Martin Felix
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Last Updated: |
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November 30, 2009 |
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Residing In: |
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Shelton, WA USA |
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Comments: |
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July 2003:
After graduating from the U, I went to work for the old Department of Public Assistance as a social worker. After doing that for about five years, I became an adjudicator for the agency that makes disability determinations for Social Security disability, and did that for about five years.
I then was in private business for about five years, and returned to government work, again as a disability adjudicator, working in Alaska, Spokane, and Seattle. Currently I am the Quality Assurance Manager for the agency, spending most of my time in the main office in Olympia, and also in our Seattle office near the Pike Place market, and in our Spokane office.
My wife Kathy, passed away just about 2 years ago.
My interests have always included gardening, so I live on a few acres in the woods here in Shelton where I grow more plants than I can take care of&.. I am hoping to retire soon and may live in Africa in the winter, and here in the summer.
Addendum: Retired on my 60th birthday. Could not take working for the government any longer! Currently trying to learn Spanish so I can communicate when traveling in Central or South America. Finally getting to South Africa, and will leave 9/1. Kruger Park, Soweto, Durban, and Cape Town are on the agenda. I will be based in Johannesburg and in Somerset
West, a suburb of Cape Town in the cape wine country.
Addendum #2. Completed my trip to SA, and was sad to leave the country. My relatives were all wonderful, and the nicest people. Eugene designed the buildings and additions to the Orlando Children's Home in Soweto, and the Pediatric Oncology ward at Baragwanath. Sadly when I got home, I got news that one of my cousin's horrible cancer had recurred. Saw a great deal of the country, but not enough. I was intimidated at the thought of driving in Johannesburg, but finally got the courage to drive once I got to the Cape, and I really got into the driving.......thrill a minute. My photography leaves a lot to be desired as I have proven to be hopelessly incompetent, but might upload a few pix. When I was there, it was the worst weather in almost a century, so conditions were not the best.
Here are a few pix. Sorry for the underexposure. I am an incompetent photographer. It also looks like I fouled up on the downloads.....oh well. I might add some more pictures later. |
Martin trying to set government straight 2003
My South African friend
Along the South African coast
Cousin's house
A restaurant in Stellenbosch....210 year old restaurant.....
Mopani worms....yum delicious pan fried....
The Helderberg near my cousin's house. Gave me blisters hiking around here.
In the fynbos at the Helderberg
Entrance to a winery....there are hundreds...somewhere around Stellenbosch. I forget.
Vines at the great Boschendal winery...founded in 1685
The spot where the Boer forces captured W. Churchill in the Boer war. Oupa Meyer joined up at 13, was captured, released due to age, and went on to kill 4 British soldiers, and was wounded taking Groenkop mountain. He was all of 16 at the end of the war.
For you rhodie lovers, a tropical vireya rhododendron at Makaranga Lodge in Durban
He stuck his tongue out at me.
Elephants in the bush
I thought this guy was going to attack that car- must not have liked the color
Hippos sunning
I apparently invaded her privacy
My little Kruger park home......
On the road to Kruger Park with the Drakensberge in the background. How my bloody ancestors crossed those mountains with the ossewa (ox wagons) is amazing
typical road side vendors. I discovered that many of these guys were illegal aliens...
The guy on the right was from Portland and is sort of hiking around the world, and was headed for Thailand after South Africa. Cool dude.
Looking over the edge of the Blyde River canyon- immense canyon. It was hazy and hot that day.
Me with various family members.
Good grief. Deepest darkest Africa.
One of the main drags in Soweto. Nelson Mandela's old house is in the area on the right.
Orlando Children's Home in Soweto. My cousin designed the building you see, and others in the complex. Find them on the net. Send them $!
My cousin (with the portfolio) inspecting a building at Orlando Childrens Home. They care for aids orphans.
Hanging out in the hood....
I crashed this wedding...
I love African music, and this guy was really good. Yes, it is made from a tin can.
I am surprised I did not run into Tom Cruise. You cant excape Lord Zenu...I did not buy a Dianetics book in Africa.
Surfer dude. Interestingly there were very few chicks surfing. In fact, I did not see one. I was crushed.
Being winter, the beaches were pretty uncrowded.
