Friday, November 16, 2007

fake town

I've been meaning to write this post for over a year. It takes a fair amount of balls, because the Capetonians might kick up a bit of a fuss.

But what the hell. I'm just going to say it. I hate Cape Town.
And now that my job entails writing for a Jozi site and a Cape Town site, it looks like I might have to fly down there sometimes. I will be hurled into the abyss, and will therefore have to accept this.

I was hoping to never go there ever again, but let me explain before you potentially get all “fuck you Delilah” on me.

I lived in Cape Town when I was a student. I've done my years; both on holiday and actually living there. And I had a whale of a time. I've done all the shit there is to do in Cape Town, including the youthful intoxicated extras like stealing road signs, 1 000 m of red and white roadside tape, and streaking and breaking into the Claremont Swimming Pool. I've also sat on Jameson Stairs discussing Stanley Kubrick's very probable crystal meth habit.

I've smoked joints on the Tampon Towers and I've ridden the fucking cable car 8 times. Hell, I ate a Johnny's Roti.

You and I will possibly fall asleep reading this, but, the beach every Friday, the wine route, the frigging mowwwntain, Long Street, District Six, the carpeted walls of Corner Shop.

Kirstenbosch Gardens and the copulation thereof under the Strelizias and I even climbed Devil's Peak. Naked. (Well only the second half. Long story.)

Cape Town is an aesthetically beautiful place. Everywhere you look there's beauty. (Barring Ottery. “If God ever took a dump, it landed in Ottery.” - a friend summed it up well.)
The sheer opulence of the city is both overwhelming and powerful...and overrated. Yes. It slaps you like a wet mop, because it's just in your face the whole time.

By contrast, one needs to look a little harder for the beauty in Johannesburg, but once you get it, you appreciate it more. Cape Town is very one-dimensional. It doesn't have layers, unless you include the Cape Flats. Fine. And Valkenberg Mental Hospital.

This is my personal opinion – it's probably wrong – but it's how I feel. Cape Town also depresses me. I have memories of that place that are bittersweet, and I find it hard to go back there for a holiday. In fact, fly me to East London rather. If I don't go to Cape Town for the next five years, I'll survive.

It is a place that harbours sadness for me. Not when I was a carefree student, but the spin-offs of that. Capetonians also stick to their own.
The problem of course is that my family all live down there.

I find Cape Town a bit....taxing. In a lost childhood/misspent youth kind of way.
Leaves me cold. Can't bear the thought of it. I have an issue with Cape Town.
Hell, I have issues with Johannesburg, but I find, for fucked-up-me, it's more stomachable to live up here.

So nail me up on a board, and tell me I'm a dumb, irrepressible fuck. See if I care. Cape Town doesn't do it for me. Anymore.

70 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow peas, that is brave because the Capetonians are going to crucify you. But let me just say this: I think your feelings about Cape Town are probably biased by your bad memories, etc. but I agree with you on many points.

I was born and bred in Cape Town and only moved away when I was 24 (for work related reasons) and until then I was happily going along doing my Capetonian thing. Only after I moved away and went back did I see what non Capetonians are always complaining about: Capetonians are clicky, narrow minded, snobbish and totally detached from the rest of Africa. It's true and I'm ashamed to admit it. Cape Town is beautiful to look at, but the people do not behave so beautifully. And you can only see it from the outside. My mom also admitted it to me the other day when she came up to visit.

Peas on Toast said...

Toti - absolutely, I've heard that from Capetonians too. The good thing about this all is that your impressions can change. I mean, when I moved up to Joburg I hated this place. All I wanted to do was go back to Cape Town. Now it's the opposite. Ad once I face my demons down there, I'm certain I can try and love it again. One day. Just not right now.

Anonymous said...

However, I've also lived in Gauteng and I never saw any beauty in the place! (that's probably the Capetonian in me popping up :))

Peas on Toast said...

Toti - yeah fair enough. It's like comparing apples and oranges - as much as I love Jozi, the place has aged me far quicker than if I'd stayed in CT. There's no doubt about that. But in order to embrace my surroundings, I made a concerted effort to find beauty in small things. Like the Joburg skyline. I think it's gorgeous. But as a Capetonian, I can quite understand that finding Joburg beautiful takes hard work.

What I've realised is this: You're either a Cape Town person or Joburg person. There's no grey area.

