Inside the church
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Some Roman statues. There used to be statues of naked men, usually the rich sponsors of athletes in the baths to inspire the boys. These have been destroyed by Christian Zealots and replaced by covered women. The heads are mostly missing, because for some reaason only headless, clothed statues were acceptable.
Some flowers on the way to the varsity. Isabella calls this field "my country". It is ideal for her, because it is home to a white horse. When asked what her country's name is, she confidently replies "Australia" or "Alextralia". Reality testing is still somewhat problematic. She also introduces herself to people as Conrad. They are then visibly uncomfortable, because they do not want to look stupid or offend the parents. I then rescue them by saying she also has a girl's name. Isabella's explanation for this little excentricity is that she likes the sound of the name.
Salamis and Famagusta
Its long since I've written and much has happened. I will write a few impressions and post lots of photographs. By the way, suddenly my blogger interace is in Turkish and I'm guessing my way through it. I hope this blog does not appear in Turkish! (I just Managed to work out what 'language' is in Turkish. It is 'dIl'. Went to the dashboard and change the setting - my but I am cute!)
Since my last post we've been to Salamis and Gasimagusa (Famagusta) in the east, went on a boat trip on the calm (ha-ha) Mediterranean a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition the old city of Lefkosa, and we've been on a treasure hunt towards the west of the island. Furthermore, for those of you who think island life is just moonshine and roses, I hope to write somethng about my (and Jeanne-Marie's) work experiences.
The trip to the East (Salamis) was much more successful than our previous attempt. Armed with our newly restored camera and Bob in the car we set out bright and early. Well, not as early as we hoped to, but with kids, as some of you know, one always has to add an hour or so. Their sense of time and urgency needs some work. Sometimes as impatient as a one-day butterfly and sometimes the patience of a giant Gallapagos tortoise.
["Life is all holidays!" said a one-day butterfly. (It was lucky: it was born on a Sunday.) ]
Days are getting warmer and we had a great, windless sunny day. The Salamis site is both amazing from a historical perspective and because it was beautiful on the particular day that we were there. There are milions of Mimosas on the island that are in bloom. Furthermore, this island must have the world's biggest variety of yellow flower bearing plants. Everything among the ruins were covered in yellow. Historically it is incredible to walk on ruins that were occupied (and re-occupied) for more than 3000 years. It is estimated that the battle between the Myceneans and the Troyans that lead to the legend of the Trojan horse took place place in the 11th Century BC. Homer is thought of as writing about 1000 BC, but there is difference of opinion. And here we are, climbing and playing on the ruins! Archeology must be a very difficult and rewarding discipline. Each site represents layers and layers of history and the challenge s to unravel these so that history mkes sens in a linear way. Of course, history is not linear - the same script is played out again and again with different actors over centuries. The Mouse Trap has got nothing on this!
Martin taught me how to put hyperlinks on the blog. This helps me to not nore you with all the historical details, but to refer those of you, who are intersted in these things like we are, to read up more on these wonderful places. So, to all the fellow-nerds. Click on Salamis above for more juicy history stuff.
We wouldn't have minded staying much longer, but the brave little Daniel and Isabella have their limits. These dicctate that they stop walking and running abouut after a whle and demand to be carried. This leads to me and Jeanne-Marie contemplating our mortality and our spinal compression fractures from 'can I sit on your head, Daddy?' (Which might look in print like an innocent question, but is, in fact, a command) on our way to our demise. Reason took over immediately and we decided that having lunch in Famagusta was a grand idea. Bob, who was not overly blessed with pigment also took a pounding from the sun. We all decided that the vast site of Salamis deserves another visit.
We went to the old city, a site of great historical significance, seeing that it was there that my camera broke on a fateful day in March. I was back to set the record straight an am happy to say that I can now post a few cool pictures of the place. We had a great lunch at an outside place - the first time we actually ate out since we've been here (not counting the visit to the local version of MacDonalds). The kids are getting used to travelling and easier to take places - well, sometimes. This was a good day for the Viljoens. It felt like it should on an overseas trip. After a hot day of sightseeing one should be able to sit back and have a cold beer and enjoy the scenery. Bob is into TM, he is a vegetarian and he does not drink alcohol. Fortunately he does not seem to be offended when we partake in these earthly delights. I suppose one can take being considerate too far. Bob also abhors smoking, so we don't smoke. I suppose that is where we meet him halfway.
