I was born in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa,
in the early morning hours of
8 November 1951.
I guess this must be at age 3 or 4.
My sister, Evien, and me.
ca. 1954
She has always been caring for me.
ca. 1955
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1957
Our first home that I can remember was in Steenie Street in the town of Nigel.
My dad was not impressed by the fact that there was a telephone.
He was of the opinion that the thing had the habit of ringing at most inopportune times, like as soon as we sat down for dinner.
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January 1957,
two months after my 5th birthday,
I started my school career at the
Tini Vorster Primary School
in the town of Nigel.
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1959
My parents and I attended the opening of the Union Carriage and Wagon factory in the industrial area of Nigel.
1960
At that time my dad, being as frugal as he was all his life,
was able to buy his first brand new car as a junior bank clerk at the age of 28.
It was an Opel Kadett Caravan.
It was the first automobile in the region that had a curved windscreen,
and people from far and wide would come to witness this amazing phenomenon.
My parents were friends with Uncle Isak Barnard and his family who were farmers in the district. Uncle Isak was a customer at the bank were my father worked, and the first person to buy a car (a Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe) that had an automatic gearbox.
________________________
Saturday night was for visiting the local "Drive-in" movie theater.
Mom would pack a large picnic basket,
and we would bath and get in our pajamas so that when we got back home sleeping, we could be carried directly to bed from the car.
===============================================
The Coalbrook mining disaster is the worst mining disaster in the history of South Africa.
The disaster occurred in the Coalbrook coal mine of Clydesdale Colliery on
21 January 1960.
The mine is situated in the Northern Free State, south west of the city of Sasolburg.
About 1,000 miners were in the mine at the time and 437 died after being trapped, while the rest escaped through an incline shaft.
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The Voortrekker Monument is located just south of Pretoria in South Africa
and was raised to commemorate the Voortrekkers (Pioneers)
who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854 in search of freedom from British rule in a new fatherland.
Construction started on 13 July 1937 and on
16 December 1938
the cornerstone was laid by three descendants of some of the Voortrekker leaders.
The Monument was inaugurated on 16 December 1949 by the then prime minister Dr. D. F. Malan.
This massive granite structure is 40 metres high,
with a base of 40 meters by 40 meters and is prominently located on a hilltop. The total construction cost was about
£ 360,000, most of which was contributed by
the South African government.
On 31 May 1961 my father took me to the monument to take part in the celebrations to commemorate the founding of the
Republic of South Africa ten years earlier.
We were in the crowd that had gathered beside the monument to witness a military parade in the valley below.
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Later in 1961, we moved to Britstown.
a small town located in the semi-desert area of the northern Cape province,
called the Great Karoo.
...where it often seems that the modern world has not arrived.
These local colored people are called the "Karretjie mense" (small cart people) because of their mode of transport.
Our first home
was typical in that part
of the world.
My dad worked in the local branch
of the Standard Bank.
My Dad went to the neighboring town of Beaufort West where he bought a brand new Volkswagen Kombi.
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At 22:00 on March 28 1962 the Smartt Syndicate dam in the district broke as the result of exceptional heavy rains in the catchment area of the Ongers river that fed the dam.
The resulting flood caused extensive damage to properties and crops in the agricultural community located downstream that depended on the dam for the irrigation of their crops.
(The level that the water reached can be seen on the walls of this house)
_________________________________________________
I was in the crowd lining the street
at the wedding of the legendary rugby player Mannetjies Roux
in the Dutch Reformed Church in town in 1962.
He married Charlotte (nee Jooste) who was from Britstown.
It was only a few weeks after he scored one of his famous tries in the last test against the British Lions in Bloemfontein.
In 2013 the singer Laurika Rauch became an icon in South Africa by performing a song composed by her husband Chris Torr.
It was called "Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux".
(Send regards to Mannetjies Roux)
The song depicts the words of a 13 year old girl about her Oom (Uncle) and his bankrupt plaas (farm) in Africa. Sadly the oom passes but he leaves a letter in which he requests that his greetings be sent to his hero, Mannetjies Roux.
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I spent the last three years of Primary School there until the end of 1963.
________________________
In January 1964 we moved to Krugersdorp on the West Rand.
(The western part of the Witwatersrand metropolis)
________________________
The iconic Paardekraal Monument
The City Hall
The Fire Station
The British Royal family visited Krugersdorp on 2 April 1947.
Here they are appearing in public on the balcony of the Town Hall.
Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother) second from the right, and Princess Elizabeth (who on 6 Feb 1952 became Queen Elizabeth II), second from the left.
________________________
My first year of high school (Grade 8), as well as the rest of my school career was at Monument High.
The main Admin building.
Grade 8
________________________
At 14 years of age, I started spending my weekends and school holidays working as a packer at an ice cream factory called
West Rand Ice Cream.
The owner was a Mr. Jan Joubert who was one of my dad's customers at the bank and an avid big game hunter.
