Philodendrons Dude Philodendrons

Walking into Lifestyle this morning these two teenagers were walking out deep in conversation and we overheard one excitedly say to the other, “Dude! Did you check out all those philodendrons?”

This stopped us in our tracks, did we hear correctly? Is this a new code word for cannabis? These are not words normally coming out of excited young men, that is for sure. So we stopped them and chatted for a while. Ryan, the one on the right turns out to be a friend of Lynda’s son Bradley.

Both young men are attending the Lifestyle College of Landscape Design and are about to start their final practical exam by design a garden which will be showcased at the Lifestyle Garden Centre, hence their excitement over philodendrons, lots of philodendrons dude!

Purple Scar of the Rietvlei

The Rietvlei Dam outside Pretoria was build during the Great Depression by manual labour eager to earn a few coins to survive. The people were suffering greatly. Towards the end of the Second Boer War, women and children died like flies in the British concentration camps, then came the Great War where the surviving men march off to fight a war that wasn’t theirs to fight. Closely on its heals came the Great Flu Pandemic followed by the Great Depression. Then just when you managed to get your head above the water, wham world war all over again.

The bible reading people must have thought the Angels of the Apocalypse had ridden through and they were stuck in the Tribulation. After the Second World War, South African dipped even deeper into darkness as General Smuts lowered his head in shame while Apartheid started to raised its ugly head.

All this is now water under the bridge, and a new South Africa rose out of the ashes, but somehow it was still wearing the chains of its past. Looking around me at my fellow South Africans, the words of Nietzsche haunt me, “Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein.”, “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.” We have become the monsters that we have fought so hard against. While our politicians are lining their own pockets, our country sinks into a new darkness as our government’s electrical parastatal, Eskom switches off the lights. Our people cry out in the dark, “is this the freedom that our forefathers died for?”

And now as I stand looking towards the Rietvlei Dam built with the hands our forefathers, I can’t help but notice the purple scar in the setting sun. The purple scar is actually the Pompom weed that is colonising our veld and wetlands. The Campuloclinium macrocephalum somehow managed to jump the pond from South America and is now chocking off all our natural flora and fauna of the veld. With the Chinese colonising to the north of us, the invaders from the west is taking over and killing our natural resources; we have stared into the abyss too long.

And so the sun sets, darkness comes!

All about the Birds

It is all about the birds, no trouble.

The rain is coming in waves and in the gaps the sun dries up all evidence. Being on the Vespa to and back from work, it is all about the timing so not to get wet. Richard the regional technical co-ordinator, on the other hand, is out and about checking up on his children, the birds of Bosasa. Making hay when the sun shines.

Here is Richard and Johnny a grey crowned crane, strolling up to me during my lunchtime stroll in the gardens. This sure beats taking your bird for a walk.

I love you Granny

I have this lasting image in my mind of my granny with my son Matthew when he was only 8 and she was about to turn 82. I believe this is the last photograph of her before the first of a series of strokes struck her 2 days later.

Yesterday Lynda’s daughter, Robynne, gave her this book, thereby announcing that her first grandchild is on the way. Lynda is over the moon and I am happy for her. Oh and before I forget congratulations to Marco and Robynne.

In the great circle of life, it is this announcement that brought my thoughts back to my gran, me being the oldest grandson, she too must have been beaming way back in the day. I know that you had a hard life and that you are much better off now, but I miss you gran.

Birds of Bosasa

As my readers may know by now, I work at eKayaMedia, the Design division of Bosasa, and that my office is situated at this awesome eco park called Mogale Business Park which is tucked away in a place least expected, Krugersdorp.

I have already posted many photographs of most of the beautiful creatures that can be seen while doing your work here at Bosasa. Some readers have enquired that with all the awesome things to see, how can I do my work? Well sadly you start getting used to the exquisiteness of your surroundings, forgetting that you once did the 8 to 5 slog downtown. So to help me not to get complacent, at lunch time today, I ventured deeper into the remoter areas of Bosasa and found this juvenile Golden Pheasant in the undergrowth.