Later the afternoon we met Nick Pagan, a professor of English literature at the Eastern Mediterranean Univesity in Famagusta. Nice chap who has aa 6-year old. When we go to Famagusta agin, wwe might hook up with him so the kids can play. So, slowly we network. As an aside, as I've mentiioned before, this is a small place, which means that one has to behave. People get to know you very quickly. You bump into the same peoplle all the time. Everyone in the bank knows you, etc etc. We are also feeling a little more settled in and it was great just hanging out for a change.
In Famagusta we looked for ice cream and went into a shop run by a Bangladeshi. I took the opportunity to congratulate him and his countrymen on the excellent victory over SA in the CWC.
I will write about the other events in forthcomming postings. It is now late on a Sunday evening and I still need to upload photos.
till next time..
Since my last post we've been to Salamis and Gasimagusa (Famagusta) in the east, went on a boat trip on the calm (ha-ha) Mediterranean a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition the old city of Lefkosa, and we've been on a treasure hunt towards the west of the island. Furthermore, for those of you who think island life is just moonshine and roses, I hope to write somethng about my (and Jeanne-Marie's) work experiences.
The trip to the East (Salamis) was much more successful than our previous attempt. Armed with our newly restored camera and Bob in the car we set out bright and early. Well, not as early as we hoped to, but with kids, as some of you know, one always has to add an hour or so. Their sense of time and urgency needs some work. Sometimes as impatient as a one-day butterfly and sometimes the patience of a giant Gallapagos tortoise.
["Life is all holidays!" said a one-day butterfly. (It was lucky: it was born on a Sunday.) ]
Days are getting warmer and we had a great, windless sunny day. The Salamis site is both amazing from a historical perspective and because it was beautiful on the particular day that we were there. There are milions of Mimosas on the island that are in bloom. Furthermore, this island must have the world's biggest variety of yellow flower bearing plants. Everything among the ruins were covered in yellow. Historically it is incredible to walk on ruins that were occupied (and re-occupied) for more than 3000 years. It is estimated that the battle between the Myceneans and the Troyans that lead to the legend of the Trojan horse took place place in the 11th Century BC. Homer is thought of as writing about 1000 BC, but there is difference of opinion. And here we are, climbing and playing on the ruins! Archeology must be a very difficult and rewarding discipline. Each site represents layers and layers of history and the challenge s to unravel these so that history mkes sens in a linear way. Of course, history is not linear - the same script is played out again and again with different actors over centuries. The Mouse Trap has got nothing on this!
Martin taught me how to put hyperlinks on the blog. This helps me to not nore you with all the historical details, but to refer those of you, who are intersted in these things like we are, to read up more on these wonderful places. So, to all the fellow-nerds. Click on Salamis above for more juicy history stuff.
We wouldn't have minded staying much longer, but the brave little Daniel and Isabella have their limits. These dicctate that they stop walking and running abouut after a whle and demand to be carried. This leads to me and Jeanne-Marie contemplating our mortality and our spinal compression fractures from 'can I sit on your head, Daddy?' (Which might look in print like an innocent question, but is, in fact, a command) on our way to our demise. Reason took over immediately and we decided that having lunch in Famagusta was a grand idea. Bob, who was not overly blessed with pigment also took a pounding from the sun. We all decided that the vast site of Salamis deserves another visit.
We went to the old city, a site of great historical significance, seeing that it was there that my camera broke on a fateful day in March. I was back to set the record straight an am happy to say that I can now post a few cool pictures of the place. We had a great lunch at an outside place - the first time we actually ate out since we've been here (not counting the visit to the local version of MacDonalds). The kids are getting used to travelling and easier to take places - well, sometimes. This was a good day for the Viljoens. It felt like it should on an overseas trip. After a hot day of sightseeing one should be able to sit back and have a cold beer and enjoy the scenery. Bob is into TM, he is a vegetarian and he does not drink alcohol. Fortunately he does not seem to be offended when we partake in these earthly delights. I suppose one can take being considerate too far. Bob also abhors smoking, so we don't smoke. I suppose that is where we meet him halfway.
Later the afternoon we met Nick Pagan, a professor of English literature at the Eastern Mediterranean Univesity in Famagusta. Nice chap who has aa 6-year old. When we go to Famagusta agin, wwe might hook up with him so the kids can play. So, slowly we network. As an aside, as I've mentiioned before, this is a small place, which means that one has to behave. People get to know you very quickly. You bump into the same peoplle all the time. Everyone in the bank knows you, etc etc. We are also feeling a little more settled in and it was great just hanging out for a change.
