Fair-weathered, Beautiful Ohio

We're in Cincinnati, Ohio with Sarah's family and it is breathtakingly beautiful here.

Actually we're in the Northern outskirts of the city - among rolling ridiculously green hills, green forests, an abundance of kritters to be seen everywhere and warm, sunny Northern Summer's weather. People here speak English (unlike Miami!), they're friendly, the lifestyle and the driving is not fast-paced and the sun only sets at 9.

Yesterday was Memorial Day and we took to a big forested park, took a hike through woods around a lake, saw families having picnic, guys playing ball - just like I always imagined America to be like (watching too many Hallmark Movies!). I love it!

Cincinnati Airport, where we landed, is actually accross the border in Kentucky. Where we are in Southern Ohio, we're 25 minutes drive from South-Eastern Indiana and also from Northern Kentucky, where Cincinnati is actually situated.
I jogged past a new lake-development this morning. Six-bedroom mansions build in the colonial style with the backdrop of a lake to make them more marketable. Starting in the 900's.
In Miami that's what you'll pay for a small 3-bedroom house in Coral Gables or Coconut Grove!

Off to spend some time with the fam.

Off to New York and Ohio

As I'm typing this, the midnight clock has tolled. In a few hours from now we'll be flying to Ohio for a mini-family reunion.
Then on Tuesday off to New York to play tourists in the city of cities.

We'll only be back on June 7th and BouwerBlog will thus be neglected until that date.

Seaworld, Orlando!

Sunday we spend in Seaworld with our friends, John and Jolanda, visiting from across the pond in the UK.
Certainly a more tranquil outing than yesterday's WetnWild, and I'm bringing my parents here for sure when they visit in December.

The shows we saw were all pretty entertaining and the animals are amazing. Got my biggest thrill feeding and patting a few dolphins. It's certainly something else.


Pictures are worth more than words so I included a few.




The Aquariums were awesome and we saw some weird fish and some spectacular species too.







This spectacular sea dragon wasn't sure if it wanted to be a sea horse or a piece of seaweed.


Sarah talked to just about any stranger she could find!

What!? It's My Birthday!

Today started off pretty eventful and it was mid-day before I realised it was my birthday - 21 May. A year since the previous one! Time is absolutely flying.

Our full, fun schedule in Waterworld kept us occupied. Birthday forgotten, but many totally enjoyable moments with great friends and a loving wife. I felt privileged to have had such a great start to my 32nd year.

Jerry Seinfeld had this humorous take on birthdays:
What's the big deal? How many times do we not celebrate that somebody was born? Every year, over and over again. All you did was not pass away for 12 months. As far as I can tell, that's all you've done!

Jokes aside - THANK YOU very much to those who send their congratulations. It's always a privilege to receive 'em.

Slip'slidin' at WetnWild, Orlando

WetnWild on Saturday was fantastic. Rides galore - all featuring water of course! - and we had a rave.
All four of us got badly burned, Sarah lost lots of skin trying out the art of knee boarding and I lost a leeetle pride and ego failing to go on some monstrous suicide slide.

We left only as the sun was fading in the distance.



Pic. 2 - Sarah and I at the start of Old's Town. It's a small cobble stone-street town with exact replicas of the old shops and pubs, selling old stuff and other tourist bait. It's beautiful and there's a Fair happening on the side.





Jolanda and I admiring a vintage car in Old's Town, Orlando.

Shark Vally in the 'Glades

I took John and Jolanda for a 15 mile bike ride through the Everglades to get the stiffness out of their legs after the long plane trip.

It's the dry season and not swampy as usual. Pretty hot, but the surroundings were beautiful. As was our mosquito bites afterwards!

Pic: Caught myself an aligator! He was too lazy to move under the hot sun and made easy camera fodder.




Pic 3: This dude is a softshell water turtle and he nearly bit me arm off!

Pic 4: Aligators like this big mommy can be seen lying all along our little bike path.

I GOT THE JOB!

Today I was officially informed that my application for the position of Development Officer for Alumni Affairs and Communication has been successful.
I start next week.