Aaah my sweet birds of paradise, it is becoming harder to tear myself away from you.

Meet the Swan Family

Wow the just over 3 months old cygnets are growing up fast, they are even starting to lose their baby grey feathers. It has not been easy getting close to take some photos without Mr and Mrs Swan getting all aggressive but during the last few weeks I have been taking it slowly to approach ever so closer to this swan family without disturbing them. And today I managed to get to a few meters away although they were in the pond which made them feel much more secure.

I think this might be the first clear photo that I have of the cygnets other than that fleeting one taken during the Swan Attack last month. Well hopefully more photos will be posted as the Swan family get more used to me and allow me spend more time with them.So readers allow me to formally introduce you the Swan Family.

Lazy Sunday Afternoons

The summer heat is starting reach the low thirties degrees Celsius, ie about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It is still early days of summer the temperatures to climb even higher. Thankfully the afternoon thunder storms help bring it back down to a tolerable level.

Here is Minky, our cat, showing us how to handle days like these, lazy Sunday afternoons.

Umbrellas on the Range

Home, home on the range,
Where the guineafowl wake you up in the mornings,
Where the cattle men herd their cattle under umbrellas,
And balmy summer afternoon storms are refreshing.

Whoa, rewind there a little bit mate, what do you mean guineafowl wake you up in the mornings and above all why do cattle men carry umbrellas?

You try getting some Saturday sleep in with this entire racket of wild gineafowl. It seems that they never stop making a squawking “buck-wheat, buck-wheat, chi, chi, chi…” Maybe because some cat is stalking them not knowing that the warning has already gone out that she has already been spotted. Just shut up and let me sleep, please.

And the umbrellas? Well you try herding cattle in the blazing African sun all day with little shade, only to be thanked by heavy afternoon storms. Welcome to the African veldt with its umbrellas on the range.

Big Bad Phil

Big Phil
Big Phil

Every morning at the Bosasa you could see him arrive
He stood over two metres tall and weighed a hundred plus
Kind of broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew, you didn't give no lip to Big Phil

Especially on his birthday

Big Phil, Big Phil
Big Bad Phil
Big Phil
Happy birthday Philip
(Note: The above to be sung to the tune of Big Bad John by Jimmy Dean, 1961)

Demoiselle Crane

With an afternoon storm threatening, I took this photograph of the pair of Demoiselle Cranes, sitting in the foreground waiting expectedly for the large drops of rain mixed with small hail that would soon deluged us.

The Demoiselle Crane are the smallest of the crane family but the second most abundant, not in Africa but in Euroasia. In this photo along with the Demoiselle you can see 3 Helmeted Guineafowl running for cover, a single Black Swan, an Egyptian Goose, and a pair of Blue Cranes. All water off a duck’s back so to speak.

New Media Team

I have posted photos of our awesome New Media Team before but on an individual basis, this is the team together sans me who is taking the photo. From left to right is Noma our Content Strategist, Ella our Multimedia Designer, Mkuseli our Developer, and Paballo our Social Media specialist.

The Royal We decided to kick start our weekly Progress Meeting out of our comfort zone by having it at Mugg and Bean. Yes sure, having our meeting at a coffee restaurant was a big change and it made a huge difference as we, Bosasa's New Media Team not only want to be a well-oiled machine but also we want to be family. And like families do, look out for each other and help each other grow, personally, work, and spiritually.

Now to let the cat out of the bag, for Bosasa’s Year of Significance, our theme is to start this Year of Significance with our focus on Growth.

How are we going to take ourselves to the next level? 

Personally for the team, I want to grow from the level of where the team follows leadership because they have to, to a level where the team follows because they want to. Now look what I have done, made it public which means how many will now hold me accountable for making this growth happen? Let the growing begin.

Snake in the Office

From the shrieks coming from the print section of eKayaMedia, something terrifying was up. News quickly spread like wild fire that a snake had slithered into our offices. I quickly rush across with my cellphone camera in hand and there petrified in a corner was this baby brown house snake not even 20cm long. Shame, poor baby, it must have been trying to escape from the cranes only to land among the squealing graphic design ladies. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The poor baby, after a quick photo shoot, I caught the frightened little snake and released it outside in the garden. Let us hope that it survives all the dangers outside and grows up to beautiful adult.

