It felt eerie to stand in a field still holding the scars of a bushfire. This area between Kleinmond and Betty's Bay had not too long ago been engulfed in flames, and these sparsely distributed proteas are really the only plants standing above ground level. While driving I also noticed how a few houses on the outskirts of Betty's Bay had been burned. It was also strange to see two houses next to each other on a burned-out mountain slope, one burned to ruin and the other untouched.

However destructive the fire was, it was interesting to note that a burned fynbos field holds some kind of beauty and appeal... this I found strange indeed.

The air was crisp and still, and dew coated every surface on which I wanted to place my camera (so that I could capture a steady shot). It was the kind of cold that runs down the back of your neck, and makes your nose so cold that it feels ever so slightly wet.

I'm certainly not one for early mornings, but on this particular morning I happened to be awake early enough to have breakfast and capture this scene. This beautiful lawn, clear blue pool and exquisite sunrise belongs to the Western Cape Hotel and Spa at the Arabella Country Club golf estate, mentioned in yesterday's post.

These cool and clear winter mornings are what makes winter special in Cape Town. It's a shame that we can't arrange days like this on demand for tourists. On the one hand it's cheaper to visit South Africa in the winter, but on the other hand if you pick the wrong week you could end up seeing more rain than you'd care to.

This estate is home to over 150 luxury houses and the spectacular Western Cape Hotel and Spa. I was fortunate enough to attend a conference at the hotel and sleep over in one of the luxury homes on the estate.

Although I don't play golf, it was clear that the pristine course and beautiful views were a compelling enough reason to drive an hour from Cape Town to the small coastal town of Kleinmond with the sole aim of beating a little white ball around a huge lawn.

Being at a venue with spa facilities had me wondering what percentage of people who can afford it actually do visit spas for various treatments. It's a little expensive for us, so neither Kerry-Anne nor I have. I do think that we will have to cough up some time, pay the high premium and see what all the fuss is about.

I was intrigued to discover this evening that the Bloemendal Restaurant (see the previous two posts for more info) also hosts medieval functions at their venue.

I've always wanted to throw a medieval-style party, where people are free to climb on the tables, eat with their hands, and stab fellow guests with swords if they feel so inclined. (Those plastic stage-swords, obviously... what were you thinking?)

These parties don't appear to be cheap though, so I don't think I'll be holding one this year. Have you been to a medieval party? If so, where?

This shot was taken outside the restaurant building - if you visit their website, you'll recognise it immediately in the picture on the landing page.

In yesterday's post I mentioned that we had lunch at the Bloemendal Restaurant. I also mentioned that there was loads of food to go around. Today's photo was also taken at Bloemendal, but today I'll draw your attention not to the food, but to the stove on which the food was kept hot.

When last have you seen a cast-iron coal stove? Isn't it really awesome? The last time I remember seeing a stove like this was in about 1981 in my grandmother's kitchen in Tzaneen (way up north in the Limpopo Province). I remember my mother (who grew up with a coal stove) telling me how much trouble it was to get the stove going. Apparently we have it easier these days. ;)

Each year our CIO treats the IT department to a small function. It's a time when colleagues can get together and catch up with each other - and where a few are awarded long-service awards (which, in IT, is anything from 5 years!).

The buffet lunch at Bloemendal Restaurant this afternoon was honestly one of the best we've had. As far as meat goes, all types were on offer, from chicken pie to lamb spitbraai to beef rib and venison. Veggies were plentiful, salads were divine and the dessert... ah, yes, the dessert...

I find this traffic sign very... strange. It's positioned at the entrance to the parking area of the KwikSpar featured in yesterday's post. I initially thought that it meant that trucks weighing more than 1 ton could not use the road. But the problem I have is that my car (and in fact, many cars) weighs significantly more than 1 ton.

This leaves me wondering - do they mean that trucks with more than 1 ton of cargo aren't allowed? I'm not sure. This is an odd sign indeed.

If you have a moment, click here to read Kerry-Anne's blog post about the natural beauty that surrounds us in South Africa. Her post forms a chapter of South Africa's first blook (that's a book published across several blogs), and you can find the introduction and list of chapters here.

