OUR HOUSE

AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED, THE ESTATE AGENT TOOK US TO THIS LOVELY 3 BEDROOM SEMI DETACHED COTTAGE THAT WE ARE IN AT THE MOMENT AND WE IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH IT, EVEN THOUGH IT HAD NO FURNITURE,
ONLY A BED WITH A MATTRESS AND OLD FRIDGE AND A TABLE IN THE LOUNGE, WITH A PROMISE THAT THE REST OF THE FURNITURE WILL ARRIVE SOON WE TOOK IT. WE HAD NO BEDDING, TOWELS, CROCKERY, CUTLERY, POTS OR PANS, BUT WE MOVED IN THE EVENING AT ABOUT 8.30 PM. WE BORROWED BEDDING FROM DONOVAN OUR CARETAKER. “BEDDING” IN ZAMBIA IS TWO SHEETS & 2 PILLOWS & 2 PILLOW CASES, NO BLANKETS & DUVETS HERE. OH AND WE ALSO DIDN’T HAVE HOT WATER BUT DONOVAN INVITED US TO BATH AT HIS HOUSE.

THE COTTAGE IS ONE OF 3 SEMI DETACHED BUILDINGS ON THE ESTATE (6 COTTAGES, 3 BUILDINGS). AND, LIKE MOST HOUSES HERE SURROUNDED BY A 2.5m HIGH WALL WITH ELECTRIC FENCING, A HUGE IRON GATE AND A ROVING GUARD, SO IT CAN BE SAID THAT WE ARE IN A SECURITY VILLAGE. NEXT TO US ARE ABOUT 6 ZULUS FROM DURBAN DOING SCAFFOLDING AT “MANDA HILL” A HUGE SHOPPING COMPLEX BEING BUILT NEARBY. THEY WORK 12 HOUR SHIFTS & SLEEP MOST OF THE TIME. IN ONE OF THE OTHER UNITS LIVES DONOVAN, OUR CARETAKER AND IN ANOTHER ONE A STUCK UP GAUTENGER. THE OTHER 3 ARE EMPTY.

OUR COTTAGE CONSISTS OF 3 BEDROOMS, A STUDY. THIS IS OUR LOVE NEST WITH MOSQUITO NET.




LOUNGE/DINING/KITCHEN & OUR PRIDE & JOY IS OUR BACK STOEP COMPLETE WITH A DIVAN, (IN THE BACKGROUND) ALTHOUGH IT DID CREAK A LOT WITH BOTH M & I LAY ON IT ONE NIGHT.



WE HAVE PROMISED OURSELVES THAT THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A HUGE THUNDERSTORM WE GOING FOR BROKE & WE GONNA CUDDLE UP TOGETHER HERE!
HERE I AM WORKING ON THE LAPTOP OUTSIDE WITH PEDRO, THE JACK-RUSSEL THAT ROXY ( WITH A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR) SENT TO LOOK AFTER US) WAITING FOR ME TO COME PLAY WITH THE BALL BUT MORE ABOUT PEDRO LATER.













WE HAVE A LOVELY MANGO TREE RIGHT OFF OUR BACK STOEP. ALL IN ALL WE HAVE 2 MANGO TREES, A PEACH, A BANANA, A GUAVA & AN AVO TREE AROUND OUR HOUSE ALONE! THERE ARE MANY MORE ON THE ESTATE.





WE ALSO HAVE AN AIRCON IN THE LOUNGE AREA AND HAVE BEEN PROMISED A FAN IN THE BEDROOM ABOVE THE MOSQUITO NET (THAT IS IMPREGNATED WITH A REPELLENT).









THE VIEW FROM OUR FRONT DOOR IS QUITE STUNNING ALTHOUGH THE TRACTOR THAT WAS USED FOR THE GARDEN WORK HAS SADLY BEEN MOVED SINCE.











THAT TREE HAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FLOWER MASS, CLOSE UP THEY ALMOST LOOKS LIKE THE ORCHIDS MA MARIE GROWS IN GEORGE.

OUR MOVE TO LUSAKA

OUR FRIEND HENRY MATTHEE HAD BEEN WORKING FOR A MONTH IN ZAMBIA FOR A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WHEN HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A JOB FOR ME AS A PROJECT MANAGER. I HAD DONE PROJECT MANAGEMENT BEFORE ON LUXERY HOUSES AND SECURITY VILLAGES.