Misty African Sunrise

One of my dreams is to watch a sunrise at the end of the world in Patagonia but for now I will enjoy my misty sunrise on the highvelt in Johannesburg. In Patagonia the air will bitingly fresh and cold with none of the urban pollutants of an industrial city like Jozi. And the stars, wow I can only imagine the view of the universe above from there. The closest I ever came was a view from the Karoo. Jozi can never come close but for now I will enjoy my misty sunrise in the heart of South Africa.

Casalinga

Today was proving to be a little better than how yesterday ended. After a slow start of breakfast at the Silver Birch Restaurant in the middle of Lifestyle Garden Center, I must admit that there lunches are way better. Mark that on the list of never again. Anyway we ended up at Casalinga in the rolling hills of Muldersdrift. Much better in the countryside. Although I have only been here once before, for a friends weeding a long time ago, it was good ambiance being back at Casalinga.

Rhino Art

This morning was spent with Matthew, going to the bioscope, whoa, who says bioscope anymore? Oh well even cinema seems so old to say, so off to the movies to watch a fliek. We only got back home late afternoon. Later Lynda and I went out but that was a disaster. No more about that other than this beautiful mosaic art rhino which we stumbled upon in Broadacres.

Peahen Seriously

Normally the peacocks get all the glory with their colourful displays but today while walking back from the diner, this beautiful peahen caught my eye, (wolf whistle here). No seriously the colours of most females of the peafowl tend to be bland and boring but you could see that this peahen had beautiful colours and held herself majestically. Yip hierdie pouhen het houding!

Hickory Dickory Dock

Hickory dickory dock, the cats cornered a mouse this morning, in the house. Quick as a fiddle, Lynda rescued the teeny thing and released it outside, out of view of the prowling cat thugs.

Feeling proud, we thought the was the last we hear about a mouse, but coming home last night we found this newly born mouse dragging itself across our bedroom. Not even a centimetre big and eyes squeezed shut, we didn’t know if the cats brought this little thing from outside or we threw its mommy out this morning.

Snacking on Bananas

Yes I know that snacking is not good for my horizontally challenged body but I get this craving to snack, hence the banana for a snack. Next week our company is starting a 21 Day Fast and I need all the help to carbo-load before the event.

I am worried that I would fall into the biggest mistake of a fast and focus on the food or lack of it and miss out on the powerful spiritual benefits of the fast. So what type of fast to do is the question which I am struggling with as I enjoy my food and it is my comfort zone? Oh well time to come out of my comfort zone.

Mogale Business Park

Work is starting to happen now after a slow start last week and it should be very busy on the roads from tomorrow as the schools go back but for now I can still relax in the tranquil gardens of Mogale Business Park. The path on the left lead up to my office which is just behind those trees on the left. Oh I suppose lunch is over and it is back to my office.

And yes those fluffy grey clouds soon turned ominous and it started raining. Sorry for me as I am on the Vespa today.

Kiss and Tell

Noma loves lip glosses, I mean a women can’t go wrong with a couple of lip gloss applicators in her bag in various sparkling colours. Today Noma arrived to work wearing the Woolworths brand Kiss & Tell Lip Gloss in the Tickled Pink colour. Well with out any kissing and telling, let’s get the week started on this glossy lustre.

Regina Mundi

Regina Mundi or Queen of the World is a Roman Catholic Church in Rockville, Soweto. Regina Mundi was built in the 60s and became the People’s Church when it opened its doors to protect the anti-apartheid activists, especially the children during the 1976 student uprising. It still bears the bullet scars from the police who forcefully tried to remove the terrified children.

Today along with the bullet scared alter and crucifix, it houses the painting of the Black Madonna and Child, and a perfect copy of the Brazilian Lady of Aparecida, shown above, the black version of our Lady of Immaculate Conception.

