getaround

for the future

Dear friends and family,

I have decided to switch to tumblr for aesthetic reasons. My new web address will be http://foreversavage.tumblr.com/. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Love,
Kelsey

In other news: Just got back from a weeklong holiday in Cape Town. While it was nice to have a break from the hustle & bustle of Johannesburg, the VA Waterfront in CT was eerily similar to Disney World and all of the stores were carbon copies of the Urban Outfitters catalogue (and priced similarly). In Cape Town I could really feel the 2010 World Cup buzz.

HIGHTLIGHTS: eating some nice chicken shwarma, raiding a classy afternoon tea (I drank three personal spots in two hours), exploring the city’s history by visiting EIGHT museums in the span of five days (R40 total =$.55 each), ending three of our days by taking naps in the cutest movie theatre in South Africa (R60 total=$2.74 each).

time & place

Who knew that daylight saving time wasn't worldwide? The above map indicates which countries still participate in this useless practice. Here's an article with some fun DST facts.

Also-- there's going to be a movie about nation building in South Africa coming out in mid-December. Guess who is playing Mandela?

Coming soon: Update on Botswana with some graphic pictures of a slaughtered cow!

It's a Mug Story

The moment shit got real was when I notice the five inch switch blade brazenly being displayed in the fist of one of the two men quickly approaching. Great. This is it. The bona fide Joburg experience. The one I had been continually warned about by my mother's friends in the comfort of coffee shops, doctor's offices and suburban dining rooms. The advice was generic, but I always nodded my head in appreciation. Walk in groups (Check). Don't go out after dark (Check). Walk with a purpose (Check). Don't wear flashy jewellery (Check). We had done everything right. Still, there we were, all of our valuable possessions replaced with bulging eyes and smirks of disbelief.

Everything happened so fast. Similarly to my many dumps off horses, I only remember flashes of "the incident". One second I'm steadily cantering along; next thing I know I see the ground about to collide with my face; now I'm laying in the dirt watching my horse roam around the ring acting confused by his newfound lack of direction. Beginning. Middle. End. At first we were joking about the number of geckos we had seen on today's journey to our favorite fair trade coffee roastery and espresso bar; then we're being assaulted by a man wearing a glow in the dark rosary and another in a Manchester United zip up; after that I was helplessly cursing the lose of my beloved Spudnick (i.e. my laptop) and cluelessly debating on how to proceed. Beginning. Middle. End.

I was a little ambivalent to post on the mugging just because I didn't want to dwell on "the incident" and because it has been taking up so much of my spare time (filing police reports and insurance claims… just kidding, I’ve got a lot more free time without constant connection to the cyberworld). Yet, when I’ve been telling colleagues about “the event”, there has been one overwhelmingly consistent response: Welcome to South Africa. I came to South Africa to genuinely experience a different lifestyle, and that’s what I’ve done, in all its glory and discouragement.



On a lighter note: Check out my second guest appearance on fee-oh-na’s weekly chocolate bar rating.

Make it Rain

Remember how I used to complain about the lack of rain? Well... I guess I got what I wished for. It has been raining almost routinely every evening for the past two weeks. Today, however, it hailed.

Yup, that's a sheet of ice.

Here's a picture of one of the ice balls.

p!nk

Pink - Please Don't Leave Me (High Quality)

Weirdest. Music. Video. Ever.

Now imagine this playing on a flatscreen that's looming over your head while trying to enjoy a relaxing breakfast after an early morning jaunt to the airport.

updated.

In the midst of a month long finals period, sprinkled with weekend traveling.

The Secret Ocean

Lightning & thunder. Thunder & lightning. Lunder, for those thinking too fast.

Just turned in TWO six pagers. Are two six page papers more work than one twelve page report? I'm going to rule with a "Nay" on this one.

BREAKING NEWS: The Southern Ocean?

