South Africans Worldwide Newsletter

We must congratulate Team Shosholoza on attaining their overall 6th place in the week long Louis Vuitton Act 10 & Act 11 match racing events. "Our next goal is to win a South African sponsor" said team managing director Captain Salvatore Sarno.

That "N!ger!an 4!9" sc@m also thrives in other dangerous guises for instance:- "Congratulations! you're a winner" of the lottery - here they request sums of cash to "process your winnings" OR "Please verify your banking details". This can be easy to spot if it's not your regular bank - but beware when it's "your" bank. Please take note of these! It's for your own good.

It seems as if most of South Africa is in the grips of a serious cold front this weekend. Snow reports abound and a strong bitingly cold wind cuts into one. No doubt the cold will dramatically increase power consumption, as people try to keep warm and thus the spectre of power-outages looms. It’s been some while since seeing such a clear bright blue sky between the clouds - this being the result of the clear polar air.

The recent destructive events in Cape Town once again demonstrate what happens when crowds get “out of control” - no matter in which country. There are reports of deaths & injuries but somehow not "splashed" all over. One must hope that this will not be repeated.

Reading the positive articles and poems by Wayne Visser [see Letters to the Editor] helps one remain positive, when becoming negative would be so easy when confronted by all the “bad news “.

Till next week.

Theo

Letters to the Editor TOP

Hi there

Since I’ve had such an overwhelming positive response from South Africans all over the world to my poem, I Am An African, I thought I’d share with you my latest one – I Know A Place In Africa – which expresses similar sentiments of pride and connection to our land. I have copied it below this email for convenience. Feel free to share it if you find it helpful in spreading the positive message about South Africa and Africa.

Take care

Wayne

Wayne Visser
Author of South Africa: Reasons to Believe (with Guy Lundy)
wayne@waynevisser.com
www.waynevisser.com

I know a place in Africa

I know a place in Africa
Where I can feel the sun on my back
And the sand between my barefoot toes
Where I can hear the gulls on the breeze
And the waves crash on the endless shore

I know a place in Africa
Where the mountains touch the skies of blue
And the valleys shelter vines of green
Where the trees spread out a cloth of mauve
And the bushveld wears a coat of beige

I know a place in Africa
Where I can hear the voice of thunder gods
And watch their lightening spears thrown to earth
Where I can breathe the scent of rain clouds
And taste the sweet dew of dusty drops

This is the place of wildness
Of evolution and dinosaurs
Where life began and mankind first stood
Of living fossils and elephants
Where lions roar and springbok herds leap

This is the place of struggle
Of desert plains and thorn trees
Where pathways end and hunters track game
Of horizons and frontiers
Where journeys start and sunsets bleed red

This is the place of freedom
Of exploration and pioneers
Where darkness loomed and light saw us through
Of living legends and miracles
Where daybreak came and hope now shines bright

My heart is at home in Africa
Where the sound of drums beat in my chest
And the songs of time ring in my ears
Where the rainbow mist glows in my eyes
And the smiles of friends make me welcome

My mind is at ease in Africa
Where the people still live close to the soil
And the seasons mark my changing moods
Where the markets hustle with trading
And Creation keeps its own slow time

My soul is at peace in Africa
For her streams bring lifeblood to my veins
And her winds bring healing to my dreams
For when the tale of this land is told
Her destiny and mine are as one

© 2006 Wayne Visser

Quote/s of the Week TOP

When you take charge of your life, there is no longer need to ask permission of other people or society at large. When you ask permission, you give someone veto power over your life. - Geoffrey F Abert

If you aren't good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you'll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren't even giving to yourself. - Barbara De Angelis (submitted by Daniel Jan le Roux)

I would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

I don't think anyone can DO anything that would make him worthy of love. Love is a gift and cannot be earned. It can only be given. - Real Live Preacher, RealLivePreacher.com

Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength. - Betty Friedan

Make a decision, even if it's wrong. - Jarvis Klem

From http://www.quotationspage.com/

Ad Hoc Article/s of the Week TOP

Mbeki: Violence is wrong, wrong, wrong!

