LONG TME ME NO WRITE.......SORRY..

Oh boy where to start...... Sorry i have taken so long BUT this girl has been super busy ..!! AND also had a slight "writers block" !!!!!!
We have really had an eventful 8 weeks since my last blog....... It has been very good and at some times very bad. Hold onto your seats and get very very comfy as here we go on a catch up session of note.....
UMDLOTI SUNRISE IN SOUTH AFRICA

This magic sunrise greeted us on our first morning in South Africa in Umdloti. Nothing compares to these colours and sound of the ocean. To also know that all my dear Bali Bitches are just next door was a superb feeling. It was on my birthday. The previous night when we arrived at the airport Clydene and Ermanno where there to meet us. Dian was also there as he flew in from Port Elizabeth 3 hours earlier. I had changed into my Abaya on the flight to greet them as an Emirati Lady. It was so good to see them and they all where very impressed with my dress code. I thought I looked very smart.... Must sat I got some very funny looks from other people in the airport and on the plane......There were lots of tears of joy being shed by Clydene and myself.

MY BIRTHDAY PARTY ALA CLYDENE

Here is my dear friend busy setting the table for my birthday party. I had asked all of them not to buy a gift but to make us dinner and we all celebrate each others company...... It was so good to be amongst very good friends. We call each other (the girls) The Bali Bitches (after our Bali trip) but we are all known to each other as the extended family. That is actually what we are. Like family. We laugh and cry and squabble all the time BUT we will jump for each other.
CLydene made my favourite home made lasagna. All home made (Yes the pasta as well....) It is delicious.... She is a real Italian mamma.....
This smile was really out of absolute fatigue......and proud of her home made lasagna.... My boys ate as if there was no tomorrow AND then the main meal arrived.....Lasagna was only the starter... I would love to eat some right now.

Gesi was there and it is always so good to see her and hug her again. She is such a lovable friend..And so beautiful. here she has the rare chance of getting a hug from Hannes
Marietjie and Mario where also at the dinner BUT at that time the camera was long forgotten ...
The talk and chatter at the table was like old times. Noisy and lively and every one adding their two cents worth. What a joy to have that in my life......


Dian was with us already and then JC and Rossouw arrived from Johannesburg. here is a family shot of the 5 of us. So very very good to see all my boys and to see them happy and well. We had a wonderful party and so much love and laughter all around.
Thanks Clydene for all the hard work and to gesi and marietjie you 2 are still the best friends I can hope for.....
THE VAN DIJKS'S TOGETHER.... SUCH A FABULOUS PHOTO.

It is very rare lately to have all 5 of us together. This photo is cherished. I have come to really appreciate the family times together and also the gathering of other family and friends. It is the most precious "thing" we can have. I am very blessed and happy to say and feel so loved by my family, mother, sister and brothers and friends.

BARBARA ALA DUFUS


This dear friend made the trip from Rustenburg especially to come and see us for one day. We have been friends for a long time and she always seems to go the extra mile.....We had many chats and catch ups of happenings in each other life. her eyes are red from lack of sleep and tears. I kept her up very late and we had tears of joy and sorrow to share. Love you Dufus. You are special.
LEON AND JINNY. MY ONE AND ONLY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND

We had 3 days of special bonding time with Jinny and Leon. They were on their way to Sodwana and stopped with us for 3 days. Well we ate, drank and laughed all the time. Jinny and I go a very long way and Leon was always in the thick of it. We are very close and share all feelings and ideas. We tend to catch each other humor as well. It was so good to have this time with them. It always feels as if we saw each other the day before and the tie in between just does not exist. She has always been a very strong pillar of strength and love in my life. I LOVE YOU JINNY AND CHERISH YOU ALWAYS.

DIAN READY FOR THE DURBAN JULY 2009

Dian had decided to go to the July (horse race f the year). He and a friend decided to really dress. He looked so smart. A shit I miss him so much...... He had a very good time and we fetched him and Rossouw and Roxy at 3am.

ROSSOUW AND ROXY

These two cousins had a ball. Roxy is Jinny's daughter and my god daughter. The two of them had a bonding time deluxe before going t the July. It is so true when you say blood is thicker than water as these two have not had much personal contact over the last years but they got on as if they had never been separated. The banter and jokes between them was hilarious.... They also went to the July and had a ball.

