Madam President

written by Anouk...

I've had an exciting month! On October 9th and 10th I will be the lead in a play called "When a Bad Plan Goes wrong." I will play the witch named Nightshade! This character is a lot of fun to play because she is evil to her minions while she tries to kill the princess with a blueberry smoothie. It may sound like I have an evil and bad role, but my lines are hilarious! And it's funny to see how my character messes up her evil plan! I can't wait to show you the video over the summer.

The next piece of big news is that I was selected by my class as a 5th grade class representative. I then met with the Elementary Principal and our school Superintendent to share my thoughts about our school's future. They liked my ideas so much that they told my parents and then the Superintendent talked about me in front of all of the Model United Nations students visiting at our school! I'm turning in to a superstar!

From there, I went to the first meeting and we all had to select an Executive Committee. Over the holiday weekend, I worked on a video (that my papa kinda screwed up a bit) but on Monday, when I went to show my video... it didn't work! So here is my chance to share it with someone.

But after the video didn't show, I had 2 seconds to create a speech straight from my heart. I guess I did a pretty good job (even though I stuttered) because I am PRESIDENT!!! You heard me right! PRESIDENT! Or... you can call me Madam President.

When I got home after play practice, I teased my parents and Xavier about getting the job. When I finally told them the truth, they kinda jumped around with happiness. We went to my favorite Mexican restaurant (in Joburg) to celebrate. 

Now... I have to get started on my first few jobs where I make my school a better place!

1. Introduce all the members of my team (in a clever video)
2. Give a speech at next Thursday's assembly
3. Share my new initiative: "Meet and Greet with Madam President"

If you have any more ideas... let me know!

-Anouk (with Mama's help!)

A Southern African Journey

Africa is a gorgeous country. It is a country of diverse landscapes, gorgeous vistas, interesting culture, and amazing people. And this "winter", we had the opportunity to experience South Africa's gifts by taking a trip along its Western Cape. 

After traveling to our respective homes and enjoying a fabulous Northern hemisphere summer, we flew back home to Johannesburg and arrived to a chilly winter. After a quick 12 hour turn-around, our own family holiday got us back in a plane heading towards the famous Garden Route. After a short flight to George, we drove to Knysna and started our adventure on Houseboat Myrtle in the Knysna Lagoon. This was an exciting challenge for all of us as we maneuvered our dinghy to our Houseboat, converted dining tables in to sleeping spaces, and learned how pitch water out of our dinghy after the nightly downpours.

On our first full day at the coast, we drove through the rain to get to the coastal town of Sedgefield hearing that their Wild Oat's Community Market was not to be missed. Boy were they right! The ambiance was charming and breakfast was spectacular. The kids noshed on morning burritos, Nutella waffles, and hot cocoa, while Rob and I tried a variety of coffees and teas and a menagerie of baked goods. Unfortunately, the winter weather pounced and we had to dodge puddles to drop off our purchases in the rental car. But just as we were readying ourselves for departure, we saw a sign for the Sedgefield Craft Brewery. Well... we just had to go! We met the proprietor, a former techie from Joburg, who chatted with Rob over a pint (or two or three) of his delicious brews which helped Rob's retirement dream grow.  

The next day, we drove west through the bright yellow canola fields on our quest to reach the 4th oldest village in all of South Africa--Swellendam. On our long journey, we stopped at nearly every ocean vista, Trip Advisor recommend locale, or any interesting farm stall we passed on the ride. Arriving in Swellendam, we were not expecting to see a city bursting at the seams with gorgeous Cape Dutch architecture, it was as if we had stepped back in time... and to Holland! Swellendam, particularly our host, Karin, are full of stories desperate to be told. Families that have lived, worked, farmed, and created in this area for generations! Despite a strong desire to stay at the Old Thatch Guest House even longer, the siren call of the whales was beckoning.

On our way to Hermanus, we made a detour at Cape Agulhas. Though not as famous as The Cape of Good Hope (where the currents of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet), Cape Agulhas is the true southernmost tip of Africa. This location serves as the division of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. With little to see, but a dangerously rocky coastline, the recently manicured trail was full of educational vignettes and brilliant flora.

