WWS 20

Where We Sleep: Pretoria, Judith
Our last stop in South Africa is Judith’s mansion in Pretoria. A beautiful house, surrounded by a magnificent garden with swimming pool, and only a 15 minutes walk to Pretoria University, where Bram teaches – an ideal spot!

WWS 19

Where We Sleep: Potchefstroom, Louis
Whenever we’re remotely near to Potch, we have to detour and enjoy Louis’ fabulous hospitality!

WWS 18

Where We Sleep: Jamestown, Nick’s parents
Staying with tannie Elsa and oom Nico feels like being at home. It’s like a warm shower of realness after all the pretenders we met along the coast. Like last year tannie and oom spoil us with attention and delicious food.

WWS 17

Where We Sleep: Victoria Baai, Carmel
Not liking the first two campsites at all, we try the third (and last) spot on our list. Last because we were a bit taken aback by the ‘Your Christian place to relax’-add, but it proves to be a wondrous place. Erected in the fifties you step back in time when you enter the buildings. The campsite, gardens and see-view are indeed very peaceful, beautiful and relaxing.

WWS 16

Where We Sleep: Kaapstad, Newlands, Paul Jenkins’ apartment
Monday we get the keys to Paul’s apartment and enter our luxurious, spacey place to stay. Maud can hardly stop playing around with the Real Washing Machine!

WWS 15

Where We Sleep: Simonsstad, Edith & Murray
Arriving in Kaapstad on Sunday we discover there’s a slight fuckup with the keys to our place to stay. Lucky us, because we can spend the night at Edith & Murray’s in navy-town Simonsstad, next to the Indian Ocean. Good company, magnificent view, delicious seafood – what more can you want?

WWS 14

Where We Sleep: Beaufort-West, Privaatplaats Springbokkie
The next two nights before we enter Kaapstad we would camp in Great Karoo National Park. Upon arriving we hear it’s full because of a marathon. We drive back to Beaufort-West and find this heavenly private game-farm, where the antelopes graze around the tent at night. See white springbuck and you’ve seen a fairytale come alive!

WWS 13

Where We Sleep: Kimberly, Gastehuis Hadida
According to plan our first camping night would be in Vaalbos Nature Reserve. When we are nearby we realize we tried to camp there years ago, but couldn’t reach it because the bridge over the Vaal-river was flooded. Now we discover the reserve is closed because they’re going to mine there. The Municipal Camping we ended up at years ago was horrible, so we drive back to the mining-town Kimberly and take the first signposted guesthouse. Also not an experience to repeat, but it’s nice to have experienced it once.

Back Home

“We saw you driving into Morwa and thought let’s give them 10 minutes”, Bester says when he enters the yard just after we arrive back home. Those 10 minutes were enough to assemble a mountain of stuff in the living room, wondering how that pile ever fitted into the small bakkie. And how come we need so much for a little trip.
While Bester, Bashi and Manase tell us the latest Jeff phones to say we should move our ass over to his yard for a braai. First we have to offload the cement and furniture Bester brought, and enjoy his – forgot the name, but it is nice coffee-liqueur indeed. Meanwhile the neighbour-dogs hop over for a bit of cuddling and food. All in one it’s good to be back home, and even better this place got to be like home.
For those of you who want to track our traces, we’ll give a brief route description, filling in details later.
The day after Valentine’s Day we crossed the border at Ramatlabana, and drove to Kimberly via Mafeking and the Great Karoo. February 16 we reached Beaufort West, where we camped two days in a private game-farm – 800 ha of heaven.
As planned we reached Cape Town Sunday 18. After a night in Simonstown with Murray and Edith, we stayed in Newlands (CT) at Paul’s apartment, until Sunday 25. We had a fabulous time, attending Dutch Match (matchmaking event South African and Dutch design offices), the Design Indaba - and some parties.
After our week of (net)working we did a bit of the famous Garden Route: Somerset West, Mosselbaai, George. We camped two nights near to Victoriabaai, where we managed to find yet again a heavenly spot.
No matter how nice our camping spot was, how beautiful nature is along the coast, the Garden Route sucks. We were ever so happy to drive to Jamestown February 27, to visit Nick’s parents. The stunning beauty of the Eastern Cape, and, far more important, the feeling of coming home when we stay with tannie Elsa and oom Nico, and of being with people who don’t pretend – what more do you want?
March 1 we drove on to Louis. How lucky we are, feeling sorry to leave, but going somewhere where we’re happy to arrive. Potchefstroom was as usual busy, busy, busy: so many friends to spend time with, and meanwhile organizing ourselves for the last week of our trip.
Sunday 4 Bram moved to Pretoria, with a suitcase full of fresh business-clothes, to teach at Pretoria University. March 7 Maud followed by bus. Saturday, when Bram turned 51, we drove back home (thanks to all the nice b-day wishes by phone from Holland on the way it took no time at all). Yesterday we took the familiar Tlokweng Border again, but new this time . . yeah, the proud feeling of skipping the ‘other passports’ counter!

