Archive for the ‘Rhodesia’ Category

my fathers adventures in Matabeleland

Posted: 11/09/2012 in Africa, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
Tags: , , , ,
2

for some reason Tuli and the Shangani Patrol keep coming back to me at the moment with references in novels etc now I find that my father has been on another adventure back to Matabeleland and these remote and unspoiled historical regions largely forgotten by the worlds tourists.

If you’d like to visit Zimbabwe please do check out his blog http://www.birdingzimbabwe.com

Birding in Zimbabwe

Hi All

I’m back…………

Let’s continue on our journey.

We left off last time with a fantastic breakfast of the Nesbitt Castle and me telling you that AJS is not a birder but he is passionate about the history of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe – a passion he has had since a boy.  We filled up with fuel and headed south, past Chipangali Wildlife Orphanage, (whose founder Viv Wilson sadly died this week) through Esigodini and Gwanda.  About six kilometres later we turned right and our direction now became south-west.  After about eighty kilometres the tarred surface abruptly ended and an hour later we passed through the metropolis of Hwali !

We were now in the deep south-west of Zimbabwe and Baobab country. The nests are those of the Red-billed Buffalo Weaver.

It is very dry down there and there were plenty of these spiny beasts.  Anyone out there know what they are ?…

View original post 190 more words

Advertisement

Project 52 Week 34

Posted: 22/08/2012 in Africa, Mr Bunny Chow, photography, Project 52, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
3

I’ve been neglecting you my friends, and I’m sorry, sometimes the creative juices just don’t flow beyond my own four walls and I don’t want to keep boring you with near identical pictures of my kids as cute as they may be to me I’m sure that despite my bias to the world at large they are just kids with foppish hair and silly grins.

This weeks theme was portraits and my initial intention was to do some portraits of Mrs Bunny Chow’s cousin the very talented rapper Twig who we had a braai (barbecue) with on Saturday, I really did have good intentions, I got my camera out, I snapped some pictures of the kids in the garden, we talked about lenses and aperture and geeky stuff and then the sun got to me and reminded me that I was unfairly hung over (it was unfair I honestly didn’t have that much to drink the night before and can normally get away with plenty more, sometimes hangovers are just like that) and all good intentions went out the window with nothing useable captured.

Hmmmm well with that one out of the window I was left with either begging Mrs Bunny Chow to pose for me (slim chance of that happening) or utilising my amazing Mother who thankfully flew in to attend the Alzheimer University a fantastic course designed to help Alzheimer’s Societies from around the world. She’s very honoured to be representing the Zimbabwean Alzheimer’s Association and I’m very proud to be her son as she continues to give of her time to this wonderful organisation.

Still we’re here to talk about photography and pictures so here is my chosen portrait of my mother.

portrait of mum

I know it’s becoming a bit of a cliché at the moment but I’ve given a light retro twist to the edit.

I may have to get creative again next week as the suggested theme is sunsets (yes I know they happen every day) and I’m not sure if  or when I’ll have the opportunity to capture a new one as currently sunset falls smack in the middle of bed and bathtime and I don’t want to reach back in to the archives for an older picture to share in this series.

I hope that you’ve all had a great week and I promise that I’ll be making more time for you in the coming weeks.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

Project 52 week 32

Posted: 03/08/2012 in Africa, doodlings, photography, Project 52, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
17

firstly the big news of the day, I have just discovered that I am related to Zimbabwe’s big olympic medal hope, the beautiful Kirsty Coventry, she’s a close relative, she’s my mothers, cousins, grandsons fiance. So there you go I’m related to an olympic medal winner, world champion, world record-breaking athlete, who’d have thunk it.

Anyway this week I’m clutching at the most tenuous of straws again when it comes to following the guidelines of this project (Animals) but after taking several dozen pictures of Bunny Chow this week I’ve not really been very pleased with any of them and my cants have been uncooperative then this morning I’ve been doodling whilst on the phone at work and before I knew it I’d doodled this picture of Wol who I’m very proud of.

