Launch of ‘Season of Rains: Africa in the World’ by Prof. Stephen Ellis by Tarryn Frankish

On the 20^th January 2011 I attended the ‘Season of rains’ book launch held at the Exclusive books store at the Hyde Park mall in Johannesburg. ‘Season of rains’ is the new book by Prof. Stephen Ellis with an (afro?-)optimistic message (as the jacket tells me) about “how one billion Africans are changing their continent and changing the world”.  On the back of notable publications on Africa and South Africa more specifically (including the often mentioned ‘Comrades against Apartheid’ co-written with Tsepo Sechaba), and with a foreword by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, this book seems poised to splash into the South African literary landscape in 2011.

Set in a chain book store (albeit one with a rather impressive Africana literature section) in an uncharacteristically small Johannesburg mall, the launch, far from demonstrating a flare towards the dramatic that such an expectation might ordinarily provoke, was likeably unpretentious and understated. That is, despite a clear sophistication of organisation by the South African publishers, Jacana, and Exclusive books, the launch (and arguably the book itself) was refreshingly accessible.  It is this style that I believe inspired Prof. Anthony Butler, of the political studies department at the University of the Witwatersrand, to introduce Stephen Ellis as a ‘special author’. Special in that ‘he writes from the position of a university academic but he ranges across themes, countries and continents and he writes in a variety of references’.  And indeed, our introduction to the ideas contained in the book, illustrated in brief, broad strokes without relying on unnecessary academic jargon or hype, indicated the importance of the book precisely for its range of ideas and breadth of scope. Stephen himself noted: ‘I am a former journalist and I have visited most countries in Africa and lived in several. In the book I have tried to synthesise information from all over, so you find little vignettes and sketches from South Africa, but also Nigeria, Gabon and so on’. Befitting such a promise of stories and insights from far and wide, the crowd gathered included a broad cross-section of people interested in the ideas of the book and the work of Stephen Ellis, drawing from a variety of disciplinary and professional affiliations: academics and non-academics alike. Referring to concepts within history, politics and economics (among much more) and by imploring that ‘we need to drop our preconceptions of Africa and start thinking about it in new ways’, Stephen hints at the kind of discussions and debates that he hopes the book will provoke about the role of ‘Africa in the world’, both within and beyond the diverse group in attendance. Much like Stephen, and encouraged by the energy of the diverse audience, my own (optimistic) hope is that the modest yet wide-reaching event that launched ‘Season of rains’ will have succeeded in generating and sustaining a ripple of such discussions and debates, ever deeper and wider, long after the ceremonies of introduction are over.

Tarryn Frankish is a PhD in the Desmond Tutu Programme. Her PhD-theme is Memory and Youth identity in post-Apartheid South Africa, supervised by Stephen Ellis.

Blog by Wensley Misrole

I have officially been through the Netherlands twice prior to my study experience...and on both occasions I was literally running through Schiphol in order to catch a connecting flight!  Therefore despite having been to The Netherlands twice before...I’ve actually never been to The Netherlands! So I thought taking some time out of my career to finally have the opportunity to see something besides the wonderful airports of Europe was a great idea! About 3.5 seconds after stepping out of the airport from sunny Brazil, I realized that at least my first assumption about Europe was spot on...they don’t have the best weather in the world! In fact my first purchases straight from the airport was a beenie and gloves...only to be told that this was going into Spring! Are they insane!?! What I saw out there can only be classified as arctic winter in my opinion! bad weather...CHECK!!!!
 
Moving on, however, my second assumption proved to be rather accurate as well! This is certainly a country that works, from the public transport system, to the friendly people, to in general the city being geared towards handling foreigners effectively.  Having spent most of time travelling, living and working in developing third world countries this was really impressive! Getting around the country as well as to other places in Europe was quick and effective....so...first world country...CHECK!!!!
 
I once read that there are something close to a million bicycles in The Netherlands which I plain blank refused to believe! I mean a million??? Sounds unbelievable considering there are only so many people in such a small country and why would you cycle when you can drive? Having put on enough clothes to add an extra 10kg to my weight, I ventured out on my first day to see what the city is like....and discovered that a million must have been the number back in the 1960's! Because absolutely everyone has a bicycle of some sorts and they come in all shapes and sizes....for all shapes and sizes! I soon realized why this was so....this is probably the flattest country I have ever seen! I mere incline would be considered a mountain in such an environment! So they have one or two bikes.....CHECK!!!!
 
Then of course we have the real reason I went to The Netherlands, which was actually to study for 2 months! This was quite an experience in itself because, as usual, your first day is like being a deer stuck in the headlights of a truck! Except this time you in a foreign country with people speaking more languages than you have language ability! But what a great experience! People were really friendly and helpful, even for a lost soul such as myself! I met good friends, visited interesting places and had unforgettable experiences! So study....let just say....CHECK!!!!!
 
So would I do it all over again...DEFINITELY!!!! Would I recommend this to anyone else....CERTAINLY!!!! And am I going back to Europe to see the rest....SEE YOU SOON!!!!

Wensley Misrole is a SKILL alumnus and studied at VU University Amsterdam from April to June 2011. He followed the courses Cross Cultural Management and E-Business Development.

South Africa - one of my favourite countries...

My last trip to South Africa was in October and November 2010.  The next one will be in January-February 2011.  My first-ever visit was in 1986.  As well as travelling to South Africa in my capacity as a professor at the Vrije Universiteit, I have also been there as a journalist, a researcher and a tourist.  

