The one about snow in the Garden Route

I turned my back for a few months and the weather turns on Sweden-ish (new word) in South Africa. I rarely snows in the Garden Route.

The one about charitable clothing

William Sledd (www.youtube.com/user/WilliamSledd ) introduced me to mondonation - think. change. (http://www.mondonation.com/)
Exactly.

My tshirt slogan is up for review by the mondonation staff because the word "Aeternam" is not in the their database. However, the website did suggest that, perhaps, I should rather use "atherosclerosis". Quite clever, as atherosclerosis is a leading cause of death which may call for a requiem.

The one with two photos of Stockholm at night

I am always impressed when I can take photos without using a flash at 22:30.

The one about the Liljeholmsbadet

There are swimmingpools and then there is the Liljeholmsbadet. It's a floating swimmingpool and by far the best place to swim indoors in Stockholm. The water temperature was 24ºC, the water is crystal clear and it has the old world charm (when swimming was still elegant). I heard of this pool from a local after a disasterous visit to the Storkyrkanbadet in gamla stan (briefly: I was chased around the pool by a lunatic - apparently everybody knows him and he is considered harmless and probably just wanted to say hi - but how should visitors know this?).

The one about walking to work (Part1)

[This one of those blogs that Kathy Sierra probably would not approve of. It's a selfish post: it's all about me, it doesn't add value to the life of others, it doesn't inspire, educate, nada.]

In Uppsala I have walk to work: up Sankt Johannesgatan, then right into Krongatan which becomes Kåbovägen (next to the forest) and then, 25 minutes later, I arrive at the Uppsala Biomedicinska Centrum (BMC). I plan to photograph the entire route. These are the First Few Steps. Part 2 (The Next Few Steps) promises to be just as exciting!

Thanksgiving

10 May 2002. I remember.

news24
The Herald
Dispatch
Rapport

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine.

The one about tanning Swedish style

Daav's se lekker kuier is al iets van die verlede. En dit was 'n fees om almal en alles in Afrikaans te kon bespreek. Daav verwys na Stockholm as "Stokkies" en ek het my misnoee (Sweedse skootkompers maak nie e's met deeltekens nie - FN+ALT137 oortuig die komper dat jy van die webbladsy wil wegmigreer) uitgespreek, maar dit het op dowe ore geval. Ek moet egter erken dat sy uitspraak van Uppsala as [oepselaa] het my baie vreugde verskaf. Sondag se weer het ons verras en ek is met kortbroek en net 'n T-hemp uit die huis uit. Oppad dorp toe het ek die foto van die sonbakker geneem. Dié man het mos nou styl!

The one where we dine at Hambergs

The Klangsgräng 5 International Delegation dined at Hambergs Fisk last night to celebrate, well, life, our friendship and PJ's birthday.
Sandra Razy represented France (althoug she was born in Madagascar) and is an enviromental engineer working for SSC Forestry. PJ is a theoretical physicist at the Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland, probably the funniest man on earth, and turning 40 ;-)
Patricia is studying Swedish in Stockholm and teaches Spanish part-time. Before meeting them I didn't believe that I would survive the 3 months in Uppsala and now I cannot believe how time flies.

The one about the Gamla Uppsala grave yard

Hierdie is net 'n paar fotos oor die begrafplaas in Gamla Uppsala. Dit is so netjies en hulle verskaf al die implemente nodig om jou familiegraf te onderhou.

The about burial mounds old and new

Aan die einde van die 19de eeu was die grafhope uitgegrawe vir die wereld geologiese uitstalling in Stockholm. Tot hulle teleurstelling was daar net 'n paar verbrande artikels en beendere van mense en diere. Wel, miskien was dit net 'n vullishoop. Hoe so? Wel, kyk wat sien mens langs die prehistories 'vullishoop': 'n moderne vullishoop. Swede is baie tradisie vas en generasie na generasie bring nog steeds hulle vullis om hier verbrand te word. Wonder wie moet ek van my teorie in kennis stel.

