Thank the Good Lord for Aircon! I took this in the car a few minutes ago while stuck in traffic... A cool 20C in the car, a rather hot 39C outside! (That's 102 in Farenheit - the fragrance I'm wearing today!)
Have a steamy day now y'all!
TTFN
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
The weekend.
Spent the nicest weekend with my hubby and some friends, and caught up with a few 'cultural' items while at it. Not that I'm such a culture vulture, but do enjoy a good show now and again. Well to be completely honest, can you see a concert as a cultular event? Dunno...
We went to the show of Andre Swartz on Saturday evening at the Carousel. He's ok, not the greatest, but ok, and he's past his prime. (Sorry Andre!). Then, on sunday evening we went to the Celine Dion Concert at Loftus! WOW, that was amazing! If y'all get the chance to go and see her new concert tour - Taking Chances, make the effort and pay the money! I'm not the biggest Celine fan, but this was truly amazing. She has such a pressence on the stage and her voice is truly amazing.
A lot of the time when you get to see artist perform on stage they tend to sound a little different from when you listen to them on your home or car stereo - it's understandable, a studio recording is always going to sound a little clearer or more 'composed', but she sounds as clear as a bell on that stage, and her two hour performance FLEW by! Truly worth it...
Sitting here with a small mountain of work and too much to do, so better get back to it.
Hope y'all have a pretty day now.
TTFN
We went to the show of Andre Swartz on Saturday evening at the Carousel. He's ok, not the greatest, but ok, and he's past his prime. (Sorry Andre!). Then, on sunday evening we went to the Celine Dion Concert at Loftus! WOW, that was amazing! If y'all get the chance to go and see her new concert tour - Taking Chances, make the effort and pay the money! I'm not the biggest Celine fan, but this was truly amazing. She has such a pressence on the stage and her voice is truly amazing.
A lot of the time when you get to see artist perform on stage they tend to sound a little different from when you listen to them on your home or car stereo - it's understandable, a studio recording is always going to sound a little clearer or more 'composed', but she sounds as clear as a bell on that stage, and her two hour performance FLEW by! Truly worth it...
Sitting here with a small mountain of work and too much to do, so better get back to it.
Hope y'all have a pretty day now.
TTFN
Thursday, 14 February 2008
Happy Birthday Darling!
Today is not only the 'most romantic day' in the world, but it is also my wonderful Dawie's birthday!
(The picture was taken during a holiday we spent together at the coast)
Thank you my sweet, sweet man for spending the last years with me. For always being there when I need you, and for grounding me.
Here's to spending the next 39 years together!
EK IS ONGELOOFLIK LIEF VIR JOU!
TTFN
Tuesday, 12 February 2008
A quick update...
So I'm sittin' at my dining room table in our home in Pretoria, and just quickly giving an update on where, what, when, how and why...
Well, not really - just saying I'm not in my normal 'abode' at the moment and not really able to post and go crazy. Our internet connection at home is 'rather slow' (Read frustratingly snail-like) and to try and get anything done is a bit like getting my dear puppies to not want to play the whole time - daddy needs to work y'all!
It's great being at home, even if Dawie is travelling for business this week... I've been tagged, been asked a few questions and have a few mails to respond to, but will get to them as soon as I can...
Hope y'all are having a really pretty day now!
TTFN
Well, not really - just saying I'm not in my normal 'abode' at the moment and not really able to post and go crazy. Our internet connection at home is 'rather slow' (Read frustratingly snail-like) and to try and get anything done is a bit like getting my dear puppies to not want to play the whole time - daddy needs to work y'all!
It's great being at home, even if Dawie is travelling for business this week... I've been tagged, been asked a few questions and have a few mails to respond to, but will get to them as soon as I can...
Hope y'all are having a really pretty day now!
TTFN
Thursday, 7 February 2008
The 'colonial' lifestyle.
