7 August 2016 – Cape Town

Hi All –

While the trip is coming to an end (I leave Tuesday, so tomorrow is my last day)… there’s still a lot going on.

Sundays are pretty quiet — stores all closed, traffic minimal, town totally quiet, especially in the morning. I decided it was a good time to see the Holocaust Museum. Walked the mile plus to the museum, which is attached to the Jewish Museum (which I didn’t go into). The Holocaust Museum is small but interesting. It begins with a definition of “holocaust” versus “oppression” and while portraying an interesting look at both the Jewish Holocaust and other genocides over history. It includes information on the pseudo-science of ‘race’; the history and roots of antisemitism, and also the institutionalized racism of the Apartheid period. They make a strong effort to include information about South Africa’s role during the 1930s and 1940s. I didn’t have much time to view the exhibit in any depth, but would say that it’s worth a visit.

While in the museum I got a text from Chris that he was meeting up with Jennifer (the African American singer from Oakland who is here on a residency program) to go to some brunch place in the Seapoint neighborhood (on the water). Seapoint is one of Capetown’s more affluent areas and is situated fairly close to the Central Business District. The neighborhood has a significant number of high-rises and appears to be divers (Whites and “Colored” and also a lot of foreigners… I decided to join them at the brunch which was at Harvey’s at Winchester Mansion. Turned out to be quite a feast, a buffet that can match the best ones all over the world. We truly stuffed ourselves – champagne, sushi, muscles, smoked trout, salads galore, omelets, etc. as well as incredible roast beef and roast pork… and of course amazing desserts. But then we remembered that we had plans to go to the home of one of Chris’ friends (an immigrant from the Congo who recently had a baby) for a home cooked Congolese meal!

We contacted Marcel – to say that we were running late… but the message in South Africa is “We are coming just now..” which means we are “in motion”… and it’s just not a clear statement of time.. So it can mean we will be there in 10 minutes or maybe 10 hours!  And to get more specific… if you say I’m coming “now, now” it can mean the future- and it can also mean the immediate past-tense…. It can also mean sometime soon, and it is sort of interchangeable with ‘tomorrow or perhaps ‘never’… Anyway, everyone seems to know what it means… and they also have strange definitions for “soon”…. In any case, we picked up dessert to bring and Chris also got baby gifts… and eventually we were off …. Getting there “now”…

Marcel emigrated to Capetown about 6 years ago. He had studied literature in the Congo, but got a job as a waiter in an African restaurant when he got to Capetown. A few years later he got a job as an interpreter because he speaks French. He, his wife, and new baby (Marcella – 6 months old) live in a tiny house.. maybe 600 sq. ft. total, in a somewhat industrial area of Capetown. It’s a back house to a larger house. They moved there recently because their car had been stolen from in front of their previous house and they believed the area was dangerous. We arrived and there were about 8 people at the house – all wanting to meet us (friends of Marcel and his wife). Marcel is also a pastor in his spare time. Had a Congolese church, but now is looking for another church. Anyway, when we arrived in this tiny space, a table was set up with about 14 different dishes… and within this 400 square foot living/dining/kitchen area (the other 200 sq. ft. was the bedroom), was a big couch, two chairs, the table and then a few folding chairs… On the wall was a flat screen tv that was “on” the entire time we were all there conversing. Initially the program was a religious one, with a minister leading a congregation; that was followed by a South African version of “Candid Camera” which was followed by a sort of sit com from the 1980s (I’d guess), produced in South Africa…

Marcel was delightful – sweet and caring. Many of the friends did not speak much English, but we were all cordial and it was a very warm experience. Eating with the “pap” was a bit complicated.. a little like eating with Ethiopian injera, but more difficult because the consistency of the pap makes it more difficult to grab food… The dishes included some kind of fried and dried out fish, a green vegetable that was very cooked and mixed with milk or some kind of dairy, chicken parts, beef skewers, cole slaw, rice, beans, mushroom paste, casaba, and a few others… They do not drink, so we had orange juice.

Of course the baby was the highlight.. a very cute and alert baby who we all focused on. We talked a little politics. Given their political situation, they are hoping for a Clinton victory… We left about three hours after we arrived; headed home and a few hours later went to a Greek restaurant for a big salad.. We longed for fresh crisp greens… It was a good decision.

I think that’s it for today.. So much more to describe and tell.. but I’ll do that when I see you.

All the best — Fern