Florida North to South

Dis lekker maar dis nou verby.

Wednesday morning 04:00, 28 December 2005, Sarah and I were in our stacked car, turning the Corolla's nose onto I-95 South. There's not much to it. It's a straight drive for approximately 4,5 hours until you hit Miami, turn right at some stage and you'll eventually end up in front of our abode.


The further South you go, the flatter the land becomes. Florida's propably one of the few places on earth where you'll be able to see the enemy's aproach a week in advance.
But it's beautiful, a very scenic drive, this I-95 South. And I watched the sun appear on my left and witnessed the magnificent spreading of colors accross the sky with it's arrival. All the way to Miami on a near empty highway.
Starbucks coffee, Mark Knopfler, an open road combined with such tranquil beauty = sheer bliss.

Daytrips to St. Augustine, Florida

It's the last week of 2005 and we went exploring the historic area around St. Augustine.

The city was the first European settlement in North-America and the place where the Spanish set foot the very first time. Yes, unlike what we were told in South African History 114 in between the Groot Trek, Columbus did indeed throw anchor in what is now the Dominican Republic, not North-America.
St. Augustine was developed to be a refreshment station - not unlike the VOC's idea with the Cape of Good Hope - for the Spanish treasure ships that sailed past to the homeland.
There's a rich, well preserved history in the beautiful little town, with the Indians, the Spanish, ze French, and the British each playing a role. It was taken by a pirate fleet, nearly by the French and later the British.

Ford Matanzas ("Slaughter" in Spanish) was build to protect the city's rear end from sneaky attacks. The French tried once and where nearly obliterated by a hurricane. The 250 survivors were then massacred by the Spanish, hence the name.

We also visited the original Ripley's Believe it or Not. Yeah!
Then there is the Fountain of Youth. A legend the Spanish heard from the Indians told of a fountain which water would bring eternal youth to the fortunate drinker. The Spanish king alotted a small fortune to Ponce de Leon to find this miraculous fountain, of which water Sarah and I drank.
Yes, for my 101st birthday, I'd like to river raft the Zambezi!
Sure the Indians laughted in their sleeves...

Xmas 2005

It was a memorable, no actually a fantabulous Xmas spend with the in-laws. The 25th here in the States is a slight exaggeration on how we spend Xmas back home, but as such even more enjoyable.
At 23h50, Saturday 24/12 I picked Sarah up from Miami's International Airport and we sped home through the nightly hours. The idea was to reach the Christmas tree and have all the many gifts in position before Sarah's 4 young siblings woke up. Christmas morning in their household reminds strongly of the goldrush of the late nineteenth century in Pelgrim's Rust.
I notched up a raccoon as a roadkill and struggled heroically to stay awake on the road (read 4 coffee's), but we made it, with 30 minutes to spare. The little one's lit up faces is worth seven such trips.

Many Americans light up their houses and gardens with all kinds of Xmas lights and decorations. Driving through the suburbs was like being in Happy Valley in P.E. again as a kid - magic. I included one of the many pics I took. This Xmas-scene could be seen on many front lawns.

My mother-in-law would win a cooking show-down with Martha Steward any day and when I finally stopped eating the day was gone. Some great family time and an incompetent loss in a favourite card game concluded a memorable day with great people.

A Visit to Oregon

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

The First Bouwer Xmas Tree

Our first Christmas tree in the States.
The aroma in our apartment is awesome and all of a sudden the whole Christmas feeling has arrived as soon as we finished decorating this huge tree. We feel quite in sync with the thousand neighbors who have used every imaginable decorating tool available to beautify the Kendall-area.
The tree'll keep me company next week when Sarah flies to Oregon early Saturday to visit our good ol' friends from Taiwan - Sara, Dan and Mindy.

Sarah will be back next weekend to celebrate Christmas with me and the rest of the fam'. Back from what is a very beautiful white Christmas in Portland, I'm told.

Thank you Curtis and Robin for the tree.

Experience...

Yesterday another no-brain "Duh"-moment from yours truly.

Never, under no circumstance, ever, make a comment to a lady about her pregnancy and/or growing tummy, unless you are certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is, in fact, pregnant. Don't....

Isshhh!

The "Happy Holidays" vs "Merry Christmas"-Debate

To be politically correct or not to be...

Following the raging media issue of the week, one now has to think twice before saying to your neighbor "Merry Christmas".
This being the United States, where Christians, Muslims, Atheists, Jews and Buddhists live side by side, one can all too easily offend someone by doing so. What is actually sad is that the complaints are coming from fellow Christians. It 's the same old story.

Christmas for true believers - the holiest holiday on the Christian calendar - is in essence about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. In spite of all the tradition surrounding this wonderful festive season, it is also supposed to be a time of peace, of being with family, of taking time to reflect on the past year, of counting our blessings.

My first reaction to hearing a radio commentator explaining on air why he wishes all a "Happy Holiday" instead, was one of outrage. Why discriminate against Christians!? What about Ramadan? Or any of the Jewish holidays? Isn't this supposed to be a Christian country?!

But then isn't this senseless bickering distracting us from what's important as Christians - Jesus being the reason for the season? As a true believer I know that I'm a minority and as a Christian I realise that I live among thousands that follow a different God than I do, be it Allah, Buddah, money, themselves etc.

