Blessings
were in abundance today---thanks to UFS and the Fulbright Commission, I had one
of the top five experiences of a lifetime!
Great White Shark Cage Diving in the ocean off the Cape in South
Africa! Indescribable! I never imagined
I would have such an up close and personal opportunity. While under water, I was inches from the teeth of Great Whites as they missed the bait and attacked the cage. Beautiful and magnificent. Truly an example of nature’s perfection!
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| At the dive center and before the wet suit. |
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| Attacking the bait---tuna. This is the cage used for diving. |
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| We encountered a total of ten Great Whites. |
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| In my wet suit---following the dive! |
Having
survived my encounter with the Great White, I encourage everyone to create
opportunities and pursue international travel experiences. You never know what the day will bring!
Following
the adrenaline pump of the day’s adventure, I was on a mission to have at least
one pumpkin related food item. While walking
along the beautiful streets of Mossel Bay, a man stopped to ask if he could offer assistance. I explained I was an American on a
quest for something "pumpkin" to celebrate our national holiday. “Ah,” he said. “Follow me.”
Just across the plaza was a grocery store with a bakery department where the baker was instructed to serve us freshly cooked pumpkin fritters. Incredibly delicious! When the man walked away, the baker explained that our host was the owner of the store. Just another example of the hospitality in evidence throughout much of South Africa.
Again, I am extraordinarily thankful for the opportunity to live in this
fascinating country---"Expect the unexpected" is one of South Africa's slogans. How fitting!
Next stop for Thanksgiving? Viewing a movie for the first time in a South African theatre. I was a bit nervous about the experience since I'm a bit of a fanatic when it comes to movie theatre environments. I like a quiet and polite audience. Enormously so. Probably to a fault. I was particularly concerned upon learning that seats are assigned to movie goers. And our seats were behind eleven students who had just graduated from high school. The movie, CLOUD ATLAS, was estimated at three hours in length, so I was more than a bit apprehensive. The audience? Fantastic. No texting. No talking. No interruptions of any sort. "Expect the unexpected." Why do we have these problems with American audiences??
Reflections regarding the movie? If you enjoy movies that challenge your thought process, leading to in-depth discussions regarding inter-connectivity, then run to the nearest movie theatre to see this film. Rarely am I eager to see a film again and at the next available opportunity. The plot of CLOUD ATLAS is one that I will ponder for some time, and welcome the conversations it will provoke.
While I wasn’t
aware that shark cage diving was on my bucket list (it mysteriously appeared
today, but now it has been checked off!), it seems a good time to discuss the removal
of another item from the list:
KENYA
I am
delighted to report that “No Artificial Sweeteners” Improv Troupe Benefit
Performance raised the following for the women of Mwariki:
16lbs of
yarn
Sewing needles
Instructional
Books/Manuals
$225
Cash Donations (Mailing Costs)
Using
the advice of Solms (from an earlier blog post), WE are manifesting change one
person at a time. Again, I am incredibly
fortunate to count among my friends the professional theatre women from our own
“Indigenous Village in Pennsylvania, who have found sisters on the other side of the
world. I am sending “thanks” in a
shout-out to them—with gratitude, love, and peace.
My visit
to Kenya, however, included more than interacting with the women of Mwariki. The Fulbright community is international and
extensive. In the spring of 2009, Professor Egara Kabaji, a
Fulbright Scholar from Kenya, was assigned to my US office. Since Nairobi is a mere 4.5 hrs flight from Johannesburg, I made it my
objective to visit with Kabaji in his native city.
Kabaji kindly met me at my hotel and introduced me to Nairobi. We visited the grounds of the University, where
I viewed several moments of a live theatre performance, and I marveled at the
distance college students walked between classes and buildings. In addition, Kabaji's lovely wife invited me into their home
for a traditional Kenyan lunch. The
function of the delicate sink in the dining area, which seemed peculiar, was made clear when utensils were
not provided. After a delicious meal
comprised mostly of vegetables, Kabaji and I traveled to a local publisher’s
conference where I had the opportunity to meet editors from numerous national
and international publishing houses.
