The following photos are on my drive to Soshanguve with Barbara, to pray for Emily and the bakery. Here we are still in Pretoria North.
"Rachel de Beer": Our "Main Street" here. Notice the classy Pole Dance Class Ad.
The corner where amazing flower bouquets are always being sold.
Towards the highway to Sosh.
Bed & Breakfast signs.
Nice houses on our way out of town.
A glimpse of the gigantic cemetary.
Some kind of school.
I have no idea what kind of vehicle this is. Barbara and I thought it was interesting though.
Beautiful view. Now we are on the freeway.
RDP houses: low cost housing for the poor in South Africa.
The smoke there in the background signifies one of the burnings that are common in open fields- sometimes controlled, sometimes not.
South Africa's National Election is this month. Can you tell? Signs ARE everywhere.
We've now turned onto the main road into Sosh.
This is the famous intersection where fish to be sold are always hung on trees. Across the street is a "No venders" sign where there are always but ALWAYS vendors selling fruit and vegetables. The fruit always looks amazing but we haven't stopped yet to buy (we always seem to be in a hurry).
Selling brooms, rakes, mops. Street vendors are common in South Africa, pretty much across the board.
Another area of burning.
Flash of myself as Barbara drives at 80 kms an hour.
A guy with a truck full of cabbage.
We are entering the outskirts of Soshanguve now. The tin houses are the most common, though there's also cement and brick ones.
A small market. "Siyabonga" means "thank you" in Zulu. Just as a reminder, there are eleven official languages in South Africa.
Making and selling bricks is a huge market out here for housing.
Bit of a field and a glimpse of an outhouse. Mostly these are used instead of indoor plumbing.
Corn!
Daycare.
Housing materials being sold.
There's a lot of "herbalist" or "traditional" doctors, but it can be hard to know what you're going to get. I'm not sure I'd want to visit a "Doctor Hussein" myself.
Auto Store.
Soshanguve is starting to get more built up now. Kind of like in any average suburb. . . plots of land are being bought and big plans being drawn up. BTW, Soshanguve was started as a smallish informal settlement of a mix of people groups. The name itself stands for four of them: Sotho, Shangaan, Nguni, and Venda.
We are now on Emily's small (not named) street.
One of Emily's neighbor's houses.
This is Emily and her husband Solomon's house. They have three daughters: Pretty, Precious, and Lungile. In back of their house is a plot for a community garden that Doug helped start for them. It is still getting "off the ground." To the right of their house (you will soon see) is the bakery.
This is the bakery shack. People come here to buy the bread, and it is where Emily and all of the other workers bake from early morning until late at night.
Here Emily is watching an episode of a show that some young guys from the neighborhood film themselves. It is a comedy, and they use township rhetoric and themes. It is quite good. Emily even knows them and others in the show.
Emily's eldest daughter, Pretty, doing the dishes outside. Pretty is in the midst of "matriculation" this year: basically like her senior year in high school.
Because the bakery has been struggling, they had to up the price of their bread. The problem is that most people can't afford it and won't pay that amount (a loaf of bread is about 70 cents but they can get a little cheaper at the local Spar). It is one of those double-edged swords and a big reason why we spend intentional time praying.
Precious, Emily's middle daughter, studying the bakery "books."
Precious started taking great photos with my camera. This one of her sister Lungile.
Precious and Lungile.
Precious also took this of the garden plot out back. This is pre-weeding though, which Adrienne did with some kids when she and Melanie stayed at Emily's for their submerging experience (two spent nights in Sosh).
Precious took this as well. She is talented (really)! A close-up of the rocks that Emily buys to sell- they are sold in little baggies and chewed on as a snack.
Adrienne, one of our apprentices, is playfully helping Pretty make dough for biscuits.
Lungile looks on as the older girls' hands knead.
The talented photographer smiles for me.
We are always served "cool drink" (Coke) when we visit Emily, and sometimes also fruit rinsed in water. For the Coke, Emily sends a child on the errand with the empty bottle and a ten rand note.
Baby elephant door stop. Please especially note the pattern on the door. It really reminds me of angels, and makes me believe that angels are constantly guarding this house.
Barbara, Melanie, and the kids look on as Emily and Adrienne joke around making dough.
