Anticipating a New Adventure

Anticipating a New Adventure

I have returned to a blog post that I meant to write BEFORE going back to South Africa in January 2012. Now I am writing about my observations in retrospect while I enjoy a few days of r&r in downtown Indianapolis courtesy of Sean and Jen.

How do I describe my feelings about a experience re-lived after a hiatus of 23 years? Yes, the changes were massive: mainly positive - South Africa is truly the rainbow nation that it claims to be. On the other hand, there are also negative aspects to the daily life of so many people in this astoundingly beautiful country. Social changes are taking place and a black middle class is evolving--an evolution that can only be good for the country's future. But, there are still millions of unskilled and uneducated members of society who have minimal prospects of gainful employment, therefore relying on the government to provide free housing, water, and electricity. The big question is: can the social infrastructure of the country maintain the situation where the ratio of unemployed citizens far outweighs the rules of economics? How long can the few provide for the many? With an unemployment rate of 23.9% reported in the last quarter of 2011, the government faces an incredible challenge.

Noordhoek

As a visitor to South Africa, it is easy to notice these social challenges but the natural beauty of the country soon saps away any social conscience the observer may have and focuses a person's attention on the physical advantages that bless this tip of the African continent. Where else can tourists enjoy unspoiled beaches where the sound of crashing waves fills the senses, interrupted only by the touch of the wind on one's skin, the taste of salt in one's mouth, and the vision of white sand ahead for as far as the eye can see? If this image is attractive to you, just visit Noordhoek and you will be physically and metaphorically blown away.

Sultry sunset in River Club

Nick and I were incredibly spoiled by our friends in South Africa. We began our stay with the Fane Hervey's in River Club, Gauteng with whom we enjoyed a typical braai under sultry, humid, South African skies. They also supplied my birthday treat which was 18-holes at Bryanston Country Club followed by a wonderful dinner with the additional of yet another member of the family--Debbie.

We also enjoyed a memorable tour of Soweto the area where all black South Africans were forced to live when we were there during the 70s and 80s. Post 1994 and the election of Nelson Mandela as President, apartheid is now a thing of the past. It was good to see the situation through different eyes and both Nick and I came away much enriched by the experience.
From there we flew to Cape Town, spending the night at the Ambassador hotel in Bantry Bay where I got to know the local pharmacist fairly well! It was definitely a case of better living through chemistry as he managed to solve my issues of spending the whole night in the bathroom--thank goodness for the South African medical system!

The daily view from the Smith's balcony

The Smith's gave us a wonderful weekend at their home in Hout Bay where yet again the sound of the sea was a constant, and the 180 degree view from their balcony was an unbeatable mix of mountains and sea. How do you ever move on from a daily view of such magnificence?


Rooi Els was the next port of call: a small beach hamlet with one general store, a pub, and a restaurant. The peace and tranquillity of the area was magical. Early morning walks past the rocky outcrops near the house began the day. The rocky terrain soon morphed into a small, intimate, sandy beach where it was a shock to meet more than a couple of other walkers. Bliss!

Rooi Els - the rocky outcrop

The more upscale Pringle Bay provided both rekindling of great friendships and unbeatable hospitality courtesy of the Venning/West contingent. Their company was a wonderful complement to our experience at the neighboring hamlet of Rooi Els.
There was a definite continuation of the theme of peace and tranquillity in our next destination: Onrus. The Teares opened up their holiday home and generously shared their personal love of the area with us. A trip to Hermanus and a wonderful lunch at the water's edge courtesy of Bientang's Cave Restaurant made the day.

For whale-watching enthusiasts, a trip to Hermanus is a must. Check their webpage for the best times of the year and you will not be disappointed.Nick got his golfing fix at Hermanus and Arabella with our good friends Colin Rosslee and the Wests. Both rounds were played under perfect conditions: good weather and excellent company!

Sadly, the time had come for Nick and I to head back to Johannesburg and for Nick the shock of returning to work in the States. I, however, had a different agenda: four days with my great friend Judy in Bedfordview. She and I share a wonderful history of being work colleagues at ICL, traveling buddies on Greyhound busses in the States, and jolling partners in England. We reconnected instantly after all the years that have passed. My time with her felt just like yesterday--and now I can't wait for the next meeting, hopefully stateside. Old friendships never die, no matter how much water has flowed under the bridge of Time. 

    

Unbeatable Mother's Day!

Best Mother's Day Ever!

What does every mother want for Mother's Day? The obvious answer is to be with her children and her husband. This year my day was ultra-special because it was Ross's graduation day. Not only was I surrounded by my children and their partners, but I also had the satisfying experience of watching my youngest child receive his degree from Miami University. Yeah, another milestone reached! Hopefully after today's interview he will be crossing the threshold into the the world of the great employed - fingers crossed.

