Sun, Sea, Sailing and Surf...

.

BONNES VACANCES..!

.

Off to enjoy sunsets like this in Mauritius
.
Hope you're all enjoying a great summer

- wherever you are,

whatever you're doing..!

.

Despite all my best intentions I never did find the free time to regularly

update my blog and catch up with all your delightful blogs

- I've been far too busy off-line -

I have every intention of catching up, once and for all,

when I get back...

Why oh Why...

.

"...do I love Africa?

.

photo credits

.
Because we are all related.

All Africans are brothers and sisters

Biologically,

wherever you are from in Africa, we are related.

In Africa if you are from the same house

- you are related,

from the same village

.

- you are related;

from the same country

- you are related.

Even from the same regional grouping like west,

.

east, north and southern Africa

- we are related

- as long as you are an African,

we are all related.

We refer to each other as brother and sister in Africa.

We do not have cousin or nieces

- all we have are brothers and sisters.

That is why I love Africa..."

Jonathan Tommy,

Sierra Leone

Meanwhile...

.

"Good friends are like the stars
you don't always see them,
but you always know they are there"
unknown

.

my collage

I've been away from blogland, spending quality

time with friends and family mixing business

with pleasure...

.

Thank you all for visiting and leaving such kind words

in my absence...

Monday, Monday...

.

Small, Satisfying Things

About Today...

.

source

.

. 1. My First Sip of Tea on Waking

2. The Familiar, but Nevertheless, Spectacular

View from my Kitchen Window

.3. Finding Photos I Didn’t Know I Had in an

Old Handbag

.4. Meeting a Friend Who's Back from India with

Some Great Fabrics to Share

.5. Hearing the Right Song at the Right Moment

.6. Receiving an Unexpected Compliment

.7. The Feeling I Got when My Soufflé made It To

the Table before Collapsing

.8. Making Someone Smile

9. Receiving a Handwritten Letter and Package

via Snail Mail
.

10. Finishing What I Started..!
.
Do tell me, what small, satisfying things did you
achieve today..?

C'est la Canicule..!

.

Trop chaud pour travailler…

je rêve de passer mes journée dans l'eau...

. Heidi Claire blog

Tuscan Villas

Achitectural Digest

.

Côté Sud

We're in the midst of a heatwave here

(which is why I'm dreaming of water, pools, the sea, bathing...)

unfortunately, it's all work and no play chez moi..!

.I LOVE hot weather, I always have, just not, when I've got so much work

that I can't get out and enjoy it...

Is it hot where you are..?

.

The Art of African Headwraps...

.

Dressing is an important part of every culture and often a way of
portraying ones culture visually -

.

.African women, especially those from sub-saharan Africa are very

well known for their extravagant head ties and

no wedding or party would be complete

without what is popularlly known as gele in Nigeria.

Head ties always perfectly match the outfit making the African woman

outstanding in any gathering.
With the head tie, the African woman portrays her culture with

dignity and integrity... .

"It is art because it transforms the functional into the elegant and mysterious.

A covering for the head becomes something much more,

a skyward looking arabesque of folds and patterns,where cloth undergoes

a metamorphosis into a salute to the head as metaphysical centre of the self,

as the matrix of direction for the body "

Babatunde Lawal

.

.

African women are the only women in the world who wear head ties.

Caucasian women wear hats or veils (or rather, used to..!),

Muslim women and women from many Eastern cultures wear a headscarf,

while other women allow the full beauty of their long hair to show

by wearing it loose.

A big, colourful head-tie

(preferably in a colour different from the rest of the outfit!)

is an entirely African affair..!
..

See lots more gele on these photo galleries
here and here

I'd love to dress like this, so chic..!
What do you think..?

Une Planète, Une Chanson...

.

Music at its' best...

.

One of my best friends (who knows me really well)

sent me this:

"This should be required viewing for everyone.

It’s basic humanity in it’s finest form.

In spite of world governments, politicians and corporations

doing all they can to destroy the spirit in people,

along comes this beautiful video..."

.

with the following links:

.

"Playing for Change"...

