Filter Fest

Apologies if this blog entry is slightly more random than usual. Its probably the lack of sleep because this weekend we all trooped up to Paulpietersburg for FILTER FEST: celebrating 150 years since the Filter Family emigrated to South Africa to try and convert the locals. They must have been reasonably successful because there were around 400 Filter descendants gathered to celebrate in customary SA style. YES - it did involve a braai!

Our relatively 'little' branch of the family tree were all recognisable by wearing a blue dot on our name badges. We were also numbered according to our positions in the tree. Hermann was 17522. Number 1 was the original ancestor - Heinrich Filter, then Hermann is descended from the 7th son, his 5th son, his 2nd daughter and her 2nd son etc etc. Anya was the youngest descendant present and didn't let the side down. She was highly entertaining the whole day and even helped the conductor to conduct the brass band while dancing and accompanying the band with her tambourine.

Hermann, Carmen and Gitty enjoyed the weekend immensly. It was just a pity that the festivites were overshadowed by the most crippling of beds ever to have been put on this planet. Not only did it look like it was constructed of scrap metal found in the 1950's, but the mattress was actually concave. Consequently it was like sleeping on a precipice. The first night, Hermann and I took turns to swap sides when the pain of clinging onto the edge on one side got too much. The second night, Hermann shared the bed of doom with Anya. He hugged the edge while she squirmed in the middle. I spent the night on the sofa listening to a fish tank hum. Helpfully, there was a glow in the dark digital clock on the sideboard to inform me when I had only had 2 hours sleep.

Surprisingly, we didn't lose our sense of humour - even when Anya threw up in the car on the way home (again). However, I reckon that I have accrued a serious number of brownie points over this weekend and fully intend to cash them in soon!