Nelson Mandela's new walk to freedom ...

Robben Island Prison Ferry Sight

Nelson Mandela recently transitioned after a long illness. The "Madiba" (his clan name by which is was often affectionately known) was a towering figure in the 20th and early 21st century, as much for what he did not do as what he did do. His many flaws (played out in worldwide media) served only to highlight the accomplishments - mostly peaceful - that his mere presence sanctioned.

I've only visited South Africa once, and that was just over a year ago. I certainly can't comment on the state of racial affairs there (being barely able to comment on the complexities of race in my own country), I of course saw evidence of racially based inequality (often subtle), but was also amazed at what must have been the changes that have occurred in less than 30 years and with generations still alive who where oppressed and oppressors.


On a personal note, I vividly recall watching Mandela's prison release in 1990. In grad school at the time, a good friend and fellow student was a young woman from South Africa (Titi Pitso has since gone on to do some great work in the South African government). Mandela was released from Victor Verster Prison (in Cape Town) on 11 February 1990. It was a Sunday morning and a quiet day in Arlington and Titi called to say that the news was out and the Mandela was being set free and to quick turn on the TV.

From thousands of miles away, I watched Mandela walk to freedom.

Sadly, when I visited Cape Town, I had hoped to visit the Robben Island Prison where Mandela and many other political prisoners were held. Unfortunately, there were no tickets available for the one free day that I had on the waterfront.

On President Obama's recent visit to South Africa, he compared Mandela to George Washington (a comparison that surely caused consternation), but one that was quite apt. Like Washington, Mandela stepped away from power, both let their countries grow up without their oversight, knowing that the greatest gift is freedom - in this case, freedom from the temptation of demagoguery.


(and, as a pop culture side note, there are some great Mandela songs), I'll randomly choose this catchy one by The Specials):

"Free Nelson Mandela"
Free Nelson Mandela
Free, free, free, free, free Nelson Mandela

Free Nelson Mandela
21 years in captivity
Shoes too small to fit his feet
His body abused but his mind is still free
Are you so blind that you cannot see? I said…
Free Nelson Mandela, I'm begging you
Free Nelson Mandela
- The Specials (Jerry Dammers)

June presentations: 5 presentations, 4 cities, 3 countries, death by PowerPoint!

June was a busy month for presentations. Final tally ended up being 5 presentations (at least one a pinch hit for the sidelined Chris Freeland); 4 different cities (Berlin, Pretoria, Cape Town, Anaheim); 3 continents (Europe, Africa, Asia); 3 countries (Germany, South Africa, USA); 2 time zones (Central Europe, Pacific); and 1 ... uh, can't think of the one!

• Thinking of Linking: A random series of ideas, concepts, Platonic ideals, a yeoman's miscellany, and nonesuch guide to Linked Data, especially as it relates to libraries, archives, and museums. Martin R. Kalfatovic. American Library Association Annual Meeting. Anaheim, CA. 23 June 2012.
• The Biodiversity Heritage Library: Origin | Growth | Partnerships. Martin R. Kalfatovic. Biodiversity Heritage Library Organization and Planning Meeting. Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa. 14 June 2012.
• A Vast Library of Life: The Biodiversity Heritage Library as a window to the living world. Martin R. Kalfatovic. Mae Jemison Science Reading Room. Pretoria, South Africa. 11 June 2012.
• The Biodiversity Heritage Library: Since we last met in November 2011. Martin R. Kalfatovic. 3rd Global BHL Meeting. Museum für Naturkunde. Berlin, Germany. 7 June 02012.
• The Biodiversity Heritage Library: From Local to Global. Martin R. Kalfatovic. BHL Europe Final Events and Review. Berlin, Germany. 5 June 2012.

Passing along #BHLib positive karma to Alex, our Inverdoorn game ranger

We wanted to make sure people like Alex, our great ranger at the Inverdoorn Game Reserve, knew about how BHL could assist them in their work.

Here's Grace handing out BHL cards and buttons to Alex before we headed out on our morning safari.

