"Tour de Trisha" - Part 2 of my US trip (Rice Lake, Chicago and Madison!)

A few months back I posted about the Crandon part of my trip home, and left a large chunk out thinking I would get to it soon. “Soon” is now. Since then, I’ve recently had my dad and stepmom over in Perth visiting, so it’s fitting that my first stop after leaving Crandon (where I grew up) was Rice Lake, WI to visit my dad! 

Rice Lake
I was lucky enough to hitch a ride from Crandon with my grandma and her husband Bill. Actually, I don’t know if it’s “hitching a ride” when you drive their car? When we walked in the door 4 hours later, Brenna and Macy were there waiting for us! (my oldest stepsister and her daughter). Macy had made a picture for me that remained on my Perth refrigerator for awhile.

I got to see all my favourite people from dad’s side – Brenna and Jason, Kristin (my youngest step-sister)….(didn’t get to see Amy this time), Tom and Cathy, Donna and Misty, the Crotteaus, Andy and Kathy. I also got to eat at some of my favourite Rice Lake / northwoods places – Drag’s for pizza, Foxxy’s in Spooner for an awesome prime rib, and special DAD-made venison, biscuits and gravy (yummmm!!!). We also spent a really fun, REALLY hot & humid day 4-wheeling on one of dad’s pieces of land. 

Robin tearing it up on the 4-wheeler

On my last night in Rice Lake, we had a little party at dad’s and it was so great to see everyone and have a few drinks! Not too many though – I had a long 7-hour drive to Chicago the next morning.

Chicago
My dad was awesome enough to lend me an extra car of his…well it’s actually more like a beast. A Lincoln Navigator. Probably the biggest vehicle I have ever driven. But it was great to not have to rent a car for 2 weeks! When I left, I joked “I'll try not to wreck it!” My first glimpse of my favourite city brought a huge smile to my cheeks. I loved spending time in Crandon and Rice Lake, doing outdoorsy things and being a country girl, but I was ready to get back to the city lifestyle. As excited as I was, another strange phenomena happened – the closer I got to Chicago, the more tense I became and the more I started thinking about work. I even dreamt about work the first night. That really says something about my lifestyle for the 6 years I lived there. 

After finally getting to Chicago, I was hungry so I stopped in at Whole Foods since they have free wifi, awesome food, and a bar (I MISS YOU WHOLE FOODS!!) and Kiley wasn’t home yet from yoga (I was staying with Kiley & Winnie in Chicago - thank you!). I just “checked-in” on Facebook, when I hear over the PA “Trisha Hageny to Customer Service” and I double-checked my purse, phones, keys etc and definitely had everything with me. I get to Customer Service and there is my friend Melissa standing there!!! She saw my post on Facebook and paged me….gotta love technology!! After catching up with her, I headed to the apple store with my list of things to buy (cheaper in the US). 

It was time to head to Lakeview to see my awesome friend Kiley!! Kiley has an awesome apartment right on Lake Michigan; unfortunately, the Navigator didn’t exactly make it into the tiny parking garage unscathed. I felt like a teenager again having to call my dad and tell him about the dent. 

The big day was finally here, the day of the Kenny Chesney / Tim McGraw concert at Soldier Field! My aussie friends don’t understand country music, they just don’t have it in Australia. But I love it and I doubt that will ever change. It was a busy day – took Kiley’s Bikram class, went to Melissa’s BBQ, and then headed to meet Kiley at Scout for drinks before the show. What an awesome night! We had a blast on the redline home, making new friends and generally being disgraceful. 

Kiley and me at the Tim/Kenny concert

I was able to catch up with Jeremy at my favourite brunch place (Orange on Clark / Fullerton); we went for a walk around my old neighbourhood which is looking pretty good! Some of the shops that were empty when I left are now in business and I am hopeful that it keeps improving. There is a residential high-rise almost complete that was literally a hole in the ground when I left. Progress. Jeremy dropped me off at Kiley’s and I began the scary process of getting the Navigator out of the garage so I could drive to the burbs to see Wendy, who was scheduled to MOVE AWAY all the way to New Orleans in just a few short days!! Luckily our time overlapped so I was able to see her and her little girl, CiCi. She was barely showing when I left and now here was her cute baby! It’s so weird….and normal…..to have everything keep changing. Even if I moved back to Chicago now, everything will be different. Some of my dearest friends aren’t even living there anymore.

