Author: Collins Rex

I’ve been tardy, but I do have a valid excuse – Day 1 of month 11 was Christmas day!

I’m sitting here, listening to Paul Simon’s remarkable album (does he have any other kind??), “Surprise”, eating homemade peanut brittle (a gift from Urbain’s sister, Yolande), and reflecting on the month just gone. It was another corker, with visitors from far away, an overseas trip, cultural experiences, Christmas, and much more. Strap in, folks, here we go …!

Even though I stepped down as Co-Director of the South African Film Festival (ANZ), I still serve on the film review Committee. We reviewed the first batch of films and held our first review meeting. There are some great offerings, so be sure to watch for the launch of the final programme.

As has become the norm, we visited our favourite haunts, including a fabulous Mozambiquan dive bar, and a great breakfast spot that comes with wildlife.

Having grown up on the Highveld, I’m used to spectacular electric storms, but the ones we’ve experienced in Hartbeespoort have been a level above! We sat often over the past weeks just watching, in complete awe of the power of Nature on full display.

With Christmas around the corner, and Urbain’s family coming to lunch, I started planning my menu. And that led to the hunt for a Christmas ham. Imagine my surprise and utter bewilderment to discover that there is only a thing called ‘Gammon” to be had here. Even really good butchers looked at me as if I had two heads when I enquired about “a leg of ham”. For the record, this is the difference …

As it turns out, the gammon was delicious, but next year I’m making my own HAM.

For the past 10 years, I’ve served as a Judge at the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards. The Awards move around the various member economies, and this year we were in Taiwan.

Over five days, there were meetings (I’m also member of the Executive Committee of APICTA), events, and – of course – the competition itself.

It was a delight as always to catch up with Australian colleagues from across the country, and also those from the whole APICTA family.

This year 2+3 had work commitments and couldn’t join, so I flew solo (as I had for several years before roping him in).

Australia had a bumper crop of 16 entries across several categories, and we took home three gold medals and a merit award. And along the way a great time was had by all!

Upon my return from APICTA, a real treat was in store for us; dear friend. Dewetia, had to be in South Africa for work, and spent a night. What a joy!

It was during Dewetia’s visit that we learned of the tragedy in Bondi where 15 innocent people, out to celebrate the start of Hannukah, were murdered by two gunmen in a terrorist attack. 39 more innocents were injured. The attack, however, also saw remarkable acts of bravery and compassion, and galvanised a community against anti-Semitism.

Bondi Beach Shooting: Everything We Know About Terror Attack Targeting Jewish Holiday Event | TIME

On a more positive note, we marked the annual tradition of giving “Christmas” to our refuse collectors on the last rubbish collection day before Christmas. After much deliberation, we also upheld the tradition of giving Christmas hampers to staff (in addition to any other gifts and bonuses). Our brilliant gardener, Goodwell Nyarenda, lives in the informal settlement close to our village and for him and his family, the hamper bucket is as useful as the contents.

In preparation for overnight guests (nine of them!), we furnished and equipped our cottage, and generally prettied it up.

Urbain’s sister, Louwene, and her daughter, Mekayla, were the first to arrive, a couple of days before Christmas.

Then it was Christmas!

The table was set …

Obstacles were overcome – like having no electricity for more than three hours until just before the guests’ arrival! A feast was prepared …

The family gathered … And a glass was raised to absent loved ones who will always be missed at times like these.

And just like that, it was 27 December and the house was just ours again.

I leave you with a video of Urbain being groomed by our friend Derrich’s cat. Until next time, merry belated Christmas, and sala kahle.

I’m a day late in writing this blog because life got in the way. And maybe I’ve also been a little distracted by the sunbird building a nest outside my office window, and the squirrel that comes searching for a snack every morning (and some afternoons).

I’m beginning to make Christmas and new year’s day plans, and getting ready to head to Taiwan in a week’s time. In between, there’s been gardening, and visits, and trips, and concerts.

Here goes – a quick recap of month nine (and a gratuitous sunset video) …

You know by now that we took a 3,500km road trip a few weeks ago. Since then, we’ve mostly been busy around the house.

Our thatch roof was in need of some emergency maintenance, and a team came out to do the necessary. It’s the first time I’ve ever really seen thatching being done and it was a treat seeing the guys work.

And thank goodness we had this work done when we did, because shortly after, the Mother of electric storms arrived!

