So whilst Eskom has leapt its way up the ladder to position itself as public enemy number one, at the same time, Telkom has slid down a rung or two - and not without good reason. I am happy to report that my most recent Telkom experience has been a very pleasant one.
As you may have gathered, K and I moved house - mostly last Friday. In fact, tonight marks the seventh night in the new house. Anyway, back to the point. About a week ago, we gave Telkom a call - notifying them that we would need a telephone number, and ADSL line installed into our place. This morning I got a call from a very pleasant guy, who came over within 1 hour of calling, tested the exchange around the corner, installed the necessary wiring, enabled it for ADSL, tested the line, and left me with a phone (as ours is still in some box down the passage, and after 20 minutes of looking, I gave up). I was blown away by how efficient and fast the whole process was. I've heard the horror stories about people waiting up to 6 weeks for phones and connectivity - so was very grateful for my 4-day turnaround experience.
Well done Telkom. I'm just grateful that I have electricity at the moment, so that I am able to make this post. Hold thumbs.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
We're in...
Its Sunday evening, and the end to what has been a long four days. K and I are physically exhausted. We've moved boxes, carted pots plants, unpacked boxes, cleaned cupboards, washed glasses, washed cars, sorted out cupboards, moved furniture, changed globes, fixed fountains, hung pictures, hooked up TV's, cleaned floors, painted cupboards, swept driveways and connected washing machines.
Yup, its been a long four days. But its over now. We're in! We have a CD playing in the background, a glass of wine in hand, and a nice cooked meal to look forward to.
Thanks to all our friends and family for offers of help and well wishes. We soon hope to have you all over for a celebratory drink and a meal.
Yup, its been a long four days. But its over now. We're in! We have a CD playing in the background, a glass of wine in hand, and a nice cooked meal to look forward to.
Thanks to all our friends and family for offers of help and well wishes. We soon hope to have you all over for a celebratory drink and a meal.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Day 1 of the house move
Ok, well not exactly day 1 as we’ve been moving boxes in the evenings, but it’s day 1 of the moving long weekend.
Things got off to an average start. Met the gardener, took him through to the nursery to get some weed killer? Yup, wedd-killer. Coming from a city slicker who’s never really had to worry about grass, my gardener is throwing bottle after bottle of the stuff into our trolley. One for rose bugs, one for broad leaf weeds, one for weeds in grass, one for weeds on paving…good thing I took him with me. Or not! Then onto Mica to buy a weed-eater. He’s insisting that he needs one (850 watt electric to be precise) if he’s going to maintain the garden to the standard of the previous owners. Into the trolley the following items, along with the weed-eater: extension cord, rake, garden broom, pressurised container to mix and spray the weed killer, extra gut for weed-eater, plastic bags, wire. I reckon he’s pretty sorted now – for at least a year anyway.
Next up, the alarm guys. They’ve delayed the installation by 2 weeks because their supplier only got back from holiday this week. Fantastic! They thought they’d come across and tell me in person. Thoughtful of them. They also pointed out the 35 metre’s of trench that I’m going to need to dig (through manicured flowerbeds, around trees, under paving), so that they can lay their cabling and whatever else they need to install. The real reason for their visit I suspect.
And finally, the fridge guys arrive. They’re a little later than I had hoped, but they arrived on the agreed day, which is always appreciated. Time to get that double door puppy into the space between the two cupboards. It’ll fit guys – I measured. Oh Shit! I didn’t cater for the height of that piece of metal protruding from the top of the fridge!
Wave the delivery guys off, and now sit down trying to figure out how I’m going to sort this one out. I could always cut some of the cupboard away. Or better yet, rip some of the tiles up and dig a trench for the fridge to sit in. It only needs to go down 5cm. I though they had adjustable legs on these things. After 30 minutes of irrational thinking, I figure that all I need to do is dismantle the cupboard above the fridge, take it out, and shave the 4-5 cm off that.
So that’s what I’m going to do. Tomorrow. With hired help!
I’m wasted. Its pizza tonight, and then we start with the next set of challenges. Getting the couches through the 1st floor sliding door of the townhouse, into the garden below, and onto the removal truck. I’m paying for that though. I did it manually once before. This time I took the attitude of “if you throw money at the problem, it’ll eventually go away”.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Time to move on...
Its difficult to leave a place that has given you so much happiness for so long.
