I am Maryke Wasserman and, here at [redacted], I blog about places to see, things to do and experience in Mpumulanga.
Who am I: I have a very ordinary life. The normal 9 to 5 administration duties fill my weekdays.
But it is over the weekend and with lots of coordinating of schedules, some weekday afternoons, that the three four members of our family unit break free from our city (Nelspruit) life and enjoy the beauty of our province sho’tleft-style.
June 2014, I decided to enter a photographic competition that was hosted by the lovely Carla Lewis-Balden of the Afrikaans travel blog Die Reismier.
My photo of a Kaapsehoop aloe next to a footpath made it to one of the finalist rounds. Even though this did not end in any award ceremony, it was the catalyst to start my blog, and the #loveMpumalanga {which later also included #discoverMpumalanga} hashtag project. I had rediscovered my love for photography.
My late aunt was the benefactor of my first camera - I think I was 8 and it was still a film ‘mik-en-druk’ {translated as a see-and-snap} that you had to wait about a week for the roll to be developed. Now, decades later, I was armed with my HTC One M7 - a smartphone. I didn’t have equipment, but I had eyes. And that is the first piece of equipment any photographer needs. So I decided to use what I had and not get tied down by having this lens and that flash. I wanted to explore where I grew up, but this time from a different point of view, experiencing the wonders and sights through the eyes of my daughter (and now my son, too) and the unique way my husband interacts with his surroundings.
I made friends in the Twitter travel community and before long, I had met the most amazing group of people.
I have upgraded to a Nikon 5200D since the early days, nothing glamorous, but it allows me greater focal length. I still use my phone for macro photography and to capture instant moments.
Location Scout (my husband) and I am using what is available at hand to discover small wonders and hidden gems. I am amazed at the wonder that lies beyond my lens. In a way it’s a reminder that this is not all there is; what truly matters is invisible to the human eye.
It is my honest opinion that our province is not represented as well on the digital platforms as it can be, and I would like to encourage business owners to venture into the virtual sphere of social media platforms to promote their establishments for both the local and international markets. To use hashtags like #discoverMpumalanga and #loveMpumalanga when they post a picture, will be my first Twitter tip.
I’m sure that we have a great skillset right here in the province to promote the natural wonders of our area. We just need passionate people to join together and work and collaborate for the collective advancement of the communities we are a part of.
I have a passion for our province and specifically the Lowveld. This is what gets me blogging, and tweeting and Instagram posting (and recently starting to contribute on Google Maps).
This is such a small part of what it is about, but the one theme that keeps repeating is that we do not need much to enjoy what is ours to experience for free. It is there every sunrise and sunset.
Follow my journey of discovering the Creation and capturing as many moments as is I am able to.