I would often join in outings to sports and other events where we would sell ice-cream from trucks similar to the one below.
__________________________________________________
I spent a number of winter holidays attending Cadet Band Camps presented by the SA Defence Force.
Initially we went to Voortrekker Hoogte, the SADF headquaters, and later to the former campus of the Heidelberg Teacher's Training College which had then been taken over by the SADF.
For the last two years of my high school career
I was the lead trumpeter and leader of the brass section of
the Cadet Band at Monument High.
_________________________________________________
During my last three high school years,
I spent the long summer holidays working as a substitute courier at the Road Transport Workshops of the South African Railways situated at the Langlaagte railway station.
Judging by the design of the busses, this picture of one of the workshops must have been taken a few years before I worked there,
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At first, my parents rented a house at
315 Main Reef Road, Wentworth Park, Krugersdorp.
After three years, they bought their first house.
It was newly built, and the price was US$500.
At about 200 square meters, it had three bedrooms, two bathrooms,
a kitchen, a dining/sitting room and out buildings.
==================================
The Krugersdorp Hill Climb
was an important annual event for our town and for racing enthusiasts.
Drivers competed in classes, ranging from totally amateur in standard cars to professional racing drivers in proper racing cars.
The objective was to drive the 2.5 km up a steep hill in the shortest possible time.
__________________________________________________
My father belonged to a South African automobile association called Rondalia.
The name Rondalia came from "rondavel" which is the name given to the round thatched houses built by rural black people and was copied as the standard accommodation in the Rondalia resorts.
Every year in the winter holiday (it was cheaper than the summer holiday) we went to Hibberdene on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast where one of the resorts run by Rondalia was situated.
During one such a holiday in 1958,
Penny Coelen
the newly crowned Miss World,
made a public appearance in Margate close to Hibberdene.
We went there for the day,
and especially my Mom was very
excited to be able to see Penny in person.
________________________
Later we went to Hibberdene by caravan.
Our first caravan was a second hand Slipstream folding caravan which my dad bought for ZAR550.00
(US$37.00).
Then one year we rented a Sprite, exactly like this one.
And the next year we went on holiday with our own second hand Jurgens.
________________________
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd
(8 Sep. 1901 – 6 Sept. 1966),
also commonly referred to as Dr. Verwoerd, was a South African professor, newspaper editor-in-chief and politician who served as Prime Minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966.
He is regarded as the mastermind behind socially engineering and implementing the racial policies of Apartheid, the system of legal racial classification and forced racial segregation that existed in South Africa from
1948 to 1994.
6 September 1966
The South African Prime Minister Dr. Hendrik French Verwoerd
was stabbed to death in Parliament in Cape Town by an orderly called
Dimitri Tsafendas.
===============================================
Louis Washkansky received his heart transplant on 3 December 1967, at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
Surgeons removed the heart of 25-year-old Denise Darvall, who had very recently been fatally injured in a car accident. Washkansky died of pneumonia eighteen days after the transplant. The procedure was performed under the leadership of Dr. Christiaan Barnard.
____________________________________
Bruce Dalling
(1938 – 2008 )
was a South African yachtsman,
best known for taking second place on elapsed time and first on corrected time for the monohull award in the 1968
Observer Single-Handed
Trans-Atlantic Yacht Race.
Dalling completed the race in
26 days 13 hrs 42 min,
earning himself a place in yachting history.
________________________
Kayalami was an international race track on
the outskirts of Johannesburg.
It was part of the Formula 1 circuit for many years,
like this GP race in 1968.
Another popular attraction was The Rand Daily Mail 9 hour endurance race which was held annually in November. In 1969 my dream for many years came true, when I attended the race that was won by the team lead by Jackie Ickx in a Porche.
________________________
I graduated from
Monument High School in
December of 1969.
A class photo taken in front of the main building of the school.
That's me with the glasses in the center of the top row.
The blond girl two rows down is
Amla Nel
who all the boys had a crush on.
In the center in front is the much feared Headmaster
Mr. J.W. (Jan) Lange
________________________
The Dutch Reformed Church Krugersdorp
With both my parents being of the Christian faith, I was born into the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa.
After attending Sunday school during your 12 schooling years, one attended two weeks of intense religious training.
After successfully completing the academic phase,
and publicly declaring your faith in Jesus Christ,
one was officially admitted as a full member of the church.
This was marked by a ceremony, which in those days was a major milestone in the life of any youngster in our culture.
That's me with the glasses on the far right of the back row.
Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first humans, Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, on the Moon on July 20, 1969, at 20:18 UTC. Armstrong became the first to step onto the lunar surface 6 hours later on July 21 at 02:56 UTC. Armstrong spent about two and a half hours outside the spacecraft, Aldrin slightly less. Together they collected 21.5 kg of lunar material for return to Earth. Michael Collins, piloted the command spacecraft in lunar orbit until Armstrong and Aldrin returned to it for the trip back to Earth.
