Sjoe Sjoe is one of the gardeners working here at Treesbank. I am not too sure how to spell his name as my isiZulu is not too good and he doesn't speak English. It has been a normal day working at my home office today, being month end meant chasing accounts, sigh.
While I was at Gendel today doing final corrections, the Johannesburg fathers decided it was time to clean the streets of the riff-raff with water cannons and rubber bullets. Thoughts turned to purple rain as news poured in of African National Congress' youth league running amok downtown because there leader "D"alema faced a disciplinary hearing.
As the ANC's kindergarten caused mayhem by throwing rocks and bottles at the police, Gendel's Traffic Manager, Denise was pleased that I managed to complete the website ahead of deadline. Talking to her this morning I found out that she too loves photography and that we have a common friend Maritha.
Earthy tones seem to be in this year as Elani from Gendel demonstrates. Well I am not sure it ever goes out of fashion. Gendel is on track for the launch this week of the website I am working on which makes them happy and in turn me. While Gendel is getting ready there seems to be a problem with Google and Gmail. I can't seem to reach these sites but can others. And it is not only me, I am starting to hear a number of others crying out in frustration. A little birdie tells me Neotel is having a backbone issue and Cisco is investigating. I wonder if Microsnot Bing is behind this.
This morning started out cold and miserable as if winter didn’t want to let go. I stayed at home working on a website which is dead lined for end of this month, oh dear that is this Wednesday. By afternoon summer had returned to Johannesburg. To take a break I joined other dog walkers walking their dogs in the veld below my cottage. The dogs except mine just wanted to swim after the ducks and geese. Have you ever seen a Dachshund run straight into the water tail twirling as a propeller? It is a sight to see as they can swim fast.
When I got back from the walk I found a small brown tick on Maxy and two on Jade. Oh no, I was beside myself. After a through checking of the dogs, my skin started crawling in all places as if there were ticks inside my clothes. I stripped and jumped straight into the shower. Every now and then it feels like they still there. I only hope it is all in my mind.
Saturday has being a weird day for me. Firstly I had to meet an old work colleague then go join other friends for a lazy Saturday afternoon braai in the garden. But things started to unravel.
The colleague phone to inform me that could not meet at the agreed location and wanted to meet at my home instead. Then another friend phone, he had car trouble and need help. Sounding like an infomercial, let me say that's not all; my brother phoned and wanted to visit. So I had to shuffle everyone around so I could still get to my lazy afternoon braai. It was hectic but all I was aiming for was spending quality time with friends.
The lazy afternoon started slightly late because someone forgot to give Paulo a hour earlier time but it was a great afternoon which turned into evening and somehow the conversation touched on this sub-consciousness that people have between each other. For example one of my friend's mom had connection with her loved ones and knew instantaneously when something disastrous happened to them. Another friend had this connection to her parrot and graphically described events which led her to think that.
At the time I knew that I recently came across a theory by Sheldrake that described just this but for the life of me could not remember the name. When I got home later I had to look it up. It is the Morphic Field. This is a field that links humans including animals to each other, like when a dog knows when their owner is coming home or when you feel that something tragic has happened to your loved one only to find out later that they died.
Interesting topic for a group of friends to discuss on a lazy Saturday afternoon but they are my friends and I am connected to them morphogeneticly or not.
I decided to get an early start at Gendel after getting some good sleep over a bug that had cropped up in Firefox. It feels good when you solve a persistent bug with an elegant solution. With Spring around the corner, Gendel held a Spring Cleaning afternoon. Gabisile, an account executive at Gendel Strategic Marketing Group, put up notices for the cleaning and tried to get our office excited but the only thing getting me excited was my coding.
I started on some web development work at Gendel Strategic Marketing Group today. There is a deadline for month end which is next week Wednesday and because of the tight time lines, I have to put other client's work aside and focus all on Gendel. To top it all, after the Pink Floyd show last night and the early to bed this morning I had to crawl out of bed, thank goodness Mark, who is the project manager didn't notice. So after an exhausting day of mental work it is a early night for me.
