BLOG: Things I learned in the Fair Cape

Jeepers!

We are nearly at the end of the first month of 2016 and I am still yet to get to hitting the keyboard for my first blog piece of the year.

Call it a lack of motivation (yes, even the most fervent lover of the written word can lose interest at times) or a bit of writer’s block.

It could be that my mind is still lost somewhere out there in the forests of Newlands or still floating around in the soul-nourishing protea gardens of Kirstenbosch.

Perhaps the ice cold lagers and cheery songs with sunburned members of the Barmy Army at the Test cricket contributed to my current denseness.

I guess that’s what 33 days of time off work and two weeks holidaying in the Mother City can do to a person.

Not all hope has been lost for me, though.

I have stamped my passport and am back in the “Far East”, and back to our own famous mountain, Kleinfontein Mine Dump, which is rapidly disappearing, to tackle this new work year and to bring to you the absolute best of Benoni sport.

 

Anyway, you know that already and I am not going to ramble on about all our wonderful sportsmen and women, because then I won’t have any more exciting stories to bring to you every week.

I am, however, going to share a few things I learned while basking in the majesty of Table Mountain and the sheer natural serenity of the Western Cape in general.

I even caught a dip in the Atlantic Ocean, not once but three times!

So, what did I learn out there?:

1. South Africa can leave you utterly breathless:

That’s right.

You only truly appreciate the real beauty of our land when you explore it.

Benoni, you’re really great and all that jazz, and I sure do love you, but in comparison to Cape Town you’re kind of like my mom’s finger-imprinted home-made cheeseburger on normal bread as opposed to that scrumptious and saucy monkey gland burger that you can get from McGinty’s.

Anyway, I’m drifting here…

I have been fortunate enough to have visited all nine provinces and all the major South African city centres and I am left blown away by the natural allure of our land on each occasion.

Put your #zumamustfall #rhodesmustfall #feesmustfall #etollsmustfall aside for a while and simply hop into your car on a Friday afternoon and drive off to some random little place like Tweeling in the Free State and discover something new.

You won’t be disappointed, I promise!

#stayinginoneplacemustfall

 

2. You’ll be surprised what you find in your own mind:

A little time with your own thoughts (be it in a forest, botanical garden or alongside a blue lagoon in Langebaan) can do your inner being the world of good.

Although I don’t have any of the above on the East Rand there are some tranquil locations where I can and will go from now on to unwind and forget about all the nonsense.

3. Apparently I’m from Joburg:

To me Johannesburg has always been that dodgy area next to Ellis Park by the Hillbrow Tower where some dodgy dude from Lagos is trying to sell me some funny things.

Capetonians kept on asking me if I’m from Joburg and I had to tell them to get their facts straight.

“Nah boet, I’m from Benoni,” was my usual reply.

I think I confused them big time with that one.

4. Hashim Amla loves me:

Okay, he really doesn’t, but he should.

Our humble, bearded former Protea Test skipper always seems to save his best batting knocks when I am in the crowd.

The Mighty Hash scored a double century when I went to watch at Newlands Stadium and then scored another ton when I went to watch at SuperSport Park, Centurion a few weeks later.

I should be on the plane with him on the way to the next Cricket World Cup!

5. Our history cannot be forgotten

Whatever you feel about our country’s past it is important not to forget it – the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

Being a massive history nerd myself I was like a pig bathing in a muddy puddle in the Cape.

It just reeks with the smell of history and I was in my element.

Visiting the Rhodes Memorial was intriguing to me.

It sums our country up to a T.

The noseless, vandalised bust of Cecil John’s face and the graffiti sprayed all over it is a fascinating clash of history and our current affairs.

To me, it, and other past relics, still remain important to the progress and understanding of our land and moving past the terrible mistakes made.

6. I don’t have good friends.. I have incredible friends:

Yeah, I’m 26-years-old and it’s easy at my age to have a massive group of pals , but I know that these individuals are with me for life.

My time in CPT (reunited with my “ex-pat” Benonian buddies) reminded me how fortunate I am to be able to have quality people who have got my back through the best and worst of times in all parts of South Africa.

Regardless of where I am around the globe, I know that my boys and girls will be there for me when the proverbial paw-paw hits the ceiling fan.

Even if I am abducted by a group of brain-eating Amazonian pygmies I know they will be there, ready for action with Samurai swords in hand.

So, those are my life lessons learned while away from Gautengeleng.

Benoni will always be my beloved home-town and I will always shout her name from the highest rooftops, however, it is clear to me that a whole country and a whole world awaits me, just waiting for me to share my unique Benoniness with it.

It will take some time, but man I am keen to explore it.

Have a jol and expand your horizons in 2016.

Until we meet again Bloggy World!

LG