Africa

If you haven’t watched this 1985s movie ‘Out of Africa’, then you really haven’t seen a great movie as yet. I’ve seen this movie about 4 times and then I even went so far to buy the DVD. In this clip: Flying over Africa. The setting is Kenya. If you’re from Africa, you are not born in Africa, Africa is inside of you. Africa never leaves you. Only if you were born in Africa, you know Africa what it is really like.

Read Full Post »

Afrikaans! Afrikaans! Afrikaans!

You can click on this mosaic for a larger view.

English readers: This poem in this entry is about South Africa. I dedicated the 14th August 2008 to Afrikaans, the language I love and my mother tongue. This is, in our history, used to be an important day as we celebrated Afrikaans as our language. Afrikaans was forbidden to use by Afrikaans speaking people in the Cape when the English occupied the Cape. A sign/tag was placed around children’s necks in schools saying, “donkey”, if they had dared to speak Afrikaans.

On 14th August 1875 the GRA was founded. Their task was to promote Afrikaans. They also requested – on the 24th August 1878 – for the Bible to be translated into Afrikaans.

In this poem I refer to some places and nature.  On the link of my 2008-entry, you can see the Afrikaans Language Monument. Good news for Afrikaans too: WordPress and Facebook have gone Afrikaans! If you choose Afrikaans as your language in the settings in WordPress, you will find most terms on your dashboard in Afrikaans. 

Hoogenhout, a famous South African poet, said the following after Afrikaans was forbidden in schools in the early 1920s.

“English! English! All is English! What you see and hear

In our schools, in our churches, our Mother tongue is killed”

Was dit Hoogenhout wat in ‘n gedig gesê het:

“Engels! Engels! Alles Engels! Engels wat jy sien en hoor;
In ons skole, in ons kerke, word ons moedertaal vermoor.
Ag, hoe word ons volk verbaster, daartoe werk ons leraars saam.
Hollands nog in seek’re skole: is bedrog, ‘n blote naam!
Wie hom nie laat anglisere, word geskolde en gesmaad.
Tot in Vrystaat en Transvaal al, oweral dieselfde kwaad.
‘Dis vooruitgang’, roep die skreeuwers, ‘dis beskawing wat nou kom!
Die wat dit nie wil gelowe, die is ouderwets en dom…’.”

 I‘ve been to a few countries and many places in the UK. I still think South Africa is the most beautiful country in the world. We have such an abundance of beauty and  diversity in nature. We have the greenest canyon in the world- which is also the 3rd largest in the world, we have the highest waterfall in Africa and the 2nd highest in the world, the 3rd longest Tufa waterfall, the deepest mines, the largest zoo, the smallest butterfly, the largest diamond, the second largest amount of windmills on farms (280 000), the largest impact crater on earth, white lions, the largest ostrich population and much more.

On this link of the  The Drakensberg Mountains, you can read about my hiking trip in the Mountain when I was 15. I was on top of Mount Aux Sources, the highest peak of the mountain range in South Africa. The actual highest peak of this mountain range is in Lesotho and the peak is called, Thaba Ntlenyana (which means: beautiful little mountain). “Thaba” means “mountain” – the attributive “yana” means “little”. 

You can see a pic of one of the two chain ladders you have to go on to reach the summit. At the bottom of this post I have included an Afrikaans song by the Art teacher in my Secondary school. He was one of the two teachers on our hiking trip! He sings about “sidewalk people” and I’ve translated it roughly for you to understand.

More interesting facts – from quite a few years ago:

*Pretoria has the second largest number of embassies in the world after Washington, D.C.
*The University of South Africa – UNISA – is a pioneer of tertiary distance education and is the largest international correspondence university in the world with 250,000 students.
*Afrikaans is the youngest official language in the world.
*The Singita Private Game Reserve in the Kruger National Park was voted the best hotel in the world by the readers of travel publication, Conde Nast Traveller.
*Stellenbosch University was the first university in the world to design and launch a microsatellite.
*South Africa houses one of the three largest telescopes in the world at Sutherland in the Karoo.

