Instant Recognition Factor

If one had to stick the outline of say, Australia, or the UK, onto a shirt, they would look like you spilled gravy on your clothing and tried to wipe it clean - probably...

But stick the outline of Africa onto a shirt and it's instantly recognisable. 

I have a story to back this up.  These are both mine and worn often. 

In this account I was wearing the one on the right with the colourful stripes.

Just the other day I was walking through the city wearing this shirt, and a guy with a beautiful face, big smile and bright eyes was standing outside a restaurant handing out flyers to passers-by for the eating place.

As I approached him, he called out,  "Hey Africa!"  I smiled, waved and walked towards him.

Our conversation went like this:

Me:   "Hey, yes - Africa!  Best place ever!  Where are you from?"
Him:  "I'm from Ghana!"
Me:   "Oh! I loved your soccer team in the 2010 World Cup! When we were out, I supported Ghana!"
Him:  "Where are you from?"
Me:   "South Africa"
Him:  "Ahhhhhhh --- Bafana Bafana!"

We both laughed together, and I said ---- "Yes! Sometimes very good, sometimes very bad!"
He agreed.

I took the pamphlet, we said good bye and wished each other a good day.

It was just a precious minute or two in a day that left me smiling, feeling all warm and fuzzy.

* * * 

The "British Ladies Club"

I read Heathcote Safari's blogpost this morning and she pretty much stole my thunder  ;-)

A snippet is this, but read her whole thing - it's a great read.

"When we moved here, we could have decide d to do things ‘the ex-pat way’. It’s not necessarily completely straightforward, but it does make life easier … you send your kids to an English-speaking school, you go to an international church, you buy your food in Lidl and Aldi and when you want to go out, you go to hotels or restaurants where you know they speak English. Hey, I’m not knocking it; there’s something to be said for making yourself understood.

It’s just not what we want. The focus of our ministry here may not be local, but our lives surely are. Clearly, we’re never going to pass for Spaniards but we still want to be able to talk to our neighbours, to understand why things work the way they do, to shop and eat local food."

(Obviously nationalities are different to ours, but the heart intention is the same)

The 5c worth that I would like to add for me, is this. A few of the English speaking people I have met here have said to me that I must join the "British Ladies Club" as it will be a good way for me to make friends.

I know that these people have only good intentions for wanting me to fit in and be involved, and I am grateful for their enthusiasm. At the same time, anyone that knows me will know that any of those three words would be enough to make me break out in a rash - and the three together would have me running screaming into the hills.

• British - I have nothing against Brits. Except their cricket team.... ;-)  So it's not the nationality.
• Ladies - Never ever do "Ladies" things, ladies breakfasts, Ladies Meetings, Ladies Bible Study.... Ladies Gym even - big no, no for me. I don't know why, I just feel a bit like a man there!   :-)
• Club - Usually, but not always, too exclusive. Look at each one on its own merit, but when combined with "Ladies" --- no.

If we were to join any group of people, which we would actually like to do, they must be local people or families, so that we can feel that we are doing everything we can to embrace our new home.

It's not always easy. Especially when you are always surrounded by conversations, at bus stops, in buses, in shopping queues, restaurants....everywhere, and you realise you don't have a flippin' clue what they are saying. Whereas back in SA, I would happily initiate conversations with perfect strangers in any of those places.  

So there are language challenges, but in a way they are good because it keeps the desire to learn the language, fresh.  So far I can pretty much:

1. greet and thank
2. ask for bags at the supermarket
3. get tickets for the bus
4. ask for a burger with cheese 
5. and (drumroll) ask for red and white wine!  HAHA!  (and beer when it's really hot!)

We are just waiting to hear which language school comes recommended from My Mans employer and then we will begin evening school together.

* Disclaimer: 

This post is in no way meant to knock The British Ladies Club or those who are part of it. Each to their own! 

