Local Gems – The Global Entity

The dreamers and weavers of Luju festival

julia.sarantes.andersson — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 05:37:00 +0000

The Global Entity

Part 3 of 4: The Dreamers and Weavers of Luju Festival

00:00 / 17:30

The last day of Luju festival was very special. What made it so special were the conversations with the many women that I had the honor to meet. Knowledgeable and passionate women. Women that are inspired and unafraid. Women that are afraid and do it anyways. Women who pave the way for others. The interviews of today are precious. They are vulnerable conversations about dreams, the process of creating and the relationship to self.

Interview with Mrs. M

Neliswa, most popularly known as Mrs. M, is the creator of Decadent Pleasures, a dessert and pastry business. She calls herself an aspiring pastry chef but in fact creates the most beautiful cakes and baked goods that I have ever seen. This is not her first time participating at Luju festival, however, in the past solely in the role as a vendor. Her stall Decadent Pleasures is overflowing with delicious baked goods this year too but today, she has just done her very own master class on the Mastercard stage. When we sit down together she is absolutely beaming.

How did it go today? How are you feeling?
“First I was really nervous. I think because low-key I am a perfectionist. I wanted everything to be done to a T and I’ve been dreaming about this day for the past three-four weeks! The fact that it has happened is quite a relief but I really did enjoy myself. I got to express myself and engage with people.” I laugh as she says that she is a low-key perfectionist. The beautifully designed cupcakes in perfect alignment at her stall tells me it is more than low-key. She laughs as I tell her this and confesses “Yeah, I am all about aesthetic, detail and finesse. All needs to come together and make sense.”

Mrs. M is a self-taught chef with her own, popular brand Decadent Pleasures. Despite this, she often refers to herself as an aspiring pastry chef even though she has just taught a master class for a live audience at Luju festival. What is one of the biggest obstacles that you’ve had to overcome to get where you are?

“I struggle a lot with imposter syndrome. This week for example, I had a breakdown. I was just not okay. I remember texting a friend of mine at like 2 am and not being able to sleep. I am nervous, I have this overwhelming feeling of imposter syndrome. I don’t know where it comes from but from time to time I start not believing in myself. It does affect me but I think that the people that surround me are always encouraging me. They keep me going. I do think I am going to get over this feeling of not believing in myself, the feeling of not being good enough. For me, I think that has been my biggest hurdle. Sometimes I tuck myself in a corner where I tell myself I’m not gonna do that, I’m not going to put myself out there. There is always that overwhelming feeling that I struggle a lot with.”

What would you say to somebody who also wants to follow their heart but are yet to take that step?

“You have to jump! You won’t know whether you are going to fall, stumble, or whether you are going to fly but you just have to take that jump. I think that for me… I had to quit my daytime job and start pursuing the business on a full time basis. In that space I felt that this is my time to really look deep within my heart to what is in my heart. I don’t need to limit myself to just one thing. Explore, spread my wings, put myself out there. There are benefits, I can see the multiplying effect that it has, the opportunities that it is opening for me. I feel like things are starting to make sense now. Sometimes you are doing all of these things, you are making that content, you are just putting your heart out there. I had no idea that there is so much impact, that there are so many people that are actually watching what I am doing. So I end up inspiring myself! I think also that new business doesn’t necessarily bring in the coins immediately, you have to do it because you love it. You are funding your own dream and praying that it is going to take off. For me, this took me by surprise.” She gestures with her hand to indicate the festival. “I feel like I am being given my flowers. When I heard from the Luju curators I was like ‘Huh, are you sure? But I am not a pastry chef’ but they told me I was exactly the person that we are looking for.”

What is next for you?

“You know, I do think that at some point in my life I would like to go to culinary school or become a professional pastry chef. That is where I feel my niche is, at the sweet spot! But I am happy with what I’ve done so far. Being self-taught is all about exploring in the kitchen and trying to make sense of everything that surrounds it. I am looking forward to getting into the space of curating culinary experiences. I am also a recipe developer, so I want to translate that into a cookbook. I think there is that fear of being forgotten, fear of oblivion. I feel like in each and every space I am in I like to leave my mark and I like to give it my all. So I think I just keep pushing myself because I want to be remembered for having done something, for having an impact. I feel like I am looking forward to what the future holds and collaborations with brands that have contacted me. The future is looking bright! I’m just not sure I am ready for it hahaha.”

Well, I know for sure that I am definitely ready to see more women, more humans stepping into their lights! It is both inspiring and encouraging to me, doing what I do, having started this crazy journey of following my heart. The rest of the afternoon I spent amongst the beautiful fashion statements that everyone had turned themselves into. I do some more interviews during the day and I feel I am in flow. Sometimes, the world happens to you and you find yourself in the privileged position of being mirrored in every encounter you have. The words of others telling you the dwellings of your inner monologue. Today was such a day and I just want to share how grateful I am to have been able to mirror my existence in yours. It becomes evident that we are one. That we are different expressions of the same drive to realize ourselves. A person who has this effect is the body percussionist, singer and artist Lenna Bahule. I have had the great pleasure of seeing her perform live on several occasions in Mozambique and every time she stands on that stage everything feels possible. What will happen on stage, what will we hear, nobody knows, the opportunities are endless. But also within myself everything suddenly feels possible.

Interview with Lenna Bahule

The last of the daylight provides a colorful backdrop as Lenna makes her way onto the Mastercard stage. The instruments on stage I don’t recognize, their origin and names far beyond my knowledge. It is my first time that I see Lenna perform on her own. When she gets onto the stage, she takes a moment to just look at us in the audience, I can just see how she is taking this moment in. With a smile, holding the secrets of the music she is about to bless us with, she starts. When we later on in the evening get to sit down on the orange couch together, the heat from the sun is altogether gone.

How are you feeling?

“Right now, a bit overwhelmed. I mean, Luju is a very big festival. I feel there is a lot of expectations I had for my performance here so at this moment right now I am bursting in emotions and energy. But very grateful to be here and experience something so different. I’ve been around in the world but this is the most different experience I’ve had performing and also interacting. So I am very happy, and grateful.”

It is a composed and focused Lenna that greets me. Her energy is warm but her presence a bit distant. There had been issues with the sound not working during her performance, forcing her to improvise and adapt. For us in the audience it was still an out-of-the-world performance. I had people throughout the entire performance talking in my ear, wanting to praise her saying that they had never heard anyone like her. But right now, ten minutes after her performance, I can see how she is still on stage in her mind, running through it all. Since I don’t have a lot of experience doing this, I feel unsure of what the correct etiquette is here but I decide to ask her about it. Maybe we can connect.

You have such a stage presence when you are on stage and today you had some issues with the sound. Despite this, you are able to deliver a heartfelt performance and I must ask how? How are you able to continue performing, with your heart on your sleeve too, when everything changes?

“Well, that question is even going to help me heal the frustration. Because I was really frustrated now when we left. The thing is, I always get anxious when I have to perform alone, on an open stage. It is always a challenge. My solo performance is an experience, or generally, through all of my performances i try to bring this idea of an experience, a human experience. So I craft it up as much as I can in order to ensure that specific experience gets to the people. But also I’ve learnt to include the humanity of life, of things going up and down, into the performance. I think that one of my premises is that art is a human expression. So it’s about the art. Music can never stop, the experience can never stop, because it is about the art. It is frustrating. Like up there today I was really angry but I thought, the music is with you. It is not in the machine, it is not in the sound system, it is with you.”

How did you learn that?
“I’ve kind of studied that in a way. Through improvisation, through body music and body percussion, all of these practices have really helped me gain confidence to allow vulnerability and unpredictability to join me on stage. From my experience, it is how people connect more. I think that the odds of a performance, make people feel connected to the performer. Answering you this, is a way of pacing me down because I forget that. Especially when I have an attachment to an idea and have prepared.”

You said it on stage and you’ve repeated it again now, that music is with you and music never stops. As you are a body percussionist this is something I have witnessed myself when seeing you perform. Has rhythm always been within you?

“I think there is a before and after situation. A before I met body percussion and all of these body music crafts, and an after. Before I used to be more melodic and romantic kind of stuff. When I went to Brazil and started doing all of these rhythmic exercises, I really found a lot of love for the tiny bits, the little parts that go together, that go back and forth, that jump from one place to another, all of these beautiful cells. That became my pattern of composing, very rhythmically with small little pieces. Like telling a story and then having smaller pieces complimenting. So it is something that has popped up. When I was living in Brazil, I feel like I was just a small seed in a fertile ground of infinite possibilities. So, for me it was just blooming out. I didn’t even know it was here (points to body). But I think going to the body music thing opened up something that for me is so natural and intimate.”

Lenna’s music is something best described as transcendental. It goes from the earth into your soul, up into the ether only to come back and ground you again. It goes both in and and out. What is it that inspires and drives you to create the way you do?

“What inspires me is life, because I’m always inspired but what drives me… I think that is the key, especially with ADHD hahaha. The thing for me is that it is always there, sounds, ideas – it is always there. But for me to decide that this is the song, this is the format… that is why I actually don’t write so many songs… for me, making songs is easy but making songs that are meaningful to me…

I found that funny, what drives me… it is the feeling of small bits of freedom, when I find it. Because most of these songs, they came out in random situations like cooking, sweeping the floor, going to the bathroom. Like going to the bathroom to wash your hands and bam! there is a song. Completely out of the blue. If I sit down and say okay now I am going to make a song, it doesn’t come out. So I think what drives me is really that moment of self care, that moment of pleasure, that moment of aha-feeling, that moment of freedom, that moment of connection. I think that’s what drives me. The connection. That thing the makes the thing come out.”

