Made it back in one piece

I scampered back from the US, as much as you can in 15+ hours - got in on Sunday night just before Typhoon Usagi hit - as in just before - landed at 6.15pm and the T8 signal went up at about 6.45.  Otherwise I would have spent some time in Taipei or, who knows?  Had then to pay a taxi-driver obscenely to take me home (he knew it was a sure thing, I was happy to cough up).  As it happens we were very lucky, and the nastiness turned north just before Hong Kong, and we were pretty much completely sheltered in Sheung Sze Wan.  After it had all passed by I went for a walk with Ange in the steamy mist - great to be home.

Some of the US - Charlottesville and Washington

I know, I know - snapshot, how interesting?  Just wanted to give you a look in a Charlottesville.  In truth, probably not wholly representative, but the feel is accurate; very calm and easy on the eye.  Watched a piece of an ice-hockey game through the window on the right - the rink was inside - very entertaining.

This is one of my delightful (and hyper-competent) colleagues Dana - ripping sunlight and an iconic Amtrak station in the background - on our way out in the evening in Charlottesville.

Lauren and Greg - two South Africans living in Charlottesville - who super-kindly invited me to dinner.  Lovely humans.  She's from Durbs, he's from Kerksdorp - it's conceptually a long journey.  I had a complete blast, laughed my head off about this and that - District Nine, a modified HP, and a photo that Greg showed me by Roger Ballen.  Great to get the references, the subtleties. Their kids and their house was so cool - and they dished up the best food I had all trip in the form of some old favourites

Sorry, couldn't resist, the light was so cool and the building so immense and "this is the capital of the world"-ish.  Eish. Washington in the evening from the roof of the hotel.

These are my peeps, so to speaks; really lucky - L2R, Tom Sours, me, Randi, Tom Collimore and Dana Day (D-Day).  Good people, kind people - pretty highly motivated people.  Tom C runs IR for us globally. 

Super-stylish Randi on our way out to dinner - cool perspective lines (and great shirt).

Tom S and Dana D sail forth from the hotel.  Tom Sours will make you ill with laughter, lovely human.

Aiden and Evan in September

Ev with his Lego creation - part of his homework was building something related to a story he'd read - this one was The Lighthouse-keeper's Lunch (he's demonstrating how the light can turn)  

You can see it all at (mouse over and click here): http://epicevaninhongkong.blogspot.com

Aiden looking extra-smiley on the High Junk Peak trail - you are here

Photo effects

Here are three of the same photos.  The first is the normal photo the camera takes, the second is if you select a menu option called Toy Film Camera - quite groovy I thought - and the one below that is if I try an recreate that effect using Photoshop on the original.  I'm not a huge fan of camera effects, but they look quite cool with this particular pic.  Nothing is as it seems.

Temple running

The often frustrating effort to get Aiden to do his homework took a turn for the brighter this morning.  One of this activities was to go explore a place that he'd not been to before (this being the easy part - writing about it afterwards being the less easy part).  I should not have been here, but got a surprise one day reprieve, supposed to leave for the US this morning, flying through LA (less desirable) and got onto a flight through Chicago tomorrow (much more desirable).  Ange came up with the idea of going to a temple quite near us, but which for some reason we have not been to before.  It started with a really nice trail walk, and came out at the place in these pics which had it's own little pier and ferry.  Weatherwise it was lovely - overcast but clear, humid but cool.  Much better than being on the plane, and gave me a chance to lash a few with my new camera.  It's really capable for a little compact, which is delightful.  I put in the pic at the bottom to show you - great light and tones and detail - that one taken out of the window of the car as we rolled along, and directly off the camera.  Ev couldn't be persuaded to come - Aiden charged around.  The writing part follows - but for that I will be out and about.

Later Morning

Morning

Knock knock from Aiden's asthma

We've had a pretty good run with Aiden's asthma, but the air seems super-chewy at the moment, and he has a bit of a cold (which beats the chickenpox that his mate Liam has - Liam, who I might add, sneaked out of home (read quarantine) to pay us a little visit earlier today, spots and all).  Anyway, I had the astronaut in my bed early this morning, with his nebulizer chugging away.  It was a bit earlier than I'd planned to be partying - but hey - new camera - lets check out how well it handles in almost zero light - only that coming from the screen of Aiden's ipod.

Then the sun came up and lovely wriggling Ev came to join us all.  I feel love ferociously - such a cool way to wake up. 

Where to next .... wooohooo?

