same post as before on sugar hangovers
I must be getting old.. the party lifestyle is taking it's toll...
Just recovering from a hectic partyful weekend... children have suffered today at school and at one point I could do no work but colour in a picture, such was the level of sugar induced fatigue...
Out on Friday until 2am for some much needed, and highly amusing, dancing in Mumbai...(the bar not the city, for those reading this not from Leam) Including us getting very excited about the DJ playing a Lionel Richie song (surely a sign that I should retire now, I actually enjoyed it). I still managed to maintain my 'Kebabs are killers' rule and not buy anything from Halikarnas, on the contrary, surreal moment and surely a first when I found some pumpkin seeds and pine nuts in my bag and consumed them there while everyone else got stuck into the 'food' they'd purchased there... Was much fun, but can't share any more details ;-)
Then Saturday, yet more partying of a family variety. Liz's birthday lunch en famille, followed by dinner in a Thai restaurant, which turned out to be fairly pricey, but was tasty too... until the msg hangover hit the next day...
Sunday was Gwyneth Emily Victoria Horn's thanksgiving service, which was lovely. Taking after her actor father, she performed brilliantly for her public, smiling and waving when up the front of church and later for the photos round the cake... A perfect little actress... Comedy food moments from a friend who did the old pretending-to-throw-a-cheesecake-in-my-face trick, only to have it slip off the plate and all over him instead. Priceless.
Less priceless were the little peskies who helped themselves to the decorations from Gwyneth's cake during the setup... That's what you get when you work with kids I suppose... we never could track down who it was exactly...
Turns out Gwyneth's not such a perfect child, and is already being put in 'time out' at nursery for pushing other kids out of the way to get to the best toys... at 8 months! Now that is something she must have inherited from her Auntie... she really is a Horn... ;-)
Just recovering from a hectic partyful weekend... children have suffered today at school and at one point I could do no work but colour in a picture, such was the level of sugar induced fatigue...
Out on Friday until 2am for some much needed, and highly amusing, dancing in Mumbai...(the bar not the city, for those reading this not from Leam) Including us getting very excited about the DJ playing a Lionel Richie song (surely a sign that I should retire now, I actually enjoyed it). I still managed to maintain my 'Kebabs are killers' rule and not buy anything from Halikarnas, on the contrary, surreal moment and surely a first when I found some pumpkin seeds and pine nuts in my bag and consumed them there while everyone else got stuck into the 'food' they'd purchased there... Was much fun, but can't share any more details ;-)
Then Saturday, yet more partying of a family variety. Liz's birthday lunch en famille, followed by dinner in a Thai restaurant, which turned out to be fairly pricey, but was tasty too... until the msg hangover hit the next day...
Sunday was Gwyneth Emily Victoria Horn's thanksgiving service, which was lovely. Taking after her actor father, she performed brilliantly for her public, smiling and waving when up the front of church and later for the photos round the cake... A perfect little actress... Comedy food moments from a friend who did the old pretending-to-throw-a-cheesecake-in-my-face trick, only to have it slip off the plate and all over him instead. Priceless.
Less priceless were the little peskies who helped themselves to the decorations from Gwyneth's cake during the setup... That's what you get when you work with kids I suppose... we never could track down who it was exactly...
Turns out Gwyneth's not such a perfect child, and is already being put in 'time out' at nursery for pushing other kids out of the way to get to the best toys... at 8 months! Now that is something she must have inherited from her Auntie... she really is a Horn... ;-)
posted by Caroline @ 5:16 pm
5 Comments:
At Thursday, 11 May, 2006,
Anonymous said…
"tracking the preparation, planning and progress of my work with AIDS orphans in Kwa-Zulu Natal"
I came here after searching the 'net for advice on AIDS orphans and I find a story about your antics in a Leamington kebab shop and a story about a sportscar and Gucci sunglasses
Are you taking the preparation seriously? People are dying and you give the impression working in an AIDS orphanage is going to be one big holiday party.
Grow up, you are a disgrace to your cause.
Gillian van der Merwe.
