Riding the O-BA-MA Wave into the Heartland --AFRICA!

So, with less than a week to go until the election, I thought I’d reflect on this phenomenon of O-BA-MA in Africa. Since we’re not able to join our friends back home campaigning, phone banking, and attending rallies, we’ve had to resort to a bumper sticker and button campaign. Both our cars are carrying Obama bumper stickers, and for the past few weeks, I am rarely seen without an “Obama YES WE CAN” button. The reaction has been amazing. When we go shopping or out to dinner, the car-park attendants inevitably see the bumper sticker and say, “O-BA-MA, YES!” This often is followed by a spirited conversation about how the world needs a change, and how O-BA-MA will not just be good for America, but for the world as well.

What’s really nice about this, is that its such a great conversation starter with folks who are otherwise, pretty invisible –the car-park guys. Wherever you go in South Africa, there are guys in fluorescent green vests, ready to help you park your car, and then keep watch over it while you are off doing your shopping, eating, coffee-ing, or whatever. Then, when you come back, you give them some money (anywhere between 2 and 10 Rand, or 20 cents - $1) for their effort. These guys are everywhere, but you rarely see anyone talking with them. Rather, just a little eye contact as you walk back to your car indicates that you’re ready to offer up some money. Then, after the eye contact, they come over and you put the coins in their hand, which they then usually bring to their heart, saying: “thank you sir” or “thank you captain” or “thank you boss.”

What’s nice, is that with the O-BA-MA sticker, we now have something to talk about; something that doesn’t just put the car-park guys in the typical subservient role of thanking you for your spare change. Its amazing what I’ve learned. Many of the guys have come to South Africa from neighboring countries, like Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Angola. Many are well-educated and have degrees. (Just the other day, Naomi met a guy from the DRC who has a business degree!) And most have a pretty sophisticated understanding of global politics and the power and influence of America (which is what most folks call the U.S.ofA.). And it is not always very complimentary. But, when they just say “O-BA-MA” with a variety of southern African lilts, a big smile comes across their face, and their eyes twinkle. There's hope in their voice. There's dignity in their smile. There's possiblity in their eyes. It is so cool! (It’s actually just the opposite of what it looks like when they say “BUSH” –usually accompanied by a sneer, and the shaking of the head, as if to say, “that SoB…”)

So, just as the bumper sticker has been a great ice breaker with the car park guys, wearing the button has sparked many a great conversation in town and on campus. Students see the button and say, "you for O-BA-MA?" And that is the beginning of a wonderfully engaging, hope-filled conversation. What a way to connect with people! There’s so much racial baggage and tension in this society, that wearing the O-BA-MA button has been a great distinguishing marker for me. I've hoped that it has been shorthand to express who I am and what I care about. Maybe I’ve even grown a bit dependent on it, knowing that the button can help distinguish me from the rest of the whiteys walking around town. Hope I don't get too lazy, and too comfortable riding the O-BA-MA wave, and stop putting in the work that is required to merit wearing the button!

Boy, it will be so nice to once again be proud of our leadership. To know that they are in touch with the pulse of the world –and not listening to the voices in their own heads! To know that they have a sense of the complex world that we live in, and a vision for the type of collaborative leadership that we are so desperately in need of.

So everybody, get out and vote for GLOBAL CHANGE! O-BA-MA! And don’t forget that big smile and the eye twinkle.

Blog ya later.

Seth./.

p.s. We were invited over to the United States Consulate Generale's house on 5 November starting at 5:00 am to watch the election returns. We're definitely going. The invitation said: "come join us for this history-making occassion." Let's hope we will be making the right kind of history! O-BA-MA (twinkle, twinkle)...

