I updated the "About" page with an explanation as to what the name for this blog means. It is early Saturday morning here and I have so much to say about yesterday, my first day at the CAS office, but I am still struggling with how I can say what I need to.
The name for this blog, (d)urban(a), refers to the city I am currently living in for the next three months, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the city I have spent the last three years living in, Urbana, Illinois, United States. Their names connect formally through the word "urban," but the concept "urban" manifests itself in each of these cities in markedly different ways in terms of scale, population, city structure, and development.
The coincidence of name may not last - there has been a proposed name change, as Durban was named in 1835 by British white settlers arriving from Cape Colony who named the strip of land along the coast after Sir Benjamin d'Urban (governor of the Cape Colony at the time). A couple of years ago many of Durban's street names were changed to honor activists (mostly those affiliated with the African National Congress) who spent years struggling against apartheid and its Group Areas Act. In 2000 the unicity council of Durban was renamed to "eThekwini," the original name for the greater Durban area. It derives its name from the word "itheku," which refers to the horns of the bull (the shape of the bay is said to resemble bull's horns). In terms of the city, the name KwaKhangela has been proposed, as this was King Shaka's name for the area prior to colonization.
I was listening to Bonnie Prince Billy's new album today. When his cover of "Am I Demon" started playing, it reminded me of you :P
Posted by: Mark | February 02, 2008 at 01:31 PM