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| Contents |
Issue No. 306 -- 8 November 2004 |
Editor's Message
Quote/s of the Week
Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week
Bits and Bobs
The Legal Beagle
Help Desk
Where are they now?
Club and Other News
Humour
Recipes
Sports News
Credits and Contact Info
Subscribing and Unsubscribing
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Thanks for all your patience over the past few weeks with the delays in sending and receiving SAWmail. It isn’t always easy to write this every week – I am sure those intrepid souls who write their columns for SAWmail also know that time and other projects often get in the way.
I am sure by now that everyone who knows Captain Ken and I have asked us how we feel about the US Presidential election results. It isn’t easy following an election from outside the country but the Internet definitely helps things along. My quotes this week reflect the election.
If we didn’t have the Internet we wouldn’t have SAWmail either!
What we don’t have at present up here in Gauteng is rain! We took the boat to the dam yesterday but were not able to launch it due to the lack of water in the dam. The ramp at K’Shane levels out too soon to allow our boat to launch in shallow water. Being an inboard we have a high trailer... sigh... so no skiing for us yesterday! Another friend is hopefully arranging for us to go to the Vaal this coming weekend so we might be lucky and get some skiing in there!
These from me...
Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. - George Jean Nathan
There are always too many Democratic congressmen, too many Republican congressmen, and never enough US congressmen. - Author Unknown
Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike least. - Robert Byrne
An election tells how many of your supporters are alive, and a war tells how many are willing to be dead. - Anonymous
Send in any quotes you love... that have some special meaning for you... and I will use at least one every week. Usual address! editor@saw.co.za
| Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week |
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Coming Home
Welcome to our new section! Each week we will feature a question and answer sent in to the Company for Immigration. We hope these will help answer any questions you might have regarding any part of the coming home process. If you would like to send in your own question, please feel very free to do so.
We will also be featuring a great amount of information on the SAW Website (www.saw.co.za) under the Coming Home section. You can also find out info by visiting our newly relaunched site, South Africa Online (www.southafrica.co.za) and checking out the Coming to SA section.
Here is a bit more info...
Whenever and wherever South Africans meet, the surest way to start a lively discussion, is to ask someone for an opinion about emigration from or remigration back to South Africa. In 2002 we (i.e. the non-profit immigration service, Company for Immigration, and the trade-union, Solidarity) realized that the return of South African expats had become a fact and that their inputs are essential for the growth and development of the country. We are neither interested in a debate about the reasons why people leave or come back, nor about the merit of their decisions. We prefer to provide a practical service instead:
offering advice and assistance to prospective remigrants;
addressing the problems which cause people to emigrate; and informing people about the pros and cons of emigration, to help them make an informed decision before leaving.
Interested? Want to receive our monthly newsletter by email? Have questions or suggestions? If so, please visit our mirror sites www.comehome.co.za or www.komhuistoe.co.za and leave your details on the visitor's page, or contact us at admin@cfi.org.za. We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Alana & Annatjie
COME HOME CAMPAIGN
This week’s Q&A...
Tracey, USA, asks: I will return permanently to SA in December. I will bring my cat with me. Will I be allowed to bring her in the cabin of the aircraft, or does it depend on the airline I will use?
Dear Tracey
Unfortunately all animals, whether large or small like you cat, may only enter South Africa as cargo, not together in cabins with owners. We are told that this is to prevent the illegal importation of animals, smuggling, the importation of sick animals or of animals with incorrect import permits. Make sure that you have the correct permits for your cat by visiting the website of the State Veterinary Service (www.nda.agric.za/vetweb) and use a reputable animal transportation service to minimise the trauma for your cat. Please ask if you have more questions in this regard.
Hope you will both have a good trip!
Alana
Company for Immigration / Maatskappy vir Immigrasie
P.O. Box 1283, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa
T: 0027-12-3231428
F: 0027-12-3239587
admin@cfi.org.za
The Good News - South African motor industry just keeps getting better
The South African motor industry, the Cinderella of the “New South African” economy, is estimated to have grown by an average of 39% per year since 1994. Much of this growth has been driven by exports, and it is set to continue after two manufacturers announced that they had secured further export deals.