.

.

The Journey

Mark Johnson explains how Playing For Change began and

how the journey has gone thus far...

..Stand by Me

Definately the best version of Ben E. King's classic

I've ever heard..!

One Love

Izulu

Don't Worry

Bring It On Home

+ the latest episode:

Chanda Mama

.

I don't know what you'll all make of it,

but the whole project

blew me away..!

It is nothing short of moving, inspirational,

and technologically impressive...
.

ENJOY..!

A Propos de Moi...

.

.

i am sunshine and tropical rain

i am raw silk and blue jeans
.
i am belly laughs, giggles and smiles
.
i am regrets and disappointments, made whole

by hopes and dreams
.
i am walking toward the future
with my eye turned toward the past

i am me...

.

Who are you..?

Destination l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue...

.

pour un weekend de chine dans les brocantes/

vide-greniers du Vaucluse...

.

.

with Sunday Lunch at this excellent family run restaurant:
.

* "Le Carré d'Herbes"
13, Avenue des Quatre Otages ...

L'isle sur la Sorgue

.

* Le Carré d'Herbes:
"Un espace de verdure au cœur des antiquaires où l'on savoure des mets provençaux

confectionnés au gré du marché..."

.

BON WEEKEND..!

India on my Mind...

.

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints

his own nature into his pictures"

henry ward beecher

All photos by photographer: Claude Renault

.

From Flickr testimonials:

.

"...his photographs are multi-faceted, profound, and historically aware.

With his camera, Claude is able to bring India close to us.

He views people without any type of social romanticism and portrays them

in everyday life situations, their self-confidence, pride, joy,

religion, serenity, leisure, contemplation, modestry, sadness, misery, poverty...

Claude doesn't approach people with his camera in an aloof

and voyeuristic manner, but as one of them.

His impressions are, in their perfectly calculated light and their play of colours,

a declaration of love to the people of this subcontinent..."

.

I couldn't have said it better myself..!

.

Dreams are made of this...

.

*Poupées clonettes,

sacs plastiques recyclés, OrphanAid Africa,

jus d'Hibiscus, jus de Gingembre, le Gimbriscus de Delphine,

Lisa, le Ghana, le Burkina Faso, le 'trotro', le kente,

le commerce équitable, le métissage,

le respect de l'environnement, le respect des métiers de créations anciens,

les échanges nord-sud, le respect des ainés...

