Letters Home

Upon arriving for a short visit to South Africa, my former Maths teacher, Elsa, invited my mom and me to her farm. Accompanied by several women who played significant roles in my childhood, we sang Christmas carols and shared personal anecdotes that underscored the grace we had experienced. During difficult times, amazing grace manifests itself through people, opportunities, and situations.

Elsa’s story of immense grace

Elsa’s story of immense grace struck me. Her farm had tragically burned down shortly before our visit. She wasn’t at home during the fire. Numerous people offered help in various ways. Remarkably, only the hectare of land housing her farmhouse and farm workers’ houses remained untouched by the flames. She had lost her husband to cancer, and her farmhouse carries a lifetime of stories and memories shared with him. These shared stories shaped the focus of my thoughts on the grace in my life.

My mom

Circumstances granted me the privilege of spending time with my mom. Age has a peculiar manner of highlighting the impermanence of life and the grace found in moments spent with your parents. Seeing all the structures built by my dad, who died 25 years ago, two days after Christmas, highlighted this realisation for me. In the shade of the camel-thorn tree of my mom’s garden, we reminisced about anecdotes from the past. I am grateful for my joyous childhood years spent in the Kalahari. You don’t get to choose your parents or the place of your upbringing. There is enormous grace in a happy childhood.

My sister and her kids

Upon learning of my visit to Cape Town in early December, my sister’s daughter, Marga, decided to sell her Matriekbaai ticket. She gave up a week with school friends to celebrate the end of her school years, in exchange for time with family. We all miss our annual holidays together. We saw this as an opportunity to visit our favourite spots and enjoy the Cape Town sun and sea.

From Blouberg, we marvelled at the iconic silhouette of Table Mountain, creating a picturesque backdrop to our time together. Jacques encouraged Marga and Altus to brave the cold Atlantic waters. Exploring the V&A Waterfront, we admired the traditional and colourful South African Christmas decorations and dances.

We also took the opportunity to visit Christo’s student hangouts and enjoy the beautifully decorated cakes from Jacques’ business, The Cinnamon Club.

Jacques

Jacques finished his student years and was ready to start working during the pandemic. As an entrepreneur, he decided to start the Cinnamon Club, a bakery focusing on vegan and gluten-free baked goods. Despite many economic and electricity challenges in South Africa, the business did well. Jacques is now ready to expand to business premises at Woodstock Exchange. I am grateful to have been able to share with him the moment he received the key to the premises. He has received so much grace in his business, and I wish him continued success.

Christo

Christo was halfway through his 12th grade when we moved to Switzerland. Only two months after he started his university journey, the Covid pandemic hit the world. His student years were particularly challenging. Attending his graduation filled me with gratitude and emotion. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of many people in his life. I see a lot of grace in the individuals who shared this journey with him. He had the love, support and encouragement of his girlfriend, Simone. Moreover, he has supportive engineering student friends who lightened the academic demands with humour and social distractions.

I am grateful for the partners in parenting and that I could celebrate the occasion with Christo’s dad and his family.

Partners in Parenting

Despite our decision to part ways years ago, Gert and I maintained our commitment to co-parenting. Our partnership has expanded to include four parents with distinct personalities, perspectives, and individual realities. It was sometimes challenging, but we always acted with the boys’ best interests at heart. Nevertheless, I am convinced that having four parents has significantly enhanced the boys’ lives, broadening their perspectives in numerous ways. I am sincerely grateful to Charl for his rationality, insight and wisdom in raising the boys.

Jacques lived with Gert and Denise for a long time during the pandemic. Denise’s wisdom and Gert’s knowledge and experience as an entrepreneur and businessman gave direction and clarity to Jacques’ life and career.

Christo gave the following acknowledgement in his thesis.  To my parents, Gert and Emsia, and their partners, Denise and Charl, thank you for providing me with the opportunity to be able to write this acknowledgement as I prepare myself for the final submission of my undergraduate degree. Thank you Dad for always keeping me on my toes and thinking critically. Thank you Mom for always being available when I want to phone, and helping me with life’s problems as I become an adult.

