The importance of relationships

I am reading a Purpuse driven life with Annelie every morning. I have read the book before, but am doing it with my wife this time, and I am receiving a lot of blessings in reading this. Todays chapter (chapter 16) was specifically special for me this morning. To once again understand how important it is "to live a life of love".

Sevruga restaurant

We do live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I had dinner with good friends from Pakistan at the new Sevruga restaurant. tonight. As I looked out over the W&A harbour and experienced the last rays of a perfect day, I thanked the Lord for the blessings in my life, to be able to live in such a nice area of the world.

Lunch with my parents

Me and Annelie took my parents for a light lunch at Jan Smuts' house close to Pretoria. It was a nice outing - to get the old people outside and to spend some time with them. We had a few beers and burgers and just talked. My parents are really aging and this is sad in a way, but it is moments like these that I am thankful to still experience.

SmileCommunications

I spent today in Johannesburg attending to a number of meetings. My last meeting was with Irene (CEO of Smile communications). I have such respect for her and what she achieved in her career. Her latest venture (Smile) is such a ground-breaking company, but I just love the brand and the whole style of the company.

SFO

I am now ready to board and go back home. I am sitting at Gate A4 in Terminal A at San Francisco International. The Business Lounge where I could have gone is closed and now I am waiting for my flight to board. The rain is falling slowly outside and everything feels cold and depressing. Strangely, the airport is not very active and I must say not at all as good or beautiful as Cape Town International. This is suppose to be the center of technology, yet I cannot think that it is the case if I look at the terminal building.

Mobey Forum at Sybase

I spent the last two days attending a specialist mobile banking association meetings here in Dublin (a suburb or San Francisco.) I made a presentation and also was a member of a panel. It was great to see the old friends but also to meet new ones. Some of the practitioners of mobile banking have now been in the industry for almost ten years. We have learned such a lot and have also achieved a lot.

Wente winery

We had dinner at a local winery (Wente winery) sponsored by IBM. It provided an opportunity to network with many of the attendees of the Mobey Forum meeting. I looked forward to tasting some of the wines, but we were only exposed to the Chardonnay and Cab. I could see that the winery has a proud tradition and would have liked to learn more, but this was not the case.

Lunch at Dieu Donne

Me and Annelie had lunch today at Dieu Donne. The beautiful setting - the mountains and vineyars in the brilliant sun was just breathtaking - so was the food and wine too. Annelie had a T-bone with the local Merlot and I had the Oxtail stew with the Cross (local Bourdeux blend). On our way back from Franchhoek, we stopped at Allee Blue to buy some of their Starlight Rouge (A wine that we both like).

Bailey at the Big and Easy

After our strategy planning workshop today we had a wonderful dinner at the new Ernie Els restaurant in Stellenbosch - called the Big and Easy. Adriaan managed to get us our own room and we talked about Fundamo, what we have achieved and what we still dream about. We ordered some great wines (particularly the Saronsberg Shiraz) and talked till late. This is Richard who sat at the head of the table enjoying the ambiance.

Cape Town lights

I had dinner with some prospective clients in Campsbay tonight. It was quite and enjoyable time. The food was great, the company was great and of course the wine. As I returned and crossed over the neck at the cablecar, I saw an almost full moon shining on the Cape Town citybowl lights. I am truely blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

Back at Work

After a good rest, I have returned to my desk and a hectic year. I look at all the Xmas cards that I have displayed of friends and business associates and the foreign currency of places that I have been last year and I realise that it was an eventful year. I wonder what 2009 holds, but I know that I can put my trust in the Lord and then things will work out fine.

Meerenbosch Saturday

Me, Annelie, Charl and Ann drove down to Meerenbosch today for a "last-day-of-holiday". We had a great braai under the Milkwood trees and a walk to the sea and back. Afterwards we had a quick afternoon nap before we returned via the pictureque False Bay drive.

On the front page of the Burger

I could not believe my eyes. While we were having an early supper at Col'Cacchio (see previous post), one of the UK princesses were also at the restaurant. This was reported in the media with a photo on the front page of one of the local newspapers. I am the guy in the background with my back to the camera. What a co-incidence!