"Happy holidays" or "Merry Christmas" apart, aren't we all in the great gift-buying tradition? Will you boycott a store for displaying a "Happy Holiday"-sign? Don't we all decorate our homes? Don't we all go to the Christmas office parties, have reindeer/snowmen/Santa Claus in our garden or house? What does these wonderful traditions actually have to do with Christmas other than light up childrens' faces? Maybe we're missing the point. Maybe we take ourselves a little too seriously on occasion.

An illustration in point:
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has told officials last week that the decorated tree on the West lawn of Capitol Hill, known as "The Holiday Tree", has been renamed "The Christmas Tree". Talk about a politically charged name for a ....tree! And in Boston a large Christian group - the Liberty Council - has threatened to sue the city council for naming the large decorated tree in the middle of the city, "The Holiday Tree".

Taken from The Washington Times

My heart warms that Christians are taking a stand, but I wondering if they are not defending the wrong wall...

No, Christmas is about sharing God's love, peace and harmony and frankly, I don't care much for this debate that has respected church leaders sparring on state radio and TV with their accusors.
I've decided to try to rise above the petty arguments and celebrate Christmas like a true Christian.

May you experience the true joy and the true meaning of this festive season, and may you find rest in that knowledge.
Merry Christmas and a happy holiday!

A Chill in the Air

It is amazing how strongly one's perspective is influenced by the environment you grew up in.

It's Winter in Miami. I notice it, because nowadays it's dark when I exit the office at the end of the day and there's a chill in the air. As recently as early November it was so hot in this city that the palm trees fought over passing dogs.
The past weekend the temperatures dropped once to just under the 70'ties. Older folks in town have been heard saying however, that the cold front has passed and that the "worst" is over!

On the flipside ABC News reported that the first snow has started to fall this week in the nation's capital. Children making snowmen, a layer of cold magical white starting to cover Washington. In sub-20 temperatures the weatherman is predicting it's going to get even colder. (The news station had an interview with a politician and it was so cold, he stood with his hands in his own pockets.)

Last night I watched Monday night football - the Seattle Seahawks blowing away the Philadelphia Eagles - while it's snowing!
A rugby test between South Africa and France played in Paris last week caused some frantic penhandling by the local South African media. Why? Snow was predicted before the game. Often games are called off if it rains heavily.
Yet, those Norterners played in sleeting snow and passes stuck. Amazing. I guess you can handle what you're used to.

(Pic 1 - Typical crisp, cloudy morning at the lake next to our apartment. Miami-Dade at 06:30 am.
Pic 2 - Philadelphia quarterback on the charge Monday night - Picture from SI.com)

First Thanksgiving

God bless America!
Today I experienced my first Thanksgiving on US soil. While the lunch, the 15lb golden turkey, the lattice cherry pie, the sweet cranberry mousse, the mouthwatering corn pudding, more grazing, family time, and live football is all behind us now, I'm still incapable of moving! I must've picked up 5 lbs today and there is still more grazing to be done. And then some! Wonderful.

The large retailers like WalMart, Macy's, Target, Best Buy, and others are opening their doors tomorrow at 0500 hrs for their BIG Thanksgiving Sale. Already the more eager participants are camping outside the doors of these stores to be the first to the merchandise.
Traffic has been horrendous - it took us three hours to get out of Miami and past Fort Lauderdale - all of 55 miles.

Winter has now firmly arrived even here in tropical Florida. Already there is a briskness to the early mornings and evenings that has us pulling out warm clothes for the first time.

Wishing a Blessed Thanksgiving to all our American friends and family!

Marco and Sarah

South African Perspectives on the States - Part I

As a newcomer and still a relative outsider, there's still much strangeness about my newly adopted country - I that lacketh the cultural background and thus sufficient understanding of these intricacies!
Here's a humorous look at some sport phenomena:

Americans, and none the least Floridians, love their sport. Twenty miles South of our home is the NASCAR Oval of Homestead. Here, on certain chosen evenings, rupturous, screeching and wildly motoric noise erupts from within the high picked fences. According to the Miami Herald, Nashcar racing is the #1 growing sport in the country. I don't understand - who came up with this sport? Some dude watching his clothes spin in the dryer one day, "Gee this looks like fun. Let's make a day out of this!"
And where did they come up with the name? Maybe two Southern boys were trying to impress each other one day:
"Hey Bubba, did ye see ma new wheels?"
Bubba: "Gosh, nahhhssss car!"

And the football. They got it all wrong! Throwing a ball forward? Holding on in the tackle! Not passing the ball? It just doesn't seem right. Does anyone know that the 1904 Olympic Games was the last time rugby was held as an Olympic sport. Guess who's the last official holders of the rugby gold medal? The United States of America.

The draft system in football is another of those strange new concepts that I still have difficulty in grasping. How do the fans in Florida justify staying loyal to a sports team? Players are always changing and moving to other cities or states.
Therefore, a Dolphin fan is, in fact, cheering for his team's clothes to beat the clothes from another city! The same player wearing a different shirt - "Tackle him hard! Boo! Kick his shin!"
(Afterthought: I have to admit though, that I'm really starting to enjoy this sport.)

