Once again another addition, Miss Anoka, welcome...hope you find this of some interest to you, if you have any topics you would like discussed please do forward em to me

Ya man, so when we last spoke i said if things worked out i would be off for a bit of a break, but i guess once again the one who watches me came through for me, some call in co-incidence, others Allah, Buddha, money, luck, but I prefer God 

So anyway I managed to sneak in a little deal on Friday afternoon so on Monday I booked my flight and on Tuesday off i went to Thailand for a few days. Armed with only my plane ticket and Visa card, i arrived at Phuket airport, i was pretty excited. I knew more or less where i was going to be heading because a mate of mine, Rudi was already there. Anyway after making my way through the mob of people wanting to offer me hotels, taxi’s mini busses etc, i finally settled on a taxi driver to take me down to Patong Beach, it was a pretty warm day and I hardly sleep on flights so i was knackered and feeling sticky....and when i got to Rudi’s hotel he wasn’t there. Doh?!!! Anyway I dropped my bags at his hotel and ventured to acquaint myself with the area... I realised just then that i was going to really enjoy this place (and it didn’t hurt that Barrack Obama had just won the US elections either)

The only place I have been to in my life where no one was clutching their purses or lock their car doors cos the black man is near. No boss, I even had a name and it wasn’t ni**a  ...is it a shadow? Is it a mountain? No its chocolate man, yes thats right, they called me man...chocolate man.

Jokes aside though what a pleasant place, such good natured hard working people. What a beautiful country??!! I am not much of a water baby but even i was on the clear waters of Thailand, paddling away...properly secured in a tested life jacket ofcourse! Another thing about the place was the food. Stayed in Phuket for 1 night (ordered some suits and jackets, tailor made...quality stuff). Purchased a trip to Koh Phi Phi, dirt cheap it was to get there. Phi Phi was cool but it wasn’t my cuppa tea. There were plenty of foreigners there as well as youngsters. You could walk that whole island flat in 30 minutes or so. Averaged sleep time of about 5am every night. There were only 3 other blacks that i saw, i felt special ;-). Whilst in Phi Phi Rudy and I took a day trip to a few other islands including the one where the beach movie was filmed. It was such brilliant day. 3 days later we headed to an Island called Koh Lanta in Krabi, such a chilled styling place and helluva cheap we bought seafood for 20Bhat for 100g thats about R6/100g hectic!

Hired a scooter for R70 a day and rode the island sut! Yoh. Let me tell you this story. So I was asking what to do for the day and I was told about this lovely waterfall in the south of the island that i should head to. So I am like happy days, helmet on, bony started and off I go. About 30min later i reach the entrance of the path to the waterfall, after kra ping in my pants thanks to an elephant on the side of the road! But i survived. So i make my way past this little hut thinking the waterfall was just around the corner...Hmmm. Now let me tell you that i was travelling solo this afternoon because Rudi went out snorkelling. So i start on this path...all by my lonesome. Let me paint a picture...there is just forest and a river on my left and a little path. I walk for about 15 minutes and don’t encounter a soul. My mind starts racing. What if i get bitten by a snake or a spider or worse... a snake, what if i slip and cant walk...over active imagination, its what happens when you are a middle child. 30 minutes later i come across a couple of people saying you are almost there but its really not all that. I am like bra i have walked this far i may as well continue, oh and i forgot to mention the path lead into the river which was about shin deep with unstable rocks...lovely, wet socks and sneakers, so another 10 min or so later i arrive at my destination...wooow what a sight to behold!!! It was beautiful, it was majestic, it was like nothing i had ever seen before NOOOOTTT!!! What a lame excuse for a waterfall, it was like someone was standing on top of the ‘mountain’ and taking a wee. I shook my head, took a photo and ran back to the entrance...twisting both my ankles in the process but luckily not too badly.

I learnt one thing from that little excursion...survivor is definitely not for me. We returned to Phuket 3 days later where we stayed till we left. Another thing that i learnt from Thailand is that i have nothing to worry about if I ever want to get settled and have little ones with a good woman and i cant crack it in the ‘real’ world ;-) the amount of fat siff old dudes floating around that place with beautiful specimens, it disgusts me and pleases me at the same time. Some might be saying but those dudes have plenty cash, my retort is we met this young lass who didn’t even have a TV, i’ll give her a TV and a Hi Fi...how could she say no? How??

Travelling to places like that where i do a whole lot of nothing always offers me time to read a book and do plenty thinking. I actually read a book called “some of my best friends are white” pretty well written book good laugh . It takes a dig at all of us in this country of ours. Very easy read. But i also did plenty of thinking as i mentioned before. Mainly about what this madness that a lot of us live is all for. I look at the Thai people, just like the Ghanaians i had encountered 2 weeks before and man what good souls they have. How hard working they are. And how content they seem. But then again the grass always looks greener on the other side. But I was thinking sheesh imagine if i had the balls to just say saweet done with this keeping up with the joneses now. I am going to pack it all i, buy myself a little place (on a hilltop ofcourse) and buy a boat to ferry people around....maybe do some accounting work for some island businesses and just live a little. Not that I am not living now, but u get what i mean i hope...wake up with generally happy people all around you, seemingly not too much stress and if you are stressed, I promise you, you wont have to venture far to find a massage 

But in no time it was all over back to work and life in general...The most impetuous thing I think i have ever done, but man one of the best things i have ever done...

Birthdays
4th Tanya and Shashi
6th dear sis Adoma
10th Shanwynn
11th Rachel and Akin
14th Celeste
15th Ylanda and Rowan
16th Kris
18th Federica and Taya
21st Neelesh
22nd Sanguita

Thats me for another week
...Live like today is your last....Y

I said this the last time i was here and i will say it again its always such a humbling experience coming back to Ghana, i’d like to say home but i’d be deceiving myself. It definitely is home in my heart and i truly identify with the humanity of the people of Ghana.

You walk in the street at night and young people are saying “good evening uncle” made me realise i was getting on in my years, but also gave me a huge reminder of the little things my folks tried to instil in us when we were growing up, things I am very proud to have been taught, things I believe we are losing sight of as the world goes on.

A typical example is this credit crunch that is going on globally. Ghana is historically a very cash run society, you want something you fork out dollars, simple.$600 000 house...cash, $60 000 car...cash, it is how it is. Things are starting to change a bit now though, people have access to mortgages and car loans provided you have a job, but the job part that is a story all together one i will get to maybe later. But the average Ghanaians response to this credit crunch is we don’t have any credit in the first place so how can it be crunched?

I have had a lot of time to reflect, one of the joys (or not) of being here. I have had loads of time because i opted to stay with family and unfortunately there was a bereavement before i arrived so i was left to my own devices. Driving in this town is no child’s play and the traffic, Joburg is easily 3 times the size of Accra, but boss i had a meeting at 10am i had to leave the house around 8am, madness i tell u. Anyway back to having the time on my hands and you get to ponder much about what it is we are all about. The average Ghanaian earns $250 a month, a huge number live off $100 a month, now in my mind thats pretty darn insane, but you will see everyone polite and helpful. Sheesh let me tell u a story about a time that this helpfulness came in so handy...

