To work or not to work?

We all know about the poverty, unemployment and adversity that Africa faces, we are persistently bombarded by the media with harrowing appeals to donate money for various charities and causes and while most of us would love to help in some way, it’s not always possible is it? What’s more, how do we decide who is the most deserving of this money?

South Africa as a nation has approximately 50% of its people living below the poverty line but more interestingly and something that makes me very happy to hear, it is also a country of small businesses and famous for the innovative minds of those sick and tired for waiting for jobs that never arise . If only this entrepreneurialism was the solution for the unemployment rate of 40% in the country and ultimately the poverty problem that emanates from this lack of work.

A hard fact of life in South Africa is that several people are relying on the All Pay system, the equivalent to the UK dole. This monthly government pay-out is assisting those in desperate need of funds, allowing them to feed their families and stay alive. Sadly however, because one can rely on this support, there is a reluctance to find work for themselves in a lot of cases. After the Apartheid era was abolished, I have learnt that people were starting to expect work as a ‘right’ as opposed to the ‘privilege’ that we all appreciate it should remain as.

Do we have this problem in the UK? Yes I think we do. We hear about people living off benefits for the rest of their lives, living in council flats and relying solely on the government to support them. In theory, the dole system as well as the SA All Pay equivalent is a worthy thing, a way out for some people and a solution to many people’s difficulties. Nevertheless, ‘in theory’ are the operative words here as we have heard of many examples that ‘in theory’ are positive. Communism springs to mind –make everyone equal was the vision behind the ideology. But as we all know, this practice has failed miserably in many areas of the world, as we are now seeing in both the ‘third’ and ‘first’ world examples.

Right so let’s return to being a bit more optimistic here. I mentioned the entrepreneurialism in SA earlier and I have witnessed many examples of this; something that is just wonderful to see. A minority of South Africans are not waiting around for pay-outs but instead are putting what they know to good use, and very successfully I may add. We met a family who were living in what a lot of us would consider ‘squalor’ in a township just outside of the town of Mogwase, but instead of feeling sorry for themselves, had set up a small hairdressing salon that was providing them with reliable work. In Hondeklipbaai, we encountered a middle aged guy who had decided to start selling his art work out of a run-down Caravan, displaying his pieces on the side of the road. Maybe he doesn’t sell very much in a month, but I applaud him for trying.

Another thing I really find heart-warming is that people in this country who are perhaps not as well off as they would like to be are attempting to earn that extra few rand wherever they can. Unlike in the UK, SA petrol stations are run by a team of staff who not only fill up your tank but if they’re up for earning a few additional bucks, they will check your water, tyres and clean your windscreen. There appears to be an approach in this country (among some of the population) of ‘any excuse for work’. You see people on the side of the road waving red flags to encourage people to slow down, instead of relying on expensive signage that we have so often in the Western world.

I just pray that the next generation of South Africans can finally leave Apartheid behind and concentrate on moving forward, not looking back the entire time. We all appreciate the dreadful times of Apartheid and will never dismiss it but during my short time here, I feel that a lot of people are holding on to it as an excuse and I think this has to stop now. We must encourage these children to realise their potential, understand what opportunities are out there for them and to inspire them to apply the skills that are 100% apparent in each and every one of them.

Sunday Braai-day Sunday

What comes to mind when you think of Sundays in London? Is it lazy mornings reading the paper and drinking coffee? Is it brunch and beer with friends in the pub? Maybe it’s a pyjama and movie day at home with family. In my opinion, quite frankly these all sound quite delicious.

Ask a South African what constitutes a happy Sunday and I’m sure 90% will mention the word ‘braai’. For those that don’t know what a braai is, I will explain. A braai is an all-day social gathering involving family and friends, drinking and cooking food slowly on an open fire made from wood and coal. Some of you I bet will be thinking, ‘so it’s basically a BBQ’. Well my friends, I have to say I would pretty much agree with this statement. Tell a South African that a braai is the same as a BBQ however and you will get a death stare I can guarantee you.

Having lived with a South African (male I may add) for the past 4 months, I have been introduced to and educated into the world of braai’ing. Every young guy knows how to perform this hereditary South African-ism and each is very proud of the fact they he can start his own fire. To be quite honest, get a bloke in front of any kind of fire, be it an open fire or a gas barbecue and they instantly feel a little bit more masculine. 

