Scott Fry: South Africa's Most Wanted

It's been an eventful few days.

Licensing Department Strikes Again: On Thursday afternoon I received an email from the company that I bought my car from. They told me that they received a speeding ticket from 14 February (yes, they just received it), at 6:20am, as I traveled to the licensing department for the last time to get my car registered in my name (7). Due to a high collision-rate in South Africa, the government is cracking down on speeding, assuming that if you go 5 or 10 kph over the legal limit, that you are more likely to cause a crash. Failing to acknowledge the large number of 1) un-roadworthy cars, 2) rampant running of red lights, 3) total disregard for any motor law (except speeding, of course), the government decided to set up manned speeding cameras. Gerhard informed me that they used to have automatic cameras, that were set up temporarily and the police officers would retrieve them at the end of the day…but many times the camera's "walked away." In any event, I had to pay for my speeding ticket, the only problem being that the ticket was issued to the prior owner mere hour(s) before the car was officially in my name. This meant that I could not personally pay for the ticket in the post office or online. I trekked across the city on Friday and paid the company, so that they in turn, could pay for the fine.

The criminal caught in the act!

I came home after running some errands (no, no speeding!) on Friday to a piece of mail… another ticket (5km over - $20). The same police officer caught me two days after issuing the first ticket (mid-February). I take full responsibility for breaking the law, however, I would have appreciated knowing when I committed the infraction, not finding out about it six weeks later (particularly when I got tickets two days apart from one another). Bottom Line: Two days in Johannesburg = more tickets than I received in eight years of driving in the US!

Weekend: I was really looking forward to this weekend and it did not disappoint! Two of the ETAs from Bloemfontein (Nick and Andrew) came in for the weekend, arriving Saturday morning. I picked them up downtown (they took a bus from Bloem), picked up Rob (Pretoria ETA) from a different train station, and picked up Mariann (Jozi). We went on a tour of Soweto in the morning, which was fascinating. Soweto is a former black township, with over two million inhabitants. It was settled at the turn of the century near Johannesburg for cheap labor (its about 20km south of the city). It is home to many of the anti-Apartheid resistance movements and notable residents, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu (the two Nobel Peace Prize winners lived on the same street!). Interestingly, after the end of Apartheid many families stayed in the community, so there are really nice homes (even up to $500,000), as well as state-built homes, and even squatter settlements. Our tour guide, who lives in Soweto, took us to the different neighborhoods, he explained the history, we walked through a squatter settlement and then went to the Hector Pieterson museum (he was a student killed during the protest against the teaching of Afrikaans in schools).

In the afternoon, we went to the Melville Koppies Park and Johannesburg Botanical Gardens. It was nice to "decompress" after an eventful morning… it also gave us a chance to all catch up (the last time we were all together was at the orientation in Pretoria). After a nice stroll through the park we went downtown to the SAB Miller brewery for a tour and then at dinner at the brewery. Its an atypical brewery tour, focusing more on the history of beer in Africa/South Africa, and then the growth of the company (rather than just showing you the vats and the production lines). Fascinating! After the tour/dinner, we went to Ellis Park to see the Golden Lions Rugby team play the Cape Town Stormers. It was exciting to go to a professional game and soak up the atmosphere - the Lions (notoriously bad) unfortunately lost!

On Sunday morning, Nick, Andrew, and I went to the Regina Mundi Catholic Church, in Soweto for a service. It is the largest Catholic Church in South Africa, but more importantly, it was the cover for many anti-Apartheid movement meetings (read: Regina Mundi). The service was in Zulu and English and was very different than any other Catholic Mass I've been too - much more contemporary (and much longer >2.5 hours). The singing was beautiful, however, and it was a powerful experience. After the service, we went downtown to Market on Main, which is a Sunday art and food market. It is in an old warehouse, in an industrial part of town, but is very eclectic. The food was wonderful - they had Indian, Chinese, Mexican (!), Ethiopian, French, et cetera that you could choose from, each stall set up by local chefs. They opened the art galleries to the public, had a courtyard for lounging, and it was a "cool" place to hang out. Sunday night, I made tuna pasta, with zucchini, a nice salad, a fruit salad for the three of us (and my roommates). Fun weekend! It was great to catch up with the other Fulbright ETAs and I was able to experience new things in Jozi. : )

Fun Fact for the Post: There is no isiZulu word for "late"

Soweto Tour (looking out over a neighborhood)

Squatter community

Former power plant turned into bungie jumping station! 

