The last few months of 2010

First of all I hope you had a wonderful and safe festive season.  I wish you a terriffic 2011 in all ways.  May the things that bugged you last year evaporate, and the things you didn't get to, happen easily and effortlessly this year.

So here is a little bit about what I've been up to the past few months....

I house sat these little mischiefs a few times last year in Simonstown, real cuties. The house has a magnificent view of False Bay, but the wind... Yinne! When it blows, it pomps. I sometimes thought the house was going to take off, like in "The Wizard of Oz". And when the wind doesn't stop blowing for days on end, and you're not used to it, it sort of fries what's left of the little brains you have.

More pics on my blog

Simonstown Harbour on a dreary windswept day when I took the doggies for a walk.


November we drove up to Rustenberg in Gauteng for a family reunion. I lived in Rustenburg for a few years in the mid eighties. My cousin and his wife came to visit from Paris, and my dad wasn't well, so I hoped to catch two birds with one stone. My dad was worse than I had thought. I couldn't believe how thin he'd got. I last saw him when I was there in July with their wedding anniversary (I'm not going to say which one, 'cause then you can work out how old I am. Not that it matters. Anyway...) and he looked fine, his normal self.

Rustenburg "Masked Ball" - July 2010
Family reunion in Rustenburg  - pics on web album - Nov 2010

We came back and got Hugh's 50th birthday edition of New Contrast together. We used some material from the 1st Contrast of 1960 with a lot of Afrikaans words. The scanner doesn't do kappies en deeltekens aka ^ and ", so we had to correct it all manually. Quite a process. Now it's all done, printed and is now in the post after waiting for the printers because they couldn't finish the job last year before  they closed.

This is quite a milestone in the South African literary  field.  This is the longest lasting literary magazine of its calibre in South Africa, as far as I know.

The New Contrast website -  if you wish to purchase a copy, subscribe for 2011, or get back copies for 2010, or any other year.

Hugh has also launched his 'As You Like It'  As You Write It Creative Writing Course. It is great fun and definately stretches your creative writing muscles. I met some really interesting new people, and wrote a few poems myself.  I put the websites and blogs together.  As You Write It blogspot

The idea is to help writers get their literature (poetry and prose) published and create a pool of people who you can ask to check your work for some constructiuve feedback.  Being an editor of The South African Literary Journal he knows what editors look for in writing.  At least he knows what he looks for in writing. The Poetry Publishing Company - and other Literature

Our Art year-end function was very lecka in Kerry's beautiful spacious home. As usual there was too much to eat and I definately had more than an elegant amount.  My clothes have shrunk another size over the holidays. Sitting around with nowhere to go and nothing to do but eat has not been good for my waistline, nor my derriere.  At my parent's house there is a snack at tea in the morning and tea in the afternoon and full-on food at each meal. Oi wey!

I suppose we were eating to help my dad eat more.  He is thin as a rake.  His shoulderblades stick out like wings.  It is awful to see. The doctors said he has a slow cancer, but he has gone from a vibrant, young for his age man to a doddering old man who sleeps 98% of the time, can hardly walk without a kierie (walking stick) in less than 6 months.  He is 84 and has had a full life....and I didn't expect him to deteriorate so fast. I massaged him and did what I could.  He has been in hospital this week and getting  protein feeds. I am not going into the gory details. I suppose we all have to go some time or other.

Rustenburg - Rietvlei valley

The first pic is of a kingfisher between the branches. We were having lunch at a lovely pub with a magnificent view of the valley. See below.

This is a view of the valley where I had my 6.5 hectare plot and 440 sq m house when I lived in Rustenburg and worked for Rustenburg Platinum Mines in the 80's. The road that goes over the mountain goes to Swartruggens and Koster where I was born.

Kommetjie - mountian view

Babboon encounter on the mountain behind Kommetjie

On Saturday morning we went up the mountain behind the house. One of the lone babboon males was sitting on a rock. We went to the blockhouse to look at the view stretching from Hout Bay on the right for almost 270 degrees to the left. See below for a panoramic view.  Imagine this is all connected...

The view continues below:
see the blockhouse below

We were sitting in front of the blockhouse minding our business when we heard this loud bark right behind us. We both jumped up and almost out of our skins. A babboon was staring down at us from the roof of the blockhouse. We were intruding...

We didn't realise but there was a romantic encounter happening here. The female was on heat. Here is a photograph of her. This wasn't the end of the story.

We climbed down the mountain and as we turned into our street there was a couple fornicating in broad daylight. Quite an eventful morning. 2 days later and the grass has not recovered yet. You can still see the marks where they lay.

A view from the top of the mountain in Kommetjie

As You Like It; As You Write It

The As You Write It Creative Writing course run by Hugh Hodge and Paul Mason was very stimulating.  Even I, who never thought I would, wrote some passable poetry.  I will only publish some (of mine) if you are interested.  I did publish Emma's poetry that I thought was just amazing.

Hugh also runs poetry gigs in and around the Cape Peninsula, some on a weekly basis, others less often.

OTW - Patricia Schonstein KB Oct 2010

Patricia Schonstein, our Featured Poet at Kalk Bay Books on 13th October, 2010.

She read a beautiful extract from her book "The Master's Ruse" about whales and the way they see us. The write-up for the book is as follows: Set in a future time when the sea is biologically dead, in a country governed by a regime opposed to literature, The Master's Ruse is a surrealist narrative of an egeing author compromised by harsh laws governing literary freedom.

The novel is an allegorical masterclass and a memoir of authorship and conscience. It laments the desecration of the earth's fragile infrastructure and reflects on the crafting of fiction as a tool for peace.

For me it was a story within a story, with various different levels in Patricia's easily accessible style with vivid descriptions of poignant beauty and sadness about our fallability and humanity.

Open Mike

Neal Allen
Albert
Jenni Lean
Margaret Klapp
Lynne Harris
Lucille Dowkshas
Silke Heiss
Paul Mason
Lucretia
Lewis Watling
Oliver Price
Kathryn
Sonja Wilker

MC

Hugh Hodge

Have a look at the web album for other faces
http://picasaweb.google.com/sonja.wilker/OTWPatriciaSchonsteinKBOct2010

Look at other Poetry events in and around Cape Town
http://picasaweb.google.com/sonja.wilker/OTWPatriciaSchonsteinKBOct2010 

Look at other Poetry and other Literary Events & Workshops
http://as-you-write-it.blogspot.com

Patricia Schonstein launches latest book Banquet at Brabazan

Patricia Schonstein telling us about her latest book called Banquet at Brabazan.  A delightful story of illicit love, batrayal, living out your fantasy, creating magic in life.

The drama unfolds mostly in Long Street,Cape Town.

A rich feast of food, romance, surprising characters, both real and imagined, mild eroticism, art, poetry and music to tantalize the mind.

The novel skips along at a joyful pace.  Its like some chocolates.  You can't stop till its finished.

For more pictures of the launch see my web album at
Patricia Schonstein - Banquet at Brabazan launch

There were some rather strange characters there.... have a look for yourself. http://picasaweb.google.com/sonja.wilker/SpiritLatexAtBookLaunch