Let Sleeping Cats Lie

Let sleeping cats lie or was that let sleeping dog lie? Anyway after a long night playing our favourite game, Ingress, Lynda and I only got home in the early morning hours. Ingress is an augmented reality game that is played on a global scale something of a mix of geo-caching and capture the flag. With Ingress coursing through your veins, you see the world with new eyes. If you do decide to open your eyes to see what is really happening around you, choose the Resistance, which is the blue team aka the smurfs.

Today we are all bushed out and are recovering. And as you can see our little Princess is also passed out on Lynda’s lap. Shuuu, let the little kitten sleep even if it is with one eye open.

Trigger Happy Bunnies

Last night we met up with some of the Far West Rand’s finest Ingress Resistance players for a night on the town. Around the table are agents Elizhy, True2Blue, BioniKat, MaxyJade, Lala187, Rat73, Vinkie, HVS000, with TVS000 taking the photo with my cellphone.

Early in the evening Vinkie who is after uniques requested that we go Fochville and paint the town blue, so off we went to the heart of Enlightened agent Kleinblaar’s little grovel, Fochville and put down a spider’s web of blue links. Along the way someone came up with the name Trigger Happy Bunnies.

Update: Sometime in the early morning we crawled back into bed.

Sexy Times at Work

This week has been a slow start to the year, with even the tortoises getting into the swing of all things leisurely, a bit late for spring wouldn’t you say. Most people will only get back to work from their summer break on Monday which gives the tortoises the last bit of privacy before the year officially gets busy. Thanks to Ella for taking the photo of the sexy times right outside our office.

Kagiso Cricket Team

Driving through Kagiso, I stumbled upon some children playing cricket in the streets. As the name Kagiso means peace in Tswana, it was kind of serene watching these kids use whatever they can find and play a game of cricket. Watch out South Africa these could be up and coming Protea players.

The Posers Ride Again

It was good day as the original Posers Scooter Club members rode again. With the weather threatening in the late afternoon I was sceptical going out on the Vespa this evening but luckily the weather cleared and turned out to be one of those memorable Posers SC evening rides.

Left to right is Martin, Magda, Paulo, Jerome, and Lynda.

We all met at The Schwarma Co in Norwood for a good dinner and a long catch up with four Vespas lined up outside on the pavement. Reminiscing on the good old days along with all the bad. Paulo was all smiles as he proudly showed us photographs of his little daughter Ariela who wasn't even in the picture last time the Posers met, not even a twinkle in Paulo and Shani's eyes. It was just good to be among friends and just let your hair down. It has been a long time since the Posers met and we vowed to make this meetup more regularly as we rode back home four abreast along quiet streets late at night hooting at prostitutes plying their trade while they waved back.

The Secret Life of Johnny Bravo

In a world going crazy in the rush, I sat in the lush quiet gardens of Mogale City Business Park, closed my eyes and just breathed it all in. It wasn’t long when I heard some purring and opened my eyes to a crowned crane’s head a few centimetres from mine all inquisitive like. It was a defining moment. A moment I wanna live in without disruption.

I had just made a new friend. I reached out and stroked him for a while which I believe he must have enjoyed because he was purring. His crown felt like soft straw, while his short black tuff on his head had this velvet feel. I was fascinated with the lack of facial feathers, his cheeks were bare red and white skin. Not to forget his waddle aka red crop reminded me of Richard Fish character' in Ally McBeal's weird fetish for waddles. He would surely love this waddle.

After a while I headed back to my office and the crane walked long side me all the way right into my office.

At first I thought it was a girl crowned crane and named her Lucy but later I checked with the caretaker, Richard, who confirmed that she was a boy, so here is Johnny Bravo, who has this monkey type dance when he is seeking for my attention. Johnny Bravo didn't want to leave my side but I had to work. All day he circled our office building calling for me and trying to find a way in. When I went outside to console him, he chirped in excitement and bobbed his head up and down in a strange type of dance. So I flapped my arms and he flapped his wings, I was doing the monkey with Johnny Bravo.

