Confessions of a shopaholic

Three wins on the trot! Can it get more cool? Our boys are simply rocking on the field and we have been cheering our hearts out for them from the sidelines - and from the rooftops as well, whenever we get the opportunity. But I tell you, these nailbiting finishes have got to ease up. During these last-over finishes, I tell you, we almost had heart attacks waiting on the sidelines.

Oh the trials and tribulations of us shopaholic women. My room-mate, the habitual over-packer and excessive shopper, went on a mission to find a UPS or a FedEx so that she and I could box up all the gifts we've bought in India and South Africa (thus far) , along with some extra (unnecessary) clothes and shoes we both packed from home, to ship back to Alabama, where we both live, so that we don't have to lug all of it around South Africa anymore, and thus make our luggage lighter. Sounds like a logical plan right? We boxed up 35 pounds of our stuff to ship, and she set out to find a UPS. She went to several different storefronts that the hotel told here had UPS stores inside, to no avail. Finally, after several hours of this scavenger hunt in Durban, she found one. But the bad news is that the price to ship our box home was US$850. Rain check! On to Plan B: haul all of our stuff to Jo'burg and attempt to find a cheaper way to send it home from there.

Apart from that, something nice that happened last week, which I have not yet talked about, was our farewell party for KP, just after the Kolkata match. (Chris Gayle must be seven feet tall!).

Half us ladies stayed to watch the second match of the double header that afternoon, and sat on the lawn, attempting to experience the game from a spectator's point of view, rather than cheering from the podiums. The other half of us went straight from the match to the Gateway mall. It's the largest shopping mall in South Africa, so we most certainly had to test it out. As we were en route to the mall, about 20 minutes from the stadium, the Royal Challengers team called us and invited us to a celebratory private party that night for the players, coaches, staff and cheerleaders to attend. We were so excited. But it meant that we only had 30 minutes to shop in this gigantic mall, since we had to shower and be ready to leave the hotel at 7.30. So much to do, so little time. What should I wear? Paper rock scissors on who gets the first shower!

A good time was had by all at the party. We got to hang out and get to know the players a little better. They are all such super nice guys and remind of us our guy friends back home in the States. We said farewell to Kevin Pietersen, as this was his last day in South Africa - he had to head back to England. There was great food, good dancing, and a super fun DJ who played my room-mate and my signature song, "Sweet Home Alabama", which we ritually lead everyone in a singalong to.