South African Adventure - week 3

I wish I had exciting things to tell you about my work week, but I don’t. I’m thankful to work and live in Australia (or the US).

Obviously the one exciting thing that happened this week was the US presidential election. Everyone here was asking me about it, from all countries. It’s one of those things that I find interesting about America and the rest the world. In the US, we might get some highlight coverage about election outcomes in other countries – particularly if there is violence involved. But often times US media doesn’t “bring in” a lot of world news. Neither does our education system (at least mine didn’t). Conversely, in most other countries, the news from the US and the presidential election are heavily covered (and a lot of other world news). I wish people would see that our news coverage put us at such a knowledge disadvantage in the US.

On Friday night, I went out to dinner with some other KPMGers at an African restaurant in Melrose Arch. It was more like an "African experience". We had our faces painted, listened to music, played with African instruments, and had a fantastic meal – even if it was all a bit “touristy”….but hey, that’s what I am! We even tried the ox-tail, which is a very South African thing to eat (it was good – like roast beef).

African princess

Saturday I had organised a trip for several of us out to the Rhino and Lion Park. What a fantastic day! I was a bit worried because I had set it up and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s about an hour drive out there so we were all hoping it was worth it – and it was! It is a large park that has many different types of animals roaming free (in general). It takes over 2 hours to drive around it (and you're not allowed out of your car for safety reasons). It even has 3 of the “Big 5” (referring to the big 5 famous African animals – the giraffe, buffalo, rhino, elephant, and lion). This park had buffalos, rhinos, and lions…not to mention tons of other typical African animals such as the eland, impala, mongoose, wildebeest, cheetahs, etc. It was a great day. I’m hoping to do at least 1 fun thing like that each weekend.

With baby white lions

Our friend Rhonda the Rhino. Of course I named her!

Tomorrow I have to check out of the executive apartments and go back to the Westcliff. There is no room for me here, not even a double to share with Kate. I am very sad about this, being away from the group and restaurants and shops is hard, especially without a car. But I guess it doesn’t really matter, and hopefully I don’t have to move anymore until I am packing up to go travelling - only 26 more days!

South African non-Adventure - Week 2

Week 2 has been sufficiently hectic. Every day, my co-worker David, from London, and I had a driver take us from the hotel to the office in downtown Joburg. We were the only 2 of our team in the hotel instead of the executive apartments. Every night I got a ride back to the hotel from one of my other co-workers with cars, usually past 7pm, and ordered room service for dinner. Sometimes I worked more or called people and sometimes I just went to bed. Here's a pic of the exterior of my hotel for the last 2 weeks:

The Westcliff

On Wednesday I had to be out at one of the mine sites for more meetings. It takes 3+ hours each way and leaves me with even less time for work or anything else. There were major strike actions again, and several people were again injured or shot by police. I hope I don’t have to go there again.

Friday was the day that I moved out of the hotel (after almost 2 weeks) and into an executive apartment, where the rest of the team also have apartments. Packed up my bags, got to work, and it was a good thing I called the apartments to check on my reservation (set up through KPMG). You guessed it, they had no idea I was coming and had no place for me! After several hours of panicking with the admins on my team, we got an apartment, but I will have to move again in a week – into a shared apartment (2BR 2 Bath) with my friend and co-worker, Kate. Kate and I get along great but it kind of sucks not to have your own space and we both have visitors coming. Plus this means she has to move yet again!! But at least I’m not homeless in Johannesburg, of all places. And it will be more fun with Kate around as we've already been roommates out on the game reserve :)

There are 41of my comrades on this project, with 18 travellers from outside South Africa. Those of us from other countries (India, US, UK, and now Australia) all stay at apartments near Melrose Arch (except for David who is still at the hotel). The apartments are really lovely, quiet, and secure. The KPMG group pretty much has the whole complex except for a few units. I feel sorry for these other people. Melrose Arch is a very safe and trendy area, and across the street is a secure outdoor shopping complex with shops and restaurants. And I can finally either get groceries or order takeout instead of room service. And I have a washing machine!!…..oh the small things in life.

