Number 58: Streetfood of Norwood

I have been home here in Norwood for the month of August and I have consciously embraced 'hygge': slowing down; taking pleasure in the textures and warmth of winter in my home, my quilts and mohair blanket; a fire in the kitchen and special time with a friend, baking and making soups; candles and incense; knitting for my little man in New Zealand; a huge mug of tea watching a favorite TV series; going to bed early; keeping travel to a minimum and walking everywhere; sitting in the sun on the veranda watching the birds; reading copiously;...
I have been decluttering my photos on my laptop too and looking for special photos for my Instagram feed and I am smiling as my choice for this morning was a foodie memory from Saint-Emilion in France, a two star Michelin fine dining experience while this blog is about the streetfood of Norwood!

Number 58:

Streetfood of Norwood.

Among these gentle, restful winter days Fred and I have ventured out on our walks to explore the tastes of the streetfood around us for our blog.

My first story is a street vendor called Octavia, we pass her each time we walk on one of the busy intersections coming into our suburb, she is shy and was a bit bemused by our interest in trying her food. 

All you need to is a few coins in your back packet to buy from Octavia, everything is one rand. We bought 'vetkoek' a South African staple, a delicious ball of fried dough, crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside - serious walking carbs! 

Meeting Octavia.

Meeting Sam, Baker Brothers, Norwood

The next story is Sam, he is a new entrepreneur along Grant Avenue in Norwood. 

He is a baker and hails  from the famous Ile de Pain in Kynsna. He has opened a bakery in The Factory courtyard and our walks now incorporate a pop past Sam to pick up our bread and croissants - I cannot possibly embrace 'hygge' without the freshest of breads! 

Also making their mark on our streetfood adventuring during August are Sumting Fresh and Baha Taco.

'Sumting Fresh' is a small Norwood eatery, with young vibey 20-somethings selling great to-go food - the business also does food trucks and markets around Johannesburg. We took an exhausted Justin, who had been caring for Ingrid post her hip replacement op, to try out their legendary Gujon Chicken and Gua Bao. Crispy, tasty and very moreish. 

Of course, no streetfood exploring in Norwood is complete without Mexican flavors, so I headed off to Baha Taco with Janet, as a treat to see her off on her trip to Europe. The nachos hit the mark as did the vegetarian taco's with haloumi.

Streetfood eateries along Grant Avenue in Norwood.

Number 57: Gifting my hair to CANSA

One of my daily practices is to be lighter in the world, I look with intent at my spaces and everything in my places.

I declutter, I repurpose, I gift, I regift, I pass it on, I donate, I arrange, I trash, I organise, I use, I make, I fix, I share, I consume, I provision with a light hand, I purchase when replacing...

Number 57:

Gifting my hair to CANSA 

The practice is creative and highly rewarding. The cumulative effect of many years of this practice has been remarkable. Sometimes the actions I take are very small, like passing on hangers but sometimes, like today, the actions are far more meaningful to me.

Today I took out a small plastic bag from my trunk. My hair. Three long plaits, cut when I was 13 years old. Looking at my photos, these thick brown plaits feature in all my school photos. Mom made a special moment of the trip to the hairdresser, took photos and then kept the hair for me. Now, 5 decades later I am looking at my hair, remembering and know that it is time to let my couple of meters of hair go and to keep just the memories that are wrapped up in the plastic bag.

So to honor my mother, who died of cancer 25 years ago, I am taking my hair to CANSA's Head Office in Befordview. They accept donations and have wigs made which are given to cancer survivors who need it most.

A photo taken by my Mom the day I went to the hairdresser, age 13 and my couple of meters of hair.

Number 6, Part 5: Seeing my city through its Art Galleries: Art Strip on Jan Smuts

Time to get exploring, the hint of spring is the Johannesburg air, bringing hayfever but also blossoms and warmer weather. So Martie and I headed off to the Goodman Gallery, the heart of an exciting art precinct colloquially called Art Strip on Jan Smuts.

Number 6, Part 5: 

Seeing my city through its Art Galleries: Art Strip on Jan Smuts

A excerpt from a David Goldblatt quote at the 'On Common Ground' exhibition at the Goodman so resonated with us:

"Johannesburg is seldom a beautiful city, it has its rare moments. I can't honestly say that I love it. However I miss it when I am away and when I am in it I rejoice."

We shared one of these rare moments exploring this vibrant contemporary art scene. Our ambling took us to the longstanding Goodman Gallery and Kim Sacks Gallery, to Lizamore & Ass but also into the newer, exciting urban space called Art One Sixty where we popped into Gallery 2 and David Krut Projects. 

The precinct is a unique mix of established and emerging artists, co-operation and competition with diverse artistic styles and genres. 

