Battle at Kruger

This weekend Cyril used this video before his sermon – it’s pretty crazy!  Check it out:

 

They even have a website – it’s all about Kruger National Park in South Africa.

It’s a really need and crazy story with a great hopeful ending!

Compelled

Here is the poster for an awesome event that M is helping out with.  He’s with the house band.  Hope you can all check out the show – if not, maybe you can just bid on the online auction.  Good news is that the money is all going towards helping those afflicted with AIDS in Southern Africa.

 

Like losing a good friend

Ever find that reading a good book is like discovering a new friend? I do. Probably because I’m a true bookworm at heart who bonded more with books than people when I was younger. Just sayin’.

Right now I’m reading the book Tandia the sequel to the very awesome book The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. Both very enthralling books, mostly because they are set in a very politically charged pre-apartheid and apartheid South Africa. I’m totally into this book and the story is somewhat stressful and disturbing, but very true feeling. I want to find out what happens, but at the same time, I don’t want the book to be finished yet.

It truly is like losing a good friend.

Guess I’ll just have to find something else to read until the next Harry Potter comes out.

Reconnecting…

When I went to Africa, I remember thinking how wonderfully strange it was to be in Africa, where I was born, the home I’d never really known. And it made sense. Deon even said “Africa is in your blood!” and I agree whole heartedly because deep down inside I know Africa is a part of who I am. That means a lot, especially to this little girl, who’s moved quite a bit in her lifetime and doesn’t always know where to say home is.

Now, in strange change of heart kind of situation, I find myself longing to reconnect to my home of fifteen years, Labrador. The circumstances which caused out move from there seven years ago were, well, less than desirable. My father lost he job very unexpectedly just over a year before I graduated high school, and again, the whole situation was a little messy. It generated lot of hurt and anger within my family. I won’t air the dirty laundry, but because of this I began to associate a bitter taste in my mouth Lab West.

Furthermore, as I grew up, I noticed that who I was when I was there was less than desirable as well. I was downright mean at times – mean enough to allow myself to turn my back on my very own sister because she wasn’t one of the “cool kids” and I desperately wanted nothing more than to be accepted. And, yes, I am aware that this is something that is very much associated with being a teenager, but all the same… Moving on from there gave me perspective on my selfish tendencies and the thought of going back was scary because it meant facing my ugly self.

Furthermore, there is a part of me that always felt isolated and boxed in by being in a small town. Maybe it was because my mother never failed to remind me that there was a whole big world out there, and not to rule out any possibilities. Maybe it just comes down to the fact that I I don’t have that inherent tie to Wabush now because my family has moved and most of my friends too. I guess that’s why it’s so strange to me now to want to get back in touch with my “home”.

Mostly, I find myself missing the people. There are so many great people in Labrador West that I cut myself off from 1) because I’m really, really bad at staying in touch and 2) because it was hard to stay in touch because I wanted to move forward and I selfishly thought that Lab West was going to hold me back. (NB: To any of you great friends, please accept a heartfelt apology – you are still wonderful).

Lately, mostly through the wonders of My Space, I’ve managed to reconnect with a lot of these people from home. It’s great! I’m even making new friends with people that I only kinda sorta knew back then. Plus, I’m actually considering going back to visit at some point once I get back in touch with some of my friend who are there. And I’m really excited about this prospect. I miss the woods, I miss the water, I miss the feeling of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Maybe there’s more Labrador in me than I thought.

p.s. Thank you to Larry Jenkins, Glen Benson and Mary Jacobs for their awesome photos.

African heritage reflections

Lately I’ve been missing my family, but I got an email update this morning from my aunt and it inspired me to write a little blog on all the lovely terms that I want to use, but can’t because one I have a Canadian accent so it sounds horrible, and two because most people won’t get what I’m saying. Here are a few of them (some of which my mother has been using for years):

• bokkies – little boxes/pots
• bakkie (pronounced bucky) – small pick-up truck
• “Ag, shame!” – term use when anything goes wrong, or is cute, etc usually denoting a sympathetic feeling
• woofie – term used most often by my aunt to describe dogs
• stompie – small end of something, most often used to refer to the butts of cigarettes
• Tot Siens – goodbye in Afrikaans
• “Foertsek!!!” – basically the equivalent to “Buggar off!”
• designer – term used most often by my aunt to descibe anything fancy
• braai (pronounced br-eye) – barbequing meat over an open fire of hard wood
• pommie – term used to refer to Brits (prisoners of mother England)
• Mugabe – dictator who is ruining the state of Zimbabwe (oh wait, we can all used that one – had to get a jab in there)
• mealie – green corn
• robot – traffic light
• podkos (pronounced pot-kor-ss)- snacks
• sarmie (pronounced sah-mee) – sandwhich
• naartjie (pronounced nar-chee) – name for a tangerine
• Bobotie (pronounced buh-boor-tee) – traditional South African dish made with minced meat and curried spices, with an egg sauce which is poured on top and then baked.
• muti (pronounced moo-tee) – medicine (usually referring to liquid forms taken orally)
• slops/slip-slops – flip flops/thong sandals
• cozzie/togs – swimming wear

Jolly Ol’ England

It’s about 9:10 in the morning and I’m doing my internet business again, this time at Heathrow airport. We climbed off the long flight from Cape Town just over and hour ago, and now we’re just getting freshened up – I feel soooooo sticky after 12 hours on a plane – then we’re off to catch a train to Trowbridge, near Bath, to see my godmother, my mom’s nursing friends, and even my dad’s long lost cousin that he hasn’t seen in sixty years! Should be a fine adventure for the next four days, then we’re back on the plane to Canada on Saturday. Wahoo!

