Haha. Homesick at my age. And on the first day! Ah nvm that.
South Africa, Johannesburg. It reminds me of Australia in a way. But more friendly, and more happening. Well it might as well be, it being the World Cup and all.
I wanna see more savannah. I wanna be alone exploring the wild. I want to gaze endlessly upon the plains and smell the whatever exotic country there is. Lone wolf time is calling me.
I realize some things:
I am weak to cold. Really weak. So much for being a tough guy.
I’m glad I’m not going on exchange, for many many reasons. One, missing the weather and home. Two, missing people. Three, having to be around any persons continuously.
Traveling is not really my thing.
I don’t like being a minority.
I don’t like non-chinese girls.
The world cup ball is too damn fast and light. And England is useless. I friggin’ was telling how England would own USA. They have embarrassed me for the last time.
Goodnight.
14th June 2010
Man is it cold. And I’m going jogging tomorrow. That’s gonna be cold.
Casinos. Nobody wins in em. It’s fascinating watching people lose at roulette.
Woo gonna watch the springboks. That should be awesome. Maybe even more awesome than watching argentina south korea.
I friggin saw. Steve Nash. When I walked out of the lift in the building my dad works in, next to Nelson Mandela Square. Steve friggin Nash. He’s quite tall, actually. Here’s how the conversation went:
(lift doors open, we walk out, I stare at this tallish white man, thinking, no, it can’t be; checking out his eyes: I kinda think Steve Nash has a lazy eye, which is amazing given that he plays point guard at such a high level)
Me: Are you. Steve Nash?
Steve Nash: Yeah.
(he shakes my hand)
Me: You guys were awesome. How’s your eye?
(lift doors close)
friggin awesome.
And Steve Nash looks like such a small guy on tv.
Wow.
15th June 2010
It doesn’t get colder than this. Oh but it was.
I say this as I sit in my room, swathed as a man can reasonably be without being in arctic clothing. And yet I was colder, this morning.
I woke up at 5, thought I’d head out, run a little, see the sunrise.
I’ve never felt colder in my life. Sure I’ve held the occasional ice block to see how long I could take the cold.
It hurt my eyes till they watered. It hurt my nose and my mouth till I started covering my face with my hands to breathe. It hurt my ears till I had to cover them and run. It hurt my hands till. Well they just hurt. And it made my left toes numb.
I’ve never felt colder waiting for the sun to rise than in that one full hour waiting on that wind swept deck of that parking lot.
It wasn’t that bad; it’s not like life and death, not like it took complete willpower to not run into some heated building. But it was a cold, cold, cold.
I’ve never been happier in a 7-11 drinking a cocoacino and eating a bun. I swear I’ll never be happier in any 7-11.
Hmm. I’m quite warm now.
16th June 2010
There’s nothing colder than a cold house. Then there’s nowhere warmer to go. Except under a blanket, maybe. But there’s nothing colder than a cold house.
It’s colder than a witch’s nipple in hell. Well, that’s what I often think to myself. Hmm.
We went quad-biking today. Amazing fun, marvelous fun. Boy those things are strong. Takes quite some getting used to, it’s like really stubborn. But amazingly tough.
Driving today through the m14 towards hartbeesport was so, so special. Long, straight mountain roads, flanked by plains and grasslands, with hilly terrain in the distance, and bodies of water within sight. I left my heart down in Africa, Men at Work. Where the Streets have No Name, U2. Both came on on the way home. Both couldn’t have been more fittingly chosen.
A dam is a really amazing thing. Water as far as the eye can see on the one side, and low lying flatlands on the other, with trees farms, houses. It’s unimaginable what difference a dam makes to a river, absolutely unimaginable.
I tell you, 6 chinese men at one dinner table can make one hell of a lot of noise.
Spain lost today, but they never stopped playing the right way. I back them to win the next two.
They bring on Jesus Navas to bomb down the right wing, and friggin Switzerland let him go one on one the whole time. I mean, come on, give the left back some help, for crying out loud. Jesus Navas is too good to be allowed to go one on one. He put in 10 crosses, and had around 2 shots.
Speaking of crosses, the strikers’ positioning is kinda poor. Well, most are. Imo, they should have a triangular shape, assuming that they’re not terribly interested in defending should they be attack minded. Anyway, one striker near, one far, that’s normal. Minimum requirement per cross, I’d say. And one in the hole, right behind them. Many many many balls fall behind the first line of the near and far post attacking strikers. But we’ll see.
Xabi Alonso is quite an incredible midfielder, I’ll give him that. And David Villa is quite astoundingly skillful. They have Torres and Villa? God help us.
Good things, good things.
17th June 2010
Soccer City Stadium, Argentina and South Korea, 1:30 pm local time. Starring, Lionel Messi.
Messi is unrivalled. He runs at defences the minute he gets the ball, and puts all sorts of pressure on any defensive formation at any time. He is a football genius, with his irrepressible running and perfectly timed passes out of a collapsing defence. Higuain is a finish applier; Messi is Michael Jordan.
