Go n-eírí an bóthar leat

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Monday’s snow balls

Tell me why don’t like Mondays? Words from Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats ring in my head.

The silicon chip inside her head
Gets switched to overload.
And nobody's gonna go to school today,
She's going to make them stay at home.
And daddy doesn't understand it,
He always said she was as good as gold.
And he can see no reason
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.

The telex machine is kept so clean
As it types to a waiting world.
And mother feels so shocked,
Father's world is rocked,
And their thoughts turn to
Their own little girl.
Sweet 16 ain't so peachy keen,
No, it ain't so neat to admit defeat.
They can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to be shown?

Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.

All the playing's stopped in the playground now
She wants to play with her toys a while.
And school's out early and soon we'll be learning
And the lesson today is how to die.
And then the bullhorn crackles,
And the captain crackles,
With the problems and the how's and why's.
And he can see no reasons
'Cause there are no reasons
What reason do you need to die?

Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
Tell me why?
I don't like Mondays.
I want to shoot
The whole day down.

Take a sickly look at the pink snow balls on sale at the bakery in Park Station and tell me that you too hates Mondays.

Where's Spring?

It looks like winter is still trying to fight back as today is rather chilly compared to last week of hot summer days. We haven’t had a spring yet. Here is Steven with his daughter.

Catching up

After yesterday, our family had a quiet Saturday, catching up on the exhaustive week.

Respect

Today started off wonderfully. On the radio while driving to work, our new president, Kgalema Motlanthe, announced his new cabinet. What made me so cheerful was that the fool our health minister, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, has been replaced. For those who don’t know much about this crazy fool, let me put it this way. Would you trust a Finance Minister who went personally went bankrupt while in office? No. Well the same goes for a Health Minister who is fat, smokes and drinks like there is no tomorrow. While in office she was diagnosed with an alcoholic liver disease and jumped the queue for a liver transplant. She also states that HIV does not lead to AIDS and that by eating beetroot you will be cured. I am afraid that beetroot did not help her liver. Another news item which also made my morning was that Ekurhuleni’s Chief of the Metropolitan Police Robert McBride was fired. What a rotten scoundrel. I was walking on cloud nine all mourning. In the afternoon I went to Metrorail’s cultural function to celebrate last Wednesday’s Heritage Day. It was wonderful to see all the colours of the traditional dresses. Reds of the Zulus, Greens of the Shangans, Browns of the Xhosas, Yellows of the Phedis and Blues of the Vendas. Not only that, I was blown away by the traditional submissiveness of the women to the men. I will never forget how the Venda women lay as low as they could before me. My day ended in respect.

Thandi

I don’t feel like working after the mid-week public holiday but work I have to do. This is Thandi who works with Carol, she was just leaving as I arrived back home from Metrorail. In the evening I decided to channel hop through all the news channels and was very troubled with the financial turmoil the world finds itself in. I feel South Africa is in the same place America was a few months back. The banks are in denial that we don’t have a problem. The sale of homes has virtually come to a standstill and house prices have started to drop. The banks are trying to shore up the leaking boat by recalling bad debts early. Seeing what is happening in America they have a head start. While the banks are holding their cards close to their chests, the rest of South Africa eyes are focused on the new president of South Africa as he is sworn in.

Braai Day

Today is Heritage Day, also know as Braai Day. A braai is South African for Barbeque or BBQ. The weather was great and even mom-in-law cracked a smile although just briefly.

Mavumisa

Taking a walk during lunch to the station pulls you back into reality of Africa. The area just outside Park Station is a hub of long distance transport. Busses arriving from and heading out to the DRC, Malawi, Zambia, Moçambique, Zimbabwe and other far flung places. Here is one which just arrived from the Eastern Cape.

Fire

Coming in to Metrorail this morning, I found that there was a fire yesterday morning in the training centre. The official investigating is ongoing so I can’t say much. Meanwhile the fire set the tongues on fire, all speculating what they think the cause was.

Down Down Down

Today I am feeling down. Carol is sick with flu and my document server is not responding. Not even these flowers can brighten up my day.

Strubens Valley

Wow, I am very impressed with Matthew. Today he did climbs rated from 12 to 18 on the Ewbank system and that is rated for adults. For a 9 year old that is good.