Owl took Christopher Robin’s notice from Rabbit and looked at it nervously. He could spell his own name WOL, and he could spell Tuesday so that you knew it wasn’t Wednesday, and he could read quite comfortably when you weren’t looking over his shoulder and saying “Well?” all the time, and he could……A.A.Milne

In case you are wondering about my spelling Wol refers back to several quotes from the dyslexic Owl in the genius of the great A A Milne’s House at Poo Corner. In case you are wondering about what sort of owl Wol is the answer is he’s a generic horned owl from my imagination. Maybe a Scops Owl because they’re cute and go prrrp.

Hope you’ve had a great week, next week we’re going to be looking at textures until then

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

Urgent Appeal !!!

Posted: 26/07/2012 in Africa, Bunny Chow, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
9

As many of you know I’m a Zimbabwean by birth and still have a great draw to my homeland. I have made Britain my home but left my heart in Africa.

As such when I see things like this post below from my father on his own blog www.birdingzimbabwe.com I feel not only outraged but saddened at the continued rape and pillaging still being wrought on so much of Africa in order to make that elusive quick buck. Please read the post and sign the petition regardless of where in the world you might be.

Many thanks and TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

Hi All

Well the Hwange trip Post will have to wait because something else has come up.

Harare is well-known internationally as a fantastic city for birding for the “special” vlei species (a vlei is a natural wetland or seep).  Various Cisticola’s, Crake’s, Flufftail’s and the more colourful Bishop’s and Widow’s.

Vlei’s are enormously important for much more than just the birdlife !! The torrential tropical rainwater is held back by the ‘sponge’ action of the vlei and then released slowly into the downstream waterways over a period of many months. This water is cleaned and purified in the process and of course flooding is also averted.

One of the biggest vlei’s is the Borrowdale Vlei.

It is under threat !!

See below……….  please assist………….

Here’s the petition for forwarding to your friends:

Stop Loss of Borrowdale Vlei

Plans are underway for construction of a massive shopping centre called the Mall of Zimbabwe on what is left of one of Harare’s few remaining wetland areas, the Borrowdale Vlei. These plans are going ahead despite the fact that an independent environmental impact assessment has not been undertaken.

The ecosystem services of flood attenuation and water purification are being over looked and the full environmental ramifications need to be carefully considered. In addition, wetlands play an important role in absorbing water in the wet season and then releasing this water in dry seasons. There are 6.5 million people living within the catchment system linked to the Borrowdale Vlei who are dependent upon the water it stores and then releases. We therefore urge Vice President Mujuru to consider an alternative site for the Mall of Zimbabwe.

http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Stop_Loss_of_Borrowdale_Vlei/?tta

Reblogged with permission from Tony Wood (c) www.birdingzimbabwe.com

Who are you?

Posted: 25/07/2012 in Africa, baby preparations, being dad, Bunny Chow, Courtney Boots, Mr Bunny Chow, ouch, photography, Project 52, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
28

when I first started this blog I’d never even read another blog or even given much thought over to blogging as a means of communication.

My early posts were mostly long rambling complaints about terrible customer service I’d received from a succession of terrible companies and restaurants and I was seething and boiling over to the point of driving my nearest and dearest to distraction so rather than continuing to vent my frustrations on those nearest me, I started ranting, initially on blogger and then shortly after emigrating wholesale to WordPress. Rather than finding a niche early on as my anger faded I began doing a few reviews and even wrote what remains my biggest hit as far as search engine traffic my glowing review of the service provided by the Courtney Boot Company. As a side note, nearly a year on from getting my boots back I’m still wearing them daily.

I also began writing a few posts about becoming a father for the second time and my thoughts and feelings surrounding that as almost everything I read or heard would discuss the mothers thoughts, fears and perspectives, that’s not to put those down it’s simply a comment about the lack or support I could find for us blokes who’re too tough and macho to talk about our feelings with real people, and where there is plenty of support out there for mums there’s not a lot out there for dads.

In the run up to the new year I gained a little fervour for food blogging and launched www.mrbunnychowcooks.com which initially gained great traction but fell largely by the wayside when I managed to stab myself and began my Ouch series, I also began my project 52 at the start of the year, rekindling my long-held passion for photography and bringing another change of focus to these pages.