The one about Gamla Uppsala

Bus Nommer Twee stop by Klangs Gränd. Dit neem nie meer as 9 minute om die middel van die dorp te bereik nie. Sondag het ek nie op my gewone plek afgeklim nie, maar die bus gery tot waar dit in Gamla Uppsala stop. Gamla Uppsala is die prehistories oorblyfels van sesde eeuse vikinggrafte. Daar is 'n museum, reastaurant, kerk, grafhope, en wandelpaaie met interessante leesstof. Mens hoef regtig nie die 30 SEK te betaal om in die museum in te gaan nie want jy kan sommer so in die stap en by die kerk alles lees oor die Noorse temple en gebeure wat hier afgespeel het. Die begrafplaas en kerk is werklik 'n besoek werd. Sjoe, ek begin soos 'n toergids klink...

The one about a lazy afternoon in Stockholm

Afgestap trein toe en was 40 minute later in Stockholm. Ek het hierdie keer eerder 'n heeldag travelcard gekoop want laas was my voete deurgeloop. My pa het voorstel dat ek die Moderna Museet besoek. Hulle was 30 jaar gelede daar en tot my verbasing was baie van sy beskrywings van sommige die werke 100% akkuraat. Die Institutionalised Patient (Robert Rauschenberg) het my werklik ontstel. Dit is moeilik om dit te beskryf. Sy brein is 'n visbak waarin daar 'n swart vissie rondswem. Die vissie het so alleen en desperaat gelyk en dit is presies hoe mens voel as jy na die kunswerk kyk.

Dit was die laaste dag van die Kentridge uitstalling. Ek was nou nie voorheen 'n aanhanger nie, maar sy Black Box het my asem weggeslaan. Dit is 'n multimedia vertoning met musiek (Sarastro se arias uit die Towerfluit), lyn marionette, meganiese poppe en sy sketse. Die handel oor die Duitsers se uitwissing van die Herero's in SWA. Sy weergawe van die Towerfluit word later vanjaar in September in Kaapstad uitgevoer. Ek glo dit gaan een van die musikale hoogtepunte van die dekade wees.

The one about the rune stone

Hierdie rune steen kom uit die 11de eeu. Dit lees: "Holmfast het hierdie steen opgerig ter nagedagtenis van Igulger, sy vader, en Torbjörn". Die steen is in 1910 ontdek. Ek vermoed dit was dalk een van Uppsala Universitet se eerste studente.

The one where I walk to town

Hier is 'n paar fotos van Uppsala. Lente het in minder as 24 uur nadat die temperatuur begin study het, verskyn. Dit is opvallend hoe, wat ek gedink het dooie takke is, blare begin bot.

1: Hoofgebou van Uppsala Universitet

2: Uppsala katedraal (Luters)

3. Lente verskyn

The one where Mats nails his thesis to the tree

Daar is tradisies en dan is daar tradisie. Mats se tesisboek is Vrydag vrygestel en om dit te vier, het hy sy tesis aan die boom vasgespyker tydens fika (koffietyd). Uppsala Universiteit bestaan al langer as wat Diaz in Mosselbaai aangekom het en hierdie tradisie is ouer as Jan van Riebeeck se Kaapse draai. Dit is duidelik dat daar baie waarde aan die voltooiing van 'n doktorsgraad geheg word. Elke doktorand moet vier artikels publiseer om aan die Universiteit se vereistes voldoen. Ek voel vanaand sommer baie trots dat ek die geleentheid het om hier, in die mekka van nie-liniêre gemengde effek modelering (NONMEM) kan studeer. Dankie, dankie, dankie.

The one about the Bavarian specialities

Maatjies!

Hoe wonderlik is dit nie om verby Max Krug se winkel in München te loop nie. Ek het dit in my wandelinge deur die ou stad ontdek. Oorkant die straat was daar 'n meer moderne ikoon: 'n jas wat deur Madonna ontwerp is.

The one about where I live in Uppsala

Hallo maatjies

Hier is die eerste van my Sweedse fotos. Hierdie kompleks van gifappeltjie geel geboue word die 'Uppsala LägenhetsHotell' genoem. Ek dink dit beteken woonstelhotel. Ek woon basies in 'n kamer met 'n enkelbed, kombuiskas en toilet wat ook 'n stort is. En dit alles vir 'n skamele 2350 SEK (ongeveer R2500) PER WEEK! Aanvanklik het ek orals heen gestap totdat dit te koud geword het, maar nou ry ek bus soos nog nooit van te vore nie. Die laaste foto het ek gisteroggend by die busstop geneem. Die katedraal se torings is in die agtergrond. Verbaas oor die mooi blou lig? Glo my: dis kouer hou blouer die lug.

