Reporters on the Job
• Goats and Trumpets in Jo'burg: The cultural and economic gap between staff writer Abe McLaughlin's world and that of the attempted murderer he interviewed for today's story was quickly apparent. "The day I met Jacob Mayema was the final day of a 10-day mourning period for his mother, who died recently. He was late because his family had just slaughtered a goat, which is part of the mourning ritual."
One of Jacob's main pursuits since getting out of prison is his band, the Alexandra Brass Band (
see story). He has dozens of friends who want to join the eight-member group, but there aren't enough instruments. Just one trumpet, he says, costs about $425. When he spotted my camera, he whistled - and asked how much it cost. I told him about $600. He said, 'I could get a trumpet for that - and then some!'
"When the interview was over, the sun was mostly down," says Abe. "As I was getting in the car, Jacob and his brother were talking to each other in their Xhosa language. I didn't understand everything, but I did get that they were discussing whether it was safe for me - the white guy - to drive through the area alone at dusk. Partly to protect me - and partly to get a ride in my shiny rented VW again - Jacob jumped in and escorted me back to the bridge. He was grinning and flashing peace signs to everyone he saw in his eastern Johannesburg neighborhood."
• No Coffee Today: Out of politeness, reporter Nick Blanford normally accepts the customary offer of coffee when he does interviews in southern Lebanon. But during Ramadan (
see story), he declines. "They still offer, but I don't partake of coffee, tea, or food when I'm with them out of respect for their fasting," he says.
David Clark Scott
World editor
Cultural Snapshot
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YOU WON'T NEED THIS:
A bodyguard reaches to remove a praying mantis (facing toward Mecca?) from the turban of Iranian President Khatami during a speech to students on Tuesday.
HASAN SARBAKHSHIAN/AP
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