I have received a PDF document from my sister with the words, ‘…you will be interested to follow up the links in this document and read more, as you like to write as well. I think it runs in the family.’ Well, yes, I like to ‘write’, but where is the time if you haven’t got it? I wish I had all the time in the world! When I read the following paragraph about what AP Brink said about Barend Toerien, I thought by myself, hey, but this is me too! I love mountains and hiking in the mountains – I’ve done several trips in the Drakensberg and the Wild Coast. I am a qualified librarian teacher, who LOVES libraries and books! Last, but not least, I’ve done some translations… not really something to get excited about, but at least one poem that got published… Barend Toerien grew up in Porterville, the ‘home‘ of my Grandma. It’s great to know about your relatives and what they have achieved, it makes you feeling better about yourself ….hehehe!! Ok, I am proud of him, to be honest.
Please click here to access the PDF, which is in Afrikaans only. This PDF contains a number of news articles from various newspapers about Barend Toerien and MC Toerien. Both were writers/poets.
Uit: Momente (herfs)
XV
Sê nou die koue maan
ruk hom los
en tuimel agter die trekganse aan?
Chessalee 
BJ is een van die (tweede or derde) mees vertaalde Afrikaanse digter in Rusland. Weet jy hy het eens Rusland besoek?
Hm. Ek het nie geweet nie jy and hy is verwant. 🙂
Hi Eugene… Sjoe, dis nuus! Wow, watter gedigte? Ek sal graag wil weet. Ja, ek is bewus daarvan dat hy in Rusland was. 🙂 Wens ek kon gaan. Ek is nou nie die ‘wereldburger’ soos hy nie. Tyd ontbreek [ en geld – hehe]
Ek moet Eugene Witkowski vra. Hy weet presies omdat dit was HY wat vertaal het 😉
hi Eugene, Dankie! Ek is geduldig. 🙂
Hi Eugene! I’ve got the book now – by Toerien: Augustus in Moskou. I just need to start reading! 🙂
Ek het dit nou ook. Het dit verlede Augustus — presies 25 jaar na die gebeurtenisse in Moskou! — via die Internet in SA bestel en nou net ontvan. Het dit nog nie gelees nie. 🙂
Ek was toe by ons landhus. 😉
Hi Eugene, Wow, ek’s bly! Hy is seker opgewonde! ‘Landhus’? is dit ‘n huis? 🙂
Ja, vir seker, “huis”. 🙂 (Btw, “landhus” is korrek in Sweeds.)
hi Eugene, Dis interessant – Sweeds. Dus, ek kan so bietjie Sweeds begin leer ook. lol
Vir seker. Vanaf Afrikaans kan mens ALLE Germaanse tale bemeester en beheers! (Dis presies wat ek besig is om te doen. Nederlands, Duis en Sweeds.)
hi Eugne, Duits is nogal maklik – een van my susters het dit op skool gehad en ek het so bietjie deur haar handboeke geblaai, ek het nogal daarvan gehou! Sweeds klink nou interessant – hoe lank studeer jy nou daaraan?
Minder as ‘n maand. Dit was een van my nuwejaarsvoornemens. 😉
(Saam met Latyn). 😉
Sjoe! Is dit maklik? Jy het seker hooo-pe tyd? 🙂
Twintig minute per taal per dag is nie baie nie. Ek weet. Ek praat reeds drie vreemde tale, dus ken ek die proseduur 😉
Liewe Aarde! Ek was so pas op Babbel – en die eerste fase van Sweeds deurgewerk! Hej! 🙂 Tack!
Gaan aan! Moenie ophou nie. Twintig minute per dag. 😉
hi Eugene, Ek het net sowat 3 min per dag om dit te doen. 🙂
Dan moet jy moet sewentien minute minder slaap. 😉 Sewentien minute is nie baie nie. 😉
Jy is nou baie tough met my! 17 minute is vrek baie vir my! 🙂 Ek neem omtrent 20 minute om 1 boek te merk – met al die werk gedoen in een dag. LOL
Dis eintlik vrek min; oukay, dan moet jy eet ‘n bietjie goer om 6 minute per maal te spaar 😉
🙂 ek eet alreeds my bord kos in slegs 6 sekondes, as gevolg van die baie merkwerk haha
I think it’s very cool that you received this information about your relative, and I also impressed by someone who gets any type of book published.