Col'Cacchio Stellenbosch

Me and Annelie spent a few days at Oupa Izak and Ouma Andre in Bloemfontein. Oupa is very ill and frail at the moment, but his mind is strong and it was gratifying to see the love between the two old people. When we returned to Cape Town, we decided to go to the movies and grabbed a quick bite at one of our favourite restaurants in Stellenbosch (Col'Cacchio). We shared a pizza with the Wolftrap (made by Marc Kent from Boekenhoutskloof).

Watching Cricket History

Me and Ernst woke at 02h00 this morning to watch South Africa make cricket history by winning a series against Australia in Australia. We joined a few other cricket fanatics who saw the event live at the community hall at MeerenBosch. This is a moment I will cherish for a long time.

The beauty of Sandown Bay

Me and Annelie went for a walk on the beach close to MeerenBosch today. It was a brilliantly beautiful day. The lagoon was crystal clear and the air was fresh. We are so fortunate to live close to such a paradise.

Adri's narrow escape

We had dinner at the holiday home of Lwellyn tonight. During the process, the electricity supply was cut and we had to complete the dinner under candle light. In an attempt to create more light, Adri was burnt by an accident with liquid gas - fortunately not too seriously. This is him at the dinner table nursing some of the burns with an icepack. We were so thankful that he turned out to be fine.

MBA in the swimmingpool

One thing that cannot be said about Ernst, is that he lacks dedication to make a success of everything he tackles. He was even studying in the swimmingpool on Xmas day. Judging from the yawn, it was hard work though.

Christmas lunch

We had a wonderful Xmas lunch at Ernst and Catherine's house today. We enjoyed a feast of salads, chicken and desert. What was especially nice was the thoughts about 2008 and our hopes for 2009 that we shared.

My sons at MeerenBosch

Now that I am back in South Africa, we spent some time at MeerenBosch - my holiday cabin close to Hermanus. My sons and daughter-in-law ere also there and we roasted a Snoek (a special South African fish) on an open fire, while hearing the sea-waves break in the background and seeing the dusk arrive as the sun sets. We had the Snoek with a salad and homemade bread. I opened a stunning Elgin Viognier and I knew that God's blessings are more than I can fathom.

Boarding for Cape Town

I am on my way back from India, boarding Emirates Flight EK770 for Cape Town. I managed to get a quick shower at the Emirates lounge and check for e-mail before I had to board. The last score of the Protea match in Perth is that we still needed 117 runs with seven wickets in hand. If everything goes according to plan, I will see my family in ten hours.

Rooftop Dinner

We had an amazing dinner on the roof of one of the buildings in Pune. During the past few days, Richard (on the left in the picture) and me tasted many different Indian dishes, but this meal was special in as far as the food were concerned.

Amity University in Delhi

Me and Richard visited a tech start-up with a small office in the University Incubator. We thought that the trip there was eventful, but didn't know what was waiting for us. (Two-and-a-half hours in dense traffic!). Nevertheless, the outing was extremely beneficial. We learned a lot and it helped us to develop our strategy for Fundamo.

Lighting a ceremonial candle

I was asked to light a ceremonial candle at one of the companies that we visited in Bangalore. It felt a bit strange but I obliged. On my way to the meeting, I asked the driver to allow me to drive the car as I always wanted to feel what it was like to drive in the heavy Indian traffic. It actually turned out to be quite easy. The other drivers were quite patient and accommodating and the traffic moved quite slow.

Leela Palace

Arrived in Bangalore today after a long journey from Cape Town. We are evaluating the possibility of off-sourcing some of our development work to India and was booked into this amazing hotel (the hotel has been rated as the best business hotel in the world). I must say that I have rarely been exposed to such customer care. Staff at the hotel are so keen to help that you sometimes feel like saying: "Just leave me alone!". I have never seen a room cleaned to this degree. When I return after the first day, everything was absolutely perfect - even the toothbrush and soap was perfectly aligned.