Daimler-Chrysler South Africa (DCSA) has been awarded a contract to produce the new Mercedes Benz C-Class for the local and international markets from 2007. Its factory in East London will be the only plant outside Germany to produce this vehicle, and it will build both left and right hand drives. Currently the factory only produces right hand drive vehicles.
The aim is to increase production in East London from the current 45 000 units per year to 80 000, which will involve R1 billion of investment and up to 800 new jobs over and above the 3000 already employed there. DCSA will also encourage the establishing of 10 to 14 new suppliers, which would create up to another 3000 new jobs.
Toyota South Africa, a relatively new entrant to the export market, announced that it will export fully built-up vehicles to Europe for the first time next year. This will entail an investment of more than R2 billion in its plant in Durban. The annual production target is 68 000, with more than half going to export markets. Toyota SA exported 7 000 Corollas to Australia for the first time last year, and it expects to have increased that number to 10 000 by the end of this year.
The Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, which announced in September last year that it would start exporting cars from South Africa, recently announced that this would be the next generation Ford Focus, which it will build at its plant in Pretoria. This will involve an investment of more than R1 billion by Ford and its suppliers.
At the same time, a study by research company Synovate, has shown that the quality of vehicles available in South Africa has improved by 40% since 1998. Research director Jeanette Deetlefs said that there was a clear correlation between quality and the winning of export contracts, as BMW and Mercedes Benz, both big exporters, tied for first place, followed by Toyota. Quality scores compare very favourably with international standards, and local plants have previously won international quality awards.
It is not only the export market that is benefiting from all of this activity, however, as the local market is also doing better than it has for the past twenty years. Local new vehicle sales reached 43 145 units in September, the second highest monthly total on record and 22.7% higher than September 2003. For the year to date to the end of September new car sales were 19.9% ahead of 2003, while bakkies and minibuses were up 17%. Naamsa, the national automobile manufacturers association, says that the increase is due to improved affordability, low interest rates and strong consumer confidence in the economy.
For more interesting and exciting news about developments in South Africa, subscribe to the International Marketing Council's regular BrandSA newsletter by visiting www.imc.org.za/goodstuff.htm or www.imc.org.za/subscribe.asp. You can also visit the South African gateway website at www.southafrica.info.
52 Best Stories – One Woman - Making a Difference
Johnnie likes tea parties and she has been having them for half a century. When our daughters were little she bought a child's china tea set and started having tea parties with them. She used the tea parties to teach them etiquette and manners.
As time went by some of Susan's and Angela's friends were invited to these tea parties. Then Johnnie became a teacher for these friends also. Before long the mothers of these friends were calling Johnnie and asking her what she was doing to their little girls.
They all said that their little girls had started showing better manners then they ever had before. So Johnnie started inviting the mothers to her tea parties. It was surprising how much some of the mothers learned about etiquette and manners from these tea parties. I guess their mothers had never had tea parties with them when they were little girls.
When our daughters got older the child's china tea set was packed away and the girls were busy with school activities so their tea parties stopped. But not the grown-ups tea parties. Johnnie still had her tea parties with her ever widening circle of friends.
Before we knew it our daughters were grown young ladies and married. Then along came grand children in the form of two grand daughters. Out came the child's china tea set and the tea parties started all over. Johnnie, now Grannie, was at it again. Tea parties, etiquette and manners for a new generation.
We were in a new house in a new neighborhood by then, with new neighbors who had kids. The tea parties continued to grow. The boys in the neighborhood were not interested in tea parties so Johnnie started a lending library of books for them. We would sit out on the front porch with a box full of child's books that we had bought in garage sales and the kids would come and check out a book and take it home with them.
This went on for a while and Johnnie noticed that the Mexican boys that lived across the street never checked out any books. She asked the oldest one why he didn't check out a book and he told her he couldn't read English. Johnnie asked him if he would like to learn how and he told her he would.
So Johnnie started tutoring the Mexican boys in reading. Now she had tea parties, a lending library and tutoring classes. By then our front yard had become the gathering place for all the kids in the neighborhood.
