Thursday 10 November 2011

Project ABC: G is for Gift

I have mentioned before (here, here and here)  that one of the few drawbacks of being an expat is that we have to say goodbye too often.  People come and go.  Friends become family - we laugh and cry together, celebrate together, take care of each others children and love each other like family.  And then they leave for the next part of their journey through life.  And you know sometime in the future it will be your turn to move on... But while we were together we made each other's life better, and we will stay in contact via the internet and the odd holiday - just like normal family.


This time we made a memory album of our friends' 8 years in Dubai.  All the friends shared photos, stories, recipes and jokes.  I used Riot Photo Books's software to create an 80-page hardcover coffee table book to give to them as a farewell gift. 


It was such an honor to make the book.  To be trusted with other peoples memories is a responsibility I did not take lightly.  I think the book turned out great and will give our friends many hours of reminiscence in the years to come. 


The book is called 'Brandhout'.  It is an Afrikaans word meaning 'Fire wood'.  Our friend Christo always says that the things we do today, the experiences we have when we are young, becomes fire wood for when we are old.  When we do not have the physical strength anymore to go places, we can think back to our younger years to keep the mental fires burning.  Hopefully this book will keep the fire going for a while...

Christo, Kine and Josh, we will miss you... 

Update:
All wrapped up in brown paper, with one UAE-flag ribbon and one SA-flag ribbon, ready to be given....


2 comments:

Stel said...

Wat 'n gawe geskenk en goeie idee :-)

Unknown said...

dit was so lekker om te maak - 'n trip down memory lane.