Anyway what I’ve been meaning to get around to with all of this rambling is what initially brought you to www.mrbunnychow.com do you visit regularly, do you know me personally, do you like reading about me blowing a gasket, do you like looking at pretty pictures, do you subscribe or just pop in occasionally having seen a link or comment on another site.

Blogging success has never been and never will be my aim I’m just a curious geek wondering who my readers are and why you are.

Please do comment below and let me know as much or as little about yourself as you are comfortable with.

alternatively you can always send me a private message via rantingmrbunnychow@gmail.com

I hope you’re all well out there

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow

book review

Posted: 27/08/2011 in Book Reviews, idiots, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
0

My latest book is one of the most upsetting I have ever read, Mugabe and the White African is the story of a White Zimbabwean farmer and his family standing up to the Zimbabwean government in an effort to remain on thier farm an in their homes.

It tells tales of abuse of power, corruption, greed and downright sickening evil.

It is not especially well written and the Author, Ben Freeth peppers the text with somewhat naive religous zeal, but you can’t help but admire Mr Freeth and the rest of their family for the stand they took and as such I applaud them.

I thoroughly recomend that everyone reads this book but add the caveat that it will upset you, especially if you have a heart.

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=mrbuch-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00563BGEU&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

Book Reviews

Posted: 19/08/2011 in Book Reviews, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
0

I have just finished reading Wilbur Smith’s Elephant Song.

As a Zimbabwean I should love Wilbur Smith’s books but for some reason despite many attempts I have often struggled with his writing style. With that in mind I approached this book with some trepidation, but I needn’t have been concerened Elephant Song grips you from the very begining, the characters are strong and well thought out. The descriptions of the landscapes beautifully rendered in your mind and the tale does not let up. 500+ pages dissapeared in next to no time leaving me wanting more.

Highly Recommended.

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=mrbuch-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003GK22U2&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

African Book Reviews

Posted: 10/08/2011 in Africa, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe
0

Below are a couple of reviews of books I have read in the past that have changed my outlook on life in some way and hope they may inspire some of you. Some of these books are political commentaries, some are social commentaries, some are just fun reads.

Mukiwa by Peter Godwin.
I have also read When a Crocodile eats the Sun and The Fear, but I think this original is his best work, although I urge you to try them all. Peter grew up in the beautiful Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) and this book captures some of the magic all African children experience growing up on this amazing continent.

Don’t Lets go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller.
Simarly to Mukiwa this is a tale of growing up in the Eastern Highlands during a time of war but it too captures the imagination and the powerful pull of Zimbabwe to all who have known her at her greatest and worst.

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.
A novel this time this is a powerful tale of an individual using his head to conquer his own weaknesses, it is the story of a young white boy of English heritage growing up in a deeply racist Afrikaans community and his own triumphs and failures along to way. Along with it’s sequel Tandia it is one of the most moving novels ever written.

The Part Time War by Rod Wells.
Stories about what it was like to be a driver on call up during the Rhodesian War.

Blood Sweat and Lions by David Lemon.
Something a little more cheerful this is the story of a man walking alone through the Zimbabwean bush from Kariba to Binga. An inspiring story even if he must be a nutter.
he also has a Blog at http://elephantlemon.com/ which contains the unpublished story of him rowing the length of Kariba and back on a kayak.

Bitter Harvest the Great Betrayal by Ian Douglas Smith.
Was he a great statesman or just a farmer, the combined autobiographies of the late Ian Douglas Smith. He declared UDI and led a nation in a time of war, you certainly can’t say he didn’t have balls.

Rainbows End by Lauren St John.
Another Story of a childhood growing up in war torn Rhodesia, you might have guessed that I like these sort of books, and that is almost true except that I hate them but yet find myself compelled to read them through some sort of twisted I need to understand my people kink, anyway this is a good one.

I’ve go loads of others that I will add to this list in due course.

I’d also welcome any suggestions you may have for stuff I’ve either forgotten or may not have read yet.

TTFN

Mr Bunny Chow