It is just after 7 am, and I am once again at sister’s work, outsider her office, at a makeshift desk. I should get paid for all the hours I put in here! I am meeting my accompanist at 9:15, and I have a meeting with the opera company at 10:00, so this was the best way to do things today. Unfortunately, I have not idea at all how to find the accompanist or the State Theatre where the opera rehearses. Sis just called out from her office that a drive her been ordered to take me to the State Theatre at 9:30 – eek, conflicts! I am not sure how to do the timing…
Yesterday I sang in the first round of the competition, and it went extremely well. Not much else happened yesterday – Wendy’s couches got picked up to be recovered, and we went out for Thai after-singing celebration dinner. Not too many adventures, and we will have to make up for that…
Another comment I forgot to mention from Monday’s competitor meeting: The organizers mentioned that there was a doctor if needed and that consultation would be 170Rand, bla bla. One singer’s hand shot up, and she called out that if WE were expected to pay for the Ear Nose and Throat doctor THEY should turn down the air conditioning in the hall. Some singers are just obnoxious.
That night was the opening ceremonies. There were speeches and we were introduced by country, and a local chamber ensemble performed for 30 minutes. Poor local chamber ensemble, they looked so nervous, singing in front of a group of jet-lagged, tired, judging singers.
Afterwards was a reception for the singers and the judges and for members of the diplomatic community. There was no one there officially from the Canadian High Comission, but we met a diplomat from Mexico, and other interesting people. There was one guy – an orthodox chazzan – who had seen my webpage and my Jewish CD online, and who had decided to crash the opening party (he had, apparently, found someone he knew from the Jewish community and begged her to sneak him in with her) so that he could meet me. (!)
I am sure there will be more adventures soon. All of sis’ co-workers keep stopping by to suggest fun things for us to do – Pretoria is apparently really boring compared to the rest of Africa…
***
MORE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT AFRICA:
LUBOLO – Lubolo is a custom in the black African tribes, and is like a bride price, but backwards. It is set by the mother and father of the wife-to-be, and is paid for either by the the husband-to-be, or by his parents. The amount depends on how much the bride’s parents like the groom, and by the economic levels of the families. Lubolo has to be paid before the marriage can take place, and there is some kind of ceremony around the exchange of Lubolo.
For example, we met one lady whose daughter wants to get married. She does not like the man she picked, as he does not have a job and does not have many prospects. Instead of forbidding the wedding, she set the Lubolo so high that she hoped he would be unable to pay it. This lady suspects that the man will come to her and bargain about the Lubolo amount, to make it affordable to him. So daughters are a bonus in the culture here, and not a liability. How sweet is THAT?!
NEWSPAPERS – I have mentioned before how they have British-style headlines: (Injured victim kills Robber! Fear Factor Injury!). Newspapers are sold in shoppes but they are also sold by young men on street corners. Since there are daily papers in Zulu, Afrikanaas, and English, finding the correct paper can be a challenge. The annoying thing about buying things on the street corners here is that instead of giving change the vendors beg for more money. For their family, for a cold drink,etc. Which is fine. However, it is not a simple thing to buy a paper, and if one wants change back I imagine one would have to be very forceful. Some headlines from today’s paper: Fear Factor Fury Grows, Prisoners Flee Open Doors (Police were alerted to the escape when witnesses told them the suspects were running away).
FROGS – On the drive home last night we found two different frogs on the road in front of Wendy’s house. Of course when we saw them I shrieked and we had to stop and collect them. The first one was huge and green and dry, the second one was smaller (still pretty big though), brown, and SO slimy. I brought them inside the housed and posed with them, and caught the toad (who had escaped) and then let them go in the yard. I guess this is not something I learned about SA, but it is still interesting. And frog/toad slime doesn’t wash off easily.
BUGS – Though it does not always feel it, I guess it is a sub-tropical climate here, and that means there are buggies. If you drop a piece of carrot on the floor, for example, and then leave the room to let out the dog, upon your return the carrot would be covered with tiny black ants, with a trail of eager ants hurrying to the slice. Also inside sister’s very clean house we have been visited by: mosquito, red ants, other black ants, gecko, moth, grasshopper, beetles, and, or course (by invitation) frogs. I have seen cockroaches, flying ants, and many little bugs I have no name for. There are not swarms, but if I were an authority on bugs I would be simply writhing with excitement.
THE ARTS – Around 9 years ago, the government abruptly halted support to government-funded arts organizations. Overnight, ballerinas, singers, instrumenta musicians, conductors, etc. were on the street with no job and no money. Now in Africa any arts organizations (with a few exceptions) are privately funded, and to receive any government support there has to be 1- a good number of non-afrikanaas africans, and 2- strong African content.