During the fall the boys would play football and the girls would cheer them on. Johnnie taught the girls how to be cheerleaders and do little dance steps while they were cheering. Then she would line up the losing team and march up and down the line and give them a pep talk. She would call them the cowgirls and tell them if they wanted to be cowboys they would have to try harder.
Time marches on and now there is a great grand daughter who is having tea parties with Johnnie. She is also playing "t" ball with a team from her school. I can't wait to see that 70 year old Johnnie get out in the yard and play "t" ball with that great grand daughter. But there is a new generation of neighborhood kids also. Maybe they will be the ones to play "t" ball with Chivona and Johnnie will only have to coach.
~ By Loren Moore who is 72 years old and an "uneducated redneck" that took early retirement from the General Motors assembly plant in Arlington, Texas, and is from the piney woods of East Texas. He writes saying: "Now that I'm in my old age and do most of my hunting and fishing in my memory, I decided to write about a few of my experiences. Those were the days my friend. We would live the life we choose. We would fight and never lose for we were young and sure to have our way. Copyrighted 2003 ~
http://www.52best.com/OneWoman.asp
52 Best Stories – Taj Mahal - The Remarkable Story
In the next six months, the citizens of Agra, India, will celebrate the 350th birthday of the Taj Mahal. City officials expect millions of tourists to visit the site during the celebration. People will come to Agra, walk through the vaulted chambers of the mausoleum and depart unexpectedly changed - people like me.
In 1999, my wife, Allison, and I were traveling throughout India on a four-month backpacking trip in Asia. We spent several days in northern India at the Taj Mahal. Our time there left an indelible mark on me and spurred me to dedicate the next five years to writing "Beneath a Marble Sky," a novel based on the story behind the creation of the Taj Mahal.
By luck rather than design, we arrived at the mausoleum early and were the first visitors on the grounds. Stepping through the vast sandstone gate was like immersing myself in a photo. The Taj Mahal glistened in the light of dawn, glowing like a sculpted ember. The day was still; the only movement came from the birds wheeling about the tear-shaped dome.
At first glance, the Taj looked seamless to me, as though it had been hewn from a single piece of ivory. It was smooth and soaring, and I found it impossible to believe that human hands crafted it so long ago. In my many travels, I'd seen nothing like it. It wasn't boastful, like so many celebrated monuments. It didn't seek to intimidate, to define my thoughts. Instead, it seemed to invite creative interpretation. I thought it looked like the woman it was built to celebrate, abounding with smooth curves and grace.
I was only vaguely aware then of the remarkable story behind the mausoleum - that the emperor of India built it for his beloved wife, whom he called Taj Mahal. She died in childbirth, and as she departed, she asked him to build her something beautiful and to visit the site each year on their anniversary and light a candle.
Possession of only this tidbit of information was enough to make me walk faster, to move toward the spot where they lay beside each other. To know that a man created this treasure for his wife was inspiring. I had never experienced the depths of what his sorrow must have been as she died in his arms, but his passion for her was palpable and somehow infectious. I felt extremely alive.
As we drew closer to their tomb, ascending the vast white marble platform on which the main structure rested, I became aware of the millions of precious and semiprecious stones that adorned the walls. One doesn't see these works of art in the standard photos of the Taj. Lapis, jade, quartz, amber, emeralds and onyx, among others, are set into the white marble. Marvelously detailed arrangements of these polished and shaped stones form garlands of flowers, timeless and exquisite.
Standing at the base of the Taj Mahal, I was pulled back into time, away from stocks and skyscrapers and cyberspace. It was easy to imagine gnarled fingers lifting blocks of white marble, shaping and polishing the blocks until they were as smooth as an infant's belly. Patience must have existed then, for the flowers I studied, the minarets that rose like ivory sequoias above me, were masterpieces.
The Taj Mahal was designed to reflect the different moods of the day, and as the sun rose, the mausoleum whitened, almost as though the light were bleaching it. Though we were tempted to stand motionless, we moved toward the centerpiece of the structure, the tomb room. We were the first visitors inside the octagonally shaped room, accessed by eight arched doorways.
