This last weekend I travelled with the rowing team up to the 54th annual South Africa Championships rowing regatta held just north of Pretoria. In attendance were most of the same teams as at the last regatta, but this time, there were also teams from clubs, not just varsities (colleges). Hence, there were older people on teams together and even an Olympic pair. This was the most competitive racing of these few months. 
On Friday we drove up to the lake, a good 6 or 7 hours, and pitched our tents and cooked up boerwoers on the braii--sausages on the bbq--and hung around the campground, looking at the southern cross, and trying to remember the rest of our astronomy, I bet my neighbor Lynn could tell me(?). The guys tried to get in to mischief, which they did, setting off firecrackers and getting some angry Africaaner guys to come after them...not a good idea...some shouting and slapping followed! Well the campground was definitely our playground for the two nights of the regatta. We had booked three campsites, but ended up smashing all 25 or 30 of us onto one site for the bonding I guess :)
My crew entered a women's eight (placed 2nd) and two women's fours, both my races were Saturday. It was a lot of fun and we were super tired by the end of Saturday. The thing with rowing is there is a lot of carrying. the boats are heavy, and they do not get themselves assembled and in to the water...definitely a process. That afternoon we went to a pub and watched a rugby game on TV, then went back to camp for a mince meat and pasta dinner, and we showed our teammates all about s'mores, yummy. It rained that night, but we kept fairly dry.
On Sunday we watched a lot of races, particularly the guys crews, and helped them get in and out of the water on time. I coxed one of the guys' four person boats: sat in the front, facing the direction the boat was going, and steered and gave encouraging yelling and calls to the rowers. Its pretty fun, cause the guys row hard, and you sit at ease cause you aren't rowing, but you are most definitely in the competition, you line up the boat at the starting line, you see where the boat is going and how close it is to the other teams during the race. Some people go to school and row for a team just for that position...scholarship, sort of like with any sport position. In case you were wondering, our school does not have anyone on scholarship for rowing, too social?
Sunday we packed up our stuff and drove a couple hours to JoBurg where we left our stuff at the Sleek Backpackers and went out for the post-regatta party with the other school teams, at a country club type of place. It was a lot of fun, probably one of the best nights I have had in South Africa, a culmination of the season. And just cause it was great hanging with the crew and seeing familiar faces from the last regatta. Lots of dancing, House Music is THE music here. It is like electronica but with more words and it is generally upbeat, not angry or headbanger. Well, the party was great, and as usual, our team MADE the party, haha! After the party ended, not wanting to sleep we drove around a while, in the Quantum, a giant minibus we often rent out for travel, and finally made it back in the wee hours to our beds at the hostel.
Monday we slowly made it back to Maritzburg where we all unpacked and settled back into school life.
Let me explain, Monday was a national holiday because that was the date, the 27th of April, when South Africa had its first democratic election in 1994. So, yes last Wednesday was a holiday, so that people could go out and vote, but the 27th is a holiday so that people that work the voting stations (Wednesday) really do recognize the special date, by not working either.
School is tough. I believe it is because I have not been putting in as much time on the weekends... well this next weekend is another 3day weekend, and I am not travelling, it is school time. That is how it goes. And, we are done with regattas for now, so I won't have as many posts about rowing, sadly.
Currently, I have a PowerPoint presentation on cauliflower mosaic virus to give on Thursday, and a test that day too. Then a paper on organic farming and foods due on Monday. Along with a test in Animal Science. Will be busy.
I would love to write more about what I observed last Wednesday at the polling station, it could be sort of long, though, so I will plan another post this week.
Oh, and, it is a friend's 21st this evening, woo whoo!
So that is all for now. (right, birthday girl, Emily, in the white)
On Friday we drove up to the lake, a good 6 or 7 hours, and pitched our tents and cooked up boerwoers on the braii--sausages on the bbq--and hung around the campground, looking at the southern cross, and trying to remember the rest of our astronomy, I bet my neighbor Lynn could tell me(?). The guys tried to get in to mischief, which they did, setting off firecrackers and getting some angry Africaaner guys to come after them...not a good idea...some shouting and slapping followed! Well the campground was definitely our playground for the two nights of the regatta. We had booked three campsites, but ended up smashing all 25 or 30 of us onto one site for the bonding I guess :)
My crew entered a women's eight (placed 2nd) and two women's fours, both my races were Saturday. It was a lot of fun and we were super tired by the end of Saturday. The thing with rowing is there is a lot of carrying. the boats are heavy, and they do not get themselves assembled and in to the water...definitely a process. That afternoon we went to a pub and watched a rugby game on TV, then went back to camp for a mince meat and pasta dinner, and we showed our teammates all about s'mores, yummy. It rained that night, but we kept fairly dry.
On Sunday we watched a lot of races, particularly the guys crews, and helped them get in and out of the water on time. I coxed one of the guys' four person boats: sat in the front, facing the direction the boat was going, and steered and gave encouraging yelling and calls to the rowers. Its pretty fun, cause the guys row hard, and you sit at ease cause you aren't rowing, but you are most definitely in the competition, you line up the boat at the starting line, you see where the boat is going and how close it is to the other teams during the race. Some people go to school and row for a team just for that position...scholarship, sort of like with any sport position. In case you were wondering, our school does not have anyone on scholarship for rowing, too social?
Sunday we packed up our stuff and drove a couple hours to JoBurg where we left our stuff at the Sleek Backpackers and went out for the post-regatta party with the other school teams, at a country club type of place. It was a lot of fun, probably one of the best nights I have had in South Africa, a culmination of the season. And just cause it was great hanging with the crew and seeing familiar faces from the last regatta. Lots of dancing, House Music is THE music here. It is like electronica but with more words and it is generally upbeat, not angry or headbanger. Well, the party was great, and as usual, our team MADE the party, haha! After the party ended, not wanting to sleep we drove around a while, in the Quantum, a giant minibus we often rent out for travel, and finally made it back in the wee hours to our beds at the hostel.
Monday we slowly made it back to Maritzburg where we all unpacked and settled back into school life.
Let me explain, Monday was a national holiday because that was the date, the 27th of April, when South Africa had its first democratic election in 1994. So, yes last Wednesday was a holiday, so that people could go out and vote, but the 27th is a holiday so that people that work the voting stations (Wednesday) really do recognize the special date, by not working either.
School is tough. I believe it is because I have not been putting in as much time on the weekends... well this next weekend is another 3day weekend, and I am not travelling, it is school time. That is how it goes. And, we are done with regattas for now, so I won't have as many posts about rowing, sadly.
Currently, I have a PowerPoint presentation on cauliflower mosaic virus to give on Thursday, and a test that day too. Then a paper on organic farming and foods due on Monday. Along with a test in Animal Science. Will be busy.
I would love to write more about what I observed last Wednesday at the polling station, it could be sort of long, though, so I will plan another post this week.
Oh, and, it is a friend's 21st this evening, woo whoo!
So that is all for now. (right, birthday girl, Emily, in the white)
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