President Thabo Mbeki says it is "wrong, wrong, wrong" for people to use violence to achieve their ends, referring to protest violence in Cape Town. Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki ruled out imposing a state of emergency in the wake of this week's violent events in Cape Town, but said it was "wrong, wrong, wrong" for people to use violence to achieve their ends.

Read more here... http://www.mweb.co.za

Months of mayhem and intimidation

There was something odd about the way the police were moving: eight or 10 of them edging backward up the dingy canyon of Plein Street as if in retreat from the mass of striking security guards. They were carrying shotguns, and the bright discs of rubber bullets showed in their bandoliers, but they looked frightened, they looked like they were being herded.

Read more here... http://www.mg.co.za

Strike stalls car sector

High absenteeism was reported at the Volkswagen plant in Uitenhage on Thursday during the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) national strike over jobs and poverty. "Production of cars had been reorganised and was running on a very limited level" said the company's general manager of communication, Bill Stephens.

Read more here... http://www.mweb.co.za

Thousands prepare to down tools

Thousands of workers will down tools in support of the Congress of SA Trade Unions' jobs and poverty campaign on Thursday. The one-day strike will take place countrywide across all sectors of the economy.

Read more here... http://www.mweb.co.za

Science nails last chromosome

Scientists have reached a landmark point in one of the world's most-important scientific projects by sequencing the last chromosome in the human genome, the so-called "book of life". Chromosome 1 contains nearly twice as many genes as the average chromosome and makes up 8% of the human genetic code. It is packed with 3 141 genes and linked to 350 illnesses, including cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Read more here... http://www.news24.com

Cellphone guns spark cop alert

The New York police department has warned officers to watch out for a type of rare custom-made pistol, disguised as a cellphone. Federal authorities have been issuing warnings about the specially made .22 calibre handgun since at least 2000, when several were recovered by law-enforcement authorities in Europe. The weapons, which use a spring-wound percussion system to fire up to four .22 calibre bullets, have continued to surface occasionally overseas.

Read more here... http://www.mweb.co.za

More people are logging on around the world

More than one billion people in the world have access to the Internet, with a quarter of them with broadband, or high-speed connections, according to a survey released on Thursday.

The report by the firm eMarketer said the milestone of one billion was reached in late 2005, and that nearly 250-million households had broadband connections. The firm estimates that of these people, 845-million use the Internet regularly.

Read more here... http://www.iol.co.za

Bits and Bobs TOP

AAADD (Age Activated Attention deficit Disorder)

This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is post on the porch table that I brought up from the post box earlier. I decide to go through the post before I wash the car.

I lay the car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the waste bin under the table, and notice that the bin is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the rubbish first. But then I think, since I'm going to be near the post box when I take out the rubbish anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my cheque book off the table, and see that there is only one cheque left. My extra cheques are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.

I'm going to look for my cheques, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke a vase of flowers on the worktop catches my eye-they need to be watered. I put the Coke down on the worktop, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk,but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realise that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers. I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

The car isn't washed.
The bills aren't paid.
There is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter.
The flowers don't have enough water.
The floor is soaked.
There is still only one check in my check book.
I can't find the remote.
I can't find my glasses.
I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
The yard is flooded.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired. I realise this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Do me a favour, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent. Don't laugh-if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY.
GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC!

British poll: French are rude and boring

This from Mike Preston

The French were voted the world's most unfriendly nation by a landslide in a British poll published on Saturday. They were also voted the most boring and most ungenerous.

A decisive 46% of the 6 000 people surveyed by travellers' website Where Are You Now (Wayn) said the French were the most unfriendly nation people on the planet, British newspapers reported.

The Germans have no to reason to celebrate the damning verdict. They came second on all three counts.

Wayn's French founder, Jerome Touze, told the papers he had been stunned by the thumping condemnation of his compatriots and sought to blame it on Gallic love-struck sulking.

"I had no idea that the French would emerge as such an unfriendly country," he said. "I think our romantic 'moodiness' is misunderstood and I will be sure to pass on the message to my family and friends back in France to be a bit more cheerful to tourists in the future."

Italy was voted the world's most cultured nation with the best cuisine, while the United States was named the most unstylish with the worst food.

The British did not feature in the top 10 of any of the categories. "The British fit in nowhere -- good or bad. It appears that we are so completely average that the voters did not include us in any category," the tabloid Daily Express commented.

"And to our shame, four percent of respondents -- all British of course -- said they would only talk to other Britons when they are abroad."

This unwillingness to talk to the locals appears to go hand in hand with respondents' perceptions of foreigners.

While most said Spain was the foreign country where they would most like to live, they said the Spaniards were nearly as unfriendly and ungenerous as the French.

To add insult to injury, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph put the boot in on Saturday by saying in an editorial that the French stank.

"The French may like to think that Chanel No 5 is their scent but we all know that garlic and stale Gitanes are much more representative." - Sapa-AFP

Cold or Flu ?

Both are common in winter, both are caused by viruses and we often confuse the one with the other. But there is a huge difference between a cold and influenza: influenza may kill you. Therefore, with influenza, you need to take greater care in order to prevent pneumonia, bronchitis, and irreversible damage to your heart muscle.

Here is your guide to differences between influenza and a cold: http://health.mweb.co.za

Practical steps in preventing the transmission of flu

In the office:
•Wash you hands frequently and do not touch your nose, eyes or mouth unnecessarily.
•"Contain" sneezes and coughs with disposable tissues (and make sure to dispose of them right away!) and wash your hands afterwards.

More info here... http://health.mweb.co.za

Plant a Garden Pharmacy

Indigenous herbs are not only attractive and water wise – they can also help you stay radiantly healthy. We showcase 4 versatile herbs.

These indigenous herbs will provide health directly from the soil and also give your garden brand-new life. (We cannot stress enough how important it is to consult your doctor before using any herbal remedies.)

Read more here...http://www.women24.com/

For more great herbs and tips on how to cultivate them... http://www.women24.com

The Legal Beagle TOP

Nobody wrote in this week.

Help Desk TOP

Nobody seems to require help this week.

Where are they now? TOP

Nobody's looking

Club and Other News TOP

No news received.

Visitors today related that on Jersey Island [English Channel] a recent "invitation to a South Africa braai" yielded 250 guests!

Quite a lot of interest - what do you think?

I've asked for a volunteer correspondent from Jersey, to write in - Ed

Humour TOP

The Polish Man

A Polish man moved to the USA and married an American girl. Although his English was far from perfect, they got along very well until one day he rushed into a lawyer's office and asked him if he could arrange a divorce for him.

The lawyer said that getting a divorce would depend on the circumstances, and asked him the following questions:

Have you any grounds? - Yes, an acre and half and nice little home.
No, I mean what is the foundation of this case? - It made of concrete.
I don't think you understand. Does either of you have a real grudge? - No, we have carport, and not need one.
I mean. What are your relations like? - All my relations still in Poland.
Is there any infidelity in your marriage? - We have hi-fidelity stereo and good DVD player.
Does your wife beat you up? - No, I always up before her.
Is your wife a nagger? - No, she white.
Why do you want this divorce? - She going to kill me.
What makes you think that? - I got proof.
What kind of proof? - She going to poison me. She buy a bottle at drugstore and put on shelf in bathroom. I can read, and it say:

"Polish Remover"

Submitted by Maureen Cram

------------------

Spotted on a bathroom of an office:
TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW.

In a Laundromat:
AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES. PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT.

In a London department store:
BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS.

In an office:
WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN.

In an office:
AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD.

Outside a secondhand shop:
WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in health food shop window:
CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS.

