Adventures in London Above

Moving on...

2008-11-19T15:25:00.002Z

Hi guys

I'm closing down this blog (for a variety of reasons) ...

if you're desperate to know where i'm hanging out now (online), email me (most of you know my email address) or leave a comment here.

K

Kimberly Diamond Route

2008-11-14T10:17:00.001Z

Breast Cancer awareness & Journey of Hope

2008-10-15T13:20:00.002Z

Since it is Breast Cancer awareness month, I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring to tell you about the most amazing group of women who have really inspired me recently.

Journey of Hope is an initiative aimed at raising awareness about breast cancer, as well as money to fund reconstructive surgery for women who cannot afford it.

Government health in SA will pay for a masectomy at a gov hospital, but not the reconstruction after the fact, and any women will tell you how important that help would be to them in that situation.

Here are the facts, and hope (source: www.journeyofhope.co.za)

One in 27 women are diagnosed with breast cancer
Cancer does not account for colour or race as 17.9% of white women, 24,4% of Asian women, 18,2% of coloured women and 13,3% of African women are diagnosed with breast cancer
With early detection and appropriate treatment, the survival rate is 95%
Due to ignorance and lack of information and awareness, many women die of breast cancer in South Africa when the picture could have looked much different

Objectives for the Journey of Hope:

To unite in our passion for creating awareness
Reach out to South Africans in an effective manner
Attend to selected major cities and outlying areas in South Africa
Assist in awareness through breast cancer support groups, HOG Chapters (Harley Owners Groups), and Hummer Clubs
Organise events for fundraising purposes to be able to give 12 women the chance to change their lives by undergoing breast reconstruction surgery
Spreading the message that breast cancer can be beaten if detected early enough

(source: www.journeyofhope.co.za)

Please visit their website, donate if you can, learn about cancer and support the ladies when they go through your town this week.

The rise and fall of Thabo Mbeki

2008-09-22T08:24:00.001Z

curiosity (almost) killed the cameraman

2008-08-16T04:22:00.001Z

What I want to know when I look at this clip is: what the hell was he doing out of his vehicle?!? By the way, people I know know this camera crew, and, unlike how it appears, these are completely wild lions, not rehabilitated, half-tame ones!

out of the frying pan, into the ... fridge?

2008-08-15T07:20:00.001Z

After my last post about "sizzling" burn out, I thought it best to let you know that I am post-ten day holiday, and much more relaxed.

I am back at work, but with a new resolution. Obviously, there will always be stress and deadlines, but I have decided to put an end to staying late unless when necessary. I am a hard worker, and am more than happy to stay late to get a job done, but over the weeks my leaving time was creeping later and later.

I need my downtime! but when I last blogged I had got into the habit of hanging out at work, frantically cramming in more stuff, sometimes for an hour and a half after when I should have left - not to meet an urgent deadline, but because ... um... well that's my point; just because.

Anyway, I am trying to find the time to blog seriously, but I also dont hold out much hope. It'll probably stay this erratic, so until next time...

P.S. the wedding was wonderful! and beautiful! and Oxford was exactly the break I needed. If you know me well enough to be a facebook friend, the pics are up there.

Sizzle (the wrong kind)

2008-07-22T08:45:00.005Z

I am struggling to find "down time" to write anything of worth for this blog. I have been working flat out for the last two months. When I do have some time just for me, I tend to want to spending it with mates or on mindless exercises like gym and animated films.

I am also struggling to get up everyday, and feel sick all the time. As a result I have concluded that I am about a week away from total burn out.

Half jokingly, I looked up “burn out” through Google, and came up the list below: The 13 signs of burn out, of which I am proud to say, I am currently experiencing ten.

Chronic fatigue - exhaustion, tiredness, a sense of being physically run down
Anger at those making demands
Self-criticism for putting up with the demands
Cynicism, negativity, and irritability
A sense of being besieged
Exploding easily at seemingly inconsequential things
Frequent headaches and gastrointestinal disturbances
Weight loss or gain
Sleeplessness and depression
Shortness of breath
Suspiciousness
Feelings of helplessness
Increased degree of risk taking

Thank goodness I am taking leave in August!! I’ll be heading back over to the UK (London, briefly, and Oxford) for Nick and Lucy’s wedding, which will be fantastic.

Up-coming: more on the disaster of a dress I am having made for that (in another post).

Maropeng: new site showcase

2008-07-09T13:24:00.002Z

We have just finished the complete, and rather dramatic, redesign of www.maropeng.co.za.

Here are two screengrabs, one of the new (top) and one of the old (bottom).

Please go check out the site, and tell me what you think. We are really pleased with the final results.

anti-xenophobia march continued

2008-06-06T11:36:00.002Z

Anti-xenophobia march thru Hillbrow, Johannesburg

2008-06-06T11:30:00.001Z

March against xenophobia in Johannesburg, South Africa

2008-05-21T14:26:00.004Z

Photo from Mail & Guardian

There will be a march to support immigrants and protest against xenophobia.

Date: Saturday 24 May
Time: 9am

Place: Pieter Roos Park on Empire Road, cnr Queen Street, Parktown - near Clarendon Circle, Hillbrow

Bring placards, banners, friends!

Click here for more details.

Photoblog updated

2008-05-16T10:53:00.001Z

Visit my photoblog here.

2008-05-07T08:39:00.000Z

house-breaking lessons

2008-04-18T08:38:00.005Z

It hasn’t been a fun few days…

Last week, while house and dog-sitting in Montgomery Park, Jono and I had an extremely scary experience. It started off with me being a bit of an insomniac the last few weeks. As a result, I usually find myself awake at about three am most mornings, staring at the ceiling and wondering what’s up with my over-active brain. Well, Wednesday last week, I was lying awake when the dog next door started barking.

“Maximus” is a great dane, so when he gets going he has a penetrative bark. I was cursing him and almost drifting off to sleep when my car alarm started. My first thought was “not again!”, because the damn thing was faulty when originally installed, so I figured it was playing up again.

I got out of bed and wandered into the hall in a dazed state, muttering under my breath about dogs and alarms. Suddenly there was a crash at the far end of the house. Down the passage and across the lounge (about 10 or 12 metres away from me) the glass door into the back yard had just been smashed open!

Without even a split second of thought, I knew what was happening. The barking dog, the car alarm … we were being broken into! While in the house! Two steps later I was back in the bedroom, leaning up against the door (which wasn’t closing), yelling for Jons to call the cops. He was already up and on the phone to 10111 (South Africa’s version of 911).

Mistake number 1: not having the security company number on our phones.

The ancient and blind terrier we were supposed to be looking after was in the next room. Woken by the smashing glass, she wandered into the hall and started backing incessantly. In my non-reasonable panicked state, I almost opened the door to get her. I kept thinking, “please, please, don’t let them kill the dog.”

Twenty minutes of panic later we were still waiting for the cops to arrive. I called 10111 again. At this point I completely cracked. I was crying on the phone to the cops, and listening to him trying to get hold of the flying squad guys. Ten minutes after that they arrived. NOTE: we are five minutes from Linden and Melville cop stations, but these guys came from Brixton (20 min away).

Then the guy on the phone says, “You have to go open the door for the cops”. In fact, when I told him we were not sure if they were still in the house and I was too scared to leave the locked bedroom, he told me to tell my boyfriend to go! Like I’m going to say to Jono to go out alone!?!

We listened at the door, and heard nothing more than the dog barking, so we unlocked it, and armed only with the phone and a hammer that had been in the room, made our way to the front door.

Mistake number 2: the mace spray and panic button that were in the house, were sitting by the front door, rather than within reach.

We opened the door, and about 15 cops stepped out of the shadows, armed to the teeth. They were extremely professional, entering the house and garden, making sure no one was secreted anywhere, and then talking us down from our wide-eyed terror. If only they had arrived quicker, I would have nothing but praise for them.

With the lights on now, it was revealed that the burglars had taken the laptop from the dining room table, but nothing else seemed disturbed. The cops gave us instructions and reassurances and left. By now it was 5 am and we were never going to sleep.

Mistake number 3: Leaving the laptop right next to the glass-only door, with the light on in the room.

The aftermath of this was a horrible visit to Sophiatown police station (because Linden and Parkview told us to go elsewhere), and a scramble to get Maxidor thingies fitted to the unprotected glass windows. It also meant a few sleepless nights and a very jumpy Possum. Oh, and seriously rethinking the lack of precautions we had taken.

This is first time I have ever been personally affected by crime in SA, and all things considered we got off very lightly. I hope it doesn’t happen again, but it may. At least I know now not to be too complacent, and have learnt from the above mentioned mistakes.

P.S. Before any of the racist internet trolls (who used to stalk me online) get too high and mighty: my happy South Africa perspective is not damaged. I love this country, but it makes me sad that all the wonderful people in our country have to live like we do. I do see it changing in the future. I hope I’m right.

P.P.S. Prompted by this post and the discussions in the comments section thereof, go make your voice heard against crime in SA:

1. SA "Rocking" an interview with Desmond Dube about Million man march.
2. Million man march facebook group.
3. Million man march (against crime) website.

Excuses for not blogging

2008-04-17T10:58:00.000Z

Not really my excuse...but more interesting than "busy as all hell"

my script writing debut

2008-04-08T06:53:00.005Z

This morning, one of my company's biggest clients (and the people I spend all my waking hours on these days), Earth-Touch, launched its first TV offering, a wildlife programme called Wild-Touch, on South African television station SABC2.

The programme will be broadcast, daily (Monday to Friday) at 10.30am, and shows very recently filmed wildlife, with commentary from the crew in the field.

I have been involved with the scripted content; what the presenter says, voice overs and intros into pieces. Oh, and also the Did you know inserts.

I am also very involved with the writing and maintenance of the Earth-Touch blog, which was nominated and short-listed for three SA blog awards this year (although we didn't take any home).

Even though it is very short (30sec-1min) bits, it was pretty exciting to hear my words on TV, and the show is of particularly high quality footage and editing.

The images and video is mostly taken from the wildlife footage that the Earth-Touch film crews provide, a lot of which is available to download freely and in both high definition and standard definition on their website

my photoblog

2008-04-07T11:53:00.001Z

I've revived my photoblog. Check it out here.

SA blog awards last night, and adventuring in Cape Town

2008-04-03T10:05:00.003Z

I attended the SA Blog Awards last night, not as katie possum, but representing a blog i work on at work. We were nominated in three categories (best SA podcast, best green blog, and best group blog).

Unfortunately we didnt taken any home, but I still had a really fun night - especially getting to meet people I've "known" in the blogosphere for a while now.

