Greetings loyal blogsters!
I just wanted to make contact before I head off for the high seas, the open road, or whatever other cute euphemism you got for getting the heck out of this town! I’m leaving today to go to Mozambique, Swaziland, and other points in South Africa.
Since I last came at you guys not all that much has been going on. I have sort of finished my exams and therefore my first full year of school in another country. Awww…aren’t you proud? I am! I am taking one last exam on the 22nd of November because I was too sick to take it at the time I was supposed to take it last week. I had a really wicked throat infection and studying was even harder than it usually is, so I opted out and will take the exam in a few weeks. The other exams went fine I guess. I don't think I'll be getting straight As again...but also I've been doing cooler stuff than studying, so it's all good in the end.
My friend Raoni has left for Brazil. I don’t really feel that much about it because when you make a friend like Raoni, nothing can come between you…even geography. Right, Graeme? When we said goodbye for the last time it was emotionally emotionless…if that’s possible. So although he’s not just an hour away from me now…I don’t mind so much. I think I was ready for him to go home (as if it had anything to do with me…). He came back from Mozambique a few weeks ago and then headed home a few days after that. We had one more chilled out day in Pretoria and then hugs and goodbyes. I’m actually so happy for him to go home because every once in awhile I have mental images of all the wonderful hugs and smiles he is getting and giving to those he hasn’t seen at home in months. That’s just good vibes and good vibes are what it’s all about! Also he’s been out traveling for a few months and even if you are a vagabundo like Raoni, it is still nice to get back to this business of life. Of course life is happening every minute of your existence whether you are living it up as a free spirit vagabundo or pushing pencils in a cubicle somewhere. You learn from each sort of existence. I know though, that for me, if I’m sort of just floating in space for too long without moving forward that I start to feel pretty strange and stagnant. A sort of “what’s the purpose of my life” type of thing. It’s nice to be able to apply my energy to the future and moving forward…although I do love a nice ramble here and there.
As of a few hours from now I will be homeless myself....living the vagabunda dream. That’s sort of an exaggeration because I’m not sleeping under a bridge or anything. But, I am moving out of my dorm today and hitting the road. I’m so excited because I’ve been cooped up in Pretoria in a tiny dorm room for a bit too long for my tastes. And I’ve been shackled to a semester of classes that were not challenging enough for me or teaching me much of anything new. Frustration! So it will be nice to be free again to mold my own destiny outside the confines of studying and going to school. I’m moving my stuff to my friend Cliff’s house in Midrand (halfway between Pretoria and Joburg) and using that as my home base. I hope to travel the Rotary District as much as my bank roll will allow…which is what I’m off to do today.
So today I leave for Mozambique for one week. I have a visa there that allows me to come into the country 2x and it expires in one week…so this seemed like as good a time as any to head back to one of the coolest places on the planet. Plus that little sticker in my passport was expensive, so I need to make the most of it! I will be staying with Rotarians there and giving some speeches. I think I’ll mostly be in Maputo, the capital city.
After Moz I will head off to Swaziland (one of the small countries landlocked by South Africa) to also visit Rotarians and give speeches. I haven’t been to Swaziland in 5 years so it will be nice to go back and spend some time. It’s a beautiful country with some very nice people. And a lot of the mental static encountered in SA is absent from the place….(sigh of relief).
Then I have to come back to Pretoria to take this exam that I missed and then I’m headed out again “on the circuit.” I’ve been invited to a place called White River in the Mpumalanga province in SA. It’s just N of Swaziland and just W of Mozambique. It’s sort of a shame I have to come back to Pretoria for this exam because I’ll be doing a lot of backtracking, but sometimes these things happen. I’ll be giving a speech there on Nov 26th and then I don’t really know what I’m doing.
As far as going home to the USA…not sure if it’s happening now. Long story. I am really amped up to go home now, so I’m working on making it back if possible. The thought of carne asada tacos is just too seductive. Oh, and I want to hug my mom, bro, dad, and friends. I think I'll be here for Christmas...which is pretty cool. Right now I plan on going to Polokwane (in the N of SA) w/a friend from the radio station. I'm going to have an Irish Xmas in South Africa. Life is full of oddities and fusion...
Radio…
Well I’m not really going to be working at TuksFM right now. I sort of quit I guess, but my boss asked me to come speak to him and he “didn’t accept my resignation because I have become too valuable to the station.” It’s not every day you hear something like that…it felt pretty good. I never mind being told that I am doing a good job! See, I’m moving to a different campus in February if I get into vet school (chances look very good). The vet campus is like 10km outside of Pretoria…and I don’t have a car, so getting back into Pretoria is sort of a long drawn out hassle. I don’t want to quit cos you all know I’m a twisted radio junkie!!!! But sometimes time and space don’t permit us to have all the things we want lined up in a neat little row. So I guess I’m playing it by ear for the moment. I’m going to come to Pretoria over the holidays to work if I can, but nothing is certain.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RADIO FREE URBANA!!!!
My little baby radio station turns 2 years old on Nov 13th at 5pm. I’m so proud! Big ups to all those folks still making it happen at home!!!!
I briefly mentioned it before, but I really want to say something about it now. The Springboks (national rugby team of SA) just won the World Cup a few weeks ago. I'm not too familiar w/the prize, but it seems very similar to the World Cup of Soccer. Tournament every 4 years (w/4 yrs of bragging rights to the winning team), involves all countries of the world that qualify (not like the "World Series" in the USA), and generally a tournament followed closely by the world (except Americans who couldn't give a toss about rugby).
The South Africans last won the rugby world cup in 1995, a mere 1 year after the change over of the goverment/leadership of the country. Since then England's held the title, probably Australia, I think maybe New Zealand won in there somewhere. This has been a capital year for South African Rugby...2 South African teams were in the final game of the Super 14 for the first time (Super 14= tourney played between teams from NZ, Australia, and SA) and now they've won the Rugby World Cup.
There are basically 3 sports in South Africa that mean anything and they (like most things in SA) are sort of divided along the lines of color. Cricket has a mostly Indian/white following. Rugby has a mostly white following. Soccer has a mostly black following. One great thing about the rugby World Cup games (especially once SA got into the final games) was how all these different fans came together to support the national team. In the Daily Sun, a paper with a mostly black readership, they featured the rules of rugby (a few rules per day). Bums on the street were overheard discussing tactics that should be employed by the Springbok coach. When the team won people of all colors and backgrounds were out on the streets waving flags, honking car horns, and generally losing their minds in a technicolor rugby euphoria. It was really cool to be a part of.
Because this is SA and getting along with one another is on everyone's mind...this triumph of SA rugby is being touted as a symbol of national unity. I think it's probably to easy to pick something like this and say "yes, we are becoming one." Although there is some truth to the increasing unity here...I think it's sort of unfair to look at something like a rugby title/event and point and say "look! we are doing it!" From what I see on the ground, there is still a LOT of work to be done. Man, this explanation of what I think is not coming out good and I don't have time to get into a detailed point by point discussion...I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's a bit too optimistic to say that because a sports team won a championship that an entire nation is now hugging each other and refraining from negativity, racism, and other despicable interactions. It's a bit too blind of a view. Or "wearing blinders" is maybe the right phrase. Let me know if you want to discuss this further (email me) cos I'm really blowing it right now.
I guess on that tip...I'm out. Literally out of the country. I still be on email, so send me some love!
Much love
Keep the faith and spread it gently
Lynsee
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