I can probably tell you why South Korea lost. Their formation is too rigid, and their defence doesn’t shift enough to cover the side where the other team attacks quickly enough, or enough at all. A lot of the time, their midfielders are standing open in the middle of the field without purpose. I chalk this down to tactical rigidity. And when they have the ball, they are quickly swamped on the same side by a shifting Argentine midfield, and are often (forcefully) caught trying to slide the ball down the same side; they don’t swing the play to the other side fast enough; I note that the Argentians often send three men on line of the flank they defend. Perhaps they would have been better served exploiting the area that the Argentine midfielders leave behind them when they commit to one flank; often, the supporting South Korean midfielders are left all alone as the ball (and the secondary Argentine markers) shift towards one flank.
And the finishing is piss poor. There was one passage of passing attacking play where the South Korean number 10 had an open shot on goal and he went near post and missed by 1.5 metres. Poor, poor. This when they were merely one down.
And poor France, down 2-0 to Mexico. They should not have taken off Anelka, for Gignac. The latter is a target man, the former a far more flexible playmaker/ scorer. Malouda had to carry too much of the playmaking load in the second half, and everything was forced down the left flank; Malouda, the ugly guy… Ribery, and Evra. Evra sure chose a poor time to be captain. But the first goal was offside. And the penalty, my goodness. Abidal, are you kidding me?
Watching people lose money in a casino is somewhat… fixating. Especially the roulette table. It is a mean old game. There are just so many ways to lose, so many methods that one can take to lose. And let it ride poker. This old man sitting at the table, had two houses in a row. Two houses! He made 3000 rand sorta, on 50 rand bets. And he sat there and kept playing and bled off a thousand before we left. God damn it, man, put the bleeding money in your pocket.
Soccer today was tiring, and too one-sided to matter, even to the undiscerning public, those brutes (I mean this in a good way). I much look forward to Saturday’s rugby: less hype, more ass kicking.
Some random thoughts: when you marry a loud, brash, and enterprising sort of person, I hope you’re not only going along for the ride. Also, a humble man will always have a spot at the dinner table. Further, I still think being hard is okay, but I most probably will never be hard to a woman. Again, I think fans respond to violence between players, hence I will think carefully before I use violence on the field. Lastly, hot tea is by far the most calming thing in the world.
Hope to do some outdoor cycling/ hiking before I go back. And fishing, that sounds fun.
18th June 2010
Nothing much going on today, managed to get some sun and exercise. Germany lost, I never liked them.
Hmm my gloves are all bally.
Man Americans are noisy. Actually, come to think of it, most men are damn noisy. It’s their low voices.
A hummer is a pretty big car. But I’ve seen tanks on the road, man. Wedge shaped metal boxes with wheels, no turret. I kinda miss the merc. You really can’t go wrong with a 7 gear manual shift merc.
I think I’m going to like golf. When my swing’s going, nothing comes easier. We’ll see.
I realize I tend to remember something about a person that I don’t like (the something, not the person) for a very long time. And in that time, I tend not to like that person very much. My point here is that I find it very hard to let go of that. It tends to result in me being very cold to that person. I think basically I need to think of people more generously, and less critically. It doesn’t make me unkind, but it does make me cold. And people don’t really understand that, and I don’t blame them. Well, we’ll see.
Nothing much going on, yup.
19th June 2010
Went to watch the bokkes at Witbank today, against italy. Great rugby. Good looking girls at the crowd, too. Brian Habana is as short as he looks, but he is a really good winger. And victor matfield is damn kickass looking. He’d make a great wrestler. And the crowd always cries, “Beast!” when bakkies botha gets the ball. Steyn is kinda awesome, too.
Kinda shag the whole day. Should be alright, though.
I realize i’ve been staring at girls more lately. And thinking about the girls I used to like, sub-subconsciously. Oh well.
It doesn’t get colder than this. Oh but it was.
I say this as I sit in my room, swathed as a man can reasonably be without being in arctic clothing. And yet I was colder, this morning.
I woke up at 5, thought I’d head out, run a little, see the sunrise.
I’ve never felt colder in my life. Sure I’ve held the occasional ice block to see how long I could take the cold.
It hurt my eyes till they watered. It hurt my nose and my mouth till I started covering my face with my hands to breathe. It hurt my ears till I had to cover them and run. It hurt my hands till. Well they just hurt. And it made my left toes numb.
I’ve never felt colder waiting for the sun to rise than in that one full hour waiting on that wind swept deck of that parking lot.
It wasn’t that bad; it’s not like life and death, not like it took complete willpower to not run into some heated building. But it was a cold, cold, cold.
I’ve never been happier in a 7-11 drinking a cocoacino and eating a bun. I swear I’ll never be happier in any 7-11.
Hmm. I’m quite warm now.