I GOT A CALL FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER ASKING FOR MY CV ON WEDNESDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2010. I SPOKE TO HENRY AGAIN & FOUND OUT THAT THE TURNAROUND TIME WAS 6 MONTHS. I THOUGHT THAT WAS TOO LONG TIME AWAY FROM MARIANNE & AFTER A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS WITH HER WE DECIDED THAT 4 MONTHS WOULD BE THE LONGEST AND THAT THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE DECIDING FACTOR WHETHER I WOULD GO OR NOT.

THE CEO, PHONED US SAID HE NOTICED ON MY CV I MENTION THAT MARIANNE & I RUN AN ARCHITECTURAL OFFICE FROM HOME & OFFERED HER A JOB AS WELL! A PACKAGE DEAL! HE GAVE US 2 HOURS TO DECIDE & THE REST IS HISTORY.

THE CATCH WAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO START IN 10 DAYS. WE IMMEDIATELY STARTED OUR PLANS & BY 13H00 THE NEXT DAY WE DECIDED TO STORE OUR HOUSE CONTENTS & RENT OUT THE HOUSE.

WE WOULD SELL THE ONE CAR & LEND THE OTHER TO TREVOR FOR SAFEKEEPING. AND SO THE MADNESS STARTED! WE HAD TO TRANSFER OUR ENTIRE HOUSE INTO A 6X3m LOCKUP & DID THAT WITH MY BAKKIE AFTER THE PROMISE OF A TRUCK TO HELP US DID NOT MATRIALISE. (DON’T YOU JUST HATE THOSE TYPES WHO PROMISE & DON’T DELIVER?)

I WENT TO MY PRESENT BOSS’S HOUSE AT 7 THE NEXT MORNING TO TELL HIM PERSONALLY & HIS WORDS TO ME WERE "GO FOR IT!" WE RECEIVED & SIGNED THE CONTRACT ON WEDNESDAY AND RECIEVED THE TICKETS ON FRIDAY.

WE ASKED LOUIS TO FETCH US AT 3PM ON SUNDAY BUT WE WERE ONLY FINISHED PACKING AT 4PM. I RODE OUT OF MOSSEL BAY ON BESSIE, JESSICA'S VUKA WITH MARIANNE & LOUIS, TREVOR, BERENICE AND BRUCE IN TOW FOR THE FINAL STORAGE & THEN LEFT FOR GEORGE. WE REALLY GONNA MISS TREV & MARTHA, JOBY, BERENICE & DEBBIE THEY ARE GREAT FRIENDS, DESPITE TREVS GRUMPINESS! :)

WE HAD A BRAAI WITH FAMILY AT LEILA’S ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SAID OUR SAD GOOD BYES. LEFT FOR GEORGE AIRPORT MONDAY MORNING 1ST OF NOVEMBER. WITH LOUIS & LIZ & SAID MORE SAD GOODBYES THERE. I’M GONNA MISS LOUIS A LOT I KNOW, INSPITE OF NOT BEING TOGETHER A LOT HE WAS ALWAYS A TELEPHONE CALL AWAY.

FLEW TO JOHANNESBURG,
HAD A 4 HOUR STOP-OVER AND THEN TOOK ANOTHER PLANE TO LUSAKA. THE SMALLEST PLANE I'VE EVER BEEN ON (ABOUT 52 SEATER). ARRIVED, WITH THE PLANE DESCENDING THRU A HUGE PENDING THUNDERSTORM AT ABOUT 17H40. GOT THRU ALL THE CHECKS AT LUSAKA AIRPORT. THERE WAS WITH NO ONE TO FETCH US. THE PLACE SEEMED DESERTED EXCEPT FOR A HUGE POLICE FORCE. MANAGED TO DRAW MONEY, BOUGHT AN MTN SIM CARD AND CONTACTED HENRY, WHO WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT.


ONCE HE ARRIVED HE TOOK US TO OUR HOUSE WHICH WAS IN THE BACK OF SOMEONES YARD. WE WERE NOT HAPPY WITH IT, JUST LOOKING AT THE HANGERS IN THE CUPBOARD DECIDED IT FOR US!