From time to time we have visits from baboons. These are mostly harmless, but always unwelcome. Why? They go from harmless to destructive in moments! That’s why we’ve never photographed or filmed our hairy visitors; we’re too busy chasing them away! Until a couple of days ago …

Now that the rains have come, we’ve spent quite a bit of time in the garden. New lawn has been laid and is establishing itself (and can’t yet be mowed), I’ve planted lots of seedlings, and our gardener, Goodwell, is building little stone walls everywhere.

I’ve re-purposed soup cups, two of them 40 years old, and have started thinking about other redundant vessels that can be used to hold succulents.

Despite all the chores, we’ve time for the fun stuff. We had our monthly “Salieri” opera appreciation gathering (“Romeo and Juliet” was this month’s offering), and as always there was also great conversation and good food. We also saw the Mzansi Ballet School in action in a modern ballet, “Private Presley”. The performances may not all have been completely polished, but it was wonderful to see young people giving it their all in front of an appreciative, paying audience. And the highlight for us? Chatting before the performance to an old gogo (grandmother) who was there to see her great-granddaughter perform.

In a week I’m off to Taiwan for the Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Awards where I – and three other Aussies – will be joining the international judging panel. This is my 10th outing and I’m really looking forward to it.

And now I’m going back to watching that industrious sunbird!

Until next time, sala kahle.

When dear friends invite you to their 50th anniversary celebration in the Cape (over two days, nogal!), you immediately programme the GPS and start planning a roadtrip!

It’s been years since we last drove to the Cape (largely) via the N1, and it was truly eye-opening. On the positive side – the roads are excellent overall, and the scenery is spectacular! The negative? Due to the collapse of South Africa’s freight rail system, the number of long-haul trucks on the road is mind-numbing.

There are, of course, always the road cowboys and cowgirls who do immensely stupid things, like overtaking on blind rises and driving way too fast (or slow) for the road conditions, but by and large people behave. And the skill of the truck drivers is awe-inspiring!

Once through the early-morning Jo’burg traffic, it was plain-sailing to Bloemfontein and then on into the Karoo. Now, for those reading this in countries other than South Africa, the Karoo is a vast, semi-arid region that stretches across much of central South Africa, known for its striking landscapes, big skies, and deep silence.

Once a prehistoric seabed, the Karoo holds a rich fossil record that provides key insights into early life on Earth. And did I mention that it’s vast? And mostly flat, apart from the occasional koppie (rocky outcrop).

Because it’s a long drive – around 18 hours in either direction – we did the sensible thing and stopped halfway to spend the night in Hanover, in the heart of the Great Karoo, and pretty much exactly halfway between Kosmos and Pringle Bay. The town isn’t as pretty and well-maintained as it once was, but our hotel – the Hanover Luxury Hotel – was funky and a bit out there (just the way I like my hotels), and staffed by fabulous young people. It was a great place to rest up from a long day’s driving.

I love flying, but the great thing about driving is the stuff you manage to see and do along the way! Like driving through the drop-dead gorgeous Meiringspoort (Meiring’s Pass) on the way to Oudtshoorn.

From Oudtshoorn we drove on to Mossel Bay to have a quick lunch with my cousins Derek and Elsa …

And then it was onto Pringle Bay in the Western Cape.

Along the way we watched the landscape change from arid to progressively greener, and eventually into fynbos-covered mountain sides.

The sun was setting before we reached Pringle Bay, and it was spectacular!

Before the start of Celebration Number 1, we availed ourselves of a walk through the Harold Porter Botanic Gardens in Betty’s Bay.

Pringle Bay is a small, picturesque coastal village located along South Africa’s Cape Whale Coast, nestled between the Kogelberg Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Part of a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve, it is renowned for its unspoiled natural beauty, and it’s wildlife …

Pringle Bay is located along a spectacular coastline that includes Gordon’s Bay.

Celebration Number 2 was at a venue between Somerset West and Stellenbosch. A great group of friends from all over came together to celebrate Pieter and Izak’s 50th year together, and their 10th wedding anniversary.

We love the Cape Winelands and it was wonderful having a few hours to just explore the area. As always we ended up in Franschhoek, one of the most beautiful towns in the Cape.

Before starting the journey home to Kosmos, we spent a leisurely couple of hours in one of my all-time favourite places, Babylonstoren.

