Beeld-deurloop :Johanne van Eeden
Jan 23 2006


Ek sal nooit kwalifiseer vir 'n vuurwapenlisensie nie, en dis net omdat ek 'n grassnyer present gekry het.

Met Valentynsdag :hartlik: om die draai kan ander mans dalk hier 'n slim les by my man leer.

As jy die gras gesny wil hê, koop vir jou vrou 'n grassnyer. Sy voel op die plek bemagtig en jy voel op die plek verlos en vol opwinding oor al die rugby wat jy die jaar sal kan kyk.

Maar - net soos met juwele, klere en veral onderklere - moet mans liefs vooraf doodseker maak die grassnyer is versoenbaar met mevrou.

Ek kry toe mos so 'n groen petrolgrassnyer by manlief present met so 'n opwenhandvatsel wat jy moet ruk en pluk om lewe in die lem te kry.

Trots, bemagtig en vol moed om die gras ordentlik te kap, trek ek die meneertjie nader.

En ek ruk. En ek pluk. Maar dit spoeg nie eens 'n ou vonkie uit nie.

Ek maak doodseker daar is genoeg petrol en olie in die groen magie.

En ek ruk. En ek pluk.

En toe bars ek in trane uit. :bigcry:

Toemaar, troos manlief. Dit is 'n tweedehandse masjien; dalk moet jy die ding net laat diens.

Ek sit af na die grasmasjienwinkel en bekla my lot by 'n vreemde man.

Die groen monster word ingeboek vir 'n diens en twee dae later wil ek amper weer in trane uitbars toe ek die rekening kry.

Maar ek sluk my trane en kners op my tande. Ten minste gaan die gras (wat nou reeds amper enkelhoogte staan) vanmiddag gesny word.

Toe nie.

Ek ruk en ek pluk en die groen monster roer nie. Toe bars ek weer in trane uit (koes-koes dat die goed nie op die gras val nie, want as daar nog water op die groenigheid kom, gaan dit nog meer groei).

Terug grasmasjienwinkel toe waar die man my een kyk gee en my grasmasjien een pluk. En toe brúl die groen meneer.

En toe bars ek in trane uit en laat groot vet druppels op die winkel se sementvloer val terwyl die gras masjienman hulpeloos sy kop skud.

Terug by die huis lyk dit teen dié tyd of die leeus al tussen die langgras wil huis toe kom.

Ek verduidelik vir manlief hoe die simpel groen masjien my voor 'n vreemde man laat huil het omdat ek nie lewe in die ysterlyf geblaas kan kry nie.

Hy sê kom ons probeer weer.

Nodeloos om te sê, bars ek tien minute later in die geselskap van 'n dooie grasmasjien weer in trane uit.

Hy verstaan dit nie, sê manlief, hierdie ding van vroue wat oor alles huil. Toe tjank ek die grasperk nat.

Die volgende dag het manlief my winkel toe gevat sodat ek my eie grasmasjien kan uitsoek. Ek het een gekies sonder 'n enjin, met ronde lemmetjies wat gras vreet.

Nou hoe bring 'n mens dit nou by 'n vuurwapenlisensie uit?

Ek lees anderdag aansoekers van vuurwapenlisensies moet ingevolge die nuwe wetgewing "sielkundig stabiel" wees.

En ek is bevrees as iemand vir die arme verdwaasde man by die grassnyerwinkel gaan vra om te getuig oor my sielkundige stabiliteit, sal my aansoek om 'n vuurwapenlisensie onmiddellik in die gras byt.

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup Guinness stout
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons molasses
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a medium saucepan, scrape in the vanilla bean seeds. Add the pod, milk, and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the flavors infuse for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stout and molasses. Bring to a boil and turn off heat.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk in a few tablespoons of the hot cream mixture, then slowly whisk in another 1/4 cup of the cream. Add the remaining cream in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

4. Stir the beer mixture into the cream mixture. Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon.

5. Strain the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Process the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

edit: source http://www.boston.com/ae/food/articles/2...EWell_Pos1

From 1975 till 1980 I was seeing a beautiful (Cape Malay) lady Shophia, on the secret/quiet.

