an unstructured grid.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I should say something about what I've done. People ask, and it's sometimes embarrassingly hard to explain, and makes me feel like 'research' is a euphemism for surfing the internet. I've accomplished two things that are worth mentioning. First, I've got an ice sheet model that accounts for pushing and pulling of the ice that can occur down stream of flow. This would usually be the influence of the ocean. There are several ways to do this, but because at the heart of things, the physics is no longer strictly local, or linear, none of them are especially easy. I've elected to use one that is computationally efficient, robust, and supporting unstructured meshes. Amazingly (for me) it works. As is typical (for me) it took a long time to get here. Now I'm trying to compute the temperature of the ice. More months...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRd0gKraMfqz9g_xH94CIGWXBnvgO-mH6lU8VxLEDs5yJU3npGUWTl9eEI0D9zQOloaAsUnPAiQAUnss7xoHA99iorS15Y9Ugs304EugXDJxZj5az448oaT7iEe-j05YfoxQvnWTsOxJu/s1600/Greenland_1km_OSU.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRd0gKraMfqz9g_xH94CIGWXBnvgO-mH6lU8VxLEDs5yJU3npGUWTl9eEI0D9zQOloaAsUnPAiQAUnss7xoHA99iorS15Y9Ugs304EugXDJxZj5az448oaT7iEe-j05YfoxQvnWTsOxJu/s320/Greenland_1km_OSU.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drainage network analysis of Greenland. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I've also convinced myself that the surface morphology of Greenland, or the features on the surface that channel water downhill, are fundamentally different than the surface features that channel water downhill on land. Maybe that isn't very surprising, but as we begin trying compute the surface runoff of Greenland, or somewhere upwards of 50% of the mass loss, we will not be able to utilize the concepts that are used form computing runoff of overland flow. That could be significant. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeRLEOF648WJIipY8WSWib9NdzBMuZyH7NnbVQqCmsEb2rnR8NYlOywK8N_zjicBK1U-m24X3zm_kJ2cRpF9ZFaQ4z0AOUNAVqN8b2dFS_GBB4YeEX4u4oUHGKzreMIDx6uTeBhJyU1Ed/s800/PA213085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeRLEOF648WJIipY8WSWib9NdzBMuZyH7NnbVQqCmsEb2rnR8NYlOywK8N_zjicBK1U-m24X3zm_kJ2cRpF9ZFaQ4z0AOUNAVqN8b2dFS_GBB4YeEX4u4oUHGKzreMIDx6uTeBhJyU1Ed/s320/PA213085.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abe in chess club.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GSTiAm9CO28e1Vy5UFQE2pYv2JMCryK6oGxkM67-WjjSkmof1XkFRrPuRZMLiW32p0SfarEomumrif2OcXJrehvFuexQfSmxapjnBUljgI4TI_Bnei6Edx3gPBEhiW88ck-gZD0YSBPo/s800/PB163271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GSTiAm9CO28e1Vy5UFQE2pYv2JMCryK6oGxkM67-WjjSkmof1XkFRrPuRZMLiW32p0SfarEomumrif2OcXJrehvFuexQfSmxapjnBUljgI4TI_Bnei6Edx3gPBEhiW88ck-gZD0YSBPo/s320/PB163271.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abe playing in cricket. I have no idea why he's running.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Meanwhile...the kids are in a number of activities, and there's a fair amount of moving children around. Julie does most of this, and tells me that the social scene on the sidelines is pleasant, but the driving kids from place to place is awful. This counts as a big negative for Julie's routines. The kids probably like it better. Cricket!<br />
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Evenings are quiet and TV free. We're reading more, and the kids usually have homework. I love reading to the boys, and am very happy to be back in that routine. While I like the details of the evening routines a little better (reading instead of TV), the setting is not as nice. Home is home. The house here is perfectly acceptable, but not home. In the evenings I notice the lack of a comfortable bed, or couch, a favorite painting, or even a likable color of paint on the walls. A comfortable home is a nice thing to have, but you don't notice it until its gone (insert 80s ballad rock).<br />
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We do live for the weekends. I'm pleased to say that we've made some friends here, and treasure the time spent with them. South Africans are very open-hearted, hospitable, and accommodating people. Actually, the degree of hospitality they routinely show makes me embarrassed about all the times I've dropped a visitor off at a hotel. South Africans are also curious about the world around them, and introspective about their unique experiences with apartheid and living in the most diverse country in the world. Getting to know them is a pleasure. As we've fallen into social routines, there's been a slight regret about not getting out to do more sight seeing. It has been all too easy to fall into poolside chats, pizza parties, braais, sushi dinners, and kids' birthday parties. All giving us an accomplished sense of having 'integrated' in a way, but diminishing our accomplishments as tourists. Oh well. If I'd wanted to be a tourist, I suppose I could have found the money to come here for a couple weeks a long time ago. In no particular order, a few of the highlights of our social life follow.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqT-sbQNOKVjQ9Mo9eEscYUYpU0jO-RxbBmjzpIeQ8NDQHzFhrPZsm0_5bBamY1LzH75ATScA8TZpG13PYAYtosfBZVZN9iyEGkKal2OzHHv6iRKB1Pc74tihlIP-PBNX-XJyk_ab_7R_/s800/PA233127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqT-sbQNOKVjQ9Mo9eEscYUYpU0jO-RxbBmjzpIeQ8NDQHzFhrPZsm0_5bBamY1LzH75ATScA8TZpG13PYAYtosfBZVZN9iyEGkKal2OzHHv6iRKB1Pc74tihlIP-PBNX-XJyk_ab_7R_/s320/PA233127.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top of Lion's Head with the Ramblers Club.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The kid's school has a 'Ramblers Club', or a group of parents and students that like to hike together. Wonderful group of people, and hiking is a nice way to meet folks. Here we are on top of Lion's Head on what would later be a full moon. On top, we enjoyed snacks and wine with the group. After sunset, the local astronomy club had a telescope and kids got to see the moons of Jupiter. The atmosphere after dark was very party like and social. Walking down was fantastic, the city lights inspiring a dizzying vertigo. Or was that the second hand ganja smoke?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio03TqxApoM5wrvY5mOVN3-EE7ibycEL3Hgi0R8iLBhB9thOiOcrSZ4-P0DvM9PznlO1BR3ctncYIcCXoCvH5IdncKuH8U9d1QrY7tGsHULmwKqKh-HRQ1r6DncZEMgYg-_vp8VtMnPlTY/s800/PB143215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio03TqxApoM5wrvY5mOVN3-EE7ibycEL3Hgi0R8iLBhB9thOiOcrSZ4-P0DvM9PznlO1BR3ctncYIcCXoCvH5IdncKuH8U9d1QrY7tGsHULmwKqKh-HRQ1r6DncZEMgYg-_vp8VtMnPlTY/s320/PB143215.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poolside in the summer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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A swimming pool is a fine thing in this climate. Here we are sitting around a friend's pool. There's a lot of activity. Dogs, kids, snacks, conversation, cell phones, and swimming. A terrific way to spend an afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsowcC9DtYgoELg0_GfEKPSXUP-F-EUXrOVk18K7f_-hKxindLYmtbX3b40LkYcwk66kjib_NcmEeJM94nfbHIQRhQHeOeqeuY8IomWYYa-Nu0AHCO07Q1A9AGboqBNEKSZ2k3pset6Hu/s800/PB173349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsowcC9DtYgoELg0_GfEKPSXUP-F-EUXrOVk18K7f_-hKxindLYmtbX3b40LkYcwk66kjib_NcmEeJM94nfbHIQRhQHeOeqeuY8IomWYYa-Nu0AHCO07Q1A9AGboqBNEKSZ2k3pset6Hu/s320/PB173349.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greenpoint stadium, wow, it's big.</td></tr>
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We went to see the United States soccer team play Bafana Bafana (the boys), the South African national team. The venue was the 66,000 seat Greenpoint stadium, constructed for the 2010 World Cup. I'd never been to something like that, and am inclined to think that the value of an experience is inversely proportional to the number of people its shared with. But, what do I know? 65,999 people think otherwise. Vuvuzelas are loud, and one can't hear anything. Unlike what I've heard about the US, beers were only a couple of dollars, at the atmosphere was very upbeat. I liked it alright, and the kids liked it more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-JS1j3vGcvqlKrldsNZBGdkbma7_3S8S1MyGaSsj_1MLXa3jMpkLDi3mknBohpEFtsrI6ZhyjdBX8sVxz1f3ZTvBcLox6xXdaWUOyh5p80pGvDVXVwb1UNkb64fxYT4sQBVxBznctxhn/s800/PA162972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-JS1j3vGcvqlKrldsNZBGdkbma7_3S8S1MyGaSsj_1MLXa3jMpkLDi3mknBohpEFtsrI6ZhyjdBX8sVxz1f3ZTvBcLox6xXdaWUOyh5p80pGvDVXVwb1UNkb64fxYT4sQBVxBznctxhn/s320/PA162972.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zach tells mom about putting chickens to sleep.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> To say we stay in Cape Town on weekends is a little bit of an exaggeration. We did get to the Whipstock farm a few weeks ago. This 'farm stay' has great hiking a short distance away. While staying in a cottage there, the hosts cook hearty country dinners and breakfasts, and the kids pet and feed the animals. There is a irrigation dam, and kayaks to use. Almond trees and citrus line the estate. Another very pleasant time.<br />