And lastly - according to comedian Jerry Seinfeld, a professional wrestler in America is struck down by a folding chair once every thirty-five seconds! While the referee is looking the other way, of course.
I've had a startling revelation regarding pro wrestling: The guy with the most ridiculous nickname will always win the fight. "From California comes the iron man, Hank the Purple Hammer Armstrong! And in the left corner we have.... Bob!"

Blog Visitors

A bunch of you have started your own Blogs since my introductory e-mail a few months ago. I have enjoyed reading from and about you, having not seen most for a long time.

Those of you who had started Blogs recently will be interested in the Webblog Site Visitor-function that you can instal. It provides you with all kinds of interesting info regarding the hits or visits your Blog receives. This week I we had 46 hits, compared to last week's 71, with each visitor spending an average of 12:49 minutes browsing through our pages.
There has been a steady increase since we made the Blog official in August. Those first four weeks we had less then 15 visitors/week.

It has been a pretty busy week and I apologize for the weeklong silence. There'll be news tomorrow.
Thank you for the e-mails and the comments.

A Visit from Grand Cayman

My good old friend Lundi Koen and her husband Juan made a quick stop in Miami this past weekend, and became our first "outside" visitors in Miami.

It was a first time meeting with Juan and also the first time in nearly four years seeing Lundi. Altogether a very enjoyable, although rushed few days. There was lots of catching up, reminiscience and shopping tours around the city crammed into a tiny time slot of two days - before finding myself on Sunday waving them goodbye at the airport.
The flight back to Grand Cayman is less than an hour. Distance-wise they live about as far away as Jacksonville, where our parents live. We should build a bridge!

We look forward to the new week -which includes a holiday on Friday! - refreshed by their visit.

Back in Miami

It's life as usual in Miami after returning from a week of R&R in Northern Florida with our family.
Our unexpected Wilma-induced long weekend became a proper, enjoyable week-long holiday after her Category 3-winds tore at Southern Florida. I won't bore you with old news details about the devastation she caused, but there are still thousands without power.

The last hundred odd miles to Miami on I-95 was pretty eerie, driving at night past Boynton Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Hollywood, and Northern Miami, some areas engulfed in total darkness. Gas is in high demand at the few open gas stations and we spend an hour at one station, just to drive off with only 4 gallons of gas.
Although all the trees in our area has been blown over or damaged, along with many roofs, other then lots of debris, we're thankful that there is little damage.

Last week thousands of people stood in lines for hours on end for water and gas and the complaints in the media against the state and federal governments were endless, just as it was in New Orleans after Katrina. It goes beyond me why mature citizens cannot heed warning calls and stock up on neccesities for them and their families in advance. Urgent warnings have been bellowing through all available state media when Wilma was still advancing towards the Mexican coastline, 5 days before she made landfall. Governnor Bush has said as much and made a mocking of the accusors. There is only so much even the most efficient government can do in a crisis situation of such magnitude.

I'm still actively seeking employment and in the meantime I'm substituting at a high school on a regular basis, while also doing a bit of freelance writing and editing. The problem with being unemployed is that as soon as you wake up in the morning - there you go - you're on the job! I've also learned that man was definitely not designed to be a home-maker and if I cannot kill the meat I prepare for dinner, at least I can go and buy it at the convenience store!

Sarah is counting her days at her present school and we appreciate Morrison and it's excellent administration just so much more. So too do we miss the Asian attitude towards education and educators. These little ones unfortunately do not strive for the same academic standards, nor do they attach the same meaning to the words respect and accountability. (There you have the core reason why any country eventually loses greatness.)

Dan and Mindy Slaughter, whom we have grown close to the last couple of years in Taichung, spend the last few weeks at Morrison before returning back to Oregon. They said they felt like they were home again.
We can just imagine guys!

Pic - Playing tourists in St. Augustine, America's oldest settlement, dating back to the 1580's.
- Sarah and her Mom on the battlement of the old Spanish fort.

Die Mooiste Mooiste Taal...

Saterdagmiddag stap ek ons huis binne, met my bloed wat vinnig bruis, my stem hees geskreeu, my hart vuurwarm en 'n onvermydelike glimlag op my bakkies.

Ek het vroegoggend die motor se neus Noord gedruk op die VS1 en geneig in die rigting van Fort Lauderdale (55 myl ver) - die Kalahari Bar my bestemming. Want sien, hulle bedien Castles, hoenderpastei, daar hang 'n kwaggavel teen die muur en meer belangrik - daar's 'n grootskerm en satelliet tv. Dis mos Curriebeker-finaal en Vrystaat speel!

Wat 'n ongelooflike wedstryd! En die toeskouers om my. Full house. Eerste keer wat ek Afrikaans hoor, sien en praat sedert einde Junie. Ek en die spul boere om my was in 'n japtrap op eerstenaam-basis. En toe ek uiteindelik daar uitstap, toe weet ek weer wie ek is, en waarheen ek eendag wil terugkeer.

Glashelder. In technicolor. In Afrikaans...


Naskrif
Enkele dinge wat ek geleer het Saterdagoggend:
- Daar is slegs een Staat en dis die Vrystaat.
- Bloemfontein is nog Bloemfontein, maar Pretoria is nou Tswane'.
- Blou Bulle eet nou wel van die vloer af.

