Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Meerenbosch Xmas
What a blessing to have our children and grand-children at MeerenBosch to celebrate the most well-known Christian day. As Spiderman and a young ballerina posed in front of the Christmas tree, I experienced tremendous joy that I would want to share with all my friends, colleagues and partners all over the world.
Monday, December 23, 2013
The wild horses of Sandown bay
The wild horses of Sandown bay have been roaming the coastal region between Kleinmond and Hawston for a hundred years. Domesticated animals that escaped into the wild, they adapted to the marshland and sandy underfoot and were rarely seen by humans. We were therefor pleasantly surprised when we saw a small group in front of the house during the afternoon.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Fishershaven cycle
I took the mountain bike for a lazy spin on a sleepy Sunday morning to the look-out point in Fishershaven. There was almost no movement in the little village with three "wild" horses strolling in the deserted streets. Even the solitary bench at the look-out point, overlooking the most beautiful scenery looked lost.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Sunday, December 08, 2013
Saturday, December 07, 2013
33rd year Anniversary
Thirty three years ago, me and Annelie committed ourselves to a lifetime together. Today we celebrated many years of blessings, recognizing that all the good that we experienced was infinite grace from God. The environment and the food at the Delaire Graff restaurant was exquisite and spending the night at Clouds Luxury Estate was also very special. I am so thankful for Annelie and what she means to me.
Thursday, December 05, 2013
Wednesday, December 04, 2013
Sunday, December 01, 2013
Unspoilt MeerenBosch
The unspoiled beauty of the Botriver lagoon as it rushes into the ocean at this time of the year, never ceases to charm me. Our footprints were the first on virgin sand today. Sea-birds played in the morning wind and big waves stormed onto the beach persistently. How big is the creation and how small are we?
Annelie's hand
The cast came off Annelie's wrist last Friday and after examination of the most recent X-rays; the verdict was that the outcome of the operation was not what we anticipated. We are taking time to rationalize the implications and to decide on the next steps. Not everything in life will be good news, but then, there is much growth in tribulations.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Weekend of friendship
Both wine-clubs had their year-end functions this weekend. First the Kurktrekkers with a stunning wine and food pairing at Nederburg's Red Table - honest dishes but elegant and then the Sippers on Saturday. We spend the whole day together in the Stanford area, tasting wines and savoring the cheeses of Kleinrivier. Dinner was at the new harbor in Hermanus with two whales spotted in the waves below the restaurant. Truly a weekend of friendship.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Birds in the early morning
I was awake early this morning (jet lag induced) and listened to the exuberant celebration of the birds welcoming the new day. I realized that it does sound different to when I am in other continents. It is as if the chatter of the birds is with much, much more abandonment here in Africa as anywhere else - as if there is more to be thankful for.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Welcome home
We were pleasantly surprised to be met by Catherine and the two grand-children when we landed at Cape Town International. The two little ones were overjoyed to see us (actually more so to see Annelie). We are so thankful for two special grand-children and a daughter that cared enough to be there when we landed.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Monday, November 11, 2013
French wines in Napa
I savored five of the best Burgundy wines one of the other at the home of friends in Napa. Me and Annelie enjoyed warm hospitality, excellent food and the most beautiful views across the valley from the main living room. But to stand in a big, well-designed cellar predominantly stocked with thousands of the best French wines in the middle of the mecca of American wines; was a memorable experience.
Thursday, November 07, 2013
Atelier Crenn
We were entertained with a culinary exhibition last night in the company of Vijay and Lawrence. Dominique Crenn is the first female in the US running a two star Michelin-rated restaurant and it shows. Not only was every dish on the (short) five course menu exquisite, but the courageous wine-pairings worked beautifully too. What we really enjoyed was the way that other art-forms (like poetry and sculptures) were integrated to create a unique experience. Definitely one of my top ten dining experiences.
Sunday, November 03, 2013
A halloween experience
We actually had a great halloween experience in the suburb where Izak lives. We opened the door to many of the neighborhood kids (most dressed-up friendly. i.e. Alice in Wonderland, etc.) accompanied by their parents. We offered them candy and spoke a few words to them and their parents - an opportunity to get to know the people around here. Annelie scared many of the kids when they heard her speak English... because of her Bloemfontein accent.
Friday, November 01, 2013
First merchant bank
The problem with being an exception is that systems do not cater for you. When I tried opening a US bank account with no plan to settle here, many banks could not help me. Until I stepped into the Brownsburg branch of the First Merchant Bank. Friendly staff, with an attitude of solving problems, managed to open an account for me. The whole experience was a lesson in how important people are in client service; even in banks. The biggest coincidence was that, after I made enquiries, I found that this bank's mobile banking service is supplied by S1, which originally was based on Fundamo software.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Sunday, October 27, 2013
South shore train
Sometimes, when we travel in foreign cities, we take alternative transport; like today. We got on the South Shoreline train out of Chicago to Miller station in Gary. There is a little bit if stress involved to get on the right train on time etc., but the sense of achievement and the interesting people to see and sometimes meet is worth it.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Sears
I was skeptical, but Annelie insisted in a nice way, so we had dinner at Sears - a famous, touristy diner. The service was friendly and crisp. We shared the signature salad as a starter. But it was the main course that I really enjoyed: A thick, juicy pork chop with raisons, accompanied by a heavily oaked Sonoma Pinot.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Litquake
Litquake is a festival of writing organized annually in San Francisco. We arrived on the last day of the festival, but managed to attend one of the last events - held in an alley with wonderful mural art. We listened to amateurs reading some of their unpublished work; ranging from interesting prose and poetry, to work that I had difficulty to understand.
Potrero Hill
Me and Annelie spent a few hours at the Potrero Hill Festival. We listened to the live music and soaked up the atmosphere. Afterwards we agreed that individualism and standing up for a cause is a trademark of this community. We saw many different people, in interesting relationships, dressed uniquely and often walking dogs as original as their owners.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
David Kramer
We enjoyed the brilliance of David Kramer with JP and Maritha at the Old Mill theatre in Paarl. David took us on a journey of his music during the past forty years. His fusion of rock and folk, "weskus" Afrikaans and English, funny and poignant provides for a special enjoyment. He sang some of his newer compositions, but also entertained us with songs like Blokkies Joubert, and an emotional rendition of Skipskop.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Kerrie afval pot
The fires were lit early and tents and gazebos erected. The occasion was our church's annual festival of food. Our group were responsible for selling "skilpadjies" and curry-flavoured "afval-potjies" - both very traditional South African dishes. Notwithstanding the rain and back-breaking work, we managed to sell hundreds of meals, raising funds for the church, but also having an opportunity to work together and get to know each other better.
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