Hounslow today

I was in Hounslow this morning. I was glad I went early as it’s another boiling, hot day today. I ventured quickly through the shops as I knew the sun will start baking down on me and then it’s no pleasure to wander around looking for a bargain or two. All the shops have their specials and it’s quite a good time – now with the credit crunch – to shop as you will even find items marked down 50-70%. This road is only a pedestrian zone, but buses do travel through here for shoppers, which is nice and convenient. I usaully park in Treaty Centre – see the last image – as it’s quite central and you can access all these shops within a few minutes walk from the centre. We normally buy at Tesco’s groceries – and sometimes you find some clothing you like too – Tesco is not in Hounslow, it’s in Osterley, where we live. Osterley is about 5 min drive from this shopping centre and also, Osterley is a small area, part of Isleworth! –very confusing, I know!haha ..Hounslow is also the borough we live in.

On one image you will see Holland and Barret – that’s where we buy our vitamin-supply and all sorts of dry fruits and bars, always fresh. This area is quite leafy and there are a couple of benches where shoppers can relax and have their daily meetings with their friends. (some on their mobiles!) Normally this place is as busy as an ant’s nest! You don’t want to go here on a Saturday, it can get too busy – for someone like me not having too much patience with people not really knowing what they actually want to buy. I also go to this centre when I need to top-up my perfume…at the bottom image, you can see Beauty Base. Debenhams sells a variety of stuff including kitchenware. Come rain!

Die Treaty sentrum is ons naaste inkopie-sentrum, maar ook nie baie ver nie, is Ealing Broadway wat ook baie lekker is om inkopies te doen, alhoewel ons min daar uitkom. Tesco het gewoonlik als wat jy wil hê, selfs klere, maar jy kry mos nie altyd alles wat jy wil hê by een plek nie, daarom sal ons af en toe London toe gaan of Richmond toe gaan. Richmond is om en by 20 min (met verkeer) van ons af en net so heerlik om inkopies te doen, hulle het ‘n groot verskeidenheid van winkels. Twickenham is ook om die draai by ons, maar ek was nog net vir ‘n ete in ‘n Chinese Restaurant daar, nog nie regtig na die winkels gaan kyk nie. As jy ‘n heerlike omgewing soek om te bly, dan is Osterley regtig die plek om te bly. Dit is ‘n vinnige 3-5 min se stap vanaf Osterley stasie – wat op die Piccadilly lyn is – die lyn wat ook Heathrow toe gaan. Van hier af na sentraal London, ry jy per trein so 3/4 uur, dis nou met al die stoppe tussen-in en as daar geen oponthoud op die treine is nie. Gewoonlik is die diens goed op die Piccadilly lyn, maar druktyd kan dit nogal erg raak en kom vertragings tog voor, maar darem nie daagliks nie. Gelukkig hoef ek nie meer op die “Underground” te reis nie, ek dink ek het genoeg gehad van die vier jaar wat ek dit in-en-uit gedoen het. Mens raak bietjie moeg vir dit, maar dit bly ‘n gerief. Jy’t geen spanning van verkeer en verkeersopeenhopings en ompaaie wat jy moet neem as jy op ‘n besige snelweg is waar daar ongelukke was en afritte gesluit moet word. Dit kan nogal ‘n nagmerrie wees. Ons het nou byna vyf jaar hier in Osterley gebly en verhuis na Amersham oor ‘n maand. Google die naam en sien hoe mooi daardie omgewing ook is. As jy planne het om in London te kom bly, moet jy baie mooi seker maak in watter area jy wil bly, want daar is areas waar jy liewer nie wil bly nie, dalk nie eers ook daar naby wil wees nie. Een so ‘n area is Peckham. Met die skoolhouery in London-laerskole – aflos wat hulle hier Supply noem, het ek baie areas leer ken en so die skole ook. Jy wil baie beslis nie jou kinders in daardie skole ook hê nie, nie eers vir ‘n uur nie.

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Twenty-one forty

It’s summer in the northern hemisphere, 30th June 2009, 21:40. The church clock is quiet. All clear! Silence has been spilt! Night has slowly arrived. Next door’s cat keeps watching, unaware of an intruder invading its “personal space”, trying to zoom into its comings and goings. Then, telling the intruder to back off, kitty cat disappears on the other side of the roof, spoiling a moment’s excitement.