How is it being a woman in a very male dominated industry?

“Yeah hey it is not easy. It is not easy, especially for me now. I am a mother and a single mother at that. I feel that becoming a single mother increased that feeling because I am the provider, I’m the planner, I’m the carer, I am everything. And I feel that has sort of suppressed my feminine because I’m always in charge. It has brought up a lot of strength, like I can still manage in a situation like what happened today because that is what I live of in my life, having to find solutions. It’s a familiar place for me, of always having to find a way to deal with stuff. Specifically because the whole stage is being managed by men, you know? And then you have the same system happening again so it’s tough. But it is everywhere so either deal with it or…”

What do you feel the music and culture industry needs to open up so that more women can take the space that you seem to do so effortlessly?

“More space for women to dive into their own crafts. Truly speaking, in the past three days “I’ve had a total of five hours to rehearse which for me is not ideal. And then with the few minutes I had, every time I was in the flow of a song I was like ‘You see?!’ This is what I need. I need the space and time to craft it up, to make it better and fluid and more spontaneous and more creative. Then I thought but why don’t I have that? Because I have too much to manage. I feel that society needs to understand that women need time to create. To have time to just put ideas out there, let it craft, let it build, let it deepen. Because we are too busy managing the demands of being a woman in a male dominated society. And the people with the resources to make that happen are mostly men… so it’s a tough math. But for me, that is the solution. Have more spaces where women can take some time off. Funding basically. Funding into women doing arts.”

Seeing how Luju’s artist manager is gesticulating that I am out of time, I hurry to ask Lenna one last question: What is next for you now?
“I want to sing for Africa! I really want to connect with more African people. I don’t think I have ever seen so many different African people together as here at Luju festival. I really want to go around Africa. My biggest dream is to have my songs be listened to in Africa and for my music to make sense to African people. And my album, I have finally found the creative energy for it. So if everything goes well, next year I am going to have my album.”

Lenna Bahule was my last interview and I am grateful for it! Honestly, I can’t see anybody topping the conversations I’ve had today. I feel inspired and warm. Inspired of the very spirit that these women have, the path they fearlessly are creating by walking it. Warm from the connection their genuine sharing of their story has created. I feel I have to pinch myself a little bit. To imagine, this is my life right now! Although I still feel the stress of having my travel plan completely crumble right before the festival started, meaning I don’t know what country I am going to be typing these blog posts from after Monday. The conversations with these amazing creators, these generous, inspiring, strong, vulnerable women, they have grounded me. I feel less alone in my lostness now. As I am learning, I can create value from almost anything. The value that this festival, that these women have shared with me during this weekend is going to keep me warm for the longest of times. Thank you Luju!

Fashion, food and resilience at Luju Festival

julia.sarantes.andersson — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 09:39:00 +0000

The Global Entity

Part 2 of 4: Fashion, food and resilience at Luju Festival

00:00 / 14:58

Fashion at Luju Festival

When I enter the Luju festival area on Saturday, it looks like a completely different festival. The sunlight has transformed everyone, yesterday’s winter jackets have been exchanged for the latest fashion of Southern Africa. Luju festival is built on three legs, food, fashion and music and today, fashion is definitely hitting me full force.Everyone, everywhere is dressed up like they are ready to walk up and down the runway at any time. I am amazed!

I walk past Tandlatami to buy a pair of NikNaks earrings. If you don’t know what NikNaks are, you have missed out. It is hands down the best cheese doodle snacks in the world and with these new, iconic earrings I felt fashionable enough to start day two at the Luju festival! The owner of Tandlatami, Tipunku Hlophe, tells me her brand means ‘my hands’. She is inspired by anything that comes across her everyday life and often combines recycled items with some beautiful beading. It makes for very fun and stylish pop cultural jewelry and accessories!

When I speak to the founder of Beads Emporium, Sonke, she tells me that although she started her business only a year ago, the skill of beading was passed on to her from her grandmother. When Sonke was still a kid she used to help her grandmother make traditional beaded headpieces, umcwasho, to sell. Today she makes modern, high couture bags out of pearls, a very telling example of how fashion and creativity can honor, re-imagine and still tell the story of heritage and identity.

The fashion café, the fashion marketplace at Luju festival, is filled with creatives and designers, all with a story of how they found their calling. Dineo Malinga from D-Tempt Creation makes her own leather bags and accessories. She tells me that she became aware of how leather was made when she was home one day for a ceremony. A cow was slaughtered and a few days later her father brought home the leather from the cow. He had sent it away to be prepared and brought it back to her.

When she was four-five years old she had seen her grandfather make a purse for her sister from a cow’s ear. She had seen him working with leather before but tells me that as a kid she did not understand that this was her calling. It wasn’t until her father bought her that leather and later passed away that she felt this was where she was supposed to be. When she started in 2013 she had to teach herself everything from the beginning, but in 2018 she was ready to leave her corporate job and follow her dream. Today she is working together with her daughter and passing on the craftsmanship to her. I smile as I walk on. Everyone is so passionate about what they do, eager to tell their story, sharing of their creativity.

I walk a little bit further and am suddenly surrounded by portuguese. The festival has turned the amphitheater into a ‘taste of Mozambique’ and just outside, AZGO has set up stalls showcasing Mozambican artists and designers. “I know you!” somebody exclaims. I turn around and see Iracema Mabota, the founder and creator of Ririi Crochet. We had met earlier when I was in Tofo Mozambique.

I wonder how common crocheting is in Mozambique, turns out it was her mother that taught her initially. It makes me think of my own grandmother who once upon a time taught me how to crochet and knit.

If she was still with us today she would have loved one of Irma’s adorable crochet handbags, she always had an eye for good craftsmanship. It is beautiful how Luju seems to be such a fertile soil for new ideas to emerge and still hold space for what has been.

Heritage is especially a theme that comes to light when Chef Mokgadi is on stage. She is an activist chef who spreads indigenous knowledge of food and farming when she cooks and speaks. She was invited to Luju this year to hold a master class in cooking with indigenous food, her specialty. Throughout the class, she was feeding the audience with not only her knowledge but her enthusiasm as well. When we sit down together afterwards, the very energy and life that emanated from her on stage is still radiating through her. After talking for a while I notice, this energy is Chef Mokgadis constant base line.

Interview with Chef Mokgadi Itsweng

It is Saturday afternoon and I am waiting nervously in the media tent. The sun is shining but not even half as bright as the smile of our next guest: Chef Mokgadi. We haven’t even sat down on the orange interview couch before the conversation is flowing. I have to ask her to hold her thoughts so that I can press play on the recorder. With a patient and warm smile she lets me get my things in order.

Chef Mokgadi started out as a food writer and editor before she released her first book Veggielicious in 2021. She comes from a family of cooks and farmers so ending up here was perhaps not surprising to her family. Not only is she inspiring people to eat more vegetarian food in the Country Of Meat (South Africa). But the way she does it; cooks, teaches and educates, is entirely her own. Chef Mokgadi is a food activist with a passion for uplifting women, life and food that is good for the soul!

What is the biggest difference between you today and who you were when you started out?

“People who know me, who have seen my work and where I come from, would say that the biggest difference now is my confidence. I’m not apologetic about what I do, I’m not explaining myself, I just do. Everything I do comes from an authentic self, it comes from a pure love of self and the love of black people, a love of humanity, a love of mother nature. So it all comes from love and the difference in me, then and now, is the confidence that this love has brought. Because I no longer apologize, I no longer explain, I just am. If you like it, take it or leave it. I have my message and I’m going to say it. I think that over the years I have grown, which is why I am so intentional around women. Because I, too, have had to fight some monsters along the way. And one monster was self confidence, not standing up for myself, being afraid to say no because you know ‘good girls don’t say no, good girls are people pleasers’… Now I’m like, No.”

"I stand on the broad shoulders of women." Chef Mokgadi

In what way are you intentional around women?
“My food and everything that holds my food is my granny’s food, my moms food, both my grandmothers. One of my grandmothers was an indigenous farmer and the other one was a chef. Both of them have influenced my food and the way I talk about food, how I cook, what I cook. It’s incredible that at this stage of my career, all I am meeting is women. My team is only women! My manager; my kitchen team when we take Gogo’s plate on the road; the farmers that I work with are women farmers; food producers are women producers; people I source from are mostly just women. For me, the voices of the women are what are going to heal us. We need to take care of the female energy on earth. Mother earth needs us. It is not papa earth or whatever. It is mother earth, the nurturer. We need to bring that back.”

She goes on to tell me how important it is to open up doors for other women. Through her current collaboration with Mugg & Bean she has been able to create opportunities for small, female farmers to sell their produce to one of South Africa’s biggest restaurant brands. A space that otherwise wouldn’t be easily opened to them.

Do you feel that you meet backlash in this industry?
“Yeah but I don’t care! Hahahah! I do what I feel is right but most importantly, I’m a food activist, my message needs to be heard and needs to come through from women.” Chef Mokgadi leans in a little, looks at me seriously and says.

“The food and restaurant business is very white in South Africa and also very male. So for me, this is intentional. My door was opened by a woman. My mentor, Dorah Sitole, literally kicked these doors open for me so that I can then open and hold the doors for others. I’m not gatekeeping any door – we have opened the doors now, can we all come in, you know? So that is where I am. I stand on the broad shoulders of women. That is who has inspired me, that is who has brought me here. And that’s who I work with!

