What a pleasure to have the lights working properly in the house! The lights in the hallway, that was put in last year June, and only worked for a little while, was fixed yesterday. AND the dining room got its light fixture. Awesome! The light in the living room that also only worked for a little while and never ever again, was fixed and is shining bright ;-)
The fluorescent light fixture in the kitchen also decided to die on me and for 3 days we had to work with portable lighting and the stove light. Grrrrrrr. So I decided to phone the people that did the job last year and told them off in a nice way. Told them they did not do a good job the first or the second time and I struggled a year with their poor services and that they should come and fix it for me. They came, and they fixed. I did not pay yet....will get the invoice soon. Hopefully it will not be expensive.
Now I have switches that actually work! Happy days! I have a house that is lit up!
I also finished my bicycle painting, did some pen and ink works and am busy with my giraffes. Feeling great about it
Blessings
till later
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
In a nut shell....
We are back in South Africa now 1 year and 5 months. I have mixed feelings about being back and if I am very honest, I am not happy yet. I see the sufferings around me and I cringe. It was maybe better living abroad and not seeing it all, yeah, heard of it all, but not seeing it.
It is sad to see the once beautiful South Africa falling into decay, sort of. Roads are not looked after, and potholes are a normal daily avoidance dance you just do cause you must. Strikes that throw the whole land in turmoil and financial ruins are just another happening. The utterly disgusting services we receive from municipalities, government, and even hospitals are really getting to me.
The food prices are NOT helping a bit. Coffee 4 years ago was R24. Now we pay R52 for the same coffee, and in some places even more. How on earth will people without a job survive? How on earth will they be able to buy medicine if needed?
Then there is the way business is done here. I have never ever been so upset with the business ethics, like I am now here in South Africa. It has become a thing of: every man for himself and lets see how many we can drain of their hard earned money on our way to the bank.
I was taken for a ride more than once. People had to come and fix our drain. (I am sure they do this to all womenfolk and old people) I was quoted R3500. Gideon was not here and I agreed. They said the pipes were old and broken, and needs to be fixed with new ones and then it must be cemented around the pipes and that they will grind the cement to get to these pipes neatly.
Well, the pipes were not old, they were not broken, they were just layed out in a very stupid way by the previous idiots that worked on them, they did not cement around the pipes and they did not grind the cement neatly, they just destroyed the cement and left it like that. I had to pay them cash beforehand, and did not get an invoice when the work was done. They said something about an extra R500 because then it must go on their books. Well I did not have another R500 in my wallet. Needless to say, our drain is leaking again.
We have a very long hallway with only one light. I got people in to put 2 more lights in at the opposite ends to lighten up the hallway. It cost me R900 for them to just lengthen the wire and put in the fittings. it worked for a fortnight. That is it. Did not get an invoice cause the price quoted was without tax and I still have a dark hallway.
I took my car in because it is not doing so well. It jerks and misses a lot. Got it back from them, saying there is nothing wrong with my car. Charged me for it too! My car is worse now than it was before I took it in. What crap!
Went to the post office to do business, I could not, because they were on strike. I am not even going to mention the absolute crappy service we got from internet service suppliers.
I have family not making it each and every month. I see them suffering. I hear their cries for help. And the worst part of it is, they are not the only ones suffering. There are others out there too, suffering. To have no food to offer for your children, or not being able to help your child with medicine if he/she is sick, to see them suffer like this is making me change my viewpoint about our land, our leaders and their capability.
Am I a bit negative? You bet I am. Why do I have to settle for this shitty service or the incapable mutterings of our leaders? Our land and its people are suffering. In many ways than just shitty services, but nothing is done about it. That is why I am upset.
Will I feel better tomorrow? I do not know. I have been feeling like this for quite a while now. Who knows?
Who knows?
It is sad to see the once beautiful South Africa falling into decay, sort of. Roads are not looked after, and potholes are a normal daily avoidance dance you just do cause you must. Strikes that throw the whole land in turmoil and financial ruins are just another happening. The utterly disgusting services we receive from municipalities, government, and even hospitals are really getting to me.
The food prices are NOT helping a bit. Coffee 4 years ago was R24. Now we pay R52 for the same coffee, and in some places even more. How on earth will people without a job survive? How on earth will they be able to buy medicine if needed?
Then there is the way business is done here. I have never ever been so upset with the business ethics, like I am now here in South Africa. It has become a thing of: every man for himself and lets see how many we can drain of their hard earned money on our way to the bank.
I was taken for a ride more than once. People had to come and fix our drain. (I am sure they do this to all womenfolk and old people) I was quoted R3500. Gideon was not here and I agreed. They said the pipes were old and broken, and needs to be fixed with new ones and then it must be cemented around the pipes and that they will grind the cement to get to these pipes neatly.
Well, the pipes were not old, they were not broken, they were just layed out in a very stupid way by the previous idiots that worked on them, they did not cement around the pipes and they did not grind the cement neatly, they just destroyed the cement and left it like that. I had to pay them cash beforehand, and did not get an invoice when the work was done. They said something about an extra R500 because then it must go on their books. Well I did not have another R500 in my wallet. Needless to say, our drain is leaking again.
We have a very long hallway with only one light. I got people in to put 2 more lights in at the opposite ends to lighten up the hallway. It cost me R900 for them to just lengthen the wire and put in the fittings. it worked for a fortnight. That is it. Did not get an invoice cause the price quoted was without tax and I still have a dark hallway.
I took my car in because it is not doing so well. It jerks and misses a lot. Got it back from them, saying there is nothing wrong with my car. Charged me for it too! My car is worse now than it was before I took it in. What crap!
Went to the post office to do business, I could not, because they were on strike. I am not even going to mention the absolute crappy service we got from internet service suppliers.
I have family not making it each and every month. I see them suffering. I hear their cries for help. And the worst part of it is, they are not the only ones suffering. There are others out there too, suffering. To have no food to offer for your children, or not being able to help your child with medicine if he/she is sick, to see them suffer like this is making me change my viewpoint about our land, our leaders and their capability.
Am I a bit negative? You bet I am. Why do I have to settle for this shitty service or the incapable mutterings of our leaders? Our land and its people are suffering. In many ways than just shitty services, but nothing is done about it. That is why I am upset.
Will I feel better tomorrow? I do not know. I have been feeling like this for quite a while now. Who knows?
Who knows?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)