Dis een ding waaraan ons gewoond moes raak. In die somer, veral hierdie tyd van die jaar, word dit eers na tien uur donker. Julle kan op hierdie foto’s sien dat dit skemer is. Terwyl ek hier tik is dit 25 voor 11 en nou eers amper regtig donker. Maar als gebeur oornag hier. Baie gou is die somer verby en maak ons weer gereed vir die bitter koue wat enige tyd vanaf Oktober toeslaan. Verlede jaar het ons ‘n gematigde herfs gehad – wat Oktober tot Desember is. Die skole se termyne word ingedeel volgens die seisoene. Dus, die eerste termyn word van Autumn-term gepraat, dan is dit Spring en Summer begin na April-vakansie. Waar’s winter? Nee wat, jy praat nie van winter in hierdie land nie, dis al klaar erg dat dit so koud kan word, dus word winter sommer oorgeslaan! hehe… ons het drie termyne, maar in die helfte van elke termyn het ons ‘n week “vakansie”, wat die termyn darem soort van draaglik maak. Die breukie word “half term” genoem. Dit kom ook net betyds, soos ek altyd sê dat naweke net betyds kom. Jy voel die week wil net-net te lank raak, dan’s Saterdag op jou. Hier is die skooldae ook vreeslik lank, met die dat middagete by die skool genuttig word. Laerskole begin meestal 5 oor 9 en eindig op die laatste 3:30 – afhangende van hoe lank die middagete is. Hoërskole probeer die middagete slegs ‘n halfuur maak, wat meebring dat die meeste skole dan in die omgewing van 3:15 klaarmaak. Een groot rede vir die kort middagete is om allerhande “gevegte”  wat moontlik kan uitbreek, te verhoed. Dit gee kinders net genoeg tyd om hul eet-breuk te hê en ‘n kort geselsie in te pas. In sommige rowwe skole kan selfs ‘n halfuur ete menige  Onderwyser ‘n hoofpyn besorg. Sommige skole probeer ook soveel as moontlik klubs gedurende etenstye te hê sodat die kinders aktief en konstruktief besig gehou word en sodoende probleme uitgeskakel word, of verminder word. Natuurlik gaan ek die nuwe akademiese jaar by my skool met ‘n skaakklub begin. By die skool moet elke Onderwyser op ‘n Woensdagmiddag -na ete- een of ander aktiwiteit vir die leerders aanbied en elke leerling moet daardie uur aan iets deelneem. Ek dink dis ‘n puik idee. Bitter min skole doen so iets om kinders aktief te kry by een of ander sport of aktiwiteit betrokke te kry. Vra my oor sport in skole hier…en ek vertel jou dat dit ‘n groot grap is, in vergelyking met ons skole in SA. Nou praat ek ook nie eers van ‘n “sportdag” wat skole gewoonlik hierdie tyd van die jaar het – om kinders “besig” te hou. Dis genoeg brabbel vir eers, ek groet! Terloop, ek het eerskomende Maandag sportdag by my skool. Verlede jaar het ek my verbrande arms geblog! Die jaar sal ek weet om my baie dik met sonroom te smeer, ten spyte van die wolke!

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Grys ou Stad

English Readers: This is my own pantoum, in Afrikaans. On this link you can read about Pantoums and the rules and try your own too! I wrote mine about London.

Mnr Muller het my “gedaag” om ‘n Pantoen te skryf. Hy het reeds twee op sy blog geplaas en baie goed daarin geslaag om sy gedagtes neer te pen. Jy kan op sy inskrywing ook lees wat ‘n Pantoen is en die reëls vir die skrywe van ‘n Pantoen. Sy tweede pantoen veral is iets wat jy moet lees, kom uit ‘n wêreld van liefde en romanse! hehe…baie goed, mnr muller! Volg die link om syne te lees. Hy was nuuskierig om te weet wat my onderwerp gaan wees en daarmee natuurlik bietjie druk op my geplaas om een te griffel. Ek was verlede week Donderdag en vandag in London, so bietjie gaan ronddrentel, “shopping” gedoen en net bietjie die tyd geniet na die afgelope byna jaar wat ek toe was onder die druk van studies/skool ens. ens. en ek wou myself ook bietjie bederf voordat ek eerskomende Donderdag terug in die tuig is… die keer weer permanent. O ja, ons kook natuurlik uit hier in London die afgelope paar dae! Vandag is die temperatuur 30 grade C! 

