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Africa Time

29 October 2021 | Veronique |

Punctuality has always been a thing for me.  I’ve always been on time to meetings and events, if you say 3pm, I’m there at 5 to 3; waiting irritated me. And then we moved to the farm…

I have no idea what’s happened. Everything just seems to take so blimmin long!  Nothing is the same as in the city.  The stuff we so took for granted, all gone.  Now everything is a second glance.

Showers – in the city, you shower, you get a towel, you dry off, carry on with your day.  Not in the bush.  We still only have an outdoor shower and the towels hang in the trees.  But it seems the inch worms and friends have discovered them and have decided it’s much better to overnight in the towels than on a hard tree! So they either make little silk nest and leave it all sticky on the towel, or just curl up in it.  So when you shower, you first have to inspect the towels on all sides to make sure nothing has moved in.

Going to sleep – in the city, you climb into bed, put off the light, go to sleep.  Not in the city.  Insects of all kinds have decided it’s a nice warm place to sleep, so we first have to shake all the bedding before getting in.

Random Bites – speaking of ticks. Going somewhere in the city? Shower, get dressed go. In the bush, once in the shower, realise you have got a new tick attached to you, spend 20 minutes getting it off.  Officially very late.

Go somewhere – in the city, get in the car, close the gate go. Not in bush.  Here it’s having to go all the way back once you get to the main road because the dogs have decided to jump through the fence to follow you. It’s having to drive at a snails pace because there’s a bunny in the road that’s strolling in the road and won’t get off.  Or a nightjar at night that doesn’t actually move unless you get out of the car and walk to it.

The other day, we were 45 minutes late to a braai! 45 minutes!!! I’ve never been that late in my life! I don’t even know what we were doing to be so late.

Four months in, I’ve decided to let this punctuality thing go. It’s not worth my sanity anymore. Things just move so much slower in the bush, and honestly, I like it like that. The incessant rush to get everywhere and anywhere has waned drastically. So from now on, we get there when we get there. Africa time is a much better way to live if you ask me. And anyway, quality takes time. 🙂

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