tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205469822024-03-20T17:56:30.438-05:00Els on the Web - The BlogThe companion blog to our family website, Els on the Web - www.elsweb.netJohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-35486721436006276182008-11-19T17:36:00.008-06:002008-11-25T10:10:28.448-06:00Let The Springbok Rest In Peace!<a style="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtTV5bzY0W-NZOQ4ft6WsquEPddBfK_eRE-H7WIwUUzoebXqFhzfo-_N4oyp7aW_nOBzFLXaqqcsmRSDnfdSFuuWrPSnpVQDsT1_fYnmbiFbvL0qoK-RtTgI5QO29O8BW6bONWA/s1600-h/springbokemblem.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 78px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKtTV5bzY0W-NZOQ4ft6WsquEPddBfK_eRE-H7WIwUUzoebXqFhzfo-_N4oyp7aW_nOBzFLXaqqcsmRSDnfdSFuuWrPSnpVQDsT1_fYnmbiFbvL0qoK-RtTgI5QO29O8BW6bONWA/s320/springbokemblem.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270526257409215954" border="0" /></a><br />South Africa's national rugby team has been known as the Springboks since 1906 (with the Springbok as its emblem), long before 1948 when South Africa's National Party came up with the despised Apartheid system.<br /><br />There were no political connotations to that name. On a tour to the UK, the national rugby team captain at that time, Paul Roos, simply chose it as the name to use before the British press came up with their own nickname. Since that time, the name Springbok came to represent excellence and pride.<br /><br />Yes, there was a period during its history where the SA government applied the Apartheid system to rugby by excluding non-white players from the national rugby team. As unfortunate as that was, it was about politics sticking its nose into sports and not about the Springbok.<br /><br />Newspapers are quick to report that Dr. Danie Craven, long-time chairman of the SA Rugby Board, once said that a black person will never wear a Springbok jersey. That is true. What the same newspapers usually fail to say is that he changed his mind soon afterwards, and that it was in fact Danie Craven who met with the then-banned ANC in Zimbabwe to discuss a single rugby association for all racial groups, much to then-SA president PW Botha's dismay.<br /><br />After South Africa's first multi-racial elections in 1994 when Nelson Mandela came to power, the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup twice, and the reputation of the "mighty Springbok" was enhanced even more. After each of these events, the Springbok was embraced by many South Africans from all racial groups!<br /><br />For the guys who make it onto the team today (except Luke Watson), the Springbok still represents excellence and pride. These are rugby people who know how much work it takes to make the team!<br /><br />Unfortunately, politics is still dragging South African rugby down, more specifically, the Springbok. People within the current ANC government, who probably don't even know what a rugby ball looks like, and certainly cares more about their own political ambitions than they care about rugby, have been trying to get rid of the Springbok emblem for several years, with the onslaught intensifying a lot recently.<br /><br />"It symbolizes Apartheid", they say. "Bullsh*t!", I say. It happened to be the name of the team during Apartheid, but it was around since long before Apartheid. If you want to do away with the Springbok because it supposedly symbolizes Apartheid, then you may as well ban rugby too. Wasn't rugby "the sport of the [hated] Afrikaner?"<br /><br />The problem is, the political meddling won't stop. People in power who, unlike Nelson Mandela, go around with scores to settle at any cost, will continue to attack anything that was also a national symbol during Apartheid.<br /><br />So I say, drop the Springbok entirely from the national rugby team. Don't let it become a marginalized, commercial symbol that represents political fighting, sitting on the right-hand side of SA national rugby players' chests, subservient to the Protea. Let it ride off into the sunset as a symbol of excellence and pride, and let people remember it that way.<br /><br />The politicians can then create whatever symbol they want. At least the mighty Springbok will live on intact in people's memories!JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-84894979115420356912008-09-05T08:55:00.002-05:002008-09-05T09:30:48.952-05:0012 Years in the USToday we celebrate our 12th year in the US and next month will be our 10th year in Texas!<br /><br />At 3.35 p.m. today, at the moment when my oldest son comes out of school, it will be exactly 12 years since that KLM flight touched down on the runway of San Francisco international airport!<br /><br />As usual, these things let you reflect on the past 12 years and all that has happened in that time. I also reflect on the fact that we left our homeland and family ten thousand miles behind for a new life in a different part of the world.<br /><br />I have bitter-sweet feelings about it all. The "bitter" is that we are far away from our family and we miss them. Luckily we do get to see them from time to time, and going by some of our American friends, we see our family in South Africa quite often.