Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Monday, 14 May 2012
The Time Between
What happened to the weeks between 9th April when Tony was here and today - May 15th? Well, I'll tell you - two weeks of whirlwind and wonderful socialising, reconnecting with so many wonderful friends, and then Tony left for Johannesburg where he spent a fabulous weekend with his brother and family.
I then embarked on Term II and literally hit the ground running - or whirling and twirling and swirling might be a more apt description. And now we are in full swing, rehearsing for this exciting 100 years of Eurythmy celebration. The days pass by in a whirl of forms and tones, and the tension is palpable.We have a vast body of work to cover and everyone is really committed.
Working at this level - real performance Eurythmy with a group of 'professionals' is such a deeply nourishing experience. And working on a complete concerto: Dvoraks' Cello Concerto adapted for Piano, Cello and Flute, with live musicians, and covering three progressive movements which have a truly transformative quality is such a gift. I could not have come to do this work at a more opportune and rewarding time. Obviously the work that I do towards the celebration counts for my BA assessments; what a way to get the degree!
I have difficulty contemplating my return home whilst being simultaneously immensely excited. I feel these bubbles fizzing around the solar plexus when I imagine myself boarding my homeward bound flight, but there are all kinds of conflicting feelings that circulate around in the same region. So I am just doing one day at a time...
I have, in the meantime, been to the opera La Boheme - a unique experience being part of a 90% white audience on their feet, standing ovation, cheering and shrieking their appreication for an entirely black cast of opera singers. Amazing. I have been to the theatre where I laughed from the beginning to the end of the play at one of Cape Town's premier comedy actors, I have dined with friends whose stories I have been priveleged to share and whose life journeys now mingle with mine and others in my somewhat saturated memory; I have journeyed to the Stanford Valley where I climbed a mountain covered in Fynbos (plants such as proteas that are unique and indiginous to the Cape which has its own Floral Kingdom) and looked out over magnificent mountains, lakes and forests; I have assisted in the planning and execution of two vegetable gardens for friends; I have enjoyed a wonderfully mild Autumn; I have walked the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in a maze-like pattern, marvelling at previously known and loved botanicals; I have been up Table Mountain - no adjectives here - you just have to experience the power of this place for yourself; I have connected to all manner of people and places.
So - some images:
Five weeks and counting!
xx
I then embarked on Term II and literally hit the ground running - or whirling and twirling and swirling might be a more apt description. And now we are in full swing, rehearsing for this exciting 100 years of Eurythmy celebration. The days pass by in a whirl of forms and tones, and the tension is palpable.We have a vast body of work to cover and everyone is really committed.
Working at this level - real performance Eurythmy with a group of 'professionals' is such a deeply nourishing experience. And working on a complete concerto: Dvoraks' Cello Concerto adapted for Piano, Cello and Flute, with live musicians, and covering three progressive movements which have a truly transformative quality is such a gift. I could not have come to do this work at a more opportune and rewarding time. Obviously the work that I do towards the celebration counts for my BA assessments; what a way to get the degree!
I have difficulty contemplating my return home whilst being simultaneously immensely excited. I feel these bubbles fizzing around the solar plexus when I imagine myself boarding my homeward bound flight, but there are all kinds of conflicting feelings that circulate around in the same region. So I am just doing one day at a time...
I have, in the meantime, been to the opera La Boheme - a unique experience being part of a 90% white audience on their feet, standing ovation, cheering and shrieking their appreication for an entirely black cast of opera singers. Amazing. I have been to the theatre where I laughed from the beginning to the end of the play at one of Cape Town's premier comedy actors, I have dined with friends whose stories I have been priveleged to share and whose life journeys now mingle with mine and others in my somewhat saturated memory; I have journeyed to the Stanford Valley where I climbed a mountain covered in Fynbos (plants such as proteas that are unique and indiginous to the Cape which has its own Floral Kingdom) and looked out over magnificent mountains, lakes and forests; I have assisted in the planning and execution of two vegetable gardens for friends; I have enjoyed a wonderfully mild Autumn; I have walked the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in a maze-like pattern, marvelling at previously known and loved botanicals; I have been up Table Mountain - no adjectives here - you just have to experience the power of this place for yourself; I have connected to all manner of people and places.
