My travels and discoveries

The Overberg sent me over the moon...

Schalk Joubert and I did 2 performances in the Overberg. This took place 24-27 April. This journey took us to some beautiful places. 

   

Schalk driving and me in the back seat between loads of music equipment. Lady Piano sat on the front seat. ;)

Our first performance was in Bredasdorp (which is close to Waenhuiskrans/ Arniston and Struisbaai). We were scheduled to perform at the Nachwacht Restaurant outside Bredasdorp. This restaurant is situated on the Nachwacht farm which has an interesting history that immediately captured my imagination. The farm is really well-kept and one immediately gets a sense of its history and former glory when you drive through its gates.

Standing on the stoep of the restaurant one looks out over grazing land, fields and mountains. The sunset is beautiful and there is a freshness and calmness in the air that relaxes and slows the mind and heart pace immediately.

                                                                           Sunset

We were welcomed by the owner of the restaurant, Melanie Albertyn. It was Melanie who showed us her own personal art gallery and told us a little more about the interesting Nachwacht history!

Apparantly Nachwacht belonged to a bachelor named Johan Albertyn. He bought the farm at an auction in 1885 and was well-known as a successful farmer and business man in the area. His love story is quite interesting. A young teacher in Dresden (Germany) noticed an advertisement for a teachers post at Bloemhof in Stellenbosch. Aged 21 years old, she decided to get on a ship and travel thousands of miles to a foreign country to teach music there. She must have been quite a spirited and brave woman. Her name was Maria Petchz.  When these two met they fell in love, got married and had four children.

Maria stayed loyal to her German roots and regularly sent money back to her parents in Germany (especially during the Second World War). Her husband died during the birth time of her fourth child, Johan. Eventually their eldest son Gideon took charge of the farm. He was labelled an “eccentric” and it is told he would ride his horse late at night. He was also pro-Nazi and painted Swastika signs on the Nachwacht Garage doors. When reprimanded by the municipality about this, he covered the signs with white paint but left the circles as a not-so-subtle-reminder of his beliefs.  After he died the farm was left to Dawie Albertyn. His two sons, Attie and Dawie now run the farm. Melanie is married to Dawie and is the one excited about utilizing the old historic spaces and creating spaces for people from the community to enjoy them (the gallery, the restaurant and soon-to-be-cottages).   

Isn’t this a great story? I can already picture the movie. Schalk even mentioned this could be a whole TV series – the documentation of the life of Nachwacht – as seen by various generations of Albertyns. The wonderful thing is that throughout South Africa we have stories like this - stories about adventurers, dreamers, fanatics and eccentrics. We are all bound to these stories in some way. It is wonderful to see a family that knows their history and treasures it (regardless of whether they like it or not). 

There are some beautiful cottages on the farm as well – a perfect place to get away and enjoy the calmness of the Overberg. Check it out here http://www.nachtwachtrestaurant.co.za/

The show went great, we had great food and enjoyed a late night chat at the fire with Melanie after all the guests left. While we were performing, Mother Nature decided to treat us with our own smoke/ fog machine. Mist crept over the fields and literally flowed onto stage behind us. It was quite impressive. This is a place you should visit when you drive through Bredasdorp. Why not stay over for a night or two and enjoy the hospitality of the Albertyns when you are there!

On our way back home we stopped for something to drink. We stopped at the Dassiesfontein Farm Stall. 

                                                                Dassiesfontein Farm Stall

For some weird reason I have never stopped there, although I have driven past it countless times. I was totally amazed at the size of the place and the amount of wonderful things one can buy in there. This is not a place to go if you like shopping! Be sure you will walk out of there with loads of things you probably don’t need. From lights, to antiques, to toys, to glassware, to “blik” products, to…oh no, the list is endless! And of course you can buy homemade Ginger Beer there (my favourite drink on the road – especially on a hot summer’s day). Check out Dassiesfontein when you drive by next time. Don’t pack the car too full. You might need to load in a couple of items after you left. We did not have an ounce of space in the car. This was perhaps a blessing in disguise.

