Photo collage

Here are some photos of my house.  Notice the security bars on all the windows and doors and the armed response system.  Security and protecting yourself against crime is a way of life here.  I will do a post about crime in SA soon.

Please forgive the state of my garden etc, we have a v bad drought here and there are severe water restrictions. You are only allowed to water your garden with a bucket.  We’ve installed a grey water system to help out (where your bath / shower / washing machine water is recycled into your garden).

Comments

[Sue]

Loved these pics, Tertia. I am looking forward to reading more about life in SA. Your house looks great and I'm happy you can display not one but TWO Baby on Board stickers on your car! Loved the pic of the scary guard dog flat out on the warm cement soaking up that autumn sun :)

[Sherry]

I totally understand security bars etc. In Bangladesh, all houses have grills on windows but criminals are more enterprising and often come equipped to cut through them! We also have high walls topped with shards of glass and usually security guards (in reality they're bloody useless) once it starts getting dark.

By contrast, where my parents live in Sri Lanka is much more relaxed. The French windows opening out on to the patio and garden don't have any sort of extra protection. That said, we do have a massive pony-sized dog!

Your house looks lovely though... the patio and the BBQ... sigh. I want them in my house too!

[chris]

Thanks for the photos and the discussion of your life in South Africa. It is fascinating.

[Lily]

I LOOOOOVE seeing pics of your house!

[jennifer]

I'm really enjoying learning more about SA and your life. I look forward to reading Rose's thoughts, if she shares them!
You're BBQ~Wow! What I would GIVE for that!
Its sad though that you have to have security bars etc...but if it has always been a part of your life, I'm sure you have always been comfortable with it!
Oh...and I hate you! Your match stick legs! You suck! 3 months after delivering!
Keep sharing, please!

[Kam]

Ferocious gay guard dog most impressive, as are match-stick legs.

Your grey water system sounds wonderful. We used grey water in Japan because water's so expensive, but had to pump it out of the tub and washer, into a bucket, which was a pain. I'd love to have a system here in the States, but most people groan in disgust when you describe it. Just wait until you NEED it, huh? Lucky bastards.

[Nicole]

Tertia, I thing you have a major problem. It appears that one of your dogs is eating the food meant for both of them. Or maybe it was just the angle of the camera that made the homosexual one look skinny and the lazy one look, well, not.

No really, love the pictures! I *love* seeing how other people live. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd go to more open houses just to break and enter without getting arrested.

[Laura]

Dumb question of the day: which side of the road do you drive on in SA? I couldn't tell in the car pic which side the steering wheel is on.

[scott]

T, how about you tape recording rose, if she is uncomfortable with writing? Neen has one of those posh 'reporter' tape recorders with the weenie tapes. You could interview her, and then transcribe the results.
There's no country quite like ours, hey?
Have a lekker week, sus.

[Christel]

I want match stick legs also!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wha-ha-ha *sob*

[Egg Donor]

I have 2 giant, lesbian golden retrievers who also are quite ferocious sounding. The poor UPS guy just tosses the packages toward our front door, unaware that he would suffer (at worst) a flurry of licks.

Love the pictures of your house. It looks beautiful.

[Rosemary]

Tertia, those pictures made me homesick. I'm from Perth, Western Australia, (but currently live in Ohio, USA) and the pictures you have shown look so much like Perth lifestyle. The brick houses, dry landscape, bright blue sky, vegetation and even the grey water. Man I'd forgotten how beautiful it is. I guess that is why we ended up with lots of SA expats in Perth: because the climate and lifestyle doesn't appear to be all that different on the surface.

Love the pics!

[MollieBee]

It's beautiful.

[Sarah]

Beautiful house. It reminds me of the american southwest.
Sarah

[usako]

ahaha! excellent! i love the photos, but i love them even MORE with the little captions you write on them. you are too funny!! =)

[elana]

tertia...i love seeing the pictures of your house and hearing your stories of growing up. it's a very different world.

what is your view, when you look out your windows?

