Darling, beer? Darling beer?

When Mrs ⁽¹⁾ Earnshaw started teaching me proper English in 19$#@#$% she stressed the importance of punctuation.  Whether she succeeded is a) A matter of opinion   b) A matter of me remembering what she taught me.  Punctuation, she said, is important.  So back to the title.  Quite a difference in meanings.  Which bit do you think is more likely to be heard in my house?  And is it the same bit I would most like to hear? ⁽²⁾

Darling Brewery is the reason I don’t have to brew my own anymore.  On the website you can read Kevin Wood’s account of why he started brewing.  The most important part is that he did.  And the second most important part is that he brewed a Wit.  My favourite style.  The third important part of the story is his decision to distribute to my local bottle store, so very close to perfect in my view. ⁽³⁾

I’ve been a fan of the Wit, the Lager and the Ale since they came out.  On a recent trip I stopped at the tasting room in the town of Darling, hence the name.  The tasting room is easy to find.  Turn right at the Butcher.  Park.  Obviously if you don’t come from the Cape/Yzerfontein side you will be stuffed if you follw these directions.  Rather use these fronm the website then:

   

Open Monday to Saturday 10:00 – 18:00 and on Fridays from 10:00 – 20:00 (except Christmas day) and 7 days a week during school holidays.
5 Main Road, Darling

022-4923798

Or tell your favourite navigator, electronic if you must, the address.  I am sure you can also phone the numbers below and ask nicely for directions.

For groups larger than 8 please book to avoid disappointment.

PHILIPPA WOOD
071 901 2532
philippa@darlingbrew.co.za
KEVIN WOOD
074 141 9862
wood@darlingbrew.co.za

At the tasting room sheer will power prevented me from buying food or chocolates.  I did get to try two new, wel to me, beers.  The SouthYeasters had a preview of the Christmas beer a while back.  I think it evovlved a little from the original concept.  European Christmas beers are normally strong, full flavour beers spiced with nutmeg and or cinnamon.  Christmas cake type flavours.  Good drinking in colder weather.  Cold is not something we associate with Christmas in this part of the world.  So drinking a rich, flavourful, high alcohol beer in 30°C is not that appealing.  So a modest 4% lager, spiced with nutmeg and a lighter body than the “traditional” Christmas beer works well for me.  Similar, but "fuller", to the Van Hunks Ppumpkin ale from Boston.

The Silverback is more difficult for me to assess.  This is how it is described on their website

”An intelligently smooth “Black Wit” a new black wheat styled beer. Silky and soft in the mouth and incredibly easy to savour at all times. (4% alcohol)” 

So a wheat beer, perhaps Wit rather, with dark colouring, possibly molasses.  Not sure about this one. I  tried one a few weeks later and the ambiguoity remains.  It is a well made beer, as they all are, but I am flummoxed by this one.  it is not quite one thing or another.  extra points for trying it, but I will not try this one again.  The rest, and any new ones, for sure.  The beauty of smaller brewers are they will take you to unexpected places and maybe beervana. 

(1)    In those days we still used Mrs.

(2)    If you are a sexy, single, only daughter whose elderly father owns a brewery, the answer is the first bit.  And the job is open.  If not, well the answer depends a lot on my mood.

(3)    Perfect is when it is given away for free.

Why my shaved off hair did not cure cancer

It is now three weeks since I had my hair cut off for cancer.  Still no cure.  A bit disappointing.   I expected more of them.  Them the hair, not them the scientists.  Since leaving school in the last century I have had long hair.  I don’t let them grow long, they grow by themselves.  I just don’t like going to the barber (what I call hairdressers focusing on male clients) or worse a hairdresser.  Trying to make light conversation with a stranger while they stick their fingers in your hair and are armed with sharp scissors are not easy.  So, mostly long hair.  Not shoulder length. Earlobe length.

Therefore appearing with no hair at work did elicit a fair bit of comment.  The main idea is to raise awareness about cancer.  Something I do undermine in response to the frequent

“Where is your hair?”

“Vissershok.” ⁽¹⁾

The question should be used as an opening for a discussion about testing or contributing.  Why else would you shave off your hair?  I use it to make a joke.  Another response is “I could never be so brave.” And that is the key.  Cutting all your hair should not be brave.  Brave is running into a burning building to get a child out.  Stupid is going back for the poodle.  Brave is about confronting your fears.    And bald is a ubiquitous fear.  See the phenomenon of the comb-over.  They are not as popular as a few years ago, seeing that a lot of men are wearing their hair very short.  Laziness about grooming is the reason here I think.  Back to the fear of bald heads.  Several web sites can either convince you to shave it all off or to pay money to get it back.  An article from 1994 here shows how much have changed about bald heads since then.  You can also have a look at SlyBaldGuys where the hairless lifestyle is celebrated. 

