Saving Lives and Saving Face!

Home Page: Willmore Adventures in South Africa

Drama at sea has shaped our summer holidays here in South Africa. From Port Elizabeth to Coffee Bay, we’ve tested the waves and tested our knowledge. Here is a peak into this summer’s Willmore Adventure.

Online school in French, preparing for Christmas, recovering from Covid, and questioning my sanity…the lead up to Christmas was somewhat hectic to say the least. So, when they arrived, we celebrated the holidays with great relief. We enjoyed a Christmas day in Jo’burg with Laurence’s mom’s family, complete with a summer’s Christmas day swim. Usually everyone politely refuses my mulled wine in high summer, but this year the weather was mild enough for it to be a hit! And then shortly after Christmas, as with the rest of Johannesburg, we set off for the coast, our destination being Port Elizabeth to visit Laurence’s stepmom, Bev.

Christmas Day swim!

Christmas celebrations at our house,
complete with mulled wine.

I spoke in my last post about all the regional African languages that South Africa has, and as a result it’s rich cultural history. Whilst the colonialists were quite good at replacing it with their own, native African history is now making its rightful return. Port Elizabeth, named as such in 1820 after a Governor’s wife, in 2021 became Gqeberha, which is the name of a river in the Eastern Cape Province where PE is located and home to the Xhosa people. It’s a mouthful for even the most experienced Xhosa speaker, with the G followed by a click, but it’s a great opportunity for people to learn something of the history of the area. So, we were in fact headed to Gqeberha for our holiday.

A map of South Africa where you can see
Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape.

On one sunny and slightly windy day, whilst standing at the sea’s edge and wondering if I was going to get in after counting to three or simply just going to return to my towel, the lifeguards rather dramatically sprinted past me complete with yellow surfboard and red 'David Hasselhoff' float. Everyone naturally went very quiet and watched as they paddled out to what we later realised was a non-swimmer who had been swept out of her depth. I naturally went to count my family members, seeing that the girls were together jumping shallow waves and Joel was throwing a ball to a dog. It was only when I started to look for Laurence that I realised he was in the thick of the action and had been the first to respond to the lady in distress. He kept her afloat until the lifeguards reached them, after which, like a superhero, he emerged from the water back to the shore. I felt so proud of him that I wanted to tell everyone on the beach that he was my husband! Well done Laurence for being so perceptive and quick to react! It is rather ironic however, that, 24 hours earlier, the opposite could be said of Laurence about his wife. Said wife, aka me, was frolicking in the waves and enjoying a good body surf, when a particularly strong wave caught her off guard. The strength of said wave caused a rather unfortunate underwater wardrobe malfunction otherwise known as, ‘bikini bottoms lost at sea’! And whilst Laurence came to her rescue and the bikini bottoms were restored to their rightful place, I’m not sure that when she emerged from the water that day, he saw a superhero in her, nor do I think he wanted to tell everyone that she was his wife! But we were able to laugh about it all the same. Well done Jessica for maintaining a sense of humour!

A visual of David Hasselhoff complete with
'Baywatch' red float and yellow surf board, ha!

The girls surfing the waves at Sardinia Bay,
where all the drama unfolded...

Races on the Sardinia Bay sand dunes.

New Year's Eve celebrations
sitting outside in the summer heat.

After a wonderful week in Gqeberha, we travelled up the east coast to a remote area called Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast. Named after washed up cargo of coffee that promptly grew along the coastline, it is the last village in the Xhosa territory before the Mthatha River and Pondoland beyond. We spent 2 days kayaking and exploring with a guide, Mzo, who told us about Coffee Bay and the folklore and fairytales of the local culture. One particular tale was that of the sea people who live underwater, ready to snatch an unsuspecting child who would dare to show them their knees under the water. It was a story to instill fear of the sea in a young child growing up on the shores of Coffee Bay so that they wouldn’t go in too far without an adult. He also explained that the ‘wild’ in Wild Coast was a reference to the sea and not the land, which I had previously assumed, and that the ship carrying coffee wrecked at sea was no one off accident but, in fact, a common occurrence.

Laurence, Amelie and Elowen
looking down over Coffee Bay.

An evening view from Coffee Bay.

Joel and I kayaking in the mangroves
on the Mthatha River.

Laurence and Amelie at the
mouth of the Mthatha River.

Another site at Coffee Bay of 'The Hole in the Wall',
another place filled with fairytales and folklore.

