Full Circle Digital Magazine August 2013 | Page 41
H U M O U R
Soli reflects:
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S O L LY
PH IL A ND ER
I don’t remember exactly when I realized I was Kapetonian, although I suspect it was around the time I lived away from the Mother City for a while. For most of my childhood I was from Elsies River (where I grew up), for some of it I was from Eureka (my Primary School), for some John Ramsay (my High School). Interwoven with that was my spiritual identity (New Apostolic, mostly) all of course playing second fiddle to my apartheid-colour-coding (Coloureds used to get second place mention in those days - Whites, Coloureds, Indians, Blacks - as opposed to nowadays when they come third - Blacks, Whites, Coloureds, Indians. But save your sympathy for the Indians who went from third place to last). If all those groupings seem uncomplicated, let me hasten to assure you they’re not. In Elsies we were very aware that we weren’t as fancy as Fairview Coloureds, not as well off as Athlone Coloureds and not as established as Kensington Coloureds. We prided ourselves though on having a better reputation than Louw Se Bos, not being quite as notorious as Mannenburg and certainly not as down-and-out as Kreefgat (even though we had our own corner of Elsies that bragged with the name). In Primary School we were not that good at sport and academically we sort of managed, so our reason for pride was our code of conduct. A Eureka pupil was a well-behaved, well-mannered little clone. Eureka Primary was at least in a suburb called Eureka! In High School we had to deal with the fact that even though John Ramsay High School was in Bishop Lavis, Bishop Lavis High already existed. Luckily we had one or two gifted sportspeople attending so we at least had cause for celebration at certain sports events, and there was even a student in my year that everyone was convinced was bright enough to put John Ramsay on the top ten matriculants’ list. If you thought the religious thing would be less minefield–ridden, think again. New Apostolics, it is important to point out, are very different from Old Apostolics (apart from the key fact that they clap hands when they sing), so you can’t ever do a generic Apostolics, as there is also the Apostolic Faith Mission, lots of talk of apostles in most churches and the very definite presence of New Apostolic churches (the ones with the cross, the waves and the rays). Even later, whilst living illegally in some white areas in town, if people asked me where I was from I would reply ‘Elsies’. It was only years later when visiting Jo’burg for the first time that someone up there called me a Kapetonian. I liked it. So much that I’ve internalised the brand, and have spent the last three decades of my life trying to define it for myself. So far, I understand a Kapetonian to be someone who loves the Mother City unreasonably. Someone who can carry on forever about what it means to them, and still not quite articulate why it lives in their hearts. Someone who can wax lyrical about The Mountain, sing songs about the beaches, glow in the extraordinary ambience that the Capetown light provides, and tap the humour and magic that runs like a rich vein through the living to be done here on the southern-most part of this continent. These characters come from backgrounds rich and poor, spiritually and ethnically diverse, each with his or her own take on the blessing that comes with the unique, multiple-layered expression of living. Addicts to this experience insist that it should be bottled and exported to all four corners of the globe and beyond. And to intensify that blessing I get to spend my days on The Taxi with others who are journeying and exploring ways to make the whole world Kapetonian (even The Ghaadtjie, who’s from Kanana).
Be sure to see THE PASSION GAP to check Soli’s updated thoughts on being Kapetonian, featuring Soli Philander, Gabieba, Gadija and special guests. Date Friday 26th July to 14th September Wednesdays to Saturdays Time 8.30pm Venue GrandWest Roxy Revue Cost R78 Tickets @ Computicket
In The Passion Gap, Soli takes a closer look at Cape Town, “the people and city of my heart”. The show features the ‘Passion Gap’ Ambassador of Cape Town, Gabieba Zuma-Gupta who will walk the red carpet, and the wonderful character Gadija, who is ever ready to tell the audience what to stand up and speak about, so have your issues at the ready. The Passion Gap will also feature a Haal Uit En Wys (take out and show) feature showcasing the Mother City’s existing and emerging music, dance and comedy talent. During the course of the show, Soli will review what makes Cape Town so special, and sometimes not so special. Soli has gone in search of bucket-toilet lovers, snoek addicts, ManU supporters (what do you call two guys getting married? Man United), narcissistic hair disorder sufferers, yard flowers, two-Facebook skinnerbekke (it’s complicated), Blackberry chargers, the last remaining Stormers sup ??????????????????????M????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e????????!?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q???????????????????????????????????????????
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