South Africa: The Final Chapter - Saved the Best for Last

Talk about a strong finish in South Africa. When I last wrote, I still had some time left on the project and couldn’t wait for it to be over and to have some fun travels. During the last week of the project, Lady Gaga came to Joburg and rented out the entire Westcliff Hotel – meaning I was homeless once again (for the 3rd time in 6 weeks!). Instead of being put into yet another hotel, one of my wonderful Joburg co-workers offered up her granny flat. It was a great relief and a nice treat to stay in someone’s home, and play with the cute 4 year old twins and the cute dogs, and yes even have some home-cooked meals. I am very grateful to Angela and her husband for taking me in, and living a more “normal” life in Joburg even made it grow on me a little!

The day the project ended was a relief – and also the Lady Gaga concert! I managed to score a ticket and a ride to with a co-worker - had a blast just dancing the night away, and it made up for me missing her when she came to Australia (I went to the US). Running on 3 hours of sleep after quite a hectic 6 weeks, I got up early the next morning for my safari tour to Kruger National Park which is about 5 hours away from Joburg. Kruger is an amazing place and group I was with was quite small – the ranger and 2 English blokes from Manchester. We stayed within the Kruger gates in a permanent camp (so like tents but more sturdy construction) and basically drove around in the safari truck all day. I saw quite an array of animals – all of the Big 5 except for lions. We even saw leopards which are much rarer to see than lions so I consider myself lucky! I have waaaaaay too many pictures, so you can look at my photos on my facebook album if you’d like: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152251070875430.931862.674480429&type=3&l=df7ebfb621

When I returned to Joburg, I had a few days to sort myself out before Chris arrived, and had another day back at work as well. Friday morning at 5am Chris’ flight arrived from Australia and I was at the airport to meet him! Unfortunately I didn’t see him when he came out so he snuck up on me while I was waiting. I feel bad that it wasn’t the perfect greeting but I was so happy he was finally there! He didn’t understand why I was so nervous about getting out of the airport safely until I told him the story about the girl I just met. She told me to be careful going to the airport because the last time she was there she got car-jacked at gunpoint and almost raped – she jumped from the moving vehicle to avoid it. Anyway I finally relaxed when we got back to Angie’s. I just have so many scary stories about Joburg that it's hard for anyone that hasn't been there to understand. After giving Chris a bit of a rest (he flew overnight), I took him on a little tour of the CBD, where I worked, where I had stayed, and we had a drink at the Westcliff as well. That was all he needed to see of Joburg. We had a nice dinner out and then I was happy as a clam to leave the next morning to head on our safari in Pilanesburg National Park.

Pilanesburg is about 3 hours drive, however we took a few scenic routes (aka wrong turns) and had an interesting journey through the mining towns but a lot of fun along the way! I also made Chris listen to my newly-created “Crandon” playlist which includes a fair bit of country music. I think I’m converting him. Pilanesburg was awesome - Chris got to go on his first game drives and we saw lots of great animals. We also had a few run-ins with angry bull elephants, one that came within 3 feet of our truck (even though the ranger is not supposed to let it get that close!). The ranger said DON’T MOVE and I don’t think I’ve ever been that still….my heart was pounding! (An elephant could easily roll a truck).

Elephants in Pilanesburg

We only stayed 2 nights in Pilanesburg, then drove back and went directly to the airport for our flight. We flew to George, which is a city along the Garden Route (along the southern coast of Africa, sort of like the Great Ocean Road in Australia). We picked up our rental car and checked into an awesome hotel in Herold’s Bay which is one of the most beautiful little cliffside towns I have ever seen. I completely fell in love with it even though we were only there for a day.

Herold's Bay, South Africa

The next morning we set out for a leisurely-paced drive from Herold’s Bay to Cape Town. Driving straight there would take about 5 hours, but we took some scenic routes, stopped along the way for lunch, and also took a detour so we could see and stand on the southern-most point of the African continent – pretty cool!

Cape Agulhas - the southern-most point of the continent of Africa

We drove into Cape Town in the dark so we awoke to quite a surprising sight in the morning at our gorgeous hotel overlooking the ocean. Cape Town is incredibly beautiful, set amongst Table Mountain where the cliffs meet right up with the beautiful beaches. Over the next 5 days, we ate and drank amazing cheap meals (SA is so cheap compared to Australia!), took the cable car up Table Mountain, did a city tour, went out to Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was a political prisoner during Apartheid), drove to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point (most south-westerly point of Africa), and just generally relaxed. I really needed that week before heading back to work – I don’t think I would have been in a very good headspace had I just gone immediately back. And Cape Town was absolutely amazing – one of my top destinations I have ever been in the world.

The last week of travelling – and Cape Town in particular – saved South Africa for me. I would without a doubt recommend going to South Africa to anyone, just stay away from Johannesburg if at all possible other than flying in and immediately leaving for Kruger, Cape Town, or other fun things. I know I would have still enjoyed my time travelling on my own, but having Chris there also made everything that much better (awwww!)

Chris and I at Cape Point

Cape of Good Hope

Outside of Cape Town on the way to Cape Point

The light at the end of the Joburg Tunnel

The last few weeks have really been a blur. Not because I’ve been having so much fun; rather the kind of blurry-eyed non-awareness that happens when you work 12-16 hour days and then crawl into bed and then get up and do it again and again and again. But as I am fast-approaching the end of this project (Friday!!), I can look back now that I have a little more time to reflect on things. In fact, I’m hoping with (much) more time I can look back on my time in Johannesburg and on this project with more (than zero) positivity than I feel right now. That’s usually how it goes in life – you end up learning the most from the bad experiences.

