André told me that he wants to go to the Sexpo, South Africa’s largest sexuality exposition at Cape Town’s International Convention Centre (CTICC). When I pick him up on Sunday afternoon his girlfriend lies in bed. She just came back from work and points out that she’s too tired to join. ‘Don’t get drunk!’ she says . . . → Read More: My Sexpo Experience: A Closer Look at Cape Town’s Sex Fair
|
|||||
|
In Cape Town’s street youth culture there is a word for a particular state of consciousness induced through methamphetamine or Tik. Tony defines the term tokkie as a mode of preoccupation: ‘You want to do something but you don’t know what you want to do.’ It has a double meaning of being completely absorbed mentally while . . . → Read More: The tokkie: A Methamphetamine Induced State of Mind ‘The stress is gonna kill me,’ Lukaya points out and refers to his high blood pressure. He sits on a toolbox in a shed made out of corrugated iron shining bright like silver. I feel sorry about him. More than three years ago he welcomed me into his house ‘like a son’. He did not want . . . → Read More: Mythic Poison: A Man Fears his Wife I give Juan a lift to his (ex)girlfriend. We ride on one of Cape Town’s highways to reach her workplace, a pub. They haven’t seen each other since she simulated a pregnancy. When we arrive Marika smiles. Both disappear. I sit at the bar and think of reasons why she could have simulated the pregnancy. ‘Men . . . → Read More: Love & Simulated Pregnancy ‘He’s definitely not a man at this stage,’ Juan’s father Willem asserts. We sit in the lounge of his apartment in Paradise Park. His son told him lately that he might become a dad. ‘What? Dad?!’ was the seniors first response. Willem tried to be as composed as possible and immediately raised practical issues. He urged . . . → Read More: Male Mother Worried about Becoming (Grand)Father Juan gesticulates me to the veranda. ‘I have news,’ he frowns and looks to the ground with a mixture of excitement and remorse. We always talk about personal stuff outside. There is little privacy in the flat. Outside he starts to talk about his weekend. We went to his ex-girlfriend’s bar. I left when I deemed . . . → Read More: Fatherhood on the Edge: A Pregnancy Test Drama Kickboxing, Chantell Kotze argues, is a way of life that might keep young people from a downward-spiral of drug abuse. Recently, the young woman identified a need in her community and established a kickboxing gym with the support of a Cape Townian club. Young people from Parow’s low-income families receive classes for free. However, people from . . . → Read More: Kickboxing: A Matter of Discipline? ‘Steek hom!’ Roland suddenly yells. Jimmy, a man in his 40ies, quivers as if he was hit by a lightning. ‘Aaahh, fuck!’ he swears and bows down quickly while burying his head in his arms. Then he comes up again. ‘Mommy!’ one of the young men adds sarcastically in a shrill tone. The others . . . → Read More: How to Bully a War ‘Veteran’? ‘I will kill you,’ somebody yells outside. I’m sitting on a chair and look through the open door into the stairway hall on what seemed to be a peaceful morning. Juan gets up hastily and runs out to see what’s going on. Then a young woman runs up the stairs and hides on the first floor. . . . → Read More: Tik, Tik, Tik: Methamphetamine Rage in Cape Town’s Suburbs The air is loaded with a thick smell of burned rubber. Motors are droning and men stand around a circuit secured through concrete blocks and old tires. I have to blink when the cars swish. Rubber particles enter my eyes. This is the first official drifting race that takes place on the parking around a . . . → Read More: Deep Play! Drifting Mesmerizes Men |
|
||||
|
Copyright © 2012 Transculturations - All Rights Reserved |
|||||