A while ago I saw an interview with Richard E Grant. He grew up in some British colony (I do not remember which, my short term memory is SHOT!) and had a little gem of wisdom to share on colonial living. The three B's - Butlers, Booze and Bonking - or something like it. (STML - Short term memory loss has set in...) Why I thought of this is 'cause a few friends came over for dinner last night as I'll be away for a while and, well, we needed an excuse to drink a bottle of good red wine that I got as a gift from houseguests a while ago... (Trying to thin out the stock
As most people in Kenya, I also have a housekeeper to look after the normal day to day running of the household. Honestly, I wouldn't be as happy a camper as I am if this man was not in my home, making sure the place is neat and tidy, the basic foodstuffs in the house are fresh and available, and that services are paid and done. Really great to have this 'little luxury' in my home. Anyway, I didn't let him know that we would have guests for dinner last night, but in less than an hour he prepared a feast for dinner. We had Chipati (local version of a tortilla, I think), stir fried chicken strips marinated in oriental spices (Sesame Seed oil, oyster sause, soy, garlic, herbs and chili), a nice 'salsa' of tomato, avocado, spring onion and yellow pepper with a balsamic dressing, a bowl of fresh mixed lettuce leaves, tsatshiki (Cucumber and Yogurt), grated mature cheddar and a stunningly sweet fruit salad for desert. The meal was basically a 'build your own' around the dining room table - take a chipati and fill it with whatever it is your heart desires.
As for the other B (Bonking), I'm a failure. But, got the butler and the booze covered...
Have a pretty day now y'all!
TTFN
As most people in Kenya, I also have a housekeeper to look after the normal day to day running of the household. Honestly, I wouldn't be as happy a camper as I am if this man was not in my home, making sure the place is neat and tidy, the basic foodstuffs in the house are fresh and available, and that services are paid and done. Really great to have this 'little luxury' in my home. Anyway, I didn't let him know that we would have guests for dinner last night, but in less than an hour he prepared a feast for dinner. We had Chipati (local version of a tortilla, I think), stir fried chicken strips marinated in oriental spices (Sesame Seed oil, oyster sause, soy, garlic, herbs and chili), a nice 'salsa' of tomato, avocado, spring onion and yellow pepper with a balsamic dressing, a bowl of fresh mixed lettuce leaves, tsatshiki (Cucumber and Yogurt), grated mature cheddar and a stunningly sweet fruit salad for desert. The meal was basically a 'build your own' around the dining room table - take a chipati and fill it with whatever it is your heart desires.
As for the other B (Bonking), I'm a failure. But, got the butler and the booze covered...
Have a pretty day now y'all!
TTFN
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
I'm leaving on a Jet Plane...
Every time I post about my travels, I start thinking about some old song my parents use to play in the car when I was but a tiny tot... (Minds out the gutters boys!) My folks love music, and to this day you would walk into their house with the 'radio playing some old forgotton song' (another old song, me thinks). I, on the other hand, tend to listen to classical, jazz or opera quite a bit... Think I'm a bit of a romantic.
Back to the subject in hand (pun intended!). On my way to SA again on Friday, and will be away from 'second home' for about three weeks. Going to spend some time in Pretoria while working in Jozie, and then to Cape Town for a few days to complete a report I need to hand in at the end of the month. Boy, how I love writing reports. It's up there with having hot pokers (clean thoughts only please!) shoved at me...
Well, at least I get to spend the weekends with the hubby! As we are moving into our new home soon I'm sure the weekends will be spent organizing and packing, but at least we will be together. There is still a lot to do at the new home - aircon's need to be installed, solar panels for the geysers, power inverters, garage door openers, electrical layout for the garden features, outside lighting, deck in the front garden, gazebo nad paving in the back garden... It goes without saying that the 'savings account' is in trouble! Oh well, we're not planning to move from there very quickly, so might as well make the home as comfortable as possible.
Long story short, as I'll be travelling, will not post as regularly, so y'all have a pretty few weeks, and be good now! (Or at least, be good at it!)
TTFN
Back to the subject in hand (pun intended!). On my way to SA again on Friday, and will be away from 'second home' for about three weeks. Going to spend some time in Pretoria while working in Jozie, and then to Cape Town for a few days to complete a report I need to hand in at the end of the month. Boy, how I love writing reports. It's up there with having hot pokers (clean thoughts only please!) shoved at me...
Well, at least I get to spend the weekends with the hubby! As we are moving into our new home soon I'm sure the weekends will be spent organizing and packing, but at least we will be together. There is still a lot to do at the new home - aircon's need to be installed, solar panels for the geysers, power inverters, garage door openers, electrical layout for the garden features, outside lighting, deck in the front garden, gazebo nad paving in the back garden... It goes without saying that the 'savings account' is in trouble! Oh well, we're not planning to move from there very quickly, so might as well make the home as comfortable as possible.