16th June 2010
There’s nothing colder than a cold house. Then there’s nowhere warmer to go. Except under a blanket, maybe. But there’s nothing colder than a cold house.
It’s colder than a witch’s nipple in hell. Well, that’s what I often think to myself. Hmm.
We went quad-biking today. Amazing fun, marvelous fun. Boy those things are strong. Takes quite some getting used to, it’s like really stubborn. But amazingly tough.
Driving today through the m14 towards hartbeesport was so, so special. Long, straight mountain roads, flanked by plains and grasslands, with hilly terrain in the distance, and bodies of water within sight. I left my heart down in Africa, Men at Work. Where the Streets have No Name, U2. Both came on on the way home. Both couldn’t have been more fittingly chosen.
A dam is a really amazing thing. Water as far as the eye can see on the one side, and low lying flatlands on the other, with trees farms, houses. It’s unimaginable what difference a dam makes to a river, absolutely unimaginable.
I tell you, 6 chinese men at one dinner table can make one hell of a lot of noise.
Spain lost today, but they never stopped playing the right way. I back them to win the next two.
They bring on Jesus Navas to bomb down the right wing, and friggin Switzerland let him go one on one the whole time. I mean, come on, give the left back some help, for crying out loud. Jesus Navas is too good to be allowed to go one on one. He put in 10 crosses, and had around 2 shots.
Speaking of crosses, the strikers’ positioning is kinda poor. Well, most are. Imo, they should have a triangular shape, assuming that they’re not terribly interested in defending should they be attack minded. Anyway, one striker near, one far, that’s normal. Minimum requirement per cross, I’d say. And one in the hole, right behind them. Many many many balls fall behind the first line of the near and far post attacking strikers. But we’ll see.
Xabi Alonso is quite an incredible midfielder, I’ll give him that. And David Villa is quite astoundingly skillful. They have Torres and Villa? God help us.
Good things, good things.
17th June 2010
Soccer City Stadium, Argentina and South Korea, 1:30 pm local time. Starring, Lionel Messi.
Messi is unrivalled. He runs at defences the minute he gets the ball, and puts all sorts of pressure on any defensive formation at any time. He is a football genius, with his irrepressible running and perfectly timed passes out of a collapsing defence. Higuain is a finish applier; Messi is Michael Jordan.
I can probably tell you why South Korea lost. Their formation is too rigid, and their defence doesn’t shift enough to cover the side where the other team attacks quickly enough, or enough at all. A lot of the time, their midfielders are standing open in the middle of the field without purpose. I chalk this down to tactical rigidity. And when they have the ball, they are quickly swamped on the same side by a shifting Argentine midfield, and are often (forcefully) caught trying to slide the ball down the same side; they don’t swing the play to the other side fast enough; I note that the Argentians often send three men on line of the flank they defend. Perhaps they would have been better served exploiting the area that the Argentine midfielders leave behind them when they commit to one flank; often, the supporting South Korean midfielders are left all alone as the ball (and the secondary Argentine markers) shift towards one flank.
And the finishing is piss poor. There was one passage of passing attacking play where the South Korean number 10 had an open shot on goal and he went near post and missed by 1.5 metres. Poor, poor. This when they were merely one down.
And poor France, down 2-0 to Mexico. They should not have taken off Anelka, for Gignac. The latter is a target man, the former a far more flexible playmaker/ scorer. Malouda had to carry too much of the playmaking load in the second half, and everything was forced down the left flank; Malouda, the ugly guy… Ribery, and Evra. Evra sure chose a poor time to be captain. But the first goal was offside. And the penalty, my goodness. Abidal, are you kidding me?
Watching people lose money in a casino is somewhat… fixating. Especially the roulette table. It is a mean old game. There are just so many ways to lose, so many methods that one can take to lose. And let it ride poker. This old man sitting at the table, had two houses in a row. Two houses! He made 3000 rand sorta, on 50 rand bets. And he sat there and kept playing and bled off a thousand before we left. God damn it, man, put the bleeding money in your pocket.
Soccer today was tiring, and too one-sided to matter, even to the undiscerning public, those brutes (I mean this in a good way). I much look forward to Saturday’s rugby: less hype, more ass kicking.
Some random thoughts: when you marry a loud, brash, and enterprising sort of person, I hope you’re not only going along for the ride. Also, a humble man will always have a spot at the dinner table. Further, I still think being hard is okay, but I most probably will never be hard to a woman. Again, I think fans respond to violence between players, hence I will think carefully before I use violence on the field. Lastly, hot tea is by far the most calming thing in the world.
Hope to do some outdoor cycling/ hiking before I go back. And fishing, that sounds fun.
18th June 2010
Nothing much going on today, managed to get some sun and exercise. Germany lost, I never liked them.
Hmm my gloves are all bally.
Man Americans are noisy. Actually, come to think of it, most men are damn noisy. It’s their low voices.
