Eve's Apples

SNS - Saffers Networking/Nurturing Saffers

2012-03-15T23:05:00.000-07:00

A FACE BOOK GLOBAL VILLAGE SAFFER DIASPORA EXPATS' GROUP>

It's a FB group for Saffer and Zim Expats aged 21 - 81 who are lurking out there worldwide & may want to link up/share/get support from/befriend global saffers who all share the same pangs...its a non- aggressive, non-racist, unprejudiced, nurturing, non-political, multi-religious/cultured group with an ethos of integrity & inspiration, sharing, caring and humour...

Launched 2-3 weeks ago and there are already 175 members from 15 countries !!

Do you value global connectivity and to know that there is someone with a sense of commonality on line virtually 24/7 ?

Saffers Needing Support Face Book Group has been Launched !

2012-02-24T02:57:00.003-08:00

SNS - SAFFERS NEEDING SUPPORT

IT'S A FACE BOOK GROUP ABOUT CARING, SHARING, NURTURING, SUPPORTING & EMPATHISING

with those who have experienced trauma leading to migration, else trauma due to emigrating, plus families fractured due to migration from Southern Africa...

It's a group/site where folk can be given information, give one another moral support, tips and support, some 'cyber hugs' and caring banter as we as migrants all have gloomy days as we go through the adaptation process...

It's a place where folk can feel empowered and where they can get assistance as they 'heal'.. sharing emotions and feelings in a safe space, leading to catharsis !

Politics, religion-bashing, racism, blasphemy , emigration advice (as in visas and work permits etc) and advertising

for self-gain are not part of the Groups' ethos.

Please Email me at eve.epiphany@gmail.com for

more information.

Will respond...

to sincere and authentic inquiries.

Else look up SNS on Face Book and ask to Join... Mandi and Eve :)

More on Scatterlings - A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales

2012-02-22T00:59:00.000-08:00

Scatterlings -

A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales

I emigrated from South Africa in 2008 and reside in New Zealand. I'm a freelance writer and a psychologist, but foremost a devoted wife, mother and gran (called 'Ga Ga' !)

My book is firstly about being born in Africa and the slow conscientising as a child about Apartheid; not understanding at first, and then the terrible discovery of how it impacted negatively on the people and the country (and still does have that lurking legacy hanging over the land 18 years later…).

(mock up book cover)

Secondly, the book encompasses my Epiphany and the journey and psychological processes of immigration, including my own metaphorical death and rebirth.

Thirdly, others’ voices are heard; a chapter with Saffers’ and Zimbos’ tapestries and tales, and their reasons for emigrating, choices to stay or go, their journeys, their adaptation, their process, their stories, their advice… This is the essence of the ‘tapestry’.

As a psychologist there will naturally be some focus on the ‘process’ from a psychological paradigm.

I am attempting to present a cross-section of voices – over and above my voice – so that the extreme complexity and rich diversity is incorporated on a continuum from Left to Right perceptions (though overt racism will not be tolerated nor incorporated). I want to ensure some level of authenticity and reality, but with caution and sensitivity. (I'm having a disclaimer in the book, as not all opinions reflected will be concomitant with my own...)

The intention is not to cast aspersions, blame, finger-point, justify etc. It is more from a psychological, analytical and in some ways esoteric (not religious) mediating vantage point to help facilitate people to come to terms with theirs and their families’ choices rather than a ‘selling emigration’ booklet. This is especially important when we know that the majority of Saffers simply can’t leave. (It is not a betrayal of Africa...but rather for myself of in some ways feeling betrayed.)

We have a daughter and her family here in New Zealand, as well as two sons in South Africa with their families, and hence grandchildren in both countries. It is about sharing what I allude to as the “shrapnelled society.”

There is also a historical timeline media-type chapter with quotes, book reviews from Alan Paton to the present, plus poetry, lyrics and traditional recipes.

Any sharing would be valued... do your want your voice heard in ' Scatterlings....' ? eve.epiphany@gmail.com

Eve is an educator, writer, psychologist and applied drama specialist. Her career in special needs education in South Africa spanned over 30 years as a teacher and principal. She was born and bred on a Free State farm where her passion for land and skyscapes, colours and textures inspired her to write, and has developed as a form of self-expression due to her passion of articulating thoughts into words, and its connection to narrative psychology. Eve and her retired - now artist-dabbling - husband live in New Zealand, where she's a practising educational psychologist. Eve is a wife, mum and gran, who is imbued with a passion for life, kindness, aesthetics and creativity. She hopes to find more time to write, paint, play and nurture her beloved grandchildren when retirement eventually knocks on her door.

From The South African.Com

Barry Levy - Former SA Journalist living in Australia

2012-02-18T01:52:00.000-08:00

Barry Levy...

Barry needs little Introduction..! I'm humbled to have this opportunity to showcase this powerful writer's work on my blog. What resonates for me firstly, is his exuberant, expansive selfless ... and compassionate soul, which rings loudly through the genres which he elects to write about- combined with his poetic insight and perception which brings brutal truth to the attention of the reader... and secondly, due to my identification with him as an SA Expat residing in Australasia.

I look forward to having the privilege of meeting Barry across the NZ/Oz 'ditch' (The Tasman) some fine day.. Ready steady Go !... :)

Barry Levy is a former South African journalist who moved with his Australian wife and two children to

Australia

in 1984, because of their abhorrence of apartheid. In 2004 Levy had his first novel published –Burning Bright, a story of young love, hate and child abuse, set against the apartheid years of late seventies South Africa.

The book was also published in

Italy

. Levy's second book,

As If! (Interactive Press, 2008), is a harsh, realistic yet compassionate depiction of life on the streets for Australian kids.

Other publications include The Glazer Kidnapping, the true story of one of the kidnappers involved in the world's biggest kidnap of its time, which took place in South Africa in the mid sixties; a short story, "The Promised Land", published in At the Rendezvous of Victory, a compilation under the title of principal author and Nobel Literature Prize laureate Nadine Gordimer; and "The Souls from Nowhereland", a chapter in the recent compilation,

Should I Stay or Should I Go, which highlights the ongoing dilemma and argument around emigration for

South Africans.

