The weekend has arrived, and it’s been a very lazy Saturday’s. I woke at 11 or so, and made my way down to the Market City mall ,which happens to be attached to my block of flats. It’s marketed as East meets West, complete with a Chinese supermarket. I had a look around – interesting, if a little odd. It also has a whole range of factory shops with low prices – but almost exclusively women’s fashion and shoes (surprisingly therefore, I didn’t buy anything). I then made my way down to Paddy’s market to experience what is marketed a a range of crafts and so forth in a big hall – but it really turned out to be a flea market, with tons of Taiwanese junk. I wandered around for a while, and bought a cheap Sydney golf shirt, but I left – I can only take so much junk at any one time 
As I left Paddy’s there was a busker playing his guitar brilliantly well, in a classical fashion. His CD was A$10 (R60) so I bought it, and have been listening to it. It’s really very good. Melodia by Rod Alexander has 10 tracks of his own composition, and classical guitar interpretations of Für Elise, Moonlight Sonata, and my favourite, Pachelbel’s Canon. I’m really enjoying this CD.
I also did some grocery shopping, since I have a flat now. I bought some odd things while I was there: individual slices of garlic bread, so you only heat the ones you want, which I thought was nifty. A cookie dough Kitkat (very tasty) and a Café Latte Kitkat which I haven’t eaten yet. Then I made the hideous mistake of buying what is touted as “The Word’s Favourite Wood-Smoked Beef Jerky”. I didn’t expect it to taste like biltong, but I still thought it would be quite nice.
WRONG!
It tastes like old shoe. How do I know what old shoe tastes like? Truth be told, I don’t – but if you try to imagine what it would taste like, this beef jerky is much worse. It’s protein rich and 97% fat free, but sadly also 99% taste free and 100% satisfaction free.
I’m off now to have a bite at a nearby hotel (most bars are in hotels, and if people talk of going to a hotel, they normally mean its bar) which will be showing the FA cup. I have more chance of seeing that than seeing the rugby, and I’m more interested too.
I’d like to borrow that CD when you get back
I think CD’s are the best souveniers that one can bring back from a trip overseas. You’ll always associate the music with the location or experience.
Good luck with your biltong quest – maybe you should find a Saffer deli?
Of course, you’re more than welcome to borrow the CD. I thnk I’ll just hang on until I get home to have some biltong