In Famagusta we looked for ice cream and went into a shop run by a Bangladeshi. I took the opportunity to congratulate him and his countrymen on the excellent victory over SA in the CWC.
I will write about the other events in forthcomming postings. It is now late on a Sunday evening and I still need to upload photos.
till next time..
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Spring, world cups, travel and the Anglican church
It is Sunday again. Spring is very long. For those of you who don't know, spring is a real season that falls (no ironic pun intended) between winter and summer. It is not just the two weeks in late August where we all get colds because of the change in seasons. It is drawn out and slow. Some days are cold, even though its sunny, like one of those bright sunny Pretoria midwinter days. Hey, but look, we could have been in England, or in the American Mid-west. Connie (Bob's wife) writes from Iowa that its getting warmer there. They have days as warm as 60. That is 60 Farenheit! So, enjoy your gradual autumn and mild, short winter.
(Comic interlude: Bob and I decided that 'Bob' is the ideal name for someone suffering from Dyslexia.)
I find it interesting that people here, as they do in South Africa, also say that the seasons were different this year. Winter was short and dry (usually longer, and wetter), spring is long and wetter than usual etc. I believe that people generally have no idea what 'usual' means when it comes to weather. Since I can remember, and this is starting to add up to asignificant amout of years, people have been saying: "This year the weather is different. Ask me, I know!" Jeanne-Marie points out that we get this way of thinking from the Romans. Aparently they saw every year as their last. If we could live in the final year of life on earth as we know it (Captain) we surely are important people! In Cyprus there are a lot of ex-Romans roaming about. People have assured us, since we came here that we will be able to swim in the "next two weeks", but to quote Vitalstatistix, "the next two weeks never come!"
We have Internet at home now. This is a good thing becausse Jeanne-Marie feels less isolated. It is also good for receiving work from SA. I occasionnally listen to Super 14 rugby on RSG and I can follow, what's left of the disasterous cricket world-cup on the Internet. (You wait four years for the bloody world-cup and then they murder good people, India and Pakistan leave early, there's now Carribean spirit in the Carribean, the West Indies is still a far cry from whoever they were in aprevious life. The only things constant ass the Morning Star are that Australia is sooo good and the SA team, despite its bravado, still embarrasses us with record after record achieved against us. For those of you familiar with Woody Allen's short story, Viva Vargas, you will certainly recognise a lot of Graham Smith's psycchosis in the main character of that story. For those of you not familiar with Woody Allen's short story, Viva Vargas, where were you? Go out and get it! Now! )
The downside is that the experience of travel in the Global Village will probably never be as exciting as it was 30 years ago. When one travels, one looks for what is familiar and what is different. The familiar serves as a reference point to prevent one from irritating little psychoses while the thrill lies in the unknown or that which is different. I must say. that there seems to be slightly more that is similar than that which is different. I always think back to when my parents went overseas for the first timme in 1975 or 6, we didn't have TV. What they knew about the places they visited they got from books or other people's accounts. Imagine how strong the experience of the unfamiliaar was! I must say that going overseas with two kids, the familiar surely helps in making one'ss life easier. Imagine we could not get Bovril or throw-away nappies. I suppose we have a choice in terms of how much of the familiar we want to allow in. I don't really have to follow the world-cup or the Super 14, read News24.co.za, read emails from home etc etc, but I believe there is enough strangeness here to balance out the need for the known.
One of the ways to build in the unknown is to visit strange and unknown lands. As far as strange goes, I believe that Cappadocia in Turkey rates quite high on the list. We are planning to go there for a long weekend in April. I try not to read up too much on it before we go, but of course you are free to punch it into Wikipedia and see what comes up. I just know that Liezl Cuyler-Nicol describes it as one of the highlightss of her young life. So, watch this space for a forthcoming report on Cappadocia! We also plan to venture into Northern Europe in the summer vacation. We want to go visit Wolfgang and co as well as Andreas in Germany (maybe bump into Michelle there), see if we can make it to Paris to show Dan the Notre Damme and if Jeanne-Marie's part-time work really takes off from now till then, see if we can't cross the channel and visit Janine in York and maybe Nichola and Giri in Canterbury. But there is so much to do. Egypt is just a hanetreetjie weg. Then there is Italy and Moscouw, the Balkans etc - touch choices, many of which will be taken for us by time and money constraints.
