Die-hard 'Cats fans Greg Hebner (left) and Sean Peris. Photo byGreg Hebner Watching Cat/Griz Game From South Africa No Easy Feat by Brenda McDonald The cheers of victory from thousands of miles away brought a little slice of home to Montana State University alums Greg Hebner, '95 CET, and Sean Peris, '01 CET, who watched the Cat-Griz game from Cape Town, South Africa, last November. Hebner and Peris work for Hensel Phelps Construction Co. building the United States' Embassy's new consulate compound in Cape Town. As the time for the annual football match-up drew near last year, the duo strategized on how to see the annual event. There was no satellite link available and a nine-hour time difference. "I grew up in Butte and my dad graduated from MSU in 1974," said Peris. "I knew my whole family was going to watch the game." So Peris recruited his dad to record the game on a DVD and FedExed it out immediately. But since there is no overnight service to South Africa, the disc took a week to reach its destination, and then sat in customs for three or four days until officials figured out what to do with it. "We had to pay hundreds of dollars in duty to get it," said Hebner. During this time the two men imposed a news "blackout" from the states. They didn't want to know who won the game. Finally, with DVD in hand, it was game time. Other Americans on the Hensel Phelps project joined Hebner and Peris, as well as local South African friends. "It was an incredible game," said Hebner. Both Heber and Peris agree that being a 20-hour plane ride away from family and friends can be difficult, but the adventure of living in a country vastly different from what you're used to is amazing. Hebner, who has been in Cape Town with his family since April of 2003, says Cape Town is known as a first world and third world city. "Cape Town is a very modern city with big skyscrapers, but you can go 10 miles down the road and there are shanty towns with hundreds of people in shack huts," he said. South Africa is a country still in its infancy in many ways. This year it celebrated 10 years of freedom. South Africa's first democratic election was held in April of 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected president. Mandela had led the country's long struggle against the apartheid government--a system of white domination and racial segregation. Because apartheid is so newly departed, "it opened my eyes to racial views," said Peris. "I had to bite my lip a lot." Peris was in South Africa for a little more than a year. He joined Hensel Phelps' international group with the hope of learning another culture. "Living somewhere is better than visiting there," he said. "It's better to travel and see the country with the locals." "I met amazing people," he said. "The people are very open. They welcome you into their homes." Football isn't king in South Africa, rugby is. Peris said you get invited to a "braii," which is the local term for barbecue, and watch rugby. Cricket is also popular. "I went to a lot of rugby and cricket games," he said. In fact, now that he has returned to the United States, his Cape Town friends are quick to call him with rugby updates, especially when South Africa won the Tri Nations tournament. Hebner went to South Africa with his wife Angela and two daughters Madison, 7, and Makenzie, 2. "I feel secure and safe here," he said. "It's like living in a big city in America. We're not in a com-pound, just a pretty secure neighborhood." He says there are the normal political tensions that you see in any country. "There's not a lot of anti-American sentiment," he said. "There was a little bit when the United States first went into Iraq. But living here does require that you live by common sense rules for your safety." "Madison loves living here," Hebner said. "She has friends from England, Denmark and South Africa. But she does miss her grandparents." So what else do you miss when you live in South Africa? Good Mexican food, according to both Hebner and Peris. "You can't get good Mexican food in South Africa." Hebner is slated to remain in South Africa until the completion of his project next year, but he hopes to continue working overseas, just a little closer to home. Peris is back in the United States working in Lakehurst, N.J., but he is interested in another international assignment. For Hebner, the upcoming Cat-Griz match-up poses a problem. He has to line up someone to record the game. Any volunteers?