on making a movie…

My breathing must have stopped for a split second when she said that, as I was trying to figure out how not to ruin the movie.

“right, now let’s do it again with a close-up on Simon, and then with a close-up on Ray”.

Umhh… I thought to myself… how do you “do it again” when you’ve been improvising…?

I (playing the role of Ray) had just completed the first shoot of the first scene together with Simon… and this being my first movie, I wasn’t really aware that we would shoot the same scene a few times from different angles and distances… hence the need to do it again… and to actually remember what I did the previous time!

Well, with a little help from the crew and Simon, we did do it again (twice in close up) and again (twice from a distance) and once more because the camera’s exposure was not set right.

And this is where you quickly notice how important the continuity people are – we had to share a ciggie, and each time we shot the scene, we needed a new one – which means that the length of the ciggie might not have been the same in each case…

and what about my leg? Did I have it up when I said that last line, or was it on the floor?

What words did I use the last time, did I mention the relatives before the suburb or the other way around…?

Anyway… not long after you have a few minutes where the cameras are being re-set, more film loaded or the light reading taken. There are lots of moments that are “dead” for the actors… it was in such a moment that I suddenly realized we were doing one of those funny things that you see actors do in the ‘behind-the-scenes’ snippets you see – you know the ones: where the actors are making jokes or pulling a gag on each other. It wasn’t planned at all – just part of a fun crowd having a laugh in that zone between being-in-character and reality… 

2 days later…

Yesterday I got to Malmesbury at 11 in the morning, for my shoot with my ‘other baby’ my car 

By noon I was in full make-up, and my hair had been straightened and sprayed… I was looking the part. It was 30 degrees outside, we were sitting under a Syringa Tree… and sneezing. Like never before – you may as well call it the Hayfever Tree! In a crew of about 15, only 1 did not have the nose-tickle… and remember that I’d had my make-up done already, so that needed touching up before shooting as well…

But that wasn’t to happen for another 3 and a half hours… the owner of the car was at lunch in the city, and now wouldn’t be back till mid-afternoon… the older ladies for the street scene shot needed to finish lunch first… luckily I’d been warned by a friend of mine, and I’d come prepared with book, newspaper and laptop. Still, a little tedious at the time…

So it was about 4 by the time I got in front of the camera; and after a quick change of the way things were to happen (the car itself was too noisy to do the talking-while-driving shot that was planned) we started rolling. A bit more ad-libbing about the car and how I love it, and then… then I got to drive her… a gold 1970 V8 5 litre Ford Fairlane… what a beauty… a real highlight! And well worth waiting for…

Later I went for a bite to eat with some dear friends… and they didn’t recognize me! That’s how good the hair had been done!

Sunday dawns
Day 4 of the 5 day shoot – and I get told I need to be at the studio by about 1pm. I only get told this an hour beforehand, but it’s not a train-smash…

A very realistic set was created to represent our lounge for the interviews, and we all got into role and delivered our lines… first a quick rehearsal and then on film (a ‘take’). One scene was so hilarious – we’re sitting on the couch, we do our thing… the camera is rolling… we come to the end… the director says “cut” and instantly, but instantly, loud laughter erupts from every mouth in the dark, silent hall around us. The crew – all watching and/or working, of course – had to hold in their giggles and guffaws until the filming had stopped… of the main camera anyway 

More to follow…

For a german perfectionist this can all be quite nerve-wracking if you let it be… but you just gotta know that it’s OK to fluff up once or twice. Not that we really did… which is good I suppose!

I did discover one of life’s little ironies today though: it looks like the premiere of this film will happen in a little over a month – on the day I arrive in Timbuktu… what a choice – arrive in Timbuktu or attend your film premiere… oh boy…

Newsflash: Standard Bank doesn’t need any more customers!

Banks are funny things… they charge you a horrendous amount of money to use one of their branches (in an attempt to save you money by using the electronic services), but then when you do need to go into a branch (because some things can’t be applied for online) they make it such a miserable experience, that i just want to scream…

i’m travelling to west africa soon, and for that trip i would like a VISA credit card, because MasterCard is not accepted everywhere in the developing world. Standard Bank now offers a VISA card too, so i thought i would get one from them as i am already a customer.

