Pretoria, Gauteng

I just realized that I haven't put the blogs in order... Ok, so the day after Nicole landed (Tuesday), we went to see Pretoria, Church Square, Paul Kruger Museum, and the day after that (Wednesday) the Voortrekker Monument.

Church Square's architecture is amazing. I love the feeling of being surrounded by old buildings. The only downside of going there is the fact that its over crowded, surrounded by homeless people, its dirty, and the doves, like in Central Park, have become pests. A nice place to visit is Cafe Riche, the oldest cafe in Pretoria. They have imported beers from all over the world, traditional South African food, and Oom Paul coffee. Oom Paul coffee is served in what looks like a soup bowl. Its brilliant!



The Paul Kruger Museum is all about our first president. The museum was his house, and as far as I know, all of the objects are original. I love the old things, as I've said before, and it was a must see. Nicole wasn't that impressed, probably because she's not into museums. But as always, I do what I want to do.



The Voortrekker Monument is HUGE! Its has a lot of information about the pioneers that migrated throughout South Africa. Be prepared to walk a lot, climb stairs, see amazing views, and be blown away when you look down from the very top onto the "empty grave" that reads "ONS VIR JOU SUID-AFRIKA".



I LOVE MY HERITAGE!

Pure Venom Reptile Park, KwaZulu Natal

We went on Tuesday, it was raining, but absolutely worth it. The advertisements say that its the biggest reptile park in Africa... Its not! It still has a lot of amazing snakes, crocodiles, alligators, and a few other reptiles. Nicole and I also got to take photos with an Burmese Python. Awesome!



Touted as the biggest reptile farm in Africa, Pure Venom Reptile Park lies just inland from Shelly Beach on a beautiful, old estate in Izotsha, surrounded by huge wild olive trees that date back to the 1800s. The reptile park, as its name suggests, has an incredible collection of indigenous and exotic reptiles and it’s an ideal way to get up close and personal with a series of snakes, iguanas and crocodiles on the Hibiscus Coast.



At the Pure Venom Reptile Park one comes face to face with a whole range of interesting snake facts about which one knew little before, including the fact that egg-eating snakes have teeth in their necks and mole snakes have up to ninety five babies! You can have a photo taken holding a python, mamba, cobra or a viper (if you’re brave enough) and the park includes nine species of rattlesnake, the largest variation of this species outside of America, as well as five species of crocodile.



Pure Venom Reptile Park just happens to be set on the part of the country’s coast that supports the most unique live reptile collection in South Africa. At the park you’re also able to get a bird’s eye view of the mating and courtship rituals of gaboon vipers, boomslang and mambas, and, despite their reputation for not breeding easily in captivity, the park has bred the highly threatened giant sungazer lizard. There are guided tours, daily snake demonstrations and on Sundays the highly fascinating crocodile and alligator feeding, should you enjoy such enormous displays of appetite.

Kruger National Park

Well, Saturday became pantsless Saturday in the Kruger National Park, it was about 42 degrees Celcius. HOT!

Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers 18,989 square kilometres (7,332 sq mi) and extends 360 kilometres (220 mi) from north to south and 65 kilometres (40 mi) from east to west.



To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga. In the north is Zimbabwe, and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.



The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, an area designated by the United Nations Education and Scientific Organisation (UNESCO) as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve (the "Biosphere").



The park has 9 main gates that allow entrance to the different camps. The names of these gates are Paul Kruger Gate, Numbi Gate, Malelane Gate, Crocodile Bridge Gate, Punda Maria Gate, Orpen Gate, Phalaborwa Gate, Phabeni Gate and Pafuri Gate.



We went in by Malelane Gate, came out at Crocodile Bridge Gate. We had to speed to get out, it was raining heavily, and there is a certain time you need to be out... If I remember correctly it was 19:00.

Traveller's note: just say you're South African, they only check the driver's ID, otherwise you're going to pay R180 per day instead of local rates of R45.

Mpumalanga

Ok, so the road trip started on Monday, we went to Mpumalanga on Thursday, and left on Saturday. Nicole and I went to:

Pinnacle Rock is a tall column of weathered quartzite littered with bright aloes. It rises 30m above the indigenous forest in the surrounding Driekop gorge. A source of the Ngwaritsana river cascades through the dark depths of the narrow cleft on the right at the head of the gorge.



God's Window at an altitude of 1730 m, offers magnificent views across the Lowveld, Kruger National Park and the Lebombo mountain range in the distance. The nature reserve at God’s Window includes a rain forest and beautiful Aloe gardens scattered with large outcrops of sandstone, weathered into haunting prehistoric shapes. A trail leads through the rain forest along the escarpment edge towards Wonder View affording panoramic views over a vast expanse of the Lowveld.



Bourke's Luck Potholes at the confluence of the Treur and Blyde rivers is one of the most remarkable geological phenomena in the country .Through millions of years, the swirling whirlpools which occur at the confluence, have caused water born sand and rocks to grind deep cylindrical potholes into the bedrock of the rivers.The potholes are named after Tom Burke who recognised the gold potential of the area. He became involved with the mining enterprise which owned the properly. However, there is an element of irony in the name, as the main find of gold was not on their ground but on the opposite side of the river.




Lisbon Falls are a spectacular 95m treble cascade that tumbles into the dark green pools far below. Lisbon creek is typical of the area where early diggers panned for gold.



Three Rondavels View Site affords magnificent views of the famous peaks of quartzite and shale, known as the three rondavels while the Blydepoort dam lies calm arid serene far below. The poort or mouth of the canyon lies between Swadini and Mariepskop, which was once the scene of a great battle between Swazi raiders from the south and local Bapedi and Mapulana tribesman, who used the flat crest of the mountain as a place of refuge and a fortress whenever they were attacked. The Bapedi and Mapulana tribes became tired of the continual Swazi raids and under the leadership of Chief Maripi Mashile, they climbed to the top of the mountain peak opposite Swadini and bombarded the Swazis with large boulders in what became known as the battle of Moholoholo, 'the great, great battle '. The Swazis were heavily defeated and thereafter the mountain was named Maripi in honour of the Mapulana chief.



The Echo Caves are some of the oldest caves in the world and were declared a Historical Monument. The caves are so called because the local people used one of the stalactites as a drum to warn of any approaching Swazi. As these caves extend for some 40 km, the sound travelled for surprisingly long distances and the people could take refuge in the caves. From an archaeological point of view, the caves are truly fascinating as finds here confirm the legend that strangers may years ago in long white robes came to look for gold and to barter with the inhabitants. Some of the finds are exhibited at the Museum of Man. One of the rooms of the cave has a height of 60m! There are guided tours through 2km of tunnels viewing impressive stalagmites and stalactites. New discoveries include the Madonna and the Crystal Palace. The Echo Caves are the least well known of the limestone caves. Therefore, the advantage is that fewer people visit them and you may be lucky enough to enjoy this amazing underworld with just your guide.



Blyde River Canyon. A scenic spectacle, the Blyde River Canyon lies within the 27,000 hectares of the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, a 57 km belt which runs north from Graskop along the escarpment. Owing to variations in altitude, temperature and-rainfall, a great diversity of vegetation occurs. On the high-lying southern section which has a high rainfall, extensive grassy slopes and dense areas of rain forest with yellow wood, boekenhout, forest silver trees, etc. and ferns are to be found. The central area has mixed Sour Bush veld and thorn trees, while the northern area and foothills are known as the Lowveld Sour Bush veld.



Ok, so I got the info off a website, but the pictures were taken by us. So when traveling through Mpumalanga, just remember, you have to pay to see everything, which is quite irritating, and its only cash accepted. Keep cash with you. Then also, there are little markets everywhere, and they are the cheapest places to buy souvenirs (if you bargain). And if you buy souvenirs, ask them if they make the items themselves or if they buy to sell. The people who make it themselves deserve the money, and the people who buy and sell won't bargain with you.

IT'S A MUST SEE!

Long time no blog

It's been a while since I wrote on here, and its about time that I start again. So many things have happened, so many things haven't happened yet.

Well, I went to the bush for 3 weeks to "study", then I wrote my tests, and then I worked for a little bit, and then my German friend visited me for our road trip for 21 days, and now I started working again, and my dad gave me a speech about how I need to look for a job, and I need to go to church or find myself a new place to live.