While in Mozambique, we were internet-less for a full week. We came up with a whole host of (basic) facts we would have to Google as soon as we got back to our computers. Sadly, the names of the world's oceans was on our list to look up (We were stuck at four, which is reasonable given the below article). Maybe that was a good thing because now I know about our newest official ocean, the Southern Ocean.

"In 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization created the fifth and newest world ocean - the Southern Ocean - from the southern portions of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. The new Southern Ocean completely surrounds Antarctica.

The Southern Ocean extends from the coast of Antarctica north to 60 degrees south latitude. The Southern Ocean is now the fourth largest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean, but larger than the Arctic Ocean).

For some time, those in geographic circles have debated whether there are four or five oceans on earth.

Some consider the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific to be the world's four oceans. Now, those that side with the number five can add the fifth new ocean and call it the Southern Ocean or the Antarctic Ocean, thanks to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). The IHO has attempted to settle that debate through a year 2000 publication by declaring, naming, and demarcating the Southern Ocean." [full]

Welcome to the world, Southern Ocean!

Sea of Weave

This documentary looks hilarious (even if I do think Chris Rock's voice is a little obnoxious). Although, I'm questioning its factual validity. "Human hair is India's biggest export" (1:50/2:33)-- Really?

Remember that time I walked over the Mandela Bridge to Newtown and found that the sidewalks were littered with stray strands of weave? I do!

If I had a trillion Rand

Stocks and Gold Gain as Investors Shun the Dollar NYT 7/10/09

“Investors clamored to buy pretty much anything on Tuesday — as long as it was not the dollar.

A seven-month slide in the value of the dollar gained force as investors migrated to other markets and fretted over a report that crude oil could one day be priced in other currencies, hobbling the dollar’s role as a vehicle for global trade.
…
The dollar slipped further against major currencies, continuing a decline that has sent it tumbling 15 percent since early March. The dollar fell to $1.47 against the euro, and the Japanese yen strengthened to 88.83 for every dollar.”

NOOOO! Don’t do this to me, dollar. You’ve already slipped from 7.7 to 7.4 Rand since the start of this week (but it’s okay because I always use a 1 to 10 conversion rate in my head anyways).

On the bright side, I finally understand exchange rates! If only I had taken Econ102 after I went abroad… I’m pretty sure the only thing I remember from that class was that gangsters like the Euro because it comes in bigger denominations than the dollar, making it easier to stuff in a suitcase.



Watch Jay-Z endorse the Euro with some flashy thumbing technique. But don't worry... he's not totally dropping the dollar because he's got a giant, gold "YE$" sign flashing in the background.

Show me the bunny (nom nom)

Just got back from a relaxing long weekend in Durban. Durban, located in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, is home to the largest population of Indians obviously excluding India, the most Mercedes per square mile than anywhere else in the world and the “bunny chow”.

Steps for making a Bunny Chow:

1. Hallow out a quarter, half or full loaf of bread.
2. Fill to the brim with spicy Mutton Curry.
3. Garnish with carrot strips.
4. Enjoy as (or before) the curry seeps into the bread!

‘Quarter Mutton’ from Coconut Grove Take-Away in Blue Lagoon, Durban. Best appreciated after a day of wrestling with the behemoth waves of the Indian Ocean.

Also recently enjoyed celebrating Heritage Day at the Human Rights Commission with good food, a variety of informational exhibits, traditional clothing, and live performances. I repped the Western Sahara, fully embracing my status as an expatriate.

Epic Fail

NYT, you so wrong.

1. wrong president (jacob zuma)
2. wrong spelling (thabo mbeki)

and you wonder why some africans say no one cares about them...

p.s. don't worry- nytimes has been made aware of this factual error.

I said "No, No, No"

These are pictures from the ongoing protest at Wits regarding the FY2010 tuition hike. Sure as hell beats the two tents on Wellesley's academic quad late last spring over the release of 40 college staff members...

The protests here involve lots of singing and dancing, two things that I do not consider my strong suits. Here is one of South Africa's most well known protest songs... sung by Amy Winehouse.



Only question left is-- why???

I guess "Rehab" is sort of a protest song...?

