Montreal: Hamilton's home
"I have cooked pancakes, baba!" yelled Sello into my room at the crack of dawn one morning. I was at university sharing student digs with a group of unsavoury characters and Sello was one of them. "Come on, baba," said Sello when he noticed my reluctance to accept his invitation, "the people from Canada have sent me some maple syrup!" Sello was a jolly fellow who enjoyed cooking things for people early in the morning. He never quite understood the words "piss off, I have a hangover". His response would usually be "eish - we don't get those in Soweto!"
Sello was a beneficiary of a scholarship made available by the South African Students' Scholarship Fund ("SASSF"). The fund was a deal between the university students' union and the university as part of the anti-apartheid struggle of the eighties. The idea was to provide a top level university education for black South Africans - invariably exiles - which was otherwise denied them in their racist home. In return for a waiver of academic fees by the university, the students' union (of which every student was a member) agreed to raise the funds for the living expenses of each recipient of a SASSF scholarship. Various fund raising activities were held throughout the year but the principal sources of SASSF funds were a booze levy and clever letter writing. For every pint of beer sold in the union bar, 10p went towards SASSF (which, I assure you, was a massive sacrifice in the days when a pint cost less than £1!). Many an evening while sitting in the union bar, I would be part of a team putting together letters to wealthy people and institutions around the world. One such effort to McGill University in Quebec resulted in a healthy donation towards SASSF and a box containing bottles of maple syrup to be handed out to each SASSF student - hence Sello's eagerness to cook pancakes.
I thought about Sello, SASSF and South Africa as I watched the horrific scenes of foreigners ("makwerekwere") being hounded out of their homes by angry mobs in South African townships recently and felt singularly depressed. How could they? Weren't these the people we were sweating blood over in the evil days? Then I remembered the Canadian donation and perked up a great deal. The letter they sent accompanying their generous cheque said something very memorable: "nobody seems to remember us because we are often overshadowed by our neighbour to the south but at least we can be remembered for having made a positive difference in the fight against apartheid". In a time when the United States and Britain were doing all they could to prop up the hated South African apartheid regime, Canada was one of the countries that refused to comply. Canada is also the home of one of the most exciting motor races of the year: the Grand Prix du Canada on Île Notre-Dame in Montreal.
What frustrates many Canadians is the constant linking of their country with one or more others. I raise my hand in guilt at this because I always write about Canada while mentioning its proximity to the United States of America, its head of state – Queen Elizabeth II of England – and the French ancestry of the people of Quebec. What I ought to do is speak about Canada for itself. And so I will. Canada is a breathtakingly beautiful place, has a vibrant, major world economy and a very pleasant population. Most of all, Canada hosts a superb Grand Prix - one of the best on the calendar. This year there is no other Formula One race in North America, so the Canadian Grand Prix should receive the undiluted attention it so richly deserves.
If you cast your mind back to this time a year ago, you will recall that it was at the Canadian Grand Prix when Lewis Hamilton demonstrated his brilliance on a racing circuit. He was so far better than his team-mate, Fernando Alonso, that it was then when all doubts about him - claims that he was no more than a flash in the pan - were comprehensively dispelled. From that day on, Alonso was so spooked that he never again allowed himself a pleasant thought about Hamilton. Never before had I seen anything quite as impressive from a rookie driver. After his stylish victory in Monaco a fortnight ago, I would take a lot of convincing before I put money on any other driver for a win in Montreal tomorrow afternoon. Monaco two weeks ago might have been his greatest race ever but Montreal, the location of his first ever Formula One win, must feel like home to Hamilton.
The one driver raising more questions than any other at the moment is world champion, Kimi Raikkonen. I don’t know what sometimes bites the Finn. His race in Monaco was a shocker. Now he is dropping hints that he may retire at the end of his current contract with Ferrari next year. Is his heart no longer in it? Perhaps he feels he has now made enough to allow himself an uninterrupted lifetime of endless partying. I cannot, hand on heart, begrudge him that but I hope he perks up – and quickly. It would be a shame to lose his quirky brilliance. Everyone has a soft spot for the rake. He is refreshingly different.
Rain has been predicted for the race tomorrow. That always guarantees chaos at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. During dry races, lapses in concentration usually result in drivers smashing their cars into an inconveniently positioned wall. What more in the wet?
