In the heat of Zululand, it is not always easy to get fired up about anything. I do however enjoy the relaive cool of Mtunzini. I was in Empangeni yesterday to get my head examined - again - and it was like I remember Zululand summers - not so hot, but VERY humid.
Mtunzini is so much more cool - both literally and figuratively. Just about the only downside is that there are only a few supermarket type stores, with the main one being the Spar store. Typically Spar is the most epensice chain of stores. What would be ideal is for a Pick and Pay to be built here, but that WILL happen sooner or later. I was in Mtubatuba last monday, and they have opened a Pick and Pay there - on the site of the old hotel, that served the BEST Flat Chickens. It was worth a 130 kilometer round trip to get a Flattie for supper!
If a backwater like Mtubatuba can qualify for a P&P, it is not inconceivable that the local Spar in Mtunzini will have to plan in the short term for some competition. Apart from Spar, there are a few Greek type corner cafe operations, open later than Spar, but they load the prices accordingly!
For me it is cheaper to shop in a relatively large centre - Empangeni - where there are some competing chain stores - Pick and Pay, Checkers, OK and a very nice new Spar. I am generally in Empangeni once a week, to make sure I am not getting to mentally messed up! I do my large grocery shopping then, although I DO like to shop in the local Woolworths - not a cheap option, but the quality of food there is worth the extra cost.
Our local Spar is part of a chain - one in Mtunzini, one in Gingindlovu and one in Eshowe. Apparently there is a divine butchery in Ging, where my folks buy their meat - at wholesale price!
The new Spar in Empangeni is an amazement. The owner started off with a tiny Spar where a mysterious fire destroyed the building! With the insurance payout, this guy built a new Spar, that was obviously really profitable, so he built a much more impressive centre. To look at this guy, he looks as if he could not rub 2 coins together in his pocket, but he lives in a really impressive house, directly overlooking the Golf Course. He works hard, and has not much private downtime, but it has paid hansome dividends. One is forced to wonder if a huge bank balance is worth not having much private life! I dont think he even drives much of a car - a close neighbor was killed in his Ferrari. If you have a huge bank account, that must be one of the best ways of being taken out - driving a really fast imported sports car!
Sure if I worked, I would probably be in a senior well paid position by now, but since I was retired on ill-health grounds, I have found that I receive plenty of cash for my needs and wants - I do not need 2 Landrover Automatics, but I WANT them! (what is wrong with that?) I sense a member in Richards Bay resents that I own 4 cars - my Dicovery Landrover, my smaller Freelander, a Porsche and a Renault - although my daughter has commandeered this car - in truth, bought for her, since a teen does not need a 4x4 Landrver, or a Porsche! I sense that this member resents that I do not just give my cars away to the black members, but little does she realise that none of them are easily affordable for repairs. New tyres on my Freelander recently cost me R 6 grand, and so too did the 2 rear tyres on my Porsche. If I gave a black member one of these cars, they could not afford to run it, and they pretty soon would be on the Branch Presidents doorstep begging for Church assistance! I know that the government is keen on wealth creation, but if I gave a "needy member" one of my cars, I would be promoting poverty! The Church promotes self reliance but I could not give a member a car to get them to Church - that would impoverish them!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Designer poop
In upmarket Sandton, Johannesburg SA, the most common vehicle is just about any offroader - even though the furthest off road they venture is into the parking bays at the local mall. So that their 4x4's look the part, they sell "designer mud" to apply to the door sills, to prove that they are rugged vehicles.
Here in Mtunzini, I have gone one better - in my recent game reserve visit, I drove through some fresh game poop, and it has splashed over the sides of my 4x4 - designer poop!
Our Richards Bay Church District motto for this year is a quote from someone, himself quoting the Prophet (Thomas S Monson) - "It is better to look up!" Sure if you look down, you might not drive through the rhino, elephant or buffalo poop, but if you look up, you get to see the actual animals who have messed on the dirt roads!
