Mobile Internet and the Roots of Xenaphobia

These two devices promiss so much but provide only frustration!!

Today we tried to get the internet via our mobile phones. We were mostly unsuccessful, however we did get a chance to meet Mario, an old friend of Patrick's. Patrick had brought us over to Mario's house because Mario is tech savvy. Mario, Doris and I spent about an hour trying to get the phones to work. We eventually got both computers on the internet once, but neither of us were able to repeat the feet. So we decided to call it a night. On the way out Mario started telling us about his heritage as a colored person. This confused Doris and I, at one point he mentioned the "N" word, we tried to tell him politely that we didn't use that word our culture and that it made us uncomfortable. We eventually said good bye and Patrick apologized for his friend. He explained that he and his friend were considered part of the "colored" class during the rigid segregation of the Apartheid (a designation that fell between black and white, meaning if one was not white but not black than one was colored).

Patrick told us that many people who were in the colored class haven't shook the label. They, in fact, are trying to cling to it. During the time of Apartheid if one was colored they were far better off than someone who was labeled black. Therefor they would never be the lowest rung on the latter, they could always point "down" on someone. This attitude helped to further separate the classes. Many people formerly (and presently) referred to as colored are afraid there culture is disappearing. Patrick was also once labeled colored though he believes that these labels are diviciv and should not be used. He says part of the problems in South Africa stem from the fact that so many haven't "transcended" the labeling.

After leaving Mario we went to NuSaKo, the bar where the film screening had taken place. We saw a Brazilian band play house music and we all danced.

That dark blur in the middle is the performer

Doris and I Hatch a Plan

Today Doris and I finally met Thulie, the managing director of Behind the Mask. She is a short women with a lot of energy. We met with her discussed what we we could do for the organization. Our plan has three components: web, print, and mobile. We identified some key issues with the current site including cluttered four column layout, confusing navigation, and inconsistent information density. We found the content on the site was superb but its presentation and access made the site hard to read and navigate. We recommended a redesign of the sites layout and style. Below is the first draft of our proposed wireframe and styleframe.

Current Site

WireFrame (By Doris)

Style Frame

Behind the mask still relies on print for dispensing information. Without the help of an in-house designer they rely on contracted hires to produce the material. They often hire different people based on their availability and this has resulted in an inconsistency in the material they release. We proposed a "Behind the Mask" style guide that designers may refer to in the future. This will give BTM consistent branding. In addition we will be producing print media while we are here.

Style Guide

At present internet access in Africa is expensive and relatively uncommon compaired to the States and Europe. Mobile technology is far more wide spread. In order to extend their reach we would like to help BTM launch a mobile campaign as part of their overall communication package. This may include an SMS based newsletter.

Our suggestions were well received and Doris and I are moving forward.

Revised Logo (by Doris)

Breakfast Glue

I had moosh for breakfast this morning. It was banana flavored. I've eaten it every morning since arriving. It's the consistency of poorly mixed wall paper paste. I have never encountered anything like it in the states but they have a whole rainbow of varieties here: Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Plain, Banana, Mango, just to name a few.

It comes in a box and advertises that eating this stuff will give you energy. It gives me something...

It starts out as these tiny dried flakes

Add Milk

Stir

Enjoy!

Tonight Zimbabwea

Doris and I went out on the town for the first time last night. Patrick, the owner of the commune, invited us to a movie screening. "you must come" he said "It should be very interesting." I was eager to see some night life and was excited. The screening took place in what appeared to be a trendy lounge-y bar / coffee shop type place.

Part of the interior

NSaKo ('Nuff Said Kollective) was started by an American and a South African who (from what I understand) both studied at Columbia in New York. The lounge had couches and pillows all over the place, plastic flowers and ironic newspaper headlines pasted to the walls. To quote Doris: "It was like a scene. A scenester scene!" The crowd was an interesting mix of people some had shaggy hair cuts and wore mismatch clothes; others seemed more like the locals I had been seeing around town. The movie was called "Zimbabwe" and it was about a girl from Zimbabwe whose name was also Zimbabwe (the locals found this very funny). As I have mentioned in previous posts, xenophobic violence has been going on over the past few weeks and continues throughout the country. So this film was particularly topical, this is why Patrick was so insistent that we go. The movie told the plight of a young Zimbabwe girl. Her grandmother has died and she is left to care for her younger brother and sister. She ends up going to Johannesburg to find work so she can send her wages home. The girl is exploited at every turn. Her wages are stolen by the people who brought her into the country, she is raped by her employer. She has a string of traumatic experiences and eventually goes back home to find that her brother has just left to go looking for her and so the viscious cycle continues. I found the movie to be very solemn and serious I watched with concern and suddenly the local people around me would burst out laughing. It seemed to happen at random throughout the movie, I didn't have the point of reference to see the humor, however that was soon to change. I was about to get an education in African politics and social issues.

There was a panel discussion after the film and this is where things got interesting. Before yesterday evening I really had only an inkling of what was going on here in South Africa and the rest of the continent. Today I still lack depth of understanding but now my view is much broader. As can be expected the crowd in this coffee shop was very liberal and therefor tolerant. The crowd was a rainbow mix of whites, blacks, Zimbabweans, South Africans, Nigerians, Americans. All points of view where shared, heard, and addressed. The panel included the actress who played Zimbabwe, Grace Kwinjeh a Zimbabwean political activist , and another gentalmen from South Africa. The discussion began with criticism of the film. People were confused about who this film was addressing, people saw problems, flaws from every angle "it's over simplified" said someone "It portrays Zimbabweans as helpless simpletons, that's bullshit!" said someone else; others were grumbling in agreement or disapproval, a heated debate was brewing.

