A Day In The Life

A DAY IN THE LIFE of this South African household consists of a variety of things, with the most prominent consisting of food, conversation, and media. In short summary, the day commences with individual breakfast and preparations for the day, followed by work or daily tasks. The day is polished off with lengthy dinners and television programming accompanied by seeming requirements of laughter and tea/coffee.

Now to the long story… The day really begins when Tom and Ruth arise. When they wake up, there are all sorts of slippers shuffling on the tile and spoons clanking in mugs for the soon to be coffee/tea. In sync, the unfurling of the newspaper and the energetic voices on the television news or radio broadcast fill in the gaps that generate the daily household melody in the morning. Later, the low rumble of the hairdryer and the chirping birds join the myriad of sounds. Accompanying this routine, breakfast generally consists of Rice Krispies or oats and raisins with hot milk. Markedly, my favorite mornings are weekends when scrambled eggs and bacon are served! But back to the general day, after some morning greetings and short chatter mingled with some interest in the news, the day unfolds into Katie (the domestic house worker) arriving, while Berenice leaves for school and Tom takes Ruth to work.

Once the workday is over, household life resumes when Tom fetches Ruth or when Berenice arrives home from school. Late afternoon activities elude me, as I have rarely been home before dinner. However, the few times I have been, they generally consist of reading the paper or watching television. Perhaps a few tasks here or there, while Katie finishes the laundry or cleaning for the day. But mostly, the afternoon and early evening is primarily spent engulfed in media – remaining up to date by reading The Cape Argus or watching the progressive soap opera Seven De Laan followed by the daily news. While impressed about the family knowledge and investment in current events, I may smash the TV set if I have to watch Gita cry one more time on the soap. The show is good for some laughs, not for content but rather to see how silly the dramatic expressions are, considering I do not understand a word without subtitles since the program is in Afrikaans.

Generally, after this show ends, the most defining elements of the household shine. First comes the food. Dinner is delicious, with possibilities ranging from Boboti to wonderful fish dishes. Typically, meals consist of some form of animal (whether lamb, fish, or chicken), rice, and a steamed vegetable. So far, my favorite new vegetable is surprisingly butternut, closely related to pumpkin. From a holistic perspective, it is difficult to determine which meal might reign as favorite, but if I had to guess I would claim lamb. They utilize this often, whether in minced form or solid meat form. I might also dare to say this meat is my favorite, as it is generally in the less spicy dishes served. Much to my surprise, curry is good, but my mouth as well as Ruth’s can only handle so much. I sometimes wonder if the placement was mere coincident or rather a calculated decision. The family and I share more commonalities than I expected.

In addition to the intake of food, dinner also includes the intake of information as the news plays on the TV. Every night, we listen to stories about the ANCYL president Julius Malema, labor strikes, the exchange rate for the rand, and lastly the increasing prices of gold, platinum, and crude oil. Other special interest stories permeate these solid regular components throughout the show. It seems nothing really changes from day to day. Little to no progress occurs regarding the investigation of Julius Malema, while he and others close to him adamantly defend him. The drought and starvation in Ethiopia persists. The only major strides made in the news have been the closure of negotiations for petrol workers resulting in increased wages and the U.S. Congress finally addressing the country’s fiscal problems. Beyond these topics and the news, the evening may roll into the subsequent public broadcasts or documents if dinner extends past the conclusion of the nightly news. Thus, constant learning occurs throughout the evening.

Beyond these aspects of dinner and enlightenment, the tea/coffee and conversation dominate the remaining hours of the evening. Since dinner usually ends around 7:30 p.m., the evening rolls into sipping tea/coffee and chatting at the table for roughly two to three hours (confirming my previous doubts about this cultural norm of lengthy socializing meals). Sometimes, serious topics like the policies of apartheid or the cultural differences between whites, coloreds, Xhosa, Zulu, etc. dominate the conversation. Other times, dialogue about school or education aspects holds the main stage, since Berenice is a long time science teacher and Tom is a retired veteran from the education system. The third option for conversation rests in jokes or funny stories, as Tom has a very vivacious sense of humor. Although the first few nights were a little dense and required some acclimation to the long periods of discussion, I now see how and why this is a cultural norm. This may well in fact be my favorite part of the day in this South African household!

Following this central part of the evening, activity drastically winds down after tea/coffee cups dry and conversation ceases. Family scatters between the computer room, the dining room, or the bedroom before retiring for the night. Quickly and quietly, the house gradually shuts down. Lights are off and covers are on. Thus, the day ends, with the promise of another day to follow in a diverse Cape Town.