Thursday, February 24, 2011
I'm in love with a serial killer
Yes, I love me some Dexter Morgan. His Dark Passenger is a delightful character. Michael Hall is just divine as the devlish serial killer with a (moral) code. Of course I first met Dexter on tv in the series. Now I am getting to know him in the books. Even better.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Survival guide : Stolen vehicles
After spending a couple of hours twiddling our thumbs at the Centurion Police satelite station vehicle clearance centre at the testing centre, my little car is no longer on the stolen list! After all the phoning around and just about speaking to every single police officer in the area we're done...until it happens again that is.
A few observations for those poor sods who ever get caught up in the Stolen Vehicle Twilight Zone :
1) Expect to stand in loooooong queues.
2) Expect to be treated worse than a criminal if you are white (yes, I know, I should stop being so damn sensitive and give some black people in this country a chance but when you are spoken to and treated as if you're a piece of shit on the bottom of someone's shoe just because of the colour of your skin, then the Rainbow Nation is not so Rainbow anymore now is it?)
3) Expect to be sent from one department to the other with no one knowing what it is you are supposed to do.
4) Make copies of EVERYTHING! Including the police file if you can.
5) Get everyone's name, telephone number and superior's details. It helps.
6) Make multiple copies of your ID book and the car vehicle registration papers.
7) Take a book, bottle of water and something to snack on, it's a long wait.
8) If you have a recording option on your cell phone, USE IT!
9) Be nice, nice is good. It doesn't help you shout and scream obscenities at the people you encounter along the way. Sometimes they really don't know how to help you and shouting at them just makes it worse.
10) Be prepared, keep 11tybillion pens and pencils in your handbag or car.
Above all, be vigilant, try not to be a victim of a crime. Sucks but that is the reality.
A few observations for those poor sods who ever get caught up in the Stolen Vehicle Twilight Zone :
1) Expect to stand in loooooong queues.
2) Expect to be treated worse than a criminal if you are white (yes, I know, I should stop being so damn sensitive and give some black people in this country a chance but when you are spoken to and treated as if you're a piece of shit on the bottom of someone's shoe just because of the colour of your skin, then the Rainbow Nation is not so Rainbow anymore now is it?)
3) Expect to be sent from one department to the other with no one knowing what it is you are supposed to do.
4) Make copies of EVERYTHING! Including the police file if you can.
5) Get everyone's name, telephone number and superior's details. It helps.
6) Make multiple copies of your ID book and the car vehicle registration papers.
7) Take a book, bottle of water and something to snack on, it's a long wait.
8) If you have a recording option on your cell phone, USE IT!
9) Be nice, nice is good. It doesn't help you shout and scream obscenities at the people you encounter along the way. Sometimes they really don't know how to help you and shouting at them just makes it worse.
10) Be prepared, keep 11tybillion pens and pencils in your handbag or car.
Above all, be vigilant, try not to be a victim of a crime. Sucks but that is the reality.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
A good deed punished
Today I thought I would be a better person than I normally am and offer to help someone with no regard to myself.
After dropping J&C off at school and on the way home, I drove past a man on a motorbike who had stopped alongside the road and was trying to adjust what I thought was a bag in front of him. It wasn't. It was a child of about a year old. He very obviously could not control the motorbike and the child so had stopped. I stopped and rolled my window down, offering to help. He was incensed that I would even imply he shouldn't be driving so dangerously with a very young toddler inbetween his legs on an uncontrolable vehicle. I drove away in disgust.
I feel sorry for children whose parents think so little of their lives.
After dropping J&C off at school and on the way home, I drove past a man on a motorbike who had stopped alongside the road and was trying to adjust what I thought was a bag in front of him. It wasn't. It was a child of about a year old. He very obviously could not control the motorbike and the child so had stopped. I stopped and rolled my window down, offering to help. He was incensed that I would even imply he shouldn't be driving so dangerously with a very young toddler inbetween his legs on an uncontrolable vehicle. I drove away in disgust.
I feel sorry for children whose parents think so little of their lives.
Monday, January 31, 2011
CTFM Southdowns - a review
Last Friday Himself decided to treat the family so we went to Cape Town Fish Market in Southdowns mall. We'd been there with friends before and thought J&C would enjoy seeing a sushi bar and eating off it. J is into sushi big time right now and he and I treat ourselves to a few pieces every other month. C....not so much a fan.
We sat down at the table first, just to make sure the kids really wanted to try the sushi. Then we sat at the sushi bar. Between J, Himself and I, we had 7 different dishes. C tried one but ended up eating the rice and not the fish.
The first time we were there, we'd found the service really slow. Not any different this time either and the place was only half full. I don't know what it is about a restaurant that is about half full. Every time we eat out somewhere and it is half full, the service slows down. It's weird.
J had calamari and chips, C had steak (yes my carnivore struck again ;) ) with chips. Himself tried the Sizzler, a seafood mix with prawns, calamari strips, mussels and bits of fish in a peri peri sauce. I had a combo of fish of the day and calamari strips. We ordered a seafood noodle dish for all to share.