P.S. For those interested, here is a recent article about other protests in South Africa from the NYT.

Refresh button

Here’s an excerpt from a news story that is being talked about all over South Africa:

“Johannesburg, South Africa - Sometimes 12th-century technology wins.

This week, a South African call-center business, frustrated by persistently slow Internet speeds, decided to use a carrier pigeon named Winston to transfer 4 gigabytes of data between two of its offices, just 50 miles apart. At the same time, a computer geek pushed a button on his computer to send data the old-fashioned way, through the Internet.

Winston the pigeon won. It wasn't even close.

"Winston arrived after two hours, six minutes, and 57 seconds," says Kevin Rolfe, head of the information technology department at Unlimited Group, a call-center business based in Durban. As for the Internet data transfer, he says, "when we finally stopped the computer, about 100 megs had transferred, which is about 4 percent of the total."

Officially, the Unlimited Group has not given up on the Internet, nor has it any plans to embrace the use of homing pigeons that was pioneered on the battlefield by Genghis Khan. But while the pigeon-versus-Internet stunt was a resounding success in terms of satire, it also makes a point that many businesses throughout Africa are making: Africans pay some of the highest prices for some of the least reliable Internet service in the world. And if a country like South Africa – relatively prosperous and developed – can't solve this problem, then it's going to need a lot more pigeons.”

Full article-- http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0910/p06s12-woaf.html

Maybe this will give me a good excuse to invest in an owl-- I could even name it Hedwig (although my Hedwig wouldn't be as temperamental as Harry’s). Then again, I wouldn’t want my Hedwig to end up like one of these abandoned owls.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Taking a page (or a whole book?) from Edmund Burke, traditions are awesome. I mean if we didn’t have traditions, when else would I get to wander the streets begging for free candy from strangers while decked up as a pink power ranger (sadly, this actually happened), hunt for plastic eggs (filled with candy!) that a bunny scattered around our yard, or drink green beer while dressed as a leprechaun in honor of a patron saint? The answer- never.

Wellesley has some pretty bizarre traditions as well. The most well known is hoop rolling. This activity involves a gaggle of girls in their caps ‘n gowns chasing after a wooden hoop with the hopes of being the first one to cross the finish line. The prize? You get some flowers and thrown into Lake Waban (formally a hazmat site)!!!

This morning, at 6am, I was taking part in my first University of Witwatersrand tradition, the Engineering Breakfast. Here’s how it went down: We woke up bright and early, ventured over to a fenced parking lot on the other side of campus and cooked pancakes on a Bunsen burner-sized flame. Oh yeah… and all the guys were wearing suits, ties, argyle socks and silk boxers. While this tradition is just a little older than South African democracy, it has got the two key ingredients of the world’s best traditions: food and crazy costumes. Props for that.



P.S.-- Tomorrow night I’m going to a dinner party with the Swedish Prime Minister (leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party) and some girls from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy. Don’t ask how it happened, just give a honk honk to this girl.

P-p-p-poker face

We left for Mozambique knowing only two things: We could stay at Fatima’s Backpackers Place on all nights in our week long journey except for Friday and that we were legally permitted to be in the country for up to 30 days. Most of us didn’t even know the simplest Portuguese phrases, which may or may not have led to a misunderstanding at the boarder (Hint: don’t take pictures of Mozambique Boarder Patrol Guards) with the threat of four to six months jail time (Eu só falo inglês.). Somehow everything worked out perfectly, probably due to the good company, the kindness of strangers, our superb fact-finding/ hustling skills and sheer luck.

I feel like a picture essay would be the best way to explain our glorious adventures (Note- click on pictures to enlarge):

Part I- Bright City Lights

Part II- On the Water

See that white van (i.e. taxi bus)… we stuffed 19 people (plus luggage and a well-behaved baby) in there and drove for three hours over meandering, knee-deep sand roads. Oh man, that was an experience I will never forget.

