Hello Port Elizabeth!

Arrived at 6.30pm (6 hour drive from Mthatha) Uneventful journey except for a roadblock in Kingwilliamstown. A very chatty (aka bored) trio of police officers asked me where I was coming from and where am I going to.

"From Mthatha" made their eyes light up. They asked to search my luggage for illegal substances. Perhaps they thought I'd been to the Doobie Rally in Port St Johns.  Instead, I whined, "Do you have to open my suitcase, it took me all morning to pack it and get it closed. And besides, it's got a padlock. Do I have to go and look for the key now? I really don't want to drive in the dark..." It worked!

But they insisted on looking inside my hand luggage, which is stuffed with documents, files, keys, cables and my laptop.

"So," came the inevitable question, "What do you do in Mthatha?"

Here we go again, I thought. But before I could reply, he answered his own question,,,

"Are you a missionary?"

Which leaves me wondering if Helen Zille looks like a missionary.

Or if missionaries look like Helen Zille.

A Trip to the Vet

Jasper has a cough, so I found a vet and phoned for directions.  Do I ever learn?  No street signs, just landmarks.  And potholes.

Passed this shop while getting lost on the way to the vet. At first I thought the squiffy M was falling off.  Then I thought it was a deliberate ploy to attract my attention.  Then I saw the E (behind the robot), and realised that this is probably not a good place to shop. Look there's a white bakkie!

Not a sight you're likely to see outside Blue Cross Rondebosch

This neither

This miniature sharpei is a permanent resident.  She was blinded at three months old by snake venom.  She's only knee high and just loves everyone.  What a sweetie.

Jasper had to go for an x-ray.  He was not impressed.  Neither was the vet when he saw me taking pics in the x-ray room.  Jasper has an enlarged heart and water on his lungs.  Bob says he always knew Jasper had a big heart.

 

The vet didn't have any meds at the office, but had them at home.  To save time, I offered to follow him home and pick them up there. Mistake.  He's been in Mthatha a while and fully understands that an orange robot is not a suggestion to slow down.  I didn't know where he was going, so I tailgated him through said orange robots, together with the rest of Mthatha.  Holy mackerel. 

No rain for a while - see how dusty the road is. And my car.  I picked up mail from the PO Box.  Even the mail is dusty. 

The tall building in the distance is where Bob works. See, there's another white bakkie!

(Jasper has to take heart pills for the rest of his life.  Poor boy.  Apparently the same pills are given to humans)

Look what I'm doing tonight!

Painting is at night only, as most people work, and it's very gesellig. After each section is done we stand back and admire each other's work - and have a sip of our dop of choice!

This is the base coat of a paper (yes, paper) backdrop for the Round Table Variety Show. The theme is Pirates of the Caribbean, and that's all I'm saying for now.  The show is at the end of July and is called the 101 because only 101 pairs of tickets are sold for the evening.  All funds raised are donated to local homes and orphanages. Nice to be involved in a worthy project.

Doobie Rally?

Sheesh, and there I thought this stuff was illegal.

Back to School

I've always believed I was allergic to children, but it appears I've grown out of it.

One of the gals at Book Club is a Grade 3 (Standard 1 for the oldies like me) teacher at the local primary school, and she mentioned that this is a crazy time of term with exams needing to be marked, marks needing to be submitted, and learners needing to be kept occupied at the same time. Would I, she asked, be interested in class-sitting for her at all?

Ooh, something new to do!  So I said yes, and went to meet the class of 9- and 10-year olds on Tuesday morning.  I greeted all 33 of them as I have been taught : "Molweni Bafundi".

"Ahem,"  said titshalakazi (Xhosa for a female teacher), "this is an English medium class."  Never mind, it worked!  A class of faces lit up and grinned.  We did a bit of reading, maths and Life Skills. At home time, titshalakazi asked if I would like to come in the next day and provide relief for another Grade 3 teacher.  I'd had such fun, I agreed.

Well.

On Wednesday, as I walked into the classroom, I was engulfed in a 20-strong hug sandwich.

"Yay, Aunty Wendy's back!"  What a heartwarming, special experience.  I just had to laugh out loud. I must have done something right! Each child wanted to say hello, and hug me individually.  How on earth can hugging a child be wrong?

And then I started getting letters:

 

Have I mentioned that children are observant  and intelligent?

On Wednesday, I was left alone in the classroom with a whole new set of young minds to warp.  Silly titshalakazi. They were fascinated with my attempts at Xhosa, and I rewarded each completed task with a phrase or two, which usually resulted in laughter and arguments correcting my pronunciation.

