I would rather be in Cape Town

Comfortable in my stride

One cannot say that the Coronavirus pandemic has given one the opportunity to be a hermit for I am quite predisposed to that kind of living if alone. I could remember times when I lived in Amsterdam that I may not leave my apartment for a week without thinking anything of it.

My apartment then had large windows and a vista from the 7^th floor that looked over two old harbours. There was no fear of obstruction except in nightmarish dreams where the harbours became reclaimed land. It was a wonderful 10 and a half years of my story.

Here in Manchester, I can easily sequester myself like Miss Havisham from Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, the clocks, however, are still ticking away, though the window blinds are down. I do wonder if my friends who call when asking what the weather is like are doing that to break me out of my comfortable sense of seclusion to force me to interact with the world.

A view to social distancing

Yet, one must be careful to take cognisance of what is happening out there, having a clear awareness of my vulnerability, I have to review my social requirements, visit a restaurant, the possibility of going to the cinema or attending a theatre show requires more planning or none at all.

I sent a tweet to my church yesterday asking about their arrangement for social distancing. We have adopted the Hindu greeting stance of clasping hands prayerfully and bowing to each other saying Namaste, and a notice has been placed on the church website removing wine from the communion. With certain other places closing places of worship, I do wonder if I should overcome my desire to be in church tomorrow and just take a walk around my block.

Take in your arms, Cape Town

Brian suggested, we find a bunker together to quarantine ourselves and enjoy our own crazy, accompanied with pictures of me pulling his ears and one where I am apparently wearing his underwear on my head. The silly things we get up to.

It has put South Africa on my mind, the truth is, my heart is there, in Cape Town, the pictures playing back in the film studio of my imagination; the walk from our apartment to the V&A Waterfront. Cape Town is synonymous with our relationship, we see ourselves there, together, and thriving.

Then, I step out to get my mail to find that my South African Airways Voyager card has arrived. To think that I applied for this in May last year, the letter is dated the 22^nd of October and it arrived on the 14^th of March in the UK. I have many adjustments to make to understand, appreciate, and settle down in Africa.

Ultimately, that is where I want to be with Brian whilst keeping open the options to do many other things around the world. The most important thing, for now, is to avoid being perturbed by the situation out there, we have much to live for and I am doing my best with what I have.

Your turn is not next

Courtesy of the William Kentridge exhibition at Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town.

Shrinking Violet

In a way, I have cast myself a glutton for punishment by scheduling two theory intensive courses back-to-back in a fortnight.

The attendees to the first and second course are drawn from different industries, all of them can be interesting if I am able to engage them. Whilst I do not intend to be aloof, I am not predisposed to networking as some people would think I am.

I can quite easily strike up a conversation and rapport with strangers, yet, it is a somewhat different dynamic from being in a course or some other social setting. The intricacies of this situation, I am yet to fully understand.

Introvert at large

For instance, I find it emotionally draining to mingle at parties. You will usually find me in a corner somewhere and if I am engaged in conversation, it would be initiated by someone who has come to have that chat to me. At one birthday in my honour, I had gone to bed long before the guests had left.

At these courses, everyone seems to be engaged in conversation, whilst I appear withdrawn. Like someone has said to me, “Your turn is not next.” I doubt I am ever the next in turn to say anything at that point in time. It is not for the want of something to say, I do not think I am naturally tongue-tied. However, in a less crowded place, I am probably more amiable.

Maybe it is just as case of not liking crowded places, I know there are people who would never consider me shy. That is a misconception, I am naturally shy and withdrawn with the tendency to appear quite extroverted when I find someone with whom we can discuss things of interest.

Each to their own

Then, I might become a chatterbox of raconteuring excess. I hope I don’t bore my audience. I won’t call myself a public speaker either, though I have had to give speeches at some gatherings. It is not something that causes great excitement, it exacerbates much anxiety.

Then, there probably isn’t anything wrong with this sort of temperament, we can’t all be outgoing, affable, engaging and the life and soul of the party. We are cut out for different things; it does not make us voiceless when it matters. Even for the seemingly socially awkward.

The raid on Peking, London

Duck but not in Peking

Having just ordered Peking Duck in the local Chinese restaurant on a night out with friends and family, one would really have been put out that the only duck that became the highlight of that outing would have been the act of ducking under the table as rioting and terrifying terror police raided the restaurant to nab suspected, wait for it, logistical support to terrorism.

Somehow, through intelligence and surveillance, rather that raid the homes and other more private meeting points of these people, they went for the spectacular, hit them with their guard let down at a vulnerable but very public social meeting place, this no doubt saves a lot of money, rather than concerted raids all over the place.

It is however nice to know that so-called terrorism suspects have an international palate.

Probably not that smart

It might however be that the raid was conducted to establish association amongst groups of people and alliances, something discrete photography would have done, since they are still going to visit the homes of the arrested persons to dig for evidence.

Now, I have no problems with the need to put as many resources as possible into ensuring that we do not have another terrorist mishap like we did on July the 7^th 2006, but, the way this is barging into our way of life with the premise that the little discomfiture of the few helps the convenience of the many is flawed logic.

What is to say, another vulnerable public gathering place like a mosque, church, bowling alley, ice rink or lido is not on the list of some smart aggregating detective in cahoots with the police bean counter?

Worst still, some social activities like weddings and burials are going to lose their veneers of solemnity as we all suspect everyone around us who attempts to show any signs of life.

Suffer for the offer

So, when British Airways launched a television advertisement for World Offers, their seemingly cheap air travel offers, I thought, for all the fuss of not being able to carry my lipstick or having to dangle my tampons at Heathrow before boarding my flight and considering a decent sized paperback might have to be split in 2 to fit into those sizing contraptions, the deal must be so good to assuage the pain of the customs/security check.

As the fifth anniversary of September the 11^th approaches, expect the bizarre, the atrocious and the scandalously unacceptable as we fight our fear of the fear of the fear of terror without discerning the link between what we do and how that sometimes feeds into the causes of terrorism.