Multi-Racial Friendship

So, it’s the new South Africa, the old South Africa is behind us and we are all one big happy nation. Well supposedly, it’s very hard to feel like one part of a ‘big happy family’ when at every turn you get stares that reek of judgement and disapproval.

In this new South Africa we have freedoms that were denied to a lot of South Africans in the old Apartheid regime. For example the freedom to live where ever your heart desires and your bank balance permits. The Group Areas Act of 1950 ensured that this was not possible. We have the right to marry whomever we love; the Immorality and Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Acts, 1949 made it difficult, although not impossible, to be in a relationship with someone of another race for most of the Apartheid years. There were many laws that promoted segregation, mistrust and hate between the inhabitants of this country. (Apartheid legislation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Segregated benches during Apartheid (freeearl.glogster.com)

These laws have now been abolished yet racial prejudice is alive and thriving in our Rainbow nation.  How can we say such? Well because we see it almost everywhere we go in subtle looks and stares that cannot seem to fathom how people of different races can hang out and be friends. It’s in the group conversations were eye contact with all the Bellas just seems a mole hill too hard. It’s in the astonished looks when others realise that we also live together. 'How is it possible?!' Tis so coz we have immense love for each other. We have also noticed that this prejudice is quite a bit more prominent in Johannesburg than in Durban where two thirds of the Bellas are originally from.

This has caused us to wonder why this is so twenty years into the new South Africa? To be honest there could be many varied justifications for such behaviour. Others may even be understandable as we all face different circumstances in our lives which make us prone to believe certain stereotypes. However stereotypes are not good and they cannot be used to make judgements about people you don’t know. We are not coconuts , inverted oreo’s, white girls who are soul sisters on the inside or black girls who want to be white. 

We are the Barefoot Bellas, we are friends because we chose each other. Our backgrounds and upbringings are different but its these differences and similarities that makes us an awesome trio.

The Bellas

The people who are in our lives are there because we want them in our lives, solely based on their personalities and hotness :p I guess the day will come when this nation becomes a true unified Rainbow nation til then we are just happy that we live in a time where we can be friends without breaking any laws. So please take your looks of judgement elsewhere.

Much love and light

The Barefoot Bellas

New Experiences - Michael and the Failed Tattoo

We know we promised to blog about Tinder next, but this is a much more interesting topic. We promise to fill you in on the Tinder happenings shortly.

After the enjoyable dinner with Kevin and company, there was radio silence. However, the news isn't all bad, as Bubbly Bella met another man on Tinder. This meeting produced an entirely different relationship to the one made with the French visitors.

Michael is a wonderful man, he is a budding entrepreneur, an artist and a graphic designer and his taste in music is enough to make any woman weak at the knees… and there are a myriad of other things that Michael is very good at that we won't get into right now.

Michael's self portrait

Let’s cool the horses on that topic and get to one that is another fail of ours.

Once Bubbly Bella has her mind made up about something, you just know that it will change at least hundred times more. Thus when Bubbly Bella came up with the idea that she wanted to get a tattoo - we were supportive of her decision but somewhat dubious about the time period of said art work.

However, in just a few weeks and through some fortuitous channels there was the opportunity; booked and paid for. Excitement to the Max.

Enter Murphy Stage Left

Bellas: We are here, 60 kms already driven… very early to ensure ultimate punctuality! Did we mention excitement?

Murphy: Haha! You poor fools!

Eskom, Murphy’s evil counterpart, cuts power to the entire area

Bellas: Well…… that sucks.

We began our journey home and decide that was not a fit way to end the story of our day, so we contacted Michael and asked if we could come visit him, and he thought it fitting. Driving through a part of Johannesburg that you are not familiar with at night is not too much fun, especially when Bubbly Bella decides to drive despite being practically night blind and  Brainy Bella and her phone GPS decide that it is the centre of Johannesburg rather than Randburg that we wish to go to. The Bellas end up driving through the South African equivalent of downtown Harlem...

Emerging safely a while later having worked up quite an appetite, we stopped to get vegetarian sushi and other Chinese food of deliciousness and proceeded to spend a fantastic evening talking nonsense, watching series and eating the worlds worst deep fried ice cream.

In one of those 'the world is too small' moments, the Bellas discovered that the friend whose tattoo Michael is designing is actually... Wait for it... Brainy Bellas boss *gasp* This has of course opened up avenues for messing with said bosses head which the Bellas have enjoyed immensely.

So Michael, we know you're reading this, you win at least 50 points for being awesome.

Way awesome ;) 

Much love and light

New Experiences - Frenzi and African Cucumber

On Friday the 7^th of June the Bellas headed to Cedar Square in Fourways to meet Kevin (the Bubbly Bella met Kevin over Tinder – more about that next blog), Jeremy, Roberto, Thando, and Samantha for dinner. The venue chosen was Frenzi – an authentic Italian restaurant.

The chef and owner is a giant Italian man who spoke with Roberto in Italian for ages. (One of the Bellas seriously needs to learn Italian…)

The Bubbly and Bossy Bellas ordered Penne Arrabiatta, which is a pasta with tomato, chilli, and garlic. The Brainy Bella ordered the Gnocchi di patate Pasticciati, which turned out to be non-vegetarian with a Bolognese sauce. The pasta was served in beautiful non-symmetrical bowls and seemed to the Bellas South African senses to be practically perfect. Roberto, our Italian guide for the evening, praised the food that he said was almost as good as that made in Italy.

Our only complaint was the rectangular table… A round table would have facilitated the flow of conversation far better. Despite this minor inconvenience the Bellas managed to converse with all of the table members. All of the party members were interesting and conversation ranged from the meaning of the phrase dolce far niente to hobbies and fabric shopping.

For dessert the Bossy and Brainy Bellas tried the tiramisu. Heavenly!

The party dispersed a few hours later with hugs and kisses. Promises were made to meet up again sometime in the future…

In the same vein of food thought, have you ever seen an African cucumber? Che figata!  The Bellas hadn’t until one of the Bossy Bellas students (who is three years of age) handed the strange piece of vegetation over to her, with much glee; the present had been wild grown on their small holding just west of Johannesburg.

The fruit is oblong; orange and green with blunt spikes all over the surface. Once opened it is a startlingly green colour with seeds somewhat like a pomegranate. But! It tastes like a banana with a hint of citrus tang. It is the platypus of fruit.

We shall say Ciao! with a photograph of our cucumber, thank you for reading!

The cucumber in all its glory

Much love and light

The Barefoot Bellas

Fail

It’s been, oh approximately – six weeks since our last blog. Oops.

As all new bloggers – we have had to realise that blogging… is harder than it looks.

Praise to weekly bloggers! – Respect!

Well, life happened. Nothing felt bloggable. Busy-ness was the order of the day, rather than awesomeness.

So we decided to take the long weekend to catch up. (and even that kind of failed…)

Brace yourselves. The Bellas are Back in Business J

And we shall try to not drop the ball again. (lower your expectations, dammit!)

And start commenting… We would love to hear from you <3 <3

(photo of eggs courtesy of JezZBean)