Saturday morning, grey skies, classic Vancouver drizzle.

I’m up early to grab buns for Boerewors Roll Day and what comes on the radio?

“Ooh, heaven is a place on earth…”

Belinda Carlisle, out of nowhere.

And you know what? I was feeling it.

Some people would’ve seen that wet forecast and pulled the duvet over their heads. But me? I was just cruising along thinking, Ja nee, rain or shine — just part of the jol, hey ;-)

And maybe that’s the point.

Maybe heaven isn’t somewhere far away.

Maybe it’s here — in the mess, the mission, the muddy parking lot with your people. Maybe, like happiness, it’s not something anyone else can give you. You’ve got to choose to see it. You’ve got to feel it. You’ve got to let it be enough.

That was the vibe I wanted to write about this week…

And then Monday arrived. 😅

Month-end. Business quiet. Clients ghosting. Bills piling up. Didn’t sleep. Woke up feeling like I’d been hit by a 3-ton bakkie.

Even for someone who normally tries to stay positive — I had a proper wobble.

You start doubting. Wondering if what you’re doing is still worth it. Thinking maybe it’s time to pack it all in and go start a goat farm in Prince George.

But here’s what I keep reminding myself:

• Don’t make big decisions on bad days. That feeling isn’t fact. It’s just fog.

• Write it down. There’s usually a bit of truth hiding in the chaos — but you can only deal with it once your head’s clear.

• Reset. Step back. Breathe. Get your mindset right before tackling the tough stuff.

So ja…

Maybe heaven is a place on earth.

But some days, you’ve got to work damn hard to see it.

At least I’ve got all of you to talk to 😉

📨 This Week’s Lineup:

• 🗓️ Upcoming Events

• 🌟 Saffa Spotlight: The Boerie Roll Crew

• 💭 Thought of the Week: Offense isn’t given. It’s taken.

• 📦 That’s a Wrap

🗓️ Upcoming Events

If you’re in Vancouver — this is the big one for the year.

We’re talking about the West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest, and yes, the South African Pavilion will be there in full force.

There’s live music, food trucks, cultural performances, and we’ll be holding it down with biltong, South African snacks, goodies, tastings, face painting, beading, photo ops — the works. (No boerewors this time, sorry fam.)

So come say howzit, grab a snack, and show off your South African pride.

Rain or shine — no excuses. Be there.

🇿🇦 Upcoming Dates to Remember:

• June 6–7 – West Vancouver Community Cultural Festival

• June 14 – Rooibos & Roses Ladies Tea, Calgary (1pm)

• June 15 – Phuza Sunday Presents: Beer, Braai & Beats @ Junction Craft Brewery, Toronto

• June 16 – Saffa Pub Night, North Vancouver (6pm–late)

• June 18 – Hemingway’s Saffa Pub Night, Toronto (6pm)

• July 11–13 – Harvest Time Canada with Angus Buchan & Jeff Zak, Central Kootenay, BC

🌟 Saffa Spotlight: The Boerie Roll Crew

Saturday morning.

Wet. Grey. That classic Vancouver drizzle — not a proper Highveld storm, just enough to make everything annoyingly damp.

Perfect weather for an outdoor boerie roll stand, right?

But here’s the magic — the volunteers still pitched up.

Pulled on hoodies, ducked under the gazebos, and got stuck in.

We were grilling boeries, frying onions, handing out snacks, taking payments — all while keeping the vibe lekker.

So this week, the spotlight doesn’t go to one person or business.

It goes to all of you who rocked up and made the day a success. Soggy shoes and all.

Special shout-outs:

🟢 Team Herholdt – Madeleine, Gavin, Christian & Maggie. Rain or shine, they’re there.

🧅 Eldon & Nicole – Eldon is now officially the Onion Braai Master™. Third time frying onions like a pro. Nicole’s always right there, helping wherever needed.

💰 Karmen & Hayley – Our money team! Hayley, young and mighty, ran the cash like a seasoned CFO. No jokes — she kept us sorted. Karmen backing her up like a boss.

