Tuesday I rode to Umtata some 530 kms to the East of PE. Getting to EL was a doddle but the trip to Umtata as I have just said was not Lekker probably due to due to a combination of traffic, stop and goes, animals of various sizes and species crossing the roads, multitudes of school kids walking back from school and it was cold. I think also my brain had decided in EL that the trip was over so the road ahead was always going to be a stretched out affair. Have to be honest stretches of the road are awesome and a bikers dream, but the Triumph was not holding the road as she normally does and the air filter that I badly need to change (is on order from mud island) is making the bike splutter at lower revs, which means I have to keep the bike above 5 000 RPM or use the choke to achieve that at low speeds. I also have not seen so much road kill on the roads since I watched deliverance.
Got into Umtata at peak hour and it was like the start of a manical car race, with taxis, cars, buses and pedestrians all vying for space on the road as well as the sidewalk. It was like a combination of Frogger, and Need for Speed with all the participants on Acid. I eventually manage d to find the guest house (Cumberland guest house) do yourself a favour if you are ever looking for accommodation in Umtata then DONT ‘ I repeat” Don’t call them.....................”What a dump”. the base of my bed was too small for the built bed and headboard, as you can see by the photograph
It’s always difficult to go to new places and find the guest house and venue your training at but when you decide to not have street signs as well, then it becomes a little if a mystery tour. What should have been a 5 minute 2km ride from the guest house to Coca Cola lasted 15 minutes and I rode 7 km’s avoiding potholes of various sizes including Sloote (that’s Afrikaans for trenches).
I now never need to go to Nairobi, Lunada or some other God forsaken African City up North as the trip to Umtata showed me what a real African city looks like, while Umtata was bad Butterworth was wall to wall street vendors, people animals and cars all vying for space on the road or sidewalk. I also know what it would feel like to be the only white person left on the planet
Trip to ERL on Wednesday afternoon after training was as frustrating as on Tuesday a trip that should take 2 hours took me close to 3 .........................was nice to see Carl and Glenda again (Owners of Tindale Lodge) as have not been to Tindale lodge for a while. The ride back to PE on Thursday was uneventful and I rode as hard and fast as I could to get back in just over 2 hours. (310 kms)
Did my first ever moderations on Tuesday morning at the office before I left for Umtata, I passed my Moderators exams so now I can assess as well as moderate exams in the Occupational Health and Welfare
Friday (27/4) was Freedom day in SA so as is the norm we get a holiday, 18 years ago South Africa had its first democratic election and the ANC came into power and while they have managed to do some good they have also managed to F%$k a number of things up as well. Here are the ANC’s all-time 10 most disturbing quotes as sent by a friend.
1). "We've been standing here for 26 seconds and nobody has been raped." 2). "[The ANC is] more important" than the Constitution. "No political force can destroy the ANC - it is only the ANC that can destroy itself... "[the Constitution is only there] to regulate matters." 3. "We need to look at the question that is posed, understandably I suppose: does HIV cause AIDS? AIDS the acronym stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Now I do believe that is a sensible thing to ask: does one virus cause a syndrome? A virus cannot cause a syndrome. A virus will cause a disease." 4.) "God expects us to rule this country because we are the only organisation which was blessed by pastors when it was formed. It is even blessed in Heaven. That is why we will rule until Jesus comes back. We should not allow anyone to govern our city [Cape Town] when we are ruling the country." 5.) "I did not join the struggle to be poor." I 6). "The African National Congress congratulates the people of Zimbabwe for a successful 2002 Presidential Election."
7). "I think it's very important for coloured people in this country to understand that South Africa belongs to them in totality, not just the Western Cape. So this over-concentration of coloureds in the Western Cape is not working for them. They should spread in the rest of the country ... so they must stop this over-concentration situation because they are in over-supply where they are so you must look into the country and see where you can meet the supply." 8). "I, for my part, will not keep quiet while others whose minds have been corrupted by the disease of racism, accuse us, the black people of South Africa, Africa and the world, as being, by virtue of our Africanness and skin colour - lazy, liars, foul-smelling, diseased, corrupt, violent, amoral, sexually depraved, animalistic, savage - and rapists." 9.) "Same sex marriage is a disgrace to the nation and to God. When I was growing up, ‘ungqingili' [homosexuals in isiZulu] could not stand in front of me, I would knock him out." 10). "This rot is across the board. It's not confined to any level or any area of the country. Almost every project is conceived because it offers opportunities for certain people to make money. A great deal of the ANC's problems are occasioned by this. There are people who want to take it over so they can arrange for the appointment of those who will allow them possibilities for future accumulation."
