The time is now. In-depth has officially begun!
Our in-depth project is the finale of all the skills, lectures, chats, (virtual and non) that we have learnt up until this moment.
Our topic for this year is Chinese Johannesburg. Tick, tick, boom!
There are four subthemes: future and history, work & play, tradition & family as well as culture and community (this is my group’s theme).
My initial pitch was focused on the Chinese school and the distinctions between it’s curriculum and that of local schools.
I was hoping for the school to be an entry point to the plight of Chinese students. I wanted to focus on assimilation and the idea of an imagined community. An imagined community that is the original homeland (mainland china, Honk Kong) and the real community which is in South Africa.
Last week I headed to Cyrildene hoping to find a few school learners.
I found one who has only been in the country for three years.
He used to be in a public school in Jeppe but eventually left because of bullying and xenophobia.
I am meeting him and his neighbour at their new school in Edenvale tomorrow.
Today, I headed to the Chinese school in Johannesburg, I called the school on Friday to set up an appointment and because schools were still closed last week I was told by the receptionist to come back on Monday to meet the headmaster at 10.
I arrived to an ominous setting … because nobody was there. Schools were still closed and the headmaster had just left after I arrived for the appointment.
I was told that the Chinese school no longer exists and that the school is now Sandton View school.
I decided to go back to the department and make a few calls. None were fruitful as nobody picked up the phone.
I initially thought that the element of what happened to the school when the Chinese immigrant population is on the rise would potentially be a good story.
I decided to be proactive and go to the Fujian Cultural Association to ask them about the Fujian community and where their children are sent. The centre is on Derrick avenue in Cyrildene. We were told by the lady who assisted us that they were not able to assist us as she had no idea. I headed off to the Chinese cultural centre to find that it was closed. There was no contact number or anything online. I have to try again tomorrow.
Initially my multimedia pitch wanted to focus on the underground pub games scene in Johannesburg. I would focus on Sudoku.
However throughout the weekend it become increasingly apparent that this would probably not be the best complimentary multimedia for my story.
I have decided to focus on the hierarchy and politics of the business community. Particularly at the Oriental Centre in Bruma. This weekend Thuli, Shandu and I headed there to get some more insight into the community particularly concerning entrepreneurial aspects. I noticed that there were some shops that had another stall outside of the main shop.
When I spoke to Brigitte Read, who has been a phenomenal source with our topic and assignment she told me that the stalls outside were actually rented out by the shop owners themselves and not the landlords.
Therefore I am going to try and do a video which illustrates the complexities of the business culture and community.
Sjoe, after a busy day I will end with a chinese proverb from Confucius that I think will sum up some of the challenges I am to face:
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising everytime we fall” – CONFUCIUS
Source: quotesnsmiles.com
Inked 