Oh hey! I almost forgot I had a blog. There was this thing happening in Mzansi that really sucked all the attention out of me. I will give you a hint, it involved Shakira, 32 countries, and Africa…you guessed it, the waka waka song! But seriously, the world cup has come and gone in South Africa and although I am a little depressed it is over, it was an amazing experience and a phenomenal showing for Africa on an international stage. Did you see the closing ceremony?? How cool were those elephants?! And a giant LCD floor in a country where a majority of the people live on dirt or concrete floors, that is something amazing. Sorry for the cynicism, I just got back from a twelve day vacation so I am experiencing a little bit of culture shock without even leaving the country.
Looking back since the 11th of June, the last month has been full of amazing adventures and unbelievable surprises. I spent the opening game, Bafana Bafana vs. Mexico, in my shopping town amongst fellow PCVs and friends from my village and watched as the boys from South Africa started the tournament off on an amazing note. Unfortunately, the next Bafana Bafana game which I spent at a tavern in my shopping town did not end on a positive note. I will spare you a rant on the Uruguayan national team, and relish in the fact that I got to boo Luis Suarez every time he touched the ball at a later match. But the 3-0 whomping of SA was only made worse by the bitter cold that night, and the drunk men who I struggled to communicate with in each others respective broken languages.
The first game I attended was Ivory Coast vs. North Korea in Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. It was my first time out of my village in a long time (2 months) and the PCVs I met up with at McDonalds described me as wide eyed and confused at the bustling metropolis. But I soon adjusted, and although the game was seemingly meaningless in the grand scheme of the tournament it was an amazing spectacle, and the Ivory Coast fans, who danced for 90 straight minutes, were as much of a show as the players on the field. That night, while staying in a backpacker in Nelspruit, thanks to the peer pressure of fellow PCVs and a nice Australian man I bought a ticket to see the USA vs. Ghana game in Rustenberg. Rustenberg is about 8 hours away by public transport and although I was equipped with enough clothes to last me one whole night we all still woke up at the crack of dawn and traveled to watch the boys in red, white, and blue play against the last hope for Africa in the round of 16. The game was fantastic, and although I refrained from screaming “Reea” every time that the Ghana fans shouted Ghana (gets it, Ghana-Reea), I had a blast waving my American flag and yelling god bless America at the top of my lungs.
The finale of the last five weeks was a twelve day trip down the Wild Coast from Durban to Port Elizabeth with 7 other PCVs, and it was remarkable to say the least. The untouched coastline of the wild coast and the sprawling cities of Durban and Port Elizabeth really made me unsure of when I will be returning to the US of A. This country has such remarkable contrast, and it is unlike any experience that I will ever have in my life. The final game I attended was Germany vs. Paraguay in the third vs. fourth place game, and although the night was tarnished by an opportunist forcefully taking my cellular device, it was a great experience and a wonderful way to finish the world cup experience.
Life in the village continues on now. I have finally finished the three month “Community Integration” period in my village (better known as “lock down”) and can start doing projects within the community that will hopefully fulfill the real reason I am here…to meet hot girls. Just kidding, I actually am very excited about the new opportunity to open a soup kitchen/drop-in-center at my organization after space became available in the current building we are operating in. I am in the process of applying for funds, and I will not look too needy, but if anyone has any philanthropic itches to scratch, send an email my way and I will be sure to send you pictures of orphans with full stomachs.
I am also beyond excited to be back with the friends and colleagues who I have grown to love over the last four months. I’m still shocked at the generosity of the people I live with, and how easy it is to put a hole in a soccer ball, but this life is pretty darn remarkable, and as sappy as I sound right now, it would be better to experience for yourself. Please come and visit me, and I hope to hear from all of you very soon. I will be in my village this week, and then gone again next week for IST (Peace Corps In-Service Training) but send me an email and keep on sending packages. A quick reminder on packages, don’t get them insured, it costs me waaaay too much money to get them from the post office if they are insured, and send them in the padded envelopes. Coloring books, and stuff for kids is the best thing to send me. Also, deflated soccer balls and basketballs would be an amazing addition to the neighborhood, and if anyone can find cheap chess sets I would be beyond grateful. I am in the process of setting up a chess club and durable and lightweight chess boards and pieces would be a great asset to my community
I will hopefully get back to updating this frequently, I think my record is two posts in a month, but I hope that everyone reading this is enjoying life as much as I am and I hope to talk to you soon. Stay well. Peace Out.
