11 July 2007
Grahamstown is back to normal: I can find parking and sit at my favorite restaurant without making reservations. Ten days of the National Arts Festival passed quickly but I had lots of fun during the convergence project (see previous blog) at Rhodes University’s Journalism and Media Studies department.

I want to mention that the Festival Blog I worked on together with eight Highway Africa News Agency reporters, two Dutch professors and two Dutch students, is still online.

There are some good stories about HIV/ Aids at the Festival, security, Beaufort Street (where Festival seemed to pass unnoticed), the location and a mysterious concoction called homebrew.

In between all the work there was a bit of time to visit the Village Green shopping grounds to eat lunch at the Hare Krishna stand, or to have a German Kartoffel or ‘original recipe’ Dutch kroket. There was often live music, dance or a magician playing with fire and enough market stalls to look at.

Time to relax
There was hardly time for shows but I managed to see some jazz, improvised physical theatre and a play. Enough to keep the Festival spirit within me alive. Not once did I get disappointed by the quality of the performances, all were enjoyable. But my heart goes out to the Buckland family for Dr. Collinger’s Funeral Service and Crapshoot, both excellent shows.

I do already miss the tons of street kids who perform tricks or do mime on each street corner to make a living. Now it is back to begging. I also miss all the market stalls on Church Square. Why is there not a weekly market with live music, African arts, but also clothing and food?

Recovering from the infamous after-Festival-bug I am now ready to start my normal life again. Write my thesis, sport and work. I wish it was June 2008 already, so the fun can start all over again!

For photos of the Festival please click here