LOCAL is LEKKER (amazing/enjoyable/preferable)

• Abrie Joubert

In South Africa we have an expression local is lekker. It is a true South Africanism as it is mixture of English and Afrikaans (and in turn derived from Dutch). In the culinary context lekker means tasty and lekkers mean sweets, but this expression is certainly not limited to food and is normally not used in a culinary context. It denotes anything enjoyable from your area be that the continent, country, province/state or town. It may be art, food, wine, clothing, people or places. The term is so generic that it can literally be applied to anything you enjoy or prefer (and at the same time it is so non-generic that its usage is limited to South Africa).  There is even a website with advice to foreign travelers stating that South African English is lekker, explaining the influences of the native languages on English.

I travel regularly in South Africa. If you follow my blog or have seen my other contributions to the WordPress weekly photo challenge you would have noticed that this country has diverse and beautiful places and numerous amazing animals. I try to go to unusual places or try to capture the unusual in my normal environment. This week I am as local as can be as I am zooming into the front yard of my own home in a built up suburb, which is part of the greater Cape Town.

About a month ago I was fixing the irrigation system in my garden as it is becoming warmer in the southern hemisphere and as the plants and I have an agreement – if I give them H2O they will give me O2… I got quite a fright as one or other bird flew up in surprise. As I was focusing on the ground I didn’t even notice what bird it was, but I surely ended up being more surprised than the bird. More than 30 eggs stared at me! From the feathers  I realized that it must be guinea fowl. Problem is this is not the only animal localized in this yard. The cats have not yet become aware of the guinea fowl  as the nest is hidden from their view, but if those eggs should hatch!! Silly bird!! This week the camera lens focuses on the uninvited and invited animals at my home.

guinea fowl nest with 30 eggs

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Miaau (the only cat in the world which can say his name) informs a spider that it isn’t welcome

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Mattewis a well known Afrikaans cat name due to a children’s book

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Nala should not be a threat as she is behind security gates

Guinea fowl eggs

 

 

Remember it is Lekker to access Local photo challenges

 

43 thoughts on “LOCAL is LEKKER (amazing/enjoyable/preferable)”

    2. Dina daardie opmerkind was nie vir jou bedoel nie (nie dat jy nie sulke woorde het nie!) noudat aar omtrent altyd tarentaal op my erf sit kom ek agter hulle is baie kleurryk. Gaan volgende week in opvolg kommentaar lewer oor die vrae. In kort ek weet nie!

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  10. Weereens mooi fotos vir ‘n amateur fotograaf!!! Wil sien hoe los jy diè een op.
    Laat my sommer dink aan diè dag toe ek die tuinman opdrag gee om ‘n huismuur wat toegerank is terug te snoei tot op die’ grond. So halfpad gedoen toe kom vertel hy kan nie verder afsny nie want daar is “voeletjies’ (uitgespreek sonder die kappie op die e) se neste daar wat eiers in het. Toe sit ons vir maande met ‘n muur wat net halfpad toegerank is…… terwille van die voeletjies.

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      1. Ek verstaan sommer, want my straatkat en mynkat bring gereeld baba voëltjies wat hulle uit die boom gaan haal (geen opvoeding, die rowwe Jacks van my). En hoe raas jy? Dis dan hoe dit moet wees.

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    1. Touch woof fortunately not. The cats food is in a feeder but I open and close it (not free flow) as the youngest cat became too fat. Now my youngest daughter opens it continuously in the hope that will not have an appetite fr the birds!!

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  14. Jy kan jou kat natuurlik dissiplineer. My katte het nooit my eendjie kuieketjies gevang nie – was net baie ief daarvoor om vir hulle te sit ek kyk En bekkie, my indiese ringnekpapagaaitjie vlieg vry in die huis rond. Die katte is baie geinteresseerd, maar ‘n eenboudig NEE! is genoeg om hulle weer te laat ontspan. Dit gaan nou al 11 jr so aan en hoewel ek atyd die situasie dophou, het ek al in die badkamer gekom en die papagaaitjie en die Sushi -kat saam op die wasbak gevind, albei ongedeerd. Si sterjte net die kleintjies. Stuur foto’s!

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    1. Ek het natuurlik al ‘n paar keer die opvolg hiervan begin en dan weer gelos… baie dankie vir die volg. Terloops ek skryf nie meer deesdae so baie nie (soos iemand anders…). Ek het ookal by jou gelees dat mense volgens die statistiek partymaal lees maar jy sal eerder wil hê dat hulle op ander plekke lees. As jy hierdie lees en jy lag nie kry jou jou geld terug… https://abriejoubert.wordpress.com/2016/05/21/die-dag-toe-tertia-in-n-man-verander-het/

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  16. Hi there

    Interesting read and thanks for sharing.

    “In the culinary context lekker means tasty and lekkers mean sweets, but this expression is certainly not limited to food and is normally not used in a culinary context. It denotes anything enjoyable from your area be that the continent, country, province/state or town. It may be art, food, wine, clothing, people or places. The term is so generic that it can literally be applied to anything you enjoy or prefer (and at the same time it is so non-generic that its usage is limited to South Africa).”

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