Power out

As I write this, I’m in the dark (not only because it’s late and my daughter is sleeping right next to me) but because, at this moment in time, my home’s power is off. Note that I didn’t call it loadshedding. I didn’t call it that because I don’t think it is loadshedding. I do not hear my neighbor’s generator. I think this power cut is particular to us. As soon as I press publish, I’ll go top up our meter. At least on this occasion I realize that it’s our meter and not loadshedding. I cannot say that we have not sat without power for more than an hour, only to discover, hey, why are the school’s lights on?

A couple of weeks ago, I did a wedding and one of the guests said to me that language matters and expressed her opinion that loadshedding was a euphemism for blackouts. She went on to say that before she was chatting to me she was talking to a scientist and that when she expressed this same opinion about loadshedding, he said, well, actually, loadshedding is accurate because it is a scheduled and controlled cut of power to protect the power grid whereas a blackout is unplanned and uncontrolled.

This is all to say that my home is having a blackout right now. My alarm is beeping. I must go.

Photograph of the day: A beautiful nook of Johannesdal in Stellenbosch. Every nook in Johannesdal is beautiful though. This is where I did the signing for Sabine and Michael this afternoon. If you look closely you’ll see a mirror above the china plates. In it, you will see me (or my fringe).