08.04.03

This issue is dedicated to chocolate all over the world and especially to South African Cadbury's dairy milk chocolate -- still my absolute favourite! Do you remember that Deacon Blue song, Chocolate Girl, which I've quoted above? The next two lines go: "She knows she's the chocolate girl/ Cause she's broken up and swallowed and wrapped in bits of silver". Anyway, Easter's coming up now, so it's the best time to pay a tribute to one of my favourite things! There was also a song a couple of years ago with that funny animated video -- Sweet like Chocolate. Most recently, the song I've liked that's had some chocolatey lyrics in it is Craig David's What's your flava? And have you seen that chocolate in the movie, Chocolat? Mmmm chocolate, as Homer Simpson would say, no doubt drooling at the same time.

Well, I'm having a fantastic day because I want to have one. It may be raining (sort of), I may still feel bad that I'm not making any money, but I'm still having a great day. The house may be a complete mess, but I'm enjoying every moment. I must be mad, but it's fun.

It's been an interesting few days since I ended the last issue. Well, I've found them interesting even if from the outside they might look dull. So I thought I might as well get the newsletter going. Why wait another month?

I got a couple of emails from friends due to visit the Mother City. One of my buddies from Kwazulu-Natal is coming to Cape Town on the 26th, to stay with her sister for a few days. I've only seen her once before and that was the last time she was in Cape Town, years ago, when she came to visit me at UCT. Darlene and I started as penfriends in high school. She's actually got a two-year working visa for the UK now so she's going there soon after the Cape Town trip. I'm really looking forward to seeing her!

And then Paul T's going to be here between 14 and 21 April, for Easter. I gave him a hard time (ah, not really) about not contacting me when he was here in December, but that was partially (I would even say mostly) my fault, so now he's making a point of telling me he's going to be here so that we can get together. I think he's coming from the Phillipines. Better confirm that one. (Yep! - 16 April) He's been transferred between jobs (and countries), so I'm not too sure. We've known each other since 1992, first year varsity, when I was at Rhodes and he was at UCT -- met via the Internet and then in person (by chance) in a computer room at UCT, along with Carlos (who ignores me these days, hahahaha). Anyway, I told Paul to make sure he brings his digicam so hopefully you'll see a couple of pics in this issue.

Speaking of photos, I am going to pop a film into my camera for the first time in a long time this week. I think it's about time I had a couple of shots of me at Newlands, yeah? (Sorry, didn't get any of those in the end - just a couple of shots of the field and I don't think they will develop well - 16 April) And I want photos of Darlene and me too. I might even get a shot of me standing next to the pile of paper that is my first draft novel. But I'll try not to make the photos all about me, okay? I think Debbie might have emailed me those other photos I wanted, last night. She called me yesterday, as well as emailing me, to explain why she didn't get back to my sms on Friday. Busy woman! I might have a quick lunch with her in town on Friday, but I will probably have to ask her to sponsor me. *sigh* (This was postponed - 16 April)

Left: Hannah-Joy and her mother, Amanda. How sweet.

On Friday I watched a couple of Super 12 rugby games in the morning/early afternoon and then mostly finished the last issue of ADT, including doing the web version of it. Michael was still due to read and pick up and point out my remaining errors though, so it couldn't be finalised until then. That happened on Saturday.

Michael and I decided to visit Kauai in Claremont for supper after we watched a Vodacom Cup rugby game in the evening. I had another lovely Peanut Bliss smoothie and shared my Tuna Melt with Michael after he polished off his sandwich.

