Friday, July 23, 2010

Moby Dick lives again in Cape Town

A couple of days ago a scene reminiscent of Mellville's Moby Dick played itself out in Table Bay harbour. Two people took their yacht, the Intrepid, out for a spin in the harbour when a whale breached itself a few times before coming to land on the deck of their yacht. No one was hurt.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Missing home

I was sitting behind a Jeep yesterday in traffic when it struck me how completely different the composition of the traffic can be between Cape Town and Pretoria.

I grew up near Milnerton / Tableview where the beach was a 5 minute drive from home. Cars were mostly rusted junkheaps from all the saltwater, older cars that kids would inherit from their parents. Newer cars stood out like a sore thumb. Here it's all about shiny and new. My little 13yo Polo sometimes looks out of place in the school parking lot amongst all the Audis, Mercs and BMs, SUVs. Everyone is always in a rush to get somewhere and nobody smiles.

I drive with the music blaring singing away in a car that looks like it belongs at the beach. For the first time in a long time I really missed home.

Friday, July 02, 2010

The Mommy Wars

I am a mother. My first priority is to raise my children to be good, conscientious little people who grow up to be compassionate passionate empathic adults, to make sure they have a good basic grounding to build on.

My first priority is not to compete with you so that I can have bragging rights to whose parenting method is the best.

My first priority is not to consistently try and outdo you whenever you feel slighted because my kid has joined some society or outside sport or the library.

My first priority is not to dress my kids in designer brands because you deem everything else cheap rubbish.

My first priority is not to be that mom who always manages to embarrass her child because she's competing fiercely for title of Mom of the Year yet manages to neglect the tiniest need of said child.