Laduma!!!

Last night I went with some work colleagues to the exhibition match between Sundowns and Barcelona at Loftus. It was super fun!

We left our offices in Sandton just after 6 to drive to Pretoria. Almost 2 hours later, we arrived, in a very eventful manner! We hired 2 of the new style taxis. This means that you get to drive like a taxi. We flew down the emergency lane most of the way to Pretoria. I can tell you, people were not happy! But what are they going to do?

We were supposed to meet someone at the One Stop above the highway in Midrand, who had been on the highway about 30 minutes before us. He was still stuck there when we arrived…. Seems we passed him? So after a quick ‘comfort break’ we sped off again.

During the stop we picked up a CD. It was the Zimbabwean version of “Go Shortie, it’s your birthday. We’re gonna party like it’s your birthday…” Think gospel choir with an African accent, singing 50 Cent. We listened to it all the way through Pretoria central. I can’t describe the looks we got from outsiders.

We parked in a garden somewhere after a very tight squeeze between a car and a wall and then a car and a tree and much squealing from the girls in the taxi. We arrived at the game about 10 minutes before kick off, in our yellow and green hard hats. Good for spotting people in a crowd! After much pushing and attempted pick-pocketing, we got into the stadium. It was packed! The seats were all unreserved. It isn’t easy finding seats for 30 people! So we stood at the fence.

Sundowns scored in the first 2 minutes and that set the vibe for the night. There were vuvuzelas everywhere. It is very impressive what some people can do with them! The supporters all have some kind of vuvuzela ‘song’ going, that sounds awesome when 20 000 people get started. It sure sounds better than plain old clapping!

Barcelona scored towards the end of the second half. Ronaldinho did some fancy footwork for the crowd and they went crazy when he was substituted.

At the beginning of the second half, the security guards came out. We had the pleasure of 3 women standing in front of us. They looked very down and out and worse for wear. Like life had been terribly hard on them and they had been drinking in the sun for the last 15 years. The one in front of us was freaky! She kept staring at us girls with a scary look in her eye… thank god for the fence!

After the game, we went back to the taxi and found we were parked in by 2 taxis and a couple cars. We opened some beers put on “Shortie” and got ready to wait. After about 20 minutes, they moved and we were off back to Joburg. The traffic was quite bad, they do road works on the highway at night. After a bit more yellow line driving we eventually got back home.

All in all, a good night. Though I still prefer rugby… it’s more physical and they wear tighter shorts.

Damn traffic fines...

I am busy at the moment, writing a letter to the JHB Metro Police to contest a fine they gave me. I’m not saying it wasn’t me or that I wasn’t speeding, I’m saying they got the address wrong. I was not speeding where they said I was, so I'm not paying for it! It is quite a delicate process, this letter writing…. I don’t want to get cheeky or sound too intelligent or ‘legal’ but still want to get my point across which is “If you want my money, get it right or kiss my ass!”

I have also come across an article about the changes that are going to be made to the traffic fine system. I have noticed the giant roadblocks that have been set up lately, that close off 3 of 4 lanes on main roads in Sandton, creating pure mayhem. Apparently, they can pull you over, you can pay fines there (or be arrested), they can issue warrants of arrest and check all your details. They even have plate recognition machines!

Luckily I have a new car, so they won’t recognise the number plate. If I could just get a new ID number, I’d be home free!

I have noticed lately that there are a lot more cops on the roads. There is someone sitting permanently (well, I’m not sure about nights) on Sandton Drive. They have an area cleared out, a stool and a plastic bag there. But what I don’t understand is that they sit there trying to trap in morning peak hour traffic. This is the traffic that traditionally doesn’t move much and you sit bumper to bumper? How do you speed, especially over 70kms an hour? I suppose you could wait for all the traffic to move forward and leave an open stretch and then floor it, but you probably still wouldn’t be worthy of a fine. But if it makes the cops feel better just being there, then so be it.