Nag ou grote

Evacuating North

A storm warning for the whole of South Florida has finally been issued late last night, with mandatory evacuation of certain areas. The whole country is still shaken by what happened in New Orleans recently. Rather safe than sorry.

We're going to leave shortly - Sunday morning, 06h30 am, to miss the rush and the rain, should either one actually happen. Power outages have been predicted, as Wilma is expected to increase speed accross the Gulf before making landfall around the Keys. So we're taking all our frozen foods in cooler bags with us.
(When Katrina came past, we had power outages for 4 days, lost everything in our fridge/freezer and it was just miserable without air con in the hot, humid weather. By then it was also too late to leave, flooding everywhere and the roads filled with evacuees.)

We should be out of harms way in wat North, by lunchtime, having lunch with the parents.
Schools and businesses will be closed on Monday.

(Satellite image - Miami Herald)

Friends, Romans...

Welcome to our Blog!

Instead of sending out newsletters - and in keeping with the times, we decided it'll be less boring and way more fun to keep you, our much missed and much appreciated family and friends, up to date in this way.

Firstly, we're hoping that this will be an effective way to keep in contact with you and keep you up to date with what we're doing on this side of the globe. We just know that after reading our blog you'll immediately be absolutely inspired to start writing to us!

Secondly, apparently a picture speaks a thousand words. Being able to share with you our pictures, and also providing links to our online photo albums, we should be able to write less. This will save us time and more importantly, save you from having to delete yet another mass newsletter from your inbox. We'll be updating this blog more or less every third/fourth day.

So please, sit back and take a few moments to enjoy these news "articles" of ours. Save some time though, to write back to us at bouwerblog@gmail.com
We'd love to hear from you.

Marco and Sarah
Miami
Florida

Bracing Ourselves for Wilma

Wilma exploded this morning into the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, a Category 5, with winds of 175 mph.
Warnings of "catastrophic" (sic-CNN) risk to Florida residents have been predicted, while officials announced at lunchtime the mandatory evacuation of all visitors and non-residents from the Keys, just South of Miami.

Experts at the National Hurricane Center has made it known that if Wilma is a Category 4 at landfall, we can expect storm surges of up to 25 feet into the many bays and rivers in South Florida.
We're hoping it will either turn or decrease quickly in intensity, for looking at the predicted path on the picture, where to evacuate to will be a problem!

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
(Picture - Miami Herald)

Sarah turns 26!

It's Saturday, 15 October - Sarah's birthday.
This weekend we're in the North child minding Sarah's siblings, while our parents are out of state, looking at property.

Happy birthday (She accepts large packages via mail!) This coming year is bursting with Promise and there is none whom I'd rather share it with.

Other than that, blissful, wonderful Fall has arrived in Florida. The hot, humid days are cooler and the evenings are actually chilly. We're postponing on getting a TV-set and this has been a successful experiment. Man CAN in fact live from companionship, outdoor expeditions, books, Internet and silence alone! And as soon as I've joined Kuduklub for online acces to the important rugby/cricket games, I'll be set.

We do miss our friends and family in Taiwan and South Africa and are grateful to be able to Skype regularly. We look forward to the visit of Lundie and Juan Koen from Grand Cayman early in November.

Thanks for all the replies and news. (Use my Hotmail address or better: bouwerblog@gmail.com)
We enjoy reading it.

My last word: VRYSTAAT!!

Big Brother is Watching You

I'm constantly amazed by all kinds of small technological miracles that appear every day. Google has a function - EarthCam - that combines satellite imagery, maps and Google Search to, literally, allow you to find anything, anywhere on Earth.

You can zoom in from outer space right up to the address you want, fly over the Kruger National Park, gaze at Kuta beach in Bali (Where 2 more terrorist bombs just helped their own tourism-industry slide even further.), take a nice 3D-look at Table Mountain, or find a restaurant in downtown Miami - the possibilities are endless. I went straight to my parents's house in Cape Town and got a close-up view of it. Not close enough to see if the lawn is mowed, but still.

For the geographically handicapped, the picture displayed is Florida, tilted to give a good view of what lies further North. (Click on the picture for a larger image.)

And Then Katrina came a Knockin'!

The day they anounced there's a tropical storm brewing South of Florida, I was just discussing with Sarah my "dissapointment" for never actually experiencing a typhoon during my years in Taiwan.
A lot of hype has been build up by friends over these natural phenomena on the island and the damage they incur. Fortunately Taichung never experienced more than heavy rain and a few gusts of wind while I was a guest there.

Katrina scraped past the Greater Miami-area barely qualifying as a Category 1 hurricane (Winds stronger than 75 miles an hour).

Townsfolk around us who had lived through Hurricane Andrew (This one flattened half a million homes South of Miami exactly a decade ago - Category 5) were not worried and the force of the storm took most by surprise.
The next morning we listened to reports of power outages in more than a million homes and widespread flooding. We were without power for 4 days in sweltering heat and in retrospect should have taken flight North while we still could. Look at these pictures and just imagine the havoc Katrina as a Category 5-hurricane must have done to New Orleans.

We realised just how helpless we really would be, should a force like that have swept accross Miami. There's nowhere to flee but North and in a stampede, no-one would be going anywhere when the 2/3 mayor highways out of the city were fully loaded.

