Wynona Latham
This month is a celebration of the all-conquering Italian flatbread. According to Pizza.com, October was designated pizza month by Gerry Durnell, the founder of Pizza Today magazine. Although it’s an American holiday who’s to say we can’t enjoy it. You could celebrate by going to anyone of Grahamstown’s pizza joints. You could get a greasy slice from the Rat and Parrot or get some ‘real Italian from Gino’s. There is always the industrial Debonairs option (they also deliver) or try out the offerings from the new pizzaiolos (that’s pizza chef to you and me) at the Mog Dog. Spare a few moments of silence for Pirates, Scooters and the Yellow House. Alternatively, stay in and make your own pizza with Jamie Oliver. Hey! Did you hear that Pizza Hut is returning to South Africa?
After discovering this, Artbeat set about finding out more about the significance of this month. To our surprise, it turned out that October plays host to a series of weird and wonderful commemoration days. Here are just a few.
1 October
World Vegetarian Day
Bring on the vegetables! Today is the day that vegetarianism is appreciated and vegetarians supported. World Vegetarian day was started in 1977 to ‘promote the joy, compassion and life-enhancing possibilities of vegetarianism’. The opposition to eating meat can be due to many things: the alarming statistics around meat’s impact on the environment, how animals are abused before slaughter or how unsustainable it is. Most Indian religions (Buddhism, most sects of Hinduism, Sikhism and Janism) forbid the eating of meat. Some practicing vegetarians do so because they dislike that taste or texture of meat. So why don’t you give going meatless a try for today?
Why not get some organic vegetables from newly-opened Earth’s Produce? Alternatively you have a whole range of fruit and veg stores such as Lungi and Ingram’s Farm Stall, Country Fresh Foods or root around your local supermarket.
2 October
Name Your Car Day
Are you in love with your car? Do you feel for your automobile, as Freddie Mercury once did? Whether you own an Aston Martin or a Citi Golf or a Toyota Hilux, why not show some appreciation for the thing that gives you the freedom to be where you want to be by giving it a name. Here’s a helpful formula to help you pick the right one. If you get stuck here are some suggestions. If you don’t own a car, you can name your bicycle, your unicycle or your favourite pair of shoes. This isn’t one of those holidays that’s too controlling – just enjoy your ability to be mobile!
3 October
Techies Day
In the American workplace, this day is used to celebrate the regular old IT guy. Considering how precious technology is to the developed world it might be worth thanking those people who train, maintain and improve the flow of technology. If you’re on Rhodes campus, it might be worth saying a thank you to the IT Services department. If your have a computer teacher or a friend who has helped you understand a technological issue, it might be time to shower them in appreciation.
4 October
Ship-in-a-bottle Day
The hallowed art of building a maritime model in a bottle is nothing to laugh about. It requires a good eye, a precise touch and steady hands – with a ton of patience added onto that. There are various kits you can get to build your own and even websites to help you. You could even join on of the world-wide associations such as the SIBAA. Ship-in-a-bottle day is on the same day as Taco Day and Vodka Day – it could be interesting to combine them all, but you might want to hold off the spirits until after your ship has gone in.
5 October
World Teachers’ Day
Dismal education continues to hamper South Africa’s growth as a country, so it should be fitting that our teachers get some appreciation. World Teachers’ Day has been held since 1994 to honour those around the world who educate. According to UNESCO the world will need a total of 5.24 million new teachers to enter the profession by 2015 to replace retirees and meet new demand. If you would like to see a World Teacher’s Day event or submit one, go to http://www.worldteachersday.org/
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