Hout
Bay
Residents
by
Ella van Geuns
I have lived in Hout Bay, Cape Town all my life and during lockdown, I returned from university to stay with my family in this coastal suburb. Hout Bay is home to diverse communities and sits in a valley overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Over the years, I have grown to observe some of its residents — their regular walks on the beach, their weekly grocery shops and even, their over-zealous dogs. I have witnessed the overlap of people’s lives and the enthused coffee shop conversations that reach across the street. Much of these observations, however, remained from a distance — often through the viewfinder of my camera.
Nonetheless, towards the end of March this year, we entered a nation-wide lockdown in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. This disruption presented a space for documentation; I wished to record the experiences of Hout Bay residents during lockdown and to hear their stories — the moments of light and shade during their day, their morning routines and their thinking around our changing world. Most importantly, I wished for the stories to be told primarily from the standpoint of the residents — a wish I hoped to achieve by giving the residents disposable cameras to document their life under lockdown. A disposable camera serves to preserve a moment with little ability to change the photograph at the time of taking it.
I posted on the Facebook page, Hout Bay Organised, to find the residents who would be interested in my project. And from there, I gave each resident a disposable camera and four guiding themes — a day in the life, symbols of change, self portraits and their morning walk — to direct their photographs over the next week and a half. After the photographs were taken, scanned and developed, I chatted to each resident about their experiences and the meaning imbued in the photographs they captured. Here are their stories and their photographs.
Olivia Brorsson
Olivia Brorsson. By Ella van Geuns.
“I think it benefitted me in terms of realising my privilege and how lucky I am to have the life that I do” [about the project].
Olivia ran across the dunes at Sandy Bay. It was early in the morning and no one was around. As she reached the water’s edge, her heart was thumping and she quickly dived in. In recent months, her swims, while still refreshing, have been shorter in the face of lockdown regulations. “It was flippen scary,” she said as she recalled these moments of uncertainty. Olivia Brorsson lives close to Sandy Bay and she dotted the first few months of lockdown with impromptu visits to the beach. In retrospect, she appreciated these trips and the opportunity to walk on a deserted coastline.
However, as a matric student, much of Olivia’s time during lockdown was spent studying. “I actually did a lot of work outside,” she said before describing the number of tasks she had been assigned to complete. Most mornings she began her work by 7.30am, either in the kitchen (where the internet connection was better) or outside, accompanied by her cat. As she worked, she overlooked the garden and the clothesline that stood in a pool of light. Laundry for Olivia’s family became a frequent routine during lockdown and after each trip to the shops, they changed their clothes and washed the ones they had been wearing — a practice to curb the spread of Covid-19. “I think washing has kind of taken over my life,” Olivia said, while laughing at how much housework she did during this time. Her younger brother, who rarely cleans the house, adjusted his routine too and one morning when Olivia walked past the kitchen window, she witnessed him vacuuming the floor. Surprised by what she saw, she asked her brother to pose for a photograph through the window.
After the first few weeks of being at home, however, Olivia visited her friend Luke again; “I literally jumped between my house and his house” she said, before recalling some of the amusing moments with her friend. Nonetheless, Luke had injured his back while surfing, and beyond exhausting his Netflix account, he could not carry out many of his daily routines. His friend Eli was staying with him and one evening during a moment of communal boredom, “we just decided the three of us were going to have a little party” Olivia recalled. Earlier that day while she was at his house, Luke’s neighbor had asked her to give him a haircut. She called his older brother, Connor to help her. “It was absolutely hysterical because the little grom was just freaking out” she laughed. “He just wanted a little haircut and we decided we were going to shave his whole head.”
Olivia interspersed her schoolwork with card games, meditation and time with her friends. “I hate cards now,” she joked, while remembering the numerous games she was drawn into during the beginning of lockdown. The beach was still quiet, and she sat with her friends playing cards. The late afternoon light cast a warm glow on the blue-patterned scarf they were sitting on and her dog, Pepper lay down alongside them. She reached for the jar of lemon water and took a sip before commencing with the game. In these moments, she felt grateful for the opportunity to spend time with her friends at the beach during lockdown.
