It’s already the 7th of January 2012 already and in Germany the three kings should be making their rounds about now. As i sit here in the 95 degree heat i can’t help but wonder...what happened to the holidays? December went by in a blur. I know Christmas and New Year’s must have been in there somewhere, but got lost between the heat and the hectic days...It has been without a doubt one of the most unique and unusual Christmas seasons i have ever had.
My first memories of December’s activities begin with a taxis ride from the village to Vryburg in the rain. The one thing that proved most memorable about it was the following: Along the 25 km dirt road leading to the next town over there is a vast expanse i like to refer to as "the land of Mordor" being that there is little more than bleached sand, white rock and a host of hostile looking thorn bushes for at least a 7km stretch. Without tall trees the sun is merciless. They say people live in that wilderness but it’s hard to imagine how...it’s a dead man’s land. As we crept along the dirt road on that gloomiest of days however (swerving around the massive pools that had collected in the road after days of heavy rainfall) I was shocked when i looked up to find that Mordor had somehow magically been transformed into a meadow. The thorn bushes had leaves. Grass was sprouting up between the scattered rocks. Somehow after 3 days of rainfall life sprung out of nowhere...it’s the mystery of life on the edge of the Kalahari.
I must have slept for most of the drive to the capital because the next thing i remember is arriving later at the conference center to the most delectable buffet spread id seen since being in the US! After months of a modest diet that rarely included vegetables it was a luxury i almost felt guilty about indulging in: warm and cold veggies, your choice of beef chicken or fish and a diverse array of tantalizing desserts to follow it up...to top it off, as but brewed coffee as your heart desired! This surrealistic spread was offered for every meal! I though id died and gone to heaven. To and to the charm of it all the rooms themselves were luxurious, the facilities included a gym, sauna, hot tub and pool and various recreation facilities. It was non-other than sensual overstimulation after months of doing without and i wasn’t about to complain. The reunion was grand between us SA24s. The casual observer would have thought that we hadn’t seen each other in years. But that’s what moths of isolation do. One gains a new appreciation for social interaction
The real reason we were there however was not to lounge, and socialize but to get our heads crammed full of knowledge. For thirteen days we had lecture after lecture on everything from project planning to HIV/AIDS awareness from morning till evening. Even after so many hours however, need to socialize was so great most of us spent hours, chatting, swimming and otherwise entertaining ourselves into the wee hours. It made for a string of long days and short nights that had us all but collapsing of exhaustion by the end of the conference. I dare say most would deem it energy well spent.
There was no time to rest however. After training we dispersed to our long awaited vacations. My journey took me a few places. First stop was an overdue visit to my first host family in Makapanstad (via a barbeque in Hammanskral, which, despite the fact that i hadn’t calculated it into my travel time provided an enjoyable diversion!) There i spent the weekend along with a few other volunteers who were also visiting their families. The second stop (yet another rather spontaneously organized outing) took us to the nation’s administrative and social-revolutionary capitals. In true South African fashion getting to our destination proved a challenge and included being misdirected multiple times and dragging heavy luggage over gravel, train tracks, and crowded streets for longer that it pleased our arms and exhausted legs to do so. Ultimately, however, the hassle was worth it and we spent several glorious days drinking in the vibrance and beauty of some of the most significant sights in South African history. Just standing on some of the city streets one was overwhelmed with a feeling of the importance of the place. This is where freedom, democracy, and equality were fought and bled for. In these streets is where the most radical societal transformation of recent history unfolded. One can feel the weight of the legend.
The last leg of the journey took us to the shores of the Indian Ocean at once of the most popular South African beaches and vacation spots: Durban. There we would reunite with many other Americans from our group of volunteers. As glorious as those days spent in the sand, sun, and surf would be one memory that remains most prominent in my mind is the drive between the capital and the coast. The scenes were breath taking...and even more so for me given that id spent the past several months in the sandy plains of the Kalahari with no hills and little greenery to speak of. As we headed due south east, lush foothills and plateaus spread out around us on both sides as far as the eye could see. Hills gave was to the sharp peaks hooded in clouds and deep valleys of Lesotho, which we passed to the east. Bold faces of exposed rock angled towards the sky jutted hundreds of meters out of the green plains. It was a sight like i had only seen one time before...in the Bavarian Alps...but had quite a different character...a very South African character if one may describe it as such. It was breath taking and i drank it all in until our road led is too far into the fog to allow much visibility.
Once we did reach the coast a time of winding down began. It was enthralling to be surrounded be the palms and paradise plants again...scenes which very my reminded me of my other home in Tampa. To hear the rhythmic crash of the waves, feel the strong breeze off the sea in my face and watch from the pier as foam gathered and disappeared on the surface of the waves gave me a sense of serenity. These sensations were combined with the touch of the warm Indian Ocean rolling over my skin...the taste of pungent Indian spices and curries, the aroma of brewed coffee and lattes, the constant sound of the other Americans' voices as they chatted and laughed near to me. I lost track of time. One day blended into the next and i could care less what hour of the day it was...i forgot about time. Somewhere in there Christmas came and went. I recall singing a few carols with a few of the other Americans but that was the extent of our celebration. I was surrounded but so much beauty, but somehow it felt empty. Something was missing for me and after some time i started feeling tired in my heart. It got lonely in the middle of that crowd of people...i missed home, my family and all the things that makes Christmas festive for us...i missed that feeling of comfort and belonging i had even in Germany. But there was no way to rescue my Christmas this year and by the time New Year’s Eve rolled around i didn’t really feel like celebrating anymore. I had had my fill of all the wonder and diversion the coastal city could offer and i could think of but one thing: my home in the desert.
Alas here i am and actually feel more worn out that revived from my vacation. Here i am wishing i could do it over in a different way. Yet i am thankful for all the amazing experiences i was able to have and do dream of the other parts of Africa i will explore when vacation time comes around again. For now i set my mind and heart on the work that lies ahead of me here. There is so much i want to do it seems quite over whelming...but this shall have to wait for my next entry…
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