                                                              View from Dassiesfontein

The next day we had to hit the N2 towards the Overberg again. This time our destination was Greyton. I have never been there. My sister always told me “Luna, jy sal dit LOVE!” She was absolutely right. Unfortunately we had some car trouble and we only arrived in Greyton when it was dark. It was the third night of the full moon and it was beautifully bright. As we drove over the hills towards Greyton, we saw the yellow moon rise and set at least 4/5 times (it felt like a scene out of “the little prince”).  

And there she was: The Majestic Searle’s Trading Post - A burst of colour, detail, energy and cosy-happiness. It is one of those places where you walk in and you feel at home immediately. One experiences a bit of a visual overload – you don’t always realize what it is you see – but you know you like it. This is one of the first places I know of that have their own stylist. He comes in everyday and waves his magic interior-wand to ensure a new “look” each day. How lovely. It’s all in the detail – cherry red autumn leaves, olive green twigs with pink and red berries, candles, lights and glass. Oh, and the restrooms are wonderful. I could spend a whole evening in there!

Naomi (the owner) is also such an interesting and welcoming person.  After our performances she treated us with a delicious spicy curry and escorted us to her beautifully lush home. I just absolutely love her house. When I woke up in the morning and got up out of that beautiful green and mustard coloured bed –I was expecting a little slave man in the bathroom. I was ready to drop my imaginary silk gown and allow him to powder my whole body with mesmerizing body talc! That’s how wonderful her house is. J Every room has traces of the softest lace, old trinkets and interesting things to look at. What a treat! 

http://searles.co.za/

We are looking forward to performing there with the full band. Next time I will be sure to arrive early and leave very late the next day. Unfortunately we had to leave at 7h30 am. This is terribly early for me! But, we got to see the town at its quietest except for the odd elderly couple taking their early morning stroll in the dim morning light.

                                                                Early morning in the street

This was over 3 days – the only 3 full moon days in the month. It was perfect. 

Tomorrow I hit the road to Kwazulu Natal. Rumour has it I'll be bumping into Gerald Clark and Guy Collins there. Can only be fun!

Empty rooms, open spaces -  Eastern Cape and the road back home

Mid April saw me travelling to the Eastern Cape. I was so excited since I was going to venture into 3 new towns to introduce them to my music. Scenically the Eastern Cape is a real eye pleaser and I was looking forward to enjoying the drive again. It turned out that my performances were not well attended. It felt like one of those freak tours where everything just went wrong. To top it all off my piano broke before I left and I had to rent one for the trip as well. Anyhoo! I had quite a few interesting experiences, stumbled upon some historical stories and places and met some real nice people in the process. Here is a little bit of what I experienced…

Uitenhage

Unfortunately Uitenhage did not deliver too much excitement. There was a lack of interest in my show there and we had to cancel. My saving grace was the guest house I stayed in (courtesy of the Barkly Street Theatre). It is called Mi Casa B & B and was really very nice. If for some absurd reason you have to travel to Uitenhage and you need accommodation – I can definitely recommend this guest house. I lived in room number 5. It was lovely.

Photos of guest house (3)

Look at this luxurious bath!

...and the bed...

The only beautiful building in Uitenhage…(that I saw). It is in the main street of the town.

I also looked for a nice restaurant in the town – and stumbled upon the Saffron restaurant. I am not a huge fan of franchises, especially when visiting new places. Uitenhage is filled with predominantly franchises. Guido’s, Ocean Basket, Dulci’s, you name it. This restaurant is owned by an Irish couple who have been living in Uitenhage for almost 30 years. I had a lovely chat with both owners and felt at home at this little restaurant. They have a varied menu (from steaks and pork fillets to thai cuisine) and their prices are reasonable.  That was that for Uitenhage! 