Do I sound happy? You’re right, I do not. It isn’t really what I expected or hoped for, but I plan on making the most of it. Friday night we had some drinks as a group in one of the apartments for a birthday party. The younger kids went out to a club and the “more mature” crowd stayed in. I can't believe it, but I am now comfortably and happily part of the "more mature" crowd. Saturday was a bit of down time in the morning, a late lunch and grocery shopping with Kate, and then 5 of us watched a movie and ordered pizza for dinner. Today (Sunday), I went with 2 others to the Apartheid Museum, which was informative but sad and unbelievable. They also had a special exhibition about Nelson Mandela. The story of apartheid is too complex for this blog….too complex for my brain at this point. Maybe when I’ve had some time to digest and learn more, I can cover in a subsequent post. If you want to learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid_in_South_Africa.



Apartheid Museum - "To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains,
but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." - Nelson Mandela



The entrance to the Apartheid Museum

The absolute BEST thing that happened this week is that we worked it out so Chris can come over to visit at the end of the project!! Normally the policy is that international projects allow a flight home every three weeks, and all flights are business (or first) class. Instead of me flying back to Australia in the middle, Chris can fly here instead (and we're both flying economy). I worked it out with KPMG, Chris got approval from his work, and viola we're all set for him to fly over on 6 Dec and then we'll do some fun stuff for a week! :) Happy times. It's only a month away. A person can do almost anything as long as they know when the end is....it's when there's no end in sight that will drive a person crazy.

Right now I should be working instead of writing this blog. I am multi-tasking by doing my laundry, typing this blog, and warming up samosas in the oven for dinner. I am so glad I am in an apartment instead of the hotel! Hopefully this week will be productive, with less night terrors (for real), and next weekend I will do something fun like a Joburg and Soweto tour. I’ll keep you posted!

Signing off from South Africa

South African Adventure - week 1

My trip to South Africa honestly didn’t start out the greatest. It kind of came of out of the blue. An opportunity to do some work with a multi-country KPMG team from the US, India, UK, and South Africa (and now Australia) came up through a former co-worker and friend from Chicago who was already part of the project in South Africa. Within a few days I had talked to the engagement lead and was offered a role on the team – I just had to clear everything through Australia. I was a bit torn from the very beginning – I had only been back from Broome for 3 weeks, it would take me away from my honey, it seemed like a hard-core hours type of project, plus my health hadn’t been great over the last week or so. But it was a free trip to South Africa, which was Number Two on my travel list!!!! After some discussion, I decided I could make it work on Thursday, was notified of my flight on Friday night, and left on Sunday night. Not much notice!!

Chris was great enough to give me a ride to the airport – yet AGAIN – but he said the next time he sees me he’s going to attach a bungee cord to me so I can’t go too far away. At the airport I had a bit of trouble because the company only purchased a one-way ticket (a no-no when going to another country!) because we aren’t sure the exact date I’d be done. They let me on the flight, but gave me quite a scare that I may not be allowed into SA on arrival – either being turned away after an 11 hour flight or be required to pay a “fee”. At this point, I honestly wanted to walk out of the airport. Not my normal reaction for a trip - and it hasn't been the last time I've felt like that.

After all that, arrival in Johannesburg was actually a breeze. They barely looked at my US passport and didn't have customs that I could see. My driver picked me up from the airport bright and early at 6am after my overnight flight. One of the funniest moments of my trip so far was finding a pretty bra in the backseat of my driver’s car. He almost died of embarrassment. He was very glad I found it and not his wife!!! (He said his last passenger to the airport was repacking her suitcase in the car.) My first impression was that I couldn’t believe how hilly and green everything was. I know it seems stupid, but I didn’t expect “Africa” to look like that. I also couldn’t believe the hotel I was booked into, which is absolutely stunning. I'll be here until Friday when I can join the rest of the team in serviced apartments.

After a little nap I was showered and ready to go to the office by 10am. Too bad they weren’t ready for me until 4pm….slightly (very) annoying. But now the chaos has started. Now I’m based at my client site and it is quite hectic. I was able to catch up with my 2 Chicago girls on Tuesday night for a great dinner in Melrose Arch and then with a larger group from various projects on Thursday.

