Week 8 - The Krazzy 4 met the Big 5

Two Lions, about six Elephants, one most amazing Leopard, seven Rhinoceros and a pair of Wild Buffaloes were my company for the weekend. These are the “Big Five” in South Africa and, I got to see all these magnificent creatures  in my first every visit to the game drive. J Nambiti Hills, game reserve is a three hour drive from Durban and, in true essence a 5 star game lodge. I had anticipated that it would be the highlight of my internship and I was proven correct. David, another diamond in the HR pool at Mr Price was entrusted the responsibility of our well-being and, the fact that we did not end up as a lion’s supper speaks volume about his job worthiness. THANK YOU DAVID FOR BEARING WITH US AND OUR BLABBERING.

Before I talk about the wild animals, let me try and describe the routine at Nambiti. Each of us had a huge cottage,in the most picturesque setting, with the best possible view. The staff at the lodge made sure that we had everything we needed. Each day the lodge arranged two game drives. The first one was at 6:30 am and the second at 3:30 pm. Each drive lasted for about three hours and in the middle of the drive we stopped in the wilderness to have a light snacks and drinks. Our ranger was Ross and, he was a super cool guide, passing nuggets of information and trying to make sure that we saw the maximum number of animals possible.

A picture speaks a thousand words and that is exactly what I intend to do. Just see these pictures to realize why I want to go back to Nambiti right now!

Yaay! On a sunny Friday evening we reached Nambiti Hills and, were met by Ranger Ross in his Safari truck.

This mother and daughter Kudu pair was our first sighting. Eventually we saw so many of them it was almost like cars on the highway. :-) But the excitement never dimmed. Yesss, both are females, I know after the safari that only males have horns.

Woohooo... Look at the palatial cabin.

Yup, you take a bath while the lion checks in through the windows that his meal is washed and clean. 

Simba, The Lion King, was waiting with his brother and sister for us on the path. We saw them on the first drive on friday evening. Life has not been the same since. Sigh!

We were maybe, 30 feet from these huge cats and watched them playing. Ross spotted their eyes from miles off. The eyes glowed like lamps when he used a spotlight.

This female elphant decided we had stared at her family for too long and came trumpeting, towards our truck. That was the only time I was scared. Ross knew it was time to hit the gas. It was spectacular.

Before the reminder of our intrusion, by the female elephant, we were busy watching scenes of  the family breakfast. This was on Staurday morning -our  second game drive.

The cheetah's OMG. Nambiti has two seven month cheetahs that they will be releasing into the wild soon but, before that I got a chance to play with them. This was my favourite part of the trip. The feline shape and strenghth is amazing.

Leopards are very difficult to spot. This one was resuced by rangers and will be relased into the natural habitat soon. The EYES.... can't forget the eyes. Don't want to meet him in the wild alone.

These enticing cheetah cubs were also rescued by the rangers and, are being raised to be released into the wild when they are prepared to fend themselves from lions

Saif Mir meets the Meerkat.

This white rhinoceros was grazing by himself and we found him on our third game drive 

While returning home from the third drive we found these rhinos had all gathered to greet us and, ensure that we had a change to meet them properly.

This Wild Buffalo kept looking at us to let us know that we were in his territory. It was also the last of our drives and the last of Big 5 and, I was ecstatic.

My favorite image of the giraffe. We had our morning tea watching him and his brothers fight.

A imphala herd. They were just adorable.

A dazzle of zebras. Yup thats the correct word- dazzle. I just learnt it!

Wildebeest's oblivious to our presence.

A male Kudu looks magnificent with the horns. One twist is roughly equally to 5 years. Hmmm... two twists so this male around 10 years old.

The fantastic four having refreshments and enjoying the game reserve. How cool is it that we actually halt for drinks and snacks in the wild, all the while praying that the lion dosn't cross our path while we are at it.

David was kind enough to take us through the Midland Meanders on our drive back but we kept missing OUR big 5.  Thanks again David and, thanks to Mr Price for the most memorable time of our lives.