And of course, there are other work reasons for me to travel down to Cape Town. This morning I attended a press conference for FX Africa who were announcing that Schalk Burger is their new brand ambassador. Had a chance to interview Schalk, who was lovely, and about 8 feet tall!!

This afternoon I am off to the Mayibuye (sp?) archives at UWC for another feature I am writing.

I have to run back to my research and interview transcribing, but thought I'd write this quick note to share what I've been up to... mostly loving Cape Town.

Postgrad? Seriously??!

2008-03-27T09:00:00.003Z

Just submitted my blog for another random "how X is your blog?" test, but this one is truly bizarre, considering I have barely hit words longer than two syllables in the two years I have been blogging.

What do you think they base this on?

Toto, I dont think we're in Jo'burg anymore...

2008-03-10T14:50:00.004Z

So, as previously stated, I am NOT a Jo'burg girl. I am an Eastern-Cape-learnt-to-drive-in Grahamstown-bait-my-own-hook kind of girl, playing at being a Jo'burg girl, and, to be honest, it is quite an adjustment.

Other than finding work (maybe even more so), the biggest challenge faced so far was presented to me last week, when I arrived at work and was told to turn around and drive out to the airport immediately to fetch someone.

Since every other time I have been there, other people have driven, and given my skillful avoidance of all highways (except for the day I drove into town), this was pretty daunting!

Long story short, I got lost! This was less my fault than you'd imagine. Turns out the navigator who came with me can't really read maps, and was too shy to say we'd taken a wrong turn and gone half an hour in the wrong direction.

Eventually I pulled over to ask someone for directions. We stopped at a scrubby looking golf course possibly in Kempton Park (I was lost, how should i know?). The place was called St Andrews, and, to my absolute "confuddlement", was staffed by three mildly liquored (at 10:30am) Scots!

"Och, aye, lassie. Just a wee drive from here. Oot the parrrrking lot, straight at the traffic lights..."

no kidding - thought I'd just left Scotland.

Jou Moer

2008-02-26T11:18:00.001Z

This is hysterical!

Look, Ma! A real post!

2008-02-20T10:05:00.000Z

Let’s get straight in there: I haven’t really blogged in ages. Sure I put up a couple of random Youtube videos and a link or two, but it’s been sporadic and impersonal.

My excuse? The last three months (maybe four) have been a time of upheaval for me. I had to prepare to leave the UK, my flat, my job, etc. Then ship all of our stuff (every second hand book and coat in Britain) back to South Africa. Suddenly, Jono’s graduation was upon us, his folks were in town, and I was on holiday (read: unemployed).

I returned to South Africa in early December, with plans to take the whole month to be a beach bum and live off my folks for a while, while looking for work. The plan was beautiful, the implementation - shaky. I did hang out on beaches, and get to know my tiny nieces some more, but managed to hack into my meagre savings quite substantially.

Suddenly, halfway through the second verse of Auld Lang Syne, I found myself living with my in-laws in Mpumalanga, and commuting to Jo’burg for job interviews. Thankfully, it turns out I am a lot more desirable in South Africa than I was in the UK, and in a month I was offered exactly the job I was looking for.

I’m a Journalist and New Media Writer for a design and content production company. I really like the role, the people, the bosses, the garden furniture and communal meals on Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Still, I am not quite on my feet. This is my third week of work, and I’m squatting at a friends’ place, with her boyfriend and mom (just so that I am properly in the way). Jono is looking for work (anyone looking to hire a genius?), and when he knows where he’ll be working, we’ll find a place to live.

So, why am I still blogging since I started in order to chronicle my overseas experiences and now I am back? No idea, truly. I like it. It’s an outlet. I emulate those I admire, etc, etc. I am hoping a purpose for this blog will evolve. Otherwise, I’m open to suggestions…

Don't worry, we're from the Internet!

2008-02-19T12:31:00.002Z

Anonymous vs Scientology:

http://deathboy.livejournal.com/1082404.html

more funny stuff I found on the internet while avoiding work and real blogging

2008-02-15T06:37:00.002Z

Stupid E-mail Disclaimers and the Stupid Users that Use Them

We thought it would be a fad. Ok, we hoped it would be a fad, destined to go away as quickly as it came. Unfortunately, those worthless e-mail legal disclaimers still pollute the internet. Written by overzealous lawyers that don't seem to realize the ~~stupidity~~ futility of their effort, poorly worded legal gibberish tries to force you into binding contracts to protect their careless mistakes. One of their employees just fires off an e-mail full of corporate secrets? No worries! That legal disclaimer will ensure the unintended recipient deletes it without question! Wishful thinking douchebag lawyers.

Continues here.

The Humans Are Dead

2008-02-13T14:35:00.001Z

Yay! Too funny!

Oxford Sights

2007-12-03T10:46:00.001Z

I'm in Oxford for a few days before going home to SA.

Almost over...

2007-11-22T16:23:00.000Z

Tomorrow is my final day of work in the UK, and then I have two weeks of UK holiday ahead of me, and three GLORIOUS, sun-filled, prone-on-the-beach-with-a-book weeks in the Eastern Cape of SA to look forward to [depending on how long it takes for me to find work]!

What a whirlwind two years it has been for me over here! But soon this will be Possum's SA adventures (if I decide to continue blogging through this site).

The last of the boxes are due to be collected for shipping tomorrow, and then all that lies ahead for the next while is pleasant tasks, like buying a car, and holidaying. A five week break is really a priviledge most working people never have again after leaving school / university.

Anyway, posts here are likely to be sporadic over the next little while, but I'll remain contactable through email, and am unlikely to abandon this little blog entirely.

We'll just leave it at, see you later!

an excellent point about Saffas

2007-11-12T11:18:00.001Z

<a href="http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/rylandfisher/2007/11/10/good-to-be-south-african/ ">Ryland Fisher</a> has written an excellent post on <a href=""http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/>thoughtleader </a>this week.

He asks: "Why is it that [South Africans] almost refuse to celebrate our achievements? Is this a South African thing? Or are we just too blinkered to notice how much we have achieved as a country?"

a wicked weekend in london

2007-11-12T09:41:00.001Z

I flew down to London this weekend, sponsored by my sister as a late birthday present, and, as they say, took in a show.

I went down on Friday evening. Eventually got there two hours later than planned, after a delayed easyjet flight and catching the slow train to Clapham Junction, so I was pretty tired when i got in. Not least of all because of the near fatal hair dyeing incident of the night before (which I suppose is fairly self explanatory).

My sister, her flatmate and I spent friday evening catching up and playing Scene It - the friends version. Apparently there was much excitement about my arrival as I am the only person they felt could challenge their comprehensive knowledge of the rerun goliath that is Friends. [ed's note: I finished 2nd]

Come Saturday, my sister and I were off to see Wicked, and despite the London transport system conspiring to make us late, we ran in just five minutes late. The show was awesome! and I would completely recommend it to all musical fans - and if you have seen in it, "it's Galinda, with a Gah!".

now I am just exhausted, and will blog properly later in the week, as there is lots on my mind, but no time to think it through just yet :)

More on feeling like a grown up...

2007-11-07T15:05:00.001Z

The absense of the word bartender on your CV is another good sign that you're moving on in years

nothing makes you feel more like a "grown up" than handing in your notice

2007-10-29T10:09:00.001Z

Age and adulthood are funny things. The way they are spoken and written about implies that it is a dawning realisation or even a state of being that comes over you - giving you a desire to nest and wear sensible shoes [or something like that], but the older I get, the more I feel like I'm playing at being a "grown up", and if I am not careful everyone will see that I am actually still 16.

And what really has changed? Sure, I pay my rent and lights & water - but less because I am responsible than the fact that nothing kills the vibe like eviction does ;p Sure, I do now look at houses and imagine owning them, but I am also terrified of what owning them would mean.

Anyway, all this pondering was prompted by the fact that I handed in my notice on friday. I resigned. I quit, even. I told them that I'd really rather not have this job anymore, and I'll be okay without it. I called my supervisors to a meeting and explained that I was returning to South Africa, and my last day of work would be the Xth of November. We chatted about it for about twenty minutes, and I am glad that I am leaving on good terms. I printed off my little letter and handed that over too. I have never felt so adult. Maybe it's a control thing. Something about being in the driver's seat...

the other thing to note about this is: Yay! I'll be returning to SA in five & a half weeks! Look out sunshine! Beware biltong! Here comes the returning Possum!

Possum & Orson's European Adventures - Chapter 2

2007-10-22T16:56:00.001Z

Venizia, Venizia [sung to the tune of Felicia's opening track]

We set off freakin' early for the airport (sharing a taxi with the Capetonian from our hostel), and flew out to Venice, well Mestre really, well, after a bus ride from the airport, we were in Mestre. Then a municipal bus to Camping Fusina where we were staying.

Camping Fusina was a place where Jono and his travelling mates stayed in 2001 when they did their gap year, and it turned out to be pretty cool. we stayed in a tiny private cabin for the same prices as a youth hostel bed, and they have a bar and beer garden, pizza oven, restaurant and teeny groceries shop.

Much to my delight, on of the camper vans parked there had Eastern Cape number plates, a SA flag and a portrait of Madiba on the side. We later watched the SA v USA rugby with the proud owners of said van. They told me how they'd taken six months to drive up through Africa and Europe with their two small children and were off the France next. Admirable, but daunting!

Venice is the most beautiful city. It is like something out of a dream or a grown up Disney movie. It is a warren of crumbling buildings, dainty wrought iron bridges and opaque green canals. From Camping Fusina we took a half hour ferry onto the islands that constitute Venice, and it is the best way to get to the city - although there is a bus which is much cheaper. A three day pass for the ferry costs 20 euros and entitles you to unlimited trips, but get a timetable first as the operating hours changes from season to season and you don't really wanna get stuck overnight.

It is a city that people flock to to be beautiful and see beauty - all of which has a fairly ugly side: the biggest informal trade seems to be Central African - looking men flogging not so cheap handbag knock offs. This is apparently illegal. If you walk past the real Luis Vitton and its neighbours, there are signs out saying that the bags are made from toxic substances by child labourers and will turn you into a green hairy monkey should you look at one to closely, but there is zero evidence that this is policed (how do you spell that?) in any real way.

One thing that Venice has in abundance, and is very famous for, is the Murano and Venetian glass, particularly the glass jewellery. I could have maxed out the credit card on this alone!! It is stunning, very reasonably priced and completely unique pieces are standard.

Note, however, that this glowing review of the city must be balanced by Jono's input, which is that it is simply boring. If pretty crumbly buildings and pretty jewellery don't cut it for you, make Venice a single day trip only.

Lessons learned: Kate has an unquenchable unfathomable capacity for jewellery shopping, Mestre is a cheaper, more realistic option for (near) Venice accommodation. The best views in Venice are to be found atop the tower in San Marco's square for 6 euros (and there is thankfully a lift).