[eve]

Your home looks so beautiful! I think it's so amazing how a place a world away looks like it could be plopped down right next door to me, without looking out of place at all. :) Even with the bars. They are very common where I live (Los Angeles, CA). When I moved to the Midwest as a teen, everyone was so surprised that I could live in an area where houses had bars on the windows, or even fences around the yards. I guess it all just depends on what one is used to. So interesting, thanks for sharing!

[projgen]

Love your house, bbq and v dry garden. Couldn't you rouse the ibexes for the photo session? lazy buggers. But, you've never mentioned your dogs before, have you? Your neurotic cat, yes, but the dogs? On behalf of all dogs and dog lovers everywhere: Hmph.
;)

[poeia]

Now you have to post photos of your house! I spent my whole supper telling my husband about you and SA. I love what you have been writing.

[maia]

More pics of the house please! So interesting learning about your part of the world..

[andrea]

Looks a lot like Australia (except the bars on the windows)

[LPF]

Very beautiful and I love reading about what your life was like growing up. I hope that Rose is okay with sharing her experiences. It's really educational for us sheltered Americans.

BTW, I assume you mean "v sad potted plant" and not "v sad pot plant"--unless marijuana is legal in SA. ;)

[Neety]

Wow, look at all that security.
I live in Sydney and we leave the windows open at night and I'd feel safe walking home from the bus stop with just my undies on. Only in summer obviously.

[chrisc]

Wow Tertia I never knew security was such a problem in SA. Look at all those scary bars. I love your home. I love your photos. Makes it so fun to read your blog 'in living color'like this.

Hmmm. Homosexual dog. Did I miss a post or something?

[Debe]

It looks lovely there. I may have to talk D. into moving, we could ride our Harley all year round

[AyEnDeeAreEeAyAitch]

Thanks for sharing the pics and I love your matchstick legs!

[Lioness]

This is a fab idea, I'm enjoying this loads! The only knowledge I had of SA, apart from the news, was from both Kaffir Boy books (heartbreaking, gets to be too much after a while) and The Power of One. Oh yes, and all the very seriously fucked up Boer volunteers on the kibbutz - very scary people some of them. So your voice is refreshing. And you're posting like crazy! T dahling, see those mushrooms by the sleeping beasts? LEAVE THEM ALONE.

Dry landscape, blue skies, heat - that does it for me, yes. Vast and open, no bloody greenery everywhere preventing you from seeing all around you. That's why i so badly need to visit Oz and SA, I know I will fit right in.

[Monique]

Wow! Your house is zombie-proof! In case of zombie attack, you are so set.

[Anne]

LOL with the pick of the scary homosexual watch dogs because I think I’ve got the same two dogs. My parents have two Ridgebacks and sure they can look intimidating but if you came in our back door vs. ringing the bell for the front they would probably only lick you to death IF they awoke form their nap! But boy you gotta love those red beasts and they can be good with kids.

[Jill]

Tertia - I love the pics and the insights into SA. Just a couple of comments intended to make you laugh, or at least chuckle.

In America, 'chub' is slang for hard-on or erection. So your chubb security system is really great. Hopefully you will smirk whenever you see that sign now.

Secondly, Baby on Board signs were very trendy in the 80's here in the states. (I was in high school.) I should also state that my mom has a wickedly irreverent sense of humor. so, she got one of those signs, a baby doll, and nailed it with this big nail to a piece of wood.....get it? baby..on..board. She got the bird (middle finger, is that universal?) from so many people, and hateful notes left on her car. she loved it.

Carry on.

[Jill]

Tertia - I love the pics and the insights into SA. Just a couple of comments intended to make you laugh, or at least chuckle.

In America, 'chub' is slang for hard-on or erection. So your chubb security system is really great. Hopefully you will smirk whenever you see that sign now.

Secondly, Baby on Board signs were very trendy in the 80's here in the states. (I was in high school.) I should also state that my mom has a wickedly irreverent sense of humor. so, she got one of those signs, a baby doll, and nailed it with this big nail to a piece of wood.....get it? baby..on..board. She got the bird (middle finger, is that universal?) from so many people, and hateful notes left on her car. she loved it.

Carry on.

[Shylah]

I'm cracking up at the homosexual watchdog. I don't even want to know.

[Graeme]

Nice pics! Looks like you're in a pretty nice area. I'm so glad we don't have water problems in JHB though...