The Redistribution of Wealth

Hattie: There is a well known phenomenon in Cape Town called the redistribution of wealth. I unfortunately fell fowl of this yesterday while writing my previous blog entry about Sparky. Oh what irony. As I was sitting here bemoaning my little VW Chico someone was helping themselves to it right under my very nose. I returned to my space to find another car in its place and no Sparky. The saddest fact of all is that Mr Penguin my mascot made by my diligent niece has been kidnapped. The scoundrels have also driven away with my newly installed and paid for radio, my jacket and the newly purchased winter clothes I bought to survive in freezing Cape Town.

A nice passer by lent me her jacket and drove me to the police station where I made my statement. The policemen then drove me home- my first ever ride in a police car. Half an hour after arriving home there was a knock at my door and it was one of the police officers I had seen at the station. He asked if he could come in and asked me for the same details I had given at the station. I was a bit suspicious and then he cheekily continued to change the subject….it became blatantly apparent he was not interested in the car! You can imagine the hilarity as he asked me if I was married, then if I had a boyfriend (I am afraid I lied- his name is ‘Jack’, he lives in Zimbabwe and he would be terribly disappointed if I broke it off)!

I am wondering whether I should have done a deal with Police constable Sharif. Something like ‘if you find my car, with my belongings inside, we can go for a coffee’.

Joking aside I am not surprised crime is high here although it is not nearly as high as it is in Joburg. Richard and Sophie wrote in a previous blog entry about the inequality here, the continued divisions in society where people are still segregated in their racially defined areas. People try to insulate themselves against poverty and crime behind their big alarmed fences so distanced from the reality they live in. I have come back to where I am staying most days to find local women and children rummaging through our wheelie bin to find food or anything they can reuse. Our global economic system is failing the poor- the homeless and slum dwellers left to rummage through our waste. These women are blatant about their activities- they don’t stop when I arrive, some don’t even look at me, they just continue in their desperate attempts to find food. I feel, deep down, that there must be a better way. Surely there is enough to go around? Can we not share a bit more and be less greedy? I am not a communist but I know we were not designed to live in this self-imposed isolation from each other.

This is Sparky! My rental car, until we get the landy on Monday.  The rental company gave him his name; I think I can see why.... it must be something to do with his ignition issues!

He certainly has quite a character.  He is a golf 'chico' for a start, secondly he likes to break down quite a bit and thirdly he attracts CT's car radio thieves. 

Never fear, today we have replaced Sparky's radio- he is now ready to rock the cape again with 'Mr Penguin', his mascot made by my amazing niece Sacha (with some creative input from her dad)!

Lakeside

Soph and Rich: Hey there - been in Cape Town for 4 days now. We have been staying with our friends Ant and Annie and their 2 boys in Lakeside for a few days (friends from Peckham) which has been great. We've hired a car and managed to navigate our way around the city successfully - tho the driving here is quite hair-raising at times! The weather has been decidedly English so far, and we have both had to top up on clothes as its been so cold. But today is lovely, so we are hoping it will warm up enough so that we can have our first surf lesson soon - sharks? shmarks!! We've been able to meet up with some of Soph's family and friends too and yesterday we visited the Heaven's Nest Children's home in Ottery which donations had gone to in memory of Soph's Godmother Helen Orr. The children were lovely and very energetic - hungry for affection. It was great to see them being so well looked after and given hope for the future.

We've talked quite a lot about what it would mean to live a lifestyle of radical obedience to Jesus in this culture, and it has been rather a challenging topic!! There is still so much inequality and so much division even 14 years after apartheid (with some parallels to Peckham!). We'll share a few of our observations and reflections: White people live behind high walls (some with electric fences); there is little if any social interaction between colours; different races live in different places; maids and gardeners earn enough to survive but not to save for emergencies (so they come to their employers when there is a problem). We've remembered that Paul wrote in a culture of slavery, and although some were called to overturn it and change it, others had to live in a Godly way within the system, and I guess it is the same here. We have heard a couple of really good examples of this, particularly using employment and the relationships built with maids etc to support their whole families with education, friendship etc, often involving the whole Church. Anyway, we've got to go now, but it is encouraging to see God's people finding ways to transform something that at first seems negative into something that gives hope and a future.

What Lies Beneath....(part 1)

Hattie: Cape Town is a beautiful place surrounded by glorious ocean.  Ocean equals fish, penguins, surfers, whales and seals amongst other things.  

These in turn = Sharks.  

Now I realise there is a lot of shark related hysteria out there to which I do not wish to add.  However it does seem that there is a genuine risk of being munched here.  Last week the Cape Times newspaper ran with the headline "Vigilance urged after Great White Sharks spotted near False Bay coast".  False bay has its own Shark Spotter group- brave and fearless men and women who search for the Great Whites from the safety of their 4x4s on the mountain road above the bay...they have a danger siren and everything! (Photos- a Shark Spotter in action, one of their huts and 'be shark wise- a guide to the beach).  

The last Great White sighting was in Muizenberg (where I am staying) last Monday.  The last attack was on a surfer a year ago (again in Muizenberg- i'm sensing a theme here).  He has now only got 1 leg but he is still surfing.  The most famous attack was a few years back in Fish Hoek, an elderly lady who swam regularly.  She went out for her usual swim and decided to ignore the shark alarm....all they found of her was her bathing hat!

I think, all things considered, I am not going swimming...it is much too cold anyhow.  

In the space of Muizenberg Village

Hattie:  I have been finding in this un-pronounced space that I keep meeting the eyes of my Father.  

The last 2 nights I have experienced fear.  Fear that I have suppressed in the business of UK life.  Fear and grief that he no longer....

Fear that I cannot remember- that he is slipping further and further from me.  How would he talk to me? How would we converse?

I went for dinner last night and as I sat I tried to imagine or remember what it was like going out for supper with him.  What did we talk about? I cannot remember, but I know that we never sat in silence.  There was always so much to say.  

I suppose this was bound to happen here.  I was in Muizenberg, CT a few weeks before my Father died and we had some of the most memorable phone conversations we ever had.  

This is a place where I feel like a daughter- his daughter ;)

One down...

Welcome to the blog! 

Today Hattie is leaving for Cape Town to begin our journey around Mozambique and Zimbabwe.  Hopefully this will keep you posted about our group and maybe you will even join us along the way?!

ART08 (Africa Road Trip- thanks Penny:) currently consists of James & Anna, Rich & Sophie, Amy, Hattie, Matt, Rachel and Emmanuel.

Bring on the adventure....