Four Years in Paradise

It's been four years since we started the process of moving to South Africa. Almost Four Years in Paradise. And now our Great Migration to Africa is coming to an end.

But we're not returning to the USA quite yet. We are off to our next adventure in ...

Singapore!

Yep, we are on the move again. A new city and a new continent! I have mixed feelings about it actually. I have really enjoyed our time here in Africa. As a matter of fact I've loved it! And I haven't seen or done nearly everything I wanted to do while we were living here. There are still some 550 wine estates alone that we haven't visited! And I never made it to Ethiopia or Madagascar as I'd hoped. (But guess what? They will still be here for a return visit.)

But we have had some incredible experiences and exciting adventures. We have seen many natural wonders and marvelous forces of nature and we've had up-close and personal moments with rhinos, penguins, meerkats, nesting turtles, gorillas and sharks. We have explored the heavens above and crawled deep below the earth. We have challenged ourselves in the sky, on the land and in the sea. We have scaled a few hills and high mountains, but we still know our limits!

This has been a unique time to be living in South Africa too. In Johannesburg, we have seen first-hand the amazing renaissance happening right now in the Joburg CBD and while living in Cape Town, we have seen it bloom as a world class design and tourist destination. We have been here for so many important historical events like the passing of Nelson Mandela and the discovery of Homo naledi as well as historic cultural events such as Trevor Noah taking over the Daily Show in the USA and the first ever performances in South Africa by Bruce Springsteen and Dave Matthews.

We have really tried to "dig" into the diverse cultural landscape here, whether it be Ndebele, Zulu, Akrikaner, Cape Malay, Indian, English, Khomani San, or even the lost culture of Mapungubwe. We have met so many inspirational, amazing and  lovely people along the way and even made dear friends. It will be sad to say goodbye but saying au revoir is still better than if we hadn't made their acquaintances altogether, n'est-ce pas?  (I think so.) We have expanded our pan-African palate and shown some South Africans how it's done where we hail from. We have tried to fit in ... but we know who we are! And there was just enough art, music, theatre and dance to keep this self-professed culture whore relatively satisfied.

kangaroos!

wombat!

I will especially miss having the African bush at our doorstop. We will be trading in our beloved safaris to see the African Big Five - Rhinos, Lions, Cape Buffalo, Elephants and Leopards - for new safaris to see what I am calling the Asian Big Five plus Orangutans - Sumatran Rhinos, Tigers, Water Buffalo, Asian Elephants, Snow Leopards plus Orangutans. Living in Africa has certainly changed me and I hope I've changed Africa a little for the better with my conservation volunteering.

Vince in Phuket

But the good news is there is still much of Asia left for us to explore. Vince's beat will stretch from India in the west to Japan in the east, China in the north to New Zealand in the south. We will get a deeper understanding of the cultures in the parts of Asia we have already visited and there are plenty of new destinations to explore. (For instance, I have always wanted to go to Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Borneo - all a stone's throw from Singapore.)

Not to mention some of the best scuba diving in the world! (Good thing Vince got all his paperwork in order for the Sardine Run in June and Zanzibar in September.) For me, Asia has whales! And Singapore is only a Pacific Ocean away from our sons on the west coast of the United States with plenty of islands in between for us to meet up for holidays. Christmas in Hawaii next year?


Blogging has been a great experience and the results will serve as a comprehensive journal of our time here in Africa. But I will definitely not be blogging from my new digs in Singapore. For one thing, just about the time I am settled in Singapore I am committed to embark on a new blog where I will chronicle my Antarctica adventure as part of the 2041 Foundation's International Antarctic Expedition in March.

And secondly, I won't need it. I started The Great Wildebeest Migration blog to help me manage my own feelings about pulling up stakes and moving to the other side of the world far away from family, friends and the familiar. I am not in the same place moving from South Africa to Singapore, both literally and figuratively. So I will wind this blog down over the next couple of months and say good-bye to blogging about my expat adventures as well as living in South Africa!

We're off on our next adventure on the "Road to Singapore."

Pink PowWOW

Among Native North Americans, a "powwow" is a gathering ceremony used to conjure, among other things, the cure of disease and success in war, and it is marked by feasting and dancing. What better theme for the Cuppa for CANSA tea party I hosted at Valley Lodge attended by (mostly) American expats to benefit CANSA care centers in South Africa?

B's Pin Cushion custom-made my PowWOW shweshwe banner ...

Especially when the expats in question feasting and dancing belong to a social and charitable group named WOW (Women of Worth). That makes this powwow a PowWOW!

... and my Cuppa 4 CANSA shweshwe banner too

It was truly a cross-cultural event. The menu was "English Tea" and the decorations were influenced by Native American and African cultures.

I transformed Valley Lodge into a Shabby Chic Iroquois-inspired longhouse for the day featuring feathers, porcupine quills, blankets, baskets and beads - traditional decorative elements found in both Native American and African cultures. Colorful shweshwe banners and bright pastel shweshwe, kikoy and shuka table runners added to the festive atmosphere and gave the event a distinctively African sense of place.