<br /><br />The "sweet" is obviously the lives we have here in the US. We can always make improvements, but generally, life is good. Our kids are doing well and they are able to pursue great opportunities in a world where performance is the only measure.<br /><br />Over the past 12 years we have also become very aware of how lucky we were to win our green cards in the lottery. Ours was a trouble-free entry that led to US citizenship six years later. Some of our friends are still struggling to get their green cards after more than ten years and thousands of dollars.<br /><br />We are lucky indeed!JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-70011861101570863412007-09-11T09:56:00.000-05:002007-09-11T10:15:08.282-05:006th Anniversary of Sep 11 AttacksToday, Sep 11, 2007 is the 6th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sep 11, 2001 where more than 3000 people lost their lives in one of the most cowardly acts in history!<br /><br />Today we honor the 3000 innocent victims and our hearts go out to their families and friends. We may not know any of you personally, but be assured that our thoughts are with you today.<br /><br />Last night, <span style="font-style: italic;">Discovery Channel</span> broadcast a show called <span style="font-style: italic;">The Falling Man</span>. It struck me how the people who fell from the top of the World Trade Center towers in some sense became the "forgotten victims" of those attacks. I'm specifically thinking about those people today too. I can only imagine what a horrible choice they faced, a choice they must've known left no possibility of survival.<br /><br />To all victims and their families, I wish you peace!JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-57062492064304043742007-09-05T08:48:00.000-05:002007-09-05T09:26:00.281-05:0011 Years In The US Today!Today, 11 years ago, on Sep 5, 1996, we arrived in the US from South Africa! Eleven years! I can hardly believe it!<br /><br />We left South Africa on Sep 2 and spent 2 days with a friend in London before continuing to San Francisco. Our now-13-yr-old son, Johnny, was a 2-yr-old toddler back then. Today he has a girlfriend and is in his final year of Middle School! How time flies!<br /><br />Are we happy in the US? Yes, we are! I would love it if South Africa was only a 4-hour flight away to allow for easier flights and more regular visits with family. That remains my only issue with living in the US - we don't see our family regularly enough. The only upside of that is that we can stay out of family squabbles. When we see them, we have a good time. Only good memories!<br /><br />We've been back (to South Africa) three times. The first was in June 1999, i.e. after almost 3 years. Then again for Christmas 2000. After that, there was a 5-yr drought before finally visiting in July 2006. We'll be visiting there again this coming Christmas. It's always fun to visit the family in South Africa, but I'm always nervous about the crime too. :-(<br /><br />This has been a long journey with a few bumps in the road, but I think it has nevertheless been a good one for us. We've had some wonderful experiences along the way.<br /><br />The journey continues...JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-8414363782552280042007-05-08T09:35:00.000-05:002007-05-08T13:26:36.894-05:00How To Make BoereworsBoerewors... Yes, boerewors is definitely one of the South African foods that South African expats miss the most.<br /><br />In many ways, there's nothing special about boerewors. It's basically spiced, ground meat stuffed into casings. In other ways, there is a lot that is special about it, especially if you can't simply go buy it at the local grocery store!<br /><br />It becomes part of an age-old South African ritual... the opening of the first beer... the lighting of the fire... the drinking of the second beer while staring nostalgically into the flames... placing the braai (barbeque) grid over the coals, and putting the "boerie" where it was born to be... opening the fourth beer... braai-ing the boerewors to perfection (at least in your mind)... and then that magic flavor... you can taste the coriander and nutmeg in the juices... you wonder, "why has it been so long?"<br /><br />Some South African expats learn very quickly how to make their own boerewors. Others yearn for it, or try to buy it online. For those who haven't learnt how to do it yet, here's how to make your own boerewors...<br /><br />You're going to need a meat grinder with a sausage-stuffing attachment. We bought ours at Linens & Things for around $100. It has a metal casing (better quality) and comes with 3 grinding plates. We use the grinding plate with the biggest holes (quarter inch or 6 mm) because you don't want to grind the meat too finely. It also came with two sausage-stuffing attachments. We usually use the bigger one of the two to prevent the meat from becoming too compacted.<br /><br />Next you're going to need a boerewors recipe. Here is a good <a href="http://www.sa-austin.com/boerewors-recipe.html">boerewors recipe</a> to get you going... Our recipe differs slightly from that one because we used it as a starting point and then modified it each time we made another batch until we got the taste that we love. (We don't add the bacon, and we've increased the amount of coriander by about 20%.)