If you’re new to this blog series and don’t know what’s happening with South Africa’s 21-day (now 35-day) lockdown, my first post has all the details. Or read all my lockdown posts.
It’s Day 24 of lockdown. It’s also the fourth weekend of lockdown and I can’t make sense of this in my head. I had to go look at the calendar just now to confirm, because somehow it doesn’t seem mathematically possible.
Today I have to apologize for excessive posting. Not only have I now blogged for 27 consecutive days – I don’t think I’d ever blogged more than three days consecutively before this – but today I posted TWICE, for reasons I’ll explain below. I’m sorry for spamming you.
Today was also a day of great excitement: I left the house and went somewhere other than a food shop. My friends Fiver and Stuart had to leave Joburg suddenly just before the lockdown, and I have their spare keys. So I went to their flat in Killarney to…you know…check on the place. (Okay I mainly went to get wine and food, especially wine, but the place needed checking too.)
Unlocking the door to Fiver and Stuart’s flat, I was shocked by how euphoric I felt. I walked from room to room with a sense of wonder, inspecting every book and piece of furniture as if I’d never seen it before. I guess that’s what happens when you walk into another person’s home, especially a friend’s home, after nearly a month of being only in your own.
Fiver and Stuart’s flat backs up to a steep hillside. On that hillside is the most beautiful garden. I’ve visited Fiver and Stuart at this flat at least 50 times over the years, but for some reason I’d never walked in the garden. Until today.
As I strolled around the garden, admiring every flower and leaf, I noticed a man in a surgical mask walking briskly up and down the corridor outside his flat. Obviously he has been practicing – I still find it difficult to walk briskly and breathe through a facemask at the same time.
The man stopped and we made 45 seconds of small talk, a good 15 meters between us. He’s lived in the building four years but only explored the garden once, with his granddaughter. (Now I don’t feel as badly.) It’s a lovely garden, isn’t it? Yes, it certainly is. He walks the corridor for exercise but doesn’t like the stairs. Ah, yes. Have a good day! Thank you. You too.
I know I’ve said this already. But this pandemic makes mundane things feel magical.
I walked out of Fiver and Stuart’s building with three bulging grocery bags. Pritchard, the security guard, looked at me a bit askance. But I suspect he was also grateful for the opportunity to make small talk with someone – anyone – for a moment or two.
As mentioned above, this is the second blog post I’ve written today. The first one, suggested by reader Kim Penstone, was a list of all the worthy causes I’ve featured so far in the lockdown series. Great suggestion, Kim. There are 20 causes so far. I’ve pasted that post at the top of my blog’s homepage and will continue to add to it as the series continues.
If you’d like to help someone today, please go to the list and choose your favorite. I’ll feature another new cause 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.
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.
Use the share button below if you liked it.
It makes me smile, when I see it.