in da hood

Soweto. Is. Da Hood. I don't care where you are from, where you have travelled or how rough your neighborhood was growing up; until you have braved the streets of Soweto - the tracks, the pickpockets, the nightlife, the street vendors and the taxi drivers - you odn't know what it really means to be in 'da hood.' Galeshewe (the township in Kimberley) has its rough and sketchy areas... but compared to Soweto, Kim's got nothing. And I give major props to Benjy and Katie, the two interns who have spent their past year working at GRS Soweto.

But this weekend Trevor and I joined up with our Joburg/ Soweto counterparts for one last big sha-bang to commemorate all the crazy adventures we've had this past year. Our first stop: Club O-Zone in the heart of Soweto and its night life. 

The whole group in the back room of The O-Zone.

Going out in Soweto (like going out anywhere) is a unique experience. Like most township bars in Galeshewe it plays great house music, has plenty of room to dance and is devoid of white people. And just like in Galeshewe, there is as much going on outside the club (vendors cooking meat, taxi drivers trolling around, cars blaring music and other general debauchery) as there was inside the club.

Trevor busting some moves on the dance floor.

Me weaving my way through the dance floor.

Some of the group in a corner of the dance floor.

What was different about The O-Zone though, was that it was cleaner, bigger and much more modern looking than the bars and clubs Trevor and I have come to frequent in Galeshewe.

On the car ride home (back to Joburg, rather) I couldn't help but reflect on how different I feel going out in the townships now; a year ago I was timid, reserved and never left Trevor's side. Now I am much more comfortable; I'll order drinks at the bar without an entourage, I'll talk to pretty much anyone (I've also gotten good at escaping from unending conversations), I'll leave Trevor so he can flirt easier, and I'll even dance! (Note to the parents: I also am good at minding my surroundings so I don't get pick-pocketed.)

Day two in Soweto was perfect. We went to a Buy & Braii (you buy raw meat by the kilo and then give it to a chef to braii/ BBQ). WHIle waiting for our meat to cook we pulled a soccer ball out of our car and started kicking around. And this is what makes the township such an amazing place: within minutes, four boys had gathered near our kick-about and asked to play. Trevor, Benjy, X (one of the GRS Soweto coaches) and I started a game against these four Sowetan boys (probably ages 8 - 13). After five minutes two more boys joined the Lil' Sowetans Team. And soon after that we had more players, an audience of all ages and a few cheerleaders. Just another day in the middle of a bustling township!

The group in the middle of Soweto.

Benjy schooling the Lil' Sowetan team.

Our soccer field. In the background you can see the Buy & Braii (left)
and some township homes.

We went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and Trevor and Benjy
shared the biggest burrito!

Sunday morning rolled around and I had no desire to call an end to the weekend and return to Kimba. So when Trevor and I arrived at the train station only to find out that all means of public transportation back to Kim were sold out, I did a happy dance! Privately, of course...

Hot chocolate!

It was an idyllic lazy Sunday. We went to two different markets - a food market and an African craft market - in the city. We swapped a lot of sotries and memories. We indulged on hot chocolate with marshmallows and Amarula. Trevor and Katie cooked a delicious stir-fry while Benjy and I concocted brewed a delectable tea. And to top it all off, we snuggled up on the couch to watch I Love You, Man. It was the best way to end a fun-filled weekend in da hood.

Snuggling on the couch.