Entering the gardens almost feels like going into another world away form the muchness and manyness of the world around and into a world of silence and beauty. My silence was only once disturbed by a group of children walking obediently one behind the other. Their high pitch voices filling the air as they enthusiastically tried to talk to each other.

After my visit to the gardens I quickly went to Cathedral square, which is the main centre point of the city. Surrounded wiith a Gothic style church and some really old style English architecture, the square is a hub of activities for street merchants and tourists.

Here is some photos to enjoy…

World famous School

Across the street…

Walking towards the square…

The past weekend Ian, Annalie and myself decided to cross the Cook Straight to visit the South Island. Our destinations were Kaikoura and Hanmer Springs. Kaikoura is beautiful seaside town that is surrounded with awe inspiring mountains and a crisp blue sea. Kaikoura is one of two spots in NZ where one can swim with dolphins and whales. Hanmer Springs is 135km inland from and is one of the adventure capitals in NZ. This serene town offers the adrenaline junkie with every kind of activity you wish to do. Jet boating, quad biking, river rafting, bungi jumping is some of the many things that you can choose. The only limit is what you wallet will allow.

We left Wellington Friday 18:15 for our fist trip on the ferry. Our feelings of nervousnesses was soon overtaken by feelings of expectation. The Cook Straight is world renown for being netoriously rough. Almost as the Cape Agulhas is back home. Everyone has respect for this piece of sea. Many has peril due to its wild character. Our journey went by without any obstacles or anyone incurring sea sickness. I was very impress with the facilities on board as well the seating arrangement. Very comfortable indeed.

A photo from the deck!

After a journey of three hours we arrived in a Picton.

Friday eve we slept in Picton in a backpackers called Atlantis, which cost us $19 per person. Very cheap indeed. We left Picton Saturday morning after picking up Sunny, our rental vehicle to travel to Kaikoura which is 160km south.

One of the scenic views on the way…

Our reason for going to Kaikoura was to have an opportunity to swim with the dolphins. Being a picture perfect day and the conditions looking absolutely wonderful we looked forward to this adventure. Unfortunately upon our arrival at Dolphin Encounters we were informed that due to a slightly rough sea the trip had to be canceled. The travelers were disapppointed but we agreed that this is only as mall set back for our spirits. After considering our alternatives we decided to head for Hanmer Springs. Hanmer is home to Thrill Seekers Canyon. An adventurers dream. Our first idea was to go Jet boating but after learning that we could not do that due to fact that the river was in flood, we then opted for quad biking.

Some photos of the journey from Kaikoura to Hanmer…

The quad biking was way more fun than what I initially anticipated. Since I was not used to gear changes on this form of transport, I had feelings of apprehension. Apart from one incident where instead of looking on the road I was admiring the beauty around, I crashed into Ian after he stopped. As in true South African style no one was injured. But I do not recommend that anyone should try it at home.

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Hanmer Springs

Friday eve was spent at home doing a bit of cleaning. Washing clothes and then the inevitable ironing.

Saturday morning I had a bit of a sleep in. Got up at 9am and then for my run around the block. Improving my unique physique! I am trying to ensure that my width does not catch up with my length. The late morning I went with my landlord for a bit of fun on the beach with his shortwheel base Pajero. The area is called Red Rocks

Red Rocks…

More Red Rocks

Sunday was spent with the friends. What a great time we had! We were a group of 12 people and everyone was Afrikaans speaking. It feels like we are taking New Zealand over, one suburb at a time. It was a typical Afrikaans atmosphere. If you were among us and listening to the people talking, you would not believe that we are in a predominately English speaking country. Not one English word was allowed! We could have been in Pretoria for all it matter! The guys will always be the guys and they took control of the important BBQ. The woman in true South again had their role as well. They made us a delicious South African style desert, “Malva poeding”. All the food went down with great delight.

The satisfied gentleman…from the left – Louis snr, Eduan, Louis jnr, John, Fanie, Lourens en ek wat sit! Te leke om saam met die manne te kuier!

and the meat…

As a treat we went to view the new Audi R8. This baby will sit you back 270 000NZD. Mom and Dad! For my next birthday I would like to have one of the following…

Audi R8

Grrrrrr……

I am back home after two really awesome days. Yesterday I was in Nelson and today in Blenheim. A town 110km from Nelson. Business wise today was in weather terms miserable. Blenheim hospital is also like Nelson a place where I am busy with a similar product trial and the feedback from the charge nurse was not what I wanted to hear. Some of the concerns she raised I had not experienced with other customers. There could be two reasons behind it. It could be due the fact that I was not allowed to do in-service training. Not that the product is highly technical, but there are some gems I could have shared. The in-service also provides a way of building trust and rapport with the end users. So I never had a opportunity to do that. The other could be that some of their objections are valid. I did ask whether I could speak to the relevant nurses, but the manager thought it was unnecessary. How in the world can I handle objections if I can’t even speak to the people. My plan of action is to type the manager a very friendly and assertive email to explain my frustration with the way the trial has been handled. How can a salesman not do training on his product and then expect a positive outcome?