 Ek het besluit my onderwerp gaan “London” wees – die stad. Ek het so ‘n klompie foto’s geneem tussen die twee dae, nie te erg aangegaan nie, net so hier en daar. Die eerste drie is sommer vanuit Starbucks geneem! Ek kort ook ‘n nuwe kamera! Dis my volgende bederf en beslis voor einde Julie wanneer ons somervakansie aanbreek. O ja, het ek genoem dat ons verlede week saam met die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale “Pool”-span op die trein gereis het! Hulle was oppad na die Wêreldkampioenskappe in Blackpool. Dit was lekker om met hul te kon gesels en een van die jong latte in die span was vreeslik uit sy vel op die trein. Die knaap moet net volgende keer die musiek uit sy ore haal as hy op die trein praat, want hy het byna die hele trein verskree met sy uitbundigheid om in London te wees – musiek en al  in sy ore! Ons het heerlik vir hom gelag. Eers gaan ek die foto’s plaas en dan kan jy na die foto’s kyk en so bietjie jou verbeelding laat “gaan” as jy my geskrywe lees. Jy kan later terugkom vir meer foto’s – wat ek in ‘n nuwe inskrywing sal plaas. Al die foto’s is in Oxfordstraat geneem.

Grys ou Stad

die son brand fel neer op hierdie dag
waar dit woel en krioel –  van vroeg tot laat
leë siele loop onbeduidend met niksseggende gedagtes
kruiend staar hul tot êrens in die verlede rond

waar dit woel en krioel – van vroeg tot laat
oer-stemme eggo helder in my gedagtes
kruiend staar hul tot êrens in die verlede rond
en messel dit wat is met dit wat was

oer-stemme eggo helder in my gedagtes
leë siele loop onbeduidend met niksseggende gedagtes
en messel dit wat is met dit wat was
die son brand fel neer op hierdie dag

Nikita-29/6/09 (inderhaas: 14:30)

Ek moet dalk bietjie verduidelik: “kruiend” glo ek nie is ‘n Afrikaanse woord nie, ek’s nie seker nie. Ek weet van “kruie” – soos in drentel (behalwe natuurlik kruie wat jy in kos gebruik) en ek het besluit om “kruiend” hier te gebruik. ‘n Nuwe woord? Dan, hierdie gegriffel is oor die ou stad, daarom al die “ou” en “verlede”, die mense wat – hopenlik – die historiese “beleef” – of hul gedagtes wat terugflits wanneer hul die ou geboue/historiese plekke sien/beleef…dan die mense wat doelloos in die strate rondbeweeg…soos maar in enige ander plek. Hoop dit maak als sin! – sien my ander “weergawe”… ek was nie heeltemal gelukkig met die vloei van die eerste een nie. Ek het ook so bietjie raad van mnr muller ter harte geneem! Ek het die straatnaam en name van geboue in Oxfordstraat ingebring. Op die laaste twee foto’s kan jy Niketown sien.

onder die grys ou verlede

die son brand fel neer op hierdie dag
bleek figure drentel onbeduidend met verwaarloosde gedagtes
kruiend staar die stad tot êrens in die verle’
oxford woel en krioel – van niketown tot centre point

bleek figure drentel onbeduidend met verwaarloosde gedagtes
in my gedagtes weerklink oer-oue stemme van lank gele’
oxford woel en krioel – van niketown tot centre point
moeiteloos messel ek dit was is met dit wat was

in my gedagtes weerklink oer-oue stemme van lank gele’
kruiend staar die stad tot êrens in die verle’
moeiteloos messel ek dit wat is met dit wat was
die son brand fel neer op hierdie dag
–30/6/09 (12:30)

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What a mix!

This is just a mix. Books I found people like to read on the Underground whilst travelling into London and some other news.

Review 1: Amazon.co.uk ….Margolan, so prosperous and peaceful under King Bricen’s rule, has been reduced to starvation in less than a year. Everyone knows of the usurpation of the crown of Margolan by “Jared the Tyrant”. He and his fire mage, Foor Arontala, have also broken the truce with the Blood Council and are hunting down all vayash moru (vampires). Things are going from bad to worse as the night of the Hawthorn Moon approaches. On that night, half a year from now, Jared and Arontala plan to feed all the souls captured in the Soul-catcher orb to the Obsidian King. Once accomplished, the Obsidian King will have the power needed to break free of the prison, which the Summoner named Bava K’aa had thrown him into, and evil will claim the entire Winter Kingdom.

