J'burg Lion Park

The Lion Park allows for driving through various areas to see the animals roaming freely, as well as a place to pet the lion cubs.

Giraffes have VERY long, agile tongues, don't they.
I love the zebras - very photogenic:
One of the white lions, apparently a teenager.
Ross easily wrestled a lion cub into submission:
Does he look hungry? He was about to pounce so Sammy stepped on the gas. It turns out he was just looking for another tree to lie down under. Scott says that lions sleep 20 hours/day.What a fabulous day and I think this is just a taste of what we're going to see in Kruger Park.

Visiting Soweto

To me travelling to other places means learning about the history and culture of that place and in South Africa much of that is embodied in the township of Soweto. Today we arranged a walking tour with Ntombi, a tour guide who lives there. She met us at the Orlando Police Station and as we walked through the streets she explained how the township grew and developed.
We walked past many, many small and barely liveable shacks, many roadside businesses such as barbers or hair salons and spazas - little 'stores' that sell mostly stuff like pop and chips. It seemed curious but apparently during apartheid, they weren't allowed to have businesses in this area so, despite so many thousands (millions?) of people living there, there are no real 'shops' unless you go to the main roads.

One of the many roadside barbers:

On the way, groups of children suspended their road soccer game to come running afer us, posing for photos and holding our hands. Some of the children had marks on their foreheads which Ntombi explained was still a custom in some tribes - cutting the skin ensures that the child will grow.

Ntombi invited us to enter one of the houses, which turned out to be hers. She recently purchased it and shares it with 2 others. It had a small living area, 2 bedrooms, and a bathroom - probably less than 40 sq. meters - and she served us refreshments (coke, biscuits) around her small table.

After walking past Desmond Tutu and Mandela's houses we visited the Hector Pieterson museum. Hector was the 12 year old boy shot by police during the 1976 student uprising. Following the lively and vibrant community of the township, the museum was quite stark and sobering. The reason the students were protesting was because the government was requiring that all their schooling be in Afrikaans, which none of them spoke, including the teachers. This amounted to the same thing as giving them no education at all. Several hundred students were shot by police that day, some as young as 7.

A ride on a mini bus took us back to the police station and the end of the tour. Mini buses in South Africa are an interesting form of transportation - more about them later! We did arrive safely in case you were worried.

Riverside Christmas

This year we had to postpone our traditional Christmas Eve fondue in favour of Sam's sister Kate's wonderful dinner, eaten outdoors beside the pool. After dinner Kate and Nic sent a paper lantern aloft.

Present opening took place Christmas Eve (apparently their tradition but to our dismay!) Scott got the most presents for the first time in his life - apparently Mike generally gets more. The stack of presents quickly outgrew the space under the tiny tree so we moved it all into the middle of the room. Sammy was in charge of distribution.

When Sam said we were going to spend Christmas day at her uncle's 'weekend home' by the river I hadn't pictured this beautiful mansion.
There were about 25 of us eating an out door feast with ham, lamb and even turkey.
We later had a sunset boat ride down the river to cap off one of our more unusual Christmases. As you can see by this photo some people actually do get into the spirit of things.

Getting in the Christmas spirit

Not the only decoration I've seen but this is pretty typical of the extent of the decorations I've seen around South Africa. "Why don't we throw a piece of tinsel over this vase of bullrushes?" This was in the train lounge in Cape Town.

Premier classe

Hopped on the train from Cape Town to Johannesburg - a 26 hour train ride through the Karoo desert which wasn't all that scenic as you can imagine. The food was well prepared and since it's the only train in South Africa with a spa, Sam and I managed to fit in a massage. It was all pretty classy except for one minor problem - they lost electricity about 6 hours into the trip which meant no ice for the drinks and no air con. The lights started to flicker on and off while we were inside the longest tunnel in South Africa. Fortunately the electricity was repaired just before we headed off to bed. I can't say sleeping on a train is my favourite thing but definitely better than the plane.

The train ride out of Cape Town also highlighted the great contrasts that are South Africa - shacks on one side of the train, golf course on the other.

The train station in J'burg was a complete zoo - plus there was some kind of blockade going on in the nearby streets but we managed to make our way to Sam's mom and dad's place and enjoyed a nice cold one by the pool.

Scott took this picture just before we boarded - you'll see Sam and him in the reflection.

The top of the bottom of the world

Weather here has become stunning - mid 20s with a slight breeze. So we took advantage and went to Cape Point yesterday - it's quite a ways up so Scott and I climbed while Ross took the funicular (little train thing). Wildlife alert - we saw some zebras, elands and dassies (little furry creatures related to elephants) but the dangerous wild baboons were nowhere to be seen. A bit further around the bay was the penguin colony, thousands of penguins from one breeding pair in 1982!