At the time, I was at a camping site called "Bad-se-loop", in the district of Naboomspruit, north of Pretoria.
We listened to the moon landing on the radio, around midnight South African time.
___________
The previous day I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.
________________________
Altought still in my final year of high school,
I was co-opted onto the governing Board of my church called the "Kerkraad".
________________________
The 1969 Australia rugby tour of South Africa was a series played between June and September 1969.
The "Wallabies " lost the series against the Springboks by 4-0.
The Australian national cricket team toured South Africa from January to March 1970, and played a four-match Test series against the South African national cricket team. South Africa won the series 4–0.
South Africa
Captain: Ali Bacher
Most runs in the series: Graeme Pollock (517)
Most wickets in the series: Mike Procter (26)
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I now became interested in reading.
Have a look at some of my favorites on the Books page.
________________________
January to September 1970
I completed my compulsary military training at 2SAI Bn in Walvis Bay,
in the Namib desert,
situated on the West coast of the present day Namibia.
________________________
On my return, I was posted to
Queen's River State Forest,
in the district of Barberton for the rest of 1970.
I was the only Pupil Forester
on the station at the time,
and often had a swim
at the Queen's River falls,
all by myself.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Saturday, 16 January 1971
The first Transatlantic yacht race between
Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro.
The race was inspired by South African sailing legend
Bruce Dalling,
winner on handicap of the 1968
Transatlantic Single-Handed Yacht Race sailed
between Plymouth, England and Newport, Rhode Island.
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Then for two years, 1971-1972, I was off to Saasveld,
at that time the training College for white Foresters in Southern Africa.
See more on the Saasveld page.
Like students everywhere we did some crazy things.
That's me wearing a fig leaf.
Including: Martin van de Riet, Anthony Bumstead
Andy Powell, Steve, and Braganza Johnston.
________________________
In my second year at Saasveld I bought my first vehicle.
A Toyota Carona MKII LDV.
It was assembled in Japan, shipped to South Africa,
and cost ZAR1,500.00 (US$100.00)
The front was similar to this sedan.
Seen from the back.
________________________
During my high school years I had to take woodwork classes for a few years.
Saasveld had a woodwork club and workshop, and here I could work with precious indigenous species from the local forests.
Ocotea bullata
Stinkwood
Podocarpus latifolius
Yellow wood
I noticed that there were always off cuts and wondered how one could utilize them. This is what I came up with. Later, while living in Sabie, I would collect off cuts from small hardwood sawmills in the Hazyview area. It then became a lucrative hobby that helped pay the bills many times.
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After finishing the academic part of my
Forestry Diploma,
and as the recipient of the Schlich Medal (Bronze),
I was offered a scholarship and went to start my studies in
Forest Management at the
University of Stellenbosch.
I lived in a building called "Slavenhuis" situated on the west side of the main town square called "Die Braak."
Actually, many years ago the building had been slave living quarters (hence the name), and was then later restored to serve as student housing.
________________________
On Fridays and Saturdays I would travel to Cape Town in the evening and spend the nights as a volunteer doing "Streetwork". Under the leadership of the late Rev. Pietie Victor, we would assemble at the "Koffiekroeg" (coffee bar) located in one of the cellars of the St. Stephen's church for a prayer meeting. We would then go out in pairs into the nightclub and harbour areas of the city and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to drug addicts, prostitutes, sailors, and the like.
________________________
I stayed and studied in Stellenbosch for most of 1973,
but gave up towards the end of the year and was posted to a forest station called Jonkersberg in the Mossel Bay area. This was to complete my internship towards obtaining my Forestry Diploma.
My free time was spent studying towards a degree in theology,
doing evangelical work among the local Colored community,
and assisting them in setting up a Rugby Club.
________________________
After completing my internship at the end of 1974, I went to live with my parents in order to carry on studying theology.
I joined a Streetwork group in downtown Johannesburg,
where we worked the streets of the notoriuos Hillbrow area.
Later, I started a similar action on the streets of Krugersdorp.
I was now a Deacon of the local Church Board.
This is a friend and fellow-worker from that time,
called Sarie.
________________________
Sometime in 1974
I heard John Denver singing
for the first time,
and have never stopped
listening to him since.
_______________________
The Vietnam War raged from 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975.
It was officially fought between North Vietnam and the government of South Vietnam. The North Vietnamese army was supported by the Soviet Union and China, and the South Vietnamese army was supported by the United States, South Korea, Australia, and Thailand.
This, now famous, photograph was taken in Trang Bang by AP photographer Nick Ut. It shows Phan Thi Kim Phuc, referred to informally as "the napalm girl", at nine years of age running naked on a road after being severely burned on her back by an American napalm attack. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph was taken during the Vietnam War on June 8, 1972.
The photograph is considered an important contribution to the anti-war sentiment that raged in the USA at the time.