Our camera is fixed (see previous post on the fall of (a) man) and we hope to post fresh pictures soon. Problem is, we now have to get used to carrying it with us again.
Last Sunday we were invited to a lunch with some of thee colleagues at work. This was great. For the first time I felt that I lived here. Great people, great food and I even played some guitar. Not very successful because I've forgotten most of the chords and words for simple songs. I hope to pick it up again while here. We also had Simonsvlei Merlot. Great to have SA wine - here the familiar wwas reaaly wwelcome. Caroline iss half turkish Cypriot who grew up in Bermuda. Her parents have a real stylish medditerranean villa on the slopess of the Kirenya mountain. Great to sit on the expansive stoep with good wine, good food and a view of the ink-blue Med.
The kids also loved it. They seem to be very happyhere and for the most part they behave like angels. Danny has taken to drawing in a big way and he writes his own name. Isabella gets up early in the morning to practice her dancing. Danny has also started to play soccer and he loves it. He says he is particularly good in goal. Issy thinks she is boy and we don't know howw to break it to her that she isn't. If she were a boy, she would have been a drag queen, because she likes to apply the make-up in thick layers.
Last night we invited Tunc and his wife Esra for supper. He is the guy at the University that wants Jeanne-Marie to come work for him. Unfortunately the addministrative processes are snailing along in an undisclosed direction. Esra is the PA for the President. By the way, the President's wife is the pathologist who took my blood sample for my work permit. She is alsso doing an M in gender studiea on which I may do some teaching. This is a small place. We learned yet again very interesting faccts and perspectives on the Cyprus problem. If you want me to wwrite more about it, let me know. Sometimes I feel I'm the only person in the world interested in this sort of thing.
Today we attempted going to the Anglican church in Girne. It did not work for us. The building is small and overcrowded. Daniel and Issy were understandably bored. It is not a child-friendly environment. The congregation looks a little like an ex-pat British club, (I suppose some may see the Church of the province exacly as that), they looked suspicciously at us and the youngest person there was about twice my age. Given that I have never really taken to the Anglican liturgy (as a protestant chuch founded on adultry), the morning was doomed to fail. Nevertheless, I think we should try again some other time, when there might be less people. In the mean time it seems to me that Easter for the Viljoens will be a small family affair. Friday is not a public holiday and I'll be interestedd to see if anything will be different here. I know Danny does not have soccer in the afternoon because of Good Friday, but that might be the extendd of the recognition for the day.
So, from all of us to all of you, happy Easter, and keep those questions about sunny Cyprus and responses to my blog coming, thick and fast!
(Comic interlude: Bob and I decided that 'Bob' is the ideal name for someone suffering from Dyslexia.)
I find it interesting that people here, as they do in South Africa, also say that the seasons were different this year. Winter was short and dry (usually longer, and wetter), spring is long and wetter than usual etc. I believe that people generally have no idea what 'usual' means when it comes to weather. Since I can remember, and this is starting to add up to asignificant amout of years, people have been saying: "This year the weather is different. Ask me, I know!" Jeanne-Marie points out that we get this way of thinking from the Romans. Aparently they saw every year as their last. If we could live in the final year of life on earth as we know it (Captain) we surely are important people! In Cyprus there are a lot of ex-Romans roaming about. People have assured us, since we came here that we will be able to swim in the "next two weeks", but to quote Vitalstatistix, "the next two weeks never come!"