Today we finally did Table Mountain with unbelievable views of the cape. Scott and Sam did the hike up (about 2 hours) and Ross and I took the cable car. When we saw the state most people were in when they reached the top we were extremely grateful for the cable car! In the background, to the right of my ear is the soccer stadium built for the World Cup - Sam and Scott live just a few blocks away. To the left you can get a glimpse of Robben Island.

So many wines So little time

South Africa has 100s of wineries, most of them are clustered in the Cape Winelands just an hour or so out of Cape Town. We spent a few days there, in a sleepy little town called Franschoek that was settled and cultivated by the French several 100 years ago. Unfortunately we were only able to do wine tastings at 6 different wineries due to the leisurely, though informative, pace of each tasting. Unlike the Okanagan, where you crowd around a bar for a sip of wine, the tastings here are quite a performance, with the server giving the history of the vineyard, the wine and each varietal that goes into the wine, all the while seated in comfy couches or elegant surroundings, perhaps with a platter of cheeses and crackers.

The final outcome was 13 bottles of wine purchased (not including the one consumed that night) plus a bottle of port for Ross. I thought the Mini was already quite full with the four of us and our luggage but Sam's impeccable packing made way for all the wine in the bottom of the boot.

Fortunately the rainy weather we had on our way up to Franschoek is behind us and we're planning a trip up Table Mountain today, now that the 'tablecloth' has lifted.

Robben Island

I recently re-read Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom so visiting Robben Island was high on my list. After a 45 minute boat ride we toured the island by bus then went into the maximum security prison where our tour guide was a former inmate. This is the jail cell where Nelson Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison. Apparently there are penguins on the island but we didn't see any!

Parking in Cape Town - there are no parking meters in downtown Cape Town. Instead, on each corner, there are parking attendants who give you your ticket and take your money. I guess this is good for employment.

Santa flash mob

[Unfortunately I've had some issues uploading photos with my iPad, combined with Internet problems so my blogging has not been up to par. I'll figure it out somehow but in the meantime here's a bit of info.]

With an 8 hour layover in London, we hopped on the express train from Heathrow and were in Paddington Station in 15 mins. After a short tube ride to Picadilly Circus we came above ground in the middle of a Santa Claus flash mob. There had to be about 300 of them - having a jolly time and leaving in their wake a trail of empty beer cans and litter.

After Scott picked us up at the airport in Cape Town we settled into our apartment then went out for 'sundowners' - watching the sun set while having a cold one. This is a beach not too far from where had our sundowner.

On Monday we ventured down to the waterfront and did a bit of browsing through shops and enjoying some time looking around.

Unfortunately the weather isn't being too nice to us but we head to wine country tomorrow!

My Email to Harper Collins a few weeks ago

I still haven't received a reply.

Subject: Before I Go to Sleep
I recently wanted to purchase the Kindle version of this book so I found it on Amazon.com. To my surprise the price was about $17.00 which was HIGHER than the paperback copy of the book which was around $10.00. This is absurd. How can you justify the cost of the digital copy being more than 70% more than the physical copy? On Amazon.com it clearly said something to the effect like "this price was set by the publisher".

Instead of purchasing the book, I found a friend that had it and borrowed it from her instead. Had the price been reasonable for the digital copy (reasonable means in relationship to the actual cost of producing a digital copy) I definitely would have bought it as I had heard that it was an excellent book (and it was!). As it was, you
lost a sale and I'm most likely not the only person making that decision.

Publishers such as you have learned nothing from the piracy that has surrounded the music industry for about 10 years. If you're truly serious about making your product available to consumers it must be at a fair price. If I don't think it's fair, it's possible I'll find other means of getting book, such as borrowing. Your policy also encourages a viable market for piracy. Of course, it's also possible that you want to curtail the growth of the e-book market by setting the price unreasonably high. Apparently your profits aren't as high on e-books as physical books so it's to your advantage to encourage people to buy the physical book. Although I'm not sure what your motive is by setting the price so high, I can assure you that it is leaving consumers such as me very disappointed in the publishing industry and it's ability to embrace digital technology.

CHECK - still a week to go!

International Driver's Licence - CHECK
Dukoral Vaccine - CHECK
Suitcase partially packed - CHECK
Ride to the airport (thanks Garry) - CHECK
New carry-on bag for my camera - CHECK
Electric plug for 8 hour layover in London - CHECK
Remembering how to post to my blog - CHECK
Excitement mounting - CHECK

Just wondering ....

1. If "1 book" is singular and "2 books" is plural, why is "0 books" plural?
2. What am I supposed to do with all those buttons that come with new clothes? I've never lost a button on a garment yet.
3. Can you really expect the unexpected?
4. Poker? On the sports channel? Really?
5. Bottled water. 'Nuf said.