At Friday, 12 May, 2006,
Caroline said…
Dear Ms van de Merwe,
Thank you for your comments and I'm sorry that you seem to have only had the opportunity to read a bit of my blog. I'm sorry too that you were offended by what you read, it was not intended that way. As you will see, I have not yet been out to Africa and am going later this year, in addition to writing about life out there, I am also surely entitled to write about my life now, this being MY personal blog. I am sorry if you do not approve of my lifestyle. Perhaps you would like to click on one of the links to GGA and read about what is going on out there now.
I am well aware that people are dying of AIDS and am under no illusions that working in an AIDS orphanage will be 'one big holiday party'. My life here is nothing like what it will be when I get to Africa, nor do I expect it to be.
I am sorry that you seem so angry. Perhaps you would be kind enough to email me privately about this matter, instead of trying to publicly 'out' me as some big-time hedonist who's only interested in having a good time, which could not be any farther than the truth, as you would discover, if you actually knew me. Please check out my profile for my email address and we can continue this discussion in private, should you so desire.
Many thanks, Caroline
At Saturday, 13 May, 2006,
Anonymous said…
Thank you for your reply, I do not feel we need to carry this conversation on in private. I hope some of your friends read this and tell me I am wrong, however the English are polite and will not want to upset you by saying they agree with me, it works both ways they won't tell me they disagree with me either!
You come across as a vacuoous, middle class middle Englander. I am sure you are not but that is how I, and others, perceive you through these journals.
Also I am trying to get you to promote a discussion about your work, the way God is leading you, as opposed to the nonsense we read here. Rather than whetting people's appetites for your big adventure you come across as a shallow, ego-centric individual. You may feel I am being harsh but you are responsible for the way others see you.
You would do yourself, and the God's Golden Acre, a large favor by promoting how you are preparing yourself for your odyssey. For instance, are you working with a locally based AIDS charity? Have you spent any days in a AIDS hospice? Have you started a dialogue with anyone in Kwa-Zulu Natal? What will your accomodation be, a four poster with egyptian cotton sheets or or you going to be sleeping in a breeze block hut with a corrugated tin roof that will pay tunes to you whenever it rains? What will be different frm the life you encounter today? Why don't you start writing about your own attempts to raise the profile of GGA and not your own materialistic approach by telling us about an MP3 player. Are you giving a public talk at your local church, or others in the town? It seems to me you have a God given opportunity ahead of you and people will not want to listen to you if all you can talk about is your boyfriends, lessons in Christian dating and supping coffee in Starbucks.
I am not attacking you but trying to help you help yourself. If my manner offends then you'd better get used to it pretty quickly, we Afrikaaners are a blunt and direct bunch.
Peace be with you.
Gillian.
At Saturday, 13 May, 2006,
Caroline said…
I am rather afraid I have to disagree with you there, Gillian. You are ‘attacking me’.
This is my personal blog and I will write on it whatever I like, it being MY blog. Should you wish to find out more about GGA, I suggest you check out www.godsgoldenacre.org.uk. Or another website from someone who has been out there already. Surely it is my prerogative to write about what I want to write about, when I want to write about it. I will probably answer all of your questions in the course of the next few months, when I choose to.
If you have taken a personal dislike to my style of prose, then it would seem more sensible for you to stop reading my blog and continue your search for what you are looking for elsewhere. As you yourself have pointed out, AIDS is a major problem and there is much to be done.
I am sorry that you do not seem to like British people and have chosen this forum to demonstrate this. I am well aware that ‘Afrikaaners are a blunt and direct bunch’, but I sincerely hope they are not all as inconsiderate as yourself in dealing with their issues. I will not apologise for being a ‘middle-class Middle-Englander’ and will thank you for keeping your comments to yourself.
If you have a problem with me, the correct way to go about it is to approach me in private with your issues, and then I will be glad to deal with you. However, I will not continue this discussion in such a public forum.
At Monday, 15 May, 2006,
Steve Tilley said…
Hmmm, now let me see. Someone who is going to visit another culture to gain an experience of it is criticised for not understanding that culture by someone who doesn't understand her culture. Did I get that about right? Shall we now have a go at learning from each other?
In this culture - this is my starter for ten - we find different things amusing to other cultures. Missionary dating games for instance. Not serious; just a joke.
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