E - Vida

It's hard to believe that the time has come for us to return to Cape Town, RSA. For the sake of packing up, this will be the last entry and internet contact that we'll have until we're home. Time to close the Google Translate , switch off the Skype and shut down this pc and give it a well-deserved break. What will we miss about Buenos Aires? Walking! Sunday Markets! Our own space! This great apartment! The smell of a Parilla underway, everyday! Puerto Madero parks! Facturas !...And many more things! What are we looking forward to? Being home! Our 11 week getaway to the Argentine capital has been an unforgettable experience and we look forward to telling Jorja about this time, when she's older. The photos, videos and souvenirs will serve as special memories of this season but the best part about it all was the time that the three-of-us could spend together: learning, growing and loving! Thank you for taking the trip with us, P-J, Ashleigh and Jorja xxx

It was a busy day in the du Plessis household, today! Adding to that was the fact that it poured with rain, non-stop - so we were forced to get things done around the house even if we wanted to go out! It started with breakfast... When Jorja dozed off, we got to work. I did the sorting while P-J did the scrubbing. Not a bad deal - but a raw deal for an off day, don't you think? Shame. We made such good progress, that by lunch time we could reward ourselves with roast beef and vegetables! Yum! Eventually it was time to do some actual packing...Here Jorja and P-J are debating whether to wear it or pack it in! And then, it was time for a break. Sjoe! Well at least this time we were packing before sunset - that seems more organized, right?

Our last Friday in Buenos Aires was spent indoors...Until about 17h00! By this time, we were already climbing the walls with cabin fever, so we went for a walk around San Telmo. P-J was held up at work, creating a Dim Sum dish for Charles, and Lydia contacted me after lunch to cancel the play-date. It's a pity that Jorja and Sinden didn't get to play in the park one last time... We made it back to the apartment just before it got (really) dark (really) quickly. It seems to be doing that a lot earlier these days - although it wasn't cold today. P-J arrived around 19h00 and said it was a lovely evening out in Puerto Madero, but I wasn't taking any chances in the dark. Tomorrow we are (all) looking forward to a relaxing Saturday - but also cleaning and sorting...and packing! On Sunday morning the owner will come and 'investigate' the state of the apartment - so we'd best stay out with Jorja for as long as possible. Little Miss Jorja, child of Peter-John Played...

When we first moved in, we found that the owner had mounted empty photo frames all around the apartment. One day, I noticed that P-J had started drawing onto the glass tops and since then, we've used it personalize the place - including a countdown of the days left of our trip... P-J's self-portrait and words of warning with Jorja's scribbles at the bottom for effect. The top right indicates the number of days until we're home and the bottom right shows the date. This is updated every day! There's also a scary clown (?) and an outline of Jorja's hand. I was actually quite impressed with the detail of this one: Dreaming of a Saturday lay in - complete with blinds closed and TV off This year's birthday present: A blank cheque - ha! If only we could take that to the bank... The most recent piece using our dessert craving as the theme - Sundae's and Banana Splits!

It's a lovely thing to watch Jorja sleep - she looks so peaceful and relaxed. Of course, a sleeping Jorja also means that I can get other non-Jorja duties done! At 16h00 today, our home was in absolute silence. P-J was working on the pc, I was relaxing on the couch and Jorja was asleep. With the TV and radio off, and even the busy Avenida Paseo Colon bustle quietened down, the silence was awesome! After P-J left for work this morning, Jorja and I eased into our Wednesday. I finally managed to capture a clip of Jorja on the move - here she is dancing to the official SWC song 'Waka Waka' and then doing her routine Skype check! The sun was out in full force and we enjoyed it even more when we took a walk around San Telmo after P-J came home. Soon after we returned, Jorja was enjoying the afternoon sun and a snooze.

Today was weigh-in day for Jorja, and she was pretty c0-operative! Of course, we don't know how accurate it is, but it was fun to try out anyways. For what it's worth, it read 12.1kg's. After a few days of iffy weather, the actual reason for all of the celebrating turned out to be a sunny and warm day - perfect! We head out towards San Telmo but there were no markets up to explore. There was, however, a car show on display. By the time we reached La Casa Rosada , we felt as though we were at a tarred version of the Community Chest Carnival and after 30 minutes in Florida Central, we realized that we were not prepared for the hundreds of men, women and children who had come out to join the celebrations. We made our way down to Puerto Madero and finally turned for home at 17h00. On our way back we passed a line of buses from the town of Berazategui . They caused quite a commotion crossing over one of the main avenues, blocking oncoming traffic and even obstructing an ambulan...