Anonymous said...

I don't know. I still love the place, but I just don't think I could ever live there again. But I'm definately not a joburg person! I'm a lowvelder now (dis lekker op die laeveld!). But my boyfriend's from joburg and totally anti-Cape Town. He was a stornch highvelder until we moved to the lowveld. Now we're both lowveld people :)

Peas on Toast said...

Lowveld eh? Well it's certainly different from the manic city in either respect, sounds nice!
I'm a Joburg person now, through and through - I consider this place home. But I still have my days where I think, "shit. Time to pack it in and leave for Durban."

Durban is a place I'd like to live in one day. Perhaps even for a short time.

Betenoir said...

it's true though... people who live in Cape Town have a love-hate relationship with the place...Personally, i think that like with many beauties, it's never really had to work at attaining depth or personality....so it tends to be a bit shallow. But then also not. there are lots of hidden depths and oddments and quirkinesses and funky bits (and people).. you just have to look the right way...

Peas on Toast said...

Bete - true. I do find CT more surface level than Jozi though. But perhaps because I was on that surface, and didn't grow up there.

Revolving Credit said...

Umm....can we have our road signs back please?

Peas on Toast said...

Aw c'mon Rev, those old things? ;)

I left them in Cape Town. I gave back to the community, see.

:)

Sweets said...

i love cape town, but i totally get what you say about the in your face beautiful, one dimentional side... we are so jealous! well i am anyway!

Anonymous said...

I am the complete opposite to you. I am a Joburger, living in CT. I would never ever leave this place. My entire family is in Joburg (we can swop families), I am alone in CT, but would not give it up for the world.

Yes, it is clicky, but you start making friends with other foreigners (which there are lots of).

Peas on Toast said...

sweetass - Ha ha, I'm not jealous though. I would be if the sea was actually warm enough to swim in. :)

Anon - Wow, well I suppose you've found your home away from home. Inherently, you're either a lover or hater of one of the places - so perhaps you were meant to be a Capetonian. ;)

Revolving Credit said...

Now dislike, not my favourite, not too hot on; these statements I can understand, but hate is a strong word.

Now I have to ask: This post follows rather closely on the you venting at Ex S post.
Cape Town was where you both studied, lived in love, shagged in strange places and engaged in minor criminal activites.

So the question is: Do you actually hate Cape Town or do you rightnow hate Ex S and by association Cape Town?

SheBee said...

I think you feel about esCapeTown like I do about Jozi...

memories can kill a place.

KaB said...

Bitch...just kidding!

Right, my two cents worth...

As amanzi says...your feelings are completely biased & I feel sorry for you in that respect...you're totally hating Cape Town for the wrong reasons! But that's you & we all dig the Peas for being, well...Peas! Whatever floats your boat!

Yes, Capetonians are clicky...my god...living in the Gtown for 4 years & coming home was not the easiest transition but the thing about us Kaapies is that we're only clicky for say, ten minutes...once you break through that barrier of 'fuck off you're not part of our clique', then you're in for life! In actual fact, I've found that since I've let my guard down & have actually enjoyed living in Cape Town again & gotten over the pretencious bullshit that everyone goes on about...it's actually a place & network well worth waiting for! People are genuine & people really do enjoy your company!

And how could you say that we are one-layered...huh? I won't even argue my point there because I feel I would just be wasting my breath...*sigh hold on I see the mountain* - right, I'm back!

Y'all may think we're crazy about the mountain but every morning it's the most gorgeous thing to look at on the way to work...it stands as a beacon for most of us...it is home for most of us! I'm sorry that you have those sad memories & that you associate CT with them...I'd rather it be the opposite & you could have it as your retreat but alas...you'd prefer East London (shocker).

I'm not attacking you...I just don't get it...this place truly is breathtaking & yes, we may be different to the rest of Africa...THANK FUCK FOR THAT!

Now, if you don't mind...I'm going to drown my sorrows at the wine farms...thank fuck for those too!

Shit, I love this place...don't know how I will survive away from it!

Peas on Toast said...

Rev - no absolutely. That definitely has a lot to do with it, so it's via association. But it's not all of it, Dick and I spent some time together there too, and it's also to do with the fact that after my gran died of breast cancer, my CT holidays were never the same. So people have a lot to do with it. But perhaps one day I'll get to forge new memories there and move on.

