It's been another exhausting day, some moments of extreme frustration and a small crack down in the bank, but all under control now and looking up.
Had only 2 hours to teach this morning and was out of there at 10 on another mission to Umthatha. This time I took young Michael with me for safety and company. I just felt that I didn't want to go on my own today, rather take a local guy with me who I can trust and he can help look out for the tsotsis.
He was a good and patient companion who had to wait for me while I was waiting in queues, first at the Home Affairs, which I thought would go quick, because there were only 3 people in the queue before me, but it ended up taking a good hour for me to reach the front and then it was from one queue to another and at one point the electricity failed just as they were about to print something for me, luckily came back on after not too long, but then the computers took ages to restart...
I have to say though that the people who helped me were very helpful and had a lot of compassion for my situation. It is really sad to have a city like Umthatha that could be so potentially beautiful and that has so many good-hearted people, to have at the same time so many wicked people plotting and scheming against their own people and any and all visitors to the place. And it seems that the Police is also corrupt and accepts bribery to keep the tsotsis safe. Why is it that way all over Africa?
When I left Home Affairs, I felt hopeful that things are going to work out and next stop was ABSA Bank. Arriving there and seeing the queue put a bit of a damper on that. The queue to the information and enquiries was about 25 people long and the other queue to the tellers possibly around 80 people. I stood in the information queue and was standing for an hour and a half before I got my turn, only to hear that I need a proof of residence to be able to collect a new card. Which I didn't have of course (I've been staying for 4 months in a caravan park...) and I was hoping to get a printout from them with my previous Cape Town address to use for my phone sim-card...
Once again the lady was very sympathetic towards me and called in the manager to help. So, I got sent off to the manager's office to hear that they really can't give the card. I was seriously praying at this point and losing my marbles slightly. The manager was also very empathic and said that she also had a similar incident with the tsotsis. There was another lady in the office as well who wanted to hear my story. So they felt really bad for me and what happened to me while I came here to volunteer and teach the kids of the rural areas without even getting a salary. So, I don't know what they did, but they got it organized for me that I could get my card after all!! Praise God!!!
I was so happy and went off with Michael to go and buy some fruit and veggies, cause my diet has been neglected and I've been starting to feel a bit unwell. So, tomorrow is a new day!
To say thanks to Michael for sticking with me all day, I took him to the Mcdonalds Drive-thru, (he's never had Mcdonalds before, let alone drive-thru!). It was quite a treat for him and he was so surprised when I ordered the food from a talking machine and he couldn't even see the person. He kept on looking back to try to understand how it all happened so quickly!
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