Follow up on Pride
I popped into town yesterday afternoon and discovered that the BBC had produced a DVD of the film "Pride". Needless to say I bought it immediately. As I continued on my merry way, I was thinking it just wont be the same to view it on my computer. It really needs to be watched on the T.V. I mean it really would not be the same, it does need to be viewed on the big screen. In a fit of madness I bought a DVD recorder and rushed home.............. Well I still have not seen the film, as I have no idea how to set the bloody thing up !!!! Patience is now required till I can get someone to give me a hand to set it all up. I am sure the wait will make the viewing of it all the more enjoyable.
Posted by: Mara at December 29, 2004 12:19 |
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Pride
I have been looking forward very much to watching the BBC1's new film "Pride". It is a bold new way of making an animated film of animals, and this film was naturally all about lions. I had watched a programme showing how it had been made with voice overs which involved a great deal of skill and time, in fact the whole film had taken 3 years to complete.There are about 50 lions all taking part and it was to be their story of life in the bush. Unfortunately I had to go out on the evening it was to be screened, and I set my video to record it, so I could watch it later. Imagine my utter dismay when I found that I had, as is my want, managed to bungle the video set up. I was furious with myself and was on the point of jumping up and down, screaming in rage, pulling my hair out etc., when I for once realised that that was not going to help in any way whatsoever, so I poured myself a drink and started to read my new book "The girl who married a Lion" by Alexander McCall Smith.
On Christmas Day and Boxing Day my garden was covered in snow. It was all looking so beautiful, from a warm comfortable viewpoint inside. I had a wonderful festive time with my family, but horrified to see on our T.V. all the terrible destruction caused by the tsunamis from the 9.0 magnitude of the underwater earthquake in the north of Indonesia. What can one say? Words are not enough really.
However, this afternoon I had a new visitor to my bird garden. It was a Black Cap. Fortunately it remained on one of the feeding balls for quite some time eating away, and I was able to get my bird books out and checked them all. Yes, it was a Black Cap and a very attractive bird it is.It was distinctive due to the lovely white colour of its feathers underneath. Also a new addition to the bird garden was a Christmas gift to me of a tall feeding pole with attachments to hang various foods for the birds. In no time after I had got it all assembled and I found just the right spot to place it in outside, and the various food items adorning it, than the birds were using it. It did seem that the birds were eating as fast as they could, and there were so many of them all over the ground as well. We had a visit from a Sparrow Hawk one day and in a flash all the birds had disappeared, fortunately to reappear not very long after. The Blackbird family seem to be gathering momentum as there now seem to be at least 10 of them rushing around chasing each other and guarding some vital food area as their own. The smaller sparrows now take their lives in their feet when they too are on the ground, as I am sure they could so easily be walked all over by the blackbirds. The snow has now all gone so tomorrow life for my birds should revert to their less frantic scramble for food.
Posted by: Mara at December 27, 2004 21:34 |
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To Cathy in Zimbabwe
Dear Cathy,
Thank you for your good wishes for this coming Christmas. While I go about my usual business at this time, your letter gave me time to pause and think about the meaning of Christmas. I, and millions of others, go about buying presents and making lists of food and items that will be needed for our festive season, but you and thousands of others in Zimbabwe just go on the daily grind of getting through each day at a time, with little to look forward to. I salute you all. You are not forgotten as you are in my thoughts at this special time of the year. I am certain that there are people who will join me in sending you and everyone in Zimbabwe - Warm Good Wishes for Better Days in 2005 -
Posted by: Mara at December 20, 2004 21:21 |
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Cathy's Letter
Dear Family and Friends,
Christmas 2004 is an incredibly difficult time for most Zimbabweans as we
struggle to cope financially with additional burdens and emotionally with
families which are spread out across continents because of the ongoing
turmoil in the country. I would like to use this Christmas letter to thank
some of the people who have made life bearable, others whose leadership
and determination has been inspirational and yet others who, just by being
there in the background, day after day, week after week, have given me the
courage to go on.
Mostly I would like to thank Zimbabwe's opposition political party who
have managed, for five years, to stop our country from descending into
civil war. The MDC have fought with words, with court battles and with
dignified determination. Every single one of the MDC MP's have made
supreme sacrifices for the country. They have almost all been arrested;
they and their families have been harassed, abused and intimidated; some
have been tortured, others beaten and detained and some have even lost
their lives in the fight for democracy. MDC MP Roy Bennett will spend this
Christmas in prison and our thoughts will be with him because we know that
the sacrifices he and his family made were for us all and for Zimbabwe.
Some days I look at film clips of armed militants in Sudan, Ivory Coast,
the Congo and other African countries and think that if it were not for
the determined non violent stance of the MDC, that could so easily be us.
This Christmas I would also like to thank the growing number of people
inside the country who have formed and joined civic action groups and
raised their voices for Zimbabwe. I hesitate to list them for fear of
putting them at risk but they all lead by their bravery and example. Most
of them have suffered appalling indignities and outrageous injustices and
have put their lives and families on hold as they fight for democracy in
Zimbabwe.