South Africa Rugby - World Cup Champions 2007!

2007-10-21T18:59:00.001Z

We won, we won! beyond excited still, even 24 hours later!

Seeing John Smit lift that trophy literally left me a little weepy...but then the team lifting Thabo Mbeki onto their shoulders restored my smiles.

What a wonderful moment for all South Africans!

P.S. we won, we won, we won!!!

Possum and Orson's European Adventures - chapter 1

2007-10-19T12:13:00.001Z

Right.

So I am back in the land of the blogging, and the working (bleh), after almost three blissful weeks of travelling.

Jono and I strapped our bags to our backs on the 27th of September and headed out on our adventures - the first of which was trying to find Glasgow Prestwisck airport, which contrary to its name is no where near Glasgow! Things were a little smoother after checking in [and paying an extra £5 because my bag was 1kg over the meagre 15kg limit], and we were off to Rome!

Roamin' with the Romans

We arrived in Rome pretty late and had to take an overpriced coach into town as we were at the cheap airport miles away. By the time we made it into town everything in the area was closed except mcdonalds and a couple dodgy kebab places. We set off on this half hour trek through stinky garbage covered yuckiness to find our hostel, which was sightly less hostel-y than, say, a hole in the wall, but it was a bed and everyone else was asleep and we soon were too.

Rome by night, unless you're in the swanky or students areas, virtually shuts down. Everyone pulls grates down over their shop fronts, showing off last night's graffiti, and Romans seem to be more liberal about their garbage collection policies.

The hostel, area and moods were infinitely improved by daylight. The houses in all shades of terracotta are charming, with shuttered windows and flower pots on window sills. We discovered this tiny place near our hostel that sold us cappuccino worth waging war over for 3 euros and we sat in the sun with slip slops and sunglasses for the first time in over a year!!!

We then meandered our way through Rome to the Colosseum and Roman Forum, where we joined a tour for a fairly reasonable amount (cant remember) and ooh'ed and aah'ed appropriately for the whole day.

It is an intense experience, whether or not you have much interest in Roman history. For me, having studied Classics - it was almost overwhelming. Thank God, there was gelati to calm me down!

Over the next few days we found a bit of a routine: cappuccino in the mornings, walking our bums off all day, gelati, ruins and history, pasta, gelati, bed.

We went to Venice in the middle of our Rome stay [details details to follow], and on our return went to meet the Pope, or his Popey-ness as we like to call him, Big B to his mates...

On Wednesdays, people, plebs and pilgrims have an opportunity to attend an audience with the pope, during which he comes out on his pope mobile and waves and blesses everyone. It was interesting. He is like a rock star to some people. One little granny just about knocked me out with her elbow in her effort to get to the front.

Then we went through the Vatican Museum, St Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. We coughed up a huge sum of money for all this [as we went round on a tour] but it was well worth it, as there is too much to see and too much to take in, and it helps to have someone focusing your attention and leading you to all the essentials

Lessons learned: don't buy food from the wagons near the tourist spots or you'll choke on the bill. Traffic and drivers in Rome are every bit as bad as you've heard and the pedestrians are suicidal (but immortal). Gelati can fix anything in the world, ever!

look, ma...Berlin!

2007-10-07T20:20:00.001Z

still travelling - Venice

2007-10-07T20:07:00.001Z

Gone backpacking

2007-09-29T21:21:00.001Z

I am in Rome, next off to Venice...

full updates and pics on my return

Rugby and a pre-emptive victory dance

2007-09-14T13:36:00.000Z

This will be how i'll be dancing when South Africa wipe the floor with England in the rugby world cup tonight!
Who'll join me??!

sooooo homesick today

2007-09-13T11:47:00.001Z

a moment to reminisce

2007-08-22T08:32:00.000Z

after much panic and flat-pack furniture, we are currently 65% moved. Now for the annoying little things like cutlery and toiletries. I don't think I mentioned that we are moving about fifteen minutes walk down the road - but that is also how we are moving! That is to say that we don't have a car and couldn't bring ourselves to fork out for a moving van when we own so little. Still a gap-year-in-europe-sized backpack full of books is a HEAVY thing to carry - even fifteen minutes down the road.

Another thing I didn't mention, is that we have moved to the area of Edinburgh affectionately named "the pubic triangle" - after all the strip clubs. To be fair, we're not in the pubic triangle as much as adjacent to it (and our flat is great) but my mom cant see the difference :) and, no, I want be persuing a new career there ;p

One sad thing about the place is that it doesn't have a phone line, and to reinstall one costs around 140 pounds and takes weeks, and since we're only there for just shy of 4 months, this is another thing we've decided to be thrifty about and not do - so bye bye broadband my old friend. Jono glumly informed me that it would be worth getting used to before we return to SA, but I'm still dreaming of a cheap connection revolution in SA before I get back. [Come on SA!]

With all the stress and organising this has taken, I haven't really had a moment to feel sad, or anything really, about the place that we're leaving, but last night it struck me that this was "our first flat". Maybe it's just my folks, but growing up I was always told "our first flat" stories by my folks, who apparently lived in a shoe box in jo'burg in the 16th century.

Moreover, most of the time spent living here was spent complaining. Its a tiny little flat with 100 years worth of dirt that Jono and I scrubbed out of it over the last year, and it overlooks the Grassmarket - where all the tourists come to get drunk, so we haven't slept very well in the last twelve months. It's miles from any stores, except the overpriced milk-eggs-and-bread shop that caters to above-mentioned tourists. Also the glazing is shot, so its pretty chilly here in winter.

But now I'm all misty-eyed about the glorious view over the ancient cobbled streets, and drunk people watching in the evenings, and huddling under blankets and wearing my boyfriends jerseys all winter. Nothing like the prospect of leaving to romanticise the place!

Anyway, I've got to head back to the new place to sit in the dark (it's a basement flat) for fecking hours as the Scottish Power folks are coming to reconnect us and couldn't possibly give more accurate timing that "sometime between 11 and 5" - and this is six weeks after they were told about the problem [see, this is a 1st world issue too?!]

Rocking Give-away

2007-08-20T08:09:00.000Z

SA Rocks is running a cool Tshirt give away...

go there and enter!

squirrels

2007-08-16T19:31:00.001Z

Leave the springboks alone! Go Bokke!

2007-08-16T19:27:00.001Z

love this!

P.S. dont change the name of the Springboks!

I wish I was a snail

2007-08-15T10:22:00.000Z

So I'm preparing to move again. Jono's scholarship is up and we're trying to save some money so we're moving into a slightly cheaper place for the rest of the year. I also thought it would be a good opportunity to purge some stuff that I've inadvertently collected this last year (soooo much stuff). We're book people and books are so cheap in the UK so I've kind of bought anything I've wanted and I cant bring myself to leave them - so we're trying to find the best deal to ship stuff home to SA (and someone to take it in for us until we return).

It's weird that this kind of feels like my first grown up move despite the fact that I havent lived in one place for longer that a year since I started varsity (almost 6 years ago). As a student, moving digs seemed like a massive effort - especially with all that 5th hand furniture, but it turns out the real pain of moving (at least from my perspective) is the admin! Oh god, the ADMIN!

So it takes 2 weeks notice to move your phone line. It takes ten days to move your broadband if your phone number changes, 20 if your number stays the same. You need to give your boss, bank, and tv license people your new address. You need to stop and restart the gas, electricity, water, and council tax... and so on and so on!

As a student, I only had a mobile phone and a electric meter to worry about, now I cant pay for groceries if I dont change my address with the credit card people. i miss student life. Hell, i miss the days when my mom did all the organising. I'm sorry I rolled my eyes at your copious lists, mom!

Sigh - I just want this over with!

Three quick reviews

2007-08-08T15:34:00.000Z

Jono’s brother, Nick, came up to stay with us over the weekend and we took in a bit of the fest. It was the first weekend and many of the plays where doing cheap previews and the Fringe website was running a 2 for 1 special on several plays, so we managed to see loads of things for half, and sometimes a third off. Not that I managed to keep costs down –with all the booze and eating out that we did – but it was a fantastic weekend. I’ve even forgiven Nick for leaving his yucky germs all over my flat and for giving me the cough I’ve had this week.

Anyway, here are a few words on the best stuff we saw:

Truth in Translation:

This play is FIERCE! Sure, I’m a home sick South African. Yes, I am an actors’ favourite audience (with my permanent suspense of disbelief), and as Nick put it, I was in tears from the first bongo, but don’t let me being a total sap put you off.

This play should be compulsory viewing for all South Africans. I hereby add it to the syllabus along with Kani’s Nothing but the Truth. The triumph of this piece is down to three things it gets right: music by Hugh Masekela, a solid and challenging script – directly informed by interviews with TRC translators, and superb unflinching performances.

I can’t say anything bad about it.

Belly of a Drunken Piano – a Tom Waits tribute:

It is what it says it is, and a little more. I know and enjoy Tom Waits, but would not describe myself as a die hard fan, Nick (who is) tells me the performer flubbed a few lines, but we both agreed – if you’d told me it was the real thing I would have believed you – the music was excellent and the character performance lovingly achieved. We went to a midnight show in the ballroom venue at Assembly on George Street, which really was the perfect timing and venue for this show. Now if only he’d sunk “Little Drop of Poison”, it would have got full marks.

Exits and Entrances - the new Athol Fugard:

This is a semi-biographical new offering from Fugard, which came to Edinburgh straight from its’ New York premiere – I believe – and is, simply put, another great play. I am a fan and not a critic, so I enjoyed what felt like a glimpse at a real life exposed on stage, although the encounters depicted are exciting and revealing not only because of the fact that they happened to the playwright.

The downside to this is small and probably petty, but I am going to put it out there nonetheless because Jono, Nick and I all felt it was a problem: The two actors are both American and while one got the South African accent pretty well, the other was painfully bad. He oscillated between American and Australian most of the time, and his few Afrikaans words were unintelligible. Not that this would be a problem if you weren’t a Saffa, but we were and it wouldn’t be accepted by a Saffa audience – they’d need to recast that part or pay a very good voice coach. Still, good play…

Thriller!

2007-07-30T11:33:00.001Z

Here's that Thriller video - as per my last post.

Friday fun

2007-07-27T08:22:00.000Z

Excerpt from BBC website: "An unusual physical fitness regime at a jail in the Philippines has attracted worldwide attention on the video sharing website, YouTube.
A clip of hundreds of prisoners in orange uniforms dancing to Michael Jackson's song Thriller has been watched more than 1.3 million times.
The routine is the brainchild of Byron Garcia, a security consultant for the Cebu provincial government.
He said it had helped "drastically" improve inmate behaviour.
And two former inmates have since become dancers. "

Full story

I'm at work so I cant access Youtube to stick the clip up here but go search for it - it'll brighten your day!

