We've crossed the border (without any visa hassles actually) and made it to Zimbabwe. The first day of driving was a bit longer than anticipated and we didn't get to the border till after 4pm. Hassles on the South African side and then the lines of trucks and cars crossing to the Zimbabwe side combined to create a 3 hour border experience. The only borders I had crossed so far were Swaziland, Namibia and Lesotho and those were painless and easy. I expected this would take time and it did but everyone was so friendly and happy, it wasn't a harassing experience at all. We decided that since I had a valid drivers license (long story short - my mom was able to get me a temporary written license and scan it to me but Jason wasn't so lucky) I got to drive across and that was fun for me as well.
On the other side, we realized it was almost 7, we were hungry and really didn't have much of an idea of where we were going. It was already dark and the roads are not as well kept as the South African side so the thought of driving a few more hours in the dark, in unfamiliar territory didn't sound too appealing. All of a sudden we saw a sign for a Holiday Inn Express. I think the very last thing we expected to see at that moment - we thought we would have to drive at least a few more hours before finding something. It was worth it to stop and get a good night's sleep (we had been up a bit later than anticipated the night before due to a party, karaoke machine and lots of wine) and start driving again the next day during the sunlight hours.
Now we're in Harare, the capital, and I already feel the weight that South Africa was bearing down on my shoulders has lifted. Its' a new place, with new people and new opportunities and I'm ready for it all. They got rid of the Zim dollar awhile ago so now they are using the USD and the Rand. Here in Harare most places prefer to use the USD - it's strange using our currency again and adjusting to the prices. There are no coins that we've seen so far - the dollar bill seems to be the smallest amount of change to give. The shops will give you a credit slip if they owe you anything less than a dollar. We've seen a ton of $2 bills floating around and already used a few on occasions. You can actually get pretty much anything from the shops now - only long life milk is available but tons of canned goods, wine, beer, toiletries, etc. The prices so far seem to be close to what we were paying in South Africa but just slightly more expensive so we're happy that we stocked up on canned goods and wine before coming over.
The city has streets lined with lavender colored Jacarandas and they are in bloom right now along with the Bougainvillea so the setting is beautiful. Streets signs are old and in many places there aren't any, which can be a little challenging but it all just seems like a fun adventure, getting to know the layout. It sounds like we'll spend most of our time in Harare and we're both happy about that. We're staying at a friends house for the time being - it's an old home with lots of old hard back books and trinkets around but it's cozy and fine for now. The couple who own it evidently left and now live in South Africa (as it happened for a lot of white Rhodesians) but they still have people that live at the house and look after it. There is no running water, it comes and goes sporadically so it's back to bucket bathing but at least I have a bathroom this time and can actually sit in a bathtub!
Last night at dinner we talked about the fact that many people in Zimbabwe actually have a better education than those in South Africa and it is already noticeable, just by talking with people in the shops. Although it sounds like since Mugabe has been in power the rural education system is falling apart so it may not continue to be the case. And people are very friendly here! After spending 8 months in KwaZulu Natal, it became very apparent why people generalize and say the Zulu people aren't know to be very friendly*. Once we crossed into Limpopo Province and started meeting the Tswana and Sepedi people who are known to be friendly, it was apparent that there was some truth to the generalizations, as much as it's hard to say that. And evidently it's the same for Zimbabweans, who are said to have a submissive and pleasant nature. Jason already feels like he doesn't have to be on his guard on high alert like in South Africa but I'm not quite there yet. I can feel that it's different but until I understand a bit more about the country and the people, I won't let my guard down too much. I've already found some books that I'd like to read that will help me to get acquainted with my new (temporary) home.
*Just to clarify - I loved my time in KZN and met many wonderful Zulus but they do not have an outward friendly nature when you first meet them. It's hard to say this because I don't like generalizations but I'm letting myself slip this one time to help you understand the difference between the different places...
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Christy & the horrible rotten no good very bad day
It's Friday afternoon and I'm sitting in a stall of the women's bathroom at OR Tambo Airport, bawling my eyes out and ready to jump on a plane and get the hell out of South Africa, if only it were an option.