Hector Pieterson protest poster

"Quarter" - a traditional South African food. A quarter of a loaf of bread, hollowed out and stuffed with fries, egg, achaar (mango salsa), cheese, and tomato. Looks terrible, is terrible for you ... had to try it though!

Chatting at the Melville Koppies 

Melville Koppies

SAB Miller Brewery

Dinner at the brewery 

Ellis Park

Nick "follows the pride" (i.e. the Golden Lions) 

Regina Mundi Catholic Church 

Arts on Main (entrance) 

My Indian lunch!

Ethiopian coffee (like espresso, but more bitter and woody-like taste) 

Nick and Andrew at Arts on Main

Dinner!

Doin' Swell

First week of being an "uncle" - I already feel the weight of the responsibility on my shoulders. Moreover, it's been decided that I would be the eccentric/weird, yet boring uncle, while Jeff (Andy's brother) would take over the responsibilities of the "cool" uncle. Whew! I didn't think I could manage being the cool uncle (first I have to be "cool")!  Jokes aside, the exciting news of last week is still hitting me.

Nice weekend! After a few days of "Johannesburg rain" or so it is called by my roommates (intermittent rain and fog), it finally cleared and was a beautiful weekend (March 17-18). I learned my lesson, unwisely putting my laundry out to dry before the rain… they're extra rinsed! I spent Saturday morning at Wits attending a research conference, where PhD candidates were presenting their research. It was nice, and fortunately it wasn't all of Saturday. After the conference I ran to the park near my house, laid out and just soaked up the sun. The weather is changing and is beautiful. The past few days have been cool in the mornings/evenings, 75-80 degrees during the day, low humidity (not that Johannesburg has a lot), and sunny. In the late afternoon I went to Gerhard and Marlize's for Marlize's birthday dinner. It's always nice to go out to Benoni (their suburb), to catch up, and spend some "family time." There were about fourteen of us in total and we had a wonderful dinner. I spent the night, had breakfast with them, and then went grocery shopping before returning back home. It was my turn for my roommates and my weekly Sunday lunches. The past week I've searched all over Johannesburg for two items: dried porcini mushrooms and prosciutto. For some reason, two popular food items in Italy aren't prevalent in South Africa (insert: irony). In any event, I made prosciutto and porcini pasta (with olive oil, garlic, and peperoncino), broccoli (with olive oil, garlic, and peperoncino), cantaloupe, and root beer floats. I definitely think that the peperoncino taste was something new to my roommates - a very unique spice to Italy. After lunch I headed to Wits (for internet) and Skyped with Hope Lutheran in Toledo - my parents/grandparents church and the church that I grew up with/in. I talked to both the adult bible student and the high school youth group about my experiences in Johannesburg, challenges, observations, my family connection, and my faith. I appreciated the opportunity to reflect myself and hopefully I shed some (good) insight!

On Monday night I went with my roommates to the University of Johannesburg versus Stellenbosch University rugby match, played in the UJ stadium near my house. It was a great experience, because so many aspects of it were familiar, yet many were uniquely South African. The game had the typical fanfare of an American football game whether high school or college, with fireworks to welcome to team on the field, chants by the fans, and of course, over-the-top fans. Moreover, they crowned a UJ "queen" at halftime! Unlike American football, it seemed like people were there more for the experience than the game itself. I know, I know, broad statement. However, the speed and play of rugby is much different than American football, so it's similar to a soccer match in a sense. Apart from the game, it was more relaxed and a "party" atmosphere with grills permanently set up in the stadium for grilling, alcohol was widely served, and people even brought their hookahs (water pipes for flavored tobacco). Also, I learned that UJ has a pretty good team, with Wits being in the lower division.