The My Lai Massacre
was the Vietnam War mass killing of 504 unarmed civilians in Quang Ngai, Central Vietnam on
March 16, 1968.
30 April 1975
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1976
I met a girl, Marlene Florence Swanepoel
On the farm
of my future
in-laws.
She had her own car.
An Alfa Romeo Gulia
________________________
Operation Entebbe
was a successful counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on 4 July 1976.
27 June 1976
The flight path of the hijacked Air France flight 139 en route from Tel Aviv to Paris after terrorists boarded the plane in Athens.
The Israeli unit commander
Yonatan (Yoni) Netanyahu,
brother of Prime Minister Netanyahu,
was the only Israeli killed.
________________________
3 May 1977
My Dad was a Manager at the Standard Bank's Krugersdorp branch.
The amount of cash reported by the press (above) was minuscule when compared to the content of the safety deposit boxes that were robbed.
The exact amount robbed will never be known, as very few insurance claims were filed.
(The owners probably did not want the IRS to know what was in these boxes).
My father lost his collection of "crown" coins. Some of these coins were extremely rare and valuable, but the insurance company reimbursed him on the face value of the coins, which for one "crown" was 50 pence.
(The perpetrators were never apprehended).
________________________
The Staff of the branch at the time.
My Dad is in the second row, second from the left
________________________
1977
Working on my then girlfriend's car.
Marlene Florence Swanepoel and I got married on
19 November 1977.
See some pics of our honeymoon here.
________________________
We went to live in the district of a small forestry town called Sabie.
On 5 June 1978 we moved to the
D.R. de Wet Forestry Research Station
in the district of Sabie,
and this was the first house that we lived in as a married couple.
==================================
I was still studying theology,
and spent the rest of my free time presenting literacy and numeracy training to the black workers on the station.
===================================
On 17 December 1979 we were transferred to the forest station on the
Long Tom Pass,
between Sabie and Lydenburg.
The pass and forest station was named after the cannons that were used here during the Boer War (1899-1903).
We attended the unveiling of the monument there.
We sold the Alfa Romeo,
and bought our first car together.
A second-hand Volkswagen Passat Variant.
We lived here for a year and then moved into Sabie proper.
Marlene, Inja, Debra, and Lassie.
November 1980
and we were the proud owners of our first home,
for which we paid R21,000 (about US$1,400).
I worked as the Training Manager (Sawmilling)
for the Timber Industry Manpower Services (TIMS) of Southern Africa.
My Manager: Derek Weston (standing).
Sitting is the Chairman of the TIMS Board.
At TIMS I had my first company car.
A Volkswagen Golf II
________________________
17 October 1981
We were invited to attend the official
opening of the
Sabie Forestry Museum.
________________________
During this time I had the privilege to work in some wonderful places.
Zimbabwe
August 1982
Malawi
August 1986
________________________
Both our children were born in Sabie.
Debra was born on
15 September 1979.
We sold the Passat,
and bought our first brand new car.
A Toyota Corolla Sprinter 1.8GLS
And later we purchased a second vehicle.
A Nissan 1400 LDV
This was during the war on the border between Namibia and Angola,
probably on one of my later stints, ca. 1985.
________________________
The Rubicon speech was delivered by South African President P. W. Botha on the evening of 15 August 1985 in Durban. The world was anticipating Botha to announce major reforms in his government including abolishing the Apartheid system of racial discrimination, and the release of Nelson Mandela.
________________________
After 14 years of studying,
I eventually graduated with a BA degree in Philosophy and Psychology
from the University of South Africa in April 1987.
________________________
In Sabie I met Rev. Karel Lourens who was working in the local Dutch Reformed Church in Africa, which was the branch of our church designated for use by the black members of our denomination.
At the age of 30, I was chosen as an Elder in the local congregation, and appointed as Chairman of the Commission on Missionary Affairs.
Together with Rev. Lourens and others, I became an activist in the anti-Apartheid movement that was growing in South Africa and world-wide at that time. It was an highly unpopular position in a predominantly conservative forestry community.
________________________
In August of 1987 we moved to the mining town of Rustenburg.
Rustenburg Kloof
the signature feature of the town.
Sun City Casino and Golf Resort north of Rustenburg.
We bought a house at Bauhenia Avenue no. 22
in the suburb of Geelhoutpark
that would be home for the next seven years.
________________________
After a year I went to work for Cemblocks,
where we manufactured cement blocks, bricks, and pavers.
The owners were Nic and Magriet Alberts
who also became my good friends.
________________________
6 September, 1989
P.W. Botha failed to follow through on the reforms expected after his Rubicon speech, and was reluctantly ousted by a more liberal faction of the Nationalist Party led by
Mr. F.W. de Klerk.
After the September general election, he was inaugurated as the new State President at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
________________________
9 November 1989
After dividing Germany for 28 years,
The Berlin Wall finally came down.