It is my first day here. I have absolutely no clue as to how to get around. One of my old directors from Std Bank has just moved to Ghana to be the deputy MD. I bumped into him at the Game store in the Accra mall, and I swear i knew i was going to see him at that mall at that specific time, but thats a story for another time, actually no let me tell u all now. I was standing with my uncle who was looking to buy a treadmill. All of a sudden something told me to walk around the corner and a few rows down you will see Karl, so i did and whala just as i turned the corner heading towards where i thought i should be, who comes walking into the store, freaky huh...anyway so i bumped into him and he invited me over to come and watch the Currie Cup semis with him. Which i thought was a great idea. And it wasn’t too far from where i was staying...if you know your way around that is. My uncle has a few cars in the yard that aren’t doing much other than gathering dust...this uncle is not one of the average Ghanaians who earns $250 a month ;-). Anyway so we try and start the car, no luck battery she is acting up. We jump start it and all good, but i am a tad nervous. And to heighten these nerves, on my way to fill up with juice the car cut out, i take out my hankie to wipe my brow, both cos of the constant, humid heat and also because of the concern that is weighing heavily on my little mind.

Out of towner, driving on the wrong side of the road, not sure how things work or where things are, and to top it off a car with an unreliable battery, but ey i said i’d come so come i shall. I bought some juice which my dear friends is at $1.40 to the litre, we don’t have things bad i tell u. So i make it there but as i got to the drive way the car cut out and refused to start, oh well. So i had a nice visit with Karl and his family, mind you i got there late because i had to hang around and speak to this person and that person etc. Cos its my first day back in 5 years. So by the time i got there it was like 5pm, night was about to fall another problem cos there are few street lights but NO street names...slight exaggeration there are a few...but not in the area i live in. Anyway its time for me to head home. Karl gives me directions on how to get home...suprise suprise, I get lost..hmmm, but i knew i was in the area so i pulled over and asked a security guard, all so polite and helpful he sent me on my merry way....ah a road i recognise, just as i take the corner, the car cuts out. No power whatsoever. I am in a slight panic. This area is dark, its the corner of the road, there are just trees and bushes and a few potplants on the side of the road, i have my laptop, my wallet and my cellphone....did i mention it was pitch dark? What to do? What to do? So i jumped out of the car, grabbed my backpack, locked the car and hurtled into the middle of the road to find assistance. I kid you not, the very first car i flagged down pulled over, asked me what the problem was i explained that i needed a jumpstart and had the cable, he was all too happy to turn his car around, filled with occupants, on a blind curve, put them in harms way, but the bra helped me out, no questions. Gotta love that. i cant lie to you being mentally trained here in SA, my first thoughts were guys jumping out of the bush to rob me blind and secondly no one was gonna help me. But ey alls well and ended well
Being here has been an experience, i have no idea how there aren’t more accidents on the roads, because people just drive and i mean just drive! I have had a few meetings and tried my best to look the part, but the heat and humidity is a breaker so i have been winging it with a shirt no tie, bra, guys here break it down, shirt, tie, suit, and no sweating!! I look at this bra and I am like what the??!! I am in my shirt, sleeves rolled up, buttons open as low as respectably allowable but boss i am pushing enough beads to fill a 2 litre bottle in no time ;-).

Its almost like all my aunts and uncles have been taking their cue from my moms back in SA, first question they ask, how is everyone back home? I answer...So why are you here? I answer...So, Yaw, how old are you now oooh? I smile...I answer, next question, Hmmm Yaw?!! Eh when are you going to get married ooooh? Eh? We are waiting for you, i shake my head and smile i thought telling them no one wants me would get them off my case but not them, they are all too quick with bra i have more than a dozen that i think you will like! Don’t tell my folks this but there are one or two lovely ladies floating around here, but my word are they expensive ;-). They roll with guys that cruise in ML’s, X5’s, Range Rovers the works, and then they have other boys who pay for their massages on Sunday afternoons, sh it man, all i can do is buy you the Bee Movie or Dirty Dancing ;-)

I guess i am painting the wrong picture of Ghana, there are some people here with money and you can get whatever you want if you have bucks. I mean they got he iPhone last year, we are only getting it in SA now. But things here are insanely expensive. I went to buy some groceries for my cousin to take to my gran. I nearly fell over and had convulsions. A large tin of powdered milk , Nespray...$60? how do people survive? I quote everything in $ because the new Ghana Cedi has been pegged to the Dollar, so i been catching a fat hiding converting currency but what to do? There are some humungous fancy shmancy houses popping up all over the place, but just like back home the gap between the haves and the have nots is wide and widening even more. The economy is stable but a lot of the fundamentals are very backward. We import basic food like rice. If you looked at the climate and i am no geologist or whatever, but the ground seems very fertile for agriculture. So many things are imported and the things we export we have no control over the pricing like cocoa and gold. Public servants are just as slow and unmotivated as we have back home. There is this mall that has recently been built. It houses, the likes of Shoprite, Game, Mr Price, Barcellos, Rhapsody’s (my ‘office’ in Accra) to name a few. It took 10 years before it was approved, 10 whole years, there’s even a term for that sort of time...decade!! just to approve the damn thing?? Nah man?!!

And you think slavery is dead? Hell no not in these parts boss. Even a person who is ok and not filthy rich will have a house boy. Now this bra just lives to serve. You come home at 5 am you hoot like the world is coming to an end the bra comes running to open the gate, he does the garden, washes the cars every morning he gets sent to go buy this that and the other. He washes the clothes, dishes, mops, he wakes up at the crack of dawn and doesn’t sleep till who knows when. Nah man, its alive!

There is a lot going on here and plenty of potential but I have my reservations that if the government doesn’t get it right and focus on the have nots, we could easily get a case where crime is the order of the day just like back in SA. There are already signs of armed robberies creeping into society but they are not violent, but still!! That being said I was having a conversation with my uncle and the government is putting in place certain things like there is free education till the end of junior school (they want to extend it to the end of high school) which will assist greatly in the unemployment level, or not because if jobs aren’t being created, no matter how educated you are where will you find a job? Finally there is medical aid in Ghana, its still in its infancy and has some teething problems but at least it is available and all it costs is $10 a year, so there is progress. My great concern at the moment though is Ghana is going to the polls on the 7th December 2008, should it happen that the ruling party is deposed, back to square 1 we go...oh AFRICA!!!

Birthdays
15th Simon H
16th Anjita, Kirsten
17th Tshepo M, Yolisa
18th Sylvia

Thats me for another week, stay blessed

Y

If you are like a rich guy, you are not a happy camper nowadays. Its murder on the trading floors ey?? It’s insane, there is no stopping the rot, $700bn we’ll sign it…nah not now…markets crash, ok the senate will approve it, markets still crash. $700bn written into a law…markets still crash….heads are scratched. What to do?
Banks are being nationalized, now there is an across the board slash in interest rates in some European markets, to stimulate growth.

Maybe I am a bit dim, but in my mind if people didn’t over-react and just rode out the storm instead of this insane sell-off that is taking place, I am more than convinced that this rapid and severe drop in the markets wouldn’t have taken place. Lots of shares have lost value and that’s largely due to the huge sell off in anticipation of the possible slow down in the economy. Now I am no market guru by a long shot, the only shares I own are MTN and SASOL, thanks to BEE ;-).Yes the shares have taken a hiding but y sell? Everyone panics and sells and values drop even further, don’t panic, don’t sell, don’t create the whole herd mentality and some value will be maintained…it makes sense to me, unless I am really simplifying things.

The part that doesn’t make sense to me, well didn’t make much sense to me is the fact that our currency the Rand is taking such a beating. I searched high and low for some literature to shed some light on the tremendous fall of the Rand and not too much was forthcoming. It’s not just the Rand falling I know and comparatively we haven’t done too badly, but we have fallen to our worst levels in 7/8 years this over a period of say 2 weeks. INSANE!! What makes it even more perplexing for a lay person such as myself is the fact that the US Dollar is pretty strong at the moment. Same thing happened on 9/11…typical depiction of the US sneezing and the rest of the world catching a cold.

