TEA FOR TWO

TEA FOR TWO

Written by

Marilyn Mills

One Saturday morning while meandering around Howick, after we had visited the Karkloof Morning Market, we decided to stop off at Ray’s Café in the tourist hub for a really welcome cup of coffee.   It was a muggy day and we opted to sit outside on the pavement where a gentle breeze was blowing. 

It was very pleasant sitting there watching the overseas tourists browsing the few curio shops left in that area.   We had visited the antique shops and collectables which we love doing and were ready for our morning ‘cuppa’.

The service was swift and the menu varied.   We spied an item on the menu called ‘Tea for Two’ which was a variety of sandwiches, scones and cakes for two people sharing at almost the same price as a cup of tea and a scone bought separately.

After enquiring if this could be served with coffee instead of tea and being told it was fine we went ahead and ordered our ‘Tea for Two.’   It took a while for the order to come through but when it did we were blown away!

We had a selection of very fresh white tomato and ham sandwiches, brown egg mayonnaise sandwiches, scones with grated cheese and scones with cream and jam and delicious fresh chocolate cake slices.   It was a veritable feast.

We tucked in!

I have very rarely tasted such fresh fare from a coffee shop anywhere in South Africa.   The sandwiches were amazing and so tasty, the scones were huge and the cream provided was enormous.   The cake was still warm from the oven and the icing was pure heaven.

We will certainly be heading back to Ray’s Café on a regular basis to try out the other interesting items on their menu.   You should too.

Where did 2016 go?

My last post was September 2016 and so much happened from that date that it seems a blur.  My son's 40th birthday was on the 29th September so a big family get together happened.  My daughter's birthday was on the 9th October so another celebration at her home in Kloof took place. her baby was due on the 21st October but the little parcel arrived on the night of the 14th October no tassle attached!!!

Anna Lyn weighed in at 2.7 kgs and they say dynamite comes in small packages.   It is now January and we are just coming up for air!!!   My daughter and I did not know what hit us.   I had forgotten how much work babies are and she had had no clue!

In our day we had time to prepare for babies as we did not have demanding careers.   These days the young women are expected to do it all.   They are expected to know it all and they expect a lot from themselves as they are all well educated and something like motherhood should just come naturally.
Ha! Ha!
That is an Urban Legend if ever there was one.

Needless to say we muddled on together and three months down the line Anna is in a fairly good routine and has doubled her weight plus so we are all breathing a sigh of relief!!!

I launched my first novel on the 10th of December surrounded by my family and friends and it was a great success.   My youngest son, a lecturer at Vega College in Durban, designed my book cover and made the speech at the launch.   He spoke on how it takes courage to 'put yourself out there', to open yourself up to criticism and sarcasm when you write.   What he forgot to say was that it also takes lots of self dicipline to sit down and put pen to paper.

'Twisted Blood Vines' was a story in the making for nearly 30 years and eventually got written only because of an article in the woman & home magazine on 'How to write a novel.' some seven years ago.   Since then I have moved house twice and project managed a new build which was very exciting but quite challenging and it took up all my creativity!   Therefore the book took longer to write than I thought.

Then came Christmas and New Year with all their fun and  excitment!!!!

It has taken me nearly two weeks to get my mojo back and to think about starting writing again!!!   Hopefully I will fill these pages with delicious short stories and articles.   Maybe even poetry - who knows?

Today is the first day of the rest of my life!

On Monday I weighed myself.  84 kgs light!!   I was horrified.   This is the most I have weighed in my whole life even when I was full term pregnant!

I have high blood pressure.   I have high cholestrol.   I have reflux and God knows what else!

I made a decision to take control of my life.

It is not going to be easy as it means changing most of my habits.

No more Toast and marmalade on a regular basis.   Cakes and biscuits and sweets have a red flag attached.   Butter and full fat dairy products are out again.   Sweet potatoes and oat bran are the go to carbs.   Trying to cut down on red meat and eat more fish (especially mackerel and sardines for Omega 3)

I started by making my own stoneground/oat bran/wheat bran bread.

I cut out wine and just drank soda water in a wine glass.    It did not hit the spot but the arm movement is the same!

I upped my exercise regime.    Aqua robics.    Walking in the Mall and a series of power walking combined with exercises I found in the Woman and Home magazine.

Today is Friday and I have lost 2 kgs!!!!   Yippee.

I have 10 Kgs to lose so I am well on my way.  

Watch this space as I go from fat to lean.

This is not going to be easy and it is for life as I want to be around for my grand kids.

   

Hopefully next week I will see you lighter!

Where are the voices?

