I vaguely recall Kim Hughes' scandal. In South Africa we had the media humiliation, public confession and tearfulness of the much-admired cricketing captain Hansie Cronje for match-fixing with an Indian betting syndicate. He was banned for life and died in a plane crash a couple of years later.
I do find the tabloid frenzy and intrusiveness horrible. The punishment itself may be appropriate, but the social media and 'cameras in your face' intrusiveness indicates excessive schadenfreude from the public in Australia, South Africa and the UK. I hope they leave them alone now.
stuffed with pickled fish. This is an old Cape food tradition
In my software globetrotting days, Old Mutual, Standard Bank and Nedbank were my customers. Old Mutual's datacentre is at Somerset West. I loved hitting the wineries on my visits, and particularly cherished Cape brandy, often from a small batch made by a farmer.
But food ..... meat dishes were scrumptious, but I never got over how many ways the Cape folk had of wrecking an otherwise lovely meal with pickled fish. Must be a Dutch thing.
Damp coolish Good Friday. Waiting for Catholic friends to arrive with a plate of hot-cross buns stuffed with pickled fish. This is an old Cape food tradition and served up every Easter right across the Peninsula, Cape Flats and Winelands. It is one of the most revolting combinations I have ever tasted and each year friends are hurt and offended that their treat isn't appreciated.
That does sound revolting. Do you have any idea of its origin?
A foggy morning in our valley for Good Friday. It seemed somehow appropriate to be commencing the liturgy under these conditions, even as late as mid-morning. By the time we had finished at about 11.00am the sun had burned the mist away and it was hot and sticky. An old-fashioned liturgy with ministry of the word, great litany and closing homily was well-received by the assembled faithful in our little country church.
FD, Loth, it's a collision between two colonial traditions. As FD mentioned, the Dutch influence at the Cape was a major culinary influence. The Dutch East Indies Company was a seafaring body and ships carried pickled herring for sustenance. Pickled fish was a staple at the remote Cape of Good Hope for centuries, a particular mix of vinegary sweet-sour spices for a curry flavoured strongly with turmeric (called borrie here). This is eaten with different fish at different times of the year: yellowtail, snoek, galjoen, whatever is sustainable and running in the ocean at the time. Ingelegde vis or curried/pickled fish is seen as a relish that goes well with everything. The strong vinegar and sliced onion rings are seen as a preservative for more delicate fish, so the dish is often made a week or two before Easter.
This Cape pickling mix isn't Dutch colonial but derives from the slave dishes of colonised Indonesia (the Dutch East Indies), what is known as Cape Malay cooking. Colonised groups and dissenters were brought to the Cape as slaves and prisoners right through the 18th century and their food determined much of what we eat today. In the 19th century, the Cape Colony came under British rule and the British liked hot-cross buns. It seemed logical to Capetonians to put the two together (thousands might differ). Both Christian and Muslim households sit down to hot-cross buns and pickled fish at this time of year.
In a parallel life I would be a passionate if rambly food historian. Some other time I might post something on why Indian curries and spiced dishes in KwaZulu-Natal (the largest Indian community living outside India) are completely different from Cape Malay curries and why the Kenyan curries of Mombasa and Malindi differ from both of them.
MaryLouise, it's not a combination I would have even thought of . Fascinating how the intermingling of cultures affects the food eaten in a country. I know the (comparatively) large population of South Africans who have migrated to Auckland have led to their food being more freely on sale there.
Today in church we sang a few verses of When I Survey the Wonderous Cross. I haven't sung it in a very long time, and as I did I could hear in my head my late mother's voice singing the wonderful descant (she had perfect pitch) and I stood there with tears running down my face and almost turned to see if she was standing beside me. I am usually not aware of missing her, but in that moment I felt as though I was newly bereft.
Another confusing daylight change coming up early hours of tomorrow (why can't we just do away with the whole stupid practice, or at least have every different backward country's/state's Spring forward Fall back on the same weekend?). New Zealand, which isn't backward so it should know better, goes back an hour at 2am. Ah well, the Blackcaps have an extra hour's sleep to refresh themselves to haul back England's first innings lead.
Thank heavens for Queensland, the stable state.
And I get to sleep in another hour, without being late for church - yay.
Actually, if it's not raining, I'm thinking of walking 5 of the 10 km to church, partly because I need the exercise, but also because I like the feeling I get after a brisk walk. This walk would take me directly past the Hagley Park Oval where the game is being played. I have less than no interest in cricket, so I will walk through the trees on the other side of the road.
