In the recesses of my mind, there is a rule of fairly random nature that I am often forced to remember these days: When speaking French, you do not verbalise the last letter of any word. A classic example would be ‘filet mignon’, as you and I both know it’s pronounced “fil-ay min-yoh” with … More Parlé vous francaise?
There is something about the 21st century that is getting up my nose. Â Back in the ‘old ages’, writing opinion pieces was limited to real journalists, and the occasional ‘letters to the editor’, which were ususally edited. The norm now is that anybody and everybody spouts opinions in several very public arenas. Â I … More A little vent.
These are the buildings we pass by when on the tram en route to school: Â Office of admin- a little bit like Home Affairs and the Dept of Motor vehicles all rolled into one This is the Palais du Rhin
Yesterday morning Mme H and I took a bus to Kehl, over the Rhine into Germany. Â They have a ‘Woolworths’ (which are not the Woolies we all know, but more like a shop in a Chinese mall, in the south of Jozi.) Â The reason for our trip was to buy trinkets and sweets to put … More A bit of sunny perspective
When we announced to various people last year that we were moving to France, one of the many responses were that of “How exciting for you to be going to live in the food capital of the world!” I was quick to point out that I had no interest in working as a chef in … More Vapiano
Growing up on Netherby Farm means that I am no stranger to real winters. Boston itself is nestled in the foothills of the Southern Drakensberg, which is located roughly 1500m altitude. Winter in the most part of South Africa is dry- it is only the Western Cape region that has real rain to speak of … More Winter
Muesli as a breakfast cereal here in Strasbourg is not tres popular. Certainly the shelf space dedicated to it is a quarter of that which is would take up in South Africa. That which you can find is often very expensive and most definitely not value for money. The same goes for German Muesli. In … More Home-made Muesli
Today is a big day for some Moms, Dads, and little ones on the Inlands of SA- the last day of the Summer Holiday. I might be 4 and a half months ahead of you in this regard, so I have a pretty good idea of what you are feeling. Yes, it is a somewhat … More The New South African School Year
Quiet, just a little bit of stillness for a little while. I have a cup of tea at my wrist, tunes playing on my docking station, lentils braising on my stove, to accompany the grilled… maybe poached… chicken breasts I am having for dinner, and the girls are wrapped up in a little bit of … More 5 Minutes
I can hardly believe that it already the 24th of December. This time last year we were having a splendid time with family and friends in KwaZulu Natal. The weather was amazing, the company was even better, and the happy vibe just washed over us for 2 joyful weeks. So much has happened this year, … More My Christmas Greetings
Several decades ago, before the advent of Google apps on our clever phones, Google on our aging laptops, or even the Britannica in the school library, my Mum bought us Carr children a junior version of an encyclopedia- Childcraft. It had 15 hard covered, large print, easy to read for a 10 year old encyclopedic … More Christmas Traditions & Lore
There is one thing for certain that many South African’s living near Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, London, Edinburgh and Dublin cannot do easily: have a private, loud conversation in Afrikaans without running the risk that some stranger will chip in with their 10c opinion. I am much more fortunate here in Strasbourg. I think the … More DIE TAAL
These photo’s were omitted last night, you’ll get an idea of what our street looks like:
A month has passed since we moved into the city, and for the most part, we are settled. Koos’s paintings are on the walls, I have baked cakes in my Kenwood, a casserole or 2 in my LeCreseut and the girls bedroom largely resembles the state we had it in at home in SA. Somehow … More OUR LIFE IN THE CITY
WHY WE CAME TO FRANCE  There is a blog post doing the rounds, causing much friction on either side of the pond, and a degree of assertion on the continent, (of South Africa that is, not France). The post on the blog is a follow up piece regarding angry ex-pats, to a post she … More In My Defense
Without picking up a dictionary or googling it on Wikipedia, how would you define the word ‘culture’? Do you live your life according to it? Does it define who you are? Is it your excuse? Or would you go so far as to say that it is ‘rubbish’? I sit here in my lovely window … More Culture
In general, Germany’s     food is cheaper than France. Seriously.     We can shave 20% off a monthly shop if we pop into Kehl, over the Rhine.     (Petrol and diesel is cheaper in France.) The French DO NOT LIKE     imports very much at all. Rooibos     tea bags cost the equivalent of 2 … More Shopping, part ii. The good and the bad.
Here are some things I have taken note of today while our Centurion house was unpacked into our Sellenick apartment: 1. If you move to Europe, the chances are you will only need, and have space for, HALF your shit. 2. You WILL HAVE to take off 2 days before the removal company arrive. In SA, my fridge … More Moving your house to another continent.
Is it just me being my over-analytical self, or could this be a topic for discussion? Before you cast this aside as something you are not interested in, stop and put yourself in my shoes for a little while. Take yourself back as far as you can remember. Your friends have always just been THERE, … More Making New Friends
Pinot, Bretzels, and Cathedrals 