Part III- The Diva is a Female Version of a Hustla

After we used our best poker faces to get this sweet deal at this brand spankin’ new hotel that’s named after a sinus medication, we spent the night being classy wearing our provided robes. Oh yeah, and the only other guests at the hotel were members of the Mozambican National Soccer Team and coaching squad.

Cheers to Spring Break '09- The Remix Edition!

Easy Tiger

On Saturday night I went to see Dan Patlansky, a phenomenal blues guitarist, at Radium Beer Hall. Because of this event, I can now officially say I have witnessed, and to some extent even been involved in a bar fight (meh… it was more like bar tiff, but whatever). The fight ended when a woman splashed schweppe’s tonic water all over a mystery man. Unfortunately, most of the liquid involved in this dramatic gesture ended up showering all over me, a helpless bystander. This sort of reminded me of the time I was at a middle school birthday party at Rainforest Café (a.k.a. the most overwhelming place on earth) and the waiter spilt a full tray of sodas on me. The only difference in these events was that the Rainforest Café manager let me pick out some free swag (Spongebob Square Pants T-Shirt and some classy leopard leggings) to make up for my sugarcoated hair and soaking Oilily outfit, whereas I only got some leftover bread at Radium.

Sunday was even more adventurous. We went to a Lion & Rhino park about an hour outside the city. Here are some of my favorite animal pictures from the day:



Then… I got bit by a tiger (oh snap!). Here are some pictures/ video footage of the bite in action and the scar-bruise blend that now adorns my upper calf:

I think its pretty funny that this happened. As soon as people hear my American accent they usually ask “So… did you think you were going to get attacked by a lion as soon as you stepped off the plane?” To this question I usually give a polite spiel about how not all Americans are ignorant or Bush-era cowboys. Now I can just smile, laugh and explain how that actually did happen, except it was tiger that attacked me, not a lion.

After the game park, we went to a place called Carnivores where we stuffed out faces with some of the animals (ostrich, kudu and crocodile) we had been admiring all day. Mmm, mmm good.

I’ll be done with my two finals on Saturday and am then heading off to Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, with five other girls for some relaxing days on the beach (Spring Break 2009—The Remix!). We’ll be staying at a backpackers lodge called Fatima’s (you can’t have the sweet with no sour). Until I return, cheers!

P.S. Goodbye Teddy... We'll miss you.

This picture reminds me of an awkward middle school dance.

These Days

The Day of Learning (Wednesday, August 19, 2009)

Just listen to this crazy line-up of academic experiences… all within a 10-hour time span:

I rolled up to the human rights commission at 10am, said my hellos to Clifford the security guard and headed up to my office. My boss told me there was an event on the sixth floor that I should attend; I said, “okay, I’ll go”. The presentation was by Magdalena Sepulveda (she's adorable), a United Nations Independent Expert on Human Rights and Extreme (X-treme?) Poverty from Chile, who was conducting an informal discussion on poverty in South Africa with civil society organizations.

Next, I trekked back to campus where my law class was getting a guest presentation by Mark Heywood, the Director of AIDS Law Project and Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) activist. He discussed how TAC was able to use South Africa’s progressive constitution to mandate that the government make antiretrovirals more accessible, despite former President Thabo Mbeki’s AIDS denialism.

After a brief interlude that involved ice cream, it was off to Senate House for a presentation by Elinor Sisulu. Sisulu is a Zimbabwean-South African Human Rights activist and often considered to be “South Africa’s conscience”. She talked about the atmosphere of global political amnesia surrounding human rights abuses in Zimbabwe.

After this day full of knowledge I needed to decompress…

The Day of Beer (Thursday, August 20, 2009)

Kathy and I grabbed some African Sushi (pap, chicken, and chakalaka sauce) at a diner close to campus and walked over the Nelson Mandela Bridge to Newtown. We spent some time at the Museum of Africa, but left quickly since it was disappointing. The Museum is in a huge palace-like building, but most of the rooms inside are totally empty (no lie). There was an exhibit on the history of photography, with no mention of its impact on Africa (or anything related to Africa for that matter). Good thing the museum was free.