Celebrating Quintes' Graduation

My friend Quintes graduated yesterday. He successfully completed his PhD degree and can now officially refer to himself as "Doctor". We celebrated this milestone at his home tonight with some of his friends. It was a joyful experience, but also in a way solemn because we also thanked the Lord for all His blessings in our life - for having Quintes as a friend and for the talents to experience the different dimensions of our friendship (from philosophy and religion, to music and food and wine).

Fundamo Mexican Boatrace

The Fundamo social committee arranged a Mexican Boatrace event at the offices this afternoon. I had a chance to talk to the staff about a great 2008 and what we expect of 2009. The committee had a guy making cocktails and the event culminated with a race across the swimmingpool in various homemade "ships".

Wedding Anniversary

After arriving back from the US, I had time to celebrate our wedding anniversary in style. We had an amazing dinner (yet expensive) at Asara. The setting is just so special overlooking a dam and the Stellenbosch mountains in the backdrop. We watched as the sun set, the vineyards initially bright green merging into the night as the moon arrived. Me and Annelie shared the Chateaubriand (perfectly cooked) with a bottle of the acclaimed Bell Tower. It was a celebration of knowing each other more than thirty years, of tough times, but also of so many wonderful times.

Pink Sun

The sun was pink tonight at home. It was because of the bushfires in the mountains above Gorden's Bay. As we were having our dinner Annelie exclaimed: "Look at the sun!", and I was just so glad to be home...

Leaving on a Jetplane

This is a empty restaurant at JFK. I had a final lunch here before boarding for Dulles and then South Africa. As I sat down, I had some time to review the few days that I had in the US. A few things struck me:

• I did not know that so many Xmas songs exist. Even as I sit at this desk, I am listening to Xmas songs. Since I arrived, this is the only music that I heard. Is this common? Will they keep on playing these songs till the 25th? Believe me, it will drive me crazy.

• The US was built on steel: Steel bridges, steel structures, - but the steel is busy rusting. I have seen rust everywhere. The airports and the hotels that I visited all just felt so tired. (It is in stark contrast with places like Dubai and Singapore that I recently visited).
• The economy is down - I mean really down - in a bad way down. Take this restaurant: empty... I have asked retailers and in general conversation, I have noticed that the consumer is tired, and scared. They have been asked to kick-start the economy with their spending previously. I don't think they are going to do it again.
• Customer service does not exist anymore. In the country where terms like "customer centric" and "delighting the customer" was invented, I see very little of that practiced. Maybe it is because of the general atmosphere, but the customer service people are just not doing it.

Miami from my Hotel Room

I have just finished all the meetings for the week in the US. The week was very productive and I am professionally satisfied. I am starting the long trek back home tomorrow, but am actually quite sad tonight: I am married 28 years with my lady tomorrow (or today, because it is already Saturday in South Africa) and I am so far away from her. It would have been so special if I could share the sunset in Florida with her, but now I am alone...

Back to JFK

Having finished my meeting in White Plains, I am now on the way back to the hotel next to JFK. I am planning to leave for Miami very early in the morning, so I decided to stay close to the airport. I have rented a Avis car and am being navigated back to the hotel. I am listening to a radio station that is playing Xmas music all the time - nothing else! This is America.

Video conference facility

I had this meeting with a potential partner in New York where one of the team joined us from their office in San Fransisco. I have been in Video Conference meetings before, but this experience blew my mind. Three High Definition screens and multiple very high quality speakers created a virtual extension of the table that we were sitting at. It almost felt as if the other person was in the room with us. I have seen the future of remote meetings!

Ernst birthday braai

Ernst 26th birthday is on the 1st December. He invited me and Annelie to his new house for a braai with many of his friends to celebrate. We gave him a wheelbarrow (and a case of beer) for his birthday and enjoyed the day with the young people.

Die Burger Race

I had a good ride on Sunday, completing the 98km Burger cycle race in 3:50. This was a much improved performance for me, but more important, I had such a good time. This race is a seeding race for the Argus and I improved my seeding index from 65 to 44, which mean that I am now in the R group (I used to be in the U group).

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.