Heather - post wedding, pre-school

First let me just say that I miss you all. It is funny how in ten, short weeks one can grow accustomed to people and a certain way of life, get into a routine, and make good friends. I feel so humbled and blessed to have had the chance to get to know you all, and I look forward to seeing you WHEN I come back to South Africa.

As many of you know, my big brother, Scott McLeod, recently wed on Saturday, August 15. I must say that all those evenings going to Planet Fitness really did pay off, especially the 12 personal training sessions I had. My trainer, Peter, worked my arms, legs, chest, back, and butt so much that my family and friends kept on saying to me, “Heather, you look so toned!” I welcomed the compliments of course. Scott married Dora Hughes and the wedding was a spectacular event. It brought together family that I hadn’t seen in months, including mama and papa McLeod…and their Jamaican accents!

The truly touching part about my experience being back in the US, has been talking to my friends and family about my time on the Continent, and sharing what I learned both inside and outside of my internship. I have friends who already want to come, and who want to experience what I like to call “love and hospitality- African style.” Although they missed me while I was away, they now know that I made the most out of this summer and that I was truly in my element.

I am getting ready for school, starting Wednesday, 9/2, and I already started back at my job at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington, DC. If anyone is in town, please feel free to email me at: heathersmcleod@gmail.com; or call me at: 001 917 892 7958. Take Care and Enjoy the pictures!

Last weekend in South Africa

My last weekend in South Africa…for now. Time surely waits for no one and I am so thankful, grateful, and humbled by my experiences in South Africa. The people that I met, the friendships that I have made, and the genuine hospitality I felt has left a lasting impression on me. During my exit interview with Senior Commercial Officer, Craig Allen – my boss, he said that I truly made the most out of my 10 weeks in SA. I set out to be the best intern I could be – doing my assignments to the best of my ability; I set out to meet as many people as possible – during and after office hours; and I set out with an open mind to learn as much as I could from everyone. It is hard to reflect and “sum up” all of my experiences in a place that is beaming with pride, energy, and hope, but I can say that I am a changed individual because of what I’ve seen, learned, and felt in South Africa. Siyabonga South Africa = Thank you South Africa!

Installment #4

Two weeks ago, I was in Maputo, Mozambique. Whenever I visit a new country in Africa I get this overwhelming feeling, and my profound love for the Continent simply gets deeper. There is so much potential and so much beauty in Africa and Mozambique did not disappoint me. Mozambique sits on the south-eastern part of the Continent. Its people enjoy over 2,400 km of gorgeous coastline on the Indian Ocean. No wonder the beaches north of its capital, Maputo, are crowded with visitors and tourists. The warm waters of the Indian Ocean invite the tropical weather, and in comparison to Cape Town, South Africa, which sits on the Atlantic Ocean side of Africa, Mozambique can easily be around 10 degrees warmer.
The culture, the vibe, the music, and the seafood simply took my breath away, and I had so much fun partying, and having a good time. But there was also work involved. I was invited to help the U.S. Embassy in Maputo with their second annual U.S. - Trade and Investment Conference. Mozambican President, Armando Guebeza, came to the conference to stress how important he believed trade and investment is to Mozambique. Mozambique is less developed than South Africa, but the country is actively pursuing foreign investment to create jobs, boost GDP, establish better infrastructure throughout the country, and educate its people. My colleague, Courtney, and I helped the Embassy team with whatever they needed us to do. In return, they provided us with free Embassy housing for 10 days. Going to Mozambique reminded me a lot of the Cape Verde Islands – both former Portuguese colonies, similarities in music and dance, and the fresh seafood and prawns (shrimp) that were literally the size of my fist. I think I gained about 3 pounds the week that I was there. I ate such rich, tasty food.
Courtney and I went to 2 concerts, 4 different night clubs, and shopped for crafts. We tried twice to get to the beach – but one time we literally missed the boat and the other time we woke up late from going out the night before. We were so sad to leave, but we will always remember the people we met, and all of the fun activities we did in Mozambique.
Last Saturday, I had the amazing opportunity to go to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy as part of our Abafazi Ambassadors Program. This was the last session of a 6-week course that focused on teaching the girls about women leaders in a variety of subjects such as – government, business, arts & literature, and the sciences. Each week we had about 50 girls, and they were all delightful, bright young ladies. I found out later that these girls are going to be the first graduates of the school, and they were the ones featured on the Oprah Winfrey special when the school was opened. They are truly amazing. I talked to them about Judith Jamison, artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and about Ama Ata Aidoo, the famous writer and playwright from Ghana. At the end of the lesson, we took pictures in the courtyard, and then the girls started to sing and dance, and they made a circle. They were so surprised to see me when I got in the middle of the circle and was showing my kwaito moves, and some of the Zulu dance steps that I learned. I will cherish their shocked faces when they saw me getting down with my bad self. Dance is such a great medium to convey feelings of happiness, joy, and comfort with my surroundings.
This is my last week here in South Africa…until I come back somehow, and I will write one last entry before I leave, but I know that I am going to return to this region. I WILL find my way back.

