Semifinal World Cup games and semifinal time in SA…for now…

As the weather warms a bit in Pretoria, the World Cup mania continues to cool.  We are still experiencing the “flu” of World Cup fever…everyone and their mom is coughing and shivering away, but the vuvuzela chorus is noticeably absent from the day to day grind.  Many teams being cheered on have gone home: Brasil, Argentina, Bafana Bafana, Black Stars, USA, England, and so on.  People have shifted their allegiances to the teams left in the fray…whether they really like them or not.  It’s semifinal time!  The big boys have stayed to play!  This semifinal World Cup time is juxtaposed with my last days in SA.  4 days until Disneyland AKA the USA.  I’m so excited I could burst. 

On Tuesday it was Netherlands vs. Uruguay.  The support here is oranje all the way!  Uruguay really whooped Bafana Bafana in the group games and you are hard pressed to find a Uruguayan fan around these parts.  This might not be the case in the cities where the last games are being played…but in Pretoria if you can mention your support for Uruguay…step back and defend yourself!  On Tuesday I met a girl in the line for the toilet who was still supporting Uruguay.  I told her to watch her back and a perplexed look settled on her face.  She questioned me as to why she must step lively…I asked her where she had been for the last month.  I reminded her that Uruguay made the SA vuvuzela choir silent in the group games.  It seems she may have remembered this clutch time in the Bafana Bafana World Cup history, but she was still sticking with Uruguay.  Hey, I just wished her luck!  Even Nicholas was ready to support Holland in the semifinals.  He got an orange Holland shirt from his godfather and it arrived just in time for the semifinal game on Tuesday.  The shirt is really huge for him and kinda looks like a Tshirt dress so he is going to have to grow into his love for the team J    

(Crazy happy Nicholas, the oranje babe)

My friends and I headed to the Square on Tuesday to watch the game.  All the games are on at 8:30pm these days.  I ran some last minute errands in the morning.  Saw a sign at the local grocery store that said “Dear Customers, please do not blow your vuvuzelas in the store.  We will ask you to leave if you do.”  LOL…sad I didn’t get a pic of that, but I was without camera.  D’oh!  Surprise and I spent the rest of the day watching movies and having some beers.  We gathered some girls up and headed to Hatfield with Edwin after a bunch of annoying missioning for beer.  Oh, beer…what we won’t do for you!  We met Douwe and some of his friends at News Café for pre-game refreshments.  When we tried to get into the Square with our 1 card among 4 people…static!  The people there are really looking at IDs these days and there is a smaller volume of fans so it’s harder to wiggle in unnoticed.  Compared to the USA, SA is very lax on IDs where drinking is involved…unless you look like an obvious 15-yr old.  I actually have to train myself to show ID when I return to the USA cos here you are almost never asked for ID.  The drinking age is 18 and it’s a pretty relaxed 18 at that.  The Square is a teenage dreamland and I think they have been trying to prevent that more in recent times.  I never have an ID these days cos I got robbed a few months ago and lost my drivers license.  There is NO WAY I’m going out with my passport if drinking is on the schedule.  No way!  I am not really a superstitious person, but my group of friends have been touched by robberies and tsotsis about 5 times in the last 2 months.  I am under the impression there is some dark cloud over us and I am not going to tempt fate this time.  The guards at the Square know me by now and even if I don’t have ID they still let me in.  The ladies don’t even check my bag too much anymore.  I guess it’s good to be known.  Ha ha.  There is a heavy security presence in South Africa and this presence has only multiplied with the advent of the World Cup.  But one of the first things you must learn in SA is that if you are kind to the little people (like security guards) they will be kind and lax to you.  Always greet them, toss in a little banter, a sweetie or loose cigarette, and you are golden! 

(Pre game warm-up...note vuvuzela nearby...)

So this security static was a major bummer.  We tried going in different entrances and doing all the other sneaky things we could think of, but to no avail.  The problem was the chicks, they didn’t have ID, and I think Surprise got a bit fresh with some of the security staff.  Bad idea.  In the end we got a monster pizza from the Square, think manhole cover size, and went to a bar outside the perimeter to watch the last ½ of the game.  Because of all this security drama I missed most of the game.  D’oh!  It was kind of annoying, but the teams that were playing are not that exciting to me so I wasn’t too upset.  I would have liked to watch the entire game though.  What I did see was Holland going to town on Uruguay at the end.  Well done, gents.  Go home Uruguay!  Holland easily found their place in the final game and Uruguay will play in the “losers” bracket on Saturday.  Ha ha!  No love lost. 

After the game we headed straight home, as Edwin has to wake up at 3am for work.  We took the girls home and Surprise and I headed to his house to watch more movies and have a few more beers.  I was dead tired and the mood was pretty much killed by that point so we all kind of drifted out to never never land, beer in hand and “The Jerk” on the glowing screen.  I slept poorly with Surprise’s girlfriend and woke up the next day halfheartedly ready to start all over again. 

Wednesday I went up to the vet campus to say goodbye to my mamas.  “Mama” here is a term you can use with any black lady that is older than you.  “Sisi” (sister) is a term you use for someone about your age or younger and “gogo” (grandma) is the term you use for a much older black lady.  You can talk to strangers in a very familiar way here.  It’s really nice.  The Onderstepoort (OP) mamas are my heart at that campus.  They are the ladies that clean the dormitories.  Every morning I saw them cleaning away and chatting was a morning I could smile in that place that often took away my smiles.  The lady that cleaned in the building I lived in, Mavis, is my South African mother.  That woman knows everything about me and I know her skeletons too J  As I think I have mentioned…I am actively collecting family around the world.  In the event of the apocalypse…I am SO covered.  On almost any continent.  I’m just saying…

(Me and Hildah...my naughty mama)

(Me and Mavis...my South African mom...hugs, mama!)

