Gambling

People everywhere in the world have problems. Addictions, unhealthy habits, broken relationships.   In other words SIN.  me too.  Today i'm speaking of gambling. 

Recently i was in someone's home and the tv had an over-the-broadcast algorithm for finding 'winning numbers'.  

Young men gamble using a board and stones.



teen boys gambling




their environment

Women stand in groups, paper in hand, waiting for the 'China' truck to pull up. Called China cuz those who provide this gambling are most often of far-eastern descent.  Players use a paper with numbers.  Some rely on dreams to produce the numbers.  This is one of the papers, not sure if there are other china games.  If the China pick-up parks near a home or buisness those are given some 'rent'.  A mother of a church member spends 1/2 of her money on China. 

The government sponsors a lottery.  Betting parlours are busy on the weekends with people betting on most any sporting event.

Spring Day

Spring Day, celebrated September first marks the beginning of ,,,spring in South Africa. At Ben's school all the staff wore pink shirts on Friday. The kids' enjoyed picnic lunches and special activities.Also celebrating on Friday was Melissa's school. Parents and staff brought plants and the kids dug and planted them to beautify the school.

In Soweto teens and young adults throw water. At each other. (Alan said it looked like a lot of boys chasing girls. At passing motorists. Even with or maybe especially with opened windows. And anyone with in range. With buckets, water guns and hose pipes (water hoses). A good time was had by all.

a wedding and a funeral

In the last 4 days we have participated in a wedding and a funeral. (and a few weeks ago a baby dedication. I was not here for that but in the states with my mom in the hospital so my one sister could take some time off. the baby dedication started with 2 babies and ended with 10 babies and toddlers.)

First the wedding.

The couple knew one another when they were 5 or 6 for a number of years, growing up as neighbours. Around high school their lives took different directions. A few years ago he began to look for her. They found one another again and were married on Saturday. It was a fun, sorta-(Africa) traditional, church, neighbour wedding. Here there are white weddings and traditional weddings. Many couples have both. And some have a wedding at the bride's place and the next day at the groom's home. This was like a white wedding, being in a church, but more traditional in attire.

During the ceremony there was a pause and they kissed and hugged only to discover there was a bit more before "you may kiss the bride". That got a good laugh from everyone.

We went to a park to have photos taken.

There was a lot of dancing. That is the maid of honour in front. Coming back to the house from the wedding site they got out of the vehicles a couple of blocks away. The maid of honour led, followed by the ring bearers, the bride, groom, her girls and the men. Following them was the other church youth girls in black and white who later served at the meal. All were dancing in step together. They did a great job after many, many, many practices.
The bride's sister serving them.

And then the funeral.

A young woman who lived on the street in Snake Park of a couple of Faith Baptist church members (E & D) died about 5 weeks ago. She was from Lesotho. Her family all lived there and there was no money to bury her. E and D and another neighbour began to ask for donations and plan a funeral. Finally today the funeral was held. Many church members came and Alan did the service along with the block committee member as MC. Some of us went after church on Sunday to sing, pray and bring condolences. The men filling in the grave.

Usually there are many nights of people (or sometimes different churches) coming to the home to sing, pray and maybe have tea. The night before the funeral the body is brought to the home and placed behind a screen in their bedroom. Then an all night, prayer, singing time is held. The next morning everyone enters the house and escorts the coffin outside to then have the funeral before the trip to the cemetery. Then there is a meal for any and all.

The obligatory after- the- funeral- meal.

The next of kin (i've only ever seen women do this) sits on a mattress with a blanket around them. A candle is lit in the room and burned constantly. This custom relates to ancestors and the spirit of the dead person. Another is to use a branch from a tree brought into the house and then go with the body to the cemetery so the spirit clings to the branch and finds the body.

the end, i am out of energy and time.

bus burning

A corner in Soweto sits near a bus business and the mall. It boasts a traffic light and lots of traffic. Just recently an event took place there that i didn't witness, but later saw the evidence. And several people told me about it. Bus prices went up about R60 ($ 8.80) to a distant place and people were unhappy. That unhappiness was expressed by burning the bus.

Guess the evidence doesn't show too well in these photos. What shows on the pavement is crushed glass, bits of black flat pieces and dark burned places.