Saturday

I had a terrific Saturday that included one big surprise ... 

I woke up at 8:30 and my friend Elon picked me up to go the Old Biscuit Mill. 

The old Bisquit Mill is this amazing market. There is every type of food possible from dumplings to falafel. The best part was just walking around and trying everything from the pesto to the cheeses to the chili to the honey. I was truly in heaven. If you happen to be in Cape Town and want to find me, you will just need to go to the Old Biscuit Mill on Saturday mornings. I will be there eating ...

After the Old Biscuit Mill, I went to an expo about employment for people with disabilities. This event was organized in corroboration with Youth Day. Youth Day is a national holiday in South Africa. It commemorates the Soweto Uprising. This is  thousands of students protested against the government for requiring that all schools when the apartheid government issued a law that required  all black  schools to  teach in exclusively  Afrikaans and English. This eliminated the local Xhosa from the classroom. There were 176 people killed (thanks wikipedia). This is the most famous picture from the event. The person being carried is dead and that is his sister running next to them. Elon described this picture to me as he told  me the purpose of the day. 

The expo was very interesting ... I got the cards of some people to call to speak about there hiring practices. As I arrived, I heard an announcement - "The amazing Nicky who drives with no arms will be here in an hour and a half." I had no idea I was going to get to see Nicky. This was my large surprise! It was so much fun to be reunited with Nicky. Even cooler was to see the reaction of the small audience that she spoke too. Everyone was so inspired. There were people with intellectual, mental and physical disabilities. I met one person that was Schizophrenic and another that had Cerebal Palsy. The common thread was that each and everyone was inspired by Nicky's message. It was awesome to hear people raise their hands to ask about how they could learn to drive. 

In the past few days, i have spoken with several people for my research, which I will write about in another post. They have all listed transportation as a top three reason that people with disabilities. The hope that Nicky provided the people in her audience, even me (who doesn't drive), was truly inspiring. I am excited to start working with her in less than two weeks now. 

Before Nicky left, I was able to take a ride with her. It was so cool. I failed to post this video last time I made a post of her driving. Please take the time to watch - http://vimeo.com/34143219. 

Now, I am off to bed. 

- Feldman