At the beginning of June, matric students were required to return to school. “It’s very weird being at school with masks and everything,” Olivia said. As she walked around the school, she noticed some of the changes made to contain the spread of Covid-19; the corridors were divided into two lanes and the chairs in classrooms were demarcated to encourage social distancing. She also referred to the teachers on duty during break times to maintain distance amongst the students. “A bunch of eighteen year old girls, it’s just never going to work,” she said, recognising the difficulty in imposing social distance amongst teenagers.
When Olivia reflected on her lockdown, she spoke of her appreciation for some of the experiences that characterised her past few months. “I had such an epic lockdown,” she said. “[This project has] made me think a lot about how lucky I am to have all of the things I have and to be in a safe and comfortable environment compared to many people,” she continued. In taking photographs of her daily experiences, she was able to recognise aspects of her life she truly values. And as the regulations begin to ease, Olivia returns to some of her past routines with renewed appreciation.
Sizwe Zulu
Sizwe Zulu. By Ella van Geuns
“Got [a] chance to really get a front row to kind of understanding what I do normally and what I did to adapt to surroundings to keep in shape most importantly and have things to do to pass time”[about the project].
Sizwe ran past the post office, rounded the circle and up the road that stood parallel to the Hout Bay Manor Hotel. For the first few weeks of lockdown, he was unable to carry out his regular exercise routine and had to adapt it to his home environment; most days, however, Sizwe stayed active, doing sit ups and push ups in his room. Now, as the restrictions ease, he can spend more time training outside. As Sizwe ran down the road, he noticed the tip of The Sentinel peaking out between the bushes; the vegetation looked lush and he stopped to take a photograph. On his way home, he passed people walking their dogs and elderly couples and families enjoying the opportunity to exercise again. “That’s the fun part,” he said, describing the range of people he usually encounters during his daily run. That morning, Sizwe had checked the weather before he set out; when he steps outside his front door, he usually looks at the mountain from two different viewpoints to check the cloud cover before he begins his training.
Sizwe Zulu lives in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay and studies Sport Fitness at Northlink College in Tygerberg. He started exercising with the wish to become fit and after a while, he recognised his aptitude and enjoyment for playing sport. Now, Sizwe commits himself fully to fitness and hopes to pursue it as a future career. He also acknowledges the social benefit sport has played in his life; “it helped me stay away from a lot of bad stuff — that was key,” he said. Although his first few runs after being confined at home were difficult, he was quickly reminded of their benefits and has commenced training with enthusiasm.
However, part of his routine remains interrupted by lockdown regulations and he recalled some of the practices he took for granted. Every Sunday, as a member of the Hout Bay Surf Club, Sizwe used to swim and surf at Hout Bay beach. “I actually miss being there,” Sizwe said. Amidst his own training, he also helped teach children how to surf. “Every week, there is a new person that joins,” Sizwe said. “It’s a learning curve,” he continued, as he spoke of his experience coaching children. He also reminisced about playing sport on the soccer field across the road from Imizamo Yethu. “That’s where I’d normally be — Monday to Thursday, training [and] playing soccer,” he said. According to Sizwe, soccer games and sport have helped connect the community of Imizamo Yethu. “It gives them a chance to stay away from [drugs and alcohol] and be active, healthy, fit and make friends,” he observed.
While the field remains closed, Sizwe carries out both his personal training and group teaching sessions in the park in Imizamo Yethu. Before he returned to college, he trained after his run every morning for thirty minutes before beginning the group meetings. He takes pleasure in teaching people about fitness and pays careful attention to planning each session. “For now, it’s just for me to do for fun and to gain experience,” he said. Sizwe carries out most of these sessions with his friend Anathi who helps him plan and teach the classes. During lockdown, however, Sizwe has been required to reduce the class size to maintain a level of social distance and since, has dedicated himself to teaching more sessions a day. “So maybe Monday, we have upper body stuff — focus on our arms, a bit on our abs — then Tuesday, legs, Wednesday, whole body,” Sizwe said as he described a conventional week of training. However, he has observed a decline in the number of people attending his classes after the alcohol ban lifted. “My training helped towards better health,” he suggested, “but as soon they were allowed to buy alcohol they jumped straight back into doing what they were doing.”
