The day started with me going to Radio Riverside for a 15 minute interview with Rene and Clive. Radio Riverside is situated in the fire station (?) and it has 80 000 listeners. The questions reflected a real interest in autism and I was sorry that we did not have more time to chat. I then shot through to fetch Thara from the guest house who made me a sarmi for breakfast (missed out on the filter coffee though!).
We got lost on our to way to find the school which we eventually did by asking every second person along the way. Like all the other educentres we have visited, this one was equally bleak with not a blade of grass in sight. 70 – 90 children attend the school depending on the weather! Thara assessed 3 and 4 year olds. While she was busy I had the use the loo which did not have a door although it was behind a wall. I of course felt a bit vulnerable but knew it was that, or struggle through the morning! I did enjoy sitting in the sun though! As I was finishing up, my Blackberry popped out of my pocket and straight into the loo. It sank unceremoniously to the bottom and I knew I had to get it out quickly. Thank goodness I had already flushed! I immediately took the phone apart, dried it as best I could, disinfected it (and myself) with hand sanitiser, and lay the pieces in the sun to dry.
While the bits were drying out, I received confirmation via Thara's phone that there would be a workshop in Pofadder that afternoon and that I would need to drive 200 kms through to the municipal offices there to help the boys with the workshop. It was becoming an unexpectedly full day. Thara finished her assessments just in time for me to return her to the guest house and to then take off to get to Pofadder by 15h00. The workshop had erroneously been planned for 11h00 even though we had stipulated 15h00, and the venue changed at the last moment. By the time we left the educentre , the Blackberry had dried out enough in the hot Kalahari sun to thankfully work once it was assembled! Whew!
The drive to Pofadder through Keimoes and Kakamas was both beautiful and easy in the Honda although I was concerned that Leigh and Nic would be arriving in Upington later in the day and that I would not be there to meet them. Twelve people attended the workshop including parents, a social worker, HIV workers and an ECD teacher. How they all attended despite the change of time and venue must be testimony to how a small town works (population of Pofadder is 3 900). It turned out that some attendees preferred the talk to be delivered in Afrikaans and since my Afrikaans is somewhat vrot, Pieter had to do most of the talking. I could have stayed in Upington and fetched Leigh and Nic from the airport after all.
The talk went well and again there was much interest and pleas for more training. I drove back to Upington in the late afternoon and it was magnificent driving through curtains of orange showers from a passing cloud that reflected the carroty colours of the setting sun. It was thrilling just enjoying the openness of the landscape and of an environment I do not often get to see. I was also looking forward to seeing Leigh and Nic back at the guest house.
Back in Upington the four of us went to the La Must restaurant which had a fabulous menu. We ate to our heart’s content and quaffed red wine too. Nic fell asleep in front of his food and Leigh eventually made him a bed of 3 chairs and a folded up jacket for a pillow. After a very satisfying meal we returned to the guest house where we chatted until far too late!
Thank you today to Honda Westrand for loaning us the hunky Honda that travels like a dream!
Day Eighteen: Pofadder to Aggenys 59 kms (Feedback
reports to parents)
After breakfast Thara and I set off to give
feedback to parents at the 3 schools we visited for the assessments. Leigh and
Nic set off in a hired car to see the Augrabies Falls. Where parents did not arrive for the feedback reports we gave feedback to the teachers – some parents lived far away or could not afford the transport, some it seems were not really interested which is unfortunately sometimes par for the course in some schools. Parents who did arrive, and teachers, were specially interested in what we had to say. We were again requested to please come back and do training. We then had a very poorly attended workshop at the Rosendal School (not even the principal welcomed us). We had 14 teachers attend although 3 left after half an hour as they had another appointment.
I usually do two PowerPoint presentations – one on disability in general (there are a lot of myths surrounding disability out there!) and then one specifically on autism.
After the workshop I dropped Thara off at the airport and picked up Leigh and Nic who had dropped their hired car off. Nic was very disappointed that the flight he had so looked forward to was over and wanted to go back on the aeroplane at the aeroport. When on the plane flying to Upington he had apparently looked out of the window and said “Fly like a bird!” How cute is that?
The three of us then set for Pofadder (again). When we arrived there the guys had a braai going (lucky for us!) and Nic was in his element at seeing his Dad (Leigh too btw). The stars in the sky were breathtakingly clear and countless. I was looking forward to a quiet night in sleepy Pofadder!
Day Nineteen: Aggenys to Springbok – 112 kms
Today was a mad day! Firstly, we were all bombarded by mosquitoes during the night in Pofadder. Peaceful Sleep was an invitation to mozzies to party. When you walk into a room and find Peaceful Sleep AND Doom next to the bed, then you need to know that things are going to get ugly. It was also extremely hot, the clock on the wall ticked too loudly and had to be taken down and immobilised, the air conditioner was too strong even on the lowest setting, and a nearby refrigeration system that kept thermostatically starting up and shutting itself down finally shattered the last hope of peace.