One Ga Tech grad + Two Miami grads - yeah!

What will Nick and I do with all that extra mula?

A Retrospective Glance

Three months have passed since I returned to the States, and tonight I have been on a trip down memory lane courtesy of blogger.com. A blog is a wonderful tool for rekindling past emotions by transporting the mind back into history. How do I feel as I leave my September 2011 life, and time-travel back to May/June of this year? If I look retrospectively, is it easier to understand the value of the experience and what I learned from it?
The best way to learn about yourself is to be taken out of your normal routine, and your own culture. Being immersed in a culture that speaks a different language requires adaptation. The key to social acceptance is the visitor's use of that language. What starts as a self-conscious effort to greet someone in the street in German, becomes a self-confident effort by the end of the trip. Bakery assistants smiled and returned my greeting when I made the effort to ask in German, and eyes lit up when I added a short (very) comment about the weather! By making an effort, I broke down any preconceived ideas that exist about the inability of Americans to use any other language except their own.
My own ideas of accommodation also went through an adaptation process. I soon realized how much space a person really needs to live comfortably--and it certainly is nowhere near the space that is considered the norm in America. My studio apartment became the 'norm,' providing me with everything that I needed, and then some. It was large enough to have friends around for dinner, yet intimate enough for the times when I was its only inhabitant. The green space outside was large, communal, and perfectly adequate for enjoying the sunshine and relaxing. The excesses of my previous life soon gave way to the efficiency of German culture, and I did not suffer one iota!

The Finale

So, the end has come--the final group trip of the programme! The destinations today were Goerlitz and Bautzen. Goerlitz is on the eastern-most edge of Saxony, with half the town in Germany and half in Poland. The contrast in appearance of the two sides was shattering. Goerlitz in Germany is going through a major development initiative with the town being restored to reflect its historical past. Everywhere looks clean, is either newly painted or being newly painted. Once you cross the bridge over the river and onto the Polish side, nothing prepares you for the degenerated appearance of the buildings, the change in appearance of the people, and the general let down you feel at the contrast.

I also transitioned from a country where I feel comfortable with the language, can make myself understood in most situations, and feel totally at ease with the culture, to a foreign environment where the language is unknown and virtually unpronouncable for a tourist, where the culture is radically different, and where the general appearance of the town only increases the journey out of one's comfort zone. From an educational point of view, Dr. Gommlich could not have given us all a better example of how everywhere looked under the communist regime. Happily, Germany has the funds to renovate the former East German town of Goerlitz, but the Polish side of the town still acts as a reminder of the degenerative effect of the former political system.

What Next?

After a seriously energetic Ascension Day, the next day also began early with a train ride to Weimar.From there we caught a bus to Buchenwald, the concentration camp outside the city. Whilst visiting a concentration camp is not the happiest of experiences, it was certainly an education. Only parts of the camp are still standing, but it was still a disturbing feeling to think that I was standing inside an area where such atrocities had taken place. The museum houses any remaining artifacts from when the camp was operational, and the exhibits leave nothing to the imagination. I was glad to view the memorial sculpture that has been placed in a strategic location outside the camp where it is highly visible. There is no way it can be missed if you are traveling on the autobahn, on the river, or in the air, and it serves as a constant reminder of Germany's darkest hour, for all to see.
From there we looked around the historical city of Weimar before catching a train to a wonderful country inn in Muhlberg. If anyone has Germany in their plans, and the state of Thuringen in particular, I would suggest checking out the country inn where we stayed http://www.pension-schuetzenhof.de/en/index.html. The owner was so welcoming, the outdoor terrace so conducive to beer drinking and eating, that none of us would have wanted to miss this experience. And to top it all, the hike up to the Muhlburg (the ruined castle in Muhlberg) left from the back of the pension. When our outdoor dinner was finished, we all deemed it necessary to hike to the top of the hill, enjoy the fantastic views and watch the sun go down--a magic event.

It was good to see an example of a small German town after all the cities that we have visited. Muhlberg had many fine examples of Thuringen architecture which is different from that found in Saxony. The older buildings in Thuringen have exposed beams in their outer walls--similar to architecture that can be found in England. I guess we have to thank those invading Germanic tribes for that!

We left Muhlberg after an excellent typical German breakfast buffet:meats; cheeses; deliciously hot, fresh rolls, cereal, yoghurt, quark, coffee, multi-vitamin vegetable juice. You name it, it was on the buffet table!
The next stop on the weekend trip was Leipzig. The train ride was very pleasant and not too long. The highlight of the afternoon was a Bach choral concert in the Thomas Kirche where Johann Sebastian himself was once the Director of Music. Whilst we could all appreciate the beautiful music, the sermon in German was a bit of a struggle! Coupled with the intense heat, and the fact that we had enjoyed ourselves the night before on the terrace in Muhlberg, a few members of our group nodded off during this part of the concert!