Their economy is under threat. We all suffer. They need to go a further $700bn into debt, we all suffer…hmm no sense or nonsense. But then again it started dawning on me, is it because they were the first to publically announce a blanket government bailout plan that their currency has strengthened? Could it also be because they are historically the world’s premier economy, so when ish hits the fan, everyone runs to what they perceive to be the safest option…enter the US dollar. Which I still find odd, because I would have thought in times like this commodities such as gold a very universal currency and measure of value since time in memorial.

Listening to 702 and reading some of the internet sites this seems to be the case. When markets become jittery, the first reaction of most is flight from risky assets, and if you didn’t know SA is considered risky, which I assume would lead to an increase in the demand for dollars hence the dollar strengthens…

If I am off the mark please do correct me cos I am using a bit of what I believe to be common sense, which may not be so common ;-)

An interesting day in SA, earlier we had the former chair of the ANC, Mosiuoa Lekota, all but stating outright that there will be a new political party being formed, a splinter from the ruling ANC. I say Amen to that, not because I am in opposition of the ruling party, but because I am not in favour of a one party rule democracy. In my mind that is contrary to the whole concept of democracy…unless I am missing something again.

Lets be honest, the old guard, did some good but they were also pretty arrogant in some of their mannerisms. They failed the people regarding crime, healthcare and education. There is so much lack of accountability in many government institutions. I watched Carte Blanche the other nite and my word the mismanagement going on there is just madness, and nothing happens to no one. I was very impressed when I read a few weeks ago that Mr Maree, my former boss and head of the National Empowerment Fund was convicted…4 yrs or so later but at least something was done.

I am saying all this because I believe the country needs change. I am not sure what the new guard has to offer us, but I get nervous when I hear some of the mouth pieces they have chosen to speak on their behalf. The language they use is strong and more divisive as opposed to unifying. I would also add that some of their mutterings are a tad nonsensical and sensational too. What the new guard do offer is a bit of focus on the neglected many. The people who stood in queues some 14 years ago, their situation hasn’t changed a helluva lot. Some might say it may have worsened. I read stories that the houses built during the apartheid years were far superior to the RDP houses currently being built. We have masses of people accumulating wealth by cutting corners and developing below par housing, which fair enough may be a few times better than the shacks in which they dwelled but, frankly that’s just not good enough.

Education, sheesh let me not get started here. Education should be a fundamental right of every living human being, along with affordable healthcare. If people are educated first and foremost they will be able to see the wood from the trees and be in a position to make an informed decision about who they elect as a leader. Secondly through education you are in a position to fend for yourself, identify opportunities this great land of ours has to offer and how to enhance the lives of yourself and also those around. If you are educated you will know that a life is not really worth the R100 you may get for that cell phone.

Anyway interesting times…heard a couple of the bigger economies have reduced their interest rates in an effort to curb the potential growth stagnation. Also read that China may be lending the USA $500bn to help them stem the run on their banks. This also serves Chinas interests because it protects their export market too because if the US market is weak then who will the world sell to or buy from.

Lets see how it all plays out…Off to Ghana on Friday for a few days for some work, looking forward to catching a bit of a tan and a sweat . You all have a great week and weekend.

Birthdays
28th John K, Shaheed, Kelly
29th Evie
1st Oct Herman
2nd Willem, Linda
4th Monkfish
9th KC

Take it easi

Y

Ola,
Another addition to our ever increasing community. Welcome miss Yashika, hope you find these email worth the kilobytes in your inbox  if at anytime you wish to be removed, please do let me know.

SAICA, has come up with this new thing that we need 120hrs of continuing professional development hours over a 2/3 yr period. It was all good and well when I was working for a large corporate cos it was all about training and development…on their account ofcourse, working in your own space is a different story altogether. I have had to resort to attending ‘random’ yet relevant 2 hr seminars which are either free or well priced (‘cheap’).

Last week I started writing an email around one such seminar I attended called finding your place in the sun, a talk given by Aki Kaliatakis, it started off pretty grim but made so much sense in the end, but I think I am going to park that one for now, cos it was very happy clappy and you are in charge of your destiny kind of stuff, I thought it best to tell you of our experience this past Saturday.

Firstly thanks to those that heeded my email and came thru, Dr Phil, Yashika, Simon and Vuyani and her posse.
Last Saturday about 20 of us met bright and early to go do our little bit for society. We drove around in circles for a while and finally we arrived at our destination in Orange Farm, a half built house and an old lady’s house that needed some paintwork. After loads of shaite being spoken we split up and started mixing dugga, fetching bricks and laying bricks etc. To be honest it was a tad disorganized cos the building foreman, the dude who knew what we needed to do wasn’t directing us well but we tried our best. I must add, I have new respect for builders, cos that sha ite aint easy!!

I think I speak for all that attended when I say it was a day well spent. We may not have finished building the house, but our assistance lessened the amount of work they will need to do to complete that particular house and thus could start on the next one.

So once our day was done I was busted, I got home late from Friday nights shenanigans woke up early on Saturday, put in some hard labour my other bro, ‘Die Hard’ was in town so it was going to be another late night. So I told Phil lets bounce. The other guys had other plans, lets go to a ‘chisa nyama’ which is like a braai sort of effort. Happy times, we’ve done a good days work lets go get some meat and a few beers. We hardly ever hang with the peeps so lets. And lets we did. Bought some meat, bought a few quarts at R8.50 what a ripper, played some music, sat on and around the cars and had a yarn. The food came and man did we feast, well I know I did cos I hadn’t eaten the whoooole day!

After the meal, we tidied up and were about 5 minutes of getting the hell out of dodge….
Around the corner came a police van with about 6 uniformed officers, they looked ready to bust up a riot. The occupants came out of the car and headed straight for…yip you guessed it, yours truly, there were about 13 or so of us there all havin some good clean fun, but noo lets head straight for the makwere kwere. I walked without protest straight to the back of the van, with the thought ofcourse that the rest would soon join me, oh nooooo!! The door closed and I was like eish! A few minutes later the door was opened and my good friend Dr Phil was sitting next to me, things were better 

They sped off like we had just massacred a mob and eaten their hearts. We arrive at the station, and the others followed us, very grateful for good mates I tell u!! Still had no idea what we have been taken in for (other than possibly drinking in public), we weren’t being silly just bought some food and drink and played some tracks, some were shaking what their mommas gave em, u know just having a good reward after a productive day. So the cops start taking our details down, their attitude was all hardcore and rof like we are in charge here, we’ll show u. We asked questions they’d say shh go wait over there. Over time their stance became a tad softer when we managed to sneak in that we were just here to help build and paint houses and we had never been there before and we were just taking in the atmosphere etc. had no idea we were breaking any laws, but we don’t mind paying a fine and going home. The dude was like nooooo, u must go to the cell for at least 4 hrs, I’m like bra!!!

Anyway after about 40 min we seemed to be getting thru the one guy, cos the other phuza-face idiot was gone. Then along came drama. One of the members of our party was a tad on the other side of sober, he’d been drinking since we got there in the morning and he had been mouthing off outside…he was trying to assist but his rather boisterous rants got him arrested . Normal people would have heeded the message and bitten their tongue, noo not our man. Do you know who I am? Do you know who my father is (happens to be a pretty top dude on the ANC National Exec) You guys are making a big mistake…blah blah blah, any ideas of being let out early for good behaviour….out the window….