Permits Galore

We got them! Since last Friday we’re the proud owners of work- and resident-permits, valid till January 30 2012. Just in time, as we’re to going to Cape Town.
This of course had to be commemorated big time. For starters we had spring rolls from Phakalane-China, Guinness, and a dangerous looking icy blue drink. Dessert basically is a synonym for custard, jelly-pudding, or both, so we made both. Saturday Bram managed to get fresh bread-rolls and almost fresh Danish. Which called for an extra board meeting. Sunday the party went on with fried eggs for breakfast, and pancakes for dinner. And still we haven’t partied enough to express how happy we are!
Not-our-dogs Princess-who’s-real-name-is-Mosadi and her two remaining sons enjoyed their extra dog chunks and banana-flavoured Morvite. Eating that pap is their favour to Bram, who bought a big package of this new taste, but hates it. Giving it to the neighbour’s dogs allows him to go back to the Morvite Original. According to Bashi this sorghum-pap with a lot of added goodies like vitamins is a must for the miners.

WWS 12

Where We Sleep 12: one of the (fairly) new chalets in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary.
We planned to camp, but as it started to rain, and we had a lot of work to do, they offered us a chalet. Camping is much nicer (and more bug-free), but having power and a table under a roof allowed us to stomach our first fact-finding day at Serowe Printers Coop Society and prepare for the second day.
In between we tested the KRS vehicle-stickers (new design) we brought form Gabs on one of de safari-cars. Can’t wait to drive around in one of ‘our’ KRS-cars to take pictures for their event-stand.
This stay we didn’t find time for a game-drive. To make up some kudus strolled by when Maud had her morning coffee. Hearing her say to Bram ‘look, kudu’ a curious female turned around, walked back and stared at us. Imagine this as your place to stay on a business trip!

Busy...

This poor blog is being neglected. As are Maud’s e-mails. We experience so much – and that’s why she can’t find time to write.
After X-mass business was to be really slow, but we got this unexpected assignment, on top of the jobs we already had, while social life and the house keep us occupied also. Although the house is perfectly fit to live in, there’re all this minor and major improvements to make. And social events keep popping up like weed.
Last week we were in Serowe for a consultancy on the Serowe Printers Coop Society. Friday we franticly started writing our report.
As usual we stayed in the Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust near Serowe, which, also as usual, brought us more jobs for this wondrous game-park. Even the animals love it too much. Manager Moremi: “I don’t know what it is with our rhino’s, they’re breeding like rats.” The main thing this time is designing their stand for a big tourism-conference (including making pictures). The KRST-jobs are by far our nicest, as is the payment: staying there whenever for free.
We pitch for another interesting job, the identity programme of the Botswana Government Environmental Protection Support Programme.
Meanwhile we have to prepare for Cape Town. We leave February 15 and return around March 3 (use our RSA-phone-numbers during that period). This trip will be a mixture of pleasure (camping & visiting friends) and business (Design Indaba and matchmaking event Dutch-RSA design bureaus).

