The Long and Winding Weekend

Hi guys, I had not realized how long it'd been since I've written an update on my life here until my dad called my attention to it.
The whole of last week was just a wad of stress concerning two giant papers that were overdue and lack of time to catch up on all the reading I've been lax on.
On Friday I finally turned in everything I was supposed to get done, and so I was looking to celebrate/unwind/have fun by going out to a place on Long Street here in C-town called Zula. It's just about my favorite place to go and have fun because they always have good, quirky music. I couldn't find anyone to go with me and it was getting later and later so I just stayed home and watched "What Happens in Vegas," which actually isn't that horrible of a movie. I thought it had a pretty cool point at the end.
On Saturday I read. I read when I woke up and read through lunch and read all afternoon. I'm working through Country of My Skull by Antjie Krog, which is a nonfiction account of a journalist covering the hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a committee designed to provide a platform for victims and perpetrators of apartheid to tell their stories. It details the stories of torture that the individuals went through, in their own words. A whole day of this gruesome and disturbing imagery can really wear you down emotionally, as you can imagine. I wanted to quit reading many times, but I really feel like the reading of this book had the same purpose as the TRC- which is to expose yourself to the horrors that the people have gone through in order to understand the importance of mourning in our society. In order to mourn, people need to tell their stories, and people need to listen to them. I had to take tea breaks from time to time and rest my head in my hands, attempting futilely to understand the magnitude of the atrocities committed under apartheid rule. When talking about it with other South Africans, I come across a lot of defensive arguments like, " Well at least we didn't enslave them like you did." Whoa whoa whoa, we cannot think of evil in terms like that. Evil is evil. Accept your mistakes and move on, don't defend them. They claim they speak out of loyalty to their country. If that is the case, shouldn't they accept the responsibility of the country and seek to move past the mistakes they've made? I feel like this happens sometimes in the States as well, but it's not as widely spread, maybe because apartheid happened so recently.
While I was reading, I got a text message from Tom, a friend from the Garden Route. "Are we going out tonight?" he asked. "YEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!" I replied.
Not really, but I did reply in the affirmative, and we made plans to meet at Zula. When I got there I had a nice little conversation with the guy at the entrance taking the entrance fee. He was reading "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy. I confessed that I've only read "The Road" and "All the Pretty Horses." He said "Meridian" was his second to read- he's finished "No Country for Old Men," which he said I absolutely must read asap. We discussed South African literature and both though that McCarthy and J.M. Coetzee shared similar ways of writing.

Tom brought along his friend Roie from the backpackers- a chap from Israel. It was really nice to be able to hang out with two highly attractive guys and listen to these South African hillbilly psychedelic bands play. Tom and I had an argument on whether the bass player was a cop or a pilot. I won the argument! He was a cop. With a mustache, of course. Roie is a very funny, intelligent guy who just finished his mandatory military service in Israel. We had fun dancing and trying to dance well. HAHAHAHAHAHA excuse me while I reflect back on myself dancing.
Afterward I went home and went to bed.
The next day found the sun shining and the wind stilled. It was a beautiful day- possibly one of the nicest I've experienced. I spent the afternoon at Camps Bay with Roie. Camps Bay is a beautiful beach with so many cute restaurants lining the shore. I did get pictures of the sunset, but of course I forgot to bring my camera and camera cord to school today, so you will have to be treated to those later on.
I will probably be checking back in during the weekend, because it is Easter weekend so I have a few more days off. Cookie and I are planning to do ultra-touristy thing every day of the break! Will keep you updated!
Cheers!


This song below is a stirring anthem of someone who is burned out on the apathetic society we live in today. It's kind of depressing. But I do like it, especially the bit about having a "parade." I have always wanted to have a "hobo parade," a parade where one dresses down with one's friends and marches underneath the streetlights armed with a shopping cart and a bottle of whiskey. I heard about the hobo parade from a fellow WFMU lover, who has annual hobo parades that she says are super fun. I wouldn't drink the whiskey. I don't really care for whiskey. But it apparently is all the rage with hobos, or at least that is what I've heard.
I would love to have a hobo parade here in Cape Town, but I am way too scared of what would happen if we dressed as hobos and marched down the street at night. Probably not good things would happen. I will wait until I find myself in a place where I am familiar enough with the territory that I feel comfortable donning my rags and pushing my buggy.

Anyway, back to the song- it has language that is strong in some parts. Just a warning, make your own decision.