Wednesday was "Human Rights Day," a national holiday, which was very timely. I appreciated the chance to have a low-key day before a busy weekend and a busy next week. This weekend, two of the Fulbright ETAs from Bloemfontein are coming in and we have a lot planned. On Saturday, we're going to go on a tour of Soweto (one of the most popular former townships), the Apartheid Museum, and possibly a Golden Lions Rugby game. Sunday, we're going to a church in Soweto for service in the morning and will spend the afternoon at a couple of markets. Next week is the last week before the fall break - which is filled with a lot of grading, meetings, and teaching. I am very much looking forward to the break; I'm going to Durban and Lesotho with a couple of the ETAs (from PE, Pretoria, and Johannesburg). Hopefully we'll be able to soak up the last bit of warm weather for the season! :( 

Roommate lunch (with Justin, a roommate last year)

UJ Rugby Stadium 

Players getting ready to go on the field

Alumni Section!

Addition to the Family!

First of all, congratulations to my dear sister (Erica) and her husband (Andy) on the birth of their daughter yesterday (15 March) - Cadence Elisabeth Kimble. Although great distance separates us, I'm with them both in spirit!

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On Tuesday, I came into work to discover that there was no electricity on campus. I didn’t realize how reliant I am (we are) on electricity - I couldn't make copies, send emails, prepare lessons (online), and felt genuinely stranded. I sat in the staff lounge reading and was surprised at how many people came in looking for coffee … another casualty of the lack of electricity. Overall, things that I took for granted in the US/Europe are becoming more apparent. Internet, for example, is very fickle and slow. To make matters worse, most companies in SA charge you per megabit, rather than having "uncapped internet." I find that my cell phone randomly goes from no service, to no data but phone service, to full 3G speeds. Wild!

The Battle for Johannesburg: I watched an interesting documentary this week, called The Battle for Johannesburg. It chronicled the effort to start an urban renewal in downtown Johannesburg, using the World Cup as a catalyst for change. Unfortunately, the city has failed to provide proper housing for low-income citizens; because of this many squat in buildings and pay illegal landlords for "protection." I found it fascinating because the director interviewed both the illegal residents and the rightful owner of the building (who wanted to start renovating). Before the World Cup, the city had a plan to move the poor from the city and make it a pristine business-hub that people largely commute to (or live in upscale, urban apartments - basically, just get rid of the poor). Overall, it’s a complex situation, as builders/investors do not want to revitalize old buildings, when they are next to decrepit buildings, with illegal residents. The documentary gave me greater insight into the city and the many issues that it is facing. Watch the trailer: The Battle for Johannesburg

On Thursday I went to the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, which was conveniently playing on campus. They played Dvorak Water Goblin, op.107, (Vodnik), Pokofiev 

Piano Concerto No.3, op.26, C major, 

Berlioiz Symphony Fantastique, op.14, and had a guest pianist, 

Pallavi Mahindhara. 

I enjoy classical music - it's something that I've gradually started to listen to more and more, particularly when reading or writing. The concert was really great, the philharmonic first played Dvorak Water Goblin, op.107, (Vodnik), then most of the brass section left, leaving the strings and the pianist, who played the other pieces!

