the last couple of days have been surreal. i still can't believe that we did it! it was kind of a bummer to miss out on the state-side festivities, but it was still pretty interesting.
the morning of the results, i woke up at 5 (without of alarm, really, just out of excitement) and immediately started watching the results roll in on the internet. then it occurred to me that maybe the local news would be covering it--maybe just a couple minutes at least! however, i was really wrong. instead, they dedicate 3 full hours to the results coming in, and then played mccain's speech in full and most of obama's! awesome.
the news then went straight to the deputy ambassador from america's house, where there was a party in full swing. they interviewed the ambassador who was surprisingly excited about the outcome. he is a bush appointee, so i was a little surprised about how genuinely excited he seemed, even though he is an african-american. i guess that race is more important than partisan ties in this example? makes sense, especially since rice was so pumped over it...anyways, he made the point that at obama came to south africa two years ago, and even though the ambassador told the ANC that obama might be big someday, and they they should meet with him, they didn't. the reporter who was interviewing him was genuinely horrified and asked him if he thought that this would set South Africa back in their relations with the US??? The ambassador laughed this off.
anyways, it was kind of lame when i went to work because no one shared the excitement that i had. nozipho was really nice about it though, and kept on telling me how wonderful it was that he won, and how she was so happy because she was worried about my parents if he lost...hahaha. she is so great!
well, the consensus in South Africa is that obama winning will give africans all this crazy power. it will be shame when things are the same after he is sworn in and everyone is disappointed. i know that things will change for the better, but the way people are talking about him here it is like they think that he is going to end poverty and cure aids...
i am so happy about this. i have been spending the last two days reading hilarious articles about the self destruction of the mccain campaign.
I cannot wait to see the changes on the ground in foreign policy. specifically PEPFAR and peace corps funding.
<3
hilarious
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