A Conversion Story

My cabin and my Colombian cabin-mate.
He gave me the best allergy drugs!

Our trail protection: rangers and guns

Trekking through the bush on the animal look-out.

Just stumbled across some wild buffalo. No big deal.

Water hole, hippos and sunset

Hello Mr. Rhino!

The vehicle that got us 60 km out to our camp.

Oh, hey!

Flora instruction

On a scale from 0 to 10, zero being "Animals are as boring as a monotone lecture" and 10 being "I want to be the next Jane Goodall," before this trip, I was a 3. I have always been way more intrigued by the human experience: the emotions, the relationships, the art. I would pick a museum over a zoo, a book over a pet.

But after four days in Kruger National Park, my scale rating is now a 6, maybe a 7. The change was almost instantaneous: within 20 minutes of entry into the park, I had already seen zebra, elephants and giraffes just hanging out on the side of the road. It was completely natural! Organic! Un-artificial! There was no human intervention to put on a good show, and Kruger is about the size of a small country.

In Kruger, you can't get out of your car or safari vehicle unless you are on a ranger-led walking tour sponsored by the park. I went on this three-day "Wilderness Trail" with seven other people: an English couple, a South African couple, an Australian father and son, and a Colombian dude. We spent three nights in rustic cabins in the middle of the bush. All the food, bedding and hiking supplies were provided; we even had our own cook.

I did not reveal to anyone in my group my semi-disinterest in animals. However, I suspect they picked up on it when I had to keep asking, "What was that we just saw again? A buffalo or a rhino? And which one was the wildebeest? And are there bison here?" I did however try to talk to them a lot about international politics so that they would not think that I was a completely idiotic American. Furthermore, I made a conscious effort not to spontaneously burst into songs from The Lion King although it was tempting - especially when we saw warthog!

For our first sunset, we sat at the edge of a huge watering hole that was full of giant hippos and crocociles. Around the water's edge were baboons, Egyptian geese (so I was told) and giraffes. There we all were, sharing different sections of the same waterfront. The only thing separating us from the animals was our rangers' guns. As we shared the sacred spaced and watched the sunset, people sipped beers and wine, or in my case, the most delicious grapefruit juice in the world.

Earlier that morning, on our first walk, we came within a few yards of elephants and rhinos and bison. The walks were thrilling because after long quiet stretches of empty land, we were suddenly face-to-face with a herd of wild animals. The ranger would take a strategic stance between us and the animals and then motion for us to silently file past. Even when we walked for long stretches without seeing any animals, it was thrilling to just be in their space: to step through their poo, to see where they had rolled around in the mud and where they had rubbed up against a tree.

One night as we sat around the campfire, we heard lions roaring from three different directions. Then our rangers told us stories about Mozambicans who were trying to cross the border and became lion meat. When we were driving out of the camp site this morning, we saw two lions sleeping on the side of the road.

My favorite animals were the graceful giraffe, the brightly colored birds and the amusing warthogs. Generally, animals strike me now as whimsical and entertaining. They are also so varied and random - the round body of an ostrich, the unique stripe pattern on zebra, the grace of a herd of running kudu.

Altogether on this trip I have seen: leopard, lion, python, zebra, elephant, wildebeest, penguin, shark, whale, seal, ostrich, water buffalo, heron, rhino, warthog, monitor lizard, mongoose, kudu, impala, millipede, giraffe, hippo, baboon, franklin, turtle, and crocodile.

I still think too many animal pictures are pretty boring, so I tried to include ones here that also feature the human experience.

I also want to clarify that this change of heart does not imply anything like a change in career from social worker to veterinarian. But when I go home, I think I might get a bird feeder.

South Africa currently has a lot of:

1. Vuvuzelas

Reports from the States indicate frustration and annoyance at these little musical instruments, but I will defend them as both fun and festive. I hear them in the background at all times of day: the joyous sounds of the World Cup. The only time I wanted to break one in half was on the 20-minute shuttle ride between Durban stadium and our car when five local teenage boys seemed intent on deafening everyone in the bus.

2. Men
Yes, men are stereotypically more into sports than women, but I've never been at a sporting even where I have been so obviously outnumbered. At the Apartheid museum in Joburg, tons of men. At Cape Point, tons of men. On my township tour, I was the only woman. Every restaurant and hostel is full of men. But I'm not complaining: last night I watched the Ghana game with a suave Argentine who bought me dinner.