Photo of Saffron Restaurant

I did google some tourist attractions in Uitenhage but never got around to visiting any of these sites. There is the Old Railway Station Museum. Building the railway and the station was part of the plan of developing the town. There is also an old sink house one can visit which is the only remaining house originating from a horrible concentration camp which imprisoned Afrikaans women and children whose husbands were killed and whose homes and farms were taken from them. I read many of these women and children stayed in Uitenhage after the war, since they had nowhere else to go. Then there is the VW museum of course – which tells you about the history of the motor industry in Uitenhage. An interesting fact is that the first industry in Uitenhage was wool. Can you believe that? 

Photo of the Volkswagen Museum…

Swiftly moving on! 

Grahamstown

My next stop was Grahamstown.  As I drove into town I noticed something strange in the street. One could feel a strange tension in the air. Then I noticed the street was very dirty, dustbins were turned over, tree branches were lying in the road, people were moving around in an agitated way and police cars were standing around. I immediately knew I drove into the aftermath of a violent occurrence. Later on I found out the unemployed rioted after the Municipality forbid them to wash people’s cars in the street. Apparently they wash people’s cars without permission and demand money. When they realised they won’t be able to earn an income any more they rebelled against the municipality.  I think the problem can be resolved quite easily. There is no car wash in Grahamstown. I know the welfare organisation I worked at in Melkbos – started a car wash project where the unemployed could come check in and earn some money. We provided the water, the soap, the utensils and the vacuum cleaners and the electricity. We advertised and managed the money. At the end of the day each car washer would get a cut of the day’s innings. Why not start an initiative like this in Grahamstown? Make it legitimate, make it a community project and show support towards people who at least want to work and take initiative. 

Any way – I stayed at the Highlander. It is a lovely guesthouse with a beautiful reception area, restaurant and outside area overlooking a sports field of one of the local schools. The Lowlander (I heard) belongs to the school. A school with a bar – I like it.  Here they have all sorts of functions when there are sport happenings, but they also host music shows during the year and during the National Arts Festival. I love the rustic vibe. Whenever you go to Grahamstown, stay at the Highlander and be sure to go and check a show at the Lowlander. 

    The Highlander at night

The Lowlander (theatre and bar)

Gerald Clark was on a media tour with Ice Carstens (our publicist) and they also happened to be passing through Grahamstown at the same time. So we arranged to share the gig and promote it to the local media in Grahamstown. Ice did a great job. We did a radio interview at RMR Studios (which was fun) and then headed to the theatre to do our sound check and run over a couple of songs. I was very impressed with the turn out of the local journalists. It is not often that one invites media and they all pitch up for the show. It was also cool to see so many young journalists. Perhaps that is why they attend – they are still excited and passionate about their work!

All in all it was a great evening. The crowd was so appreciative and responsive to the music and really made us feel welcome. Ice and I headed out into town to one of the local clubs / bars. Apparently the 25 (+ers) don’t really go there (sounds a lot like me in Stellenbosch). But being tourists – we thought, “What the heck!” and how glad I am that we did go. It was loads of fun. The outside bar has an African feel to it. It felt as if we were sitting somewhere on a beach in Mozambique or the Transkei, and they serve courts!! Late night a bon fire was lit and we listened to some reggae tunes outside. Needless to say I did not find it easy to wake up the next morning. I almost didn’t make my radio interview at Kowie FM.  Check out this bar when you are in Grahamstown…it is called Monastery.

On the road to Port Alfred (the road between Grahamstown and Port Alfred is absolutely beautiful…and made me stumble across Bathurst)…

Kowie FM is in Port Alfred. The station manager (Shaun) and the DJ (Lindsay) were very friendly. We had a quick interview promoting my show in Port Alfred. On my way to Port Alfred I passed through Bathurst for the first time. Oh, how I wish I could spend the day there. What a quaint little town. Next time I drive through there I am going to sleep over. Lindsay tells me a lot of artists and academics live there. He jokes that there are more academics per square meter living there then most places he knows. There are a couple of interesting shops, a vintage clothing shop (that immediately caught my eye) and the Pig & Whistle Hotel (with a bar!) When I played in Port Alfred (which is about 15km’s away from Bathurst) the owner told me the Bathurst Arms is just a nice pub that also does live music. He said I must pop in. The bars in Bathurst looks like those bars where you could get stuck quite easily. I popped in for a Cream Soda and within a minute someone struck up a friendly conversation with me. It is funny how you can fall in love with a place within seconds. It is definitely a “to do” on my list for Eastern Cape next time I come. 

