Bullies that steal my money!

For nearly 30 years now, or should I say for as long as I can remember, not one day went by without Israel being in the news, either they are attacking or they are being attacked and it got to the point were I just don't bloody care anymore!
We are bombarded by news of the oppression that happens in the Gaza strip, we are told about all the countless bombings and attacks, we are even told that the well being of the whole world rests on peace between Israel (a piece of land as big as the Kruger!) and whoever they want to attack next.
It seems to me that the bloody Israelies are like a bully on the playground! But not the kind that can kick the crap out of you on its own, no sir! rather the short snotty nosed little shit that pulls your tie and jabs his finger in your eye, and when you prepare to kick him in the nuts, he points over his shoulder at his big brother and his gorilla like friends.
To take it a step further, I hate it how this little bully influences my life!
Unrest in the middle east = rise in the price of oil = higher petrol prices = higher food prices = less money in my pocket!

A couple of years ago, after the fall of Russia, some farmers got mad at each other and started throwing potatoes, immediately "Big Brother" stepped in,without diplomacy I might add, and bombed the living daylights out of them, end result, no more fighting! Now I know that "Big Brother" wont do that to the little brat, but we have engineers and the know-how, why don't we just a build a bloody wall around that whole  region, throw in some weapons and see who walks out after 30 years or so?
At least it would make for interesting TV, much better than the Kardashians,  we could place long term bets on the results!
Now I know that there is a lot of you that will think this man is crazy, but its not me its the bloody Israelis, they defend a piece of land that they got after a world war, and nobody knows why?, they protect a city that has more Muslim and Christian relics in it than Jewish!
For a country of about 7.6mil people they sure have nerve, we have more people than that on Boxing Day  on Durban beach. If you look at the facts the true aggressor here is the Bully, since we started counting in 1987, 7978 Palestinians died, of which 1620 where children under 16, while on the other hand 1503 Israeli 's died, 142 of those being children!

I don't know who is right or wrong, all I know is that I would be extremely pissed off if someone takes may land from me and calls it "Defensive Action" and the rest of the fools just follow.
I am sick of people taking sides in this matter purely on the basis of naivety! The action required in that region should be based on an economic platform, we (the rest of the world) should sit these kids down and spank their buts, no more talking, otherwise they will still be in the news in 30 years, fighting, no I mean the type of spanking you got as a kid when you lied to your parents, or they caught you smoking! Trade embargoes, sanctions, UN resolutions! Let the Israelis eat their own dates!
What happened (or is happening) in Israel is the same as what happened in South Africa, a minority tried to take a country from the indigenous people, they divided the country into small pockets (homelands) and  oppressed the people, the people got sick and tired of this and revolted and the rest of the world helped. What do think would have happened if we build walls around the Ciskei, Transkei etc? So why don't we "help" with the situation in Israel!, why don't we support the oppressed?

According to some, we have a moth till the end of the earth, if they have their calculation right this time, so do you really what to spend the last month listening to the news and hearing about children dying and bombs exploding?
Nope, I'm done. The rest of the world can make fun, they can support who they want on this matter, all I want is for the petrol price to drop,  tsunamis to stay away from the South Coast and no more news!

Till next time.

"Slack-packing" the Mighty Fish River Canyon!

Why oh why!!

Not that, please, not that, how is that possible that one of the last frontiers have been conquered by the lazy, wealthy, aristocratic, pretentious idiots!

Yes that was my reaction to the article in the Country Life Magazine on "slack-packing" the Mighty Fish River Canyon!

An America at the Sulphur Springs  Maccies!

As you know, I was tamed by the mighty Fish River, Yes I was scared stiff looking down from the starting point, yes I had blisters, yes I stared the Grim Reaper in the face, yes I told myself on several occasions never again, however I also formed bonds that will never be broken, I discovered my inner being again, I have done that and came back a better person!
Now all of that has been spoiled as the "Hoity-Toity-Arty-Farty" needs to be accommodated!
They don't need to carry their packs, no-no, they sleep in pre-erected tents or cabins, their food are made for them (nothing less than 3 courses), their buts are wiped, but worst off all is that they can pass a lie-detector test when asked if they walked the Fish River!
This borders on blasphemy, its like taking a chopper up Kilimanjaro, or the cable car up Table Mountain, or taking the train up the Inca Trail, yes you were there, but that's it, no experience, no thoughts, nothing!