They are also installing a lot more permanent cameras, at traffic lights. Gone are the days (early mornings) of light-jumping. I do find these cameras very entertaining though. I find it immensely amusing to see someone go speeding through and the camera flashing. It’s especially funny if the camera has been there forever and most people know about it, like the one on Sandton Drive or the one at Brightwater Commons.

From now on I am going to drive at a reasonable speed and try my best not to get any fines in the next few months. It’s just too difficult to talk my way out of them….

Blind faith?

This story of the Virgin Mary has grown! As has my consternation and disbelief.

The story was on Carte Blanche on Sunday. And seeing some of it made me even more sceptical. Seeing the people involved didn’t help either!

Word around the water cooler (from people who grew up in Benoni) is that the family is a bit dodgy and they have quite a reputation in the area, though this seems to be a common thing where some Lebanese families are concerned.

So I ask you, is this a ploy to make the family look better? Did you see what her brother-in-law looked like? Looked like a bit of a ‘breker’, someone you would never mess with, unless you were completely drunk and suffering from “short man syndrome.”

A psychologist on Carte Blanche said the following: “There could be a degree of histrionic acting out on this. But given the bits of information at hand, I would believe that it's a fair reality for her. Unless there is such an attention-seeking behaviour as to feed into a certain religious need that gets expressed by the family.” So she’s a bit crazy and delusional? Why has she not been put under some sort of observation or had some sort of treatment, just in case?

I personally think this is a result of the fact that her clearly better looking sister won the Miss Lebanon SA pageant and went to Lebanon to compete and came in the top 3 in that competition. People keep going on about how pretty her older sister is and how wonderful she is. Must really suck living in her shadow.

And now she is making people blind because they are staring into the sun to see the virgin…I wonder if she can heal the blindness she’s causing? Seems she isn’t even taking responsibility for it….

According to IOL, “Amal Nassif believed 17-year-old Francesca Zackey when she said the Virgin Mary would appear if Nassif gazed into the sun.Now 37-year-old Nassif, a devout Catholic, may be blind for life.

Now she says at least four other people also damaged their eyes after being told "the lady" would spin the sun and confirm her presence to her believers.

However, Zackey says Nassif's problem is not her fault and that she is praying for the woman. “

Is this what they call blind faith? Is it worth it?

I think I'm dying!

I've been booked off from work for the rest of the week! I have flu and bronchitis. I've got 4 different medicines and had a Voltaren injection in my bum. It wasn't as sore as i remember!

So i'm spending the next day in bed or watching movies on the couch.

Perhaps I should pay a visit to the girl who saw the Virgin Mary in her room at her parent’s house in Benoni.

As you know, I am not religious. So this story doesn’t really ring true for me. First off, she’s a teenager…. Who believes a teenager? Secondly, she is now not letting the press in anymore. Why not take advantage of the free publicity (for the sake of Catholic Church, who are in desperate need of supporters), even if it is intrusive. I mean, The Pope gets involved in this sort of thing and all sorts of other, literally, holier than thou people. Why not use it to push the catholic cause?

I want to know why she was the one who was ‘chosen’. If I were the Virgin Mary (yes, this is purely hypothetical) I would appear to someone who was on the border of non-believer. Of course I would be doing this to prove a point and say “Huh! Told you so!!” Wouldn’t that achieve more than appearing to the already converted? I suppose that would be why I’m not a deity or whatever (and I’m also not dead).

I was listening to the interview with her on 5FM and it just didn’t sound right or believable. Her stories are not in line iwht each tiher. She said that the Virgin told her to see people for 10 days (the 7-17 May, though she told the papers it was for 7 days…hmmmm….) but yet her story has only gone public now more than a month later. And her house is still open to strangers aka believers. She aslo said that the virgin appeared in May in one newspaper and in June in another paper. So, which is it? Why so shy all of a sudden?

Also has she been home all this time, missing school? What kind of deity would think it’s ok for someone to miss out on their education, especially during exam time? Unless the Virgin Mary is a civil servant?

