Mooikloof FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH · the official publication of the mooikloof owners association mooikloof i s s u e 1 0 | 2 0 1 4 from the horse’s mouth

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E M O O I K L O O F O W N E R S A S S O C I A T I O N

Mooikloof

I s s u e 1 0 | 2 0 1 4

FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH

3 General Information/ Bible Verse 7 Ons Stel Voor 9 Mooipraatjies11 Huisorrels in Mooikloof12 From Pampering to Panel-beating14 Take Control of Diabetes17 MasterChef Mooikloof19 Cellphone Etiquette23 Elephant Stories

CONTENTS

C o n t e n t sUit die Perd se Bek • From the Horse’s Mouth fokus op Mooikloof. Die publikasie word gekoördineer en maandeliks namens die Mooikloof Eienaarsvereniging van Mooikloof deur Estates in Africa (Pty) Ltd uitgegee. Die menings van medewerkers en personeel van Estates in Africa (Pty) Ltd is nie noodwendig die van die Mooikloof Eienaarsvereniging nie.

Uitgewer:Nico Maritz - E-pos: [email protected]

Hoofredakteur: Kathy Thersby - E-pos: [email protected]

Mooikloof Redakteur:Nic Badenhorst

Verkoop- en Bemarkings Bestuurder:Martin Fourie - Sel: 072 835 8405 • E-pos: [email protected]

Produksie Koördineerder: Susan Cronje - E-pos: [email protected]

Grafiese Ontwerper: Nicola Wilson • E-pos: [email protected] Pretoria Kantoor :Tel: 012 348 2001, Faks: 086 619 0763 • 84 Glenwood Rd, Lynnwood Park, Pretoria

Johannesburg Kantoor32 Fricker Weg, Illovo, JohannesburgTel: 011 214 7370, Faks 011 327 4094

Sperdatum vir advertensies en redaksionele bydraes vir uitgawe 11 van 2014 is 10 November 2014

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Security: Protea Coin Group 24-hour security manager 076 333 207624-hour control room 012 996 0242Atterbury gate entrance 012 996 0243Garsfontein gate entrance 012 996 0620

Mooikloof EienaarsverenigingMooikloof Owners Association

Office hours: Monday – Friday: 08h00 –16h00

(Excluding Weekends and Public Holidays)

P O Box 92035, MOOIKLOOF 0059

30 Flaming Rock CrescentTel: 012 996 0290 • Fax: 012 996 0699

General Information

Mooikloof • Issue 10 2014 • 3

The Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” - God wants to extend His favour towards you.- Let us live our lives in such a way that it is pleasing to Him.- Let us trust Him with the very desires of our hearts.- Let us know Him and be known by Him.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You that You know me by name. I know that You have wonderful things planned for me. May I live my life in a way that pleases You. Amen.

Kind RegardsPastor Andrew & Vanessa RoebertALIVE TO GODVisit our website

Exodus 33:17

Contributions from residents to From the horse’s mouth are welComed and

Can be submitted to [email protected]

PhotograPhy by niC badenhorst

Contact the MOA at:

Estate Manager: 012 996 0290

[email protected]

Site Manager:Johan Haarhoff: 082 301 [email protected]

Administration:[email protected]

Biometrics Access Control:[email protected]

Bookkeeper:[email protected]


L a p p i e s L a b u s c h a g n e

Die sekuriteitsbedryf nie is nie vir iemand wat ’n rustige lewe verkies waar jou dag elke dag dieselfde lyk en jy jou dagboek maande vooruit kan beplan nie. Nee, vir hierdie taak moet jy bereid wees om baie nagte min te slaap en elke dag heeldag bedrywig te wees. Tog is Lappies op die oog af rustig en gemoedelik. Sake sal seker vinnig verander indien hy ’n wag by die hek betrap dat hy aan diens slaap of as ’n verdagte persoon buite Mooikloof se muur sy pad kruis.

Mooikloof bly steeds een van die veiligste plekke in Suid-Afrika om in te bly. Volgens Lappies is die misdaad in Mooikloof beperk tot huiswerkers, tuinwerkers of staljongens (grooms) wat by hul werkgewers steel. ’n Tyd terug het twee voornemende misdadigers dit reggekry om by die dam oor die muur en elektriese heining te kom. Hulle is egter binne twee tot drie minute deur die wagte gearresteer.

