At Viva, we tend to have some slow weeks. The set-up there is solid, so the community can run itself for a while without outside interference. Those are the days I spend playing basketball, climbing the ridge, and just hanging out with Abie around Mamelodi. While the lack of manual labor can get a bit annoying, I've gained a lot from my days of leisure in Mamelodi. While lounging around Viva, I've begun learning bits and pieces of Pedi and Zulu courtesy of Abie and the hundreds of people calling me "Mahlungu," as well as a local card game (at which I can beat only Tim and 14 year olds).
On a slow week, I usually wake up around 10:00 and go into Viva an hour later. A few people will usually be eager to play basketball, so I'll give a quick tutorial and get the ball off the roof every time they miss the backboard. After a half hour or so, it becomes too hot to continue playing and we take a lunch break. Over a Pineapple Fanta (which are amazing, the US is really missing out) I tell people about America-- pretty much everyone here sees America as their dream country-- and I question them about whatever language they are speaking at the time (young people in Mamelodi grow up with about 10 languages around them, so I never know which they are speaking at a given moment-- usually Pedi or Zulu, though). After lunch we resume basketball, often playing a game or two (usually 3-on-3, which is nice because there isn't really enough space for many more players at once). People are on average much shorter here than back home, so I'm quite the behemoth to them. Quite similarly to a certain freckly friend of mine, my presence in the paint is met simultaneously by chagrin and amazement. I try to avoid taking advantage of my newfound height, but occasionally I give into temptation and swat a shot or hold the ball over my head. I'll give another lesson and then we'll all shoot around for a bit, while I go around helping people with their form. When the elementary schoolers get out around 2:30, they swarm the "court" and quickly tire me out with their energy. By the time I get picked up at around 4:30, I can usually be found lying down in the shade with the other people my age.
Once home, I'll take a nap, eat, and stay up way too late watching Spongebob and Sportscenter.
For every slow week, though, there's an equally fast one. Yesterday was spent hauling wood with Leon and Jared (2/3 of Viva's management) from the University of Pretoria to Viva. For whatever reason, the people at the University see fit to get rid of perfectly good desks, tables, and chairs, in addition to a bunch of scientific equipment that would fit right in with Uni High's physics lab. Viva;s going to add two classes next year in addition to the day care, so we got a few desks and chairs, as well as a bunch of lumber that can be made into tables or whatever Gary (Viva's resident carpenter) decides to use them for. Today I'm working in the Viva offices (in Pretoria) on financial stuff and taxes, and tomorrow it's back out to Mamelodi to empty the room sthat will become new classrooms in January.
Friday is going to be a slow day at Viva, but once I get home it will quickly accelerate. Since there's no Thanksgiving Break here, we're celebrating a day late by having some people over for a nice American turkey BBQ.
That night also happens to be the premiere of a documentary about Viva. Another TV crew came in last week to film, and 15 minute episodes will be coming out every Friday for two months. They're going to put the episodes on youtube, so I'll post those as they come out. Here's a small news clip about Viva that aired last week. (This one isn't from the upcoming documentary.) Hopefully, this week's program will actually get their facts straight, though. The reporter in the above clip says that Viva gets funding from overseas schools, but that's completely false. Since no one here told her that, we aren't quite sure what she was thinking-- in reality, Viva doesn't have very much money.
Stay tuned for a couple of photo posts!
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