Cluster living - ant like

From where I sat outside the hospital coffee shop I had quite a good view. Below, and to the front, about 500 m away was Eagle Canyon. It's a secure estate of 1000 units. All up market luxury residences. The plots of ground in there sold for between R600k initially to around R1.2m today. Building costs were average R6k/meter square. That’s pretty expensive by our standards. Interestingly it's built in an area which used to be an old, disused quarry!! It's a massive area. What they have done though is clever. Around the outer borders of the property are all the houses. Probably about 5-7 deep. Inside this is a 9 hole golf course, with a lake / dam right in the middle where the quarry was obviously at its deepest. There is a natural river course running in at one end and out the other so the dam gets flushed / filled continuously!

In between there are also "Green Belts" so that there is a lot of park like areas for walking, jogging, etc. Very nice, and very expensive!
Only downside is that it added an extra 2000 cars to the roadways in the immediate area!! It's chaos now around here first thing in the morning, and late afternoon. If truth be told, I am surprised at how many of these luxury estates have sprung up in the past 10 years.

There's Feather brook Estate, about 900 free standing units, and about 300 Cluster units within the complex. Then there's Ruimsig Estates, another 1000 units. These are all complexes where the average selling price for a unit today exceeds R2m!
That’s about British Pound 200, or USD330k! A lot of money!

Personally I don't think I would like to live in an estate. Not now anyway. I like to have a bigger property, and have my own boundaries. Estates come with their own problems, not least of which is close proximity to neighbors, levies, "public areas" all around your immediate home.

Benefits include being safer (or so they say), having freedom to go for walks within the estate relatively safely, which we can really do in town. The kids can ride their bikes around safely. There are benefits, make no mistake. But not for me. Not now.

So what is it with humanity that we want to live in secure estates, smaller homes and plots of land, but still don’t make any effort to get to know our neighbors! After all, they would / could be our first line of defense / assistance in times of need.

Across the valley from our home there are numerous complexes, and now there is a new development where I hear they want to put up 104 duplex homes on a piece of ground not big enough for 50 normal 3 bedroom houses!

I’ll attach some photos.

At the rate they are building it is also questionable if this structure will be fit for human habitation beyond their “use by” date.

I’ve been to look at some of these places. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, lounge / kitchen / dining room all open plan, and all in about 90 – 120 square meters!
And two garages! Some bedrooms are so small you have to stand on your bed to be able to open the BIC doors!!!!

You can cook, eat and watch TV without having to move 2 meters in any direction!

But, I suppose with the economic growth we are experiencing, and the continued demand for housing, and the growing middle class, these units will continue to be in demand, and sell.

The upside is that the demand keeps pushing the value of homes, which means that in 2 years I have almost doubled my investment! It’s my pension fund! Worth more than the stupid pension fund my company has in place for me. After 10 years service, my provident fund is worth about 12 months current salary!!!!

Now I know, Dad...

I remember the lonely backyard
When Dad and I would fight
And then I'd run away again
Headstrong into the night

Never going very far
I'd never leave the yard
And slip back during darkness
To sleep in the backyard

Next morning I would go in
After he'd left for work
Mom would scold, and then feed me
And off to school I'd go

It couldn't have been easy
For him to understand
This teenage son of his
Was trying to be a man

Today I have my own son's
Who treat me with more respect
And I'm grateful that maybe
I understand them better

So Dad, I know now you were right
And I was just being rude
And that I really hurt you
And you were just being you.

I'm sorry for the trouble
I cause when I was young
I hope that I can raise mine
Like you tried to raise me

My big son turns 15

So today you turn fifteen
And now you think you're big
You have so much to learn still
In a fruitbowl, you're a fig!

Although you may not think so
and I don't often say
I'm proud to be your daddy
In my own, silent way

I tell everyone how proud I am
And even tell you too
But then I take you on about
some work you didn't do

I know you think I'm crazy
because of how I act
And even that I'm racist
Well, maybe that's a fact

But I am still your daddy
and hope to do right by you
Listen to what I have to say
Don't do the things like I do

So happy birthday my boy
you're growing into a man
And one day soon you'll tell me
It's just because you can!

Queens apartment and stuff

The queen's apartment / flat is almost done. Needs to be cleaned properly, and then I can get the carpet guy in to fit the bedroom carpet. After that I'll hang the curtain rails and it's done. Oh, and I need to pull in a TV cable from the current aerial, and a telephone cable, and one for the intercom.

Geez, I got plenty to do still! Oh well, I'm home for a whole week next week looking after the Princess, so I'll have plenty time to get that done. Overall, although it has taken much longer than planned, and cost more than I expected, it has worked out just fine. It has also added much value to the property.

Now if I can just get this garden sorted out....

Still have to complete therailings around the deck and stuff, but that's all external, and can be done as / when time / finance allow.

As the queen managed to cancel the sale of her current property, she's in no hurry to move in. She really did herself no favours, and was impulsive to her detriment. She cancelled the deal based on the fact she didn't think the buyer was being totally honest with her. Like it matters. As long as the cash is real...

