I was driving to church to drop off the invites to my baby shower this morning, when I had the most amazing experience. As I drove down the road I passed so many cars decorated with flags, banners, stickers, rear view window flag 'sox' and other colourful Soccer World Cup décor. I was quite suddenly amazed at our flag.
Let's think about it a bit. When the flag first came out back in the day, as a country we thought "cool it's like the rainbow man…" followed by "how come our colour isn't as big as that colour…" (There are always 'trolls' who like to rain on our parade and mention the small things to bring out negativity…) but, as I drove down Northumberland Cr almost every house in the street had erected flag poles, with large brightly coloured SA flags blowing in the morning breeze.
I suddenly thought about it all a lot more…
The person/committee responsible for designing/approving our flag seemed to hit our country on the mark. Yes, we have problems – who doesn't? But one thing is true – we are a colourful, dynamic, hearty, humorous, outrageous, loud and proud people.
The SA flag is bright - but I think that the wild colour is directly in line with the people that live here. With stress on the word "wild" we can be out of control, we can embarrass ourselves and our country with our lack of restraint 'touch me on my studio' 'white tendencies' 'bloody agent' to name but a few.
The SA flag is fragmented – this is a puzzle-piece-flag, different shapes, sizes and yes, fragmented, just like the people that live here. We are a broken nation. Every single class, race and culture is still reeling from the effects of our forefathers. There is not one group that has not been tragically affected. Mindsets, reactions, upbringing, inbred feelings are all a part of the "new struggle" we are a butterfly in a cocoon trying to break free from the bonds of history. A fragmented people: Those who were repressed – there is the healing of wounds and the act of constant forgiveness. Those who were witness to the oppression – there is the sadness and ever present guilt that forms the glue between our life experiences. Those who oppressed – there is sadness at the lack of understanding or the anger at not being in a position of power any longer. Those who continue to oppress – there is the self righteousness that comes from ignorance. Those who choose to hate/not forgive/not forget, those who stir up racial hatred in any direction, those who light the smouldering fire of resentment and xenophobia in others – there is an anger that nothing but radical conversion can correct.
The SA flag is all on one page – we can learn a lesson from our flag, there is no colour bleed, no one shape or colour pushes itself onto another shape or colour. Tolerance, understanding and giving one-another space, we need to learn from our flag.
The SA flag is NOT unified – The flag is great as it is, it is great in its diversity. It is inspiring in its wildness, its crazily South African flavour that no one class or culture group can claim. It is a wonderful bright fragmented result of Africa. Just like the rest of us.
Viva South Africa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_South_Africa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Vanuatu - closely resembles our flag
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Tuva - closely resembles our flag
Well, I am soon officially on maternity leave… I am hoping this will clear up my hectic schedule so that I can finally blog again.
I have been so fortunate since I last wrote a blog for this uh…blog. My husband has joined my company and we're soaring to new heights, my little girl is 2 now and quite a dramatic handful (she is awesome!) and my shows have entertained nearly 200 thousand children. Yes. No typo. I still get a little weird thinking about the sheer volume!
I am nearing 34 weeks pregnant now and I'm starting to look like the preggy photo's from my last pregnancy : ) I will post a picture or two from my recent preggy shoot with Kim Swan Photography – I think they are awesome, I have a talent photographer for a friend!
I spend most of my time writing absolute nonsense on facebook – it is entertaining…I very happily found an old CD that I had lost quite some time (and two house moves) ago, it is a dance/trance album that I did in 2007. I have posted some of the material on www.myspace.com/sandybigaradance go have a listen. My favourite is Speed Trip. It really encapsulates my hectic life at the moment.
Well, I hope to get back into the groove of things and write a little bit every now and then.
Take care,
Sandy Bigara
Well, so much has happened that I really don't know where to begin.
Francis was unfairly dismissed and we suddenly found ourselves facing a very serious and urgent crisis. Zero income for at least 4 months.
My businesses are tailored around the school terms and as the end of year November approached my paychecks were disappearing and would only reappear mid to end January. We were faced with a choice. To move out of our beautiful little house and rent it (in an attempt to save it) or, stay put and wait until the banks closed in and we lost everything.
We sold our beautiful Opel Astra 1.4 essentia and bought a 2000 Peugeot XL Stationwagon (loving it!!)
My beloved Grandmother stepped in and offered a solution. My Mother also stepped in and offered her support (without which we would be eating dry pasta every night) and so, we have found ourselves at the beginning of January, out of our home and living in my Grandmother's house.
My mother has kindly given her Granny flat to my Gran, allowing us to live in the bigger house, next door to my Mum. We breathe a sigh of relief while crying tears of sadness as we say goodbye to our home.
Today I stood and let the tears roll as I looked at my garden, my trees, lavenders, my snap-dragons, my portulacas, my fig tree and my porch, remembering my three dogs (we now have one) running to greet me. I went inside and saw my rooms empty. My murals seem out of place without my photo's and furniture. Francis and I were emotional saying a fond farewell to the baby room that we so lovingly prepared for Savanna Rae only 11.5 months ago. We thought that she would grow up there with her siblings one day…
And yet, in spite of the sadness, we are so touched by the amazing opportunity afforded to us, we will be bond free for a while thanks to the trade in of the car, and the rental that we'll get from the house. It means that we can begin again and re-grow ourselves. We were so close to paying off the house – nine years away in fact. We intend to pay it off even sooner now. We have both found ourselves at the foot of potentially great job opportunities.
I am going to buy myself the new Mac Power-book this year (with the earnings from my show company I can get it on HP) and then I can start to record my first full album. I am so excited about it – I'm hiring my Mum to promote me… she's a natural ;) I also want to get my first short film under wraps. As soon as I am set up I will follow through on this… Francis and I are fully motivated to get ourselves right. I couldn't possibly write all of our plans down but know this – we are pressed but not crushed. Persecuted – not abandoned. Struck down – but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:9
Sands x
