In need of SA information for novel
Sun, 2009-01-25 05:28 — puffelly
Good morning,
I'm writing a novel in which one of the main characters is white South African (Afrikaans).
I am trying to figure out the best way to make his childhood experiences/background and most important, his dialogue,
believable.
For instance, what would have been his favorite snack as a kid? Is there a specific lullaby his mother would have sang to him?
What kind of school would he have attended?
The character is about 28 years old, when he enters the story it is 1998, so he would have been born in 1970.
Please let me know if you know of any resources on SA language, culture or history that may be of help. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Shannon Jackson
Novel with South African Character
Hi I am a new temp staff member here - I hope I can help - I can tell you because I came from the same era - I was born in 1970 to English/Afrikaans parents in Cape Town - moved to Durban.
(your character) Depending on his parent's income group - Is the boy from an Upper/Middle or Lower-class income?
Example: if he was mid to lower income group, he would have gone to a Government School (whites only) co-ed until High School then Boys only, probably a Boarding School. School was very strict, corporal punishment was the order of the day. His "Nanny" (what we termed our Domestic Workers) would have made and packed his lunch for him everyday - marmite sandwiches; or peanut butter and jam; when he got home the Nanny would have made him more sandwiches with tea, he would probably dip the entire sandwich into the hot tea - just like his Nanny did and then "slurpily" munch it - sounds gross - tasted divine! Also there was a condensed milk sweet type thing around 1975-1979 called a "pukkie" (pikkie) which was basically flavoured condensed milk in a tube (about 200mls) - they were heavenly and every kid I knew (including me) was crazy for them.
As a suggestion have you tried Christian chat rooms (to weed out the unsavoury characters) and looking (to chat with) for Men born 1970 Afrikaans upbringing? It is also important to know where your character is going to come from as there were big differences even between Afrikaaners if you came from Durban or your came from Bloefontein or Cape Town or....
Anyway hope this helps?
Huisgenoot
If you can read Afrikaans you should get some old copies of Huisgenoot.
Re
Hi, thank you for the comment. I can't read Afrikaans. Any suggestions in English?
Farmer's Weekly
Well you could try Farmer's Weekly. But the chances of doing this well are slim on this basis. Your best bet would be to read some of the substantial literature on this, fiction or non-fiction. Something like the later chapters of Giliomee's Afrikaners.
Novel with South African character
Thank you, I'll check it out.