Long Weekend

Those that also read Cynthia (aka Lil'C) & Conrad (aka Ginger)'s blogs will already have heard the reports of our weekend in the mildest climate in South Africa. If Knysna is the jewel of the Garden Route, then Mosselbay must be the gold... despite not being considered a favourable time of year to visit this lovely town, we were surprised by the enjoyable temperature of the sea and beautiful sunny days.

Having spent many holidays in Hartenbos/Mosselbay over the last 12 years of my life, I have a lot of personal history in there: the sparkling excitement of teenage crushes, the frustration of sibling squabbles, rejuvenating days in sea and sun, the anxiety of learning to drive, the high's & lows of family relatonships, the soul searching of my younger years, the many friendships born and nurtured, many New Years Eves spent on the beach watching firework displays...

The older I got, the less frequent my visits became - probably with an increase in responsibilities and alternative applications of my small amount of annual leave. However, when I do go back, I inevitably recline into a state of introspection and self-containment. All of a sudden, my head feels like a huge labyrinth that I could drift through for hours. I'm not sure what the diagnosis for this would be (some sort of disassociative disorder?), but the best prescription involves walks in quiet places, with good music and a beautiful view.

And of course lots of running around, doing crazy stuff, trying news things and rediscovering old things... and the magic ingredient? Really awesome people. It's amazing how anything can become insanely entertaining when you combine a sense of adventure, a sense of humour and the acceptance of one another's very different personalities. I didn't take any photos this weekend - but I'm sure the mental images will live in my mind for years to come:

1) Spam swinging his shorts over his head whilst (mostly) submerged in the ocean...
2) BigJ & Patty-cakes singing Barbie Girl with utter "bimbo" commitment...
3) Sweet, kind Scat pouring the most evil shooters one can dream of...
4) Ginger being spat out of the Waterwurm with his arms and legs flailing in the air (I'm not sure which end hit the water first)...
5) And of course Lil'C covered head-toe in sand, doing lay-outs in the most viscious game of Ultimate I've ever experienced...

My heart swells with...um... well, very happy feelings, looking back at the weekend. I can't remember a more relaxed and madly entertaining weekend - I'm really lucky to be surrounded by such awesome people. Thanks guys - may there be a repeat!!

Bruce.
Over 'n out.