boule court phase 1: construction

Posted by James Robertson on April 9, 2013

i turned round to alwyn and said, “this is the greatest day of my life”. he laughed, picked up a boule ball, and threw it down the course.

there was surprisingly little information on the internet on how to build a boule court. i would of thought that everyone would want to build one. the main issue is that gravel composition differs greatly between different countries. so we could not simply just follow instructions. not that we would have anyway.

this project was basically pure manual labour. once we had figured out how much to compact the ash (by-product of a fish food making process) layer, it was pretty much dig a hole, and fill it with gravel. do this in 35 degrees and you will learn a great deal about yourself.

the mix of gravel and ash is very important. you do not want the boule ball to dig in once it has landed. the whole art of boule is to judge the travel the ball gets by adjusting it trajectory and initial velocity. remember you have to give the gravel some time to settle. it is quite important to compact your first layer to harden the court.

some weight calculations for you (average depth of the court is 100mm and the court is about 7m^2):
7 cubes of sand to be removed = 10.5 tonnes (we had two labourers to help us speed up this process)
5 cubes of ash to be moved from road = 5 tonnes
5 cubes of ash to be moved from bakkie to hole = 5 tonnes
3 cubes of gravel for top layer = 5 tonnes
total mass moved by shovel = 25.5 tonnes (almost 4 elephants)

it was important for us to have a nice border for the court. and for that we used split poles (in cpt you can get these from the pole yard, they usually come in lengths of 2.4m and are +-R32 each).

this project is not finished. still to be done: the garden, flood lights, a grand stand, and the acquisition of two donkeys. yes. we are going to play boule off the back of donkeys

HeronsRest is located in veldrift and is owned by alwyns mom (tannie luzanne) and tim. they have built a wonderful guest house with a lapa which is next to the boule court. it sleeps 11 people and is very well priced. the farm has a nursery too which is really cool (i was paid in plants, ag ja). if you are interested in staying there, which i highly recommend, you can visit them here: https://www.facebook.com/heronsrest.velddrif. thx very much to luzanne and tim for trusting us with this construction, and for the wonderful hosting and great food.

these smiles will be wiped of our faces very quickly

i love dust

raking as well as sliding a straight edged plank works well to level the course

you must wet the gravel/ash before compacting. or you will be in a cloud of dust. remember that compacting does not level (which you must do this both before and after compaction)

the darker stuff is the ash, which must be levelled and compacted

that aloe in the middle will grow into a tree. right now its great for leaning rakes on and holding beers

coming to the end of day one. about half way there

alwyn and bruiser

heeeeyyyyy

in the background is moses, the hardest working labourer you will ever meet

safety is very important, hence the fire extinguisher

while we were filling a hole with gravel, tannie luzanne was creating an ‘instant garden’. she is quite a hectic foreman!

two very happy boys at the completion of our work

otto and kenny arrive to reap the rewards

they beat us 13-0 in the first game ever played. we had to sit in a bath and down a beer each…

lovely form by kenny

alwyn, tannie luzanne, tim, and bruiser

boule court phase 0: planning

Posted by James Robertson on April 4, 2013

i’ll first tell you what we are planning to do this weekend. and then i’ll tell you why.

but maybe i’ll first start by saying hi to my mom *wave*

alwyn and i are off to his mom’s farm in veldrift this weekend, to dig a hole, and fill it with gravel. if you haven’t watched the castle you can watch a clip at the end of this post.

i drew out the basic design in solidworks. from this the surface area, volume, and perimeter were calculated. you can click on the picture to enlarge and see how useful this program can be.

so we have ordered the following:
8 cubic meters of fine gravel (about 13 tonnes)
136 bricks for the perimeter (we have about 300 bricks already)
2 cases of castle
1 bottle of klipsdrift

there are other tools we’ll need like spades, and a compactor. but that can all be explained next week. especially the spades part.

two circles of 7m and 3m diameters respectively linked tangentially with two offset arcs.

if you have not watched this movie you are an idiot

why are we doing this? about a year ago we were on a roadtrip up to jbay. we stopped off to camp in the crags which is just out of plett at rocky roads backpackers. the owner (rocky) has a boule court very similar to the one we have planned. he taught us the REAL rules, and we literally played from 6pm to 4am. you get so into it, especially if you play to win. its so different to playing on grass as your ball gets a certain amount of travel in the gravel. different areas are more rough than others.