Condemned firstly by apartheid and not being able to see each other legally. Only being able to eat at international hotels, go to The Nico Malan (cinemas only if we risked going to a non white one), etc. This after being asked to leave establishments or refused entry on more than one occasion. Not to mention that I lived in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town, being 90% Afrikaans/very verkramped and NOT accepting. Not to mention her having to get out of the car blocks away from my flat, and entering the back door like a maid. To these experiences I could probably write a book.

Then came the condemnation from her Father and Brothers who literally wanted to kill me, as I was not a Muslim. Her Mom accepted things and we used to meet her on the very rare occasion in secret. Not to mention the risks by the un-accepting gangs when we were in the Cape Flats anywhere.

Last but not least was my then choice to make a career in the Military (I was doing national service then). I chose my career over our relationship, and ended our relationship. The career risk and retribution from the senior ranks in the SADF were far too great.

She was now living in Johannesburg, as it was then easier for us to see each other when I got a break from The Border, and we could escape all the personal condemnations in Cape Town. Plus she landed a great job teaching drama there.

I remember that night as clear as day light, my heart broke and am sure I had tears in my eyes nearly all the way to Durban (where I had to report for duty the next morning), and remembering I was raised to believe that men don't cry. I am sure it must have killed her, as she loved me unconditionally and was prepared to sacrifice everything (even her family) for me. As I left her sitting on the floor crying uncontrollably and hysterical as I told her of my decision, that our relationship had to end.

I gave into the pressures and norms of society UNFORTUNATELY.

Well a few years later in the military I decided otherwise, and did not extend my contract.

I have tried everything over the years to trace her, but her Mother and family deny her existence, even when other Muslim/Malay ladies have tried to inquire on my behalf.

All I want to do is say how SORRY I am, for all the pain and anguish I must have put her through, as I literally dumped her. I don't have many regrets in my life, but the way and why I ended our relationship sure is one.

Apartheid and religious boundaries killed it for us, and sure this just is an action replay for many others from our time.

Shophia you had and will always have a very special place in my heart, and hope that you have found love and acceptance wherever you might be in this beautiful world. As I did 25 years later, letting somebody back into my heart again and got married.

Anon

Please can someone help me. I have called South Africa House, and cannot find out too much information.
I was born in SA but have a British passport. (my dad is english). So I moved to the UK THREE YEARS AGO, and now I want to go back to SA on a two week holiday, but heard that I need a SA passport to travel. I dont intend ever moving back to SA, but what are the other options. I can renunce my citizenship, or apply for a SA passport, which I dont really want to do.

Although I do have a SA ID book in my maiden name. Now originally my UK passport was in my maiden name, but then I got married, and applied for a biriths passport in my married name, which says issued in uk and has a new name. Will they still be able to pick this up on the SA system if I used my new passport to go through, that I am the same person, as if not then I could get away with travelling on the uk passport. If not, does this mean that I have to renunce my south african citizenship although...i have nothing in SA that has my new MARRIED NAME, so a bit confused. hope this makes sense???

What was the name of the Virginia mansion where first-lady-to-be Martha Washington lived with her first husband, wealthy planter Daniel Parke Custis?

Annnndddd... We're back in action

Let's carry on where we left off.

Who caused a stir in 1992 with the song "Cop Killer"?

(25115)

We're back in action and better late than never as they say

Name the most westerly cape in South Africa.

At the Olympic Games, what country's name is officially abbriviated as SWZ?

Well sort of anyways...

Venus and I are alternating on the same line as they haven't given us the family connection we asked for (allowing us to connect up to five pc's as we requested) but hopefully that should be sorted out tomorrow

In the meantime I'll startup a couple of catch up threads

I went to see Brokeback Mountain this weekend.