He is Prince Martris “Tris” Drayke, son of Bricen of Margolan, Summoner and mage-heir of Bava K’aa. However, anyone looking at him would never imagine that he was more than a simple peasant enduring hard times, just like everyone else. The Sisterhood grudgingly agree to train Tris for his upcoming battles, but there is no guarantee that he will survive the training. Arontala is not only a strong fire mage, but is using blood magic (via sacrifices) to increase his power. Arontala will also draw power from the Obsidian King once he is freed.

Tris may very well be the strongest Summoner since Bava K’aa, but it is still going to be a royal battle indeed.
Review 2: Amazon…———–This story lacks the vigour, pace and imagination of the first book in the series. It feels as though the story has been padded out to achieve a deadline and had less enthusiasm from the author than the first book.
I have around 3 chapters to go to finish it and I will do so, however, it is proving necessary to force myself to complete the book. Perhaps the finale will change my view, if it does I’ll come back and amend this.
That all aside, it is readable if you have read the first one but I would have preferred to buy this second hand!

Review: Amazon.co.uk …This book was a fabulous read! It’s entertaining but also informative. It’s a great balance between fun & useful, and isn’t dumbed down to cater to the uninitiated – it’s just explained better than the average scientific text.

It’s funny, insightful and fascinating! Highly recommended for anyone with the slightest interest in discovering our universe.

Review: Amazon.co.uk…..If you’re looking for a PS I Love You part two, then you will be sadly disappointed. Instead you step in to the world of Rosie Dunne and her best friend Alex Stewart. Rosie is an ordinary woman trying to get on with her day to day life who quite simply misses her best friend. What starts out as an innocent childhood friendship turns to love, yet neither of them realise it.
This is a beautifully written tale of two people who share a deep rooted friendship who are seperated at a young age. It is a cleverly written story told in the form of emails, instant messages, letters and text messages which span 45 years. It contains a variety of emotions, one minute you are laughing and the next you are wiping away the tears, but throughout the book you carry the hope that this time they really will get it together. Quite simply, you’d be really stupid to pass up the chance to read this novel.

NEWS:

In today’s The London Paper on page 8, the headline of a newspaper article: Mandela off terror list
“Nelson Mandela has finally been removed from the US’s terror-watch list. The 90-year-old former South African President was in a national security immigration category which classified him as a terrorist …..”

https://time.com/5338569/nelson-mandela-terror-list/

 

 

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Snow

 

Voila!! Test with blogdesk! Due to the picture-uploading-problem with WordPress, which is still not sorted, one of my friendly blogger-friends…suggested I use blogdesk and this is my first post with blogdesk! Thank you, Chris…from “kop-op-n-blok”…see the blogroll for his blog… he’s always willing to help me with anything “technical”…these pictures were taken yesterday! Beautiful snow! It snowed a bit more later the morning and the snow was a bit thicker than what you see on these pictures.
Enjoy this video! Dogs and Polar Bears play together!

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Snow…..

These pictures were taken about 9:30-ish this morning… it didn’t snow that much…as you can tell from the pictures……this is our front garden…

This is our back garden…with the “garage”… not a garage to our “standards”, I would rather call it  a storage room…we have two guinea-pigs in there too! They are somewhere on my blog! 

This last picture was taken about 2 hours later than the others, just to show you how little it snowed actually…. we had snow here, quite thick, last year – I think it was  during  January…

This is a picture which “Squirrel” from the chess site has sent me … he lives north…about 2 hours from London….

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London’s burning!

SkyNews –

Firefighters appear to have contained a fire which has ripped through the top floor of a world famous London hospital leaving patients and staff desperately trying to flee the flames.

It is believed some patients, who were undergoing surgery, had to remain in operating theatres and others who were gravely ill had their rooms filled with smoke.

All of the patients and staff have now been taken to safety.

The roof of the Royal Marsden hospital was engulfed in flames with smoke visible for miles around.

Police have closed off all roads leading to the hospital building.

Some patients were laid on mattresses in an ambulance area on a nearby street, with nursing staff in attendance.
Read the rest of the article HERE on Yahoo.

