toink toink

ooo-ha-ho-ha!
how’s things going?

all’s cool here in ozland
can’t believe it’s been 2 years since we walked on Table Mountain,
and had sundowners on the beach…
yea – our anniversary just crept up on us with a big hooray

…bunny, bunny-er, bunny-est…
yip – we have a brand new edition to the family – Toink
such a little cuty and an attention-seeker extrodinaire!
the brand: smoked sable dwarf (gray with a light gray chest, like a bib)
so funny when he tries to immitate everything Haasie does
and then somehow it just goes all wobbly
first time the tried to jump up the step he went straight
into the wall and saw a few stars for a while
but he’s a quick learner and’s already housetrained!

had a photo exhibition a few weeks ago at the ‘homeless gallery’
very interesting concept – it travels around the world, hence no home
so artists come from all over and put up their work, (370 took part)
all bring friends, drinks, snacks and have a party
was amazing to see the huge variety of stuff

springtime’s here and the garden just went bezerk
everything’s big and greeen
our veggies are fatning and the flowers are singing
went to a lunar-eclipse-planting-party last weekend with
cool tunes, we were still plonking trees in the ground at 10 in the eve
cause the sky was so turquoise bright!

and, going to a film tomorrow night that we’re in!
don’t know if you can actually see us,
but we went to an outdoor party that they used for the shoot
so we’ll be hopping around somewhere?

so, keep well
love and bunny hugs from down under

brumm – brumm, off we go

hello daar mense

ok, we promised one newsletter in english,
then one in afrikaans
so
if you don’t understand, phone a friend

hier gaan dit nog al te lekker, dis veronderstel om somer te wees maar die winter willie weg nie
warm – koud – sousend – en dan weer sonskyn
hier’s ‘n sêding in Melbourne:
“If you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes!”

en nou vir grooot nuus -ons het ‘n tjor gekoop – ‘n regte grootmens kar!

dis ‘n Suzuki Ignis, silver and sooo cute, lyk soos ‘n 4×4 wat in die tuimeldroer was

ons het gevat vir ‘n spin om te celebrate
die speed limit hier is op die meeste 100km/h,
enigiets tussen 60-90 op die freeway
en ooo, dis so maklik om te laat waai met die karretjie
ek het nog so lekker gevlieg, toe sien ek
ek bevind my in ‘n 60 zone – rem vinnig
en daar ry oom speedcop verby met die evil eye

die stad was amazing, strate vol mense
lekker atmosfeer, duisende activities,
performance arts, poets, solo sangers
en soveel bars, lounges, clubs
of somer net bistro’s en deli’s
waar jy kan sit en drink of eet
(hulle is regtig hectic oor hul koek en pastries,
die een wil lekkerder en meer eksoties wees as die ander!)
weet nie hoe mens ooit gaan weet wat aangaan nie
dis net te VEEL en te GROOOOT!

het vandag heerlik rondrinkink met ons silver wiele
na die Yarra Valey se wynplase, dis net 20km van die huis af,
yummie…hul wynstyl is nogal anders as waaraan ons gewoond is
die goedkoopste bottel wit is $17= R85
en rooi  $22 = R110!
so ons het maar net oe toegeknyp en
4 van die waarvoor ons regtig nie kon nee se nie, gekoop
en ons het ook ‘n draai gemaak by Domaine Chandon, bubbly hemel!
moes een daarvan ook kry allowel ek nie mooi weet wanneer ons dit oor ons harte gaan kry om die gesogde, duur vloeistof ooit actually te drink nie
ag, seker eendag as ons ryk voel
of wanneer iemand kom kuier (skimp-skimp)

cherio, R & W

ow ya going?

at long last a “goo-day mate” form Ozland!

yes it’s true, everybody’s your mate,
they all say ‘no worries’ instead of “ok”
and within the first few days we met a Shiela and 2x Bruce!

