Looking back at 2007.

It's nearly the end of the year, and as most (well, some at least...) of us do, we make New Years resolutions that are broken within the first few hours of the new year. I, however, do not have new year's resolutions, but goals for a new year. And now is the time to look back and see how I've done...



1. Love my hubby even more - Impossible not to do, so check! He makes every day worth living.



2. Go to at least 5 new interesting places I've never been - check! (Kilifi, Lamu Island, Dar-es-Salaam, Kampala & Watamu plus lots more, but it becomes long winded.)



3. Quit smoking - Mmmm, not so much check... But at least I've cut down dramatically...



4. Lose the tube - Ongoing check - lost a total of 9kg and 6 inches around the waist already and still going strong. Looking and feeling a LOT better.



5. Don't lose my temper so badly - Sort-of check. I think I've matured a lot this year, but still lose my rag a little sometimes.



6. Get fit - Check! Hitting the gym-thing three times a week, every week. Can feel it in my energy levels and also in my lower back that use to give me hell, but its no longer painful all the time. (Maybe the acupuncture helped here too.) No six pack yet (Don't think it will ever be) but at least a flat-ish stomach, and I don't drag over my own tracks in the sand with my droopy arse anymore...



7. Grow my career - Big time check! I feel that this year I really achieved a lot, and it has meant a lot for my career growth as well as my personal satisfaction achieved! I've learnt a lot about stuff I've never done before, I've spent time with some of the most dedicated people in their respective fields, and also shared so much knowledge with my staff.



8. Have fun - Another big time check! Had some real fun with my staff - it's a laughing office, and had real fun away from the office. Learnt how to drive a four wheel drive trough mud and went 'playing' quite a few time.



9. Get over my irrational fear of spiders - Miserable failure... Never will get over this one. I still scream like a girl if there's a spider within 400 nautical miles.



10. Love and live more - Big time check! This has been such an honest year for me. Disappointments, yes a few, but mostly I can say that I've really lived.

Now it's time to set my goals for next year. It get more challenging every year...

Hope y'all have had your dreams come true!

TTFN

New art.

I've been meaning to post some pictures of the art at home (some more here) for a while, but it's one of those things that just does not seem to happen. All of these are done by 'local' artist - local meaning East African - Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Etiopia, Sudan, DRC etc.

This specific piece is hanging in the lounge over the fireplace. The contrast with the stone wall is just stunning...

This I bought in Dar-es-Salaam and VERY carefully carried back to Nairobi as hand luggage. It's actually not a painting but two carvings in a wooden box frame. Hanging in the lounge area on a little 'dead' wall between two bay windows.

And now for some reason 'blogger' won't allow me to download more pictures - bugger blogger...

Will try again later.

To be continued...

Have a fruitful day now, y'all!

TTFN

AND THE DAMN THING IS MESSING UP MY SPACING... You wanna mess up a girls day, mess with my arangment of thing!

Wandering mind...

It was one of those nights were sleep evaded me for a few hours, and every single magazine/book in the house has had a paging trough, so there I lay... As is the norm in a situation like this, the mind starts taking a little stroll. Lying there, listening to the sounds from the forest next to the house - boy I'm going to miss this when I move to Cape Town, the friendly neighbours not so friendly dog barking - the thought of poisoning this bugger came to mind quickly dispelled by my better judgement (I am an animal lover, after all!), and then my thoughts drifted to Dawie...

Here is a man that, for the last few years, has taken my life over completely. Now, some might say this is a bad thing, but I believe it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He is both grounded and a dreamer, both giving and selfish (about our time together, our shared experiences, our life), both whimsical and totally predictable. But, trough all this he is a pillar. A pillar of strenght and security, of love and devotion, of utter dedication to me and to us. What more could I possibly ask for?

Well, all I can ask for is to be blessed with more years together, more time, more laughter and even some tears (yes, they make up a part of any relationship). Thank you my sweet, sweet man for being exactly who you are.

TTFN

Ps: 13 Days and counting towards a WHOLE MONTH of us time! Cannot wait!

Long time no...

It's been a crazy few weeks here with lots to do, lots to plan, financial budgets to complete and all this while I just cannot wait for the days to pass till our 'wonderous' summer holiday! I've been up to my nipples in paperwork for the last two weeks and have hardly had time to think... (Something I do very often, always jumping to the most ridiculous conclusions.) So, what's been going on in Nairobi?

We're in the midst of the 'short rains' and it seems to not want to end. Today is a lovely sunny day, as was yesterday, but last week was terrible. Rain, mud, cold winds - not very summery... Also visited the Bizarre Bazaar on the weekend and bought the most beautiful handmade teak chest with brass detailing. Had to lug this thing all over the bazaar as it was bought at one of the first stalls we visited. Typical of me - HAD TO HAVE IT THERE AND THEN! I have absolutely no self control when it come to pretty things.

Had lunch at Rangers on sunday, and sat looking out over the national park - life could be worse... Had a lovely lunch followed by a raid on the veranda by one of the resident baboons. He helped himself to some leftovers on our plates and succeeded in getting a British tourist type person at the table next to ours in a total 'tiz'. Could have sworn she was being physically asaulted by this poor creature...

The rest is basically just much of a muchness. Work is driving me crazy and, even thought we are winding down towards the end of the year, seems to be no less than usual. All I'm thinking about at the moment is the 11th when I'm catching a flight to Joburg for a break!

Hope y'all have a really fruitful day now!

