From: Wozzel
Sent: 23 July 2010 11:15
To: The friend
Subject:
Hello. How are you doing? I hope you are well and happy. Fit and flourishing!
Wanted to check with you if you had any plans for early this evening? If not, and you’re free I was thinking of popping past you for a visit this afternoon after work? I’m thinking that if that’s ok I would like to come by straight after work (arriving that side at about 5:15pm)
Let me know if you are keen on a catch up session?
Have a lekker day.
Woz
From: The friend
Sent: 23 July 2010 11:22 AM
To: Wozzel
Subject: RE:
Sounds good to me:)
Do you have any of the good stuff, cos I've been out for two weeks, and am ready to get back on the (high) horse
From: Wozzel
Sent: 23 July 2010 11:25
To: The friend
Subject: RE: RE:
Haha. ok. No worries. I do have something nice that I got from Cool Runnings. Will see you later then!
From: The friend
Sent: 23 July 2010 11:25
To: Wozzel
Subject: RE: RE:
Just read your blog post - sweet! forgot about that pic!
and the names of the moves...hehe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yay, I'm so excited!!!
Friday, July 23, 2010
WEEKEND BABY!
Aah. Home alone this weekend (except for roommate, but I’m not talking to her at the moment)
The boyfriend is heading down the coast to visit his parents for the weekend, and I don’t really have the energy for all of that – plus – time apart is good. Not too much time apart though. He has strict instruction to be home no later than 12:00 Sunday afternoon. Else there will be shitties to pay… my wrath will be swift and decisive.
This space alone gives me time to play guitar – without interruption or requests. I get to work in my garden (read: haven) and I get to drink red wine and be stoned and laugh at myself in the mirror every time I walk past. Small things amuse – small minds.
I don’t have to cook. I can just microwave. I don’t have to make my bed. I can sleep in late. I don’t have to entertain anyone other than myself. I don’t have to do anything that anyone else wants to do. I get to do everything that I want to do.
Yay.
Happy weekend everybuddy. Have a rocking one!
The boyfriend is heading down the coast to visit his parents for the weekend, and I don’t really have the energy for all of that – plus – time apart is good. Not too much time apart though. He has strict instruction to be home no later than 12:00 Sunday afternoon. Else there will be shitties to pay… my wrath will be swift and decisive.
This space alone gives me time to play guitar – without interruption or requests. I get to work in my garden (read: haven) and I get to drink red wine and be stoned and laugh at myself in the mirror every time I walk past. Small things amuse – small minds.
I don’t have to cook. I can just microwave. I don’t have to make my bed. I can sleep in late. I don’t have to entertain anyone other than myself. I don’t have to do anything that anyone else wants to do. I get to do everything that I want to do.
Yay.
Happy weekend everybuddy. Have a rocking one!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
memory lane
Although I have been incredibly busy at work today I spent a huge chunk of time (merrily) skipping down memory lane. I was looking through photographs I have saved on my computer. And after 3 years here I have quite a bit.
I was mainly looking at old photos of my (ex) best friend and I. Such a sad and silly situation – we had a fall out over a year ago over a really ridiculous thing. In fact, it was probably more like over a year and a half ago.
We were mad together. We spent most of our time at his house. Smoking a joint and dancing in the lounge to Britney Spears. We were Britney mad! MAD I TELL YOU. We had dance moves we would randomly name like “the crazy rabbit” or “the avatar” and then, there was the “robot dance” of which we could not take any credit for coming up with, but it was ours and we danced it best.
I miss the bloody ass so much.
We have very recently started communicating again. Not much. It’s a text message here and an email there. Just random “hello, hope you’re well” – and I’m hoping that soon we will actually meet up for a coffee and a dance. And maybe we will do “the avatar”
And we can gossip about what we have been doing for the last 18 months and I can introduce him to my boyfriend of the last 16 months and we can maybe laugh again and sing again – and then maybe, people will say “oh dammit, there they go again, those mad boys”
And we will smile and wave and refuse to believe a word they are saying because it’s the rest of the world that is mad. Not us.
And I know it will never quite be the same again. But hey – I’m up for trying.
And if you read this. And I know you still read my blog :) drop me an email and invite me for coffee ok?
Thank you. That is all.
I was mainly looking at old photos of my (ex) best friend and I. Such a sad and silly situation – we had a fall out over a year ago over a really ridiculous thing. In fact, it was probably more like over a year and a half ago.
We were mad together. We spent most of our time at his house. Smoking a joint and dancing in the lounge to Britney Spears. We were Britney mad! MAD I TELL YOU. We had dance moves we would randomly name like “the crazy rabbit” or “the avatar” and then, there was the “robot dance” of which we could not take any credit for coming up with, but it was ours and we danced it best.
