Yesterday my dad and I went to pay for the lunch we had the previous day; they didn't have a card machine on that day because the owner took the machine to Durban or something like that...so my dad said he would come back the next day and pay in cash. Then after that we went for a drive to Tweni beach again and walked the beach. We sat on the rocks and discussed various things about life. As I walked back from the beach, the smell of 'slap chips' was in the air as we past the shop on the beach. My dad gave me the option of having some from a place he said made the best. So we headed there from the beach.To the uninformed, these are potato chips/fries which are soft. We walked into a small set of shops and my attention was drawn to a big, bald, tattooed bloke wearing an American bandana. He was sitting at a table as we walked in eating a massive slice of cake with a tiny itsy bitsy fork. He's Harley Davidson was outside. That stood out for me. When we approached the counter, there were a few others waiting already. My dad ordered a large 'chips' and asked if she could put salt and vinegar on it. She said she would. She was gorgeous. But I think I've always been drawn to South African woman. Maybe it's because they beautiful and frighten me terribly.
I looked around a bit, noticed the lack of stock in the fridge but a few cakes. I told my dad that I was going out to look around as I had not been in the adjacent shops before. I walked into a 2nd hand shop. Everything was old. Probably 3rd or 4th hand more like it. But i liked it. Reminded of me of the stuff we horded in our various garages and store rooms as a child. I came across a book of plays in England, an smiled knowing it had come with some British ancestors that came to South Africa in the past and seeing reference to England was pleasing to me. When our meal was ready, my dad found me browsing, we went back to the car after a quick detour to the post office which was in another adjacent shop. He got a a package and we collected it. It was a mechanical part for his chemical toilet which he bought recently and which the company had sent to him for free much to his amusement. We continued to a car park overlooking the beach perhaps 2 minutes from that small setup of shops we were at. We opened our chips and both sat there in the car, watching the wide expanse of the sea as we eat our chips. I held the container between us and we talked, like father and son should.
After that, we headed home. At home I decided to go for a run, I took an alternative route which was much more difficult. I ran 5.93km and had to stop at about the 75% stage as the accent was almost sheer and I couldn't maintain it. But I was happy to - the runs here are harder than in England, especially the altitude changes in my route, which is about 100 meters at times. My dad agreed and noted that in England my accent-decent was only about 9meters - I post my exercise and run statistics on the web after my runs.
That was yesterday. Today I woke up in the caravan for the first time after having decided that I'd prefer it to the cottage. I helped my mom bake an apple pie which we absolutely devoured with a tea. My dad and I both polished 3 pieces each while my mom had 2. Prior to that, my dad made a fantastic lunch and we all gathered around a small table and it was nice to be here again.
Tomorrow we've been invited to lunch with a family friend which I am both loathed to do and happy to do: I'm quite happy to spend my time pottering around here with my folks and not have to entertain anyone but then again it will be nice to be a little social I suppose...
I love spending time with my folks because, I guess, as you grow older you start appreciating them more and more so its been easy to stay away from computers, Internet and technology and the world at large. My attention is squarely isolated to spending quality time with my folks and they love it too!
I saw a "shongololo" the other day near the caravan, which is located next to the cottage, and it brought back childhood memories of me alone in the fields, barefoot, sand all over me, dry and in the sun. Insects and nature were normal, almost like my friends and it was normal. Hours and hours at a time, I'd just muck about by myself in my own little world away from my future of technology, computers and complexities of the modern life. It's sad at times to think its all gone but I think it was only the way it was because I was small, young and my impression of the world was limited that that time could not be the same if interpreted in this time with an adults interpretation. Child life was beautiful for me and do is adult life. Then, the only important things were each other, nature and being loved. Everything else was extra; school, friends, computers etc... growing up and, I guess, as we all grow up, we move and change perfectly as our characters do. I miss my past as much as I miss my present and my future. I am grateful that my soul is at rest about it, resting and the waters of my soul are calm. It helps being here though so close to my past, knowing who I am, knowing who I was us somewhat still alive albeit in a dormant way.