Along with the Seven Eleven and Eight Till Late, KwikSpar is one of the large corner-cafe chains in South Africa. In our case, we have a KwikSpar just around the corner from us, but not on a corner... and hence not a corner shop. ;)

These "corner" shops are really convenient and sell everything from bread and milk to meat and vegetables, detergents and batteries. Goods are generally priced a little higher than normal, but not so expensive as to negate the convenience factor.

There are 174 blogs participating in today's theme day. Take a trip around the world, from corner shop to corner shop, by following the links below; or click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

Adelaide, Australia by Gordon, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey by afyonblog, Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Anderson (SC), USA by Lessie, Ararat, Australia by Digger, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Athens, Greece by Debbie, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Sarah, Whit, & Leyre, Brookville (OH), USA by Abraham, Bucharest, Romania by Malpraxis, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Chandler (AZ), USA by Melindaduff, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Shantaram, Chennai, India by Ram N, Chicago (IL), USA by U R us, Cleveland (OH), USA by iBlowfish, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Corsicana (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Edinburgh, UK by Dido, Evry, France by Olivier, Folkestone, UK by Clare Unsworth, Forks (WA), USA by Corinne, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Gainesville (FL), USA by Leah, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Gun Barrel City (TX), USA by Lake Lady, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hangzhou, China by Chanin, Haninge, Sweden by Steffe, Helsinki, Finland by Kaa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Hyde, UK by Gerald, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Jogjakarta, Indonesia by Jogja Portrait, Katonah (NY), USA by Inkster1, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, Kyoto, Japan by Tadamine, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Le Guilvinec, France by ds2944, Lisbon, Portugal by Maria João, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Ham, London, UK by Mo, Los Angeles (CA), USA by Martha Perez, Mainz, Germany by JB, Manila, Philippines by Heyokity, Melbourne, Australia by John, Memphis (TN), USA by SouthernHeart, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Poly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Misawa, Japan by misawa mama, Monroe (GA), USA by Tanya, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Montego Bay, Jamaica by Ann, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Moscow, Russia by Irina, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Mumbai, India by Magiceye, Nancy, France by yoshi, Nashville (TN), USA by Chris, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New Orleans (LA), USA by steve buser, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, New York City (NY), USA by • Eliane •, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Oklahoma City (OK), USA by ananda.tashie, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Oslo, Norway by Lothiane, Owasso (OK), USA by Jennifer, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Perth, Australia by Elevation7, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia by Murphy_jay, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Port Elizabeth, South Africa by Sam, Port Townsend (WA), USA by raf, Portland (ME), USA by Corey, Posadas, Argentina by Lega, Prague, Czech Republic by Honza03, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea by Jules, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Fotos. Riga Photos, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Zentmrs, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, San Francisco (CA), USA by Louis la Vache, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Seoul, South Korea by Phil, Sequim (WA), USA by Norma, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, Springfield (IL), USA by Aubrey, Stavanger, Norway by Tanty, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Stouffville, Canada by Ken, Subang Jaya, Malaysia by JC, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Sydney, Australia by Julie, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Tel-Aviv, Israel by Olga, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, The Hague, Netherlands by Lezard, Tokyo, Japan by Tadamine, Torino, Italy by Fabrizio, Torun, Poland by Torun Observer, Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Turin, Italy by Livio, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Urayasu, Japan by Zono, Victoria, Canada by Benjamin Madison, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Wassenaar, Netherlands by Rich, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Paris (ME), USA by crittoria, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn

By municipal law suburbs have to have a certain amount of public open space. More or less behind our house is a large open field with this storm-water canal running through it. I've often seen people just sitting in the field, enjoying the sun, chatting with friends. I've also seen this little canal severely flooded during heavy rains, changing what is now a gentle stream into a fierce torrent. It's strange how a peaceful and beautiful place can so easily change into a terrible and scary one.

One of the really awesome things about our new neighbourhood is that there are far more trees than there were where we lived previously. I think only when one has lived without trees and then has them in abundance does one realise how nice it is to have them around.

Our house is on the slope of a small hill, which allows us to see the sun rising between the trees. The cool air at this time of the year and the trees being silhouetted by the sun makes the sunrise on a clear day a phenomenal experience.