So i go into the branch earlier this week to find out the application procedure and the fees, and i am told:

- that MasterCard does the same thing as VISA and i don’t need one. (i explain that they’re not accepted everywhere, according to the guide books, and my own experience)

- that the guide books are promoting VISA and descrediting MasterCard (huh?? why would they do that?)

- that applications for VISA are often rejected, and i don’t actually need one.

(Eventually he does give me the fees involved, which are not much)

Proof Number One that the bank doesn’t need more business – no product knowledge or desire to sell it.

Today i went into the branch again, at about 3pm, to now apply for this card. i had my documents with me, signed in and started to wait while the receptionist looked for a credit card application form that i could complete so long. She also told me that there is only 1 consultant on duty, so i would need to wait.

it took her 10 minutes to find a form (which i was later told is not used anymore…) and in those 10 minutes the following happened:

- one client that had been waiting for 30 minutes got up and left

- i heard lots of laughter from the consultants area – went to investigate and saw a consultant happily sitting at her desk with no-one there, while we were all waiting. i mentioned to her that there are people waiting and that the bank had in fact just lost a client that walked out. she didn’t seem particularly fazed.

- she eventually came out after 10 minutes, and i mentioned to her that, just out of interest, she had just lost some more business, because someone else had just left. At this point she told me that she was actually dealing with a client (Mr Invisible and his see through partner??) but that i could speak to the manager if i wanted – which i wanted!

She gave her version to the manager first, out of my ear-shot, but looking at me with daggers all the time, and embellishing the story ever so slightly (for effect i’m sure).

the manager asked me what she could do for me – and i told her that it’s not about me, but that they had lost 2 potential clients because there is only 1 consultant on duty;

i told her that banks close at 15h30 – early, so they can “do admin” – but then they are doing admin & not seeing clients during the working hours?! how is that justified?

Proof Number Two that they don’t need business – not at all fazed by clients leaving unassisted.

Eventually i do get to see a consultant – that same lady of course – and i ask to apply for this credit card. She looks at my profile on her system and says that i already have a MasterCard…? I don’t want the whole thing again, so i just say i want a VISA card in addition please.

She calls card division (the same number we mere mortals call, surprisingly…) and is told that applications for the VISA card have been put on hold. that despite them advertising the card, they cannot issue it or accept applications. and they don’t have any idea when this is going to be resolved.

Proof Number Three that they don’t need business – can’t offer an advertised product.

so the only thing i gained from my 2 visits to “my” bank this week, was a lot of bad mood and anger… the only eben-more frustrating thing is that if i moved my accounts elsewhere, it would be no better. but boy am i ready to move!

Brandon Huntley – refugee from what, exactly?

In response to a report in the Ottawa Sun that Canada has granted a certain Brandon Huntley refugee status, I sent the newspaper editor a letter, which you will find below.

Dear Editor,

As someone who has visited Canada many times, and has family there, I have always held Canada in high regard – and certainly was glad that it was a country more aware of the rest of the world than your southern neighbour.

So it is with a mixture of sadness and anger that I read about Brandon Huntley being accorded “refugee status” in Canada based on what seems like only his word, and that of his lawyer’s wife. It is unfortunate that a larger picture was not taken into account, and that more people were not spoken to in order to get a clearer picture of the actual situation.

Yes, the crime situation is bad, but it is not targeted only at whites or only at blacks. But the crime in Washington DC or London is also bad.

Yes, many people have left the country, for whatever reason. Some of the choose to enjoy their new surroundings legally and speak highly of their previous home, yet others leave and then feel a continuous need to justify their reasons for leaving. This often happens when they realize the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side, and takes the form of highlighting all the possible negative aspects of the country they left. I suspect that émigrés from other countries also fall into one of these categories.

