Just a thought....
Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

Friday, 10 August 2012

Kaalvoet Klonkie

I found this lovely artwork online entitled “Kaalvoete” byElizabeth Kendall.

I was backing up all my blogs from Multiply. It’s not such a terrible thing. I’m rather enjoying the trip down memory lane. I found a blog which had absolutely nothing to do with Kaalvoet Klonkies, but, as often happens, the comments evolved into a hilarious bout of South Africanisms and Klonkies.

Kaalvoet klonkie basically means ‘barefoot ragamuffin’ – or at least, that’s my interpretation. To me, it holds no negative connotation, though some say it has. My gran sometimes called me a kaalvoet klonkie on those days when I played outside barefoot and grubby.

In the comments of that blog, my Dutch friend,Riete found and posted a poem/song by Gill Steward that gave us a chuckle.

Kaalvoet (pronounced "Carlfoot") Klonkie, the Barefoot Flea
(Tune: On top of Old Smokey) (Johannesburg 1970)

I'll tell you the story
Of Klonkie the flea
Who dabbled his tootsies
In my cup of tea.

'Twas there that I saw him
And asked him his name
And now I will tell you
His reply to the same -

"Sir, my name is Klonkie,
the barefooted flea
And I'm fishing for tackies
In your cup of tea.

Some fleas wear pink tackies,
And some fleas wear blue,
So I'm fishing for tackies
And any will do,

Because as you'll notice
My tootsies are bare
And it makes it much harder
To run through your hair!"

So that is the story
Of Klonkie the flea
Who's still fishing for tackies
Although there's no tea!

‘Tackies’, incidentally, are what South Africans call trainers, tennis shoes or sneakers. We’ve always joked about “…butmy fleas have pink tackies!” This brought back memories :)

8 comments:

  1. ohh Tint this is tooo funny...so nostaligic...youre not making my day any better you know

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  2. What!..dabbling of tootsies in someones tea? Ah, memory lane captured me too for a while today...deleting and copying.

    Your Gran sounds an awful lot like my Mom.

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  3. Feeling homesick lately, Heather? Hugs!

    Jules, you remind me a lot of my gran in So many ways... aside from the age thing, of course, though, to me, she was never old :)

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  4. Hmm...your Gran must be a stubborn dreamer too?

    "Life is but a dream "

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  5. Jules, it's not the dreamer bit, though I don't doubt she was that too, but the immense creativity, the beauty she created with her hands and her love of all that grows. Those things in you remind me of her :)

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  6. Good things then. Tonight I was thinking about many of the occasions I've created scenes or scapes for and the people who sincerely thanked me for making these times special. Some say I should go to work in a factory. What they term 'real work '......as opposed to what?
    I love when you talk about your Grand. You aren't so very different from her either. Your creativity with words, photos ......a different media, but it takes the same soul.

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  7. Pardon my writing ....always on my phone nowadays....ugh!

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  8. Duly pardoned :)

    You know, sometimes we all need to do that... think back to when a client, or anyone really, praised an effort we made. I'm glad you're doing that. Keep it up. It'll help.

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Tint~