This photograph from my cellphone does not do the New Zealand group The Pink Floyd Experience's show Pulse any justice. I wanted to close my eyes and just let the peals of the electric guitar from Darren Whittaker wash other me but then I would have missed the fantastic light show. My pulse was racing as the timeless mellow sounds of Pink Floyd picked up.
Hey you!
Out there in the cold getting lonely, getting cold, can you feel me?
Hey you!
Standing in the aisles with itchy feet and fading smiles, can you feel me?
Hey you!
Don't help them bury the light. Don't give in without a fight.
Hey you!
Out there on your own. Sitting naked by the phone, would you touch me?
Hey you!
With your ear against the wall. Waiting for someone to call out, would you touch me?
Hey you!
Would you help me to carry the stone. Open your heart, I'm coming home.
But it was only fantasy.
The Wall was too high, as you can see.
No matter how he tried he could not break free.
And the worms ate into his brain.
Hey you!
Out there on the road. Doing what you're told, can you help me?
Hey you!
Out there beyond the wall. Breaking bottles in the hall, can you help me?
Hey you!
Don't tell me there's no hope at all. Together we stand, divided we fall
WARNING: If you are susceptible to epileptic seizures or loss of consciousness when exposed to certain flashing lights or light patterns in everyday life, you may have a seizure while watching The Pink Floyd Experience's show Pulse. This may happen even you have no medical history of epilepsy or have never had any epileptic seizures. If you or anyone in your family has ever had symptoms related to epilepsy (seizures or loss of consciousness) when exposed to flashing lights, consult your doctor prior to going and seeing this awesome show. Thank you and good night.
Maybe Sassette, my blue pickup, is trying to get me back because I haven't washed her for nearly a month now. With all the bronchitis and pneumonia, then my contracting ending and the Sani Pass Vespa Adventure, I neglected Sassette. This morning when I jumped into Sassette, she would not start. The starter made this funny ticking sound. Edmund and I didn't think it was the battery because the starter still turned. Much later we took Sassette, well Edmund had to push and I had to remember to turn the key on, to his dad who knew a lot more than we did. One turn of the key and Edmund dad said it is a flat battery. Our bad. Anyway the cause of the problem was that the belt turning the alternator which charges the battery was too lose and didn't charge the battery. With just a turn of a bolt, Sassette was right as rain.
Arriving at home, to celebrate I cooked some capellini and tossed in some romanitas, sun dried tomatoes and onions. With a glass of Tinta Chocolat red wine, sitting down to dinner alone was relaxing because I knew that Sassette still cares even though I neglected her.
Edmund came round to my office today to discuss potential business ideas. It is not quite spring yet but summer is definitely on its way. I must say that this Monday is way better than last weeks. So Edmund and I sat in my office (shown above) working through ideas and enjoy the peace of the countryside office.
A lot of opportunities to do different things were presented but all Matthew wanted to do was play computer games. Riding the countryside on the Vespa, doing a sunrise photo shoot or walking the dogs but no, all that was wanted was stay at home on the computer playing games. Go figure, pre-teens. So I stayed on my patio in my PJs in the sun relaxing. Jade, shown here, was so happy for my consistent company that she would worm herself onto my lap many times, hence her nickname the little worm. But when I took out the camera, she just posed herself. Aaah Jade is a beautiful lady Italian Greyhound after all.
This morning as I was coming home from walking my dogs, my neighbour, Jacqueline, came out and informed me that her dog, Polo, had another blood transfusion last night and the vet has only given Polo a couple of days to live. She said that she didn't want Polo to die at the vet and was going to bring him home today and also because she didn't have any photos of Polo could I take some photos of him. So I went round later after Polo came home and took some photos. A few hours afterwards I received a SMS that Polo had gone to doggie heaven.
After the week that I've had, death seems to hold some comfort but as the poet Robert Burns once wrote, if there's another world, he lives in bliss; if there is none, he made the best of this.
