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Thursday 30 April 2009

Some of my best friends are seamonkeys

Don't ask me why I have a horse picture on this                   
 blog. It is far too complicated for you to understand.


I read loads of books this holiday which was great. My internet addiction was getting out of hand, so a two week break was just what I needed.

I happened to read another book by a South African author, a previously rare event that is becoming less rare. It was definitely worth shipping the thing across the seas and waiting for weeks.

It is called Some of my best friends are white by Ndumiso Ngcobo. If you happen to read Thoughtleader, I am sure you will agree that Ndumiso's blog is pretty much the only one worth reading these days. I find it hysterical and pertinent at the same time. He wrote this post about women having to pull cactus needles out of their butts after squatting to pee in the desert that really connected with me, man. Like, I could totally feel his empathy. And the visuals are still in my head today.

So anyway, his book  is great, it had me laughing out loud on the plane, which seemed to disconcert my neighbour. Ndumiso rips off many different types of people, behaviours and general South African madness.

His main concern with us whities is our supposed obsession with team building exercises that involve jumping out of planes and shooting paint at each other and such like.

 But you know, I am not so sure about this  supposed enthusiasm. Perhaps we should point him to Tamara's post on the subject. As far as I can see, most white South Africans think this behaviour is idiotic too, we are all just too chicken to say that we would all rather go drinking together. It must be the work of the few alpha Saffas who think that getting to know people better involves shooting them.

This problem does not seem to exist in the UK, where a team building exercise seems to consist of finding the nearest pub. Ndumiso, I think I have found you your new home.

I definitely recommend this book; it is short, it is funny and it is easy to identify with. After all, some of my best friends are white too, innit?

P.S. look out for his new book, entitled "Is it coz I'm black?". I will be buying this on Kalahari for sure.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

Always good to hear of a new book that's worth reading.

Champagne Heathen said...

Don't get me started on what I think of team building crap! My comment at our company's last one is "We get paid a salary to do our job. So we should do our jobs". Why I have "bond" with the fools who have skills that work with mine, fok knows.

As for peeing in the wild... I had a very very scary bite after the last time I did this, that had My Guy laughing for ages afterwards! Rural, I ain't!

Tamara said...

I missed you, Po!

Thanks for the link-love. I could give him this particular hwitey's feelings on so-called teambuilding...

Sounds like a fun book.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good read! *writes name of book on shopping list* :-)

LadyFi said...

Thanks for the book tip! Sounds hilarious... Here in Sweden they are mad about team-building exercises like Snow Olympics, falling backwards into someone's arms and praying that they will catch you and walking on coals (hot hot hot!)

These days I have all sorts of illnesses that pop up so that I can't attend these life-threatening events! ;-)

Anonymous said...

shibby,

Thanks for the linkage to Ndumiso... I'm always into finding new bloggers ... mostly interesting ones. \

I'm in a funny mood so it was refreshing to read something like this blog... thanks po!

:D

po said...

Kitty: yeah, well the things that I like may not be for everyone, I do have a particular taste. So if you do read it, tell me what you think!

Champagne heathen: actually, because I have never worked in that kind of environment I think some of those things sound fun. Except for the painball, bungiing, jumping out of planes... ok maybe I am having second thoughts.

Tamara: I think you have bust a myth about whities!

Tay: yay, I think it is so cool to buy SA books, and apparently it is really tough to get published and bought in SA.

Ladyfi: oh yeah, we did those falling backwards things at school and I actually enjoyed it, maybe I am one of those sadistic Saffas after all :)

Paula: I am in a funny mood too! Actually I am in a terrible mood, I am hoping tomorrow it will miraculously go away.

Jeanne said...

Oh, I don't know, my Brit employer there is an anuual teambuilding exercise that would not be out of place in Corporate South Africa. One year it involved a day-long treasure hunt in Brighton in the rain, having to take ridiculous Polaroid photos of our teams doing a list of stuff (like cramming all 7 of us into a phone booth), and then making a short 007 themed film that was shown at the dinner that night. Pass the bungee cord, please.