Pudding Party

"Pudding" Jim into his 30s! As is customary here for a birthday, the birthday boy/girl organizes his/her own party. And since turning 30 (what?! yikes!) is a momentous occasion, Jim decided to have a pudding party and invite over some (20) friends. We had a relaxed afternoon chatting and stuffing our faces with chocolate cake and banana-caramel pie and butternut bars and chocolate pie and mousse and (friends chipping in with their favorite desserts)... and of course, in true Hawkins style, playing the Balloon Game. What? You've never played this? Oh boy..

*translation: pudding = dessert

Heather (also Jul's co-worker), Jul, and Margit

Randy and Mawethu (most likely discussing theology)

Some of the contestants in the Balloon Game, as we gathered in the back yard/garden area. Ready to race?

Jim and Duncan, very effectively popping their balloons

Kim and Mada (looking quite gleeful).

'English Muffin' Bread

Wow, Jim - tasty!! Slowly learning and perfecting how to make yeast bread, this one from a cookbook put together by a BFA mom. Toasts up Very Nicely.

Jul makes Khubiz Arabi (Pita bread)

“Ingredients are not as important as technique in making good pitas.”*

I carefully followed the directions (though of course adding some whole wheat flour to replace the white flour), and the results we pretty good for a first attempt at pita bread. Look, they actually have pockets! Now if only Karen (Mulle) and John Friesen come for a visit, she’ll teach us her hummus and baba ganouj recipes – that would be impressive and wonderful indeed. Oh and bring along some lebneh and shwarmas and lemons and fish and za'atar and mountain bread and apricot jam!

*Thanks, Mom, for the Extending the Table international cookbook, a Christmas present back in 1994. How did you know I’d get so much enjoyment out of it over the years?

Spring and Neighbor Friends

Spring is slowly making its way here, as some new flowers are blooming and the days are getting warmer (though we’re still having chilly, rainy days too).

And it’s about time I did a post on these wonderful, generous, fun neighbors of ours – Lisa and Mawethu Ncaca. They have been married two years and are now expecting “peanut/muffin/son/daughter/baby number 1” next February. We have gotten to know each other through our afternoon walks together (Jul and Lisa walking and talking our way around Rondebosch Common), and of course from The Message (Mawethu is part-time pastor there) and the Student Y (Mawethus is part-time student minister there). We are VERY thankful for these neighbors who offer their washer & dryer to us (since we don’t have our own), for the dinners together where we laugh at each other and discuss theology and cultural differences, and for the small things that neighbors share – like bringing supper by when one has hurt her back and can’t do much cooking (that’s me, Jul) and sharing groceries bought in bulk at a good price.

Here’s Lisa and Mawethu in front of their block of flats (they live on the upper level), and the flower pics are from their garden.

Wedding!

16 August 2008: Tulani and Vuyelwa Mhlauli

The wedding day finally! What a joyous celebration with these two good friends!
We were first introduced to Vuyi through Fritz, as she also works at the Student Y, and now we’ve gotten to know these two even better as we are in the same growth group (Bible study group), and because Vuyi and I (Jul) get together every Tuesday. During the last few months that meant that we were running MANY wedding errands - buying paper for invitations, looking for a shop to rent suits, checking out reception venues, buying material for bridesmaid dresses, arranging reception table centerpieces … and on it goes, as all brides remember. So it was with great excitement that we anticipated the wedding day and hoped for a warm, sunny winter day (which it was!).


Bummer of all bummers, however, as just three days before the wedding Jul ‘re-herniated’ a lumbar disc, harking back to Oct ’06 injury and defying all explanation for reason again. (I was putting on my jeans at the time and felt a twinge in my back, which quickly spread to excruciating pain and immobility.) So unfortunately I missed out on the bachelorette party and the wedding day, and spent the time flat on my back on the futon, trying to distract myself from being too upset by playing Sudoku. No, it didn’t really work. But Jim of course went along and here are some of the photos of the day.

Here’s Jim with friends Sizwe (studying psychology) and Lesang (studying computer science). Note: this is the first occasion since we moved here that Jim has had for wearing a tie, in contrast to his 2 years working in admissions at Wheaton College, where he wore a tie almost daily. Capetonians are ‘notoriously’ casual. He’d almost forgotten how to put it on.

Friends Lara and Paul, and Mark (middle). Pastor Paul co-officiated the wedding.