Monday, November 05, 2007

meet the parents

So I met his folks. And honestly, I had a delightful evening.
(As I type, there's always a possibility that they hated me on first sight of course...but I had a great time, and I was polite...so I figure if they don't like me, I tried my best anyway.)

Can't say I've ever had as much fun on a First Meeting Of The Parentals Evening as I did on this one. We all stuffed into Mr 747's dad's car, his sister included, and headed off to the deep south. Rosettenville, to be exact. Where we klapped a couple of prawns, klapped a bit of wine, checked out a couple of locals...

Didn't end there either - not before stopping off at the Jolly Roger for a night cap.
Mr 747 and his dad are a carbon copy. They talk the same, they look the same, it's uncanny. His mum was also very nice, as is his sister.

On the talking thing, I'm always enthralled by a good Eastern Cape accent – a gewone one. The use of the words “oke” and“hell”, the accentuation of the first syllable to make a point, and “hey” on the end of every sentence:

Hell! I was BUGgered hey.” Or “YES-tah-day! It was BUCKeting down this morning hey, okes were bringing out their BROLLies hey.”
My absolute favourite: “Okes HATE cracking open a few drinks, hey. HATE it [hey.]”
I am absolutely fascinated by how these people talk. And Mr 747 and his father certainly give each other a run for each other's money.

It's fabulous. I reckon a good Eastern Cape war cry for the Cathcart pub or the likes, would be the soundtrack of It's Raining Men, but changed to: “It's BUCKeting okes, HELLelujah, it's BUCKeting okes.”

His family reminded me so much of my own. Put mine and his father in a room together, and there'd be a mound of free entertainment right there, I imagine. The room would probably start shaking. His family is refreshingly eccentric, down to Earth people who are easy to talk to too.

Also, and this is very exciting – Mr 747 and I are going on holiday together this week. Just the two of us. We're both tired and overworked, so the timing is apt. I'll be flying down to join him tomorrow, (he has more leave) we'll be chilling on the Natal South Coast. By the time I get there, I imagine he'll be quite cabin fevered out of his own company:

(“Hi how are you, I'm fine, hell it's nice to talk to a real person again, should we do something, let's do something, yirrrrrrr I'm so chirpy, are you chirpy, talk to me, please listen to me, because I've spent two days on my own here and I'm a little bored and okes here think I'm nuts, so how are you, fine, I'm also fine.”)

We're staying in a bungalow on the sea/lagoon. And then on the drive back home, in these kiff treehouse lodges in the Midlands. Treehouses, how flipping exciting is that? And we're taking Bump 2 on the journey with us. Bring it on.

PS: Went to a braai at his digs on Saturday, where one of their neighbours - of about 45 years old and clearly fucked in the head – just ambled into the garden, somma pulled up a chair and made himself at home. It was classic. He was obviously mental and/or on drugs. He kept on having these random outsbursts, and just lurked in the corner mumbling incoherent sentences to himself, cracking open a beer, and kind of freaking everyone out. He assumed, I suppose, that it's normal to just gatecrash a party of complete strangers. It was priceless. (“Whose the random dude in the corner?”)

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Puke, puke and more puke!!! I'm so tired bout hearing bout mr474 and his great freakin' self! you havent said one remotely bad thing about him and thats just unreal..now the family's great too?? aarrgghhh!!! dump this dude and bring back the old peas PLEASE!!

Peas on Toast said...

Hahaha, sorry I can't help laughing Anonymous, that's pretty hysterical.

So you preferred the old crusty, bitch of a ho Peas hey? ;)

Bless. Well there's still a lot of that in me yet, I promise :)

SheBee said...

Excitement!

You'll be down here in my hometown, homie.

U staying in Uvongo by anychance? There are a million resorts there, and i'm not going to stalk you, just curious.

Anon - lol! Fabulous how ppl find us more entertaining when we're a bloody misery to society.

Peas on Toast said...

SheBee - nope, south of that in Port Edward. :)

Yes and being a crusty bitch has its entertainment values. No one wants to hear about how happy someone is the whole time, for sure. Good thing too, I nearly lost grip of reality there for a second, and Anonymous put me in my place.
:)

SheBee said...

oh bull man. its not like you've been heart wrenchingly soppy about it.