In an attempt to find an easy way to clean a few plastic garden chairs, I dumped six of them into our swimming pool. I returned an hour or so later and fished them out of the pool, only to find this little monster stuck in its own web at the bottom of one of the chairs.

This Button Spider (known as the Widow Spider in other parts of the world) appeared to have drowned in the swimming pool. After shooting copious photos, however, I noticed a twitch from one of its eight legs followed by a slow rising and lowering of the abdomen.

I learned two things from this exercise:

1. Never try to drown a spider
2. Garden chairs don't miraculously get clean in the pool

One of our regular readers sent us this photo that he took at Kommetjie beach. Isn't it spectacular? If you have a chance, take a look at some of his other photos on Flickr.

Kommetjie (loosely pronounced commey-key in english) is a small seaside suburb, south of Noordhoek on the Cape Peninsula, and is known as an excellent surfing spot - though I'm sure that you can tell this from the photo.

This photo goes out to westernflyer who left a comment a few days ago requesting a seaside photo. Voila!

A Criterium is a bike race held on a short circuit of only a couple of kilometres (in this case 2.6km). The length of the race is determined by either a set time limit or number of laps.

This race, the MEDIHELP Criterium, is a charity race raising funds for the Jan Kriel Institute - a place of learning for kids with special educational needs.

The Jan Kriel Institute was founded by a minister's wife whose son died during an epileptic fit. Mrs Kriel started the school with only 4 pupils in 1937, and today the school supports over 550 kids with various educational challenges.

Read more about their history here on the institute's website.

We went to drop off a few blankets and pillows at the TAC warehouse this evening, for distribution to the displaced refugees and immigrants around Cape Town. I had mixed feelings being there: on one hand, really saddened by the violence and cruelty that has been perpetrated against the refugees, and on the other hand moved and heartened by the way in which ordinary men and women are giving up their time, money and energy to help these people... simply because they are people.

I spent some time chatting to the volunteers to find out what is needed most right now. If you have the means and the inclination, whether you live in South Africa or not, please consider helping in one of the following ways:

If you are in Cape Town
The items they need most right now are toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, baby formula, and of course, more pillows and blankets. For the time being they have enough tinned food, toilet paper and sanitary towels - but that can change in a matter of hours, so if you're unsure it might be best to give the TAC office a call on 021 422 1490 before heading to the warehouse.

The warehouse is situated at 50 Canterbury Street (just off Roeland Street in Zonnebloem), and is open from around 8.30am to 10pm. They need volunteers to help with the sorting of donated goods, and also people with cars or bakkies to transport supplies to where they are needed.

The TAC office (4th floor, Westminster House, 122 Longmarket Street) is open 24 hours a day, and they are constantly in need of volunteers to help with phoning around, and doing admin and computer work.

If you are NOT in Cape Town
Please consider donating cash, either to TAC (which stands for Treatment Action Campaign: they are an HIV lobby and advocacy group, who have turned their hand to disaster relief - very effectively, I might add) or the Red Cross. There are a number of ways to donate to TAC, depending on where you live. Get more information here. You can donate to the Red Cross online here.

25 May is Africa Day, commemorating the day in 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity was founded. Unfortunately this day coincides with a sad period of disunity for South Africa. The past two weeks have been marked by shameful acts of crime and greed started by a handful of people under the guise of xenophobia. The issues surrounding the attacks are numerous and complicated, though still inexcusable. To date, the police and national defence force have together arrested over 200 people suspected of carrying out these attacks.

Our president, Thabo Mbeki, addressed the nation this evening on television, condemning the attacks and reminding the nation of its debt to the people of Africa. Click here to view his speech.

The guy in yellow is the Kaizer Chiefs soccer team's mascot who walks among the fans, rallying them up to support their team. I selected this photo from our archives because today is Africa Day and football is one passion that all brings all Africans together - even if they don't agree on who the best team is.

After moving house at the beginning of April, I eventually got around to taking most of the old cardboard boxes to the municipal rubbish dump today.

