Easter in South Africa

Easter is upon us here in South Africa. It means different things for different people. If you are religious person then you go to church normally on Good Friday and then again on Easter Sunday. If you aren’t then you go worship the sun god by going to the beach and getting burnt!

Different churches do different things, for instance the Zionish church of South Africa hold a big conference up in Mpumalanga making it an all weekend event and hundreds of people from all over Southern Africa attend. Our church has a Good Friday service and then on Sunday meet down at the beach and use the ‘Splash Festival’ venue for an open air service after which they have baptisms in the sea . After which everyone goes down to the beach and makes a ‘skottle’ breakfast and this becomes a family event sharing with friends. While the mainline churches will have services on both days in their respective venues.

The Splash Festival in Port Elizabeth is an annual event hosted by the city and features sorts activities and different types of music to cater to the crowds that go there. There are also the stalls that sell everything under the sun and then some more!

Autumn Has Arrived and So The Leaks as Well!

Autumn has arrived with the first good rain of the season. The block of flats I live in leaks like a sieve and so we run with towels and buckets to catch all the water coming through the walls and ceiling! We don’t complain too loudly as the rents are absurdly low and so we put up with all the drips. The weather has become cooler now as the first hint of winter peeks around the corner. Already snow has been reported on some mountains to the south west of our city. I predict that the winter this year will be colder than last year as it seems that each winter gets colder and summer hotter!

driving rain

Squalls come through every hour so when you just think the rain is over the next one arrives catching you off guard. The sun is out but to the north of the city it is pelting down. Each part of the city gets it’s own share of the rain at different times. Now the dams will fill up again as with the drought we’ve had they have been getting depleted.

raining today

We lie in the southern part of South Africa and in between two demographics so we tend to get some summer rainfall which is mostly from the northern subtropical region of Kwazulu-Natal and the winter rainfall of the Western Cape which lies to the west of Port Elizabeth, my city.

Beautiful Wild Places in the Southern Cape of South Africa.

 

There are some beautiful wild places in the southern cape around where I live. Magnificent waterfalls just begging to be seen that most people don’t even know exist. Just in the Gamtoos valley there are small towns servicing the deciduous fruit farms and wonderful hiking trails taking one to waterfalls hidden away in narrow ravines.

We have 7 biomes just around my city of Port Elizabeth alone! So there is a different type of vegetation for every ones tastes. Montane forests, succulents, karroo desert vegetation, seashore vegetation and grassland.

Storm’s River is home to montane forests and magnificent mountains clothed with thick forest. Trails wind up and down the mountain sides through this lush vegetation that often never sees the light of the sun.

the vegetation that the Addo elephants eat is a succulent of the karroo biome This bush retains it’s moisture in it’s leaves even in dry periods and has nutritional vales for them.

The Business of Booking Buses, etc for Travellers.

Travelers in South Africa today have various means by which to travel. If they don’t own a car or if they do and don’t want to do the tiresome journey then they can hire a car from one of the many rental fleets or fly. But then they might want a more scenic trip where a bus is chosen. Main-liners ply their trade along most of the main arterial routes between most of our cities. Then there are the smaller touring buses as well that tend to stop in more of the smaller towns and resorts along the way.
In choosing a main-liner, there are various companies to select. Some are private while others are parastatal which means that they belong to companies controlled by the government. There are luxury buses and budget buses catering to every need and price. The traveler must discern midst all this what is good value and what is not good as in the terms of safety. Not all travel the same routes so you must be able to see if the journey you intend going on is catered for by the particular company you want to use.
Which comes to my dilemma, which company would I use if I wanted to travel and why would I want to use them. I want to market the company in who offers good value but at the same time offers safe comfortable travel. One such company has I believe, the right credentials for this, and so this is the company that I will endeavor to market. They have a first class track record of safe travel and I have been on their buses and felt cared for. Being small I can’t sell every bodies tickets as of yet, so this bus company gets my vote.

Finding The Best in Other People.

