It seems like yesterday I washed my first set of dishes in the staff kitchen and encountered the unique and baffling cold water tap. I am ashamed to admit that at the ripe (or is it gloriously mature and elegant!) age of 52 that little sucker (which opens the “wrong” way), was a perfect projection of the insecurity I felt in that moment!
Nearly three months later, any insecurity I feel , is more likely to be related to my personal challenges and inevitable “stuff” than to any of the plumbing! In fact, I can truly say…time flies when you are having fun.
What kind of fun, I hear you ask? Well… for a start David has this wonderful sound system, a portable MP3 player with docking station, which he uses for teaching Chi Kung. When in chef- mode, he sometimes brings it to the kitchen. He plays classical (and other!) music while whipping up a culinary masterpiece. Sometimes he dances around the kitchen singing loudly too. Although Chantel is the real chef of the team, of course! Yummy dishes appear miraculously within a couple of minutes. Many of them oriental thanks to her two year teaching stint in Japan.
Our family has been bigger for the last month with a special visitor from Ireland, no less. Even when in Dublin, Siobhan is really part of the family, because she helps us with a lot of our graphic design work. The beautiful banners advertising our retreats are her creations. She had fun with at least two very special projects whilst visiting.
She designed some playful labels for the honey we hope to be selling in the shop one of these days. We recently had a whole lot of extra beehives installed. We now have a whole colony that is sure to produce some exquisite, divine nectar infused with fynbos . David, for one, can’t wait. He often rubs his tummy and murmurs like a certain wellknown lovable bear: ”When is the honey coming?”
Chantel, Siobhan and I also did some exploring of our various walking trails so that Siobhan could make us a lovely new map of all the routes one can enjoy here. With her animation background, she produced a great map with fine detail – a delight to behold. Another special friend, Karl , also spent some time exploring a possible new route right up to the top of the mountain and built a stone cairn to mark the beginning of the mountain pilgrimage path.
Swimming in one of the dams is also a favourite pastime during the summer months. I loved my first swim amongst the water lilies! The annual appearance of these blossoms at Bodhi Khaya is a celebrated event. There was amazing surround-sound with a choir of frogs toning so vigorously that I felt compelled to sit in the purifying sound. Small wonder then, I often find myself processing personal stuff – in between the bouts of fun, of course!
Perdita Van Dijk Du Bois
Bodhi Khaya 