On Wednesday I had to attend a meeting out at one of the main platinum mine sites. I was a bit nervous to go, as there has been some unrest with workers’ strikes and police retaliation. But on the way there I got to see some shanty towns, which are a site unbelievable to most eyes. We drove up over this beautiful lush hill, and then there was a shanty town as far as the eye could see. I saw multiple versions of the same sadness and then of course near the mine site there are many places to live that the Westernised world would have a hard time calling a “house” – most of the ice shacks in my hometown were more liveable. Another concerning thing is because of where these shanty towns have been built, thousands of people run across the freeways on foot everyday and there are many accidents and fatalities.

Over my first weekend I was excited to do some sightseeing around Johannesburg, hoping it would raise my spirits and remind me why I actually chose to come here. However my plans quickly changed when 3 of us received an invitation to a private game farm with the family of one of our South African co-workers. It was such a fabulous weekend of seeing African wildlife (Giraffes! Ostriches! Worthogs! Impalas! Elands! Wildebeest!). It definitely deserves a more detailed blog post but I’m not sure I’ll get to it. For now, it’s the end of my first week and weekend in South Africa, and I have the typical “Sunday Night Panic” that I was so familiar with in Chicago. I miss Perth, my friends, my free time, my freedom in general - it is quite a dangerous place and not ok to be outside much. Feeling like a caged animal. And I mostly miss Chris (awwwwww). Now off to sleep, to dream of giraffes and beautiful sunsets.

Giraffe

Blue headed lizard on the tree

The real world rears its head

I wanted to post one last blog about Broome before I backtrack and talk about several trips I’ve taken over the year that I haven’t yet written about (I'm overwhelmingly behind!!). The last week of Jawun was hectic, followed by a week of lovely non-hectic time.

After we all finished up our projects, the “Broome group” flew back over to Kununurra to debrief with the entire Jawun mob who were spread between Kununurra, Halls Creek, and Warmun. A few of us got up early for a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles, the Ord River, Lake Argyle and the Argyle Diamond Mine. The Bungles (official name Purnululu National Park), is a World Heritage Site to the north of Halls Creek and is famous for its orange and gray striped sandstone domes. Although I wish I could’ve done some camping or hiking in the vast park, I was glad I at least got to see it from the air – which was quite a spectacular sight.

Purnuluu

Purnululu (Bungle Bungle)

The debrief with the whole group was a long day, but actually more interesting than I was expecting and I enjoyed hearing what everyone did for their projects and the experiences they had. After the debrief, our last bit of group fun was a BBQ Boat ride and drinks on the Ord River. The following day (Friday), it was time to say goodbye to everyone at the airport and make my way back to Broome for a relaxing few days.

On the Ord

Last day with Jawun

Chris came up from Perth to spend a long weekend in Broome. You may have noticed by now that I’ve met someone pretty cool who is, to my family’s dismay, Australian. I don’t usually mention this type of thing in my blog, so please don’t harass him on Facebook! We had a great time doing some of the touristy things I didn’t do while working there…..camel ride on Cable Beach, guided stargazing (awesome!), sampling various restaurants, lounging by the pool, outdoor cinema; and I also got to show him a few of my favourite Broome things. Chris also planned a whole day out for me that included a massage, a scenic flight over Broome, and a nice dinner. I was impressed :)

Scenic flight view of Gantheaume Point and Cable Beach

Camels on Cable Beach

On a camel

Now that I’ve been back in Perth for almost a week, I’m starting to feel less overwhelmed by the people, the cars, the constant motion. And just think, this is Perth, not exactly NYC or Chicago. It was great to get away from it all and it has been a little hard to come back to normal life. I have to get dressed up for work again and wear normal shoes instead of my casual attire and flip-flops that were fine for work in Broome. I also blew-dry my hair for the first time in months and thought my head was on fire. But it is also a good thing to come back to normal life, too (since my life is pretty cool). I have to keep reminding people that I was not on vacation while I was in Broome, with the exception of a week at the end (a very annoying comment I’ve heard multiple times). My tan doesn’t help my argument though. Bring on the next adventure!

Broome time

As I am coming to the end of my secondment with my partner organisation, I realise I haven’t really explained why/what I am doing here or talked about Broome or the Kimberley much. Time is really winding down now at the organisation – I only have a few days left in the office and have already presented my draft report to the CEO. After I finish off with his comments and finalise the report, then on Wednesday the Broome group will fly back to Kununurra for a larger group debrief (and a sidetrip that I’ve organised – a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles for 6 of us!).