A new year

We all enter a new year with a clean slate. Just like other years, this year will also bring challenges. We don’t know its nature and extent. However, I walk into it confidently because I know that the grace received in my life has consistently exceeded the challenges.

May it be a beautiful and graceful new year.

Regards

Emsia

During his visit in January, Christo asked, “Mom, have you heard about ChatGPT and how it has been impacting students lately?” Zander quickly chimed in, “It’s the same at our school. Some classmates have already discovered ways to use it to make money.” Naturally, I was intrigued and wanted to learn more.

ChatGPT is a versatile and powerful Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can perform various tasks electronically. It is a chatbot that can answer questions and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, conducting research, writing essays, and even programming code.

Fast growing ChatGPT

ChatGPT is the fastest-growing app due to its usefulness and versatility. Other applications aim at a group of people. However, ChatGPT is a general bot targeted at the population instead of a specific group or interest. Any person will, therefore, find different uses for ChatGPT in daily life. It includes teachers, students, engineers, legal practitioners, programmers, writers, and CEOs. Being usable by everyone is a tremendous advantage that very few apps can boast of, even years after their existence.

My AI experience.

Zander let me play a game on his computer to give me an idea of what it was all about. I had two minutes to have a written conversation with another person online and then had to determine whether I had the conversation with a robot or a human. Convinced I was talking to a young man in his twenties, I could even form a picture of him in my mind. However, I had to find out I was talking to a Chatbot. What a strange and terrifying experience! The Human or Not game was part of a social experiment and has now ended. It is clear from the statistics that older people have more difficulty making the distinction.

Impact of ChatGPT on Universities and Schools

Technologies, such as ChatGPT, impact universities and schools significantly. They are currently available for free up to a certain level, and students can now easily and quickly generate an entire research task with ChatGPT. Educational institutions must, therefore, find ways to address academic integrity. As with all new things, there are very varied reactions to this new technology.

At Zander’s school, the teachers set up a task group to explore application possibilities. While Zander baked flap jacks, he told me more about how they explore ChatGPT in different subjects.

Zander’s ChatGPT exploration in different school subjects

In Spanish, they must conduct a simulated interview with a celebrity. ChatGPT is used in this interview process to act as the celebrity.

In Science, they used ChatGPT for research. They currently cover atoms, elements, and the periodic table. They learned the correct way of referencing ChatGPT as a source for their research.

The grade 9 students are currently studying the Gothic style as a genre In the English Language. They had to write their own gothic story to learn how different genres and languages can affect readers. As part of their own gothic story, they created a character. With an African inspiration, the character Zander created was a Nigerian witch doctor who lives in the forest. They gave ChatGPT more information about the main character and requested an image. Zander was very pleased with ChatGPT’s interpretation and creativity.

In the subject, Individuals and Communities, they studied the impact of the Industrial Revolution on society. They had to investigate a recent innovation or change and how it affected contemporary society. The teacher divided the class into two groups, and both groups had to present their findings. Only one group used ChatGPT. They concluded that using ChatGPT in their preparation did not result in a significant difference in the outcome.

In the work environment

Artificial Intelligence is one of the biggest trends affecting the workplace. Companies use it to improve efficiency and productivity. They can, for example, use AI technologies to automate repetitive tasks, process large amounts of data, and make more accurate predictions. The technologies will free employees to focus on more complex and creative tasks.

Artificial Intelligence has a significant impact on our society. Everyone can see the potential benefits but also the risks. To properly utilize the benefits, it must be regulated.

We live in a time with fascinating technological developments!

Regards

Emsia

I will remember my recent birthday as an exceptional special celebration. We were in Austria for the weekend, and the autumn beauty and our being together played a role, but I also received a wonderful surprise gift.

Christo and Simone decided to put together a collection of Letters to Emsia. With the help of Charl and my sister, they collected letters and photos from family and friends. It was a pleasant surprise that had me in tears. Everyone’s compassionate words were like a blanket of love that enveloped me. However, it was also like a mirror that gave me a clearer view of the nature of my relationships and their perceptions of me.

