7 nights in Stellen (....get it like 7 minutes in heaven- ok bad joke, fine!)

I honestly don't know where to begin with the greatness that has occured in the past week. 

Stellenbosch was a dream. A reality I have been so far from, for so long. A comfortable, home-like family and home, in an ideal city. Basically my three days was spent with the perfect ratio of family time to freedom. 

Friday, after having "class" at a winery and thoroughly tasting every option- shipping a case home, they trick you into buying shit i tell you!- we were picked up by Louis, our host dad, and napped, were fed leftovers and chatted with the fam until we sobered up enough to go back out. Friday night is when we discovered Bohemia. To understand Bohemia and the greatness it represents, jump inside my brain, picture my ideal bar- favorite crowd pleasing songs, best dressed effortless hipsters, cheap drinks, standing and sitting room, fooseball, great people- and your there. Add a dash of South African accents, Hunters Dry (my go to cider) and perfection has presented itself. So that was a great find- and we proceeded to spend Saturday and Sunday there until last call all 3 nights. Basically a regular its no big deal. Saturday during the day we hit up the market at the bottom of our neighborhood. As we walked there through the park, an older women approached us, dressed all in blue free (shoes included), with a plastic bag. While I am all for meeting locals, food was the only thing on my mind this fateful Saturday morning. She approached us and proceeded to talk to us for the following 45 minutes about her travels to the US, and really everything and anything on her mind. About half way through her rant, the plastic bag in her hand began to move...yep! you guessed it! A LIVE SNAKE! fucking insane. legit certifiably crazy woman. Anyway finally escaped her, hit the phenomenal market and chilled with Michael at home watching Chasing Liberty in the afternoon- really you should rewatch this classic early 00's hit and see how awful Mandy's haircut is. Just dreadful. 

Ahhh! there rushing me off the internet. Ok Sunday night was basically the best night of my entire life. Tori and I decided (after braaing with our fam all day and looking a pictures from home) to have one last hoorah at Bohemia. We just wanted one last time to people watch, shoot the shit, ya know GIRLS NIGHT OUT!!! Little did we know...

Here is my journal entry (yes I also have a hand written journal) Sunday night when I returned home:

"If tonight wasn’t- yet another- perfect example of why music is the greatest thing on earth I don’t know what is. Tori and I ventured out to Bohemia around 8, after hanging with the fam all day, I was still hungover and noticeably less chatty and peppy than usual and Tori was ready to rock. We arrived at Bohemia in time for 2 for 1 drinks and noticed a stage with a band when we walked in. not thinking too much of it we sat down for a drink and chatted it up. Soon enough rock stars joined the stage and we moved up to second row seats. I admitted that I hoped it was a cover band, just more fun when you can sing along, and analyzed each artist on stage with Tori. Next thing I know we become dead silent as the intro to Piano Man by Billy Joel begins to play. Right then I knew something was up and my life had somehow become flawless, perfect and a dream since arriving in Stellenbosch. As Tori and I, along with all the bar residents, from rugby players to sorority girls, passionately sang each and every lyric to the crowd pleasing ballad, I floated onto a new level of happiness I never imagined possible. I could not have picked a better construction of lyrics to accurately represent what I believe music can achieve and what I intend to learn over the next month. A song that brings people of all walks of life together is a successful song. Music is a bridge and a bond, and watching the lyrics fall out 50 mouths to Piano Man, at 9 o’ clock on a Sunday (oops) in Bohemia bar in Stellenbosch, South Africa, proved that. I thought that was the peak. I truly believed that that was as good as it was gonna get and I was ecstatic about it. I was satisfied beyond words and prepared to listen to more great, but not better, songs. Well man was I wrong. Top songs of the night- the throwbacks of Girls and Boys by Good Charlotte, some classic Police hits, a little REM never hurt anyone, the always appropriate Wonderwall and Tenacious D were fun. Singing Sweet Caroline is always a nice reminder of home, Adele’s Someone Like You is always beautiful. But its when they play you’re favorite, most essential songs your night goes from good to great to unspeakable and not real. Its when you decide to go pee and hear, as the flushing stops, the beginning to your #1 favorite song and slogan for life. Its when you walk down the old staircase, in an awesome outfit, in a bar with one friend for a chill, casual, no big deal night and walk to your seat singing “mother Mary comes to me” by the best men on earth. Its when you are convulsing to the lyrics of Let it Be in your seat in Stellenbosch, South Africa, on a random Sunday night with musicians, students and some of the hottest people I have ever been in the presence of in my life. Those are the moments when you know life just cannot get any better.

I met people tonight who solidified by belief in music. It is something you can talk to with anyone in the world, from any background, because music knows no class, race, religion or age. Music is in some way, shape or form, a part of every human beings life. I learned about music in South Africa and the limited opportunities for talented artists. I learned about the opinions on drug use by musicians, and the positive/ negative aspects. I learned about religion and how Christianity is a rule book, and although illegal in the US, has the power to control a government system and that Judaism is a set of beliefs and a culture with some rules, but more just a storyline to believe in. I learned which random ass songs South African’s die for and apparently know every word to. I learned that if you speak up about what you love, people who share that love with you will speak up too and bond with you.

Why don’t I take it more seriously that I FUCKING LOVE MUSIC MORE THAN ANYTHING. It is not just a hobby, it is a major part of my happiness. It is a subject I happen to know a lot about, and that is because I am so genuinely interested in gathering more information and having all the answers. I may not play an instrument, know anything about how to sing on key or be able to read a row of music- but I know that my ears hold the gateway to my mood maker. Music controls me in a sense. It has the power to bring me out of a dark place, as well as put me in one."

So obviously that was a ramble. But it was just my dream evening. Classic rock cover band. Great musicians. Nice people. All around my ideal night and that will not be the last I have here considering I could move to Stellenbosch tomorrow.
Rock on world.

Some Stelly Shots:

Classic classroom

Oh what? You don't have an avocado tree in your backyard

BRAAI TIME!!!! (that sausage thing is this liver situation that brought up severe flashbacks from Langa- as well as straight up vomit in the back of my mouth.

"enjoying" a morning walk in the park

Liezel and I enjoying some braai. Such a trophy wife/ soccer mom