What does it mean to you being a food activist?
“Waking up my community around their love for mother earth. Because what has happened is that humanity has separated from mother earth. We don’t grow our own food, everything comes in a plastic bag. We are so unconscious about where our food comes from and what we eat. So my message is always around consciousness, waking us up, we need mother nature and need to care for her. We might not see it because we are so boxed into our city life, being modern.

We are not grounded in reality, and for us to be able to help mother nature and help climate change, we need to be grounded in reality. Reality is that we can’t grow food properly, we don’t know how. We are not taking care of our rivers so how are we gonna be alive if our water sources are crying? The rivers, the oceans, they are all crying. And we don’t even see it! To us, the sea is here for us and we don’t understand that it doesn’t need us. Mother nature doesn’t need us, we need her. But a lot of us are still sleeping, we don’t realise we are not grounded.”

Today during your master class you talked about indigenous grains as a form of resistance to the industrial agricultural system, what does this mean?

“The industrial agriculture system is so toxic. I, like everyone in South Africa, grew up eating corn. I thought that was our staple. I didn’t understand that there was something before corn. Only through my grandmother, who was an indigenous farmer, did I learn. She used to grow sorghum amongst other indigenous grains. I got the green fingers from her but I also got the indigenous knowledge systems from her. Because of that, I understood that you can grow food that is delicious and healthy.

We all grew up eating corn but now the corn is GMO. The pesticide that they need to keep the GMO growing is hurting me. I can’t eat corn anymore, I get hives all over. My body is like NO. A lot of people will normalize being bloated and walk around with it thinking they are fine. But with hives, you can’t ignore them. The hives tell us to wake up! That was what happened to me all the way! I used to get bloated, runny tummies, etc. I should have said what’s wrong, let me investigate. But instead I covered it up and continued with my life. Only when I got hives on my face did I react.”

What do you feel is needed in this industry to actually make the change that you advocate?

“We need chefs that advocate. Chefs are the link between the people and the farmers. It is only when the chefs create those conversations that the change at home happens. You remember with quinoa, we all started eating quinoa because the chefs were telling us, it became a big thing – quinoa this and quinoa that! The chefs are the ones who carried the quinoa message to us, the home cooks, the moms, the health yogis and all that. That’s how I think the movement, the change, happens. Chefs need to be educated so that they can advocate for good food and for mother earth. Oh she is making risotto with sorghum, why? Only then, people will start making risotto with sorghum. People will understand that sorghum is better than rice because rice is not sustainable, it requires lots of water. Sorghum is healthier and our body knows it, our soul knows it.”

When we were finished with the interview and just chitchatting, Chef Mokgadi said something that really resonated with me. We were talking about following your path no matter other peoples opinions and reactions.
“Over the years I have learnt to really appreciate and understand who I am and love myself wholeheartedly and not care!” She laughs with her whole body.

“And also, I share it with others. And I find that it actually helps others to also break free from their own little box, their own little mould. Just be yourself, and the rest will fall into place. We have to be free and grounded. Grounded in authenticity, grounded in mother earth, so that you are able to make a change and be inspirational in your community.”

Her words put themselves like a warm blanket around me. So much wisdom had been shared in these short minutes on the orange couch. So much wisdom, warmth and laughter. Just like the women at the fashion café that I had spoken to earlier, Chef Mokgadi also uses her ancestral knowledge to create something new and completely enchanting. I feel inspired! What if this is what my life is supposed to be like now? I feel a thrill running through my entire body. I say thank you and bye to Chef Mokgadi with a little sting in my heart, I could have continued talking to her for hours! I make a note to myself to ensure I try her food the next time I am at Mugg & Bean.

Why slow travel?

julia.sarantes.andersson — Sat, 20 Jan 2024 03:59:45 +0000

The Global Entity

Why Slow Travel?

00:00 / 9:16

Is slow traveling actually therapeutic?

Despite my disastrous first week in Tofo, I ended up staying in this sleepy seaside village for almost two months, apart from a short visa run to the border. What I love about slow traveling is that it gives you the chance to see beyond first impressions, a chance to deepen your connections and get an in-depth understanding of the context you are existing within.

The first two weeks in Tofo felt like summer camp for grown ups. I was sharing a room with three other girls and the giggles were endless. The place where we stayed was damp and only had hot water some mornings but the level of community I got from them was beautiful. Midnight walks on the beach, endless conversations about anything and everything that we were processing at the time, hours of silently creating side by side. The laughter when we were getting ready together to go out in the evenings and the cascade of gossip that erupted when we came home, exhausted from all the dancing. It made me think that perhaps my solo traveling doesn’t always need to mean that I do everything on my own. I truly enjoyed connecting over the shared experiences.

What happens to us when we slow down?

After three weeks in Tofo, my frown was finally turned upside down. All the good energies, people and food that surrounded me were rubbing off on me, including me into their abundance, beauty and joy. Today, a few months later, I have realised that it was my nervous system that started to relax. Not just from the hectic visa issues that I’d been struggling with just a few weeks earlier… No, the process runs a lot deeper than that. I believe that, for the first time in my adult life, with indefinite amounts of time ahead of me, I started to release some of the accumulated stress that comes with living in a hyper individualistic, capitalistic society. Powerful stuff!

In the beginning, as I started to feel the relaxation of my nervous system happening, I questioned why it was suddenly happening now. For years I have dwelled in different practices and learnt different techniques to relax and live consciously, why am I only starting to feel it now? Perhaps that is what slow traveling allows space for: space for the inner processes to process and for the body’s systems to catch up and return to the present moment. Perhaps it is not even slow traveling specifically but a slow lifestyle in general that allows for this. The stillness, at times turning into boredom, the ‘having’ of undefined amounts of time and no specific goals to achieve, perhaps made everything quiet enough for my systems to start going about things at their own pace. Quiet enough for the ‘I’ to actually listen.

Slow traveling and sustainable tourism

After my first week in Tofo I had a pretty good grip of where everything was. I had found the best spots to eat lunch, a hidden gem in the middle of the market. After two weeks I was a regular at certain vendors and in the third week the ladies making the meanest mojito in town knew my name.

A friend from Mozambique who is a regular in Tofo told me early on to spread out my grocery needs to different vendors, telling me that low season is especially hard for the market vendors of Tofo. By week two I had my avocado and banana lady, my tomato and potato lady and of course, my pao com badjias lady (mozambican breakfast dish: bread with fried bean balls, absolutely delicious!). When I came back to Tofo after my visa run to the border, the ladies at the market greeted me with warmth. It felt really nice, like being part of a community, not being so anonymous any more. That doesn’t normally happen in the big cities of Sweden where I’m from.

Early on in Tofo, I was told that I must take a tour with a dhow at sea while I am here. A dhow is a traditional sailing boat usually used by fishermen to work. A few years back, some local guys started taking tourists out on the dhows, using the fishermen as captains and themselves becoming the guides. One of these guys is 29 year old Ruben, founder of Boa Gente Tours. Boa gente means good people and seems to be the slogan for the Inhambane province.

The first time I went on one of Rubens tours, it was a game changer. Not only because the experience itself was intensely beautiful and I had what I can only call a spiritual experience when I snorkeled, but because it was the first time I got to encounter the essence of the Mozambican philosophy. Talking to Ruben, he made me open my eyes to how far the community mindset goes here and how different the view of money is. Even in business.

I’ve reflected upon it previously on my instagram, writing about the Mozambican expression of estamos juntos loosely translated we are together or we are in it together. When I’ve encountered the community mindset previously it’s been hard for me to see beyond the codependence such mentality also brings. How can anyone have any freedom at all if you always have to put everyone else first? And of course there is that. But through Ruben and other local entrepreneurs like Percia Perola, founder of Womi Massage in Tofo, I’ve also gotten to see what good it does, all the way from community level into their individual lives.

In academic terms, what they do intuitively is what I would call social sustainable entrepreneurship. It goes beyond making sure that money earned goes back into the community, it expands into knowledge sharing, space holding, emotional and spiritual support, building of schools, funding of solar power and so on.

Of course, in such tight knit societies, a lot of shit gets swept under the rug. If codependency is the premise of survival and security, it is natural to perhaps not call people out on their crap. I can see how those who want something else for themselves, outside of this mindset, suffer in the community context and expectations. They have to struggle with both internal and external guilt to conform and support the community. In many instances they still support their community parallel to also trying to do their own thing, all while constantly having to justify their life choices. Mozambique does not exist in a vacuum and many young people are torn between the different mentalities of urban and rural, community and individual, security and freedom.

However, all the shadows aside, it fascinates me how the concept of sustainability, something that Europe and the western world have taken years to conceptualise and work into laws and put forward as their solution to the problems of the world, still to this day, struggle immensely to implement and get people to understand. Meanwhile, here in Mozambique it is implemented on a day to day basis, to the extent it feels intuitive. It is part of their cultural fabric and social norms. The good as the bad that comes with it.

Four reasons to Slow Travel

Because it is like medicine for body mind and soul to slow down in a world that constantly wants us to be in movement.
Because you get a more in depth understanding of the context you are in.
Because you will have time to form friendships and attachments, becoming part of a context and community.
Because you get a chance to listen inwards, to your most inner needs, dreams and fears. Who knows, all that thinking and contemplation, you might get an epiphany and decide to take life into a whole different direction!

Creating Opportunities: A Collaborative Music Project in Mozambique with John Lino

julia.sarantes.andersson — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 06:48:13 +0000

The Global Entity

Creating Opportunities: A Collaborative Music Project in Mozambique with John Lino

00:00 / 11:38

Unfolding an exciting music project in Mozambique

Hey fam, I am still here! Those of you who follow me on social media know that there have been a lot of amazing and exhilarating things happening for me on the festival front lately. Today, however, I want to share a project that has been brewing silently in the background for a good while now. A super exciting music project in Mozambique!

