Friday, March 27, 2009
3/18/2009: Game Farm
Today we drove out to a game farmed owned by a fellow named Werner. It was absolutely beautiful - we had a braai in the evening and went on a couple of game drives. Head over to my flickr photostream to see the pics since I only snapped a couple with my cellphone. The first is the bonfire around which we sat and sorted out the problems of the world. The second is Sarah coveting my Windhoeck Draught beer!
3/17/2009: Practical Outreach
Today the group went with a pharmacist from the area that has a van loaded with medicine which he drives out to different areas to look after the people there. He diagnoses basic illnesses and gives the people medication. Since the area was dangerous because of the illnesses, we decided to only have Mark, Dave, and Lori go along with Francis. Therefore I have no pics other than the ones I took of Sarah invading my office:
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
3/16/2009: Mission Trip Week Begins
Today started a very full week of visiting various mission sites to determine where we need to focus. Us Catholics have some things lined up for next week, but right now we are traveling with Gordon and Francis (the latter is a full-time missionary) and meeting people with whom they work.
Our first stop today was Phumzile Park, a squatter camp/informal settlement out by Rayton. The site was built on a former dump, and two missionaries, Diane and Lawrence, felt called to start a community center/day care for the children of the squatters. They minister in any way necessary however, as these folks are in pretty dire straits. There are a ton of pictures, so this is the best way to view them:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24022820@N02/sets/72157615792352911/
After Phumizle Park we drove out to a lodge area to meet a fella who volunteers for Mission Aviation Flights. They fly groups and supplies into areas that take days to reach by road, and are typically only accessible by 4x4.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24022820@N02/sets/72157615879023610/
Our first stop today was Phumzile Park, a squatter camp/informal settlement out by Rayton. The site was built on a former dump, and two missionaries, Diane and Lawrence, felt called to start a community center/day care for the children of the squatters. They minister in any way necessary however, as these folks are in pretty dire straits. There are a ton of pictures, so this is the best way to view them:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24022820@N02/sets/72157615792352911/
After Phumizle Park we drove out to a lodge area to meet a fella who volunteers for Mission Aviation Flights. They fly groups and supplies into areas that take days to reach by road, and are typically only accessible by 4x4.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24022820@N02/sets/72157615879023610/
Thursday, March 19, 2009
3/15/2009: Visitors Arrive!
Today we tried to go to mass at a new church in Pretoria West. Being Africa, I got bad information about mass times from the internet, so we were late to the only mass (the site said they had two). Luckily we found out that the cathedral had an 11:00 a.m. mass, so we attended. It was sparse and they had the microphones off, but the architecture of the building was beautiful:
Just so I wouldn't hear griping from Mike for the rest of my life, I took the Rover for a wash before I picked them up at the airport (a hand wash with interior scrub is R55 - our wash, which included a quick power wash, was R20).
We went to the Southdowns shopping mall to get some food and return rented movies - everyone seems curious about how stores look here, so here they are!
Our visitors arrived safely, and we came home to a dinner made by April of Bobotie (Mike called it Bo-burndie):
Just so I wouldn't hear griping from Mike for the rest of my life, I took the Rover for a wash before I picked them up at the airport (a hand wash with interior scrub is R55 - our wash, which included a quick power wash, was R20).
We went to the Southdowns shopping mall to get some food and return rented movies - everyone seems curious about how stores look here, so here they are!
Our visitors arrived safely, and we came home to a dinner made by April of Bobotie (Mike called it Bo-burndie):
3/14/2009: Irene Village Market
OK I finally have some time to make comments about all these pictures! It has been a whirlwind the last couple of weeks!
First, cute pics of the kids helping me make pancakes on the Saturday before our visitors showed up:
Then we went to the Irene Village Market to get some foodstuffs in preparation and let the kids ride a camel:
After lunch, the kids want to play a bit and burn off some energy:
First, cute pics of the kids helping me make pancakes on the Saturday before our visitors showed up:
Then we went to the Irene Village Market to get some foodstuffs in preparation and let the kids ride a camel:
After lunch, the kids want to play a bit and burn off some energy:
Saturday, March 14, 2009
3/13/2009: Friday fun
Our typical Friday ritual has been this: I work for several hours in the morning, then we go grocery shopping. Afterward I take the family out to eat. We've altered the plan over the last two weeks to allow time to shop for Philemon and Lydia and to get the food back to them before they have to leave to get in queue for taxis.
So, after working this morning, we got the kids in our massive three-seater pram and walked down to Freedom Square to do some food shopping. On the way we noticed that the Irene library was open, so we popped in, opened an account, and got some books. Sarah wanted kid's books that were in Swahili, Xhosa, and Zulu, but we can't read those so we didn't get them.