I am reading a book about how to win friends and make all round life better . One of the chapters deals with giving praise to people be it in your home, the workplace or amongst friends. The concept is that instead of ordering people around and criticising them if they make mistakes is to encourage them and praise their good works where they have achieved. I just thought of my last job that I had and how that could have built that whole business instead of crushing the workers and the business like it did. Most leaders and or managers never give praise and only criticise their staff when a problem occurs. I’m sure that most problems in life would not occur if those principals were used. He mentions incidents where by giving praise and encouragement had fantastic results for everybody in the organisation. I’ve always found that people respond much better when you thank them for what they contributed and if a mistake happens then a good approach and a positive solution brings people together and builds a better workplace, of home.
Now with the business I’m starting, I’m going to give back via a way of thanks for using my services. Be it a gift, a card or a call, I will make a difference with the customers I work with. Just a ‘Thank You’ can change the perception of just a business transaction from a mundane deal to an interesting partnership when dealing with people. I will be dealing with all sorts of people on a daily basis and so the way of interacting with them can make or break your business. I believe that potential customers are just friends you haven’t met and by seeking that much more you can build not only a lasting business but a long term friendship as well.

Monday Morning. – Off the top of my hat so to speak

To most, Monday morning are the blues of the week but for me it’s a new day dawning a new week to be excited. Today will be 36 C they say and it’s already warming up. Whats your day feeling like? I’m here at the Internet cafe as my own airtime data is finished and besides to get out of the flat is to expand my horizons. I do not know what this week will bring maybe heart sore maybe a new adventure I never know unless I embrace the day and seek for it. Life in South Africa for an older guy like me is not easy as there is massive unemployment and the more experienced young generation must find it first. I have the experience but my age is against me so it’s a difficult situation where some would tell me to become a pensioner and vegetate while others say go find work. I’ve started this booking agency on line but without customers, nothing can be achieved, so that’s the reason for blogging to0 reach a larger audience. I was employed as a backpacker manager for ten years and so have the experience to do this, but how do I find my customers out in the ether. These are just thoughts that rush around my head most days. What are your experiences in life?

Farmers Markets, Art Markets and other attractions in Central Port Elizabeth.

A farmers market in Central Port Elizabeth isn’t that a bit weird! Yes it might seem that way but in all truth it is a concept that has grown from the first time it was started. On the first Wednesday of every month a part of Stanley Street is closed off and becomes a market. Started originally in a big hall it spills out into the street and attracts all sorts of people who can purchase tasty foods, pestos, cheeses, breads, cakes and also handicrafts and brica brac in the form of items from a past generation. Be it food or hand made clothing,everything you want might be found there. The ‘Granary Market’ as it is known caters to many different tastes. They usually have some sort of band playing making it most festive.

Stanley Street has become a restaurant hub in the Richmond Hill area with most of the ‘yuppies’ migrating there from other areas. All different manner of restaurants operate there with most having tables and chairs right on the pavement. One can find many different palates to suit your taste, from ala carte menus to sushi and everything in between is catered for there. It is a pretty part of Central with most of the houses having been built in the 19^th century.

A different market operates on the first and last Sunday of every month in the form of an artists market at our local park also in Central. Known as ‘Art In The Park’ it has grown from from a few artists showing their paintings to a market where you can buy all manner of items including artifacts form the Victorian age. And what market can operate without food! There are many fast food stalls where ice creams and boere wors in rolls are sold to hungry patrons who come there looking for the unusual gift. The artists are still there amongst all the other stalls and so you can buy an original painting from an aspiring artist or some kitsch item that you want.

The Person Behind the Blog

 

I’m an centravert which means that I’m not as secretive as an introvert but not as open and exuberant as an extrovert. Parties and mass crowds scare the hell out of me! I prefer one on one friendships and enjoy inviting friends out for a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop with intimate conversation.