I went and picked up Matthew for the weekend. Sjoe time has flown since he was last with me in Lesotho. After getting settled down at home, we rushed off to the Keg for a after work get together. We didn't stay long because we had to go to my friend Craig for dinner. After dinner of fish and chips, Craig and I went through some computer stuff while Matthew played Halo Reach on the X-Box. It was a great evening and just before midnight I had to drag Matthew off Halo so we could go home. If Craig or Matthew had their ways, we would still be there.
This afternoon I took a walk with the dogs down to the bottom of the garden for a stretch of the legs. It was lovely to be alone with my dogs as I walked next to the water's edge. My dogs tried to flush out the water fowl but dared not go too deep into the water. Now back to getting some work in.
While at Deloitte's offices in Woodmead this afternoon, I saw this wonderful artwork equation along one wall. It comprised of many art pieces tied together by an equation. I love it when math is shown to be elegant as it should. There is one piece which reminded me Miss Sophia's dinner party with her late friends Mr Pommeroy, Mr Winterbottom, Sir Toby, and Admiral von Schneider and of course served by James.
The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophia?
Ending it all, should I be concerned that my thoughts kept coming back to this? Monday afternoon I had sunk into a deep dark place that this morning the more I struggled to get out the deeper I fell in. I am running on fumes. Not sure what Matthew would do, not sure what my doggies, Italian Greyhounds, either would do. With not much left, I went to my homies group this evening expecting the normal but God had other plans. I left still on empty but at least with a bit of hope.
Monday has been a weird day so far and it got worse as the day wore on. Firstly the weather didn't know what to do. It stormed then hailed, then sleeted then hailed some more and some more. Snow was reported in the southern parts of Johannesburg but the closest we got here was sleet. It was bed weather and my mood was deteriorating fast. Monday was cold and blue as ever. Here I was trying to barrier up the door as depression tried to beat it down. Monday.
I have been looking forward to this morning for a long time as it was our 2nd Sighthound Walk this year. We had invited Afghan Hounds, Azawakhs, Basenjis, Borzois (Russian Wolfhounds), Chart Polskis (Polish Greyhounds), Galgo Españols (Spanish Greyhounds), Greyhounds, Hortaya Borzayas, Irish Wolfhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Magyar Agárs (Hungarian Greyhounds), Pharoah Hounds, Salukis (Persian Greyhounds), Scottish Deerhounds, Silken Windhounds, Sloughis and Whippets.
It was a great turnout with many hound breeds turning up including the only Azawakh is South Africa. The Azawakh is a North African hound that is related to the Greyhound family but slightly taller and skinner. I think I am in love. On top of the Italian Greyhounds, I want one Whippet, one normal Greyhound and an Azawakh. Maybe I should get a representative of each Greyhound family member. To see more photos of the beautiful Azawakh see my album Azawakh on Facebook.
I didn't have much time afterwards as I had to rush over to Edenvale for the Hell Jumpers’ Team Meeting. So I quickly dropped off my dogs at home after my lovely walk and rushed to the other side of town. Being the WarTog for the team didn't save me as MadDog put a price on my butt and during the SWAT game after the meeting I was the target a few times but I survived. I posted images up on my Facebook album Hell's Jumpers Team Meeting.
This morning 17 Vespas met for a ride around Johannesburg which ended in breakfast at Fourways. I met and made many new friends who came from Pretoria. They were a great bunch of Vespa riders. Note to self: I must get them to join us on rides and introduce them to Marlene and Charlie who are also from Pretoria.
Elle was also on the ride and she finally completed her Vespa ET4 transformation to a pink chick bike. Elle calls her bike Pinky after the 1990s cartoon Pinky and the Brain.
Today Edmund decided that he needed a shave, so here he is getting a shave at the Mediterranean Barber who is from Algeria. It was a perfect opportunity to take something different and be different.
