Ho Hum

Last weeks hoedown in Pretoria may have given our kind readers an unrealistic vision of our lives here. The truth is, day to day, things are pretty mundane. During the week, after we’ve been to the gym, Marnie “Somalis up” and takes the car to Mayfair, leaving me here to read, write and be entertained (or annoyed) by the Kirstein household . I’d go with Marnie more often, but I feel my presence affects her ability to do research (especially with the guys). I try to get out and walk around, even if it’s only up to the corner for a coffee, but my explorations are limited to how far my feet can carry me.

So, this being a bit of a slow week, I thought some random observations from my daily stroll are in order. For instance, I am quite the anomaly walking around town. White people rarely walk if they can drive, even if it’s just a couple of blocks. It’s just me with the nannies and gardeners hoofing it about on the red dirt. I think I saw an elderly white gentleman walking home from the grocery once, but that’s about it.

An idea that should be adopted by the US immediately is pharmacy delivery. Though the scooter couriers certainly annoy by weaving between cars on the road, they often arrive at the house within a half hour of Jacqui calling. There’s nothing worse than standing in line for fifteen minutes only to be told that your prescription isn’t ready. Is it too late to make this part of the Health Care Bill?

Lastly, and most oddly, we have an ice cream truck in our neighborhood. When thinking about how different life would be here, I certainly never thought, “At least I won’t have to go without street delivered Bomb Pops”. Until today, I had only heard that creepy organ grinder music echoing in the distance, so I couldn’t be sure if it was just a figment of my imagination.

Walking up the hill, the music growing louder, the truck finally revealed itself. I was more than a little disappointed. The truck was a mini-van airbrushed in lurid colors, and the driver was a sloppy Ron Jeremy look-a-like. If you don’t know who that is, congrats, you’ve lived a much more chaste and pure life than the rest of us.