March is a Month
Of Madness and Mirth
A world gone tippy
waiting for spring
and autumn
depending, of course
if you're up or down
Strange things I find
outside my back door
A wet world of green
an alien landscape
March is crazy
riddled
with Leprechauns
and green rivers
I love this green
crazy
strange
irresistible month!
Don't you?
Today is Friday and thus Picture Perfect, the theme being "Black and White". It is also the 6th and Dani's photo of the month, where we show a photo that represents the month gone by. To avoid multiple posts, I wanted to combine the two 'events'. I'll be breaking the rules for both events, though, as this blog will take more than just one photo, so bear with me.
This month has been a month of many changes and challenges or adventures in both work and our personal lives, which is why I have chosen the photo of the jackfruit or jaca to represent the month. The black and white version here looks somewhat otherworldly... Would you eat it?
drip
drip
thoughts
of you
fall
constantly
from
my mind
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They're twins! I tell you...
Duke and Hercules.
Hercules is the sleeping twin
100% lookalikes
In every way
Don't ever tell them otherwise
Of course, I was going to put up this incredible likeness.... don't you agree, that the resemblance is spot on?
The circle of life
in perfect symmetry
Of birth and of death
a coming and going
Since the beginning of time
and always will be
Inevitable
(The maternity hospital on Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil)
Spirit of the Sea
by Blackmores Night
The photo was taken on a stormy day from the ferry going out to Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil
Blackmores Night Lyrics
Spirit Of The Sea Lyrics
Freedom for many comes at a price and often after tremendous struggle. The butterfly is free, but the struggle to emerge from its pupa seems to take a huge toll on its strength, but if you help it along, it won't develop properly. Perhaps freedom that comes easily is not appreciated as much? Freedom is beautiful, is it not?
This photo is untouched beyond cropping and framing. We get tons of this particular butterfly. They decimate my nasturtiums. I have photos of the whole process, from egg through to butterfly. This one is taken of the butterfly after emerging on the ladder my husband made. Darn... I see there's a dog hair I should have removed.
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Another 'Freedom'
Twisted and frayed ropes
keep me steadfast
close to the shore
as the seas of
time toss me
Tint ©
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Every year, we would go to the South African Consulate Function in April. It was usually a rather grandiose affair, but on this occasion, they had outdone themselves. Food was French style, ie. more artistic than designed to sustain, with an appetiser of Carpaccio of Ostrich, a rare meat here, but fairly common in South Africa. Wine flowed freely the whole evening. Designer gowns, flashy jewelry, and fancy cars abounded. The venue was an upmarket Bingo hall, Imperatriz. The building was palacial, done in an African style, with dark African warriors lining the walls, huge tusks curving up towards the ceilings, which were lit with myriads of tiny lights. The entrance hall boasted enormous statues of elephants and giraffes.
The place and the event epitomised extravagance to me in every sense of the word.
Lindiwe Zulu, the South African ambassador to Brazil broke out in song during the speeches. I think the chap standing behind her looks somewhat uncomfortable. As you can hear by the background noise, the song was a hit, especially among her fellow Xhosa's.
The "African" dancers. Their performance was very un-African, performed by Brazilian dancers who had never been to Africa, and the ambassador was angry. A few nasty office memo's flew around after the event.
Apologies for the video quality with this last one.
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São Paulo is designed, to me, in a strange manner. In the center of the city is Sê Cathedral - literally, the center. All distances in the city are measured from this cathedral. Whatever road you're on, the numbering of the property is based on the distance from this cathedral. The lowest number on the road is the end closest to the cathedral. Properties here aren't numbered, as such, but go according to their size, so you are number 1234 on XYZ road based on the fact that your front door is 1234 meters away from the end of the road closest to the cathedral.
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This week's theme had me. I live in a very solid world, aside from an abundance of spider's webs. I had another photo planned and was tempted to post both, but I'm meant to be sticking to the rules, right? *sigh*
This was taken right after some rain here, a highly unusual occurrence ; ) Yes, I am joking. Some critter or another had made a feast of Jorge's Queen of the Night and left just the veins.
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I know this may be considered cheating ; ) but... well... psh! I'm entering one here too. This photo was my first choice for an entry, but it is a very personal choice, so I elected to not put it on the PP site.
As many of you know, I am South African... proudly so. Unfortunately, according to many, I am on the wrong end of South Africa's very varied colour spectrum. The 'stigma' of my colour was not only apparent back in SA where our small farms were targeted - white farmers were unwelcome - but followed me here where, on learning my country of origin, I have been called a racist, a label which makes my hackles rise.
I fail to see why my skin colour automatically makes me a racist. I was taught as a child to respect, even love, people of all colours and nationalities. The 'love thy neighbour' was not just applied to my own 'race'. I raised my daughter with the same principles. I have an extremely low tolerance for racial jokes and racial slurs... regardless of the nation or colour involved. Why I have to pay for the faults of an old government and its laws is beyond me.
Pictured above is Tatiana and her friend Minky. Tatiana - of Dutch/German/Lithuanian heritage, pale, blonde, bubbly, outgoing. Minky - Xhosa, native South African, chocolate brown, black curls, shy, sweet, mischievious. Friends, regardless of the contrasts of their skin and culture, with their mothers watching, sipping coffee and talking of things peculiar to mothers.
This week's Picture Perfect theme is "Festive". I held off, thinking I may take a photo or two today. It was raining when we left home, so the 'cowardly lion', aka Jorge, decided the camera would stay at home. It turned out to be blistering hot and humid.
The shops and streets were jam-packed. There was a notable absence of Christmas trees and Christmas decorations in town. If it weren't for my calendar (and Multiply), we'd hardly have noticed it was Christmas at all!
We went in and got the stuff for the animals (a calmant for the fire crackers that have already started), and some herbs for a friend. We did a bit of window shopping, ended up buying a set of glasses (in fairness to the last set, it lasted 2 years), had a cup of coffee and a small empadinha (little pie.... really 'little'), then headed for home. Our bus broke down halfway in a not-so-delightful area, but luckily (I'm grateful), the second bus had ample seating, which isn't usually the case with replacement buses.
So that was my oh-so-very-exciting day. Oh yes, this blog post was meant to be for Picture Perfect. I went through my more recent photos and found little that was festive looking. After all, you don't want the photo I took of Jorge's feet while he was putting up our Christmas lights, now do you? ; ) There were other photo options, but I felt that they were blog subjects of their own and put them to one side. Besides... this is rather festive, is it not? This home is a few blocks away from me. I think they really put effort into being festive, don't you?
I thought I wasn't going to take part this week. The weather here is dismal and, for Brazil, almost winterish. It's dull, grey, wet and fairly cool. Then there was the issue of finding the time to take out the camera.
This photo was taken a couple of years ago at Hopi Hari, a huge amusement park outside São Paulo. The sky was spectacular and I loved the reflection of the setting sun on the benches.
To see the other great entries or participate yourself, pop along to Picture Perfect.
