Thursday 7th January 2010
'Despite the relatively dry climate, Johannesburg has over ten million trees,[and it is now the biggest man-made forest in the world..... planted by early (white) residents who moved into the areas (Parkhurst, Parktown, Parkview, Westcliff, Saxonwold, Houghton Estate, Illovo, Hyde Park, Dunkeld, Melrose, Inanda, Sandhurst) now collectively referred to as the Northern Suburbs retained many of the original trees with the encouragement of successive city councils. In recent years, however, a considerable number of trees have been felled, to make way for the Northern Suburbs' residential and commercial redevelopment' Wikipedia.
Wow, this project of mine is definitely getting me to learn about my country.... I did not know that I lived in the biggest man-made forest in the world! No wonder I am addicted... think of all the extra oxygen created... I always thought of Johannesburg as a concrete jungle as I need to be 'uber' vigilant all the time - just like in a jungle - and offcourse there are many, many monkeys all around found driving on the roads. South Africans must be the worst drivers in the world. No-one really cares about other drivers - try changing lanes, no-one lets you in. SA drivers are aggressive, arrogant, immature and downright stupid most of them because their infantile behaviour kills more poeple than AIDS or violent crime. The taxi drivers are the worst as they feel entitled to claim right of way everywhere - and if you dont let them they will ride over you. But it is not only the taxi drivers - most Joburg drivers are aggressive in their driving - in fact I was talking to a truck driver and was horrified at the stories I heard - how people cut in front of them so suddenly and then slow down - which is really a very dangerous thing to do. But enough of that, I am digressing....
As I live in a cluster, my garden is very small and yet it is full of trees. The year before I actually had to cut down at least ten trees because my little garden was starting to look like a forest - I did not realise that my garden was part of this man-made forest in Johannesburg. On the plus side, and there are definitely many, many plusses for living surrounded by trees, it is great to wake up every morning and look into this wonderfully greenery. Now come to think of it I do need to get rid of four more trees, they are big palm trees and they are taking over my garden. I was told that there are companies that will buy them from me - will come and take them out and replant them ... I must make enquiries - I do love the palm trees - they are beautiful but far too big... I was never very good at letting go of things.... am a hoarder by nature....
Gosh we do love to complain, even about too much of a good thing.... I am very happy to discover that I am addicted to living in this forest man-made or not - it makes the armed robbery I experienced two years ago bearable when I can balance it with the beauty of the ten million trees...
Besides their obvious value as producers of timber and food, trees provide sanctuaries for wildlife - no wonder we have so many birds in our suburbs. I wake up every morning with the sound of birds tweetering and I take that for granted. In most cities in the world you I wake-up with the screeching sound of busses, trucks or trains. Trees are also wonderful makers of places of comfort and recreation - there is nothing more fulfilling than sitting under the trees reading a book or just thinking .... something that I dont do as much as I should - its freely available and so I take it for granted..... until I no longer have it. Aren't we humans a strange species.... don't you just love it... to know how silly we all are and yet we take ourselves so seriously....
Enough philosophy for one day... gosh that sounded just like my children.. so its not only my parents talking to me in my head, now I have my children controlling my thoughts... I really need to go and sit under the tree ... till tomorrow.
07 January 2010
06 January 2010
The Fruit of the Gods
Wednesday 6th January 2010
I was really stressed out yesterday because I was unable to find one more positive factor for living in SA. After a good night's sleep, I woke up thinking that this is because I was trying too hard... I was looking for something big. However, it is really the small things that influence the quality of my life, it is the small every day pleasures that add up...like the mango... my goodness that is really the fruit of the Gods.
Although the mango is a native fruit of Asia, it does so well in South Africa that I truly believed that Johannesburg was its home. In fact, last year, in London, I attended a Toastmaster's meeting and was asked to speak off the cuff about SA. Well the first thing that came to mind was the mango. I introduced my speech with: 'Hi everyone, I am bringing you greetings from the Big Mango, Johannesburg.' If New York is known as the Big Apple, why not Big Mango for Johannesburg? Everyone and I mean literally EVERYONE in Africa, aspires to live in Johannesburg, known by other Africans as the New York of AFrica.