.. Bottom left: Lisa Lovatt Smith, founder of OrphanAid Africa

OrphanAid Africa is a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO)
Its aim is to support orphans and vulnerable children in Ghana through programs
in care reform, education, and development.
Their goal is to ensure that children grow up in safe and permanent family settings
with appropriate care and protection...
.
~~~
.
Créée en 2002 par Lisa Lovatt-Smith, Orphelinats d’Afrique (OA)
est une organisation non gouvernementale (ONG) à but non lucratif qui aide
les orphelins et les enfants défavorisés du Ghana à grandir
dans les meilleures conditions.
Cela en aidant les familles, les communautés, les organisations et administrations
à leur apporter soins, protection, éducation et alimentation de qualité...
.
~

.
*La couleur noire est celle du plastique RECYCLÉ
1 euro sera prélevé sur la vente de ces poupées
pour l'enfance défavorisée en Afrique...

voir

ICI

.

MERCI DELPHINE..!

Just Wondering Why...

* why so many people say I resemble Katherine Hepburn
- of course, it's extremely flattering; unfortunately for me, it's NOT true...
.

Katherine Hepburn
.

* why everybody, but me, can whistle...

.

* why the majority of people watching the Annecy marathon

last weekend wore trainers and tracksuits...

.

* why, if I prefer a degree of privacy, do I blog..?
.

* why Sarkozy seems more interested in being popular

than being effective...

Does he really think that by insulting Obama/Merkel/Zapatero...

we'll no longer focus on how little he's done
in terms of this country's economy, unemployment rate,

homelessness and crime..?

* why I sometimes I forget how lucky I am...

* why so many people feel obliged to share their personal

(as in, private) life with strangers (as in, neighbours)...

* why I can't leave the house without walking through a

cloud of scent (Nothing too overpowering, just a spritz up into the air)...

* why so many people I know don't seem to know the difference

between monologue and conversation...

con·ver·sa·tion:

the spoken exchange of thoughts, opinions, and feelings; talk.

mon·o·logue:

a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker,

particularly one dominating or monopolizing a conversation..!

* why everybody, but me, can wink...

.
* why people keep refering to Susan Boyle as unattractive.

The GREAT singers were never about image.

Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and their ilk were singers first and foremost

When you got to see them in person it did not occur to expect them to be any more

than they were. People did not expect a plastic doll...

* why people are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.

People who get on in this world are the people who get up

and look for the circumstances they want, and,

if they can’t find them, make them...

.

* why so many of us are too busy watching how people see us
to just be ourselves...
.

Are wondering why..?

I'd love to know...

The Easter Feeling...

.

Felices Pascuas,

Joyeuses Pâques,

Happy Easter.!

.

"The Easter feeling does not end.

It signals a new beginning,

Of nature, spring, and brand new life,

And friendship, peace, and giving.

The spirit of Easter is all about

Hope, love,

and joyful living"
author unknown

.

My photo, Lake Annecy

.

Whatever else you do before leaving my blog,

do not miss

this
.

My African Childhood...

.

“There is a garden in every childhood,
an enchanted place where colors are brighter,
the air softer,

and the morning more fragrant than ever again”
Elizabeth Lawrence

.

Wenchi, 1963
.

Some of my favorite memories of my childhood

are not my memories at all,

they are my mother’s...

The stories she tells are of a toddler who is strong willed

and determined.

A child who knows her mind and is not going to let anyone

make her change it.

A two year old who loathed the indoors and loved nothing more than

to spend entire days in the great outdoors.

A three year old who ate her dinner with her fingers

(or not at all)

because it was better that way.

A four year old who knew an entire neighborhood
by name and was considered very much part of each family
and the community.

A five year old who who spoke fluent Twi (the local dialect)

and loved nothing better than to help her
parents out when they couldn't quite make themselves

understood...

.

I love that girl. I’ve missed her.

Giveaway...

.

It has been brought to my attention that I've been blogging for

just over a year

(see my first ever post here)

- doesn't time fly, I can hardly believe it..!

In some ways it seems like I have been blogging for years and

in others I feel like I am still a newbie...

.

In celebration of this monumentous occasion (ha ha!)

here are

a few random blog tidbits about me:

.
° Here, There, Elsewhere...

was not my first choice for a blog title...

..
° I’m an independent minded thinker who marches to the beat
of her own drummer, even though my blog
may not necessarily reflect this...
.
° I am not quite sure what I gave up
to make time for this as I still do so much off-line…
. .
° I have received many, many nice, intelligent and
thoughtful comments.
.
° I have many regular readers who never leave comments but
send me mails instead..
.

° Since starting this blog I have been introduced to an entire new vocabulary;
twitter, stumble, digg, memes...I could go on and on...
.
° I really, really, really appreciate my readers, and particularly,