I wanted to have a wander around in the music stores in Cavendish before we left -- I thought I'd have a look for that Daniel Bedingfield single, but they didn't have the new one. What Look & Listen did have was Garth Taylor's Why (EP) album. They hadn't had it when I'd bought the Only With You single. Anyway, so now I have a copy of that too. And guess what, I love every song on that (eight-track) CD too now. And then yesterday I got an email from Alan Leibowitz (you know, Garth's manager) and he tells me that the Who I Am CD has just been re-released and should be in the shops and I was like, to him, please don't tell me that now! I told him I'd have to bribe my sister to buy it for me now (because Michael's had it with me now, as you can well imagine). But Wendy just accused me of being obsessed and basically I will just have to earn it myself, I guess. :-) You know, the thing with Garth's music is that he writes pretty much all of it himself, plus plays various mostly self-taught instruments himself (drums, keyboard, guitar, and so on). He does his own production and has his own record label now (Adventure Music cc). They have their own studio (he and Alan - AG Studios) and I just think it's amazing. He's only (!) as old as I am (two months older) and he started his music career at fifteen. So he's not just a pretty face and a voice filled with feeling. I think I'll just use him as a bit of inspiration to make sure I get my novel published.

Alan is going to get back to me "as soon as possible this week" about the use of those lyrics in my book. I can't believe he's the first person who I've allowed to read extracts from my book. I suppose perhaps a songwriter reading my stuff is symbolically appropriate, since he's a writer and you know what my name is. Hahaha, how corny is that? Of course, I'll be upset if for some reason I can't include the lyrics, but I will have to make do then. Or I'll make a fuss first and then make do if I still can't. I'm in the process of doing another phase of editing - I started with the bits I had to send to Alan - but I thought I'd take a break from it and start on this issue. I feel a bit weird that I'm not writing the novel any more, I kind of miss it and some of the characters in it, but reading through it yet again, while editing, makes a difference, and I can still add in new bits.

Thanks for all the emails in the last few days - I will probably include snippets in this issue. I still haven't started on my email backlog, but surely it's not the end of the world (despite the war and all other mad things on this earth of ours).

Left: Valencia, Hannah-Joy and Amanda in one of those tasteful Spur booths. Love that cow-print.

When I won those rugby tickets I sent an email to the Stormers messageboard to say thanks for them and when I checked my mail earlier, there was a reply from someone who says he just missed out on those tickets since he also got all the answers right. Anyway he (I think it's a "he", called Duff) congratulated me and said it was probably a blessing in disguise that he missed out on winning because he's probably going to watch "The Stormers turn the Reds black and blue! :-)" from a box at Newlands. I don't know how he got that right, but I've asked now so hopefully I will get a response.

I went to collect my tickets at Newlands yesterday - Sameera kindly took me there after we came from a courtroom in town (more about that later). I knew exactly where to go because I had to go to Jason, who I always buy my tickets from. I said, "I've come to collect my tickets" (pretty sure he wouldn't know I'd won them). So he asked what I would like and I said, "Well actually I won some so I have to collect them from you." So he says, "Not that I know of" and I'm like "Yes I won tickets to watch the Stormers and the Reds" and he's like "Well I don't have any under your name" and I'm like "What's my name?" and he's like, "Dunno". So I put him out of his misery and tell him and he's like "Hmmm, rings a bell" and then goes to check on some other computer and says "Ah yes!" So then he takes my brown envelope out of a box of envelopes and he opens it and asks me if I want to sit on the Railway or Grand Stand. And I say "Whichever is better -- I didn't think I had a choice" and he says, "Well, I always see you here coming to buy tickets so I'm going to make it extra special and give you the best… you can't normally get these, The Stormers' ones." So I was like, "What do you mean?" So he explained it's where their friends and family normally sit and then swapped the ordinary Railway Stand tickets I was going to get with those. So that was really awesome, thanks Jason! Woohoo! So you see, I have got to get pictures of myself sitting there. (Maybe if our team had actually played decently I would have - 16 April) I had considered only collecting the tickets on Saturday just before the game, but I'm really glad I didn't now because I'm sure I wouldn't have got these tickets then.