Founded in the 17th century, the estate retains the charm of early Cape Dutch architecture with thick white-washed walls, elegant gables and thatched or tile roofs. With spectacular gardens, vineyards, amazing restaurants and so much more, Babylonstoren stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when second best just isn’t an option. And what’s more, this very special place is staffed by local people, many of them young and learning on the job, all of them amazing.

Leaving the Winelands and starting our homeward journey, we drove through the Hex River Valley, where most of South Africa’s table grapes are grown. It’s an extraordinary site!

En route back to Hanover, we stopped off at Matjiesfontein. Founded in 1884 by Scottish railwayman, James Douglas Logan, the town became an important railway stop and a fashionable health retreat for well-to-do tuberculosis sufferers in the Victorian era.

This National Heritage town also offers a glimpse into South Africa’s wartime history, having served as a British base during the Anglo-Boer War.

Just as Matjiesfontein was significant in the Anglo-Boer War, so too was Bethulie, the first Free State town reached by the invading British forces in 1900. It was also the site of a concentration camp, where Boer women and children were interred during the war in shocking conditions.

On a happier note, Bethulie is also the birthplace of celebrated actor, Patrick Mynhardt , who was particularly well known for his performance of the works of Herman Charles Bosman. Mynhardt’s biography is titled, “The Boy from Bethulie”. Bethulie is also the home of dear friend, Serena! And we made a quick coffee stop on our way home.

From Bethulie we made our way back to Bloemfontein via Smithfield …

And then home to Kosmos!

3500km driven, priceless memories filed away.

Until next time, sala kahle!

Christmas decorations and special festive goodies have appeared in the shops, and we’ve just started the 9th month of our African adventure.

We marked the occasion with brekkie at one of our favourite local haunts, the always-fabulous “Silver Orange”.

This past month we’ve had a special house guest, we’ve hosted family lunches dinners, we’ve attended concerts, and (as you by now know) we received the remainder of our goods from Australia. It’s been quite a ride, folks!

One of the highlights of our South African stay so far was my sister’s visit. Lucy lives about four hours away in Newcastle, a steel town like all the others of that name around the world. This visit was all the more special because Lucy seldom travels, and very rarely for as long as the 10 days she spent with us.

Amongst other things, we visited the Hunters Rest hotel in Rustenburg. While there we did a little family sleuthing and visited the graves of my great-grandfather, George Wellington Rex, and my great-grandmother, Sarah, born Collins.

We also just hung out, doing silly stuff and sharing many laughs!

Music is a vital part of our lives. Here we don’t have the wide choice of live events we had in Melbourne, but in all fairness, I really don’t think any other place compares. When we do come across a live performance, we’re there with bells on!

This past month we went along to hear “Die Vyftigers” (“The Fiftyers”) perform their unique style of rather avant garde Afrikaans music. The group was brought into being by Neil Sandilands, an acclaimed international actor-turned-muso.

I interviewed Neil a couple of years ago while he was shooting “Sweetmouth 2” and we’ve remained in touch every since. It was wonderfully rowdy, and fab to finally meet Neil in the flesh!

On a completely different note, we had the privilege of attending a live recording of the Gauteng Philharmonic Orchestra at the SABC.

Remember those 86 cartons, etc that arrived on 15 October?

They’ve been unpacked and their contents are now proudly part of our household once more. I have a proper, fit-for-purpose kitchen again, we have our beloved glass and ceramics collections, and so much more. Time for an official housewarming methinks!

We’ve also had time to just enjoy this magical place, and its inhabitants …

Until next time, sala kahle!

More than eight months after it was collected from our Park Orchards home, the last of our goods arrived from Australia today!

It’s an auspicious day, but in so many ways, just another one.

We’ve settled into our South African life, and I’ve learned to make do with the kitchenware, crockery, cookware, etc I’ve had since moving into our Kosmos house. With just 12 plates, side plates and pasta bowls, eight knives, forks, spoons and teaspoons, eight small bowls, and random (emergency-acquired) cookware, I’ve cooked wonderful meals for friends and family. Yes, I’ve missed some of my good pieces and struggled when I didn’t have a can opener or cake cooling rack, but the sky didn’t fall, and the laughs weren’t any less heartfelt.

My Camilla cupboard was largely empty, but I can’t say I desperately missed any particular garment just because it wasn’t here.

This weekend we start unpacking all the treasures I’ve almost forgotten about. Much as I’ve made do, I have no doubt I’ll be delighted to finally have a fully-stocked and properly equipped Kosmos home. And, of course, there’s that Camilla cupboard …

Watch this space for updates!

