Toward the Unknown

I am not sure about my future at Metrorail with PRASA cutting back on the budget then cutting back some more. My contract is coming to an end at the end of December but here's to Metrorail renewing it directly with me. Holding thumbs. Things are going to be tough at the parastatal next year and its only saving grace could be the FIFA 2010. We have to wait and see. Chatting with Dolly (shown above) from Marketing and Communication it doesn't look too rosy with them either. When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and you are about to drop off into darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.

Toy Run 2009 Johannesburg

Wow, there must have been way over 50,000 bikes there today. I will give an updated figure once I hear it in the media. I met up with a large group of Vespas at the Brightwater Commons in Randburg. At the start it was a bit bottlenecked but once we hit the N1 it was open road. Thanks to the marshals and Johannesburg Metro Police for all their assistance. Here is my modern Sophia parked among some classic Vespas and Lambrettas.

Windy Time Out

BBC had a Time Out day at Heronbridge where the youngsters played a game of cricket against the older men. This time the boys beat the men wait until but next time. There was a big water slide and Gary and I had a wild time sliding down. Here is Gary trying to compete with the wind.

Vespa Stretch

With the local Toy Run loaming we all decided to get our babies ready. I popped into the Vespa dealership in Wynburg to get my front brakes sorted. Here is Trevor with the 4 seater Vespa. I am not sure that it is legal for 4 to be on a bike. Now we just need to pray that it doesn’t rain because that will count me out.

In the dark

As for where we stand as contractors in Metrorail we will only find out tomorrow or Monday. Well it is out of my hands and I am just asking for favorable terms and that we will still be here for a long time. Here is Theo looking a bit perplexed but come what may.

Twilight Metro

Thuli, Momentum’s travelling nurse came to draw blood from me at Metrorail and do a number of medical tests for insurance purposes. At least I know that I am okay except for my weight problem. As you know I am not afraid of heights, it’s the widths that get me.

Year end 1

Year year is coming to an end very fast and so is my contract. There are many questions that remain unanswered. Today our Home Circle group had our year end dinner. As you can see in today's photo, Brian and Andy cutting up the Turkey. Uhmmm. While back at home our DSL line is still down. I think Telkom should change the "T" in its name to a "H".

Mosiuoa - Pandhla

Back into reality after such a wonderful weekend is not great. Our DSL line is down among other things. Well at least the sun is shining and Mosiuoa here is greeting everyone in his usual bouncy way. Greeting me with the words "Pandhla" which means bald one. Well he also has not much hair to write home about.

Beached Whale

No not the blue whale or any other majestic creature but me, the hippo, enjoying a relaxing hot stone massage. Yes all my wrinkles were ironed out beautifully. Martina, Louis and Guanta treated us to wonderful weekend that we didn’t want to end. But end it must. Carol and I were walking on air when we arrived at Gary and Angie’s home to pick up Matthew. Our treatment was not to end as our friends invited us to join them in their family lunch. It was the best weekend Carol and I have had for a long time. Thank you all who made it happen.

My First ...

It is still raining and Carol and I didn’t want to leave our cozy room but what awaited us was some pampering that we could not miss. After breakfast we went for our first pampering consisting of a hand massage and manicure and later in the afternoon a pedicure. Guanta, the manager treated us like royalty. Martina and Louis in the meanwhile had arranged for Carol and I to write a love letter to each other which was to be presented at the dinner table. Here is Carol, my queen enjoying the garden during a few breaks in the weather.

Hands on Retreat

Martina and Louis invited Carol and I through our good friend Gary to spend a romantic weekend at their boutique Guest House and Spa in Craighall. We arrived at Hands on Retreat in the rain just before seven and this warm beautiful room awaited us with a hot tub, a double shower and handmade leopard print slippers. But the hot tub would have to wait until later in the evening as dinner awaits us.

Hoam sweet hoam

Matthew did his first ever exams today, they were Maths 1 and Natural Science. We told him not to worry about trying to pass but just go in and enjoy himself. While Matthew was sitting doing his exams, I went to PRASA to see Malcolm. I decided to walk to 66 Jorissen Street from Wits Metro Park. Along the way, I walked past this interesting building, the Portland Place. It was not quite as run down as other buildings in Hillbrow for example but it stood out in Jorissen Street. The one shop to the right of the entrance is called Hoamwares and on the other side looks like a Christian shop hence the bibles stored on the second floor. It was the first floor which caught my attention with all the odds and ends that could be seen through the windows. I am sure people are living there and making it their hoam, I mean home.

Nice and shiny with a smile

I am sure this is an accident just waiting to happen. Here is Tshidi up on a flimsy chair cleaning windows. Uhmm I wonder what the risk department would say to this.

Unite Mzansi Unite

After that Ras whats-his-face butchered our national anthem at Saturday's rugby match between South Africa and France there is not much left to say about South African sport. Not to forget that we have an inter-sexed 800m runner and the national soccer team who play like girls but look like boys. So now the large building wrap that came off the Schlesinger building last week has finally been replaced by an Adidas advert which is calling us to unite behind our soccer team. Maybe Ras Dumisani, who was definitely smoking the weed when he sang the anthem, needs to sing at the 2010 FIFA opening ceremony which might give our soccer team all the spirit they need.

Shosholoza

At Metrorail things are going strangely the wrong direction to where I expected it to go. But never the less, I must hold my head up high and just go against the flow. In today's photo it looks very busy at the Shosholoza Meyl platforms of Park Station.

