The Closeness of Things

(I hope, dear readers, you will forgive me a self indulgant and non-work-related post!)

A part of life in South Africa I find myself frequently rejoicing in is the closeness of things. It sounds a rather odd thing to say, but having grown up in an inconsquential city in the middle of England, Cape Town by contrast feels like where it’s all happening.

Cape Town is the most marvelous mixture of small island life and big city bustle. There are too many illustrations of this to name here, but I’ll give you a few.

I have idealised a great jazz pianist, Abdullah Ibrahim, for many years. And one day, I just saw him in a shopping mall. Just like that, in a queue! Or, travelling past the cathedral in town with my mum, a flash of purple will catch our eye, and we’ll realise that Desmond Tutu is tottering past the car in deep conversation with the Dean. Having read and adored the the work Antjie Krog for many years, an email will pop up in my inbox informing me that she’s reading at next week’s poetry night, and I’ll find myself sitting in the front row soaking in her words.

But it’s not just the glimpses of the famous that surprise me. It’s the coming together of different worlds. Hearing first hand accounts of genocide. Seeing children treated worse than dogs. Encountering the wealthiest people I’ve ever known. The talk of miracles, amazement, divine deliverance and joy. The overcoming of seemingly insurmountable barriers.

It all combines to form a feeling of intense technicolour. A sensory and emotional overload unlike any other. And it is utterly, completely and truly addictive. I cannot ever imagine leaving this place.

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 23rd, 2010 at 9:31 pm and is filed under Cape Town Contemplations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.