But what I can say is she is a homophobe and doesn’t believe in equality! “She cried about abortions and gay marriages and told me this was not from God” WTF?! And after she said “I love all my children”? Huh? She needs to get her story straight! What’s next? Every woman deserves a good beating?

Either way, I am not converted but maybe after another bottle of cough mixture, I may feel different? Bottoms up!

Wooohooo!!

I have discovered a fantastic way to spend lunch at the office. Watching Sex and the City. I feel very relaxed and ready to finish off the day. All you need is a bit of distraction….

I am also in a much better mood than I have been in recent times. I am (theoretically) getting my new car today and I am being kept comfortably busy at work, so time is flying. And I have some Bob Marley going on…. All I need is a big fruity cocktail!

I think a big contributing factor is the fact that my brother and I are going to the Durban July! YIPPPPEEEE!!!! It is going to be so much fun! But what to wear…?? I’m not sure if this fits into my new budget, but if I win money on the horses…. We are also going to be staying right across the road from the racetrack, so that’ll be fun and easy! It’s really just a matter of finding a way to get there. Flights are a bit expensive at the moment and it’s a long drive for a weekend. But in all fairness we do have a lot of fun on these road trips.

Wooohoooo! It’s gonna be a fun weekend!

A call to all men...

GROW SOME BALLS!!

I am sick of men with no balls! This generally includes all men (except my dad, I'm a daddy's girl!) they can’t say what they really think and for some reason think that us girls can’t handle the truth. WRONG!

Seriously, why do you think the book “He’s Just Not That Into You” is a bestseller?! It’s because men are pussies! I would like to offer some advice… Just say it like it is! Sure, it’ll bruise her ego a bit in the beginning but it’s better than stringing her along and letting her down even more at a later stage. The quicker it’s done the less damage you cause. It’s really not quantum physics!

If confronted by a girl (and your balls have disappeared) and give an ‘explanation’ such as “I’m not ready/ Give me a month/ Let’s take it slow” etc, you may be worth considering (from her point of view), should there be absolutely nothing on the horizon but I am now of the opinion that these guys aren’t.

I am especially of this opinion when a guy gives such an explanation and then acts in an entirely opposite manner with some tarty looking ho. This is when I say “KISS MY ASS!”. Guys like that are just not worth the hassle or the time. If they can insult you like that, who knows what they would be capable of down the line? I wouldn’t want to stick around to find out!

So, the moral of the story is they as a guy you should be upfront and say it like it is, as soon as you get the chance. This will actually get you some more respect in the long run.

And on a final note, I am throwing in the towel. I am done. I have been playing this “game” for 15 years now. I am tired.

But don’t get me wrong! Should someone fantastic come along, I may re-evaluate. I just can’t keep dealing with the guys I mentioned above! It’ll take a lot more to get me interested.

So this is a relatively disillusioned girl saying I am done with the dating game and I need to find a new hobby.

P.S. PLEASE no soppy, “inspirational” or heart warming comments. I don’t need them and may lose my lunch! Thanks!

Still AAARRGGHHH!!!

I am still incredibly irate! And that irritates me! I don't like feeling like I am on the edge of totally losing it and taking it out on someone i shouldn't.

But here's the thing.... i only feel like this at work. Imagine!!?? I think i am alone in this :-) This week, when i walk into the office, i endeavour to make sure i am in a good mood. But within 5 minutes of opening my email, i am irritated again. And it just escalates during the day.

It seems this is a cyclical thing. You can go for ages enjoying work and not letting anyone get to you, but then all of a sudden... BANG... you want to make blood flow through the passages and run around screaming and holding someones head up high! Or just give someone a poes klap!

So i am now taking a much deserved mental health break. I am also going to spend the day with my earphones in, listening to soothing music like Guns 'n Roses with a spot of Jamiroquai thrown in.

This better be over by Monday, i don't think i can take another week of this! People must sort out their attitudes and stop bothering me with arb crap!

Here's to another late night at work and 1 more day until the weekend! WOOOHOOO!!!

AARRGGHHH!!!

