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Published: September 7th 2008
Me!
Ah, the scenery...Sawubona! (hello in Zulu) -- Days 2 though 3
The past few days have brought two extremes-- elite wealth and absolute poverty. Because this is a business-focused UW course, we are visiting multiple companies throughout South Africa, which the students have all studied and prepared for. We added to that knowledge by meeting with a lecturer for the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) to talk about the challenges and opportunities facing South African businesses. This provided a solid base for questions and understanding at our first company visit, to First National Bank in Johannesburg. After a long security check-in process, we werewelcomed with coffee, tea and breakfast items to a stunning board room, complete with padfolios for each of us and a "goodie bag" full of info on the company. FNB executives gave a very informative presentation, the students asked great questions, and we were treate to a lunch of generous amounts of finger foods (meat on a stick, anyone??) It was very impressive, and everyone was won over by the free gifts.
Nexst, due to the first of many times we learned to be flexible regarding the original schedule, we headed to Gold Reef City, an amusement
Boardroom
Students sitting in First National Bank's boardroom. park taking its theme from the gold mining industry that Joburg is famous for. Yes-- it had educational purposes. We were able to tour an old mine to get an understanding of what conditions were like for so many miners. Of course, there were a few hours where we rode rollercoasters as well (I mean, we paid to get in... might as well take full advantage!) There was a minor scare when one of the rides got stuck with 6 of our students on it for 20 minutes. Once the staff read the operating manual (no joke!!), they finished their ride an dwe ended our day when the park closed.
I found that I was going through some major technology withdrawal around this time, as internet is hard to come by (and slow) and although I have a South African cell phone for emergencies, I left most phone numbers at home! Amazing what we forget when technology will remember it for us!
Fricay (9/5/08) we added another attraction to our list by visiting the Cradle of Humankind where the oldest human bones were discovered, leading to the theory that humankind originated in Africa. To be honest, I assumed
More school kids
Kids at the theme park's mine attraction smile with stickers that we gave them. we'd be staring at fossils for a (long) 3 hours, but we were all pleasantly surprised to find that it was a fun, interactive museum about the origin of life on our planet-- there was even a boat ride through the elements (fire, water, air, earth). Once again, we also had a great time mingling with school kids.
The people, and especially the children, are quickly becoming my favorite part of this country. This was completely reiterated when we headed to Soweto, so named for the Southwest Townships of Joburg, where we're staying for two nights. Soweto is one of the poorest areas of Joburg, with the township of Kliptown, which we'd visit later, being the ultimate proof of that. As soon as we arrived at Lebo's Backpacker's Inn (a hostel), many of the students settled in by playing with neighborhood kids across the street at a park. Now, when I say park, I mean a big open space with a volleyball net, some benches, some run-down soccer goals and grass that's littered with bits of glass. As it turned out, the kids are part of Lebo's Backpackers Project, which gives them a place to play, school supplies and
Soweto Train
Passengers hang off of a packed train through Soweto. arts and craft lessons. Once we joined in, there was some serious soccer games, a free for all volleyball game, a bead-making project (we made "Soweto" bracelettes) and endless games of duck-duck-goose and red light/green light with the littlest kids. The kids were so loving, with many of the tiny ones wanting to be picked up or played with, and we had so much fun that we were sad to see the parents pick up kids as it got dark!
Lebo's itself has a very laid back vibe, with a fire pit and lounging areas out back, complete with a hen and rooster (which the students did NOT love at sunrise...) The hostel could only hold 20 of our group, so 17 of us, including myself, were transported to near-by guest houses for the stay. Our guesthouse was right down the road from Nelson Mandela's old house, and right behind Desmond Tutu's house in Orlando West (a township in Soweto). The next day, we'd see even more of the townships. Stay tuned... and thanks for reading!
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CJ
non-member comment
Roosters for alarm clocks...
I love trip you're on. And the diveristy of your experiences...and of course there would be meat on a stick :-)