While we're on the subject of rugby (shut up, Marcia), it looks like my dad is going to Australia for the Rugby World Cup in October/November this year (oh the envy! Hahaha). Basically his friend, Brendon, the one I mentioned in the last newsletter, asked him if he could travel anywhere in the world where would he go and he was like, after a long period of thought (apparently), "Maybe the Rugby World Cup in Australia". And Brendon was like, "Okay we'll go." So wow, how awesome is that? I'm supposed to be finding out about packages for them. I have emailed the place in Cape Town that's supposed to be the nearest travel agency to get them from, but no response as yet. Funnily enough it's in Thibault square in town where Debbie works so if I go there on Friday maybe I can pop in if they haven't got back to me by then. (I got the info via email, but haven't printed it and given it to my dad yet - 16 April) So maybe we'll see my dad waving a "Go Bolla, go Bolla!" banner around in Australia on TV later this year. Unless he'll be supporting Australia! Eric, I'll send him around to visit you, mate. ;-)

Yeah, hey, so the Stormers won a very, very tense game against the Bulls on Saturday. They both still have very slim chances of making the semi-finals, but now the Bulls chances are even slimmer than the Stormers' and the Cats and Sharks' chances are almost too slim to see. Before the game, I said to Michael (as I was sitting on the floor in front of the TV in my black), "I don't think I can watch this". And wow, it was so hard to watch to the end, the agony of such a close score, with the Stormers defending with amazing discipline to hold on for victory. Bolla and Boomer, your tries were amazing - thank you! You deserved your win, Joel Stransky can sulk as much as he wants, but you deserved it. Michael and I think the TV ref can take that Victor Matfield-knock-on try and bury it somewhere far away. Shame, but I felt sorry for the Bulls at the end ("ag shame, I'm sorry, Victor," I think I said without any sarcasm when Joel "Dikbek" Stransky was interviewing him afterwards). I hope you win all the rest of your games, Bulls, I'll be supporting you all the way. Gavin Rich is so proud of the Stormers too. More injuries for us now though… urgh. Dixie, if you have a broken jaw now, does that mean you can't eat? :-) He still continued playing after he broke it, but will be out for the rest of the Super 12, a real shame. Sameera says she's seen patients who come to her a couple of days after they've broken their jaws - weird hey?

Left: Valencia holding Hannah, with Daddy Macjerry, Sleeping Kelvin and Smiling Rowina from L-R.

On Sunday evening Wendy kindly cut and blow-dried my hair for me, so I'm much happier with it now. Anyway I had to have it looking decent for my court appearance yesterday. Actually what happened was this. Sameera was due to appear as a witness in a court case where a man was accused of assaulting a woman. Sameera was the doctor for this woman when she was working at Somerset Hospital last year. But what actually happened, after we'd already been there for a four hours, was that she didn't need to testify in the end because the guy's lawyer didn't question the medical evidence after all. So after all her stress (and my moral support, haha), it was a bit of a letdown for her, but at least she still got expert witness fees. This was basically compensation for the salary she lost out on during the four hours we were there. They were going to give her fifty rand, but she was assertive about it, she wasn't getting paid at the surgery she was meant to work at, for that time and she had in fact taken the whole day off, so it was only fair they pay her decently. While she was getting her money we spotted this guy we were at school with, Jameel (sp? and I won't mention his surname in case he sues me). And he must have thought - God, can't I even go to court without seeing people from SP? Dude, I can't even go to London without seeing SP people at Heathrow! Don't worry, we won't tell anyone what you were doing there.

Anyway so we waited almost four hours for "our case" to begin and Sameera was a little bored and irritated about wasting her time and I said she should just look at it as an experience and besides, I said, it meant she got to spend time with me. And you know how cool that is. The judge looked, to me, very much like Riaad (sp?) from Big Brother 2, you know, the Advanced Hair Studio advert guy. That was so funny, I thought. Sameera thought he looked a bit like Randall Abrahams, that Idols judge, but she couldn't picture Riaad, so I told her to look out for that ad.