Emily and Precious stand in their doorway.
That Lungile.
The dough, post-kneading.
More kneading needed!
The girls watch TV.
The "flour corner"!
Lungile and her young boy friends.
The toy gun scared us older girls a bit.
Lungile: Tender at heart.
Capturing Pretty.
Me and Pretty!
Sunset in Sosh is always pretty, sometimes gorgeous.
Plant and barb.
Woman walking.
Lungi at the spigget.
Adrienne (through my palm).
Melanie! (She taught me the "through your hand photo" trick)
Barbara Hillaker: My friend, housemate, coworker, ministry partner, etc.!
Lungi.
From Emily's front stoep.
Melanie playing with kids in doorway.
Approaching dinnertime, Lungi does Mel's hair.
Switching gears. . . Easter morning we had a sunrise pajama service at Pangani. Afterwards Barbara and I went to our usual stop for groceries, Checkers (4 blocks from home), to buy eggs, dye, and candy. Thus begins our tour of "MY" neighborhood, Pretoria North, a notoriously Afrikaans hood.
Shops on "Gerrit Maritz Straat"- the next busiest street after Rachel de Beer, and closer to our house.
Barbara walks to the post office.
Local laundromat.
A street vendor just outside the post office.
As usual, a bad time to come to the post office.
The waiting cue goes out the door. We come back later.
A good shot of the Magaliesberg hills at the bottom of which Pangani rests. Petrol station in front.
A man with a large load walks by a Jeep in the Spar parking lot.
If only we were all as happy as these Spar folk! "Welcome to our world!" in Afrikaans.
Parking guards. They are wherever you want to park. Some official like these, some not. Regardless, I usually tip them a couple of rand.
This is Shoprite. It is cheaper than Checkers, and larger, but usually more crowded and annoying. Barbara and I got a few photos here. . .
What is Wimpy? It is kind of like McDonalds, only a bit more restaurant-like. On road trips you'll usually wind up at one.
This particular Wimpy is attached to Shoprite.
On our way into Shoprite. . . Pies are big here. And I don't mean apple. More like chicken or beef for lunch.
This is a biltong store (Wimpy is in the reflection). That is big here too. Kind of like "beef jerky" but WAY better.
Finally entering the store. . .
One of our favorite stops. The discount CD bin.
As you can see, they have everything from Elvis to Santana to Blondie to Afrikaans pop.
. . . And one of my favorite Cyndy Lauper albums. I didn't end up getting it though.
Oh yeah. . . Who can ever resist- Michael Bolton??
Here is the album I actually bought. A jazzy South African female singer, "Rae."
When we're feeling kind of homesick, we just head over to the California "Whizz" section and it cheers us right up. Especially Pine Whizz.
Cakes, biscuits, and mallows.
The pet aisle. (We needed more kitten food).
Yep.
Hot meals on-the-go. . . and chutney.
"sweets and stationary" aisle. Lekker also commonly means "nice" or "good."
Barbara shows me a stuffed cat pencil case just before security comes over and asks me nicely if they can help me in any way, they noticed I was taking photos. I just explained I was American and stopped with the photos.
I decided this project was a good excuse to buy a bunch of South African candy bars to show you. Barbara bought one. . . I the rest. I tested them out too. Cadbury is the best chocolate here. Smarties rock better than M&Ms. The rest are good too ;).
Coppers in front of Shoprite.
Truck loaded with plastic bottles.
Some kind of automotive store.
And THIS- THIS store is my personal favorite. A chain called "Forum": a stationary store that happens to carry a good amount of art supplies too.
Forum from the outside. You might be able to glimpse an easel just behind the door's hours sign.
Gerrit Maritz Straat.
On the corner of Gerrit Maritz: Some vendors.
Pretoria North is full of auto lots.
Sidewalk.
There are party signs everywhere right now as election day fast approaches.
"Supreme Chickens." I've never been in this butchery, but it looks like the Land of Chicken.
Hyper Video: Where we rent videos once in a while. Bakers' Bin has a lot of cool baking supplies. "Just Letting" is the realtor Barbara and I used when we found our new place!
Hair Salon Ad. This style of fence is very common too. We had one like it at our last place.
