Hinge_7_apr_2009.pdf - Current events in 41 International

Issue Nr.7 April 2009:Layout 1 26.02.2009 09:51 Seite 17YAP 2008 South Africa…MMER! There, done. I just wrote myfamily name in huge white letters allacross my suitcase. “You better not getlost” I tell it and put in in the boot ofthe car.The most I ever heard about SouthAfrica is what my brother told me,when he came back from the YAP-tourlast year. He hardly got into the country,got beaten up and lost all his luggage.But he still tells me: ”I had the time ofmy life, you really got to go there.”So, here we go. It is September, 26 th ,2008 and I am starting my trip to Johannesburg,and I really do hope for my luggageto get there.I meet Stephanie Otting and AlexanderGabler, both from Germany, at the airportin Frankfurt. This trip is startingout nicely, because both are very nice andwe get along well, plus: when we get toJoburg 10 hours later all our luggage is actuallythere aswell.We are welcomed by Phil Bragg and wemeet the rest of the group. There is PaulStollberger from Austria and there areSteve Van Haecke and Laure-Anne Scieurfrom Belgium, who jabber away in rapidFrench. I must admit that my Frenchlessonswere quite long ago, and I am sureI understood something wrong, becausethey cannot be talking about having leftsomeone behind in Paris, can they. Yes, theycan, because unfortunately Florence Vanden Brouck ,also from Belgium, left herpassport at home and had to go back toget it. She will join us one day later.Phil also introduces us to Clive Greenwoodwho will be with us throughout thetour and become much more than ourdriver. He will guide us through his homecountry,will explain each and everythingleft and right off the road, demand formore Coke-zero ,he will wear a differenthat every day and whenever he will shout“numbers!” there will be seven responses“1” “2” “3” “4” “5” “6” “7”The first impression we get of Joburg isthat there is a lot of construction going on,because of the soccer world cup in 2010,which - by the way - Germany will win.From the airport we go straight to theApartheit Museum. If any of us had thoughtthis trip would just be about watching lionsand elefants, lying in the sun and getting anice tan, this was the time to change ourminds. The museum is not a pleasent placeto be. Of course we had heared about segregetionand South Africa´s history before,but I think I can speak for the seven of uswhen I say, that we had not yet been thisclose to the subject. For now physicallyclose just by actually being in South Africa,and for later close in mind and heart, becausethe next few weeks would teach usto understand more of South Africa´s past,allow us to experience the present situationwith its problems and progress, andequip us to take home and talk about ourimpressions of a country, that is so colourful,not just black and white.Talking about impressions: In the evening,when we all gather at Phil and Janet´shouse and meet our hosts, we have ourfirst BRAAI. Immediately Alex decides thathe loves braais. But by now he doesn`tknow that withinthe next 17 dayshe will have 14more braais.The next day wespend at the riverVaal. We do a boattrip and go on ourfirst game drive atKrijn Weeda´sfarm. And here isone thing I will tellall my friends backin Germany: theSouth Africans arereally great people, seriously, but whenit comes to springbuk-poop they get alittle strange. No, honestly, I do love“who can spit the furthest competitions”,but we do them with cherrystonesinstead...We get up early the next morning todrive to a farm, were we do some hikingaround an area where millions ofyears ago a meteorite hit the earth.The tour is very impressive and is oneof my personal highlights, togetherwith the dinner we are having thatnight. Sidney Pittaway and his wife Mariettetake us out to eat in Kroonstadat Tina´s African Cuisine. I cannot exactlysay, that a cow´s stomach is mynew favorite dish, but the atmospherewas great. We were warmly welcomedby Tina and her staff and truely tasteda part of African culture.On the next day we get the opportunityto meet Kroonstad`s Mayor, whotakes us to the Congress-Chamberand later on a trip to a township,where we visit a bar and a kindergarden.That night at our hosts Elna and WallyAnderson´s house Stephanie and I arehaving a long talk. We are sure it is importantfor us to be aware of the livingconditions, some people have to dealwith, and to appreciate the high Seesof living we grew up with. But whatwould it feel like to be looked at fromout off the tightly shut windows of anice travelling-coach and being photographedwith a camera, which probablycosts more than you earn a month?During the next days we get to see alot of lions, leopards and even jaguars,we go down a gold-mine near Welkomwith Peter Trisos, watch a rugby gameYAP Continued next page 18..........http://www.club41international.com/club41int2008-9.htm17