The August winds have started and the winds of change are spreading through South Africa.   It is an exciting time in our history as we have experienced so much change in our lifetimes.   Change for the better and change for the worst.

I grew up in the 60’s where the youth fought for free love, the right to choose what to do with their bodies, the right to freedom of choice in all sorts.   Drugs played a huge role in society.   Music was exploratory and wonderful and still rates as some of the best today!

We wanted censorship to be revoked.   We wanted freedom to read, to watch adult films, we wanted freedom to mix with whoever we wanted.   We wanted a free and fair society and in 1994 we thought we had got it!

The voice of the church was loud!    Fire and brimstone railed from the pulpits and the more we said we were not preaching anarchy just freedom to express ourselves the more hell broke loose.

What did we get?

Pornography, violence, paedophilia, serial murderers by the hundreds, HIV and Aids, fraud and corruption, drugs in an unprecedented volume, protests and more and more violence, the total breakdown of Society’s moral fibre! 

The rule of law no longer seems to apply and parents, churches, businesses and schools are no longer instilling ethical and moral principles in the lives of their children or workers.   They are not leading by example.   How can we expect the youth of today to know the difference between right and wrong?   How can we expect them to make an informed decision or have an informed opinion?

Recently at a discussion at the Franschoek Literary Festival the topic  ‘Activism in the 60’s versus activism today’ I listened to a heated exchange between past activists and today’s youth.   I was amazed!

We have come a long way in the past 40 years.

The youth of today are fighting everything for the sake of fighting.    The student movement is not really about ‘Fees falling’   it is about creating anarchy.   They are the privileged few who are ruining things for the’ have nots’!

The youth of today are the products of generations of children who have been deprived of proper education.   They have been disenfranchised by their leaders as they have not been afforded the very basic human right - the right to decent education.

Many of them are on the streets.   Unskilled, jobless and hungry and possibly dying of HIV AIDS!

You would think that those who have come up through the ranks and been afforded the privilege to attend University would have compassion enough to work hard and better themselves so that they can reach out to their fellow human beings. No they are causing anarchy on the campuses.

Where are the voices?

The voice of the Church!

The voice of parents!

The voice of the heads of other religions!

The voice of Business leaders!

The voice of the Government!

And more importantly the voices of the Public!

Wrong is wrong.   Unlawful deeds will be dealt with by the law.   Nobody is above the law!

Jonathen Jansen says in in his column in The Times newspaper (4^th August, 2016)

‘Institutions that were built up over decades, sometimes over a century, are crumbling before our eyes without a whimper from the public.   You are more likely to see anxious public reaction to mountain fires threatening homes on the False Bay coastline than to get a response to the imminent demise of our universities’.

The youth have no respect for their elders and why should they?   What have we done to earn their respect?

The buck stops here!

How do we change this status quo?

Each and every one of us has a role to play.   We need to stand together and say enough is enough.   No more anarchy in our streets, no more anarchy in our Universities.

Church leaders must speak out.   Business leaders must make plans to reach out to the youth to train them.   Government needs to weed out the bad apples, spend more money on service delivery than on their salaries especially where education is concerned, and parents need to take on their proper responsibilities.   The Police and the law courts need to jack up their systems and become efficient again.

Deal harshly with the perpetrators and leaders.   Open negotiations with the reasonable voices.   There are always answers to problems.   Get rid of the Corrupt.   Get rid of the drug dealers and traffickers.

Other countries can do it so can we!

Use your voice!

Where are the real South Africans?

Max du Preez says “ We’ve allowed racism to grow’  (The Witness Jan 14 2016) he goes on to say the white community has tolerated racism within it for 26 years and it is time to take responsibility.

Justice Malala says in the Times newspaper on Monday the 11^th January, 2016 ‘Dear White people: The “good old days” of apartheid were worse than you could ever imagine.   Don’t apologise –empathise!’

He goes on to say ‘the year 1994 did not change the racist attitudes of all white people.’

What is racialism?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as ‘belief in the superiority of a particular race; antagonism between races: theory that human abilities are determined by race’.

We all know that there is racism all over the world not just between blacks and whites.    We know that it has existed since time immemorial; it does not make it right!

Hundreds of thousands of whites, blacks, coloured and Indians in South Africa have crossed the cultural lines over the past 26 years.   They have reached out and shared their lives, their knowledge, their skills and their funds.  These are the real South Africans.   These are the people who have walked the extra mile for their fellow South Africans.   Where are they now?   You cannot tell me that we have all turned racist?

There will always be the members of each race who are fundamental and who will cause trouble for the sake of causing trouble.   Just look at the students who are disrupting the Universities.    They are disrupting the lives of their fellow students.  What for? 

For the majority of South Africans who are committed to a free and fair South Africa where are your voices?