Photos of the bars in Bathurst

                                                                    Bathurst Arms

I also drove past the Big Pineapple. My friend Hermien and her boyfriend told me about it in Grahamstown. I must be honest I did not know that the area was THE pineapple area. I recently became slightly addicted to pineapples. I read that pineapple juice is good for the voice if you have problems singing due to illness or something. I tried it out (I don’t know if it was a placebo effect) but it worked. But I prefer just eating the pineapple. Each morning I have half a pineapple at home. Mmmmmmmm. After a rough night especially – I can literally feel my body clean itself up after I ate my pineapple (bit of useless information there!) 

                                                                            ...in the drive

Port Alfred

If you’re ever in Port Alfred and need a wi-fi spot, you can visit the Lush Café. They serve lekker cheap food and you can sit and work for free. It seems it is the only free wi-fi spot in town. I ate there twice. The chicken salad was really fantastic. The quesadilla I had was not that good. But wow, you eat a meal and drink at least 2-3 drinks and it doesn’t cost you more than R70. Not bad!

When I arrived at the Tap ‘n Turtle I was received by fellow owner, Richard. Richard and Eddie bought the venue about 6/7 months ago. It used to be called “The little theatre on the wharf”.

This venue is in Wharf Street, which is quite a historical street.

View across the street - overlooking the Kowie river...

The backside of the venue formed part of the train station. It is right next to the river where the boats docked with their cargo. 

Next to the Tap ‘n Turtle is a restaurant which was built in the 1800’s. It has underground tunnels that run underneath the river on the one side and the mountain on the other side. It was how they transported water to the boats in the dock. Apparently only 8 months ago the tunnels flooded and the restaurant owner couldn’t even go downstairs into his wine cellar and “underground” restaurant section. It was filled with water. They now cemented the tunnel to prevent it from happening again. The whole restaurant is decorated with huge photos of the Wharf as it was in the 18oo’s. It was in the 1820’s that the Settlers arrived and Lord Somerset and William Cock started with the development of SA’s first man-made harbour. I wanted to visit the Museum (which shares more info about the history of the town – they do not fail to tell the story of the Xhosa’s there either) but they were unfortunately closed when I phoned to find out where they are situated.  If you ever want to visit the Museum you can find them here…http://www.kowiemuseum.co.za/

                                               The old wharf brew and pub (tunnels underground)

Another interesting thing for me is the South African branch of a Dutch college in Port Alfred.  The College is called Stenden South Africa. Apparently there are about 600 students, of which almost half are Dutch. I wonder how and why they decided to open a college in Port Alfred and what their history with the place is. 

My show at the Tap ‘n Turtle aka Little Theatre on the wharf – was not well attended – ONCE again. But I was lucky that those who were there were influencial people in town. Journalists, head of tourism etc. They really loved the show and promised to have the place packed next time I come around. It was good to perform there and get a feel for the town and its people. 

After the show my evening got interesting. A bunch of youngsters pitched up halfway through my gig and very politely listened to and enjoyed the show. After the show their party started, which was quite entertaining for me. I was even hit on by an 18 year old.  Not bad for a 33 year old woman. Haha! I had a “langarm” in this very English town and ended up at a Karaoke night just up the road. It was surreal at times. 

Next morning I had a delicious and cheap breakfast at Frank’s. The chef makes use of the courtyard that also links to the Tap ‘n Turtle. He runs a little restaurant from there.