You see the mango is the kind of fruit that only needs one bite to get you hooked for life, and Johannesburg is pretty much like that. It is not really a pretty city, not compared to Cape Town or even Pretoria. The people are rushed and clicky, the streets, everywhere you look there are high rise developments, are full of potholes and crime.... but my goodness, once you have lived in Johannesburg, you get hooked for life, you cannot live in any other city. Johannesburg is such a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, made up of so many different ethnic South Africans, Mandela's rainbow nation, and laced with the flavour of every other nationality on the planet. In fact it is safe to say that it is a microcosm of the world, with its traffic, its malls, its restaurants, its coffee (the best in the world) and its increasingly costly lifestyle. I love its aliveness and its fast paced lifestyle...definitely addictive, no other explanation for living here.
Back to the mango - I dont know whether I want to classify it as a fruit because I love to eat on its own or as an accompaniment to practically everything - in salads, as a sauce for fish (that is quite orgasmic), grilled and baked with practically any meat chicken or vegetable, in desserts, in coctails, as a health drink, however and with whatever, the mango is delicious - the hot days of summer look and taste like a mango. In fact, on a Sunday, I love taking a drive to 'the Dam' (Harbeespoort Dam) to eat a mango chicken salad at an exclusive little boathouse restaurant - such a simple, inexpensive meal, but my goodness, so delicious....
My favourite way of eating a mango is with my hands over a sink. Nothing nicer than a cool mango out of the fridge, after a swim in the pool on a hot summer's day, eating over the sink, with my hands, juices running all down my chin, licking my fingers, sucking the pip, really gives me pleasure... it makes me feel so young and carefree.... I love it. Nowhere in the world have I experienced the same pleasure.
So I am happy to say that the mango is a good enough reason to want to live in the big mango... till tomorrow
I was really stressed out yesterday because I was unable to find one more positive factor for living in SA. After a good night's sleep, I woke up thinking that this is because I was trying too hard... I was looking for something big. However, it is really the small things that influence the quality of my life, it is the small every day pleasures that add up...like the mango... my goodness that is really the fruit of the Gods.
Although the mango is a native fruit of Asia, it does so well in South Africa that I truly believed that Johannesburg was its home. In fact, last year, in London, I attended a Toastmaster's meeting and was asked to speak off the cuff about SA. Well the first thing that came to mind was the mango. I introduced my speech with: 'Hi everyone, I am bringing you greetings from the Big Mango, Johannesburg.' If New York is known as the Big Apple, why not Big Mango for Johannesburg? Everyone and I mean literally EVERYONE in Africa, aspires to live in Johannesburg, known by other Africans as the New York of AFrica.
You see the mango is the kind of fruit that only needs one bite to get you hooked for life, and Johannesburg is pretty much like that. It is not really a pretty city, not compared to Cape Town or even Pretoria. The people are rushed and clicky, the streets, everywhere you look there are high rise developments, are full of potholes and crime.... but my goodness, once you have lived in Johannesburg, you get hooked for life, you cannot live in any other city. Johannesburg is such a vibrant, cosmopolitan city, made up of so many different ethnic South Africans, Mandela's rainbow nation, and laced with the flavour of every other nationality on the planet. In fact it is safe to say that it is a microcosm of the world, with its traffic, its malls, its restaurants, its coffee (the best in the world) and its increasingly costly lifestyle. I love its aliveness and its fast paced lifestyle...definitely addictive, no other explanation for living here.
Back to the mango - I dont know whether I want to classify it as a fruit because I love to eat on its own or as an accompaniment to practically everything - in salads, as a sauce for fish (that is quite orgasmic), grilled and baked with practically any meat chicken or vegetable, in desserts, in coctails, as a health drink, however and with whatever, the mango is delicious - the hot days of summer look and taste like a mango. In fact, on a Sunday, I love taking a drive to 'the Dam' (Harbeespoort Dam) to eat a mango chicken salad at an exclusive little boathouse restaurant - such a simple, inexpensive meal, but my goodness, so delicious....
My favourite way of eating a mango is with my hands over a sink. Nothing nicer than a cool mango out of the fridge, after a swim in the pool on a hot summer's day, eating over the sink, with my hands, juices running all down my chin, licking my fingers, sucking the pip, really gives me pleasure... it makes me feel so young and carefree.... I love it. Nowhere in the world have I experienced the same pleasure.