We amused ourselves with mocking some of the people in the witness box. We had a very good view of them from where we were sitting amongst the cops, prosecutors and lawyers. It's bad, I know, but what can you do sometimes? And why do some people wear such bad clothes? Let me tell you, this one guy was wearing the baddest shirt I have seen in a long time. I couldn't even look at him it was so bright. Shocking yellow with neon orange spots, I can't even begin to explain! Okay I did, but still. And then there are people the judge has to tell via their lawyer to "behave themselves" or to stand up straight. Believe it or not some people giggle in the witness box. Sometimes there was more than one person at a time in the box, you see, and obviously this makes them bolder or something. This one guy was in there three times with different people. One of those times he was with a guy who came into the witness box with a very large Tupperware container that had previously contained food. Now how can you take the witness stand with a huge lunchbox? I just don't understand. I was surprised they didn't chuck us out of the courtroom then because we were shaking with laughter and actually couldn't stop ourselves, especially when the guy passed the container to the other one who was in there with him. Later they placed it on the little counter the mike was on. The nerve!

Once, the guy with the three offences was in the box with two guys and Sameera says, "This guy should do something about that fungal infection on his neck" and I just cracked up. He just had some light spots on his neck and I hadn't even noticed them until she said this. I asked her how she knew what it was and she said she could see and lots of people got it and she proceeded to tell me what he should use and how he should use it. I asked her why he had it and she said she didn't know, but that he probably sweats a lot, so I was like, "What? From all that running away from the law?" Anyway, we agreed that that exchange would go into the newsletter. And then she still says, "And I can help Mr (censored - Ed) with that acne problem too." This about the guy who was in there three times in a row. That cop that was sitting next to me must have thought we were interminably psycho. And the judge did keep looking at us when he wasn't asking people if they needed an interpreter or where their interpreter was or what language they preferred. There was just one person who had the charges against her dropped. Most people had their cases postponed (what's new?). The woman who was assaulted told us that it was about the fifth time she'd had to come in for this case and each time it had been postponed - what a mission! It was the first time Sameera had been subpoenaed though so luckily she hadn't had to go through that, but this woman had been attacked over a year ago (and saved from being killed by her upstairs neighbour who was also there as a witness yesterday). Terrible.

I could tell you more about the day in court, but I don't want to go overboard. Just a note, though, that Sameera was fascinated by how many of the prosecutors were very short men. Afterwards Sameera took me out to Kauai for lunch, via Newlands, and we had a couple of refreshing smoothies and lunch.

When I got home Lauren was there (here) because she needed to go back to varsity for a test later so she hadn't wanted to go all the way home after her lectures. Shame, she had a tummy bug though so she wasn't well, but she didn't want to have to write the test at a later date so she went in for it. Luckily there was some medication for her here. I'll have to find out later how she is now and how the test went.

Left: I nearly didn't put this one of me in here (Debbie was obviously trying to catch me looking like an idiot), but I thought if I've got one of Kelvin with his eyes closed, what the hell. Valencia and H-J next to me. Look at the Easter Bunny on the window and the reverse of "Easter Greetings" spray-painted on the window.

I had to renew my library books by telephone yesterday because my progress has been very slow. I may as well not be reading at all.

Oh, that guy who emailed me about the competition tickets is called Neil, so I'm assuming he's a guy. His friend's father (I won't mention where he works) is probably going to get him a box ticket. He says he really thought he would win the competition because the questions were difficult and I said, me too. :-)

Well, that's enough from me for today, I think. Going to continue editing now.

15.04.03

Hey, a week's gone by! And it's had its ups and downs. Sometimes it's hard to smile. But yeah, that's what life is all about, isn't it?

The other day my grandfather (or Pa, as we call him, pronounced like "far" without the "r" sound, but not if you're Aussie) collapsed on the way to the toilet in the middle of the night. To cut a long story short he ended up in hospital and he's onto his third hospital now (Groote Schuur), pacemaker pending. We thought he would have a pacemaker op today or yesterday (that's why he was moved from Victoria), but now they're not sure about some heart pill or other he's been taking for months so they're observing him for another day from ICU. We'll be visiting him tonight before going out for dinner with Paul. We visited him in Victoria hospital last week on the first day he was there (after being moved from Constantiaberg because he's not on medical aid) and he was doing fine, chatting and telling stories and his heart rate increasing every time someone went to kiss him or something. It's weird having your heart on a monitor for everyone to see, hey? Anyway the thing was that they were concerned about his erratic heart rate, in particular the slow heart rate and it's probably why he blacked out. He was actually discharged in error from Victoria on the weekend and then the doctor phoned to say he had to come back after he spent a night at home if I am not mistaken. I don't think that was a problem for him though! But we're all hoping he'll come out of the operation much better. He doesn't stop working though -- he restores wooden furniture and stuff like that, and he's always looking for more to do even though he's not well. He came to fix our bedroom door a few weeks back because it sticks, even though Michael just asked him for advice as to what we should do with it.

