This will probably be my last post until the weekend. In almost exactly 24 hours my plane will be taking off from Atlanta to Dakar, Senegal, where I change planes and fly on to Cape Town. I am so excited, and even more so for having just learned what my volunteer placement is. It will be at a school called Blossom Street Primary, described as follows:
Blossom Street Primary a primary (junior) school for approx 600 - 1000 children from the age of 5 and 14yrs. The school has 30:1 student teacher ratio and classes are over-crowded. Blossom Street Primary is a public school and lacks resources and manpower. The children are a mixture of Coloured and Black and come from the surrounding areas and the nearby townships. They are all from previously disadvantaged areas and are all living in crime infested, violent communities. Many of their parents are unemployed and live below the breadline. They generally speak Afrikaans and Xhosa but English and is widely understood.
I will be working in the computer lab, a reading class, or with the physcial education teacher, but I don't know which one yet or what age the students will be. Whatever I am doing, I am so privileged to have this opportunity.
My first few nights in Cape Town will be spent at a bed and breakfast called Little Scotia, and the days spent sight-seeing and recovering from jet lag. I report to the Cross Cultural Solutions homebase on Saturday, have orientation on Sunday and Monday, and start my placement next Tuesday. Can't wait to tell you what my adventure brings!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
What's Playing in My Ear
South Africa is known for its musical traditions, and the CDs I purchased this spring give me an idea what some of it sounds like. They are:
Ancient Civilisations of Southern Africa 2: Tribal Dums of the Venda People, ARC Music, 2006. From the notes: "The Venda live in a remote region in northern South Africa. Their rituals and singing are accompanied by massive sacred and numerous secular drums, various percussion, clapping and ululations." By far the most exotic of the CDs I have, this is primal music with compelling rhythms and melodies that are almost chants.
Gift of the Tortoise: A Musical Journey through Southern Africa, by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Music for Little People (distributed by Warner Brothers), 1994.
From the notes: " Join an enchanted journey through the rich land of the Zulu people. South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo--known worldwide for their stunning vocal work on Paul Simon's Grammy award-winning Graceland album--bring their full choruses and majestic harmonies to this captivating collection of 13 South African children's song, including the classic The Lion Sleeps Tonight. With Gcina Mhlophe's sparkling narration as the minstrel tortoise and a contribution from acclaimed guitarist Johhny Clegg, this is an exciting and educational adventure designed for the whole family's listening pleasure." This is uplifting and will leave you humming.
The ROUGH GUIDE to the Music of South Africa, compiled by Phil Stanton, World Music Network, 2006.
From the notes: "South Africa is one of the great powerhouses of African music with a recording industry that stretches back to the early 20th century. From the lilting violins of the Soweto String Quartet to the African reggae of Lucky Dube, this all new secondd edition . . . is a perfect introduction to the music of the rainbow nation." The notes really say it all.
Sounds of South Africa, ARC Music, 2001.
Each track on this compilation CD comes from albums of the various artists, including Ladysmith Black Mambzo, Mzikayifani Buthelezi, Kingstar Brothers, Miriam Makeba, Boyoyo Boys, and others. The musicianship is top-notch, as is the variety of styles. This is a great CD.
Tales of South African Jazz: Styles & Influences, Sheer Sound, 2005.
From the notes: An accessible musical journey across time, representing those major artists, songs, lead instruments and styles of jazz that have had massive local and international impact within this very popular genre." None of these artists was known to me, but since hearing this CD, I have learned that many are well-known and highly-accomplished artists. Many of the tracks would sound at home at any jazz venue in the U.S., but underlying it all is something (oftnen subtle) that declares the infuences of traditional African music.
Gumboot Guitar: Zulu Street Guitar Music from South Africa, recordings by Janet Topp Fargion & Albert Nene, text by Janet Topp Fargion, Topic Records, 2003.
From the notes: "The guitar probably arrived in South Africa with Portugeuse or Arab sailors back in the 16th century, but it only started to enter vernacular African traditions in the late 19th century. The discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa at that time brought large numbers of African workers from all parts of the country--all looking for new forms of expression and relaxation. Music previously played on Zulu musical bows was transferred in the neew urban environment to the guitar and often concertina and violin too. The music was called maskanda. Musicians played for their own enjoyment, but they also joined miners' gumboot dance teams to accompany this exhilarating genre. Often lacking in formal performance arenas, most of this music-making traditionally takes place on the streets of single-sex hostel compounds. These recordings feature musicians and gumboot players who live in one such hostel outside Durban." This CD has quite unexpectedly become one of my favorites lately. The music is clearly folk music and would not be out of place at such Americana music festivals as Merlefest. Particularly outstanding is a guitarist called Blanket Mkhize.
