iRead (nothing grey) 2012

"Verlede jaar het ek vir die eerste keer begin om 'n lys te maak van die boeke wat ek lees. Wow. 95. En baie het ek vergeet om in te sluit! Maar dit was lekker om terug te kyk oor die jaar en te sien watter temas/skryfstyle my getrek het! Ek hoop om hierdie jaar meer gedissiplineerd te wees en ek hoop om my vas te loop in goeie goeie goeie goeie (soos Reinhardt bid vir goeie drome) lékker boeke te lees. "

(Ek's al klaar bietjie slimmer, en maak van die begin af kategorieë):

Dit was my...uhm..gevleuelde woorde aan die begin van die jaar...Dissipline was by die deur uit.  Aandagspan ook.  Daarom 'n mengsel van ligte, kort boeke, met hier en daar iets dikkers/diepers, en bietjie nie-fiksie.  En weereens verskeie vergeet.

My bestes in pienk:

Afrikaans Fiksie

1. Die verhaal van Johanna Brandt - Bep du Toit
2. Wildvreemd - Carina Stander
3. Geur van vergifnis - Alta Cloete
4. Geur van vervulling- Alta Cloete
5. Daar was 10 - Heinz Konsalik
6. Een aand in Amsterdam - Ela Spence
7. Eendag vir altyd - Marie-Louise Cronje
8. Ons wag op die kaptein- Elsa Joubert
9. Die Vrystaat is verniet - Helene de Kock
10. Go'el Yisra'el - Marzanne le Roux-van der Boon
11. Sabina's - Nadia de Kock
12. Grensoorlogstories - Jeanette Ferreira
13. Waar sy hoort - Marlie Cloete
14. Klein land van die liefde - Margaret Bakkes
15. Kondensmelk - Christien Neser
16. Koshuiskoffie - Christien Neser
17. Groen is die kleur van genade - Marlene le Roux
18. Fado vir 'n vreemdeling - Margaret Bakkes
19. Lentelied - Dirna Ackerman (2in1)
20. 'n Nuwe Dag - Dorothy Fourie
21. Haaitemmer - Wilreza Theron
22. Uitgeboul deur liefde - Mari Roberts
23. Satynprinses - Rykie Roux
24. Soeter as heuning - Bets Smith
25. Waar liefde le - Elsa Winckler
26. Die soen - Bets Smith
27. Niemand soos jy nie - Magdaleen Walters
28. 'n Ster vir Stella - Malene Breytenbach
29. Eendagmooi - Kristel Loots
30. 'n Klein lewe - Wilna Adriaanse
31. Die Wildedruif val - P H Nortjé
32. Mense van my asem - Steve Hofmeyr
33. Die Skrywer - Esta Steyn
34. Niggie - Ingrid Winterbach
35. Om Kobus te ken - Madelie Human
36. Boheem - Chanette Paul
37. Rots van liefde - Chanette Paul
38. Vlerke van Goud - Chanette Paul
39. Ons is nie almal so nie - Jeanne Goossen
40. Jy's die een - Madelie Human
41. Om Ben lief te hê - Madelie Human
42. Alles of niks - Madelie Human
43. Mieke rock uit - Jana du Plessis
44. Seisoen van Genade - Alta Cloete
45. 'n Huis vir Nadia - Dalene Matthee
46. Want daar's skoenlappers - Elsa Winckler
47. Die kinders van Sengeti - Elmar Steyn
48. Voltooide Sirkel - Madelie Human
49. Haar grootste geskenk - Marile Cloete
50. Blou sjokolade - Christien Neser
51. Eenoogkoning - Malene Breytenbach
52. Aand die windkant - Annemi Coetser
53. Jo & Sue - Chanette Paul
54. Nan & Jeannie - Chanette Paul
55. Lam in Wolfsklere - Bernette Bergenthuin
56. Verskietende ster - Anna Penzhorn
57. Wilde Lote - Jaybee Roux
58. Philida - Andre Brink