This was the feeling that I had last night, sitting on the couch and looking at the bare kitchen and walls in our townhouse of the last 6 years. I remember the day we moved in - Dec 15th, 2001. K and I used a cooler box as a fridge for about a week whilst our fridge was in the process of being delivered. We put up some terrible pink hand-me-down curtains in the lounge whilst we hunted for fabric and waited for our new curtains to be made up.Over the years however, we accumulated, decorated and shuffled our things around, turning an echo'ey space into a comfortable home - one that we have loved since the day we took the plunge and signed our lives away. So its with a hint of sadness that we pack up our memories into cardboard boxes, and move onto a new echo'ey space - a space that will require lots of time and attention, but that will hopefully reward us with many more happy times. Its exciting. Its new. The nostalgia will quickly evaporate. Its time to move on.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
New beginnings
Here's a quick update on the house that K and I bought a couple of months ago. It seems like ages ago now - and whilst we'd like to get the move done as soon as possible, there is still a lot of preparation to be done before we'll be in a position to move in.
Part of the reason for the delay, is that the current owners sub-divided their property a while back, but never got clearance certificates from the council. They left it until the house was pretty much sold (to us) before applying for this clearance, only to find out that the council would not grant clearance until sewerage and electricity supply had been added to the subdivided piece of land (essentially we're buying a piece of their land - the piece with the house on it, and they are keeping the rest). We were then told that this process could take up to 4 months to get sorted.
The other part of the problem is that the deeds office, apart from being evicted from their Jhb based offices, close shop during December, so nothing gets done until early Jan.
By some small miracle, the owners managed to get clearance from the council during December. I think that they have had to put money into a trust, as a form of surety, until the council sorts out the sewerage and electricity requirements, in return for granting clearance. Either that or a decent back-hander was paid. Who knows? Besides the delay, its not my issue anyway.
We have also agreed to pay a nominal occupational rent from the 15th January, until the transfer goes through - we're hoping by 1st or 2nd week in Feb.
So, what that means is that from 15th Jan, we'll have a new house to move into. Top of the list of things to do still:
- Get quotes for outside security beams and link them up to the existing internal system
- Look at lighting options for the driveway
- Automation of the entrance gate
- Organise movers and transport for the day
- Buy a lawnmower
So much to do still - but really exciting at the same time.
Part of the reason for the delay, is that the current owners sub-divided their property a while back, but never got clearance certificates from the council. They left it until the house was pretty much sold (to us) before applying for this clearance, only to find out that the council would not grant clearance until sewerage and electricity supply had been added to the subdivided piece of land (essentially we're buying a piece of their land - the piece with the house on it, and they are keeping the rest). We were then told that this process could take up to 4 months to get sorted.
The other part of the problem is that the deeds office, apart from being evicted from their Jhb based offices, close shop during December, so nothing gets done until early Jan.
By some small miracle, the owners managed to get clearance from the council during December. I think that they have had to put money into a trust, as a form of surety, until the council sorts out the sewerage and electricity requirements, in return for granting clearance. Either that or a decent back-hander was paid. Who knows? Besides the delay, its not my issue anyway.
We have also agreed to pay a nominal occupational rent from the 15th January, until the transfer goes through - we're hoping by 1st or 2nd week in Feb.
So, what that means is that from 15th Jan, we'll have a new house to move into. Top of the list of things to do still:
- Get quotes for outside security beams and link them up to the existing internal system
- Look at lighting options for the driveway
- Automation of the entrance gate
- Organise movers and transport for the day
- Buy a lawnmower
So much to do still - but really exciting at the same time.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year
To all our friends, family and readers of K&G Online, K and I would like to wish you all the very best for 2008. We hope that you have had a happy and safe festive season, and that the year ahead is filled with health, peace and happiness.
Monday, December 17, 2007
The perfect end to a rainy weekend
After a weekend of rain, it was quite exciting to step out onto the balcony and witness a magnificent sunset over a glass of single malt. Its tough in Africa!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
NGC 2007
So I had the opportunity to travel up to the Nedbank Golf Challenge last week - in a chopper! Well, a Bell-407 to be exact. A friend of a friend is a pilot, looking for any opportunity to rack up flying time, and this was the perfect opportunity. Six of us left from Lanseria airport at 8am Thursday morning, and 39 minutes later, touched down on the soccer fields at the main gate to Sun City.
We spent most of the day in one of the tents, catching all the action as it unfolded around us. We watched the entire field come through the 8th hole - lucky for us the weather was pretty mild. In fact, the conditions were perfect for following the guys around the magnificent Gary Player course. As for the result, well, apart from Trevor's little choke on the 18th on the final day, he looked like he was going to win from the very first tee shot on Thursday - starting off birdie, birdie, birdie - with an eagle on the 9th. Fantastic stuff.
Once the field had come in, we made our way back down to the soccer fields, buckled up, lifted, and headed back to Lanseria in just over 30 minutes - topping 260km/hour at one stage.