I had to leave SA and go to India, which was fantastic - traveled with great colleagues in one of the great nations on earth - Delhi, Agra, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore - all of it marvelous; but to be away from home for three weeks and four weekends is tough - on everyone, so I was utterly delighted to get back too.  Now I have had two and a half weeks at home, which I have so loved - but this time next week I will be traveling again ... though most excitingly for me ... this time to the US - where I haven't been since 1976 :-)

Dust blown off

When R&G moved to Knysna they sorted through a whole lot of stuff, scanned some old pics etc.  So I got to take a look at some of these - blow off some dust - but first one of my own from long ago:

This is you and I in Glenstantia park, corner of Garsfontein Road and Anton Van Wouw St

 The rest start furthest back in time, and travel towards us:

This is my dad's family - so your Grandfather, and Great Grandfather on the right hand side; my Grandmother Amy on the left.  I didn't get to know her.  He was a big big guy, and as I recall, seemed pretty fierce - but I think now that he might just have come from a different time, maybe slightly less given to touchy-feely expressions.  I guess my dad is around 20 here - so approximately 1954

This is your Gran, age I'm not sure, but I guess around 18 years old, so around 1957.  I love this pic so much.  I'm not sure where it was taken, but I guess in a Joburg studio - very cool - very Goldblatt

Geordie and I with our dog Bengie at 121.  This was before the patio and the family room were built, or the wall closing off the washing line.  I guess I'm around 2 here - so 1971 ish.  I can't remember the cart, but I can remember that far-out Trike that Geordie is riding, which we called "the chain-bike".

Geordie and I in the pits at Kyalami.  My cousin Roger who was older than us - probably in his mid 20s then - used to run a racing car that he'd built in his dad's garage.  It was ******* cool, and loud - he was so cool - had a groovy mustache a bit like Jimmy Cook's and was sort of Hillbrow hey-day old school Joburg (this all in my own imagining of things).  Joburg always had this sort of mystique for me - my grandparents flat near the Wanderers - black and white brogues with a sharp cravat and fedora. 

This is Geordie and I somewhere near Second Bush at St Francis Bay - on the once were vast-empty dunes, now condos and a small boat harbour.  I loved this place - can remember the sand snaking and stinging in zigzags across the dunes, and the crisp, pounding surf.  Spent years there watching other people catch fish.

Then eventually I started catching fish of my own ... this was at the Wilson's place (my friend Graham Wilson's mum, Louise in the pic) in the Transkei in December 1987; I had just turned 18. - it was one of my best holidays ever, and marked the start of many trips on various forms of transport with various people to The TK. It is still my favourite place on earth.  (I'd bet R500 that you wouldn't be willing to wear those boots and shorts to Hatfield; nasty nasty nasty)

In our garden in Cape Town in 1992 with my then girlfriend Kath Fothers who was delightful.  Somewhere between the fish and this pic, my hair got long, I went completely wild, and had an absolute ball that I remain grateful for to this day. 

Ev's pic with it ...

New camera

I bought a new camera.  My reasoning is that I cant lug my big camera to all the places that I am going to.  And I want to take a camera - because it makes me see things, and think about them.  But because my big one is so beautiful, I find it hard to use grim little ones - I could explain technically why, but it's just the way it is, in effect.  So I bought a beautiful one - though it's small and simple.  It takes beautiful simple photos in all light.  No lenses.  Silent shutter.  Its a stealth-diary of sorts. 

Arent' selfies dodgy?  I think so.  So the one above I took this morning, to show you.  I bought the camera at lunch time on Friday, and one of the first pics it took was the one below which was taken by my lovely colleague Macy in our office.  It think it is cool - I like the direction the lights are traveling in, along with the fingers.

On the subject - I have the coolest offices ever - I just love them - check out how cool our kitchen is below - up in the skyscrapers, with a view of the harbour (behind me - so you cant see it here).

Big George hits the treatment trail

Today is significant - a big day, a happy day.  Your G-pa took the first pill of his treatment today.  It's been a bit of a road to trek, crossing emotional crevasses which fall away into darkness, a seeming endless parade of them, and then this flicker of respite - a treatment that may prolong the time that they have to enjoy themselves.  And to celebrate, ZA won at Suncorp ... and I got it together to post something.  Here they are, just outside their beautiful new house - I'm so happy you've been there, and I agree with what you said - it is lovely.

I want to speak for the collective, there is that temptation - to talk about us and we.  But I will say I rather ... I have been very surprised at what I have seen and felt around this dark news of my dad's - in particular I suppose I've always thought broadly that I come from quite a not-so-close-knit family.  I've never thought that I don't get on with anyone in my immediate or more extended family, it's just that I've been far-flung, and preoccupied; and through this I have been simply amazed about three things: the incredible warmth and sincerity of effort and dependability and love of all my family, near and far.  I am so grateful for all of their visits.  I am so grateful for their close in day to day kind and deep support.  They were all a delight for me to see.  Some of my cousins I've not seen for many many years.  And I found them just beautiful as humans.  Secondly, how bedrock strong some people are.  In particular my brother - lovely Geordie - and it's not that I've ever thought him a flapper of any sort - it's just that he is absolutely continental in his solidity. I am so grateful to him - calm and loving (and professionally profoundly competent - a real bonus).  Thirdly, how beautifully and powerfully life can be lived if  I just open my eyes to all of this and keep seeing it.

Strategic talks with Geordie

And since mentioned, here he is - love this pic - I think he fits this place, we fish together, walk the E-Cape beaches ... something I always LOVED doing with him.  Thought he deserved a funky frame, so I made one in PS.