Yesterday Jorja's right foot showed us how it can break through the rain-cover of the stroller...and today she showed us how her left arm can launch a belt buckle and hit an unsuspecting Mommy on the bridge of her nose. Ouch! We had a quiet morning with P-J away at work. Once he was back we ventured out to see the extent of the rain damage after last night's heavy downpour. It seems that some were called to work on a public holiday, to clear up the drains, sweep up the leaves and help neaten up the streets in case the rain came down again. Flooding down our street in San Telmo Planes fly overhead as part of the Bicentennial celebrations We ended up staying out for quite a while and got home just after 5pm. P-J finally has a off-day tomorrow, so it feels like a Friday here at the du Plessis residence! Jorja relaxing, in front of P-J at the Parillon, in front of Charles' apartment

So much to write about, and many pictures to share! It was a full day for us: We left together, but parted ways at Avenida Belgrano. P-J head to work and we set off for Avenida Corrientes to catch the bus. I decided that since it was our last chance to visit UCC, I would bite the bullet and head out alone. At church, Jorja joined the nursery group under the care of Sue and Andrea. During the service, the Pastor invited all the children to the front to sit and listen to the story before they returned to Sunday School or nursery, upstairs. Wasn't I pleasantly surprised to see Jorja toddling around with the others...all the way to the front! She looked just short of waving at me ,sitting at the back in shock! Afterwards we said goodbye to Sue and Lesandra - the other teacher aid - and boarded the bus back home. Sue, Jorja and Lesandra in the Nursery The UCC Bus Service - what a treat! Power nap to take her mind off late lunch... Once in Florida, Jorja started fussing - hungry, hot and...

On our way to Super-Eki late this morning, we walked into a military parade! There were a few happening around our area, all heading towards 9 De Julio Avenue, in celebration of Argentina's Bicentenary (25 May 1810 Revolution). At first we thought that there was a protest in action and I was about to turn around and head back home for safety sake! Jorja was excited to see all of the different groups in uniform, some with weapons, some with flags, some with musical instruments and even dogs! Once we had finished getting our groceries, we stood on the pavement watching the parade go by. Jorja even pulled off her socks and shoes and started throwing it into the crowd! It was a pleasant surprise to meet P-J shortly afterwards, who was finished with work by lunch time... I was going to blog about an opportunity to eat a whole apple by myself, for the first time in months...but this just seemed so much more 'touristy' and interesting to share!

A early morning downpour left the roads wet and the skies grey as we ventured into our Friday. By 14h00 we were wishing for the weekend to arrive already, but it would appear that P-J is on duty again, so we will try to not make too big a deal about the rest of the population looking forward to a Saturday lay-in... Today marks the start of the very long weekend in Argentina. ( More about that as it happens... ) The next business day for Porteños is on Wednesday! It will be interesting to see if the city is deserted, like it was with the Easter/school break, or if everyone has stayed home to participate in the festivities arranged in Buenos Aires. We tried home-made pies in our temperamental gas oven this evening, and were pleasantly surprised with the outcome. P-J and I got talking about why Today pastry manufacturers insist on packaging their pastry in sheets as opposed to rounds, as they do here. It definitely seems a more convenient cut, unless of course you're going for the s...

A quiet afternoon got me thinking about the things we do on a day to day basis: Chores, jobs and projects that are either necessary or important to us. By this stage, Jorja is well aware of what we're doing with and for her, but probably doesn't know why we do it. This should not affect our responsibility to her. I know that some folks look at what I do, and can't fully understand what keeps me motivated on a day to day basis. This should not affect my passion for what I do. I have discovered that sometimes, the efforts of parents, friends, family and teachers, go unnoticed or are only appreciated later on. This should still cultivate an attitude of gratitude - no matter how later on we make that realization! Today I got a chance to do something out of the ordinary. A former colleague contacted me about editing help for a report she had due. I'm a sucker for reading and writing! By the end of the task I was feeling energized and satisfied and I was reminded that we shou...