When I first arrived in Maputo in January 2023, there was one thing that stood out to me in particular. Maputo has such an abundance of live music and performances! Never have I been in a capital where the culture is so available, not just economically but socially. Sure, there are entry fees at clubs and events that limit who enters. But from what I’ve seen, the majority of the events here somehow manage to include and cater to the majority. Never have I existed in a nightlife scene which is so non excluding like the one in Maputo. It is quite unique to find a social context where people not only meet but actually hang out and enjoy each other’s company across social categories like class and race. It makes for very interesting conversations when you are out and about in the vibrant night of Maputo… and for a very easy going, come-as-you-are kind of a vibe, which I adore!

Local Gem in Maputo: Nucleo de Arte

My favourite place so far is probably Nucleo De Arte, a multi-purpose space for creatives. Nucleo de Arte is an art association, dating all the way back to 1921. On Sunday’s it opens up its stage for local artists to come and fill it with live music (watch here), it always feels like everyone in Maputo is there. The best part of Nucleo de Arte is hands down its backyard where the artist workshop lies. Visitors are allowed to enter!

Paintings upon paintings are stacked upon each other against every wall that is also overflowing with art. If you start looking there are no limits to the gems you will find. If you are lucky, some of the artists will be hanging around, maybe even working on their next piece. The perfect opportunity to pick their brains or maybe even find your next creative teacher! Unfortunately, it lies in a residential area making every Sunday a noise battle with the neighbours. It is unclear if Nucleo will be able to continue having these Sunday live performances.

Meet John Lino: Mozambican multitalented singer song writer

Two months into my Maputo stay I was dealing with heartbreak. Long distance relationships are hard. I was distraught. On the third day of moping around the hostel, Lino, the part bartender and part receptionist, stole a guitar from somebody nearby and started playing the most beautiful song for me (watch here). It wasn’t till days later, when I wanted to find the song online, that I learnt that he had made it up on the spot. I was amazed!

A few nights later, we sat down for a jam session. In under an hour Lino improvised no less than eight different songs. All with their own lyrics, chords, and bridges. My mind was blown! “How come you are not doing this full time?” I ask him in awe. With such talent he should be blessing everyone with his music!

The reality for local artists in Maputo

He looks at me and smiles. “It’s very hard to make a living as an artist in Mozambique. Haven’t you noticed how many artists we have here and how almost nobody works with it full time?” His answer makes me reflect on the past conversations that I’ve had in this city with different artists. It is true, there are very few who don’t have a second or even a third job to support their dreams. And the ones who have managed to work as artists full time have often had the opportunity of working or studying abroad first, an opportunity which is highly sought after but given to very few.

He tells me “Being a musician in Mozambique is a dream for many young people here. They dream of big stages and of being recognised nationally as professional musicians. In many ways, being a musician here is no different from the rest of the world. On the other hand, trying to create a sustainable music career in Mozambique is very complicated. Firstly, we have a lot of gate keepers at the big tv and entertainment stations that only let in already established artists. Secondly, having access to a proper recording studio is an economic question and many of us artists, like myself, end up having to take a second job to support our music production.”

Lino continues “If you are a new musician on the scene, your visibility is directly correlated to what you can pay, it has very little to do with the music itself. Furthermore, most musicians in Mozambique come from very humble backgrounds and the basic salaries here do not exactly provide enough as it is. Therefore, creating music gets put in second place, there is no way to pay for that when you have to put food on the table.”

Behind the scenes in the music industry of Mozambique

A few weeks later, Lino gets invited to play two of his new tracks on morning television. I get invited to come with them! I know that five year old me was doing pirouettes of excitement at the prospect of going to a TV studio. As we enter, the production of the show is already in full swing. Another Mozambican artist is performing and we get asked to wait on the couch.

A man comes up to Lino and greets him. Under a few minutes he talks excitedly about Lino’s new single and the promotion they could do for the song. It all sounds very promising which is why I feel confused to not see any excitement on Lino’s face. “Why are you not happy?” I ask him as the man walks away. “Eix Julia, what that man forgot to mention is that it costs more than I make in a month to do that kind of promotion.”

The humble beginnings of John Lino

One morning, I find myself sitting at the bar of the hostel. It is humid and even though it’s earlier than eight o’clock it is hot as hell. “How come you started making music Lino?” I ask him as he makes my morning espresso.

“You know I am originally from Maputo/Matola. But from the age of two to fifteen I grew up in the province of Gaza. Gaza is a very poor province in Mozambique and we hardly ever had access to electricity. To entertain ourselves, the kids on the block used to sing and mess around. At that age I was only dancing and playing the drums. It was kids songs but still, music has always been a part of my life. When I was fifteen years old, my father died and I moved back to Maputo. Here it was rap and hiphop that was dominating the streets. One day I happened to tag along with a friend who was recording in a studio. For some reason, he wasn’t able to do it and someone said that I also know how to rap. I improvised some bars and before the day was over I had my first song produced. It wasn’t professional or anything but back in 2012 it felt huge!”

“Wait, wait, wait! You used to be a rapper??” Having heard his songs I hardly doubt his ability to rap, but it is miles from the style that he has today.

He laughs and answers “Yes! I even started a rap band in 2012. I realised after a while that I really liked singing and started trying out some RnB but I couldn’t really identify with the music. Eventually I started doing more Marabenta, a happy, up-beat Mozambican music. And now I am here, with you, about to release my EP and have my own launch!”

The Live Through Your Heart Project

A little over a year ago, I decided to leave my whole life behind in my home country in order to follow my heart. I was in love but more so, I wanted to give myself time and space to learn to live from my heart rather than living so strategically. As you know, it has been a tough journey but one I would not change for the world. I know now that following your heart is a luxury very few can afford. At the same time, I am fully convinced that if we all lived in alignment with our hearts, our purpose, we would be happier and less destructive as a society. Therefore, when Lino told me he was about to release his latest EP, through Youtube only, I asked if he wanted to do a collaboration and launch it with a bang!? First he didn’t believe I was serious and then the biggest smile I have ever seen appeared on his face. “Serio?” For real?

Said and done! On the 25th of November Lino is taking over the city of Matola to properly receive his new music. Through endless conversations and voice notes back and forth, the idea started growing… Now, we want to do a music project that will help other musicians be able to get the same opportunity. Lino explains “This EP release is part of a bigger dream. Yes, I am releasing my EP and I am very happy about that. But to be able to pull together young artists and offer them to share the stage with me, feels even bigger. I want to create opportunities for artists where we don’t have to wait to be recognized by the promoters of the industry. We can make our own spaces, create our own opportunities to meet the people and spread our music.”

To say it is going to be fantastic is an understatement. As we say in Moz, vai bater! If you want to be part of this project, creating a music stage for up and coming musicians in Mozambique, let me know in the comments! Or send a DM on my socials or an email to hello@theglobalentity.com. Whether you are a Mozambican sponsor or a private person far away, there are ways you can contribute. Let’s make it happen!

If you are curious to know what happened next, take a look at John Lino’s instagram! Support him by subscribing to his YouTube and other social medias.

From Live Music to Midnight Markets: Indulging in Maputo

julia.sarantes.andersson — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 05:33:00 +0000

The Global Entity

From Live Music to Midnight Markets: Indulging in Maputo

00:00 / 9:00

A Nighttime Exploration of Maputo's night life

“Maputo is so quiet, honestly it seems a bit boring.” My face falls as I hear this statement. Lais, the girl in front of me, has just arrived in Maputo. She is originally from Brazil and has been traveling for a few weeks in Africa. For me, the past two weeks have been filled with visa issues and logistics of a possible internship in the north of Mozambique, so I have been keeping still. But this statement made me quite horrified. Maputo is not boring and I quickly promise Lais to show her just how vibrant the city is if she stays the weekend with me. She agrees!

It is Friday so Maputo is bound to be boiling with activity. I immediately start going through my contacts to find out where the party is tonight. With barely one month in this country I am impressed by the amount of numbers I have managed to collect, it says something about how very social the social climate is here. We are in luck! There is a live reggae concert tonight at Rua de Arte and at eight o’clock one of my friends came to pick us up. It is a new kind of luxury to have friends with cars. It was the first thing I noticed when I landed in South Africa all those months ago. My friends are living a different level of grown nowadays, the car-kids-and-career type of grown. I am not complaining, it is luxurious!

When we arrive at the event, the place is dead. I am starting to realise that despite what is written on an event poster, all Mozambican events start at least an hour late. We park the car in a dark alley, we are in downtown Maputo and the system of parking is unclear, to say the least. But to this day, no car has been stolen so something must be working. They are still testing the sound when we enter the venue and the echoes from the reverb rises towards the open sky. It is a simple venue, it looks more like a fenced in courtyard than anything else. I love that about the infrastructure in Maputo; life is everywhere! In any kind of corner or space, people have found a way to make it functional.

We are sipping on passion fruit caipirinhas as the venue fills up. I introduce Lais to everyone and everyone is equally welcoming to her as they were to me when I had just arrived. After an hour of mingling, I hear a hoarse voice starting to sing. It is the singer Ras Skunk, accompanied by a band, that has taken the stage. All of Maputo’s Rastas are here to take over the dance floor and we dance and jump to the beats until our feet are raw. After the concert, Lais and I get invited to some sort of initiation party, the details are unclear and despite our friends best efforts to convince us otherwise, we decide to start heading home.

