This was the 11th June, the start of the soccer world cup and I have to say the country needs to be like this all the time. The unity, the joined spirit and yes we actually smiled at each other without fear.
My morning started with me going to clear a parcel at the airport for a delivery to Howick. 135km from here. I received notification of this airport clearance at 11.30 pm on Thursday night. Must say I was surprised to get one so late, but in this industry you are on call 24/7. So I replied yes, I would do it.
So the next morning I was up at 5.30am and left for airport at 6.00am which is a 45 minute driver to collect the parcel. Now I have been to this client before so I knew it was going to be a cooler box the size of a chest. Fills the back of my car but weighs very little. About 6 kgs. So I dutifully drive to the airport after doing the hair and face challenge. I swear this is the bain for my life, why we have morning hair is anyone’s guess. Cruel and unnecessary and I need to complain to whomever the hair God is! And the war paint is so tiresome, but the clients would need serious therapy if I went all natural. Oh my goodness, Friday the thirteen on Friday the 11th!
I arrived at the airport at 7.00am and asked for the consignment to be told it was only arriving at 8.00am and was clearable at 9.00am. Now this information I could have done with when I was sent the sms!! So I said “You gotta be Frikin kidding right!?”
Oh well the airport is based in the middle of nowhere now so I could not just go and drive to a shopping mall and grab a cup of coffee, I had to go to the airport and have a cup of coffee there and the parking is R12.00 for 1 hour. Very expensive. So I sent the boss a message that had sent me the sms and told him coffee and parking and breakfast was on him. He could have told me the times. This needed to be delivered before 11.00am as that is an Overnight Service.
The airport was humming with excitement. I think k my desperate walk from the shaded parking to find the ladies, helped with the extreme mood. The parade parking was all closed off for VIP people for the visiting dignitaries.
As I walked through the airport I was stuck by the atmosphere. Yellow Bafana Bafana T shirts supporting South Africa, the blowing of the Vuvuzella (African trumpet like thing) which I have to tell you is extremely loud and the tourists were arriving and you could feel the tension build.
I sat at spur having a coffee and tried to find a less fattening breakfast to eat. New health plan is what I am on at the moment as my colon has decided I have abused it enough. Not many choices, so I settled for a toast and cheese and tomato sandwich – I did not touch the fries. You would be so proud of me as that is my big weakness. Fries, chips, roast potatoes…… hmmmmm salivating here at the thought.
I people watched and listened to the Vuvuzella being blown in the airport and thought that it was amazing that one they were allowed to blow it as its very loud and blasts your brains out. just ask Bern, on Saturday she was in the bottle store and this very very very drunk man came up to the counter, turned towards her and blew the thing in her ear. She did not think she just reacted and grabbed the Vuvuzella and hit him with it! This man was nearly killed and he didn’t even know it. The manager of the bottle store thanked her for doing it and clapped. The offender just does not get it. That is not what you do…. Well he made a duck for it as the security guards were after him. Bloody idiot, and to choose Bern who has that “Don’t come near me Face” drunks have no fear. Just like that saying, “Drunks tread where angels fear to tread!” I of course though this was very funny, but more about that later.
Back to the airport. Such a variety of colours and outfits and children dressed in the South African colours with their safety helmets which have been changed to signify what our soccer supporters wear. Now I am sure there is a name for the safety helmets that have been decorated but I am afraid I am not educated in the soccer gear. Sorry guys if you are, you can tell me what they are called.
I sat and reveled at the feeling of unity and the buzz gave me Goosebumps. If you know anything about fear as I do, this is a feeling I wish we would bottle and sell to our country. Unity and one goal; pity it’s not an ongoing thing. Well not to dwell on the negative. It was so good to see the people arriving to meet the tourist and be so proud of their country.
I left the airport, walked that long walk to my car, paid the car parking fee and went to collect the parcel. The police presence was so obvious and they all looked so smart and organized. The amount of bikes on patrol was impressive on the high way. At one place there were 14 bikes on the side of the road waiting for dignitaries to be escorted in. Where were they when I needed the loo!!! I am important too. I could have done with an escort so I could get to the loo quickly. It’s all this water I am drinking to assist with them very abused colon! Where can I apply for escort help? And no not the Bad Escorts….. Not for me I am afraid. I don’t need that. Giggle!
