Tag: 2009

Hello 2010

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I was busy braai’ing as the sun set on 2009 and – thanks to a couple of wonderful, near-textbook examples of the always enjoyable pavor nocturnus – I was busy playing catch-up on my sleep as it rose again on 2010.
Fortunately, there are a band of willing photographers who don’t seem to require quite as much red meat or slumber as I do. One of those is Joy-Anne Goodenough, whose work has previously graced the pixels of 6000 miles… twice before: here and more notably here, with a couple of shots from the last light of 2008.

Well, this is Joy-Anne’s photograph “Sunrise from Red Hill, New Years Day 2o1o” which pretty much tells you the what, where and when of things and saves me from having to do the same.

Incidentally (and neatly completing the circle) Joy-Anne was out and about on New Year’s Eve as well, capturing the very last light of 2009 (and here) and (of course) they’re damn good; but I remain a huge fan of her 2008 efforts.

El Clássico

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Some of you may be thankful to hear that there won’t be a huge amount from me here this evening. It’s been another busy day chez 6000 and I’m all on for for watching Barcelona and Real Madrid kick chunks out of each other in a short while. I love watching the big games and there’s probably none bigger than El Clássico. One day I will go to Spain and watch it live, but until that time, channel 203 will just have to suffice. If it is anything like as exciting as United’s game at Bristol City yesterday (we won 3-2, equaliser scored on 90+5 minutes, winner scored on 90+6, 10 yellow cards and a partridge in a pear tree) then I will be more than happy.

Earlier in the day, we watched a billion motorcycles ride past on the annual Cape Town Charity Toy Run, which passes close to our road every November. Alex – who is fortunate to be blessed with far too many teddy bears and cuddly stuff – donated several of his toys to the charity by giving them to the bikers as they passed by and as you can see by the photos here and here, he certainly wasn’t the only one. What an amazing effort. Also see my Toy Run 2009 Flickr Set

After my success earlier in the day with getting my daughter to sleep (despite the continuing roar of the passing motorcycles), I was entrusted with putting her to bed this evening. Things didn’t go quite as well as I had hoped and I had to switch to Plan B early on. Plan B wasn’t actually that great either and I didn’t have a Plan C. I ended up running through a  few more plans that I made up as I went along but lost count somewhere around L.
That, if nothing else, explains why she is going to be watching the Spanish footy with me now. Enjoy!

2009 KiTT: The story so far

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I have finally managed to get around to using the ultra fast internet here on the Isle of Man to upload the first few photos of the 2009 Kids in Tow Tour to flickr. And not only that, but these are also the first batch taken with my new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28. And I love it.


Calf Sound, Isle of Man

The weather is sunny, but the northwest wind is keeping it cool. But get out of the breeze and it’s lovely. And though we’ve only been here for 24 hours, it feels like forever: this place relaxes you instantly. We were down by the sea this morning, watching the seals and for about 2 hours, we just did nothing. Any parent will tell you how rare and precious that sort of time is.

The boy, born and brought up in suburban Cape Town, is in his element. There is space, fresh air, farm animals, birds, sea, rocks to scramble over, grandparents and a plastic tool kit that his Auntie Jane bought him. This morning he went up to the farm with Grandma to collect the milk. The rural equivalent of 7/11 – this stuff comes unpasteurised in churns, not in plastic cartons.

Now, as I sit inside this beautifully renovated 18th century cottage, tapping away on a rather posh laptop, I can see the family beginning a game of cricket outside in the sun. It seems foolish not to join them.

Until next time…

P.S. Thanks to all of you who have forwarded me Louise Taylor‘s hysterical piece in the Guardian on visiting South Africa for the World Cup next year.

She suggests that Egypt should have hosted the tournament. That’s Egypt which polled a mighty zero votes when they were selecting the host nation. Yes, Louise knows all about democracy.

As she says, “surely if the Egyptians could build the pyramids they could host a World Cup?” Yes, Louise knows all about hosting major sporting events.

