October 12th - Just for fun!!

 I thought I would add one last update to demonstrate a personal benefit of participating in a CSC initiative.  I had the great fortune to work with people from 10 different countries and develop new friendships. I also had the opportunity to bring some of my family to Cape Town for a week of vacationing after the project was done … OK … 8 members of my family (children, hubby, sister and nieces).  When traveling that far from Canada … you maximize your trip if at all possible!  

Bob and Keiko - to Robben Island

Look forward

Other members of the team also stayed on to do some more exploring of this wonderful country and we did all manage to meet up in Cape Town to do some sight-seeing and have dinner together. 

Prashanth and family

Our group dinner!

What better way to close off the adventure than with a group shot of my family and  friends – Bob (Canada), Keiko (Japan) and Prashanth and his family (India).

I do expect to drop in to visit some of my new friends when I’m in their neighbourhood!! (Australia, US, Brazil, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Japan, China, and South Africa – again).  I better start saving!!

October 6 - Finishing Up the Project

Over the past 4 weeks we have had the opportunity to visit schools, talk to the educators and the administrators, work with the Department of Education and teach some of the IT resources at the department.  We’ve asked a lot of questions, had many discussions, presented some ideas, documented a strategy and built a ‘proof of concept’ school portal. 

The School Portal

Today, we presented the new vision roadmap for Information and Communications Technology and demonstrated the capabilities of the new portal to the Executive Board.  For the first time in my experience, the CFO actually stated that he gave this new vision 100% of his support.  We must have done something right to get the head finance person to endorse the project.

Yep .. chicken head and worm!!

We started off the project with a big gala dinner and now we close off the project with another gala dinner.  We had requested some true South African cuisine and that is exactly what we got.  The evening began with presentations from the 2 teams working with the Department of Education and then moved on to dinner.  We began with an appetizer of chicken livers, and then proceeded to a buffet of delicacies such as; pap, chicken feet, chicken heads, Mopani worms, beef tripe, grilled chicken and pork, spinach, squash and salad.  It was completed with a lovely selection of desserts.  I must say I was a little intimidated but I did manage to try EVERYTHING except the chicken heads.  I did enjoy the meal .... it was only the Mopani worms I would be reluctant to try again.

Getting our souvenirs!

They presented all the IBM team members with some souvenirs.  With heartfelt thanks, we bid them farewell and promised to stay in touch.  

The entire experience was fulfilling on so many levels.  One can only be motivated to do more for our fellow humankind!

October 1st – Kruger National Park

Of the many South African’s we have met throughout our stay … most of them have asked us this question …. “Have you been to Kruger”?  Well before our departure to South Africa, the team had been planning a weekend trip to Kruger.

One of many elephants

Bright and early (4:30 am) on October 1^st , we dragged our weary, sleep deprived bodies to our tour bus comforted by that fact that we had a 2.5 hour drive (uummm nap) ahead of us.  Dawn would soon break and the awe and splendor of the park would soon unfold before us.    

An eagle!

A water buffalo!

Keeping it clean!

Just having a sip!

Mom and her cub!

We arrived at the park just before 7 am and began the tour of the park.  Incredible!!  From very early in our tour we encountered elephants, giraffes, water buffalo, zebras, and impala just to name a few.  We spent hours driving through the park over the next 2 days – early morning, late afternoon and in the evenings and managed to see hundreds of animals at close range.  The best I can do is to some a few of the thousands of pictures that were taken during our tours.  It was breath taking!

A very young leopard!

So .. when you go to South Africa … you have to visit Kruger National Park!!