Aubrey
Welsh
Cape Town - Feb 2022
Durban - Dec/Jan 2022
In December '21 and Jan '22, I was in Durban, South Africa visiting my elderly mother whom I had not seen for about two and a half years. She and I are the only two remaining members of our nuclear family which numbered six people.
​
She is in relatively good health and at 94 years old has seen and done much in her life.She has visited me twice in New Zealand and when I was teaching in Hong Kong, she visited there twice as well. She seemed to enjoy HK a little more than NZ, principally because of the markets and the abundance of exotic goods on sale.
​
Restrictions on returnees to NZ have now been lifted and I returned to NZ in mid-March after a 14-week stay in South Africa.
Johannesburg - Jan 2022
Derrich Gardner, apart from being a most professional broadcaster, had his incredible photo's of the Johannesburg skyline exhibited publicly. Russel Barlow-Jones attended the Opening with me.
Maralin Vanrenen, Barry Davies, Janice Honeyman - at a wonderful lunch together in Johannesburg. I have known this thespian 'bunch' for many decades and yet when we get together it seems we only met yesterday.
One of the elements of travel that I simply love is the exposure to weird and wonderful things. Take this simple can of drink on the left which I found in a local supermarket, Checkers. The name caught my eye, of course, but on drinking the first of the six-pack, I was caught off-guard by the taste. When I re-read the label (which I thought I had read previously but obviously not), I was surprised to note 'with a hint of chilli'. To say the least I am now addicted to the drink but I did also notice the 'high caffeine content'. Now what drink shall I add to this mixer?
As both Mom and I are both aging, I have decided to reflect on our lives and record as much as I can about our family. When covid struck and I found myself without gainful employment, I embarked on a mission to record a timeline of my own life.
​
As I did this, I gathered visual images of our lives and, in particular, those which featured my mom. As a special gift, I compiled a visual collection of those photos and had "Tilly's Photobook" printed. Tilly was her nickname when she was much younger and so I thought it appropriate to name it so.
​
She was thrilled with the gift and I suppose it might feature at family gatherings in the coming months or years!
The Grobler Family
Philip, daughter-in-law Patti with Indie, son Jean with Charlie, Janine
Sunrise shot of the Johannesburg skyline
This sunset shot, taken from my home in Auckland, epitomises my current thoughts and plans about the end of my life. This is not imminent (unless my body knows something I don't) but I have begun to think about how I would like to end my life.
​
Growing older, becoming frail, losing independence, falling into dementia, contracting a terminal illness - are all eventualities which are bound to happen to each of us - it is inevitable. But there is a growing understanding that we are each responsible for our own lives and that there are choices which we can make.
Elsewhere on this website, I explain what I believe 'a completed life' is and I have decided that when the time is right, I will make a decision to pass from this world, peacefully and in dignity. This is not suicide but a process of consciously accepting that my life is complete. As you visit my blog in the time to come, I will continue to share my passage.