Here's what I think about it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Rwioe1SGkQ&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

The pig and I

I went to the bushveld for three weeks, and in my amazing fruitless travels a warthog came to visit me daily.

She was cute, alone, and extremely intimidating. I sat with her one day, talking about a certain obsessive someone that isn't me and found that we were very alike. She would come to me, expecting something (usually food) similarly to me. I always go somewhere expecting something... Why else would I go somewhere? And after she got what she came for she would either hang around waiting for more or leave when she is satisfied. In her greediness, she also tried to eat the chair, a leaf, and my car keyes. Trying to ex ploit me and get all that she could out of me. Bloodsucker. She storms and snorts at a victim to protect herself or scare her apponents off, even if it is the hand that feeds her.

Solitude isn't something that I envy, but I do adore it sometimes, all I need to work on is controlling my emotions that so many times have burnt bridges. I also need to start saying what I think.

Crisis strikes again.

There's a guy that wants to marry me, after only starting to know me for about a month now. After a week of meeting him, I got an "I love you", a week after that "I miss you" (I was in the bush for three weeks), the third week "you would fit in perfectly with my family" and then last week "I printed a photo of you and hung it in my room".

What's wrong with that you might ask?

You're shitting me right?

So, after warning him when we met that I was going to break his heart and hurt him, he fell into this obsessed, non-existant, love pond head over heels followed by the rest of his body (which makes me hurl in my mouth a bit everytime I see, hear or think of him) followed by his whole family and all the vacations and dates we're going on... Apparently.

True love? Not a chance!

How do I tell him he's only going backwards in this "relationship"? Mmmmmmm, make him ROAR daddy!

Just need a time and place, I hate to do it, but I warned him.

And then we'll be "friends".

He'll give me gifts and when intoxicated ask why I don't like him and why it won't work. I'll laugh it off and leave the scene pretending that something interesting is going on, and to make a valid point, get a boyfriend who I don't care about, and kiss the living bleeps out of him infront of the obsessed rejected lover.

It's happened before and history is repeating itself. Same mash, different gravy.

Fun times lie ahead in these dark ages, wait and see, wait and see.

Strom and snort, with a big, bright smile on my face, works like magic.

Now, down to bussiness, I have four tests this week, finals...

Woopi!

That's what the three weeks were for, unfortunately I didn't study that much, not even half way.

Fingers crossed!

Zodiac - Aries

Aries is a Cardinal Fire sign, ruled by Mars. As the first sign in the zodiac, and corresponding with the first day of spring, the Aries individual is a mover and shaker, fearlessly forging ahead or "springing forth" into new territory. Indeed, some very influential historical characters are found under this sign including Thomas Jefferson (April 13) and Leonardo Da Vinci (April 15). The raw power of the Aries/Taurus cusp personality gone bad is epitomized by none other than Adolph Hitler (April 20).

The Aries personality is always a force to be reckoned with. These are curious and energetic individuals, always delving into new areas, but often quickly becoming bored and moving on, leaving unfinished projects in their wake. Arians are forthcoming and direct. They don't generally have hidden agendas or ulterior motives. If they find an area in which they are interested for a long period, they can become quite accomplished, well-known, and wealthy.


For those with an Aries child, you have a child with confidence and the innate resources to deal with new ideas and situations. This child is likely quite opinionated and is often territorial about possessions. This kid will tell you like it is according to their own inner truths, and will not feel bad about it later. These are the free birds of childhood, and they feel that they have the right to explore new territories unhindered, both physical and mental. Getting a child like this to follow the rules may be a challenge, but if they understand that the rule is for safety or other logical reasons, they are likely to agree and comply. Even when young, all Arians are very competitive and cannot stand it if they do not come out on top. This "me first" attitude will be evident throughout life, and they often get what they want simply because of this unshakable attitude. The Arian child is very active, jumping into action whenever something interests him, but when asked to do uninteresting mundane tasks like cleaning their room they will resort to procrastination and even lies to get out of doing this unappealing job. The Aries child will have problems in school occasionally, but their competitive nature will usually pull them through. They want more than anything to be Number One!

Adult Arians in the workplace do well if they find jobs in which they can work on their own terms. Many Arians are self-employed for this reason, and many others are managers and foremen. An Arian can function well under other people, however, as long as he has some authority over someone else too. The Army structure with its many levels seems well-suited to Arians, and politics are a natural for this sign. Occupations that involve driving and the open road are appealing to Aries, as are outside sales type occupations. Arians are intellectual more than spiritual, so you won't find too many in prominent religious or holistic capacities. Arians will not be happy at the bottom of the heap unless they feel that they are in charge of something or someone. An Arian will do well in a job situation with a big picture, with supporting cast to do the finishing work.

If you have found a romantic partner in an Aries, be prepared to take second seat. Although you will not lead the parade, your partner will go to any length to make sure your needs and desires are well taken care of. This is a double-edged sword that anyone contemplating a relationship with Aries should be aware of. If you are one that is content to be taken care of, this is your perfect match. Your partner will make it his or her mission to keep you happy. However, if you are not content to follow, explosive arguments will erupt and an unwinnable power struggle will ensue, leaving you both drained and unhappy.

The best matches for Aries for sure are Leo and Sagittarius, but Taurus, Gemini, Aquarius, and Pisces may work for some too, depending on the individuals. Aries may find themselves drawn to their polar opposite, Libra, but this is probably not the best match for them.

Aries in any relationship is magnetic and intense, and others are drawn to these qualities. The Aries individual prefers a strong partner and strong friends, but only those who are capable of giving the impression that Aries is in the lead. Aries will be a loyal friend as long as the relationship keeps evolving and they feel that it is of benefit, but if they become bored or the relationship becomes stale, they will assuredly get out. One who is in any relationship with an Aries should know when to push and when to back off and give the Aries some space. Aries likes a challenge but pushing too hard will drive him off. A sure-fire strategy with an Aries in any relationship capacity is to verbalize often that you find them smart and worthwhile, and that they are number one with you! Remember, with Aries, the by-words are "me first!"


Interesting fact: Adolf Hitler had the same Zodiac sign as me.

My Personality

The Yellow Personality - The “Let’s Do It Differently” People Yellows are self-confident personalities.

The words that apply to Yellows are self-reliant, self-respected, self made, self-motivated, self-esteem, self-starters, and self-fulfilled. They believe in themselves and their capabilities, and they rely heavily on their intellectual abilities. Yellows know that if they put their mind to something, they can accomplish it. Their philosophy is that if they believe it, they can achieve it. When you combine these strong Yellow characteristics with their ambition, they are truly capable of transforming their dreams into accomplishments.

Yellows are true visionaries and conceptual thinkers. They find great pleasure in thinking about the future and just letting their minds wander, exploring the world of endless possibilities. Yellows are challengers, and their primary purpose in life is to make a difference. They are not shy when it comes to challenging authority or the establishment’s way of thinking. The drive behind the Yellow’s need to challenge is they want to know why and how things work so they can make them better. The motto of the Yellow is to think-out-of-the box. Their need to challenge is not only directed at others, it is also selfdirected. They are always escalating their standards and personal expectations. They are the personalities who dare to do things differently just to see if they can do it better, or to see if there is a more effective way. They are compulsive about improving things. Yellows are often described as nonconformists and mavericks. And, even though they may learn to look as if they are conforming to the conventional way of doing things, they are truly square pegs trying to fit into a round world.


Yellows need autonomy and independence. They live by their own internal rules and code of conduct. They have very high principles and values, and will challenge anyone or anything that questions either. They are not compliant personalities and are not easily influenced by others or by traditional limitations. Yellows march to their own drummers. Yellows need the freedom to utilize their intelligence, to pursue their quest for knowledge and wisdom, and to continue to develop their competency by acquiring new skills and expanding their capabilities. They are deep and innovative thinkers. For Yellows, being an expert is not the only thing, it is everything. They are very demanding on themselves and will not settle for anything less than perfection.

They view life as something to master.

They are the perfect scientists because of their need to comprehend, predict, and explain both concepts and realities. Research is their forte. They are driven by the need to understand. Yellows live to solve problems in order to create better systems and procedures. In fact, the more complicated the challenge, the better. For a Yellow, problems offer the opportunity to exercise their minds and expand their intellect. Yellows pride themselves on their problem-solving skills and realize that identifying the problem is only half of the equation—finding the best solution is the other half.