A couple of weeks ago, Sizwe returned to campus at Northlink College and has been required to partake in strict health protocol. When students arrive, they are tested for Covid-19 and sanitisers have been placed around the college. While he has enjoyed reconnecting with his friends, he has remained mindful of Covid-19. “I’m also extra cautious,” Sizwe said, as he spoke about feeling unsafe travelling to college on public transport during the pandemic.
As Sizwe engaged in this project, he realised just how eager he is to return to some of the familiar routines he enjoyed with his friends before lockdown. “[I] got [a] chance to really get a front row to kind of understanding what I do normally and what I did to adapt to surroundings to keep in shape most importantly and have things to do to pass time” Sizwe said.
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Tsitsi Pasaya
Tsitsi Pasaya. Photography by Ella van Geuns.
“I felt like I am someone in the community, who is doing something influential” [said about the project].
She was sitting outside with her sisters and her niece; it was a rare moment in recent months and she decided to take a photograph. Since the beginning of lockdown, Tsisi and her family members have attempted to distance themselves from each other to curb the spread of Covid-19. She is close to her family and has missed spending time with them. “I actually miss [my mother] cooking for us,” Tsisi said. Before lockdown, her family in Zimbabwe used to send them traditional ingredients for her mother to cook and Tsisi reminisced about one of her cherished meals — Kapenta and dried vegetables. Now, Tsisi cooks in her own room, while her parents cook in theirs. That evening, as she sat outside chatting to her sisters, she looked across the valley from her balcony. The mountain, while cast in shadow, reminded her of the hikes she used to enjoy on Table Mountain and she stepped back inside.
Tsisi Pasaya lives with her mother and father in Imizamo Yethu in Hout Bay. Before lockdown, she worked as a barista in Milnerton. The coffee shop was always lively and Tsisi felt happy there, speaking of the constant buzz of sound amongst her colleagues and their customers. After pouring the cups of coffee, she used to draw intricate patterns in their milky froth — every design distinct from the other. Since the end of March, however, she has been unable to continue her job as a barista and instead has honed her skills styling hair. Tsisi has always enjoyed working with hair and practices various techniques on a mannequin-head she keeps in her room.
One day in early June, Tsisi walked to the shops for the first time since the beginning of lockdown. “I just wanted to refresh that day,” she said. She also mentioned her wish to capture her observations for this project and brought her camera with her. Outside the grocery store, Tsisi and her mother stood in a queue that had been spaced out by demarcations on the floor. Customers were required to stand at a suitable distance from each other as they waited to enter the shop. During her visit, Tsitsi also noticed how beautiful the plants outside the grocery store looked; “I think lockdown is helping in preserving nature again,” she told me.
For Tsisi, this project has allowed her to observe the community of Imizamo Yethu during lockdown. “I learnt how people were taking the lockdown; some were taking it for granted, some were listening to the rules and regulations,” she said. As Tsisi walked around her community, she paid attention to the daily interactions and experiences of people living around her. She noticed how the cold weather kept residents inside, leaving the often busy streets, dotted with only a few people. She walked to an open area where a big water tank stood accessible for everyone within the community; this tank was brought to Imizamo Yethu a few months ago to help contain the spread of Covid-19. And she observed several residents sitting close to the water tank selling clothes — knitted garments for winter. She then wandered home.
On the first Wednesday of June, Tsitsi walked to the queue snaking alongside the soccer field across the road. From the beginning of lockdown, NGOs in Hout Bay have delivered food parcels to the residents of Imizamo Yethu. “This is how people are living” Tsisi said. “They are being assisted with food parcels each and every Wednesday so that they can make a living and they can still eat,” she continued. “People are really starving,” she concluded, shedding light on a daily concern for a number of the residents.
