Hardy in Harding

local cobbler.

mom reading paper.

Grandpa (87 today!) and Joe fixing the water supply tap.

It is sooo cold over here somewhere between 32 and 39 degrees. I know for those used to the Northern winters it doesn't sound cold but when most of the buildings don't have proper insulation, with only an electric heater or a fireplace to keep you warm, and you've gotta put more clothes on when you go inside than when you're outside it seems colder than in the States. Oh that and you can see your breadth when you're inside!

Making a fire in wood-burning stove.

We're still here in the "frontier town" called Harding. They call it a frontier town because it is near what they call "No Man's Land" an area not far from Lesotho where cattle rustling and all sorts of land lays open for people to live wild, if they so choose. I was just saying to Joe while we were driving down the road, "you have to be Hardy to live in Harding!"




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Ubiquitous site here.

Anyway, we're getting ready for our show this coming Saturday. I met with the mayor of Umuziwabantu municipality who will be there ready to speak. Hopefully some Rotarians will come too even though there are no clubs nearby.


With that said there are some interesting things to do around Harding. There are mountains nearby and Joe and I visited some last weekend. It wasn't raining so we took a 20 minute drive to the Ingeli mountain inn where we proceeded to take a 2.5 hour hike up one of the mountains.

Once we got to the top we encountered an army base. It's no wonder we saw those soldiers running through the forest. We had hoped they were baboons when we heard them from afar, however they ended up being armed men. Oh well. We saw the baboons only later when we got back to the main road. Unfortunately they were too far away to take a decent picture. The only one I did snap looks like a big foot sighting! :(

All in all it was a beautifully exhausting hike!

The other week we also visited Green Acres abattoir. Because this is cattle country we decided to take a tour. I got some really interesting pictures and learned a lot about how beef is processed. Due to the nature of the images however I have only put in a few of the less detailed ones for the faint of heart.

40 minutes later....

Harding

Working with the group of youngsters has given me a new perspective and respect for Harding. As well it has also given me a clearer perspective of what the town's strengths and weaknesses are. Thanks to the PEP group we now feel Harding is more than just a dusty little town on the border of "No Man's Land". The group has taught us that Harding is a family place and although it has it's problems regarding trash pickup, lots of foreign owned shops, and potholes, there are beautiful sites, trees, and people trying to live and enjoy their lives as best they can.

One solace to our adventures in this one horse town - if they had horses - has been the Municipal library. For one it is one of the warmer buildings in town because unlike most houses there is an electric air conditioner spewing out heat (I suppose the fact one individual doesn't have to pay the high rates is why they have it). Additionally, it is a quiet refuge from the busy streets. And lastly, it has free high speed internet that we can access from our lap tops. Thank God for small gifts!

In a few minutes I get to meet with the town mayor who was recently inducted. If all goes well I can get her to come to the show and speak to the kids. :)

"South Coast"

June 29, 2011

Today is Wednesday, the third day of our new group in Harding, KwaZulu-Natal. The group consists of 3 young men and 5 young ladies, and they all seem extremely enthusiastic about the Photography Ethnography Project (PEP!) especially because it is school break and there is nothing to do in the town.

The second day we met we talked about the town. I had them draw maps and then asked them to describe where they live. They described the town as small, dusty, crowded, and filled with gossipers and drunkards. When asked if they could change anything about the town they said they would clean up the trash, stop the drugs, make police harder on crime, and fix up the pot holes.

After teaching them how to use the cameras we had them take us around and take pictures. Here are some of the pictures they took.