Mid-trip

Thursday 20 September 2007

Another day in town…it turned out to be quite productive! We went to Tatenda’s house to do an interview there. The houses here are so interesting. This is called the high density area, and it is filled with people! Houses are small brick and cement structures, most with brick and cement walls enclosing the small space around them. So what you end up with is a grid-like system of boxes and a lot of cement! People in the U.S. might consider these slum areas, although here, it is quite normal. There is running water, albeit more primitive than our plumbing system in the U.S. Each home is surrounded by dirt an a small garden containing kovo, or greens. This is one of the primary vegetables eaten, and it grows year round. Unlike the greens we’re used to in the States (like kale), these plants grow in stalks, continuing to produce leaves, so the plant continues to yield food. You simply pick the lowest leaves on the stalk, and new ones keep growing at the top.

Today, I got to experience public transportation – a comby bus. That’s short for community bus, and they are about the size of a VW minibus. Amazingly, about 20 or more people can squeeze into them, and so you have all these packed little white buses all over the place stopping to pick up and drop off people along the way. We were walking to Tatenda’s, about a 20-minute walk, and decided to catch one of these combies. It’s actually an efficient form of transportation, maximizing fuel efficiency and practically giving people door to door service. I’m not sure the cost…I was with Tatenda, Talent and Kenny, and they made the payment. Quite the cultural experience! Individually owned cars are rare here.

I must point out how much I stand out here in this area. White people are not seen here, so Kesse and I are spectacles. Today, little kids were yelling “marungu!” (white) to get my attention. It is not meant disrespectfully (I’m told), but is just how we are referred to. I know we attract attention, but never have I experienced discomfort, only curiosity.

The sun is big and orange in the low sky as it is almost sunset. Soon it will be dark, and no electricity o light the night. At Cosmas’ house, we’ve been without electricity the entire time. Just before we arrived in Zimbabwe, the local transformer blew and it has not been repaired. Fortunately, Winfilda (Cosmas’ sister) has electricity just three blocks over, so I’ve been taking my laptop and camera batteries there to charge overnight. Tomorrow morning we go back to Mhondoro. There I’ll be able to use the solar charger for recharging, thank goodness! Nothing comes easy though…the Center is quite a walk from our hut – about 25 minutes away – and it is locked after sunset until 8:00 am, so I have to plan when to drop off and collect my things there. Sounds easy enough, but we have so much gear to carry…2 cameras, tripod, audio recorder, microphones, etc…that adding a laptop to the mix makes it a haul indeed. We do have a truck most of the time. The roads are bumpy and very dusty, and the wind has been an issue, blowing dust into all the gear. And it’s quite a comedy to figure out what is needed when, who has keys to the Center, when we are meeting who where…a bit like Who’s On First!

I’m waiting for Muda and Patricia to get back to the house…they’ve been gone all day. We are thinking of going to the Book Café tonight, but not sure that will happen. One never knows what to expect here!

Once we are in the rural area, we’ll not have access to Internet. So I might not post again until next Friday when we return to Harare. My flight to London leaves Sunday morning, Sept. 30. Just over a week to finish shooting the project! Once in London, I hope to have wireless at the hotel (along with a shower, coffee, and other luxuries!!)
Until then…