The Week Ahead...

Today I'll receive feedback from two PR positions I've interviewed for. Sarah should also hear this week regarding the position she applied for at the school in Pinecrest.

Our friends John and Jolanda arrives from Londen on Thursday and we look forward to playing tourguides in Miami. We're planning on heading to Orlando the weekend with them, and visiting some of the theme parks. Wet'n'Wild and the Kennedy Space Centre is on the agenda.

Sarah finishes her school year on Friday and we both know that it is absolutely Grace alone that sustained her through a very difficult year. After Friday a long, well-deserved Summer break lies in wait, during which time she'll be going to the Ukraine, and propably a quick stop in Londen.

The Road Less Travelled

Two roads converged in a forest and I, I took the road less traveled. And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost

Lazy Sunday's

Sarah at our communal pool. Sunday's are fun with all the kids playing in the pool and people havin' their barby's. Familiar family noise.

FUNtastic Busch Gardens!

Sunday, 2 May 2006 - Tampa.
Wildlife, wild rides, wondrous live shows and too much to do and see in the space of the Sunday that we had.
Busch Gardens Africa is a marvelous park - two days is not enough time. Ek het oopbek rondgeloop en staar na die konstante beweging om ons.

The Serengeti Plain's recreated plains, 65 acres large was quite impressive and I thoroughly enjoyed all the animals that was on display. This included a gorilla breeding pair with a week-old baby.

Thousands of birds, reptiles and some funny-looking mammals. Then there was the animals in the cages too!
Then, my personal favorite was the Brewmasters Clubhouse, where you can sample all the best from the Annheuser-Busch portfolio. I did some sampling. James and I even found a tree with beer bottles growing on it (see picture).

The Sheikra is the only dive-coaster in the US, it plummet's 90 degrees straigt down, from 200 feet high - sheer stark raving madness! No, I did NOT ride it. My certifiable friends and wife however, did.

However, I did do the Kumba - a 60-mph, 100-foot plummeting, 360 degree spiralling rollercoaster ride. It is ludicrous.
Ek het dit gedoen om Sarah se gespot te stop, om my manlikheid aan die ander vrinne te bewys, die Republiek se naam hoog te hou tussen die Yanks, my eie duiwels te besweer. En helaas, om weer te gaan brekfis geniet op 'n tweede leë maag...

O moer, dit was verskriklik! Tollend, draaiend, drukkend, vry. Knikkerende, gillende, kwylend, half-bewustelose Afrikaner kotsend hoog tollend in die humiede Florida-lug.
NOOIT weer nie!
En Sarah wat laggend uitklim en skril gil sy wil dit WEER doen!!?!!

The Great White Tampa Dragon Boat Race

Residents of the Tampa Bay area are propably used to seeing motorboats, yachts and yetskies cruise about, but Saturday dragonboats ruled the waters in the Garrison Channel.

The Great White South Dragonboat Race is the largest dragonboat event in South-Eastern USA, besides the nationals, that'll be held in August. 55 Teams participated in this well organized event, held in near-perfect conditions. Some of the teams came from as far as Canada and accross the US, and there was a fantastic buzzing atmosphere throughout.

Our Miami Puff team could only manage a dissapointing 8th spot, after winning the Miami Hong Hong season event. Three teams - one from Canda and two from New York totally outclassed the rest, but there were not much to choose from the next best 7 teams and no more than 2 seconds separated any of us during the heats.

There were even two teams compiled of breast-cancer survivors, which was awesome in itself. They received a standing ovation from the crowd upon finishing the race.

Friday night's drive to Tampa, Tampa itself, the awesome nightlife and the time spend with out teammates were well worth the sore limbs and tired eyes Monday at work.
Sunday we met up with friends and DID Busch Gardens, the famous Busch-Annheuser adventure park.

The Annual CAU Employee Day

Friday was CAU's annual Staff Appreciation Day and they took all staff and faculty on a "Party Boat cruise around downtown Miami and Star Island.

