"The City of Arses"

So Grahamstown is known as The City of Saints, and this is because of the obscene amount of Churches and Cathedrals hanging about. In fact, Grahamstown holds some ridiculous statistic like, “most Cathedrals/churches per capita”, whatever that means.

This awesome fact aside I have been very overwhelmed by the amount of donkeys which seem to roam free up and down the streets of town. Now I’m not sure if this is a small town trait, I wouldn’t know because chances of seeing a donkey walking about town in Pretoria is less then zero, you are more likely to see a police van. My point, and I do have one, is that these donkeys seem to have developed a snide personality and have formed political opinions.

What am I basing this on? Simple.

About 3 weeks ago I was dragged, against me will, to a place called Ntundo Hall (the spelling varies with each time I try pronounce it). The name is not important; it was the reason for this gathering which adds weight to my conspiracy theory. It was the Protection of Information Bill debate hosted by Grocott’s mail (Grocott’s Mail the Grahamstown news source; a blog topic in itself). The debate consisted of a whole host of people who were either politically inclined (DA and ANC reps) or there as an educational buffer. What got me was the damn donkey. Every time the poor innocent ANC rep started debating his point, from somewhere outside the Hall the rebellion started to call.  You kind of felt sorry for the man.

If that’s not enough, it’s the fact that they watch you, the donkeys I mean. If you making a quick Pick ’n Pay run and all you really want is your darn milk, their eyes watch you as you cross the road and make your way back to res. Sometimes if they are feeling really malicious they follow you. But they never get to close, just enough to scare you.

It’s the donkeys that get me in Grahamstown…every time I tell you, every time. But it is Grahamstown, and they are just a reminder to never get to comfortable…

Ciao for now,

Chev.  

In the begining...

I find myself sitting the city (if we can call it that) of Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Nothing exceptional about my whereabouts one would assume, but the point is Grahamstown seems to be overrun with strange occurrences and frustrating traits that make it one of the most entertaining and frustrating places to live it.

Let’s take, as a simple example for now, the weather. A seemingly harmless fact of everyday life right? Wrong! Grahamstown, for geographical reasons unknown to me, enjoys displaying examples of bizarre weather occurrences. In other words, one is quite likely to step out of your place of residence warmly glad for the day, as the Weather Man perceives chilly conditions. Several steps down the road, however, the need to remove as much clothing as possible is upon you as the weather has taken an abrupt turn.

Temperature fluctuations aside, precipitation has a hand in the confusion. Granted Grahamstown is in some kind of water recession but one wouldn't think so with the faint blankets that often fall on you when you have been promised a day of sun and happiness.

These rapid fluctuations will also affect your mood and it is rare that one can go through an entire day and not discuss the weather in one form of the other. With the weather dressing your mood, it is also difficult to dress your body. In the circumstance of 30 degree weather one hopes to prance up and down the street in a summer dress, alas, this right is often taken away from you by the gale force winds which sweep in and remind you that this is Grahamstown, and one can never get to comfortable.

Ciao for now,

Chev