Cape Tonians, not normal people

Cape Town doesn't like rushing into the New Year. While the rest of South Africa and the world is busy starting the next year, Cape Town takes an extra day off, January 2nd, to enjoy themselves a little more. They do this with the Minstrel's Parade. For decades groups of musicians, dancers, flag twirlers and just folks with whistles form a parade in Cape Town on January 2nd. It's all judged and some say has become annoyingly repetitive, but it's also the folks there just having fun.
Cape Town is also a jazz haven. The Festival they host brings together to greatest African jazz artists who express their vision of music without a care towards 'the industry.' Street performers tend to also be well known and very talented local artists. Sadly, I didn't persuade Benguela (a modern jazz quartet I've followed for the last eight years) to get together for a New Years Eve gig. So, I saw in 2006 with some friends (old and new) bounding from bar to bar. Sadly, no one remembered to bring a camera, so there is no record of the silliness we managed to get into.

But I did have a camera with me to take a picture of the Ostrich Man, who will soon be a neighbourhood fixture for me. Here he is 'performing his art' of just being himself, right outside my new condo on St. George's Street, the promenade that runs down the center of Cape Town.

My one bad moment in Cape Town happened when my rental car had its rear window smashed and the radio stolen. Being near the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans Cape Town can be a VERY windy place. When the winds howl, the petty criminals take advantage of the masking noise to practice their trade and they did so on my little blue VW. So, I went down to the police station, where I hadn't seen one so subdued since rural Georgia. The constable was most relaxed, jovial and forthcoming, not even pretending to be able to solve the crime. While I was there, two more people came in to report similar crimes in the same neighbourhood. Low and behold while giving my statement, someone was apprehended while attempting to break into another car. Justice prevails.