Belated Birthday Blog.

So as many of you know my 23rd Birthday came and went on October 14th, with not a blog to be found on it. So here is my belated Birthday Blog. When I rose the morning of the 14th the sun was shining through my window as it usually does (they don't believe in thick curtains here) and I was greeted by well wishes from several of my housemates. I had breakfast and got myself together to go and perform my second interview with a Congolese refugee. I had very few expectations for the day as I had decided that I was simply happy being in South Africa and 23, I even went so far as not to make any plans for the evening to see what adventure might find me.

As I headed out the front gate to travel to the Methodist city mission one of the operators of the house where I am staying handed me a bouquet of yellow gerber daisies (one of my two favorite flowers (not that she knew that)) which I carried with me all day. Upon arriving at the mission I discovered that my participant would once again not be arriving to do the interview (this was the second of three times that this happened) but unperturbed I headed over to the cresh and played with the young children until 11. At 11 I headed to the Dr. as my throat continued to ache despite a course of antibiotics which I had taken a week earlier. The Dr. thought it might be allergies, as it turned out it was the bug spray which I was using, but I didn't realize this until this past Saturday which was rather unfortunate.
In any case, glad not to be on another round of antibiotics I headed to the ISS where a surprise was waiting for me, as I had been informed by one of my coworkers who was unsure why I had not yet arrived in the office at noon. When I arrived in the office I discovered that the members of the arms management program had arranged a small surprise Birthday party for me complete with cake and go od company :). This was my first surprise of the day and I have to say it was quite a wonderful one since I hadn't made a point to inform anyone of my Birthday (unlike with my house mates).
After spending my afternoon at the ISS I returned home to discover most of my house mates waiting for me, again with well wishes. When asked what I would like to do with my evening I replied that it would be nice to have a meal out, at which point I was informed that that would not be happening and that we would be having leftovers and celebrating my Birthday on the following weekend. At this point I went and dropped my stuff in my room, slightly annoyed I returned outside at which point, after some gigggling, 4 of my house mates announced that they were going to "the bank". It seemed funny to me that they would need to go to the bank considering we were staying in and eating leftovers but I decided to roll with it. After waiting for a half an hour one of the 4 who were out called one of the other girl's cell phones and announced that they had gone for a drink at a bar close by and that they would not be returning for dinner. At this point I was certain that something was up as I knew Jose, Silvia, Arne and Dhoya well enough to know that they would not be so insensitive. At this point Laura, Mona and Mzi suggested that we head out for food and suggested a nice restaurant called Tribeca. Grinning I agreed and we dragged Alice out of her room and we headed off. Upon our arrival Mona, Laura and Alice hurried ahead while Mzi took a phone call and I waited for him and when I rounded the corner there was a cake lit up by 23 candles in the middle of the table and everyone was there and wished me a Happy Birthday and the evening proceeded from there. What lovely surprises !

As many of you know I often take my Birthday as a time to reflect on things that I would like to do in the upcoming days, weeks, months and years. This year I took the opportunity to reflect on all of the things which make my life as wonderful as it is. I am so grateful to have close friends, a family that loves me, the opportunity to pursue something that I am passionate about, and to be lucky enough to find myself in South Africa, somewhere I have always wanted to visit and continues to exceeds my expectations. So to all of you who are part of my life and make it what it is, thank you. This year is for you!

Traffic Jam

So. You may notice that I am somewhat behind in my blog entries. This is because I have become intensely busy in the last week. On Friday I tried to meet with a research participant for the third time (she didn't show up the first two times). On this occasion she did in fact turn up, only to inform me that she had to leave within 15 minutes. It was worth the wait though because she gave me the name and contact information for something called the Bright Site Project.
When I paid the Bright Site Project only an hour later I was surprised to find out that the coordinator thought that he could secure 100 research participants for me within a week which was amazing, but totally overwhelming. I also had arranged to travel to Johannesburg on Tuesday (today) to meet with members of Congolese civil society who I originally mentioned 2 weeks ago.
So I spent my weekend preparing for the week ahead, purchasing both a printer and a bicycle (its a schwinn, possibly the nicest bike I have ever owner and its even better when you find out its used so it was dirt cheap) and printing. Note I also had time to go to a screening of a movie put on by a french couple who spent 3 years walking from South Africa to Israel and go to a nature reserve which I will post pictures from later.
Monday went off mostly without a hitch, I had 20 research participants and they responded positively to my research. The only downside was the 80 minutes of bike riding after 15 minutes of running which proved to be a bit too much for me and the slight problem that I could not locate an ink cartridge for my new printer which means I am not ready for the next set of participants.
Today however did not go quite as well. F, the fellow from Congolese civil society who was supposed to meet with me today in Johburg showed up half an hour late and we then proceeded to spend the next 2.5 hours driving around PRETORIA dropping his brother and wife off at school and work, picking up someone else from the organization, making a quick stop off at the bank and waiting. Finally at 11 we hit the road for Johburg which seemed ever so promising and then we got stuck in an hour and a half traffic jam. When we got to Johburg we had to meet an additional person, F got lost and we didn't arrive at the office until 1. I still was optimistic thinking that it would all be worth talking with 8 Congolese civil society members. However when we got to the office it became clear that the only person I would be interviewing would be F who did an hour and a half of work before and after talking to me, leaving me to do nothing. On top of everything else F didn't adequately respond to my research questions, seeming to not really be listening to what I was asking. When we finally left there was of course another giant traffic jam and it took us another 2 hours to get back to Pretoria, during which time F offered to find me a husband in Congo and couldn't understand how my future fiancees family wouldn't have to pay labola (a dowery) to my family, to have me as his wife. He also kept taking both hands off the wheel to talk on his cell phone while driving at 110km/hour, in the dark and rain in heavy traffic. The worst part of it was that I could have conducted the interview in Pretoria which would have taken an hour and a half of my time and I could have got some of my work done. But instead I spent my day doing this! Arg.
In any case I owe you guys a couple of updates which should follow within the next week. I would like to end this segment with the sentiment that gridlock is exceptionally bad in South Africa.

