Chatting to Amateur Golfer, Lizzie Currie

Cell C SA Women’s Open

Lizzie Currie

On the last day of last week’s Golf Inter-Provincials in Cape Town, Port Shepstone’s young Lizzie Currie got a fantastic surprise, a phone call inviting her to participate in this week’s Cell C SA Women’s Open.

Catching up with the amateur golfer as she frantically fills in registration forms, she admits, “I am feeling super excited but on the same hand extremely nervous. It is such a wonderful opportunity; I would have been crazy to turn it down. I am going into the tournament to learn as much as possible.”

Continuing, the upbeat golfer says, “I am lucky that I have played the course a few times. My first time playing a round was actually at San Lameer.” She says with a chuckle. “I owned a set of golf clubs by my choice of sport at school was cricket. My cricket coach, Anthony Mulligan from Creston College came up to me and asked if I could help out the golf team as they were a player down. I agreed to it and the next day was playing my first round at San Lameer.”

“It was only after school when a friend of mine, David Rush suggested I have a session with Nicola Eaton who had returned from America and had started coaching. Let’s just say I was a natural. I still have so much to learn, at the moment I am working hard on my mental game and learning to build my confidence.”

Nearing the end of her second gap year after matriculating from Southcity, the determined sport star is planning on studying via correspondence. “I am going to be doing studying Business Management next year while helping my Mom out at her work.  The flexibility of correspondence allows me to focus both on working with Mom and getting hands on experience but also gives me the freedom to continue my dream of turning pro.”

“I remember watching my golfing hero, Lee-Anne Pace taking part in the SA Women’s Open in 2012. She fluffed a shot but her attitude and reaction remains with me to this day. She wasn’t ruffled; she smiled and was so positive that nothing was going to get her down, a lesson that we all can learn when curve balls are tossed at us. Her attitude was awesome.”

“I got to meet her and she autographed my book. When I was watching the tournament, she even remembered who I was and acknowledged me on the side lines. A true legend!”

Chatting to the South Coast legend in the making, she has the support of her entire family, “Everyone except my Mom plays golf, even my two nephews’ play – they are actually pretty good for their age. My older brother, Donovan is going to be on my bag which will be great having his support.”

On concluding, her advice that she lives by, “Never, never give up.”

We watch keenly as our local player takes on the worlds best this week and hope that she persists and does Port Shepstone proud!

Pix by Justin Klusener

Chatting to Golfing Guru and Tournament Promoter Lesley Copeman

Cell C SA Women's Open
Somerset West

Lesley Copeman

Having the opportunity to chat with golfing guru, Lesley Copeman, it feels like you are surfing Wikipedia researching Women’s Golf, but her descriptions are far more colourful and entertaining than looking at a computer screen.

Copeman is hard at work making this year’s Cell C SA Women’s Open tournament a huge success. With the title of Tournament Promoter, she is at the helm helping organise South Africa’s oldest women’s professional golf tournament that tees off at the recently refurbished San Lameer Country Club.

“I wouldn’t like to tip one favourite in particular; we have such a strong field at this year’s tournament. But it is going to be exciting watching the top ladies which is perhaps a pool of 15 to 20 players. The in-form ladies like Lee-Anne (Pace); Paula (Reto) or Connie Chen who is really performing at the moment, they are all South Africa stars and could be the ones to watch. Along with American Cheyenne Woods, British players Charley Hull and Trish Johnson who is of course the oldest lady competing but she is playing great golf.”

Smiling, she continues, “It is impossible to choose because one round, or one mistake and it can all go to pot and a complete outside who is playing consistently can take the lead. It could really go to anybody”

Talking about how she got into playing golf, she states, “I used to participate in field hockey and play a bit of tennis but honestly, I was a golfing orphan. Both my parents and my brother played so it was either being home alone or go and join them. The first course I played was in Swartkop up in Pretoria.”

