Cee’s FFC: Walks, Indoors or Outdoors

I thought I’d keep the photos for Cee’s new challenge, local. We went for a walk yesterday afternoon along the beachfront past the lighthouse,

a few fishermen,

the luxury ‘Edge of the Sea’ holiday apartments,

and up the hill to the town.

The indoor shopping centre wasn’t at all busy, unlike the pubs and restaurants along the main street.

After making a couple of purchases, we walked home along the top road and down the steep hill past the church. I thought this would make a good shadow photo.

This morning it was time to exercise once again, so it was off to the gym. The approach from the car park and the drab grey paintwork, isn’t very cheerful or inspiring,

but the front entrance looks just a tad more inviting.

There are a dozen workmen replacing the rusty roof sheeting, and it’s taking them forever to do this. Every time we go, there’s some area of equipment cordoned off, with a sign, “Workmen overhead!” Well if they were really ‘work’men, they’d have finished the job weeks ago.

I just walked into my bedroom to start packing for our trip up to Johannesburg tomorrow to see our daughter and family. There are a lot of ships parked outside our house; just sitting there doing nothing. They’ve been there for days. Our port workers are also very slow.

To join in Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, just follow this link.

A windy day in Umhlanga

Last night I slept like the dead, and woke up to brilliant sunshine streaming through the curtains. I jumped out of bed to look out of the window, and was greeted by beautiful blue sky for a change. Fine weather really does lift the spirits, doesn’t it? Yesterday when we arrived home, there was so much to do, and not just the unpacking of our cases. There were piles of dead bodies on the tiles in the dining room! Well, they were very tiny dead bodies, but they needed vacuuming up before I could go to bed. I would not sleep well, knowing there were hundreds of dead ants on the floor downstairs.

Today has been really busy, with washing and shopping for food. Of course the cupboards and fridge were like ‘Old Mother Hubbard’s'……..absolutely bare. There was not a single skerrick of food to be found. Then there was the gym membership to sort out, and whilst we were there, we decided we may as well  have a good workout. I’ll probably ache all over tomorrow, but too bad, because we’re both going to ‘Cruel Neil’s’ shape class at 9 am. I remember his classes from a couple of years ago. He’s a hard taskmaster, and I could hardly walk down the stairs afterwards. It was nice to go to a gym with lots of young people, instead of the one at our club in Florida, where we’re about the youngest.  I’m sure some of the Florida gymmers are well into their eighties, but you have to admire their energy, even if they don’t display impressive muscle tone.

It was  really windy today, and these kite surfers were making the most of it.

The beach is looking stunning, and we may have to go and sit on it tomorrow. It’s been a while.

Thursday’s Windows: Anyone for London?

Anyone who has children and grandchildren will know that when visiting shopping malls, the coin-in-the-slot rides are irresistible to the little ones. Sienna was no exception, when she visited us in South Africa this year, and although she only just fitted inside this bus, she really enjoyed the ride.

To see more entries for Sandra Conner’s ‘Thursday’s Windows’ challenge, just click here.

The cell phone dance

 Can you remember life before cellphones? I resisted getting one for quite some time after they first made an appearance in South Africa in 1994.  “Whatever would I need one for?” I asked myself, and besides which, I’d never be able to perfect the steps of that cell phone dance which users apparently have to learn.   My sister once related a story to me of when she and her husband were in England on business. It was before cell phones came to South Africa, so not owning one, he had hired one.  She said she was so embarrassed to be seen with him in the street, talking on this brick of a phone, complete with aerial, that she made him go into a telephone booth to make his calls.  They were in Hampton Court gardens one day when his phone rang. In my sister’s own words,  “I was mortified, and walked away, totally disowning him. It just seemed so stupid to be standing outside chatting on the phone.”

How times have changed and I don’t know how I ever survived without one.  I am very geographically challenged and often get a bit lost, so it helps tremendously to be able to call my hubby and describe exactly where I am, so that he can direct me home. (of course, there is now GPS, so I can at least find my way to various local destinations). Most people can’t function without their mobiles, and I’ve heard various one sided conversations in the supermarket,  “Was it baked beans or green beans you asked me to get?” and in restaurants, “I’m here. What time did we arrange to meet?  Oh, it was Friday; I thought you said, Tuesday.  Ok, I’ll have to go home and cook. See you Friday.”  Of course, the one phrase we all have off pat, is “I think you’ve got the wrong number.”  I said this to someone after waking from a deep sleep about midnight one Saturday.  I’d forgotten to switch my phone off, and when I sleepily answered it, someones teenager, informed me, “Okay Ma, the party’s done. You can come and pick us up now.” Maybe they’re still waiting to be picked up.