I am irritated. I am grumpy and people are pissing me off in general. Work is not the place to be when I am in a mood like this.

At work, there is little control over how others behave or what they do. There is also not really anywhere to go to remove yourself from an annoying situation. To top it off, I have a 2 hour committee meeting! And they are never fun, since I am the minute taker and therefore have to concentrate for the full 2 hours (my attention span is questionable). Though we do get sandwiches…

I have decided to use this post as a bit of a vent about things that irritate me….

The first one is WINTER. I am all dried up and flaky, the sun is only up at 7 and down at 5 and I can’t get out of bed in the mornings. This leads to being stuck in traffic. People are rude. They don’t let others in…. I try let at least 3 people into traffic every day (building up good karma) and taxis don’t count. If everyone was a little more courteous traffic would be so much easier and bearable!

Secondly, people who give you a job to do, where you have to use your own discretion and make decisions and then second guess it and eventually mess it up and tell you what they actually wanted and you were supposed to know this via osmosis. I just want to do something different and shake things up a bit so we aren’t stuck with the old, boring and mundane same old, same old!

Thirdly, people who are rude and people who never have anything good to say and who are unnecessarily critical. If you are rude to people in the service industry, they aren’t going to help you out, they are going to be even slower and give you more attitude. (I know, I worked in the industry for years as a student). My granny always said “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. I try and abide by this, though it is hard. And there are people who REALLY should! They spout negativity about anything they can think of, like a black cloud. It brings me down and grates me. There comes a time where you have think to yourself “Wow, I am being SO critical and negative, perhaps I should shut the hell up for a while?” I know I have! Eventually people are just going to avoid or ignore you… and then what?

That is my vent. I will endeavour to snap out of this mood or at least fake smile my way through the day. I am having dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in an age so there is something to look forward to.

And thatS I all I have to say about that….

Fun Day!

On Saturday, I helped my dad out for another Rotary event. It was a Fun Day for handicapped people, at Forest Farm. It is a highlight on the Sandton Rotary calendar.

A lot of people have asked me how I can do it, because it is so heartbreaking. I must admit that for the first 10 minutes, it is. It is a bit disconcerting seeing people who are physically adults but mentally children. Under normal circumstances and with ‘normal’ people, they may seem threatening and too touchy, but taking all the circumstances into account, they are just friendly people who like to meet anyone new.

Their happiness and enjoyment of the games rubs off on you. The heartbreak is over and you just enjoy yourself. It is an amazing experience. They are a community and everyone looks out for everyone else. They have their cliques and girlfriends and boyfriends, just like any social group. All it takes is a couple minutes to listen to someone to realise they are really quite normal and understand what’s going on.

My dad got roped into pushing a huge guy around in a wheelchair for the day… he was easily the size of Victor Matfield. It was extremely entertaining! He even did a potato race and the egg and spoon race (my dad pushing the chair up a hill and the guy (Walter) sitting with the potatoes and egg in his lap. Good training for Everest!

But the highlight of the day was the Harleys. They come every year and are a hot favourite! People who have difficulty walking will run to greet them. They take people on the back of their bikes around a field. This is where you will find the biggest smiles! And of course, boys with their arms in the air showing how brave they are. Typical! I took a couple kids (naturally) to wait for their turns and reassure them that it would be safe. You should’ve seen their faces!

I would have to say that this is one of the most satisfying, feel-good things I have done in a while. The 5 minutes of heartbreak are forgotten and replaced with that warm fuzzy feeling (I still feel it!) It’s also a highlight on my calendar and I’m looking forward to the next one.

...Sigh....

Thank god it's Friday! It's been a quietish week for me and i haven't had nearly as much as sleep as i would like. And for no good reason either....

It has been a week of teeth. Not mine, those around me. Philly had a wisdom tooth taken out this morning (sans general anaesthetic!!) and Mumsy also had a tooth removed after much drama and tears. They are (i hope!!) both in la-la land, thanks to the wonders on Myprodol.

Wish i was there now.... i HATE being on the brink of boredness!