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And, that's life in South Africa lately. Next weekend we look forward to a ramble in an area north of here. Soon enough, we'll indulge in a (blog worthy?) long Christmas holiday. For now, the routine is feeling good. And it's summer, how can't you be happy in summer?jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-45651392409518195352010-10-19T11:45:00.000-07:002010-10-19T11:58:20.287-07:00Spring Break<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp0f1OPjDjiinr3B-XGUIwKPfAT5t497kqkiMSFTaGkoQ96lnymNhGylXv1hBWOMNnw-CbTt6oIONMdSXslG8Y2NlaGcQ39C6GLrKSbhZIKBlvRZrPDndoSpr5F7QBe6CN4vW17k20ANto/s320/P9292725.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gearing up for safari in Addo elephant park.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's spring now, and a recent spring break for the boys was a welcome, if slightly awkward surprise. Awkward in the sense that up until then, we had spent what I thought was a fair amount of time getting settled, and the regular rhythm of life was feeling good. We made the best of it and set out for <a href="http://www.sanparks.org/parks/addo/">Addo elephant park</a>, home to the highest density of elephants in the world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1eUVnZoOQpfRCEB3FQeRNNJNfr-YHVCJkAvib3g-QpTfe5oGPSpixAuIKMHUR72WiIAuFc7vQ4prihOtkhBDQG8dN3vmiYan6hjAxJVKHyr4zNkNrDDxboO8JNPrj7eBprqzVwlxaBioG/s320/P9272669.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Brenton on the sea' was the name of this beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The park is some ways away, and while I love the Tazz, it's not much of a highway cruiser. Big cars, like the van we had in the US, diffuse sibling conflict. Small cars concentrate it. Add the lack of cruise control, and the constant shifting of gears to get up hills, and I was only up for about 5 hours of driving a day. So, we stopped and camped at a place called Lake Pleasant. It was plenty pleasant, and our first camping experience here. Easy car camping, but lacking the familiar picnic table, we had a hard time managing our cooking. Lake Pleasant is near the beach, which is always nice to visit. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2GN73mSht9gkivWY840nOP1etQV5b_kxFMwZ7qx6o5AUbuFNC7cTjx3AZWbZOKp1W5jcarcZ6yiIwzZzSdESB0bsKDYWLIxlFbP5w6-rM2WV4Cv7V_WnSA10-VkxmDm11h4tXWjk0ZwA/s1600/P9292817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poolside at the Avaco farm stay.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The next day we drove on to Addo, where we stayed on <a href="http://www.roomsforafrica.com/establishment.do?id=4291">a citrus farm</a>. I suppose I should come to the point: It was wonderful. First, the weather was enjoyable; hot days, and cold nights, the area is arid and low latitude. This could be uncomfortable, but when managed with appropriate technology, it's very fine indeed. A pool and a pond to while away the warm afternoons. A light sweater and a roaring fire for the cool evenings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6WOX9MxuZk_MjT6RKAAKWn-dmK-174OoloeaYxG_YW9wIZO9jB4Ct8PivcG2c1Jg2og7dPRQdCekHtdXUf3j4BS6ZMKTArWQqVZdIa7UcN10hIf9NWS7rpNbOHOTkFcR2IQ6hn0zksO4/s320/P9302910.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High risk, high reward behavior. Exhibit one: no life jackets!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I appreciated several things about the citrus farm. First, there were kayaks and canoes to navigate the river with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kFkpXa6I_uYNjcIz3Ruvc0f1MgZPRYST6EVqCl7VJ2wEoqVPBqUcTWGdQqALVvRwSvtXdlyNQ9miRrnpQYkRJTC2shzgYjXeUOfrjjbGGcAdES_-aEMTCn7caWAP971UT9M68cOfCTR3/s320/P9282709.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit two: the trampoline.</td></tr>
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Second, there were two trampolines for the boys to jump on. Hours upon hours were spent jumping.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sSrk669KIor4ENfNq-cG-vfQp100kFtMsoZoxIcSzb3pr4g8uJi6rYzelIhd-FHPGwbmgzc9h5gsR1VLwvJAvcPB2WQL12pTUgMbHNGIYY_Y-6_Wqsi0iKIIm1R91bNTfLQb9XLzcBWm/s320/P9282705.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit three: the zip line.</td></tr>
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Third, there was a zip line for the kids to whiz down.<br />
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At some point it occurred to me that the whole affair was unsafe, and would never be<br />
acceptable in the United States. This made it all the sweeter, as fun seems to have been a casualty of the American campaign for safety. A campaign that recognizes that broken arms can be monetized, but 'fun' can not.<br />
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I'm going speculate that South Africans have a different attitude about safety because they are more familiar with genuine risk; like life threatening crime.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ6WOX9MxuZk_MjT6RKAAKWn-dmK-174OoloeaYxG_YW9wIZO9jB4Ct8PivcG2c1Jg2og7dPRQdCekHtdXUf3j4BS6ZMKTArWQqVZdIa7UcN10hIf9NWS7rpNbOHOTkFcR2IQ6hn0zksO4/s1600/P9302910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kFkpXa6I_uYNjcIz3Ruvc0f1MgZPRYST6EVqCl7VJ2wEoqVPBqUcTWGdQqALVvRwSvtXdlyNQ9miRrnpQYkRJTC2shzgYjXeUOfrjjbGGcAdES_-aEMTCn7caWAP971UT9M68cOfCTR3/s1600/P9282709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sSrk669KIor4ENfNq-cG-vfQp100kFtMsoZoxIcSzb3pr4g8uJi6rYzelIhd-FHPGwbmgzc9h5gsR1VLwvJAvcPB2WQL12pTUgMbHNGIYY_Y-6_Wqsi0iKIIm1R91bNTfLQb9XLzcBWm/s1600/P9282705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjGcRMjXbp1NweqwcncL9aJWHXUfuo9IUn0MzhLhKwq-K_TaxKKflO6soUmVQ_YEDgN2_e5Q7A2631IWbP_nWnzDB6nMN1cWoh9vrH9n9wDhhJCMyRVgQR1xanDaQbEuPRSWdwDefAcU6/s1600/P9282723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjGcRMjXbp1NweqwcncL9aJWHXUfuo9IUn0MzhLhKwq-K_TaxKKflO6soUmVQ_YEDgN2_e5Q7A2631IWbP_nWnzDB6nMN1cWoh9vrH9n9wDhhJCMyRVgQR1xanDaQbEuPRSWdwDefAcU6/s320/P9282723.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A long evening of braai nearing completion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally, I love <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braai">braai</a>. This is the South African way of barbecuing. An open flame is required, and a braai area consists of a wide circle of concrete on which to burn wood, with seats arranged around the fire. Wonderful ambiance, and a hearty roasted meat conclusion. Add bright Southern constellations, a glass of wine, and cool air, and you've really got something. <i>"All units at the Avaco farm stay have Braai facilities."</i> This is typical SA marketing language.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBS1d9wmAIgcRsx8dbYu7UgnNCAaBlus6IN2NJaZAdV0JMMVC3h-qFw_-FkZLUzyi1t-fh9fS8G_wM-19XjfAiv0UllTfDs1RVZMAWBiV89brcnX0dTimRG98yKmKFJKQeYqk7ojxYm5W/s1600/P9292821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBS1d9wmAIgcRsx8dbYu7UgnNCAaBlus6IN2NJaZAdV0JMMVC3h-qFw_-FkZLUzyi1t-fh9fS8G_wM-19XjfAiv0UllTfDs1RVZMAWBiV89brcnX0dTimRG98yKmKFJKQeYqk7ojxYm5W/s320/P9292821.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cottage.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Moreover, there were birds to look at, and trails to walk. The breakfasts were delicious, the locals were friendly, and the surroundings were foreign enough to be interesting. Spring time is when citrus are blooming, and rich sweet smells permeated the cool morning air that clings to the ground. The cabins were clean with a well thought out floor plan. A small orchard was reserved for guests and lemonade or fresh squeezed orange juice was served constantly. I sometimes feel like a travel failure, when I find a nice place and settle in for a week. Looking at the travel guide, there are a half dozen 'must do' things in the area and I'm quietly missing them all. Oh well, I thought being a slacker was the point of holidays, honestly, seeing everything in the travel guide is just too much trouble.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNDNg0MRFaRyOkTfSJ5ieXrIbkkKB2ydj37DyFS-QR3dZEhACkP9nDFk5o2c0a5um7cebkJOFt4iTLfvKi7mi-c863tK6e8bjiFvBlwKknup1HSUfOj1iSRwA_N3xG8oQZVKjDCyHHDh9/s1600/P9292775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNDNg0MRFaRyOkTfSJ5ieXrIbkkKB2ydj37DyFS-QR3dZEhACkP9nDFk5o2c0a5um7cebkJOFt4iTLfvKi7mi-c863tK6e8bjiFvBlwKknup1HSUfOj1iSRwA_N3xG8oQZVKjDCyHHDh9/s320/P9292775.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Buffalo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Incidental to the time we had staying at the citrus farm, we went out on safari in the elephant park. Not surprisingly, we saw elephants. We also saw a buffalo, ostrich, wart hogs, foxes, and a dung beetle. Not a bad couple days viewing. It is nice to do, but its relevance decreased as the days went by, and we enjoyed our stay on the farm more and more. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CTQTh-5Cc2fNvaRR-_nVd58Wc7T-sumxrHJxp72Q5_s2ipx0f1Y7EdF98K4PBtSOjy8c7ZXtzjvpcomnc6XWRMpy27-aslOAlA9muIH01aqJjQr1HaYCjAR29DqXpiccBhWB3aKsjWkK/s320/P9302890.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abe holding a baby lion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally, there was a cat breeding farm that we visited. I think the picture tells you what you need to know. It was as fun as it looks, maybe more. You wouldn't believe the sounds baby lions make.<br />
