First week end in Cape Town
Departure from Angouleme on Thursday 8th of January 2009 and I am very impatient. It’s the first time I am going so far and so longer and I love it. 3 hours of train to go to Paris, 2 hours waiting my first plane direction Heathrow, 30 minutes of flight to arrive in England, another 2 hours waiting and finally 11 hours flying until Cape Town. Very exhausting and particularly so long!!! .
Cape Town airport is not very big and it is still under construction. One positive point is the fact that there is just one hour time difference with France, so that’s no problem to contact my family or my friends. My first impression concerns the weather, nothing to do with France, here it is summer and it’s maybe 30° degrees every day!! Only one disadvantage, it’s too windy. Now I have to wait during 2 hours Sandra, a member of my placement organization, who must drive me to my flat.
First impression of the Town: huge, sunny, noisy and still in construction. Yes, the Fifa World Soccer Cup 2010 is going to take place in South Africa so everybody work on the roads to increase and reduce traffic. I am in front of the door of my flat and I am ready to meet my two flat mates. They are French and very nice, we get along well. The most useful: they already know very well the city as they arrived 3 months ago. My flat is spacious, bright, close to shops and very cheap (200 € for one month). Moreover we have the view on Table Mountain and Lion’s Head.
My first week end:
We visited a museum about apartheid (District 6 museum). We walked in the city centre especially in Long street, famous for its numerous bars, nightclubs, restaurants and fashion stores. We also took a walk in the Green Market (outside typical African market) and in Camps Bay well known for its beautiful beach with a nice view of Lion’s Head (Mountain). It’s nice to lay on the beach with just behind us an immense assembly line.
I LOVE CAPE TOWN
I arrived a little bit more than one week ago and I think time is running too fast!!! I start working for an advertizing company: Du Toit Majola. We are probably 6 people working there and some temporary workers sometimes work with us. The office is located in the City Bowl of Cape Town, about 30 minutes walking from my flat. I can see the new Fifa World Cup stadium since my office. My work team is very welcoming and the atmosphere is relaxed. My work hours are from 8H30 to 16H, so I have a lot of free time during the evenings!!!
My first working week was dynamic so as I forgot to eat at luncheon. During this week I organized with Candy a very important event for South Africans, called Back to school. I was handling some flyers, chips and lollipops on the road (they love chips here) while trying to not be crushed or teared off my hand. Here poor people sell everything on the road intersections (Actually they just try) and I was close to them. At the beginning it was a little bit strange, but now it’s ok. In fact, I don’t risk anything because I am working like them!!
This event consisted in giving some motivation to children to come back to school. For that event, we prepared an area dedicated to children activities (painting, dancing,) in a big market centre. Like that parents could make their shopping quietly. Then, we offered us one lunch boxes each for them afternoon snack. It was impressive to see so much joy on one children face, just because you gave him something, actually not important thing. I organized this event during all the week.
Now, the week end: On Friday night, we went to a famous bar, the Zula bar, to meet some friends and drink their famous Mojitos. On Saturday my flat mates and me decided to go to Muizenberg (45 km from Cape Town) by train to take advantage of the beach. This beach is famous for sharks, seals and surfers. Traveling by train was really cheap (1, 70€) but not so comfortable. I saw a lot of beautiful landscapes on the horizon, the view of Cap of Good Hope and of an old fishing port. On Sunday, we didn’t do something because it was too windy to go to the beach. So we just took a walk in the city!!! Each day, the wind is more or less strong.
Two Weeks Later
(Just behind me we can see Robeen Island, where Nelson Mandela was in jail)
Here we go, I arrived two weeks now, and this city is incredible. Contrary to what I thought, in a big town like this one, you have all the facilities an malls close to you (network, hair dresser, market…). It’s pretty much safe (a lot of policeman and private guards) but there is no public transport. There are not very safe and not very recommended (to tourists). That is why I rented an old Beetle with my friend kamel. He arrived the 23rd of January, the day of his birthday.
This week, my work was very interesting. The staff was very nice and dynamic. I was assistant project and my mission consisted in searching and finding some animations ideas for the next events of the company. The moment I enjoyed the most was when we spoke together about ours ideas so as to select the best one. I enjoyed this work and my ideas were good.
