Friendship

(what I value) 

I never thought I was one to take my friends for granted, however having been away for this period of time, I really feel like I have. At this day and age it is relatively easy to keep in touch with people all around the world, however the time difference and having different schedules made it extremely difficult. I was used to seeing my closest friends on a regular basis, but being in South Africa for just over 3 months and then in Europe for another 2 weeks really made me realize how much I need them. Now that I have been back for a couple of weeks I have had the chance to catch up with everyone but I still feel a bit like I did in SA, because now I am missing the friends that I made there. Having spent so much time with my people in South Africa and getting used to a particular routine and life there made it a bit challenging to get back to my life in Toronto. This experience has really made me realize how important real friendships are and who are the people that are willing to put in the extra effort to keep in touch regardless of where I am and the distance that separates us. True friends are hard to find but they will always be there for you when you really need them.

Goodbye Sci-Bono

(something that touched my heart)

  

Friday, August 5^th was my last day working at the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre. Although I wear make up on a regular basis, I knew it would be a waste to put any on that day because I was certain the tears would only smear and smudge it. Having worked there for 3 months allowed me to meet some really incredible people who were not only co-workers but became real friends who I still keep in touch with even today, and hope to maintain contact with for years to come.

I knew saying goodbye would be difficult but the effort and thought my co-workers and friends put into organizing a farewell for Daniel and I really made it even worse. The morning began in the outreach office where the teachers had signed cards and purchased going away gifts for both of us. We were completely shocked and flattered by the thought and care they had put into selecting items for each of us which they thought we would like. We took some photos and headed off to lunch and to walk around the streets of Johannesburg one final time.

After lunch all of the centre’s employees were invited to gather in the main auditorium where the COO said a few kind words about us and our work at Sci-Bono. Following this my manager from the Exhibit Department stepped up to the microphone and said he and the guys from the workshop had organized a small game for me called ‘The Money or the Safe’. One by one, the guys stepped up and offered me money in exchange for the unknown contents of the safe. Once each of them had reached his maximum offer he said a few words about his experience with me in the workshop and gave the stage to the following person. I knew no amount of money would convince me to give up whatever was in that safe (which could have been nothing!) so I declined all the offers and accepted my ‘prize’. It was a leather pouch full of small things from around the workshop that were directly related to my work there – a piece of carpet, a part of a walking stick for the blind, some piece of wood, and so on. Although to the other people who were watching these items seemed random and strange, taking them out of the pouch brought tears to my eyes because I felt like I was reliving the last months I had spent in the workshop.

After the gathering in the auditorium we all stepped outside for snacks and refreshments. This was another good opportunity to take photos with co-workers and exchange final words. This time was particularly hard for me because seeing some of my friends getting emotional with tears in their eyes only made me cry more. I was extremely touched by how much everyone had gone out of their way to organize this gathering. 

Daniel and I with most of the outreach team

 Winnie (right) and Mbali (left)

Dorothy and I 

Me with some of the beautiful ladies working at Sci-Bono

In the auditorium

Naniki (left), me (middle, left), Felix (middle, right) and Daniel (right)

Johannes working hard on a Friday

In the workshop - Johannes (left), Trevor (middle, left), me (middle, right), and Solly (right)

Fidel and I

Joe and I

tears goodbye

Me (right), Brian (middle, left), George (middle, right), and Daniel

Myself (left), me (middle), and Me (right)

Dialogue in the Dark

(see yourself through the eyes of another)

For a large part of my internship at Sci-Bono I worked in the exhibitry department, assisting the workshop team in creating a new exhibit called 'Dialogue in the Dark'. Although it is found all over Europe, Asia, South America and the US, it is the first of its kind to be opened on the whole African continent. It is an exhibit created to raise awareness about blindness and is meant to allow sighted people to experience the world as a person who is not able to see. The exhibit is comprised of 3 `rooms` so to speak, where each one has a different setting - a park, a street market, and a bar. Groups of about 8 people are taken through each of these rooms by a guide who is blind and are given the opportunity to really use their other senses to experience their surroundings. Being able to partake in creating this exhibit was an absolutely incredible opportunity which allowed me to meet some very inspirational people. One of these people was Daniela, a fellow Bulgarian who was flown over to train the guides in Johannesburg because of her experience in similar project in Germany and Austria. Getting to speak to Daniela and going through the exhibit was a really humbling experience, and showed both myself and other staff members that there is a lot more to discover about the world and people than simply what you see. When a co-worker asked Daniela how she recognizes people she explained that their voice played a key role. When introduced to a person, she said she usually gets enough information about a them simply by speaking with them. Upon going through the exhibit with my co-workers her words of how we can use our other senses to interpret the world around us really resonated with me and I allowed my sense of hearing, smell, and touch guide me. When interact with other people in the tour group I focused on recognizing them using these senses which made me think about how they would recognize me. Are they listening to my voice? Can they smell my perfume? When they shake my hand can they feel the rings on my fingers? Those were only a few of the questions going through my mind and it made me realize how many other ways someone can 'see' me.   
 

For those of you interested in finding out more about Dialogue in the Dark you can click on the link below which will lead you to the main DiD site. 

http://www.dialogue-in-the-dark.com/