I had originally posted the list of all the Nobel Prize winners since the beginning. You may have been lucky enough to miss it. I decided that it was WAY too long and took it off. On this list I have read 14 of those authors!!! Only 14!!!
One of them (Nadine Gordimer) is one of the authors on my 99 African book list and I have found one of her books (though not the one on the list).
Jean Paul Sartre, who until I read another language than french was my favourite author received the Nobel prize the year I was born...I think it is kind of nice...and he declined the prize!
Gabriel Garcia Marquez: love most of his books but could never get past the first few pages of "a hundred years of solitude" which is pretty much THE Gabriel Garcia Marquez book!
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...................
Saturday, July 14, 2007
more book stuff
I am really into reading these days.
Last time I was in Johannesburg on my way home I bought a book that truly was just a list, with reviews, of 99 books from or about Africa. They are listed by country. When I was home I retyped the entire thing in alphabetical order by author. With this list in hand I went to my favorite (and the only one I know) second hand book store in Johannesburg, as well as the second book stand at the Sunday roof-top market. I managed to buy quite a few books, not all of them on the list...You know how it goes, once you get interested in something you just find out more and more about it.. Same about African books, as I am starting to dig into it I know more authors, find more books that I want to read. Unfortunately (or is it "fortunately") "The White Nile" is also full of early exploration of Africa books. I am trying to ignore them but one stands out: "the Albert N'yanza, Great Basin of the Nile" by Samuel Baker. Here is what this book says about it: " The Albert N'yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, Baker's account of his next two years' wanderings, is the most readable of explorers' books. It contains indeed the ingredients of almost all African adventures stories that have been written from that day to this....." Sounds good doesn't it.
And this reminds me that when I was looking up book by R. F. Burton I found a publishing house in Montana called Kessinger Publishing in Whitefish Montana (I've just added the link to this blog). They specialize in out of prints hard to find books...and has hundreds of them....Just in case I needed another list of books to read!!!
Last time I was in Johannesburg on my way home I bought a book that truly was just a list, with reviews, of 99 books from or about Africa. They are listed by country. When I was home I retyped the entire thing in alphabetical order by author. With this list in hand I went to my favorite (and the only one I know) second hand book store in Johannesburg, as well as the second book stand at the Sunday roof-top market. I managed to buy quite a few books, not all of them on the list...You know how it goes, once you get interested in something you just find out more and more about it.. Same about African books, as I am starting to dig into it I know more authors, find more books that I want to read. Unfortunately (or is it "fortunately") "The White Nile" is also full of early exploration of Africa books. I am trying to ignore them but one stands out: "the Albert N'yanza, Great Basin of the Nile" by Samuel Baker. Here is what this book says about it: " The Albert N'yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, Baker's account of his next two years' wanderings, is the most readable of explorers' books. It contains indeed the ingredients of almost all African adventures stories that have been written from that day to this....." Sounds good doesn't it.
And this reminds me that when I was looking up book by R. F. Burton I found a publishing house in Montana called Kessinger Publishing in Whitefish Montana (I've just added the link to this blog). They specialize in out of prints hard to find books...and has hundreds of them....Just in case I needed another list of books to read!!!
In the distance
From the road just outside the rig I can see something in the distance. A very tall tree? a tower? (seem unlikely) but I have no idea what it is. Cutting across the bush to it would probably be no more than 5 kilometres or so but with the land mines it really isn't such a great idea. I asked one of the local what it was and from what I understood (I just do not speak Portuguese) he is saying that it is an island.
I think he believes that I am pointing at the island we do see in the distance.
Both, the island and this mystery thing are too small and too far to show in photos, so forget about it.
I just read Dave's blog about his trip to Peru. I had never realized that it was that nice.
I think he believes that I am pointing at the island we do see in the distance.
Both, the island and this mystery thing are too small and too far to show in photos, so forget about it.
I just read Dave's blog about his trip to Peru. I had never realized that it was that nice.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Two books
I can honestly not remember the last time I blogged.
I just haven't been into it lately, this and I really do not have a great internet connection. As I type this I cannot be sure that I will be able to post it, so it is a bit of a drag.
I am in Mozambique right now, and it is the middle of winter here. Mostly the temperatures are quite reasonable. I would guess into the 10 deg C at night and up to upper 20s in day time...And of course lots of humidity in the air. That part I like. I am not too fond of the cooler temperatures...It is colder here now (because it is winter) that it is in Calgary (because it is summer)!!!
