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Ed's Note | Developing a gifting language

An unquestionably essential part of being an avid reader is having a long list of unread tomes sat dusty on one’s heaving bookshelf. My list of untouched classics, pop-lit hits of the day, and obscure conversation starters is as long as Msholozi’s rap sheet. None but one, however, has nearly put paid to my marriage. That honour goes to The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts, by Gary Chapman.

Several years ago, my wife had whizzed through it enthusiastically, crashing into what she was certain were answers to many of our marital roadblocks. She implored me to read it and, as the days dragged by with it on my side table, I managed to skim it enough to learn that my love language straddled “Words of affirmation” and “Physical touch” (typical, really). Hers was “Receiving gifts”. I read no further, and, as such, this was evident in our book debrief as I clutched at straws explaining what I understood about her love language. We were in therapy shortly thereafter.

A torrent has flowed under the bridge since then and I am much savvier in these matters, to the extent that I too have developed a gifting sub-language. As we present you with an embarrassment of gifting ideas in this, our last issue of the year, we hope that you receive all your heart’s desires this holiday season. As for me, only the following coveted stuff will do.

MGB Roadster (strictly ’60s era with the wire wheels): I would have a hard time fitting this one in my stocking but heck, I would try. As I noted recently on the socials (yes, I am quoting myself): “I have distant love affairs with many desirable and unafford-able heritage cars from across Europe, but it is this humble, mature English lady — the MGB Roadster, ‘the people’s sportscar’ — that really has my heart.” It is truly the perfect classic car: drivable and easy to maintain, with parts readily available and viable as a daily driver.

MGB Roadster.
MGB Roadster.
Image: Supplied

Linn Klimax LP12 turntable: I have been an audiophile for most of my life. As a teen I devoured Smash Hits and Vibe voraciously, and no Friday was complete without an obligatory after-school stop at Musica or its more mom-and-pop predecessors that sold vinyl. I never really stopped buying vinyl, even as I amassed an obscene number of CDs, and the wax revival of the past decade has meant audio companies have continued to improve record-player technology. I have two turntables of the vintage variety, but this beauty — a modern take on a classic design — would take pride of place on the mantle.

Linn Klimax LP12 turntable.
Linn Klimax LP12 turntable.
Image: Supplied

Orlebar Brown swim trunks: I have been partial to these ever since I shook the idea that only six-foot-plus, bronzed, and eight-pack-abbed specimens on a perpetual holiday in the Hamptons or the Côte d’Azur could pull them off. Tailored and mostly available in sober colours, these easily take you from the pool, into a short-sleeved shirt and espadrilles, and straight to a lazy lunch, without making you look like you are wearing swim trunks at the table. You couldn’t do that with a Speedo or the dreaded board shorts of the early noughts.

Orlebar Brown swim trunks.
Orlebar Brown swim trunks.
Image: Supplied

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G: I remember my first flip phone, an obscure brand name I can’t recall — a novelty in the mid-’90s that was so big one needed a backpack to carry it around. I went on to acquire others in the flip-phone heyday and am pleased that they have made a return in recent years without compromising screen size and useability. I have been playing around with this one, and while it is compact folded up, it opens up to give you a tactile, rich experience whether watching the thrillingly over-the-top The Harder They Fall on Netflix, navigating various apps, or editing pictures.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G.
Image: Supplied

Another stay at The Cellars- Hohenort: Simply the best small luxury-hotel experience I have ever had in Cape Town — and I have stayed at a fair share of establishments of high repute. Part of the Liz McGrath Collection and located in Constantia Valley, the five-star establishment has a staff complement who understands that fine line between attentiveness and being overbearing, an incredible menu across the day, pristine historical grounds, a spa, gym, two pools, and a tennis court, as well as a world-class selection of rooms, suites, and villas. I would return in a heartbeat.

The Cellars- Hohenort.
The Cellars- Hohenort.
Image: Supplied

LOOK | Page through the magazine and enlarge for easy viewing:

Cover / 18kt all rose-gold spider brooch with pavé-set, round, brilliant-cut diamonds and a pear-shaped, checkerboard-cut prasiolite, POR, Charles Greig Jewellers

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