thrilling the world one city at a time
What do most people do when they find out there isn't a Thrill The World event in their city? Quietly sigh and say "oh well".
To my and everyone's amusement, I am not most people. At least now I can honestly say, I have introduced a
continent to Ines Markeljevic's Thriller.
The hilarious saga of Thrill the World Durban can be found
here. Spoiler alert: it includes venueless dancers, the front page of the paper, and the police.
RIDICULOUS!
Hluhluwe!
We finally got out of the city.
Photos of the weekend in Hluhluwe (pronounced Shloo-shloo-weh).
47 GIRAFFES!
In the News #1
I rarely have any idea what they're about, but I live for the funny headline posters I see on my way to work every morning....
Trash and Transit or How I Spent My Thanksgiving by Aleksandra Brzozowski
Anyone else notice the strange part of this photograph?
Ten Points for those who managed to recognize me on a bike!
Y'all know I am NOT the critical mass type. But some things are bigger than me. Like Durban's ridiculously car-centric roads lacking any hint of decent alternatives. There are virtually no buses, forcing people to ride in dodgy minivans or precariously
crossing major highways. And needless to say, there are no bike lanes. Biking as a mode of transportation is strangely overlooked in SA, even though it would serve as a remarkably viable and affordable option for many people in Durban.
SO UNSAFE!!!
But new pal Gabby the Activista is on a one-woman mission to change all that. She runs a bike program where disadvantaged kids get to keep the bike she teaches them to build from parts of old Dutch pedal-brake bicycles. And October 10th (our thanksgiving, as the calendar would have it) was 350.org's big "do something" day, so she put on a Critical Mass bike ride and park clean-up. A bright sunny day, it was tons of fun.
The kids from Gabby's program (see stressed Gabby in the back ground!) The super duper clean up posse! 
Oh, and how did I do on the bicycle? Well, it was my first bike since James' 30th camping trip, and 5 minutes from the end of the ride bailed on the exact same spot in my knee.
But it still didn't stop me from going biking along the beachfront with friends after the event - look what Durban is doing to me!!!!
Cast of Characters #2: the ExPat Crew
All of you who know me well could tell I was quite anxious about being totally alone in Durbs - this social butterfly needs people.
Well, have no fear. The social life continues half a world away!
Luckily, through friends and work and a chance encounter in a combi taxi, we are amassing quite the little crew of ex-pats. (Which, in turn, tends to attract plenty of locals curious about this motley crew showing up in all the "wrong" places.)
I'm sure I'll be mentioning them a lot, so for reference.... THE EX-PAT CREW.
The Other Canadians (TOC):
Eugene: Fellow Vancouverite, friends with the Oostlanders, and the definition of cool guy. Down here on a CIDA internship working for the Legal Resource Centre (aka the law office that sues my city hall on a regular basis).
Gagan: Torontonian lawyer also down on a CIDA internship, working for Lawyers for Human Rights. Her and Eugene share a wicked apartment on North Beach. Chillest girl ever. FACT.
Kathleen: fellow UBC alum who's working here in the Development Studies program at UKZN. Has been in SA for about 3 years now, so she and boyfriend Sean have the surf and jazz scene all sussed out.
The Fantastic Foreigners
Christoph: Works with Gagan at LHR. A German who learned English in Texas (best mixed accent ever), Christoph is here for a year volunteering and homestaying with a family before going on to university. Even though we mock the fact that he does not remember where he was when Kurt Cobain died, we all wish we were as adventurous as he is at 19.
Sean: Techinally not a foreigner at all, Kathleen's boyfriend Sean serves as our local guide to Durban. Rough and tough from the Bluff, his knowledge of all plants, wildlife, sealife and birds in the region is truly amazing. But the best part is his lovely sense of humour.
Elise: I met Elise in a combi taxi on her first day working at a creche downtown. Finishing her Masters in Philladelphia, she's wound up in Durbs last minute after after been denied the visa for her planned project in Zimbabwe.
Gabby: I met Gabby at a work function the other day. A native Durbanite, she's lived most of her life in the States with her mum and most recently ran bike projects for gang kids in East LA. Back now for an extended visit, she's thrown herself into so many volunteering projects that she makes me look like a slacker. Oh, did I mention she's a fellow Liverpool fan?
Stay tuned for what this posse gets up to...
SA's own 2-4 Weekend
Every so often, I do find some points of commonalities in this upside-down town. The other weekend on September 24th, we celebrated "Heritage Day" - ostensibly a day to celebrate whatever Heritage you are in the new free South Africa.
But really everyone knows it as National Braai Day, where familes and friends break out the BBQ and have a good time out in the sun. In other words, SA's version of our May long weekend.
My Heritage Day was a busy one. It began with a clown performance at a street children's centre
(serious, you can't make this stuff up), then met up with the ex-pats for a day along the beach, then partook in the aforementioned braai, then off to the ICC for International Music against Xenophobia Festival. Featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo!
An awesome day - welcome Spring!!!