In about two weeks this rotation will be done and I will try to go to Namibia. It is not sorted out yet.
Right now I am reading "The White Nile" by Alan Moorehead, an old book easily available in second hand book stores. It is supposed to cover the all history of the search for the source of the Nile. Right now I am just at the beginning and the author is describing Burton's and Speke's expedition of 1856. Here is the part where he describes Burton: "Burton, despite the plethora of books that have been written either by or about him, still remains beyond the range of ordinary definition. Above all else he was a romantic and an Arabist; he belongs decidedly to that small perennial group of Englishmen and women who are born with something lacking in their lives, : a hunger, a nostalgia, that can be sent at rest only in the deserts of the East......."
Well written book. I am enjoying it so far.
I've just finished: "Waiting for the Barbarians" by J.M. Coetzee, a South African author who receive the Nobel price of literature, in 2003...I think it was 2003.
Great book!
The author managed to keep the tone of the very light beginning all while really dealing with the issues of political tortures and the extreme people go to in the determination to keep one's country safe in the face of their possibly unreasonable fears.
This was written in 1980 and was not written to describe present day States situation.
Good book. I highly recommend it, for an amazingly easy read which does not insult the intelligence.
I just haven't been into it lately, this and I really do not have a great internet connection. As I type this I cannot be sure that I will be able to post it, so it is a bit of a drag.
I am in Mozambique right now, and it is the middle of winter here. Mostly the temperatures are quite reasonable. I would guess into the 10 deg C at night and up to upper 20s in day time...And of course lots of humidity in the air. That part I like. I am not too fond of the cooler temperatures...It is colder here now (because it is winter) that it is in Calgary (because it is summer)!!!
In about two weeks this rotation will be done and I will try to go to Namibia. It is not sorted out yet.
Right now I am reading "The White Nile" by Alan Moorehead, an old book easily available in second hand book stores. It is supposed to cover the all history of the search for the source of the Nile. Right now I am just at the beginning and the author is describing Burton's and Speke's expedition of 1856. Here is the part where he describes Burton: "Burton, despite the plethora of books that have been written either by or about him, still remains beyond the range of ordinary definition. Above all else he was a romantic and an Arabist; he belongs decidedly to that small perennial group of Englishmen and women who are born with something lacking in their lives, : a hunger, a nostalgia, that can be sent at rest only in the deserts of the East......."Well written book. I am enjoying it so far.
I've just finished: "Waiting for the Barbarians" by J.M. Coetzee, a South African author who receive the Nobel price of literature, in 2003...I think it was 2003.
Great book!
The author managed to keep the tone of the very light beginning all while really dealing with the issues of political tortures and the extreme people go to in the determination to keep one's country safe in the face of their possibly unreasonable fears.
This was written in 1980 and was not written to describe present day States situation.
Good book. I highly recommend it, for an amazingly easy read which does not insult the intelligence.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Snow?!?!?
The morning I landed in Johannesburg it had snowed the night before!
The driver who picked me up at the airport was telling me about shoveling his driveway in the morning. I asked: "how much snow fell?"...by nine in the morning when I landed all of it was gone. "Nearly an inch" was the answer...and he shoveled it!!
The all thing is so new here I guess nobody really new what to do with it. Some people even managed to create car accidents because of it.
This is why, I guess, South Africans immigrating are going to Perth instead of Canada.
The driver who picked me up at the airport was telling me about shoveling his driveway in the morning. I asked: "how much snow fell?"...by nine in the morning when I landed all of it was gone. "Nearly an inch" was the answer...and he shoveled it!!
The all thing is so new here I guess nobody really new what to do with it. Some people even managed to create car accidents because of it.
This is why, I guess, South Africans immigrating are going to Perth instead of Canada.
why blog now?
So what is going on right now? and why am I blogging today?
First in a couple of days I am going to Mozambique back on the rig and apparently the internet connection is even worse now than it was then....so expect no blog!
Most of all: I am reading a great book "Waiting for the Barbarians" by J.M. Coetzee.
I seriously started looking into books from Africa or "good" books about Africa and in J.M. Coetzee is one of the classic South African writer who thankfully does not write about the angst of living during apartheid or the end of it. Nothing against people who write about stuff like this but honestly this is not what I want to read.
