Nelson Mandela was buried yesterday (Sunday), and South Africa’s official period of mourning came to an end. After listening to the funeral on the radio Sunday morning, I thought I was finished mourning too.
But I hadn’t yet been to Mandela’s house in Houghton, where he actually passed away on December 5. My friend Michelle, who just flew into Joburg this weekend, wanted to go. So we went to Houghton on Sunday evening.
I actually thought we might be too late and that things would have died down in Houghton by last night. Once again, I was wrong. The street was still a huge, living, breathing memorial to Madiba.
The memorial in front of Mandela’s Houghton House.
The flowers were piled up two or three feet high.
Fresh flowers.
Note to Madiba in Afrikaans.
Mandela’s street was lined with vendors. I liked this stand especially – the vendors set up their merchandise on the backs of the portable toilets.
There was an impromptu gathering in front of the barrier, where people were singing and dancing and reciting poetry.
Lady dancing.
I’m not sure who this guy is but he took on the role of emcee for the singing and dancing and poetry reciting.
There were so many candles burning – I could smell the wax from several feet away. Occasionally the candles melted together and started larger fires, which the security guards extinguished.
The vibe in Houghton was really beautiful. I’m glad I went yesterday to say goodbye one last time.
Rest in peace, Madiba.
This isn’t quite the end of my 2Summers Mandela tribute – I’ve got one more post coming.
How have I never blogged about 44 Stanley Avenue, the coolest shopping and dining complex in Joburg, which is only five minutes from my house?
I guess it’s wrong to say I’ve never blogged about 44 Stanley; I’ve mentioned it countless times over the years (see here and here) when writing about specific restaurants or shops that are there. But I’ve never written a dedicated post about 44 Stanley as a destination and it’s about time I did – especially now, with the holidays upon us.
I’ve been dreadfully uninspired lately, struggling to think of anything I want to blog about despite having a long list of great ideas (many of which you, my readers, provided in September). I’m finding it hard to feel positive about life at the moment. But on Saturday Thorsten and I got the chance to visit Indwe Park, an indigenous garden and sculpture park in Braamfontein, and I knew I had my topic for today.
In 2020, I published a blog post with tips for Americans living in South Africa who wanted to vote in the U.S. presidential election. I thought about simply resharing that post this year. But then I realized: 1) I want to write a U.S. election post that will be fun and informative for everyone, not just other Americans; and 2) Believe it or not, the U.S. presidential election stakes are even higher in 2024 than they were in 2020. So I’m introducing you to some really cool Americans in Joburg – one who I’ve known forever and two who I just met – and tell you a bit about who they are, why they live here, and why they vote.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.