So I went to see a film by myself for the first time in SA (I’ve been here nearly 2 years now), something I used to do all the time in England and America. The honour goes to “Sunshine Cleaning” which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then I bought the “How to lose friends and alienate people” DVD and then went and treated myself to sushi afterwards. A nice little day I’d say.

I just feel so tired and really need to go on leave — just to sleep if nothing else. Work is great, I love it, and I just got back from a trip to Leipzig, Germany, which was a wonderful opportunity.

It was good to get out of Cape Town, and just be around the “ordinary”. Won’t explain more than that. Met some great people, went to the opera to see The Barber of Seville (in Italian with German subtitles), and sold a lot of books. Was inspired to go back to school and do a Masters or PhD. We’ll see.

Photos will be posted soon.

Day One -  (Tuesday):
Wake up knowing I’m getting a cold as stuff is going on in my nose. Go to work and feel okay though. Joke with colleagues and with the big contrary bear. By midday, I want to go home, but can’t as have to do some work for my boss by the end of the day. On the way home, go to buy Viral Choice and Vitamin C at the pharmacy.

Night One:
Couldn’t sleep at all. Headache like you wouldn’t believe. Legs HURT. Legs HURT! Head pounding, eyes pounding, throat pounding. Whole flippin’ head POUNDING. Have to blow nose one nostril at a time as one is blocked and one isn’t. Every time I do, it feels like someone hit me in the eye with a sledgehammer. Can’t breathe through nose so have to keep mouth open. Lips dry, and yet liquid is coming out of mouth. Nose tickles and then liquid comes out of there too. Keep drinking tea and juice the whole night. Tissues sodden with yuck are accumulating on the floor.

Day Two (Wednesday):
Spend the whole day in bed. Aching all over. Tissues now sodden with dark yellow yuck which if I remember correctly signifies infection. Wonder how my friend Nike, who used to get the flu on a regular basis, coped. In and out of sleep. Eat toast so can take medicine, which doesn’t seem to be doing anything. Keep on taking Panado, which definitely doesn’t do anything for the headache.

Night Two:
Much better. Actually sleep, although wake up a lot, but aware that have got some sleep. Hacking cough starts though and definitely can’t go to work.

Day Three (Thursday):
Wake up feeling better than yesterday, but head still hurts and now mid section hurts, rather than legs. Who invented flu anyway and why does it just creep up out of nowhere?

Was driving through Sea Point today and stopped behind a “bakkie” (a truck) at a red light. The back was open and there were three scruffy, tired looking girls in the back, ranging probably from ages 4-10. Anyway, they were all looking at me, and then at each other, and you could tell they were talking about me.

I then shrugged my shoulders as if to say “what’s up”, and then gave them a smile and they all gave me huge smiles back. The light changed to green and we all started to move. They then waved at me and I waved back and we just carried on waving. Waving, waving, waving.

They soon turned right and I continued straight, but we all carried on waving. I dunno, it just made all seem well in the world.

So all of a sudden for some reason I am being inundated with male attention - at the gym, at the traffic department, through friends, at church etc, which should be all good right? Right? Wrong! So wrong when it’s from the wrong kind of blokes. Why do men feel the need to call you “baby” and “darling” after one meeting?

There’s this guy I was introduced to by a friend, and he’s called like 5 times today and sent numerous texts. I was busy at the office and at a conference so my phone was switched off. So he calls again and asks me why I haven’t replied to his texts or answered the phone. Dude, I’m at work, and you’re coming on a bit strong. Then he asks if I can drop by to see him after work as he wants to see my “pretty face”, to which I reply “sorry, I have an appointment after work”, to which he replies “so you can’t come see me?”, to which I reply “um, no!”

Then silence as he hangs up.

Sayonara!

Do men go to some remedial class on romance or something where they’re taught to lay it on thick with the sweet nothings? Please. Save it for when you really mean it. You know how some people say excessive swearing — of the effing and blinding type — shows a general lack of vocabulary? Well, this feels like the same thing. Learn some new words for goodness sake!

