Sunshine Reggae

Carl started with us on Thursday, and as I promised, here is a photograph of Carl, heng pan nail. Why Sunshine Reggae, well because I can, nah that is not it. On the radio last night, "Sunshine Reggae" by Laid Back streamed through the airways and it sort of reminded me of Carl in a ways. No Carl is not Jamaican mon but English with a London accent.

Monday and I am coming down with some flu bug. Maybe it is the medication I am on, but I am sure I am the only one who can understand what I just wrote above.

Jimmy

We are all somehow surprised that we made it through the week and especially through the month. Anyway Friday marks the start of a new month and Jimmy, shown above. And yes, he is the first and hopefully the last that uses a mac. This is a Samsung office boet. He started with us today and this heralded a reshuffle in seating arrangements which ended in all the women seated at one side and the men on the other. I wasn't let this go down lightly so I set up a Google + Hangout so I could still chat to the ladies.

IT Jimmy

Work slowly goes forward here at Metrorail although the technicians are always running around; our two IT technicians Jimmy (shown in today's photo) and Theo remind me of Roy and Moss from the TV series "IT Crowd".

Jimmy and Theo

It has just been a normal day here a Metrorail with most of the talk is weather France will play well tonight against South Africa after what has been coming out the French change room. Anyway I have lost hope in soccer and FIFA with all the acting that has been going on. Here is Jimmy and Theo still hold a little hope for Bafana but we will see if the vuvuzelas will be blaring tomorrow or remain silent.

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.

Is this the end?

With two offers, I am not sure which one to take. One offers security till retirement but not much growth and the other offers lots of growth with even overseas potential but not much security. So this might be my last day at Metrorail and so I needed a photograph of the team, well two thirds are already on leave which means this is not the full team. In the photo are José, Sello, Masilo, Khathu (seated), Jimmy, Leon, Mulalo, Thanyani and me.

Jimmy the feather

Jimmy, one of our technicians at Metrorail came into work today with these two colourful feather arrangements. I am not sure what they for but they stayed on his desk for most of the day.

1,000 Post

Wow, I have finally reached my 1,000 post by posting one photograph every day since the 1st January 2007. It has been fun but tough at times. Thank you all who keep coming back to see what has been happening in the life of Jerome. Many people had taken today off and turned yesterday’s public holiday into a long weekend. Here is Steven (obvious he doesn't know how to pick a soccer team), Jimmy and Refiloe (in a tradition dress as yesterday was Heritage Day). You wouldn't believe me if I told you that they are discussing a clip found online of one of Michael Jackson's weird but spectacular dance movements.

Training

The weather was great this morning but by mid afternoon a terrible storm blew over. The IT guys thought it funny that I was on my bike and offered to get me a taxi. Here are some of them getting training from Patrick. From the left clockwise around the table is Theo, Khathu, Jimmy, Masilo (head down), Thabiso, Thanyani, Karabo, Brian, Lerato, Vuyo, Amukelani, Patrick and Khumbu.

Jimmy the Giant

I would ask ciamar a tha thu if you were Scottish, Jimmy but you not, you’re a Tswana. My Setswana is not good but here goes. Dumela rra, otsogile jang? I seem to remember a legend long time ago of a disobedient young man whose man was Tswana. He ran away from home and met a giant and his lovely daughter. The daughter warned Tswana that the giant was a cannibal and wanted to eat him. The giant got Tswana to play a big guitar and wanted to chop off his head while he was playing but Tswana was wise and sat with his back to a tree. Later on the giant tried to drug Tswana with sleeping potion but the daughter had swopped it with this other potion that gave him extra ordinary strength which helped Tswana to chop off the giant’s head instead. Now I am not sure if this giant is the same giant of Matsieng the founder of the Tswana tribe but Jimmy is a tall chap and could have the giant’s bloodline.

Jimmy and Theo

Here is Jimmy and Theophylus, Metrorail ICT Technicians, doing some telephone support.

Family wedding tree

Here are the family weddings on Carol’s side. (From right to left): Jimmy and Daphne (Carol’s mom and dad); Ken and Simone (Carol’s son and daughter-in-law); Darrel and Shannon (Carol’s son-in-law and daughter) and finally but not least Carol and I.