We asked the man to hold his tongue but he started getting even more vocal so the cops said right we’ll teach u my friend and they marched him off to a cell. In the mean time another friend who was outside pleading our case was also arrested and the 3 of us were processed. Any pleas to pay the fine and let us go because there were ladies in our party fell on deaf ears. We were going to see the inside of a police cell. But the cop was reasonable (in words) he said to us he was going to let us out just now as in 10 minutes he just had to do something.

Luckily our other mate who was in with us was pretty connected and they didn’t search him so he had his mobile with him he made a few calls to certain people…anyway about a little over 2 hrs, our other member of our party was brought to join us. The quietest I had heard him the whole day. He soon revealed why. The cops had decided to put him in a cell with some proper inmates, he was kakking himself. He said about a minute before they brought him out the police man had shouted ok lights out….

Anyway after a few minutes he was back to his vocal self. About 15 min after he was brought into our cell, we were all let out after paying a R100 fine each. We were given a form to signed which had our charge as intoxication, before I signed it, I said for the record I don’t agree with this charge but because I want to go home I will sign it. Then they asked the vocal one to sign it he was like what for, I am not drunk, I cant sign this bulls**t the officer looks at him and says oooooh u wont sign it ne? sure! And he duly placed it back in the file. They asked the fourth to sign his paper, he too was hesitant but the vocal one decided to prompt him and said sign it bra and lets go…how things change  anyway he signed his too and we were let out.

What an experience, but it was still a very worthwhile day. It really was a load of fun (bar the last few hrs). But imagine a whole lot of us on a Saturday afternoon, taking some time out, speaking copious amounts of tripe and doing something worthwhile other than parking off on 4th Avenue in Parkhurst having a Cosmopolitan, its such a fulfilling experience, well in my humble opinion.

That’s me for another week

Bdays
8th Simon C
10th Tumi Morule, Sefa
13th Maud, Inge
14th Kyle, Will
15th Kuhle
16th Al
18th Thuli, Chetan, Violet, Tahir, Gerald


That’s me for another week, you all take care of you!

Big love

Ex con 

‘Que Sera Sera’

When the day that lies ahead of me, Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me, Always seems to know the way – Lovely day (Bill Withers)

New addition…welcome Sturae, hope u find this useful and possibly even remotely interesting, if you don’t holler at me…

Sometimes I think back at most of the emails I send out and some people must think I am just a big happy ball of fun or someone who is caught up in his own BS world that everything is all good and well, well lets just say sometimes I am because I strongly believe you are what you think. But let me tell you about a month I have had. I like to share my thoughts and my experiences with everyone not because I think I know it all but I hope that there is someone out there that may have a similar or opposing thought to mine and would like to impart that with me and others, because once again that’s what I believe life is about…you definitely cant do it on your own. So please do endulge me or not 

Anyway, a not so happy story…if I take a step back and think about it, as I did at the end of last week, this past month was a pretty rough month for me, mind you it did have some pretty great ups, but on a whole it was pretty rough… well relatively, because then again I think a whole lot of people would not mind having some of my problems. This new work setup is pretty good for me. I feel like we are really achieving something, definitely developing a new skill and repertoire of abilities, but its not always easy, but then again how many worthwhile things in this life come easy?

As I was saying…last month was a pretty rough one for me in that we had set a target for the company for the year and mind you we are only 5 months into the year but I am bitterly close to achieving it, which has a good many spin offs in that I can take some time out and chilax for a bit, something I haven’t really done in going on 2 yrs, but all of a sudden, no one wants to see me, I have min meetings, I am clueless as to how we are going to reach this target and it was grating my cheese, it still is but not so much anymore

Then to make matters worse, one of my clients whose revenue makes up a substantial amount of our revenue this year has not paid us and they weren’t giving us any feedback regarding what was wrong, all this because the person I was dealing with signed the order form, we started the campaign and she decided to hang up her boots and moved on.

And to top it all off I have lost the little ok minuscule game that I had boys and girls, it’s a mess. Ok well one particular little miss sunshine…I ‘found’ this lass I was really digging (and that’s as rare as finding coconuts in Antartica), but eish had to hang up my boots there too cos that door was on lock down…for me, boss and no matter how much airtime I gave her boss Rapunzel was not letting down her hair boss, and I know some of you are thinking why didn’t I just use the key, bra, the key was not for this vault ek se…

And to top it off even more I am just tired…

I could go on but I think you get the picture and I was/am pretty tired…It wasn’t all doom and gloom though I had a pretty great Tri Nations campaign which took me to CT for a few days, got hammered with some of the All Blacks and if you really know me you will know that there aren’t too many things that excite me bar an All Black haka followed by a test match. That being said tho, my soul wasn’t really at ease it was like there was just something not right.

This week is the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan for my Muslim bras, I decided for this month just like for Lent I am going to try and give something to those less fortunate that I. I generally intend to do it but never really do it cos it takes an effort and I am pretty goal driven I struggle to do things nje (just), so at least this gives me some purpose.

I started this on Monday, and I am not doing it for anything but for my own selfish reason because it really and truly pleases me, early in the morning or late at night or mid afternoon and give a loaf of bread to someone I think needs it, and honestly I am NO ANGEL, I truly started feeling like I was in a better place already. So much so that on Wednesday a mate who was in a place not too dissimilar from where I was heading and I had quite a good discourse (I really had a need to use that word) about it.

Its actually quite funny cos a week ago I was sitting in the office with some of my colleagues and they were talking about the 5 languages of love, I had never in my life had any notion of it whatsoever but for those that are as in the dark as I was they 5 languages are quality time, words of affirmation, touch, giving and acts of service. And I dig giving stuff and doing stuff for peeps…I digress but somehow thought it was relevant…

Anyhoo…I think it’s all about finding your happy place no matter how small it may seem to the world. Yesterday I managed to get a meeting with the top dog of the client who wasn’t getting back to me regarding the campaign invoice and earlier today he told me that the invoices were processed. I still don’t know how I am going to fill up my pipeline nor did lovely miss sunshine’s vault open, but alas as the saying goes you cant have it all, so I take what I get and be grateful for it, it’s the beauty of it all isn’t it?

Something I want to share with you all on Wednesday I went to a seminar and the speaker was talking about brands and building your own personal brand, his whole message was what you want people to say about you when you are dead, which I thought was pretty random because at the risk of arrogance, what do I care what people say when I am gone? I will be dead…I think its more important for how you interact with people whilst you are still on this earth and are able to make a difference. There are 6 P’s to follow and they are:
• Purpose – there has to be a goal in mind in respect of who you want to be and how you want the world to see you
• Passion – you need to be passionate about everything you do touch etc, if you are not feeling work, a relationship, living conditions etc. it will reflect in how you conduct or portray yourself to others
• Planning - most if not all successful ventures, events etc, require a carefully thought out plan and process that needs to be followed
• People – you honestly cant do it on your own
• Play - don’t take yourself too/so seriously
• Persevere – you will fail its how life is, up until varsity I had never failed anything before but I got taught there, it wasn’t nice then but ey oh I survived. Hmm maybe I should give that vault one more try ;-)…I joke

Birthdays
02 Gavin Bye
03 JC and Rob W
05 Riba
06 Talita

All the best for the wedding ahead John R, much happiness bro, Junie, nice work on the engagement, what took so long ;-)? And to my Muslim bros and sissies…Ramadan Mubarak!

An eventful weekend to you all!! I need sleep, I am way too old for this phuza Thursday stuff 

And that’s a wrap folks

Y

Que sera sera

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery; None but ourselves can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, cause none of them can stop the time.

How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look? ooh!

Some say its just a part of it: Weve got to fulfil de book.