A hummer is a pretty big car. But I’ve seen tanks on the road, man. Wedge shaped metal boxes with wheels, no turret. I kinda miss the merc. You really can’t go wrong with a 7 gear manual shift merc.
I think I’m going to like golf. When my swing’s going, nothing comes easier. We’ll see.
I realize I tend to remember something about a person that I don’t like (the something, not the person) for a very long time. And in that time, I tend not to like that person very much. My point here is that I find it very hard to let go of that. It tends to result in me being very cold to that person. I think basically I need to think of people more generously, and less critically. It doesn’t make me unkind, but it does make me cold. And people don’t really understand that, and I don’t blame them. Well, we’ll see.
Nothing much going on, yup.
19th June 2010
Went to watch the bokkes at Witbank today, against italy. Great rugby. Good looking girls at the crowd, too. Brian Habana is as short as he looks, but he is a really good winger. And victor matfield is damn kickass looking. He’d make a great wrestler. And the crowd always cries, “Beast!” when bakkies botha gets the ball. Steyn is kinda awesome, too.
Kinda shag the whole day. Should be alright, though.
I realize i’ve been staring at girls more lately. And thinking about the girls I used to like, sub-subconsciously. Oh well.
20th June 2010
Holding a cup of hot tea in cold hands, has to be the only way civilized man has ever started his day.
We went to this outdoor activities area, I don’t know where, where I got to do some outdoor cycling. 12 klik intermediate course, sure, I’m fit, cycling fit, sure. My god, I nearly died. I was panting for the better part of the course, sweating underneath my layers, arse hurting from the bumping, fear and fatigue with every tread. My goodness. It’s tough, tough. Uphill, rocky, and rough, with sharp bends, and sudden inclines and declines. I may never be able to complete that course, and certainly not all the way on the bike. Madness.
But there were many cute little ferrety things. Meerkats, birds, ducks, etc. Plains, grasslands, slight mountains, clear blue skies, cool wind, sunny sun. It feels pretty damn cool to be rolling down a smooth stretch, shades, denim shirt, jeans. (It feels pretty cool to step out of a hummer in the same way, slamming the truck door shut.) Anyway, all quite excellent, but a little hard to appreciate when struggling for dear life. And I thought I was a half decent biker. God was I wrong.
Had lunch at this really good Italian place. Really good. Kinda cute how the Italian big guy who owns the place (I think) likes to eat Chinese food, and has a Chinese chef, who’s pretty jolly (well, he’s big).
I’m quite annoyed at how Brazil and Ivory Coast play. The theatrics, really bad for the game. Like Jose Mourinho says (paraphrasing), “I don’t encourage diving, but if my players are fouled, I tell them to go down.” I mean seriously, that’s brilliant. But for fuck’s sake, don’t clutch your face when you get tapped in the ribs. Elano, get on with it. Fabiano, you’re a fucking diva. And Dunga, I rarely say this to anyone, but stfu. Bad for the game.
I do admit, I miss home, and I miss proper girls. The funny thing is I probably won’t get one, anyway.
I don’t really know what I miss about them, and I suppose I still miss them. What a noodle-scratcher.
21st June 2010
Nothing much going on today, but managed to get on the internet at dad’s workplace. Was good, was great. Sheesh, I hate to admit it, but the internet feels right. Looking forward to downloading (ahem!) the Lakers Celtics games 5-7 and slowly digesting them. But that’ll have to wait. Anyway, unfortunately, I already realized who won. That’s what happens when you scan the facebook updates.
It was good to chat on msn. That’s all I’ll admit to.
Nothing much else, except that the home cooking has made me a happier, fatter man. All’s well.
I still like spain. God I like them. They play like barca, only with villa and torres instead of messi and ibra, and with the excellent xabi alonso. And jesus navas is the best pure winger I’ve seen in a long long time.
And Portugal may have got seven, but they do not impress me. They haven’t got a system, as far as I can see.
I hope it’s brazil spain in the final. These are the two teams that play that ought to win. Germany was amazing in the first game, and Holland has won two on the trot. Hmm. Who else, eh. Argentina… has an outside shot. Their defence shifts well, like I said, and they have messi. Who is instant pressure, and creates (and often exploits) openings. He has a good cast, too. Hmm, who else. England is next to useless, incredibly. France is out, laughably. Poor evra. And italy needs to win to go on, hoho. But they play well.
22 June 2010
Went in the early cold morning to a industrial area, a factory which processes raw sand-making materials. The Chinese company my dad is the logistics manager for wanted to buy feldspar, and although it was much cheaper in China, it was cheaper overall to buy it here. The meeting etc. reminded me a whole lot of LCS, and I realized for the first time what a lawyer more or less has to do. It seemed to me quite un-legal, negotiating, nothing to do with legal principles, or theory, etc. But it’s practical, and it’s the stuff we do. No complaints there.
Found out by some luck today we have to register our modules tomorrow. Anyway, how exciting, etc. The planning has taken awhile, so hope it turns out well. Good luck, all. I remember something about the 7 P’s – no proper planning makes for piss poor performance. Ha, looks like I got 5 of them.