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A final note: I managed to find a good book to read while there. Have a look at <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/books/review/Tanenhaus-t.html?_r=1">Freedom</a>, by Johnathan Franzen. There's plenty to think about in that book.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-65938517719627000492010-10-04T12:06:00.000-07:002010-10-05T08:06:55.083-07:00The Grove Primary School<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thegrove.co.za/site/home">The Grove Primary School</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>In South Africa, publicly funded schools can charge fees. The public money means that they are able to charge less than a completely private school, but the fees enable them to offer more than a completely public school. For instance, our school has 50% of the funding coming from the government, and 50% from fees. Schools such as this are designated as 'class C schools' in South Africa.<br />
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In the American system, I think that a similar idea was discussed under the moniker 'school vouchers'. So far as I know, the proposed voucher systems did not allow as much curriculum standardization as the South African model, where in order to receive public funds schools must include things like some instruction in indigenous African languages (Xhosa in the Western Cape) and Afrikaans, a Dutch derived language spoken by the descendants of the earliest white settlers. Students are also getting a balanced introduction to religious beliefs including; Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and African animist beliefs. Contrast that to the voucher system proposed in the United States, where the purpose was often, in my view, religious indoctrination.<br />
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For that reason, and others, I never really supported the voucher concept. I guess I also believed it would lead to deeper inequities, as the people that could afford to pay more would, and leave others behind.<br />
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But those were the thoughts of a younger man, one that didn't actually have children to put his theories to test on. Now, as I participate in a system where I can use financial resources to provide my children an advantage, I have to ask myself, "am I getting $2000 a year back in terms of each child's education?" Sadly, the answer is, "YES". I wish that weren't the case. I wish that our public education system were this good and better, I'll be returning to it soon enough. But I don't think it is. Let me try and explain why.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3N-PAcLL36DXQBu3z3j1WqLvez7KZqByVPAuiQ27rxXtGdhDVDbWwq5NfyUZgP_h50rzF8TktU4uHpGFoVd2pTm2FozFdSs_WcGe5vebMkcvccTUsfnoPGUxg0ah1A9RK3nfGqdTH3m7C/s320/P9132506.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Student art. Good colors make all the difference. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>First, there is an art program. We don't have one in the Montana, programs have been cut to provide more funding for the basics; reading, writing and arithmetic. Here, there is a dedicated art teacher, an art room, and the a culture that strongly supports the arts in school. Students spend at least one hour a week working on art projects with the teacher. She's talented. I have to admit, I'm not sure the experience would be universal without such a good teacher. She's a strong personality and tolerates no nonsense from the students. She has managed to create a culture at the Grove where students are serious about doing a good job on art projects. They work in after hours art clubs, and our boys continue many of the projects at home. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsn0qY2hJfjywdSwGnm5hSkP2AEUFn7FFNRGN7T3nLOy2cCnvCrD0Uvz7t6HWYjqNSnfbxFoFRISLKBiasbED9WIog6bFD0SbUCD2g15D1alAdfz9MNklCbFwH6Vk9JnT7hBNKvjj6YD2/s1600/P9132504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>Recently, there was an art auction fundraiser at the school. Wine was served, and we were all asked to bring a plate of hors d'oeuvres. Smartly dressed seventh graders served the food, while we bid on art, looked at art, drank wine, and talked to parents.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnsn0qY2hJfjywdSwGnm5hSkP2AEUFn7FFNRGN7T3nLOy2cCnvCrD0Uvz7t6HWYjqNSnfbxFoFRISLKBiasbED9WIog6bFD0SbUCD2g15D1alAdfz9MNklCbFwH6Vk9JnT7hBNKvjj6YD2/s320/P9132504.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art auction</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There is a technology class where students work with light tools to create metal and wood works. I suppose we called this 'shop', but didn't get to it until seventh grade. I think it is another creative outlet for students. Maybe more appealing to students that aren't artistically inclined? Abe's been really interested in 'French Knitting'.<br />
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I like the math curriculum. For instance, students are asked to find a way to combine 2, 5, 3 and 7 with multiplication, division, addition and subtraction to be 24 (3 x 7 + 5 - 2 works). The emphasis is on numeracy rather than memorization. There are also a lot of nice exercises based on estimation, and orders of magnitude. Very good!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRhvdIHMgQtMBkEfZsrW7t6b3BDd8PYnee-4fdephRfjH8UCJYolchoeXa9ABJ8C3CJUCspnFw_P3UxYpEE1k090-hAa56iOJuDfOMPlcOfbFQ4r824twsg7R4kP0nxYNKo_-mABrrS7A/s320/P9222635.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In spite of uniforms, these kids look like punks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Uniforms are undeniably cute. And maybe serve a purpose. The boys like to wear them, I think because they think they look good in them. At the end of the day, I think it's nice to have that stress off the table. There's plenty enough to worry about at school, without getting into football jerseys or rock band tee-shirts.<br />
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Music is a positive experience at the Grove. Many opportunities exist for lessons in piano, violin, recorder, etc. right in school. And a regular program for music that has our kids interested in singing and playing instruments. Somehow this never happened in the States, the program there turned our kids off to music. I always thought that was weird, a music program that kids don't like. Kids seem to naturally love music.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpby7VTk2Js6gaslp-_0inJUQsUHWlawJvc7CpD0g6UsWogjbJTwBfDmhmoripTa5Abu8WQGCWUPWOqmmol49nHnfpPJofRc0UQSbT_7VEXbrydhJcw6gbnT7EEZ_0r20Q8_CbqKJTrzkl/s1600/PA042917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKwxs5pHq5jB6fVKYWw04jgH_p-lgrzwr72AA7zwPrIPJRZ2VKOFqtkpJQZyutKBm0yPEs1pOihTluQrY72Lqzu3NL5NZI0K0-8kwUimCOjaeH3Wt-zpJYcoIB9h64teoRtYANuk4Z8zp/s1600/P9152522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGKwxs5pHq5jB6fVKYWw04jgH_p-lgrzwr72AA7zwPrIPJRZ2VKOFqtkpJQZyutKBm0yPEs1pOihTluQrY72Lqzu3NL5NZI0K0-8kwUimCOjaeH3Wt-zpJYcoIB9h64teoRtYANuk4Z8zp/s320/P9152522.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zach in front of a grizzly dino scene.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Among other things, students get a grade for 'hygiene'. I've got the boys brushing their teeth every morning and getting regular haircuts with simple threats about hygiene grades. Sadly I'm still very much in the "threats" school of parenting. But, guess what? They are having a workshop at the Grove to help us with that. Not sure I'll make it, but hopefully there's a synopsis in the newsletter.<br />
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The emphasis on handwriting turned me off at first but I've come around. It's helped Zach stop reversing 'b' and 'd's, 'p's and 'q's, and as a result (maybe?) his reading has improved. His reading has definitely taken off, but its hard to attribute it to any one thing. There are educational benefits to being a foreigner, not wanting to embarrass yourself in a new culture, that's sure to play a role too. OK, I'm in the "humiliation" school of parenting too. Threats and humiliation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAty7RwORDq1EGZlqekjmM4RyzUmdCgfnhSu0FG_CK5BEHJzHT_y-vDMfT09ZAxiOgW4bw0vrWHpEx320cY2KOm7VuXF1WnVcszHcLgLjI3S_7Ied37qVlQqje58UJcxZCUhjgrSRDKPR9/s320/P9032280.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The obelisk marks the location where Hershel observed the southern skies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The school grounds are spectacular. Mostly open space for playing. The school sits on the site where Hershel came to observe stars in the Southern Hemisphere. There's also a family of Egyptian geese. All the students seem to know how many goslings there are and how the goose and gander can or cannot be crossed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFWJE0FCsIf7DqSS4KKZs5YnzElReHG-eb93wreuHzin07p4Be2EWBqUyx6TO9Pss6OXuzzSi1EtQIqvfczdHYaI3F5mThumyyCF-TWBFbjXKKAf2NLeA9JSYLF5ePFrHyo-Fp3PLvdeb/s320/P9152525.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zach and class on a field trip to the museum of natural history.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Field trips, or excursions are common. It's nice to live in a big city, I'm sure it would be similar in any big city. <br />