<br /><br />The recipe calls for beef and pork. We found that trimmed brisket works best for the beef. It's cheap and already contains a lot of fat, so you don't have to add extra fat. Get the trimmed brisket because the untrimmed brisket simply contains too much fat that you end up throwing away anyway. We buy any lean-ish pork we can find.<br /><br />You're also going to need sausage casings to stuff the meat into. Living in Texas, we buy hog casings at HEB, our local grocery store. That works fine. There are also several places where you can buy casings online.<br /><br />The spices in the boerewors recipe that I mentioned above, are all available at our local grocery store, so I would imagine yours will have it too. The recipe calls for vinegar. We use a 50/50 mix of malt vinegar and regular white vinegar, but I believe white vinegar alone works fine if you can't find malt vinegar. Mix all your dry spices beforehand and set it aside until later.<br /><br />At this point you should have everything you're going to need, including a sharp knife. Put all the meat in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Cold meat is much easier to cut than room-temperature meat.<br /><br />Prepare the casings. Casings packed in salt need to be thoroughly soaked and rinsed. We let ours soak in lukewarm water for about 30 minutes, and then rinse with cold water. We also run water through the casings to rinse the inside.<br /><br />Now you're ready to go...<br /><ol><li>Cut all your meat into cubes of about 1 inch by 1 inch.</li><li>Mix the beef and pork cubes thoroughly.</li><li>Let the meat cubes stand for a while, preferably in a container with holes in the bottom. This allows excess blood to drain away. I sometimes run cold water through the meat to help drain away the last bit.</li><li>Mix all the dry spices and vinegar into the meat. We find that it helps to spread the meat out in a large, flat container and then adding the spices and vinegar little by little while mixing it.</li><li>Grind all the meat using a large grinding plate to get a coarse grind. We use our quarter inch plate. Cold meat also grinds easier than room-temperature meat, so you may want to put the meat cubes in the refrigerator for a while before grinding. This is not critical though.</li><li>Grind all the meat.</li><li>Remove the cutting blade and grinding plate from the grinder and fit the sausage-stuffing attachment. Pull one length of casing over the attachment. If it's difficult to slide the casing over the attachment, wet the attachment with a little water. We also sometimes blow in the casing to fill it with air. This removes any kinks in the casing and makes it slide over easier.</li><li>Stuff the ground meat into the casing. Be careful not to over-stuff the casing. This will cause the casing to burst while braai-ing, and with that, a lot of flavor is lost. This is a two-person job. One feeds the ground meat into the stuffer, and the other controls the speed with which the casing comes off the attachment.</li></ol>The next part is critical...<br /><br />Go light a fire, open a beer, and reward yourself with a freshly-braaied piece of boerewors...JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-87712437380911486532007-02-21T08:29:00.000-06:002007-02-21T09:16:23.109-06:00I'm 40 Today!Yesterday, for the first time since I was a kid, I felt a little excitement about my upcoming birthday. I'm not quite sure why... maybe it was because of all the fuss that surrounds a 40th birthday...<br /><br />Anyway, the day has now arrived, and here I am... 40 years young...<br /><br />Some would say this is the midpoint of a person's life, and that alone freaks a lot of people out. I'm not worried about that. If that is true, I have another 40 good years to look forward to. I can only hope that they will be just as exciting as the first 40... If there is any truth in "naughty forties", then I guess even more excitement awaits...<br /><br />I'm new at this. Can anyone tell me about the good stuff in store for me? Can I now fart in public and expect to get only a few polite smiles from bystanders? Do I get a discount at the movies? Will a confused stare get me out of forgetting important stuff? What exactly does this "naughty" mean? There must be something in it for me!JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-59762176011993350402007-01-16T15:54:00.001-06:002007-01-16T16:40:45.323-06:00Johnny sliding down golf course hill<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><embed style="width: 300px; height: 243px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=7683068941489902190&hl=en" flashvars=""></embed> </td></tr><tr></tr><tr><td>Monday and Tuesday, Jan 15 & 16, were pretty cold here in Lago Vista. We had plenty of sleet (ice rain) and even some snow. The kids' schools were closed, and much of the surrounding area came to a standstill as a result of the ice.<br /><br />The kids made the most of this opportunity to have fun. They were out sliding on the ice all the time. On Tuesday we walked to the Lago Vista golf course to go sliding on its iced-up fairways. Here's Johnny sliding down a section of the 15th fairway of the Lago Vista golf course. Although you can't see it, the only reason why he could slide on the grass is because it's completely iced up.