Hmm… I seem to remember something about those Drakensberg Mountains you’ve explored. Now just what WAS that? Seems to me, that it involved a dragon holding a Princess hostage, with the cruel heat of his dragon breath causing her to wish for the relief of air conditioning… Or maybe it was all just a dream.
Lol 🙂
Hi Chris! Thanks, I’ve thought so too and appreciated that my sis was thinking about me. 🙂 You are sooooooooooooo right about the Drakensberg Mountains and that Princess….! lol… Edit: It is only 1 poem that got published – not a book, I think I need to make that one clear. 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂 So that Princess wasn’t just a dream, then. Is she still hot? Hopefully not… unless she’s hot in a good way, which I’m sure she is, when she’s comfortably cool 🙂
One poem published, is one more poem than I’ve ever had published, so I’m still impressed, and also impressed with you for making the issue clear… that you clearly have talent.
Hi Chris – if you go to this link, https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/02/02/drakensberg-mountains-movie-2/ you will find a ‘movie’ I put together and you will see why this mountain range is called the ‘Drakensberg’ mountains [Dragon-mountains] 🙂 That Princess is really hot [2x] with all the dragons surrounding her, so you will need to take all your magical powers, wisdom and the Royal Knights and Guards to rescue her from all those dragons! 🙂
I just watched your movie, and I can see that those mountains, while very impressive and beautiful, would be the type of place where dragons would be found. But this Princess who is really hot, and then really hot again, makes me twice as determined to mobilize all my magical powers combined with my great wisdom, and form a massive army of the most courageous Royal Knights and Guards who are fierce warriors and men of honor and valor.
Our mighty army will storm the dragon stronghold, and if the dragons do not immediately free the Princess, they will be sprayed with 100 giant fire extinguishers, and not only will all their fiery dragon breath be permanently put out, the dragons will look ridiculous when covered with all that white flame retardant from the giant fire extinguishers. And there’s nothing more that dragons hate than looking ridiculous, since they are such vain creatures.
So let this really hot {2x} Princess know that the day of her rescue from all the dragons will soon be at hand, and she will no longer be hot, unless she chooses to be hot in a way that she really enjoys, to celebrate her rescue. 🙂
Hi Chris
I’m glad you watched the movie, but you will only come to understanding of those mountains – as to how they really link to dragons – when you visit them! [lol] They do look a ‘little bit’ huge in the movie or on pictures, you need to go THERE…to experience them yourself to get the real ‘dragon’ feeling. 🙂 Meanwhile, the Princess is waiting for those in command to storm the stronghold of dragons. But for you, not knowing really what those dragons can be like, you will have to triple your ‘party’. The fact that they might be Royal Knights, shouldn’t put you at ease, unless you triple your numbers – just a ‘quiet, early warning’ [hehe]
Ek sal later Eugene Witkowski — jou Oom Barend se vertaler — vra. Jammer, hy is nou ‘n bietjie siek.
In tussen, kyk hierna: http://152.111.1.87/argief/berigte/dieburger/1990/01/09/7/2.html
Hi Eugene, Baie dankie! Dis ‘n baie interessante link! Dit lyk na ‘n bloginskrywing – met jou hulp 🙂 Ek sal geduldig wag en dan die inskrywing doen – ek hoop Eugene W raak sommer vinnig beter.
“I am a qualified librarian.” Well, so am I. 🙂
Hi Dan – you are a ‘librarian’? didn’t know it. 🙂 thought you were only working in the Library.
Well, what did you think I did there? I know, nothing! 😀
That’s what you always said, ‘nothing’ – just ‘watching’ and reading maps. 🙂
Speaking of books …
http://versindaba.co.za/2011/01/19/frances-lubbe-die-koms-van-die-kindle
Hi Eugene, Thanks for the link!