Levy has been a winner of the Australian Human Rights Award for Journalism - for a multiple series of stories on child sex abuse, domestic violence and homelessness; a winner of the Anning Barton Memorial Award for Outstanding Journalism (Central Queensland) – for a series of stories on child sex abuse (incest-rape), and a Walkley Awards Queensland State finalist – for a series on homelessness.

Shades of Exodus
Barry Levy

Levy's newly released novel - Shades of Exodus, revolves around the true story of a South African family who flee the violence of South Africa only to fall victim to a vicious and bloody crime in Australia.

Once an outspoken critic of apartheid, David Levinrad now longs to return to the transformed 'rainbow nation.' His yearnings, heightened through life-changing events, takes us on a journey that tears at the soul and exposes our common humanity.

Is paradise always what it seems? And is there ever a way back?

Some of the Reviews which give insight into this man's perceptive and highly relevant work...

Captures the emotions of loss and rebuilding with poetic insight...

SHADES OF EXODUS will resonate with all migrants – South Africans in particular – who have battled with themes of meaning, relationships, sense of place, and personal identity as they have moved to new worlds.

– Dr Robert Schweitzer
Associate Professor of Psychology
Queensland University of Technology
(and a migrant)

Shades of Exodus had elements of being my own autobiography. So many thoughts, sentiments, passions and yearning for the place once called home…..could one ever really feel the lucky country is home? Could one ever feel completely oneself here? These are questions I don't have an answer for?...

Shades of Exodus has provided an intriguing and heart-warmingly enlightening read mixed with great depth and passion of the pulling forces between what is and what was… and many thoughts that had vaguely transcended my mind were there in printed form… The details and humour describing the personalities and their interaction was quite remarkable and entertaining… but also with the rather confronting but necessary parts of the book, I felt the fear and denial… All in all, congratulations on a deeply significant and most readable book.

– Glenda Fehler

Just wanted to say thank you so much for such a wonderful read! It is a really beautiful story – and very thought-provoking. For me, this is underscored by David Levinrad's story towards the end. I really felt like I was in his head and following his stream of thoughts. "Bladdy" well done!

– Angelique Oltvolgyi

– Congratulations. The book you have written truly conveys the complexities of feelings we, immigrants, feel here in Brisbane. Written with total objectivity, and really putting it all out there. A really good read!

– Anita Wurfl

Themes of exile and longing for home have been elements of literature as far back as Homer and The Odyssey. And world history has been fundamentally shaped by the often forced exodus of people from their homeland and displacement around the globe, such as the Jewish Diaspora and, in the nineteenth century, the Irish emigration to the New World of America and Australia.
Shades of Exodus explores these themes in the context of a contemporary displacement, that of white South Africans leaving their country before and after the end of apartheid.

David Levinrad is a South African journalist so disturbed by the systematic violence and corruption of the apartheid regime that he emigrates to Queensland with his Australian wife Penny and their two young children in the mid-1980s. There they build a new and reasonably contented life in the suburbs of Brisbane, but the vitality and pulse of life in his homeland calls to something visceral within David, such that the urge to return and contribute to the rebuilding of South Africa becomes a vital force whose urgency he finds both difficult to suppress and to communicate to others.

He comes into contact with more recent South African émigrés, families who have fled what they see as the entrenched problems of AIDS, poverty and violence that have been unleashed in the wake of end of white rule. The clash between these different perspectives is underscored by two acts of brutal and murderous violence: one in South Africa that has influenced the departure of one family; the second involving the daughter of one of the emigrant families in suburban Brisbane, suggesting that such crimes can happen anywhere.

This is an important novel of interest not only to emigrant families but all of us who have been influenced in one way of another by the displacement of people into alien environments. The language is richly poetic in conveying the vital forces and connections that give one a sense of belonging. The struggles of the characters to make sense of their experiences and relate them to others make for a compelling narrative. Shades of Exodus constitutes a highly recommended contribution to a universal quest.

– Dr Geoff Danaher, Idiom 23 (Central Queensland University)

If I had your gift for writing I would put into words how I feel, but I can only say, WOW, WHEW, this book is amazingly written and so close to the bone....– Amanda Shrock

Thinking Baobab Tree for book cover design !

2012-02-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

Scatterlings- A Tapestry of
Afri-Expat Tales
By eve hemming

I am now thinking a Baobab Tree Design for the book cover... how iconic is that ? "Truth is like a baobab tree; one person's arms cannot embrace it" (African proverb)

An Africa tree is symbolic and powerful... we all have our roots in Africa... the branches are over arching and reach out to far away lands..... The Tree has seasons, cycles, shade, protection, sustenance. It brings cherished memories of tree climbing as children, of the sweet fruit we bit into in Africa....

One of my all time favourite childhood books was 'The Faraway Tree'....and as a child living on a Freestate farm, I had a secret favourite tall tree that I would climb - high up into its branches to peer down at the boundaries of my world. I felt like an omnipotent being! Far below the garden and lawn nestling around the sturdy homestead, stretched out below me. The house, heavy in its sand stone with red corrugated iron roof, parked its weight on the African earth. Frisky, our fox terrier, seemed to be chasing his shadow. African voices sang in lilted tones as they went about tending to this and that. The drone of the faraway tractor, out of sight on the escarpment, could be heard through the filigreed leaves that brushed against my face. Always the rooster crowing on cue...Those are moments that remain frozen in time and unadulterated delight...
and later a mother's call...'Evie Pie ... ! Where are you ?'

The Baobab Tree

"The Baobab Tree is a symbol of the strength of Africa. There are any myths and legends about the Baobab Tree and it is revered for its healing properties. The most common myth is that the gods in error, planted the Baobab tree upside, hence its strange shape."