We were heartbroken by the Goldblatt and Magubane photographs, charmed by the Clementina van Der Walt's delicate pottery and interested in Mongezi's approach to art through his love of music. 

The foodie scene is part of the eclectic mix along this block of Jan Smuts. Our choice was the hip Asian-inspired Saigon Suzi. I rejoiced.

A stimulating visit to Art Strip on Jan Smuts.

Number 56: Planning a Twitch at the St. Lucia Estuary, northern KwaZulu-Natal

A churny tummy is a good sign that planning has started on a twitch, which bears no resemblance to birding, mostly because of the 'spend large amounts of money and travel long distances' as per the quote below.
But also because of the likelihood of failure.

Number 56:

Planning a Twitch at the St. Lucia Estuary, northern KwaZulu-Natal.

I am not a dedicated twitcher and can count on one hand the number of trips I have made to pursue a rarity. A penguin in 2009 comes to mind, where I booked a ticket, flew to Cape Town from Johannesburg, drove a couple of hundred kilometers to see a bedraggled bird on a beach; another was a one day 1500 km roundtrip from Johannesburg to Pongola to see the Golden Pipit; another the trip with Doreen to Phinda Game Reserve last year to find the Malagasy Pond Heron.

So, how can I not do a twitch this year for my 100 Different Things.

Fred and I dipped on our first attempt at finding the Sooty Tern at St Lucia quite some years ago and it has been showing itself again. The SA Rare Bird Report on the 23rd July mentioned that the bird had been seen at the estuary, so here goes, attempt number 2. The first attempt was a hot, humid New Year and now a mid-winter attempt.

Twitching process:

1. Discuss with Fred, he says no.
2. Let is rest for a little while.
3. Fred says maybe.
4. Call Themba of Themba Birding in St. Lucia and see if he is free.
5. He is indeed.
6. Mention to Fred again, he is warming to the idea.
7. Logistical planning starts, I am in Amanzimtoti, some 265km from St. Lucia, so easy enough for me and I have the car.
8. Fred however is in Cape Town, flying back to Johannesburg. So I need to convince him to fly to Durban, fetch him and then drive up to St. Lucia. This could be a hard sell, but this is the nature of twitching, also the camera equipments, binocs and bird books are in Johannesburg and we need them.
9. We will need to overnight in St Lucia as we are planning two attempts for the Tern, late afternoon and early morning.
10. Look at Airbnb options but first need to look at Fred's logistics.
11. Just had an email from Fred, he has bought a ticket, so the twitch is on.
12. Sent a message to Themba.
13. Booked a little cottage in St Lucia for the Friday overnight on Airbnb.
14. Morning of the twitch has arrived, can feel the fluttering of nervous energy.
15. Uneventful drive up the North Coast of KZN.
16. We are on track for the 2pm hook-up with Themba and arrange to pick him up at the Dukuduku Gate just before the bridge into St. Lucia.
17. At Ingwe Beach we park and sort out the cameras, binocs and pull on walking shoes and start to walk along the Estuary Beach making for the mudflats behind the sand dunes.
18. As we approach the flats, the skies are dark and moody but we see flocks of birds, Caspian Terns, small waders, Avocets and Stilts, pelicans, Egyptian Geese and gulls.
19. Themba calls excitedly, pair of Sooty Terns!
20. So thrilled, I have a Sooty Tern in sight. The twitch has been a success.
21. I quietly sit on the sand bank and watch the birds, as Fred creeps closer to get some photos.
22. Thema mutters to me that Fred should be a bit more careful as there are crocodiles in the estuary. Just then Fred hustles back and sinks knee deep into the mud, fortunately he is agile enough to not get his rig wet.
23. Eventually the Sooty's get tried of being mobbed by the gulls and they head off to sea. We also head back to drop Themba off in town and check into our cottage.
24. Glass of wine to celebrate and seafood dinner at the Ski Club, dorado and yellowtail fresh from the Indian Ocean. Fred can now watch the rugby tomorrow as no attempt 2 needed.
25. Content.

Sooty Terns, St Lucia mudflats.

Sooty Tern been harassed.

Quote from Trevor Hardaker, on zestforbirds.co.za:

Twitcher: A birder in all the good sense of the term during normal times, but responds with frenzied activity to news of rarities in his region, and will spend large amounts of money and travel long distances at short notice in order to see a rarity or new bird. Consequently is the subject of scorn from certain birdwatchers who find this eagerness to see new birds distasteful. Is often accused (and sometimes guilty) of contravening the Code of Ethics in his desire to see a new bird. Due to his extra focus on rare species, it is the twitcher who very often discovers new or rare species in the region.