The rhythm of drums and magnificent beauty. How easy for me to resonate with this incredible country. A place were the 2 oceans meet "the Indian and the Atlantic". Both with different temperatures and very divers vegetation. A whispering sound of the breath of omnipresence. I dance with the breath of this part of the world: "Simple and without any hesitation". Africa is in my blood. The sceneries, the spoken different languages and the abundance of all we call life itself. The enormous rainbows reminding us that the sun is waiting even in the darkest moments of our essence. The beauty of the people. I love the contrast. The white teeth in the dark faces. I always loved the dark coloured skins especially while observing the easiness of perfect smiles.
I just saw small parts of South Africa and I am only here since 2 years. I am not at all a specialist of such an enormous country. I do not know most of the politicians, I am not aware of most famous researchers and scientists. I just walk and live in the present and enjoy staying at the fullest of what I am able to. Cape Town is called one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I can only agree. Cape Town = The Mother-City embracing all small particles of million expressions of the breath of God.
When you follow the Garden route, watching the sceneries, silence is the only expression. The Kruger Park in which miracles occur in front of the seeker, not waiting to see the big 5, but knowing that everything happens at the right moment at the right time everything included. The fast speeding Black Mamba,
the grace of the walking leopards and the magnificence of the Big Feet = the elephants. The flexibility of most antelopes and the singing sound of bird life. What kind of creativity is able to have this unlimited expression and connected with so much joy all what is alive? A smile of gratitude to be able to observe.
I am riding frequently on a white small scooter. The dream of feeling free. Kanoing in the Atlantic Ocean in the midst of large groups of dolphins. The Table Mountain. When ever you visit Cape Town please remember to always welcome the table mountain. World heritage with uncountable forms of life in the midst of a city. Life started somewhere in Africa and I can imagine why. Every blood cell comes alive.
I still travel with the mini-buses one of the best public transport systems I have ever seen. The drivers stop when you want and it is affordable for almost everybody. I am aware that not all drivers have their driving licenses and it can be dangerous. Sometimes people tell me not to use it since it is dangerous. I am reflecting on that since what is the value of my life in comparison with the lives of others? Many (black) children using the mini-taxi's to their schools. Is it not dangerous for them? I still know that an accident took place in which many children lost their lives. The driver passed some waiting cars to cross the rails, at the moment that all signs were on red, due to the fact that the train arrived. When I heard the news I was not able to speak. Speechless! I lost the ability to speak. No sound. I had to write some phrases but even that was not very successful. What part of me died? The need of protection of the children? Mothers living far from the working environment and having to trust that their children will reach school and home safely. How much pain this mothers felt was resonating in my body, mind and thoughts. African mothers are born mothers. How much pain?
Due to apartheid whole districts disappeared. We went to a performance of school pupils who showed what happened to the citizen's of district 6. Nothing to laugh about. Past, yes fortunately, but most people still live far from were they work and therefore the children have more risks without the protection of their loving mothers. I read a small phrase in a shop in Hout Bay where everything is made of recycled tea bags by the local community. It said: "Woman are as tea bags, when the temperature is really hot you will smell, taste their strength". African women are amazing.
Je pense donc je suis, Descartes = I think and therefore I am. Living in France I had to deal with the basis of this thinking. In South Africa you are since you belong = Ubuntu. It is always difficult to understand what is important and what does not matter that much the moment you arrive in another country. I always like to apologize towards others telling them that I hopefully come in peace and that the mistakes I make are never meant to hurt. But I am aware that I make mistakes and it seems that I am allowed to make them in South Africa. Alicia is helping us a lot by keeping our house clean and even more important, teaching me a lot of cultural issues.
After a "Goddess Party" I organized, she and her two daughter's stayed over-night in our place, my husband was not there. The daughters, Thomakazi, Siphosetho and her son Ululutho slept in one of the bedrooms. The light was on since at nights the lights can not be turned out when Ululutho is sleeping. Impossible! Alicia and I shared the same bed and while watching her, I knew instantly: "She is royalty". Alicia with her peaceful, compassionate energy. An earth angel.
I still know how upset she was when it turned out that both her daughters were pregnant. She was crying since she wanted for both of them another future. Late at night we could not let her take the public transport system and therefore we brought her back. At certain moment I felt at the wrong time (night) at the wrong place, in the wrong car with the wrong (white) skin color. After we arrived and wanted to drive back the whole village took care of us. Her house is very cozy and one of the cleanest houses I have ever seen. The boys who "made" the girls pregnant by seducing them never paid "Lobolo". They just ran away. Ulutlutho = most precious and Kwakhanya = light, never saw their fathers. What I think of it? Nothing. I felt hopelessly angry since one of the girls is also HIV positive. After giving birth to her child she was very ill. Ammonia, tbc and epileptic attacks. All at the same time. She was hospitalised and I visited her during this time. I was sure she would die. Laying in her own dirt my addictive behavior /reaction is to turn very angry. I went to the responsible managers screaming: "I want to have clean sheets now". In the evening all patients had new sheets and the rooms were clean.