Fun Times

Its been a great weekend, although I didn't do all I wanted to do. Same for last weekend.

My sister turned 21, and we had a family get together for her. I bought her the prettiest champagne glass ever! After her party, me and a few friends went out.

I wanted to get drunk, I don't get that drunk very often anymore, but I have to say, I got completely wasted, absolutely useless, and extremely lovable as always. Too lovable... And I forgot my phone at a stranger's house.

This weekend, it was my best friend's 24th birthday. Not very special, but he means a lot to me, so, I could not resist going. Funny thing is, last weekend I got a bit lovable with one of my friends, and this weekend got a bit lovable with another friend, infron't of last week's smooch. Oops...

Anywhoo, I still don't know if I like either of them, but at least one of them is making an effort to get to know me. And I have nothing to lose.

Dilemma of the week: I'm bored with my job, started a second one, hated it after 1 shift, and I can't quit, because daddy said so. Now what?!?!

Get a hobby. Lose weight. I set my goals a long time ago. I never follow through. At least I'm prepared for 3 weeks of intensive studying, relaxing, dieting, and exercise. Plus swimming. I really can't wait to get in a pool, and its almost hot enough. And hopefully by then my sinuses clear up. I need to go donate blood again too.

Sad part of my week: It's our 5 year anniversary at my Primary School, and I won't be able to go... Road trip!


Can't wait for that either. Getting on a long road again. Its going to be awesome.


And I found a new idea for a tattoo, I decided that I really don't want a tramp-stamp, so my previous design won't work. Pretty, isn't it?

Oh, and a new discovery this week, a song:

Jack Parow - I miss

I miss two tone clothes from Andre Carl
I miss fokken early Monday morning skoolsaal
I miss the parties when my parents where gone
I miss the days when the booze was still strong

I miss those hip high full suite bikinis
I miss Mickey Mouse shirts and polka dot minis
I miss the original Indiana Jones merch
I miss the duck from fokken telefun quiz
I miss early morning kaalvoet rugby
I miss KFC when it was still called Kentucky
I miss days when I thought movies were real
I miss my ouma sitting reading Danielle Steel
I miss the first child's play and Jurassic Park
I miss Jake the snake, Gold Dust and Owen Heart
I miss it and Freddy and Jason volies
I miss sneaking down the to TV and watching late night movies

bad old pussycat
whole day long
teenage mutant ninja turtles
by the power of grey skull
ghost busters

I miss the students seats at Newlands rugby park
I miss sleeping with the lights on because I'm scared at the dark
I miss Leon Schuster when he was still taking the piss
I miss screaming Province with my hand in a fist
I miss doing cut and paste projects for school
I miss pollyotters and having braais by the pool
I miss Dinoryders, Bravestar and Bionic Six
I miss Cheers, Arende, Who’s the Boss and Wings
I miss puzzles with mom and playing with play dough
tell me “where in the world is Carmen Sandiego”
I miss giving girls lifts home on my poegie
I miss the days in Marc’s car of just smoking and cruising
I miss the A Team and Murder She Wrote
I miss the days when I was still kak scared to smoke
I miss the days when special effects were hand made
when Francios Pienaar still played rugby and didn’t eat Lays

There’s so much I miss from the old days
There’s so much that I learnt from the old ways
Another kid fokken raised by the 80′s
Kytie Kytie, jy was nie net 'n mytie
I was raise by girls in outfits and kop doeke
kaal bolyf, kla oortyd en kaal fokken voete
Dallas, Dynasty en Agter elke man
Kringe innie bos en Ballade vir n enkeling
Voortrekker camps and CSV kampe
Mufasa, Aladin, Bambi and Thumper
Klei lat, Swart Kat and self-built tree houses
no shoes, no worries, play holes in my trousers
there’s a lot of good things that happened back then
but I cant keep going on about way back when
so that’s enough of that, no way no how..
Cause I’ll miss all the shit that I'm doing right now

That's it for now.

What is love?

Shakespeare and so many others have written about what love is, or at least what they think it is... But in actual fact, we don't live the fairytale, we mostly live the tragedies, written in so many songs, poems, short stories, plays, movies, etc.

Getting rejected by lovers, being betrayed, betraying others, or it just doesn't work out. It's not you, it's me... Bla bla bla! It's just a game, a love game. What is love? Baby don't hurt me.

Being in love is wonderful. Loving someone is complicated. And finding love is war. You always need to compete for attention, or just sit back and look at other women make a fool of themselves in front of your love interest. Then we all play the waiting game. Should I call or text, or is he going to do it first? Playing with your phone every five minutes, asking friends what they think will happen. Who the hell are we kidding?

If its not supposed to work, its not going to. If he doesn't call... Tough shit! And the most important rule of all: exes are exes for a reason, delete them off your phone and forget about them... There's no reason to torture yourself with mistakes you already made, rectifying them isn't going to work, and if he's married, he isn't going to leave his wife for you. That's just stupid.

Yes, I do want to get married, and I do want someone to cuddle and take out. But why fantasize about someone who you really don't care for, or even think: "tonight's the night I meet Mr. Right". If it happens it happens, if it doesn't, don't cry yourself to sleep. I don't have many female friends exactly for this reason. "What do you think about him?". "He's soooo cute!". Again... Bla bla bla. They tend to destroy a relationship with their obsessive behaviour.

Now, to explain true love through my eyes. True love is a feeling you get if you spend enough quality time with someone. Not romantic love, just love... Take me and my kids in the USA. I love them to death, and that's probably why I dream about them all the time. Then there's my best friend, we've known each other since 2003. I didn't like him much at the beginning, but now I can't live without him. And its sad that I didn't see him for 16 months while I was in America, but now... It doesn't matter at all. It is like I never left, like I went on a small vacation and came back. Sure, it was a bit weird catching up and getting back to being a South African, but its back to normal now.

The kids... Aye! The kids. It took me just over a month to fully understand each and every one of them, but as soon as you know where you can bribe them in order for them to just lower their guards and then start making them realize you're there to stay and that you're not the bad guy, it starts developing, until one day... You put them to bed, and instead of just saying good-night, you tell them, I love you.


I love you.


And they look back all surprised and dumb-struck, and as kids, they just say "I love you too". Any tantrums that pissed you off, any accidents, wrong-doings, fights, disciplinary action taken against them... All of it disappears in a second. And you never want to leave them. They can steal candy, bite each other, say bad things, irritate each other, not share the Wii, throw each other with toys, scream and yell. It doesn't matter. You can never hate a loving soul. Especially such a little rascal that does everything in his or her power to get your attention.

Romantic love is a bunch of hooha. True love is the kind that comes in all packages. It doesn't fit your type. It isn't handsome. It doesn't buy you drinks or take you out to dinner. Its waking up in the morning, and just hearing: "Thank you for getting my clothes, I love you", "I like your hair... I like your shirt...", "thank you for playing with me", and if it was a really good time...

"Hahaha! We got so drunk last night!"

Seven Deadly Sins

There is a lot to think of when it comes to morality and social standards. Especially in the current era where it is normal to get wasted, do drugs, have one night stands, and watch free Internet pornography. But at the end of the day, does it really make you a bad person, or does it affect the way you will spend the afterlife?

I personally believe that everyone plays a vital roll in society, but a small amount of people aren't needed. Looking at a beggar, that begs to keep his drug habit going strong, and will probably not stop begging or doing drugs until he dies... Does society really need him? Or idiots like Julius Malema? Or corruptees like current President Jacob Zuma?

So, to get on topic, the seven deadly sins described by Dante Alghieri in his "The Divine Comedy" consist of:

1.Lust 2.Gluttony 3.Greed 4.Sloth 5.Wrath 6.Envy 7.Pride


I know a few people who have children out of wedlock, and not one of those children are doomed to be miserable, stupid, or ugly. They're all extremely intelligent, loving, and like all children a bit naughty. I also know a lot of people who do drugs. Lighter drugs like marijuana don't affect people that much, from what I've seen, but heavier drugs like cocaine, heroin, and cat... That's a different story.

My cousin used to do a lot of drugs. He stopped. I have no idea what made him stop, but he know has a very worthy girlfriend, whom he wants to marry. The good (some might think bad) thing about this whole situation is that she has two children out of wedlock, and my cousin loves children. Which works out perfectly. Right?

