flaps...more flaps...flappiNG!

Always, an exploring of 'over the seas' & beyond the country of 'the big five'- South Africa; this move has been within our sight.
It was only just recently when a great opportunity 'invited' us to Germany and again, just recently, how the timing etc. etc. has worked smoothly, allowing for this move.

Last year (2006) this opportunity arose.
A good amount of business trips to Germany, also an establishment of contacts; enabled us to come for a month long project in October. On this particular trip in October, we came as a family.

While at work each day, Liesel & Levi would abandon the hotel to explore their first 'tasting' of this area in Germany!

It was at this time, I was invited to sign an offer to work permanently for a German company. This is with abat AG (http://www.abat.de/), the company is currently placing me with DaimlerChrysler- Sindelfingen. Here, we're working on a number of international projects, where the project language is in English.
As a start, this is really great, giving me time to learn the language of our new home!

After a long-hot-sticky December, FILLED with packing and organising, the organising made up of fine details; I left S.A and also my wife & baby boy, to arrive to VERY cold Germany!
This was the 11th of January 2007.

Most UNFORTUNATELY, Liesel and Levi stayed behind in S.A due to, & because of an UNEXPECTED delay in getting Levi's full birth certificate! This in turn, delayed them FURTHER in getting their visa's!

My new boss decided it would be a better idea that I stayed in a hotel for a few days. This would greatly help to orientate myself and adjust. This given opportunity was really very helpful! The apartment we're renting was still completly bare at that stage! I would have been sleeping on the floor if this was my only choice!

Flew to Berlin in that first week, to the abat headquarters.
Here I collected my cell phone and laptop, also generally learnt of the in's and out's of the company.

Arriving back to Stuttgart-Sindelfingen, I got in touch with my freind Martin Renz!

Martin

Martin lives here, though grew up in S.A. having German parents, so is completely bi-lingual! The next few days Martin helped me with getting a bed, a chair, some crockery & cutlery. These to assist in moving in-to the apartment.

Empty apartment!

Also, we carefully scanned out car seats for Levi.
In Germany, they are very strict & particular, as such, that babies & small children are well strapped into there own seats when travelling in a vehicle.

Before Liesel & Levi had arrived, directly once I had moved into the apartment, I started work. This in itself was overwhelming!
I had been in my previous position for just less than 10 years & now working in this new environment was a BIG step out of comfort zone (not mentioning all of everything else). The work was fortunately not too hectic as was expecting. I managed to ease into it, then eventually get the 'hang of things'. The contract is for only 4 days a week. At that stage, I would use these hours to organise all things that I needed to get done, also, to familiarise with all of the new surroundings!

Martin introduced me to the climbing gym.

Climbing Gym in Karlsruhe

He takes this very seriously; 'climbed' also in S.A.
He mentioned how this sport is taken seriosly here in Europe & encouraged; when at school (St. Andrew's) it was merely an activity.
At the climbing gym in Stuttgart (Korb), he's responsible for assisting in setting-up the climbing routes each week.
Every Tuesday & Thursday after work, I went for a climb. There was some fun too!

After a few weeks, it snowed. This was not a little snow, this was a LOT!! Hectic, totally hectic! SO cold!
The driving, a completely new experience! Scary too! The roads, extremely slippery, and tricky! I saw a few accidents, though really really surprised there weren't more!




In all this time, Liesel and Levi were still stuck in East London. During the hottest months of the year!
The house in Winterstrand was at this stage empty; we slept our last sleep there 2nights before I left. MoO!!
Liesel & Levi 'juggled' their stay, first with Liesel's parents ...

Dad

Mom

... then with 'Beani'(Colleen Craik). This is 'Jessel's' mum.

Bean

Apparently, Liesel depended HUGELY on the pram! She explains that this was her trusted 'assistant'! Also that this helped her... "feel a little in control maybe, then at least, a little, sane!"
Jess & Emily(sister), apparently, would encourage time out of the pram, whenever they found this 'chance'!

Ted, JohnO, Beani, Em, Jess (Craik Family)

When arriving here, even the winding stairs didn't stop Liesel from trying to get it up to our floor..... & down!

SMOOTHIES!...became a every-morning, early greeting in 'Beani's' home!
Faithfully, Bean prepared for all, their fruity portion! Liesel claims: "this was a nurturing boost each day!" Levi too, had his especially specially. Today he has great PASSION for fruit! Thanks Beani!

