Light meals and an abundance of wine

It's been a while since I have written about food, so I think I can be excused for bringing it up again!
Secondly, food and wine certainly featured largely in the trip, so it would be rude not to mention it!

The first thing you should know about South African cuisine is that when you see 'Light Meals' on the menu it means nothing of the sort. I'm not sure what the difference between a 'Light Meal' and a standard meal is, as they both tend to come on plates the size of dustbin lids, except that there is perhaps a little more lettuce in the lighter option! I'm not quite sure why we never seemed to grasp this fact and spent most of the holiday feeling stuffed full, albeit of good, rich food.

Just a starter before the main feature!

Many of my friends here talk about how they miss McDonalds, but since the nearest 'Golden Arches' are over 3000 km away in Cairo, it's just a distant dream. As a veggy, I don't have these cravings, but that is not to say that I don't miss a few Western treats. My first port of call in Cape Town was not Table Mountain or Cape Point, but the Haagen-Dazs  cafe at the Waterfront!

 We all enjoyed more than our fair share of South African wine, sampling them along the way. I even enjoyed the day I was designated driver as this still did not stop me from drinking in the stunning mountainous scenery around Stellenbosch and Franschoek.

Hmmm not a bad vintage!

All gone!

Believe it or not this non-alcoholic!

Franschoek

Mum - you're supposed to sip it!

A good spot for a light lunch!

Vineyards

Lions and Tigers and Bears ha ha

Actually not lions and tigers and bears - rather cheetahs, elephants and penguins ha ha!

 Spier winery has a cheetah sanctuary where you can get up close and personal with the big cats. They're pretty docile most of the time ... although putting our lives in the hands of the spaced out gap year volunteer was probably the most worrying aspect. She had serious issues actually remembering what we should do when we went into the enclosure! These cheetahs were the runts of litters and never would have survived in the wild ... and they probably never will after being so mollycoddled!

Dad broke the habits of a lifetime and made a canine friend. Who would ever have thought that it would be a big slobbery Doberman? He still had issues with the sausage dog though!

Mum went ostrich mad over all the products. She wanted to spend 800 quid on an ostrich handbag, but in quite possibly THE quote of the holiday, she declared:
"It's not really worth buying one at my age as I wouldn't get the value for money. If I was your age I would definitely buy one!"
Errr right - do you have any plans of popping your clogs in the next while mother? Funnily enough, if I only had a short while to live I would max out every single credit card! Not so keen on the ostrich handbags though ...

Feeding the elephants at Knysna Elephant Park was much less tiring on the bum muscles than a 4 hour game drive over bumpy ground, but also not quite as magical. Still cute though!

It was so hot on the beach in Simonstown that I'm surprised these penguins hadn't turned pink and black! They waddled up to us without a care in the world - and best of all we sneaked onto the beach for free!

Christmas chaos

The other Llandudno!

Waiting for my parents to arrive in South Africa was like ... well literally was ... waiting for Christmas. As I turned up the fan in my room, I found it hard to believe that it could possibly be minus double figures in the UK. First there was the snow in Paris, then there was a laissez-faire attitude to rebooking the flight on behalf of the French airline. I was lucky a couple of friends from Kampala were in town as they kept me entertained. On Christmas Eve, I joined the throngs of local shoppers in the mad Christmas rush, buying ingredients for our first ever Christmas braii - several bottles of wine and bubbly, a Christmas cake, mince pies and I even made a good attempt of buying the meat!
On Christmas Eve I spoke to my parents as they were in transit in Dubai and we realised they had neglected to book a hotel for the overnight layover in Jo'burg. Armed with only a 2004 Lonely Planet, I contacted all the hotels and eventually found them some room at an inn. I then worried whether my Mum would survive a night in a guest house that the Lonely Planet only described as 'passable'! I contented myself with the thought that if the room was that bad, they could pitch the tent they had brought with them for me inside the room. This is not as improbable as it sounds, as my Mum was famous for bringing her own deckchair and cushion to sit on when she visited me in student houses, so afraid was she of catching something from the ancient brown velour sofas (my former housemates will testify this fact)!

On the way to Cape Point on Boxing Day

On Christmas Day I awoke to blue skies and a blazing sunshine over Llandudno, Cape Town. This Llandudno is far more beautiful and upscale than its namesake in North Wales. I collected two travel weary parents from the airport and we took a scenic drive along the coast to our temporary home. We ate, drank and made merry, preparing for the rest of the trip ... but that's another story!

It's snow good

When things go wrong, I often say TIA. I am now experiencing TIE (This Is Europe). Mum and Dad were supposed to arrive in Cape Town, but thanks to the early deluge of snow, they are delayed until Wednesday. They are luckier than some - I have friends who have been stranded in Heathrow for days, sleeping on yoga mats in the freezing cold. At least they get to go home inbetween.
In the meantime, I will take advantage of the sunshine, the Haagen Datz, the shopping and the beautiful setting of Cape Town. Hell, I may even head towards the beach and if I get brave enough, dip my toes in the freezing ocean!