We went to Freedom Village and got some food for P&L to take home then walked back to the house. We got into the truck and went to yet another shopping mall located within 10 clicks of our house - Southdowns Center. The Pick 'n Pay here is probably my favourite one so far - very clean, not busy at all, well staffed, and well stocked with my favourite foods in the whole world:
We had skipped lunch and were starving, so I took the family to Doppio Zero for some cheap pizza. Wow, it was excellent! We got a Margherita (sauce and cheese only), a Boca Raton (chicken, onions, chilies), a Pollo (chicken, sweet chili sauce, coriander), and some hummus. Oh, and I had a couple of Peroni draughts.
We rented several DVDs to take come since we were done eating at 17h30. The kids didn't last long (and neither did I - I took a nap during X-men 2).
So, after working this morning, we got the kids in our massive three-seater pram and walked down to Freedom Square to do some food shopping. On the way we noticed that the Irene library was open, so we popped in, opened an account, and got some books. Sarah wanted kid's books that were in Swahili, Xhosa, and Zulu, but we can't read those so we didn't get them.
We went to Freedom Village and got some food for P&L to take home then walked back to the house. We got into the truck and went to yet another shopping mall located within 10 clicks of our house - Southdowns Center. The Pick 'n Pay here is probably my favourite one so far - very clean, not busy at all, well staffed, and well stocked with my favourite foods in the whole world:
We had skipped lunch and were starving, so I took the family to Doppio Zero for some cheap pizza. Wow, it was excellent! We got a Margherita (sauce and cheese only), a Boca Raton (chicken, onions, chilies), a Pollo (chicken, sweet chili sauce, coriander), and some hummus. Oh, and I had a couple of Peroni draughts.
We rented several DVDs to take come since we were done eating at 17h30. The kids didn't last long (and neither did I - I took a nap during X-men 2).
3/12/2009: Work!
Today I went up to Vodacom to coordinate some stuff with the Openwave and Vodacom teams. We are doing fine here in South Africa, pretty much settled in and are on schedule. Of course, all that will end on Sunday night when Mike, Lori, Mark, and David arrive. Next week will be a hectic time of meetings and cramming in work.
In the meantime, here are some glimpses of our daily lives:
Vincent is a pterdactyl I think...
Traffic situation leaving Vodacom (look in the rearview mirror especially):
In the meantime, here are some glimpses of our daily lives:
Vincent is a pterdactyl I think...
Traffic situation leaving Vodacom (look in the rearview mirror especially):
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
3/10/2009: Gardening
Lately the kids have taken to the sandbox like fish to water - they stay in it for hours. Since it is getting cooler, the pool is less inviting, so they have found a substitute!
The time has also come to plant the garden. Philemon emptied two of those former animal bins in the back of this picture of the compost contained within to get the garden ready. April and the kids began planting all sorts of veggies, legumes, and fruits:
Sarah wanted to help but didn't like getting her feet in the soft, loamy earth:
Philemon Matome finally will join us for dinner. I've found out quite a bit about him over the last two nights - he is a South Africa Cricket fanatic, was born in Northwest Territory but his family moved to the informal settlement of Thembalethu (it means "our hope") in 1990. The settlement is east of Pretoria, about an hour and a half out. He has a son named Thoto (which means "goodwill") and has been teaching us one or two isiZulu, isiSotho, or SiSwati words per night.
After dinner April noticed an intruder that came in through the gate:
The time has also come to plant the garden. Philemon emptied two of those former animal bins in the back of this picture of the compost contained within to get the garden ready. April and the kids began planting all sorts of veggies, legumes, and fruits:
Sarah wanted to help but didn't like getting her feet in the soft, loamy earth:
Philemon Matome finally will join us for dinner. I've found out quite a bit about him over the last two nights - he is a South Africa Cricket fanatic, was born in Northwest Territory but his family moved to the informal settlement of Thembalethu (it means "our hope") in 1990. The settlement is east of Pretoria, about an hour and a half out. He has a son named Thoto (which means "goodwill") and has been teaching us one or two isiZulu, isiSotho, or SiSwati words per night.
After dinner April noticed an intruder that came in through the gate:
3/9/2009: Perfect tortillas!
Tonight was Mexican food night wherein April makes tortillas, beans, and rice. Everything is getting better, except John's attitude:
Here are the corn tortillas made with pap. They were actually pretty good; at least interesting!
And here are the homemade, perfect tortillas!
Here are the corn tortillas made with pap. They were actually pretty good; at least interesting!
And here are the homemade, perfect tortillas!
Monday, March 9, 2009
3/8/2009: "Mushroom Festival"
Well, I think we're going to head to St. Augustine parish in Silverton next Sunday. It's a German-speaking parish, so I won't have to listen to constant revisions and folks interpreting Vatican II in a "progressive" manner. Also, I heard Germans like beer and sausage, so I'm hoping that chances for parish parties will be greater there. :D
After mass at Maria Regina where the priest a) chastised the choir for playing "funeral music" and b) gave an ovation to the "matriarch of the parish" in the middle of mass, after receiving the gifts, we went to the "Mushroom Festival" at the Irene Mall. I was expecting booths with folks selling feta-stuffed fried mushrooms and the like; instead, it was a tent full of folks that are way too rich drinking wine and listening to a lady tell them how to cook mushrooms. Crud. Well, we were at the mall, so we decided to walk around a bit, let the kids play, and get something to eat. By the way, fasting from midnight before attending mass makes one very hungry afterward.
