Hello Friday

Wish I could stay at home and just sit around playing chess!

I’m having champagne – for spending three months sorting out Dida-(ICT) rubbish of my predecessor and for meeting the deadline of 1st December with all those rubbish sorted. Now waiting for Edexcel to come back.

Things to do this weekend:

I saw the stickies on Tracy’s blog and you can create your own too. Click here to create your own.

This is what my ticket looks like- well, almost – for the London Chess Classic. If you’re there on the 12th, I might see you..[hehe] and I’m hoping to shake Kramnik’s hand..any requests?

Afrikaans! Jy is skerp! – Afrikaans! You are sharp!

English readers: The second half of this entry is for you. Afrikaans is the most humorous langauge that I know. If there is a joke about something, it’s always out in Afrikaans first. I work amongst English (Britons) for almost ten years now and can honestly say we have in Afrikaans much more fun and jokes to share and we have jokes about almost anything under the sun. Also, we can joke about everything, we see humour in everything around us – maybe that’s why we’ve survived everything in our country thus far…even with all the problems with Escom — Afrikaans readers…on twitter Kasper said a few days ago…daar is ‘n tyd vir Es-kom en Es-gaan – that was funny. Anyway…Fanus Rautenbach is a legend in South Africa when it comes to humour! He said we all must die one day, but some people are dying according to their careers…and I’m not going to translate it, it won’t have the same impact as only in Afrikaans…I’ve read it and tears were running down my cheeks as I was reading…this is well-said and you can only say it in Afrikaans – and enjoy/appreciate it in Afrikaans…

Do enjoy the article from Time and then, at the bottom, if you think you are smart…try the smart test…but be warned, I don’t think you are as smart as you think you are…[joke] do try and have fun.

Fanus Rautenbach sê: ons moet almal eendag sterwe, maar elkeen sterf volgens sy beroep:

Reisigers gaan heen.
Jagters gaan bokveld toe.
Parlementslede op die groen kussings gaan sag heen.
Die melkman en die posman kom om.
Kokke steek lepel in die dak.

Die horlosiemaker se tyd het aangebreek.
Die valskermspringer ontval ons.
Die tuinier is van die gras af gemaak.
Die melkboer het die emmer geskop.
Die begrafnisondernemer sien sy gat.

Die dominee het die tydelike met die ewige verwissel.
Die ouderling is ontslape.
Die koerantman is direk hemel toe.
Die skeidsregter het sy laaste asem uitgeblaas.
Die dokter se hart het gaan staan.

Die elektrisiën se liggie is gedoof.
Die koster het die doodsklok hoor lui.
Die kleremaker se draad is geknip.
Die Springbokrugby-afrigter kom tot rus.
Skoonmoeder – die duiwel het haar kom haal

How Sharp Is Your Memory? Article: Time

Snowdon uses a longer version of the following quiz to pick up signs of memory loss. You can use it to test your own memory. If you are concerned about the results, discuss them with your physician.

Verbal Fluency
How many animals can you name in 60 seconds?

Word-list Memory
1. Have a friend read the following 10 words aloud:
Leg
Cheese
Tent
Motor
Flower
Stamp
Cup
King
Forest
Menu

2. Try to commit them to memory.

3. Go over the list twice more, each time in a different order. How many can you recall on the third try?

Delayed Word Recall Test
Wait five minutes. Now how many words can you recall?

Word Recognition
1. Ask your friend to write 20 words on separate index cards — the 10 words from the list above mixed in with ten different words

2. Have your friend show you the cards one at a time

3. How many words can you pick out from the original list?

Add up your scores. If the total is less than 29, you may have difficulty with short-term memory. Ask your doctor about doing a more thorough exam.

Image:timtim

How SMART are you? This is fun…be warned…you might not be as smart as you think![hehe] Bill Gates did this test and he scored 3!

Let’s ride the wind

Cape Town - with its surrounding beaches - is the place to go – for many tourists. If you haven’t been to South Africa, everybody will encourage you to go to Cape Town first.  There are various reasons why people will tell you to go to CT first. Of course I will suggest it too, as it is a touristy city, lots of activities for tourists, beautiful historical sites to visit, beautiful views and Table Mountain to enjoy on a picnic outing. – My next stop for anyone that’s been to South Africa before, will of course be my favourite: The Drakensberg Mountains! There are various hotels in the Mountain range and the most beautiful spots for anyone that loves hiking. Back to Bloubergstrand. If you search Bloubergstrand, you will find the most beautiful pictures, some of which you can see in this entry. Laurika Rauch sings the song  Op Blouberg se Strand, but this time I have the song as sung by Juanita du Plessis. I’ve roughly translated the song for English readers. This song describes some of the activities at Bloubergstrand. I’ve also found a very interesting piece of reading about Bloubergstrand. Do enjoy it.