The prawns in the Sizzler....6 heads without bodies and 3 tiny prawns, no sign of bits of fish. My fish of the day was the tail end and so overcooked I couldn't even taste what species of fish it was. The calamari was great though. Kids enjoyed their meal.
When the manager came round asking how the meal was, Himself showed him the last of the heads he'd just removed from the sauce and wanted to know if that was what it was supposed to look like. He said no and immediately arranged for our waitress to get him 6 more prawns.
For R600 which included 4 soft drinks and two beers, it wasn't a great meal. The sushi was really good, J outdid even my expectations of how much he enjoys it.
Rating : 4/5 (originally 3/5 but an extra point for the manager organising more prawns)
Service : Not great. Expect long delays between courses
We sat down at the table first, just to make sure the kids really wanted to try the sushi. Then we sat at the sushi bar. Between J, Himself and I, we had 7 different dishes. C tried one but ended up eating the rice and not the fish.
The first time we were there, we'd found the service really slow. Not any different this time either and the place was only half full. I don't know what it is about a restaurant that is about half full. Every time we eat out somewhere and it is half full, the service slows down. It's weird.
J had calamari and chips, C had steak (yes my carnivore struck again ;) ) with chips. Himself tried the Sizzler, a seafood mix with prawns, calamari strips, mussels and bits of fish in a peri peri sauce. I had a combo of fish of the day and calamari strips. We ordered a seafood noodle dish for all to share.
The prawns in the Sizzler....6 heads without bodies and 3 tiny prawns, no sign of bits of fish. My fish of the day was the tail end and so overcooked I couldn't even taste what species of fish it was. The calamari was great though. Kids enjoyed their meal.
When the manager came round asking how the meal was, Himself showed him the last of the heads he'd just removed from the sauce and wanted to know if that was what it was supposed to look like. He said no and immediately arranged for our waitress to get him 6 more prawns.
For R600 which included 4 soft drinks and two beers, it wasn't a great meal. The sushi was really good, J outdid even my expectations of how much he enjoys it.
Rating : 4/5 (originally 3/5 but an extra point for the manager organising more prawns)
Service : Not great. Expect long delays between courses
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Indie Authors
I was fortunate enough to be given a Kindle last year October and have been having some great fun downloading samples and buying books. I'm a diehard print fan though so won't be giving up my addiction to Exclusive Books just yet!
However, the one thing that has really changed my reading experience has been talking to authors of the books I have been reading. How cool is that! I would never have thought to even contact the author of a book I enjoyed a year ago.
It has also introduced me to a whole world of Indie authors I didn't know existed. One place is The Indie Spot, a website dedicated to bringing readers and authors together where authors are not restricted in advertising their books and readers have access to their favourite authors. It's been a refreshing experience and one that I hope will continue for many many years.
However, the one thing that has really changed my reading experience has been talking to authors of the books I have been reading. How cool is that! I would never have thought to even contact the author of a book I enjoyed a year ago.
It has also introduced me to a whole world of Indie authors I didn't know existed. One place is The Indie Spot, a website dedicated to bringing readers and authors together where authors are not restricted in advertising their books and readers have access to their favourite authors. It's been a refreshing experience and one that I hope will continue for many many years.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Incompetence at it's best?
On the 27th of May last year, I posted about being hijacked at gunpoint and it's aftermath.
In December Himself had to renew his vehicle licence and enquired why we hadn't received a notificiation for mine which was due then too. He was told that the database showed it was a stolen vehicle and therefore no renewal notice had been sent out. We couldn't do anything about it then as Himself was flying out the next day to join us in Cape Town on holiday.
Since we've been back, he's been calling the entire countryside trying to find out what we have to do in order to get the vehicle cleared as a recovered vehicle so that we can carry on with our lives and not worry about it.
The day after the hijacking Himself and the detective overseeing the case drove to Waltloo testing station, they did all of this there and then. It was cleared dammit!
Himself now has to take a day's leave, drive out to Waltloo and stand in a queue, show the vehicle to the police and get a receipt. Then he has to stand in another queue, show the person behind the counter the receipt and request a new vehicle licence. Why the fuck didn't the idiot who was on duty on the 28th of May 2010 do all of this there and then? Why?
In December Himself had to renew his vehicle licence and enquired why we hadn't received a notificiation for mine which was due then too. He was told that the database showed it was a stolen vehicle and therefore no renewal notice had been sent out. We couldn't do anything about it then as Himself was flying out the next day to join us in Cape Town on holiday.
Since we've been back, he's been calling the entire countryside trying to find out what we have to do in order to get the vehicle cleared as a recovered vehicle so that we can carry on with our lives and not worry about it.
The day after the hijacking Himself and the detective overseeing the case drove to Waltloo testing station, they did all of this there and then. It was cleared dammit!
Himself now has to take a day's leave, drive out to Waltloo and stand in a queue, show the vehicle to the police and get a receipt. Then he has to stand in another queue, show the person behind the counter the receipt and request a new vehicle licence. Why the fuck didn't the idiot who was on duty on the 28th of May 2010 do all of this there and then? Why?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
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