Get a Cut or Get Cut, Your Choice (Except Wednesdays)

I know that you have all been anxiously waiting for me to get my hair cut once again, and I’m sorry but it does tend take a good 3 weeks until that time rolls around again! But don’t you fret, the hair hit the usual awkward spot and I decided to venture to my usual spot for a trim, and I have an even better story than the first! So I’ll stop all this introduction mamble jamble and get to the goods.

Outside of the experiences from last time like the stares from the shop full of African men, the blaring hip hop music, the buckets of Vaseline, and of course the grease for your added enjoyment, you can add a near horrible experience to that list of goodies. I was right at the climax of my hair cutting experience, you know, as they are dusting off the loose hair and reaching for the grease. Maybe you don’t know actually, my bad. Regardless, it was right as this time that I noticed a discussion that was taking place right beside me. When I say discussion I think I really mean argument. I’ve been around arguments plenty of times before, usually it is centered around who the better basketball team is between my brothers and I (Clearly there is no argument this year.), or my mom and dad trying to determine who was snoring last night (It’s always dad, but he puts up a good fight). This was not like that. One, this was in another language. B, it was in two other languages so neither of the individuals fighting understood what the other was saying, and I understood neither. From the little Afrikaans that I do understand I was able to pick up from the mad individual that he wanted his phone back and that my barber had either taken it or something of the like. Cell phone theft is pretty common around the Manenberg area because you can make a quick R50 or more and that is good money for drugs. I am not sure how the plaintiff was able to track his stolen phone down, but I am judging from his posse that went with him that he didn’t use the nicest measures. I do not understand any Xhosa and so I was not sure what my barber was saying at all, but from his motions and pointing at me and other clients he was saying that he did have the phone but it was at his house and after he finished cutting our hair he would go get it. The other man was not satisfied with this and called one of his goons who began to reach for something. At this point I may have peed my pants just a little. Sorry for the graphic detail, but it is true! I was considering my next move if he pulled out a gun. One side of me would be the extra quick and suave hero and tackle the guy and save the day, but the real side of me was looking for a good place to hide in a trailer. Luckily, it was not a gun, but it was a whip that he had tied around his arm that he then wrapped around his knuckles. At this point I regretted not buying the Chuck Norris kickboxing package set for the low low price of $19.99. If I had then I could have given him a swift kick to the jugular and ended the entire problem, but I took the “rational” road and told myself that Chuck Norris was a joke and I didn’t need his teaching, lesson learned. The man began to get in the barber’s face and make threats in Afrikaans that I would assume weren’t in the uplifting manner that the Bible would recommend, but I did not see this as a time to tell him that. But, and if I have lost you in my random side notes I apologize, I tend to make jokes to cover up for things that make me look vulnerable. But, I saw out of the corner of my eye a gang member from the American’s gang that I have befriended come running towards the shop. I also know that this guy has killed a man so I assumed that he was just looking for some more fun, but quite the opposite. He broke up the fight and within a few minutes had everyone sorted out and was walking the upset man to get his phone back. As I was leaving he stopped me with this huge grin on his face and told me, “I knew you was in there Tobs, I got your back!” I played it off like I didn’t need him to get my back, but I remember the feeling I felt when I saw him running. A familiar face. A man who stood up for me when he didn’t have to. Not that I was in any serious danger or anything, but he came to my rescue. I gave him a hug and went on my way, but I’ll never forget that haircut.

Although, it wasn’t the best all-around service that I have ever received. I didn’t even get the grease, which is included in the price. I don’t think I will argue it though, I’ve made it 21 years without being whipped (Outside of the corporal punishment I received from my father); I think I could go a few more!

By the way, I realize that it may seem that I don’t do much over here because I only post about getting my hair cut and ridiculous things like that, but I assure you that I do other things! I just don’t write about the day-to-day things because I have these exciting things to write about!

Also, this might be one of my last posts. I am going on a safari next week. I know you’re jealous so don’t even try to act like you aren’t!

Duke's in the Championship!