Installment #2 - recovered - scroll down for next installment

I say Sawbona, you say Yebo. I say Kunjani, you say Ngohna (sp?) These are some of the greetings that I picked up in South Africa. After being approached in the street so many times with these greetings, I felt bad whenever I replied with a good old American hello?! It always confused people who thought, at first glance, that I was South African. So, my co-workers have been teaching me basic Zulu. In addition, I have a Zulu name…Ntombenthle (I can say it for you when I get back to the U.S.) but the name means “pretty lady,” and the shortened version is Ntombi….I like it.

For those of you who are not familiar with South Africa, the country is broken up into nine provinces. Johannesburg is the capital/major city of the Gauteng (pronounced Hauteng) province, while another famous city in South Africa, Cape Town, is the capital of the Western Cape Province. As you can tell, I am still having fun in Johannesburg. I am doing the best that I can on my internship, gaining information about my surroundings, and engaging the community any way that I can.

I finished my major project with the commercial service on Monday. I had to organize a half-day seminar with two representatives from the U.S. Export- Import Bank doing a tour of Africa. I also had to coordinate their one-on-one meetings with several South African banks and businesses. This project went well as I was able to garner 25 paying clients for the seminar, exceeding my bosses’ expectations. Now, I am starting to branch out, and focus on writing a Market Research proposal on the franchising industry in South Africa.

Two anecdotes that I would like to tell you about before I close this letter. On my way to the Bruma African flea market, I passed through downtown Johannesburg. I live in Sandton, Johannesburg, which are suburbs that are I believe to the north of Johannesburg proper, so it was really shocking for me to see such a stark difference between the glam of Sandton and the poverty in downtown Joburg. It was a rude wake-up call, which reminded me that I live in a bubble….the Sandton bubble, and that the economic disparity and inequalities between the rich and the poor in South Africa are very real. It is so easy to be separated from the reality of the South African paradox. Rich and full of opportunity in some cases, and also a country still battling to control poverty…Doesn’t that sound familiar?

The second is more light-hearted. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to talk to South African graduate students on their way to the States for their Masters degrees. I talked to them about academic life in the United States, the social life on a campus, and about race relations in the U.S. I luckily had the State Department intern, Courtney Stokes, with me to help explain complex racial and social issues in two hours for South African students. There were three students going to NYU, so I was able to tell them about metrocards, the non-existent NYU “campus” and my beloved Brooklyn. I am so excited for them to go.

All in all, I am still very happy to be here. My weekends are filling up with a trip planned to Cape Town, Mozambique, the apartheid museum, and the Cradle of Humankind…. I have included some pics of SA. I hope you enjoy.

PS – Here is a list of my most recent activities:
• Going to Pretoria to visit the U.S. Embassy and US Agency for International Development…making connections!
• Going to Mangwanani (it means Good Morning in Shona) Day Spa, I had a fabulous time getting the foot, hand, back, neck, shoulders, head, legs, arms massage, and a full body scrub + breakfast, lunch, and snack!
• Going to a Fashion Show for Arise! African Fashion Week
• Going to a club in Joburg and learning about/dancing to Kwaito music. The only thing I can truly equate it to is House music in the States.
• Going to Chinatown, Joburg, South Africa