Monday, May 28, 2012

280512, ask and ye shall receive..?


Well, it seems I’m in an in-between-phase of some kind.  Perhaps it happens when you’re somewhere for a year already and you’re not completely new to everything anymore, yet you still haven’t managed to understand everything going on around you.  I find it hard some days to process my thoughts. 

I am still mystified by the conditions I live in.  A world somewhere between extreme poverty and being just well-off.  I have been learning the hard way that it is not a good idea to give people everything they ask for.  Sometimes I feel guilty when someone asks something from me,(like something that I have but don’t necessarily want to give away in particular) and I say no.  Because, unfortunately what happens is that word gets out that you are a generous person (or just a gullible and naive fool, I’m not sure really) and before you know it, you are visited by numbers of people who expect you to simply give them everything they ask for.

It started with this lady from the hill, who came to me for some money, then started demanding everything else she saw in my tent.  And I must give her vegetables to plant.  Like I owe it to her for some reason.  Not sure what she did for me…?

Another example is the guy that pretty much stole my money a while back.  (R500 that he was supposed to use to get me poles).  Well, he returned R300 of it, after I threatened him with the police.  Now he reckons he is so trustworthy that I should lend him more money.  While he still owes me R200. 

Another guy pitches up at the same time as him, saying that he delivered a load of sand to my rondavel (that I didn’t ask for and can’t afford right now) demanding I should pay him for it.

I won’t even go into all the details, but yet another woman who works at the place I live, bumps into me on the street and asks for my shoes.  Another man comes especially to see me, with a live chicken.  He wants me to buy the chicken and start a chicken farm.  In case you weren’t aware of this, I am living in a caravan in a campsite…  I have a feeling the owner isn’t going to be exactly ecstatic about the idea of a chicken farm behind my caravan.  I don’t know, I could be wrong.

I might turn into a bit of a less generous person from now on.  It doesn’t seem like a good idea to give people everything they ask for.  They really just end up taking chances with you.

Had a little interesting experience on Saturday night.  Got called out for an emergency.  Had to take a 16-year old girl to hospital 50km away.  She was about to give birth.  Really thankful the baby wasn’t born in my car. Got to the hospital and didn’t stay very long.  I think I might be content with adopting someday.

Anyway.  I have hope of getting thatch for the rondavel before Thursday. That will be great. 

I have to move my caravan tomorrow morning, slightly uphill.  Then I can rest easy when the next big rains come…

Friday, May 18, 2012

180512, One year later!

Well, can you believe it?  Today it's been exactly a year since I arrived in Coffee Bay... A lot has happened and a lot has changed.  I'm looking forward to some more exciting things to happen in the next couple of months!  Thank You God for all the rich experiences and new friendships.  Guide me to always walk in Your will and thank You for Your grace when I stumble.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Rural Reading Hut, May 2012



The 
Rural Reading Hut
Coffee Bay
A cosy corner for rural kids
to read stories, broaden horizons and improve language skills.

.
The building of the Reading Hut is now within sight of being completed and needs your support!

We need books!

(Children’s books, Easy English books, Magazines: Big Issue, You, etc.)

Financial support will also be much appreciated for…
(the roof, the floor, the door, window glass, plastering, painting, shelves, table, chairs)

Please contact Lavonne for more information / to arrange the collection of books.
084 548 5659
Lavonne Bosman, ABSA, Savings acc nr 428174879, Branch 632005



Every dog has it's day... Pension Day








Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Wet Tuesday


It's been raining rather heavily since last night.  Thank God it's just stopped. (9:21) Hopefully for long enough so the water (in and) around my tent will go down. Yes, it got up to the point where things start floating again.  (I've got everything quite organised though- so nothing was actually floating this time).

Aquila the dog was hiding away in the tent (trying to find a spot that's high and dry).  I try to keep her outside (fleas...)  But she knows how to be just too darn cute.  Now she's splashing around in the pool around the tent.

Anyway. The boys didn't come, but if it doesn't start raining again soon, I guess they will pitch up.  Ah, here's Thobile now.  Cold and wet.  Not even wearing a jacket. Got to go.

Reading Hut Roof-progress

Roy, my faithful builder (left), and his new assistant

Saturday's view of the Reading Hut

Some future Reading-Superstars!


Things are going well, apart from a few minor difficulties.  On Wednesday evening after dark, the counsellor’s men brought the long-awaited poles for the rondavel roof.  18 Very long tree stumps.
The following day I paid a guy R50 to peel the bark off the ‘trees'.  On Friday Bernie did me a big favour with his truck and took the poles up to the hill for me. Saturday morning at 6:00 am Roy and his new assistant started putting up the poles.  Now it is done!  I can see the poles it sticking out from my caravan. Exciting.  


Do you want to know about the mission I’ve had with the poles until now?  About 2 weeks ago another guy promised to go and get me the poles and asked me R500 for it.  A few hours later I saw the same guy in the street, completely drunk (with my money of course). Then he promised that he’d get the poles the next day. Yea right.  A week later I went to the police to send him a message that I won’t lay charges if he brings my money back.  The same day he comes back to me and promises to bring back the money and says that we can talk then about me giving him another job...  All this while being drunk again.  Well, I’ll wait until the end of the month to see if he’s actually going to bring back the money. 

(If anyone wants to make a contribution towards the completion of the roof, that would be tremendously appreciated... Thatch is going to cost about R2 000, then it's another R600 for twine and small poles.  Then labour costs as well.  Hidden costs always pop up too.
Bank details:  Lavonne Bosman, ABSA, Savings acc: 4298174879, Branch 632005)  Thank you!

Oh! And don't forget the books...xxx

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Elliot

The past long weekend I was privileged enough to visit my friend Erica in a place called Elliot, about 3 hours drive from Coffee Bay (towards the Drakensberg).  It was a beautiful weekend...  I couldn't stop photographing everything around me of course.
The back of the 'outhouse' on the farm 

On the way to Elliot from Ngcobo...

On the way to the farm

Van Zyl

The shed

The garden on the farm

The farm house at the foot of the mountain

Erica and Koos the monkey

Side view of the house



Sai, our friendly entertainment for the day