Cape Town Daily Photo

Tugboat that tugged the trawler

2012-05-21T20:00:07Z

Tugboat that tugged the trawler

The tugboat to the left is the Smit Amandla, the boat that freed that Japanese trawler from Clifton’s beachfront last Friday.

Unless you’re South African, you may not appreciate the tugboat’s name. The first part of the name is a common South African surname (similar to Smith), and the second part (Amandla) is a Xhosa and Zulu word meaning Power. So together, they mean Smit Power. Awesome name for a tugboat hey?!

What’s especially memorable about the word amandla is that it’s part of a war cry (of sorts) adopted by members of the ANC during the apartheid times. Back then, and now sometimes also, the leader of a group of people would shout out “Amandla!” and the crowd would respond with “Awethu!”, which together mean “Power to the people!”.

No need for shutters

2012-05-20T15:59:40Z

No need for shutters

I remember thinking earlier this year how great it would be to have shutters on our windows. No matter how thick our curtains are, or what kind of reflective blinds we have, the heat still penetrates the glass making our home rather uncomfortable in summer. Shutters effectively prevent the sun’s rays from reaching the glass, helping to keep our rooms cool.

Today I’m sitting in our lounge working on a website for Kerry-Anne – and it’s absolutely freezing cold. Well, not exactly freezing (as in 0°C) – the latest reading at 17h34 shows that it’s 14°C, which is really really cold for us here in Africa.

Chest of drawers with character

2012-05-19T22:04:09Z

Chest of drawers with character

I do love old worn furniture like this. If it could talk I’m sure this chest of drawers would have a great number of stories to tell.

Fig preserve and cheese – a perfect snack

2012-05-19T21:45:37Z

Fig preserve and cheese - a perfect snack

Clearly these are fresh, they’re not preserved figs – but they are lying beautifully positioned on a large round cheese, which reminded me of how much I really do love sticky-gooey-sweet green fig preserve on cheese; especially camembert cheese!

It’s just before 12am in the evening, and posting this photo has compelled me to prepare for a midnight snack – I do believe I have fig preserve and camembert cheese in the fridge.

Angry lions

2012-05-17T17:02:57Z

Angry lions

While some things are debatable, you definitely don’t want to encounter one of these bad boys out in the open veld.

At home, we have our own fierce feline that roams the plains of our back yard. While most often very sweet, when I or brother have been particularly irritating, she transforms into a clawing beast that no man would want to tussle with!

Rococoa: For the love of chocolate

2012-05-16T18:44:37Z

Rococoa: For the love of chocolate

Mini chocolate cones cost only R5 – and, believe me, they’re well worth the money! On market days at The Palms Terraces in Woodstock, Rococoao (a small bakery, chocolatier, and coffee shop) set up a small stall outside their shop, laden with all kinds of chocolates, including this machine filled with molten chocolate. (I’m sure they stole it from Charlie’s chocolate factory, btw.)

If you decide to visit, then here’s an insider tip – besides for the chocolate cones, you have to try their hot chocolate drink. They basically walk over to this machine, pour a magnitude of chocolate into the cup, add hot milk, and serve. It’s divine. At R25 it’s slightly more expensive than ordinary hot chocolate, but like the cone, most definitely worth it!

Mixed herbs and other leafy things

2012-05-14T21:12:05Z

Mixed herbs and other leafy things

Kerry-Anne’s brother, the family horticulturist, started a business growing herbs and other leafy salad things from their little farm in Langebaan a little while back. I visited the Market at the Palms (a bi-monthly market in Woodstock, where he sells some of his produce) on Saturday to touch base with the family and (I have to admit) indulge in chocolate from the chocolate fountain operated by Rococoa, the most insanely-awesome chocolatier I’ve ever visited. If you have a chocolate addiction, then be warned, I’ll share those photos tomorrow!

But for now, if you’re interested in doing the healthy thing and buying seedlings to start your own herb-and-salad-leaf garden, visit the Mixed Herbs Facebook page and leave a message on the wall, or email John directly for more info.