What really saddens me about this is that South Africa has been negatively portrayed, one-sidedly, which could have negative consequences for tourism and investment.

I certainly don’t begrudge anyone the right or desire to live wherever in the world they want to. In fact, I think that the more we move around the better we will all understand each other. It is unfortunate when it is done in an ill-informed manner at cost to others.

His portrayal of the picture does not explain why so many people are moving to South Africa as well – for personal lifestyle choices, or investing in business. It would certainly not explain why we are on track to host the Soccer World Cup next year. It would not explain why so many people are returning to South Africa from north America and Europe after having lived there for a while.

Now I only need to wish Brandon well during the 11 months of thick snow that covers Canada each year, and that he is not attacked by any of the polar bears roaming the streets. But I won’t, because I have gathered information to know that there is not that much snow, and there are no street-roaming polar bears in the cities. It is a pity that the tribunal panel chair William Davis didn’t accord South Africa the same respect of checking out the facts.

here is a link to the original article

iago’s last dance

Tonight I was reminded that there is something incredibly rewarding about enjoying something against your will.

It had been recommended to me to go and see Iago’s Last Dance, which we agreed to do this evening, but if I’d had a choice I may well have decided to stay at home and wallow in the shitness of the day that I’d had.

Yet now I find myself energized and stimulated by one of the better plays I’ve come across in a long time. My mood has changed, I feel enriched.

Mike van Graan has created a script that is so spot-on. A play that so accurately portrays the ideas and ideals of all sides in the story. More than once I found my support vascillating between two characters having a dialogue, because their individual points of view were so well represented.

Mike’s story is, very loosely, about betrayal. Betrayal in various forms and situations. There is an HIV theme that quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) saunters through the lives of the characters. Mostly it is about real-life situations that many of us can relate to – like a fight between 2 partners. Or having to deal with a bitter ex.

Often, though, a situation is portrayed that some of us may not be as familiar with, not realize as obviously that it is something happening out there. Like the wife-who-was-left saying that she would rather have endured 30 years of being beaten than to have her husband leave her for a man.

Like the long-time friend who tries to infect you with HIV.

Remarkably, this play is not a guilt trip about HIV – it is not a heavy play. But it does make you think, and shows the reality to you in a very sobering, almost familiar manner.

It is a play that should have as wide an audience as possible, but I stop short of saying it should be “compulsory” – because that invariably makes people switch off. I was very pleased though to see a large group of children from a local high school there though – kudos to Parklands High!

the selfishness of road users

we’ve all come to expect bad driving, and more-clogged roads when it’s wet – and boy has it been raining over night. so i wasn’t surprised to find the roads resembling arteries heading for a heart attack.

but what drives me insanely mad is the continued selfishness of road users, when we are all in the same boat.

i can deal with taxi drivers and their erratic driving – we should all be used to that by now anyway.

i can also usually deal with the normally-ok-drivers who slow…to…a…crawl…cos…they’re…on…their…cellphone…

i can even deal with the ocassional person pushing into a long queue at the very last minute before the solid line appears.

but i absolutely cannot handle it when some selfish idiot drives into a traffic intersection knowing full well they can’t get out on the other end before their light turns red. this leaves them stuck in the middle, often having been followed by other non-thinking sheep, and together they block the intersection completely for the cross traffic.

the favourite place for this to happen is at the corner of klipfontein and milner roads – where the red cross children’s hospital is.

this morning, milner road was blocked for 2 cycles of the traffic lights.

eventually, i pushed my way through the little gaps, which seems to have upset the inital aggitators a bit – which in turn baffles me.

why is it that people so often don’t think about the effects of their actions?

my kinda heaven

i was reminded again this week about what got me into the travel field in the first place, actually cemented my decision to do this full time.

i’m busy planning 3 trips for myself, all to take place within the next 4 months – and i’m loving it! i get a real kick out of working out the best routes, the cheapest alternatives, playing with what is and isn’t possible. what i’d like to see versus what i have to see, and how i “lose” cities and sights while i plan.

so, to be doing 3, for myself, is just wonderful

the first is a work trip to mozambique – which is proving quite exopensive in these recessionary times, but it is an area we need to boost our knowledge on. so the far north of Moz is within grasp, but not quite signed off… it could go either way…

the second is a trip up the garden route where i plan on looking at 60 hotels and lodges in a space of 5 days (maybe 6…). what a buzz – to try and make that fit together!

and then the highlight is a life-long dream of going to Timbuktu… my leave has been approved (yay!) and now we need to book the flights, and decide on the routing. so many things to consider, especially now that there are 2 of us.

