Only in Africa.
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Africa, my Africa.
Today I will share a part of my country, not so often seen in the glamour articles of the travel agents.
This is the Africa I live in, a place where we have a tear behind the laughter, a compassion behind the memories and a bright yellow sun dancing in the sky, giving us sunspots and wrinkles.
Here we have the good, the bad and the ugly in each and every one of us. Here we fight not only our own demons, but have to help fight the demons of others as well.
I love this place with my whole being, and I will end my life here in solitude, in vain, in glory or in fame. It does not really matter. This is my home, my heart is buried in the soil, my spirit dancing with the inhabitants.
Technology improvised.
.
.
.
.
.
Innovative ideas
No shortcomming here
A plan to be made
A cargo to bear
The sick and the strong
hold hands and they sing
for the land their joy-song
for the treasure it bring
Crime.
Oh, the crooks will be there
We have but no doubt
Prevent them to dare
With plans round about
Special for the day:
No Fuel........
Solution:
No problem!
My job is done.
Will make anyone smile....
Or will it not.
This photographs are exclusive Africa
Precious, and nowhere else to be found.
Transport
Anything faster than two legs will do
Anyway, in Africa there is plenty of time
If transport will no more be tomorrow
We will walk there
Consideration
My girl, she is priority...
She's the queen in my life!
A man's got to do, what a man's got to do
A little politeness adding an explanation
Will always appeal to the customers.
Plan B
Anyway, customers are usually prepared for the unexpected..
Just around the corner at the supermarket they will find a complete meal pack.
No money
There is always a place for everyone in Africa
Be it rich
or be it poor
She will have a place to stay
Making hot water for your shower
and give a room with a view
No nonsense
This is the place you grab the lion at the tail
(If needs be)
Care for the children
And for the young and brave you catch a big piece of meat and stir up an elephant stew.
Gross, Oh my, no. Delicious. Recipe following:
Elephant stew.
1 Medium sized elephant
500 bushels potatoes
200 bushels carrots
4000 sprigs parsley
1 ton salt
1 ton pepper
2 small rabbits (optional)
Cut the elephant into bite sized chunks. This will take about two months. Cut the vegetables into cubes. ( another two months). Place the meat in a pan and cover with 547 liters of gravy. Simmer for four weeks. Shovel in the salt and pepper. ( A steam shovel is useful for this.) When the meat is tender, add the vegetables. Simmer slowly for another four weeks. Garnish with parsley. Will serve 3 800 people. If more guests are expected, add the two rabbits. However, this is not really recommended, because very few people like a hare in the stew. ANON (source unknown)
Now think about that
And just for the fun of it, you can do more with a vuvuzela than irritate spectators. Just watch this and judge for yourself.
In Africa things are sure to be done differently !
Additional bonus
This area below will be reserved for more photos. I I receive them , it will be added.
I wish to thank all my friends whom has send all these photographs via e-mail in the past. It was quite a job to sift through all the mail in search of them. In here they are well preserved.
CommentsLoading...
Ah! My dearest Sister Francis...
You have given me a good chuckle before going to bed(Here is currently 1:44 am) It is beautiful to see the way you appreciate the simplest things and happily embrace your idiosyncrasy. Great pictures! Rated up and funny! My suster soet ... Ek het julle gestuur om 'n e-pos via die HubPages. Ek hoop jy het dit. Aangesien jy nie geantwoord het nie, het ek uitgepluis sou ek jou laat weet! Neem goed versorg en het 'n pragtige Pretoriaan Dag!
Warmste drukkies en oneindige hemelse seëninge,
Al
Tony Thank you for the comment Don't you think the vuvuzelas is great in this clip!
I just adore everything in our country!
Mystique 1957 I hope you are not too awake now to go to sleep, after the chuckle. Yes I did get the mail, and I am putting a hub together that will greatly help you in Afrikaans.
Ek geniet die stukkies Afrikaans wat jy skryf, en jy moet lekker slaap.
equealla - super, i enjoyed this hub. These pictures show us the state of our world even those r funny. thanx
Brainy Maji Nice to see you. The state of the world is a mess if you look at it in the way most of us all do.
In the pure reality of being alive, there are so many blessings and joy, we just need to tune into that frequency. That, I agree, is most difficult.