Rain, rain go away

2007-07-24T12:59:00.000Z

Just in case you thought us UK travellers were just a bunch of whiners, always complaining about the rain in the UK this year, and you’ve been there before, and it really wasn’t that bad and we should all just shut up:

I found this article on the M&G. Go read the full article there (before I get into trouble), but here are a few highlights:

UK hit by worst flooding in 60 years
By Katherine Haddon
“With swathes of central and western England under water and more rain on its way”

“Thousands of homes have been hit by the floods, which have prompted the Royal Air Force to carry out what it said was probably its biggest-ever peacetime rescue operation in Britain, picking up more than 100 people.”

“We've seen unprecedented levels of rainfall and flooding that people haven't seen for 60 years”

You're Pitiful -

2007-07-20T20:57:00.001Z

Excellent...

Canadian Idiot

2007-07-20T20:52:00.001Z

Bwahahahah!

spider pig!

2007-07-20T20:16:00.001Z

oooooh, cant wait!

Spider Pig (Simpsons Movie)

2007-07-20T20:13:00.001Z

cant wait!!!!!

struck down in the prime of her life...

2007-07-16T10:55:00.000Z

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately.Both me and jono's laptop have been very sick - possibly with Black Death.
I have now successfully passed it on to my loving boyfriend and am on the mend, but the computer's fairing less well.

The best news ever!

2007-07-02T13:22:00.000Z

Although I don't believe it for a second, after a month of nearly consistent downpour, and with half of the UK underwater, and still no sign of summer even in the first week of July - one cannot help but hope...

Although, it is worth noting that this is taken from the same place that I got the weather widget (see below on sidebar) from, and that thing lies!

Sms tip-off initiative leads to arrests: Hooray for public involvement.

2007-07-01T10:22:00.000Z

According to an article on the M&G website: "Media group Primedia's national anti-crime campaign[Crimeline] has led to 33 arrests since its launch three weeks ago".

And these are not minor offenses being prosecuted. The article goes on to say: "Successes include recovering four stolen vehicles at a complex in Winchester Hills, south of Johannesburg, and arresting two people, as well as the arrest of eight drug dealers and confiscation of their stock, and information on a murder in Dawn Park, outside Johannesburg."

Read the whole story from the source. Also check out the Crimeline website.

While the successes are a desirable end themselves, one aspect of this that is so exciting for me is the community involvement, and it fact OWNERSHIP of the crime problem in South Africa. We're all aware that it is a problem, and it's been overplayed and underplayed by various parties - while neither tactic achieves much. This on the other hand allows people to get involved, be proactive and make a genuine contribution.

We have a culture of crime in South Africa, and it's not restricted to a race or a class of people. Think I'm wrong? Then ask yourself why things get stolen from the changing rooms of the fancy gyms. Everyone there is well off enough to afford really big membership fees, so why should they need to steal anything??!

The point of this post is not to start an argument over the above claim [please read it with a normal amount of academic generosity, rather than lash out at me defensively] but to say that this sms-thing catching on might be the first sign of a changing tide, a shift in social morays. And some baddies are behind bars too! :)

Oppikoppi eat your heart out - multimedia style

2007-06-30T11:38:00.001Z

Oppikoppi eat your heart out!

2007-06-30T11:31:00.001Z

I've only written down the bands I've actually heard of (there are many more), but check out this lineup:

Friday

• Main Stage
o Arctic Monkeys
o Bloc Party
o The Coral
o Lily Allen

Saturday

• King Tut's Tent
o The View
o Klaxons
o Jamie T
o Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
o Calvin Harris
o The Long Blondes

• Main Stage
o The Killers !!!
o Razorlight
o The Arcade Fire
o Lost Prophets
o James
o James Morrison
o The Skids

• Pet Sounds Arena
o Brian Wilson
o Rufus Wainwright
o Sinead O'Connor
o Albert Hammond Jr
o Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars

• Radio 1/NME Stage
o The Kooks
o My Chemical Romance !!!
o Amy Winehouse
o CSS
o Little Man Tate

Sunday

• King Tut's Tent
o Queens Of The Stone Age
o Editors
o Ocean Colour Scene
o Jet

• Main Stage

o Snow Patrol
o Scissor Sisters
o Kings Of Leon
o The Fratellis
o Paulo Nutini
o Goo Goo Dolls
o Avril Lavigne

• Pet Sounds Arena
o Damien Rice
o Tori Amos !!!!!
o Badly Drawn Boy
o Air

• Radio 1/NME Stage
o Kasabian
o Interpol
o Mika
o The Gossip

All work

2007-06-21T11:37:00.001Z

and no play makes Kate a dull blogger.

Sorry guys.

Crimeline - a pretty cool initiative

2007-06-12T10:21:00.000Z

Check it out here and more info here and here

This is a new initiative to help fight crime in South Africa. Basically it allows the regular joe-on-the-street to report crime and dodgy goings-on by texting/smsing a "tip off" to 33221 or online through their website. Great idea!

Only problem is the R1 charge for the text, which is a bit steep, I would say. Maybe we should try petitioning the cell providers to bring this down... new blog? forum? or facebook group? Then again, Vodacom still havent axed that miserable, painful excuse for a meerkat mascot so I guess they don't really listen to public opinion.

more Scotland touring

2007-06-10T21:43:00.000Z

Rock climbing Possum!

The Wallace Monument

Travelling in Scotland

2007-06-10T21:40:00.000Z

Landscape at 80 miles an hour

Help: Macbook vs PC

2007-06-10T14:30:00.000Z

Okay, I want to buy a laptop, and must admit that I am totally stuck on this Mac vs Windows debate. I'm trying to do some research and need a push in the right direction - which I was hoping someone here could help me out with.

Basically, I want a Macbook - so pretty, so not Microsoft etc, but am worried that I am being seduced by the pretty. I'm not so level-headed when it comes to gadgets. My extreme techno-joy* seems to get in the way.

I need something to run all basics + photo editing and design applications. I'm unlikely to be editing movies, so the 13" macbook screen seems fine to me. Also, anyone have much experience with iWork? Any good?

So how about it, guys: Macbook vs PC?

P.S. I don't have the cash to get the Macbook Pro, and don't know if that impacts on the debate at all, but I thought I should mention it before I get 20 comments pushing the thing I can't have.

*antonym to technophobia

Blogging in the news again

2007-06-06T08:07:00.000Z

The Mail & Guardian's Matthew Buckland has written a very interesting piece on the threat bloggers' pose to traditional publishing.

"It's been easy for some to dismiss the blogosphere as a fringe publishing phenomenon. Publishers, who have had a monopoly on mainstream publishing since the invention of the printing press, don't react terribly well to competition - especially competition they can't really get a handle on."

Continue reading at the M&G or follow links above.

Battle at Kruger

2007-06-02T10:53:00.001Z

Unbelievable! Seriously amazing!

Do you think those tourists even know how lucky they were to see that??

I've been to Kruger about twenty times and I still havent seen the whole big 5 (missing a leopard), so I'm naturally very jealous.

anyway, this video has been viewed over 2 million times on youtube which I'm sure is good for local tourism. :)

Proof!

2007-05-29T22:27:00.000Z

Finally, definitive proof of the existence of the Loch Ness monster!

Found: Nessie

2007-05-29T12:05:00.000Z

Jono and I went adventuring all over Scotland this long weekend.

Pics and details to follow shortly...

Blog round up

2007-05-18T20:31:00.000Z

Prompted by this post, I present my blog round up:

1. Why does South Africa “rock”?
It's unique, it's diverse, it's proud and beautiful.

2. Why do you blog?
To keep in contact, to chronicle this overseas adventure, because I am interested in new and social media.

3. What are two of your favourite posts?
Pea's Recorded Existence
SA Rocks' Incredible SA photos

Tea & biltong with the Queen - fun stuff!

2007-05-17T21:35:00.000Z

Exciting news: I've recently started contributing to SA Rocks on a weekly basis. The basic premise is to highlight the things I (and probably some others too) love about SA but don't always think about. The recurring title is "Things you wouldn't think you'd miss"...

Check it out, and hang out there or a while - SA Rocks is a fantastic website!

P.S. the above banner is the stylish work of Nic, editor of SA Rocks, and pretty cool guy :)

Bermuda Big Man takes great catch

2007-05-10T07:43:00.001Z

i love this. Jono showed me this today. Apparently this tubby bloke on the Bermuda team (amateurs) is a policeman most days and, despite being around 130kg, still makes this diving catch against India - one of the world's top teams.

I love how excited he gets.

oh, and the soundtrack is pretty cool too ;)

The arrogance of the old media

2007-05-07T12:13:00.000Z

Sunday Times columnist David Bullard thinks you and I (bloggers) are unstable, sad freaks who cant get laid, and are likely to go on a campus shooting spree!

Read this drivel!

I think this is was initially prompted by this post on a disgusting racist site [I had a run in with these wankers myself, over this very post, check out my archives], but this is no reason to write the whole lot of us off as barely literate, self-obsessed losers.

Read Vincent's take on it and join the facebook group. Vincent breaks down the assorted bollocks really well, so I wont repeat him - just go read it.

Then again, while not excusing the attack, Wired Gecko makes a really good point about the good that comes of it - so read this too...

BBC's open archive project comes to nothing...

2007-05-07T11:43:00.000Z

There was much excitement in 2003 when the BBC started to spread the word of their ground-breaking plans to open the archived footage for public use, using an open license system similar to Creative Commons.

In fact, it was at theiCommons conference and launch of Creative Commons South Africa in 2005 that I first heard of the project. The director of the project had been on a world tour of like-minded conferences spreading the word - and the word was good.

And the word was well received - having an industry giant and icon like the BBC adopting the free culture movement and essentially empowering it with years of archived footage for anyone's creative endeavours was, in several opinions, the biggest indicator that the free culture movement could and would be widely accepted.

Unfortunately, due to a massive oversight, this entire project has been scrapped as totally non-viable. According to the April 2 edition of New Statesman (yes, I know I'm a little delayed in posting this), "the BBC owned hardly any of the rights to its archive. Rather, those rights belonged to each individual actor, musician, screenwriter and sound recordist involved" !!!!!!

This is a major blow to the momentum and mainstream acceptance of the associated projects, and geeks like me are really disappointed, but mostly it's a massive loss to the creative pool - as that footage is now doomed to rot in an archive somewhere as the process of contacting all of the rights holders is just not feasible.

100% annoying

2007-04-28T10:39:00.000Z

I have a confession to make (and it's going to sound hypocritical and silly considering how lax I am about editing my blog): I am a total pedant about grammar and annoying modern distortions of English!

