The Bishop, the Trout, The Chickens and the Boys Choir

Tuesday 3/3/09 The Bishop and I caught a trout each as John rowed the boat and we trawled. Quite exciting catching trout. Then BBQed them on the Weber before two massive steaks and Boerwors were put on. I went to bed at about 9.30 pm absolutely stuffed. Best sleep since I arrived in South Africa and up at six. Wednesday - A fish with John. A cold wind and overcast sky replaced the early morning sun, and I was glad I had long pants and a long sleeve sweater on as my hands were frozen on leaving the lake. However the fishing was good again. John caught two and I one with one that outsmarted me. As with the previous evening morning prayers using the Anglican Prayer Book. A new experience for me.
We got away by 11.30am and had a stop at a café on the way the off to an egg farm owned by a Zulu entrepreneur Seo Mtweta. Tour of the farm and his farm was interesting. From there a long drive to the Drakensberg Boys Choir School for the concert which was not my cup of tea but amazing to see a school like this in the middle of nowhere. Kids from all over Africa and I did enjoy the first half. We left to go to a prearranged evening meeting with the Bishop at The Cavern Resort in the northern Berg.

Sunday to Rookdale Catholic Church – all Zulu. No priest – whole service conducted by two women including communion. Then to Winterton Anglican where I caught the tail end of the service. I helped with the BBQ and had lots of people coming to speak to me. Cricket for the afternoon until three Zulu girls who I had videoed on my first Sunday arrived at my invitation to watch the videos. Took some more videos. Carol went through her CD collection so it was an afternoon of videos and music.

Potjie Koi

Saturday evening from 5pm was spent at a Potjoie Koi run by the Dutch Church at the primary school. This was the end to an all day fete. I arrived as a group of men was modelling female attire which had the crowd in stitches especially as the pastor came out in various forms of dress. A serious discussion later with this man who came to speak to myself and Zosia and Michael and asked the question “what do you say to people back home about South Africa?” An interesting discussion about past history and the current legacy of apartheid and the white emigration from SA. There has been a net decline of 1 million whites as many have left in the last five years.

Sunday morning was an 8am service at the Anglican church. Small congregation as many away for various reasons. Female assistant minister took the service including communion. No restrictions in SA on women priests. I enjoyed the service and the minister in particular. Morning tea afterwards found me taking to the Zulu kids who were friendly and chatty. A couple of the girls wanted to sing for me and I enjoyed listening to them. I asked if the could teach me the SA National Anthem and got plenty of laughs as I struggled with the pronunciation of the indigenous words in the first two lines. My ambition is to master the anthem in my time here.