she of the sun-kissed frangipani... by smitaanand

It's summertime and I found this poem relevant...

·         by smitaanand

http://allpoetry.com/smitaanand

the summer's elastic daylight
finally wraps up its realms of gold,
as tall silhouettes of trees
blessed with lush verdure and avian chirps,
stretch themselves over
technicolor bosom of crepuscule,
etching a rippling chiaroscuro
over the visage of sapphire lake.

the mangoes wink
at the sun that retreats on
footprints of glowing amaranths of red,
indifferent to forlorn droop of sunflowers;
and cicadas begin quaint threnodies
on reverberating strings of cellos,
while fireflies of aster-face
twinkle as plucked constellations of wishes
on the stalks of slumbering bushels.

mascara-tinted clouds enshroud
the darkening face of the once azure sky,
pregnant with raindrops' emotion,
thunder's heart wrenching cries of endurance
and with lingering whim of a rainbow,
this is a prologue to summer's rain.

she of the sun-kissed frangipani
that hides a glowworm of fluorescence
within its petals of sublime,
paints with colors of twilight on
the sublime breast of sailing, soaring clouds
etching variegated characters,
that whisper their own tales to rising stars.

she of the sun-kissed frangipani,
gathers stardust on fingertips of intrigue
from the vacuum of infinite,
to sprinkle as dream-seeds on eyelids
closed with hope of sweet siesta,
filling moonlight in secret cisterns
to polish her gorgeous smiles.

she collected night jasmines
of insomniac smiles from myriad octopus limbs,
in her skirt frills to scatter on threshold of tomorrow,
through her sparkling irises of amber
peeps her soul that tenderly caresses
all my faults, mistakes, errors
erasing them from the window pane
of bittersweet existence...

Last Roadtrip... Looking back

As we celebrated our one year stay in Sweden we took a drive down one of my favorite places in Sweden, the countryside. We drove along the 180 road to Alingsås and found the most amazing villages and towns along the way!  The lakes in the countryside were still frozen! Driving along the many lakes outside of Gothenburg and seeing a figure or two ice-skating on it, was truly remarkable.  In Gothenburg all the snow and ice already melted away into the abyss of the winter and forgotten memories of snow was packed away into my camera's memory.  But in the countryside people still risked (or knew their lakes) skating on thin ice in the early spring sun. 

I was completely taken aback by the small, but lively town of Alingsås.  A church, a square, small, cute shops and beautiful waterways surrounding the town and meeting the lake on the outskirts.  This town has a truly Swedish vibe to it.  And I have to say the cleanest town I've ever been in.  The streets are perfectly sweeped and the houses and shops perfectly painted in pastel and the swedish-red colored buildings.  The church is quaint and inviting and the streets a dream to wonder about. 

I've recently read the poems of Karin Boye, the famous Swedish poet and writer who committed suicide and who's body was found close to Alingsås. Knowing this while visiting Alingsås, I imagined I felt a deep contentment, a deep respect for the unknown and a deep appreciation for life.

Statue of Karin Boye in Gothenburg, Sweden

Hebba



found on http://hijab-fashion.tumblr.com/post/20782891584

Because evil walks free in this world some people have to flee from their homes and their country.

"Don't worry they are only playing with us."  Her mother said as they found safety in their house in Gaza, Palestine. 

"That's why I'm here, in Sweden."  She explains.  She is beautiful:  Big brown, round sharp eyes.  Small hands like butterflies, wrists of an angel; thin, narrow, white, soft.  She translated English and Arabic to Gaza refugees.  I asked her if she saw people getting hurt in the explosions, the bombs.  "Yes, of course," was her short, abrupt answer.  But she said it with closed eyes.  I could see her pupils moving behind her eyelids as if she saw those images again behind them.  Her face twitched.

She lost her cousin in a bomb explosion in a mosque in Palestine.  Her mother told them, "Don't worry, they are only playing with us," every time they heard a bomb explode.  She woke up with sounds of disaster and explosions every day.  "I was scared".

She wears a black jacket with big black buttons and check pink and black lining.  The scarf around her head matches the make-up on her eyes every day.  Today her scarf is pink which matches the pink eye-liner on her eyelids.  The day before, she wore a sky-blue scarf which matched the color on her eyelids.  I am amazed at this.  I met her while studying.  She studied Swedish with me and was one of the favorites in the class (as well as one of the strongest students).  She was chosen as one of three of the class leaders, the only female and had to represent us on occasional meetings.  I ran into her after class.  We were both on our way to the library.  While we crossed the street, she took my hand, maybe out of pure reaction, I don't know.  And thus began her story telling. 

Her family arranged a marriage with a family they knew in Palestine.  She "met" her future husband-to-be on MSN messenger.  They spoke briefly.  Then the trip was planned and finalized.  But first she had to get married.  In Palestine.  Her future husband lived in Sweden. 

The next day she brought her wedding pictures to class and she showed them to me with a proud stillness in her eyes and on her lips.  She looked beautiful in her white wedding dress.  She was in a big hall with family and friends.  The pictures celebrate the great occasion and the Palestine photographer grabs your attention by putting emphasis on the glitter, extravagance and beauty of it all.  You will find Hebba posing in pictures with a Photoshop-background of "I love you".  This was the only and first time I saw her hair.  A reddish, dark brown with highlights put in for the wedding.  She got married, had the whole glittery wedding day with her family and friends, but there was one thing missing:  The groom.  The last couple of pictures, with the background of "I love you", were made for the groom, to be showed to him when she arrives in Sweden.

When she made her way towards Sweden, it was her first time traveling.  She really wanted me to know about the people who helped her along the way.  On the airport "a man with blond hair" helped her without her having enough courage to ask.  She lost her baggage at the stop over, but luckily he helped her retrieve it.  Her husband now (as they married in Palestine without him being present) waited for her at the airport in Gothenburg.  He later told her while waiting for her at the airport, he saw a small black woman who smiled and looked at him.  He thought it might be Hebba (as they never saw each other before) and asked the women if she was Hebba.  He admitted to Hebba that he was really afraid.  But when he saw the real Hebba, he picked her up and hugged her. 

When she talks about her new husband she smiles shyly and the love that she so obviously feels for him glows all around her, like an extra, protective blanket embracing and protecting her.  And then she told me shyly "I am pregnant".  Happiness could be described if only I could describe her face at that precise moment.

Giving up "Expat-status"

What is an expatriate or expat?  According to wiki.answers.com: "a person who is living in another country, or working overseas temporarily."

Getting back to "normal" life after "being an expat" was a challenge.  I have been craving to write, to post on my blog and not to disappoint, but arriving in one's home country, picking up again where you left of years ago (or what feels like eternities ago) is time-consuming and there is always something else to do... or family or friends to see, writing just had to wait.  But now I am back on my blog, ready to write about my new life in beautiful, sunny South Africa and wanting to attract as many attention as possible so that all my fellow expats all over the world can come visit!

Moving back to my home country wasn't an easy decision. And starting again, getting back into SA life, getting used to SA-mentality (said with the utmost respect) wasn't easy as well.  South Africans have a whole different mindset and lifestyle (and I fell in love with it all over again!).  I jumped every time I heard Afrikaans around me, in a shop or on the street.  The people around me are friendly.  Everyone talks to everyone.  The beggar on the street always has a joke to tell when you walk by, the painter greets every car that drives by, the shop owner comes out to talk to you and ask you where you've been.  I got used to "your own personal space" overseas.  This is a rare thing in South Africa.  If someone sees you buying a cool drink, they will remind you of the Red bull-special, but in the same sentence say that you don't need a Red bull because you look "lekker op-en-wakker" (wide a wake and in a friendly mood).  And then everybody laughs.  I realised that I missed this about South Africa.

I now live in a town (I like to think of it as a fishing village, but it is bigger than a village though), Mossel Bay. Mossel Bay is famous for its amazing weather, ranked as the town with the second best weather in the world, and with the rarity of houses facing north. I forgot how amazing the weather is... every morning I wake up expecting cloudy, dark skies, but wake up with beautiful warm days and sunshine throughout the day! It is really amazing (not to make anyone jealous, but I mention this rather with the idea to attract visitors!). It is officially autumn now, but it feels like summer. We are walking around with t-shirts, flip-flops and shorts and just enjoying the sunshine.

In the months that follow I am going to try and promote Mossel Bay, The Garden Route and the rest of beautiful South Africa. I believe people from all over the world need to see an appreciate South Africa with its remarkable history and landscape.

Follow and support my blog, keep track of what I'm up to, what cute and interesting restaurants and shops I have discovered recently and what is happening in Mossel Bay and surrounding area!

xICKx

Goodbye Sweden, Hello South Africa... My SSS

I am packing.  Maybe for the last time.  Hopefully not, just the last time for the long-run.  We've been living abroad since November 2009 and I can now readily say I am looking forward to unpacking for a while in my own home.  Tonight is my last night in Sweden.  Today I took my last bus ride, yesterday my last tram ride.  My last Swedish Fica (a tradition I want to keep doing in SA) and... my last snowflakes (yes this afternoon, while sitting on the bus a couple of snowflakes gracefully said their goodbye's)!

The last two years has been exuberant, exhilarating, exhausting, exquisite, excellent, exceptional, extravagant and a experience!  An experience I would do over and over again and one I would never forget.  It would stay rooted in my mind and heart forever, forming part of who I am now.  I can never be complete, but it started to build my completion-blocks.   

The first S:

South Korea, you came as a shock, physically and mentally.  But I overcame my fears and in the process learned things about myself and did things I never imagined I was capable of doing. 
You taught me to be patient, to make sacrifices, to be more gentle on myself, to open my eyes to a new and interesting world that existed beyond the glorified walls of a conventional life.   I met the most amazing people;  was part of a expat group in Gyeongju who I will always be grateful to for welcoming us with open arms and showing us how the expat life really should be like.  I look back on you with a proud stillness in my heart.  I will always wonder about you, South Korea.  Wonder if the 90degree backbone of your stature grew to heavy, if your rice fields still wake in the morning fog, if your women in their traditional Hanboks still walk silently up the path to Bulguksa and Songron Grotto.  If your war with the North echos into the very hearts of your youth.  I will always taste your Kimchi on my tongue, missing and hating it at the same time.  I will long for Sangipsal and the gossip around the charcoal grills and ventilation pipes.  I shall miss you, even when I'm not thinking about you. Thank you for inviting me into your realms, sharing with me your beauty, grandeur and youth.  I will always be thankful.

Sweden.  I arrived in Sweden unsure of who You were.  But then I had to shed my skin.  That was your price.  I had to grow again.  To start anew.  You taught me to trust myself again, and others.  You taught me to open my heart to new friendships and let go of others.  You nurtured my spirit with your glory mornings and snowflakes.   You showed me to stand on my own two feet again and believe in what I believe again.  You abled me to see the world and made some of my wildest dreams come true. I will always be grateful to your kindred spirit and your, sometimes, harsh words (and winters).  You showed me nature in a way I've never seen.  You shared the language with me, even just for a little while.  Most importantly you showed me childish innocence and taught me to find mine again.  And the importance of holding on to the child within me.  I will always be grateful to the people who made us feel welcome in Sweden, right from the beginning straight to the end.  For the expats who shared my frustrations and disbelief sometimes, thank you.  For everyone at work, thank you for your kindness and friendship and amazing farewell.  I will always remember that.  The lessons I've learned in Sweden are priceless and forever rooted in my soul and for that I thank You.

Now I am going back to where it all started, South Africa (My first and last S).  There are still a lot to be learned, a lot to be discovered, a lot to experience.  I will never let go of the traveler in me, I can never set her free, for she will always be part of me and steer me on different and adventurous paths I would never have dreamed to go before I met her.  South Africa holds a dream for me that I have yet realised or accomplished.  I need to chase that dream now and find my roots again in My Beloved Country.

