Random Notes from Cape Town
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- At first I felt unsafe and cold in Cape Town. Walking around this colonial and very modern city... if you have never been surrounded at a crosswalk by a bunch of very black people speaking a foreign language... that can be interesting.
- After making friends with a few locals I have seen a deeper side of Cape Town, and I really like it here.
- My new buddies have names like Skylar, Wilding, Molote, and Sarika. They have taken me to brais (backyard BBQs), briefed me on the ANC (Nelson Mandela's political party), toured a beautiful beach, and taught me some slang.
- Slang... ambiguous use of the word "now." South Africans will say "I'll see you now" or "I am doing it now," and now can mean 5 to 10 to 45 minutes.
- Slang... To express urgency, you can say "now now." Example, "I am outside your door - OK I will see you now now."
- Slang... Another cool phrase is “It’s not a train smash” which means like “It’s no big deal.” example…. Hey I am running late -- OK, it’s not a train smash.
- Slang... Instead of "bro," for Brother people say it like the word "brew."
- The BBQ (brai) is a serious part of the South African food and social culture.
- South Africans are the best grill masters that I have ever met. I have been to a few BBQs now at people’s houses and they are all AMAZING. Choice meat and great seasoning.
- The Zulu language is interesting. They have these three types of clicks and tongue-pops that are just so amazing to hear in conversation. Learning about dental, palatal, and lateral tongue clicking was one of those very special travel experiences where I realized how little I know about the world. These kinds of things really make me excited to travel again.
- More photos here. (currently 30 photos from Cape Town)
Upcoming Travel to South Africa
I will be in Cape Town, South Africa from September 15th - 27th. The primary purpose of my trip is to attend the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition. But I also plan to visit Johannesburg on business, and take a few days off for fun.
I am definitely very excited about this trip - both on a business and on a personal level. It will be my first time in Africa. If you know anyone fun that I should meet in Cape Town, drop me an email.
Upcoming Travel to London
Apologies to everyone for a lack of updates lately. I have really been busy and enjoying myself in New York City. Take a look at my recent photos for proof of that. Many tea parties, concerts, rooftops, and kitchen cooking adventures.
I will be going to the United Kingdom this Sunday (September 7th) through Thursday (September 11th). The last time I was in London, there was a tornado in our neighborhood!
Previously, I blogged:
- What I Did on My First Day in London 2006-12-03
- Personal notes from the week in London 2006-12-06
- Final Notes from My First Trip to London 2006-12-17