I am amazed that - watching programs like "Trabant Trek", even the worst condition the dirt roads in the far reaches of Darkest Africa get, they are in way better condition to international highways like the Pamir Highway - Kurgistan-ish way (Asia)! The drive south through the Gobi Desert from Mongolia to China, was not even on roads, and they had to follow the train tracks through the desert. Even on "Long Way Down" there are roads - albeit not all tarred - the entire length of Africa! Who really is "Third World" then?
Here in Mtunzini, I have gone one better - in my recent game reserve visit, I drove through some fresh game poop, and it has splashed over the sides of my 4x4 - designer poop!
Our Richards Bay Church District motto for this year is a quote from someone, himself quoting the Prophet (Thomas S Monson) - "It is better to look up!" Sure if you look down, you might not drive through the rhino, elephant or buffalo poop, but if you look up, you get to see the actual animals who have messed on the dirt roads!
I am amazed that - watching programs like "Trabant Trek", even the worst condition the dirt roads in the far reaches of Darkest Africa get, they are in way better condition to international highways like the Pamir Highway - Kurgistan-ish way (Asia)! The drive south through the Gobi Desert from Mongolia to China, was not even on roads, and they had to follow the train tracks through the desert. Even on "Long Way Down" there are roads - albeit not all tarred - the entire length of Africa! Who really is "Third World" then?
Luck
Am I lucky or what?
Last week I took the Elders from Richards Bay and from Esihawini up to the Game Reserve. sometimes we go up and dont see any Elephant - or Rhino - or Giraffe (we are pretty sure that we see at least one of these every time) - but at virtually every turn thee were herds of them. The Elder from Richards Bay pointed out that a group of Rhino is a crash of rhino, not necessarily a herd!
My Discovery Landrover was reconditioned about 2 months ago, but it was taking time to log up the first thousand kilometers - whilst the motor loosens up. Anyway a month and a half and I managed 1 500 kilometers. In the Reserve, I managed to log up 500 kilometers, and the service at 1 000 kms is being done today!
The motor was bored out, so is now more like a 4 litre motor than a 3.9. It is SO MUCH quieter amd smoother than it used to be, and I have been assured that - even with a slightly bigger bore, it is likely to be more economical than before. I have been stunned that a big V8 auto, with aircon on ALL of the time (thanks to Zululand summer!) it is no more fuel hungry than was my Opel Corsa 1 4 litre motor, that was NOT airconditioned. So much for the eco freaks who view a large V8 as worse for the environment than the average small car!
I rather like my V8 in the Game Reserve as it is a seriously tall vehicle - looking down on everyone else - and no-one pushes it around in traffic. I think they fear that I will slip it into 4x4 and just go over the top of them - no sweat!
I was also stunned when I put new tyres on my Freelander. The set that came off were not worn much, but new shoes have made SUCH a difference - like a new vehicle. I have also discovered that in Drive, I can change between Normal and Sport modes, What difference this makes is a mystery.When you slide the gearlever into Normal, from Sport, it seems to make no difference whatsoever!
Since I got my body art over the scar on my arm, I have made a new friend! Roland worked at the tattoo parlour, and since he met me in December, he has decided to book himself into a drug rehab in Hillcrest! I know that he has made some poor life choices, but I feel that he is a great being. I feel for him that he is a recovering drug addict! Call me crazy, but I am grateful that we met! There was a reason that I was inspired to look into an alternative to plastic surgery over the unsightly scars, and it seems that there is a hand in my reasoning. Sure he has/had a drug problem, but he for sure has not had the easy life that I have had!
I have a friend who has married recently and he and his wife live in Kloof, just down the road from Hillcrest. I BBM'd Theunis to see if he is able to visit Roland in rehab, and he will. If my history is anything to go by, his pregnant wife is going to give him reason to be grateful to get out of the firing line on occasion! I cannot work out which is worse - a hormonal pregnant wife, or a vengeful ex wife?
Last week I took the Elders from Richards Bay and from Esihawini up to the Game Reserve. sometimes we go up and dont see any Elephant - or Rhino - or Giraffe (we are pretty sure that we see at least one of these every time) - but at virtually every turn thee were herds of them. The Elder from Richards Bay pointed out that a group of Rhino is a crash of rhino, not necessarily a herd!