Here are some pics I took next to our home the morning after. The "lake" in the background is actually a river. At least the birds are happy for the overflow!

Miami, Florida

So we found ourselves heading even further South, job prospects being the key. It was hard leaving the small town comfort of our parent's Palm Coast residence, but the sooner we got on with it the better.

Miami = rollercoaster ride in slow motion. It's very exciting, being in a new town of this stature, driving down Sunset Boulevard (that I see every time we watch CSI), Miami Beach, as well as many other well known sites. Sarah and I loved it the first time around. We visited my brother, Tian, on one of his company's cruise ships, or more descriptive, a drifting 5-star hotel. I haven't seen him in more than two years and the visit was special.

The second time was a disaster and we both felt like fleeing back North! We drove around the city, in soaring temperatures, looking for apartments and got lost several times, ending up being frustrated with each other. We also had our first real taste of Miami traffic and Miami's drivers... We do so miss Taichung's heavy traffic congestions!

The going rent for decent townhouses/apartments in Miami is 3x more than we paid in Taiwan (Roughly R7000,00/monthly for 2/3 bedroom townhouses). We're told this kind of comparative thinking is not recommended!


Miami is NOT America, at least not the US I was expecting. According to official statistics, the city's population consist of at least 75% Hispanics, residents originating from all over Central and South America. This gives the city a very unique feel.
Thus we joked, as in Taichung, we don't speak the language, we're unfamiliar with the culture and we can't always read the menu's!

Miami will be our home for the short-term foreseeable future and if you can, you should visit us. Don't plan on staying just a weekend. Are you kidding, there are too many sites to explore.

Our American Roadtrip (Afrikaans)

Skoonma Robin het 'n geweldige familie REUNIE gereel sodat almal haar nuwe skoonseun en skoondogter kan ontmoet (Sarah se broer het ook onlangs getrou). Beide families is oorspronklik van Upstate New York, waar die meeste Long's steeds gewortel is op plase. New York was dus die voor die handliggende plek vir die reunie.
Dat die reunie egter in sy totaliteit hier vanaf Florida gereel is, en as in ag geneem word dat daar sowat 70+ mense verwag is, spreek dit boekdele vir skoonma se logistieke en organisatoriese vemoeëns.

Die roete: 48 uur Noord soos die kraai vlieg. Na 'n 2 dae-vlug vanaf Taipei, via Osaka, Honolulu en Atlanta, sou ek dus baie vinnig my eerste ernstige voorsmakie van die VSA kry. Florida, Georgia, Suid-Carolina, Noord-Carolina, Virginia, Wes-Virginia (ja, van Marlboro-faam!), Maryland en die hele lengte van New York - noem 'n Oostelike staat, ons is daardeur.

Kliek hier om my bewyse te sien! :

My indrukke van Amerika:
Verstaan mooi - ek kyk steeds deur die bril van 'n baie patriotiese Suid-Afrikaner en Kapenaar, selfs na meer as 3 jaar uithuisig. Daardie 3 jaar het my net 'n wyer visie en 'n waardering van ander kulture gegee wat ek vroeër kortgekom het.

Amerika is 'n bitter mooi land. Wat my die meeste opgeval het, is die oordadige oormaat. Die oormaat aan natuurskoon, die oneindigende woude, die oormaat water, riviere, mere, die moerse porsies kos, die reuse motors op die 3-na-5-baan snelweë. Ek het in 'n week in die NY'se platteland meer diersoorte gesien as in my hele leeftyd in die Kaap, roadkills ingesluit!
Kommersialisasie is al jare hier aan die gang en derhalwe is die onbekende nie heeltemal vreemd nie. Jy verwag half om 'n McDonald's langs die Exxon petrolstasie op die hoek te sien. In ander woorde - daar is nie vele misterie aan die kultuur hier nie. Diversiteit het verlore gegaan weens die groot franchises se kompetisie. Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's en Kentucky verkoop almal hamburgers. Derhalwe is 'n hamburger wat jy sal eet. Daar is nie veel varitiet nie. Dis in elk geval my eerste indruk. Ek kan sonder hierdie aspek van die Amerikaanse kultuur klaarkom.

Mense is maar mense en my nuwe familie herinner my baie aan goeie ou boere ooms en tannies afi plaas. Goeie hartlike christen mense (Met funky aksente!). Ek laaiks dit sterk. Soos groen verjaarsdag-koeldrank op 'n warm dag.
Die Amerikaners oor die algemeen: ek't nog nooit soveel werklik vet asook getattoeerdes gesien in my dag des lewe nie.
Ook my eerste rednecks en Amish ontmoet. Rednecks, vriende, is soos die common, zeff, tapid Benoni myn-pyle waarmee ons altyd op skool gespot het. Eenders vanaf die afgeskeurde hempsmoue, tatoos, daktyl-haarstyle tot die opgejazzde, opgewarmde, rooi-geverfde tjorre met die hoë-amp speakers wat die kattebak vollê.

Sarah het 'n klomp oulike neefs en niggies en baie interessante familie. Een niggie lyk op 'n haar soos 'n jarelange vriendin, Elzet de Vries. Weird! Wou die heeltyd Afrikaans met haar praat.

