Go Create

I am off to the Go Create Showcase Party tonight to see more about some upcoming graphic professionals and the newly launch CS5.

InDesign Usergroup

This evening was my first look at CS5 other than on AdobeTV. Although it was only InDesign CS5, I hope to see more CS5 tomorrow night. I met some great freelance people at the user group. I was using the Canon EOS 10D to take photos so please bear with me until I can upload a photo for today. Okay finally I have got a photo up. It is of Carla who runs the Adobe InDesign User Group Johannesburg Chapter.

I Hate Mondays

Today feels like Monday since yesterday was a public holiday. Bad news is that I hate Mondays but the good news is that it is going to be a short week. Here is Pieter giving me the look with Mutavha and Masilo in the background.

UnFreedom Day

The sun has decided to hide its face on what the ruling party of South Africa call Freedom Day. What is freedom? Abahlali baseMjondolo which means shack dwellers in isiZulu are quoted saying "Once again the poor will be herded into stadiums so that the politicians can tell the people to celebrate their freedom" What freedom when the poor still live in such poverty and the rich politicians live in the lap of luxury. So how did I celebrate my UnFreedom? Well Sam our gardener who lives in a shack came over to my home and we did some maintenance to our house. He went back to his shack and wife with a double days pay. Much better than hanging around on this cold winters day thinking how free you actually not.

Sad but Beautiful Jozi

Lunchtime saw me take another trip into Johannesburg. I saw a sad but beautiful Johannesburg. So much investment is needed to turn it all around. For more photos of my trips check out my Facebook albums.

Bon Voyage

What is this thing with sharks and Ross? Nom Nom Nom! Anyway we at BBC wish Ross and Sue a wonderful blessed time State side. Until we meet again.

Owners and their pets

I assure you that owners don't always resemble their pets, take me for example but my friend Hartmut comes very close. I had to visit him in Northcliff about a project that he wants me to work on with him and was surprised how grey he has become.

JAG

I decided to head to the Johannesburg Art Gallery during lunch time and was presently surprised. It is a must visit for all photographers and art lovers. My favourite display was of a group of headless and armless women. Each woman was of the same design but the dresses were different textures. Without the heads they were de-personalised in a way and powerless without arms. To me they came across as just objects to be used by men as they pleased. BUT by standing together and tall they were strong and powerful.

Black or White

Nothing is simply black or white any more. Things are always so complicated. I have just about enough.

Runaways

A cold Antarctic wind blew through Johannesburg this morning. Winter is definitely on its way. But the chill did not end there. Carriages of the Rovos luxury train ran away while changing of the locomotives at Centurion was taking place. Seventeen coaches with 59 passengers were derailed just before it reached Pretoria Station when the control room diverted the runaway coaches off the main line. It was a mess. Sadly two people plus an unborn child lost their lives today. Back at Metrorail not knowing that all this was happening, Ntaoleng sat down to brunch consisting of runaways. Walkie-talkies and runaways are favourite South African delicacies. Walkie-talkies are chicken feet with the heads and runaways are just the chicken legs. Maybe like by many but they are not my cup of tea.

Back log

Marthinus was called back to Metrorail to help out with the workload before he starts his new job at Netcare in May. He is one of the many exiting the company in droves. Isn't there something rats leave a sinking ship first.

The world in camouflage

Sometimes I see people wearing masks and sometimes I just don't see the masks. People are camouflaging themselves to preserve self. When will we ever learn to put our masks down and just be ourselves? To just lie on the grass and feel the summer rains falling. To feel true love without the fear of hurt. Fear. Fear, the root of camouflage.

Peeved about Milo

The neighbours have got a Jack Russell puppy a couple of months ago and the treatment of Milo, as he is called, leaves much to be desired. Dogs are pack animals and leaving him in the cold while the rest of his pack (humans) is nice and snug inside is disgraceful. Most times he is tired to a leg of a patio chair but in today's photo Milo was trying to stay warm in a bucket. I better stop before I say something which I might regret.

Living behind shattered masks

I am feeling a little down today, in spite of the feelings I spend the morning playing baseball with Matthew. I had cancelled my Melville Photo Walk with my friends so I was just wallowing in self pity that was until Zoë twisted my arm to join them on the photo walk. I must say that it was not much twisting involved. Anyway I really enjoyed catching up with friends that I haven't seen in 25 years. Today's photo is of me taken during the photo walk. Not sure what to call it as I feel that it should have a meaning behind unspoken words.

Mulalo

Armed with his iPod, Mulalo was ready to triumph over the world all dressed up in his corporate blue striped shirt. Friday, thank goodness.

Lace Up. Save Lives

A police BO105 helicopter decided to pay us a visit in downtown Braamfontein this morning. I am not sure what they are looking for but it is good to see them doing their job. But as for the Nike building wrap that states Lace Up. Save Lives, I don't get it. Anyway more eye pollution for you.

You toucha my sandwich?

Most of the employees of Metrorail were up in Pretoria for the Regional Manager's roadshow while a few dedicated ones manned the fort down south. One of the dedicatees is Sello, giving me the evil eye for eyeing his chip sandwich.

Holding out

I am not doing well in the flu department but I am trying to remain strong. All drugged up I tried to manage an entire day at Metrorail which was very difficult especially between 1 and 3 in the afternoon. But somehow I managed to hold out. I wasn't up to taking any photos but I had to find the strength for at least one. So now you have Theo and Jimmy, two technicians at Metrorail, who are looking very relaxed.