Cell phones have had quite an influence on our lives. For example they’ve messed up every movie plot ever written. Those spooky thriller movies where the damsel in distress finds herself stuck all alone in a really desolate place on a rainy night, with a flat tyre and/or no gas, and the plot thickens from that point on, are no longer plausible. If she’d had a cell phone, she would simply stay  in the car,  and call the nearest garage for help, instead of having to stumble through the dark woods in the pouring rain, with her low-cut, wet T-shirt clinging to her breasts. Yes, cell phones have certainly made screen writers become far more creative.

They do have their disadvantages though. Being constantly in touch, can get very tiresome. I was once in a Barnes & Noble coffee shop, and at the next table was a guy in a business suit, enjoying a coffee and a sandwich. His cell phone rang, and he proceeded to tell his boss the biggest pack of lies. “I’m waiting to see a client. He’s busy right now, but as soon as I’m finished up here, I’ll head right back to the office.” He grabbed his sandwich and scooted out of there like a bat out of hell.

Nowadays, errant husbands have to explain to their wives why they were unreachable because their cell phones were switched off. Teenagers know that if they’re late coming home at night, dad will be on the phone demanding to know why. You simply can’t get away from the phone. So many positives and negatives, depending on which side of the fence you are.

Cell phones have revolutionised the way we communicate, and are now ‘de rigueur’ and ubiquitous. We all depend on them for social and business contacts.  Do you think that one day in the not too distant future, we will evolve into human beings with iPhone attachment? Is it possible that babies will be born with the latest model fused to their ear, and as they grow up, the model will keep updating?

Stockbrokers seem to be getting younger and cuter all the time.

Pic stolen from my son’s FB page.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Renewal

This is a lovely challenge, and I see that many bloggers have posted beautiful nature pics for the theme.

To my mind, renewal means a bit of respite from the daily grind, and if one is very lucky, even a holiday.

Yesterday, we were on our way to Home Depot for the umpteenth time, to look at ‘stuff’ we need for redoing the kitchen. I spotted a Starbucks along the way, and we pulled in there for a bit of rest and renewal in the form of a cappuccino for hubby and a chai latte for me. I really don’t know why that chocolate brownie is sitting on my keyboard, but it seemed a shame not to eat it.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my home in South Africa. The summer holidays are coming up, and then the town and the beach will be swarming with work-weary holiday-makers, who have come down to the coast for a bit of well-earned renewal.

Moms will have time to sit under an umbrella and read, whilst dads will become little boys again, as they play sand castles with the kids.

Older couples may prefer to find renewal away from the crowds, and sit contemplating the waves in peace.

Dogs just love to run free along the beach. Their joy and exuberance just says it all.

Some companies send their employees down to the ocean for a few days, for a bit of renewal in the form of ‘Team Building’ activities.

At holiday time, I like to stay far away from the ‘madding crowd’, and find renewal just sitting at the top of our beach steps, watching the ever changing pattern of the waves.

What does the word “renewal” mean to you?

To be taken to more posts on the theme, just click here.

Shooting people for Jake’s theme.

So yesterday found me out and about with the early morning walkers along our beach path.  Jake wanted people, so my iPhone and I were on a mission to shoot a few unsuspecting victims. It was quite easy to get shots of people from a fair distance away, so I got the fishermen who are an almost permanent feature of our beach. There is our port city of Durban in the distance, and the white structure you can see is the 2010 Soccer World Cup, Moses Mabhida Stadium. If you look for the tree sticking up on the right, you will be looking at where I live; not actually in the tree, but just to the right of it.

I just couldn’t bring myself to tackle people head on, so sneakily got their back views in my sights. This woman’s dress would be very good for target practice.

This beach vendor wears all of her wares, as she wends her way to her stand, further along the path. She must have had at least a dozen hats on her head.