“Comparing the modern day game to when I played, the courses have gotten longer but the equipment has gotten better. There are more girls trying to get onto the circuit but when I was starting out, you still had to qualify! There are of course differences but it is still the same obstacles.”

Continuing she says, “Back in the day, our equipment wasn’t advanced as it is nowadays, so playing was a bit more difficult. Training for us was a little bit of gym and quite a lot of mental training. My game changed when I read a book called ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ by John C Maxwell; I was able to move to a different level.”

“All of the techniques used today have gotten a lot better. Nowadays, it is gym, the way you eat, the way you think. We were at the beginning of that era. I was still playing when Sweden’s Annika Sörenstam first hit the scene and she started the changes towards the modern day game.”

Asked which her favourite courses are, she claims, “Shew, it’s like music, it all depends on my mood. I would have to say East London would feature, as well as the Wild Coast, Suncity and of course San Lameer. They suit my game and have beautiful scenery around them.”

San Lameer is said to be a tight course where you have to place your shot very carefully and if the wind comes up it is going to be a huge challenge. “I was very good on Iron play and was accurate. Anything from 150yards in, I was very good with it. That was my strength.”

With a handicap of 5, she still enjoys a social round, “I still play a little but I would say my hobbies are more leisure orientated. Pottering in the garden or cooking. I occasionally get to play a round with my brother.”

The Somerset West resident is gearing up to watch 124 top international and national players take to the greens in the game that is close to her heart.

For more info visit www.sawomensopen.co.za

Take Your Teddy to Work Day

Everybody remembers their first teddy bear – and for many of us, they remain a source of comfort and companionship well into our adult life. Some enjoy a jetsetting lifestyle with their glamorous owners, others simply get a space  next to the pillow and a cuddle before bed.

Allowing your favourite furry friend to hang out with you at work or at play, the annual international fun day, Take your Teddy Bear to Work day is being observed worldwide tomorrow, (Saturday). Showing off their furry friends are twin sisters Nicola Eaton Gutzeit (in white) and Melissa Eaton (in blue) from Margate with Fudgey the dog and Wartie the Warthog. The twins both have a keen passion for wild life, animals and game reserves with a soft spot for dogs and warthogs.

The two golfing sisters are gearing up for the upcoming Cell C SA Women’s Open tournament that starts next week (16 – 19 October) at the picturesque course at San Lameer Country Club. Fudgey and Wartie will be accompanying the twins as they tackle the greens along with a strong field of international and national golfers.

The Teddy Bear made famous by American President, Theodore Rosevelt in 1902 is an essential item when growing up and often these furry little friends turn into great travelling companions and good luck charms. They hang off tog-bags in a variety of sporting codes.

Olympic Bronze Medallist, Bridgitte Hartley admits, “I have teddy bears as I love the little mascots. I have collected them from Olympics and some world championship events but they aren’t my lucky charms. Most of them sit proudly at my Mom’s house in Richard’s Bay. My little furry friends come from the Beijing and London Olympics, a bear from Canada and my most recent addition is one from Russia. I have Mandeville and Wenlock from London, Nini from Beijing, a Takalani Sesame Street bear from Canada where I won my k1 1000m medal at world champs in 2009. I guess London was special from my medal, so I collected a few bears there. I also have a white bear from my Pretoria High School reunion. I would say my bears are more like memories than lucky charms.”

Local lass, Olympic Marathon Runner Tanith Maxwell travels with her teddy bear. Durban’s top athlete states, “It is a small ‘wee fuzz’ bear simply named Fuzz. He is extremely special because he comes from a collector in New Zealand!”

Canadian Olympic bobsledder, American Basketball player and Hollywood actor, Howard Dell who shattered records in last year’s World Transplant Games in Durban travels with his fluffy bunny. Dell states, “Oddly I affectionately call him Bunny but his real name is Luther. He isn’t travelling with me at the moment as I compete in Romania but usually he does!” the gorgeous athlete said.