I suppose this is a topic for a whole new hub!
Beautiful. I think all those of us with real roots to the land are close relatives to one another and have mutual understanding of both the love of it and its demands over its inhabitants.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful glimpse of yours and all it means to you!
Nellieanna I see your dear country is under the threat of Hurricane Alex towards Brownsville. It has turned from a category 3 , to a catagory 2 huricane, with the winds that increased from 80mph to 110mph.
Are you people Ok, my dearest friend. I pray that this will not become the next natural disaster.
I can imagine how dear your own country is to you, and we all want you to be safe and sound.
equealla, what a fantastic hub. The world cup watched avidly over here in England {despite us going out with a wimper}as given us a rose tinted view of Africa.Really enjoyed this hub Thank you
D.A.L. Soccer games can be repeated, but it will be a long time before such a big event will be held here again. We were so honoured to have the whole world in our country this year.
In Africa it doesn't allways matter who is winning, as long as the fellows have had a good time....
This will go in our memories, along with "sweet little somethings" we notice, as the realities of life that makes it worth the while, to live to the fullest.
I am glad I could offer you something to enjoy.
It is certainly a dangerous storm, equealla and those in its path are preparing for anything from full-force hurricane damage to at least flooding and other effects. Brownsville is a long way from where I am, however, around 900 or so miles from Dallas, where I live.
The ranch is a bit closer to the Gulf but both areas where Iam ever located are way too far from the Gulf to be directly affected by hurricanes.
Our Hub friend LadyJane is located close to the Gulf at Corpus Christi, though, so is more likely to be affected.
Yes our country is truly dear to us. There are many kinds of natural disasters which do affect the more inland areas, of course - tornados, floods, fires, droughts.
The fact is that our planet is not a secure rock spinning in space!
Let us hope & pray the people along the Gulf will at least be spared Nature's fury while they are contending with the oil! I have heard one thing that may be good about it. That is that the oil on the surface may moderate the hurricane's force by making it more difficult for the wind to pick up the waters coated with oil & made heavier and more difficult to whirl into a frenzy. So perhaps there will be some mitigation from it.
A wonderful hub and wonderful words!
Nellieanna, I must certainly agree, it is very uncomfortable on the open ocean whilst a storm is raging. Those poor men have to work double as hard to get the job done.
About the "benefit" of the oil on the water. Well, this is the time that I can only comment: Nothing, but nothing ever happen per chance. We will not be able, for now, to understand all of it completely, will we?
I keep you and your country in my heart, hoping all will be well. (Wikasi Muema)
Bard of Ely This is such an awesome surprise to receive a comment from you. I am honoured to have you on my page, as I realise you are an extremely busy person.
Thank you for the compliment.
Yes I agree, only in Africa. It's the kind of stuff you see in movies, that makes you laugh. It's a weird & wonderful home for me too.
Wow what a fantastic hub, delight and fun and made me laugh, the sotp sign was so funny and so where they all, what a great world we all life in and share. You gave all a great gift I must tell you so, you always have me coming back for more. rate up
This is a great hub - the cellphone in the ear has to be the classic - no wait the pick up being towed ... so enterprising and human - thanks for sharing.
Nandos, Thank you for commenting, and yes it is possible to make a lot of movies of the things we experience.
Darlene, thank you kind lady for the comment. I am pleased to have given you a smile or two. How is your daughter doing. I am thinking of the both of you every day.
billyaustendillon The guy with the cell phone will certainly have no use for a bluetooth device! The pick up, my friend, is not towed. It is the actual vehicle. The cattle are the horsepower. We re-cycle weird things in Africa. lol.
Thanx for the visit.
aaaah I get it :)
Transport is transport, he he!
A great passion was felt reading this lovely hub. The love and respect you have for Africa poured through the text. I hope to visit many place in Africa one day. I enjoyed the humour very much.Thanks x
audra spirit Thank you for visiting this hub, and I really hope you will be able to travel in Africa, making a wish come true for you.
Just saw a comment you left on a Hub and thought I'd pop by to visit. :)
I enjoyed reading this - It's interesting to see another part of Africa. The Sotp (stop) sign made me smile. It reminded me of a big note some workers left in my area in London, when doing Road works. "Sorry for inconvenience, work will be completed 31 February".