The variety of people in my life

The letters emphasized the variety and diversity of the people in my life. As I read each letter, I could hear the writer’s voice with recognizable sayings. With each relationship, we have different points of interest, symbols and memories with which we celebrate the friendship. I share some examples.

A creative friend

One of my friends and I decided that the colour of our friendship was yellow. It is a symbol of joy for us. I enjoyed her letter’s play on yellow.

Although I use technology, in my mind’s eye, I am writing you a letter in my best handwriting on a 1970s notepad page (collected as a hobby in elementary school days) with an old-fashioned Sarah Moon picture on and with a yellow Bic pen in my hand. (to make you nostalgic about our childhood era in South Africa). I close my letter with much love and joy and put it in a bright yellow envelope, especially for you.

A numbers-orientated friend

As you know, numbers are more my thing. However, I’m going to write you a birthday note. I imagine God was in an exceptional, good mood the day he created you.

With all the steadfastness, God thought she might be a bit boring – so God gave Emsia a great sense of humour. He also gives her the talent to be content. God looked at her that way, and He was also pleased.

My first friend

My first friendship is 50 years old. She is one year and one day older than me and taught me to read when she was in 1st grade. We both became accountants, had Kruger as married surnames and baptized our children on the same day in the town we grew up in because our roots are in the Kalahari. They christened their son Charl Kruger, and we ours Christo Charl Kruger. We both currently live abroad.

She wrote,

There are so many memories I share with you. The list goes on and on. Some are fun, some nostalgic and some just plain hurt. It reflects true friendship – through thick and thin.

In-laws

The letters reaffirmed to me how rich I am with my in-laws. When you marry or share your life with someone, you become part of another family.

I got to know the Kruger family as a student. We stayed in touch, even after I stopped writing Kruger after my name. I am friends with my sons’ nieces and nephews on social media and watch their life paths unfold.

With my second chance in love and life, I became part of the Goosen family. I have two older sisters-in-law who keep in touch and share love and sorrow even though we live across different continents. In the form of Candice, Charl’s brother’s daughter, I gained a daughter when she lost her parents.

We still have contact with Charl’s father-in-law from his previous marriage and adopted him as Zander’s Grandfather. He visited and played with Zander on Saturdays and offered Charl and me a few hours without responsibilities. According to him, he is now a remote grandfather. He is a father figure for both Charl and me.

My children

In my older sons’ words, I could see that even though they appreciated my role as a mother, they were also beginning to see the other dimensions that make up all of my being. They now understand better the challenges of keeping busy boys full of creative plans alive.

My 15-year-old youngest explained in his letter that he already knows that in the future, he will also have a better appreciation for the things that annoy him now.

For many, photos are a way to preserve memories or share experiences with others. My mother likes to take pictures. She always has her camera and has even saved every photo she has taken over the past 30 years. In theory, it seems like a good idea, but my dad and I must pose and wait for her to take pictures everywhere we go!

Mom, know that next time we tease you for taking pictures, we’re just saying we love you. We may not see the full benefits now, but the number of thanks you will receive when we see them in a few years will make it worth it. So thank you, Mom, for caring and loving us, even when you can’t see our gratitude.

My realization

The biggest realization from all the letters was the importance of expressing our love and appreciation for the people in our lives while we have the opportunity. The letters I received were exactly that.

Regards

Emsia

The impact of climate change is visible in Switzerland.

Heat waves during the summer months have increased significantly in frequency and intensity. To save energy, the government banned conventional air-cooling systems. I never thought I would experience the heat in Switzerland more intensely than in South Africa.

Global warming in Switzerland is now more than double that of the average globally. The fact that there is no ocean in Switzerland is the reason for this situation. Land masses do not absorb heat as effectively as water. The oceans use the heat for evaporation. As the glaciers melt and snow covers decrease, the land masses absorb more solar heat.

The impact of climate change on winter tourism

Winter tourism is the most important source of income for large parts of Switzerland. These areas in the Swiss Alps depend on reliable snowfall. Climate change is already significantly affecting snowfall lower in the Alps.