The one about being online again

Until my return to Cape Town I will be blogging in Afrikaans in an attempt to maintain some sort of identity/sanity.

Hallo almal

Waar om te begin. Ek wil eerder nie blog oor my laaste dae in Kaapstad nie want ek het meesal gewerk en my poging was 87% suksesvol om alles af te handel voor my vertrek . Op die dag van my vertrek was ek en Braamie net na 05:00 op die lughawe sodat ek vroeg kan inboek om 'n sitplek by die nooduitgang te kry. Dit was 'n groot fout. Die sitplek by die nooduitgang is nouer as die ander sitplekke en nadat ek myself in die stoeltjie inforseer het, moes ek bly sit totdat ons in Frankfurt geland het. Daar is nou, 12 dae later, nog steeds blou kolle op my heupe. Die vlug uit Kaapstad het laat vertrek en dus het ek my vlug na Munchen verpas. Al my toiletware is op Frankfurt gekonfiskeer omdat dit meer as 100mL per houer was. My nuwe Timberland skoene se sole het glo een of ander tipe mostertpoeier bevat wat gebruik kan word om 'n bom te maak. Na 'n lang debat het hulle my egter toegelaat om my skoene aan boord te vat. Blerrie Duitsers. Hulle het ook die bottel Franse champagne , wat SAA vir my as kompensasie vir my ongemak gegee het, gekonfiskeer. Gelukkig kon ek 'n sitplek op die laaste vlug na Munchen kry en groot was my verbasing toe my bagasie saam met my in Munchen aangekom het.

Die taxi na my hotel het 60 Euro gekos, maar ek was so moeg dat dit my nie eers gepla het nie. Die hotel is in die ou deel van Munchen en die kamer was hipermodern. Dit beteken dat daar baie spasie is en geen meubels nie. Die bed was baie gemaklik en ek het heerlik geslaap.

Ek het besluit om na die simposium te stap duer die ou stad en dit was werklik verbaas oor hoe mooi en skoon Munchen is. Oppad het ek verby die speelgoedmuseum gestap en baie na my ouers verlang want ek onthou dat daar 'n poster van 'n uitstalling by die museum in ons huis in Bloemfontein gehang het. Ongelukkig het ek nie tyd gehad om die museum te besoek nie. Die symposium was interessant en ek het die aand varkvleis en knudel in die hotel se restaurant geeet.

Ek moet nou eers bietjie werk en sal later oor my aankoms in Swede blog.

The one with 6 days to go

Breakfast is a smoothie (made by Abraham) and a view of Table Mountain. This morning it was a case of "Kloof Street in the mist" and I had neither smoothie nor mountain view. Autumn in Cape Town is my favorite season: it starts to rain more, the air gets a crispy bite and the students at upper campus start to cover more skin and wear less flip flops. I am going to admit that my TDL is in a depressing state and I cannot blog about my failure to wipe urgent matters of the list.

The one with 7 days to go

Pfizer sponsored my TO DO LIST. It's a Viagra Feel Alive plastic writing board. Here in the Pharmacology Division, all items sponsored by pharmaceutical companies are frowned upon - even those really nice pens (often referred to as "reptile" pens). Anyway... There is one less thing to do (MCC submission: done... check!) but then I added the NONMEM literature to the list. Also, I now have an International Student Identification Card and collected my airplane tickets. Its so rare to actually have a printed ticket now that you can fly with a eticket or just a credit card and ID. Today I also realised that I am dressing to casually and will dig up my white coat and start to walk really fast down the corridors with my white coat flapping and my stethoscope swinging around my neck. Oh, the joys of being a doctor!

The one about the fire on Signal Hill

Three helicopters were used to fight the fire on Signal Hill last Saturday. Our apartment is below their flight path to refil the waterbags at the reservoir at the bottom of De Waal Park. In the picture you can see one coming in for a refil and another tiny spec dumping water on the fire.