We walked across the street to SAB World of Beer. For just 25 Rand (given current exchange rates about $3.80), Kathy and I got a 90-minute tour, a glass mug, three ice-cold bottle of beer, and some munchies. The tour was incredibly high-tech and involved lots of interactive videos, even the lobby of the building reminded me of a CIA safe house (or what I imagine a CIA safe house to look like). SAB World of Beer just won the 2009 award for best tourist location in South Africa and certainly gets an A+ in my book.

South Africa In the News:
An ambiguously gendered gold medal runner, being the site of an alien invasion that inspires a government crackdown similar to apartheid policies (movie isn’t out here yet), and this interesting and accurate essay on Krueger National Park’s tourism industry.

P.S. Check out this blog post on South African chocolate bars. I was the guest taster this week (i.e. Taster Dark Horse).

Fight On! Fight On! Fight On!

It’s been a rough week for the Americans in International Haus. We’ve had:
1 Emergency Trip back to the USA
3 Malfunctioning Laptops
1 Stolen Wallet
1 911-equivalent call, followed up by a week long hospital stay for pneumonia. (Don’t worry—I was as cool as a cucumber when I asked the security guard to ring an ambulance).

I guess all you can do is say “Aish”.

As of now, I’ve got M.I.A.’s (featuring Afrikan Boy) Hussel stuck in my head. She gives a shout out to Mozambique in the song—my likely “spring break” destination.

You think its tough now,
Come to africa,
Out there we are grinding like pepper,
You can catch me on the motorway,
Selling sugar water and pepper,
I rep Africa not Miami,
Hustle hustle with m.i.a.

Kathy is coming to South Africa for a few days before she heads off to Senegal. Yay!

P.S. At least the honeybees are having a good week.

Free Love

On Wednesday, I attended a conference on xenophobic violence against non-nationals. The event was co-sponsored by the South African Human Rights Commission and the Center for Study of Violence and Reconciliation and was attended by a handful of local NGOs, government officials and interested citizens, most of which were foreign nationals. The day before, my first official day of work, was spent in planning meetings for the event.

At the end of the symposium, there were multiple organizations handing out complimentary pamphlets, magazines, t-shirts and stickers. As most of you know, free stuffs makes me real giddy (Dad, you taught me well). Free hand sanitizer-- sign me up! Free toothbrushes—i’ll take three! Free Costco food samples—yum, yum! In my hurry to collect as much free stuff as possible, I was not paying attention to exactly what I was grabbing.

While riding the bus home from work I decided to take a look at the loot that I had snagged. One item in particular stuck out—a sticker. Now, I’m a big sticker fan. I’ve got hundreds at home that I’ve been collecting since I was 8 years old. In middle school, at the peak of my sticker craze, I would give one of my friends about $40 every summer so she could buy me some from California (they’ve got ties to the famous Japanese sticker market). This particular sticker was unusually large (16x8 inches) and had “This is where Xenophobia belongs! 1 future” written across it. Surely they don’t mean xenophobia belongs in the future, do they? Maybe they meant to stay it belongs on a sticker/paper, but why should it even belong there? In general, I was confused about the meaning of the sticker and didn’t really want to plaster it across my wall if I wasn’t exactly sure of what it was trying to say.

Then, in a 4am stroke of brilliance, I realized I had the perfect location for my new sticker-- my trashcan. I felt around for my glasses, switched my light on and hobbled over to the bin. As you can tell by this picture, I was so excited by my realization that I didn’t even bother to properly align the sticker. In conclusion, lucid dreams rocks.




In other news—While Bill just returned from his Pyongyang mission that has “catapulted him back onto the world stage”, Hillary is in Jozi chatting it up with Zuma and Mandela. Go Billary!

Sidebar—I bought way too much yogurt last week. I’m averaging about 5 per day so I can finish them before they expire (2 more days!). If someone offered me some free yogurt, I’d have to reluctantly refuse.