When it comes to the deadly sins, I'm not sure what to think. Yes, they all have valid points and it provides moral ethics, but, let's say that someone wronged me, taking wrath is an extremely natural feeling that I would get. Revenge is an every day feeling you get, I do... For instance, if someone tries to drive me off the road, I get back at them. I call it Karma. But revenge is taken out of control when a building is brought down by planes and a war breaks out for 9 years... Currently it's 9 years, but when will it end?

I can go on about this for hours, but honestly, I think bad things are in this world for some balance. If there is light, there must be dark. If there is good, there must be evil. Evil or bad, call it whatever you want to, makes us feel something. If there were only good in the world, what would we feel like everyday? Happy? Ecstatic? Zombie-like? Nothing?

Bad things happen to make us appreciate what we have in life. If someone prides over us, if someone is richer than us, if someone takes advantage of us to feed their greed, if someone kicks us down and discourages us, if we drink excessively, if we take wrath over someone, and if we envy... WE FEEL.


I've always liked the good and the bad in people. The bad balances out what they really are, instead of seeing people like saints. No offence to the Catholic Church, but making all those feelings and actions "deadly", is completely stupid. We are human. We do wrong. We are powerful. We can be disciplined. We have freedom of choice. We can be negligent.

I like to lust, get drunk, be lazy, take revenge on the people who do me wrong, envy others and pretend I'm powerful, take pride in what I to if I succeed, and like all other human beings, I do get greedy. Greed is human nature and no one can change it.

Let me be who I am.

Funny Moments in Life

We all have those awkward moments in life, and when you think back about it, its hysterical. You start laughing randomly, and you can't help it.

The oldest funny moment I have was when I was about seven or eight. All girls do it, and I'll do it over and over in life. I slept over at my German friend's house, and we talked about what we thought life was like. Her mom and dad kept taking turns to tells us to go to bed. We talked until we passed out from exhaustion. That was long ago, but we said we'll be friends forever, and now she lives in Germany, I haven't seen her in 15 years, but we were the best of friends. We played Barbie together, we swam, we sung, we played on the jungle gym, and we were always naughty. Once we climbed into the neighbour's house, through the top bedroom window, because we believed she was kidnapping animals, if my memory serves me correctly. We were so scared, and the next moment she came upstairs. We hid under the bed, and while she went to the bathroom, we snuck out back through the window.

When we went swimming, adult supervision was obligated. If I think back now, my dad had better things to do than watch us, but he usually made it fun. We had a kiddo pool section that was knee deep shallow, it was our safe house. While my dad was swimming around, we would loudly sneak up on him, giggling and talking, splashing aloud, because our swimming abilities were limited. My dad would then turn around and shout "here comes the crocodile!", and we'd have to race to get to the safe house before he tickled the pee out of us.

She taught me how to speak English. I missed her when she left for Germany.

Another funny thought was in grade 1 when a boy in my class was caught urinating in the garden. I felt sorry for him one day, and gave him a doughnut, that doughnut actually belonged to my sister. Oops.

Then, when I was ten, we played touchers, and I ran away from a boy, Casper, and jumped over a girl, Janneke, and when Casper tried to jump over Janneke, she bobbed her head. Casper broke Janneke's nose, and it was my fault?!?! That same year, I got 100% for science, a friend of mine cried about it, because she got pressured by her mom, she only got 95%?!?! Also, in that same year, we had an over-aggressive boy who got mad at the teacher for some dumb reason, and he threw his chair. Another boy had to get stitches.

In primary school my sister and I had to take our bicycles everywhere, even to buy milk. Our household went through 10 litres of milk every four days. Incredible! So, because my dad bought our bicycles, it was the ugliest bicycles within a 500 kilometer radius. Pink, old fashioned bicycles with white baskets at the front. The paint was peeling off and it made squeaky noises when we rode it, and my bicycle's handles weren't aligned, meaning, I had to pretend I'm turning to go straight. To top it all off, neither I nor my sister were very popular in school. Use your imagination for a second. Two girls riding ugly pink bicycles, each with a five litre bottle of milk in their basket, complaining the whole time, and losing their balance because the bottles kept shifting sides, and every now and then, fall down and hope the milk survived the fall. That's why I hate bicycles.

When my sister and I decided to spare ourselves the embarrassment of the bicycles, we walked to school, and as it is here in summer, it would be bright and shiny in the mornings, and then pouring cats and dogs in the afternoons. We had to walk in the rain, and for that, my dad equipped us with even uglier rain suites. We never took them to school. So, we would come home, looking like we went for a swim, and ring the doorbell for my grandmother to open the door. She always wore wool gloves. Always. The consequence of wearing gloves were that it took her twenty minutes to press the garage remote for us to be able to get into the house. The effect is that I don't like my grandmother that much either.

Just to make it clear, I was in four primary schools. In my last one, I was tortured. The third school was too small to have clicks, but the fourth one... OMG! I was teased because my hair was too short, my dress was too long, and my sticker collection sucked. That was until my mom bought me Spice Girls stickers, and later, Titanic stickers. I didn't swop my Spice Girls or Titanic stickers, and then... My "best friend" stole them. I stole it back. She initially said she didn't know where my stickers went, and when I stole it back, I told her it just fell out and I found it at home. That same friend stole my underwear and some shirts. I evetually bad-mouthed her and she couldn't find friends anymore. Payback... Her last friend left her when she said her hair looked like a christmas tree. I told her. It was the time when those little butterfly clips were in fashion. And the huge Spice Girls shoes. I am extremely grateful that those shoes, and jelly baby shoes, are out of fashion.

Well, going to high school... I met my first love there, but I don't want to write about him. I want to write about his sister. Well, when the love and I was at their house, we made a habbit of tickeling the little sister, untill she wet herself. She hated us for it, but who can resist? There were stains all over the rug, and it was our evil doings. The other physical problem she had was that her feet smelt like blue cheese. We could smell her take her shoes of in the living room from the furthest bedroom in the house. Then, one weekend, me, my sister, the love, and his little sister went to the bush. The first day she took her shoes off, we tied her shoe laces together and hung her shoes in a tree, which just happened to be conveniently out of reach for her. Two days later, the smell was gone. Its amazing what a little fresh air can do...


XOXOXO

Crash Boom Bang

First assignment due in 3 days, 30% completed... Not good. Had sex with a stranger... Even worse. Lady's night... Extremely positive.

I was at a fundraiser for barefoot skiers, a ladies night, it started off with cocktails and survival kits for women. Included in a survival pack is:

1 x G-string
2 x Condoms
1 x Headache powder
1 x Chocolate

After all of the girls, and boys, got a bit tipsy, it was time for sex toys demonstrations and a quiz. After the quiz... Body shots and lap dances. Very, very sexy! Naming a few questions in the quiz:

Q: Why were vibrators invented?
A: To cure hysteria in women.

Q: What sex toy was made famous in Sex and the City?
A: Roger Rabbit.

Q: What was the first dildo made out of?
A: Wood.

Q: Do most women get sexually satisfied from only penetration?
A: No.

Q: What is the difference between a dildo and a vibrator?
A: A dildo doesn't vibrate.


With the answers to the questions, there were demonstrations of all the sex toys. It was hilarious, but very intriguing. There were dildos in all colours and sizes, vibrators in all shapes and disguises, lubricant, and then my favourite: the tongue. The tongue is a rubber tongue that is about the size of the average woman's hand, and what does it do? Oral sex! LOL! Its like a little mechanism that moves around inside the rubber, and it feels like a tongue. Amazing what technology is used for these days.

Then, to get to the random stranger sex... Aye! Well, after I got home, extremely drunk from the girls night, I went over to the neighbours house. Two guys kinda invited themselves, but then again, that's what we South Africans do best. We sat in the kitchen drinking, the one guy went to bed, in our spare bedroom, and that left me with the other guy. I eventually told him that I was tired, and the other spare bed is in my room. Mistake. We then sat and talked, and when it was time for lights out, he got into my bed?!?! Anyway, I couldn't sleep, and as random as I am, asked him if he wanted to have sex. LOL, it wouldn't have been that awkward if it wasn't him. He is a strange creature. Anyway, it wasn't horrible, but it was quick, he and his friend had to leave early to drive somewhere.

