I hate meetings. I’m on record for hating meetings, especially if they happen to be a waste of Yours Charmingly’s time and energy. And I especially hate meetings that drag on indefinitely, as African meetings tend to do.

On my way to work this morning, I got a text message from the boss asking me whether I have received notice for a meeting at 9. As it happened, I hadn’t, so I sent a text message back: what meeting? Something about a holiday programme and job descriptions. And then I phoned her and excused myself. Fortunately, I had made arrangements with people who would come to assemble some furniture today (they did) and had stacks and stacks of busywork to complete (which I finally did, as well!)

The other boss came around at about 11, to check up on the truant employee, and then found that not only was I busy with useful things, but that the arrangements I had made had been met!

This is what I actually DO in my little library: (Keep in mind that I’m the only employee there!)

• Stamp out books
• Shelve books and control shelves while I’m at it!
• Sort membership cards and issuing cards.
• Cover books
• Dust shelves
• Sweep floor
• Mop floor (once a week)
• Make coffee
• Wash cups
• Clean the toilet
• Clean the basin
• AND be nice to ornery old ladies!!!

I don’t think they’ll have all this on their list, so I can relax and simply sign what they have finally decided on.

No meeting necessary.

Actually very simple.  Price!

For a third of the price of a flat in town (which may or not be safe!), I can not only buy me a decent-sized house on a small bit of land (which I can actually garden if I wish!) but also keep my cats and my privacy. That alone is worth it!

The Group Areas Act was abolished quite some time ago, and many black people moved into previously “white” town areas.  It might be interesting to find out what would happen if the opposite happened…

When I first told people about my plans to purchase a little house in a township around Rustenburg, I was amazed by the responses.  The white people are all concerned about my safety, while the black people are chuffed to bits at the thought of a “pinky” moving into their neighbourhood.  In fact, a colleague went so far as to tell me that if I do that, I would be treated like royalty!  Their concerns (if they had any) where regarding muddy yards (not much gardening in townships) and paying municipal debts of previous inhabitants.

Anyway, at the time of this entry, it’s still merely an idea.  However, I’m sure as time goes by, the idea would get shape and probably even realise!  And if THAT happens, this blog might even become the basis of a book!

You never know…

It has been decided…  This woman will NOT have any cleaning staff in her house.  And yes, it’s going to be chaos, but it’s a hellovalot better than having a dumm (sic), complainy woman following me around all day long.

I just told my mom’s maid off.  Yeah, right, it’s not my place to do that, but if I have to listen to that woman for 5 more seconds, I’ll do more than merely tell her to shut up and walk away.

It’s a “crash” thing - I can’t stand complainy people.  Life is good.  It’s precious. And wasting energy complaining about everything is a waste of that goodness.  Plus it’s ingratitude at it’s worst!

I usually only listen to half the story, and then I say the words…  No, I’m not rude, but the words are not the words that a complainy person wants to hear. They are… wait for this….

WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO ABOUT IT?

And while the person gapes like a fish out of water, not knowing how to react to such a direct question, I usually make my escape!

And now you know…

(Also known as the “Ins and Outs of Cricket”!)

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that’s in the side that’s in goes out, and when he’s out he comes in and the next man goes in until he’s out. When they are all out, the side that’s out comes in and the side that’s been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out, and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in. There are two men called umpires who stay out all the time and they decide when the men who are in are out. When both sides have been in and all the men have been out, and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in, including those who are not out, that is the end of the game.

Simple!

(I don’t know who should get the credit for this, otherwise I would have given it!  I know it is printed onto a tea towel somewhere in Wales and the BBC made a skit out of it as well many years ago. So, if you are the author and I haven’t found you to ask your permission - my sincerest apologies!)

In the movie The Twelve Tasks of Asterix one of the heroes’ tasks is to find a particular form in “The Place that Drives Men Mad”. On closer inspection, that place looks very much like any civil service office… and it is said that it still exists today!

Somewhere else I read that if one wants to be exposed to the latest and greatest in technology and service, one should NOT go to any burocracy, be it a large corporation or a government office, as their mere size makes them cumbersome and outdated.

And if you add affirmative action into this mix, you’ll get a murder waiting to be committed!

I had a Monday today. A real one, not just the calendar day!

I got a note on my mobile phone early this morning to go to the main library. Having arrived there, I was informed that forms that I took great pains in obtaining were missing! And I know that not only did I return them to the main library, but I made all the necessary copies of the supporting documents as well! In hindsight, I think I should have copied the forms, too… The woman who was supposed to do the job, clearly was very upset that I could accuse her of not doing it! And she couldn’t find other documents that I urgently needed. (Fortunately, I had them e-mailed to my personal address, so I could make copies!)

And the third thing is that I couldn’t access information that I needed for my school children on the Internet, because some brilliant idiot somewhere decided that only certain levels may have internet access! That’s all very well, but considering that my library does not even have a computer, let alone internet access, and it serves a really poor community, I think that is the most shortsighted act so far this year! I can’t believe that I am expected to render a service of any nature to the public without as much support as I can possibly gather! So much for Batho Pele, or any other customer service principle. If you cut me off at the knees, I can’t do my work. Period.

And I refuse to use any of my own resources for work purposes without compensation!

Anyway, now all this is a matter of public record. I hope the people I work for read this and decide to do something about it! But I hope in vain…

East Library, Rustenburg

“My” library opened officially on the 1^st of September 2009. Unfortunately, I only have enough stock in place to warrant a reading room (for the moment, anyway!), but I do have some reference material to help the kids with their school projects, so that prompted the authorities to open the doors.

Anyway, I feel right back at home in that community. The old ladies haven’t all noticed that I’m back in business (which is a relief, I must say!) but all the neighbours have popped in to say hello and some old friends drop in from time to time, to check up on me and my progress! I’m friendly to the teams who pick up rubbish on the sidewalk around my place, and to the parks people. I greet the lady who watches over my car at the corner store and she tells me about her day. She doesn’t complain - so she gets a big smile along with her tip!

Yes, the East of Rustenburg is full of really “common” people. Those who lay rubber on the tar on weekends and drink themselves into enough courage to beat their wives. There are, however, also lots of genuine people who would go out of their way to help you without expecting anything in return. OK, but then they also trust that you would pay that kindness forward, and in the end, it would come back to them in some form or another, so that’s not a bad deal at all!

And I even know that the books in my library would all be treated as sacred texts, as the previous collection was! That’s just the way these people are.

So yes, I really, really look forward to going to work each morning. That alone is worth millions!

She came into my room again tonight. Not to find out how I was (I have a terrible cold!) but to start criticising everything she reckons I do wrong! She never comes to my side of the house for any other reason than that. Yes, I’m not a neat person. That’s ok, I can live with that one - but at least my mess is confined to a 3 x 4 m space in the house!

I have decided to move out in January. How I shall afford it, God only knows. But there’s a choice between starving to death and being belittled all the time. And I’d rather starve my body than my soul.

Well, we’ll see when we get there, I suppose… Only four more months….