Weddings and Wedding anniversaries

It is our three year wedding anniversary today and I had to look back and write.... We planned our wedding in two months (We didn't want a long engagement).  I know I wanted the beach, with sand between my toes and the ocean air in my hair.  And we were blessed with the most amazing day, sunshine and blue skies!  We refused to have a plan B just in case the weather was bad, we just believed...

I walked through frangipanis towards my groom, stopping at each guest to receive a flower (we asked in the invite for each girl to bring a flower that reminds them of me).  My bunch of flowers grew bigger than I suspected....  but I loved it!  We used this for the official wedding bouquet which I threw, later in the evening, towards the excited "next-to-be-bride". 
While signing the marriage certificates, Stephan's sister's daughter sang, in her beautiful voice, Amazing Grace.  After the ceremony, walking through the guests, red rose petals were strewn over us (and this created beautiful pictures).  And our family friend, Malitsaba sang the African cheering "tlatlatla...." which gave the end of our beach-ceremony an African twist.  It was special and we felt her blessing and happiness through the beautiful African sound.
Our wedding function was walking distance from the beach at a small hotel.  Our tables were basic, with candles, red rose petals, white see-through linen and bright red wine glasses.  We put more detail in the food - rather than having a "opskep"/buffe.  We put some "throw-away" cameras on the tables so that the guests could make their own memories.  Developing the films (yes, it was film cameras) served us with many funny and fun photos...  We printed our own message on a white servet (that my mother made) and the guests could take that home.  My sister-in-law made us "love" key-chains as gifts for the women. The men received cigars.

We partied right through until it was time to celebrate my birthday.  Yes we got married on the 21st of March.  My birthday is the 22nd.  I danced barefoot all night, still feeling the sand between my toes.
Our guests were brilliant and so full of energy (and dance moves).  We didn't focus a lot on speeches and the normal detail of a wedding, but still had the wedding cake and a roaming mice which offered the most amazing stories frour friends and family.  I will always be grateful! 
Our day turned out perfect.  Do I have regrets?  Yes, maybe all brides do, I don't know, maybe not...
Regrets:  We wanted a small wedding, but had to pay the price - I couldn't invite everyone I wanted to share our special day with.  Forgive me always.

We didn't focus so much on speeches or thanking people or family.  Looking back, I really should have thanked my two grandmothers.  For being there, for contributing to the person I have become, for loving me always and just for being the most amazing grandmothers I could ever ask for (both now in their 80's - I was so blessed to have them at our wedding).  Thank you Grandmothers!!! 
Thanking a lot of other people I should have thanked, but didn't.  Thank you! 

We forgot to take a group photo and official friend photographs.  I only have random photograps of me or Stephan with friends.  Regret - hiring the photograper for only half the day and not the full evening. 

Looking back, I am grateful.  It was the most amazing day in my life.  Thank you for everyone who made it special!

Öckerö, guinea pigs and a sunset

After about an hour's tram ride from where I live to Botaniska Trädgård, I met my friend and work colleague, Cheri and her son Samson. We drove in her car to the ferry port, Lilla Varholmen, where we (and the car) got on the ferry, no charge, and enjoyed the sights of the surrounding islands. The ferry ride only takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Arriving on Öckerö we made our way to Martha's (from El Salvadore) house, also a friend and work colleague. She has a beautiful house and it was such a treat to meet her family. Her seven year old daughter, Alice, showed us her guinea pigs and rabbits, which she's very proud of.

A week before the visit Martha asked me at work if I am allergic to anything, if there's anything I do not eat. And if I am allergic to guinea pigs or rabbits. Immediately I thought, how am I going to tell this women that I'm not going to eat guinea pigs or rabbits. And I was thinking I am not Rita Golden Gelman, author of "Tales of a Female Nomad", who vowed to eat everything on her travels that she was offered. I try to follow that travel rule, but sometimes I fail.... . I then scrapped up the courage and told her that I don't think I would be able to eat guinea pig, maybe rabbits, but not guinea pig. Suddenly she burst out laughing so hard I immediately realized my mistake and joined in... 

