A Lockdown WhaleTale
Dear Inmates, we have entered into perilous times. As the big bad wolf stepped onto the world stage, its nasty infectious influenza breath has spread into every airport, metro station, guesthouse, eatery, country market, stock market, mall, park-run, church, wine valley, hospital, home of the rich, the poor and medieval castle.
Clearly, the wolf is not a respecter of persons. The Overstrand is also fighting the virus courageously. Safely locked down in our prison homesteads, we are all doing quarantine time together. I was contemplating if it is still appropriate to continue sending the updates in times like this. But it occurred to me that an anecdote can be a good antidote against a heavy spirit. After all, a cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Prov.17:22. So here goes…
Over the years, Carlo has always struggled when people mispronounce his name, and yes, this happens all the time! The English folks faltered far less than the Afrikaans speaking folks. The Eng. would add “s” to the end of his name, turning him into a Spanish or Portuguese gentleman, Carlos. However, with the Afr. folks, they mess it up completely. They would change the Car-‘lo’ to loe, or lou or loo, like where’s the loo (toilet?). Phonetic: Karr-loe. He has never been able to make peace with this obscure pronunciation.
When we arrived in our New World 5 months ago, meeting new people was part of the terroir. He decided to get proactively involved with securing the correct pronunciation at every “pleased to meet you” handshake moment. He would say: “Hello, I’m Carlo and this is my wife, Carla”. They would reply, “oh how sweet Car-loo and Carla, pleased to meet you too”. He would say: “no, no, it’s Carlo”. They would get a perplexing blank look on their faces. He would then say: “you pronounce Carlo like Merlot, Carlo Merlot”. “Oh, yes yes”, they would chuckle nervously, “Merloo, Carloo, it sounds the same.” Sadly, he realized that the word Merlot also poses to be a stumbling block for our folks. Despite our historic French connection and not to mention that we are also residing in a wine region. He had to find another way.
So one day, while we were introducing ourselves, the Carloo pronunciation popped out again. Carlo said to the man, “can you see the road outside your house”? The man confirmed yes. Carlo said: “kyk daar loop ‘n man in die straat sonder klere, hy is ‘n ‘Kaal-ou’. (Look, a man is walking in the street without clothes on, he’s a naked guy). I am that ‘Kaal-ou’ that’s how you say my name ‘Kaal-ou’ = Carlo”. Needless to say, with this illustration, he scored a home run! When we see new people the second time around, they approach us with a confident whale smile beaming from ear to ear, and there’s a peri-twinkle in their eye as they correctly greet us, hallo Kaal-ou, Carla and a permanent friendship is sealed there and then!
In 1991 a visitor stepped into the Publicity Office in Hermanus and exclaimed that the whales he had just seen in the bay “must be the best-kept secret in the Cape”. When a resident and tourism manager named Jim Wepener heard this statement, he decided to take advantage of this opportunity to alert the public and holidaymakers when whales are spotted in the bay. At first, he would ask family members to phone the local radio station to announce when whales were seen over the airwaves. He decided to be even more creative, and in August of 1992, the first-ever Whale Crier (Pieter Claasen) was born and heard in Hermanus. None existed anywhere in the world. Pieter would dress up like a ‘papegaai ‘ as part of the publicity stunt and blow on his dried out Kelp Horn at the Old Harbour to announce the whales are on show. Nobody had any idea that this tradition would leave our borders and find a scope beyond the sea. Pieter received international recognition and was the guest of honour at the annual International Town Criers competition held in Topsham UK a few years ago. He has given literally dozens of press and TV interviews and these have continued to publicize Hermanus as an important tourist destination especially for whale watching.
To think that our beautiful Overstrand village is home to the worlds only Whale Crier. Secondly, we are also the only village with a Kaal-ou, roaming free and undisturbed the streets and coastal pathways without residents, tourists or even the local authorities blinking an eye!
It’s time to raise a glass of ‘Merloo’ with me to our one and only Whale Crier and Kaal-ou. Cheers!
As a Nation confined each one to their own chamber for a time, we are bravely taking a united defense against the wolf’s influenza onslaught. Allow me to conclude this update with the Aaronic blessing:-
May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make His Face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace in Jesus’ name.
28/3/2020
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