If you’re new to this blog series and don’t know what’s happening with South Africa’s 21-day lockdown, my first post has all the details. Or read all my lockdown posts.
Welcome to Day 900 of the South African lockdown.
Jokes. It’s not Day 900, it’s Day 9. But at this point I need to force myself to have a sense of humor about the situation.
It’s been raining for three straight days. I feel a new kind of loneliness that I can’t quite put into words yet. It’s cold. People are starving. Everyone is in a bad mood – especially me. Oh, and there’s a virus out there killing people.
Also I’m questioning my decision to blog every day of the lockdown, which may or may not actually end after 21 days. (It probably won’t.)
Since I feel compelled to wallow in self pity today – and I’m sure you all have more than enough self pity to go around already – I’m going to keep this post short and skip right to today’s worthy cause.
Before I do that…Thank you so much to everyone who donated to yesterday’s worthy cause: Bongani’s #SpazaShopChallenge. I’ve processed about R4000 on my end and I know many other people donated straight to Bongani. Please keep them coming and help fulfill Bongani’s goal to feed 100 families in Katlehong.
Today I’m featuring local restaurants who have launched fundraising campaigns to support their staff members.
In South Africa, as in other countries, restaurants and bars were among the first businesses to get crushed by COVID-19. Many were forced to close even before the lockdown started, and the owners had to temporarily lay off all their staff. These restaurant workers rely on tips to feed their families. Now they have nothing.
Many restaurants have started GoFundMe and BackABuddy fundraisers to help support their staff during this time.
I can’t possibly feature all the Joburg restaurants doing fundraisers, so here are the three I know of in Melville (my home suburb). I love all three of these places:
Spilt Milk Café: https://gogetfunding.com/spilt-milk-melville-corona-virus-plea-for-help-march-2020/
Six Cocktail Bar: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/six-restaurant
The Whippet: https://gogetfunding.com/the-whippet-support-fund-we-need-your-help/
Feel free to suggest other Joburg restaurants in the comments section.
Until tomorrow.
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.
Given this week’s political nuclear bomb blast, it feels like a weird time to publish a light-hearted post about my recent (pre-election) jaunt through the United States. But I’m hoping you’ve have had enough of the U.S. election horror show – I know I have – and are ready (at least temporarily) for some wholesome American travel adventures. If so, please read on about my four-day visit to Maine, the northeastern-most state in the lower 48, with my sister, Susanna.
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It makes me smile, when I see it.