Thursday, May 31, 2007

A little history

I was born in a little fishing village called Saint Helena's Bay, about two hours drive from Cape Town, South Africa. Both my parents were teachers, and this was where they were posted for the first two years of my life. I am the youngest of four kids, two older brothers and a sister. I'm told that there was only one general store, that was also the Post office, Hotel and the local watering hole. The only telephone in the entire area was also located there. When the kids were not in school, they played along the beach. There was no television and electricity for most families. My family moved back to Cape Town two years later and in 1974 we came to Canada. I returned to South Africa in 1994 for a visit. I had been too young to remember much from my life in South Africa and it was amazing to finally see all these places that had been ingrained in my memory from stories and family folklore. It was a life altering experience for me to return to the place where I was born. There are people that still live there who remember my family, and it has been over 30 years! This is where I come from, and it makes me proud, it amazes me and it humbles me as well.

Thursday, May 24, 2007