Very interesting link!

Your birthday facts

Well, I cant believe that I have been back in SA for over 5 months now. Sometimes it feels as though I have never left and at others, it seems as though I have been here forever !

I was lucky enough to start work immediately back with my 'old company' - so was spared the hassle of job hunting - which as a female into her 50's is not such a pleasant task !!

I have been sitting thinking about what I find different since I have been back..

I think the thing that I notice most is that it has got very expensive here. When I arrived in January, petrol was R5.70 a litre - there has been 2 increases and on Thursday it goes up again another 38c. - Petrol in coastal areas will now cost 6.24 rand a litre, while the price inland rises to 6.48 rand.

Groceries (on the whole) cost what they do in England... Even though my salary is half what I earned in England. I often wonder how the less fortunate or the ones that do not have jobs cope !

Cars are a crazy price - Oh how I long for my little banger from England that cost me £400 and was so reliable that I could drive to France/Belgium every weekend !! You get absolutely nothing for under R40,000 and even that is doubtful. I eventually bought a 2002 Mazda 323 for R57,000.

The roads have deteriorated - there are pot holes all over the place and some of them are really bad. The taxis drive as though they have written the law - just for themselves - they are mostly on the point of being unroadworthy, and dont care if they bump you - so if they want to go - they go ....

But it is not all gloom - it is fantastic to be back home amongst family and friends, where weekends are braais, loads of sport and wonderful socialising. I love the way that South Africans just 'drop in' if they are in your area or the way that you can pop in to see people without an invitation. We are in winter in Gauteng - which means wonderful dry sunny days with temperatures between 7 - 24 but with bitterly cold nights - tems dropping to 0 - 3 degrees. The bush and grasses are very dry and lots of little veld fires starting at the drop of a hat. Before winter came, I loved the flash highveld storms, with cloudbursts that nearly drown the world and half and hour later it is all clear and clean smelling again.

I return to England in December - for good this time - and I must admit that I am really looking forward to it. I do miss England and now am convincing my family that it is time for them to save so that they can come over and visit me when I am back in the UK !!

Anyway - love to you all .. looking forward to another 'Ash's braai'.... Was there one this year? And happy bithday Ash, even though I am a bit late..

Heather
xxxx

Anyone got a web address for the Portuguese Embassy/Consulate in London?

Trying to find out about their Schengen Visa appointment routine. The only links I can find return an error. (Have the phone no. and address thanks, just hoping to get some info from a website).

Ta

I use to have a beautiful mobile number with 6 x 6's ... then changed it to 6 x 9 's and still two GB antie's gave me griefff (duiwelskind etc)

Well now everything is 69. (And I get a grin and smile)

Ok so will Tuesday be doomed upon us all ? 06-06-06

Read a very good piece about it HERE !

a negative growth rate

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/fact...os/sf.html

that i would like your advice on.

When we moved into this new house it was occupied by 15 people. (black)(most left within 48 hours)
One of the guys asked if he and his wife could stay with us for a while in the back. I said ok as it made sense... he is a nice guy and his wife is nice too.

Then i find out they have a 2 year old. OK thats not bad....

THEN the sister arrives with her 2 year old....

THEN another kid arrives to stay... a 7 year old.

THEN Noels brother comes to stay....

Thats 8 people outside in my garage.
I have not been charging them but will have to now. (R100 per person me thinks)

I didnt even know this was going on as I am at work all day and you never see them.

Problems are this...

One of the 2 year old's tries to kick and throw stones at Layla. Now Layla is a puppy and 12 weeks old.. but already cant stand that kid.. no matter HOW much we have warned the parents nothing is done about it.

Came home the other night to my back garden under water.... sewerage water! These people have been using newspaper as loo paper and also throwing left over food and pap down the drain.. the drain is now completely clogged! Kevin spent 2 days outside trying to un block everything... just as it was done this morning we find MORE left over food down the drain.

HOW DO I GET RID OF THESE PEOPLE or GET THEM TO STOP THIS RUBBISH?

We had a beautiful unny: day yesterday.

Walking in town I saw this guy - he must be a brand new Daddy - pushing a shining brand new Porsch like buggy. I don't know if he was afraid the sun would melt his tiny baby, but he had the buggy all zipped up to the top, and was trying to balance a cute polka dot umbrella for further shade. I saw him before he saw me, and when he became aware of me he suddenly stood 10 feet tall trying not to fuss, but also to communicate "This is my baby!"

It was so cute! :babyroll:

Who of you are watching it? It's for charity and Matt's charity is the Nelson Mandela's Childrens fund. I so want Matt Stevens to win :thumbs:

AGE: 23
D.O.B.: 01/10/82 in Durban, South Africa
OCCUPATION: Rugby Union Player – tight head prop for England and Bath

BEGINNINGS
• Educated at Kearnsey College in South Africa
• Moved to England to study Politics and Economics at Bath

CAREER
• Player Stats: Height - 6 feet (182.88 cm) / Weight – 266 pounds (120.7kg)
• Early representative honours include Western Province, South African Universities and the Junior Springboks at Under 18/Under 19 level.
• 2002: Joins Bath in September
• 2003: Makes non cap England debut against New Zealand barbarians
• 2003: Caught the eye of England selectors when playing for England IRB in Under 21’s World Cup
• 2003: Won first two caps for England during summer tour in NZ and Australia against the All Blacks but a knee injury prevented him from appearing in Test against Wallabies in Brisbane
• 2004: Selected as replacement for England against Ireland ahead of Jason Leonard
• 2005: Came into the England team in Six Nations where he was one of the most outstanding on the England side
• 2005: Featured in 6 games for the British Lions tour
• Current player status – England test squad/Zurich squad/ Heineken Cup Squad
• 2006: Ruled out of England’s tour of Australia due to operation on shoulder injury

OTHER INTERESTS/HOBBIES
• Matt is a ‘lover of literature’, in particular, JM Coetzee and Tolkien
• Matt is a keen musician. He writes his own lyrics and plays the guitar. Artists he likes include Counting Crows, Damien Rice and Jack Johnson
• He would like to get his helicopter licence
• Matt’s unusual nickname is ‘SoS’ – Son of Swede.

:luck: Matt

dare I say it :taped: ... JHB!!!!

Would sure like to know anyone here now...

Hello all.

I went and got MSN again at home and once loaded remembered that I dont have any contacts anymore.. its been so long I forgotted everyones hotmail addresses. :mmm:

So those of you I used to chat to (and there were LOTS) PLEASE PM me your addys so I can add you and we can pick up where we left off 2 years ago! :crylol: 2 year... flippin heck! :2cents:

Ta dankie baie! :duh: