Posted on December 17, 2010December 17, 2010Categories Experience, South AfricaTags , , , , , 6 Comments on Living in Joburg, 2010

Living in Joburg, 2010

We spent our last night in Cape Town in our small, empty flat in Gardens. We slept very badly on a blow-up mattress. Seven years of memories and freezing tiles kept me awake. I thought of all the parties, the dinners, the friendships made in this home.

I went onto our massive wraparound balcony and stared at the rain-shrouded Table Mountain like I had a thousand times before, moving my eyes over Lion’s Head and the city. Gentle, wild, comforting.

Five months later I would be at a book launch on the roof of the Lister Building in Jeppe Street, watching a thunderstorm break over the angles and grit of Jozi skyscrapers, the vastness of it making for a different wildness; an industrial beauty I appreciated simply because it was so alien. I felt love.

We spent our last night in Cape Town in our small, empty flat in Gardens. We slept very badly on a blow-up mattress. Seven years of memories and freezing tiles kept me awake. I thought of all the parties, the dinners, the friendships made in this home.

I went onto our massive wraparound balcony and stared at the rain-shrouded Table Mountain like I had a thousand times before, moving my eyes over Lion’s Head and the city. Gentle, wild, comforting.

Five months later I would be at a book launch on the roof of the Lister Building in Jeppe Street, watching a thunderstorm break over the angles and grit of Jozi skyscrapers, the vastness of it making for a different wildness; an industrial beauty I appreciated simply because it was so alien. I felt love.

Posted on November 3, 2010November 3, 2010Categories Animals, JohannesburgTags , , , 3 Comments on Walk your own dog!

Walk your own dog!

For some reason, the middle and upper classes don’t walk their own dogs – they get their “staff” to do it.

Driving around Parktown North, Houghton, Sandton and Saxonwold, I’ll often witness a young guy in overalls being dragged along by two Golden Retrievers and a Jack Russell. 29 years in Cape Town and I’d never seen this before.

For some reason, the middle and upper classes don’t walk their own dogs – they get their “staff” to do it.

Driving around Parktown North, Houghton, Sandton and Saxonwold, I’ll often witness a young guy in overalls being dragged along by two Golden Retrievers and a Jack Russell. 29 years in Cape Town and I’d never seen this before.

Posted on October 28, 2010Categories Johannesburg, South AfricaTags , , , , ,

Give A Duck in November

Get your little white duck for R100 and the proceeds will go towards two fantastic charities – Learn To Earn and the Bobs For Good Foundation. You can also make a donation on the I Give A Duck website and buy other quacky stuff for the whole of November.

Get your little white duck for R100 and the proceeds will go towards two fantastic charities – Learn To Earn and the Bobs For Good Foundation. You can also make a donation on the I Give A Duck website and buy other quacky stuff for the whole of November.