Most of my utterances that day were along the following lines:

Sit down / hlala phantsi (raucous laughter)
Yes you can go to the bathroom.
Sit down.
You don't have a pencil. Well, borrow a pencil.  Who can lend Ovayo a pencil? (Big mistake - any diversion is a welcome opportunity to avoid work)
Sit down.
No, you can go to the toilet when Kora gets back
Sit down.
I don't care who farted.
Sit down.
No!  Please don't use the Glade Strawberry for Sipho's farts. It makes my teeth curl.
Sit down.
No, you can't write the names of the people who are talking on the board.
Sit down.
That's beautiful!
Sit down.
Mpho, please give Onamusa's shoes back.
Sit down.
What are you doing under the desk?
Sit down.

That was the first ten minutes.  Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

It was exhausting, but we still got through a remarkable amount of work between 7:30 and 14:00.

I'm delighted that despite technology cursive is still being taught, and that the times-tables are being drilled into the kids. I couldn't fault them on their 6x table and they weren't too shabby up to the 8x table.  I was secretly thrilled to see a child sneaking her book out of her case to read, instead of doing a maths exercise.

I also invigilated a Grade 6 Afrikaans Begrip exam, and was heartbroken when a child asked what 'vakansie' meant when the question asked 'Vertel van jou beste vakansie'.  I couldn't tell him, as it was an exam.  It reminded me of one of my Afrikaans exams, when the question was something about 'iemand wat met worshonde teel'.  I had no idea what 'teel' was, the invigilator couldn't tell me, and I still remember the hour of terror and despair that followed.

Friday was amazing.

I spent it with Grade 7s who were preparing for Speech Night in August.  Just up my street! Each of the three classes (now between 20 and 25 learners per class) had to tell me what their topic was, and a little bit about what they were going to say.  If they didn't have a topic, we would use the time to help them choose. The range of topics blew my mind.  Inner Beauty versus Facial Beauty, Freedom of Religion, Racism, Therapy of Dogs, Rugby, Significance of Rap Lyrics, Bullying, Political Secrets and Corruption.... it made my heart sing.  At this age (12/13/14) all I was thinking about boys and discos.  These kids are so aware of society and what's happening around them, I have renewed hope for our country, our kids, our education system.

Please sir, can I have some more?

Buildings and Bakkies

By now you may have an idea of what Mthatha looks like, which makes this building look particularly incongruous.  Bob works on the 7th floor (total 18 floors). He's been warned that it's not safe to cycle in Mthatha, so he gets his exercise by 'doing' the stairs every day.  He's discovered that he's not the only one to do this - some of his colleagues 'do' the entire building after work a few times each week.  Thanks, but I'd rather sit around here all day.

I swear, almost everyone in Mthatha drives a white bakkie.  Here's proof.

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside..

One of the deciding factors in migrating to Mthatha was the proximity to our holiday shack in Kasouga.  Instead of the usual 12-hour pilgrimage, we would now be able to take a 'quick' 5-hour drive to the coast - making a weekend away possible.  We tested out this theory last weekend.  

We had been warned not to drive at night, but Bob had meetings at work, so we only managed to leave at 4pm.  We thought we'd be extra careful and look out for the Stray Animals that the signs warned us about.  We crossed the Great Kei without incident and relaxed a bit. Bad idea. A very, very large brown pig, (the size of a bear, Bob swears) decided that crossing the road at night would be a good idea.  Thank heavens for ABS.  Seriously.

The next morning, we were joined by family members we only see once a year, which is really not often enough.  First job was to take the dogs for a walk to the beach...

...which included throwing sticks for Jasper.

Even though the wind was quite strong, it was pleasant enough to explore.

Back at the shack, we caught the resident rodent on the hop and quite indignant at having been disturbed six months earlier than usual

As the wind picked up and it became too unpleasant to be outside, we were reminded that a cupboard full of pots is much more fun than sitting in front of television.

Fighting off the cold front with a bottle of OBs is also much more fun than television, especially if a chili has been marinating in the bottle for two days.  And while we're trying new things, let's see what a custard apple tastes like.

We decide to do a Before and After with the chili sherry.  Here are the verdicts:

Before:
W - Yum
S - I don't need to taste, I know what it tastes like
B - Why do we have to do this?
G - Lekker
D - (6 3/4) - *splutter* Yuk
C - (10 3/4) - Tastes like medicine.

As you can see, I had a willing, knowledgeable, co-operative panel.  Not.

After:
W - Jislaaik - you can even SMELL the chili
S - Smells gardenified.  Tastes more like green pepper than chili
B - What a waste of good sherry
G - Not bad, but I prefer good old OBs
D  - (6 3/4) (spat it out - no comment)
C - (10 3/4) I'm not even going to taste it. I'm scared. (Relents) *cough, hack, cough* Very potent (eyes watering)

So there you have it.  The opinion of connoisseurs.  So, did you try it?  What do you think?