3. Seattle-ites
Almost every other American I meet here is from Seattle. No joke. On my first day, I spotted a guy with a Sounders scarf, and it turns out that he is from the neighborhood next to mine. There were 8 Americans - including me and Seth - watching the USA vs. Algeria game on a small TV in our hostel owner's personal bedroom. (The hostel bar with the big screen was showing the England vs. Slovenia game.) FOUR of us - 50% - were from Seattle. Yesterday I met a guy who teaches first grade in a Seattle suburb. We watched the Brazil match together at the Cape Town Fan Fest park (see #7). I love my city!

4. Kentucky Fried Chickens

There are surprisingly few American chains here. No Starbucks. No Wal-Marts. But tons of KFC's. Every small rural Black township we drove through had one. The city is littered with them.

5. International Flags

While the Vancouver Olympics were dominated by the maple leaf, South Africa is decorated with the 32 flags of all competing nations. It's easy to feel welcome here.

6. Flat Screen TV's

Every restaurant, bar, store and shopping center has a TV showing the World Cup matches. Between these TV's and the car radio, I have seen or heard probably 90% of the games. The two days that there were not any games, I hardly knew what to do with myself.

7. FIFA Fan Fest Parks

For people who do not have match tickets but who want to have a match-like experience, FIFA installed huge screens all over the country. Even the small rural towns have them (see second photo). To enter the area, you have to go through a security check point, and they sell all sorts of stadium-like food and beverages in there. It's a blast to watch and cheer with so many people - locals and tourists - out in the open air.

8. Gloating Dutch Fans

They annoy me now. They threw cups of beer up in the air all over the fan park every time they scored against Brazil. And they celebrated in the streets all night long. I got heckled the rest of the night for wearing my Brazil jersey. I took this picture before Brazil lost.

Maybe Animals Are Kind Of Interesting After All

The biggest tragedy of the trip so far is that Seth - who used to want to be a veternarian and who was more excited about shark diving than almost anything else on the trip other than soccer - was too seasick to cage shark dive. He took these pictures of me moments before he upchuked over the side of the boat. The crew would have allowed him to go in, but he could barely move.

Initially, I had absolutely no desire to go: getting into a clausterophic cage in freezing cold water with human-eating beasts did not sound like fun at all. But Seth had made reservations about a month ago, and he convinced me last minute to try to squeeze onto the list. I got super nervous beforehand - I come from a family of surfers and Jaws-watchers.

Once I relunctantly loaded the boat, they took us out to an island full of seals, and anchored in the middle of a stormy sea (thus the motion sickness) with an 8-person cage hanging alongside the boat. Once you're in the cage, you float with your head just above the surface of the water while a guy on the ship throws out a huge chunk of tuna bait attached to a string. Then, as he spots a shark approaching, he yells, "Down on left!" That's our cue to submerge our heads and look left as a shark comes barreling towards us. Then he'll yell, "Down middle!" and we hold our breathe and look straight ahead.

About a dozen sharks came within three feet of my face. It was not scary, but thrilling, especially when they approached us with their mouths wide open. Every time we came up for air, the people next to me in the cage would scream, "Holy cow! Did you see that?!" Then we would pop our heads down for more. After 15 minutes or so in the cage, there was still great shark watching from the boat. We saw some amazing breeches, and saw one shark attmept to eat the bait that was stuck on the side of the cage. (See picture.)

About 30 minutes after my turn in the water, I also got seasick and puked off the side of the boat. But I recovered quickly and the experience was still totally worth it. It's just kind of sad that I - the animal hater - got to have the experience that Seth - the animal lover - wanted. I will keep trying to give animals a chance.

Seth and Oakie

Driving with a left-handed stick-shift on the left side of the road is probably one of the most terrifying things I have done in South Africa (well, at least until shark diving tomorrow). Driving along the highway is fine, but this is what goes through my head when I have to make a turn:

"Ok, turn onto the left side of the road. Stay left! Crap, I have to downshift. Oh no, we're going to stall. Downshift! Downshift! And now I'm not breaking fast enough. Don't flip, little car! Why are the windshield wipers going?! Aaahhh! The stupid blinker is on the other side. Now we're going to rear-ended because no one knows that we're turning. Blinker, now!"

Fortunately, Seth drives 90% of the time. We have put some serious miles on our little Hyundai named Oakie - tomorrow we will complete the gorgeous 1,000 mile drive from Durban to Cape Town. Despite the fact that Oakie has what Seth describes as "wheelbarrow tires," she has served us well. Most importantly, she has not been broken into.

Beyond his willingness to drive, Seth has many other qualities that make him a perfect travel companion. He makes me laugh. A lot. He charms the locals. He made all the reservations at our hostels. He lets me read out-loud to him the history of all the towns we pass. He knows almost everything about soccer. We get hungry and tired at the same times.

In five more days, I will be car-less and Seth-less, but in the mean time, I am greatly enjoying their company.