Admitting to having a lucky charm, Olympic Marathon runner Rene Kalmer who has just returned from Berlin having run a personal best time, always travels with her lucky pillow.

Golfing great, Tiger Woods lucky charm is wearing a red shirt on Sundays at major tournaments and has since he stepped onto the professional stage. The colour is said to honour is alma mater, Stanford , and it is believed it is his mother’s favourite colour. His niece, Cheyenne  will be one of the top players participating in the Cell C SA Women’s Open tournament.

South Africa’s oldest women’s professional golf tournament will feature the country’s leading professionals competing against a strong international field representing at least 20 countries for a total purse of €320 000. The tournament will be co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and the Women’s Professional Golf Association of South Africa.

For more info visit www.sawomensopen.co.za

Pix by Justin Klusener and supplied by athletes

Chatting to Amateur Golfer Tiffany Avern-Taplin

Suttill Art Photography

Cell C SA Women’s Open

Tiffany Avern-Taplin

South Coaster, Tiffany Avern-Taplin is rolling up her sleeves in preparation of taking on the crème-de-la-crème in this week’s Cell C SA Women’s Open.

The enthusiastic journalist at Mid-South Coast Mail, knows how to wield a golf club – well, states, “This is my second tournament in a row, I missed the tournament three years ago because I wasn’t playing my best golf!”

“A lot of effort goes into the SA Women’s tournament, last year the weather didn’t play ball with a lot of the tournament rained out. I have to admit I am looking forward to taking on the big names that play on the Ladies European Tour.”

When not putting pen to paper as a journalist, the young Southbroom resident says she loves Kareoke and spending time on the beach. She had classical voice training for nine years, “I love to sing and do so at every opportunity.”

“I remember when I was studying in the States; I was based in Ohio and travelled to North Carolina to participate in a golf tournament. Back home in the Mid-West, it was cold and when we arrived in North Carolina, the weather was warm and welcoming. I didn’t have a swimming costume but that didn’t stop me, my first opportunity I got, I ran into the ocean in my gym clothes. The experience was invigorating.”

Asked what she had learnt from her experience studying abroad, she affirms, “Everyone always talks about the Yanks as arrogant and loud, I disagree. My experience was the opposite; they are so passionate and positive in everything they do. They have such a fantastic mind set and are so supportive. Looking back, I would say that is one of the best lessons I walked away with.”

“And I got to see snow, real snow. Not just small dancing snowflakes tumbling down, proper white landscapes. That for me was a great experience and fond memory of my time over there.”

She refers to herself as a bit of nomad, “I have had the honour of moving around a fair amount and experiencing a few types of lifestyles, growing up in Ballito, studying in America. I have also lived in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Scottburgh and I now reside in Southbroom ten minutes away from the venue, San Lameer Country Club.”

“I have to say that I love the feel of being out of the rat race, the small town community vibes are fantastic and the chilled way of life, all of these aspects are appealing to me.”

On her return from America, Avern-Taplin confides, “It took me a while to get back into the swing of golf. I now play regularly in Durban at the Mount Edgecombe Country Club, the ladies league is quite competitive and I enjoy it.”

“I am in the process of taking my golf more seriously, take it up to the next level. Going head-to-head with the likes of Ashleigh Simon and Lee-Anne Pace will be fabulous for my game.”

“San Lameer is a target course, if you miss your drive or target you will have a difficutl time getting around. There is a lot of water and the wind can be testing, but I have been lucky that I live around the corner, so it is very much home ground for me!”

Next month, the ardent scribe looks forward to celebrating two years working with the Mid-Coast Mail, “No day is ever the same being a journalist, I pure love it. I try and follow the simple rules of Live Life.”

For more info visit www.sawomensopen.co.za

Elf's Adventures in black and white... and colour

Every day I wake up and realise how lucky I am to have lived the life I have. Continuing the theme of being blessed, these are a few of the articles I have that have been published... 

