What do you call the thing you picked and where does it go?
A Wall unit, in the lounge
Why did you pick this furniture piece?
This was the biggest piece of furniture in our house,situated in the lounge where everything happened ,if this piece of furniture had to talk My vader hy sal darem stories kan vertel
Explain what this furniture piece means to you or your family/friends?
Growing up we didn’t have much and I remember this piece of furniture being my moms pride and joy, everything precious to her would go in there. it was so big it stretched from the one wall to the other
Tell me a story around this furniture piece? A memory, a thought or something that happened recently.
Thinking about this piece I have good and really kak memories. Let’s start with this kak memory. Fridays school was done around 12:30 and in no way did it cross my mind to rush home. Oh No! cause home meant cleaning and what was my job, low and behold it was to unpack this massive wall unit, first polish the brass and then dust off the rest which mostly consists of ornaments, plates and whatever you can think of and then of cause packing everything back again just to do it all over again the following Friday,lol. a happy memory would be, it was used as a backdrop for all our pictures on Eids, Birthdays and any happy occasion
How does this piece of furniture make you feel?
although cleaning it was not that fun, the really nice part was me being able to rearrange it how I want. Which meant that each Friday the wall unit would look totally different, which let me show my creativity.
Do you think this piece of furniture represents us as Coloureds? Why?
Yes, it does every household had one of dit nou klein of groot was, its where our parents would show off out achievements from trophies to certificates to the 21st keys. It was also used as a divider where they would use it to make one room into two in the lounge with a bed behind it and kyra da, da het jdy soema ‘n noge kaame
How would you describe your interpretation of Colouredness?
Growing up on the Cape flats I didn’t really think about race we were all the same colour, spoke the same language, its only when i moved to Johannesburg where people would identify me as Indian (I think only cause I was wearing a Headscarf) where i would correct them and say “no I’m not Indian I’m Coloured” cause how could i not be Coloured. Colouredness is going to the beach with ‘n bak ingelere vis, gekoekte eies and ‘n waatlemoen while singing to some Jody Boutcher
What other things strongly represent Colouredness?
Our humour, food, music, our dress code and of course our friendly nature
What does it mean to be Coloured in South Africa now?
It doesn’t mean anything I feel that although Apartheid has ended we still “fighting for our seat at the table”
What is your relationship with your Colouredness?
I am a proud Coloured