However I do still have some great friends living there, and I spent a week catching up with them, eating at all my favourite places (don’t judge: Chipotle, Orange, Jimmy Johns, Hannah’s Bretzel, Pasta Bowl, random Mexican places) and LOTS of shopping. I went to a concert with Rickie in Millennium Park and then drinks at the terrace of Tavern on the Park, got to have lunch with my new favourite librarian and entertainer Keely, and got to see some of my old co-workers, other professional friends, and ex-boss Jeff at my Happy Hour at the Gage. That night, Kate and I continued on drinking at The Wit and I got home late, rudely waking Kiley up giggling and laughing about her rug (“Feels like I’m walking on cotton balls!!!”). Needless to say, I felt like shit the next day. Perhaps it was the menthol cigarettes I bummed off Kate (I don’t really smoke…..ever). 

Other observations on Chicago: I miss it terribly yet I know my life is better now, away from that lifestyle of constant travel and constant work. Some things have changed (new buildings, people moving away) and some have stayed the same. I still had a black guy compliment my booty walking down the street. I saw a homeless guy with an iPhone. It's weird seeing so many homeless people again, you just don’t see it much in Australia. I guess I was used to it before, which makes me sad. Who knows if I will ever end up back in Chicago, sometimes I think yes and sometimes I think no. Either way, I can’t wait for my next visit in December, and Chris will be with me!! During the last trip almost a year ago, Chris and I had only went on 2 dates and were getting to know each other through Face Book messages. Oh how things have changed!

One of many glorious streets in Chicago

Madison
The final leg of “Tour de Trisha” was to stop by in Madison – the capital of Wisconsin and home of the University of Wisconsin (where I went to college, got my first professional(ish) job, #38 on the best universities in the world index, one of ESPN’s best college sports towns, one of the most highly educated cities in America, and one of the most liveable cities in the country). It’s not a bad place! 

After getting a meeting with my financial planner out of the way, I could move onto more fun things. I gave myself a tour of this city that holds more memories than I can count, not all of them good. I drove all around campus, saw Grainger Hall (the business school where I spent so many hours studying), Sellery Hall (the dorm where Tricia and I lived for 2 years), the band practice field (where I spent many hours marching holes in the ground and now has artificial turf!), Camp Randall, the Capitol Building, Monona Terrace, the first house I bought, where I first worked. A lot of things happened to me in Madison, and I can’t believe that it’s now been over 8 years since I moved away. 

That night, I had organised a group to go to the Madison Mallards game in the duck blind and had a great time (how can one go wrong with all you can drink and eat for $33?). These are some of my great friends from college (and band!) who were smart enough to stay in Madison – why change perfection? The only disturbing part of the night was the after-game entertainment – and this says something about Madison – was Midget Wrestling. Just wrong.  You have to see it to believe it.

Some of the crew at the Madison Mallard's game
(minus Abby and Molly!)

After some shopping the next day, I met a group down at the Union Terrace for beers and sun – one of the best things about Madison (and the University). It makes me sad that Australians don’t get to experience college the way Americans do. I will definitely push my kids to go to college in the US (……Madison!?!?!). We had a fun afternoon, finishing up with burgers at the Gritty, drinks at the Old Sugar Distillery, and a walk around the Capitol Building. Thanks to my friends Janie and Starz, who always have “room at the inn” for me (we all love Chez Starz!). I can’t wait to visit again in a few short months, this time in winter!

The Terrace

State capital of Wisconsin

I can’t say enough about my entire trip home. I also can’t believe how much I fit into 4 weeks. After finally getting back to Australia, I was exhausted from all my travels!

