Some feedback...

So, the 'big bad church' lost it's case against the evil gay man. Big up's for the South African legal system! I especially like the fact that this is a watershed moment is South African law as anybody can now take an employer to task for discrimination based on sexual orientation! Good. Still planning to go and paint their fence in pride colours...

On another note, decided on a phone. It will be a Nokia E71 so that I can still receive my mails on my mobile but at least it's less of a brick to carry around. Now just hope I don't drop it in the first week. The IT guys said I should get a little thing called a condom for it... Apparently it's a rubber 'jacket' that you pull over the phone to protect it. Well then, that's exactly the same as the condoms we keep in our bedroom drawers now, isn't it? Don't think it will work the same way though...

This weekend they are launching Mamma Mia here. (Yes, yes. SA is a bit behind the rest of the world in some things) On Saturday we're going to get dressed up in white spandex suits and going out to see the ABBA movie. I'll look like the Goodyear blimp in drag but hey, anything for a laugh, right? Should be fun though... And no - no camera's allowed!

Then we're also busy with the garden layout at the moment. Will post some pictures of that when it's done. The house is 'nearly' finished, but I'm sure Dawie will start changing things soon enough. He's never been one to keep things the same for very long.

Hope y'all have a really pretty weekend now and be good, or at least good at it...

TTFN

Planning a move and other useless info...

As you might know, I'm being transferred back to SA from the beginning of July, so now we have to plan to take a few earthly possessions and obviously my clothing and personals down with me. It's not that I have anything specific of great value, but I do have quite a few things of great significance... It might mean nothing to somebody else, but to me these are memories that I need take with me, and place in our home in Pretoria lest I ever forget this phenomenal time of my life spent in paradise a.k.a Kenya.

So the process begins. Getting quotes from a number of relocation companies, deciding what is important and what I can actually just get rid of or (more likely) donate to some worthy charity. And this is where I'm surprising myself - yes, I actually gave a little yelp of utter surprise when I realized this. When I had to sit down and really decide what is important and not just a nice to have, it became apparent that I've changed in this time that I've spent in Kenya. You see, before pretty things were quite important to me - good brand names. Yes, I was a style queen... But now it seems with age comes wisdom (or stupidity, not quite sure which it is.). It is no longer the big and fancy or shiny item that must absolutely be crated up and packed on a container, but the small little items that have some sentimental value. The silly little wire boda-boda curio that I bought from a street vendor in Kampala, the framed carving acquired in Dar-es-Salaam once, the stack of kikoy's bought all over the country, the wind-chimes of little tin fish I found in Kisumu, the lopsided glass bowl my staff gave me for Christmas last year... Nothing of real value, but completely irreplaceable items nonetheless.

Nice... So, I have a whole house load of stuff that needs to be disposed of. Except for my books - that's getting packed first! Any ideas...

Hope y'all have a nice weekend now!

TTFN

Back in Nairobi.

Firstly, let me apologise to my regular visitors for the total lack of dedication to my little 'blog' for the last while. It's just been so crazy busy at work, and with all the planning going into the new home. Dawie and I are both tired and irritated with this whole process - think we should plan a nice little break together in the winter over my birthday. Maybe that nice wooden log cabin we went to last year... Anyway, I digress.

I'm back in Nairobi for a while - well, to be honest, just over two weeks and then it's down to Pretoria again. We're moving into our new home over the Easter Weekend, and I cannot let my poor hubby do this all on his own. There is still so much to organize and plan, and I feel that I'm not 'pulling my weight' in this whole affair at the moment - being stuck so far away from 'home'. It's not like I don't want to be involved, it's just rather difficult with bad telephone connections, not being able to visit the site (for obvious reasons) and having to try and explain to builders and contractors telephonically what it is they need to do. It also does not help that both hubby and I are absolute perfectionists and pretty 'anal' about getting things done right first time. (And then there is the little matter of having expensive taste without actually having the means for said taste.)

We've decided to have all the things we want to have done to our home done BEFORE we move in to prevent contractors having to come do the work after all our 'stuff' is in the house. This has proved to be a nightmare... Have you ever tried to get an airconditioning technician to see the 'estectic feng shui way' of installing an airconditioner in a house? Or a blinds guy to see the difference in polished oak and non-polished oak? (Trust me, the difference in colour is DRAMATIC! Non- polished oak just does not go with arabian sunset paint on the walls.) *We are SOOOO gay!*

That aside, all is well and being with my hubby for three weeks was phenomenal. It just once again confirmed to me how wonderful he is, and how great our relationship is. He truly is my best buddy, my ultimate lover and just all round 'better than sliced cheese' guy. We don't always agree on everything - I'm a very clean lines guy, he's more the dramatic over-the-top decorator, but we always come to a mutually found place, without one feeling like he's been cheated out of something. That is special.

Well, been trying all morning to get this out, so better stop typing and get back to work.

Hope y'all have a really pretty day now!

TTFN

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

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!