First published on the John Dory on September 4, 2009
Dear Jozi - (how familiar we are becoming)
After a few days of reflection and nearly two weeks of not having a drink I have come to a conclusion. It's a small one and by no ways eath shattering but it's a conclusion none the less.
I am staying. I love you too much to leave. (Eventhough you can be a mean bitch at times). I realise now that there is still so much I don't know about you. The Easter rugby festivals this weekend. The Apartheid Museum. Sunday afternoons in Soweto. H2O.
So this it - you are not getting rid of me that easily. I will make my life here.
Listen I was thinking. Could you up the humidity a touch? The dry highveld air is playing havoc with my contact lenses. I have gone through four this month and at R1000 a pop you are really starting to hurt my wallet. Crickey at this rate I could have had the surgery and it would have cost me less money.
So? Do we have a deal - I will be more open-minded if you promise to be more kind. Oh and if you get wetter - in the air that is - get your mind out the gutter! Another thing - I am trying to decide whether I should go to the St Johns rugby festival or the Mos Def concert. If I go to Mos Def I will be the envy of all my friends but if I go to the rugby I might finally find that penny that I have been looking for. That's the worst thing about you Joburg - there are always options aren't there?
Have a good one.
PS. How much longer can you keep this not drinking thing up? I am hoping a little while longer I am starting to feel like a million bucks.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Dear Johannesburg - the honeymoon
First published on the John Dory on June 4, 2009
Dear Joburg (You don't mind if I call you that do you? I feel I have known you long enough now to use your nickname)
Anyway - it seems the honeymoon is finally over. I must admit that in the almost two years that we have known eachother I could not help but fall completely and utterly in love with you. The fact that I was running away when I came here is besides the point. You managed to charm me. You are the most diverse woman I have ever met in my life. Your beauty in some parts is unrivaled. The manmade forest which is Rosebank and its surrounds calms my drive to work everyday.
The old world charm of the city centre on a quiet Sunday afternoon also remains unrivaled. Newtown with its bohemian African chique nightlife welcomed me without any questions.
Sandton with its high end boutiques and upmarket bars sometimes help me forget that I am still in third world Africa.
But something seems to have changed in the last few weeks. You have turned cold. Shunning me at every turn it would seem. The neon lights which characterise your parts further north have blinded me. It seems, dear Joburg, that the honeymoon is over.
Have you grown tired of me? Am I now just another of your large number. Just a rat on a wheel trying to win a race that will never end?
Or is this your way of saying it is time for me to take stock? Do you want me to re-evaluate my priorities? Should I refocus on more stable goals?
Whatever it is I will admit dear City of Gold that I am head over heels for you. I think of leaving not because I want to but because if I don't you will eat me up and spit me out.
I still don't know what the right thing is to do as far as you are concerned. What I do know though is that no amount of begging will convince you to take it easy on me. I think that if I want you to love me again. If I want your respect I will need show a stiff upper lip and face what you throw at me head on. Give me some time though. Your recent behaviour has taken me by surprise and I need to gather my thoughts. Maybe some meditation will be in order.
Until then don't you go changing because as harsh as you are I don't think I could bear it if you weren't you.
Ps. Jen says hi - she is pregnant you know - I am sure you will agree that is awesome news.
Dear Joburg (You don't mind if I call you that do you? I feel I have known you long enough now to use your nickname)
Anyway - it seems the honeymoon is finally over. I must admit that in the almost two years that we have known eachother I could not help but fall completely and utterly in love with you. The fact that I was running away when I came here is besides the point. You managed to charm me. You are the most diverse woman I have ever met in my life. Your beauty in some parts is unrivaled. The manmade forest which is Rosebank and its surrounds calms my drive to work everyday.
The old world charm of the city centre on a quiet Sunday afternoon also remains unrivaled. Newtown with its bohemian African chique nightlife welcomed me without any questions.
Sandton with its high end boutiques and upmarket bars sometimes help me forget that I am still in third world Africa.
But something seems to have changed in the last few weeks. You have turned cold. Shunning me at every turn it would seem. The neon lights which characterise your parts further north have blinded me. It seems, dear Joburg, that the honeymoon is over.
Have you grown tired of me? Am I now just another of your large number. Just a rat on a wheel trying to win a race that will never end?
Or is this your way of saying it is time for me to take stock? Do you want me to re-evaluate my priorities? Should I refocus on more stable goals?
Whatever it is I will admit dear City of Gold that I am head over heels for you. I think of leaving not because I want to but because if I don't you will eat me up and spit me out.
I still don't know what the right thing is to do as far as you are concerned. What I do know though is that no amount of begging will convince you to take it easy on me. I think that if I want you to love me again. If I want your respect I will need show a stiff upper lip and face what you throw at me head on. Give me some time though. Your recent behaviour has taken me by surprise and I need to gather my thoughts. Maybe some meditation will be in order.
Until then don't you go changing because as harsh as you are I don't think I could bear it if you weren't you.
Ps. Jen says hi - she is pregnant you know - I am sure you will agree that is awesome news.