Walking the Camino in Spain...

Previously posted on my blog: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=999579515828153404#editor/target=post;postID=3042124779310839865;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=110;src=postname

A couple of days hanging out on Bazaruto Island...

Previously posted on my blog: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=999579515828153404#editor/target=post;postID=4552161581911188102;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=43;src=postname

A Meander In Memphis

Previously posted on my blog: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=999579515828153404#editor/target=post;postID=6687092960123801326;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=18;src=postname

Wandering around 'The Capitol'... 

Previously posted on my blog: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=999579515828153404#editor/target=post;postID=7468336055441847551;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=14;src=postname 

Previous posted on my blog: https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=999579515828153404#editor/target=post;postID=1558472504709916543;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=5;src=postname 

Chatting to Pro Golfer Lee-Anne Pace ahead of Cell C SA Women's SA Open

10 Things you didn’t know about LEE-ANNE PACE

What was the longest time you’ve ever slept for?

Approximately 12 hours but it could possibly have been 15 hours because I think there might have been a break in-between.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter?

Twitter

My greatest challenge is/was...

Leaving my loved ones for a long period of time every year.

My lucky number is...

Actually I have four...1; 7; 11 and 15 but if pressed to choose just one, I’d probably choose the number 15!

Do you sing in the shower?

I do, but that really depends on what the proper definition of singing is because my singing sounds like cats fighting.

My favourite invention is...

I have a long list which includes in no particular order: wireless internet; anything Apple; dishwashers; Nespresso coffee machines; memory foam beds and Bose noise-cancelling headphones.

What did you want to be when you were a child/teenager?

A paediatrician.

What do you listen to while on Tour?

A variety of music except for Rap and R&B and I really like Ed Sheeran.

I like watching (horrors/comedies/dramas/thrillers)...

TV Shows with my favourites being Scandal (The Fixer); Banshee; The Black List; Game of Thrones; Revenge; Sons of Anarchy; Suits and True Blood.

What’s your kryptonite?

Spiders! Seriously, I just can’t handle the sight of them and tend to make a less-than-graceful exit when they’re around.

3 Minutes with LEE-ANNE PACE

Do you have any pre-tournament rituals?

I wouldn’t call it a ritual actually but now that I think about it, I do tend to follow a routine on matchday, which is coffee in the morning; make sure I go to the loo just before tee-off and put on sunblock.

What can’t you live without?

It is an endless list and I’m not kidding – the things I can’t do without include my iPhone; coffee; red wine; lamb chops; my memory foam pillow; wireless internet; hot baths; Bose headphones; music; laughter; my family; my friends...I could go on!

Your favourite football team?

Honestly, I really dislike football, but I do enjoy watching rugby – the Stormers and Springboks in particular.

What is your greatest fear?

Apart from spiders it would probably be worrying about someone I love getting hurt.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

It might sound a bit boring but I tend to catch up on bookings, emails and phonecalls; I try to watch my favourite TV shows; spend time with family and friends and some outdoor activities such as paddle boarding or social golf.

Who/What inspires you?

Amazing athletes such as Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Rory McIlroy as well as true stories about people who have faced difficult circumstances and overcome those. I am a huge fan of true story movies.

If you were to host a dinner party for any five people in the world (celebrities, politicians, sports stars, philanthropists, etc. living or dead), who would you choose?

My best friend, my sister, brother-in-law , who is basically brother and Ed Sheeran, for the entertainment.

Favourite course in the world?

Pearl Valley but St Andrews is right up there too!

Cats or dogs?

Dogs

What/who makes you smile?

I have so many and this is in no particular order: my friends; my family; chocolate; red wine; lamb chops; stand-up paddle boarding; the ocean; kids; my bed; the view from my bedroom; a birdie; an eagle; the smell of my cappuccino in the morning; waking up at 5am and knowing that I can sleep a bit more!