I'll write more about live South African music in Cape Town.
Ancient Civilisations of Southern Africa 2: Tribal Dums of the Venda People, ARC Music, 2006. From the notes: "The Venda live in a remote region in northern South Africa. Their rituals and singing are accompanied by massive sacred and numerous secular drums, various percussion, clapping and ululations." By far the most exotic of the CDs I have, this is primal music with compelling rhythms and melodies that are almost chants.
Gift of the Tortoise: A Musical Journey through Southern Africa, by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Music for Little People (distributed by Warner Brothers), 1994.
From the notes: " Join an enchanted journey through the rich land of the Zulu people. South Africa's Ladysmith Black Mambazo--known worldwide for their stunning vocal work on Paul Simon's Grammy award-winning Graceland album--bring their full choruses and majestic harmonies to this captivating collection of 13 South African children's song, including the classic The Lion Sleeps Tonight. With Gcina Mhlophe's sparkling narration as the minstrel tortoise and a contribution from acclaimed guitarist Johhny Clegg, this is an exciting and educational adventure designed for the whole family's listening pleasure." This is uplifting and will leave you humming.
The ROUGH GUIDE to the Music of South Africa, compiled by Phil Stanton, World Music Network, 2006.
From the notes: "South Africa is one of the great powerhouses of African music with a recording industry that stretches back to the early 20th century. From the lilting violins of the Soweto String Quartet to the African reggae of Lucky Dube, this all new secondd edition . . . is a perfect introduction to the music of the rainbow nation." The notes really say it all.
Sounds of South Africa, ARC Music, 2001.
Each track on this compilation CD comes from albums of the various artists, including Ladysmith Black Mambzo, Mzikayifani Buthelezi, Kingstar Brothers, Miriam Makeba, Boyoyo Boys, and others. The musicianship is top-notch, as is the variety of styles. This is a great CD.
Tales of South African Jazz: Styles & Influences, Sheer Sound, 2005.
From the notes: An accessible musical journey across time, representing those major artists, songs, lead instruments and styles of jazz that have had massive local and international impact within this very popular genre." None of these artists was known to me, but since hearing this CD, I have learned that many are well-known and highly-accomplished artists. Many of the tracks would sound at home at any jazz venue in the U.S., but underlying it all is something (oftnen subtle) that declares the infuences of traditional African music.
Gumboot Guitar: Zulu Street Guitar Music from South Africa, recordings by Janet Topp Fargion & Albert Nene, text by Janet Topp Fargion, Topic Records, 2003.
From the notes: "The guitar probably arrived in South Africa with Portugeuse or Arab sailors back in the 16th century, but it only started to enter vernacular African traditions in the late 19th century. The discovery of gold and diamonds in South Africa at that time brought large numbers of African workers from all parts of the country--all looking for new forms of expression and relaxation. Music previously played on Zulu musical bows was transferred in the neew urban environment to the guitar and often concertina and violin too. The music was called maskanda. Musicians played for their own enjoyment, but they also joined miners' gumboot dance teams to accompany this exhilarating genre. Often lacking in formal performance arenas, most of this music-making traditionally takes place on the streets of single-sex hostel compounds. These recordings feature musicians and gumboot players who live in one such hostel outside Durban." This CD has quite unexpectedly become one of my favorites lately. The music is clearly folk music and would not be out of place at such Americana music festivals as Merlefest. Particularly outstanding is a guitarist called Blanket Mkhize.
I'll write more about live South African music in Cape Town.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Getting in touch with fellow volunteers
A couple of weeks ago Cross Cultural Solutions sent out an email to Cape Town volunteers who would be starting their volunteer activities in July and August, giving us information and encouraging us to contact each other. Mad flurries of emails followed. Katie, from the UK, is already there and volunteering in a school, assisting a 5th grade teacher. I'm reading her blog and have recieved a couple of emails answering my questions.
Bottome line--this is going to be a great group to volunteer with!
Bottome line--this is going to be a great group to volunteer with!
Monday, July 14, 2008
This definitely falls into the "small world" category
Have you ever been to summer camp? You know, one of those places where nobody knows anybody else when you first arrive, everyone is a long way from home, and you are going to be together for what seems like a long time. If you have been in this or a similar situation, you know how strong the bonds are that you forge with the others in your group.
The same thing happens when you study abroad, except that you know it will be for longer than those few weeks at summer camp. For me this was in September 1972, when I arrived in Heidelberg to study for my college junior year abroad. I didn't know anyone on that side of the Atlantic, and I loved every bit of the unfamiliarity and the anticipation of all the new, but as yet unimaginable, experiences my year abroad would bring.