I miss the bloody ass so much.
We have very recently started communicating again. Not much. It’s a text message here and an email there. Just random “hello, hope you’re well” – and I’m hoping that soon we will actually meet up for a coffee and a dance. And maybe we will do “the avatar”
And we can gossip about what we have been doing for the last 18 months and I can introduce him to my boyfriend of the last 16 months and we can maybe laugh again and sing again – and then maybe, people will say “oh dammit, there they go again, those mad boys”
And we will smile and wave and refuse to believe a word they are saying because it’s the rest of the world that is mad. Not us.
And I know it will never quite be the same again. But hey – I’m up for trying.
And if you read this. And I know you still read my blog :) drop me an email and invite me for coffee ok?
Thank you. That is all.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
come and gone
What I miss the most about the Soccer World Cup is the sea of colour that accompanied the vibe, atmosphere and celebrations. The mirror socks and the window flags that flooded the highways and byways of Durban. Of all over South Africa in fact.
There are still one or two die hard fans I’ve noticed on the road who have kept their flag flying and I always smile and think how grand it is they have not removed them yet. The games may be over, but we will always remember 2010 – how could we possibly forget?
Something else I’ve noticed, which has saddened me somewhat is the sudden disappearance of all the extra police and security we had patrolling Durban and the Beach Front Promenade. I’ve lived in this city all my life. I love this city. I am as typical a Durban boy as typical can be. Except I don’t have sun bleached hair and I can not surf.
I’ve always loved exploring the city and I can pretty much take you to all the little hide outs and quiet spots with my eyes closed. Chances are you wont find me drinking a mojito at Moyo or at I’ll Maurice behind the Beverly Hills Hotel sipping on a strawberry daquiri. You’ll more likely to find me in a pub in the centre of town drinking a beer our of a bottle sitting on a crate. Or in on one of the little hidden bars dotted along the beach front.
A friend once told me “The dodgier the area, the tastier the KFC”
I don’t see why that should be any different for a few ice cold pints.
But I digress.
Now that the SWC has come and gone. So have the police. I remember weeks leading up to the event there were scores of policemen and women stationed, well, everywhere. Every 5 meters another two could be seen patrolling – not that I am suggesting we live in a city so dangerous that there has to be a constant presence, we all know the truth. We live in a world that suggests we should have a constant police presence. A sense of safety and security.
I just personally think it was a great idea. And now it’s not such a great idea. And, then, I also want to know – where are they all? Did our government not say that these men and woman would still be employed after the World Cup? Did they not assure us that this was not all just a show for our visitors?
So where are they? Hopefully not sharing a beer or KFC Streetwise 2 in some dodgy shebeen in the centre of town.
There are still one or two die hard fans I’ve noticed on the road who have kept their flag flying and I always smile and think how grand it is they have not removed them yet. The games may be over, but we will always remember 2010 – how could we possibly forget?
Something else I’ve noticed, which has saddened me somewhat is the sudden disappearance of all the extra police and security we had patrolling Durban and the Beach Front Promenade. I’ve lived in this city all my life. I love this city. I am as typical a Durban boy as typical can be. Except I don’t have sun bleached hair and I can not surf.
I’ve always loved exploring the city and I can pretty much take you to all the little hide outs and quiet spots with my eyes closed. Chances are you wont find me drinking a mojito at Moyo or at I’ll Maurice behind the Beverly Hills Hotel sipping on a strawberry daquiri. You’ll more likely to find me in a pub in the centre of town drinking a beer our of a bottle sitting on a crate. Or in on one of the little hidden bars dotted along the beach front.
A friend once told me “The dodgier the area, the tastier the KFC”
I don’t see why that should be any different for a few ice cold pints.
But I digress.
Now that the SWC has come and gone. So have the police. I remember weeks leading up to the event there were scores of policemen and women stationed, well, everywhere. Every 5 meters another two could be seen patrolling – not that I am suggesting we live in a city so dangerous that there has to be a constant presence, we all know the truth. We live in a world that suggests we should have a constant police presence. A sense of safety and security.
I just personally think it was a great idea. And now it’s not such a great idea. And, then, I also want to know – where are they all? Did our government not say that these men and woman would still be employed after the World Cup? Did they not assure us that this was not all just a show for our visitors?
So where are they? Hopefully not sharing a beer or KFC Streetwise 2 in some dodgy shebeen in the centre of town.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Ubuntu in Abundance
My blog posts have been very few and far between at the moment, and the reason for that is for another post, on another day. In the interim I want to post an article I read that really made me feel Proudly South African.
