Good News … Well for me I’m going on holiday today!! How amazing is that?!  I cannot wait anymore!  I didn’t really have a holiday in December so I am completely exhausted, worn out, and just plain sick of the city rushed routine.  I cannot wait to walk in the shallow waves, and dig my toes into the sand!!

Saturday morning my view will look something like this…. (we’re staying at the same place – same room than last year!)

So if you don’t hear from me for the next couple of days (I know this is not something strange), but at least it will be for a good reason now!

I’ll be back soon, but hopefully not too soon!!

Someone asked me if it is possible to fax from the internet to a normal landline fax number. I have never done this, and haven’t been able to find a service offering of the sort.

Do you know of a service like this? Obviously I need it to work to South African numbers, and preferably the service should be free

Let me know if you’re aware of something like this please?

This weekend was so good, even though I left my laptop’s power supply at the office, and spent only 1hr online on Friday evening! Pity I couldn’t blog, but it was a good weekend with NO time online

We went for a “hike” to the Wonderboom Fort, cave & waterfall yesterday. Can’t really be classified as a proper hike since the paths are “built” all the way up the mountain, though it was still good exercise for those of us who don’t hike that often. We have been to the fort a couple of times before, but this was the first time we went to the cave, waterfall and the fort.

Here is the full album if you’re interested.

(Caution, this is a very unpatriotic post)

Are you planning on visiting South Africa for the Soccer World Cup 2010? Have you booked your accommodation yet? How much did you pay? How much are you willing to pay? Does it bother you that South Africans are milking you just because you’re a foreigner?

In South Africa 2010 has been a highly discussed topic the past few years, why? Because we are hosting the Soccer World Cup! I’m not a great soccer fan, and neither am I too keen of all the changes happening for the world cup.  I am however curious about the way this event will affect the opinion of tourists about South Africa.

Those of us who live here know that the picture is often painted much different in overseas countries compared to what it really is, and I wonder whether “the world” will see that.

Besides that I’m very curious to see how tourists are going to get around. The Gautrain project was started to alleviate the transportation problems, but as everyone now knows, this will NEVER be finished in time. It’s still a good project, but unfortunately will not help much for the tourists traveling needs.

Accommodation is another challenge. People are already advertising their homes – at excessive rates of course.

Always taking advantage of the tourists paying in Pounds, Euros & Dollars.  A normal night’s stay in a decent four star guest house would cost about ZAR800 for two people sharing (That’s ZAR400 each, rounded off, which converts to about US$55 per person– now this will definitely not be the norm during the Soccer World Cup)

I took the liberty of searching around and found a couple of places, specially advertised for the soccer world cup…To illustrate my point, I’ve converted all ZAR to US$ to make the comparison easier. (Converted at a rough average of 1US$ / ZAR7.50)

House #1 (Consists of two units) @ ZAR1000 per person per night (US$133)! With a minimum booking of 7 nights! Though this looks like a decent place to stay, it ONLY offers a breakfast – at that price? I’d have thought they had taps of gold and complimentary satin slippers! Also, you don’t have your own space – you will have to share the unit with 5 or 6 other people.

Another example of a grand rip-off is this B&B which charges ZAR1300 per person sharing, for their most expensive room.  That’s US$173 per person per night!!  I checked their normal rates which you would pay any other time except during the World Cup, and its only ZAR300 (US$40) The difference is insane!!!

Self Catering Chalets @ US$300 for international guests, but for South African citizens, it’s a mere ZAR900 (US$120).  Though this price is for the whole chalet (sleeping either 4 or 6 persons) At four person, that would mean you pay US$75 per person.  Mmm… maybe there’s a reason why international guests are charged more than double, but I can’t think of any?

The Best Offer I could find, A full house @ ZAR4500 for the WHOLE house, which sleeps 10 people. That is roughly US$600 for the whole house, and if you can find 9 people to share with you, that would mean you pay US$60 per person, which is not too bad.

Now I know there’s always been the stigma in South Africa that you can overcharge international guests, especially if they’re American or European, but I don’t think it’s necessary to triple charge someone just because they have the money. These tourists will already be bringing in more money into our country, and taking advantage of that just does not seem right.

The weather is miserable in South Africa, and has been for the past week. After spending the whole Saturday tidying my cupboard, and packing away my winter clothes, I had to pull them all out this week!

Its raining, the wind is blowing, and its flippin cold! Typical winter in Cape Town, only I’m in Gauteng – and its not supposed to be winter!

Though this weather brings back incredible memories from my time in the UK, it also brings a nostalgia with it which makes me realize how quickly time runs out, which is sad.
I took some photo’s to show you how gloomy it is outside.

Lately it seems that South Africa is getting a lot of international attention. Caster Semenya, Winston the homing pigeon, and District 9…

It started off with Caster Semenya’s gender conspiracy. As most of us know by now the majority of opinions now believe that “she” is a hermaphrodite… I don’t have much on an opinion about whether or not a person like this should be allowed to compete. Yes, I guess it is not fair toward female competitors, but keep in mind that this is still a person – who did not ASK to be born this way. I think we should just try to keep this in mind, and search for the little bit of humaneness which still remains in us today. Read more @ The Guardian

Winston the homing pigeon got a short 2nd place (in my books in any case), where he beat the speed of Telkom’s ADSL… (No surprise here ) By the time that Winston had delivered the data card & the data had been downloaded, the Telkom download had progressed a mere 4%!! Aargh, South Africans cannot WAIT for a better connection!! Read more @ Daily Mail

And then lastly, but not least; District 9 – the very popular movie which was shot in South Africa, with a South African director, but which was also shown in the States. I’ve heard very good reviews about this, alas, I haven’t watched it myself. I’ll be sure to write a short review as soon as I have seen it! Read more @ District 9 – ABC News

The topic of gender equality has been heavily debated in the past few years, maybe even decades.  Women have demanded to be treated the same as men, with the same rights, and benefits. Still women had to be protected against men abusing and raping them. Four women in South Africa, are making sure that its no longer women only seeking the protection.

Four unknown women in South Africa are wanted for apparently raping and robbing male hitch-hikers in the Rustenburg area.  According to the reports, these women offer to give male hitch-hikers a lift.  Once in their vehicle they force the guy to take some kind of “spiked” drink, and then rape and rob him.

I’m not quite sure what to make of this?  Why would women want to rape men?  I guess it could be some kind of revenge plot, but still I’m unsure about their motives.

Source: IOL

Just something amusing for those of you who are from South Africa. I found this picture really funny.  Especially how the lions’ faces are manipulated to portrait Jackie Selebi & Jacob Zuma…

Every now and again one person in society shocks people around them so much, that they literally don’t know what to say. There’s a stunned silence, and then suddenly people start getting their opinions together and then lash out at that person.

We’re probably all like that: If we hear of something, or see something that is totally against everything we believe in, we don’t keep quiet. We fight. We will do everything in our power stop this person, or convince them that they’re in the wrong.

For the first time today, I read about Mr.Fayzal Mahamed’s weird philosophy. (Please be warned that link is for adults only in my opinion.) This man from Johannesburg, South Africa has written on various blogs and forums why exactly it is he masturbates his son who suffers from severe cerebral palsy. To me this is just so sick. I feel that this poor child should be moved to place where he can be cared for in a decent legal way, and the time spent with his father should be monitored by someone. I can’t believe that people are actually justifying this act! This is nothing less than rape!!