My Naboom2Germany plakker!

Ek het vandag een van my Naboom2Germany plakkers gekry, wat ek 8
maande gelede in die Negevwoestyn by 'n vulstasie geplak het!! My hart
het sommer teruggetrek na daardie tyd toe!

Today I found one of the Naboom2Germany stickers that I sticked at a
fridge in the Negev desert more than 8 months ago!! My goodness, how
much do I miss those times!

Die Dooie See

Die foto's is van Berg Sodom, daardie sondige stad volgens die Bybel,
en die pragtige, mooie Dooie See.

There two photographs are from Mount Sodom, according to the Bible the
sinful city, which was destroyed by God, and then the beautiful blue
Dead Sea.

Israel

Ek het vandag weer eens besef hoe die KLR en Naboom2Germany verlede jaar my lewe verander het. My terugkeer na Eilat het baie herinnerings losgemaak.

Today I realised again how much the KLR and Naboom2Germany changed my life last year. My return to Eilat was with mixed feelings.

In die berge bo Eilat. In the mountains above Eilat.

Vandag het ek die KLR werklik gemis, en baie van die mense wat ek gedurende Naboom2Germany ontmoet het. Baie van hulle is so naby en tog ook so ver. Ek het vanmiddag laat op 'n rots langs die pad gesit en soos 'n brandsiek hond in die verte gestaar, na die berge in Egipte. Dit was 'n Saterdag toe ek by daardie berge aangekom het nadat ek deur die Sinai gery het. Die pad het deur die berge afgekronkel en voor my was die Rooi See. Die ligte op die donker hang is die Israeliese grenspos. Daar het ek 8 maande gelede Israel binnegekom.

Today I missed the KLR, and the people I've met during Naboom2Germany. I am so close to many of them and still so far. Late afternoon I sat on a rock and looked at the mountains in Egypt in the distance. After crossing the Sinai desert I reached those mountains before seeing the Red Sea for the first time. The lights in the foreground are at the Israeli border post. There I entered Israel 8 months ago.

Kliek op die foto en kyk dan na die berghang. Daar kan mens die grens tussen Israel en Egipte sien.

Click on the photograph and have a close look at the ridge. There one can see the border fence between Egypt and Israel.

Zin Valley, Negev Desert

One of the rockets of January 10, 2009

Sederot, Israel

To the left is Gaza. The white wall is the border.

Gaza

Gaza City, and the border in front.

Another view of Gaza.

Seredot, in white and blue, is a beacon of Israeli patriotism. The thousands of rockets falling on the town rather strengthen the will to survive.

Mr Rosenfeld, Chief Inspector, telling us about the wave of rockets that fell from heaven like flowers from hell.

Shelves full of rockets at the local police station. They fell on Sederot and the surrounding Kibbutz.

Home-made efficiency cum brutality.

The saddest part: The bomb shelters all over the town. Children play with shelters a few meters away. This shelter stands in a playing ground.

Click on the photograph and read the message. It struck me in the heart.

The message inside. Children should feel secure. In Israel as well as Gaza as well as the West Bank.

The shelter next to the playing ground.

The losers in any armed conflict, as usual.

The last two days were mentally hard. We spent the days in Sederot, the most terrorized town in Israel. Thousands of rockets from Gaza landed in the town, killing thirteen residents and causing up to a quarter of the population to flee the city. Post-traumatic stress, especially among the children, is reported among many of Sederot's residents.

You can read more about Sederot at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sderot

We had a series of very interesting interviews with many role players in the city. We want to thank the Media Center of Sederot (http://www.sderotmedia.com/), the information officer at the Sderot Municipality (http://www.e-sderot.org.il/) and the Chief Inspector (Foreign Press Spokesperson) Micky Rosenfeld for all their help and assistance.

I could not help thinking of another lost generation of young children that don't have the luxury of a normal childhood. That applies to both the Jewish and Palestinian children.

Who will stop to smell the roses if nobody has planted roses?

Nasaret

Hopenlik sal eendag een tema deeglik van alle kante bekyk en bespreek word: Die rol van die Kerk in 'n konflikland.

Moes die Kerk sterk standpunt ingeneem het?
Moes die Kerk gepaai en pamper het?
Moes die Kerk eerder net Bybelstudie in plaas van rigting aangebied het.

En hoe gemaak as die Kerk die staat se (soms mensveragtende) standpunt ondersteun het?

En wat gemaak as daar meer as een waarheid sou wees?

Vir my is Suid-Afrika al hoe meer 'n wonderwerkland.