Before I could go to the symphony, I had to use an online system similar to Ticketmaster to get my ticket. The exception being that I couldn't print out my ticket, I had to go a grocery store and pick it up. I had some time in between meetings, so I went to pick up the ticket. I googled the nearest participating grocery store (Checkers) and found a few locations within 3 kilometers away. No problem! I set off, not realizing that I was heading downtown, more specifically, Hillbrow. Hillbrow is a very run down, dangerous area that was highlighted in The Battle for Johannesburg (Hillbrow) In fact, most of the documentary took place in Hillbrow. Not where I wanted to be. After navigating my way though Hillbrow, I arrived closer to city centre (I'm so British). I parked, paid the parking monitor, and set off to pick up my ticket. Walking up to the counter, I told the associate why I was there (to pick up my ticket) and I produced my receipt, which brought blank stares. Another associate walked up and told me that this was not a participating grocery store, it was "UCheckers" not "Checkers" (or something of the like). A knock off grocery store?

 A few tidbits from this week:

• Zulu is going really well; I'm enjoying the way that we are learning the language, more auditory and applicable than my past language classes. We talked about numbers this week, which my professor is not stressing. Here's why: In order to say the number 39 in Zulu, you would say, "amanshumi amathethu nesiyakalolunye" … "amanshumi" is tens, "amathatu" is three (tens), "nesiyakalolunye" is "leave behind one from ten". Imagine just counting one to ten!
• The course I'm teaching is fascinating, particularly because of the diversity in the class. I had the students identify their "home language" (mother tongue) - my students speak: English, Xhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Tsonga, Siswati, Setswana, Sapedi. We did an exercise where students wrote down the languages that they know and want to learn - it filled up the chalk board (with languages they know)! 

One of my favorite quotes (I put it up in my classroom) - basically, if your going to be somewhere, be there in mind, not just in body. Often in meetings or during conversations I get distracted or think about what I need to be working on. This is something that I've been personally trying to improve.

Linder Auditorium (at Wits) 

Guest Pianist, Playing with the Philharmonic

No Khonondakakhulu (complaints)!

I feel as if I am growing and learning everyday, not only professionally, but also personally as well. My interactions with my colleagues, students, and roommates give me greater insight on life in South Africa (and in general). I enjoy being abroad and "out of my comfort zone" in a sense, because I feel like I'm able to reflect personally and reflect on society at large. Speaking of which:

Homelessness: An observation about the individuals who are "down and out" in Johannesburg - I understand that this is a broad statement, but in my experience with the numerous homeless people at traffic lights ("robots"), I find that they are overall much more receptive and appreciative when you acknowledge them. Let me clarify. In the 'States most people do everything they can to avoid the homeless. There really is not a report between those "with means" and those without. Moreover, people lambast them for their lack of motivation and/or "choice" to beg rather than work. Driving through the city with my window down or cracked, I've come into a lot of contact with the homeless. I always greet them, typically in Zulu...I find that they are peaceful and warm, always eager to converse (even if I don't give them loose change). It is interesting, upon reflecting, because typically in the US "we" (myself included) have a "knee-jerk" reaction and automatically put up a wall to the homeless. In South Africa, I find that the homeless just want to be acknowledged as people, rather than ignored or treated as lepers. Understandably, many are addicted, dangerous… and all of the rest. At the same time, however, I could say the same about the population with material means.

Interesting Story I: I had another run in with the South African public system - this time at the post office. I went to the post office on Wednesday to send a few cards and to pay for my speeding ticket (they don't accept personal check, just money order). For some reason my ticket didn't show up in their online system, must likely because it was a different province, so I had to get a postal money order. The employee told me that I couldn't get a postal money order without proof of address or my passport. Understandable (relatively). I went back to the post office on Friday, with a piece of mail, my lease (just in case), and my passport. The first employee I talked to said that I had to bring a proof of address from a bank or a more official piece of mail (I brought my The Economist). She recommended that I could go in person to the Licensing Department in Randburg, my arch-nemesis. I politely told her that was not an option. Making a larger scene, she called over her manager. I had to explain this situation to him and plead ignorance. After 30 minutes of paperwork (no over exaggeration), I finally had my postal money order filled out and mailed. Whew. I learned that the hassle of paying for the ticket was almost as bad as the price of the ticket. Lesson learned!