We have Internet at home now. This is a good thing becausse Jeanne-Marie feels less isolated. It is also good for receiving work from SA. I occasionnally listen to Super 14 rugby on RSG and I can follow, what's left of the disasterous cricket world-cup on the Internet. (You wait four years for the bloody world-cup and then they murder good people, India and Pakistan leave early, there's now Carribean spirit in the Carribean, the West Indies is still a far cry from whoever they were in aprevious life. The only things constant ass the Morning Star are that Australia is sooo good and the SA team, despite its bravado, still embarrasses us with record after record achieved against us. For those of you familiar with Woody Allen's short story, Viva Vargas, you will certainly recognise a lot of Graham Smith's psycchosis in the main character of that story. For those of you not familiar with Woody Allen's short story, Viva Vargas, where were you? Go out and get it! Now! )
The downside is that the experience of travel in the Global Village will probably never be as exciting as it was 30 years ago. When one travels, one looks for what is familiar and what is different. The familiar serves as a reference point to prevent one from irritating little psychoses while the thrill lies in the unknown or that which is different. I must say. that there seems to be slightly more that is similar than that which is different. I always think back to when my parents went overseas for the first timme in 1975 or 6, we didn't have TV. What they knew about the places they visited they got from books or other people's accounts. Imagine how strong the experience of the unfamiliaar was! I must say that going overseas with two kids, the familiar surely helps in making one'ss life easier. Imagine we could not get Bovril or throw-away nappies. I suppose we have a choice in terms of how much of the familiar we want to allow in. I don't really have to follow the world-cup or the Super 14, read News24.co.za, read emails from home etc etc, but I believe there is enough strangeness here to balance out the need for the known.
One of the ways to build in the unknown is to visit strange and unknown lands. As far as strange goes, I believe that Cappadocia in Turkey rates quite high on the list. We are planning to go there for a long weekend in April. I try not to read up too much on it before we go, but of course you are free to punch it into Wikipedia and see what comes up. I just know that Liezl Cuyler-Nicol describes it as one of the highlightss of her young life. So, watch this space for a forthcoming report on Cappadocia! We also plan to venture into Northern Europe in the summer vacation. We want to go visit Wolfgang and co as well as Andreas in Germany (maybe bump into Michelle there), see if we can make it to Paris to show Dan the Notre Damme and if Jeanne-Marie's part-time work really takes off from now till then, see if we can't cross the channel and visit Janine in York and maybe Nichola and Giri in Canterbury. But there is so much to do. Egypt is just a hanetreetjie weg. Then there is Italy and Moscouw, the Balkans etc - touch choices, many of which will be taken for us by time and money constraints.
Our camera is fixed (see previous post on the fall of (a) man) and we hope to post fresh pictures soon. Problem is, we now have to get used to carrying it with us again.
Last Sunday we were invited to a lunch with some of thee colleagues at work. This was great. For the first time I felt that I lived here. Great people, great food and I even played some guitar. Not very successful because I've forgotten most of the chords and words for simple songs. I hope to pick it up again while here. We also had Simonsvlei Merlot. Great to have SA wine - here the familiar wwas reaaly wwelcome. Caroline iss half turkish Cypriot who grew up in Bermuda. Her parents have a real stylish medditerranean villa on the slopess of the Kirenya mountain. Great to sit on the expansive stoep with good wine, good food and a view of the ink-blue Med.
The kids also loved it. They seem to be very happyhere and for the most part they behave like angels. Danny has taken to drawing in a big way and he writes his own name. Isabella gets up early in the morning to practice her dancing. Danny has also started to play soccer and he loves it. He says he is particularly good in goal. Issy thinks she is boy and we don't know howw to break it to her that she isn't. If she were a boy, she would have been a drag queen, because she likes to apply the make-up in thick layers.
Last night we invited Tunc and his wife Esra for supper. He is the guy at the University that wants Jeanne-Marie to come work for him. Unfortunately the addministrative processes are snailing along in an undisclosed direction. Esra is the PA for the President. By the way, the President's wife is the pathologist who took my blood sample for my work permit. She is alsso doing an M in gender studiea on which I may do some teaching. This is a small place. We learned yet again very interesting faccts and perspectives on the Cyprus problem. If you want me to wwrite more about it, let me know. Sometimes I feel I'm the only person in the world interested in this sort of thing.
Today we attempted going to the Anglican church in Girne. It did not work for us. The building is small and overcrowded. Daniel and Issy were understandably bored. It is not a child-friendly environment. The congregation looks a little like an ex-pat British club, (I suppose some may see the Church of the province exacly as that), they looked suspicciously at us and the youngest person there was about twice my age. Given that I have never really taken to the Anglican liturgy (as a protestant chuch founded on adultry), the morning was doomed to fail. Nevertheless, I think we should try again some other time, when there might be less people. In the mean time it seems to me that Easter for the Viljoens will be a small family affair. Friday is not a public holiday and I'll be interestedd to see if anything will be different here. I know Danny does not have soccer in the afternoon because of Good Friday, but that might be the extendd of the recognition for the day.
So, from all of us to all of you, happy Easter, and keep those questions about sunny Cyprus and responses to my blog coming, thick and fast!
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