The bad thing is, I only realized the next night that his friend puked all over my sister's toilet, my sister texted me saying its my responsibility. Its done. After looking after kids for so long, I don't get grossed out anymore.

The only good thing that happened was that I got a G-spot orgasm, which wasn't as amazing as I thought it would be. I've had one before, but I was 16. That's why size matters.

Anyway, just another reason to stay single now. I don't want to go through getting to know someone and hope and pray that they like me, etc. The last fling I had got a new girlfriend 4 days after we saw each other, the previous one did the same... I feel like I have bad luck at the moment.

Another surprise in my life is that I can actually drink tequila again. It takes a cigarette and a cider to keep it down, but at least it stays down. I found this out when I went out one night this past week, and a guy bought me tequila. I dropped him off at home that night, he lost his friends. He's old, from Namibia, but he's a nice guy.

I saw him again at a Christmas in July party, where I had tequila again. Ha! I never learn...

Last thing that happened to me was today. My geyser broke. My whole flat was under steaming water. Luckily we have a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. It works like a miracle. And now that that's happened, I have my place like I like it, all the stuff I don't need came out today, now I can rearrange my house like I want it, and maybe decorate a bit more.

Start your engines! Its going to be a bumpy ride...

Self discovery

Well, once again I'm loveless. But this time I'm seeing the bigger picture, which is surprisingly more rewarding than being in a relationship right now.

I feel like I'm a lucky charm for guys, once they kiss me, they find a new love. Its disgusting.

Moving on... Work is fun and frustrating. The fun part being, drunk people are flipping funny, the frustration comes from an incompetent manager that thinks I can't survive without her. She is highly intelligent, but slower than cancer, and her fuse is shorter than the hair at the top of my head at this moment.

I cut my hair, or actually, one of my best friends, if not my best friend, cut my hair. Its short at the back, and then gets longer to the front. Just like Valentine's hair in Doomsday. Another fictional character I wish I could be.

And then I can't stop thinking about what the palm reader said... I have a negative aura. I'm honestly starting to believe that I am on a path of self-destruction. I'm no good at love, relationships, studying, exercising, or just having a normal schedule to live by. I've never been normal, nor do I think I'll ever be, but I at least want it to say I'm normal on my paper work.

My dad and I were watching a show on Television about Bi-polar disorder. And I know I am bipolar. I'm self-conscious, I always think the worst in situations, I'm emotionally sensitive when it comes to people's behaviour towards me, and I get my ups and downs worse than other people. That is bipolar, isn't it? My dad doesn't seem to think I am, but apparently he is?!?!?

ME = DAD

We are the same. I see myself become more and more like my dad every day.

Except for the fact that I don't believe in religion anymore. Which just makes my curiosity grow towards Wicca. Its the oldest religion in the world. And as far as I know, there are no bibles in Wicca. But I like the idea of "no harm". I did the Wicca thing for a little while back in high school, and I liked it, so, maybe just for shits and giggles I should do it again.

Oh, and I started running, I can't do it for long, but I love it to death. I miss that feeling of running far and feeling good... And free. Bicycles don't give you that feeling, neither does walking, or sleeping for long hours.

I do sleep a lot these days, never less than 10 hours, and lately I've been getting weird dreams, such as mermaids, and flying. Apparently only children get flying dreams, but I still have them, and I still dream about my kids in Idaho. Its eating me up inside that I don't have children yet. I don't care much for babies, but from when they can walk and talk, I'm all in.

I want to go nanny again, maybe in Germany, or anywhere in Europe for that matter, but I don't want to leave home again, or be depressed and frustrated because of incompetent parents who don't care much for their children, so, the logical thing to do is wait to have children of my own.

I should get a hobby...

Palm Reading

I went to get my palms read by a gypsy. It was interesting. The first thing she said to me was that I was in a job that was going to get me nowhere. Which is true. She also mentioned that with my studies a lot of doors would open, like veins spreading. Which is also true.

Then it came to love. Apparently I'm in love with two guys, one who is a risk taker, the other a very stable person. She said the risk taker isn't a good choice, he would end up not going to work and therefore my money issues would become a huge issue, but the risk taker makes me happy. The more mature guy is the better choice, because he would be a long term investment, money wise...

That's not true... I'm not really interested in anyone at the moment. The guy that texted me, who I gave my number to, well... I'll see how that goes. Next week we have a date. Movie and then his house. Mmmmmm, hope it works out.

Then she said something that hit me right between the eyes. I have a negative aura. I believe that one. Although I'm very outgoing and I can't do anything without a smile upon my face, I am a pretty negative person. When it comes to love, money, family, and business... Yes, I am negative.

I can't see how many relationships work, because none of mine work out. Money isn't happiness, so I don't like it much, but it's something we can't live without. Family is all drama drama. Business and career, well, I've tried that, and I don't like it.

The Gypsy woman also said that my negative aura is controlling everything, and it can be seen in my money and relationships. My social life is declining. She wanted to sell me a lucky charm for R500, but I didn't have the money, nor did I want to spend that much money on a lucky charm.

It just made me wonder how palm reading works...

I paid R200 for a palm reading, and I actually wanted to spend another R400 on a Tarot card reading, but again, I only had R200 on me.

But Yay me! I'm going on a first date!

Long time... Long time...

Fingers crossed, no lucky charms, make-up, hair, and I need to shave and do my nails before then...

Hopefully Cupid does something for me again, its been a while, and I truly think I need someone.

Oh, and I got a new phone, Samsung B3310 NOX, and I love it. Makes me feel connected again...

Now I just need to connect...

As for my studies, I got all my results: 80%, 85%, 54%, 77%.

I am extremely upset about the 54%, but now I know where my weakness lies... And the fact that me and Daddy kind of had a fight about it just makes matters worse... My next assignments are due in a month, and I started working on it, but I'm not in the mood. I wish it would just all go away.

It reminds me of a long time ago... When I was in high school, I used to wake up at 4 am to start studying for my tests. I never did bad, I wasn't top of the class, but I always knew I could do better, and then two days ago I found a poster I had back then that says:

Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it. Autograph your work with excellence.

Maybe I should just pull up my socks and do a bloody good job, but then again, its just going to get slaughtered by my dad, so, my work will always be questionable.

Soon, I'm going to start writing down all my memories before I forget those too... But there's one thing I heard in a song a long time ago, and it stuck to me:

You won't remember half the life you lived.

I plan to cherish those memories in my blog, and I need to find my late grandmother's poems and write them down too. Her poems were mostly about religion, and I think I want to give the church another chance.

There has to be a god. He has to have rules. And he most definitely has to care. But I don't think that any book ever written can capture him. I truly don't think that anyone knows him, and I most certainly don't think that he started any religions. Religion is about man and self improvement, and churches only make it seem like praise and worship.

As for Zeitgeist, it was a good movie, but its a load of hooha. I did research on the things they said about Christianity, and its a load of bull. None of the other "gods" lived the same life as Jesus, but that still doesn't mean that he existed. And the Bible is too faulty to believe it.

Where do I go from here?

Another Month Already?!?

It's July, and it feels like I've missed out on a few weeks of my life.

Wow! I have 5 months left to get fit enough to get into the police force so that they can make me fit. Am I the only one seeing the idiocracy behind it all? Why not let us in by an IQ test? And then get us fit... Then we wouldn't have the incompetence in the Service either.

Oh, and I missed work last night, or the night before... I really don't have a good understanding with time anymore.

Missed work...



LOL smiley face.

Mom and Dad came back from Australia. They bought presents! I took the Koala stuff, I like it better than Kangaroos. I got a fridge magnet, note book, rugby shirt, Aussie beanie, Aussie hat, koala towel, koala hand cream, jewelry, a coffee mug, warm clothes (as if we don't make those in South Africa), and that's about it... Oh, I almost forgot... I got an ashtray, its like a bottle, you put the cigarette but in the hole, and it dies within 2 seconds. And it keeps the smell inside... Cool.

That's all for now...

Smile

"Be optimistic, don't you be a grumpy, when the road gets bumpy, just smile, smile, smile and be happy!" - Anywhere but here, 1999

Yeah... I don't know where to start. I'm tired, and cold, but my belly is full of yummy McDonald's. I had a walk-out today, at work, not much, but still... I wanted to scream. And my manager is a bit, I don't know what the exact term is, but I'll go with... Stupid.

I've been exposing myself to the arts lately. LOL!