South Africa is the first country to host a Fide rated Chess tournament where players from different countries played their games online! See my entry about the South African Open Chess Championships that took place in Cape Town.
Read HERE my post dedicated to Afrikaans only- last year 14th August. 

This stamp was issued October 1975. It was issued on the Inauguration of the Afrikaans Language Monument  and features the 1st edition of the Arikaanse Partiot (January 15, 1876), one of the first newspapers in Afrikaans rather than Dutch.
On this link you can see more stamps of South Africa.

Met die stigting van die Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners op 14 Augustus 1875 in die Paarl is ‘n tydvak van georganiseerde stryd om die Afrikaanse taal ingelui. In artikel IX van die Genootskap se bepalings word beoog om ‘n Afrikaanse maandblad uit te gee. Op hierdie dag in 1876 verskyn die eerste uitgawe van die maandblad Die Afrikaanse Patriot, wat die orgaan van die GRA sou wees. C.P. Hoogenhout was die eerste redakteur onder die skuilnaam Oom Lokomotief, wat deur die redakteurs na hom oorgeneem is. In Die Patriot dek die GRA die terreine van hul doelstelling, naamlik die van land, volk en taal. Daarin is leiding gegee ten opsigte van landsake, die Afrikaanse taal, geskiedenis en belangrike nuus. —lees meer op die link!

LEES HIER!!

Jan 2015 –Indien jy beplan om my eie gedigte te ‘leen’ vir jou Facebook bladsy of jou privaat blog of website, kan jy asseblief so vriendelik wees om my daaroor in te lig en daarna ook my skryfnaam ‘Nikita’ daarby te publiseer -soos dit by al my eie gedigte hier op my blog is! Dit is ‘n klein en simpel versoek. Ek vind my eie gedigte op heelwat ander websites and dit is vir my aangenaam om te weet dat ander mense my gedigte waardeer, maar daar is kopiereg reëls en ek sal dit waardeer indien jy dit sal respekteer en erkenning gee aan die skrywer van die gedig. Dan — vind ek ook my gedigte op internet bladsye van mense met sekere politieke sieninge en oorweginge waarmee ek nie saamstem nie. Ek het herhaaldelik gevra om my gedigte te verwyder en my versoeke word bloot geignoreer. Dit wys dat daar mense is wat nie ander se werke (eiendom) respekteer nie. Dit is die groot rede waarom ek die boodskap hier plaas.

Suid-Afrika: my land

Jy’s indrukwekkend, manjifiek
jou sondeurdrenkte landskappe
weerkaats helder beelde in my siel
jou pragtige wonders flikker oneindig
lank in die stilte van jou nagrus

Mount Aux Sources – so elegant en grasieus
verrys jy vanuit die voetheuwels, soos
‘n fakkel by die Spele ets jy lekkende
beelde teen die muur van my geheue
en voel ek jou hitte gloeiend teen my hart

O Blyde! ek fantaseer oor jou
magiese kragte wat jy sorgloos
en galant in die galery van my
stille gemoed stilletjies uitpak terwyl
my dawerende applous eggo
oor die velde van my gedagtes

Moederstad! hoe inskiklik laat jy my
telkens hakkel wanneer ek my herinneringe
sagkens koester – jou fasades!
waar ek jou gambiet betree
en gewillig my pionne oorgee

En saans voel ek jou fluweelagtige
skoonheid van elke sonsondergang
stadig neerdaal in my gemoed terwyl
ek stadig drink van jou geloofs-fonteine
wat borrellend bruis in oorvloed

Fragmentaries vier ek feeste
ek dans en omhels jou en jy –
jy blus my gees telkens met jou
magiese heildronke: een-vir-een
op ‘n toekoms – wat mag wees!
–Nikita –14/8/09 14:00

