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Memories are made of this

19/05/2012 by Nikita

Femme à Côté d’un Échiquier, by Henry Matisse -[credit:chessbase]

Images: http://www.pbase.com/arnomeintjes/drakensberg

Missing ‘The Berg‘ today! Wish for a mountain – a proper mountain – to climb.

Posted in chess art, Drakensberg mountains, Drakensberge, South Africa, Suid-Afrika | Tagged Chess, Drakensberg Mountain, South Africa, Suid-Afrika | 26 Comments

26 Responses

on 19/05/2012 at 14:30 rondomtaliedraai

*drukkie* … sterkte.
- on 19/05/2012 at 14:39 Nikita
  
  Hi RTTaliedraai! Dankie!
on 19/05/2012 at 21:05 Eugene

‘n Egte berg om te klim! ‘n Egte een om daavan af te val. 🙂
- on 19/05/2012 at 21:14 Nikita
  
  Eugene! Het jy al van ‘gravity’ gehoor? 🙂 jy val nie ‘af’ van ‘n berg nie…jy klim hom! 🙂
on 21/05/2012 at 17:28 Eugene

Dankie! Voorsetesels was nooit my beste suit nie! 🙂
- on 21/05/2012 at 18:28 Nikita
  
  😆
on 23/05/2012 at 11:14 boerinballingskap

Soos jy kon sien het ek gedoen wat jy wou. 🙂
- on 23/05/2012 at 18:12 Nikita
  
  Jy het my BAIE jaloers gehad!! Nou sal ek moet plan maak om dit 1-1 te maak! 🙂 Terwyl ons so met die skaak [Anand vs Gelfand] so in die gelykop bly.
on 28/05/2012 at 20:22 james higham

Matisse? And I thought it was one of yours, Nikita.
- on 29/05/2012 at 19:33 Nikita
  
  Hi James! I always wanted to be a good painter/artist – but I’m really rubbish at it, painting plates/fabric – closest I can get 🙂 wish it WAS me who painted this painting, I quite like it. 🙂 Shall I pretend it was me? lol
on 29/05/2012 at 23:00 Chris Sheridan

I like the Matisse painting, and the photos/video of The Drakensberg Mts look truly beautiful – like the kind of high and wonderful places that deeply move me when I’m up there.

Do you ever hike or climb them?
- on 29/05/2012 at 23:44 Nikita
  
  hi Chris!
  I’m glad you like it too. That mountain is THE most beautiful place [mountain] I’ve ever seen. There are amazing places in ‘The Berg’ – you can just dream of it. I was on the summit of the highest peak [on the side of South Africa] when I was just 15 – Mount Aux Sources…the actual highest peak is in the enclaved country – Lesotho – Thaba Ntlenyana [think my spelling here is correct – meaning ‘little mountain’ – Thaba = mountain and the suffix ‘yana’ = little – if I remember my Northern Sotho ‘grammar’ from years ago! 🙂
  I’ve been in ‘The Berg’ – general name for it by many South Africans – a few times, a few hiking trips – think about 10 [ or more]. The mountain range stretches from the Northern part of the country to the far Southern part of the country – and I’ve been to various places in the moutain range. It’s truly a beautiful place to go on hiking trips, lots of caves to sleep – or huts. Some of the hiking trips done with library monitors – age 9-13 and some with friends etc. WORTH going there any time of the year, you might find all 4 seasons even during October! – Spring – snow high up in the mountains Have I persuaded you to go there? 🙂 no? well, I have to direct you to other entries on my blog! 🙂 To reach the summit of Mt Aux Sources, you go up with 2 chainladders! It was quite windy up there! Scary… but 5000% worth it!
- on 30/05/2012 at 02:06 Chris Sheridan
  
  And a hello again to you! WordPress hasn’t been sending me any notifications of comments and replies for the last 5 hrs, so I’m glad that I backtracked here and saw your reply.
  
  If I had unlimited income, I would spend the rest of my life traveling to incredible places of natural beauty, and your descriptions are very persuasive. Especially going up the chain ladders of Mt Aux Sources, because I live for that sort of thing! Lol – So if somehow I figure out how to become independently wealthy and soon, well I’ll put your area on my list! 🙂
- on 30/05/2012 at 07:01 Nikita
  
  hi Chris
  Silly WP! 🙂 I hope that happens soon, you will not regret it. It shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg, just flight ticket and the braveness to explore that huge mountain – Drakensberg = Dragon Mountains – that name is for a reason. LOL
- on 30/05/2012 at 09:31 Chris Sheridan
  
  Really? Drakensberg = Dragon Mountains? Does that mean that here there be dragons? Are the dragons holding any beautiful Princesses hostage, who would be so incredibly happy when I rescued them, that they would be willing to do anything to express their sincere and deeply heartfelt gratitude to me?
  
  This changes everything, and I might figure out how to find the cash for this trip much sooner than I thought!!! LOL 😉
- on 30/05/2012 at 18:43 Nikita
  
  LOL!! LOL!! Chris, yes, that is true…the Dragon-mountains. Draak = Dutch/Afrikaans for Dragon. 🙂 There might just BE a beautiful princess waiting to be rescued, she is actually waiting to be rescued from the current heat and she’s ready to express her sincere gratitude for any rescue operation – in the next few hours or so! haha… 🙂
- on 30/05/2012 at 19:46 Chris Sheridan
  
  Hi there! 🙂 It’s late in the day, but I just woke up and I’m having trouble clearing my head, but you are definitely helping me to come around. Lol – You sound like you might have inside information on this beautiful Princess who needs to be rescued from her cruel dragon captor and his chronically hot dragon breath, and this inspires me; a man of action, into action!
  
