30/12/2011
25/12/2011
Merry Christmas
The nativity scene is courtesy of Granny - a labour of love (if ever there was one) started in June as a surprise for her grandchildren...
Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas!
05/07/2011
03/07/2011
muli bwanji....
I've recently returned from a trip to Malawi...my first time there...the usual 4am pick up in the morning as the flight to Lilongwe leaves Jo'burg at 10h00 so I have to catch the 'red eye' flight from Cape Town to connect. Lilongwe is an easy 2 hour flight from Johannesburg & for some bizarre reason it seems that all the international flights - SAA, Ethiopian Airlines & Kenya Airways - arrive within 5 mins of each other which causes considerable delays at immigration & baggage collection. A quick change from my Cape winter woolies into something a little more suited to subtropical central Africa and we're off..
In case you're wondering, muli bwanji is Chichewa (which is the main language in Malawi & also spoken in Zambia) for 'hello, how are you' and ndili bwino is Chichewa for 'I am fine' & zikomo is 'thank you' - these are phrases I'll be using an awful lot in the coming days. I'm told that Chichewa is similar to Swahili in that it is easily learnt and with Andrew Kayuni's (our local Malawian guide) help find this to be true.
The Malawians are a very friendly nation and my first hint of this came during my flight to Lilongwe - I sat next to Frank who is in tabacco in Malawi & by the end of the flight I knew a lot more about tobacco than when I started. The other Malawian passengers were equally friendly & all wished me a pleasant stay in their country when we got to Lilongwe. The second hint was when a pit stop was requested and we stopped in a village en route to Salima - before Andrew had killed the engine children of every size & description were hurtling towards the vehicle...obviously a slow day in town...
As is so often the case when travelling, language barriers cease to be important when you have a camera. This provides endless entertainment for the children who jostle each other to pose and then shriek with laughter as they look at the pictures we have taken...
Yours truly didn't even had time to jump down from the vehicle before the eager models mob me for pictures.... I usually don't like taking pictures of people unless they are unaware of it so this is a real baptism of fire...these children are desperate for the pictures & are such natural subjects that you can't help relaxing into it & enjoying yourself...
Two seconds later & they've multiplied...
These young ladies have obviously had some exposure to television or the movies judging by the sultry looks the camera is being subjected to....
But my absolute favourite is this young boy who ran to fetch his baby brother from their home (and his lunch by the looks of it) so he could join in the fun too....what a sweetheart! I just love this photo - for some reason it strikes a real chord...
The guys are immediately drawn into an impromptu football (soccer) game with some of the local lads...
giant lizard....
This morning, I was returning home from a routine shopping expedition to replenish the larder for the week ahead & what should I see but another sand sculpture...this time it is a huge lizard sunning itself on the driveway of nr 27....
Even better...I've caught the creator of this marvellous sand art, Reon Zeff, red handed & he has a rapt audience watching his every move...
We had a nice chat while he was putting the finishig touches to the giant lizard which didn't seem to bother him in the slightest....amazing to watch as his hands almost have a life of their own, shaping & sculpting the damp sand....that's all it is...nothing other than water holding this together.
Later this afternoon I pop around again to see the finished product..the new creation is certainly causing a stir & I am amazed there hasn't been an accident yet. Lots of people are slowing down to take pictures. Others park and walk up to make a closer inspection of the latest feature on the block...
And just so you can get some idea of the scale of the sculpture...
Reon mentioned that he was teaching the art of sand sculpture at Elkanah Primary School this coming Friday - he will be creating a sculpture and then helping the children with their own sculptures. He also mentioned how great sand sculpture is as a method of therapy for people who have had strokes etc..
It was lovely to see the enthusiam & wonder on all the faces - child & grown up alike. Enjoy these photo's because on Monday (04 July) the lizard is being recycled to form part of the plaster in nr 27's new bathroom....
30/06/2011
sand sculpture...
This sand sculpture on a driveway in Sunningdale Drive has been causing much comment & admiration in the neighbourhood & for some, broken the monotony of that morning commute....
According to local sources this is the work of Reon Zeff, a sand sculptor, who targets Cape Town building sites.....a bit like a guerrilla gardener or a sand Banksy (..sometimes I do make me laugh)....for those of you in the UK....
Isn't it fun...it has been here for days now and no-one has broken it down....I think Reon has significantly raised the bar for sand castles on the beach this summer....I'm afraid those buckets cut in the shape of a castle are just not acceptable anymore...
hugging the heater...
Cape Town has been experiencing some chilly, rainy weather of late so the cat & I are taking it in turns to hug the heater....every now & again, the rain lifts and we are granted a shaft of sunshine & a rainbow....
My nephew (aged 3) has been heard to remark that it is so cold that his nose is shivering...
04/06/2011
philadelphia...
My latest flower 'must have' is the old fashioned zinnia!! I planted a whole packet of seeds in my garden this spring & the little seedlings did splendidly until the snails discovered them & devoured all but a handful of plants. Mine were the dwarf variety but on an outing to broaden my horizons one weekend in April I came across these gorgeous specimens at De Malle Meul in Philadelphia...
Philadelphia is a sweet little dorp (tl: village) in the Swartland barely 20 minutes from the bustle that is Cape Town. I had heard of it but never exactly known the reason one would visit as it hasn't been as widely marketed as it's more famous sister in that region, Darling. We decided to park the car under the row of blue gums framing the main square & explore on foot. The first thing that struck me was the silence - not deathly quiet but rather the very welcome absence of traffic noise - all you could hear were the sparrows, the occasional dog barking & children playing in the street....bliss!
De Malle Meul used to be the home of the artist Pieter van der Westhuizen & today houses a galleryof his work as well as being a venue for weddings and hosting shows & events. The beautiful zinnias were in aid of their Afri-Spaans evening the following day and the owner kindly humoured the weird person obsessed with photographing her flower arrangements...Also liked the corrugated iron cladding on some parts of the building too...but thought I'd better make myself scarce...
There are two parts to Philadelphia - the older, more aesthetically pleasing part anchored by the obligatory NG Kerk which initially looks out of all proportion to the tiny town until one remembers that it serves the wider farming community as Philadelphia is surrounded by the wheatfields of the Swartland.
As well as the above attractions the town also boasts a variety of small shops & local artists & potters studios, some very picturesque houses & a primary school.
We were quite amused to discover that shoplifting doesn't seem to occur here...one unattended dress shop displayed the notice below (casually placed on a bench in the middle of the shop) & roughly translated as 'Please do try things on - call me at Magic Minerals if you need any help'...fabulous!
And some detailing on die Blikhuisie (tl: The Tin House)...
After you've had your fill of wandering around there are lashings of ginger beer to be had at the shop and a decent lunch is served under the pepper trees at the Pepper Tree restaurant. All in all a good day out....