Within a few hours... we had reached our destination: Hermanus. This small seaside retreat is famous for it's whale watching (which is at its peak between June and December). From the cliffs at the village square, the loud trumpeting sounds of the Whale Crier can be heard. These morse-code like toots alert tourists to the whereabouts (and behavior) of whales just off shore. From our lazy walks through the cliff paths or lunch with a view, we could see whales spouting and breaching within a kilometer from shore.

Despite all the fun and adventures we had had up to this point, the highlight (and Xavier's 12th birthday gift) was our whale watching trip. We woke up before the sun and drove to the Old Harbor. After a brief training and some warm beverages, we  boarded the boat and made our way through violently choppy waters. For just over 30 minutes we were meters away from the Souther Right Whales. Because of their curious nature and the ease at which they could be hunted, the "right" whale were just the "right" ones to be hunted. These gentle giants came within meters of our boat just to investigate.

While enjoying our water safari, the choppy waters took their toll on one of the Langlands foursome. Angela realized that she is not destined to live at sea when her face turned green, the sweat beaded around her brow, and she was down for the count--literally!

From the golden farms and fields inland to the gorgeous crashing waves at the shoreline--South Africa's bounty is rich and we have enjoyed exploring it all! But our home, our puppy dog, and a nice fire were enticing. It was time to get back to Johannesburg.

Can’t Write a Poem About Hamburgers

We had a rough weekend in the Langlands house. We had to learn some important lessons and now it's time to move forward. But the end of the year is always stressful and busy. So how do we move on? We get the following email from our son. Here is Xavier's poem to cheer up your day!

Can’t Write a Poem About Hamburgers

Noon,

Photo Credit: Pamela Graham via Compfight cc

I look at the hovering sun,

Straight above me.

I see my parents,

As they slowly park,

Coming to retrieve me for lunch.

I peered out the window,

Like a mouse would with a hole.

The lights,

Shining like las Vegas,

So many choices.

Thai,

Not enough junk food flavour.

Pizza,

Hot as the sun,

Burn’s your skin.

BBQ,

Takes so long I got arthritis!

Italia,

As many choices as a teenage girl’s wardrobe.

Then, the hot,

Juicy flavoured air catches my attention.

Hamburgers.

We pull over,

The smell mouth-watering.

I shuffle up,

Thinking that this is to good,

That this must be a dream.

Hot,

Grease expelling,

Sauce dripping,

Sky scraper high,

Heavenly delicious.

I place my order,

And sit at my table.

The waiter comes,

Holding the burger,

He places it on my plate.

I hold it up,

Sauce dripping onto my hands.

I bite it,

Tasting the sauce,

Tasting the lettuce,

Tasting the tomato,

Tasting the cheese,

Tasting the patty,

Tasting the bun,

Tasting the angles blessing.

Mmm,

Hamburgers.

Parental Pressure

By Xavier

Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My parents are so enraging! All I wanted to do was to have a lazy Sunday before school began again, and now I’m stuck here, sitting down and doing homework! I already did it! I just have to practice! Uggggggghhhhhhhh! I am writing this blog to get all my anger out! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! UGGHH!!!!!  My friend is gonna come a’ knockin’ and I might not be able to play with him. And hungry shark! He’s gonna be so disappointed. I haven’t had a good Sunday in forever, because I know there’s always school tomorrow. Also, there is Festival Of Races at my school. I stink at running! And I have to run 5k! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Everything is enraging when your mad. Except my dog. I could just cuddle with her for a long time, and let all my worries melt away. I based this on my dog. Get a dog. Or adopt one. Dogs. Man’s best friend (coming to stores near you). I think I just made the best advertisement ever!

the Karoo and the beach

"Tricia is coming! Tricia is coming!" Those were the words echoing through the house the week before Spring Break started for us. Not only was Tricia coming, but my friend and colleague, Bronny, had arranged for a trip out of the city--hoorah! With a night arrival, Tricia got here just in time to repack so we could head out to the airport to Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.

Having read about the Owl House in a travel magazine, Bronny convinced me that this was a not-to-be-missed location, but with 5 of us, there wasn't space in the small town (read: village) of Nieu Bethesda for us to stay. So after a three hour drive inland past views that made us question whether or not we were in Arizona, we weary travellers arrived at Ganora Guest Farm.