Die patrollies buite Mooikloof se grensmuur loop gereeld verdagte persone raak en konfronteer hulle dan. Indien nodig, word die SAPD ingeroep. Sodoende is kabeldiewe en ander misdadigers al vasgetrek. Derhalwe help Mooikloof se sekuriteit ook ander misdaad in ons omgewing bekamp.

Lappies het ’n paar sekuriteitswenke vir die Mooiklowers vir die vakansieseisoen wat voorlê, gegee.


O n s S t e l Vo o r

Lappies is die Projek-bestuurder vir Bidvest Protea Coin in Mooikloof. Dit beteken hy is in beheer van die sekuriteit in Mooikloof. Hy is ook ’n Mooikloof-eienaar en woon reeds sowat drie jaar hier. Hy sê hul gesin het Mooikloof as tuiste gekies omdat hulle perdeliefhebbers is en graag hul perde naby hulle wou hê.

.

• Indien daar ’n alarm in die woning is, moet dit sowat twee weke voor die inwoners met vakansie gaan, getoets word om te verseker dat dit in orde is;

• Moenie ’n vreemdeling van buite bring om die huis en/of troeteldiere op te pas nie;

• Sorg dat alle werkers by die sekuriteitskantoor geregistreer is – al werk hulle net vir ’n maand of selfs korter;

• Indien werkers die huis moet oppas moet daar seker gemaak word dat hulle vertrou kan word en dat hulle toegang tot waardevolle items beperk word;

• Werkers met hul eie voertuie is ’n groot sekuriteitsrisiko aangesien dit nie moontlik is om hul voertuie by die hek vir gesteelde goedere te deursoek nie.

• Kontak die sekuriteitskantoor onmiddellik indien dit lyk dat daar dalk ’n probleem kan wees. Die sekuriteitspersoneel is 24 uur per dag tot diens van die Mooiklowers.

Bobotie


POM POM WEED Source: Problem Plants of South Africa. Briza Publications

M o o i p r a a t j i e s

So ’n ruk gelede het ek sommer ongenooid vir ’n vinnige koffietjie na vriende in Mooikloof gery. Toe ek in die mooi woonkamer instap het ek besef my besoek was uiters ongeleë: Ek kon die atmosfeer met ’n mes sny.

Die vrou het stilstuipe in die hoogste graad gehad en haar man weer, het met ’n hoogs geamuseerde trek om sy mond gesit. Daar en dan besluit ek: Of dit nou ongeleë is of nie, ek bly nou eers sit. Hier was ’n Jerry Springer Show aan die gebeur en ek het ’n ring-side seat!

Die vrou se mond het soos ’n onderstebo-sekelmaantjie gelyk en toe sy my sien, het sy haarself vinnig verskoon. Met ’n Kimi-Raikonin-spoed trek sy haar motor uit die motorhuis en ry al wippende oor die spoedbrekers tot ons haar nie meer kon hoor of sien nie.

“Verskoon maar,”grinnik haar man, duidelik verlig dat sy gery het. “Jy sien, as sy nie besig is nie, dan maak sy haarself besig – veral as sy vir my kwaad is.”

“O? Wat is fout?”

“Wil jy regtig weet?” En hy verander ons koffie in polisiekoffie met die hulp van ’n bottel Klippies.

“Ja, vertel.”

Bobotie

Deur Jeannette Malan

Toe Matt Preston (MasterChef Australia) onlangs in Suid Afrika was het hy gesê hy wil graag net een ding eet en dit is ’n Mopaniewurm. Ek kon hom help, want in Mooikloof is ’n resep en ’n storie…

Jy sien Vroulief se broer was mos ’n predikant in Wellington, maar is deesdae ook ’n afgetrede leeglêer soos ek en jy. Op pad Wildtuin toe het hulle besluit om hier te oornag. Saam met hulle was ook ou vriende uit Den Haag. Nodeloos om te sê die datum het ons nie juis gepas nie want onse Martha het haar seun Zoeloe-skool toe geneem. Inisiasie, jy weet?”

