The weekend of 11-13 February 2011, was camping weekend. Two of our friends, Wihann and Steve both had their birthdays on the 11th, so they decided to go camping at Ganzekraal, just up the West Coast from Melkbosstrand, even before you get to Yzerfontein. Anel and myself arrived there just after seven Friday evening, started unpacking, pitching the tent, and so forth, while enjoying something refreshing. (Read : Castle and Hunters). Friday night was a great night, with friends, hubbly castle and brandy. We had a really good time. We even had another unexpected guest, by the name of Felix! We know him well, but don't see him often.
The next morning, we were all up not to late, dressed and showered by around 10 am. Most of the people went to the rocks on the far end (for those of you who do not know, Ganzekraal is a camping site right next to the ocean) to go "fishing". I did not join them, but from what I heard, they caught
- a lot of seaweed
- a black thing thats sucks with teeth (Mr.Oka's description of it)
- one or two very, very small fish
- a good tan/sunburn
Meanwhile, Anel and I went down to another part of the "beach" (no sand, just stones and rocks), and picked up shells, and just watched the ocean. One part to remember - after I showered, I did not put on shoes. Most people that know me, will know that I do not really walk barefoot, or with sandals.
After the beach/fishing session, Mr.Oka went to dive (with his wet-suit) , and managed to catch .... nothing. During the afternoon, a game of cricket came to live, with some poor shots, worse bowling, and even worse catches (must admit, Wihann made one brilliant catch. One bounce, one hand rule applied).
Once again, those of you that know me, know that I normally dont a) start a fire, and b) do the braai work. Well, Saturday afternoon I was hungry enough to do both! Oh, and all this time, Felix was still sleeping. We actually did not see him again the whole of the weekend.
The rest of the day consisted of good company, good music, Castle and Hunters Dry. Late evening, my feet started getting a bit sore, because of the sun (as the dont see a lot of sun often).
Sunday morning.........
My feet were pink, raw and in terrible pain! I immediately packed up, and went home. It is now Tuesday afternoon, went to the doctor this morning, because the pain was just TO much. I can only go back to work on Friday. Me feet are swelled, and even have infection in them, from the sun.
Still, I whould like to thank my great girlfriend Anel, the birthday boys Wihann and Steve, and the rest of the cast (Salome, Mr.Oka aka Agno aka Arno, Sam, Hendre, Devan, Anre and Nadia, and the rest of the cast, for a great weekend! It was needed!) . Oh, and special guest star : Felix.
No Animals were harmed during the weekend, as the Gorilla stayed at home
I was in Matric in 1999, and if I just followed the advice of Baz Luhrmann, you whould not have been reading this blog just now....
Baz Luhrman -
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…