________________________
2 February 1990
South African President F. W. de Klerk delivered a speech at the opening of the 1990 session of the Parliament of South Africa. He announced sweeping reforms that marked the beginning of the negotiated transition from an Apartheid regime to a fully inclusive democracy.
11 February 1990
Nelson Mandela was released from prison after being incarcerated on
Robin Island for 27 years.
Robben Island, with Cape Town and Table Mountain in the background.
________________________
In July 1990 we visited Israel, Greece, Germany, and Switserland.
In Germany, we went to the town of Oberammergau,
to witness the Passion Play, staged by the local residents of the town.
The Oberammergau Passion Play was first performed in 1634
and is the result of a vow made by the inhabitants of the village that if God spared them from the effects of the bubonic plague then sweeping the region they would perform a passion play every ten years.
In Israel,
visiting the Holy sites that I have been hearing and reading about all my life was the fulfillment of a Christian pilgrim's dream.
The Sea of Galilee
Although I am not Jewish, to me one of the highlights of our tour was visiting Mount Masada.
As we stood there in the ancient fortress overlooking the Dead Sea, a squadron of F-16 fighter jets from the IDF came thundering overhead. They were so close that I could see the pilots looking down on us.
It filled me with a strange sense of pride.
________________________
1992
I realized one of my life-long dreams
and bought a second-hand Mercedes Benz 230E.
________________________
On the 19th of August 1994, a judge in the Pretoria High Court,
pronounced Marlene and me: divorced.
________________________
After our divorce, I had two girlfriends.
Martie, 1996
and Delene in 1998.
________________________
26 January 1996
My brother Hein married Tracey Rademeyer
________________________
During this time I became a dedicated birder.
I was a founding member of the Rustenburg branch of BirdLife SA,
served on the Management Commitee, and organised birdwatching
tours to Botswana, Zimbabwe, etc.
During Mach/April 1999 my friend Lesley Ryan and I undertook a birding tour to Israel. On our return, we presented talks on "Birding in Israel" at a number of BirdLife SA branches.
For more details go to my Birding pages.
Birding at the fish ponds of Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin, Israel.
At a meeting of BirdLife SA, Rustenburg
________________________
At the turn of the millennium, end of 1999,
I went to Israel in the hope of settling there.
I lived in Jerusalem for a few months, came to realize that it was not practically possible to settle there, and had no choice but to return to SA.
________________________
After studying biblical Hebrew for many years, and three visits to Israel, I felt the urge to share my knowledge with others.
I began presenting Biblical Hebrew classes at a local vocational college in 2000.
________________________
During this time, I finally combined into a single volume all the notes that I had gathered over the years on the birds that are mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
________________________
During my years in Rustenburg, I was a member of the local branch of The Gideons. The Gideons International is an interdenominational association of Christian business and professional men who are members of Protestant/evangelical churches. They are dedicated to saving the lost through personal witnessing and the distribution of God's Word in more than 190 countries around the world.
________________________
11 September 2001
___________________________
By the end of 2001 I was completely down and out. Signs 2000 had all but come to a standstill, and I had virtually no money. I lived in a small room/workshop, had no hot water, and often went a day or two without something to eat.
I spent most of my time researching material in order to finish my book. I sold almost all my assets to pawn shops and friends for next to nothing in order to survive.
I had no choice but to ask my parents if I could move in with them. They obliged, and I left Rustenburg after 14 years and relocated to Krugersdorp, where my brother Hannes gave me a part-time job driving a school bus.
________________________
Monday 21 October 2002
On my last morning school bus drive to pick up children attending the West Rand School for the Cerebral Palsied, I got carjacked at gunpoint by a very nervous young black man.
________________________
On Thursday 24 October 2002,
I set off on a new adventure in my life.
At 14:15, I was on a plane leaving Johannesburg,
en route to Shanghai via Singapore and Hong Kong.
By noon on Wednesday, 30 October 2002,
I was in the north of China,
in a (polluted) place called Shenyang.
It would be home for the next two years...
...and looked much better in winter.
________________________
22 December 2002.
I have been in China and at
Jiahua IELTS Training Center
with my Manager Molly for almost two months now.
________________________
On 23 April 2003 all schools and Universities in Manchuria were ordered to close for two weeks in an attempt to prevent the spread of the SARS virus.
Our students were all sent home, and fearing that the police would place me in quarintine if I was spotted outside, I was confined to my dorm. The dorm janitor Chu Ge provided me with food, and for entertainment rented some DVD's . Among them were the HBO miniseries "Band of Brothers".
Together we watched the 10 episodes over and over. Later I purchased my own pirated set, and still keep on watching episods to this day.
_________________________
On 16 June 2003,
while teaching a class,
I received a call
from my brother Hein
who informed me
that my Dad had passed away.
Back in class I told my students the news. One of them, a wonderful boy, intended to use the word "condolences" but got it wrong and said,
"Congratulations Teacher!"
