Picture of the week

One of the most enduring couples I know, who have faced hardships together through thick and thin. Lesley and Erol. Bless you both!!

A couple recent pictures

2006 going in to 2007

It was a year ago today that we all set off to Glentana for our Christmas holiday. It seems such a long time ago though in a funny way only yesterday.
Well, here we are a year later - you have all moved to the UK and seem to be settling in and I will be on my way to you in just 2 or three days from now. I cannot wait - cannot wait at all.
Last year we were heading south for a beach, this year you are living on a beach and I am heading north to it!! Somehow strange.
Anyway, cheers to Christmas 2006 and lets hope that 2007 will be a good year for all of us.
xxxxxxx

Indonesia

Well, here we are again in Indonesia. The second race in 9 months at Sentul Circuit. It will have its challenges, but I am sure will not be as challenging as February 12 2006.
This is the only circuit to have had 2 races within one calendar year, for various reasons.

Pic of the week

Christmas 2006

What's the plan?

Tea Time in the Highlands

Ever wondered where tea comes from? Wel, one of the places is Kenya in Africa and another is Malaysia - the Cameron Highlands tea plantations.

Morning all

Miss you lots.
So - what is all the fuss about Madonna adopting a little boy from Africa - do you think the fuss is just becasue she is Madonna or what?
I cannot fathom it really.

Nearly November

Strange to think that it is nearly November already. Almost a year since our holiday and 4 months since you arrived in the UK. Amazing how much can change so quickly. It has been a long hard year in many ways and I am getting quite fed up with long hard years. Seems to be so little purpose to it all really at times, especially when I am so far away from you all. I miss you all very very much and cannot wait to see you again. Big hugs and love to you all. xxxxxxx

It has been a while.....

Wow - I have just seen that I have not updated this for nearly a month....
Well, I have been awake most of the night after my flight... I gave up trying to sleep in the end and have been working for the last two hours - next I will shower and then go have breakfast - I will probably need to go to bed then but will have a days work to do.....
It was absolutley fantastic to see you all this past week. You are all looking great.
I know that the last two months have been a bit unsettling as you have not had your own stuff around you and so on, but that is nearly at an end.
I am delighted that you have all got in to school and astonished as to how much you are all looking forward to actually going to school.... Amazing - I wish that when I was your age I looked forward to school the way you do. I suspect that yesterday you went out and got your uniforms from a comment Mummy made to me on the phone last night. That bit I did used to enjoy every year - new shirts, trousers, shoes - yummy.
I hope that your first days will be OK and that you settle in quickly and make good new friends. Remember what I said on Saturday - most people are shy when they meet new people so don't worry if the boys and girls in your class are not immediatley friendly.
They will warm to you soon enough.
I experienced this a few times when I was younger.
Remember that you do not have to pretend to be anything other than yourselves to make friends. Just be yourselves - you all have remarkable stories to tell that most of the kids that you will meet will never experience.
We are very lucky people to travel the way we do and to see and experience some of the things that we have experienced.
Use that to your advantage, but nicely - never brag or show off.
To the kids in your new classes, it is YOU that is the exotic and exciting person. So just know that in the back of your head when you feel a bit shy and worried about how strange all the new experiences are.
You will all be GREAT!! And you will all make great friends too.
Let me know how it goes my loves!!
I love you beyond anything imaginable. With all my heart and soul.
xxxx

Hello my gorgeous children

It's been a while since I updated my blog with lots having happened since the last entry.
I hope you are all OK - when I spoke to you yesterday I was not too sure whether you are OK, or not, to be honest.
I hope to be in the UK from 25 August or so, assuming all goes according to plan in the next few days here in KL.
I cannot wait to see you, hold you, spend time with you and generally hang out, you know.
I think Mummy needs to encourage you all to use email a bit more regularly so that we can stay in touch more regularly than just the telephone conversations which always seem so rushed to me.
Love you all - miss you as always.