Homelessness in Cape Town

At CSUMB, I teach a service learning course called "Hunger and Homelessness," where are students work in a number of homeless shelters in the Monterey County area. Through that class, I got involved with the transformation of Soledad Street in Salinas (the "mecca" for homeless in Monterey County", which has led to our work in the "Chinatown Renewal Project." http://76.12.244.136/services/redevelopment/pdf/Chinatown_Plan.pdf According to the 2007 Monterey County homeless Census, around 50% of the 3,766 homeless in Monterey County can be found in Salinas, mostly in the Chinatown area. For our region, this is a significant issue.

OK, now, are you sitting down? Check out these stats for Cape Town. They came from an article in the Cape Times, writtenby Gerry Adlard who is doing his PhD at the African Centre for Cities at UCT. Check out these numbers:

* 150,000: the number of households living in "informal settlements" (this means shanty towns, without plumbing, etc.)
* 250,000: the number of households currently on the waiting list for housing (residing illegally in backyard shacks in "formal" settlements/townships
* 3.3: estimated number of people per household
* 1.2 million: estimated number of people living either in shacks in informal settlements, or backyard shacks.

So, out of 3 million people in Cape Town, the estimate is that 1.2 million are basically "homeless," living in these informal settlements or shanty towns, in shacks without a toilet or running water. That is 40% of the total population of the city! And of those families living in the "informal settlements," 91% are living below the poverty line ($320/month of family income).

So, how is Cape Town planning to get 400,000 people into homes, especially before the start of the World Cup soccer tournament in July 2010? Good question! Since democracy in 1994, Cape Town has been able to build about 8,000 new "low-income" homes per year. The process of getting access to new land, getting people to agree to move to temporary locations, and getting the homes built has just taken a lot longer (and cost a lot more) than they had thought.

As the months go by, change is slow to happen, and the 1.2 million people living in these shacks struggle to survive through floods in the rainy season, and all-too-frequent fires --people use candles and lanterns for light and cook use wood to cook and keep warm, so there are frequent fires that destroy lives and livelihoods. This is a picture of the aftermath of a recent fire in the informal settlement that I pass each morning on my way to work, called "Joe Slovo" (named: after a famous South African struggle leader).

The scope of the homeless issue here in Cape Town is enormous, and yet, the South African constitution has made housing a fundamental human right! That means that everyone has a right to a home. What a juxtaposition: an incredibly progressive constitution, and an unbelievably harsh reality. Adlard estimates that it will take at least $10 billion to address the housing issue in Cape Town alone! Well, the U.S. investing $700 billion to the banks who got greedy in trying to make money off the housing market. Maybe a $10 billion investing in housing is the way to go!

Blog ya later.

Seth./.

Reflective Dentist

Tuesday night we were having fish tacos for dinner, and I was crunching on a tortilla chip (yes, you can find them here!), when a big chunk of a molar cracked off, leaving a huge gaping hole. We got the number of a local dentist from our friends, and first thing in the morning I called. Luckily, the dentist had a cancellation that afternoon, so by 2:00 pm, I found myself sitting in that all-too-familiar position: laying down, head back, staring into that opaque light, my mouth full of rubber-gloved, exploring fingers and pokey tools.

It is always hard to have a conversation at the dentist office, especially once the dentist begins to work. For some reason, this dentist, who was about my age, was especially chatty. Maybe it was the "OBAMA 08" bumper sticker on my car that got him going, because he was asking me all kinds of questions about the election, and the possibility that America just might elect a black president. He still couldn't imagine that it could be possible! He then spoke about the article in yesterday's paper that showed that the University of Cape Town was now ranked 179th in the world! That's right, there are world rankings for universities. And it seems that UCT climbed from 196th to 179th since 2007. He was very proud of that accomplishment, especially since UCT was the only African university in the top 200. I asked him where he did his training, and he said that he went to Stellenbosch University, a traditionally elite Afrikans university. I hadn't told him a thing about what I do, and he voluntarily started to remember that:

"Back then, it was an all-white university. We even shared a building with UWC, the "coloured university," but we were totally separate. In fact, all the systems were duplicated. We had 3 floors in this building, and they had 3 floors, with all the equipment duplicated. And we didn't interact at all! And we all trained at Tygerberg Hospital, but we never interacted there either. The hospital had two sides, mirror images of each other: one was for the whites, and the other for everyone else. You know, when I talk to my kids about those days, they can't believe it! And you know, from my vantage point now, I almost can't believe that we lived like that and that it seemed normal. While there were some activists, most of us didn't question it. It was just how things were!"