The day started off well enough, although I was a bit nervous about driving into the city, navigating into an unknown area and maneuvering the beast by myself. We had just 2 days before we planned to leave for Zimbabwe so Jason needed to stay behind at the house and work. I had to set out on my own to take on Home Affairs and figure out my visa situation before crossing the border. I had picked up my new passport the day before but there of course was no record of my entry into South Africa or my 3 month tourist visa. Anticipating hassles at the border and wanting to quell any fires beforehand, I wanted to sort out my visa with Home Affairs. When I called the week before, I spoke to a woman and she told me all I would need is a copy of my affidavit, my new passport and a form they would give me. Sounded like a simple plan.
Despite my nerves, I made it into Pretoria CBD and even managed to parallel park the beast. Inside Home Affairs is when things started to unravel. I found the right office and when it was my turn to talk to the guy at the window that was when it became apparent that the simple solution was not actually so simple. He told me it would take 30 days to process the information even though I told him I wasn't asking for a new visa, I was asking for proof my of my current visa. The back and forth began, me not accepting that this was a suitable solution and him not understanding that there was a simple way to figure this out. Finally I asked for a supervisor and was stopped by a security guard before I could even argue my case. Frustrated, I called Jason and broke down but before we could even figure out what to do, the man came back and decided to help me. Although thankful for his about face, he still couldn't give me proof of my visa, despite eventually having a print out of all my information right in front of him. He said it was confidential and he couldn't give it me. Huh. He suggested I go to OR Tambo and sort it out there, since that is where I entered the country. He gave me the phone numbers although none of them worked when I tried calling.
I got back to the beast and decided that a trip to the airport would be good and I could say that I tried all possible avenues. I consulted the map and Jason and figured out there is one main route to the airport, R21 I was able to find it pretty easily. Quickly I discovered it's a great idea in theory to have a direct route except when it's under construction, limited to 2 lanes and NO exits if there happens to be an accident. Which of course there happened to be one and I had to sit in traffic for an hour just to get out to the airport - with no ac and a truck that doesn't really love to drive in that kind of environment.
Once I parked, it was relatively painless to find a woman in the Home Affairs uniform. She brought me to the office, only to tell me that I shouldn’t have bothered coming out, I wasn't going to get hassled and the people at the border would know how to deal with it. I looked at her and said I wasn't going to leave without some document stating that in writing. She came back with a torn off piece of paper with the date of my entry and expiry date for the visa and a woman's name and number to call if hassled. If it had been that simple of an answer, why didn't the first person I dealt with when I called Home Affairs tell me that.
And if we're asking these questions, why couldn't the people at ACS (American Citizen Services at the US Consulate) tell me that in the first place - aren't they supposed to be there to help American citizens out? In fact, they couldn't help with any questions I had, about how to replace our driver's licenses and why they charge extra for a stolen passport. We were just robbed! We've already lost so much and still we keep getting hit left and right, even from those that give the façade that their here to help us. I was so angry at all the hoops I had just jumped through and then it turns out I had wasted my day when I could have been doing constructive things before leaving for Zimbabwe!
So I found the first bathroom I could find and let it all out, called Jason and told him it was a good thing we were leaving because I couldn't handle South Africa any more. I needed to get out and put some literal distance between me and these stupid hassles. I calmed down, relaxed and had a nice lunch and then decided to take a different route home to avoid the hassles. Easier said than done, I could only find signs back to the R21 so I again got stuck in traffic, the radio stopped working and then got lost once I got back to Pretoria. Everything just seemed to pile on top of me that day and I was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted by the time I drove back to the house. An hour long bath with a glass of wine (and the bottle sitting right next to it) and my favorite magazine Body & Soul managed to put me in an immensely better mood and wash away the crap from the day.
And lucky for us, we were staying with 2 amazing people, Leslie and Tommy. Leslie was in Peace Corps with Jason in Ghana and they just moved to South Africa a couple months ago. After the horrible rotten no good very bad day, it was nice to put it behind me, relax and know that I have some pretty amazing friends to help put it all in perspective. An encouraging conversation about possible future jobs, more wine, good food and suddenly the day actually didn't seem so bad after all. Although it's hard when I'm right in the middle of it to get the perspective I need, it's a constant goal to work towards. I'm just happy that I have the supportive family and friends to help keep me going!
The day started off well enough, although I was a bit nervous about driving into the city, navigating into an unknown area and maneuvering the beast by myself. We had just 2 days before we planned to leave for Zimbabwe so Jason needed to stay behind at the house and work. I had to set out on my own to take on Home Affairs and figure out my visa situation before crossing the border. I had picked up my new passport the day before but there of course was no record of my entry into South Africa or my 3 month tourist visa. Anticipating hassles at the border and wanting to quell any fires beforehand, I wanted to sort out my visa with Home Affairs. When I called the week before, I spoke to a woman and she told me all I would need is a copy of my affidavit, my new passport and a form they would give me. Sounded like a simple plan.