I’m feeling a little blue that I’m no longer sitting drinking tea with my aunt and uncle. (Trust me they drink tea – I could almost float home!) We went out with a bang, though. On Saturday it was my 24th Birthday, so we had a celebration, and it was great. Literally this is my first birthday spent in Africa since my birth day. We also exchange presents and so on as a little early “Christmas with the Canadians” kinda thing. We also were celebrating my aunt’s 60th birthday and 40th wedding anniversary. Lots to be happy about!

Yesterday was a tearful good-bye – it’s hard to leave when you feel like you’re just getting to know someone for the first time in a life time. At least now I have a personality to add to the picture of the mysterious people in Africa I talk to every Christmas morning! Sigh!

Time’s running out again, but onwards and upwards! See you all Saturday!

Under African skies

As of the 18th (I think) of this month, I have been safe and sound in RSA and having quite a good time. (Don’t worry, the weather here is not too hot, really – it ranges from bitter cold winds to hot sun seeing as we’re on the Cape, and the winds come straight from the Antartic at times). We landed in the morning – it was so touching, my aunt was teary-eyed and full of joy at seeing us, along with my uncle and cousin, and even his partner – everyone came to see us off the plane! We made the drive back to Lakeside (near Zandvlei) and “suburb” of Cape Town proper, where my aunt and uncle live and settled in to life here.I have to say, there was something just so awesome about landing here. I don’t think I believed it, but there is something really African in me – I’ve been told that it’s something in my blood that will never go away, and it just seemed so happy the minute I stepped onto African soil. Deon, my cousin’s partner, swears that Africa knows – and being born here guarantees that I will have that pull forever…sigh…it’s hard to explain, really, but I’m so glad to be here.

It’s been a real treat getting to know my family, basically for the first time in my life. There have been lots of stories about life in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) where we are all from – stuff that I’ve never really heard about seeing as I’ve been in Canada for most of my life. We’ve visited Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch, Simon’s Town, the Boulders (to see African penguins) and much more…so many pictures, so many stories. Tomorrow we’re having a grand celebration to celebrate my 24th b-day, then Christmas (the first ever together) and Anniversaries. It’s going to be great…

Time’s running out…I’ll add more when I can!

A long lost godfather…

It’s been over a week, almost ten days since we’ve started this trip and we’ve packed in quite a few things. I’m surprised we got her without murdering each other seeing as an 8 hour plane ride, followed soon after by an 11 hour plane ride is enough to make anyone edgy. Needless to say, I bit my tongue on most of my drama queenish moments – not all, seeing as my CD player and my headphones both decided to break on the trip to RSA! grr!!! – and we made it safe and sound.

One of the highlights of the trip was me getting to meet my godfather, Tony, for the first time that I can remember. My parents last saw him about 24 years ago, just after my christening and just before they left for Canada. We met up with Tony, who consequently is an Anglican priest, in London, near Picadilly Circus while we had a twelve hour stop over between flights. It was just enough time to get in a little lunch and a look at the Edward Munsch (sp?) exhibit at the Royal Academy. Can you imagine I’ve got a godfather who loves movies like Sin City, but he is still someone who will do a High Church service every week? Very cool. One of the nicest parts was him letting me know he’s been praying for me all these years, and well, that’s just always nice to know, right?The rest of the day was spent getting back to the airport so we could hop on the next part of the journey – not without having a break to buy some English Cadbury chocolates…mmm… All stress aside, we made it, and we were on the way again.

 

Internet, sweet Internet

Ok, so I’m officially rediculously a product of my environment – I can’t help but admit that I’ve truly been missing the internet as of late. I mean, really, you’re thinking, she’s on vacation in Africa, it can’t be a major thing, but all the same, the fact that I haven’t been able to get online until now has actually driven me a little nuts. Yikes.So, to all of you out there that have been checking this blog for info on my trip, I’m sorry you’re not hearing from me until now. I only got online briefly yesterday for the first time and I just had time to write a few quick emails before having to rush off. Today I am slipping away to write this whilst my mom, aunt and sister are doing a few errands in the mall. So, I shall quit this message and try and write a few more installments about my trip with better titles.

Just know I miss you all, and I’m thinking of Canada, but I’m having a great time on the Western Cape, and I’ve got tons of pics to share when I get home! See you soon!

Two weeks, officially.

So, it’s now official. In exactly 2 weeks time, I will be enroute to London then passing on to Cape Town, RSA. I can’t believe it’s coming so close, and part of it still doesn’t seem real. I am going to Africa. I am going to see and be able to converse in person with my aunt and uncle for only the second time in my life. Wow. It’s surreal.

I have spent most of my life communicating with my relatives in brief conversation over the phone at Christmas for as long as I can remember. Our Christmas tradition will always remain the same – get up at the crack of dawn (before 7 am) and call Africa. It’s brief snippets of conversation as the phone is passed from family member to family member on both ends of the line. Small little pieces of conversation that can never really convey what has been going on in life of someone else so far away for an entire year. It was so much harder years ago, email and direct connections over the phone have simplified things, but all the same, it’s not quite personal.

But there was a brief time, when I was just the age of seven, I spent some time in person. It’s hard to remember all the details and events with the same vividness that I can remember last week, but it was good. There were stories from my grandmother, and small gifts from my aunts. There were geckos on the ceilings, and lucky beans to be found. There were Zulu dancers, crocodile farms and Zimbabwe ruins. There were friends, there were relatives, there were strangers. It all just sort of melds together…

Now, life has presented my family with another sweet encounter together. Sadly, some of the family is gone, passed away since the last visit, but they shall be remembered. But somehow there is the hope that these newer memories will last all the longer, and the bonds will be tighter, and the situation will just be good. And that is my hope, my dream, my expectation…