The trip to Howick was a breeze and the only thing that was a bit upsetting was that I would be on the same road later that afternoon as we were going to see our girls….. Our biological daughters and the ones we have adopted on the way….. So in total I would be in the car for the trip to Howick and back. 3 hours and 6 hours to Johannesburg. My poor body! And add to that the lack of sleep from the night before, I was not really feeling that great.
The client was most impressed she received her parcel at 10h22, and I kept to the speed limit and she oohhed and ahhhed about the excellent service. I smiled and nodded and said the “That is what we are here for” and failed to add that the image in front of her did not just happen miraculously, it took time effort, war paint, caffeine and a great amount of strength…. But I was graceful and smiled and said see you next week I am sure. And walked out with my head held high and was so pleased that it was over.
The drive back to Pinetown was also without event. I arrived in Pinetown and at first glance I thought we were having a strike or one hell of a big battle with the noise and activity. The supporters were everywhere and the colour yellow was so bold and apparent. The shops were filled with people blowing the Vuvuzella, waling in the streets, showing their support and cheer. The taxis were filled to capacity with their occupants blowing their Vuvuzella and singing the Waka Waka song. I swear I was so close to joining them, but alas I am still not that brave and once again I had consumed too much water on the journey so Nature took first precedent.
My office/house is based on a busy road in Pinetown so the noise continued all day and the radio stations kept us informed of activities all over Durban and the people were so positive. The number of cars with South African flags on is very impressive. GO South Africa and Bafana Bafana.
When I arrived at home I must say my good mood was quickly doused, because Mathew had bought a flat screen TV and part of the deal was delivery and assembly of stand and TV. Clearly the delivery guys decided that they wanted to leave early and just dumped it and told my House keeper to just sign that it was not installed. Well I am not normally quick to get angry but as I am in the service industry… failure to deliver what you have been paid to do really makes my blood boil. For goodness sakes how hard is it to keep your word and to be service orientated and do your damn job!
So I telephone the shop, the manager is out and I ask for the next man/woman in charge and blast them. They charged for this service and who do they think they are ripping off. “I will get back to you” was my response. This did not help my blood pressure so I notified Mathew and he got all riled up and he got hold of the manager as he has his cell phone number and he blasted him from here to kingdom come with a few choice words thrown in.
Bern was about to blast them too but I told her I already had. Gosh my stress levels!!! I really need to learn to calm down. Is this something that happens with old age? I thought people were supposed to mellow with old age. Not me, not this broad, no I have become less tolerant of bullies, service failures, people who refuse to stand up for themselves and I am quite the grump of late. I am sure its coz this colon is not functioning properly and when you tell me I am full of it, you may be right!
After that I decide to phone my Johannesburg office to follow up on a deal I am working on and ask for the branch manager. Well this person answers the phone and I ask what place I have phoned. When she says the name of the company I sit there stunned as it is my company but I would need a translator of stupid to tell me that I had phoned the right company. Now some people are born to work on the phone others NOT SO MUCH. Now I am not knocking the ability to answer the phone but for goodness sakes use the right tenses and pronunciation. We are a professional company and people invest their freight to us and they spend very large amounts with us and all they want is to speak to someone who is able to direct the calls and take messages, they do not need to be treated as if the phone call is an inconvenience and still not be able to understand a word the staff member is saying. So I stumble through the conversation, finally work out that the manager is not in and ask to speak to the Customer Services manager to be told, “Im fraid heshe not on her desk, heshe is in the toilet! Cun I git hir to foned you?”