SheBee - yip, kinda like that one night I was in Bloemfontein. :)

Kab - babe, I hear you I do, and love these opinions. Because for most people, Cape Town is amazing. But maybe that's also it - people harp on and on about how great it is, and perhaps it's a pinnacle of annoyance. And making friends there is hard, but as you say, once you've made them you realise what nice, laid back people they are.

Tam said...

Peas, none of us Capies have crucified you yet. Snobs. I've lived in both CT and JHB and love both.

I miss JHB's weather, easy friendships, parties and trees.

Think you could make some new memories in CT and kill the hate?

Peas on Toast said...

Tam - thanks my dear, and it's nice to see you have nice things to say about both places. Yes, I think once I bite the bullet and experience Cape Town other than that of a student or holidaymaker, it may be different, and I may just be pleasantly surprised.

Anonymous said...

i have to admit that even tho I find Cape Town gorgeous....its not my favourite place either. Things are just too slow for me and the place has shot through the roof as a holiday destination for overseas tourist. The fact of the matter is, this place is no longer catering for South Africans(unless you work there) Sad really, i used to love going there

Anonymous said...

I think I have to agree with peas...on some level anyway.
I used to loooove going to Cape Town. I have lots of family there and the place is gorgeous...no doubt about that!
But i don't enjoy going there as much as i used to. The place has become beyond commercialised! And it's just way too busy during the holiday season.

Peas on Toast said...

Ruby - I suppose it's our main poratl of tourism, and have to agree with Storm below, as a result it has become seriously commercialised and very busy. It was recently named one of the top 5 cities to visit in the world, I believe.
As a student, the tourist stuff wasn't on my list of priorities obviously, and so much has changed even from then (2002).

That guy you know said...

hey hey I hear you on the CT thing but in all honesty I think thats the place to be. When you are loaded, trick with CT is to not let the bohemian vibe sink into your bones. If you arrive with a Jozi mentality then you can cream it, but if you start saying shit like: "Wow bru, the mountain looks lank kiff" you're a goner. I also appreciate the fact that it was once known as the world capital of casual sex. Getting laid there was just too easy. Maybe its because so many of the dudes are gay that the girls need someone to clean their pipes, but I was happy to oblige. Now that I'm here I have a much (jozi) lower strike rate!

Peas on Toast said...

Guy - it's probably all those students :) ha ha. So you reckon it's easier there hey?

I'd like to see what the Durban people have to say about this. And what they think of Jozi and CT as Durbanites. :)

boldly benny said...

Morning Peas,

Everyone seems to have touched all bases so I won't comment too much. Everyone is entitled to their opinions. I'm a Cape Tonian through and through and have lived in the Eastern Cape and Jozi and I've loved all of them for what they were for different times in my life.
Cape Town is home and I do want to return one day but it'll be a huge adjustment and I can identify with some of the points you raise. I don't think you can compare any of our provinces, I think each province and the people that come from it are so different.
If I talk about dislikes:
Cape Town, things are slow people are unfriendly and superfical.
Jozi, people are materialistic and it tires me out.
Durban, the people are far too colonial and narrow minded and I can't handle the humity BUT...
Cape Town, it stays light until like 8pm in summer and the air smells sweet and I can grab some bottles of wine, my siblings and head to the beach for sundowners.
Jozi, I've made some of the best friends, there's always fun to be had and something awesome happening.
Durban, the sea is INCREDIBLE to swim in and when you make friends with a Durbanite, you have a friend for life.
There'll always be pros and cons so I understand if for now, you want to hate Cape Town. I love/hate CT and Jozi all the time.

And just one last point -
Johnny's Roti is in Durban (I've eaten there too.)
In Cape Malay cuisine, once a roti is filled with deelish curry it is known as a salomie. So perhaps you've eaten Gadiga's (GA-DEE-JAH) Salomies? Sorry I'm a particular person ;-)

Peas on Toast said...

Boldly - yay! She finally comments :)
And valid points too, both good and bad. Thanks doll.
On Johnny's Roti - yes it originated in Durban - but there's another outlet in Obs - that hole in the wall where you can buy one with polony, cheese and God knows what else inside. I swear by it, and I wasn't tripping, promise!

The Divine Miss M said...

