Bramley Famli

In preperation for this trip, our host in Hawaii, offered to lend us towels (shower and beach) so we didn’t have to bring them over and use up space in our bags. What a fantastic gesture I thought. I wondered how far his hospitality would go, so I sent a mail asking if he could do the same for under-wear? Boy was I sorry I asked. In my room, above my bed hangs this set of ‘jocks’ that I’m too afraid to go near to remove, and so, I fear will hang there for the duration of our stay.

Last night, after I’d unpacked, showered and orientated myself slightly, Keith and I walked down to ‘Boogaloos’, actually Magoos for a beer and some Jalopino Fries. (click here for Google Earth location)

Want to know the temp? 25 with humidity. It’s not pretty for a boy who’s only recently escaped Durban.

I’m just working through the list of Students on the APLP course that Keith and I are a part of in Hawaii. I made up a map of where they come from to give you an idea of how diverse this group is.Here is a list of the countries they represent… Australia, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Canada, China, Federated States of Micronesia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Lithuania, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, USA and Vietnam.

Hi Jord and Carli. How lucky to catch you on Skype when I was online. What a lucky dad I am.

This is what a tired, smelly and lonely dad looks like. Lucky this picture doesn’t smell like I do : )

I’m sitting in Atlanta waiting for the plane to take me to Hawaii. Boy it’s taking a long time to get here. Remember to remember that I’m landing when you go to school tomorrow morning.

Love you all.

Dad

You’d imagine that travelling regularily for the past 5 or 6 years would have one fairly accustomed and even fairly efficient at leaving (seperation). I must be a slow learner (I have a t-shirt with that on it), cos it doesn’t get easier. I think I’ve gotten better at coping with the emotion associated with it, but the emotion hasn’t gotten any less… it seems to have only grown.

This year I feel like I’ve been more proactive in prepping the girls. Photos of Hawaii, and maps and Google Earth (click here if you have Google Earth to see where I was writting this) and now this blog. So knowing where dad is should be fairly clear and they’ll hopefully feel like they’re participating a little in the unfolding adventure. Leish built a ‘cattepillar’ with 14 parts to it. Each night another part is exracted/removed to help illustrate how long till dad’s back.

That’s me. I’m off to wait again for another long wait on that feckin plane : )

I’m sitting in the Atlanta International Airport. Traditionally the first thing I do, as soon as I get a gap, on a trip like this, is find a Starbucks, order a Latte and take a picture. Well this was it. A tall latte with a traditional brownie.

It’s been 24 hours now since I left O R Tambo International. I’ve still got just a little over 14 hours to go, of which 11 of them will be on another plane. And yes I know there’s no sympathy out there for me, but I thought I’d put it out there anyway.

Announcements all over the place about security and liquids in bags and orange levels of security. It’s ubiquitous (?).

Tomorrow the journey to Oahu, Hawaii begins. Working with the APLP once again (it’s been two years since the last trip). I’m looking forward to it.

It’s always tough leaving home for a long journey. And the worst part is, that it starts four or five days before you leave. Suddenly everyone’s focus is on the leaving part. Getting stuff done, spending time together, trying really hard to make up for the length of time apart. And inveriably it goes pear-shaped. Stuff happens that no-one planned and it’s never as good as you were hoping it would be. And you’d think I would have got it right by now, with all the travelling I do? Not a chance.

Just finished putting clothes in my bag, and am off with as many of the family as I can round up (one asleep and one a little hacked off with me) for an ice-cream at Sandton : )