when this is all done we are going to have a weekend boule festival. i’ll make a video. and then you will be jealous.

loft bed phase 0: planning

Posted by James Robertson on April 4, 2013

stuff like this doesn’t just happen. the loft bed does not erect itself.

if spontaneity is one of your strengths, it needs to be matched with the ability to think something out properly and plan it. do this in whatever form suits you. for me doing it in solidworks (which unfortunately is not free) is easiest as i use it regularly for my work.

from this plan i was able to procure the right amount of wood for the various aspects. it also helped me visualise the critical elements of the design.

while its good to have a plan, do not feel afraid to deviate from it. i call that optimisation, others may call it creativity.

the next phase of this project is phase 1: indoor climbing wall

and that was that

Posted by James Robertson on July 13, 2010

A few days ago I read my blog from start to finish. I read it when I was feeling down about returning home to all my responsibilities.

Whilst in Portugal I wrote of a book I was reading, called Time of Desecration. This book, while extremely vulgar, was incredibly well written. It spoke of a young girl, driven by an evil voice in her head. The voice is commanding, and she does not question it. It drives her to do unspeakable acts, desecrating one by one: culture, money, sex and religion.

the most fucked up book you’ll ever read

I cannot explain why, but this book had a profound impact on my life. While reading it a voice of my own started talking to me. My voice was nothing like the voice in the book. It did not command me at all. Instead it began to ask questions. The most prominent of which was what am I actually doing in Europe. As if I wasn’t asked that enough by the locals, “Why aren’t you at football cup?!”.

The voice, while still asking questions, began to write articles in my head on my travels. I would find myself walking through the beloved old town streets of Lisboa, with the voice describing the sights, sounds, and whole experience of the adventure.

I know I’m sounding a bit crazy here. Well news flash, I am! The reason why I am speaking of this voice is that I realised while reading my blog that it had somewhat disappeared when I arrived in Mallorca. My posts had become random, with “Lifes most difficult decisions are made in the fridge” being a prime example.

The voice returned the moment I said my goodbyes to my Mallorca friends. It started describing my exact movements, and once again questioning my existence. Do I like the voice? I think so. Travelling by oneself, while incredibly exciting, can be some lonesome. Especially with my lack of navigation skills, and general absent mindlessness.

It must be fairly obvious to my regular readers that this trip has been a sole searching mission. I’ve tried to give an honest encounter of what I’ve been feeling, without giving to much away about the events that led up to it. I’ve also done my best to make you laugh, knowing full well that my outlook on life is rather unusual, and my jokes often don’t make sense.

The final of the football cup was indescribable. Watching Spain win, in Spain. Can you imagine? They lost their tits! I would have loved to have gone crazy and party the night away, but after the game I came home and decided that travelling for two days with no sleep and a raging hangover was a bit too much. So I claimed I was having a quick lie down, to which no one could wake me.

same shirts

same havaianas

Funnily enough I woke up at exactly 2 15 Am. I was beyond hungry, and also realised that I hadn’t said properly goodbye to my two favorite characters of my whole trip. So I ran down to Havana’s, and walked in while they were cleaning up. I was so happy to have one more drink with them. They presented me with a gift far more meaningful and special than any tourist t-shirt, or travel bracelet. The Spanish shirt they had been wearing while working the bar that night. They had both signed special messages for me.

It was at that moment I fully understood the meaning of my travels. Before leaving I was severely off balance. It felt like someone or something was missing in my life. I needed to balance that equation (apologies, I’m an engineer), and it was then, at 2 45 in the morning, that one token made me realise I had achieved my ultimate goal. That gift represented all the characters I have come to know and love. I will miss them beyond, but will see them again.

I will never forget the look on Deac’s face when I woke him on the couch, having just been jolling to Spains victory all night. All he said was, “I love you bro”. And with that I was off on my two day journey to get home.

I caught the bus to the airport for 2 Eu. Mallorca airport is really quite lovely, having both a Mac Donalds and Burger King. Oh the decisions! But nothing beats a Big Mac.

