Wednesday, 31 December 2008

Happy New Year!

Our New Year's Eve celebration may not have had all the whizz and bang the kids would have liked, but for me this last New Year's Eve while all my chicks are still in the nest, has been perfect.

We had a 'braai' on the deck, before the kids went their separate ways joining up with friends, or checking out the action on the beach, for the rest of the evening.

As we had done at Christmas, we made an effort to lay the table nicely, and make this into a festive occasion, even though we really miss our friends and family back home during these festive days.

To the boys' glee, we BBQ'd huge marinated 'Texas Steaks', boerewors from the local SA shop, meltingly delicious salmon steaks and garlic prawn kebabs. I made various salads and side dishes, and all was accompanied by my favourite red wine. We were so stuffed after all this, that we skipped desert. Anyway, the kids were all in a hurry to go out on their own.


How did Paul and I end the evening? Shhhush! Don't tell anyone, but us fuddy-duddys watched The 'Sound of Music' and then 'Show Boat' on TV. We must be getting old, because I enjoyed these old musicals more than any noisy party we could have been at!

As I'm writing this, it has started to pour down with rain. It's been a very humid and hot day, so the rain is quite a relief, but I reckon it will place a bit of a damper on the usual fireworks displays...

I am full of hope that the coming year will hold even more wonderful opportunities for us, our children and all our family and friends across the world. Here's wishing you all the very best for 2009.

Happy New Year!

Saturday, 27 December 2008

Just another day in Paradise...


After the Christmas overindulgence Paul and I thought we better get some exercise, so this morning we decided to walk the 5 km route from Somerville School to Cockle Bay and back home.



Our walk took us along a neat little walkway, nothing too strenuous, winding up the side of the cow-dotted hill and past the silvery estuary. The boarded walkway leads you up over the hill, under shady trees, down to the sleepy little boatyard, and then, if you catch the tide out, around the point to Cockle Bay, and further to Howick beach, if you wish. We wandered past the musky mangrove swamps, where hoards of little miniature crabs scuttle away the moment they hear your footsteps on the boardwalk. We stood for a few moments watching them tentatively creep out of their holes with little popping sounds. The moment we moved, off they scuttled again, much to our amusement.

After yesterday's clear, sunny skies, today was a much milder day, almost misty and the sunlight gentle. On days like today the colours are bright, and the air smells like honey. The breeze was cool, and ideal for a 5 km tramp.

Just before the boatyard, a few baches (holiday homes) are carved into the side of the hill, and we spied the owners lying peacefully in their hammocks in the shade. Everyone seems to have a boat, or yacht, and a couple of fishermen were fishing lazily from the beach. Here and there people taking their dogs for a walk greeted us in a friendly manner.

Once we got back to Cockle Bay, we sat for a while, just enjoying the children playing on the beach, and the older people sitting in the shade. We really are so fortunate to have the beach so close, and we do live in such a beautiful, peaceful area.

Here are some photos I took this morning, thinking that they may be nice to paint. Enjoy them with me!




I thought this little boat was too pretty to miss, with it's bright orange underside.

These fishermen were sitting contentedly on
up-turned buckets, waiting for the tide to come in.


People walking by are so friendly, and relaxed.
Dogs walk free, no leashes.
We've never seen a stray since we've lived here!

Friday, 26 December 2008

Blue skies on Boxing Day

We had a super, lazy day today. The weather was fantastic - sunny with blue skies, and a very slight cooling breeze.

Boxing day sales are very popular in New Zealand, but we chose to stay as far away from the shops as possible. Dan had to work (at Muffin Break - he says it was soooo busy!) Joe chose to sleep, eat, sleep, eat all day.

The twins went their separate sociable ways. It's so easy for teenagers to get around here - they just hop on a bus for about $1.65 and can get to various malls and shopping centers that way. It only gets dark at 9pm at the moment, so they're allowed to roam around until 8pm, as long as they clock in with me around 6pm and let me know where they are. Thank goodness for mobile phones!

Seeing as we had the day to ourselves, Paul and I took our fancy little portable, foldable beach chairs ($9 at Bunnings Warehouse) and had a picnic down at Cockle Bay, which is a 5 minutes stroll from our house. We had a book each, a couple of sandwiches and a drink. We found a quiet, shady spot, and settled in for a few hours of sun, surf and snooze.