The organisation that brought me here – Jawun (pronounced “Jah-win”) – specialises in corporate and Indigenous partnerships. They essentially act as the agent to bring corporate, philanthropic and Indigenous organisations together to build the capability of Indigenous people and organisations across Australia. My company (KPMG) and many others (such as NAB, Qantas, BCG, etc) send volunteers who have applied and been through an interview and selection process. Jawun has worked with the organisations to find their project or resource needs, and then matches up the people – trying to get the right skills in the right roles at the right organisations. KPMG and the other companies not only pay our full salaries while we’re here, but also all the travel and accommodation costs. In a way they are donating not just money, but instead their most valuable resource – their people. (I know that sounds so lame but it’s true! I am away from my “normal” job for which I get paid and could be charging clients for; so it is kind of a big deal for KPMG to let me go away.)

Broome itself is a cute little town with basically 2 little main streets of cafes, businesses, shops, and banks. The permanent population is approx 15,000 but this swells up to 45,000 during busy tourist season. Broome is 1,400 miles north of Perth and yes….that’s in the SAME state (Western Australia)!!! Sometimes the distance of this country takes my breath away. I consider myself pretty lucky that my office is in the town of Broome, whereas most of my colleagues are stuck out in the Industrial Park outside the town. The best part of the office is that it is really close to the airport (which is in the middle of the town) and planes literally look like they’re going to land in the window! The second best part was the cute little puppy that was being fostered in the office for my first week.

See Broome at the top center of map

I helped take care of little George when foster mumwas in meetings,
even when he was super naughty he was super cute

The town has an interesting history – it was founded in the 1880s because of the pearling industry (but has of course been inhabited by Aboriginal people for 40,000+ years), there was a “pearling boom” in which many Japanese, Chinese, Malay, Koepangers, Filipino and Europeans flocked to make their fortunes. This unique multicultural population of pearl industry workers joined with the local Aboriginal people and Europeans to work on up to 400 Pearling Luggers that sailed out of Broome. It was a dangerous occupation which claimed many lives and there is a Japanese cemetery and a Chinese cemetery to prove it. The town still has an interesting mix of asian influence as well as a large indigenous population (and pearling is still important...there are about 10 very expensive shops. Broome was bombed several times during WWII and the town was ripped apart when the Japanese were sent to internment camps. From “Broome History”:

“Australia instantly joined America in declaring war on the Japanese and almost immediately, all pearling activity ceased in Broome. Men rushed to join the war effort and the industry’s labour pool vanished overnight as Japanese residents were interred in camps.

Since Broome’s livelihoods relied heavily on the skill and experience of Japanese divers this was an economic death knell for the pearling industry and the town. The residents of Broome were suddenly faced with rounding up and interring friends and employees simply because they were Japanese. Unlike other towns, Broome’s Japanese population made up a good portion of the towns inhabitants and many had been born and raised in Australia and had no ties to Japan. Although they complied with the internment policy, Broome, residents tried to make life as easy as possible for the Japanese.”

I don’t know why I’m so fascinated with this part of Broome history…and world history. I can’t imagine a world with concentration camps like in WWI or internment camps like in WWII. Yet we are still essentially doing the same things (many of us are just too naïve to see it or admit it) while this war rages on and racism is still happening. I am not on a political rant. I am just looking to the past and seeing our present for what it is.

Japanese Cemetery in Broome

Last weekend was great with the camping in Cape Leveque, then this week has been hectic for everyone trying to complete their projects to the very best of their abilities. Tuesday night we won 2nd place (again) at the Zee-Bar Quiz Night and Wednesday had a dinner with one of the CEOs. Thursday night a few of us girls went to the famous weekly "Wet T-Shirt Contest" at the Oasis (where all the backpackers stay) - no none of us participated but it is quite the tradition in Broome, and Thursday night is the biggest night of the week (and it was definitely hopping)! Friday night I went to a Youth Presentation for a Yawaru youth committee and heard a wonderful guest speaker. Today I was at the markets, spent some well-deserved time at the pool, and watched the West Coast Eagles (AFL) get beat.