Afterwards we became dear friends for many years. Click here to see more about him.
________________________
In 2004
I worked for BoYa English Language Training Center,
which was situated on the ground floor of the ShenYang TV Tower.
________________________
I made some wonderful friends.
I had a crush on the lady next to me in this picture, but she was on her way to accept a teaching position at the University of Chicago.
In the center are my dear friends Jan and Bob.
________________________
On 28 November 2004,
I moved south to the city of
Zhongshan
in the Guangdong Province adjacent to Hong Kong.
A new home in which I had to ask friends and colleagues to help me in finding my way.
I was getting to know China better.
________________________
In August 2005,
I moved to Mission Hills Golf Resort,
on the outskirts of Shenzhen,
the mainland metropolis in the Guangdong province,
bordering Hong Kong.
Working for the largest Golf Resort in the world
(12 championship courses, 10 000 employees)
was very exciting.
In the evenings we would have "English Corners".
After a year at Mission Hills,
I moved to Wuxi (close to Shanghai).
After a year in Wuxi, I moved back to Mission Hills.
I became the English Language Coordinator there.
Judged "English Competitions",
...and experienced night golf for the first time.
The Shenzhen part of Mission Hills
is located in the (dirty) suburb of Guanlan.
________________________
27 Feb - 3 March 2007
CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR
Paid Australia a visit.
Sydney
Monday 26 February 2007
Day Trip to the Blue Mountains
Wednesday 28 February 2007
Day Trip to the Canberra
Thursday 29 February 2007
Bondi Beach
________________________
I had the privilege of travelling to many interesting places
in and around China.
________________________
On 14 February 2008
my first grandchild,
Ben,
was born.
________________________
Nov / Dec 2008
My sister Evein and brother Hein came to visit.
________________________
Tuesday 20 January 2009
Barack Hussein Obama
was inaugurated as the 44 th President if the United States of America.
________________________
8 November 2009
I am 59 now, and have received a warm gift from Nancy for my birthday.
________________________
27 November 2009
After many efforts over many years,
Hein and Tracy welcomed their son
Josua.
________________________
I had now moved to downtown Shenzhen.
The main street of the city,
Shennan Road.
The tallest building in the city at that time called Di Wang.
Where I had ....
a room with a view.
________________________
On 6 July 2010
I started working at Jia Hua
as the Director of IELTS Studies.
31 October 2010
Halloween, and my last day at Jiahua.
________________________
On 1 November 2010,
Language Center was born.
I started as a private tutor.
On 27 November we moved into our own office.
Also on that day we had our first demo-class for
pre-school students.
________________________
Christmas Eve, 2010
***********************************
2 February 2011
Lunar New Year's Eve
Guomao Subway Station Exit E
Terri and I meet again after almost one year.
________________________
March 2011
Shenzhen University driving range
________________________
March 2011:
Moved to a new home and office for GGS
Only one subway station from church.
________________________
May-June 2011
My son Charel, and his girlfriend Mich came to visit.
________________________
8 November 2011
I have been around for 60 years.
And still:
I'm too blessed to be stressed.
Christmas 2011
Diana Cindy Sky Tian Friend
________________________
22 January 2012
Chinese Lunar New Year
Doris and Rita
kindly provided the necessary
decorations.
________________________
13 February 2012
The courier delivered the first copy of
(but he was a bit worried about why I would want to take a picture of him)
________________________
________________________
April 2012
I went to Phuket to meet my nephew Joshua for the first time.
________________________
6 August 2012
Received the first copy
of the Afrikaans version today.
________________________
8 August 2012
Printed the first copies of the two IELTS books.
________________________
22 September 2012
Housewarming party in the new home of Taiger and Lin.
________________________
September 2012
Visiting Mission Hills again after a long absence,
and having hotpot with some old friends.
##############################################################
Friday 5 October 2012
My first round of golf on the simulator.
________________________
7 October 2012
Jiahua staff party presented by the founders
Faye and Eric.
________________________
October 2012
Hein and Trace visited Sabie and were so kind to take some pics of the house that I lived in 32 years earlier.
________________________
20 October 2012
The official opening of the JiaHua NanShan branch.
Eric with a good impersonation of Al Debbo
and two new South African friends.
________________________
24 October 2012
10 years in China.
________________________
8 November 2012
I am 61 years young, and Jesse is one week old.
Mother Lin and father Taiger,
with Grandma keeping a watchful eye from the back.
On the same day, and my friends Nic and Magriet are enjoying Cambodia.
________________________
9 November 2012
China is heaven
(for many of us, that is.)
A beautiful and peaceful autumn evening. A sumptuous meal.
and spending some time with three Christian friends on the local driving range.
Taiger David Mark
I am still truely
too blessed, to be stressed.
_________________________
14 December 2012
Jiahua Futian branch teachers and staff
Sunday 13 January 2012.
Lucky number 13. That is how many foreign teachers gathered at the Jiahua Annual Staff Party.
