ARTS & PHONETICS

I saw a few movies on the plane in March, but the sound was working for the flights to the States, so I read lips. Interestingly enough, South Africans move their lips much less than say Americans do. I’m specifically referring to white South Africans. Though they do have a bit of inflection, they tend to drone their voices in an uninteresting way, but it’s hard for Americans to detect because initially it sounds more sing-songy because of an initial way of starting a sentence or for short phrases or sentences. The British and Aussies sing more in their speech than do the white South Africans. And Americans move their mouths more than South Africans making reading lips easier (for a non-South African and non-American) for someone from another country.

My favorite event in Cape Town happened this Palm Sunday weekend, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. It has really built itself into a big international event on the music calendar. So we get people from all over South Africa and all over the world. Here’s a link.



http://www.capetownjazzfest.com/

GLOBAL SLEEPOVER

GLOBAL SLEEPOVER

Hey Friends,

Bring your passport, pack your favorite pajamas, and come join a Sleepover - The Global Sleepover™! After all, who doesn't love a sleepover? We'd love to have you stop by, visit, sign-in, and leave your comments at:

www.globalsleepover.com



I'm writing to tell you about a children's project I've been working on called The Global Sleepover, product of Forty Winks, LLC,. Everywhere suddenly becomes a Sleepover - imagine a Sleepover at Machu Picchu in Peru , ancient Mayan ruin, castles of Scotland , ice patches of Antarctica, pyramids of Egypt !

What is The Global Sleepover? At its core, The Global Sleepover invites children (ages 7-11) to accompany fictional characters on fictional sleepovers at locations throughout the world through books, Sleepover GearPacks, online interactive options, and more. Sleepover GearPacks contain everything a child needs for a Sleepover in any country- items for the GearPacks are procured from small and women-owned businesses. Children can also get their own diplomatic passport and visa stamps (to use to log-in online) for each Sleepover location! We'll also have Sleepovers at organizations/institutions providing creative, positive and progressive solutions to social problems. For example, Sleepover at an art therapy home in Africa, an eco-farm in Brazil , a hydropowered plant in Micronesia .

First Book: The first book, Sleepover at the White House, is due out May 2009.

Who are the Sleepover characters? Meet Clarity (age 10.5) and Juliet (age 10)! Pictures attached. The personality and look of Clarity the character is based on my god-daughter Clarity. The project was established with much creative consult from the "real-life" Clarity. This led to plans for a Sleepover Children's Education Initiative, providing educational programs, and Sleepover Little Entrepreneurs Program, encouraging children as entrepreneurs. Because listening to children is all it takes.

I've been thinking about Sleepovers all the time lately but I'm real excited with this! Send any comments you may have - looking forward to seeing you on a Sleepover!

Cheers,
Geeta

Geeta Raj
Founder, The Global Sleepover
President, Forty Winks, LLC
graj@globalsleepover.com
www.globalsleepover.com
"Who Doesn't Love a Sleepover?"

I'M BACK!!!

I've still been writing updates, but I haven't posted them. And then I took a break from May through June. So I will post some from April and some new ones from July. Glad to see you, again!

NOVEMBER CHOIR CONCERT 2008

Our Xhosa Praise Poet. He added a lot to our songs.



The girls and our guitarist


Xhosa Princesses


The Boyz



The Girlz--the girls on the outside our American Exchange Students



The Drummer, Two Singers, and I


The Beautiful Candy and Monique. Monique is our Secretary.

Michelle and I at a seafood place. Watch the hair. Ha!


Michelle's mom and I

At Africa Cafe with Michelle's mom and a nice waiter.



Sunsets







More Sunsets

SUNSETS & HAIR by michelle

These were taken on top of Table Mountain by my friend Michelle.








They show a bit of my unruly but quite natural hair.







The sunsets are beautiful here. We're lucky that the sun actually sets over the ocean (we're on the west coast of Africa), so it's amazingly beautiful most nights.