I love Cape Town because it will always be my home, even though I'm living in London now, but I have to agree with what was said earlier: Damn CT people are clickly, snobby irritating bastards. Everytime I go home on holiday I realise that everyone is doing the exact same things, at the exact same places, with the exact same people and it drives me completely up the wall. 2 weeks is about all that I can handle there when I go home before I want to tear my hair out and run screaming.

I do love it though ;)

fuzzy logic said...

I feel that way about Grahamstown (except that it's not even close to good-lookingness that Cape Town has).

And too right - people who have lived in CT for most of their lives (and there are a lot of them!) tend to be pretty cliquey.

Anonymous said...

As a Capetonian (Sic) who has now moved permanently to Johannesburg I get bored every time I visit Cape Town. I have seen everything that needs seeing there. Where with Johannesburg I constantly find new things and new cultures.

Peas on Toast said...

Miss M - I must say though that I know a handful of lovely Capetonians, and once getting to know them, they've been swell. Also I can't really talk when it comes to doing the same shit all the time up here. It also makes me want to tear my hair out. I see the same people at the same places, well until recently, where I've been holing myself in with work. But yes, I suppose staying in a place long enough this tends to happen!

Fuzzy - Oh I'm sure. How could we forget Grahamstown? That's a mini Cape Town all on its own :)

analyse - the thing with Joburg, and I agree, is that there is always something new happening. The city is so vast and different in so many ways - there is always new things to discover. But one has to really look for it. I really love Jozi, but even now and then I think, "shit. Perhaps it's time to spend a weekend on the East Rand and see what that's all about." :)

boldly benny said...

ha ha, were you waiting for my oh-so-Cape-Tonian response?
NO WAYS, there's a Johnny's in Obs? My sister lives there so maybe I should make a trip there when I feel like food poisoning!
Obs is like a treasure in Cape Town, my sister phoned me last week because a bergie had climbed over her wall and was trying to make a getaway on my nephew's tricycle - PRICELESS!

To tell you the truth I don't know these days - I can say that I've ended up losing alot of CT friends since moving up to Jozi. Right now I'm not ready to put down roots anywhere!

Peas on Toast said...

Boldly - I was indeed :) And WAY girlfriend, there's one in Obs! At least there was when we were students, and I hit the place at 2:00am one morning. Obs, indeed is one of the best little haven in CT, although I fear if I spent too much time there I'd lose track of time and space. And smoke way too much doobie doo.
:)

Yip, and you're probably in limbo. It took me six months in Jozi to stop missing Cape Town and pining for the place. Thereafter I really didn't know what to call home. But I knew when after a year or two, I went back on a holiday and wasn't desperately sad to leave, and knew I'd moved on.

The Divine Miss M said...

Peas - I guess you're right. It is just that London is so big and there is so much here that we do find ourselves doing such different stuff all the time. Plus people are always so busy that I see different people all the time!

The only thing that I keep the same is my rock climbing on the weekends, but that is just fun :)

There are some great Capetonians, but on the whole they are way to clicky and once they have a group they only stick to that one. It's annoying. You go to a club and no one wants to talk to anyone new unless they might get a kiss out of it, so stupid! I go out here and meet a new person all the time, engage in conversation at the bar etc, it's fun.

Anonymous said...

Love Durbs tho! i'm a native durbanite/north kwazulunatllertjie:-)but live in Jozi now

I love natal....and nothing no where in this country and compare to it. The people are fab, the atmosphere is friendly and its just gorgeous!!!!

Peas on Toast said...

Miss M - it's funny. At house parties at varsity, you could always spot the Capetonains from a mile away.

They were the group in the corner, standing in a circle. Like, why you guys even here again? ;)

Peas on Toast said...

Ruby - hear, hear! I love Natal too :)

Anonymous said...

What I'm about to say is very contraversial, but this is a contraversial post, so what the hell!

Capetonians are extremely prejudiced and it's not necessarily racism like most people think, but classism. It's based on the old colonialism and cape town is definately still a colony. If they wanna be cut off from everyone else, maybe you should dig that trench that the dutch settlers wanted to - I think the hedge they planted to separate cape town from the rest of us is almost completely gone now, but even if the physical divide is gone, it's still there in every other way.

I found what kab said very interesting because that's exactly the cape town attitude that is so hated - if they want to live like europeans, why not move to europe? Whether they like it or not, it is still in africa.

Wake up cape town.