Well luckily, he hadn't really begun the grinding, but was still just poking around. And so, I was able to respond. I said, "It's somewhat frightening, how easy it is for us humans to accept such bizarre realities as normal. What twisted, pretzel logic for that set-up to seem normal. Not to mention, it is incredibly inefficient --duplicating dental training in two neighboring, yet totally disconnected facilities. But somehow, if we're not really intimately and personally aware of the injustices that are going on, it seems pretty easy for people to justify, even if it is just quiet acceptance, the cushy, preferential treatment that they receive. The unawareness is almost blissful."

It turns out, he has two boys 17 and 14, who he feels are receiving a completely different education, and one that is really preparing them for a different, multicultural world. I sure hope he is right.

It took over an hour (story-telling included) for him to fix my tooth. But when I left, I had a beautifully-repaired molar, a great story to share, and had to pay exactly 877 Rand --or about $92. What a deal!

Blog ya later.
Seth./.

The Power of Symbols: Springboks vs. Proteas

Which image is carrying the most baggage? The "Springbok" or the "Protea?" Thoughts?

Well, in all my days listening to "AM 567 Cape Talk Radio," I have not heard such a controversy as this. It started with today's newspaper. Front page. Almost a 2 inch headline. In fact, it was the lead story. More important than the response from the ANC Youth League to the plans announced Tuesday of the former Defense Minister and other ANC party elders to leave the ANC and form a new party. Yes, more important than the potential split of the ANC was the decision reached yesterday by a meeting of executives of the Ministry of Sport to implement a 1992 decision to require all South African national teams to be called the "Proteas." In an effort to create a more unified country, the 1992 conference decided that the apartheid era name for all national sports teams, "the Springboks," would no longer be used, and it would be replaced by the national flower, the "Proteas." The national cricket team used to be known as "the Springboks," and is now known as "the Proteas." But, the rugby team had a deep identification with "The Boks," and had held out making the change. No longer. According to Saturday's Cape Argus newspaper, the rugby team will need to change its name in time for a tour of England in a month.

Rugby as the Holy Realm of the White Male South African
It is hard for us Americans to understand the power of this. For one, we don't really have an emblem for a national sports team that competes on an international level. Did the "Dream Team" have a mascot? How about the "Ryder Cup?" I don't think so. They just play for the good ol' "stars and stripes." Secondly, we don't have a team that has had such success on an international stage. The "Boks" won the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and again in 2007. In fact, at the 1995 championship game, Mandela came out onto the "pitch" wearing a #6 Springboks jersey and hat! That was seen as a major statement of unity on his part. The police were so nervous about his appearance at the game, fearing an attack on Mandela's life, that the stadium was lined with sharp-shooters. Again, rugby was the white man's game, and the Springboks were the white man's team.

So, it is 13 years after the 1995 world cup victory. And even though Mandela had agreed to allow the team to compete in 1995 under the Springbok name, as a gesture of unity, somehow the South African Rugby Union has managed to avoid the inevitable: letting go of its racist past, and becoming part of the new South Africa and adopting the "Proteas" as the symbol. By the way, Naomi and I took a walk through Kirstenbosch gardens this morning, and saw some fine Protea specimens. We were especially taken by the "King Protea," whose picture I've attached. Now, I've got to admit that the Springbok is cute and all, and that the Protea is after all, a flower. And we are talking about the most macho of sports, rugby. But, the "King Protea" is pretty impressive...

