I have booked 2 tickets to see the Chelsea flower show in May, I am taking my mum. Always wanted to go as I just love flowers and trees and gardens. The gardens are fabulous at the show every year and maybe I will even see Duirmiud , the Irish gardener and secret crush of mine. (one of the many)
Not long until we move (next week) and Mum arrives and then dad. I cant wait I cant tell you how I am going to love having them here. I have booked their train tickets and they are taking Lily on the train up to Wiltshire whilst k and i drive up. We always have a lovely time with our friends up there and the countryside and villages are amazing.
Also up my sleeve I have a boat trip down the Thames to Hampton court palace for a picnic , the farm in Downe and the London Zoo as I have never been. I also want to go to Eltham palace . It's the childhood home of Henry V111 and an Art Deco masterpiece now. they have art deco fairs there from time to time and I am a huge art deco fan.
In fact if any of you use the channel 4 website to watch or download British programmes I have been watching a programme by the awesome Kirsty Allsop ( of location , location , location fame) called Kirsty's home made home featuring her doing up a house she bought in north Devon with antiques and products made by artisans as well as some stuff she finds in skips and on street markets and boot sales. Its been the most inspiring programme. I have recently become a huge Ikea fan but I could never do the whole Ikea thing. I like to mix and match my furniture and ornaments and there is nothing like a beautiful hand thrown bowl to make your day.
And there is my waffle for the week. think of me as I pack all my belongings yet again and move them up the road.
Oh one last note and embarrassment of the day. We have had a plumber visiting this house sorting out a leak ( the infamous one). He is Irish and his name is Jim Malarkey. I have been tickled by this name since I heard it and today when he phoned in my head I was chanting "don't say malarkey" as its all I want to say when I talk to him. But it slipped out. " well we will be packing this weekend and all that malarkey" why me Why?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
VOTE
And so the day will dawn tomorrow and South African citizens will go to the polls to have their say. I so wish my parents could vote. I think its absolutely disgusting that you can spend most of your life in a country and they wont let you vote. You pay your taxes , you employ their people. I read that next year all that is changing and if you have been resident for 8 years or longer you will get your vote. about time!
I hope and wish and have even prayed that things will go well and voting will be peaceful .That everyones voices are heard and that the sound of change has not been ignored and our nation will come together and realise that South Africa is for all her people. We want to live in harmony and safety.We want morals and democracy from our government. We want our government to work for US.
Living in the UK for the past 5 years is difficult for me not to compare the nations even though there is little comparison. The people of Britain do not stand for shit. If you watch "the world according to sky news" you may have seen the poor home secretary Jacki Smith being rung out to dry when 2 adult content movies were put through as expenses by her Husband. All hell broke loose here. Now I think that's ridiculous but I guess its the small things that count. one day a porn film, the next a Bentley?
People here demand their government works for them and I think that's no bad thing. South Africans need to demand the same. Its our right to live in a democratic country where our government looks out for our needs and safety. make your mark tomorrow. We all deserve it
I hope and wish and have even prayed that things will go well and voting will be peaceful .That everyones voices are heard and that the sound of change has not been ignored and our nation will come together and realise that South Africa is for all her people. We want to live in harmony and safety.We want morals and democracy from our government. We want our government to work for US.
Living in the UK for the past 5 years is difficult for me not to compare the nations even though there is little comparison. The people of Britain do not stand for shit. If you watch "the world according to sky news" you may have seen the poor home secretary Jacki Smith being rung out to dry when 2 adult content movies were put through as expenses by her Husband. All hell broke loose here. Now I think that's ridiculous but I guess its the small things that count. one day a porn film, the next a Bentley?