If you’re in Cape Town and desperate to play chess, do visit the Goodwood Chess club…see their website for a map and details. They exist since 1963.

http://goodwoodchess.tripod.com/

http://goodwoodchess.blogspot.com/

 Organised club league chess is over 100 years old in Cape Town. Cape Town chess club, the oldest in South Africa (founded in 1885) together with Woodstock, Tokai and the YMCA club formed a union of clubs in 1907.

At Bloubergstrand

The waves know where the billows break
They think they’re free
The clouds drift in the sky
but they must ride the winds
It’s early in the day, at Bloubergstrand
The wind will be blowing, the sun will be burning
But it’s cool after the long night
and we greet the day

Choir

Good morning my sunshine
Good morning my child
Let’s jog alongside the beach
Let’s ride the wind
The sun will scorch us
and the rays will burn
But it’s early in the day
At Bloubergstrand

There are lime-washed houses
and old Table Mountain
There are anglers with rod and hat
pestering fish from early on
Daddy says: my child, we must find black mussels
we love the sea, I love my child
Yes, it’s cool after the long night
and we greet the day

Choir

Good morning my sunshine
Good morning my child
Let’s jog alongside the beach
Let’s ride the wind
The sun will scorch us
and the rays will burn
But it’s early in the day
At Bloubergstrand (2x)

Image: New York Times

Op Blouberg se strand

DIE GOLWE WEET WAAR BREEK DIE BRANDERS -
HULLE DINK HULLE’S VRY
DIE WOLKE WENTEL IN DIE HEMEL MAAR
OP DIE WINDE MOET HUL RY
DIS VROEG IN DIE DAG, OP BLOUBERG SE STRAND
DIE WIND GAAN NOG WAAI, DIE SON GAAN NOG BRAND
MAAR DIS KOEL NA DIE LANG NAG
EN ONS GROET DIE DAG
KOOR:
GOEIE MÔRE MY SONSKYN
GOEIE MÔRE MY KIND
KOM ONS DRAF LANGS DIE STRAND
KOM ONS RY OP DIE WIND
DIE SAND SAL ONS SKROEI
EN DIE STRALE SAL BRAND
MAAR DIS VROEG IN DIE DAG
OP BLOUBERG SE STRAND

DAAR IS WITGEKALKTE HUISE
EN OU TAFELBERG
DAAR IS HENGELAARS MET STOK EN HOED
WAT VROEG VISSE TERG
MY PA, SÊ MY KIND, ONS MOET SWART MOSSELS VIND
ONS IS LIEF VIR DIE SEE, EK IS LIEF VIR MY KIND
JA DIS KOEL NA DIE LANG NAG
EN ONS GROET DIE DAG

KOOR ( X2)

Its pristine beaches and modest lime-washed historic fisherman’s houses have been immortalised in song. Its spectacular, classic view of Table Mountain across Table Bay has been captured on countless photographs, postcards and brochures, which are used to lure tourists to nearby Cape Town.

Yet Bloubergstrand (which is Afrikaans for ‘blue mountain beach’) itself has always had much to offer those willing to make the approximately 25 kilometre journey north of the Mother City to pay it a visit and linger for longer than the amount of time it requires to take a snapshot of the mountain.

Incidentally, one would be forgiven to assume that Bloubergstrand’s name comes from that world famous postcard view of Table Mountain, but one would be quite mistaken. The suburb is actually named after Blouberg, a hill located not too far inland from the coast.

The consistent summer winds sweeping across the bay stirs up the waves, making Bloubergstrand a watersport heaven. In fact, Big Bay – home to the annual, recently held Oxbbow Big Bay Classic windsurfing championship event – is arguably the premier windsurfing and kiteboarding spot in the world.

Strollers and shell collectors can be seen meandering up the wild stretch of Milnerton Beach which lies between the city and Bloubergstrand.