The ladies eat lunch from 1-2pm and I usually try to hit them up at that time.  All the mamas are around and I don’t have to bother their work or search them out individually.  I ended up getting to OP pretty late for lunch cos public transport and my own procrastination took longer than I expected.  Oops!  I had to stop and buy a new cloth in town as my other one was stolen a month ago.  I went with a soccer theme print that I saw one day while walking in town and then headed off to the OP taxis.  Although I was late, I did get to see my mamas a bit and that was cool.  I am going to miss them a lot.  I have been going up to visit them pretty regularly since I have been here.  I think they will miss me too, but last time I was here I took a picture of all of us and gave it to them.  It is displayed above the sink where they wash dishes so I can always shine down on them even when I’m far away.  Hugs, mamas! 

(My new "F u robbers" cloth)

Mavis and I talked the rest of the afternoon away and I walked her to her bus.  Said goodbye and headed back to campus to meet one more vet school friend, Takalani.  We chatted for a bit and then he walked me to the taxi.  It was getting dark now (danger!) and I got into town a bit later than I would have liked.  It is not okay to walk alone at night in town here.  I scurried off to the next taxi with my eyes doing a 360 take of my surroundings.  Like I said…dark cloud around me these days and I cannot afford to be robbed now cos I’m pretty much down to credit now.  I took a taxi to Surprise’s house and he walked me the few blocks to my house.  After dark in SA…one can never be too cautious! 

A side note on the taxi I took from town.  On the group taxis here, the person that sits in the front seat next to the driver is the passenger responsible for taking the money in for the whole taxi.  The money is passed forward and the front passenger makes change and returns it to the back of the taxi.  I don’t like dealing with money and try to avoid taking in the money when I sit in the front seat.  Often times people think this white girl doesn’t know what she’s doing, so if I sit still usually the driver just takes the money.  Sorry to hide behind my whiteness…but I really hate taking the money.  I actually have NEVER taken the money despite hundreds of rides in taxis.  I always avoid it.  But this time the young man sitting next to me said “Oh, so you will help me take the money?”  I explained my front seat strategy and the fact that I have never ever taken in the money.  He said that I must help him, so I did.  Everything went fine and I survived my first money taking situation.  Nice.  Even in my last days…SA is still full of novel experiences. 

On my wanderings up and back to Onderstepoort I sort of just wallowed in the feeling of leaving my other home…absorbing all my last ocular snapshots of Pretoria and South Africa.  The little things I’m going to miss when I’m firmly planted back in Disneyland: guys warming hands around a streetside fire, the blur of the landscape rushing by, counting out my coins for the taxi fare, the fake (but majestic) waterfall at Wonderboom Nature Reserve, the hustle and bustle of people going home from work in town, street vendors packing up for the day, red dirt, the anxiety of being out after dark alone, scandalousness even from those you least expect it from, laughing at funny street news headlines in Afrikaans/English/Zulu, mopani worms for sale in overflowing cups, the shouts of 3 rand! 3 rand! from the fruit and veg vendors, waiting in the chaotic mass of folks craving KFC chicken, sharing a seat on the taxi with another white passenger, and so on and so forth.  It’s always the little things that make a place.  Although I’m excited to go home, although Pretoria vexes me like crazy…leaving is always a bit of a maudlin experience. 

I arrived home one tired puppy.  Fixed some dinner, cracked quite possibly my last quart of Castle Milk Stout, and snuggled in for another soccer match.  Wednesday was the game between Spain and Germany.  I don’t really have feelings for either side but have to go with Spain.  I can’t look past seeing David Villa slap another man in the face (and get away with it), but I think my feelings are for Spain.  I just don’t want to admit cos of the man-slapping thing.  Also…the octopus said Spain would win.  You can’t get around that!  There is this fortune-telling octopus in Germany that keeps getting headlines for its World Cup winner predictions.  I saw a street news headline poster saying that the octopus was all for Spain today…I guess he was right.  Eish…this world we are living in…

The game was being commentated by this really annoying South African guy.  I can even cringe when I hear his voice opening up the game.  He is so boring and just keeps chattering away on the most annoying tangents.  He is really focused on the teams the players are on in Europe and generally is just not an exciting guy to listen to.  I can tell from his voice that he is a black South African and spent much of the game wondering if he would be more exciting to hear presiding over a Chiefs or Pirates (local SA teams) game.  I guess I’ll never know.

The game was really interesting to watch.  I was expecting to see Germany pull out all the stops and kick some major Spanish tail…but it just never happened.  Spain was too much for them and ended up winning the game.  Cool.  At some point in the 1^st half a guy ran onto the field and was captured by what looked like FIFA ninjas.  Weird.  And hilarious.  Don’t F with FIFA I guess. 

One guy I like from the Germany side is Schweinsteiger…his name, which means “pig loader” in German, is just kind of fun to say.  Try it.  Did you laugh a bit?  If not, shame ;) 

After the game it was mos def bed time.  I was really tired from poor sleep the night before, walking all over town, and maybe a bit of Milk Stout.  I went out for my last cigarette of the night and noticed the conspicuous silence from the Sunnyside part of town.  What I did hear is more and more “Wave your Flag” and “Waka Waka” from the Hatfield part of town.  I guess it is still jumping in the Square at night.  The vuvuzela toots have been silenced in Sunnyside and switched to Hatfield now I guess.  Interesting.  When Sunnyside is quiet then you know that the world outside is really dead.    

And that’s all the soccer news that’s fit to report on for now.  This weekend I’m off to Joburg to see the last of my SA family.  I don’t know if I’m going to watch the game on Saturday and Sunday I will be on an airplane during the final game.  This may be the last you hear from me for right now.  I guess my last report on World Cup will be after cruising over the world by plane, touching Egypt and landing in New York City.   