The domed ceiling towered far above us. The room should have been dark, but the marble surrounding us seemed to glow, as if illuminated from within. The two vaults in the center of the room were inset with the most beautiful gatherings of jeweled flowers that I had seen - scarlet tulips and indigo fuchsias.
The tomb room was a place of echoes. Echoes of the past, certainly, but also of the present moment. The sound of footfalls lingered. The coos of unseen pigeons reverberated. I thought of the two lovers buried here, and questions arose within me. How had they lived and died? Why were their lives so celebrated in the East? When he sought to build her the most wondrous memorial the world had ever seen, did he have any inkling that people would visit his creation centuries after its completion? Did he know the Taj Mahal would come to symbolize the enormity of love?
As the day lengthened, travelers from many corners of the world began to appear. Few spoke. Most acted, as we did, so in awe of the surroundings that conversation seemed trivial, almost sacrilegious.
Strangers exchanged knowing smiles, as if we all shared a bond that rendered politics and differences temporarily obsolete.
And how could we not? I don't think anyone could have left that site unmoved or unchanged. One doesn't visit the Taj Mahal and walk away without feeling that the world is a better place than one thought.
~ by John Shors who is author of "Beneath a Marble Sky: A Novel of the Taj Mahal." For more information http://www.beneathamarblesky.com ~
http://www.52best.com/tajmahal.asp
One Man’s Australia
Glen will be back soon.
Northern Lighties
Here is an important piece of advice for any judge at a food event.
If you can get a hefty portion of a particularly tasty dish put aside for you for later consumption, then forget any inhibitions and ask for it to be done.
There is nothing more frustrating than tasting, and having to mark, a drool-inducing dish and later, once finished, going back to find that there is nothing left.
Which is my only complaint about the Potjiekos Competition that was held down in the Windsor region recently.
Well, that and the fact that I enjoyed a cabbage potjie and had to drive for three hours back to Toronto later.
Alone fortuitously!
Perhaps I should explain.
For four years now a group of South Africans down in the Windsor area have held a potjie cooking competition. I think that this is the only one of its kind in Ontario and probably even Canada for that matter.
The shining light behind this gastronomic extravaganza is Antoinette Kruger who manages to get everything organized in time. Including Peet, her husband, his potjie and ingredients and the Judges. One of whom definitely needed organising.
For my sins I was asked to judge this year, arriving the night before with a bottle of wine, plenty of stories and the ability to distract both Peet and Antoinette from the job at hand.
Which was organizing the event as I said.
I am sure they gave a sigh of relief when I turned left to explore Windsor the next morning and they turned right to go to Belle River and the camping grounds where the event was to be held.
Although, considering my ability to go on a walkabout perhaps that relief was short lived.
For instance, if they didn’t close down Windsor for the Sunday I might have been tempted to go to many of the attractions there and notably the Canadian Club factory. If only to find out if samples can be had during the tour. I think this needs to be revisited.
I might also add that there is no longer a “Quick pop over” to Detroit what with queues and tightened security. Although I must admit that it was the Canadian customs officer who eyed my t-shirt suspiciously.
Probably not wise to wear one with “Homeland Security – Fighting Terrorism since 1492” with a picture of four armed Red Indians on it!
Some interesting questions followed.
Anyway I managed to get to Belle River later after a very scenic and fairly slow drive along the riverside. Good old law abiding senior citizens all leading the way for me. A far cry from the 401 raceway to the south.
Belle River is on Lake St Clair, which is a lake in between the great lakes of Erie and Huron. It was quite a bustling little town with a large proportion of the local citizens doing their best to up the profits at the local Tim Hortons. Which was where I asked for directions to be told that I could basically spit to where I wanted to go. Small matter of a train line in between but nevertheless I was that close.
I was expecting a clearing in a forest actually and to suddenly find it was a beach area alongside a river was far more entertaining.
There under a few trees were what looked like a traveling tinkers camp, what with the gas braai’s and potjies being set up and shielded from the wind. And tables’ being decorated with whatever theme was prevalent at that cooking demonstration.
Luckily for me I bumped into Peet and his son putting up the obligatory volleyball net. They then set off to get me introduced to the various competitors.
