Small world syndrome, you might just know ‘the cousin’

ISUPPOSE everybody who has travelled abroad will have come across the “small world” syndrome. You’re in Canada or Britain or France and you meet somebody who asks you where you come from, so you say: “I’m from South Africa.” And you get the reply: “Oh, I have a cousin in Africa. You probably know him.” “Where does he live?” “He’s in Bulawayo. Is that near you?” It’s easier just to say: “No, I’m afraid we haven’t met yet,” than to explain that Bulawayo is as far from Cape Town as Athens is from London.

On the other hand, how well do we know our own city? I can’t remember when I was last in Milnerton or Parow. They are parts of the same city I live in, but I don’t know them at all. Drop me in Mitchells Plain and I would be completely lost.

I have recently had a few forced visits to areas I never knew existed and I have realised just how little I know of my own city.

Baden Powell Drive, along the False Bay coast, has been closed to traffic for quite some time for re-surfacing. I usually take that route when I travel from Fish Hoek to Stellenbosch on wine business. It’s direct and fast.

Recently, I have been diverted onto a detour which takes me through Mitchells Plain and Khayelitsha – suburbs I do not know at all.

I must say I have been pleasantly surprised. Spine Road is a wide, multi-lane highway that takes me through some rather attractive areas I never knew existed. I pass a large modern hospital and a very inviting looking restaurant, not to mention several interesting shopping centres and any number of churches of unusual denominations.

One day soon, when I am not rushing to keep an appointment, I plan to take a leisurely drive through that area to find out what I’ve been missing. There’s a whole new city right on my doorstep, just waiting to be explored.

I might even decide to make Spine Road my regular route to Stellenbosch.

Incidentally, I did once have a pleasant surprise when I was visiting my son in Oxford and went shopping at Boots, which is the British version of our Clicks (more or less).

The young woman who served me said I had a foreign accent and asked where I came from. I said I was a South African and she smiled brightly and said: “I grew up in South Africa.” “Really?” I said. “What part of South Africa?” “You may not know it,” she said, “it’s a little seaside town called Fish Hoek, near Cape Town.”

And it turned out I really did know her cousin.

Last Laugh

Koos was visiting London for the first time and was desperately trying to cross a busy street, but the traffic was too heavy and he kept hesitating, afraid to make a dash for it.

Eventually a kind policeman saw his problem and came over and said: “Sir, there’s a zebra crossing at the next corner.”

Koos gritted his teeth and said: “Well, I hope it’s having better luck than I am.”