Updates are certainly in order. I’m not on the internet right now, so I can’t check, but I think its been three weeks since I’ve been able to update this blog. Many factors have contributed to this. It’s been two weeks since the move and up to today we haven’t had internet up at “the farm.” Cindee has spent the past couple weekends away in the Drakensberg mountains on a little retreat, so I haven’t been spending my weekend s with her. I had internet about twice in those three weeks.
It’s been an eventful two weeks since our move. Keith arrived the day we moved. Although he had jet lag and had traveled for over a day; I think Ruth and I were probably just as tired. We picked him up from the airport at about 8:30 p.m. The airport is about a half an hour drive, but we didn’t get home til 11:00 p.m. because we sat for two hours on the highway in bumper to bumper traffic. As it happens the police had closed down the N2 (probably the biggest highway in the area) and were doing roadside checks of every vehicle. This is pretty much the equivalent of the police stopping every vehicle on the 401. Oh South Africa. Needless to say—it was a long day for all of us.
The day we moved I tried to sort out the kitchen so I had somewhere to work that had a bit of order. Two best parts of our new house: I have a bedroom and bathroom of my own…although there is no door in between…and a nice kitchen sans ants.
(I’m not sure if I mentioned the ant problem at the other house. I’m not exaggerating when I say that if you left food on the counter for more than one minute hundreds of ants would answer the call. Very frustrating! But now my tribulations have ended.)
Keith has been here for two weeks now and I’m quite certain that when he leaves (August 6th) I will go through withdrawal pains. It’s been so wonderful to have someone around to keep me company and share the burden of the work. The kids love him, of course, and we’ve been one happy family during school holidays. I actually was relaxed enough to enjoy myself and the kids, which was nice. The days were very long though—more than thirteen hours—but having someone else around made a world of difference. (Despite the fact he spent the firsts week throwing up and in bed for a lot of the time ;)
It was a long two weeks nonetheless, without having a place (Cindee’s) to retreat on the weekends. One Saturday (just to get away) Keith and I spent about ten hours in Gateway—Africa’s largest mall. This mall is the antithesis of everything you imagine Africa is. It’s certainly bigger than any mall that I’ve been in Canada, with maybe the West Edmonton Mall being the exception—maybe. Anyways…needless to say there is enough entertainment there to keep one occupied, although a mall may not be the best choice in restful destination after fourteen days straight with the kids. Nevertheless we had fun.
Gateway comes complete with a thirteen screen cinema, valet parking, hotels, conference centers, fountains, palm trees, bowling alley, theatre, IMAX, restaurants, every major international brand name store and much that I have yet to discover. Keith now understands some of the irony of South Africa that I’ve tried hard to explain to people. It’s a country of opposites. That one Saturday, last week, we went and saw “The Happening” at 10 a.m. and were the only ones in the theatre. We later saw a showing of Narnia’s Prince Caspian at 2:00. Luckily movies are pretty cheap entertainment. Just for your information—these theatres have the most comfortable seating known to man.
Ok. So Gateway represents one end of life here…dirt roads, bush fires and black mambas represent the other. The farm is in Oakford just about a twenty five minute drive from Umhlanga. About five kilometers from our house paved roads end and you enter “the sticks” as people around here call it. From our narrow second story balcony you look over miles and miles of gentle rolling hills, sugar cane, tall grass and sparse trees. On a clear day you can see the Indian Ocean on the horizon. Our closest neighbors run a banana farm in the valley below. We walked there one day with the Salinas. From the balcony you can also see Oakford Priory—where nuns have been working for over a hundred years.
Last Wednesday a bush fire started close by; we haven’t had rain in awhile. These wild fires just sort of go where they please and people try and control them if they get to close. The fires burned most of the day and at one point everything was on fire right up to the fence of our property—less than ten meters from the house. This was definitely a unique experience. The smoke and ash was so thick that we had to shut all the windows. Keith and I took lots of photos and video of the day. (I’m hoping I can post some photos later this week.)
What else did I say? Oh yes…black mambas. You all knew I was excited about the prospect of snakes and we’ve been fortunate to have several close encounters already. Apparently one of the first days Keith was here Pastor Salina killed a cobra near the dirt pile the kids like to play on. The day the fires were a small brown snake (apparently poisonous but I forget the name) slithered from the grasses to get away from the fire. The kids were playing on the driveway on their little black scooter bikes that they like. Keith and I were sitting nearby. All of a sudden Mary is running and screaming and squeeling, “I don’t like snakes!” Keith and I jump to action like the super human parents that we are. Siya, of course, ventures closer and closer to whatever this snake is despite my violent screams. We arrive at the scene to find the snake already dead, run over by one of the kid’s plastic tires. Good job kids. Good thing they ran over the head. ;)
Friday we (and by we I mean not me or Keith but people who know what they are doing ;) killed a black mamba on the property. This is apparently the most dangerous snake in the world! Yay!
Anyways. I now have a little internet so there is hope for this blog just yet.
Tomorrow the kids are back to school and Siya starts homeschool sans curriculum, at least for this week. You can all pray for some patience and creativity. Should be fun. Good thing Keith is here.
Cheers for now. Talk to you soon.