But Blouberg’s beaches and ground are blood-soaked. History buffs will be intrigued to know that a small but significant battle was fought here in1806. It was called the Battle of Blaauwberg and it established British rule in South Africa.

During that time, the Cape Colony belonged to the French controlled Netherlands (then called the Batavian Republic). But the sea route around the Cape was important to the British, so in order to prevent that from also coming under French control, they decided to seize the colony. A British fleet was despatched to the Cape in July 1805 to forestall the French troopships sent by Napoleon to reinforce the Cape garrison.

At the time, the colony was governed by Lt Gen Jan Willem Janssens (Blaauwberg House is located in Gen Janssens Str). He was also commander-in-chief of the colony’s military forces. The forces were small and of poor quality and backed up by local militia units.

The first British warship reached the Cape on Christmas Eve 1805, marking its arrival by promptly attacking two supply ships off the Cape Peninsula. When the main fleet sailed into Table Bay on 4 January 1806, Janssens mobilised his garrison, declared martial law and called up the militia.

Two British infantry brigades, under the command of Lt Gen Sir David Baird, landed at Melkbosstrand on 6 and 7 January 1806. Janssens moved his forces to intercept them with the intent of attacking them right there on the beach and then to withdraw to the interior where he had hoped to hold out until the French troopships arrived. He knew that victory against the stronger and bigger British forces wasn’t possible, but he thought the honour of his fatherland demanded a fight.

However, on 8 January 1806, Baird’s brigades reached the slopes of the Blaauwberg mountain before Janssens and his troops did. Janssens halted and ordered his men to form a line across the veld.

The battle began at sunrise. At the onset, Janssens had 2 049 troops. They were far outnumbered by Baird and his 5 399 men. At the end of the battle, Janssens had lost 353 in casualties and desertion. Baird had 212 casualties.

Following the battle, Janssens and his remaining men moved inland to Elandskloof in the Hottentots-Holland mountains.

The British forces reached the outskirts of Cape Town on 9 January. To protect the town and its civilian population from attack, the commandant of Cape Town, Lieutenant-Colonel Hieronymus Casimir von Prophalow sent out a white flag. He handed over the outer fortifications to Baird, and terms of surrender were negotiated later in the day.

However, Janssens, who was still the Batavian Governor of the Cape, still refused to surrender himself and his remaining troops. He was still sticking to his original plan to hold out as long as he could in the hope that the French troopships for which he had been waiting so long for would still arrive and save him.

Eventually, on 18 January, he finally agreed to capitulate. The terms of the capitulation were reasonably favourable towards the Batavian soldiers and citizens of the Cape. In March 1806, Janssens, along with other Batavian officials and troops, were sent back to the Netherlands.

The British forces occupied the Cape until 13 August 1814, when the Netherlands ceded the colony to Britian as a permanent possession. It remained a British colony until it was incorporated into the Union of South Africa on 31 May 1910.

Much to our relief, the only battles taking place in Blouberg these days are the ones between the windsurfers, kiteboarders and other athletes.

Source:www.malatabeach.co.za/Info.html

Have a ball

Alexandra Kosteniuk: The current Woman’s World Chess Champion – see her blog-link on my blog’s sidebar.

 

A nurse playing chess with a patient – WWI

Women at Chess in London
London, June 24 – The fourth round of the International Women’s Chess Tournament, played in this city this evening, was finished with the following results:
Stevenson beat Thomas in a Giuoco Piano after twenty-nine moves. Gooding beat Muller-Hartung in a French defense after fifty-three moves. Bonnefin beat Hooke in a Ruy Lopez after forty-eight moves. Fagan beat Watson in a French defense after seventy-four moves. Finn beat Forbes-Sharpe in a two-knight defense after forty-three moves. Rudge beat Field in a Giuoco Piano after twenty-nine moves. Fox beat De La Vigne in an irregular opening after thirty-one moves.
Appended are the scores up to date: 1897

*Games left unfinished
The New York Times
Published June 25, 1897
Click HERE to read the news article in PDF-format. Links will open in a new window.

Giuoco Piano – Chess Opening – image: Wikipedia

I’m not familiar with this name as a chess opening, I’ve heard/read about many chess openings, but this one was new to me.