This evening a group of Vespa lovers got together over dinner at the Casa da Galinha. The dinner conversation started about the past Sani Pass Vespa Adventure then later moved to the new social Vespa group that we've fallen into. We needed a name like the other two Vespa clubs in Joburg, the Vesparados and the Black Aces. As our first official meeting we have so far come up with the name "Posers SC". Interesting.
Because Sophia has been so good this past long weekend that I decided to treat her to a sponge bath. Well she has been a dirty girl and I know she enjoyed herself in Lesotho but now to turn her back into that sexy bella. Sophia sparkled after her pampering knowing that she did what others thought was impossible. A little 150cc scooter had conquered Sani Pass on a day that larger bikes and 4x4s battled. In her favour was that she was light and not difficult holding her upright on the slippery ice.
The hero of the past weekend is Marlene, she organized the Sani Pass Vespa Adventure. Magda and I met Marlene at a scooter rally to Hartebeespoort. I had to leave early and Magda became good friends with Marlene. At the rally Marlene told Magda that she wanted to do the Sani Pass help raise funds to get two endurance riders to the 2012 Dakar Rally. Magda then excitedly told Marlene that I also wanted to do the Sani Pass on my Vespa. And that is how Magda, Marlene and I started planning for the Sani Pass Vespa Adventure. Charlie joined us soon afterwards and we met her on a Vespa training ride up a local mountain pass in Magaliesberg on 17 April. The four Vespas and four support vehicles were ready for Lesotho. Marlene was riding the red Vespa P150X called Mathilda which made it to the top of Sani Pass with Sophia and me while her husband Thinus supported us.
One of my camera's SD cards got corrupted when downloading photos to a laptop after Day Two. With the photos on the laptop in Pretoria, Marlene went and fetched a copy for me on a DVD. We then met for coffee at Vodaworld in Midrand to exchange disks; I gave her a copy of my photos at the same time. With all my images now in one place I selected quite a few to give you all an idea what the trip was all about. Go to my album Sani Pass Vespa Adventure to view.
The Great Sani Pass Vespa Adventure
Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five
Day Five: Is the world ending?
Waking up after a beautiful sleep in a clean warm room at the Camelroc Guest Farm was just wonderful. It felt great to be back, that was until I logged onto the internet. After been away for over 4 days on the Roof of Africa only to come back to find London burning. I could not believe what I was reading. Was this Egypt all over again but this time in the UK? I quickly put on the television to watch SkyNews showing horrific scenes of hooligan teenagers running riot in London while the police stand helpless or in shock. I am not sure if it just looting or some kind of entertainment for the unemployed youth.
With the large contingency of unemployed youth in South Africa, I am concerned. But as for right now I am just happy to back in civilization even if it is a bit muddy.
Here's to our next great Vespa adventure.
The Great Sani Pass Vespa Adventure
Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five
Day Four: Sophia does the Roof of Africa
Note to all: Sani Top Chalets is not the best place to overnight. No running water means no showers and to go to the toilet, you have to dip a bucket into a drum of iced water to flush. On top of it all the bedding was much to be desired, thankfully I had brought my own. After a restless sleep and a cold breakfast we went down to rescue the two BMW bikes that got stuck the day before then we set off very late at 11am, from Sani across the Roof of Africa to Butha Buthe along one of the highest roads in Africa. The BMW 650 Dakar bike would not start where it was stuck on the pass and had to be towed to the top. Thankfully Sophia started first turn and with her motor purring in the snow she was a sight for the astonished 4x4s arriving at the top for the day. The route started with a slushy, icy track until pass the Black Mountain Pass. The road then became a dusty road up and down mountain passes for quite a way until we got to this very good tar road.
We flew up and down the mountains along this wonderful tar road until just pass Moketeng where we hit the potholes. Well not just potholes but just one continuous pothole that there was very little to resemble what was once a tar road. I've been told that this road was once a beautiful tar road until the mine trucks and "luck" of maintenance has turned it into a dirt road with bits of tar edges and large potholes. After I went through two large potholes and nearly collided with Magda who had slowed down for a large hole in the pothole and Marlene who also went through a large hole that was obscured by the lengthen shadows we called it a day. Well that was Marlene and I, Magda still wanted to continue and she did. Up over the Tlaeeng Pass, highest road pass in southern Africa, Magda pushed on that was until it got too dark to continue. With all the Vespa's now loaded we rushed on to the border post before it closed.
