Archive for August, 2010
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
I know it shouldn’t, but it still surprises me the lack of manners some people portray. Especially at the office. I just don’t get it.
Maybe it’s because I’m reserved by nature and won’t just say something without thinking it through. And most things are anyway just not my business.
My latest (although not new) pet peeve is colleagues who comment on my weight. I’ve never commented on anyone else’s weight at work, home or anywhere else.
So why do they think they have a right to tell me how thin I am and then wondering why – some inferring and some outright asking if its for some guy. My guy liked me a two years ago, a year ago and now. And in that time I put on and lost 5kg. I would never try to impress someone who didn’t already like me. But that’s besides the point.
I don’t go around telling people how fat they are. Asking why they don’t eat less food and exercise more.
Like yesterday.
I had to endure comments all day about my weight – but what really pissed me off was a conversation I had with a colleague about diets and stuff. She initiated the conversation.
I seldom, if ever, bring up the subject of health and fitness or anything that might make someone feel bad about themselves.
My colleague though added for effect that she wouldn’t be starving herself. Surmising that I do.
Whether I am or not – and I’m not – is none of her business.
I’ve made it quite clear (I think) that I don’t consider colleagues to be my friends. I’m generally friendly with them and for the most part we have a pleasant working relationship. But that’s all it is to me. A working relationship.
There are some things appropriate to discuss at work. Some people don’t mind complaining about their weight all day and discuss their various diets with anyone who will listen. That’s their prerogative.
I am not one of those people.
Posted in Life, office | No Comments »
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
I all but gave up on Isidingo when it became first the Barker, then Farrow and most recently Lesedi show. And stopped watching completely.
Not even channel hopping to SABC 3 during 7de Laan.
A few weeks ago I managed to hop on over to Isidingo during a Vanessa moment on 7 de Laan and almost forgot to switch back to SABC 2!
So engrossing was Isidingo.
Having Cherel back is already making things interesting and thank goodness she’s not hovering around Barker Haynes, but rather the new family.
You can already see how she’s going to snag herself another rich man.
Kimberley has also gotten a lot more interesting than she was when I last saw her. The new Kimberley started of brilliantly and then faded into the same boring character as everyone else had become.
But then they paired her with Len and she became softer and even sweet. I almost felt sorry for her when she decided to marry Barker. I could understand how torn she was between love for Len and the security that Barker could give her and her son.
Then there’s the Matabanes who had long ago lost the plot. Having Agnes file for divorce was a good thing. But my favourite was when Agnes chased that girl Lerato (I think) out of her house on Friday – threatening to use the sjambok!
LOL – I used to love when she threatened Zeb’s former mistress.
Even the Rajesh/Priya/Frank story looks like it is going to be soooooo good! I can hardly wait to see what’s going to happen with the baby’s adoption.
Will Priya and Frank get back together???
All in all, Isidingo seems to be hitting the right notes again. Lets hope they can get their viewers back!
Posted in soapies | 2 Comments »
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Sunday at around 11.56 I heard the big bang. The one that was supposed to go off at exactly 12pm! “That’s a bit early,” I thought.
Turns out the powers that be – Dan Plato to be exact – decided to surprise the waiting crowds and news media by setting the explosion off early. According to them, at that exact moment all conditions were perfect.
As far as I could see, so was 3 and a half minutes later.
For the last week, Capetonians were warned to arrive early at their viewing points. And many did, even though it was cold and wet.
But this should not came as a surprise as it isn’t the first time the Mayor of Cape Town has amused us with his antics. Although he has only been in his position for about 18 months.
He’s managed to offend quite a few people.
Remember when he first became Mayor. He came with a sex scandal of sorts. Most of us good citizens of Cape Town who don’t read Die Son, a tabloid, knew anything about the scandal, until Dan Plato himself mentioned it. The Mayor denied the scandal and wanted to sue those responsible for publishing the claims.
This is Cape Town, South Africa. Not the US of A. We don’t care about sex scandals around these parts. Well, except if it involves religious leaders and rugby players.