"THE LEGEND OF THE AFRICAN
BAO-BAB TREE is the story of a beautiful tree who complained to the GREAT SPIRIT of the WILD PLAINS about wanting to be the BEST and BRIGHTEST and most HANDSOME of all the African trees. The GREAT SPIRIT became tired of the complaints, and reached down from the sky, yanked the tree out of the ground and placed it back into the earth UPSIDE DOWN! All the animals were alarmed, and so was the huge tree. For after that, the magnificent tree only grew leaves once a year. The other months the ROOTS seemed to bend and grow towards the sky...The baobab looks like this for a reason. In the wet months water is stored in its thick, corky, fire-resistant trunk for the nine dry months ahead. The baobab's bark, leaves, fruit, and trunk are all used. The bark of the baobab is used for cloth and rope, the leaves for condiments and medicines, while the fruit, called "monkey bread," is eaten. Sometimes people live inside of the huge trunks, and bush-babies live in the crown...". Bobby Dooley Hunter.

"The Baobab – Africa's Giant Upsidedown Tree"

Legendary tree of life, the giant baobab is

a standout star

of the African bush

From Melissa Shales.

http://goafrica.about.co

There are eight species of Adansonia tree, but only one baobab tree (Adansonia digitata), native to the African mainland. Six of its relatives live in Madagascar and one in Australia. It is a tiny - and very distinctive family. The baobab itself is anything but tiny.

This is the monster of the African bush, a vast fleshy giant which looms over the acacia scrubland waving its Medusa -like branches above a bulbous body.

Baobabs only grow below 1000m (3,000 ft) in tropical so are found in the South African lowveld - in Limpopo province, particularly around Musina, in the Kruger Park & northern Kwazulu-Natal.

Some of the oldest are said to be well over 2000 years old.

The Sunland Baobab
Baobabs can reach heights of up to 30m (98 ft). The largest ever recorded, in Limpopo, South Africa, the Glencoe, had a diameter of 47m (154ft) before it split in two. The largest in existence now is thought to be the Sunland Baobab, in Modjadjiskloof, Limpopo, has a height of 22m (72 ft) and a diameter of 47m (154 ft). Since fires have hollowed out parts of the trunk, the owners have turned into a bar and wine cellar.Carbon dated at around 6,000 years old,this has a claim to be possibly the oldest living tree in the world ! Elsewhere those with hollow trunks have been used as burial sites and the trees have become sacred. In many places, the enduring giant trees became a symbol of community, a place of gathering.

The Tree of Life
The Baobab is also incredibly useful - so much so that Disney's Lion King named it the

Tree of Life. It behaves like a giant succulent and up to 80% of the trunk is water.San nomads used to rely on the trees as a valuable source of water when the rains failed and the rivers dried. A single tree can hold up to 4,500 litres (1,189 gallons). The bark and flesh are soft, fibrous and fire-resistant and can be used to weave rope and cloth. It is also used to make soap, rubber, glue and various medicines.

Superfruit
The fruit, which looks like a velvety gourd, is filled with big black seeds surrounded by tart cream, slightly powdery pulp. For years the Africans have eaten both the leaves and fruit which is also known as monkey bread. Now it is being hailed by Westerners as a new superfruit. It is said to have six times the Vitamin C levels of an orange as well as vitamin A, twice the amount of calcium of milk and be stuffed with antioxidants such as iron and potassium. It is said to be pro-biotic, good for digestion, brain and nerve function. The seeds can be roasted, and the flesh sliced or diced and cooked in a variety of ways. So far, however, the pulp is mainly being used in smoothies, as a thickener or sugar substitute. In the UK, Whitley Neill are adding it to gin!

Legend
There are many stories and traditions surrounding the baobab. The most prevalent is that the tree was lording it over lesser plants and so offended God, who uprooted it and planted it again upsidedown to stop it boasting. It remains in leaf for only a very short time each year and if you look at its branches bare of leaves, its easy to see how the legend grew.
The Order of the Baobab is a South African National Order, instituted in 2002, awarded to citizens for distinguished service in the fields of Business and the economy; Science, medicine and technological innovation; or Community service...." ....

As migrants from Africa, we are in

essence upsidedown, changing our day to

night or our Summer to Winter...turning

our souls inside out and adapting...

wherever we re-root!

Scatterlings: A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales | The South African

2012-02-04T03:03:00.000-08:00

Scatterlings: A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales | The South African

"Scatterlings- A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales"...

2012-02-04T02:19:00.000-08:00

Scatterlings....

This is a mock-cover for my book whilst we decide on what will best depict the interwoven Tapestry of Tales of the Scatterlings from Southern Africa; now spread out around the global village...
I'm delighted to have a response from SA and Zimbabwean expats living in UK, USA, NZ, OZ, Canada, Peru, Bermuda, Kenya, SA, the Ilse of Wight etc... who wish to add to the rich tapestry of the book...

For more info please email me on ...
eve.epiphany@gmail.com
From Wikipedia :

A diaspora (from Greek διασπορά, "scattering, dispersion")^[1] is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland"^[2] or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location",^[3] or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".^[2]

The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of people with common roots, particularly movements of an involuntary nature, such as the expulsion of Jews from the Middle East, the African Trans-Atlantic slave trade, or the century-long exile of the Messenians under Spartan rule.^[3]

Recently scholarship has distinguished between different kinds of diaspora, based on its causes such as imperialism, trade or labor migrations, or by the kind of social coherence within the diaspora community and its ties to the ancestral lands. Some diaspora communities maintain strong political ties with their homeland. Other qualities that may be typical of many diasporas are thoughts of return, relationships with other communities in the diaspora, and lack of full assimilation to the host country.^[3]

I see us as the diaspora people from Southern Africa- scattered and now scatterlings... vagabonds with a foot in Africa and a foot abroad...
(Diaspora - from the Greek - dispersed...!)

Scatterlings - A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales

2012-01-24T02:33:00.000-08:00

Scatterlings - A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales...

This is the title of my book !

I ask you to respect the ownership of this book title. Thank you.

The book cover is presently being designed !

Watch this blog for details >>>

Thanks. Dankie. Yabonga !

Saffers, Zimbos & Namibians Expat Stories

2012-01-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

Hello out there !

