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True. True.

A bouffant bovine - county Galway, Ireland

Sourdough Flatbread (as enjoyed at the I Heart Market at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban)

Start with a deliciously crusty, light and flaky sourdough flatbread - sort of similar to a focaccia, but earthier, lighter and crispier. Spoon over a generous portion of sweet tomato puree, and top with a forest of garden fresh rocket. Next sprinkle over handfuls of densely flavoured roasted red peppers, thinly shaved courgette and salty parma ham. Finish off with lashings of balsamic reduction, olive oil, and gently crumbled cheese.

Enjoy in a shady spot under the trees while watching Durban’s hipster population milling around, drinking old fashioned home made lemonade and buying gorgeous artsy crafty goods.

Dargle Valley, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

I recently laughed at a friend (quietly, in my mind) for referring to someone as being an ‘escape goat’. After a good laugh at their expense, and even sharing the story with some other friends, I got to thinking - what the hell is a ‘scapegoat’ anyway? Etymologically speaking of course. I have to admit that I felt kind of dumb to discover that ‘scape’ (v) is a ‘late 13th century aphetic (I do not know what this means) form of ‘escape’ which was frequent in prose until the 17th century. At this point I was about ready to concede a technical defeat, until I read further and discovered that the translation of the Hebrew word ‘Azazel’, which is used in Leviticus to describe the goat that was banished into the wilderness after taking on the sins of the people (unwillingly one assumes), is far from settled.

The story begins with the work of one William Tyndale, protestant scholar in the 16th century, who ‘illegally’ translated the Bible into English, angering the Catholic and English church of the time (who ultimately condemned him a heretic and had him choked, impaled and burnt on a stake). Before his unfortunate end, he translated ‘Azazel’ as ‘ez’ (goat) and ‘ozel’ (escapes), or ‘escape goat’ (apologies again to my unnamed friend).

There are, however, those who argue that Azazel was mistranslated and in fact refers to either a ‘rugged mountain’ (presumably to which the goat was dispatched), or most interestingly, to the proper name of a fallen angel or Hebrew demon called ‘Azazel’. The goat like spirit or Jinn, named Azazel is described in the apocryphal book of Enoch (found with the dead sea scrolls) as being the source of all impurity and one of the chief Grigori, a group of fallen angels who married human women, and is also (according to some) described in Genesis in a passage that is said to describe his kind’s giant mixed race offspring:

‘That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. […] There were giants in the earth in those days; and also afterward, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.’ 

Whether you think much of the Genesis quote or not, the ‘Azazel as ancient demon’ line of thinking is featured several times in popular culture, including in several comic books, the Tekken fighting game, and even the Denzel Washington movie ‘Fallen’. 

By the time I had read all this, I was relieved, and once again feeling justified for laughing at the idea of an ‘escape goat’. After all, that’s what William Tyndale called it, and look where it got him!

Goodbye Croatia, Hello Ireland or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Passport

Up until yesterday, I remained blissfully unaware of the Henley Visa Restrictions Index, a catchily titled global ranking of countries according to the freedom with which they can travel the world. I think all of us have dreamed of round the world trips or carefree backpacking across Europe and Asia - but spare a thought for the residents of Afghanistan, who have access to a grand total of only 26 countries sans visa (mostly small and far flung island nations - Tuvalu anyone?) Clearly remaining strictly neutral has paid off for the Swedes, the clock loving, chocolate munching nation is welcomed with open arms in 173 (out of 223) nations and territories around the world.

The stifling restrictions of the unfortunate South African passport were brought home to me when I discovered that in order to visit Croatia this year as planned, I would need to make a special trip from Pietermaritzburg to Pretoria (mid week) in order to apply in person for a visa to visit their sunny shores and medieval walls. Besides adding an extra two or three grand onto our holiday budget, we just don’t have the time or leave days available to submit to Croatia’s unreasonable requirements for pre-booked accommodation, certified bank statements, itineraries, and presumably blood type and mother’s maiden name to boot. 

Enter the Henley Visa Restriction Index, and a beautiful diagram on Wikipedia showing in tantalizing blue, those 93 destinations South Africans can visit visa free. There are three European countries included on our list; Turkey (not really Europe), Kosovo (not really a holiday destination), and Ireland… Dublin, here we come!

(Source: ilovecharts)

ilovecharts:

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Into The Wild

I recently finished reading Jon Krakauer’s classic novel ‘Into The Wild’ about the life and death of Chris McCandless (or ‘Alexander Supertramp’ as he styled himself). I saw the book for sale a few weeks ago, and picked it up to see how it compared to the movie version (there are only a handful of movies I can think of that are better than the books that inspired them). The movie, starring Emile Hirsch and directed by Sean Penn is incredibly moving, but if you enjoyed the film, you should definitely read the book - it’s beautifully written - concise at around 200 pages - and full of the little details that get lost in a film version. I found the description of the author’s own youthful adventures just as interesting as the story he was telling about McCandless - try googling ‘The Devil’s Thumb’ in Alaska, and imagine climbing that alone at the age of 23. As for myself, I think I’ll stick to day hikes in the Drakensberg, heavily laden with biltong, M&Ms and cracker bread, and with good company along for the ride, to share a beer with when we get to the top.