We Just Might...

Day 4:
Sunday was the first day that we could sleep in if we wanted to. I wanted to.  I didn’t sleep too much, but it was nice to get up at 8 instead of 6! A bunch of us walked down the street to an African market where we had some new experiences. There are so many bowls, masks, baskets, carvings, and art… a lot to take in, although many of the booths had the exact same things. What was really different was that as you walk by they try to lure you in “We have the cheapest prices!” I didn’t even want to ask how much things were, because I was already avoiding eye contact as I was just walking by! We were told that you had to negotiate, but it was very clear because if you pause to look at something the vendor will give you three prices one after another – each lower than the one before. I feel nervous about haggling…not my thing! I loved that each person says “You are my friend, I’ll give you a special price” or even try the guilt trip: “I have had no customers today, you would be my first one.” That was the worst! I did end up buying a cool piece of art. You all will have to wait and see…. : D
After the market I went with my friends Kim and Tadashi to the Cape Town Country Club located on the water. It was an amazing day, I was almost going to get a sunburn. It was a nice change from the cold weather. It was here that I couldn’t help but notice that all the workers – waiters, bartenders, cooks were black and ALL the patrons were white. I suddenly realized that I hadn’t seen any white people doing any of the “unskilled” jobs. It was then that I realized that with all of its progress, South Africa has a long way to go.
On the way to meet the bus we stopped at this AWESOME mural! What do you all think about the African Simpsons??

We met the group at the National Gallery of Art, which was shockingly small and empty. My favorite exhibit was a photography exhibit from a man who worked as a bouncer in a Cape Town hotspot in the 1950s. It made me laugh…
After we went to the Company Gardens (began by VOC) and saw all these families playing, laughing, and getting married. Life is good!
I was also followed around by a homeless “representative of the homeless association of South Africa.” Would I like to make a donation? Another example to Cape Town contrast – a Christian wedding, and then a half hour later a Muslim one… beautiful families of all colors playing and picnicking, and the homeless sleeping under trees and on benches…
In the evening we went to an Irish Pub to watch the USA play Brazil in the final match of the soccer thingy. Surrounded by Brazil fans, we chanted: “YES WE CAN!” Each goal we chanted again and again and at 2 to 0 we were feeling pretty good… until the 2nd half when the Brazilians scored and the bar erupted in cheers, promptly followed by “NO YOU CAN’T!” After they scored again and AGAIN chanted no you can’t, I started a new cheer… “WE JUST MIGHT!” It was funny and we had an international laugh. Lol…