Annami skryf

The show must go on - Queen Gisteraand het my batterye my finaal in die steek gelaat. Die kassiere by die supermarkie het my heel vriendelik uitgehelp. My aksent (en my totale onvermoë om Hebreeus te praat of te verstaan) het my vreemdelingskap verklap. "Are you from London," het sy nuuskierig in haar spoegengels gevra. Haar gesig het eintlik verhelder soos wat ek aan haar verduidelik dat ek eintlik van Suid-Afrika af kom. "Durban. Do you know Durban?" "Well, I have been there quite a few times before," het ek uit die veld geslaan gesê. "Is it really as dangerous as they tell me? Do people really walk with guns (sic) on the street? Do they point it at you and say: 'Hundred dollars, now!'?" Al hierdie vrae het oor haar lippe geborrel. Ek kon my ore nie glo nie. Hier in die vreemde, nie eers 'n blok en 'n half van ons gastehuis af nie,is daar 'n vrou wat wil weet wat in my land aangaan. Haar opgewondenheid was aansteeklik. Haar vriend werk blykbaar vir 'n skeepsmaatskappy en sy gaan haar bes moontlik saam met hom in Durban gaan vestig. Wat my egter verbaas het, is die blote feit dat sy bekommerd was oor haar veiligheid. In Suid-Afrika het die min wat van my trippie na hierdie (op die oog af kalm) land gewaarsku. Mense het my verseker van hulle definitiewe min slaap wat my besoek na dié land gaan uitlok. Hoe hulle eenvoudig nie kan glo dat ek na so 'n geteisterde land sou wou kom nie. Die feit dat die land se onlangse geskiedenis en hulle huidige politieke omgewing my belangstelling prikkel was vir die meeste mense vreemd en eintlik onverantwoordelik. Haar vrees vir my eie land (My land van riwwe goud en rugby…) het my uit die veld geslaan. Hier is sy, in 'n stad waarop daar redelik onlangs vuurpyle gevuur is. Sy werk by die kassier van 'n alledaagse supermark. Mense koop nog melk en brood. As die batterye groet , is daar nuwes. Elke dag praat mense nog oor dit en dat. Die vreemde hou nog gevaar in.

Do you get the tunnel feeling?

The file size is about 4 mb.

How are we going to plant roses?

Today was a cold and windy day.

With Achmed we did a wide tour up to the border of Lebanon.

We visited the sites of the Iqrit and Bar'Am villages. The sites, not the
villages. The reason? They do not exist anymore. They were destroyed.

Actually it was a depressing day. Not because of what we have seen but
because the lessons learnt from such experiences. I am not going to bore
you with those lessons.

I am going to share one photograph with you. It is actually a bad
photograph. The legs of the boys are cut off on the photograph.

The three boys were playing. Look at the boy on the left. His face was
covered. He saw me and came towards me, holding his hands and arms as if
he were holding a machine gun. He then lifted his arms, the gun, and
started shooting.

It was only a game, like we played cowboys and crooks when we were young.
To him it was reality.

It is again a lost generation of youths, Palestinians and Jews.

How can we expect of them to plant roses if their reality is violence?
Rockets. Hatred. Distrust. Sealed-off borders.

Both sides are victims. Both sides are perpetrators.

I experienced so many parallels with our past in South Africa. However,
there is one big difference. We made the choice for peace and not for
rockets. We overcame the distrust.

The longest-lasting impression of today will, again, be the hospitality
shown towards us. Strangers gave us to eat and drink more than we could
ever dare to drink or eat.

"Peace is not something you wish for; It's something you make, Something
you do, Something you are, And something you give away." Robert Fulghum

Regards from the sad and exciting country.

Lodie

Israel

Naand!

Vandag was 'n baie interessante dag met baie interessante gesprekke.
More gaan ons met een van die plaaslike mense 'n paar wye draaie ry en
na 'n paar dorpies kyk wat nie meer is nie.

Ek het vandag 'n sleutelhouer persent gekry. Op die een kant is die
volgende gebed.

Travelers Prayer

O Lord may your love protect me on my journey and guard me from perils
on the way. May I reach my destination in peace and fulfill my
mission. May I return to my home with joy and in peace.

Amen.

Dit is 'n vreemde gevoel om nou paaie te ry wat ek verlede jaar met
die KLR gery het. Ek mis my fiets.

