Of old ice cream tubs, Oros and cow dung

I became a source of amusement to a friend and my colleagues the other day. The big joke was that I had “bravely” carried my lunch to work in an old ice cream tub. While the three of them were rolling on the floor, I innocently continued tucking into my leftover braai spoils that included snoek, chicken and sweet corn.

It was really a funny sight around the dining table but I was being honest in my reaction. Old ice cream containers and many others are valuable possessions in my part of the world. Even though my mother was a champion collector of stylish lunch boxes from Tupperware, my siblings and I would not dare be seen tossing away an empty container of ice cream, or even margarine for that matter.

The more stylish Tupperware accessories were reserved for special occasions like school trips. Also, because my mother likes sharing, she always used the old recycled containers to give away food and seeds to friends, neighbours or relatives. That was the drill and we all knew it like the back of our hands.

This little episode that played itself out during lunch at work actually reminded me of two important issues that I believe need to be elevated to a public debate. The one is about the manner in which we grew up versus the hankering for a different lifestyle in modern day. The other is purely about recycling.

For me, I have managed to carry on leading mostly the same lifestyle that I became accustomed to when I was growing up. I get a sense that with education and better income, relative by South African standards, most black South Africans from rural villages and semi-urban townships tend to shun some of the smaller things in life that define who they are for more fashionable urban lifestyles.

Am I really being “behind” and “out of tune” by carrying my lunch in an old ice cream tub?

I have also seen people giving me a really funny look or chastise me when I marvel about or treat myself to some of my favourite food and drinks. Some believe just because I have been eating peanut butter all of my childhood, I need to exchange that for something “sexy”. Frankly, I enjoy my peanut butter and there’s no stopping me now. Give me peanut butter - and please make it Black Cat – sandwiches and a glass of ice cold Oros to wash it down with anytime and you will be my hero.

In fact, I have discovered a new method of enjoying my Brooks orange squash these days. Instead of drowning it with water and lots of ice cubes, I dilute that good old Oros with Soda Water. It gives it a nice and biting but refreshing fizzy taste. Try it on a cruel Monday morning and see how fast that iron hat of dehydration will disappear.

The same goes for my All Gold tomato sauce and Koo baked means. I can assure you that the only time my meals are not accompanied by the trusted tomato sauce is when I am having cereals. I remember All Gold used to have a TV and radio campaign back in the day where they made us believe it takes 36 tomatoes to make one bottle of their legendary sauce. A bright friend of mine and I used to have a big debate about whether that goes for both the small and the big bottles.

As with the matter of recycling, I will leave it for another instalment on this blog but I can assure you that the ice cream tub is not the only thing that I have always and will continue to recycle, there are many others too. And to me, it is not a fashion statement; it is a way of life.

So all greenie beanies, look out for my next offering when I will be sharing with you how we grew up using dried cow dung as a source of heating and cooking, and all this without the drama of hijacking construction cranes and fishing vessels or interrupting climate change meetings.