I got to experience Latino party culture firsthand. The music and dancing started as soon as we boarded and people stopped only when we arrived back at 3!
I was exhausted and sorely missed having never attended friend Andre Jordaan's Salsa classes back in Cape Town. White men can't jump, and they can't dance with the same rhythm either.

The house on the last picture is one of many celebrity houses on the exclusive Star Island, just of the coast of Downtown Miami. It is reachable only by a small heavily guarded bridge and the inhabitants dish out millions for the privilege to have such an address.


The house on the picture belongs to Shaquille O'Neil. A quaint little 24 bedroom holiday home, with indoor basketball court and other neccesities.

His neighbours, amongst others, are Oprah, Emilio and Gloria Estefan and Sly Stallone. Sarah and I thought of getting a little place of our own on the island, but the groceries are to expensive and you have to go to Downtown for a Starbucks. ;-)

South Africans Going Home

Found this intersting article concerning a new trend in South Africa - a reversed "brain drain". South Africans are returning home in greater numbers, and permanently, it seems.
The upbeat economical climate is propably playing a big part in this.

Click on the link for the Business Report article:

"http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3217932">

Our Trophy by Golly!

We finally received our trophy for our overall win in the Miami Hong Kong races.

A Lot of Hot Air

Saturday - A Hot Air Balloon showcase at the nearby Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport caused for some fantastic viewing early this morning.

Balloon after balloon drifted across the lake close to our apartment and I was able to get some good shots of these colourful blotches in the sky.
It was a fundraising event for the Sunrise Community and I could hear the festivities, the live music and noise from the thousands of spectators nearby. The Sunrise Community is an organization that has been serving people with developmental disabilities since 1969, with the race being held for the past 15 years.

The race itself is not ordinary. It starts with a "hare" balloon that drifts Westwards towards the Everglades. At an allocated spot in the 'Glades he marks the ground with a colorful X. Teams in the "hound" balloons then set off to find the marked spot. Teams then must try to hit the centre with a beanbag attached to a flag. The closest team to the flag wins a cash prize.

The Rise and ... Rise of the Gas Price

The Gas price in Florida rose from $2, 65 to $2,99 yesterday - within the last two weeks.

Retrospeksie na 'n Paasnaweek

'n Dolle, gejaagde, dog geseënde Paasweek lê in die verlede.
Buiten die Ware Goddelike boodskap wat ons kraakvars ontvang het, het ek enkele interessante gewaarwordings gemaak.

Ons kerk - Christ Fellowship - het die stadsbewonders die kerk ingelok met 'n opvoering van die Paasverhaal, vyf opvoerings altesaam. 'n Allemintige groot produksie met 'n professionele regisseur, bykans 200 akteurs en dekor om die asem weg te slaan en les bes, 'n steekse donkie. 'n Gemiddeld van sowat 900 mense het elke opvoering bygewoon.
Voorwaar - in Amerika word alles op groot skaal gedoen.

Ek en Sarah was beide bevoorreg om deel van die produksie te wees. Ek het Barabas die skuimbol gespeel en het elke aand na werk kerk toe gejaag om die troffels grimering te laat opplak voordat ek in geskeurde klere saam met Jesus voor Pontius P. gaan staan het.

Dit was interessant om te sien hoe die eenvormige kleredrag van al die akteurs, aktrises en sangers, sosiale onderskeiding afgebreek het.
Hoe 'n Petrus totaal uit sy aard begin leiding neem en 'n sterk gemeenskapsleier na die agtergrond skuif vir 'n week, as 'n bedelaar.

Vakansietyd en Tyd vir Dink

Dis 6uurDonderdagvakansiedaglangnaweekoggendmoervroeg hier en ek wag vir 'n vriend om my te kom oplaai - ons gaan lyne natmaak hier naby by 'n meer.
Maar daar gaan nie stowwerige droeë rooi grond wees nie. Ook nie lang geel gras, blou berge, bokmis, 'n kenmerkende Afrika-stofreuk, wingerde of 'n ongelooflike rooi son wat vanuit die aarde se buik opstyg nie.
Dis lekker hier in Florida, maar soms proe ek nog die soet na-smaak van 'n ou Bolandse bestaan.
But wait, here comes my fishing partner. "Morning Sirree! Let's go stir up the Hammock's water over yonder...."