The Huffington Post
Shari Cohen
International development worker in the public health sector
Posted: June 15, 2010 11:35 AM
South Africa Rolls Out the Ubuntu in Abundance
I went on a rant the other day regarding the cost of the 2010 World Cup versus all the critical needs South Africa is facing and whether or not the most vulnerable of this country would gain anything from having the World Cup hosted in their country. At that time, I also had some very positive things to say about our hosts for the 2010 World Cup and I wanted to share that side of the coin as well, because it is equally important.
To say that I have been blown away at the hospitality South Africa has shown the rest of the world would be an understatement. I think back on recent Olympics and struggle to remember much reporting in the USA of athletes from other countries. I remember when a Togolese guy won a bronze medal in kayaking and NBC reported it and I thought to myself, "where are all the other fascinating stories like this one...like the Jamaican bobsledding team." In today's America, sadly, we have drifted so far towards being so US-centric that we only seem to root for the Americans.
Not so here in South Africa. I've been here since early May and each week I have become more and more impressed with the global embrace that South Africans have offered up to the world. On the way to the airport a couple of weeks ago, I heard a radio program that said each day they would focus on one country that would be coming to South Africa for the World Cup, and they would explore not only that sport's history in soccer, but also their politics, religion, and socio-cultural practices. On the television, I've seen numerous programs that focus on a particular country and it's history of soccer and how the history of that country is intertwined with their soccer history. I've seen programs on India, exploring why India enjoys soccer but hasn't really excelled at the global level... yet. And I've seen shows on soccer in Muslim countries. Maybe it's planned, maybe it's unplanned, maybe it's by chance, but it is happening. It's not just about South Africans showing off their varied and multifaceted culture to their global guests, it's also about using this opportunity to educate South Africa on the rest of Planet Earth's inhabitants.
As I moved through my work here in the provinces over the last six weeks, I had a pivotal meeting with the Board members of a rural NGO. They were explaining their guiding program philosophy of Ubuntu. No, not the Linux program. I'm talking about the traditional African philosophy of Ubuntu that essentially says, "No man is an island."
I found a better explanation from Wikipedia:
Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008:
One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality -- Ubuntu -- you are known for your generosity.
We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.
To me, Ubuntu is the acceptance of others as parts of the sum total of each of us. And that is exactly what I have experienced during the lead up to, and the initial days of this World Cup. There is nary a South African citizen that I've met on the street, or in shops or restaurants or hotels, that hasn't gone out of their way to greet me and make me feel like I am home. And I don't mean that in the trivial, "Oh, aren't they nice, homey people here... " sort of way. I mean real, genuine interest and questions. People seriously want to know where I come from. What it's like where I live. How does it compare to where I am now. What do I think of South Africa. Oh yes, and what do I think of Bafana Bafana... The questions and conversations are in earnest. They are honest. And they are had with enthusiasm and a thirst to know more. South Africans are drinking deeply from the cup of humanity that has been brought to their doorstep. I would never imagine that an American World Cup or Olympics would ever be this welcoming to the rest of the world. And that saddens me for the state of my home country, but it also makes me feel the pride of the South African people.
I have been truly humbled on this trip. And while I have my gripes regarding development here, I cannot say one negative thing about how South Africa has handled its duties as host and hostess to the world. If I could say one thing to sum up being here during this once-in-a-lifetime experience, it would be that I've learned the value of Ubuntu, and that when found and offered in abundance, the world is indeed a better place to live in.
So, if South Africa accomplishes nothing more on the playing field, it will still have won as a host country. I am a cynic, no doubt about that. And yet I have to admit, I'm a little teary just writing this because I leave for home next weekend and I will be leaving a little piece of myself here in South Africa. I just hope I have learned enough to bring back a little piece of Ubuntu to my homeland, where perhaps with a little caring and a little water, it will take root as naturally as it does here, in the cradle of civilization. It's funny, many people in America still ask me, "are the people in Africa very primitive?" Yes, I know, amazing someone could ask that but they do. And when they do, I usually explain that living in a mud hut does not make one primitive, however, allowing kids to sell drugs to other kids and engage in drive-by killings -- isn't that primitive behavior? I think it is. When I think of Ubuntu and my recent experiences here, I think America has much to learn from Africa in general, in terms of living as a larger village; and as human beings who are all interconnected with each other, each of us having an affect on our brothers and sisters.
As the 2010 Cup slogan goes, "Feel it. It is here." Well, I have felt it, because I am here. Thank you South Africa, for giving me this unexpected gift. I am humbled.