NEXT HE TOOK US TO THE ARCADES SHOPPING COMPLEX WHERE WE HAD SUPPER AT THE OCEAN BASKET. HE CAME BACK WITH US & SLEPT AT OUR HOUSE. THE NEXT MORNING HE TOOK US TO THE OFFICE. WE WERE AMAZED AT THE TRAFFIC IN LUSAKA BUT THAT WAS NOT A TOUCH TO WHAT WE WOULD EXPERIENCE LATER!
WE WERE TAKEN AROUND BY THE OFFICE MANAGER TO MEET THE STAFF IN THE OFFICE. WE THEN WENT IN TO THE CEO & HAD COFFEE WITH HIM & CHATTED FOR A WHILE. REALLY NICE PERSON. WE MENTIONED THAT WE WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE HOUSE & IMMEDIATELY HE GOT THE OFFICE MANAGER TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER PLACE.


WE WERE KEPT BUSY THE WHOLE DAY AND IN THE AFTERNOON GOT SHOWN ANOTHER HOUSE, A SEMI DETACHED COTTAGE WITH 3 BEDROOMS, WHICH WE LIKED STRAIGHT AWAY BUT MORE ABOUT THE HOUSE LATER. WE THEN HAD TO FETCH OUR STUFF AT THE OTHER HOUSE & GOT BACK AT 8.30PM AFTER GETTING COMPLETELY LOST IN THE DARK. WE WERE INVITED TO SUPPER WITH THE CEO BUT HAD TO PHONE & CANCEL. WE PHONED DONOVAN, THE CARETAKER OF THE ESTATE & HE FETCHED US & GOT US HOME FINALLY.


HENRY PHONED ME AT 9PM AND WANTED US TO JOIN HIM AT THE RAPSODY RESTAURANT WHERE A JAZZ BAND WAS PLAYING. WE WERE TOTALLY EXHAUSTED & HAD TO TURN HIS OFFER DOWN. HE SAID MAYBE THAT WAS THE BEST AS HE WAS ALSO GONNA TURN EARLY. HE WAS LEAVING EARLY FOR CHINSALI. HIS LAST WORDS TO ME WAS THAT I SHOULD’N’T LET THE “PAPER PUSHERS” *(*&! ME AROUND OR I WILL NEVER GET MY PROJECT DONE. HE SAID TO MARIANNE “SEE YOU IN A MONTH” & THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THAT WE HEARD HENRYS VOICE.


THE NEXT MORNING I PHONED HENRY AROUND 6.30AM TO HEAR HOW THE TRIP WAS GOING BUT COULD NOT REACH HIM.


WENT TO WORK AT THE HOTEL SITE WHERE I WOULD BE THE PROJECT MANAGER TO FINISH OFF THE HOTEL.


AROUND 10AM WE GOT TOLD TO GO TO HEAD OFFICE FOR A MEETING WITH THE CEO. HE INFORMED BOTH OF US ABOUT HENRY'S DEATH. IT WAS JUST UNBELIEVABLE. I'LL NEVER FORGET THE LOOK ON MARIANNE'S FACE. I THINK ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I SAID WAS THAT I WILL HAVE TO TELL DEBBIE. MARIANNE DID'NT WANT ME TO BUT I FELT I HAD TO. MARIANNE THEN SAID AFTERWARD THAT IF I WANT TO I SHOULD. FOR THE REST OF THE DAY WE SAT STUNNED IN THE OFFICE, CRYING & LAUGHING UNTIL ABOUT 2PM WHEN THE CEO HAD TO GO TO ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. ON REQUEST WE WERE DRIVEN TO THE ACCIDENT SITE AND WAS DEVASTATED AGAIN. NO AMOUNT OF REASONING & TALKING TO THE LOCALS COULD MAKE US UNDERSTAND...


ON FRIDAY WE ASKED A FEW OF HENRY’S FRIENDS TO JOIN US FOR A DRINK ON HIM AT O’HAGANS WHERE HE WATCHED RUGBY THE PREVIOUS SATURDAY. IN THE PHOTOGRAPH IS 2 SOUTH AFRICANS, A LESOTOEATHEN (SIC, WTH DO YOU CALL PEOPLE FROM LESOTHO?) (QUANTITY SURVEYOR) , A ZAMBIAN (PROJECT MANAGER) AND A RUSSIAN (QS), ALL WORKING FOR OUR FIRM.
I ASKED THE HEAD OFFICE TO PLEASE MAKE US A WOODEN CROSS THAT WE COULD ERECT NEXT TO THE ROAD IN MEMORY OF OUR OLD FRIEND.

