Pimping Up Pumpkins

We love food in this country, and not surprisingly, as we produce such a diverse range of products, not to mention the most delicious too. On most highways or byways, one’s sure to find a roadside stall selling local produce.  We have many in our district, and today I'm showcasing one of the most iconic ones.  It’s featured in almost every magazine and brochure.   A reminder of Ye Olde Trading Store when I was growing up.  Sublime.

This one’s a landmark and its trademark is a pumpkin, so not surprisingly it’s called the “Pampoen Padstal”—Pumpkin Stall. Travelers between Worcester and Robertson often stop here, creating a sense of community and shared experience. Pumpkins are everywhere, showing the stall's importance in our local culture!

The children were eager to sit for a photograph, and I stopped at the interesting blue house built in the informal settlement. They were busy building their shelter and whistled me over; I couldn’t resist, and they struck a pose or two. It's moments like these that remind me of our close-knit community.  

“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. Many in the world are dying for a piece of bread, but there are many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind of poverty -- it is not only a poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality.” ― Mother Teresa, A Simple Path: Mother Teresa. This quote reminds us of the importance of community and love, inspiring hope in our shared humanity.

It always gives me great pleasure to be surrounded by the beautiful children of our land. Whenever I am with the energetic young people ... I feel like a recharged battery, confident that our country can look forward to great things. - Nelson Mandela - Food for the Life Festival, Durban, South Africa, April 23, 1997

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PAMPOEN PADSTAL