Surreal Moments

A mundane taxi ride turned magically surreal.....
Sitting in the back of a taxi this morning, listeninng to the national broadcaster news service followed by the opening bars of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Sweet Home Alabama'....
The 60+ Indian Sikh driver, turban, jewellery and all, cranks up the volume saying "One of the best songs ever written".
As Skynyrd get well and truly in to the best of it, the driver starts talking about the importance of educating children properly in this world, teaching them to understand differences and to tolerate them all, whilst muttering that every couny in the world is "the bloody same" when it comes to discrimination issues and the unjustness of it all in realtion to simple people just trying to survive.
The irony of this, as we drive past Kuala Lumpur's mosques and western embassies next door to each other, all set to the foot stomping guitars and lyrics of a song about place called Alabama, once the world's focus on basic human rights issues, was not lost on me....
Bloody marvellous moment in life.... Sweet Home Alabama......

Boo!!!

How are you all doing? It has been three days now since you arrived in England.....
I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that it was not too hot for you.
How are Tom, Anna, Sandy and Lou?
How was your lunch with Niall yesterday?
Missing you all terribly and am hoping to be able to get over to see you quite soon.
xxxxx

Welcome to England.

At least the weather will be good when you arrive - Sandy tells me that Sunday is forecast for 30 degrees. That is a lot hotter than SA is at the moment.
I hope you all had a good flight and that you are not too tired when your journey finally ends.
Have a wonderful weekend and remember that I love you all very very much.

Today is the day!!

Wow..... hard to believe that today has actually come. You must all be very excited about getting on the plane tonight and waking up in England in the morning....
I am quite sure that Tom and Anna are very excited to see you too, so that will be fun when you get there tomorrow. Not te mention your cousins of course and everyone else that is looking forward to seeing you including Mama Lou and Daddy O.
I love you all more than I can ever ever express.
xxxx

Father's Day

My darling darling children....
I have just received your 4 beautiful cards and the wonderful envelope that Mummy decorated so typically "mummy" style!!
Thank you for the love and the messages written by each of you in each card. To say "I miss you" would be a complete and utter understatement.
Thank you thank you thank you thank you.....

The Boer - Arthur Conan Doyle

"Take a community of Dutchmen, the type who defended themselves for fifty years against all the power of Spain at a time when Spain was the greatest power in the world. Intermix with them a strain of those inflexible French Huguenots who gave up home and fortune and left their country for ever at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The product must obviously be one ofthe most rugged, virile, unconquerable races ever seen upon earth. Take this formidable people and train them for seven generations in constant warfare against savage men and ferocious beasts, in circumstances under which no weakling could survive, place them so that they acquire exceptional skill with weapons and in horsemanship, give them a country which is eminently suited to the tactics of the huntsman, the marksman and the rider. Then, finally, put a finer temper upon their military qualities by a dour fatalistic Old Testament religion and an ardent and consuming patriotism. Combine these qualities and all these impulses in one individual, and you have the modern Boer - the most formidable antagonist who ever crossed the path of Imperial Britain...."

2 weeks to go...

Wow - the final countdown has begun....
2 weeks from today is your last day in South Africa and the next day you will wake up just before you land in England..... Are you excited?
I am sure that the few days between now and then will be fraught with all sorts of issues and worries, but all will be OK. Please help and support Mummy as much as you can in this time as the job that she has between now and then to sort everything out is nothing short of MAMMOTH.
I love you - and am thinking of you every minute of every day.

Dolly Parton once said....

The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain......

African bush fires

Every winter in South Africa the landscape is cleansed by these naturally occuring bush fires. Not a great picture but then again I was not hanging around as it was 20 feet from the car with flames 8 feet high....

Jesse....

You said that I look "tired and funny" in your comment about the picture of me and Daniella - your cousin. Well, it was almost a year ago. I was tired, but I look "funny" because i had shaved my beard off..... and I so know how much you hate that........ I won't do it again. OK?