Long story short, as I'll be travelling, will not post as regularly, so y'all have a pretty few weeks, and be good now! (Or at least, be good at it!)
TTFN
Monday, 4 February 2008
The shop-o-holic.
As we are not 'allowed' to travel around at the moment - something I'm ignoring like a stop sign in Kenya, I spent most of the weekend with my dear friend Estelle. She is another Souf Efrikan living here, and has a wonderful kind heart, an enquiring mind and a soft nature which makes her great company. (What I mean by 'not allowed' to travel is an advisory from the SA High Commision to stay at home and keep travelling to a minimum. You know, politicians are such wimps!) Anyway, this did keep us to Nairobi area, and we walked around a few of the local shops and such. As per usual, I saw something that is 'perfect' for 'that little dead corner in the spare bedroom' and duly bought it! It's from India, is woven from wool and even has a few copper bells attached to it. Me thinks it works very well agains the soft green of the wall....
As for the rest of the weekend, we had brunch al fresco on saturday at a coffee shop, had lunch al fresco at a restaurant in Karen on Sunday, and then bought a tub of ice - cream for desert, which we took home and had al fresco in the garden. (As you might have guessed, the weather was pretty awesome this weekend.)
Well, that - as they say in the classics, is that... Life is simple here in Africa.
Hope y'all have a pretty awesome day!
TTFN
Friday, 1 February 2008
Wanda Sykes on Gay Marriage
'If you don't like same sex marriage, then don't marry somebody of the same sex...'
Somebody give this woman a prize!
Weekend ahead.
As the weekend looms ahead of us a whole truckload of thoughts are running trought my little head. My dad has always reffered to me as the 'last great warrior' - and he does not mean that I'm all brave and willing to fight a cause, but that I worry too much about things... Bless him. But it's true, I do worry about stuff and tend to analise something to death, working out all the little cenarios in my head and wondering if my course of action (usually taken too quickly) was the right one.
Anyhoo, as per usual I started typing something and my thought process is a little all over the place... I wanted to write about how I'm looking forward to spending the weekend quitely at home, and how I'll be varnishing the outside table before the rainy season starts, and how I'll go to the rental store and rent a whole bunch op pirated DVD's for the weekend (Hey, pirated is the only kind you get here in East Africa, OK!) but instead my thoughts wonder off to my real home and my hubby and how wonderful it would have been to spend some time with him and our children.
How I miss my man...
Oh well, I will keep myself busy with all sorts of little chores around the house as it's not really safe to travel around at the moment. Can go to places like the Masai Mara (for free at the moment for local residents), can go to Mombasa (Can spend a week in Kilifi at the moment for US$250 including all meals and accomodation), but I will sit at home and feel sorry for myself! Maybe some of my bloggin' buddies would like to take this oppertunity to travel to East Africa as it is DIRT CHEAP now! (Hint Hint!)
Hope y'all have a fruitful weekend - safe and filled with sunshine and happiness!
TTFN
Thursday, 31 January 2008
A new day.
My thoughts remain with the situation in the country, but I refuse to have this dictate how I live any longer. I choose to have a positive outlook on life, always, and I now exercise my right to that positive outlook!
I have a choice to 'get out of here' and go 'home' to my loved ones, but what kind of message will that send to all the people that play a part in my life here? No, I choose to stay here and 'grin and bear' it with them. Not because I'm such a brave little camper (mind out the gutter boys!), but because I will not allow idiots and fools to rule my life!
Back to business for me!
Hope y'all have a fruitful, smiling, happy happy day!
TTFN
I have a choice to 'get out of here' and go 'home' to my loved ones, but what kind of message will that send to all the people that play a part in my life here? No, I choose to stay here and 'grin and bear' it with them. Not because I'm such a brave little camper (mind out the gutter boys!), but because I will not allow idiots and fools to rule my life!
Back to business for me!
Hope y'all have a fruitful, smiling, happy happy day!
TTFN
Wednesday, 30 January 2008
A local friend commented on my previous post, and even though anybody can go and read his comment, I've decided to actually post this here - with permission.
He is a young Kenyan with a very positive outlook on life, and truly does not deserve this to happen to him...
Yep, all this events are really petrifying ... Inasmuch as am really sorry for the family of the late MP, I do not understand why politicians should react so strongly towards it while in the last few weeks, when hundreds were dying in Rift Valley, none of them stood up to speak but kept pressing on with their selfish political ambitions ... Is it that common people are dogs and politicians human?