I am fully aware that some "otherwise abled" (to be politically correct), have the need to experience the outdoors, and I'm all for that, but being pampered just because of your financial stability or your lazyness or the fact that your currency lets you stay in Africa for a year on a $ / £100 (and that is if you buy a house  in Clifton) irritates me!, it will only be a matter of time, and you will find a Mc Donald's at Sulphur Springs, or a cable car down to the bottom!

Next year I'm planning another trip to the canyon, this time I'll be fitter and better prepared, I will have even more time to adore the splendour of this magnificent place, but I dont know how I will react if I come to the causeway and I see people having a glass of bubbly while their feet are being massaged by barely clad girls and toasting "Jolly good show old chap" or "give us another Shiela" or (with a drawl) "its bigger in the States!"

I can already hear the noise of a chopper as it flies over the canyon at all times off day or night just to deliver some crackers with extra cheese to an overweight American who needs his cheese fix! I can see the plastic cell phone towers trees lining the rim of the canyon to ensure that they are able to check their stock prices in real time and "sell" or "buy" echoing through the silence of the canyon, I can see the tread pattern of Hi-Tech, Solomon and Wolverine being replaced by that of Gucci, Prada or Jimmy Choo.
To add to that it wont be long till the Health and Safety Officers take over, that will spell the end of life as we know it! The construction of a 85km long pathway build to the requirements of some ISO specification will take priority, with the gradient set to a certain degree as not to put to much strain on the ankles or cause blisters, add to that the signage in 4 languages and illumination and we are screwed!,.... because enter the bloody mountain bikers!
Immediately they will demand a MTB trail as it will be unconstitutional to only allow hikers, then the quad bikers and bikers because it will be unfair to only allow hikers and MTB's and not them and as always, the 4X4 clubs will lay the claim that they also need a place!  That brings the recovery and medical service at every 20km to ensure a hasty service, and this all due to human nature and that's a fact!

When my family started camping we could fit all our camping needs in the back of our Tucson, soon that wasn't enough and we needed a trailer, soon we out-grew the trailer and bought a 4x4 off-road trailer, now we are contemplating a rooftop tent and all other gadgets needed to make the camping experience more civilized, a DSTV Drifta for the sport, a fridge for some cold ones, a large queen size stretcher etc! the same as will be happening to our beloved canyon.

So what do we do?... do we go deeper into the unknown, do we try to find an even more remote place to explore and do we spend more money on gadgets just to get some peace and quiet?
I think not, if you need a place to find your inner self, or if the environment dictates your happiness you will always be searching for the perfect place, the words "this would have been perfect if" would be added to all your thoughts and you will always be restless.

Give the "Hoity-Toity-Arty-Farty" their space, apply your mind to your environment. Yesterday I was truely happy!, the kids played around the pool, the family gathered and we had a wonderful time chatting away while the braai was going, no view of the sea, or mountains or whatever else, just  in the company of family.

I leave with the words of Lao Tzu- In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.

Well till next time.
 




 

Die padkaart deur my lewe

Hill Straat was die hooftraat

In ou hande toegevou

Met Ps 23 as ‘n maat was ek gerig na die Lig

Daar was lewe vir almal en ek

In ‘n oogwink was dit net ek

JB Muller straat, met liefde het ek gedy

Groot oop deure het my gelei

In die skadu van ‘n peperboom was daar gedroom

Lewies, Sushara, Kernollie en Nella and al die pelle

Nooit weer was dit net ek, dit was my plek

Sonder my maat wat sukkel praat moes ek die plek verlaat

Kaap weg was ‘n lewe vol sleg

Bier en ghries dampe was in die kampe

Soos bobbelhondjies in die busse, donker oggend, donker nag

Hier was die seer, op 22 Augustus was hy nie meer

Oop graf het vir my die tweede keer gelag

Hier moes ek weg, ek het klaar my hond gekry

Karen straat het ek gehaat, ek was daar met ‘n valse maat

Bus en trein gery om almal te vermy

In President straat gevoel daar is ‘n doel

Loop van deur tot deur met griffel kuns, geen klok wat lui

Die Bobbies het my klaar gekry

Rebecca Straat in blou gewaad, in Danville, Mayville en Wille Area aan vals beloftes vasgeklou