Eckõ Unlimited

The winter has decided to fight back. Last night it snowed on Table Mountain which means by end of weekend the cold will be here in Joburg. Anyway back to today’s photo, I am on this protein diet which is going well but my friends at Metrorail (José seen here with a biscuit and coffee) took every opportunity to try coax me.

Ex Unitate Vires

"Unity is Strength"; yes this is the old South African coat of arms still standing prominent on the west wall of Park Station. The four quadrants on the shield are for the four original areas that made up the Union of South Africa: Maiden of Hope (Cape Colony), Wildebeests (Natal Colony), Orange Tree (Orange River Colony) and the Trek wagon (Transvaal). These arms were replaced in 2000 by new arms with a new motto "!ke e:/xarra//ke" written in the Khoi San language and means "Diverse people Unite". I found on another website that it is pronounced (click)-eh-air-(click)-gaara-(click)-eh. The first click is produced by flicking the tongue against the front of the palate. The second is produced by pressing the tip of the tongue against the front teeth. The third is made by sucking air through the side of the mouth. The "g" is guttural." So, just start practicing your San.

A man and his Dog

Coming home from a long day at Metrorail, I found Maxy, our Italian Greyhound, waiting in my office. He is always ecstatic to see me and can't wait to greet me.

Child and Fold

Went on a run around again, trying to get my car which was sold in November last year onto the new owners name because the new owner conveniently forgot to hand in the paper work. I only found out recently when traffic fines started showing up in my mailbox. This photo is taken outside of Sandton Art Gallery next to the municipally offices where I eventually finalized the paperwork. If you look carefully you can see me in the refection of the background glass.

Metrorail Park

Back to Metrorail, I am not sure when the head office part will kick off. That just leaves me doing print work and e-mailers for Arbor Day, farewells, award functions, baby showers ect, ect…

More from Durban

My shiny dome is now a red dome, sun burnt red from yesterday. Anthony came up to visit from Durban. Here he on the right horsing around with Ian who is also from Durban but now working up here in Jozie.

Party at Mhluzi

Emmelinah celebrated her 50th birthday party today at her home in Mhluzi, the township outside Middelburg. A group of us traveled 2 hours from Johannesburg to reach the party. Emmelinah had put up a tent in the street and had decorated the tables beautifully. The invited guests were seated inside one tent and the food was prepared in the other. The entire neighborhood arrived and was seated outside the tent. Emmelinah was escorted into the tent by a singing procession similar to a wedding. After speeches the lovely food was served. I must say it was wonderful day with the entire community celebrating Emmelinah’s birthday. I had to choose a photo out of over 300 that I took to represent this day which was not easy.

Gold Reef City

The cold front came over last night bringing a slight chill in the air. The ICT staff at Metrorail went off to Boston BBQ at Gold Reef City for a farewell lunch for one of the staff members who resigned. This photo was taken outside the casino. For those who knew Johannesburg a long time ago would understand when I say that this statue in the fountain reminds me of the a similar one that used to be in Oppenheimer Park that was hacked away and sold for scrap by vandals.

A bit of colour

Yesterday was my longest post so far on this blog, but I had to get it off my chest. Two more people phoned me today from KFC, I must have stirred a hornet’s nest. Although I bought my lunch from an Indian Restaurant, I decided just to pop my head into the KFC and as expected no diet drinks. Well they still can get deliverers in the afternoon. On the way to KFC and back I passed the market inside Park Station which is rich in colours.

Tower Burger Meal

Before I get to today let me tell you how it all started. Last Thursday, 4 September, I went to the KFC at Park Station. I ordered a Tower Burger Meal. The cashier then turned around and shouted to the back to back of the store. After a response was shouted back, the cashier said to me that they don’t do Tower Burger Meals. (Note today’s photo). I then asked for a wrap and she replied that they only sell Streetwise Twos. I then pointed to the menu above her head and asked her why they advertise a full menu. She answered the same way, they only sell Streetwise Twos. So disgustedly I just turned around and went to another fried chicken vendor, Chicken Licken. Asking around at Metrorail, I found out that this is a common occurrence. I then complained on a consumer website Hello Peter.

On Saturday morning a lady from the KFC Consumer Centre phoned to apologize and asked for my postal address. Sunday, I had a chance to speak to my friend who works for Yum!, the holding company of KFC. He said that he would follow it up.

Now back to today. Not to mention names, another person from KFC phoned me and said they were very concerned about the incident and will investigate. He also gave me the Area Manager’s number in whose jurisdiction this store falls into.