Which involved being given various reasons why the other competitors hadn’t got a chance this year. Which revolved around secret recipes and monetary bribes. The odd beer bribe being the favourite but probably the least effective.
So I wandered around chatting to various people and eying the soon to be sampled merchandise.
I enjoyed the suspicion that first greeted me as I strolled around saying hello and then the slow realization that I was a judge and then the smiles that suddenly appeared. Most encouraging. Especially the way my appalling Afrikaans was forgiven!
Mind you as everyone there seemed to have come from Amanzimtoti and, more specifically, Toyota’s factory there I think that there was already a degree of friendship amongst the participants anyway which a Toronto Soutie had to overcome. I wanted to take them all off to view my Sharks sticker on the van but other things intruded. Which is a pity because there was ample evidence that The Sharks was the team of choice there. “We are Black…We are White .. we are %$^%^%$ dynamite”. Even in Canada eh?!
The really interesting part of chatting though was being introduced to the brother of one of the contestants. Paul Gersok had flown in to Canada for a holiday. From Dubai.
We were chatting about different things like why an Arab company would be called Kanoo, when it came out that not only had both of us sailed for the same shipping company (Unicorn) but that we were Bothy Boys as well.
That is the South African Merchant Navy Academy General Botha down in Cape Town to give it its full and distinguished name. Considering how few of us were students there the odds of that happening without being planned seem slim. Although I must admit that there are three of us in Canada from my years there. So maybe not so slim after all.
This certainly helped me pass a few minutes while waiting for the food to be finished and served.
Which started to happen at roughly two in the afternoon.
The first potjie being beer based. And pretty delicious at that. This was where I made the stupid mistake of trying to pretend I knew what I was doing and only taking small pieces of the food to taste and savour. While you get to do a good job of actually doing the judging it doesn’t do justice to the concept of a hearty portion to make a valid judgement. OK that is my rationale for being greedy I must admit.
But when you have savoured a range of delights in such small portions how can you not want to return for more?
Anyway about an hour later we three judges had managed to get through 13 different potjies and it was time to tot up the marks and find the winner. Which was when we discovered an interesting phenomenon. Not only was there a tie for first place but there was a tie for the fourth place as well. I noticed that our scoring was pretty similar in all cases. I think the difference was that I like spicy food while the Canadian Judge seemed to prefer a more bland variety. Which left the other South African Judge to balance our palates out. Hence no doubt the tie. And a serious hint if I ever get asked to judge any other or indeed this contest again!
So we had to go back and deliberate some more. This was becoming quite interesting and probably nerve wracking for the contestants. Probably just as well Canada is a gun fearing nation and South Africans have to surrender their cultural weapons on arrival! This time we relooked at our scores and had to decide between the two tied meals. Which finally turned out as follows:
1st: Piero & Monica De Campo from Corunna (Oxtail)
2nd: Shaun & Lisa Pinnock from Amherstburg (Mexican Chilly)
3rd: Peet & Antionette Kruger from Amherstburg (Mince in Cabbage)
And well-deserved winners they all were I might add.
I will admit that I hated actually having to make a choice as to a winner (must be becoming a true Canadian at last!!) but as there were so few points difference between first and last place I am very comfortable with the choices we made and I think that everyone should be proud of their ability to cook such superb food.
Which raises an interesting question.
How come an enclave of South Coast Natal refugees are keeping the art of Potjie alive and well down in a place like Windsor and there appears to be no other event such as this anywhere else in Canada?
Am I wrong?
Well I would be more than happy to hear otherwise. I would be more than happy to bet that the Windsor people are probably the best Potjie cookers in this country as well. In fact it would be interesting to see whether anyone else has the courage to take them on.
Is there any other area that would look at hosting their own event?
Maybe a group of ardent cooks could attend next year’s event in Windsor.
I would prefer to see a few cook offs around the Province and a final Provincial championship but perhaps baby steps are what are needed.
In the meantime the Windsor group remains supreme in my eyes for first class Potjie!
And hospitality.
Ramblings Of A Francophobe
Mike sent this but due to mail problems I did not receive it earlier.