For Freedom and the Fatherland

When someone thinks about concentration camps they normally think of the Second World War and places like Auschwitz and Majdanek but they forget about the United States concentration camps for the Native American people in 1830s and the ones in the Philippines in 1900s. Spain also had them in Cuba in the 1870s. But today we were wondering around in the Krugersdorp area where one of the 109 (45 for whites and 64 for black Africans) concentration camps was built by the British in South Africa. Over 26,000 Boer women and children died in these camps but sadly I can't find the number of black Africans who also died. At the Burgershoop Cemetery Matthew wanted to know why there was so many small graves all in rows each one with a small headstone which read "Konsentrasiekamp 1899-1902 Rus in Vrede". Records indicate that 664 children under the age of 15 died here at the Krugersdorp Concentration Camp between 1901 and 1902. Somewhere I've read that there are over 1,800 concentration camp graves at the cemetery. Sadly the old cemetery is in very run down and is in need of major intervention. Rest in peace all those women and children who innocently died in a war fought over a hundred years in the quest for gold.

Without his hat

I went to the men's group at BBC this morning for a change as it was a beautiful summer's morning to ride the bike. At BBC, Nigel was there dressed ... well you can see for yourself. I suppose a hat makes a person. If Nigel had brought along a firemen's hat or even a Dutchman's hat it would fit right in place with his suspenders. But I must say that he needs them as it looks like he is losing weight.

Weekend bloom

The weekend is here again. It seems like at this time of the year, I am looking forward to my weekends where I can just vegetate. Today started off strong with a visit to Rosebank Union Church for some words of wisdom. The day will come when the risk to remain tight in a bud will be more risky than to blossom.

Robust work

It is going to be a hot summer as some cold fronts aren’t even denting the searing temperatures. While back in air conditioned offices at Metrorail we find Theo fixing some robust laptops for Sihle from rolling stock. I wonder how the boy from the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains is finding the heat.

Year End Fast Track

The year is coming to an end very fast. Most of my colleagues are starting to talk about the holidays. Sorry for me but I am working right through this Christmas. Bah Humbug. Anyway talking about work here is a rare photo of Motloli discussing some work related issue with Patrick.

Changing of the brand

The rain has let up and the weather is great. The advertising agency decided to change the Heineken beer advertisement while the sun was shining. If you look carefully you'll see two abseillers busy removing the giant banner that has been so long up for so long. I wonder what will replace it.

Gukurahundi

This word, Gukurahundi, still haunts the hordes of refugees in downtown Johannesburg as they try to irk a living among people who don't want them. Gukurahundi, the wind that sweeps away the chaff before the rain comes, still reaches with its long fingers down from Zimbabwe to its people huddled each night in the squalor at Johannesburg's Central Methodist Church who dream of going back but can’t until the cause of the Gukuranhudi, Uncle Bob, has conceded. They dream of dignity, the right of law, peace and food. So today as I looked towards the church which houses over 3,000 refugees every night, the rain and hail came squalling in to sweep the streets clean. People hurried to find refuge from the relentless rain. I think of the refugees that live along the river in the affluent northern suburbs and wonder if they would find shelter. I then turn from the present to look to the future, the relentless marching of progress, the Gautrain. In between the waves of rain, workers in orange overalls scurried over the Gautrain Terminus building trying to get much done before the next wave of water arrives. There is such a large gap between the haves and have-nots. Ah my beloved country, the Gukurahundi is still blowing. For more insight to the Central Methodist Church see Sokwanele's post "Address: Stair number four, Fourth Floor, Central Methodist Church, Johannesburg".

Hot summers

The days are starting to get hot with thunderstorms in the late afternoons, typical of Johannesburg summers. Here are Taryne and Pauline manning the Start gazebo at BBC.

A-maze-ing Maze

With a few of Matthew's closest friends we got lost at the maze in Honeydew. Kasmeria, Justin, Matthew and Rudolf separated into two teams and wandered around the maze looking for clues and solving puzzles.

Then there were 5

Today the family gathered not for Daphne's 79th birthday but for laying her to rest. It was a lovely service in memory of Daphne Jardine. The rain stayed away but it was awfully hot. As usual it is one of the few times when all the family get together. Daphne was one of 8 children of the May family, 2 boys and 6 beautiful girls. Now there are only 5 girls left. They are from the left Winnie, Muriel, Enid, Irene and Elaine.

SBE, TBE and GBE

The hosts and hostesses from the Business Expresses came to our Metrorail offices do a first aid course and I managed to take some photos of them while they were waiting. Here is Inga, Thando and Thami enjoying themselves immensely.

Eleven

Matthew celebrated his eleventh birthday today. Happy Birthday big boy. Here he is after loading his new Sims 3 game onto the computer.

Rain and more Rain

The summer rains are cascading down. Work above ground at the Gautrain Terminus has stopped due to the rain but will soon continue when the deluge lets up. The bad thing about this downpour is that I am on my bike later but the good thing about the bike is that all the traffic lights would be out due to the rain and I can easily slip past the standing traffic.

Rain and Peace

Today is raining and my mom in-law found peace this morning at a good age of 78 just 4 days short of her 79 birthday. One word that brings back memories is the word that Daphne used often when she played with Matthew, that word is "loppies". It is just a fun word that means that you're last and I think father in-law made it up as he always used to say "Hurry up or you will be loppies".

Weekend Nearly Over

Yes, this weekend flew. What started as a wet weekend turn out rather lovely by Sunday. Here is Brenda and her son Raymond at BBC.