My book 'Scatterlings - A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales' is making great strides... it was initially about AfriKiwi Tales... then it became AfriKiwiOz Tales... but as More Saffer expats from other corners of the globe, such as from the UK, USA and Dubai, have shared an interest in wanting to contribute a snippet of their life experiences/journeys about emigrating from Southern Africa, the name continues to morph...

FROM THIS TO THIS >

People out there who want to share their poems, lyrics, short tales, or their favourite handed down Southern African-recipes, for example in my book, (which encompasses my own story, the emigration process from a psychological paradigm and a time-line chapter on political/historical reviews, articles and media reports in Southern Africa from Alan Paton to the present....amongst other chapters, should be ready for publication before the end of 2012 ...) ...are still most welcome to.

I am also keen to hear the stories 'Out the mouths of babes' for the chapter of that title... irrespective if from a 3 year old or a teen... their voices need to be heard regarding their passions, joys and pains, stress, trauma and emotions in their previous land, and likewise regarding their adaptation to a new land; about their perceptions and reflections, what they like/dislike or miss... the process through their eyes...

I can be emailed on eve.epiphany@gmail.com if you want more info etc or wish to submit a few lines of your own for sharing.

The integrity and authenticity of contributions will be respected. I will have the right to edit work and only include work which retains some level of sensitivity, and is in no way inflammatory. Any contributors would have their inserts previewed by themselves.

Contributions may be anonymous, just initials, new city & country or full names as by personal request.

Primary contributors would be mentioned in the Acknowledgements and would receive a discount on the purchase price of the book.

Thank you ! Dankie ! Yabonga !Kia Ora !

Eve Hemming

Psychologist and published freelance writer.

KZN, SA (1950-2008) to NZ (2008-present)...

Glorious Bay of Islands, New Zealand !

2012-01-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

They say that there are more boats than cars in New Zealand and possibly more sheep than people!
The Bay of Islands is the summer boating mecca of NZ. It's a touch of paradise where bays and scattered islands sprawl in interesting patterns into the ocean... as though they have been poured from a bucket from the sky. The desire to be on the water is strong and in many cases it's easier to get from point A to point B by boat or ferry, than to drive around hilly escarpments to the end of a rugged peninsula that juts out into the ocean. Paihia is the idyllic epicentre and hive of activity. I managed to capture these pics of some of the quaint buildings on the quay on a quiet evening.

It was our first trip up North and we revelled in it !

It turned out to be a tourists' delight - (and a romance captured on camera in the middle of the road, for which traffic and pedestrians courteously stopped !) - with backpackers aplenty and a mingle mousse of foreign languages spoken.

It's also a place where one can indulge in an array of activities from helicopter rides, to kayaking, catamaraning, parasailing, swimming with dolphins, ferry and boat trips between islands and to the peninsula, dining on the boat restaurants, staying on a luxury cruiser, amongst others. A must-do is to go on a 4 hour boat trip; to view a large pod of friendly dolphins aside the boat, to wend one's way between the islands, to stop over on an island for a picnic and to go through the mystical Hole in the Rock. Those were the highlights for us !

Russell is an historical town - steeped in early history and reportedly was long ago described as a den of iniquity by Darwin... Long ago there was a whaling station there, and hence the many sailors frequented the rather raucous and lewd nightlife of Russell. Now it's a gentle and respectable village which thrives on tourism; the old and restored buildings home to a buzz of restaurants and holiday lodges. It's accessible by ferry, else one must drive around the peninsula.

Eve's Apples: Happy New Year across the World from New Zealand, ...

2012-01-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

Eve's Apples: Happy New Year across the World from New Zealand, ...: Wishing you all a splendid 2012, with new dreams, new opportunities, new adventures, epiphanies, and ideas; taking the gap....with good heal...

Happy New Year across the World from New Zealand, going West!

2011-12-31T21:15:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a splendid 2012, with new dreams, new opportunities, new adventures, epiphanies, and ideas; taking the gap....with good health, happiness, safety, beauty and love to one and all... may it be a year with far less natural and man- made disasters and more peace and harmony... and a new positive world... regardless of whatever the Mayan calendar predicts !

Mountain View, California !

2011-12-21T23:51:00.000-08:00

Special thanks to 'Mountain View, California' for being the most loyal Blog reader out there and to thank you all... now have had 4037 visits to Eve's Apples.

I see that Mountain View is the headquarters of Google... hmmm ????????? Pray do tell are you from Google ?

From Eve's Apples - thanks to all my readers :)

Christmas Trees from around the world - away from the 'traditional' type.

2011-12-20T21:45:00.000-08:00

The magnificent Pohutukwa tree starts to flower 2 weeks before Christmas in NZ and is considered to be our native Christmas Tree !

Russian Christmas Tree

Hawaiian Tree

Indian Christmas Tree

Chinese Christmas Tree

African Christmas Trees
Christmas Blessings to you all - far 'n wide !

Christmas Cheer to Ya All Far 'n Wide !

2011-12-17T02:37:00.000-08:00

Dear Blog Readers
A Christmas message from me :)
Thanks for your loyal support in reading my blog;- for the criticism, appreciation & feedback. It's only been going for about 6 months, and already has had close to 4000 hits. It's Christmas time soon, and irrespective of whether you celebrate Christmas or not, it travels all over the world and is a time when we have a sense of connectivity to humanity far & wide.

Everything gets said over and over again - every year... about putting Christ back into Christmas, about the madness of the frivolity, the lavish spending and hedonistic feasting, when others go hungry with no gifts or reason for joy.

It is hard. And life it isn't fair. But at the same time, many amazing people open their homes to the lonely on Christmas Day and abundant gifts and items of food are donated to the poor around the world. So I do believe that some generosity is spread around at Christmas time and for that I give thanks. In a perfect world all would have enough and all would have joy... May we never stop aspiring to a better, more caring world...To you all - I wish you joy, peace, happiness, friendship, family times, love, forgiveness, inner wealth and good health.

And for the Kids !

New Zealand voted 3rd best country in the world.

2011-12-15T00:56:00.000-08:00

From the NZ Herald...!