Peas on Toast said...

Anon - yeah, I must say, I knew this post would bring up lots about the cliqueyness of Capetonians. What I've realised is why they like that - and I suppose it's not their fault completely. They have so much stuff to do down there, and they're not part of the "boat" theory. In Jozi, everyone sticks together and helps each other out. And weekends are filled with people-meeting and networking.

Anonymous said...

Hey peas. I can totally understand how having emotional scars from a place can make you never want to go there again. That's how I feel about the town where we used to live - it's bitter-sweet. It was where we started our life together, but it's also where he betrayed me, so I don't think I can ever go there again.

Peas on Toast said...

fairytale - for sure. Mine's not that bad, but I'd say it's not ideal. I'd prefer to just stay away for now. But it also makes me annoyed that old memories make me feel like this about CT - so I will make it my mission to get over it. But yes bittersweet memories make it hard to go back.
Just like my old house in Natal.

Tertia said...

BEEEEYAATCH!!

Breaking up with you now.
You can keep the road signs.

ITS OVER!

Actually, I feel that way about Joburg. I lived there for four years and met someone who broke my heart like no one ever has before. Shattered. I was there on my own, no family. Every time I go back there I get that same haunting anxiety. My heart starts racing and I feel terribly trapped. It was such a hard time for me. It took me a long to get over him and to get over the experience, and somehow Joburg will always be associated with betrayal, heartache and devastating loneliness. Even though I know it is the place, I can't help it. All I see is ugliness when I am there, I struggle to find the beauty.

So, even though I now officially hate you and think you are a stuck up Joburg 'ho, I can understand a little of what you are saying.

BUT DID YOU SEE ME DISS YOUR TOWN. HUH!!

Sigh. Can't believe how I loved that guy. Asshole.

Anonymous said...

Corner House you tool. Not Corner Shop. Corner Shop were the suspicious looking bhangra dudes who did 'Brim full of Asha'.
And thats cool - please stay in Jozi. We really don't want people with your negative vibe in Cape Town anyway, it spoils my view of the beach from inside this cocktail glass. Enjoy the dam (or wherever else it is you do on the weekends)

Suavé said...

Aesthetically yes, people no. And yes I live in Cape Town and I tell Capetonians all the time to get over themselves. Really. You aint all that. Really you aint.

But I will say this for Cape Town, there senoritas are hotties. Totally.

Peas on Toast said...

Tertia - I love you.
And yes, you can diss my town, it's completely acceptable. I do understand :)
Still love you though. Can I interest you in some road signs?

Anonymous - sorry you tool. Whatever. You're just the type of Cape Town freak I tend to try and stay from, so just as well. As long as you're there and I'm here, we'll both be happy. Have a fantastic weekend swimming in your arse-freezing water.

Suave - but never ever forget my boy - you fitted in here well as a Jozi-ite. :) And we miss ya!

Anonymous said...

This is so obviously an attempt to stir debate and generate hits for a blog that has been phoning it in for months. I think about 50% of what you write actually consitutes your opinion, because most of it is a mish-mash of misused words, bad spelling and things you have clearly heard about somewhere else and decided to try and write about. You know what, girl: YOU'RE NOT THAT GOOD OF A WRITER.

And do me a favour - stop telling people you went to UCT. Those of use that went there and actually studied something valid, instead of Film Studies and Third Year Italian, really hate it when you claim alumnus from our place. Stay in Joburg and have an absolute ball. We really do prefer it that way.

Peas on Toast said...

stfu - well now, no need to get personal. And you're right, I'm not the best writer. I'm well aware of that. Especially with spelling.

The question is: am I bovvered?

I can claim I went to UCT over and over and over again, just like you claim to be a specialist in editing. Even if I studied bat crap, or the sexual habits of the rare yak, I still went there.

So asshole, go back to your business science degree or whatever it is you did, and I'll continue to write whatever and HOWEVER I like on my blog.

Anonymous said...

You basically did study bat crap.

You carry on with your blog, Laur. It's good and reliable, it makes your readers feel better.

No guy (bitter) ---> Have guy (happy, but can I trust again?) ---> Boring (comments decrease) ---> "Controversial" post to get attention (I hate Cape Town, boys, yada yada yada).

You can set your calendar by it.

Peas on Toast said...