Any other day of the week, they won’t be caught dead in the kitchen but when it comes to this very significant occasion, it is quite strictly no women allowed. Actually, let me correct my ‘no women allowed’ statement. Of course we all know that during an English BBQ or SA braai, the women are designated as the salad makers (which by the way we always rock).

There is 2 ways you can make a braai. One is with wood and coal and the other is just with wood. If you are going to do the latter, your wood needs to be of good quality (this means a nice dry batch). Either way, the wood needs to turn to coal and/or the coals smoldering to a temperature where you can hold your hand over the heat for approximately 3 seconds before you are forced to remove it. At this time, you know it’s on. The meat can be added. In England, it’s quite simple –you turn the gas on and go grab a beer while it heats up. In the background, you will ultimately hear someone asking, ‘what time will the food be ready?’ This statement would not be received well at a South African braai, let me tell you. This is a whole day event people, we don’t have a time schedule - we simply enjoy the pleasure of our friends company while not worrying about intermittent rain ruining our lovely day.

As the women look out of the kitchen and see that the coals look ready, they will be putting the potato bake in the oven assuming that the meat is just about to go on. But as they turn around again after closing the oven door, they notice that one of the men has added more wood to the fire god damn it.

So what exactly does one ‘braai’? When a barbeque springs to mind, I’m sure most of you in the UK envisage burgers and sausages and if you’re lucky steak (not forgetting the delicious array of potato salad, couscous salad, greens and other beauty’s prepared by us girls). The South African equivalent is quite different. The meat may include lamb chops, pork chops, beef steaks, chicken spatchcock, chicken wings, boerewors (I’ll come to that another time). A more elaborate braai could even include various game such as kudu, springbok, gemsbok etc.

So while these meats are being marinated, spiced or quite simply taken out of their packaging, the women are slaving away to make the delicious accompaniments. I have had the pleasure of trying the following, and believe me I’m sure there are many more:

-Butternut squash (just called butternut here, oh by the way South Africans LOVE to abbreviate words) halved down the middle stuffed with spinach and feta, or simply brown onion soup granules.

-Gem squash which is a more stringy vegetable that looks a bit like a small melon with a generous dollop of butter in the middle.

-They also love to peel whole onions, wrap them in foil and bung them on the coals.

These 3 examples may not seem too out of the ordinary to the average Brit, but let me tell you, when I found out that people even braai sandwiches, even I was taken aback (this coming from someone who has eaten scorpions in China). For the lazy braai-er, SA supermarkets stock ‘braai rolls’, a ready-made sandwich if you will that you quite simply chuck on with the rest of the food. I am going to give you a recipe for my slightly more pimped up version.

Maddy’s braai roasted sandwiches

You will need:

Bread (any you choose but ciabatta works well)

Butter

Cheese (any really but my favourite is goats cheese or brie)

Tomatoes

Onions

Some sort of delicious relish or chutney

Method:

1)Spread butter inside and out of the bread

2)Fill your sandwich with the cheese, tomatoes and onions, season with black pepper and flaked sea salt and top with a layer of the chutney or relish

3)Close tightly and ceremoniously march to the fire.

4)High above the coals, carefully braai until it looks bursting at the seams with deliciousness (be warned, these bad boys cook quickly)

You can basically fill it with anything you choose but ultimately what you will have is the best toasted sandwich you’ve ever tasted. Enjoy and let me know how yours goes. 

4 months down...

So where did the idea of this blog come about? Well, I was driving down one of South Africa's notorious dusty and pot hole ridden gravel roads when it occurred to me how seldom this would be the reality in England, specifically London for that matter. I'm sure a lot of you are thinking, 'right, so this girl is going to compare England and SA, two countries that couldn't be more different, great'...and fair enough to you. But in the past 4 months living in South Africa, I have encountered countless weird and wonderful differences. From customs and food to expressions and sayings, I'm hoping will make at least a few of you chuckle. 

I adore England and it will be always be my home but Africa captured a place in my heart from the first time I visited 5 years ago and the love affair is only growing stronger. I am learning to adore South Africa with it's culture so opposing to what I have been used to for 23 years. I love to find inspiration from one culture and integrate into my own, so you can expect to find South African inspired recipes, photographs and descriptions of my daily exploits as I progress through my journey.

So whether you are English living in South Africa, South African living in England or just about anyone really, I hope you will enjoy my humble attempt of comparing these magnificent places.