" New Zealand is the third best place to live in the world, according to a United Nations report.
The country has climbed 17 places to the number three spot in the UN's latest index to measure development, reports the New Zealand Herald.
The Human Development Report singles out countries with the greatest progress, as measured by the Human Development Index (HDI).
The well-being of the citizens of 169 countries is calculated by the HDI, which takes into account health, income and education.
New Zealand was 10th in 2009 and this year is right behind Norway and Australia who are first and second.
The life expectancy of Kiwis is 80.6 years, our average number of school years is 12.5, and the gross national income per capita is $32,046.

Top 15 countries

1. Norway
2. Australia
3. New Zealand

4. United States

5. Ireland

6. Liechtenstein
7. Netherlands
8. Canada
9. Sweden
10. Germany
11. Japan
12. South Korea
13. Switzerland
14. France
15. Israel

My Book on Immigration!

2011-12-11T01:17:00.000-08:00

About my Book on Immigration
(SA to NZ and SA to Oz) >>>including a tapestry of tales....
It is a almost surreal in its profundity in undertaking to share the close -up and personal intimacy, the deep pain, the immense adaptation, the liberation of taking the plunge, the severance from all that one knows ... in a book.

Only an immigrant can fully comprehend the enormity of such an undertaking... in essence about the rediscovery and redefining of the self and about the courage to undertake the journey and to reveal one's inner soul.

I am on that journey... have scribbled down raw feelings, thoughts, emotions, reflections for several years now... on teeny pieces of paper lodged into a compartment in my handbag, or on scrap paper in my car to jot down a thought at a red traffic light, or next to my bed if I have an 'aha' thought in the middle of a long night... (combined with the content from my published articles over the past several years and my blog...)

And... after 3 and a half years as a migrant, today the name of my long in the making book was finally born !

It almost feels too intimate to share to the world right now - only to a select group of people at this stage.

For now I am asking for moral support in my undertaking; as to knit and weave together these writings saved on my laptop, on the wee scraps of paper, and tucked in my head and heart will take time.
I'm also asking for contributions of either a poem on immigration, or of your thoughts, reflections, advice to wannabe migrants, of your regrets, wishes, heartaches, joys and celebrations from 5 to 95 year olds !
(Kindly email me at eve.epiphany@gmail.com for more info.)

These contributions can be woven into the body of my own tale to give it a flamboyant richly textured pot pourri and can be anonymous or acknowledged.

Patchwork - Eva-Markos.

A % of proceeds from the book (if it sells !) will go towards Saffers Needing Support in NZ. (SNS)

Franklin Road's Famous Christmas Lights, Auckland NZ

2011-12-10T02:38:00.000-08:00

Fabulously Famous
Franklin Road in Ponsonby,
Auckland, NZ !
Each year Franklin Road homes come alive with the most startlingly beautiful display of Christmas lights. Thousands of people come to see the spectacle. We went along with our kids and grand kids (as our SA family were over to visit, too) last Christmas.
It was indeed a memorable night ! I'm sure it will become an annual event on our calendar, as it's a children's visual delight and all it costs is a walk !

The most famous NZ Christmas lights are up on Auckland's most festive street -

Franklin Road.

Elaborately-lit houses draw flocks of onlookers from across the city.

Residents generally agree to involve carol singers and performers who add to the atmosphere on the street.

The street has donned Christmas lights for

19 years and is a non-profit community initiative.

Info from The NZ Herald.

Auckland City voted in top 3 best cities to live in in the world !

2011-11-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

Auckland City - We love you ! Voted a bronze in the 13th Mercer 2011 Quality of Living Survey.
The survey evaluated 221 cities on politics, socio-economics, health, education, transport and housing.

*************************************

I feel privileged to live in a city ranked 3rd in the world and the only city in the Southern Hemisphere to be ranked in the top TEN best cities in the world to live in ! It's a city with sea scape's in every direction, so one never feels claustrophobic... that's why I love Auckland... it's a city of space and startling beauty;...where surrounding Ranges, nature reserves, stellar beaches, and scenic nautical scenes abound...

Auckland rocks....

And from the NZ Herald - 29 November 2011....

"New Zealanders based in the country's two biggest cities continue to experience some of the top rated quality of life in the world, a new survey says.

Auckland has managed to hold on to third spot in the Mercer 2011 Quality of Life Survey - taking out bronze for the fourth year in a row and earning the highest ranking in the Asia Pacific region.

Meanwhile, Wellington has held on to 13th place.

Researchers considered 39 pieces of criteria in the annual list, including the economic environment, health, education, transport, housing, personal freedom and recreational factors like restaurants, sport facilities and cinemas.

"New Zealand cities consistently score highly on all livability factors," says Georgina Hartley, from Mercer.

Out of the 221 cities on the list, Vienna took out pole position, followed by Zurich, then Auckland and Munich. Meanwhile, Baghdad comes in last.

Across the Tasman, Sydney was Australia's highest ranked city coming in at 11, followed by Melbourne (18) and Perth (21).

Hartley says New Zealand's high rankings could lure international talent to our shores, bringing business and filling skills shortages.

"In contrast to Europe and the United States, New Zealand has a relatively strong economic outlook which increases its appeal as a safe haven from economic insecurity."

- HERALD ONLINE

THE BEST

1. Vienna, Austria

2. Zurich, Switzerland

3.Auckland, New Zealand

4. Munich, Germany

5 Dusseldorf, Germany and Vancouver, Canada

7. Frankfurt, Germany

8. Geneva, Switzerland

9 Bern, Switzerland & Copenhagen, Denmark

11 Sydney, Australia

12 Amsterdam, Holland

13 Wellington, NZ

Worst cities were Baghdad, Bangui, N'Djamena, Port-au-Prince, Khartoum, San'a, Tbilisi, Brazzaville, Abidjan and Nouakchott.

'A Shot at The Big Time' - Janet van Eeden's dedication to her beloved brother, Jimmy, lost in combat aged 21.