My Discovery Landrover was reconditioned about 2 months ago, but it was taking time to log up the first thousand kilometers - whilst the motor loosens up. Anyway a month and a half and I managed 1 500 kilometers. In the Reserve, I managed to log up 500 kilometers, and the service at 1 000 kms is being done today!
The motor was bored out, so is now more like a 4 litre motor than a 3.9. It is SO MUCH quieter amd smoother than it used to be, and I have been assured that - even with a slightly bigger bore, it is likely to be more economical than before. I have been stunned that a big V8 auto, with aircon on ALL of the time (thanks to Zululand summer!) it is no more fuel hungry than was my Opel Corsa 1 4 litre motor, that was NOT airconditioned. So much for the eco freaks who view a large V8 as worse for the environment than the average small car!
I rather like my V8 in the Game Reserve as it is a seriously tall vehicle - looking down on everyone else - and no-one pushes it around in traffic. I think they fear that I will slip it into 4x4 and just go over the top of them - no sweat!
I was also stunned when I put new tyres on my Freelander. The set that came off were not worn much, but new shoes have made SUCH a difference - like a new vehicle. I have also discovered that in Drive, I can change between Normal and Sport modes, What difference this makes is a mystery.When you slide the gearlever into Normal, from Sport, it seems to make no difference whatsoever!
Since I got my body art over the scar on my arm, I have made a new friend! Roland worked at the tattoo parlour, and since he met me in December, he has decided to book himself into a drug rehab in Hillcrest! I know that he has made some poor life choices, but I feel that he is a great being. I feel for him that he is a recovering drug addict! Call me crazy, but I am grateful that we met! There was a reason that I was inspired to look into an alternative to plastic surgery over the unsightly scars, and it seems that there is a hand in my reasoning. Sure he has/had a drug problem, but he for sure has not had the easy life that I have had!
I have a friend who has married recently and he and his wife live in Kloof, just down the road from Hillcrest. I BBM'd Theunis to see if he is able to visit Roland in rehab, and he will. If my history is anything to go by, his pregnant wife is going to give him reason to be grateful to get out of the firing line on occasion! I cannot work out which is worse - a hormonal pregnant wife, or a vengeful ex wife?
Monday, January 23, 2012
Shock - horror
I was astounded today when the fuel pump at the Service Station, when I asked for the fuel tank to be filled. Anyway, R 990 later the fuel pump would pump no more into the tank, unless they switched off and restarted! This was the first time I had this problem, and what stunned me was that the tank was still 1/5 full before I even started.
As it was, the tank is all but full. The radio station has threatened that the refinery in Durban has to undergo upgrading - so will shut down for a month, and this could cause problems with fuel supply in the next month! Beats me how a company can SUDDENLY run into problems that will affect fuel supply. You think that they would carry out mainenance to ensure that all run smoothly. Instead the officials feel that it is more practical not to maintain the refinery, and to have it closed for a month!
I must remember to top up when the tank gets lower than 1/3 full. Luckily a full tank gives 1 000 - 1 100 kilometers between needs to stop and refuel. I know that there are jealous people out there who think it is a gas guzzler, ruining the environment, but I get better mileage from the 4 litre motor (the 3.9 litre motor was recently bored out to a 4 litre motor!) than I got from my 1.4 litre car.
My previous Opel used to be a 1.4 litre motor, and I had to refuel twice a month - every 500 kilometers and a tank cost me R 500 to fill. Now I have a motor 3 times larger - automatic, airconditioned and 4 wheel drive if I need it to be - and it uses no more fuel. True the tank is ENORMOUS, but I dont drive so far. It has to "run in" for 1 000 kilometers, so I have been running it in for a month and it has done 577 kilometrers - in a month!
The dealer who originally sold it to me, is of the opinion that - once the cylinders have loosened up - it is likely to be slighhtly more economical than it was - not that I really care! It is BIG and no-one pushes it around in the traffic! I think they are scared that if they peeve me off, all I need do is slip it into 4x4 mode and just go over the top of them with NO qualms!
