vietnam

vietnam:
 here i came for a 6 months adventure. here i stayed for almost 2 years, met my favourite person in the world and discovered a teacher in me, and i liked what i discovered.

america

right now i'm waiting for that all important call from the American Consulate JNB.  patiently waiting for a stranger to give me the go ahead.
the go ahead to book that one-way ticket.
a printed piece of paper with only one final destination, the symbol of my new reality. an exciting reality. a simple next step to be with my new husband, my best friend.
all it took was:

.a total of 8 months of anxious waiting
.a novel amount of forms completed, and then recompleted and then over completed and then completed again just for fun.
. 'evidence' of a real romance
.unabridged birth certificate, and R200 on the side to get in a week and not have to wait a dreaded 12weeks
.R1600 worth of medical checks and documents and inoculations
. police clearance. and a celebration of not needing a Vietnamese police clearance... dancing might have featured here.
. estimate 600usd for all together applications.
.  some sleepless nights, a bit of my sanity, a lot of faith.

all this because the attractive boy in the supermarket i met just under three years ago was not 'my own kind'  

rhino and lion say no

this past Saturday was rhino day.   the stats of rhino poaching are simply heart breaking.  what can be done to make it stop? hey asia, enough already!
while i'm at it  i'd like to ask friends to take a moment to punch anybody you know in the face that believe lion bones hold some kind of magical powers to cure them. go ahead and give them a punch.  

 

South Africa I love you. 1

 my time living in South Africa is coming to a very sudden, even though anticipated, end.  i'm not leaving or fleeing because i don't love my country but i am leaving for love.  let words of negativity and unbelief about my country never form. may i always speak of your beauty and complexity South Africa. here just little pieces of my home, my roots, my beginnings. i'm sure i will post more as the months go by.

diy name tags

i'm over the rock idea. with my wooden tables and peanut butter jar field flower pots it suddenly just didn't seem to go together. the vision called for something else.  so i made these name tags from scratch, as in one A2 cardboard, a pack of stick on reinforcements, a sharpie, an alphabet stencil and bunch of pretty lace.   

these days

kanga, the saved and adventurer

the long distance engagement

roof of tasha's, nicolway

breakfast at dopio zero rosebank

dress for legal wedding/ USA celebration wedding

a happy birthday carrot cake

rain and pancakes

i'm so grateful that rainy season is here, with only 2 months to experience the joy of the Southern Hemisphere's approaching summer, i couldn't be more thrilled.
  the amazing thunderstorms that  Johannesburg can deliver, are right up there with with my love for fresh ciabatta bread, jacaranda trees in bloom, puppies and drinking wine with awesome people.  as with most of these mentioned loves it will be the one of the Jo'burg delights  i'll miss deeply once Spokane, Washington becomes my new home.
this is how a rainy thunder stricken day should look:

boere pancakes with sugar and cinnamon, thanks Sarie.com for the recipe 

my prayer this day

Ha long Bay, Vietnam, May 2012

i love this prayer, it comes to me often. 

“Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, 

when our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, 

when we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore. 


Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess,
we have lost our thirst for the waters of life, 
having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity, 
and in our efforts to build a new earth, 

we have allowed our vision of the new heaven to dim. 


Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas, 
where storms will show your mastery, 
where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. 
We ask you to push back the horizon of our hopes, 
and to push us into the future in strength, courage, hope, and love. 
This we ask in the name of our Captain, who is Jesus Christ. ”

― Francis Drake

i like this tree

Chocola.j: a charming little find

even if the treats here weren't sinfully delicious i'd still come here just to enjoy the decor.

really an all kinds of lovely and yummy and happy little shop, found on Beyers Naude Drive, Northcliff.  i love charming places that don't do french provance decor, so been done, so over it.