<br /> </td></tr></tbody></table>JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-7207348071992472572007-01-16T15:35:00.001-06:002007-01-16T15:35:17.348-06:00Michael sliding down golfcourse hill<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td colspan="2"><embed style="width:300px; height:243px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-6171871510352786163&hl=en" flashvars=""> </embed></td></tr><tr></tr><tr><td>This is Michael lying on his stomach on his boogie board and coming down a section of the 15th fairway of the Lago Vista golfcourse. One section has a bump that produces a little lift!<br /> </td></tr></table>JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-60752489800927069022007-01-16T15:17:00.001-06:002007-01-16T15:17:41.239-06:00Johnny snowboarding down golf course fairway<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td colspan="2"><embed style="width:300px; height:243px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-7418867360462016695&hl=en" flashvars=""> </embed></td></tr><tr></tr><tr><td>Johnny snowboarding (standing on his boogie board) and going down the fairway of the 15th hole on the Lago Vista golf course.<br /> </td></tr></table>JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-33790925007374313732007-01-16T14:50:00.001-06:002007-01-16T14:53:41.367-06:00Michael snowboarding down golf course fairway<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><embed style="width: 300px; height: 243px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-1738180152298102647&hl=en" flashvars=""></embed> </td></tr><tr></tr><tr><td>Michael "snowboarding" (standing upright on his boogie board) and going the 15th fairway on the Lago Vista golf course.<br /> </td></tr></tbody></table>JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-69624908762133575262006-12-19T08:33:00.000-06:002006-12-19T08:55:22.362-06:00Writing A ResumeA person who found my <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">résumé</span> on <a href="http://www.elsweb.net">our website</a> a while ago, sent his <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">résumé</span> to me for a critique. He wrote a decent <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">résumé</span> that summarized his skills and experience, and that showed how he built the skills and experience at his previous companies.<br /><br />After I replied to him, I decided to publish that reply here in the hopes that it will be useful to someone else too...<br /><br />During my time at the University of Texas, I was involved in hiring a few people. This meant going through <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">résumés</span> to determine who to offer interviews to, and then providing the technical side of the interview. I'm writing from the perspective of those experiences.<br /><br />Your <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">résumé</span> must be well-organized and easy to read. This helps hiring managers a lot if you consider that they probably have to scan through anywhere between 10 and 30 <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">résumés</span> or more to determine who to offer interviews to. The easier you make it for them to determine quickly what you bring to the table, the better your chances are to get that interview.<br /><br />It is also important to highlight your potential value to the new company as early on in your <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">résumé</span> as possible. To support that goal, it would be useful to put a section titled "Career Goal" at the top of your <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">résumé</span>, and clearly state in it how you can help the operations of the prospect company. Say something like, "My goal is to use my extensive experience in A, B, and C to do X, Y, and Z for any company I work for." That sets the tone with that hiring manager up front, and the rest of your <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">résumé</span> simply supports your statement that you have experience in A, B, and C, and that you can do X, Y, and Z.<br /><br />Other tips I can think of:<br /><ul><li>Unless the company specifically asks for it, I would drop salary information from the <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">résumé</span>. If they were prepared to pay $60,000 but your <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">résumé</span> shows your last salary at $40,000, they might only offer you $50,000.</li><li>Don't ever put things on your <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">résumé</span> that you have no clue about. If the hiring people catch you, your credibility will be shot.</li><li>Read the job descriptions of jobs you apply for to make sure you are a good fit for the job. You'd be surprised how many people apply for jobs that their <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">résumés</span> simply don't support. That annoys hiring managers endlessly.</li><li>Write a good cover letter that states what job you are applying for, and that states why you would be a good fit for the job. This starts you off on a good foot.