“O?” sê ek en voel hoe die knertsie my binneste warm maak.

“Kyk, ek is nooit bekommerd as my vrou siek is nie want liewe, goeie Martha is hier. Maar as sy afwesig is staan alles stil.”

“En alles is mos soek ook.”

“Presies. En ná gisteraand se ete wou niemand eers vanoggend koffie uit my hand ontvang nie.”

“So erg?”

Hy knik: “Jy sien, Vroutjie is baie besig en ter wille van die Nederlanders het ek maar aangebied om ’n tipiese Suid-Afrikaanse gereg, iets soos bobotie te maak.

“Ja, en jy kán mos kook.”

“Sê liewers ek hou van eksperimenteer.

Buitendien as jy kan lees, kan jy kosmaak. Enige bobbejaan kan. Ek het gedink die gaste sal nie eers agterkom ons kombuis seil sonder sy ervare kaptein, Martha, nie.”“Nou waar’s die fout?”

Hy lag en sê: “Net voor ek wou begin kook, onthou ek toe van die boks gedroogte Mopanie-wurms wat ek as geskenk gekry het. En jy weet, ’n Mopanie-wurm is soos biltong: Dit kan maande gebêre word.”

“Ja, smaak ook amper soos biltong.”

Hy gooi eers weer ’n knertsie by ons koffie en sê: “Presies! Ek het die sak Mopanies mooi gewas en vir ’n baie lang ruk gekook om hulle sag te kry, maar ’n uur later het ek besef dit werk nie. Die Mopanies lyk nog presies dieselfde: Blinkswart en opgeswel van die water, maar van vorm verander hulle nie. En ’n bobotie benodig fyn vleisies.”

“Ja?” por ek hom aan en begin lag: Ons het anderkant die Waterberge grootgeword; ons ken gedroogde Mopanies. Baie saam met ons speelmaats geëet.

“Toe vat ek die kombuis-skêr en ek knip elke Mopanie op sy segment middeldeur. ’n Groot job, hoor. Daarna was dit maklik.

Al die segmentjies het ek weer gekook met baie speserye. Toe meng ek die res van die bestanddele volgens die resep: Eiers, melk, blatjang en ek bak die hele spul. Toe Vroulief opdaag was die bobotie gereed – nogal met pietersielie versier ook. Sy het gekoer, die rys gekook en slaai gemaak. Saam het ons ’n paar Suid Afrikaanse wyne uit die kelder gaan haal.”

Hy sluk aan sy koffie en vertel verder: “Dit was goed om weer ons familie te sien.

Hulle universiteits-vriende uit Nederland was aangenaam so ook die Engelse meisietjie wat saamgekom het.

Toe maak ek sommer die brandewynbottel leeg in ons koppies en ek drink verder want ek weet wat kom!

“Ag, ons het lekker gekuier. Daarvan kon die leë bottels getuig en ook die bak bobotie is ge-polish. Dis toe ons almal met koffie en likeur sit dat die Hollandse dame vir haar man sê: ‘Erg leuk, erg leuk,’ en sy beduie na die leë bak bobotie. ‘Have you made this yourself?’ vra sy toe aan my vrou. Toe antwoord ek vinnig: ‘I have made this true South African dish especially for you people with these as the main ingredient.’ Toe haal ek twee heel Mopaniewurms uit my hempsak – netjies toegerol in ’n servet.”

Ek begin lag, hy lag. Saam lag ons dat die trane rol.

“Almal het natuurlik op die leë bak afgestorm – my vrou inkluis. In die hoekie was daar nog ’n skeppie oor. Hulle het sommer met hulle hande gegrawe om te kyk of ek die waarheid praat. En ek het, want aan elke segment het daar nog twee duidelike swart pootjies gehang.”

“Wat toe?”

“Die Hollandse tante het so ’n geel kaaskleur gekry. Haar man het my bottel Konjak gebruik om sy geheue uit te wis. Die Britse meisie het iets van barbare gemompel en die res van die nag onaardse geluide in die gaste-toilet gemaak.”

“Nou is jou vrou vir jou kwaad?”

“Baie. Sy praat nie met my nie.”

