Oceanside

Being on holidays is a great place to be. 

I stood beneath an orange sky

We are here. Now. 

Op die voetpad, o bokkie,

In die Kaap het ons die een aand voor die fees in Darling maar vir Langstraat aangedurf om met my niggie 'n burger te eet en bietjie die naglewe te geniet voor 'n mens sonder storte vir twee dae moet oorleef (wat toe nie waar was nie siende dat Daisies haardroers en straighteners voorsien). Ons het in 'n stegie langs die hoofpad parkeer omdat dit heel veilig gelyk het en daar 'n karwag uit die Kongo was.

Toe ons na die aand se avonture weer by die kar kom, betrap ons 'n baie maer jong man wat soos 'n sletterige dame aangetrek was (maar hy het die bene vir so kort rokkie gehad as ons nou moet eerlik wees) en wat besig was om hastig sy klere in een van daai gate in die straat met die metal deksels te versteek, julle weet, daai wat na die rioolpype lei of so iets. Hy't vir ons verduidelik "dis my cupboard dié, anders jaag die polisie my", en met sy vingers 'n kruis oor die deksel gemaak nadat hy alles daar ingeprop het om dit te beskerm.

Toe ons uitry het hy vir "'n paar bronsies" gevra en ons gehelp om nie in die ander karre vas te ry nie, donder maar die mense in die Kaap ken van parallel parkeer en in klein gate indruk. Is ek nie bly vir parkeerings wat groot genoeg is vir ossewa's (of die gunsteling kar van die ryk voorstedelik familie, 'n doublekajuit/ Land Rover/BMW X5) soos die in Menlyn.

Dalk is dit taaldiskriminasie of iets anders wat negatief klink, maar dis lekker om te luister as kleurling mense uit die Kaap praat, omdat hulle goed anders sê as ons in die Transvaal. Of eer, omdat hulle nie elke tweede woord met 'n engelse woord vervang soos ons nie. In Beaufort Wes het ons die enigste kroeg wat oop was ingedurf, dit was nie juis opwindend nie, maar na 'n rukkie het 'n ouer dame, wat nogals 'n dop te veel ingehad het, by ons kom staan en gesels. Wel, eer met die twee jong mans wat met my was, ek was nie van belang vir haar nie. Na die tyd het ek gevra of hulle kon verstaan wat sy gesê het, maar nie een van ons het heeltemal gevang wat sy vir ons wou sê nie, behalwe dat "daai moffie" vir een van my twee vriende besig was om ogies te maak. Maar dit was nog steeds lekker om te hoor dat ons dieselfde taal praat en tog verskillende dialekte (?) as moedertaal sien.

Een van die petroljoggies het ook gesê een of ander iets "is bes", ek kan nou nie onthou wat nie. Dit was net koel (haha, ek voel soos iemand wat in die Huisgenoot skryf) om iets te hoor wat jy ook sou kon sê want dis deel van dieselfe taal maar dis nie uitdrukkings wat natuurlik in jou woordeskat bestaan nie.

My vriendin K het ook nou die dag so iets ouliks gesê, ek dink dit was iets soos 'n mens se seile na elke wind span? Hier is nogals 'n interessante lys met spreekwoorde in Afrikaans.

Point me at lost islands

Words via Student Travel on FB today. 

The wife of some distant cousin of mine said that she had never really left the little town that she was from. She had studied close by, she works near her home town and well, now she got married there and is living there with her husband and two children. She added that there was some desire to leave and travel, but that ultimately, she was happy with remaining at home.

Until I was in Grade 4, we moved around a lot, so I think it is somehow embedded in me to want to leave a place after a few years. But is leaving the same as travelling? Has travelling not become some kind of spectator sport, where every sight/site is mediated through a camera lens, and then replayed on FB/Picasa/etc. for the audience of friends and family? When we travel, are we really interested in engaging with a different culture, or is it more about taking the picture to prove to others that you are a Weltenbummler. This is not accusatory, I mean, when we drive somewhere the cameras are always packed and charged and ready to be pointed at something. But most of the photographs are of nothing, and a memory would perhaps have been better than an image on a screen.

Perhaps one can be a tourist of a different kind and remain in the same place but travel nonetheless: if you see each of your friends as a country of their own, with its own cultures and religions and beliefs to be considered and respected, well, then you can do all kinds of travelling, without moving.




On a semi-related note, there was this rap song called Traumreise by Massive Töne back in the day, also about travelling sans going anywhere, really. Filmed in Cape Town.

Home

View from the plane. 

I've returned home after almost a week in Cape Town, visiting the very special Ilse. I was there last about 10 years ago, so it was as though I was visiting a different country for the first time. The first thing one notices naturalls is that imposing mountain, recently named one of the new seven wonders of the world, and without whose outline all graphic design in Cape Town would suffer an identity crisis. Then there is the working public transport system. In Gauteng, I have lost all oversight, because I have no idea how the buses,  minitaxis and trains ( except for the Gautrain) operate. In Cape Town, there is an entire system with clearly marked routes and stations and it was just wonderful. No driving!!!!!!! Well, if you want to go further out of the city, you do need a car, or you could use a taxi service or find a friend with a car. But overall it was just so liberating not to have to be stuck in traffic and to observe all the people around us instead of being isolated in one's own vehicle.

Man, Cape Town was just superb. It was like eating a gourmet sandwich after a lifetime of McDonalds.