Racism 101

2 nights ago I went with a whole crew to a comedy show in Obz, Gaby is doing her ISP on comedy in Cape Town so I have been to a few shows and had a ton of fun. As we are all packed into this small bar, I standing in the back with the latecomers, one guy who was just laughing with everyone else makes some casual, comment back to the comedian, as many others had been doing and is common of comedy shows. Immediately after the non-offensive, controversial or anything comment, the owner walked over and demanded 10Rand from him to see the show. I had come with 10 people and had been there for nearly an hour and none of us had been asked to pay once. The man, upset and refusing to pay turned around and left. His friend was then asked to pay and refused and was thrown out physically by the owner. Of course being in South Africa and living in the home stays I have lived in I have seen how some people can be racist and use race to inform decisions and judgments, but never as blatant as this. The owner was a colored man and the two men he kicked out were both black and a bit older than most of the students in the bar that night. However the fact that he asked them to pay, and did not request it of anyone else is absurd. And the fact that he threw one of them out for no apparent reason, besides their race i'm assuming, is even more absurd. The owner was not ashamed or thought twice about this decisions he made. And although I was livid, confused and shocked at this entire situation that happened a half a foot from me, I did not say anything, which I feel awful about. Its shocking that it happened, and that there are still people who unfortunately feel such a way towards people based on their race, but it is even sadder that it was acceptable behavior and no one stopped him and that the black men felt that they had to comply with his ridiculous orders. 

I would not say this is superrr common here, but there is definitely times when things like this happen and it just shocks you. South Africa is of course racist, because the government trained and forced people to be racist, but the fact that people are still believing and implementing racism 18 years after apartheid is disgusting and unfortuently acceptable here. Just a look into some daily things I see here on the other side of the universe. 

All for now.

Catch ya kids lata