I often travel alone, and have become quite used to it, but i’m very excited that my longest standing friend (from grade 1, almost 30 years ago…) is coming with me – smells like an adventure to me

so with all the little road markers on this planning path to look forward to (approval of costs, leave approval, tickets booked, visas, etc etc) i have many excitements along the way.

and as the germans say – “die Vorfreude ist die beste Freude” – how true!

where were you today?

I went to so many places today. It was one of those interesting days that don’t come around too often, where you have so many different experiences, emotions and frames of minds it’s almost dizzying.

It started off with going to bed at around 05h00, in a dressing gown in a 5 star hotel bed. They were throwing a wicked party, this hotel, and when I could see that their open bar was getting the better of me, I managed to get a room, for which I am eternally grateful. I actually only got to it at around 3, and into the bed itself after 2 hours of chatting.

With the chat-mate having departed, I was left with my now smoky party clothes and a chilly winter night. So I donned the fluffy white dressing gown – thank heavens for small mercies in 5 star establishments!

4 hours later, sleep no longer possible, I acknowledged my throbbing head and dry mouth with some water. I got back into bed, flicked on the TV and spent half an hour watching animated cows named Ben & Otis and an animated rapper mouse sing in a barn. It was remarkably captivating.

After a shower and checking out, I found myself driving in circles in Green Point, struggling to decide where to get a greasy breakfast to absorb the traces of bubbly and vodka. I finally decided on a spot in Mouille Point, where the seeming inability of the staff to bring a requested glass of water was not really helping my headache much…

Nonetheless, internally greased, I lowered the roof on my chariot, and headed home for a quick nap. This was, however, quickly replaced by trying to find a lost child. I struggle to sleep during the day, even if I’m exhausted, so I figured that turning pages in the world of kidnappers and cops was a better idea. It’s not the best book, but it’s very readable, and I was quickly engrossed in the story of a mother trying to find her son while the police think she is cop-killer.

My pre-set alarm went off just after noon, and an hour later I was 20km away in Muizenberg, interacting with theatre patrons. Not only do I love working with money (I could count coins all day!), but to sell tickets and programmes to people coming to support amateur theatre is very rewarding, especially if you’re part of a fun team making sure we have plenty of laughs. Everyone was coming to have a good time, so combined with the sunny weather outside, everyone was in a great mood – and there was plenty of good natured bantering going on.

Next thing I find myself back with the kidnapper and killer-mom, back in my bed desperate for nap before the evening’s activities. She gets her kid back unharmed and I fade out into la-la land.

The cellphone alarm yanks me out of a dream that I instantly forget. I know it was interesting and quite involved, but I can’t remember anything except funny hand movements (I think…). I’m not very good at remembering dreams…

And just 20 minutes later I’m at a traffic light, roof still down, Edith Piaf’s “Non, je ne regrette rien” playing loudly. It’s a piece of music that makes me particularly happy and makes me smile involuntarily. And a piece of music that makes me car conduct. This is when there is a small orchestra sitting on your dashboard, not far from the CD player, which you need to conduct. One or both of your fore-fingers become the conductor’s baton, and you’re really feeling the music in your whole being.

And the cars next to you, of course, are either quietly amused, or pretending to ignore you, or driving so far forward at the intersection that they can get away from this madman as quickly as possible when the lights change. But hey, I’m living the moment, and loving it.

Not long after that I have moved from the French tunes to German cuisine – we’re having great beer and sausages with potato salad at the German place in the Waterfront, and catching up with great friends.

