DON WILLIAMS
Some of you may remember the name of this Country Western singer; he had a mainstream hit in the late 70s/early 80s which had a chorus something like "But I believe in love; I believe in babies; I believe in Mom and Dad; and I believe in you". Don Williams and Dolly Parton enjoy perennial popularity in Swaziland, though rap and other forms of percussive and highly repetitive music have made their way into the radios and mp3 players on public transportation. On one trip to town I got to sit in the front seat of a kombi and speak with the driver. While Mr. Williams crooned, the driver asked me if I knew this singer. I replied that I did not, except for his one hit mentioned above.

It drifted through my mind, though, that Don Williams presented an opportunity for cross-cultural outreach. The following week I used Google and searched for "Photos of Don Williams". Presto-an 8 1/2 x 11 photo was free for my use! I downloaded it, printed it at home, and mounted it on an appropriately-sized piece of cereal box cardboard. The next trip to town, I looked for this driver at the bus rank and found him. "I have something for you", I said and reached into my bag. "Do you know this man?" He instantly smiled and said "Yes!" and I gave him the portrait. I kind of hoped to see it hanging from the rear view mirror later in the day, but did not. I suppose a full-size sheet of paper would be a significant obstacle to clear vision. But I think the thought did count.

SOCCER WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
You may be aware that the soccer World Cup is underway in our big neighbor South Africa. Held every 4 years, the World Cup is the largest single-sport tournament in the world; qualifying games begin approximately 2 years before the tournament gets underway. No (serious) offense intended to baseball, football or basketball fans, but this tournament dwarfs any other "World Championship" on the planet. Approximately 1/3rd of the entire world population will view the final game by tv.

Swaziland also loves soccer, and all the more this year as the tournament is next door. I (Rudy) played soccer almost exclusively as a youth, and have watched almost every game of the 1998, 2002, 2006, and the 2010 editions. This does present a mild logistical problem, however; during the first part of the tournament (called the "group stage"), three games are played consecutively each day: 1:30PM, 4PM, and 8:30PM. This means I run home after school, hug/kiss/pat on the head various family members, then run over to a neighbor's house who allows me to watch the games. The first game ends about 3:15; another round of hugs and gladhanding with family members and a quick something to eat, then back in position (in front of the tv) for 4. Around 6PM I come home for a proper dinner meal and getting the kids ready for bed. Ruth and I talk for a few minutes, make some headway on the dishes, then off again for the 8:30 kickoff. Around 10:15 I straggle home in the dark and either quietly slip into bed (if Ruth has retired) or we do our evening routine and turn in. Note that Jabulile needs to get up at 1AM and 3:45AM to be changed and nursed; so sleep has become as rare a commodity for dad as time with dad has become for our daughters. I think, however, that the excitement makes up for the lack of sleep. As one staff member (the secretary, in fact; this soccer fixation isn't just a guy thing) said, "After 11 July (the date of the final game), I'm going to have a nice sleep!" Ruth is very generous, realizing how much I enjoy this event. And the kids don't seem to mind too much, either. It's only 1 month out of every 4 years.

PLAYSTATION 3: DLANGENI KICK-OFF 2010
The three-game regime also takes place on Saturdays, and groceries and errands have to be done. Rudy is faster and more mobile than Ruth, and so he usually does the town runs. Still, I want to see all the games. Some friends send us videos from time to time (thank you Bill; they really are appreciated!) including some on chastity. In one of them, a male speaker explains the male mindset and says among other things "You know, living in a video game would be just ideal..." I've thought recently that some aspects of life here ARE like living in a video game. Last Saturday (June 12) is an example. I'll give you the name of the game, a rundown of the action, and the point values along the way.

Name of the game: Dlangeni Kick-Off 2010 (Kick-off is the first kick of the ball to start a soccer game)
Objective: Complete round trip excursion to town with 3rd born child (almost 3 years old) and make it back to school for 1:30PM kick-off.