Lunch did not consist out of guinea pigs or rabbits. It was a delicious creamy chicken and mushroom dish with a hint of spice. After lunch we went for a walk around the island where I realised there's a library, a supermarket, lots of boats, a rocket spaceship thing on a huge rock (which no-one knew what it was) on the island and Alice's school. I was impressed with the whole island community existence and learned that Öckerö is quite and old community. There is even a sea-training facility on the island.
After our walk we went home to get out of the cold. Martha's husband made us some delicious Swedish coffee and we ate left-over birthday cake. (Alice had her birthday party the day before). I had two slices of the delicious, homemade birthday cake.
Our trip home was exciting. Me, Cheri and Samson chasing sunsets in a glorified, golden sky. Cheri stopping now and then for me to jump out, take a picture of the setting sun over the mirror-flat water. Then driving over the big green Gothenburg bridge provided one of the most amazing sunset settings I've ever seen. A full, red-ish sun falling in the sky like a fire-ish red balloon with skyscrapers and big cranes in the background forming magnificent dark shadows... shadows in a golden sky.

Journey to a Swedish island...

I'm on my way to the island Öckerö to visit a friend and enjoy a Sunday lunch. It's quite a long journey, but looking forward to what surprises the afternoon might offer.

On my ipod I have the following to keep me company:
Florence and the machine
Swedish band First Aid Kit
South African bands Freshly Ground and off course Prime Circle ;)
The Amelie sountrack (for the French side of me) ;)
Snow Patrol - Called out in the dark (a new favorite)
Russian Red which I love
Swedish Melissa Horn
And oldies...Pink Floyd and Alanis

The day is grey, but winter started to move on, making way for small buds, green grass and warmer skies. Lets hope for some sunshine on the island of Öckerö.

Rome (definitely) wasn't built in a day

I came back from Rome with sore muscles and with a horrible cold, but it was all worth it!  Now I just want to go back for there is so much more to see and explore! 

Rome is a mixture of culture, beauty, jealousy, glory, history and indulgence.  Our hotel had an amazing location and we could walk everywhere.  We arrived late afternoon on a Thursday and had the whole evening to explore the streets of the age old city.  The sounds of Rome, coming from the streets and it's people, has an extraordinary ring to it that I immediately recognized after watching the Italy part in Eat Pray Love again when we arrived back in Sweden. 

And off course I had to do my research "Rome in 2 days" and book a Vatican tour beforehand!  And that really helped our time limit!  Our first night we explored Trastevere, where the cute and cozy little characteristic trattories (an informal restaurant or tavern serving simple Italian dishes) can be found between the cobbled streets and authentic, medieval neighbourhood.  Trastevere is separated from  the rest of Rome by the River Tiber and this was our furthest walk from our hotel, but a beautiful one!  And yes, we got lost on our first evening.  One-and-a-half-hour-lost, getting me in bed far later than I had planned.  And after a couple of glasses of red wine this wasn't the most fun I ever had, but definitely and adventure on its own.  We accidentally walked around the Roman Forum (which was Ancient Rome) instead of through, but then (luckily) ended up at the beautifully lit up Colosseum. And what a sight! I felt a couple of a chills down my spine and tears down my cheaks!

Our first day basically consisted out of the Vatican museums, the Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel), St. Peter's Basilica and Piazza Navona.  The Vatican tour provides you with amazingly interesting facts.  I've never been a fan of the Vatican or it's politics, just because they pillaged the whole of Rome and all it's treasures are locked up in their museums and vaults.  Who knew they stripped the Colosseum of it's marble to build St. Peter's square?!!  But I have to admit, the tour was interesting and watching Angels and Demons in the aftermath was a kick!

Piazza Navona - having a glass of wine while the sun touched the last colorful buildings in the square, watching artists and their paintings, with the three baroque fountains spurting water softly through its ocher-colored water, artists trying to make a coin with interesting gestures - giant flying bubbles, the invisible man with glasses, a stage with actors dressed up in medieval costumes, a horse carriage and the beautiful Italian language in the air.

