Vleis 'n Rugby (Meat and Rugby)

Gister was nasionale braaidag (yesterday was National Braai {BBQ} day). It used to be the "National Heritage Day," but in 2005 it was re-branded in honor of the meat loving traditions. Nice, huh? This is an official public holiday- meaning, that had it fallen on Sunday rather than Sunday, everyone would have had Monday off. Before you judge South Africans too harshly for their abundance of seemingly obscure holidays, in Florida, we had no school on "Rodeo Day" when I lived there in the 90's. People back home don't fully understand to the extent that South Africa has a "meat culture." I didn't realize when I got here, but figured it out-fast.

In Lobatse, that family that took Geoff and me in for the night served us meat for dinner, and more meat for breakfast. Literally, our three choices in the morning to go with our pap were mutton, beef and port chops. Pap is a corn based product that can be called a porridge. Lots of regions have differing ways of preparing it- krummel is the lumpy dry way, but I like it when it's softer (picture on the right, the mound that retains its shape). It's a pure form of carbohydrate, much like heroin. The poor people here buy huge bags of it and walk home with it on their heads. It's super cheap and filling.

Anyway, back to the meat stuff. Here are some of the potato chip flavors one finds at any shop: Simba Smoked Beef, Spare Ribs, Flame Grilled Steak, Vetkeok & Polony (fried bread and bologna), Walkie Talkie Chicken and Snoek & Atchar (pickle & fish).

Doritos Chilli Ribs, Grilled Steak, T-Bone Steak

Fritos and Lays have some really interesting flavors (they love tomato here), but they don't appear to have jumped on the meat wagons. Even the cheesy puff snacks here appear in chicken, beef, ribs and "savory." There are also these soft maize (corn) snacks prawn flavored, and bacon flavored. The bacon ones look like little pieces of bacon- like "Beggin Strips" for people.

Appetizer lists are filled with meats- especially livers, tongues and necks. That I'll never understand. If I bike to my nearby petrol station to get some snacks, I'll find a whole section of meat for braai-ing. Granted it's a rich area, but what gas station has t-bones or pork chops- seasoned or unseasoned. Even potato salad here has real bacon all over it. Property listings are made with regard to braai-decks, or braai areas. When university departments get together (as they do often), it's always a 'bring and braai.'

In restaurants when you buy your hamburgers, you routinely have the options of regular mince (ground beef), ostrich or springbok. Likewise in the stores, the meat sections are huge, and have a big variety of not only animal types (lots of ostrich and lamb) but seasoned options and pre-made braai packs.

I'm not proud, but I've been living as a hypocrite here- eating meat after being here for only three months. I gave myself a two month window in which to experience this part of the culture, and haven't looked back, since. I avoid it most times, but when there's a braai, I usually take a hit. In addition to the standard meats, I've eaten Kudu, Gemsbock (Oryx), Springbok, Ostrich, Illegally harvested Crayfish (another story, and trust me, I was not pleased, but it was an awkward situation), crabsticks made from God knows what, and yes, Zebra. I'm not proud, and am actually quite sad, looking at these pictures. I will get back on the wagon.

Dried meat- Biltong is also HUGE here. Not to be confused with "Beef Jerky," it's meat dried in air. Levels of seasoning vary, but I've never seen flavors other than "spiced." Sorry folks, no "Teryaki Biltong." When you go to a specialty shop, you can get biltong in meat type varieties (ostrich, springbok, beef, kudu, etc.) and in size types (giant hung slabs, "smaller" sizes, little bite-sized pieces, then shavings that I'm still not sure what one does with. When I had my first piece, it was brown on the outside, and on the inside, soft and red. I got grossed out, thinking my piece wasn't "done." It was explained to me that it's like steak, you get it rare, and it's suppsed to be like gnawing on dried, yet supple red flesh. I never had any again.
Droewors are the tubes of encased dried meat. Think slim-jim only with integrity.

