So here we are. Winter in the Southern Hemisphere is threatening to turn to Spring (can’t wait!) and South Africa has just said farewell to one of the most amazing 32 days in its history: the hosting of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. I was fortunate enough to have spent 2 months in Johannesburg over this time and witnessed some of the craziest soccer supporter behaviour, got caught up in the fan frenzy and even fell in love with the parp of the Vuvuzela.

Quick recap (as I’ve been a bit absent from this newsletter over the past…er…5 months!): David and I moved into our new home on Valentine’s Day. What followed was a steep learning curve of how to survive on a farm when you’ve just moved from living in The Big City for a decade. Strangely, we’ve had fewer power outages out here in the bundus than we had in JHB, and Eskom comes to fix any problems within minutes of your call. For the first three farm newsletters with photos, you can go here. I’ve begun making Haloumi cheese (traditionally made with goat’s milk, but mine’s cow’s milk at this stage) and have orders from local delicatessens in East London, and – after picking 15kgs of lemons off three lemon trees – made two batches of marmalade which was appreciated by all who got a bottle of the stuff. I’m feeling quite domesticated and strangely empowered!

I was deluded in my thinking that moving to East London and onto a farm 35km out of town would mean a sparser schedule…February kicked off with a Valentine’s cabaret in East London on vocals, included some private events and corporate functions around town, then shot off to a tour of last year’s dance-show-set-to-Queen-music, “Somebody To Love”, which visited Polokwane (I was on bass and/or vocals, not dancing!). Cedric Vandenschrik and I put together a two-hander show, “The Long & Winding Road”, covering some of our favourite songs and original music in an interview-styled production, which played at the Alexander Theatre in EL and at the SADS theatre in Stutterheim. March saw Hullabaloo gigs in the Free State and “Somebody To Love” enjoying a well-supported run at the Monte Casino theatre in JHB. April brought a stint on bass in the orchestra pit for Hudson Park High School’s production of “West Side Story” in EL and I was asked to adjudicate a One-Act play festival at EL’s Merrifield school (wonderful talent!). May meant the start of band rehearsals for Andrew Lloyd-Webber & Ben Elton’s musical, “The Boys In The Photograph”, which ran at the Civic Theatre in JHB from 18 May to 10 July to rave reviews.

Besides gigging countrywide, there was a lot of internet-based voice-over work during this period, and I am very grateful for a lovely portable recording system that fits into a little bag and can travel with the laptop wherever I may end up. Three cheers for technology!

So what’s in the pipeline? Well, I am currently rehearsing for “Dare To Dance” as a belly-dancer (say what!? details to follow) in EL and a couple of corporate events in JHB, and will also be fitting in a trip to CT for an egg donation during this month. Hopefully by September, there will be enough time to unload the three kit-bags which are currently my office, and tidy up loose ends which have been lingering since November last year. I knew that 2010 was going to be a bit of a limbo year as we’re trying to merge city-based careers with farm-style living, but I didn’t realise just how much of a limbo it would be! But there are no regrets: every day is an adventure and we’re having a lot of fun.

Til next time, keep it eco-friendly!

Kerry
July 2010

- from Kerry's Blog