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Oribi Mom

Oribi Mom: Number Three 18 Months and The Next Phase

“I wonder if the next phase is going to be just as eventful?”

Heather Lind.

February 16, 2024

It seems impossible, but here we are. The youngest of the three Oribi farm boys in our house is already eighteen months old. He is running around, navigating steps, imitating the Samango calls and climbing antics, and eating mince by himself. Well, that last one is a ‘sort of’ by himself, because a lot of it still lands up on the floor for the two dogs or the two million ants that apparently live under our home.

Eighteen months ago, we were in NICU and unsure whether we would be going home with or without him. I don’t wish that on any mother or father. Now, here we are, a world away, and trying to keep up with the shoe sizes changing every few weeks. We’ve exchanged time standing still for weeks that fly by and make you wonder how on earth the pantry can be empty again. Didn’t we just go shopping? Weren’t there two full boxes of grapes in the fridge yesterday? Farm boys are hungry boys.

One at primary school, one at playschool, and one in nappies. Three that love tractors, trucks, TLBs, jigaduzas, and crop-spraying helicopters. One that’s allergic to penicillin. Another that’s allergic to being told ‘no’.

Time Waits For Nobody, So Enjoy It

We’re two-and-a-half years down the line from the rioting that had night watch duty, and four years on from the start of the global pandemic. Did we really wear masks and avoid malls and deplete the toilet paper stocks of every shop everywhere? What a crazy few years it’s been for these particular parents of very small children. It seems like the world has not only turned on its axis but also flipped upside down a few times. I suspect that many of you can relate, even if stinky nappies haven’t been part of your recent experience.

And life goes on. It is going on.
It feels a little overwhelming to speculate what a few more years could bring when the last seven for our family have been, well, let’s call it surprising. God isn’t surprised, no doubt. For the rest of us, it’s all a bit of a rollercoaster.

I wonder if the next phase is going to be just as eventful here in Oribi Gorge. Adventure awaits, I’m sure.

Published here.

South Korea, Travelinds

Travelinds visit Everland

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07 July 2013

I won free tickets to Everland resort through Korea Tourism Organization on Twitter last week! Obviously, we used our first opportunity to take advantage of the free entry to this theme park about an hour south of Seoul.

We headed out on Saturday morning full of anticipation and unsure of what to expect. We got there before opening time, found out our tickets were “comprehensive” and so completely covered our entrance fees and all the facilities, rides and fun! Whoopee — a great start to the day!

Everland Isn’t Just a Theme Park With Great Rides

South Korea’s Everland turned out to be a huge resort of sorts, including an impressive theme park, plenty of entertainment, a zoo, global themed ‘villages’, sky rides, gardens and lots more to experience. It was a struggle to decide what to do so we tried to do everything! And just about succeeded.

Never Underestimate the Scope of Everland

Pro Tip: Wear comfortable shoes when you’re going to this massive entertainment location. Everything is a long walk away.

Our highlights at Everland were the rides, animals, sky lifts and candy floss. We also enjoyed the bird show and the African exhibit hall, even thought it had its own lonely meerkat.

The Living Residents Were Endearing

The zoo was impressive – Korea’s largest zoo – but being South African, our hearts are always happiest when animals are free. There’s something unbeatable about seeing a creature in its natural environment and being treated with the awe and respect that all wild creatures deserve!

That said, the monkey enclosures were interesting. My favorites to watch were the tiny marmosets. During the bird show we saw everything from a Golden Eagle to an owl and guinea fowls. The birds looked in great condition, which made the show seem more acceptable somehow.

The Rest of Everland Was Better

On the theme park side of things, we splashed through the flume ride, bumped each other’s Dodge ‘Ems, and spun around while swinging on the “Hurricane.” Then, we finally braved the HUGE wooden T-Express — a rollercoaster. It was H’s first time on one, and whew! It was a proud day for wimpy me!

Grateful for our free tickets, we made the most of the time at Everland. We arrived at opening time and left almost at closing time. Exhausted, we then realised that we’d likely need a couple more days to cover every inch of this “resort.” We definitely gave it our best effort, though.

The best of our Everland memories will always be the rides. There was also plenty of queues, constant walking to and from places, water spray fans to cool off and friendly Everland employees. The happy children everywhere also reminded us that there was loads of fun to be had in all directions here.

Thanks Korea Tourism Organization for the awesome day!