I know that I really shouldn't begin to judge people on this, and especially not through my blog - where I routinely, in fact more often than not, cant be assed to edit - and I justify it to myself by saying that understanding is not hindered by my small typing (or half-asleep-not-thinking) errors, and it is, after all, a blog - not a commercial publication, but I'm not sure even I buy it...

The truth is that its probably the most annoying thing that I do - I correct people. I don't always do it aloud, and I'm really trying to stop, but, sh*t, it's hard! Bad grammar upsets me! It plays on my nerves and, like tourettes, if I hold it back too long, its bound to come rushing out much worse and with more expletives than strictly necessary.

I have no room to talk - but stuff it! I'm going to be hypocritical and just say:

It's "eTcetera" not "eKcetera", and "eSpresso" not "eXpresso"
It is "Jono & Kate's flat" not "jono's & kate's" - its called compound possession!
"it's" = it is, "its" = belongs to it(possession)
"P.S". = post script, as in after, so an afterthought to the post script is "P.P.S" not "P.S.S"
I could go on... but I wont or everyone everywhere will truly despise me!

We all have pet peeves, and this is mine - but I'm not alone. Read some of these below, and be honest, it does upset you. Doesn't it? Not even a little? Dammit!

Abuse of quotation marks on billboards and in publications:
e.g. Fish & chips "with" a salad - well, is it or is it not with a salad? do you mean it sarcastically or ironically or are you reporting speech? No? Then DON'T DO IT!

And here's one that drives Jono mad - "thousands of consumers cant be wrong" - Yes, they can! of course, they can! The whole world can agree on something that is entirely wrong!

Tash's favourite was (I haven't discussed this with her very recently) people who couldn't properly place the period/full stop in a quote (inside or outside quotations).

And* today I saw an advert for an Elvis impersonator with the bold claim "100% Elvis" - bollocks to that, unless you dug him up, it's not 100% Elvis!

Apparently the Queen wants you to say "what" instead of "pardon" and "loo" instead of "toilet" - which to a regular pleb like me sounds much less posh, but isn't the true sign of being posh the ability to wander around in dirty wellies smelling of dog and horse and not care? or something like that? I'm sure it's true - i read it in the tabloids, and thousands of tabloids cant be wrong!

*totally acceptable these days to begin with "And". Promise.

alarm a llama

2007-04-25T14:23:00.000Z

Tash showed me this in Gtown during my holiday and I laughed so hard I almost wet myself - then i showed Jono with similar results. Now I'm showing you:

The Llama Song

iWanna

2007-04-23T18:39:00.000Z

"This year, the iCommons Summit in Dubrovnik, Croatia brings together pioneers of the free Internet to make sure that, at its crossroads, we guide the world along a path that will enable the kind of free culture and decentralized innovation that has characterized the early years of the Internet." - iCommons "About the Summit"

I want to go sooooooooooo badly! Any ideas how to get to Croatia really cheaply in mid June?

Horse? Butterfly or moth ?

2007-04-21T09:20:00.001Z

Summer in the UK, and the Politics of Food

2007-04-19T14:34:00.000Z

Summer in the UK is really wonderful - long, long days, sunshine and flowery parks (and jugs of pimms) - and while its not quite there yet, the build up has begun.

I think the changing of the clocks doubles as an alarm clock for hibernating Brits, as the population seems to double first week of April. At the first sign of double digit temperatures, people everywhere strip off to almost nothing and lie about in parks all day (damn welfare state) trying to tan.

Its a little humourous, but mostly its exciting. The winter here is sooooo long, and dreary that you cant help but buy into the sheer JOY that sunshine brings - and it feels warm. It doesnt matter that I've just been home to temps around 25 degrees, it hits 15 here and the sandles come out! At home 15C means reach for the hot water bottle and cocoa.

But here's the downside to Summer - winter bodies! With all these people getting almost-butt-nekkid around me, I've had to have a hard look at me in an unforgiving mirror, and see what winter has done to my waist line. Now dont panic - this is not a self-loathing, petulant post about dieting, well not quite. Actually I just wanted to have a small b*tch about the fact that I can buy a over-filling, salt & sugar high, million additives, thigh-stretching mcdonalds meal for £2, but cant get a nice fresh sandwich for less than £4!

What's up with that? (dont preach economies of scale at me - the question was rhetorical). It sucks, that's all!

Well at least I dont look like this chewed piece-of-biltong:

Shameless Plug

2007-04-18T12:14:00.000Z

So, just this morning I reconnected with an old school mate on Facebook, and followed a link from his profile to his band's website (He is lead vocals). Anyway, long story short, I really like their sound, and figured I could introduce some more people to it this way.

The band is BloodMoney.
Go have a listen...

P.S. Tim, if you get really famous, i'll want a kickback for this plug ;)

Sun & Silliness: Possum's whirlwind SA tour

2007-04-17T13:52:00.000Z

1 April 2007:
6am wake up, brush teeth, grab bag, leave home, walk to Waverly bridge, get on bus to Edinburgh Airport.
8:15 am board EasyJet (Yuck!) plane to Gatwick
10:30am arrive Gatwick, wait hours for luggage, try find trains in Sunday mayhem, buy overpriced ticket to Clapham
11:15 Burst out of sardine tin called train, realise London in 8 degrees warmer than Edinburgh, strip off two layers, find sister, get in car to travel to Richmond
12:00 drive at 10km/hour through Richmond park, in traffic jam of people enjoying sunshine for first time in eight months
13:00 arrive sisters place, still warmer, 3rd layer comes off, strappy shoes replace boots, fish out sunglasses - Suddenly feel like I'm on holiday! Drink glass of wine in postage stamp british garden, eating left over braai food (thank god for big sisters)
14:30 Realise how late it is - PANIC - sister drives like a crazy woman to get me to terminal 3, cant find parking - fake an asthma attack to stop the nasty parking guy sh*tting on sister for pulling up on curb to drop me off - parking guy takes sympathy on weird, possibly-dying foreign girl and carries bag to terminal.
16:00 book in, wait, board - oh god! am stuck in middle of five seat row, with babies on either side! Dont sleep a wink, watch lots of movies (including Catch a fire -more on this later), perform super-human feat of bladder control
2am land in Dubai - 'tis warm - Halleluja (sp?)

2 April 2007
4am board new plane - aisle seat, just saying thanks to godly beings when asked to move because of weird bitching woman, move to seat near door (yay, leg room) between (oh god) stinky drunk talkative man, who shouts at me whenever I dont ask a stewardess for his beer every five minutes.
10am land in Jozi! Rush outside and run for the 6 square inch patch of sunshine.
11am Spur spicy buffalo wings and choc milkshake
12pm try to look less like walking dead in ladies bathroom (no such luck), wander around, nothing good to buy even with my converted pounds
14:00 board plane to EL - too tired, cant think, possibly drooling on myself, and freaking out nice business man next to me
15:30 Home! Mom and dad and sleep! oh joy!

Moral of the story: pay the extra 100 pounds to fly direct

Spent the next three days with folks, brother, sister-in-law and nieces (sp?). Consistently whisper "Katie is your favourite aunty" to unsuspecting babies.

5 April 2007
On the Thursday night, I braved the Highlander to have a drink with a mate, Kevin, who was also visiting from London. The Highlander is scary because EL is a small place and you're bound to run into lots of people you havent seen since high school, and since high school was painful for me, so is the "re-connecting"...anyway, the night passed with minimal trauma and it was nice to catch up with Kevin.

6 April 2007
Friday morning I set out to Gtown. Driving my dad's beautiful, huge, automatic Merc. This was terrifying for me, since I've only ever driven old student cars, and small ones at that, plus I've done very little long distance driving. Driving to Port Alfred was fine but the road to Gtown, as usual, was so misty I had to drive the last 40kms at 40km/hour. I was in Gtown for two nights, staying with Tash (thanks, love), and it was good to be back. Gtown doesnt change, at most they shuffle the shops from place to place, and rumour has it Nando's has finally arrived (always after you leave, huh?!). I ate loads of red meat, and drank to much, and for old time's sake the power went out on saturday night, leaving us to sing disney tunes to entertain ourselves. This short visit also prompted the formation of the most rocking boyband-made-of-girls ever (as seen above)! Coming soon to a couch near you!

8 April 2007
On Sunday morning I drove to our holiday home in a tiny wild coast resort, for a really big drinking reunion with Sam, Bolze and Briano (thanks to you guys too, but not to Sam who got me very VERY drunk).

9 April 2007
Monday night I was back in EL, and got together with Candice and Kerry for a movie. Candice is my oldest friend. She approached me in preprimary (aged 3) and told me my drawings of people sucked because they didnt have necks (fair enough) and we've been close ever since. We watched Ghostrider - which sucks but was entertaining nonetheless, and then Tuesday the travelling started all over again.

10 April 2007
At least it was a direct plane back and i managed to book my bag through from EL to Edinburgh, so that made it a lot easier. Still, It was 17hours in transit, and i was insensible when i finally got home, and burst into tears (really over-tired) telling Jono how all my biltong had been confiscated!

Saffas overseas: try to take ten days in april to go home, its the perfect time - just when you think winter will never end, go home for some sun, and when you return the UK has woke up and the sun is finally showing its face. Ten days early april makes all the difference.

I wish I could have taken more time, but since I get paid by the hour this is all I manage, plus I had to come back for BOB DYLAN!!

11 April 2007
Yup, on Wednesday night Jono and I took the train to Glasgow and saw BOB DYLAN live! It was amazing! One of those artists who are so huge you're surprised they're still alive, let alone still touring. (FYI Gtown Playas: this is bound to influence our style for the next album).

Anyway, so I'm back, and back at work (12 April) and even though that situation still sucks, I feel I can ride it out, now that I've had a serious break from it...Home is soooo great. The UK may have public transport and no one is denying the crime problem in SA, but its home. There's space, and clean air and greenery and gardens and lots of other stuff. It does kind of scare me that when I head home for good I'll probably be Jozi based - if I actually want to make a go of this journalism thing (which I do). Growing up in EL might have been claustraphobic but I was never scared, and my parents still live in a house without burglar bars in a neighbourhood with four foot walls around our properties - there is a lot to be said for that kind of security. Having said all that, my friends in JHB are loving life - so maybe I'm just buying into the media hype about the scary aspect? Hey, Jo'burgers, am I being silly about this? What's life like in your part of the world?

P.S. forgive any spelling or grammar errors, I'm soooo over editing today!