Stand up and be counted.

Justice Malala says there is a word used by the ANC activists called ‘siyaqhuba’ which means ‘we go on despite the noise’.

I say to relevant South Africans ‘SIYAQHUBA’ –go on working toward reconciliation between our races.   Go on despite the noise and the great difficulties experienced by all races.   Go on despite the crime.   Go on despite the lack of education for the children and the disdain of the students for their privilege of having a University degree.   Go on despite the roadblocks in the Economy.   Go on despite the corruption and fraud.   Go on despite everything.  

WHY?

Because we want a strong South Africa for generations to come!   A strong South Africa for all races!

We have done it before we can do it again.   Reach out and help your neighbour.

RACISM ON ALL SIDES MUST NOT BE TOLERATED.

The School Cap

1997 in South Africa was a heady year!

Our fledgling rainbow nation was working together to overcome the scourge of the apartheid era.

Kwa Zulu Natal was right there leading the way.   The powers that be were breaking new ground in every field and hopes ran high.

Our family had chosen to move to KZN in the 70’s because of its progressive leanings.   People of all races lived together and respected one another far more than in other provinces as far as we were concerned. We embraced the elections in 1994 with jubilation despite the terrible war between the IFP and the ANC in the rural areas and the surrounding townships.   Finally we had all come together and put aside our differences and celebrated our diversity.

That year, 1997, a momentous occasion happened in Pietermaritzburg when two Agricultural Unions in the Province decided to join hands and amalgamate.    KWANALU. Kwazulu-Natal Agricultural Union was born.   This union was to represent all farmers in the province no matter what their colour or language was.

I had heard along the grapevine that a launch was to take place at the Royal Showgrounds and as I was Public Relations Officer for a relatively new school in town I wanted our school to be part of the proceedings.   I approached Lolly Stuart, the doyenne of Eventing, who had been tasked with putting the programme together and she said if we could sing the new anthem of South Africa (which very few school choirs could at that point) we would be included.   I was elated.   Our music teacher, Petra Byloo, had already taught the choir to sing this very important song and I invited the organizing committee to come and listen to them.

Mrs Byloo, a very talented teacher was very reluctant but with some gentle persuasion she complied and long story short we found ourselves heading off to the Royal Showgrounds on the appointed day.

Another first for KZN – King Goodwill Zwelithini, Dr Buthelezi, Head of the IFP and the President of our country, Mr Nelson Mandela were going to share centre stage!   Security was tight.

We shuttled the children from school in our school kombi which took several trips.   They were issued with white sun visors and they looked very smart in their pin neat uniforms.   White shirts and grey shorts, navy socks and blue tunics for the girls emblazoned with the school badge and motto ‘Deus Ducit – God Leads’.   We were so proud.

The programme was long and many speeches were delivered before it was our turn to shine.   I had decided that as a tribute to our President we would present him with a school cap.   As school caps had been phased out a few years previously at our school it had become a tradition to present important people with the highest honour our school could bestow and that was a school cap.  I wrote our school motto in the inside of the cap and ‘To Mr Mandela from all of us at St Nicholas Diocesan School.’

When I saw that all the dignitaries were seated in a marquee in the middle of the field and all the entertainers were positioned quite far away on the left hand side my heart sank.   How were we going to present him with the cap? Bodyguards and snipers were positioned all around him even up on the roof of the stadium.

I called two little boys to one side and instructed them to take the cap to Mr Mandela while the choir were filing on to the field but that if they were stopped by the bodyguards they were just to turn back and join the choir.   They agreed and off the children went following Mrs Byloo on to the field.

Our headmaster, a very English gentleman, stood with arms outstretched as he was holding the many little sun visors for the children up and down his arms.

‘Who would have thought?’ he muttered.

‘This is so surreal’.

I had to agree with him.   Who would have thought that we would be part of such a momentous occasion?

I saw the two little boys break ranks and I held my breath.   They walked directly up to Madiba and presented him with the cap.   The bodyguards did not even see them!

Madiba bent down and enfolded them both in a huge bear hug and promptly put the cap on his head and folded his arms.   A grin spread across his face.   The two boys scampered back to the choir and we all stood to sing the Anthem.   Tears poured down my face.   At last I felt that I was part of a country.   A truly democratic country!

When the anthem was finished Mrs Byloo started another song called ‘ mBube – the Lion sleeps tonight’ a traditional hunting song, the stadium erupted.   People were dancing in the aisles and the atmosphere was electric.   We thought the dignitaries would leave but no…

From the marquee a lone figure emerged doing his famous dance and he sported a navy blue school cap.