Anyway, here is the very beginning of "waiting for barbarians":
"I have never seen anything like it: two little discs of glass suspended in front of his eyes in loops of wire. Is he blind? I could understand if he wanted to hide blind eyes. But he is not blind. The discs are dark, they look opaque from the outside, but he can see through them. He tells me they are a new invention. 'They protect one's eyes against the glare of the sun,' he says. 'You would find them useful out here in the desert. They save one from squinting all the time. One has fewer headaches. Look' He touches the corners of his eyes lightly. 'No wrinkles.' He replaces the glasses. It is true He has the skin of a younger man. 'At home everyone wears them.' "
This makes the book sound very light but here is part of the blurb at the back:
"...is an allegory of oppressor and oppressed. Not just a man living through a crisis of conscience in an obscure place in remote times, the Magistrate is an analogy of all men living in complicity with regimes that ignore justice and decency".
So quite relevant really. I've just started it but I am really enjoying it.
The price at the back is also quoted in Canadian dollars so presumably it is available home. I meant to only buy here what I couldn't get home but this is a thin volume and I couldn't resist.
First in a couple of days I am going to Mozambique back on the rig and apparently the internet connection is even worse now than it was then....so expect no blog!
Most of all: I am reading a great book "Waiting for the Barbarians" by J.M. Coetzee.
I seriously started looking into books from Africa or "good" books about Africa and in J.M. Coetzee is one of the classic South African writer who thankfully does not write about the angst of living during apartheid or the end of it. Nothing against people who write about stuff like this but honestly this is not what I want to read.
Anyway, here is the very beginning of "waiting for barbarians":
"I have never seen anything like it: two little discs of glass suspended in front of his eyes in loops of wire. Is he blind? I could understand if he wanted to hide blind eyes. But he is not blind. The discs are dark, they look opaque from the outside, but he can see through them. He tells me they are a new invention. 'They protect one's eyes against the glare of the sun,' he says. 'You would find them useful out here in the desert. They save one from squinting all the time. One has fewer headaches. Look' He touches the corners of his eyes lightly. 'No wrinkles.' He replaces the glasses. It is true He has the skin of a younger man. 'At home everyone wears them.' "
This makes the book sound very light but here is part of the blurb at the back:
"...is an allegory of oppressor and oppressed. Not just a man living through a crisis of conscience in an obscure place in remote times, the Magistrate is an analogy of all men living in complicity with regimes that ignore justice and decency".
So quite relevant really. I've just started it but I am really enjoying it.
The price at the back is also quoted in Canadian dollars so presumably it is available home. I meant to only buy here what I couldn't get home but this is a thin volume and I couldn't resist.
catching up
Ok, so I haven't blogged in a very long time.
What has happened since last time? Not much I would say.
I worked and I went home.
I worked in Mozambique on the rig, worked in Johannesburg in the office where I encountered more computer problems than one can reasonably expect. I was in Calgary for 4 hours, 45 minutes of which I spent home and then flew to Baltimore.
I spent a week in and around Baltimore and swam in the warm water with the ancestral looking horseshoe crabs, even on the day a spectacular storm rolled in. I love this photo. It was just a "let's try how this comes out" and it really worked out. Three or four really worked out, I'm kind of happy about that.
I flew home for 5 days where I managed to do all the boring stuff one has to do (taxes, pay bills, meet with accountant etc)...Then back to work early because of the computer problems I had when I left.
I am spending a week in Johannesburg.
Today is Sunday and I am taking the day off.
That it folks you have now caught up.
What has happened since last time? Not much I would say.
I worked and I went home.
I worked in Mozambique on the rig, worked in Johannesburg in the office where I encountered more computer problems than one can reasonably expect. I was in Calgary for 4 hours, 45 minutes of which I spent home and then flew to Baltimore.
I spent a week in and around Baltimore and swam in the warm water with the ancestral looking horseshoe crabs, even on the day a spectacular storm rolled in. I love this photo. It was just a "let's try how this comes out" and it really worked out. Three or four really worked out, I'm kind of happy about that.
I flew home for 5 days where I managed to do all the boring stuff one has to do (taxes, pay bills, meet with accountant etc)...Then back to work early because of the computer problems I had when I left.
I am spending a week in Johannesburg.
Today is Sunday and I am taking the day off.
That it folks you have now caught up.
Friday, May 11, 2007
more photos from Mozambique
The view from a fancy tourist restaurant in Vilankulos, the town where we go to fly in and out.
Probably one of my favourite spot around here so far. It is along a short cut we have to take to go to the airport.