Both leaders have truly failed us ... ODM has shown that it wants power whatever the human cost ... The president is worse than a puppet, failing to assert himself to ensure security in the country ... and there are talks about how he rigged himself in ... which if true, it means he just took us all for a ride. I am really bitter because I am from the rift valley, and bore witness to endless days of road blocks and eviction of the 'wrong tribe'. I am a Kalenjin from eldoret and at the moment i cannot travel home to my parents coz mungiki gangs along naivasha road would make minced meat of me ... the same goes for the kikuyus who dare go towards eldoret coz the so called kalenjin warrior gang bays for their blood. I wonder how my parents will plant their farm this year coz where will they get the seeds and the fertiliser ...
My two sisters have fled from naivasha and nakuru without carrying anything and they have no idea whether they will come back with their property intact .. or whether their landlords will accept them again. They told me that human heads have been grimly arranged along fence posts in some parts .... I do not believe it is us kenyans fighting each other ... we have lived in peace for long ... someone is supplying this gangs with guns, food and all manner of artillery to lay siege on us and then blame it on members of a certain tribe.
I am so bitter and wonder why we fought against colonialists if we knew we were still to keep killing each other. The good thing is that am young ... young enough to forgive ... young enough to dream again and build a better Kenya.
Peace bro .. that is all I sing
My heart goes out to all Kenyans who have suffered because of this ordeal. I've not really been badly affected in any way, as I'm one of the 'priveledged few' who has the financial means to survive despite the turmoil. The worst affected areas and people are the poorest of the poor, as per usual...
My fellow countrymen, my heart goes out to you!
TTFN
He is a young Kenyan with a very positive outlook on life, and truly does not deserve this to happen to him...
Yep, all this events are really petrifying ... Inasmuch as am really sorry for the family of the late MP, I do not understand why politicians should react so strongly towards it while in the last few weeks, when hundreds were dying in Rift Valley, none of them stood up to speak but kept pressing on with their selfish political ambitions ... Is it that common people are dogs and politicians human?
Both leaders have truly failed us ... ODM has shown that it wants power whatever the human cost ... The president is worse than a puppet, failing to assert himself to ensure security in the country ... and there are talks about how he rigged himself in ... which if true, it means he just took us all for a ride. I am really bitter because I am from the rift valley, and bore witness to endless days of road blocks and eviction of the 'wrong tribe'. I am a Kalenjin from eldoret and at the moment i cannot travel home to my parents coz mungiki gangs along naivasha road would make minced meat of me ... the same goes for the kikuyus who dare go towards eldoret coz the so called kalenjin warrior gang bays for their blood. I wonder how my parents will plant their farm this year coz where will they get the seeds and the fertiliser ...
My two sisters have fled from naivasha and nakuru without carrying anything and they have no idea whether they will come back with their property intact .. or whether their landlords will accept them again. They told me that human heads have been grimly arranged along fence posts in some parts .... I do not believe it is us kenyans fighting each other ... we have lived in peace for long ... someone is supplying this gangs with guns, food and all manner of artillery to lay siege on us and then blame it on members of a certain tribe.
I am so bitter and wonder why we fought against colonialists if we knew we were still to keep killing each other. The good thing is that am young ... young enough to forgive ... young enough to dream again and build a better Kenya.
Peace bro .. that is all I sing
My heart goes out to all Kenyans who have suffered because of this ordeal. I've not really been badly affected in any way, as I'm one of the 'priveledged few' who has the financial means to survive despite the turmoil. The worst affected areas and people are the poorest of the poor, as per usual...
My fellow countrymen, my heart goes out to you!
TTFN
Tuesday, 29 January 2008
This morning...
For the first time I'm a little despondent. What is happening to this stunning country?
Early this morning an opposition MP was murdered at his front gate to his home. A couple of hours ago, a colleague and I had to go to Ngong Rd for a meeting, but we could not as the road was blocked due to riots taking place. And now, a few minutes ago, we heard the shots being fired - probably at the rioting crowd.
What will we do?
Early this morning an opposition MP was murdered at his front gate to his home. A couple of hours ago, a colleague and I had to go to Ngong Rd for a meeting, but we could not as the road was blocked due to riots taking place. And now, a few minutes ago, we heard the shots being fired - probably at the rioting crowd.
What will we do?
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