JB Rivers after the movies

Me and Annelie shared the dinner special (chicken livers, sirloin steak and cheese-cake) at JB Rivers after the movies tonight. We ordered the Excelsior Pure-bred "workhorse" wine and just had a great time. The movie (The Reader) was an excellent choice (Annelie's decision). It was a simple evening out, but we just enjoyed each other's company and getting away from the usual routine. It is such a blessing that we still enjoy being together after we have known one another for 32 years.

Morning Sunrise

I was up before sunrise this morning. After I made myself some breakfast, I read a few passages in the Bible (as is my custom) and then had a long discussion with God: I prayed. When I opened my eyes, God started painting the day in the most amazing way. The clouds had this intense pink color above Stellenbosch. I went out on the balcony in the chilly morning, and I felt vibrantly blessed.

Grand Cru Chablis

I opened a 1998 Chablis Grand Cru Bougros for no apparent reason - just because it was in the fridge. It was an amazing wine - smooth, yet still very well-defined with a lot of character. One should surprise one-self like this more often.

Attending the GSMA MMU

I am attending the MMU (Mobile Money for the Unbanked) worksession at the Mount Nelson in Cape Town. This is a special occasion for me, as I have the opportunity to work with professionals that I have met in many different places in the world, and we are doing it here in Cape Town - my hometown. We will sponsor the dinner for tonight and I am really looking forward to this.

Maze at One&Only

I had a business dinner at the Maze Restaurant at the new luxury hotel in the Waterfront. We had a wonderfull time with great business partners and an excellent winelist. Unfortunately, the food was very much below par. It is possible that the restaurant is still finding its feed and it will get better - but the room for improvement is just so huge.

Congestion on the R300

I got stuck on the R300 this morning because of a mini-bus taxi that lost a wheel (it looked like that). It took me almost an hour longer to get to the office. It is times like this that one needs to just stay calm - it does not help to get upset. I always listen to CapeTalk on the radio. One reason being that I get traffic updates and I could then take an alternative route. Problem is that I got this one late - when I was already stuck.

Bloemfontein Family

Me and Annelie were in Bloemfontein for the weekend. We try to visit regularly as Annelie's father is terminally ill and we try to give as much support as we can. While we were there, we also saw Annelie's brother (Izak) and his family. Adri (one of his daughters) is also in this picture.

Boeremark

We are visiting Annelie's parents in Bloemfontein. (Father-in-law is very ill and we try and spend as much time with them as possible). On Saturday one of the attractions in Bloemfontein is the Boeremark. A local open market where local food is a place to go. Me and Annlie browsed through the market this morning.