The Past

If you wonder what these pictures/books have in common.... please click HERE to read about it...

Lift your spirits!

If you love reading, this book is really a must!! Read HERE why I say this and see a movie too...

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

My good deed

Gorgeous frogs!

"Two Frogs" is a fantastic book. I want to share this book today and by doing this, do my "good deed" for today! I love books, even more, children's books! I'm slowly busy building up a library! I used this book with great success during Philosophy lessons...oh yes, BiB, if you read here...take notice! Firstly, the pictures in this book...just look how stunning! Doesn't it convey allot, only by looking at it! That's why children's books fascinate me, you get outstanding illustrations and lifelong messages. This book is definitely one of those which you would buy and have different uses for, when teaching. I'm going to copy a few lines from the book...
"Once there were two frogs sitting on a lily pad in the middle of a large pond. One of the frogs was holding a stick. "What's that for?" asked the other frog. "For protection," said the frog with the stick. "This stick is to beat off the dog."
"What dog?" said the other frog, quickly looking over his shoulder. "I can't see a dog. There is no dog!" "Not now there isn't, not at this moment," replied the frog with the stick. "But what if a dog should come swimming across the pond and try to eat us up? Better be safe than sorry." The other frog was puzzled. "But no dogs ever come swimming in the pond," he protested. "At least I've never seen one. In fact I can't even remember seeing one on the edge of the pond. And why would a dog want to come swimming in the pond anyway? They're not so fond of swimming as us frogs, you know."

Now, by looking at the pics, you can imagine what happened...I put questions forward to 9 year old children e.g. Should we always be prepared? Should we always think about all the "what ifs"? Is it ridiculous thinking the worst might happen? Why would you want to be prepared for the worst? What do you need to be well prepared? What do you see as "the worst"? How else can we prepare us for the "worst"? This book lends itself to numerous questions and at least an hour's discussion with children. One of the "what ifs" in this book really happened at the end! That was the dog...but the frogs were already gone and not there to see the dog...

If you want to leave your point of view about these questions, it would be well received!

A Japanese story about Two frogs..do enjoy!

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!

Have you....

His book translated into Flemish here.

Have you read...."The soul of the white Ant"...or..."Die siel van die Mier!" by Eugene Marais... if not....you have a gap in your culture...:))....get "The soul of the white ant.." and read it...


Where is the soul of a termite, or the soul of man?

“Someone once said that all behaviourism in nature could be referred to as hunger. This saying has been repeated thousands of times yet is false. Hunger itself is pain – the most severe pain in its later stages that the body knows except thirst, which is even worse. Love may be regarded as a hunger, but it is not pain.

“What protects animals, what enables them to continue living, what assures the propagation of race? A certain attribute of organic matter. As soon as one finds life, one finds this attribute. It is inherent in life; like most natural phenomena it is polarised, there is a negative and a positive pole. The negative pole is pain; the positive pole is sex. This attribute may be called the saving attribute of life; and it is here where one comes closest to what appears like a common purpose beyond nature.” (Eugène Marais, The Soul of the White Ant, 1989:261)


Eugène Nielen Marais[1] (1871-1936) was a South African lawyer, naturalist, poet, and writer. Although Marais is remembered by South Africans more for his contribution to Afrikaans literature than for science, he has been described as being a scientist far ahead of his time.


He began life after leaving college as a journalist, then studied medicine for four years, but eventually took up law and was called to the bar by the Inner Temple. He was a scholar and a man of culture.

However, it was not only as jurist that Marais distinguished himself as a brilliant (yet eccentric) character in South African history. He has been described as “… a human community in one man. He was a poet, an advocate, a journalist, a story-teller, a drug-addict, a psychologist, a natural scientist.”

In 1910, he abandoned his law practice and retreated to the remote Waterberg (‘Water Mountain’) – the mountain area north-west of Pretoria. Here he studied two creatures – termites and baboons that, on the face of it, had nothing in common. Both fascinated him, as did all wild creatures.

Read more HERE...

All in the mind

"It is your mind that creates this world"....

"Nobody today is normal, everybody is a little bit crazy or unbalanced, people's minds are running all the time. Their perceptions of the world are partial, incomplete. They are eaten alive by their egos. They think they see, but they are mistaken; all they do is project their madness, their world, upon the world. There is no clarity, no wisdom in that!"- Taisen Deshimaru


Cleaning...cleaning.....all morning! Why is it that you always want every single corner to be cleaned out if friends are visiting.....wonder if everybody is like that! Not just cleaned out, but almost bleached out!! Not even played one single move in one chess game! This is sad....but the good news is...we have friends tonight for a BBQ....so..."dit spyt my..." as the picture says in Dutch (tspijt me)..."sorry"....no chess tonight too! That is SO not me! Also, I'm reading this very interesting book about South Africa....one English chess player sent it to me...Denis...(thank you Denis!!)that book was written in the 1960's....SO good!! The title of the book...."In search of South Africa..." I will post tomorrow about this book.....I'm now only on page 59...I think...but love every word of it...