The Huffington Post
Shari Cohen
International development worker in the public health sector
Posted: June 15, 2010 11:35 AM
South Africa Rolls Out the Ubuntu in Abundance
I went on a rant the other day regarding the cost of the 2010 World Cup versus all the critical needs South Africa is facing and whether or not the most vulnerable of this country would gain anything from having the World Cup hosted in their country. At that time, I also had some very positive things to say about our hosts for the 2010 World Cup and I wanted to share that side of the coin as well, because it is equally important.
To say that I have been blown away at the hospitality South Africa has shown the rest of the world would be an understatement. I think back on recent Olympics and struggle to remember much reporting in the USA of athletes from other countries. I remember when a Togolese guy won a bronze medal in kayaking and NBC reported it and I thought to myself, "where are all the other fascinating stories like this one...like the Jamaican bobsledding team." In today's America, sadly, we have drifted so far towards being so US-centric that we only seem to root for the Americans.
Not so here in South Africa. I've been here since early May and each week I have become more and more impressed with the global embrace that South Africans have offered up to the world. On the way to the airport a couple of weeks ago, I heard a radio program that said each day they would focus on one country that would be coming to South Africa for the World Cup, and they would explore not only that sport's history in soccer, but also their politics, religion, and socio-cultural practices. On the television, I've seen numerous programs that focus on a particular country and it's history of soccer and how the history of that country is intertwined with their soccer history. I've seen programs on India, exploring why India enjoys soccer but hasn't really excelled at the global level... yet. And I've seen shows on soccer in Muslim countries. Maybe it's planned, maybe it's unplanned, maybe it's by chance, but it is happening. It's not just about South Africans showing off their varied and multifaceted culture to their global guests, it's also about using this opportunity to educate South Africa on the rest of Planet Earth's inhabitants.
As I moved through my work here in the provinces over the last six weeks, I had a pivotal meeting with the Board members of a rural NGO. They were explaining their guiding program philosophy of Ubuntu. No, not the Linux program. I'm talking about the traditional African philosophy of Ubuntu that essentially says, "No man is an island."
I found a better explanation from Wikipedia:
Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explained Ubuntu in 2008:
One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality -- Ubuntu -- you are known for your generosity.
We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.
To me, Ubuntu is the acceptance of others as parts of the sum total of each of us. And that is exactly what I have experienced during the lead up to, and the initial days of this World Cup. There is nary a South African citizen that I've met on the street, or in shops or restaurants or hotels, that hasn't gone out of their way to greet me and make me feel like I am home. And I don't mean that in the trivial, "Oh, aren't they nice, homey people here... " sort of way. I mean real, genuine interest and questions. People seriously want to know where I come from. What it's like where I live. How does it compare to where I am now. What do I think of South Africa. Oh yes, and what do I think of Bafana Bafana... The questions and conversations are in earnest. They are honest. And they are had with enthusiasm and a thirst to know more. South Africans are drinking deeply from the cup of humanity that has been brought to their doorstep. I would never imagine that an American World Cup or Olympics would ever be this welcoming to the rest of the world. And that saddens me for the state of my home country, but it also makes me feel the pride of the South African people.
I have been truly humbled on this trip. And while I have my gripes regarding development here, I cannot say one negative thing about how South Africa has handled its duties as host and hostess to the world. If I could say one thing to sum up being here during this once-in-a-lifetime experience, it would be that I've learned the value of Ubuntu, and that when found and offered in abundance, the world is indeed a better place to live in.
So, if South Africa accomplishes nothing more on the playing field, it will still have won as a host country. I am a cynic, no doubt about that. And yet I have to admit, I'm a little teary just writing this because I leave for home next weekend and I will be leaving a little piece of myself here in South Africa. I just hope I have learned enough to bring back a little piece of Ubuntu to my homeland, where perhaps with a little caring and a little water, it will take root as naturally as it does here, in the cradle of civilization. It's funny, many people in America still ask me, "are the people in Africa very primitive?" Yes, I know, amazing someone could ask that but they do. And when they do, I usually explain that living in a mud hut does not make one primitive, however, allowing kids to sell drugs to other kids and engage in drive-by killings -- isn't that primitive behavior? I think it is. When I think of Ubuntu and my recent experiences here, I think America has much to learn from Africa in general, in terms of living as a larger village; and as human beings who are all interconnected with each other, each of us having an affect on our brothers and sisters.
As the 2010 Cup slogan goes, "Feel it. It is here." Well, I have felt it, because I am here. Thank you South Africa, for giving me this unexpected gift. I am humbled.
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