07 October 2009

Klerksdorp

Manhattan, New York

Director of Public Relations

The opportunities are truly endless (If I can make it here, I’ll make it anywhere – ring a bell?) and I think as South Africans we have a work ethic and creative approach that manages to impress the Americans. We are also curiously exotic to Americans, what with the accents and the fact that we’re from Africa... (“Oh I know someone who once went to Africa – they loved the pyramids there!”)   The accent is a real door-opener and I often find that phone conversations become long inquiries into my nationality and even, at times, my personality! I remember walking around with a huge smile on my face for the first couple of days in New York – I felt like I was on a movie set – everyone had these American accents!   Earning Dollars makes travelling so easy and affordable and I have been lucky to travel to quite a few places in the States already for work and vacation. It is also amazing to experience the patriotism of the American people first-hand. I was here for the Obama campaign and election and the positivity of an entire nation (Yes We Can!) was absolutely inspiring, as was seeing the White House and Abraham Lincoln statue in Washington DC. These are things we as South Africans grew up seeing only in the movies.

Where to start... water runs down the drain in the other direction, cars drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the road, people don’t understand basic terms like ‘sjoe’, ‘bliksem’ or ‘eish’, they call a jersey a sweater, a handbag is a pocketbook, they’ve never heard of biltong, chutney, boerewors or Niknaks and they think that watching people get thrown off the back of a raging bull at a rodeo is the height of entertainment!   It’s a whole different world and, while mostly it’s exciting and fun, it can be a very strange experience. Culturally, as South Africans, I find that we are much more amenable to people with different ideas and beliefs to ourselves, we are much more tolerant of the unknown and willing to give everyone their moment in the sun. New Yorkers in particular are almost overly ambitious (get out of the way or get trampled upon on their way to the top) and it’s a tough city.   The constant noise of sirens, the pollution, energy coming from thousands of people... is tiring and an easy place for someone to fall prey to the ebbs and flow of society. I think to be really successful in New York you have to be very grounded in who you are and be willing to say no to some of the opportunities that come your way to ensure you don’t lose a grip on reality. New York is not reality. It’s a 24 hour always-on city that offers the best and worst of the world to almost 1.7 million people packed into just under 60 km². (Hell, that’s almost as many people in the whole of Namibia – spread out over 825 km2!) There’s also a great line that New Yorkers love to use, ‘Let’s do lunch!’ You usually don’t.

1. I’ll never forget the first time I walked through Times Square – the lights, the people, hundreds of yellow cabs, noises, smells, music pulsating from countless tourist-trap stores and an overall energy that I had never before experienced. The amazement of this first Times Square experience was only surpassed once, when I recently completed the New York Half Marathon and ran through a cordoned-off Time Square at 8am on a Sunday morning. The eeriness was such a stark contrast, but still absolutely unforgettable.   2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) are two of my favourite hangout spots in the city. If you can look past the throngs of people, you can really lose yourself in the serenity and magic of old masters and modern icons in the cool hallways of these amazing buildings.   3. Central Park is a must-see for any visitor to Manhattan. We spend countless hours in the summer lounging on the great lawn or jogging around the park. The big old trees give shade in the hot summer and in winter, the snow-covered frozen lakes become a winter wonderland where people can ice-skate or ride the carousel. Of all the things to do in New York, Central Park is definitely my favourite.