So - some images:
The View over Camps Bay from the top of Table Mountain
A kiss on the top of one of the Worlds' Seven Sacred Sites!
Lunch with Alan, Sally and Peggy at Hartenberg Wine Estate
Dear Friends gathering at High Noon - Ros' family farm in Elandskloof
Stanford Valley Farm - Fynbos flourishes on these slopes
Tony's farewell dinner -
Jurie Jean, Ros, Grant
Tony Mynda Dale Mike
Five weeks and counting!
xx
Monday, 9 April 2012
End of Term, Tony, My Birthday and Easter......
So much time has passed and the above events have come and gone.
First to the end of term 1. We did two performances - one at the Centre where each year showed the work that they had done during that term - I was in 8 pieces - and we then performed a selection of those pieces at the National WaldorfTeachers' Conference which was held at Michael Oak School - the very first Waldorf school that I worked at back in the day. It was such a powerful experience being back there - and particularly in the context of what I am now doing. They are celebrating their 50th birthday in June and I have been invited to participate in the celebrations.
My schoolmates waiting backstage.......
The day after the performance my holiday really began and kicked off with a bang as Tony arrived! Fetched him from the airport with great delight. To everyone's amazement, he logged into local time immediately, showing no signs of jetlag whatsoever! We had a brunch to welcome him and here is a photo of us with Dale (Tony's sister) and Mike (her husband) and Sarah (Tony's daughter) and Rod (her boyfriend)
Today we are going to do a Peninsula Ramble with Rod and Sarah - a drive around this spectacular coastline and then dinner with dear old friends Rupert and Renee...... What a life.....!
My teacher Silke and I backstage
My schoolmates waiting backstage.......The day after the performance my holiday really began and kicked off with a bang as Tony arrived! Fetched him from the airport with great delight. To everyone's amazement, he logged into local time immediately, showing no signs of jetlag whatsoever! We had a brunch to welcome him and here is a photo of us with Dale (Tony's sister) and Mike (her husband) and Sarah (Tony's daughter) and Rod (her boyfriend)
Tony is loving being in this city in which he spent many, many years, and seeing old friends and places is just great. Will not yet comment on his perspective about all of this.
So now I am 62! I always recall my mother saying that one of her favourite authors began her writing career at the age of 62. SO - you just never know. I celebrated my birthday with a small party for some friends and we had a most delightful evening.
Me and Ros
Rod, Mynda, Sarah, Tones
Paternoster is a fishing village on the West Coast ( my wonderful wild west coast) about half an hour beyond Langebaan (my lovely lagoon) where an ordinance was passed that declared that all the architecture around the development of beach houses in the bay were to follow strictly the design of the old fisherman's cottages. The result is a village of great beauty on a wide stretch of beach where you can walk forever...... We had huge fires in the courtyard fireplaces, copious amounts of magnificent cape red wine, lots of laughter and real relaxation.....
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Abschluss!
The end of term (Abschluss) performance took place last night. In all humility I can say that it was an incredible success. It was so amazing for me to watch the work of the first and second year studets as I have not seen their classes - and the quality and style of their work is amazing. As is ours, apparently - we were highly commended by everyone there.
The piece de resistance was The Witches - a medley of prose and poetry taking from Shakespeare, Herrick and Walter de la Mare. Although the piece was not yet complete - as in performance ready - we decided to go ahead and end the evening with it, and to simply have some fun! We wore masks and witchy type headgear and veils and we were sensational!!
We are performing again on Monday, so even though the term work has ended, we will continue rehearsing the rest of this week so that we are ready for the performances which we will present at the National Waldorf Teacher's conference being held in Cape Town (where I will take photographs and post them). Actually it is being held at Michael Oak School, where my Waldorf journey began some 39 years ago! This school is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in June, and I was contacted by the organiser last week to participate in the celebration! So much is happening during my time here - I could not have planned it all more perfectly if I tried!
So one term done and one to go. I have such mixed feelings about it all. The head of the school told me last night - after congratulating me on a great performance - that they love having me here at the school and are wondering how to keep me here!!! Yikes!