“Ek dink jy is baie oorspronklik. Dis mos ’n tradisionele gereg met tradisionele bestanddele. As jy weer Mopaniewurms kry gee dit asseblief vir my. Sommer die resep ook.”

“Met groot plesier. Vergeet die resep. Ek sal vir jou die bobotie kom maak want ek weet mos nou presies hoe!”



I n t e r e s s a n t


Huisorrels inMooikloof

Deur Janie van Heerden

Dit is nie algemeen dat iemand ’n huisorrel het nie – wat nog te sê van ’n meganiese pyporrel in jou huis! In Mooikloof is daar ten minste twee sulke orrels. Dit is die tipe orrel wat mens gewoonlik in ’n kerk of ’n stadsaal of ’n ouditorium sal kry. Om so ’n orrel in jou huis te hê is enige orrelis of orrel-liefhebber se droom!

’n Meganiese pyporrel het ’n elektriese windmotor wat lug, in die geval van ’n orrel wind genoem, deur die pype blaas. Die klank word verkry wanneer ’n klawer gedruk word en ’n hefboom dan ’n klep oopmaak by die spesifieke pyp waaraan dit gekoppel is. Die oopmaakaksie (druk van die klawer) kan tot ’n mate deur die orrelis beheer word. Dit is byna soos wanneer mens deur ’n fluit blaas – hard of sag, lank of kort.

Anders as ’n klavier, het orrels verskeie manuale of klawerborde en hoe meer manuale, hoe meer pype is daar en hoe groter is die orrel. ’n Huisorrel sal gewoonlik kleiner wees as ’n orrel in ’n stadsaal of ouditorium vanweë die groot spasie wat die groter orrels inneem. Orrels het ook pedale wat met die voete gespeel word wat ook aan pype gekoppel is. Dit is gewoonlik die basnote.

Daarom dat orrelmusiek drie rye note het ( twee hande en een paar voete) en klaviermusiek het twee rye note vir die twee hande.

Indien mens graag ’n orrel wil hê kan jy nie, soos met ’n klavier, na ’n musiekwinkel gaan en een gaan koop en laat aflewer nie. ’n Orrel word deur ’n orrelbouer ingebou in die ruimte waarvoor dit bestem is. Dit verg die vakmanskap van ’n skrynwerker, ’n plaat- en metaalwerker, ’n musikant en

iemand met baie goeie gehoor wat die orrel kan instem. In Suid-Afrika is daar maar ’n handjievol orrelbouers.

Wat die twee orrels in Mooikloof betref is die een ’n Roeleveld orrel, wat in 1984 vanaf Nederland ingevoer is en in Suid-Afrika alreeds drie keer verskuif is . Dit is in 2008 na Mooikloof verskuif deur Jan Zielman, ’n orrelbouer van Pretoria. Die ander is ’n splinternuwe orrel wat in 2014 deur Jan Elsenaar, in Brandfort (Vrystaat) gebou en na Mooikloof vervoer waar dit in ’n nuwe woning ingebou is.

Die eienaars van die huisorrels in Mooikloof is nie professionele musikante nie maar het net ’n spesiale liefde vir orrelmusiek en geniet dit daarom om hul eie instrument te hê wat te alle tye vir hulle beskikbaar is om te bespeel en te geniet.

Honest, open, personal with attention to detail – these are the characteristics that immediately come to mind when one first deals with Carty Carvenience, specialists in car-detailing and panel-beating. And more than 14 years in the business proves the success of Pretoria’s favourite place to have their cars pampered!

Carty Carvenience turns customers into friends and is proud of the repeat business that they enjoy. Customers feel safe leaving their cars with Carty Carvenience and that’s the reason that management can call so many customers by their first names.

The skilled team at Carty Carvenience will also be familiar to customers as 60-80% of the team has been there for five years or longer. Flowing from this is loyalty and well trained staff.

The company is well known for their professional and impeccable valets, with deep cleaning, spray extraction cleaning, engine & chassis steam cleaning and attention to detail. Only the best products and technology are used, and they’re introducing the

newest nano-technology too that protects fibre and auto body paint even better.