R29 breakfast!

This courtyard also links to the local antique shop which has the most beautiful furniture. I stumbled upon some old books and newspapers from the 1800’s. They’re not for sale unfortunately. I just love antique shops. Something just grabs me in these places where the past is so present. 

Photo of the Antique shop (right next to the Little Theatre on the Wharf)

I left Port Alfred slightly unfulfilled. It felt as if I have not experienced it to the max. I think it is a place where you must spend a couple of days. Eddie did promise he would take me deep sea fishing and on a boat cruise next time I come. I am going to hold him to it! 

Jeffreysbay

My time here was short since I had to leave early on Sunday morning to get back home before dark. I did however as I drove into Jbay  stop at my favourite spot, Nina’s. They also have free wi-fi so it’s nice if you have some urgent e-mails that need to be sent. Nina’s has a vibey atmosphere and the food is good (there is some serious eye-candy too – seeing that it is Surferville) ;) 

Callie from Potter’s Place always books his artists into the Seashells Luxury Apartments. It is always a good place to stay. One sleeps well there. If you are planning holiday in Jbay and are about 4 people these apartments are great. It is a self-catering apartment with a decent kitchen, a big balcony with its own built in braai. Most of these apartments have more than one bathroom as well. Perfect for families who don’t like roughing it in small cabins, caravans or tents. You can read more about them here http://www.seashell.co.za/

I always go to the Billabong factory when I am here. It is not that cheap but it is a lot cheaper than buying Billabong clothing at commercial stores. And wow, what selection of fashion. I am not a surfer chick and I always find something really beautiful there. It is surprising what they have on offer. There really is something for everyone. From dresses, shorts, tops, jackets,  shoes, bathing suits, hats, purses, handbags, t-shirts,  to scarves etc etc. The men’s options are just as cool. I had to give it a skip this time. When you go - Take your credit card along! Haha. 

About Potter’s Place…it’s really a lovely theatre. Callie the owner always makes me feel at home and has a tremendous passion for what he does. He does not always have an easy task promoting relatively unknown music in Jeffrey’s Bay. I have not seen many theatre owners do so much to market unknown artists. He is creative in his marketing. The food is good and the ambiance is just as great.

Next morning I was invited to have breakfast at an old contact’s house. To my surprise I walked into the most interesting house I have ever been. Inside the house is 2 old Vintage cars, three 8 metre palm trees and a swimming pool. The rest of the house is open plan with little spaces where the family chills. Picture sitting in someone’s house next to a pool, under palm trees, while the host is cooking breakfast on a Weber! I absolutely loved it! What an idea.

Sedgefield, Hoekwil and Wilderness…the road back home and a little detour...

I did not feel like going home yet, so I drove to Wilderness where I took a right turn to Hoekwil.  But before I went there I had to make a stop at my favourite spot in Sedgefield. The Classic Car Sales shop! Unfortunately they are closed on Sundays, but I took a pic anyway. If you are into classic cars, you probably know about this place. If you don’t – be sure to stop here if you ever drive through Sedgefield. This is on my bucket list: stop in Sedgefield – and buy the most beautiful car just for the pleasure of it! 

                                                    The natural Map of Africa (Wilderness)
                                                     You can row around this mountain

                                                            The view from the Hoekwil road

I love Sedgefield and Wilderness. For me it has the perfect combination of all the nature elements I love – the ocean, lagoons, rivers, forests and mountains! It is PERFECT! 

An old family friend lives past Hoekwil on the most serene spot between the trees and the mountains. He has the most beautiful view of the valley. Sometimes you can see little mist towers circling above the tree tops. It looks like fairies dancing (as his late wife would always say). We lit a fire, had crispy chicken, boerewors and potato salad while talking about everything and nothing and listening to classical music – the whole entire night. The next morning I was treated once again by a scrumptious breakfast under the tree in the front garden overlooking the valley. Willem showed me the resident Boomslang called Frikkie (eish!). The sunsets here are beautiful and the green is the greenest green! I left there with a heavy heart.  