 So, with the help of Mzo and the local folklore at Coffee Bay, coupled with our experiences at sea the week before in the wild waters of Gqeberha, we certainly learnt our lesson to be extra careful in the sea off the Wild Coast. And, if in the future anyone dares visit those shores and dares to dip a toe in those waters, I can say with absolute certainty that the sea people will be lurking, ready to take their next victim. I can also say with absolute certainty that it would be prudent to take a one-piece swimming costume!

The heroics of Laurence and my unfortunate ‘Bikinigate’ drama will certainly go down in Willmore Folklore as we continue our adventures in South Africa in 2022. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful New Year. We can’t wait for our visit home this July! The countdown is on!

Lots of love,

Jess x  

Next post: Easter with Shepherd and the Eggs of Limpopo

Previous post: For the Love of Language...Sawubona, Bonjour, Hello!  

For the Love of Language… Sawubona, Bonjour, Hello!

Home Page: Willmore Adventures in South Africa

Sawubona Everyone! Or, ‘Hello’, to the non-Zulu speakers amongst us (at least me). With 11 official languages, and Zulu being the most widely spoken, South Africa is a babel of sounds and clicks. Most people here can understand at least 2 of the languages, like Laurence; and if you’re like our gardener, Shephard, you can speak 6 of them! As with all languages, they are regional, and they come with their own cultures and traditions. It’s amazing to hear them all being spoken, but thankfully for me, in the big cities, most people speak English.

Despite the convenience of being an anglophone and everyone using English for my benefit, I’ve enjoyed hearing people’s conversations switch with ease from one language to another, and it has made me want to join the multilingual party. So, shortly after we arrived in 2018, I set out on my journey to learn a new language. It would seem logical that I would choose one of the 11, given the opportunity to speak them, but instead of starting afresh, I stayed firmly within my ‘secondary school second language’ comfort zone and started learning French. After 3 years of Duolingo, podcasts, online courses, Netflix, and French conversation classes, my grasp of French has finally expanded beyond that of, ‘Du Pain, Du Vin et Du Boursin’, and ‘La vache qui rit’. I have also infiltrated the French speaking expat community who have very graciously allowed an anglophone to join their ranks.

It is with a French group, that I have started volunteering at Creche Gabrielle, a French funded community space in the semi-rural area of Vlakfontein, south of Johannesburg (Vlakfontein meaning shallow spring in Afrikaans). The local language is Sotho and the children who range in ages from 1 to 6, have very little English, so communication is quite hard. On site there are offices and preschool classrooms in shipping containers, a kitchen, and a big veggie patch. The facility has been invaluable during Covid, providing children of all ages with food when schools have been closed. We have arrived at the gates this year to see queues of children with a bowl and spoon waiting for a meal; needless to say, the area is very poor. At the creche, we are set to work by Sylvie, and spend our morning with the pre-schoolers. If there is a pretend tea party to be had, or an English song to be sung, then my talents at both drinking tea and speaking English come to the fore and are used to the full! The children are incredibly well behaved, and we try our best to have some fun with them. As well as conversation being difficult, so too is simply remembering the children’s names. They can be incredibly long and have sounds next to one another that seem impossible to say; Tsholofelo, Kgalalelo and Kgothatso to name a few… In the past, under Apartheid, black South Africans were required to have an English name. To my surprise, our gardener Shephard and cleaner Margaret go by different names when they return to their homelands with their families in the holidays. The law thankfully no longer exists, and therefore it is extra important to remember people’s names. So, if I’m found singing Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ on a Wednesday morning, it’s because I’m wanting to speak to little Kgalalelo! Whilst enjoying my time with the children at the creche and the challenge that that brings, I also enjoy the car journeys there and back as I get to speak French with my fellow volunteers, and the challenge that that brings too.

Creche Gabrielle, Vlakfontein

Shipping container kitchen and wriggly tin building

The kitchen

Me with one of the little ones.

Toddlers and photo organisation, like trying to herd cats...

Hard at work

Speaking French has in fact become such a big part of our lives that, in September, we decided to move the children to the International French School in Johannesburg – a perk of living in a big city! It is the first time that Joel has been in a formal school setting, and it has taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (and medication), to get to this point, so we are thrilled! And after 3 months, he can often be heard correcting our French pronunciation around the house. The culture, we are learning, is as important as the language, and we have thrown ourselves headfirst in to both. Amelie currently has mountain bike lessons in her timetable, with Monday mornings being a ‘Tour de Johannesburg’, and Elowen is excited by ping pong at school. It’s been a great first term and an interesting francophone experience so far.