So I am happy to say that the mango is a good enough reason to want to live in the big mango... till tomorrow
05 January 2010
Disappointed ....
Tuesday 5th January 2010
I have spent the whole day trying to find something positive without success. Some friends and I went to the China Mart this morning. I was convinced that this would be a great positive to write about. A little China within the SA context is a good sign of how well this country is handling the diverse population - Mandela's rainbow nation, but alas our exotice shopping experience was a fiasco because after a 30 minute drive in the pouring rain we only managed fifteen minutes shopping before the outages began - we waited half an hour for eskom to reconnect but when that did not happen we left. Outages are definite negatives whichever way you want to look at it.
Working on my computer I get frustrated with the slow speed of the internet even though i have an ADSL line - so this is definitely a big negative. Everywhere I look I see one negative after another. I think I am going to give up to-day - perhaps tomorrow I will find something....
I have spent the whole day trying to find something positive without success. Some friends and I went to the China Mart this morning. I was convinced that this would be a great positive to write about. A little China within the SA context is a good sign of how well this country is handling the diverse population - Mandela's rainbow nation, but alas our exotice shopping experience was a fiasco because after a 30 minute drive in the pouring rain we only managed fifteen minutes shopping before the outages began - we waited half an hour for eskom to reconnect but when that did not happen we left. Outages are definite negatives whichever way you want to look at it.
Working on my computer I get frustrated with the slow speed of the internet even though i have an ADSL line - so this is definitely a big negative. Everywhere I look I see one negative after another. I think I am going to give up to-day - perhaps tomorrow I will find something....
03 January 2010
The Mall and the Coffee Addict
Monday 4th January 2010
This is the first day of the working year. Many will go back to work today and I am supposed to write one more positive factor for living in South AFrica. It is raining cuts and dogs outside - the normally sunny sky is dark and gloomy - and I have ran out of positives.
Voila I have found one more thing. The Good News South Africa website http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/ has published an article about John Mauldin, an investment expert, who visited SA recently and had a great number of positives to report, one of them being that 'Johannesburg is a world-class city, on a par with New York or London or any major city in terms of facilities, shops, infrastructure ... and traffic.'
Yes I have to agree - I love shopping in the malls - from books to clothes to food -Sandton City must be equivalent to any in New York, London or Sydney. Hyde Park Mall is more exlcusive and terribly upmarket and Fourways Mall more down to earth and easier to navigate, to mention but a few of the endless choices the many, many malls around. In fact the whole country is scattered with shopping malls - from cities, to towns and townships - you can find the top global brands fightigthing it out. We have developed a mall culture that can be quite addictive if we don't watch out, because it is so easy to overspend and buy stuff we don't need just because they look so good under the sophisticated lights of the malls and the joie de vivre atmosphere created to lure us shoppers into a hypnotic state to buy and buy and buy......
We have the opportunity to dress well, eat well and live well, for a fraction of the price that it costs those in the developed world. And I must say I prefer our locals when it comes to service. I know we always complain but when I was in London last year most of the shop assistants were foreigners and could not understand what I was asking - very frustrating it was indeed.....
Another positive about shopping in SA is that there is always parking at the malls. Yes I know that I moan about parking but that is because I am actually quite spoiled and want to find parking right in front of the entrance, which I have to say, I often do. I remember one year in Athens, we drove around for over an hour to find parking for our rented car and when we did find a space, eight blocks away, we were reluctant to move the car out of it - the result was that we used public transport. How bizarre that was!! We only realised a day later that we were paying for a car that we could not use because refused to endure the huge frustration and time wasted to re park it - so we returned the car and struggled with shopping bags thereafter - try lugging a watermelon and a two-litre coke bottle for a couple of blocks and then you'll understand the value of accessible parking. Taxis are never around when you need them and they particularly avoid people with parcels or luggage!!! London is even worse - cost of parking is prohibitively expensive so you have to think really carefully before you decide to shop until you drop because you will have to carry all your parcels through the quite intricate and exhaustive public transport system.
The best part of shopping in the malls in SA is the watering holes or eating places, especially for a coffee addict like me. Shopping is a ritual that I cannot and will not rush. Besides purchasing what I need, I like to stroll, pick up my post, visit the loo (which is free and very clean, compared to many in the developed world) have a cup of good quality coffee - cappucino, americano or latte, and a salad made up of the wonderful varieties of fresh garden vegetables, often organic, which is something I take for granted until I am in another country and discover how expensive it is to eat fresh salads.