Here are a few pics from the ride:
The view of Pecanwood from the air
The parking lot at Sun City
We spent most of the day in one of the tents, catching all the action as it unfolded around us. We watched the entire field come through the 8th hole - lucky for us the weather was pretty mild. In fact, the conditions were perfect for following the guys around the magnificent Gary Player course. As for the result, well, apart from Trevor's little choke on the 18th on the final day, he looked like he was going to win from the very first tee shot on Thursday - starting off birdie, birdie, birdie - with an eagle on the 9th. Fantastic stuff.
Once the field had come in, we made our way back down to the soccer fields, buckled up, lifted, and headed back to Lanseria in just over 30 minutes - topping 260km/hour at one stage.
Here are a few pics from the ride:
The Bell-407 that was to be our ride for the day
The view of Pecanwood from the air
The parking lot at Sun City
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Counting the cost
Once again the weather service get it monumentally wrong (not that I ever take the weather report seriously mind you). I drove to work yesterday morning listening to the chaos that the wind and rain had caused across Gauteng the previous afternoon - low lying bridges flooded, taxi's and buses having to be evacuated due to fear of being washed away, trees being blown over, a blue gum tree being uprooted and crushing 3 cars, 2 people killed by lightening - the list goes on.
So when the weather bureau spokesman puts out a message that the storms have cleared, and that there is less than 30% chance of more rain this weekend, you think they know what they are talking about right? Oh boy, how wrong could they have been.
Traveling home last night from a year end function, I stopped in at Eastgate at around 9:15pm to collect the pizza that K had ordered. I parked in the rooftop parking area, and when I came out, was intrigued by the odd 'popping' noise as I made my way back to the car. Then it dawned on me - I looked up at the skies, and knew exactly what was coming. Quickly slid into my car, threw the pizza on the passenger seat and jumped on the accelerator. I must have broken at least 7 cardinal traffic rules in my quest to get my car under cover before the hail heavens opened up. Bear in mind that we stay within 1 km of Eastgate - I drove like a raving mad banshee to get home in time. Well, I was caught about 50 meters from the front gate in what can only be described as the-mother-of-all-storms-that-I-have-witnessed. I managed to maneuver my wheel-spinning car up the slippery driveway of our complex and into its covered parking spot, but not before being mortar bombed by cricket-ball-sized pieces of ice. Luckily for me, most of the impact was absorbed by my soft-top roof - although at times, it felt like the ice bombs were about to rip through the material. I then stepped out of my car, under the carport and waited for the storm to pass. Bad move. By that stage, I was caught in a river of water at my feet - water torrenting over my shoes, and pieces of ice shrapnel flying all around me as the ice bombs battered the ground.
It lasted all of about 6 minutes, and this morning we're counting the damage:
- 1 x smashed tail light on my car
- 2 x dents on K's bonnet (even though it was covered, lateral bombs found her car's bonnet)
- 1 x broken bathroom window
- 1 x cracked loft window
- 1 x louvre roof, riddled with hail damage
- 1 x louvre roof side cladding, blown off
- 2 x shredded rose bushes on the patio
As for the rest of the complex, well, I counted at least 7 other broken windows, 2 smashed windscreens, and the remains of countless plants, trees and leaves strewn across the road.
All of that, from a 30% chance of rain this weekend.
Update: its raining at the moment, and looks like it will be for the rest of the weekend. Well done weather boys!
So when the weather bureau spokesman puts out a message that the storms have cleared, and that there is less than 30% chance of more rain this weekend, you think they know what they are talking about right? Oh boy, how wrong could they have been.
Traveling home last night from a year end function, I stopped in at Eastgate at around 9:15pm to collect the pizza that K had ordered. I parked in the rooftop parking area, and when I came out, was intrigued by the odd 'popping' noise as I made my way back to the car. Then it dawned on me - I looked up at the skies, and knew exactly what was coming. Quickly slid into my car, threw the pizza on the passenger seat and jumped on the accelerator. I must have broken at least 7 cardinal traffic rules in my quest to get my car under cover before the hail heavens opened up. Bear in mind that we stay within 1 km of Eastgate - I drove like a raving mad banshee to get home in time. Well, I was caught about 50 meters from the front gate in what can only be described as the-mother-of-all-storms-that-I-have-witnessed. I managed to maneuver my wheel-spinning car up the slippery driveway of our complex and into its covered parking spot, but not before being mortar bombed by cricket-ball-sized pieces of ice. Luckily for me, most of the impact was absorbed by my soft-top roof - although at times, it felt like the ice bombs were about to rip through the material. I then stepped out of my car, under the carport and waited for the storm to pass. Bad move. By that stage, I was caught in a river of water at my feet - water torrenting over my shoes, and pieces of ice shrapnel flying all around me as the ice bombs battered the ground.