Engels Fiksie

1. Pillars of the earth - Ken Follett
2. Lie down with Lions - Ken Follett
3. Lone Wolf - Jodi Picoult
4. Loving - Karen Kingsbury
5. One Life. 6 Words. What's yours? - Smith Magazine
6. Dynamite doctor or Christmas Dad? - Marion Lennox
7. The Lucky One - Nicholas Sparks
8. A rural affair - Catherine Elliott
9. A Mango-shaped space - Wendy Mass
10. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
11. Once in a lifetime - Cathy Kelly
12. The Patchwork Marriage - Jane Green
13. Baking Cakes in Kigali - Gaile Parkin
14. Jewels of the Sun - Nora Roberts
15. Spud-Exit, Pursued by a bear - John van de Ruit
16. Bed of Roses - Nora Roberts
17. Coming Home - Karen Kingsbury
18. The Top Prisoner in C-Max - Wessel Ebersohn
19. The best of me - Nicholas Sparks
20. Savour the moment - Nora Roberts
21. Happy ever after - Nora Roberts
22. Vision in white- Nora Roberts
23. The redemption of Sarah Cain - Beverly Lewis
24. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver

Nie-fiksie

1. The book of regrets...thoughts, memories and revelations from a celebrated cast -Juliet Solomon
2. Eugene Terre'Blanche - my storie - Amos van der Merwe.
3. Troepie - van blougat tot bosoupa - Cameron Blake
4. Die Anglo-Boereoorlog - Fransjohan Pretorius
5. Wednesday is indigo-blue - Cytowic & Eagleman
6. Armblankes - Edward-John Bottomley
7. Taal is zecht maar echt mijn ding - Paulien Cornelisse

Hierdie het dit nie gemaak nie...

1. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho (was eintlik nog op die ongeleesde lys van laas jaar, maar ek het dit weggegee. Ek het net nooit lus gekry om te begin nie)
2. John - Niall Williams
3. Die poorte van Sion - Bodie Thoene
4. Look at me - Jennifer Egan
5. The idea of love - Louise Dean

Hierdie wil ek (nog) lees (en baaaaie is oorgedra van 2011...)!
(Oeps.  Uhm, dit lyk amper identies soos laasjaar...)

1. Suid-Afrika 'n Toekomsperspektief
2. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
3. How to study the Bible - John MacArthur
4. Coconut - Kopano Matlwa
5. A Journal for Jordan - Dana Canedy
6. The 5 Love Languages - Gary Chapman
7. How things are made - Rose & Schlager
8. Black Diamond - Zakes Mda
9. Mahala - Chris Barnard
10. The man who loved the Zulus - J F Scutt
11. Fascinating Womanhood - Helen Andelin
12. Knowledge in the blood - Jonathan Jansen (amper klaar!)
13. Star of the morning - Pamela Jooste

89 in totaal, as ek nou so vinnig kyk. 

Mmm, en baie was dun en vinnig.  Iets waaraan ek sal werk dié jaar. 

Maar dit was steeds lekker!

Oor die bestes:

Wildvreemd (Carina Stander) - Nie geskryf in die tipiese styl waarvan ek hou nie, maar hier kon ek aanhou.  Ek ken die omgewing, en alles word so mooi beskryf dat jy dit voor jou sien gebeur.  'n Interessante, boeiende verhaal.

Ons wag op die kaptein (Elsa Joubert) - Bietjie van 'n skande dat ek nou eers daarby uitkom?  Ook nie my gewone leesstof, en ek moes maar aanpraat om deur te sit, maar die slot, o, wat kon toe daar gebeur?  So baie om oor te dink.

'n Klein lewe (Wilna Adriaanse) - Wat 'n verrassende wending deur hierdie skrywer!  Dis 'n andante - boek, heeltemal anders as haar ander fiksie.  Weereens, omdat ek die omgewing ken, kon ek dit goed visualiseer. So 'n goeie verwoording van hoe 'n vrou die veranderende Suid-Afrika beleef het.   