This gorgeous sheep farm lies on the bottom of the Sneeuberg foothills where the owners have lived and sheered for the last 15 years. On the site, Hester has educated her children and sold real estate in Nieu Bethesda while her husband Jan ran the farm and fulfilled his paleontologist cravings by walking the riverbeds of his property. Jan took us on a tour of his small museum where the kids held skulls that pre-date dinosaurs by 50 million years. The skeletons of this area belong to a mammal-like creature called the Gorgonopsia. When we weren't oogling at the 7,000+ year old bushmen cave paintings or playing with the resident water mongoose, we were dining on amazing farm-to-table delights or lying on the grass and gazing at the constellations.

From Ganora Guest Farm, it was a quick jaunt to the "town" of Nieu Bethesda where we explored the Owl House, the home and art garden of the mentally afflicted, Helen Martins. Though she only lived until 1976, the amazing concrete, metal, and recycled glass creations in the garden were so cutting-edge and ahead of their time. Walking amongst the art gives one a sense of hope and excitement, while the inside of her house felt eerily hopeless despite the colorful crushed glass walls and painted glass.

The village of Nieu Bethesda was incredibly charming and abounding with artists known around South Africa and beyond. After shopping at Annette's The Cow Jumped Over the Moon shop, we heard that The Brewery and Two Goats Deli was owned and operated by her brother. So we headed over there enjoyed delicious hand-crafted brews with homemade beer breads and goat's cheese. The kids loved The Brewery because the seats were made out of old tires and the hammock was a double-wide bed hanging from the trees which entertained them for hours. From the archaeologist dig at the Kitching Fossil Exploration Centre to the pottery creations of  Charmaine Haines--Nieu Bethesda was a total African experience!

After our time in the Karoo, we drove another couple of hours to Port Alfred, a small town in the Eastern Cape. This being the regular vacation destination of my South African colleague, Jackie, we were sent with a list of a dozen places to go, people to see, and locations to dine at. The town is steeped in British colonialism with a contemporary mix of Xhosa artists. The area is home to the oldest pub in South Africa (the Pig and Whistle) and a dozen beautiful craft and artisan shops. The oddest peculiarity of the region is the Big Pineapple of Bathurst. The Big Pineapple honors the first crop that was successfully grown in the region--the pineapple. It was also home to the International Pineapple Symposium in 2005--who knew such a thing existed?!?!

The highlight of the kids' journey was the downtime spent at the coast in Hangklip-Kleinmond. From our stay at the Purfikt House, the kids were able to play in the cold ocean waters, explore the beach's tidepools, (attempt) to sand board down the dunes, and dip their feet in the (slightly warmer) East and West River that lie parallel to one another just a stone's through from the house.

All in all, we had a great excursion and we look forward to continuing our exploration of the outskirts of South Africa!

to see our photos (though not as great as Rob's photos!): https://www.flickr.com/photos/129917005@N03/sets/72157651629973431/

travelling tales

 After 18 months of living in South Africa we hadn't travelled around much. Though we've explored the city's great restaurants, bars, and shops, we'd never explored the highlights outside of the city--safari, wineries, coastal regions, etc.

So... when Bomma said she was coming to visit us, we decided to get the heck out of town and explore the gorgeous Cape.

As school got out for the holiday, we raced to drop the dog off at the kennel, and zoomed to the airport. Arriving at 5 Camp Street late at night didn't give us a true picture of all the beauty that lay beyond. In the shadows of Table Mountain, we enjoyed Cape Town, a city quite reminiscent of San Francisco. Small winding streets weave in to one another as we explored the glorious ocean, tourist highlights, delicious restaurants, and amazing wine (my favorite being No. 8). We enjoyed it all! From the penguins at Boulder Beach to the Cape of Good Hope, from the brightly colored houses of the Muslim Quarter to the ocean views at the V&A Waterfront--it was all amazing! We've got a list of "must-sees" for next time (to the top of Table Mountain, swimming with sharks, and whale watching). But until then, we'll just keep looking through our favorite photos.

In December, our dear friends, the Carpenters, came to South Africa to visit us. We had a great time catching up over delicious meals (they live in Moscow and can sometimes struggle to have exciting cuisine) and fabulous wine! The highlight of our time together was our trip to Djuma Private Game Reserve near Kruger National Park. A 6-hour drive from Johannesburg, Djuma is an oasis with its own watering hole. Vastly different than Kenyan safaris, Djuma's landscape is hot and thick. Spotting wildlife can be tricky, but we didn't seem to have too many challenges.  We saw 3 of the big 5 in one beautiful photo (elephant, buffalo, and rhino) and came upon a pride of lions at night on our first game drive.