Die lang tog soontoe en terug het my GENOEG kans gegee om my skoonouers te leer ken en ook om my vrou in haar familie-verband te ervaar. Alles baie goed en nodig en ek sal dit weer doen.

Nag ou grote.

Coming to America

Arriving at our first short stop in Osaka, from Taipei en route to Jacksonville, Florida, we encountered some pleasant trouble.
Profusely apologizing, our Japanese hosts informed us of a terrible mistake that has been made. There's been an overbooking. They asked if we could possibly help them out by flying first class on the next flight out, via a different route, to our final destinaton.
This would include flying first class via Honolulu and Atlanta, international telephone access, meals, free visas and guidance to visit the city of Osaka while we wait for our flight. To further compensate us for emotional stress (yeah!), we were given free tickets to the value of a trip to Europe and back.

We found it within ourselves to help these poor people out and gracefully accepted their offer and profound apologies...

Osaka was an eye-opener to the efficiency of the Japanese people. It was really hard adapting to the poor American customer service and inefficiency after Osaka and our time in Taiwan.

We are now in Palm Coast with Sarah's parents and young siblings, and it is good to be home. (We're sleeping on Western-style "soft" matresses and after Taiwan, it is absolutely killing our backs. I'm still sleeping on the floor on occassion! In the mornings I have to rub out the knots on Sarah's back.)
Izandla ziyagezandla! (A Zulu proverb meaning "hands wash each other".)

Will be keeping you up to date.

Last Goodbyes in Taichung

Coming soon: Picture album with all our friends in Taichung.

India

These are excerpts taken from Sarah's newsletters while she and Sara was in India, June 2005. I thought they'd be much more true (and funnier) than any report given afterwards.

Day 1: (First Impressions)
Today we spent the day touring Delhi. it's a unique city and i'm sure that with some green grass, being free of litter, depleted buildings torn down and those that are functional restored, lines on the road so people know where to drive, etc it could be a charming city. we spent the day touring every site i think there was to see and we're leaving tomorrow.

i really like india. our guide is fantastic. he speaks great english and he and i have spoken all day and tomorrow i start hindi lessons with him. :) i'm so glad that he's our guide as he's really kind and very protective of us. he's a great resource for information about the life and i look forward to the next few days with him. i have a feeling that this trip will be like the one steph and i did across vietnam - how rewarding was that!

i've decided that it doesn't matter what you wear here, because we're light skinned, people stare! and it's not even that stare like in taiwan, y'know, the one that stares out of curiousity but when you catch their eye they smile shyly. this stare is one of "yeah i'm staring, you got a problem?!" the foreign picture taking has begun again, i don't think i'll ever go anywhere in asia where i'm not asked to have my picture taken with someone's kid or a family!

i saw some fantastic temples today and i think that when you and i return, i want to spend a bit more time studying the religious side of the people here. they're very devout and the hindi temples were definately the prettiest i've seen. we also went to the mosque (the name slips me now) but it's india's largest one - wow! it was pretty impressive in size and i would love to go during a prayer session to see it actually full. it's a very diverse country and i really like that.

well i feel extremely dirty as this city is polluted! oh my gosh, i thought hk and taichung were bad...
Day 2:
well, today we found ourselves onward bound to japiur, the "shopping meca" which apparently is closed on sundays. :( lol.... we drove 5 hrs through this desert and let me tell you, there was a point about hr mark 2.5 where i thought i died and went to hell, it was so freakin' hot! at first it reminded me of texas: large, open space, dusty and dry and the longer we drove the more desert like it became until there was nothing left except some squat mud "houses" and some camels. at one point i think i was hallucinating because i was dreaming of a thai beach and could have sworn it was in front of me. ;p i wonder if nazareth was like this during jesus' time and if so, it's been made even more apparent to me how god made his son to become fully man so he could experience the same hardships, trials, and joys we as humans face. i couldn't imagine a harder life than that of a desert!

...japiur is different than delhi. it's located outside the desert we drove through (although personally i think it's still a desert) and it's smaller than the capital. it's a "pink city" meaning that over 100 yrs ago the ruler painted it pink and that's it, it's not changed since...

i find that it's a little hard to really experience india in the way that i could experience thailand and the rest of se asia. it's very "closed" to women and sara and i are truly the only females usually on the streets. i have seen no girls out playing (unlike the boys) and sanji says it's the way of india - women stay at home and men go out. therefore, needless to say, we get many looks by men and women. at least the men smile, we've only seen 3 women smile and the rest look very suspicious of us...

i'm excited about the shopping as i've seen some beautiful things. they're very expensive though so i guess we're going to either bargain hard or just walk away. it does get very tiring walking down the street with people trailing after you shouting and pulling you to their shops, not to mention the heat, stares, and general dirt. i love the cows! they're hysterical - they roam nonstop where-ever they please and i watched one pee all over some guy's car! oh marco, this is a meca for pictures. :) (if i wasn't so darn shy about the camera!) i think though, i'm now adjusted to everything and am eager to really "get into things". i like the hustle and bustle... the constant unknown, it makes life exciting.