Thanks for staying tuned to my World Cup banter.  I really appreciate hearing from you and knowing that you have been reading.  It makes me really happy to hear all the nice feedback from folks.  At this point, my blog now has over 1800 hits in 1 year.  It’s probably not much in the grand blogosphere, but it makes me happy.  Thanks. 

To my SA family…thanks for your love and support.  Thanks for taking care of me.  Thanks for providing shelter in the storm.  Thanks for trying to keep me here.  That last point always  makes me feel so happy…it’s good to feel wanted in a place that is not your original home and that happens to exist a continent away from your roots.  Much love and respect.  Mooi bly.  Salani kahle.  Go well.  And until we meet again :) 

Hugs!  And as always…keep the faith and spread it gently

Much Love

Lynsee

Day…I lost track: Africa unties and South America gets spanked and sent home to bed

(Salty...)

(Saturday's news headline on the streets of Pretoria)

Well well well…major upsets to report on the World Cup stage.  Most notably…Brasil loses to Netherlands and gets sent home early.  Wow. 

Pretoria has seen its last games and these days it’s pretty quiet.  There is still the occasional vuvuzela blast in the dark from my neighborhood, but otherwise things are quiet.  No more vuvu joy in the streets as you drive past strangers, tooting away at them.  Saturday I went to a big grocery store in Pretoria East and all the soccer merch is gone.  Springbok green and gold is firmly back in place in this rugby mad city they call Pretoria.  Although the full vibe is gone…the Cup ain’t over yet and a lot of favorites have now been sent home.  It’s still anyone’s Cup! 

Friday I took my usual long time to get in gear.  The best part of the day is that my friend Surprise came back to Pretoria after being home in Nelspruit for far too long.  Surprise is a friend of mine from the veterinary campus.  He’s back on the main campus now as he dropped vet nursing and decided to go all the way for the full veterinary doctor degree.  He lives up the street from me and we’ve spent a lot of time together since I’ve been in Sunnyside.  I’m so grateful for a friend close by to go hang out with whenever.  Surprise is a very good friend: fun, thoughtful, and always has my back no matter what we get up to or where that adventure might take us.  In 2008 I visited his family’s home and we’ve only gotten closer since.  Yay! 

(Me and Surprise rep'n for Swaziland)

In the afternoon, Edwin, Douwe, and Surprise descended on my house and we headed off to the Square.  Again, things are a bit quieter but since the Square is pretty much the only place worth watching the games…it’s still feebly beating along on game days.  The beers are still too expensive but we still have our loyalty cards so we are still drinking like locals should be! 

(Up Ghana!  Unite Africa!)

Friday we had Netherlands vs. Brasil and Ghana vs. Uruguay.  We arrived at the Square just before the game to a sea of orange dotted here and there with Brasil’s green and gold.  The Ghanaian fans were out in force as well, but they really started to populate the Square later in the night.  Many fans had now switched to supporting Ghana AKA “Africa’s Last Hope.”  I was among these supporters.  I pulled all my African things out of the closet for the game.  My Bafana Bafana Tshirt, my Swaziland cloth, and red/green/gold bangles.  Africans are just as xenophobic, tribalistic, and racist as any of us other not-so-perfect humans out there.  But, when it suits them, there is a pan-African spirit that infuses the population of the dark continent.  This was one of those “Africa Unite” times as Ghana was the last team representing the continent of Africa in the Cup.  Cote d’Ivoire, Bafana Bafana, and Nigerian fans have all switched their kit to represent for the Black Stars of Ghana.  “Africa Unite” is an ad campaign headed up by MTN (a cell phone provider here).  The campaign is meant to invoke the pride of being African, no matter what flag you fly, in the spirit of the first World Cup hosted on the continent.  They have a really cool commercial running on TV that shows the major European league players from Africa leaving the continent and then coming home to unite Africa for the 2010 World Cup.  It’s actually quite a nice ad, but I haven’t seen it running anymore now that Ghana is out.  

(Oranje runs deep...)

(Douwe shows his Holland luv)

(How cool is a flag w/hearts on it...seriously?  Edwin shows off the Fries flag)

Because of the strong Dutch ties in South Africa amongst the Afrikaans people…Netherlands also enjoys a lot of support.  There was plenty of oranje in the Square on Friday.  Brasil is a favorite around the world and since people are still donning their green and gold Bafana Bafana gear…it can double for Brasil’s green and gold.  Green, gold, red, and black are the typical “African” colors, so the green and gold can triple for Africa, Brasil, and SA.  Brasil are favorites because their players are hot, their skills are superb, and they always freakin’ win…so they are an easy team to support.  One of my best friends is from Brasil and we met here in South Africa in 2007.  He was such a wonderful person to cruise around with for many reasons, but one of the best was that once people found out he was from Brasil…they just wanted to know if he knew Ronaldo.  I can’t imagine a Brasileiro can come to harm in South Africa.  People here just love soccer too much.  We could be in some shady ass place and even the hardest tsotsi (robber) just wanted to know if my friend knew Ronaldo.  Priceless.  If you are going to a soccer mad place…take a Brasilian for protection J 

The first game, at 4pm, was Netherlands vs. Brasil.  I was cheering for Netherlands cos I just can’t cheer for Brasil.  Everyone loves them and I love an underdog.  I don’t hate Brasil or Brasilians…in fact I love both.  But it’s so predictable that Brasil will win and I prefer a little spice to my soccer showdowns.  I don’t really care about the Netherlands, but like Kerry was anyone but Bush…Netherlands was anyone but Brasil.  Many of the Ghanaian supporters were cheering for Netherlands as well, so there was plenty of support for each team out in force.  We ended up getting a table with some Ghanaian dudes that were pretty drunk and crazy.  In fact, I told one of the guys that if he spilled one more beer then he was going to have to buy me one for every one he spilt.  That stopped that nonsense right away! 

