Settling In

Enjoyable weekend spent house sitting and getting organized - I'm starting to feel more settled. I wanted to get some things taken care of this weekend to have peace of mind when I'm in Pretoria this upcoming week. The schedule is as follows:

Monday (30 January): Pick up car (leave at Gerhard's), go to airport, and join other scholars to travel to Pretoria

Tuesday (31 January): Training and Security Debrief at Embassy in Pretoria

Wednesday (1 February): Training and Security Debrief at Embassy in Pretoria

Thursday (2 February): Training and Security Debrief at Embassy in Pretoria/Travel back to Johannesburg and stay with Gerhard

Friday (3 February): Take car to be registered, road worthy test, and insurance check/move into house?

On Friday I set off to pick up packages that I mailed to the US Consulate in Johannesburg, shop for miscellaneous things for my room, and drop everything off at my house. Fulbright allows us to send four boxes one-way for academic purposes only, so I mailed my office supplies and university "freebies" that I got from Ohio State and Dominican (tee shirts, pens, pencils, notepads, et cetera). No problem! Gerhard let me borrow his "bakkie" (truck) to transport the only problem was that the driver seat was on the wrong side. I set off early, wanting to drive around a bit before taking the highway to get used to driving. I didn't find it as difficult as I expected, in fact, I found it to be quite novel and interesting. I had no problem finding the Consulate, picking up the boxes, and then moving some of my things to the house. The major difficulties I found: 1) Turn signal - you use with your right hand (at least in the bakkie), I often would accidently switch on the windshield wipers rather than the turn signal; 2) My right arm got tired a lot. I'm used to driving with my left hand and switching gears with my right, often resting my left elbow on the door. I guess my right arm doesn't have the stamina that my left arm has because of driving? 3) Entering streets - I found myself, out of habit, of looking to the left, where oncoming traffic is in the US. It will still take some getting used to, but it's a start!

As I spent time running errands and getting things organized for my house this weekend, I enjoyed learning about the cultural differences, which are very apparent when shopping. Everything seems comparably more expensive (or equal) in SA in the US, even with the strong dollar to rand (about R8 = $1). Obviously I'm settling and starting a "new" life here, so I expect expenses. I just imagined that my dollar would stretch more than it is!

Laughable Story: I was in the MTN (cell phone) store the other day getting a SIM card and a plan for my phone. While I was waiting a customer being helped by a different associate leaned over and asked me where my accent was from. After explaining that I was American she replied saying that it was "lovely" (the first ever compliment of my accent, ever). I replied that I loved the South African accent and found mine to be particularly bland. Smiling, I then said, "I don't think I have an accent, you do!" … everyone had a good laugh.

Outdoor Shower :)

Departure Roma/Arrival Johannesburg

I departed for Johannesburg on Monday night from Roma, traveling through Doha, Qatar. Franco and Giulia took me to the airport after relaxing and somber dinner (with Chris too!). Unlike my flight to Roma, I didn't quite beat "the system" with baggage; I justified the additional cost with the necessity of bags for my life in Johannesburg (and what was I supposed to do?). After a difficult goodbye with Giulia, I started the journey I had long been waiting for: my move to Johannesburg.

I flew Qatar Airways, which is something I was looking forward to (nerdy, I know). They have a great reputation in the world of aviation and I wanted to see what the "fuss" was about. When I boarded my flight to Doha, I was warmly greeted by the stewardesses who looked rested and attentive, rather than tired and apathetic a common trait on other airlines. The planes were new, clean, and roomy. Rather than blab on-and-on about the flight, I'll just highlight services that I thought were incredible. As a preface, I understand that many of these services aren't extraordinary and were commonplace twenty or so years ago. Flying these days is always a gamble and the services/quality always seem to be decreasing. In any event, the services (economy class): warm towel (preflight), candy (preflight), flying care kit (socks, eye block, ear plugs, tooth brush), appetizers, main course, salad, dessert, coffee/tea (with spirits: whiskey, cognac, brandy), snacks, and touch screen entertainment with 100s of movies/1000s of TV shows. After the five-hour flight we landed in Doha and were bussed to the terminal. I only had a 90-minute layover and was concerned about potential customs/reclaiming luggage. Fortunately, we just had to go through security again and I arrived at my gate with plenty of time. I was fascinated by the multitude of different cultures in the airport and I tried to soak in as much as possible with a short layover. As I boarded the bus to our plane (they didn't have ramps), the sun was rising over the desert and I was awestruck at its beauty. The plane to Johannesburg was again, new and clean, with all of the amenities (and more). After a relaxing 8 1/2 hour flight, we touched down in Johannesburg. Customs and baggage reclaim were smooth and efficient, and I connected with Gerhard, my Mother's cousin outside of arrivals.