 LOVE FOR THE GAME:

Lee-Anne Pace is a household name in South Africa and renowned globally as one of the leading faces in women’s golf. With just under a decade under her belt as a professional golfer, Pace is as much in love with the sport as the day she first started playing. Ironically, Lee-Anne’s introduction to the sport was as a caddy for her father and not as a golfer.

“I used to caddy for him to earn extra money during weekends but I suppose you could say me actually playing golf was by default. While at the course I would hit some balls with the boys at the venue and we would also have putting competitions.”

During her high school years, Lee-Anne played tennis but excelled at hockey, a sport she loved playing but one she couldn’t envisage a professional future in.

“I really loved playing hockey and was very passionate about it but I didn’t think it was the sport for me to have a career in.”

A few years later during her final year of studying Psychology at Tulsa University, Oklahoma (USA), she decided to give golf a go.

“Prior to that moment, I hadn’t really thought about becoming a professional golfer. Then I decided to give it a try, I qualified for the Tour and that was that. I became very passionate about my golf career and as soon as I won my first tournament, I knew that I really wanted to do it again, to experience that feeling of triumph and exhilaration again and again. Golf is a challenging sport and you have to learn early on how to control your emotions, deal with and make those big decisions in a short amount of time, but nothing beats the feeling you experience when you win.”

With a bright glow in her eyes, Lee-Anne speaks passionately about her love for golf.

“I love the challenges of golf, the excitement of winning, the pleasure you get from hitting a shot that sometimes seems impossible to pull off or hitting a shot at a crucial time that exceeds even your own expectations. And, I absolutely love winning.”

Inspired by South African golfing legends Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, she says the sport itself serves as a great inspiration that constantly tests a professional golfer.

“There are so many aspects to work on personally if you are to succeed in the professional circuit – you have to be strong physically, mentally and emotionally and that in itself is a constant challenge. It’s an amazing feeling when you exceed your own expectations, when you achieve your goals and targets and golf is one of those sports that gives you the opportunity to constantly experience those joys.”

Lee-Anne cherishes every single moment of her life as a professional golfer but admits it was a tricky road to negotiate.

“I am grateful and truly blessed to be a professional golfer – I have made many friends over the years and met very interesting people during my travels and I have been to some of the most amazing places on earth. But, early on in my career it was daunting to travel alone to foreign countries, not knowing the language or the areas I was travelling to and also trying to find my place on Tour. That changed when I bagged a few wins because I gained much needed confidence and was able to settle in.”

Now living at the Pearl Valley Golf and Country Estate, Pace shared her recipe for success on Tour.

“I was motivated to work harder and win after I started winning. I worked very hard on my swing, watched the top golfers and tried to replicate what they were doing and I worked on my mental strategy. I tell myself before every tournament that I am going to play each shot to the best of my ability and that puts me in a good frame of mind from the first to the last hole.”

Successful, talented, famous and yet Lee-Anne Pace has managed to stay grounded and is in fact a very humble woman, who sincerely wishes to show young aspiring golfers that they can achieve their dreams and goals through hard work and dedication.

“I don’t see myself as a role model because I’m just me, doing what I love. I still get shy when asked for autographs but it makes me very happy to know that I might have played a part in helping to grow women’s golf in South Africa. I believe that with the start of the Ladies Sunshine Tour and co-sanctioned events such as the Cell C SA Women’s Open, we will see many more girls taking up the sport. I can’t wait to see the next group of South African golfers coming through the ranks.”

Love, passion, dedication and hard work are vital components to becoming a successful golfer, traits often tested when results are not going your way.

“The one important thing I’ve learnt during the course of my career is that it can all turn around at any point. When the chips are down, I recall a tournament in China when I was a few over par on the cut line with five holes left to play in the day. I went on to finish the day really well and left the venue having won the tournament in a playoff. In golf, as in life, anything can happen, you just have to be mentally strong and know what you want out of that particular situation.”

