They say a pictures worth a 1000 words. So here's 365,000 words worth.
For the last year of my Peace Corps Service I'll be posting a photo a day. The only rule is that I have to take the photo that day and do my best to post the same day.
It's no the hight of the rainy season and look what a difference six months can make. Here's a photo taken from the same spot back on August 19. Combine almost daily rains with a hot sun and vegetation thrives and the mountains look beautiful in the verdant covering.
You learn something everyday. Today I learned that Soweto has a basketball team. Way back in 2008 I used to play volleyball quite frequently with this guy. He also occasionally goes to the gym I use and today he wore a basketball jersey. Basketball jersey's are rare here. You see tones of soccer jerseys - both South African and European clubs - the occasional Rugby jersey, quite a few Yankees hats and shirts, every now and than some NFL paraphernalia, and even sometimes random University shirts. But basketball is rare for sure. It's even more awesome that it wasn't an NBA team but a Sowetan team. Believe it or not this guy commented on how tall I use - guess he's people above shoulder hight. (And yes, for the true connoisseurs those are vintage 2004 CMB shorts I'm wearing - best year in CMB shorts by far, survived two years of hand washing and you can still see the UVA logo on them!)
What surprised me most about this picture is that it's taken right in the heart of the oldest section in the township. It's not an area where you often see shack structures and definitely not corn growing - growing right next to one of the busier side corners in the township, this picture doesn't do justice to how out of place it looks.
As anyone who follows this picture blog knows I'm a big fan of playing games with kids - I think it's such a great way to get them actively engaged in their environment. Most the time it involves me teaching new games (or just making them up), but sometimes I get to be student and they get to teach me. This morning they taught me a version of jacks with pebbles (since I've never actually played jacks I'm just assuming this is what it was). Basically you through one stone up really high and then have to move all but one of the other stones away with your throwing hand. Since I never got a clear explanation of all the rules I was always doing things wrong - but it was fun get them to explain to me all the various rules.
As an aside I also just found out this morning that the girl in the yellow and the girl throwing the stones are aunt and niece. Family relations still always surprise me even after 30 months here. Just goes to show how strong some of our basic social assumptions are.
Now that looks ordinary right? Not to me. I happened to go into a building in Nelspruit with vending machines today, and suddenly realized I didn't know the last time I'd seen one of these. I've been raking my brain all day trying to think of where else in South Africa I've seen vending machines and the only two places I can think of are the airport on my very first day here and Table Mountain (but the Table Mountain one sold soccer ball souvenirs). Looking at these I was reminded about how often I'd supplement my dinners with a late night snack from a vending machine at the library - I'd totally forgotten such things existed.
The playground a crossed the street from one of my high schools. Today was stifling hot and a little humid so no kids were on it, but some days it's full of kids playing. It's quite clearly falling apart and sometimes while passing it I wish there was something I could do about that - but in such a large township such work is way beyond the scope of a volunteer. I have to content my self with stopping by to play with the kids ever now and then.
The mountains in the area are supposedly renowned throughout South Africa for their plant biodiversity many of which are used in traditional medical practices. Particularly around taxi ranks I'll often see displays like this on the side of the road where herbs and roots are informally sold.
Every time I visit this school this poster makes me laugh. I always wonder if that's the way it came or some mischievous (and genius) learner burnt it one day.
Don't think day 200 deserver a special post like day 100, but as I look back on some of the posts I'm reminded how much has happened over just these last 200 days. Only 165 more days left - I hope I can do all that I want to in these up coming months.
January is a time for spectacular sunsets in this part of the world. In todays picture the sun is actually behind me - it was one of those stunning 360º sunsets.