Interesting Story II: The outdoor faucet at my house, which is hooked up to the main line, broke late last week. Gerhard came over on Friday afternoon and we tried fixing the faucet (the rubber wore out on the inside). In order to work on the faucet, we had to turn the water off. The water switch-off is in a box in the ground in front of the house. Unfortunately, because so many people "screw around" with the tap, the municipality makes it very hard to manually turn off the water, needing special tools. So, Gerhard and I were trying to work on a solution to fix the faucet without being able to turn the water off. Bottom line: we took the faucet off and the water sprayed everywhere, drenching us both. We were able to put the faucet (broken) back on and use zip ties to slow the water.  On Saturday morning, Johannesburg Water came to the house. I asked them to turn the water off, I would run to the hardware store for a new faucet, then they would turn the water back on after I put the new faucet on. Slight problem - Johannesburg Water couldn't turn our water off. After two trips to the hardware store to get the right piece, one of the workers put the faucet on without turning the water off (he got drenched). I tried to be hospitable, offering a drink and a towel to the worker. They refused and on the way out a worker who hadn't been doing any of the work (not even the drenched one!) asked for money, saying, "We helped you out, now we need to be helped out." He went on to say that they needed lunch. Not accustom to expecting to tip a city worker, particularly when taxes pay for the service, I tried playing off the confused-American. "I don't understand?" … Eventually, one of my roommates, Nelli, came up and took care of the situation. We all (roommates) had a good laugh about it - they commented that seeing a white foreigner, the city workers probably assumed that they could get money from me. Another lesson learned!

Just as an aside: I reflect often on my experiences with Teach for America in Chicago. Something that TFA warned us (corps members) was that we should be cautious about the "picture we paint" of our situation to our friends and family. At times I felt like I vented to them (obviously) and I may have overplayed some situations, not looking at the whole picture of my experience in Chicago. With that being said, I want to paint a clear picture of my experience here. "Complaining" about the licensing department, the post office, or anything else is meant as a reflection of my specific experience, not a holistic view of South Africa. In fact, I find these difficulties kind of funny and funny-frustrating, which is why I share.

Windshield: Fixed! When I bought the car there was a small crack, that was localized and not an issue. Gerhard and I got an estimate for replacement, thinking that my car might not pass the roadworthy test with a crack. Eager to resolve the gigantic crack due to last weekend's trip to Gaborone, I called around to get estimates. After receiving a few estimates (with a range of $100 to $800!), I pulled an "HB" or a "Beth Fry" and worked on getting the best deal possible. I found a company that drives to your house/office and replaces the windshield onsite. Unfortunately, they were not the cheapest company. I forwarded them the lowest estimate ($100) and they matched it, problem solved! I know, I know. "Really, Scott? This is one of the most interesting stories that you want to put on your blog?" Yes, really :)

Braai: On Saturday, my roommates and I threw a "braai" ("cookout") for our friends. We went grocery shopping and cleaned up the house on Saturday before people started arriving around 4pm. We had a nice spread of meats: chicken, sausage, and steak, as well as nice sides and drinks. Although it had been a beautiful day, a storm came out of nowhere and inhibited on the cooking of the meat (difficult to cook over charcoal with rain). We had to instead cook a lot of the meat in the oven, with some dedicated grillers standing outside with umbrellas trying to get the fire going. All in all, it was a great braai and fun to meet a lot of different people.

I went to Gerhard and Marlize's for a dip in the pool and dinner on Sunday night, a perfect way to end the weekend. I always enjoy spending time with them and I hadn't seen them in a few weeks because of my travels. As I've said time and time again, I don't know what I would do without them. I thoroughly enjoyed the home-cooked meal and catching up!