So yesterday, I was at a seminar for work and sitting next to me was this lady who looked so familiar, but I couldn’t place where I knew her from. She starts talking to me eventually, and we discuss Lagos, Johannesburg and Cape Town. I know she’s someone well-known so I say:

Me: Please forgive me. I know I know you from somewhere, but I can’t remember where.

Lady: [who hesitates for a split second as if to wonder at my lack of knowledge] I’m the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Me: Oh yes, so sorry. [although that still doesn't ring any bells]

And then we carry on chatting and she’s really quite nice and introduces me to a young man from her office who came with her.

I then slip out to tell a colleague what just happened, and to try to find out who she is. He tells me her name is Fatima Hajaig, and I know her ‘cos she’s been in the papers a lot recently due to her speech at a Palestine solidarity rally, in which she said:  “The control of America, just like the control of most Western countries, is in the hands of Jewish money, and if Jewish money controls their country then you cannot expect anything else.” She later apologised after the ensuing furore.

Suddenly I miss my film reviews. Was going through my hard drive trying to pick a new profile photo for Facebook and came across all these images for my old reviews. Just recently bought a bunch of old films and went back to read the reviews to remember what I thought of them. It’s time-consuming, but brings me joy, so I will try to resurrect the whole thing.

Watched He’s Just Not That Into You last night with Mireille. The review I read said it was like an extended episode of Friends, and the only storyline worth watching and waiting for is the one with Jennifer Connelly. I disagree.

My verdict. More than one storyline did it for me. Enjoyed the film and found it funny. I’d read the book so was interested in seeing how they’d turn it into a film.

Spent Christmas and the New Year in Nigeria, where at the beginning of the year this new crash helmet law went into effect for okada (motorbike taxis) riders and their passengers. For starters, I hardly saw any real crash helmets — mainly plastic hard hats, which are probably great on a plastic construction site, but maybe not so much on a motorbike, but correct me if I’m wrong.

Anyway, it was just such a strange and comical sight to see women wearing their head ties, which are quite elaborate at times, and span the height of between 1 and 2 crash helmets to start with, and then at the top you see this tiny little plastic yellow helmet perched on top of the head tie, precariously held in place by the passenger’s hand. Come any sort of collision and throw from that bike, that helmet will be the first thing to go flying, which defeats the whole purpose.

I had heard that some okada passengers were apprehensive about wearing the helmets because they thought juju (voodoo, black magic) could have been placed there, and others were thinking of catching head lice from other passengers. I had to take the okada to get around, so I first wore a head scarf and then the helmet. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of either the comical ladies with their way high head gear or me with my little scarf under the hard hat.

Tried to join Pyramid Video yesterday. The conversation, between myself and an English-sounding woman for goodness sake, went something like this:

Pyramid Video: “Are you a foreigner?”.

Me: “Yes.”

PV: “Then you’ll need to show ID and a credit card”.

Me: “I don’t have a credit card.”

PV: “Sorry then.”

Me: “So you mean I can’t join because I don’t have a credit card?”

PV: “Yes.”

Me: “But I joined a video club just down the street and I didn’t have to produce a credit card. Can’t I just pay cash?”

PV: “Either you produce a credit card or pay a R1000 deposit on each DVD you take out. Foreigners have left the country and gone off with our films in the past.”

Me: “That’s ridiculous. You don’t even have DVDs worth taking out for that amount.” (Or words to that effect)

Ridiculous. Compared to Netflix, Pyramid Video is a rinky dink backwater joint. It’s got more films than Mr Video which is why I wanted to join, but obviously I can’t. I am not the DVD buying type, preferring to rent, so this is a big inconvenience for me. Ugh!

Got back last Thursday from a way too short trip for work to Accra, Ghana. Attended a training workshop on HIV/AIDS in Integrated Peacekeeping Support Operations. Learned a whole heck of a lot from lots of military people who’ve been involved in peacekeeping operations. Met some great people and had lots of laughs.

I am supposed to write an “impression piece” for the website at work, which will be an interesting and exciting task.

Life would be so much easier wouldn’t it if sometimes we could just have what we want (or think we want)?