Sidewalk People

Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move like shadows in the street past me
Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move faceless past my heart

Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move like shadows in the street past me
Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move faceless past my heart

I wish I could look at a photo
to see what your world deep inside is like
borrow a piece of your dreams
I wonder who you are

I wish I could understand the language
in which you channelled your thoughts
I wish I could for a moment
share your path of life

Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move like shadows in the street past me
Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move faceless past my heart

perhaps it’s best for sure
‘cos if we know all of all
the sadness maybe
too hard too much
the love too beautiful

walk past one another
I stay I and you stay you
a single road leading somewhere
I wish I could understand

Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move like shadows in the street past me
Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move faceless past my heart

Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move like shadows in the street past me
Sidewalk People Sidewalk People
Move faceless past my heart

—translated–nikita

image: google

Sypaadjie Mense

Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg soos skimme in die straat verby
Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg gesigloos voor my hart verby

Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg soos skimme in die straat verby
Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg gesigloos voor my hart verby

ek wens ek kon ‘n kiekie kyk
hoe jou wêreld diep daar binne lyk
‘n stukkie van jou drome leen
ek wonder wie jy is

ek wens ek kon die taal verstaan
waarin jy jou gedagtes baan
ek wens ek kon ‘n oomblikkie
jou lewenspaadjie deel

Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg soos skimme in die straat verby
Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg gesigloos voor my hart verby

miskien is dit dalk beter so
want as ons iets van almal weet
die hartseer dalk te swaar te veel
die liefde dalk te mooi

stap maar bymekaar verby
ek bly ek en jy bly jy
‘n enkelpaadjie iewers heen
ek wens ek kon verstaan

Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg soos skimme in die straat verby
Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg gesigloos voor my hart verby

Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg soos skimme in die straat verby
Sypaadjie mense Sypaadjie mense
Beweeg gesigloos voor my hart verby

Sypaadjie Mense – Johan vd Watt

Sonja Herholdt, Ek verlang na jou.

Herman Holtzhausen – Transkaroo

Read Full Post »

A dream came true

Illustrations also by Joanna Troughton

 

Tortoise had a dream….

 

He dreamt of a tree which
was in a secret place.
From the tree’s branches grew
all the fruits of the earth –
bananas, dates, coconuts, melons,
millet, yams, cassava, maize,
pineapples and oranges.

 

Grandmother Koko has heard about the tree and she told Lion where to find it. All the animals thought that Tortoise was too slow and they wanted to go instead. They all failed, as they didn’t see the obstacles in their paths. Lion was first, then Elephant, Hyena, Ostritch, Baboon and lastly, Giraffe! All of them were warned not to look around but to look out. Despite them going, Tortoise also went to look for the tree, though against a slower pace than the other animals. He didn’t look around like the other animals and was determined to find this tree he saw in his dream. On the next image you can see his obstacle! The most dangerous and deadliest! The illustrations in this book are amazing, I wish I could scan them all in.

 

So he saw the scorpion in his path
“Lucky I didn’t look round,” thought Tortoise.
“Omumbo-rombonga,” he said to himself..

 

“Have you remembered the name?”
said the animals, as they saw
Tortoise slowly and steadily coming.
“Look behind you,” said Tortoise…

 