Later my son Derk Jan and I went with Thomakazi to the hospital for checking her blood and immune cells. We were holding her and Derk Jan asked me: "Why do the nurses and doctors show so little compassion?". I explained that they must feel compassion but there are too many people suffering and it seems that it never comes to an end. Thomakazi is responding well to the medication and is singing, dancing and studying again. She bonded well with her beautiful daughter.
Alicia is missing a finger top due to the believe system of the tribe she is coming from. They will remove this finger top shortly after the baby is born. It is to protect the kidneys and the eyes as far as I understood. Very strange for me after learning from the yoga perspective that we can bring healing by pressing our finger tips. Our fingers are connected to the brain in the first months in the womb and therefore each finger carries the intelligence of the brain connected to certain organs. Can I talk about this different approaches without being a new kind of missionary? Why should I since the daughters and grandchildren have still all their fingers.
I learned how to cary the little babies on my back. It seems that our new born grandchild Max loves it.
Sometimes people ask me about different apects of life in South Africa. For example of what I think of president Zuma. Is it allowed to have an opinion of a president as a foreigner without knowing the situation, circumstances and the person himself? I have not the slightest idea to what extent I would be able to answer this question. South Africa is a democratic Republic and president Zuma is elected by the majority of the population. How arrogant it would be to just judge him without knowing ins and outs. I always admire people who take responsibility, even when they are more frequently criticized by the media. Who wants to do certain jobs? I have met people that work close with president Zuma and they refer to him as being intelligent, creative, focused and having a great sense of humor. Yes, I know he has more wife's that what we experience as "normal" in western societies.
I am not knowing enough of all the different cultures in South Africa.I feel very much as a very "beginning" student of what is new to me. I just know some insides, pictures of the history of the Zulu people from the movie Shaka Zulu. I have the impression that this movie is made through the eyes of foreigners and is different from the stories and facts told by "real" research and historical sceintist. I have to admit that I like the music. I am not sure why.
What about culture differences? Let us make a small journey. Let us reflect on what is sometimes said and written in Hinduism. Children chose their own parents. It's an agreement made before being born "again" on planet earth. Reincarnation depending on what to learn in the next life. Souls are waiting for having a next chance to live again. Before we get born we, as souls, will ask around and check our new parents. It might be that I asked Deepak Chopra to be my father. He listened carefully since this is what he normally does and asked me about what I wanted to learn and how I wanted to express myself in this live and when? Since we are very honest in the unified field I tell him that I have to learn that good and bad are parts of the same coin. That I have to learn to live with alcohol and drug addiction to reflect on my own patterns and addictive behavior. That I have to learn via emotions and feelings of unconditional love. A very different path than the learning from the intellect. Deepak, knowing him now, might have expressed that he does not have time for that, since he wants to show how to transform certain behavior. He can not be drunk to show me where addiction is leading to. He might have refused my request and said: "I will be close to you as a "teacher". You will be able to read my books and scriptures and this will remind you on who you really are".
Coming back to president Zuma, from this perspective he is a real hero. He said yes to so many requests. He made it possible for many souls to be "reborn" on planet earth. At the same time he was a prisoner and became the president of South Africa while having a huge family. Many souls that have due to him possibilities to be (co)creators in this life. Interesting thoughts? Childish? You do not believe in it?
Do not worry: It's just a different expression of reality. Just observe what it does to you changing the concepts of reality. My father was drinking a lot of alcohol during a short period in his life. At that time I had a lot of anger and felt victimized. Poor child. Years later I still talked about it. Repetitive thoughts. Remarkably boring. The same music (out of tune). Years after my father stopped drinking I still treated myself as child of an alcoholic. I learned to let go and release. I first was able to "forgive" my father. I know it is a bit ridiculous: "Me, being the God of somebody else". Years later I was able to forgive myself. What step I made!!! Can you imagine what transformation I made when I thought of the possibility that I had chosen my father? That I was the one that asked him: "Can you please drink as crazy and mirror addictions to me? Can you imagine he said yes since he loved me so much and as a result I was able to learn from that? Walking around as drunk as he was? I might have said: " f.ck off" Just a small shift in perception and life looks different.
You do not believe it? You might be right. Maybe it is nonsense, but this kind of thoughts made me free. Yes, I respect president Zuma, since the majority of black people I met voted for him. Yes, I can only love him since he lived in prison and has still a good sense of humor. Yes, I appreciate president Zuma since he is much more dedicated to his country that I am able to. Is this a "good" answer? I am writing this post while being in Kenya, Mombasa. Nothing else to do? The ocean is whispering words and the people keep saying Hakuna Matata = No problem. Thank you universe for giving me this life. Every single second makes sense. I feel grateful. Thank you Africa for "teaching" me so much. HAKUNA MATATA
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