I'm loving it

2007-04-16T12:39:00.000Z

Forgive me for sounding like a McD's advert, but I found the Homecoming Revolution blog today and I am so stoked about it. I support the Homecoming Revolution website, but I do understand the claim that coming home is not all sunshine and biltong. This new blog already has a few posts on it, with balanced personal stories -one is even about missing the UK - a notion I dont understand but I am so happy to see up there.
Anyway, my point was: Go have a read!

P.S. Thanks to Mark Forrester for bringing it to my attention.

i'm back....

2007-04-12T17:26:00.000Z

hiya. i'm back from my holiday and promise to start posting again soon.
i'm terribly slack at the moment, but I'll get back on the wagon.
Love and possums,
K

catherine tate

2007-03-17T23:37:00.001Z

I've posted this for those of you who havent seen Catherine Tate's "Lauren". She is exactly like the kids I taught last year.
Below find the clip from last night's comic relief, and this is context for that.

Catherine Tate (AKA Lauren Cooper) meets Tony Blair

2007-03-17T23:17:00.001Z

The Good News: Economist article on SA

2007-03-16T10:28:00.000Z

The Economist has published a very interesting article about progress in SA, called The long journey of a young democracy. It is NOT all positive, so I am not delivering just the good news, but in my opinion it is balanced and well researched journalism - a more realistic representation of the strides we've made, and of the short comings of our beautiful home, than other available sources on the internet ;P (see previous post)
Below please find the opening paragraph, but better yet, go along and read the whole article here.

"THE township of Soweto, Johannesburg's largest, was once a byword for violence and black deprivation. Look at it now. In the Diepkloof neighbourhood, shiny new cars are parked next to elegant houses protected by security systems. Shopping malls are planned, banks have opened and tourists are coming. New bars and restaurants stay open all night, drawing in the rich blacks who now live, during the week, in quiet suburbs of Johannesburg that used to be all-white.
Even the poorest corners of South Africa now look better. Roads are being paved. People who were left in the dark and cold by the apartheid regime, which ended in 1994, now have lights, a roof over their heads and access to fresh water. Flush toilets are replacing buckets. Black South Africans are pushing up property prices and propelling the economy in general; black economic empowerment, brought in to redress the injustices of apartheid, has spurred the creation of a small but wealthy black business elite."

Isnt this fun? NO!!

2007-03-12T13:22:00.000Z

I recently wandered onto a blog that made my hair stand on end. Its called why south africa sucks (you can see it by clicking on the uhuru guru link below), and it really upset me. But putting aside the extreme racism of this blog, I spotted an article that a colleague of mine had written was reprinted on the blog without attribution, and commented on this. (turns out i'd missed the hyperlink to the original article, so i was wrong about the lack of attribution). But what really upset me was the treatment I received having commented. I've pasted the discussion below. I'm sure there will be lots of nasty comments following this move, but I was floored by the aggressive and childish response to a simple comment, and as is the nature of bloggers, felt compelled to blog about it.

Katie Possum said...
Hi.While I completely DISAGREE with the sentiments on your blog, I'm commenting now about something else: to ask you to try attribute the articles that you are reproducing correctly. Please give the site address from where you got them, and the journalist who wrote the article - its only professional decency.Thanks

10:10 AM
The Uhuru Guru said...
Katie Possum said..."Hi. While I completely DISAGREE with the sentiments on your blog, I'm commenting now about something else: to ask you to try attribute the articles that you are reproducing correctly. Please give the site address from where you got them, and the journalist who wrote the article - its only professional decency."

Gee Katie Possum, if you DISAGREE with the sentiments on the blog, why are you such an avid reader? Closet racist, perhaps? ;)Second point, take your blinkers off - every single article on this blog has a link to the source. Try clicking on the title (which is a hyperlink) which will take you to the original article. This is a non-commercial site, so we fail to see why we should promote the newspaper name. The source link already generates much traffic to their sites.

11:14 AM
Dickey Knee said...
Bullard is as careless as Firoz Cachalia and his wife, sporting jewellery openly in a public place.Was his window open, or simply not fitted with burglar bars?ALL the burglaries in the complex where I live have been through unprotected windows.

11:58 AM
Anonymous said...
DUUUUHHHHH Katie : You died your hair - you died while doing your hair???? Or did you dye your hair!

12:01 PM
The Uhuru Guru said...
Anonymous said..."DUUUUHHHHH Katie: You died your hair - you died while doing your hair???? Or did you dye your hair!"

LOL anon, I saw that too. She's probably also taking skin-darkening medication, and shopping for plastic surgery to have her schnozz flattened and her lips thickened. Hey Katie, they can also extend your jaw (super-reverse overbite) so you can have that 45 degree slope head angle ;) How sad that such a pretty girl (if the avatar pic is indeed hers) wants to deny her genes. I can understand Whacko Jacko's motivations, but Kooky Katie's is quite perplexing.

12:14 PM
Anonymous said...
I think Bullard is a twat being so chirpy and upbeat.If that bullet had gone a bit higher and to the left then suddenly it would have been a completely different matter and it would have been his funeral that we would be talking about.He is now making out to be a big hero, "He got shot, but he still believes in SA"He is now suddenly the poster boy for white ANC arse lickers.Next time he might not be so lucky.

5:37 PM
Anonymous said...
"katie possum"Must be using the computer while (her/his/can't decide yet) mother went to the store.

10:12 PM
knorrig said...
If that bullet had gone a bit higher and to the left..."Yeah, they should've shot him another arsehole.....preferably with a Patmor!...that would've at least saved us having to witness him take on the 'Madiba' role of White Crime Matyr! Useless LIBERAL IDIOT!

12:22 AM
jeff said...
Hi Katie Possum,Welcome to the blog. Please stay around and give your take on the issues raised. Intelligent and thoughtful people are welcome here, regardless of their views. Keeps the blog interesting. Hope you will have at it!

4:01 AM
Katie Possum said...
Wow! You guys have some serious chips on your shoulders. I am NOT a closet racist. I am NOT an avid reader of your blog, but of other blogs where I have seen you comment. Yesterday was the first time I ever visited your blog, and missed the hyperlinks (i'm happy to admit when I'm wrong). But as a journalist I know that I would be annoyed if I ventured upon an article of mine that was unattributed on another site.

"died my hair" - big deal. You're looking at a typo. It doesnt negate my point. And it is a childish reason to attack someone.as for sitting at the computer while my mommy is away - as above, this is a classic ad hominem fallacy. You're attacking the person because you cant attack their point. Furthermore, criticising from as anonymous doesnt add a lot of weight to your statements.

10:44 AM
knorrig said...
Jeff said,"Hi Katie Possum,Welcome to the blog. Please stay around and give your take on the issues raised."

NOOOO, please don't! The last thing we need is the Hollywood-philosophical musings of a 23-year old who has to tell the world about her hair color, listens to Madonna and reads Terry P!Rather go to News24...they've got all the right 'literature' for a young innocent little girl to 'find herself' in this ugly world raped by the Big Bad White Wolfmen!

12:02 PM
The Uhuru Guru said...
Dear Anonymous dufus who says "the bigots on this site should add swastikas to the posts", I was going to publish your pointless rant, but when you "dared" me, I just couldn't help but hit the reject button. Most comments get published, regardless of how facile, stupid and nasty they are. Try rise above infantile high school type 'dares' if you want to increase your chances of being posted.

12:22 PM
The Uhuru Guru said...
Katie Possum said "Yesterday was the first time I ever visited your blog".

Hmm, then I wonder who the Katie Possum was who posed here a few times over December...no matter Katie, we believe you. Oh, and Jeff's quite a nice guy actually, much more of a gentleman than I'll ever be, so don't paint him with the same brush you use for us incorrigible, hate-filled racists. Welcome to our dark, gloomy world, we hope you'll enjoy your stay and no, we don't offer free anti-depressant drugs- you'd better be emotionally ready to deal with the godawful content of this blog. Being a journalist, I assume you are?

12:31 PM
RSX said...
Being a journalist, I assume you are?WHAT?!? ANOTHER libby journalist?First, nic (who judging by his last post has seen the light), then inkonkoni, and now katie? I don't believe this.

1:22 PM
jeff said...
Hi Katie Possum,Some of your points are well taken. I spent some time reading your blog and came across a post from an ex Zimbabwe farmer in response to your comments about keeping a positive attitude about South Africa. You replied that you do have some thoughts about Zimbabwe. Could I ask you to share them with us? Thanks.

Here is the post to Katie Possum from The Granny Wrangler bloggist. I've copied it here because I thought it might be of interest to other readers of this blog:

"Always one to throw a spanner in the works...As a Zimbo who had her farm, livelihood and worldly possessions ripped away from her in the blink of an eye I have watched the rapid decline of a once fantastic country from a far too close for comfort perspective. It WAS fantastic and i'm sorry to say, better than SA ever was or will be. But that was then. 6 years ago i became a fully fledged 13-digit Id no. SA citizen and sought refuge in the sunny cape to study and subsequently work. I loved it. I learned to call it home. One has to. The thing is, i, like thousands of other Zimbos, have seen the patterns now happening in SA. Yip, the very same patterns which began the demise of what was once (excuse the cliché) the bread basket of africa. Do you have any idea the resentment and bitterness directed towards farmers who sold up and moved countries? They warned us all and we all stayed so fucking positive and buried our heads in our then fertile soil clinging to the hope that positivity and unity would see us through. Do you know what? It didn't. The one's who left, the ones who managed to sell their farms and make a new life for their children and families, they may have been scorned and resented but who feels like the arsehole who had everything ripped from them because they refused to heed the warnings and pay attention to all the signs? The ones who left got money for their farms and set up businesses, moved forex out of the country and put their children through good schools. The rest? Imagine being 65 and having not a cent. No pension to draw on. No escape. Now imagine moving to a foreign country in order to earn money to feed yourself, knowing that you will never be able to save up enough money to retire and will more than likely have to work until you die. Its real, and it's heartbreaking to watch. Don't get me wrong, optimism is great and i was as optimistic as i could be. But there comes a point when you have to think long and hard and actually LISTEN and absorb what is being said. Let it sink in. Instead of immediately jumping on the defensive and gunning down anyone who even mentions the word crime and SA in the same sentence, take the time to understand why they are saying these things. If you have lived through what Zim has gone through in the last 10 years your blood would run cold when you realised the EXACT same patterns happening south of the border. It is frightening. But whether you like it or not it's happening. Believe us. Don't believe us. We're all big enough to make our own decisions. I just hope that some of you will be spared the heartache and anguish so many of us have suffered - it's not something i'd wish on my worst enemy.Ok, i'm done. "

8:09 PM
Anonymous said...
Katie Possum on her blog, all rosy and cinnamon scented, says of the Springbok match at Twickers last year, "I wanted to cringe and die when I saw people waving the old flag at the rugby last year. I wish people who feel like that wouldnt identify themselves as South Africans...."