Every time I am in South Africa – one of my favourite countries – I find it a mixture of inspiring and depressing.  I mentioned this a few days ago to a South African academic whom I had just met, and she said that this simply reflects the schizophrenia that, according to her, many South Africans feel. 

Sometimes South Africa is overwhelmingly inspiring, as in the glory year of 1994 when, to the astonishment of the world as well as of South Africans themselves, the country managed to confirm its move away from apartheid by the election of Nelson Mandela as president.   Photos of Mandela taking the salute from the country’s last generation of white military leaders are a source of wonder.  They imply that even the most intractable political problems can in the end find solutions.

At other times, depression is uppermost, as when you have spent hours listening to accounts of brutality and cynicism or realising the extent of the problems posed by unemployment or corruption or any of the other burdens under which South Africans labour. 

But always, South Africa’s saving grace is the hospitality of its people and the sheer magnificence of the country itself. 

As a Desmond Tutu professor at the Vrije Universiteit, I not only enjoy the pleasure of visits to South Africa frequent enough to enable me to sustain real friendships there, but also to contribute to the development of institutional connections between South African universities and Amsterdam.  I am convinced this is of real benefit both to South Africans and their Dutch counterparts.  Part of South Africa’s schizophrenia (if that is the right word) is on account of its rather ambiguous nature with the rest of Africa.  It is quite common to hear South Africans say they have never been to Africa, meaning they haven’t been to any of the countries to the north, but implying that they live on an island somewhere off the continent’s shores.  Many South Africans regard their country at one and the same time as Africa’s leader (it has the largest economy in the whole continent) but also as a place that is in terrible difficulties.  They have a sense that their own country is exceptional, not just in the sense that all countries are unique,   but in that its history endows it with a special destiny.  This can be a source of great pride.  But it also means that South Africans – especially those in higher education – can benefit greatly from enhanced international contacts and a chance to analyse their own situation on the basis of an informed view of their place in the world. 

This is my first Desmond Tutu blog.  I intend to write some more accounts of my visits to South Africa or experiences in relation to South Africa as the months go by. 

Stephen Ellis

 

3 dec 2010 Een, twee, drie …First Blog by Debra Shepherd

Three: the number of years that remain in which I will be straddling the borders of South Africa and the Netherlands? The number of deep, slow breaths I need to take each time I think about my decision to do a doctorate? No. Three is the number of cups of coffee I drink on an average day, and coincidentally, the number of cups of a coffee an average Nederlander drinks per day (according to a report by the Dutch statistics office).

For me, every day ultimately begins with coffee. Just like the Dutch, I “run on coffee” (see The UnDutchables, White & Boucke, a vital read for anyone planning to live in Amsterdam and want a quick introduction to Dutch culture). And not just any cup of coffee, but a cup of coffee that is made specifically for me. I am fortunate enough to have a trained chef for a sister who owns a restaurant (Nook eatery) in Stellenbosch which is less than 10 minutes walk from where I live and from my office at Stellenbosch University. This means that every morning on my way to work I can stop by Nook, and within a few minutes my perfect cup of coffee is ready: double espresso, topped with a bit of hot water, and a dollop of frothed milk. This is worlds apart from the coffee typically consumed by the Dutch. It appears to me that there are in general one of two options (which are, to my eyes, polar opposites): a koffie or a koffie verkeerd. Koffie amounts to a large cup of strong black coffee with a separate package of koffiemelk (coffee milk) on the side, whereas a koffie verkeerd is similar to a latte, served typically in a glass with plently of steamed milk. My personal taste veers more towards the former, as my sentiments tend to hold strong with the literal translation of koffie verkeerd, which is “coffee wrong”, named for the fact that it contains more milk compared to a normal coffee.

Armed with this information, my first call of duty upon arriving in Amsterdam was to find (a) a stove top mocha pot (espresso maker) and (b) a good coffee supplier! The best advice that I could give anyone planning to spend time in Amsterdam is this…. get yourself hopelessly lost somewhere in the region of the negen straten (nine streets) and the Jordaan. There is no better way to break away from the studying and research than to explore the myriad of shops and cafes that Amsterdam has to offer. And once you run out of those (though I doubt one could), there is always Utrecht which is a mere 25 minutes away, as well as Delft, Leiden and Rotterdam. In short, the Netherlands is a treasure-trove of finds. To return to the topic of coffee, a particular find of mine was definitely Kaldi (Heerengracht 300). They stock a diverse assortment of coffee and tea blends, and will grind beans to your specific requirements (filter, espresso etc).

I think that in making the choice to go on study exchange, one has to be wiling to immerse oneself as much as possible into a new culture, and, in some sense, relinquish (even temporarily) old routines in order to take full advantage of the exchange experience and allow new routines in. For me, this has been the change from having my coffee made for me every day, to making my own coffee first thing in the morning on my stove top with my 3 espresso bialetti coffee pot and my fresh ground Sumatra purchased from Kaldi. And yet, I still can’t help but miss being able to order a fresh cup of coffee to take away with me from Nook to drink as I walk to work, feeling invigorated and ready for the day. But possibly this is due more to a feeling of missing home and the familiar. In the end it’s all worth being able to gain a little of what I like to think of as my own personal version of “Dutch courage”.

Debra Shepherd is a PhD student in the
Desmond Tutu Programme.
Until 2014 every year she stays
in the Netherlands for two months.
In this time she works in close
cooperation with her VU PhD
supervisor on her doctorate.