Good night

Where I Live.

So I was lying in bed last night, full of roasted chicken and wishing the internet was working (It was switched off due to a thunderstorm) when it occurred to me that I never really shared with anyone where I was living here, in Pretoria.
My house at 130 Mackenzie St. in Brooklyn, Pretoria is a combination of a Bed and Breakfast and a Commune. In terms of the bed and breakfast aspect, the accommodation service which runs the house provides furnished rooms to international students (as well as local ones in other houses) with access to a kitchen, TV room and two yards, one of which has a swimming pool (which is nice when I actually have time to use it). Breakfast is served on weekday mornings and there is room cleaning service once a week (which means my room is cleaner than it ever has been before).
In terms of the communal aspect there are about 8 of us living in one of the two international houses on a semi-longterm basis. Between us we share the responsibility of cooking meals (Last night I cooked a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies, stuffing and I even managed to find cranberry jelly) (I am as disappointed as you that it wasn't Turkey). We also spend most evenings together and seem to be frequenting a dance club called Zanzu about once a week that plays hiphop and house (we of course listen to hip hop) (and I maintain that I like hip hop) which is fun.
Brooklyn is the area of Pretoria that I live in. It is fairly well off and you can find most of the same amenities as you might find in Canada, including a mall which is walking distance from my house and next to the Institute for Security Studies where I do a lot of my work. The streets are lined with Jacaranda trees which are in full bloom right now, with bright purple flowers (Pretoria is known as the Jacaranda Capital of the World). Most of the houses in this area are also very nice and are surrounded by walls, fences or in the case of really paranoid people both. I would say its fairly safe to say that there is a very high degree of fear here which fortunately to this point has been unsubstantiated. While crime does occur, the area seems to be relatively safe as long as you don't walk alone at night.
The city of Pretoria is also very nice as a whole. It is scenic and has several historical locations including the Union Buildings where the South African government currently sits. Pretoria also has its poor areas such as Sunny Side where the Canadian Embassy suggests you don't travel. Having been in the Sunny Side area I would say that even this area is okay during daylight although it requires a higher degree of caution than in Pretoria. However, in such areas the poverty which continues to exist in many areas of South Africa is more evident, if through nothing else, the number of organizations which are visible in the community offering assistance to the poor.
The weather here is very nice. When I arrived the weather was a bit cool, only reaching highs of a round 20 degrees Celsius but these days its closer to 30. The sunshine is much brighter than in Canada and is out most days. However, when it rains, it really does poor. Yesterday there were several smaller thunderstorms during the day and 2 bigger ones which lasted throughout the evening and had significant downpours.
Well tomorrow is my Birthday, I don't have any concrete plans but that is okay with me. Several of my new friends have expressed interest in doing something but it doesn't strike me as being very important right now, although I do look forward to partying with you guys when I am home at Christmas.

The next time you hear from me I will be 23!
Enjoy the pics.

TV Room, 130 Mackenzie St.

A very full kitchen!
The Union Buildings

Arne, Wester, Kay, Mzi and Chatta at Zanzu

Jacaranda Trees in Early Bloom on Mackenzie St.

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all of my friends and family at home! I am thinking of you and am so thankful to have you all in my life. Please enjoy the fall colours for me.