Dear Johannesburg - How you doing?
First published on the John Dory on April 4, 2009
Hey beautiful - It's been a while I know. I have been going through some shit. Nothing much has really changed in my life since the last time we spoke. Work still carries on the same way and I spend most of my weekends at the bowling club.
Oh by the way did you vote? I didn't. I know I know - for shame but I was too busy actually trying to get news on other people voting that I neglected my own responsibilities. If I am honest though I wasn't really sure who I was going to vote for anyway. I mean my heart is still with the party but the leader is a bit of a stumbling block for me.
Were you ok with the party they threw on the Thursday? Blocking off one of your streets must really have pissed you off. That being said you have always been a bit of a slut for a good party. I hope you didn't sell yourself too much for all that Moet flowing all over the place.
Sweetie - this Nomakanjane thing is really starting get out of hand. While I was pretty chuffed - and I am sure you were - that the metro cops were getting stuck into those taxi drivers - don't you think six roadblocks on a public holiday is a little extreme? I mean one into Sandton and then one out of Sandton? I know a lot of people who had to give up a lot of cash so that they didn't have to sleep in jail.
The silly thing is that those roadblocks make even the innocent people nervous. I mean I was sober as a judge, have no outstanding tickets and my car license is up to date and I still had to change lanes into oncoming traffic and drive through a red robot to avoid one. Granted my mates were drinking beer like the bottle stores were running out but that's no excuse.
Anyway - we managed to out meneouvre the metro cops (yeah like that was hard) and ended up at Coca Cola stadium just in time for the rugby. While I was there I realised that it is true what people say - Coke really does make everything better - I mean I completely forgot that we were in Hillbrow and of course the racist Afrikaner kid - 10 years my junior- who was spouting racist terminology at the start of the game hardly even bothered me.
I ended up in Pretoria afterwards but needless to say your older sister lacks your beauty and charm.
I won't go back there in a hurry.
Well I am glad we had this catch up - thanks for taking it easy on the contact lense front.
One more thing. Are you ill because it feels like you are getting a bit (of a) cold?
Love ya!
Hey beautiful - It's been a while I know. I have been going through some shit. Nothing much has really changed in my life since the last time we spoke. Work still carries on the same way and I spend most of my weekends at the bowling club.
Oh by the way did you vote? I didn't. I know I know - for shame but I was too busy actually trying to get news on other people voting that I neglected my own responsibilities. If I am honest though I wasn't really sure who I was going to vote for anyway. I mean my heart is still with the party but the leader is a bit of a stumbling block for me.
Were you ok with the party they threw on the Thursday? Blocking off one of your streets must really have pissed you off. That being said you have always been a bit of a slut for a good party. I hope you didn't sell yourself too much for all that Moet flowing all over the place.
Sweetie - this Nomakanjane thing is really starting get out of hand. While I was pretty chuffed - and I am sure you were - that the metro cops were getting stuck into those taxi drivers - don't you think six roadblocks on a public holiday is a little extreme? I mean one into Sandton and then one out of Sandton? I know a lot of people who had to give up a lot of cash so that they didn't have to sleep in jail.
The silly thing is that those roadblocks make even the innocent people nervous. I mean I was sober as a judge, have no outstanding tickets and my car license is up to date and I still had to change lanes into oncoming traffic and drive through a red robot to avoid one. Granted my mates were drinking beer like the bottle stores were running out but that's no excuse.
Anyway - we managed to out meneouvre the metro cops (yeah like that was hard) and ended up at Coca Cola stadium just in time for the rugby. While I was there I realised that it is true what people say - Coke really does make everything better - I mean I completely forgot that we were in Hillbrow and of course the racist Afrikaner kid - 10 years my junior- who was spouting racist terminology at the start of the game hardly even bothered me.
I ended up in Pretoria afterwards but needless to say your older sister lacks your beauty and charm.
I won't go back there in a hurry.
Well I am glad we had this catch up - thanks for taking it easy on the contact lense front.
One more thing. Are you ill because it feels like you are getting a bit (of a) cold?
Love ya!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
By way of introduction
Dear Johannesburg:
You don't know me but I wanted to take some time out to introduce myself. It's important for me to let you know who I am because... because... because. Well because I love you. I know you get that all the time but I really love you. And for a small town boy to be in love with a girl who is completely big city is tough. I am not street savvy like the men you are used to spending time with and I would rather buy a good book than play with my money on the JSE. But I am honest and hardworking and just an overall nice guy.
I know I should not be in love with you and that it will never work and that you will tire of me in 10 or 15 years and spit me out like you do every naive wide-eyed boy who comes here thinking he is going to make it. I am ok with that and if my fate is to be just another small town hobo reminiscing about my days in the big smoke then so be it. Until then I am going to love you as if my life depended on it. It does doesn't it. I know it is in your nature to be cruel but if you can try, just this once, to be kind it would mean the world to me.
I'll write again soon.
PS. You don't have to tell me you love me now. I can wait.
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