Sistine Sound Wall

last year i taught at my company's saturday school in edendale, a 'disadvantaged' area of pietermaritzburg. paul and kate, in addition to seeing what schools look like just a few kilometers from city central, were able to see me stumble my way through almost three hours of lessons in chemistry and drafting (draughting). when my parents came out i somehow managed to time it such that my dad, a retired chemistry teacher, taught the review session the weekend before the nationwide matric exams in the chemistry subject. two stones etc.

but enough of the beautiful stories about americans making the world a better place one lewis dot diagram at a time...

edendale is an area that travel agents put a big pink highlighter 'X' through because travel agents just assume that nobody wants to see goats, chickens and cows wandering between mud shacks and metal crates used to cell airtime. or if they did want to see it they would have just driven to mexico.

a newly built two-bedroom house in edendale (with running water, toilets and electricity) starts at R 220,000. less than many a mid-sized automobile. there are only three problems:

1.) you won't get a lot of your coworkers visiting you.
2.) there's no freeway access
3.) when there isn't enough water or electricity to go around in pmb, edendale is typically the first to be cut off from either or both. we're talking days at a time without being able to flush your toilet.

on the plus side, there just may be a thriving art scene. below please find some of the murals on the wall facing the entrance to edendale's sukuma primary chool.