“Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today… I wanna wake up in a city, that doesnt sleep And find I’m king of the hill - top of the heap” -Frank Sinatra’s ‘New York, New York’

The energy that was in the air on the morning of Thursday, the 9th of July was nothing short of electric. WIP and SAWIP gathered at the Bethesda bus stop to begin our journey to arguably the greatest city in the world, New York! The bus ride was long, the anxiety/excitement palpable and the air-conditioning too cold but at last, we arrived. We stayed in a brand new block of New York University dormitories somewhere near Greenwich Village with a randomly selected group of roommates. Myself and Fazlin had the pleasure of sharing with Anne Parsons and Una Matthews from the Irish team. Even though we were hardly ever in our rooms, the 4 of us bonded quite well especially when we realised that we would had to share just one mirror in the communal bathroom. It was really great for me to have the opportunity to spend more time with Fazlin but also to connect that much more with Anne and Una.

Just like one would expect, every second of our time became a New York minute. We had just two and a half hours to get ready to meet with Ms. Kathleen Behrens, who is the Executive Director of NBA Cares, the National Basketball Assosciation’s social responsibility unit. We engaged with Ms. Behrens on the issue of civic involvement on all levels, from grassroots to international charity networks and beyond. I felt that Ms. Behrens gave us all the chance to appreciate that we can make a difference within our home communities and that we don’t have to be basketball superstars to indeed go out there and make a valuable contribution to the world.

Later that afternoon, the SAWIP team had the pleasure of meeting with Ms. Anne Landsman, a South African making her mark on the literary scene both at home and in America. Ms. Landsman shared with us her journey from being a young South African in New York not so long ago to her more mature “self” who is now wiser and better. Ms. Landsman’s story-telling ability shone through as she explained to us how she experiences the writing process, the challenges that are innate to that process and her understanding of the new South Africa. I could feel her passion and love for our shared country and understood how she weaves that passion into every word of her books. I appreciated being in the presence of and relating to someone who, like me, holds South Africa in her heart.

Thursday night ended early, and with good reason: we were awake at 6am on Friday morning and by 9am we were at the offices of the South African Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the South African Consulate. We had the honour of engaging with the talented individuals who represent our country in the General Assembly of the world’s most important and influential multi-lateral organisation. We also had the chance to engage with some of the Mission’s staff who served as South Africa’s representatives on the Security Council from 2006 to 2008. I think I speak for everyone when I say that this was an invaluable experience that taught us all so much about the inner workings of the United Nations and also, the tough decisions that have to be made every day on the basis of South Africa’s national interests. I also enjoyed being on South African “soil” again, if only for a few hours.

Our Friday afternoon ended on a high note with our visit to the offices of Standard Bank SA’s operations in New York. It is worth mentioning that just across the street from our meeting venue, the South African flag was flying high outside the front entrance of the famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel. All this because they heard that the SAWIP team was going to be in the neighbourhood! Mr. Albert Maartens and his amazing contingent of staff, from South Africa and everywhere else in the world you could possibly imagine, made us feel at home and gave us so many insights into the concrete jungle that is New York. It was so amazing to see young South Africans making a name for themselves and representing our country so well. I walked out of that meeting with so much optimism and hope for the impact that South Africa is making on the international economic scene.

On Saturday morning, we were given the whole day to go sight-seeing and that’s exactly what I did. Driving and walking around New York city, I saw some of Chinatown; the Rockefeller Centre; Fifth Avenue; Times Square; the construction site around Ground Zero; the Statue of Liberty and had ice-cream in Central Park. It is almost impossible for me to describe just how much this opportunity meant for me simply because I have never even known anyone who has been to New York before. Now, I can go home and describe seeing those sights, walking those streets and feeling that buzz that one can only get from being in New York City. I feel privileged and honoured to have had the chance to visit this amazing place and I hope to help others, just like me, share in that very same feeling in the near future.

Exhausation set in on the bus ride home but I think the silence of the journey was more than just everyone being too tired to even speak, it was everyone savouring the moment and committing it to memory.

“And if I can make it there, I’m gonna make it anywhere
Its up to you - New York, New York”