We decide to go to Patido’s while in New Brighton, a township in Port Elizabeth. It isn’t a surprise since we always end up there at some point. It is a very festive and vibrant place. The first time I drove by I loved it immediately. It always has loud music blaring out of the speakers and you can count on this place to have good energy any day of the week. During the weekends people spill into the streets. They dance and jive to music blaring from Patido’s or from a car. A couple of street vendors call this place home and one can expect to get deliciously braai’d meat for a few rands at any hour of the night. It’s the kind of place I love to go. But coming to a place like this in location (which means in the township) has its price, too.
But I know the drill. Peruse the street until a parking spot opens that is close enough to the joint so that it can be checked on regularly. Get out of the car- all at the same time. Head in and immediately find a table. All the tables are wooden with bench seats. If one isn’t available, which is often the case, we’ll find one with one square inch of it isn’t being used and establish home base there. I always have to have a seat, though. The best tables are corner tables because they have two walls on either side. I always have to get in first, so I’m against the wall and facing the exit. One or more of the guys sits next to me and then others will sit facing me. All for security reasons.
Going to the bathroom is the worst. For what ever reason I am usually with all guys, who clearly have no clear understanding of the time it takes to use the restroom in a busy, public place. African bars and America bars have at least one thing in common: long lines to the women’s restroom. Can somebody PLEASE solve this international crisis! My journey to the restroom is usually an ordeal. It often requires an escort, which I’m not real fond of. If people are feeling secure, and the beer has properly loosened up their anxieties, then I go alone. The unfortunate case is when one of them pushes through the line of women (who already look at me suspiciously) calling my name to make sure I’m still there. “Yep! I’m still here!” Reddened in the face I usually try to say something quickly to my cohorts in the bathroom like: “they worry too much”. But I don’t dare say more or my accent gives too much away.
I have never felt unsafe while at Patido's. The worst I have ever encountered are some drunk guys trying to pick up on me. If they are being rude, it is usually in their mother-tongue-- so I don't really understand it anyway! I don't want to underestimate the importance of being safe in a country like South Africa, but honestly, I think I'd be in more danger at the Buckaroo!
However, all the while I remain in the inside of the fortress of African’s shielding me from any potential wrong-doers. I’m never really thrilled with the assigned seating or the bathroom check-in’s, but I’m appreciative of them for ensuring that my experience is always a positive one.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
South African Driving Etiquette
I find it pretty easy to drive in South Africa. With the exception of driving on the opposite side of the road, things operate pretty similarly. Of course, Africans’ relaxed regard to rules, which are more regarded as guidelines, carries through to the rules of the road.
While the transportation infrastructure sometimes leaves some to be desired, I am always impressed by the efficiency of driving here. Many main roads outside of the city are two lanes and often have heavy trucks or tiny cars on them that struggle up the winding hills. This is a problem if you want to go more than 40 kilometers an hour. However, South African’s have pretty well solved this one. And nicely.
If you are driving and somebody quickly comes behind you, you are obligated to drive on the shoulder to let them pass. There is no need to slow down- just move over. The vehicle behind you will pass quickly—even if it has to cross over the line into on-coming traffic.
When I was first driving, my good friend always reminded me that “they see you!!” This meant that if passing required crossing the line it is perfectly reasonable to do so even if there is an oncoming car because… you guessed it: “they see you”. And, crazy as it is, he is absolutely right. No laws or regulations around this. It is just how it is.
Proper etiquette then requires that the passing car quickly flash his hazards once safely past as a gesture of thanks. In customary South African friendliness, a quick flash of the headlights by the driver who was passed indicates “thank you for saying thank you”. South African’s are so polite!
While the transportation infrastructure sometimes leaves some to be desired, I am always impressed by the efficiency of driving here. Many main roads outside of the city are two lanes and often have heavy trucks or tiny cars on them that struggle up the winding hills. This is a problem if you want to go more than 40 kilometers an hour. However, South African’s have pretty well solved this one. And nicely.
If you are driving and somebody quickly comes behind you, you are obligated to drive on the shoulder to let them pass. There is no need to slow down- just move over. The vehicle behind you will pass quickly—even if it has to cross over the line into on-coming traffic.
When I was first driving, my good friend always reminded me that “they see you!!” This meant that if passing required crossing the line it is perfectly reasonable to do so even if there is an oncoming car because… you guessed it: “they see you”. And, crazy as it is, he is absolutely right. No laws or regulations around this. It is just how it is.
Proper etiquette then requires that the passing car quickly flash his hazards once safely past as a gesture of thanks. In customary South African friendliness, a quick flash of the headlights by the driver who was passed indicates “thank you for saying thank you”. South African’s are so polite!
Crash and Burn
I turn on my laptop. Then I insert the 3G stick into the USB port so I can access internet. I’m happily working on writing the first chapter to my research thesis. Then, this yellow triangle with an exclamation point in the center appears on screen. It is telling me that it can’t find something. Frankly, it didn’t seem to have anything to do with what I wanted to do, so I delete it. It comes back up. I cancel. It comes back up, I delete. Repeat.
It’s a bit of a blur from there. That yellow triangular thingy keeps popping up. Some window pops up in the corner saying something about a security threat- although it didn’t use Bush’s color scheme of yellow, orange or red so I suppose I was confused about the level of threat. At some point a very serious-looking box pops on screen and says the computer is going to shut down. I emphatically hit cancel.
At this point, I know I’ve been beaten. I frantically try to save what I was working on, preferably on a jump drive. I hit cancel every time it threatens to shut down. It is very slow to respond to my attempts to bring up the Word document and hit “save as”. Each time I get a bit farther in trying to save the document. But the cursor responds more erratically and I am seriously offending this computer by not letting it shut down. I finally hit save and hope it is not destroyed by whatever has infiltrated my computer.
It is totally crashed. The only fortunate thing is that it only affected my ability to access internet. My documents are saved; but my access to the rest of the world has been seriously compromised.
It’s a bit of a blur from there. That yellow triangular thingy keeps popping up. Some window pops up in the corner saying something about a security threat- although it didn’t use Bush’s color scheme of yellow, orange or red so I suppose I was confused about the level of threat. At some point a very serious-looking box pops on screen and says the computer is going to shut down. I emphatically hit cancel.
At this point, I know I’ve been beaten. I frantically try to save what I was working on, preferably on a jump drive. I hit cancel every time it threatens to shut down. It is very slow to respond to my attempts to bring up the Word document and hit “save as”. Each time I get a bit farther in trying to save the document. But the cursor responds more erratically and I am seriously offending this computer by not letting it shut down. I finally hit save and hope it is not destroyed by whatever has infiltrated my computer.
It is totally crashed. The only fortunate thing is that it only affected my ability to access internet. My documents are saved; but my access to the rest of the world has been seriously compromised.
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