It is the simple life. South Africa has really grown on me; I could even say it has come to have a part of my heart. Now that I have officially finished school for the semester and feel a great amount of accomplishment regarding the academic struggles, I have been able to live the “simple life” here in Port Elizabeth. Now that the World Cup has begun – You can truly feel it in the air! As you pass by the locals, they smile at you and say, “feel it, it is here!” It is truly an amazing feeling as they say it in a calm and inspirational kind of way.
While I am on the topic of the world cup, let me tell you- it is amazing to be here and now to experience the largest sporting event in the world. We spent the last two nights at the local cricket stadium watching Bafana Bafana vs. Mexico and last night USA vs. England. The opening South Africa game was huge! You could hear the sounds of vuvuzela’s all day long. I actually had my last exam on that morning. I was a bit worried I wouldn’t be able to catch a taxi, but ended up catching a bus which was a great way to keep the nerves at bay. The bus was packed full of mostly Xhosa women singing, stomping and dancing on the bus. Of course they were singing a song in Xhosa, but I was such a fun and exciting vibe- I could feel it!
When the entire Bantry (the international flats I live in) headed to the opening fan fest we filled an entire bus! It was so loud and crazy! The stadium was packed with all of Port Elizabeth and international travelers. The next night when USA played England the stadium was a bit less packed, but didn’t take long to fill up. Luckily Kelleigh (my roommate) and I arrived early with our group of our new CSU Fullerton friends. Before the game began we joined in the pregame dancing and festivities at the fan fest. South Africans have a very fun and welcoming way of dancing and celebrating.
The world cup has become a way of life for us living in South Africa. Even as I write this blog I am watching the Algeria and Slovenia game which just ended with Slovenia winning by one. Port Elizabeth has evolved into a different city now than it was when I arrived. This city is so alive and it even has recycling bins on the streets! Lets just say that is a huge improvement from the day I arrived in the end of January. When people look at me crazy if I ask about recycling and the beautiful beaches are empty.
I couldn’t resist sharing my world cup experiences but I must also tell you about my simple life here in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. My first official day off of school and I slept in…wow it was sooo nice! I headed to the beach for some beach yoga while listening to Jack Johnson, with the sounds of ocean waves and vuvuzelas in the background. Following my nice yoga sesh, I ran on the beach for a short jog and then over to the “Fresh Stop” where I bought a fresh pinapple simply because it sounded nice. As I walk back towards the market and where I stay, I pass by a mother and her child. The little boy was learning to ride a bicycle and smiled as he passed and smiled even bigger when he honked his little bicycle horn; warmed my heart to say the least. To explain a bit more about how friendly this city is, I talked to at least ten different people as I walked to Fresh Stop and to the market. People wave and say hello; it is like I cannot stop smiling. Then as I get to the market I run into friends who are jogging so I start to jog with them for a short chat. As I pass by the market, I say hello to my local sellers who have become friends as well. When I got home I decided I would cut up a fruit salad and share it with my friends downstairs while we watch another soccer match. Well that is a wrap! Time for me to catch a gym workout before the next game starts!!! Cheers! PS life is good in South Africa…Thanks to mom and dad for supporting me while I experience this amazing country!
