OUR son bought the tickets and off we went to Silicon Valley.
As junior manager with a MS-Eng degree he is earning three times my salary despite me being principal scientist with PhD and 30 years experience.
It was the stay near Apple headquarters that was the eye-opener that prompted this letter.
We adapted quickly even to driving on the right site of the road.
The clean air and number of hybrid and fully electric cars on the road made it clear that ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles is definitely on the way
out. It made me proud to know that it is a South African that is a major drive in bringing the world to adopt a clean air and solar energy mode of transport.
It was the everyday life on suburban level that gripped my attention.
The stark contrast between living condition there and here was nothing short of spectacular.
No fences or E-gates, no alarms; cars parked in the street or driveway because the double garage is used for storage and/or as man-cave with couch, big screen and the necessities needed for relaxation after a day’s work. Our son actually got irritated because we kept on locking doors. It was so nice to be able to relax and sleep through the night in peace.
Walking our one-year-old grandson to the community playground and interacting with other parents/grandparents revealed the cosmopolitan nature of Silicon Valley.
We heard Spanish, French, Swahili, Tamil, German etc, all happily mingling, a true rainbow community. By then the uppermost question rising in our minds was: why can Palo Alto get it right and eThekwini/South Africa is struggling so to be a peaceful society.
One option for daily exercise is a late afternoon walk around the neighbourhood. The openness and friendly atmosphere was striking. The front gardens and homes close to the side walk gave plenty opportunity to greet and chat.
The friendly atmosphere is further enhanced by the practice to place baskets in reach of the paved sidewalk with surplus vegies or fruit or plants with a “free” advert pinned to it.
Our son told us that city council would publish a date when all home occupants can put surplus or unwanted furniture and possessions out on the sidewalk giving the public going by opportunity to take for free what they want; and after two days, municipality trucks and front end loaders will come to clean up what remained. What a nice idea.
Coming back to South Africa I was confronted by a massive protest action inside OR Tambo airport building and the second night home in Western suburbs, word came through about two armed hijackings and two house robberies in our neighbourhood; what a welcome back to stress level 4.
The question begs: Why, and what needs to be done to grow out of this spiraling madness? Well, from my perspective we first need to get our population growth in check.
I know from personal research for example, that South Africans are using more oxygen than its green vegetation can produce.
The USA has a lower population density than South Africa and has much more oxygen production capacity and carbon absorbing capacity per capita than South Africa.
Smaller family size should be encouraged that can ensure quality of life for each child. The current population growth is not sustainable.
Secondly I know that environment, and especially good nutrition play a major role in brain development and South Africa needs to invest more in each child conceived and in their preparedness for adult life. On the IQ research website South Africa features a dismal average IQ of 77. The US military considers an IQ grade below 80 as untrainable!
The South African School food programme needs an urgent rethink with strong focus on brain development. And nutritional education needs to start at school level and young mother clinics.
All schools should have vegetable gardens as it has been proven that a child that learns to grow vegetables will eat more vegetables.
Hopeful South African
Hillcrest