It lasted all of about 6 minutes, and this morning we're counting the damage:
- 1 x smashed tail light on my car
- 2 x dents on K's bonnet (even though it was covered, lateral bombs found her car's bonnet)
- 1 x broken bathroom window
- 1 x cracked loft window
- 1 x louvre roof, riddled with hail damage
- 1 x louvre roof side cladding, blown off
- 2 x shredded rose bushes on the patio
As for the rest of the complex, well, I counted at least 7 other broken windows, 2 smashed windscreens, and the remains of countless plants, trees and leaves strewn across the road.
All of that, from a 30% chance of rain this weekend.
Update: its raining at the moment, and looks like it will be for the rest of the weekend. Well done weather boys!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
The Palace...
K and I have just arrived home after a weekend away at the Palace of the Lost City.
The reason for the weekend away was twofold - firstly, the company that K works for took the management team away for their efforts over the past year, spouses included, and secondly, it was our 5th wedding anniversary, so a weekend out of town was on the cards anyway. It just worked out nicely that we got to spend the weekend at the Palace. Even more of a bonus was that K was pampered with spa treatments whilst I was given the opportunity of a round of 18 holes at the Lost City golf course (see picture below, taken from atop the Kings Tower).
The food was magnificent, the decor opulent and the service world class. Great weekend!
The reason for the weekend away was twofold - firstly, the company that K works for took the management team away for their efforts over the past year, spouses included, and secondly, it was our 5th wedding anniversary, so a weekend out of town was on the cards anyway. It just worked out nicely that we got to spend the weekend at the Palace. Even more of a bonus was that K was pampered with spa treatments whilst I was given the opportunity of a round of 18 holes at the Lost City golf course (see picture below, taken from atop the Kings Tower).
The food was magnificent, the decor opulent and the service world class. Great weekend!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Battered Ballito and latest Books
K and I had the fortune of spending the weekend in Ballito this past week. Its the annual family getaway down to the coastal timeshare unit that the folks have had for some 18 years or so now. Not everyone could make it down, and I only went for the weekend, but it was a good break nevertheless.
One of the things that was really interesting to see this year, was just how much damage has been caused to the coastline, promenade and some property along the Ballito beach front. In fact, the damage was done the day after K and I were last in Ballito in March of this year - I blogged about the turn in weather as I was completing my second nine at Prince's Grant.
These places were lucky to escape the wrath of the tide - quite a few other places were not so lucky.
On Saturday morning we headed down to Salt Rock beach (mainly because the rest of the Ballito beaches are laden with rock, brick, pieces of wall and the odd window frame) and were lucky to stumble upon the start of the Dolphin Coast Sea Kayak challenge. The girls were quite impressed with the "Mens Health cover model" bodies on show - Grant and I tried to compete, but I think it was the lack of tight lycra pants and tops that did us in. Anyway, to say the surf conditions were rough would be the understatement of the month. We watched as the single man kayaks tried to make their way past the breakers and on towards the Durban finish, with one or two lucky guys making it, and the bulk of the teams being washed back onto the beach. Next up were the 2 man kayaks, who were just as entertaining in their quest to conquer the breakers. Some poor guys were out there, paddling their hearts out for 20-30 minutes, only to make it to the breakers and be side swiped by a monster wave, and washed back onto the beach. Ten points for perseverance though.
K has stayed on for a couple of days - she's working out of the Durban office. Me - bought myself some books at Durban International, and am thoroughly enjoying the first of the two - Freakonomics by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Daubner. Its about an economist who applies economic tools to life's daily riddles, and comes up with some bizarre truths. Very interesting read so far. You can follow their blog here
One of the things that was really interesting to see this year, was just how much damage has been caused to the coastline, promenade and some property along the Ballito beach front. In fact, the damage was done the day after K and I were last in Ballito in March of this year - I blogged about the turn in weather as I was completing my second nine at Prince's Grant.
These places were lucky to escape the wrath of the tide - quite a few other places were not so lucky.
On Saturday morning we headed down to Salt Rock beach (mainly because the rest of the Ballito beaches are laden with rock, brick, pieces of wall and the odd window frame) and were lucky to stumble upon the start of the Dolphin Coast Sea Kayak challenge. The girls were quite impressed with the "Mens Health cover model" bodies on show - Grant and I tried to compete, but I think it was the lack of tight lycra pants and tops that did us in. Anyway, to say the surf conditions were rough would be the understatement of the month. We watched as the single man kayaks tried to make their way past the breakers and on towards the Durban finish, with one or two lucky guys making it, and the bulk of the teams being washed back onto the beach. Next up were the 2 man kayaks, who were just as entertaining in their quest to conquer the breakers. Some poor guys were out there, paddling their hearts out for 20-30 minutes, only to make it to the breakers and be side swiped by a monster wave, and washed back onto the beach. Ten points for perseverance though.