I loved it so much I stayed four years.
Now, it is 36 years later (can it be so long), and in spite of losing track of some of my Heidelberg friends, I still am in contact with some of those people I bonded with so long ago. One of them lives in Cape Town. We haven't seen each other in over 30 years, and I've never met his wife and three sons, but I have a feeling that 5 minutes into the meeting, we will be talking like our time in Heidelberg was only yesterday.
That's how is was when I visited Germany in 2004 for the first time since I had returned to the the States in 1976. My husband Mark and I flew into Frankfurt and took a train to Koblenz, where my very good friend Uschi (German nickname for Ursula) and her husband Peter met us and took us back to their house. Uschi and I had become fast friends during our student days. I had visited her hometown of Daun in the Eifel Mountains and stayed with her family; she and her husband still lived there, but we were meeting each other's husbands for the first time. Uschi and I had kept in touch for years, lost touch for more than that, and then I had found her again (hooray for the Internet!) a couple of months before our trip to Germany. And within 5 minutes we were talking and laughing and hugging and time slipped away. And our husbands hit it off, too!
When my daughter Caitlin left last August for her junior year abroad in Heidelberg, it was Uschi and Peter who picked her up at the airport, took her home to Daun with them for a week, introduced her to their son and daughter who were also studying at university (but not in Heidelberg), gave her kitchen items and bedding for her student apartment, and drove her to Heidelberg and made sure she was settled in. (Did I tell you that Uschi was a good friend?) And Caitlin has made the same kind of fast friends in her time there. She will miss them when she comes home next week.
Now to the "small world" part. Uschi and I hadn't written in a couple of months, but I heard from her recently. She shared the news that her son Martin is finishing up his studies in urban planning and is starting a three-month internship this week for the city of--are you ready?--Cape Town!! Uschi didn't know about my plans until I wrote her back, and neither of us could believe it. Of course I won't be able to return all the kindness she and Peter showed Caitlin, but Martin and I are already in touch and I plan to at least take him out for a nice dinner.
And I know I will meet wonderful people volunteering through Cross-Cultural Solutions and even more locals at my placement--more friendships that I hope stand the test of time, more people to visit in various parts of the world, and more people to visit me.
And it is, indeed, a small world.
The same thing happens when you study abroad, except that you know it will be for longer than those few weeks at summer camp. For me this was in September 1972, when I arrived in Heidelberg to study for my college junior year abroad. I didn't know anyone on that side of the Atlantic, and I loved every bit of the unfamiliarity and the anticipation of all the new, but as yet unimaginable, experiences my year abroad would bring.
I loved it so much I stayed four years.
Now, it is 36 years later (can it be so long), and in spite of losing track of some of my Heidelberg friends, I still am in contact with some of those people I bonded with so long ago. One of them lives in Cape Town. We haven't seen each other in over 30 years, and I've never met his wife and three sons, but I have a feeling that 5 minutes into the meeting, we will be talking like our time in Heidelberg was only yesterday.
That's how is was when I visited Germany in 2004 for the first time since I had returned to the the States in 1976. My husband Mark and I flew into Frankfurt and took a train to Koblenz, where my very good friend Uschi (German nickname for Ursula) and her husband Peter met us and took us back to their house. Uschi and I had become fast friends during our student days. I had visited her hometown of Daun in the Eifel Mountains and stayed with her family; she and her husband still lived there, but we were meeting each other's husbands for the first time. Uschi and I had kept in touch for years, lost touch for more than that, and then I had found her again (hooray for the Internet!) a couple of months before our trip to Germany. And within 5 minutes we were talking and laughing and hugging and time slipped away. And our husbands hit it off, too!
When my daughter Caitlin left last August for her junior year abroad in Heidelberg, it was Uschi and Peter who picked her up at the airport, took her home to Daun with them for a week, introduced her to their son and daughter who were also studying at university (but not in Heidelberg), gave her kitchen items and bedding for her student apartment, and drove her to Heidelberg and made sure she was settled in. (Did I tell you that Uschi was a good friend?) And Caitlin has made the same kind of fast friends in her time there. She will miss them when she comes home next week.
Now to the "small world" part. Uschi and I hadn't written in a couple of months, but I heard from her recently. She shared the news that her son Martin is finishing up his studies in urban planning and is starting a three-month internship this week for the city of--are you ready?--Cape Town!! Uschi didn't know about my plans until I wrote her back, and neither of us could believe it. Of course I won't be able to return all the kindness she and Peter showed Caitlin, but Martin and I are already in touch and I plan to at least take him out for a nice dinner.