The French International School,
with the French and the South African Flag

For the midterm break in October, we flew down to Cape Town to spend some time at the beach with Laurence’s sisters Ash and Gina, and brother-in-law Phil. As always, it was incredible. We hung out with the penguins, swam near where ‘My Octopus Teacher’ was filmed, caught up with friends, and even managed to do a bit of ‘trick or treating’ in the sun, followed by a Halloween braai. The perfect way to start the summer in this topsy turvy part of the world.

At Llandudno Beach

Joel the Clifton Beach Mermaid

Boulders Beach with the Penguins

Boulders Beach

More penguins...

Always a sand castle

With Ash, Phil and Gina

The girls playing in the water at Blouburgstrand,
with Table Mountain in the background

Trick or Treating in Harfield Village

We met the invisible man...

Followed by a braai with the Cloetes.

So, it’s been a fun few months in our new French community, at the school and at the creche; and it was an awesome break at the coast in Cape Town too. Having just recovered from Covid, and now watching it surge around the world again, I hope everyone stays safe over Christmas and is able to celebrate with friends and family.

Sala kahle, Au revoir, Goodbye. (Stay safe, Until we see each other again, Goodbye).

Lots of love, Jess x

Next post: Saving Lives and Saving Face!

Previous post: From Beetroot to Bushmen

A braai at home with the cousins,
Adam, Tannith and crew.

Amelie turns 11!

Papachinos to celebrate.

Birthday night out with
Granny and Uncle Gavin

Birthday party with the Crawford Crew

Last day at Crawford for Elowen

Last day for Amelie

The beautiful Jacaranda Trees in Spring

Pizza delivery in hospital for
Elowen with a broken arm

Joel turns 7!

Christmas at Creche Gabrielle

Father Christmas visited the children...

From Beetroot to Bushmen...

Home Page: Willmore Adventures in South Africa

South Africa has seen its fair share of drama over the past few months. An ex-President sent to prison for defying a court summons; violence erupting with mass looting and destruction; and a delta variant fuelled third wave of the Covid 19 pandemic in the middle of winter. It’s been busy!

South Africa is currently investigating all the cases of corruption that became commonplace in the government during the tenure of former president Jacob Zuma between 2009 and 2018. From building a swimming pool at his palace at taxpayers’ expense, because it doubled up as a source of water for firefighters, to providing contracts and loans to family and friends at the expense of maintaining the country’s infrastructure and looking after its people. Simply put, it was nine years of looting the government purse. As part of the investigation, Jacob Zuma has been called to testify in this case of government looting, known in South Africa as ‘State Capture’. He has delayed his appearance in court by fleeing the country for ‘health reasons’, trying to have the judge removed, and by changing his lawyers. And when he had run out of excuses, he simply didn’t show up. The South African constitution held firm, and former president Jacob Zuma is now in prison for defying a court summons to testify in the case of State Capture.

Former President Jacob Zuma's swimming
pool with fire fighter demonstration.

Zuma being sentenced to prison
for refusing to attend court.

The new President Ramaphosa
clearing up after the corruption.

Zuma is from the Zulu nation within South Africa, which is a bit like saying you are Scottish but also British. Zuma’s support base within his home nation rose in protest at his incarceration. But when a government has failed its people so horrifically, (with neglected education, unemployment, hunger, and now Covid 19 restrictions), and looted the government purse so blatantly, the disenfranchised who started in protest, became violent and destructive. Schools, shopping malls and factories were burnt down, and opportunistic looting emerged from the chaos. Ultimately, people had begun to loot and destroy in the same way Zuma’s government had done to them. A very conservative estimate puts the government looting and destruction in the nine years under Zuma at £24.5 billion, and an estimate of the recent public looting and destruction throughout the country in July at £1 billion. Two avoidable tragedies, and many lives lost. It will be a long recovery from both, but for now, the vast majority of South Africans are united in celebrating a small win, with Zuma behind bars, and many have helped clear up in the aftermath of the recent chaos.  For the Willmores in Lonehill during this recent violence, the panic was certainly palpable, with gun shots being heard from our estate, and shelves emptying in supermarkets as panic buying, like that seen at the start of the pandemic, was back. Shepherd, our gardener, spoke of his own panic, as shopping malls in the townships were burnt to the ground, and where looters rushed past his home-built corrugated iron house with stolen goods. It is worth noting that our experiences, whilst dramatic, were completely different. Where we saw queues and armed guards whilst we bought our gluten free oats, almond milk substitute, and our panic purchased beetroot, Shepherd was genuinely fearing for his life. Such is the difference between the haves and the have nots, and we only live fifteen minutes apart.

