Wot No Kilroy?

Wot no Kilroy?

どうもありがとうミスターロボット  また会う日まで Above my desk in BankservAfrica is this white board with a Kilroy was here with a red marker. So who is Kilroy? He first appeared writing on toilet walls just after the 2nd World War. I haven't seen much of him as he must be old, but Kilroy was here.

Growing up in the 80s there was 1 song that my best friend Robbie introduced me to, and that was Mr. Roboto by Styx. 秘密を知りたい And at the end of the song, the robot unmasks himself and proclaims "I'm Kilroy! Kilroy!"  See offical video below which has become one of my most favourite songs of all time.

Breakfast Meeting

We have this solar geyser on the roof above our bedroom. Now this model has this temperature release valve that allowed water to drip out when the temperature got close to freezing and last night it did. In the morning the dripping got a little too fast and we were very concerned that water was wasting so in first light I went out to check and came straight back in.

"There is water everywhere", I said to Lynda, "what, where is it coming from", queried Lynda in a shocked tone with her mind rushing on possibilities of how to claim from insurance. "From the sky", answered I. It was raining and we weren't even the wiser.

The rain was making me just wanting to stay in bed. Ahhhh a duvet day is all I need now but I was needed at BankservAfrica. Due the cold rain, I couldn't use the Vespa to beat the traffic into downtown Jozi, I had to use the pickup to fight the rush hour traffic.

I arrived at Bankserv Africa, a little late, with Gary and Madelyn eagerly waiting me and what way to start the week with a breakfast meeting with these 2. 

Anni Manika

Are you sitting down, Anni, shown behind Manika, doesn't like her photo taken but since tomorrow is her birthday and Manika whose birthday was yesterday twisted Anni's arm to pose in a joint birthday feast. So here is probably the only photo you will ever seen of Anni enjoying the birthday treats that she and Manika provided for us at BankservAfrica.

As we celebrated, the budget speech went out on all broadcast media, and all I can say we are in for some tough times as taxes are drastically increased. I am thinking I should draw up a basket list of monthly essential grocery items and price them from several supermarkets in the area to do a monthly report on where to go to still have your cake.

Madelyn

Yay happy days, Madelyn and I met our goal deadline today at 1pm. Now she can go on leave and I can sommer go home.

Last month I spent 3 days with Madelyn planning the new look and feel for the interim intranet that is until the new platform is decided. These last 4 days it was all systems go, to change over from the old to the interim with a whole new easy to navigate structure and of course a whole new fresh look to the site.

The feedback was very positive for example as I was leaving the underground parking, a chap on a motorcycle stopped next to me and congratulated me on a job well done, nice.

Vacillating

Oh wow, Gary taught me a new word today, vacillating. Never heard of such a word, does it actually exist or is it another made up word? Gary had to use some of his little toys on his desk to help teach me this new word that felt strange to my tongue. I love languages but am useless in speaking them. Take English for example. England has been invaded by mainly 3 groups of people the Germanic speaking tribes such as the Vikings, the French, and the Romans, each bringing their flavour of languages to the existing mix. I like using the word kingly as an example, origin from the Germanic koniglich, then there is a similar word for the same thing from French royal, and then the Latin version brought in by the Romans regal.

Ahhh and there it is, vacillating /ˈvasɪleɪtɪŋ/ an adjective which means wavering between different opions or actions in other words irresolute. Blame the Romans as the origin is from the Latin word vacillate which means sway unsteadily. I have heard of oscillating between states but vacillating was like standing still yet unsteady.

So could I say it would be doubtful that the ship stay upright as it preciously vacillated on the oscillating waves blown by the foul tempest.

Speak to the Hand

Anni does not like photos taken of her but I did get permission to take her hand as long as her face is not showing, so now I have a speak to the hand photo of Anni, that is Anni with a "i" not a "e" as in one of my favourite TV series "Annie with an e". Oh dear I am digressing again.

The end of the year holidays can't come any sooner, and it can certainly be felt at BankservAfrica, as expectation of the summer break is starting to show through the cracks. The weather of set in rain doesn't help either as the words "let's get a hot chocolate", has become the rally call of Bankserv. For me, I am just so happy that I am working, even at this late time of year when everyone is tired and exhausted. Or should I say grateful, that I have not being forgotten and discarded on the wayside of life.

This time of year, as Christmas Day draws closer ever so faster, it is not about the summer break that my mind focuses on, but what Christmas actually means to me, especially in my current circumstances when presents and gifts are the lowest priority. I always wonder what if I was there nearly 2000 years ago, what I would be doing as I watched my Messiah come into the world as a tiny baby. As the anthem proclaimed by the Skitguys, who would better tell how I feel at this time of year like they do.

I have always wondered if I was at the stable that night, would I have seen a king or just a baby.

If I had stood there with the shepherds listening to the stories of choirs of angels would I have asked what child is this? Oh would I have known that he would someday be the shepherd of all.

If I had watched wise men bring valuable gifts and knee down under the guard of heavenly wonders. Would I have understood that he would be the one that I find all wisdom and that he was the greatest gift of all.

Just as that baby was held by its mother, he would hold me. He would hold me with his amazing grace and his adoption by his father Joseph would be a picture of my adoption in God's family. Who can comprehend that this baby who was defenceless, swaddled, and held would someday be the one holding me in his hands?