So Brasil scored pretty early on, setting up the win we thought was inevitable.  The drunk Ghanian dude behind me kept shouting “a football match is 90 minutes! ,” enticing us to keep the hope alive for Holland.  I don’t remember when Holland scored, but once they did they pretty much opened up a huge can of whoop ass on Brasil.  It was insane.  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Brasil was wiggling like a fish on the banks of the Amazon…pinch me.  Near the end of the second half a Brasilian player was ejected on a red card and the game was pretty much over.  Holland supporters in the Square were going nuts.  There were even some guys who stripped down to orange Netherlands undies each time the momentum picked up for Holland.  Folks were going mad.  Oranje!  Hands down the best game I have watched so far. 

I met some new Americans on Friday during the Brasil/Netherlands game.  Oh, are they still around?  Chris from Miami and 2 peace corps volunteers placed in Kazakhstan.  I wonder how many Borat jokes they are sick of by now?  Ha ha.  FYI:  I didn’t make any Borat jokes to them.  The one guy was an Indian from Wyoming so I may have made a joke about that ;)  Chris was running solo since his friends have now gone back to the USA so I asked him to roll with us.  We sort of chilled together and lost each other a lot throughout the night.  Unfortunately it seems like he might be getting the full SA experience…meaning more than zebra stripe cloth, biltong, and vuvuzelas.  He is staying in some shady place in Pretoria Central and says he has been robbed twice there already.  The place is dirty and there is a whorehouse next door.  Yikes.  It ain’t all sunshine in this Rainbow Nation…sorry to say.  I gave him my number and hopefully we can spend some time chilling in the next week he is here.  Although it sounds like he met a cutie from South Africa…so he might not be alone anymore after all J  Again…it’s been nice to be a “local” from the USA for folks that need that here.  I’m glad to be of service.  Paying it forward for all the folks that have come out of the shadows in foreign lands for me! 

In between the games we just chilled and enjoyed 2 for 1 cocktails for R27 (US$4).  Somehow I gained a pair of oversized silly yellow glasses.  I saw a guy that was a part of the ghost posse that caused all the drama a few weekends ago.  That was interesting cos I thought he had gone to jail.  Wild stuff, man.  “My life’s the sickest…”  The rag tag bunch of bandits crew swelled with the addition of Zack (the guy I went to school with in 2002), the ghost posse, Tuan, the new Americans, and a guy I met the other night in the Square that is definitely trying to spend some quality time with me if you catch my drift.  I flitted around like the ADD hummingbird that I am…taking photos, having random conversations, enjoying the atmosphere.  Sometimes this hummingbird steez does me wrong in SA.  My ex-boyfriend used to get really really mad about it.  People need to look out for one another here cos it can be dangerous, depending on where you are.  Ladies especially need to be taken care of and looked after.  South Africa at night, plus alcohol, is no place for a solo lady.  My friends often have to work overtime to keep an eye on me…sorry!  It’s just my nature.  The Square is cool though and a safe zone where you can roam freely.  I mostly felt bad for moving around so much cos I kept losing Chris (the lone American) and I didn’t want to abandon him.  Being alone in lame when there is such a party going on! 

My friend, Tuan, joined us for a bit.  Like Alireza (who I met up with the other day), Tuan is an international student that I helped counsel through my blog.  This blog of mine, besides giving me a way to write stuff, entertain, and inform you all at home about my adventures, has actually been a useful tool for people interested in studying in Pretoria.  I’ve met 3 students through my blog: Tuan from Vietnam, Alireza from Iran, and Eunice from Singapore.  The first 2 students ended up studying in Pretoria and Eunice decided against it.  I’ve really enjoyed helping them out and setting them up with useful contacts.  Mistakes were made when I got here and no one should have to repeat the same mistakes twice! 

(Tuan and me)

Chris is American with parents from Chile and Spain.  He spotted a group of camera guys and told me that they were from some famous show in Chile.  I guess they go around to party places and film people living it up.  It’s sort of interesting that they were in Pretoria…I mean it’s not really jumping these days.  The presenter, Cuchilo, is supposed to be some big shot in Chile.  I don’t know.  Just some Square randomness to report.  Part of their crew was a guy that juggled, including juggling things on fire, and did unicycle tricks.  Around Pretoria that stuff is pretty rare, so it was kind of cool to have that added to the Square. 

The guy that was trying to holler at me brought some friends.  One of them, Tumi, gave me the best reaction I’ve ever received on giving up that I am American.  He was like “USA, huh.  Warren Buffet in the house!”  Or something like that.  Warren Buffet, if you don’t know him, is a super wealthy Nebraskan that has never really let it go to his head.  He’s kind of the shit.  My friend Ben is in love with him and I often joke that Warren is his boyfriend.  It was cool to be met with such a unique reason why Tumi admired the USA.  Most people just want to know if McDonald’s tastes the same or do I know such and such famous person.  Hats off, Tumi! 

(Warren Buffet lover, Tumi, and me)

The Ghana game got underway around 8:30pm with all the support now turned to the Black Stars.  No one in the Square was really rooting for Uruguay.  I think the support was especially against them because they totally ripped South Africa a new one in the group stage.  There was even a demotivational poster online that had one of their star players and a caption of “vuvuzela silencer” underneath.  Ouch.  The game was alright for the bulk of it.  The crowd was very lively with people doing vuvuzela call and response songs (there are a few here in SA that go with soccer games), shouts of “sishaya ivuvuzela” (we are beating our vuvuzelas…a SA soccer chant), and people making plenty of noise for Ghana.  My vuvu made the rounds and gathered even more spit from strangers.  It was actually kind of gross cos the spit was dripping out of the vuvuzela.  Ew.  This usually means that the people blowing it don’t know what they are doing…plus it’s just kinda gross.  The game went into overtime and then penalty shots…which is where Ghana came undone and Africa untied.  Ghana missed a pretty clutch shot and then one of their penalty shots was blocked…it was all over for the continent at this point and Uruguay advanced.  Sorry!    

