30 November 2014 ~ Robben Island

Listening to: Neil Young ~ Helpless


This canon is basically the first thing one sees when starting the Robben Island tour with the prison coming into view in the background.

The first part of the trip is via bus, and the guide is someone who currently lives on the island. First up on the tour was the leper cemetery.
Starting in 1845 the island was also used as a leper colony and animal quarantine station.  Initially this was done on a voluntary basis and the lepers were free to leave the island if they so wished. After the introduction of the Leprosy Repression Act in May 1892 admission was no longer voluntary and the movement of the lepers was restricted. Prior to 1892 an average of about 25 lepers a year were admitted to Robben Island, but in 1892 that number rose to 338, and in 1893 a further 250 were admitted.

The Good Shepherd Church was built in 1841 with prison labor.

I don't think this school is still in operation.

Arriving at Robben Island I was envisioning something akin to Alcatraz. The island is much bigger and the prison not as ominous upon arrival. The shoreline however is very similar to the Monterey Bay area.

Prisoners were made to work in the lime quarry. This cairn of stones called isisivane at the entrance of the quarry was created by ex-political prisoners, led by Mandela, during their reunion in 1995. It commemorates the daily life and hard work endured by political prisoners. Prisoners, including Mandela, were refused the use of sunglasses and the glare of the limestone caused permanent eye damage.

The tour of the prison was led by a former prisoner. We saw the bunk rooms, showers, and numerous individual and group cells.

This is the cell of Nelson Mandela. He served 18 of his 27 year sentence on Robben Island, from 1964 - 1982 (the years of my birth and graduation from high school put it in perspective for me).

A long walk to freedom for many.

28 November 2014 ~ Heading to Robben Island

Listening to: Led Zeppelin ~Down by the Seaside


Our first day in Cape Town we had arranged to go to Robben Island. This statue caught my attention on the way to our meeting place with our tour guide.

The meeting place was the clock tower. Hard to miss with since it's painted bright yellow. Construction of the Clock Tower was completed in 1882. The second floor is a decorative mirror room, where the Port Captain could check on all the activities in the harbor. The bottom floor features a tide-gauge mechanism that was used to check the level of the tide.

 

Since the end of the 17th century, Robben Island has been used for the isolation of mainly political prisoners. The Dutch settlers were the first to use Robben Island as a prison. The name is Dutch for "seal island". Nelson Mandela was imprisoned here for 18 of the 27 years he served behind bars before the fall of apartheid. 

The ferry we took to the island.

Flock of birds.



25 November 2014 ~ Back from Vacation

Listening to: Mance Lipscomb ~ Night Time is the Right Time

I'm back!!! I had a fantastic and amazing trip to South Africa and Zambia. The itinerary included 5 nights in Cape Town, then 4 nights at the Sabi Sands game reserve Exeter, and then 3 nights at Toka Leya lodge on the Zambezi River in Livingstone, Zambia, near Victoria Falls.

I don't even know where to start with the photos (and I've barely even looked at them all) or the stories so I guess I will start at the beginning.

Here I am enjoying a glass of champagne on the flight leaving San Francisco. No, that isn't a creepy guy peering over the seat, it's my co-workers spouse (she was taking the picture).

Eight people went to Cape Town, and then 6 continued. Of the eight, 6 of us work at Workday and two spouses joined along.

In Cape Town we rented a 5 bedroom apartment in an area called Bloubergstrand, along the shores of Table Bay. The name Bloubergstrand literally means "blue mountain beach" in Afrikaans.

Here is the very first picture I took from the apartment looking at Table Mountain.

Afrikaans is a West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and, to a lesser extent, Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is an offshoot of several Dutch dialects spoken by the mainly Dutch settlers of what is now South Africa, where it gradually began to develop independently in the 18th century.

We went shopping and made dinner the first night.

A view of the dining room.

And a view of the pool, hot tub, and pool table area.

7 November 2014 ~ Vacation

Listening to: Credence Clearwater Revival ~ Have You Ever Seen The Rain?


I am going on vacation today and will be returning later this month. Please be advised I won't be posting until around Thanksgiving.

But I wanted to share a few pictures with you before I head out.

A young deer returned yesterday.

So Skye and I went to the window to watch for a bit, but she was more interested in grooming my finger.

And today an adult deer showed up. Nice antlers.

4 November 2014 ~ University Club

Listening to: Supertramp ~ Give A Little Bit

On the Friday evening of the Festival of Ideas, a reception was held at the University Club of Memorial Stadium, home of the UC Berkeley Bears football team.

What a view of Berkeley!

The Golden Gate bridge at sunset.

Wispy clouds.

A great way to relax after a day of thinking.

2 November 2014 ~ Festival of Ideas

Listening to: Leo Sayer ~ Long Tall Glasses

Last weekend I attended the second annual Berkeley Uncharted: A Festival of Ideas.

Here is a link to the photo gallery.

http://www.berkeleyside.com/2014/10/29/photo-gallery-uncharted-2014-a-festival-fit-for-berkeley/

I'm in the fourth picture, second row, wearing a white sweater.

There were so many topics covered, I went home at the end of each day just tired from overactive brain stimulation. Some highlights and tidbits to challenge every day thinking:

• Google has bought 8 robotics companies in the past year. with access to data (weather, maps, behaviors) via the internet, it hopes to do more with robotics than just a self driving car. But, how easily could a robot be hacked? Can we program ethical dilemmas?

• In 1967 only 33 states allowed inter-racial marriage. Today, only 31 states allow gay marriage.

• Origin of the word "computer" was a reference to a person who did mathematical calculations for a living.

• Psychology of Aging. We are living on average 30 years longer than in 1900. Can we think differently about education and work and living so those 30 years aren't just tagged on at the end of our lifespan?

• The "Maker Movement" is all about people making things and sharing ideas.

• If by 2042 we are all a minority, how do we create a majority?