The pebbly beaches are clean, peaceful and shady, with huge pohutukawa trees and grassy verges. Quite a few Islanders joined us, but they are so softspoken and jolly, and no alcohol is allowed on the beaches, so the peace was not marred at all.

Later we returned home for a nap - hardly necessary, but the sun had made us lazy. Dan stopped work at 7:15pm, so we picked him up and went home for a late supper of Christmas leftovers.

In the evening Paul and the boys watched a Jacky Chan movie, while Rae made a few urgent phone calls, and I updated my blog, and had a quick Skype chat to check in on my folks. It's just so great that we can chat on an almost daily basis for no charge!

A lovely, lazy, laid-back day in Paradise is over, leaving us feeling contented, relaxed and happy.

Thursday, 25 December 2008

We've had iPeace and iGoodwill this Christmas!

Hosting Christmas in a faraway country, with only four teenagers as 'the family' can be taxing and turbulent, to say the least. This year, however, we found the magic wand that creates Peace and Goodwill in the homefront: iPods!

Paul and I decided we would forfeit our annual Christmas holiday, and spend the money on buying decent gifts for the kids instead. The choice on gifts was easy, really. It just had to be the new 8Gb iPod Nano. You can download music, videos and photos on to it, and use it to play games. The ultimate in teenage entertainment, and according to Apple, a good educational aid.

Rae's mobile phone had just broken for the umpteenth time, so she got a new phone, and a cute little pink iPod Shuffle instead. And guess what - the shop manager threw in a Shuffle for me for free! (I don't think he could believe his luck at the lady buying 3x iPod Nanos, a phone and an iPod Shuffle all at the same time!)

Christmas Eve was a happy and joyous occasion. I cooked a lovely meal with all the traditional trimmings. Rae and I laid the table beautifully in red, gold and black. We had sparkling wine (Nederburg) and red wine. (Obikwa and Two Oceans - cheap South African plonk, but good.)

After dinner we sat down to open our gifts. Everyone had gone to great lengths to buy gifts for each other, and we had a veritable pile of gifts which Dan handed out. Watching the kids open their iPods was such a treat! Worth every sent spent. Little did I know the best was yet to come....

Well, yesterday, Christmas Day, was an uncharacteristically quiet affair. It was Peaceful, and filled with Goodwill.

Paul and I basked in the sun on the deck, while Dan did the BBQ. Mind you, our Chef kept disappearing, and I later found out he was downloading songs on to his new iPod. Niel and Joe had an amicable badmington game on the newly mown lawn, iPods around the neck - so no bickering.

Rae had a very sociable day - sitting quietly with us at times, standing on the balcony sometimes, texting away on her new phone, with earphones on... In the background we had the peaceful sounds of birds chirping away in the trees, and the strains of Bing Crosby's Christmas Album. Our choice of music, for once!

No one spoke to Paul or to me. We could actually have a real, grown up conversation, for once. No bickering. (Well, not as much as usual.) No smarmy comments. (Well, very few.) And no-one responding to any requests from my side. (Which did cause some hurt feelings, but Oh well, what is Christmas without a bit of emotional turmoil!)

All in all, I would recommend to any parent of teenagers - Buy the kid an iPod! It's a wise investment, and restores the pre-parenting calm into your household!

Hope you all had a marvellous Christmas and that 2009 holds in the very best for all of you!

PS. My American brother has let me know that, in his opinion, Zune is better than iPod. What do you think?

Sunday, 14 December 2008

My Mother's an artist, and my Father's a poet...

When I was in KG II (Grade 2, or Year 2 to the SA and NZ readers), my teacher asked me what my parents' occupations were. Well, at the time my Dad like to write little rhymes and limericks to amuse us, and Mum - well Mum painted. I answered my teacher's question as truthfully as I could: "My Mother's an artist and my Father's a poet." (In reality, at the time both worked in the Standard Bank.)

Mom and Dad, June 2008

I can tell many amusing stories about my creative childhood.