🔥 Derick & Carla – Derick ran the grill and kept his cool, even during the lunchtime rush while I was nagging him for more boeries. Carla floated around doing PR duty and making everyone feel welcome.

🥄 Andrea & Andrea Lee – One on condiments and cold drinks, the other on sausages and onions. Quiet, fast, and totally dependable.

🥖 Simon & Julie – Simon was on buns, handing them out like a machine — focused and solid. Julie, his mom, was in the back cutting and buttering buns like a pro.

🛠️ Juan – Karmen’s husband, who came through with the move of the day: a giant tarp strung up between the containers so people had a dry spot to enjoy their boerie rolls. Pure gold.

🪑 Braam & Helga – Drove all the way from Cloverdale twice — once to drop off the extra table we needed, and again to come fetch it afterwards. Quiet heroes, just making a plan and getting it done. Absolute champs.

💚 Belinda – My beautiful wife, who once again got voluntold into helping with one of my wild ideas. She chopped, packed, fetched, and smiled through it all — as usual. Honestly, none of this works without her (and she deserves a medal by now).

And finally, a massive thank you to every single person who braved the grey skies, drove out to Langley, and showed up to support us — even in the rain.

You came, you chatted, you grabbed a boerie roll (or three), and you reminded us why this community matters.

Whether you volunteered, popped in to say howzit, or just came for the snacks — you helped make it special.

Dankie. From the bottom of my heart.

You lot are the reason this thing works.

You’re the reason we keep showing up.

And you’re the reason this rainy corner of Canada feels a little less foreign.

🇿🇦💚 You’re the real hidden gems.

💭 Thought of the Week: Offense Isn’t Given — It’s Taken

So the other day, I came up with a T-shirt design that I thought was pretty funny:

Bit of tongue-in-cheek South African humour. You know the vibe. If you’ve ever sat through dinner in the dark, charged your phone in the car, or boiled water on a gas stove because Eskom took the day off — you’ve earned that shirt.

Anyway, I showed it to Belinda, and she said, “I don’t know… you might offend someone.”

And that got me thinking.

Offense isn’t something that can be given — it can only be taken.

You can say or do the kindest, most well-meaning thing, and someone will still find a reason to take offense. Not because you were mean, but because they were already looking for something to be upset about.

Look, I’m not saying we should be chops and go around being overly rude or insensitive just for the hell of it. But come on — not every joke or comment is a deep personal attack. If I didn’t mean any harm and someone still chooses to be offended, that’s on them, not me.

We can’t live our lives walking on eggshells. Because the truth is — if someone wants to be offended, they will be, no matter how careful you are.

So instead of trying to please everyone, maybe we should just live our lives — and let those who want to be offended… be offended.

And if that Load Shedding Survivor shirt ruffles a few feathers?

Well, then maybe it just wasn’t for them anyway.

📦 And That’s a Wrap

Before I go — quick update on the Best Biltong in BC showdown. We’ve already got 24 judges lined up who pre-ordered their Biltong Taster Packs. I’ve placed the first round of orders with all the vendors, and we’ll start shipping as soon as we’ve received and packed everything.

If you signed up, keep an eye on that mailbox. Judging starts soon — and I’m keen to hear who you think deserves the crown. 🇿🇦🥩

As always, if you enjoyed this newsletter (or even if you didn’t 😅), please share it with someone who might want to be part of this growing Saffa crew across Canada.

Let me know how I did with this week’s newsletter. I read and reply to every message. Always lekker to hear from you.

Cheers till next week!

– Callie

P.S. Know your way around WordPress, WooCommerce, Elementor, or JetElements? Even just enough to be dangerous? 😅 We’re desperately looking for someone with a bit of free time and a good attitude to help us keep the website ticking over. It’s a volunteer gig (sorry, no big bucks), but it comes with endless gratitude, plenty of “lekker job!” messages, and the occasional biltong bribe. If that sounds like your vibe — or you know someone who might be keen — give me a shout!