FEBRUARY, 2012 - Making New Friends

MONDAY was a good day. We (the ladies) walk about 6kms every morning. This has afforded me the opportunity to get to know them. This morning I spent some walking time with a French-Canadian lady, Marie-France. (Just love her name!) Marie-France plays the piano & keyboard and loves to sing. After my morning swim I was invited to her home for tea and music! What fun! I drank black honey bush tea and the music ranged from love ballads in English & French, to oldies like Fly me to the Moon, Diana & The Beatles. French is a beautiful language and when sung its even more beautiful. (I bet you Beaumonts like that!)

Marie-France

TUESDAY: I walked the longer, slightly more challenging route this morning and spent time chatting to Adele. She her husband and little girl live in Perth, Australia. They are originally from Stellenbosch, SA.
Then it was out on the town with the ladies! I'm new and so is Ansa. We went in Mariki's bakkie (double cab) and Marieta introduced as to the shops we didn't know about!
I now know where the Indian owned shops are situated. Would've found them 'cos I knew where the mosque was, but it was more fun having Marieta show us.....the shops have been named my her:
The Purple Shop - buy groceries, clothes, shoes, handbags, baby clothes & cold meat here.
The Twin Towers - A Fabric Shop where one can also buy towels and mats.
The Jeweller - can be found in a little wooden shack on the main road. One can buy semi-precious gem stones, at a very reasonable price, and many of the ladies have their jewellery made here.

The day day was excessively hot, with not a breath of wind. They took us to the Hotel Talinjoo for a cuppucino.....(nice rhythm to these words). An absolutely magnificent view from the deck.

I want to spend a night or two at this Hotel

On the Hotel Talinjoo veranda, me on the left, Ansa on the right

Then it was off to Libanona which is on the seas edge, for a lunch of sauteed potatoes and a bottle or two of Fresh to share! Fresh is the local low-alcohol beer shandy......I did have a chuckle....the two Ms carry their salt & pepper cellars with them! For obvious reasons.

Libanona: from left to right- Mariki, Marieta, Ansa

The children have a lunch recess from 12pm till about 2pm. Everything shuts down over this period. Sometimes only re-opening after 2:30pm. The market is open from about 7am, hence the siesta on top of one's wares!!

One definitely needs to be home lunch time, it gets so hot. I only arrived home at about 4pm to a husband that wasn't well. Some tummy bug that him so sleepy. Thank goodness for Imodium.

We have re-arranged our lounge & kitchen. Bought scatter cushions and basket ware which is locally made, from the "Airport Village" close to us. I met the ladies weaving the baskets. I wonder if I could join them so that they can teach me? The basket work, hand embroidery and sewing (as in cushions & wall hangings) is of a very high standard and beautifully done. Our house now has a more "us" feel and look about it.

Aah! Mde Constance knocked on my door again.....but this time I was vacuuming.....so maybe she now knows I'm not telling stories. I do do my own house work!
(Although, I do love to tell a good story every now and then!)