My Cape Town: Justin Nurse Owner and founder of Laugh It Off
The Cape High Court building might not be pretty, but it’s almost home
I am. .. a father to two girls; and a satirist, pragmatist and publisher by profession.
Where were you born? Mowbray Maternity Clinic, Cape Town.
Where do you live? In a farm cottage called The Snakehouse, on a game reserve near Kommetjie, Cape Town.
Who do you share your house with? My wife, Camilla; my daughters, Vanilla and Willow; a dog; a cat; a few snakes and some fieldmice.
How did you get into your career? I started making the satirical brand-spoofing T-shirts while I was at Rhodes University studying journalism, because I wanted to get South African humour out there on whatever medium was best – even the space across your chest. I see myself as a slightly alternative publisher.
Zuma shower gel. .. makes you feel presidential. Again, it’s a question of the right medium for the right message. I met a company called Aromatic Apothecary at the Grahamstown festival, where we first started selling our Ts, and they had a formula for a shower gel. It’s basically a cross-branding exercise.
The ANC is. .. considering a case of defamation against me.
What’s your favourite building in Cape Town? The Cape High Court, because I spent a lot of my time there when South African Breweries brought a lawsuit against me over the “Black Label/Black Labour, White Guilt” T-shirts.
What’s the ugliest thing about Cape Town? The Disa towers in Vredehoek, or the “tampon towers”, as they’re popularly known. They obstruct the view of Table Mountain.
What restaurants do you frequent the most? I go to Noordhoek Farm Village, when I can afford to. I usually go to Bob Skinstad’s restaurant, The Toad in the Village, and Café Roux.
What CDs are you playing in your car? The new Eminem, Relapse; and Zuluboy’s Inqolobane.
If your house caught fire, what would you save? My books and photo albums. But my house did actually almost catch fire during last year’s fire season. The fire was coming down the mountain and it was about 15m from my house. I was trying to decide what to save, but ended up just leaving everything because, you know, which books to save?
What are your creature comforts? I find solace in lying on the couch and watching cricket.
What are you reading? Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.
When I go out at night. .. I get a babysitter and party until dawn.
I always collect… books.
My friends and I like . .. being in our 30s.
If you made a movie about your city, what would you call it? Mother City Madness.
I consider perfect happiness to be. .. uninterrupted sleep.
Have you ever taken public transport in your city? Yes. I take the train into town every so often, and catch taxis when I’m there.
Everything in moderation. .. including moderation. The path to wisdom is paved with excess.
How would you like to die? I’d like to fall off Chapman’s Peak. Preferably on a night when there’s a full moon.
I met my partner. .. at the Grahamstown arts festival three years ago. She was the organiser of a film festival and I went to see one of the documentaries they were showing.
If money could buy happiness. .. the recession would be a lot more serious; and the English wouldn’t be such a miserable race. – Ziphezinhle Msimango