The fountains at the mall are really neat. You're deluding yourself if you bring kids to this mall and think they won't come away soaking wet. Mine were no exception (kids don't have the perception that one must not get one's shoes wet):
"Old Khaki", just because it sounds so much like "Old Navy":
The kids on some weird horse statue:
We went to eat at Braza, which serves Portuguese food. For those who don't know, Mozambique, South Africa's eastern neighbour, was a Portuguese colony. The food was good but too expensive if you ask me.
They did have a pretty good Portuguese band however:
When we got home the kids made messes of themselves playing in the sandbox. They've really taken to it as of late:
After mass at Maria Regina where the priest a) chastised the choir for playing "funeral music" and b) gave an ovation to the "matriarch of the parish" in the middle of mass, after receiving the gifts, we went to the "Mushroom Festival" at the Irene Mall. I was expecting booths with folks selling feta-stuffed fried mushrooms and the like; instead, it was a tent full of folks that are way too rich drinking wine and listening to a lady tell them how to cook mushrooms. Crud. Well, we were at the mall, so we decided to walk around a bit, let the kids play, and get something to eat. By the way, fasting from midnight before attending mass makes one very hungry afterward.
The fountains at the mall are really neat. You're deluding yourself if you bring kids to this mall and think they won't come away soaking wet. Mine were no exception (kids don't have the perception that one must not get one's shoes wet):
"Old Khaki", just because it sounds so much like "Old Navy":
The kids on some weird horse statue:
We went to eat at Braza, which serves Portuguese food. For those who don't know, Mozambique, South Africa's eastern neighbour, was a Portuguese colony. The food was good but too expensive if you ask me.
They did have a pretty good Portuguese band however:
When we got home the kids made messes of themselves playing in the sandbox. They've really taken to it as of late:
3/7/2009: Saturday Shopping - ugh!
I started out today with my hybrid pancakes - a little oil and pancake batter = YUM:
We drove to Menlyn Park mall to walk around mainly and see if we felt like seeing a movie (the kids stayed up until 22h30 the night before so they were in rare form, so we didn't).
While at the mall we went to Checkers Hyper to get sheets (we had already found sleeping bags) for our incoming guests (Mike, Lori, Mark, and David will be here next Sunday, and they were going to be sleeping on air mattresses with nothing else). Think Super Wal-Marts are massive? Check out Checkers Hyper - think Super Wal-Mart with a furniture/appliance store tacked on:
I just had to take this pic:
And this one:
I was reminded AGAIN why we don't shop on Saturdays! Aaaaaggggghhhh!
Lest anyone think that everything here in South Africa is the same for us as it is in the States, please take a look at the yellow water - no, the kids didn't pee in it, this is how it always is:
A side note - German beer in South Africa! Yessss!
Pic I promised of a mall, this one is Menlyn Park. Three or four stories with an IMAX, a regular theatre, and a drive-in theatre.
We got Sarah a cow chair because she loves these things:
April's attempt at making corn tortillas and then frying them up to make tortilla chips didn't turn out so well - these would make wonderful 'tortilla tossing' candidates:
Ouch is all one can say:
Turns out the "corn flour" here is more like "corn starch". Oops. However, we baked her flour tortillas in the oven and they just might do, so we'll try those as chips next...
We drove to Menlyn Park mall to walk around mainly and see if we felt like seeing a movie (the kids stayed up until 22h30 the night before so they were in rare form, so we didn't).
While at the mall we went to Checkers Hyper to get sheets (we had already found sleeping bags) for our incoming guests (Mike, Lori, Mark, and David will be here next Sunday, and they were going to be sleeping on air mattresses with nothing else). Think Super Wal-Marts are massive? Check out Checkers Hyper - think Super Wal-Mart with a furniture/appliance store tacked on:
I just had to take this pic:
And this one:
I was reminded AGAIN why we don't shop on Saturdays! Aaaaaggggghhhh!
Lest anyone think that everything here in South Africa is the same for us as it is in the States, please take a look at the yellow water - no, the kids didn't pee in it, this is how it always is:
A side note - German beer in South Africa! Yessss!
Pic I promised of a mall, this one is Menlyn Park. Three or four stories with an IMAX, a regular theatre, and a drive-in theatre.
We got Sarah a cow chair because she loves these things:
April's attempt at making corn tortillas and then frying them up to make tortilla chips didn't turn out so well - these would make wonderful 'tortilla tossing' candidates:
Ouch is all one can say:
Turns out the "corn flour" here is more like "corn starch". Oops. However, we baked her flour tortillas in the oven and they just might do, so we'll try those as chips next...
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