General thoughts: I am feeling tired. Interestingly, I didn't know I would care SO much about producing an amazing piece of work and wanting to impress my organisation and CEO. I knew I would do a good job because that is who I am, but I honestly wasn't sure I would be so adamant about approaching it like any other paying client. My parents raised me right. :) As I approach the flight back to Kununurra to see the whole group, I realise that I've sort of forgotten about some of them. That seemed so long ago that we were all together. That may have sounded rude. In some ways I'm excited to see (some of) them, and in some ways I wish I could skip it and just have my vacation here in Broome, and then get back to my real life. I like "doing" things....I get sick of having to "talk" about things. Which is what a debrief is, "talking" about things I've already done, when I'm just ready to get on to the next amazing thing I have planned. Getting some closure is important though, plus how can we change the future if we don't take the time to talk and learn any lessons from past experiences? (See what I did there?)

Cape Leveque Camping

This week has been quite hectic and fun! Upon writing this I have literally fallen asleep in front of my computer like a narcoleptic, as I have just returned from camping up in Cape Leveque. But hopefully I can give you the rundown. A week ago (last Sunday) I spent kayaking in the Indian Ocean for a few hours and swimming around on the rocks. Over the course of the week, I worked (of course), but also finally saw some live music at the Roey (a famous-ish live music venue/ bar here in Broome). We were lucky enough to see Steve Pigram of the Pigram Brothers who are a pretty well-known Aboriginal band (country / folk music). I also had dinner at one of my co-worker’s houses and we had a great discussion on how the James Price Point debate has really torn the towne of Broome apart and pitted even family members against each other. JPP is the proposed location of the Woodside LNG (liquefied natural gas) processing facility north of Broome. Possibly more on that later, I'm a bit afraid to write anything in fear of having my tires slashed if I seem to lean one way or the other!

Then on Friday we finally set off for the remote area of Cape Leveque, which is at the northernmost tip of the Dampier Peninsula, to camp for the weekend. Six of our group of 8 went, and we were allowed to use my organisations’ 4x4, a “Troopie” or troop carrier. It saved us a ton of money on a 4x4 rental. We had all our swags and tents tied to the roof-rack, then 4 of us sitting on the bench seats in back (around the outside) with all the rest of our bags and gear. The road to Cape Leveque is only paved about half the way (the northern half from Beagle Bay to the top), and the rest is quite a bumpy gravel / pindan / sand road. Sitting in the back of the troopie on a bumpy road in sweltering heat was fun for about 20 minutes…too bad it was a 2.5 hour trip (240km north of Broome)!! But it is all just part of the outback adventure!!

Road trip in the troopie....of course I put the beer next to me for safekeeping

Despite 4 of the 6 tents (borrowed from an organisation) being without tent poles, we still had a great time. Lesson learned: always check for tent poles. Saturday was spent at the beach and generally relaxing for the most part. In the evening, 4 of us decided to go on a sunset cruise. We had the boat to ourselves and the captain was a laid back guy who just seemed to be out to enjoy the day as well. We saw 3 amazing whales - 2 males competing for the attention of the female (take notes, boys!!!). They were all breaching like crazy and it was a thrilling sight to behold, especially so close. We were within 60 meters – I’ve never been so close to whales before; it was breathtaking. We also saw a dolphin and a hammerhead shark, which turned directly for the boat in a “Jaws”-like moment and caused some squealing from both the female and male members of our party. We also threw a few lines out for fish and within a minute had both lines full of tuna – I had the first catch of the day (of 2) and reeled in a big mackerel tuna….my arms were actually tired! I have to note here that the other 2 people had stayed back to go fishing – without avail – and here we were just randomly catching tuna without even trying! Andrew had been fishing for the previous 3 days and still hasn’t even had a bite hahahah :)  Isn’t that life.

This is what happens when you don't have tent poles

Humpbacks playing around

Amazing

Our Hammerhead named Jaws.....or Hammie

Sunset over Cape Leveque

Expert fisherwoman

Once back in Broome, there was quite a bit of smoke and we were detoured a few miles from our hotel to allow for some bushfire fighting. The fire was right up to the road and it was a reminder that this paradise of the Kimberley does have a real problem with bushfires and bushfire management.