Such Clear Division

Listening to talk radio today, I was pretty shocked at how the callers were so clearly divided along racial lines. Almost every white caller, both Afriakaner and British, said some version of "Get over it! It's only a symbol. Let's stop being distracted by this nonsense." And almost every black or "coloured" caller said some version of "It's way overdue! This sport was racist, is racist, and will continue to be racist until we make a break with this ugly past." The director of the Soweto Rugby Union was quoted in the paper as saying the "Springbok is like the Swastika in Nazi Germany."

The Power of Symbols

Now you might say, "how could such a cute little antelope have such ugly connotations?" Afterall, the Swastika is steeped in racist symbolism and ideology. The Springbok is just a cute little antelope, no? Well, I guess it depends what side of the antlers that you were on! For many South Africans (read "white"), they look at the Springbok and think of the last 13 years since the end of apartheid, and they think of two Rugby World Cups, they think of national pride, they think of coming out of isolation and competing, and winning, on the biggest international stage (next to the SOCCER world cup). For them, the Springbok is about national pride and unity. Yes, unity. Afterall, Mandela wore the Springbok jersey in 1995. (I heard a few callers make this very comment.)

For the majority of South Africans (read "not-white"), the Springbok is THE SYMBOL of apartheid oppression. It is a powerful reminder of how they were denied the right to participate in what the most powerful men in the country felt to be THE MOST IMPORTANT SOCIAL ACTIVITY. "Springbok" means a big boot on your neck. It means separation. It means division.

Probably, the closest controversy we Americans have to this, is the "Flag of Dixie." However, that was politics, nationhood, a bloody civil war. This is sport. In a way, this seems to be even deeper, as if it is the last thing that many of the white South Africans feel that they have left from the world that was. So, here's my question. Is it possible to get over our own love for something which is so clearly causing such pain for others? Is it possible for the die-hard Springbok fans to see the pain that their beloved symbol causes for others? Afterall, it is only a symbol, isn't it?

It seems this is at the core of the challenges facing this fledgling multicultural nation. When the past was so littered with symbols of oppression, what is there to build on? Ultimately, I did find this image on-line, somewhat of a hybrid: a Springbok with a Protea holding a rugby ball in the background. Maybe the image needs to be reversed: a giant King Protea, with a little tiny Springbok in the background. Or maybe we just need to "call a Springbok a Springbok," and get on with the process of building a truly united country.

Blog ya later.

Seth./.

Road Trip

So, while most Americans were following the first Obama/McCain and Biden/Palin debates, and figuring out if and how to come up with $700 BILLION to rescue our financial institutions, and most South Africans were following the intrigue surrounding the resignation of President Thabo Mbeki and the appointmen of the new President, Kgalema Mathlanthe, the Pollack Family was off on its first road trip! For a week, we didn't read a newspaper or check e-mail. We had the hardest time remembering what day it was! Wonderful. ROAD-TRIP! Now, since we don't have our Toyota Sienna van, we had to squeeze into our little baby Merc-A160. Here's what it looks like.
OK, it was only a week. But what an action packed week it was. The highlights were ostriches in Outdtshoorn, elephants in Addo, waves and beaches along the "Garden Route," and wineries and unbelievably beautiful scenery in the "Little Karoo." Check out some of the photos that I've uploaded. If you don't see any pictures of elephants, its because I'm still editing down from the 600 some pics that we have! Truly amazing... I'll follow with some more detailed blogging.

Chasing Ostriches in Oudtshoorn
Whenever you tell a South African that you are going to Oudtshoorn, they immediately say: “gonna ride an ostrich?” It turns out that about 90% of the ostriches in the world live in and around Oudtshoorn. What was once a big ostrich feather industry has now seen a resurgence as the “new healthy white meat” of choice in the region.