Week 7- I jumped from the Karkloof Mountain

Just 3 more weeks to go and, it seems like I just arrived here, in this magical country. When I got selected for the internship, little did I know that this would prove to be such a learning experience. I am talking not just about my work, but about the culture, the tradition, the food and the most amazing set of people. On the work front, Haying and me are collaborating ideas to see how we can provide conclusive results for our projects. The stint at the head office and, the DC is making me understand the complex relationships between shipping and warehouse management. Overall, this week was hectic workwise.

Then the weekend arrived and unlike the other weekends, this weekend was an experience of another kind. Friday we left work early for a trip to the Midlands. Midlands is mainly a road touring destination. An abundance of lush green hills, variety of flora and fauna, Midmar dam and Drakensberg Mountains are just some of the attractions. Though we did not drive as far as the Drakensberg we had a most memorable time. Athi and Sam accompanied us on this trip and, as usual, they were a blast. Friday we checked into a cute little cottage and had the most scrumptious dinner at an inn called Caversham Mill. We all crashed in early that night . We wanted to be rested when we went for a adventure the next day-"Zip Lining.”

Dinner at Caversham Mill

Famous 5 in the backyard of our cottage at Hilton. Hilton is the street not the hotel. :-)

The next day we arrived at the Karkloof Canopy tours, all excited and pumped about the anticipated adventure. This was my first eco adventure and, I was super excited about the ordeal. In zip lining the user travels on pulleys over steel wires while he/she is strapped to a harness. The amazing scenery, the adrenalin rush as you move on speeds as high as 60 Km/hr, has made me a lifelong fan. The Karkloof valley and the forest provided the most amazing backdrop for the sport. The 2 ½ hour experience is something I will always cherish. After this experience we made a stop at Midmar dam and Howick falls we returned back to Durban.

Fearless five who conquered the Karkloof mountains. Huaying and Athi had a screaming competition. Who won? Well, it was a tie. Sam and Jenny were true proffesionals.

Well, for those who didn't believe how high I was- I have proof!!!

Midmar Dam

Saturday was also the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslim’s all over the world, and I hope and pray that everyone’s prayers are answered.  J

Week 6 - Golden times in the City of Gold

Today is Nelson Mandela's birthday and South Africa has found a unique way to celebrate it. Instead of throwing parties and, spending thousands on jubilation the great man has urged everyone to give 67 minutes of their time to others. Nelson Mandela gave 67years of his life fighting against injustice and, this is one of the best celebrations ever.What a noble thought!

 This portrait is kept in Nelson Mandels's house in Joberg.  Look closely and on the left you will see Robben Island (where he was imprisoned) and his footprints in shackles, and once the footprints are on land the shackles come off .

I can't believe that it’s been over a month that I have been in South Africa. The affection and hospitality that I received wherever I went has been overwhelming. Working on the project for Mr Price, we got a chance to interact with the suppliers. Two of the suppliers, Traffic and La Bora actually invited us to visit their offices. The visit to both the suppliers has been very helpful to the project. It definitely broadened our outlook as we could now relate better, with a suppliers perspective. Traffic is a apparel supplier and, the opportunity gave me a chance to see all  the activities involved in making a piece of garment from the scratch. La Bora is a footwear supplier and, I got a chance to see the whole process of shoe-making, firsthand. The staff at both the offices was very kind and helpful in answering questions. These visits will be very beneficial to our internship project. The internship at Mr Price was my first tryst with the retail world and, the project has given me a good understanding of the process, even from a suppliers viewpoint.

Like the shoes? I like them even more after knowing about the hard work that goes into making a pair.

Mr Price took us (interns) to Johannesburg this weekend. At out helm, this time was Edwina from HR. People from work had always told us about Joberg's fast paced life, the long work hours and, the amazing standard of living. Well we got to witness it all. The two nights there were pretty hectic, if I might say so. Edwina and her friends made sure we had no reason to complain. Both the nights, we danced till early morning to the best possible music and the most amazing crowd. Thanks a lot Edwina!!!

Edwina, our guide in Johannesburg.