Generally I finish working between 16H and 16H30, so I have time to take advantage of the beach and to see the sunset on the top of Signal Hill. People come there with a bottle of wine, some food, to admire this incomparable and furtive moment.
On the 23th of January 2009, Mr Kamel El Hadef arrived in Cape Town. The weather was good, the temperature as well, and party was ready. Becarefull Kamel, we are not in France!!! Program of the week end: shopping, beach, visit of the city and especially advices for the new boy. First new product, “Biltong”, dry beef, cut in thin slice, to eat during the meal or for the aperitif. A new difficulty was to do shopping in Pic and Pay, which is the biggest super market. You can find every thing there. When we cook, we often eat French plates (with local spices and vegetables) but you can find typical food in restaurants (Springbok, ostrich,…)
Cape Town: City under monitoring
Since I arrived, now one month ago, I could observe all the houses and some are protected by alarms, bars, and barbed wire and electric cables. Some districts are surrounded by walls of 3 meters. We didn’t speak about detached houses now but about town in a town. This is incredible.
For example, in my new residence nobody can enter without the pass. It permits to open the first gate equipped with bars, barbed wire which is under monitoring. Then another huge gate with wheels permits the access to the garage and the pass is necessary as well. This gate is under monitoring too. Garage is under monitoring 24H/24H by a guard who makes patrol all the night. For more security, each flat is equipped with its own security gate. So, it’s like in jail!!!
The most impressive: the number of policemen walking in the street and the number of private guards in each bar, club and helicopters flying over the city.
A lot of people don’t have security system in their house because it is too expensive. They install only persuading boards and bars on each window and gate. Others more rich own huge villas with sea view. They have cameras everywhere, elevators outside and a guard in front of the house of course. Now I begin to understand why this people are so concerned about safety. Poverty is everywhere, everyday I can see families sleeping outside, people washing their clothes in the sea, handicapped persons who have not enough money to treat theirselves, and children stealing to eat. It’s shocking but it’s like that!
The first thing that people tell you when you arrive it’s: Take care of your bag, put nothing in your pocket just take what you need, if you rent a car always close the door and the windows too and don’t trust strangers persons.
At the beginning it’s surprising but after you forget this fear and you live carefully and normally.
FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 WILL SAVE EVERYBODY (I
HOPE)
Like everybody knows, or maybe not, the Fifa world soccer cup 2010 will take place in South Africa. For South Africans, this event is like a benediction falling from
the sky. Since they know the official date 3 years ago, they were ready.
It’s not time to sleep, in one year and a half South Africa will be invaded by hundreds thousands people coming from the whole world. And do you know what it means? It means that they are trying to make the city more pleasant, more practical but especially serener. It is preferable, for foreign people to not see the poverty. That’s the job of thousands persons, day and night. Nonstop hostels were built, new roads as well and streets begin to be cleaner. What else? A huge stadium is under construction in town. The semi final of the world cup will be played there.
We can easily notice that this event is very important for the population. All refer to it. For example, in each Mc Donald, an electric board discounts the time before the J day. Banks, dealers and post offices are official partners and create events around it.
It’s an opportunity for people to find a work, to become something and above all a chance to survive. Of course rich people live here too, but there are too many living in precarious conditions. About the half of the population maybe more are squeezed in townships.
Do you Know Kirstenbosch?
Kirstenbosch is the biggest botanic park of the 9 parks in South Africa. Those 9 parks form a network managed by (SANBI). This institute supports plants collection
and also Works for environment research and education.
Kirstenbosch was founded in 1913 in order to protect and promote African native flora. Among one of the most remarkable botanic park in the world, it benefits from an international fame. Lean against Table Mountain, the estate spreads about 528 hectares including a huge furnished garden and a natural reserve.
You can find inside some rare and threatened African species. Among the large theme spaces, you can find the Fynbos garden which is a vegetation growing that you can only see in Cape Town. The braille path will make you cross a marsh area and a natural forest. The garden of perfumes, with this unusual aroma. A useful flower bed, where you can learn different ways of using the otoctone plants.