Goodbye South Africa

Nine years to the day since Mummy, Megan and Jesse arrived in South Africa, I left SA as my home.
And you will all leave soon to be in the UK.
Change is a good thing. It comes with great sadness at times, but one should never look back. Only forward. Nothing of the past can be changed, but everything of the future is there to be made the way we want it to be.
I will see you all "on the other side".
Love you without end.
Daddy

Pic of the day

Another Sunday

Well, another week passes by. This has been a particularly frustrating week work wise with very little forward movement in what we are trying to do here in Malaysia. Frankly it is annoying.
The only consolation is that I will be back in South Africa this time next week for my birthday and I cannot wait to see you all when I get there.
Mummy and I have all our fingers and toes crossed and double crossed that everything will now go smoothly for the move to England.
I am sorry that I have not updated for 2 whole weeks. Have not really had too much to say.

Sunday Sunday.......

I wonder how you all are?
The last two times that we have spoken, you have all been very distracted. So distracted in fact that I have not really felt that we had a conversation. It has been hard to catch up with you properly.
Mummy seems to think that I am being a "drama queen" about it, which is a bit unfair. By now I would have thought that we all understand how difficult it is that I am so far away, and that we should be compensating for it somehow.
I hear that you are all very excited (perhaps over excited) to get to the UK and also now very disappointed that the sale of the house seems to be dragging on forever.
Unfortunately that is the nature of house buying and selling. It takes time and effort and above all patience.
Sooner or later you will all be in the UK.
Try not to rush through your last days in South Africa. Regardless of how good or bad you think South Africa is, please try to enjoy your last days there.
Megan, you have lived there since you were 4, and Jesse, you have lived there since you were not even 2 years old.....
Jake and Wendy - you were both BORN there.
I was born there, and I am South African before I am anything else. Even before I am a drama queen!
When you are all older, the fact that you lived there and 2 of you were born there will mean more to you than it does right now. It really will.
So please try to be patient and above all help Mummy and nana Yia Yia as this is a very hard time for them, as all they want is for you all to be settled safe and sound in England as soon as possible. You will be.
It will happen when it is meant to happen.
Love you all.

The sky above the South China Sea

In the wilds.... of Borneo...

.... I came across this young man.
"Orang Utang" means "man of the forest" - he is about 4 years old and an orphan, as a result of deforestation in Malaysia and on the island of Borneo specifically....
He is looked after by some absolutely amazing people who, in time, will rehabilitate him to the wild.
Normally a baby Orang Utang would stay with its parents until around 7 or 8 years old, which I suppose is about the same as people being 16, 17 or 18 by the time parents may think their children might just survive on their own...

The most amazing thing about today was this: just as the group was about to set off up the mountain, an old man joined us. he must have been about 70, and very frail - he was walking with a zimmer frame that had little wheels on it. Shuffling really - not walking. I thought to myself that he would potter around the nature reservation garden as there would be no way that he would make it up the hill, on what turned out to be a very steep jungle trail going up about 50 metres from the start point to where the viewing platform was for the young orphaned Orang Utangs.

About 10 minutes after I got to the viewing platform, the old man was there. He had been carried up on the back of one of the game rangers!! CARRIED. And then he was carried down. 35 degree heat - 80% humidity. CARRIED.

I said to the ranger that he had done an amazing thing and he said simply, "It is my job sir."

There are some amazing people in this world. It is good to find them and remind oneself that there are these amazing people going about their daily business.

Wonderful.

Gezellig

“Gezellig” is a fantastic word.
It is a Dutch word that cannot really be translated….
It means togetherness, coziness, fun, satisfaction, love and warmth - all rolled in to one.
It is a feeling more than a meaning, or a meaning with feeling.
“Gezellig” is about people.
“Gezellig” can happen over a cup of coffee, it can be over dinner, it can be around a camp fire, a Christmas tree, in a car or at a bar.
It can be a group of people laughing and chatting on a train, it can be a couple walking in the rain.
It is a feeling to be looked forward to, a feeling that you will know when you experience it. And you will miss when not experiencing it.
It is a good feeling, a comfortable feeling, a warm cozy and loving feeling. A trusting feeling, a place in your heart reserved for family and special friends of whom you are a part.