Leo! (It's an inside joke) - Bottom line: Best Actor

Saw this on another ETAs blog and thought it was powerful

Proud to Be a Witsie and Gaborone, Botswana

Some major progress this week; my teaching responsibilities are picking up, I'm coordinating a research committee, attending isiZulu and graduate-research classes, and my own research is keeping me busy, but I feel like I'm making some major 'inroads.' I really enjoy my teaching responsibilities - I get to share my knowledge of education, give my students insight into what they will face in the classroom, and provide advice about college (generally: get involved, go to every class, get to know professors, et cetera). There was a powerful teaching moment this past week; after letting my students out for the period one student moseyed slowly out of class so that she was at the end of the group to get out of the door. She stopped at my desk as I was cleaning up the room and packing up. Thinking she wanted clarification about what we were going over in class, I asked her what I could help her with. She replied that she was inspired by the class. Not only was she inspired by what she was learning but also the fact that I was so young (compared to the other teachers, especially). She went on to tell me that she decided that she wanted to continue with her university studies so that she could teach college students too. I tell that story not to pat myself on the back, but it reminded me why I enjoy working with students - you can make a profound impact on someone's life, whether knowingly or not.

Another development this week was the formation of a research committee that I am leading for seniors, honours students (in between bachelor's and master's), and master's students. One of my responsibilities of Fulbright is working in the writing center on campus. After meeting with the coordinator of the writing center, she suggested that I work on helping the writing center tutors, rather than actually helping students who come into the writing center for writing help. The aim of the committee is to give students a greater understanding of research, the research processes, research writing, and give a forum for peer review (sometimes the greatest help). Although I'm not a master researcher (I'm working on it!), I feel confident leading the committee after taking numerous research classes during my Masters at Dominican. It's a nice change of pace, rather than teaching - I get to interact with the students on a different level and have deeper conversations.

Along the same lines, I've been working on literature review for my own research. I'm going to keep the topic "close to the chest" for the next few weeks, as I solidify my research question and outline my proposal. I've thoroughly enjoyed spending hours reading, note taking, and reflecting… it's fulfilling. The only downside: instant coffee. A short tangent - coffee is not highly regarded in South Africa. There are a lot of drinkers, but they are not as picky as in North America or Europe (I've found). Despite being close (relatively) to many great coffee-producing regions, it is difficult to find drip coffee, French press coffee, or espresso. Nearly all of the coffee in South Africa is instant … and it is ridiculously expensive ($8/lb). Not that it is cheap in the US, but the quality is much better. Conversely, rooibus (roy-bus/"red bush") tea, native to South Africa is dirt cheap and without caffeine.

Botswana: I left Johannesburg with the other Fulbright ETA, Mariann on Friday morning. We drove up to Pretoria on our way to Gaborone to pick up Ben and Rob, the two Fulbright ETAs at the University of Pretoria. I really enjoyed the drive; the landscape was beautiful. The vegetation was very uniquely Southern African, with an arid landscape, and rolling hills. It was interesting as well to see the Northwest Province and note the differences with Gauteng (my province). We stopped at a small town for gasoline and went to a local butchery to try their biltong ("bill-tongue" - South African jerky)…we ended up buying 1/2 a kilo and "went to town" on it as we drove. It was remarkably better (less fat, salt) than store-bought biltong (like most food).

During our four-hour trek to Gaborone, we suffered a casualty. After getting off of a major highway, we started traveling on a two-lane, worn down road (but still decently paved). I went around a corner at the same time a truck was going around. In the process, the truck threw up a large rock, which struck the windshield on the drivers (my) side. There wasn't much I could do in the middle of the country, but I cautiously drove the remaining 100km into Gaborone.

After getting into to Gaborone in the early afternoon we checked into our hotel and then I tried finding a windshield replacement center, but on a Friday afternoon, there wasn't much hope. We then met up with a Botswana Fulbrighter and went to dinner together. Overall, Gaborone is a very small city (~250,000), particularly for the capital, but it is rapidly expanding. Botswana is rated as the "least corrupt" country in Africa and its currency ("Pula" - rain) is slightly stronger than the South African Rand. The city felt very safe and the people were noticeably very nice.