There have been some good times! I did manage to go out to dinner with people a few nights, and one Friday night we even went out dancing to live music. This live music club happened to be in a mall. You heard me, a mall. I went dancing in a mall. South African life seems to revolve around malls. They are safe and controllable and people feel more secure. It was great to hear live music though (even if all covers) – the only other live music I’ve heard was during the client’s end of year party. That was actually a lot of fun. I was having a terrible day, and went with 2 others to the cafeteria for a quick lunch - we have to eat everyday in the company-provided cafeteria because it’s not safe to walk down the block in complete daylight. Yes, it is nice that lunch is free but you do get sick of the same food for 6 weeks! Anyway, we walk into a complete off-the-hook Hawaiian-theme party with an awesome live Jamaican band and everyone dancing! Even though Hawaii and Jamaica aren’t the same thing, my mood changed in an instant. This is one of the many reasons why I love music. There's not too many things that have that power over me.

 

I also went on a tour of Soweto with several other KPMGers. This was a great, eye-opening experience – a must-do for anyone coming to Joburg. It was one of the highlights of the trip so far – it feels weird to talk about a “highlight” when what we saw was so heartbreaking in some parts. But sometimes it was also funny (trying their homemade milk-beer), sometimes empowering (Nelson Mandela’s house), sometimes sad (Hector Pieterson museum and learning about the Soweto Uprising), sometimes a bit scary even with a guide (white people walking into a bar full of black drunken Sowetan men and being grabbed and heckled).

 

Beyond that, the other educational thing I’ve done in the last few weeks was going underground at an operational platinum mine. This was for work to understand the client environment, but just as much for my amazement / amusement. I was very lucky to be invited along and was the only person from my team (even if it meant a day of lost time that I had to make up over the weekend). I was the only female – as we all know, mining is still a male-dominated, and some might say, sexist field. It was all in good fun, but I was straddled in between the legs of a man in the people-carrier (which you ride in down into the shaft), and separately was also offered assistance with my shower, and teased about getting muddy. It’s all just funny and I don’t take offense to those guys. They all also made sure I was ok and checked on me at various times and were quite chivalrous (being miles beneath the earth can be a scary experience). On a different note, I have been severely insulted as a woman on this engagement over and over, but that was not any of these guys. I know the difference between good-natured teasing and when I am being belittled in business and in a job I am clearly VERY good at. There are some very sexist men in South Africa and I’m not sure I’m ready to fully reflect on this issue yet. I’m not making a blanket statement, just telling you what I have blatantly experienced. Sometimes it’s clear that it is just “the luck of the draw” where a person is born.

 

Another awesome thing was that I got flowers. For no reason at all. I went on and on to all my co-workers (“did I mention my flowers?”) and they are all pretty sick of hearing about Chris. THEN what happens? My birthday comes along and I get more flowers!!! Which I have set up in our workspace so everyone can enjoy them. And more of the same, “have you seen my flowers?” Chris, I’m supposed to tell you that you’re making all the men look bad and all the women a bit jealous!

 

I have just moved out of the hotel (yet again, sigh) but this time I’ve moved into a co-workers granny flat which is so nice. I’ll be here until Chris arrives (only a week now!). I don’t think I’ll write again until after my wonderful travels are over, and I’m sure I’ll have lots of fun things to share and I’ll sound and feel more like myself. For now, I’ll share what’s on my mind of what I will and won’t miss about Jo’burg.

 

Won’t miss:

• The Africaans accent, how they say “yah” or “eh” at the end of everything – I don’t know why, the accent just never grew on me (no offense anyone….I don’t like New Jersey accents either). I love listening to Zulu though!
• The issues of Apartheid, it doesn’t matter that it ended in (only) 1994. It’s still very awkward for me to understand how and why. I don’t pretend to understand it. They have a long way to go.
• The weird feeling of having all black labourers. Most of the white people have black help in their homes. To me, it feels weird to have people “waiting” on you…..I’m not saying I wouldn’t do it, and I know that my friends’ employees are relatively well-paid and feed their entire families on this income, and their medical is all paid for. It’s unfair for someone coming in, who doesn’t understand everything, to make any comments on this.…..I don’t know, it’s just a hard issue and I grapple with it constantly while I’m here. So I’m looking forward to getting away from my “grappling” I guess
• My constant concern for my safety and a constant heightened awareness (whether it is warranted or pounded into me by everyone else, I’m not sure). There are seemingly endless stories of muggings, car jackings, “smash and grabs”, rapes. Last week we were informed that one of our co-workers got accosted in her car on her way home (luckily she got away). Generally the rule is, no cell phones or your purse on the seat next to you - always put everything in the trunk of the car so people don’t try to get into your car at stop lights. Most people just run stop-lights at night.

Will miss:

• The cats at the zoo meowing at night, I could hear them from my hotel
• South Africans call traffic lights “robots” – I mean, that’s just funny
• Biltong – like beef jerky but a million times better
• Braai – a South African barbeque
• Rusk – sort of like bready, crisp, granola biscuit; great for breakfast
• The service – slow compared to US, but gold-standard compared to Perth
• I will miss seeing black people – come on Perth! Where are all the black people? It will be strange to go back to Perth and only see mostly white faces. Not to generalise, but I miss their “energy”
• I will miss a few of the people I’ve met (notice how I didn’t say “all” haha). A few of the UK guys and SA girls have been pretty cool. And I’ll miss spending time with my favourite Russian-American in the whole wide world!

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?)