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There's a <a href="http://www.thegrove.co.za/site/grove_talk">newsletter</a> filled with the issues of the day. Recently, it's been dropping students off. No stopping cars in the red zone! They had the police come and issue some 40 odd tickets. It's good to see people fired up about silly shit. Makes me think the political situation can't be all bad. Then again, there have been efforts to eliminate class C schools in South Africa. I suppose I see where that comes from, equality of educational opportunity is a core democratic value. But as it is now, the Grove goes out of its way to provide a lot of scholarships to economically disadvantaged students. I can't see that continuing if public funding stopped.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqj6U_dqsVHutAM-plFvKX-QnL2V4YJW6or8yr26L7I8dlnJS1Q4pBSVTAZUFAN0tmKXQS48PT8xJIWYoXaac8bwIAe7MORUwsTSUWqu_v5Xcfhn3-LP0_mERYoR6Ah1B_H8F3OSwOnTr/s1600/P9032275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkqj6U_dqsVHutAM-plFvKX-QnL2V4YJW6or8yr26L7I8dlnJS1Q4pBSVTAZUFAN0tmKXQS48PT8xJIWYoXaac8bwIAe7MORUwsTSUWqu_v5Xcfhn3-LP0_mERYoR6Ah1B_H8F3OSwOnTr/s320/P9032275.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The family of Egyptian Geese have their own pool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally, and I'm a little uncomfortable saying this, it's nice to be in an environment where everyone cares about education. The peer group is outstanding, and our children have moved to the middle of the pack, instead of the front. The most disruptive personalities in US classrooms are not present. They are certainly here in South Africa, no society is free of that. But I don't believe that their parents are willing to pay that much for school, because I don't think they care enough to. Alternatively, I suppose you could say that they are victims of circumstance and can't afford to pay that much. And so why visit the sins of the father on the son? Fair enough, public education should serve the public. But in America, I don't think it is so much a matter of money, but instead of priorities, and I guess I'd like to stay clear of people with really different priorities. Bummer, that's not a healthy society.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-65714183031562653202010-09-23T07:09:00.000-07:002010-09-23T07:09:05.108-07:00CEREMCAM People: PatrickI'd like to use some of these blog posts to highlight my CERECAM colleagues. They are very interesting, talented academics. I'll begin with Patrick, who I've found easy to talk to.<br />
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Patrick is from Nigeria, having lived in both Ileife and Lagos. It's a shame that the world knows Nigeria mostly by the following export:<br />
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<blockquote><i>"Dear Sir,</i><br />
<i>Good day to you </i><br />
<i>My name is Joey Jones i am an American soldier, i am serving in the military of the 1st Armored Division in Iraq. I am now in Kuwait in the mean time, I and my partner moved funds belonging to Saddam Hussein, the total is (Twenty Five million US dollars) this money is being kept safe in a security company. Click on this link to read about even that took place here:</i><br />
<i>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2988455.stm </i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Basically since we are working for the American government we cannot keep these funds, but we want to transfer and move the funds to you, so that you can keep it for us in your safe account or an offshore account..."</i></blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhigYQNikcJjzBBU4FS390ppztQtoPDbmqyf-QiLfRTTlme6oUAY6-7wAdp0IooxluBt7UC8-he1HCKhbAWMeyw7kvclBh3gmo_lQXOiyKCipxualOuYWV0RiFeQGIvXe4gsqEDjnAkyZ/s1600/P9102424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhigYQNikcJjzBBU4FS390ppztQtoPDbmqyf-QiLfRTTlme6oUAY6-7wAdp0IooxluBt7UC8-he1HCKhbAWMeyw7kvclBh3gmo_lQXOiyKCipxualOuYWV0RiFeQGIvXe4gsqEDjnAkyZ/s320/P9102424.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patrick in his office.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The 419 (or sometimes 411) scam, named after the relevant sections of Nigerian criminal code, has netted Nigerians some 5 billion dollars since the early eighties. Some estimate that it ranks as between the third and fifth largest revenue sources for Nigeria. Working on the premise that you really can't cheat an honest man, the scam apparently works on traditional Nigerian beliefs. Patrick tells me that in Nigeria a hand bag or even a wallet left carelessly in a car is quite safe. Instead people believe that one must "trick" people out of their possessions by exposing their moral failures. <br />
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At any rate, 419 scams are a shame, because there is much more to Nigeria. I've been fascinated with the stories Patrick tells me, here are a few examples.<br />
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The Nigerian people are very friendly and love to welcome and make people feel at home. This is a projection of the good qualities of the culture, and is completely genuine. However, Nigeria is the most densely populated country in Africa and the fears associated with big city living, poverty, and inequity all work against Nigerian's welcoming nature. Patrick tells me that the open heartedness is much harder to encounter after dark. Personally, I don't know anything about Nigeria, but I would agree there is a welcoming nature in the parts of Africa I've been to.<br />
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Communication is easy in Nigeria, English is spoken nearly everywhere. The cost of living is low and quality of of life is high. Living expenses for a small family are typically less than $100 dollars per month. There are tremendous recreational opportunities; including beaches, natural history and cultural museums. Consumer goods are not taxed because oil revenues offset taxes. However, economic potential is wasted due to inconsistent electricity supply. A funny story Patrick told me was that he avoided studying computation because the power supplies were simply too inconsistent. So instead he does theory of the sort that can be done with pencil and paper.<br />
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Nigeria has a rich history and culture. It's a disservice for me to try and account for all of it, I really don't know much, but Patrick mentioned the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ife">Ife bronze head</a>, an extraordinary piece of metal working skill, dating back to the end of the first millennium. He also told be a couple Yoruba proverbs, and I always like proverbs. <br />
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<blockquote><i>In the presence of elders the head of the baby is straight. </i></blockquote><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ae.ca/aetoday/newsart/0901art/p8_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.ae.ca/aetoday/newsart/0901art/p8_3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straight head?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Which is to say that things become easier in the presence of experienced people. Here the straight head refers to the position of a baby, riding on his or her mother's back. This is a common way to transport babies throughout Africa, when the head leans to far to one side or the other, it just can't be a good thing.<br />
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<blockquote><i>The laminar object that goes up, will come down.</i></blockquote>By Patrick's account, this is saying that situations that are tough will eventually resolve. I can see that, although that's not how I would interpret the American proverb, '<i>what goes up must come down'</i>. I love that the object is laminar, as in layers, I think? <br />