Day 4:
well, i'm on sensory overload at the moment and sara and i found a cool net cafe to dunk into to escape for a wee bit. we found ourselves touring some fort/ castle thing this am with a guide sanji hired for us...

we've got the afternoon free and we're trying to shop. however, i don't know if it's because i'm used to living in asia so i find it expensive or perhaps it's the sales technique. all i know is that i really detest shopping here. i hate the way they jump out at you and shove their wares or how they follow you for blocks on end. i don't understand, sara has NO touts, beggers, rickshaw drivers, etc approach her at all! i seem to get accosted by them every time i raise my head (needless to say, i'm getting very aquainted with the jutted road and trash here!) i've got to figure out how to have that standoffish air that she gives off that make people leave her alone without even attempting to ask her for anything. :)

admist all that we say today, one cool thing i thought you'd like was the observatory. it had the world's largest sundial and a variety of other instruments that had to do with the heavenly bodies. there were some for time, astrological signs, determining the position of the sun, longitude/ latitude, etc. we did finally figure out why we've been running 30 min behind.... we set our clocks back 3 hrs which is the time zome difference. however, in delhi, jaipur, and 3 other cities that have an observatory, they have their own city time running about 26-30 minutes behind greater india time. how's that for mass confusion? your time depends on what city you're in. :)

Some time later:
we're finally back in delhi and are here until tomorrow am. yesterday found us doing nothing but sleeping as i was sick from the heat, something i ate from mcd's, and to boot, car sick. so, needless to say yesterday was pretty miserable as we drove 6.5 hrs through the desert again! i'm so not made for desert/ nomadic life...

things i've learned so far....
~ "revolving" restaurant means that it's circular and it revolves by you walking in a circle
~ trash, with the right imagination can smell like sour vanilla yogurt but *&#%* will always smell like *%#&*, no matter what the imagination
~ no day is complete without a minimum of 5 power outages
~ hot water is only a literary term used to lure backpackers to their abodes
~ one can really "shower" using only a spicket of water that trickles water when it feels like it - you should see the way i can bend!
~ cleanliness is not next to godliness - it's a sign of being $300 poorer!
~ if you can't sleep, count the number of horns you hear, they're more numerous than sheep and with luck, it'll become a symphony to lull you to your slumber!

...oh my gosh, jaipur was awful! the best thing about it was this hindi movie we went to. it was like going to disney and seeing cinderella's castle. it was painted pink, i'm talking cotton candy pink with silver icing lining the walls. it was flippin huge. we stood in line forever to see "batti and bubbly" and purchased for a whole $2 diamond seats. i know, you're asking yourself "what are diamond seats?" well, they're box seats, yep, opera style and all! it was hysterical - the movie was one that went far beyond the imagination from extreme costumes, wild plot, to dance scenes that came only because they had fast, fun music. 3hrs later, i walked out not knowing what i had really seen but knowing that it was something that would definately stick with me for a lifetime.

...today we saw the taj mahal. it was beautiful and for the first time i actually saw green grass. okay, there were the usual 3-4 water bottles laying around but no cows!...

we're in delhi flying to bombay tomorrow. we're desperate to find "civilization" and it's got to be here somewhere! i'm just tired of slumming it and would really like to see something that's not decrepted, wasting away, fruit that doesn't have maggots crawling all over it. y'know, a little luxery would be nice. i'll even settle for a bed that doesn't have bedbugs! :) (i've never been so grateful for that silk sleeping bag i bought in vietnam!)

Bombay
... is fabulous compared to Delhi. It's a different feel than what we've encountered so far. It's more "cosmopolitian" (can I use that word and india in the same sentence?) and we don't stand out at all here. the city has a british feel to it and the hotel we're staying at is so awesome. we're attempting to "budget" this city since we won't be here that long. however, after seeing several rooms with either no doors, no bathroom, one with walls that only went half way up and the personal favorite, the rickety four story depleted building with no ceiling.... $36 split didn't sound so bad after all! all i can say is this place reminds me of something from the 20's and 30's complete with the vintage elevator! i love it!! it's this huge room with marble flooring, hot water with REAL! towels that actually soak up water instead of repelling it... a bed with sheets that have never smelt so refreshing... i honestly feel like i've died and am in heaven...

.... i hate the bloody train station! i have never been so frickin' pissed in my life! noone in this country can give a straight answer without taking hours to decide what's in it for them... let's not even get me started on the ordeal it took for us to find tickets to Goa... let's just say it went something like this... no, no train...well, for you, special train.. no, no train but special price i find you seat... okay, special train, no not for you all full, come back in a few weeks... well, for you a special price a special seat... aughhhh!!!!! and that's the shortened, g rated version....

train ride
... 12 hrs haha haha... one thing i've learned about india is that time is relative. this was proven when we sat on the tracks for approximately 2 hrs just chillin', not moving, just sitting. details about the ride will be saved for when i get home, just let it be known that it was another memory to be made in a land that seems to be full of those types....

35kph and 17hrs later...

