STUCK!

2-12-09
Well it’s been a couple of day since my last post and PE seems to be breaking down, just a little bit, but it’s still just unbelievable. Currently we are on the 5th day of a public transportation strike. Combies and Buses are completely closed down and we have to be shuttle back and forth in Gary’s five -seater Toyota. So far we haven’t been in any of the violent areas, but about a mile down the road the private taxi drivers are being thrown from their cars and people are taking away their keys so they can’t transport people. All of this is taking place because of some shady transportation dealings that are centered around the World Cup. This strike though has made it clear just how crucial public transportation is in this country. Women from the townships, which are over ten miles ways, have to leave for work just past three in the morning just to get there on time. Without work these people have no livelihood. It’s incredibly said. When we wake up in the morning at around 6 a.m., hundreds of students are stampeding down the street we live on just to get to their 8 o’clock class on time, which is still 4 more miles past our apartment. But even closer to home for us is that our maid (yes we have a maid that cleans for us every day and does our laundry and dishes) has not been able to get to work the last couple of days. I am not saying this because I am upset that she isn’t cleaning, but recently her grandson got into Rhodes University, which is a couple of hours from PE, and she needs the money to help support his schooling. Daphne has been very close to us boys in flat 7 and it’s upsetting to see that this lovely 80 year old woman has to walk so far because she can’t afford the miss another day’s work. Anyways the strike is rumored to end in a couple of days and hopefully things will get back to normal.
On a lighter note, this weekend we are heading off to Jeffery’s Bay, which is one the premiere surf locations in the world. This is where the Billabong surf competitions take place. On the way, we are stopping at Seaview animal park, where you play with lion cubs and see other big African animals. But what I am most excited for is our trip to Addo and Schotia on Sunday. It will be our first safari and I can hardly wait. Anyway, that’s enough for now and be watching from some new interesting posts about how my weekend goes.
Peace and Love from Africa
Joe