Then it was back to my hotel to meet the group with whom I would spend
the next several days traveling through Kenya.
With a few hours to kill prior to departure, I opted to visit the local art market which,
following the advice of the hotel concierge, would require the hiring of a driver/body
guard. Quite an excellent suggestion: the market was overwhelming, with 4-6 men at
any one time crowding my personal space in an attempt to direct and obtain what business I
was providing. This detracted from the
market experience and made it difficult to view the art work. On the other hand, the concierge’s advice
proved wise. As a woman who is clearly
not a resident of Nairobi, I was happy to have a man approx. 6’4” and topping
out at a minimum of 250lbs as my companion.
Incidentally, James spoke seven languages, including Japanese and
Spanish. The cost of his services was
worth the pittance I paid. I tipped him
generously.
After
meeting my travel companions, we departed Nairobi early the next morning and visited
an orphanage about one hour outside Nairobi and on the way to the Great Rift
Valley:
My
bucket list has always included a visit to the Masai of Kenya. One of the indigenous tribes of Kenya, the
Masai value cattle as a symbol of wealth.
The role of the Masai males is to tend the herds of cattle and protect
the village. Masai women are responsible
for constructing houses and managing the household. Houses, largely composed of cow manure, are
small and dark. Which makes sense since
nearly every task is performed out of doors.
Our
guide knew a few Masai personally, which ensured that our visit was a bit
different and more personal than the usual “tourist experience.”
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| The women of the village. |
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| Warriors wear the fur of animals they have killed. Warriors become men at age 16. |
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| Jumping is a mating tradition. The men jump as high as possible to attract the female. |
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| The chief's son is looking through binoculars, which I provided, for the first time in his life. He is wearing a lion's mane on his head---he killed the lion. |
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| A warrior with whom I traded jewelry. |
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| The scar from a lion attack. |
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| Starting a fire. |
The
Masai I encountered are beautiful people linked to the earth. They live simply with few material objects,
and share a profound understanding of the importance of family and
relationships. The chief’s son
communicated to me that a white woman from America married a Masai and
currently resides just as any other female villager. I wish I had the chance to speak with her,
for I’m curious about the life in America she abandoned to live an
extraordinary and alternate lifestyle in Kenya.
Is she fulfilled? Content with
her new life? Ever homesick? What does she miss (or not miss)?
Of
course a trip to Kenya would seem incomplete without viewing the abundant game,
which was at its best in the Masai Mara Reserve. However, I'll load those pics in a later post.
I should
mention that having a Boomslang fall out of a tree at night and attach itself
to the opening of my tent was…..well……surprising. Boomslangs are one of the most venomous snakes in all of Africa. As for me, I
knew nothing about Boomslangs until a Masai warrior, who guarded our tents in the
evening, did not hesitate to dispose of this deadly snake. I was thankful for the presence of the
warrior, and was reminded of the fragility of life in the wilds of Africa.
Comparing
and contrasting Kenya and South Africa? I
can offer very little. My experience in
Kenya provided a small window of observation.
I encountered few white people. Everyone I met was open and
friendly. Unlike the vast economic
disparity of South Africa, the population of Kenya seems to remain
overwhelmingly impoverished. While the
infrastructure of South Africa is highly problematic, most Kenyans seem to
exist in what I can only describe as a severely challenged society. I must emphasize the warmth of the Kenyan
people I met. Strangers, including
children, would often approach me, shake my hand, introduce themselves, learn
my name, then walk away. No one ever
requested or begged for money in Kenya, which is a common occurrence in South Africa. In both countries I frequently encounter
individuals living in horrible conditions who extend kindness and generosity. I find myself reflecting upon
the hospitality we as Americans extend to foreigners.
I think we can do better. I will
do better.
I am thankful for my many blessings, which are abundant.