I would just like to bring to her attention the fact that one of the buggers who had the old flag draped over his shoulders was none other than one of her Noble Savages. He was making a statement about accepting the past and where SA had come from.I have as much contempt for the Katie Possum's of this world as she has for us evil racists. She should share a cell with a troop of sophisticated black gentlemen for the night (when she's not abroad spewing liberal propaganda for tourism SA and inviting tourists to their death) and then come and talk to us about how negative and racist we are and how she "cringes" when we identify ourselves as South Africans.

3:57 AM
Katie Possum said...
"The last thing we need is the Hollywood-philosophical musings of a 23-year old who has to tell the world about her hair color, listens to Madonna and reads Terry P!"

"Katie Possum on her blog, all rosy and cinnamon scented,"

Do you guys even know what an ad hominem arguement is? You can attack my writing, my music and literature tastes etc as much as you want - the problem is that is makes you look childish and DOESNT negate my point at all.

Jeff: thank you for your welcome. i wasnt necessarily painting you with the same brush, as I have yet to see your feelings on this issue.About that zim question: I dont think SA is going the way of zim. Crime, while still at an unacceptable level, is coming down every year. Employment is going up. Interests rates are fantastic. And most importantly, we are not run by a insane man who has held onto power for decades, and physically silences the opposition.

Uhuru Guru: I dont remember posting here in december, I had a quick look over the december archives and didnt spot anything I wrote, but it was only a quick look and i may have missed it. having said that, I do read nic's blog, so it possible that i followed a link from him to here at some point or another. having said that I am not an avid reader of this site. not then not now.

I'm going to go now, as I really dont have to waste my time being attacked on personal grounds by childish people who are too afraid to engage with the content of my point.

I'll try to avoid the temptation to come back and defend myself from the backlash this comment will surely have. I hope I'm able to just walk away, but i do tend to take the bait - personal flaw!

The one about going home and evil germs

2007-03-02T14:59:00.000Z

Jono gave me flu! He had it bad, and I've managed to keep it at bay mostly - except for that horrible body ache thing and a scratchy throat. On Tuesday night I really thought I was a goner, but turns out that First Defence is, actually, the sh*t! It has got me through so far, but I work weekends so the next time that I can crawl into bed and stay there in a determined attempt to get well is Tuesday...four days and counting.

But besides the evil germs, this is a happy post, because I'm going home. I finally sucked it up and asked my boss for leave in April and got it. So i'm going home for a short (too short) visit.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to have time to catch up with folks in JHB as I'm flying in for less than eight days and my folks will disown me if I dont spend 5 or 6 of those with them. So the only places that will enjoy my short time in SA are East London and G'town (to visit the remaining 6 people i know there - sad, hey?!)

I'm trying to make a list of all the uniquely South African things I can cram into eight days, and typically its turning out to be a list of SA food I can cram into my mouth. So much biltong, apricot sweets, steers chips, and bunny chow...

Anyway, look out home! Kate and her snow-white-havent-seen-sun-in-eight-months legs and shoulders are coming to get you!

Ernie Els

2007-02-23T23:42:00.001Z

bwahahaha...too...funny...cant...breathe...*gasp*

Tiny selfish joy over global warming

2007-02-23T13:25:00.000Z

First a disclaimer: I am, um, how to put it..., pro-green. I think we should be utilising greener energy resources and limiting emissions - so dont inundate me with nasty posts about what a horrible person I am when you read what I'm about to say :)

It's been a totally survivable winter so far...and i'm pretty northern right now. I was bleak that London etc had loads of snow and we didnt, and I'm sure this post will trigger some kind of karmic backlash, and March will be frozen hell, but its hovering around ten degrees most days, and I am soooo thankful.

Maybe I have just been here too long but ten or nine or eight degrees is completely do-able for me. The UK has apparently had its mildest winter ever and I couldnt be more pleased.

P.S. I finally got the guts to ask my boss for some leave in April, so I can go home for a short visit - so here's holding thumbs for that!

If it bleeds, it leads...

2007-02-22T13:16:00.000Z

Here starts my Good News series of posts. When I was little and I told my dad I wanted to be a journalist, he would always say that I should break the mould and write only good news, that there was too much bad news already. I'd roll my eyes in that typical pre-teen way, knowing even then that good news doesnt sell. Well, this one's for you, Dad.

There's enough negativity out then, so at least once a month I'm going to post a positive thing about SA. This is not about deny that serious changes need to happen, but rather to be a dissenting voice. I always feel that people choose what is true for them by first listening to the possible views around them, and piecing together their view out of that, in a way that makes sense of the world for them. I'm just adding to the babble.

The below speech really moved me. I was reading this last night, and kept exclaiming "and this is a budget speech? Its so eloquent and moving!"

Extracts from Trevor Manuel's Budget 2007 speech:

We must place at the centre of our daily activities the pursuit of the
goals of social cohesion and human solidarity. We must therefore,
strive to integrate into the national consciousness the value system
contained in the world outlook described as Ubuntu.
We must therefore constantly ask ourselves the question – what is it
in our country that militates against social cohesion and human
solidarity? I believe that none of us present here (tonight) would have
any difficulty in answering this question.
I am therefore certain that we would all agree that to achieve the
social cohesion and human solidarity we seek, we must vigorously
confront the legacy of poverty, racism and sexism. At the same time,
we must persist in our efforts to achieve national reconciliation.

President Mbeki, 4th Nelson Mandela Lecture, July 2006

The foundation of human association is the idea that human life has equal worth
and human beings are equally entitled to political, economic and social rights which
allow them to choose a life they have reason to live1.

Human life has equal worth…

Motho ke motho, ga ana bosehlana (a human being is a human being, there is no lesser human being)

The idea, that human life has equal worth, and that this is the core value that unites

us, invites us to ask whether we have done enough to give practical effect in South

Africa today to our shared humanity. Have we acted in a manner that shows that

human life has equal worth? Or do we still live in a society where the shadow of

history dominates over the opportunities of an open society.

As our young nation enters its thirteenth year, we have much to be proud of. We

are building a society founded on principles of equality, non-racialism and nonsexism.

We have built institutions of democracy, creating an open society founded

on the rule of law. After stabilising the economy and the public finances, we have

created the conditions for rapid economic growth, job creation and broadening of

opportunities.

Sound management of public finances and the improved tax compliance culture on

which it rests provides us with the resources to invest in our public services, renew

our infrastructure, reshape our residential areas, provide water, electricity, housing,

sanitation, schooling, health care and access roads to millions who were previously

denied these elementary building blocks of modern society. The social grant system

has expanded, hunger is in retreat and vulnerable families are being lifted out of

poverty.

Yet the idea that human life has equal worth demands more of us. President

Mbeki’s speech at the 4th Nelson Mandela lecture reminds us that……

to achieve the social cohesion and human solidarity we seek, we must

vigorously confront the legacy of poverty, racism and sexism.

Impilo zabantu zixabisa ngokulinganayo (people’s lives have equal value)

Motho ke motho ga ana bosehlana (a human being is a human being, there is no

lesser human being)

Die lewe van alle mense is gelykwaardig (the lives of all people are equal)

President Mbeki has also advised

What this means is that when we talk of a better life for all,

within the context of a shared sense of national unity and

national reconciliation, we must look beyond the undoubtedly

correct economic objectives our nation has set itself.3

When our forebears formed the African National Congress in 1912, in response to

being excluded from the formation of the Union of South Africa, they were driven by

the single-minded belief…Human life has equal worth.

When Nelson Mandela and Walter Sisulu tabled the 1949 programme of action to

spur more active resistance to discrimination, they believed that Human life has

equal worth.

In 1955, when our parents came together in Kliptown at the Congress of the

People, to proclaim loudly that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and

white; they were united by the belief that human life has equal worth.

In 1983, when we launched the United Democratic Front in Mitchell’s Plain,

hundreds of community organisations said with one voice: Human life has equal

worth.

In 1994, when we stood in line and voted as equals in our first democratic elections,

we could feel the mood, and the mood said, ‘Human life has equal worth.

When our constitution was unanimously adopted in this house in 1996, our

declaration to the world was loud and clear, human life has equal worth.

And today, we proclaim loudly…human life has equal worth … and we will be

unwavering in our dedication to the social cohesion and human solidarity that we

seek.

1 Will Hutton, The writing on the wall, 2007. P. 204.

3 Fourth Nelson Mandela Lecture

New look Possum

2007-02-21T11:55:00.000Z

Hey... so clearly I've been doing some remodelling.

It was surprisingly difficult getting the banner into the existing template without messing up everything else - so i guess I'm out of practise (Sorry Vincent, and new media lab folks). I fiddled for a whole day with the image links I have in my sidebar, until I realised the super easy way of sticking them in through the drag and drop blogger page elements tool, but it is a bit of cheat, since I shouldnt have struggled with the code approach. Guess I've been letting things slide a little this last year. May be time to go back to school, I think...

The banner's looking a little pixellated (sp?) I think, but what do you think?

I'd love any constructive criticism you have to offer!

P.S. You'll note that this is now Possum's Scottish Adventures (as coined by Tash), but I'll keep the address and overall London Above name the same, and change the sub-name as I travel. If you missed the explanation of the term "london above", and want to know click here.

Stereotypes and assumptions about Saffas

2007-02-16T12:30:00.000Z

In my last post about South Africa, I mentioned that many British people are surprised to meet a South African who is proud of their home, and not a cynical racist, etc. And on Wednesday, I had an unfortunate encounter that provided an excellent example of the stereotype we need to fight:

I was making a follow up call to one of our potential sales clients, going throught the motions with my supervisor next to me, when the guy I was talking to suddenly interrupted to say:

guy: I love your South African accent!
me: oh, um, that's great. well spotted! Its not everyone's favourite accent...
guy:do you speak afrikaans?
me: um, ja, I took it at school, but its not my first language *glancing over at supervisor, shrugs*
guy: we had this hysterical man who i used to work with who was South African
me: oh, um, really, that's great *thinking, how do i get this back to work, before boss kills me*
guy: he used to do this hysterical (second time in two sentences) thing. Spoke like a totally normal guy, until he was talking to anyone with a little more than a tan, know what i mean, *chortle*, then turn on this thick accent, and start calling them Sonny or something...hysterical(yes, third times the charm)! *nasal laugh, blockage, snort*
me: *oh, shit! i dont want to laugh along, but I cant call him a bigot with my boss sitting here*
guy: anyhoo (yes he actually said that), nice to hear a South African accent from a lovely lady
me:*oh, my god. he's trying to flirt with me. laugh about racism to a total stranger, then hit on them - what the hell is he thinking???*
me: okay, nice talking to you. give us a ring if you have any more questions. *hangs up*

I've had this in South Africa a couple of times, when people assume because I'm white, I'll hold the same views as they do, but from a Brit it was just fecking weird. And I can only assume that it is because this man's exposure to Saffa's has reinforced this for him, and note that he never questioned what colour I was. He just assumed that I was white, maybe because I said I took afrikaans at school??