Nuus Laagtepunt

Wat is die nuwe benaming vir seks, teen jou sin, maar met jou toestemming ,sonder jou medewete?
JY word geZUMA!

Easter...

The Easter Pageant production will be running five shows this week, including two on Sunday.
Sarah and I both volunteered. We propably won't be home until very late every night, translating into sparse Blog contributions for the next 6 days.
My humblest apologies, and all about that later.

South Beach

I took Sarah on a wee date Sunday night, South Beach.
Ever felt ridiculously out of place somewhere?! I had the same feeling in South Beach as I always had when we visited Clifton, Cape Town, as students.
We walked the bustling Ocean Drive and had a quaint dinner on the sidewalk of the Mambo Club. Dancer's, outdoor swimming pool next to the sidewalk, waiters in strange clothing.
Man, were we ever people watching!

Someone explained to us soon after we arrived in Miami that with all the immigrants in this city, it is a stepping stone to other things for most. In my office there are six people - seven different countries represented. The population evolves, changes all the time.
Miami is a transient city.

A city with a lot of personality, but no soul.

April's First Weekend

We had a thoroughly tiring and highly enjoyable weekend, mostly build around the rowing practices.
The next big race is in Tampa and supposedly THE Florida race of the year. We spent nearly three hours in the boat, both Saturday and Sunday. Somewhere during that time I've lost my rector spinae-muscles and I'll be sure to anounce when Sarah or I find these back muscles. Movements are confined without them.

Ubove and beyond that, we went cayaking with friends along the Brickenbauer Causeway and visited the Viscaya Heritage Site from the waters side.

This house was build in 1870'ties by a rich property magnate for the love of his life. As the story goes, he brought his dream house to Miami (then only a small village), brick by brick, from France.
His love for his wife must've been great, it is fantabulous example of old-style architecture. A monument to Love. Let your work be a reflection of you, the saying goes.

The Fair Quite An Affair!

The Miami-Dade County Fair has been running the past two weeks. Tuesday evening a group of us visited the Fair grounds to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

It is true what we've always said back in Cape Town - Americans do everything bigger and better!
It was shades of Malmesbury's Plaas Fair, or Calvinia's Vleisfees for that matter - hundredfold. An awesome experience.


Pic: Surprises lurked behind every corner. There in the farming section, I came accross a fellow South African - this fellow, called a "Poelpetater" in old Afrikaans ("spotted chicken", derived from the French Hugenotes that called it a Puel petain.) . Also known as the common guineau fowl.

Beautiful Downtown

Pic: On the the way home after rowing practice in Key Biscayne. Downtown Miami as seen from the Rickenbacker Causeway from Biscayne Bay, Sunday, 18h00'ish.

Miami Classic Car Show

Saturday Sarah, James and I headed Downtown for a cultural afternoon in the city's bustling art district.
En route to the Miami History Museum, we stumbled upon the fifth annual Miami Classic Car Show, between the Gusman Theatre for the Performing Arts (Where we'll take you when you visit Miami!) and the Dade County Courthouse.

There was beautiful, colorful and voluptuous curves galore on West Flagler Street, with more than a 100 classic and antique cars on display. Images of a roadtrip in a '62 Austin Healy on a lone freeway, roof folded back, gloved hands steering and the radio blaring crossed my mind .

The Show featured automobile designs that predated 1979 and the members of the Miami Vintage Automobile Club were not shy to strut their shiny stuff on the sidewalk.
Sarah fell in love with a small Mini Cooper, dating back from the sixties. After careful consideration we decided not to purchase it, simply for its sheer lack of trunk-space!
Chev's, Ford's, Mustang's, every Corgi miniature car I played with as a child, was present.