Carty Carvenience doesn’t specialise in big panel-beating jobs, but focuses on detailed and precise repairs and spray painting of the smaller “nose jobs”, bumper repairs or other dings and dents, which means their turnaround time is quick, averaging 2-5 days. They are also experts at fixing hail damage and paintless dent repairs, so keep that in mind in case this summer is as bad as the last. Again, only the best products are used such as Glasurit auto body paint, with a 100% colour matching record. Here you can get assistance with your insurance claims as well.

So if you’re in need of a bit of a car makeover, head to the Garsfontein Car Care Centre, situated conveniently in Pretoria East. And if it’s a wash and vacuum you need while you conveniently shop or meet a friend for coffee or lunch, point y o u r s e l f t o w a r d s t h e Wo o d l a n d s E x p r e s s Car Wash, conveniently situated at Woodlands Boulevard.

From Pampering toPanel-beating

Meet the experts at Carty Carvenience

Ad ve r t o r i a l

Ad ve r t o r i a l

H e a l t h


Take Control of Diabetes

14th November marks World Diabetes Day. With the prevalence of diabetes growing rapidly the words “lifestyle change” seem to be uttered more regularly by doctors and health professionals. One of the things we are passionate and excellent at doing at Easy Health Wellness is helping our clients make positive lifestyle changes to avoid lifestyle-related diseases like diabetes and to enjoy their greatest asset – health.

The capability of the pancreas to produce insulin and the amount that can be produced will be the deciding factor in whether or not insulin therapy is necessary. In the case of the pancreas making no insulin, the option of injecting insulin is inevitable. In cases where inadequate amounts of insulin are produced or where the insulin produced is not being used effectively, oral diabetic treatment will be necessary. In many

Diabetes mellitus (the full name for diabetes) is a common condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body is unable to use it properly.

Diabetes results from the body’s inability to produce enough insulin or to use insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas, an organ behind your stomach. The hormone’s main job is to keep your blood sugar (or glucose) in check. Your glucose levels change throughout the day, depending on what and when you have eaten and whether you have exercised.

So what is diabetes?

Ways to reduce your risk for diabetes

Some of my best tips for a diabetic:

Why is good glucose control important?

Key habits a diabetic should have:

What are the medication treatment options for diabetics?

cases a combination of insulin and oral therapy is used.

There are some risk factors that play a role in developing diabetes, for example genetics and age, however one of the leading causes of diabetes is weight gain around your waistline – obesity.

Losing weight is one of the BEST things you can do to reduce your risk of diabetes, especially if you do not have any family history of diabetes. Weight loss has many beneficial effects on blood glucose and blood pressure. Remember that there are no short cuts to weight loss: learn to use real food. At Easy Health Wellness the key is to focus on equipping our clients to learn to work with real food.

Poorly controlled diabetes leads to the development of the complications of diabetes. These are blurred vision, kidney failure, increased risk of heart disease and sores on feet that may lead to amputation.

• It’s not just about no sugar.

• Starches influence your blood sugar – bread, rice, pasta, potato, couscous, cereals, and crackers. Make sure you are taking in the correct portions.

• 100% fruit juice or dried fruits – I ask clients to avoid them as they are a concentrated source of natural sugar.

• Adequate protein at a meal will help to keep your sugar stable.

• Test your sugar regularly – test at various times of the day, for example before breakfast and two hours after lunch or before lunch and two hours after dinner.

• Inject and eat on time.

• Do not inject and then not eat.

• Have your eyes and feet checked regularly.

H e a l t h


On the 14th of November we will be having an open morning from 09h30 to 11h30 at Easy Health Wellness for diabetics. You can have a free blood sugar screening, taste diabetic meal replacements and chocolate protein bars and get some dietary advice.

For more info call 012 997 2783.Ajita Ratanjee

www.ajitaratanjee.co.zawww.easyhealthwellness.com

Cinnamon may help type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and increasing

the amount of insulin production in the body.

It keeps your metabolism burning too!

Did you know?


R e s t a u r a n t R e v i e w

Brood kom ’n lang pad saam met die mens – van die Egiptenare met hul ongesuurde brode tot dit wat ons vandag koop. Kleintyd as jy geval en seergekry het, het jou ma vir jou ’n toebroodjie en ’n glas melk gegee sáám met troos. Sommer gou het jy beter gevoel. Brood is brood en vir eeue is ons vreugde en hartseer deurvleg met brood.