Mosselbaai sou ek in blou nooit aanskou

In die skadu van Weskoppies ontmoet ek baie poppies

Op ‘n blind date seel dit my fate en ek het geweet ek gaan jou trou my vrou

In Silwer Straat was jy my maat, daar het ons saam gebly

Nooit gelol, net gejol

In Billies op my knie gedaal, gelukkig het ek nie gevaal

Ek kort voor lank was dit ek en jy

Op die bank ons twee saam veraltyd onder een naam

Piet Grobelaar Straat was ons begin, ek en jy word ‘n gesin

Dankie Heer aan U goedheid geen keer, my kids en vrou sonder seer

Finkel en Koljander, my broer word weer vir my gebore

Watter goeie tye, sonder 2 pond 10, maar ons was gesien

Jooste straat is nou my huis, famielie en gesin inkluis

Hier waar ons swem en baljaar weet ek U is daar

Met my vrou en kroos aan my sy word ek deur U gelei

Ek en my hond is hier gesond

Die kind se dag kom nader Vader

Gee hulle ook die pad wat tot rusting lei

Gee hulle Ps 23 Here, al gaan hulle te kere

Want ek weet net U maak ons wil stil

I know its true because he said so..........(part 2)

I already introduced you to my Grandfather in a previous blog, like I said a man of character!
Another 'truth' form his youth came to me whist talking to Louis recently in London, its about the biggest fish he ever caught.
In his later life Oupa was a keen fisherman, not necessarily because he liked it, but rather because times were tough and he had to provide for his family.
I remember how he used to sit on the stoep and point at the then barren Santos Beach and relate stories of how he came back from there with four big bags full of fish.
However that is a story for another day. This one goes back to when he was a young man with 16 (yes as I mentioned before 16) siblings.

Food was scarce and the family needed to eat, the roof of the house was in a dilapidated state and the wet Western Cape winter was approaching fast.
Oupa and one of his brothers were playing marble (actually marbles but as they were very poor they only had one!) when his father came home from town with no food in sight!
The old man told the youngsters to go to the river and try to catch some fish. Without hesitating they set of for the river, with the hunger pains making them walking faster and faster until they stumbled over a piece of oddly shaped wood. They dug it out, and what do you know, an old muzzle loader rifle! they took it with them to the river as it was a nice toy to play with.
Using some old twine, cat-gut and a rusty safety pin they tried to fish for hours but to no avail, and out of boredom they decided to take a closer look at the muzzle loader, and found that it still had a old rusty percussion cap in place but could not see any bullet in the barrel. The strange thing was that they saw a piece of cotton cloth in the barrel which might mean that there is still some powder in the chamber! 'Could this thing still fire?' they wondered.
Just at that moment they saw the biggest Kudu ever, moving out of the bush to drink water at the river! Being on a sandy strip, there where no pebbles that they could use as bullets, then it struck Oupa that he still had the marble in his pocket.
He loaded it into the muzzle, and what do you know, it was a perfect fit! Thinking quickly, he ripped a piece off his shirt to use as packing and rammed it into the barrel with a stick. With sweat pearling on his forehead, he cocked the Voorlaaier, he took carefull aim at the Kudu, slowly he squeezed the trigger!
Then with a big bang the shot went off, the only thing you could see was smoke and Oupa sitting on his backside with his eyes as big as his mouth!

Bewildered he stood up and saw the strangest thing, on the other bank of the river, the huge Kudu was lying motionless, and floating in the river, a silver "submarine" (the biggest Kabeljou in the history of mankind) as dead as a door nail!
As he fired at the Kudu, this Jona fish jumped out of the water and he shot him through the eyes, and the bullet kept going to hit the Kudu in the head.
Looking behind him to see why he had such a soft landing, he saw that he fell on a mother rabbit with six young ones, all dead!

And his brother?, well seeing what happened, he ran to the house  to get everybody to come and help.
To get the Kudu to the house, all 17 children, as well as the old people, had to help, they had to quarter it and use the cart to get the meat to the house, the skin was so heavy, the house could not pull the cart and the had to use four oxen as well.
The fish was so big, they had to call the extended family to help, it took them two days to cut it into manageable pieces, the fish was so big, they used the scales as roofing shingles and the bones as fencing poles.
The Kudu was so big, they made leather throes for 2 double beds and used the offcuts to make a pair of shoes for each of the children.

Only shows you, when you need it, you get it!

Well till next time.

Being a all-rounder is bloody hard

Surviving a week of building circuit boards, African Musical instruments and refreshing the memory on Grade 4 and 7 maths, you sometimes ask yourself, "what is school all about these days?", how do they expect the kids to perform when they do this kind of work at such a young age!

In Grade 7 (for the people who went to proper school, Std 5), we still played touches, marbles or Kings, we ran around school and had a blast. There was no such a thing as letters of the alphabet in maths, x was a letter that you knew about and seldom used, there was no solving of its problems and tangents to the best of my knowledge was a swear word, until at least std 6!
Sport was something you did when school came out and holidays equated to fun, there was no such a thing as "pre-season preparation" or "off season conditioning" we had cricket in the summer, rugby in the winter and somewhere in between there was athletics.
I had no need to know the history of Tap-Dancing, Jan van Riebeeck was still a hero and not a criminal, and sexual education was knowledge shared in a secret place when somebody heard or saw something and was then treated like "the man" because he knew more than the others! In many a man of my age the Scope played a important part of growing up, I still remember when I saw the first girl topless I thought she was disabled because there was no stars!

But alas, times have changed, today parents drop their kids at the mall with a credit card or some cash to go and watch a "movie", and then they are very surprised if their 12 year old child become sexually active or gets hooked on drugs!
Parents feel that its the responsibility of the school to teach their children social skills, they feel that they work hard  and "deserves a break", as a parent myself, believe me it also crossed my mind, but then I started to observe my kids carefully, and to my shock (no actually I felt very good about it). I saw that kids "absorbs" their homes!

Kids sees the parents always having a drink when socializing, and then make the connection that
socializing =  alcohol consumption,
they see how sometimes we "lie" to our friends and then make the connections,
friendship = backstabbing,
they see how parents bring stationary from work and then make the connection,
work = freebees,
These are just some examples, I'm sure you can add to this, but my point is they learn all their bevahiour from us, the parents!

This brings me to my promise.
When my eldest daughter was born, I made a promise to her and myself, that she will never see me in a state where I was not in control or could not handle a situation.
Now that had a bigger influence on my life than I thought at the time! So for the past 13 years I don't have more than 3 drinks, I work hard to provide for the family, I am involved in the school activities and sport, and try to be a good husband (but sometimes the TV just makes it so damb difficult) and I try to listen.

In our house we don't tell our children the story of Icarus, we believe they must try to reach the sun, we try to guide and influence through being examples instead of telling them what to do.
When a problem arises we ask them how they think they should deal with it, and then "edit" the response.
Its hard work because we see the flaws in our personalities in the way our kids behave, and that is a shocking reality!
So next time your kids does something that shocks you, try not to blame the school, friends or society, first do some introspection you'll be amazed at what you will find!


Well till next time.    

Thank You for all the Blessings!

Wow, I am very emotional today! Today I looked around me and saw hurt, love, pain, believe and hope!

I want to share with you the story of Kayla Bezuidenhout. This wonderful 11 year old faces a brutal world everyday of her life and still she smiles!

Kayla has been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, this means that this beautiful girl is trapped in a body that keeps putting on weight no matter what she does. Seeing the hurt, the longing to be like the others really made me feel like I can scream at the top of my voice "Why a kid Lord! Why do you do such cruel things! Such a beautiful girl has to carry such a burden in life!"

But as with all things there is hope, Kayla can undergo surgery to make her life whole again, but the medical aid does not want to pay for the procedure, this means that the parents have to get a R 100 000.00 before the surgery scheduled in December.

If you feel that you can help, or know of someone who can help please contact

Hanlie on 0796607767.

Here is a letter written by her mother.

In die Oë van my kind

As ek in die oë van my kind kyk, sien ek so baie dinge.  Ek onthou die gelukkige en onskuldige baba en peuter wat so ‘carefree’ was, totdat die lewe sy streep op haar kom trek het.

Ek sien die bang kleuter wat die eerste keer moes stillê sodat die dokters ‘n naald in haar klein armpie kan steek vir NOG toetse.

Ek sien die trane in haar oë as ons probeer verduidelik wat hierdie groot masjiene is wat so raas wanneer sy nog ‘n MRI or Catscan moet kry.

Ek sien haar onsekerheid as sy op vakansie ook in die see wil swem, maar die ‘tannie-costume’ sonder die Barbie prentjie lyk nie so mooi soos die ander maatjies sin nie, maar sy kan net die een dra want dis al wat pas.

Ek sien die verskriklike hartsverskeurende hartseer wanneer sy my vertel dat iemand haar vandag al weer vet of lelik genoem het.

Ek sien die vrae wanneer sy vandag weer nie in die Wiskunde klas se bank kon inpas nie en Juffrou weer nie hoor totdat almal gesien het en weer na haar gestaar het nie.

Ek sien die donker in haar oë wanneer die vreeslike Depressie weer so swaar op haar skouertjies kom druk vandag dat niks vir haar lekker voel nie.

Ek sien die bloedrooi gesiggie wanneer sy saam ‘n maatjie gehardloop het en die hartjie bons uit haar borskas uit, en die sweet hardloop straaltjies teen haar pragtige gesiggie af.

Ek sien die vrae op haar gesiggie as sy vra hoekom Jesus haar gekies het om hierdie siekte voor te gee.

Ek sien die opstanding en frustreerdheid wanneer sy weet ons sal weer klere moet gaan koop want laas seisoen sin is al weer te klein.  Wanneer ons spesiaal die tannie moet gaan sien wat haar skoolklere maak omdat die skoolwinkel sin net nooit wil pas nie.

Ek sien die moedeloosheid as sy haar kosblik oopmaak en dis al weer Provitas en Vrugte.  Die ander maatjies eet dan so lekker.

Ek sien die vrae op haar gesiggie as sy vir haarself in die spieël kyk as sy klaar gebad het en dit lyk dan meer soos ‘n tannie se lyf as ‘n klein dogtertjie sin.

Ek sien die moegheid in haar oë omdat dit vandag al weer nog ‘n dokters besoek by NOG ‘n dokter of hospitaal is…

Ek sien haar gebreekte siel elke keer as sy by die dokter op die skaal moet klim en dis al weer meer as laas.  Al het sy nie die popcorn by die fliek ge-eet of die roomys op die strand nie.

Ek sien nog steeds my pragtige liewe kind met ‘n hart van goud wat soveel empatie het met die mensdom al behandel soveel van hulle haar sleg.

Ek sien my pragtige 11 jarige dogtertjie wat so ‘n lus vir die lewe DIEP binne haar siel bère, maar haar liggaam hou dit gevangene.

Ek sien ‘n lewensveranderde operasie wat in Desember my kind se lewe onherroeplik gaan verander.

EK SIEN HOOP!

London Calling! Go Team GB!

Tower Bridge meets the Bulls 

Wow, what a week,....no, that’s no way to start the description of a life changing experience!

Should I rather say excellent, fantastic, awesome, no, I want to shout “WhooooHoooooo I was there!!”

The Olympics, what can I say, 204 countries competing in 36 different sporting events and my country brought back 6 medals, of which one was history in the making, South Africa winning its first ever Olympic medal in kayaking when Bridgette Hartley won a bronze in the womans 500m meter event.

A picture is worth a 10000000000 words!

The atmosphere was electric, London hosted a spectacular event, actually, what do you expect, they should be able to get it right on the third try (LoL). Everything worked and ran on time like a well made watch, the precision was evident everywhere, the transport, hotels, events, everything just worked, the IOC can reward every volunteer with a medal for making this a event to remember!

Seeing how everything was running on time I decided that a new watch had my name on it and proudly walked into Harrods, what a place! Full of bravado, straight to the watch counter (actually a whole store filled with the most beautiful time pieces I have ever laid my eyes on!), however, with the Rand being like a snot-nosed little kid on the playground trying to stand its man against guys like Bakkies Botha or Bismarck Du Plessis, I found out, to my dismay, that Harrods, although they sell everything under the sun, does not take kidneys as a deposit to buy a watch.

Hows that for brand placement.

So off we went, my personal trainer Greg and I to experience London, you’ll notice I didn’t call him my tour guide, no sir, he is much more than that! Greg knows London better than he knows Pretoria, around this corner, down that road, on the tube, off the tube and viola! 10 Downing Street, the ally where “His Cameron-ness” lives!, down the street, just around that corner, up this street, through the park, “don’t we use the tube!?” “no its easier to walk”, and there is Big Ben, West Minister Abbey and Boots. Up the stairs, across the bridge, down the stairs, just a few blocks, there is the London Eye. Phew!

Now as you might recall from my previous Blog, I see exercise as something you only do in an emergency, but Greg, thanx Bud, it was a pleasure running behind you through London, from the White Cliffs of Dover to Buckingham Palace on foot!

With all the exercise the tank had to be filled, and there I had the wonderful opportunity to sit at a table in one of the poshest restaurants in the world, Zuma in London, with a food and wine expert!

Sivi knows his business, and, his food and wine, what a culinary experience for a guy that eats steak and chips, and sees greens as an area on a golf course. I had to travel to London to have the best lamb chops in the world!

It’s difficult to put into words the feeling I have towards Sivi and Vanessa G, two visionary people that is willing to provide you with all the opportunities in the world, like parents, they guide and motivate you to achieve the greatest heights, and as parents do, they praise, but when necessary, also show you your errors, thanx guys for another HolGoun Family experience!

“If you don’t have confidence, you’ll always find a way not to win” – Carl Lewis

Well till next time.