I count the words: too many. I trim the passage.
I count the words: too few. I elaborate on a point.
The end result is a perfect description of a facet in a perfect number of words: one hundred.

It is a good number, not so many that the task becomes tedious, not so few that the description becomes abstract.
The number, one hundred brings to mind not only perfection, but a sense of equality. Each aspect is awarded a description and no description is longer than the next. Because although some actions may be unethical, we are all equal.

Read the post

April 28, 2010 / Minette Visser / BLOG

VERLORENVLEI COALITION

Verlorenvlei Coalition

Members of the Verlorenvlei Coalition are working hard to get the public involved

Read the post

April 28, 2010 / Minette Visser / BLOG

BACK FROM ITALY

So it’s been more than a week and I only got round to unpacking my bag this morning. It’s good to be home again, but as Franz Ferdinand so eloquently puts it: “It’s always better on holiday.”

Our trip took us to many places and we met a lot of people. The impression of Italy and the Italians I am left with is this:
Never have I met friendlier, more helpful people. They are warm and joyful and never mind if we don’t speak Italian and they don’t speak English: we’ll have long conversations over cups of coffee (which is so strong, you don’t really drink it as much as chew it.)

Italy is a beautiful country and we took over 1300 pictures. I won’t make you look through all of them (I haven’t even, yet, so why should you?) This is a short summary of the places we have been:

1. Venice

Venice

Despite a hitch with the accommodation,

Read the post

March 25, 2010 / Minette Visser / STORIES

ALL GROWN UP

The girl stared out the window. Well, she could hardly be called a girl anymore. She recalled, many decades ago, wishing that she were an adult. Her mother had replied “No, you don’t.”

Eventually the girl’s wish was granted. She got married and raised three beautiful children. Now, her long hair was thinning and required chemicals to maintain its dark colour.

By no accounts was she still a girl. She was a woman. And yet, she always had a thought: “One day, when I am all grown up, I will know what I want to do with my life.”

Read the post

December 1, 2009 / Minette Visser / BLOG