Along the same short cut we have to cross the bridge. This woman is standing by "building material" they are gathering along the river. Women carry those huge heavy bundles on their head..and no! not straight up, but obviously horizontally. Still it is very heavy and it must take incredible skill. These women are amazing.
photos of Mozambique
I am not sure why she decided to pose with the orange up like this.
This is a typical "village" around here, with the typical "houses" where people live. Some people are poorer and do not have such nice huts, some are richer and some very rare people live in concrete houses.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Five days in Calgary
Ok, I had 5 days and so far 5 night (one more to go) in Calgary. Pretty much a lot of running around and not really any chance to finish all I wanted to do. I haven't filed my taxes! Monday (tomorrow) is the last day to do it and have it done in time.
My computer crashed very badly (window was totally trashed and had to be re-installed) friday late afternoon -of course- and all software was lost...but very little data and no photo or music were lost...as far as I can tell apart from all work software etc the worst is actually the fact that I have lost all my playlists!!
On the subject of loosing: My cell phone was stolen somewhere along my journey in either South Africa or Mozambique (since I cannot use it there I can't say that I kept track and I do not know exactly when it went missing) SO I have lost ALL phone numbers!!! Of course they weren't written anywhere else because that would be too logical!!
I cannot call: Pat and Steph, Per and Jane etc etc etc...all lost lost lost lost...
I do have a new cell phone so if you happen to read this as soon as I post it you have 12 hours when you can call me after this I will be in the plane going to work.
Flying in I had absolutely no jet lag at all... I hope the return is as smooth. I have to spend 11 hours in Frankfurt (yaakkkss!!) I think I may take a room and try to sleep...I have to decide whether I want to run myself rugged and basically miss one sleep to get back with South African time, or if I want to try to squeeze one more sleep in...squeezing in one more sleep is practically impossible, BUT missing a sleep is really tiring obviously.
Anyway I am spending my last evening home trying to see how much of my computer troubles I can solve.
My computer crashed very badly (window was totally trashed and had to be re-installed) friday late afternoon -of course- and all software was lost...but very little data and no photo or music were lost...as far as I can tell apart from all work software etc the worst is actually the fact that I have lost all my playlists!!
On the subject of loosing: My cell phone was stolen somewhere along my journey in either South Africa or Mozambique (since I cannot use it there I can't say that I kept track and I do not know exactly when it went missing) SO I have lost ALL phone numbers!!! Of course they weren't written anywhere else because that would be too logical!!
I cannot call: Pat and Steph, Per and Jane etc etc etc...all lost lost lost lost...
I do have a new cell phone so if you happen to read this as soon as I post it you have 12 hours when you can call me after this I will be in the plane going to work.
Flying in I had absolutely no jet lag at all... I hope the return is as smooth. I have to spend 11 hours in Frankfurt (yaakkkss!!) I think I may take a room and try to sleep...I have to decide whether I want to run myself rugged and basically miss one sleep to get back with South African time, or if I want to try to squeeze one more sleep in...squeezing in one more sleep is practically impossible, BUT missing a sleep is really tiring obviously.
Anyway I am spending my last evening home trying to see how much of my computer troubles I can solve.
Friday, April 27, 2007
the bushman rain makers
I mention that I would say more about the bushmen stories.This one is not something I am getting form a book, but something I remember from one of the movies at at the museum.
I couldn't find a good picture of it!
Bushmen believed that water where special places where not only the different animals of the physical world would meet but also the the creature of other world could meet. Rain makers, people gifted as rain maker, when in a trance were able to see those creature and one of the ??? I forget his name... The rain maker would catch him with a lasso and take him to the place where they wanted the rain. At this point it body would dissolve into rain that would fall onto the land.
I like this story...I like the idea of water holes as special places, and also the fact, and I guess that I should explain this better, that the rain maker in his trance would go the the water hole and bring back hte beast regardless of how far their physical body was from the actual water hole.
as an aside: these two photos are not mine
Thursday, April 26, 2007
How can I be so bored...... I bearely have the time!?!?
I think maybe I am starting a mid life crisis.I am bored out of my tree. Incredibly bored! I cannot even start to describe it.
I am running around the planet working too much, flying home for 6 days and back etc etc...and yet I am bored.
I visit great places (like the one in the photo which I thought at the time might be the most beautiful place I have ever seen) and I am bored.
The more I do and the more I get bored.
It makes no sense!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
two from Mozambique
I love this cow-crossing sign..hand made and so artistic. I am actually tempted to steal it!!
