On my bike

Please click HERE if you want to see more pics of Osterley Park in London.

Snow

See more snow pics.. HERE and HERE ....

Osterley Park 2

My topic is "green". Green is the colour that changes into different colours! During Autumn, it is amazing to see all the changes....if you look closely, you will see the seed of the Horse Chestnut on this tree...
Here it is, but it has changed! And it has dropped down....ready for another cycle?
The English call this a "concker" and earlier, they played games with the conkers and children knew how to keep themself busy with it!

In the corner of the garden, green, but with an invader....
Once again, beautiful green! Some children in London say that they hate green as a colour, because there is so much green in the country! .....never thought someone will say that...
.....more green......
And.....there's the invader...he thought I would never see him, I think he was ready to jump....wonder how fast that would be...

Osterley Park

WOW! I think this is my best picture of today!!

And I think I'm slowly getting the hang of my camera...

Osterley Park is so tien minute se vinnig stap van ons af waar ons bly. Dis 'n lieflik groot park. Dis baie besig gedurende naweke, mense kom hou graag piekniek in die park, stap sommer net rond of ry fiets...daar is verskillende paadjies, maar ongelukkig is van hulle nou toegemaak en moet jy betaal om daar te ry met jou fiets of om te stap. Wat 'n jammerte! Dis so pragtig om daar rond te ry, nou is ons baie beperk met die beweging van ons fietse. Ek dink hulle wil op 'n manier fondse insamel. Die "huis" wat op die foto gesien word, is 'n historiese gebou en soms word daar kuns uitgestal. Ons was self nog nie daar binne nie. Een Sondag was daar 'n troue op die grasperk voor die gebou. Asiese troue en dit het baie indrukwekkend gelyk, ek dink net dis baie onpersoonlik met al die ander mense wat oral op die gras rondsit of rondloop. Die ander gebou is 'n winkeltjie - die een met die klok - en daar kan jy sit en iets bestel, lekker skons met room, ens. en hulle verkoop ook allerhande tradisionele goed, soos konfyt wat self gemaak is.....ens. 'n Ander pragtige park, omtrent 15 min per motor, is Richmond Park. 'n Verskriklike groot park, pragtig bokke en uitgestrekte dele vir stap/ry/fietsry/piekniek en selfs perdry! Ek eksperimenteer bietjie met die kamera wat ek het - hy is iewers op my blog - en daarom sit ek van tyd tot tyd foto's, ek wil graag beter "close-ups" neem, maar met die kamera van my, is dit 'n kuns...af ek is maar bietjie dom met die ding! "Practise makes perfect", soos hulle se, so dit sal seker nog tyd neem voordat alles perfek is!

That's not me!

Read about this fish with the name of Chessa. And follow this link to where part of my blog's title comes from! This is South Africa chess....chess+SA = Chessa!

And.........THIS is where the second bit of my blog's title comes from!! Follow this link and hear Lee Mead's voice...fantastic!! My hero! of all the "Josephs"!



Another site of LEE Mead worth looking at if you're interested in him.

Tangerine and cancer

Source here.

LONDON (Reuters) - Tangerine peel could help in the fight against certain cancers, researchers said on Wednesday.

Human cancer cells, which contain an enzyme called P450 CYP1B1, were destroyed by a compound contained in tangerine peel, Salvestrol Q40, scientists at Leicester School of Pharmacy found.

The findings may offer a new approach to uncovering a treatment for cancers such as breast, lung, prostate and ovarian cancer, the scientists said.
Medicinal chemist Dr. Hoon L. Tan said: "It is very exciting to find a compound in food that can target cancers specifically.

"Salvestrols may offer a new mechanism of dietary anti-cancer action.
"Indeed, the depletion of salvestrols in the modern diet is due to the fact that many people no longer eat the skin of fruits and this may be a major contributory factor to the increasing incidence of some cancers in the human population."

The breakthrough was being presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference held in Manchester.But he warned that the research was still in its early days and many tests will be needed before reaching the clinical trial stage, which could take between five and seven years.
The researchers have formed a private company, Nature's Defence Investments, to protect and promote their research, with the potential of designing a natural anti-cancer alternative based on the new technology.

Yesterday

I was on the tube yesterday...on my way to Uxbridge, on the Piccadilly line. For people not knowing London, there are different lines, they all have "names" and the Piccadilly line is also the line you get from Heathrow...but it splits at Acton town. From Acton town you can either go into London, or take the Piccadilly line to Uxbridge/Hillingdon. For me to go to Uxbridge, I had to travel to Acton from where we live, near Heathrow, got off and there changed to go to Uxbridge. If you travel early in the morning, like I used to do, the time before 7, then it could be very frustrating near Acton town, because the depot (one of the depots) is at Northfields, which is on the way to Acton. Sometimes you get delays and then it's because of the depot being a bit busy....so, if you have to travel to London early, you know to leave about 20 min earlier, for those delays...that might occur...

What I was about to say...there was a man sitting opposite me, reading this book...see the picture. I sat there, fascinated by the cover, wondering what the book was about....I couldn't read anything apart from the title and the author's name...this man was quite "reserved" about the book..it is funny to travel by train in and about London...you are not suppose to look other people straight in the eye...not that they will bite you..but there's just "unwritten rules"!

I like to watch people, even on the trains...very interesting...you do get people looking YOU in the eyes...I don't mind...tells me that person is more human than others...hahaha... also, if somebody reads, you DO NOT read with him! It is so funny, to see what people are doing when "next door" is reading a newspaper...those eyes...some are so curious to see what is in the newspaper, they can't help themselves...some readers don't mind, but SOME people will move position in a very annoyed way...body language!! I had people once or twice reading with me the paper...just a headline or a short article...I don't mind...I do that sometimes myself!

