I laugh at people back home who think Dubai is a city in the middle of a sandpit, with thousands of homesick South Africans who sit around moping all day. Of course we get homesick, but we have also adjusted. We braai, we watch the rugby, eat at the Spur or Nando’s and on the way home we stop for a Huisgenoot, a bottle of Mrs Balls or a few cans of Cream Soda.
It is especially hilarious when the oh-so-British DJs announce on the radio that it is time again for the monthly “South African sock-ee Bock-jall”. Yes, we bokjol often on the latest Afrikaans hits, and on the golden oldees. These sokkies are held regularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and it doesn’t get any better than spending time with your own people.
And because I am a hardened traveller, I’ve visited more than 60 countries. One of the reasons this has been possible, is that I do it cheaply. There is an internet website available called Couchsurfing. This is a social network for people who like to travel on a budget. You have a profile there, like any other social network. Here’s the basic concept: I offer you a couch in my house to sleep on and a shower to get you cleaned up. I do not have to feed you – unless I want to – and you get the opportunity to see and do whatever you want to in my city. When I travel to your city, I do the same. This saves on the hotel costs, which are often the costliest item on your travel budget. I offer you tips on what to do and see in my city, you do the same. And for those of you who want to see the penguins: yes, there is even a couch in Antarctica.
I can hear a couple of old wives gasping about the danger of letting a complete stranger sleep in your home. “What if this person cuts your throat while you sleep?” But the Couch Surfers have thought of this. The website uses a system of recommendations. Every Couchsurfing area has members who meet. When they decide that a person may be trusted, they write a positive recommendation on that person’s profile. When someone writes something negative, such as “Peter is a drunken pig”, you cannot remove it yourself and there are a whole bunch of hoops to jump through before you can repair a bad name.
So, Clémance from Paris (the one with the tower) contacts me and asks if she can stay over for two nights. Her references appear kosher and I agree. I meet her at the bus depot, she is cute and very friendly. Her French accent is so strong that I have to concentrate in order to be able to get what she is saying. I show her around and tell her that I have plans to attend a sokkie the next evening. I invite her along, but I have my reservations. It is truly South African and perhaps not entirely suited to French tastes. But Clém is game and begs me to take her with me. We Couch Surfers enjoy other cultures and we cannot wait to learn more about food and culture.
So, we arrive at the bokjol and I introduce her around. Tant Tinkie and Oom Koos are also there. So are the Van der Merwes and their three kids. It may have been a lekker family wedding somewhere near Caledon. Everyone is friendly and the music gets going early on. I catch Clém staring at the dancers. “How do they do that?” she wants to know. “How do they do what?” I ask, puzzled. “Float! They float along the floor!” she says ecstatically.
I take her by the hand and tell her that I will teach her how to sokkie. And you know what? In spite of the few obligatory mangled toes and windmill arms, this French lass learned to sokkie in a single evening. There was no way to wipe the huge smile off her face. She almost danced her feet full of blisters, but sitting down was not an option. She came all the way to the desert only to learn more about South Africans than about the Arabs!
You may be from the Far East, Hungary or France, but one thing is for certain: Afrikaans can dance!
With regards till next time from Marion.