On our first morning game drive, we spent time following a female leopard in hopes that she would lead us to her baby (nobody had yet seen the baby she was pregnant with just weeks before). Though we didn't meet her baby, we got pretty up close and personal with her (see the video below).

Though the lions, zebra, elephants, and dung beetles were all amazing in their own right, our collective highlight had to be the 100+ vultures eating a dead buffalo. Having never seen the way vultures interact with one another made this experience so truly brilliant. But animals aside, our time celebrating Christmas with the Carpenters made us feel not so alone. It may not have been a "white" Christmas--but it was pretty damn amazing!

Check the gorgeous photos Rob took.

The Ups and Downs of Having MY Brother

by Anouk

Brothers can be two things great or annoying. Never anything in the middle. Big brothers and little brothers can be very different and luckily I've only got one. He's bigger than me. But he's in puberty. And that's tough! It's tough for me. It's tough for the entire family. But it's mostly tough for me. So I'm going to tell you about the pros and cons about having MY brother.

First, I'll tell a few cons about living with MY brother:

1. Mood Swings. During puberty, if you catch him at the wrong time you'll be yelled at for a long time. The mood swings are weird. One moment he's happy and the next moment he's grumpy. It's like he's a machine with a switch. If you flick the switch, his moods change instantly. I have the same thing... but not as often!

2. Pranks. His pranks have become more frequent. They are also MORE annoying! Whenever I pass a doorway I flinch, thinking that he'll jump out and scare the poop out of me. And when I get mad at him, I get in trouble for yelling at him and he gets away Scott-free. Another one of his regular pranks is that he's telling amazing stories from school. When he sees that I'm in awe he'll say, "Just kidding" and then he'll laugh and make fun of me for begin so gullible.

3. He's Older. So he thinks he gets to be in charge when our parents aren't at home. He gets control of the TV, sometimes he tries to boss me around to do chores, or he'll say, "Won't you be a sweet little lamb and get me a glass of water" and I'm easily persuaded by his niceness. I can't blame him entirely for this one, but sometimes I just wish I remembered to grab the TV remote before doing the dishes. Then I'd be in control!!!

But... there are also a few pros to living with MY brother.

1. He's a Good Persuader. My brother has been around a few years longer than me so he has better persuading skills. He's good at negotiating a free dessert and he can almost always talk my dad in to a late night swim. He can convince me to play his stupid games with his stupid made-up rules. And he can almost always convince you to help do his chores.

2. He is a Laugh and a Half! When he's not in a bad mood, he'll laugh at anything. His favorite middle-schools words are: poop, tittle, and kaka. He has potty humor. He got it from my dad, but it usually makes us all laugh even if we shouldn't.

3.  He Teaches Life Lessons. Since he's older, he's in middle school first. And then he'll be in high school first. And then he'll be in college first. Since he has to do this stuff first, he tells me about it and then I'll have the upper hand when I go through it. I mean, I already know how much homework middle-schoolers get!

4. He Loves Me. Xavier cares about me a lot. One example of his love is when I was in a play last week. He didn't complain that he had to watch both nights! When we came home, he even sang the songs with me and gave me compliments on my make-up. Another way he shows he loves me is when our parents go out at night. Sometimes, I get scared and I get a pain in my stomach. But he gets me an ice-pack, makes me a toast or some tea, and tells me, "It's gonna be OK." He gives me the remote (though I usually turn on his channel).

As I said, brothers can be great or annoying. Nothing in the middle. But my brother is great about 51% of the time!

My Little Dog

by Xavier

My dog is the greatest gift I have ever received.

Here I am, on the couch upstairs, writing this blog with my Samsung slate in my lap, my dog staring up at me and my video games calling my name. My dog has moved up to the couch, laying next to me, staring at the wall. I wonder what she thinks about, day after day, week after week, month after month. She is very lazy.

I wonder what it feels like to be a dog. Is it good, or bad? Sure, she doesn't have to go to school, and she get's to slouch around the house. She doesn't have to hunt for food, she doesn't have to do chores, and she gets to sleep whenever. Wherever! But, she is skittish. She seems to worry about people coming into the house and this is because she was abused when she was just a pup. We got her when she was just 5 weeks old. So we saved her from a bad life.