I did not witness a star moving across the sky or scores of angels proclaiming his birth but somehow in the middle of my ordinary world this extraordinary baby’s birth found a place in my worn down beat up heart.

So like all those people who saw him, he is the one I've been waiting for.
To repair me!
Redeem me!
To love me!
Forgive me!
To comfort me!
To help me!
To die for me!
Raise me to life!

So what child is this?
He is the one who comes to save me. To save me!

So at this time of year, especially this year, I hold out my hand to the one who comes to save me. As I stand at the edge of the precipice, you are the one who holds my right hand. I am not alone. Thank you, Messiah. You are the one who came to save me. To save me!

Oh my Hat

Oh my hat, look what the cat just walked in at, Gary in his Singaporean hat. Now Gary did say no more posts about cats, how about a cat in a hat? Maybe that is why it raining cats and dogs today.

The sun did not shine
It was too wet to play
So we sat
And sat
At our desks
Gary in his hat
All that cold
Cold wet today

But not all is lost
The cat in the hat knows a lot about that!

Mthunzi

My mother used to say that you need to make a good impression by always dressing neatly, making sure there were no holes in your socks, and that you always had a clean underpants on. It looks like the intern at BankservAfrica took it to heart, well not the socks and underpants part, as there is no way in earth am I going to check but Mtunzi is always dressed smartly at work.

Ama-gent, the opposite to colour blocking, I am intrigued by what I think closely resembles a rose fob watch chain, interesting touch.

Wagtail Poop

When I arrived at BankservAfrica this week, Wendy was so excited to show us her first tattoo that she got. I said first because once you start, you can’t stop with just 1 tattoo. Her first is the cross with a vine and a wagtail bird. All mean a lot to her, the cross and the Bible reference in John 15:5 about the vine, but what does the wagtail mean?

The wagtail sitting on the cross reminded me of Massimo Battura the famous Italian gastronomy chef, which I told Wendy of how Massimo was dragged to art galleries and museums by his wife, Lara, to help Massimo with creativity. Now the story goes, at this one gallery, he looked up and saw these stuffed pigeons which were positioned in such a way above the art pieces and art was created to look like the bird poop onto the art pieces below. Massimo was so inspired, with the bird pooping onto traditional art pieces as art itself.

You can see that I too am inspired by this bird poop, that it took the wagtail tattoo to remind me. Anyways it was this inspiration that stood Massimo in good stead when he opened the Osteria Francescana in Modena. He struggled at first as the locals trashed his ideas of turning traditional Italian food on its head. He was even thinking of throwing the towel in but Lara kept him at it. BUT then after a top food critic’s car broke down and was forced to overnight in Modena. This critic ate at Osteria Francescana and wrote about this extraordinary place, the news spread like wildfire of Massimo, and the rest is history as the Osteria Francescana is now ranked the 2nd best restaurant in the world.

So here was this small insignificant wagtail, sitting on the cross, that means so much to Wendy, that it became part of her first tattoo.

MpumiK and Sisa

Okay Mpumi likes to be called MpumiK as according to her there are many Mpumis in the world and she is different or should I say unique. I would say we are all unique with our own special gifts in our own special way, thank goodness as there can only be one of me, eh Sisa.

As you can see with MpumiK and Sisa from Bankserv Africa’s Marketing department, I am back in the Joburg CBD today at Bankserv. Sisa said that I must come more often as I lift the spirit of the office, maybe because it is Friday, yay!

Okay lets all do the weekend dance! Come on everybody, let’s do the dance!

Strawberries and Yogurt

Back at Bankserv Africa’s offices but this time I am working with Wendy, the Brand and Communications Specialist, instead of with Gary who is away on a course. Most of the work entailed updating their current website which is starting to look tired. A lot was done today by Wendy and I to the website that it is now starting to look like a refresh.

Here is Wendy, having a strawberries and yogurt break.

Anni’s Desk

It is interesting how different people personalise their office desk. I have seen many personal work spaces, from Now Media to the IFC, from PRASA to Bosasa, so many desks, so many minds. Dare I say it is like a window into their mind that you have to somehow decipher.

An office desk is normally away from the home comforts and safety yet it is these small tokens found on a desk that makes it feel safe again. Take Gary’s desk at BankservAfrica, his workstation is open for easy access and on top are sci-fi tokens such as the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 and an Axl Rose looking skeleton, WHAT is this Guns N’ Roses rocker still alive? I don’t even known anymore. With so many celebrities fake dying online; I don’t even know who is alive or rocking up in the band in the sky. So just by looking at Gary’s desk, you know straight away where his safe zone is.

Now compare this Anni’s desk right next to Gary's, it is almost cleaned up of all personal stuff except these 4 items. Now what to make of a blue glass sphere with concentric circle patterns, a piece of amethyst, polished fuchsite or is that a malachite, and don’t forget the starfish, uhmmm. I haven’t positions these tokens at all, this is how they are sitting on her desk. Curiouser and curiouser!

Oh and then there is that hideous corporate clean desk policy that dictates robotic empty unhappy workers. If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered me, then what does an empty desk indicate? An empty mind? I think a clean desk is a sign of a fearful mind.