First Day of Work, Becoming a Witsie




After today I have met some people who work at the international office, started navigating my way around the Afrikaaner and Zulu accents I come across on a daily basis, and said the phrase "T.I.A." in my head about 600 times. I am still without internet in my room, which I was hoping to accomplish on my first day. Since there has been a gas leak and a 6 hour power outage in my first two days on campus, the process of accomplishing things has slowed somewhat. I started work today and will be working on the IEASA conference administration and maybe a few side projects that I'm thinking about. After working only 5 hours a day for the last year, it felt strange to put in a full 8.5 today. I was taken on a walking tour of campus by one of my wonderful internship coordinators. She's a round, jolly, and very funny German lady who runs one side of the Wits international office. Her counterpart, a gentleman who has been helping me navigate becoming a Witsie, is very tall and thin, has a gaunt face, and a strange goatee, emphasis on the goat. He's very nice and they both make jokes a lot which makes me feel much more comfortable. Today when I walked in, goatee guy told me I was overdressed to go work in the mines with the other interns.
I had to make a few calls to some of the other admin offices on campus today and was delighted to hear this said: "she's busy chattin' up a storm, I can try her back in a mo', or you can give her a tickle in a bit". It also might have been tinkle. Either way, I was tickled. Apparently the World Cup South Africa Committee has promised that there will be enough power for all of South Africa during the games because they are purchasing it from other countries and private providers. No one believes this.

Just as I was about to leave today I discovered that Wits was holding their graduation ceremony this evening. Ever the purveyor of cultural experiences, Frau Jolly immediately got on the phone and found a way to get me a ticket so I could see it. I ended up going, meeting a few professors and seeing about half the ceremony. It's very similar to the American style graduation, and they take most of their cues from Oxford as far as regalia. I think everyone does. I did snap some photos of the campus today and some of the graduation ceremony which I hope to post when I have internet access. It's many people's last night in town tonight and so I'm going out with some people here to celebrate. It will be my first foray into Jo'burg nightlife and I'm looking forward to it.

The group included a German, a Zimbabwean, and two americans, counting myself. I got loads of good tips for traveling to Victoria Falls and now cannot wait to go. How crazy to think I'll be there in just a week and a half! I'm very excited for the trip and now feel very informed on how to make the most of my time there.

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