Hahahahaha. Well good to know. Since you clearly set yours. :)

So out of interest, what did you study? I always like to know what my regular readers do.

SheBee said...

jesus. looks like the kak weather brought out the trolls today. I got one too :)

Hey, Peas - don't you just HATE people who waste their time reading blogs they despise?

Surely they have better things to do?

Peas on Toast said...

SheBee - is someone giving you kak my dear? My gloves are off, so steer them my way.
:)

Ag, am used to trolls. It comes with the territory. Shakes things up, and is always fun to trade insults.

Just a pity he never really told what he was studying. Bu the sounds of things, he's gunning for a doctorate.

SheBee said...

nah, i couldn't be bothered, hey.

My troll lovingly reminds me about all the things I hate about myself.

it's quite refreshing, actually.

Richard Catto said...

I never wanted to be a Capetonian, you know.

I always wanted to be a... LUMBERJACK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xToPCaNxaow

Love you, peas. :-D

Peas on Toast said...

SheBee - the funny thing with trolls is that it's easy for them.

You know, posting anonymously, the safety of the screen while they attend to their bunions and halitosis.
It's very seldom I have traded insults with one who has bovvered to put an identity to their talk, so to speak. That would take too much courage.
There's a reason why trolls live under bridges. :)

Oh well, another interesting day in the blogosphere. I love this place :)

Peas on Toast said...

Richard - thanks doll. It's not your fault :)
Kidding. I've always wanted to be a pirate. Perhaps we can collaborate!

Revolving Credit said...

Ok, everybody play nicely or no ice-cream for anyone, ok!

STFU, not cool dude!
Here we all were playing a fun games of 'My town is better that yours' and you turn it into an excuse for a personal attack

It's great to hear other peoples views and have a bit of a debate.

Great to see Teria get in on the fray! Maybe we can add a new leg to the 'My town is better that yours' games; maybe get Teria and Peas to Jello-wrestle for the title.

Suavy my boytjie, long time ;)
Glad you're loving the Mutha City!

As for clicky thing and all that shit - it's there, but lets not let a small segment of the Southern Suburbs and Campsbay define us all.

I go out often, socialise new meet people (& lots of interesting foreigner) and have a jol doing it.
My friends are very similar so even though I do see the occassional clicky /groupy thing happen, I'm like: fuck!! this is no longer high school so everyone growup.

I luv it here, have a great life, good friends and a beautiful city.

Then again there are many places in the country and around the world I have grown to like.

Based on it's beauty, but also on the people I've met and experiences I've had.
Trick is maybe (and don't shoot me for this) to be a bit Capetonian in your approach : Chill, don't rush, experience it, doesn't have to be right now and learn to appreaciate things, people, places moments for what they are and what they mean to you.

Actually, it's not a Capetonian thing, it's African.

'An African man says that the problem with the Europeans are that nobody breaths.
No-one just sits back, not working or planning or doing some or other shit - just sits back and breaths, exists and appreciates life for what it is'

So if you would all just slow the fuck down, breath and appreciate the beautiful country and diverse, yet interesting people that make up this most favoured tip of Africa.

PS. No furry animal were injured in the writing of this comment.

Peas on Toast said...

Now this is a perfect example of a Capetonian I'd like to one day meet. And touche Rev, my bad, one can't assume all Capetonians are grouped into the southern suburbs/camps bay category. Very valid points there, guy.
And clearly a Capetonian through and through - because as much as I love the pace of Joburg and it keeps me alive and working and ambitious, it wouldn't hurt to adopt a little of the Capetonian mindset of actually just chilling and breathing. :) x

Revolving Credit said...

So Peas, are you game for a bit of Jello-Wrestling??

The Divine Miss M said...

stfu has some serious issues! I thought blogging was all about being able to write what ever you wanted. We love your blog peas :)

Anyways what's wrong with studying a BA in Film and Media at UCT, I did that and I'm doing very well thank you. We obviously have much more entertaining jobs than him

He can kiss our arses ;)

Peas on Toast said...

Miss M - yeah, I'm doing what I want and love, so I really can't complain either :) Thing is, when he tied to insult me, he was actually insulting the institution he was trying to stick up for. Stupid prick didn't realise it, but he just insulted UCT.
And since he's such a "fantastic ulumnus," well he really should've taken another angle of personal slaying.

High fives Miss M, you must've had as much a blast as I did at varsity!