The weather here is still mild and settled. Wonderful summery days and slightly cool nights, so even though the days are shortened, summer lingers......
Only 6 more sleeps til Tony arrives! We are in for a seriously social whirlwind - the diary is chokka!
I miss everyone who reads this blog........
mxxxx
The piece de resistance was The Witches - a medley of prose and poetry taking from Shakespeare, Herrick and Walter de la Mare. Although the piece was not yet complete - as in performance ready - we decided to go ahead and end the evening with it, and to simply have some fun! We wore masks and witchy type headgear and veils and we were sensational!!
We are performing again on Monday, so even though the term work has ended, we will continue rehearsing the rest of this week so that we are ready for the performances which we will present at the National Waldorf Teacher's conference being held in Cape Town (where I will take photographs and post them). Actually it is being held at Michael Oak School, where my Waldorf journey began some 39 years ago! This school is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in June, and I was contacted by the organiser last week to participate in the celebration! So much is happening during my time here - I could not have planned it all more perfectly if I tried!
So one term done and one to go. I have such mixed feelings about it all. The head of the school told me last night - after congratulating me on a great performance - that they love having me here at the school and are wondering how to keep me here!!! Yikes!
The weather here is still mild and settled. Wonderful summery days and slightly cool nights, so even though the days are shortened, summer lingers......
Only 6 more sleeps til Tony arrives! We are in for a seriously social whirlwind - the diary is chokka!
I miss everyone who reads this blog........
mxxxx
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Sunday Scorcher
Its Sunday afternoon and its cooking! It has been a perfect day, albeit hot and windless. I have been home the whole day, by choice, as it is my dedicated day of rest. I have alternately swum endlessly in the wondrous pool and been deep into the assignments that I am required to review for my exam in May. There is a large volume of work I need to get through and this is the ideal way to do it.
Week 6 added another piece - a rather cosmic speech piece which we will perform for the Centenial celebrations. Yet, from this coming week, the added work will be balanced by the fact that I dont start school until 10am most days as my classmates are doing a theory module which I am not required to do! A later start means more time for reviewing of assignments and less time on my feet!
Went to my favourite little beach early yesterday morning - another perfect day - a great time of sitting and watching the wondrous symphony of sea, sky and sand play itself out before my eyes, a swimtime of being bashed and crashed and dashed and dumped by the waves, some rock-clambering and rock-pool peering and then off to a cup of coffee with Dale and Mike, home for a shower, off to the 'other side of the mountain' to have lunch and fascinating conversation with David and some more beach visiting, then home and change and out for a gorgeously gourmet dinner with old friends, Ian and Karin Woods and their daughter Alexandra. What a great day!!
The sublte signs of the season's change impinges on my awareness daily. Yet other than the shortening of the days and a minor chill in the air in the morning and evening, I would not yet describe this as Autumn. Late Summer in the Shiny Cape.
One month until TONY visits!!!! Yahoooo!
Hugsxx
This is where I swim.......
And this is where I work.....
Week 6 added another piece - a rather cosmic speech piece which we will perform for the Centenial celebrations. Yet, from this coming week, the added work will be balanced by the fact that I dont start school until 10am most days as my classmates are doing a theory module which I am not required to do! A later start means more time for reviewing of assignments and less time on my feet!
Went to my favourite little beach early yesterday morning - another perfect day - a great time of sitting and watching the wondrous symphony of sea, sky and sand play itself out before my eyes, a swimtime of being bashed and crashed and dashed and dumped by the waves, some rock-clambering and rock-pool peering and then off to a cup of coffee with Dale and Mike, home for a shower, off to the 'other side of the mountain' to have lunch and fascinating conversation with David and some more beach visiting, then home and change and out for a gorgeously gourmet dinner with old friends, Ian and Karin Woods and their daughter Alexandra. What a great day!!
Danger Beach
View to the left of Danger Beach looking at Simonstown
Blaauwbergstrand with view of TABLE MOUNTAIN
The sublte signs of the season's change impinges on my awareness daily. Yet other than the shortening of the days and a minor chill in the air in the morning and evening, I would not yet describe this as Autumn. Late Summer in the Shiny Cape.