                                                                      Willem's stoep

                                                               

                                                                       The sunset

Back home…

Now I am back one day and one night before I head off on the next adventure! 

Will let you know about some nice places and people I encounter there!

Next stop: the Overberg! Bredasdorp, Grabouw & Greyton. 

Here are my upcoming performances:

24 April @ Nachtwacht, Bredasdorp (with Schalk Joubert)

25 April @ Bodemloos Kombuis, Grabouw

26 April @ Searle’s, Greyton (with Schalk Joubert)

30 April @ the Wild Peacock, Stellenbosch (Featuring Henry Steel)

 For more info: http://www.lunapaige.com

New travel blogging plan...

After a few quiet months in the early phase of 2013 - I am now ready to hit the road again!
This year marks many firsts for me in terms of places I will be travelling to. I decided to post all my gig info and tour plans here and to write about interesting experiences and discoveries as I tick down the places I have been to. 

You can also check out the places I am going to in advance and if you know of special things to do or places to visit in these areas, please let me know so I can make some time to go and see them and perhaps blog about it. :)

Here is the plan for the month of April. There will probably be some extra gigs coming in at the end of April - so do watch this space...

Luna Paige will be doing a couple of short tours to various destinations in SA during April

After an exciting 2012 (collaboration with blues man Gerald Clark and the release of her first Afrikaans DVD and CD, Storielied), Luna is back in the saddle and ready to travel across SA in 2013. This year also marks Luna’s first performances in the Netherlands (June 2013). Please have a look at Luna’s list of performances for April.

16 April – 20 April: Eastern Cape Tour

This one I will be doing on my own! "Ek en die langpad, Lekker!"

16 April @ Barklystraat Theatre, Uitenhage, Contact: 041 922 0575

17 April @ Lowlander, Grahamstown, Contact: 046 622 3564

19 April @ Music Kitchen, Port Elizabeth, Contact: 041 364 1964

20 April @ Potter’s Place, Jeffrey’s bay, Contact: 042 293 2500

24 April – 30 April: ‘Platteland’ tour with Schalk Joubert

24 April @ Nachtwacht Restaurant, Bredasdorp, Contact: 082 927 9706

25 April @ Bodemloos Kombuis, Grabouw, Contact: 021 846 8298

26 April @ Searle’s, Greyton, Contact: 028 254 9550

Please send me some suggestions if you have any!!!! 

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26 Oktober 2012: Centurion

'n Geskenk uit 'n onverwagte oord


Ek het die 20ste Oktober in die pad geval om my Storielied CD en DVD aan Suid-Afrika bekend te stel. Ek het geweet ek gaan vir 'n hele maand op die pad wees en het beplan om op te tree in 6 provinsies. So daar klim ek toe in my huurmotortjie, met my PA system, my maand se supplies en 'n hart vol hoop dat die toer suksesvol sal wees. Die vorige toer (wat in September plaasgevind het) het nie so goed afgeloop nie. Ek het in een van daardie berugte storms ingery, my kar het gegly, en ek is kadoef in 'n boom vas waarna ek by 'n afgrond afgetuimel het. Dit was 'n grooooooooot skrik en ek is uiters dankbaar dat ek ongeskonde daarvan afgekom het. Die snaakse ding is dat my ma (wat in die Kaap was, wyl ek in Gauteng in 'n boom vasgery het) op daardie presiese oomblik 'n angstigheid oor haar gekry het...doodstil gaan staan het in die sitkamer, haar hande bymekaar geslaan het en gebid het dat ek beskerm sal word. Min wetende dat ek haar net daarna sou bel om te se ek was in 'n erge ongeluk. Die tipe telepatie laat mens wonder, ne. As sy nie daardie beskermende woorde oor my uitgespreek het nie?