Of course, the other bad thing that happened was that I won tickets to the Stormers/Reds game. Yes, I know you thought I was elated, but what a shocking game! Actually I'm much better today -- I was a bit wounded about it for a couple of days and I'm still really disappointed that they lost their heads and couldn't play with composure, but hey, my happiness can't be dependent on their performance. And they are also human and were probably too emotional about being back at Newlands and tried too hard to impress their fans and themselves. I know a lot of other people are too angry to look at it from their perspective, and I'm also very disappointed in them, it was embarrassing, but I try to look at it from the other side too. Someone told me I should demand a refund for my winning tickets (obviously I didn't pay, but she means I should be refunded the monetary value of them), but in the end that's the risk you take. And to be honest, I don't regret going to the game (we had lovely seats just below the press boxes), but at the time it was quite painful. Oh, just in case you don't know and are interested, one of the Reds players was red-carded after about ten minutes (which means they had to play with fourteen men against our fifteen for the rest of the game). So we should have been able to beat them easily, but instead lost 41-20, I think it was. Not even a bonus point.

In a way now I don't feel so bad that I can't afford to go to Newlands for the rest of the Super 12 season because I don't know if I can handle another loss like that although I don't think it could possibly be that bad from now on. Some of us were just laughing at the end, you know, instead of crying.

When we got home I watched the end of the Bulls game since Wendy had taped both games for us, and that result wasn't too hot either haha. At least Western Province won their game before the Stormers game so we watched one victory that was in our favour that night. All credit to the Reds, though, for being so amazing with only fourteen men on the field. Aussies must have really level heads. Yes, I know I am generalising! A sad day as it was for SA rugby (the Cats lost badly too and although the Sharks won their game it was mostly a terrible game), it's still our country's rugby that I support though. They just need to keep their heads on. There's so much more I could say about the rugby, but I know you've had more than enough now and besides, I've given up rugby! Or I said so a couple of days back, knowing I would eventually calm down. I just concentrated on editing my book from the time we got home that night until long into the next day (mostly from the safety of my bed where I also slept a percentage of the time) -- told Kelvin I had the Stormers flu. He had smsed me during the Stormers game to ask me, "What is going on with the Stormers???" I only replied later and then he said he would "stick to Formula One, much more interesting" and Michael said, "Oh please, round and round and round…" And it was actually weird, yesterday I went to town with Lauren and surprised Kelvin with a visit, and there on the TV in their reception area was an old Stormers/Reds game at Newlands. Kelvin said he'd switched it to that channel and I said, "Why? Did you want to watch a game where they actually beat the Reds at Newlands?" - funny to see some of the same guys playing - Selborne, Cobus and then people like Bobby, Breyton, Percy… I didn't get to see the whole game though -- Kelvin had to work and Lauren and I had other things to do. Oh and Kelvin then tells me that Brendon (my dad's friend) is working there now and so is his boss further up the line and I thought that was really funny because Brendon was also Kelvin's boss at UCT at one stage. I knew he was working in government now, but I didn't think it would be in the same section Kelvin was in.

Speaking of connections, Debbie's mother works at the same company as my uncle Peter and he used to be her boss at some stage, Debbie told me yesterday. Because, you see, I saw Debbie yesterday too. Lauren and I had lunch with her and in fact she paid for both of us which is really, really sweet of her. Thanks, Debbie, you are awesome!