ENDLESS e-mails & phone calls to & from the travel agent, dealings with the German & South African embassies and... more endless e-mails & phone calls....
At every possible angle, 'dad' was helping!
[!hectic-hectic-manic-hectic!]
....2months later!

EVENTUALLY!, FINALLY!.... visa's CAME THROUGH!
Immidiately, Liesel & Levi's flights were booked. The date & time of departure could now be known with surity.

Liesel & Levi arrived in Stuttgart on the 9th of March. They slept most of the way in the plane having been offered a row of centre seats(4 seats), a comfortable space to journey, to a long-desired destination!
The airport in Stuttgart was their place of arrival. And also, this was for them a place of adventure!
... all 'shock smitten', with life moving super-quickly, all-unfamiliar around them;... they were in domestic departures instead of baggage terminal! Liesel mentions the PRAM. How this caused confusion with luggage...!?

AND THEN... half an hour later we were REUNITED again!!! The 'MOO'S', our little trio together again!

Right now, together again & reunited, we are living in Herrenberg-Mönchberg. Mönchberg is a little village, about a 5 min drive from Herrenberg, positioned on the very top of a hill, at the start of the Schönbuch forest. The history of southern Germany & generally the culture, is well maintained here! Though we've managed to find a 'modern splash' right in the heart of this little village, which has become to us our 'home-sweet-home'! This is a 4 apartment block, of which the top 2 floors are our comfortable nest - our 'space' being larger than our home in S.A. (moo lots of cleaning every week!!)

The cherry trees blossoming

View from the deck

Lother & Heidi- with their girls- Lisa & Christine; the Strohms - live on the ground floor of our apartment block.

When Liesel got all prepared to brave a walk in the forest (try 'kill' the fear of 'peeping-out' into 'new world', on her own); was when she had her first 'meeting' with the Strohm family!
-- hee! hee!
First, trying carefully-carefully down the stairs WITH PRAM WITH LEVI IN PRAM! "HECTIC! HECTIC!.....MOO!....(..i.!)...!". Levi lent forward! Liesel had to go immediatly into survival-mode, right that second! She grabbed Levi, tried desperately, somehow, to also balance pram & everything at the same time! 'DESPERATE TIMES CALL ...' indeed ... so she bellowed-out 'Heidi', hoping desperately, someone would come HELP!

HECTIC stairs!

The whole of Strohm family came rushing to see & rescue. Lother (husband & father) insisted that she sit down with them & drink sugar water "for the terrible shock!" Then certainly, when all was well again, "a coffee"!
That day Liesel & Levi's walk didn't happen. The Strohm's didn't think this good just then!

Since, on Liesel's OWN desperate request, the pram lives in the garage!
Levi sleeps in his cot during day naps.
Now, he's had great opportunity for a whole lot of 'tummy-time'!
He's begun to crawl!

Eventually though, Liesel did venture out again to the 'walk in the forest' she'd planned. Only, this time, they 'met' the pram at the bottom of the stairs.
The paths are very well made-&-kept, also well signed. This helps loads with finding the different routes etc etc.






Except, Liesel pushed through an extremely rugged path on their 'little journey'.

Path at the top of the 'rolling hills'

She was thinking that it seemed very different, very much more rugged & overgrown than the one we all walked together a couple of days before....
...but, followed this till its end!-"high-bumpy-bumpy-high!"
This is apparently a short cut!

Liesels moo path

About 100 meters from us is a very traditional, small Catholic church. A small, quaint, church building with a clock tower & a steeple. This is a working bell! The bell rings every 15 minutes. Also, many different events trigger the bell to go off! Then it is a fully fledged ringing!!
These bells are all around, in all the villages & Stuttgart also.

In April we got our residency permits - Till the end of the year we are valid German residents. If wanting to continue staying in Europe, we must re-apply.
If we decide to stay for 5 years or more, then we can get permanent residency. This will give us full European passports.

... und so arriving to a foreign country after knowing only a country of a completely different nature, we said 'Goodbye', with bittersweet flavour, to Africa, and 'Hello!' to Europe. Now, we look forward to building a good life! The longing for our dearest ones always existing. Much of all we have shared has been an introduction, as such, to Germany. As time gives we will share more!