Wont you help to sing, These songs of freedom? – Robert Nesta Marley

Last week it was such a relaxing weekend at the Vaal, thanks Kirst…now here I sit with Chapmans Peak on my left and the ocean to my right, yes I am gloating just a tad, my clients have paid for me to come to CT, put me up in a larney hotel and have asked me to chaperone some winners at the test match tomorrow, went to a Q & A session with some of the All Blacks, met all the Boks, spent some time last night with Bryan Habana and his old man, such damn hard work, gotta hate it!! J

But enough about me! I hope you are all doing well. Another week to a close another month halfway done…I have been pretty scarce the last few weeks, I know Tahir, thanks for prompting this email. My mind has been so focused elsewhere I tell you but alas, its all good.

I finished this really great book a few days ago called A fine balance by Rohinton Mistry. I started the book a good few weeks ago, it was an interesting read, but sheesh the hardship this family went through was hectic, I lost interest in it for a while and then I picked it up again last week and I couldn’t put it down until it was done. It’s a story set in 1975 during the time of the emergency in India. The story is focused around 4 main characters and how their paths cross and are somehow interwoven as a result of economics etc.

The characters are pretty diverse in backgrounds, 2, Ishvar and his nephew, Omprakash are tailors, from the lower caste, the untouchables as they were then known, but Ishvar’s father wanted to break the cycle and tried his best to get a better life for his sons Ishvar and Nayaran.

Then there was Dina, who was from a wealthy background initially but due to circumstances had to end up fending for herself

Then there was Maneck a village boy, who’s family was pretty well to do. He came to the city to get and education so he could be a somebody…

There are so many little stories/lessons or teachings from this book. One in particular got me thinking. That was the fact that the not so well off were the ones who persevered the most inspite of their circumstances. I wondered if this was the truth or just a storybook? If so was it because their situation cant get any worse (well so they thought but it did). They just seemed so much more positive and just happy to get on with it inspite of everything.

I look at a lot of us now and the smallest problem or hiccup in our plans and all hell is about to break loose…our lives are ruined it’s a mess. As nice as it is for things to go your way, I find the ‘victory’ if I can use that word so much sweeter, if there was a challenge which had to be overcome in order to get me where I needed to be. For example I play a bit of sport and I’d much rather play a person who can beat me rather than a person who I know I can beat, it’s all in the challenge.

What I was getting at, if I may preach for a moment…is that in this life…in life, love, work, anything, we have to accept that we will be tested, we will be trialed, things wont go our way all the time, but its all about stepping up to the plate and giving it your best shot, if it doesn’t work out as planned, at least you gave it your best shot and it wasn’t meant to be, because whatever is meat to be will be…Que Sera Sera!

On that note, let me go back to staring out the window….aaah bliss. You all have a great weekend!

Wait before I go let me just add another cent (borrowed this one)...1^st time you are a victim, second time you are a volunteer!

Birthdays

21 Belinda Mountain

22 July Michelle W

24 Vusi

26 Gina, Karabo Nondumo

27 Courts

28 Parents 35^th anniversary

29 Sheya and Richard

30 ETO, Lesley

3 August Deen

12 Caroline and Angela

13 Sharpie

14 Graham and Degs

Take care, and maximum respect!

Y

PS don’t let the world dictate your world to you!!

“If I had no more time, No more time left to be here,

Would you cherish what we had? Was it everything that you were looking for? If I couldn’t feel your touch, And no longer were you with me,

I’d be wishing you were here, To be everything that I’d be looking for,

I don’t wanna forget the present is a gift,

And I don’t wanna take for granted the time you may have here with me,

‘Cause Lord only knows another day is not really guaranteed”- Alicia blaring through my earphones as I type this…for the 4^th time. I highlighted 2 sentences for a reason let it resonate in all we do!!

Shoo, another week almost done? My question to you would you is ‘are you living or letting life pass you by?’

Another pretty blessed week, in my world, but its not about me now is it ;-). I must tell u this though, I bought a small basic French dictionary. This is a massive thing for me, because learning French and Zulu has been a resolution of mne for at least the last 5 years or so, now if I can find a Zulu one I will be well on my way. Oh wait maybe you guys could help me, I bought a guitar a while ago and I want to learn how to play it, if anyone knows of someone who gives lessons or if any of you are keen to go learn guitar let me know, cos other than work, execution is not my strong point, cos stuff just keeps coming up, like doing nothing, going out, sleeping, playing squash, movies…u get the picture!

I was really humbled by effort some of you went through to respond to my emails last week. It honestly touches me that you all, inspite of your busy days still have time to find value out of some of the stuff I write and even more so that you respond.

I got some pretty decent responses, some were too long to post on the site, but if u r keen to read them please let me know and I will forward them to you, if that’s ok with the authors.

It should hopefully be a very short email this week. As most of us know today is the birthday of a great man, Nelson Mandela. A man by his on concession was not born a saint nor behaved like one, but this man has qualities we can all learn from.

• He is a man who decided to make a difference.
• He is a man who saw his circumstances and decided not to just complain but take action.
• He is a man who saw the plight and ill-treatment of those around him and decided this cant be right but I cant wait for others to fix it for me
• He is a man who lost 27 years of his life because he fought for what was right…note I said what was right not what may have been right.
• He is a man who even though incarcerated for 27 yrs and robbed of his freedom came out and set this nation and its people free
• He is a man who could have come out bitter and angry like most of us would have been if we felt we were wronged, but he said sorree, lets move forward
• He is a man who continues to use his influence and position to try and create a better life for those less fortunate than he through his foundations
• He is a man who even when times were rough saw the good in the situation
• He is a great man, not solely by actions but largely by deed!

And you know what, any of us can be that great person, even if just for one other person around us…Society is where it is now because of our lack of time for other people, that sales dude who keeps knocking on your door to sell his business card holder with a fountain. Take time to just listen to his story or offer him some courtesy. You CAN spare him 2 minutes, I promise you it won’t kill you. That guy who begs at your window, acknowledge him at least. The 10 secs it will take to say no thanks or whatever it won’t hurt you, what are u doing anyway, the robot is red, u aint going nowhere!

The world will be the place u make it and on that note let me be off before I start sounding like a preacher. It’s really so simple this life, but we CHOOSE to make it so difficult.

“We who walk in the shadow of a giant must stay the course.

It is up to us who have the ability to influence transformation to uphold the legacy of those heroes that have made the ultimate sacrifice for all who live in South Africa.

It is our duty to honour them by making sure we do all that is in our power to ensure that their legacy lives in our thoughts and deeds.” Its almost like my sister knew what I was writing about this week. She sent an email to me today and I had to copy and past this extract here.

Birthdays

13^th Mel Rose

15^th Garth and Naeem

18^th The great man

A fantastic weekend is my wish to you all!

Maximum respect

Y ….“Que sera sera”

Luckily this week my mind hasn’t been held captive by any song in particular.

2 additions to our list, Khash and Rache, hope u find value in these weekly rantings. If you have any comments please visit www.mondaymail.blogspot.com.

Before I get into this weeks email, just a little bit of education my mate dangerous Dave (Degs) insisted I share. Times are tough at the moment and I guess you don’t need me to tell you about that. So what is the primary root of all our misery? This animal called interest. Imagine this I am poked or not but I need a couch or a car depending but I currently don’t have the cash for it enter mr loan corporation. We’ll give u the money, but then we own u till u can pay us back. What it means is you borrow today to buy something and work hard for 6 mths…60mths….20yrs to pay for it. Alternative is simple, live within your means or work hard now so u will make enough to buy whatever it is you want or be a slave to your desires J

I might not look the part but I am always thinking, my mind takes leave of my body on many occasions and finds topics to ponder. This week thought is one I have had for many years. Its one that has hardly, if ever, left the crevices of my cranium.