I went to go see Marmaduke with my friend. She likes cuddly, fluffy, funny movies, but I don't. But we went anyway, after all, I invited her, she can pick the movie. It was funny and I loved it. It's one of those movies I'll put on my list to buy for my kids I'll have one day.

Then, I went and I bought Boondock Saints II All Saints Day. I think its brilliant, but I seem to be one of a few. No one seems to think that it matches up to the first one. I do. I honestly do, especially if you watch Troy Duffy in the special features and hear what he has to say. With the limited budget and time, what came out is absolutely fantastic! That and... I've been waiting five years for this movie to come out! And then there are a few really good scenes in the movie, one of my favourite has to be where the Saints are dreaming and Rocco and Greenly and the dead cat visits them. Rocco has this great speech about being a hardworking man. I love it. And then Greenly's exiting words: "Thanks for coming out". Brilliant.

Oooooh, and I found the words:

Connor MacManus, Murphy MacManus: Sláinte
Murphy MacManus: You know, it was sort of a balance though, wasn't it?
Connor MacManus: Shades of Eastwood. Charlie Bronson.
Rocco: Duke Fucking Wayne!
Connor MacManus, Murphy MacManus: Duke Fucking WAYNE!
Rocco: Men build things, then we die. It's in our fucking DNA! THAT'S WHAT WE DO!
Murphy MacManus: And when it all falls down?
Rocco: We build it right back up again.
Connor MacManus: But this time bigger. BETTER!
Rocco: Look! Look what we can do. Look how fuckin' beautiful we are. You think the men that built all this had it easy?
Murphy MacManus: Hard men!
Connor MacManus: Doing hard shit!
Rocco: and that gives me a hard on... But not in a gay way or anything like that.
Murphy MacManus: No, 'course not
Connor MacManus: Yeah it goes without sayin'
Rocco: I am so sick of all of this self help, twelve step, leftover hippie generation bullshit!
Connor MacManus: Now they don't want you to do anything, right? Just sit there. Don't drink.
Murphy MacManus: Don't smoke. Don't drive fast.
Connor MacManus, Murphy MacManus, Rocco: Kiss my ass!
Rocco: Fuck it! Do it all I say! Do you think Duke Wayne spent all of his time talking about his feelings with a fuckin' therapist?
Connor MacManus: There's no fucking way he did!
Rocco: John Wayne died with five pounds of undigested red meat in his ass. Now that's a man! Real men hide their feelings. Why?
Connor MacManus, Murphy MacManus, Rocco: Because it's none of your fuckin' business!
Rocco: Men do not cry. Men do not pout. Men jack you in the fuckin' jaw and say...
Detective Greenly: Thanks for comin' out.


Love it or hate it... It was done perfectly. They started shooting that scene before the script was even written. That's how low budget it was, and yet, I love it! Have I said I love it too many times? Because, I really really really love it.

Then, I watched Zeitgeist. Its extremely informing, but at the same time scary. It's about Christianity and where it started. The lies behind the Bible, and what all the meanings are of the miracle birth, which actually just represents the sun. The sun of god. You have to watch it to understand. It also exploits the 9/11 attacks, and explains how it was an inside job. It was planned so that America would go into war with Iraq and Afghanistan, the same plans were used in WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam war. And why? Money. Its all about the Federal Bank. Another interesting fact is that no American is obligated to file tax return forms. I didn't do it either when I was in America, but the Bank of America sent me the forms, and I lost it. There is no law which the Federal Bank complies with, they make their own rules and regulations, and people believe that they have to pay taxes to the Federal Bank, because they are told to do so.



Go and watch Zeitgeist. The end is shocking. Although its just conspiracy theories...

Thanks for comin' out.

What I know about fraud...

I'm writing this because I'm bored and I'm waiting for stuff to download. Aye! The tragedy of slow Internet in South Africa.

OK, so to start off, I know quite a lot about credit card fraud, and I think my information might be useful to others. I also know a bit about identity theft.

There are a few types of credit card fraud, namely: lost, stolen, lost in mail, counterfeit, false applications, and lastly card number misuse.

Lost cards are cards that have been lost, just to state the obvious. Like, if you know you keep your cards in your wallet, and then all of a sudden just one card is missing, you lost your card.

Stolen cards requires the card to be stolen. If your whole wallet goes missing, it was probably stolen by pickpocketing. If you left your wallet somewhere, you lost it. The most cases I had at the bank involving stolen credit cards, were by people who have been robbed, hijacked, smashed and grabbed, or their houses got broken into. Victims of stolen credit cards know that their cards got stolen, and because a credit card is the bank's property, you need to report that it was stolen. It can also be that you have been scammed at an ATM, and the suspects took your card after leaving...

Cards that get lost in the mail, is also quite obvious. Worst case scenario is that the transit vehicle got robbed.

Counterfeit cards are the most interesting cases there are, because to make a counterfeit card there has to be a common point of purchase between a few cards, where the card has been swiped through a skimmer device. So, what happens? The card gets skimmed, then the information from the skimmer device goes onto a computer, the syndicate then print cards (that looks completely different from your card) from different banks, or even international banks, with the suspects name on it. There can be multiple cards printed too. Then, after a card is printed, it gets used. For a lot of purchases. The syndicate tries to commit as much fraud as possible within the least amount of time. So, basically, a counterfeit card is a card with a victim's mag stripe on it, but nothing else.

False applications are easy to spot. Its identity theft in other words. False IDs, payslips, etc., get used to apply for a credit card in a fraudulent manner. For the trained eye, its easy to spot a false ID, but to find out if its a false payslip, you need to phone the company that person works for, and if its a false company, its even easier. To start a company, it has to be registered, so, if a company isn't registered, it doesn't exist. If the company does exist, and the applicant works there, and the payslip matches what he/ she actually earns, but that person didn't apply for a credit card, the suspect is most likely working for the HR department of that company, or a different company that was supplied with the victim's information. Well, anyway... When a false application gets approved, its also easy to spot. The credit card usage is what you look at then. Usually, from my experience, there will be a lot of ATM withdrawals, and then a lot of under-floor limit transactions. More about that later.

Card number misuse is when a card number, expiry date, and the CVV/ CVC number gets used to do manual transactions, either over the phone, or over the Internet. It's also extremely easy to spot. A lot of manual transactions will be on the client's statement, and the only way this can happen is if someone writes the information down at a common point of purchase, or someone living with the client, or the client used his/ her credit card on a not-secure website.

OK, so some things all fraudsters do when they have any type of fraudulent credit card is to spend as much as possible in as little as possible time. When its a lost or stolen card, it will usually be a group of fraudsters who split up. They would assign shops and items, except for one person in the group. So, one person buys electronics, one person buys food, one person buys clothes, one person buys furniture, etc. and the last one is the runner. He runs with the credit card from the one place to the other and gives it to the person at the till to pay. The sad thing is, the law...

If and when these persons get arrested, all the goods they bought has to be confiscated as evidence, and goods that expire are to be photographed and can be destroyed. Meaning, if they buy food, you can not keep food in an evidence safe, so the food can be eaten or given away. After the court proceedings, however, all the goods have to be given back to the fraudsters. Because its theirs. The goods were not stolen, because to steal something is to take it without permission. The goods that are bought with fraudulent credit cards are obtained in a fraudulent manner, but it has been obtained with permission of the merchants. The fraudster picks a TV that he/she wants, and the merchant accepts to give it to them if they receive payment. Merchants give fraudsters goods, sometimes they even wrap it nicely or even deliver it to their homes. Nice, isn't it?

So, how do we stop this? It's easy... Merchants have a signed agreement with the bank. They are supposed to compare the signed slips signature with the signature at the back of the credit card, and also ask for an ID to compare with the name that is embossed on the credit card. And if the credit card holder doesn't like it? TOUGH! The credit card that is used by the client is still the property of the bank, and the client also has a signed agreement with the bank. Contracts, contracts, contracts...

OK, then the last issue for today. Your wallet got lost and you stopped your (the banks... Hahaha!) card, and after you stopped it, transactions came through. How is this possible you ask? Easy, once again... Each merchant has a floor limit on their POS (point of sales) machine. So, let's say Sally owns a flower shop, her floor limit is R50. Every transaction over R50 is going to require authorization by the bank, every transaction below R50 is going to go through automatically, unless it is listed on the hot card list. A card is valid until it expires. That's why a stolen card can be used. So, the banks run listings daily of stopped cards that are being used. If a transaction was declined, the bank won't phone you, if it went through, they will phone to open a fraud case, and the money that was spent will be payed back to you.