The apple doesn't fall far - first family visit to Perth

My dad and Robin were just here! I was so excited for my first visitors to Perth in over 2 years. I had only been living with Chris for about 7 weeks but he graciously wanted them to stay with us. I was nervous and excited for them all to meet. Chris wasn’t even nervous; of course, he didn’t know the stories about how all the boys in Crandon used to be scared of “Big Mike”. He also didn’t know that my dad hasn’t met anyone I’ve dated for a really REALLY long time. I’m not saying I’ve purposely kept my boyfriends away (yes I am)…..but he only gets to meet the important ones. He usually asks me “are you seeing anyone?” and then “should I meet this one?”. I usually say….nahhhh and then we laugh at my bachelorette antics. This time I said “you should meet this one” and he booked a ticket to Australia! If only I’d have known earlier that’s all it took, I would have just made up a boyfriend that I conveniently broke up with by the time he got here!

They arrived on Good Friday, and luckily I was able to take the entire 2 weeks off to spend with them. Chris and I met them at their gate with my Welcome sign and of course I started tearing up a little when I saw my dad! He said, “You really have to want to see someone to come this far!” They were pretty tired; but after a little rest, shower, and tour of Chris’ house, we were off for a little walk to a scenic outlook at Reabold Hill and then dinner at Clancy’s Fish Bar at City Beach so they could see what I had to “put up with” living here. I told them I wouldn’t allow them to sleep until at least 8pm, and that they would thank me for it later.

The two weeks were filled with fun things such as a river cruise up the Swan from Freo to Perth, Easter up in Kalamunda at Chris’ auntie’s beautiful home in the hills, seeing the koalas up in Yanchep, a day at Cottesloe Beach, several dinners with Chris’ parents, a bus tour of Perth, lunch in the Swan Valley (a wine region), Burswood, shopping, sailing from the Royal Perth Yacht Club with my friend Anna, out to dinner a few nights in Fremantle, and a trip down to Margaret River for a few days. Plus we spent a lot of time just visiting and talking. We fit a lot in over 2 weeks!

Out for a sail on the Swan - dad and Robin's first time sailing

Yallingup coastline

I’m happy to report that by the end of the trip (well even the end of the first day) my dad was pretty impressed with Chris. I think dad might like him more than me! (well maybe not that much). But things really could not have gone better. Our families got along well, they really liked Chris, and they really liked Perth. My dad has been to the east coast before but he said he liked it over here more, it’s more his style. I think he’s beginning to understand why I am here. It was also great for Chris to meet my dad, who I am so much like it's not even funny. Mission accomplished!

P.S. After they left, I finally found out that my Permanent Residency was approved!!

My long-awaited trip to USA (the Crandon part) - July 2012

I’ve been thinking a lot about home lately. It’s probably because I’m starting to plan and look at flights for my next trip back (November/December). It’s only been 6 months since I was home, but by the time I get there it will have been a year and a half. But I can’t believe it has already been 6 months and I still haven’t written about it!

After a LONG trip (Perth – Sydney – Dallas – Chicago), Mom and Nick picked me up at O’Hare with a big “Welcome Home Trisha” sign! I saw them first before they saw me. We headed straight out for Crandon (about a 5 hour drive with no traffic), and stopped at the “halfway” point of Manitowoc, WI at an Applebee’s. I really didn’t care where we ate, and you can’t get much more “American” than an Applebee’s I suppose! (Actually, my first meal back in the USA was at a rib joint in DFW airport (my brother in law Craig would be proud-ish)).

The sign my mom and Nick held up at the airport - a nice welcome home!!

We pulled into my home-sweet-home of Crandon, WI at 2am, making my round trip about 35 hours – not too shabby. Of course then I was wide awake and didn’t sleep until 5am. And so begins the hard 3 days of trying to get your body into a new sleep schedule which is exactly opposite to what you’re accustomed (there is a 13-14 hour time difference with Perth depending on the time of year). To spend some active time together, and I think a ploy to keep me awake, Nick, mom, and I played 9 holes at Nicolet (where I spent a summer being a beer girl!). I was still up until 5am that second night as well, but I knew it was just a matter of time before I got straightened out (usually right before coming back and having to adjust all over again)!