After the concert we had the opportunity to wander around Leipzig and enjoy an Italian pizza at an open air restaurant, watching the world go by. We caught the 9pm train back to Dresden, arriving back at the student accommodation by 11pm. After such a lovely weekend, we all went our separate ways and enjoyed a good night's sleep before beginning our final week of the program on Monday morning.

Himmelfahrt Weekend

Well, my friends, I am sure that you are all looking at the title of the post and wondering what the heck "Himmelfahrt" is. Let me explain. In Germany, Ascension Day (Himmelfahrt - journey to the heavens) is a national holiday and, as luck would have it, this year the day after was also a holiday for all Dresdeners due to its being the venue of the National Church Convention 2011. As you can probably guess, the city was heaving with visitors from the lst June until 5th June so it was a good weekend to take a trip.
We celebrated our own personal "Himmelfahrt" courtesy of Dr. Gommlich by ascending to the top of Der Bastei near Rathen. Der Bastei is an amazing natural rock formation with commanding views over the whole Elbe Valley. The river snakes through green fields and small towns for as far as the eye can see from the pinnacle. At some stage in history, Der Bastei was a natural fortress that allowed the inhabitants an uninterrupted view of any Slavic tribes who might be planning a session of pillaging in Saxony.

The climb was a good workout, but definitely worth it and as for the ice cold pilsener with lunch, I don't think a lager ever tasted better! After our descent, we caught the ferry back over the river and then a train to Koenigstein where we visited the Koenigstein Fortress which dates back to 1241. The fortress has been used for many different purposes over the years. It was initially used as a safe retreat for the ruling families of Saxony when they were under threat, but was then converted into a prison, and finally handed over to the State as a national treasure.

My first impression was its resemblance to Colditz,but there is no mention in the brochure about its being used to house WWII prisoners of war. Following our visit, we descended into the town and purchased a mandatory bratwurst, roll, and senf from a street vendor before heading back to the station for our train to Dresden. The whole day was a very fitting tribute to "Himmelfahrt" as we all succeeded in completing two major ascents that gave us views over the Elbe Valley that were heavenly.

Mmmmmm Meissen!

As you probably all noted, my only negative opinion about Prague was the teaming crowds of tourists. The trip to the city of Meissen made me realize just how beautiful a medieval city can be without all the throngs of people. Meissen was just perfect: much more personal, just as rich architecturally, and just as steeped in history.

As we left the station and walked towards the city, our heads simultaneously looked skyward and saw the magnificent Albrechtsburg that dominates the hillside. Construction of the castle began in 1471 and in 1710 the famous Meissen porcelain began to be manufactured in a section of the castle. The manufactory remained there until it moved to its present location in 1863.To the rear of the castle you can see the Meissen Dom, a wonderful example of Gothic architecture.
We all joined the short line to purchase a ticket to view all the historical buildings in the town. We had been assured by Dr. Gommlich that we would get a half-price ticket if we showed our University of Dresden student ID and this time it worked--no age discrimination in Germany. (Unlike Prague where I got to the front of the long line to be told that I was not eligible for the student rate, even though I am a bona fide registered student at TUD, because I am slightly over the age of 26!!).
We were assured by our wonderful tour guide that it was mandatory to take part in a private wine-tasting in a little wine restaurant in the town, prior to our hike up the steep cobbled streets to the Dom and Albrechtsburg. We each took one glass of the local white wine from the tray and headed to the back of the restaurant where there was a lovely terrace. Fortunately, there were just enough tables and chairs for our little group and we sat outside, surrounded by vines, hydrangeas, roses, and geraniums, and enjoyed our chilled wine before completing our journey.

The Meissen Dom was built between the years of 1260 and 1410 and had the two spires added in the beginning of 20th Century. The inside is very beautiful and we discovered that there are services there every Sunday at noon, and organ recitals every weekday at noon. I am hoping to be able to listen to one of the recitals and perhaps attend a Sunday service there. It will all depend on whether we are given any free time between now and the end of our stay.

Our next stop was inside the Albrechtsburg which contains a wealth of historical objects and I came out of it suffering from information overload. Sadly, there was an added cost to take photos inside, and so I cannot show you any examples of the ornately painted interior walls. You will just have to accept my word that they were magnificent, or find the webpage and check if it shows any photos of the interior.
By the time we came out it was already early evening, so we headed down to the main square to find a place to eat.

Let's just say that Meissen holds a very special place in my heart and it is definitely "aufwiedersehen" because I WILL return!