One month until TONY visits!!!! Yahoooo!
Hugsxx
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Week 5 draws to a close
The time is flying by. I am more than halfway through Term 1. The workload is ridiculous!!! There are a number of factors for this situation: I am condensing a year's work into two terms which means that the Solo pieces normally learned and performed at the end of the year must be done now, I have to join the fourth year's for the teaching as the BA class only consists of two students, so I am doing their workload as well as the BA's pieces and then there is the work for the performance with the Stage Troupe for the centenial celebrations! This all adds up to intensive 7 - 8 hours a day of Eurythmy and a total of 14 pieces that I have to learn simultaneously!!! Yesterday we started a piece and then I went completely blank! Just stood there unable to access the file for the piece! My teacher laughed and sympathised. I think she is amazed that I am still standing!!
Sometimes I feel like a Whirling Dervish!
Still doing some great beachtime in the early mornings on the weekend and still loving the Cape.
Here are my classmates:
Sometimes I feel like a Whirling Dervish!
Still doing some great beachtime in the early mornings on the weekend and still loving the Cape.
Here are my classmates:
Shereen, Maya, Elizabeth, Laura, Mynda, David
(Absent Emma)
We have a lot of fun together and you would never think that I am old enough to be their mother or maybe even grandmother! We are classmates and we gossip and laugh and giggle and share.......They each have amazing stories to tell, including how they got to be studying Eurythmy. I am getting very close to them!
Those of you who know him will recognise Peter Smith in this pic with me and Ros. He lives in Germany and is visiting here and we had a wonderful al fresco dinner on Ros's deck. He is such a great guy and it was wonderful to see him.
And here we are at dinner - an that's Kevin Ovenstone on the right!
Kevin has been a great buddy to me since I have been here - he is a really amazing guy and we had a lot of fun and conversation together. He left yesterday for Angola to join a research vessel offshore on which he is employed as a Medic. I now have the use of his car for some weeks!
Gotta go to school........xx
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Here comes Monday!
I have to be very disciplined about resting on the weekends. From Monday to Friday I demand so much of my body (and mind) that I have to promise them that they can recover on the weekend. So I dont make too many arrangements and ensure that there is plenty of time for sitting about and having a few naps.
So one way to really enjoy sitting about is to drive down to St. James or Fishoek beach and sit on the sand and watch the water and the birds and the people and the clouds and gaze raputrously at the mountains, behind the beach, around the bays and stretching out on the horizon of False Bay to Hangklip. After some frolicking in the water, it is time to sit again.
Another way to sit and recharge is to go out to the other coastline, just beyond Camps Bay (non-South Africans should google these divine places) climb down the rocks with a picnic bag and a blanket and a good old friend, Patrick, and watch the waves and the birds and the clouds and the rocks and the setting of the mighty Sun.
And then to sit some more and watch as the darkness increases in the dome of the heavens, to observe, out of the inky vastness, the emergence of the scinitillating stars.
Also sitting at the outdoor table on the deck, looking out over the beautiful garden to the valley and mountains beyond, reviewing the weeks' work and preparing for the week ahead. This is a very productive form of sitting.
So here comes Monday and I am ready to twirl.......
So one way to really enjoy sitting about is to drive down to St. James or Fishoek beach and sit on the sand and watch the water and the birds and the people and the clouds and gaze raputrously at the mountains, behind the beach, around the bays and stretching out on the horizon of False Bay to Hangklip. After some frolicking in the water, it is time to sit again.
Another way to sit and recharge is to go out to the other coastline, just beyond Camps Bay (non-South Africans should google these divine places) climb down the rocks with a picnic bag and a blanket and a good old friend, Patrick, and watch the waves and the birds and the clouds and the rocks and the setting of the mighty Sun.
And then to sit some more and watch as the darkness increases in the dome of the heavens, to observe, out of the inky vastness, the emergence of the scinitillating stars.
Also sitting at the outdoor table on the deck, looking out over the beautiful garden to the valley and mountains beyond, reviewing the weeks' work and preparing for the week ahead. This is a very productive form of sitting.
So here comes Monday and I am ready to twirl.......
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