Picking up the Signals

A couple of things we've noticed between last week and today:

• There were lots more people on the bus to work this morning, (and wearing coats),
• The heaters were on in the bus,
• From the morning bus ride, I noticed that some of the trees had lost all their leaves over the weekend,
• The forest around us is not the overwhelming green anymore, but rather beginning to look a little more golden in patches,
• The leaves in our garden are beginning to turn  from the greens to red and orange.

I don't think we are anywhere near the winter that I am half excited / half terrified about, but today I definitely felt the signalling in of autumn, and am definitely looking forward to the colours that will emerge in this most beautiful season!

City Slicker

Yesterday afternoon I headed off into the city where I met a friend.  I thought it was a grand occasion, and decided to landmark it with the ultimate in "grand occasion wear" - heels.

Those of you who live in heels, your eyes probably just lit up a little. I'm right, hey? You didn't think you would see the day, did you!?

My heels were awesome walking to the square, and they behaved so well while we sat outside at a little cafe drinking our cupaccino's, eating our lovely pastries and chatting away.  They only started to become a little hot and bothered when I insisted that they had to do some walking. I could swear I heard them whisper to me "These shoes weren't made for walking...."

I sucked it up - I'm a big girl! It was way too much fun being out and about to allow a silly pair of heels to ruin it. We popped in to toy shops to look for puzzles, and a gorgeous hat shop (that I will be going back to) and did plenty of looking in windows.

At around 16h00, as we said our farewells, I popped into the supermarket for a nice bottle of white and a steak for My Man (and other less interesting things) for when he got home this evening. Then began the long walk (its not really long but seemed long), to the bus stop. With horror I noticed I had 40 min to wait for the bus. Looking up, I saw another bus arrive that goes past my home as well, but it didn't stop were I was waiting - so, me, heels, parcels and handbags all flew down the road after the bus looking very unladylike I am sure - I didn't care, I just was NOT waiting 40 minutes!

It was a lovely ride back home - until for an instant I forgot this wasn't my regular bus and pushed the STOP button! HORRORS!  A stop BEFORE my stop. Feeling hugely embarrassed, I felt I had no option BUT to get off the bus since I was the only one getting off there (and people saw me press the blasted thing). SO I tried to look like "Oh yes! This is my stop, yay"... inside I was thinking "Bugger!"

Oh well, me, my heels, parcel and, by this point, my blisters and I were beginning to see the funny side. I would now have to walk probably about a kilometre down and then up the hill to my house.  Of course, the story would not be complete, if there were not loads of workmen doing roadworks alllll the way up my street and it was very difficult not to (a) crawl up the hill (b) cry up the hill, (c) walk like a newborn calf!  So, I smiled and waved and tried to walk normally. I am not sure I succeeded.

So ladies (and gents) who wear heels... you can smile - and keep your heels.In spite of them - it was a fantastic day and I would do it again - and in heels if I had to!

The Long Week

My Man had to go away on business this week.

I have been mentally preparing for this for almost a month since we are seldom apart and have never been apart this long.

I find myself in bed at the sad time of 18h00 today having decided that I don't feel like food and was just going to turn in early.

While browsing I found this and it just sums how I feel today....

Tomorrow is a NEW Day and am heading into the city to have lunch with a friend and do some shopping.

I plan to buy lots of his favourite food.

This has to have been the longest week ever and it's only Wednesday!

* * *

*  I am absolutely perfectly fine, I am not withering away - I am painting the walls ferociously and achieving very little. However, I hear the soccer game is starting, so may haul my lazy butt out of bed for a watch and a little glass of wine.  

(Think I have a packet of sweets stashed somewhere too!)

"Twinkie & the Beast"

Twinkie is the name of our SatNav lady person.....
                             The Beast is the black car lurking in our garage.

The don't prowl the empty streets at night.

The Beast is My Mans company car - it's a beautiful Beast for sure, it's only downfall (for us) is that it has gears. Yip, we are "Proudly Automatic" drivers, which clearly is not working in our favour right now since we were presented with 2 main problems:

(a)  How to get the car home from the city
(b) Most importantly, how to drive the Beast

My Man and a colleague concocted the plan that would solve (a). The colleague has an automatic car. My Man drove the auto behind his colleague who drove the manual car to our home.  This was not only helpful in that My Man didn't have to try and risk life and limb (his and others') trying to drive his car home, but he also got to see HOW to get home by following his colleague.