And I know I will meet wonderful people volunteering through Cross-Cultural Solutions and even more locals at my placement--more friendships that I hope stand the test of time, more people to visit in various parts of the world, and more people to visit me.
And it is, indeed, a small world.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Recent news from Cape Town
Here is an excerpt from the latest email from my friend Hugh in Cape Town (received Tuesday, July 8). Notice the last paragraph, which relates to some of the problems that make the work of Cross-Cultural Solutions and its volunteers so important.
I have just returned from Grahamstown so I am putting things in order again. The festival was a hoot. The National Arts Festival is the biggest one of its kind in Africa, There are over 100 venues offering everything from theatre (main and fringe) to dance, music, comedy, visual arts, and literature. The action starts at 10am and finishes at midnight. The entire town is used including all the university facilities, theatres, concert halls residences, lecture theatres and parkes. The schools all provide their halls, gymnasiums as well as scout halls and drill halls. Theatre seating is improvised using scaffolding to create raked seating. The students union is turned into a nightclub and the townspeople get in on the action by creating street stalls, improvised restaurants, and taking space at the village green which is turned into a fair selling all kinds of crafts, trinkets, souveniers and junk as well as food.
The people of Grahamstown built a monument to the 1820 settlers about 25 years ago. Instead of a statue or a tower they opted for a cultural complex consisting of a concert hall, theatres and exhibition spaces and this forms the core of the festival. We saw two concerts here, one a formal programme of classical music and singing and the other a gala concert featuring the Cape Town Symphony doing an eclectic choice of pieces.
We saw an average of 4 shows a day, many of them one man productions usually lasting an hour or so. We also saw a fair amount of stand-up comedy, which the 2 boys loved ( the third, Tristan, is doing community work with a bunch of kids from around the world in something called Global Leadership Adventures). We stayed in a university residence which was spartan but for sleeping only because we were out on the town every day.
Highlights were a condensed version of Midsummernights Dream - only Puck's story and the thespians - played out in a large garden where the audience moved from scene to scene as the actors used different parts of the garden as backdrops - and the jazz festival which is a mini festival within the main festival. There were a number of international players so it was interesting to hear the different types of jazz being played.
Meanwhile back in Cape Town a cold front had set in and it came bucketing down. Yesterday the City announced that 16,000 people had been displaced due to flooding. The problem is that for the last 14 years the city has received about 45,000 immigrants per annum and there is no way that the city infrastructure has been able to keep up. So every year disaster management goes on high alert to try and help the indigent. Today the forecast is for more rain.
I have just returned from Grahamstown so I am putting things in order again. The festival was a hoot. The National Arts Festival is the biggest one of its kind in Africa, There are over 100 venues offering everything from theatre (main and fringe) to dance, music, comedy, visual arts, and literature. The action starts at 10am and finishes at midnight. The entire town is used including all the university facilities, theatres, concert halls residences, lecture theatres and parkes. The schools all provide their halls, gymnasiums as well as scout halls and drill halls. Theatre seating is improvised using scaffolding to create raked seating. The students union is turned into a nightclub and the townspeople get in on the action by creating street stalls, improvised restaurants, and taking space at the village green which is turned into a fair selling all kinds of crafts, trinkets, souveniers and junk as well as food.
The people of Grahamstown built a monument to the 1820 settlers about 25 years ago. Instead of a statue or a tower they opted for a cultural complex consisting of a concert hall, theatres and exhibition spaces and this forms the core of the festival. We saw two concerts here, one a formal programme of classical music and singing and the other a gala concert featuring the Cape Town Symphony doing an eclectic choice of pieces.
We saw an average of 4 shows a day, many of them one man productions usually lasting an hour or so. We also saw a fair amount of stand-up comedy, which the 2 boys loved ( the third, Tristan, is doing community work with a bunch of kids from around the world in something called Global Leadership Adventures). We stayed in a university residence which was spartan but for sleeping only because we were out on the town every day.
Highlights were a condensed version of Midsummernights Dream - only Puck's story and the thespians - played out in a large garden where the audience moved from scene to scene as the actors used different parts of the garden as backdrops - and the jazz festival which is a mini festival within the main festival. There were a number of international players so it was interesting to hear the different types of jazz being played.
