Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Sad Blogger!

I know I've been a dreadful blogger the last while, but trust me, it is far better than inflicting my morbid and uninspired writing on anyone!
Don't get me wrong, like most insane artists, I have moments of extreme happiness and exhiliration followed by complete downers. I'm trying hard to master the process of dealing with things that I can change and living with things that I can't change - and most of all showing grace under pressure.
I don't think that's working though! This has been such an awful year, I want to say I'm glad it's almost over, but I have a nasty feeling next year is going to be an equal match.
We are moving on Monday and that's going to be very very interesting. Hopefully that'll provide a laugh or two - if not a severe injury when someone drops the piano on someone else's toe!

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The Windy City

There is one thing people love to moan about when it comes to Port Elizabeth: it's the wind. I really don't know why people move to a place called "the windy city" if they don't like wind. I mean, isn't the title a little bit of a hint as to what you're going to experience?? Visitors and residents alike constantly complain about the wind but I LOVE IT!
I love it because it hides the sins of society by blowing all the pollution out to sea for some other poor sod to deal with! I like it because it drives parents to scream at their kids in the parking lot: "You are never allowed to open a car door ever again!" I love it because when you're standing in it, you feel like you're riding a horse or standing on the front of a boat or something and it sometimes has traces of the salty sea air.
PE wind can be graded too:
1. There's the gentle breeze that tickles the tree tops and you barely notice it's there,
2. there's the playful tug on you and your clothes that is fine as long as you don't have kids who regularly tug on you not so playfully and end up wearing down your square shape of patience to a pea size ball,
3. there's the not playing anymore wind, that starts to annoy and irritate people, but this wind generally finds surfers and boardsailors smiling broadly,
4. there's the howling gail that makes surfers and boardsailors foam at the mouth and their eyes glaze over so that you know you won't possibly be able to communicate with them until 24 hours has passed.
5. and finally, there's the occasionally blow your skin back with the G's wind - which is rare, but exists...
Actually, as most boardsailors will tell you, the wind doesn't blow that much in PE - at least, not strong enough for them to enjoy it!