Online PE - what a joke!

At least that's what I used to think. How could anyone get credit for an online PE course - the idea seemed a bit absurd. However, I'd have to say I've done a 180 degree turn on that. It appears that online PE can be more effective, more meaningful and more engaging for students.

Let's compare 2 situations - a PE student in a F2F class, and a student in an online course. In a F2F class the student might attend 3-4 PE classes in a week. For the most part the teacher will prepare the lesson and the student will participate. The level of student participation will vary greatly depending on the activity and the student. A typical 60 minute class will involve a certain amount of management time, instructional time, wait time, transition time and off-task activities. It will generally include the time taken to get into and out of their gym clothing. Actual time spent being active can be quite low.

For an online PE class students must plan and be responsible for carrying out their PE activities. They are able to select from a wide range of possibilities that suit their interests, fitness level, and location. They must log and have certified their hours of participation. The log would not include the time spent getting to the activity (unless it also involved activity such as biking).

In a F2F PE class, student commitment to participation can vary greatly. Some students become extremely active and participate fully. At the other end of the scale are the students who quickly become disillusioned with team sports; their inability to excel leads them to opt out rather than make a fool of themselves. There are a lot of students that feign sickness rather than go to PE. And many students drop PE as soon as they can.

Some students taking online PE are taking responsibility for their physical activity for the first time in their lives and that doesn't make it easy. Some students aren't even aware of what the possibilities are. Biking, swimming, skiing, hip-hop dance, trampoline - the list is only limited by their imagination AND their interests. We had one very anti-PE student become an excellent juggler. This requires incredible hand-eye coordination and a huge commitment of time. Another student discovered dance. Some students plan a workout routine.

Both F2F and online PE have issues; neither are perfect. Students aren't always motivated and don't participate in skill building activities. But when students are encouraged and expected to plan their own activities the chance for student engagement definitely goes up. And the skills are easily transferred into lifelong habits.

Adventures at Bantry Bay 2011

Blogger's note: I'm making this post because I'm afraid I might forget some of these things. I intend to reread this post on a cold winter's night in Vernon.

Picnic under the apple tree, beach walk on Saturday night with a marine biologist, 2x golf at the beautiful Algonquin, cooking with Mike (stuffed grape leaves, thin crust pizza with tomato sauce that took 5 hours to reduce, pesto galore), concerts at the Sunbury Shores art gallery (Jen Chapin, Harry's daughter was great), pancake breakfast at Apple Point, hurricane Irene (80 mm rain, lots of wind, no damage), motorhome woes (water tank, getting stuck during the rain storm), amazing dining experience at Savour the Restaurant (8+ courses, 24 kt gold dust on our dessert!), fun with Finnigan (he's learned how to walk!), anniversary dinner at the Rossmount, becoming vegetarian (easy to do with all these delicious veggies literally ripe for the picking), stars, stars, stars, bagging veggies for CSA pickup, setting up at the farmer's market with Mike (and the wonderful fruit crepes), Dark and Stormy Night (Pickaroon's!) . . .

Traveling with an iPad

I've had my iPad for about 4 months now but this is the first major trip I've taken with it (New Brunswick). Since I have been travelling with my MacBook laptop I was curious about how I would make out with just the iPad. As for weight and size, there's no comparison. I'm able to take a much smaller carry-on backpack. The battery lasts about 2 or 3 times as long which is great for those long flights - I was able to make it across Canada with about 50% battery life left. On long flights I always like to have about 4 different things to do to pass the time -read a book, do crosswords (cryptic), watch some videos, read a magazine. The iPad provides MOST of this. I brought several ebooks and didn't pack one paper book; I had downloaded for off line viewing several TED videos; and I had an online copy of WIRED magazine. The only thing I can't seem to get on my iPad is some good, cheap (free) cryptic crosswords. I'm getting used to reading on the iPad, even in bed, but I can't say I prefer it. It's a bit heavy, and awkward to hold at times but the convenience is definitely worth it. I just finished the 3rd installment of The Hunger Games series and I have a few books I've downloaded from the library.

It's also great for sharing photos - I bought the little gizmo that let's you transfer photos from an SD card to the iPad.

The biggest drawback has to be inputting text. This post will have taken me about twice as long to type as normal. The auto-correct can be annoying. Not all web pages render the same way on the iPad-sometimes there are missing features. Even when writing this post I was unable to type in the 'compose' text-box and had to use the 'html' view. The inability to have tabs on a web browser makes actual work (marking assignments, etc.) painful. I need at least three tabs to mark a math assignment!

I'd say that for actual traveling the iPad wins hands down. I'd more than likely prefer the laptop when I'm here however. Presumably I won't actually have to work much when I'm traveling.

Oh this took more than twice as long to type.