Damp coolish Good Friday. Waiting for Catholic friends to arrive with a plate of hot-cross buns stuffed with pickled fish. This is an old Cape food tradition and served up every Easter right across the Peninsula, Cape Flats and Winelands. It is one of the most revolting combinations I have ever tasted and each year friends are hurt and offended that their treat isn't appreciated.
Neither you don't (if that's a grammatical expression). @Clarence and I say to each other that Queensland and WA are sister states, not least because of our sisters and brothers in Christ who dwell across the Nullarbor.
I have had a dark chocolate kiwi snuggling up to an egg, made by Whitakers - the best chocolate makers in the world (their company always scores highest of all NZ manufactured goods).
A little known fact outside NZ, is that kiwis lay huge eggs in proportion to their size. I've heard two explanations for this;
1) Kiwis were once much larger birds, but evolved into a smaller bird,
2) Kiwis are not devoted parents and tend to lay their eggs and wander off. The amount nutrients in the larger egg are necessary for the chicks to survive.
We had plenty of moonlight when our 5.30 service started today - the lighting of the first fire, then the paschal candle from that, then all our individual candles for the first half of the service. By that time we processed in, the sun's glow was on the horizon. As always, a marvellous and moving service.
Bright windy morning here, leg of lamb in a slow oven, potatoes peeled. Off to walk through vineyards and look at the colours of autumn foliage on oaks and sycamores.
It was a glorious morning in this loveliest of cities. And instead of going straight to church I had to make a dash to ED because an antibiotic, the quantity of which had appalled the local pharmacist, had produced the expected side effect.
Hardly any traffic; only one other couple in the ED waiting room. left at 10am after being quickly processed, but instead of stopping at the. Urgent Pharmacy I headed for our church and with the road almost to myself I made it in ten minutes, just as the preacher stepped up with his sermon notes.
After church and chat I went back for my new prescription. And then I thought, where shall I go? The nearest treat was the cafe at the entrance to the zoo, where you can sit and watch the pigmy marmosets. I found a Mobility park near enough for me to walk, and I had tea and a cookie and saw a bit of the tiny fellows, though the iguana who shares their space was almost more active.
Heading for home I saw an illuminated sign 'Son's Place 11 miutes', so – Why not? – in all these months of surgery, waiting for surgery, recovering from surgery, I hadn't been there. More sunshine, love, and a cup of tea.
It must be at least five years since I've been able to do anything as spontaneous. And on such a glorious day.
More on the spontaneity. My friend with dementia has a good strong voice which carries well. At church yesterday, many of the hymns were old and had words changed for political correctness or whatever. My friend took one look at this and loudly sang the original words. People stared at him as his voice carried through the church. He was still giggling about it some hours later. He knew what he had done, but could not tell me the name of even one of the hymns as the dementia had wiped that bit of info. He could tell me what he had done.
We had in church yesterday morning a severely disabled young man, who is blind and confined to a wheelchair, but who knows where he is and communicates with inarticulate cries of joy. It's been some time since his mother has been able to bring him, and the whole congregation made him so welcome.
Assisting with the ewer for the renewal of baptismal vows was a little girl who was baptised on Easter Day several years ago, so it was a truly appropriate role for her.
Children of all ages, from toddlers including our youngest granddaughter and another charming little boy up to the towering teens who have outgrown their mother and in one case his father, all made for a joyful celebration.
Some years ago, I attended the small local Anglican Church after my husband went to a very over the top Pente place. The youngest child of the minister had Downs Syndrome. He sat with the rest of his family in the front pew. It was so encouraging to see him standing to sing. His hymn book was upside down and he turned the pages backwards. But he sang. Such a joyful noise to the Lord he made. He was about eight at the time.
Woke up to see hadedas (the African Ibis) flying overhead, shrieking like banshees. Moon still very full. Sadly, I have no left-overs from a successful Easter Sunday lunch, not even a scrap of roast lamb.
Two of my profoundly disabled clients have been attending the same evangelical Christian church for at least 15 years. The congregation used to be just around the corner and the parishioners used to come and wheel them to and from church. Now they are a bit further away the same maxi-cab driver picks them up every week and drops them at the church a few k's away. It's a wonderful arrangement for the clients.
FD, I have a gold orb weaver next to the garage door and have learned to stop and check when I walk there.
Tremendous sadness here on the death of Winnie Mandela, a controversial but revered anti-apartheid activist. In the 1990s, I walked around the terrifying prison designed as a panopticon and known as the Old Fort in Johannesburg (now a heritage site and museum). The cells in the Women's Jail were dark, small and claustrophobic. In the late '60s Winnie Mandela spent 18 months here in solitary confinement, 491 days not knowing what had happened to her young daughters, not given panties or sanitary pads, treated like dirt. Years later she said of herself that she was brutalised by this incarceration, scarred within. I don't know what kind of damaged person any one of us might have become if we had gone through something like that.