WHEN WE PICKED IT UP ON SATURDAY MORNING IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MARBLE CROSS THAT WAS MADE IN THE FACTORY AT HEAD OFFICE. WE COULD NOT FIND STENCILS OF ANY KIND SO ON SUNDAY MORNING WE HAD TO TRY OUR VERY BEST AT WRITING SOMETHING NEATLY ON THE CROSS. THIS WAS A LOT MORE DIFFICULT THAN WE THOUGHT AND THROUGH A LOT OF TEARS & CURSES WE FINALLY GOT IT DONE.


WE ASKED DONOVAN, FOR A SHOVEL TO DO THE WORK AND HE PROMPLY SENT GEORGE, ONE OF THE WORKERS ALONG WITH US TO DO THE WORK. WELL, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND EMOTIONAL. WHEN WE GOT THERE A COUPLE OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE CAME OVER & AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT WE WERE DOING, EVERYONE WANTED TO DO THE DIGGING & PLANT THE CROSS.

(THE ZAMBIANS ARE LIKE THAT, WONDERFUL CARING PEOPLE) WE EVEN HAD ONE OF THE ELDERS OF THE LOCAL CATHOLIC CHURCH COME OVER TO OFFER HIS CONDOLENCES (THAT’S THE BUSH TELEGRAPH AT WORK) & CHATTED TO MARIANNE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

WE RETURNED HOME & DID VERY LITTLE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.

Biltong Maker

A very easy way & cost effective way to make a Biltong Maker:

My eldest brother Willie gave this Biltong Maker to me many years ago.

The Biltong Maker works on the principle of hot air rising. The bulb at the bottom heats the air which comes in from the holes on the side. The air rises past the hanging Biltong and escapes thru the vents in the top.

We have used it extensively & can testify to it working very well.

If you keep your strips of meat not too thick you should get Biltong within 5 days or so.

The small pieces (2cm x 10cm) you should have within 24-48 hours.

Keep checking!... (and testing!)

This is what it looks like...

(The size of this Apple box (closed) is 500x350x270mm

What you will need:

1 cardboard Apple box (Lid & bottom)

Extra cardboard pieces for reinforcing

2 cupboard knobs

4 welding rods

1 bulb & socket

1metre electrical flex (depending on the distance to the electrical socket)

1 plug

PVC paint (for reinforcing)

Strong cardboard Glue

Paper clips

Boxes apart with a knob in the centre of each one to pull the two apart quickly to get to the Biltong!

Boxes fitting together.

Note the additional slits cut in the sides at the bottom of the Brown box, & the 3 holes cut into the white one.

First we will look at the Holder.

The bigger box of the 2 we'll call the "Lid" (The white part on the photo)

The smaller of the 2 we'll call the "Holder" (The brown part on the photo)

At the top a square has been cut out. The welding rods have been cut to the exact inside of the box. Then extra strips of cardboard were cut, the 4 welding rods pushed thru the strips & then pasted to the inside of the box.

(See separate photo WR)

In the middle of the box a square piece was pasted for extra reinforcement. The cupboard knob has a thread with a large washer that screws into the back of the knob.

(See separate photo CKW)

At the bottom there is a U shaped piece of Aluminium fixed to box. This Aluminium sheet(400X1300.5mm) doubles as a washer for the bulb socket as well as shielding the cardboard from the heat of the bulb. (See separate photos BS1 BS2 &BS3 & AUS1)

Photo WR

Photo CWK

The screw is screwed into the knob with the two large washers stopping the knob from tearing thru the cardboard. The smaller washer is to stop the head of the screw slipping thru the bigger opening in the big washer.

PhotoBS1

This is the bulb socket that fits into the back

of the box & that holds the Aluminium in place.

Photo BS2

The box & Aluminium is screws tight between the

collar & the loose ring

Photo BS3

I tightened the bulb socket onto the box to show

how it will hold the box & the aluminium in place.

AUS1

Note the sticker material on the bottom for the drips from the Biltong.

Maybe the trickiest of all is this "made to fit piece of cardboard box that was clearly cut from another box. I cannot give exact dimensions because I don't know if your box is going to be exactly the same, so I hop the photos will show you what you need.

Here I have turned it around & am busy sliding it over the Aluminium cover.

It fits snugly into the box. That is plastic sticker material again to stop the drippings from seeping into the box.

Now we look at the "Lid"

Not much to see here excepting holes in the side at the bottom

& the handle slit was closed up with a cardboard

insert & tape, then painted over.

