Happy Birthday Catherine!
Today was Catherine's birthday. Click the picture to learn what we did to celebrate.
ZA2009 Archive February 2009
Last Day of Sustainability Class
Black Bug Without White Spots
Catherine and Tosca
Catherine was at daycare today. She cried only once during dropoff this week. This is a big improvement!
Mark's invention presentation went well at school. This afternoon, his friend Matt came to play for two hours.
Tracy went to the University of Stellenbosch Library to do (mostly unsuccessful) research in the morning.
Today was the last day of the Sustainable Development course I've been taking. It has been a great learning experience for me. Lots to consider. Lots to bring back to the States. And, future collaboration possibilities. We'll see where it all goes.
Catherine loves to wander our backyard to play with Tosca and look for bugs. She has a treasure box (old shoebox) in which she's collecting pieces of grass, dead bugs, snails, and sticks. Tonight she found a "dead black bug without white spots" and was eager to show us. She distinguishes between "dead bugs" and "moving bugs." She's very happy to play with "dead bugs" but is leery of "moving bugs."
--Matt
2009-02-24
Today, Catherine went to daycare and drew pictures. Mark went to school and cricket practice. Tracy did research at home. And I had Day 2 of the Sustainable Development course at Lynedoch.
Both before and after dinner, we went swimming. It is very warm still, with temperatures in excess of 30 °C. There is some rain tonight, bringing a little relief. But, at 8:25 PM, a half-hour after sunset, it is still 27 °C. Whew, that's warm.
--Matt
Sustainable Development
Read about the Sustainability Institute and a course Matt started taking by clicking the photo.
Tyre Fixed
The Flat Tyre
The Pit Crew
The tyre (South African spelling) on our Kombi (South African name for the VW microbus) is now fixed!
This morning, I changed out the punctured tyre and replaced it with the spare. It was a bit of a chore, actually, to find the spare (tucked under the front bumper). Then, we had to find a jack (there was a very nice one in the garage) and a tyre wrench (again, in the garage). Beats me where those things are hidden on the Kombi. I'll have to figure that out!
On the recommendation of Danie of Bach Motors, I drove the Kombi to Kilotreads where they repaired the puncture within a few minutes. I was told the wheel is "as good as new." As of late this afternoon, it was true: the repaired tyre was still holding air. A couple hours of my time and R40.00 later, we're in business.
Mark was a great helper throughout the entire process. He found a key that we needed, some required wrenches, and dealt with the lug nuts. (See the photo at the right.)
Today, Tracy bought supplies for Mark's invention project and gifts for Catherine's upcoming birthday.
Catherine enjoyed playing at home with Tosca, Mark, mom, and dad.
--Matt
2009-02-19
This was a pretty basic day for us. Catherine went to daycare. Mark went to school: cricket and swimming after. Tracy did some stuff around the house and in town (shopping, in particular). I was at Stellenbosch and Lynedoch today.
At Lynedoch, I had an interesting meeting with two students who are interested in pursuing a type of Sustainability Scorecard like I implemented at Calvin College. I'm not sure where that will go yet: the process is in the hands of the students. But, it could end up being very rewarding to be involved with the "green" students at Stellenbosch.
Tracy and I met the pastor of the Stellenbosch United Church today, simply to introduce ourselves. David is an exceedingly gentle man with a very interesting history in South Africa.
Tracy was notified today that she was selected to participate in an international conference entitled "Public Theology: The South African Experience" in June 2009. The conference is sponsored by the Nagel Institute. This will be a great opportunity for her to develop one of her research project ideas. The conference will last two weeks and will take place in both Cape Town and Johannesburg.
--Matt
Cricket and Vineyards
Click the photo for information about cricket and picturesque vineyards near Stellenbosch.
Bank Success!
I went to Standard Bank in Stellenbosch this morning. Our online transfer limit had been reduced significantly (to zero!). I had three tasks: (a) increase our transfer limit, (b) increase our ATM withdrawal limit, and (c) get the status on our cheque card. I had complete success! The transfer limit was increased to an appropriate (nonzero) number, our ATM limit was changed, so we don't have to go to the ATM machine every other day, and our cheque card was at the bank (they had forgotten to send me an SMS with this particular detail). So, as they say here, everything is "sorted." So, 37 days after our arrival, I think we have all of our banking stuff squared away.
Johan came over today to assist with our driveway gate. Warm weather caused the gate to stick (due to thermal expansion). A bit of drilling and old-fashioned convincing opened up the gap a bit. Hopefully that will avoid the problem on the next hot day.
Mark has an interesting school project: invent and make something for the future. We worked on it a bit this evening.
It is very warm this evening. Tracy and Catherine went for a swim in the pool while I made tacos for dinner and Mark read Robin Hood.
--Matt
A Regular Day
South African Cricket Fixtures
We were all at our regular tasks today. I was at CPUT, Tracy was researching, Mark was a Rhenish, and Catherine was at Rescurers.
Mark's friend Julian came to play after school.
