Crime Wave In South Africa!

from Elliott
While I have heard the crime here in South Africa is high, since we live in a rural area it seems less prevalent. it may just be that it is less obvious here than in the larger cities. Obviously at my sons school it is much greater than I expected.

Not even the toilet paper is safe from theft! And it is not even a particularly good quality paper....

With many in this country not even having proper toilets in their homes I guess it is not appropriate to complain about toilet paper thieves!

The creative design of the locking mechanism is quite impressive. Someday someone will patent this design and make a fortune as the toilet paper crime wave is certain to continue. 

Who Is Their Customer?

from Elliott
An interesting sign for a new funeral home in Bizana; it would make you think that they specialize in bovine funerals! 

No, it is common for funeral homes to provide more than just the casket and body preparation (for humans that is). Here, the funeral is a complete community event usually involving a feast after the service. 

So the funeral home can provide the tent, catering needs like plates and utensils as well as the cows, goats or sheep to go on the plates. Full Service!

Whatever Happened to Super Sized?

from Elliott
Having come from a land of 'supersize' everything - drinks, fries and burger - it is strange to see the words 'extra small' and 'fast food' used in the same thought! Perhaps it is the size of the building they are referring to...

It does not come with a drive through but there is a small path leading in front of the walk through window. We see the building in the distance as we travel on the road to Bizana every Thursday morning but we have not had a chance to stop and check out the menu. I don't think they will have anything like 'chicken minis' or an 'egg mcmuffin' but I am curious. It will be difficult to stop at since there is no road within 100 meters or a parking lot.

In the US the fast food restaurants are always looking for prime position at a busy intersection. I think their position may be a bit sub-prime and that may limit their market area to the nearby houses only. But at least there is not much competition.

A Day of Visitors

from Katherine

The first visitor was a brown house snake. They are nice, non-poisonous and eat mice and rats. And probably eat my geckos which eat mosquitos! Better not eat too many of them snake!!

The second visitor was a young monkey.  Background info - at 15 I still make Cason an Easter basket and on Monday morning a bit of candy was left sitting on the dining room table in front of windows near the trees the monkeys climb up and down.  I was sitting in our lounge reading and noticed a young monkey sitting on the window sill looking in. I spoke and waved and he stayed on the sill. Still reading 20 minutes later I see my friend sitting ON the dining room table choosing lollipops. He choose only one! Then he scooted out the window and unwrapped and ate his lollipop on the patio wall. He has not been back for more candy, but his troop is in the garden eating the fruit from the Montingulu bush and pods from 2 of the trees. The fruit is tasty; I have not tried the pods!

The third visitor was my neighbor, Nopasika. She is a grade 2 teacher and Lingalethu Primary School. That is one of the schools I visit on Wednesdays. I had waved to her on our street but had not made the connection. Nopasika asked the grade 3 teacher what my name was and where I lived and when she told her she said, “I think she is my neighbor.” Anyway, she introduced herself to me and now I have a lovely new friend!!

Nopasika was the sweetest visitor. The monkey was the funniest visitor. And the snake, well at least he stayed outside!!

Good Choice to Get a Driver

from Elliott
We headed to the mountains for a short break and spent the day on the Sani Pass. The pass connects

South Africa and the Kingdom of Lesotho and is at 2570m which makes it the highest pass in Africa. The road to the top is very steep and rocky with many hair pin turns along the way! We were glad we had a driver and a 4WD bakkie so we could enjoy the many views and not worry about damaging a tire. By the time we returned we decided it was a very wise decision.

So why did we go? Spectacular views and one of the few places you can find the elusive Drakensburg Rockjumper. And yes, one did show up and just as the name implies, he was jumping from one rock to another. Quite a find!   

Getting High in the Heat

from Elliott
We often eat at a restaurant in Bizana on ministry day there. It has great food, a clean toilet and 'cooled air' (not quite air conditioning.) - you can imagine the attraction!

On a recent visit though it had something else - an interesting and familiar aroma. Upon a bit of research as to the origin of the aroma we noticed that about 5 young adults were standing by the air intake for the cooled air system and exhaling significant quantities of 'Transkei Gold' (a prized variety of marijuana that is grown locally.)

We were all sharing in the rather mellow occasion. "Cool. man!"

How Hot is It?

from Elliott
Now that we are back from winter in the US and starting our Small Business Development Program we have had a number of occasions to wonder how hot it was as we were teaching. In the case of Bizana last week, it was so hot in the corrugated tin building we call Arise and Shine that despite all the fans we had going, the easel was so hot that the 'sticky tack' (putty that we post visuals with on the easel) was runny and wouldn't hold the laminated cardstock.

And in the afternoon the chickens came into the worship space looking for cooler shade than they had outside. Of course they stayed when Katherine crunched up Marie biscuits on the floor. They had been out in the humidity for about an hour and their normally crisp state became soggy!