Secondly, we celebrated Zane’s 30th birthday with a chocolate and caramel cake with 30 candles, a present and muesli before we whisked the cyclists off to the next starting point.
We set off for Aggenys by car and then the guys got on their bikes once again. Shaun was feeling a little fluey but cycled nevertheless. Close to noon Leigh and I left the cyclists to visit a primary school in the dorp who had collected a donation for us and which was handed over by the principal Mr Johan Sadie. We were photographed by the local journalist who was barefoot – he told us his plakkies had just broken and apologised for not wearing anything on his feet. We would not have expected anything else from a journalist in a dorpie! I spoke to the children at the school briefly telling them what we were doing and why we there. I think they were suitably impressed by what the cyclists were doing. We then travelled back to the ‘Welcome to Springbok’ sign with Wouter Jordaan a DA Councillor, where we met up with Shaun and Pieter as well as Brunhild Strauss, the disabled station manager of Radio NFM on his adapted bicycle. The three cyclists were then escorted into Springbok by the police!
We were then just in time to run a very successful workshop at the Department of Education. What was remarkable was that 25 officials attended the workshop on a Friday afternoon which is definitely almost always unheard of! They listened attentively and we had a good discussion afterwards. One guy even said that in Springbok they may need to have a ‘new beginning’ as far as providing services to people with disabilities are concerned. We once again heard the refrain that was now becoming familiar – the plea for more help and training.
We then drove to Radio Namaqua FM where we were interviewed on the radio for 20 minutes by Earl and Ritchie. It was a light-hearted interview to suit the rush hour traffic (where I ask!). While we were waiting to be interviewed we chatted to two event organisers who invited us to talk about autism at the annual talent show in Port Nolloth on the 8-9 June.
We bought Wimpy take aways for everyone. Nic entertained us (and himself at the table) and then it was bed time.
Thank you today to:
·
Wouter Jordaan for organising
the presentation at the Springbok Primary School, the escort into town, the
radio interview and the free accommodation.
·
Brunhild Strauss for cycling
with our two guys on his adapted bicycle
·
The Springbok police for
clearing the roads to lead us into the town down the main street
·
The primary school for their
donation of R800
·
Radio NFM for interviewing us
·
Philip Bence the barefoot
journalist who will write an article for the local newspaper, Die Plattelander
PS Leigh said that Pofadder (which was named after a local chief
Klaas Pofadder) should be renamed Muskiet!
Day Twenty: Springbok to Garies 117 kms
Shaun started the day feeling less well
than yesterday but did he listen to advice? Basically no! The road today was
very hilly with monster ascents and easy enjoyable descents. The vegetation
started changing to Karoo scrub, the ochre sand to the duller yellows of a semi
desert. It is an area with intriguing names: Handjieskraal, Spoegrivier, Soebatsfontein,
Kys, Mesklip, No Heep, Aanloop en so aan.Leigh and I chatted up a storm about everything under the sun (and played the windmill game) and Nic was a star on the back seat. I am getting to know autism first hand now. I see how the meds (chewies) help Nic to relax and entertain himself. I see the affects of the meds wearing off just in time for the next stop. I see the autistic behaviour (super polite requests in all circumstances). I see a little boy beginning to get upset if he cannot see his Dad. I hear his semi correct language ie “Dad is following to us” when we are in fact following him and Pieter. My heart beats faster when he opens the car door with ease as soon as we draw to a stop on the side of the road. I see him having fun and making happy noises. I see him responding to commands. I hear him telling us when he needs to wee, when he is hungry/thirsty. I see a beautiful little boy struggling to wake up early in the morning and taking a while to warm up to the day. This is an experience I am loving more and more.
We trundled into Garies and easily found the very pink Sophia Guest House in the main street of a town that smacks of the Karoo with its sounds of farm animals all over town.
Because Shaun was not feeling great he and Leigh decided to go the Garies hospital to get some antibiotics. It was apparently a surreal experience. The hospital was new but devoid of personnel. They had to walk through several passages and rooms before they found two sisters on duty who then gave some generic meds. Leigh had to check with her medical doctor brother-in-law that the pills were okay. On their way home they stopped at the garage shop to buy some tomatoes and a cucumber. We had mince and pasta (made by Chef Pieter) with a fresh salad. It was delicious.
I found out that Garies is a type of grass (couch grass) as I was curious about the name.
In Springbok we had seen information signs to Cape Town for the first time. Just as we left Springbok the mileage to Cape Town was 555 kms. The end is beginning to edge into sight!
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