  But in the next few hours or so? Now that’s a tall order for even me, and damn those French and Brits for discontinuing all flights on the SST Supersonic Transport jet, cause now that could have been a way that I would have had a chance to make it in time!
  
  If only I was Superman… cause then I could just jump out a window and fly there! (and use my x-ray vision to discreetly see if woman’s panties match her bra) Yeah if I was Superman, instead of just a super guy, (and very modest too!) I’d be there in a flying flash of speed!
  
  But now what if that evil dragon had a big chunk of glowing green Kryptonite waiting for me? Being a fellow mythical creature, that dragon might know all about my ultimate weakness as Superman, and it would be curtains for me! (though I prefer drapes and Venetian blinds) But since I’m not really Superman, well I laugh disdainfully at Kryptonite… and those weakly lame jokes it tries to tell me.
  
  But since I’m not really Superman, but just a super guy, I’m also not going to make it to the Drakensberg Mts in just a few hours… as much as I’d really love to. (deep breath – big sigh)
  
  Is there any way that my beautiful Princess can hold out for a day or so longer? If only she could, well then I’d save her from her cruel dragon, and give her relief from the sweltering heat… and then once she was comfortably cool again, and ever so grateful to me, I’d make her hot again, but in another way that I know she would really enjoy.
  
  So wait for me if you can, my fair and lovely Princess… I’m doing my very best to save you, but it may take somewhat longer than a few hours, and just remember that often good things come to those who wait – unless they are suddenly turned deliciously crispy and eaten by a hungry dragon… LOL 😀
- on 30/05/2012 at 19:55 Chris Sheridan
  
  I just sent you a rather long and elaborate comment that WP apparently turned invisible – and now won’t let me post again, because WP keep telling me I already posted it, even though I can’t see it. But I have one more Ace up my sleeve before I must be going to a meeting, for which I am already late. Hope this works, and hope I’m still working, after being late for this meeting! Lol
- on 30/05/2012 at 20:30 Nikita
  
  Silly WP – again! – it was caught in the Spam filter!
on 30/05/2012 at 19:59 Chris Sheridan

Crap!!! But I will not be defeated!!! In about five minutes – go check out my latest blog post…
- on 30/05/2012 at 20:29 Nikita
  
  LOL! You are so funny!
  PS: Your long msg was caught in the spam filter!
- on 30/05/2012 at 23:20 Chris Sheridan
  
  Thanks! 🙂 I enjoy thinking so, and enjoy it even more when a lady like you confirms it. However, I do NOT enjoy WordPress or it’s virtual henchmen mindlessly relegating my replies to your spam folder, when we’ve already been having an ongoing conversation since yesterday!
  
  But that was then, and this is now, so no point in dwelling on it, since all’s well that ends well. You got my message and you seemed to have enjoyed it, as I also enjoyed writing it. 🙂
  
  While I did end up quite late for my meeting, I still didn’t get sacked for it, so I still have a job. Which is a good thing, because still having a job will increase my chances of affording that trip to the Drakensberg Mts and then fulfilling my destiny of slaying that dragon, rescuing a certain beautiful (and charming) Princess, as well as air conditioning her to her heart’s content.
  
  Thanks for being fun, and for having a sense of humor that is capable of appreciating mine – this is not always common, which makes you uncommon to me. 🙂
  
  I will now copy and save this message before attempting to post, and remind WordPress of this one eternal truth: I am NOT a SPAM ANIMAL!! I am a MAN!!! (but not an elephant man – though it was a very good movie, even if rather depressing)
on 30/05/2012 at 23:59 Nikita

Hi Chris, I’m glad you still have your job! That definitely increases the chance to be rescued! This is so exciting to know that soon I will no longer be the slave to this sweltering heat, but can look forward to some rescue operations pelting down on me so I can breathe easily on the wings of a torrent bringing some relief.

Fun and sense of humor= my first and second names! I really enjoy people like you, always great to have fun in this madness we call ‘world’ 🙂
- on 31/05/2012 at 22:50 Chris Sheridan
  
  And pleasant and pleasing hello again to you! 🙂 Yes, it’s still good to have a job, however much the job can be a pain in the ass at times. While ultimately money can’t buy happiness, having no money is a virtual guarantee for unhappiness, unless you are an ascetic or a saint, and then I still have my doubts.
  
  Since Fun and Sense of humor are your first and second names, may I call you Fun? Or would I be too familiar with you, by using your first name, and should I more properly address you as Ms. Sense of humor? Lol 😉
  
  In any case, you really are quite delightful, whatever name you choose to be called, and I’m glad that you enjoy my part in our conversations, since the enjoyment is mutual. 🙂
- on 01/06/2012 at 00:30 Nikita
  
  Hi Chris – Fun doesn’t sound like ‘me’, it sounds too common haha…
  Ms Sense of Humor sounds more like ‘me’, you know, more like a title…lol!
  Thank you for your compliments!
- on 01/06/2012 at 00:47 Chris Sheridan
  
  You are most welcome, Ms. Sense of Humor! 🙂