THIS WAS A BAD ONE. ROSSOUW'S" CAR

On our second last night in Umdloti Dian and Rossouw were involved in a head on collision. This is the car the 2 boys got out of farely unharmed..... Dian was the designated driver as he was not drinking. An indigenous male from Zululand decided to stop in the oncoming lane on a motorway and at a blind corner to get out of his car to have a pee....... As Dian came round the corner he went head on into this stationary vehicle...... We are s lucky both boys were wearing seat belts and that Dian was riving at a farely slow speed. Both got out of this total wreck alive. Dian had very bad concussion and Rossouw fractured his hand and foot.

The call from Dian to come and help them nearly stopped my hart. It felt like forever for us to get to them at the accident scene. I am so glad Hannes was also there to take some charge ...

Rossouw was admitted and had an operation to his hand the next morning.
I feel nothing for the car just so very very glad to have my boys alive and well...

After the accident we all left for Johannesburg to spend 3 days before our return to Dubai.

GERRY - MY ELDEST BROTHER

We all went to visit him on the farm at Brits. It was a huge family get together of the uncles and aunts (like me) and his grand children. It was a very hot day but we were all still a little shell shocked after the accident and Rossouw was on crutches and bandages. It was good to see Gerry and his kids and grand children.

MY MOM.

My mom is 84 and she joined us from cape Town to visit. Was very good to see her again and to see that she is doing well in spite of her age. She lives in a very lani retirement village in cape Town in her own house. Se still does all her cooking herself and keeps herself very social in her community.
It s a privilege to still have parents around. Love you Mom.

MY BROTHER MIKE

HIS WIFE ESTELLE

We stayed with them is Johannesburg for 3 days before we left back to Dubai. It always feels like home when I visit them as I know where everything (especially the coffee and the sweets ) are. They are always so good to me on every visit. Mike took Estelle and me to lunch one afternoon in Rosebank and it is such special times one always remembers.

They will be visiting us in Dubai n September after a visit to Thailand. I can't wait to show them this fantastic place.
Gourmet Station here we come....................

RACHELLE AND ME

RACHELLE'S HUSBAND JUAN (The little angel....)

Rachelle is Gerry's daughter and her and I have always had a very special friendship. It does not feel like Aunt and cousin. We are just great friends. HER 3 KIDS FEEL LIKE MY OWN AND ARE ADORABLE

JUAN AND ME

Now this one is a different specie to you and me. He is rachelle's brother but is very very funny. You can laugh at anything he says as he talks colourful. One of his saying I adore when some one is not very clever is : He just went to school to eat the sandwiches. I think that is so funny. he was on the farm with his wife (also Rachelle) Go figure that one... Sister is Rachelle married to Juan. Juan the brother is married to Rachelle. We now have nick names for them to determine who s who......

The farm was Pierre's farm. This is the stone that gerry had made to remember Pierre. Myself, my Mom, gerry and Dok went to the place where it is on the farm and a small remembrance bench has been placed. Well to say the least we had our tears for Pierre. It IS EXACTLY A YEAR TODAY SINCE HE DIED, and I still miss him badly.....

PIERRE I KNOW YOU ARE WATCHING OVER ME FROM YOUR SPACE.....REMEMBER I LOVE AND MISS YOU STACKS ... GIVE MY LOVE TO DAD TOO.

After all this eating and visiting all the time I was ready to go back to Dubai. All the boys went their separate ways and we cam back to Dubai.

I now had 14 days to settle us in a new apartment as our previous lease was up and we wanted to get a little bigger apartment.

I left all my loved one's with a sad hart. It is only the people I miss.

Jetting into Dubai we were struck by the heat as it was now high summer here and we left South Africa in the winter.

I jumped int the flat hunting with avengeance........ Now all of you it works so differently here. I knew where we wanted to stay (The area) but now how brown cow.....FIND THE BUGGER.

I contacted agents to show me appartments. Hannes on the other hand gave me a strict budget to keep too..... I have to tell you these two do not go hand in hand.

I saw 49 appartments and did my best haggling with the rental price. After many walks (It is too close to get a taxi and keep in mind the temp. is hitting upper 40's by now) I was a wet T shirt and long pants advert daily.....

I then lined up only 2 appartments for Hannes to OK. he wanted 2 bedrooms and I wanted 3 bedrooms. After all the effort I got a fantastic appartment in JBR (stand for Jumeira beach Residence) (Go google it) It is in the Dubai marina and beach front. JBR consists of 6 sets of 6 towers. Do the maths. 36 towers in total. The street level is called THE WALK. It has restaurants and shops and people walking all he time.

We have a marina vieuw from the lounge and full sea vieuw from the bedrooms. Pool vieuws and garden vieuws from all windows.... This is a serious wow....

AND WE HAVE SPACE........ The apartment is easily 3x the size of our previous one.

