Dear Diary and all..............
...the Rand (our money) is 4.62 to the dollar! To day is a public holiday....the second ...as yesterday was also a holiday..."they" the enlightened workers of this ***forsaken country decided to "stay-away"....'cos they did not like one clause in the new constitution.....this was the clause that said....should workers go on strike, they will be locked out of the building....or something to that effect......despite the crippling unemployment, the devaluing rand and the general price hikes, they did it anyway....even my son, as a teacher there was no school.
In my capacity as a writer of sorts for the newspaper.....and I have told you about that.....I find at times, the sheer frustration of lecturing and teaching, of trying to make good....all so fruitless. After all who is listening? In my job as a "Fiscal Investigator".....I have personally recovered millions of rand for clients......saved them thousands in service fees and hitherto unknown add-on-charges, that banks are wont to apply! I have personally, been responsible for the demise of a bank here in this country....(no mean feat!) and despite having proved to the government, that billions of rand has gone missing from pension accounts, it is as though I were speaking to a wall.......I regularly lecture on finance, law and consumer issues.....I do honestly believe that there should be justice for all, fairness and that we owe a certain amount to our less fortunate people......yet all the while, I wonder if I am really so noble?? Do I just feel guilty? why?
One bank here, budgets for a loss of two million rand per day!!!! ? To give you an example, the newspaper I write for, has been owed 6 million in unpaid accounts (for school books) by the Provincial government .So the company, who are very tolerant, said to the powers-that-be, if this account was now paid (it has been outstanding four FOUR YEARS!) The company would then donate, 25 million to the Reconstruction and Developemnt fund, for this area! The account had to be paid by last week Saturday.........(it is a matter of principle after all)...".well," said the President, and the Premier, "of course we will pay, gladly!" To this day.......not one official pitched up at the set meeting, to hand over the cheque, nor did anybody telephone to apologise! (of course they aint gonna get the cash now!) In my extensive travels in Africa, I have been to wonderful countries, and the funny thing is.......it is all the same. The "quainter, and poorer, and more badly run a country".....the more tourists we get!!!! The more "world aid" pour in money! Why? Then we have the senarios, like 25 million! in unpaid fuel accounts by the government officials in Eastern Cape! FOR THREE MONTHS?????? My comment? who are THEY selling it too?
I am so depressed about the politics in this country........we are sliding into economic depression! We have in South Africa, seven thousand known "Game Parks", even that is not going to help.......in Namibia, the government has decided, that the poor have the right to kill for their food! Can you imagine how this is going to put back conservation? Their are certain government officials, who having been bribed, are willing to let huge tracts of land, land that is filled with natural wild life, fishing reserves, and exotic birds.....now to be used for mining........why? We need, a school- a- week to be built in this country........to keep up with the birthrate........our schoolastic and academic standards, used to be the highest in the world!.......now they have dropped all that...........................why? If only you could all see this georgeous country.........so at odds with the world and nature.......huge areas of lush farming. The "Cape" the most wonderful scenery imaginable.....vineyards, fruit farms, wheat and corn........mountains, that are so wild, that it takes the breath away.......and everywhere you look, another squatter camp, filled with "plastic " houses, has sprung up....... ? So many wonderful traditions, traditions that have been handed down throughout the years, by the settlers, the rural people.....it is all changing...............? Our country is so small, that you can go from the top, to the bottom, and around in one day by air, same time zone everywhere, and still be home for afternoon tea! If only you could see the Transvaal.......the red earth....tall grass.....mind blowing thunderstorms............onto Zimbabwe.....over the Victoria Falls.........oh that Zambesi River!! Botswana, filled with lush "forests".....deltas and animals..... Our beaches.....East and West........miles of White sand, unspoilt and endless.........ah well......
We have bred some of the most enterprising people in the world! Has anybody ever heard of Sol Kernzer ? a fat short Jewish man who had a dream? He went onto build places like the "Lost City" and other hotels......the "Miss World Contest" has been held there for the last three years. He bought a dry valley, in the heart of Africa, and built a series of Hotels, all flowing into each other, connected through gardens, rivers and tunnels.....all man made, he imported sea sand amd made a sea..........he brought gambling to this country........now he is gone.....gone in fact to the States....and is busy building dreams there too.... We of course had /have Chris Barnard....the first doctor to do the heart transplant....... We have gold and we have diamonds...and of course we have me! ( I just started getting a bit poetic!)
