Last Work Day - 2006

Today's my final day at the office 'till I return on January 8th, 2007.

It's been an eventful year. There's been much growth, most out of neccesity, but we'd not change a thing if we could. What we learned this year will keep us in good stead later.
We have much to be thankful for.
To God the glory.

My goeie ou vriendin (van Grootbrak-Stranddienste-faam), Marelize Fourie (nee Van Huysteen), laat toe gister weet sy is die nuwe gesig van Bank Windhoek.

Skote petoors!

'Tis Was the Week Before Xmas

We dropped the 4 family members off at Miami Port on Sunday. They're embarking on what will be a fantastic weeklong cruise to Cancun, Mexico, Grand Cayman etc.
It's been a busy weekend having them here, but totally unbelievable. Last I saw them was at our wedding in February '05.
Sunday morn', Xmas Eve, we pick them up douvoordag and then we head North towards Sarah's parents' place. Her family is driving more than 12 hours to meet us. Looking forward to it.
After Xmas Sarah, I and the Bouwers will be touring Florida for about a week.

Craigslist Still "for the People"

During 2006 I've watched with considerable interest the boom of websites like YouTube (with revenues of more than $1 Billion in '06) and MySpace. These savvy companies understood - and exploited very cleverly - the very basic human character trait of communication - of being heard and seen, of exchanging ideas.

Which makes the following article on Craigslist refreshingly different, yet strangely odd too. The website, having been around before the beforementioned companies were even a twinkle in their creator's eyes, exists to help find web users jobs, accommodation etc. online. According to the NYTimes, it has doubled in growth for the past 3 years.
Investors cannot understand why the owners don't monetize the company. Their potential in monetary terms is mind-boggling...
Click here for the article:

NYTimes Article on Craigslist

Marriage and Gender Differences

Yesterday Salome Meintjies send me an exellent e-mail from London about what men and women really mean when they say certain things. Which made me think. Being married, you learn so much!
When a man says "I'm fine," he means that he's fine. When a woman says "I'm fine," it means I'm really ticked off and it's up to you to find out why.

If there's been a small marital disagreement, women will get together and dissect the emotional and spiritual meaning of it in detail. Men? "Hey Bill, what's up with your wife?" Bill: "Oh heck, she's stark raving mad at me, because I messed up. Here, have a beer." End of discussion.

The Bouwers Arrive

Holiday Season Upon Us

If all the year were playing holidays, to sport would be as tedious as to work, but when they seldom come, the wished for come.
- William Shakespeare

Here's to a wickedly great Festive Season.

Vanmoore op kantoor gooi ek ouder-gewoonte my blik op die lewendige web-kamera-beelde op my skerm. Kaapstad in al sy eiewêreldse glorie, Tafelberg wat skadu gooi.

Herinner my aan Lucas Maree se woorde: "Want my huis is waar my hart is, en my hart is daar by jou. Selfs ou Kaapstad.... is teen jou gemeet, maar flou."

Dalk oor my ouers more hier aanland dat die nostalgie nou so effe wurg.

(Kiekie - 12/13/06, op ons Blog, Links - regterkantste kolom, "Cape Town Webcam Views".)

Invasion of The Bouwer-Clan

The holidays are so tangibly near that it's hard to stay focused on the tasks in the office.
My family arrives in Miami Thursday night for a 4-week visit of Florida. It'll be the 2nd time I see them this past 4 years.
They'll be staying with us the weekend, then we'll drop Dad, Mom, sister Marli and JP off at the harbor for a weeklong cruise to Mexico, St. Thomas, Grand Cayman etc. with my brother, Tian.

Upon their return we'll race 5 hours North to be in time for Xmas Eve with the In-laws, the Long-family. It'll be a first time meeting between the two clans and we're pretty excited about that prospect.
A week there and then it is Westwards, Orlando, SeaWorld, Old's Town, Tampa, Busch Gardens, Southwards, St. Petersburg, Napels, and finally back to Miami for a week of R&R before they embark on another weeklong cruise, this time to the Bahamas.

Druk hom in die rooi!

Toys for Tots

Heading North off the 595, onto Interstate 95, towards Fort Lauderdale Central, we were blocked off by the incredible sight of thousands of motorcyclists passing.
It was the annual Toys for Tots Motorcycle Run passing through Broward County. The "posse's" path was kept clear by the County Sherrifs' Department blocking the highway ramps. According to The Palm Beach Post, an estimated 75 000 riders took part in the national fundraiser for underprivileged children over the Xmas Season.
Traffic was already slow - The Miami Dolphins were playing the New England Patriots at lunch. I could kick myself for not bringing my camera.

Dragon Boat Ad

This ad for the Miami Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival appeared a few days ago in the Miami Herald.

The team in the picture is the winning team from last year - our team - the Puff Dragon's - Miami's premier team.
(Yeah I know, lame name, but a great team.)

Foto van die Week

Hierdie pragtige foto van die weerlig bo Fort Klapperkop is 'n paar dae tevore deur vriend Louis Jordaan gekliek.

Toe ek nog net 'n laaitjie was, het ons 3 jaar in Garsfontein, Pretoria gewoon. Ek onthou hoe skuitbang ek was vir daardie Hoëveldse donderstorms. Dit het altyd geklink of dit reg langs die huis afskeur aarde toe. "The sky is falling on our heads!", Asterix.

Regarding a Xmas Tree

In America they CELEBRATE Xmas.

Christmas in South Africa is also celebrated in the true sense of the Word, but there are slight cultural differences.

In Florida this is a magical time, from the lights decorating each house, to the Xmas music playing on streetcorners, to our stunning Xmas tree that arrived on Saturday! Apart from Miami, which - allow me to reiterate - is NOT America, the Xmas spirit is in the air. If you can stay more than 5 miles away from anything resembling a shopping center or a mall, then there is bliss and in general - peace...

Sunday, we spend the afternoon decorating our tree. It is a new experience for me, but one that will surely become an annual family tradition, where ever we'll be.

That and eggnogg!! Ahuhaaa!

Die Everglades Nasionale Park

Die afgelope Saterdag had ons 'n verfrissende ervaring toe ons 'n 12-myl fietsrit deur die Everglades Nasionale Park deurgedraf (lees "trap") het.
"The Everglades is really a stream of shallow water moving slowly through sturdy saw grass..." from the book The Everglades: River of Grass, by nature-lover and conservation activist Marjorie Stoneman Douglas.
It remains an extremely fragile ecosystem, and like so many other nature conservation tales, were saved just in time. Like the unique Fynbos-ecosystem in the beautiful Cape Province, there is nothing else like it on earth.

The Park, tot stand gebring deur President Harry S. Truman, beslaan die Suid-Westelike deel van Florida. Dit is die tuiste van 'n enorme getal wildslewe en ons was gelukkig om 'n groot variteit watervoëls, aligators, skilpaaie en varswatervis te kon sien.