In last week’s column, in which I rather hastily wrote about my recent trip to Romania, I forgot to mention perhaps one of the most pleasant experiences of the trip, a party at a Romanian home. We were invited for late afternoon, and I’m told the party finished at 10 the next morning! We arrived to a delicious aroma of braai, for the Romanians are great and proud meat eaters, and even have speciality sausages, mititei, nothing like boerewors, but just as delicious. Our host shook my hand and placed a cold beer into it in a simultaneous and practised action, and within minutes another one, followed by a plate of food. Such is Romanian hospitality. I was amongst people whom I’d never met before, speaking an alien language, and yet I immediately felt comfortable, at home and surrounded by the warmth and hospitality of delightful people. I also have to say that every woman there looked like a million dollars, and it wasn’t because they were out on the pull, they were mostly married with kids, but Romanian women enjoy looking good and making the most of their features. Even those who perhaps were not so attractive knew how to dress and groom themselves to minimise their bad features and capitalise on the good ones.
As happens in South Africa, the group polarised, the men either standing around the barbecue, drinks in hand, talking about sport, business, or cars, or in front of the wide screen TV watching Romania playing the Czech republic at football. The women were mostly inside talking about family matters – such is life.
Back to matters Francophobe. I read that a French politician wrote in a report that ‘Our attitude problem is not something to be proud of, our bad image, the arrogance we are accused of, our refusal to speak foreign languages, the sense we give that it's a great honour to visit us are among ugly facts of which we should not be proud”
The report was commissioned by the prime minister, after a continuing and severe drop in the number of tourists visiting France last year. France is still the world's number one tourist destination in terms of numbers, but the report concludes that this is meaningless as a considerable proportion are just passing through on their way somewhere else.
"To claim we are the 'number one tourist destination in the world' doesn't count for anything," says the report. "Among the 75 million visitors counted in 2003 were those who were only crossing the country, once on their way to another country and a second time to return home."
The report focuses on visitors' first impressions of French airports, ports and railway stations - which, it concluded, were "often negative". It criticised a lack of warmth and professionalism among staff, and a failure to regard the customer as king. Paris' main airport, which handles almost 50 million passengers a year, was singled out for a particular slating. Surly staff, slow baggage handlers, a lack of "Welcome to France" signs, confusing directions, poor transport connections, slow and dirty trains and taxi drivers who do not speak English were among the complaints.
The report also attacks immigration officers for giving a bad impression of the country, singling out those at the Eurostar terminal in London. "Instead of behaving like ambassadors for France, they don't even respond to 'hello' or a smile," it says.
"A welcome without a smile and without warmth is like a cold shower for a traveller who is expecting to be enchanted by a romantic city."
Leon Bertrand, the minister for tourism, said: "Our aim is to let tourists know that France is trying to improve its welcome, and the French that they have to do better."
I can only add that they have a long, long way to go!
From another article, I learned that a report has said, and I agree, that English should be made compulsory for all French schoolchildren. This produced howls of outrage from politicians and teaching unions, as one might expect of a country troubled by its waning influence in the world, or as I usually put it, a country which, like an old whore, is living and trading on past glories.
Until next week ......... tot siens ............ Mike
Boetjie Worldwide
Warm hearts and open arms
My Francophobe friend’s experiences in Romania triggered a series of memories, all concerned with that special enjoyment to be had from being in good company, and made me realise once again what an wonderful treasure we all have to share.
When I was a mere six years old we were living in a small Cape Midlands village called Jansenville. My father was there in his capacity as clerk of works for the tarring of the main street, and as such we were really transients, but within weeks of our arrival we were invited to the first of many braais on a farm. I remember the huge fire with one or even two sheep finding themselves on the coals in the form of chops, ribs and sausage. There were never fewer than a dozen guests, and the party would still be in full swing long after I had fallen asleep in the car. Quite often we would arrive back home just as the stars started dimming in the east!
As I grew older it became very clear that South Africans’ reputation for hospitality was most certainly a well-earned one. No matter where we found ourselves, there was always a braai or a dance in the offing, and the line, “We should get together for a braai/party” was never used lightly in those days; it was invariably followed up by a firm invitation within days. During the time I worked for Die Burger in Cape Town, impromptu parties were a regular occurrence, and when I later went to university, they were the norm! One would meet someone on campus, have a chat to size one another up, and – if you passed the sizing up – you’d be invited to the very next party.