(OK, actually 12 + the Boss!)
________________________
Lunar New Year's Day 10 February 2013
________________________
19 March 2013
Moved to Nanshan District.
The view by day.
The view at night.
________________________
1 May 2013
English Lesson at Shenzhen University Driving Range
Nancy Sam Lily Alice Abby
________________________
17 June 2013
The teachers at our new Kexueguan branch.
Diana and Nancy
Rory
8 November 2013
Who said you cannot have a birthday party in the classroom !!
________________________
Phillip Apple Steven Terrry
________________________
Christmas 2013
I know Santa is from the North Pole.
So why does he have a South-African accent?
________________________
An advertising campaign at Jiahua.
________________________
27 - 31 January 2014
Penang & Langkawi Islands
Malaysia
________________________
30 July 2014
My last working day as a full-time teacher at Jiahua.
The "Housewives" class.
The "IELTS Foundation" class.
________________________
A farewell dinner with some very good friends.
Sky Febi Ellephen Lily Suzy Nancy Helen Terri Steven
___________________________
10 August 2014
Lunch with some old friends in a typical, slightly upmarket, restaurant.
_________________________
After-lunch coffee at the Ritz-Carlton
Michael Cici Tian Joyce
_____________________
15 August 2014
Signed the contract for the premises of the new school.
The classrooms before the decorations begin.
The views from the classrooms.
To the South
To the North, and looking down at Jiahua !!
Sunset as seen from one of our classrooms.
Monday 8 September 2014
A holiday in China, and we have an open day.
The first students have paid their tuition fees, so we are all very happy.
Wednesday 10 September 2014
Our first class.
The classes are slowly but surely filling up.
These are our first Advanced Class students.
Alice Leah Joanna Lily Abby Minnie David
_________________________
15 September 2014
I have started to write some notes on Biblical Hebrew grammar. I want to start presenting Hebrew classes at Tianxi free of charge and hopefully one day collect my notes and publish it as a grammar book for beginners.
_________________________
3 October 2014
Student outing to Mission Hills
_________________________
7 October 2014
My Christian friends Bill and Faye got married.
________________________
8 October 2014
________________________
24 October 2014
12 years in China
________________________
8 November 2014
Celebrating 63 years on this planet.
Yvonne Lily Nemo Abby Hellen Alice Nancy Ellen
________________________
Found a new place to worship.
Shekou International School
________________________
7 December 2014
Kim is the first full-time employee at tianxi school.
Seven beauties in one class.
CHINA IS HEAVEN
Alice Leah Kim Abby Smiley Belinda Febi
30 December 2014
Another all-female class at tianxi.
What a way to end the year !!
Apple Judy Smiley Nemo Abby Hellen
________________________
6 February 2015
The first Hebrew for Beginners class.
________________________
19-24 February 2015
With some student friends in Pattaya, Thailand.
We went to see a show by the ladyboys.
And I got to meet one up close and personal.
________________________
1 March 2015
Began working for the International Program at
Huang Yu Yuan International High School.
________________________
18 April 2015
Met up with Jane today.
________________________
6 May 2015
Shekou People's Hospital: Had my appendix removed
and experienced an unbelievable outpouring of friendship
and caring from many friends.
I was guarded over 24/7,
with guys like Steven renting a camping bed
and spending the night next to my bed.
A stream of well-wishers kept visiting daily.
________________________
Helen found an (almost) Italian restaurant.
but hotpot will always be a favorite.
________________________
Opened a second Hebrew class.
________________________
22-23 August 2015
Spent two days at Da Peng Holiday Resort
For more pics of Da Peng, click here.
________________________
26 September 2015
Philip Welsh,
the first full-time teacher employed by tianxi,
is proving to be very popular and successful.
________________________
Sunday 13 March 2016
Leaving China via Hong Kong after 14 years.
Moving to a new life and a new adventure in Vietnam.
This bride decided to take her
wedding photos in the famous
HK Apple outlet.
HK skyscraper in the mist.
20 March 2016
Now living in Quang Ngai on the East coast of Vietnam
11 May 2016
Vietnam countryside
25 May 2016
Foresty in Quang Ngai
8 June 2016
My new (second-hand) transport.
14 June 2016
Visited the Son My massacare site.
24 June 2016
Visited the Quang Ngai Harbour.
20 July 2016
Global English Center
5 August 2016
Dung Quat Cove
************************************
16 September 2016
Hanoi
With Madiba and the South African Ambassador to Vietnam.
________________________
25 October 2016
On my way to South Africa
for a new passport.
After an absence of twelve years, it was a delight to see my family again.
2 - 6 November 2016
Spent a wonderful time with my son Charel, future daughter-in-law Mich, and their eldest son Ziggy in their hometown Hoedspruit.
Africa !!
Kruger Park
________________________
8 November 2016
Birthday celebration with family.