The Situation for Refugees in South Africa

A couple of events shook me a bit this week and I thought I might take an opportunity to share them with you. Coming from a country where multiculturalism is a national policy and where we have strong immigration and refugee laws its easy to take for granted that most people who newly arrive in Canada will have enough food water and shelter, have legal protection and are more often than not welcomed into the communities where they settle.
In other countries, such as South Africa, the situation is quite different. Refugees often leave desperate situations to arrive in other countries where they are not welcome and don't necessarily have access to the necessities of life. There is a high level of documented xenophobia in SA particularly toward people arriving from other African states. Nothing makes this more clear than the xenophobic attacks aimed at making it clear to the many Congolese, Zimbabweains, Nigerians along with others that they are not welcome.
I witnessed the impact of some of this hate and lack of access to resources earlier this week. On Monday while waiting to meet with members of the Congolese civil society community in Pretoria a little and her mother walked into the office I was sitting in and the little girl looked up at her mother and asked whether it was okay for them to speak French there. Her mom replied yes but said she wasn't sure if I would understand and I replied that I would. So the little girl came and talked to me for a while and then went off to play with the secretary. Her mom then came and sat with me and I asked what her daughter's name was. She told me it was Devine (pronounced in French) but that she insisted on being called Divine (in English) so that no one would know that she was French and by proxy, Congolese.
The next day I went to the church mission which services refugees which I mentioned before. When we arrived there were three women sitting outside the mission door with a baby. After I had been there for about an hour the woman holding the baby said that her baby wanted to play with me. She then told me she had arrived from Zimbabwe 6 months earlier and given birth to her daughter Holly 3 months later. She also explained that her husband had run off and they were left alone. While I played with the baby, the ladies approached the on-duty minister for food. The sad fact was that the mission had so many clients that day that they had run out of food. He did however manage to find a piece of bread for one of the women who needed to take medication she was on (which was later explained to me later as likely being for HIV/AIDS) with food. Finding little assistance from a Mission already stretched to its limits, the mom put Holly back on her back, and walked away.

Back entry #1 Selected Photos from Geneva

My First Hotel Room in Geneva

Religious wall connected with the University of Geneva at Parc Basttion

Giant Chess Boards in Parc Bastion, I played against Simon Later in the week and won, naturally :P

The Peace Palace, Location of the United Nations in Geneva

The Human Spirit, a display at the museum of the International Committee of the Red Cross

My tour guide at the UN standing in front of a Tapestry donated by China. The tour was kind of disappointing as I knew more about the UN system than my tour guide. I had to stop myself from correcting him several times

I Liked the museum of the ICRC so much that I returned a second time with Simon, this is the Geneva Headquarters of the ICRC behind me

Exhibit outside the museum

La Jet D'Eau a main attraction in Geneva

I spent Saturday with these two lovely fellows, Simon from England and Wai from Malaysia, traveling around the city.

The view from the top of a large Protestant Cathedral in Geneva. You can't see it in the picture but there was a large rainbow stretched across the North part of the city.

Lake Geneva. Taken from the Botanical Gardens on my last morning in Geneva. Note the swans (of which there are hundreds on the lake) and the mountains in the clouds off in the distance. Beautiful

So I really shouldn't be using my time in the office to update my blog but since I can't do it from home this will just have to do. Below see some of my many pictures from beautiful Geneva.

Funny Moment

So I have basically spent the last two days making connections with potential participants for my research. One of the locations I have been working out of is a Church mission which serves Congolese refugees. When I got there I was immediately introduced a language consultant who was Congolese in addition to a potential participant in my research. I briefly explained what my research was focused on and went off with the participant to have a more involved discussion and arrange a meeting. After I concluded my meeting I sat back down with the language consultant Eloi and discussed the possibility of me teaching a beginner level English class which I happily agreed to. I then asked him if he had any questions for me and he launched into a passionate speech about how it was resource exploitation which was prolonging the conflict in the DRC and how the conflict would never end as a result. This tirade at first left me speechless but then I suggested that perhaps Eloi would like to sit down with me and answer some of my research questions to which he adamantly agreed.

The Downside of Communal Living

When I got up this morning and went to make breakfast I discovered that the milk I bought yesterday had been stolen. Normally this would not be a big deal had I not carried the milk around all day (it was long life milk which doesnt need to be refrigerated, we do not have this in Canada) or if I wasn't on antibiotics which I needed to take food with, for an infection in my tonsil cavities (which is ridiculous in itself) or if I hadn't already cracked the eggs to make scrambled eggs. Really if the person responsible had bothered to ask or at least had the decency to leave some milk in the container I wouldn't be as pissed off as I am right now. But here I am.

Too much to Say

So I may have been a bit slow with my blog update and now I have too much to say. Since we last met I have gone to a South African club where I over did it with the dancing. I went to a rugby match where I was frightened by the loudness of the cheering. I went to two farmers markets,both boasting beautiful food, merchandise and scenery. I had my first, second, third and fourth day at the ISS. I have met a million wonderful people. I attended a seminar on the protection of civilians in the DRC which was given by a fellow Carleton grad, 20 years my senior. I developed an infection in the cavaties where my tonsils use to be. I cooked an enormous meal. I had a meeting with the South African Office of the United Nations Mission to the DRC and have enough leads that they may potentially blow my thesis out of the water. I also developed a reputation as "Elizabeth, the coffee slave from Canadia". I have to say I am really falling in love with SA. If any of these events are of particular interest you feel free to facebook me or email me for more details.

Entries you can expect in the near future include pictures from Pretoria and Geneva, and some additional discussion on the DRC. I hope all of my friends in Canada are doing well and enjoying the fall weather.

Missing You.