The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening characterized by the moves

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bc4 Bc5
Instead of 3. … Bc5 it is possible for Black to play 3… Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 ( Two knights defence ) or 3. … Ne7 4.d4 d6 5. h3 Nf6 6.Nc3 0-0 7.0-0 exd4 ( Hungarian defence )

The Giuoco Piano (Italian: “quiet game”) is the oldest recorded opening. The Portuguese Damiano played it at the beginning of the 16th century and the Italian Greco played it at the beginning of the 17th century. The opening is also known as the Italian Game, although that term is sometimes used more generally to describe the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. The Giuoco Piano was popular through the 19th century, but modern refinements in defensive play have led most chess masters towards openings like the Ruy Lopez that offer White greater chances for long term initiative.

White’s “Italian bishop” at c4 prevents Black from advancing in the center with …d5 and attacks the vulnerable f7 square. White plans to dominate the center with d2-d4 and to attack the Black king. Black aims to free his game by exchanging pieces and playing the pawn break …d5, or to hold his center pawn at e5.

Source: Wikipedia

Another champ…

MRS. HARRISON TRIUMPHS

February 27, 1938, Sunday

 Defeats Miss Lesley in Women’s Title Chess Tourney.  Mrs. Edna Harrison continued her winning streak in the preliminaries for the Hazel Allen championship trophy at the Marshall Chess Club yesterday, defeating Miss Dora Lesley in the seventh round. Mrs. Harrison now has scored 6 1/2 points.

Click here to view the source.

Mar 5, 1986 – Lyudmila Rudenko, the first women’s world chess champion, has died at age 81, the official Soviet news agency Tass reported Tuesday. The news agency said she died Sunday in Leningrad. A native of the Ukraine, she won the first world chess competition for women in 1950, …

was a Soviet chess player and the second Women’s World Chess Champion from 1950 until 1953. Rudenko held the FIDE International Master and Woman International Master titles.

Born in Lubny in the Poltava region of Ukraine, in the Russian Empire, her father taught her to play chess at age 10 although at first she was more serious about swimming. After grammar school, she moved to Odessa and took a degree in economics. Rudenko became the Odessa swimming champion in the 400m breaststroke. Her professional career would be as an economic planner for the Soviet Union, and chess would remain a hobby.

She began playing tournament chess in 1925 after a move to Moscow. She then moved to Leningrad where she met and married scientist Lev Davidovich Goldstein; in 1931 they had a son. In Leningrad in 1929 she began training with chess master Peter Romanowski. She would not reach the peak of international women’s chess until she was about 40 years old.

Source: Wikipedia – Vera Menchik died during a German air raid in Kent.

Lasker and Women …

Among the women fond of chess of this country, mrs J W Showalter has long been considered the champion chess player. At present she is engaged in a little match with Lasker who has to concede to her the odds of a knight. Mrs Showalter has so far won two games, while her opponent has registered an equal number of wins.

Read the NYTimes-article dated 1890’s here.

On this Google-link you will find more links about the history of women in chess to follow up.

 
To explore some chess openings, click on this link from the site of chessgames. To enjoy your chess openings, I have three music files to share with you which you might want to listen while exploring some chess openings. Choose the music to open your chess dance floor and have a ball! The first song is a famous song – Zorba’s Dance. The second, a South African golden oldie – Helloh-A  and Strauss – The Skaters Waltz. I will of course choose the music of Strauss to open my chess dance floor. On rainy days like today, Amazon can be sure of making their money out of me when it comes to music!

Image:chess.com

Zorba’s Dance by Mikis Theodorakis
from the CD: Memories from Greece  – see the youtube-link for the dance.

I once tried to teach this dance to 10 year old kiddies for our class assembly – see this video….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkHfKjwPHXo

Sharon Tany and Billy Forest – Helloh-A

The Skaters Waltz – Mantovani and his orchestra. If you prefer a different Waltz to open your chess ball, enjoy this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJNcomorvjg

The Sicilian Defence: Eduard Gufeld – a book I found on Amazon about openings.

Click here to take a look inside  Modern Chess Openings or to order it from Amazon. The Giuoco Piano (“quiet game”) is even chapter 2 in this book!

Something to do on a rainy day!

Noddy – BBC and SA

This news article caught my eye immediately. As a qualified library teacher (too), part of my job was to make sure only quality books were available for the kiddies to read in the school’s library. In our schools in South Africa, we used to have catalogues which contained only approved books. Approved books were books approved by Library Subject Consultants/Advisors. There were catalogues sent to the school’s library every three months with the latest approved books. Every book in the catalogue had an approved catalogue-number. You couldn’t have books on your library’s shelves without the approved number written on the title page. Enid Blyton’s books were also banned from our schools as they were seen as books with not much literary value. – It seems to me this is at least one thing the red necks and the boers agreed on. [hehe] Here is the complete article with the link at the bottom.