I spent the entire first week in Crandon, basically spending time with family and friends, hanging out on the lake on the boat, and of course EATING all my favorite food! This was a theme that ran through the entire month.

 

Lake Metonga, Crandon, Wisconsin

The Fourth of July period is probably my favourite time of year in Crandon – I always made the trip home from Chicago. Terry and Sue have a really cool party at their house on Metonga and shoot off a bunch of fireworks over the lake. Then of course there are the “festivities” on Main Street of Crandon. It’s hard to explain to people not from a small town (Crandon is population 2,000). There’s a parade, and everyone from town lines the street to watch, have a few cocktails (our group takes turns bringing bloody mary’s, and Nick and I just this year switched to margaritas), and the kids try to snatch up all the candy from the floats. There’s a street closed down where they set up a big beer tent, and there are activities for the kids AND adults all morning (a 5K, bed races, a dunk tank, crowning the “Queen” of Crandon, etc.) After the parade, we usually float around on the lake drinking and eating snacks. Then at night there’s a live band in the tent and then the best firework show around at Palmer Park (in my opinion Crandon does better fireworks than just about anywhere!). I absolutely love it. I am Crandon down to my very core. (This usually surprises people since I left when I was 18 and have never lived there since – but it’s more complicated than that. No place will ever be as “home” to me as Crandon).

Main Street in Crandon getting ready for the parade
(still early! the streets will be full very soon!)

I really enjoyed hanging out with friends and family. And just to make Australians jealous – one night I ordered a round of drinks in a bar (of which we have plenty in Crandon - it’s mostly bars and churches). One Bacardi & Coke, one vodka and cranberry, and one Miller Lite (3 drinks)…..for $8!!!!

I was having a great time in Crandon, but I had SO much more to do and people to see! So off I went on a 2 week trip to my dad’s, then Chicago (where I got my MBA and lived/worked for 7 years), then Madison (where I went to undergrad, played in the marching band, and lived for 7 years), before finally coming back to Crandon for my last week. My other destinations deserve another blog – or is it that Crandon really deserves its own? – so I will write a separate one for them.

The hardest part for me when in Crandon is that I get confused about who I want to be. This is part of who I am, WHY I am the way I am, and this is without a doubt, “home.” I want to do the picnics on the lake, take the kids camping or skiing, have Holidays in the snow, and bring my kids to “Gramma Bobbi and Papa Nick’s” for the day. I want to do things like be in golf league (more likely volleyball or softball since I suck at golf!), get involved with the community or the school. I want all those things now. I didn’t understand why I had to be so different than my friends and NOT want them before, but I want them now. But then when I'm in Chicago or now my life in Perth, and that fits too. It’s also part of my life to go to things like the symphony, travel all over the world (for fun and for work), go to networking events and live a “corporate” life. I still like that stuff and better yet, I’m good at it. How I’m going to be able to bring those two things together, I have no idea. Does anyone have it figured out though?

Anyway, back to Crandon. After an exhausting trip all over Wisconsin and Chicago to see fun people and do fun things, I came back to Crandon for my final week. The BEST part of the last week was that my sister (Tracey), her hubbie (Craig) and my two adorable nephews (Grant (3) and Jackson (1)) flew up from Dallas!! As soon as I arrived, Grant ran out to see me and give me a hug. Now, I hadn’t seen Grant for about 18 months and I knew he didn’t really remember me, and that Tracey and Craig probably bribed him out to hug me. But it was still adorable. And for the first time, I met my 2nd nephew and Godson, Jackson. It makes me sad that I’m not around them more, but let’s face the truth, with me in Chicago and them in Dallas, it wouldn’t be that different. Now I can be the “cool Auntie who lives in Australia”. Within 15 minutes of arriving home, I was already camped inside the “Thomas the Tank” tent with Grant and I had a friend for life (or at least for the next week). We even had some family photos taken while we were all home since it’s a pretty rare occurrence.