so, we know it’s been more than 2 weeks but we haven’t forgotten you,
we had great fun -ha-ha- with our airfreight baggage
which went all the way to Singapore.
we recieved it yesterday after 16 days of fighting and freezing our asses off
(cause it’s still very chilly here, 5-15 degrees)

what’s there to say… ? WOW !!!

everything is NEW
and BIG
and organized
and obviously confusing!

the people here are very friendly
although they don’t actually talk – sounds more like singing in funny noises
sometimes I can’t believe they are supposed to be speaking english

on our first day we woke up
with new tweetie birds singing new songs
and then went right back to sleeping the jetlag away

we’re staying in Mitcham, in the Whitehorse district
(sounds like an Indian village)
the houses are mostly from wood and all have central heating,
gass stoves and no garages, cars just park off street or under a roof,
AND
no one ever locks their cars or doors!?
(except us, second nature)
we live right opposite a forest that reminds of Knysna
and here every second block has an indigenous park of some sort
people are very nature conservation contious
there’s millions of trees, big, small, weird and tall
with unusual birds flying and tjurping everywhere

the city is about 25 min. from here by car, 35 by train (safe, clean, colourful and comfortable)

we have been to Melbourne with the train about 4 times
and explored till we dropped
went all around town with the trams, which is free in the CBD
good thing cause it’s HUGE!
everytime we see a completely new part
I recon it’s about 7/8 times bigger than CT central CBD,
maybe more and we just haven’t seen it yet.
One thing that’s also big here is coffee and cake!
Millions of little coffee shops, each with their own speciality,
and you have to know the lingo, can’t just ask for coffee
they don’t know it! they keep on asking “bu wha da ya reely want?”

we went to the Dandenong Ranges – beautiful!
and had our first “barbie”
ha ha!
heel lekker,
but we’ll never give up braaiing South African style
here you barbecue with gas on a big metal plate
it’s sort of like stirfrying your food,
nice difference but I still like our way better
met die vuurtjie en kole!

and the weather:
hier trou jakkals baie met wolf se vrou!
one moment the sun is bright and shiny and the next second
big fat drops pour from the sky, lots of them
and after about 20 min. it stops, sun still out
and within 20 mins. then it all starts again!

our grocerie shopping adventures:
you have to activate the trolley by feeding it
20c which you get back once you’re done
chicken is chook – no joke
(chicken is only for when you call someone chicken,
or for a dead chook)
if the shop assistants want to help you
they ask: “a yeeuw raait?”
what?
“a yeeuw raait?”
smile and nodd
the vegetables have completely different names
some of them look a little odd too
and all sweets are “lollies”
even if it’s a toffee or a marsmallow, it’s a lolly
haven’t seen jelly tots or fruit pastels
but here’s heaps of other new sweeties, no – lollies

we bought a lekker big stainless steel wok –
R asked for discount “cause it’s our first purchase in your country”
they laughed and gave us $10 off!
stuff here is HECTICALLY expensive,
we have to multiply everything
BY 5 !!!

we’ve been looking around at cars…hmmm…
loads of different stuff on the road than what we’re used to
there are’nt as many beeltes here as in CT,
but enough to make me want one again!
we saw one that was in the same condition as ours
with the recon. engine etc. but no roofrack, towbar or bicycle rack
for: $8 000 (times that with 5 = 40 000 rand!)
so, well see…

the public transport’s efficient enough,
the last train to Melbourne’s at 23:30
and save (lots of schoolkids use it)
and night busses go back and forth up to 4:00am
we haven’t realy been out at night
just on our first sat. evening we drove around town
to see the Melbourne festival activities
but it was toooo cold without our winter clothes
now that we can be warm and snuggly
we’ll go and explore the nightlife
not that we’ll be able to afford anything
or
have a clue where to go to
there’s so much happening!
weekly there’s 4 A3 magazines that come out for free
with all the gig, band and club info!

so, lots still to do
will keep u posted!

cherio
R&W