We went for dinner at a restaurant called Mugg & Bean in Stellenbosch.
I did some digging and found that South Africa will play a 5-day test in Cape Town against Australia in cricket starting 19 March 2009. Mark and I may go to the middle day (Saturday) as a late birthday present for him.
--Matt
Soot in the Air and the Pool
Catherine with Watering Can
Catherine at the Faucet
We had a full day today. Catherine was at daycare today. Mark went to both cricket and swimming after school. Tracy went shopping and did some research. And, I was at Stellenbosch all day.
One of the things we're learning, now that we have responsibility for a pool, is that crud in the air is an annoyance not only to the lungs but also to the swimming water. Our pool water is full of small black specks of ash from the fires. It seems like the strong winds must have kicked up all the soot and deposited it in our backyard!
Because the fires are essentially done at this point, we decided to drain the pool tonight and refill with some fresh water. We'll use the cover that Mark discovered in the garage henceforth.
While we were at the back working on this project, Catherine was watering the flowers and playing in the faucet. You can see two pictures of the happy child at the right.
A quick funny story about Catherine. There is a program called "Play Ball" at her daycare where some people from outside do athletic games with the children. Apparently, they do rhyming chants, too, because Catherine was saying
"Play Ball, Play Ball
rar, rar, rar!
Play Ball, Play Ball
I'm a stah!"
This is the first we've heard of the South African English accent from either child. The funny part is that it doesn't really count: we don't think she knows that "stah" is really "star!" She just likes the chant, even if it doesn't rhyme.
--Matt
Election Date Set
Chess Club
Mark in a Match
Catherine and Tosca
The South African government has set the date for the upcoming elections: 22 April 2009. There will be national holidays around that date with no school at any level. We're starting to see some election advertising. It started only a week ago, which is about 2.5 months ahead of voting. That's blessedly much less electioneering than in the U.S. system.
Tracy and I talked with Mark's teacher, Mrs. Birt, today. She said he's doing very well in the classroom. He's ahead of the pack in reading and math, but that's to be expected because he's already been through half of Grade 3. He's making friends easily and fitting in well.
I saw his chess team meeting today and took a couple photos. See them at the side. The other day, Tracy took some pictures of Catherine playing in the back of our house with Tosca. I posted one of those, too.
The South-Easter has re-ignited some of the brush fires on the mountains around here. The smell of smoke is everywhere again, even though the fires are quite a distance from us.
--Matt
Police, Tailbone, Cricket, and Wind
I was summoned to the Stellenbosch police station to give a sworn statement on the crash in which we were involved. The court will use the statements from both drivers, photos which I'll provide, eyewitness accounts, and constables' reports to decide if anyone will be charged in connection with the smash.
Tracy went to the doctor today for X-rays. She learned that her tailbone was broken in the accident. No wonder it hurts so much! According to the doc, it is a minor fracture, and it should heal in a couple weeks.
Mark played cricket yesterday after school with the Rhenish mini-cricket team, which he wants to join. He learned that batting in cricket is very different from batting in baseball. And bowling (in cricket) is very different from pitching (in baseball).
Finally, a strong South-Easter blew today. After a particularly stiff gust at 10 PM, the power went out. I was just initiating a Skype teleconference. At least the wind is not as bad (so far) as the record South-Easter in 1936, which lasted 15 days.
--Matt
Questions from Stephen
The Front Entrance at Rhenish
The Outdoor Pool
The Rugby Field
Our Library
Mark's friend Stephen asked Mark some questions in an email message. Here are the answers.
--Matt
* How are things in South Africa?
Fine, thank you. We recently had 90 fires in the Western Cape. One was about 0.5 km from where we are living.
* How is school going?
Good. We can take off our shoes and socks in the classroom for the whole day. The only time we need our shoes on is when we're coming and going from school.
* How many kids are in your class?
22, including me.
* Have you made any new friends yet?
Yes, I have. I have five boys (Guliano, Julian, Dillen, Jesse, and Jean (pronounced zhahn)) and two girls (Simone and Lishka).
* Could you send me some pictures of your school?
See the pictures to the right. (My dad took these in June 2008.)
--Mark
Gordon's Bay
Skype with Family Members
After church, we went to Bikini Beach at a little town called Gordon's Bay. We all have a bit of sunburn due to the intense sun.
To continue Tracy's birthday celebration, we Skyped with her Mom, sister Betty, brother-in-law Mike, niece Rachel (whose birthday is tomorrow), nephew Jacob, nephew Josh, brother Mike, and nephews Miles and Clay. A few minutes later, Tracy's sister Cynthia called on the phone.
--Matt
Rain!
Rainstorm
Weekend Argus Headline
Skype with Friends
After another day of searing heat in which the temperature almost certainly reached 40 °C again, there was a rainstorm at about 6 PM tonight. In Michigan, rain is often seen as a nuisance. In the African summer, it brings relief. The temperatures dropped, and there is actually a cool breeze at this time.