Sunday was even colder and windier, but we decided to go to the beach anyway.

Harry decided she'd had enough, so Lara Croft came to the rescue and carried Harry to safety

Meanwhile, the boys decided that no beach trip is complete without splashing and being splashed

A hot outside shower is the perfect way to warm up!

This is a replica of a pic taken forty-mumble years ago with me and the same duck.  Sadly, duck has become brittle with age (don't we all?), and shortly after this pic was taken, he went to the big duckpond in the sky.

This is a replica of a pic taken forty-mumble years ago with me and the same duck.  Sadly, duck has become brittle with age (don't we all?), and shortly after this pic was taken, he went to the big duckpond in the sky.

A Drinking Club with a Reading Problem

Yup, I went to Book Club!

No space on any tables, so the floor will have to do

I thought our Rondebosch Book Club (RBC) was old, having started in 1994.  My new book club (NBC) has been around since the '70s, and the book numbers have just topped 2000.

There are quite a few similarities - hosting is rotated and the hostess provides a yummy meal and copious amounts of wine.  No boys allowed.  But they are welcome to come along and braai/drink/talk sport/politics/rubbish in another part of the house.  Dogs (top left in pic) wanting to be patted seem to be common to all book clubs.  The recording system is much the same, but NBC has a small form stuck in front of each book, where readers are supposed to rate each book.  Hasn't really caught on.

This month, we met in Viedgesville, a small settlement about 25km outside Mthatha.  What a wonderful, varied, interesting group of women! 

In RBC, each person checks in their books, talks a bit about the books they've read (or not read - quite often), and takes a turn choosing the next books.  But at NBC, we checked our books in and took new books.  No discussion.  But, I was informed, each hostess gets to decide on the format of the evening.  Next month, we've been asked to bring a few magazines.  As to why . . . we have to wait and see.

It was comforting to see a lot of  familiar books, which means that there are some similar reading tastes.  It was also great to see a lot of new books, and some classics. Not a Jo Nesbo in sight, which is a pity.

"So," I hear you cry, "What books did you take, and why?"

1) Ants in the Big Onion - Annica Foxcroft : I enjoyed the first two books about a city girl settling in the gamadoelas. Thanks to Possum for leading me to the first book.

2) Me Before You - Jojo Moyes : Highly recommended by RBC.  I've been wanting to read it for quite a while now.

3) The Lacuna - Barbara Kingsolver : Also recommended by RBC.

4) The Last Rhinos - Lawrence Anthony : I've just read The Elephant Whisperer (Yeah, I know. I should have read it years ago).  I enjoyed Lawrence's writing style, and am looking forward to more of the same

5) The Black Box - Michael Connelly : Gotta have a thriller! And I can't believe I haven't read any Connelly before.

Guess what I'm doing this weekend!

Yup, it's cold in Mthatha too.

Add caption

At least there's no rain. Bob sent this to me. I think it's blurry because he was shivering so much.

OBS Mthatha style - with chili option

Apparently you just break the skin of the chili, pop it in the bottle, and two days later, Voila! C'mon Cape Town, get with the programme!

Synonym: Large Pothole

Day Trip to Qunu

Qunu is where Nelson Mandela grew up, and close to where he was born.  On Sunday, we took a drive to the Nelson Mandela Museum, which is very modern and well maintained.  It has accommodation for 60, conference facilities for 500 and organised tours.  In the two hours we were there, we were the only visitors.

This mosaic mural shows 8 elements of Madiba's life: 1) The homestead where he was born; 2) Sliding Stone; 3) Qunu Junior Secondary School; 4) Church where Madiba was baptised; 5) Madiba's swimming spot; 6) Madiba as a boxer; 7) 46664 Robben Island Prison; 8) Mandela in presidency

1

Our guide, Sibusiso, showing us how Madiba, as a boy,  used the Sliding Stone.  Madiba used pieces of cardboard to cushion his bottom.

Wheeeeee!

The impact at the bottom whipped Sibusiso's beanie off his head

Steep walk up from the Sliding Stone. Note the a large, natural ampitheatre in the backbround

The garden is very well kept

Qunu Jumior Secondary School, where Madiba was educated.  Note the longdrop in the gap between the fence and the gate.  In these rural areas, there is no waterborne sewerage

Who needs a lawnmower? Just borrow your neighbour's flock of sheep for the day.

We wanted to visit Mvezo, but this grader persuaded us that today was not a good day to visit Nelson Mandela's birthplace.Note the newer rondawels on the right - they are octagonal, not round.  Certainly makes the job of roofing much easier.

Lots of little dams like this.  These are the first geese I've seen here.  What a glorious day!