In the car I realize I am starving! But where do you get food in the middle of the night in Maputo?! At Mercado Pulmão of course! The real name is the barracks of Pulmão de Malhangalene. When we get there at one AM, the market is popping! There are people partying and hanging outside of the liquor barracks, there is music is pumping from the different barracks and the noise is absolute. It is a happy energy and I can’t help but marvel at this city and all of its secrets! I follow the smell of fried chicken inside of the market and within minutes we are all seated on the cement floor devouring Maputo’s best fried chicken!

Experiencing the markets of Maputo

I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning as my friend Bolodoamor (Gil) had planned to take me and Lais to mercado Xipamanine, a huge market that has everything one could possibly need. The mission was to find a traditional healer for me as I’ve been feeling heavy in my energy for the longest time. When we get out of the xiapa (the minibus used as public transport) the mud greets us, long gone are the asphalted roads. The market of Xipamanine is built on mud roads making everything appear as if it’s floating.

The traditional medicine section is in the middle of the market and we have to pass by the cosmetics section as well as second hand clothes and shoes before we get there. If I ever need to rebuild the contents of my backpack all at once, this is the market I would choose. I wouldn’t want to walk here alone though… the amount of stolen items for sale makes this a place filled with lots of weird energies and intentions. Bolodoamor is walking a little in front of us talking to the different merchants and healers. He is collecting price offers to see which one has the best local price. He gives us a wave to follow him and another man as they disappear into the labyrinth of paths. He has found somebody.

When we arrive, the healer, a man in his fifties, tells me to sit down on a bench in front of him. He doesn’t even look at Bolodoamor or Lais even though it was Bolo that said he needed help. It was like the healer could sense that I was in need. He looks at me and asks me a few questions. Bolo helps me with the Portuguese when I can’t keep up. After the consultation where he says I need a proper cleanse but gives me a price that makes Bolodoamor pull me away. “No way you are paying that, that is three months salary.” This is one of the many blessings that come with having local friends, they will help you to not get scammed. I can highly recommend taking Bolodoamor with you, if you just like me, like to go on adventures but want to feel safe at the same time. He speaks both German and Portuguese!

I love hanging out at the markets of Maputo. There are so many of them but I do think my favourite one is Mercado do Povo, a normal food market right next to the cathedral. It was the first market I went to on my own, the first place where I started feeling like I knew the local prices and could negotiate for myself. Mercado do Povo means the people’s market and it truly is just that! It opens early in the morning so that the workers of Maputo can go and eat their breakfast, something that in Mozambique mostly consists of food. The breakfast people are quickly replaced by either the lunch crowd or the drunk crowd, or perhaps most accurately, a little bit of both. I love chilling here with a cold 2M (Mozambique’s most popular beer) and some good friends.

Another, similar market is mercado Janet which lies behind my hostel. Perfect for buying your morning fruits and veggies but not as nice to chill at in my opinion. On Sunday, I took Lais to one of the tourist markets: Mercado do Peixe! It is touristy due to the prices and the type of food served. There are also a lot of souvenir vendors who walk between mercado do Peixe and Mercado do Frango trying to sell their stuff. But if you want to go souvenir shopping for real, I would recommend going to FEIMA market. It is filled to the brim with crafts and art.

Bed Bugs and Beyond: A Stumbling New Beginning in Mozambique

julia.sarantes.andersson — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 05:14:58 +0000

The Global Entity

Bed Bugs and Beyond: A Stumbling New Beginning in Mozambique

00:00 / 13:36

From Crisis to Comfort: a New Hostel in Maputo

Due to an unforeseen bed bug crisis at the hostel, I have now moved to another. The only other hostel/backpackers that exists in Maputo, to my knowledge. Do you remember the wrong hostel where the taxi dropped me off when I had just arrived in Maputo? When I was rude and projected all my stress on the staff? Yup! That’s the one! Apparently Fatima’s Backpackers is the only other hostel in all of Maputo so I had to go back, tail between my legs and ask for help.

Even though a part of me was relieved to be able to do so, go back and apologise, I was nervous. Almost like a child. When I arrived I did my best to apologise with the few Portuguese words I’ve picked up but mostly I spoke Spanish. The staff looked at me, first confused, then I could see how they placed who I was and started to laugh. Somebody grabbed my shoulder and said “Fica tranquila!” (Relax!) and waved it out of the world.

Next came my other mission, getting them to give me a bed despite the risk of bed bugs I may or may not carry with me. Senhor Agostinho, the manager, looked at me and my many suitcases and bags a long time before he sternly said okay. But I would have to stay alone in a room for a few nights and he demanded to disinfect the room for at least three days… With what exactly I have no clue, I was just relieved. Here was a guy with a plan! And a poison! In this specific context, I could not ask for more.

I don’t blame the first hostel for getting the bed bugs, it is a part of hostel life and I know for a fact the cleaning ladies there work tirelessly to keep it spotless and fresh. However, when this happened the owner was away and the present staff had no clue how to handle it. I did not want my things mixed up with the things of the bed bug room so I left before they had the chance to put them together.

Local Insights: A Day with Lino in Maputo

The hostel is colorful and quiet, only a few other guests besides me are staying there currently. I mostly hang out with the hostel cat, Batique, who now follows me around even to the toilet. I’m not complaining though, he is super cute!

My strength has returned and one day I can feel it, I am ready to meet Maputo! Not having done any research about the city, I am clueless of where to start. Lino, the receptionist/bartender at the hostel, offers to take me on a tour of the city the next day. I feel relieved! I can’t imagine a better way to discover a new place than alongside a local.

We start bright and early but Maputo is already running hot! We walk from Avenida Mao Tse Tung to Casa de Ferro, a three-story house built entirely out of iron. I can’t even imagine how hot it becomes inside during summer! It must be like being in an oven… most certainly a foreign idea from somebody without enough local knowledge of the climate here.

Next we make a stop at the Tunduru Botanical Gardens, Mozambique’s biggest botanical garden. It is beautiful albeit a little rundown. We walk around talking about life in Mozambique and the tourism industry post pandemic. Suddenly we are surrounded by something that are either moths or butterflies… I’m not entirely sure what they are but I feel like I’m in the middle of a Disney production, they are everywhere! And so is a sound that I can’t really place, it’s not birds but something similar.

As we continue our walk in the garden the sound grows louder and louder until it’s almost hard to talk. I look up and there they are: hundreds and hundreds of bats! Most of them are hanging from the trees but some are flying around. The constant movement of the bats hanging in the trees makes the trees look like something from a fantasy movie. I am both fascinated and horrified! Never have I been able to see so many of them. In broad daylight too. To finish the tour, Lino takes me to Mercado do Povo, meaning the peoples market. I love markets like this! It is filled with vendors, people and smoke from the grills. In the middle, under a huge tree, are all the food vendors. We eat some of the best frango assado, roasted chicken, that I have ever tasted.

After the tour I feel confident enough to find my way back to the hostel on my own. I say goodbye to my guide Lino, who has to commute back home and return again before his next night shift starts at the hostel. I don’t understand how he finds the energy but it seems to be the way most working Mozambicans live, with several jobs under their belt. I can warmly recommend taking a city tour with Lino! Easiest way to contact him is through his instagram or send us an email and we will help connect you.

Awkward backpacker relations

When I get back to the hostel I am exhausted. I decide to do what I’ve been doing ever since I arrived at this hostel: lie down on one of the rooftops and tan while listening to a book on BookBeat. Every day between four and five in the afternoon I’ve been doing the same thing, the sun is still warm but won’t burn you silly. I know tanning is bad for the health, but right now it feels very good to my soul. This day in particular, I decided to let my boobs see some light too. There is not a soul besides me at the hostel and the staff rarely comes up here so I feel safe to do it without breaking any cultural norms. Not that I know what the norms on toplessness is here in Mozambique, but I assume it is less liberal than in Sweden where I grew up.

An hour goes by and I am deeply lost in the narrative of the book I’m listening to. Suddenly I feel there is movement, I open my eyes and see a young man pass me by. We lock eyes just as he comes up the stairs, both equally startled by the other’s presence. Or perhaps I’m the one who is startled by his presence, he is more likely startled by my nakedness that I quickly try to cover up. We mumble something to each other and he goes to the other side of the rooftop with his back towards me. Ugh, how awkward! He seemed so uncomfortable, poor guy. I spent the next two days trying to avoid eye contact with him and his travel companion. They are both my age and seem to feel right at home at this hostel.

Every evening the older generation at the hostel gather around a table, in the outside bar area, where they talk and laugh in Portuguese, chain smoking cigarettes. The two young newcomers are welcomed like family and fit right into this group, socialising and laughing. It looks nice. I decide then and there to get over my embarrassment and make an effort to introduce myself. I catch the girl first, it feels easier… Her name is Brenda and she tells me that she and her friend Igor, the one I startled, have spent a year in Mozambique working for some Brazilian NGO.

When Igor and I finally do talk we both laugh at the naked incident. He tells me that he had tried to avoid me after so that I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable thinking he was creeping on me. Imagine that! A man understanding the many security dilemmas women go through and adapting to give space and freedom. Who would have known! This is where everything changes for me. My isolation and recovery time is over.

Maputo through the Brazilians eyes

What happens next can most accurately be described as Brenda and Igor taking me by the hand and opening up all of Maputo right in front of me. They introduce me to everyone and anyone that they’ve made friends with during their year here. It feels wonderful! Maputo is beautiful by day but absolutely vibrant by night. Everyone is gorgeous, kind and inclusive.