I cannot believe for the life of me that France has 1 point from 3 games. Shameful.
South Korea is damn lucky to get to the next round. Yakubu had an absolutely shocking miss. The kind of goal that really, gosh. That was an absolute sitter.
And argentina has 3 wins in 3. Ha, maradona naysayers. They actually have a pretty good system, but like I mentioned, any team that can swing niftily around the argentian overload will do well against them. It’s very obvious when there’s an overload (by which I mean how the defence overcompensates to one side) in basketball, or in rugby. Speaking of rugby, it’s very obvious how to use an extra man in rugby, but very difficult to execute the same idea in soccer. There’s an interesting thing to consider.
Been eating a whole lot, a whole lot. I suspect the cold is keeping me respectably svelte: the body burns more energy keeping warm.
There’s going to be some goodbyes to be said coming up. Some I don’t care for, and some I might, if I thought of them, and some I will, and some I do.
So much for acting cool.
Wtf a hippo can bite a crocodile in half! Mercy.
23rd June 2010
Among other things, I can speak Chinese at a decent enough level to converse. That is not bad.
Woolworth’s is a nice place. I’m sure girls would love it, love it to bits. It’s like Marks & Spencer’s Marks & Spencer.
I realize how much I wish I could coach people; from a more passive perspective, I realize how much I think like a coach. Like the difference between playing a sport as a player, out to have fun and to do well individually, and playing a sport as a guiding sort of player/ coach, out to make sure there’s teamwork, that every man sticks to his task, every man plays to his strength, etc. Of this sort of coaching mindset, I tend to mentally hold people to standards, well, which I think they fairly ought to reach, or at least try for, and to hold people to principles I would like to see upheld. This often makes me somber, quiet, reserved, etc., because I would like to speak my mind about things I see happening that I personally don’t like, but really end up not doing so, giving people free rein, so to speak. And basically I just tend to be upset for awhile at how people are and what people do, but I keep it inside, and I think, well, people do what people do, and people gotta live. So that’s been what I’ve been like around people for awhile now. When I’m quiet I’m actually quite upset. But nevermind me, I suppose people grow in their own time.
Anyway I was thinking about even a relationship, with a girl. And I would eventually want that person to be independent enough to live without me. I suppose my greatest gift of love would be for that person to grow as much as she could into the person she wanted to be, could be, with my help, and to really be able to live, fully, without me. Maybe this seems to be more applicable to my children than to my wife, but I really think I’d like to tell this to my wife someday, and hope she realizes I mean it.
What is about people that make them blind to their flaws? Or too proud to admit them? It’s tough to ignore family. And it’s the little things that make quarrels. I’m glad I missed years and years of family nonsense; I suppose I’ll have to deal with it someday. May I be a big enough man to admit when I am wrong – yes, I’ll grant you I’m a tough man, but come on, I’m fair, I’ll even claim, I’m soft. And pride, yes I’m proud, but please I’ll admit when I’m proud.
There’s some unfortunate teams going out tonight. Ireland, you’re not alone. But that’s soccer – injustice sacrificed on the altar of continuancy. But come on, what the hell use is continuancy. Like Arsene Wenger says, sure, play without video refereeing. But when the ref needs it, it must be available to him. Basically, he can’t be the only person in the stadium who doesn’t know the truth.
There’s much to be said about inter-sport technical, doctrinal, tactical, and practical transplants, exchange of ideas. Anything from spacing to switching play to overlaps to defensive shifts. Even basic techniques and stances. There is much to be said. Relevant fact: Schmeichel was once a handball goalie.
Apparently, going to Drakensburg tomorrow. That’s South Africa’s famous national park. Gosh, I’d thought I’d had enough of the great outdoors, and here we go knocking on the door of Untamed Afrika. Hope it’s not cold, goodness.
Looking forward to going back, but not to anything in particular. How quaint.
24th June 2010
Wow.
Drove over an hour and a half though sleepy hollow fog. Visibility ranged to 100m at times, and across the road we came across a few cross country trailers strewn across the road, loads all over the place. And I got a lousy speeding camera flash. The camera was between the 100 and the 80 km/h signs, it was bleeding foggy, and I was going 95. COME ON, give a guy a break.
Anyway we went to see some little chalets, and we went at first to a really nice place, which I thought I’d want to stay at, and anyway ended up at another place, called Little Switzerland. Really nice place. We had lunch at a little café, which was really quite good, and went hiking.
The first hike we went on was to this little hill called cone hill. It is quite simply, the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life. Brown, brown country, blue, blue sky. I sat on a rock at the top of the hill and gazed upon the great earth, and all was well. I kept a little stone to remind me of the place. This Is Afrika.