Pic of the week

Gone again

My gorgeous children..... Well those nine days together seemed to fly like none other before them. I hate it when I have to leave and I know that you do not want me to leave when I do. Nevermind, I will see you all soon enough. I will not be away as long as the last time which was over two months. I hope that school is OK now that you are back. Please try to stay focussed on your studies even if it seems hard to do knowing that you are going to England soon.
I love you all very very much.

Home again

You guys have NO idea how good it is to see you and how happy you make me. Sadly the time will fly that we are able to see eachother, but every second will be worth it and every second I will cherish until I next see you.

Picture of the week

Shanghai, China - 2 April 2006

18 months of work come together in a spectacular 1st and 2nd place at the final race of the season in Shanghai. I cannot tell you how happy I am for the team.......

Shanghai, China

Gosh - it has been nearly a week since I updated you..... I am now in China. In a city called Shanghai, right over on the eastern seaboard of the Chinese mainland. It is a massive city - 20 million people - that is nearly half the population of the whole of South Africa. Very interesting place to be. It is the first place in the world I have been to where I cannot read simple street signs because they are in Chinese and the Chinese alphabet is so different to the Roman alphabet which is what we use.
It is the last race weekend which is sad on the one hand but also quite a relief for most of the guys as the travelling schedule has been punishing.
It also means that I will be home in the not too distant future - as you well know. Not many sleeps to go now.
I will try to update you again during the course of the weekend.
I love you , miss you and am now very very desperate to see you.
I think yesterday was your last day of term. I hope you have a good holiday and don't forget to plan some stuff that we can do together.
xxxx

Check it out Jake....

Jake - this is the new Playstation 3 - Looks cool doesn't it....

I love these pictures

Thought you might like them too Meggie. Hope you guys are having a nice weekend.... Looking forward to chatting to you later.

Healthier Friday

Good morning may babbas!!
How are you? For the last three days my bathrrom scales have said that I weigh 95kg. That is the lightest I have been in 5 or 6 years and I feel great for it. Truly great. (Dr Shalala will be pleased!)
Only 16 more sleeps until I am home. This last trip will have been 2 and a half months by then which is better than the 5 months we had to endure before Christmas, but still a very long time to be away from you. I cannot wait to see you.
I hope you have a good weekend and I will keep my fingers crossed for you for the house "show day" on Sunday.
Please just rememeber that houses are a question of personal taste and someone will walk in one day and not even have to look in to every nook and cranny to make their decision, just as we did way back in June 1998. Megan was 5, Jesse was 2 and a half and Jake was only 3 months old!! Goodness me. Anyway......
The house will sell when IT meets the right people and then your next great adventure can begin. And what fun it will be.
Love you all - thinking of you all and hugging you all.

Picture of the day

Thunderstorms

Every afternoon for the past month at around this time - 16h00 onwards - a big thunderstorm has rolled in to Kuala Lumpur. And every afternoon as I sit doing my work, the storms make me think of Johannesburg, home and you guys. You have had a bit of a funny week this week with two days off at the beginning of it, haven't you? I hope you were able to settle in to the school routine after that. So, any other thoughts for what we can do when I am back? Let me know..... love you.

F1 in Malaysia

Yesterday was a long day at Sentul International Circuit watching the F1 race there. Malaysians are very proud to be a host nation of the Formula 1 series and there were at least 100,000 people at the race yesterday. I spent the day chatting to various people that we now know very well through what we are doing with A1 and unfortunately managed to get my head quite sunburned. Never have been able to find a decent cap and it was not really approriate for me to wear my South African bandana like I did on holiday. Would not have gone own too well.
I hope you all have a good week at school - not long now before your Easter holidays. I used to love the last couple of weeks of term before a good holiday break. Teachers always seemed to be in a better mood too!!