Don't get mad at the bank if the transactions go through! It's not their fault. Not all stopped cards can be listed on the hot card file, there isn't enough space. And not all cards that have been stopped get used afterwards. It's cheaper to pay the client back than to buy more space on the system. Luckily, there are chip cards now, that make it a hell of a lot more difficult to commit fraud.

Hope I made you smarter...

Hospitality

I just laughed as I wrote the title for this blog. I'll tell you why in a second...

First off, let me say I received my fourth marriage proposal for the year, and they weren't jokes, it was serious proposals. First one this year was by a Canadian Mormon who had been divorced twice already, the second one was by a security guard (R1, but he's R2 now), the third one was by a kitchen staff member at the bar I work at, and then this week there was number four. He is a 42-year-old British man, with lots of facial hair. He's never been married, and he actually stayed at the bar until we closed just to be with me, which is really sweet in a way, but I'm not the one for him.

Then, tonight, one of the guys I gave my number to at the bar finally got the strenght to text me, asking me very politely if I would like to talk to him. I'll keep it posted as we go along...

Now, back to hospitality.

Hospitality
A noun
1 cordial reception, hospitality

kindness in welcoming guests or strangers

OK, so I've seen a few examples of hospitality this past month regarding a lot of situations. The first one is of course the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup that we are hosting, and seeing that I work in one of the busiest tourist districts, I see a lot of foreigners. I think I am hospitable. Until you touch or kiss me... Then I want to be destructive. Foreigners are strange beings, thinking that we South Africans are going to bend over to their every need and do things the way its done in other countries. Wrong! If you travel, you go and see new places and experience new things. If you wanted things to be the same as what you're used to, stay at home!

Yes, South Africa is responsible for exploiting all of the foreigners that come here, but if you listen to me, I'll send you to the cheap, just-as-nice places surrounding the expensive places.

But I'm not worried about humans, humans can help themselves.

Dogs can't.

My sister picked up a dehydrated, starved, abandoned dog. A beautiful dog. A two-year-old female Basset Hound. We took her in until we can find her a stable home. The first time I saw her, she was too weak to stand on her own four paws. Her tail was constantly hiding between her legs. We gave her dog pellets, and water, and watched how she gobbled it up. Then came fish cakes and fish fingers. Yet, she didn't wag her tail. Then my cat came walking in, completely unaware of the three-times his size dog freelancing in the living room, and she licked him! LOL! If a cat had human facial expressions, looks would kill! The doggy finally wagged her tail, but my cat ignored me for 2 days, wanting nothing to do with me.


So, after three days she looks a lot better. I took her to the doggy parlor, and now her skin is extremely smooth, her ears are still chipped and swollen, and I have no idea what happened to her. My sister took the doggy to the veterinarian, and they couldn't find a chip to locate the owners, but its their loss. They don't know what a great dog they lost. She is joyful, loving, and as calm as a dope smoker. I named her Lucy today. I was listening to the Beatles when I wanted to name her - Lucy and the sky of diamonds. Unfortunately she can't stay, we already have four dogs, and none of them like her, but at least Lucy keeps big Bruno in his place. And another reason we can't keep her would be: if my parents come back from Australia and there's another dog here, my daddy is going to flip!

That was all the good news I have. Now for the bad news.

Well, on Monday night, actually Tuesday morning, after work I stopped at our Community Policing Offices. As I was talking to the Control Room lady, a call came through that shots were fired, not far away and that there was a break-in at a hardware store. I went there to see what happened, as always, I can't help myself. So, two black men, in their late twenties broke into the hardware store, they broke through the roof. A silent alarm went off and awoke the owner. The owner and his son went into their hardware store and heard the suspects on the roof. The owner told his son to go around the building with his shotgun and make sure that they don't get away. The son saw where the suspects climbed onto the roof, and he climbed up, and then he fired two shots in the dark.

Our response vehicle was on the scene first. Then the ambulance and the police showed up at the same time. They were there for a few minutes before I showed up. The paramedics, police officers, and one of our community policing members went onto the roof. They found the two suspects on the roof with bullet wounds through their legs. The one suspect (X) tried to run away, but he wasn't looking where he was running. The roof has two platforms. Between the two of them there is about a 1.5 meter drop. X ran and fell off, he fell hard, we suspected that he broke his pelvis. The other one (Y) was just sitting on the top platform waiting to be arrested.

Y was taken down first. He was arrested and his hands got tied up with cable ties. He was wearing a black and blue bikers jacket and BMW shoes worth R3 000. We were all cracking jokes about his clothes and how much it cost. It was all fun and games up until a point. The point comes a bit later.

X fell so hard, he couldn't walk. The paramedics said he looked a bit broken when they got there, in the position as shown here. They had to get the paramedic and the suspect down with the help of the fire department, because they were stuck.

Anyway, all the men were extremely arrogant towards the two suspects, and then one of them started touching them. First a pat on the shoulder, then a tap on the leg. Y went into the ambulance were an unskilled police officer tried to put a drip into his arm. I was unaware of this until the ambulance door opened. It was horrific, it looked like he skinned a piece of his arm off.

X had it worse. This man that started touching the suspects told the police officers to look away, and away they went... X was tied up, scared to death, and he was shaking. He was shaking, either of the pain, or the cold. This man... Kicked him... About 6 times, I didn't count. He kicked him until I said stop. I... Me...

Not the police officers... Me!

I dreamt that night that I gave that man a butterfly kick to his head and he fell face first to the floor. It would have been nice if I could do it and did do it.

I said it before and I'll say it again. I hate criminals. The idea is to arrest a perpetrator. Not kill him. If these to suspects were armed and dangerous and fired shots at us or endangered our lives in any way, by all means, beat the crap out of them.

But these two... They could have been trying to manipulate us by acting sympathetic, but they were already arrested. They were cold. They were in pain. Why the hell torture them then? This isn't Zimbabwe.

I don't know what happened to them afterwards. When X got loaded into the ambulance with Y, I left.

Next time, I promise, I WILL MAKE A CITIZEN'S ARREST. I HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO SO, AND I WILL USE MY RIGHTS.

I said previously that humans can help themselves... Humans are the only animals which are known to kill for fun. So, maybe I'm wrong. I think 70% of all humans are useless, because they steal, they corrupt, they abuse, they kill, and they don't live life to the fullest.

Yes, I'm not making the most of my life either, but at least my grey matter works better than idiots who kick people while their down.

Don't be sorry...

This week has been interesting so far. I figured out that if you don't phone your friends, they eventually phone you. I'm glad.

Other interesting events have included drunk confessions, reckless driving, and once again... Religion.

Well, starting with drunk confessions. I can't handle my alcohol anymore, its a bad thing, it makes me a cheap date. Anyway, one night after work, two of my colleagues and I got drunk. I chewed all my nails off again, and now my hands look like they're homeless. As always, when drunk, you start talking about extremely deep subjects. For some reason I started telling the two "friends" about my dad. Aggression.

The earliest memory I have of my childhood was when I lived in Nylstroom. I used to call it Huunstroom. Silly. The memory I have isn't traumatising, but it has to be explained. Bobby, my sausage dog at that stage, and I went for a walk, I was still in diapers, and my dad obviously freaked when he couldn't find me. He went looking for me and found me, and spanked me all the way home. Lesson learnt.

Another memory was when I was in preschool, about four or five years old. The whole family went grocery shopping, and when we returned, I offered to unlock the front door. It just so happened that I was unable to open the door, because I couldn't fit the key in the hole, and my dad got impatient, and spanked me. I wet myself.

In Grade 6 I was obligated to polish all my dad's shoes. I liked the park and cartoons better, and I really didn't want to spend the afternoon cleaning my dad's stuff. Some people call it lazy. I call it misunderstood priorities. If you've ever watched WWE, you would know what a choke-slam is. At age 12 I got choke-slammed by my dad because of his dusty shoes.