The first time we go out together, they take me to Prahna, a restaurant with walls completely in orange and yellow, next to Rua d’Arte. First there is just a few of us but eventually we are around twenty-five people. The Portuguese is flowing all around me and I sit back and enjoy the vibe. I have enough of a hard time understanding Portuguese when I’m sober. With one cup of wine in my body, in combination with the loud environment, it is absolutely impossible. It doesn’t matter though, I’m just happy to be here.

I notice how everyone who comes in to join the group says hi to everyone and make sure to introduce themselves to the newcomer, me. That never happens in Sweden when the group setting is so big. It takes me a while to realize that not everyone here knows each other very well, their way of interacting makes me think they are all best of friends. I try to remember their names as they introduce themselves but when the sixth person comes up with another, to me, never-heard-before, Portuguese name, I give up. I apologize when I realize I’ve asked the same person for their name three times, he just laughs and says “In time, you know us all!”, letting me know that I am welcome here, in this group.

The next few days I get to see what Maputo is really about. It is a whole lot bigger than the four walls of the hostels I’ve been hiding in! One day, Igor invites us to Mercado do Peixe, a huge fish and shellfish market with loads of restaurants. We take the xiapa there; equivalent to Durban’s taxi system, Maputo’s public transport is dependent on the hundreds and hundreds of worn down minibuses driving around like crazy.

It is my first time taking one here and I am very glad I’m not alone. Before I know it, the bus is so full I can’t even see out of the window. The cobrador, the guy who charges the bus fare and sees to who needs to come on and off, keeps pushing people onto the bus even though I think it will burst at any second. It must look ridiculous from the outside, loads of butts hanging out the window. When Igor lets me know it’s our time to get off, almost the entire bus needs to get off in order to let us out. I stumble onto the street and before I have collected myself, everyone is inside the bus again driving off in a hurried speed.

My group of people look at my shocked expression, laugh and say “Mozambique!” while shrugging their shoulders. Before we even enter the market, Igor is bartering the price with a lady who wants us to eat at a specific vendor that she gets commission from. As soon as we enter the market every vendor turns their attention towards us, yelling out their prices and offers. We are the only guests there, the energy is intense and once again I am so grateful to be here with people who know how it’s done and how the system works.

When we sit down at a table everything calms down, but the procedure starts up again every time a new guest enters the market. There are so many vendors. I keep thinking if the market is always this empty or if it is a consequence of the pandemic. The prices at Mercado do Peixe are tourist prices and the international and national tourism has not picked up yet to the extent it was before the pandemic. There is an air of desperation every time a new possible client walks into the market.

The food arrives after a good whole hour but it was well worth the wait. It’s a feast! Plate after plate comes out overflowing with fish, shrimps, rice, fries and the best thing of all: salad! After three months in South Africa, where you don’t really have the custom of eating salad, arriving here in Mozambique where salad comes with every meal feels like a luxury. The rest of the afternoon we spend at the beach.

Seafood, Conversations, and Soul Connections: Mother-Daughter Vacation in Durban

julia.sarantes.andersson — Sun, 02 Jul 2023 08:03:29 +0000

The Global Entity

Seafood, Conversations, and Soul Connections: Mother-Daughter Vacation in Durban

00:00 / 13:28

Bus back to Durban

A week ago, I took the bus from Johannesburg back to Durban. Despite having experienced similar issues previously, I had forgotten about the difficulty of hailing a taxi app driver to get to certain locations in the city.. such as bus and train stations. I almost missed my bus to Durban since no Uber nor Bolt wanted to take me there. Luckily, the hostel‘s minibus was available to drive me last minute and I said a prayer as we swooshed between people and cars of Johannesburg. It was pretty early in the morning and the streets were busy with people recreating the steps of their morning routines. When we got to the bus station, the driver rushed in with my big bag in tow to stop the bus from leaving me behind. I thanked him profusely and got onto the bus. The rest of the nine and a half hour drive to Durban went smoothly.

As always, I get a feeling of worship and awe as I watch the mountains of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) start appearing around us. The Soils Sedilaka is playing in my headphones and I smile as I see a message from my mom confirming she has landed, she is half a days journey here. The next day I’m standing at the very same airport that I arrived at just three months earlier. I felt super excited at the prospect of showing her around KwaZulu-Natal for the first time. She has always been the one showing me places, now it was my opportunity to do the same for her. We were going to start with a few days in Durban and then move up north in KwaZulu-Natal, to a hopefully cleaner shore and sea area (read my previous post the Durban sewage crisis here). It felt fun planning out the things to do in Durban with her in mind.

Ever since I decided to go on this indefinitely long journey, a lot of people have asked me “But what about mom? What does mom say/feel about that?” And it’s quite funny because I can honestly answer that she got exactly what she raised: a curious and travel hungry person. There is nobody that I have discovered more corners of the world together with than alongside her. She has shown, encouraged and guided me to become the person and traveler that I am. Frankly, at this point, with 28 years of traveling and vacationing with her, I am yet to find a better and more compatible travel buddy.

Exploring Durban's Vibrant Markets

With only a few days to spend in Durban, it was obvious where we had to start: the markets! As far back as I can remember, this is where she loves to be, in between all of the people, languages, bartering, things, food and smoke that you encounter at a market. We start our Saturday by going to Musgrave market, a flea market filled with clothes, oils and incense, live music, second hand articles and lots and lots of street food! After walking around the whole market and of course shopping a few things, I can’t help it when I’m with her, we both order what we want to eat. We sit down at the red plastic tables placed at the center of the market. I still don’t have much of an appetite but the freshly squeezed orange and ginger juice tasted amazing! Although our usual routine when traveling and eating is to give space for long conversations, we couldn’t stay too long. I wanted time to show mom another market!

In the central parts of Durban, in a pink, two floored building, you will find the Mekah of Zulu beadwork and crafts; the Victoria Street Market. Unfortunately, I took no pictures as I have been warned about being careful with your smartphones up in this area. Seeing all the different beaded jewelry made me remember the performances I had seen last time I was in Durban. Basically everyone, including the audience, were wearing something traditional that day. But it is not an uncommon sight to see Zulu culture here. Very opposite to how I express, or perhaps not express, my own Swedish culture, people here seem to have it more incorporated in their society. Incorporated not only in events and special holidays but in fashion, social codes and in their sense and expression of identity. It’s really quite inspiring.

Hidden Forrest in Glenwood, Durban

Besides the markets we walked Durban’s beautiful sea promenade and explored the Botanic Garden of Durban. One morning, our host took us to the Pigeon Valley Nature Reserve. I was so surprised because in the middle of Glenwood, the area where I’ve spent most of my time while in Durban, lay this huge plot of completely indigenous forest! Some parts were so thick we couldn’t walk through it but our host guided us through the nature reserve with spot on knowledge of the area. After spending two months in South Africa’s concrete cities, Cape Town and Johannesburg, it felt good to breathe some forest air. The walk takes longer than expected and when we come back to the parking lot I am hungry! I take the opportunity to introduce mom to the fantastic Glenwood café. Even though we are close by I ask if our host can drop us off with his car. I have walked here during the day before but there is something about walking around with my mom that makes me more cautious than normal.

Dance, Drama, and Delights: Durban's Cultural Scene

The evenings in Durban we fill with music, food and culture! The first night we went to KwaZulu Natal Society of Arts, a gallery that was hosting a concert with the band Abahambayo. We came a little bit earlier to look at the art but were quick to find a table once the music started playing. Eventually the garden concert had to be moved inside due to the rain coming down. Nobody complained though as everyone was eager to hear the second half of this energetic group of musicians!

Another night I had booked us into a dance performance at the Playhouse Company, an old theatre under modern direction. The actual performance was a guest performance specific for the holiday but I would recommend checking the theatre out when you are in town. They seem to have a variety of shows and styles of entertainment and the quality was absolutely beautiful! It is sort of another tradition of ours, to go see one dance performance this time of year.

With less success, I also brought mom to Jazz night at Alliance Française. The pizza was okay but I had not researched what group was going to play, neither mom nor I am a fan of this style of jazz. But as she said, it’s nice to have experienced. Her eagerness to see what I have only told her of in words and photos for so many years is really moving.

The food highlight of the week was discovered by mom and her expert researching skills: Joops Place. We came to a fully booked restaurant and were lucky to get a table at all. If you want to eat good meat, this is the place. The location is a little odd, over viewing the parking lot, but you easily forget that once you get to taste your food.

Umhlanga and Ballito: Balancing Expectations and Realities

After only a few days in Durban it was time for us to leave! I had planned so that we would visit two more places: Umhlanga Rocks and Ballito. Umhlanga Rocks is a popular vacation place for Durbanites and I’ve only ever heard good things about it. When we get there though, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Umhlanga rocks is a small town with huge highways and roads at the center of it. The buildings are tall and cold, the massive hotels surrounding the beach are generic and lifeless, everywhere you go you see cars and concrete. What a shame. I get the feeling that everything here is new, every building and every car. It looks like one of those all-inclusive places on Mallorca. I don’t like all-inclusive, nor do I like places where I can’t feel the history or connect to the culture. I think this is a perfect example of when definitions differ. My friends who have all recommended this place probably find it super relaxing. I find it dull and lacking personality.

Fortunately for us, we stayed at this super cute Bed&Breakfast called the Honeypot. Each room has its own veranda and the common area with the pool is gorgeous. The friendly staff greeted us each morning and were very accommodating. Despite not falling for Umhlanga Rocks or finding it that interesting, it was the perfect destination for us this time because I needed to rest. As it turns out, the low energy and poor health I’ve been experiencing lately were all symptoms that needed strong medication. It completely wiped me out and I was left with warnings of infection, movement, and strict instructions of recovery. Typical! Typical that I get ill just when mom has crossed two continents to come see me. I felt guilty about it, about it happening now but mom called it divine timing, saying she wanted nothing more than to be here when I was weak.

