"Ek is hier maar ek kan nie myself geniet nie. Ek het vir Sandra gevra om my huistoe te bring maar ek moet wag vir haar broer. Ons is al deur te veel enek weet ek is nie perfek nie, maar ek probeer op my eenvoudige manier. As ek jou nie voor die nuwe jaar sien nie, ek is lief vir jou... G" (godfrey/sandra's phone, 23h37, 31 Dec 09)

... fatima is involved in a row with an obstinate library user, which escalates into library lockdown. the patron is a cursing, temperamental angolan who's upset that the children are allowed to play video games online during their 'puter sessions - high drama involving everyone inside.

i'm impressed by fatima's vehement defense of child rights while other adults disregard their interests...

carol & fatima are upset because an experiment with straighteners in a hairsalon left them both shedding & dissatisfied. the rest of the library staff, including myself & godfrey are teasing them (mercilessly)... they look fine 'though & roll with the punches.

"At this very Holy time,we are overwhelmed by the perfect example of our Lord & Master. I urge u 2 make ur own His teaching: let the hunger be fed,the naked clothed,the sick nourished,the aged protected & the infants be cared for. Let us love the orphans & support the widows. Let the Light of the prophets be our guide. Let us do the good can to all the people we can,anywhere we can in any way we can,as long as we can. Be the Spiritual heroes u were born to be. Be bold. He is by your side. Allglory,honour & praise to HIM. the creator of all. The Master of the universe.Ruler of our lives.Love always!" (marlon, 22h54 26 Dec 09)

... he arrives in the afternoon, from his fabulously, insane fresh-of-the-boat tour of duty cousin, craig .

deon visits. godfrey is absent from xmas family lunch ...

"May you have a very special & amazing christmas. Be showered with joy, love and happiness in abundance. Merry christmas! Much love Shaanaz" (+27721985056, 21h30, 24 Dec 09)

today the friends of the library host a special xmas lunch for under-privileged children in the area. during the event godfrey & myself perform a short morality play he wrote about "hare" (afrikaans - 'hairy') & "smiley"(dionysos & apollo - we've type-cast ourselves, him as the delinquent party-boy & me, uptight; up-right). the kids love it. marlon co-stars as a drug lord king-pin & maureen shines as an oscar-worthy, shebeen queen.

afterward godfrey takes xa home because he misses his playstation & says he hasn't spent xmas with his mother in years, as an excuse.

"J gn lnk lewe,reeds besig om vi jo te sms om te vra of j ni vi Xa iets te ete wl bring ni,ek dop go hi om:-)P.S. en naeltjies en pynpille asb?:-)" (godfrey/sandra's phone 11h41, 22 Dec 09)

godfrey rents 'star trek'; 'horton hears a who' & 'terminator'.
i see how spock's ears are cinema code for real life racial difference, where oriental slanted eyes have been morphed into slanted ears - the earthling/vulcan cultural polarity is obviously the american/japanese cultural difference (aggressive klingons are so obviously african-americans from a 50's white american perspective, with the supposed domineering females) ps. zachary quinto is sexy!.

"Ek is nou op pad mall toe" (lolla to godfrey, 10h52, 18 Dec 09)

"Hey wat mk j viri dag. Kan jou kind ni vi my ini mall kry ni.ekt 12uur n afspraak dan kan oz ietsi ga mk.lat weet my lolla" lolla for godfrey (09h29, 18 Dec 09)

xa is difficult & temperamental (his voice is breaking, especially when he protests life's unfairness). partly understandable because grandmother is very nagging towards him, even more than toward us. he's not used to doing chores 'though.

astral visit to the house of healing - the holy temple (?)...

godfrey, xa & me on the beach with sandra, her son, david & deranged neighbour laurianne. tanning, smoking hookah & teasing the xtian rock band on the promenade stage... our wine gets confiscated by beach police.

i take xa to the mall to the game arcade on my way to exchange the madonna cd for the dvd. i'm shocked at how realistic driving simulations are - i was never 'puter game-savvy.

xa visits. godfrey bought the new madonna cd 'celebration'.

horrendous (anachronistic) seasonal joint ache (my joints usually ache when the seasons change over).


("lolita, u're sweeter but u'll never make a cheater out of me" - prince)

in sandra’s bed all day. (i feel better when sandra is around 'though - familiar for only 2 weeks & we already click/clique like family.)

out to party @ sandra’s house. we walk there & i remember why i hate going out with godfrey, when he whines incessantly on our way about my short-cut there that takes too long...

sandra's house has an open door policy. it's noisy racketing. we dance, drink & smoke all-night with a parade of her sons' zachary & david's friends. godfrey is infatuated with sandra's cousin huram. zachary is exceedingly polite towards me - he's reverently respectful...
candace loves mika. i'm surprised all the friendly party-goers know 'lollipop'.

along with godfrey & sandra - drive by clinton & later ebrahim unnoticed.

my mother replaced my broken headset with an early xmas gift.

"Hola bafethu. All hola 7 customers get 2 free tracks from my new album! Go to http://www.hola7freestuff.mobi 2 download yrtracks now. Zola" +27840001207, sms from zola's hola 7 club 15:56, 09 december 2009

next door the boys are rowdy, boozing – bertram’s gotten into playing 80’s madonna at their parties. marius was always tallest in my primary school class, even though he’d been the youngest. he lifts me up like a feather when I go to the party to wish him happy birthday. geoffrey, my competitor from primary school is also there – it’s his birthday too.

i didn't understand the totem talk yesterday but marlon explains to me that totems relate to astrological sun signs.
my grandmother tells me & godfrey a tall tale about how her mother was kidnapped & almost drowned by a river snake when she was a child - she was held underwater captive by the river snake for a week before the family had to sacrifice a goat for her ransom (?)... my genealogy just entered dreamtime(!) ...

marlon's mentor from zim is guided by him to the library. the friends of the library are all enthralled by this composed, well-spoken, wise man who walks around with all the magical implements (blade; spear; quiver, bows & arrows etc.) in archaic toga. he talks about spiritual warfare & says our spirits have known each other before & will meet again. he talks about totems - i'm too overwhelmed to ask for a definition of totems (i'll have to ask marlon).

"als oraait my sieza!" (sms to Sandra, 14h42, 02 Dec 09)

"Hi Lucy! I forgot I have a radio interview tomorrow. I will come when I have transport money. Thanks 4 the lovely party! GODEREY" (sms to Lucelle, 14h31, 02 Dec 09)

"Girlfriend, moenie te laat kom nie. Ons gaan slaap tienuur saans. Ek wag vir jou. Carlo het 'n paar kontakte vir ons. GODFERY" (sms to sandra, 14h23, 02 Dec 09)