South African people are so much more laid back than we are in the UK its crazy. I guess a lot of that must be down to their 12 months of annual sunshine compared to our 12 hours but even still I found that meeting people was really easy despite a slow start as I adjusted to things. People can know you for 5 seconds then they've already sorted you out an itinery of things you'll be doing with them for the week. In the local pub-'Someplace Else', I now know loads of the locals. It really is a quality pub and it's only 5 minutes walk from home so the beer-scooter gets you back safe and sound. It also plays English footy pretty much constantly plus it’s under a pound a pint and has an amazing view of the city at night. I met the Afrikaans guys down there and have been on a few big nights with them since (see pics). Also met another load of muso guys, one of which owns his own studio and has invited me to come and record in it for nowt. Am thinking that if East Coast Radio are up for having us on I'll record the music with this guy then take the CD to the radio station to sing along to-still no more news there at the mo though I'm afraid.
I've also met some chaps at the primary school I'm at one day a week and last Saturday we all headed down to Someplace Else to watch a very important rugby match between England and the Springboks (nb that matter with the Springbok emblem seems to have been resolved with the shirt now displaying the Springbok on the left breast and the Protea their national flower, on the right).The atmosphere in the pub was corking. I went there with 2 of the teachers from Northlands a bird called Sune and a bloke (or oak as they say out here) called Shaun who was down there along with his brother as Englishmen (both their parents are Sousers). We were quickly identified as the away support as we sang boisterously the national anthem to a sea of surrounding boo's.
There was some great two and fro banter between the rest of the pub and us during the game but I did notice when we started losing that Shaun started shouting out some well dodgy stuff. None more so than use of the word Kaffa which he aimed at our black players. Something I quickly picked up out here is that this word is totally forbidden and will basically get you stabbed on the spot if you say it in range of any black man and fined heavily if you say it within ear shot of a copper. Anyway England got totally trounced and after the game the three of us were bought loads of consolation lager from the rest of the pub which was quality. Then all of a sudden, this bloke Shaun acquired what one Andrew Ashenden would refer to as 'brains full of bog-roll ' and totally lost the plot when somebody made a dig at the England performance. Suddenly Shaun and his brother and about 4 Springboks fans were all squaring up. I decided to adopt the role of bouncer after a quick analysis of my bison-like build and so tore into the fray to try and calm the kafuffle. Unfortunately my valiant effort only landed me an almighty donk on the noggin' from a flailing fist which has resulted in a bump the size of an egg on my already cone-shaped cranium. Still, unfettered if slightly disheveled I continued my attempts to restore order however failed to keep the rival parties apart. Within seconds a Springbok fan got his nose broken and was literally spraying blood all over everyone's attire. My brilliant white newly purchased t-shirt was rendered in a similar condition to what I would imagine Ian Brady’s probably was, after a heavy night out on the moors.
We finally got all offending parties to leave and the madness died down-the barmen giving me a drink on the house for helping out. Was a sad end to a wicked day but went out that night with Sune and some of her chums for a meal down at Umhlanga followed by a club, all the while pinching ourselves as to weather we actually had just witnessed a guy who works teaching kids in a primary school break somebody’s nose in a bar-room brawl. Sadly we had.
South Africa
Bookmark this page with: