Watching returns in SA means getting up at 5am. Or having a mosquito wake you up at 3am. Maybe it was something in the air that only Americans could smell – Farnoosh, another American clerk, told me she had woken up at 3am too!
Fortunately or unfortunately, not a lot happened in terms of election results until at least 6am. Farnoosh and Stu arrived then with fruit and champagne while I whipped up a batch of banana walnut pancakes. Yum!
I should mention somewhere that while criticism of US policy abounds, even under Obama, I have yet to meet a South African who supports Romney. I do hear he is popular in Pakistan though.
While the pundits went on and on about how close a race it would be, I had done my research and all my sources were confident in Obama’s success.
Still, it didn’t stop us from waiting until the election was officially called to open the champagne. And it opened with a bang, the cork flying clear across the courtyard to hit another building and champagne was everywhere. Glad I opened it outside!
Even better than the win (okay maybe not better) was Obama’s victory speech. While it was full of rhetoric, it was Obama at his best and it was Obama as my President for the next four years. It’s now printed on my wall at work. Congratulations Mr. President!
Not all those who wander are lost. 