I suppose one day, if it ever comes, I shall propose to my wife there. I’ve got it all figured out, it’ll be a surprise, obviously. I’ll get her to pack an evening dress, and I’ll bring my suit, and a video cam with a tripod. We’ll go the top and change and well, whatever I suppose will happen will happen, just no hanky panky.
After that we went to rainbow falls, no big deal. Kinda high, kinda dry, could see the cone all the way up. And then the driving range, a beautiful place, hitting over a valley onto a marked slope. After the sun set (we were hitting into the sun) it was much easier to track the flight of the balls. And it turns out my driver is pretty good. Like 1/3 good, coming around to 2/3 good around the end. And my iron is still around say 2/5 good. So, long ways to go, but progress all round. I think I’ll like this game. I’ve got decent distance, but golf shouldn’t be about distance, I think.
It’s too bad I have to write this from memory. Yesterday was a really good day. But oh well, memories come back in time.
Italy lost 3-2 to Slovakia yesterday. That was amazing. The most telling was Cannavaro’s misplaying of a throw-in close to the end. A long throw into space, a superb through run by some player, a deft, deft flick with the laces over the keeper, put a fork in them (they’re done). Beautiful. Defence, defence: never ever turn off. And who says men don’t cry.
There were some stars out that night. And it was cold. We went to the bar and had drinks and played pool and watched some soccer. Good times.
25th June 2010
I’m packing up, and when you’re packing up, you know it’s about time to go. It seems like just the other day I was walking out of the airport, rolling down the highway towards Sandton. Bright, lazy, sunny day, good highway, flattish lands. Wondering what the hell the country was like. It’s not like I have a much better idea now, but it’s something, it’s somewhat of a feeling. Like Vietnam. I prefer South Africa, maybe because of the language, maybe because I’ve had closer people. Not to compare, no. Vietnam was beautiful too, rugged and cold and poor and quite Asian. South Africa is mountain rugged, dry and brown and rough and beautiful.
And in Vietnam I lived out of my backpack, for barely a night at a time. Everything was packed, ready to go. It was cold, but this is friggin’ frigid, this is a fridge, meat wouldn’t spoil for a week out here.
I’ve learnt many things about living in this country, many things I won’t write down, but will probably tuck away somewhere to be of future use. Things related to the country, to the weather, to exercise, to the terrain, to the wonderful outdoors, to the little things, to people, to family, to the driving, to the travel, to Chinese people, to black people, and to random people. Never mind it all, it’ll come back someday when I need it.
Ah, South Africa. But it’s not home for me. And my dreams remain where they are.
Woke up early today, threw most of my croissant to little tweety birds today, amazed how they stand the cold. Realized where the adjective ‘flighty’ comes from.
Went to the royal national park at Drakensberg today, took abit of a hike up some forested area, nothing much. May be more when it’s spring, in winter, it’s just brown and dry. Then went to this urh outdoor activities area, nothing much. Then lunch at steer’s, kinda like a mac’s mac’s. then a drive home, a boring brazil-portugal game, and now a spain-chile game. Spain is great for football, brazil-portugal terrible. Catched some bbc entertainment allo’ allo’, it’s quite a laugh.
Think I’ll sleep a bit later, try and get a bit sleepy for the plane. Pack up, plan the short next Saturday morning, and that should be that.
Wonder what I’ll miss about this place. That’ll come, in time.
26th June 2010
Trip ends are always so normal. Well not really, that one in hk, that was wild. But sometimes life is just normal. And that is good and well.
Woke up, finalized, left. Had breakfast at a Chinese place in a Chinatown sort of area, just a street or two of Chinese shops – restaurants, eateries, minimarts, butcheries, hairdressers, ktv, the like, all quite Chinese. Had soya bean milk, beef noodles, prata with egg, the non-indian kind, haha duh. Well it was a good breakfast. And then, airport, miscellaneous, flight home, etc. Watched some really cool movies, the first something called 72 tenants, a hk comedy, the second, Hard Boiled (la4 shou3 shen2 tan2), starring Chow Yun Fatt going nuts over all sorts of baddies, the third, bodyguards and assassins, which had an annoying break so I missed Donny Yen getting beat up, and the fourth, Edward Scissorhands, which was interrupted by arrival just where Depp was caught during the robbery. I think I shall watch the latter again (ahem!).
And so it ends. I have quite a bit of packing up to do, washing, etc. Just realized how dirty the house is, might do something about it. Might get a little sleepy, might do other things. When the com’s on, things keep moving.
GD slow transfer. Phones are so troublesome, and the photos aren’t great. Man I hope I get a nice camera soon.
Good to be back, nice to be back. Feels like home.
Gosh it’s gonna start raining soon. Wait, scratch that, it is raining.
Went in the early cold morning to a industrial area, a factory which processes raw sand-making materials. The Chinese company my dad is the logistics manager for wanted to buy feldspar, and although it was much cheaper in China, it was cheaper overall to buy it here. The meeting etc. reminded me a whole lot of LCS, and I realized for the first time what a lawyer more or less has to do. It seemed to me quite un-legal, negotiating, nothing to do with legal principles, or theory, etc. But it’s practical, and it’s the stuff we do. No complaints there.