Just for fun, here are some pictures of the baboons we saw along the side of the freeway today. They created quite the traffic jam!

Day 4: Netherlands vs. Japan

The Netherlands game was wonderful for two reasons: the new Durban stadium is stunningly beautiful and the Dutch fans rival the Argentines in their fanaticism. The sea of orange was perpetually undulating.

One of the best parts about this game - and each World Cup match we have attended - is mingling with the fans around the stadium before and after the game. We haven't been leaving the stadiums until about an hour after each game has ended. The people watching is fantastic, and there is a palpable sense that we are all part of something special and huge and even historic. I often wonder how many people in the crowd are fulfilling a life-long dream.

Each game is a day-long affair. We arrive at the designated parking areas - often a suburban shopping mall or school - about three hours before kick-off. (We haven't had to do anymore bribing to park!) Then we load onto buses. The lines to get back onto the buses after the game take hours, but no one seems to mind. People keep on blowing their vuvuzelas and looking at the patriotic goods people are hawking on the side of the road.

No one seems to want the excitement to end.

P.S. Note how the arches in the stadium are similar to the lines in the South African flag: two forked lines that meld into one.

DAY 3: USA vs Slovenia

The second half of the USA game was absolutely thrilling. Throughout the first half, Seth kept saying that all he wanted in life was to witness just one American World Cup goal. When the US finally did score, our screaming and jumping and hugging led to the slight dislocation of my jaw.

Since the game, anyone who hears that we are American says how sorry they are about the third goal that did not count. One South African said, "No one understands what the ref saw or what he did. I don't think that even he understands." We have felt very supported.

For the Argentina game, we were about fifteen rows from the very top of Joburg's brand new Soccer City stadium. For this game at Joburg's old and crumbling Ellis Park, we had box seats. They were the only seats left when we went to buy tickets, and even without the free soda, it was totally worth it; we were directly above the goal.

Sitting right next to us was a Slovenian family. They graciously said that they were happy to have even qualified for the World Cup, and they could already go home proud. We congratulated each other after almost every goal. Given their difficult history and the fact that our population is 100 times the size of their population, I was happy that they did so well against us.

Since we had not brought any American paraphenelia, I bought a flag and a funny hat/scarf thing, and Seth and I both got temporary American flag tatooes on our cheecks. The tattoo artists run a pretty sweet business: they stand with a little water bottle and sponge right where the buses drop us off from the park-and-ride.

Overall, the Americans fan were great - they unfurled this monstrous flag during our national anthem and after both our goals - but we're not quite up to speed with the Argentine fans yet. I think with a few more years and a few more wins, we might get there.

DAY 2: Argentina vs. South Korea

Getting to Soccer City for the Argentina vs. South Korea match was an adventure: we had to bribe two different people to get into the parking lot! We had tried to pre-purchase a parking ticket, but it was a huge hassle. So once we got near the stadium, we tried to give one man 50 Rand, but he said, "Too much! Too much!" and took 20 instead.

Walking into the brand new stadium took my breathe away. There were 83,000 people in attendance, and the majority of them were wearing Argentina's light blue - so were we. The stunning exterior is meant to look like a woven basket. It is located outside of the city in the middle of huge dusty fields.


The Argentine fans were wild. Every wall and railing was covered with an Argentine flag or banner. At the end of the game, huge mobs of Argentine fans stayed and danced and celebrated until the rest of the stadium completely emptied.


The Korean fans were great too; we sat directly behind a highly costumed group of them. There was a Korean band playing in another part of the stadium for the entirety of the game.

The stadium was energetic but felt completely safe. There were riot police and other officials everywhere. I even saw an Argentine fan and a Korean fan exchange jerseys in an act of world peace. I had ear plugs just in case in the horns were overwhelming, but we didnt' have to use them.

We have to head off to the USA match. I don't always love cheering for the USA, but I feel really good about it today since we are generally soccer underdogs. GO USA!

DAY 1: South Africa vs. Uruguay

After Uruguay scored their third goal, the South African TV announcer said, "Please don't lose interest in the World Cup. It's still a beautiful game." It truly is a beautiful game, and the whole country is alive with World Cup fever. The name of the South African soccer team is Bafana Bafana, and there are signs cheering them on all over the city. Everywhere is also covered in flags - both South African and international ones.

Seth and I watched the first half of the South Africa game at a cafe/restaurant in downtown Johannesburg that was full of locals. They were blowing their vuvuzelas (large, loud horn things) in the restaurant! But they stopped for the Uruguayan national anthem, and for the South African national anthem, they all stood. It was very moving. At random intervals during the game, they would break into song. They also continually chanted, "Come on, boys! Come on, boys!"