K has stayed on for a couple of days - she's working out of the Durban office. Me - bought myself some books at Durban International, and am thoroughly enjoying the first of the two - Freakonomics by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Daubner. Its about an economist who applies economic tools to life's daily riddles, and comes up with some bizarre truths. Very interesting read so far. You can follow their blog here
The other one, Super Crunchers by Ian Ayres follows a similiar line of thinking. Ayres takes a look at the world of data mining and how statistics and data are being used to highlight patterns all around us.
Last week also saw K's mom heading back to Perth after her surprise 3 week visit. She seemed to have had a fantastic time both here and in London, and it certainly was good seeing her in high spirits again. By the way, send our love to the rugby team down there mom :-)
Last week also saw K's mom heading back to Perth after her surprise 3 week visit. She seemed to have had a fantastic time both here and in London, and it certainly was good seeing her in high spirits again. By the way, send our love to the rugby team down there mom :-)
Thursday, October 18, 2007
This that and the other...
Been a while I know.
Here's the news:
- Bought a house with K. Its in Bedfordview - close to where we stay at the moment. Didn't intend to buy it - put in a stupid offer that was accepted, got a bit of buyers remorse and tried to back out of it, but in the end, we decided that it was a good step in the right direction. There goes that ski trip next year...
- K's mom dropped in for a surprise visit two weeks ago. Was good seeing her again. She's in London at the moment visiting with K's aunt before stopping back in SA for a couple of days on her way back to Aus. Speaking of Aus - shame, being a rugby fan must be kak at the moment :-)
- Went to Moyo Melrose Arch this evening with K, her boss and some potential clients. Reason for the trip is that they are negotiating an oil and gas contract in Tanzania at the moment. Sean and Aron seemed like nice guys - hopefully K gets the contract.
- Squash is going well - killed my opponent in the summer league match on Tuesday, 9-3; 9-7; 9-1. Have my club champs match tomorrow against Keith. From past experience, I should take it comfortably. Although, that's what the All Black's thought I guess.
- Played 2 rounds of golf this past weekend. It was tough. I mean, a round of golf on the weekend is a treat, but two rounds! Managed some half decent scores of 88 and 85. Be careful Sean Morgan - this weekend is going to be deadly for you.
- On the work front - all good. Has been a bit slow for my liking over the past few weeks, but some nice ideas floating around, and some killer projects on the horizon.
- Oh, went to the AV/Sony Expo last week. Lusting over the Sony HD DV Cam's. Some great equipment on show. Pity about the purchase procedure though - what a shambles. If you buy anything, including the HDMI cable that I got from the Ellies stand for like 80 bucks, you fill out a form, go to the exit, pay for your goods and then wait for them to be delivered to the till at the exit. You do that for every purchase. I understand the security concerns, but what a joke!
- Finally, will be wearing my Bok golf shirt with pride tomorrow. Ole, Ole Ole Ole.
Here's the news:
- Bought a house with K. Its in Bedfordview - close to where we stay at the moment. Didn't intend to buy it - put in a stupid offer that was accepted, got a bit of buyers remorse and tried to back out of it, but in the end, we decided that it was a good step in the right direction. There goes that ski trip next year...
- K's mom dropped in for a surprise visit two weeks ago. Was good seeing her again. She's in London at the moment visiting with K's aunt before stopping back in SA for a couple of days on her way back to Aus. Speaking of Aus - shame, being a rugby fan must be kak at the moment :-)
- Went to Moyo Melrose Arch this evening with K, her boss and some potential clients. Reason for the trip is that they are negotiating an oil and gas contract in Tanzania at the moment. Sean and Aron seemed like nice guys - hopefully K gets the contract.
- Squash is going well - killed my opponent in the summer league match on Tuesday, 9-3; 9-7; 9-1. Have my club champs match tomorrow against Keith. From past experience, I should take it comfortably. Although, that's what the All Black's thought I guess.
- Played 2 rounds of golf this past weekend. It was tough. I mean, a round of golf on the weekend is a treat, but two rounds! Managed some half decent scores of 88 and 85. Be careful Sean Morgan - this weekend is going to be deadly for you.
- On the work front - all good. Has been a bit slow for my liking over the past few weeks, but some nice ideas floating around, and some killer projects on the horizon.
- Oh, went to the AV/Sony Expo last week. Lusting over the Sony HD DV Cam's. Some great equipment on show. Pity about the purchase procedure though - what a shambles. If you buy anything, including the HDMI cable that I got from the Ellies stand for like 80 bucks, you fill out a form, go to the exit, pay for your goods and then wait for them to be delivered to the till at the exit. You do that for every purchase. I understand the security concerns, but what a joke!
