Just back from the game - it was a good one! I wish Paraguay had finished with 1-0, but a draw with the last World Cup's champions is not a bad way to start the tournament. I went with my coworker, Colleen, her partner, and a couple with whom they are friends. It was a good group; I knew we were going to get on just fine when two of them ordered hot chocolates with amarula shots, which I also ordered. After spending a couple of hours with Colleen outside of the office, I realized that maybe my assumption about not making any friends was a bit premature. She has a really good vibe about her - we talked about yoga and biking and she explained how she and her partner, Paul, brew their own beer. And, while I need more details, she worked for an organization that provided legal assistance and representation for people seeking asylum and refugee status in the Chicago area; the most interesting part of this is that she doesn't have a law degree, which gives me hope that I might be able to assist the refugee/asylee population without a mountain of debt attached to it. I really hope that she and Paul invite me out again.
The match tonight had more importance to me than the others I've watched so far because Paraguay is one of my countries from the office pool. It's funny how easily I attach myself to a team, and how distant I was from the entire World Cup before arriving. But I'm here and now I am a strong supporter of my teams, even though none of them are expected to go far.
So to continue on my previous post... CouchSurfing is awesome. In addition to the near-term plans I have because of it, it looks like I now have partners for my journey to Namibia at the end of the month! I posted to the Cape Town group message board asking if anyone was interested in going to Windhoek and got a response from a Canadian chap. Turns out, he and his friend are traveling around South Africa for World Cup matches and will be in Cape Town for a match on June 29. From here, they plan on going to Namibia. I need to meet them and get a better idea about what they plan on doing in Namibia - he mentioned hiking Fish River Canyon, which is supposed to be comparable to the Grand Canyon - but I at least have people to ride the bus with going there. Now I need to start putting feelers out in the Durban area to see if anyone wants to go to Mozambique with me...
And as for the cooking part of the title, it's been a bit challenging to cook here. I have one pot, one pan, a stove, a microwave, and no oven. This means a lot of sautéing vegetables and putting them over either rice or pasta. Also, quite a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But as I'm settling in (I wonder when I'll stop settling and be settled here), I'm trying to think more creatively about what to eat and how to make it. A new thing I made tonight and will eat tomorrow for breakfast is a non-baked oatmeal raisin cookie. I found the recipe on a fellow Simmons alum's food blog. It's oats, nut butter, a bit of sweetener, some raisins, and milk; you mix it all up, spread it on a plate so that it's evenly thick, and then refrigerate over night. It looks good, but I'll have an official verdict tomorrow after I eat it.
Sautéed green beans and/or brussel sprouts with garlic over rice is good, but it's going to get old. And I found out that all tofu is not created equal, which means needing more creative protein sources. If anyone has vegetarian recipe ideas for my limited kitchen or can recommend a website or blog, PLEASE POST AS A COMMENT OR EMAIL ME!
And on a final, random note: The light in my bathroom is finally fixed! I survived without it, but it's nice to have it back on.
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