Lost friends & family

I have been living in Cape Town now for 6 years. Six years of my life, that has taken me away from everything and everybody I know and love in Johannesburg. Make no mistake, I am happy living in Cape Town, and have met unbelievable people here, but my heart still longs for my family and my friends up there.

With the six years passing by, I think of friends I have lost touch with because I don't get to see them often enough. Carl, Graham. I think of friends who have immigrated, and because for the last two years of their lives in SA, I was not around, I have lost touch with them, Cobus. I think of family I have lost, that have passed away, and that I will never see again, and haven't seen in about 3 - 4 years. There is so much I am missing out on my own families lives. I miss my friends who I still have contact with.

I know this is all my own fault. I decided to move to Cape Town, and I could very easily have stayed in touch with everybody. It is just so much more difficult to do when you are not in the same city, and all of my relationships are based on constant physical and mental attention, so I need to be around my family and friends.

I lost another uncle this week. One that could have gone to see while I was in Pretoria last month, but had no time as I was so busy running around with work. Sometimes I hate where my life is, and where my priorities are, but then I have to remember that everything I am, and everywhere I find myself, I have chosen for myself, and I have to live with those choices. Most of the time very happily.

Americans and War

Ok, I need an American to explain this to me, because I am getting all sorts of interesting info from the TV.

In 2001, the USA led a offensive in Afghanistan that overthrew their regime and started the "New Afghanistan" that is now terrorist free. Since then, the US has lost thousands of soldiers there to insurgence that want the US to leave.

My question is this: How many American citizens thinks that it is a good thing that their partners, parents and children are dying in a war that was started by them, and has no factual or real reason for it?

I was watching a program on Discovery channel last night about a remote emergency army hospital in Afghanistan where doctors and nursing staff battle to save the lives of soldiers who get hurt in the war. On the program, one of the nurses said she was there, because she is saving American soldiers, who give up their lives for the people back home.

Now according to me, it is not even remotely as noble as that. The soldiers are there, because some bureaucrats in Washington have lied to the public and the world and because this is the poor soldiers job. Not because they are saving American lives. This is my concern, and again, I hope that many Americans can prove me wrong here (Ginger, step in). Are the Americans really happy and proud of these soldiers who are fighting because they were told to? Are the Americans really convinced that they are doing a noble thing? Are the Americans really convinced that the war is a good thing, and that they should police the entire world.

I know I am rambling on, but it just seems like the American public has stopped fighting for whats right, and are now protecting what they did wrong. It seems like they are trying to convince themselves that their "boys" are in Afghanistan doing the right thing, so they support them, instead of fighting to get them back home and out of harms way where politicians have placed them for the sake of...well I don't really quite know why!!!!

Update on Friday

I DIDN'T WIN!!!!!!!

But I got R1000.

Week Update

I have had no time this week to post anything, so here is my week update.

On Tuesday I won R1000 on 5Fm (a local radio station), and am now in the draw for the grand prize today. R30 000 worth of apple goodies which includes a Mac book, a iPhone, iPod, and.....Apple TV...I am so excited I can almost not sit still at work. This is however over shadowed by Tristan's continuing headaches, that the doctors can't really identify the cause of. He has had a headache, non stop, for about 2 weeks now, and I can see that it is so painful. He has been for a CAT scan, and yesterday went for a MRI, and the doctors response is just: "it might be this, or maybe that, but here use these nose drops, coz maybe its a sinus headache". Not good enough. They need to figure out what is going on with him RIGHT NOW!!!

On a lighter note, we booked and paid for our air tickets this week, and they were R2500 less than we budgeted for. BONUS. So now there is no turning back. The holiday is in full swing.

That is my week so far, I will keep you all informed as to the situation of my Apple Acquisition today.

Durban

In Durban for the day and its really not fun. Wanted to go inside this Hindu centre but they didn't want me to. Had coffee with a friend and really want him to find the same happiness I have with a great partner and the 'kids'. I can't wait to get home.

In Durban

Whatever your human hair requirements, there is a salon inside to deal with it!

The luckiest kid on the playground

I get a packed lunch everyday when I am in Joburg made with love by my sister, and this is the lunchbox I use!

My heritage day.

I spent about an hour at the Voortrekker Monument today. This is a monument dedicated to the Afrikaner forefathers who moved over the mountains with ox wagons to get away from the English. It was great to be here again and remember how we got to Joburg.

Construction

This is how much the road has moved.