Next thing, I’m sitting in the dark, in disbelief. Hands in front of my face, not quite believing what I’m seeing. This interspersed with the occasional belly laugh, before moving back to incredulity.

That is what Brüno does to you. The movie of so much hype and so little taste. No one is safe.

I like playing devil’s advocate myself, stirring a little from time to time to get a reaction out of people. Blurting out that which is least expected. It’s gotten me into an embarrassing, awkward or regretful situation on occasion. But this is just so in your face offensive. It’s quite a good social commentary though, and that may be part of the reason why it is so uncomfortable.

Followed by more sedate coffee mocha and people watching, I now sit at home writing this to the strains of Putamayo’s “Mali” cd in the background…

All in a day… the places one goes

proud to be south african today

When I read about what our Constitutional Court has done this week, i am proud to be South African.

When a widow like Fatima Hassam is not awared anything from her late husband’s estate, because she is one of two wives, you know something is wrong.

When the South African Constitutional court rectifies this, retroactively to 1994, then you know that common sense has prevailed.

Viva the ConCourt, Viva!

(the below is copied from the website of The Cape Times in the interests of spreading the good news http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5084665)

Court ruling ensure equal estate rights

Victory for Muslim widow
July 16, 2009 Edition 2

Karyn Maughan

Fatima Gabie Hassam lost everything when her husband died without a will – leaving her, as a spouse in a polygynous Muslim marriage, with no legal claim to his estate.

Left homeless and having to sell toffee apples at flea markets to survive, the Cape Town grandmother says she had “breakdown after breakdown” after her husband died of a heart attack and the Muslim Judicial Council found she had no right to inherit from his estate.

But Hassam did not give up and embarked on what was to become a five-year court quest to ensure that a Muslim woman in a polygynous marriage could inherit from the estate of her husband if he died intestate.

Yesterday, the Constitutional Court’s 11 justices unanimously ruled in favour of the Hassan, 63.

“I’m the happiest woman in the world today,” Hassam said yesterday.

“I never expected this.”

Mother-of-four Hassam, who worked for 36 years in her husband’s shop before she was widowed, said she would now file a claim for a portion of her husband’s estate.

“But tonight I’m celebrating with my family. I want to eat at a really nice restaurant.”

Hassam said that she had come under “a lot” of pressure from certain members of the Muslim community to drop her challenge to the Intestate Succession and Maintenance of Surviving Spouses Acts.

“People told me to throw in the towel, but I didn’t listen.

“Now I know that everything I went through was worth it because all the other women who are like me have a chance to get what is owed to them.

“I persevered for them, not just myself.”

Hassam says she did not know or agree to her husband Ebrahim’s taking a second wife a year before his death.

“I came home from visiting my mother in Saudi Arabia (and) when he met me at the airport (he) told me he had married another girl from Worcester.

“I told him to go and live with her, and so he moved out.

“After he died, I arranged his funeral and mourned for him for a 100 days.

“And then everything fell apart.”

Her husband’s estate was awarded to his second wife.

Hassam saved as much money as she could and hired attorney Igshaan Higgins to fight her cause.

She also sought the help of the Women’s Legal Centre, which took her case to the Western Cape High Court.

Justice Dennis van Reenen found that a section of the Intestate Succession Act that provided for only one wife in a Muslim marriage to inherit from a man’s intestate estate was inconsistent with the Constitution. The judge held that the term “spouse” in the act should be interpreted to include spouses in polygamous Muslim marriages.

It was these findings that the Constitutional Court confirmed yesterday. In a ruling handed down on

behalf of herself and her fellow judges, Justice Bess Nkabinde found that the Intestate Succession Act discriminated against women in polygynous Muslim

marriages “on the grounds of religion, gender and marital

status”.

In doing so, she said, “the act clearly reinforces a pattern of stereotyping and patriarchal practices that relegates women in these marriages to being unworthy

of protection”. “The provisions in the act conflict with the principle of gender equality which the constitution

strives to achieve,” Justice Nkabinde said.