I am not sure if any of you ever have such thoughts, but once in a while I ask myself where will my soul rest. And I know what some of my ‘more Christian’ friends and family will be saying to me, Yawza, if you are asking yourself this question then you really haven’t found Jesus.

And so begins my issue(s). I consider myself a Christian, not by name alone but by actions and by belief (even though diluted and questioning), that being said though, I have the utmost respect for other religions because I honestly believe many of us are very similar…enter the dilution and questioning…

I go to church pretty often but not necessarily regularly, I go because it feeds my soul for the week, then there are those times when we are all praying and everyone around me is speaking in tongues….basically mumbling a whole lot of stuff….everyone except me…more questioning…

Then I wonder before colonization, I don’t think Christianity was heard of on this continent, so what happened to all the good people that roamed this continent called Africa, but passed on before they were introduced to the Bible, were their souls banished to suffer eternal damnation?

Then there is the fact that during prayer, Jesus and God are used interchangeably, I struggle with that, because I understand the trinity Father, Son and Holy Ghost to be 3 distinct entities. In my mind being the son of God doesn’t make you God, does it? In the 10 commandments commandment 1 and 2 say that I am the Lord your God; you will have no other Gods but me…See how I struggle worshiping Jesus instead of God?

Just one more thing as well. I generally use things that I can refer to. In Ghana right, when I was last there I don’t think you could travel further than a km without seeing a church. But on a whole many Ghanaians have life pretty rough. Rough in that its not by any means a rich place. Rich in culture, rich in good people, but boss people struggle to make ends meet, but one thing is for sure is that their faith in the almighty is strong. It brings me to another question I have. Many of the worlds poorest suffer no end, yet their faith is strongest, some might argue that its because that’s really their only hope, but I would think that their faith would result in the Almighty favouring them more. I look at some of the worlds worst figures, they may ‘believe in God’ but their actions are contrary to what I believe to be the actions of a God – fearing person, but those are the ones that prosper, look at Bob Mugabe for an example.

I could go on, but I just thought I’d share some of my thoughts with you, took me a while to write this email, I honestly had no clue how to tackle it. I read a lot and listen plenty, but in my mind there are a lot of gaps. Some accept but I question, I put it out there so those out there more enlightened than I can impart their knowledge with the likes of me.

I trust you will have a pleasant weekend and week till we next speak. Stay blessed, I for one truly am ;-)

Birthdays

8^th Mel Ramjee, DJ

11^th Rudi Leigh, Santie

12^th Yao, Marc Cohen

Much respect to the masses

There is a new motto I think we should all adopt, it got reiterated in a conversation with my bro Dave and that is ‘each one teach one’, imagine how many of the worlds problems would be alleviated if we took the time out to impart knowledge. A lot of people don’t know about the perils of debt for example your domestics etc. take a few minutes to speak to them about it, so at least they make an informed decision!

Y

Que sera sera

“Should i give up, Or should i just keep chasing pavements?
Even if it leads nowhere, Or would it be a waste? Even If i knew my place should i leave it there? Should i give up, Or should i just keep chasing pavements? Even if it leads nowhere”…Adele

I know its so last season this song, but hope it stays in your heads the whole weekend like it’s been lingering in mine for the last 2 dam n weeks!! Been a while ey anyway still very bright eyed and bushy tailed feeling very blessed/lucky whatever floats ur boat. Positive mind, positive life, pretty simple try it sometime!! 
I heard something last Sunday that I thought I should share with u all…the root of all our unhappiness is because we choose to compare things, particularly the past to the present. It makes sense doesn’t it? We compare what we used to look like, what we used to have etc etc to what we currently have and sometimes what we once had is no longer, but we forget to look at the good things that have taken its place…

It took well over a month for Zim electoral commission to declare the last results, but these results were given out in a day and a bit if even…hmmm!!! Fair enough it was just presidential elections but I am sure it was the same amount of polling stations involved. Then there was his outburst to the reporter calling him a stupid idiot or something to that effect, if that isn’t the voice of someone who has lost the plot then I guess my name really isn’t Yaw. I found it embarrassing and then there were voices in the background spurring him on…”tell him tell him” children!!

My biggest disappointment though is the silence of the AU leaders (well at least some, Nigeria, Malawi and Botswana as far as I can remember have stated that they don’t accept the results), this was Africas one chance of taking charge and doing something significant, but instead our leaders turn a blind eye. I am the biggest supporter of this country and this continent, we have every possible resource and potential in abundance but the lack of leadership that can take or make those tough decisions will keep crippling us till kingdom come. I really am at a loss for words. I am just an average joe, I may not know the history of how Zim has gotten to where its gotten to, I haven’t been there yes, but I know people who have , black, white, tall, short and they all say the same it’s a F*** up! I can see where it is and I know that NOTHING will change if Bob stays in power. But I know we are bored with this topic, the sad thing is for us it’s a topic for many a Zimbabwean its their reality!!

Then we have Mr ANCYL saying he will kill for Zuma then Mr Vavi not wanting to be outshone re-iterates this. Where are we? But then again that as I say that epitomizes the violent nature of us South Africans, anyone who wants to challenge that please do put ur hands up in the air. Violence surrounds us, its been in our past, present and until we do something about it it will be in our future. You are in a night club a guy walks past another and bumps him cos the place is packed the other guy is like listen d**s, I’m gonna f**ken m*er you”…and then what does that make you. We have come a long way but we still have a long way to go and once again let me say it again…get to know each other, understand what makes us all tick, its so easy this!!

Something very different this week thanks to Mike, please read below:

Joburg’s Biggest Walker – An 8-week Green House Gas (GHG) emissions challenge

Background
With the cost of petrol & diesel rising almost as rapidly as our collective consciousness about global warming, perhaps it’s time we Joburgers set out to see if we REALLY need our cars.
In the absence of what we believe to be reliable and/or sustainable alternatives, one must question whether there are NO alternatives to single occupancy high pollutant vehicles, or if we’re just too busy to test our assumptions.

The Challenge
Can you measure your direct impact on this environment (Phase I) and then make a concerted effort to reduce it (Phase II)?
Phase I consists of a 4-week baseline measurement, whereby you would be expected to:
1. On Sunday the 6th of July…fill up your vehicle (full-full)…and take an odometer reading (OR)
2. By Wednesday the 9th of July…send your OR to michael@trialogue.co.za along with your name, as well as the make, model and year of your vehicle…plus whether it consumes petrol or diesel
3. For the next 4 weeks…every time you purchase fuel, you must submit the following data:
a. Cost of fuel (Rands)
b. Amount of fuel (litres)
c. Updated OR
4. During this 4-week period, you should try to identify possible alternatives to your regular driving patterns (walk, cycle, car pool, public transit, etc.)
5. At the end of the 4 weeks…on Sunday the 3rd of August…you must re-fill your vehicle (full-full) and submit the above data (as per #3, above)
6. From Monday the 4th of August through to Sunday the 31st of August, you should apply some of the strategies identified in #4…attempting to reduce your reliance on your vehicle.
7. For the next 4 weeks…every time you purchase fuel, you must submit the following data:
a. Cost of fuel (Rands)
b. Amount of fuel (litres)
c. Updated OR
8. During this 4-week period, you should try to keep a log of any non-standard car-pooling that you engage in…submitting a record of the number of ‘non-standard car-pool kilometres’
a. NOTE: These kilometres will be factored to reduce your GHG impact by 1/3
9. At the end of the 8-week period, you will be provided a report of your success…relative to all the other participants…with an ultimate “Joburg’s Biggest Walker” being identified and awarded

The Cost
Entry into this initiative will cost R50 per person…with the ultimate assumption being that you SHOULD recoup this cost through savings in fuel purchases.
ALL proceeds will go proving awards to “Joburg’s Biggest Walker” and “Joburg’s Most Creative Non-Polluter”.