“Omumbo-rombonga,” cried Tortoise

This book is an African Folk Tale. A plain simple story about a tortoise that dreamt about this miraculous tree. Like many other books  there is a message behind the story. What message does this story convey? – you might want to ask. From my point of view, a couple. Firstly, tortoise shows us determination. He dreamt this dream and he knew he could “follow” his dream. His “dream” was to find this tree he dreamt of and he did it “slowly, but steadily”. He also faced  the most dangerous obstacle of all the animals. All the other animals faced an obstacle that could easily be overcome and despite of it, they forgot the name of the tree. Tortoise’s obstacle was a deadly one and he bravely continued his “dream”, despite this dangerous scorpion. He wasn’t put off by anything, he kept a cool head and moved on. This is how we should be in life. We should follow our dreams and don’t be put off by any obstacle, however simple, dangerous or deadly. You should continue on your journey to reach for your dream. I have a couple of dreams, more than I think I can achieve, but I will slowly and steadily continue following my dreams. Some of my current dreams are: to publish my own book, to start my own school, to play the piano again! To play the violin, to play any flute instrument – again, to write another children’s story, to climb mount Kilimandjaro and to do another sky diving jump! I’ve done it once and it was amazing! I would also like to play one of the big chess “engines” like Anand or one of my favourites, Ivanchuk or Kramnik. Topalov looks too scary, I think he’s got a mind of steel. I think he will give you one look and  you will start shivering and lose the game even before you’ve started! haha…Oh, I forgot, my actual dream is to teach chess during school time only and to kids in primary schools. There should be a chess school and kids should play chess all day long! How’s that one! If I look back at this list of dreams, it seems to me they all are impossible, well – for the next year at least. I think I’m going to wake up one morning, shouting: “omumbo-rombonga!” and see what happens! haha…maybe, just maybe, my dreams will come true at once. The end of this story is brilliant. Tortoise shouted the name of the tree and all the different fruits came down and he shared it with all the animals and then tortoise announced: They all should plant a seed. So, those seeds grew for future generations to have food too. More lessons from this book! Share and care for one another!

The next song – “The impossible Dream” – is sung by Peter O’Toole and comes from the movie:MAN OF LA MANCHA

Lyrics:   The Impossible Dream
To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far

To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star

Music here. Next you can listen to the  music of by Jim Brickman… Dream come true. This cd was sent to me by one of my chess player-friends in the USA!

Jim Brickman

Dare To Dream

Let nothing hold you back from
exploring your wildest fantasies,wishes, and aspirations.
Don’t be afraid to dream big
and to follow your dreams
wherever they may lead you.
Open your eyes to their beauty;
open your mind to their magic;
open your heart to their possibilities.

Dare to dream.
Whether they are in colour or in black and white,
whether they are big or small,
easily attainable or almost impossible,
look to your dreams,
and make them become reality.
Wishes and hopes are nothing
until you take the first step
towards making them something!

Dare to dream,
Because only by dreaming,
will you ever discover
who you are, what you want,
and what you can do.
Don’t be afraid to take risks,
to become involved,
to make commitment.
Do whatever it takes to makeyour dreams come true.
Always believe in miracles,
and always believe in you!
+++
~ Julie Anne Ford ~

Read Full Post »

African Youth Chess Championship 2009

Click on the logo of CHESSA – (first image in this post) Chess South Africa – to visit the official site of Chess in South Africa. The link will open in a new window. You will find a link to the results on the Official site. I will try my best to get hold of results too as I am eager to blog this tournament. I have contacted some of the officials today – 1st July – and waiting to hear from them.
For pairings of all the rounds -and  results- please click here on this Chessa-link. The link will open in a new window.

Image: CHESSA

Players at the African Youth CC: Nina de Swart vs Ezet Roos and in the top image: two SA girls

The African Youth Chess Championship event is an historic first as it is the First African Age Group Championship taking place on the Continent. The first move was made by the Chessa President and Mr Dabilani Buthali, from the African Chess Union.

Table Mountain, Cape Town

Visit Cape Tourism and on this link Tourism Cape Town

Image: Cape Tourism

Image: Cape Tourism

Image: Tourism Cape Town

African Youth Chess Championship 2009: Schedule

30th June to 9th July 2009
 Cape Town – South Africa

Chess South Africa, under the auspices of the African Chess Union, has the pleasure of inviting all African Federations affiliated to FIDE to participate at the 1stAfrican Youth Chess Championship.