Mooikloof se mans is konings as dit by braai kom en dit is in hulle gene om self die vuur aan te pak met hout van hulle keuse. Meeste mans maak ook graag braaibroodjies. Die lekkerste is natuurlik wanneer hulle ’n potbrood aanmekaarslaan en in die kole bak. Mooikloof-vroutjies kan dumb bells rondswaai in die gym vir mooi bo-arms, maar ’n brood se deeg kan hulle glad nie knie nie. Daardie spiere werk nie; die manne doen dit. Seker omdat mans weet deeg is soos ’n moeilike vrou: Vryf haar verkeerd op óf knie haar te min en jy sit met ’n kluitjie!

Sit brood saam met enige gereg voor en mense is op die plek geselliger en vroliker. Ek praat nou nie van winkelbrood nie, maar van dié wat jy kan koop by The Bread Basket in die Parkview Sentrum. Gerieflik naby aan Mooikloof en met hope parkering.

Hierdie mense bak brood asof hulle op ’n wêreldreis gaan: Boerbrood volgens jou ouma se resep, lang Franse brode; Portugese brood, en vir die wat gesond wil wees is daar altyd Duitse Rogbrood wat soos ’n klip in jou maag val.

Daar is ook heerlike pasteie met verskillende soorte vleis in ’n deeg wat deurlugtig gerys het.

Ek was lekker honger toe ons die oggend besluit het om gou iets by The Bread Basket te eet. Eers het ons koffie bestel wat Thabiso self vir ons gemaak het. Hierdie vriendelike kelnerin praat natuurlik ook die mooiste Afrikaans.

My keuse was ’n sjokolade croissant, terwyl my metgesel besluit het om ’n muffin met gerasperde kaas te bestel. Vir my is ’n muffin nog altyd net ’n verskoning as jy koek vir ontbyt wil eet, maar dit daar gelaat.

Die diens was flink en die bestuurder Jeandré is ’n aanwins vir die winkel. Hy was eers ’n chef in Stellenbosch, maar gelukkig het sy oë oopgegaan en nou is hy terug in Pretoria waar hy grootgeword het.

Al was dit baie vroeg het ek besluit om my ontbyt af te sluit met ’n Griekse kataifi. Die baklava het net té soet gelyk.

Ek het ook ’n dosyn macaroons gekoop. Bread Basket bak macaroons in meer kleure as wat daar in die reënboog is. Elkeen is koeëlrond met bypassende versiersuiker. En moenie die verskillende geure vergeet nie!

Maak gerus ’n draai daar en vergeet vir ’n paar dae van winkelbrood. Wie wil in elk geval winkelbrood eet as jy sulke lekker tuisgebak kan voorsit!

Parkview Branch, Shop G17, Parkview Centre.

Mooikloof • Issue 7 2014 • 18Mooikloof • Issue 6 2014 • 18

Mooikloof • Issue 8 2014 • 19Mooikloof • Issue 10 2014 • 19

L i f e s t y l e

1. The First Principle: It is not other people’s responsibility to cope with your mobile phone use; it is your responsibility to use your mobile phone inoffensively. Please note that “inoffensively” is not defined by what you expect others to tolerate, but by what others do in fact find offensive. Ignore this principle, and you are sure to be rude.

3. Stay away from others while talking on the phone. If possible, keep a 3 -metre distance between you and anyone else whenever you talk on your phone. Most people do not want to hear what you’re talking about.

4. Try not to talk on the phone in any enclosed spaces, even if you’re more than 10 feet away from anyone. They can still hear you (because it’s an enclosed space) and

5. Don’t talk too loudly. Generally you don’t have to shout in the microphone to be heard on the other end. In fact, doing so often makes it harder for you to be understood. In addition, shouting on the phone disrupts people around you.

7. Do not talk about personal details in public. Personal is just that: personal. If callers want to talk about personal details, tell them that you will call them back later, move someplace where you can have a little privacy, or switch to text messaging.

8. Don’t multi-task. Avoid making calls while driving, shopping, banking, waiting in line, or doing almost anything that involves interacting with other human beings. In some situations it puts your life and the lives of others in danger, and in other situations it can bother some people.

