I haven’t played football in ages, and I hadn’t realised how much I missed it.
So, when the offer of a Sunday morning friendly came up – and with it, a chance to review the revamped facilities at Hellenic – I jumped at the chance.
This was a good morning, and the social afterwards only added to the fun. A real reset with some great guys. Everyone giving their utmost in the 32oC heat, but all in really good spirit.
The cold beers were never more welcome, and I can’t wait to get back to some regular games as soon as the new season starts.
In fact, all in all, it’s been a very good footballing weekend.
We’re looking for a new pool cover for our pool. Mainly (exclusively, some might say) for heat retention and evaporation prevention. The two mainstays of pool cover benefits.
Having trawled several (or more) websites, I noted that there are plenty of different options out there. I thought that would mean having a lot to think about, but then at the bottom of one of the sites, this:
The following information was actually very easy to consider: it took no time at all. I hadn’t realised that this process was going to be so straightforward.
UPDATE: Also, I’m pretty sure that (for a couple of reasons)…
Well, we’re fresh out of Plov (although it did last us for a couple of nights).
So, since we’re being all exotic and stuff* – how about some Mettigel?
Mettigel is a portmanteau of sorts: Mett – essentially meat, (but actually raw pork), and Igel – hedgehog. It’s from Germany, and is described thus:
Germany’s Hedgehog Sculpted From Meat
Wow. You had me at… er… “hedgehog”, maybe?
Maybe not.
Leonie Schreiber, a 33-year-old copywriter and designer from Cologne, takes about a pound of uncooked, lightly seasoned ground pork, forms the meat into an oblong shape and sticks it all over with onion slices until it’s covered in “spines.” A couple of olives, capers, or peppercorns for eyes and a nose, and the illusion is complete.
No. No. The illusion is that this is a hedgehog, or indeed that this is any sort of foodstuff that any reasonable person would eat, is far from complete.
Don’t believe me? OK. Judge for yourself.
The only thing I see there is a desperate longing for the sweet embrace of death in those eyes.
It’s actually pretty harrowing.
It should be pointed out that Leonie’s Instagram handle is Mettfluencer, and she has an incredible range of meat related merchandise on her feed, so it stands to reason that she is trying to push the Mettigel idea out into the world.
Ah Jesus.
According to a German culinary historian, the Mettigel became popular during the Wirdschaftswunder – the period of rapid economic growth in Germany after the Second World War.
Dinner gatherings were no longer formal sit-down affairs, but American-style “parties” with a buffet of cold dishes. As a party food, Mettigel checked all the boxes: “It’s fun, it goes great with beer, men like it because it has a lot of meat, and it’s easy to make. All you have to do is decide if you’re using onions or pretzel sticks for the spines.”
I think they might be using the wrong boxes.
But… it’s raw meat. Well, yes, but the argument is that because it’s raw meat, you source top quality pork, of whose provenance you are certain. But still:
Raw pork has been the culprit in numerous salmonella outbreaks. But it’s a risk party hosts are willing to take for a dish that “makes people happy,” as Schreiber says.
Yep. Priorities are important here. Can’t sell those “Mettwoch” socks if no-one is eating Mett, right?
Note: I ran the concept of this post past a reader before I wrote it, and I got the impression that I maybe needed to find a different angle. This can like to be that angle.
Now. On with the post.
Bring back Bok!
That was my cry when I started getting adverts and flyers for this concert all over my socials and emails:
For those who aren’t aware, I have been plagued by Afrikaans singing sensation Bok van Blerk for many years now. Much like Herpes, your presence on his mailing lists is something that you simply can’t get rid of, no matter how many drugs you take or how desperately you try.
But could Lighthouse – that’s these guys:
We are Lighthouse, a family band that loves making music for Jesus, our Lord, and Savior!
actually be worse than Bok?
Yes. Yes, I rather think that they could.
They’ve been aggressively marketing their upcoming Praise and Worship Aand (evening) in Struisbaai this weekend all over my internet. They might even have taken it further: I haven’t looked at the front of my house, but it wouldn’t surprise me if their ubiquitous message had been daubed all over there as well.
They’ve also been punting their BIG SONG: Fear Of The Lord (negative reinforcement is rarely a successful means of control, and this title doesn’t seem to suggest a good way to run any sort of organisation to me) in partnership with the popular series “The Chosen”, on Youtube (76 subscribers). They tell us:
Go stream it free on The Chosen App. It’s a must-watch!
Hmm. Citation required.
At this point, I usually say something along the lines of:
I did this, so you don’t have to.
But in this case: no chance. You’re on your own.
I did watch the music video though:
Part smiley Jesus (especially when he realises that he’s turned the water into wine, lol), part Afrikaans singing family in their local school hall.
But wait. There’s more!
Binge Jesus for Free on thechosen[dot]tv/app
How exactly do you “Binge Jesus”? What does that process involve?
Yes, in the video, it does seem like he’s a nice bloke. Yes, in the video, she does seem to have a pretty good voice.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to get tangled up with what almost exactly half of Americans think saved Donald Trump from that bullet in Pennsylvania.
Let’s cut to the chase: I won’t be down in Struisbaai this weekend, and so I won’t be seeing Lighthouse in concert at the Suiderlig Dienssentrum. I will miss Pastor Walters Joubert from Bredasdorp.
Their appeal to:
Kom geniet die Aand saam met ons!
has fallen upon stony ground.
They should at least understand that metaphorical reference.
Meanwhile, in a cruel twist of fate, look who has pulled into my inbox again this afternoon:
This time, he’s singing about the threat that the Afrikaans people and language are [allegedly] facing, and trying to inspire (and here I quote):
…a new generation of Afrikaners who would like to remember the past, preserve it and build on what was good.
Ah yes. The good old days in South Africa.
Bit awkward. Especially since the title of the song is in Dutch (although there is a lengthy backstory, which I read, so you don’t have to) (see? I am a nice guy, really).
Oh man. Nationalist politics or Organised religion?
My two most very favourite things which are doing somuch the make the world a better place right now.