Speaking of people paying for lunches, I was lucky enough to have a second sponsored lunch today. Actually, lunch at Nando's (because Paul doesn't get to eat Nando's in the Phillipines) and then dessert at Banana Jam Café. Ta, Paul, it was good stuff! Paul thinks it's funny I had a kid's meal at Nando's and then that I asked for my toy when the woman brought my food without the toy. But I wanted two drumsticks and that's what you get with that meal. And then Paul's like, How are the Stormers doing, by the way? He had no clue -- he said he'd probably only watched a couple of rugby games in the last three years (what with living in Brazil and The Phillipines and all).

Left: Daddy Mac and Hannah-J

He came around here late this morning after an appointment he had in Claremont and then we called Helen since he wanted to suggest to her that we meet her at UCT for lunch, but she was too busy and she'll see us at dinner tonight anyway. We were supposed to go out to eat last night although Helen couldn't make it then so it's worked out for the best. Plus then Michael, Wendy and I had dinner with Ross and Lauren at Bardelli's instead. What happened was I arranged with Paul yesterday that we eat out, although I asked him if he was sure, since he'd just flown in on twenty-three hours of flights, didn't he want to sleep? And he's like, I don't have the time to sleep. But when I called him in the early evening his brother told me he was "dossing" and then when I called him five minutes before we were due to have the dinner, he was still sleeping. But he took the call when his brother woke him and somehow, through his incoherent sleepiness, we rearranged the supper for tonight. We knew Lauren and Ross were planning on going to Bardelli's (Ross had just returned from a weekend in Joburg), so we gave them a call and discovered they were walking there from Ross's place since Ross's car wouldn't start. So we took a walk there as well (it's just in the next road) and got there just before they did. It was lovely and I still have half my pasta meal in the fridge -- I know what I'm eating tomorrow, I guess.

Anyway, so Paul and I came back here after lunch and chatted and then we went for banana fritters (mmmm) at Banana Jam, also in the next road, which means we walked. Silly waitress thought we'd ordered just one to share so we had to share the first plate, but it worked out fine because the second one arrived just as we were done with the first. Paul was doing a whole Appletiser thing as well (at both places) because he can't normally buy that either.

I just have to remember to book a table at Brad's Grill for tonight now because Paul wants a steak (something he hasn't had in a long time) and Wendy suggested Brad's Grill. Oh, we saw her as well earlier. When we were driving from Cavendish I called her to see if we could visit her at the office. Shame, she was walking from Cavendish in today's 33 degrees of heat, so we could actually have given her a lift from there, but at least she got a lift halfway to work then and we just popped into the office with her. She'd gone to her old place of work, The Daily Grind in Cavendish, for her lunch period.

Oh yes, while I'm on the subject of Paul, I'd better take back what I said about Carlos earlier in the newsletter since he and I had a nice chat a few days ago. He says reading my newsletters makes him nostalgic for Cape Town so he kind of just scans through it usually and I was like, please just do me a favour and read them :-) And he can't believe I'm into rugby. Not the only one who can't believe it. Yeah, people think I'm this polite, sweet person, but little do they know what lurks… No, I'm sure that's not what Carlos thinks, but anyway. I said to Carlos that supporting rugby reminds me of when I was at school and I used to love supporting the interhouse and interschool athletics and stuff.

Lauren Reid, my sister Lauren's buddy, was telling me last night about Garth Taylor being in Cavendish (which is where she works) one day (I forgot to visit her today - Sorry Lauren, I didn't realise you were working! Another time soon then, since she is going back to London on the 30th). And now they have a signed thingie (poster?) up in the Roxy shop, from him. Lauren is also really keen to read my book (being a writer of sorts herself), but as I have been telling anyone who's asked, I am still editing. Paul was saying his brother wants to write too and he's just done Honours in English and Philosophy (although he's not sure he's got his results yet), but now he wonders what work to do and we thought I should actually chat to him. Hmm, not sure how I can be of assistance, but you never know.

Anyway, back to Garth, I should be able to see him perform at the end of the month since he'll be at Westend on the evening before the Worker's Day public holiday (following his Namibian tour). I've already emailed Verity in the US of A to tell her to diarise this since she has no choice but to join me there. Apparently it's "Ladies Free before 10" at this stage (they might change it to later) so what more could I ask for?