The Awards
60% of all contributions will be awarded to “Joburg’s Biggest Walker”, and the remaining 40% will be awarded to “Joburg’s Most Creative Non-Polluter”.
These funds will not be payable as ‘cash’, but rather the Rand value equivalent in trees…to be planted at a school or community project of the winner’s choice.

Rules
1. You can’t cheat! You will be expected to participate honestly…with no attempts to jimmy the numbers (Note: at least one math boffin will be used to test for anomalies).
2. You must fill ‘full-full’ on both the 6th of July and the 3rd of August.
3. Any lapse in providing the necessary fuel purchase data will result in using published ‘in-town consumption’ figures for your make and model of vehicle.

Judging
1. The numbers will judge themselves…although the math boffin will, as mentioned, test for anomalies.
2. The title of ‘Joburg’s Most Creative Non-Polluter’ will be judged by the entire team of participants. Any member wishing to tell a specific story about how they managed to cut down their fuel consumption and/or how the project impacted on other areas of their polluting life will be allowed to submit their story to the rest of the team. Stories must be submitted no later than Sunday the 7th of September. Each participant will be asked to rate their 1st (3 points), 2nd (2 points) and 3rd (1 point) choice, with the results being tallied and shared with the team…and the ultimate winner being identified through the stats.

The Celebration
On dates to be announced (sometime in October), ALL participants in this project will be invited to join the winners at the identified ‘tree recipient’…to help plant the trees and (if necessary) to help clean up the site.

The Ultimate Spin-Offs
If we can get enough people to participate, there is a distinct possibility that between the amount of direct GHG reductions (i.e., reduced fuel consumption) and the off-sets resulting from the planted trees could neutralize the team’s 4-week transportation-related carbon footprint.
Moreover, it is assumed that the ‘tree recipients’ would be educated about the need for trees…potentially impacting future generations of GHG emitters.
Yet more…it is possible that this could be written up either as an article or a case study, to be replicated by others, thereby leading to future GHG Challenges elsewhere…and thus even more carbon reductions.

ARE YOU IN?

Let me know and I will forward your names.

In closing, if you guys don’t already, if you are looking for an alternative to “Shorty wanna thug, models in the club….like a Lollypop” try talk radio 702 in the evenings some quality listening.

Birthdays
17th June Tas Domingo
20th Kgash and Jake
21st Hamish
22nd Dakes and Simmybunny
23rd Pete K
24th Gretchen
27th Rule and Gail
29th Simone and Celeste M
30th Dineo
1st July KJ Magil
3rd Jenn

Take it easi all

Que sera sera

Y

“You come to me with a casual flow, And suddenly, my defences start to go

When you talk to me in that sensual tone, It envelops me and I lose my self control

And baby, I just melt away, Fall like rain, Everytime I see your face, I go off

I just want to break it down, Anytime you come around, Baby I could melt away in your arms – Melt away Mariah Carey”

Forgive that blast from the past, I actually bought that CD earlier and went straight to song no 9….ahh the memories J

I know what you are thinking and yes you are correct, like a Pheonix he rises from the ashes…I have been AWOL for the last 3 weeks or so. And to be honest I have just been in a lull. You know when you get into a space where you are just alive but hardly living.

To be honest as I sit here writing I can think of nothing to complain about every facet of my life is pretty darn peachy. I guess that is why I decided to write to you today. Today I woke up like any other day in the past few weeks. Up bright and early, tried reading watched a bit of world news, realized its too cold for gym so we will try it again later in the day. Decided to get up. BUT I did something very different.

Yesterday I was driving around with this driven and focused young man who has been doing an ‘internship’ with us for the last 2 weeks or so. Anyway on our way to the car, he picked up a couple of nice looking pebbles/stones, I asked him what that was about and he reminded me of this part in the Secret about a gratitude rock. I looked at him, initially like whatever, but I picked one tho and placed it on my bedside locker.

So back to my story, this morning like every other morning I woke up and went through my same rituals, but what I did differently was I drew my curtains wide open, looked at the sky above, held my little rock in my hand and said thank you…thank you for the fact that I woke up, thank you for the fact that I have a bed and warmth, thank you for the fact that I have a roof over my head, thank you for such a great family and friends, I can walk, see, hear, a t.v., a shower with warm water, the fact that I have a job that gives me joy, a car to get me to my work, clothes on my back… and the list goes on. It may sound so random but I cant tell you what a difference it made to my day from the get go to now. I had a bounce in my step. Everything was just a joy, I had a bounce in my step, I had jokes. It was just a pleasant day all round, rounded off with a great dinner at Pete, Carla’s and little Kyle’s.

The events of today have sparked me back into motion, just always remember the little things, I tell you it will help you change your focus.

Another thing that really sparked this email was on Sunday I went to church. The preacher was speaking about forgiveness and anger and stuff. To be honest I got the gist but I wasn’t paying too much attention to the man I was day dreaming but the topic got me thinking. The way I see those too emotions is that they are more destructive than they are constructive. I am not saying don’t get angry but don’t let the anger consume you. Generally anger is a result of a past action an action that you cant change. Learn from it and find ways to move forward constructively. It’s really the only way.

At the end of the day holding grudges and harbouring anger will be only to your detriment. Learn what you want you want and move on. I must be honest, in this life, there is not one soul I have a grudge against, not cos I am a saint, but cos I just cant seem to find how I benefit from that emotion!! Ok I lie, there is this one dude, u know the one dude that you would just like to give you an excuse to just slap, not beat up, just a nice warm p**sklap…(but I am not angry with him…its just one of those things, u don’t think about till u see him) J oh I cant wait

That’s me for another week, plenty to be grateful for focus on that and everything else is a bonus. Forgive, don’t harbor anger, it will hurt you more than benefit you.

Birthdays

27^th May Monica

29 Lauren W, Brett and Delia

31 AC, Dear cous Nana Yaa and Lovely Miss Rachel

2^nd June Mame Ekua

6^th Helen

9^th Ivan

11^th Ameer

12^th Carl, Mark e

13^th Ed H

17^th Laila and Tasneem D

18^th Lebo

20^th Kgash and Jake

21^st Hamish

Ya ne that’s what I get for being absent for so long, hope you all have/had blessed birthdays.

On that note I sign off. Wishing you all well for the rest of your week. Little things…

Maximum respect! Que sera sera

“How good and how pleasant it would be, Before God and man, yeah

To see the unification of all africans, yeah, As its been said already let it be done, yeah, We are the children of the rastaman, We are the children of the higher man

Unite for the benefit of your children, Unite for its later than you think

Africa awaits its creators, africa awaiting its creators

Africa, youre my forefather cornerstone

Unite for the africans abroad, unite for the africans a yard

Africa, unite” – Robert Nesta Marley

Moral question…and it’s a fine line. So yesterday I am driving and not paying much attention to my odometer but I was in no rush, I was pretty chilled, like most days, out of nowhere jumps this traffic officer and pulls me to the side, I knew I wasn’t driving too fast so wasn’t too stressed about the ticket. Anyway the dude pulls me over, grabs my licence I asked him what the limit was, thinking it was either 70km/h/80km/h and he says 60 I am like eish, so I ask the man how fast was I going he said 76, I was like EISH. So I asked the man bra cant you let me off this one time, I started pleading my case regarding prior fines etc. So he told me well speak what can u do, so I said to the bra, boss I can’t bribe a police officer…long spiel about how its not right blah blah (but in the back of my mind I was thinking if this dude was gonna take me to jail I may well consider buying my freedom…at least I am honest) but anyway during our conversation he mentioned it being hot and him wanting a cooldrink. Anyway, long story short he told me he could see I was a good guy (I was touched) and I should get in my car I offered him R10 for his cool drink to say thanks for the favour. He said no thanks, and I should have a good day. On my way back from my meeting I bought him and his 2 colleagues cooldrink. My question? Was that bribing an officer?