Found out by some luck today we have to register our modules tomorrow. Anyway, how exciting, etc. The planning has taken awhile, so hope it turns out well. Good luck, all. I remember something about the 7 P’s – no proper planning makes for piss poor performance. Ha, looks like I got 5 of them.
I cannot believe for the life of me that France has 1 point from 3 games. Shameful.
South Korea is damn lucky to get to the next round. Yakubu had an absolutely shocking miss. The kind of goal that really, gosh. That was an absolute sitter.
And argentina has 3 wins in 3. Ha, maradona naysayers. They actually have a pretty good system, but like I mentioned, any team that can swing niftily around the argentian overload will do well against them. It’s very obvious when there’s an overload (by which I mean how the defence overcompensates to one side) in basketball, or in rugby. Speaking of rugby, it’s very obvious how to use an extra man in rugby, but very difficult to execute the same idea in soccer. There’s an interesting thing to consider.
Been eating a whole lot, a whole lot. I suspect the cold is keeping me respectably svelte: the body burns more energy keeping warm.
There’s going to be some goodbyes to be said coming up. Some I don’t care for, and some I might, if I thought of them, and some I will, and some I do.
So much for acting cool.
Wtf a hippo can bite a crocodile in half! Mercy.
23rd June 2010
Among other things, I can speak Chinese at a decent enough level to converse. That is not bad.
Woolworth’s is a nice place. I’m sure girls would love it, love it to bits. It’s like Marks & Spencer’s Marks & Spencer.
I realize how much I wish I could coach people; from a more passive perspective, I realize how much I think like a coach. Like the difference between playing a sport as a player, out to have fun and to do well individually, and playing a sport as a guiding sort of player/ coach, out to make sure there’s teamwork, that every man sticks to his task, every man plays to his strength, etc. Of this sort of coaching mindset, I tend to mentally hold people to standards, well, which I think they fairly ought to reach, or at least try for, and to hold people to principles I would like to see upheld. This often makes me somber, quiet, reserved, etc., because I would like to speak my mind about things I see happening that I personally don’t like, but really end up not doing so, giving people free rein, so to speak. And basically I just tend to be upset for awhile at how people are and what people do, but I keep it inside, and I think, well, people do what people do, and people gotta live. So that’s been what I’ve been like around people for awhile now. When I’m quiet I’m actually quite upset. But nevermind me, I suppose people grow in their own time.
Anyway I was thinking about even a relationship, with a girl. And I would eventually want that person to be independent enough to live without me. I suppose my greatest gift of love would be for that person to grow as much as she could into the person she wanted to be, could be, with my help, and to really be able to live, fully, without me. Maybe this seems to be more applicable to my children than to my wife, but I really think I’d like to tell this to my wife someday, and hope she realizes I mean it.
What is about people that make them blind to their flaws? Or too proud to admit them? It’s tough to ignore family. And it’s the little things that make quarrels. I’m glad I missed years and years of family nonsense; I suppose I’ll have to deal with it someday. May I be a big enough man to admit when I am wrong – yes, I’ll grant you I’m a tough man, but come on, I’m fair, I’ll even claim, I’m soft. And pride, yes I’m proud, but please I’ll admit when I’m proud.
There’s some unfortunate teams going out tonight. Ireland, you’re not alone. But that’s soccer – injustice sacrificed on the altar of continuancy. But come on, what the hell use is continuancy. Like Arsene Wenger says, sure, play without video refereeing. But when the ref needs it, it must be available to him. Basically, he can’t be the only person in the stadium who doesn’t know the truth.
There’s much to be said about inter-sport technical, doctrinal, tactical, and practical transplants, exchange of ideas. Anything from spacing to switching play to overlaps to defensive shifts. Even basic techniques and stances. There is much to be said. Relevant fact: Schmeichel was once a handball goalie.
Apparently, going to Drakensburg tomorrow. That’s South Africa’s famous national park. Gosh, I’d thought I’d had enough of the great outdoors, and here we go knocking on the door of Untamed Afrika. Hope it’s not cold, goodness.
Looking forward to going back, but not to anything in particular. How quaint.
24th June 2010
Wow.
Drove over an hour and a half though sleepy hollow fog. Visibility ranged to 100m at times, and across the road we came across a few cross country trailers strewn across the road, loads all over the place. And I got a lousy speeding camera flash. The camera was between the 100 and the 80 km/h signs, it was bleeding foggy, and I was going 95. COME ON, give a guy a break.
Anyway we went to see some little chalets, and we went at first to a really nice place, which I thought I’d want to stay at, and anyway ended up at another place, called Little Switzerland. Really nice place. We had lunch at a little café, which was really quite good, and went hiking.