I leave you with a gratuitous shot of Hartbeespoort Dam because this is my blog and I can.

Until next time – sala kahle …

What a month the 7th one was! Overseas trips, officiating (me) and judging (2+3) at the iAwards, and much more besides. Some of it I’ve already shared; the rest follows!

We returned from Australia to find that we pretty much skipped Spring and went straight to Summer, with daytime temperatures hovering around 29C. The garden that had been slumbering towards the end of August, was ablaze with new leaves and blooms in mid-September.

The change in weather meant we also needed to plant our Summer garden as quickly as possible. Beds were cleared, plants were acquired, and a flurry of activity has ensued.

It wasn’t all gardening and savouring Spring. I delivered my first face-to-face South African eCommerce Masterclass to a group of businesses at “eCommerce Live”, part of the “Leaderex” expo. The subject? Selling online to Aussie consumers. A great time was had by all, especially me!

We hosted our monthly ” Salieri” opera appreciation gathering at our house for the first time (and watched Bellini’s “Norma”), I presented an Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards info session to potential Aussie nominees (encouraging them to enter the December competition), and I interviewed the remarkable linguist, Quentin Williams.

We had the great pleasure of attending a stellar performance by a former colleague and old friend, Amanda Strydom. Amanda’s “Incredible Journey of Tinkerbell van Tonder” is a tour de force! There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, or a funny bone that came away untickled.

We also made our way back to the bustling metropolis of Cullinan. (You may recall our visit there some months ago to apply for new South African identity documents.) Well, this time we sat under a tree, waiting to collect our brand new green books.

And lo and behold …!

While in Cullinan – home of the very famous diamond – we took a drive through town and visited the mine observation point. Actually it’s a very quaint and pretty village, despite being a bit neglected. And the mine? It’s a mine!

We’ve just celebrated our first ever South African Heritage Day. Once known as Shaka Day (for the infamous King of the Zulus), this day is now reserved to celebrate all that makes South Africa and its people unique.

We started the day with a little community service. Along with 10 other volunteers, we pulled water hyacinth (a noxious weed) from the Hartbeespoort Dam. It may have felt a bit like spitting into the wind, but the 200+ bags of this green horror we removed is now no longer in the dam, reproducing at a rate of knots!

I leave you with a uniquely South Africa service advertisement …

Until next time, sala kahle!

It’s no secret that language has always fascinated me. And I love speaking to interesting people. When I can combine those two loves, well …

Earlier today I had the great privilege of chatting online to Prof Quentin Williams. Quentin is a passionate advocate for his language and his culture, and he’s also the Director of the Centre for Multilingualism and Diversities Research (CMDR) and Full Professor of Linguistics in the Linguistics Department at the University of the Western Cape.

Quentin is Co-Editor of the journal, “Multilingual Margins: a journal of Multilingualism from the periphery”, founder and chairperson of the “Societie virrie Advancement of Kaaps” (SAK), and co-founder of the “Heal the Hood” Hip Hop Lecture Series, a forum for the African Hip Hop Indaba.

Quentin has for several years been working on the publication of the first ever Kaaps dictionary, a project that has finally come to fruition!

This was no dry, dusty academic discussion! It was engaging and thought-provoking, and also just plain fun. You can watch the recording here …

The past three weeks have delivered a whirlwind of experiences and emotions. From Kosmos to Taiwan, from Adelaide to Melbourne, and from Sydney back to Kosmos. Along the way, we worked, caught up with friends, visited old haunts, attended a concert, enjoyed meals aplenty, and experienced much tugging at the heartstrings.

I must admit, it was a little discombobulating flying to Australia from Taiwan, knowing that Australia is no longer home, but feeling as though it was because I was flying in from a “foreign” country.

I was in Adelaide to officiate at the National iAwards. This was my 5th year as Chief Judge, and it was to have been my last. I was mentally prepared to step down, only to find that a replacement couldn’t be found and I’d be staying on for another year. It was a tad strange to adjust to “business as usual”, but I do love my iAwards work and so the prospect of another year isn’t really a hardship.

This year we acknowledged all those judges who had contributed 10 or more years to the iAwards, and I was humbled to receive a certificate too.

From the iAwards we headed to Melbourne, for business meetings (mostly 2+3) and catchups with friends. What a joy it was to stay in the home of dear friend, Dewetia (and Zara, the four legged human), and to wake up to the views across her glorious garden, filled with artwork and creatures great and small.

