Church is Church, but Football is Football

By Steven

And weekends are for relaxing. What a glorious do nothing Sunday in prep for the big game. After yesterday's lovely jaunt to the mining town's pool, we spent the morning like good little boys and girls attending a local Hujimbre catholic mass. Save for a slight additions to the choirs repertoire, all catholic masses are the same. Years of altar boydom means I can basically say the whole thing by heart, regardless of if it's in English, Latin, Twee or Sefwi. Granted I say it in English. You know what I mean.

After making sure our african shirts were on track to be finished by Tuesday's celebration, we lazed about and played spoons and continental (I'll let you all figure out what kind of games those are). Then the time had come. We had no idea who our opponents were, but by god were about to get our soccer on.

Carlos, our Mexican dynamo, was clearly going to be the man to get the ball to. We just had to figure out where to put everyone else. We went into town, bought a new leather faux jubilani ball (all the locals had to play with were plastic balls) and figured out strategy when we arrived at the pitch. By pitch, I mean red clay and dirt rectangular area with two upright bars and a crossbeam all made of tree branches.

Our opponents: the local 12-16 year olds; all wearing Chelsea FC uniforms and looking like they were going to run circles around us. And they did. When I tell you I've sweat while on the work site, that was all mere beading compared to the drenching that happened after two, 25 minute halves. I actually thought I was gonna just pass out right before the final whistle blew.

We won 1-0 due to me drawing a foul when I got slammed into while passing a stopper, Carlos bending the free kick around defenders and goalie alike and our local habitat guy/ref Eric blowing whistles in our favor 10 to 1. I suggested we do penalties anyway for fun but after 6 tries and being tied at 5-5 we just called it a tie. We gave the team the ball as a gift and thus concludes my entire check list of things to do in Africa.

1. Drum Circle
2. African Dance Party
3. Move bricks
4. Learn what one actually does with a trowel
5. Make up for US world cup defeat to Ghana.

My work here is done.

Well, except for the mortar slinging that needs to happen at 8am.