To Blog or Not to Blog

I enjoy the start of a new year and welcome it as a time to take stock, declutter and start afresh. This year I am taking stock of this blog which, according to the statistics, seems to have far more readers than I imagine. It has certainly served its initial purpose from seven years ago when I wanted a space to flex my writing muscles, blog about positive SA stories and other issues that interested me. 

After I completed my creative writing MA, I did a small revamp of the header and changed the content to reflect more of my current interests in South African history and its legacies. Since becoming immersed in further studies, I don't seem to have the time to keep the blog updated as regularly as I would like. This is my first post since October - eish!  That was just before a trip to the USA and my first Thanksgiving with all the trimmings.

Our Canadian hosts had welcomed us as well as foreign students, their Canadian neighbours and a Lebanese/Ghanaian/Japanese friend. So out of a party of 15 or 16, there were only two Americans, but Venezuelans, an Indian, a Romanian, and someone from the Dominican Republic ... it was my favourite kind of gathering, sitting around the table, sharing food and stories from all over the world, with people of all ages and cultures.

The turkey had been soaked in brine for four days in preparation, our host had planned it down to the last detail but happily extended her table to fit in more. The Venezuelans brought starters, and we had an Indian and Romanian dessert.

Our host with her magnificent bird

A cornucopia of goodness - company, food and conversation

                   

The festivities were preceded by a walk in the cold, bright, fresh air.

So, I started out this blog wondering if I should suspend my irregular writing habits but I seem to have taken stock (which is what writing helps me do) and perhaps this isn't the last you will hear from me. Wishing you love, peace and understanding for the year ahead.

The place to improve the world is first in one's own head and heart and hands. 

- Robert M. Pirsig

Happy New Year!

“You have been formed into tribes and nations so that you may know one another.” Quran

“In order to change things for the better, we need not just smart brains, but warm-heartedness and the values of love, compassion and forgiveness.” 
Dalai Lama

Over the last ten days we have been celebrating Christmas and the New Year with a variety of friends, both old and new. At times the revelling may have been too much, and I felt like I was not getting anything constructive done, but I remind myself that this is necessary time off to follow the rituals which draw the old year to  a close and ring in the new.

We have shared meals with people of all faiths and nationalities.  We have sat around a table where meals have lasted for hours while we discovered how similar we are to American, Nigerian, Italian, Kenyan, Russian, Dutch, Mauritian, Canadian, British and Iranian people, as well as fellow South Africans.

Despite the distances which separate us, the same issues touch us, concern us, mobilise us. I lap it all up; I feel like I am giving the finger to apartheid, racism and many other –isms. I firmly believe that we should be building bridges by getting to know each other. When we step outside of the familiar, outside our comfort zones, we make connections which enrich our lives and shrink the world. We cannot help connecting on a deeper level than we are accustomed to.

One of our passions as a family is travel - precisely because we are forced to step out of the familiar and over the artificial barriers which serve to keep us separate. I like to think that the energy with which we start the New Year is the one that we carry through and so, for 2013 I wish for more understanding, compassion, friendship and connections. Happy New Year.

To 120!

When I woke up yesterday morning I wanted to give myself a hug to seal in all the good vibrations. I felt like a child who did not want her birthday to end. As I lay in bed I replayed the events of the night before - I had the best celebration ever – great food, great company and great music.

The occasion was a BIG birthday which deserved to be celebrated.  More than the celebration was the opportunity to thank all the many people who have supported me and kept me sane on the journey through life. Leading up to the event I had spent a lot of time thinking about who would be coming and what they meant in my life. I also wanted them to all connect with each other.

The people gathered there represented every stage of my life from student to mother and wife, and all my varied interests from yoga and meditation to Spanish, children’s rights and writing.  It was quite an international gathering, representing 12 different countries and what a privilege to be able to celebrate with all of them.

The cherry on top of this was that the Delft Band was playing – I am immensely proud of them and of their hard work and perseverance to make something of their lives despite the circumstances they find themselves in. The perfect gifts for me were to have my friends support this project.

I feel like the cat who got all the cream – I walked around I spoke to everyone who was there, and maybe I am imagining it, but the room was buzzing with good energy, accompanied by the jazz rhythms! It was a warm and festive occasion and I look forward to the next years, although perhaps not quite “to 120” – which is a blessing I got from one of my Jewish friends. 