Mandela's home in Qunu, directly onto the N2.  No access to the public.  No-one is living there at the moment, but members of the family do come and stay occasionally

Lots of little family graveyards like this are dotted along the N2.  Many of the graves have magnificent views

This eucalyptus plantation runs along the N2, together with this barbed wire fence.  Every few hundred metres or so there is a stile like this, for people to climb through.  I assume the owners got a bit fed up with their fence being broken by locals needing access.  There are also full length gaps in the fence in places, which allows livestock to come and go.  Makes me wonder why there is a need for a fence in the first place.

Back in Mthatha, looking for somewhere to have lunch.  Car-washing is a very popular pastime on Sundays.  And yes, the election posters are still up, more than a month after the election.

When you just need something familiar...

...there's nothing like a good ol' Spur Burger to make you feel at home. (The fact that the three other restaurants we went to were closed, might have influenced our decision.  But then, it was 2.30 on a Sunday afternoon.  And hell, it tasted good!)

And yes, Bob was as embarrassed as he looks.

Oh Joy! Oh Raptor!

Bob and I saw this Eagley type bird in our garden. We think it is a young Lanner Falcon. Any others offers if we're not right?

The bird life here is better than in Claremont. If it weren't for a very territorial Butcher Bird, I'm sure it would be even better. We have the usual assortment of starlings, pigeons,doves, sunbirds and bulbuls. But we also have mousebirds, who are masters in amusing crash landings.

My bird feeders are being ignored like Stop Signs, as there is plenty of food in the golf course over the road. However there are often queues for the birdbath - winter is dry season here. It's rained only once in the three weeks since I arrived.

*le sigh*

I suppose I'll have to get used to this. I hope I don't have to give directions to the driver.

 

Dog-walking in Mthatha is not for sissies

The first time I walked our geriatric pooches, we got loudly barked at by large dogs, which appear to inhabit every property. Fortunately, the fences are high and strong. Or so I thought.

As I waited for Jasper to investigate a particularly interesting smell, I caught a movement to my right. I looked, and saw a massive boerbul heading towards us, very purposefully. This is one of two magnificent specimens guarding a building site, which seemed very secure behind a big wire fence. Not.

My dogs don't know that they are old and small, and wanted to go and say hello. I did the only thing I know how...I screamed like a girl. The dog stopped, bemused.

Fortunately a car drove past, the driver stopped to help, and got out the car. He shouted at the dog and made as if he were going to hit it. It worked!

I've since learned that this is the way to treat aggressive dogs here - pretend you're going to hit it or throw a stone, and they back off very quickly.

I've also learned that many fences have holes that the dogs can get through, but most of the time they prefer to stand behind the fence and bark at you - much more fun.

P.S. Bob and I have started a routine of walking the dogs when he gets home from work. Yesterday, a white bakkie (everyone drives a white bakkie) pulls up alongside us, and the driver (a friend) says, "Oh it is you. I saw you from up the road, and thought, it must be Bob and Wendy. You're the first white people I've seen walking dogs in Mthatha for 20 years."

P.P.S The pic is from my neighbour's gate.

Sunday Day Trip to Coffee Bay - 90km

View from the restaurant. Chalets with stunning views

View from the restaurant along the beach at Coffee Bay. Note the obligatory palm tree!

Lovely lunch. And they're pet friendly, so we'll definitely be back.

Pumba! Very tempted to put one in the boot

Many of the rondawels are crowned with a tyre, with all sorts of stuff inside - decorations, plants...

Stationery, hardware, charging, cement, gas, paraffin, Vodago, MTN, hampers, frozen chicken, wors, eggs, bread, candles, cooldrinks, fruit, veggies, cigarettes, tobacco...and photocopying 

The wheelbarrow is a very popular mode of transport for everything from crates of beer to beds. The rocks are on the road to stop vehicles driving on it while the road is being resurfaced.

Beautiful rolling hills

The sheep are all have ID marks

Huts like this are dotted all along the road

Lovely colours, and the afternoon light is gorgeous

Something for everyone - love the graphic

Brown grass of winter contrasts beautifully with the vibrant colours of the dwellings

Regular stops for livestock. Oh, and beware of potholes...

Speed bumps are a very popular method of road calming. First time I've ever seen worn-out bumps!

Soccer on school grounds a Sunday afternoon. Both teams immaculately turned out

Loved this - shoe repairs anyone?

No yellow line driving here! Imagine the volume of water that necessitates these culverts!

Beautiful landscape. Dwellings as far as the eye can see

Cattle crossing ahead. Note the erosion on the slopes

Stark erosion

Capitec can be found in every hamlet, village and town. Very interesting strategy. Note that the election posters are still up

Love these shops!

Even closer to home we had to stop for kids crossing

Oh, the irony! So much to say about this, but where to start?