The last beating I got was in Grade 9, if I'm not mistaken... Wynand. My first love. We had an extremely manipulative relationship. I always mention that first, interestingly enough. We made blood-promises by pricking our index fingers and squishing the blood all over a written promise. Mine were always in heart shapes. Anyway, this particular night, we had a fight, and I told him that it would be the last time he ever heard from me. Suicidal messages seeking attention. He phoned my mom and told he that I was trying to commit suicide. She panicked, came into my room and started asking me questions, raising her voice with every word she spoke, until my dad came into my room, and my mom informed him of my intentions.

He left the room for a few moments and came back with our Zambok. If your South African, you would know what it is, if your don't, its a rock-hard, rubber, thing... Some will call it a weapon, some would call it a self-defence mechanism. Its something between a stick and a whip. Ours had a faded red handle. It hurt like hell, the few times my dad got me. I was hiding behind my mom, she got caught in the cross-fire, so did my walls, posters, and closet doors... There were black stripes all over the room, my arms, my mom's arms, my back, and my legs. I even remember getting hit with a fist at some point, but the chronological order has been forgotten now. I fell to the floor and got dragged outside by my hair. My dad is big and strong. My dad told my mom to make sure I don't "escape". He went into the garage. My hands got tied up with a cable-tie for about 30 minutes. Not to sound sadistic, but this is my favourite part. Ever seen GI Jane? Hands tied at the back, standing on her knees, all beat up...

That was me, but with hair...

My daddy shouted at me to stand up, I was getting up, and then I got knocked to the floor again. He pulled on the cable tie somehow, and then I got dragged into the kitchen by my hair. The best feeling I ever had, thinking I was about to die, and telling my dad what a piece of crap he is.

My dad is touchy about suicide. His brother committed suicide. His best friend committed suicide. He was honestly trying to save me. He just didn't know me well enough to understand how my brain works.

He called Wynand's dad, and now that I think back, I really don't know what he was trying to accomplish. Why phone an innocent bystander when I'm the "problem"? Ha! Like Wynand's dad would understand me if my own dad didn't understand me at that stage... Long story short, my hands went purple because my blood wasn't circulating. And when my hands got freed, I started pulling out all the dead hair that was in between my attached hair. It drove my dad nuts. That next day my dad burnt the Zambok, and promised never to touch me again. He kept his promise, and then he sent me back to the psychologist.

Aye! What a life...

So, yes... I'm aggressive because of my dad, that's my own psycho analysis. I like pain, because I'm used to it. I'm fearless, because I've shaken hands with death. I look for trouble, because it keeps me alive. And I like drama, it amuses me.

Shaken hands with death? Um, when I was nine or ten, my grandmother (my dad's mom) came and lived with us. She used to lock me and my sister in the house, way before that... I think I was five or six when she looked after us during the holidays. All the memories I have of her actually. Anyway, she locked us in the house and told us we couldn't play outside, because the kaffers are going to rape and kill us.

At age eleven I had my first anxiety attack. It was just after 19:00, I know this because we were watching the news. My dad asked me to get him another plate of pasta, I went to the kitchen, put my plate in the basin, and I swear I saw a masked man with a gun. I went into the hallway and told my dad that I wasn't feeling well. His reply: "If you're too lazy to do it, I will!" I told him I wasn't lazy, and I apologized. I always apologized. And if you know me, you know how much I say sorry for no reason. I went back into the kitchen, had a glass of water and then I collapsed.

Hate to say I told you so.

My grandmother was the first one there from what I can remember, trying to do the Heimlich maneuver. Then my mom came in. And then my dad. Why I even talked to him back then confuses me. He never listened anyway. I blacked out after that. Apparently I shat myself, and then when I came back, I was on the toilet. I was hyperventilating, blind, I had diarrhea, and I was crying, saying over and over "I'm dying. I'm dying." I didn't die, but everyone thought I was close. This lasted up until just after midnight. I passed out and came back a few times. My lips were blue, because there wasn't enough oxygen in my blood. I was blind for the same reason. Just because I couldn't breathe. I remember my mom getting a brown paper bag and telling me to breathe in and out, but I thought I was suffocating, so, that didn't last long. Five hours of anxiety isn't that fun. But its one of those moments in time I'll never forget.

The first psychiatrist told me to draw a picture of my house. I drew a pretty house, with no door nob. So, no one can get in or out. Then I had to draw a picture of my family. If you take me, my sister, my mom, my dad, and my grandmother, and you put us in a Domino 5, my sister and I at the bottom, my mom and my dad at the top, and my grandmother in the middle, with a house, flowers and trees in the back round, you can see why the psychiatrist said that my grandmother was in the middle of the family, and we won't have relationships until she leaves.

My grandmother was sent to an old-age home, but the anxiety attacks never stopped.

And then I started getting migraines, but luckily I outgrew them. Stress related migraines aren't very common in 11-year-old children.

Maybe I should just shut up when I'm drunk.

And shut up when talking about religion when I'm around my sister, she still believes in Jesus. I don't want to spoil it for her. Its like when you're the oldest child and the younger child believes in Santa Clause, and you know he's fake. You just don't spoil it for them. They have dreams too.

That's the end of my sad story for now...

World Cup Madness!

I went to Dropzone after work. My voice is gone, but that's not the problem... Argentina is my problem. The men are terrible.

I got kissed and touched by random Argentinian men. And I'm mad.

I like the fact that we get to host the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, but the hings I don't like is that all the tourists are being exploited with alcohol, airline tickets, and hotel prices.

One guy I work with took an Argentinian's cigarette and killed it because he was smoking in a non-smoking area, and the Argentinian thought it was extremely rude and he wanted to fight. For fuck sakes! Just go smoke in the smoking section. I, myself, am a smoker and I don't like to go dancing without a smoke in my one hand and a drink in the other, but that's the rules that were set by the owner.

Is it so hard to obey rules? YES...

I don't drive under the speed limit, I also, on occasion drive drunk, but it's not out of ignorance. I know the rules and regulations and the law.

The Argentinian went on and on about Argentina this and Argentina that... Idiot... When I was in America I obeyed the law. It's just something one should do when visiting a different country. So, he thought all South Africans are rude. And I'm OK with that. Girls in this country aren't as easy as girls from anywhere else in the world. We're difficult.

Speaking of difficult, R1, the guy that I patrol with every now and then, really likes me. I honestly don't feel the same about him, yet I let his hold my hand and play along. I don't want to break his heart, he's a sweet guy. And he just found out he fathered a child. The woman didn't even let him know that she was pregnant.

I can't see how any woman wouldn't tell the father of the child that she is pregnant. I would insist on marriage if something like that happened to me. Actually, I wouldn't make the mistake of getting pregnant in the first place.

The recent good news in my life is that my parents went to Australia for a month now. I'm extremely glad that my mom gets a nice vacation. She's never been out of South Africa, except for Lesotho, and that hardly counts as "out of the country". And I stopped biting my nails. I should just keep it that way.

I also subscribed to the DA's newsletter, so I'm receiving weekly e-mails from Hellen Zille. I love her. She's brilliant, educated, and she can actually make a difference in this country.

The worst thing that's happened so far this month is that my sister was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Luckily is was misdiagnosed, she only had a brain infection. The swelling in the bain caused blurry vision and she couldn't see. It's better now. And she got schedule 5 painkillers. Those are goooooood! My wisdom teeth are cutting again, the sixth time in my lifetime, so I have a cold. It sucks.

Getting back to the Soccer World Cup... If the bar I work at didn't raise their prices, we would have leverage against the rest of the bars in the area, but the owner isn't as bright as he should be.

I started thinking about church again. I feel that I want to go, but I don't believe in what their teaching. I was thinking about the birth of Jesus. Who the heck travels to the middle of nowhere when their nine months pregnant? And where did Mary and Joseph travel from? Where were they going in the middle of the night? Some things just don't add up.

All I'm constantly thinking of is my German friend coming to visit me, my course I need to finish, and joining the Police service next year. And somewhere along the line I still need to find myself a good man, and get my tattoo. Oh, and so far, I received two marks for my assignments, one 85% and the other 80%, now I'm just waiting for the other two marks. Damn I'm good!

I should probably start with my next four assignments, just to get it done, because I'm not studying at all. And I need more Vitamin D. I don't get enough sunlight. And I haven't been to the gym in 2 weeks, but I'm sick now, so I can't, I don't want to strain my heart. I do need to get fit though.

I really need to sort out my life NOW.

But atleast I'm happy.