People here demand their government works for them and I think that's no bad thing. South Africans need to demand the same. Its our right to live in a democratic country where our government looks out for our needs and safety. make your mark tomorrow. We all deserve it
Saturday, April 18, 2009
bless
Yesterday Lily had a huge sneeze and then sat on the floor looking at her leg in a concerned way. Kristian asked her what was wrong. " bless on my leg daddy" was the answer.
what a fabulous new word for mucous.
what a fabulous new word for mucous.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
proudly South African
Yesterday ,15 April , all South africans living abroad who had applied for a special vote could vote at foreign mission nearest to them. I have voted in every election since I was able to at 18. My first elction was the first election where every South African could vote be they white , black , coloured or Indian. Thats why i make a point of voting. Not only because I want to have my say and be part of the running of my country, but also because people have fought to vote. Can you imagine being a black South African up to 1994 and your opinion was irrelevant. You had no say.I was so happy when all of us living abroad could have our say if we so chose and were registered voters. I set out with a friend and with child and was flabbergasted when the voting queue at 10 in the morning was extended all around the one side of Trafalgar Square!
The atmosphere was great and everyone felt like they were part of something great. In the middle of London all 7400 South africans joined together to make our mark.
It was fairly hot (what are the odds!!) and Lily fell asleep on me. Jacki then took her from me but when a lovely official saw her struggling with 2 children he told her to call me and I was escorted to the special voting room where the elderly , pregnant and those with young children were voting.
I have a lovely big black mark on my thumb and I am proud. its my feeling that you really have no place to moan if you did not vote and I am proud to have taken my vote and used it wisely.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
dishwasher envy
I left my beloved Cape Town 5 years ago now to come and live in England for a while. I left with very little idea of the hardships that come with moving to another country with all your belongings in one suitcase and a very heavy hand luggage bag. I have been on a very steep learning curve but it has not killed me so I assume I am stronger. Part of uprooting is of course finding a new place to live. I lived with my parents until I was 24 in a lovely comfortable family home in Edgemead and then moved in with Kristian to a flat in Edgemead. a 2 bed flat which I thought was tiny. Little did I know!! We had help furnishing our flat and my Mum was just down the road and i borrowed any number of things from her on a weekly basis.
On arrival in England Kristian got a job at Reading Uni and off we went to find a flat within budget there. It had to be furnished , and we did manage to find a basement flat, very centrally which was furnished. We had nothing. not a pot or a can opener so I began slowly gathering household goods. The flat had damp though, so I learnt my first lesson. No basement flats!
Kristian then got another job at Greenwich uni and we had to move there. I had to give up my job and the friends I had made and start afresh in London. Here we moved into my favorite abode so far. A lovely first floor 1 bed flat with big sash windows. The bathroom left a bit to be desired but you can never have it all when you rent in London. The kitchen was lovely and new with a gas cooker and a dishwasher. We settled in , had a baby and created a good few memories in that flat. We stayed far too long as Lily was in our room till she was 18 months but you see this is another lesson. London is expensive and your extra bedroom is going to cost you.
Eventually we felt it was time to move and found a house with a garden. this was the top of my wish list after 9 years of flats. So we decided to trade any signs of a modern house for a garden. My new kitchen had no dishwasher. I was used to the dishwasher now dammit, I needed it. In the aisles of Salisbury's unsuspecting people put boxes of finish powder into their trolleys and I growled. Lesson 3. you live inside your house. you must be comfortable and not want to cry every time you enter your kitchen.
three weeks ago we got a leak coming from our bath / shower into our....yes you guessed it...kitchen. I cried for 400 hours.
then I decided we were moving. I found my dream house for more money. made an appointment for Kristian to see it the next day and arranged more hours at work to help cover it.
No more dishwasher envy. It has one and a new kitchen. a new bathroom and new everything plus a garden. Now my Taurean bones are light and airy and not tense and tight. only 3 weeks to go!!
On arrival in England Kristian got a job at Reading Uni and off we went to find a flat within budget there. It had to be furnished , and we did manage to find a basement flat, very centrally which was furnished. We had nothing. not a pot or a can opener so I began slowly gathering household goods. The flat had damp though, so I learnt my first lesson. No basement flats!