It was beautifully and movingly done, needless to say; I was in tears at the end. The theatre was nearly full and there were no jeers or walkouts; people seemed to really be absorbed in the movie. The direction was so good that even if you don't like gays, you'd be likely to become involved with and care about the characters portrayed by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal, and appreciate the central theme of the movie.

The central theme of the movie is not to "push the gay agenda", or even a gay love story. Indeed, there are no gratuitous love scenes, and the ones there are serve only to explain and move the story forward. It's not even mainly about the universality and power of love, although that is, indeed, a sub-theme. It's really about how; when two people are in love, the barriers and obstacles put up by society to thwart that love and the possiblity of their being able to be together, really hurts and damages the people involved and affects their lives in ways that often alter its course, and usually not for the better ... about the inherent and gross unfairness of such barriers and obstacles ... about the fact that such barriers and obstacles are put up by people who don't even know you, whom you will never meet, and who feel they have the right to determine your choices in love and the subsequent course of your life for you. About the fact that, if two people are in love, they should be able to be together regardless of what the situation is. And about the terrible pain suffered by those who cannot be together because of such barriers and obstacles or who, like the character Ennis in the movie, lack the courage to overcome such barriers and obstacles and follow his heart and the true course of what his life was meant to be.

THAT is what the central theme of the movie appears to be to me, and the writing, direction, and acting was such that you literally felt Jack and Ennis's pain and got a true sense of what they were really going through.

Cultural and social barriers make life extremely difficult for people who only want to be left alone in peace to share their love and their lives together. NOTHING MORE.

In our own time, we're dealing with people who think they have the right to, yet again, determine for certain other people who they have the right to fall in love with and marry based, yet again, on their own standards, beliefs, and "morals"; and who are, yet again, causing tremendous pain and suffering for those whom their so-called "standards" affect greatly. I've always had a hard time understanding why people think they have the right to determine, based on their own standards, beliefs, and "morals"; the personal lives and private decisions, such as who to love and who to marry, for other people whom they don't even know and will never meet. What Brokeback shows is that love is love and it shouldn't matter for whom you feel it; people who are in love should be able to be together regardless of what "society" thinks.

The scene that most movingly showed this was when Jack and Ennis had been meeting a couple times a year for nearly twenty years and Jack finally explodes, wanting to actually be able to share his daily life with Ennis. Ennis, however, is too afraid to take that leap and Jack's frustration built up over twenty years, twenty years of having to be married to others, finally boils over and explodes. Several years prior to this scene, he'd told Ennis that "sometimes I miss you so much I can hardly stand it." "We can't fix it," Ennis replies. "If you can't fix it, you gotta stand it." Right then you really begin to sense the pain these two are going through at not being able to fulfill their true heart's desire and be together. The movie seems to be asking here "Why should they have to stand it?" Why shouldn't they be able to be together if they want?" It is an ageless, timeless question when it comes to love.

"Do you realize the life we could have had these past twenty years?" Jack asks Ennis, after finally exploding in frustration. "I wish I knew how to quit you." Indeed, people in love CANNOT just "quit" each other, and the movie again does a very moving job of showing the kind of pain that results from that when barriers and obstacles are put in the couple's way. Ennis suddenly breaks down, and Jack ends up holding him as they cry together for a lost life, a lost past, a lost future, and the fact that their love is hated and misunderstood by their own culture and society. One can imagine this scene being played out in real life thousands of times over, and the thought of so much pain and anguish is overwhelming.

THIS is why it's so important to fight for the right of people who are in love to be able to be together, sharing their love and their lives, without the ridiculous, ludicrous, hateful barriers and obstacles put in their way. And that includes ALL couples, not just gay relationships. That is the central message Brokeback Mountain wants us to leave the theater understanding. And let's hope as many people as possible see it and that they do, indeed, come away internalizing that message.