I have to say that I need my shopping fix at least once a week - and it is quite a pleasant fix at that... Difficult to get my fix anywhere else in the world, so I guess this is a great personal positive for living in SA.
One more day successfully completed............will speak tomorrow...... chao for now...
This is the first day of the working year. Many will go back to work today and I am supposed to write one more positive factor for living in South AFrica. It is raining cuts and dogs outside - the normally sunny sky is dark and gloomy - and I have ran out of positives.
Voila I have found one more thing. The Good News South Africa website http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/ has published an article about John Mauldin, an investment expert, who visited SA recently and had a great number of positives to report, one of them being that 'Johannesburg is a world-class city, on a par with New York or London or any major city in terms of facilities, shops, infrastructure ... and traffic.'
Yes I have to agree - I love shopping in the malls - from books to clothes to food -Sandton City must be equivalent to any in New York, London or Sydney. Hyde Park Mall is more exlcusive and terribly upmarket and Fourways Mall more down to earth and easier to navigate, to mention but a few of the endless choices the many, many malls around. In fact the whole country is scattered with shopping malls - from cities, to towns and townships - you can find the top global brands fightigthing it out. We have developed a mall culture that can be quite addictive if we don't watch out, because it is so easy to overspend and buy stuff we don't need just because they look so good under the sophisticated lights of the malls and the joie de vivre atmosphere created to lure us shoppers into a hypnotic state to buy and buy and buy......
We have the opportunity to dress well, eat well and live well, for a fraction of the price that it costs those in the developed world. And I must say I prefer our locals when it comes to service. I know we always complain but when I was in London last year most of the shop assistants were foreigners and could not understand what I was asking - very frustrating it was indeed.....
Another positive about shopping in SA is that there is always parking at the malls. Yes I know that I moan about parking but that is because I am actually quite spoiled and want to find parking right in front of the entrance, which I have to say, I often do. I remember one year in Athens, we drove around for over an hour to find parking for our rented car and when we did find a space, eight blocks away, we were reluctant to move the car out of it - the result was that we used public transport. How bizarre that was!! We only realised a day later that we were paying for a car that we could not use because refused to endure the huge frustration and time wasted to re park it - so we returned the car and struggled with shopping bags thereafter - try lugging a watermelon and a two-litre coke bottle for a couple of blocks and then you'll understand the value of accessible parking. Taxis are never around when you need them and they particularly avoid people with parcels or luggage!!! London is even worse - cost of parking is prohibitively expensive so you have to think really carefully before you decide to shop until you drop because you will have to carry all your parcels through the quite intricate and exhaustive public transport system.
The best part of shopping in the malls in SA is the watering holes or eating places, especially for a coffee addict like me. Shopping is a ritual that I cannot and will not rush. Besides purchasing what I need, I like to stroll, pick up my post, visit the loo (which is free and very clean, compared to many in the developed world) have a cup of good quality coffee - cappucino, americano or latte, and a salad made up of the wonderful varieties of fresh garden vegetables, often organic, which is something I take for granted until I am in another country and discover how expensive it is to eat fresh salads.
I have to say that I need my shopping fix at least once a week - and it is quite a pleasant fix at that... Difficult to get my fix anywhere else in the world, so I guess this is a great personal positive for living in SA.
One more day successfully completed............will speak tomorrow...... chao for now...
The Spirit of Nelson Mandela
Sunday 3rd January 2010
Okay so I am scraping the bottom of the barrel but I have come up with the Jewel of the world. This is the 3rd day of the year and I have to find another positive thing to say about living in South Africa, which I am finding to be a daunting task. However as this project is my ONE and ONLY New Year's resolution, I will do everything in my power to stick to it, reminding myself that self discipline and commitment are great tools for building character.
Today is Sunday – I want to focus on a spiritual aspect, and immediately I think of Nelson Mandela, the greatest man that ever lived in my lifetime. The first time I heard the name Nelson Mandela was in 1990 just before he was released from prison. I followed his release in the news and then read his book, Walk to Freedom, and was overwhelmed by such confusing feelings as admiration, fear, trepidation, especially as a white South African woman who grew up in Pretoria in the 60s and 70s.