Enid Blyton banned by BBC for decades: memos

Popular children’s author Enid Blyton was banned from the BBC for nearly 30 years because officials thought her work “lacked literary value”, letters from the broadcaster’s archives showed Monday.

BBC executives turned down the chance to broadcast the plays and books of the creator of Noddy, the Famous Five and the Secret Seven because they were “such small beer” and had been produced by a “second rater”.

In an internal memo dated 1938, Jean Sutcliffe, head of the BBC Schools department, dismissed the work of the woman who went on to become one of the best-selling authors of her era.

“My impression of her stories is that they might do for Children’s Hour but certainly not for Schools Dept. They haven’t much literary value,” she wrote.

“There is rather a lot of the Pinky-winky-Doodle-doodle Dum-dumm type of name (and lots of pixies) in the original tales,” she added, before conceding they were “competently written”.

Two years later, the daily radio programme “Children’s Hour” rejected Blyton’s play “The Monkey and the Barrel Organ” because producers found its dialogue “both stilted and long winded”.

One team member wrote: “It really is odd to think that this woman is a best-seller.”

The released letters show Blyton realised she had been blacklisted.

After being invited to speak on a children’s programme in May 1949, Blyton replied to the producer: “I and my stories are completely banned by the BBC as far as children are concerned — not one story has ever been broadcast, and, so it is said, not one ever will be.”

In 1954, Sutcliffe explained that Blyton should not appear on the popular “Woman’s Hour” programme because the BBC risked becoming “just another victim of the amazing advertising campaign which has raised this competent and tenacious second-rater to such astronomical heights of success.”

Blyton finally appeared on “Woman’s Hour” in 1963, almost three decades after she first pitched ideas to the BBC.

She died in 1968 at the age of 71, but her books remain best-sellers today.

News-link HERE

How sweet the sound

Read here on the site of Il Divo more about these Opera singers and their tours around the world. The link will open in a new window. I love this type of  music and these guys are just…Amazing!!

Amazing Grace -

John Newton (1725-1807)

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

 
T’was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
‘Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we’ve been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

done

De man of Delft

Cornelis de Man of Delft, The Chess Players, c. 1670, Oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest – Source:mentalblog

We all know by looking at evidence like art, poems, photos etc. we can tell what happened in the past. Do I have to say more…
See this video if you want me to explain more…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WLGMC9B6zw

Cat-man-do

Nicky – My cat – looked exactly like this cat!
Read on this link HERE  more and see more cat pics and read about all sorts of cat-books. Nicky was a cat like this kitty in this video!

Lekka Lekka ywe!

English Readers - enjoy the chicken jokes in this post. This post is mainly Afrikaans. There is an Afrikaans song too – about chickens – sung by a Capetonion. I really enjoy this song and the Afrikaans is typical of the Cape Coloureds. I love their accent and the way they express themselves, it’s very unique and very colourful. I have two Afrikaans poems too. When I was at primary school, we learned many poems by heart and these two are still fresh in my mind as I enjoyed the word-play and the way the poets expressed themselves. You do miss out  if you can’t read Afrikaans,  as Blum’s poem  is rich in humour.

So why did the chicken cross the road?

Aristotle:  To actualize its potential.
Julius Caesar:  To come, to see, to conquer.
Rene Descartes:  It had sufficient reason to believe it was dreaming anyway.
Dr. Seuss:   Did the chicken cross the road?
Did he cross it with a toad?
Yes! The chicken crossed the road,
but why it crossed, I’ve not been told!
Bill Gates:   I have just released Chicken XP, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book — and Explorer is an inextricable part of the operating system.
Plato: For the greater good.
Karl Marx:   It was a historical inevitability.
Nietzsche:   Because if you gaze too long across the Road, the Road gazes also across you.
Carl Jung:   The confluence of events in the cultural gestalt necessitated that individual chickens cross roads at this historical juncture, and therefore synchronicitously brought such occurrences into being.
Albert Einstein:  Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road crossed the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.
David Hume:   Out of custom and habit.
Mark Twain:   The news of its crossing has been greatly exaggerated.
William Shakespeare: I don’t know why, but methinks without much ado. William Wordsworth:  To have something to recollect in tranquility.