What I don't like on the tube....people piling up their luggage on a seat and then expect you to stand! I would go and ask politely to sit down...I mean...I pay for my seat! Also, people having their lunch/breakfast on the train and then leave their rubbish right there! Yuck! Bad manners...they don't have mums....or parents...that could educate them properly, so let's feel sorry for them...And...those who fall asleep...on your shoulder!!! And...start snoring....geeee worse...that's the fastest I change position every now and then....

To come back to the reader...here on Amazon,you can read a view reviews of the book, I think the men will like it...I like speeding with the car, but only in South Africa, Pretoria, where the streets are wide and there's enough lanes for other people too...don't tell on me!

A day out!

Scroll down for a bit of English... Y5 taster trip...for the Y6 trip in the new year.

Hierdie was 'n uitstappie met die twee Jaar 5-klasse - my klas was 'n gemengde klas, dus was dit 1 1/2 klas en nie twee volledige klasse nie - om vir hulle 'n voorsmakie te gee van die Jaar6-uitstappie. In Jaar6 gaan hulle vir so 'n uitstappie waar hulle vir so 3 nagte oornag en allerhande "pret" het. Dis nou amper soos 'n miniatuur "veldskool". Die kinders leer baie om saam te werk in 'n groep en om mekaar aan te moedig in die aktiwiteite. Hulle kry ook probleme waar hulle 'n oplossing in die groep moet vind. Alle probleme moet self probeer opgelos word sonder enige hulp vanaf die kant van die volwassenes, ons kon bietjie leiding/voorstelle hier en daar gee, maar nie die oplossing nie. Ons het so bietjie uit London gery...suidwaarts deur Greenwich en Bexley na die plekkie.

Die foto's onderaan die blog is dan ook wat ek geneem het soos die bus gery het, sommer in die ry geneem! Oppad terug was die kinders taamlik moeg na die dag se pret, soos van die foto's vir julle wys. Dis nie aldag dat hulle so 'n geleentheid kry nie, sommige van hulle kom net NOOIT weg van die huis nie....ongelooflik...maar waar. Een outjie....Steven...het my kop van my ore af gepraat van opgewondenheid soos hy dinge op die pad gesien het...ook van 'n land van Afrika af.....as ek hom nie pertinent gevra het om stil te bly, sodat ek met die ander Onderwyseres 'n woord kan inkry nie, sou hy eenstryk aanmekaar gepraat het....en ek het letterlik 'n paar keer vir hom gevra om stil te bly omdat ek 'n praatbeurt wil he!

Die Onnies by die plek is almal gekwalifiseerde Onnies, maar hulle was meestal van verskillende lande. Die enetjie in my groep, Cindy, was van Amerika en dan was daar een van die manne van Australie. (deelteken daar, dankie, my Alt-funksies wil nie 'n deelteken en kappie gee nie, jammer!) Hulle kom van ander lande en werk by die Avontuurkampe om bietjie die wereld te leer ken. Sy het gese sy wil eintlik na Australie gaan en haar daar gaan vestig.

Onnies wat die dag se aktiwiteite aangebied het.....Teachers at the camp...organised the day's activities. Cindy is at the back, from America. One male teacher was from Australia.
Walk to the woods...to build a shelter! Sounds like our schools in SA in the "good old days"....Ons stap na die woud om 'n skuiling te gaan bou...klink dit bietjie bekend? Veldskool in SA!
'n Heerlike swembad om in rond te plas en te speel....ook om bietjie te leer swem. Swimming pool to play and splash around...and to learn to swim too.

Hier moes hulle hul verbeel die gras is 'n rivier! Daar is woeste krokodille in die rivier en hulle moet almal oorkom sonder dat EEN aan die gras raak...anders vat Cindy die band weg...sy is dus die "krokodil"...Cindy played the crocodile...they had to cross the "river" and the moment someone gets on the grass...the croc has a meal! So, then Cindy takes away the tyre...and nobody was allowed on the grass!
Diep dink hier, die hout vierkante moet almal in orde gepak word, maar mag nie een van hulle los rondle nie...hulle moet almal "iewers" wees...en dis 'n storie om dit uitgesorteer kry sodat hulle van groot na klein gepak word...hulle mag nie die blokke op die gras neergesit het nie, hy moes in 'n ander paal gaan totdat hy gebruik word....sorting wooden squares from largest to smallest...and you are not allowed to put them on the grass....it must go into a pole until you use it...

Skuiling amper klaar, maar dis 'n gesukkel! Geen hulp mag verleen word..hulle moet self dink...maar kan hulle! Die arme goed...! Met bietjie "raad" en idees het hulle dit darem reggekry...die drie is almal van Afrika en die enetjie heel regs was in my klas, baie oulik en 'n "prinses" in haar stam waar sy vandaan gekom het...moes vlug...as gevolg van situasie in die land. Sy is nou so 5 jaar in Engeland...Building shelters! What a nightmare...no idea how!! With a bit of thinking....they got there...we were not suppose to help them...poor thingies!
These two girls were not in my class...but very creative. I got them to start a story to pass the time...One started a sentence and the other continued and so on...the girl on the right was a new girl, very bright and cute...Die twee dogters was nie in my klas nie, die enetjie regs was in my literacy-groep...sy is baie slim en was op daardie stadium slegs 2 weke in die skool. Altwee oulike kinders, maar die enetjie regs het darem my hart gesteel! 'n Regte "lady".

Moeg! Tired!
Bexley.......Greenwich........London.........
Sommige motorhandelaars se besigheid is sommer so sonder 'n afdak...nie soos ons dit gewoond is in SA nie....en lyk maar bietjie klein...die spasie...terwyl ander handelaars ordentlike spasie het met 'n ordentlike gebou soos ons dit ken...