Today was rather uneventful at the school, with the days winding down and all. However, after school activities were rather peculiar and enjoyable. Invited over to Nate's host family's for a braii (barbeque type activity), I arrived around 4:30 after school. We played around with the soccer ball and Keegan's friend Matt while we waited for the rest of the family to get home. Sadly, I was a bad goalie, as the boys scored multiple times... yelling "Laduma!! Laduma!" (he scores!) However, just messing around and being physically active again felt good. I can't wait to run and workout again in the States.
Anyways, around 5:30, the host father took us to a "market" on the side of the road to bid on some snoek (fish, more specifically baracuda). This was technically a man gutting and cutting fish on the side of the road out of the back of his truck. Very interesting. I wondered about the sanitariness of this process, but I guess once you get it home and cook it, anything is killed anyways. But to see a multitude of fish dead and fresh out of the sea just laying in the truckbed waiting to be gutted, chopped, and sold was quite an ordeal. Watching the man cut off the head, cut open the spine, cut out the bones, and clean the fish to wrap it in newspaper to go was completely disgusting and yet intriguing at the same time.
Once home, you just cook the cut open snoek over the wood and charcoal fire in a square contraption type thing. And let me tell you, soaked in lemon juice, curry, apricot jam, and garlic... this snoek was phenomenal. I couldn't believe it was the same fish I had seen bought on the side of the road. I may just have to start eating fish more at home now! Accompanied with some regular salad, as well as noodle salad, this meal was delicious. Additionally, Marlene the host mother made a delicious dessert of graham cracker, bananas, and pudding. She worked for a bakery for six months, and let me tell you Nate is one lucky man! Ironically, this household upheld the tradition to prod you to eat more. And what's worse is I loved it. I kept eating more and more fish, until my cravings for dessert took over. Nate and I ate enough to last what seemed like eternity. Really this was not a snack, but an abundance of food... enough to feed a feast of 10 or more... which it did!
Beyond the food, we also went to a local sports club this evening, where we drank some Castle and played some billiards. South African pool rules are very interesting, and the pool balls are much smaller than ones in the U.S. One thing I learned for sure is how much I appreciate Michigan's new law of no smoking in bars. I had forgotten how suffocating that could be. However, overall, on the night, it was wonderful to spend time out and about in Cape Town, as well as get to know some youth. Keegan and Nina, the host siblings, were lovely and wonderful to talk to about so many issues. Overall, a good night considering the food, fun, and laughter :D
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