By Lindsey Kin
Dumela; sawubona; lotjhani; bhota; avuxeni; ndaa; hello - just a little something that I learnt from this amazing book, and I’m Chinese.
When I was first asked to review
Awesome South Africa from Random House Struik, I couldn’t decide how to categorise it - it certainly wasn’t a novel, but it had the facts of a textbook, the first thing that came to mind was, it’s a South African
Childcraft for adults.
Everything you need to know about South Africa and being a South African is beautifully illustrated in this coffee table book, it’s a burst of colour; art; and creativity, its
Awesome South Africa – and I might add, the name reflects the book, as it is awesome. Facts and trivia, with satirical pieces slotted in here and there, make up this beautiful book. Each double-page-spread is like its own chapter, and whether it’s the use of cartoon or photography, the art and design layout fit the theme to a ‘T’.
For example, did you know that right here in South Africa – in the Free State, nogal, we have the biggest meteor crater on earth - so meteor landings don’t just happen in the US of A, meteor crash landings happen here, too - I guess
District 9 wasn’t so far off, then! Another fact I have to share - I apologise if I’m beginning to sound like the inside of a Chappies wrapper, but did you know that Afrikaans is the newest language in South Africa?
I found the trivia sections quite tricky, and found myself saying afterwards, “aaaw, I knew that, silly Chinese girl.” Quiz night at the Keg? Bring it on. I absolutely loved the satirical pieces – some I had seen before in emails sent back and forth between my colleagues and I, but there was no harm in seeing it again, because the pieces are absolutely hilarious. Picture a see-saw with only one person on it, that is the perfect image to explain an overloaded bakkie, it has the same effect - maybe if he had a heavy crow-bar attached to the front of the vehicle, it could balance the ‘overloadedness’.
Awesome South Africa is all about South Africa, and you can’t have a South African tell-all book without mentioning a braai. In my head while reading this section, I began to smell ‘that braai smell’, yummy, then I turned to look outside my window and my neighbour was literally having a braai, I was smelling his delicious food. Bok; dop; en tjop, translates loosely into babe; drinks; and meat - and I didn’t know this until I read
Awesome South Africa.
The key focus of the book is South Africa, but gives all South Africans, those both in the country and who have gone abroad, the opportunity to laugh at ourselves, as it opens our eyes to realise how truly beautiful and spectacular our country is. I absolutely loved this read – and my mom, who refuses to read a novel, has put her name in line to read this book next.
I must admit, before reviewing
Awesome South Africa I was a bit sceptical, because there was just too much going on for one book, but after sitting down and taking the time to read it, I could not imagine it being any other way, and at the end of the day, we are a rainbow nation.
Awesome South Africa reflects this perfectly.
This is a fun read, and I recommend this book to ALL South Africans, and I also know that this book would make a perfect gift for those South Africans who have left for ‘greener pastures’. Oh, how I am proud to be a South African.
Nkosi Sikeleli Afrika…