Grahamstown residents were put to bed early Wednesday (01 / 06 / 2011) night due to the power cut.
Some people grumbled that there was no electricity while others savoured the silence that cloaked the town.
Grahamstown residents were put to bed early Wednesday (01 / 06 / 2011) night due to the power cut.
Some people grumbled that there was no electricity while others savoured the silence that cloaked the town.
Many restaurants had to close their doors as they were not equipped for service during a power cut. “It affected us badly, very badly. The fans and computers weren’t working so we had to close during those hours and turn customers away when they were at the door,” said Spur employee, Joko Barnard.
Some restaurants however, were well equipped for the power outage. 137 on High Street is so prepared that they even have a “power cut menu” ready and waiting.
“It was an inconvenience, but we have done our best to accommodate it in our favour,” said manageress Xanthe Jackson, “when the weather is really bad we just expect it to happen.”
Although the doors of La Trattoria restaurant were open, they felt the effects of the power failure. “We couldn’t open the freezer because as soon as stuff began to thaw, we had to use it right away, so we lost a lot of food last night,” said owner, Liza Caporossi. Luckily they were able to make the majority of their menu items as they have a gas stove, but another problem arose when it came to paying the bill: “The credit card machine was a big problem, because some customers couldn’t pay. So they left without paying.”
Many students' activities were also compromised by the power failure. Blood pressure rose, tears were shed and heads rolled, as students were put under even more pressure to complete assignments, and in some cases they were forced to pull all nighters. Brittany Curry, a fourth year LLB student was given a 72 hour law test that was due on Thursday. “I lost work last night due to the power failure. I guess due to a combination of that and terrible time management I ran out of time and didn’t get to read over my assignment. People were stressing last night, and Cath [a fellow student]lost 400 words when the power went out,” Curry said. But the dark stormy evening didn’t only bring doom and gloom to the city.
Many people were able to take time out and reconnect with their more innocent sides. “We played dominos and 30 Seconds by candle light. It was really nice just to catch up with everyone. Even though we live together [she and her digsmates], everyone is so busy that you miss what’s going on in each other’s lives,” said student Kerry Phillips.