So het ek toe my eerste show by die Centurion teater gehad op die 26ste Oktober. Ek was reg om my stories vir die mense te vertel. Minwetende dat iemand die aand vir my 'n inspirerende storie sou bring.


Die aand was heerlik. Tog moet ek se dat ek my musikant vriende gemis het. Ek het die toer solo aangepak en kyk, die senuwees terg baie meer as mens so op jou eie in die kleedkamer sit en wag vir die 5 minute call. Dankie vader vir rooiwyn!

Daar vergeet ek om te reel dat iemand my help aanttrek - ek het een van daai ou Victoriaanse corsetterige tipe rokke gehad - en kon toe nie self die toutjies bymekaar trek agter my rug nie. Paniekbevange hoor ek toe gelukkig my vriendin is reeds by die teater. Sy storm toe maar backstage in en maak my vas met 'n allerverskriklike lot moeite. Kyk! Corsette is nie vir sissies gemaak nie. Ek weet nie hoe daai vrouens dit gehou het nie. Mens kan nie droom daarvan om te gaap in so outfit nie. En ek gaap as ek nervous is. Nodeloos om te se was daar 'n paar ongemaklike oomblikke.

Die gehoor was lieflik gewees. Die klank en beligting was stunning. Dit is darem altyd by Centurion Teater.

Daar was 'n ou oom wat voor die vertoning al by my kom inloer het. Hy het my raakgelees in 'n koerant of iets en besluit hy wil vir my 'n geskenk bring indien hy die vertoning geniet. Aan die einde van die vertoning het hy na my toe aangestap gekom met 'n goue geskenksakkie, aan my geaddresseer: "vir Luna, die filosoof", het die kaartjie gelees. Ek was diep geraak, maar ook oorval deur mense - en ek kon nie so indiepte met die oom gesels soos wat ek graag wou nie.

Die inhoud van die goue geskenkpakkie was 'n Engelse boek met die naam Ghost Boy. Die boek is geskryf deur Martin Pistorius. Dit handel oor 'n seun (Martin Pistorius homself) wat in 1988 baie siek geraak het. Die siekte het hom stom gelaat. Hy was ook gebind aan 'n rolstoel binne 18 maande. Daar is gese dat die jong seun die verstand van 'n baba het en dat daar geen hoop vir hom is nie. Die oom was so passievol oor die boek, hy het selfs vir my kopiee gemaak van koerantuitknipsels oor die boek en Martin Pistorius. Die boek handel oor Martin se stryd met die siekte, sy onwrikbare wilskrag en hoe hy teen alle verwagtinge vir die wereld bewys het dat hy nie die verstand van 'n baba het nie, maar normaal dink en voel en tot veel meer instaat is as wat van hom verwag word. Hy het homself op 'n genesingspad gesit.

Soos ek deur die artikels gelees het besef ek toe die oom was die dokter wat die seun behandel het. Dr Loubie Loubser wil he ek moet 'n liedjie oor die wonderwerk skryf. En hoekom dan nie. Ek sien uit om die boek te begin lees. Nog meer sien ek uit om Dr Loubser te kontak en vir hom dankie te se, eerstens dat hy my en my musiek raakgesien en erken het, dat hy die moeite gedoen het om vir my die boek te bring en vir die inspirerende storie wat hy op die manier met my gedeel het. 

Wat Storielied my laat besef het is dat ons almal stories het, ons vind aanklank daarby, ons IS stories. En ons het 'n inhirente behoefte om hulle te deel. Met soveel nare dinge wat in die wereld aan die gang is - moet ons nie vergeet van die stories van hoop, deursettingsvermoe en liefde nie. Ons moet juis hierdie stories met mekaar deel - sodat ons onsself gedurig kan herrinner dat daar altyd hoop is.

Sodra ek die boek klaar gelees het, sal ek bietjie daaroor skryf in my Boeke blog. Intussen, vertel 'n bietjie as daar 'n storie is wat jou pad gekruis het en jou weer opnuut hoop gegee het. :)