Week 3: Time is going too fast

This week was invigorating but also reminds me how little time I have left in Cape Town this trip. At the same time I know I will return to Cape Town and that makes me happy. 

Week 3 at a glance:

• Parliament almost in session: We had a special behind the scenes visit to Parliament of South Africa by MP Steve Swart. MP stands for Member of Parliament and this is similar to our U.S. Senator or Representative. Certainly experiencing Parliament itself was amazing but the most interesting part were the stories and history provided by MP Swart who is not only a 20 year MP but also was involved with creating the South African Constitution in the 1990’s prior to being asked to run for Parliament. MP Swart is a member of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) party which is one of the roughly 14 parties in Parliament. Despite the ACDP being a party with only ~1% of the vote, MP Swart has been heavily involved with shining light and resolving government corruption in conjunction with other opposition parties. Government corruption is something I had many conversations on with South Africans as this has been a significant problem the last 10+ years and accordingly is a constant issue on their mind. 

Me taking the seat in the Old National Assembly. Photo credit unknown.

• Sunset cruise: One of my fellow remotes had his birthday and we try to do an activity each time for that person’s birthday. For Noad about 35 of us went on a catamaran for a sunset cruise. It was good to get out on the water and while the water was a little choppy it was great scenery and conversations to be had.
• Cape Point and Penguins: Cape Point is a beautiful area in southwest South Africa. It is worth the stairs to the lighthouse. After taking in the beautiful views of the oceans below we went to Boulders Beach to “swim” with the penguins. I say “swim” because the penguins generally were catching some sun on the rocks or sand and not in the water at all. Now these penguins pretty much ignored us despite all of our posing and pics. The novelty of penguins certainly delighted us. 

A pic from top of Cape Point. Photo credit Dave Mathias.

• Safari: One of the things people kept on saying to me before coming down to South Africa was I needed to go on a safari. Strangely I just didn’t find it interesting despite being a fan to visiting zoos when I go to a new city. Anyway I resisted signing up for one of Safari packages offered. Then, when the safaris were starting to take place I had second thoughts and signed up for a one-day safari that the awesome Ashley Osbourne organized for about 10 of us. We went to Aquila and while not Krueger it was enjoyable and the best part was the stories and insights from Mario our safari guide. We didn’t get to see all the Big 5 (lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo, and cheetah) but we did catch some rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, and more.
• Cape Town Data Viz Group: As people know I am a person that is passionate about how data visualization can help people tell a compelling story and make better decisions. As an organizer of the TC Data Viz Group I had looked to see what was available in Cape Town and that is when Lailah and I connected. She invited me to present and the topic I presented on was "The good, bad, and ugly of data viz in product." It was a super engaging group and had a lot of great conversations. Glad I had the opportunity to present and thank you Lailah and Cape Town Data Viz for having me. 

Talking about the good, bad, and ugly of data viz in products. Photo credit Jeff Sloan.

• Robben Island: Robben Island is the famed prison that was used during apartheid to house political prisoners including Nelson Mandela. It was enlightening to hear about the triumph of the human spirit despite the excruciating conditions of this prison. The quarry workcamp where they basically continually moved rocks from place A to place B under the sun causing skin and eye damage. Yet despite all this it is amazing that the transition post apartheid was for most part peaceful.
• Podcasting in full swing: As some of you know Matt Jesser and I have a podcast called Data Able where we discuss the culture, knowledge and practices that successful organizations, leaders, and individuals use to get value out of data. This week we interviewed three guests - Kate Strachnyi, Jordan Morrow, and Rene McGregor. Rene is a native Capetonian so had benefit of interviewing in person. This coming week I have three more people looking to interview in Cape Town before I leave. 

Taking a minute for a pose after a good podcast taping. Photo credit Dave Mathias.

While week 3 was certainly busy especially when adding in work for my business, I did have more of an opportunity to engage with Capetonians. One conversation I had this week, and it was one I had with several different Capetonians, was around South Africa and its future. This includes how tied South Africa is with other powers like the United States, Russia, and China. But, it also included a lot around the persistent inequity that exists in South Africa and especially noticeable in Cape Town. There are many opinions around these topics but the two things I constantly realized about the South Africans I talked to were two traits. First, there was a strong level of hope and that hope motivated these people and kept them upbeat. Second, there was patience that existed because after all apartheid ended 25 years ago and yet inequity persists at a staggering rate in South Africa. 

 

This ends another week of summarizing highlights from my week but as those that read this I am fully aware that some may see all these activities and wish you could do this but not think you are able. If your life situation is flexible enough to go on a journey like this it is worth it and rewarding and encourage you to consider Remote Year. If your life situation does not allow for this then figure out a journey that would work. 

One thing we talk about is living your best life or being your best you and everyone reading this is doing just that. This may be going on a journey like I am doing now but it also may be something completely different. Figure out what this is and do it.