A day in the life
We've been eaten ALIVE...by mosquitos, actually. I never ever remember being plagued by the buggers in Seattle like this. They drone and whine around your head and every time they're quiet, you know they're having a feast! Woke up with plenty red welts this morning - arrgghhh! Need to invest in a good mozzie repellent machine today.
Life here is flipping chaotic. Ian has moved in with the merry Holness household, and for those of you who know Ian, you will realize how chaotic everything actually is now!
I had a minor breakdown last week trying to sort out everything on the home front. I find it quite stressful having to manage workers, as I've never done that in my life. I've also had to make decisions on things like retaining walls and concrete screeding, which I'd never heard of before. The workers also need tea at regular intervals and if we were living at the house, that wouldn't be such a mission, but I have to trek from one house to the other bearing flasks of tea!
We have painted much of the house now! Yippeee! And it makes a significant difference. New baby's bedroom had been painted in "Gentle Lavender"; however their idea of gentle is ummmmm.. quite bright to say the least. We are planning on doing a few white polka dots to break the intensity and to make sure that our little baby isn't totally overstimulated from the first moment she's home! The living area has been painted in "sand castle" and we are doing a Nemo theme in J's little room, so his walls are light blue. My Mom has undertaken to draw and paint a Nemo themed mural on the wall/ closet at some stage, but since everything just seems to barrel ahead here, we have no idea when we'll get around to that!
Anyway, on another happy note, I saw Karen (SA friend from Seattle) and her folks for lunch on Saturday. Guess where? Mugg and Bean. It was great reconnecting in SA with a Seattle-lite and bemoaning a) the inefficiencies here b) the weather in Seattle. We felt like it was a great thing to be able to join our lives here and there in some small way. So we don't feel plucked totally away.
Not much else. I think I might have mentioned before how tough we are finding it to understand a "South African" white person's mentality towards labourers. We so often feel that the workers are being exploited and yet this is the way things work here. Rein says he saw about 15 workers packed into the back of a bakkie (small pick-up) and wondered how they felt. They were all men of around 30 or older and he wondered if they felt demeaned by the whole process or if they felt that they were just earning an honest wage. He also saw 2 children of about 4 and 7 begging at a traffic light the other day. They would run into the road and beg at every car while the light was red and then run to the light and hug it while it was green so as not to get run over. Rein said he wondered where the parents were and how they could allow such a thing. He wanted to give them enough money for a day's begging and then send them to a park. I think being overseas and not having that distinction in class (or is it race) has definitely opened up our minds.
I am having someone to dust and clean inside 8 Black Street tomorrow. When I asked Margaret how much she charges, she hesitated - so I asked if R100 was OK. She was totally overwhelmed and said it was far too much! No, no she said R60 (which is about $10). This is for the entire day beginning at 7:30am and working till 5:00pm! I was so shocked!
Anyway, enough about workers now. We are going to Hermanus for 10 days in Feb just for a total break! Lots of beach and sun and sand. And Rein is off for a 3 day "team building experience" to the Victoria Falls at the beginning of Feb too. They will be doing some white water rafting and game drives, so he is excited about that.
Missing everyone. Hope the 23rd is not too miserable for any of you. There was an article in our Sunday papers yesterday about January 23rd being the most miserable of the year. They did a calculation based on the approximate time that people would abandon their New Year's resolutions and feel guilty about it, realize they were in serious debt from the Christmas period and be right back in their working lives and came up with the 23rd.
So happy thoughts to everyone.
Life here is flipping chaotic. Ian has moved in with the merry Holness household, and for those of you who know Ian, you will realize how chaotic everything actually is now!
I had a minor breakdown last week trying to sort out everything on the home front. I find it quite stressful having to manage workers, as I've never done that in my life. I've also had to make decisions on things like retaining walls and concrete screeding, which I'd never heard of before. The workers also need tea at regular intervals and if we were living at the house, that wouldn't be such a mission, but I have to trek from one house to the other bearing flasks of tea!
We have painted much of the house now! Yippeee! And it makes a significant difference. New baby's bedroom had been painted in "Gentle Lavender"; however their idea of gentle is ummmmm.. quite bright to say the least. We are planning on doing a few white polka dots to break the intensity and to make sure that our little baby isn't totally overstimulated from the first moment she's home! The living area has been painted in "sand castle" and we are doing a Nemo theme in J's little room, so his walls are light blue. My Mom has undertaken to draw and paint a Nemo themed mural on the wall/ closet at some stage, but since everything just seems to barrel ahead here, we have no idea when we'll get around to that!
Anyway, on another happy note, I saw Karen (SA friend from Seattle) and her folks for lunch on Saturday. Guess where? Mugg and Bean. It was great reconnecting in SA with a Seattle-lite and bemoaning a) the inefficiencies here b) the weather in Seattle. We felt like it was a great thing to be able to join our lives here and there in some small way. So we don't feel plucked totally away.
Not much else. I think I might have mentioned before how tough we are finding it to understand a "South African" white person's mentality towards labourers. We so often feel that the workers are being exploited and yet this is the way things work here. Rein says he saw about 15 workers packed into the back of a bakkie (small pick-up) and wondered how they felt. They were all men of around 30 or older and he wondered if they felt demeaned by the whole process or if they felt that they were just earning an honest wage. He also saw 2 children of about 4 and 7 begging at a traffic light the other day. They would run into the road and beg at every car while the light was red and then run to the light and hug it while it was green so as not to get run over. Rein said he wondered where the parents were and how they could allow such a thing. He wanted to give them enough money for a day's begging and then send them to a park. I think being overseas and not having that distinction in class (or is it race) has definitely opened up our minds.
I am having someone to dust and clean inside 8 Black Street tomorrow. When I asked Margaret how much she charges, she hesitated - so I asked if R100 was OK. She was totally overwhelmed and said it was far too much! No, no she said R60 (which is about $10). This is for the entire day beginning at 7:30am and working till 5:00pm! I was so shocked!
Anyway, enough about workers now. We are going to Hermanus for 10 days in Feb just for a total break! Lots of beach and sun and sand. And Rein is off for a 3 day "team building experience" to the Victoria Falls at the beginning of Feb too. They will be doing some white water rafting and game drives, so he is excited about that.
Missing everyone. Hope the 23rd is not too miserable for any of you. There was an article in our Sunday papers yesterday about January 23rd being the most miserable of the year. They did a calculation based on the approximate time that people would abandon their New Year's resolutions and feel guilty about it, realize they were in serious debt from the Christmas period and be right back in their working lives and came up with the 23rd.
So happy thoughts to everyone.
posted by Jules@home | 2:49 pm
3 Comments:
I just love reading your blog! It does make me miss you though, because your wonderful personality shines through your writing. I am thrilled for you, as your life in SA seems to be buzzing along happily (though you do bemoan it at times!).
Hugs - Lorraine
What a different life! I was talking to Michel the other day about your life in SA and he asked me if I'd like to move there. Yes, I cheered! Although the dangers and the disparities would be difficult to get used to, I would love the opportunity to see another slice of life. Of course, seeing you again would be the best part. I don't think Michel was serious, however.
Hey Jules, keep blogging, it sound like you have some significant challenges to keep you hopping every day, and I love to hear about even the mundane difficulties, not to mention...screeding, was it?. How's your bump? And what have you told James about his baby sister? We miss you guys!!! xoxoRose
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