Okay, that is all for now, time to meet sis for lunch
Yesterday I sang in the first round of the competition, and it went extremely well. Not much else happened yesterday – Wendy’s couches got picked up to be recovered, and we went out for Thai after-singing celebration dinner. Not too many adventures, and we will have to make up for that…
Another comment I forgot to mention from Monday’s competitor meeting: The organizers mentioned that there was a doctor if needed and that consultation would be 170Rand, bla bla. One singer’s hand shot up, and she called out that if WE were expected to pay for the Ear Nose and Throat doctor THEY should turn down the air conditioning in the hall. Some singers are just obnoxious.
That night was the opening ceremonies. There were speeches and we were introduced by country, and a local chamber ensemble performed for 30 minutes. Poor local chamber ensemble, they looked so nervous, singing in front of a group of jet-lagged, tired, judging singers.
Afterwards was a reception for the singers and the judges and for members of the diplomatic community. There was no one there officially from the Canadian High Comission, but we met a diplomat from Mexico, and other interesting people. There was one guy – an orthodox chazzan – who had seen my webpage and my Jewish CD online, and who had decided to crash the opening party (he had, apparently, found someone he knew from the Jewish community and begged her to sneak him in with her) so that he could meet me. (!)
I am sure there will be more adventures soon. All of sis’ co-workers keep stopping by to suggest fun things for us to do – Pretoria is apparently really boring compared to the rest of Africa…
***
MORE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT AFRICA:
LUBOLO – Lubolo is a custom in the black African tribes, and is like a bride price, but backwards. It is set by the mother and father of the wife-to-be, and is paid for either by the the husband-to-be, or by his parents. The amount depends on how much the bride’s parents like the groom, and by the economic levels of the families. Lubolo has to be paid before the marriage can take place, and there is some kind of ceremony around the exchange of Lubolo.
For example, we met one lady whose daughter wants to get married. She does not like the man she picked, as he does not have a job and does not have many prospects. Instead of forbidding the wedding, she set the Lubolo so high that she hoped he would be unable to pay it. This lady suspects that the man will come to her and bargain about the Lubolo amount, to make it affordable to him. So daughters are a bonus in the culture here, and not a liability. How sweet is THAT?!
NEWSPAPERS – I have mentioned before how they have British-style headlines: (Injured victim kills Robber! Fear Factor Injury!). Newspapers are sold in shoppes but they are also sold by young men on street corners. Since there are daily papers in Zulu, Afrikanaas, and English, finding the correct paper can be a challenge. The annoying thing about buying things on the street corners here is that instead of giving change the vendors beg for more money. For their family, for a cold drink,etc. Which is fine. However, it is not a simple thing to buy a paper, and if one wants change back I imagine one would have to be very forceful. Some headlines from today’s paper: Fear Factor Fury Grows, Prisoners Flee Open Doors (Police were alerted to the escape when witnesses told them the suspects were running away).
FROGS – On the drive home last night we found two different frogs on the road in front of Wendy’s house. Of course when we saw them I shrieked and we had to stop and collect them. The first one was huge and green and dry, the second one was smaller (still pretty big though), brown, and SO slimy. I brought them inside the housed and posed with them, and caught the toad (who had escaped) and then let them go in the yard. I guess this is not something I learned about SA, but it is still interesting. And frog/toad slime doesn’t wash off easily.
BUGS – Though it does not always feel it, I guess it is a sub-tropical climate here, and that means there are buggies. If you drop a piece of carrot on the floor, for example, and then leave the room to let out the dog, upon your return the carrot would be covered with tiny black ants, with a trail of eager ants hurrying to the slice. Also inside sister’s very clean house we have been visited by: mosquito, red ants, other black ants, gecko, moth, grasshopper, beetles, and, or course (by invitation) frogs. I have seen cockroaches, flying ants, and many little bugs I have no name for. There are not swarms, but if I were an authority on bugs I would be simply writhing with excitement.
THE ARTS – Around 9 years ago, the government abruptly halted support to government-funded arts organizations. Overnight, ballerinas, singers, instrumenta musicians, conductors, etc. were on the street with no job and no money. Now in Africa any arts organizations (with a few exceptions) are privately funded, and to receive any government support there has to be 1- a good number of non-afrikanaas africans, and 2- strong African content.
Okay, that is all for now, time to meet sis for lunch
posted by Melamondiale @ 2:36 AM
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