Seisoen van Genade (Alta Cloete) - Ek het aanvanklik gesukkel met Alta se drie "Geur"-boeke, tot ek besef het die boeke is elk in die toonaard/persoonlikheid van die hoofkarakter geskryf.  Die  "Seisoen"-reeks wat met Genade begin is vir my 'n verdieping van die vorige. Misleidend, met die mooie voorblad, kan dit maklik aangesien word vir net nog 'n liefdesverhaal, maar daar word regtig hartsdinge aangespreek in hierdie boek.  Ek wag vir die volgende een.

Philida (Andre Brink) - Philida sal waarskynlik  op elke tweede Afrikaanse leser se lysie beland.  Ek sukkel met André Brink. " 'n Droë wit seisoen" is een van my top 10-boeke, maar die res kon my nog nie werklik roer nie.  Philida is weer 'n lekker-lees, omstrede nagevors met die beurs wat baie meen iemand anders moes kry. Ek sê "lekker-lees", want die gaan vinnig, maar dis eintlik 'n hartseer verhaal, uit die slawetyd van die ou Kaap.  O jete, die (Suid)-Afrikaner het baie om voor rekenskap te gee. Hierdie boek gee 'n beeld van hoe dinge daardie tyd gewerk het, wat jy eintlik nie wil sien nie, maar moet weet.

Die Folletts - "Pillars" het ek op aanbeveling van 'n lees-vriendin gelees; sy was reg, dis 'n grootse boek.  "Lions" was weer heeltemal anders, maar vir my net so interessant.  Ek sal weer 'n Follett in die oë kyk dié jaar, "Pillars" se opvolg lê reeds in die rak.

Lone Wolf (Jodi Picoult) - Ah, ek lief Jodi, daar is seker maar twee van haar boeke wat ek nie geniet het nie.  Sy klits jou altyd om op die tweedelaaste bladsy, en hier weer. 

A Mango-shaped space (Wendy Mass) - Uiteindelik kry ek hierdie boek in die hande, 'n standaardboek vir almal met sinestesia.  Dit kan ook gesien word as 'n jeugverhaal, maar vertel so mooi hoe sinestesia werk, uit die oogpunt van die jong meisie.  Die titel 'n lieflike metafoor :-)

Baking Cakes in Kigali (Gaile Parkin) - Hoekom het ek dit nou eers gelees?? 'n Lieflike boek, dit gaan lig, maar nie lighartig nie, oor soveel seer, en gee ook 'n prentjie van die mooi wat daar wel bestaan in 'n verskriklike land. 

The Top Prisoner in C-Max (Wessel Ebersohn) - Spanning is nie eintlik my genre nie, so hierdie was weer 'n buig van die grense, maar ek is bly ek het Ebersohn ontdek.  Ek kon nie vinnig genoeg omblaai nie!

The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver) - Ek kan niks meer sê wat nog nie oor hierdie boek gesê is nie.  'n Moet-lees vir elke westerling wat in Afrika woon, wil gaan woon, wil gaan werk, wil gaan mense "red".

Eugene Terre'Blanche - my storie (Amos van der Merwe) - Hierdie is iets wat jy met moeite begin lees, want ET was so 'n omstrede figuur.  Amos hanteer sy storie egter so goed en ten spyte van enige aversie wat jy mag voel vir die man en sy idees, is daar ook simpatie, want op die ou end was hy 'n eensame, ontnugterde man, met romatiese ideale wat hy nie kon realiseer nie. 

Taal is zecht maar echt mijn ding ( Paulien Cornelisse) - Pas ontdek op vakansie; 'n humoristiese kyk na Nederlandse taalgebruik en uitdrukkings.  Ek het by tye kliphard gelag  (dit vat baie om meer as 'n glimlag by my te kry) en het summier die opvolg hiervan gekoop voor ek uit Nederland is.