Freshly disappointed

There I was, all excited about getting into the Cape Town vibe at the 'Freshly Ground' concert on Saturday, when I hear news that they have cancelled due to some disagreement over the contracts. Disappointed does not even start to describe it! Good music concerts are such a rarity here that I would probably go and see 'Chas n Dave' if they said they were playing Kampala! That being said, I did give the riotous R-Kelly concert a wide berth last year.

Instead I will have to content myself with the Am-Dram group's pantomime - 'Shrekerella'. Penned and directed by an Austrian and starring a range of nationalities from German to American, it promises to be interesting at the very least! I will have to prep my Ukrainian friend in the rituals of pantomime beforehand I think, especially as Thursdays reputedly attract the most raucous Old Kampala ex-pat crowd.

So come on 'Freshly Ground' please change your minds and come and play afterall. Kampala needs you!

If it wasn't for my knees I'd be running that marathon ...

It's a glorious sunny November afternoon in Kampala and the frost and snow in the UK truly seems a million miles away. Friends and family often read my blog with envy when they hear about the endless sunshine and my little adventures, but of course there are times when I'd do anything to be at home, closer to my loved ones. This is one of those times, as I'm sad to say that I lost my Gran this week. Although I am far away, she is in my thoughts and I know that she was proud of what I do here. She often joked that 'if it wasn't for her knees' then she would come and join me.
A few weeks ago I when I signed up for the MTN 10km run I called her bluff on this. I noticed that there was an option for a wheelchair race. I sent a message home and asked whether she would rather enter the half or the full marathon. She replied that she was in for the full 26 miles, on the condition that I pushed her around and avoided the notorious pot holes.
When I heard the sad news I wondered what I should do. In the end, I decided to take part and dedicate the run to her.
This morning, a sea of runners, all wearing sunshine yellow running vests took to the streets of Kampala. Most of the 30 000 had signed up for the 10km, but a small and brave minority took on the challenges of half and full marathons. At 7am the sky was cloudless and I knew it was going to be particularly hot. My friends and I jostled for space in the crowd as we approached the start line. We lost sight of each other within a few hundred metres as the start was not staggered, so top class athletes had to fight their way through the throng of joggers and walkers. As the crowd thinned out I settled into the run and enjoyed the supportive cheers from standers-by and encouraging banter with other runners. Sometimes it's great to be with a mass of people all intent on the same goal of finishing the race.

 The Kampala marathon attracts runners of all ages and all shapes and sizes. Sprinting skinny legs weaved their ways through larger ladies with sizable 'akabina' (that's bums to you and me!!) The outfits on display were also a sight to behold. I spotted purple shell suits, a lady carrying a handbag, a spectator wearing a full length leather coat joined in and there were even women in skirts! I was wondering why I was the one suffering from blisters when footwear ranged from flip flops to deck shoes!

After the run we went for a celebratory breakfast, ensuring that we replaced every single burned calorie! I chatted with friends about what it's like to lose somebody when you're away and how times can be tough. I'm lucky enough to have a great support group here who will pop round at the drop of a hat, drink wine with you or do whatever you need to make you feel better. Many of us have gone through tough times in our time away and know it is important to prop each other up.  I'm missing home right now but I know that we are all thinking of each other at this time.

Gran always looked a little worried when I took control of the wheels (and rightly so!)

It'll be alright on the night ...

When it comes to Primary school plays, the works of Samuel Beckett are largely overlooked. It's a shame really, as in many ways, it could be the answer to the perfect, stress-free production! Take 'Endgame' for example - all you need is two dustbins.You could always dress the kids up as Oscar the Grouch to make it kiddy friendly. Or how about 'Waiting for Godot'? Sure, it may lack the singalong appeal of 'Grease' or the feel good factor of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' but it does have many elements that would make it perfect.
After endless weeks of rehearsals and set building, like Vladimir and Estragon, I too am questioning the meaning of life. Is there a world outside the room of yellow and purple paint?
The script is perfect for even the most struggling of ESL kids. Take this exchange for example:

ESTRAGON: Charming spot. (He turns, advances to front, halts facing auditorium.) Inspiring prospects. (He turns to Vladimir.) Let's go.

VLADIMIR: We can't. 
ESTRAGON:Why not?
VLADIMIR: We're waiting for Godot 
ESTRAGON: (despairingly). Ah! (Pause.) You're sure it was here? 
VLADIMIR: What? 
ESTRAGON: That we were to wait. 
VLADIMIR: He said by the tree. (They look at the tree.) Do you see any others?

ESTRAGON: What is it?

VLADIMIR: I don't know. A willow. 
ESTRAGON: Where are the leaves? 
VLADIMIR:

  It must be dead.

Repeat ad nauseum.

 Then there's the set. One tree placed strategically in the middle of the stage and the right light and it's done and dusted. No need for the hundreds of tubs of glitter and paint that our production demands! Costumes? Anything goes, as long as you don't forget the symbolically important boot. A visit to the market to buy a suspicially carrot like turnip sorts out the props and a whip for Lucky and that's pretty much it!
I may just give it a go, afterall, I am sure there is a fortune to be made somewhere. If we just decorated the tree with glitter then it could be a winner!