As it was, the tank is all but full. The radio station has threatened that the refinery in Durban has to undergo upgrading - so will shut down for a month, and this could cause problems with fuel supply in the next month! Beats me how a company can SUDDENLY run into problems that will affect fuel supply. You think that they would carry out mainenance to ensure that all run smoothly. Instead the officials feel that it is more practical not to maintain the refinery, and to have it closed for a month!
I must remember to top up when the tank gets lower than 1/3 full. Luckily a full tank gives 1 000 - 1 100 kilometers between needs to stop and refuel. I know that there are jealous people out there who think it is a gas guzzler, ruining the environment, but I get better mileage from the 4 litre motor (the 3.9 litre motor was recently bored out to a 4 litre motor!) than I got from my 1.4 litre car.
My previous Opel used to be a 1.4 litre motor, and I had to refuel twice a month - every 500 kilometers and a tank cost me R 500 to fill. Now I have a motor 3 times larger - automatic, airconditioned and 4 wheel drive if I need it to be - and it uses no more fuel. True the tank is ENORMOUS, but I dont drive so far. It has to "run in" for 1 000 kilometers, so I have been running it in for a month and it has done 577 kilometrers - in a month!
The dealer who originally sold it to me, is of the opinion that - once the cylinders have loosened up - it is likely to be slighhtly more economical than it was - not that I really care! It is BIG and no-one pushes it around in the traffic! I think they are scared that if they peeve me off, all I need do is slip it into 4x4 mode and just go over the top of them with NO qualms!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Keep up with technology
I was happy with Nokia cellphones, but my contract recently was upgraded. I NEED to be able to use a cell phone whenever I run into trouble with one of my cars, and am stuck on the side of the road!
I upgraded my contract recently and changed from Nokia to Blackberry - at a slightly lower monthly cost. My Nokia handsets all had the keyboard where the first key was an "A", or a "B" or a "C" depending on how the phone decided it wanted to spell a word. My Blackberry has a QWERTY keyboard, and even though the keys are small, they are easily used. I like where if you select an "A" ir remains an "A" in either upper or lower case, depending on how long you depress the key!
When I was in the army, the year before Zimbabwe came into existance, there were maybe 3 computers in the whole country, and the army one was on the 10th and 11th floors of the Earl Grey building in downtown Salisbury as it was then!
If the wind blew strongly and raised a dust storm, the computer could not add 2 and 2 and come up with the right answer. Now I have a tiny computer that fits easily in my pocket, that is:-
A radio
A GPS
A recording device
A camera
A computer - access to Google
and, by the way, also a phone!
I used to marvel at how user friendly my laptop is, and am amazed that my Blackberry is likewise incredibly user friendly. As time has gone by in the last 2 weeks, hardly a day has gone past when I have not learned something new on my Blackberry. I do have a seperate Garmin GPS that I can charge with my cigarette lighter in the dashboard. Being LDS, this is the most that I will use the cigarette lighter! Even if I were not LDS, I would in all likelihood, not smoke!
I saw an after market attachment this week where you can plug it into the lighter socket and it makes 1 socket into 3! This may be handy if I need to charge my Blackberry whilst on the move, using my Garmin at the same time.
30 years ago, a computer was ONLY a glorified adding machine, that only worked in a sterile dust free environment, but now you can get, relatively cheaply, a computer/digital camera/phone and so much more - that fits easily in your pocket!
I LOVE my Garmin GPS - an aftermarket unit that sticks to my windscreen. It squalks when I need to turn, or even if I am speeding! I have enen found that it can even tell you the elevation of where you are! I was stunned that the satellite can pinpoint where I am on the globe to within 6 meters, and even what my elecvation is!
I often know instictively where to go - inbuilt GPS in every male - but it is great that the handset can direct you, confirming your instincts. This would have been handy when I was on honeymoon, in areas that I had virtually never been! Those were the first arguements that my ex and I ever had! She had a map (what are those?) but I had my male inbuilt GPS. We were never really lost, except my brand new wife was telling me to "turn here!" when I knew full well that we needed to go straight! Turns out, we always got where we were going.
