The man in the moon is upside down and they sell ostrich at the grocery store.
Upside Down
The night sky looks like someone rearranged all the stars,except for Orion who rises before dawn. I didn’t recognize the Southern Cross until a friend showed me the four points: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta. Living aboard Lady Grey in these foreign ports means I’m deliberatliy pushing the stressor buttons on my dashboard every day (more on Instagram @sailingladygrey or Facebook @sailingladygrey). Regardless of how comfortable I start to feel, the moon is still upside down.
In South Africa they measure in kilos and centigrade. When I say it’s 85 degrees, South Africans laugh. To Celsius ears they hear me saying 185 degrees. Once I realize what I’m saying (Dale often interprets me to them and me to myself), I chuckle, too. I do not easily convert units like Captain Dale. So when I must convert metric into inches for watercolor prints, I get suddenly shy and nervous. But the kind-hearted, patient people here make it easier. My new printer, Andreasm was so warm and generous he made it easier, he even drove 30 minutes to deliver my prints and attend my Open Studio Party. You can find his pictures of that party below.
When we fell sick with one stomach bug after another, I found the pharmacist more helpful and their drugs more affordable than anything I’ve experienced in the States. One month later, we recovered and saw all our neighbors at the marina also getting sick. That’s right! –this is the middle of their winter: the flu, the stomach bug, the respiratory infections are everywhere. We are in the dead of winter in mid-July. So while you lit firecrackers, we were watching cold winds and rain. When you open stockings, they will be grilling outdoors in shorts. This is the norm in South Africa.
At the grocery stores, I find the richest yogurt, the freshest vegetables (all raised or grown in South Africa), but no bulk ziplocks and no saltines. I hear three languages around me daily: English, Afrikaans (which sounds very German–the Dutch Boers settled here hundreds of years ago), and Xhosa (which incorporates clicks and snaps). A woman with a cloth turban takes my money and helps me bag my groceries. She has bright pink nails and eyelash extensions, but she’s wearing a skirt and thick hose. This is Africa.
When the men who design and captain the boats in the harbor climb on my boat, I feel like I’ve invited Mr. Thompson from The Gods Must Be Crazy aboard. Their accent has the clipped English diction with an Aussie twist. Nothing prepared me for how refined and proper this region would be. Nothing prepared me for the division of settlements, the division of most labor, and yet the open-hearted interaction between peoples. Nothing prepared me for the moment when the server called herself “colored” and told me this was not insulting here. I visited the separate townships which look like shacks along mud paths. Often, I feel I’ve gone 100 years back in time, then I something jolts me into the present, like seeing a sign advertising “hair extensions” inside a metal-roofed hut. The barefoot African children, goats and chickens pass me speaking better English than I can. This is Africa.
Our first captain told me they have a saying here “T.I.A. This is Africa.” It means things are different, slower and often exasperating, but adjust and smile. TIA.
New Words
Some of my new favorite words are worth sharing. “Lekka” means cool or extraordinary or big, always in a complimentary way. I’m still learning how to say it properly. A policeman was called a “donut bunny” by our electrician. “Donkey years” means older than dirt. “Hold thumbs” is their fingers crossed. If you’ve organized and settled a matter it’s been “sorted”. “Proper” means legit. Canoe polo is a proper sport here, with a national team playing polo in canoes. I watch the coach Jaime (who worked on our boat) work with local teens in the waters near the local yacht club.
Let me give this a go: I’ve met the most lekka donut bunnies in Knysna who never make me feel nervous enough to hold thumbs. It feels like we’ve been here longer than donkey years, but as Lady Grey’s been sorted, we are almost ready for a proper sail to Cape Town.
Lady Grey Plans
Keep up with our deeper conversations on our Lady Grey Podcast, the newest one on “Comparing and Criticizing Cultures” is one of my favorites this year. Find it by looking for Lady Grey Podcast on Apple or Spotify. Enjoy our social pages @SailingLadyGrey on Instagram and Facebook.
We have secured our captain for our first overnight on the Indian Ocean. We sail out at the first weather window this week. I am nervous and excited to see what the ocean feels like at night. I will hope for clear skies so I can spot the Southern Cross.
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Below some photographs snapped by Andreas of my Open Studio Party, along with two of my newest paintings.