Jokes and cartoon: Randyshomestead

Peter Emil Julius Blum was born on 4 May 1925 in Trieste, Italy. Blum arrived in South Africa as a child. At this time, he was already able to speak several languages, among others German and Italian. After his studies in Cape Town and Stellenbosch, he took up a position as a librarian in Cape Town.

Blum got married in 1955 to Henrietta Cecilia Smit, who was an art teacher.He wrote and published several articles and poems, which were not always uncontroversial. His success as a poet was first affirmed in 1956 when he won the Reina Prinsen Geerligs Prize for his volume Steenbok tot poolsee (the title being a reference to the Tropic of Capricorn and the southern Antarctic Ocean, relating to the geographical location of South and Southern Africa). Source: Wikipedia

Peter Blum – Image: Stellenboschwriters

Die miljenêr se kombuis

‘n Pellie van my, wa da’ wêk as kok,
het my vandag laat inloer innie huis
vannie ou miljenêr,sy baas. Kombuis?
Jy sou gasê het dis die Duncan-dok!

Tsaaina en messegoed tot anie nok,
Fridzidêrs volgaprop met piekfyn vleis,
Eiers,vrugta en groentes van ‘n soort bok!

Toe sê hy, “Ennie kjeller’s die ena kroeg –
Whisky en brannewyn ,dzien en muskedil.”
Toe sê ek , Wragtie , diè baas is gaseën!

Ga’ hy nou patie skop? Daa’s oorganoeg
Om twintag ouens ‘n week lank te laat smul.
“Nei” , sê hy ,”die baas eet altyd alleen.”

Peter Blum

DIE DUNCAN VAN DIE DUNCAN-DOK

Sir Patrick Duncan het in April 1937 goewerneur-generaal geword. Hy is benoem deur die toenmalige eerste minister, J.B.M. Hertzog.

Hoewel hy in Engeland gebore is, het Duncan die grootste gedeelte van sy volwasse lewe in Suid-Afrika deurgebring, waar hy onder meer as minister van binnelandse sake, onderwys en openbare werke en later minister van mynwese gedien het.

Na afloop van die Anglo-Boereoorlog, waar hy onder lord Alfred Milner ge­dien het, het hy ’n tyd lank as prokureur in Johannesburg gewerk.
Duncan is op 17 Julie 1943 oorlede.
Sy graf is by die Portnet-gebou in die Kaapse hawe en kan deur die publiek besoek word.

http://jv.dieburger.com//Stories/News/19.0.1563301634.aspx

Bronne: www.lib.uct.ac.za; www.sahistory.org.za.

Dankie aan Skoor en Sigeuner vir al die moeite met die vind van hierdie gedig deur Peter Blum. Op hierdie link van Skoor se blog kan julle die gesprekke gaan opvolg…natuurlik was my brein bietjie verroes ook en het ek hierdie twee gedigte op ‘n stadium gemeng! [hehe] Spesiale dankie aan Skoor vir die pragtige Afrikaanse musiek wat sy aangestuur het en vir Sigeuner se massiewe soektog – haar FBI-agente inkluis! – na die gedig. Talle e-posse het tussen my en Sigeneur heen-en-weer gevlieg en tussen haar besige, dolle, gejaagde  lewe – met kinders en huiswerk tussen-in, het sy nogtans tyd gemaak om ook Sherlok Houms  en haar ondergrondse Mafia agente nader te trek in hierdie soektog![hehe] Dankie Sigeuner! Ek geniet die taal van die Kaapse Kleurlinge en hoe hulle hulself uitdruk – vol humor en ek kan my verluister aan hulle. Geniet die Hoender song van die CD wat Skoor my gestuur het.

Kaalvoet Klonkie – ID du Plessis 

Verflenterde kaalvoet klonkie
Wat groente verkoop in die reën,
Met jou lelike skurwe tone
En jou lendelam hoepelbeen,
Jy kom met jou venterliedjie
Deur die mistige Kaapse straat
En helder sing jy die woorde
Op jou eie koddige maat:

Lekka, lekka ywe,
Laat die ghantang nadderskywe!
Tamaties en ywe vars van die Strand
En baie kiri slam by die huis se kant!

