Life in Kim

After a long eventful weekend in Kimberley, we have arrived in the office for our first full day of work. I share a room in the office with Thembi, Coach K and for the time being Nora, one of last year's interns. She is staying on board for the next couple of weeks to show Mimi and I the Kimberley ways. GRS Kimberley moved to this new office a few weeks ago. Mimi, my fellow intern, is in the office across the hall with Lebo. The director of the site, Thuso, has an office right down the hall. Down the hall from Thuso's office is a nice kitchen and across from Thuso's office is a large conference room. The windows are large which makes for great natural lighting but poor insulation. The Kimberley winter is no comparison to the Maine winter's that I became accustomed to over the past four years, however I didn't expect to wake up to 40 degree fahrenheit (still haven't reprogrammed to celsius) mornings in Africa and I didn't expect to be wishing that the office was heated. I tried, however, to come in with as few expectations, positive or negative, as possible.

Expectations about weather are relatively inconsequential in comparison to cultural, social or other types of expectations I may have had before I came to Kimberley. Rather than trying to keep my expectations low so that I might be impressed, I try to rid myself of expectations in general. Kimberley is different than any place I have been to. Some aspects of life here might seem better or worse than other places, but statistics like "standard of living" prescribe something about a place that does not do it justice. I have talked to several people who live here and asked them what they think about Kimberley. Almost everyone I've talked to has commented on how small the city is in comparison to places like Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban. If the cities in South Africa were siblings, it seems Kimberley has the size and qualities of the youngest. One of the past Kimberley interns (Kimterns) told me that Kimberley can seem like a time portal to the 80's or 90's. I wasn't entirely convinced until I found a pair of mid-thigh jean shorts in the local mall that seemed straight out of Boy Meets World or Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Of course I bought the priceless gem right away. 

While something like those jean shorts is a tangible representation of the time and place relative to what I'm used to, other aspects of the culture are less tangible and difficult to grasp. The lasting effects of apartheid separate the city in a way that is unfamiliar to me. Galeshewe is the township in Kimberley, also known as "the location." We have already driven through the location several times to drop GRS coaches off at different schools. It is completely different than any place I have seen or experienced. Makeshift homes made of scrap metal and other recycled materials sit next to gated homes like the one that I live in here. It's hard for me to completely understand the disparity of wealth and how it relates to race and how that divides the city. It's also difficult to tell what kind of racism still exists. I've heard from Nora and other past interns that this is another example of how the city is still in the past. Some Afrikaaners (descendents of the Dutch colonialists) maintain their ignorance and separate themselves from the black population. I was told about many of these things before I left for Kimberley and thankfully still have yet to witness blatant racism, however it's important to be aware that it is present. Racism still exists in America too though, and similar to Kimberley it is an exception not an expectation. It never has to be, and never should be accepted.

Of course, I love that Kimberley is the youngest sibling of South African cities. I have a soft spot for the spontaneity and quirks that come along with the reputation of the youngest. I grew up the youngest in of three in my family and have since been blessed with the adoption of two younger siblings so I have both experienced and witnessed the growth of the youngest. Maybe its because I've only been here for a week or maybe its that Kimberley has a kindred spirit but I am overwhelmed (in a good way) by the possibilities of my year in Kimberley.

More to come soon on how the Kimterns are navigating their way into Kimberley and fitting into their roles in the GRS office. Keep following the blog for pictures of zebras, the intern house and jean shorts (possibly NSFW).