It was great to reconnect with Gerhard and his wonderful family; I had the pleasure of spending a week with them Summer 2010 when I went to South Africa for the first time. He's been kind enough to help me majorly with my move - offering to let me stay with him for a few nights to get acclimated and, importantly, to get me "set up" with my new life (e.g. car, insurance/registration, cell phone, et cetera). They have a beautiful home on the east side of Johannesburg, in Benoni. I enjoyed seeing their lush garden and grounds, as the last time I visited it was winter, and a less green (see pictures). The house is beautiful and airy, with the warm weather. I've even enjoyed taking my showers in their outdoor shower (of course there is an indoor shower too). After settling in, I had a wonderful dinner with the family, and a full night's rest...there was a lot still ahead of me!

Car Buying: Gerhard and I set off on Wednesday morning trek through Johannesburg in search of the perfect car. I figured that we would go to a few big dealerships (like in the US) and it wouldn't take more than a few hours, especially since I pinpointed a few cars online beforehand. Each dealership we went to looking for a specific car already sold the car. To make matters worse, unlike the United States, used cars (cars in general) are expensive. Thinking about my own experience selling my car, I imagined that I could get a good used car for the price that I sold my car (still in great condition) in the US. Not so, I would soon find out. We wandered around a few dealerships, test-driving a Toyota Tazz and a Volvo S40…but, like buying a used car, it makes you feel gross ("Am I getting the best deal I can? Am I getting ripped off?"); Many cars are lemons, are possibly stolen, or are not well kept (at least in my price range J). After a day of searching, we decided to and do some more research, not feeling "right" about any car. On the way back to the house, Gerhard got me set up with my cell phone/internet. It always amazes me how inexpensive smart phone planes are abroad. My plan for my Blackberry, for example, with minutes/SMS/unlimited data is 1/6th of what I would pay in the US (roughly $14/month)!

On Thursday, after feeling more prepared and knowledgeable about the car market, we phoned prospective used cars prior to setting off. After calling a few private sellers and finding out that the car was sold a few days prior, I tried calling for a 2001 Audi A3. I reached a very nice gentleman who informed me that he just listed the car - a company car that salesmen used with clients. We arranged a meeting and set off to Johannesburg. Along the way, we stopped and I got a reading lamp for my room as well as converters for my electronics (I had been converting American to European to South African! European to SA converters are readily available). We arrived at the car (in the company parking lot) and were greeted by the gentleman I spoke to earlier in the morning (he was asked by his employer to handle the sale). He gave us an honest report about it's condition, his experience driving it, showed us the full vehicle maintenance report, and we took it for a drive. With a tremendous price (nearly $3,000 less than some of the cars I was looking at on Wednesday), relatively low miles (~140,000 miles), leather seats, sunroof, full power, et cetera, we were pretty much sold. After talking to him about the hassle of getting it checked ("Road Worthy Test") and registered, he took off R2,000, making the price the retail value price. I'll pick up the car on Monday, after he gets some last minute electrical repairs taken care of (and cleans it). I couldn't be happier with the car and the price. Moreover, I feel like we weren't being "sold" at any point and he was upfront with us (plus, it's not a private sale, the company is selling it). 

There's a lot to be done before you can legally drive the car. Before getting it registered, you have to have a road worthy test. Before you have a road worthy test, you have to make sure that there aren't any issues that might prevent it from being road worthy. So, when I am at the orientation at the Embassy in Pretoria next week Gerhard agreed to take the car to get a crack in the windshield repaired and get a full check-up/tune-up (how nice?!). When I get back at the end of next week I'll take it to be "Road Tested" and then registered. Whew!

Next Steps: Gerhard, Marlize, Maike, and Tasmin (his two lovely daughters) are going on holiday this weekend with Marlize's sister's family. Gerhard invited me to join them (how nice - again!), however, I feel that leaving on orientation early next week that I should stay in Johannesburg and get things in order. So, this weekend, I'll house sit, run errands, possibly start unpacking at the house, et cetera.

I've been enjoying soaking up the culture and getting my bearings around the city. There are many things that are really pleasant about South Africa - the people are genuinely friendly, it is very developed, and the weather/foliage is beautiful (it is "exotic" compared to the Midwest). I'll enjoy learning more about the country, its people, and myself over the next months. 

New Ride!

More pictures later... :)

Roma and Venezia

I promised myself to write weekly and I justify my break in writing because I'm not in South Africa yet. However, a lot has happened since I last wrote: baggage dilemma, jet-lag, time with my Aunt and Uncle (Chris and Franco), Giulia's arrival, our trip to Venice, and the final preparations for South Africa. 