I've just driven from Port Edward this morning (stayed over at the wild coast this weekend) and its gorgeous. hope the weather stays the way it is for you now.

Peas on Toast said...

Sheebs - thanks man, I was hoping I haven't been ridiculous OTT about it all. Anyway, the place should be nice if the weather holds up - we have a lot of pirating to do, like find treasure, battle the raging seas and other exciting piratical activities like imbibing a lot of rum as the sun goes down.
:)

not a fairy tale princess said...

Glad it's going well for you peas :)

Peas on Toast said...

Thanks Fairytale, long may it last eh?

I'm finding your blog fascinating, and also heartbreaking. I hope it starts to come right for you too my dear.
x

not a fairy tale princess said...

Gf if you find something good, hold onto it with both hands (and both feet if you can).

Things are alot better these days, but it's still difficult to deal with all the things that happened in the past. There are still alot of other issues as well, not only trust and communication but also things like his ex-wife and money.

Peas on Toast said...

Ooh hell, I can imagine Fairytale. It certainly hasn't been an easy ride, from what I've read - and I am amazed you stuck around during these times. That's love I suppose. It's also a sharp reality trip for me, reading your stuff, it reminds me to keep on my toes at all times. Also not to take for granted what I have at this moment. Because it could so easily change too.

Champagne Heathen said...

Ha ha! Damn happy chirpy lovey-dovey couples! ... I had to chuckle at Anon's comment... like people bitching when they see couples kissing too much in public or using cheesy nicknames.

And yeah... this is an Eastern Cape family we are talking about... we know you have to have some dodgy stuff on them! (I completely deny any 2nd generation links I too have to PE!)

Peas on Toast said...

Champagne - yeah there's nothing more annoying than a smoochy, nickname-calling couple. I haven't had those moments in a while, so forgive me while I enjoy it. Although I don't graunch in public - only in the dark spots of a nightclub/my house and the likes.
:)

Champagne Heathen said...

France cured me of ever again getting irritated with such couples.... +2 hour bus trip seated next to such a couple!! Now I rather laugh at the people who get pissed off with such couples... I think jealousy plays a major part of people's gripes about such couples. So nickname and kiss away... but yeah, maybe keep the graunching (considering the dodgy images it brings to mind) to dark corners!

Peas on Toast said...

No touchay, but there's NOTHING worse than trying to talk to such couples and they're too busy sucking face and calling each other "Baby" and "Babe" the whole time.
Can't stand it, mainly because it's just way overboard and almost put on.

Everyone in moderation I say.

Vimbai said...

Lovely to hear you are in the family way, and i mean that in a totally not-knocked-up-sense :-)

Enjoy floating on Cloud Nine and gushing about 747, there's plenty of time for cynicism and bitching later...i say, enjoy the fluffy moments, they're what dreams are made of :-)

Peas on Toast said...

Vimbai - thanks man :)
Yeah, like all things it's not going to be/or has been 100% picture perfect. I am enjoying talking fluff at the moment though, not gonna lie :)

zuzula said...

glad you had a good time with his folks - a very good sign! I'm meeting my new in-laws this weekend... gulp.

Anonymous said...

My sister had an experience with random neighbours at her 21st - she put notes in all the post boxes saying she was having a party, so sorry in advance for any noise etc. In the middle of the party the neighbours (who she hadn't actually met before) knocked on the door with their fold up chairs and coolbox of drinks - they heard there was a party and thought they would join in! :-)

Peas on Toast said...

Zu - good luck my friend! Eeeek! :)

Mel - hilarious, and at a 21st too? Cos when I say to my neighbours, "hi chaps, having a little thrash, pop in if you like," I don't really mean it. I mean "please therefore do not complain about the noise, because as you can see, I am only being polite."

:)

Anonymous said...

He's not a proper Eastern Cape oke if the words Boet and Swaer don't come up every four of five sentences.

Anonymous said...

hey nooit ou, we dont talk like that ! ok, not all the time. not to my ouma anyway. somedays more than other. and not in church. outside while having a smoke, but not inside. and never on christmas when the family from ape town is visiting.

Peas on Toast said...

Inyoka - oh absolutely, boet and swaer are regulars - can't believe I forgot!

Anon - hahahaha, Ape Town?? ;)

Anonymous said...

oops, your right. just a typo. should be skaap stad. my mistake.