Dad's writing has progressed from limericks, to board reports, to eulogies.... (Sorry, but it's true. He does write them achingly beautifully, though.) Dad stayed creative in many ways - he's a great musician, whistles and sings, and audiences in Swellendam love him. He also does exquisite carpentry, and is still busily filling orders at 71! Recently he taught Laphious, my 'brother' how to make some furniture, and helped him earn some income to help his wife in Zimbabwe. Dad should write a book, though. I shall tell him that!

Here's my Dad, Koos, with Laphious, my Zimbabwean 'brother'. He kindly keeps an eye on my parents for me and lends a helping hand when they need it.

Mom has been painting as long as I can remember. My earliest memories are of our house in Rusape, and of her going to Art lessons.

My fond childhood memories are filled with the smell of oil paints and turpentine, much as other children remember the aroma of freshly baked scones. (Needless to say, Sixpence baked the scones...) I also chuckle when I remember my Grandma's disgust at my Mum using the silver-plated cutlery as a palette knife. She really did... S'trues Bob! She still would, if she had any left. But the rest got bent when she was gardening. Need I say more? I could tell many stories of a freezer filled with.... not freshly prepared lasagnes, or melktert, but... palettes of oil paint.

Growing up in such a creative household had it's merits. To this day I love all forms of Art and I dabble in all sorts of creative arts and crafts. Also, very few quirks of humankind shock or dismay me. I've learned to accept that some people are 'a bit different', and that's OK. One day when I grow up, I want to be an Artist too, just like my Mum!

Here's some of her work. The one on the right is of her latest, which has just been sold by her art dealer. Check out her page on the web for more examples of her art work.


Artwork: Rae Smit, Swellendam. Sikelelaart.com

Saturday, 6 December 2008

Sun, Summer, Surf and Scooters!

We've just had a sun-kissed, exciting weekend. Our batteries are recharged, and we're ready for the final onslaught and the countdown to 2009.


Paul and I decided to leave our darling, grateful and delightfully pleasant teenagers at home so that they could have some peace and quiet, and we left for two days to Waiheke Island. The trip takes about an hour by ferry, and once you're on the island you commute by one of the many buses.

I must admit, the bus trips were not my favourite part of the weekend. We kept landing up with the same grumpy, young hell-raiser of a busdriver. He zooms around the corners, zips up and down the narrow lanes, and misses the many pedestrians and scooters by inches. Scary stuff!

Whenever I'm on Waiheke I rediscover my inner hippie. I invariably come back with some new bag, scarf or beaded, wrap-around skirt in muted, root-dyed hues. People on the island are super-laid back. The local women wear long, flowing dresses, scarves around their heads, and leather shoes. The men have long hair, tied back with a leather thong, and beaded waistcoats. My kinda place!


Paul and I had so much fun. On Saturday afternoon we rented two sea kayaks and spent the afternoon paddling in the bay. It was sublime. At times it was quite windy, and the waves a bit choppy, but it was so exhilarating!


Today we rented two scooters and explored as much of the island as we could in four hours.

We had lunch at one of the vineyards, and sampled their estate wine.


Back home, we found the kids sweet, accomodating and happy. The kitchen was sparkling, and they had prepared a wonderful, tasty meal for us. Yeah, right!

The weather was fantastic - I have the sunburn to prove it - and the island vibe, as always, was great. So ends our two days in paradise...

Yes, this is me, doing my kayaking thing. (The kayak photos were taken from Paul's cellphone, so they're not terribly clear!)Paul on the little scooter we rented.




Thursday, 13 November 2008

Life is good in New Zealand


Life has been pretty amazing in New Zealand over the last couple of weeks. Well for me, anyway. The kids might not agree and, as teenagers do, they're grumbling and griping about the upcoming exams.