I went to see Invictus, the movie, in Durban on vacation last week a non-beach, rainy day, with a friend. This hugely inspirational movie contributed to my decision to undertake this project of finding 365 positives for living in South Africa. If Nelson Mandela can spend 26 years of his life in prison and come out with such a magnanimous spirit, creating the space for the miracle of a peaceful transition to take place, I must also do something, anything, no matter how small, to help his dream survive.
The movie is based on the iconic moment when one man, has the character and foresight to save the country from bloodshed and destruction by appearing to millions in and out of SA, in support of the Springbok National Rugby Team, the symbol of pride and joy of the people who had jailed him. When Nelson Mandela appears in the distinctive green and gold jersey, including the cap with the Springbok logo, raising the William Webb Ellis trophy after they defeated New Zealand in the 1995 World Cup Final, it was more than a seemingly simple act of reconciliation, more than a demonstration of his unifying leadership through the power of sport. At the a pivotal moment in SAs long struggle to a democratic, unified country, this was the embodiment of a fully developed human being – a man who understood the bondage of toxic emotions such as revenge, hate, jealousy, anger, greed. A man who was able to abandon his mental shackles and chains and free his spirit – such a man can create miracles around him, a purer life, a larger life, a truly happy life.
This movie captures simply the height of the human spirit in the person of Nelson Mandela which is more, much more, than the spirit of ubuntu and social justice. It is a true example of what is possible in each and every one of us if we remove the layers of negativity and pessimism - free ourselves from their bondage of fear and hate, creating the reality of abundance.
The Greeks said that character is destiny, and no better example of this than Nelson Mandela. Every time I hear some politician or ‘wannabee’ politician puffing himself or herself up with self importance and unquenchable greed, I will not allow their words to poison my soul; instead I will bring to mind the spirit of Nelson Mandela. I will keep asking ‘What can I do for my country?’ rather than ‘What can my country do for me?’. I will 'become the change I want to see'.
Wow - I feel more powerful already..... thank you Nelson Mandela!
Okay so I am scraping the bottom of the barrel but I have come up with the Jewel of the world. This is the 3rd day of the year and I have to find another positive thing to say about living in South Africa, which I am finding to be a daunting task. However as this project is my ONE and ONLY New Year's resolution, I will do everything in my power to stick to it, reminding myself that self discipline and commitment are great tools for building character.
Today is Sunday – I want to focus on a spiritual aspect, and immediately I think of Nelson Mandela, the greatest man that ever lived in my lifetime. The first time I heard the name Nelson Mandela was in 1990 just before he was released from prison. I followed his release in the news and then read his book, Walk to Freedom, and was overwhelmed by such confusing feelings as admiration, fear, trepidation, especially as a white South African woman who grew up in Pretoria in the 60s and 70s.
I went to see Invictus, the movie, in Durban on vacation last week a non-beach, rainy day, with a friend. This hugely inspirational movie contributed to my decision to undertake this project of finding 365 positives for living in South Africa. If Nelson Mandela can spend 26 years of his life in prison and come out with such a magnanimous spirit, creating the space for the miracle of a peaceful transition to take place, I must also do something, anything, no matter how small, to help his dream survive.
The movie is based on the iconic moment when one man, has the character and foresight to save the country from bloodshed and destruction by appearing to millions in and out of SA, in support of the Springbok National Rugby Team, the symbol of pride and joy of the people who had jailed him. When Nelson Mandela appears in the distinctive green and gold jersey, including the cap with the Springbok logo, raising the William Webb Ellis trophy after they defeated New Zealand in the 1995 World Cup Final, it was more than a seemingly simple act of reconciliation, more than a demonstration of his unifying leadership through the power of sport. At the a pivotal moment in SAs long struggle to a democratic, unified country, this was the embodiment of a fully developed human being – a man who understood the bondage of toxic emotions such as revenge, hate, jealousy, anger, greed. A man who was able to abandon his mental shackles and chains and free his spirit – such a man can create miracles around him, a purer life, a larger life, a truly happy life.
This movie captures simply the height of the human spirit in the person of Nelson Mandela which is more, much more, than the spirit of ubuntu and social justice. It is a true example of what is possible in each and every one of us if we remove the layers of negativity and pessimism - free ourselves from their bondage of fear and hate, creating the reality of abundance.