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Finally, I read a history of the Biafra wars not long ago, and it really was eye opening. My take would be its a classic case of an economically dominate ethnic minority literally being killed for their status. After much genocide, that minority (the Igbo) tried to form an independent state, Biafra, and that's the Biafran war. They lost, and Nigeria is Nigeria. The Igbo, Patrick tells me are famous business men throughout Africa. Unfortunately they do not always make their business selling things that are legal<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAke03wt0dVhyphenhyphennHmTgIQpuMsinTJmtgiT-k6tYZeHXFoXqnwMeyzLnvQDsP1VlpF-ltGQyls-MbpPblja3huVjd0uExQsyoLcpJDR-lSHPqx5GYkR7tNuTFi39b6sAomYOHFs1EcDVp0yi/s320/P9102428.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A page from Patrick's notebook.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In terms of academic interests, Patrick works in applied math. Presently, he is proving theorems about a certain class of non-differentiable contact problems, essentially, demonstrating that solutions exist. Beyond that, Patrick is looking critically at the issue of regularization, and determining if it is indeed justified. Patrick has done a bit of teaching, and finds that he likes it, especially when the students are clever.<br />
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Finally, Patrick is a true intellectual, with tastes in arts and culture that are incredibly sophisticated. He reads classical literature (Toni Morrison, Sula, Faulkner, Sound and Fury, James Joyce, Ulysses), listens to jazz (Avishia Cohen, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Winton Marsalis) twentieth century classical music (Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Prokofiev" title="Sergei Prokofiev"></a>, Debussy, Ravel), and is an accomplished online chess player.<br />
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Phew, it all makes me feel like a little bit of a heathen. It's good that Patrick has also seen a few episodes of CSI, and likes the movies of Leonardo DiCaprio. Otherwise, we wouldn't have much to talk about. But I'm working to corrupt him. I think I'll give him a few episodes of Deadwood to watch, and a TV on the Radio CD to listen to.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-35967264606650397012010-09-08T10:47:00.000-07:002010-09-11T00:07:59.089-07:00Work<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuGCZZN-9aVJa5M1LqhSJ_c42Zv4mUQEhgUMjNmBa3mOYUgVu61DcawLLfDcIs-5yfuYxuG7X8fZIq7VFz4AiQKbkGJQX415FaHtcKinq8kJkKGqgWwIvYm-QDvReH4-SX6LY4eUTm1eZ/s1600/P9022255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuGCZZN-9aVJa5M1LqhSJ_c42Zv4mUQEhgUMjNmBa3mOYUgVu61DcawLLfDcIs-5yfuYxuG7X8fZIq7VFz4AiQKbkGJQX415FaHtcKinq8kJkKGqgWwIvYm-QDvReH4-SX6LY4eUTm1eZ/s320/P9022255.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I am a visiting academic at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Cape_Town">University of Cape Town</a>. See, it even says so on my identification card. Access to buildings on campus is tightly controlled with these cards. I assume it has some sort of RF ID chip, in addition to a magnetic strip on the back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXv9KATUV4n_IS3d7QiYjf5-AxMBHbVsTT0-DMhsN0bLuJHxj4AJIEKhyphenhyphend_WdyDTu_8ZdmoZVFwFrziiey9RoDWy-4_tqo0B6GdNhIFz8hguerOV_3ZXnFGqyEvrG0j2yMucQLRbJ17ij/s1600/P9022248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXv9KATUV4n_IS3d7QiYjf5-AxMBHbVsTT0-DMhsN0bLuJHxj4AJIEKhyphenhyphend_WdyDTu_8ZdmoZVFwFrziiey9RoDWy-4_tqo0B6GdNhIFz8hguerOV_3ZXnFGqyEvrG0j2yMucQLRbJ17ij/s320/P9022248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jameson Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The University has about 23,500 students. Founded in 1829, it is South Africa's oldest college. I am finding it to be much the same as other campuses I've been on. Walk around and you'll see 18-25 year old people, out in courtship display. The campus has a bar; one of those impossibly grown up things we don't have on American campuses anymore. Some of the major halls are named after characters of dubious integrity. Like the centrally located Jameson Hall (right). At Cecil Rhodes' instigation, Jameson led a military fiasco to take the gold mines of Johannesburg from the Boers. It seems that Rhodes and company were so used to stealing from African tribes, they couldn't imaging that looting one more would be much trouble. Even if it was a tribe of Dutchmen. Look at the stairs. The campus is built on a hill side, I counted 291 stairs on the way to my office. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyYiwsxjWHzse1_4iW7cT2l1HqGeRcltZyzTiJO0tajSuC4j67ejCZ8VNkHdN9GieLTWd5j9JDFUBLxhYX01eJxdVERmOD9BRA-ZRdPHByva_rPSYskji55fqZ27jla4SVAimDFkEZMpC/s1600/P9012203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyYiwsxjWHzse1_4iW7cT2l1HqGeRcltZyzTiJO0tajSuC4j67ejCZ8VNkHdN9GieLTWd5j9JDFUBLxhYX01eJxdVERmOD9BRA-ZRdPHByva_rPSYskji55fqZ27jla4SVAimDFkEZMpC/s320/P9012203.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smuts Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then again, some buildings are named after people I like, such as<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_smuts"> Jan Smuts</a>. In my opinion, he was a fair, intelligent, and resolute man. He was among the first of the Afrikaners to recognize that Africans were a fact of African life, and ignoring or denigrating them was not helpful. He also humiliated the British military machine during the second Boer war. To the left is a picture of his hall. Typical of many of the buildings, with a courtyard and ivy covered walls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvwxYNc2_zFQVizNNVMNuXH4gFT1ERah6u2GQucSoO5prJrYRpYPfcVJmNLRrnRNAXniLsNMqNG_vQLUpcFIz464-t5Op1eP-1dE8dlEN_jod8AzeutBprJzcI0mHx1x4AFS8THKIyAZN/s1600/P9012205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvwxYNc2_zFQVizNNVMNuXH4gFT1ERah6u2GQucSoO5prJrYRpYPfcVJmNLRrnRNAXniLsNMqNG_vQLUpcFIz464-t5Op1eP-1dE8dlEN_jod8AzeutBprJzcI0mHx1x4AFS8THKIyAZN/s320/P9012205.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CERECAM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I am working in a place called 'Center for Research in Computation and Applied Mechanics', or <a href="http://www.cerecam.uct.ac.za/">CeReCAM</a>. Folks here know a lot about the finite element method, and non-linear materials. Two things that are useful in my research. CERECEM has a special (access controlled) door; very professional. I feel like I'm part of something good working here. Much of the center's activities are in service of engineering goals, which lately appeal to me. I'm not sure I'm going to determine what sea level will be in 100 years, but darn it, I probably could have figured out a better angle to graft a vein at for a bypass, or separate good from bad mine tailings. Ah well, if I never managed a 'misspent youth', I definitely have a leg up on the 'misspent career' thing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChm3Z5R-CQltd-CxKsY1Ly1qzG5ybmzu_YbEXp0P4DQydhgP_sw3rZVg9fW9go4NPaPraxf4RxOeTH6gzYjBc7KaCYQiSfZQsDOJLrhpzWDdC0kICcb5jusdjwA92CV3oQlGP2wIBRTzu/s1600/P9082421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiChm3Z5R-CQltd-CxKsY1Ly1qzG5ybmzu_YbEXp0P4DQydhgP_sw3rZVg9fW9go4NPaPraxf4RxOeTH6gzYjBc7KaCYQiSfZQsDOJLrhpzWDdC0kICcb5jusdjwA92CV3oQlGP2wIBRTzu/s320/P9082421.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A place to call "the office", I need that in my vocabulary.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Here is my office, and me. Even though it's spring here, I'm growing my fall beard. I suppose I'm confused. You can't see it in the picture, but that internet cable admits only the thinnest trickle of internet stuff. This is a problem.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwcXHN52T-usao77916gOoc5GeCabRHAFMBu3n2nr_3LAst3o8aB2cb79CtSdw1OHZfkZxKKwnfG0jp7aZ28HrbjBZRkhpkK7ERWZtQl-H6iUIrG_wzc1o9_1cGHVKwGUK2DzWWHnsiUV/s1600/Inverted_terminus.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhwcXHN52T-usao77916gOoc5GeCabRHAFMBu3n2nr_3LAst3o8aB2cb79CtSdw1OHZfkZxKKwnfG0jp7aZ28HrbjBZRkhpkK7ERWZtQl-H6iUIrG_wzc1o9_1cGHVKwGUK2DzWWHnsiUV/s320/Inverted_terminus.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad ice sheet model.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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And here is a picture of what I've been working on. As the ice flows into a region where there is melting, the surface should lower. That's what melting does to glaciers. In my model, large amounts of melting can lead to the surface crossing over the bed. That's bad, it crashes the model, and I'm trying to stop it. Finding a solution is taking longer than I'd like, but at least I know what I'm trying to accomplish. Nothing takes the amount of time I'd like it to. Not even in South Africa.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-55118551542363040272010-08-20T13:28:00.000-07:002010-08-22T10:08:59.196-07:00The magnificentI don't know why I've always thought Africa is spectacular. The simplest answer might be that it is. But nearly every place has its magical vistas, charmed pathways, and secret gardens. It still seems more than that to me. Below are some photos to convince you that I might have a point, and a little speculation about why it can be so magnificent. Be sure to click the images to see them in a larger format.