Spotted in a safari park:
ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR.

Seen during a conference:
FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR.

Notice in a farmer's field:
THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.

Message on a leaflet:
IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS.

On a repair shop door:
WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN'T WORK).

Submitted by Daniel Jan le Roux

Recipes TOP

Food on a stick
From the days when pre-historic man huddled in his cave, turning the day's catch on a piece of stick over the fire, the kebab has spread across the world and took on a life of it's own in virtually every country. In South Africa, we know food on a stick better as a sosatie. But what's the difference?

In his book Flavours of South Africa renowned food writer Peter Veldsman explains that the word 'sosatie' comes from the Malay word sesate, which means 'meat on skewers'.

Sosaties are a unique example of an original Muslim dish that did not contain pork, but did contain sheep-tail fat. Over the years, sosaties have become typically South African, and today non-Muslims prefer using speck. Peter says sosaties should be prepared three days in advance, and should always contain lamb.

In a true sosatie, there are no other ingredients apart from meat, onions, bacon, apricots and bay or lemon leaves. If other kinds of meat or a mixture of meats are used, it's called a kebab. Also, if you add sweet peppers or marinated prunes, you also have a kebab.

Read more here... http://www.food24.com

Beef satays with peanut sauce

See recipe at: http://www.food24.com

Souvlaki (lamb kebabs)
See recipe at: http://www.food24.com

Espetada (kebabs on bay skewers)
See recipe at: http://www.food24.com/

Mussel kebabs
See recipe at: http://www.food24.com

Salt Rock seafood kebabs
See recipe at: http://www.food24.com

Impala sosaties
See recipe at: http://www.food24.com

Tip
Always soak wooden skewers in warm water for 30 minutes before using to prevent them from burning. If you don't have skewers of any kind, use twigs from a bay tree.

[There are dozens of others out there - if you will share your favourite recipe, I'll publish it here- Ed]

Sports News TOP

Shosholoza sixth overall

Team Shosholoza, the South African newcomers to the pinnacle of world yachting, are feeling upbeat after 10 days of racing to tie sixth with the Spanish home team, Desafio Espanol on the 2006 America's Cup Season Championship ranking.

Team Shosholoza and the Spanish (a team that is challenging for the America's Cup for the fourth time with a budget reputedly three times that of the South Africans) have 12 points each following the combined results of the week long Louis Vuitton Act 10 match racing event and the three day Louis Vuitton Act 11 fleet racing event which ended in Spain on Sunday.

Team Shosholoza posted a magnificent sixth place overall in the tightly contested 12 boat fleet racing event and an eighth place overall in the match racing (two boat contest) event which ended earlier in the week.

Read more here... http://www.mweb.co.za/news

Advertising on South Africans Worldwide TOP

Readers are invited to place adverts on the website, www.saw.co.za as well as place ads in this newsletter, SAWmail.

Costs:

An article about your service or site - R 3000

Your banner - R 3000/month [on SAW home site & run of site]

Ad in SAW-mail- 4 lines of text - R 1000/issue.

[There are 27 000 subscribers to the Newsletter plus many thousands of "hits" on the web-site - Ed]

Credits and Contact Info TOP

South Africans Worldwide - SAWmail Copyright © 1998 - 2006 Maesti

Editor in Chief: Maureen Cram
Editor: Theo Truter
Copy Manager: Theo Truter
Contributors: Everyone!
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SAWmail - An Internet service brought to you by Maesti.

Web: http://www.saw.co.za
E-mail: editor@saw.co.za
Tel: +27 11 704-5126
Fax: +27 11 704-5126

Subscribing and Unsubscribing TOP

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Disclaimer TOP

The editors, publishers, directors and shareholders of Maesti Web Consulting (being the holding company that publishes SAW) place on record that opinions and comment published in this newsletter are those of the authors, contributors and correspondents.

It should not be construed that we agree or disagree with any of the material. All information about events is published in good faith as received from the correspondents.

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