The drive to Oudtshoorn was beautiful, through a wine and wheat growing area known as the “Little Karoo.” Surrounded by rugged mountains, the valleys are gorgeous, dotted with beautiful vineyards and orchards and pretty towns with names like Montague and Robertson and Worcester and Barrydale. As spring is just beginning, the vineyards and orchards were alive in color, sprouting out in flowers everywhere. This made for an even more beautiful, picturesque drive. However, the shadow of apartheid is evident everywhere, even in the beautiful picturesque hills of the Little Karoo. Because, every picturesque little town, has its not so picturesque township –shacks covering the hills, dirt roads, outhouses, water spigots, and people hanging out. It is a feature of life here that we just are still not used to.

After about 5 hours of driving, and about 10 miles up a dirt road, we arrived at “Red Stone Hills,” our home for the night. It is a working farm (wheat, sheep and of course, ostriches) currently being farmed by Hermanus Pottgeiter –the 6th generation of Pottgeiters farming this land! You can’t get more traditional Afrikaner than that. His wife Petro met us when we arrived, showed us our cottage (one of 8 dotted around the property, dating back to the 1890s), introduced us to our ostrich neighbors, and then took us down the road, where we did a beautiful 2 hour sunset hike through the hills. We made it back and were introduced to the newlyweds next door --a mating pair of ostriches, sitting on 8 eggs! It turns out that the male (dark black) sits on the eggs during the night, while the female (gray) sits on the eggs during the day --perfect camoflage arrangement. We were lucky to get a picture during the transition, when the eggs were exposed.

In the morning, Alex and I took an hour horseback ride around the farm, led by one of the “boys” (ie, “farm hands”). It turns out that the farmworkers have also been there a while, in fact, Jacob our guide on the ride, was the 4th generation of his family to be working on the farm. Petro told us about their relationship with the workers. She said they are all very close with each other, attend each other’s funerals and visit each other in the hospital when someone is sick. Although, she did say that things have gotten complicated with the new laws that were passed, and so the workers are no longer housed on the property. We saw their empty homes, and wondered what the deal was. Well, it turns out that the new laws were designed to prevent families from being separated. So, if a worker family is housed on the property, any of their extended family are allowed to join them. Petro said, “before you know it, you have your own shanty town going.” Things are so difficult in the cities, that once someone is well-housed and employed, relatives flock. So, now, from Petro’s perspective, it makes more sense NOT to house the workers on the farm anymore, but rather, to pick them up each day from down the road. They now have plans to turn the workers homes into additional --and more modest-- accomodations? Interesting transition.

New Years with "Ellies"
The highlight of our trip was definitely our time in Addo National Elephant Park. We arrived on Erev Rosh Hashana, and were offered an amazing glimpse of God's creation. What a way to start 5769! Within seconds of entering the park we saw kudu, cute little warthogs, and a huge leopard tortoise. But no ellies (that is was folks affectionately call them here --no offense Mom!). Then we stumbled onto a jackal, more kudu, red hartebeast antelope, small duyker antelope, but not ellies. We even went to a "hide", a place near a water hole where you can hide and watch the action. But no action. The best thing was the sign outside the "hide." After we left the hide, another car signaled to us, that there was something interesting ahead. We drove down around the corner, and saw what looked like a kudu carcass. Wow, we thought. That wasn't so special. Then, we turned the corner, and there along the side of the road was our long awaited first Ellie! Munching a few leaves right along the side of the road. This was the real wow!


We sat there and just watched as the youngster (maybe 10 years old) munched away. Then, we drove around the corner and found the rest of the family, another 5 or 6 elephants, including a real cute youngster who was waddling along next to mama Ellie! The mama stood very still, between us and the baby, with one eye on us, and another eye on the car ahead, and her huge body keeping guard of the little one.


Well, before our two days were over, we were able to see dozens of ellies, and we must have taken hundreds of pictures! Alex got some great video, and I hope that she'll put it up on her blog. I've put a few of my favorite pictures up for you to see. Enjoy. Wish you were here with our ellies!

Blog ya later. Seth./.