February is the usual month here for them, but none to be seen. We miss them in a way, as the webs catch both the early morning sun and then the last of the evening sunshine. The webs start in our garden and I carry a stick to knock them down between the front door and the station.
I worked from home today. No real reason to go in and I saved 90 minutes or more.
Supposed to hit 34 next week. Aren't we in autumn? Very dry too. But not as bad as over Mary-Louise's way.
Had a lazy coffee up in the hills at Beechworth where I got some coffee beans as part of a friend's 40th present.
Parents out there: if I bought movie tickets to a special event (he appreciates photography so I think this 3 hour film festival would suit him), does the fact they are dated a month in advance cause issues with babysitting? Both grandmothers are fairly close. Just don't want to get them for him and his partner if it is trouble. Thanks.
I know you would loose the surprise element - but I think I'd be inclined to ask first.
One more week of school before the holidays. They can't come soon enough for me this year. When Easter is later we slide into the holidays directly after and it feel easier than having 2 weeks between as has been the case this year.
Went out into the garden and found a pretty Weigela tree has died. Cursing this drought.
Climacus, surprise or not, that sounds like a brilliant birthday outing. A family friend presented me with tickets to an art exhibition when I was the boy's age and it was the first time I felt 'grown-up' and seen as a real person with my own interests.
I saw pictures on Facebook of a weather map forecasting rather more interesting weather than you might like for parts of New Zealand - not sure if it was your bit or Zappa's.
The other thing I'd like to acknowledge is that today is the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Wahine, the interisland ferry that used to sail between Wellington and Christchurch. It hit Barrett's Reef in Wellington Harbour and 53 people were drowned, including my mother's uncle, her aunt survived. Apparently her uncle was swept away while saving others.
I remember that day - schools were closed and we huddled around the radio listening to reports, while the wind roared outside. Later in the day mum had to go to the hospital to see her aunt.
A couple of days later the harbour was calm and it was hard to believe that people had died there and bodies were washed up on the beaches at the other side of the harbour.
Comments
I do find the tabloid frenzy and intrusiveness horrible. The punishment itself may be appropriate, but the social media and 'cameras in your face' intrusiveness indicates excessive schadenfreude from the public in Australia, South Africa and the UK. I hope they leave them alone now.
But food ..... meat dishes were scrumptious, but I never got over how many ways the Cape folk had of wrecking an otherwise lovely meal with pickled fish. Must be a Dutch thing.
That does sound revolting. Do you have any idea of its origin?
This Cape pickling mix isn't Dutch colonial but derives from the slave dishes of colonised Indonesia (the Dutch East Indies), what is known as Cape Malay cooking. Colonised groups and dissenters were brought to the Cape as slaves and prisoners right through the 18th century and their food determined much of what we eat today. In the 19th century, the Cape Colony came under British rule and the British liked hot-cross buns. It seemed logical to Capetonians to put the two together (thousands might differ). Both Christian and Muslim households sit down to hot-cross buns and pickled fish at this time of year.
In a parallel life I would be a passionate if rambly food historian. Some other time I might post something on why Indian curries and spiced dishes in KwaZulu-Natal (the largest Indian community living outside India) are completely different from Cape Malay curries and why the Kenyan curries of Mombasa and Malindi differ from both of them.
Today in church we sang a few verses of When I Survey the Wonderous Cross. I haven't sung it in a very long time, and as I did I could hear in my head my late mother's voice singing the wonderful descant (she had perfect pitch) and I stood there with tears running down my face and almost turned to see if she was standing beside me. I am usually not aware of missing her, but in that moment I felt as though I was newly bereft.
Huia
Hugs, Huia.
Note to oneself: avoid South Africa at Easter.
It was humid a bit east from the Valley yesterday too. Today seems a bit better.
Off to visit the 3 nieces today which should be fun. I have a small chocolate rabbit, dog and whale from the local chocolate shop I hope they enjoy.
Ssshh!! Good job my nieces and nephews aren't on the Ship (I hope .... )
Thank heavens for Queensland, the stable state.
Actually, if it's not raining, I'm thinking of walking 5 of the 10 km to church, partly because I need the exercise, but also because I like the feeling I get after a brisk walk. This walk would take me directly past the Hagley Park Oval where the game is being played. I have less than no interest in cricket, so I will walk through the trees on the other side of the road.