These are the good things that have happened:

  • The local community gym let us join through the school, for only $9 a week and no joining fee! The facilities included in this membership are a fully equipped circuit, a heated swimming pool (actually there are four), a sauna, steamroom, spa, and various classes including aerobics, kick-boxing and a pilates-yoga class! You also get an assessment and a personal trainer - all included in the price!
  • The government let me vote in the elections. This after just having lived in the country for three years. I received my Permanent Residency in June, and this allowed me to vote! What a thrill to actually have a say. It really made me feel that this is indeed a new home for us.
  • We have a new leader - John Keys. He believes in standardized testing in the Primary School, which may just be a good thing... We don't know how this is going to go, but on the whole the country seems to be heading in a good direction!
  • The price of petrol has gone down 19c in the past fortnight. Imagine that! The rest of the world is reeling under a recession, and here the price of petrol, and as a result food, is declining.
  • My teenage sons are actually studying for their NCEA exams. (See my previous post!) By the way does anyone know how to re-arrange the following formula to make v the subject?
    fL = [(v + vL)/(v + vS)] fS
  • I got a $50 discount voucher on my Jenny Craig groceries for getting a friend to join. I'm also steadily losing weight, and feeling pretty energetic.
  • The sun shone today. And yesterday. And the weather forecast says it will be shining tomorrow again. For Auckland, that is a miracle!
Yeah, life sure is good. Must be the endorphins from all the gym sessions making me feel this happy!

Tuesday, 4 November 2008

New Zealand Education Policy: What the Parties say!

We've got an election in a few days in New Zealand too! The two main Parties are National, with their leader John Keys, and Labour with the lovely Helen Clark as their leader.

Their education policies in a Wordle, are quite interesting!

National says:



Labour says:



In the long run, it's not the WORDS that count, but the ACTIONS! This is going to be an interesting show to watch!

What do you think?

Wednesday, 29 October 2008

10 tips to get teenage boys to study for NCEA


One of the biggest adjustments we've had to make in New Zealand, is to get used to the school system and get our heads around how NCEA works.

In just a few weeks Dan and Joe are both starting with their NCEA exams. Dan is in Year 13 (Level 3), and Joe is in Year 12 (Level 2).

After having attended a technical high school, they had to revert to academic subjects when they got here last year. Boy, have they had a hard time adjusting! The NCEA system is very different to Matric and seems to be of a much higher standard. They've gone from being top students to really struggling to achieve the required standard.

Of course choosing subjects like Chemistry, Physics and Legal Studies has not made it easier for them. Nor has their constant wagging. (Bunking in SA-speak.) But, they've got this far, and all they need to do now is to sit on their behinds, and study!


How to (attempt to) get teenage boys to study:

1. Acknowledge that this is much too hard, and that they'll never make it without super-human effort. Be sympathetic. All the time.
2. Be prepared: it will cost you money! Buy them every study guide you can lay your hands on. Also print out exam papers and answers off the internet. Also help them work out a study time table. Buy new stationery. Get colourful sticky notes. Actually get anything you can think of that may help them.
3. Stock up on chips, chocolates, jelly babies and instant capucino's.
4. Stock up on Gingko Biloba, St John's Wort and Rescue Remedy.
5. Motivate, praise, cajole, bribe, blackmail. Many times. Plead, then cry, then plead, then cry some more.
6. Promise to buy them a car.
7. Look guilty, and apologize for the inconvenience you have caused them by bringing them up, and getting them this far. Apologize even more if you've immigrated during their puberty.
8. Remind them that their fore-fathers walked barefoot over the Drakensberg Mountains. (Or the Bombay hills, if you're from Aotearoa.)
9. Pray. Pray consistently and constantly.
10. Ask well-meaning family in SA to NOT tell them they 'don't have to worry, they can write Matric next year in SA'. (Go figure!)


Oh dear, I don't know how I'm going to get through these exams! Any advice?

Sunday, 28 September 2008

Oh, how I love my Mother-in-Law

MIL just invited us (that's her son and me) to join her on a family holiday next July in..... Turkey. Even more exciting: We'll be staying at the Club Med Beldi for a week!

It will be a great occasion as Paul's two brothers, (one from Phoenix, Arizona and the other from Johannesburg), their wives and children, and my 13 year old step-daughter from Cape Town will all be joining us there. MIL is 80+ and I reckon she is trying to gather together her chicks from all over the world, before she is too old to travel.

Yeeee-haaa!

When I made this little Befunky cartoon earlier this year, it must have been prophetic!

Anyone know where in Auckland I can take belly-dancing lessons?