I waited for my easyjet flight to London Luton, trying to spot any potential candidates for my mile high club goal. Alas, all I could find was drunken English oaks, and a few teenagers. In my tired state I made the terrible decision of being one of the first ones to board. This is not a good idea! Always board somewhere around two thirds of the way back in the queue. This way you can choose your passengers. Who sat next to me? An overweight English Indian with a Spanish football shirt on, who clearly had not seen his bed yet.

Luton is a kak airport! But it works. Think about it. Two Eu from my house to Mallorca airport, 40 Eu from Mallorca to Luton, and 12 pounds from Luton to St Pancras. You can travel from a remote island to the middle of London for only 60 Eu. I think thats mad. As I walked out of Luton I was looking for this free bus to the train station. I walked up to a man and said, “Speak English?”. To which he replied, “Mate, you’re in England!”

from 35 degrees a day to rainy london

look at the time, oh how i love london transport efficiency

At St Pancras I met Suzie, who I had grown quite fond of in Mallorca. It was so nice having my own personal tour guide. Random, but thats me in a nutshell. She took me to one of my favorite spots of London, Camden Town. Over there I revisited the best second hand CD shop in the world, and bought OK Computer for 3 pounds. Ag ja!

larry lakeshore, susan (haha), caroline

It was then to Hyde Park. And guess what I did there? Take the boat out! I don’t think I need to say anything more about taking the boat out!

take the boat out, for the boys

We rode the subway to LHR where we said our goodbyes. It was time to meet my brother, who was spending the night in Terminal 5, for a beer. Can two people with no cell phones meet in Terminal 5? No. It’s like finding Mohamad in India, or rather the exact opposite.

It is at Heathrow that I began writing in this notebook. And I now find myself on my ninth and final flight from JHB to CPT.

I have had the most amazing adventures this year, spending every penny I’ve earned on travelling. The six weeks in London and one week in Paris at the beginning of the year was so special. The memories and people I stayed with are very dear to me, and I will never forget them.

The three weeks I’ve spent now following my dream of seeing Portugal and Spain was such a personal journey. Can you imagine spending five days living on a beach in Portugal with your brother, surviving a massive car accident in Lisbon, couchsurfing with people you’ve never met before, meeting two of your best mates in Mallorca and living in a cupboard with them, and most of all Taking the boat out at Portals!

Where to now? I’m not sure… My eyes have been reopened to the wonders of the world. I need to finish off my thesis, and on the day I hand it in, I will go on skyscanner and book a one way ticket to a place yet to be decided. But moving to London is probably my best option still. Oh the joys of a British Passport.

I will end this post with my top 15 list of Memories:
1. Spanish football shirt
2. Seeing my bro for the first time in six months in portugal
3. Finding Deacs and Rawbone in the cupboard in Mallorca
4. Meeting old friends in London
5. Taking the boat out
6. Swimming to the island at Portals and belowing like george of the jungle at the top of its hill
7. Tits out for the boys on the beach
8. Rolling down a tram hill in Lisboa
9. Coming right at a gay pride party in Lisboa
10. Traditional snoek and red wine festival in Costa
11. Couchsurfing
12. Pastry search in Bellem
13. Riding the tram
14. Dinners at Oasis backpackers
15. Waking up in a Portugeuse hospital with a neck brace on. Erm

Farewell Europe, it’s been a blast.

Lakeshore out

take the boat out

Posted by James Robertson on July 10, 2010

Today may have just been the best day of my life. Take the boat out. For the boys, take that fucking boat out.

I’m not too sure why we say that so much. Almost as much as dumb poes, or in Bradeys case, dumb poooooos.

The day started how any saturday does in Palma. Raging hangovers, and the washing machine working overtime washing out lasts nights chicken kebab. Not me, mom. We watched the All Blacks stick it to the Springboks, cleaned the dishes, and then took the boat out. We took that boat out fucked up.

Before I paste pictures everywhere, I just want to thank bri so much for taking the boat out. She’s one of three Aussies I like. She’s fantastical.