Nelson Mandela Square

Mr Price had organized a Soweto tour for us. During the apartheid regime, Soweto was a township for the minority. Later Soweto came to the worlds notice in 1976, during the uprising against the government’s policy of education restrictions. During a protest, organized by the school children, the officials opened fire and many students were killed. That proved to be a crucial turning point in the fight to end apartheid. Our guide was a great source of knowledge and we learnt a lot the living conditions, the African struggle for a secular country and even visited a organized working for the betterment of kids.

The  stadium where the 2010 soccer world cup  was held.



Soweto was definately not as we imagined. Look at the house

Nelson Mandela's house is now a museum. He came back to this house after release from prison.

Hector Peterson was one of the children who was killed in the Soweto Protest. Later his image beacme a symbol of fighting against opression. Google his name and you will see the most heart wrenching picture .

I must mention a visit to a local school. The school is run by volunteers and sponsored by donations. “Kliptown Youth Program” is providing education to the kids in the poor neighborhood in Soweto. They also run programs to promote AIDS awareness among the youth. Apparently 20% of the folks are HIV +ve and, a lot has to be done to bring down the numbers. It was heartwarming to see the kids enjoying school and, also getting a special vocation that they could latter turn into a career. Please log on to http://www.kliptownyouthprogram.org.za/ if you want to learn more about this amazing program.

Kids at the Kliptown School. One of the best things about the school is that the students should be self motivated and willing to change their lives. There is no compulsion from the NGO at all.

Well, that’s about all I did this week and in two weeks I will be witnessing my life’s first ever safari and I am pretty stoked about that. J

Week 5 - Rugby, Surfing and City Tours

A friend from home remarked, how it seems I am in South Africa to holiday and not for an internship. Well, seems like he will have the same opinion after today’s blog. On the work front, everything has been going great. Huaying and me, have been shuttling to and fro between the Head Office and the DC . Time has been flying, with a little over a month left, which includes breaks for a trip to Johannesburg and Nambhiti game reserve, we are arranging our findings for the final presentation.

Wednesday was American Independence Day. Unfortunately, I missed what was supposed to be my first 4^th of July in the US. However we decided to have a braai(BBQ) at our apartment and called in a few of our friends and their families from work. One of the perks of our apartment is that it has a fixed BBQ grill next to the pool for the residents. Good food, great music and awesome company made it a great evening.On Friday we witnessed another another rugby game - Sharks vs Bulls. I don’t intend to brag but I will, Mr Price is the official Sponsor of the Sharks and guess which team won. J If that smile is not a big hint I dont know what will be one. After the game we feasted on another Braai. Portia’s family owns a hut (well for three years atleast), right outside the stadium and we were invited to the dinner. Thanks a lot Portia.

The kebabs were awesome. Jenny was the chef. I just skewered.

4th of July - Paartyy time.

Yaa hoo... Sharks Won!!!!!

This Saturday we decided to take it easy and, pretty much do nothing. I am kidding! We drove down to Ushaka marine and took the “Ricksha Bus”. The Ricksha Bus is a 3 hour bus ride through the city during which, the participants get to see some of the city attractions and learn about the history of Durban. For just a 100 rand per person it was a bargain. We saw parts and places of Durban we had never seen or, even heard about. I loved the commentary that told us about when the buidlings where built, the recent changes and their signifiance.

The "Ricksha Bus"

The Moses Mahbida Stadium in the backdrop. P.S. The beer bottle is not mine.

Since the time we arrived in Durban, we had blocked the Sunday  8th July, for Mr Price Pro Ballito Surfing Competition Finals. Yaa, I know a official sponsor of a stadium,  the Sharks( Rugby Team) and also the sponsors for a international surfing competion. Mr Price does it all. Ballito is a 40 minute drive from our apartment and the most enthralling ride through the hills. Like so many other experiences in Durban, the surfing competition was also a first time experience for me. I was surprised at how many people had gathered on the beach to cheer for their favorite surfers. The anticipation and excitement of watching a surfing event is just unexplainable.  You wait for the one big wave which will give the surfers a chance to display the various maneuvers and thus lay their hands on the $40,000 award. It was a fantastic event and, I had a great time.