Team BHL Classic, South Africa contingent, in the mountains outside Cape Town

Team BHL South Africa branch makes a stop (in the Ceres Mountain Fynbos Nature Reserve) on the way from Cape Town to the private game reserve of Inverdoorn.

And he walked his days / Under African skies

Joseph's face was black as night
The pale yellow moon shone in his eyes
His path was marked
By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere
And he walked his days
Under African skies

This is the story of how we begin to remember
This is the powerful pulsing of love in the vein
After the dream of falling and calling your name out
These are the roots of rhythm
And the roots of rhythm remain
- Paul Simon

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time / You understand now why you came this way

A little hard to see in this picture, but here indeed is the Southern Cross. When I was in Australia, I didn't get a chance to look up on a clear night, so I'll consider this my first viewing of the constellation.

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
You understand now why you came this way
'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small
But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a comin' day
So I'm sailing for tomorrow, my dreams are a dyin'
And my love is an anchor tied to you, tied with a silver chain
I have my ship, and all her flags are a flyin'
She is all that I have left, and music is her name
And you know it will
So we cheated and we lied and we tested
And we never failed to fail, it was the easiest thing to do
You will survive being bested
Somebody fine will come along
Make me forget about loving you
And the Southern Cross

- Steven Stills

Quick report on my visit to Pretoria, South Africa

Saturday
9-10 June 2012

Left Berlin according to schedule and departed from Shoenenfeld (SFX) to Cairo. Short uneventful flight, our party of Nancy, Grace and myself me up with our colleague Noha (from Alexandria) and travelled together. Landing in Cairo, we made our way through security to our gate and spent some time in the lounge before boarding our flight to Jo'burg.

Eight or so hours and a few meals later, we were on the ground at JNB. Our scheduled driver never arrived, so we found (or were found by) Alfred, who turned out to be very good. Very chatty fellow. Heard how Christians all need to love one another and help each other. That changed into the story of his father being shot and mother having a stroke. I'm in front so I hear the stories and get to further chat with him. As we approached Pretoria, we suddenly saw a herd of giraffes (in a game reserve) running along side the road.

Get to hotel, Sheraton Pretoria, for a very thorough and attention filled checkin.

Ended up at the hotel restaurant for lunch. A very big and tasty brunch. I took a walk out around the neighborhood, not too much around except the Union Buildings and a bit park. I headed that way and walked around the park part a bit and then up the hill to the Union Buildling. Quite spectacular.

Also there were dozens of vendors selling stuff (baskets, beads, carvings, textiles, etc., the usual tourist things. Spent a long time shopping and haggling. Made some purchases and I think the vendors were happy.

I'd planned to meet an old college friend at the hotel at 1600, but as I walked back towards the hotel I heard a car honking at me and it was her. Chatted and caught up for a bit and then she headed home.

I was down early for dinner, so I thought I'd have a drink. Went to the bar, but Felix the bartender was busy. Waited a bit and then he took my order (Manhattan); no bourbon, so I requested Jamesons. Watched him make it (as he looked at the menu all the time) and he used white vermouth and about 2 tablespoons of bitters. I stopped him and said, no, that won't be good; pointed to the right things to use. He did it again, but didn't have enough Jamesons, so he added Jack Daniels. And the 2 TB of bitters. It was sort of a muddy brown. Tasted, eh, uh, well ... but I didn't want to try it again.

Ate in the Tiffin's Lounge (tied to the bar!). I had lamb burgers (really really good); drinks for the rest of my group were not too far off (if you consider a martini in a margharita glass not far off).

---

Monday
11 June 2012

Got up later than planned and just had a little bit of breakfast. Met Grace in the lobby at 9:15 where we had a car waiting to take us to downtown for a visit to the Natural History Museum (formerly the Transvaal Museum. It was a short drive to downtown and then to the museum. The building is from about 1892, very dusty with some taxidermy in need of refreshing. Toured through the museum for a while and got to see my two favorites, the dodo and the coelacanth, as well as some very interesting taxidermy.

Headed outside and looked at the Pretoria city hall, then walked around; stopped in a small store and picked up some things. Then, since we heard Cape Town would be cold, went to another store and bought a fleece.

