My boys...Proud dad's perspective

Two years ago, my eldest son was elected joint deputy Head Monitor in the final year of his Primary school. This was a major achievement, but in his case, almost expected. He's been a model pupil, academically and with sport. He never got into any trouble, and was almost the "blue eyed" boy (as we say here).

Thats him, bottom left hand corner, with the rest of the Monitors.

He has since moved on to high school, and continues to perform very well, achieving aggregates in the 80% and up, and cosistently placing in the top 20 in his grade, out of 260 plus pupils!!

My youngster, on the other hand, hasn't been such a model student. Although he places well academically, has a couple of academic achievement badges to show for it, and has done well in sports, as my previous posting about his swimming scroll proved, he has also been in trouble very often seems to be short tempered (like dad!) and stressed out quite a bit. I had many sessions with the headmistress about various incidents. I must point out that he was and is always respectful to his superiors (read teachers/headmistress, other parents) but seemed to have much conflict with the other kids in school.
Late last year I picked up on some issues, researched the net, and am now working on assisting him with these problems. Seems to be working.
Place yourself in the shoes of a 11 / 12 year old. Can you imaging the stress / fear he must have gone through, not understanding what was going on, too scared to talk about it. No wonder he had "anti-social" behavior at school!!

This is him, stuffing around during a school outing!!!

I started to discuss things with him, advising him in my limited way, and there seems to be an improvement.
Anyway, had him at a shrink for a couple of sessions, then for a brain scan / test / thing, which confirmed my suspicion / finding. So now he's on some kind of medication to even out the chemical imbalance in his brain which causes this problem.
He's been very brave, and I am proud to say that today he came home from school, and proudly displayed his MONITOR badge to my expectations, that his "anti-social" behavior would count against him, his peers, and teachers have seen that he does have leadership qualities. He is liked by most of them. He does go out of his way to be helpful.
He made it!!! I cannot begin to explain what this event will do to his confidence!!I will now have to do some lecturing with regards the value of this position, and how NOT to abuse it. But for now, I am a very, very proud dad!!!

Seems it's joke week this week.....

An Englishman, an Aussie and a South African are in a bar one night,
having a beer. All of a sudden the South African downs his beer, throws
his glass in the air, pulls out a gun and shoots the glass to pieces and
says:
"In Sath Efrika our glasses are so cheap that we don't need to drink
from the same one twice."
The Aussie, obviously impressed by this, drinks his beer, throws his
glass into the air, pulls out his gun and shoots the glass to pieces and
says:
"Well mate, in Straaaaailia we have so much sand to make the glasses,
that we don't need to drink out of the same glass twice either."
The Englishman, cool as a cucumber, picks up his beer and drinks it,
throws his glass into the air, pulls out his gun, shoots the South
African and the Australian and then says:
"In London we have so many f**king South Africans and Australians that
we don't need to drink with the same ones twice"


Have one on me.....

Intelligence out there somewhere......?

So this morning its raining, plenty. And the painters turn up? Duh? They gonna paint with this humidity / moisture in the air.... I think not.
So I sez to the guy, if you paint now, in 3 moths time it's gonna be peeling off the walls, and u will have to come back and repaint. "Oh, thats ok" he sez, then he will repaint.
"Yea, and u can pay for the queen to stay in a local hotel while u do" sez I. Dumbass.
Anyway, he left. You would think these guys would know better.

Burning issue right now is the upcoming local elections. Going to be a real bunfight if the newspapers have it right. Hope it all pans out peacefully.

My little guy (12) has been picked to swim in the national gala next month. It's a 4 day event in Durban. So, Princess and he will be going down. I might too, depends on work pressures.
He automatically qualified for 3 events, and so gets a free pass to swim 3 others. Great for him.

Also yesterday, he was awarded a scroll at school for swimming. Excellent news! He sed all along that before he finishes at primary school he wants at least one scroll, and now he has it.
Well done my boy!!!
The attached pic is him coming out of the water after finishing a 1 (one) mile race. He really enjoys the long open water events.....