Our group sort of came apart after that as well.  Some folks went this way and some went that way.  The energy of getting everyone back together kind of killed the party mood.  Plus Ghana’s loss made all that raucousness die down to a quiet whimper.  When I came home…even Sunnyside was quiet.  This guy that wants me was trying to get me to come to his place, but honestly I’m going home in a week.  I kind of just wanna chill with my friends at this point.  I don’t have time for stupid dude drama…sorry gents. 

Surprise, his friend, and I stuck around for a bit longer and then ended up going home.  When the group’s beer money dries up it is time to bounce J 

A side note on the Netherlands vs. Brasil game…apparently Paris Hilton and part of her entourage were here for the game and they got busted for weed.  HA HA HA HA.  First of all, why on earth would you bring weed to a FIFA game?  Those folks got things locked down tighter than a communist stronghold.  I mean, Paris probably enjoys a bit more lax security compared to the plebs…but still…it’s freakin’ stupid.  You can’t even smoke during a game without drawing serious attention.  This ain’t no Chiefs game in the ‘hood, right?  If you want to smoke weed then do it before the game and leave the shit at home.  So Paris and her friend were detained and had to go to court.  The friend took the blame and Paris got off scott free.  It must be nice to be rich and famous.   All I was thinking when I heard about this story was that I hope it was good shit and not some shake ass crap.  If you are doing to go down then it might as well be worth it.   

Saturday I spent most of the day running errands with Edwin.  I have all these last minute things to buy for you folks at home, so I just wanted to go and get it all done before I drank my money dry.  Again, from driving around…the atmosphere in Pretoria is back to the same old same old.  There aren’t people in the streets randomly blowing vuvuzelas.  Some of the flags in places have come down.  As I said, the merch in the stores has switched back to rugby (the Tri-Nations is starting up in a week or so).  I guess the World Cup is kind of over in Pretoria.  I heard that things were still kicking in Cape Town…which doesn’t surprise me at all.  I bet that place is still packed with tourists.  I mean, it is the greatest city in the world.

Saturday was also Thanksgiving around here.  Helen, Ross, and some of their friends decided to have a Thanksgiving feast.  Yeah, it’s not November but it is winter here right now.  So it’s sort of the same thing kind of ;)  I ended up not going to the feast cos it was on the other side of town and Edwin didn’t want to go.  I still don’t understand why he didn’t want to go, but he could not be convinced.  I wasn’t going to make my friend drive me to the other side of Pretoria for nothing, so I just chilled at home.  I watched the games at home in the comfort of the Lazy Boy and a nice duvet. 

After Brasil’s upset…my team was now Argentina for the win.  I wasn’t rooting for Brasil, but I did believe they were going to win.  Argentina had a lot of promise:  Diego Maradona (their coach) was being hailed as the greatest coach ever and blah blah blah, Lionel Messi is supposed to be the greatest player in the world (although he didn’t score a single World Cup goal), and so on and so on.  I guess it was a lot of media hype cos Argentina GOT SERVED by Germany.  4-0, Germany.  Damn, son!  I guess this means my used car salesman dynamo, Diego, is going home crying like a Brasilian.  Shame. 

As for Paraguay vs Spain…all money on Spain.  They are playing really well and their top players (most notably Villa) are really cranking out the goals.  Paraguay played hard, but not hard enough.  Sorry guys…but I guess it’s time for South America to pack it up and go home. 

There were a lot of celebrities in attendance for the games.  I saw a few glimpses here and there of them on TV.  Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Jagger (he’s been at quite a few games), Charlize Theron, the German head of state, Zuma.  And I guess even dear old Paris…although she didn’t make the news until after the game.  LOL. 

Another quick note on the games as broadcast on TV.  There is some “Say No to Racism” campaign that FIFA is hyping big time now.  I don’t know why this message was only rolled out in the final games.  It’s a good message and should have been a part of all the broadcasts.  So now at the beginning of each game there is one player (maybe the captain) from each team that reads a message against racism in his mother tongue and then there is a quick shot of some people holding a “Say no to racism” poster.  Sorry but it’s kind of a feeble way to broadcast that message.  Yes, many people around the world are watching the game, but the delivery of this message in this way strikes me as about as bland and effective as the “Just Say No (to drugs)” campaign.  Combating something as pervasive and entrenched as racism is going to take a bit more than some stupid poster and a 30-second speech from a famous footballer.  Good idea, but needs a bit more effort.  C+, FIFA.  There is also something hilarious or maybe ironic or something about this message and South Africa.  South Africa is still racist as hell.  Yeah, it’s improving, but there is a LONG walk to peace and love here.  I don’t know how to exactly explain how I feel about the hilariousness of this “Say No to Racism” campaign juxtaposed with the current climate in SA…just take my word that it’s a bit funny and strange. 

(Puzzling...)

Well, next matches are the semifinals on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Happy 4^th of July today!  Wish we could still be celebrating USA soccer in the World Cup, but c’est la vie.  As of today (Sunday) there is one week til World Cup ends and 1 week until I go home.  I’m damn excited…          

Day 18-19: The Return of Ramsey and some soccer stuff happened

Wow…still feeling kinda soccer blurry.  The only way I can remember what has happened on a particular day right now is to look at the World Cup calendar and remember “I watched that game at this place and then this happened.”  Wild…

On Monday my friend Ramsey and his girlfriend, Lena, made their way back to Pretoria.  If you will remember, Ramsey is a fellow Rotary scholar and Midwesterner that now lives in Jordan.  We started out our World Cup adventure together in the opening weekend, after which our paths diverged in the pursuit of our respective World Cup missions.  He’s been back and forth between Durban and Joburg for games.  His dad came to check out SA and World Cup and his girlfriend, Lena, also joined in the madness.  It was really nice to see Ramsey again.  I think we had a really good time in the opening weekend and he’s a great addition to any posse J 

