Aiden at eight (with Evan at 5 and two thirds)

Brett turns 50

Dana and Brett in 2003

Courtney, Allie and Dana in 2005

Brett Free, who you met in HK (and who we just love to bits) turned 50 on the 9th of April.  He has been super-kind to us from the day we arrived in Hong Kong, and with his family who have been equally so, has been a true friend and support since.  I was chatting to Greg Hagen last night, and he put it simply and perfectly - Brett is one of those rare people who always gives more than he receives.  And as simple as that may seem - almost a worn out concept too - it is completely accurate, in all aspects of life for Brett.  It is a rare thing.  He's also not someone who is into stuff - and is difficult to buy a prezzie for - so I phoned Allie and asked her if she and Dana would be willing to go under the lights for a picture for him - and not only did they agree, but Carrie, who is just a dynamite human being, offered to come too.  In my experience asking anyone to stand for a pic usually gets a no answer - but this is especially so for women over 40 - so I was able to take a pic of all the Free girls, so to speak.  The thing that was best about it was that he was really happy to get the photo - which of course makes it a true delight to be doing. 

Dana, Carrie and Allie - birthday portrait April 2012

Black and white people in Thailand

It seems in the nature of the-last-thing-first of blog postings that stuff can get ahead of itself - so it might make sense to go back one post - these are some people shots from the same time.

Things did not get off to a great start - Ev had an allergic reaction to something unknown, which resulted in this outrageous rash on his feet and legs and the rest of him covered in little spots (!). So it was off to the clinic, and some monster injection deep into his right butt cheek - he was not a happy camper.

A day and a half later the rash had largely disappeared and the only remaining symptom of whatever it was was a set of particularly shiny red apple cheeks (maybe it was the sun-cream that he was allergic to?)

On some of the days there was no surf at all, which meant sand construction only.

Ange walks past one of the boys' beach fortifications - Richard's first beach maxim: a hole is worth ten castles.

Cheeks back to normal, at the Reggae Bar on Layan Beach

A secret whispered while waiting for lunch - beach hunger being the towering thing that it is.

Thailand for a week



We went to Thailand for a week, the great escape; it was lovely, as one would expect.  I got to take some pics - battling to get myself going in that regard of late (somehow bored of it all, and wondering about the point of capturing imaginary slices of life, but then I get to make something I like and it makes me happy still) .  I really like the pic above, I think it's the nicest I took, colours, balance, sky perspective - Layan Beach near the Reggae Bar - wonderfully humid.

Ange took this one - its lovely - I'd left the camera on manual setting from an earlier pic so it's burned out, but lovely stark - and slightly abstract - and I dont have many pics of me and Aiden and Ev - which is what this is of.

Ev and Ange on the way to the beach in the morning - the chocolate box look is from condensation on the lens, coming out of the aircon into the hot sticky - like the pic still though.

More grey skies, more rugby

The weather continues to be foul; rainy and cold (I always try remind myself that the heat of summer is oppressive, and to enjoy this... but it's all too extreme - or its the unhealthy habit of wanting to live in another time - I watched the movie "Midnight in Paris" last night - a light reminder of the folly of doing so).  It was lovely to see you, albeit briefly, in Pretoria.  To see you drive off in your car was strange and wonderful - the former because it seems like I've lived in huge bounds for the last 20 years, the latter because you seem so at ease with yourself and the world, yet so focused and driven - it's a great combination.  Nigeria was cool - chaotic, but cool; I met up with a guy that I know from Cape Town, and really like - he's philosophical, yet cooking with energy - another great combination.  I met some great people too - from Nigeria, Ghana, all over.  I miss Africa - but love it here too.  More suburbia in photos though - I got back, slept, and straight into the week that's passed - a busy one.  So surfaced for the first time this weekend - in the rain and mist and cold.  Ran and gymned on Saturday - hung out with the kids and Ange.  It was great.  This morning, Sunday, had to get up at 7.30 to go to the football club for the kids rugby.  Ev was playing at 9am; Aiden at 12.  Not ideal.  Ev developed a knee ache shortly after we got there.  It migrated North (at an amazing rate) and became a tummy ache - Ange left and took him home.  Aiden and I shivvered while waiting for his game.  I was grumpy.  We kicked a ball for a while, which improved things - he played - the first game in the mud - the second two in the rain.  An Irish woman standing next to me watching said that this was how rugby was meant to be.  I thought of Pretoria in July, and disagreed.

Aidie played well, he goes for it, and has quite a good little hand-off

Aiden, India and Evan

It's an unusual practice venue from a South African perspective - lots of spectators

A watery sun shone for a while today - a smile of brightness in the weeks of grey.

Two pictures of Sheung Sze Wan

Ten pictures I've liked - abstracts