In Loving Memory of the Ginger Kid!

On my first day at work I met a boy called Laurence. Everyone else called him Ginger. Soon I would start referring to him by this name too. He had been here for 3 months, he had one month left. This post, while never being able to encapsulate the full wonder and awesomeness of Ginger, is in his honour, because without him the office is a lot less colourful...

The first time I met Ginger he told me he had just spent a week doing a sailing course. He'd gotten very sunburnt. He didn't look that sunburnt..."You mean you haven't brought Factor 150 with you, oh but you look so pale". I wondered whether I should email home and ask my mum to post some. I decided Factor 50 would have to do me. He told me stolen some flares from the boat and was going to set them off at 6pm. I needed to go outside at 6pm that night and watch Cape Town on fire. I went outside at 6pm. All I could see was my host family's pool and the mountain beyond. The next day at work, Ginger told me how he'd had the whole area he lived in blocked off from letting off the firelight. He'd nearly been caught by the police. I was worried...so this is Cape Town!?!

He then took me for a walk around Rondebosch where our offices are, telling me how amazing Mr Price (think SA Primark) was and getting me a discount at the gym. I'm so glad I never took his advice. I don't know how I'd have time to go to the gym. Ginger pointed out all the cheap places to eat, he introduced me to Black Label beer at PAHRO's perennial hangout the dingy and divvy Cybar. He told me where to buy a UCT Hoodie. He told me how much I should pay for everything.

My first outing with Ginger was to the BoKaap where candy coloured houses are glued to the edge of the city and the lush green mountains behind. But, its not the safest neighbourhood. Cape Malay kids were wandering around and playing football down the narrow cobbled streets. "Ellie stand close to me we're about to get mugged...that was a close one, that was sketchy, if you ever want to show you're being non-confrontational stand with your hands behind your back".

We walked up Signal Hill. We walked up Signal Hill the wrong way. Fallen trees blocked out path. "Stay here girls I'm going to find a way up the mountain, I'm going to scout our way". One of the other girls tripped, a small thorn stuck in her finger, "It's OK I have a medical kit". Out he pulls catheters and plasters and bandages from the depths of his rucksack. Finally we get to a small pair of tweezers. "Elevate the wound". Watching the sunset over the ocean and Robben Island, the clouds parting to let the light stream through was magical. "I'm glad we all shared this day", I said. "Yep, me too, so beautiful, I think the toilet water is drinkable...we better fill up the water bottle for the trip back".

Maybe its not so good to meet Ginger on your first week in Cape Town. He told me how he had been mugged, how he had been arrested when a friend borrowed his knife. He showed me how to use Pepperspray. He sprayed half the Pepperspray in his face. He then rubbed it into his eyes. He then tried to light the Pepperspray with a cigarette lighter. I've never been so scared and at the same time laughed so much in my life when I've been someone. Thank you for a colourful introduction to a colourful city!