Winter comes to Cape Town

Easter Sunday today. Last night, after two glorious sunny, but cool days, the rain began. It's always good to think that the dams are filling, the swimming pool in the house we rent too, and the cold is always a reminder that we are heading home soon. Six and a half weeks for me before I go to London to check up on Cameron.

Cameron is growing - latest pic from London

Tim and I were heading to Hermanus this weekend but were both too sick to be sociable. Such a pity because Nan, Daniel and the children are there, staying with friends, and we were looking forward to a good old reunion not only with my daughter and family but with John, Judy, Alan, Di, Mike, Louise, Catherine and Glynn.

The ailment is the common cold. I've been searching the internet to find out why we say we caught a cold - I always thought catching was a sign of excellence. You catch a ball, a thief, a fish for supper, perhaps a rabbit too, something to be proud of. Why would you want to catch a cold and where did that expression originate?

I found a definition at The Free Dictionary see Verb, item 20, meaning contract but nothing on the origin of the expression. Looking at all the definitions for the word catch, I was almost sorry I started this search. And I guess that just shows how Tim and I are spending our weekend, feeling under the weather, trawling the net!

Readers in other parts of the world may wonder why Friday and Monday are both observed as religious holidays in South Africa, a country of so many diverse people and beliefs. Why do South Africans deserve this four day weekend? Isn't one day enough to hunt for Easter eggs?

And this year, two days after Easter Monday, we have April 27 Freedom Day, a good day for a holiday being the anniversary of the first democratic elections in South Africa in April 1994.

But hold on, as if that isn't enough holiday-ing, May 1st falls on a Sunday so Monday May 2nd is another day off for the workers and guess how many South Africans get out of town on Thursday April 21st and begin work again on May 3rd?

Wait, I know it's a few weeks off, but I spy another holiday on Wed 18th May. "Election Day" for local government elections in all the provinces.

You can imagine how these "holidays" throw the Stanford Centre's Academic Schedule into turmoil. Students are having a ball!

Last week we drove up the West Coast Road to !Khwa ttu, the San Cultural and Educational Centre, to learn about the San language and lifestyle. We followed that up with the Pieter Dirk Uys show Desperate First Housewives at Evita se Perron, in Darling. Photos of the day here. Pieter Dirk Uys as always such a great entertainer!