The glaciers in the Alps have lost more than 60% of their volume since 1850. Ski resorts in Switzerland cover their glaciers with blankets to slow the melting process.

Many ski resorts produce artificial snow. During the winter of 2020-2021, artificially created snow covered 53% of the ski slopes in the Swiss Alps. They use water from nearby streams and lakes and run it through snow machines under pressure. These tiny water droplets freeze the moment they come out of the nozzles. However, artificial snow hurts water resources and costs.

In earlier years, a thick layer of ice formed on top of the lakes in winter. Lake Zurich was frozen for the last time in the winter of 1962/63 and was everyone’s playground for a while. Severe cold spells are less frequent, and frozen lakes are almost a thing of the past when it comes to the larger lakes.

Swisstainable

Voters recently voted for Switzerland to commit to becoming climate-neutral by 2050. It will require a change in habits and cooperation from everyone to achieve the goal. Individuals and businesses will need to save Energy in many possible ways.

Fortunately, Switzerland already has a very efficient public transport system. With one of the densest rail networks in the world, even the most remote places are accessible by public transport. More than 1.1 million passengers use trains, trams, or buses daily. I also decided to use the public transport system in Switzerland. I have been doing this for four years and enjoy the safety and reliability.

There is a big drive to use organic products. Compared to other countries, the Swiss use the most organic products per capita, and Swiss retailers have been at the top of international sustainability rankings for years. The country’s attitude has created a greater awareness in us, and we as a family also live much more organically since living here.

Authorities take recycling seriously

Authorities take recycling and waste management very seriously in Switzerland, and the government expects every person to cooperate. It took us a while to get on the program. We were unknowingly in trouble a few times for not following the correct procedures, but our household now has processes to ensure our cooperation.

Switzerland recycles almost 53% of all the waste it creates, one of the highest rates in Europe. Each type of waste is handled separately – from glass and PET bottles to paper and cardboard and right through to organic waste, batteries, and aluminium. The consumer must sort it at home and then hand it in free of charge to a central public waste point. This submission has now become a routine weekend activity for us.

Conversion of waste into energy

Authorities encourage users to throw as few items into garbage bags as possible and heavily tax household waste. In Switzerland, no waste is buried in landfills but converted into usable energy. Waste incineration plants convert garbage into usable energy, such as electricity and heat. The incinerators gladly accept plastic waste as plastic is a petroleum product with an energy value.

Everyone must be part of the solution

The public must be part of the solution, and various countries offer inspiring solutions. In Denmark, for example, the citizens own two-thirds of the wind farms. The ecological transition, therefore, goes hand in hand with privatising the ownership of the energy infrastructure. I hope South Africa’s current electricity crisis also forces future solutions in that direction.

Kind regards

Emsia

Switzerland celebrates the pumpkin season. Every year, Jucker Farms has a pumpkin exhibition with a theme and this year it is the power of women. I enjoyed the creativity and the stories of powerful women who each made a significant difference.

I share more about the insights and impressions the exhibition left with me.

Joan of Arc

St. Joan of Arc is a national heroine of France.

She was a religious peasant girl who acted under divine guidance and led the French army to a significant victory. She wore men’s clothing that allowed her to command an army of men in battle and cut her hair short in the ‘Bob’ style we now associate with French women.

Although Joan was wounded twice in battle, her faith and intuition protected her until she accomplished her mission.

Greta Thunberg

Greta is an environmental activist. Instead of going to school, she made a big sign that read ‘SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE’ and sat outside the Swedish parliament. The media spread awareness of her actions, and tens of thousands of students worldwide joined her.

She has Asperger syndrome but sees it as her superpower. She says it helps her see the world in black and white and that there are no grey areas regarding climate change.

Bertha Benz

As with many new things, people were sceptical about Carl Benz’s patent application for a car with an engine. Bertha, his wife, loaded their two sons into the car and drove for twelve hours and 100 kilometres on dirt roads. She drew public attention to her husband’s invention without him knowing about her plan. She also invested her inheritance in this research.