Juice in my lap

I just spilled juice all over my lap, and now I have a sticky wet crotch...

My friend Bruce

Bruce on stilts... Again. He is doing a fitting for a gigg. But there is not enough padding in the world!

The fire next to the R21

Long street

This is a Long street in Kempton Park in Joburg, which is a little like council flats or like the projects. Very funny

South African Mentality

This should give you an idea of what we have to deal with in this country. We have won the 2010 World Cup bid and the whole country got excited. However, since we got the bid, it has been an uphill struggle with the finance, building and ticket sales. Now the small minded idiots who work on the stadium has decided to stop working. We are already months behind schedule, and now they decide to sown tools.

My issues with this are multi-fold. (SURPRISE)

First, they are striking over pay. The entire world is in a recession. People are loosing jobs daily, and they still want more money. The thing is that these unskilled people are demanding a 15% raise in salary. At the moment the countries economy grows at a rate of -2%, but they demand a 15% increase. That kind of math, can only make sense to a monkey.

Secondly, they are downing tools to these world cup stadiums, when the success and the profitability of the event already hangs in the balance. I have never been a big supporter of the world cup, but we have it now, and we must "haal uit en wys" (show what we can do). This is no time to be putting the event into even more jeopardy.

Thirdly, this "entitlement" they have and the stupidity of the unions. A union leader said on radio a few days ago, that they will strike until FIFA fines the organisers, and then the money that should have been paid to the workers as salary, can be paid over to FIFA in fines. HOW RIDICULOUS!!!

Monkeys, monkeys everywhere.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

As a child I grew up with the soundtrack to the Rocky Horror Picture Show blaring in our house. My mom and my cousin went to see it and couldn't get enough of it. through the years, I have also grow very fond of the movie, and ended up buying it, but in VHS. I have watched it close to about 100 times. Its one of those movies I just put on and watch when I am bored. I know almost all the words to it and absolutely love it.

Last night we went to see the "floor show" at the Barnyard theatre. I have been excited and jittery since Monday about going to see it, and finally it happened!!! At first I was annoyed because everybody except me knew you could take your own food into the theatre, so we ended up buying pizza's.

The show was fantastic. I sang along at the top of my voice, and clapped and jumped and everything. The actors were all great, and Frank N Furter was really good, and very true to the Tim Curry character in the movie. Right at the end, when they all did their final bow, I realised I knew the guy who played Riff Raff, and through the whole show everybody was saying how well he is doing. No Richard O'Brien, but very good. I just wished I could have seen my friend Bruce when he was playing Riff Raff. The one and only critique I have, is that I wished that more of the audience knew the words to the participation bits, and brought their props.

EVERYBODY must go see this, even if you are not a RHPS fan.

Glorious morning

And being wished a good day by the guy who looks after our local controversial hall, makes it even more special.

Day at home

Today my man is sick in bed. He is all snotty and aching and sore bones and throat and stuff. This of course works out perfectly for my boys, who now get to spend the whole day in bed with him. What a day to spend in bed. What a good life a loved dog has!

Unlikely couple

Tefnut and Leche have been friends since the beginning and they love each other very much.

Network21

I have this huge neon sign above my head. It flashes only when I am at a network function, or when I am around groups of people who I don't know. It flashes "OOZING CONFIDENCE HERE" all the time. So I always get these people form Network21, or a similar 'organization' who try to contact me. I was at a networking breakfast on Thursday, and two days ago I went to call on Amway and saw the Network21 offices. Immediately a chill went down my spine, and I remember thinking to myself that one of these people are going to call me. then lo and behold, yesterday I get a phone call from one of the ladies that was at the networking breakfast, with the normal Network21 opening line: 'you look like someone who is very confident and ambitious'. I immediately knew what she wanted, and when she said her husband is involved in loads of networking, I asked her if it was Network21 and she got a bit annoyed and said yes. I politely told her I was not interested.

Now I am not saying they are a pyramid scheme, coz they profess that they aren't. But its so strange that they never want to tell you they are involved in Network21, they always have to play this cloak and dagger shit. Then once they finally get you to attend a 'meeting' they explain to you how you can make more money by getting more people involved and making money off their purchases....Sounds a little like a pyramid scheme to me.

I have nothing against it, but just respect the fact that I don't like it, and that I don't want to be part of it. don't try and tell me how much I will loose out and then get pissed off with me because I say no. Get a real job!!!!!!