Despite my nerves, I made it into Pretoria CBD and even managed to parallel park the beast. Inside Home Affairs is when things started to unravel. I found the right office and when it was my turn to talk to the guy at the window that was when it became apparent that the simple solution was not actually so simple. He told me it would take 30 days to process the information even though I told him I wasn't asking for a new visa, I was asking for proof my of my current visa. The back and forth began, me not accepting that this was a suitable solution and him not understanding that there was a simple way to figure this out. Finally I asked for a supervisor and was stopped by a security guard before I could even argue my case. Frustrated, I called Jason and broke down but before we could even figure out what to do, the man came back and decided to help me. Although thankful for his about face, he still couldn't give me proof of my visa, despite eventually having a print out of all my information right in front of him. He said it was confidential and he couldn't give it me. Huh. He suggested I go to OR Tambo and sort it out there, since that is where I entered the country. He gave me the phone numbers although none of them worked when I tried calling.
I got back to the beast and decided that a trip to the airport would be good and I could say that I tried all possible avenues. I consulted the map and Jason and figured out there is one main route to the airport, R21 I was able to find it pretty easily. Quickly I discovered it's a great idea in theory to have a direct route except when it's under construction, limited to 2 lanes and NO exits if there happens to be an accident. Which of course there happened to be one and I had to sit in traffic for an hour just to get out to the airport - with no ac and a truck that doesn't really love to drive in that kind of environment.
Once I parked, it was relatively painless to find a woman in the Home Affairs uniform. She brought me to the office, only to tell me that I shouldn’t have bothered coming out, I wasn't going to get hassled and the people at the border would know how to deal with it. I looked at her and said I wasn't going to leave without some document stating that in writing. She came back with a torn off piece of paper with the date of my entry and expiry date for the visa and a woman's name and number to call if hassled. If it had been that simple of an answer, why didn't the first person I dealt with when I called Home Affairs tell me that.
And if we're asking these questions, why couldn't the people at ACS (American Citizen Services at the US Consulate) tell me that in the first place - aren't they supposed to be there to help American citizens out? In fact, they couldn't help with any questions I had, about how to replace our driver's licenses and why they charge extra for a stolen passport. We were just robbed! We've already lost so much and still we keep getting hit left and right, even from those that give the façade that their here to help us. I was so angry at all the hoops I had just jumped through and then it turns out I had wasted my day when I could have been doing constructive things before leaving for Zimbabwe!
So I found the first bathroom I could find and let it all out, called Jason and told him it was a good thing we were leaving because I couldn't handle South Africa any more. I needed to get out and put some literal distance between me and these stupid hassles. I calmed down, relaxed and had a nice lunch and then decided to take a different route home to avoid the hassles. Easier said than done, I could only find signs back to the R21 so I again got stuck in traffic, the radio stopped working and then got lost once I got back to Pretoria. Everything just seemed to pile on top of me that day and I was mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted by the time I drove back to the house. An hour long bath with a glass of wine (and the bottle sitting right next to it) and my favorite magazine Body & Soul managed to put me in an immensely better mood and wash away the crap from the day.
And lucky for us, we were staying with 2 amazing people, Leslie and Tommy. Leslie was in Peace Corps with Jason in Ghana and they just moved to South Africa a couple months ago. After the horrible rotten no good very bad day, it was nice to put it behind me, relax and know that I have some pretty amazing friends to help put it all in perspective. An encouraging conversation about possible future jobs, more wine, good food and suddenly the day actually didn't seem so bad after all. Although it's hard when I'm right in the middle of it to get the perspective I need, it's a constant goal to work towards. I'm just happy that I have the supportive family and friends to help keep me going!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
no more wasting time!