The British flag was flying too with some vintage Rolls' Royces, Astin Martin's, Mini's and a 1952 Jaguar XK120 - the same model that won the 24h Le Mans Endurance Race in France from 1951-1954.

I just about gawked at these classy, elegant old cars. Whatever we did the rest of the day was surpassed by these beautiful images of yesteryear.

I Want Out!

Acting normal is dressing up in clothes you buy for work, driving through horrendous traffic in a car you are still paying for, in order to get to the job that you do to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house that you leave empty the whole day so that you can afford to live in it.
- Ellen DeGeneres

Time Out on Saturday Mornings

We're fortunate to have a beautiful lake next to our apartment. No aligators, but lots of fish, turtles, lizzards and abundant birdlife.

Here's Sarah feeding the ducks, early Saturday morning.

Miami Dialects

Living in Miami, I have encountered various dialects of the English language that I've taught Asian students years ago.
Spanglish in itself I find quite a treat, being in the process of gaining proficiency in Spanish myself. And then there's the various delicious dialects, as Latino speakers from all over Central and South America have converged upon this city.

It is the way some common English phrases have been adapted that I find amusing. For example, in Miami "Hello" has been replaced by "What's up/How 'r ye doing/What's happening?"

It has evolved into a greeting, rather than a question following a greeting. I don't suppose anyone really wants to know how I'm doing. But lately the little devil on my shoulder has been working overtime. Now, whenever I get that response, I stop and explain in lenght about me and my pet iguana's well-being.

Imagine their awkwardness. Hehehe...

Miami Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival

The first race of the season was quite an affair, a fanfare, a festival and FUNtastic. A great introduction for Sarah and I to this interesting new sport.
Fourty-two corporate and club teams competed for the title of Best Dragon boat team in Miami. Our Puff Dragonboat Team, the official team of the Miami Club, eventually came out as winners in the Mixed event and second in the Ladies event.
Competition was fierce and we sweated freely under the baking sun. It is a team sport where mistakes from one member certainly affects the effort of the whole boat. In the second heat we won by the lenght of a dragon's tongue, literally! I learned that exact timing and perfect tecnique is more important than power. As our ladies team showed by competing - and beating - a team of powerfully build policemen.
We have a team of great characters and interesting perso-nalities from all over the world and we both enjoy the social aspect of the sport. The next big race event is in April in Tampa.

Click on the link for some more great pics of the Brickel weekend in Miami.

The Miami Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival.

Miami International Film Festival

Sarah and I went to see three of the myriad of "art" films shown during the past week all across Miami. Films from Cuba, Sri Lank and Spain respectively. Some good, some not!

However, it was "good ol' movies, with often less than perfect actors, fun costumes, beautiful scenery, plots full of holes, but human and different, with NEW storylines.
Apart from The Constant Gardener and Munich, I haven't seen a great movie in ages. The Hollywood recipe doesn't attract us as it used to.

Don't judge a Book by it's Movie!

Champions Incredible!

The two best one-day cricket teams in the world defied the odds, gravity, a capacity crowd's expectations, various world records and their own human restrictions to blast themselves forever into the record books.
Few could have imagined scores above 350, leaving the yet untouched 400-mark out of the imaginable equation. Reading the scores on Sunday night in the smouldering aftermath of this incredible game, I had to double check two other websites to confirm in disbelief the stunning scoreboard of THE game.

Australia 434/4 after 50 overs
South Africa 438/9 after 50 overs
Wrapping up the match and the series with a win off the last ball!

What an unbelievable game in so many aspects. Kallis is surely finding himself in exile somewhere for his bouling figures, while Lewis's passport will propably be revoked.

Winning a game like that is beyond belief, unforgettable. I've heard it said that this will heal the nations scar of THAT semi-final defeat. Still, I do believe Herschelle would give three such games any day for the priviledge of holding the coveted World Cup aloft.

Let the euphoria hang until the test series start. It could be short-lived...