Honestly I don’t even remember what I did in the morning before I met Ramsey and Lena…probably nothing.  It takes me forever to get out of bed and get my ass in gear these days.  Getting back to reality in the USA (soon!) is going to be a big wakeup call!  In the afternoon I took a taxi into town and met Ramsey and Lena in Church Square.  Church Square is one of the main attractions in downtown Pretoria.  Well, more of a focal point.  There are some really historic buildings around there as well as some museums.  Pretoria has been a seat of government for a long long time and its structures reflect this.  Of course there is also the big memorial at the center of Church Square with Paul Kruger perched like a big iron Afrikaans cherry on top.  Paul Kruger is a major figure in SA history.  I can’t recall off the top of my head if he was the first President of the Republic or if he was just a majorly important one.  At any rate, Oom Paul is not to be missed if you are coming to Pretoria.  (Oom means uncle in Afrikaans and is a term you can use for pretty much any man older than you, even with strangers). 

(Church Square wire sculptures)

So we met up and Ramsey told me the tales since we parted.  I did likewise.  We took photos of the wire and bead sculptures in Church Square.  These sculptures are actually the last group of sculptures I have needed to see in Pretoria.  It appears there might be a few stashed in random locations, but of the major groups of them…these were the last I needed to see.  So far the ones at Bosman Station are the best ones I have seen.

We made our way slowly to the taxis for Hatfield, checking out some of the vendors along the way.  The vendors we spoke to are really trying to get rid of their World Cup stuff now because there are no more games being played at the stadium in Pretoria.  No more ridiculous floods of tourists now…time to dump this merch!  And now this is where I will swoop in and get the normal or even reduced prices for the gifts I still need before I come home.  Being relatively local has its merits J  At times I have been worried that my accent will make me a target for being ripped off but so far, so good.  I can pretty much demonstrate that I’m “local” so it’s all good. 

Ramsey, Lena, and I grabbed a taxi home.  Good times.  We squeezed in the back next to the most adorable old man, who in the style of most old black people here, spoke to us mostly in Afrikaans.  That always kind of cracks me up.  I can usually follow most of what someone is saying, but it’s a bit hard at times.  This guy had an awesome little cane that was covered in well worn impala hide.  The whole trip was pretty hilarious.  We were squished into the back and I dropped all my coins on the floor, but I couldn’t pick them up cos I couldn’t move.  Luckily I bought this awesome lighter that also has a little blue light in it.  In the last week it has really come in handy.  Now was another moment for it to shine…literally.  I managed to get most of them and kept up a lively conversation with the old man.  He asked where we were from and I said “pheshaya,” which means “overseas” in Zulu.  This made him really excited and then he started to say some weird things to me that I didn’t really understand.  The people in front of us were laughing at my weak ass Zulu.  Finally, per usual, we managed to get out unscathed.  Taxis…always a good time. 

(A taxi in Pretoria representing for Bafana Bafana.  "So mooi Bafana" means "so nice boys" or "so nice" and Bafana Bafana is the name of the SA national soccer team)

We dropped off into the madness of Hatfield.  Got a bunny chow (curry inside a “bread bowl” made of a ½ loaf of white bread), bought too much candy at the grocery store, and finally headed into the Square to enjoy the Chile vs. Brasil game.  Poor Chile…they never had a chance!  But I still screamed my heart out for them.  And of course more vuvu action.  I am still digging the mad luv I get for my vuvuzela skills.  I can’t lie…I’m not too shabby at this plastic horn thing.  I’ll demonstrate for you when I get home J  People here really love Brasil.  I guess everyone loves a winner.  It’s been a bit weird cos I always think I’m going to start talking to a lovely Brasileiro when I see a Brasil scarf or flag, but often times I end up talking to a fake ass Brasil fan from Pretoria or Krugersdorp or something.  It’s kind of disappointing at times.        

The next day I did some serious bike missioning.  I bought this hard drive enclosure and it’s all messed up and really getting on my tits.  So I had to go get that sorted out…which hopefully can get done before I have to go home.  Ugh, this thing has been such a pain.  Then went out somewhere to pay a bill for a friend who is out of town.  That was interesting.  I wanted to get a paper receipt for the amount paid since that is something my mother taught me.  Always get a paper receipt and always send a thank you card.  There’s just no way around it.  So this guy I was paying sent one of his agents to meet me at this McDonald’s in my neighborhood…but the agent didn’t bring a receipt.  The guy said he’d send me a text message confirming that he got the money, but that seemed a bit shady.  I ended up scratching out a receipt on the back of a bank slip and the guy that signed it said that “my protocol was too much.”  Oh, business in South Africa…

I headed up to the Union Buildings to meet Ramsey and Lena for a little picnic.  The Union Buildings are on one of the hills/mountains that surround Pretoria.  Most of Pretoria is located in a valley between two mountain ridges with some of the rest of the city spilling out and over the neighboring rises of land.  This jaunt up to the Union Buildings reminded me how out of shape I really am.  I huffed and puffed my way up to the top, at first on two wheels and then on two feet.  Wowser.  But it was nice to be back to the Union Buildings…still one of my favorite places in Pretoria.  When I catch a glimpse from down in the valley of the Union Buildings peeking out from in between some other buildings…I get really excited.  It’s kind of like seeing the Sears Tower or the rest of the skyline as you head into Chicago.  I get a little surge of emotion inside. 