Mr Price Pro Surfing Competition.

Justin and Claire were at the competition with family/friends

Glenn Hall, winner of the Mr Price Pro. He just won $40,000. Boy,I would like to be his friend.

Well this week we shall be visiting another of South Africa’s cities-JOHHANESBURG.

What have the other Waltonites been upto?

I have been talking so much about my experiences so, I thought it would be nice to see what my classmates have been upto. So, I collected some pictures of a few of us from all around the globe.

This picture is from the orientation in January.Each one of us is busy with their internship/study abroad programs

Monsieur Thibault Vittet is in Oklahoma City. He is the Finance/Controller Intern for Cameron. While the company excels in making equipment for the oil and gas industry, Thibault is exceling in his finance projects. 

I am doing good, buddy. I just bought two diamond mines in SA. Maybe just maybe, I will use your  finance expertise in my company.

Nepali dame, Samita Khadka is enjoying Memphis. She is interning with Fedex and, very happily told me that Fedex even has a office in Nepal. Woooow!!!! If its got a office a office in Nepal it HAS to have one pretty much everywhere in the world.

Yup, Samita we know the arrow goes all over the world. :-)

Charles Hanson, celebrated 4th of July in China this time. Well, Charles if its any consolation I celebrated my first 4th of July braaing ( thats south African for BBQ). He is working for ACCA and, enjoying the dumplings. Follow his pursuits in China on http://waltonmbainchina.blogspot.com/

Here  is Charles on the Great Wall of China. I wonder how much chinese he learnt.

While Charles was in China our original Chinese friend Bin Liu, was in Germany. Bin had opted for the study abroad as part of his summer electives. I am looking forward to hear about his experiences and the seminar on "The Changing Environment for International Business in Europe".

Bin, seconf from left , enjoyed the "European Summer"

Lavery Patricia, is travelling to 3 countries in the 3 month summer break and is glowing with her experiences. She is visiting, Cambodia, Thailand and Srilanka and, if you check her blog, http://www.patriciaflanagan.com/ you can enjoy her internship stories, as well as her experiences with the different cultures.

Hey Trish , you make milling look like fun.

Mark Eastham, is enjoying the wonders of the rainbow nation. He has been " Chilling in the Gauteng" and if you don't believe me check out http://chillininthegauteng.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/portable-kitchen-adventure/

Mark has been exploring South Africa through his work.

Petite Gina Lopez, has had the best of both worlds. She finished a project with "Eden Tree" in Ghana and now she is in London, working for the "School of Social Entrepreneurs". Just for that Gina, you get to have two pictures on my blog. lol

Well, If you didn't believe me look at the pictures. Gina has really gained some valuable experience this summer in two different projects and two different countries 

Matt Lyon, is in my country- India. He is working in Ranikhet and talks about his work and life in India on http://thiseverlastingspoof.blogspot.com/ and it looks like the curries have gone down well with him.

Here is Matt blessing the newly weds. Looking forward to see your bolllywood moves, mate.

Co ambassador Tammy Lippert, has a very tight schedule this summer. She participated in a 2 week study abroad in China and, even got a scholarship for her trip from The Center of Retailing Excellence. She was already a intern with Kelloggs during our spring semester and continues her work there. In addition she was one of the students to get sponsorship for the " Heifer International Global Passport Program". I am sure you are following her on http://mightymba.blogspot.com/

Tammy loved the study abroad in China.

Xiaoyan Zheng is working from Fayetteville. She is working on a project with the City of Fayetteville and enjoying her first summer in Arkansas. She is also working for a Henkel Project.

Well, we can hardly see Xiaoyan, but she is there somewhere in the picture right in front of  her  work place.

I started with the Frenchman and,I must end with the beautiful Emmanuelle Forest. She is working as a sales analyst at Schwan Food Company. Her past marketing experience is adding value to her present internship and its pretty apparent from her picture how exciting it has been. 

Emma is all smiles at work. From France to the US of A , this is just a new beginning. And hey  Emma, you have to get the Pan Pizza for the class. :-)