Thanksgiving Take Two

Thursday morning I awoke early to get ready for the weekend. This included a lot of baking: making biscuits and pumpkin pie (from scratch thank you very much). Eventually, I headed to town to pick up a visitor. We joyously met up and he was properly impressed with Tzaneen as most people tend to be owing to its gorgeous surroundings and how nice the town is compared to most of the other towns in South Africa. We went to the coffee shop, which I have basically become a regular at, and picked up food to make pizza for dinner and then headed out.

My family had been hesitant about a male visitor. They were very open to having guests but very resistant to the idea of him staying over in my room. I agreed, unhappily, to stay in another room to appease them. As a result, I was entertained later when Sello brought the sponge for my guest to sleep on. I suppose they took one look at him and found him to be non-threatening which of course he was.

In the morning we left here early to go out to breakfast and do internet. For the second time in 24 hours we were back at the coffee shop. It is an exceptionally recuperating experience to be able to go out and have breakfast and talk. The experience provides such a huge contrast to everyday village life.

Eventually we met up with three other volunteers. They wanted to get coffee before we left so we headed to the coffee shop for the third time in the last 24 hours. Here we picked up yet another volunteer and headed out.

The drive to Acornhoek is incredible. Right now everything is the most vivid shade of green imaginable. Staring across the landscape that has that quality literally floods my eyes with perfection. The mountains are immense with character creating folds and sharp cliff faces. When I look at them I feel they must be ancient, magical creatures that will eventually wake up from deep sleep, stretch, and wander sluggishly away.

Eventually we made it to our destination and spent the evening snacking and hanging out. Laughing for extensive periods of time is such an amazing quality now and as we played games and let loose as twenty-something Americans it was as if all of our loads had been lightened.

The next morning we went walking in the village which is made up of dazzling views and perfection. It looks like a travel destination: long winding dirt paths, forest, fauna, steep, rising mountains and calm. We walked to a creek where we sat talking and relaxing. I think Peace Corp Volunteers are a race of contemplative and intuitive people which is evident by the way we take in our surroundings and react to our environments.

Eventually we headed back to the house to make lunch and start on Thanksgiving dinner. At one point all the women were preparing food while the men were outside chopping wood for the wood-burning stove. It would have made Laura Ingalls Wilder proud and my feminist counterparts hang their heads in shame.

While the food was cooking a group of us went outside to play wiffle ball. We found a soccer field that could have easily fit into a stereotyped idea of a green meadow in The Sound of Music. We played a few innings and were inevitable joined by a large group of children.

The children were hilarious. One was only wearing a pair of bright red underwear pulled way too high. He was an immense character. He may have been a wrestler in his former life. The boys soon had all the kids playing tag, arm wrestling, and playing wiffle ball. I was struck by the fact that I felt like I was in a descriptive article about Africa. My life is so different now, and incredible, and I feel I'm reminded every day.

Eventually we headed back inside for dinner. All of us crowded around a table loaded with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, etc. Once again we submitted to rounds of "I am thankful for..." which had the common theme of each other. Dinner was amazing and wonderful and we spent the rest of the evening snacking on desserts.

In the morning we got up and did the taxi ride home, our only real hindrance being the brief taxi break down in which we contemplated hiking or hitching but luckily didn't have to make that choice. When I got home, I feel into exhausted slumber as soon as I walked through my door but nevertheless was rejuvenated and happy.