I just got an email that I am slipping on my posts! I apologize. Just got back from seeing a play and then meeting some friends.  I decided to do both things randomly. Indeed, my original plan was to stay in for the night and write blogs. The play was a one man show that was an update on a controversial and often banned play during the 1980s. It was funny, but I did not understand many of the references and it seemed that the biggest laughs came when the actor said something in Afrikaans, which I of course didn't understand.  I wlll share one interesting story. It was about Helen Suzman. She was one of the few, if not the only, members of parliament in an opposition progressive party. Every year, at the start of parliament she would ask the question "Can you please provide the numbers in regard to the statue that allows reallocation." Reallocation is changing the classification of someone's race. The leader would be forced to say "three coloreds became Chinese. 14 blacks became colored. 24 Indians became colored ... "  The person having to answer Suzman's question once said "Please don't ask that embarrassing questions. Suzman would respond, "It's not the question that's embarrassing but the answer!" The actor humorously pointed out that no one ever went from black to white or white to  black ...  

Here is a short post about rugby match that I attended on Friday night. Tomorrow, i will write a post about the Jewish Museum and the rest of my week tomorrow. 

On Friday night, I went with Rene and Clyve's family friend Rudy and his brother in law Jaques to the Nuelands Stadium for the Junior World Championships in rugby.This was a big deal in South Africa because rugby is one of if not the most popular sport,  it was the first time that the South AFrican team had made it to the finals and  they were playing their international rivals - New Zealand. When I got in the car to go to the stadium, someone asked me if I had seen rugby before. I said that i had been to see the Uganda national team during the past two years. They responded, "Oh so you have sort of seen rugby. It's nothing like this." Later, I learned that SA and NZ are the two biggest rugby countries and that each country has their unique style of play. Some of these,  which involve  alignments and different types of kicking plays, were pointed out to me during the game. 

As I entered the stadium, the first major difference between the games that i had seen and this one was apparent - attendance.  35,000 (the capacity of Newland Stadium and the largest  crowd in the in history for a junior championship) filled the stands.  There was excitement all around - waving flags, chanting, and at one point a massive and long wave. At the start of the game,  New Zealand team conducted their traditional Haka - war chant. Apparently, each Pacific Island has there own version.  Its one of those things where they chant and do a dance, march like thing in which they configure in a triangle and put one hand on the other hands elbow and get in a pose like they are either about to be signaled to start a race or are stretching multiple muscles at one time.  Its sort of trendy now in HS sports ,as illustrated in the final season of the critically acclaimed and unfortunately under watched series Friday Night Lights when Tim Riggin's brother leads the East Dylan Lions in the chant. The purpose is to intimidate the opponent. In respect, the SA team stood and watched. I believe I have a picture of this which I will post tomorrow . It was cool to see and I can see how it would be scary and be a good psycological game to paly on the opponent. 

I was very lucky as I got to sit in a box with a great view. Throughout the game, Jacques assisted me by explaining rules. I still was a bit clueless but started to understand the flow of the game better as the minutes past. In terms of the differences between this game versus my previous experience, I am not sure that I can tell you how the game was different. Still looked like a flowy American football game without breaks.  My view was definitely better, which made the experience more fun since I could appreciate the game.  In the second half, the Baby Boks (the  adult team is the springboks) dominated leading to a victory. It was so exciting to see the first win by the team - the biggest sports event i have ever witnessed! I am so thankful that i was invited by Rudy to this game. It would of have been unfortunate if I had missed this opportunity. 

Pictures will be uploaded tomorrow. I need to go to bed and they take too long to load (like an hour). I have an 8:30 am appointment to go to a sheltered employment site. Sheltered or Protective employment is when a place is set up in a closed labor market to provide a job for someone. 

- Feldman