School, books and nature

This nature program will definitely be on my list of TV programmes to watch when I'm in South Africa next week!

http://www.5050.co.za/


Just discovered I have a couple of books to read! on top of another 6 given as a present....this one is about Philosophy....which I like..."The Reason of Things..." by A C Grayling....and I still need to read these two! By Richard Bach..."The Bridge across forever..." and...."One"....

Picture of my Secondary school.....on your way to the office ....

http://www.hslydenburg.co.za/site/
Follow this link to my old school's website....my Secondary school.......

...........and this link to the place where my grandfather started a school...
Boschfontein Primary School.... it's a small farm school, still existing....
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?title=Boschfontein%2C%20KwaZulu%20Natal%2C%20South%20Africa&t=l&map=-30.5833,29.1167164&loc=ZA:-30.5833:29.1167:16#t=l&map=-25.10125,30.25137114&loc=:-25.1:30.25:11Boschfontein,

Wednesday's quote:

Our games reveal our characters

by...Ovid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovid

Still Tuesday

This is the place to be! Pelgrims Rest is the historical town, see my blog for it! Click on the link...Pelgrims Rest...to read more....Royal Hotel....lovely place...

Click on the map for a larger image

That's me! Cleaning/tidying..."opruimen" is the Dutch word same as Afrikaans for cleaning...Afrikaans word - "opruim".

Models in New York where the fashion show ended....they look like....they're on their way to a butcher!

Ellie the Elephant....

And...the butterfly lion!

Fantastic book for any child age 8-11...setting in South Africa/England....

Tuesday's quote!

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.- Edmond Burke

First they killed my father

This book...."First they killed my father".... is a must-read if you like to read books about wars....this is sad, but it gives you a true insight in what really happened. Read the reviews on Amazon, follow the link below. I totally agree with what everybody says about this book. So, get yours now! :)

and..........get yourself the sequel too...."Lucky Child..."

http://www.amazon.com/First-They-Killed-Father-Remembers/dp/0060931388

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Child-Daughter-Cambodia-Reunites/dp/0060733942/ref=sr_1_1/102-8514781-7579335?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184407506&sr=1-1

SATS Results

We got our SATS results! Well, must say we are very proud and the Headteacher is over the moon. Our children did great and we feel good!

My class did some "recycling" all morning.....we used plastic bags to make pom poms to go on to a sculpture for the Thames Festival in middle September. That was fun. Tomorrow we have again our BRASS project in the afternoon. David is coming in to support the groups in their presentation which they have to prepare for Brad...the Director of the HMS Belfast...for Thursday! And Thursday Brad will be handing them their certificates too.

In the meantime, we try to get our heads around the leavers' evening. Practise time is so little. Y6 children are going to pretend that they are in a care centre and they are going to use their memories from "primary" to act out bits. Y5's are going to pretend that they are visiting the care centre and they will be singing songs to the "people" (Y6) in the care centre. We are using this book (see picture) as an idea for our "play"....

Owl

Owls are one of my favourite birds, the other favourite is the guinea-fowl. The barn owl in particular, they are very cute. Click on the images to see a larger image, especially the extract from the baby owl book, one of my favourite books too! (btw....i love children's books...) The Owl and the Pussycat is of course my other favourite "owl book", although it is a poem!

http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Tyto&species=alba

Blue Kangaroo!

http://capitolchoices.communitypoint.org/displaykey.asp?sort=102&key=827

Books to read

The Kin is an outstanding book set 200,000 years ago in Africa. The kin are first humans very brave and clever and they can talk. It is a wonderful story of their journey in search of new life and land. In between the chapters are Oldtales about Black Antolope and other creatures that make the Earth. The book travels in four stories with Suth, Noli, Tinu, Ko and Mana. They are the Moonhawk Kin trying to find new Good Places as the kins are dying. You will come to fighting with lions and demon men to meeting new people that can't talk. I loved this book. I was thrilled in Dickinsons great ideas and vast imagination. I could not put it down and I am looking forward to reading many more of his fantastic books.
I agree 100% with the comments of this person on Amazon's website!
Author: Peter Dickinson

Wales

On our way back from Aber, we planned our journey especially to go through this town! It is a town full of bookshops! Unbelievable! This first photo, is a bookshop in the open, but secondhand books....and they trust you to leave the money in that box! That was funny....
Read also my other post about the visit in Wales!
Follow this link to read more....
http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/bookshops/frameset.htm

Jock of the Bushveld

Jock - a bull-terrier - was born in the present day Kruger National Park near the Pretorius Kop Camp. He was the runt of the litter and the young Fitzpatrick saved him from certain death by adopting him as a pup.
Percy Fitzpatrick became a transport rider - carting supplies for the goldfields at Pilgrim's Rest and Barberton from Delagoa Bay (now Maputo) in Lourenco Marques (now Mozambique).
Jock grew up to be a faithful and obedient companion, as well as a champion fighter and hunter. Jock accompanied Fitzpatrick on his journeys through the KNP, as well as through the towns of Sabie, Graskop, Pilgrim's Rest, Barberton and Lydenburg. (Lydenburg is the town where I grew up..well, on the farm about 20km outside the town...)

Read more here....http://www.graskop.co.za/jock/