As the months pass, Tsisi keeps mindful of the regulations of lockdown. “Everywhere I am, even if I am at home, I’m wearing a mask, just to keep someone beside me safe” she reveals. Nontheless, Tsitsi remains optimistic. “It’s a phase that is going to pass,” she says, referring to the pandemic. And for now, Tsisi continues to smile behind her mask; “they can even see my smile though my eyes” she says while laughing.
Valerie Llopis
Valerie Llopis. Photography by Ella van Geuns.
“It helped me to reflect on the lockdown. Realising what this lockdown and how it impacted our lives good and bad” [said about the project].
Valerie felt exhausted. It was 11 o’clock and each night, it seemed to take longer for her toddler, Matisse to relax and fall asleep. He sat in his camouflaged pajamas, clutching his favourite cuddle toy, “Monkey,” as he looked up at her — his expression, one of desperation. His routine had changed since the beginning of lockdown and his mind, still stimulated from the day, started to race. That night, Valerie had tried for two hours to calm little Matisse before he finally drifted off and a couple of days later, she moved his mattress into her room to help improve his bedtime routine. In retrospect, Valerie viewed her children’s changing sleeping patterns to be particularly challenging in the past few months — “one of the biggest nightmares of lockdown,” she said.
Valerie Llopis lives with her husband, Adam and their two sons, Matisse and Charlie in Hout Bay. She lost her job from lockdown and has had to adapt to a new lifestyle. She now spends most of the day with her children, while her husband, the owner of a leadership-training business, works to save his company. During lockdown, time with her children has felt both rewarding and challenging and she observed these moments through the viewfinder of her camera. “[This project] helped me to reflect on the lockdown,” Valerie said “realising … how it impacted our lives good and bad.”
Her children, Matisse and Charlie, ages two and a half and four, also have felt affected by the regulations of lockdown. Since the end of March, they have been unable to attend school and their daily schedules have shifted accordingly. A sense of discomfort has infiltrated the boys’ world and despite not understanding all the consequences of the pandemic, they have responded to it inadvertently. Every night before bed, Adam read Charlie a story. They both lay under the yellow blanket and Charlie, in his batman pajamas, gazed at his father captivated by what he said. After Adam hugged him goodnight, however, Charlie did not fall asleep. He wished his father to stay and Adam returned to his bedside to comfort him; according to Valerie, this happened indefinitely for the next hour. The change in routine left Charlie and Matisse feeling restless and in her reflections, Valerie referred to the “the nightmare of trying to put my two-year old in the car;” “everything takes more time than normal,” she said. She also spoke of how difficult it was to shop for Charlie and Matisse during this time. Regulations encouraged parents to shop alone and leave their children at home, in the car or outside the store while they were busy.
Nonetheless, amidst these challenges, Valerie recognised the moments of joy with her children and husband during lockdown. She helped Charlie learn to ride his bicycle without training wheels and observed Matisse photographing their dog — “one of his best hobbies of the day,” she said. At lunchtime one day, Valerie picked up her camera to capture Charlie and Matisse eating their food; they were wearing matching aprons and she noticed just how cute they looked. During lockdown, mealtimes served as pleasurable communal moment amongst her and her family; “It was very comforting for everyone,” she said.
Every week, Valerie helped pack vegetables for the NGOs delivering food to the communities of Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg. “It was my fresh air of the week,” she said. And twice during lockdown, Charlie came with her to help pack some of the produce. While they worked, she noticed Charlie sitting on one of the empty crates. The length of his body fit neatly into the crate and she reached for her camera to capture this moment. For Valerie, it was important to show Charlie the varying consequences of lockdown, particularly the lack of food security amongst some of the communities in Hout Bay.
Valerie acknowledged the constant stress and responsibility she felt for her children during lockdown. “As parent(s) you want to do everything well,” she said. “We did what we could, trying to recreate a routine for them and realising that the most that they need at this age is attention and love. But that requires a lot of energy.” In the past few months, her energy has been fatigued and she has had no time for herself. However, even as she observes these challenging moments, she regards lockdown as both a time of learning and of love. “They force you to be focused on the present moment for sure, instead of thinking about the reality of adult problems,” she said, speaking about the time she enjoyed with her children.