O, maar ek het byna almal geniet.  Chanette Paul se twee boeke oor die Calitze, Madelie Human en Elsa Winckler se romanses, die nuwer stemme van Bernette Bergenthuin en Jana du Plessis...daar's niks te kla oor Afrikaanse boeke nie!

My stapels staan reg vir 2013 - als wat oorgedra word al reeds uit 2011, 'n hoop nuwes wat deur 2012 aangekoop is, histeriese aankope nou op vakansie en lekker geskenke en leenboeke van my sisi. 

Holiday hooking

I didn't plan to even look at a computer while on holiday, didn't think to roam on my phone or use it for it for  anything other than taking photos...but after four lovely days of blue skies, some cloud and light snow, lots of playing, skiing, falling, snowballing, the mountains of Tirol are hidden behind...white. 

It is all white outside!

We were woken by the first snow plough at 06h00, clearing the street and pathways.
The frozen pond in the backyard has disappeared beneath a thick white blanket, the bare trees are decorated in white and slowly and steadily, thick white snowflakes are drifting downwards.

Imagine the excitement for us - sun babies from South Africa!

Even staying inside, watching the snow, is an adventure.

Maybe we'll venture outside a little later.

Crunching snow beneath my boots for the first time

In the meantime, there's a book to read, chocolates to be eaten...

"Philida" - a slavery novel, the latest by South African writer Andre Brink. A great read.

And some hooking to be done :-)

Bringing colour to the snow

I bought this absolute cheapest of cheap 100 % wool in a 500 g mixed bag of leftovers. The colours looked good together and immediately shouted "stripey bag". It is too coarse to do anything but a bag or placemats, so bag it would be.
I started with a pattern for a small, square bag, but made the bottom larger and will be widening it slightly as I go up - as long as the yarn lasts!

As for straps - that question remains to be answered and I'm open to any ideas.

There's a glimpse of sun coming through the white now! Might be getting out and about then :-)

Waka's Great Road Trip

Imagine flying for the first time in your life.

Imagine flying to a place you have only ever heard of, 1600 km away, at the sea (which you also only ever heard of).

Imagine getting your very first car, driving further than 5 km for the first time, driving back home that 1600 km through countryside you have never seen, alone, with your new car.

:-)

That is what our Waka did, these last two days.

Waka has been working with us since 1998, when he lost his job at the geological consulting company where my husband just starting working.  He got his nickname because he addressed everyone as "wa ka" (= mine), refusing to call anyone  "boss". He is  (formally) unskilled, having attended school only up to Gr 4. He also has limited use of some of the fingers on his right hand - his wife was accused of being a witch and he defended her against an attack with a panga (machete).  The ligaments at the base of his fingers were severed and never treated. However, he has the savvy and street-smartness of ten people, speak/understand quite  few of the indigenous languages, and knows the Limpopo Province like the palm of his hand.

So he started working with me, acting as my guide.

One of our first site visits - Mamvuka village, rural Limpopo

At a community garden project, Gogogo village, Venda
(Waka in white shirt)

Breakfast with gogo (grandma)
Gogo was busy weaving a mat of strips ofplastic bag

For five years we criss-crossed rural Limpopo, from larger towns to tiny villages that doesn't even appear on maps other that topographical sheets, from large egineering projects to places where the children ran away from me because they have never seen a white woman before.  He guided me through villages known for harbouring Gauteng criminals, through the 'double-up' of the 'double-up' (shortcut of the shortcut).  We saw some of the most spectacular scenery in this country, ate mangoes from an old mama's backyard in Venda, dug ourselves out of deep sand in Lebowa.

I trusted him with my life, he was invaluable to my work.

Then we moved back to Pretoria, had sporadic contact, we moved to Australia, and upon our return we found him working at a large wholesale nursery group. He lived in a hostel with other men, had to wash at a tap outside, fixed his meals on a primus camping stove and earned a pittance.  He couldn't support his wife and three kids.

