Africa @ MindSay

THE STRUGGLE, well the political one is over. ViVa! But being a gay man in South Africa is still a struggle, particularly in Durban since our not-so-metrosexual-president Jacob Zuma is actually a homophbe acording to recent news reports. He favoured boxing "sissy" boys in order to teach them to fight and be men - Isn't Africa still so primal Well what is the next step? Will he continue smoothing feathers when he discovers Caster Semenya's orientation?

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I've been looking forward to today all week. :)
Mam woke me up at half 7 - I promptly got dressed and ate a Muller crunch corner for breakfast.
We arrived at Ashleigh's at quarter past 8 - her mam was there, being over-enthusiastic about seeing us off.

It took us about 2 hours to get there - and we filled around half of that with the CD Adam burnt for me.
Lmfao, he wrote all kinds of mental shit on it - exactly how he does with brithday and Christmas cards. It amused me. :)

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Ashleigh had brought her blue badge so we could park in a beasty space.
Her photos on her ID cards are just generally hilarious. I'm the new owner of her Connexions card, which I've nicknamed "CHUBBY FACE".
Her blue badge is an even CHUBBIER Chubby Face though. :)
I'd love to see her bloody passport, rofl.

After the admission booths - there was this BIG FUCK OFF HILL before the park entrance.
I was doing the spoon-head-walk to stop Ash from rolling down it.
Mam told me not to let her go - to which Ash responds: "LET ME GO. LET ME GO. I SWEAR TO GOD, LET ME GO."

So I let her go - and she SHOT.
Dad proper panicked, started running after her screaming: "Ashleigh! ASHLEEEEIGH!!!"

I couldn't stop laughing for about 10 minutes.

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We wandered around the park - taking part in the various feeding events, and taking lots of photos.
In South Lakes Wildlife Park, lemurs, emus and peacocks are allowed to roam around freely.
You can buy bags of food to feed the birds - but apparently, lemurs bite, so you can't feed those.

There was a sign on some of the gates that said:
"WARNING: Please keep your children away from peacocks when they are displaying, as they are potentially dangerous."

- To which mam responds: "YOU BETTER KEEP AWAY FROM ASHLEIGH."
It wasn't even THAT funny - but Ash was pissing herself. Oh, surnames. Surnames that are so easy to mock...


My favourite animals were the bears and tigers.
They have big beasty black bears - but they were being overly lazy; just lounging around on their wooden perches.

They had rhinos and giraffes in together - and we went to the event where this gadge gave out bits of tree branch and all the giraffes ate them from your hand. THEY PROPER DROOL.

They must have about 8 different kinds of apes/monkeys there.
The spider monkeys are amusing - there was a young one in an enclosure that kept licking the glass. Further down, there was one with a beasty scab on its arm, which it was picking and eating.
I don't blame it - SCABS ARE CHEWY.

The gibbons were all cuddling each other, whilst the baboons were always fighting with each other.
I like baboons - they have funny red bums. :)

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When the keepers fed the tigers - they hook pieces of horse meat onto really high vertical wooden poles - making the tigers work for their meals, as they would in the wild.
I loved watching that. I really like tigers. I have so many cuddly tigers and tiger posters in my room.

One thing my mam got me from the gift shop was a 2nd tiger caption photo.
It's of a white tiger pulling a strange face, with the caption: "CHAOS, PANIC, DISASTER. MY WORK HERE IS DONE."

Ashleigh bought herself a copper foil engraving kit - and some random lollipops she said she'd take home for her family. Generous, lmao.

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Mam bought us both hotdogs, giant chocolate cookies and Coke for our lunch.
In the picnic sort-of-area, this keeper gadge did a mini-talk about snakes and boa constrictors. Then he brought one round, and we could stroke it.
I like the way snakes feel.

Dad bought us all ice-creams - I had a Mr. Men Milkie, Ash had a Smarties Push-Up, dad had a Smarties cone and mam had a 99 with a flake.

Once we'd finished these off - we went for a wander to feed some emus.
Venturing to the top of the park, the vulture and macaw enclosure - followed by bats and random reptiles.

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The highlight of the day had to be feeding the lemurs.
As always, the keeper gave us a talk - then they handed round grapes to feed to them.

Ash was sat beside a little blonde boy with a zimmer frame.
After they'd took his and her grapes, they DIVED ON THEM.

Ash had a lemur on her shoulder and one on her wheel - while the lad had several all cligning to his frame.
Highly amusing, it were. :)

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Now I shall post immense amounts of photography... :)



Lazy brown bear. :)



Two giraffes. I believe we fed both of those with the branches. :)



Cuddly. :)



These are so cute. :D



Hungry tiger - after retrieving his meat from the pole.



Mam's camera is fucking awesome! :)

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Ashleigh waiting for hotdogs. :)



Stroking an emu.



Stroking the snake.



Feeding the giraffes.



Lmfao, our hair!
Why yes, it was rather windy in the Lake District today. :)



I attempted to sit on that bear sculpture - but it was too slippery. I just slid straight off it.





Funky African tribal gadge outside the gift shop. :D

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I cuddled up to Ash for most of the journey back.
Then I started to annoy her - tickling her sides, jiggling her tummy and flicking her nose. :)
As I do, lmao.

We dropped Ash off home at around 5 - as she was starting to fall asleep by the look of her.

We called at Burns Road fish shop for our tea.
I had roast chicken and mam and dad had cod and chips.
I ate with them and we watched The Simpsons for an hour, followed by Britain's Got Talent.

My favourite this week was the little girl who did ballet dancing and sang Julie Andrews' song: 'I Could Have Danced All Night.'

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I ended my night with a shower and a few hours on the phone to Shelly. :)
I couldn't have a day without some Shelly. I love her too much to go a day without contacting her.

The black african reggae artist Alioune Badara DIALLO, performing in one of the best West African FESTIVAL in ABENE, in SENEGAL.

 

He is the composer, songwriter and leadvocal of the band BLACK AFRICAN POSITIVE (reggae / ragga / dancehall / bashment / acoutic / afrobeat / world music)