The part of the rubbish dump that you see in this photo is for garden refuse like branches, leaves, grass, etc. The big yellow machine is used to chop larger branches into finer pieces that are easier to compress and dispose of.

Whenever I stop to drop things off at this rubbish dump there are invariably five or six guys around who are very keen to help people offload their unwanted goods. It's sad in a way, but as the saying goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

The Afrikaans word "lief" means "love" in English. This spray-painted note was left on the road outside our office building more than a year ago.

Taking the glass elevator up to my office each day often gives me a moment to ponder this phrase and wonder what the story behind it was. It's needless to say that the intended recipient of this message never owned up to being such.

I wonder if the note had it's intended effect...

These two men were working on a construction site at the ever-expanding Tyger Valley Waterfront, near Paul's office.

I subscribe to an interesting service called Fact-a-Day, which reported a little while ago that, in terms of formal employment, the construction sector had the highest annual growth rate (11.5%) of all sectors from 2001 to 2006. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this sector is still continuing to grow faster than any other - there seems to be building work going on wherever I look.

This is another shot that Paul took at Ratanga Junction last weekend. Ratanga has 23 different rides, including the Cobra, a 779m roller-coaster that reaches speeds of up to 100km/h. As Paul's hinted at in previous posts, I'm absolutely crazy about funfair and theme-park rides; whichever gene is responsible for causing nausea and seasickness, I don't have it. Watching other people turn green and beg for the ride to be stopped never fails to amuse me though. ;-)

Today's weather wasn't the greatest for getting out and taking photos. It was overcast when I woke up and by mid-morning the hail had started, followed by heavy rain showers. I don't think that it was particularly cold today - just wet and miserable... perhaps it's nature's echo of the xenophobic trouble we're experiencing up north.

This photo is of the canal at the Canal Walk shopping centre - taken over the weekend, after the Canon roadshow.

Today's post is a tribute to the 22 (or more) immigrants who have lost their lives in the past week in xenophobic attacks across Gauteng. I'm not going to write a long post about the events of the past weekend - you can read plenty of horror stories if you search for them.

Whether here legally or illegally, these are human beings; what is being done to them is entirely inhuman. For the first time since I was a schoolgirl and apartheid was still in existence, I feel saddened and heartsore beyond words for my country.

I have met some wonderfully warm and kind people from other African countries working as car guards or selling their craftwork around Cape Town, and it breaks my heart to think that they might end up as victims of someone else's rage.

We are fortunate in the Western Cape that this level of violence has not yet erupted here. I hope with all my heart that it doesn't, and I hope that a solution is found soon to restore calm to the streets of Gauteng's townships.

To be honest, I'm not completely sure that Ratanga Junction is "the wildest place in Africa". I have a friend whose backyard is a serious contender in this area. But, let's leave that alone for now and get back to Ratanga Junction...

You'll remember from yesterday's post that I attended Canon's Playground roadshow at Ratanga Junction. During the refreshments break we had the opportunity to walk around this deserted theme-park, and although the security officials kept us to our designated area, I managed to snap a few shots. This carousel is relatively small, and is really something to entertain toddlers and dads while mom has a go on the terrible ride called Congo Queen. This particular ride (featured in yesterday's post) is a long boat that rocks back and forth like a huge pendulum, and leaves no way to escape once the nausea sets in.

We don't have kids, but I can assure you that I'd be the first volunteer to babysit and escape the wrath of this Congo Queen.

I went along to Canon's "Playground" Roadshow this afternoon at our local theme-park, Ratanga Junction. In addition to the expected marketing bits, there were two guest speakers describing a range of techniques and equipment for shooting both in- and outdoors.

Canon gave away loads of awesome equipment (lenses, camera bags, an external flash, photo printers, remote triggers, magazine subscriptions, etc.), which clearly went down a treat with the audience. Sadly, I didn't win anything this year... but you can bet that I'll be back next year, not only to learn, but also for that remote chance of winning one of Canon's spectacular lenses! ;)

The theme-park was closed to the general public today, so unfortunately I don't have any photos of people having fun or feeling nauseous, as Kerry-Anne and I do respectively. I'll show you one or two more photos from inside Ratanga Junction in the next day or two.