The 4 holes in the top & the handle lid was closed up with a cardboard

insert & tape, then painted over.

and a piece of reinforcing cardboard pasted in the middle

with the knob fitted as discussed before.

Also the whole lid was painted with what seems like PVA paint to give it a little more rigidty.

AS FOR THE FIRE HAZARD OF THIS BOX I THINK IT WOULD BE WISE TO TEST IT THOROUGHLY OVER LONG PERIODS TO SEE IF YOUR FITTING OF THE BULB WAS OK.

SETTING IT UP AWAY FROM FLAMMABLE THINGS IS ALSO A GOOD IDEA, OR IN THE MIDDLE OF A TILE FLOOR SHOULD WORK WELL.

"WHAT ABOUT THE PAPER CLIPS?" I hear you say...

Well they are to hook thru your biltong & onto the welding rods at the top!

enjooooooy!!!!

Dynie I

The Story of Dynie! (13 January 2009)

I would like to introduce Dynie, the latest addition to our family.

Sometime in November, Dynie mysteriously appeared INSIDE our back door!After I calmed down I eventually had the nerve to pick him up. He was VERY still.

He took a liking to me after our initial meeting

& mostly he was in the cupboard when I was

at home &, although no-one was feeding him he

didn't seem to be losing any weight.

We knew he was eating though because we saw

him use the toilet!

He would now & again be spotted in our drawing

room after a few weeks he appeared under Jessica's

pillow and in front of her door in the morning a

couple of times, personally, I thought he was

terrorising her a bit but then he went still again,

sitting there in my cupboard.

One day Marianne found him outside in the

Honeysuckle, moulting.

He really looked different then!

After Matt & Marilou arrived, Dynie stepped up his shananigans,

& especially his flirting with our friends wives!

We have not been able to figure out whether it was the moulting that made him go mad or the their arrival!

It could also have been the altercation he had with Roxy!

Luckily Marianne & I was there & it took both of us to pull him away in time otherwise it would have been tickets for Roxy. Whew, that was a close call!

He was all over the place!

When he was thirsty he would go for water

and when he was hungry he would look for food.

But his favourite pastime was to kickback &

lie & wait for you to open the door to

wherever he was hiding, then just give you that

silly grin while you you almost pop a vein with

fright! They say that's what happened to

Elvis. After that he (Elvis, not Dynie) was

known as the king of pop!

Once Matt said he thought he heard squeeky

manic laughter from him, but we're not sure if it was

because of the look on Matt's face or if Matt had

started hearing things. They say heat stroke

together with alchohol can do that to you!

Sometimes he would strike silly poses before

you open the door, but always, always with

that silly grin...

When he was cold he would hang out where it was hot

& when he was hot we would find him in the

coolest part of the house. He would multitask,

cooling down while scaring people at the same

time.

We also found what looked like a chocolate

covered peanut on top of our painting against

the wall just after this photo was taken, so I

imagine he didn't really like the artist.

(Maybe he knew him)

Then Christmas Eve was quite fun because we

had Santa around (quite a handsome chap) and

low & behold, Dynie had smuggled himself among

the presents, & of course, you can imagine what

happened when Santa reached for the next present!

Luckily we had a spare red trouser for Santa & we

hope Santa will be back next year....

Then Dynie just dissappeared without a trace.

We are all still looking for him....

First 1

Here we go!

I have always wanted to do a newspaper column. I almost did a blog of our holiday in the UK 3years ago but chickened out. I have no experience in this and also have no idea where this will take me so... here goes my very first blog, ever! I feel like Peter (I think), the geriatrics guy on YouTube! :)

I wrote a pretty long email to Louis Steyn last night after finding photos on my telephone that I had taken in the Tate Gallery in London in June of this year. It's about a exhibition there called "30 pieces of silver". The artist took 900 pieces of random silverware (including a trumpet), laid it out on a road, and flattened it with a roller!

30 flat pieces were then arranged in a circular shape to symbolise a coin & then suspended singularly from the ceiling 4m high! They then did this 30 times. The result is this huge room with all this siver suspended by fishing line. Awesome! Anyway, I had to photograph this and because of the security I had to use my cellphone. While Marilou screened the cellphone from the security guard took this photo.

You can read more about at the following site. Enjoy it! http://www.tate.org.uk/colddarkmatter/30piecesofsilver.htm

Well thats the first of hopefully many blogs.