9 - 13 November
Spent a few days with my best friends Nic and Magriet Alberts in Rustenburg.
________________________
Christmas Eve 2016
Back home again with
Angie Tian Little Sven Iris Fitsy (Christina) Old Sven Dimitri Iris Robin Nora
Christmas Day 2016 in Hoi An
28 December 2016
Charel and Michieu Che Louwrens got married in SA.
1-4 January 2017
Charel and Mich came to visit in Vietnam.
________________________
20 January 2017
I am now the proud owner of a tattoo.
with
David Fitsy Tian Iris Nora
================================================
10 March 2017
Outing into the countryside
************************
Oliver
&
Norah
21 March 2017
Daytrip to Tam Ky.
I immediately fell in love with the place,
and expressed the wish to come and work here one day.
Mural art in Tam Ky
7 -8 April 2017
Visited Ly Son Island
##################################################
30 April - 2 May 2017
Visit Saigon
19 September 2017
Moved into a house around the corner from AMA.
2 October 2017
Old friends from Quang Ngai paid me a visit.
29 November:
Pizza with Rama, my neighbor and colleague.
_____________________________________
Christmas 2017
Thankful for the peace
that we have here now.
________________________
28 December 2017
Judging an English Tournament at a
Tam Ky Primary School.
________________________
17 May 2018
Moved to the Tam Ky University Guest House.
________________________
24 May 2018
Kate got married.
________________________
6 June 2018
A Fellow South African Abroad (also known as a SAFFA)
named Neels Blom arrived in Tam Ky from George.
13 August 2018
Took a day-trip to Hoi An in search of a venue for the wedding of my dear friends Ollie and Nora.
My fellow SAFFA took the pics. Thanks Neels !!
________________________
06:00 20 August 2018
I started writing on 15 September 2014 in China
and now four years later almost to the day,
I now finished the last page of the 952 page text of Volumes 1-3.
Consisting of five volumes, the series is called
Biblical Hebrew for All
________________________
29 August - 1 September 2018
Trip to Nha Trang to celebrate 5th birthday of
AMA Quang Nam.
_________________________
27 September 2018
Received the final proofs of my three IELTS books.
________________________
8 November 2018
Blessed by receiving a wonderful birthday gift.
Saw this feathered friend in full flight this morning.
_____________________________________
20 November 2018
Teacher's Day
Some friends came to visit.
________________________
26 January 2019
My good friend, Lily Chai from China, came to visit for a few days.
________________________
19 March 2019
English class in the Guest House
David Anna Betty Lola Crystal Julia
________________________
Visit to South Africa
(25 April - 14 May 2019 )
26-28 April 2019
Kamonande Game Farm
________________________
15 June 2019
Day trip to Da Nang with Neels Blom
________________________
22 June 2019
Early morning swim with some students
.
________________________
9 July 2019
Nora and Oliver came to visit.
We visited Quang Ngai to see the new school building,
and meet up with some old friends.
________________________
24 July 2019
Acted as a tour guide for a group that are attending the wedding tomorrow.
In Tam Ky we visited the art Village at Tam Than beach,
as well as Phu Ninh lake.
________________________
Amazing !!!
In a village along the way, this little girl all by herself,
sold us some fuel for our bikes.
Dima and Fitsy
The MC and hotel staff member.
________________________
2019
Teacher's Day
________________________
2019
Life in Tam Ky
Rose Betty Tiana Nelius Lola Anna David
Betty Anna Tian David
________________________
Cham Islands, Hoi An
________________________
Private English class
Susan David Anna Julie Rose Bettie
________________________
Visit to Tam Ky War Tunnels
________________________
Birthday 8 November
with
Rose Betty Anna David Lola
________________________
December 20
My son Charel has to study a textbook in order to complete his exam to qualify as a Professional Field Guide.
So I decided to get a copy and read it in a sign of solidarity to him.
________________________
Christmas Eve
===============================================
25 January 2020
Lunar New Year.
Visited the homes of Anna and David in the countryside.
===============================================
Monday 3 February 2020
Coronavirus originated in China, and has now spread to 25 countries including Vietnam.
We had classes over the weekend, but this week all educational institutions have been ordered to close.
===============================================
Monday 10 February 2020
Visit to Quang Ngai
Nick Tian Tiana Nelius Nien Quinn Sven Henry Friend David
________________________
Due to the Covid-19 (Corona) pandemic,
schools in Vietnam were closed from 3 Feb. to 3 May.
My friends Tiana and Nelius and I went on a number of day trips.
________________________
1 August 2020
After 100 days without any cases, the virus is back.
We are not allowed to work and have to stay at home again. To counter some "cabin fever," I went to the beach this morning.
________________________
Charel with his Ziggy, and me with mine.
________________________
October 2020
The Central Regions of Vietnam have been experiencing the worst floods in decades. More than 100 people have been killed, communities devastated, and crops destroyed.
_____________________________________
Christmas 2020
________________________