At this point in time it seems as though devoting a significant amount of my time to finding a job is pointless. We thought the momentum for Jason's organization in South Africa was starting to take off and we had even started house/apartment hunting in Pietermaritzburg so we could get ready for the next phase. We loved the idea of Pietermaritzburg because it's smaller and more manageable than Durban. Despite finding a gorgeous dream house that was within our budget and the city limits I had to let go of that dream, at least temporarily. All of a sudden Jason's bosses wanted to send him to Zimbabwe in order to make adequate use of Jason's time/skills. Although a great idea, at the time I didn't want to have anything to do with it because I wanted to feel settled. As fortune would have it, my trip home for Katie's wedding was right around the same time, so I was able to step out of that mindset and get some perspective on it. Although having a home base is an ultimate goal of ours, the idea of being able to head to Zimbabwe for a few months was more in line my original ideas for living abroad - being able to experience different countries and cultures. And here we have a perfect opportunity to do just that.
So my outlook has changed and I'm really excited about going to Zimbabwe. Jason's bosses are known to change their minds and all of a sudden I was really worried that they would change their minds again and we wouldn't get to go. But now, there's no going back and we're quite literally on the road to Zimbabwe. After the latest robbery incidents, I'm actually desperate to get out of South Africa for awhile.
Plus, here I am, jobless and honestly having no in-depth understanding of the work that I am trying to land. A lot of people have asked me what I want to do and all I can provide is a fluffy non-descript answer. Development work - but what exactly is development and how do I fit into the grand scheme of it all? Good questions and it's time for me to stop side stepping the answers. So I've created a plan, a curriculum so to speak, with the goal that I end up with a better understanding of the overall picture of International Development. There is no excuse for me to continue wasting time and avoiding this learning opportunity - I have a library of resources right at my finger tips because Jason enjoys reading books on this topic so I can start now. The next couple of months I've decided won't just consist of me floating around from day to day, with no real purpose. And actually, I've heard that there may be more job opportunities for me in Zimbabwe than South Africa so that's also promising and exciting.
My first assignment is already in progress: read and report on The White Man's Burden by William Easterly - catchy phrase on the cover: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good. I've read the first chapter and I'm hooked. If anyone can recommend any other good reading material for my personal curriculum, I'm open to any and all suggestions! Discussions are welcome too.
So my outlook has changed and I'm really excited about going to Zimbabwe. Jason's bosses are known to change their minds and all of a sudden I was really worried that they would change their minds again and we wouldn't get to go. But now, there's no going back and we're quite literally on the road to Zimbabwe. After the latest robbery incidents, I'm actually desperate to get out of South Africa for awhile.
Plus, here I am, jobless and honestly having no in-depth understanding of the work that I am trying to land. A lot of people have asked me what I want to do and all I can provide is a fluffy non-descript answer. Development work - but what exactly is development and how do I fit into the grand scheme of it all? Good questions and it's time for me to stop side stepping the answers. So I've created a plan, a curriculum so to speak, with the goal that I end up with a better understanding of the overall picture of International Development. There is no excuse for me to continue wasting time and avoiding this learning opportunity - I have a library of resources right at my finger tips because Jason enjoys reading books on this topic so I can start now. The next couple of months I've decided won't just consist of me floating around from day to day, with no real purpose. And actually, I've heard that there may be more job opportunities for me in Zimbabwe than South Africa so that's also promising and exciting.
My first assignment is already in progress: read and report on The White Man's Burden by William Easterly - catchy phrase on the cover: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good. I've read the first chapter and I'm hooked. If anyone can recommend any other good reading material for my personal curriculum, I'm open to any and all suggestions! Discussions are welcome too.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
robbed!
I had so many ideas for what my next entry would be about. We're moving to Zimbabwe and writing about that excitement was definitely in the works, or sharing a bit about the "homework" I've given myself for while we're there. There were other thoughts in my head and I had written them all down in my notebook that I carry with me everywhere; I had decorated it to make it more interesting, pasted a calendar in there, recorded recipes, phone numbers, to do lists, thoughts about life, I wrote it all in one place so I wouldn't have a ton of little pieces of paper everywhere. It's really a good system for me and I like it more than just buying a day planner because I designed it to my liking. There is nothing worse than having that important piece of my life taken, except of course when other things are stolen at the same time...
After a hectic week of visiting with Jason's parents (not the hectic part), preparing for and helping out at the Community Health Club graduation for Jason's work, and then packing up our lives to fit into the Beast, we started our journey to Zimbabwe. First stop was Durban for a night out with our good friends Jamie, Justin and Heather.
