Media Flaws

The weather was partly cloudy, windy, gusty, sunny, drizzly – all at the same time. Seems like the Western Cape’s mini-Tsunami had attracted crowds like kangas/short skirts attract JZ on Beach Road, Seapoint on Sunday. Every one was carrying a camera, flashing away, whilst I was growing tiresome of all the sandy foam and seawater that was building up on my car as I searched for parking.

Now don’t be surprised if you see a muddy – used-to-white car pulling up next to your gleaming car at the next set of robots. I’m not prepared to wash it and I’m banking on more rains to clean it for me. It’s been a while since I last drove something that attracted so much attention – needless to say it hasn’t been the right kind of attention. Some lady early on Monday morning rolled down her window and I also did the same only to be told “Jesus Christ! Wash your car!” I didn’t reply. I wanted to. But I didn’t reply.

Now back at the beach on Sunday: I seldom sea beauty in anything nature produces, especially in Cape Town. Heck, so oblivious to nature am I that if anyone decided to flatten Table Mountain or tow away Robben Island I wouldn’t even notice nor be bothered. But goodness, Sunday’s waves, were truly beautiful and a reminder of how strong nature can be. For some warped reason I was constantly engulfed by a paranoia of what would happen if I jumped in? “The waves would smash me to smithereens!” I thought or maybe “Take me away and throw me in the pits of New Orleans!” Makes one wonder how those folks in New Orleans are coping. What do they call their tragedy again? Gustav. Last year or the year before it was Katrina? A friend tried explaining the etymology of these bad-weather names but I just can’t remember. All I’m thinking right now is that there is some meteorologist ghoul that gets kicks out of eroticising storms with names such as the “Exotic class 4 Katrina” – sounds like a classified ad for a lady of the night. Huh!? It’s a storm for Chrisssake! No need to go all maternal and paternal and bestowing names.

Anywhoo… I hear there’s more rocky weather coming for the Cape and for some conceited, probably-childhood-repressed, reason I look forward to it and am actually excited about this weather. Yes. Admit it too. You also derive some sick pleasure from seeing havoc – if you didn’t you would be reading the papers, watching the news and following these storms religiously…