Tired and hungry we reached Butha Buthe just before 8pm and were just so happy to cross the Caledonspoort border post into South Africa and back to civilization of a hot shower at Camelroc Guest Farm. Just to have a hot shower and a clean room was a blessing. What dawned on me as I quickly sank into my bed was the lack of trees in Lesotho.
The Great Sani Pass Vespa Adventure
Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five
Day Three: Sophia summits Sani Pass
This is what we have come for, the Sani Pass. Four Vespas: Marlene on the PX 150, myself on the ET4, Charlie on the PX200 and Magda on the GTS 300; all eager to conquer the pass in the middle of winter. As I prepared just on the other side of the border post I looked at the daunting mountain towering above me I wondered why others hadn't attempted it before as it kind of looked easy.
But easy it turned out not to be. Well it was until the last 2 km of hairpin bends which was just ice. A mini bus taxi had got stuck the day before and was now blocking the pass in the hairpin bends with a couple of 4x4s also stuck and they had to stay overnight. A queue of 4x4s lined up the pass waiting for the taxi to be moved out of the way while we whisked pass them sometimes with a narrow ledge between the vehicle and certain death. Every one of the waiting 4x4ers cheered and encouraged us up the mountain. Despondently Charlie and Magda both stopped at the iced up hairpins. Charlie's bike was giving her compression problems while Magda on the much larger GTS 300 had a 180 degree spin on the ice in the hairpins and facing the cliff edge was shaken. Loaded onto the support trailers they had to wait until the pass was cleared.
Marlene and I both on 150cc Vespas just chugged up to the top, well more like slipped and spun our way to the top. The larger bikes such as the BMW and KTM all battled and two even got so stuck that they had be left on the pass until tomorrow. As far as we know this is the first time a Vespa has made it to the top of Sani Pass from the bottom and in winter nogal.
The Great Sani Pass Vespa Adventure
Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five
Day Two: Black Ice and Death
We wanted an early start, well Magda and I did while the Paulo and Martin wanted breakfast first. I did protest to get them to change their minds but to no avail. The plan was for Paulo and Martin to escort Magda and myself down to Underberg but I think the distance got to them and they wanted to get back early so the plan was changed slightly. Paulo and Martin would ride with us down through the Golden Gate Highlands National Park to the town of Estcourt then head back to Johannesburg while Magda and I would continue until Underberg. Our four support 4x4s left Pretoria early this morning and the plan was that they would catch up to us round about Estcourt, from there they would travel with us.
But our plans changed again. While in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park we came upon a serious accident which happened minutes before we got there. A mini bus taxi with twelve family members travelling to a funeral in Fouriesburg, lost control due to black ice and plummeted over 200m down the side of the mountain. Sadly only six people survived including a twelve year old boy named Manuel. With tears running down her face, Magda tried to comfort Manuel as best as she could, not knowing if his parents are among the survivors.
We were badly shaken when we left the scene after the emergency services started arriving. Running late and with the weather changing for the worse, we made contact with the support vehicles and arranged to met them at Harrismith instead of Estcourt. In a way it was a blessing that we met the support vehicles at Harrismith because it started sleeting soon afterwards. We loaded our Vespas onto the trailers and headed for Sani Valley Lodge between Himeville and the Sani Pass border post. Round about Bulwer the sleet turned to snow.
After settling into our accommodation at Sani Valley Lodge, we set off to find some food. Here I must give a big black mark to Himeville Arms Hotel for turning us away we were too much for them to handle. Would you believe it they turned 18 hungry people away in the now falling snow. So we headed down the road to Underberg, only to be turned away from another restaurant because they didn't have enough plates for us. Nobody wanted our business. Ten stars must be given to The Grind Café who opened up the Wolly Bugger pub to us. The food was very good that even our tired bodies appreciated it. If you ever in this part of the country please support The Grind Café and its pub the Wolly Bugger.