Very enlightening Hub. I'm embarassed to say I've not traveled to other countries in Africa (except Nigeria). I need to get out more. Might even get to see Uncle Mandela.
The Wildlife pictures are lovely.
Take care and Best Wishes, Elena.
Elena Nice to see you again. If ever you come to S.A., drop me a note, I'll fetch you and we will go repair that sopt sign. lol
Nigeria is a country unique to its own. The rest of Africa is so diverse, I do not think even in my lifetime, I will be able to see it all.
Jip. This is Africa...
Nando's Thanx for commenting. Africa is a nice place to be in, with its ups and the downs.
Wow! Our own Africa!!! Nice pictorial representation and what-have-you?
Equealla, thank you for sharing what is dear to your heart. Such pride...and humor. I love it. It is a wonderful hub with some truely valuable photos. Sweet.
thank you for sharing
Royalmark Nice to see someone else from Africa. This continent is surely endearing, isn't it? Thank you for stopping by, you are most wellcome.
Denise Handlon Thank you, my dear friend, for appreciating a bit of Africa with me. I am pretty sure you will be able to feel the same pride and joy, when you tell us about your place of origen. This is just so part of us to feel good about our home.
Like Lady_E shared a bit of humor she encountered where she lives, so will all of us find this situations everywhere. I was just lucky to have friends whom has shared the pics with me. They are a treasure! ( The friends and the pics)
airjordan- I see you gave me a visit from your shoe site. Interesting, are you also in Africa? Nice to meet you, and thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. You must join hubpages and write us some articles about what you do, and then all of us can meet you. This is a very nice community to join. We will be glad to have you around.
Thanks, Equealla... Africa's endearing...
Royalmark you are sooooo right. Looking forward to see more articles on your hub as well, my friend.
Wow! You checked on my hub? That's so thoughtful of you... I'll be publishing a couple of articles before/on Wednesday... Won't mind if you check on them, k?...
Sure will Royalmark. I am actually going back to link as a fan. I think I forgot to do that. (Sorry)
Not a problem @ all... Would also love to be a fan :-)...
I love this blog and all the great pictures! "Sotp" ha ha, that is fantastic.
Daena B Welcome to HubPages, and thank you for commenting. Yes the sotp did amuse quite a lot of people.
Hey Equella. Lekker hubs, good to see another SA person on here. Welcome!
Property invest, I hope I could have stirred a bit of "Heimat".
Thanx for commenting and I appreciate the visit.
I enjoyed these photographs. I always like to see pictures of different places. I look forward to more hubs like this. Thank you.
Hummingbird5356 I had a peek at your hubs, and I can see you have a passion for places. I cannot take credit for these photographs, as they were randomly sent over time by my mail friends. I am glad you have enjoyed them.
This certainly put a smile on my face. As a South African living in USA I am feeling so much love for my country at the moment. Having heard so much about the amazing vibe at home and how everyone has come together to prove to the world that we are capable of great things.
Tori Maltby It is GREAT to have you here. Yea, the soccer is closing this weekend, and we are a bit sad to see it go. The South Africans are going to blow their vuvuzelas everywhere, tomorrow 09 July, for a solid five minutes at 12 noon, to say to the world: We are going to miss you and it was wonderful to have you here.
Those things are so noisy, I suppose if you listen carefully tomorrow, you'l most probably hear them right there in your new home!! Ha ha
Thanx for commenting.
For anybody reading here, I wish to add this link to a friend of mine Tonymac. (You are brilliant) He has shown what happens when the west and Africa meets on mutual understanding. Be sure to watch the videos on his hub. It is stunning!
Francis - thank you so much for this wonderful link up! You are such a star!
Love and peace
Tony
That was great - fun stuff. Thanks for sharing! We have some pretty funny stuff here in Hawaii too. Think I'll have to do a hub on it soon. Mahalos for the inspiration. Aloha.
Not to mention,Tony. It is an excellent link, and while my readers are busy with AFrica on this hub, I thought I would offer dessert as well.