Jy kom uit die deel van die Kanaldorp
Waar die dieners gewapend moet gaan
En die weerlig van `n skeermeslem
In `n donker hoek neer mag slaan.
Miskien kon jy :Bismillah” sê
Vanmôre, omdat in die kas
Wat dae lank so leeg moet bly,
Daar weer `n broodjie was?
Of dink jy al aan Nuwejaar
As die troepe deur Waalstraat stroom
Van die Bo-Kaap na die Onder-Kaap
Langs die stomp van die slaweboom?
Is dit wat jou so laat bokspring
En dans op jou hoepelbeen,
Verflenterde kaalvoet klonkie,
As jy groente verkoop in die reën?
Ek hou van jou vrolike klanke
Waarmee jy die winter tart.
Sing jy hierdie ligte deuntjie
Bo `n somberte in jou hart?
En as jy op na die Boereplein
Met jou boepens-mandjie gaan,
Dan trek jou parmantige liedjie
Deur die strate agter jou aan:

Lekka, lekka ywe,
Laat die ghantang nadderskywe!
Tamaties en ywe vars van die Strand
En baie kiri slam by die huis se kant!

Lekka Lekka ywe!

Chicken art – by Alexis Bester

A Golden Load

We drove off this afternoon – I wanted to keep my sanity, with all the marking of GCSE Coursework – and took the road down where we live into the countryside. The first photo was taken about 500m from our house and the others – as we travelled down Chartridge Lane. Photo 13 and 14 were taken along the road which I travel daily. I have more pics to share, but thought to spoil you a bit later with more. Seasons in the northern hemisphere change rapidly. Now you see bare trees, now you don’t! We new those lovely colours would be gone by next week and I’m glad I was in time to show you what it looks like during Autumn where we live now. Enjoy the Autumn-poems too.

Die plekkie waar ons bly is nie baie groot nie, maar heelwat groter as wat ek gedink het. Wat klein is, is die besigheidsarea – daar’s nie ‘n verskeidenheid van winkeltjies nie. Wat wel lekker is, is hulle Boeremark op Saterdae. Heerlike vars groente en vrugte is te koop. Ons naburige Amersham – byna 1 myl van hier af, het ‘n groot en lekker Tesco wat 24 uur oop is en hulle hoofstraat word in die week toegemaak en dan’s daar ook ‘n straatmark. Die twee plekkies – Chesham en Amersham – het altwee ‘n baie ou gedeelte wat hulle die “old town” noem. Ek het foto’s geneem van Chesham se old town gedeelte, alhoewel dit ‘n klein gedeelte is, Amersham se gedeelte is groter en ek gaan Saterdag daar lekker foto’s neem om te blog. Albei die plekkies het geboue wat dateer uit Doomsday! Dit skep natuurlik atmosfeer wat jy nie sommer kan beskryf nie. Natuurlik is daar ook hordes villages al om hierdie areas, baie klein. Hierdie Pub in hierdie possie is in so ‘n klein village afgeneem – “The Lee”.

Vroegherfs: NP van Wyk Louw

Die jaar word ryp in goue akkerblare,
in wingerd wat verbruin, en witter lug
wat daglank van die nuwe wind en klare
son deurspoel word; elke blom word vrug,
tot selfs die traagstes; en die eerste blare val
so stilweg in die rookvaal bos en laan,
dat die takke van die lang populiere al
teen elke ligte môre witter staan.
O Heer, laat hierdie dae heilig word:
Laat alles val wat pronk en sieraad was
of enkel jeug, en ver was van die pyn;
laat ryp word, Heer, laat u wind waai, laat stort
my waan, tot al die hoogheid eindelik vas
en nakend uit my teerder jeug verskyn.
Uit Vroegherfs

To Autumn by William Blake

O Autumn, laden with fruit, and stain’d
With the blood of the grape, pass not, but sit
Beneath my shady roof; there thou may’st rest,
And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe,
And all the daughters of the year shall dance!
Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.

‘The narrow bud opens her beauties to
The sun, and love runs in her thrilling veins;
Blossoms hang round the brows of Morning, and
Flourish down the bright cheek of modest Eve,
Till clust’ring Summer breaks forth into singing,
And feather’d clouds strew flowers round her head.

‘The spirits of the air live in the smells
Of fruit; and Joy, with pinions light, roves round
The gardens, or sits singing in the trees.’
Thus sang the jolly Autumn as he sat,
Then rose, girded himself, and o’er the bleak
Hills fled from our sight; but left his golden load.