I have also found that my Garmin can be set up to direct you walking! This would be great somewhere like Cape Town, where I spent a few days walking before my accident. There was so much to see in easy walking distance of the hotel that I was staying in, since I had flown in! Those were the glorious BC days - Before Crash! Cape Town has so much in easy walking distange in the city surrounds - nassuming that you can easily walk!
I upgraded my contract recently and changed from Nokia to Blackberry - at a slightly lower monthly cost. My Nokia handsets all had the keyboard where the first key was an "A", or a "B" or a "C" depending on how the phone decided it wanted to spell a word. My Blackberry has a QWERTY keyboard, and even though the keys are small, they are easily used. I like where if you select an "A" ir remains an "A" in either upper or lower case, depending on how long you depress the key!
When I was in the army, the year before Zimbabwe came into existance, there were maybe 3 computers in the whole country, and the army one was on the 10th and 11th floors of the Earl Grey building in downtown Salisbury as it was then!
If the wind blew strongly and raised a dust storm, the computer could not add 2 and 2 and come up with the right answer. Now I have a tiny computer that fits easily in my pocket, that is:-
A radio
A GPS
A recording device
A camera
A computer - access to Google
and, by the way, also a phone!
I used to marvel at how user friendly my laptop is, and am amazed that my Blackberry is likewise incredibly user friendly. As time has gone by in the last 2 weeks, hardly a day has gone past when I have not learned something new on my Blackberry. I do have a seperate Garmin GPS that I can charge with my cigarette lighter in the dashboard. Being LDS, this is the most that I will use the cigarette lighter! Even if I were not LDS, I would in all likelihood, not smoke!
I saw an after market attachment this week where you can plug it into the lighter socket and it makes 1 socket into 3! This may be handy if I need to charge my Blackberry whilst on the move, using my Garmin at the same time.
30 years ago, a computer was ONLY a glorified adding machine, that only worked in a sterile dust free environment, but now you can get, relatively cheaply, a computer/digital camera/phone and so much more - that fits easily in your pocket!
I LOVE my Garmin GPS - an aftermarket unit that sticks to my windscreen. It squalks when I need to turn, or even if I am speeding! I have enen found that it can even tell you the elevation of where you are! I was stunned that the satellite can pinpoint where I am on the globe to within 6 meters, and even what my elecvation is!
I often know instictively where to go - inbuilt GPS in every male - but it is great that the handset can direct you, confirming your instincts. This would have been handy when I was on honeymoon, in areas that I had virtually never been! Those were the first arguements that my ex and I ever had! She had a map (what are those?) but I had my male inbuilt GPS. We were never really lost, except my brand new wife was telling me to "turn here!" when I knew full well that we needed to go straight! Turns out, we always got where we were going.
I have also found that my Garmin can be set up to direct you walking! This would be great somewhere like Cape Town, where I spent a few days walking before my accident. There was so much to see in easy walking distance of the hotel that I was staying in, since I had flown in! Those were the glorious BC days - Before Crash! Cape Town has so much in easy walking distange in the city surrounds - nassuming that you can easily walk!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Life in the fast lane
I grew very tired of living in the "fast lane" as a project manager at an international computer firm. That was then sited in downtown Sandton with various subsidiaries widespread around Johannesburg. Since I was leading a team introducing a new computerised accounting system, I had to often visit these subsidiaries. It was only after I was retired on ill health pension that the firm acquired land in Rivonia and relocated everyone to a central point!
I was getting into the swing of the job, when I took a few days off (I had worked plenty of time beforehand - after hours!) That is when I and my then wife were sealed for Eternity in the Temple of the LDS Church in Parktown, Johannesburg!