Cancer hospital evacuated after fire
Read the news article HERE …

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Merry Christmas!

 

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!
 

 

Click on this Christmas-link to download a big pdf document with about 10 Christmas images. It will open in a new window and it does take a few secs to downlaod as it’s a big file.

Read about people being stranded at Heathrow due to bad weather! Hope you all are soon where you want to be! The link will open in a new window.

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London relief

LONDON (Reuters) – First came SatNav for lost drivers. Now there’s “SatLav”, a toilet-finding service to help people caught short in central London.
On Thursday, Westminster City Council launched a new text message service that will guide Londoners and tourists to their nearest public lavatory.

Anyone who sends the word “Toilet” to 80097 will receive a reply giving details of their nearest public convenience.

Student Gail Knight, 26, came up with the idea for an innovation competition run by the council.

“When I’m out with friends we’re always ducking into McDonalds or department stores to use their loos but we feel a bit bad about it,” she said. “I thought a text service would be really useful for people on the move.”

The service is available across the Westminster, an area that includes many of the capital’s most popular sights, such as Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.
Read here more.. on yahoo .

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Osterley Park 2

My topic is “green”. Green is the colour that changes into different colours! During Autumn, it is amazing to see all the changes….if you look closely, you will see the seed of the Horse Chestnut on this tree…
Here it is, but it has changed! And it has dropped down….ready for another cycle?
The English call this a “concker” and earlier, they played games with the conkers and children knew how to keep themself busy with it!

In the corner of the garden, green, but with an invader….
Once again, beautiful green! Some children in London say that they hate green as a colour, because there is so much green in the country! …..never thought someone will say that…
…..more green……
And…..there’s the invader…he thought I would never see him, I think he was ready to jump….wonder how fast that would be…Another Osterley-link with images I took in the park.

https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/on-my-bike/

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

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Osterley Park

WOW! I think this is my best picture of today!!

And I think I’m slowly getting the hang of my camera…

Osterley Park is so tien minute se vinnig stap van ons af waar ons bly. Dis ‘n lieflik groot park. Dis baie besig gedurende naweke, mense kom hou graag piekniek in die park, stap sommer net rond of ry fiets…daar is verskillende paadjies, maar ongelukkig is van hulle nou toegemaak en moet jy betaal om daar te ry met jou fiets of om te stap. Wat ‘n jammerte! Dis so pragtig om daar rond te ry, nou is ons baie beperk met die beweging van ons fietse. Ek dink hulle wil op ‘n manier fondse insamel. Die “huis” wat op die foto gesien word, is ‘n historiese gebou en soms word daar kuns uitgestal. Ons was self nog nie daar binne nie. Een Sondag was daar ‘n troue op die grasperk voor die gebou. Asiese troue en dit het baie indrukwekkend gelyk, ek dink net dis baie onpersoonlik met al die ander mense wat oral op die gras rondsit of rondloop. Die ander gebou is ‘n winkeltjie – die een met die klok – en daar kan jy sit en iets bestel, lekker skons met room, ens. en hulle verkoop ook allerhande tradisionele goed, soos konfyt wat self gemaak is…..ens. ‘n Ander pragtige park, omtrent 15 min per motor, is Richmond Park. ‘n Verskriklike groot park, pragtig bokke en uitgestrekte dele vir stap/ry/fietsry/piekniek en selfs perdry! Ek eksperimenteer bietjie met die kamera wat ek het – hy is iewers op my blog – en daarom sit ek van tyd tot tyd foto’s, ek wil graag beter “close-ups” neem, maar met die kamera van my, is dit ‘n kuns…af ek is maar bietjie dom met die ding! “Practise makes perfect”, soos hulle se, so dit sal seker nog tyd neem voordat alles perfek is!

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

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Volkspele..Folk Dance

 

You want to know more about this fold dance, then visit this link:

http://www.volkspele.co.za
On this link, you will find tons of files of South African fold dance music, free to download and you will also find the lyrics of the songs too.
http://tortel.net/~lochner/blerkas/index.html

In these photos: Year 1’s doing a South African folk dance at a London school. The teacher asked me to teach them a dance as part of their topic of countries across the world. I taught them ‘Afrikaners is plesierig’. 
 

This is the actual dress when you do “Volkspele”…or  Folk Dance the South African way!

Jan Pierewiet in Korea!

 Volkspele on youtube! See more videos there…

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