(L-R: Me, Ramsey, and Lena at the Union Buildings)

After a bit we headed down the hill into Arcadia and Sunnyside towards Hatfield so we could catch the games on the big screen in the Square.  The area leading up to the stadium was jam packed with fans heading to the stadium and people trying to sell them things along the way.  My favorite park, Arcadia Park or as I call it the Art Park (there’s an art museum there), was stuffed with people playing a pickup game of soccer, vendors selling food and goods, and of course the requisite dark element…the drug dealers and shady folk.  The streets on the way into Arcadia were conspicuously absent of the normal prostitute here or there.  I guess folks gotta keep the streets clean for the tourists.  People are still representing for their various countries, even if the countries have been eliminated from the tournament, so I donned my American flag.  There were some folks handing out Jesus pamphlets.  I saw these white folks in a group in the Art Park and was like, hmmmm….I wonder what they are doing.  They just stuck out.  My guess was Jesus…and as we continued past them, my suspicions were confirmed.  So, everyone was really out in force J 

The game at Loftus was the last World Cup fixture to grace Pretoria.  Paraguay and Japan faced off at 4pm at Loftus.  It was an interesting crowd cos there were some Japanese supporters and some Paraguay supporters, but mostly you could tell that the people there had just bought tickets hoping for a different match.  It was an odd mix of fans.  Per usual, there were lots of police and news reporters.  Helicopters buzzed through the air around the stadium.  There was one military ‘copter, one police chopper (I think), and the other ‘copter was probably filming for the TV broadcast.  Normally there is a lot of air traffic in the area.  Sunnyside is a bit buck wild.  I have seen police helicopters circling on more than one occasion in the 6 months I have been here.  Also there is a military airstrip nearby and a military base in Centurion, which isn’t far away.  There are often fighter jets and other military aircrafts passing through the air over the house.  The baby really hates the fighter jets.  He gets really upset cos they are really loud.  The airstrip on the other side of the mountain from the house is where Jacob Zuma (SA president) lands by plane.  From there he is taken by helicopter to the Union Buildings on the other side of the valley.  But these helicopters we saw were definitely in place for the game. 

A note on the police presence during the World Cup.  The police are EVERYWHERE these days.  I think South Africa has been doing a good job so far on the security tip.  I would guess that the police here are ill-equipped to deal with a major terrorist event, but so far that hasn’t been a concern.  Keeping people from going nuts in the streets is probably the biggest problem here.  I have seen some crazy stuff happen in the heart of Sunnyside, but that place is crazy anyways…World Cup or no.  On the opening night, I was part of a crowd that the police were releasing pepper spray into (and maybe rubber bullets, but I can’t confirm that) but I think most of the crowds, at least in Pretoria, have been relatively calm.  It seems that extra cops have been brought in from other towns to beef up the police presence here.  I spoke to one police officer who normally works in Joburg, but was in Pretoria to add a little muscle to the police force for the game. 

 (Mounted police near Loftus Stadium, Pretoria)

Another thing to note has been the explosion of mounted police.  Even as I type this some mounted police just walked past our house (I’m out in the backyard doing my lizard thing in the sun).  I have seen mounted police in Pretoria before the World Cup.  I saw some mounted police in the Art Park when I was hanging out there one day just before World Cup.  The police were shaking down people for drugs since the Art Park is a place where drug dealers and prostitutes hang out even on the sunniest days.  The best part of this encounter was that I saw one of the horses bite his rider in the ass as the officer was searching the guy next to me for drugs.  Up until this point I had kept my cool, but that made me laugh SO loud.  I couldn’t help myself.  I was trying to look cool cos there aren’t many white ladies in the park and I was hoping that the police weren’t going to harass me.  I would have guessed that since there aren’t many white ladies in the park, um like none, that I might be suspected of coming there to get drugs.  I didn’t have any reason to fear them, but I would prefer to keep my interactions with the police to a minimum in any situation.  The other time I have seen the mounted police in action was in 2008 up at the veterinary campus.  In May 2008 there was an outbreak of xenophobia attacks in South Africa.  Many people from the surrounding African countries were beaten, killed, burned to death, and many other nasty things.  A lot of people were displaced from their homes.  A number of people set up a little shanty town in one of the pastures that make up the veterinary campus property.  The mounted police came one weekend to get rid of them.  I don’t know what happened to the people, but I’m sure they were removed.  But otherwise the amount of mounted police in place for World Cup has been pretty astounding.  It really fascinates me.  The horses are gorgeous and in general I am just intrigued by the mounted police.  They seem really hardcore.  Sort of an old school throwback to military force. 

(Dr. Seuss meets vuvuzela)

Ramsey, Lena, and I continued through the area around the stadium.  I saw the most adorable little boy with a Dr. Seuss meets the World Cup vuvuzela.  He was so cute with this vuvuzela that was longer than he was.  Also I got to blow the Dr. Seuss vuvuzela…kind of cool.  We were part of a photography feeding frenzy with some guys from some African country I couldn’t quite identify, but they looked Ethiopian to me.  Maybe Eritrean.  Photo feeding frenzies are just a part of life these days.  Someone will identify a person on the street that they want a photo with and then each permutation of the group and the flags available must be displayed and photographed with every camera in sight.  It’s kind of a fun little activity.  Definitely a good vibes situation.  Photo frenzies were a major part of meeting the Algerians in the Square the first time I encountered them.  I have been a part of, witnessed, and caused a few feeding frenzies in these World Cup times.  The Argentinians are interesting in this respect because it has been my experience that they are pretty much interested in taking photos with any pretty girl around.  And making out and taking pictures if the situation warrants that.  Hilarious.  Those guys are animals.  Lock your daughters up on the real. 

(Photo feeding frenzy...and this is only like 1/3 of the shots taken)

We got to the Square and walked down so I could get a vetkoek.  Vetkoek means “fat cake” in Afrikaans and is kind of like eating a donut sandwich minus the sweetness.  They are freaking delicious.  Ladies cook them on the streets and you can usually get them in the morning.  The street ones don’t normally have a filling, they are just dough.  But at the vetkoek stand near Hatfield Square you can get all kinds of crazy fillings.  My favorite is Chicken Surprise.  I’m not sure what all is in Chicken Surprise and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know.  There are definitely pieces of chicken and hot dog though.  Interesting.  I got this enormous vetkoek and after eating it I know why I never buy that one…I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!  Yikes.  Ramsey and Lena went to the grocery store after that and met me inside the Square.  I was worried about bringing outside food in, but the ladies that search bags at the door practically know me by name now and don’t even look in my bag anymore.  Nice. 

