Selling Skills

I had a meeting with a prospective client today and took one of the banqueting managers along. His job was supposed to be to give the client some info on our banqueting facilities and ideas on what to do and where to do it. Problem is he was stumbling over his own words and got a little flustered, especially because the gentlemen we were seeing was a gay man, and openly so. Now I think being in the hotel industry (one of the gay "safe service" careers) and being in banqueting and event co-ordinating, he should be used to dealing with gay men. I realized however, that it boils down to selling skills. Fortunately I can say with great pride, that I have the selling skills to sell water filters to dessert dwelling nomadic tribes, and this guy doesn't. I am able to adapt and change the conversation to my liking, and reign in any person who is dragging the discussion off in a direction that doesn't exist. Also I am able to adapt my approach to straight, gay, green, blue, CEO and secretary. This I believe is a very special gift I have, and that I share with most or any sales person out there. Some people do not have that however, and still try to sell something. This is why this poor bloke was way out of his depth and kept on stumbling and eventually the client asked my who is higher in rank as he didn't want to step on this guys toes when he asks me about the properties. Poor bloke.

Ocean race

At the waterfront watching the restart of the Volvo ocean race. Holding thumbs for the Puma il mastro!

At the airport

I am sitting at the airport with mixed feeling. Happy because I am waitin for my sister to arrive. Tired because her flight was delayed out of Joburg and is arriving after 00:00. But mostly I am disappointed. Disappointed that someone so close to me would not even think about deviating from his routine of going to bed at 22:00 so he could come to the airport with me to meet my sister. Disappointed because he goes to bed and still asks me, from lying in bed, oh did you still want me to go to the airport with you. Disappointed because over and above all of this, he doesn't even leave a light on in the bedroom because it would probably keep him awake. This is one of those cases we spoke about where someone doesn't need to ask as they presume you would care enough to offer. Sleep well.

Office fish

I inherited the office fish and they are now living with me on my desk. This after the one committed suicide and jumped out of the bowl this week. Hope I don't come to work with a dried up fish on my desk!

Weekend

Its Friday afternoon around 14:30 and I am so excited as my sister is arriving for the weekend this evening. She is come to visit us for 2 days as a belated birthday present. I cant wait for her to arrive and meet Tristan and all my friends. Its going to be a good weekend, coz it is going to start with a walk along the promenade with the dogs.

YEA WEEKEND!!!

Raining

Out in Stellenbosch today and the typical summer weather continues... NOT. What is this weather we are having in the middle of November?

Lunch

I know I am quite disgusted in myself but I drove past Charlie's Bakery and couldn't help myself!

Birthday Boy

It was Lucca's 3rd birthday on Monday and I am sorry to say it went down very uneventfull. Just to give you some insight to his 3 year life. He has lived in 3 different houses, he has been bitten 4 times, had an operation to hemmue his amal glands and therefore walked around with stitches inside his bum, he has had bleeding ear tips for about 3 moths and has been on puppy prozac and he has been on sleep outs to Wellington and to a farm near Morreeburg. All this in just 3 years. Happy birthday my special boy!

The weather and school

On my way to work today I saw the most heart wrenching thing ever. Stoped at a red light in Adderley street, next to Die Groote Kerk (its in Adderley street), I saw a little girl between 8 and 10 years old, dressed in her school clothes with an umbrella, as it is pelting down, walking to school. The problem is, along with this heavy rain in mid November, there are gale force winds blowing all over Cape Town leaving the streets full of tree left overs. So as this girl walks over the red light (behaviour she sees from grown ups), and barely misses getting killed, she gets to the other side, and tries to turn the corner, but a gust of wind blows and blows her umbrella inside out. So there she is, standing on the corner, a little girl in her maroon tracksuit with a hoody, getting drenched, with an inside out umbrella, still smiling and making her way to school. Even I got a little lump in my throat after seeing that!

Morning routine

I am always so stressed in the morning, because I am always either cutting it very close, or getting to work late, and I cant understand why. I think I have figured out why. I wake up at 6:45, and spend a few minutes on err...grooming. Then I take a shower and shave every second day. After this I have to iron clothes for the day, as I don't iron my stuff and hang it up, coz that will just wrinkle it all over again. So that should do it then, but no, I have to now get breakfast together (which I mostly forget about), feed the dogs, move their beds, administer medication to the earless one, and do various other little things in the house, like make the bed, remember about the veggies. On the other side of the coin, is Tristan. He wakes up at 7:15. Takes a shower, gets dressed and leaves for work around 7:35. What a comfy life. I think I should do that from now on, oh but wait, then nothing will get done!

First day back

Today is the first day back at work in Cape Town, after I have been in Joburg for business the last week. I had such excitement in my veins while in Joburg, as business went so well, and I was out and busy the entire time and never really had any time to sit or do anything. In my car all the time and driving around from meeting to meeting. Now back in the Cape Town office, I have lost all of that enthusiasm, and want to go home and sleep. I really need to get myself motivated to work here in Cape Town, and just go balls to the wall and start phoning everybody i can get my hands on.

Problem is in Cape Town, people are already busy going into Christmas mode, and want to only see me in next year.

What to do...

Pretending to be angels

Sleeping like nice little angels after having run around in the house like mad dogs and chewing their stuffed toys.

Leaving Joburg

Sitting at the airport and despite the beautifull purple streets in Parktown, seeing my family and spending time with my friends, I am ready and very willing to go home. The only obstacle still ahead of me is my flighti on the flying orange fanta can. Curse these low cost carriers. At least at the end of my harrowing flight will be a hottie waiting for me.

I miss my baby

Joburg Drivers

I thought I got annoyed with Cape Town drivers...until I got to Joburg. At least in Cape Town we stick to the rules of the road, al be it slow. In Joburg, nobody sticks to the rules of the road. They create two lanes where there is really just enough space for one car, they weave through traffic at high speed, the taxis get onto the freeway, in the fast lane and stays there until they die, driving at 40km per hour. Then there are the traffic circles. I will never let anybody ever again tell me that Capetonians don't know how to use a traffic circle. EVERYBODY in Joburg uses traffic circles as a four way stop. GO AND RE-DO YOUR LICENCES. When you get to a traffic circle, you give way to the right, no matter if you stand there for hours waiting for everybody to go past you. Some silly cow nearly T-boned me because she thought it was her turn to go, and then started shouting at me. Joburg drivers need to learn the K53...that's that little book you learn out of to get your licence. Find it in CNA!!!

Dessert

So dinner at Danielle's tonight was chicken satay followed by this Pavlova!

Joburg

This is one of the tings about Joburg I miss. The Jacaranda lined streets!

Joburg trip

My business trip to Joburg has given me the lus for work I have lost sitting in the office in Cape Town. This is why I am in sales. Doing business, getting commitment, getting figures up, having to eat in the car coz there is no time to stop. I need to get this feeling back in Cape Town, and that means getting out of the office and driving around and doing business!

Day of memories

I spent most of today driving around areas where I either grew up or used to spent time in Joburg. That includes my old high school. I had some of the best memories of my life at this school. I kissed my first boy here(sorry Ma). I had my first crush here. Its been a very emotional day for me, but good emotional. It was a good time in my life and will never get that back again coz I am older and things have changed.

Saturday guilt trip

Thanks to Linda I spent Saturday night watching another Rafiq Mammon and Gary Naidoo production. This time unfortunately it is another apartheid inspired show. I cant help but wonder when we, as a nation, will stop using this to make movies, shows and songs. Have we lost all our creativity? Its time to get over it now and start using new stuff!