Back from Maternity

What a disastrous Monday! Started the day feeling slightly flu-ish and when I heading out for the day found that Sophia rear tyre was flat. So off I headed to the local mechanic and I arrived there at 6:15am only to find that he opens at 7am which means I am not feeling well and I am getting a late start. Good news is that the mechanic arrived at 7am sharp; bad news is that he has lost his keys to the workshop and now has to break into his own shop. More delays and a lot of cursing from the mechanics side, so much so I was contemplating changing mechanics but I was already late. I managed to make up time on Sophia who flies like a bat out of hell when I push her. We were only 15 minutes late this morning. Daleen who has been on maternity leave for the last 4 months was back today and even she beat me into the office today. After apologising for been late my body started to steadily go downhill from there so much so that by 10am I could not work anymore and had to head back home to bed. Now that is what I call a bad start to a week.

Three peas in a pod

This morning I was feeling much better but by afternoon my nose started running and I was sneezing quite a bit. Oh boy I better start phase two of my "Get Better Plan". Taking about how a plan comes together, here is Pauline, Saskia and Karen. I don't think I have the twins together on my blog. Pauline and Saskia are twins although they look and act totally differently.

Down and Out

I believe that it was a beautiful Highveld day but I did not get to enjoy it as I have come down with something. While I tried to recover Matthew and Brian spent the day on the computer instead of playing outside in the beautiful weather. I was not strong enough to send them out or maybe it was their last Saturday before school term starts that stopped me. Well let me get back to sleep.

Nkosinathi

Attached to our MIS section is this student, Nkosinathi. The name I think means "God is with us". He has been with us for nearly a month so it is about time to post his picture. I am all sore from yesterday and I think I am coming down to something. Lets pray that I can get a bit of God with me so that I can feel better soon. It is now bed for me.

Surgery / Dokotela

Metrorail, Pikitup and City of Joburg did a clean-up campaign between Doornfontein and Park Station. I must say that our clean-up did make an impact although I am sure that within the week it will just as littered as we found it. Just outside Doornfontein Station I found these doctors rooms which were right next door to a street mechanic's shop with his workshop being the street itself. If the doctor's waiting room looks like this then I don't want to know what this surgery is like.

Prepare 2010

In preparing for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, Metrorail has decided to do a clean-up campaign between Park Station and Doornfontein tomorrow. Here is Sibongile organising the logistics of the clean-up. With the rain set-in till Friday I wonder if it will still happen.

Back to Work

The long weekend is over for me while some colleagues have taken these week days off to make a very long break. Well a big thank you to Angie and Gary because now I know that baby white rhino sounds like when they squeal for milk. I will try post other photos of the trip on Facebook. So today I am posting my monthly progress photo of the Gautrain Braamfontein Terminus.

Set in Rain

It is raining here in Johannesburg as well. On the way back from Thabazimbi there were signs of excessive amounts of rain. Quite a number of rivers were swollen and the drainage on the roads were saturated. Anyway since nothing much was done today other than recovering from a wonderful long weekend I will leave you with a photo from my garden of the tree fern which is enjoying all the rain.

Buffalo at last

We have not seen the elusive buffalo yet, so on this morning's game drive we tasked Jerome our driver and tracker to find them buffalo. Angie and Gary were sure that there was buffalo here last time they were here. I said that it must have been cardboard cut-outs as we saw no evidence of them. Finally after a long time Jerome found buffalo spoor and eventually he tracked a small herd down. There was 13 buffalo with their young calves. So here is the proof that there are buffalo at M'Kepi. Oh yes in trying to track down the buffalo we saw a rare Duiker, bonus. But we did not get to see a Leopard.

A break in the Weather

The clouds have started to lift which means game drives. Jerome our driver and tracker did a wonderful job of catching up on the lost time yesterday. We saw Blue Wildebeest, Impala, Gemsbok, Giraffe, Kudu, Mountain Reedbuck, Ostrich, Red Hartebeest, Warthog, Waterbuck, White Rhino, and Zebra. Many babies were seen which means that it has been a bumper wet season. In today's photo we have Jerome, Carol, Hayley, Matthew, Angie, Gary and Braelyn. We ended the day under the stars in the boma around the campfire having a wonderful bushveld braai.

M'Kepi

The rain has set in so that means no game drives unless you love getting wet on top of an open game viewing vehicle. But that does not mean you could not have fun. We went for quite a long walk in the break of the weather and we also visited the two baby orphaned rhinos whose mothers were killed by poachers. Okay more about where we staying. Tambotie Lodge is the luxury lodge of the three types of accommodation available at M'Kepi. Camelthorn Cottage is the rustic getaway and Maroela Camp is the basic boma for hunters. See the website for more information. Oh yes just one thing there is no cellphone coverage in the valley which means no internet, no blogger, no twitter and no news of the outside world. Peace and tranquil bushveld life.

Bosveld Toe!

We left Johannesburg at 11am for Tambotie Lodge in the private game conservancy of M'Kepi nestled in the Kransberg valley outside Thabazimbi. After a four hour journey over a very potholed road we happily arrived at the lodge nestled among Tambotie trees. After settling in we took a little walk around to get our bearings remembering not to walk alone due to the leopards and rhinos. We saw Dwarf Mongooses, Impala, Nyala, Zebra and a White Rhino. No Leopard thank goodness as it was getting dark.