I think it has been a while since the last time I posted something on here. Sorry about that, but it is hard to follow stories of shake downs and stare downs with anything. Sadly, this post is not much better, but because a few woman (And you know exactly who you are, so don’t play innocent) won’t get off my back about updating it then the rest of you will have to suffer through a lackluster post. These past couple of weeks have been challenging and rewarding, relaxing and stressful, typical and completely unexpected, and I can’t think of any other opposing adjectives to throw in. I will do my best to explain each of these in some form or another, but because I know myself, I probably won’t because I will go off on some erroneous (never thought I’d use that word…I like it, so I may continue to use it now) tangent and get confused on my original intention.

I say that it has been challenging for some obvious reasons and some not so apparent to the eye. Working with youth, no matter if they are wealthy, at-risk, high-risk, middle-class, etc. is always a challenge. It is no different with these guys. We set up appointments on Mondays to meet, and when their appointment comes they are nowhere to be found. I anticipated this early on, but for the past two weeks I have been chasing down guys all over Manenberg. This has placed me in awkward situations in people’s houses I don’t know or attempting to ask people on the side of the street, which is always a challenge. Mix this in with a stomach virus and you have yourself quite the recipe for a frustrating time. I quickly became very irritated and upset because I was so set on coming over here and meeting with these guys every week, but that just hasn’t happened. Now, if I meet with one of them a week then it was a good week. Now for those of you who are questioning if I even do anything because I am only meeting with one person a week, you are allowed your right to question, but there is still plenty of work for me to accomplish! It has been a rewarding couple of weeks because we have made pretty legitimate relationships with a new group of guys. They invited me to play street soccer with them this week, and whenever you get invited by a gang member to do anything then you know you’ve done something right! I am excited to see where this goes in the future!

I have had a relaxing past couple of weeks because on the weekends I have been able to go to the beach and just unwind. I have found that the hardest part of this whole trip for me is processing everything that I hear. Friday I may have had the best Good Friday ever. I drove to a beach and packed myself a picnic and then I sat and wrote in my journal and listened to music for a good 3 hours. It is times like these that I love being alone, but since I’ve been alone for a solid 3 months now, I am looking forward to seeing friends and family! I have been housesitting this past week for a World Cup referee and his wife (cool huh?) and in that they have allowed me to use their car (scary huh?). This has been one of the greatest blessings I could have asked for at this time. That car has given me a sense of freedom that I haven’t had since January! I have been able to go to the beach, Robben Island (Where Nelson Mandela spent a chunk of his life, I saw his cell too, pretty incredible experience), City Bowl, The Waterfront, etc. It has been an incredible weekend! But just as it has been a great weekend, it has also been a stressful one as well. I have been working to complete a few assignments that are proving to be more difficult than they should and that is weighing on me. Also, I found out two days ago that the family I am staying with got evicted from their house. Well, maybe not evicted, but have to move out by Tuesday! This would be fine if they had a house in mind, but they don’t! This may frighten some of you, but please don’t worry because this is typical of my life over here so I am rolling with it! We have had a few good laughs already about it!

Lately I have been thinking about the power of God. It has truly blown me away. Not that he has all power and never relinquishes any of it. Not that he doesn’t use that power against us, but for us. No, these principles floor me, but aren’t what I’m specifically dealing with now. The fact that he entrusts that power to us and that the same power that healed, the same power that caused the blind to see, the same power that caused the lame to walk, the same power that turned a sack lunch into a Ryan’s Buffet, the same power that walked on water, the same power that conquered the grave, that power lives in me! Christianity is often times made out to be boring. If you go to church and do your best to be good in the eyes of others then you are a Christian. If you are in a Sunday School class and serve in some leadership capacity then you are a good Christian. I am not writing that off by any means, but that is boring!! What if we lived like we had that power? It excites me, because I have seen that power from time to time in my life, and since I’ve been over here I have seen it more because I have had no other choice but rely on him, and because of that I have seen his glory.

This weekend I have been most blown away by one thing. It was this weekend that we saw God’s power and love meet. I can’t expound on that.

So I apologize that this post was not the typical satirical masterpiece that you are familiar with. It isn’t that fun things haven’t happened, it is just that I can’t write about them on here! Ha. Joke mom. Kinda. Well, if you don’t here from me for another couple of weeks I apologize. It’s not because I don’t want to post on here or anything, but because I am busy moving to another house!

The title has no relevance to anything in the post, but I just thought it should be noted!