Kristian then got another job at Greenwich uni and we had to move there. I had to give up my job and the friends I had made and start afresh in London. Here we moved into my favorite abode so far. A lovely first floor 1 bed flat with big sash windows. The bathroom left a bit to be desired but you can never have it all when you rent in London. The kitchen was lovely and new with a gas cooker and a dishwasher. We settled in , had a baby and created a good few memories in that flat. We stayed far too long as Lily was in our room till she was 18 months but you see this is another lesson. London is expensive and your extra bedroom is going to cost you.
Eventually we felt it was time to move and found a house with a garden. this was the top of my wish list after 9 years of flats. So we decided to trade any signs of a modern house for a garden. My new kitchen had no dishwasher. I was used to the dishwasher now dammit, I needed it. In the aisles of Salisbury's unsuspecting people put boxes of finish powder into their trolleys and I growled. Lesson 3. you live inside your house. you must be comfortable and not want to cry every time you enter your kitchen.
three weeks ago we got a leak coming from our bath / shower into our....yes you guessed it...kitchen. I cried for 400 hours.
then I decided we were moving. I found my dream house for more money. made an appointment for Kristian to see it the next day and arranged more hours at work to help cover it.
No more dishwasher envy. It has one and a new kitchen. a new bathroom and new everything plus a garden. Now my Taurean bones are light and airy and not tense and tight. only 3 weeks to go!!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
the story of two South African mummies and a swimming trip
Yesterday my friend Jacki , and I were meeting with our girls for our weekly swim date. We use the Eltham leisure centre near to both of us , its a lovely new centre with a great pool for the kids. Yesterday as I pulled into the parking an official looking man told me I would be shown where to park and I was told they had VIP guests. around the corner we spied several media vans . Thinking very little of it we went to pay for our swim only to be told some filming was occuring and if we did not want to be filmed then not to wear an armband. Cue much spluttering from Jacki and I that there was no ways we were being filmed in a cossie. I thought , fine we will just avoid the camera and swim quietly......
Yeah right, when we walked out in our swimming gear there was a media storm, loads of cameras and media sorts filming some very loud kids playing in the pool. At this stage I got in the pool fairly quickly as to be honest I am not even keen on seeing myself in a costume let alone all these people. After 10 minutes of a bit of swimming in the cordoned off pool I looked over and nearly jumped from the pool in excitement. there was Mark foster , gold medal winning Olympian and strictly come dancing hunk. (can you believe I said hunk)This man has a body to die for. At first I was delighted until I realised I was half naked with no make up on. I sank deeper into the pool , all the time explaining to Jacki who Mark Foster was. The it was Jacki's turn.."Its's David" she yelled. him from little Britain. So David Walliams joined the little celebrity group having a photo shoot at the end of our pool. We of course just looked silly floating about trying to look interested in our children when actually all I was waiting for was Mark Foster to take his t shirt off. In fact lily fell off the floating thing due to my inability to keep my eyes on her.
We then waited until we had watched it all and they had moved on to the big pool before sprinting back to my towel and hurrying back to the change rooms. You see in London you never know what can happen
Yeah right, when we walked out in our swimming gear there was a media storm, loads of cameras and media sorts filming some very loud kids playing in the pool. At this stage I got in the pool fairly quickly as to be honest I am not even keen on seeing myself in a costume let alone all these people. After 10 minutes of a bit of swimming in the cordoned off pool I looked over and nearly jumped from the pool in excitement. there was Mark foster , gold medal winning Olympian and strictly come dancing hunk. (can you believe I said hunk)This man has a body to die for. At first I was delighted until I realised I was half naked with no make up on. I sank deeper into the pool , all the time explaining to Jacki who Mark Foster was. The it was Jacki's turn.."Its's David" she yelled. him from little Britain. So David Walliams joined the little celebrity group having a photo shoot at the end of our pool. We of course just looked silly floating about trying to look interested in our children when actually all I was waiting for was Mark Foster to take his t shirt off. In fact lily fell off the floating thing due to my inability to keep my eyes on her.
We then waited until we had watched it all and they had moved on to the big pool before sprinting back to my towel and hurrying back to the change rooms. You see in London you never know what can happen
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