Dragonboat Training Intensifies

We had our final practice sessions on Sunday afternoon, with our first big race of the season fast approaching next Saturday morning. We were really pushed hard by the trainers and today I have lower backpain, sore hips, aching arms, and cramping calf muscles, to name a few! Me thinks I'd rather play rugby for the Taichung Teletubbies again.
Sarah is doing very well and listening to the compliments, she's an undiscovered rowing talent.

All in all a beautiful day in Key Biscayne. Downtown Miami and the Keys are a sight to behold. I could kick myself for not taking the camera along.

Some more info on Dragon boat racing:
Apparently it is the world's fastest growing water sport. Twenty paddlers move in unison, combining strength with teamwork in streamlined boats with elaborate designs originating in ancient China.

Saturday there'll be 42 teams lining up...

Kudos aan Kuduklub

Always something new out of Africa!

Die afgelope vier jaar reeds kyk ek en die mede-burgers slegs rugbywedstryde (internasionaal en S12/14) en krieket-toetse (raar) wat ons in Taichung kon sien. En dit by die enkele kroeg met sateliet-TV wat M-NET/Fox opvang. Wat beteken die boere moes tydens on-christe-like ure opruk om die Vader-land te onder-steun.
En die afgelope 8 mnde in Miami slegs die Curriebeker-finaal, nadat ek 55 myl ver gereis het na Florida se SA Oog in Fort Lauderdale. Uitgehonger, seg ek.

Noudat ek ingeskryf is op Kuduklub, probeer ek opmaak deur Vrydag en Saterdagnagte die direkte S14-uitsendings te verslind. Dis 'n lekkerte wat die Kaap effens nader laat voel.
Tegnologie rock.

A Visit to the Keys

Saturday was a thoroughly enjoyable day, heading South on US1 as far as we could go - to the Keys.

Once your past Homestead, and you hit the first Key, the laid-back ease of this neck of the woods hits you.
Sarah and I, together with friends Jess and James fox initially went South for a quick snorkelling expedition. However, life's all about surprises and we ended up in Key West, as close as you can get to Cuba, 90 miles away.

Key West reminds somewhat of St. Augustine, with the old historic buildings, sites and sounds. Had lunch in the famous Sloppy Joe's restaurant and stopped for Key Lime Pie.

We'll definitely be back, it's a tourism mecka and the diving, we heard, is fantastic.

Padvarke in Miami

Motorbestuurders in Miami laat my gereeld huistoe verlang.
Gister verander ek van laan, voor 'n Dodge bakkie in wat teen 70 myl/h in die 45 myl/h area wou verbyskiet. Maar die Kubaan was darem baie aangenaam en het my - vuis in die lug as vredesgebaar - toegewens om vrugbaar te wees en te gaan vermeerder. Net nie in daardie woorde nie...

Sweet !

South Africa 289/7 (50 ov) Australia 5/3 (6.2 ov)
Australia require another 285 runs with 7 wickets and 43.4 overs remaining
South Africa RR: 5.78 Australia RR: 0.79
Required RR: 6.53

And later...

South Africa 289/7 (50 ov) Australia 57/6 (25.0 ov)
Australia require another 233 runs with 4 wickets and 25.0 overs remaining
South Africa RR: 5.78 Australia RR: 2.28
Required RR: 9.32

Pic: The final result. Australia's scoreboard.

Business and Academics

I've recently enrolled for "Importing and Exporting in Florida", a short jam-packed evening course that I find particularly interesting.
It is a field that has fascinated me since my early days in Taiwan, although then mostly just as an observer. Since leaving South-East Asia Sarah and I have become more and more aware of the broad range of products and services and the huge difference in price between here and there. Keeping a foreign perspective, opportunities are everywhere..

A small window of opportunity has opened for me to potentially begin with an MBA, starting in May. This is ironic, since Sarah is the Bouwer team member seriously pushing to start working on a Masters asap. She has applied to a couple of schools and we are currently playing the waiting game. Her Florida State Teaching Certification is our first priority though and through no fault of her own, she is currently running slightly behind schedule with her paperwork.

We'll see how things pan out in the next three months. Currently she has 11 weeks of school left, after which there is a propable trip to the Ukraine for her.