When I left home, my parents got me a ring that would signify my departure. I've worn it ever since and worried about ever since - ensuring I don't loose it in the swimming pool or as happened before misplaced if on the gym floor... I decided to give it to mom to wear and she said she would look after it for me and she put it on and it looked that it meant a lot to her that she was wearing something from her boy to remember him by. I liked that. I floated the idea a few days earlier and it gained traction only today. I don't need or want physical things to value, because I feel dreadful when I loose things dear to me, especially I I've attached emotion and sentiment to them. This way the only thing I value is the thoughts in my head.
I looked around a bit, noticed the lack of stock in the fridge but a few cakes. I told my dad that I was going out to look around as I had not been in the adjacent shops before. I walked into a 2nd hand shop. Everything was old. Probably 3rd or 4th hand more like it. But i liked it. Reminded of me of the stuff we horded in our various garages and store rooms as a child. I came across a book of plays in England, an smiled knowing it had come with some British ancestors that came to South Africa in the past and seeing reference to England was pleasing to me. When our meal was ready, my dad found me browsing, we went back to the car after a quick detour to the post office which was in another adjacent shop. He got a a package and we collected it. It was a mechanical part for his chemical toilet which he bought recently and which the company had sent to him for free much to his amusement. We continued to a car park overlooking the beach perhaps 2 minutes from that small setup of shops we were at. We opened our chips and both sat there in the car, watching the wide expanse of the sea as we eat our chips. I held the container between us and we talked, like father and son should.
After that, we headed home. At home I decided to go for a run, I took an alternative route which was much more difficult. I ran 5.93km and had to stop at about the 75% stage as the accent was almost sheer and I couldn't maintain it. But I was happy to - the runs here are harder than in England, especially the altitude changes in my route, which is about 100 meters at times. My dad agreed and noted that in England my accent-decent was only about 9meters - I post my exercise and run statistics on the web after my runs.
That was yesterday. Today I woke up in the caravan for the first time after having decided that I'd prefer it to the cottage. I helped my mom bake an apple pie which we absolutely devoured with a tea. My dad and I both polished 3 pieces each while my mom had 2. Prior to that, my dad made a fantastic lunch and we all gathered around a small table and it was nice to be here again.
Tomorrow we've been invited to lunch with a family friend which I am both loathed to do and happy to do: I'm quite happy to spend my time pottering around here with my folks and not have to entertain anyone but then again it will be nice to be a little social I suppose...
I love spending time with my folks because, I guess, as you grow older you start appreciating them more and more so its been easy to stay away from computers, Internet and technology and the world at large. My attention is squarely isolated to spending quality time with my folks and they love it too!
I saw a "shongololo" the other day near the caravan, which is located next to the cottage, and it brought back childhood memories of me alone in the fields, barefoot, sand all over me, dry and in the sun. Insects and nature were normal, almost like my friends and it was normal. Hours and hours at a time, I'd just muck about by myself in my own little world away from my future of technology, computers and complexities of the modern life. It's sad at times to think its all gone but I think it was only the way it was because I was small, young and my impression of the world was limited that that time could not be the same if interpreted in this time with an adults interpretation. Child life was beautiful for me and do is adult life. Then, the only important things were each other, nature and being loved. Everything else was extra; school, friends, computers etc... growing up and, I guess, as we all grow up, we move and change perfectly as our characters do. I miss my past as much as I miss my present and my future. I am grateful that my soul is at rest about it, resting and the waters of my soul are calm. It helps being here though so close to my past, knowing who I am, knowing who I was us somewhat still alive albeit in a dormant way.
When I left home, my parents got me a ring that would signify my departure. I've worn it ever since and worried about ever since - ensuring I don't loose it in the swimming pool or as happened before misplaced if on the gym floor... I decided to give it to mom to wear and she said she would look after it for me and she put it on and it looked that it meant a lot to her that she was wearing something from her boy to remember him by. I liked that. I floated the idea a few days earlier and it gained traction only today. I don't need or want physical things to value, because I feel dreadful when I loose things dear to me, especially I I've attached emotion and sentiment to them. This way the only thing I value is the thoughts in my head.