The Otters

Feb07
10

Thomas Otter and I bump into each other regularly online. He is a fellow Enterprise 2.0 enthusiast, SAP genius, avid cyclist, ‘transplanted South African living in Germany’ and all-round good human. He is also the reason I’ve so generously been included in the Social Media Collective.

He recently sent me a link to his wife’s blog, Charlotte’s Web (very smart!), and specifically to this post titled ‘I am from‘:

I am from Africa. I am from blue skies, tropical breezes, and sunshine on my back. I am from tall trees that throw great shadows. I am from monkeys in the garden and a chameleon on a bush. I am from mountains that rarely see snow, beaches with huge waves, sharks behind the shoreline. I am from banana plants, sugar-cane and mealies. I am from huge moths and flying ants. I am from humidity, from thunderstorms that build up as black towers in the sky, and rain so hard it hurts my skin.

I am from eating outside. I am from the intense smell of a slightly under-ripe naartjie that I pick from its tree, dig open with dirty fingernails, and devour despite the sourness. I am from plucking granadillas off the vine and greedily sucking the juice. I am from braai meat, salad and crunchy white rolls. I am from mussels gathered from the sea…

There’s more, but you’re gonna have to visit her site to read it. What a great post. Made me feel not only proud of my home, but deeply grateful that I get to enjoy (and take for granted) so many of the gorgeous things Charlotte speaks of.

Thanks for the reminder Charlotte