Please forgive this email because it may well be all over the place because this topic has so many facets to it in my mind.

Isnt it ironic…don’t you think. On the 25^th May we are supposed to be celebrating this phenomenon called Africa Day, the day on which the Organisation of African Unity was formed way back in 1963, as we all know this union is now known as African Union. And here we are…2008 and still having to deal with another bout of senselessness which could easily plunge this nation of ours down the same path that many an African country has taken in the not so distant past.

I am almost sure that this email is going to the wrong audience (preaching to the converted) but alas, I would like to hear your thoughts and express mine and some of those I have heard. Yesterday I was having a chat to a friend and he attended some leadership conference and the speaker made a point which he reiterated to me. And let me ask you this? People from which country are known to wear or rather let me rephrase it and ask which country(ies) are the following items of clothing associated with? kilts, berets and kimonos? I am sure we are all too eager to answer Scotland, France and Japan respectively. But now tell me what is the traditional attire of the Ashanti tribe or closer yet the Vendas? I’ll leave it there…

Xenophobia is not new to this continent nor is it isolated to South Africa. In 1969/1970, Ghana had a bout of it after Kwame Nkrumah was ousted. In the 80’s Nigeria followed suit and burned alive many Ghanaians living there, along with many other ‘aliens. Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal same thing. Libya and Gambia even took arms against Africans living there too. The reasons for these attacks ranged from taking control of business rights through to the expulsion of aliesn who were promoting a non-islamic way of living, as was the case in Libya and the Gambia. Here is a link to an ariticle I came across if you have time http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/may01/xeno.html.

All these countries chased out their so called aliens and where are they now, economically? I am sure we can all agree that Nigeria is one of the richest countries on this continent, and I have never been there but economically its no New York, or Joburg. A lot of these countries that adopted these practices suffered hugely economically and are only now starting to come right. You chase out your migrants, you will inevitably chase out your skilled workers too and I am under no illusion that foreigners are doing a lot for this economy in bridging the current skills shortage. A small illustration, if you had to go to the former homelands, a lot of the teachers and doctors are from the greater continent, well at least that was the case in the 80’s and 90’s. I know for a fact because that’s what brought my family here. A lot of the current politicians and their kids were taught by our parents back in the good old Transkei. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I think the kwere influx added an extra dimension to our Xhosa brothers and sisters whilst we lived amongst them. I am sure many people will remember this, when we first came here a lot of people used to have a to have a tooth or 2 knocked out and it used to be called a ‘love gap’ (and forgive me if my recollection of the story is not sound) but that soon stopped, then came the hair relaxing and braiding and the wearing of traditional african attire… How soon we forget.

My only concern is that if its not stopped now it will definitely spill over into all areas of our society. This is how it starts, first the soft targets, the migrants, who are happy to do whatever they need to do to earn a living. Then it will be the skilled workers then it could easily spill over to a case of the haves and the have nots, which could easily roll over into ethnic cleansing…ie all the other have nots seeing that hey wait a minute, this government is predominantly Xhosa and the BEE deals on a whole over the last 14 years have mainly benefited the Xhosas etc. It may sound a tad alarmist, but if this can happen, tell me what will stop it from spilling into that?

You know I couldn’t help but chuckle on Sunday. A friend of mine has been trying to spade (court) this young lady for a few days or so, she is not a bad looking woman, anyway another mate was also getting in the mix on Sunday, so my mate goes to our other mate and tells him we are men of honour right? So how about backing off from my girl?! We have all been guilty of this at some point, but it made me chuckle and I drew comparisons to what is being touted as the reason for these attacks…they are stealing our jobs! Just like that girl is not my mates girl, no job is anyones job until they actually have it! If you and I go for a job interview and you get the job, how did you steal the job from me? If there is a job as a builder and I don’t believe that the job is beneath me, and I decide to go and take that job, how am I stealing a job from anyone? Xenophobia in this country has been around for a while I remember when I was younger foreign nationals were not liked much in those days and the reason was that we were stealing their women and I blame that solely on my namesake Yao J…

Sorry back to my story, so say 2 years ago or so, it raised its head in Cape Town, where many Somalis were being targeted and blamed for stealing peoples jobs. Their businesses were looted and burnt down. Now my example is pretty simple. At that time I worked at Standard Bank. Outside the building was a huge pavement. This pavement had been there for as long as the building has been erected. For many a year no one did anything there. Along came these Somalis and set up shop there. A little kiosk that sold cigarettes, cool drinks, chips, chocolates, etc. How did that dude steal anyones job?

I condone none of this violence or hate in any form nor hatred or intolerance of another being based on anything other than them being an idiot J but in all this madness I wonder how many Chinese, Bulgarians, Russians etc are here illegally? I am sure a visit to a few gentlemen’s establishments where the ladies are known to ask the very melodic question ‘you want lap dance’ will unearth a few of these such persons ;-) well so I heard…but ridding this country of such personnel would just be darn right silly….once again so I heard ;-)

Moving on rapidly…

All this being said though, I have no idea what goes through the mind of someone who has to struggle to survive or feed himself and his family and along comes all these foreigners who ‘take’ just about any job they can so they too can survive and create a better life for themselves, no matter what the job is paying?

But what is the solution then? Government intervention by setting a minimum wage in all industry and sectors? I don’t know if that will solve anything. I sit here and I kinda feel bad. I have a helper who comes once a week. She gets paid like R100 and she is more than chuffed with that. But if I do the maths, if she had to work every day of the week she will only earn R3 100 take out transport of say R20 or so a day and then what? But if it was legislated that she had to earn a minimum of say R250/R300 a day I might honestly think twice about using her, cos in my mind there isn’t much to do at my house, and then she will have no income from me at least, up goes unemployment…it’s a fine line this.

The sad thing about this is that the people perpetrating these atrocities don’t understand the magnitude of the potential consequences of their actions. South Africans and South African countries benefit largely from a presence in other Africa countries, companies like Standard Bank, Game, MTN, Anglogold Ashanti, Nandos to name but a few are raking it in from their African footprint. Imagine if these countries decided to expel these countries? Imagine if England, Australia, New Zealand decided, hey, you foreigners taking away our banking jobs, go home man?!

I have so many thoughts running through my head about this (such as there being a third force behind these acts which I don’t believe are too far fetched, also I am very disappointed about the lack of leadership being shown, as far as I know none of the ANC leadership past or present has actually come down from their mansions up high and come to the people and asked them to cease this insanity, bar ofcourse Mrs Winnie, and big respect to her, how short our memories are hey, good time friends) but it’s late and I must work tomorrow, it would be great to have your thoughts.

Birthdays

20^th Sanete

22^nd Lance

24^th Amrain and Rich Marshall

Have a great weekend and keep safe

Maximum respect and just because we are different doesn’t make anyone better a man or lesser a man, race, religion, height, you name it diversity adds to our society. Fear not for tis all an opportunity to learn from another and make yourself and life ‘richer’ and better….but then again I am preaching to the converted…

‘Que sera sera’