PRIZES
The winner of each age group (girls and boys) will have the personal right to participate in the 2009 World Youth Chess Championships in Turkey.
The winners in every age category (girls: WFM, WCM and boys: FM, CM) will be awarded FIDE Titles respectively as under

1 player in 1st place: FM Title
2 players in 1st place: 1st player FM Title. 2nd player CM Title
3 or more players in 1st place: 1st player FM, 2nd player CM and 3rd player CM.

Deadline for registration was 25th April 2009.
Click HERE for the Official site of Chess South Africa (CHESSA) to read all the details. The link will open in a new window.

PAIRINGS ROUND 6

Pairings round 6: boys U10, U12, U14  – click on the images for a larger view. Scores can also be seen

Pairings round 6: boys U16, U18

Pairings round 6: Girls U10, U12, U14

Pairings round 6: Girls U16, U18

Final Results: African Youth Chess Championships – click on the image for a larger view.

The Management of Mid Gauteng Chess Union are proud to announce that Stefan du Toit has won the under 14 Section and is therefore the new under 14 African Youth Champion.  Stephan has been awarded the Fide Master Title!  A fantastic performance by Roland Bezuidenhout has awarded him the second place in the under 12 section.  The Management and Members congratulate you both on these excellent accomplishments.

Image: mg.chess.org.za

Read Full Post »

I know a place

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve blogged poetry! I love poetry, as I said before…on this link here on my ..blogger-blog I once blogged one of Wayne’s poems and I want to blog it here too…as I do love South Africa –which is part of Africa…one secondary school child argued with me a few weeks ago about our country’s name..said that..there isn’t a “West Africa” as a country nor “East Africa” as a country, so how can I say that I am from South Africa and I say “South Africa” is a country! hehehe…Wayne visited my blogger blog-post and left me a message at that particular post…so let’s see if he will find this one too…lol! 
I came across Meggwilson’s blog where she says exactly what I’ve said so many times…even on my blog too….

As a native-speaking English person I know how much Afrikaans people are constantly ripped off by the English. Having a completely mixed up family I am also lucky to be completely bilingual. This all means that i have the best of both worlds, which I would like to share a bit of.

Afrikaans is an extremely expressive and descriptive language with words that can’t even possibly be translated into English…you can read it HERE ….

I’ve translated this poem of Wayne in Afrikaans on this link and you can also read Wayne’s comments about the translation on this link.

I know a place in Africa…
Inspiring poetry written by Wayne Visser,
a South African currently based in Nottingham, UK.

I know a place in Africa
Where I can feel the sun on my back
And the sand between my barefoot toes
Where I can hear the gulls on the breeze
And the waves crash on the endless shore

I know a place in Africa
Where the mountains touch the skies of blue
And the valleys shelter vines of green
Where the trees spread out a cloth of mauve
And the bushveld wears a coat of beige

I know a place in Africa
Where I can hear the voice of thunder gods
And watch their lightening spears thrown to earth
Where I can breathe the scent of rain clouds
And taste the sweet dew of dusty drops

This is the place of wildness
Of evolution and dinosaurs
Where life began and mankind first stood
Of living fossils and elephants
Where lions roar and springbok herds leap

This is the place of struggle
Of desert plains and thorn trees
Where pathways end and hunters track game
Of horizons and frontiers
Where journeys start and sunsets bleed red

This is the place of freedom
Of exploration and pioneers
Where darkness loomed and light saw us through
Of living legends and miracles
Where daybreak came and hope now shines bright

My heart is at home in Africa
Where the sound of drums beat in my chest
And the songs of time ring in my ears
Where the rainbow mist glows in my eyes
And the smiles of friends make me welcome

My mind is at ease in Africa
Where the people still live close to the soil
And the seasons mark my changing moods
Where the markets hustle with trading
And Creation keeps its own slow time

My soul is at peace in Africa
For her streams bring lifeblood to my veins
And her winds bring healing to my dreams
For when the tale of this land is told
Her destiny and mine are as one

© 2006 Wayne Visser

 

Image:flickr

I am an African…

This poem was written by Wayne Visser.

