Double Gold

I was fortunate after only a few days at the GAP school to be able to attend a choir competition. I didn't know much about what was going on, but having heard snippets of practice, I knew I wanted to be there. Besides, as the person who would likely be helping develop a yearbook and a webpage -- pictures needed to be taken.

There were only 3 choirs in our school's category. One school couldn't attend, I've now forgotten the reason. The first choir was from the Africaans school. In Canada we have schools based in a specific language, e.g., our French immersion schools in Ontario, because we are a nation of two languages. South Africa is a nation of 11 languages -- Africaans, English, Xhosa, Zula and 7 other South African languages. So, to find that there was an Africaans school, was not too surprising. They sang a song in English and one in Africaans. They did a good job, though the selections were rather old-fashioned from such a

youthful group.

The Queen's College boys then performed. Their's is a prestigious boys' school that has been around 151 years. It is a private school where fees are paid and with such history behind them, plus lots of government support in the "old days", they are fortunate to have wonderful facilities. There is a girls' school counterpart nearby which has a similar history and tradition. They both are schools for kids up to grade 12, when they attempt to pass the nation-wide matriculation exams at the end of the school year. These boys performed admirably. They did two songs in English. One slow, the other lively, rhythmical and accompanied with movement. As the choirs sang, their competitors listened appreciatively.

The time came for the GAP choir to sing and I almost didn't get my camera out in time I was so taken with the environment of the ivy covered buildings, stain glass windows, earnest singers and excited teachers. The GAP choir sang one song in English and one song in Xhosa. It was also a contrast of styles, one slow, the other lively and animated with gestures and dancing. At the sound of their full-throated voices that filled the hall completely with a mature sound that defied their years -- my socks were officially knocked off. Listen!

When the judges gave the results of their deliberations, they had good things to say about all the groups and some constructive comments. But based on the performance, musicianship, tonality and everything that makes a choir outstanding, they awarded the GAP choir a gold in both categories, giving them the edge in the competition. They had won a Double Gold! This was a proud moment for the group and for their teacher who has been at the school barely two years. As we were about to board vehicles to return to school, the exultant choir posed for pictures and couldn't contain themselves. They spontaneously burst into song, just for the love and joy of it. I didn't even know these kids, had been there only two days, but I was so proud and touched by their exuberance, that I knew I wanted to be a part of the effort to help them be successful.

First Hike

This was the road toward Long Hill mountain. Jess, Verna and John wanted to go hiking and were kind enough to ask me along. I of course said yes, forgetting that I had just completed a 30 hour trip from Toronto. I was pumped. I came to Africa to see and to do, not to lie around. So off we went.

South Africa is well south of the equator as well as being in the southern hemisphere. The seasons are backwards to ours. It was winter there, but as you can see from the picture, they were definitely having a warm spell. The nights tend to be cool -- maybe down to 5 degrees or so, but the days when we first arrived were getting up to
23 degrees (that's Celsius of course) It has cooled off since and I'm glad I brought the tights and long-sleeved shirts that I did. The buildings don't have central heating and they are built to be cool in the 40 plus degrees of summer. Consequently, it is often cooler inside that it is outside during the winter months.

In the background you can see some housing. There is a various huge and obvious economic gap in South Africa. We are housed in a more affluent part of town, not dissimilar from a Canadian small town, with the exception of right hand drive in vehicles. The South Africans have the British style. I have to remind myself which way to look when I'm crossing a street because it's the opposite of what I've had to do all my life. There aren't any sidewalks -- kind of like some of the streets in south Etobicoke. There's just grass and the drainage ditch. The houses where we are living seem to be made of brick with stucco, as in many hot climates in the world. There is no insulation or even central heating. The emphasis is on staying cool, so in the winter months people resort to space heaters and electric heating pads for the bed!

To the right you see a home under construction. This house was located at a high point on a big hill and would be the highest building in town. The pictures shows what it is supposed to look like. It was being built by the manufacturer of a South African soft drink who is very wealthy. We walked past on our way on a hike up the Long Hill mountain where we hoped to see monkeys.

We didn't see monkeys, but as we walked up the hill we saw other animals, I don't know what it is called, some type of antelope or gazelle. But it was a surprise, when out of the woods we saw a few of them grazing. We tried to get as close as we could without scaring them away and were able to get some pictures. The place where we were walking was actually a game reserve and the animals were protected. There were zebra, but we didn't see any that day and I'm not sure if anyone saw any monkeys scurrying out of sight.







You can kind of see the houses in the background. This was the amazing part. We had walked maybe 40 minutes or so and we were seeing wildlife so close to human habitation. The vegetation was very dry. There has been a drought in the area and the grass is brown and even the cacti are looking kind of dried up. But even so there was brilliant colour here and there and life was flourishing. This is also winter in South Africa so many of the leaves have long ago dropped from the trees, giving it the barren look of a Canadian winter, only without the snow.





















As we continued our walk, we noticed some music and heard the sounds of people. As we approached, my companions realized that the group of people were probably high school matric students having their dance in a lovely natural surrounding. They were beautifully attired, had their portable sound system playing and their home made food adorning the benches. As I slowed down, they called us over because they wanted to take some pictures. It reminded me of China, only this time I wasn't the one who stood out!!