These young ladies came bouncing past us, and ran joyously down onto the sand for a frolic in the waves.

We saw many joggers, and dog walkers, and also a few dad’s out with babies in strollers, probably giving their wives a much-needed Sunday morning lie-in.

There were only a few people on the pier,

and a couple of long board surfers, were paddling their way out to sea. They were doing really well, but shortly after I took this photo, they both fell off their boards.

We managed to resist the tempting smells coming from the kitchen of the beach-side restaurant in the old life-guard station. We had a much healthier breakfast option of fresh strawberries waiting at home. I couldn’t however resist sneaking a pic of these two life guards keeping watch over the bathers from their tower at Bronze Beach. Well one was keeping watch, whilst it seems the other one was catching up on his sleep.

Right at the end of the path, the sand sucker-upper, was getting himself geared up for the day.

Some people have to work, whilst others can just relax and watch the waves.

By this time, my tummy was telling me that it was past my breakfast time, so it was quick march for the 2 kms back home. That strawberry smoothie went down very well indeed.

I hope you enjoyed my random Sunday morning shootings. For more takes on Jake’s theme, just click here.

Mom’s huge pie, and Robin to the rescue.

What a lovely time I had today. Hubby and I drove up the hill to meet my mom and sister at one of our favourite lunch venues, the ‘Pot & Kettle. The weather was beautifully sunny and mild, so we sat outside on the balcony which overlooks the ‘Valley of a Thousand Hills’. This is an area of great beauty and tranquility, where rural Zulu people still live in traditional homesteads, in the densely folded hills.

 

Of course, it was quite difficult deciding what we all wanted to eat and drink, but eventually mom went for the chicken pot pie, which when it arrived, had us all gasping at the size of it, especially for someone as tiny as my mom.

Anyway, she decided to eat the filling and potato wedges, and donated the pastry crust to my sister to plop on top of her son’s dinner this evening. Her exact words were, “He’ll think he’s died and gone to Heaven when he sees this. ”

I had the much healthier option of grilled calamari and veggies, which was delicious, but not nearly as photogenic.

We had such a fun meal, with lots of chatter and laughter. My sister told us that a beautiful sunbird had flown into her kitchen yesterday. The poor little thing flew around in a panic, and couldn’t find its way out again. It stunned  itself  when it hit the window glass, and ended up, clinging to the kitchen curtain. My brother-in-law gently picked it up and place it outside on a plant pot, where it sat for about half an hour, totally traumatised,  with its beak open. (The cat had of course been quickly moved inside the house.)

As my sister watched, a robin flew down to have a look at the sunbird, and after hopping around the pot a few times, it flew off, and then, returning at great speed, dive-bombed the poor bird, so that the sudden shock galvanised it into action again, and it flew away. How wonderful that birds, even of a different species, look out for one another, and when sensing that something is wrong, will work out what to do about it, and then act. We can all take a lesson from this, I’m sure.

After our lunch, we went for a stroll around the craft shops next to the restaurant. Here you can see that we also have Hillbillys in South Africa. They’re not exclusive to rural America.

This mural painted on one of the walls outside, is very typical of African art.

I was amazed to see that inside the foyer of our restaurant, there was so much Chinese stuff for sale. I sneaked a couple of shots, just to show you that they’ve even infiltrated rural Africa.

It was so great to spend family time together, something I’m going to miss when we return to Florida next month. I’m sure the six months will fly past, and there’ll be so much to do there, including my new kitchen. It will be wonderful to meet up again with the friends we’ve made, and also our family in New York. Thank goodness once again for Skype.

Weekend theme: Things that make me happy.

My friend, Viewfromtheside’s weekend theme, “Things that make me happy,” had me immediately thinking of that lovely John Denver song from 1971.

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high.

It’s been on my mind for the whole of the weekend, so I played it today at the Mall, just to get it out of my system.  Playing piano is something that does make me very happy indeed, especially if people are listening and enjoying my music.

I’m generally a very happy person, but at the moment I’m especially happy and excited because next week Monday, our son will be arriving from New York to visit family and friends in South Africa. He’s bringing the oldest of his little girls with him. She’s almost seven, and will feel so special to be travelling all that way with her dad.