I sat down by a Zambian guy (a white African this time) and had a nice chat while I was eating monster vetkoek  and waiting for Ramsey and Lena.  When they came back they were like “oh do you know this guy?”  And I was like…no.  That’s just me.  I talk to just about anyone.  I have been like this since I was knee high.  My parents have said that there is no stranger to me, just people I don’t know yet.  So true.  When I was dating this guy at the beginning of the year he asked me if I have to talk to everyone.  It bothered him.  I told him, yes…I do have to talk to everyone.  If you remove that part of my personality I will shrivel up and die inside.  For real. 

I also met another guy in the Square during the Japan game.  We started a vuvuzela war and he came over to make me test out his vuvuzela.  It was frickin’ hard to blow.  The mouth was the same as mine, but the cone was much larger.  I could hardly blow it properly.  My lips just couldn’t fill the space to produce the necessary vibrations.  We chatted for a bit about architecture and race relations in Pretoria and Chicago.  He started the conversation by saying that he heard Chicago was one of the most racist places in the USA and he was fascinated by how the architecture reflected this.  Intriguing way to start a conversation, I must say.  The Zambian, the vuvu player, and I also discussed the merits of Joburg vs. Cape Town.  The vuvu player is a Pretorian in Joburg and the Zambian is studying in Cape Town.  Cape Town and Joburg have this little rivalry going on so it was a heated debate.  I am under the impression that Capetonians find Joburg to be one big heaving disgusting fast-paced cesspool and the Joburg folk find Capetonians to be stuck up and lame.  It’s easy to hate on Joburg because Joburg doesn’t reveal its riches to just anyone.  It has a prickly, scary, dangerous candy coating that is not easy to see past.  I was fooled at first but the more you go to Joburg the more fun it is.  Joburg is a crap place for visitors.  It is huge, dangerous, and there isn’t much touristy stuff to do.  But it is a really cool place once you have been here for awhile.  You really need friends to take you around though…that’s when Joburg shines eGoli style.  (eGoli means “city of gold” and is one of the nicknames of Joburg)    

The Japan vs. Paraguay game was sort of boring until the end.  I didn’t pay attention too much throughout the match.  The game went into overtime and then penalty shots.  Japan missed one and Paraguay hit all their shots…so Paraguay came out on top.   Well done gents.  After that people started to pour in from the game and we were beginning to get a nice little vibe going on in the Square. 

Ramsey and Lena decided to go home early and I sat and chatted with the Zambian for a bit longer.  He ended up splitting to go hang out with his friends.  My next door neighbors were at the game and wanted to head to the Square to watch the 2^nd match (Spain vs. Portugal).  They had a whole big group of adults and teenagers.  It was pretty fun to join them.  The Spain vs. Portugal game was interesting.  Many people here are Spain or Portugal supporters.  There is a large Portuguese population in South Africa so that gives some people Portugal allegiances.  Many of the players on the two teams play in big famous teams in Europe so the supporters of those leagues were out cheering for their favorite Iberian.  It was split as far as support in the Square went.  I don’t think anyone really had a majority per se. 

(The neighbors: Wessel, me, Debbie)

I was rooting for Spain because from what I have seen in the World Cup matches I have watched…the Portuguese squad has a lot of douche bags on the field.  Led by the biggest toolbag of them all…Cristiano Ronaldo.  He is fast, skilled, and adorable.  But he is also a person that falls over a lot to get penalty shots…even if no one has touched him.  I don’t dig his arrogance and attitude in general.  I’m so not a fan.  There is one guy on the Spanish team, David Villa, that I really don’t dig either (cos I saw him slap a man in the face…lame), but given the choices I gotta go Spain.  Villa has scored the most goals in the World Cup.  He is really good, but nothing excuses you from slapping a grown man in the face.  That is some wack shit. 

The game was fun to watch.  The Iberian peninsula fighting against itself.  Spain played much better and ended up scoring the only goal of the game.  I think I was sitting with mostly Spanish supporters, so that was cool.  Otherwise just general camaraderie to report.  Met some nice Brasileiros do Brasilia…both with the name of Victor.  Taught a lady how to blow a vuvuzela.  Waved my flag and danced around for the “Wave your Flag” song.  Saw a World Cup hookah/hubbly/nargile.  Met some people from the USA which I couldn’t even identify cos they had really crazy accents. 

(Adorable Brasileiros with adorable hats)

(The World Cup in my hands...kinda)

I said goodbye to my neighbors and their posse after a bit.  I was going to go home, but decided to have one more beer to see if I could find a situation worth staying for.  I didn’t find one.  Met some Mexicans and more Algerians, but nothing exciting.  Some of my posse is out of commission right now for various reasons, so I have been going solo a lot.  Or ending up solo, rather.  It’s kind of a bummer at times, but you gotta go with the flow.  I was riding my bike home and since nothing grabbed my attention, I decided to head home before I was too drunk to ride.  Drunk + bike + South Africa + dark = trouble…this ain’t Urbana, people. 

I love riding home from Hatfield right now.  It’s downhill and the roads are blocked off so it’s wicked fun.  I can really cruise the whole way home.  People were getting worried I was riding alone at night.  I said if a tsotsi (robber) can catch me on my bike then they deserve to rob me…cos no one is catching me on 2 wheels!  I tied my American flag to my belt loops and headed off into the night.  I wish I could have seen me riding cos I was hoping to make my flag poof out a bit when I rode.  I hope I was a vision in stars and stripes…

And now it’s a bit of a break in the action.  Friday is the next set of games.  Holland vs. Brasil and Ghana vs. Uraguay.  My money is on Ghana and Brasil…

Until then…enjoy it J