My English teacher used me make me say this very fast.... "I don't fit, I must fit, to fit you have to fit!" ("cos I used to lisp) I don't now I have all my teeth! I'm also finding grey hair! OUT with you! On a lighter note....we now have internet....for personal use...and that is the best....otherwise how else would I have met you all? I have a new friend in Costa Rica.....say hello to everyone Phillip..... he spent 16? years in Kenya........he says Africa gets into the blood and he longs for us! hmmmmmmm......kinda different Phillip. Mombassa in Kenya, is just like the movies you see....all lush and backward and full of rural craft. In fact, it is so poor, and so polluted (the seaside) and there is very little natural water.....except the rivers (which you cannot drink). They have water sellers....people who have quaint wagons, that are selfmade, these have barrels filled with water, and on the wheels of these wagons, they hang metals thingys, so that you can hear them running down the stoney dusty roads........they start out at 2am in the morning......my poor husband, has a very delicate tummy? constitution? you can time him, three days after landing in "rural" Africa, he has the "runs"........for days!!! He has been doctored by many a strange doctor....god only knows what they have given him! some things work, some dont! Good way to diet I say! Margo....."story teller"........I echo your frustrations! Margo teaches in the "poorest areas", children of drug abused!.....by th way.....Margo...meet Seabee....also a "story teller................. Drug? whadayawant eh? its all here.
Funny that, in Abidjan, West Africa, I came across a wonderful drug. Give you speed and a high like you can't believe........I was being shown the derelict Cocoa fields, and saw this strange Green "fruit" hanging from a huge tree........the guide picked it off, opened it up with his HUGE knife, and inside were two perfect rows of White beans, (about the size of a small childs fist!each bean), he took one out, peeled the White skin off, and inside was a blood Red bean......this he sliced up, very very thin, and gave me a piece, I chewed on it for a while and MAMA!!!!! I could have flown!!!!!! It is called "KOLA ROUGE" excuse the French spelling......and is a national past time! Sold in the market places for mere pence and not even commented on. Needless to say, I brought it home to my doctor friend to try and grow.......(imagine I just waltzed through customs?) must check up on him, he is most probably exporting this product by now. On this particuler day, I also tried out their "White lightening".....a drink made from Palm sap! oh boy!!! By the time, my spouse and guide got me back to the Hotel.....I could not be controlled!!!! again!!!!!! This was actually rather funny.........by the way is there anybody still left awake??? Funny 'cos, there was a musical show on, at the hotel where we were staying.....(out side under the moon and stars).....I joined them on the stage! I do not hold a note, and cannot sing to save my life.....however, I taught them all Rolllll me oooover.........and since the nubile ladies were topless.......so was grandma too..... divorce was never so close!! (and there have been some times when Eaden, in sheer frustration has threatened!) phew! but I have managed to facinate him for 26 years! Strength to the Jews!!! To top this all, I had made life-long-friends with a lady from South America, who had a figure to" die for doll".....she was into trying out their local "weed".(you smoke it!)....this we did at about 3 am....then, smearing ourselves in coconut butter, braiding our hair, and putting on our "kikois".(cloths that you wind around the body) ...we lit out in a "native" craft....and went down river to join in a celebration for the coming of the New Year...... she incidently is 65! The manager of the hotel, carrying a bottle of the "White lightening" under his arm, (oh was he a gorgeous French man!) came to entice us back to the hotel, about 9 hours later! He was rather concerned about my husband who was packing, and her grown children who were getting ready to celebrate ........they thought if she had pegged, they could spend her millions! O.K.......having told you all of my bad past...nearly all...I feel a bit better...amazing what "getting it off the chest can do ne?" If there is still anyone, who is going to speak to me after this.....I would love to hear from you. On a personal note to you all Thank you for all being so nice and for aaaaah sheeeet..... *kisses* bev