2011-11-24T00:08:00.000-08:00

A Shot at the Big Time. by Janet van Eeden

Clarence Hutton, Jimmy and David Parkin
In the centre, Jimmy aged 16 going on 17...

Our Story

This is based on the true story of my brother in particular, and about the futility of war in general. I have used my brother’s story which is Oedipal in its tragic intensity to focus on the senselessness of the South African Defence Force’s (SADF) conscription campaign during the 70s, 80s and 90s in this country. This film will include the experience of one soldier in Mkhonto WeSizwe (MK), the military wing of the ANC. It is an anti war film in the classic tradition of Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, Birdy, M.A.S. H. and Catch 22, amongst others. It is also a tirade against cruel authority and fundamentalism of all kinds. For this reason One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a model I used in writing this film.

The only thing Jimmy, my brother, didn’t want to do was to kill another human being. The terrible irony is that by trying to defy the army and its constrictions, he broke the rules and went AWOL, taking a rifle with him to give the finger to the forces in the way he thought best. Through a series of random coincidences an innocent woman was killed by a ricochet bullet from his rifle when he and his friends were firing into the local rubbish dump. This caused him to have a mental breakdown. He was put into a mental institution. But it didn’t take long for the army to reclassify him as fit to serve on the border. There he was forced to engage in active combat. Three days after his arrival, he was dead. Official reports said he was killed by a ricochet bullet. I believe, and people who were on the border at that time told me, that he shot himself rather than engage in active combat.

The Impact

I would like to tell his story and that of all those young men who went into the army at the age of seventeen on both sides of the combat. South African men are still suffering severely as a result of what they went through in conscripted service and everyone I’ve spoken to who has been through this system has urged me to tell this story. I believe this story would go a long way to healing the wounds of the men of South Africa who have never come to grips with the result of the war on their psyches.

What We Need & What You Get

We need production money! We've got the wonderful sound track written by Jonathan Handley of the Radio Rats who has done it all out of love - no money. We have my screenplay in its final draft also written for love - no money. I have written the novel of the film which is due to be published early next year to coincide with the film going in to production. This will be one of the giveaways for those who contribute funds. We want to start filming early next year and have the film ready for release by the end of 2012.

Other Ways You Can Help

We'd love to get people to help with POSTER DESIGN!

DO IT WITH OTHERS (DIWO) - the poster is just one aspect we'd love to have help with.

We're going to run an online casting session too for the lead roles and we'll need your help to decide WHO WILL PLAY THE LEAD ROLES!

Here's your chance to become a CASTING DIRECTOR!!

Click onto the Indiegogo Website here and listen to two music videos from Jonathan Handley who wrote the music especially for A Shot at the Big Time, after reading the script.

http://igg.me/p/49173?a=206977&i=shlk

My own website is here.

http://www.janetvaneeden.com

And my blogspot is here:

http://janetvaneeden.blogspot.com

Janet is a well known script writer and freelance writer. Her courage to share her story of the futility of her beloved brother's death at the tender age of 17 is indicative of her dedication to Jimmy and to all young boys lost to the ravages of senseless war and conscription.

You can help by forwarding Janet's project to others who may be able to assist with sponsoring the film and/or assist with being a casting director, acting in the film or designing the posters etc. Thank you...

Watch this space ! Rugby, Politics and Christmas in KiwiLand !

2011-11-22T02:01:00.000-08:00

WATCH THIS SPACE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I smiled all the way home today as I drove across this vast wonderful city and everywhere it's festooned with flags and placards and action, and in shop windows to add to it is the Christmas glitz and bling...
All Black Flags are still flying to celebrate the glory of the RWC; - on walls, on windows, from tree tops and on cars...

and added to that are now the political flags and billboards..

I am not too politically savvy and am not promoting any political party here, (as well as I'm not entitled to, anyway )! I'm just sharing with the world about the BUZZ on our little island !

The National Party (Blue) are currently the Government.
John Key is the Prime Minister.

The Labour Party (Red) are currently the chief opposition, lead by Phil Goff.

And then there is the Green Party...

And other parties as well... a list of all the political parties is below.

Saturday is voting day.... yes we don't get a day off
to vote tra la la....
So, for now it is like a Smartie box with the All Blacks,
Blues, Reds and Greens... plus all the Christmas colours too !
Oh my word, and I'm fascinated to see there is also a 'Legalise Cannabis Party', too....

You have to love this crazy country.... and all the hullabaloo, party politics, the storm in a tea cup story and the political jibing...

Logo	Party name	Abbreviation
	ACT New Zealand	The ACT Party
	Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party	ALCP
	Jim Anderton's Progressive	Progressive
	Conservative Party of New Zealand	Conservative Party
	Libertarianz
	Mana
	Māori Party
	New Citizen Party
	New Zealand First Party	NZ First
	New Zealand Labour Party	Labour Party
	The Alliance	Alliance
	The Greens, The Green Party of Aotearoa/New Zealand	Green Party
	The Kiwi Party	Kiwi Party
	The New Zealand Democratic Party for Social Credit	Democrats for social credit
	The New Zealand National Party	National Party
	UNITED FUTURE NEW ZEALAND	UNITED FUTURE

I am writing a Book ! Again >>>

2011-11-20T00:07:00.000-08:00

I am writing a Book... (sigh) and the again bit doesn't mean that I have a hoard of published books...(other than the one weeny one on drama therapy). It means that I have started LOTS of books. The difference is that a book doesn't just need a START point, it also needs a FINISH point...

This one I hope to finish with your help - yes yours ! In essence that means it will be OUR BOOK.

My book may be seen as a reinvention of the wheel, but there are never enough stories told. It will be about the stories of people's lives; of their blood, guts, pain, trauma, confusion, deliberation, angst and then their decision to leave. It will be about how they combated their personal pain as they went on their Odyssey to cross the metaphorical borders of their lives to a new place.

This book is about the people who moved from South Africa and environs to New Zealand; why they left - their very personal and intimate stories - and why they chose New Zealand (Land of the long white cloud).

And about the process, the adaptation, the sense of loss and finally acceptance, the regrowth in a new place, else their choice to return to their home land and their reflections on their resettlement back home.

