I remember in primary school (different primary schools that is) there were a few kids that always insisted they didnt eat peanut butter, pap, soft porridge or matabela and that made me a little awkward as i started to think that eating pap was a common thing to do or that the act hit the borders of poverty. As i think about it now, im like YEAH RIGHT! I suppose you dont relax your hair either or occassionaly use the sunlight soap (the green bar), they probably didnt but i did and still do.


So, i have developed a certain laziness toward cooking these days and i definetely have grown tired of curry and rice, pap and wors, stew and rice, pap and wors routine. But with that said my mouth still waters at the thought of certain meals. Meals witch my primary school mates probably never touched since peanut butter was so taboo. I am talking about the "Soekie Cuizine".


Upon the cultural divide that a cross breed lives, one becomes accustom to the diferent types of foods. Pure breeds enjoy a cuizine very similar to that of Indian, possibly adopted by the Cape Malay Coloureds and so it has traveled along the lines of cultures and homes. There are many other adopted tastes as well but that which is dominant is that which becomes you. There are the curries, biryani, samoosa's, spicy rice....chicken prepared sixteen different ways with their various flavours, koeksisters, potjie kos and braai vleis (South African delicacy to all cultures of the rainbow nation) Now even though i am fimiliar with all the masala's and Gheera stuff things that hit home to my taste buds are far from the normal to some coloureds, believe me.


I love me some pap n marogo, runaways (chicken feet), tripe and freshly slaughtered chicken, cabbage and bones, spinach and pap, umngusho (samp n beans), cow heels and dont forget the last numba.......archaar. These are few of our dishes, not eaten that often but enjoyed once set on the table..But rest assured, you will get one of the above in Soekies kitchen.

It is interesting to think what supper time is like in different homes as we all do become accustomed to the fast foods and other cuizine, as i simply adore Italian cuizine, seafood, veggies and salads, but i gues once the chicken feet has run its way down to your stomach, there is no turning back.


What i'd really like to know is, what was the Taboo to your Primary School Mates?


Bon Apetite!

I have done some research on my maternal blood line and i have asked around a bit, but i am still in the process of finding more and more history to fit to my puzzle. I took the liberty of asking my mom and three aunts about our family and discovered more than i bargained for. Without getting too heavy or deep, i simply asked why are we so different and what makes us different, why did Willie have green eyes and Sarah has black Indian hair, where did it all come from? And this is what i have gathered thus far.


My aunt Mawee on the subject;


Dear Chombie


All coloureds are a mixture of Whites and Blacks. I would define Coloured in different catergories, if by pure Coloured you mean the "common Joburg/Cape or any other province coloured's"- No we are not like them. The Coloured from Sabie/Nelspruit (MP) are very unique and different, we were brought up on a farm. Isolated and having different mannerism and behaviour, our culture (Watkins) is based on John Mabaso, our grandfathe's upbringing. Because we hail from Sabie, we could be defined as Swati's/Mashagaan from Mbabe. What culture we follow is difficult to say because of the background. However, we behave differently from the "normal" coloured as we are inclined to be rural in the way we carry ourselves, respecting ourselves and rules of life we follow.


Culture is a diverse issue and is not just based on nationality only,as children we were acknowledged to the ancestores by means of "Phahla" by Mbabe and Ouma Linah. "Phahla" - Ancestors that were mentioned were  Mapanga, Chauke, Pond and our Father in Heaven. . This was/is a form of thanksgiving, blessings etc.


Willie had green/blue eyes that changed with his moods, features were white and his hair was very ethnic (KROES) soos Miriam and Alpheus, Mummyma het seker geval vir die oe.  


Pond Willie Watkins (Your Grandfather)
Father - Frank Watkins (Half White from Scottish Descent)
Mother- Martha Segage (African)


Sarah Soekie Maider (Your Grandmother)
Paternal - George Maider "Mapanga" (Relatively Indian)
Father -  John Mabaso (Mashagaan/Portuguese Black man)
Mother -  Linah Buchanan (Half White)


Frank Had more than two wives, there were three that we know of, maybe he was like Zuma. At his funeral it was mentioned how many children, grand and great grandchildren he had, over 100. Melvin would be able to eleborate.


1st wife -  Is Sqee and them mother, Minnar
2nd Wife - Martha , our grandmother, your great grandmother.
3rd Wife -  Classy - Wendy and Lance's grandmother


Mummyma had 8 brothers, namely;  Fanie, Frank, Willem, Piet, John Ploeg, Micheal, Kaas, Johannes (Last man standing). Lanious and Gladstone have their own mothers, they are Willie's children. Your uncles. They are older than me by 1 & 2 years.


Regards


Mawee



My aunt Leigh on Phahla;


This is what is said when we phahla :

We use to Phahla ( give thanks)
When we say our SITHAKAZELO ( Praise singing)


MABWE WILL CALL THE IMBHAMBOLUNYE
( MEANING FROM ONE RIB THE SURNAMES THAT MAKES UP YOU ANCESTORS)


Wena waka Mabob/ wena waka Maphanga/ wena waka Chauke nah wena Pond.


