Short Updates, Resurfacing Memories

Well I've found a cheap internet cafe in Thohoyandou, which means I'll be spending more time online from now on. So that's good news!

Last week the Black Leopards played the Kaizer Chiefs at Thohoyandou Stadium. Max asked me if I wanted to go, and I said "Of course!" So on Thursday we came into Thohoyandou in the morning and bought tickets. My Peace Corps friends Eric and Carrie met up with us, and we went into the game. It was crazy! The bleachers were PACKED; I couldn't have moved if I tried. People were cheering, dancing, and everything. Some people even climbed up the sides of the bleachers as the police stood by, more interested in the game. I'm sure people have probably died in the past by trying to climb up the sides of bleachers and falling. Who knows. The craziest thing I saw was a man sitting right next to me who all of a sudden turned around, squeezed under our row of bleachers, and disappeared. I looked down and saw him descending through the support beams. The game was great; it ended up being a draw, 2-2. I was really happy for the Black Leopards, because they played well, especially considering that the Kaizer Chiefs are basically the best team in the league. I gotta say, although I like the Chiefs, the Leopards really do have a special place in my heart. When you've accidentally walked in on the head coach of a professional soccer team in his boxers, you kinda develop a bond with that team. (I told you that Eric and I had a crazy Black Leopards story! But, alas, I'll let him be the one to tell it)

After the game there was a free concert at the stadium, with Mafikzola and Malaika, my two favorite South African artists, performing all of their hit songs. It was great! Carrie ran off to dance with some local Venda girls, and Eric and I stayed in the bleachers, dancing, making fools of ourselves ("the sprinkler" was out in full force), surrounded by a sea of dancing South Africans. It was a great experience.

Afterwards, Max and I had a helluva time getting home....it was a long night, but it had been a great day.

With the holiday season passing here, a lot of my friends were getting homesick, being away from their families and friends. Since I've never celebrated Christmas, I was doing fine!

But, however, I did get depressed for another reason. Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the 2004 Tsunami. It's hard to believe that it has already been a year, but then again, so much has happened since then that it feels like longer. I always end up in places where momentous events happen, but luckily I'm always safe enough to feel somewhat isolated from them. First there was the day that I was in college, took the elevator up to the top level of my dorm, looked out of the window, and saw the World Trade Center in flames downtown. And then there was Thailand. I had been enjoying myself on the paradise island of Koh Phi Phi for almost a week with newly made friends from England and New Zealand last December, enjoying sun, clear warm water, breathtaking views, incredible food, and warm Thai hospitality. One day when I was there I even went to the small Mosque tucked away on the island and prayed with the locals, since the population of Koh Phi Phi is Muslim. And then on Wednesday December 22, my Kiwi friend and I left the island for Koh Pha Ngan, while my British friend stayed behind to do some scuba diving. Less than 5 days later, Koh Phi Phi was gone. Wiped out. The restaurants I had eaten at and the bungalows I stayed at were just piles of wood strewn about. A lot of people, both tourists and locals, were killed. The people I prayed with are probably dead. If I had decided to stay back with my British friend (which was tempting, since Koh Phi Phi was the prettiest place I'd ever been) I don't even know if I'd be here today. I didn't even know if my British friend was alive until I was shopping on Khao San Road in Bangkok a week later, felt someone tap my shoulder, turned around, and saw him. Luckily enough, he had been able to run up into the hills to safety, as people drowned below. He did have to go through rubble the next day, finding bodies, though, and I don't envy him for that.

I had always wanted to join the Peace Corps, but there were two events that happened in late 2004 that affected my decision to join more than anything else. First, the Election of 2004 utterly and completely disillusioned me. And then the Tsunami shocked and motivated me. And yesterday, one year later, I lay in bed, surrounded by my mosquito net, staring up at my tin ceiling, thinking: Wow, what a difference a year makes.

Every month the Peace Corps sends us the previous month's issues of Newsweek International, so that we can keep up with the news. I was reading through one of the November issues a few weeks ago and found a great quote that I'd like to include. It's from an expert on Iran, Abbas Milani, talking about that wacky president, Ahmadinejad. "Dealing with this regime is like playing chess with a monkey. You can have your next 18 moves planned, but the monkey might suddenly grab the queen and eat it."

I laughed when I first read that. But, thinking about it, it's almost symbolic of life in general. A person might have the rest of their life planned, but something might just come along unexpectedly and change everything. I know that's definitely the case with me, and the election and tsunami. If not for those, might I still be running the rat race in Manhattan, stuck in my cubicle?

I'll write again soon. Until then, happy holidays! And happy new year!