A Life in the Day of

In the Sunday Times Magazine, on the back page, there would be an interview each week with someone where they would describe their lifestyle and perspective on life, the universe and everything encased in a narrative about their daily life. In English class at school (we actually had one of those cool English teachers who encouraged creativity) we had to write something similar once. I've lost the one I wrote back then and my life's changed a bit, as well as my perspective. I realised I've never actually described what I do every day so here goes ...

My finances hanging by a thread, I've taken to packing my meals for the day. I used to jump out of bed ready for the day ahead, certain to be full of hard graft but the combination of post-Christmas doldrums and four month itch has set in somewhat. So the mornings tend to be a mixture of sleepy 'ten more minutes' and then Road Runner type movements of making breakfast (muesli, milk and double espresso one sugar and milk), packing lunch, grabbing sunscreen, sunglasses, sunhat, uniform (nasty red polo shirt) and running out the door five minutes (always five minutes) late.

It's a fifteen minute stroll to the waterfront where I work. Green Point is a nice neighbourhood in Cape Town, though I have to walk along two main roads. I get to the quayside where I work (Quay Five) and wave hello to the waiters from the restaurant opposite our jetty and to the touters from our company who are busy setting up for the day. When I went to university, it was impossible to walk down the street in town without having to say hello to about five people. I missed it - it's nice to go to a place where people say hello to you in the morning, smile and ask how you are.

I walk down to the jetty where the two yachts are docked and dump my bag at the picnic table in the middle of the jetty. The table is legendary, has been there as long as anyone can remember, has a suitably aged look and has been the scene of many a good conversation and laugh. I hop on board the yacht which I'm working on for the day. If it's Spirit, I'll open the hatch and climb down into the engine room (bilge) and do the engine checks first. If it's Hope, the first thing to do is to hose down the boat to get rid of all the salt deposits from the day before. It's actually a very important job to wash the salt out of the ropes otherwise both guys will be pulling ropes encrusted with salt all day (very bad for the hands and our hands get enough punishment as it is). Say hello to all the guys as everyone arrives. Do a stocktake on the bar on the boat which is always screwed up - cracking open a beer/cold drink is a perfect way to end a hard day's work!

We sail out of the harbour five times a day. Right now it's sweltering in the harbour but always breezy and cooler in the bay - it's a relief to escape and refreshing too. The wind in the morning is usually calm (10-15 knots) and the southeaster normally picks up in the early to late afternoon (around 20 knots usually) and dies down again for sunset. Depending on how exhausted I am, it can be a chore to put up with the passengers but after a couple of days' rest, I actually enjoy talking to them (horrid London misanthrope that I am). We hoist the sails as we go out of the harbour (by motor). I've been slowly building my strength every day so I can do this more and more quickly as I know the skipper is always watching. A quick, competent, strong, hardworking and alert crew member is the ideal and not everyone fulfils all those criteria and even the best guys have their hangover days! You work hard because you don't what the other guy to have to pick up your slack.

The breaks in between trips we spend getting the boat ready for the next trip or chilling on the picnic table or running to the supermarket for a pie or coffee. Pies are amazingly popular here in South Africa - it must be the unhealthy British colonial influence. There is hardly time to sit down and relax though, before the next trip. Once we're out there though, everyone's energy levels (have to!) skyrocket as the wind keeps you on your toes. Once the sails are up, the work consists mainly of adjusting the sails according to the direction of the wind and the direction of sail. Pulling in the sails is another job that often has my arms aching, and I still can't do it as quickly as the guys grr!!!

By the end of the day, surprisingly, energy levels pick up again as it's time to chill out on the yacht with the guys chatting or going to the pub (one from which they haven't been banned??). There are a lot of restaurants and pubs at the waterfront so we are spoilt for choice though of course we always end up going to the same one. There is even a special table in a special corner called The Conference Room. aaah. The best moments in life for me always seem to be the little ones and to include a random conversation.

Then I go home, have a shower and collapse into bed where I fall into a deep, deep sleep - exhausted but in a good way.

feeling a moment

Sometimes I try to imagine myself back in London (land of freezing fog right now) and I think to myself that I'm not sure I belong there anymore; I'd miss the sea and the mountain, the wind and the sky too much. This past Christmas was my first away from home - I've said often to the guys that people grow up slower in England. I had a good one - my flatmate Genie, two of the guys from work (George Michael and his good friend Jossity Joss) and GM's girlfriend came over. There were ostrich steaks, roast chicken, vegetables dauphinois, salad, wine and other stuff I made which I forget. What I do remember was that my guests enjoyed the food and were happy. As I told them, in England, the tradition is to stuff yourself silly at Christmas and then fall asleep in front of the TV, and I'm happy to say I maintained that tradition as we watched Love Actually (to remind me of home!).

Work has been rolling along nicely - or stickily as it is rather hot now working under the sun all day. I've finally had a proper couple of days' rest - my first since before Christmas so I'll be back to full strength tomorrow. I'm never sure if the guys actually like me or merely put up with my presence but I think it's leaning more toward the former now - hooray! Each crew member gets a reputation of some sort - the one who always sleeps, the one who works really hard etc. I think mine is the one who knows where everything is on the two yachts (so if someone is looking for the shifting spanner, for example, they will come to me) and the one with the really good snacks :P I came to work just as Jossity and his other good friend Yaku arrived and they took a look at my two lunch boxes and said, ''Great, what are we having today?''

I must have had my frowning face on the other day because Aaron said to me, ''You're very quiet today, are you alright?'' and he added, ''If you're not happy, I'm not happy" and proceeded to ruffle my hair (well, my hat anyway, as I always wear my sailing hat when working). Little gesture, meant a lot. The other funny thing I noticed is that people make jokes about race a lot more openly than would be normally acceptable/comfortable in England. Unlucky was saying something to me the other day which prompted the response, ''Kiss my ass!'' to which Unlucky then replied, ''No, it's too white'' amid shrieks of laughter (mine).

Once, we were on Spirit and Big Smiley said to me, ''Come on E, tell us a joke then,'' and the only one I like and can remember is the one where there are two tomatoes in the fridge and one says to the other, ''Brr, it's cold in here isn't it?''. The second tomato turns to the first and says, ''I didn't know tomatoes could talk!''. Unlucky and Big Smiley laughed and we sat for a bit longer as we were sailing along nicely. Suddenly the breeze picked up and Unlucky shivered and said, ''Brr, it's cold - I'm going to get my coat,'' and went to the cabin. Big Smiley said, ''I didn't know Unlucky could talk!'' hee hee

I have also been holding my temper with more success. Progress!