There is a lot else on in the sporting world at the moment but the Canadian Grand Prix is always worth watching. Switch over from Euro 2008 (England aren’t taking part after all!) and,
Enjoy Canada!
Gitau
7 June 2008
Sello was a beneficiary of a scholarship made available by the South African Students' Scholarship Fund ("SASSF"). The fund was a deal between the university students' union and the university as part of the anti-apartheid struggle of the eighties. The idea was to provide a top level university education for black South Africans - invariably exiles - which was otherwise denied them in their racist home. In return for a waiver of academic fees by the university, the students' union (of which every student was a member) agreed to raise the funds for the living expenses of each recipient of a SASSF scholarship. Various fund raising activities were held throughout the year but the principal sources of SASSF funds were a booze levy and clever letter writing. For every pint of beer sold in the union bar, 10p went towards SASSF (which, I assure you, was a massive sacrifice in the days when a pint cost less than £1!). Many an evening while sitting in the union bar, I would be part of a team putting together letters to wealthy people and institutions around the world. One such effort to McGill University in Quebec resulted in a healthy donation towards SASSF and a box containing bottles of maple syrup to be handed out to each SASSF student - hence Sello's eagerness to cook pancakes.
I thought about Sello, SASSF and South Africa as I watched the horrific scenes of foreigners ("makwerekwere") being hounded out of their homes by angry mobs in South African townships recently and felt singularly depressed. How could they? Weren't these the people we were sweating blood over in the evil days? Then I remembered the Canadian donation and perked up a great deal. The letter they sent accompanying their generous cheque said something very memorable: "nobody seems to remember us because we are often overshadowed by our neighbour to the south but at least we can be remembered for having made a positive difference in the fight against apartheid". In a time when the United States and Britain were doing all they could to prop up the hated South African apartheid regime, Canada was one of the countries that refused to comply. Canada is also the home of one of the most exciting motor races of the year: the Grand Prix du Canada on Île Notre-Dame in Montreal.
What frustrates many Canadians is the constant linking of their country with one or more others. I raise my hand in guilt at this because I always write about Canada while mentioning its proximity to the United States of America, its head of state – Queen Elizabeth II of England – and the French ancestry of the people of Quebec. What I ought to do is speak about Canada for itself. And so I will. Canada is a breathtakingly beautiful place, has a vibrant, major world economy and a very pleasant population. Most of all, Canada hosts a superb Grand Prix - one of the best on the calendar. This year there is no other Formula One race in North America, so the Canadian Grand Prix should receive the undiluted attention it so richly deserves.
If you cast your mind back to this time a year ago, you will recall that it was at the Canadian Grand Prix when Lewis Hamilton demonstrated his brilliance on a racing circuit. He was so far better than his team-mate, Fernando Alonso, that it was then when all doubts about him - claims that he was no more than a flash in the pan - were comprehensively dispelled. From that day on, Alonso was so spooked that he never again allowed himself a pleasant thought about Hamilton. Never before had I seen anything quite as impressive from a rookie driver. After his stylish victory in Monaco a fortnight ago, I would take a lot of convincing before I put money on any other driver for a win in Montreal tomorrow afternoon. Monaco two weeks ago might have been his greatest race ever but Montreal, the location of his first ever Formula One win, must feel like home to Hamilton.
The one driver raising more questions than any other at the moment is world champion, Kimi Raikkonen. I don’t know what sometimes bites the Finn. His race in Monaco was a shocker. Now he is dropping hints that he may retire at the end of his current contract with Ferrari next year. Is his heart no longer in it? Perhaps he feels he has now made enough to allow himself an uninterrupted lifetime of endless partying. I cannot, hand on heart, begrudge him that but I hope he perks up – and quickly. It would be a shame to lose his quirky brilliance. Everyone has a soft spot for the rake. He is refreshingly different.
Rain has been predicted for the race tomorrow. That always guarantees chaos at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit. During dry races, lapses in concentration usually result in drivers smashing their cars into an inconveniently positioned wall. What more in the wet?
There is a lot else on in the sporting world at the moment but the Canadian Grand Prix is always worth watching. Switch over from Euro 2008 (England aren’t taking part after all!) and,
Enjoy Canada!
Gitau
7 June 2008
posted by Gitau at 1:44 pm
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