Seems we have identified a prefect team:
- a real geographer Nick
- a reporters Joonas & Oravake and
- a photographer Triin
So why shouldnt we share all the stories of our journeys since South - Africa?
mmx
Joonas & Triin
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Monday, 21 January 2008
Vredekloof
De electriciteit is hier net uitgevallen, het ideale moment om nog eens een verslagje te brengen van de afgelopen dagen. De twee voorbije weken hebben we met ons drieen doorgebracht in Vredekloof, zo'n dertig kilometer ten noorden van het stadscentrum, en de tweede wijk waar ik mijn onderzoek doe. We verbleven daar in een securiteitscomplex, een woonbuurt met zo'n honderd appartementen, afgesloten door een groot hek. Voor mij was het niet alleen interessant om eens te zien hoe het er in zo'n gated community aan toe gaat, maar het maakte het vinden van respondenten ook een pak gemakkelijker. De interviews zitten er dan ook ongeveer op. Voor Triin betekende dat wel veel lange dagen van op en af rijden naar school en werk.
De twee laatste weken hier brengen we door in Tamboerskloof, mijn andere onderzoeksbuurt. Ik hoop er nog een pak interviews uit te typen voor ik naar huis vertrek, en nog wat observaties te doen. Omdat ik de voorbije weekends nog bezig ben geweest met interviews, hopen we het de volgende zaterdagen en zondagen wat meer op het gemak te doen. We zouden nog graag op Robben Eiland geraken, goed dineren in Franschoek en naar de zomerconcerten in Stellenbosch. Spijtig dat we carnaval in Vosselaar niet kunnen meemaken van't jaar. Het amusement alvast daar!
De twee laatste weken hier brengen we door in Tamboerskloof, mijn andere onderzoeksbuurt. Ik hoop er nog een pak interviews uit te typen voor ik naar huis vertrek, en nog wat observaties te doen. Omdat ik de voorbije weekends nog bezig ben geweest met interviews, hopen we het de volgende zaterdagen en zondagen wat meer op het gemak te doen. We zouden nog graag op Robben Eiland geraken, goed dineren in Franschoek en naar de zomerconcerten in Stellenbosch. Spijtig dat we carnaval in Vosselaar niet kunnen meemaken van't jaar. Het amusement alvast daar!
Wednesday, 9 January 2008
Back in Cape Town
All three of us are healthy and well back in Cape Town. It has been three weeks of great excitement, but now it is back to work and back to school for another four weeks. In the next days, we will try to put more stories from the trip online. For today, you will have to survive with the pictures and some thoughts about our two days in Zimbabwe. Hugs from Nick, Triin and Joonas!
Monday, 7 January 2008
Zimbabwe
To go or not to go to Zimbabwe, that was the question once we had seen the falls from the Zambian viewpoints. From Livingstone, it was only a short hop over the border, but we were warned that there would be no petrol, bread or potatoes on the other side. Was it a good idea to go to such a country with a five year old kid? Was it worth the ridiculous visa fees? And wouldn’t our money end up in the pockets of a few government cronies?
After some discussions, we put our initial reservations aside and crossed the elegant bridge over the Zambezi from Zam to Zim. Immediately, we got encircled by a swerm of curio sellers who would do anything for our cash. ,,Five dollars, my friend. Real ebony. Look. You don’t believe me? Real ebony! You can’t scratch it. Just three dollars, Sir. I am a poor guy. I am suffering. OK. Make it one. I am hungry. You don’t want it? No? Let’s exchange it. Give me your shoes. You have a nice jacket. Real ebony, remember. Any old t-shirts? Sir? Sir?’
The desperation of these curio sellers, and everyone else in the town of Victoria Falls, told the story of a failed state. The Zimbabwean economy has completely collapsed. The inflation of the Zimbabwean dollar is out of control. At the official rate, one US dollar should be equal to 50 000 Zim dollars. On the street, however, money changers would give you at least 1,6 million Zim dollars for one green note. The average salary of a school teacher is 17 million Zim dollar a month, just enough to buy ten rolls and some bananas or a bottle of cheap local wine. 
Indeed, bread and fruit are available in the supermarkets nowadays, as opposed to a couple of months ago, but no ordinary Zimbabwean can buy them. Apart from the fact that everything is ridiculously expensive, there is not enough printed money in circulation. People who are lucky enough to have a salary, are told that there is a lack of cash to give it to them. A guy we met was still waiting to get his november wage in his hands. People die, the opposion newspaper reports, because they can’t get enough cash to pay the hospital, even if the money is on their bank accounts. Everything reminded Triin of her childhood in the Soviet Union.
Being a tourist in such place turned out to be far from easy, as everything you do seems so decadent from the perspective of the average Zimbabwean struggling to survive till the end of another day. The restaurants, booking centres and luxurious hotels continue to make profits though. Obviously, the show must go on. It gave us the feeling of being on the Titanic: the band continues playing while the ship is sinking.
For more news about Zimbabwe, visit www.thezimbabwean.co.uk www.zimbabwedemocracynow.com http://www.zimpatriot.com/
After some discussions, we put our initial reservations aside and crossed the elegant bridge over the Zambezi from Zam to Zim. Immediately, we got encircled by a swerm of curio sellers who would do anything for our cash. ,,Five dollars, my friend. Real ebony. Look. You don’t believe me? Real ebony! You can’t scratch it. Just three dollars, Sir. I am a poor guy. I am suffering. OK. Make it one. I am hungry. You don’t want it? No? Let’s exchange it. Give me your shoes. You have a nice jacket. Real ebony, remember. Any old t-shirts? Sir? Sir?’
The desperation of these curio sellers, and everyone else in the town of Victoria Falls, told the story of a failed state. The Zimbabwean economy has completely collapsed. The inflation of the Zimbabwean dollar is out of control. At the official rate, one US dollar should be equal to 50 000 Zim dollars. On the street, however, money changers would give you at least 1,6 million Zim dollars for one green note. The average salary of a school teacher is 17 million Zim dollar a month, just enough to buy ten rolls and some bananas or a bottle of cheap local wine. 
Indeed, bread and fruit are available in the supermarkets nowadays, as opposed to a couple of months ago, but no ordinary Zimbabwean can buy them. Apart from the fact that everything is ridiculously expensive, there is not enough printed money in circulation. People who are lucky enough to have a salary, are told that there is a lack of cash to give it to them. A guy we met was still waiting to get his november wage in his hands. People die, the opposion newspaper reports, because they can’t get enough cash to pay the hospital, even if the money is on their bank accounts. Everything reminded Triin of her childhood in the Soviet Union.Being a tourist in such place turned out to be far from easy, as everything you do seems so decadent from the perspective of the average Zimbabwean struggling to survive till the end of another day. The restaurants, booking centres and luxurious hotels continue to make profits though. Obviously, the show must go on. It gave us the feeling of being on the Titanic: the band continues playing while the ship is sinking.For more news about Zimbabwe, visit www.thezimbabwean.co.uk www.zimbabwedemocracynow.com http://www.zimpatriot.com/
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