Since my last few entries have really only been about Lynedoch I wanted to update you on my some of my other activities. Today was the third varsity rugby game, and again we demolished the other team, this time 72-17 I think. The game before was a real nail-bitter comparatively as we only edged out the Shimlas 31-16. There are some nasty injuries in today’s game but the biggest was a head on collision between two of the opposing players. They were on our side of the field so we had a good view, but it was painful to watch. The players collapsed immediately (while we ran the ball down for another 5 points) and by the time they left the field only two minutes later one of the players was soaked in blood. He had a huge gash above his right eye and was looking like he belonged in a horror film. Rugby is such a dangerous sport to play without any form of padding or protection. But because injuries happen so often there is rarely a time when the referees stop the game; instead the medics and trainers run out onto the field and tend to the player while play continues. It’s madness.
This past Saturday I went into Cape Town with three friends to explore a little bit. We walked around the outside of Green Point Stadium where eight of the World Cup games will be played in June and July. Then we continued on to the Waterfront which was full of shops and restaurants and cool places to hang out. We walked along the harbor for a while, got some lunch and delicious milkshakes, and spotted six 
huge seals sunbathing on a dock. This area of Cape Town has beautiful views everywhere you look... it seems as though that could be said about anywhere in the Western Cape though. We had the water on one side of us, with a view of Robben Island which is not far from the mainland. And if we looked the other way you could see Table Mountain perfectly, and sometimes Lion's Head was visible. While walking around we came across a guy standing next to his motorcycle pointing to a big map that was taped to the bike. We read the messages displayed and the route traced on the map and learned about this man's mission. He had been travelling since 
2000 and is on a quest to become the first deaf and mute individual to ride a motorcycle around Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and the Americas. He's made quite a dent in the last 9 years and only has Africa and South America left to do. In 2008 he was in the U.S. as he made his way through all 50 states. And the most amazing thing is that he's 69 years old!
huge seals sunbathing on a dock. This area of Cape Town has beautiful views everywhere you look... it seems as though that could be said about anywhere in the Western Cape though. We had the water on one side of us, with a view of Robben Island which is not far from the mainland. And if we looked the other way you could see Table Mountain perfectly, and sometimes Lion's Head was visible. While walking around we came across a guy standing next to his motorcycle pointing to a big map that was taped to the bike. We read the messages displayed and the route traced on the map and learned about this man's mission. He had been travelling since 
2000 and is on a quest to become the first deaf and mute individual to ride a motorcycle around Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and the Americas. He's made quite a dent in the last 9 years and only has Africa and South America left to do. In 2008 he was in the U.S. as he made his way through all 50 states. And the most amazing thing is that he's 69 years old!Yesterday we all went on another AIFS excursion, this time to a concert. We got to see Prime 
Circle, a well-known South African band, play at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. It’s part of a Sunday afternoon series that takes place at the first botanical garden ever created. I really enjoyed the music; their sound was kind of like a mix between Third Eye Blind and Creed. The unfortunate part was that we had to sit in the almost unbearable heat for two hours before the show started. Because it’s on a lawn you have to get there early to get a spot to sit and there’s virtually no shade in the concert area. But right as the band went on at 5:30 the sun went behind the trees and it was a perfect temperature for the show. Check out the picture with the beautiful mountains as a backdrop behind the stage!
So other than going to class and training for the half marathon that’s about all I’ve been up to this past week. I still have a ludicrous amount of free time and am looking for ways to keep myself busy. I’ve had very little homework so far but I do have a presentation to give on Wednesday, an Afrikaans test next Thursday, and service learning paper due after break so I plan on doing some work this week. It’s nice to have life slow down a little but I don’t remember ever having this much free time. My only commitment here is academics, and that isn’t much of a commitment, so I find myself missing all my usually activities at SMC. But hopefully I’ll be joining a basketball or soccer team soon which will be a nice change of pace.
I’ll leave you with the view from my bedroom window! Thanks for reading!
Circle, a well-known South African band, play at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. It’s part of a Sunday afternoon series that takes place at the first botanical garden ever created. I really enjoyed the music; their sound was kind of like a mix between Third Eye Blind and Creed. The unfortunate part was that we had to sit in the almost unbearable heat for two hours before the show started. Because it’s on a lawn you have to get there early to get a spot to sit and there’s virtually no shade in the concert area. But right as the band went on at 5:30 the sun went behind the trees and it was a perfect temperature for the show. Check out the picture with the beautiful mountains as a backdrop behind the stage!So other than going to class and training for the half marathon that’s about all I’ve been up to this past week. I still have a ludicrous amount of free time and am looking for ways to keep myself busy. I’ve had very little homework so far but I do have a presentation to give on Wednesday, an Afrikaans test next Thursday, and service learning paper due after break so I plan on doing some work this week. It’s nice to have life slow down a little but I don’t remember ever having this much free time. My only commitment here is academics, and that isn’t much of a commitment, so I find myself missing all my usually activities at SMC. But hopefully I’ll be joining a basketball or soccer team soon which will be a nice change of pace.
I’ll leave you with the view from my bedroom window! Thanks for reading!
Rugby is a brutal sport, and you wouldn't think so because people know they are not protected, but they cannot help themselves in the heat of the moment. Interesting that it is such a fringe sport in the US since people would probably gravitate to the violence.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, thanks for the post card. The kids loved it and are practicing Connect Four by Four.