9. Know where not to use your phone. Some places are inappropriate for cell phone usage, so avoid talking on your cell phone or having it ring while in the following places:

6. Don’t put your phone on speaker. Just as many people do not want to hear your end of the conversation, they don’t want to hear the other person’s either.

2. Following directly from the First Principle: You should assume that someone who asks you to turn your cell phone (or audio player) down or off is in good faith, and you should comply in good faith. They have a reason for asking, and it’s probably not that they’re trying to dominate you or hassle you or restrict your God-given right to free expression. (For example, people with temporal lobe epilepsy may find that certain sounds trigger seizures, and some people have neurosensory issues that cause extraneous noise to be a severe difficulty rather than a mild annoyance.)

usually, they’re forced to just sit there and listen (and maybe be annoyed to some extent).

• Bathrooms

• Elevators

• Hospitals

• Waiting rooms

• Auditoriums

• Taxicabs

• Buses

• Trains

• Meetings

• Libraries

• Museums

• Places of worship

• School

• Lectures

• Live performances

• Funerals

• Weddings

• Movie theatres

• While visiting relatives

• Turn your phone off at any time that you are asked to when on a

plane

• Or, in fact, anywhere else where people are likely to be disturbed, unless it is important and you can’t go anywhere.



L i f e s t y l e10. Don’t use your phone when having a meal with someone. Ideally, you should turn it off entirely. If you’re anticipating an important call, alert the person you’re with beforehand that you’re expecting a call that you’ll need to take. No matter what, don’t hold a conversation at the table; step away, follow step 1, and don’t stay away any longer than you would for a bathroom break. Never text at the table, even if the face-to- face conversation dies down. It will be seen as disrespectful.

11. Turn off your phone at the movie theater. Even if your phone is on vibrate, people can hear it during quiet parts of the movie. The light from your phone’s screen is also very distracting. Don’t check the time, don’t check your text messages; just turn it off until the movie is over. If you get an important call that you must answer, exit the theatre before taking it.

12. Learn to text. When you’re in an enclosed space, or you can’t put yourself 10 feet out of everyone’s way, it’s inappropriate to talk but it’s potentially acceptable to receive and send text messages. In such cases, keep the following rules of texting etiquette in mind:

• Use the vibrate feature instead of an audible text alert.• Only text when you’re standing still or sitting and out of anyone’s way. • Don’t text while you walk or drive.• Don’t text while doing anything that requires you to be attentive, such as waiting at an intersection for the pedestrian signal.

• Don’t text while at a meeting or conference. You should give the speaker your undivided attention.

• Limit phone use during gatherings with your friends. Some friends (with or without cell phones) will find it annoying and inconsiderate.

• Avoid sending others text messages containing anything that you would not say in real life. It is very hard to convey tones and sarcasm in texting and email, so realise that some things may come across as sounding unusual or offensive. Never send a message with sexual overtones, or one that could be construed as a threat. Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Practice-Cell-Phone-Etiquette

N a t u r e


Thembo, the African elephant

Part 7: by Henk

Thembo has just returned but he is looking thin and tired. Hope to get the full story soon!

In the meantime I will have to act as a substitute again. Sorry readers!

One hears a lot of stories about elephants – some true and some probably embellished a little. But elephants are large, so it’s not like they are fisherman stories.

The following stories are true and all but one I got first hand from the source.

This one happened on a private game reserve that is open to the Kruger National Park. The people who related it to fr iends of mine have an unfenced lodge with a swimming pool . One evening a breeding herd arrived at the pool to drink water. This was accompanied by the usual commotion but suddenly there was pandemonium – a baby elephant had fal len into the pool and could not get out. The whole herd gathered around the pool and some tried to assist but to no avai l . The owners were natural ly too scared to go anywhere close to the pool to assist and the noise went on well into the night. However, sometime during the night the noise stopped; despite this, no one dared to risk a trip to the pool. Next morning as it got light it was apparent that the herd had moved off. Imagine the surprise of the people when they saw what the elephants had done

to rescue the little one. They had filled the pool with rocks from a nearby rockery. Chance? You be the judge!