Feeling positive, I decided to return to the store this time with a colleague who also previously had a bad experience there, and would not believe that you could get anything else at this KFC other than a Streetwise Two. I ordered a Tower Burger Meal and a Colonel Burger Meal. My colleague wanted a diet drink but they said that they don’t have any. We were presently surprised that the burgers arrived in less than two minutes. I phoned the area manager to inform him that the store did not have any diet drinks and he answered matter of factually that they would arrive tomorrow. Right!

We returned to Metrorail with our lunch. Once we opened our burger boxes we saw that the chicken fillets were so overcooked that it looked very dark (nearly black in some places) and were even tough to eat. It crossed my mind that they cooked the fillets for the burgers some time ago and were just waiting for me. This would explain the turn around time from placing our orders. I then phoned a number of people to throw my toys out of my cot.

Summer is here

The weather has been stifling in Johannesburg this week even the trees are whistling for the dogs and the farmers are feeding the chickens ice to stop them laying hard boiled eggs. I must not fret as it is raining in Cape Town and it should arrive here by Thursday. It will either cool down or become muggy. My friend Emmelinah brought some things for her upcoming birthday party this weekend but it was too much for her to take in the taxi so she asked me to collect them for her at the Oriental Plaza. Let’s pray the rain is gone but Saturday.

Traffic run around

It was a hectic day of running around sorting out traffic fines of a car that I sold just under a year ago. It was a scorcher of a day with temperatures rising to 34º C. I took this photo on Harrison Street in downtown Johannesburg on my way to the Metro Police in Loveday. With no tall buildings in view, this could be any African city.

The boys from Durbs

David and Bruce have moved up with their families from Durban. BBC is getting overrun by Natalians. David lives in Benoni while Bruce in Dainfern.

Shopping and doggie school

Today is month end shopping day and Matthew and I spent the morning shopping. Sarah came round in the afternoon which nearly made us late for Maxy’s dog training. Well it was my fault; I was not watching the time. The training is in Lone Hill and on the way back, I took this photo of the setting sun reflecting on the hill.

Malcolm flies up

It is Friday at last. It has been a long week. Malcolm came up from Cape Town on his way to Malawi. He popped in to visit mom but I think Maxy was happier to see him than mom. Here is Malcolm on the phone to Joy while mom is trying not to look too excited with Malcolm being here. Later we took Malcolm to a lovely restaurant in the Design Quarter for supper. A good start for the weekend.

A Little Good News

I rolled out this morning
Kids had the mornin' news show on
Bryant Gumbel was talkin' 'bout the fighting in Lebanon
Some senator was squawkin' 'bout the bad economy
It's gonna get worse you see, we need a change in policy

There's a local paper rolled up in a rubber band
One more sad story's one more than I can stand
Just once how I'd like to see the headline say
"Not much to print today, can't find nothin' bad to say", because

Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD'ed, nobody burned a single buildin' down
Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today

I'll come home this evenin'
I'll bet that the news will be the same
Somebody takes a hostage, somebody steals a plane
How I wanna hear the anchor man talk about a county fair
And how we cleaned up the air, how everybody learned to care
Whoa, tell me

Nobody was assassinated in the whole Third World today
And in the streets of Ireland, all the children had to do was play
And everybody loves everybody in the good old USA
We sure could use a little good news today

Nobody robbed a liquor store on the lower part of town
Nobody OD'ed, nobody burned a single buildin' down

Nobody fired a shot in anger, nobody had to die in vain
We sure could use a little good news today

(Song by Anne Murray 1983)

Petunia’s market

Spring is fighting back with the weather getting warmer. I had to do some work with Petunia in her office but it was like a market place with all the associated noises. Here is Sibongile visiting Petunia’s office along with me and many others.

Train Operations

Yesterday the train operation was down to 76%. Not good when the target is 90%. The chilly weather must have played a part. Pieter from Regional Computer Centre (RCC) came down to our floor (Information Commutation Technologies (ICT)) to look at the online Train Delay Management System (TDMS). How is that for acronyms?

Last Gasp

As with most spring days, winter tries to hold out with one last cold snap. Today is windy and very cold. A large number of trains were delayed and I think it was just a human factor as we Africans are not used to the cold. We enjoy the hot summers and warm winters. Here are managers Kevin and Willie trying to keep things on track at Metrorail.