Around the World with Bradley: Family in London

Me: Such a relief to get out of RSA. Can’t say anything to anybody about anything.

Me: No hope. The only hope is if people stop calling each other black, white or Indian.

Rhonan: Why not. It’s a good description.

Me: It’s automatically negative. Derogative.

Rhonan: They do it themselves. Affirmative action to designated groups.

Jenny: How often have you called Jimmy a pommie bastard?

Me: Never.

Jenny: Oh yeahh.

Me: Ask Mrs. C. I never say that. Quite frankly it is boring.

 

Jenny: It’s one of the worst schools. Kids who can’t get into the grammar schools. What it feels like to go into the class. Stand at the front and start talking. You look up and not one person is listening. They are talking amongst themselves. Walking around. In and out of classroom.

Jenny: You try anything different. Play some rock music and all the kids from the other classes nor in the corridors wander in. They want to know what is happening.

Jenny: The staff turnover is very high. New acting principle. I’m in the worse position because I don’t know the students but I’m learning. I’m learning who the worse ones are. Some of the older teachers; babysitting prison warders. Their aim for no students to injure themselves or any other students. Sit in the front and let them talk, walk around and watch them. Watch for fights or damage to property. Not even try to teach. I think the parents should be told what’s happening. It unethical for the parents to think their children are actually learning anything.

Jenny: The only bright light. I have a class of older students who have chosen music. Not compulsory. I can do things with them.

Jenny: I need to stay there for a year and then apply for other jobs. They do have a good system in place. You hold your nerve and write out a pink warning slip. Keep writing the slips. If you are in real trouble, you call for a back up teacher who’ll come.

Jenny: Tara growing up in the hotel was more mature. She is an old 18 years. Her man is 29 but he is a young 29. Grew up isolated farming area. I wouldn’t be unhappy if they settle down. He’s an honest hard working man.  She could do worse.

Jenny: Nobody who doesn’t have somebody in their family not affected by crime. Much worse than five years ago. Pay more tax because less and less people pay tax. Corruption in the police force. Previous apartheid police force was at least feared. It had power.

 

Jimmy watches the cricket on TV and loudly barracks for South Africa.

Me: If South Africa played England who would you barrack for?

Jimmy: South Africa.

Me: If Zimbabwe played England?

Jimmy: Zimbabwe.

Me: If South Africa played Zimbabwe.?

Jimmy (thinks about his answer): South Africa.

Me: If England played Australia.

Jimmy: England.

Me: You have a complicated pecking order there. Who do you have down the bottom? West indies or Pakistan.

 

Me: Jimmy what changes have you seen in England in the last 28 years.

Jimmy: More highways, freeways, roads where there weren’t any. New buildings. New shopping centers.

Jimmy: Culturally the southern accent used to be confined to the south. Now its spread more widely.

Jimmy: Food has deteriorated. Nobody makes the traditional old fashioned dishes any more. Nobody cooks properly.

Jimmy: The average Englishman thinks moving 20 miles in that direction is a big change in his life.

 

Rhonan: There’s a word for it begins with a c….cheat.

Rhonan: When is Australia going to have a quota for its team. For the number of aboriginals in its team.

Rhonan: Ntini was in jail for six months for rape and he’s been picked again to fill the quota. I’m not saying he’s not the best bowler.

Me: Well, what are you saying.

Rhonan: Well, I don’t…. Would a white man be picked in the team after being jailed for rape?

 

Tara: At tour school the blacks said they didn’t want to be called blacks. Said they wanted to be called Africans. I ask you what does that make me. I was born in Africa. I’m happy to be called white. What’s the problem?

 

Evening meal is traditional English food. Pizza, oven baked chips and ham steaks.

we watch American Sit Comedies. Drinking coke, eating chocolate.