For the second half of the game, we walked out on the main square where they were showing the game on three huge screens. We were freezing, so I bought a fleece blanket of the South African flag. Seth wanted to buy one too, but the salesperson was already wrapped in the only one that was left, and she was so cold she refused to sell it. Despite the chill, people were loud and energetic.

I was sad for them when they lost, but they continue to be very friendly and welcoming hosts. For example, at my very first meal, a Black South African family came up and gave us their phone number and address and said that they would give us a tour of Soweto. Often, when we ask for directions, people don't just point us in the right direction but actually walk us to our destination.

Sorry France, but I won't be cheering for you come Tuesday!

Four-Year Plan: Concluded

Four years ago, I had just finished my first year of teaching in NYC, I was struggling with the aftermath of a break-up, and I had been watching the World Cup on screens set up on the sidewalks of the Bronx.

On June 26, 2006, I wrote this in my journal:

"I want to go the World Cup in South Africa in 2010. I'll be 29 years old, almost 30. That's four years away. What do I want to have accomplished by then? Who do I want to have become? Four years is a long time. It's the period of time of high school, of college undergrad; four years ago, I was in the MTC. But life after missions and graduation feels devoid of predetermined and predictable goals. So I'm going to have to create my own. With FIFA 2010 as my goal, I feel empowered with a sense of my agency. This is where I see myself on the eve of my trip to South Africa:"

Then I wrote a list of goals. Some are too personal to include here, but here is a sampling:

• Ride my bike across the country - Summer 2007 I did not ride across the country the way I had intended, but I did ride "across" North to South.
• Become a confident and competent cook; host frequent dinner parties. - I no longer get anxiety in grocery stores!
  
• Be in the process of working on another graduate degree towards my goal of becoming a counselor/motivational speakers/writer/community organizer for adolescents. - When I wrote that, I had no idea what degree I wanted, and yesterday I graduated with a Master's in Social Work. The program fit that description perfectly.
  
• Read the entire scriptural canon. - Well, I got through the Doctrine and Covenants, but only through half of the Old and New Testaments. Still feel good about that though. In the middle of the Book of Mormon now.
  
• Develop sustainable healthy living habits. Achieve my ideal weight. - Weight achieved! Habits: ongoing work in progress.
  
• Be a bonding, unifying force for my family, immediate and extended. - Also ongoing, but last summer, we had a pretty sweet extended family reunion.
  

I have been obsessed with South Africa since I took my first class on apartheid my Sophomore year of college. I secretly wanted to be the next Amy Biehl. In the ten years since then, I have made it around South America and Southeast Asia, but not to the continent that excited me the most.

I fly to Johannesburg in about nine hours.

A friend of a friend, Seth, is meeting me at the airport. We have only emailed and talked on the phone, but we will be traveling together for two weeks. (In later posts, I will share the vetting process he went through.) After he flies home to Rochester, New York, I will have two weeks on my own. Fortunately, I have other friends of friends who will be there with whom I'm hoping to connect.

On Thursday, we have tickets to Argentina vs. Korea in Johannesburg. On Saturday, we have tickets to Netherlands vs. Japan in Durban. Then we are going to drive along the coast to Cape Town along the Garden Route, and hopefully pick up some more game tickets along the way.

Even given the tone of resolution and determination with which I wrote my end goal four years ago, I don't know if I actually believed that it would happen. But it is! I'm going! It gives me the chills.

Firsts

For Memorial Day weekend, I went to the infamous Duck Beach - a gathering of about 1,000 LDS singles on the beaches of North Carolina. For the three years I lived in NYC, I haughtily rejected this East Coast tradition. Yet for some reason it made sense to me to fly from Seattle to Washington, D.C. and then drive 6 hours to spend 2 days in a house with 40 people I barely knew.

Part of me just wanted to observe the spectacle. However, my hopes for one day making a juicy documentary have been dashed: there was surprisingly less drama than I would have expected from a Mormon Spring Break. But the trip did allow for many firsts. For example, it was my first time to:

puke on an airplane,

see my dear friend Melissa pregnant,

be in the state of North Carolina,

stay in a house that had an elevator, movie theater, pool, sauna, hot tub, billiards room, dozens of flat screens, integrated sound system, and beach access, but not a garbage disposal,


sleep in movie theater stadium seats,
(That's not me, but that is the very room I slept in.)

meet someone who actually, sincerely, honestly likes Glenn Beck,


eat at Chick-Fil-A,


attend a church that was so crowded that people were sitting in the hallways,
(The ward had even rented chairs from the local school.)

roll my own sushi,

and kayak on the Potomac with my bro Jeffrey.

In five days, I get to experience the "first" that I've been anticipating for four years:
first time on the continent of Africa!