my commenters;
I know I no longer respond to every comment
but I do read every one.
..
° I have learned so much from this experience...and
I know I wouldn’t blog if it wasn’t fun, so
thanks for keeping it enjoyable..!
.
.Plus, a giveway,
and all you have to do is guess
where I've been for the last few days...
.

.
Clues to help you:

° I took the above photos (all except 4th down which is from flickr)

of one of the many shops I visited

whilst there...

° Doris Day immortalized the city, not only in film

but also in song...

° I love the city with passion and visit often...

.

I'm sure you've all already guessed the answer, so, just leave me

a word - I'll select one correct response at random and

let you know who's the lucky winner

of the gift I bought at MERCI..!

.

Sometimes...

.

Sometimes i do things right,
and sometimes I don't.

.

I love this by image Tim Walker

.

Sometimes i love to cook,

and sometimes i love to watch.

Sometimes i just want to hide under my quilt.
and sometimes i want to leap out from under my quilt...

Sometimes i love eating out,

and sometimes i just want to eat in

Sometimes i think outside the box,

and sometimes i don't know how to do otherwise

Sometimes i think I can,

and sometimes i know i can...

Sometimes I want to escape for a day...

but I always want to come back!

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am.

Do you have a sometimes?

Speaking of Beads...

.

I simply ADORE...

the beads, the stunning models, the fabrics,

and the general sunny, happy feeling that these photos

generate...

.

.

Africans have used beads for ritual and decorative purposes

for hundreds of years.

In ancient African graves, beads and beaded necklaces were found

buried with kings and chiefs.

The Ashanti people of of Ghana reasoned that powdered glass beads

were worth their weight in gold and that certain beads

held supernatural protective powers.

. .

The Yoruba people of Nigeria believed that buried beads

would grow in the ground and multiply.

The most popular trading items brought over by the Europeans

in the 16th century were beads

and thousands of pounds of beads were exchanged.
.
.

Until the 20th century, no other continent imported as many beads

or yielded as many different types of its own.

The abundance of the shear variety of shapes, colors

and materials used is overwhelming.

None though is as popular as the glass bead.

The traditional glass bead practice thrives in West Africa.

Today, the Krobo people of Ghana, noted bead makers,

melt powdered glass in small bead moulds to form their beads.

The beads have a semi-translucent quality

that highlights the painted motifs.

Nowadays beads are used as fashion accessories

by both men and women...

.

Read and see more here

photos: Bob pixel photography

Out and About...

.

Pause au Chalet...

.

Definition of Pause :

interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing;

cease an action temporarily;

Synonyms for Pause :

break, rest period, hiatus, time out, downtime,

intermission, parenthesis...

.

.

to admire the breathtaking views from the terrace;

.

.

lake Annecy from above and

.

. the snow covered slope we'd just "snow shoed" up and down down...
(our tracks are quite visible..!)
.

. before heading out the back gate
.

to contemplate the view across the Mont Blanc mountain range

"The richness I achieve comes from Nature,
the source of my inspiration"
Claude Monet

And We’re Off…

.

“The traveler is active;

he goes strenuously in search of people,

of adventure, of experience.

The tourist is passive;

he expects interesting things to happen to him.

He goes sight-seeing.”

Daniel J. Boorsti

.

Country Living - I LOVE Morris Minors..!

.

A Bientôt..!

.

P.S: We're NOT going sight-seeing...

Back soon!

Spring is in the Air...

.

Looks like Spring may,

at long last,

be just around the corner..

.

.

Meanwhile...

Things that are baffling to me:

collections - of any kind - for display purposes only,

liqueur-filled chocolate,

zealots, decaf, hors-d’oeuvre sized dogs,

politicised tragedies, motherhood,

pine-scented anything, government forms,

campsites with satellite hook-up, celebrity worship,

bad faith, why I can remember all the lyrics to songs

I haven’t heard in 20 years

but can never remember my neighbour’s name,

people who name their daughter Lolita,

socks + sandals, slapstick,

French stand-up comics, accordion music,

how anyone can stand up, never mind, walk in skycraper-

high stilletto heels...

.

What's baffling you right now..?

.

On the Menu this Weekend...

.

there will be Plantains...

.

.

They are delicious simply dry roasted and sprinkled with

unrefined sea salt or, if you prefer, you can roast them, boil or

fry them...
.

My absolute favourite plantain dish is

.

.Kelewele:

.

Ghanaian-style spiced fried plantains;
ripe yellow plantains that are generously seasoned with ginger

and other warm spices like cayenne and cinnamon...

Although Kelewele originated in Ghana it is now found

in much of West and Central Africa and is gaining

popularity in America.
.

Ingredients:
6 just-ripe plantains,

peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 tsp freshly-grated ginger

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

.Why not try these recipes too:

Plantain Chips

.Oven Roasted Plantains

Fried plantains

.Boiled Sweet Plantains

.Flickr photos : Bob pixel and nyamkitchen