Catching a Panda

Today’s lesson will be on: "How to Catch a Panda in a Coffee Bar". Now you may be wondering why on earth you would want to catch yourself a Panda - But a "Panda" is a term that Ernst and I came up with for an elusive beauty. I’m not a hundred percent certain why we chose a Panda but perhaps it’s because Pandas are rare, and should ever you see one; if single you are by nature compelled to make a move, as they are rather scarce and you may not have another opportunity for quite some time.

Yesterday I saw such a Panda at one of my favourite local coffee stores. Now should I have employed these next four fail-proof, but imperative steps I may no longer be single…serious:

Step 1. Send over a shot of espresso
Step 2. Grin
Step 3. Wink
Step 4. Send over a soppy note with your name and number

With the exception of the last 8 or 9 times it has worked for me every time! But the important thing is that you get the order correct! I somehow always manage to get Steps 2 and 3 mixed up…No need to thank me guys, if it doesn’t work for you and you’re not completely satisfied with this advice, you’ve obviously done something wrong.

PS It looks like my little prediction came true. Kelly Slater won Billabong Pro J-Bay 2008.

On Location

This is the first time I’ve actually ventured out and written an entry on location. Have some work to do, but instead of sitting at home cooped up inside, I figured it would be a cool idea to take my work outside with me. I’m currently sitting in Camps Bay and enjoying the sun’s surprise visit, with not a cloud in sight. Although the wind and the air are still rather fresh; this is the closest we’ve gotten to summer in a while…

Just an observation but while driving around today, the streets of Cape Town seem rather quiet. I then realized that it’s probably due to the fact that there are so many festivals going around in the country at the moment. Besides the Billabong Pro in J-Bay, the Knysna Oyster Festival and the Grahamstown Arts festival are both going down as well.

After having travelled around the country as much as I did last year, I’m pretty happy to just relax and stay home in good ol’ Cape Town. Strangely enough; all three towns that I mentioned earlier are in some way, very much associated with hippies.

J-Bay back in the day was a hippie commune, and the first communities which started there, consisted a bunch of hippie surfers. Back in those days girls would apparently run away from their homes to hook up and live with the hippie surfers to experience the “Only a surfer knows the feeling” lifestyle.

Without going into too much explanation; the over abundant, presence of tie-dyed t-shirts and a strange aroma that lurks in the streets of G-Town and Kynsna, these clearly are evidence enough that there is some sordid history of hippism in these towns too. Not that I have anything against hippies of course and am all for the “Make love! Not war!” mentality.

Actually I just realized that the Grahams Arts Festival finished last week...ummm but I guess it doesn't break my theory of quiet streets seeing as how "the air" there makes people a lot slower and somehow manages to stop time. Err rranyways where was I...ummm whatever...Peace.

Surfs Up

The ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals) world tour arrives in South Africa this week and kicks off at the fabled Super Tubes in Jeffrey’s Bay. The idea that surfing is a summer thing and the whole concept of an Endless Summer is a myth particularly here in South Africa, when winter actually brings the good waves. I remember my brother and I almost getting hyperthermia on one or two occasions when my mom, accidentally forgot us at the beach, in the dead middle of winter…in those cases we’d actually sit under the cold outdoor shower to keep warm, as the water from the shower would be higher than the surface temperature.

All through my teen years, I was constantly ragged on by others; about growing up surfing in Port Elizabeth and how consistently small the waves were there. (I also lived in East London which is ironically, the most consistent surf destination in South Africa…but I didn’t surf back then) While that might have been true, I’d argue that the waves in PE are right up there with the best when it does eventually get going! However most times that argument fell flat and I’d have to fall back on the “J-Bay is only a 30-minute drive away” trump card. It worked, and silenced my critics every time!

J-Bay is a world class surf break and is considered to be the best right-hand breaking wave on the planet. There were times during Uni where I had to weigh up the opportunity cost of either attending Economics lectures or catch a wave in J-Bay with some old PE surf rats like Mush and Jono Scheepers, needless to say it was a no-brainer and J-Bay won on countless occasions… In most cases it’s a sleepy town, but come competition season the place comes alive and becomes a circus of freaks entertaining us with their tricks, including one Mister Robert Kelly Slater.

I’ve followed Kelly’s career for years, way back when I was little grom (young surf dude) circa 1990, when Kelly blazed onto the scene and surfed in the Quiksilver Lacanau Pro in France, against my favourite surfer of all time Tom Curren. While Kelly might have lost in that heat it paved the way for an unbelievable career, including winning 8 world titles.

This year he is going for his 9th and chances are, if he wins Billabong Pro J-Bay he would have it sealed up. Perhaps not crowned the new world champ, but he would have accumulated such an insurmountable tally of points that it would just be a mere formality to wrap it up. As he has already won 3 of the 4 tour events, and the only person who is actually participating on tour to win an event (The other event was won by a wild card entrant). Besides Kelly I'm also cheering on young local upstart Jordy Smith who is being hailed as the new Kelly Slater!

Should you be an avid surfer, and have never been. I suggest that you take a road trip and check the event out. It’s a phenomenal spectacle. And if you’re feeling up to the challenge try catching a wave amongst the Pro’s, if ever you thought you were hot stuff, like I used to… you might be in for one humbling experience.