I don't like to take pictures of people but I asked them and they were quite happy about it. I shop for fabric by looking at what the women wear and then I look for it in the "stands" by the side of the road. I still haven't found this one.
finally some photos
Two impalas fighting
Right after this one the elephant "demanded" that I get out of its path. The photo is taken without a zoom so the elephant would fit.
The African version of the Buffalo..Cool creatures actually.
Elephants in hteir homes...they are so nice just waking around in their own space.
This guy was crossing the road pretty fast actually.
Right after this one the elephant "demanded" that I get out of its path. The photo is taken without a zoom so the elephant would fit.
The African version of the Buffalo..Cool creatures actually.
Elephants in hteir homes...they are so nice just waking around in their own space.
This guy was crossing the road pretty fast actually.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
No cable ... no photos
Today I meant to download pix from my camera and post some of the photos...and I have been taking very very few for unknown reasons...but I cannot find my cable. It must be in the bag I left at the rig. So no photos!
Tomorrow is it. I am supposed to drive north. I sure hope that the weather is more like Mozambique than like Jo'burg up there. It is down right cool in Jo'burg rightn ow. I am not even going to try to guess temperature because my sense of what is warm and what is cool is seriously screwed up.
I have a road atlas, a car rental which should be sorted out and reservation near hot springs (not that I have a bathing suit!!!!) for the first three days. It should be the land of baobabs... but I already saw quite a few baobabs in Mozambique.
I am really looking forward to this break.
Tomorrow is it. I am supposed to drive north. I sure hope that the weather is more like Mozambique than like Jo'burg up there. It is down right cool in Jo'burg rightn ow. I am not even going to try to guess temperature because my sense of what is warm and what is cool is seriously screwed up.
I have a road atlas, a car rental which should be sorted out and reservation near hot springs (not that I have a bathing suit!!!!) for the first three days. It should be the land of baobabs... but I already saw quite a few baobabs in Mozambique.
I am really looking forward to this break.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tomorrow I fly back to Jo'burg
This is it I am flying out tomorrow.
As luck would I have I came down with a very bad cold yesterday. Today is better after a really rough night. Thank goodness Mozambique is very humid, it does make a difference when you are all stuffed up.
Either way I am still going on my holidays if I can swing it...I just sent an email today (thursday) for a car and reservations for the first 3 nights starting Sunday....I am working in the office tomorrow afternoon and Saturday.
As luck would I have I came down with a very bad cold yesterday. Today is better after a really rough night. Thank goodness Mozambique is very humid, it does make a difference when you are all stuffed up.
Either way I am still going on my holidays if I can swing it...I just sent an email today (thursday) for a car and reservations for the first 3 nights starting Sunday....I am working in the office tomorrow afternoon and Saturday.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Mozambique finally
As planned I flew to Mozambique last Tuesday.
I am stil in Mozambique working away but we are not drilling yet.
Mozambique is warm and very humid, very green and the people are beautiful.
In the countryside most people live in huts.
In between work I managed to put my feet in hte Indian Ocean once and the water is amazingly warm. It had to be at least 24C. It felt like a warm bath!
I think I will really like Mozambique. It is hard to imagine how those people could have been involved in a civil war for so long.
One good thing to know in Mozambique: spots of red apint on trees, or anything means that somebody was killed or injured by a land mine in that spot.
Photos to come later.
I am supposed to fly to Jo'burg on friday 13th!!! good job I am not superstitious!
I am stil in Mozambique working away but we are not drilling yet.
Mozambique is warm and very humid, very green and the people are beautiful.
In the countryside most people live in huts.
In between work I managed to put my feet in hte Indian Ocean once and the water is amazingly warm. It had to be at least 24C. It felt like a warm bath!
I think I will really like Mozambique. It is hard to imagine how those people could have been involved in a civil war for so long.
One good thing to know in Mozambique: spots of red apint on trees, or anything means that somebody was killed or injured by a land mine in that spot.
Photos to come later.
I am supposed to fly to Jo'burg on friday 13th!!! good job I am not superstitious!
Monday, April 02, 2007
tomorrow
This is it I am going to Mozambique tomorrow morning..or at least I am supposed to.
then 10 days in Mozambique.
2 days working back in the office.
10 days or so traveling to the north part of South Africa (renting a car)
traveling back home for a week.
Back to work..this time just about straight to Mozambique!
then 10 days in Mozambique.
2 days working back in the office.
10 days or so traveling to the north part of South Africa (renting a car)
traveling back home for a week.
Back to work..this time just about straight to Mozambique!
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