Cold Hands, Warm Heart

World Cup Fever is heating up, but boy oh boy, is it cold. Have you seen people on TV in the stands at the games all bundled up for winter? Well, they are not being wimps, it's definitely chilly around here. The night is especially cool as it frequently falls to 0 degrees. I didn't bring proper clothes for this weather! Whoops. Having to stock up on sweaters and buy some boots. Any excuse for more shoes...right?

I went to my first ever World Cup match last night! I saw USA vs. Slovenia at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. It was truly spectacular. I have seen quite a few amazing sporting events in my lifetime (Wimbledon, Stanley Cup playoffs, The Olympic Games, PGA Golf, etc.) but yesterday's experience tops the list. The intensity, the level of play, the noise, the large number of spectators, and the stadium itself will not soon be forgotten. I was surprised at how many American fans were in the crowd, and they were quite down on their team in the first half, cursing and yelling. BUT, the second half rally by their team was superb and made for an exciting finish. I am definitely becoming a huge soccer fan. 

Further, I'm observing some interesting day-to-day cultural phenomena here and wanted to capture it in writing. I am noticing these things especially when I walk the streets downtown during my lunch break. I have been venturing out much more, now that I have my bearings downtown. I recently found a pedestrianized street full of market-type goods and cheap shops, which I am loving. On Tuesday while cruising this street, I watched as people walked around with blankets on. Fleece blankets! Forget coats, people just put on blankets and go out. How clever! Why invest in a coat when you can just put on a blanket?

Also, there are many men with old-fashioned cameras asking if I need my photo taken at almost every street corner for a good 3 blocks up the road. I was puzzled by this until I saw that the Dept. of Home Affairs was nearby. Ahhhh, forget passport photo labs, you can just get your photo ID taken on the sidewalk. I watched this happen - these 'photographers' just tape a white sheet onto a building and then snap away.

There is also some very creative entrepreneurship going on in this city. The little tables that are set up everywhere sell quite a diverse range of products such as individual candies. Some people buy a whole bag of wrapped hard candies or mints and then sell each piece separately to make a small profit. You'll find these being sold often with a mixture of nuts and fruit.There are also lots of men walking up and down the middle of road lanes selling newspapers, flags, sunglasses and now, ear plugs. On the way to the stadium yesterday, we did indulge one of these sellers and each got a set of plugs for the game. They came in handy, let me tell you!

What is also striking is how everyone I encounter is very warm and genuinely friendly. I am either: 'madam', 'miss', 'dear', 'darling' or 'my love'. My name is often pronounced Biryani, like the Indian dish. It could be worse. I like Indian food. :)

Work again has been a bit slow this week due to World Cup mania, but hopefully the initial hype has died down and people can get back to business. I am entering my sixth week of being here...time if flying by!!! Lots to be done still in terms of my own learning objectives, but I won't panic yet!

Lots of love,

Brianna