Comments on: Stranger In A Strange Land

By: Carla Nunes

Carla Nunes — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:21:30 +0000

Blady Lisbon hotels!!!

Nice story. It seems for most South Africans there wasn’t a dramatic defining moment that epitomised being South African.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:19:41 +0000

@Gary: I completely agree that discipline doesn’t only come from the army. It starts at home. The quote is from “American Beauty”, so perhaps the context of my comment makes a little more sense – tongue-in-cheek.

By: Pablo Masie

Pablo Masie — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:23:38 +0000

So the editor has spoken, very insightful to say the least…sometimes you have to be outside to see the inside which is what happened…Good one sir!

By: Alex Papadopulos

Alex Papadopulos — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:55:52 +0000

@Gary, I too have heard the stories about how good the army was for people etc..etc.. I also had a history teacher who spent time in Angola and flipped out every now and again throwing desks around and breaking them with his barehands after telling us stories about how they used to tie captured enemies to the front of their jeeps and drive through bush to get information out of them.

I don’t mind the military at all, I do like having a choice though.

@Diva, I believe that the “regime” was making it very easy for Europeans to come into the country – it was a land of opportunity at that time for white people, whether to increase numbers or actually provide skilled and educated work. I hear that immigrants were treated quite badly by certain “afrikaners”, especially the rooinek kids.

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:02:52 +0000

If it hadn’t been for the changing of the laws I would’ve been in the army in 1994. Which, if what I’ve heard is correct, was not a good time to be there. I hear older people talking with fondness of their times in the military, but most of those stories are from peace times. They tend not to talk about the times when other people were firing back. And in 1994, there were quite a few times when that happened.

I also hear them talking about how the modern generation have no discipline, how they need to bring back conscription. I think that’s a load of bull twang. The discipline issue is one that can be addressed in other ways. To me, conscription was simply a waste of time. I don’t want to be a soldier, I never did, and those years spent in the army would’ve been years better spend elsewhere.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:45:37 +0000

Great piece, and perspective Alex.

I had Greek, Portuguese and Chinese friends at school in Jozi (not in Cape Town interestingly enough) – too young then to understand the identity schism, it’s interesting to ponder now. I did, however, envy their “exotic” gene pool. It seemed quite glamorous to me at the time!

Being a girl, the army issue didn’t affect me at all. But I remember a sense of relief from the guys in my matric year – conscription ended in ‘93, so they missed it by the skin of their teeth. Also it was reassuring that my boet wouldn’t have to go. I think my parents were relived most of all. At the same time, I kinda admire that Israeli girls have to do army training. “Well, now, I too need structure. A little fucking discipline.”

By: Chatsubo

Chatsubo — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:31:52 +0000

I guess, being Afrikaans, my parents were probably bitter-sweet about the looming army years ahead of their boys. On one hand we were going to do the great Afrikaner patriotic thing, On the other their children would be coming in harms way. However I can confirm that the premise held no idealism in me. I didn’t want to go to the army, and I was very relieved when the laws were changed.

By: The Cloudgazer

The Cloudgazer — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:21:13 +0000

ah, the army issue. A dark cloud that hung over school boys for years. I was lucky to catch the tail end of it, and only had to do one year in the army.
Nice piece Alex.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:31:15 +0000

If i may offer my input (story) to that question…
My grandfathers came from Cyprus to South Africa right after world war 2, economic hardship and the effects of the war drove them to seek a better life here in South Africa and in Zimbabwe. Then in 1976, after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, my grandparents move to SA was cemented as my family had lost their home and the country was still in recovery for many years. Moving back to Cyprus was no longer an option. So they stayed, and now i am a second generation South African.

Nice piece Alex.
You were a very sensitive young boy (secretly hating your country)…

By: Diva

Diva — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:14:44 +0000

I always wonder – back in the ‘bad old days’, why did foreigners like your parents come to SA? I am honestly curious.