Two thousand and eleven... is SAFFA heaven.

I'm so excited about this year I can hardly contain myself.  2011 is Saffa Heaven.

I started this year with organising a South African day at our church, the expats had a blast! We had a good old South African braai (with the boerewors works) and ended it with all the South African desserts our homesick minds could come up with! Yum.

Brandwag welcome

The place settings

The salads

Madiba welcome... well... if you squint and turn your head to the right

Braai in full swing

We'll be going on a month long South African trip shortly.  My husband and his best friend (A Pom) will be doing a 12 day motorcycle tour through the West Coast of South Africa (Read more: http://miermoto.blogspot.com/.)  While I'll be getting some "gees" at the Klein Karoo Kunstefees.  My sister will also be there for 10 days.  Mum has a porch where we plan to have lots of Champaign brunches (Hello my friend JC le Roux) and Red wine afternoons accompanied by South African Snackage (Droëwors, biltong, green figs, blue cheese... blindevinkies, cheese sausage, chicken wings, etc, etc, etc).  Then there is the exchange rate... R7 to the $1 is not too shabby. We'll pretend there's no crime and just have a good time.

(Photo: Pieter Louw)

Super 15 Rugby! And the best of all is MELBOURNE has FINALLY made the best move ever! Rugby is coming to Melbourne! Bestest of the bestest... my brother-in-law will be playing HERE on the 3d of June.  BAZINGA! Go the Stormers! GO PIETER LOUW! Jou lekker ding!

Then, there is the IRB World cup... Go the Bokke! Can they do it again this year?

*Deep and satisfied sigh*

2011 smells like it's got potential! VISION and PURPOSE! I'm off to clean my pigsty of a house.  Later!

Vuvuzela.... PWAAAAAAAARP!!!!!

My sentiments exactly! :D

Nelson

Nelson Mandela was released from hospital yesterday... "frail, but fine".

It was just interesting for me to see all the reactions on Facebook and in the media in general.  Yes, Nelson Mandela was admitted to hospital... wait... Nelson Mandela is dead... wait... No, hang on, Nelson Mandela is NOT dead, but he has a collapsed lung... Winnie seen leaving the hospital crying...

Then there is the "urban legend" about what will happen when Nelson Mandela dies.  "Night of the Long Knives" or "Uhuru". Where it is said that, when Nelson Mandela dies, there will be a night where blacks will take up weapons and "cleanse" South Africa of all the white people. There are even taxis (those horrible minibus ones) driving around with vinyl lettering on their back windows saying: "Uhuru - not yet". No wonder some of the South African expats were anxiously checking headlines online every now and again.

Are we robbing ourselves of exactly what Madiba stood for, dear South Africa?
A man who was released from prison and became an ambassador for peace and unity? Will there be respect for his legacy? Do you think, dear world, standing outside his hospital room, cameras aimed and pens ready, waiting for him to die (because, let's face it... good news does not sell) is respectful to this living legend? Those singing "kill the farmer, kill the boer" - are you BUILDING? Or breaking down? Stop the hatred.  Stop breaking down Nelson Mandela's dream of a rainbow nation.

Let go of the past and grab hold of the future.

“My message to those of you involved in this battle of brother against brother is this: take your guns, your knives, and your pangas, and throw them into the sea. Close down the death factories. End this war now!” 
Nelson Mandela

Wrapping with my homies...

My daughter and I both have creative minds.  We like to make things.  She is only 7 years old, but draws the most amazing pictures.  I'm a bit of an exhibitionist, but I hate to be one of those mums who boasts about the accomplishments of their little ones. Solution? Christmas 2010: I divided a A4 into 4 by folding it, telling my daughter to do her best "Christmas drawings" on each section.  I scanned that and made a JPG of it.  Then I made a lot of copies of it onto an A3 and printed it out.  

Viola! Wrapping paper, that had the family and friend's tongues wagging...