Lastly this Christmas I would like to thank the people outside the country
who continue to fight for Zimbabwe. The staff of Short Wave Radio Africa
who are banned from returning to Zimbabwe but who faithfully report to us
every night; without them we would be lost in a fog of propaganda. There
are MP's in country's all over the world who continue to lobby their own
governments to speak out about events in Zimbabwe. There are human rights
organizations and associations, writers, reporters and lobby groups who
speak out for Zimbabwe all the time now. There are groups who hold vigils,
marches, protests and demonstrations in the UK, USA and South Africa on an
ongoing basis. And then there are just the ordinary people, the men and
women all over the world, who care about Zimbabwe. The people who send
emails and letters, sign petitions and join marches. People who write to
their MP's, tell their friends about what's happening in Zimbabwe and add
their voices to the rising international discontent. There are many people
who take the time, every week, to read my letter from Zimbabwe and then
pass it on to others to read. I thank you all for your support and
compassion, and for your generosity to the people in need that I have
written about and been able to help because of you.
I will not write a letter next Saturday as it will be Christmas Day and so
I wish all my family and friends a wonderful, peaceful and happy Christmas
and thank you for everything you have done to help Zimbabwe. With love,
cathy. Copyright cathy buckle 18th December 2004.
http://africantears.netfirms.com
My books on the Zimbabwean crisis, "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are
available from: orders@africabookcentre.com ; www.africabookcentre.com ;
www.amazon.co.uk ; in Australia and New Zealand:
johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com.au ; Africa: www.kalahari.net
www.exclusivebooks.com
My Garden Birds
I was out in my back garden the other day as the weather was mild, trying to do a little weeding and a tidy up, when I saw my Robin. He is quite friendly now and follows me around in the garden, so much so that I had to be careful when I started to dig the flower beds. He was so near my hand, jumping from one side of me to the other or up onto the hedge close by. You will understand that he is now my pal and I am for ever chatting away to him. However I am always on the look out to make sure my neighbours are not around in case they wonder who on earth was I talking to? My garden tools are in the shed, which I now have to make sure that I shut the door everytime I use it. Robin is just like a cat. "Curiosity killed the bird".I had opened the shed to replenish the bird food bucket, from which I then fill the bird food containers. As I went to the containers I noticed him going towards the shed, and then he flew in perched himself on the large bin where I keep the 25 kgs of bird food. He looked out at me as if to say - "Hey this is a nice wee place". He then had a good snoop around the shed before flying out again. Then again today he did the same thing, when I had left the shed door open, he flew in but this time he just perched on the large bin, looking out at me and did his business as if marking his territory and then flew back out again. Oh and by the way I have a second Robin that is around, but he/she is quite aloof still.
Other birds are now getting used to me being around. The Blue Tits and Coal Tits hop from one branch to another trying to get to a feeding post. Nuts are by far the most favoured at the moment. I have also had an invasion of Long Tail Tits coming in for a visit fairly regularly now. There must be over a dozen of them. The Blackbird must have spead it around that he knew where there was some good pickings, as I see six of them now hopping on the grass then up on to my bird table, so the sparrows are not very happy. With the result I have had to put out more containers so as to make sure there is plenty food available for them all.
Posted by: Mara at December 14, 2004 01:58 |
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Cathy Buckle's letter from Zimbabwe
Friends,
It is just weeks now until Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections and to be
honest, things are not looking at all good. The opposition MDC have still
not said if they are going to participate in the polls and the electoral
playing field has not shown any signs of improving and this week 3 more
pieces of repressive legislation were rammed through parliament.
There is little doubt that all is not well within ZANU PF as we approach
the elections and in-fighting and power struggles seem to be the order of
the day. Zimbabweans have been watching with widening eyes and growing
amusement as even the state media has been reporting on "plots", "secrets
meetings", "the tug of war for succession", and "the night of the long
knives". For a change none of these dire and dirty deeds are being
committed by our usual enemies who the State say are The British, The
Americans, The Rhodesians, The Selous Scouts or The Neo Colonialists, but
this time the evil doers are people within Zanu PF itself. The most
graphic way to describe the atmosphere is to give you some of the more
quotable quotes from the just ended ZANU PF Congress and leave you to draw
your own conclusions.
At the opening of the ZANU PF congress, Reverend Obediah Musindo set the
tone by saying: "It's my prayer that President Mugabe should live longer
to deliver us to the promised land."
Vice President Joseph Msika said about suggestions that President Mugabe
should step down: "Mugabe go? Go Where? He should rule even if it means he
is walking with the aid of a walking stick. He is the father of our
nation; he is entitled to rule us forever."
President Mugabe speaking about the top party officials he suspended
because they tried to oppose the appointment of Joyce Mujuru at a secret
meeting in Tsholotsho: "minds that can be bought, hearts that can be sold,
are political prostitutes. This party has no room for political
prostitutes."
Jonathon Moyo's response to accusations about the secret meeting at
Tsholotsho : "Ugly lies" , "pure fiction". "It was a mere speech and prize
giving ceremony."