One

Traditionally birthdays aren’t considered a party-occasion in Botswana, but that is changing. Especially the first B-day should be remembered Big Time. So imagine when it’s a double event...
February 3 Edu Zachary and Tom Uyapo had their First B-day Party at Morwa. Now Dutch people will think turning one, that’s an easy job. You buy some chips, peanuts, sweets, drinks and a cake, and you’re ready. Not in Botswana. Next to the chips etc. you have to ‘organize’ a sheep and a goat. Meaning you buy live animals that have to be turned into seswaa and stew. You just have to have a jumping castle. (Hamish and Bram are designing the XXX-rated adult version.) All in one, it’s a major effort for a major event.
The party was as successful as the amount of stress beforehand; it was a big hit. When the kids got high on lemonade and hotdogs we knew why the jumping castle is a must: otherwise they’ll ransack the house. Do the grown-ups need one also? They seem quite happy, sitting on top of their cool boxes packed with beer and cider.

Moona Mogolo

Moona mogolo meets moona mogolo: two man, well into their 70-ties, exchanging oral history. Maud had a fascinating time listening to LJ and Tom’s granddad Patrick (van Rensburg, see the Wikipedia). LJ has this genuine interest in people, so he got Patrick really talking, and he has very interesting stories himself also.

Funerals

Saturday 05.00 am – jessis, who set the alarm?! Please turn it off! Please - we only fell sound asleep half an hour ago because the neighbours were praying and singing all night! Oh no, that’s why, jump out of bed, get ready, they stopped to bath, that’s what we should do, and make it snappy.
After four deaths within three months when we arrived in the Netherlands last April we thought we wouldn’t have a funeral for a while. But just before X-mass Maud’s grandmother and Moruwe passed away.
Moruwe, who was doing the carpentry in our house (LJ taught him), was our first nearby experience with death in Botswana. It was very sad and at the same time weird. Sad because he was an exceptionally nice, good man, and his wife is pregnant with their first to be born. Weird because what follows is a train of steps everyone knows by hart - except LJ and we. Ever been to a morgue where they pull out one of those drawers you know from B-movies? Out comes the not yet cleaned body of Moruwe, who only has been dead a few hours. The men who are around have to put him in a coffin and carry him into a car. Of you race to the yard (it’s close to 40 degrees and the body is not yet frozen), and than to the funeral parlour. He should be escorted properly, but racing as fast as the car with the body will only bring more deaths.
January we had two funerals in the village: our neighbour and Bashi’s grandfather. As we know now funerals are an important part of social village life.
Saturday 05.30 am: we are ready by the time Jeff and Pelo walk over to our yard. We missed the first part of the funeral service, but are still in time to hear some speeches, prayers and songs, and view the coffin. In an orderly disorderly escort we bring the coffin to the graveyard, where it is lowered into the grave accompanied by more praying and singing. The singing is magnificent. After the men filled up the grave everyone races back to the yard for brunch (it’s not yet 9 am). The week prior we followed the preparations: goats and a cow were slaughtered, and huge piles of bogobe (sorghum-pap) are cooked.
The slaughtering and cooking are only part of the activities. Until the funeral there are daily prayers - an hour of praying and singing in the afternoon, followed by tea, bread and catching up with each other. (The bread is delicious, baked in cast-iron pots in an open fire. Maud found someone who’s going to teach her how to make it.) The men sit together under a tree or tent, and the women stand around the cooking pots or sit in front of the house. Because we are mekgowa (white) we only have to go to the prayers once, but otherwise it’s a weeklong obligation. We even know by heart what food we should buy for the contribution of the mekgowa-families (Jeff & Pelo and we join forces for funerals, and baby-showers).
The last night there is a wake. A solemn happening, although some men see it as an occasion to get very drunk.

Speeches

Hille and Bashi’s grandfather used to share a 6-pack on Sunday-morning.

The Women

The men

Deck: Man at work

Although our yard is huge according to Europeans, we don’t have enough shady spots to loiter. This weekend Bashi and Bram realised the deck our landlord Bester envisioned in front of the house.

Deck: Lady at Leisure

If you have it, use it!