We were sealed on a Friday, and went away to a lodge in Mpumulanga (that was then called Eastern Transvaal) for a second honeymoon. This lodge was very close to the Kruger Park. We were on our way to the park when 7 kilometers away, a bread delivery truck went out of control and smashed into my car that had suffered a smashed mag wheel. My car smashed into me - changeing the wheel - leaving me in a coma for 4 months, then in hospital as a full time patient fr another 5 or so months, and then as a daily outpatient for a number more months!
I survived, but I had suffered minor brain damage (to my motor skills, not my mental capacity) and that lead my employers to decide to offer me ill-health retirement. I get a pension for the rest of my lifre, and dont have to actually work for it! At work (BC - Before Crash) life was not easy, but hard work meant that they appreciated it enough to place me on ill-health pension.
I have a major hangup with traffic and where I live, if 2 cars a day go past:-
It is busy OR
Both cars live in my garage and I have driven them - not at the same time!
Yesterday, I bought 4 new tyres for "Ladybug" - ny Freelander - and driving it now, it really feels like driving a new vehicle. Amazing how much more stable it is on the road - not that it was unsafe before!
I have started a new employment opportunity for myself where I offer to drive visitors to the Game Reserve and do a private tour for them! I love the game reserve and driving visitors is a passion of mine, rather than work!
I was getting into the swing of the job, when I took a few days off (I had worked plenty of time beforehand - after hours!) That is when I and my then wife were sealed for Eternity in the Temple of the LDS Church in Parktown, Johannesburg!
We were sealed on a Friday, and went away to a lodge in Mpumulanga (that was then called Eastern Transvaal) for a second honeymoon. This lodge was very close to the Kruger Park. We were on our way to the park when 7 kilometers away, a bread delivery truck went out of control and smashed into my car that had suffered a smashed mag wheel. My car smashed into me - changeing the wheel - leaving me in a coma for 4 months, then in hospital as a full time patient fr another 5 or so months, and then as a daily outpatient for a number more months!
I survived, but I had suffered minor brain damage (to my motor skills, not my mental capacity) and that lead my employers to decide to offer me ill-health retirement. I get a pension for the rest of my lifre, and dont have to actually work for it! At work (BC - Before Crash) life was not easy, but hard work meant that they appreciated it enough to place me on ill-health pension.
I have a major hangup with traffic and where I live, if 2 cars a day go past:-
It is busy OR
Both cars live in my garage and I have driven them - not at the same time!
Yesterday, I bought 4 new tyres for "Ladybug" - ny Freelander - and driving it now, it really feels like driving a new vehicle. Amazing how much more stable it is on the road - not that it was unsafe before!
I have started a new employment opportunity for myself where I offer to drive visitors to the Game Reserve and do a private tour for them! I love the game reserve and driving visitors is a passion of mine, rather than work!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Travel
Watching my DSTV, I am intrigued by people who have made a success of international road travel. In "the Long Way Down" (down Africa) and "the Long Way Round" (London to New York - via Russia) and "Trabant Trek" (in which 9 students started out driving from Hungary to Cambodia - in cars that I would not give house room - but some made it!) kind of makes me keen to try driving in my landrovers into stretches that are off the beaten track!
It stuns me that in Third World South Africa, we complain about terrible roads like that in Port Durnford - a string of huge potholes, strung together by a lacework of tarmac -when there are places like the Pamir Highway in Asia (no tar on a track through the mountains) or the Gobi Desert - no roads at all! - which make our road network look like super highways.
Goes to prove that you dont always know when you have it good!
I would love to travel into the wilds of the world - except that since nerly dying from bee venom, I am highly allergic to bee stings! Knowing my luck, I would be stung when I was plenty of hours from medical attention.
It stuns me that in Third World South Africa, we complain about terrible roads like that in Port Durnford - a string of huge potholes, strung together by a lacework of tarmac -when there are places like the Pamir Highway in Asia (no tar on a track through the mountains) or the Gobi Desert - no roads at all! - which make our road network look like super highways.
Goes to prove that you dont always know when you have it good!
I would love to travel into the wilds of the world - except that since nerly dying from bee venom, I am highly allergic to bee stings! Knowing my luck, I would be stung when I was plenty of hours from medical attention.
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