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Our Fireside Stories

A collection of stories from South Africa

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Our Fireside Stories

A collection of stories from South Africa

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Category: The Cape

vetkoek and boerewors

inExpat Life, Family, Food, Holidays, Nineties, The Cape

Vetkoek and boerewors

Because everyone has a story worth telling…

That time when… Sitting around the kitchen table picking at leftovers after Christmas lunch or on the stoep as the sun goes down and braai smoke acts as a catalyst for tears and tales, or around a campfire singing Kumbaya. How else do we remember if not through stories—altered by time and confused by the fragility and fallibility of memory. The messy, tragic, beautiful, funny fables that make us who we are. The South Africa of our childhood and our parents’ childhood and their parents’ childhood and their aunty’s uncle’s mother’s friend’s childhood. And the South Africa of now, of course.

Categories

African Tales
Apartheid
Childhood
Eastern Cape
Expat Life
Family
Food
Holidays
Joburg
Long Ago
Natal
New South Africa
Nineties
Nostalgia
Only In SA
Post Y2K
Seventies
The Cape
War

ourfiresidestories

Granny’s here🕺🥳❤️🇿🇦The first tim

Granny’s here🕺🥳❤️🇿🇦The first time since 🦠 (Delilah was 4 months old when my mom saw her last, she is now 4 years old ). ExcitedExcitedExcitedExcited #expatlife

OurFiresideStories.com🔥

Just for fun 🇿🇦 #africavibes

Just for fun 🇿🇦 #africavibes

Living my best life at #granarysquare on this beau

Living my best life at #granarysquare on this beautiful summer’s day in London #expatlife

Am I a South African stereotype? Your mom’s a South African stereotype 😬

OurFiresideStories.com🔥🇿🇦

You know you’re South African when…👆Right!!

You know you’re South African when…👆Right!!??? 🫣

OurFiresideStories.com🇿🇦🔥

The Randburg Waterfront—my favourite shops were:

The Randburg Waterfront—my favourite shops were: the sweet shop 🍬 (never-ending gobstoppers) and the magazine shop, where I’d hunt for covers with Will Friedle #whatababe from Boy Meets World…and buy them😬 #nostalgia

OurFiresideStories.com🇿🇦🔥

We found this at IKEA the other day but did not ma

We found this at IKEA the other day but did not make the same mistake we did back in 2020ish (read “The Day We Smuggled Dirkie” on OFS) when we thought it might be Swedish Dirkie🤣...and were sad to find out that it is, in fact, mustard🤦‍♀️

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#expatlife #nostalgia #southafrica #southafrican #firesidestories

Lekker 😁🕺🌈 #tinkies OurFiresideStories.c

Lekker 😁🕺🌈 #tinkies

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💓 #tinkie OurFiresideStories.com

💓 #tinkie

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“A kiss of cream and a hug of sponge”—that’s how the advert went, right? ✨

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One day I hope I can get this signed—and shake @

One day I hope I can get this signed—and shake @siyakolisi’s hand, and tell him what a legend he is…for so many reasons but most especially his faith, his humility and his grit. I get all sentimental when it comes to the Springboks (I know, I know)—blame 1995. Siya and his team (2019) are my children’s 1995, and I am glad to pass on the Springbok to them💚💛 #expatlife #nostalgia

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She may not live in South Africa…😱but she is

She may not live in South Africa…😱but she is South African 🇿🇦💪😁 #expatlife

OurFiresideStories.com🔥

Guys! We’ve done a thing🎉✨ Now that Muswell

Lekker brekkie on the go, boet 💪🥓🍳#expatl

Lekker brekkie on the go, boet 💪🥓🍳#expatlife

OurFiresideStories.com🔥🇿🇦

What you see in front of you is proof that we’re

What you see in front of you is proof that we’re still the same 4-year-old children we were back in Joburg 198- (well, my family at least). This trifle (I use the word loosely) was made by the boy who spent his 50c at the SPAR up the road on bubblegum instant pudding, with out fail, every time (which he made and ate in one fell swoop). He is also known to have mixed lettuce into his baked beans on the stove and made a mean 🍓Nesquik (plus a bunch of other stuff) sandwich. Yup. Whilst the Peppermint Crisp wrapper in the background might give you hope, let me explain what’s underneath it: butterscotch instant pudding, custard, crumbled ice cream cone, grated white chocolate, broken pink wafted and Peppermint Crisp flakes.

The only thing that has changed is that he ate none of it 🤣…the kids did though. I think it’s their new favourite dessert #unclestrifle

#expatlife #nostalgia

Check out the lekker blanket my aunty @elainesmall

Check out the lekker blanket my aunty @elainesmallbones 🇿🇦 made us! 🖤💗

My aunty and uncle❤️…visited from South Afri

My aunty and uncle❤️…visited from South Africa. So many of our best holiday memories happened at their home in Underberg—where we had acres of space to swim in the river rapids and run free in the hills. And oh the stories. What a treasure to see them again after so many years. #expatlife #feelingsentimental

OurFiresideStories.com🇿🇦🔥

Yesssss! 👊 🏉🇿🇦 #expatlife

Yesssss! 👊 🏉🇿🇦 #expatlife

So this was fun - telling Delilah’s preschool cl

So this was fun - telling Delilah’s preschool class all about South Africa for Culture Week✨🇿🇦😬🌈 #expatlife

OurFiresideStories.com🔥

So, I never really cared for #fizzers when I was b

So, I never really cared for #fizzers when I was back home 🇿🇦 BUT… there is something about wanting the thing you can’t have. Anyway, Delilah would have eaten them with the paper on 🫣 (Thank you @marionsmallbones 💕) #expatlife #nostalgia

Thank you @nandosuk #oxfordstreet for this little

Thank you @nandosuk #oxfordstreet for this little piece of home 🇿🇦✨ #expatlife #nostalgia

Thank you @sheltermuswellhill for these beauties✨🌍 #home #africa #expatlife #southafrica🇿🇦

OurFiresideStories.com🇿🇦🔥

OurFiresideStories.com🇿🇦🔥

OurFiresideStories.com🇿🇦🔥

OurFiresideStories.com🇿🇦🔥

🎶 Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika🎶We’re trying to t

🎶 Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika🎶We’re trying to teach Delilah (and Aiden) the South African national anthem…pretty good so far 😬😍🇿🇦 (Definitely looking forward to the Afrikaans verse 🤣🫣) #godblessafrica #expatlife

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Quick Click Story Themes

90s African tales Afrikaans apartheid campfire stories domestic worker Edenvale eighties England fireside chat fireside stories Jeppe Girls Jeppe High School for Boys Jeppe High School for Girls Joburg Johannesburg Jozi Kate MacKirdie Kensington koppie Leicester Road Primary School life in South Africa lion London maid modern tales nanny Natal nineties North London oral tale oral tales oral tradition Rugby World Cup safari South Africa South African South African dessert South African food South African stories South African tales storytelling story telling The Neverending Story wildlife

OUR FIRESIDE STORIES

Website Artwork by Jackson Zanin

Andrea Zanin (OFS author) professional website: Andreazanin.co.uk

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