Day 13: Rainbow Nation

No one talks the same here. I think that the existence of a “South African” accent is a myth. It is all at once fascinating and confusing. The accents are all mangled British/misc European + misc African + Afrikaner/Norwegian, oh and some Indian just to make it interesting. I’m so conscious of my accent because once you leave the apartment building, there are no Americans anywhere. I try not to sound obnoxiously American and so I’ll slip in words that British and Australian I’ve picked up from my British and Aussie friends, but then I just seem weirder because I’m an apparently Dutch looking girl (I got asked if I was from Holland today), saying British things in my American accent. For example, I told a lady in my office the other day, “I’ll try phoning him on his mobile.” And she was like, “Mobile? You don’t say cell?” And I was kind of like, “Um, well I do usually….. I don’t know.” While thinking “I just wanted to talk like how I thought you spoke!” Hello Rainbow Nation!

Anyway, work has been hectic and excellent this week. Its only been a week and a half and I already have learned so much from these ladies at my office. They are geniuses, efficient, leaders in their field, have families, and I just generally want to be them.

Tuesday is a particularly eventful day for me. I roll into the office and immediately roll back out with one of the consultants, Dena, to an evaluation planning meeting at a nearby office. We are going to evaluate a documentary series aimed at raising awareness, but more so moving people to action, called Why Poverty. We go to this cool neighborhood to this cool office where we are greeted by a man with a very impressive eyebrow. Then we meet all the cool people that work there and sit around the meeting room table which has snacks on it, including an bowl of very amazing jelly beans. After eating several and deciding I really like the purple ones, I pass the bowl off to get it away from me, but it quickly gets passed around the table and right back in front of me. I go to pour myself a glass of water and accidently pour myself sparkling water, which I hate, but make myself drink it and decide I can handle it in conjunction with these great jelly beans. I also toss back a croissant or two while a stimulating presentation and discussion are taking place.

Anyway, enough of the minute details, let me tell you about the Why Poverty evaluation because I am thrilled to be working on it (if it doesn’t kill me)! So Why Poverty is a huge global thing, broadcast all over the world. In the US, for example, PBS picked it up and the NY Times did some pieces on it, etc. Two of the most well endowed foundations in the world out of the US are funding this evaluation. So our job is to figure out what the actual impact of the Why Poverty is – through data collected from broadcasters, social media, emails, case studies, interviews, and so on. What was the reach? Did people’s beliefs and behaviors change as a result? Have there been any policy changes as a result? Things like that. So huge project, huge scope. Here we go!

Upon arriving back at the office after the WP meeting, we have a team meeting. It is a lot of fast talking in the various office accents and a lot of things go on that I’m pretty sure neither I nor the other intern understood. And anyway, long story short, I am juggling a lot of pieces of projects right now. And I am learning a LOT. Perfect way to spend a final field internship, right? Man, what a great opportunity. I’m very thankful.

A bunch of friends are going up Lion’s Head after work. I work late so I miss the group, but Cailey and Sivert catch a cab with me and we head up the mountain. It is much easier the second time around, and as pleasant as ever. The sunset isn’t as dramatic this time so we stay on top for the whole thing. I meet some South African dudes and as the sun dips below the horizon, I tell them I better get going. They’re like, “Nah, look,” and point at the moon. Its pretty big but I don’t want to scramble down the sheer rock face parts by moonlight and we take off. Luckily we clear the hairy parts before the light is totally gone and the moonlit walk is quite pleasant. The city is beautiful all lit up at night.

Tonight, after working late again, I made a pot of cabbage. Everyone is like, “Why did you make a pot of cabbage?” Well, its because I hate cooking and its easy… and I just can’t cook. I have like a cooking block. I need my George Foreman grill. If it wasn’t for Cailey feeding me vegetable soup she made and assorted free food at work meetings, I probably would’ve starved to death earlier in the week. But so after having some cabbage and peanut butter (I need protein), I went with Alison and Sivert to the bar on the corner: Characters. I love Characters. Its pretty nice looking, but totally casual. There’s a lot of pink neon light going on. The best part is the drink prices. They have a HUGE cocktail menu, its like a binder, and everything is like R 20. Alison and I have been enjoying the peach martinis for R 20, made fresh from the peaches in season. As I’m perusing the menu tonight, I notice a certain “mystery teapot cocktail” or “secret recipe teapot cocktail” or something, for R 25. I’m curious and buy one. Everybody gets a little teacup and the waitress pours our the mystery cocktail into the teacups. We toast and try it out (well Sivert jumped the gun and tried it before the toast, but anyway..). It tastes like straight Jolly Rancher juice with a horrific aftertaste; sugar, sugar, sugar. Later, I ask the waitress what this (nasty) mystery juice is, and of course she replies, “I can’t tell you, it’s a secret.” Ok fine, curiosity satisfied.