Socially the weekend is still very much open. Friday eve will be spent at home doing some admin and the normal washing and ironing chores. Saturday I will make use of the fair weather by being outside somewhere. Sunday I will get together with the friends. We have not decided whether we are going to get up 3am Sunday morning to watch the Boks and Scotland. Might not be wort it, the way the Boks play.

I have included some more photos of my trip.

The ferry terminal in Picton

More at Picton

Hallo! Arriving at Blenheim Hospital

The hospital…

Beautiful park in Blenheim

One more photo of the park

Back to the flight. It as been a long time since I have seen such clear skies as today. This gave my eyes a bit of a sensory overload. With beautiful views of the Alps, the sea below and the many islands that form the Marlborough Sounds, it was truly an amazing flight. Unfortunately my camera was in my other bag. But I did take some photos of Nelson.

Nelson today left me speechless. Stepping out from the airplane Nelson feels like you step out into a different world.  It has an atmosphere that relaxes your very soul and mind. Very tourissy type feel to it. My mode of transportation was Hyundai Tucson. It was my first experience driving a Hyundai vehicle and was pleasantly surprised with it. The car provides a very comfortable ride and I like the fact that I sit a bit high in the vehicle.  In Nelson I call on a public and small private hospital.

The reason for my visit was to follow-up on a product trial. It seems that it is going well, but a few concerns have been raised and to solve it demands thinking outside the box. Not for me so much, but for the theatre. They do like the product, but it does challenge some of their practices. So it all depends on if the product will solve a problem and then if they are motivated to change. The product is more than just switching from one supplier to another. It causes a new way of thinking and working. Furthermore, what makes it even more difficult is that the real solution lies in the sterile services, while the product will be used in theatre. What a conundrum!! It is a synergistically relationship between theatre and sterile services. In the small private hospital the process is going to be much easier, since there is just a change of supplier for the customer. It is for dressings that will be used in theatre. My price was accepted and now the product trial will start. That will happen next week. You can do it!!!

 Enjoy the photos. The rest I have posted in Facebook!

Manuka Street Hopsital… what a BEAUTY

Lunch time I went for a walk on the beach… what a view!

Braver than most…

 We have a runner…

This is beautiful…

A new apartment building next to beach…

Strange trees…but nice!

Armed with non raising fine flour, sunflower oil, salt and water I got busy. From reading the recipe it sounded quite an easy process. You take two cups of flour, 3/4 cup of oil, 3/4 cup of water and a teaspoon of salt. You put the flour, oil and salt into a bowl. You knead it bit and start adding the water. Not all at once. Then you knead further until it the dough is supposedly not sticky. Well, lets think about sticky. Sticky is a relative term for a inexperience baker like myself. I knead for 5 minutes (perhaps next time I will dot it a touch longer) and then put the whole piece of dough onto my baking tray. I tried to flattened it out with a roller. But the piece just move from one end to another and was sticking perhaps a bit to much to the roller than it should. Anyway, I got the dough into the oven and after 20 minutes it came out nice and brown.

I cannot understand why the baker was killed in the Bible and the cup bearer spared. Baking is a much more difficult skill to acquire. Look, anyone can take a glass and put some wine in it. Baking is another story.

To outcome looked fairly good, taste was quite pleasant. Very different from the once I bought in SA. It also looked different. Not as flat and hard. This is my first time after all.

Next time I will remember to use a fork or toothed comb to puncture the matzah, making rows of perforations across the length. Also to roll it to a 1/4 of an centimeter thick.

The wife she can come!!! Ha ha!

The important ingredients!

The before picture…might have rolled it a bit flatter. It was a trying effort!

The after picture…after 20 minutes nice and brown

We all have been in a situation were somebody comes to you and says, “Don’t tell anyone this, but…” That is a red flag moment.

What happened over the weekend made me think again. We all have at one point of of our lives played the game, telephone. One player whispers a word or phrase to the person next to him and so the message gets passed on until the last person repeats aloud what he heard. And in most cases the message is very different or distorted by the time it reach the end!