We received this in the post , now it’s not something you receive everyday (especially if you are living in “Civilised” countries) but is typically South African. I have to say that the whole ceremony (it was to mark the 2nd anniversary of Mr’s Hani’s husband’s death over a year ago. Some of you may remember the Blog that I wrote about this, if not you can go to www.thediariesofavillageidiot and search for “So where did I go wrong”) was very tame. I was expecting a horde of people to be singing and dancing followed by a mad chase of some poor goat along the cul de sac by people brandishing large panga’s and a assegai or two..............”nothing of the sort” it was a quiet affair , in fact the Hillbillies that now unfortunately live behind us made much more noise last public holiday and there were only 4 of them.
I see the major discussion topic this week has been the postponing of the E-Tolls on the Gauteng – Pretoria (or Tshwane, depending on your politics) for a month, it would seem that only 10 000 of a possible 300 000 road users have actually registered for E-tags.( The implementation of Gauteng’s e-tolling system will be postponed for a month, after an agreement between the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the ANC, the ruling party and the union federation said in a joint statement on Thursday 26/4/2012)
Here are some thoughts about this whole fiasco. I feel a legitimate action against a forced upon tolling without provision of alternative routing is justified in not paying, registering or complying regards the E tag system you have all but agreed, in principle, that it is lawful and constitutional to "take over" existing infrastructure, add one lane and then charge a fee to use any of the four. Previous tax funds paid for and funded these roads, is there a reimbursement for this? No, there is not
If SANRAL was to provide a new route, which did not remove peoples freedom of movement, it may be supported and road users could then make a choice to continue with the existing roads or utilize new ones. SANRAL have however stolen or hijacked the motorways for profiteering and greed. The toll roads are a theft from the general public, a compounded tax on your after tax income and worst of all an infringement on our rights as a South African Citizen.
Saturday Ryan and I played good Samaritan and assisted Lindy (one of our work colleagues) to move house. So had two gym sessions on Saturday. I have put on 2kgs now since starting the gym.............hope it’s that muscle that’s putting on weight.
As if the fact those little monkey faced shits in the Far East cannot get their dicks up without grinding up some Rhino Horn leading to the decimation of the Rhino population I now read that Lion Bones are in big demand because the Tiger bones the Chinese use for other medicinal purposes are almost extinct. So now not only will the Rhinos be hunted but the Lions will also get their turn............so advanced yet so backward. Also I am a tad pissed off with the Chinese because I have not been able to ride my scooter for the last month......................”why is that the Chinese fault” I hear you ask?..............Well have you tried lately to buy a scooter or motorbike battery?..............Good luck as they are in very short supply this is because the Chinese closed down 5 of the biggest battery manufacturers in the world due to lead poisoning. This means that scooter batteries are like hens teeth and the situation is only expected to get worse before it gets better. I mean this is the same people who used tanks to crush a student demonstration and regularly persecute Tibetan monks, now they get a conscience and decide that they can’t kill people with lead poisoning anymore......What am I going to do about my scooter Slant eyes ??????
Report from News 24:......................Johannesburg - South Africa should push for a "decent" and "responsible" trade in lion bones or risk losing its wild lion population to poaching in the future, according to a report on Saturday. The Saturday Star reported that there was a surging demand for lion bones in Asia. "There is a market, a need for lion body parts and this will grow in exactly the same manner as the market for ivory and rhino horn," said Dr Herman Els, manager of the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association. "If you don't do a decent responsible trade... we will not achieve the situation we want..." Lion bones were sought as a replacement for tiger bones and used in traditional medicine, the publication said."The Chinese believe there's a medicinal value attached to these animal parts and will continue to use them.
Super Rugby this weekend saw the Stormer’s beat the Western Force 17/3 the Lions lost 20/34 against the Brumbies. And the Cheetahs once again managed to squander a huge lead against the Highlanders (21 points in fact) with a mere 20 minutes to go by 36/33. It also does not help when your kicker misses 3 x penalties (1 right in front of the posts)........So pissed off.
Sunday (today) was go to gym and then Tania Gabby and I went to St Georges park to go look at the flea market there, then we took a drive to the main beachfront to search the local market there for Fudge (Tania and Gabby have been craving it). After buying about 5 kgs each we then dropped Gabby off at her new boyfriend (Bradley) and then Tania and I went to Sards to sit on the sand dune ,watch the sea and have a beer or cooler in Tania’s case.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Interesting observation regarding Affirmative Action: "South Africa is the only country in the world where affirmative action is in favour of the majority who have complete political control. The fact that the political majority requires affirmative action to protect themselves against a 9% minority group is testament to a complete failure on their part to build their own wealth making structures, such that their only solution is to take it from others."
and, a word recently coined to describe South Africa's current political situation.eneptocracy (in-ep-toc'-ra-cy) - A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.
Well that’s about for this week, I have to work tomorrow but I will be off on Tuesday, its MAY DAY.....Wekkers day in South Africa, well at least I have something to thank the Commies for. Oh have you seen the new car on the road? Its what I call a Tunmmer......................Yes a Tummer, “A Toyota Hummer” "Ugly looking thing".
Ciao
SPAD