First Days in Africa

August 9

I can hardly believe I am here. I arrived in East London where my feet first touched African soil after so many hours in the air and at airports. This was where I would meet another Canadian volunteer and where our African driver, a man I learned who was busy using his skills, ingenuity and resources to develop opportunities for young people, would pick us up and take us to Queenstown.

East London is on the Indian Ocean side of South Africa. Seeing my eagerness at glimpsing the magnificence of the waves and the water, our driver graciously made a small detour to let me take some pictures and to see the ocean up close and personal. We drove through town, which was much larger than our destination, but not a metropolis like Johanesburg. As we drove, my ears caught the melodious sounds of a choir harmonizing in that joyous South African way that I associate with Ladysmith Black Mombazo. Too bad my camera was out of reach at that moment. When we stopped by the oceanside I climbed over the small wall and went to the waters edge. It was then that I truly marveled that I was actually in Africa, the land of my forefathers.

When we got to our destination in Queenstown, I was pleasantly surprised to find a very large and well-appointed room that would be mine. The other two women had agree to let me have the best of the three rooms owing to my status as a senior citizen. Well.... getting old has some rewards! There is a big picture window that looks out on the enclosed yard with shrubs around the periphery and a big tree under which there are table and chairs for eating outdoors. The room has it's own bathroom complete with a shower and a separate tub that is long enough to stretch my legs out full. We each have our own rooms and share the kitchen, dining and living room area, all of which are bright, spacious and comfortable.

Although it is winter here, the temperature was in the low 20's. It seems the back of winter has already been broken, though as I write this we are having a bit of a cold spell. There is no central heating as we have in Canada. The buildings are designed for the 40+ degree temperatures to come... they retain coolness. It means you need warm indoor slippers. I brought slipper socks as well as slippers. You must have warm sleeping wear as well as something cozy to wear in the house too. The hoodie that I brought seems to be doing the trick. Long underwear or tights are a necessity. At times it's warmer outside than in so dressing in layers is key to comfort and staying healthy.

After a few introductions and social amenities I retired -- or should I say crashed -- for the evening. I was beat. I had been nodding off in the car during the ride through Queenstown and didn't get to see much. I didn't know what I'd be doing for the long weekend, before starting the job, but the next couple of days would be full of more physical activity than I ever would have expected.

On the Way

August 5

Here I sit in the Heathrow Airport after waking from a fatigue and boredom induced nap. I arrived after a 6 hour 20 minute flight across the Atlantic on a journey that began at 11:45 or so in the evening. The plane did not leave on time. With a flight that began at the end of a day still crammed with preparations for departure, I didn’t have too much trouble sleeping, although fitfully because … let’s face it … airplanes are inherently uncomfortable. I knew I would have an 8 ½ hour layover and I wanted to be rested up. I thought perhaps I might even try to make it into downtown London. I remember that is exactly what I did once – on one of my journeys to India, but that was in the Eighties, this was post 9.1.1.

The first thing I did upon landing was go through customs not once, but twice. On my way from the washroom, I didn’t really notice the sign that directed me to Terminal 1 where I needed to be. Instead, following my herding instinct of discombobulated humans everywhere, I found the shortest line and stood in it. Only after I completed the annoying process, not seeing any sign for Terminal 3 did I think I had better ask a question or two. The security guard pointed me in the right direction and said “Go.”

I guess that is one advantage of an 8 ½ hour layover. You can afford to be dazed and confused and still have time to be at the right place at the right time. After passing through customs the second time, I made my way to the South African Airline counter only to find it unattended. Apparently, it was too early for them to even be there. I had a pressing question to ask too. I had to find out whether I would need to pick up my bag in Johannesburg or whether I would undergo customs in the smaller city of East London. I had to cool my heels until 2:00 at least, when someone would be at the counter. So what to do except explore my surroundings.

The airport was a testament to commerce. Lots of places to spend money and quite a few places to sit and wait or lie and wait because thankfully many of the seats did not have those bothersome arm rests that force you to sit upright. But I was still playing with the idea of going into town, so I went to the Currency Exchange. I hoped to get some information there because I didn’t see any airport sponsored information booths helping people to get the answers to their questions. Hmmmm. Maybe that was because I was still in Departures and not Arrivals. Anyway, the young woman at the currency exchange was very helpful. She gave me a range of options in what I could do, but in that moment I suddenly felt very tired.

I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how much money I needed. The cash I had on hand if converted wouldn’t yield me very much to spending money. I didn’t like the option of buying 500 pounds of currency in order to be eligible for the 0% fee return. In other words, I could have all the money I would need and sell it back to them at the same price. The woman told me I could pay to get my bag checked at arrivals and I would have a couple of hours to wander the streets of London if I left right away. At this point I didn’t even know how easy or hard it would be to get downtown. I just felt tired and lacking decisiveness. I decided to think about it. I found a place where people were waiting and laying about, so I joined the people in the prone position. It felt so good I fell asleep. The nap did me good. I was ready for a snack and found a tasty sandwich at an Italian eatery.

I remembered that now would be a good time to check the South African Airline counter. The agent checked my documents and told me that I would indeed have to pick up my luggage in Johannesburg, but that it was a simple process. She also said that with only 4 hours to get into town, it would be a big hassle with the risk of missing the flight because of rush hour in London and having to do the security check again. That made it clear where I would spend the next few hours.

So here I am now on the plane heading for Jo’burg. It’s much like the Air Canada plane, but I really do think there is more room between the rows. I don’t feel so cramped.