The rest of the week I spent some time on the boat, watched the waterski show (I think this must be a Midwestern thing), threw some horseshoes with Nick in his league, ate lots of food and drank lots of beer. I saw several really good friends, and we also took Grant to see “Brave” in 3D (the closest movie theatre is 30 miles away!). He looked SO CUTE in his 3D glasses! My dad and Robin also came over from Rice Lake so they could spend some time with the boys and also with me. I went up to my Gram’s nearly every day for coffee in the morning, it just kind of was “our thing” (plus my mom’s coffee machine sucks since neither of them drink it). And my mom made Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixin’s because I wouldn’t be there for actual Turkey Day!! She’s a sweetheart :)

The day Tracey and Craig left (a few days before I was to leave) was one of the worst goodbyes EVER. I didn’t cry when I left for Australia because I was too excited (even saying goodbye to mom, dad, or anyone else). It was really hard to see them drive away. Mom, Grandma, and I all stood outside and cried. I just kept thinking that Jackson would be Grant’s age the next time I saw them, and I would have missed a whole bunch of stuff. So, I made myself really busy to get over it – I got mom and new laptop and set her all up, helped her with Facebook and Skype, and did the same for my Grandma. Everyone is now on Skype!

One of my last missions before I left was to return my dad’s car to him. He generously lent me his Navigator for my time home so I didn’t have to rent a car (more on this later….I didn’t return it in exactly the same condition). My friend Joanne followed me to meet him and my stepmom Robin halfway between Crandon and Rice Lake, where we all had dinner and then came the time to say another hard goodbye. Leaving my dad was difficult, and I was crying in the car with Joanne on the way back. She gave me a few minutes but then was like “get it together girl!” We got Long Island Iced Teas at Boondock’s on the way home and that made it all….well, fuzzy, if not better.

My last day in Crandon, my grandma made venison, biscuits and gravy for breakfast. My grandma is an excellent cook. This would be my last meal on earth if I had a choice. Then later that night, mom and Nick made me sweet corn and burgers on the grill. Let’s just say that I came back heavier than when I left. Why oh why must I love food so much. We REALLY know how to enjoy our food and beverage in Sconnie!

My mom and Nick drove me all the way back to Chicago for my flight. (I can’t thank them enough). The goodbyes are much harder this time, I think because it isn’t as exciting as it was the first time, and now I know I’m not moving back anytime soon. My flight in Chicago was delayed, and I ended up missing my flight to Brisbane….which left me stranded overnight in…..DALLAS! Where my sister lives!! Craig so kindly picked me up at the airport with very little notice, my sister gave me PJs, and the next day I awoke to the sounds of two little boys laughing, playing and generally bothering their daddy. We spent the hot day playing in the pool and it was really fun. For some reason it made it easier to leave – I had already disconnected from Crandon so the hardest part was over. Then I flew from Dallas to Brisbane to Sydney to Perth (this is a terrible leg that Qantas is running but it’s cheapest). A million hours later when I finally got in the taxi line at Perth airport, there was Julia Gillard (the Prime Minister) on the TV. I’m NOT JOKING, she was talking about the exact same thing as when I left almost 5 weeks prior (the topic was boat people and immigration). And then I truly realised I was back in Australia – and to be honest, I was ready to be back.

I’ve had tons of adventures since my time at home, with going to Broome and then the whole thing in South Africa. And a new person in my life is making it even better – in fact, we are already planning that he will come to the US with me at the end of the year. Exciting times ahead! Hopefully soon I will get around to writing about my time in Rice Lake with my dad, Chicago, and Madison. Those were also adventures in their own right!!

Here’s a link to my album of pictures: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151991544960430.888956.674480429&type=3&l=7d8b194703

 

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