Category: this is south africa

Back II Life

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And so, as was mentioned yesterday, Cape Town is slowly getting back into the swing of things. As with everything Capetonian, it’s a glacially slow process, and while managers will be encouraging their charges to hit the ground running, deep down, they’ll be well aware that it will basically be February before anyone here is up to speed.
This process will in no way be assisted today by the dichotomous circumstances of the rain (currently washing most of Cape Agulhas off my car) and day 4 of the SA v West Indies test match at Newlands.

And so a little Soul II Soul is called for to ease us back into this working life. Remember back in 1989 when this won the (somewhat niche) Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals? No. Me neither. But “Back to life, back to reality” very much sums up the sad situation we find ourselves in this morning.

If you are back to work today, stay strong. It’s only 345 days until December 16th 2015. And one or two of them are public holidays.

Halcyon Days…

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And so, the holiday draws to an end. Tomorrow brings with it work, bacteria, admin and meetings.
But what a break it’s been: family, friends, London, Sheffield, snow, real beer, a “proper Christmas” and some amazing memories being made.
And then, as the icing on the cake, a few days of excellent weather and relaxation down in Agulhas.
And then, as the cherry placed gently upon the icing on that luxurious cake, Sheffield United demolishing QPR at Loftus Road and our porcine neighbours losing out to a last minute winner at the Etihad.

Could it get any better?
Well, I could do without heading back to the lab tomorrow. But otherwise, no. It’s been amazing.

But in the meantime, for those who are interested, there are updated photos here and here.

Sense at the Black Oystercatcher

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We went out to the Black Oystercatcher for an amazing lunch today. And while there was a lot to admire on the menu, it was this that particularly caught my eye:

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Yep. After I commented on the struggles of local businesses in season, here’s a completely reasonable solution, elegantly mentioned at the top of the menu.

Nice work, Black Oystercatcher. And bloody good food as well.

It’s the most busiest time… of the year

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That’s a direct quote from the lady behind the counter in the bottle store, by the way.

Agulhas is packed. Fuller than I’ve ever seen it.
And while I’m happy that (according to several sources) the area is enjoying a bumper holiday season, I don’t really like all these people being around.

The fact is that the local infrastructure can’t cope with this huge influx of tourists. And I’m not just talking about the shops and restaurants, although they are happily groaning under the collective weight of tens of thousands of Gautengers: the food outlets are struggling to get the dishes to their patrons timously and the local supermarkets are finding it difficult to keep the shelves stocked.
This is fair enough though, becuse you can’t restructure your entire business simply for two weeks of the year. The staff are new and untrained, because there’s no demand for them at any other time, and the kitchen size is more than adequate for more than 96% of the year.

But it’s not just food and drink that’s the issue. There’s simply not enough water to go around and thus, there are some draconian restrictions in force. Not that they are being enforced in any way, of course. And this means that Kobus and his extended family who are down from Pretoria (and there are a whole lot of Kobus’s about, believe me) are out unnecessarily washing their massive double-cabs twice a day, before they begin their Groot Trek back up North on the weekend, leaving Struisbaai some breakfast and taxi fare home. But no drinking water.

It’s not just that though. It’s personal too. I don’t want to have to share my beach. It’s not actually my beach, but it is my beach, if you see what I mean. If I’d wanted company, I’d have gone to Hermanus. But I much prefer wandering along the empty coastline with just the oystercatchers and the waves for company. Now I have Kobus and his fisherman friends filling the rocks every day while they discuss the latest vehicle shampooing techniques and plan where to have tonight’s dubbel brandewyn en Coke.

And yes, I’m “a visitor” too, but I like to think that I’m a bit different. I didn’t bring down any car cleaning products and I refuse to use a hosepipe unless I have express permission to do so. I’m nice like that. So thanks for coming, Kobus, and thanks for supporting the local tourist industry and the local businesses.
But your time is up now, the Jukskei is calling you and I want my beach back.

Decent start

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A lazy morning on the beach, a light lunch (“I’m going to do tuna rolls; all I need to buy is tuna and rolls”), some late afternoon braai action and then this sunset:

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Of course, it’s a marathon, not a sprint: 2015 won’t all be like this, but at least it’s done its best to make a decent start.

I’m thankful for its efforts in that regard.