A Mezcla of a Wedding

Last week I attended a real mezcla of a wedding. In Spanish mezcla means a blend, a mixture or a medley. Spanish, Jewish, Catholic, South African and American cultures came together in what I like to think of as a new South Africa celebration. The bride, a friend’s daughter, is Jewish/South African/American, while the groom is Basque and Catholic.

A female rabbi, Dr Azila Reisenberger, was performing the ceremony and she took care to explain the meaning and origins of the different rituals that formed part of the union. The bride’s parents walked her down the aisle accompanied by a traditional Basque tune to the chuppah  or canopy under which the ceremony took place.

We had a little giggle when the rabbi asked the groom to identify his bride when the veil was lifted. This, the rabbi explained, has its origins in biblical times when Jacob, who was in love with Rachel, was tricked into marrying the wrong sister after working for their father for 7 years in lieu of a dowry!

The part of the ceremony that I loved was where each person in the retinue read out a blessing to the married couple and poured a little wine into a silver cup. By the time 8 people had done this, the “cup was running over” with blessings and it was given to the couple to drink from and share with their parents. Then it was time for a Jewish song and after the signing of the register, the groom’s sister played the flute while her father did a traditional Basque dance for the couple.

We followed the bridal party down through the vineyards (stopping to nibble on biltong and nuts) to the reception hall where a marimba band contributed the South African flavour.

Mazeltov! to these young people who have embraced the differences in each others’ cultures and traditions and at the same time enriched everyone at the wedding with the opportunity to be a part of a beautiful medley. 

Bonfires and Fireworks

Yesterday the streets in the neighbourhood were awash with orange and black with all kinds of ghosts, vampires, witches and other scary creatures going door to door begging for sweets. I somehow got suckered into taking my two young nieces, aged 7, around. It turned into a little entourage as friends and family joined in. The local neighbourhood improvement district was quite organised, and had sent out an email to residents advising them to tie a balloon to their gate to indicate that they wished to be bothered by the spirits let loose on the night. Some of the houses had gone all out with decorations, dressed in black with skeletons, pumpkins and cobwebs.

Halloween certainly was not a day that we celebrated as children, or had even heard of for that matter. I think we owe it to globalisation and the influence of American television and movies for influencing our children thus. It is for this reason that I have largely resisted it, but got caught up in the spirit of things this year. I suppose I also have friends who live down the road to blame - they have opened up their home as a base for their family and friends to go trick-or-treating from - so all in all,  it is quite a festive time. The best thing for me is that we are taking back the streets - it is certainly not usual for our children to be roaming around the neighbourhood at night. They have fun and eat too many sweets, but also get to meet some of the neighbours and feel part of a community.

Halloween has its roots in the Celtic tradition, and over time blended with the Christian All Saints Day (which is on 1 November). It was celebrated at the end of the summer and marks the end of the lighter part of the year and the beginning of the darker part.The ancient people believed that during this time of the year, spirits were able to  pass through the world and, in an attempt to ward off evil spirits, dressed up as evil spirits themselves. As it was also the end of the summer, people gathered provisions for the long winter ahead, partied and lit bonfires.

Bonfires remind me of another celebration that is coming up in a few days - that of Guy Fawkes. When I was little we certainly celebrated that and it was even a holiday, us being part of the Commonwealth. People lit bonfires and fireworks. In much the same way as children went trick-or-treating and asked for sweets, children would go round asking for "penny for the guy". Guy Fawkes was one of a group of Catholic conspirators who tried to blow up the British Houses of Parliament 400 years ago, as they felt that the monarchy was not doing enough to stop the persecution of Catholics. Unfortunately for him he was discovered and put to death. One of the traditions was to make an effigy of Guy Fawkes and burn it on the bonfire. 

Later this week there is yet another festival celebrated with light and firecrackers - the Hindu festival of Diwali which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness. It is a joyous occasion with children getting up very early to have a ritual bath and then celebrating with family and friends. People go house to house to visit relatives and friends, taking something sweet as gifts.

Quite a week then, of bonfires, fireworks, sweets - but also of connecting with family, friends and neighbours. So may you be protected from harm, bathed in light and enjoy the company of loved ones.