Stage one: trip to town
Get up child at 6AM; child is eager to go and gets dressed quickly: +75 for teamwork

Get to bus station at 6:30, but no transport in site: -20 for stress

Private sedan pulls up and slows down; you run for it, hoping for a lift: +50 for initiative

Older lady wants to get in also; you resolve you will box her out if neccessary, in order to get the lift: -50 for ruthless ambition

Older lady gets seat on other side of car: +20 undeserved

Car blocking road at small bridge; if the parked car doesn't somehow move, you won't get to town; you and driver, and
other men milling around parked car, gently lift car enough to make passage: +100 for on-the-spot cooperation and lifting

Arrive in town 7:15 in a position which makes completing errands smooth: +50 for efficient flow and promising start

Stage two: in town
Shop you hoped opens at 8AM doesn't open until 8:30: -30

You don't go ballistic over the late opening: +50 for patience under pressure

You take the 30 minute delay to get food for your daughter who has had nothing to eat yet: +100 for attentive dadhood

You get the item around 9AM and walk across town to check on what you think was an overpayment from last week; turns out the E20 discrepancy was labor charges not reflected on the receipt: -20 for wasted effort, but +10 for getting to the bottom of the issue without losing your head

Continue the errands; as this is the middle of the month and everyone has already spent their paychecks, lines are short at the grocery store: +75 for convenience and expediting of errands

You send and receive e-mails and waste no time looking at books/soccer news/news commentary etc: +20 for self-discipline

Stage three: back to school

You get to the bus station about 11:15AM-this is early, so +30 for early arrival

You consistently deny daughter's request for a drink, because 1) you don't want to lose your place in line, 2) you don't want a bus to come while you're making the purchase, 3) you fear that if she gets a drink and the bus is so late that she then has to visit the bathroom you'll find 1) and 2) coming into play: hard call-I'll let you decide if I lose, gain, or have no change in my score

You and daughter agree on an orange to satisfy her thirst: +25 for cooperation and retaining place in line


Two kombis come and go; +10 for not getting frustrated

Third kombi pulls in, but man who organizes loading and unloading of passengers is not there, and it's a crush for a seat: +10 for initiative in pushing self and daughter and heavy backpack forward to get a seat

You get FRONT SEAT in kombi: +50 for comfort

You accidentally slam your door on the finger of a soldier from your area: -50 for unintentional rudeness, -20 for stress over possible ramifications

Soldier takes front seat, you and daughter move back: +10 for smoothing out the situation

Soldier gets out of kombi to buy painkillers, and you and daughter move back to front seat: +20 for comfort, -15 for worry about his finger

Daughter falls asleep on lap: +25 for much-needed sleep

5km outside town, tire of kombi gets a flat and has no spare: -100 for delay without early hope of repair

USE A LIFELINE! You call Godfrey Mubiru, your Ugandan friend at a nearby school, asking if he can come pick you up (remember, time keeps on ticking into the future, and the Greece/South Korea game won't wait for you to be seated in front of the tv before kickoff); Godfrey is busy, but +10 for original thinking

Pickup truck approaches; you ask if you can ride in the back; they're only going to Hhukwini, but you take it anyway: +20 for taking whatever you can get

Pickup passes kombi going to the school: +10 for potential lift all the way home depending on where pickup drops you

Pickup goes considerably farther than Hhukwini, almost all the way to the small bridge: +30 for closeness to home

Pickup leaves road to deposit other passengers, and kombi gets beyond you: -30 for not banging on the roof of the pickup cab and asking to get out on the road

You are determined to make match, so you start walking: +5 for determination

Schoolage girls offer to take your two parcels: +5 bonus for friendly people

Kombi never seen in this area comes from behind; you board it and reach school for E5: +75 & maybe you'll make kickoff!

Walk through schoolgate and into house; discover almost half of the dozen eggs you bought in town broke on the way home: -30

You deposit backpack with family: they're happy with what you've brought: +25 for familial satisfaction

You sit down in front of your neighbor's tv, having missed the first 5 minutes of the game but none of the goals: +30 for near-perfect completion

GAME OVER-Wanna play again next Saturday?

I just came back from watching the England/Algeria game, and it's nearly 11PM on Friday June 18; I don't have the time or mental strength to total my score: you do it for me, will you?

Post-game interview: we met the soldier on the road on Sunday after church; he said his finger is okay, and of course he forgives me because he is a Christian: +50 for relief