The second incident was observed by Prof Bruce Page in the Matusadona National Park of Zimbabwe. One day while walking along the edge of a low escarpment he heard a loud cracking sound. After a period of silence the sound was repeated again and again. Walking along the edge of the escarpment he at last spied an elephant bull that was playing what we might call bowls. The noise that he had heard was the sound of a roundish rock hitting the base of a tree. The bull would roll the rock with great accuracy at the tree, retrieve it and then repeat the exercise over and over. I suppose you could say it is like a dog retrieving a ball but in this case there was nobody to throw the rock for the elephant in the first place.

The third story also comes from Zimbabwe, from Imire, probably the oldest game farm in Southern Africa. Imire has a few captive elephants, all of which had been rescued as calves during elephant culls. They also had a small semi-tame herd of buffalo and the female elephant, when she was older (about 14 years of age), established herself as the matriarch of the buffalo herd. All the animals are housed in stockades at night. Each morning the elephant cow, together with an elderly shepherd, would take the buffalo to various parts of the reserve to graze – but the elephant being the matriarch, would decide where to go. On one of their outings a young buffalo bull decided that it was time to show someone who was boss. The elephant was too large for this so the

buffalo picked on the old shepherd, knocked him down and pinned him to the ground. The elephant rushed in, pushed the buffalo aside, assisted the injured man to his feet and then walked with him to one of the houses on the reserve. From time to time she would turn around and chase the buffalo bull away as he had not given up on his quest. She only turned back to join the buffaloes once people came out of the house to assist the old shepherd. Chance? You decide!

The last two stories come from (Dame) Daphne Sheldrick, whom I have visited twice at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust on the border of Nairobi National Park just outside Nairobi. She was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 2006 for the wonderful contribution she has made to elephant conservation in Kenya. Her trust, established in 1977, has rescued over 250 elephant calves from certain death [(the arrows in the pictures show spear stab marks and pieces of ear cut off] and fostered them for release into the wild in Tsavo National Park. The rescued orphans are brought to the stockades of the trust where they are looked after by grooms and bottle-fed every couple of hours. At night a groom sleeps with each baby for comfort and for regular feeds. It’s wonderful to see how the elephants adapt to their new family without any use of force – just kindness. During the day the elephants are taken out into the park to feed but are still bottle-fed throughout the day. I have accompanied them on two occasions and each time I had to marvel at the family made up of elephants and their grooms – a moving experience.

But, this is not the end of their story –it gets much better.

N a t u r e


When a group is old enough with calves varying from two to six years of age they are moved to one of two release sites established by the trust in Tsavo National Park. Here there are also stockades and the routine is the same as in Nairobi National Park. Over time they spontaneously form a little herd by themselves and usually the oldest female in the group establishes herself as the matriarch.

As time goes by, the ‘herd’ ventures further and further into the Park, always returning to the stockades, until one fine day they do not return; they either join a ‘wild’ herd or remain as an independent herd. Sometimes they return years later for a brief visit and the grooms recognise them by their individual features.

There are two stories that relate to the return of elephants that are particularly fascinating. One was that of a male that had grown into an adult bull in Tsavo. He arrived at the stockades with a snare around the one leg that had cut through the skin into the deeper tissue. He had obviously come for help.

The grooms removed the snare and proceeded to treat the wound over a number of days. He was not sedated or stabled and remained around the camp. And one day, when he decided his leg had healed sufficiently, he disappeared into Tsavo again.

The second elephant to return under similar circumstances was a cow with her calf that had been born ‘in the wild’ and obviously did not know humans. The calf had a snare around one leg, which luckily had not cut through the skin. The grooms spotted the snare and tried to get close to the calf to remove it. The calf went ballistic and wanted nothing to do with these strange beings.

The grooms were most surprised by what happened next. The orphan elephants at the stockade at the time

surrounded the wild elephant calf and this allowed one of the grooms to creep through under their legs and safely remove the snare. All the while the mother stood to one side totally ignoring her calf.

Once the snare was off, mother and calf moved off into the Park again.

Thembo will be ready to relate what happened to him during the last two months next time. See yah!

Mooikloof • July 2013 • 26

Documents

Mooikloof FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH · the official publication of the mooikloof owners association mooikloof i s s u e 1 0 | 2 0 1 4 from the horse’s mouth