Observations of Cape Town life

Instead of strollers, I frequently see women pushing babies around in shopping carts. Not in the stores, mind you, just out and about.

When people approach you for money (very frequently), they act very polite and reserved. When you tell them you have no money, they do a 180 and call you lots of names, too many to list here, usually in another language (but you can still imagine).

You will always have bizarre passengers with you in the kombis. They usually stare, even if you’re not doing anything.

More kombi facts: the driver may decide at some point that he needs to get more petrol. He may have a full passenger load. There is nothing more awkward then sitting in a kombi, at a gas station, with 15 other people waiting while the driver fills up. Even better is when the gas station is a block from where you need to get out and the driver simply tells you to get out there. Other passengers may advise you to try to get 20 cents (this is basically negative American dollars) back since you had to get out earlier. Best to just get out.

Locals complain about the so-called “winter” here. A lot. Yet they still go surfing year round.

You have to generally buy electricity at the grocery store. There is a box, similar to a credit card swipe machine in the house, that comes with a key card. Credits are listed and decrease as you use up electricity. In order to “buy” more, you go to the grocery store, tell them you want X amount of rand’s worth of electricity and they print out a receipt with a code. You go home, swipe the card or enter the code and voila, more power.

At night, there are vendors selling trinkets, eggs, potato chips, and grilled sausages. All on the same stand.

Common phrases of greeting:

- How you?

- You fine?

- You all right?

- Hiya!