On this rainy Sunday evening, having
passed my South African experience’s halfway mark, I would like to reflect on
the day to day minutia that we often omit to mention but that end up greatly
contributing to the spirit of a travelling experience. I remember each of my
past travels as having a certain vibe to them, and this is what I would like to
portray.
Johannesburg is notorious for its sadly
rampant crime situation and this can be felt in everyday life. In residential
neighbourhoods, all houses are little fortresses protected by high walls
sometimes topped with an additional electrical fence. The doors and windows
each have a sturdy metal grid protecting the house with another layer of
security. And of course, there is an alarm system. Despite violence being more
common in such areas, houses in the townships are not as bubble wrapped as in
the wealthier neighbourhoods. Perhaps because people there have less to lose, perhaps
because they simply cannot afford such measures, but I also suspect that fear
is proportional to income and people who have no daily exposure to the harsh
JoBurg realities end up overexaggerating them. Yes, Johannesburg is a very
violent city but it is not a post-apocalyptic decrepit capital of lawlessness.
Yes people get stabbed and shot on an almost daily basis, but it is still
possible to take a walk outside and avoid death. From the household security
systems to the gated malls and their security guards, many things in JoBurg
remind you of the criminal reality this city faces but it is important that one
keeps their impression just at that: reality.
Speaking of malls, they are as
numerous as they are huge and the great majority of them feel relatively new.
The end of apartheid signified that close to eighty-five percent of the
population was technically now on an equal playing field of opportunities with
the other fifteen. Despite a flagrant educational disadvantage, many blacks
have joined the ranks of the middle class; this and the lifted punitive international
financial measures have dawned a new era of consumerism in South Africa as
symbolically represented by their shopping malls. The Maponya mall in Soweto
(Soweto!) is bigger and more modern than anything I have seen in Montreal.
The cost of living is quite nice on
the wallet. One can get away with a good meal at a restaurant for a little less
than ten Canadian dollars including drinks. Gas however roughly compares to
North American prices and toll highways can be pricey.
Braai’s, or charcoal/wood barbecues, are a staple of South African cooking. Many houses are equipped with braai facilities in their garden and since my house is no exception, I organized one last week with students from Bara. We were seven, representing six different countries (USA, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, and Canada). It was great to be able to exchange our different medical views and experiences in the warmth of the fire. On a food note, we cooked mostly meats and I used the lemons from the tree in the garden to make lemonade.
Weather wise, as I have already
explained in previous posts, Johannesburg sits just shy of two thousand meters
above sea level on the South African Highveld. Therefore, the nights are cold
and the days are hot with the occasional evening rains. Because of the
altitude, white skinned people such as myself burn even faster than usual as I
unfortunately learned on my first week: an unfortunate lesson in the form of a
farmer burn.
I knew before coming here that
singing is engrained in the South African fabric. What I did not know however was
how easy it would be to witness it. Sisters in each ward at Bara sing together
at every shift change. Everyone with spot-on pitch, everyone with spot-on rhythm,
and every song with a two to three voice harmony. While many of my colleagues
do appreciate the sonic beauty displayed by the sisters they do not quite
understand why my head damn well nearly explodes everytime I listen to such an
incredible delight. At lunch in a small restaurant in Soweto with three friends
from Bara, a guitar and voice duo came to serenade us while we ate. The woman’s
voice was like butter: so smooth, so rich. We could have just sat there
listening to her, forgetting our worries, four medical students getting lullabied
into pleasant submission. I can not wait for the Drakies’ concert next Saturday!
Cheers
folks
TF
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