On Saturday morning we woke up early and hiked up Kgale Hill, one of the focus points of the city. The country is very flat, but has random hills throughout. Not knowing what to expect, we started off and worked our way through steep inclines and loose rocks. As we went through the trail we started hearing baboons barking, seemingly close by. The locals that were out for the Saturday morning hike didn't seem to mind, so we preceded to summit the hill. The view was spectacular; we could see the city, a local quarry, and well into the distance. As we descended the hill, Rob and I separated from Ben and Mariann, deep in conversation and a quick pace. We missed the turnoff back to the main trail and didn’t realize our mistake until we got to a locked fence. By that time Ben and Mariann passed us onto the main trail. After we corrected ourselves, we were walking down and a baboon walked across the trail! We cautiously continued on the trail and made a point of making ourselves known by talking loudly (which, in hindsight, might have "challenged" the baboon).

After showering and resting from the long hike we went to the National Museum, walked around the main "mall" (in the pedestrian sense), visited the Gaborone Yacht Club (no yachts and not much of a club) and went to the Three Chiefs monument. I enjoyed the Three Chiefs monument in particular because a one of the employees graciously gave us a tour of the monument (I don’t think he had to). He walked us around, explaining the history of Botswana - tribal battles, dealing with the Boers (Afrikaners), the British, and finally gaining statehood. We then met up with the Botswana Fulbrigher for dinner again at "Bull and Bush" - one of the "hot" spots of Gaborone (or "Gabs" as people say).

It was a great weekend - nice to get out and explore Southern Africa and not too terribly stressful (~5 hour drive each way). My only background to Botswana was No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, a book that my Grandmother recommended I read before I went to South Africa in 2010, to get the idea of Southern African culture. The book was a great example of the culture and lifestyle of Botswana (the story takes place in Gaborone).

Casualty #2: On our way back to Johannesburg, I had my first "run in" with the South African police. I was going through a town along the highway, where the speed limit lowers (and then increases after the city). As we were leaving the city the speed limit signs were increasing back to the 120 kph norm of the highway. I drove around a curve, following two cars. On the side of the road two police officers with a camera started waving at the group of cars (me and two other cars). Thinking that it was a random check for registration (which happens a lot), I pulled over. The policeman told me that I was speeding. Shocked, I explained that I was following two cars, so how could I possibly be the only "speeder." Frustrated, he drew out a diagram in the sand, saying that I sped up to the group of cars…if I did, it was long before they could've tracked me. In any event, I was going 21 kph over (81 in a 60 or ~ 12 mph over). I tried pulling the "I'm an American" card. Unsuccessful. Then I tried the "I'm a lecturer at Wits" card. Failure. Finally, I tried the "poor me" (literally) card. Not budging. The good news: If I want, I can drive three hours (each way) to go to court in May! Oh well. I guess my persuasive prowess wasn't as effective as I thought.

Beautiful Morning Drive into Johannesburg (see: skyline)

Northwest Province

Casualty

Kgale Hill 

Quarry View from Kgale Hill

Success! On top of Kgale

Notice the Abundance of Boats (joking, of course)

Three Chiefs Monument

Tour 

Braai

This weekend I went to my first official braai or "cookout" in Pretoria. A University of Pretoria professor who I met at Fulbright orientation and who works with the Fulbright ETAs in Pretoria invited the Johannesburg Fulbrighters (and a professor from Wits) to her beautiful home just north of the city. Pretoria, the executive capital of South Africa, is very close to Johannesburg (40 miles or so). Interestingly, the two cities are starting to merge, as Johannesburg suffers from urban sprawl.