Sometimes you really gotta live in the moment, enjoy the moment because that's what life's all about, isn't it! A new day is dawn, so open your eyes as the rhythm of the fresh year breaks free. This year dare to follow your dreams as much as your dreams have followed you so far.

First Bath of the Year

It is the last day of my summer break, tomorrow it is back to work. For now the rain is holding back and the sun beaming down. A perfect day to wash the cats. Well not all of them just the two, Minky who loves water and the tiny kitten Princess as she just needs one.

Minky complained a bit of his man handling but did not struggle until the drying part where she started making a scene. She enjoys the water but when then comes to applying a towel she let us know that she was perfectly capable of drying herself thank you very much.

So here are the wet cats, Minky who lead the way and the little scrap Princess having her first bath. Let’s hold thumbs that Princess gets to enjoy water like her older sister.

Giraffe for Lunch

No we were not eating giraffe for lunch, but Mr Giraffe came over for lunch while we were taking a break at the Neck and Deck just outside The Lion and Rhino Park. Yes I know that there are strong allegations about The Lion and Rhino Park association with canned lion hunting. This park like many similar parks that breed lions in captivity for the tourists have this dark void when it comes to what happens to the lions once they too big to be petted by tourists. Many try to hide their hunting involvement by claiming that they are engaged in scientific research. These excuses sounds a little too close to Japan’s response on whaling.

Anyway to the giraffe that joined us for lunch, while it was nice that he joined us and all the tourists oooh’d and aaaah’d, I did notice that the lack of natural foliage for the giraffes. Yes there were a few large trees in the compound next to our watering hole but the leaves were stripped bare by the giraffes up to the height they could reach. Thankfully further back there were some teff hanging in some feed nets from the branches. I wish that there would be more veld trees for them other than the horse pellets that the tourists used to entice the giraffes closer to feed out of their hands.

Last weekend

It is the start of the last weekend of the summer holidays and Matthew decided that it would be best spent with his friend Brendon playing Xbox nonstop. He was already tired from all the New Year celebrations so I wonder how long this nonstop is going to last.

For me, I am trying not to think about back to work on Monday which means I need to make this weekend count.

The Crazy Ones

Ah the first day of the Year 2015 and what better time to spend it chilling with friends and family. The day started with rain and more rain, so much so that I was wondering how we all going to fit into Anika and Gary’s lounge. It wasn’t just the 10 adults shown above as there were another 3 teenagers and a child. But thankfully the sun got brave and dried up all the rain as suns are supposed to do.

As South Africans, the meat was on the braai, with the young ones all occupied playing either in the pool or on the game consoles, the adults aka the Crazy Ones could chill in peace under the lapa next to the pool. Okay from left to right are the Crazy Ones, Sandy and Derrick, Lynda and Jerome, Megan and Bruce, Necia and Craig, Anika and Gary.

As always everything that exciting happened in the year came up in topic, Dr Who; ostrich meat; X-Box games; Ingress; programming; work; bandwidth; beer bread; merits of school and school fees; The Resistance; being splashed by the young ones in the pool and Craig that needed to be thrown in; some muscle car that Bruce owned in the states that he left his iPod in; Dropping DVDs of the film The Interview over North Korea via helium balloons, Apple vs Android; so called home made Turkish delight; various re-modelling projects from bathrooms to this very lapa; some movie about a women who has a sex change, goes back in time, marries herself and has a child, very confusing even to me; and not to forget the chat about cats and more cats. If I did leave anything out, other than the cats, I am so sorry but I can't remember everything. Oh yes talking about remembering we also chatted about how we get round remembering a face but not a name.It looks like this might be a usual problem with us Crazy Ones.

This blog also did an appearance in the discussion. Gary still likes the longer posts whereas Craig wants shorter more factual posts. Oh and I mustn’t forget we found out that Bruce is a fan of my blog and could be a serial blog stalker.

One of the suggestions, Gary’s I think, was maybe add more photos which will get the blog to feel longer. So let me give it a bash, here is the cat Robbie all bored and had enough of this small talk. He had this thing where he sucked his paw and when he had finished with his paw while sitting on his mommy’s lap, he put his head down on the table, relaxed.