So why are we so precious about our hair?  I don’t know.  And I don’t need to know.  I just need to know that it is important to many people.  Including, until 3 weeks ago, myself.  Which goes to show how ingrained vanity is.  Hair does not really enhance my aesthetic value to a desirable level. ⁽²⁾ Yet, I did not want to shave it off.  I did get a “You look great!”, from a lady.  Which should make me feel great except she is a lesbian and therefore her opinion on these matters are less important than say, Claudia Schiffer’s. 

So did it make a difference?  Will I do it again?  In order: I doubt it and probably.  Why do it again if it did not make a difference?  Well, it didn’t make a difference to cancer, l but it did make a difference to me.  It put to sleep some issues I had (see previous post) and it is sort of liberating to know that whatever you think about yourself there is someone who couldn’t give a toss about your appearance.  

      (1)    The nearest hazardous waste disposal site.

      (2)    Money does. 

Cut off for cancer

This is not my usual drivel.  It is drivel with a message. Please bear with me.  On Saturday I had all my hair shaved off.  With my consent.  The hair was even picked up and put into a plastic bag.  Not, as they insisted, for forensic evidence, but because it might be long enough to fashion a wig for someone.  At the time I thought that I pity the poor soul who is better off by having my hair than none, but now after 24hours I have modified my view.  I have an egghead, am a bit of one as well and am lucky enough to not have receding hairline or thinning hair at 40.  So not only don’t  I have a reason to wear my hair very short, I really shouldn’t just as a service to all seeing people around me.  Just have a look at the picture taken from the top.  But not if you’ve recently eaten.

It was the annual money raising effort of the cancer association of South Africa.  You could buy stuff, get your hair sprayed green or purple, cut off or of course just donate money.  Spraying it some weird colour does draw attention to you and perhaps can be an advertisement or encouragement for someone else to also contribute.  Cutting it all off is supposed to show solidarity with those who have no choice as either the disease or the medication make the hair fall out. 

Why did I do it? 

1. It is 20 years since my mother died of cancer.  From this year on I will be alive for longer without her than with her.  Her hair fell out much sooner in her treatment than was the norm.  She was not ready for it.  Three things about that made a huge impact on me.  The one was how she turned her initial anger at losing her hair into a lesson about not being vain. 

When eventually she found a wig, she was astonished that someone in China could make artificial hair that looked just like her own hairstyle!

She just started wearing the wig and was extremely self conscious about it.  But only she knew and the couple of people very close to her.  One day a total stranger commented on how lovely her hair looked and asked what she did to keep it that way.  Initially she just mumbled something about normal shampoo and conditioner and the stranger walked on.  But Mother was never very good at lying and followed her after a minute or so and told her that it was a wig and the cancer treatments made her own fell out.  That lady did more for my mother’s self esteem in her remaining time with a small comment than just about anything else.  

2. The cancer association helped my mother a lot during that time.  As they have helped thousands of others.  I am sure they never have enough money to do all they want to.
3. When my friend that I know since before primary school got diagnosed with cancer in our early twenties, I did not shave my head in solidarity like our other buddy.  Maybe now I am trying to make up for it.  The treatment worked. He is still alive and healthy and father of three. 
4. A mentor from work was last year diagnosed with cancer.  I feel now more than usual to help the cancer association.
5. It is five years since my father died of cancer.  His illness was detected too late to even get to treatment, so no hair loss then.  Just another reason to donate money.
6. It was time for a hair cut anyway and the asking price was a lot cheaper than a proper one.
7. During the week I attended a quiz evening organised by The Fisherman’s Wife ⁽¹⁾ that raised R6000 for the charity Make A Difference.  The husband and wife team will also ride the Argus with a link to raising money for same foundation.  This reminded me about unselfishness and donating money.
8. I got sick and tired of the jealous looks from my buddies when they stroked their bald pates and looked resentfully at my full, if greying, head of hair.  Clearly this is a joke.  I am imagining the jealousy.

I went to a wine event after the hair episode and was very self conscious.  It was only me as no one knew me there and did not know how I normally look.  What I do find slightly ironic is that in an attempt to raise money and awareness about cancer I increased my chances of getting the skin version as I removed a natural protection from my head.

I do hope that when you read this and you don’t already help others, you will consider doing so. I will be grateful that the title of this post is cut off for cancer and not by cancer.  It will also be interesting to see if the beard or the head hair grows faster back.  Until the determination of a proper winner I will continue to enjoy the strange feeling of rubbing my stubbly head.

(1)    Who will get a non-possessive name as soon as I can think of one.