Length: 24′ 2
Length with platform: 26′ 3
Width amidship: 102
Length with trailer: 26′ 11
Length with sa tongue: 24′ 3
Length trailer single axle: n/a
Length trailer tandem axle: 100
Weight: 4,950 lbs.
Single axle trailer weight: n/a
Tandem axle trailer weight: 1,480 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 90 Gallons
Depth transom: 28
Depth amidship: 32″
Draft: 28
Tow bar height to waterline: n/a
Capacity: 18 Persons or 2,928 lbs.
Model name length: 24′
Boat height: 110.50″ *

woops how did that get in there?

The boys were quite hungry after all of that. So we headed down to 12 Eu eat all you can Sushi and Chinese food. These chings have no idea whats about to happen. They weren’t to stoked with us…

I’m actually really down at the moment. I’ve been working on my final blog post. I’m not sure I’ll post it, I think I’m just writing it as I find writing very therapeutic. This holiday has been life changing. It really has been such a blessing. I’m so sad to be leaving. But I think I’m more afraid. I’ve already said too much.

Tomorrow is my last day in Palma. I don’t usually plan what I’m going to do in the day. When I wake up, my biggest decisions are what time I should go to the beach, and which one. But tomorrow is different.

This is the plan: Go to portals beach at 10 AM. Schwim to the island and back a few times. Go to the beach bar. Drink a beeri in the ocean. Then we’ve got my farewell party on the terrace. I’ve invited a few special people. I’m going to cook them trinchardo. Ag ja. Then we’ll head down to none other than Havana’s, and watch the final. Can you just imagine – in the Balearic Islands, watching Spain win the world cup. These people are going to lose their tits. After the game we’re going to go play putt putt. I have this thing about playing putt putt in every country I go to. We’ll try get some betties to join us. I think its a great pick up line. ‘Hi, I’m Larry. Would you like to go play putt putt?’ Fantastic.

I fly out to London on Monday morning. I’m going to spend the day in West Minister, and ride around on the subway. I’m not too sure why, but I really do love public transport. Then back to Cape Town at 10 Pm. Bleacs.

This may be the last blog post I’ll write. Thanks for reading.

Lakeshore out

Cupboard surfing in palma

Posted by James Robertson on July 8, 2010

Its been a long time coming, and it is now time to officially introduce my wonderful housemates, and the cupboard we live in.

The boys are putting out a vibe here. We live off a street named Avenue Argentina, in the very central area of Santa Catalina. About 10 seconds down our road is Havana’s; it’s debatable whether we live there or in our cupboard.

Why a cupboard? Because it’s a fucking cupboard! It’s hot in that rhino. Getting to sleep isn’t really to problem, especially with a few beers in the belly, but waking up is a whole other story. You know when you wake up, and you just want to chill out in your bed, and stare into ceiling like you’re at the planatarium? Thats not going to happen here, especially on a blow up mattress with no sheets.

I think I’m beginning the whole reflection phase of my holiday. I can with no doubt say it has been a life changing experience. If you’re a regular reader, you may be aware that I have kind of been asking myself what I am really doing in Europe. And if I’m not asking that 10 other spanish people are. My latest answer to why aren’t you at football cup is asking them what soccer is. Its actually great entertainment.

The best part about my holiday has been the people I’ve met. There is no better feeling than believing you have honestly made and impact on someones life, and them too on yours. In our cupboard theres two of my very best mates, Tim and Deacs. They’re the sort of buddies you’ll find yourself poking when you’re 80 and in an old age home. I realise that doesn’t really make sense.

Then we have camp aussie. Or more specifically Em and Braidy. They are the two nicest people you will ever meet. Every night we find ourselves at our kitchen table, eating an awesome meal, and just laughing our socks off. After that you will most probably find us at Havana’s pretending we’re on very important business meetings. No not really, but I do love to suit up.

Last night Spain beat Germany to go through to the final. These bloody spanish people lost their tits. Now I dont speak spanish, fuck i love saying that, but its pretty easy to figure out they can’t contain themselves. I think the island almost sank.

It’s my last weekend before I head back to Cape Town. On Friday I’m planning on spending 50 Eu at Havana’s, and buy everyone a round. But then again, if there’s one better thing than buying your mate a beer, it would be drinking it for them.

the cupboard