The children had been threatened to watch their teacher at all times but they could see a movement out of the corner of their eyes.   They found it hard to concentrate even with the firm, furious gaze of their teacher focused on them.

Madiba moved over to stand directly next to Mrs Byloo and the children grinned from ear to ear.   He danced and clapped his hands and when the song was finished he turned, took the cap off his head and shook Mrs Byloo’s hand.   I remember seeing her throw her head back and laugh.   She could not believe that the President of our country was standing next to her shaking her hand.   He thanked the children and then turned to go.

Tribal dancers from Fezokuhle School then came on to the field and led the dignitaries to where a lunch had been prepared for them.   The Madiba magic was broken but not before 50 odd little boys and girls had been touched by it not withstanding their teachers, their Headmaster and especially their Public Relations Officer!

That night as I watched national TV I was elated to see our school choir, Mrs Byloo and Mr Nelson Mandela featured in the slot on the launch of the new Agricultural Union in KZN.

Better still the next day on the front page of the Witness there was a lovely photograph of Nelson Mandela in his special Madiba shirt sporting a navy blue school cap and the headlines read ‘ Madiba Shuffle’.

What a red letter day for our school!

I wonder where the cap is today.

I dreamed of Africa!

I dreamed of Africa!

Have you ever read the book ‘I dreamed of Africa’?   It had a deep and wonderful impression on me when I was young and I always dreamed of travelling up to deepest and darkest Africa.   We never had the opportunity in our youth but now that we are nearing retirement the doors have opened.

We have been invited to a fishing lodge on the great Zambezi quite close to Victoria Falls. What a wonderful experience this has been!

After three days of travel through South Africa, up Botswana into Zimbabwe at Panamatenga and across the Matetsi Reserve we eventually arrived at Msuna Fishing Resort.

To say that we were in the thick of the bush would be to put it mildly. The people living in the Zambezi valley live very simple uncomplicated lives.   They have very little access to shops so live off the river and grow their vegetables on the flood plains which are very fertile.   We had to bring everything in with us even water to drink.

The friends with us are all likeminded and love the bush.   They enjoy fishing and are great to be with.   Such fun and much laughter.

We wake to the sounds of the Heuglin’s Robin which can repeat it’s call up to 16 times!   The fish eagle is our constant friend and the sound of the hippos chatting goes on right through the days and nights.   It is wonderful to get right back to nature and relax

Zimbabwe is in turmoil again as the people have not been paid by the government for months and the drought and cost of goods escalate.  Cross border traders are being hampered by government legislation and the poor get poorer while the rich stow their money in other countries.   Yet the people are peaceful, kind and their laughter rings over the valley as they go about looking after the herds of cattle and goats or fish in the river for their supper.   It is a very simple hard life yet they sustain themselves.

All along the road here we saw many churches and mission schools.    The children are being educated and they are enthusiastic about their education yet there is no prospect of doing anything with it after they get their M levels.

We visited a crocodile farm run by the previous manager of Msuna Fishing Resort.   He has leased a piece of land in the valley and is laying the foundation for a very profitable crocodile farm.   Apparently there is a great demand for crocodile skin products in America and Europe.   Handbags, shoes, belts, luggage, shoes, wallets.    You name it and they want it!

He has also introduced a wonderful water recycling system that will fully sustain his venture in years to come.   He draws water from the Zambezi at the moment but that water has to continually move to keep the crocs healthy so he takes the used water off into various ponds that have filtering plants and by the time the water goes through each pond it is ready for use again in the crocodile pens.    He has also planted an orchard and a vegetable garden which he waters with the filtered water.   He uses solar power to charge batteries for electricity in his home and is fully off the grid.   He lives alone as his wife is in Australia but he reckons he loves the life.   I am not sure I could live such a lonely life but hats off to him.   He is generating employment for the locals and income for himself eventually.

The life here is very colonial still.   All the houses have outside kitchens where men cooks are in charge.   The food is taken out at the beginning of the day and a menu drawn up. I am enjoying not having to do the housework and the cooking and am taking advantage of the time off to do my writing.

Africa is deep in my blood and although Ireland and Scotland and Wales are still on my bucket list I first want to explore my country.   I pray for Africa as it has seen so much destruction.   People have exploited her resources and plundered her minerals for their greed.   They have left empty mine shafts and crumbling old buildings and equipment in their wake.   Others are trying so hard to uplift the people and make it a better place for everybody to live.   There are schools and missions, clinics and hospitals.    If only they would work properly!!!

China has her eye firmly placed on Africa and there is evidence of them building roads in Botswana in a big way.    I only hope it is to the benefit of Africans!

God bless Africa, Guide her leaders, Guard her children and may Peace be with her eventually.