Friday, 26 September 2008

Who is Kgalema Mothlanthe? All about the 'older brother'.


ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe was duly elected in the National Assembly on Thursday as South Africa's next president to replace Thabo Mbeki, who resigned after being "recalled" by the party. - 25/09/2008 14:09 News24.com

What do we know of him?

- He comes from a working class family

- Born on 19 July 1949 in Alexandra in Johannesburg. He grew up in Alexandra and later moved to Meadowlands, Soweto.

- In the 1970s, while working for the Johannesburg City Council, he was recruited into Umkhonto we Sizwe. He formed part of a unit tasked with recruiting comrades for military training.

- Motlanthe, 59, is known as "the elder brother" because of his calm and collected manner in even the most treacherous political waters.

- Motlanthe has distanced himself and the party from near-hysterical calls by the party's youth league to spill blood and kill for Zuma.

- In response to the militant language, Motlanthe recently said: "Of course there are individuals who are very angry ... and who then make statements - this is not ANC policy."

- Has been called "perhaps the most level-headed and reasonable of all the politicians" in the ANC.

- Known for keeping his personal life out of the public eye.

- He was a follower of the anti-apartheid activist and black consciousness leader Steve Biko, who died in police custody in 1977.

- After 11 months in initial detention, Motlanthe was sent that same year to Robben Island and was not released until 1987.

- When he was elected deputy ANC president last December, Motlanthe disarmed journalists by saying that rather than seek high office, he'd prefer to train the national football team as South Africa prepares to host the 2010 World Cup.

The closing words of his acceptance speech are certainly uplifting and hope-inspiring:

"We live in challenging times. We see before us many mountains that are yet to be climbed, and numerous rivers that still need to be crossed.

Yet, for all the challenges that lie ahead, the incontrovertible truth is that never before has South Africa been closer than it is today towards the achievement of a better life for all its people.

We therefore have a shared responsibility to build on these results and to strive together - sparing neither courage nor strength - towards the achievement of a better South Africa, a better Africa and a better world."


I guess we shall see what we shall see, soon enough!

Image: http://onctoday.co.za
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200809250768.html, News24.com

Monday, 22 September 2008

Out of the frying pan, into the fire!



Africa, Oh Africa. What is happening to you?

The news that Mbeki is being forced to resign, and that his probable runner up is Zuma, is - to say the least - frightening!

Eish - the Madoda cannot even read very well, I hear! He has no schooling, but he is a Zulu prince, so I suppose that makes it all OK. At least Mbeki is an intcharektcho!

"Azikho ukwazi, kakuhlu isipazamiso" as my students at Learn to Earn used to say!


(No knowledge, big trouble)

Eish!



Limerick, or Ode to Africa.

In Zimbabwe there's a man
Who a great little country ran
Yes, he ran it to the ground
And now rumbling tummies is the only sound
And he has hardly a fan.

In South Africa there's a chap
Who's taken a great country right off the map
From thriving, but mistaken
It's now just lost and broken
Fortunately he's on his last lap!

The future in Africa looks bleak
But if our ancestors could speak
They'd say "all Africans pull together
And vote for a man who will bring good weather
And not an illiterate sneak!"

Comment from the author of this post: I know this is terrible poetry, and I can do much better, honest, but who can be inspired by such a mess-up?

Image can be found here.

Sunday, 17 August 2008

What a Weekend!

We just got back from a fantastic weekend in Tokaanu, near Taupo. We rented the Tokaanu Post Office. It was just right for a family with 4 teenagers! Loads to do for the kids. The ski fields were all closed due to the poor weather, but never the less we managed to have a play in the snow. I've never been so cold in my life before, especially when it started snowing! The hot pool back at the bach (Kiwispeak for 'holiday home') was great. We even sat in it under umbrellas in the pouring rain. Of course the geothermal pools across the road were fascinating, and always of great interest. Have a look!

Tuesday, 22 July 2008

Dear Africa (in the style of Dear Johnny...)


Dear Africa,

I didn't know what to expect. I mean, I knew what to expect when I saw my family, and the shops, and the familiar scenes of Cape Town. But I really didn't know how my heart would behave towards you, Africa. You are the one that I yearn for every day. The one that I left behind without saying Goodbye properly. The one that discarded me for someone new.