The Greeks said that character is destiny, and no better example of this than Nelson Mandela. Every time I hear some politician or ‘wannabee’ politician puffing himself or herself up with self importance and unquenchable greed, I will not allow their words to poison my soul; instead I will bring to mind the spirit of Nelson Mandela. I will keep asking ‘What can I do for my country?’ rather than ‘What can my country do for me?’. I will 'become the change I want to see'.
Wow - I feel more powerful already..... thank you Nelson Mandela!
02 January 2010
The Braai and the Boerewors
Saturday 2nd January 2010
This is only the second out of the 365 days and I am already battling to find a second SA positive.... This is very stressful..... I googled for help and inspiration and all I can find is a bunch of negatives - mainly racism - whites blaming blacks for job restrictions because of affirmative action and blacks blaming whites for apartheid. Even foreigners are complaining - mainly about extreme crime which they attribute to weak government control. What am I going to do? Please help... anyone out there care to give me a positive....
OK... I got it - the BRAAI!! Today my daughter and her fiance are coming for a BRAAI! That's a true positively SA tradition that cuts across all race groups, class and education levels. The Braai is more than a 'barbeque' - it is the one tradition I miss when I am travelling outside the country. It is a great way (if not the best way) to entertain because it connects people in a very special way. It is an easy, simple way to cater for an unlimited number of people in a healthy fashion, experiencing great South African outdoor living - whether in peoples' gardens, around their pools, in campsites or parks all over the country - anywhere and everywhere at any time in the day - breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner - at any time of the year summer, autumn, winter and spring.
This healthy way of entertaining consists of food that is either grilled (no fat but soaked in tasty marinades) or served raw. It includes a variety of meats(South Arican meat is considered one of the best in the world whether beef, lamb or pork), chicken or fish, served with salads and fruit, however the signature ingredient of the braai is the 'boerewors' a truly distinctive sausage - you only need one bite to get hooked for life. A more modern contribution to the braai is the 'garlic' bread. South Africans only began eating garlic after the 70s - in the past us'continentals' were mocked because we ate garlic and olive oil - thankfully this state of affairs has changed - now everyone eats garlic - in fact our late Dr Msimang, the previous health minister, really understood the amazing powers of garlic and went as far as encouraging the whole country to eat garlic, particularly as a cure for aids.
The braai is truly a positive factor because it is not only a very tasty, very healthy way of eating, it is also a way to connect and bond people together as everyone is expected to participate. And as the host, I don't have to be kitchen-bound - all I have to do is prepare the raw food, cover it, set the table, and sit back and enjoy the afternoon - yes it is an all afternoon experience - a braai is never rushed. The men light the fire and cook the meat and everyone chips in with the cooking, serving, drinking beer or wine, and talking and very often, if you are lucky, the cleaning up afterwards.
Most of all it is one of the few cultural traditions that is enjoyed by all in the new rainbow nation that is South Africa today - black, white, coloured, Indian, vegetarian, continental, straight, gay, rural or city dweller. Our weather, our wonderful year round selection of fruit and vegetables, our great tasting boerewors, our good quality meats and our great open spaces make the braai a life enhancing experience.
Yes, I can truly say that the BRAAI is a second positive for living in South AFrican - somehow it never tastes the same anywhere else in the world...
Hew... I managed to complete my second day task.. 363 positives to go!
Posted by Frances Kazan at 9:16 PM 0 comments
This is only the second out of the 365 days and I am already battling to find a second SA positive.... This is very stressful..... I googled for help and inspiration and all I can find is a bunch of negatives - mainly racism - whites blaming blacks for job restrictions because of affirmative action and blacks blaming whites for apartheid. Even foreigners are complaining - mainly about extreme crime which they attribute to weak government control. What am I going to do? Please help... anyone out there care to give me a positive....
OK... I got it - the BRAAI!! Today my daughter and her fiance are coming for a BRAAI! That's a true positively SA tradition that cuts across all race groups, class and education levels. The Braai is more than a 'barbeque' - it is the one tradition I miss when I am travelling outside the country. It is a great way (if not the best way) to entertain because it connects people in a very special way. It is an easy, simple way to cater for an unlimited number of people in a healthy fashion, experiencing great South African outdoor living - whether in peoples' gardens, around their pools, in campsites or parks all over the country - anywhere and everywhere at any time in the day - breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner - at any time of the year summer, autumn, winter and spring.