My life has been a roller coaster ride of mainly happiness with many pleasant memories. I grew up in Port Elizabeth but we were forced to move in the early 60’s as my father lost his business, to the town of Benoni in what was then known as the Transvaal now as Gauteng. There a whole new lifestyle awaited as I experienced coed school for the first time after having been to a boy’s only school for the first 6 years of my life. After my schooling I started an apprenticeship but didn’t get on with the foreman who was abusive and so I walked out of the apprenticeship and went back to Port Elizabeth to start afresh. I got married in my late twenties but divorced 7 years later as my wife preferred a relationship with her boss. Job-wise I’ve been there worn the t-shirt and more and now I find myself out of work once more in an economy where if you are white, male and over 50, that has dire consequences for you.

Both my parents have passed on and only have a sister with whom I live. Most of our relatives seem to have forgotten that we exist even that they happen to reside in the same city and country!

In my last job I was a senior manager at a backpacker which enabled me to gather much information on the travel and hospitality industries of which I’m now blogging and have started an on line booking agency. The first time I ever travelled to the former Transkei was in 2005 while I was working as a manager and it opened up a whole new world for me in that I could travel and stay inexpensively, one of the perks of working in this industry.

My hobbies include cars as would be seen from my second blog, as is hiking, a passion of mine, of which I’ve done so little these past few years. Also antiques, these are mainly Victorian as this was what was used in South Africa in the 19^th century. I have 2 cars at present both being classic minis. One currently on the road, the other awaiting rebuilding as I strive to find a garage to house it. I also enjoy texting friends on my mobile and in doing this , am confusing most people as they say that people my age don’t even know what a mobile is let alone chat on it!

Most people I find have a strange attitude to life in that when a person reaches 62 years of age they must retire and become a vegetable waiting to die! That is the last thing on my mind as I seek another job and next adventure. There is so much to still accomplish out there and I want to do that.

A Saturday Morning in Central.

On Saturday’s I normally go out at 9.30am to 10am as most shops open at 9am. I used to go to the local bakery for coffee but with the aftermath of Christmas, the prices have gone up again and they are getting pricey so I decided on the new coffee shop down on the corner of Lawrence and Clyde Streets hoping to buy my croissants there as they are inexpensive. When I got down there it was only to discover that someone had purchased the last one as I walked in the door! But not withstanding that I still stopped for a hot cup of coffee and a large biscuit. They’ve become quite popular as quite a few people came in as I sat there. It was very pleasant as it reminded me of the small side-walk cafés in Cape town down the side streets in Gardens. When I was finished I decided to return home as it being the beginning of the month everywhere was crowded as people queued to first draw and then spend their hard earned cash! I stopped in at the service station to fill my car as the price goes up by 39 cents next Wednesday, the second such hike in 2 months. Central still has the quaint charm of an old city suburb with its old buildings and tree lined streets. On quieter Saturday mornings I often go to the internet café to check on my mail and update my other sites.

My Suburb called Central

It rained today, so welcome as it has cooled the air. Lots of moisture around with heavy black clouds. At least it is a soaking rain and not the floods we have been having of late.
Venturing out into my suburb, through the wet streets I went in search of a new coffee shop as my normal one has got expensive. I have heard of another one low down and so went to find it. A real gem hidden away in Lawrence Street among the antique shops. I had a hot cup of coffee and a cup cake for the price of just a cup at the former place! Sometimes one must walk a little further to discover these hidden gems. It is set in an old building and has interesting décor of old furniture and related items. They didn’t have a lot of cakes on display but what they had was very appetizing to say to least. Carrot cake, muffins, chocolate éclairs, croissants and quiche. The antique shop next door has a treasure trove of books, furniture and other memorabilia to excite. At one time they used to sell exotic cars but the present owner has decided on the above instead. This street is just off the Heritage Trail which winds through Central. On this trail one wanders around looking at the old buildings and history of Port Elizabeth. It starts at the Donkin Reserve and takes in the city centre and then goes up the hill to old Port Elizabeth’s heart. Central has many fine old buildings built by our ancestors dating back to the 1800’s when the city was first started by the settlers who landed in 1820. So who will be first to visit this southern most city in Africa?