Tuesday, July 24, 2007

On our way

Hallo Everyone

We are returning to SA. We are first going to Switzerland for 10 days. Friends of us that stay near Zurich, are going on holiday the week that we will be there and they invited us to come and stay in their house. We are looking forward to explore this beautiful country. We will return to Pretoria on 5 August. We also want to greet our parents and fetch our dog in Port Elizabeth. Stephan starts working again on 20 August.

We had steaming hot weather this week. The aircon they fixed 2 weeks ago broke again and we really felt very hot in this apartment. The temperatures were between 42 and 45. This forced us to not only stay in one cool place, but to go and spend time with our friends and greet them. Saturday we went to Panceville and had a good time with the family there. Sunday was our last service at the church and we could greet everyone. Afterwards we had a nice lunch with the couple that runs the small. We are going to miss them.

There are many things in Serbia that we will also miss: the river, the woods, exciting taxi and bus rides, the fort, the nice chocolates and BIG hamburgers, our shower, the lots of benches and parks, rollerblade and ice-cream next to the river, beautiful old buildings, etc. There are also a few things that we won't miss, but we will rather focus on the positive things :-).

Although we will miss it, we really look forward to return home. It is difficult to get everything squashed into our bags and also all the arrangements that need to made for holiday, etc.

We will put some photographs on the blog when we arrive in Switzerland. We will keep you updated.

Thank you for sharing this adventure with us in Serbia

Volim te
Stephan Irene Nadia Anandi

Oppad

Hallo Almal

Ons is oppad terug SA toe. Ons gaan eers vir so 10 dae in Switersland vakansie hou. Vriende van ons wat naby Zurich bly, gaan dieselfde week wat ons daar is met vakansie, en hulle het ons genooi om in hulle huis te bly. Ons sien nogal uit daarna om die mooi land te gaan verken. Ons sal seker 6 Augustus land in Pretoria. Ons gaan ook ons ouers groet in SA en ons hond in P.E. gaan oplaai. Stephan sal weer die 20ste Augustus begin werk.

Ons het nogal 'n stoomwarm week gehad. Die aircon wat hulle 2 weke terug kom regmaak het, het weer gebreek en ons het behoorlik warm gekry in hierdie "apartment". Die temperature was so tussen 42 en 45. Dit het ons egter gedwing om nie net in die koeligheid te bly nie, maar om die moeite te doen om ons vriende te gaan groet. Ons was Saterdag weer Panceville toe en het heerlik met die familie daar gekuier. Sondag was ook ons laaste diens by die kerk en kon ons almal groet. Ons het na die diens saammet die egpaar wat die kleingroep lei gaan eet by hulle huis. Ons gaan hulle verseker mis.

Daar is baie dinge in Serbia wat ons ook gaan mis: die rivier, die woud, opwindende taxi en bus ritte, die fort, die lekker sjokolades en GROOT hamburgers, ons stort, die baie bankies en parke, rollerblade en roomys langs die rivier, mooi ou geboue, ens. (Stephan voeg by wat kort - my beskrywings is maar beperk) Daar is ook 'n paar dinge wat ons nie sal mis nie, maar ons sal maar fokus op die positiewe :-).

So baie soos ons dit gaan mis, sien ons ook uit daarna om terug huis toe te kom. Dit sukkel maar om alles in te prop in die tasse en ook al die reelings wat nou getref moet word vir vakansie, ens.

Ons sal weer foto's op die blog sit wanneer ons in Switserland is. Sal julle op hoogte hou.

Dankie dat julle die avontuur hier in Serbia met ons gedeel het.

Volim te
Stephan Irene Nadia Anandi

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Rollerblade in Belgrade - Afr

Hallo almal

Dis seker tyd om weer van ons te laat hoor.

Daar is op die stadium onsekerheid oor wanneer ons presies gaan terugkeer SA toe. Intussen woon en werk ons maar rustig voort. Ons geniet die lewe langs die rivier. Ons het soos baie ander mense ook lus geraak om die rollerblade ding te probeer. Die kinders het omtrent vinnig geleer en wikkel nou behoorlik hier af langs die rivier. Ek en Stephan het vir ons elkeen 'n paar gekoop. Stephan is die eerste week uitgeskakel weens skaafplekke en ek die tweede week weens 'n harde val. Ek sal hopelik volgende week op die been wees. Stephan het gou herstel en hy lyk nou al soos 'n pro. Ons probeer ook gereeld by Kalemegdan uitkom - die groot park met die fort. Dis net so 15 min se stap.



Nadia en Anandi het intussen baie stap fiks geword (ons ook). So ons kan nou ver afstande saam met hulle afle. Hulle het ook baie kreatief geword met speelgoed (die meeste van hulle goed het in SA agtergebly). Hulle maak gemors mooi. Mens kan nie glo wat hulle alles uitdink nie. Hulle is ook goeie maats en ons lag baie vir hulle speletjies wat iets soos die gaan "en toe se jy .. en toe doen jy dit .. en toe..".



Met ons gaan dit ook goed. Ons mis net vriende, wat moeilik is om te maak as mens nie die taal verstaan nie. Met die onsekerheid wil mens nie uit jou pad gaan om te probeer om die taal te leer of vriende te maak nie. Want jy gaan dan dalk more alweer weg. Maar dis miskien die geheim om te leer .. leef vir vandag en maak die beste gebruik van elke geleentheid. Amper soos Dorry se "just keep swimming, just keep swimming..". Maar dis maar iets waarmee ons sukkel. Ons gaan binnekort met vakansie. Maar visums is 'n probleem en ons sal maar sien waar ons uitkom. Ons sien baie uit daarna waar dit ookal gaan wees.

Liefde
Stephan en Irene

Rollerblade in Belgrade - Eng

Hallo everyone

It is time for us to write again.

There is uncertainty about when exactly we will return to SA. In the mean time we are working and living peacefully. We enjoy life next to the rivier. We also got the idea like many other people to start rollerblading. The children learned very quickly and are cruising down the river in the evenings. Stephan and I also got a pair each. Stephan got hurt in the first week and me in the second week because of a hard fall. I hope to be up and rolling again by next week. Stephan recovered quickly and now looks like a pro. We also try to get to Kalemegdan often - the big park with the fort. It is 15 min walk from us.



Nadia and Anandi became very fit with all the walking (we too). So now we can cover great distances with them. They also became very creative with toys (most of their toys are at home). They make garbage beautiful. We are amazed at what they come up with. They are also very good friends and we laugh a lot at their games that goes something like this "and then you say ... and then you do this ... and then".



We are also fine. We miss friends that are difficult to make if you do not understand the language. With the uncertainties we don't want to put too much effort into language learning and making friends. Because tomorrow you might be gone. But perhaps that is the secret to learn .. live for today and make use of every opportunity. Like Dorry says "just keep swimming, just keep swimming..". But it is something we struggle with. We are going on holiday soon. But visas are a problem and we will see where we will be able to go. We look forward to it no matter where it is.

Love
Stephan and Irene