SHAZAM!

This is the end of this.

We are up and running:



See you there....

p.s. if you can't see the above copy paste: http://atropicalfruit.blogspot.com/

An up-date from down-under

Hello all...

Sorry for the silence, but thanks for all the messages and mails...

I'm here, settled in, and loving it. So far very very good.

The city has surpassed my expectations - the people are amazing, and hot boys abound...

Look out for my new blog being launched soon... details to follow...

It's Official

Well...

My furniture and belongings are somewhere in a crate on a ship on their way to Australia.

My ticket is confirmed - I leave Cape Town International's Domestic terminal at 14h00 on Tuesday 24 March 2009, arrive JHB 2 hours later, leave there at 19h00 for Perth, and finally after a change in Perth and a stopover in Alice Springs, I arrive in Darwin at 19h10, 25 March 2009.

I have three more nights in Cape Town, then off to my parents in Hermanus for the last week or so.

There's no turning back now...

A weekend ending in Bukhara

Amidst my mounting irritiability surrounding my move that is driving everyone around me batty I am still managing to have a wonderful time, as always...

Friday evening some of my best friends came for dinner. Ms Germany and his wife, brother, and another friend of ours. Champagne, wine, and a little bit of food thrown in.

Saturday Ian and I decided to try a picnic for Valentines Day, unfortunately it was too windy, so we had cocktails at Camps Bay Beach Club, followed by Champagne and the American Series of Queer as Folk at home...

Sunday we had a picnic in Kirstenbosch. Far, far too much wine. Good food, and laughter. I recall giving Queenie a piggie back, and blatantly taking photos of the cute straight men with Captain America ("the elusive search for an owl").

Monday evening we had a long walk on the Promenade, followed by a light dinner at Bravo in Mouille Point - watching the sunset in the balmy evening, mist sprayers keeping us cool. We were joined by a visiting friend of Ian's, from Germany. AFterwards we took a drive through the warm summer evening with the roof down, over Kloof Nek and via Kloof Road back to my place.

Last night we joined the same German friend and another for dinner at Bukhara, a divine Indian restaurant. I remember why I love Indian food so much... Awesome food, fantastic wine, and great company...

15m³ & 40Kg

That's what my life is being reduced to.

15m³ of container space.
40kg of luggage.



It's a surreal concept packing up my life, throwing out so much, giving a ton of clothes, bedding, a mattress and blankets (the latter I definitely won't need) to charity. Stopping phone lines, Internet, TV Licence (what a MISSION), selling surplus furniture. The list goes on.

All this in preparation for a move to Australia (once the visa has been approved), hopefully in about 6 weeks time.

The strangest is the unbundling of connections with friends. Some I have known for decades, like my hairdresser who knows me better than I know myself and continues to enrich my perception of life. Some I have known much shorter and the connection boils down to one person less for them to party with. Then one of my best friends - and the only person who truly didn't change towards me when I came out of the closet. The person I can sit up with until 3h20 in the morning talking shit with and philosophising over love and life in general. Then there's Ian. But I don't want to talk about that.

Equally tangible is cutting the connection with my physical environment. The view of Cape Town CBD as I drive over the elevated freeways, Table Mountain looming in the background. The quiet "me times" at favourite haunts like Cafe Mozart while it pours with rain outside. A quick coffee between meetings at Vida on Kloof Street, people watching. Sipping French 75's at Sinns while I type a blog post using their free broadband. The feeling of the sand underfoot as you descend from the steps onto Clifton, the roar of breakers against the rocks. Descending from Tikkie-Draai into the Durbanville Wine Valley, speeding through the vineyards and the lane of Blue gum trees, memories of a privileged and blissful childhood.

All this and more - exchanged for the unknown, an adventure. The chance to do a job that I'm morally and ethically aligned with. To be closer to friends I miss, and a person whose friendship has enriched me. To explore a new world, and redefine myself within it.

A spectacular December

December, traditionally the holiday month in my industry, was spectacular...

It started with a trip to Fraanschhoek for the Champagne festival. A high speed scenic trip in the convertible in 36 degree weather to be welcomed at the cool and luxurious Le Franschoek Hotel.

The festival itself was marvelous, and Ian's response to me scoring free tastings instead of handing over tickets will be remembered...

The afternoon we lay reading by the pool, before popping into town for a Pimms Cocktail and cheescake... Dinner in the Orchard, and a good rest...



The Sunday we had a birthday lunch for 70 people on the Van Riebeeck High Sports fields. High on the slopes of Lion's Head with a view over the entire city bowl and bay. We ate al fresco, sipped bubbly, and enjoyed the perfect summer day.

The Tuesday my sister arrived for a visit, and I spent most of my time at the parents in Hermanus...

Christmas was spread between Hermanus and Somerset West... much presents, too much food, and lots and lots of Champagne.

The day before New Year's eve was Ian's birthday and we had a dinner for 45 people at his house in Vredehoek - fun, but exhausting.

New Year's eve was spent just the two of us In Hermanus, we watched DVD's had dinner, sipped Champagne, watched the fireworks over the ocean luying in each other's arms in the living room and were in bed by 0h20.

On the 4th we came back to Cape Town - and on the 5th everything changed...

More on that later.

The People in my Life

We get so wrapped up in our lives at times - the constant persuit for a bigger salary, a better car, a more spectacular view. Do you have an i-phone? Is your television HD?

And we complain we don't, or can't afford to eat out every night - I'm guilty of it. The other day zipping through the traffic in a luxury german sedan, in a moment of frustration I said "I'm tired of being poor."

Then I took a look around me, where I live, my daily existince. My clothes are always clean. I fight to keep my weight down for all the food I consume. I drink champagne at least once a week. I make cocktails for us to sip while enjoying an unbroken panaromic view of the Cape Town CBD and harbour beyond. Life really isn't that bad. On the contrary.

I try to look at people in my life for inspiration - something to remind me of what I have, and that I have no right to complain. It's just too easy to complain.

At my offices is one such person. He's one of the security personnel that mans the reception desk. A black man, I would estimate early twenties. I greet him every day, and ask him how he is - he's always friendly, exhuberantly so. "I'm fresh, like the fish in the sea" he'll say with a big smile on his face. Day in and day out.

He lives in an informal settlement. He is working shift work as a security guard and has paid his way through high school, and has just completed a computer literacy course. Now he's looking for a job that he can use those skills at which is not shift work, so that he can study further. Everything against him, yet he's kind and courteous. He opens the door for me, and calls me sir. I want to be more like him. We need more people like him.

He also wears women's dark glasses. We forgive him that.