Car was waiting for us as planned and we zipped back to the Union Buildings and did some more shopping at the vendors. Walked back to hotel to get ready for our visit to the Mae Jemison Science Reading Room in the township of Mamelodi. Our host, Amy Cole from the US Embassy in Pretoria picked us up in a minivan and we headed out.

We met with some of the students and then Nancy Gwinn, Grace and I gave presentations (on Smithsonian Libraries and the Biodiversity Heritage Library, here's mine). Session went well, we had very good questions and an engaged group. After, Amy and some of the Embassy staff rode with us back to he hotel Grace and I had to swing back to pick up a camera we left behind, but other than that, a great visit. Kudos to the US Embassy staff that helped with the planning and execution of our visit.

For dinner, we had the hotel buffet which again was very good.

---

Tuesday
12 June 2012

Got up at 5 am. Last bit of packing, showered, dressed; downstairs by 6:15; LONG LONG check out process with stamping, printing, etc. Given huge bags with a takeaway breakfast. Car arrives (same guy to brought us there). Much more quiet ride. Get to airport and it's unclear which terminal to go to (since we were split on two differnt flights). I take banana from my lunch and give it to a guy who took the luggage trolley away and said he was hungry. Stop to get a coffee and say "see you in Cape Town" to Nancy. Some last minute shopping (fleece for me and power adapters for both of us). Board the plane without any problems. Get a window seat and some food is served on the plane.

So long Pretoria!

Leaving Inverdoorn

Sunrise in Africa

Dazzle Proper Autumn Make Peaceful

Had our last Constantia Valley dinner before heading out to the bush. We decided to eat at Wasabi again (second time). It was good, so worth a return visit.

Each of our menus had a single word on it; reading clockwise from my corner of the table, we were:

Dazzle Proper Autumn Make Peaceful

---

---

---

---

First menu I've seen with binomial taxonomic names,

For my first meal in Cape Town, we went to Belthazar Restaurant on the V&A Waterfront (thanks Steve and Amy at the US Embassy in Pretoria for the recommendation!).

This was the first time I've ever seen binomial names included on a menu! Three of us got the "Game Kebob" with included:

• Wildebeest (Connochaetes gnou)
• Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros)
• Eland (Taurotragus oryx)
• Springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis)

The fourth just stuck with basic ostrich (Struthio camelus)! We added a tasty side of mashed peas, rice and some bread. Topped off with a Bon Courage Inkara Shiraz.

To be honest, if you didn't tell me it was Kudu, I'd have guessed beef.

BHL Africa meeting concludes with action items and an energy for going forwards!

BHL Africa governance discussion, Cape Town, SA

My phone keeps insisting I'm in New Orleans,

Presentation: Biodiversity Heritage Library Organization and Planning Meeting. Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa #BHLib

The Biodiversity Heritage Library: Origin | Growth | Partnerships. Martin R. Kalfatovic. Biodiversity Heritage Library Organization and Planning Meeting. Kirstenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa. 14 June 2012.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library: Origin | Growth | Partnerships

View more PowerPoint from Martin Kalfatovic

---

Needless to say, the spectacular views from the conference room were a potential distraction for my audience. Luckily (!?) we closed all the blinds an made everyone look the opposite the windows.

Presentation: 3rd Global BHL Meeting, Berlin, German #BHLib

The Biodiversity Heritage Library: Since we last met in November 2011. Martin R. Kalfatovic. 3rd Global BHL Meeting. Museum für Naturkunde. Berlin, Germany. 7 June 02012.

The Biodiversity Heritage Library: Since we last met in November 2011

View more presentations from Martin Kalfatovic

---

@WUlate presenting on Global BHL at BHL Africa meeting, Cape Town

Spectacular conference room view for BHL Africa meeting, Kirstenbosch, Cape Town

Starting to think Cape Town is the most beautifully situate city in the world

Of the places I've been, San Francisco might still be number one, but Cape Town is simply stunning. The clouds over Table Mountain, the clarity of the air, the ocean.

Simply stunning.

Add to that the gardens and vineyards on and around Table Mountain and you get a very Bay Area feel.

Anne-Lisse Fournier talking about #BHLib