Verligting

Verligting… -  Voet op grond, hotel bereik en die saligheid van 'n bier Ek het vandoggend opgestaan en ek moes voel-voel na 'n lig soek om my omgewing te bepaal.  Gister kon net sowel 'n droom gewees het.  Grepe van streng gesigte en ondersoekende hande is maar net van die beelde wat  my saam met die lig getref het.  Die dag het afgeskop waar my vaderlief en kleinsus kwart voor ses in by O.R Tambo Internasionaal afgelaai het.  Kyk, die feit dat ek vieruur die oggend reeds op die snelweg moes wees, het my reeds kriewelrig gehad.  As dit nie vir die vroegoggend Johannesburgse (meer spesifiek die verdagte R21) moontlike verkeer was nie het ek in beslis protes aangeteken.  Dit was egter net genade dat ons die aanslag van sekuriteit betyds aangepak het. Ek het altyd gespot sekuriteit my sak altyd kies om te verwoes.  Hoogs waarskynlik omdat ek 'n gepakkery nie kan verdra nie.   Maar net 'n melodramatiese spioenasierolprent kon my soort-van voorbery op dit wat sou volg.   My pa het nog gedink hy doen my 'n guns om my te laat Glad Wrap.  Geld in die water.  Soos wat ek en my mede-reisiger op die die toonbank afgesuiker het, het niks ander as hulle gratis toedraaidienste ons verwelkom nie.   Ons is gegroet en die dinge het begin.  Die heel eerste ding op die agenda was allerlei vrae - wat ek van 'n oorlogsland verwag het.  Die roetine van honde en plofstofaanduiders het alles sin gemaak.  Al wat ek kon doen was om maar te hoop my koekie seep het nie in 'n chemiese omwenteling ondergaan nie.  Ek is bitter geimponeer deur die doeltreffende sekuriteitstelsel.  Die feit dat elke passasier aan boord deur so 'n mate van ondersoek onderworpe is, is seker 'n goeie teken.  As hulle soveel moeite doen om elke apparaat vir jou uitmekaar te haal en te herverpak.  Om elke kreukel in jou tas (en jou lyf) te herrangskik (ek het tot my spyt agtergekom dat die kranige sekuriteitsbeamptes nie te graag terugpak nie) verg darem besonder baie moeite.  Met soveel voorafbeiding behoort hulle te sorg dat diegene wat die vlug uiteindelik haal nie na benede tuimel as jy eers bo is nie. Die vae vermoede dat daar letterlik net drie van ons aan die voorkeurbehandeling is bevestig toe ons uiteindelik die aanloop vliegtuig toe neem.  Sonder selfs ons handbagasie.   Paspoort, beursie en storieboek (wat op aanvraag eers deeglik ondersoek moes word) in die hand, het ek eindelik die vliegtuig bestyg.  My vermoedens was reg.  Die vlieënier het koers gehou.  Gisteraand, net duskant elf, het ek en Lodie verdwaal tot by ons hotel.  In 'n systraatjie het ons die dag, met 'n halwe liter bier elk, nabetrag.

Another day, more excitement

I am on the road again, unfortunately not with the KLR.

We, an ex-FSA student and I, checked in this morning before 8.

I had to go to a lady on the left. She checked the passenger list, saw my name, and hesitated.

She walked to a gent standing in the background. There they had quite a long discussion. Annamie was on the opposite side at another lady.

My lady came back and fired questions at me. All the why's and why not's, as usual. It went on for quite a time.

She left again, spoke to the gent in the background. Also Annemi had to answer quite a lot of questions. Her lady left her standing there and went to the same gent.

For at least five minutes the three stood there, whispering. We couldn't hear anything.

In the mean time all the other passengers went through and completed their checking-in.

Our ladies came back. We had to follow them.

In a backroom we had to unpack everything. They took nearly an hour going through all our luggages. They took everything, even our cell phones. I could hear mine ringing, but wasn't allowed to answer.

They then did a body search on both of us. Even under the clothes ...

Nearly two hours later they told us that we were not allowed to take anything with on board. Nothing. Not even our cell phones. I wasn't allowed to buy anything in the duty free shops. I did go and buy something. The hell was loose in a very diplomatic way. I was treated like a naughty little boy. I even had to show her the receipt of my purchase. .

They fetched us two and another guy, took us to the aircraft and did another body search, again under the clothes. In the mean time the rest of the passengers arrtived and walked past us with their hand luggage and duty free bags. We three were not allowed to board with anything else except our passports.

Annemi and myself only could smile.

Why all the fuss about us two?

We don't know. We are prepared for further surprises.

Annemi is going to write in Afrikaans on our first day. Two perspectives. I look forward to reading her posting.

Regards to all of you!

My boek

Die nuwe jaar is al 16 dae oud.

My boek het 'n naam. Ek het nie die naam uitgedink nie maar het dit by een van die baie puik mense gekry wat my reis oor Afrika op die internet gevolg het. Emil, jou voorstel was puik. Baie dankie!

Die boek se titel gaan wees

Noord van Naboom

Dis nog 'n lang en ver pad tot daar einde Junie wanneer dit moontlik klaar gaan wees. Dit gaan so ongeveer 329 bladsy wees, afhangende hoeveel ek moet regskryf en weggooi.

Die uitgewer gaan oor so 'n paar weke die voor- en agterblad klaar he (kappie). Dan kan die bestellings by die uitgewer (per internet) begin.

Ek hoop julle koop die boek!

Dan, ek werk mos met uitruilleerlinge. Baie van hulle is nou al klaar studeer. Dis 'n voorreg om ook nog in hierdie fase van hulle lewens betrokke te kan wees.

Volgende week begin so 'n projek waar een haar CV gaan vergroot as sy na honneurs as joernalis wil begin werk. Wat gaan ons doen? Waar gaan ons dit doen?

Hou die dagboek vir 'n foto of twee dop.

Groete!