Meanwhile back in Cape Town a cold front had set in and it came bucketing down. Yesterday the City announced that 16,000 people had been displaced due to flooding. The problem is that for the last 14 years the city has received about 45,000 immigrants per annum and there is no way that the city infrastructure has been able to keep up. So every year disaster management goes on high alert to try and help the indigent. Today the forecast is for more rain.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Barbecue, Baseball, Beer, and Fireworks--the perfect National Holiday
Although Independence Day commemorates the establishment of democracy in our country--a serious event--the Fourth of July has become a day of patriotic fun. For me this means barbecue, baseball, beer, and of course, fireworks. We live near Kannapolis, North Carolina, home of the single-A baseball team and Chicago White Sox farm team, the Kannapolis Intimidators (the team was once owned by hometown hero Dale Earnhardt). This year luck was with us, as the Intimidators were in the midst of a home series, with games (all followed by fireworks) scheduled for July 3, 4, and 5. On the third we saw homeruns, double-plays, a grand slam by first baseman Mark Fleisher, and a much rarer treat when second-baseman Dale Mollenhauer hit for the cycle. And we had fireworks. And we won the game. But sadly, Independence Day itself brought thunderstorms with torrential rains and a rained out game. The next day, though, did make up for some of the disappointment as we had a double-header.
For South Africa a national holiday celebrating the establishment of democracy in their country only recently became possible. I hope that 232 years after South Africa's first democratic election it is still celebrated there.
For South Africa a national holiday celebrating the establishment of democracy in their country only recently became possible. I hope that 232 years after South Africa's first democratic election it is still celebrated there.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Three weeks and five days to go
There is so much to catch everyone up on! First, I am out of the orthopedic boot and the ankle is healing very nicely. I am wearing an ankle brace and doing physical therapy excercises to strengthen the muscles, so I should be ready for all the walking I plan on doing in South Africa.
Second, all the shots and innoculations are done. Although the Western Cape is malaria-free, I'll be taking anti-malarials so that if an opportunity comes along to travel, the chance of encountering mosquitos won't preclude a great experience in a different part of the country.
Third, I keep finding more books to read. Below is a list of what I have read so far, not in any particular order.
Fiction:
Beethoven was One-Sixteenth Black, Nadine Gordimer
July's People, by Nadine Gordimer
The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay
Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton
Non-fiction:
Tomorrow is Another Country, by Allister Sparks
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiograpahy of Nelson Mandela
Africa & Africans, by Paul Bohannan and Phillip Curlin
South Africa, A Case Study, edited by Rita M. Byrnes
A History of South Africa, by Leonard Thompson
Culture Smart! South Africa: A Quick Guide to Customs & Etiquette, by David Holt-Biddle
Cape Town, by Simon Richmond (Lonely Planet guide)
South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland, by Mary Fitzpatrick et al (Lonely Planet guide)
Insight Guides: South Africa
Travel Maps by Globetrotter:
Cape Town
South Africa
Books I have on my bedside table but haven't read yet:
Bitter Fruit, by Achmat Dangor
None to Accompany Me, by Nadine Gordimer
Life & Times of Michael K, by J. M. Coetzee
My Traitor's Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face his Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience, by Rian Malan
Disgrace, by J. M. Coetzee
Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography, by Mark Mathabane
The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence, by Martin Meredith
So it looks like I'll be reading really fast on those long plane rides, while I am there, and a good long while after I come back!
Second, all the shots and innoculations are done. Although the Western Cape is malaria-free, I'll be taking anti-malarials so that if an opportunity comes along to travel, the chance of encountering mosquitos won't preclude a great experience in a different part of the country.
Third, I keep finding more books to read. Below is a list of what I have read so far, not in any particular order.
Fiction:
Beethoven was One-Sixteenth Black, Nadine Gordimer
July's People, by Nadine Gordimer
The Power of One, by Bryce Courtenay
Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton
Non-fiction:
Tomorrow is Another Country, by Allister Sparks
Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiograpahy of Nelson Mandela
Africa & Africans, by Paul Bohannan and Phillip Curlin
South Africa, A Case Study, edited by Rita M. Byrnes
A History of South Africa, by Leonard Thompson
Culture Smart! South Africa: A Quick Guide to Customs & Etiquette, by David Holt-Biddle
Cape Town, by Simon Richmond (Lonely Planet guide)
South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland, by Mary Fitzpatrick et al (Lonely Planet guide)
Insight Guides: South Africa
Travel Maps by Globetrotter:
Cape Town
South Africa
Books I have on my bedside table but haven't read yet:
Bitter Fruit, by Achmat Dangor
None to Accompany Me, by Nadine Gordimer
Life & Times of Michael K, by J. M. Coetzee
My Traitor's Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face his Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience, by Rian Malan
Disgrace, by J. M. Coetzee
Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography, by Mark Mathabane
The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence, by Martin Meredith
So it looks like I'll be reading really fast on those long plane rides, while I am there, and a good long while after I come back!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
