Weekend

I'm sitting crossy-legged on the carpet in the Business Block, in one of the lounge rooms that has been stripped of chairs, trying to plow through a stack of emails while attempting a stealthy pop-and-lean to Common, when I see a pink shirt approaching in my peripheral vision. It is not one of my new Business Block friends, like the girl who, when told what building I'm living in, says "oh, you're those white girls who are always dancing in the window!" or Jeremy of Zim from 20 minutes ago downstairs. I tend to make lots of friends here because my behavior (that is, using the internet on my laptop) is inscrutable and quirky enough to fascinate the Accounting and Finance students. And, of course, I don't blend super well.

"Sorry - do you work for the C -- I -- A?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you work for intelligence?"
I wiggle my toes and stare at him for a sec. "Um, no."
"Because whenever I see an American, I think they're working for Intelligence."
"Nope, sorry, no intelligence here."
Blank smile.

We had a good but exhausting weekend. Friday we went to dinner and a movie at Riverwalk. Riverwalk is my favorite of the many malls that make up Gabs, partially because they have milkshakes and pasta and delicious Nando's, but mostly because there is a fascinating array of different ethnicities floating through like passing bubbles. The Arab families with several enthusiastic sons bouncing around dad while mom, covered save her eyes, pushes a stroller and holds an ice cream cone I can't envision how she'll consume. Small hoards of (South African? American?) tweens, the boys with their shaggy surfer cuts and girls in denim minis. Nicely dressed mixed couples on dates. The Chinese or Japanese couple with the girl on her cell, tiny stuffed creatures hanging off of it.

Anyways, Friday after the movie we went to the Hiphop Freestyle Show (themed, irrationally, "Barack Obama", apparently because that was the name they shouted when they ran out of things to say). We were, as usually, placed in the very front where the camcorder guy could film us. Most of the rappers are surprisingly good, very fluid in delivery, and extremely enthusiastic. We made more friends. Etc.

Saturday, we were invited to a BBQ at the house of Nick, a British-Zim who has been living in Bots running an IT company for several years. He bought us all of the ingredients we requested, and we made a delicious pasta salad, some regular salad, and an apple and berry crisp, to accompany his chicken and pork rashers. He also invited his little band over, so they jammed in his upstairs loft, outfitted with foam cushioning to improve the sound, while we snoozed on lounge chairs by his pool. Not a badly spent day. That evening, a local student hosted a party at his house for international students, for which he killed and stewed a goat and whipped up various other food. We dropped by. Sunday we relaxed at the coffee shop at Riverwalk, did some grocery shopping, took an evening walk, and had a rousing round of spoons with two omnipresent friends (Danger and Sam).

And that, friends, is a typically spent period of time here.