Most of us are tired of the backpackers we've been staying at in Durban, so Jamie was determined to find a classy one that we could rely on that didn't seem sketch. She hit home and we met up at Gibela Lodge, located in a decent part of town, close to restaurants and bars. They were pretty booked so we were all going to share a dorm room together until a double opened up and Jamie and Justin snagged it since Jamie's moving to Tanzania soon. We got dolled up for the evening and went out for a night on the town, all within walking distance. We ate at a really nice Indian restaurant and then went out for drinks at Bean Bag Bohemia before calling it a night and heading back to Gibela around 1:00 am.
Since packing our belongings into the Beast, we were worried about the security for the truck. Normally we're diligent about keeping our valuables out of site but this place seemed really secure and no one seemed sketchy. Instead, they were lying around the room because we trusted the peeps in the room - there were 3 of us and the one other American, Molly, who's a Fullbright scholar. At 5:00 am, I woke up to the sound of my toiletry bag being moved. I saw a man grabbing it and because there is a liner inside, it makes a crinkling sound. I saw someone leave the room and close the door so I asked Jason if he had grabbed my bag but it was clear by his sleepy response that he was not the one. I had a fleeting thought that someone from the backpackers had come in to the room to take my cake and put it in the kitchen since we weren't allowed to have food in the room. That quickly didn't make sense and Jason had already run out of the room trying to find whoever it was that would take a toiletry bag. While he was out, I jumped off the top bunk waking Molly and Heather. Molly discovered her phone, that was right by her head on her pillow had been taken, and he purse was in the middle of the room with no wallet inside. As soon as she mentioned purse, I knew right away that mine was gone because I was standing right where it should have been. My phone was on the dresser and that was gone as well. Jason came back in and I asked him where his wallet was and sure enough, both his wallet and phone were also gone.
We ran outside desperate to find the guy or remnants of our stuff but to no avail. The man that runs the backpackers was shocked to find out we were robbed in the room because he hasn't had an incident in the 7 years he's worked there. Plus there are cameras all around the property so the thief's mug is all over the videos. It turns out that another group that was staying at the lodge had come home after us, around 3:00 or 4:00 am and the last guy in, that stayed out to smoke a cigarette, didn't relock the back door. They most likely were followed home from the bar and the guy waited till all was quiet inside, hopped the fence of the house next door then hopped the wall between the two properties. The unfortunate thing is that our room was in the line of site from the door and because it's a dorm room, it didn't lock. Most likely we scared the crap out of the guy when we woke up so he only had a chance to get into our room.
Maddening: R3,500 cash, our drivers licenses, bank cards, credit cards, phones, my passport, my handy dandy notebook, the capias samples that my mom had made, and my freaking toiletry bag that was a Christmas present. It looks like a purse and had nothing but my toiletries in it, like Burt's Bees foot crème, shampoo & conditioner, soap, deodorant that I can only get in the states, etc. It's frustrating because both Jason and my wallets were taken so that means we have no backup. Our trip to Zim is delayed because we have to wait for new bank cards/credit cards and of course my passport. We were able to get our same phone numbers back, which is nice and our phones were insured so we'll get new ones on Friday. Luckily we have great friends and they fronted us money so we could make the trip up to Joburg and get all these things sorted out.
Of course I keep going over it in my mind. I had a hard time sleeping Sunday night. In the last 2 days, we've heard of 3 separate robbery incidents that have happened in the last 3 days. Yes, it can happen anywhere in the world, but the frequency of the incidents in South Africa make it unique. And it makes it hard to continue loving this country. We let our guard down for a moment, and there was no reason why we should feel guilty that we did - every thing just happened to be in perfect unison for this guy to come waltzing into the backpackers and go into our dorm room and take our stuff.
So my next challenge is to just let it go. No one was hurt and we can replace most things that were stolen. Except of course, my notebook but I'll survive without it and create a new one of those too. Now I just have to make sure this doesn't make me too jaded. I can't let the anger consume me, I have to just let it go. Let it go, let it go...
After a hectic week of visiting with Jason's parents (not the hectic part), preparing for and helping out at the Community Health Club graduation for Jason's work, and then packing up our lives to fit into the Beast, we started our journey to Zimbabwe. First stop was Durban for a night out with our good friends Jamie, Justin and Heather.
Most of us are tired of the backpackers we've been staying at in Durban, so Jamie was determined to find a classy one that we could rely on that didn't seem sketch. She hit home and we met up at Gibela Lodge, located in a decent part of town, close to restaurants and bars. They were pretty booked so we were all going to share a dorm room together until a double opened up and Jamie and Justin snagged it since Jamie's moving to Tanzania soon. We got dolled up for the evening and went out for a night on the town, all within walking distance. We ate at a really nice Indian restaurant and then went out for drinks at Bean Bag Bohemia before calling it a night and heading back to Gibela around 1:00 am.