So  he came to live with  us and started to work as our gardener, "general manager", child minder if I have to dash to  get milk, head of security, handyman, parking attendant (that was to help him get his driver's licence) and anything else.  We fixed the outbuildings as a tiny flat for him, he earned much more that at the nursery, and could go home more often. He was cheated out of his allocated RDP-house, so we helped him get another and build his own house, independent from government assistance, which now has three rooms. He named his twins after us, Fani and Crystal.

Building a platform in the tree-in-the-sandpit

This year my husband promised him his own bakkie (= pick-up truck, ute) if business went well, which it did.  We searched and searched, couldn't find a suitable one locally, but then a friend had one for sale in Cape Town. But now - how to get it to Pretoria?  Lo and behold, a new contract came through that required a meeting in Cape Town, and within hours plans were made.  He would fly down with Fanie, they'd get the bakkie, Fanie would guide him out of town and put him on the N1 national highway, direction north.  I started printing maps, highlighting the routes, towns/highway filling stations where he should stop, arranged accommodation halfway, and off they went!

He was slightly nervous, but excited about the flying.  They got seats right in front and he marveled about the cockpit, declaring it much more "difficult" than a car's.

Slightly nervous before boarding

He observed that they must be much nearer to Nkosi (God), as the ground and people were far below, and they were now flying above the cloud.

He though the pilots must be very clever and good drivers, to be able to descend through the cloud where you can't see a thing.

He is the very first member of his extended Madubanya family to ever take a plane trip.

Safely in Cape Town

There wasn't time to stop at the beach but he could see the size of the ocean.

The long road was a big challenge.  He's not used to long-distance driving himself.  But he's got enough savvy, and many people followed his progress on my Facebook page, and prayed.  He was to text me when he reached the larger towns, so I could make sure he stays on target, stays awake, and eats and drinks on time. 

The long road home - from Cape Town to Pretoria

He marvelled at the 'very big mountains'  of the Western Cape.  He suffered in the extreme summer heat, driving a 1300cc vehicle with no air-conditioning, negotiating the very busy oncoming holiday traffic.  Because of that, my husband also instructed him to drive way below the speed limit, and he  kept going at  90, 100 km/h. He easily found his targets, was aghast at the many accidents involving truck (driving past 4, witnessing a 5th, he called me to say at least nobody died in this one). He wasn't going to make  it  to Colesberg for the night, so I hastily arrange accommodation in Beaufort West (and couldn't be grateful enough to the very kind Anthony of Young's Budget Accommodation, who waited in front for Waks to arrive). He looked out from afar for the hill at Beaufort West ("it  is not big as the mountains behind, it look like Blouberg in Lebowa").

He was shattered!

The next morning we spoke with him early, as it was still a long way to go, and he had to get on the way.  It was much easier, less  heat, less traffic.  He called to say he went through a very big river, blig like the Limpopo (that was the Orange, boundary between the Northern Cape and Free State).   He took a long stop at Trompsburg, 'so the bakkie could rest'. Cold drink stops came at Bloemfontein and Ventersburg. He was almost home.  Two truck stops awaited  when he crossed into Gauteng, quicker now on the double-laned highway and we advised himto get enough Coke and  Bar One - the man was tired now!
  

And around seven, he arrived home.  Joyous affair!  He just sat back, threw his hands in the air and said "Waks! It is a very long road."  But he was all smiles.  He just about greeted everybody and stumbled to his room, where the lights remained for a long time still.   We could hear him chattering on the phone with the family, telling them all about the the adventure.  His head must have been spinning.

We'll chat about the whole trip again, later.  It was such a privilege and joy to follow him over this two-day journey! So many people enquired and send messages and prayers -  thank you to all.

This was an epic trip.

(He just took Fanie to McDonalds, to get breakfast :-)