First Post from the Omnia

I got a new mobile phone this week. The Samsung i900 (Omnia). (Read more here). Anyhow, I am still learning all the ins and outs of this phone, so have some difficulty in getting the blogging to work. This is the first post from the phone. It is a picture of a little boy sitting on the back of this red bakkie, eating an icecream. I just thought that this is quite cute.

First picture of my grandchild

Ernst and Catherine stopped by just now on their way back from MeerenBosch. They had a CD with some of the scans of my first grandchild. I just had to share it on my blog - we are all so excited, amazed and thankful to be part of this journey.

From the airport in Jakarta

I am sitting in the back of a taxi on my way to the Inter Continental Hotel, Jakarta. Outside, I see a lot of people in informal settlements (like one see all over the world in emerging countries). I just felt sad about all the unfairness in the world. How many people suffer in this world and can't experience what I am fortunate to experience. I resolved to thank the Lord more for all my blessings.

Last see of Macau

The congress has now come to an end and I am on my way to Hong Kong airport. I did not leave the hotel for the whole duration of the congress. (My room, where I had breakfast and dinner and the conference venue where all in one massive venue). So now that I am in the shuttle on my way to the ferry-terminal, I thought I should take some photo to prove that I was actually here...

My hotel in Macua

I am attending the GSM Congress in Macau and am booked into the main hotel for the event. My room is very luxurious. It took me about 10 minutes to find all the switches for the lights before I went to bed tonight. The hotel and conference center is totally over the top! The theme is Venetia, with string music playing everywher you go. The shopping center has got canals. Everything is just done in the extreme. How I wish that I can be back in Africa, with a fire under an African sky with real stars and the sound of the bush.

Havana Evening in Singapore

I was fortunate to be invited to a big party on the Saturday while in Singapore. This annual event (hosted by a big Singaporean business man) collects money for charity. I was amazed at the amounts that was paid for Persian Carpets and Sport Memorabilia that was auctioned. According to what I was told almost ZAR 1.5 million was raised during the evening. This is a picture of some of the people that I met.

Singapore Hilton

I arrived yesterday afternoon from Dubai (leaving at 3 am in the morning) for a late meeting with a prospective client. The meeting was good and I had a bit of debriefing at the Hilton hotel with Aaron. I then slept for almost twelve hours, before I had breakfast and a quick stroll outside before starting up the computer to work...

Dubai Desert

The afternoon before we left Dubai, me and Annelie booked a trip with 4X4 vehicles through the nearby desert. We had a most enjoyable few hours chasing through the dunes and then sat down in a desert camp for a good dinner. We saw the full moon rise over the desert and experienced some of the tranquility that existed in this place before civilization came. (The glow of the electric lights on the horizon was a reminder that the city was just 50 km away). As I sat back and connected to God (Creator of the earth and the universe), I realised that Dubai is not real - it is an attempt by people to build monuments to themselves, and is only temporary. I was at peace because I knew that my purpose is as simple as to praise the living God. I do not have to build any monument to anyone.

Leaving for the airport at midnight

The road in front of the Hotel is a six by six lane highway, with a sideroad of two lanes right in front of the hotel. When I left for the airport at midnight on Thursday the whole place was packed with people and cars. You could see that the city was alive with people on their way to party... searching for purpose in their lives.

When we came back from the desert this afternoon, we passed a kilometers long queue of tanker trucks waiting to enter a gate - hundreds if not thousands of trucks. "Oil?" we asked our driver. "Sewerage" he answered.

Riza's Spice Shop

This is Riza. He is an owner of this spice shop in Dubai. Me and Annelie arrived this morning early from Cape Town. After a shower and a quick rest, we jumped on a tour of the old city and saw a bit of the hustle and bustle of Dubai next to the waterway. It was good to do something together.

My Cousin Ado

This is a picture of my oldest cousin: Ado. He is a missionary that is doing amazing work with drug dependent people. He is absolutely committed to finding the will of the Lord and this dictates what he does. He had dinner with us tonight and we had a good time discussing how God works and what He expects of us.

45 to 5 degrees

This is a picture of me and Charl after we finished the grueling "to Hell and Back" Mountain Bike Race. This two day race starts close to the Cango Caves (near Oudtshoorn) and finishes in the Gamkakloof (also known as the Hell). The route consists of many steep climbs and treacherous downhills for 120km. During the race, we experiences temperatures ranging from 5 degrees to 45 degree. It was one of the most difficult things that I have done in my life, but the sense of achievement when I crossed the finishing line was indescribable.

MENS

I saw this toilet at the restaurant in Barrydale where we had lunch. What is funny about the sign is that "MEN" is obviously the term for a male toilet, whereas "MENS" is the Afrikaans term for "Human"

Annelie in the inside-garden

Me and Annelie had a brisk walk through the estate this morning on a perfect day. The sun was shining brightly, quickly turning the morning chill into a beautiful morning. We were amazed at the number of birds that have made the Estate their home. The dams and the trees are the ideal setting for more and more birds to make their home on the estate. When we return, Annelie spend some time to weed the garden in the front, and I took this picture of her through the kitchen window.

Sunset over False Bay

This picture does not capture the intensity of the sunshine and the contrast with the dark clouds well. This picture was taken from one of the balconies at the house in the direction of False Bay. It was the contrast that really grabbed my attention and that I wanted to share.