Berta followed a practical approach without fear to support her husband and contributed to technological progress. What an inspiration!

Frida Kahlo

I am familiar with this Mexican artist’s colourful work. In the exhibit, I learned she suffered from polio as a child and nearly died in a bus accident as a teenager. She had many broken bones and fractures and started painting while in a body cast. In her lifetime, she had 30 operations. Many of her paintings are self-portraits.

Her ability to create so much beauty despite her pain inspires me. Frida is a standard bearer for women’s inner strength and courage.

Cleopatra

Cleopatra was an Egyptian queen known in history as the lover of Julius Caesar and later as the wife of Mark Anthony. During this time, she actively influenced Roman politics.

Cleopatra was well-educated and very intelligent. She was skilled in chemistry, economics, trade strategy, military theory, law, and linguistics. Cleopatra was fluent in ten languages and the first Pharaoh to speak to the diverse groups of people in her empire in their mother tongue.

Mental load

This mental load exhibition conveyed a message that most women can relate to. In English, they call it “worry work”. Zander says that, in his opinion, worrying is the activity I spend the most time on.

I walked away with the realization that strong women throughout history, each in their own way, made a significant impact. Most women will never appear in history books, but their support, encouragement, and ability to hold things together make a long-lasting difference in their families and communities.

Regards

Emsia

My sister recently turned 50. I considered a suitable gift to celebrate this milestone birthday carefully. My only objective was to reaffirm my love and appreciation for her.

I finally decided against a gift wrapped in paper. I wanted to share my time and listen with genuine interest as Ansa shared more about her joys and sorrows. Each with a cup of coffee at different sides of the world, we enjoyed precious bonding time and had a good laugh.

These days, I see gifts in a very different light. Any time or effort from someone to make a situation easier or make me feel better is a gift. However, it should positively affect both the receiver and the giver. Any effort driven by obligation qualifies as a task, not a gift. Presents, gifted with love from the heart, can take many forms.

Make time for someone

My love language is quality time. If you make time with or for me, I appreciate it infinitely. Every visit, conversation or message is a precious gift because someone has shared time with me.

I have a standing appointment to talk to my mother on the phone every Monday. After the first ring, she answers, always friendly and happy to hear my voice. The fact that I can still talk to her is my gift, but she always expresses her appreciation for my time and interest. The conversation is valuable for both of us.

I have an arrangement with one of my friends to celebrate each other’s birthdays through an online video chat in the month of our birthday. I always conclude the conversation with new inspiration and a song in my heart. No physical gift can come close to that.

Share more honestly about yourself.

I like the Swedish expression, “Shared joy is double joy; Shared sorrow is half a sorrow.” The premise is simple. Our Creator created us as humans, to be empathetic.

Joy

When we hear stories of joy, happiness, and achievement, it impacts us positively. We should encourage people to share their positive experiences and help in this way to spread joy.

Challenges and Sorrows

People are generally reluctant to share more about the challenges and sorrows in their lives. We all fear judgment, insensitivity, and rejection. Yet, I learn so much from other people’s stories. The perseverance in the stories gives me new inspiration and different perspectives.

I have a friend whose son has cancer. She is a very private individual but has created a WhatsApp group for family and friends in which she shares more about how he and they are doing. The situation is too much for a mom and dad to bear alone. Her honest sharing about an emotional situation allows many people to carry them in their hearts and pray for them. In addition, we all learn and understand much more about the cancer experience.

A friend who struggled with depression taught me more about this black dog and broadened my understanding and perspective regarding this illness. It helped me when we had to support a family member with depression.

Life throws different challenges our way. By sharing our stories, we create awareness and opportunities for others to support us in different ways.

Acknowledge each other

People share their joys, feelings, and sorrows in different ways. Some people have friends and family who live close by and are willing to listen. It makes it easier to share joys and sorrows with them. When someone listens, you and your pain feel acknowledged.

In many cases, people live alone or far from family and friends. They share joys and sorrows through electronic messages or posts on social media. When someone reacts, they feel acknowledged. However, when people do not respond, the situation makes them feel even more alone.