This building has large sheets of stainless steel shielding its huge windows from the bright sunlight. Fairly redundant in winter months, they're very useful in the summer months to help regulate the temperature inside the building, thereby reducing the energy consumed by the central air conditioning system.

There's one area in the middle of the building where (for asthetic reasons) there are no sun shades. Even though the windows are tinted, offices in this part of the building tends to be a few degrees warmer in the summer months. Every now and again, when my office become to chilly, I find a reason to visit colleagues in this area for a quick cup of coffee. :)

I'm fortunate enough to have a parking bay in the basement of my company's head office building. For many other colleagues it's invariably a daily battle to find a place to park. Before I got my nice, sheltered, always-available parking bay, I would drive up and down looking for parking, often ending up parking at a nearby shopping centre.

The parking bays closest to the building are snapped up by the few early risers - with the rest being left to park some distance from the building. Parking a little way from the building is good from an exercise point of view, but seriously unpleasant when it's raining or after your car's been baking in Africa's hot summer sun.

Heart disease is huge in South Africa. I'm not sure whether it's all the junk food, lack of exercise, or stress; or whether it's just a combination of all three. I've always had slightly high cholesterol levels (just under 7), so a couple of months ago I adopted a strategy in the fight against this troublemaker - cholesterol.

I did some research and found that oats is very good for combating LDL (the bad form of cholesterol). A pharmacist also told me about a natural product called Cholesterex, which is said to increase HDL levels, and HDL helps manage LDL in the bloodstream (or so I'm told).

What you see here is my daily breakfast, in the office kitchen - a cup of uncooked oats with cold milk and honey (a good alternative to sugar). This keeps me going until lunch time... after which I'm left ravenous, and head off to the canteen for a quick bite of lunch.

Now as far as the stress portion of the equation is concerned, I'm afraid this is unavoidable without the risk of being fired; and the exercise aspect - well, that's still up for decision. I think I'll give this diet a couple more weeks and then have another test. Perhaps eating better and taking supplements will be good enough? ;)

If you want healthy, not-so-fattening fast food in South Africa, this is probably the closest you're going to get. We don't buy take-aways very often at all, but if we must, then Nando's is usually a good choice (this is the take-away counter at Nando's in Kloof Street). They sell chicken, but unlike another (very popular) chain, their chicken is not covered in a thick layer of oily batter and then deep-fried; instead it's basted with either peri-peri or lemon & herb sauce, and then flame-grilled.

Nando's have become famous for their off-the-wall advertising over the years; and their in-store signage is pretty clever too, usually combining some sort of poultry theme with whatever's currently in the news.

There's been a bit of discussion recently around the issue of shopping mall lights staying on well after opening hours. Although it's not happening at the moment, there's been a fair amount of load-shedding across the country in the last year or two, due to electricity shortages; and I think there's certainly a case to be made for more responsible use of lighting by shopping malls and the like. Even though I always think the lights at Canal Walk are terribly pretty, that's really not enough reason to keep all those lights burning every night, is it? (This photo doesn't even begin to show the extent of the lighting at Canal Walk, by the way.)

A number of companies - such as the Virgin Active chain of gyms - have taken definite steps to lower their electricity consumption; maybe it's time that others followed suit.

It's Mother's Day today - the day to show appreciation to our mothers for the contribution that they have made to our lives and the sacrifices they've made to help us be who we are.

It's been a cold and rainy day today so we didn't venture outdoors much. I took this photo at Cape Garden Centre, a local nursery, a while back. Heh - perhaps it's appropriate to post a photo taken at a nursery for Mother's Day. ;)

My own mother reads this blog, so I'm dedicating today's post to her. Thanks mom for the 33 years of love and support - you've done good and I love you loads.

We popped in briefly at Sinn's last night to have drinks and celebrate a friend's birthday. Sinn's Restaurant is a trendy establishment at Wembley Square, a fairly new shopping mall not far from the city centre.

Sinn's, named after its chef and proprietor Thomas Sinn, has an awesome cocktail and tapas-style snack menu, and the cocktail lounge is fast becoming a favourite spot for casual get-togethers. And of course, it doesn't hurt that they offer free wi-fi. ;-)