One of the benefits is that the rain will significantly help, and maybe bring to an end, the firefighting efforts. We went to the mall this afternoon to beat the heat. As we drove home, we saw three or four active fires still in our area. I expect that they'll be extinguished now.
The headline in the Weekend Argus was "90 Fires in One Day." The 90 refers to the city of Cape Town. Stellenbosch and the Boland only add to that total.
After dinner we Skyped (why do so many internet nouns become verbs?) with friends from our street in Michigan. It was nice to "see" them again, if only on the screen. Unfortunately, the connection was lost after about 10 minutes. But, the familiar faces were very welcome!
--Matt
Swimming Gala and Fires Day 2
The first day of the Rhenish swimming gala was held today. And, the fires continued. Click the image to read more.
Fire!
Fire Near Franschhoek
Tracy and the Kids Outside
Tracy, Catherine, and Duma
Today, there was a fire near Franschhoek, which is just over the mountain from our location in Stellenbosch. Unfortunately, there was a strong wind that fanned the flames and blew the smoke from Franschhoek to us. Now there is ash on the ground and the smell of fire everywhere. The odor reminds me of the end of a good campfire.
Near sunset, the smoke in the air gave an eerie yellow-orange glow to everything.
I took a few pictures of the event. The one shows billowing smoke in the distance. At the moment I snapped this one, the wind had shifted to blow most of the smoke away from us.
The next two photos show Tracy, Mark, and Catherine outside. I had the white balance of the camera set to "sunny," so these are true colors. Readers from Southern California will recognize the color of the light. It's a bit creepy. In fact, Catherine was a bit scared by it all: she needed her blanket and her stuffed leopard, (mis)named Duma (which is the Swahili word for cheetah). After a few tears, she consented to go outside if she was held in a parent's arms.
In the morning, I went with Mark to swim practice at 7 AM. After that, Tracy and I picked up a new car from Wilhelm's Auto. It is a blue Toyota Corolla with air-conditioning ("aircon" as they say here).
While in the shop, we took a peek at our smashed Nissan Sentra. Wow, what a mess! The front end is shorter by about about two feet: there is nothing in front of the wheels any more, the entire engine compartment is compressed. The dashboard is rather mangled, too. A banged up right side of the car explains the bruises on my right knee and right elbow.
The guys at the shop told us we were very fortunate to walk away with only aches and pains. Fortunate? Yes. Blessed? Undeservedly so.
--Matt
Update on the Car and Banks
Quick update tonight.
We'll pick up a new car tomorrow morning. Wilhelm's Auto is a great outfit.
Our banking situation continues to be challenging. We now have resident status and a new ATM card. But, the ATM card can't be used yet, because the PIN isn't working. I spent 2.5 hours at the bank today. And, we have to go back tomorrow or Thursday to set up the ATM card and (hopefully) set up internet banking.
Tracy said that one theory of why third world countries have trouble improving their economic status is due to difficulties in their monetary and business systems (takes a LONG time to start a business, overburdening banking regulations). I now can see how such a theory can take hold.
--Matt
Good News on the Car
Thanks to the family members and friends who wrote via email or via blog comments to wish us well in the aftermath of our accident on Saturday. We're all feeling much better. We think Tracy is improving, although new aches seem to replace the ones that subside. Mark's neck abrasions are healing nicely (he went to school today). Catherine shows no signs of any problems whatsoever. I'm essentially fine with only a slightly stiff neck. (I taught for 2.5 hours this afternoon without problems.)
We're enjoying the benefit of buying a car on the buyback program from Wilhelm's Auto today. Despite the crash that destroyed the car, we will get another vehicle from them (probably tomorrow), no questions asked. The only out-of-pocket expense for us will be the low deductible ("excess" as they call it here) for the insurance policy that Wilhelm's carried on the car.
The crash itself could have been very much worse in terms of injuries. And, the financial situation could have been much worse, too. All things considered, we feel very blessed at this point.
The Steelers won Super Bowl XVIII last night. Sadly, we couldn't (didn't) watch it. The game occurred in the wee hours of our morning. I was astonished at this photograph on the New York Times website today. What a great piece of work on the most important play of the game!
--Matt
Church and Strand Beach
We struggled to get out of the house on time for church today. We were stiff, sore, and slow this morning.
After church and naps (Catherine, Mark, and Tracy all slept this afternoon), we went to Strand Beach for some mini golfing. It was good to get away and do some fun stuff as a family.
We had Tracy's Canon SD880IS with us today. They say your best camera is the one you have with you. And, that is definitely true. But, I was longing for my Nikon D50 when we saw several kite surfers on this windy day. The colorful parasails and acrobatic maneuvers are a photographer's dream. And, they surf close to the beach. I did the best I could to convey a sense of the dynamic scene, but I was longing for my 300 mm telephoto lens.
It was nice to have a relaxing day as we recovered from yesterday's crash.
To all our friends in the U.S., enjoy the Super Bowl! We won't watch, as it will be the middle of the night.
--Matt