TTFN

My life as I see it.

Sitting here with Depeche Mode playing on the old iPod-thingy - in fact, song is 'Try Walking in my shoes', so feeling all philosophical and deep. I've been on this earth for close on 39 years, had my share of happiness, sadness, stupidity and moments of pure brilliance (a.k.a pure luck!), and all the current 'fluctuations' in my life has made me think of how truly wonderfully rich I am.

Yes, I am rich beyond measure, but not in the way that people usually use the word. I am rich in that I have somebody in my life that truly loves me for who I am, and not what I can provide. I am rich with a family that loves me dearly, and loves my partner for who he is. I am rich with a group of friends all over the world that will walk in my shoes, as much as I will walk in theirs. I am rich not because I have a bank balance that is in the black, but because of people around me - both physically and emotionally.

I might be as queer as a three dollar bill, but my life is as straight as a US Republican. (No wait, that does not work at all...)

I hope you all have a stinking rich weekend!

TTFN

Life is funny...

I've been in two minds for quite some time now about my 'role' in Kenya, and whether this is the best thing for my relationship, my career and my life in general. Yes, hubby and I discussed the move at lenght, but there is this constant 'niggle' in the back of my mind about what this is doing to us, and whether my career was really advanced by this move, but I digress...

On Friday last week, the CEO was in the country and came into my office to speak to me. He asked me whether I would be interested in a new project that was started in Cape Town, and would I be willing to move to Cape Town to run this project for the Africa division of the business. We spoke at lenght about what it would involve and to be honest, I'm very interested. He even asked me whether my partner (hubby) would be willing to relocate to Cape Town in order for us to be together - they would endeavour to offer him employment in another division of the company... (Sound a bit like nepotism, but this would be offered to any 'straight' couple that would need to relocate to another part of the country/world.) I'm gob smacked. As all these 'concerns' are running trough my mind, this comes along...

Well, my response was that yes, I would be interested, yes, I would need to discuss relocation with hubby, yes, they should make me an offer and we can start negotiating, and yes, I would not mind all the travel involved, as long as it does not exceed certain pre-set limits...

Wow, don't really know about how this happened, just glad it did! I'll be very sad to leave Nairobi, but will still visit here quite often, so altogether not a bad thing. And, to be honest, there are worst places to live than Cape Town...

Hope y'all have your dreams come true today!

TTFN

The weekend...

Had a few people over for lunch on Sunday, and it turned out to be quite a nice day. In the evening we went to the Karen Country Club (Very posh affair!!!) to watch the Guy Fawkes fireworks display that was 'fired' off over the golf course. All very pretty...

The KCC is a very elitist country club that's not too far from my home. Very posh - don't worry, I'm not a member - too elitist and WAY too expensive for my very tight wallet. Just could not be bothered joining a club where your wealth (or lack thereof) includes or excludes you from society. Anyway, if I walk in there I drop the median age by about 50 points...

Back to Sunday lunch. Last week I invited a few friends to come and have lunch in the garden as the weather is really nice and warm at the moment, and the garden is looking stunning. The lavender bushes are in full bloom, the day lilies have so many flowers in them that the bush is hanging to the ground, bird's a chirpin', squirrels a squirillin' etc etc. Really loverly. Anyhoo, so E offers to make main course on Wednesday, so now I'm down to starter and dessert, and then on Thursday two calls - Ida will make a decadent chocolate brownie cake, and N&A will make a starter. This leaves me with salad and starch - which C&C decided they would bring on Friday. So for my 'Sunday lunch party' I did absolutely nothing, except pour drinks and sit back! We had prawns on sugarcane for starters, a STUNNING butter chicken with cous-cous and spinach, feta and chickpea salad, and the richest chocolate brownie cake with fresh strawberries for desert. Oh, I did make great Kenyan coffee afterwards, so did not just sit on my 'tuchas' all day...

All this talk of food is making me hungry - time to delve into my lunchbox and get out the leftovers...

Hope y'all have a fruitful day now!

TTFN

Random thoughts and stuff.

A while ago, I did a post on a bit of my personal history as it makes us what we are, and also what we will become in life. Why start with this? Don't know - as usual, just sitting her typing away trying to make sense of it all... That is where and why I started this blog.

This is a forum that I can share stuff 'without' having to worry about people getting hurt or feeling as if we stab them in the back (and in the process getting it of my own backs) - but it also comes with some responsibility... There is so much 'out there' on the net that can be harmful or bad, but also so much that is good and worth reading/looking at. The bad stuff is unavoidable to an extent - people will always use a public forum to promote their own sick/warped ideas, but the good stuff - that is what makes the blogosphere so worth it. I've made some 'friends' here, people I do not know at all (in person, I mean), but people that have a place in my life. People that will - even if I never meet them, always be part of a time in my life that was both exciting and terrible.

I've been contemplating my 'career move' to Kenya for a while now, and I'm wondering whether this is worth the effort and time spent away from loved ones. (Well, basically, one specific loved one...) The experience has been invaluable, but I'm just wondering in the back of my mind what I've missed. It's been two years now that I've been away from home, and as much as hubby and I chat/text/skype/call etc etc, I still need that contact with him. He is such a wonderful and giving person, but how do you give of yourself over the Internet or a phone? Yes, we discussed this move at lenght before the time, but in hindsight I'm no longer so sure... Just seem so removed at the moment.

My goodness, just reread this post and it is a bit all over the place.

Hope y'all have a fruitful day now.

TTFN