Category: this is south africa

What a day

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Bit of a weird one, actually. A public holiday in the UK, but a normal working day here. Such is the South African appetite for taking time off, that this usually only happens once a year. And now it’s happening twice this month. Madness!

This extra Coronation celebration meant that United’s last game of the season began just after I’d got the kids home from school, and ended just before I had to get the boy to Dodgeball. And I had to fit a meal and painting a wall into the intervening period.

Too much to do in too little time, hence the mad dash to the usual spot in my dark car park.

And yet things started so well.

Having not really slept at all last night, I decided that the best way to try and get the day going was a 7½ km run. And that went well, with much speed despite the many metres of ascent included. The day continued on a positive note as I finally found some gas, which has been in short supply in Cape Town of late.

What a morning!

But then I got marooned in a very dark Pick n Pay when their generator ran out of diesel, and all the tills died. This is unusual. Normally, everything else dies, but their means of taking your money somehow survives. So this was a big one.

Once the power was restored (which took a good while), we all discovered that their POS (you can choose which abbreviation that is; either works) devices take fourteen minutes to reboot. Some shoppers threw their toys and abandoned their trollies mid-aisle. I decided to be courteous and respectful, allowing the anger to pass me by, not least because I needed to take some food home for dinner, and I wasn’t about to risk going round the shop again.

Anyway, all’s well that ends well. United won, and celebrated in style:

And the boy made it to Dodgeball on time.

I’m going to sleep so well tonight.

Seeing the light

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We’ve been waiting for this day for a long while. And now it’s come very suddenly. At 2pm today, I got a call telling me that the solar installers are coming around tomorrow.

And they’re going to install some solar.

As regular readers of this blog will know, loadshedding is arguably the most dominant force in South Africa right now. It affects everything, and while we have no control over the things outside our home, we can at least do something about what’s going on in our house.

Not that we should have to. We already pay the government money to supply us with electricity. But then we also pay them for stuff like security and healthcare, and we still have to privately top those up to get any decent, viable service.

This system won’t take us completely off the grid. That would be desirable, but also outlandishly expensive (not that this is in any way cheap). But it will cut our bill by at least 80%. And it will mean that we’re able to live our lives with some degree of normality, and a bit more on our terms. Work will be easier. Food won’t spoil as quickly. No more last minute dashes for the kettle or the microwave. Expensive devices won’t break due to constant power cuts and surges. There will be sport on the big screen. The beagle will have a nightlight.

We’re still very lucky to be able to do this. And it’s weird that access to such a basic human right is a luxury.

I’m not going to be a solar wanker, claiming that my altruism is lessening the load on the rest of the country, nor am I ever, ever going to utter the phrase:

Yeah, we don’t even know when loadshedding is happening anymore.

But I am looking forward to our first session of loadshedding once our batteries are charged up, and there simply being… life as normal.

Whatever that means.

About last night

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After an afternoon in front of the last home game at Bramall Lane (and the last home game in the Championship for at least a while) for Sheffield United, we headed into town for a pre-anniversary meal out.

Eighteen of your South African years. Incredible.

A night out in town can be a big adventure when you have become ensconced in the Southern Suburbs. And we were reminded early on of why we like to keep it local with a scary ride into the CBD in an Uber with no shock absorbers. Well, no working ones anyway. The driver also asked us what sort of music we’d like to listen to, and we said we weren’t really bothered – just not jazz. Sadly, something was lost in translation and we ended up with a Smooth Jazz mix which wouldn’t have been out of place in a 1980s elevator, the interesting percussion patterns augmented by the clanking of what was left of the rear axle each and every time we went over a bump in the road.

Thankfully, at the end of the journey was The Dark Horse, complete with beer, wine, rooftop seating and views over a chilly Cape Town. Jack Black Weiss? Don’t mind if I do. Heavenly stuff.

And then, after a bit of that, there was the place across the road.

The Black Sheep is always amazing. The vibe, the food, the wine and the service are all top notch. And last night was no exception. We were treated to tasting plates from several of the starters including their incredible chili squid before exceptional mains of kudu loin and coconut lentil curry. All washed down with some of Gabrielskloof’s Bordeaux Blend and a few glasses of Migliarina Chenin Blanc. So good.

No room for desserts, but there is always next time.

Sadly, we turn into pumpkins if we don’t get back to the safety of the ‘burbs around the mountain before midnight, so we headed home and this time I booked a ‘spensive moose Uber Black to avoid the dangers of a poorly serviced Toyota Corolla. The Beemer 3 series that turned up was lovely and comfy, but the driver had clearly never driven it before. Nor could he follow a map. A bizarre and wholly uncalled for left turn by the fire station in town. Weird acceleration and braking all over Philip Kgosana Drive. And then a couple of missed junctions nearer home meant that we went far further than we needed to. And then he didn’t end the trip on his phone.

A 2 star rating (you’re apparently only allowed to give 1 star if you died en route) and our money back following a complaint and a fare review this morning. But now I’m very open to Uber alternatives, please.

A late anniversary morning lie-in today, followed by a thorough workout in the gym, because I have loads and loads of calories to get rid of. And once this blog post is done – which it very nearly is (cue sighs of relief from both readers) – a quick wander in the Green Belt with the beagle.

Tomorrow. More food and wine. But more about that then.

Stable condition

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An early start up to the Milnerton gallops this morning. Lots of horses around (as you might expect), but we were there to see this boy being put through his paces.

Frustrating fencing from a photography point of view, but as was pointed out, it’s quite useful to keep the horses going one way or of the way of the horses going the other way.

So fair enough.

Like watching the TT, it’s blink and you miss it stuff. They don’t hang around. And there’s no second or third lap. But the camera did its job ok, as you can see from these unedited pics.

Dinner out in town this evening, and then tomorrow morning… a lie in.

Lazy

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Midday loadshedding, and I could be in the gym doing my 10km resistance biking for the day. But I’m inside playing Geoguessr and writing a blog post. I’m just not feeling it today, and I’ve decided to give my legs a day off. No excuses tomorrow, though (not that I really had one today).

The long weekend in South Africa (Freedom Day yesterday, pseudo-holiday today, Worker’s Day on Monday) allows for a braai this evening, an anniversary meal out tomorrow evening, a recovery day on Sunday and then lunch in the Winelands on Monday. While everything else is falling apart in the country, at least the lifestyle continues to deliver the goods.

There are, of course, a few jobs to be done as well (plus those workouts), but I will fit them in around the food and the football. Blog posts will continue on a daily basis, because what would you do for entertainment otherwise?

Oh, and just a little reminder:

Still bouncing…