Totsiens, Egoli

I finally finished all 18 episodes of Egoli: Place of Gold, the South African soap opera that's been keeping me company since late summer/early fall. I may offer a more detailed wrap-up soon, but this little clip might keep you entertained in the meantime. It might also explain why I enjoyed the show, at least the early episodes, as much as I did.

In this one, Cecile Sinclair (played with gusto by South African actress Sandra Prinsloo) arrives after the reading of the will of her late husband Tom, a man she was in the process of divorcing (and taking to the cleaners) at the time of his death. I'm sketchy on the cause of death and the role of Joanne du Plessis (the redhead, later a blondehead, both played by Chantelle Stander) in the events, but, essentially, Tom leaves his fortune to everyone but Cecile, including his two half-siblings of mixed ethnic heritage (remember, this is early 1990s South Africa, just barely post-Apartheid), the Willemses.

Miserable, Cecile starts to drink, and despite the best efforts of her sisters Nora and Louwna to calm her down, she goes on the attack.

I love the way she belts out, "Like hell!" and "Whore!" with such conviction, in that husky, growling voice. I also like the way she says "twee baster kinders" (or something like that, which translates into "two bastard children"), in part because it sounds even ruder in another language.

OK, so it devolves into a catfight between a "common tart" and "a whore," which represent perhaps two over-invited guests in soap operas. But still, it's fun--verbal and physical, with some--if you'll pardon the expression--balls-to-the-walls action by Mrs. Peacock and Miss Scarlett. In the ballroom with a lead pipe and a champagne flute. And nary a Colonel Mustard or Professor Plum to be found.

Ah, they don't make 'em like that anymore. And if they do, they cancel 'em.

So enjoy. And baie dankie, Egoli. I enjoyed your stay.

Now if I can only get through the movie District 9 and the book The Story of an African Farm, and then maybe write a review of the book Triomf by Marlene Van Niekerk ("saltpeter in literary form" is all I got at the moment), and then make my way through a few more chapters of Teach Yourself Afrikaans, perhaps I can put behind me this phase of South Africana and move on to some other obsession. Or just move to Cape Town.

Whatever "here's hoping" translates to in Afrikaans, that's where I'm at.

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Postscript, 14 December 2013

More than two years after I wrote it, I see this post keeps getting looked at. (Yay, me.) Apparently the search phrase "redhead actress Egoli series" leads people to my little corner shop on the internet. So mystery revealed: The actress is question is Chantell Stander (I've also seen her listed as Chantell(e) Stander Rankin). I don't know if she's active anymore, but she had a long, wonderfully villainous run on Egoli, mainly as the vixeny blonde Kimberly Logan Vorster Shults Du Rand Edwards Flintstone . . .), one of my favorite characters from my limited viewing of the series on DVD.

I've added this information above.

Chantell, if you're out there egosurfing on the web, I hope you're doing well! Thanks for the performances.

Later that day, 5:22 pm

She lives! If you live in South Africa, you can watch Chantell Stander weekdays on the soapie, Villa Rosa.

Being stuck in America, I miss everything.