“That cannot, and ought not, be countenanced in a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.” Muslim marriages, unlike civil or African customary law marriages, are not legally recognised in South Africa.

Legislation relating to Muslim marriages has been on the cards for more than 10 years, but there has been no indication whether and when it will be passed.

of adventures and experiences

There are so many ways in which I’d like to start this story, but I only have one chance…

“So, after 700km, we finally got wonky weather. We’d hoped for snow, but we got rain & floods. We’d also hoped for it to be in Sutherland, 350km from Cape Town, but we got the wonky weather right back where we had started 2 days earlier…”

“Us city-dwellers were chased out of town; word had spread about us”

“I can only see one explanation for the way we were treated at the restaurant, and I don’t even like to admit it. But as the only table with people of colour on it, and the only table not to receive service of any kind, one can only make one deduction.”

“it is a pity that, in the middle of the ever-more-beautiful Karoo, that the village of Sutherland fails so dismally to live up to the expectations of a cheerful and hospitable place. The charm and warmth is distinctly lacking”

“the farmers driving the bakkie that had passed us minutes ago must have been wondering how we would do it, but Geronimo (the low clearance Golf cabriolet) managed to cross the Doring River today with aplomb. Besides that, he crossed several rocky streams and a few massive puddles. He was quite the 4×4 cabriolet!”

“it may have been the last day of the school holidays, it may have been the day everyone came back from Knysna, and it may have been pouring with rain – but by sticking to the very back roads, we managed to avoid traffic jams altogether. Of the 350km we travelled today, about 250km were new to me. How awesome!”

We had a great weekend away – even though not everything transpired quite as planned or as expected, but on the whole, I wouldn’t change much – we had laughs and tears, we had warmth and coolth, we had silliness and seriousness, but above all we had an adventure, filled up the experience bank a little, with super friends.

The idea was to go to Sutherland, see some stars through SALT (Southern African Large Telescope) and hope for some snow. There was always going to be a snow vs stars debate, as they are generally mutually exclusive. In the end the stars won. Sort of.

On Friday night and Saturday during much of the day it rained, meaning that the afternoon obvservatory tour was OK, as it didn’t involve any star-searching (not counting the middle aged dame that kept telling me I look like Roger Federer…). We saw the large telescope inside with an 11 metre mirror in the base. It is truly an exquisite machine to see. The evening tour we gave a miss, as it was still overcast, and no matter how amazing a telescope is, it can’t see through the clouds (yet?). And besides, the 4 degree temperature (wind chilled to around 0) promised some white powder.

But it was not to be, and when we left the house for dinner on Saturday evening, the sky was clear. MC would rather have been playing with his telescope, but we went through to dinner, strong in the hope that the skies would still be clear.

2 hours later we were back, the sky still empty of clouds, and our stomachs still empty of food. We’d gone to a local eatery named after one of the planets, and sat down at the table we booked. After about 10 minutes of trying to catch someone’s eye, we spoke to the waitress who said she needed 5 minutes, but we could order drinks at the bar so long. Which we did.

After another 20 minutes, we stopped the waitress again and asked whether we could order. She requested yet another 5 minutes. After less than one, she arrived back at the table and stood there. She didn’t speak a word. So I asked my fellow ‘diners’ what they would like, and she took the orders.

About an hour and 15 minutes later we asked where our food was, and were told that it would be another 15 minutes or so. By unspoken mutual consensus we all got up, tried to pay for the drinks, didn’t get any joy, so left some money on the table and left the building.

This is when the waitress suddenly decided to speak to us. Telling us that the food is almost ready, that we can’t leave. We mentioned, very politely, that we had had no service from the start. That it seemed something had bugged her about us from when we arrived, and that if she was so very busy, a quick, “sorry, I’ll be with you in a minute” would have more than sufficed to keep us happy. But alas, not a word was said, let alone an apology. MC even mentioned to her that Karoo towns are known for the liveliness and charm, and that she had shown none of that. Her last words, “dan is ek bitter jammer” were too little too late.