Not only did Dan Plato want to sue people we don’t know, about things we don’t care about, he wanted to use our taxpayer money to do so.
Eventually the whole saga disappeared.
But not Dan Plato’s arrogance.
Next thing we know he’s giving news conferences wearing a yellow Bafana jersey. Not that unusual in itself as many other politicians were doing the same thing.
But he was doing it will aggravating citizens of this country and city. He firstly had open air toilets built in Khayelitsha and when residents took offense and demanded enclosures for their toilets, he had them removed.
He was quoted as saying that he had the toilets removed because the world’s news media were focussed on SA for the Soccer World Cup – in his Bafana t-shirt no less.
At least he hasn’t yet offended the taxi drivers. Yet. We can only pray.
Posted in politics | 5 Comments »
Saturday, August 21st, 2010
My colleague and I were chatting the other day about how it often happens that when you’re having a good day, the next bad day was just waiting to happen.
We both said we were having a good day.
Until I got called in to our manager’s office to do a project. An unpopular one.
Afterwards I went to my colleague and told her the penny had just dropped!
Well last week another colleague and I were talking. I was laughing so much, and didnt even care there if was bad news around the corner.
There was.
We got word that a family friend had died at a young age.
Suddenly my world had changed from carefree (as much as it gets with me) to one where life and death were foremost in my thoughts.
And I felt vulnerable. At home and work.
While talking with my guy friend about something unrelated Friday morning, I felt a mask on my face start to slip.
And showed the vulnerability I was feeling.
I thought I had it all together. Capable me. I normally fix and make things, you know.
Instead my house of cards started slipping.
He reacted by being extra sweet and kind.
But I hated that. I hate feeling transparent.
I hate needing someone.
When I got to work more of the cards started falling.
It seemed like my vulnerability was there for all to see. It probably wasn’t.
And I got irritated with two colleagues – not the infamous gossipers.
Who in turn showed their own irritation with me. One going as far as complaining about me – to one of the infamous gossipers. As luck would have it, I had to pass them on my way out the door.
So now I have this new set of circumstances in my private life.
Time to start again…although I think my foundation is pretty strong this time.
I’m certainly not afraid of the good days. Nor the bad for that matter.
It’s the emotional stuff that gets me every time.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, August 20th, 2010
US President, Barack Obama, has steadfastly proclaimed himself a Christian. Again!
I believe him.
Because isn’t that what Christianity or any other religion expects of it’s followers?
As far as I know, acknowledging your faith is sort of a requirement.
Not for more than half of the American population polled recently, 18% of who believes he’s a Muslim.
Another 43% say they don’t know.
Even after the man was not so long ago lambasted by many of the same people for belonging to a church pastored by a “racist”.
That didn’t stick long enough, because many churches are governed by the same – across the US.
Obama has tried to be fair-minded, dignified and tolerant. Unlike more than a few of his US countrymen who call themselves Christians.
So yes, he’s different.
Why call him a Muslim though. They are generally perceived to have similar traits to Christians or Jews.
How about associating him with us cant-be-bothereds, atheists or agnostics.
Because I’ve yet to come across a Muslim who attends Christian church services and denounces his faith. Without a good reason.
Although my brother-in-law has a Muslim name, parents who are Muslim, calls himself a Christian, attends Christian church services regularly, eats meat that is not halaal and celebrates Easter and Christmas.
I was always suspicious of that one.
What could he be hiding?
Is he perhaps a secret Muslim?
For that matter, what would Barack Obama’s reason be? Seeing Americans are not ‘fooled’ by him.
Convert all those redneck Southern Christians to Islam? Or build mosques on every street corner in the US?
These people must be plain crazy.
To quote from the poem The Twins, by Sambrooke Leigh:
“What would you do if you were me, to prove that you were you.”
Poor Obama.
People believe what they want. A few decades ago they would have called him the “N-word”. Now they call him a Muslim.
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