Hina maka Mabaso a yi kombeli tinhlolo.


We the Mabaso do not trust in the bones.


Tinhlolo a yi i vulavuli .


They do not talk.


Ku vulvula munhu


It is people who talk.


Vha vulavula hi nomo


They talk for they have mouths to speak.


Vha hona hi nomo


They speak ill with their tongues


Batho malungisi vhuti hi molomo.


NDZAWENI! NZAWENI,


Greetings.



My Aunt Nokay on the Subject;


Straat Frank Watkins had three wifes, Shawn dad comes from the first wife's line..Wendy and Lance are from the second wife's line.


Lanious is Willie child from another women en moet ook nie Mawee se broer Glad vergeet nie.


According to muumyma she has a zillion siblings! According to my granny mummyma is one of nine (8 brothers and herself). Mawee's father had many siblings - Ous Leigh can assist on this side.




So, this is what i have gathered thus far, now to piece together Mawee's fathers siblings and the other wives off spring, that should get my family three going pretty soon. I cant seem to find any information on my Paternal blood line.... or rather nobody wants to speak. But soon soon!


Ous Leigh sent me this article on "Straat" Frank Watkins, cant make out his picture but he seems to have discovered Bush Tea, at least he discovered more than his self created nation of 100 off spring.

 Click article to enlarge

To be continued.........

So, this being my 3rd post and still trying to make sense of blogging and all its tricks and tips and techs, im still trying to design my blog, but i think i have found a template that im sticking with..The real big question though is, who is noticing my work and efforts, hope somebody is actually passing it by...I think its worth the read if you are interested in the life of ME!, a SA chic with much to say and offer, anyways, i just come back from a hectic weekend, had a lot to do and SAY, its amazing how your own blood can be like a total stranger to you, just a totaly different breed to who you are, but im not down for any of that T.W.A.K people call the norm, which again brings the stereotype of coloureds and alcohol: listen up (especially the ELDERS) its not cool, not on, not nice, not stylish and definitely tired, find another way to pass time either than irritating people with your mysery and deep need for comfort through black label and castle, go to church or something, find a hobby, sleep if you have to but stop making a pestilence out of the wonderful person you ought to be...Damn, you coloureds need to take a left turn and come right, get it right im not slamming anybody, it just really pisses me off that better is nowhere in your vocab.

JUST LETTING OF SOME STEAM, this is the cultural divide that throws me completely off from the partial of my people.

Damn.

NB:

Culture is said to be a set of patterns, morals, values and beliefs which bind a group of people.... What makes us all so different?  I suppose its our religious views, our foods and also our Cultures. Tracing back to where i hail from, my blood line seems to be very diverse, yet beautiful and colourful. I've begun my research on my "culture" and have to stumbled across the most amazing things. Since i have never really felt pure breed coloured, acted like one or even look like one, yesterday i started my research on who i really am, with a huge mix of cultures, races and nationalities, 3 wives and the discovery of rooibos tea, it puts alot into perspective i guess. There have always been many stereotypes about coloured people in South Africa and since ive always felt as i didnt fit that bill, i took and still do take serious offence to it, im proud of where i come from, having Swati, Shangaan/Portuguese (Mozambique Natives) and White descent in my blood, but why is it always such a smoke screen to people because im brown with kinky hair...Now im Coloured! Obiviously being coloured is a mixture of white and black, hence brown. The next few weeks ought to be very interesting as i will be tracing back my roots in my posts, posting my family tree, and all there is to know about my blood line;what we do, believe, eat, where we come from.... Hopefully this will insight some travel as i would love to go to Maputo and meet my Great-grandfathers people, to Pretoria to meet the only living parent of my Grandfather. As i trace back on the generations i hope to reach some point of conclusion to a culture that is very dominant in South Africa but some what unknown, the many mix breed coloureds of South Africa.

SWATI

+

Mashangaan

+

Scottish

=

CHA

This is what i am.........

I do feel that we ought to embrace who we are and where we come from and it should be recognised in society as well, as the stigma just aint cutting it for me!


Stay Tuned...........Im loving it!

So this is my first post!!!!!!!! Thought long and hard what my blog would actually be about, so decided to have it be about everything. I am a South African women, diverse in so many ways across the cultural breeds of a nation, my roots stem from Scottish, Portuguese, Tonga (and possibly many more) which gives me the title of a coloured women.....not too white and not too black either. I suppose it will be an interesting journey to lay down the trail of my blood line....which i will eventually do. There so much to a world of different colours (Rainbow Nation) especially when that world is in one house. So for my first post i decided to let it be about me, not Julius, not the traffic, not Zuma and not Eskom.....ME!

Lovies Me!