I sit at my desk, look at my phone and wonder what is going on, so I ask her again what her name is as I do not know her; decide she clearly will not understand human, but decide to leave a message for both of them to phone me back. I can just imagine my Friend Gadija not being impressed with the clients being told she is IN the toilet and that she sits ON her desk. Gadija is the poster girl for being efficient and professional. Well I put the phone down and am frustrated because I have visions of my big deal going south the first time my prospective client phones to speak to the Branch Manager or the Operations manager to clarify anything as the impression he will be given is one of ”NOT RELIABLE”
My mind boggles. So I decided to send a mail as a backup for feedback from the Branch manager. I am still waiting for the call from Gadija as I very much doubt it was passed on. Hmmmmmm not my way doing business. Any way I sound like a moaning Myrtle now so I will stop.
The Manager of the Furniture shops phones me back. Mistake number one, he calls me Mrs. Osterloh! Well I have not been that for nearly 18 years…. And I do not correct him as Mathew bought the TV, but my heckles rise. I listen to him apologizing and then I blast him and ask him if this is acceptable in his eyes. Of course he does the “NO Mrs. Osterloh It Is Not, I will resolve it and please can you just give me directions to your place as I am sending my assistant to come and assemble the unit and TV. “
I "humph" and say well he had better do something about this and I want the delivery guys to be given a written warning as they did not do what they were contracted to do. My good spirits and unity had flown out the window.
So I am told they will be with us within an hour, well that is not impossible as they shop is only 23kms away, three hours later I hear them at the gate. But you will be proud to know I was most cordial and just let them in without hitting them.
I showed respect and they did the job very quickly and even programmed it for me, then politely tuned into the soccer as the game had just started. I just burst out laughing and we watched a bit, very multinational in my lounge and then they left regretfully and I packed for the weekend with our girls.
This may sound like an easy task to you, but since Bern and I joined our lives, I do not do the packing. Bern has this ability to turn two suitcases of stuff into one and I find it quite intimidating as I have tried and tried and eventually throw a tantrum and tell her to JUST DO IT!
She looks at me as if any fool can pack, and yes any fool can pack, but not so that NASA would want to employ them to pack the astronauts requirements for a trip to Mars!
Well Bern arrived not long after the assistant manager left from the furniture store and she had the elegance not to unpack my suitcase but went to get another one for her requirements. I quickly pointed out that there were towels in and the toiletries and she had plenty of room for her stuff. She smiled that almost painful smile of indulging me and took the toiletries out and the game of 30 seconds and put her stuff in the case using a quarter of what I had used closed the case before it burst at the seams! Very diplomatic Bern; didn’t know you had it in you. Giggle
We left at 4.30pm and were hardly on the road when I received a “call me” from Mathew, I had seen he had sent me a call me but every time I tried to phone him back, the message was, “the person you are trying to get hold of is not available!” Panic rose in my throat, I was convinced he had been broken into. I finally got through only to be met with a flow of words with no breathing space between and I tried to decipher what he was saying. By now I was really in a panic state and we were looking for an off ramp on the high way to get back home as I was beyond thinking normal thoughts, I was in overdrive and wanted to get back to protect my sons…….he was in such a state and was quite loud, and finally I worked it out between the F words and the sheer panic and frustration from his side….
“THE TV JUST F BLEW UP! SPARKS, FUNNY NOISE AND IT BLEW UP! AND ITS ALL YOUR FAUTL!” (how it was my fault is anyone's guess - but this is how Mathew handles stress,; he shouts AT YOU)
My response was “You F kidding me!” well he had already phoned the Manager of the furniture shop and shouted at him for the rubbish he had sold him and threatened all sorts of legal action, and guess what, well Mathew was told to bring it back and they would replace it, so we paid for the delivery of the TV only to have to go and fetch another one. We will be doing a little letter insisting that the delivery charges be reversed! Mathew will be handling that because I do not think I can be called Mrs. Osterloh again and I think I may land up being thrown in jail for my verbal abuse. As I said I need to control my temper.
So there was Mathew watching the soccer on the flat screen TV very proud of his purchase and HEY PRESTO ….. Nothing. Shame man he had to go and watch in my bedroom.