Renault South Africa

For some reason, which I don't want to go into, I bought my wife a used Renault Espace, 3lt, V6, 24v late last year. Got a good trade in and a good price!
Great car, loads of space. And then the crap hits the fan.
Suddenly it's due for it's 90 000 service. Renault quote me R12000.00, YEA!!! R12k!!! And only they can do it.
Ok, so it's the only big service every 90k! Then there are problems. Fist, I find out that their markup on spares is upto 85%! Well, after much discussion and argument, I get it down a bit.
I collect the car. Back next day. The thing runs like a dog. No power. The connect it up to the computer... sorted. Few days later, discover the auto cruise isn't working, This while I am on a long trip.
Ok, goes back again. Get it back. Sorted... or so they say.
Last week, go on a longish trip. Auto cruise don't work!!!
Car goes back (this morning). While it's there I ask them to check the brake pads. Needs new, front and back. Quote:- Front pads R1137.72, rear pads R1137.72. Supply and fit both R3000.00 and some change!!!!

Stuff that sez I.
Check on the net. I can get rear pads, ex-UK for 25 pounds, and front pads for 15 pounds. 40 pounds = R800.00
Add 50% for courier to SA and we looking at R1200.00 delivered to my home!!!
Anyway, called some local brake shops, and got a place quoted me R1240.00 supply and fit, back and front. Not too sure of the quality so will go round and check them out...

Meantime, I'm in the market for a replacement for the Renault. Maybe a new shape VW Kombi, or even an older Merc Vito. Same space and all, but much cheaper to run I am sure.

For now, "se la vie" as the frogs would say!!!
Nuff Sed!!!!

Another day in Africa

Africa at it's best.Sometimes I get the feeling that things are really going well. Economy is picking up... Brent crude is going down, up, down, ?????, gold is over US$450/ ounce.....

Then reality is forced on you. It is Africa... Nothing changes...I have a guy (black man) who works in the garden on the odd occasion (well, almost every Saturday). Been with me for over a year now. He's 69 and counting. About a year ago I was chatting to him and asked if he was getting the state old age pension. He said no, as he had been to the Home Affairs office over the past 3 years, and each time they sed to him, he's too young. Come back next year. Obviously I knew this to be crap, so I downloaded the criteria off the internet, and gave it to him.

I also wrote my details on the back of the forms as a contact if he got more crap from them.Turns out he got his pension. But for the past 3-4 years it's possible someone was drawing it against his name!!!
Anyway, last year March/April the lady who was sharing his room with him (he rents a room on a smallholding just outside town), she decides to go visit family about 60 / 70 km away, packs her bags and she's gone. Unfortunately, he had hidden his ID book and pension card in the lining of the bag, and she took it with her. (in error?)
So, for the past 7/8 months I have been supporting him. Firstly, lending him funds to travel to the area she went to, to look for her, and try to get his stuff. Needless to say she has disappeared off the face of the world!!
October 2005 - I convince him to go and re-apply for his documents. A painfull experience at best for literate people. A daunting task for an uneducated, alsmost illiterate person who has no access to any documents like birth certificates etc.
Anyway, since then it's been a run around, going back every 1-2 weeks to see if the stuff is there. And every time it's "Come back next week"!
Yesterday he arrived at my home. In desperation. He had been sent to a regional office to see if his docs had arrived. There it's total chaos. Docs are not there... come back in two weeks.
Here's the problem... for as long as he dont have the docs, he dont get his pension. And it's very likely that his id doc has been sold!!!!
Yea... we have a couple of million illegal immigrants here in Souf Efrika! They come mainly from Mozambique and Zimbabe, but also from as far as Nigeria, Malawi, and other African cesspools!!!They approach Home Affairs officials and employees, (who are there only to collect their monthly salary, NOT to be of service to the citizens), and for between ZAR500 and ZAR 600 BUY an Identity document. The H/A employees then take out the photo belonging to the legal owner, and replace it with a photo of the illegal Immigrant.
Thats Africa. It is as corrupt as yu want. Lying cheating bastards. And it goes right up the ladder to the top. So on Tuesday next week I'm taking him back... Maybe if a very angry white male goes in there and causes some havoc we might get a response. Of sorts. Else Im going up the ladder, and I WILL go to the newspapers! Yea... trash the trash in the trash! Hehe.So, more to follow, unless I manage to get myself arrested!!!Nuff Sed.........Later