Our time in Melbourne was limited, but we managed to fit in a great deal! We visited the NGV to see the Winter Masterpieces and the Kimono exhibition. We even attended a concert!

We went to late night movies (something that’s impossible to do in Kosmos), I shopped up big on tinfoil, baking paper and cling wrap (yeah, yeah) at Chef’s Hat, and we visited favourite coffee haunts run by people who have become friends over the years.

One of these is “NowandNotYet” in Warrandyte, where dear Derek was a lifesaver during the deep dark COVID years.

Walking along our beloved Yarra and seeing and smelling the wattle in bloom was overwhelming, but also very good for the soul.

We broke bread with dear friends, laughing more than may have been seemly, and talking for hours about everything and nothing.

Each meeting was a joy, and each farewell a great sadness …

From Melbourne we headed to Sydney for a few hours, for work (mine this time) and a degas. We’ve always loved this city, and so many of our early Australian memories were made here. The sights bring back recollections of time spent with parents and friends, many of whom are no longer with us.

On Friday 05 September we boarded QF63 for OR Tambo International …

And 16 or so hours later – at sunset – I glimpsed Johannesburg. And, despite the conflicting emotions of the previous weeks, I knew I was home.

From a glorious springtime in Kosmos, until next time, sala kahle!

The view as I write is a little different, because it’s a view of Adelaide. Yip, the start of the 7th month of our African adventure is being spent back in Australia. I’m here to officiate at the iAwards (Australia’s premier tech innovation competition) as Chief Judge, and Urbain does his thing as one of my judges.

I’m a tad fuzzy, having just arrived from Taiwan, where I attended an Asia Pacific ICT Alliance (APICTA) Executive Committee meeting. In addition to the quarterly ExCo meeting, this one included an overview of the arrangements for December’s APICTA Awards in Kaohsiung.

Kaohsiung is an impressive city, with some stunning architecture. It will be great to be back there with Team Australia and stalwart Aussie judges like my mate, Gary Buck.

Life in South Africa surges ahead …

We celebrated my birthday, with family and friends, and huge hunks of meat!

Urbain’s workshop is up and running, and productive. The first real piece made there, is a shelf for some of my cookbooks, made from Aussie hard wood that came with us.

One of the key reasons for moving to South Africa was the need to be closer to Urbain’s mom. This past month saw her third visit since we arrived in Hartbeespoort.

The birds now visit in droves for their twice daily feed …

Great meals are being had!

And the views are as great as ever!

We’re really looking forward to catching up with Aussie friends over the next two weeks. Conversations will be had, laughs will be shared and cups of “stoep” (porch) tea will be consumed. This is also something of an acid test – our first visit back to Aus since moving, and then flying home …

Until next time – sala kahle.

I turned 61 a couple of days ago. Not a milestone birthday, just another year gone, but this one was signifcant for being my first back in South Africa in 27 years.

The day itself wasn’t particularly exciting, in fact, I worked until midnight, but it was punctuated by calls and messages from people around the globe, all wishing me well. And the day before was spent in the company of people I care about, doing what I love – cooking!

I’m always a tad melancholy around my birthday, thinking of those who have moved on, those with whom I’ve lost touch, and those who simply cannot be with me through distance and circumstance.

I’m fortunate in South Africa to be close to family and the friends of my childhood and early youth, but, of course, here I’m separated from dear Australian family and friends who have become precious to me over the years. And with whom I’ve spent some spectacular birthdays!

My friend, Karen, who shuffled off this mortal coil earlier this month, always rang to sing happy birthday (badly offkey!), and she sent a multitude of little packages, full of glitter that went everywhere. There was no call this year, and no glitter, leaving a space in my heart that will never be quite filled.

But birthdays have always been about new beginnings for me. It’s as though the clock re-sets and new paths open. This year I’ve made a renewed commitment to this South African life, by planting a tree …

I’ve always wanted a Fever Tree (Vachellia xanthophloea) and this year, I got one as a birthday gift from my man!

She’s a young sapling, but I have faith that we’ll see her grow to be a wondrous beauty that provides joy for many years to come.

I also got two Quiver Trees (Aloidendron Dichotomum) …

And two aloes. All to be planted with some ceremony this weekend.

Melancholy – a little; content – indeed! And hopeful for a bright African future.

Until next time – sala kahle!