I was able to get out during this week and visit not one, but two game parks within an hour of Johannesburg. Getting into the bush, albeit in my vehicle as a self-drive safari experience was good for my soul. As was this coffee and toastie at one of the parks. There is nothing better than a toasted cheese-and-tomato sandwich to take the edge off post-safari hunger. I had brought water with me, but I had not thought the food aspect through. I was just too excited to be getting out of our house for an entire day.
As per usual, the amounts of money that is being (allegedly) misappropriated continues unchecked. There are those who have decided to step aside in the hope that they will not be prosecuted for their indiscretions. That being said, I believe that there is a LOT of smoke and mirrors being utilized currently, in an attempt to refocus our attention away from what members of the ruling party are doing. Does it also seem that certain cabinet ministers have gone AWOL? It seems that Mr with-immediate-effect is up to his usual vanishing trick. Or, perhaps he self-quarantines for 14 days every time he appears in public? Let me give him the benefit of that doubt…
August 8th was the inaugural ” Global Sleep under the Stars night”. Unfortunately, here in Johannesburg, the night was overcast and cold…hence me using an image for 2019 when I was able to sleep under the stars in Karongwe Game Reserve. Hopefully next year? Something to look forward to.
I have been conducting Zoom chats since May, and I have decided to stick to one…perhaps two participants. I attended a Zoom book launch where there were 100’s of people, one of which was responsible for malware finding its way onto my laptop. But a “deep clean” sorted that out. It seems appropriate to be using a Rico cartoon as he will be a “In conversation with” guest next week.
While I believe that a lot of us would just like to do this as a protest, I fear that it is only wildlife that can do it with impunity. For us, it seems that posters, slow car processions or Facebook rants are the human equivalents.
If truth be told, then THIS is what is currently being done to our country and the citizens. And we are not even being offered dinner and a movie! And if only it was WHAM BAM…but it has become a long term relationship, where only one of the parties is benefitting. But, there is nothing that I can do or say that will alter the circumstances. So, I grin and bear it…or at least try to make the best of a bad situation
And, of course, the vultures have started arriving. Ready to pick whatever remains on the carcasses of businesses that have had to close, or homes that have to be sold to defray expenses. There will be those who choose to benefit from the less fortunate or the gullible. And who will protect those that stand to lose the most? Certainly not big corporations or the banks. Insurance companies are rubbing their greedy trotters together with glee as insurance settlements are refused and their profit margins increase. And the banks are not far behind, as I have found out first hand. Even though I am not working, I qualify for absolutely no form of assistance package. Meaning that I, like others in similar situations have to shape up or ship out…
What a difference 30 minutes makes. From Garden Gnome to suave Garden Gnome? It did make me happy to visit my local barber to get a haircut and a beard trim. I have to say that Mumbai Xpress has all the proper protocols in place and the staff are making certain that those are being adhered to.
Halfway through AUGUST and closer to Spring Day (01/10) which many are seeing as THE magical date! Will we be able to travel between provinces without permits from that date? We all wait with bated breath for the next exciting instalment of “My Fellow South Africans”, eventually coming to a TV station near you. This month sees the celebration of Women’s Month and Women’s Day was celebrated this past weekend. The anti-maskers are still very much in evidence, bleating that their Constitutional Rights are being infringed. I wonder if those who complain the most obey any of the other laws that are in place to save lives, like wearing seatbelts. If YOU are one of those, then I would rather NOT be in your company as I do not wish to place either myself or those that I love in danger. And I ask that I be respected for my decisions.
Until next week, stay safe, stay healthy and be aware.
South African Depression and Anxiety Group.
011 234 4837
LifeLine Connect number.
011 728 1347