As it turns out, we had enough leftovers at home, and we could get some stargazing in as well! It was so incredible to see the (very faint) rings of Saturn and the tiny speck of its moon Titan. It was great to see a larger white speck through the telescope and know that the presence of 3 of its moons means it was Jupiter. But it was truly amazing to see the moon through the telescope and see the craters on the surface. Makes you feel very small.

We also spent part of the weekend wandering through the graveyards in the area – including one well after dark on Friday night, armed with only a head torch. It was not at all scary / freaky or spooky. In fact the limited light gave it a certain atmosphere. It’s hard to explain, but I really enjoy walking through graveyards looking at headstones, dates, names, and even the names of the gravestone makers. It can tell you so much. And in this town, these were some of the more charming hosts.

Sunday MH and I were left to our own devices, and when we got the feeling that chilling in the guest house lounge was not really an option, we took ourselves on a drive through the town and its township, taking lots of pictures. We finally left town, and headed towards Matjiesfontein. 100km from Sutherland, we had entered that town on Friday, roof down, “it’s raining men” blaring on the stereo, having a great time in the sunshine. We’d continued with the roof down all the way up the pass to Sutherland.

Now we were heading and down again, and just beyond the “Danger! Fasten seatbelts and remove dentures” sign on a side road, we spontaneously turned off onto a dirt road in the direction of Ceres. With a quick glance at the fuel gauge (should be enough) we ventured onto a road that we knew nothing about.

And 110km later we still had enough fuel left, had passed only about 5 homesteads, and seen 3 other vehicles. But we had seen some of the most beautiful Karoo scenery. Low green fynbos shrubbery, lonesome trees, flat topped hills, rolling hills, lots of rocks and rocky outcrops, vast open plains and the road winding through beautiful narrow valleys.

My car doesn’t exactly have the highest clearance, so I had to take it slow each time we ventured through or over one of the very many streams that crossed the road. As you can imagine these streams could be quite deep or stony. But Geronimo took it all in his stride. We stopped once to check the depth of a suspicious looking puddle, but it wasn’t too deep, and we got through just fine. We did get a bit of a fright when we were suddenly confronted by the Doring River though. Not a particularly deep river, it was nonetheless flowing, it looked deep, and had a lot of what looked like soft beach sand in and around it.

For a moment we despaired that we would have to drive 70km back to the Sutherland road, but this I didn’t want to do. So I rolled up my jeans 80s style and waded through…the…cold… water…

The lack of depth was joined by a concrete base to the river on the opposite end, and this made me confident that we could cross. To keep the car light, MH also had to wade across the river, much to his amusement!

But we made it, and had no further hurdles to cross.

We managed to stay on off-the-usual-path roads from Ceres to and through Tulbagh, then through Church Street to Malmesbury and from there the back road to Durbanville.

One of the things I try to do in life is to have as many experiences as possible. Under the motto, “try most things in life at least once” i hope to not only have lots of fun, but to also broaden my frame of reference; to understand where certain feelings, fears, emotions, etc come from, and ultimately to understand my fellow human beings better.

It may not have been cold enough, but we had a lovely weekend

did your cellphone date reset overnight?

i haven’t overslept in years.

i’ve struggled to get out of bed, and had to rush. but i haven’t, in many many years, woken up 15 minutes after i was meant to be at work… and that is what happened today.

the basic reason is quite simple: the alarm didn’t go off, because the “workday” repeated alarm doesn’t go off on a sunday.

And for some reason, the phone had the date, this morning (monday, 29 June 2009) programmed as “Sun 28.06.2009″.

iknow that on friday the date was correct, because the reminders went off as planned.

and i know that i didn’t reset the date.

so, did the vodacom network somehow reset the date on my phone? i didn’t think of this option seriously, until a colleague mentioned that her husband had the same thing happen…

is it possible for a cellphone network to change the date on a user’s handset?

is this a problem related to the nokia navigator i’m using?

my gut feel says “no”, but what is the explanation then…

bizarre…