I left two weeks ago with two large rolling duffel bags, a carry-on suitcase, and my messenger bag - my life. I arrived in Detroit after a emotional departure with my parents and grandmother, yet eager for the next chapter in my journey. I walked up to the United Airlines check-in, understanding that I would have to pay extra for the second checked bag (i.e. the two rolling duffel bags) and justifying the expense with the longevity of my move. Okay, no problem. I strained to get the bags on the scale: one bag was 20 pounds over and the other five pounds. I politely inquired about the expense for the overweight baggage, $200 was the reply. Ouch. After trying to pull the "I'm working with the government and moving to South Africa - card" without any success I tried to problem shoot this fee. The associate told me that I could purchase a duffel bag from them (not to be confused with my two rolling duffel bags), putting my messenger bag and the 25 pounds of overweight luggage into the duffel (my two carry-on items would be the roll-on suitcase and the duffel bag). Great! She came back with the duffel bag. After opening it and looking at its vastness (I could've fit inside), I asked: "Are you sure this will pass as a carry-on?" After being assured that it was, I struggled to carry my bags to security. When I arrived at the gate, I asked an attendant if they were looking for volunteers to check a piece of their luggage, thinking that it was a small, regional plane with limited overhead space. Her response: "Sir, there's no way you can board the plane with both of those bags." I replied telling her that I bought the duffel from a United employee. She huffed and puffed, finally realizing their (United's) mistake and she checked my duffel to Rome ... avoiding the outrageous fee. 

I've been enjoying my time in Rome, spending the first few days getting over jet-lag. For some reason, it seemed that it affected me more so than in the past. For example: I would go to bed at a reasonable time (10-11pm), wake up at 4am and not be able to go back to sleep, so I would work/read for a few hours before falling asleep (8am-11am). In any event, I should've been more rigid and "fought" through the tiredness. I spent time with Chris and Franco and their two wonderful golden retrievers, Buddy and Sasha. I even played "lumberjack" with Franco and his friend, Ernesto and help split wood one afternoon.    

Giulia arrived last Thursday, coming back to Rome after a family holiday to visit family in San Francisco. How she dealt with the nine time zone jet lag, I'll never know (and I thought six time zones were bad!). On Monday morning we left for a three day trip to Venice. I had not been to Venice since I was 12 when I traveled through Italy with my family. My experience was overshadowed by a private water taxi attempting to rip off "some American tourists" and leaving us on the other side of the city, nowhere near our hotel (imagine: family, seven pieces of luggage, many bridges - but I still enjoyed the trip with my family!). In any event, we arrived late morning and checked into our bed & breakfast. We spent the afternoon wandering around the city, visiting the popular sites like: St. Mark's Campanile, Basilica di San Marco, Palais des Doges, and the Bridge of Sighs. Interestingly, the city was nearly without tourists ...both because of the time of the year and the cold weather; it felt at times as if the city were our own, walking through empty alleys/canals. Tuesday, we went out to the islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is known for it's crocheting and it's multi-color buildings, while Murano is known for it's glass. Although cold, it was neat to see both of these islands and walk around visiting the little shops. In the afternoon a heavy fog developed and made the city eerie and mystical, which adding to the emptiness of the city, was an interesting experience. Prior to leaving, Chris told us to watch Don't Look Now - a thriller about a murderer in Venice that wore a red hood (it is more complex than that)... we always made jokes about places that we though "red hood" might be seen, particularly with the fog. On Wednesday we spent the day walking around the Rialto Bridge before heading to the airport. It was a wonderful trip and better company!

I leave on Monday, flying from Rome to Doha and then Doha to Johannesburg, arriving Tuesday afternoon. My mother's cousin, Gerhard, will be picking me up and getting me settled (finding a car, moving into my house, figuring out my cell phone, et cetera - how nice of him!). Cheers!

Near the University of Venice ("Academic Bridge")

Beginning of the fog!

At the Rialto Bridge

"All My Bags Are Packed, I'm Ready To Go"

All packed! It was difficult to put my life into two rolling duffel bags and a roll-on suitcase, but I managed, somehow. I leave tomorrow morning for Rome where I'll be spending two weeks visiting my aunt and uncle and girlfriend, Giulia. I am eager to return to Rome, a city that I hold deeply in my heart. I have been fortunate enough to travel/visit/live there many times over the years and consider it my second home of sorts. From Rome I'll fly to Johannesburg by way of Doha on the 23rd of January (arriving on the 24th). I'll have a week to settle into my house, find a car, figure out my cell phone, pick up boxes that I had sent to the consulate, et cetera before traveling to Pretoria on the 31st for a three-day orientation at the U.S. Embassy. 


In the meantime, I thought I would make this post a little more interactive - I'm looking for book suggestions. A few months ago I was on a South African literature/African literature binge (I wonder why?!), trying to read as much as I could to gain a deeper insight into the culture of South Africa (or other African cultures). I read: 

• Achebe "Things Fall Apart"
• Coetzee "Disgrace"
• Coetzee "The Life and Times of Michael K"
• Coetzee "Waiting for the Barbarians"
• Conrad "Heart of Darkness"
• Courtenay "The Power of One"
• Kingsolver "The Poisonwood Bible"
• Mandela "Long Walk to Freedom"
• Paton "Cry, the Beloved Country"

What other book recommendations do you have?