I phoned Alan (Garth's manager) earlier because I hadn't heard from him about the lyrics thing yet. And he said he just had to look into the copyright thing, but that he was 95% sure it would be fine that I could use the lyrics, just obviously credit them to Adventure Music cc or whatever. So I'm sure that will be no problem.

And then I said I was glad I would have an opportunity to watch Garth at the end of the month and he was like, yes, you must come and introduce yourself. He said he would be the guy in the red Garth Taylor T-shirt and that they would also have album signings and stuff afterwards. So it sounds really cool. He says that they usually only do four or five songs at around eleven-thirty so I should come early, but I will definitely go early to get in free anyway. I just have to make sure Verity doesn't get drunk since she'll be the driver ;-) Anyone else want to come?

I said I might include some email snippets in this issue, so here goes (my responses are in italics):

Darlene from Kwazulu-Natal (soon to be in the UK):

I have been reading ur newsletters which helps me to keep up & I haven't missed the digs @ our sorry rugby team. The less said the better on that subject. . .

Hey, at least the Sharks won their game this past weekend, overseas no less! Good luck to them! Anyway you will have seen in my previous newsletter that I was a little nicer to them. :-)

Verity in the USA (soon to be back in Cape Town):

Thanks for the newsletter. It was very refreshing since I'm feeling a bit bored here in Northampton on a Sunday afternoon. Had a fabulous day yesterday in New York, but spent most of the day walking down 5th Avenue. Can't wait to show you the photos.

Thanks for reading it, even though you were far from home and working so hard ;-)

Marcia in Johannesburg:

I am SO PLEASED and so impressed that you've finished your novel. I can't wait to read it! Do I get a proof copy? And yes, just send it to publishers - don't get scared, just do it! Read my Aug 2002 newsletter! I really am proud of you! Give yourself a hug from me! Why don't you call your newsletter a rugby newsletter and be done with it?! I can see that you can't stop talking about it. It's actually LOVELY to see someone so passionate about something. I'm sure you know I think that rugby's vulgar and uncivilized but I still like reading it because I love the passion you write with! I must tell you something funny - the other day we drove past the American Consulate on our way home from somewhere and saw all the people protesting the war. I said to Dion, "remember when we were at Rhodes and we were into Greenpeace, etc". I wonder if Melody would be joining that group if she lived here in Jhb." Dion then says, "don't be mad - she'll be watching rugby." Ha ha ha

I will definitely send you a copy of the novel before it reaches the stage of getting published. Yes, I know you don't like rugby, but it's amazing how much more there is to it than people think - it's actually a very intelligent game now (except when some of the players temporarily act lekker dof, as Lauren and I would say, and lose games they should win). But it's fine, you don't have to like it J And no, I wouldn't have joined groups against the war because although I don't believe in war, I also don't believe in leaders who oppress people and who have no sense of humanity. So I think it's terrible that so many lives have been lost in Iraq, but how many more people were living there with lives that you could hardly call lives anyway? Not that I like George Bush or anything, but I believe he has at least got a human heart. Oh and yes, it's very funny what Dion said though! :-)

Shelley in Cape Town:

I've replied to this mail before but forgot to tell you when I tried to print the newsletter yesterday it came out garbled. I decided to try again this morning and instead ended up reading it online. It was a really enjoyable newletter, and there's a very distinct and tangible courage in it. You've been really brave over the last few months. I'd love to read your novel some time. It sounds good from your description, as confusing as you think it may've sounded.

Thanks so much, Shelley - hey, remember that workshop we went to -- what was it called? Heart at Work or something? I'm supposed to make money out of two things I really enjoy or something, I think? We'll see what happens!

Marcelle in Cape Town:

I enjoyed reading your newsletter. About your novel, I think you should get it published. You know how much I enjoy reading novels, especially love stories. I am dying to read what you have written. Is there no way that I can have a peep at this. Longing to see you again! Love and kisses.