</li><li>Remember that your <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">résumé's</span> job is only to get you that interview.</li><li>Once you have the interview, you have to sell yourself by coming across as friendly, easy to work with, and confident in your abilities to do what you say in your <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">résumé</span> you can do. Hiring managers often not only look at what you can do, but also whether you will be a good fit for the company and get along well with existing staff.</li><li>Do I have to say, dress properly for the interview? If you're not sure what appropriate dress would be, call the company and ask the receptionist.<br /></li></ul><br />While this post doesn't tell you step by step how to write a <span onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">résumé</span>, it tells you what your focus and attitude should be. I believe this is the first critical step. Good luck!JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-1165850338845207432006-12-11T08:53:00.000-06:002006-12-11T09:42:54.063-06:00Fun Things To Do In TexasI recently started a new website called <a href="http://www.fun-things-texas.com">Fun Things To Do In Texas</a>.<br /><br />It is focused on fun things to do when you're in Texas, and is based on our own experiences. We have been lucky enough to travel to several Texas cities, and had some really good times!<br /><br />The cities we have visited include San Antonio, Fredericksburg, Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, Galveston, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi, South Padre Island, New Braunfels, and of course Austin.<br /><br />I am still in the process of building the site, and it will take a while to complete, but there are already sections on San Antonio and Fredericksburg.<br /><br />Check it out from time to time. You may very well find a great idea for your next Texas trip.JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-1157480548445478102006-09-05T11:46:00.000-05:002006-09-05T13:22:28.496-05:0010 Years in the US today!<span style="font-weight: bold;">We've been living in the US for 10 years today!</span><br /><br />After a long flight from Amsterdam, we touched down at San Francisco International Airport at 1.30 p.m. PST on September 5, 1996. I can hardly believe that 10 years have gone by. On the one hand it seems so long, but on the other hand it seems so short!<br /><br />It was an emotional moment when we landed. This was the beginning of a new life with many uncertainties. There weren't any excited family members or even close friends to pick us up at the airport. I didn't have a job. All we had was the name and phone number of the hotel where we planned to stay. The Residence Inn in Foster City was to be the base from where we planned our new lives.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4216/2063/1600/firstday.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4216/2063/320/firstday.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>This photo was taken at an "End of Summer" barbeque at the Residence Inn in Foster City about 2 hours after arriving!</span><br /><br /><br />A lot has happened since that day. If you would like to read about <a href="http://www.elsweb.net/diary.htm">our first 7 days</a>, go to <a href="http://www.elsweb.net">our family website</a>. After 3 weeks we managed to find an apartment and I found a job. Things started to settle down. We made American friends, connected with other South Africans in the area, and fell in love with the beautiful SF Bay Area. However, life was expensive and rushed in San Francisco and after 2 years we moved to Texas. We have now been living in Lago Vista, TX for 8 years. Our kids go to local schools and play in local sports teams. I have held a variety of jobs, including the last one at the University of Texas. My wife is involved in the local school. Together we also run a <a href="http://www.sa-austin.com">website for South Africans in the Austin area</a>.<br /><br />We have been back to South Africa 3 times to visit our relatives, who all still live there. These visits have mostly been wonderful. We find it interesting to see each time how South Africa has changed from the previous visit.<br /><br />A question that sometimes arises is, "will we ever go back to live in South Africa?" It's a tough question. It's always very nice to see our family. We miss them, and we know they miss us. However, it took a lot to get settled here and although the US has its problems, there's a lot about life in the US that we like and will certainly miss if we leave. If we go back, the first several months will be wonderful because we'll see the family often. But the honeymoon will end and then we'll be faced with the realities of life in South Africa. Those realities may very well cause us to regret leaving the US, and if that happens, it will be very difficult to come back to the US. So the answer is a solid "maybe".<br /><br />In the mean time we will continue to enjoy life in the US, have fun with our American and South African friends, and visit our family in South Africa as often as we can!JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-1137972272362354612006-01-22T16:32:00.000-06:002006-01-22T17:25:56.933-06:00Is it 40?