- Finally, will be wearing my Bok golf shirt with pride tomorrow. Ole, Ole Ole Ole.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Work, wine and wind...
Arrived back home a couple of hours ago from a little getaway weekend in Cape Town. I flew down on Friday morning for a meeting with the guys at 24.com, and another meeting with MXit. Both were pretty good meetings, and will result in some future interaction on a few of the projects that I am involved in.
Friday evening allowed me the opportunity of catching up with Lance and Cath. Haven't seen "The Hoff" in a long while, and although brief, it was good catching up with them. Although I did feel a tad guilty as they rushed down to the V&A for a drink, and on their way, some chump rear-ended them in the wet conditions.
Then rushed back to the airport to fetch K - she caught the early evening flight down for a weekend away. We booked ourselves into a nice little B&B in Camps Bay. Had dinner at my all time favourite sushi spot in Mouille Point - a place called Wakame. Awesome food.
Saturday was a fairly pleasant day - did a bit of driving around - Hout Bay, Chapman's Peak - which was closed halfway up (what's up with that anyway - its always closed), Constantia and Fish Hoek. Found ourselves in the Cape Quarter at a place called Fiesta for dinner and red wine.
Apart from the South Easter howling all night, and all of today, it was a pretty good weekend - and what would the weekend be without a sunset over the Atlantic?
Friday evening allowed me the opportunity of catching up with Lance and Cath. Haven't seen "The Hoff" in a long while, and although brief, it was good catching up with them. Although I did feel a tad guilty as they rushed down to the V&A for a drink, and on their way, some chump rear-ended them in the wet conditions.
Then rushed back to the airport to fetch K - she caught the early evening flight down for a weekend away. We booked ourselves into a nice little B&B in Camps Bay. Had dinner at my all time favourite sushi spot in Mouille Point - a place called Wakame. Awesome food.
Saturday was a fairly pleasant day - did a bit of driving around - Hout Bay, Chapman's Peak - which was closed halfway up (what's up with that anyway - its always closed), Constantia and Fish Hoek. Found ourselves in the Cape Quarter at a place called Fiesta for dinner and red wine.
Apart from the South Easter howling all night, and all of today, it was a pretty good weekend - and what would the weekend be without a sunset over the Atlantic?
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Boklash...
I thought that some of my English family and friends would like to see the changes made to the English rugby jersey. Its been awfully quiet from that side of the world since the start of the RWC.
Johnny Be Good
So, we're sitting in a cosy little pub in Edinburgh one evening, sampling some of the excellent single malt on offer, when the topic of the Johnny Walker range of whisky's comes up (admittedly, more than a couple had been sampled by this stage):
Dad: I've decided, I'm not going to drink any more Bells when I get home. I'm splashing out on quality stuff.
Stuart: Well, I personally enjoy a little JW Black Label every now and then. The range isn't as expensive as you may think.
Dad: Oh, I'm not so sure about that. The Blue Label comes with a hefty price tag. I reckon you'll pay more than 4k for the range.
Stuart: Never dad.
Dad: Of course. The Blue is probably 2k on its own.
Stuart: Never dad.
Dad: I'm telling you.
Stuart: OK. Put your money where your mouth is dad. When we get home, you go and price the range. That's Red, Black, Green, Gold and Blue. If its more than 4k, I'll buy the range for your pub. If its less, you buy the range for my pub.
Dad: Deal. You'll cry when you see the price. I can't wait.
Listening to all of this, and spotting an opportunity as it gets presented:
G: Great deal guys. However, when the official handover takes place, in celebration of winning the range, the winner will open at least the Green Label for all present to sample.
Dad: Suits me. I've got nothing to lose - that range is coming my way.
Stuart: Fine by me too. I don't mind opening a free bottle of Green Label.
G: Lets all shake on it.
A few weeks after that great evening in Edinburgh, I attended the official "handover" ceremony. Needless to say, it was Stuart's pub that was stocked with the JW range of whisky. The Green label wasn't bad either :-)
Dad: I've decided, I'm not going to drink any more Bells when I get home. I'm splashing out on quality stuff.
Stuart: Well, I personally enjoy a little JW Black Label every now and then. The range isn't as expensive as you may think.
Dad: Oh, I'm not so sure about that. The Blue Label comes with a hefty price tag. I reckon you'll pay more than 4k for the range.
Stuart: Never dad.
Dad: Of course. The Blue is probably 2k on its own.
Stuart: Never dad.
Dad: I'm telling you.
Stuart: OK. Put your money where your mouth is dad. When we get home, you go and price the range. That's Red, Black, Green, Gold and Blue. If its more than 4k, I'll buy the range for your pub. If its less, you buy the range for my pub.