So, now the Beast is in the garage. Saturday morning we decided we needed to do shopping so we would "risk" (literally) popping into the next little village with the car.  Although we stalled twice in traffic circles that was nothing compared to the amount of navigating we had to DO to GET to the next little village. Between, yields, hills, parking and circles, we were both feeling like a piece of chewed string by the time we got home, and swore that we wouldn't do that again until we (he) felt more confident.  Frankly, I thought My Man was a Super Hero!

I have to give credit to him, he never once made me feel nervous (other than me thinking we were about to drive on the pavement, which had nothing to do with him and everything to do with me), and yet when we got home, I thought it very wise of him to "man-up" and say... "Practice would be good - that was not fun." 

We were meant to go and braai with people the next evening, but I just put my pride in my pocket, phoned them and basically told them that there is NO WAY we can drive 40 minutes through the city to come to them. It's got nothing to do with wrong side of road or not knowing the way - but EVERYTHING to do with "how do I drive this car while trying to find my way".  I have to trust that they understand and will not think we are ridiculous children - frankly, if they don't understand....  that's sad.  Enough stress is enough for one weekend.

My Mans company had offered him 5 Lessons to help him get accustomed to the car, the roads and the road signage, so next week Twinkie and Beast will go for Training. 

In the end they will know....My Man IS the boss of them.

Time to "Just Do It" (Anything!)

Today is My Man's third day at work.

So far all reports from him have come back and been so positive. He has enjoyed meeting his new colleagues and has been impressed by where he is working.

We travel in by bus together in the morning, in total it takes about 35 minutes (change to connecting bus in the city) to get to his office.  Then I come back home, try to keep myself occupied until the afternoon, when I take the bus back into the city and we meet at "our connecting" stop and travel home together.

We've actually really enjoyed this. It gives us time together in the morning and in the afternoon we chatter away together about his day and his new experiences without having to concentrate on traffic and driving. I think we may be the only people who talk in the bus! (OH! Such a cool thing I saw with the bus yesterday - there was a guy in a wheelchair, and the bus door opens about a foot off the ground, I was thinking that I would ask if I could help wheel him in, when "My Man" pointed out that the whole bus drops down to the height of the pavement and he just rolled himself in. Maybe that happens everywhere, but I just thought it was super cool and thoughtful!)

Anyway, getting back to morning routine....It's really new for me, because in all of our 25 years of marriage, the most he has seen of me before work is me standing at the window and waving goodbye! I'm not joking. His mom used to get up and make breakfast for them until they left home, and bring them tea in bed. From the outset I said to him "Do not expect that from me" - and he didn't! He is an early bird, he has no problem waking up and getting up in the same instant - I need about an hour to twig that it's morning and about 3 cups of coffee before I can string my first cohesive sentence together - so I think he realised it would be pointless.

However, all of that being said - the days are long with him at work... and quiet. Yesterday I did a whole pile of washing and hung them over my balcony. It was a lovely sunny day so I sat out there and admired my view, (which would have been more spectacular had I not had underwear pegged up in front of me).

Last night I begged him not to do the dishes, he asked why, and I told him I needed something to do today. He just laughed - but he left them.

This morning when I got home from going with him to work, he had made the bed (I usually do do that!), and I sms'd him and (playfully!) gave him "what for" because now I had one less thing to do!

He thinks its all quite comical - but the truth is, I am serious. Who would have thought I would want to come home to do the dishes! 

THIS CAN'T GO ON!

I have downloaded "Beautiful Outlaw" so have planned to go in to work with "My Man", take my Kindle, and every other morning find myself a little coffee shop with wifi, read my book, have a cup of coffee, come home much later, and deal with the day from then.  

I may even venture to a new town for a walk with one hound at a time... Except, I would rather be on an adventure of discovery with "My Man" than alone - so scrap that idea.

Anyway - typing this Blog took all of 10 minutes! :)