Jesse's back tooth

Well done Jesse.... mmmmm. Growing up now eh? Thanks for letting me now about your tooth my angel.

Your comments!!!

Megan and Jesse - my gorgeous girls........thank you for commenting on my last entry earlier today. Ice skating no problem - Sun City may be a little more difficult, but I am sure that we will find some interesting stuff to all do together.
Now that you have registered your own blogspots - you should try to keep them updated occassionally. Whatever you put there we will then use in www.leed-family.com when I get that up and running nicely.
Love you both very very much!! Please give my love and hugs to Jake and Wendy.

Good morning...

I took this picture on January 22 last year at Singapore airport where they have a beautiful roof garden, and today is a sunny sunflower day.
I have been awake since 06h35 which is actually very frustating as I feel as though I need more sleep. I couldn't drift off again, so caught up on the world news on CNN, had a nice long shower and some scrambled aggs and salmon for breakfast.
Now I am sitting in the 27th floor of the Shangri-La Hotel in a very comfortable lounge watching the city slowly wake up and get busy again. It is an exciting weekend for Kuala Lumpur because the Formula 1 race happens here tomorrow, so all the hotels are full of people who come from all over the world to see the race here. The race circuit is one of the most modern in the world and for some, like South Africans, Malaysia is a much cheaper place to watch F1 live rather than travel to Europe. In fact last night, I had a quick drink with some guys who are here from The Cape - they are friends of Werner Roux, my LagoonBay client. Werner called me and asked if I would meet up with them, which I did. Seem to be nice guys. I will see them tonight for dinner as last night they were a bit tired and jet lagged.
When I got back to the hotel I bumped in to Alex and Arianna and had sushi with them for supper, which was really really nice.
I hope that you guys have a nice weekend. I look forward to speaking to you later today.
I miss being woken up by you in the mornings. I miss Jake gently stroking my face and then crawling in to bed with me.... I miss a lot.

Friday AGAIN....

Thinking of you all very much. I will be going to the Formula 1 race on Sunday at Sepang International Circuit with Alex which should be a bit of fun. Hope you have some fun things lined up to do.
Guys - you need to email me with some thoughts about what you would like to do when I am home for Easter. And not just 20 ideas about how much chocolate we are going to eat.... Cannot wait to see you.

Teddy playing soccer

Thought you guys might want to see a picture that Auntie Megan sent me of your cousin Teddy playing soccer. Committing a terrible foul mind you!! He is in the red shirt with his leg jammed between the other little boy's legs....... mmmm Teddy!!!

This is how I look today

A mug shot taken for passports and visas. Me, myself and I today looking right at ya!!!

Why parents might be driven to drink....

A boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not phoned in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialled the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper.
"Hello."
"Is your daddy home?" he asked.
"Yes," whispered the small voice.
"May I talk with him?"
The child whispered, "No."
Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?"
"Yes."
"May I talk with her?"
Again the small voice whispered, "No."
Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, "Is anybody else there?"
"Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman"
Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, "May I speak with the policeman?"
"No, he's busy", whispered the child.
"Busy doing what?"
"Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman," came the whispered answer.
Growing more worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?"
"A helicopter" answered the whispering voice.
"What is going on there?" demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.
Again, whispering, the child answered, "The search team just landed the helicopter."
Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, "What are they searching for?"
Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle:

"ME."

Traci Chapman

I see that Mummy left a comment a while ago about my favourite Traci Chapman song. Well Mummy, it makes me cry too. I cannot hear that song without thinking of my family. It is a good song and it has great meaning in our little place in the world. Remember when Jake could not sleep without that CD playing quietly in the corner of his room?

One month to go

Only a month to go until I see you all again - seems like an eternity frankly but I am sure it will pass quite quickly.
I am in Singapore today and will spend the day with Jon Collins - remember him? I have been invited as a guest to a golf tournament (yawn) and Jon will be my guest.
I am sure he and I will catch up nicely although I did have a few drinks with him in November in Kuala Lumpur.
I hope that you all have lots of fun this weekend.
Thinking of you constantly and aching to see you all. Touch you all. Smell your hair and hold you!