MAP OF JBR

Eack coloured block is a set of towers. We are in the one on the far right. Called MURJAN. It has six towers. (48 floors each) The next set is called SADAF. The one next to that is BAHAR. Then RIMAL then AMWASJ and lastly SHAMS.

VIEUW FROM OUR BALCONY

We are on the 23rd floor. Less dust and very quiet.

NIGHT VIEUW FROM THE STUDY. THAT IS WHAT i AM LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.

ONE OF THE POOLS N THE GARDENS.

OUR LOUNGE AND DINING ROOM AND DOOR TO THE BALCONY.

VIEUW FROM THE LOUNGE WINDOW. YOU CAN SEE THE MARINA.

MY FISH TANK LOOKS SO SMALL IN THIS APPARTMENT.

SMALL PORTION OF THE KITCHEN. SERVING HATCH BETWEEN DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN.

SPARE BEDROOM

MAIN BEDROOM

VIEUW FROM ONE OF MY BEDROOM WINDOWS

MY GARDEN ON THE BALCONY. gOT MY OWN HERBS GOING.....

There is a curry tree and rosemary and basil and origanum growing. The chives are not doing too well. I have lanted sone magnolia's for the smell at night and waiting for their flowers to start blooming. In the big pot in the front is a bouganvilla and tomatoes are startng to grow......

I want to go organic now..................

Clydene check out the watering can carfully. It was only cream beofre I go my glue gun in my hand. and.......................................

Now girls an boys this move was effing hectic. Hannes did the trips between our old appartment and to here with just the "few" things that were ours. The old appartment was furnished.

HA HA HA A......We are like hamsters...Everything must be taken to the nest.....He did 8 trips with the prado fully packed before all our stuff was here.....NO FUNITURE.

I stayed at the new appartment cleaning before he came with the stuff. Cuboards had to be washed out floors cleaned ect ect ect. Here the shit starts. We had no power or water yet as the previous tenant had not paid his bil si we can not get connected bfore that happens..... N sweat for me I come from SA and am used to load shedding BUT no water is a biggy.

I carted big holders of water every day to wash and clean. I lost 6 kg in this little exercise.... Not complaining....
After 3 days we had power and water......

I had to get a pakistani kaniverstani remval van to bring the 4 cupboards we had bought from our old appartment. Again it was a little "bakkie" with frills and fluff all over the place.

s soon as the water was connected one of the taps in the laundry laked masively......Whole flat flooded....... This was good as it was then clean very quickly without me having to cart water....BUT not one dry towel in the flat and you know what??????????? No tumble dryer yet...

This appartment was totally empty so we had to furnish with everything. All kitchen appliances (called white stuff here) Stove, fridge/freezer, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer.

I now have a fantastic 100cm stove........

The other furniture I scouted all over Dubai looking for special and cheap furniture as we decidd that we might not ship all this back to where ever wnenever....

We were lucky as oe of the other doctors returned to South Africa and they had odds and ends of furniture which they had only used for a year and we liked most of it so we just bught it from them at fabtastic prices.

It took 1 week for our nternet to be p nd running and about a week for all the kitchen appliances to be installed. here the shop dlivers it and the company who's equipent it is installs it.

Oh boy INSHALLAH and Fridays it takes forever.

I am so very happy here in Dubai and love the appartment as I go swimming every evening at about 9. There is always a life guard on duty and I do not have to clean or look after this pool. It is also very very safe ad you can go alone and not even think about it. I lie on my back in the pool ad cool down and look at the stars and just collect all my thought in a very quiet place. I love water and it has and enormous calming effect on me. You just have to see that this blog is started and ended with a photo of the water.....

Whie I was doing all this moving stuff Rossouw, JC and Dian were flown to cape Town by my sister for Roxy's 21st. Leon (he is an orthopeadic surgeon) saw that Rossouw's hand was not good and not position and his foot was still not ok. he looked him over again and had to redo the hand operation and a new fracture was discovered in his foot...... Thank heavens fr my sister that looked after Rossouw as if it id her own and he was in such good hands with Leon. I feel very guilty for not being there BUT my sister was better to him than I might have been.

THANKS JINNY AND LEON

Rossouw has joined us in Dubai. He will have to find a job here for hin t have a long stay visa. I think he will be here until end 2010. he needs to save money to further his career and so forth. I think he needs to be here with us now as he has had too many losses in the last few months and he needs to get to basics again. It is good to have him here.

Now I am buggered........

This is my goodbye shot for today. This si what I see from my bedroom window every day as the sun sets.

This was a hige nfo blog to get all of you up to speed on my life. My thought and feelings (there are so many) will come in the next blog......

LORETA