Lee-Anne Pace is among the favourites for this year’s Cell C SA Women’s Open at the San Lameer Country Club, a tournament she is yet to win. The annual tournament, with a prize fund of €320 000, takes place from 16 to 19 October in KZN’s South Coast. Among the list of confirmed entrants are defending champion Marianne Skarpnord, South Africans Ashleigh Simon, Stacy Lee Bregman and Paula Reto and American Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger Woods.

San Lameer Country Club:

Have you played at the San Lameer Country Club before? 

Just once a very long time ago, but I really can’t remember the course very well.

What do you feel will be the most challenging part of competing at the San Lameer Country Club?

For me it will be jetlag and the weather. I will be travelling back from Asia and the jetlag can be quite severe. I have played golf in KZN and I really love playing at the coast and in windy conditions, which I suspect is what we can expect in the South Coast.

What do you like most about this venue?

We always get treated very well at the SA Open and the holiday atmosphere is most inviting. It’s really nice to be able to compete in South Africa.

What are your expectations/targets for the Cell C SA Women's Open?

I would love to win the tournament – it’s one of my goals and if I can achieve that, it would be an awesome personal achievement. 

Q&A by Renelle Naidoo

A wander around Washington DC

USA

Washington

Epic adventurer, Ralf Dominick who sailed around the world and recently travelled to Antarctica strongly suggested to me a stopover in Washington DC and following his advice, I did just that spending six days in the capital.

Dominick had spent a month in Washington living on his boat so he got to know the town extremely well. Home for me for the duration of the stay was in the historic district of LeDroit Park a short metro ride from majority of the sights.

As one of the first suburbs of Washington, LeDroit Park was developed and marketed as a ‘romantic’ neighbourhood with narrow tree-lined streets that bore the same names as the trees that shaded them. The colourful neighbourhood had a very distinct architecture with Victorian mansions co-existing with row houses that were all elegantly and brightly painted. My accommodation was terrible but the suburb certainly was fabulous and the local pub was well worth a stop, called the Boundary Stone Public House, it served great food and offered an array of locally brewed beers all on tap. A pint of DC Brau was certainly a memorable craft.

Every night after catching the last train out, wandering home I strolled past the century old Howard Theater and every night the red carpet was dressing up the pavement with limousines lining up outside waiting for their guests. The events changed nightly at the busy theatre from a glitzy CD launch by a famous hip-hop artist, to an awards evening to a rap artist concert. They were all by invite only and posters of a theatre performance being advertised was weeks away.

Each day I would venture into Washington, exploring the well-known sights. The capital for me was very monotone. All the sights, the buildings and monuments felt like it was one colour; marble-white certainly dominated the colour chart. But saying this, there was an air of excitement being in this ‘famous’ city.

I trawled the city stopping at all the main tourist attractions, saying hi to the massive statues of Jefferson and Lincoln, cruising around the manicured grounds on Capitol Hill, wandering past the heavily-secured small building of the White House, gazing heavenwards up at the Washington Monument that was under repairs from an earthquake in 2011 and pondered the meaning of war as I wandered through various war memorials dotted around the city.

The city was immaculate, with an almost Singaporean approach to litter, these was hardly any! Breaking up the monotone colour scheme were the cheerful Cherry Blossom trees. I had missed the Cherry Blossom Festival by a week but the tail end of the blooms was still a delightful treat. The daffodils were blooming marvellous, every single street had rainbow displays, if they were in pots, flowerbeds or planted neatly around traffic circles they certainly made a jolly impact.

The Smithsonian Institutions were great. I spent fat too much time exploring through the sculpture gardens, the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, National Art Gallery, African American History and Culture Museum, African Art Museum, United States Botanical Gardens and the information building nestled in The Castle – the only building in the vicinity that was brick coloured and not the antique colour of marble white.