Kirstenbosch garden is also a relaxing and walking place appreciated by a lot of South Africans. Pupils come to play, discover while eating behind a tree. During summer some bands come and play in front of hundreds of persons, from 17H30 to 18H30, every Sunday. People bring food and drink together. The atmosphere is relaxed. Life is good in Cape Town…
Direction: Cape of Good Hope
Week end briefing:
Saturday: early in the morning, we went to blue rock city to see a wakeboard competition. Unfortunately, we didn’t know exactly where the city was and we missed the competition… but I didn’t drive for nothing!!! I wanted to test the wakeboard, so we did so. It was a nice session full of emotion and mess tin.
When we came back in Cape Town, we had a police control… Of course with my old beetle, it was sure they would arrest me. Exactly, the officer walked in the middle of the road, made me a sign to park my car. Great, I had forgotten my driver license and he told me that my stop light didn’t work!!! Consequently after 30 minutes he gave me a 700 hundreds Rands contravention oneself 50 € just for my license. In spite of that, we enjoyed our evening.
Sunday: Departure for the Cap of Good Hope, the famous touristic place. During the travel, we made a stop to observe a penguin colony. They were not so wake but very funny when they moved. After one hour driving, we arrived at the entrance of Table Mountain National Park. It’s a huge natural reserve (30 000 hectares) with ostriches, baboons, zebras and other species in complete freedom. We ate with the beautiful view of Indian cost. That was just incredible. We went to the most south-west area of Africa and our first impression was the strength of the wind, able to move you back. On the road back, we made a stop in the Indian cost where there was a natural swimming pool. I swam but water was till cold.
That’s the end of a sympatic week end.
Robeen Island
Since I arrived I wanted to visit Robeen Island, but I didn’t find the time to go there earlier. My week ends are full and my weeks as well. Only one solution: taking an afternoon off. There was no problem, my boss was happy because I was interested to visit the jail. Actually she never went there. With Kamel and our German friend Patrick, we discovered a part of South African history.
We travelled by boat during 30 minutes to arrive to Robeen Island harbor. We went where a lot of people such as criminals, politician were lacked up during many years. It is a 7000 acres island and only guards and prisoners lived there before. Now a city was built with a primary school, a post office and a market. People who live there just pay water, electricity and the rent. But if they want to come back to Cape Town the boat is free for them. Children also take the boat in the morning and in the evening to go to study. That is a different way of life.
It is important to know that, the prison was built by the first prisoners themselves. It was composed like that: 4 blocs for split different prisoners, a hospital, a yard, 4 guard’s towers as well as a double wire netting with dogs between. It was too difficult to escape from this prison but it had already happened. Good luck, the coat is 12 km away. Prisoners couldn’t speak to each over except in the quarry where they used to work very hard every day. The man in charge of the visit was an old prisoner of Robeen Island. We were impatient to see Nelson’s Mandela cell where he spent 33 years of his life. Life was so hard for prisoners, just one carpet on the floor, one bean and a bathroom for 40 people. But some prisoners like Mandela were preferential as they weren’t forced to work.
This visit was instructive and exciting.
Cape Town : 2 months after
Already two months in Cape Town and I still don’t believe it. In three weeks I have to come back to France. I feel like I arrived a week ago. This city is incredible, time is really flying here. I always remember my arrival; I was afraid of the unknown and of my English level too. Now I feel very well, no fear any more, windows open, parties, it’s like all the precautions I took at the beginning aren’t important any more.
What else? Cape Town is not what you think. I have never seen arguments, attacks, banks attacks, dead people but I have seen a lot of car crash, oh yes, they never take driving lessons. Imputed persons, homeless people and townships, that’s routine like everywhere in the country. There is luxe and poverty, nothing between. You work or you are dead. That’ reality! But people enjoy living there, nice beaches, crazy time, incredible landscapes, best spots of golf and plenty of other advantages.
Concerning my internship, my company is very fond of European trends and would like to know our work techniques. So, I had for mission to list all the biggest fashion, musical and movie companies. After that, we contacted them to have some information concerning different events (there price, there possibilities for our customers). But I had obviously to analyze the South African offer In the three activities areas in order to compare their work to ours.
This leaded to have a global view of our position compared to the one of our direct national competitors but also to the foreign competitors. This internship was very interesting and beneficial for me, I improved my English, and now words come without thinking. I still need to develop my vocabulary.
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