Listen to someone with your heart

When you share more about yourself, and someone listens attentively and with interest, it has a positive impact. You feel heard and valued. If I’m upset and someone listens to me without interruption, it helps me to release emotionally and gain a better perspective on my situation. It also builds trust and makes me feel like I matter. Even just attentively listening to someone can be a valuable gift.

When opportunities arise to give gifts, we must remember the goal we want to achieve with them. Not all presents need to be physical items wrapped in paper. It is when we give of our time or ourselves together with love from our hearts that it has an impact.

Regards

Emsia

When we arrived in Zurich, I was amazed by all the graffiti in the city. At that stage, I perceived graffiti as a form of vandalism. However, graffiti and street art’s role in society has changed significantly. Art in public places offers opportunities for artists to showcase their talent and share social opinions.

Banksy

Banksy played a significant role in making graffiti more acceptable. The artist’s street art highlights social and political issues directly and beautifully. The honesty of the art and the fact that the artist is anonymous contribute to Banksy’s fame. Banksy’s style is minimalist and often uses other items from the street to form part of the image. Banksy managed to promote the creativity and place of graffiti in the artistic community.

People discovered various Banksy art in Ukraine since the outbreak of the war. Recently, an exhibition, “The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind”, allowed people in Zurich to learn more and appreciate Banksy’s art.

When I think of Banksy, the girl reaching for the heart-shaped balloon comes to mind. The image has many emotional interpretations. Some see the girl as losing the balloon, while others see her as about to catch it. It symbolizes hope, love, and freedom.

BANE

I recently became aware of BANE, a famous Swiss street artist. Fabian Florin, aka BANE, lives in the Swiss town of Chur. Many of his creations are in Chur but his works also now decorate walls in other world cities. An impressive mural is on the wheat mill tower in Chur. Next to a river in Chur, there is also a beautiful 3D picture of a fisherman.

BANE’s life story is very inspiring. At fourteen, he became addicted to drugs and lived on the streets for 14 years. His lifestyle put him behind bars several times. In his late twenties, he reached a low point. He was threatened with three and a half years in prison but chose long-term therapy. The hard withdrawal lasted two months, and the therapy two years. During this time, Fabian started spraying murals.

For him, his art was like a small “flame” that burned within him.  BANE said,

“Call it hope or the will to survive. But this little flame managed to make the difference at that moment.”

BANE has opened doors for other graffiti artists as well. Damage to property by graffiti is illegal in Switzerland as elsewhere. However, the city of Chur has decided to support graffiti as a form of art and has released numerous walls for creative artworks since 2014. The city officials ask the artists to tag their artwork on social media with the hashtag #streetartchur or #churkultur and recognise them for their participation.

Street Art Festival in Frauenfeld

Wanting to see BANE’s work in person, I visited Frauenfeld. The town held a Street Art Festival at the beginning of June. Sixty national and international street artists transformed Frauenfeld into an open-air art gallery and visitors can have a look at the artwork for the entire summer. I think it is a very creative way to attract tourists.

I love BANE’s artwork with the title – Cutting through History. The building carrying the mural of a young girl sewing used to be the shop of the town’s tailor. My mother used to sew all our clothes herself, and in my childhood picture of her, she was in front of her sewing machine or had a needle or scissors in her hand. This work of art stirred something in me and cut through my history.

Street art plays an important role

I look at street art differently now and can see the benefits it brings. There is a tourism benefit because people may travel to see murals and other street art, which can generate income for local businesses. Street art has become a tourist attraction in many cities around the world. There is even a Street Art Application that you can download that will help you view works of art in a particular city.

Street art can also serve as a platform for social commentary and awareness. It can draw attention to important issues and stimulate conversations within the community. Street art reminds me of the expression by Albert Einstein. He said Creativity is intelligence that is having fun.

I close with words from Banksy.

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

I’ve learnt from experience that a painting isn’t finished when you put down your brush – that’s when it starts. The public reaction is what supplies meaning and value. Art comes alive in the arguments you have about it.

Kind regards

Emsia