And then, the piece de la resistance. Those four little words: “I’ve never been, but…”.

Yes, Louise knows all about South Africa.

The 2009 Kids in Tow Tour

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The 2009 Kids in Tow Tour is almost upon us and I know that there is one burning question on your collective minds:

How will it affect us, the reading public of 6000 miles…?

It wouldn’t be right if, like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown, I didn’t put you out of your misery, so here’s the deal as I see it.

  1. I am not guaranteeing a post every day, although I’ll certainly try. If you want to know when a new post is up, you can follow @6000 on twitter or better still, you can subscribe to the 6000 miles… RSS feed.
  2. Comments may take longer to get through moderation. Sorry and all that. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t comment, but I’m going to be on holiday, chasing my boy around a beach and generally drinking red wine and beer. Pretty similar to life in Cape Town then, but a slightly different beach.
  3. There will be plenty of photo action. Not least (I hope) with my new camera. Those photos will go onto my flickr and I will let you know when they are going up there. Some (if not more) will probably make it onto the blog as quota photos anyway.
  4. It’s possible that I won’t be reading your blogs as often as usual. Don’t hold it against me – I will try to catch up when I get back. However, SA blogs will be my main link with the Saffa world while I’m away, so please keep me informed of developments. (Or lack of them, if that stadium-building strike begins to bite.)

And that’s pretty much it. We fly tomorrow, Kids in Tow and, anticipating un jour ‘ectique, I’ve already pre-published a special KiTT send off post, which will appear here at 1800 CAT (or some other time, if I got my time zones mixed up) tomorrow.  That post may appear mildly trivial (although reading it now, rather prophetic) if there happens to be a nuclear holocaust between now and then; but then you probably won’t be reading it if there’s a nuclear holocaust between now and then, will you?

I leave you with the ever popular Simple Minds 1985 hit Don’t You (Forget About Me); firstly, because I love songs (with brackets in the title) and secondly, because I’m gonna miss you guys. *sniffle*

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAdaQhitdKg]

Listen to Jim:

Slow change may pull us apart
When the light gets into your heart, baby

Don’t You Forget About Me
Don’t Don’t Don’t Don’t
Don’t You Forget About Me

See you soon!
6k.

Meeting nice people

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Lunch was chez Tall Accountant in leafy Fernwood with some lovely people and consisted of one of the biggest chicken salads ever created.
Seriously, it took three people just to carry the bowl. And there were only six of us there. Chicken salad sandwiches for the TA’s lunchtime fare this week, I feel.

Now I know what it’s like to be Jacob Zuma. Sort of, anyway. Pressing the flesh of prospective voters in hope of getting an X in your box.
Of course, there are some differences. I have more hair. He has more chance of winning his election.
Everyone has heard of the ANC, but unbelievably, I met some people today who hadn’t heard of 6000 miles… Yes, I was shocked too.
He didn’t have a MASSIVE chicken salad for lunch today*. I did. Maybe there’s other stuff too, who knows?

vote-tag-small
Click it – it’s magic!

What Jacob Zuma wishes he did have, apart from my good looks, charm and popularity among white people is a golden widget, like the one above. I have it on good authority that he is desperate for one and has even instructed mini-me, aka Julius Malema, to kill to get one. Well, Msholozi, you’re not having mine, even if you turn up with your mashini wam blazing.

Of course, no-one is 100% sure if JZ is guilty of corruption. I’m beginning to wonder if even he can actually remember. However, I know for a fact that I am pure as the driven snow when it comes to matters of giving and receiving illicit payments. So far, anyway. But as the desperation mounts and rumours begin to spread about who is in front and how far I am behind, that could all change. Probably around Wednesday.

Want to help out? Copy and Paste http://tr.im/vote6k into all the emails you send for the rest of this month.
Because – as Jacob would say – working together, we can do more.

* This is complete guesswork.