Hanging out drinking Namibian beer at Joe Cool's
Girls at the mall...school kids typically wear uniforms.
My waitress friends at Whimpy's on the beach in Durban
Anton, and other cousins on the stoep of his farm house on his wine farm in the Swartland.
The vines on Anton's farm. I really liked his wine.
Shona sculpture at Makaranga Lodge
Platycerium grande at Makaranga
Bromeliads and rhododendrons at Makaranga
Son in law of Jacob Zuma, the new head of the ANC, and possibly the most feared and also most loved politician in South Africa. And currently the most powerful.
Only in Africa...an American themed steak house that is halaal.
The Meyer museum in the town of Vryheid where my mother was born. She was a Meyer, and the house is the house of I think my great grandfather's brother. He was General Lukas Meyer of Boer war fame.
Kirstenbosch botanical garden in Cape Town
Pincusion protea at Kirstenbosch
Nice yellow clivia at Kirstenbosch
Part of the Cape Town area
The Twelve Apostles in Cape Town
Olive farm
Anti Bush bumper sticker- yes, it is obscene...I took the picture before discovering the car belongs to a relative.
Ian, Errieda and friend standing at the beginning of Short street in Riebeek Kasteel. Anton owns the shop buildings.
The historic Royal Hotel in Riebeek Kasteel, once owned by Anton. A lot of South African history occurred here.
Wheat fields in the Swartland
Looking down over the edge of Table Mountain
Old fat white guy on top of Table Mountain
Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned as seen from the top of the mountain.
Another view from the edge of the mountain.
Bishop Tutu's church
My little grey rental car parked on the streets of Philadelphia
Stopped for a wild animal in the Northwest National Park
Phalaborwa International airport
The last Cycas Woodii in the world.....transplanted to this spot in 1895. It is a female, and there are no surviving males.
A Hindu temple in Durban
Street vendors setting up for the day...
Pedestrian crossing somewhere in Kwazulu-Natal
The famous or infamous, depending on how you view it, memorial to the Battle of Blood River when my ancestors defeated the Zulu army in 1838 after Chief Dingaan massacred Piet Retief and his delegation.
The infamous Cape flats, a gigantic slum/shanty town. Note the electrical lines.
A beggar in the street. The streets are full of beggars and guys trying to sell you stuff.... Makes driving an extra challenge.
Vickie, my cousin's Boerebull.....160 pounds of dog. What a sweetheart....I wanted to take her home with me.
Charl's boys with Vickie.
Cold day at the beach
Sorry my Muslim friends, but I found some things a bit creepy. Burqas were not common, but I saw a bunch, and some of the guys wear long off white dresses. This gal was quite nice and charming. A street vendor on the beach in Strand
I think it was about 60 degrees when I took this. They were doing some sort of commercial.
Wine tasting center at Vergelegen Winery founded 1700
The manor house at Vergelegen.
The camphor trees at Vergelegen. Brought from Japan and planted in the year 1700.
The orchard at Vergelegen
Along the coastal highway near the community of Bikini Beach- I am not kidding.
Charl and Kim spotting a whale
Penguin colony.
What are you looking at?
Interior of the NG Church in Franschoek with African Hardwoods.
Bird feeding on a melianthus
Sigh, they really are everywhere
African sun bathers
I need some dinner
The main drag of Dullstroom, a small town in the high veld on the way to Kruger Park
A planted pine forest in the high veld.
Last spring. Costa Rica. My bus stopping at the summit on the Highway of Death.
The street into downtown Dominical....I loved this place.
Dominical's main street
The beach at Dominical. Surfer zone.
evening surf
Dominical's residential district
More beach. You cant swim here though due to the rip tides and no lifeguards.
Loved the roads....this is the road to my hotel
Old sugar cane press in the jungle. Yes I drank the unpasteurized juice from the communal cup with no ill effects. Delicious.
Jungle. I did not do as much hiking in the jungle as I would have liked to. I was still pretty limited and the terrain was tough.
The Pacific as seen from a hill south of Dominical
Chick on horseback
Boulders on the Highway of Death, and yes sometimes they do hit cars.
Statue of Jesus as you start up to the summit on the Highway of Death
Staircase in the hotel in San Jose
Mt. Shasta at dusk
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