Which is no doubt one of the reasons why I related so easily and so well to the Azoreans. In a country where eating out is a natural thing to do, rather than a special occasion, it seems to be the logical thing to invite someone out to dinner if you like him/her/them. Within days of my first arrival we were invited to a large dinner at the Clube Naval, the yacht club, in Ponta Delgada. People who knew friends of my partner made a point of getting to know me and having a chat, even if the language barrier at times made things somewhat difficult. I was later to discover just to what lengths some of these strangers went to in order to make me feel welcome on their island!
And at no time did any pretentiousness rear its ugly head. Whether we had dinner in the four-star Hotel Talisman, drinks in the piano bar of the five-star Hotel Açores Atlantico or lapas (limpets) in a tasca (a very modest eating and drinking place) made absolutely no difference, because what counts for these people is the quality of the company – and that one cannot measure by income or status. Frequently patrons at another table would change from strangers into new acquaintances and sometimes even new friends, as conversations very easily spilled over from table to table. One of my favourite places was a small restaurant in the town of Lagoa where we would sit on the upstairs balcony overlooking the sea and the small fishing harbour, order shrimps and vinho verde pressão (chilled young white wine – beautifully tart and refreshing) and watch the sun set. We often arrived there as just one couple, then decide we feel like some company, make a cell phone call, and in no time at all would be joined by any number of friends. The eating, drinking, talking and joking would carry on for hours.
I suppose this attitude stems from a relaxed, open-minded and generous approach to life. Hospitality and a willingness to make new friends, the desire to surround oneself with good company and to enjoy the presence of friends are things not natural to the mean-spirited, the miserly, the stressed, the rat-racers. We often shared meals with friends who came from all levels of society, from a member of parliament to a secretary, from local councillors to artisans and students, just like when I was a child and the magistrate, the mayor and the mechanic all ended up at the same braai on a common friend’s farm. My experience, at least, has also shown that a people whose history is often one of hardship and filled with the need to endure in the face of adversity is more likely to be hospitable, to make friends more easily. Azoreans have such a history. They had to battle the Spanish, the Moors, a volcanic landscape and isolation. Their existence was frequently in the balance and seldom easy, so they have learned that the true treasures of life are the “small” things like friendship, generosity, family and, above all, the ability to enjoy every day to the fullest.
Never, in the two years I spent on that island, did I come across any xenophobia or bigotry. Oh, I am sure there are unfortunate creatures there who suffer from these afflictions, but they must have been such a small minority that I never noticed them. My nose was never rubbed in my foreignness, as was, sadly quite often, the case in Japan. But then the Japanese still have a very broad streak of xenophobia! And no matter how crooked my Portuguese must have sounded, I was never laughed at, nor was I told that I spoke strangely. Even on the memorable occasion when I asked the waitress to bring me a whisky “with cold” instead of “with ice” (com frio instead of com gelo) the laughter was friendly and not at all nasty – and I could laugh loudest when my faux mot was explained to me!
It is this warm interaction with people that makes travel such a wonderful way of experiencing the world; not only the physical world, but also the world of people’s lives and their attitudes, whether it is the brief and chance interaction with a fellow traveller in an airport departure lounge or being invited into someone’s home for a meal. It is a horrid cliché to say that travel broadens the mind, but that certainly does not make it any less true…
So, while I am happy and contented in this large and wonderful country Downunder, there are things I miss sorely... warm hearts and open arms among them.
Mooiloop!
Ray
raytheron at iprimus.com.au
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Legal Beagle - SA
I am concerned with regard to the new law whereby one must use ones South African passport to enter South Africa. I have been an Irish Citizen for the past five years and use this passport when I travel to South Africa. I am not really interested in keeping my South African passport but at the same time would not like to think that I could be arrested for not using this when entering South Africa. I really do not feel like the hassle of relinquishing my SA citizenship. Could someone please clarify this new law and its implications for future visits to South Africa. My husband and I are elderly and plan to join our children in New Zealand in a few years time.