This healthy way of entertaining consists of food that is either grilled (no fat but soaked in tasty marinades) or served raw. It includes a variety of meats(South Arican meat is considered one of the best in the world whether beef, lamb or pork), chicken or fish, served with salads and fruit, however the signature ingredient of the braai is the 'boerewors' a truly distinctive sausage - you only need one bite to get hooked for life. A more modern contribution to the braai is the 'garlic' bread. South Africans only began eating garlic after the 70s - in the past us'continentals' were mocked because we ate garlic and olive oil - thankfully this state of affairs has changed - now everyone eats garlic - in fact our late Dr Msimang, the previous health minister, really understood the amazing powers of garlic and went as far as encouraging the whole country to eat garlic, particularly as a cure for aids.
The braai is truly a positive factor because it is not only a very tasty, very healthy way of eating, it is also a way to connect and bond people together as everyone is expected to participate. And as the host, I don't have to be kitchen-bound - all I have to do is prepare the raw food, cover it, set the table, and sit back and enjoy the afternoon - yes it is an all afternoon experience - a braai is never rushed. The men light the fire and cook the meat and everyone chips in with the cooking, serving, drinking beer or wine, and talking and very often, if you are lucky, the cleaning up afterwards.
Most of all it is one of the few cultural traditions that is enjoyed by all in the new rainbow nation that is South Africa today - black, white, coloured, Indian, vegetarian, continental, straight, gay, rural or city dweller. Our weather, our wonderful year round selection of fruit and vegetables, our great tasting boerewors, our good quality meats and our great open spaces make the braai a life enhancing experience.
Yes, I can truly say that the BRAAI is a second positive for living in South AFrican - somehow it never tastes the same anywhere else in the world...
Hew... I managed to complete my second day task.. 363 positives to go!
Posted by Frances Kazan at 9:16 PM 0 comments
01 January 2010
Glorious Open Spaces to Move, Live and Think!
Friday 1st January 2010
I woke up on this first day of the New Year tired from a late night, to face a cloudy day. Is this some kind of cosmic test? The first thing I was going to write about South Africa that is wihtout a doubt a big positive factor, is the weather. Now I have to find one other positive - just for today!!
So what is positive about living in South Africa today.... What can I feel grateful about today, the 1st January 2010???
The Space.....yes the great open spaces – room to move and live. Looking around my home, although I live in a cluster, it is still pretty spacious. Later when I will be driving to the family lunch, using the highways and biways that are comparable to any in the first world (bar the portholes - no negatives Frances!!!) listening to the New Year music programme on Radio 702.... wow not bad, in fact quite positive, pretty powerful stuff!
And it goes without saying that there will be space to park my car when I get to my destination.
Yes 'space' is definitely a great plus for living in Johannesburg - a city with ample space - where the competition for 'open spaces' and 'development' is still in favour of 'open spaces' - not many cities in the world can claim that. And space is important for a quality life...
I am happy to have found my first positive thought for 2010!
Posted by Frances Kazan at 8:06 PM 0 comments
I woke up on this first day of the New Year tired from a late night, to face a cloudy day. Is this some kind of cosmic test? The first thing I was going to write about South Africa that is wihtout a doubt a big positive factor, is the weather. Now I have to find one other positive - just for today!!
So what is positive about living in South Africa today.... What can I feel grateful about today, the 1st January 2010???
The Space.....yes the great open spaces – room to move and live. Looking around my home, although I live in a cluster, it is still pretty spacious. Later when I will be driving to the family lunch, using the highways and biways that are comparable to any in the first world (bar the portholes - no negatives Frances!!!) listening to the New Year music programme on Radio 702.... wow not bad, in fact quite positive, pretty powerful stuff!
And it goes without saying that there will be space to park my car when I get to my destination.
Yes 'space' is definitely a great plus for living in Johannesburg - a city with ample space - where the competition for 'open spaces' and 'development' is still in favour of 'open spaces' - not many cities in the world can claim that. And space is important for a quality life...
I am happy to have found my first positive thought for 2010!
Posted by Frances Kazan at 8:06 PM 0 comments
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