The first hike we went on was to this little hill called cone hill. It is quite simply, the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life. Brown, brown country, blue, blue sky. I sat on a rock at the top of the hill and gazed upon the great earth, and all was well. I kept a little stone to remind me of the place. This Is Afrika.
I suppose one day, if it ever comes, I shall propose to my wife there. I’ve got it all figured out, it’ll be a surprise, obviously. I’ll get her to pack an evening dress, and I’ll bring my suit, and a video cam with a tripod. We’ll go the top and change and well, whatever I suppose will happen will happen, just no hanky panky.
After that we went to rainbow falls, no big deal. Kinda high, kinda dry, could see the cone all the way up. And then the driving range, a beautiful place, hitting over a valley onto a marked slope. After the sun set (we were hitting into the sun) it was much easier to track the flight of the balls. And it turns out my driver is pretty good. Like 1/3 good, coming around to 2/3 good around the end. And my iron is still around say 2/5 good. So, long ways to go, but progress all round. I think I’ll like this game. I’ve got decent distance, but golf shouldn’t be about distance, I think.
It’s too bad I have to write this from memory. Yesterday was a really good day. But oh well, memories come back in time.
Italy lost 3-2 to Slovakia yesterday. That was amazing. The most telling was Cannavaro’s misplaying of a throw-in close to the end. A long throw into space, a superb through run by some player, a deft, deft flick with the laces over the keeper, put a fork in them (they’re done). Beautiful. Defence, defence: never ever turn off. And who says men don’t cry.
There were some stars out that night. And it was cold. We went to the bar and had drinks and played pool and watched some soccer. Good times.
25th June 2010
I’m packing up, and when you’re packing up, you know it’s about time to go. It seems like just the other day I was walking out of the airport, rolling down the highway towards Sandton. Bright, lazy, sunny day, good highway, flattish lands. Wondering what the hell the country was like. It’s not like I have a much better idea now, but it’s something, it’s somewhat of a feeling. Like Vietnam. I prefer South Africa, maybe because of the language, maybe because I’ve had closer people. Not to compare, no. Vietnam was beautiful too, rugged and cold and poor and quite Asian. South Africa is mountain rugged, dry and brown and rough and beautiful.
And in Vietnam I lived out of my backpack, for barely a night at a time. Everything was packed, ready to go. It was cold, but this is friggin’ frigid, this is a fridge, meat wouldn’t spoil for a week out here.
I’ve learnt many things about living in this country, many things I won’t write down, but will probably tuck away somewhere to be of future use. Things related to the country, to the weather, to exercise, to the terrain, to the wonderful outdoors, to the little things, to people, to family, to the driving, to the travel, to Chinese people, to black people, and to random people. Never mind it all, it’ll come back someday when I need it.
Ah, South Africa. But it’s not home for me. And my dreams remain where they are.
Woke up early today, threw most of my croissant to little tweety birds today, amazed how they stand the cold. Realized where the adjective ‘flighty’ comes from.
Went to the royal national park at Drakensberg today, took abit of a hike up some forested area, nothing much. May be more when it’s spring, in winter, it’s just brown and dry. Then went to this urh outdoor activities area, nothing much. Then lunch at steer’s, kinda like a mac’s mac’s. then a drive home, a boring brazil-portugal game, and now a spain-chile game. Spain is great for football, brazil-portugal terrible. Catched some bbc entertainment allo’ allo’, it’s quite a laugh.
Think I’ll sleep a bit later, try and get a bit sleepy for the plane. Pack up, plan the short next Saturday morning, and that should be that.
Wonder what I’ll miss about this place. That’ll come, in time.
26th June 2010
Trip ends are always so normal. Well not really, that one in hk, that was wild. But sometimes life is just normal. And that is good and well.
Woke up, finalized, left. Had breakfast at a Chinese place in a Chinatown sort of area, just a street or two of Chinese shops – restaurants, eateries, minimarts, butcheries, hairdressers, ktv, the like, all quite Chinese. Had soya bean milk, beef noodles, prata with egg, the non-indian kind, haha duh. Well it was a good breakfast. And then, airport, miscellaneous, flight home, etc. Watched some really cool movies, the first something called 72 tenants, a hk comedy, the second, Hard Boiled (la4 shou3 shen2 tan2), starring Chow Yun Fatt going nuts over all sorts of baddies, the third, bodyguards and assassins, which had an annoying break so I missed Donny Yen getting beat up, and the fourth, Edward Scissorhands, which was interrupted by arrival just where Depp was caught during the robbery. I think I shall watch the latter again (ahem!).
And so it ends. I have quite a bit of packing up to do, washing, etc. Just realized how dirty the house is, might do something about it. Might get a little sleepy, might do other things. When the com’s on, things keep moving.
GD slow transfer. Phones are so troublesome, and the photos aren’t great. Man I hope I get a nice camera soon.
Good to be back, nice to be back. Feels like home.
Gosh it’s gonna start raining soon. Wait, scratch that, it is raining.