We’ll all have a lovely family time down here with my mom, sister and her family, and then we’ll be off to Johannesburg to see my daughter and her two children. There’s also going to be a big party with all my son’s South African friends, of which there are many. So all in all, it promises to be a very happy time indeed.

Jake’s Sunday Post challenge: Village

I decided that for Jake’s Sunday Post challenge this week, I would show you my seaside ‘village’ of Umhlanga Rocks, situated on the east coast of South Africa, facing the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Visitors from overseas, as well as all over South Africa, flock to our resort village, to relax and have fun on one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. The warm subtropical climate means that one can have fun in the sun all the year round. We are so proud of  this brilliant new pier, which was built only a couple of years ago.

This area was once the home of the San hunter-gatherers, but was later occupied by Nguni-speaking people who were unified under King Shaka in the early 1800′s into the proud Zulu nation. It came under British control soon after, and became part of the large estate belonging to Sir Marshall Campbell, who sailed to South Africa in 1850. Indian indentured labourers were brought to work on the sugar plantations, with the result that today this area has a vibrant and colourful multiracial flavour. The sugar plantations in our area have all but disappeared to make way for property development.

In 1869, the first beach cottage was built on a rocky site overlooking the sea. The owners served tea and scones to passers by, and the reflective roof of the cottage was used as a beacon by passing ships’ captains to navigate safely around the rocky headland. This cottage was converted into the Oyster Box Hotel hotel in the 1930′s, and in 1953, this distinctive red and white lighthouse was built right in front of it. This hotel has recently been upgraded to the highest 5 star standards, and is an absolute pleasure to visit. It has some of the best restaurants you could ever wish to dine in.

Umhlanga was a favourite family holiday destination for us for many years, and when we retired, we decided to leave Johannesburg and settle here at the coast, as the climate is wonderful. Over the past few decades we’ve seen a lot of change, and the older hotels have either been refurbished into magnificent 5 star establishments, or demolished to make way for huge holiday apartment buildings such as this one.

The village as such hasn’t got any bigger, but of course it’s changed a lot. There used to be just a  few small shops along the main street, mostly selling buckets and spades, sun hats and swimsuits, but now, there is a plethora of restaurants and pubs in order to cater for the increased inflow of tourists.

The George pub is a well known watering hole in our village.

and of course there are the african curio shops for the overseas visitors.

Holiday makers  and locals alike come here in winter and summer to catch a tan,

paddle around in the rock pools,

do a bit of spear fishing,

or even fly fishing, which I found rather unusual.

Mostly it’s just nice to relax and watch the surfers doing their thing.

At peak times, it seems a rather overcrowded village to us locals, and we can’t get a parking space for love or money, but for the rest of the year, it’s the ideal village to live in.

Travel Photo theme ‘Oceans’

Ailsa’s travel photo theme this week is ‘Oceans’, in honour or World Ocean day which was on June 8th. The five oceans of the earth are the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Antarctic Ocean, which is also called the Southern Ocean.

My home in South Africa is just a few yards from the Indian Ocean, which stretches from the east coast of Africa across to the west coast of Australia, including the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. I can see it when I look out of my bedroom window. Sometimes it’s grey and foreboding,

but today it’s blue and enticing.

We often go walking along the ocean front, past the new pier,

and the lighthouse, which has been around since 1954.

Whilst on a cruise of the Great Barrier Reef, we went snorkelling in the Coral Sea, which is right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

A few years ago, as our plane flew into Bora Bora in French Polynesia, we could look down and see the beautiful blues of  yet another part of the Pacific Ocean, the largest ocean on earth, which stretches from the western side of North and South America across to Asia and north to south from the Arctic to the Antarctic.

Here is a photo taken next to the north Atlantic Ocean when we visited Casablanca, Morocco, a few years ago.

This same blonde woman who often pops up in hubby’s photos, (I’ll have to ask him who she is), is standing next to the south Atlantic Ocean at Copacabana Beach in Rio. You can see Sugarloaf Mountain in the background.

The Arctic and Antarctic oceans will probably never be on our ‘to visit’ list. I think we’d find them a bit too cold for our liking.

Have a great weekend everyone, wherever you are. Chat again soon.