Since packing our belongings into the Beast, we were worried about the security for the truck. Normally we're diligent about keeping our valuables out of site but this place seemed really secure and no one seemed sketchy. Instead, they were lying around the room because we trusted the peeps in the room - there were 3 of us and the one other American, Molly, who's a Fullbright scholar. At 5:00 am, I woke up to the sound of my toiletry bag being moved. I saw a man grabbing it and because there is a liner inside, it makes a crinkling sound. I saw someone leave the room and close the door so I asked Jason if he had grabbed my bag but it was clear by his sleepy response that he was not the one. I had a fleeting thought that someone from the backpackers had come in to the room to take my cake and put it in the kitchen since we weren't allowed to have food in the room. That quickly didn't make sense and Jason had already run out of the room trying to find whoever it was that would take a toiletry bag. While he was out, I jumped off the top bunk waking Molly and Heather. Molly discovered her phone, that was right by her head on her pillow had been taken, and he purse was in the middle of the room with no wallet inside. As soon as she mentioned purse, I knew right away that mine was gone because I was standing right where it should have been. My phone was on the dresser and that was gone as well. Jason came back in and I asked him where his wallet was and sure enough, both his wallet and phone were also gone.
We ran outside desperate to find the guy or remnants of our stuff but to no avail. The man that runs the backpackers was shocked to find out we were robbed in the room because he hasn't had an incident in the 7 years he's worked there. Plus there are cameras all around the property so the thief's mug is all over the videos. It turns out that another group that was staying at the lodge had come home after us, around 3:00 or 4:00 am and the last guy in, that stayed out to smoke a cigarette, didn't relock the back door. They most likely were followed home from the bar and the guy waited till all was quiet inside, hopped the fence of the house next door then hopped the wall between the two properties. The unfortunate thing is that our room was in the line of site from the door and because it's a dorm room, it didn't lock. Most likely we scared the crap out of the guy when we woke up so he only had a chance to get into our room.
Maddening: R3,500 cash, our drivers licenses, bank cards, credit cards, phones, my passport, my handy dandy notebook, the capias samples that my mom had made, and my freaking toiletry bag that was a Christmas present. It looks like a purse and had nothing but my toiletries in it, like Burt's Bees foot crème, shampoo & conditioner, soap, deodorant that I can only get in the states, etc. It's frustrating because both Jason and my wallets were taken so that means we have no backup. Our trip to Zim is delayed because we have to wait for new bank cards/credit cards and of course my passport. We were able to get our same phone numbers back, which is nice and our phones were insured so we'll get new ones on Friday. Luckily we have great friends and they fronted us money so we could make the trip up to Joburg and get all these things sorted out.
Of course I keep going over it in my mind. I had a hard time sleeping Sunday night. In the last 2 days, we've heard of 3 separate robbery incidents that have happened in the last 3 days. Yes, it can happen anywhere in the world, but the frequency of the incidents in South Africa make it unique. And it makes it hard to continue loving this country. We let our guard down for a moment, and there was no reason why we should feel guilty that we did - every thing just happened to be in perfect unison for this guy to come waltzing into the backpackers and go into our dorm room and take our stuff.
So my next challenge is to just let it go. No one was hurt and we can replace most things that were stolen. Except of course, my notebook but I'll survive without it and create a new one of those too. Now I just have to make sure this doesn't make me too jaded. I can't let the anger consume me, I have to just let it go. Let it go, let it go...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
the hazards of living...anywhere
Anger. Towards humanity. Frustration. At myself. The desire to punch a small African man in the face. Fire coming out of my mouth, singeing those around me (mostly Jason) with ugly words. This is how I felt Friday afternoon after my iPod was stolen. I walked out of the post office and a small man startled me by shoving a plastic bag towards me and asking if I wanted to buy something. He was so close he freaked me out so I told him no and that he shouldn't sneak up on people. A moment later I felt inside the outside pocket of my bag and realized my mistake. But it was already too late and when I turned around the little man was nowhere in site. Jason was across the street and felt the heat when I stormed to the car cursing myself for being so stupid and angry at the man for taking something that clearly didn't belong to him. I even marched back across the street to storm around for a few minutes looking for this small non descript African man, knowing full well that I didn't get a good enough look. But a pink leather iPod case isn't too hard to miss so I was at least going to look for someone that was manhandling something like that. Of course no dice so back to the car, where Jason again felt the heat of my anger until a few tears rolled down my cheeks because that's usually how my anger ends up manifesting itself.