This stuff tires me out. And I've got to stop blogging about racism - it gets me down, but I think we need to look at ourselves and the image we project. I want to be the person who breaks the mould. If Joe Brit has only met negative old-south-africans before, I want to open their eyes. I wanted to cringe and die when I saw people waving the old flag at the rugby last year. I wish people who feel like that wouldnt identify themselves as South Africans....

Sorry this is turning into a rant. Its over. Promise.

Spread the love

2007-02-14T15:18:00.000Z

It is the dreaded / desired St Valentine's Day again, and I'm not a huge fan. I used to feel like you had to love it or hate it with an outspoken "new age despair for the naive stupid holiday" kind of hate. Guess not. It's just kind of a non-event in my life...its 14 feb, the day after 13 feb and before 15 feb. Still I got a kiss my gorgeous man before I left this morning, so romance isnt getting me down..

Anyway, everyone's blogging about St V day, but I have a better way to spread the love:

http://2007.sablogawards.com/

Go vote for your favourite SA blog, in loads of categories including photo blog, music blog, humourous etc.

Go on, what you waiting for? Share some cyber love!

loving home, hating crime

2007-02-09T16:18:00.000Z

There are soooo many websites out there about SA's crime problem. Some have gained notoriety as forums for racists and cynical white folk who fled and need to justify it to themselves.

Some, however, have sprung up in response to the "shock-sites", and aim to put forward a different voice - one that says, "Ja, SA has problems, but look at what else we got".
I'm a big fan of these, even though it can be tiring having repetitious fights with nay-sayers along the lines of:

me: i love SA
them: ja, but the crime is hectic
me: i know, but i still love home
them: ja, but the crime is shocking
me: and i want that to change too, but i can think that and love SA
them: ja, but you cant deny how bad the crime is
me: aaaaargghhhh!

Anyway, this has become an interest of mine, since I left home last year for this current chilly experience. I am overseas and having fun (most of the time) and missing home (most of the time too) and VERY VERY conscious of being an ambassador for South Africa. I have already been told a number of times by colleagues that most Saffas they meet are extremely negative about SA, and have a major chip on their shoulders about BEE and the ANC.

This is the impression that I have to fight against: Not all white Saffa's are anti-ANC, and there are loads who are nothing but optimistic about our country's future. I'm from the school of if you cant say something positive, dont say anything - not in a denialist sense - but if crime is your concern, bring me a plan or solution or contribution! I'm not asking you to pretend it isnt happening! Just looking for some action...or the bigger picture.

Here is the reverse of a familiar stat about SA tourism: Every potential tourist you send away, removes 1/8 of a job - increasing the number of people who may have to turn to crime to survive...

anyway, i've loads more to say, but lets leave it at this for a moment

Please feel free to argue with me on this. I am well aware that I am no authority on this and make no claim to be. I've put out my opinion. What's yours?

SA Rocks - well, yes it does!

2007-02-02T13:56:00.000Z

Thanks to Nic for bringing this gem to my attention (through the terror of time-consumption known as facebook).

Check out SA ROCKS! And lets punt, punt, punt this beautiful country of ours. I'm so tired of the same old northern-western-centric "scary africa" bollocks. Oh, and the people behind that SA crime expo site (which i refuse to link to) must piss off and direct their copious amounts of negative energy elsewhere, like towards Telkom, maybe...

In Nic's own words (hope you dont mind, Nic!?):
"The principal behind sarocks.co.za is to create positive hype around South Africa. I feel that there are enough websites and people constantly saying negative things about South Africa, it's time for a positive representation of our country..."

Ow! My teef!

2007-01-29T21:15:00.000Z

Yes, no excuse for playing hooky from the blogosphere, but life's been pretty busy.
I'm still working the Sales Negotiator job, and enjoying myself, and I've also applied for a number of design / photography jobs - so hold thumbs for me, please!

This post is actually a quest for info. I'm actually needing advice from Saffas in the uk, or those who have lived here. I'm desperate to have my wisdom teeth out, but none of the dentists around me are taking new patients, except one that can see me in March, or maybe April... Is there any way to get around this frightfully inefficient NHS system? Any idea how much private dentists may charge for something like this?

I'm going home for a short visit in April (Yay! Sunshine!) but I'm no longer on my parents medical aid, dont have my own because I'm based here for the foreseeable future, and sounds like it'll be super expensive to pay cash even if I'm converting from pounds. sigh...

I'm off to go crunch ice cubes!
Love and possums to you all!

The internet has stolen my will to live

2007-01-10T10:57:00.000Z

Damn the person who introduced me to facebook.com!

I believe it was Nick (i know where you live, buddy). It was bad enough when I got into blogging and needed (needed) to blog almost daily and read blogs and comment on blogs and check out the blogs of other people leaving comments, and follow their links, and constantly, constantly check my blog for comments to respond too (pant, long sen...tence, pah-ant).

Alright, its not all that bad, and it helps pass the time when working reception in another dead end temp position. And its been a comforting community when I've been lonely and homesick in this weird country. Furthermore, I've never been diligent enough to maintain a well-kept journal, so, in many ways, this is it.

Here I've written what I'm doing, how I feel and what's on my mind, and a lot of the time there is instant feedback - which is great because even the phrase "delayed gratification" upsets me. I've asked you whether I should give up on the UK and come home. You've interpreted my dreams. I've overshared to extreme degrees, and even nagged my boyfriend into commenting on my blog, despite the fact that he lives with me in the tiniest flat ever, so I know exactly what he thinks anyway!

But now there is facebook. One more account to maintain. One more profile to develop. Another place that I log on to way too much and despair if nothing has changed. Tracking down obscure people from my past takes hours of my day.

I guess I have to face the fact that I am addicted to the internet, or something. And this is where it gets all too self-referential (is that right?) and ironic. I'm blogging about my need to blog, and my concern about my growing internet consumption while mainlining broadband. (Oh the glorious broadband in my home, fast and beautiful. Oh, how I will miss you, my love, when ever I finally go home to dial-up SA!)

Stand up and be counted, fellow addicts!

2007

2007-01-07T13:22:00.000Z

Wow! Well that happened quickly, huh?! barely got my head around 2006 and its over and now i have to train myself to write this weird "7" thingie-majig. Well, happy new year!!! I'm trying not to look back at 2006 with any clarity, because with the blurry aid of hindsight, it seems like a wonderful, challenging and BIG experience, but the moment individual events come into focus, the whole year seems terrifying and horrible. I'm amazed I'm alive, have worked, paid bills, etc. Anyway, as I said best not to focus on it.

The holiday was amazing, but its back to real life again and the dreaded job hunting - more of that to follow, I'm sure. I've very little energy for blogging right now, so this is just a chance for me to stick my hand up and be counted as present, I'll start participating in class activities again soon.

Love and optimism to you all for the brand new shiny year!

Xxx Possum

Would you get a degree through these people??

2006-12-15T09:03:00.000Z

This little gem arrived in my inbox this morning, and I almost spat my coffee out over my screen. Its not surprising to get badly written spam, and while this is definitely the worst I've seen, the kicker for me was the fact that this person wants me to believe they can teach me something - bwa hahaha!

Good day Kate!!.
Tehre are no neeedd tests, classes, books, or interviews !
Obtain _aBachelors, Masters., MBA, and Doctorate (PhD) diploma.
Msater the benefits and hgih regard_that comes with a.diploma !
Not a single perso nis not approved
Compleet Anonymity questionless
Reach Us Right Away +1 (270) 818-7244 -Good Anytime-

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...pleeeeeeeaaaase!

2006-12-12T17:13:00.000Z

Hi folks.

I know I've been unusually crap about posting this last week or so. I'm still not feeling much like it (i'm sulking today about shite weather and a very very broke christmas fund). I've been christmas shopping and everything's wrapped, so the lounge looks about as festive as it can without a christmas tree (we're not spending christmas here so it doesnt make sense to get one - more sulking). Yesterday it snowed a little. I was so excited that I ran to wake up Jono to show him, but he concluded that it wasnt snow so much as cold rain, but for me it counted!
At the moment I'm unemployed as mentioned previously, but the plan is to devote the next couple of days to wallpapering edinburgh with my cv and applying for just about anything. I'll let you know if anything comes of it.
Anyway, we're off to Oxford and then Wales on the 19th - YAY!!! And then I'll be pretty scarce around here, if present at all. So here's wishing everyone happy holidays (i know that's a very american saying, but I like being equal opportunity).

Love and xmas,
Possum

P.S. does anyone know of an internet money making scheme that isnt a scheme/scam? I know that sounds desperate, but I figure everything's worth considering.

Sunny Santa

2006-12-01T13:27:00.000Z

The UK does Christmas big! The decorations in shop windows have been up for months, the advertising even longer. The street xmas lights have gone up and switched on, and last night, while walking home, I passed 50 or so people singing traditional carols under a real fir tree, despite the gale force winds that kept everyone else inside. My favourite xmas moment so far was spotting 10 hell's angels riding around in santa suits - complete with christmas lights and decorations all over their motorcycles!

Its lovely! I'm really getting into the "christmas spirit" like never before, but the truth is, I like SA's sweaty sandy christmas tradition. I love spending xmas eve with a GnT in the sand dunes at my folks holiday home in the transkei. Its all I've ever known and there's comfort to be expected in that, but I think my enjoyment of it goes beyond familiarity. All the lights just disguise a violent consumerist buzz. Xmas at home, at least for me, is a relaxed family affair, with castle lager and sunscreen. No real fir tree and actual snow is going to compete with that!

Supernanny state

2006-11-30T11:36:00.000Z

Heard of an iTrip?

Its a cool gadget that allows you to play your mp3 player tracks through your car radio, by sending out an fm frequency that your radio can tune into.

Jono found an article about cool gadgets for christmas that mentioned this iTrip and the fact that you cannot use it in the UK without a BROADCASTING LICENSE!!!

While there's some talk of changing this - I was still left gasping and gaping in disbelief.

And did you hear the one about the government hiring psychologists to tell you how to raise your children? No, I'm not joking. I know that teenagers here are particularly rancid, but maybe if the government stopped providing incentives for teenagers to get preggers, there'd be less people who are not emotionally mature enough to raise kids in a reasonable way!

Its surely not hard to see that obscure policies about so-called broadcasting are unnecessary, and their approach to welfare and delinquency is backwards?

This all just seems like basic common sense to me. You?