.... i swear if i have to deal with one more personal behind a train counter it will not be pretty!
today's favorite was after arriving 5 hrs behind schedule i dash through this crowded platform leaving sara to watch over our bags as i push my way to the front of the line for 2 tickets for the train that we are told is departing in 20 minutes.... i hurridly throw my ruppees and exclaim i need 2 tickets please because we've got to get on that train to make our bus! i have never seen anyone move so slow in my life and once again i'm charged double price (tickets being 12 rupees a piece and i have to pay 24 rupees a piece) i ask the guy, if we miss the train is there another one? yes, yes, later you can go... well, since our train is about to leave i don't dare argue about the rupees because i just desperately want to be on a beach in goa and i'll do anything at this point to get there!

as i frantically run back to sara i see this train leaving and i'm praying desperately, oh lord, please don't let that be ours but of course, as luck would have it, it is. forlornly, i return to the ticket counter and approach the man behind the bars. sir, you just sold me these tickets but the train has left? when will the next train be leaving? "no, no train. you miss train, oh well." what!?! sir, there must be some mistake. i specifically asked about a second train and could we use these tickets... "no, no train. one train today. you buy another ticket tomorrow for train." mm, so that's what "later" means.

..... i won't bore you with details about how we got to the bus station eventually but let's just say that it involved some walking, an irish temper venting, a steady downpour of rain, and in the end a foreigner rate for a freakin' tuk-tuk...

Goa
one word - monsoon. this trip is getting hysterical and i'm to the point where all i can do is just laugh. maybe sara was right, we should have just gone to thailand. okay so picture this, monsoon rain, 2 girls trudging up the beach with backpacks looking for shelter taking solice in a hut that was constructed by gilligan and the captain...
our hut is so adorable. it's right on the beach so we hear the waves pounding all night (way cool!) it is lashed together with palm fronds and a tarp to keep the rain out... due to the weather, we have no electricity but a quick trip to mass found us buying candles for our evening light. our "shower" is a small rubber tube and beach bucket... this hut rocks! it's so awesome but i know you would hate it.
.... we counted 23 power outages today. we found a box of old magazines and books left by fellow travelers and are making our way through them as we sit and stare at the beach.... so much for my great tan...

Entering deep into Taiwanese Culture

We finally got around to visiting the historic Lugang village South of Taichung, on the East coast.

My three years in Taiwan has slowly but surely changed the "My way or the higway"-cultural mentality that I grew up with. I truly disliked many things about Taiwanese customs and culture when I arrived on the island. However, I can really say that, although it definitely isn't me, I have developed much more of an appreciation and understanding.
It was wonderful to walk in this old Chinese town where time seems to stand still. Sarah has truly showed me how to appreciate this beauty in difference and variety and we had an awesome time here, people-watching, sightseeing and tasting.

Click here for more great pics of the village:

Lugang Pics

Countdown in Taichung

In answer to the question of how he seemingly runs the 89km-Comrades race so easily, Bruce Fordyce, the great ultra-marathon runner, said: "One kilometer at a time!"
Here in Taichung we are currently taking it one weekend at a time. The weeks goes by so incredibly fast. Or maybe its just me? Our time on this island is quickly coming to a close. There has been a lot of personal growth during the past couple of years, for both of us, and we are reluctant to say goodbye to a bunch of awesome friends. We realised recently that we won't be able to complete our list of "Things to do".

Morrison Christian Academy

(Morrison's website)

, the international school where Sarah teaches, closes early in June, and my contract as Program Coordinator at the Royal Group will be over on 30 June.
I'm finishing off my mini-thesis (Read more elsewhere on this blog. Intercultural Communication is an amazingly intriguing and diverse field.) and will be writing exams in Taipei soon. My Green Card-application process is going well and I expect to be called to Taipei soon for an interview at AIT with the men in blue.

The biggest job, however, is the Great Trek - shipping our earthly belongings to Florida and taking care of all trivial, but important admin tasks. Sarah has done an amazing job thus far and we are currently sorting, packing, throwing away and selling. It goes beyond me how two people can gather so much in only a few years time!
Sarah and her friend, Sara B., will be touring India for two weeks in June, while I work away till the end of that month. 30 June we depart for Jacksonville, Florida for the next chapter. We're quite excited at the prospect, but it'll be with mixed emotions. Taichung has been home for 3/4 years and there's much to miss about the place.Time is short and our weekends are booked to try and say goodbye to people and places one last time.

I undertake to keep the news fresh and as such hopefully the ties strong.

Marco (and Sarah)

Our Taichung Wedding Ceremony

Immediately after returning from South Africa, where we made our vows in front of friends and family, planning had to start for the wedding ceremony in Taichung.
We truly realised the wonderful friends we had during this planning stage and we were humbled by the generosity and the enormous amounts of time and effort some of them put into helping us.

The five-star Hotel was "organized" for us and some of Sarah's students gave a musical performance for their favorite teacher. We later learned how long some had been practicing, saying "Thank You" in the best way these 9-year old knew how.
Sarah made a long, heartfelt speech, finally telling her close friends how much they have meant to her over the last few years. In more ways than one, it was a very emotional night, having so many of the guests so closely involved in our lives.
Having made a hash of my own wedding speech in Cape Town, I was happy that at least one of us had pulled it off for the team!

Taichung - our Home

There's many things we're gonna miss about Taichung:

Our house in Taichung:
24-hour door alarm of the 7/11 downstairs in our apartment.
The fruit seller downstairs seem to get a cellphone call at 4o'clock in the morning.

Here's a pic from the inside of our apartment, looking out over the mountain ranges of Daken: