To camp or not to camp

About 3 weekends ago Brad & decided to go camping. I typed out this blog and have been trying to upload the accompanying photos for the last 3 weeks but I'm not having any luck. Every time I upload a photo it says it has sucessfully uploaded it but when I look at the blog post it is not there. If anyone knows what I should do then please let me know. Anyway, I thought that I would share the story of our funny camping experience with you anyway. Not quite the same without the photos but I can't keep delaying this or we'll already be in 2007 and this will be old news.

We found a lovely place on the internet in Tulbagh called the ‘Wild Olive Farm’ – it situated on a working wine and olive farm. http://www.wildolivefarm.com/

We had some things to take care of at home on Saturday morning so we headed off on our adventure at around 11am. We ventured through via Malmesbury and arrived at lunch time.
The wind was blowing and it just seemed to pick up in intensity – at which point we realised it was going to take some serious team work if we were going to successfully pitch our tent (and remain sane).

At that point there were only two other tents up and the one nearest to us seemed to be taking some serious strain. With great teamwork and effort we managed to successfully pitch our tent (with the added help of 4 rocks which I positioned inside the tent at each corner. Brad realised that it would also be necessary for us to tie the tent down to stakes in the ground (and around a tree) in order to keep our tent from blowing away.


After a light lunch we decided to read and catch a snooze in the tent. Upon awakening from our snooze we discovered that quite a large group had arrived and had sent up their tents on the other side. Apparently they were down in that region of the Cape because they’d come to see the “King of the Mountain” – an annual event where they race fancy cars (Ferraris, Lamborghinis etc) down the mountain pass.

Brad was desperate to watch the rugby so we headed off in the car to find a suitable venue (all the while praying our tent would be there when we got back). We found a great tree-top bush pub just out of town and settled down to watch the rugby (which we unfortunately lost – a tragic turnaround at the end of the game between South Africa and England).

We headed back to the campsite and to our relief discovered that our tent was still there. Unfortunately a little while later we noticed that one of the fibreoptic poles had broken and had pierced a hole through middle of the rain cover. We dismantled the tent & Brad managed to make a plan. That was a close call – if we couldn’t fix it we would have had to head back to Cape town or sleep in the car.

In true South African style we decided to braai lamb chops and boerewors for dinner. The wind was terribly strong and as a result there were little coals blowing all over the show – which resulted in us hopping around trying to stamp them out - considering the grass was covered in dry pine needles.

I went to fetch something in the tent (which was just a few metres away from the braai) when I noticed a spider on the tent. It wasn’t too big but a spider nonetheless – and we all know that I am NOT a fan of spiders. I tried to beckon Brad over but he couldn’t leave the braai. I attempted to zip the front of the tent shut as I did not fancy the idea of the spider roaming around the tent with me in it – but the spider just started running down the tent towards the entrance – I had no choice but to smack it off with my shoe.

I went over to Brad – uttering my disapproval of his lack of support in the spider-catching endeavour. He said that it was probably just a tiny spider and nothing to worry about – at which point I turned around to look at the tent and to my absolute mortification discovered an ENORMOUS spider on the tent. Of course I made a screeching sound – to which Brad looked over & this time he sprung immediately into action. Upon closer inspection of the spider we discovered that we were looking at it’s silhouette (our tent was lit up from the inside by our camping lantern) and that it wasn’t on the outside of the rain cover. Eeeeeeek – we checked inside the tent and to our relief saw that it wasn’t inside the tent – it was between the tent & the rain cover. The problem was that we couldn’t lift the rain cover off because the wind was blowing too strong and it would have blown away. So my brave husband had to try and get between the two layers. Mr spider played hard to get & ran over to the other side. I was freaking out because I imagined that it would disappear and there was NO WAY I was sleeping while the spider was around. Brad managed to find the spider on the other side of the tent and, well, lets just say that spider won’t be bothering any other campers – ever again.

After all that we finally got to enjoy our braai as we sat huddled up in the tent – keeping a watchful eye on the centre of the tent to make sure the poles held up. The large group of campers that I mentioned earlier were drinking quite large amounts of alcohol and put some really loud music on – which became a real pain because it wasn’t even decent music – just a loud doof doof doof bass beat. Luckily the owner of the farm came out from his house & told them to shut off the music or pack up their tents as the kind of environment he has created on his farm is one of tranquillity and relaxation.

After cleaning up and a nice warm shower we decided to hit the sack. Easier said that done. Due to the direction the wind was blowing (which had increased even further in intensity) the tent was blowing in on us – we tried swopping around and sleeping with our heads the other side but discovered we were on a slight angle and couldn’t sleep lying downhill.

It was a rough night. The ground was hard and the wind was strong – we kept wondering if our tent would hold. Eventually at 4am the wind died down and it was still. Amazing. Peace and quiet. Until the roosters that is. They decided to make their way down to the tents and come and personally make sure each tent had a good ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ wake up call. Reminded me of camping at Baisha in Kenting (Taiwan). Eventually they wondered off again. Peace and quiet. 6am, we hear something in the distance, but what. Oh no – the grown of thunder approaching. 8am, its pouring with rain and the sky is alive with thunder and lightning. Great. We pack up. Once we’re all packed up we sit in the car and enjoy our weetbix & coffee.

We were disappointed because we’d had plans on going for a little hike & a swim and we had no idea it would be raining (neither did the weather report for that matter). Since it was only 9am we decided there was no way we were going to head back home and so we decided to see what the little town of Tulbagh had to offer.

There are only really two main streets – and they are lined with very old cape dutch style buildings. We walked through a few little gift shops and galleries – which were unfortunately all in darkness due to the power failure. We finally decided on a lovely looking restaurant/wine shop called “Paddagang” (a padda is a frog in Afrikaans). We were all excited about ordering cappucino’s – but had to settle for regular tea & coffee since the coffee machines run on electricity. We were about to order some scrambled eggs on toast when we realised that we wouldn’t be able to pay for it since we didn’t have any cash on us and the we couldn’t draw money at the atm or pay with our credit card since all those facilities were down due to the power failure.

After tea&coffee we headed out into the garden and discovered that the weather had completely cleared up and it was indeed a sunny and warm day. We walked up and down the quiet street again and soaked in the sunshine.

Since Tulbagh is such a small town and we’d seen pretty much all there was to see we decided to head off and take a nice slow drive back home.
Just outside of town we spotted a lovely looking place which we’d seen advertised called “Things I love” and decided to see what it was all about. It was such a beautiful place. It consists of a deli, wine cellar (where you can taste wines from all the wine farms in the region), a restaurant and lovely gardens. The lady that worked there was most friendly and took us around the property telling us all about the place. It is really just filled with things that the owner, Lyn, loves (hence the name ‘Things I Love’). We were about to leave when the power came back on. Set on making the most of the rest of the day we decided to sit down and enjoy a nice brunch in the garden. We had the most delicious meal – toast, cream cheese, smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. It was just what we needed.

It was finally time to head back home and face the least favourite part of the weekend – the unpacking and packing away bit.

I’d say it was probably our least favourite camping experience thus far – but we managed to make the most of it. It was certainly a team-building experience for the two of us and I think we work together perfectly.

New Horizons

Hi everyone. I know it’s been quite a while since I last wrote. My new job has been keeping me very busy. I am thoroughly enjoying it though. My job designation is “Marketing Consultant” and it’s a great feeling to be practically applying the things I studied at Varsity. I finally feel as though it was all worthwhile.I have lots to learn but my colleagues are patient & teach me as I go along. I’ve been attending meetings with them so that I can see how things are done.

The thing that I most enjoy is that my day is filled with variety. No two days are the same. The last few days we’ve been busy with Strategic Planning for 2007 and that has been quite interesting although I felt I couldn’t contribute but I’m using the opportunity to learn. There is a First Aid course running here at the moment which they’ve offered to the staff. I am fortunate to be on of the staff attending. It’s running from Mon-Thurs this week every morning 8:30-12:30. I’ve always wanted to do a First Aid course & I feel so blessed to be able to do it during working hours and also not have to pay for it.

On Sunday evening Brad & I went to ARTSCAPE (our opera house here in Cape Town). One of our Afrikaans newspapers called “Die Burger” (that must look quite funny to those of you who don’t speak Afrikaans – the ‘die’ is pronounced ‘dee’ and means ‘the’ and ‘Burger’ is not the kind you get at McDonalds but rather means ‘citizen’) hosts a fundraising concert each year to raise funds for certain underprivelegded children. One of the sponsors – Media 24 – gave Brad’s company some complimentary tickets – hence us being there. It was basically all in Afrikaans and quite a different experience. Well known Afrikaans musicians agreed to perform for free for the evening and we had everything from a Soprano to a choir to (this one was the funniest of all) an Afrikaans boy-band. It was great to be out & enjoying a new experience together. Unfortunately we got home really late on Sunday night and were both feeling quite out of it yesterday – not nice to start your week of like that.

That’s all the news I have time for now but I hope to post again soon. Till then…..Take care

Baker Baker

On Saturday I hooked up with my cousin & her friends who have a monthly get-together-club where they do something fun (candlemaking, soapmaking etc - something new each month) and this month the friend organising it arranged a baking course. So off we went to the Anchor Yeast factory in Epping and we participated in the "Basic Bakes" course. It was so much fun. It felt like I was back in Home Economics class but without the scary teacher. We got stuck in and made a basic bread dough & then made a number of different types of breads. We were busy from 9am-1pm & had so much fun. That afternoon I got to impress my hubby & then my mom & mom-in law at a braai where I arrived with bread I'd baked myself.

Here are some pics I took once I got home of the goodies I baked:

Fancy Rolls

Under-Over Bread

Garlic Twist Bread

Chakalaka Bread

Spring Flowers

A few weekends ago, Brad & I took a drive up the West Coast to see the notorious spring flowers that bloom every spring along the West Coast region. Hundreds of people flock down to this area to enjoy some time in the sunshine with their families looking at the flowers. We had such a wonderful day. We went to the West Coast National Park.

The ground was a carpet of colour as the little flowers blossomed everywhere. The weather was perfect. It was actually so warm that I ended up changing from jeans and sneakers to my three quarter pants & sandles (I'm so happy I packed in extra clothes in case it got hot).

It was lunchtime when we arrived so we had a picnic at the Langabaan Lagoon (you can see it in the background in the pic below) and enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine while we squished seasand between our toes.

Then we took a drive around the rest of the National Park & Brad kindly pulled over whenever I wanted to take photos.

We stopped off at Melkbos on the way back to enjoy some seafood for dinner. The picture below shows you the beautiful view we had from our table at the restuarant.

What a perfect way to spend a Saturday in spring with my gorgeous husband.

New Creatures

"I'm washed, I'm forgiven, I'm whole, and I'm healed. I'm cleansed and I'm glory bound. I am only a sojourner on the earth. I am but a pilgrim on this planet, on my way to perfection, and I don't need anybody to tell me who I am, because I know who I am. I am a child of the King, a daughter of God, born again through Jesus Christ, bought with the price of His blood. I am a new creation, totally new, thoroughly loved and completely accepted as a child of my Father, precious in His sight."

Excerpt from The Purpose and Power of Love & Marriage by Myles Munroe

One Year

Today, a year ago, Brad & I said goodbye to our home of 3 years in Taiwan. As I look back I can’t believe that it has been a year already. We still speak as though it was just the other day that we were there.

So much has happened. So little has happened. Time has flown, yet it seems like it’s taken us a long time to get to where we are. Things certainly didn’t turn out the way we had imagined they would.

I remember the day that we climbed on the plane at Kaohsiung International Airport in Taiwan. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of remorse at our decision. In fact we couldn’t wait to leave. Looking back now, I realise that our desire to leave was fueled by our excitement of the 3 week South-East Asia whirlwind tour we were about to embark on, and then ultimately being reunited with our families and friends in South Africa. What we really needed was just to get away for a while, explore, relax, and spend time with the people who really mean the world to us.

Our trip was amazing – an experience I hope we will have the fortune of repeating. Being reunited with our family was truly a special occasion. I will never forget the evening we arrived in Cape Town where a very large group of friends & family welcomed us with balloons, banners, hugs, kisses and of course tears of joy. That was an incredible experience – the feeling of love, acceptance & belonging that accompanied it was just what we needed.

The ensuing months brought with it a mixture of excitement (with marriage proposals, birthdays and Christmas) and anxiousness (finding jobs, finding a place to stay, wedding plans). It all culminated on the 30th of April at our wedding where we once again had all of the people we love celebrate the commitment we were making to one another. The months between the engagement (December) and the wedding (April) seemed to take absolute ages. The months since the wedding have really flown by – at the end of this month we’ll have been married for 3 months already.

The truth is, that we have only just started settling down into what is our life in South Africa. The irony is, that with each day that passes we miss Taiwan more and more. The topic of returning comes up daily in our conversation but we realise that at least for the present, we need to stay in South Africa.

Coming back to South Africa has been an eye-opener. Initially I was thrilled at being back. There’s something very reassuring about returning to your motherland. South Africa is such a cosmopolitan country filled with diverse groups of people. Being able to identify that through new eyes, and embrace it was a fantastic feeling.

It was also exciting to once again submerge ourselves in good old South Africa things like boerewors, braaivleis, koeksisters, milktart and rusks. Driving in a car and not worrying about being knocked off my scooter or getting wet in the rain was a definite highlight. Being able to give my mom and dad a hug or meet up with some friends for coffee brought me great joy.

Then there were the things that dampened my excitement at being back…realizing how the crime rate had increased – and that the value of a persons life had been reduced to the money in your wallet or the cell phone in your hand. Seeing the poverty up close as you drive past the informal settlements along the highway…people glad to just have some kind of a structure to call home. Realising how unbelievably blessed I have been to always have a permanent structure to live in, that protected me from the elements and danger. Learning to accept – or tolerate – the taxi drivers and their inconsiderate, illegal manner of driving…realizing that if I valued my life I should rather bite my tongue & not wave my hands at the taxi drivers in anger and frustration.

Settling in has been a long process. Finding jobs that we are both satisfied and qualified for has been challenging. It’s the catch 22 situation of being declined for a job because you don’t have enough experience (or any at all) and finding someone who will give you the chance to get the experience with them. Then there’s the Affirmative Action scenario where in order to qualify for certain advertised positions, you need to fall within a particular gender and or race group. Previously disadvantaged groups are also given preference in certain instances. At times I’ve wondered if the thousands of Rands spent on my university degree have been worth it – and whether my degree actually means anything. Salaries have been laughable after salaries earned in Taiwan.

Slowly but surely we are settling in though. We’re renting a little townhouse, which has become a home for us – at least for the next year. Upon entering, there’s a distinctive Asian feel about the way we’ve decorated. We were fortunate to collect many lovely pictures & items that have enabled us to keep that Asian feel alive. Our plan is to get one more sofa & a nice snuggly rug for the living room & then that area of our home will be finished. We’re hoping that in a year from now we will be able to purchase fixed property of our own. For the time being, we’ll enjoy the house we’ve been blessed with & make it as homely as we can.

Job-wise I imagine that things can only get better. The last year has been rough. Brad had no desire to carry on working in line with what he’d studied and didn’t know where to start looking for a new career. But as time has proved, a progression of events has led Brad to a place where he is able to use his ability to teach & train as well as keep himself intellectually stimulated while helping others. I believe that although working for a NPO is frustrating at times (financially) it will set him up for further opportunities within the corporate sphere in the future.

For me, I’m waiting for my lucky break…I’ll keep you posted.

I’ve started taking my oil painting more seriously and I sold a painting on Saturday. I’ve been commissioned to paint two other paintings and I’m hoping that this will grow into something even bigger. The plan is to start building up a collection of paintings and then in the summer months I can go and put up a stall at a craft market approximately once a month & try and get a bit of extra income.

I’m also getting into my photography & have plans of attending a professional photography course in the near future. So who knows…? We’ll see where that takes me.

This was really just an opportunity for me to reminisce about where we’ve been & where we are now. The most important thing I’ve realized is that the grass is not always greener on the other side. When we were in Taiwan we wanted to be back in South Africa. Now that we’re back in South Africa we daydream of being back in Taiwan. We just have to make the most of what we have now. I really can’t complain. I’m married to the most incredible man and we’re surrounded by people who love and care for us.

Thank you for the part that you play in my journey.

A new adventure begins

You may remember my blogspot "Asian Adventures". Well upon departing Asia and having settled back in South Africa I decided it was time to start a new blog - and so "African Adventures" is born.

Asian Adventures is still live & welcomes your visit. www.lauraintaiwan.blogspot.com is where you'll find it.

Keep an eye on my new adventures. Been off to a slow start but hope to get a few more adventures under the belt before year end. Well - the biggest adventure of my life happened this year - marriage. And what a fantastic, lifechanging adventure it is.