The Great Sani Pass Vespa Adventure
Day One | Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five
Day One: A long way down
The Great Sani Pass Vespa Adventure started this morning with Sophia refusing to start. Well she must be getting me back for not riding her for during the last week or two and it has been icy cold. I was starting to worry after trying to jumpstart Sophia, she protested for quite a while but finally she relented to my pleas. After a late start Sophia (the black ET4 shown above) and I met with Magda and Martin (shown above) both on Vespa GTS 300 and Paulo on a Vespa GT 200 and the quadraphony of Vespas eager to get going headed south to the Free Sate.
It was a beautiful day riding but the country side was flat as a pancake which brought along gusty winds. We stopped for fuel for the Vespas and ourselves in Heilbron, a small town in the Free State. OJ, a restaurant in Heilbron, served us a reasonable breakfast or maybe we should say lunch. While we tucked in a number of spectators admired our four Vespas packed down with baggage, even a lone hog on his Harley couldn't help but turn his head and stare.
All tanked up, we headed for Bethlehem and then to Clarens. At Bethlehem we stopped to buy refreshments and headed to the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Ash River Outfall just before Clarens for sundowners. All relaxed we rode into Clarens before it got dark and booked into the Lake Clarens Guest House. I must say this guest house deserves 5 stars. Once settled we headed up to the Grouse & Claret for supper. Hungry, we tucked into homemade pies which were very good except the mash was lumpy but an evening with friends next to a fireplace was a perfect first evening. Here's to the
Great Sani Pass Vespa Adventure, what legends are made from.
With my contract officially over and just one more getting ready day until the Great Sani Vespa Adventure begins, it was rush rush rush. Edmund came with me to drop of the bulky gear in Benoni so that the support vehicles can take it with them rather than us carrying it on the Vespas. On the way back we stopped at Jumper's Lair to speak with Darren aka Maddog about some potential photographic work. Today's photograph is of Maddog sharing some pizza with us as we discuss the future. You may not recognize him in his casual clothes as some of you have only known him wearing camo and carrying a rifle.
The weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday is predicting rain, not good as we planning to summit the Drakensberg on Sunday which means snow at the top. Let's hope that the pass stays open. Well I have never ridden a Vespa in snow so it will be my first. Maybe I am just mad but it will be fun.
With two more sleeps to go until the Great Sani Vespa Adventure, the nervousness has dissipated and excitement is starting to seep in. Let's hope I can get some sleep tonight. This evening I went to Magda and Martin's place to pick up bulky gear that needs to be taken by the support vehicles. They also gave me two Copenhagen chairs for my new cottage. I may have to re-arrange the couch to make them fit into my small lounge. Afterwards I met with Edmund for a quick bite to eat and a chat. Edmund loves fast cars, well anything fast that is, as you can see by him proudly wearing a Ferrari shirt. I am getting old so I will stick to my Vespa, thank you.
Today is Emmelinah's birthday, hip, hip, hooray. I remember not long ago our home circle group went down to the township of Mhluzi outside Middleburg to celebrate Emmelinah's 50th. They had pitched this small marquee tent spanning the entire street outside Emme's home. What started as a smallish party ended up having the entire neighbourhood celebrating with us whities in a black township. It was I remember a special day but today was once again special. We had a wonderful birthday dinner at the Sims' home in Bryanston and Emme brought some of her lekker cupcakes. Happy Birthday Emme :-)
With my contract coming to an end, I am not sure what the future holds for me but I am holding out for change. I collected more work at AAA and took this photograph of Vincent also in the same boat as I am. My week has started with good news that the snow that blocked Sani Pass on Friday is starting to melt. That means if no more snow falls between now and the the upcoming weekend then we have a go on our Vespa trip. I am so looking forward to making snow angels with Sophia my Vespa. When I get back I will be in the market for a new contract or freelance job.
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