Have you ever met an old love again after a few years of not seeing him? You still recognize his face, his tone of voice, even the feel of his hand when he gives you a quick hug in greeting. You still smile at his jokes. You actually still like him. But the familiarity is gone. After the initial catching up on news, there's not much more to say. That's how I felt about you, Africa. I don't belong with you anymore. I've forgotten how to have you in my life.

Have I stopped loving you, Africa, the continent of my birth? Or, like it happens when a lover dumps you for someone new, have I got unresolved feelings for you? Is this feeling of neutrality just a way to 'build a wall' around my heart, and protect myself from feeling hurt by you again, Africa? I can't live with you anymore, Africa. I had very little choice in our separation. It was all your doing. You had other people which you started nurturing and caring for. Africa, you stopped loving me first.

Oh, Africa, my Africa. I will never stop loving you. But I have a new life now. A new love is growing in my heart. It's Aotearoa!

But, Africa, can we at least still be friends?

With love from Me.


Watercolour by well known Swellendam artist Rae Smit.




Wednesday, 16 July 2008

Super Swellendam!

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Wednesday, 25 June 2008

Oh, Betty, where are you?


Tertia writes in her blog, So Close, of her kids that needed to see the paediatrician while she was away on a business trip. She organized her father's driver (!) to pick up Rose and the children and take them off to the paedi.

Oh! Sigh! Why didn't I cherish my Meisie / Betty / Katrina more? I remember the day I was catering for a wedding and she phoned me to work to tell me that the dog had jumped on the table demolishing the pork roast, which was already neatly sliced and sauced. I sent her to buy a new one, cook it, garnish it and have it ready by the time I got home to rush to the function. And she did! What about all the times she cooked, cleaned, folded and sorted for me, that I didn't find so spectacular. I even grumbled when the laundry was less than spotless! I was particular about the spider webs BEHIND the toilet. I frowned at the carpet not being 100 % square to the door. What a pain I must have been as an employer!

As a Cleaner, I'm absolutely useless. OK, granted, I do work (teach) full time. (And if any of you have any illusions that teachers work half-day or have holidays, think again.) In NZ we have no Betty, no Rose, no cleaner. I just don't feel comfortable having a strange woman in my house, that is not Betty, or Rose, or Happiness, or Beauty. Djy wiet!

Now this is my predicament. I'm leaving for SA in 2 day's time. The 4 teenagers are staying alone, and I've arranged for a cleaner. Now I've had wonderful cleaners over the years in SA. I've felt comfortable having them inspect my house / scrub the toilets / fold the laundry. My cleaning ladies have become my confidante, my children's other mom, and a trusted friend. I knew what to expect, and knew how to act. And I was never embarrassed my house's lack of cleanliness. I could always blame it on the just-departed Betty / Rose or Happiness.

But now my new cleaner is called Karen de Vos. She sounds really well educated, and speaks Afrikaans, like me. We're on the same social rung! Only I'm a teacher, and she's a professional cleaner. I won't elaborate, but if you're South African, you'll understand my feelings about this! (Of course she'll be getting a professional cleaner's wage, too!)

'Mev. Karen de Vos' is coming to see me on Saturday morning about the job. I'm so nervous. I hope I'll have time to tidy up and clean before she comes! How would you feel in this situation?

Thursday, 19 June 2008

Permanent Residency - At Last!


After months of admin, waiting and paying very large amounts of NZ$ to Immigration NZ, we finally got the letter this week: Our Permanent Residency has been approved. Just a final payment, stamps in the passport, and the children and I are set.

Having PR is a huge, huge benefit. Firstly, no more annual visa applications. Hospitalisation and some other social benefits come our way. And university study is so much cheaper and easier. We are so excited - more so, because we're on our way to South Africa for a short visit, and having the all-important documentation means no stress at customs when we come back. Hooray!

Best of all - the two older kids can now legally find part-time jobs. No more pocket money. No more excuses. No more sullen teenagers hanging around the house. (Actually that's not fair - they're mostly all quite nice.) But it will be nice for them all to have some extra cash, like all the other Kiwi youngsters!