Those who know mom and I from my childhood would probably associate us with seeing mom ride her bike around with me sitting behind in a shockingly green children’s saddle. She took us everywhere on that bike, no matter the weather. We could have used that bike in Ballito, as it was a bit bigger distances and no taxis nor buses were available. Everyone in Ballito drives a car, has a big house, with a huge alarm and fake teeth. It was more green and nature was more present in the towns infrastructure which made it beautiful. The restaurants were fancy and we ate a lot of great seafood. I probably won’t come back here as I found no culture nor history nor markets but it definitely suited our needs for tranquility. I had tried to plan a trip so that mom and I could experience KwaZulu-Natal without a car but I realise now that next time, I want to be driving.

The best things about traveling with my mom

We spent the days on the coast walking slowly, indulging in seafood and in each others company. If there is something mom and I know, it is how to spend time talking endlessly about everything together. It is not like we constantly talk, but when we do I feel like we can traverse the universe together. I have often thought of the beauty and poetry in this, where mine and moms endless conversations about everything within, has taken place from every corner of the world. I believe these conversations are an essential part of why I love traveling today. They made the connection between the physical journey and the inner journey so unmistakably clear. How much you can learn about yourself and your world when you travel; how much you are forced to confront within; the people and cultures you get to mirror yourself in and be inspired by.

If I would say three things that are typical about mine and moms relationship I would firstly say, we are super close. Growing up it was her and I traveling the world and experiencing life together. Secondly, we love to sing and harmonise together and have spent countless hours on the road this way. Finally, I would say that we are both empaths. This has led to some interesting breakfast scenarios when we host our friends and both of us suddenly get moved to tears. And then we look at each other and laugh. It is so amazing to have a person to connect with in this way. I am lucky, lucky to have a soul sibling as my mom in the physical world.

Maboneng After Dark: Gentrification vs. Local Culture

julia.sarantes.andersson — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 09:17:52 +0000

The Global Entity

Maboneng After Dark: Gentrification Vs. Local Culture

00:00 / 12:42

The Evolution of Maboneng

While in Johannesburg, I’ve been staying in the artsy neighbourhood Maboneng. In the language seSotho, Maboneng means Place of Light and I can’t think of a name more fitting nor more beautiful. I came here the first time in 2015, when the conceptualisation of the up-and-coming art neighbourhood was just in its beginning. During the next five years I got to observe first hand how the neighbourhood grew and expanded into a modern, creative, hipster area. Young artists, creators, dreamers and entrepreneurs quickly flooded the former industrial spaces turned into cute apartments. Obscure bars, cozy cafés, concept restaurants, markets, galleries and murals are what you will find when you go to Maboneng.

My favourite thing to do here is people watching. There is no catwalk like Fox Street, the main road running through all of Maboneng. Everywhere you look there is either a photo shoot going, on or some other creative project. Even the locals who are just existing, living their normal everyday lives, dress to impress. I sit in awe as I watch the people of Maboneng walk around with their individuality creatively wrapped around them.

This year, however, it is a less vibrant Maboneng that welcomes me. Even though there is life, light and people, it seems less loud and more grey. As I walk around trying to spot my favourite places and see what is new, it hits me how much is missing. My hangover souvlaki place, the amazing jewellery designer I always buy rings from and my Sunday market is all gone, to name a few. Just like in Durban, the pandemic put its mark here too. Perhaps because the economic base line in Maboneng seems to presuppose the presence of tourism, Maboneng was hit hard during the pandemic.

Balancing Development and Community Values in Maboneng

As the night drew closer I notice another change in the area; the clubs! When I was here last time there was perhaps one club in all of Maboneng. Now, five years later, it feels like there are at least two per corner. Between nine PM and three AM, the music is pumping, shaking all of Maboneng and its inhabitants. Or perhaps, was it always like this? Am I just getting too old/boring for this neighbourhood? A local business owner says that the municipality used to regulate who and what kind of businesses got permission to move into Maboneng. But with the economy going anything but well the last few years, they have become more lenient to what kind of businesses they allow. Hence, the excessive amounts of clubs. I have no doubt that Maboneng will recover and start to blossom again but I do wonder at what cost?

It is apparent that the process that I’ve seen Maboneng go through these past couple of years is gentrification and commercialisation. Just like what is happening in Observatory, the previously affordable industrial apartments are now expensive due to the high demand of holiday homes and rising popularity of the area. On the one hand, Maboneng is a whole lot safer than it used to be. When I first got here in 2015, it was only Fox Street that was safe enough to walk on. Today, Mabonengs’ safe zones have expanded significantly which can be seen as a positive effect of the changes tourism and development of the area has led to. On the other hand, all of my friends who previously lived in this area, have now moved out. The main reasons being: raised rents, too much noise at night and the general sense that Maboneng doesn’t cater to the local individual. Which brings me back to the question; at what cost…

At what cost will Maboneng continue to develop? I’m afraid that the neighbourhood that I love so much will focus too much on the tourist market and forget to see to the locals’ needs. I’m afraid that if the development continues like this, it will ‘develop’ away the very essence of Maboneng: the people! What gives me hope is knowing how many enthusiastic people in the Maboneng community are working tirelessly to come up with better and more sustainable solutions. Long term solutions which are not just for foreigners. Wholesome solutions for the whole of Maboneng.

Where to go kizomba dancing in Johannesburg

Despite my low energy and poor health, I feel like I have some sort of balanced everyday life routine going on. A very lazy, slow routine of course. I don’t want to strain myself. When I’m not chilling in Maboneng, I’ve been attending all of Baila Afrikas dance events. On Mondays, there are kizomba socials and on Wednesday they host salsa evenings at the restaurant Carpe Diem in Sandton. One Sunday a month, Baila Africa also have a dance party but this time at the restaurant PedroPortia. It feels great to be dancing so much! I’m even starting to feel like I know a few souls in this dance community.

A night with Mabonengs finest: the Creatives

When I get back to the backpackers last Sunday after yet another sweaty and fun kizomba evening, the afterparty of Curiocitys’ jazz evening was running hot! Since I’ve been dancing salsa and kizomba every Sunday since I got to Johannesburg, I have unfortunately missed the open jazz rehearsals that Curiocity hosts every week. This time however, the party doesn’t seem to want to stop.

I have actually never seen the Hide Out Bar this packed. It seems like every 20-something year old in all of Maboneng is here tonight. They are spilling over everywhere, out onto the street, up on the bar, on the roof and up on the tables. I catch a friends eyes as she happily yells something at someone, she smiles when she sees me and waves for me to come over but the table is full and I feel a bit overwhelmed from all of the commotion. Trying to get away from some of the noise, I go out back into the courtyard of Curiocity. It is also packed but at least the volume is less here. I end up melting together with one of the groups outside. It’s a group consisting of mostly young, drunk men. They are happy and exhilarated from the performance that has just ended. After asking me a thousand questions, trying to get my number, they give up. Somebody starts to beatbox and pretty soon the whole group is swinging side to side, cheering the improviser on.

The quality of the impromptu rap battle varies… it is evident it was none of these guys up on stage earlier. But it doesn’t matter, we laugh loads and when somebody loses their thread somebody else is eager to jump in and take over. A girl, that I later learn is the singer Nomvuselelo, comes by and drops the smoothest, most magnificent bars that I have ever heard. She is cocky, her lyrics intelligent and her rhythm unmistakable. The whole group goes crazy when she is done and I feel a sense of pride that it was a girl that delivered the mic drop, especially in this context where men where taking majority of the space.

Suddenly, they are all turned looking at me. “Sweden! Sweden! Sweden!” They want me to rap. They. Want. Me. To. Rap. LOL! I die inside as I realise the socially awkward situation I am in. In that very moment, I cannot think of anything worse than making a fool out of myself in front of all these strangers. I cannot rap to save my life. On the other hand, I didn’t want to kill the vibe, that would also be embarrassing. I realise that if I don’t want to be a party pooper, and actually contribute to the amazing energy that has been created in this little group, I am going to have to get over myself and rap. I try to get out of it but I realise the only way out is through. I start saying random words in Swedish, nothing rhymes, not all words are proper words but it doesn’t matter. I’m hitting the beat and everyone is hyping me up.

When I finish rambling what is essentially a grocery list the group is ecstatic! Their enthusiasm and kindness (everyone was well aware of how terrible my rapping was) makes me warm and safe. I laugh as they ask me for one more. “Have I not damaged your ears enough?” When they insist I surrender. They change the beat and I draw breath. The lyric that comes out I haven’t listened to in years, it is my old teenage anthem, I din trappuppgång, by Stockholmssyndromet. I know it by heart. When I finish the group explodes! One runs inside, the other one to the left and back. In all the commotion, somebody starts another beat and somebody new starts rapping. The euphoria rushing through my body is overwhelming. I dared! And it was messy and imperfect and so much fun!

After an hour or so it starts to drizzle and the group becomes smaller as people go back inside. We all huddle close together under the stairs trying to protect each other from the rain. The rapping has stopped but the conversation is loud and messy. Somebody shouts something that I can’t really make out but silence spreads in the group and a sense of anticipation. They are all looking at this one woman with the longest nails I have ever seen. The silence is pregnant with anticipation. When she starts to sing I understand why. The woman is the artist Kallo Matlanyane, she has a voice that can be liked with Lauryn Hill, and a deliverance that could make even the hardest of statues soft. The rain increases but nobody wants to leave. Everyone is bewitched to the ground by this moment, enchanted by the presence her voice commands.