The Divine Miss M said...

Hell ya! And I also had my own collection of street signs and road tape and traffic cones ;)

UCT was a blast, lots of suntanning, skiving off classes and going to the beach. Along with getting stoned in the old zoo ...

I miss it ...

Anonymous said...

Hi Peas

I've been reading your blog for a while now and I really enjoy it, so, frankly, I think stfu is just being an ass (I'm studying BA at UCT - my majors are French and Spanish. Wonder what he'd think of that?) I'm also a Capetonian through and through, although I'm from the northern suburbs and I agree that the clicky thing is much worse in the southerns suburbs/Camps Bay area. I'm in res in Obs (which is fantastic, ever been to Pancho's?) so most of my friends come from over the whole country. Some of the Capetonians I know are quite clicky (although the people I grew up with are very friendly and open) but I have also made friends with genuinely nice people from CT, so I guess it depends. I have to admit I'm not crazy about Joburg, mainly because the air is dry and pretty damn polluted. And yes, when I go up there I do miss the mountain! But different people like different places so it's really not for me to judge. But I love Cape Town, it's my home and I think I'd find it difficult to live anywhere else in SA.

Europe - now, that would be a different story...

Richard Catto said...

Doing business with some Capetonians can be frustrating because they don't like committing themselves to definitive answers. For example:

Me (concluding sales pitch): "So there you have it. Are you interested?"

Capetonian: "Let me think about it and I will get back to you."

Me: "Bullshit! YOU will tell me NOW!"

Capetonian: "You are a very rude man!"

Me: "Oh FUCK YOU!"

and btw, duh.

Yes, I am a very rude man when dealing with idiots.

Anonymous said...

Ahem - I live in CT *and* went to UCT [BA LLB]:-) I agree 100% with the sentiments that CT is overrated; it is also damned expensive (seen the house prices here lately?) and is heading for a fall with the Green Point Stadium..

kyknoord said...

and yet, a scant four months ago, you were so over Joburg.

Dave said...

Haha Anon, Cape Town is one place that ain't heading for a fall!

Peas, associated memories make places different to what they are in reality. I used to dislike Cape Town, then I lived there for over a year and loved it to bits.

Now that I live abroad I consider all South African cities under the same umbrella and love them all, they are all the same just with subtle attitude differences which only those living in either city or in SA will actually pick up on.

In Australia, there is a similar situation with residents of Melbourne and Sydney but to an outsider they are both cool cities. A tourist might have a preference but you will never find somebody who says "I love Melbourne but hate Sydney" or vice versa.

Your dislike of a city is merely an opinion influenced by personal experience and local loyalty, its hard to escape this because it exists in the human psyche, all over the world!

Peas on Toast said...

Rich - I hear Capetonians start their weekends on Wednesday afternoon. So this may be the issue :)

Anon - I know! Gone are the days where Barneys sold a shot of stroh rum for R1/tot. :)

Kyk - I'm over Joburg. But less so than Cape Town, my lovely Capetonian friend who totally gets me. hahaha :)

Dave - oh absolutely. You've got it down pat. I'd love to hear what those Ozzies would have to say about their respective cities. Live, and in their accents. And where would Brizzy Brisbane fit in?
;)

Anonymous said...

While I agree that your characterization is very true of a particular part of Cape Town, it is far from complete. It is unfortunately the side of Cape Town that most people see (many of which love it). However, the townships are alive in a way that I find very difficult to explain. They are unpretentious, welcoming and alive! I am not saying in anyway that this does not exist in Jozi (having lived there I do believe that it does exist). All I am saying is it all depends on YOU the individual and where YOU choose to spend your time. If the easily accessible world of opulence and pretentiousness is not a good fit for you why is it here that you have spent your time? There exists a vibrant world in Cape Town that at least by the experiences you chose to highlight of your time spent there you have not experienced.

Peas on Toast said...

sergeantmoody - I garee with you 100%. Which is why I made mention of the Flats/townships in the post and how without that, CT is one dimensional. And yes, it is about the individual - there's no doubt about that.

Anonymous said...

Puke - this post and it's comments are so Cape Town

Anonymous said...

I love Cape Town, but your posting reminded me of a fun posting I did awhile back...

http://ericedelstein.com/2007/04/23/10-reasons-why-cape-town-can-off/