Finally, it's the world cup, so it's rugby fever here. It's actually an interesting, fast paced game and I've found myself getting very excited on more than one occasion. South Africa won last year, so there's a good amount of pressure. Next week will be the elimination games, so the intensity is only rising.

Did you know the USA has a team? Isn't that cute? Suffice it to say that the USA team isn't a threat. The big boys are South Africa, New Zealand, Fiji, England (who I'm told we don't like) and Australia (from what I gather). Oh, and Japan has a team that's just awful, I guess.

I'm living rich in Africa

Ek woon in Paradyskloof met my vriendin se Pa. That means that I live in Paradyskloof (a suburb in Stellenbosch) with my friend's (female friend) dad. Grethe got me the amazing hook up, as these people are amazingly giving. I have unbelievably cheap rent, and Koos (Grethe's dad and my room-mate/landlord) is a great guy and I enjoy his company (and for those of you that know me, that's rare).

The house is really, really nice. Though he'd never say so, Koos (say "Coors" beer but leave out the "r" and you've got the pronunciation) is quite well off. He works very long hours at his business (he's also an engineer) and enjoys simple evenings in front of a tv set to a volume decibel just below that which would crack bone.

As the weather is warming up, afternoons in the back yard (the "garden") blows my mind. My view isn't quite what it used to be, but all I have to do is walk out the front door to have one of those. The new view is of, I think it's called "Jonkershoek Mountain." If I look to the left, I see good ol' Stellenbosch Mountain. Here is the living room- well the 1st living room, as there is another smaller one (livin' rich). There is a picture of the soup I'm currently addicted to, as well. Just boil in some broth and you're good to go. Where can I get this wheat on it's own, so I can make it? Man, I've got to find out what turnips and parsnips look like.

Bees are absolutely everywhere (not sure which of the two subspecies are, but they're pretty tolerant of my prodding camera lens, so likely apis mellifera capensis, vs. apis mellifera scutellata- I know what you're thinking, I'm lucky, right?). I hung my laundry yesterday, and noticed the backyard was swarming with insects and had a field day exploring.

I can't even express how much I love being able to look at and play with insects without having to kill them and pin them to boards. Last semester, I had three of these Fruit Chafer beetles (Pachnoda sunuata) in my foul collection- in the short video. I also was startled to find a Promece longipes beetle (the metallic one)! Check out those antennae and that color. There were a few of them, and they flew all around, swarming the shrub, as it's flowering, bringing all these treasures to my doorstep.

There are gorgeous plants all over his yard- and it's not even a nice yard (sorry, but in comparison to the area, it's not manicured at all- but who cares!). There are proteas (below are just two varieties) and all sorts of flowers that are heinously expensive in the states, but that are cheap here.

Koos, and lots of people here, have these little machines they use to add carbonation to water, vs. buying club soda. It's cheaper, and it allows you to have really fizzy water vs. flat water after 2 days. He uses it for his Johnnie Walker drinks. I'm accustomed to that sound now, the grinding sound. Sorry the image is flipped- lucky for you your head can turn. He braai's on weekends, and that's when we sit and talk. He lived through Africa in an interesting time, and has views of the various political parties from the viewpoint of a soldier, not just a spoiled young adult. He knows what it is to patrol a township with a rifle, and has built his business up from the ground.

Last week, maybe 2 weeks ago, actually, I biked for the first time in Jonkershoek since my injury, to see if I could do it. I did the 10k jeep trail in the park- it was very tough, but not as tough as the first time I did it- so that's good. On the bike ride, I dustily scraped to a stop when I saw insects I had never seen there, before. A great pamphagidae grasshopper (I call it, Trojanus jonkus), a monkey beetle (Pachycnema marginella) and an unknown sort of beetle.

There's a spot I go to when I hike/bike there, and it was freezing, absolutely freezing- but as always, the water was clear and tasted great.

Another protea- I think maybe a king protea?