Apparently a parking meter. I never use these as I always pay a parking guard. Sometimes they will offer to pay these.
Some nice ladies who let me take their picture in front of their vegetable stand.
"You must take one of the vegetables," they said.
Another woman vendor.
This is Pretoria north's oldest and most central mall. Other newer ones are coming up, and Northpark is getting a little old school. We hope it survives.
Some stores represented at Northpark.
A vendor's wigs for sale.
Some young guys playing a game on the sidewalk. We know one of them and apparently they know us as they said "Pangani people!" as we walked by.
Zuma's gotten his face successfully plastered all over. This one's a little worse for wear tho.
A car wash.
Good ole' KFC. . . and their competition across the street, the new Micky D's.
I am a tad embarrassed to admit that I actually frequent McDonald's here. Somehow I never set foot in it in America, but here, there's just something alluring about it. . . and open 24 hrs. Emily Hobhouse happens to be the cross street of Pangani too.
Corner of Emily Hobhouse and Rachel de Beer.
This is a wonderful fabric store I discovered after we moved. It's got embroidery thread, jewelry materials, ribbon, and other goodies as well as fabric.
This man holding sausage links points to the "Slaghuis" (butchery) next door.
Liquor City to the right of Habby Hyper.
Folks walk home after a days' work.
This is a NEW cafe opened just down the street from where I live. It happens to be Christian-owned. I've been there a few times- it's a nice place to meet with people. Sorry, I don't know what "kaiings" is.
A typical Dutch-Reformed Church. Along with car dealerships there are many churches in Pretoria North.
We keep our eyes out for the ludicrous headings the Daily Sun puts out. They're often interesting or quite funny.
This is "Solomon's," an outdoors store with lots of household supplies.
A bus, apparently bound for Soshanguve.
We're still baffled as to how they couldn't get a better campaign photo for the dour guy.
Corner of Gerrit and Emily. You can see "Nando's", a Portuguese restaurant with the best chicken, in the background.
Birds of Paradise in front of "Blaauw Village" shopping center.
Typical South African taxis. We're pretty deaf to car honks now- they usually belong to taxis who are "hooting" for customers.
This is Solomon's clothing store. Pretty expensive. I've never shopped here.
Shoes and prices. 160 rand is about $17.
They have some rad mannequins though.
Some are quite intense.
Or sporty.
Or ready to attend a ball.
A variety of outfits from which to choose. . .
$80 for one of these? I don't think so.
After my photo stint in town, Barbara and I drive back up to Pangani. This is the stoplight on Ben Viljoen at Rachel de Beer where we seem to always be. I keep some rand or tuna and crackers for the guys often asking for money here.
A hotel/bar. We always wonder what it's like inside.
Getting closer to Pangani, our guesthouse and homebase for NieuCommunities. Our old house was close to Brits.
Brits. The street to the train station where we pick up and drop off our Pangani workers (gardeners Moses and Abram and housekeeper Jostina).
"Too white for a job?" One of the party posters we see often. I think it's referring to affirmative action laws. It's the one that hits me the hardest.
And here's the turn to Pangani.
As you can glimpse, it's quite beautiful. We try to keep it so!
Enough about Pangani. This is more about my neighborhood. On our way home, we are lazy to make dinner and stop by Micky D's.
. . .and literally drive through the drive through. KFC sounded more appealing last minute.
Getting closer. . .
Barbara checks her options.
Next door, the fast food chain I've never been to. The name is a bit. . . fishy.
As our order arrives.
Upon arriving home, Barbara waits for me to put down my camera so I can open the door. We are back at "Villa Roji," the new complex where we feel much safer than at the house that was broken into thrice.
Our kitchen. "Dear Frankie," a birthday present from Daleen, is on Barbara's laptop.
Barbara stands in kitchen.
Our favorite tortilla chips. . . "Made South of Mexico in Africa"!
We end our evening with KFC, "Passionate Peach Brutal Fruits" (fruit juice coolers), and a game of "Find the bunny!" That's all for now. Please let me know if you have any questions about my life here in Pretoria, South Africa! I have gotten pretty used to things and forget that many of you may have little fodder for your imaginations!
