Portobello On Long

I went to a vibrant, different event 2 days ago organised by someone I know. I had previously agreed to go to it and made a mental note to remember when I get back from the big bad city – Johannesburg.. It was hosted at Portobello on Long Street (vegetarian dining spot). I have many a time been attracted to that spot but just never went in there. Sadly enough it was the last time an event such as the 1 attended would ever be held there, and the last time those meals would be served, and the last couple of cups of green tea, espresso, cuppa chino would be served. The event was a sort of happy beautiful goodbye to that lovely, welcoming, homey space. Urban Peacock hosted the event and it was a true feast for the soul. If I were a man named Portobello and I was being laid to rest under such circumstances I would truly be a little more than just delighted. I would be content with the send off.

We were indulged in performances by a range of highly talented yet down to earth performers. What an interesting concoction. The first performer was a young lady called Thobekhile on the guitar she seemed to know as well as the back of her hand. She sang 3 pieces that made me think and most importantly feel. Wow. Second was Simphiwe who spoke with great fluency and expression. Involved us intellectually in a way that would forever stay with me, my favourite “Hip hop I love you, Hip hop I love you not” (yummy title).

A few minutes later and I was informed for the 1^st time ever that there were a whole bunch of fully completed election ballots in a car in Khayelitsha ( a township in Cape town) this after word that DA had won over 50% of the Provincial vote (Western Cape). What a heavy chunk of information to take home. Better to be aware than not. Lutho sang for us. So beautifully we just wanted him to continue. On and on and on. Until until.

A surprise and undoubtedly different vivid performance was served loud and warm ( I didn’t catch the name) then Meridrian :comprised of beautiful Kim & Seth raised hairs and summoned Goosebumps in their near flawless in sync music. Before they began they explained where they were coming from “a stratosphere where everything was okay & right” or something close. It was clear after their performance what they meant. If I was forced to box & lable their sound I would describe it as a dreamy, floetic blend of lyrics & flow that sucks you in. Not sure that labels them much but that’s my answer and I’m sticking to it.

Then there was Moratiwa Molema; I just love that name. It means “My love” or “loved one” in Setswana. I’m Tswana. I later spoke to her and found out she is from Botswana. She calmed us down and got us clapping rhythmically to her sharp subject matter and rhythmic piece.

I was intending on staying for 30mins max but ended up meeting new interesting people that I would have otherwise never come into contact with. Having inspiring conversation and scrumptious vegetarian cuisine (I’d describe myself as a carnivore, yes, not quite omnivore – there should be a name given to those with eating habits between omnivore and carnivore) and Yet I enjoyed the meal immensely.

The performances were chillingly relevant to how the world’s ticking right this moment. I was a sponge absorbing as much as I could of this little nook – Portobello that is to be no more after that evening. But as one of the staff said “only the lord knows”.

Either way I’m glad my soul reveled in its presence for the short time it did.

What a place.

(I have to mention this - Sivuyisiwa; pictured above; was a lovely, confident, eloquent host – her passion is contagious. There were several acts that were not at all planned...that’s quite something) Urban peacock I look forward to your next offering

PICTURED BELOW: Sergius my lovely photographer (I kinda hijacked him and asked him to please forward me the pics he took there, he's back in Singapore now and sent me this amazing pic he took on the -YES- GREAT WALL OF CHINA!)

Thobekile

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Lethu

Kim & Seth make up Meridrian

Moratiwa & her entrancing flute

The weird...

& Wonderful surprise performance.

There's Something I Like About Same-Sex Couples

Last night the neighbours from Jake’s- he’s my boyfriend- apartment block came over. They were “drawn by the vibes” – their own words. As usual we were pumping the music for no real reason. We just felt like it. The couple that came over is a young lesbian couple that has been together for about a year and a few months. They had come over also, apart from being drawn by the vibes, because they wanted to find out what had happened to Alan – their new housemate. Earlier that day James (one of Jake’s housemates) and I were sitting on the balcony, chatting away, when James leaned over the balcony wall to look out into the street. Moments later Alan came out of his car with a big bandage covering a good portion of his nose, forehead and a bit under the eye. James instinctively asked what had happened and it turns out he was surfing on Llandudno beach when a novice surfer, that had repeatedly been asked to move over to the beginners side of the surfing area, crashed into him with his surfboard. It hit him from the side right across the face. Missed his eye by inches… Alan’s surfboard broke. I missed how that happened. We tried directing him to the nearest hospital but I forget he’s new to Cape Town and doesn’t know the area well. Nobody is home so James decides to help him out (after a few hints and verbal nudges from my side) clear directions in hand, he drives him to the clinic. This is no regular occurrence…

So I relayed the story to the neighbours and they are shocked and surprised at what happened. They go and have a smoke on our balcony while we - Shireen and I (She is the 3rd and last housemates girlfriend – Francisco more affectionately know as “Cisco Disco”) finish off in the kitchen prepping for the boys to cook. I join them on the balcony and instantly I get the same feeling I get when with another couple. But there’s just something intriguing and warm about same-sex couples. It may be the curiosity involved from an outsider’s point of view or the unusual nature of the relationships. I just can't put my finger on it. They were talking about dinner at one of their mom’s house; she had attempted to make macaroni and cheese but apparently failed. Dismally. Just their general interaction was interesting to watch. I could sense who was responsible for the “male” role. They had normal everyday issues that every one of us faces; which job to take on: the one that offers medical aid but is highly stressful or the one that doesn’t offer any but is where the heart is? Do they sleep in the same room when they visit their parents or do they just sleep in the same room so as not to raise that thought in their parents’ minds? (Think about it. They have the advantage of possibly milking the “they’re just really good friends” automatic reaction we all have to 2 people of the same sex sharing a room - and bed in some cases) , whose dad gets to give away her daughter the way they had subconsciously imagined all their lives? They even bicker over exes and exchange that look when a name that evokes a certain emotion or memory of past experiences is mentioned. Intriguing indeed.

I thoroughly enjoyed spending those few hours chatting away and “guzzling” our wine – Jake says I guzzle, I say I enjoy it differently…

By the time they left they were both very merry and happy they came over.

This got me thinking.

The Kinsey scale is an interesting method of measuring and acknowledging the grey areas in the topic of sexual orientation. Nothing is ever black and white you know. So the Kinsey scale, developed by Dr. Alfred Charles Kinsey who did some extensive research and concluded that a large part of the population is neither completely heterosexual nor completely homosexual, categorizes the different levels of “Homosexuality” or “Heterosexuality” (take your pick, personally I’m not bothered and that doesn’t mean I’m a 3).

The scale starts at zero and ends at 6.

Where do you fit?


Rating Description
0 - Exclusively heterosexual
1 - Predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual
2 - Predominantly heterosexual, but more than incidentally homosexual
3 - Equally heterosexual and homosexual; bisexual.
4 - Predominantly homosexual, but more than incidentally heterosexual
5 - Predominantly homosexual, only incidentally heterosexual
6 - Exclusively homosexual