General feelings: Had a great, but tiring weekend. I can’t believe I only have 7 more working days at my organisation. Time has really flown by and I’m feeling all sorts of things: I want to do a great job on my project but feeling there’s not enough time for what they want, sad that I haven’t had more interaction with the community and Aboriginal people in general (except for a few at work and 2 CEOs of course, not too shabby), that I haven’t seen enough of Broome yet. Excited to spend some time here outside of work with a certain someone. Feeling like I might actually miss some of these yahoos that I’ve been working with (both on the Jawun side and the organisation side). Also feeling a bit lonely. I think I’m homesick for Perth of all places. I was gone for the entire month of July, then back for 3 weeks, then left again for 6, which wasn’t really enough time to catch up with everyone properly (and do my job)….I’m not complaining at all!! But haven’t been settled anywhere for awhile now and I’m not sure where I’m feeling homesick for anymore. Weird feeling. Is this how it’s going to be now for me? Feeling not sure where my “home” is (well, it will always be Crandon to be honest). We were talking about sleeping in your own bed and I haven't really felt that since Chicago. Well this is quite the adventure and who cares which bed I call home?

You can have your crab and eat it too

To be honest, Monday through Thursday just felt a bit like regular workdays….work, grocery shopping, make dinner and lunches, etc. I'm used to working in client offices all the time so this doesn't feel that different to me. Quite a different story for some of my Jawun colleagues who are not accustomed to project work or being away from all their comfortable chairs, coffee cups, and offices. Wednesday evening we had a little fun at Zee-Bar for dinner and a few Matso's ginger beers, and ended up partaking a little quiz nite action. Thursday evening we had a BBQ for our supervisor, Rose, since she was leaving Broome the following day. Now we're on our own!!! (To be honest it's easier now because we have an extra car between the 8 of us!)

Friday morning, I was up at 4am in order to meet a few secondees and Nolan, a local Bardi man who took us out mudcrabbing!!! What an adventure! Broome is one of those places that you definitely need a local to show you all the right spots. Crabbing consists of waiting for the tide to be out, finding a crab hole amongst all the mangroves (which can be somewhat hidden until you know what to look for). Then you check if there is a crab in the hole by poking around with a long metal pole with a hook at the end. If there is a crab hiding, then comes the process of trying to get it out. We used a machete in order to cut the mangrove roots and mud from around the hole to make it bigger and more accessible. Then it’s pretty much a brute-ish job of reaching in and trying to figure out which way the crab is positioned…..no way I was doing this. These things are mad as hell and fighting for their lives with their very strong pinchers! They also dig in the mud with their legs and hold on to the roots to try to prevent you from dragging them out. They really make you work for it. The crabs are pretty huge and heavy (up to 8 lbs), and they are brutal with each other (will kill and eat each other if in contact). Another fun fact – the females have about 1 million little babies!! The Aboriginals don't kill the females (unless they are at the end of their life); in fact we put several back in the water that were female or too small.

The local Aboriginal people (the Bardi in particular) have been mudcrabbing for centuries and have it down to an art. Nolan took all the crabs home to prepare them, and then picked us up for a beach sunset feast later that night after we all somehow slogged through the workday. This was quite a wonderful opportunity to spend some time with an impressive leader whose time is very precious – quite an experience.

Today one of my “Broomies” and I went into town for the markets (nothing too special except for the food) and a stop to walk around on Cable Beach. Then all three of us got take-away fish n chips and some wine, and went to watch the famous “Staircase to the Moon” from the vantage point of the golf course. This only happens during a full moon at low tide, for about 8 months of the year. The full moon rising over the flats reflect a “staircase” looking allusion. I wasn’t sure how impressed I would be, but it was pretty cool. Not to mention someone playing music from their car had the mood just right. They played “Over the Rainbow” by that Hawiian guy with the long name and “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley. For me it was a special quiet moment of reflection on just where I am and how I got here. And maybe even a little of where I want to go.....but that's getting pretty deep for this blog. Til next time :)

He got pulled out of his hole and was pretty damn pissed about it.

Nolan, our guide and pro-crabber.

The "after" shot: yum yum it was worth it!!