Day two and three consisted out of  The Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Imperial Forums, the Arch of Constantine, the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and a lot of Pasta and Pizza!

There's so much to do and see in Rome and around every hook and cranny is a sight worth seeing or a cobble street worth exploring.  On our way to the bus station on our last day we walked straight into a parade:  a children's street carnival.  Children dressed up as cartoon characters could be found all around Rome (and I started to notice it on Piazza Navona the day before).  And this sums up Rome for me:  a surprise around every corner!

Piazza Navona

Old movies, Chinese tea and the snow outside

Today is Valentine's day or as they call it in Swedish, Alla hjärtans dag.  Hubby is working and I am on holiday as it is Sportlov (the official Swedish Ski holiday).  I am not going skiing.  But I am saving my energy for Italy, Rome, on Thursday.  We are thus postponing Alla hjärtans dag to Friday!

I'm spending my time re-organizing my cupboards, drawers and life.  Planning and distributing things I don't need to the waste basket.  Building on my "dream-file" - a file I have covered in collages of pictures of beautiful, exotic places I still want to visit (PS. everybody should have a dream-file.  It's a lot of fun!). 

After all my shuffling about, I start to get tired - the typical holiday relaxation mood.  And the snow falling outside contributes to my mood.  I put on an old movie that I've been meaning to watch for a while, a 1946 film - It's a Wonderful life.  I enjoy the energy with which the actors played in those days and all the drama, songs and words strung together which makes the 1940's the 1940's.  I take out my Chinese tea (bought in China and send to Sweden in a box after we left Asia) and my 5 kronor (R5) IKEA tea strainer, make a cup of delicious tea and sit back and enjoy Alla hjärtans dag!

May you have a relaxed Alla hjärtans dag!

Búzios, Brazil

As a little girl, I remember, I saw a photo in a magazine of a statue of a girl sitting with her suitcase overlooking the ocean. I didn’t know who she was or why she was staring at the ocean in such a beautiful-sad stature. Never knowing that I would someday sit on her lap and look at the ocean with her, I tore out that picture and kept it somewhere.

After we had enough of Rio’s never-ending heat, noise and over-crowded waters, we ran into a fellow South African who told us about Búzios. Again, we didn’t plan it, but it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We took a bus from Rio to Búzios, without knowing what to expect or what we will find.

Búzios is a small town about two hours from Rio. Once the preserve of pirates and slave traders, then popularized by legendary movie star Brigitte Bardot in the 1960s, a quiet fishing village, now luring peace-seekers away from busy Rio.

Brigitte Bardot had come to Rio de Janeiro with her Brazilian boyfriend but could not leave his apartment without being followed by the paparazzi. The couple escaped to Buzios. While she was there, she fell in love with the town - so much that she stayed for months longer than she planned, and returned often for vacation.

Her statue sits along the main street of Búzios, the Rua das Pedras (Street of stones), overlooking the ocean and the beautiful sunsets.

Búzios is a hidden gem, a treasure. And Brigitt Bardotts saw it and showed it to the world and to me: Fishing boats resting on clear blue waters, fishermen statues pulling ropes along the horizon, beautiful, calm beaches. The best way to explore the curving shore of Búzios is to rent a buggy. Exploring the cobble streets and coastline can be tricky, (use a map!), we got lost quite a lot. It is a paradise once you find the beach. "Mielies" (corn cobs), cashew nuts and coconuts are being sold on the beach by locals on "stalls on wheels" which are very cute. Seafood and beer are a treat to enjoy at the “restaurants” (tables and chairs on the sand) on the beach. We found a room on the street overlooking the ocean with a local family. I remember the woman quite clearly as she had a small room in which she painted Mandalas. The most beautiful ones I've ever seen. She didn't ask us much for the room, and for the location and cleanliness it was a great place to stay. Therefor I would not recommend hotels or even hostels for this little town. Try the locals!

Búzios was our last stop in our South American journey and rounded it up in a magical and peaceful way. We kept prolonging our stay as we fell more and more in love with Búzios until it was really time to go back, otherwise we would have missed our flight.