<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">They say that after the Dirty Thirties come the Naughty Forties. So now I'm wondering if the 40s have anything to do with unhappy couples, separation, and divorce.<br /><br />In the past year and a bit, there have suddenly been several couples in our group of friends who have had marital problems - seemingly serious marital problems - that have led some of them to split up. Now I know that these things are just part of life and happens all the time, but it struck me that everyone seemed to be quite happy up until now, the time where we're all approaching 40 or already there.<br /><br />If the Forties have anything to do with it, what is it? At this time the kids are all well into elementary school and middle school, so our lives would seem to be well established. Is it the "rut" of established lives that leaves people bored with one another? Are they bored and yearn for the excitement of their 20s, thinking that it will change it all and bring back that "something" that seems to be missing?<br /><br />If that is it, I think they may be in for a surprise. And if that lead them to divorce, I think they may come to look back at it as a major mistake.<br /><br />I hope this is about a lot more then merely the Forties.<br /></span>JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-1136921395094878142006-01-10T12:49:00.000-06:002006-01-10T13:32:22.103-06:00Traveling the World<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Coming Friday, a good friend at work is leaving to prepare for a 5-month trip through South America. (See their <a href="http://thejordansgotosouthamerica.blogspot.com/">blog</a>.) While it is not-so-nice to see him go (this guy is a magician with map systems), I fully support their decision to do this. In fact, I'm quite excited about this, and Dave, I wish you and Mel all of the best for your adventure!<br /><br />This leads me to the whole idea of traveling the world. I think it's an amazing thing for people to do, especially for young people. Your whole outlook on the world broadens so much when you get direct contact with other cultures and realize that the ways of your own culture aren't the only ways to do things. Dave told me about an uncle who took his 15-yr old daughter out of school for a year and home-schooled her while the two of them traveled around the world. That's an education no school can give!<br /><br />About 15 years ago, Esme and I traveled through a big part of western Europe for 6 weeks. That wasn't near enough time to really get to know all the countries we visited, but to this day that trip stands out as one of the best in our lives.<br /><br />Bon voyage, Dave and Mel!<br /></span>JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-1136655439018661842006-01-07T11:30:00.000-06:002006-01-07T11:37:19.026-06:00Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">As I write this, my Mom and Dad are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary with a few friends at Weaver's restaurant in Steytlerville, South Africa. Unfortunately we couldn't be there, but we're celebrating along with them from afar.<br /><br />I think it's an amazing achievement for any couple to reach their 40th wedding anniversary. There are so many things that could prevent that from happening, and I'm very happy for, and proud of my parents</span> for reaching this incredible milestone. Well done!JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-1136486376735921322006-01-05T12:29:00.000-06:002006-01-05T13:01:06.346-06:00Vince Young rocks!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Having grown up in South Africa where football isn't played, I am a much greater rugby fan than I am a football fan. In fact, in the past I have often found football to be somewhat boring due to the high amount of stoppages during the game.<br /><br />However, Vince Young and the Longhorns changed a lot of that last night during the Rose Bowl game against the Trojans. What a game it was?!!! What a game Vince Young had?!!! This guy is just incredible. When he gets the ball in his hands, you can kow there will be trouble! And trouble he created for the Trojans time and time again. Just when one thought all was lost for the Horns, he pulls two amazing touchdowns out of the bag.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Hook 'em Horns!</span></span><br /></span>JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20546982.post-1136416304124466042006-01-04T16:57:00.000-06:002006-01-05T12:40:46.223-06:00Hello World!<span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">As a programmer, how could I not kick this thing off with "Hello World"? Actually, since this is also my first blog, I do mean "hello world".</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">As so many of you out there do, I'll likely use this as a platform for sharing events and ideas that cross my path. Who knows what that will all include!</span></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></span>JohnEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05836277860403129698noreply@blogger.com0