So while we were driving an already upset and annoyed Mathew contacted me on Mixit, a chat function on cell phones and asked me where the hardace tiblits were. I read the message and read it again, and before I could reply he added, “And thank you for the MILK!” hmmmmm not a happy chappy, Headache Tablets; that I worked out, realizing that he now had a headache and could not make himself coffee, I felt really bad. I told him where to find the pills but he could not find them anywhere. Our house keeper is wonderful but she has this wonderful habit of hiding stuff and we search for hours looking for the item only to give up and ask her when she next comes in. I arrange for one of Bern’s work colleague to have some pills waiting for Mathew as I know he never takes pills unless he is really not well. By now this mother is in a panic and feels so bad, I even ask Bern's work colleague to give him some money so he can buy milk. I am a bad mother; I need to work on this. I have to admit because my milk intake is less because of new eating plan, I completely forgot to check the amount of milk we had; and my poor little boy was at home with no pills for his throbbing head and I had not got milk so I was really sad at my mothering skills!
I finally calm down, have a giggle at the TV blowing up experience, am relieved that matt is sorted and look forward to another 5 and ½ hour’s drive at night to my girls. It took some time for my breathing to return to normal. We listened to the scores of the Bafana Bafana game against Mexico and were pleased that we drew but would have been happier if we won.
About 45 minutes from Sarah and Cait’s place I receive a message from Sarah, “How close are you” so I tell her to which she responds.
“I am going to sleep”
Well I looked at the message twice. We are 45 minutes away and you are going to sleep. Bern and I could not believe this. I respond “Janey we gonna be there in 45 minutes surely you can stay awake that long?”
No response. Oh well she must have run out of air time I think to myself. We arrive at her place and phone her…………….no reply………… try again…………. Still no reply. Now we have driven 6 hours to see them and have no way to get in or place to stay.
“Hello, Anne, I know it’s nearly midnight and we did not ask you to stay with you, but ummmm, please can we stay with you?” Somehow that phone call was one I was not prepared to make at that time of the night.
Ring, ring, finally the guards let us in and Sarah stumbles onto her balcony of her steps, asleep on her feet. She asks if we phoned her. “Did we phone you? Did we phone You? “I reply.
She mumbles, “Oh I heard it ring and turned it to silent!” How to make your moms feel real welcome.
We stumbled up three flights of stairs into her flat, and there was Cait passed out on the couch. No chance of waking her, she did not even budge. They had gone to News Café to watch the soccer and a party pursued and they had great fun and my Sarah……………… well I will leave that to tell whomever she wants to tell. Giggle, ask her what drinks she had, there is a new one called merrygold drink!
Bern and I witnessed the most heartwarming sight on the way back to Durban. We stopped for fuel and when we left in the petrol drive way, these Argentinean tourists were playing soccer with the petrol attendants. I was actually proud of our country at the moment. Such togetherness.
I had to giggle though in the Wimpy where we were getting coffee for the road these American visitors went up to the counter and asked for “5 burgers and fries please?” The lady behind the counter went
“HUH? Esssscusie?” Bern witnessed this and smiled and told the lady behind the counter that the gentlemen want 5 Cheese Burgers and Chips. Accents and different names for products will be an education or our service providers.
I started chatting to them and they were on their way to the Soccer in Durban and felt sure they would get to the game on time. They had to be at the designated parking 4 hours before kickoff and they still had two hours driving to do and we estimated they would arrive in Durban by 18h30. There was no ways they would make the game. The American tourist smiled and said “Don’t worry, I am in a friend’s car and when he receives the fines I will be back in America!” So much for brotherly love?
I do not believe it’s my imagination, I can feel the difference in the people, and we are all filled with this bond and togetherness. I hope it does not fade like it did after the Rugby World Cup. I mean when I am given the finger by a driver he now does it with a big Grin; not a scowl so I suppose that’s progress. The Taxi drivers are still terrible but they have the flags on their vehicles and are blowing their Vuvuzella and they seem quite happy driving on the pavements to get the people to the games. I call DANGER TIME but even I Grin when I hoot at them and try to dodge them as they slide back into the traffic.
This is a time of growth and a time to learn from each other and my wish is that the people of South Africa take heed of their good feelings and carry on with this feeling of joy and anticipation of better things to come. Let’s be like the Argentinean Tourists and take the advantage to play and have fun.
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