By Walter Bakker
Splinternuut in die dorp I am told… and what an absolute pleasure to explore this historic town nestled at the foot of the mighty Swartberg Mountains.
Cycling happily through the tree-lined streets (in summer months early in the mornings or late afternoons only as the sweltering heat will sap the energy of even the fittest and youngest…) the friendliness of the Oudtshoorniete is a pleasure to experience.
A môre, Oom here, a bakgat-fiets there and a fênsie helmit daai, Meneer underlines the unforced friendliness of this Karoo dorpie’s residents.
Straddling my bicycle, preferably in the shade of a pepper tree, of which there are many shading the suburban streets, eases casual conversation and conveys the sense of not being “interviewed”. Folk love telling tales and sharing stories of great, and not so great events in their lives or off-the-wall family secrets, disastrous home renovations and gardening mishaps, and moenie my quote nie maar tannie so-en-so het my eendag vertel…
One of the many responsibilities barreling in my direction as a new staffer at Die Hoorn is to write, and sometimes just report, on interesting, and sometimes wacky things folk do with their homes and gardens in the Klein Karoo. The story behind that jolly cement kabouter or that classical fountain with the jug-toting nude lady you feel you should cover every time the dominee visits, the floor you painted, your neighbour’s decidedly kitsch postbox, the house your niece renovated with such pizazz or your uncle’s priceless orchid collection… I want to hear about it. I want others to read about it…
We also all have anecdotes and stories to tell and I just love hearing them… be it under a doringboom in die tuin, whilst sipping a coffee at Café Brûlé in the stylish Queen’s Hotel or finding them in my e-mail’s inbox. So, please start a’penning or call me for that coffee and chat, get that gossip off your chest or broaden our appreciation of our kontreiverhale…
Who knows, perhaps one day a movie will be made of your story that first appeared in Die Hoorn… in the early part of the
21st century…
Groete daar
Walter (walter@hoorn.co.za)