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I'm just a girl - Growing up, I was taught that it is right for a girl to cook and clean, she should be a stay-at-home mom, and it was ok to cry. I was taught that a boy should be strong. He could play with guns and cars and would mature into the “man … Continue reading

Do you plan, or do you just let things happen? I have come down with a terrible condition – earworm. You know, it’s when you can’t get a song out your mind. It is actually worse because I don’t even have the full song going on, just a few lines, ‘You can go your own … Continue reading

Technology - Friend or Foe? I’ve been traveling to Eswatini a lot this year. Some months, I have been in Eswatini from Tuesdays to Thursdays and then when I come home there’s almost enough time to catch up on things. I glance through my personal emails and sometimes do a bit of grocery shopping, fulfil … Continue reading

When There Aren't Enough Words When I was ten years old, one of my favourite teachers uncovered my secret in front of the whole class. Even though it was not very important, I was mortified. She, on the other hand, thought it was adorable. I can’t blame her, after all she had found it lying … Continue reading

Life Is Colourful Recently, I was the guest speaker at the Benoni Pages & Wine event. While most people were interested in my story as a mother, or my family, or about adoption, one person stood up and asked the only question I had not been prepared for. “While other people are running away from … Continue reading

Stepping Out Since moving from my paradise island with its memories of beach walks, sunset get-togethers on my balcony, BBQ lunches and Potjiekos dinners with friends, music, laughter, and coffee with oh so much condensed milk, that it became contraband, I have been freezing my skinny little arse off. As most of you know by now, … Continue reading

You Are Not Who You Used To Be - I’m sitting in the sun in my new apartment in Jo'burg and I am typing on my new computer. Its name is Lenny. My last computer was called Sammy and she was a real bitch to me in the end. Sammy would take delight in showing … Continue reading

Relocate to a new old place - TV came late to South Africa, so when it arrived in 1975, I was enthralled – finally, we were in the 20th century. My mom and dad were the owners of a hardware store and amongst some of my father’s innovative ideas was to have a show and … Continue reading

Goodbye and farewell - How good are you at saying farewell? I am terrible. I am happy leaving, but when it comes to saying adieu, I’d rather be the thief in the night than the girl in love saying goodbye to the bad boy from down the street. Some of my friends know that when … Continue reading

Plan to not make plans - The problem with living the type of transient life I lead is that … it is transient. And while that means that I can pick up and swop direction at the change of an island bikini, it also means that I am at the mercy of the ebb and … Continue reading