This is precisely what gossip is. A distortion of the truth! The book of James in the Bible warns us quite clearly about the dangers of the tongue. He actually uses a few pictures to describe the tongue. First he liken it to a bit in a horses mouth. That bit controls the whole body. Secondly he liken it to a ships rudder that determines the direction and thirdly to a wild fire that can wreak havoc in a forest, in the same way the tongue can defile a person.

We had a little “forest fire” the weekend. A very serious and character damaging rumour was spread about a fellow South African here in Wellington. I was the last person that heard about it. As in the case of the “Telephone game”. Knowing the person I thought I would call him. The Bible is quite clear that if you have anything against a person take the case to him. So I did. Well, that caused a bit of a fire. I am of the opinion that love believes all things as Proverbs say and I like to believe the best about every person. That of course until you prove me otherwise. It is not a blind, turning the head kind of love.

Here is what Proverbs say about gossip:

Prov 11:12 – Gossip lacks judgement

Prov 11:13 – Gossip is untrustworthy

Prov 16:28 – Gossip is perverse

Prov 20:19 – Gossip betrays confidence

What caused the fire is that the guy (A) I told about rumour called the person (B) that started it and he shook the persons foundation a bit to found out who told him that. As in most cases the whole thing was blown out of proportion and a few feathers was roughed up in the process. Person’s A intention was just to found out who started the whole thing. Person B who’s house was a bit shaken after the phone call from person A in turn confronted the people he told. You can all picture the scenario. It was again a passing the buck type story. Moa, myself and I was also called and confronted since I decided to bring the whole thing into the light.

My revelation caused a couple of sore toes and bruised images in he way. Of course you feel bad and in a way guilty at first, but you quickly take comfort that the truth will set you free. Even though you knew you did the right thing you still wonder if you did not break the confidence of a friend. Luckily this was not the case. I visited the friend who told me initially and our friendship garden did not suffer any damages due this ” wild fire”. A true testimony to friendship!

Lets us remember a true friend covers a multitude of sins!

Included is 10 forms of praise ( there is more) that exists in Hebrew and we will be wise to apply these forms our live:

1) Todah – It is an extension of the hands in adoration and worship

Psalm 50:14 Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.

Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalms 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him, and bless his name.

Praise involves confessing. Our Father requires honesty from us, as Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4.

2) Tehilla – to sing hallal, a new song, a hymn of spontaneous praise glorifying God in song

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 40:3 He has put a new song in my mouth — praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.

Psalm 149:1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and his praise in the assembly of saints.

De 20:21 He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen

3) Shevach – to adore, to adulate

Dan 2:23 I thank you, and praise you, you God of my fathers, who have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we desired of you; for you have made known to us the king’s matter.

Dan 4:34 At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever; for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation to generation.

4) Shavach – to address in a loud tone, a loud adoration, a shout, proclaiming with a loud voice (unashamed), to glory, triumph, power, a testimony of praise

Psalm 63:3 Because your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.

Psalm 106:47 Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the Gentiles, to give thanks to your holy name, to triumph in your praise.

Psalm 145:4 One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

5) Yadah - to use, hold out the hand, to throw (a stone or arrow) at or away, to revere or worship (with extended hands, praise thankful, thanksgiving)

Psalm 33:2 Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to him with an instrument of ten strings.

Psalm 61:8 So I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Psalm 18:49 Therefore I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name.

6) Zamar – to touch strings or part of a musical instrument, to make music accompanied by voices

Ps 21: 13 Be exalted, Yahweh, in your strength, So we will sing and praise your power.

Ps 108:1 My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and I will make music with my soul.

Dan 3:10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image

7) Hallal - to praise, to make a show or rave about, to glory in or boast upon, to be clamorously foolish about you adoration of God

Psalm 22:23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him, and fear him, all you offspring of Israel!

Psalm 44:8 In God we boast all day long, and praise your name forever. Selah

Psalm 63:5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips.

8) Hilluwl - a sense of rejoicing, a celebration of thanksgiving for harvest, merry, praise

Leviticus 19:24 But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy, a praise to the Lord.

judges 9:27 They went out into the field, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and held festival, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech.

9) Guwl - to spin around, under the influence of any violent emotion

Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Psalm 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; It shall rejoice in his salvation.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

10) Barak - to kneel or bow, to give reverence to God as an act of adoration, implies a continual conscious giving place to God, to be atuned to him and his presence

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Be thankful to him, and bless his name.

Psalm 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

Here is some photos.

This has always been one of my most favorite photos of Cape Town!