This is farm life

It’s the middle of a work week, and, I must admit, not usually my most creative state of being. However, it being Heroes’ Day, an unexpected “manuscripting” windfall has struck.

Heroes day is recognised by the United Nations, as Namibia Day. So as a nation, we can enjoy a day off from the COVID imposed workday interruption. Yes, while that sentiment is perhaps not grammatically nor commercially correct, that sentence is called a “double whammy”.

This site will remain an ensemble of contrasted impressions, which is so very reflective of life.

8.am ish: The morning started with coffee and farm fresh rusks, meaningful conversations, and good inspiration for my second blog and more to follow. I did not have any intention to insert links leading you down the rabbit hole that is surfing the web, but I will be sharing sites that are linked to inspiring individuals, and inspired lives.

About 9am: Moving swiftly on to fixing a leaking toilet, which involved:

• Step 1: identifying the problem: the thingy with the rubber seal must surely be in the wrong way round, in the other thingy thingy that screws back onto the pipe. Surely, because why would a thingy wobble loosely when screwing it back in. Surely it must feel fitted, so that screwing it back in does not put it out of alignment.

The joys of Vulcan logic

• Step 2: implementing the solution: a call on “the husband” to bring his pocketknife and his person to the table, so to speak.

Skip to 9.45am – and the “commune” has split. This part of the story illustrates an excellent example of how we should have been working, and how we will not only survive, but thrive, in these perplexing times. Collaboration.

Friend A is off to feed the sheep with browse plus, and some seed pod treats for the livestock.

Husband is busy solving the water pump issues, which is pretty much critical as we need to get water from the reservoir, into the tank, to the house, before our lunch time guests arrive.

Me, I do what I do best – mop up during crises times. Have taken over the potjie which needs to cook for at least 3-4 hours. Usually “the potjie” is the job of “the husband”. So, I have taken the opportunity to surreptitiously modify the recipe. Frying onions (lots of onions), sneaked in some garlic, then added the meat, which was a mixture of Oliebol, and game. This being a Namibian meal, on a Namibian farm, one must expect meat, and lots of it. There was too much meat for browning (like one would normally do), so I just filled the potjie with water, to cover the meat, and stoked the fire really well.

We need to pause here for a minute and translate a few concepts to our international audience.

It is like a stew – only outside

What is a potjie? My English friend Allison described it best. It is like a stew, only its done outside.

What is Oliebol? Oliebol is was a Persian Sheep (fat-tailed breed of domestic sheep from Africa). Oliebol was a very friendly chap, but was never going to have any lambs of his own. Perhaps a touch macabre, but there you have it.

This blog very much follows the philosophy of heroes’ day. Rather than focussing on the loss and suffering which was designated as having started on this very day in 1966, which brought us independence, this day is used to focus on who is a hero in today’s environment.

• Healthcare workers of course.

For me, it also includes:

• Those who resist opportunities to bribe (even when caught speeding, or trying to get a permit through irregular channels),
• Those who actively fight bribery, and
• Johannes, for taking such care of my plants as my green thumbs fail me.

The rest of the Potjie recipe very much goes like my promise in my first blog, of recipes for an odd assortment of ingredients. Chop available vegetables into chunks. Or let your guests (who have all arrived an hour early because “the husband” conveyed the wrong starting time), chop the motley veggies into chunks. These consisted of carrots, green beans, cabbage, butternut, spinach, and they were added to the pot in that same order, simmering for an appropriate length of time given the vegetable just added. Spice with biltong spice and let simmer for a bit.

Perhaps some translation again? Biltong spice. Biltong is our way of preserving meat to enjoy later. It involves (and here I risk revealing secret family recipes), a process of pickling and spicing choice cuts of meat, hanging it to dry, and enjoying it as a snack in the winter months. In no way does it resemble the American “jerky”.

By now, the pot had been on the fire for 4,5 hours, cooking vigorously, and only simmering once veges were added. That is important (in a life lesson kind of way) : applying lot of heat to get the job started, and to get the job done, then just simmer down to finish it off. Once you think the veges are done, herd the guests to the table, and enjoy.

Happy heroes’ day all!