Yeah! Friday

JOBURG

It was slow at work today. It seems that most of this company doesn't work on Fridays. And besides, a lot of them haven't been around this week and they are frequently out of the office and on the road. When some of those guys are in the office, they are running around so much that they're had to catch and therefore, hard to get to know. So it's been a little lonely. I have a road trip for 2 days with Grant next week so hopefully I can get to know him a bit better. That will help! And it sounds like more of the project managers will be back in the office as well. So I am looking forward to meeting my 2nd boss Dugald (1st boss Mike). Dugald has been away this week because his father took ill and died on Thursday. So I think I will only meet him this coming week. I hope so - he is supposed to be just super, too.

So the "A" type personality me is going "let's go guys, let's get some work done, what's going on here, etc, etc.". And then I have to bring myself down about 10 levels and remember: not your company, you're not even getting paid, you are caring WAY to much at this point. Just chill and do what you can. Hard for me, as you know.

So Mike's sister Avril and I left at 2pm today. Mike has lent me his van (of all vehicules - it is so big, I wish he had a VW beatle or something!). But still, it's wheels so it's a way to get around. FINALLY! I was so happy and he has even lent me his GPS so I don't get lost in a bad area. He is a real sweetheart. I don't know if he's going to lend it to me for 3 months, but he might....can you imagine??!!

I've been to the big shopping mall this evening and finally had some fish for dinner (S.A. is a steady diet of meat, meat and more meat). And I tried the sashimi salmon sushi and I've VERY please to report - Michelle - it was good!!! Don't I find good sushi in the strangest of places? Appleton, Wisconsin and now Roodepoort, South Africa. Both absolutely land locked cities! I will definitely go back to sample out some more.

The shops are nice - it's what you would find in the west island. Although they have several tatoo parlors in their mall. Strange. Clothes prices are decent. Went for yogurt ice cream and a Chai Latte that was SO good. I was so happy to find my Starbucks replacement. Now I won't go into withdrawal. Thank goodness!

I got in touch with Di and Clive from the African Children's Choir. They are expected in Joburg within the next 3-4 weeks so they will come and get me and I will drive back with them to Komatipoort. They said they would take me back to Kruger park so that will be nice. I'm looking forward to it! I miss them. They said they are leaving the Choir and moving back to Cape Town. I knew Di was anxious to move back so apparently, that is now happening.

Tomorrow I've been invited by a friend of a colleague at Globe to a braai (BBQ). He has arranged it especially for me! So Avril and I will go and meet him and his friends. We are both hoping that it will be loads of fun! So I will try to do some Globe work in the morning and then we will leave at 1:30pm to drive to Pretoria. Maybe I will even drive! I have had my first lesson tonight driving on the left and so far, so good.

Sunday I will probably go to the local golf course and practice things up a bit. I have a golf game with the Central Energy Fund of Africa on Friday and I'd like to play well! I may be a bit rusty - it's been a few months. I have also found a local gym that might as well take my arm and leg as payment because that's how costly it is. But if I keep eating these fried breakfasts and meat dinners, I'll be 20 pounds heavier when I fly home. So this gym not too far from the office and my B&B has beginner and intermediate pilates and a swimming pool. Plus the gym is brand new so my expectations are high. I'm counting on them to keep these pounds under control.

Now the t.v. is on because I'm exhausted (it's only 9:30pm!) and on tv there is 1) a news channel 2) a S.A. soap opera 3) some bad rapper type game show 4) and the cheesiest Chuck Norris movie in history. Why hasn't someone instructed the film company to burn those? They are so fake and terrible. A film that you cringe watching, you know?

Have a good weekend and check in with you next week.

Hugs, Lisa