Dad: Deal. You'll cry when you see the price. I can't wait.
Listening to all of this, and spotting an opportunity as it gets presented:
G: Great deal guys. However, when the official handover takes place, in celebration of winning the range, the winner will open at least the Green Label for all present to sample.
Dad: Suits me. I've got nothing to lose - that range is coming my way.
Stuart: Fine by me too. I don't mind opening a free bottle of Green Label.
G
A few weeks after that great evening in Edinburgh, I attended the official "handover" ceremony. Needless to say, it was Stuart's pub that was stocked with the JW range of whisky. The Green label wasn't bad either :-)
Monday, September 03, 2007
London, Scotland and Spain
Well its been just over three weeks since my last post, and not without good readon. K and I have been on the road, doing what we love most - experiencing the sites, sounds and tastes of new destinations. Here's a quick summary of the August 2007 tour of London, Scotland and Spain:
- Tour of the Edinburgh castle, and views from the top.
- Gardens around Edinburgh castle.
- Scottish Highlands.
- Tour to Stirling Castle (with William Wallace monument in the distance).
- Seeing our good mates Neil and Mandy again.
- Windsor Castle and surrounds.
- Cabopino Beach just outside Calahonda, Malaga.
- The ancient city of Antequera.
- The El Torcal mountain range, and limestone rock formations.
- The beautiful village of Mijas.
- On our way to the Picasso Museum in Malaga. Incidentally, although Picasso painted most of his work in France, he was actually born in Malaga Spain. We were also treated to works on temporary display by artists such as Matisse, Balthus and Dubuffet.
All in all a great trip with lots of good memories.
- Alan and Samantha's wedding, set in a quaint little church just outside Milton Keynes, with reception at Whittlebury Park (next door to Silverstone).
- Middlesex Sevens at Twickers (where Newcastle pipped Worcester 20-19 in the final).
- Fringe Festival at Edinburgh castle and surrounds. Went to see a few stand up comedian acts in the Underbelly, or catacombs of Edinburgh. Great setting for these types of acts, as you walk through a series of interconnected rooms, and then all of a sudden find yourself underground in what can only be described as a humid, musky tunnel. Watched a comedian called Martha Mcbrie, in a show called "So you think you think you can heckle?". Wasn't overly impressed with her, but we were blown away by the talent of a stand up comedian/musician called Rob Deering in his show called "Charmageddon". Worth a watch if you ever come across him.
- Tour of the Edinburgh castle, and views from the top.
- Gardens around Edinburgh castle.
- Boat trip out to Loch Lomond.
- Scottish Highlands.
- Tour to Stirling Castle (with William Wallace monument in the distance).
- Seeing our good mates Neil and Mandy again.
- Windsor Castle and surrounds.
- Cabopino Beach just outside Calahonda, Malaga.
- The ancient city of Antequera.
- The El Torcal mountain range, and limestone rock formations.
- The beautiful village of Mijas.
- On our way to the Picasso Museum in Malaga. Incidentally, although Picasso painted most of his work in France, he was actually born in Malaga Spain. We were also treated to works on temporary display by artists such as Matisse, Balthus and Dubuffet.
All in all a great trip with lots of good memories.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
My iTunes...Apple's answer to Facebook apps
Being an ardent follower of the social networking wave that is sweeping the globe at the moment, and having worked on some local social networking initiatives, I found it quite interesting to read about Apple's latest initiative - MyiTunes. They're hoping to get users to drive more traffic to the iTunes store by developing a couple of nifty widgets. From what I can make out, MyiTunes is a set of widgets that can be added to your blog, allowing you to display your latest iTunes purchases, reviews and favourite artists (in the form of an artists cloud) - based on your interaction with the iTunes website. I can see this as a big hit in countries that can actually make iTunes purchases - and a big competitor to such Facebook apps as the "iLike" app.
Speaking of iTunes - have just read that Google will be launching a competitive service called gBox. Non-DRM mp3's for 99c (US that is).
Speaking of iTunes - have just read that Google will be launching a competitive service called gBox. Non-DRM mp3's for 99c (US that is).
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Shock Horror - The Internet Isn't Backed Up!
No more blogging...You Tube'ing, Facebook'ing, Flickr'ing :-)
Monday, August 06, 2007
One down, two to go...
Been a long weekend - launched the Big Brother Africa New Media platform last night, and got home at about 2am. So what exactly is "the New Media platform"? Well there's a website (www.mnetafrica.com/bigbrother), there's a social network (www.mnet.co.za/profiles/bba), there's a scrolling sms ticker across your screen (Channel 37 on DStv), there's a whole host of networks throughout Africa receiving and sending messages, an IVR line and of course the content management systems that make it all happen.