Happy Birthday Jake

Words fail me.... You are 8. EIGHT!!!.
Mummy and I had a spectacular experience with you my man. As you know Mummy brought you in to the world on her own. I simply tried to make sure you were both OK, and then I cried alot. Mummy can tell you why. Have a wonderful day. I am sorry that I am not with you.

Boo

How we all doing in sunny SA? Thinking of you all and as always missing you. Things in KL are a bit boring to be honest, but have to say that it is nice to be settled in one place for a little while. I am busy trying to plan my trip home for Easter and was wondering what you guys mught like to do when I am home. Any thoughts?........

Good luck A1TM

Good luck in Mexico this weekend guys.

Friday feeling

How you all doing guys? Well, it is Friday again.... Woke up this morning running a fever, so stayed in bed quite late to try to break it. Feel a bit better now, but still not 100%.
What have you all got planned for the weekend? Anything exciting? I will try to call you this evening for a chat. Missing you tonnes and tonnes.
Kisses all round....

Looking forward to seeing you and PICTURES

I did not sleep particularly well last night thinking about you and missing you all. It will not be too long before I am home again and I am looking forward to Easter with you all. Hopefully by then we will be a few steps closer to the move to England and Mummy and I can be planning it properly.
I have not looked forward to a weekend as much as I am looking forward to this one for a while. I intend doing absolutely nothing and spending a good bit of time by the pool or in the pool while I watch the results of Alex and the boys in Mexico. I will have a bit of work to do in terms of getting the news out in KL about how the team is doing, but essentially am looking forward to getting some sleep and catching up with myself a little.
I look forward to speaking to you all over the weekend and hope that school has been OK this week.
I have asked Mummy to organise some up to date pictures of you - nice ones!! Smiley ones.... One set for me and another for Mama Lou and Daddy O who have asked for the pictures. So when Mummy says you are going for photos please go and please smile nicely. When I am home I am aso going to have a set done of us together.....
Love you!!

42 years.....

Wow.... MamaLou and Daddy O have been married for 42 years on 22 February. That is amazing. If you get the chance you could call them and say "Happy Anniversary". I am sure that they would really appreciate that.
Hope you are all OK. Seems ages since we spoke.

Back in Kuala Lumpur

Well, I am back in KL kiddos. Wish I was with you but that will be soon enough. Thinking of you and missing you terribly.

Indonesia

I write this on Thursday 16 February, three days after leaving Indonesia. My intention is to try to put down the experiences of the last week in Indonesia and for you to see it as some kind of warning. A warning about the nature of people and how they can be.... the bad, greedy and very very nasty side of people's natures....
In October 2005, we decided to work with a group of people who were interested in becoming the local Indonesian franchise partner. The relationship was difficult from the start with some quite profound differences in opinion and thinking about how the business should be. Little did we know how difficult and dangerous these people are.
On Sunday 12 February, in the middle of what was an amazingly successful A1 event, put together
by our team in very difficult circumstances, our partner in Indonesia decided to make a play for the control of the business. But in a way that was and is profoundly disturbing.
He stated that Jack had offended the Indonesian president. Not possible given that Jack had not seen the president...
Jack and I were locked in a room and lives were threatened by 4 Indonesians. Jack was forced to sign an apology to the president.
The end result is that we left Indonesia on Monday in fear of our lives.
We are now working very hard to ensure that these people do not get the business or any part of it. The lesson really is this.... It does not matter how you may think that people have the same moral and ethical values as we do - many simply do not. Sadly, countries like Indonesia deserve the reputation that they have as unsafe, unfriendly, dangerous places. I will not be returning.
Always trust your instincts. It was my instincts that kept me safe, and my size, but mainly my instincts.
Awful human beings. The lot of them.