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlyHgVvSrTUq3Ssh9LGglrrkK6JbuW24u6rh6AQa1Q-ryg4viG7rM7Wb_12kpUYj3VhXraCgPxDX4BaG0607gtuCfPePnSxTehC3bI7NGT4eec6ANN8QwbfuCx8EfOVIaQ6yusT9i3144/s1600/P7261620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidlyHgVvSrTUq3Ssh9LGglrrkK6JbuW24u6rh6AQa1Q-ryg4viG7rM7Wb_12kpUYj3VhXraCgPxDX4BaG0607gtuCfPePnSxTehC3bI7NGT4eec6ANN8QwbfuCx8EfOVIaQ6yusT9i3144/s320/P7261620.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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The foot path to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Point">Cape Point </a>runs along beaches that can be accessed via a stairway, seen below. This the south-eastern most point of Africa, maybe the extremes make it special?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9VDLt_nam4_LO-0n6OKU6efFFw8ElZOqlJrFKhyphenhyphenuvDBsTtrcyrSFXliJz0NzDmWdUDu3h0-qwh93RKOafYOmlQr4-n1G3J_dx9KCcPTiMjUrOed5NgIvIJeEZr5-oriD7Nt0G0i_p3s9/s1600/P7261607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH9VDLt_nam4_LO-0n6OKU6efFFw8ElZOqlJrFKhyphenhyphenuvDBsTtrcyrSFXliJz0NzDmWdUDu3h0-qwh93RKOafYOmlQr4-n1G3J_dx9KCcPTiMjUrOed5NgIvIJeEZr5-oriD7Nt0G0i_p3s9/s320/P7261607.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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A beach where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackass_Penguin">Jackass penguins</a> are common. The exotic animals can't be overlooked as part of the experience.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEaQzeZrzE7I1LIwgEYZmt99behwpscM7bOtJBA1uZTvKpCqTNtWBbW4KoPQG1QH2uVxuOsOP582VKLFzXqFOT6x_3mTMGhz9DSdKS2AMsp6z6_XuCG1SGummZd5w9Fp705sLJCGIH768/s1600/P7261678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEaQzeZrzE7I1LIwgEYZmt99behwpscM7bOtJBA1uZTvKpCqTNtWBbW4KoPQG1QH2uVxuOsOP582VKLFzXqFOT6x_3mTMGhz9DSdKS2AMsp6z6_XuCG1SGummZd5w9Fp705sLJCGIH768/s320/P7261678.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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These are the stairs that lead to the beach off the Cape Point trail. Maybe the light helps rarefy the experience?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYebs2n0Bxxcaf-FO2fA2OrSVrMN5Two8rPHOuD56W20I_NC2QnUZ8Fv07nR69dUwkra9_YkAU7JUFDwLe3VetJzhRHOdSNFfuwzSjGRhfXoCiHyn3pvxLhGbYUmsRvt4R7II7tboTzmi2/s1600/P8021734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYebs2n0Bxxcaf-FO2fA2OrSVrMN5Two8rPHOuD56W20I_NC2QnUZ8Fv07nR69dUwkra9_YkAU7JUFDwLe3VetJzhRHOdSNFfuwzSjGRhfXoCiHyn3pvxLhGbYUmsRvt4R7II7tboTzmi2/s320/P8021734.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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This is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kirstenbosch_National_Botanical_Garden">Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.</a> As with the animals, the plants are exotic, and exciting. There is something else here; a grand vision, long term dedication to beauty, and labor. Loads of labor, it's something you notice in Africa. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLqMw2tKxfqCPVYRrmUWu8iqRUIhdCcZ6uQt03On4z7e2_2MINRxjbAn9ArdQpwZELhZVhv-nZSVhT_0orl-cLGbYFwNyWWRTQ0XBSEBTHrSPqgvgoBF0NiAXKSXZRQI_i-OLBQBctQEw/s1600/P8021760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLqMw2tKxfqCPVYRrmUWu8iqRUIhdCcZ6uQt03On4z7e2_2MINRxjbAn9ArdQpwZELhZVhv-nZSVhT_0orl-cLGbYFwNyWWRTQ0XBSEBTHrSPqgvgoBF0NiAXKSXZRQI_i-OLBQBctQEw/s320/P8021760.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protea"> king protea</a>, a Cape flower. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9akj8RWYECyrwCcfPR3ppAr4I58-OtOxTortzKtYpr357tI5q-YEMHdkj9Nke5RjulVN5wYvAAeOL0qbJeY4ZZUePOHWpemOL9Yr2eeTD_GHN84yC1sCq7Eifcx1d5xK_EgacbV2_4Y9/s1600/P8011689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9akj8RWYECyrwCcfPR3ppAr4I58-OtOxTortzKtYpr357tI5q-YEMHdkj9Nke5RjulVN5wYvAAeOL0qbJeY4ZZUePOHWpemOL9Yr2eeTD_GHN84yC1sCq7Eifcx1d5xK_EgacbV2_4Y9/s320/P8011689.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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There is a very good aquarium. Sometimes the injection of the familiar, like going to the aquarium on a rainy day, catches you off guard, and you appreciate it all the more.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpe6TkDRcm8wo-tXuozeajzo5RMLVs7Xw59uR4lnkvAoo0bNHAFFhQkHF2CHkd5FhMqWvx4jaCP1xqEL0Y2IiF-d1jruyECab135rTsZBHZjNayhpBuy4oOeKiUeIEmZp2xXXjCBurDNd/s1600/P8021800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpe6TkDRcm8wo-tXuozeajzo5RMLVs7Xw59uR4lnkvAoo0bNHAFFhQkHF2CHkd5FhMqWvx4jaCP1xqEL0Y2IiF-d1jruyECab135rTsZBHZjNayhpBuy4oOeKiUeIEmZp2xXXjCBurDNd/s320/P8021800.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Hiking trials are always fun to explore. The ladders make it all the better. This one goes up from Kirstenbosch gardens to the top of Table Mountain.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Pa3qbN6he3Jdo_vgcyh3oLH8gHITRC22VLwR96OvLSDni3zZ6x7Cd7xcbvJqnEyvgak5O7Zfs24KFWxFLJb1TNac5WUgMCgf_fO_ieHjAu6kMaK_CvciG74SU5RKzTLRGAtguxmZqaoJ/s1600/P8021854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Pa3qbN6he3Jdo_vgcyh3oLH8gHITRC22VLwR96OvLSDni3zZ6x7Cd7xcbvJqnEyvgak5O7Zfs24KFWxFLJb1TNac5WUgMCgf_fO_ieHjAu6kMaK_CvciG74SU5RKzTLRGAtguxmZqaoJ/s320/P8021854.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Occasional the view opens up, and you can see a little ways.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EaRMbeLxJRS2ddCupElKuwIkYVuP1Xtc6NH_iDDF5xOaW6fvA64hyphenhyphen-jf3NKjSAULoOIZ7kQ5GLLniMI94OjwdIw76i8kMh3b-7oUKyY4CirRAHqPvw1UHfT2UJIxxMIS6orMpBM71bhN/s1600/P8081910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EaRMbeLxJRS2ddCupElKuwIkYVuP1Xtc6NH_iDDF5xOaW6fvA64hyphenhyphen-jf3NKjSAULoOIZ7kQ5GLLniMI94OjwdIw76i8kMh3b-7oUKyY4CirRAHqPvw1UHfT2UJIxxMIS6orMpBM71bhN/s320/P8081910.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Cheetahs, it's hard to get over things like this, even though it's just a tourist trap.<br />
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All in all, it's alright here. You might even call it nourishing.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-88672953199379549632010-08-16T12:28:00.000-07:002010-08-23T06:25:51.536-07:00The mudaneTraveling can elevate the mundane to a new level; not quite magnificent, but maybe interesting. Things function in a manner you are familiar with, but are different in form or execution. Such ordinary things can force you to reflect on how your surroundings change you. So, while I'd never try and tell you about say, hair salons in the United States, I might just do so here. Without apology, here are some of the minutia of our existence in South Africa.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluL7lrg4VBGZYaCSdk2zTayWKsQJkl121CaBX_ExTKdP55qxcVqiSnZ2fYZTxtLWwRv7QYyz8hlfFNCUlaefRnazVPpmqn8pFblts0rEOXaVSKj8nrHg_7utwy05tC8c1QqzuDH363nN8/s1600/P8172094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluL7lrg4VBGZYaCSdk2zTayWKsQJkl121CaBX_ExTKdP55qxcVqiSnZ2fYZTxtLWwRv7QYyz8hlfFNCUlaefRnazVPpmqn8pFblts0rEOXaVSKj8nrHg_7utwy05tC8c1QqzuDH363nN8/s320/P8172094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Main Road, looking toward the city center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our apartment is in an area that I think is now euphemistically called 'urban'. It is situated on a major road called "Main Road". Noise from the road is significant, even annoying.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFxNM1phjnfMHEbadZfvdNFDXF6vVFj_jx3fOuRrrlik-qTFoVvXoiE-bRRCVbM4uK1v19VXUmYFqHlB5ZzlPxtcmjpu7nVb_1KBxm4-xZzzHGlT6jTWg1u739P-u_7r5NmmsPAltwNNw/s1600/P8182101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFxNM1phjnfMHEbadZfvdNFDXF6vVFj_jx3fOuRrrlik-qTFoVvXoiE-bRRCVbM4uK1v19VXUmYFqHlB5ZzlPxtcmjpu7nVb_1KBxm4-xZzzHGlT6jTWg1u739P-u_7r5NmmsPAltwNNw/s320/P8182101.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There is commerce here; things like hair braiding, inexpensive lunch counters selling delightful "bunny chow", second hand stores, and street vendors selling single cigarettes or pieces of candy. This is Africa as I remember and love, but it's no place to live. We'll be moving at the end of this month, but for now, I am enjoying the culture on Main Road, Mowbray. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zctZLHrKGyQvKmSoj8Utl5qK14cn3wCDtF-FV_mO8MeT-RYouwD2Rx85WjCg3TbO7w1JVo0uxNb5P9itUzTS4U-HqsC4pBIV3-MdOd2mKwA1AgzrBnDQ4eYRbkIrFSyqsLzCi85UeLqw/s1600/P8182100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zctZLHrKGyQvKmSoj8Utl5qK14cn3wCDtF-FV_mO8MeT-RYouwD2Rx85WjCg3TbO7w1JVo0uxNb5P9itUzTS4U-HqsC4pBIV3-MdOd2mKwA1AgzrBnDQ4eYRbkIrFSyqsLzCi85UeLqw/s320/P8182100.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite lunch counter</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">I like the 'Sunrise Chip N' Ranch', one block away. It's inexpensive and colorful. Food is plentiful, honest, and occasional even good; if you have a taste for oil laden chips. From the counter on the street you can look deep into the interior, over a vast, clean kitchen finished in stainless steel. A dark skinned Indian man watches, smoking, over a large African staff. Maybe like a homegrown White Castle, but with a much saner clientele.