Many Thanks
Judith
Dear Judith,
There has been much confusion in the media and elsewhere about the situation regarding dual nationality exemption/permission letters.
The fact of the matter is that there is no impediment to your holding the passport of South Africa and that of another country. If you wish to retain your South African citizenship status then you can either do so by applying for an exemption from the loss of your South African citizenship or, where applicable for retention of your South African citizenship.
Once you have done this then the only restriction that exists is that you must exit and enter South Africa on your South African passport. This does not peak to you from exhibiting your foreign passport and having it stamped the same time. However the actual entry must be on the South African passport
all other travels can be done on any other passport. The dual nationality exemption letter application has been abolished in terms of the Amendment act referred to here under.
This is all in line with act 17 of 2000 and which is the South African citizenship Amendment act which has just come into force.
I will be publishing on my web site the full article on this aspect and you or feature visit the site in order to keep up-to-date on the citizenship act, nationality and immigration law issues.
I look forward to any further queries you may have.
Regards,
Julian Pokroy
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Having just purchased a property in Cape Town with the intension of retiring to in a few years. I now find with the new immigration rules that have just come into force that i will no longer qualify to get a retirement permit due to the high amount of pension funds required do you think that this rule will be changed in the future as like myself many people will unable to meet these requirements this can only damage the South African economy in the long term your comments would be appreciated.
Regards
Glen
Dear Glen,
the current immigration regulations have been in force since the seventh of April last year and set up the requirement for a pension or an irrevocable retirement annuity delivering an income of not less than R 20,000 per month. In the alternative an investment of not less than R 12 million delivering an income of not less than R 15000 per month.
The current amendments which are in the process of drafting will in all probability lessen that burden somewhat and all will also in all probability make provision for inclusion of the rental value, or a portion thereof, to be deducted from the above amount, provided that you are personally resident on the property.
The likelihood is that the new regulations will be in force early in 2005 at which point you would be well advised to follow up again. You are well come to visit my web site and complete a free assessment which is available on the site. The web site address is www. immigration-sa.com
Should you have any further queries at this stage and please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Julian Pokroy
Nobody needing help this week.
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This from Layne...
I am looking for my friend of mine, Shelley Stanwick - she moved to Calgary, Canada, a few years ago to live with her mother, brother and sister-in-law. Her brother's name is Robbie, we kept in touch for a few years then lost contact. Please, if anyone knows her whereabouts, please contact me at mcmurchy@ihug.co.nz
No new news received this week.
Nobody sent in any jokes this week.
A member wrote in and asked for traditional South African recipes. If you have any that you would like me to publish, please send them along.
This week, here is a recipe for bobotie
2 ounces butter
1 cup onions, thinly sliced
1 apple, peeled, diced
2 pounds chopped cooked beef
2 bread slices soaked in milk
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
6 bay leaves
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, then add the apple dice and cook for another minute.
Add the chopped beef and combine. Squeeze out the excess milk from the bread slices, then tear up and add to pot. Add the curry powder, raisins, almonds, lemon juice, egg, and turmeric, and stir well.
Place mixture in a greased 9 x 13" baking dish. Place bay leaves vertically in the casserole. Bake at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes, then remove from the oven.
Mix together the egg and milk, then pour it over the bobotie. Bake for 15 more minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Goosen overpowers Tiger to win [iafrica]
Tiger Woods squandered a lead on the final round of a PGA event for only the third time in his career, allowing South Africa's Retief Goosen to win the Tour Championship by four strokes on Sunday.
http://sport.iafrica.com/news/topstory/388811.htm
New York glory follows Athens tears [IOL]
South Africa's Hendrik Ramaala won the men's title at the New York Marathon after a groin injury forced him out of the Olympic marathon in Athens.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_...
Relieved White proud of Boks [News24]
South Africa coach Jake White said there was no euphoria in the Tri-Nations champions' dressing room after their Grand Slam bid got off to a winning start with a 38-36 victory here at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday.
http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Rugby/0,,2-9-838_1617168,00.html
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