I am an African
Not because I was born there
But because my heart beats with Africa’s
I am an African
Not because my skin is black
But because my mind is engaged by Africa
I am an African
Not because I live on its soil
But because my soul is at home in Africa

When Africa weeps for her children
My cheeks are stained with tears
When Africa honours her elders
My head is bowed in respect
When Africa mourns for her victims
My hands are joined in prayer
When Africa celebrates her triumphs
My feet are alive with dancing

I am an African
For her blue skies take my breath away
And my hope for the future is bright
I am an African
For her people greet me as family
And teach me the meaning of community
I am an African
For her wildness quenches my spirit
And brings me closer to the source of life

When the music of Africa beats in the wind
My blood pulses to its rhythm
And I become the essence of music
When the colours of Africa dazzle in the sun
My senses drink in its rainbow
And I become the palette of nature
When the stories of Africa echo round the fire
My feet walk in its pathways
And I become the footprints of history

I am an African
Because she is the cradle of our birth
And nurtures an ancient wisdom
I am an African
Because she lives in the world’s shadow
And bursts with a radiant luminosity
I am an African
Because she is the land of tomorrow
And I recognise her gifts as sacred

© 2005 Wayne Visser

Please click HERE to visit Wayne’s site.

On this image you can see Wayne…image from his site.

Read Full Post »

Child of Africa

I have edited this entry – 4/1/2021

 The original post was about Monty Don, a very negative entry about him – he was very negative about South Africa in general and it upset me massively. So, let’s keep it positive!
The following comes from the BBC’s site
Around the World in 80 Gardens
Mon 7 Apr, 12:40 am – 1:40 am 60mins

South Africa

Monty Don continues his extraordinary journey Around the World in 80 Gardens with a journey to South Africa, one of the most plant-rich zones in the world.

At Cape Town’s world-famous Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens he revels in the impressive display of native flora, including the strange King Proteus, South Africa’s national plant before taking a journey to the Drakensberg Mountains to see some native botanical treasures in their natural environment. Along the way, he traces the garden-story of the Dutch colonists who settled in the nineteenth century and looks at what some of South Africa’s gardeners are doing today.

Monty’s discoveries leave him excited to find that South Africa is forging a new identity for itself through a fresh appreciation of its environmental wonders.

Source: Click HERE to read about his program.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7852086.stm

Monty in South Africa 2011

Monty in the Cape – 2018

This next song is sung by Machiel Roets.

One night I listened to a radio station and he was interviewed and asked a question. It’s about 2 years ago and I can’t even remember the radio station nor the question! However, I sent the answer by email and was lucky to be one of the winners and received his cd called “Afrika Kind” This song is on the cd and I translated it quickly so you can follow the lyrics and see what a beautiful song it is. It’s just to give you an idea what it’s about. On the video there’s some beautiful images to see about South Africa. 

Child of Africa

Come take my hand
through this country of hardship
come let’s laugh
’bout the day of tomorrow
walk with me
through this wetland-region
hear the song
nature poured over you

Chorus:
‘ts here where the wind speaks to you
by the rhythm of the earth
and water that flows
and soothes you
suddenly there’s a voice that says
You’re my child!

Come take my hand
here in sunshine land
let’s carry together
what’s going on around us
walk hand-by-hand
here on Africa soil
come breathe the air
that soothes your soul

Chorus
It’s here where the wind speaks to you
by the rhythm of the earth
and water that flows
that soothes you
suddenly there’s a voice that says
You’re my child!
Repeat chorus again..
You’re my child!(2x)
My African child.
 Translated by: Nikita 

This next song is for those who grew up with Afrikaans and a song about a frog that would like to hire a fire fly to have light when visiting his girl friend! A song we all love!

Die Padda wou gaan opsit

Read Full Post »