Rabbit hole redefined.

Rabbit hole redefined.

It is Heritage day in South Africa, and for most of us quite special as we have such diverse histories and cultures to be proud of, throw into the mix 12 official lingo's and you can be assured that it will be celebrated in many different ways, but chances are that it will involve a braai. For those of you who don't know what a braai is, it is similar to a BBQ, but longer....wayyyyy longer, LOTS of firewood, LOTS of beverages, 2.5 kilograms of meat per head (only 2.25 for the kids) and LOADS of laughs during hours of hardcore 'kuier', stuff like 'Hot dogs' and 'Hamburgers' will most certainly get you thrown off the premises. I figured the next best thing to joining you lot for a braai would be to write a blog that you can enjoy in front of your fire, so here goes...

The shaving rabbit hole, a well known phenomena where you acquire traditional wet shaving gear to 'save money', only for it to turn it into an obsession that has the ability to deplete your bank account quicker than a convicted South African politician can get medical parole. This rabbit hole has herewith been redefined to South African specifications, and renamed the 'Meerkat-gat' ('gat' being Afrikaans for 'hole', pronounced with a guttaral 'G' an 'A' like saying a short Aaaaa for your GP, and a short T, without the 'eeee' sound), the word 'GAT' is expressed twice in the first few seconds of this video of the campsite 'Balie's GAT'

The Meerkat is a very cool creature found around the Southern parts of Africa, and I am proud to say part of our South African heritage, I have borrowed a few pics off the net and a huge amount of this creatures mojo to depict some of the idiosyncrasies and 'herd behaviour' you have more than likely encountered in our fraternity.

The kat in the middle....the guy on the forum whose prized razor got lost while travelling.

All kats...the reaction when someone new posts; 'I am a new here, which double edged blade is best for me?'

Many product discussions start out wanting to 'share the love' but somehow they end up like this.

The Kats are us, the two onlookers are from another species, well known for using the Mach 3 and Fusion systems. 

When makers or suppliers announces news about stuff to come...

When the missus says; 'Enough time in the shave den, time for some chores around the house'

Your appearance when having the umpteenth look at that razor on E-bay that you missed out on with a bid that was only 50 cents low.

That Facebook marketplace bargain offered by an unknown seller.

Wetshavers when confronted by the fact that the company they did the group-buy from has gone bust.

The one Kat on the forum that steps out to praise a 'Chinese razor'.

 

That statement you made on the shaving forum when you are not quite sure how you are going to get out of it, or possibly justify the booze fueled dribble you posted at 3am.

You after said 3 am forum post has run its course.

Just spent a ton of cash on shaving goods, but the missus has no access to your bank account and you still have some money left for beers.

Me: 'I am buying all of this to hand over to the kids one day'....got to love the wife's expression on this one!

Scientific evidence that the Meerkat-gat is superior and far more complex than the rabbit-hole, the course of the burrow is also believed to be near identical to a wetshaver's movement in his bathroom during his 'SOTD' selection.

When someone says he is buying a razor you already have in your collection.

At the much awaited new product release there is always that one guy asking about the next release, whether they are planning to sell it with longer handle, and when the stainless steel version will be available.

When your wife see the invoice in the parcel after you have told the seller multiple times that the e-mailed PDF is perfect, and specified repeatedly to exclude any and all 'paperwork' from the shipment.

The guy on the forum with 10 000 posts.

When someone tells you a certain artisan will have a limited edition Christmas drop for a few selected customers and instantaneously your head starts spinning on how to get your name onto that damn list.

Heading out with the family for the day but there was not enough time for your SOTD

When the supplier says there is plenty of stock and there is no need to rush to get some...

 

We'll end up with a warm and fuzzy one...when your realize the community is a good one, and you fit right in!

Thanks for reading and viewing, I do hope I was able to brighten up your day a tad! Whoever you are and wherever you come from, be proud of your heritage; in a mad world of boring conformity it is one of few ways to prevail, survive and be noticed!

Photo credits to San Diego zoo, Treehugger, NPR.org, The Luxurious safari company, African conservation, Meerkat adventure tours, De Zeekoe, Go South, LA Zoo, Reddit, Meerkat view, Getty, Shutterstock, Arne Parves, The Kalahari Meerkat project and whoever else I failed to mention!