The African Art Museum was interesting but I far more enjoyed the underground warren of art-clad corridors that took you into a maze of other gallery spaces. I landed up in the Arthur M Sackler Gallery and I relished the two exhibitions there, Chigusa and the Art of Tea a flavourful and insightful exhibition of the origins and traditions of tea in China and the Kiyochika: Master of the Night. This late 19^th century Japanese artist Kobayashi Kiyochika paintings reflected the transformations of modernity around Tokyo before and after the great fire that wiped out the city.

My American culinary adventures went along the lines of when in Rome, do what the Roman’s do – this included a lunch at a MacDonalds where I sampled a Big Mac burger. After a full morning exploring through the National Museum of the American Indian, I dined out on a Native inspired menu. I sampled a delicious Wild Rice and Watercress salad accompanied by a snap pea and lotus root salad drizzled with aged sherry vinaigrette.

A moving highlight was spending time at the Pentagon’s 911 memorial. With all the conspiracy theories flying around about the tragic day, visiting this simple memorial on an un-crowded Sunday was still heartfelt. Over a decade on, the injured side of the Pentagon was still a construction sight with the beeps of construction vehicles interrupting the peaceful surroundings. 

A glistening black marble wall carved with the names of the people that lost their lives that day shadowed by a proud American flag wafting about, greeted visitors. To the right was a barren park with a few young trees starting their ascent in the hopes of shading the memorial. A knee high wall cupped the park and every couple of meters on top of the wall was a sign with a year engraved. Travelling across the floor of the park was a line that came up to meet the timeline spotted along the boundary. The timeline on the wall indicated the year that the 911 victims were born; the timeline began at 1998 and ended at 1930.

Rising out of the gravel, between the lines were a number of diving boards that looked out of place without a massive shimmering turquoise pool. On closer inspection, each statue had a small serenity pool situated directly under the overhang. At night, lights shone up through the water illuminating the statues in an eerie but beautiful manner.

The 184 diving boards shot off in two directions in a somewhat sporadic order. Chatting to a Pentagon Policeman that was lurking at the entrance to the park, he explained that the statues jutting towards the Pentagon were the lives lost on the plane and the statues facing away were in the Pentagon at the time of the impact.

Another encounter with a kind police officer happened at a deserted Metro station in the city late one evening. The young officer accompanied by a beautiful black Labrador was sweeping the area looking for anything out of the ordinary. Leo the Labrador and his partner worked for the bomb unit and Leo had recently returned from spending two years in Afghanistan. He was working the quieter late shift as he had just graduated from six months in rehab after all the action he had seen. A sad reality of war that this poor Labrador had been a part of.

A couple of evenings in DC were spent at the annual Filmfest DC. Being a frequent Durban International Film Fest goer, it was great to see how other cities put on festivals. Filmfest DC should be commended for its successful weeklong flurry of films. The venues were cleverly married up to the films that it was showing. I watched a French feature film, Gare du Nord at the French Embassy and a Danish thrilling who-dunnit, The Keeper of Lost Causes at a historic old theatre that had been converted into movie houses. All the staff at the fest were cheerful, engaging and helpful.

Most days before heading back to my accommodation to change into evening attire, I would take a breather from the overload of sightseeing. The famous patch of lawn stretching from Capitol Hill to the Washington Monument was a healthy shade of green and it became a hive of activity when everyone knocked off from work. The activities on the lawns were adorned with various mixed leagues ranging from American Football to soccer to softball and even a strict class of boot camp. Sitting on the benches people watching, a steady stream of runners and dog walkers would hustle past, dodging strolling tourists. Majority of the Capitol workers certainly were in peak fitness condition, in contrast to the lumpy tourists wandering around. 

Watching the sunset over the Capitol, the city of DC started to twinkle under lights, I got to see the magnificent sights under darkness. Certainly a memorable sight.

DC was fascinating, a wonderful adventure, I am glad that I got to explore the powerhouse of the Western world. Will I rush back there again? I would have to say it is a case of been there, done that and didn’t fancy acquiring the T-shirt.