The panel seemed to be trying to drum up Zimbabwean simpathy but the room wasn't buying into it completely. Then a young white South African stood up. He asked why the disenfranchised from countries like Zimbabwe and Mozambique leave their countries seeking asylum when they could stay where they are and effect change within their own political framework. He meant well with his comment, but essentially he was blaming the victims and the victims were sitting all around the room. Suddenly the conversation was no longer about the film, it was even beyond xenophobia, it was now about the whoas of the African Continent.

Torture, rape, genocide were witnessed and experienced by people in that room, and now they referred to each other comrade. And they were, they shared horrible experiences and now, in that room together, they were trying to understand what had happened to them and their nations. Together they where digging for solutions. An older black South African man in a yellow jacket and knit hat stood up and addressed what was said.

This image is a video still, sorry about the quality

He talked of the endless string of African leaders who operate with a "fractured psyche, an illness." He talked of a sickness in Africa born over form hundreds of years of exploitation. The product of slavery and colonialism. The air in the room felt charged as he spoke "We are a fractured people. Without question!" at that moment the power went out in the cafe, it seemed to emphasize his point.



All of the sudden we were in darkness, the room was lit by candles and the man continued. He told "Africa needs healing at a deep level and the healing must be taken on from within by the people of Africa." The experience was very powerful.

Jo'Burg By Jetta

I am still not over the Jet lag and apparently Doris isn't either. I sleep for about three hours at a time than I wake up for several hours and lie in bed. There is a wind chime by my window that reminds me of home, I listen to it while I'm awake. Luckily I bought a thick book from the airport "Pillars of the Earth" I read almost a hundred pages last night, It's not bad.

Yan picked us up this morning at 8:45AM. Yan is "Behind the Mask's" (BTM) driver, his name is actually spelled Jan. He drives us in a white Volkswagen Jetta. The rear wind shield is covered by one of those slitted black sun visor things, like Kit of Night Rider. The car looks pretty cool. Also, It's right hand drive (like all cars) I road up front for the first time today. It's strange driving on the wrong side of the road I keep thinking that we are going to crash into something.


The car in front has the slits I'm talking about.

Doris and I had our first day at the office today. CurrentlyThuli Madi (BTM's managing director) is out of the office until thursday so it's been pretty light thus far. I used most of my time today to catch up on emails and get all of my internet business out of the way. Everyone at the office is very friendly towards Doris and I. After work Jan drove us to an electronics store on the other side of the city. We needed an international power converter. We took mostly local roads to get there so this was the first expansive look at Johannesburg. The dirt here is bright red orange. I noticed this at various construction sites we passed. Below are several pictures that I took while driving.

Bright red-orange dirt

A typical street in Hillbrow

The posters read: Zuma Calls For Peace, Gangster Terror At Home, and Downs Cash Bonanza

The Vodocom Building is visible all over the city. At night the Banner on top flashes with crazy lights.

God's time takes much longer than ours. I don't know what that has to do with mobile phones.

Around Brixton

I got a chance to walk arou nd the area which I am staying. Godfrey, the caretaker of the commune we stay at, showed us around our neighborhood. We went shopping at the local "Pick and Pay" and we now have a modestly stocked refrigerator. We bought SYM cards for our phones but at this point we only have 12 Rand of talk time. Currently the exchange is 7.4R to $1.00. So 12R is about enough to make a 30 second call home. We also got a chance to get on the internet although only briefly, just long enough to tell everyone that we had arrived safely.

Godfrey is a great guy. Very friendly. He introduced us to all of his friends in town. At most of the shops we visited he knew someone behind the counter. Doris asked him how long he had lived here. He moved here from Zimbabwe about five years ago, he met all of these people by being open and talking to them. I asked him about the xenophobic violence that had occurred here over the last week. The violence is directed at people much like Godfrey. I asked him if he was in danger, he said that he could be. I asked him how he was handling the danger. He told me that he wasn't doing anything to handle it. He told us that he believed it was important to be open with people, he said that he cannot live a closed life. He saw the xenophobia as a way of closing out others. He seemed more concerned with this aspect than his personal safety.

Safe in South Africa

Image from: http://www.cojohannesburg.org/ (I didn't have my camera handy but it looked pretty much just like this)

I have arrived. I landed 4 days ago but wasn't able to find internet until now. I will be able to keep my posts regular from now on. I landed at 4:30PM and was greeted by Stanley, Apinda, and Yan of "Behind the Mask" the NGO I am working with. By the time I got through the airport the sun had already set below the horizon. It is winter here in South Africa and that means shorter days. The sky was orange and purple as we drove down the highway. The flora was tall grasses and small trees. The Highways of Johannesburg are familiar: billboards, big boxes, and highway signs. I was reminded of Florida except we were on the wrong side of the road. We drove past a large fort. Stanely told me that this fort was a prison for native Africans during the apartheid. The apartheid was a system of legalized racial segregation enforced by the National Party (NP) South African government between 1948 and 1994. Stanley said that Nelson Mandela was held here for part of his 27 year detention. Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist and leader and leader of the African National Congress and its armed wing Umkhonto we Sizwe. It is amazing to think that racial segregation has existed here less than fifteen years ago I have a lot to learn about South Africa's history and current condition.

After dropping Apinda off at her home we arrived at the commune I where I am staying. We met by Godfrey the commune's care taker. Doris and I are the only ones staying in the main house right now and we each have our own rooms. The beds are comfortable, the water pressure is strong and the lights work, no internet though. I am writing this entry at 8:17PM eastern standard time I think that means that it is around 1:00AM here. I went to bed at 8:30PM (South Africa Time) I am not sure what to do with the rest of my night...