Robben Island to Wall Street

243

Midwest, USA

$V FDQ EH LPDJLQHG P\ H\HV NHSW JURZLQJ ELJJHU DQG ELJJHU DW WKH VFHQHU\ DQG , ZDV RQO\ KDOI OLVWHQLQJ WR ZKDW 9LFWRU VDLG ,W EHJDQ WR VLQN LQ WKDW , ZDV UHDOO\ LQ WKH GUHDP ± , ZDV LQ $PHULFD :H HQWHUHG WKH FDPSXV RI WKH 8QLYHUVLW\ RI &LQFLQQDWL ZKHUH 9LFWRU ZDV VWXG\LQJ IRU D 0DVWHUV GHJUHH LQ HFRQRPLFV :LWKRXW DQ\ ZDVWH RI WLPH ZH SURFHHGHG WR WKH VWXGHQWV¶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¶W JHW D ZRUG LQ WRWDOO\ RYHUZKHOPHG E\ KHU SXVK\ KXVEDQG , VWD\HG ZLWK WKHP IRU D ZHHN EHIRUH 9LFWRU GURYH PH WR 0XQFLH VRPH NP DFURVV WKH VWDWH RI ,QGLDQD 'ULYLQJ WKHUH RYHU VPRRWK KLJKZD\V , ZDV TXLWH VXUSULVHG E\ WKH YDVW WUDFNV RI URZV RI OXVK FRUQ¿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¿HG WKH ,QWHUQDWLRQDO +RXVH ZKHUH , KDG EHHQ WROG WR UHSRUW WR 0U .LUN 5REH\ WKH :HVW $IULFDQV FDOOHG KLP µ.DUN 5XE\¶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¿QJ P\ ¿UVW LPSUHVVLRQ ZDV WKDW RI DQ LQFUHGLEO\ EHDXWLIXO FDPSXV 7KH VXUURXQGLQJ ODZQV ZHUH FDUSHW OLNH LQ WKH EULJKW VXPPHU VXQ 6WDWHO\