Don't worry, you'll get to read it sometime! I think it's more likely the sex rather than the love you want to read about, but anyway what's new, you pervert! Maybe I'll visit UCT sometime soon - will definitely visit you if I do. Or come to Westend on the 30th! Oh, listen, can't you get me some comps for the Baxter? To see the play, "Salaam Stories", written by an old friend of mine, Ashraf Johaardien, who I can't seem to find any contact numbers for at the moment! Please ask Eddie, Marcelle! It's showing until the 25th. I'm hoping to see it with my friends Tamsyn, Sameera and Shirleen. Ashraf's posters are all up and down the Main Road (check that cute baby pic of his!) and I think it's about time I went to watch him perform in a play he's written!

Adam in the UK (or back in Australia??):

Just a quick response to the mar-apr03 letter, you got a snippet there "Thanks to Michael I got to spend forty bucks on the Only with you four-track CD". Dude.. where can I get some 4 track CDs? I got some 8 track stuff but its only tape.. *(hee haw)*

Listen, mate, I will kick your Aussie ass back to Aussieland if it's not already there. It's a single! Not an album! Grr. Oh, Michael says people used to have stuff called "8-track" tape. Well, fine, if you think you're funny!

Jean in Cape Town (soon to be in Canada?):

Took some time out to read your web site! I am impressed - the book sounds wonderful and as if it will keep you busy for some time yet although you seem to have produced it in double quick time. You have a lot of girl friends and I was amazed at your Stormers interest and knowledge. Well done for winning the competition - I guess you were at the game last night? Somebody said it was terrible.

The website in general needs some major updating and I hope to do some of that soon, but thanks for having a read! And that somebody who mentioned the rugby was right! I hear Rob was also getting really frustrated watching it and Wendy told him to stop watching it then, but he said he had to see if they would get better! Shame :-)

Lehlohonolo in Cape Town:

Wow! It's been almost a century since I've written to you. How are you though? From what I discerned from your recent ADT you seem to be doing well. I'm happy for you. Congratulations are in order re your book. Take a bow, Mel! I am sure most people saw it coming. How fulfilling it must be to do something that you're really passionate about and get all the satisfaction from it! May you also become the best-seller once it hits the shelves. Hugs & kisses!

Thanks, Mr Sempe! I will answer your email as well sometime, as with all the others I have just pasted in snippets from. Wonderful to hear from you - Michael has been passing on your messages though! What's with the kisses from you and Marcelle?

I've decided that I am not including pictures in this hardcopy version of ADT because the print quality is so bad. So those of you I print hardcopies for need to have a look on the website (come on, everyone can get web access these days if they try hard enough :-) if you want to see the photos. This issue has also become too long for the inclusion of photos now anyway - eight pages is my limit, I'm afraid! This means I have to say goodbye now.

Take care.

Melody

PS. 16.04.03 -- I have some extra space (for the hardcopy version) since I reduced the font size, so I thought I would just write a little bit about last night. Michael, Wendy and I visited Pa in hospital and took him some Easter eggs because he just adores chocolate. We suggested he not eat them unless the doctor gave the go-ahead though. My cousins, Andrew and Stacey were there as well. Pa said to me, "I suppose you had to cry again on Saturday" - he was talking about the rugby result! So we had a brief chat about it, Andrew also chiming in. We had to take quite a long walk to get to Pa's bed as well, Andrew comparing it to the distance you have to walk to get to your seat at Newlands. And then later in the restaurant this guy at the table behind me starts talking about the Stormers and I'm like, "Please!!", my hands up as if to say, STOP! And Paul, Helen, Michael and Wendy looked at me as if I was mad because I was saying this in the middle of some other conversation so I had to explain how I really didn't want to hear any more about the rugby. We had a great dinner by the way and now I'm out of space!

PPS. 17.04.03 -- Oh, John, my favourite Canadian, has been moaning about me not mentioning him in the last issue, so here, jk, is this good enough? Sorry it couldn't fit into the hardcopy version, but most people see this one so it's not so bad. As if the Kennedy family isn't famous enough as it is! Really! And happy birthday, Robert, if you read my newsletters these days, or even if you don't! :-)

Cheers. M.