Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Portfolio Marnus Roodbol - Big Cats
These were taken at various places either in SA or Namibia. Please note all the photos have a copy right.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Do you want to be a millionaire...?
Is this transport known as a train from
[a] London - Paris - Amsterdam, known as the Eurostar - OR
[b] Pakistan - to wherever - and back - with a few less holding on...
BOING ! Sorry, you've lost your money. The Gautrain is taking non-locals back to Africa!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Promoting Good Service in SA
Rooms For Africa
They give me feed-back from my ad regarding accommodation for the Cup
I did not find tenants yet, but at least they pass the enquiries on to us!
Have not heard from other enquiries with others I advertise with
I don't know if our ad still 'runs', as I have to check all the time
With Rooms For Africa I don't have to check and do their work for them!
I advertise with Room 2010 and Eben Roux is marvellous and professional. The 'fee' you pay, depending on which category you would like to expose your accommodation is extremely minimal. After I changed my ad completely, he's the only one that came back to me to say it's done and he made changes to my pics too. I sent the same letter to 6 other 'accommodation online agencies' with no reply and to whom I had to pay up front. Sure, they published my ad, but don't want to help when I ask them questions on how to make changes, etc.
GUINEA-FOWL Shuttle Service:
Laetitia and her husband are extremely dependable. I made arrangements online for them to pick-up our son from the airport. They did not want money or a deposit and I was told he can pay when collected. To make it easier for Marnus I paid in advance, as he first had to exchange his Namibian Dollars at the airport and this will take up time. They provide you with their cell nrs and you give them a call when outside. They then drive from a parking zone and pick you up. They came all the way for one guy and quoted me the best price online! Marnus was very impressed by their style and people skills. Please make use of Guinea Fowl!
I decided to promote businesses you can trust but also to warn you of those you must clearly stay away from!
Like everyone I moan and groan about bad service and how we lost money in some way, i.e. when a builder disappeared with your money, cracking swimming pools, etc. To say 'never again' and bear a grudge won't help.
It should be out in the open who delivers and who not.
If you have a BLOG, please do the same and promote people in your area. We should look out for one another and I might visit Cape Town and looking for a B & B and visit your BLOG to see if you know of a good place.
All tourist should have the ability to read our BLOGS [I have friends in other countries who blogs].
Facebook is also a tremendous tool to hamper the pigs we thought we could trust.
The following website is very important to complain about all the different companies and market sectors. I have had tremendous response from Standard Bank after I wrote a furious letter. On the site you will see two columns: companies that will reply and companies who don't. Tell your friends of this site and also promote hellopeter on your BLOG.
Mom Ella
This mother of mine is 78 yrs - just unbelievable! She lives in Heidelberg, Western Cape, with my sister, Marianne. She raised us single handed with her small teacher's salary. She sewed all our clothes and created modern dresses and pants. No-one ever had the idea we were somewhat poorer than most kids.
She is a part-time missionary to the coloured kids in the village and also very involved with mostly the moms. She started a prayer group with staff from the post office and police.
My mom handled her own project when she built her beautiful house 15 years ago. Her view is magnificant! She loves to doll-up her garden and every space is filled with different colours. She keeps her hand on every little thing and nothing is out of place in either house or garden.
We never had a maid and she still does her own house work, wash and iron. Her VW Beetle is 20 yrs old and it still seems like a 5-yr old car. Being poor my mom taught us to look after your stuff and she showed her artistic side with wonderful interior decorations she had for a long time or new ones she could afford.
My sister and I used to wash the cars belonging to the other tenants in our block of flats in Sunnyside and also baby-sat for a few people. We once sang a native song in the car park - people came out, had such a laugh and threw money down to say thank you for our 'services'! Not having too much taught us to work hard and be inisiative, trying all means to earn pocket money!
My mom aso directed her school choir for many years, earning lots of gold medals with her choir of school kids participated in various events and Eisteddfods, as were known in those days. The choir cut a CD, which was sadly destroyed when the school office had a fire! She never kept a copy herself... what a shame.
At that stage she was the only choir master that could direct and teach PRIMARY kids to sing 'Funiculi Funicula' in a 5-voice tone. She was extremely strict as a teacher, but this paid off and her classes gained very good marks every year.
She once 'fired' me from the choir she was directed due to my talking and jokes while she was serious about all of us stretching our singing abilities. Another time I was told to leave practice when I pitched up late!
My mother used to act in many theatre plays - going to the theatre was very popular in those pre-TV days! She had a lovely voice and sang all over and was also asked to do a one woman drama [prosa] many times.
She's the youngest of the three sisters. Miemie, the eldest [in the middle on the photo] was a pastor's wife and she possesses such a variety of talents I don't know where to start. From teaching to playing the organ, directing church choirs, ladies' Bible studies, children puppet theatre, sewing, knitting, bazaars.... too much to mention. They moved all over and also served in Africa while in the ministry. She still leads Bible study groups at her age which is 82 yrs and still goes to bed at 02:00! Her husband died last year. She lives in Somerset West, near Cape Town.