A map of all the riot locations in Johannesburg.
We live at the blue dot by Fourways. 

The chaos and the aftermath
 of the recent riots.

The clean up in Diepsloot,
Shephard our gardener's township.

After the riots, Joel with food, blankets and arts and crafts
 for the Buttercup 2 Preschool in Cosmo City,
another Johannesburg township.

Teacher Joel with the Buttercup children.

Always happy, the Buttercup children.

Amelie and a beetroot and chocolate
 brownie (my panic purchase creation!)

Like the rest of the world, South Africa has also been hit badly by the third wave of the Covid 19 pandemic fuelled by the delta variant. Reaching us in winter after a really slow roll out of the vaccine, it has been our worst wave yet. It seems to have swept through mine and Laurence’s generation with rather devastating consequences. I have had a hockey friend, Nicky, in hospital with Covid pneumonia for 19 days (thankfully home and recovering now), and Laurence has sadly lost a colleague, Roshe, just two weeks ago. Some warmer weather in recent days and a speed up in the vaccine roll out have been received with enthusiasm and relief. We are thankful to have just received our first of two Pfizer vaccines with a second dose due in September.

In amongst the sobriety of the last four months, we have still been able to enjoy ourselves. Laurence and I managed a weekend away without children to the Drakensburg Mountains. With the Zulu nation to the east, and the rest of South Africa to the west, it is a place with stunning scenery where the only noise for miles around is that of the clumsy humans walking through it. We found artwork of the San Bushmen three thousand years old on rock faces, and protea flowers growing wild, the national flower of South Africa. It was great to have some time away and still be able to explore this beautiful country despite all the uncertainty surrounding us (and the deadly snakes!!!).

Clumsy humans walking through
The Drakensburg Mountains.

Laurence, a view, and a Protea flower.

By the rock with the Bushman Artwork.

A bushman elephant 3000 years old!

Me with my snake stick!

  And lastly our final tale from South Africa in this post... One day at home in June, 3000 years after the savvy San Bushmen roamed and survived on this land, Laurence decided to test his own bushman skills by lighting a fire in the bitterness of midwinter. After successfully doing so, and earning himself some bushman points, he went outside to check that smoke was rising and the chimney was clear. Alas, this was to be the end of his accomplishments, because (as any good bush-lady will tell you), looking up and walking backwards is a risky combination. With an unforgiving step, a yelp and a hefty splash, Bushman Laurence quickly found himself fully clothed and at the bottom of the pool. Bush-child Amelie sprinted out to his rescue followed by Bush-lady Jess (complete with bush-phone to capture the moment), and some bush-laughing was had by all. That was until we realised that the chimney was indeed blocked, that the house was full of smoke, and that in the bitterness of midwinter, we had to have all the windows and doors open to clear the air. A bushman disaster! What would our ancestors think?!!    

South Africa with it’s corruption and chaos, it’s human spirit and it’s beauty, has had a difficult few months to deal with. But with a strong constitution, a now organised vaccine roll out, a lot of hard work (and some sensible bushmen), our hope is that South Africa will regain its strength and be able to celebrate a much longed for recovery.  As Shepherd our gardener always says, "We will win, South Africa will win".  

Lots of love, as always,

Jess x

Let us all keep Afghanistan in our thoughts and prayers, and help in any way we feel able.

Next post: For the Love of Language... Sawubona, Bonjour Hello!

Previous post: South Africa: The Wild West and The Wild Coast...

Some extra photos...

Easter with Laurence's step mom, Bev,
and sister Robyn, at St Francis Bay.

At Granny Bev's house in Port Elizabeth.

Garden tea in the rain.

The girly whirlys.

Having the thatch fixed...

Joel playing in the thatch...

Joel with his cousins, Skylar and Kiera.

Elowen turns 9!

Party time in the trees with friends.

Zipwire!

Elowen having an evening cuddle with Laurence.

Helping out with a French organisation on Wednesdays.

Playtime!