The amount of talent that is held by this neighborhood is just mind blowing. When the Hide Out bar closes, nobody wants the night to end. I have the same feeling but I’m leaving Jozi in less than 24 hours so the rational choice is to stay home and get some sleep. However, when they ask me to continue the party elsewhere I happily accept, why deny myself a proper Maboneng night? Outside it is raining cats and dogs. We who have gathered outside look at each other as we take each other’s hands and run out into the rain. It doesn’t take long before we are recreating an MTV music video from the early 2000s. As we dance and goof around I feel happy. I am probably going to get the flu after this rain dance but right now that is not important. I mean, how often do you get the chance to play and live your best life?

If you want to experience the night in video form you can click here!

Soulful Sundays: Kizomba Adventures in Jozi

julia.sarantes.andersson — Thu, 18 May 2023 09:16:01 +0000

The Global Entity

Soulful Sundays: Kizomba Adventures In Jozi

00:00 / 7:29

Homeopathy and exploring Melville

My health is continuing to deteriorate without any signs of improving. After a month of coughing my lungs out, I felt it was time to seek some help. I decided to book an appointment at a local homeopath after listening to moms advice. It was homeopathy that helped me as a kid when I got tonsillitis six times in just a few months. Experiencing something similar but different now, going to a Homeopath felt like the right choice. Going to a conventional doctor would only get me penicillin at this point, something that would wipe out the little immune system I still have left. Dr. Jana Mostert greets me in the waiting room and as I sit in her office the smells bring me back to my childhood. Having been brought up with alternative medicine, the smells of herbs and incense gives me a sense of security.

Dr. Mostert is a soft spoken, present lady. Her questions traverse every aspect of my life, trying to get to the bottom of my imbalance. This is what I love about alternative medicine, knowing that they look at my entire being and life instead of just the symptoms of the disease. I leave with a bag full of homeopathic remedies, firm instructions and a sense of being seen. Everything will be alright. On my way out, I text a tourist that I met at the hostel to see if she is around to grab lunch. Melville, the area where the homeopaths office is, is a very cozy and bohemian area with lots of bars, restaurants and some random stores and thrift shops. It’s known for being flooded by students on any given party night. We end up going to Hell’s Kitchen for a glass of wine and some light lunch. At this point, I’m sure it can only help my recovery.

Kizomba Socials in Johannesburg

Sundays in Johannesburg should just be called Danceday instead, simple as that. Not having been in Jozi for several years, I was a bit unsure of where to go to get my dance fix. I reached out to my old kizomba teacher, Paciano, who hosts Kizomba Sundays every week at the Ethos Restaurant in Rosebank. Ethos is an elegant place, everyone is dressed up and I felt happy I put my only fancy dress on. The ladies look like something out of a fairytale as they gracefully dance through the magical room in their flowy, colourful fabrics.

I get to dance with Paciano and it feels so surreal to be here again. Paciano was one of my first kizomba teachers, he taught me when I was still stepping on people toes every other minute… it feels like a full circle moment as we now, years later, get to flow together. As the afternoon becomes early evening the dancers spill out onto the courtyard. It is a beautiful view and I would have loved to stay, but as I said earlier: Sunday is Kizomba day in Jozi. I have another spot to try out before this evening comes to an end. I catch a ride with a fellow salsero who is also on his way to the next place, thank goodness I did! I always forget how huge Johannesburg is until I get the taxi bill.

When we arrive at the new venue the party is already blowing up, people are dancing everywhere and the salsa songs that are being played are fire! Baila Afrika, a dance school in Johannesburg, host their monthly Sunday party at Pedro Portia and I felt lucky I was here for it! For some reason however, I am not feeling it, not yet anyways. If the previous event was best described as elegant, this one would best be described as alive! There is lots of people everywhere. I barely have time to take two steps into the restaurant before I get stepped on. Twice.

Feeling overwhelmed by the many impressions, people and noises, I get myself to the bar to order some food. The way I catch myself glaring at the happy, dancing people, was a clear indicator that I needed to refuel my system. The bartender recommended one of their wraps, but at that point, I would have eaten anything. The prawn wrap was amazing and works its magic on me instantly. As I sit and eat the last pieces of my meal I notice that I actually recognise some faces that are here. I danced with them at the Afro Latin dance festival in Cape Town just last month! It was the last thing I needed in order to shake off the sour mood and get up on the dance floor.

In the taxi home I feel the euphoria of having danced and shared energy with so many amazing beings. I feel warm in my feelings from the Baila Afrika event. Now, I have Johannesburgs dance calendar written down and I feel confident I’m going to utilize it to the fullest. The taxi ride goes quickly, partly because there is little to no traffic at this time, but mostly because we brush past every red light as if they were green. This is why I could never drive here. It is not about the left side traffic, although that for me is terrifying as well. It’s the fact that I would have zero to no clue about where it is safe to drive, at what times and where it is safer to drive through the red light. I would probably end up driving on the wrong side despite my best effort.

The city of gold sleeps but Curiocity is still awake. I am greeted by the normal Sunday buzz, a group is singing somewhere in the backyard and peoples faces look distorted as they laugh in the candle light. Load shedding. My favourite bartender sees me come in and invites me to join their conversation but I feel that the load shedding is all the signs I need. I’m off straight to bed!

Solo Travel Chronicles: Arriving in Johannesburg

julia.sarantes.andersson — Wed, 10 May 2023 14:21:37 +0000

The Global Entity

Solo Travel Chronicles: Arriving In Johannesburg

00:00 / 7:05

Solo traveling: night bus to Johannesburg

Initially, I was a bit insecure about booking a night bus from Cape Town to Johannesburg (Jozi). There had been some highway heists in recent months and I honestly wasn’t sure how safe it was to travel. However, the night bus is the only bus that allows you to arrive in Jozi bus station during daytime – something that for me is a safety non-negotiable. Flights were out of the question considering how heavy my luggage was. In the end, I talked to some of my local contacts. Soothed by their reassurance I went to the neighbourhood Checkers, a food store brand, and bought my ticket to Jozi. The bus trip of course took longer than expected, but overall, went well without any hiccups.

The travel safety risk of taking the night bus to Johannesburg did make me reflect about my upcoming trips. I have many times felt grateful that this journey started in South Africa, a country I have traveled a fair few times before. Soon, however, my three month visa is up and I am going to continue my journey onto unknown lands. Learn new norms and safety precautions. Understand new contexts and gender roles. The thought both excites and exhausts me. At the beginning of this adventure I did not suspect I was going to be traveling, rather I expected to be at a fixed point for an undefined time. I realise that this expectation lives on within me even if my reality now has shifted. I am going to have to do something about that if this traveling thing is going to work.

When I get to the Johannesburg bus station I manage to negotiate a better taxi price than their standard rate. At first I am surprised that they agree to it, that is, until I see the car they expect me to ride in. There is only one window and it looks like its floor might be touching the ground. I sigh as I sit down next to the only window that works. Remembering the many warnings I have gotten about window grabbing robberies in Jozi, I roll the only window up so that there is only a streak of air coming through and put my backpack between my legs. The ride is quick and smooth and I arrive at my hostel, Curiocity Backpackers, in under five minutes. It is a two floored brick building with a huge balcony framing the upper floor. It is early but the streets of Maboneng are already filled with life.

Curiocity Backpackers, the gem of Maboneng

I have spent many weeks at Curiocity Backpackers during the years but seldom have I taken the time to look at the building from the outside. I get out of the taxi and take a breath as I observe the building, letting all the memories of Jozi flow over me. It looks inviting, with its warm rusty style, fluffy green trees surrounding it and people from all over the world walking in and out of its bar entrance.

It is not its rustic, hip look that makes Curiocity my go to place whenever I’m in Jozi, it’s what is on the inside. As I enter the bar area on the bottom floor, a wave of sound hits me. The music is chilled and the conversations plentiful. It’s not even noon and Curiocity’s Hide Out Bar is already filled with artists, travellers, tourist guides and local students. This is why I love this place! The vibe is like no others. It is a natural meeting point, a cultural melting pot, creating space for connection, live music and culture.

Curiocity’s concept has a capacity of making tourism accessible. What I love most about their tours is that they do not hesitate to talk and explain the more difficult topics. Whether it is about the socio-economic reality of the large migrant communities that exist in Jozi, the gentrification of Maboneng, the many times destructive effects of tourism or the political contexts that propelled one of the many murals in the city, the guides of Curiocity will generously share their knowledge and thoughts.

Reunion in Pretoria

The very next day after my arrival, Matambo comes to pick me up. Matambo is one of the friends I’m still in contact with after living in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, back in 2015. I haven’t seen him since before Covid and reuniting now feels surreal. “Let’s go see Sine!” He says and smiles at me. I beam as we hit the highway realising my friends are proper grownups now with cars and jobs. We can do whatever we want! Sine is another friend from the same PMB era. She stays in Pretoria nowadays, the capital of South Africa, approximately an hour away from Johannesburg.

Before this day I had never visited Pretoria before but I had been warned! Nobody parties the way they do in Pretoria. And to my surprise they were right! The reunion was sweet and intense. I met these beautiful souls when they were in the messy phase of becoming. We were at very different places in our lives then as they were doing their masters and PHDs and I had just finished high school. Despite this, I never felt anything but welcomed by them. Seeing them now, all grown and wholesome, embracing me in my messy phase of becoming, makes me all warm inside. I hope you know how precious you are to me!