Across the Blogosphere. Across the World.

Posted by 2summers on April 29, 2012
Posted in: South Africa. Tagged: , , , , . 15 comments

I often find myself trying to explain what blogging means to me — how it’s helped me connect with people, both here in Joburg and around the world. It’s hard to convey though. The only people who truly understand are other bloggers.

I have this blogging friend named Francis. I don’t know Francis personally; in fact, I hardly know anything about him. I know that he lives in Northern Ontario, about as far from Johannesburg as you can get. He suffers from serious health problems that keep him housebound most of the time. I know that Francis writes a blog called Niltsi’s Spirit, and I know that he is an artist. He writes stark, gut-wrenching poems and takes beautiful photographs. I know that Francis loves animals and nature, and his WordPress username is Spiral Dreamer. Other than that, Francis is a mystery to me. Continue Reading

Spiraling

Posted by 2summers on April 27, 2012
Posted in: Johannesburg, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , , , . 37 comments

A couple of hours ago I was sitting on my deck, looking out at the Melville Koppies. It was a beautiful fall afternoon, and a public holiday to boot. I felt like going for a walk on the koppies and taking pictures.

Six months ago, I would have turned to Jon and said, “Let’s go for a walk on the koppies and take pictures.” And we would have gone right then, and it would have been lovely. But you see, this is one of the many reasons why it sucks when your boyfriend dies. Jon isn’t here anymore and I can’t just walk up onto the koppies alone. Much as I hate to admit it, walking alone on the koppies isn’t safe.

I’m sure I could have found someone else to take a walk with. I didn’t feel like it though. Continue Reading

The Car Spa: What Every Jozi Car Needs

Posted by 2summers on April 26, 2012
Posted in: Johannesburg, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , . 13 comments

Life is hard for a Jozi car. Parking spaces are small here. Street lanes are narrow and sometimes unpaved. Potholes are ubiquitous. Road rage rules. Cars share the road with minibus taxis – mighty behemoths with inconsiderate drivers, which hem cars in from all sides. Jozi summers bring heavy rain and hail; winters bring dust and pollution.

Fortunately Jozi has the Car Spa, a sparkling oasis for downtrodden cars (and their owners).

The Car Spa.

Continue Reading

2Summers in the News

Posted by 2summers on April 24, 2012
Posted in: Johannesburg, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , , . 32 comments

Yesterday morning I received a worried call from Horst, my landlord. A friend of his had just read on page 10 of The Star, a South African daily newspaper, that Horst’s house had been attacked by maggots.

Yep, you read correctly. The maggots in the Lucky 5 Star (now long gone, thankfully) made national news in an article by Ufriedo Ho titled, “Joburg is where I belong.” Continue Reading

A Bryanston Shopping Spree

Posted by 2summers on April 22, 2012
Posted in: Johannesburg, Johannesburg Suburbs, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , , . 17 comments

I don’t go to Joburg’s northern suburbs often. To be honest, the northern suburbs — Sandton, Bryanston, Morningside, Fourways, etc. — remind me too much of the bland American suburbs that I fled to Africa to escape. (No offense to those who live there.  That life just isn’t for me anymore.)

But for some time I’ve wanted to visit the Bryanston Organic & Natural Market, billed as “Joburg’s original outdoor market”. I love farmers markets, and have yet to find one in Joburg that meets the high standards I developed while living in Washington D.C. I finally went to the Bryanston market yesterday with my friend David, who is a regular there. Continue Reading

Thunder Gun!

Posted by 2summers on April 20, 2012
Posted in: Johannesburg, Johannesburg Suburbs, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , , , . 18 comments

South Africa and America have a lot in common. Both countries are large and diverse. Both countries are “new” by European standards, and both are former British colonies. Both countries have fought bloody wars over racial oppression.

Both countries have a love affair with steak. Especially steak served in massive quantities, in grimy roadside strip malls.

Thunder Gun! The pickup (bakkie) parked in front is so appropriate. Continue Reading

2Summers Cooks

Posted by 2summers on April 18, 2012
Posted in: Johannesburg, South Africa. Tagged: , , , . 21 comments

A few months ago I was invited to join a cooking club. The club is made up of women, mostly expats from different ethnic backgrounds. Each month a different person hosts the club and teaches the rest of the group how to make dishes from her own ethnic background.

Actually there isn’t really that much teaching involved. We just hang out and talk while the food cooks.

Today was my turn to host the cooking club. I decided to serve my favorite Tex-Mex dish: chili.

My inspiration for the meal: a beaded chili pepper from the streets of Melville. Continue Reading

News From the Melville Cat

Posted by 2summers on April 15, 2012
Posted in: South Africa, The Melville Cat. Tagged: , , , , , . 30 comments

From Smokey:

Heather asked me to write this post because some of you have been asking about me and wanting to know how I’m doing. I’m doing fine, thank you. Heather and I have a nice routine going at the Lucky 5 Star.

Portrait of moi.

Heather is feeling under the weather today, and since she is at home doing nothing I commanded her to take some photos of me going about my daily activities. This will give you an idea of what a day in the life of the Melville Cat is like. Continue Reading

Sunset From the Top of Africa

Posted by 2summers on April 12, 2012
Posted in: Johannesburg, Johannesburg Downtown, South Africa. Tagged: , , , , , , . 24 comments

The top floor of the Carlton Centre, officially named the Top of Africa, is one of the most underrated attractions in this highly underrated city. Sure, the observation deck is run-down and the windows are smudged. (In fact, smudged is an understatement. Try filthy.) Sure, this part of downtown is a little sketchy. But this is the tallest building in Africa. It costs R15 (about $2) to take the elevator to the top. The view is phenomenal, unlike any other on this continent.

It’s like looking over the edge of the world. Pardon the smudgy sky — not even the magical PhotoShop spot-healing brush can heal this many window smudges.

Continue Reading

Stories from Camp Sizanani

Posted by 2summers on April 10, 2012
Posted in: South Africa. Tagged: , , , , , . 24 comments

Last week I visited Camp Sizanani, a summer camp for vulnerable children and youth. Camp Sizanani, sponsored by Global Camps Africa, puts on several camps a year — both day camps and residential camps — for kids in Joburg. (Read about my visit to Camp Sizanani’s day camp last year.) Last week’s overnight camp took place at a retreat in the Magaliesburg Mountains.

There are many things I want to write about this camp. I want to write about how, 30 minutes after I arrived, I was splattered head-to-toe with mud as the campers romped in a mud bath. (I wore mud-splattered pants for the next two days.)

My pants were never the same after this moment.

Continue Reading