Anyway, I'm going to see if I can get her to move in the meantime, and if we don't get the other place sold, maybe put in a tenant. That way she has a second income. Could come in handy too. I could get her to install DSTV (cable TV) into the house!! Now there's an idea!

As for the garden, I've decided that we will have to do more terracing if I want to have morusablele ground. So I'm going to enquire about retaining blocks, and delivery of much filling soil. Probably going to cost another arm and leg, which will leave me fully quadriplegic!

Princess is doing much better thank you!

Salagatle!

Weather, or not

So another cloudy morning
Another wet day looms
This weather isn't normal
It propagates the gloom

This is bloody Africa
The sun's supposed to shine
What kind of evil damage
Has caused this weather turn?

We know about deforestation
And the effect of burning coal
We know the ozones depleted
Can this be the cause?

Green belts turn into deserts
Deserts suddenly grow trees
One day it’s summer here
Next day it’s like spring?

Who said the world stopped changing
And we would never pass
Who decided that burning oil
Was required to run cars?

Today it’s neither Summer,
Autumn, Winter or Spring
But a bit of all of these
Has come, and been, and gone

Black kids, no discipline, big chips on shoulders..

My eldest son, Gman had another incident at school last week, just before they broke for Q end vacations. Seems there's a boy in a grade below him, but his age, who's decided he wants to do battle with Gman. But typically my son's not interested in fisticuffs and rumbling, especially not at school. Not that he's scared mind you, but I've managed to teach him that it's just not on. Especially today where there is a good chance that the other guy is going to pull a weapon of sorts, or his 4-5 friends will get stuck in as well.

Anyway, he put the guy off by ignoring him, facing him off, and by trying to stay out of his way. Friday last week the kid took him on after school, just outside of the school yard. Bad mistake. Gman was standing with some of his bigger friends, and the "Leb gang" who are also friendly with him, were close by. Gman once again warned the kid off, and in the ensuing fracas, managed to walk away, leaving the Leb gang of about 7 individuals in a standoff with about 7-9 of these black kids who were looking for trouble! Interesting position! Needless to say the black kids backed off. (The Lebs rule by reputation!!)

You will note I have now "colour coded" the players. This is because there is a definite "racial" divide at the school, with the black kids constantly trying to prove their positions, or reacting on that big chip they carry on their shoulders. This was another "power play" where someone had said something, and this idiot decided he would prove his status. Bong! Wrong target bro. MAYBE HE SHOULD CONSIDER TAKING ON ONE OF THE DELINQUENTS RENOWNED FOR THEIR FIGHTING PROWESS!

unbeknownst to everyone, the deputy head girl was close by, and took note of the affair. Saturday he attended a school sporting event. The aggressor was also there. And started his shit again. At this point on of Gmans friends took the kid for a walk, and a talk. When they returned it had been resolved. Not sure what transpired there, or promises of broken legs and things were made, but it would seem that it is now over!

Monday morning the deputy head girl was into the Heads office and related the story to him. This saw Gman in the heads office explaining his side of the story. He got the usual accolades for his handling of the event, and was told how proud they are of him, etc. And told him that should this reoccur, he had Carte Blanche to go straight to the head, and it would result in immediate suspension, with possible expulsion of the offender!

At 6 foot tall, about 70 kg, and fit, Gman is a serious contender in any scrap. Even though he has this advantage he is mature enough to know that there is nothing to be gained, but much to be lost in getting involved in a fisticuffs, especially at school / in school uniform.

However, I think that some day even he will have had enough, and is going to rip into someone and do some damage. Then maybe his mark will be made, and he will be left alone. Either that, or I will make good my promise to visit the school armed with my baseball bat. And I know how to use itÂ…
He's a very athletic type, plays cricket, grass and astro hockey, and swims for the school team, so I don't think he qualifies as a pushover. Just rises above the rest in this matter!

Salagatle!

Playing nursemaid...

This whole hospital thing brings back memories of when I had my op. I lost a kidney and some other pieces to cancer some years ago. Somehow, I had some similar feelings then as I do now. Funny that, seeing it's not me being operated on this time. But it's the apprehension caused by the largely unknown facts. How will the op go? Will there be complications? Do people suddenly have a different reaction to the anesthetic than they might have before? What if I don't wake up?!?

It's a scary place to be in, and not easily managed! Must say though, it helps when the environment and staff are the best money can buy, or at least, the best my money can buy. At least I know that if I want or need something done, I can dictate it! And it will be! Anything is possible; you just need to pay for it. In lesser hospitals there is always the problem of demotivated staff, poor or non available skills and equipment. Inferior service overall (I am generalising but ....).

So, I am grateful of the opportunity to at least be in the position to decide which hospital my family uses.

Princess slept well, and this morning had a shower. I had to in there with her to help wash her hair. She has this lovely, thick long hair and couldn’t wash it herself.

Afterwards I had the dubious priveledge of drying it for her too. There’s s first for you.

Kids and 2 friends left this morning with the queen to Sun City. They are going to have a blast for sure. Gman turns 15 tomorrow, and we wont be there with him. But it’s no biggie. He’ll survive.

Time to make the Princess some lunch.
More later....

Salagatle!