Elayne001 Thanx for the visit. The only thing I know of Hawai, is what Hollywood has given us. So please, please , please show us your home as you experience it. I'll be a fan forever if you do. Im sure a lot of us will enjoy reading about it.
this is what I LOVE about HubPages! What a delightful hub you have written about your continent~ giving us a slightly different view than the media. I love the pics and your words to highlight them. Elephant stew, oh my! Thank you for sharing this wonderful pictorial of such a very special place in our world.
rebekahELLE Thank you for visiting and the nice comment. When I invite all my hub friends for dinner, I'll make the stew- delicious!
nice hub...**
This is one of the finest hubs I've ever seen. The photos are outstanding, and you had the wisdom to add just enough text for punctuation--awesome. I like to think I'm fairly innovative at finding my own "high tech" solutions, but the gentleman powering his radio by way of a lead-acid battery mounted atop his head...who could top that?
I wouldn't even try!
Kamran100 Thank you for commenting
Ghost32 I do not think wisdom was my strong point here. These photos are each worth more than a million words. I just cannot add anything more. But thank you for endowing me with the compliment.
Innovation is plentyful in Africa. I have once seen a big rear wheel of a tractor, ripped to pieces on its side, neatly sutured back together, and in operation.
Unfortunately I did not had a camara with me in that moment. We need to capture these moments!
LOL! Only in Africa.It's amazing what sort of eccentricities we take for granted here...
Yep, a follow!
Tony Flanigan - Yep you are right. We see a lot without taking notice!
Great hub!
M. s. Fowler. Thank you for commenting.
Hola equealla, Thanks for dropping a note to my hub and of course I went in search of yours. Absolutely love this and as I am new to hubs but have been writing about my adopted country Ecuador in my website for some time, you have given me food for thought. Oh so funny some of the things we humans do to survive. Love it. Chao (in case anyone is wondering that is how they spell Chao here not ciao like the Italians---believe me I have been told by many locals.)
Cuencalady Never stop hubbing, its a nice thing to do, and welcome here.
Thank you for visiting and making a comment. They spell chao like that in Mozambique and Angola as well. So it seems we really have a lot in common!
Great hub. The pictures were wonderful. Thank you for the fan mail. I am looking forward to reading more about Africa. Aloha from Hawaii.
johnnynaakea, Thank you for the visit in this small part of my Africa.
We see all kinds of pictures like this all over the world, but I have just used the ones from Africa. I am glad it could be appreciated by you as well.
Take care and blessings.
Excellent, what else can I say. Please wear your seat belt and drive carefully:)
What a wonderful country South Africa is, been there on many occasions and will continue to visit whenever I can. Thanks for some great photos, brought back some great memories.
Definitely only in Africa. Last time I was there I saw a taxi with no steering wheel, had a pair of vice grips attached instead.
Thanks for the great photos keep them coming don't sotp.
These are some fantastic photos of how life is in other countries. Can you imagine a truck full of people like that driving down the highway in UK or US? The entire police force would be after them.
MsFran I am glad you had some fond memories. We will wait for your next visit!
Always wearing my seatbelt, trying to safe-drive....lol!
rugsdynamic There had been quite a few models of those kind of steering wheels. Fortunately we do not see them any more in South Africa. The government had an initiative, with a aid project to help the taxi owners with obtaining new vehicles. The old ones are totally banned now. If you look at my hub about "Things I did not know about some aquiantances of mine" you will see a recent photo of a taxirank. It is all new vehicles.
Alas in the rest of Africa, we still find this old vehicles, as the people there try anything for survival.
I will post more photos as they come.
MisCook. Overload on vehicles is often seen especially in rural areas. I kind of feel sorry for those people, as they have no other means. It still appear funny/strange,for us, if not used to it.
You can look at the faces of those people. They are all happy and smiling. This is life, for them!
I am sure the happiness will definitely not be so spontaneous if chased by a traffic cop. You gave me a chuckle with this observation!
Very nice hub!!! I really enjoy reading it!!! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us...
tonymac04 23 months ago
In Africa we do things differently - and thank God for that!
Loved these pix and your words to go with them.
I especially like this line: "Here we fight not only our own demons, but have to help fight the demons of others as well." That's what uBuntu is all about - helping each other as we help ourselves!
Thanks so much for the fun and the depth in this Hub.
Great stuff!
Love and peace
Tony