New Dimensions

  The 2023 Rugby World Cup Final on Saturday 28 October was an exciting game to watch. The two best teams that made it to the final gave it their all and kept us spectators biting our nails as it looked like the game could go either way. I know that there was so much at stake because the All-blacks wanted to win so badly. Unfortunately, they made mistakes through bad judgement and received penalty after penalty.  Fortunately, the referee was very unbiased and called the game correctly according to the rules. All praise to him for his good judgement. When he needed to ask the TV judges for a decision because he wanted to make sure all the decisions were fair, it actually improved the game and to show that there were no favourites. For me that made the game more enjoyable, even when it looked like a setback for the Boks. The important thing is that the Springboks won, even if only by just one point. As a South African spectator, I learned just how committed the Springboks were w...

  Three years ago I asked my wife Maggie if she could make me a bag for my iPad. The iPad is too valuable to carry without some form of protection so that it doesn't get scratched or damaged. She is handy with those kinds of things. She then spent a lot of time searching the Internet for a suitable design but nothing suitable could be found. In the end she decided to ask me if we could do the design ourselves. With some adjustments and trial and error we finally got the design we wanted. Maggie then used the template we had made and she cut out the material for the bag. Once that was done we saw the bag emerging from the pieces she had prepared. We also checked that the bag was still able to house the iPad because we made sure it was a tight fit. I just took a photo of my bag which Maggie made 3 years ago so that I could add her heart to the front pocket. The bag has become quite popular and she has made some for a few clients. I use my bag every day because I put my mobile phone i...

Who can resist a beautiful picture of a horse? These elegant animals are majestic and have served mankind for centuries. Many stories have been written about them. They have featured in movies, used to transport stagecoaches across America, transported cavalry across borders into battle. They have ploughed fields, been used to pull chariots for ancient Greeks and Romans. Horses have been raced to enrich people financially. They have been entered into show jumping events. The list goes on. Horses have also roamed the prairies in the wild and that is one way to remember them well. When a picture comes across one’s path that looks so beautiful, we stop and admire it. In my case I decided to paint this one – my very first painting of an animal in watercolours. I am sure a lot of people seeing my painting will know that painting with watercolours is not the easiest thing to do because mistakes happen, and the water paint goes where you don’t want it to go a lot of the time. It doesn’t mat...

  On 15 October, the Rugby World Cup match between the Springboks and the French took place in France. The match started with an early try from the French prop Cyril Baille. Then, Kurt-Lee Arendse sprinted to the corner for a brilliant try and after that Damian de Allende muscled over to give the Springboks a 12-7 lead. The French hooker Peato Mauvaka scored a try, but the conversion failed because Cheslin Kolbe miraculously spoiled the kick. Baille scored again and Ramos converted a penalty to put the blue team into the lead by 22 – 19 as the whistle blew for half-time. In the second half the battle continued as Ramos extended their advantage with a penalty. South African player Etzebeth stretched over fourteen minutes before full time and replacement Handre Pollard converted plus a late penalty. The Springboks were finally victorious with a nail-biting 29 to 28 win. I haven’t seen players battle out a rugby match like this one for a long time. It was physical and intense al...

  On 14 October, the Rugby World Cup match between Argentine and Wales took place in France. The match started with Wales taking the lead. Fourteen minutes into the match Dan Biggar scored the first try for Wales and then converted to push the score up to 7 points. It looked like Wales was on fire because in the 21 st minute Biggar kicked again due to a penalty, and they were leading by 10 to null. In the 39 th minute the Argentinians started smiling when Emiliano Boffelli brilliantly converted a penalty, and they had 3 points on the scoreboard. He struck again in the 45 th minute and pushed their score up to 6. So, at half time it was 10 – 6 in the favour of Wales. The Prince of Wales, William, was in the grandstand. He must have been chuffed. After a long break the game was on again. The Pumas scored again twice with penalties and moved ahead of Wales. In the 55 th minute Wales scored a penalty under the posts. The match swung again in Argentines favour when Joel Sclavi s...

  When the urge comes to paint and I don't have the time to create something elaborate, then I just allow the watercolours to flow wherever they want to. The results can look odd or a bit messy but it's just another practice session, nothing serious. The idea was never to create a masterpiece, only a result. Then I can learn from what I painted and judge what's good and what's not so good. I know the green wasn't such a good idea. But now it's there anyway. There is something very positive and rewarding from this effort. It is an escape from everyday life and the pressures that accompany it. So, it is food to the soul and healing to the mind and body. It is also a creative endeavour to fortify the mind.

  The match started with Tonga putting the first points on the board. Shocker! Tonga looked good and the players were huge, physical guys – like real WWE wrestling champions. Fortunately, it didn’t take the Boks long to score a try and convert it. If I enjoyed the previous games I managed to watch, this one was a real humdinger. Whenever the Tonga players attacked it took everything the Boks had to keep them from scoring. Sometimes you just saw bodies flying around on the field as this rugby match became very physical. You could understand that those massive Tonga guys were able to show their physical strength, but the Boks were just as good in the tackling department. As the game progressed the South African score kept on surging ahead. They really had to show their mettle because their opponents were giving them a run for their money. When it came to scoring those extra kicking points, we weren’t disappointed this time around as the ball kept sailing between the uprights when...

  During the Rugby World Cup in France yesterday the Argentinian team were enjoying a runaway victory against Chile. I didn’t see the start of the game but entered just before half time. Immediately, I saw the passion with which the Chile players were fighting against their rivals. I know from past matches Argentine would be a tough team to score against. When they took possession of the ball soon after that they scored a try and made it look so easy. For a while they had things going their way. But I found myself cheering for the underdogs, Chile, who displayed superhuman tenacity and awesome fighting spirit. During the second half of the game the Chile team seemed to get the break they desperately needed. During a lineout near the Argentinian try line they made a few bold passes, and a player scored their first try. Unfortunately, the TV judge ruled that there was a forward pass, and the Chile score sank back to zero. It was like someone had poured cold water on the Chile sup...