Oh my ... glad I've missed that one
I note that we wise folk in WA do not have so-called daylight saving, either.
Happy Easter, y'all (as said elsewhere).
Happy Easter all. Christ is risen!
A little known fact outside NZ, is that kiwis lay huge eggs in proportion to their size. I've heard two explanations for this;
1) Kiwis were once much larger birds, but evolved into a smaller bird,
2) Kiwis are not devoted parents and tend to lay their eggs and wander off. The amount nutrients in the larger egg are necessary for the chicks to survive.
I think the second one is the more recent theory.
Huia
Bright windy morning here, leg of lamb in a slow oven, potatoes peeled. Off to walk through vineyards and look at the colours of autumn foliage on oaks and sycamores.
Happy Easter!
Hardly any traffic; only one other couple in the ED waiting room. left at 10am after being quickly processed, but instead of stopping at the. Urgent Pharmacy I headed for our church and with the road almost to myself I made it in ten minutes, just as the preacher stepped up with his sermon notes.
After church and chat I went back for my new prescription. And then I thought, where shall I go? The nearest treat was the cafe at the entrance to the zoo, where you can sit and watch the pigmy marmosets. I found a Mobility park near enough for me to walk, and I had tea and a cookie and saw a bit of the tiny fellows, though the iguana who shares their space was almost more active.
Heading for home I saw an illuminated sign 'Son's Place 11 miutes', so – Why not? – in all these months of surgery, waiting for surgery, recovering from surgery, I hadn't been there. More sunshine, love, and a cup of tea.
It must be at least five years since I've been able to do anything as spontaneous. And on such a glorious day.
GG
Assisting with the ewer for the renewal of baptismal vows was a little girl who was baptised on Easter Day several years ago, so it was a truly appropriate role for her.
Children of all ages, from toddlers including our youngest granddaughter and another charming little boy up to the towering teens who have outgrown their mother and in one case his father, all made for a joyful celebration.
Some years ago, I attended the small local Anglican Church after my husband went to a very over the top Pente place. The youngest child of the minister had Downs Syndrome. He sat with the rest of his family in the front pew. It was so encouraging to see him standing to sing. His hymn book was upside down and he turned the pages backwards. But he sang. Such a joyful noise to the Lord he made. He was about eight at the time.
And all the joyfulness, Barnabas and Loth!
Woke up to see hadedas (the African Ibis) flying overhead, shrieking like banshees. Moon still very full. Sadly, I have no left-overs from a successful Easter Sunday lunch, not even a scrap of roast lamb.
I am delighted that you are so much more mobile. You can definitely live up to your Ship name again.
I fly back down today. Nice to have an even shorter work week.
FD, I have a gold orb weaver next to the garage door and have learned to stop and check when I walk there.
Tremendous sadness here on the death of Winnie Mandela, a controversial but revered anti-apartheid activist. In the 1990s, I walked around the terrifying prison designed as a panopticon and known as the Old Fort in Johannesburg (now a heritage site and museum). The cells in the Women's Jail were dark, small and claustrophobic. In the late '60s Winnie Mandela spent 18 months here in solitary confinement, 491 days not knowing what had happened to her young daughters, not given panties or sanitary pads, treated like dirt. Years later she said of herself that she was brutalised by this incarceration, scarred within. I don't know what kind of damaged person any one of us might have become if we had gone through something like that.
I worked from home today. No real reason to go in and I saved 90 minutes or more.
Had a lazy coffee up in the hills at Beechworth where I got some coffee beans as part of a friend's 40th present.
Parents out there: if I bought movie tickets to a special event (he appreciates photography so I think this 3 hour film festival would suit him), does the fact they are dated a month in advance cause issues with babysitting? Both grandmothers are fairly close. Just don't want to get them for him and his partner if it is trouble. Thanks.
One more week of school before the holidays. They can't come soon enough for me this year. When Easter is later we slide into the holidays directly after and it feel easier than having 2 weeks between as has been the case this year.
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll ask the wife so the birthday boy remains in the dark.
Climacus, surprise or not, that sounds like a brilliant birthday outing. A family friend presented me with tickets to an art exhibition when I was the boy's age and it was the first time I felt 'grown-up' and seen as a real person with my own interests.
I remember that day - schools were closed and we huddled around the radio listening to reports, while the wind roared outside. Later in the day mum had to go to the hospital to see her aunt.
A couple of days later the harbour was calm and it was hard to believe that people had died there and bodies were washed up on the beaches at the other side of the harbour.