Race day approaches

At last we are on the eve of the race day in Indonesia, a day that at times we never thought would arrive. It has been a long hard slog, but everyone is upbeat and looking forward to tomorrow. Alex did well today qualifying in 6th position for the first race tomorrow. The picture is of the Indonesian car, driven by Ananda Mikola, with a volcano in the background.....

Happy Birthday Wendy

9th February 2006 - Happy Birthday Wendy. You are 7 now - amazing. I hope that you will be a good girl. Have a nice day. Love you.

Happy Birthday Megan

8th February 2006. Happy Happy 13th Birthday. Wecome to your teens my angel. Enjoy them - they can be a lot of fun.... Miss you and love you!

One week to go

We have one week to go before the race in Indonesia and I can tell you that this has been an experience and a half here in Indonesia in the past three months. Unreal country to do work in. Hope you are all OK - love you and miss you.

Fed up

There are days that I really wonder why I put up with the way that people talk to me, when I am on "active duty" 18 hours a day 7 days a week.....
Hope you chaps all have a great weekend.
Will be thinking of you.

Hot and sutry

Ask Mummy to show you on the map where Jakarta is and try to find a place called Sentul that is east of Jakarta. That is where i am now. It is hot and very humid here with the humidity making it very uncomfortable.
Thinking of you all.

Flying visit...

Well, the Durban race is over. The race that was conceived by Stephen and worked on for so long to achieve - amazing all done in a flash without any real opportunity to stand still and recognise the monstrous achievement that it has been.

Remember how he and I used to spend hours in my old office - well - one of those things we were doing was planning exactly such an event.

The saddest part of this visit though is only being able to see you guys for a few hours on Wednesday last week.

I will be back as soon as I possibly can.

Love you and miss you already.

One more sleep

At last the day that I so often wait for - the one in which I can say - ONE MORE SLEEP. You should all be sleeping while I write this at 08h30 on Tuesday morning 24 Januray 2006. I hope you sleep well.
See you tomorrow!

I don't like Mondays....

Here I am with Alex's mother Jo, on Saturday morning at the wedding. Right now am in the office and I have that typical Monday morning feeling. Trying to get the brain in to gear in order to get some work done........ Hope your Monday is OK

Keep Smiling...

Keep smiling kiddos.

I am watching you!!

And I LOVE YOU...

Fat Dabdy

Did you know that on the day that we left on holiday I weighed 103 kg??!! (For Mummy that is 16.2 stone!!)

Well, I decided that is enough is enough and having seen a couple of pictures of me from the holiday, to sort that out.

This morning, I weigh 97 kg - that is 6 kg less than a month ago. (nearly 1 stone GONE)

No wonder I have been bad tempered!! ;-)

Weekend ahoy!

Beautifully hot day in Kuala Lumpur today.... Wish I could sit by the pool with a gin and tonic or a beer or something - but not too many of them as I do know how you hate it when I drink...

Tomorrow I am off to a wedding. Alex Yoong's sister is getting married. Her name is Pippa and she is marrying a New Zealander (Kiwi) called Andrew. Pippa is a former water skiing champion in Asia.

It should be a really nice day with some interesting and fun people at the wedding. Church service in the morning and then a party/reception in the evening, so I will be able to have a swim or something in the afternoon.

I will leave the hotel late on Tuesday night and be back in South Africa at about the time you will be waking up on Wednesday morning. Then on Thursday leave for the race in Durban.

Thinking of you all and missing you terribly.

Traci Chapman

"If you wait for me,
And I come for you,
Although I have travelled far,
I always hold a place for you in my heart"

Insomnia

Another long night of tossing and turning thinking about how nice it would be to be on a permanent holiday. When I did sleep I dreamt of the children arguing over who would help me cook, or bake or something.... Never did get to bake the bread that I wanted to on our holiday this past December.... Oh well 6 more sleeps until I am in Johannesburg again...

Philosophy

All people dream, but not equally.
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their mind,
Wake in the morning to find that it was vanity.

But the dreamers of the day are dangerous people,
For they dream their dreams with open eyes,
And make them come true.