We put the coordinates in the GPS and set off, knowing that her house was complicated to find. Before arriving we made a quick stop at the grocery store (Spar) to pick up meat to bring to the braai. I've heard conflicting reports, but overall, I feel that the host of the braai provides everything except for the meat (not in all cases), so it's not odd for the host to ask people to bring meat to share (they grill it all together). Then, we continued, following our GPS…until it said that "we had arrived" but we had not arrived. We were told that the house is a "street inside of a street." Puzzled we asked for directions and were told to go to the end of the road. We arrived a massive gate, allowed in, and proceeded to drive through a lush, well-manicured estate (for those in Toledo - it was "Tremore" like but more grandiose). Thinking we arrived, we pulled up to a small home with the garage doors open, when all of a sudden a small Mercedes came up behind us, honked, and indicated that we should follow it (it was raining at the time). It took us up a hill to a large, modern, home…I guess we found the gardeners home. Having to close our mouths ("wow" factor), we finally arrived and joined the party.

The braai was wonderful - a lot of food and great conversation. I enjoyed seeing the Fulbright ETAs (I'm traveling to Botswana with them next weekend) and meeting some professors from the University of Pretoria. We casually watched the Johannesburg Golden Lions versus the Free State Cheetahs in rugby (Go Lions!), talked, and tried some traditional South African braai food. One professor (who is the epitome of "professor" white beard, khaki safari shirt, pipe smoking, and crazy tales about his travels through the bush) decided to initiate the "American guests" and brought all of us boerwurst - a special sausage, particular to South Africa. In any event, it was a nice evening and I enjoyed learning about the braai culture.

Traditional South African braai food:

• Pap - It looks like mash potatoes, but has a stickier tendency (how descriptive!) and is not potato. Typically you put chakalakah on top of it as a South African-style mash potatoes and gravy.
• Chakalakah - a spicy chili sauce that has a relish consistency
• Boerwurst - traditional South African sausage
• Malva Pudding - A cake soaked in a syrup, warmed, and served over ice cream. The custom is to also add custard on top.
• Ostrich Biltong ("bill-tongue") - jerky that is less salty (and not pumped with chemicals) than in the 'States

To continue with the food theme - on Sunday afternoon my roommates and I started our Sunday afternoon lunch, where one of us makes lunch for the group (I'm next week). I really enjoy talking to them and learning about South African culture, they have unique insights and I enjoy their comments when I tell them my own stories (and I, theirs).

           

Eternally full (well, you get my drift).

Braai 

Other Fulbright Scholars (research) in Johannesburg 

Roommate Lunch: Scott, Nelli, Andile, Nathan (left to right)

Nginguthisa (I am a teacher)

Everything is in full swing here; it is still a little hectic, but I am sure that in the coming weeks I will get used to the routine. We (Mariann and I) are working with many different faculty members and offices, which expands our presence on campus, but also makes planning a bit more difficult (each department tends to have its own schedule). At the same time, I am eager to become as involved as possible on campus, fulfilling the Fulbright mission and growing professionally/personally.

A few interesting progressions:

• I started attending a research class this week, taught by my mentor professor. I hope to develop my own research, either for a PhD application or for my own satisfaction.
• I'll be leading a research committee at the writing center. Basically, I'll facilitate a weekly meeting for graduate students where we look and critique research, conduct peer reviews, and introduce our own research. The hope is that students can solidify their own proposals and help move their Master's/Doctoral proposals along. 

The overall focus during my Fulbright is teaching the new literacies course, leading the research committee at the writing center, taking an isiZulu course, taking a research course, helping with two projects ("20 day course" and societal innovation), and trying to shore up my own research project.

This weekend I'm heading to Pretoria for a "braai" (b-ry) - a cookout - at a professor from the University of Pretoria's home. The Fulbright ETAs met her (the professor) during a welcome dinner at orientation; she invited all of the Fulbright Scholars/ETAs from Johannesburg and Pretoria. I'm looking forward to my first "official" braai; a test run for a braai that my roommates and I are hosting in a few weeks!