As I typed the word 'iPod', I know it sounds silly to get up in arms about the luxury of it. I am happy that it wasn't my phone or my wallet or something that is a bit harder to live without. But it was mine, given to me by a good friend. My original iPod, that my brother sweetly bought for me, died while I was in Peace Corps. I tried to save some of my resettling allowance to replace it but after taking care of a few other things, I couldn't really justify buying one. Both my sister and my best friend Elysia happened to have old nanos lying around and they each gave me one. So at one point I actually had 2 iPod's, talk about luxury. While I was putting one to good use, I gave one to my friend to use. He had no kind of music listening device and it was just silly that one of my iPod's was collecting dust. So then this little, non descript, African man decides that he's going to invade my personal space and take something I really appreciate having on a daily basis. I'm kicking myself for leaving it in that pocket. I had a fleeting thought it wasn't the best place for it but I'm always on my guard, my bag close to my side and with my game face on. You know, the one that says 'don't mess with me I'm on a mission and I'll be mean if you do'.
At our next post office stop, I had to wait in quiet a long queue (that's what they call it here, not line). It was way past lunch so clearly I was getting to the cranky stage but there was a really nice man behind me that struck up a conversation. The usual inquiries about where I'm from, how long have I lived here, do I like it, etc. Of course I was a little bit more bitter and told him that I love the country but I was pick pocketed earlier and feeling a bit jaded. Of course I know that this can happen anywhere and it doesn't mean that South Africa is bad. It's not, plus this man was so nice, I couldn't help but have my faith in humanity restored. He even told me a story about when he lived in New York for a year he and a friend got mugged. He being from Africa, took the tough guy route and told the guys to shove off but his friend didn't and they took his wallet. Anyway, point of the story being that this kind of thing happens anywhere and I really did feel much better after talking to him.
So I thank the man with the kind soul at the Pinetown post office. Where ever you happen to be at the moment I am sending good thoughts and vibes your way. And to the small non descript African man, I hope karma comes around and bites you in the ass. I just wish I could see it when it does.
As I typed the word 'iPod', I know it sounds silly to get up in arms about the luxury of it. I am happy that it wasn't my phone or my wallet or something that is a bit harder to live without. But it was mine, given to me by a good friend. My original iPod, that my brother sweetly bought for me, died while I was in Peace Corps. I tried to save some of my resettling allowance to replace it but after taking care of a few other things, I couldn't really justify buying one. Both my sister and my best friend Elysia happened to have old nanos lying around and they each gave me one. So at one point I actually had 2 iPod's, talk about luxury. While I was putting one to good use, I gave one to my friend to use. He had no kind of music listening device and it was just silly that one of my iPod's was collecting dust. So then this little, non descript, African man decides that he's going to invade my personal space and take something I really appreciate having on a daily basis. I'm kicking myself for leaving it in that pocket. I had a fleeting thought it wasn't the best place for it but I'm always on my guard, my bag close to my side and with my game face on. You know, the one that says 'don't mess with me I'm on a mission and I'll be mean if you do'.
At our next post office stop, I had to wait in quiet a long queue (that's what they call it here, not line). It was way past lunch so clearly I was getting to the cranky stage but there was a really nice man behind me that struck up a conversation. The usual inquiries about where I'm from, how long have I lived here, do I like it, etc. Of course I was a little bit more bitter and told him that I love the country but I was pick pocketed earlier and feeling a bit jaded. Of course I know that this can happen anywhere and it doesn't mean that South Africa is bad. It's not, plus this man was so nice, I couldn't help but have my faith in humanity restored. He even told me a story about when he lived in New York for a year he and a friend got mugged. He being from Africa, took the tough guy route and told the guys to shove off but his friend didn't and they took his wallet. Anyway, point of the story being that this kind of thing happens anywhere and I really did feel much better after talking to him.
So I thank the man with the kind soul at the Pinetown post office. Where ever you happen to be at the moment I am sending good thoughts and vibes your way. And to the small non descript African man, I hope karma comes around and bites you in the ass. I just wish I could see it when it does.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