The Book doesn't have a name yet... there are ideas, but it will germinate when the content of your stories and mine together speak to me.

Please email me at eve.epiphany@gmail.com to share your emigration stories- SA to NZ.

Photographs which I took of the
NZ skyline during 2011.

Back in NZ from SA a month ago !

2011-11-17T01:40:00.000-08:00

A month since we flew back from our trip to South Africa!

It's hard to believe that it's almost a month since we flew back to New Zealand.... in some ways it's as crystal clear as yesterday that we were there... I can still hear the sounds... and can smell the smell of African rain on red dust, the smell of freshly cut grass, the smell of a veld fire. I can still hear the 'Piet my Vrou' calling...and I can hear dogs barking and our son's neighbour's wretched car as he maniacally revved it to a clanging crescendo each morning whilst we stayed there.
And now we are back.
I'm back at work as though I'd never been away. My office walls are decorated with pictures of my NZ and SA 'cherubs' - all six of them. In New Zealand Maori, a grandchild is called a 'mokopuna'. My 'moko's' pics smile at me and get me through each day. How I long to hold and kiss them all. Sometimes Skype just 'doesn't do it.' But hell, it's loads better than no Skype.

One has to look forwards and not perpetually 'in the rear view mirror'. So it's about living in the here and now and enjoying local people and places without discounting that that part of one's life in Africa is still palpably part of one and always will be. So yes, my next trip back to Africa is planned. But for now we have some exciting ideas swirling around in the ether, are engaged in interesting things, meeting people, going places and sharing quality time with 'Saffer' family and 'Saffer' and Kiwi mates.

Going back does, without a doubt, unsettle one. When there, one easily gets seduced into the lifestyle and so easily puts on the blinkers and shuts out some of the uncomfortable truths. But yes, we were seduced...
It was good; it was good for the soul.

My soul was kissed...

We made those special connections with family and friends again, and for me my connection with my grand children was profound.

We still dream of our loved ones coming.... but then I remember Kahlil Gibran's 'The Prophet' and I try to be patient... it could take forever, or never or soon... and it's their lives, not ours... but we love them all boundlessly; those Close and those Far.

And so I must rest my silly heart a while...

'Your children are not your children... '

ON CHILDREN - FROM 'THE PROPHET'

'And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said,

"Speak to us of Children."
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot
visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are
sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and
He bends you with
His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow
that is stable. '

Art by Thayloos - on Photobucket

For SA to NZ 'Saffers',
check out Amakiwi & KiwiSaffers.
And for global 'Saffer' Expats there's
'South African Expats' on Face Book.

South African visit by an Expat

2011-11-05T17:59:00.000-07:00

Peeping at Places in South Africa... (not all bad)...
We arrive back in SA; 18 months since our previous visit... People ask,' What have you noticed has changed?' Others comment, ' You'll notice that there's been a deterioration in the infrastructure in the last three years...' Others say, 'Same old, same old...'

I'm interested to discover that little has changed in some areas, and in other areas visible change (both good and bad) is conspicuous. Roads and verges have deteriorated greatly. (A trip to the Drakensberg lead us a merry circumnavigation around potholes galore. My husband had hurt his back carrying our luggage and found the potholes and humps an agonising experience as we bumped along. )We notice that verges are dirty and unkempt and garden refuse places overflowing with garbage bags strewn on pavements. The burgeoning weight of managing maintenance is evident. And a trip to Clarens and Golden Gate included a lengthy stretch of one- way traffic next to Sterkfontein, reportedly due to the contractor abandoning the project until the government gets around to paying him.

We also made a scenic township detour through Phutadithaba due to a bridge ostensibly having collapsed. And on a couple of nights we had take away supper by candlelight due to electricity outages.
Ironically these are seen as superficial irritants to the locals. And the people seem more positive and enthusiastic since our previous visit, when an air of pessimism permeated the atmosphere, with some folk having a B plan to 'pack for Perth'..., get money off- shore, ensure that they had an overseas connection, else were 'semigrating' to the Cape.
Some folk had previously said, 'We can't emigrate because of...' whilst others said, 'We envy you...' or 'Please take me with you...'

This time we sensed an air of optimism in some folk, but denial that there was any reason for concern in others. For the impoverished nothing seems to have changed. They continue to dredge out a pittance for the next meal. For the comfortably off they seem confident and want to invest in bigger homes and business ventures, while others are down-scaling and getting their 'ducks in a row'. Others continue to pack up and leave to start a new life faced with the immense challenges of adjustment. But there are new bridges and structures being built, new additions to shopping centres under way and a sense of progress in some spheres. (When we are there the new Edendale township's spacious R450 million Mall opened.)

The Green jersey supporting the Springboks across cultures, and from kiddies to oldies offered a wonderful sense of camaraderie. That I found really comforting.

I notice that young students seemed depressed and demotivated. Friends of ours' daughter wanted to throw in the towel and not finish her 1st year at her Uni, but finally did go back. Folk say the young are demotivated as they see few job prospects or upwardly mobile opportunities due to equity policies and some rather overt partiality, nepotism as well as cultural bias. Instead they hop on a plane to do a Gap Year abroad. Some stay there playing what they allude to as 'The wait and see game', whilst they earn an income in pounds or dollars. (But that, too, is precarious with the present state of the USA $ and Europe's Euro. )Another friend's son dropped out of his 2nd year at his Uni and the weed was a peer pressure factor which temporally debilitated his cognitive focus. And another friend's son couldn't find a job despite having his degree under his belt and was a Pizza Delivery Man.

The irony is that unemployment is high and yet minority groups battle to find suitable employment. (Trading economics.com puts the unemployment at 25.5 % in July 2011.)
One or two folk in SA relish telling stories (with a sardonic smirk) about expats who hated it overseas and have come back... For them this is the ultimate endorsement that they have 'done the right thing' staying, and that they can continue to remain stoic because after all, ' n' boer maak n' plan' and 'alles sal reg kom'....