Having a dog can be bittersweet.

It was Halloween, 2014. I came home on the school bus. But when I walked into the house, my dog wasn't there to greet me. I searched the house and garden. I ran outside and even looked around the whole complex, but I couldn't find her. When I called my parents, I was bursting with tears. Scared out of my mind. Worried for my dog. My parents got home and we started searching in the car. We drove around our housing complex and neighborhood. The next day, a Saturday, we printed out many lost dog signs. We passed them out to the guards, hammered them on to trees, in front of  housing complexes, hospitals, and we also alerted all the pounds.

Everyday, our family felt more hopeless of finding her. Though we secretly hoped she'd be on the couch when we walked in, she never was. We were sad. Lonely. Lost without her. Our family wasn't whole with her gone.

Four days later, in the middle of class, my dad came in and pulled me out. He said a man selling bananas near a hospital had seen our dog. My mom had rushed there to get her. She called my dad and said she was coming back to school. When she drove up at 11:24 on a school day, we saw our dog, poking her small, little black head out of the car. We all started to cry again. But this time, tears of joy.

Getting her as a puppy was a good gift. Getting her back was the greatest gift!

Anouk's 9th

Anouk celebrated her 9th birthday in SPA style. After deciding on a theme for her party, Anouk and Mama got busy creating eye mask invitations and a relaxing spa setting for the celebration. The first step was: the relaxation zone which was full of pillows, blankets, and all the pre-tween magazines we could get our hands on. 

Once that was all done, we organized a beauty zone so Mama and her two teacher buddies could make up each "client." Girls received two beauty treatments. They had an option of a dozen nail colors from which to get their manicure done. This was followed by a "facial" with eye make-up and lip glosses galore.

While girls waited for their spa treatments, they were asked to cut small spa-themed icons and glue them on to a blank BINGO board. Once all the boards were created, the girls played RELAX (as opposed to BINGO).

Mama's favorite event was hot nail polish. In this game, all the girls sat on a blanket in the garden, each with their own nail polish color in hand. While the music played, they were asked to pass the nail polish to the next person. When the music stopped, they were stuck with the color in their hand and had to paint one of their toes. The game continued in this manner until all 10 toes were pained a variety of colors. It's hilarious how unskilled these girls are at painting their own toenails.

Once everyone's nails dried, it was time to participate in Papa's annual Birthday Scavenger Hunt. This year's scavenger hunt took the girls upstairs, downstairs, outside, in the car, and ultimately, to the Master bedroom, where they found a basket full of terrific spa tools: nail polish, wash clothes, lip gloss, nail files, mints, nail stickers, and hair ties.

The party wrapped up with a heartwarming rendition of Happy Birthday that was sung with incredible enthusiasm! The girls devoured chocolate cupcakes or fruit and custard cake (though most girls tried BOTH!)

To see more pictures of this Spaaaaaaahhhh day, go to our Flickr page.

Ubuntu

It's been a difficult week for the world as Madiba takes his final walk to freedom. But we are all much better for his presence on Earth and that is clearly evident in all we have witnessed in the last four days here in Johannesburg. Beyond the constant radio tributes and commercial spots paying him homage, the city and all of South Africa seems to be stopping to give thanks, smile more genuinely at one another, and pay their respects by striving to live his lessons. Even at 7 am on a Sunday morning, his house in Houghton (not his museum  house in the township of Soweto), was teeming with people grieving for our world's loss.

At school, my students and I read Chris van Wyk and Paddy Bouma's abridged children's story Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom while trying to figure out what the zulu word, UBUNTU meant. The word ubuntu is one that Mandela referred to often and literally translates to "human kindness." During Apartheid, ubuntu developed in to an ideology called Ubuntuism but became commonly used internationally once Mandela became president in 1994. 

As a philosophy, ubuntu is something we should all achieve for. To look for the virtue, goodness, and kindness in one another's human nature. To that end, my students and I reflected on how WE could demonstrate ubuntu. According to them, it doesn't take much: 

• "Be caring to people." 
• "Hug a person when they're sad."
• "Say, 'Thank you!'"
• "Don't judge people."
• "Be principled even when it's hard to do the right thing."

For some more pictures of the way we see beauty through grief, check out my Flickr feed.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu, a set on Flickr.

Reflections on Mandela's final walk to freedom.