Anna [photo left] is the middle child and just 18 months older than my mom. She is married to a German winemaker, also on pension and they moved to PE. They still have their sea side house at Witsand, near Heidelberg, where my mom lives. Anna was PRO for her husband's winery in Paarl ans she is still able to work non-stop and do a thousand things at one time.
We only met my father when I was in matric as we were under no pressure or obligation to see him until we felt ready. Rudy and myself became very close with my dad until his death many years ago. My dad was equally talented. He could write theatre plays, had his own band and his water paintings were given away as stationary cards [I framed a few]! His detail in his art work are phenomenal. A pity. In those days, people hardly bought paintings and no flea markets for exposure of new upcoming artists. He had the ability to write anything and later he single handedly started his own newspaper in the old age home. He performed all duties such as being editor, writer, journalist and distributor! My dad was extremely funny, a real comedian with a dry humour - he once boarded a train and my mom asked him if he had something to read - 'of course', he replied 'I have a stamp'. He would act out a typical reality TV when telling and gesturing to us about some of the chronies in his old age home.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Aunt Miem June 2009
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
London and Paris Dec/Jan 2009/2010
Hallo almal!
So baie bly ek's terug. Verskriklik, verskriklik goor en vuil anderkant, veral Parys.
Die duisende mense maak my so angstig, omtrent niks gerus. Haat elke tube 'sign' wat ek sien en die underground in Parys so vuil en nerens 'n konstabel of admin. persoon op hulle pos in Parys nie. Dis stompies en papiere waar jy kyk in die straatjies.
Mense was baie nice in Parys, regtig niks weirds met ons nie en was gewillig om met ons Engels te praat! Veral as ek my 'excuizes moi, de station le garde nord?' en 'si vous plait' and 'merci' and 'bonjour'. Ten minste probeer ons!
Nice hotelletjie in die centre centre centre [mnr venter!] van Parys, ek het behoorlik gesoek, stil maar nice, naby, maar ver van gedreun, 'double glazing' vensters vir koue en geraas, ens. Regtig baie goeie prys.
Eurostar vinnig en ek kon vir ons nice sitplekke kry online [met tafel in die middel dat ons iets eet, koerant lees of game speel]. Vir al die nice/cheap pryse moes ons baie opoffer t.o.v. tyd [vertrek 5:25 uit London met Eurostar], dus moes Nick [the Greek!] ons om 4:00 afhaal sodat ons betyds is.
Kyk, as iemand nog dink om te travel, dink weer en weer en weer. Die deurgesoek op beide Eurostar en lughawens maak mens naar! Dis verskriklik irriterend en vat alle lus vir travel weg. Ek moes soms tot my belt afhaal, behalwe al die ringe en bangles, etc. Weet nie hoekom hulle juis my nie trust, dis nou seker die kort wit hare.... Rebert en Lisa staan en lag sonder 'n problem of ongerief!
Marnus het ook gou 'ingeval' by ons vir 3 dae en Kersdag ete, is toe weer vort 27ste na Bath [klomp vriende wat by Harnas ontmoet het]. Hy weer terug 3de Jan. na London en is die 4de Jan. na Oslo, Noorwee, met Ryanair - ek het als so verskriklik deeglik beplan, maar nog gemors toe hy op Stansted aankom [Nick het hom ook oggend om 03:00 kom haal en lughawe toe gevat]. Nick is ons groot vriend, ons vrese t.o.v. geen vervoer, laat wees, ens. verdwyn as ons sy nommertjie inpons op ons fone!
Stansted is soos 'n robot - niks personeel. Als geweet, als online betaal en geprint. Als gelees, weer gelees, weer geprint en gecheck voor die tyd. Dan vantevore ook 'in'-gecheck by Ryanair, jy moet online in-check. Nou ja, groot gemors, Marnus moes glo nog 'n vorm geprint het [weet nie wie's die robot wat dit toe uiteindelik aan hom verduidelik het nie...] en daar verpas hy toe die vlug en is darem reg vir volgende vlug. Hy bel my eers 4 nm. SA TYD [gister, 4 Jan.], toe ek terug is [dieselfde dag], om te se hy kom nou net in Noorwee aan [is die oggend 03:00 met taxi na die robot lughawe toe...] - klink gehawend.
Marnus was siek vandat hy hier in SA aangekom het vanaf Namibia [ek was mos reeds in UK toe hy hier aanland, ook met taxi wat ek gereel het, Rudy was toe klaar in die Kruger Park...]. Dit was 13 Des. Steeds siek en emosioneel regtig op-en-af [ek meen dis die baie maande se werk en 24/7 op jou pos wees, 18 ure per dag, 4 maande]. Wie kan rus in Europa? Erg verkoue/griep en hoes soos 'n hond. Pille, pille, pille. Maar nee wat, hy rook mos [steeds] en die longetjies suffer vir elke kiem in die lug... hy sal MOET luister en aandag gee. Hy WIL graag, maar die HOE en WANNEER is glo 'n ander saak!
Ek sit paar foto's by - baie werk reeds wat wag, ek wer reeds 2 volle dae al, maar ons begin amptelik 11de Jan. eers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