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl4_dPzP0zlWUWPzJFYARsVjmSGlNhBKobRmTREuTEN8a8dbvjLJycQqgFwB-kFpyD7vGi4fjKdeKKFNvxXMaDL8bcGbi40k8FOJAz-ngOYxb7VKIXm3ByRWmrqsPJlvmEMWLtCiSGap3/s1600/P8182103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUl4_dPzP0zlWUWPzJFYARsVjmSGlNhBKobRmTREuTEN8a8dbvjLJycQqgFwB-kFpyD7vGi4fjKdeKKFNvxXMaDL8bcGbi40k8FOJAz-ngOYxb7VKIXm3ByRWmrqsPJlvmEMWLtCiSGap3/s320/P8182103.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A small business</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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Micro-commerce. These guys will sell you a single piece of candy for about 2.5 cents.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjLgZ_9DShaoZ0Of_GX43N5X7HJ8IG8lTvmxCrb2R3fXI0y9BHQZLZ6_dEB9vaMICIDR88U6W6sfhzHMWckFkdeE8P25yw1Lmx844NwFf9BOkAZ_P086txmO3WPw0g9Fo3hbsLc3skGXB/s1600/P8172093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjLgZ_9DShaoZ0Of_GX43N5X7HJ8IG8lTvmxCrb2R3fXI0y9BHQZLZ6_dEB9vaMICIDR88U6W6sfhzHMWckFkdeE8P25yw1Lmx844NwFf9BOkAZ_P086txmO3WPw0g9Fo3hbsLc3skGXB/s320/P8172093.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minibus taxis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Noise is as you would expect from a busy street. On top of cars, lorries, buses, and boisterous college students, there is a near constant 'hooting', or honking of horns. This is almost entirely due to the taxis, or minibuses. These are mini-vans, with four rows of seats, a driver, and an attendant. The driver honks in rapid bursts, and the attendant shouts the destination, whistles at people (to entice them), and gets out to hustle business at busy stops. He also holds the cash bag, counts change, and gets out to press the cross walk buttons at busy stops, forcing competing mini-vans to fall behind in the race to collect customers. Predatory commerce.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSuPYegaGDGH2NZRvQ7D8evccXGqpmzBgbMWP0v6EPuTW7juyiwQNUI_H2Ex8tAsZ2XdWEnoHOmBcoMOfVpBL4wrVjtEfxLvDnOMmZIivVJI8oMUpQon3XZZUNUBMgFUKPdTxcXGHAPTb/s1600/P8172095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSuPYegaGDGH2NZRvQ7D8evccXGqpmzBgbMWP0v6EPuTW7juyiwQNUI_H2Ex8tAsZ2XdWEnoHOmBcoMOfVpBL4wrVjtEfxLvDnOMmZIivVJI8oMUpQon3XZZUNUBMgFUKPdTxcXGHAPTb/s320/P8172095.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simplicity</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The apartment is utilitarian. 3 bedrooms, one bath. Equipped, but minimally. This has its pleasures, see the photo; do your cupboards look like this? Ours never did. Instead it was a jumble of confusing stuff, promotional mugs and hold overs from very young children. It was all piled high, conspiring to tumble down on the next person to open the cupboard.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PgIWRw5ARE_5Xq48b1yJzQTVeFWJir6EV69BeuC0_hplF99lGu7GclTWClhfHxaV_ivua6CaykxA_BhpIh9JX9di1cgS9OVa6f9GWcUZCsQAnT8dgVGP7HrJET_wRiiq8p4og8tJu73J/s1600/P8162079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PgIWRw5ARE_5Xq48b1yJzQTVeFWJir6EV69BeuC0_hplF99lGu7GclTWClhfHxaV_ivua6CaykxA_BhpIh9JX9di1cgS9OVa6f9GWcUZCsQAnT8dgVGP7HrJET_wRiiq8p4og8tJu73J/s320/P8162079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard for soccer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There is a nice courtyard the boys have been using for soccer. There are a lot of other people here, and some of them are interesting. Like the Nigerian Mathematician, the Chinese Confucian, and the South African Physician. The boys get some attention, being the only kids around.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5M1WuoUErFTHdsLUSeqSKtL62dJXsaOTHoi4E-hdhL7TfHWprLgLLg98naOeozzL1wPj2qe1fsMeazG3spdkG1jnP2peSEnJxR5EBHSznB_qJHTKV5xA-vlP00b4ZvIMiJUnUSqExKT96/s1600/P8162080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5M1WuoUErFTHdsLUSeqSKtL62dJXsaOTHoi4E-hdhL7TfHWprLgLLg98naOeozzL1wPj2qe1fsMeazG3spdkG1jnP2peSEnJxR5EBHSznB_qJHTKV5xA-vlP00b4ZvIMiJUnUSqExKT96/s320/P8162080.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There's no problem getting what you need. Malls are of shamefully extravagant, more so than I've ever seen in America, although I confess, that they are not often a place I want to go. They are well stocked with amazing produce, inexpensive clothing, and expensive electronic gizmos. I like that there are supermarkets and pharmacies in the malls, then there is something useful to buy. Oh, they've got a lot of underpants too, apparently one can never have enough of them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kqyCzFeZoW0qalrlkVTq64F3mu4fNs0zLCgeTKvkcwMyjxLaw1A50KBZf1rueq5dejBDRPfbJ2VzS9c_29pSzN5MM44mgd4v9RewybP_QyO4HK2FGbSFdz18vcQ6rgI5XtfZ6WKlpMPt/s1600/P8021857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kqyCzFeZoW0qalrlkVTq64F3mu4fNs0zLCgeTKvkcwMyjxLaw1A50KBZf1rueq5dejBDRPfbJ2VzS9c_29pSzN5MM44mgd4v9RewybP_QyO4HK2FGbSFdz18vcQ6rgI5XtfZ6WKlpMPt/s320/P8021857.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A 2005 1986 Corolla hatchback. Razz-a-ma-Tazz!<br />
It's got a carburetor. <br />
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Cars are expensive here, but as with everything, easy to shop for. After a little deliberation, we opted for a best seller with good fuel economy. As it happens, something very similar to the 1986 Toyota Corolla was manufactured in South Africa until 2005 and sold under the "Tazz" name. This is a very stable, basic car. No power steering, brakes, or windows. No cruise control, ABS, or airbags. 38 miles per gallon, very reliable, and very likely to sell for what we paid. I wish I could buy one in America. What a great idea, take a really good car, and just keep right on making it.<br />
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I should really show a screen door from South Africa. It's worth thinking about.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-JhLrp3fDmW7ELRtkg1aSUcRLcbGPUrkes86uNz2HF_-G5FMlop40jIwJcUcYBeDM6N4Iiio2dvWfFf7bvkwn2nuyAJsE3htk90De7ABsDk0l5k_KUYy9hNwAClM-Q-9fOpd-mnNxAHI/s1600/P8102025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-JhLrp3fDmW7ELRtkg1aSUcRLcbGPUrkes86uNz2HF_-G5FMlop40jIwJcUcYBeDM6N4Iiio2dvWfFf7bvkwn2nuyAJsE3htk90De7ABsDk0l5k_KUYy9hNwAClM-Q-9fOpd-mnNxAHI/s320/P8102025.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Screen doors just aren't a happy thought. Let me close instead with a image from our marine environment. Boats are nearly always photogenic. It would be an exaggeration to say this is in our neighborhood, but it is just around.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-57993481070272926922010-08-14T01:16:00.000-07:002010-08-14T09:45:21.337-07:00The journey<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoij50hwBkYikXWjTr1mJNNYGjsGDtg-PJnXZNOox1TTkpB9ZdF-En-0we3InCrBuS60f-yAEn2BJ0OZNVe-hP-VWfM_TIztzWROTpTsgwuQ4pFtzLC0fU73BRgkQmmXkXg7AUntXqLXR/s1600/P7211544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoij50hwBkYikXWjTr1mJNNYGjsGDtg-PJnXZNOox1TTkpB9ZdF-En-0we3InCrBuS60f-yAEn2BJ0OZNVe-hP-VWfM_TIztzWROTpTsgwuQ4pFtzLC0fU73BRgkQmmXkXg7AUntXqLXR/s320/P7211544.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything we need, right here in the van.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A cliche of the travel journal, and perennial question from those that care for you: 'How was the flight?'<br />
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God awful, but temporary.<br />
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Can it really be any other way? 30.5 hours on a plane. 6 more in airports.<br />
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I suppose there were a few instants worth relating. Like seeing a years worth of luggage fit in the back of the van (on the right).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cvrjI2ck8nZCfJZh2RGreTXbbCBIRLCsmfdE-gBMUTUMOs7m1vESyq48OH_SqYvuXPXZCtRgtlakFmVYUxM5aFK21rHVk7DvkgXq33QWAYdkM_EsbYp-bp8KLu3Epdzri0_PAFC5jQne/s1600/P7211555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cvrjI2ck8nZCfJZh2RGreTXbbCBIRLCsmfdE-gBMUTUMOs7m1vESyq48OH_SqYvuXPXZCtRgtlakFmVYUxM5aFK21rHVk7DvkgXq33QWAYdkM_EsbYp-bp8KLu3Epdzri0_PAFC5jQne/s320/P7211555.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Netherlands: a country from the future?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Or seeing that those amazing Dutch put together a library of culture and arts in the airport, accessible through a sleek new iPad. Abraham, of course, was not amused by this. As any eight year old knows, iPads are for video games. Schipol was also a pivotal point in the journey in terms stress. Fatigue and uncertainty overwhelmed, leading to a fierce battle over sitting down to order lunch, or going through the cafeteria line. Thankfully, there is no photographic record of the incident.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://neil.iaminawe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/julius-malema1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://neil.iaminawe.