I was most impressed with Nomfundo when I first watched the show and am even more impressed after talking with her in person. She is clearly one of the more intelligent people in the group, not that this is a characteristic likely to endear one to other contestants. She's pleasant, fluent, relaxed, witty, and insightful.
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The early stage of this game is the most dangerous in several senses: The tribe needs to vote someone out and they don't yet know any of the other members well enough to make a wise or informed decision about this. So they are especially vulnerable to snap decisions based on what may actually be very trivial events.
And there's a concern to identify some noticeable weakness in another contestant, and to bring this to the attention of others, so as to draw the danger of eviction to someone other than themselves.
Contestants underestimated her
Nomfundo is not a very strong swimmer, and hesitated before they all jumped off the boat – so it was immediately assumed that she was a poor swimmer and that she would not be competent in any challenges requiring physical performance. She appears to have been seen as an intellectual and without appreciating what her intelligence, and indeed her specific skills, could contribute to group performance in challenges.
Trained as a chemical engineer, Nomfundo works in the specific field of Process Design, which means that when, for instance, a chemical plant is being set up, she needs to assess the big picture and plan how the plant needs to be designed so that the different complementary processes can work together effectively and safely.
Now that's a useful skill in the earlier stages of Survivor when the tasks often need a team effort and someone able to assess what is needed to organise the group so as to best use its resources, could be really useful.
Looking back on what went wrong
As the first contestant to be evicted, she was asked what she thought went wrong; and she said she thought nothing in particular went wrong. She considered that such decisions are necessarily based on a hunch and initial impressions this early in the game.
I asked how they reached the collective decision at the start, to wait until everyone was unshackled, and then jump off the boat together. She said the decision was reached rather quickly, after someone suggested it, as it seemed common sense and fair to all.
When asked about the clothes she was wearing, as she appeared to be hampered in her swimming by the outfit, she claimed it actually it wasn't a problem and that she had carefully chosen these clothes, as she realised that whatever you arrive in, you may be wearing for rather a long time. She said she thought of the mosquitoes and sand fleas and so chose a garment that covered her well, while being light-weight and not too hot.
Some of the ways we saw her in the program raised the question of whether she might have been a bit of a loner, but she said this was not the case as she usually works well with others. She admitted she hadn’t formed any alliances, though she quite effectively formed relationships with some of the others, which explains why the vote was so close.
Perhaps she was also aided by Lisa's bizarre behaviour. There have been many other lazy contestants, but never one who worked so very hard to advertise their laziness and who has defiantly rubbed everyone else's noses in her sloth. Like Nobesuthu, I wonder what effort Lisa may put into mending fences, whether she can truly overcome this powerful first impression.
Predicting the overall winner
Making very early alliances and promises may be helpful - or a problem, if you then find yourself bonded and promised to someone who emerges as a major liability, but who expects you to keep your initial promises.
Nobesuthu said she found the experience fascinating and said it was “So far outside my entire sphere of experience.” She said she was struck by the fact that however much one may have viewed previous series, the actual heat and insect assault is so much worse than anticipated as “You're always soggy and being bitten.”
She admitted she didn't have any firm game plan, except to take each day as it came and said it was more difficult than expected to get used to being watched by cameras 24/7.
She had no idea as to who would be most likely to win, but the person she would like to see win would be Lorette; who she described as having a strong work ethic, being able to think outside the box and was sensible and relaxed.
She was really surprised to see some footage where, as she walked down the beach, Lisa and another gloated and chortled with glee about the thought of her being evicted and said she hadn't recognised at the time the degree of malice the pair shared, and felt it appeared to be personal malice directed at her, without any reason she could think of. I think we'll need to watch those two and see if they switch the target of their malevolence to someone else.
(Professor M.A.Simpson, aka CyberShrink, August 2007)
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