The about the rainbow city

I think it was Desmond Tutu who referred to South Africans as the rainbow nation. Cape Town is often referred to as the gay capital of Africa and the international gay symbol is a rainbow. On Saturday I saw a complete double rainbow in Cape Town and it was spectacular. The rainbow seemed to end near the roof of the Tamboerskloof Dutch Reformed Church. What a scary idea!

The one with 8 days to go

Time is rushing by and so much has still to happen before I leave for Sweden next week. On the urgent "To do NOW" list there is a new clinical trial submission to the Medicines Control Council, my PhD proposal, a journal article, three sections of the 8th edition of the South African Medicines Formulary to edit, monitoring reports of my visits to the SEACAT sites in Limpopo en Mpumalanga provinces, two reviews for the university ethics committee and there are still 154 of 170 CDs of complete Mozart Edition that I haven't listen to yet. Today is a public holiday and I am blogging from my office. My desk is a mine field of documents and and coffee cups. Clearing my desk is, however, not on my list of things to do.

The one about changes on Kloof Street

In the past few weeks I have noticed the following changes on Kloof Street:

1. Maestro's are closed. I noticed this a few weeks ago. Alex Fokkens introduced me to their baked cheese cake way back in 1994.
2. The early bird breakfast at Arnold's is now R8.
3. The Kodak shop at the entrance of the Kloof Centre is closing down.
4. The Woolworths food store is being enlarged - a positive change.

5. The Grill is advertising a new menu - but still looks pretty empty to me.

The one about Frank Lloyd et al

South Africa hosted the 2006 International Horn Society Symposium in Cape Town. Although this was almost 9 months ago I finally managed to track down the recordings of the concerts. Windworx played an arrangement of the Schumann Konzertstuck for four horns with some of the world's greatest horn players. The soloists were Frank Lloyd, Bruno Schneider, Jeff Snedeker and Geoffrey Winter. All the concerts were recorded and in my opinion Geoffrey Winter's performance of the Concerto for Horn, Winds and Percussion by Machala (with Windworx) is the best recording.

Frank Lloyd's interpretation of Interstellar Call (Messiaen) was an exhibition of French Horn gymnastics that left the audiance stunned and begging for more. On the CDs there are a number of other recordings of Frank Lloyd's performances: Horn concerto by Förster, Double horn concerto by Haydn (with Bruno Schneider) [with a slow movement in E-flat minor which was absolute hell for the orchestra], Espana for solo horn (Buyabovsky), three pieces from the Little Suite by Borodin and Naturel for solo horn (Pousseur). I stopped playing horn in 1991 and switched to bass (basically because it suited my temperament better and caused less physical pain) but after hearing Prof Lloyd playing I must admit that I longed to blow a note or two.

The one about a breakfast on Bree

Tamara invited me to breakfast at her secret place. We arranged to meet at 07:03, but I was late and only arrived at 07:07 due to a facial scrub emergency [out with Nivea; in with the Body Shop]. "A slice of Bree" is a sandwich heaven just of Buiten Singel (that very San Franciscoesque street connecting Oranje and Buitengracht streets). There are four items on the breakfast menu: a croissant, a full house croissant, a croissant with scramble egg and a croissant with scrambled eggs and bacon. We discussed life (mine) and TK's dinner with Tom and Jerry. Tonight might be a dear diary moment for TK - so let's all hold thumbs.

The one with the visitors from George

I just love Mondays! Many may find this strange. It’s just that if the brown stuff hits the fan on Friday, you are in trouble (read: screwed); if it happens on a Monday you have enough time to deal with the problem or to delegate the brown stuff...

My brother, Louis, and his wife, Suzette, stayed with us during the weekend. They stopped over en route from Durban and George. Louis is my oldest brother. He left home when I was 16 and I believe the reason for our amicable relationship is based on the fact that weren't in each other's way during our early adult years.

Louis and Suzette were not the only visitors from George. Callie and Jeanne decided to drive up on Friday and were staying in a friend’s apartment a few blocks up Kloof Street. We met up at symphony concert in the Baxter (a long story) and had a late dinner at Arnolds. The photo was taken during breakfast on Sunday. I made (!) French toast... a major achievement, I know ;-)

Please note: there is no real maple syrup in Cape Town. I search high (and low). This is a sad state of affairs. French toast and crispy bacon (Louis showed me how to BAKE bacon) is just not the same without maple syrup.