One of the most amazing revelations I’ve had in Switzerland thus far (apart from the fact that eau de parfum is not pronounced ‘err de parfyoom’) is that not everyone likes biltong. I shared my treasured store with some British and Swiss friends once, and it was an eye-opener. Half of them paled at the […]
Cartoon 15 May
True confessions of a book fiend
“Goodbye, my darlings,” I waved to them, as they sped away in the back of the charity shop van. “I’ll never forget you.” My books. Boxes of them, packed off as if they meant nothing to me. As if they hadn’t given me some of the happiest moments of my life. My husband, who has […]
Baby steps
Ever since we arrived in Switzerland my husband and I have been fantasizing about the outdoor adventures we could have, if only our children would walk. In true Johannesburg-child fashion, they seem to believe that feet are things meant for pressing accelerator pedals. Not that they’re lazy. They’ll run around in the park forever, bounce […]
How an ogre ate my favourite song
I try not to be judgmental, I really do. Treasure can often be found in the most surprising places; truffles don’t immediately present themselves as edible, let alone delicious, and so on. But I must admit, I’m losing the battle – I’m complaining a lot and my family thinks I’m boring. For example, it causes […]
Weekly Cartoon
Eco-warriors and morality police
I’m trying to be a better person, because of my children. It’s partly that I love them and I want to set a good example, of course. But it’s also because I have the feeling that they’ll tell on me if I don’t behave, and I’ll be in trouble with someone. Take the seven-year-old. She’s […]
Life is nothing like a lifestyle blog
I love lifestyle blogs. I’ve spent hours poring over the lives of strangers: looking at photos of their furniture, pictures they’ve taken of interesting trees, close-ups of their dinner, served in charmingly mismatched tableware. In fact, I love these blogs so much that I thought my family should start one. We live in a beautiful […]
The battleship and the speedboat
The Good Witch of the North once said, “Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese.” As much as I like the sound of that, I’m not convinced. Physically I’m in great shape, having played competitive netball in primary school. But I must admit, I’m already starting to miss my once-firm young […]
Of snow, skiing and seven-year-olds
“I think I ski better than you,” my daughter told me the other day. “What makes you say that?” I asked, attempting to discreetly remove the icicle that had jammed up my left nostril a few moments earlier, when I ploughed into a snow drift. “You fall down more than I do.” It’s true. I […]