A uniquely Native American element used in decorating was the dream catcher. Typically hung above a bed while sleeping, the dream catcher has been a part of Native American culture for generations. According to custom, the good dreams know how to pass through the dream catcher and slide down the ribbons and feathers to reach the dreamer sleeping below. The bad dreams get caught in the dream catcher and disappear with the morning light.










Dream catchers decorating the wigwam entrance and above the pledge table were meant to encourage guests to dream for a day without cancer and support the dreams of the Eastrand CANSA Care Centre.

Guests were asked to dress in pink and were given a pink ribbon and feather pin to wear to show their support for breast cancer research.

True to a traditional English tea served for elevenses, the menu consisted of a variety of crustless tea sandwiches, warm quiches, macarons, croisnuts, scones and cakes. This being South Africa though, the scones were served both Devonshire style with house-made clotted cream and strawberry jam as well as South African style with apricot jam and cheddar cheese. 

Lady apple rose (photo by Marguerite Slavik)

Lady apple roses, a fruit salad, cheeses and cornichons rounded out the menu.

Victoria sponge cake (photo by Marguerite Slavik)

Along with hot teas and coffee, the guests were served cold Sudan hibiscus tea, pink lemonade and a signature "Pink PowWOW Punch" containing fresh fruit juice and rosé wine from Franschhoek. One of the tea combinations served contained Rooibos and Sutherlandia, also known as Cancer Bush as it was used as a traditional treatment for cancer. The tea is known to ease digestion, remove anxiety and promote a feeling of well being. In addition, Sutherlandia has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties which boost the immune system.

Of course, a proper English tea always provides an opportunity for ladies to wear festive headware and I crafted this feathered headdress-inspired fascinator to wear for my Pink PowWOW tea party.

Cuppa for CANSA mugs and candy Kisses

There was no charge to attend the Pink PowWOW. Instead, guests were invited to donate to the Eastrand CANSA Care Centre. Over R3500 was raised on the day with more donations still coming in!

the pledge table

A chiffon pink "Le Creuset Tea for One" prize package was given as a gift to the donor who made the largest pledge of the day.

chiffon pink display @ the Sandton City Le Creuset

I am entering my Pink PowWOW in the Le Creuset Cuppa for CANSA home party competition. I must give a shout-out to my girls at the Le Creuset shop in Sandton City for talking me into hosting my Cuppa in the first place. Wish us luck!

photo by Marguerite Slavik

PS Here are the banking details if you would like to contribute to the Eastrand CANSA Care Centre:
Bank - ABSA
Account No. -. 288147523
Branch code - Universal
Please use Reference code: KastenCuppa
Thank you!

Beechwood Garden

As one of the open garden days arranged by the Gardens of the Golden City, a visit to the lovely heritage garden of Beechwood in Hyde Park has become an annual must-do on the Johannesburg social calendar.

A lake and six ponds including an iris pond and a lotus pond. An immense kitchen garden and an English country rose garden. Fountains and sculptures. This garden had everything!

the kitchen garden outside the catering kitchen

an al fresco luncheon was served by Susan Grieg

there were frogs in the fountain in the center of the formal rose garden

waterblommetjies!

inviting

the Jacarandas watched over the estate

Perfect timing for peak Jacaranda blooming!

full bloom

coral tree and Jacaranda

The roses were magnificent!

wisteria and rose-bedecked colonnades

waterlilies

For the remaining scheduled open garden days of the season, visit the website for Gardens of the Golden City.

Serious foodie in the house

Chris, one of our recent visitors from the USA, is a bona fide foodie. She is a restaurant and special events / people writer and blogger for the Kansas City Restaurant Guide. We took her to some new places and some of our old favorites during her weekend in Johannesburg. Here are some of the highlights ...

First stop, Bistro Michel in the Bluebird Shopping Centre. It is owned by Michel Morand, former owner of Auberge Michel restaurant, which was the first restaurant in South Africa to be awarded the Five Star rating by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa. Vince and I had never been there before but we heard so many great things about it, we felt confident Chris would like it. They were all true and she did!
 

Chris with Chef Michel

Chris taking a photo of dessert. We shared!

Yay! I am not the only one. We took a lot of pictures of the food during her visit!

If it's good enough for Anthony Bourdain, it sure as heck should be good enough for Chris. The market landscape in Joburg has exploded since we moved here, but because it was a Saturday, we visited Neighbourgoods Market and nearby 44 Stanley in Braamfontein to eat, drink and shop.

of course she had to try the Balkan Burger!

foodies flock to Neighbourgoods!

We had another great meal at The Local Grill. We felt confident enough to take a Kansas City foodie there!

an evening at The Local Grill has to include a tour of the kitchen

and a tour of the meat locker!

Jane takes some foodie photos @ Neighbourgoods

oysters and champagne

paella

tots and nibbles at The Westcliff

my Senegalese sole @ Bistro Michel

salmon @ Bistro Michel

lamb shank @ Bistro Michel

Peri-Peri prawns @ The Local Grill

T-bone steak @ The Local Grill

marrow bones @ The Local Grill

bread pudding @ The Local Grill

I don't remember what this dessert was @ Bistro Michel but it was awesome!