Enos Chikowore reporting on Zimbabwe's top ministers and politicians who
grabbed multiple farms: "Top members of the party ignored even calls by
the presidency to surrender the extra farms." "There are termites within
our party, they are not people."
Enos Chikowore reporting on the dismal production on Zimbabwe's grabbed
farms: "I am calling for attitudinal change within our newly resettled
farmers. Under the regime of Ian Smith and up to 1999, 4000 white farmers
produced enough food for the nation and had more left over for export.
Today, after the land reform programme, there are over 12 000 farmers (A2)
but they are failing to do what their predecessors did."
And, to anyone who thinks Zimbabwe has a chance of a free and fair
election in March, we wonder why the budgetary allocation to the CIO
(secret police) has just been increased from 62 billion dollars this year
to 395,8 billion for the coming year.
Until next week, love cathy. Copyright cathy buckle 11 December 2004.
http://africantears.netfirms.com
"African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are available outside Africa from:
orders@africabookcentre.com ; www.africabookcentre.com ;
www.amazon.co.uk ; in Australia and New Zealand:
johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com.au ; Africa: www.kalahari.net
www.exclusivebooks.com
This week's letter from Cathy Buckle.
Dear Family and Friends,
This week our schools limped to the last day and shuddered to a stop at
the end of what has been an impossibly difficult school year. It was my
son's last day at junior school and I sat with other parents at the final
assembly. Since nursery school I have never missed a gala, sports day,
play or concert and I knew that Richard's last day at junior school was
going to be emotional. It was also prize giving day and one by one
children came up grade by grade to receive awards for their excellence.
There were the usual English, Maths and Arts prizes but also awards for
achievement, consistent effort and Christian conduct.
As each child came up there were the usual claps, cheers and ululation's
from parents bursting with pride and I found tears in my eyes on more than
one occasion. I clapped and cried for myself as a parent, ex farmer and
outspoken writer. I was not actually sure how I had survived these 57
months of turmoil, fear and penury and made it to this day. I clapped and
cried for Richard who had changed schools, worked through learning
problems, lived through horrors on an invaded farm and fought his fears
and nightmares. I was not sure how Richard had made it to this day either
or how either of us would cope with the phenomenal changes which lie
ahead. I clapped and cried for the school too and moreso after listening
to the annual reports by the Headmistress and the Chairman of the Board of
Governors. Even though I had been in and out of the school all year and
had attended almost all of the meetings, listening to the litany of
horrors in one speech really bought home to me what an enormous
achievement it was that this little school had managed to stay open at
all. The year had begun with inflation of over 600% and yet the
government had pegged the school fees at a rate which did not take
economics into consideration. In May, first the headmistress and then the
Chairman of the Board had been detained in police cells. The Police closed
the school down and patrolled the premises preventing our children and
their teachers from entering.
As the year went on, the finances of the school became more and more
precarious. All parents had agreed to make donations to the school to keep
the standards up, but when it came to it, many did not do so. The feelings
at parents meetings got tenser and angrier as those parents who had made
large donations to the school knew that their money was supporting the
children of other parents who had promised to, but who had paid nothing
extra. Three weeks before the end of the term and in the heat of mid
summer, the school was forced to close the swimming pool down as they
could no longer afford to keep it operating. And now, on prize giving day,
not a single child actually received a prize because the school simply
could not afford to buy the usual book prizes. The children got
certificates and applause, huge applause, from parents and teachers who
knew what an achievement it was and what sacrifices had been made again
and again for and by the school to get to this day.
As I sit here on Saturday morning writing about our little prize-less
prize giving day at a small Marondera school, I found myself drawn to
switch on local TV just for a minute. There is live coverage of the Zanu
PF annual congress and its 9000 delegates in Harare. The speakers seem to
be falling over each other to pour praise on the party and its leaders.
They are no doubt as shocked as we are at the events of the last week
which saw seven top Zanu PF officials being suspended from the party for
daring to differ in the choice of vice presidency. Heads have rolled, more
will undoubtedly follow and no doubt there will be no prizes at that
ceremony either. Until next week, love cathy Copyright cathy
buckle 4th December 2004. http://africantears.netfirms.com
My books on the Zimbabwean crisis, "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are
available outside Africa from: orders@africabookcentre.com ;
www.africabookcentre.com ; www.amazon.co.uk ; in Australia and New Zealand:
johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com.au ; Africa: www.kalahari.net
www.exclusivebooks.com
Garden Birds
Over the last few days there has been a rather severe frost where I live. When I open the curtains to look outside it is completely white, as if there was a very light covering of snow everywhere. It has been so cold that temperatures have not really risen above freezing all day. The bird bath was just solid, and I required a couple of kettle boilings to remove the ice. I am sure, due to the freezing weather, there have been several more birds popping in for a meal. I have had blackbirds, starlings, wrens, tree and house sparrows, siskins, coal tits, blue tits, long tailed tits, greenfinches, chaffinches, a robin and a dunnock, as well as a wood pidgeon, and collared doves. It has been lovely to watch them all.
Posted by: Mara at December 03, 2004 21:00 |
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