Life seems to go on... I think when one emigrates one finds it almost inconceivable to comprehend that life seems relatively unchanged for others, when one's personal universe has been turned upside down... and one's suffered the bereavement and loss of one's roots, identity, family, friends... and every aspect of one's existential life- world, culture, values and landscape. My first visit back I felt angry and wanted my world to move with me. 'How dare they carry on regardless, as though we never existed ?' was my emotion, which of course was carved out of visceral raw pain, sadness, grief and loss...
I am far more reconciled now. I am, of course restless when I'm there, making idle wishes that I don't have to really 'go back', that we can throw in the towel, that we can 'sommer' stick it out like everyone else; make sure we've got candles and gas for when there's a black-out, put up with the crumbling infrastructure and make sure our personal space is 'veilig' behind a high fence.

While in SA I soak up the sounds, smells, vistas and flavours - the antediluvian Hadedas primeval squawk, our sons endless supply of Biltong that easily seduces me back into that sublime lifestyle, the avenues of Jacarandas, the flat -topped African thorn trees and the scrub bush, the windmills and dry pinky-hued grasses,

the African huts nestled in their dusty space as though they've been there forever,

the wild life that we glimpsed, the majestic rock formations and omnipotent Drakensberg,

the smell of veld fires that tantalise my nostrils, the Piet my Vrou and cooing doves, the lilt of an African voice, the balmy ruby sunsets,

the placid African bovines,

- familiar places, landmarks, people... After a few weeks it becomes home again and I feel resistant about leaving. The things I dislike, or now as an expat feel uncomfortable about, seem to blur into the background.
I get deeply attached to my precious SA family. I feel reluctant to pack, but know that once I am back in New Zealand that I will be fine again. I tell myself to be brave and vehement about why we started a new life; not only for ourselves, but as a haven for the unquantifiable unknown. Our guest room beds are made up...

And of course, as always, I sob at the airport and am miserable all the way from Durban to Johannesburg. In fact I sob all over again as the plane takes off from Oliver Tambo Airport and I leave African terrafirma behind 'till next time.'

But now almost two weeks after getting back to Auckland, I'm more settled again. The sun's warmth has been a balm to the sadness since we've been back, our loving NZ family are 'chuffed' to have us back and our lovely, restful home with pastoral scenes, indigenous bush and glorious ocean vistas awaits us. And little Paddywag adds to the stability that we needed after weeks of living out of a suitcase.

A week after the RUGBY WORLD CUP; NEW ZEALAND !

2011-10-31T00:18:00.000-07:00

We were on the plane between Sydney and Auckland during the final match between France and New Zealand (The All Blacks), on our return from a trip to our homeland, South Africa...

It was a nail biting few hours with some score updates from the pilot at intervals. Needless to say by the time we heard that New Zealand had won; only twenty minutes before landing, I was close to ill from the tension. I was fearing the worst when the pilot's commentary stopped on 9-8... for what seemed like an eternity. My worst fears were the depression that the country would experience if they lost to France, as the teams, most anticipated to be a threat to New Zealand were South Africa and Australia; not France ! Being on an Oz plane didn't help, as there wasn't exactly champagne on offer when NZ won. We were incredibly lucky though, to coincidentally witness the celebratory fireworks display from the air.
I think that New Zealand sighed with huge relief, more than felt a feeling of victorious jubilation, winning by a mere margin. It was tough with some of the best players like Dan Carter out of the World Cup due to an injury... But the Boys shone through with amazing courage and dignity... And a win's a win. . . and now a week later, there are All Black and New Zealand flags flying all over the city, from motor cars and bridges, out of office windows, on homes and in trees. Richie McCaw, the captain, is a National Hero and all in all 'We love our Boys' ! Parades were held in Auckland and Wellington and the Ellis Webb trophy proudly displayed to the 1000s who came out into the streets to cheer the team... And a baby born that week has been called Ellis Webb !

My hope is that it has put our wonderful small country of a mere 4 and a half million people fair and square on the wold map and that tourism will flourish. It's what we needed to boost our morale after the Christchurch earthquakes, too. NZ is a breathtakingly beautiful country and the Kiwis and many immigrants that reside here would be proud as punch to WELCOME YOU !

Eve's Apples

SNS - Saffers Networking/Nurturing Saffers

Saffers Needing Support Face Book Group has been Launched !

More on Scatterlings - A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales

Barry Levy - Former SA Journalist living in Australia

Thinking Baobab Tree for book cover design !

"The Baobab – Africa's Giant Upsidedown Tree"

Legendary tree of life, the giant baobab is

a standout star

of the African bush

Scatterlings: A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales | The South African

"Scatterlings- A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales"...

Scatterlings - A Tapestry of Afri-Expat Tales

Saffers, Zimbos & Namibians Expat Stories

Glorious Bay of Islands, New Zealand !

Eve's Apples: Happy New Year across the World from New Zealand, ...

Happy New Year across the World from New Zealand, going West!

Mountain View, California !

Christmas Trees from around the world - away from the 'traditional' type.

Christmas Cheer to Ya All Far 'n Wide !

New Zealand voted 3rd best country in the world.

My Book on Immigration!

Franklin Road's Famous Christmas Lights, Auckland NZ

Auckland City voted in top 3 best cities to live in in the world !

'A Shot at The Big Time' - Janet van Eeden's dedication to her beloved brother, Jimmy, lost in combat aged 21.

A Shot at the Big Time. by Janet van Eeden

Clarence Hutton, Jimmy and David Parkin In the centre, Jimmy aged 16 going on 17...Our Story

Clarence Hutton, Jimmy and David Parkin

In the centre, Jimmy aged 16 going on 17...

What We Need & What You Get

Watch this space ! Rugby, Politics and Christmas in KiwiLand !

I am writing a Book ! Again >>>

Back in NZ from SA a month ago !

ON CHILDREN - FROM 'THE PROPHET'

'And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said,

South African visit by an Expat

A week after the RUGBY WORLD CUP; NEW ZEALAND !

Clarence Hutton, Jimmy and David Parkin
In the centre, Jimmy aged 16 going on 17...

Our Story