I didn't do this all myself of course, but behind every project, there's a wee bit of project management and planning needed to make it come together - that's where I fit in.
So yes, BBAII is down (or up, depending on how you see it), with Idols and Survivor to go. And then a holiday :-)
I didn't do this all myself of course, but behind every project, there's a wee bit of project management and planning needed to make it come together - that's where I fit in.
So yes, BBAII is down (or up, depending on how you see it), with Idols and Survivor to go. And then a holiday :-)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Whirlwind update
So its been a while since my last past - and I'm starting to feel the guilt. Thought now would be as good a time as any to post a whirlwind update.
The Tour:
Its over - and life has returned to normal again. No more dominance over the remote control - K is free to change channels if she wants to. So what was up with the Tour de Farce anyway? Things were looking so good at the start of the third week - I thought we were in for a cracking final couple of stages - and then it all fell apart, and continues to push out a daily sport headline revealing some new scandal. On a lighter note, there has been talk amongst one or two mates of putting a "Tour holiday" together for the 2009 season.
Graft:
On the work front, things have been pretty hectic. We're busy with the development of the web, mobile and other interactive elements for the three reality shows that are about to be launched. Interesting times - exciting projects to be involved in.
Golf:
Haven't put in as many rounds as I would have liked this month - although I did manage a round with Tweedie at Obs 2 weeks ago. Had a dogdy start, but came back strongly. Also managed a round at Irene, and shot a respectable (for me) 87.
Travel:
Had the pleasure of being able to spend a couple of days in Dullstroom this past weekend. K and I went down to a place called Millstream - its a trout farm about 4 km's before the town of Dullstroom. Old style stone cottages with fire places - was really nice. We ventured out on our mountain bikes on Friday morning for a ride down to Highland Gate estate. They are busy laying the fairways and greens at the moment, and its looks like its going to be a magnificent course (and housing estate) once complete. Riding the 22km back to Millstream into gale force winds proved a little too challenging for K and I though - we hitched a ride back through the farm roads on the back of a tractor after battling for about 12 of the 22km's back. In fact, the winds were so serious, that on Monday morning, we heard that fires (aided by the strong winds) were responsible for the deaths of two people in Lydenburg, and a number of runaway fires in Dullstroom. Luckily for us though, Millstream wasn't affected.
The fishing wasn't that great either - although I did manage to land a sizable brown trout. I blame the wind for the lack of success :-)
Social:
Off to dinner club tonight - its the "cheap and cheerful" round for the next four dinner clubs. No take out, no franchise restaurants - cheapest total bill out of the four couples wins this round. We're up tonight and will be going to a place in Emmarentia called Lapa Fo. Should be good.
The Tour:
Its over - and life has returned to normal again. No more dominance over the remote control - K is free to change channels if she wants to. So what was up with the Tour de Farce anyway? Things were looking so good at the start of the third week - I thought we were in for a cracking final couple of stages - and then it all fell apart, and continues to push out a daily sport headline revealing some new scandal. On a lighter note, there has been talk amongst one or two mates of putting a "Tour holiday" together for the 2009 season.
Graft:
On the work front, things have been pretty hectic. We're busy with the development of the web, mobile and other interactive elements for the three reality shows that are about to be launched. Interesting times - exciting projects to be involved in.
Golf:
Haven't put in as many rounds as I would have liked this month - although I did manage a round with Tweedie at Obs 2 weeks ago. Had a dogdy start, but came back strongly. Also managed a round at Irene, and shot a respectable (for me) 87.
Travel:
Had the pleasure of being able to spend a couple of days in Dullstroom this past weekend. K and I went down to a place called Millstream - its a trout farm about 4 km's before the town of Dullstroom. Old style stone cottages with fire places - was really nice. We ventured out on our mountain bikes on Friday morning for a ride down to Highland Gate estate. They are busy laying the fairways and greens at the moment, and its looks like its going to be a magnificent course (and housing estate) once complete. Riding the 22km back to Millstream into gale force winds proved a little too challenging for K and I though - we hitched a ride back through the farm roads on the back of a tractor after battling for about 12 of the 22km's back. In fact, the winds were so serious, that on Monday morning, we heard that fires (aided by the strong winds) were responsible for the deaths of two people in Lydenburg, and a number of runaway fires in Dullstroom. Luckily for us though, Millstream wasn't affected.
The fishing wasn't that great either - although I did manage to land a sizable brown trout. I blame the wind for the lack of success :-)
Social:
Off to dinner club tonight - its the "cheap and cheerful" round for the next four dinner clubs. No take out, no franchise restaurants - cheapest total bill out of the four couples wins this round. We're up tonight and will be going to a place in Emmarentia called Lapa Fo. Should be good.
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