Dinner with the NZ Consul

What an amazing mix of people we met at dinner last night. Tim Barnett (who is a friend of one of the RATA teachers, Cheryl Doig) invited us to dinner at his place at Hout Bay. It felt strange to be back in Western Culture again, but wonderful to eat fresh vegetables, rather than the continual carbohydrate we are provided with. We looked longingly at his bathroom, but even a subtle hint for a shower, was not picked up on. (Christine and I had been so excited this week when we picked up our laundry from a laundromat and enjoyed a clean bath towel. It's amazing how clean clothes are now a real treat!)

Tim had invited Michael Lapsley (who turned out to be born in my home town of Hastings) to dinner. He is the honoary NZ consul here in Cape Town. He had been proactive in the anti apartheid movement prior to 1994, and was sent a letter bomb (by white South Africians opposed to his stance) which blew off both his hands, and cost him the sight of one eye, and his hearing in one ear. We had visited Robben Island the same day and had a tour, taken by a black ex political prisoner on the island. Interestingly, while white prisoners were not kept on Robben Island, this amazing black man said it was the white prisoners who suffered the most, as they were not supported by their own white community.

Other guests included gay black men, and other marginalised people in Africa. Such an interesting mix of people.

We saw the cell of Nelson Mandella on his 91st birthday. It was so strange to stand where he had stood etc. 27 years of prison...

Christine and I have started spending the money we have been donated to buy picture books. We have tried to explain how important it is to provide literature in the first language a child speaks, but this has not been accepted by the leader of the homeless shelter, so we need to work with the beliefs of those with the power and buy books in English. This is a much harder task than in NZ as few book stores in Cape town sell good picture books. However, yesterday we got lucky and spent 2000 rand on 33 books - we have another 6000 Rand or more to spend. Most books cost $6 and $20 so we are going to leave many books in the library.

It is great to have a weekend off to normalise to some degree. Back into the poverty tomorrow..

The thing that really sticks in my mind, is that the female teachers and teacher aides all sleep in one room, with all their children in their single bed. How on earth do they sleep, with wiggling crying children beside them and then come to school by 7.30am ready to teach?? I know I couldn't do it. And these amazing intelligent, articulate women consider themselves blessed not to be sleeping on the streets... from where many of them have come.