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/julius-malema1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julius Malema, future of the ANC?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I managed to sit next to a white South African University of Cape Town student on the flight south. I enjoyed talking to him. As usual with South Africans, given time and alcohol, conversation turns to race and politics. His attitudes were harder than I had hoped for, echoing many of the attitudes I remember from 15 years ago. I don't have the energy to even begin to discuss them now. Maybe it's best to present a couple of things he mentioned. First, we talked about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Malema">Julius Malema, ANC Youth League President</a>. He likes to sing a song called 'Kill the Boer'. He also is an admirer of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_mugabe">Robert Mugabe</a>; aspiring to nationalize the farms, gold, and diamond mines. Then there was<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eug%C3%A8ne_Terre%27Blanche"> Eugène Terre'Blanche</a>, an Afrikaner nationalist hacked to death on his farm earlier this year. The wikipedia pages are more informative than I could be, but both are highly polarizing figures in South Africa, seeking political fortune by fanning the flames of very old bitterness. Both are total bummers, but similar in many ways. Except one is dead and the other may be the future of the ANC.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN23GL-DOZKdq-C6TyofooIJbOWs39WyNufQs5Ux6ECA2mPNKDAl9M4XTfovdL2Ejp1NilZw_D2wOGCPRtZEGAJcuTKfw_Ir-AD86NScRswiEUmo85mwD6_bFyEqnqWSdbbTQJDwWo5Ejz/s1600/P7221559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN23GL-DOZKdq-C6TyofooIJbOWs39WyNufQs5Ux6ECA2mPNKDAl9M4XTfovdL2Ejp1NilZw_D2wOGCPRtZEGAJcuTKfw_Ir-AD86NScRswiEUmo85mwD6_bFyEqnqWSdbbTQJDwWo5Ejz/s320/P7221559.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cape Town International.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Enough politics. In the end, we made it. How could we do anything but? We'd been imprisoned on flights. On the left, you see us arrive in Cape Town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeEHCqY5eKO46WbNtNc1kkev4uWarg2AIjBx9D0pP2hROOE1x36_hyphenhyphenORh_0cHpaAVbMsiq9TGdeouUnkfR_dAsJgd7DXrFTWzTQndB7W-NFoEhuLn30lib9FUsj3q8EP7OMDx0hdikbr1/s1600/P7221561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeEHCqY5eKO46WbNtNc1kkev4uWarg2AIjBx9D0pP2hROOE1x36_hyphenhyphenORh_0cHpaAVbMsiq9TGdeouUnkfR_dAsJgd7DXrFTWzTQndB7W-NFoEhuLn30lib9FUsj3q8EP7OMDx0hdikbr1/s320/P7221561.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bed, oh sweet bed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And on the right, see the boys get a long awaited sleep in our apartment, which was waiting ready for us, exactly as planned. Somehow, everything works here.jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1671402073619578625.post-32838227678761763022010-08-12T06:18:00.000-07:002010-08-12T11:11:55.224-07:00Preparing for departureGetting out of Missoula was enough work that it's worth relating.<br />
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I made lists, and checked things off. One of several lists is on the left. The lists for work were as bad as the ones for home. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5rxPW0V9vxpGFyR0kM0gEpkJFkwdYSCK5axqMb603QoETo3gSc0cLmZpTnLy9K8-oykWnvxbuzzyKkAFM-UsAEXFKH2zlUcUfVq0FCLeQqyUH3L2AZgWDRh2Z_6ISuAVajcHWUjWfGN0/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-08-12+at+2.53.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht5rxPW0V9vxpGFyR0kM0gEpkJFkwdYSCK5axqMb603QoETo3gSc0cLmZpTnLy9K8-oykWnvxbuzzyKkAFM-UsAEXFKH2zlUcUfVq0FCLeQqyUH3L2AZgWDRh2Z_6ISuAVajcHWUjWfGN0/s640/Screen+shot+2010-08-12+at+2.53.06+PM.png" width="288" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stuff to do before we leave town.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I'd get a little sense of accomplishment every time I ticked something off. I also learned to leave intractables like 'figure out taxes' off the list.<br />
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Here is a nasty list; the visa requirements:<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/homeaffairs/consularfees.htm">Fees</a> payable to the appropriate <a href="http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/homeaffairs/jurisdiction.htm">South African representative office</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Prescribed form <a href="http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/forms/bi84.pdf"> BI-84</a></span></li>
<li><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><i>Medical Report</i> <a href="http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/forms/medical.pdf">BI-811</a></span></b></li>
<li><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><i>Radiological Repor</i>t <a href="http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/forms/bi806.pdf">BI-806</a></span></b></li>
<li><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Police Clearance Certificate from all countries where the applicant resided for 12 months or longer since 18 years.</span></span></i></b></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">A vaccination certificate, if required;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Proof of financial means in the forms of:· </span> <br />
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<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Bank statements;· </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Salary advices;· </span></li>
</ul></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Undertaking (commitment) by the South African host;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Bursaries (grant awarded as part of a financial assistance package);· </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Medical coverage;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Cash available, including credit cards or travelers' checks to cover expenses related to the visit;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Deposit</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Marriage and birth certificate</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Applicants traveling by air must be in possession of round trip tickets, or proof of sufficient funds or lodge a cash deposit of equivalent value to such a ticket;</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Statement and/or documentation confirming the purpose and duration of visit.</span></li>
</ul>I added emphasis to the biggest hassles. I loved the medical report, I had to get my doctor to state that I was free of "mental deficiencies". So much of this experience is self-affirming. Getting the FBI to state that I had no record took some time.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvFGcG78X9J0BKeg-75bGxNbr23wxbGQsoEek6S7tg1eaJl4tvOercaF6V4kKo0S_fIiz4tQxeLqO-lAAX8CBq3yPE8nOl9GzEuWMyaQngnHsV1AKEDo_25Qcgt9HAhV8UipPmyzuw-aU/s1600/P7201542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvFGcG78X9J0BKeg-75bGxNbr23wxbGQsoEek6S7tg1eaJl4tvOercaF6V4kKo0S_fIiz4tQxeLqO-lAAX8CBq3yPE8nOl9GzEuWMyaQngnHsV1AKEDo_25Qcgt9HAhV8UipPmyzuw-aU/s320/P7201542.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of our possessions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Another major task was packing up the house and moving all of our possessions into the garage. A picture of all of our junk is on the right. Not bad, huh? It feels so much more manageable in a tidy little pile like that. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oVWJuxL2K_HSluyI_kSJqAobyU7ETmlrr8tOVMr0DnGZERC3kEiFe_LZF6Tc5px0aDm4wrmGi5vlQgzZUIzut5NXsh3CbHXHvyf0Ddco3JdoXm5WLEeBa0UN8-7TGcTVtMLN3P4jjv3J/s1600/P7201540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oVWJuxL2K_HSluyI_kSJqAobyU7ETmlrr8tOVMr0DnGZERC3kEiFe_LZF6Tc5px0aDm4wrmGi5vlQgzZUIzut5NXsh3CbHXHvyf0Ddco3JdoXm5WLEeBa0UN8-7TGcTVtMLN3P4jjv3J/s320/P7201540.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zach in the empty house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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Getting everything out of the house had the effect of making our house seem much more desirable to live in. We've got a pretty nice house, who knew?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJkePe83TfMXXRVHSrdsMbnCPrTHwese0JWF9F2XPVe39gKNjukPAFWVCEHWz1oBHEqqEDbN6HGEZNNJdtRt1hVYfvXCp67nnI8Pq9rm7znjLBw0nu-JDjSgnWErxETIoV4MOnxQvzPZh/s1600/P7201538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJkePe83TfMXXRVHSrdsMbnCPrTHwese0JWF9F2XPVe39gKNjukPAFWVCEHWz1oBHEqqEDbN6HGEZNNJdtRt1hVYfvXCp67nnI8Pq9rm7znjLBw0nu-JDjSgnWErxETIoV4MOnxQvzPZh/s320/P7201538.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to leave. Zach in yellow, Abe blue.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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Finally, we took a last family photo and spent a night on our neighbor's air mattress. Thanks neighbor Julie!jessejhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12631778816667170943noreply@blogger.com0