I was was really lucky to visit some rural villages in Cambodia where ikat silk is woven. The weavers work on looms that are often generations old, and the patterns vary from village to village.
The silk thread that will be used on the weft (horizontal) threads are exactly measured out and then tie-dyed in elaborate patterns. The thread is then wound onto bobbins, and it is only when the silk is woven that the pattern appears.
The work is painstaking, the level of craftsmanship is astounding.
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When our beloved Table Mountain sports a beautiful, fluffy cloud that we call its table cloth, you can bet that the wind is blowing, a fact that most Capetonians have found ways of consoling themselves over... as in "well imagine how much pollution there would be if the wind didn't blow?" or "do you know how hot it would be if it weren't for the South-Easter?"
But there's one species of Capie whose grin just gets wider when the wind blows: the kite surfers of Table View (no prizes for guessing how this neck of the woods got its name!) Today Mzo, Niki and I spotted them doing their own brand of flying while on our way to fetch Mielie strips. It was simply breathtaking.
On a completely different note, I'm sure any working mom will agree with me that juggling work and school holidays can get pretty stressful. So imagine my delight when I returned home from work yesterday to find a home full of contented boys... and a present for me - a mini chocmilk deluxe with a hint of pure vanilla, cinnamon and rock sugar. And oh my, what beautiful presentation! Thanks Niki and Alex!
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The beautiful fruit decorations were knitted by the talented Astrid using bamboo wool; the embroidered hearts were made by that embroidery genius, Morgan. If you live in Cape Town, you can pop into the shop to see them in the, erm, flesh.
On a much sadder note, we were devastated to learn that Nonqubela passed away this weekend. Nonqubela was the the chicken feet chef I wrote about here - remember? She was gentle, gracious and hard-working and will be sorely missed by the whole Mielie team. All our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
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Every Taiwanese taxi we traveled in had its own unique interior flair.
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Time to head home - I had the most wonderful holiday in Taiwan and Cambodia- will tell all as soon as I get home. See you soon, Africa!
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[Posted by Deon] Adri arrived in Cambodia yesterday. I doubt if she'll be able to post anything as she is trying to squeeze in as much as possible in a short stay.
I thought I'd post some of here messages I received by SMS so long.
Monday 1 Dec: "Hey! Had an awesome, crazy and exhausting day. Wish you were here. It's madness!"
Tuesday 2 Dec: "We took a trip to the rural villages to observe traditional silk weaving techniques. Unbelievable."
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