11 November - Remembrance Day

This day is a special one. It is starting to lose its significance, which is sad. I still use it as my day of remembering my friends and brothers in arms from long ago and far away. They're still young. And I'm getting old...

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Nepal

I've just come back from Nepal. It's typical of 3rd world countries - poor and grubby and overcrowded and corrupt. Yet if you look carefully, the culture and the scenery and the people shine through. A very colourful, beautiful place. Worth a visit. Took this pic at the temple where they cremate the bodies before they toss the remains into the river.

Kathmandu

When it's above 50 degrees every day, and you work outside, it saps your energy. I get home, lie on the bed, and fall asleep. Its just too hot to be outside - even the pool water is 36 degrees, so it doesn't cool you down at all. Thursday was a public holiday here, so a group of us decided to be pro-active, and we went and played some golf. Not a very good idea. It was 47 degrees on the course. I think I drank about 5 litres of water. The only thing that saved us was this little golf cart that came around every 15 minutes, dishing out frozen face towels.

I originally planned to brave out the summer (the official government says its only 4 degrees warmer than the historical average), but I'm taking a week off and going to Kathmandu. Its colder, its green, its the middle of the monsoon and pissing with rain - everything the desert isn't. Oh, and they have strange people I can look at. Gurus, and clever people, and others that hang rocks on their dicks. It might just be an interesting experience....

....

Now the question on the table...
...is how drunk is drunk enough?
And the answer is, it's all a matter of brain cells.
Brain cells?
That's right. Every drink of liquor you take kills brain cells.
But that don't matter, we got billions more.
First the sadness cells die, so you smile real big.
Then the quiet cells go, so you talk real loud for no reason at all.
That's okay, because the stupid cells go next...
...so everything you say is real smart.
And finally...
...come the memory cells.
These are tough sons of bitches to kill.

Sepia rules

I haven't taken photos for a while. The shamal or northerly winds blow at the start of summer, and this year they've been exceptional in their duration. The winds bring dust and heat and humidity. Everything changes to sepia. This pic has not been retouched except for a slight sharpening. It was taken in front of my office.

American girl in Italy, 1951

I love street photography. This is one of my all time favourites. Ruth Orkin (1921 – 1985) was renowned for her candid photos of Europeans and New Yorkers, and for the views she documented from her Central Park West apartment window for 30 years.

This is the life

Heard this on the radio this morning..

Sunset skyline

I know its cheesy, but its such an imposing part of my town's skyline, you can't ignore it. I keep coming back to take more photos of it.

Monster

Art..

Tim Noble and Sue Webster are artists. These are self portraits. They used piles of general household rubbish onto which a light is projected. I think this is absolutely stunning. The older I get the more I appreciate out of the box thinking.

Street photography

Who's looking?

Create your own visitor map!

Arab Architecture

I took this pic yesterday when I took sprog to his golf lessons. The little man has talent - the theory is when he plays with Tiger I can take 80% of his earnings as a management fee..

The architecture is probably best described as "Arab Modern" although the only difference with "Arab Old" would be that these have aircons installed and the windows are bigger. The little towers on top are copies of the wind towers still in use in the older houses. These towers catch the breeze, and funnel them down into the house, cooling it by 10 - 15 degrees in summer. Its an ancient design - with looming power problems all over the world, more and more people are starting to look at them again.

The people you meet in life

A quiet afternoon on the creek, farting about in little boats. So what do you think these people do? In no particular order - an airline pilot, a physics lecturer, the commodore of a yacht club, a chemistry lecturer, the owner of a mercenary company, and a woman I don't know..

Desert Rock Festival

Desert Rock Festival

Desert Rock Festival

Last year it was Iron Maiden. This year it was Korn. I took the kids, and it was gratifying to see that both of them have some of the old man's genes. They both loved it. I didn't realize there were so many hard core rockers around - and once again the old guys like me were there too. In a place where sex and drugs and rock 'n roll are foreign concept, they are pretty good at organizing it. My very first rock concert was Led Zep (yes, I'm that old). The biggest difference between then and now? We used to hold our lighters up in the air. Now its digital cameras.

Now I'm suitably deaf, and very glad to have spent a normal day in this very very strange land.

Little black numbers...

I've been here too long - this is starting to look stylish.

Restaurant

This eatery is typical of restaurants in this part of the world. If you don't want to eat, but just feel like a cup of coffee, you park outside and hoot. A waiter will come running out, take your order and come back in about 15 secs with a paper cup of surprisingly good coffee. And it will cost you 1 dirham (25 USD cents). I took this pic last night when the spousoid was next door buying paint. Click on the pic to see a bigger version.

End of the day

Took this just after the sun set, right next to the palm island. These three construction workers were waiting for the bus that takes them back to their compound.

South Africa - Quo Vadis?

The South Africans reading this will know, but some background for the buitelanders/foreigners/gaijin…

South Africa was warned about 10 years ago that electricity needs will outsrip supply by 2007. The far thinking government thought they’d worry about that in 2007. The power has run out. A week ago, all the gold and platinum mines closed for 5 days because electricity supply could not be guaranteed. Some economist just worked out that closing the mines for one day a month is enough to tip the country into a recession. Loadshedding is now normal. The effect on the economy has been instant and catastrophic. If the government goes on a spending spree of nte and gets top class construction companies to work 24/7 – it will still take 6 to 8 years before they can generate more power. So in the short to medium term, we are fucked.

Just spoke to a mate of mine in Jozi. Mittal Steel (the old Yskor) have declared Force Majeure, and will not be honouring their steel contracts. Because they can’t make enough. All the major steel distributors/traders have done the same. The supply they think will be 40% less than last year. Ja no well fine. You can imagine how a 40% reduction in steel will affect the economy. And of course steel is not the only thing affected. The whole economy is.

Is this the start of the long slow slide into mediocrity? Me thinks the slide started a long long time ago, even before 1994 and the new South Africa. Is a turnaround possible. Of course it is. But not if you’re going to be politically correct about it. I have this theory. After visiting/living in/working in so many third world countries, I’m sure if someone ran the country like a business things would be better. The MD (Thabo) gets a Toyota. If the country does well, he gets a bonus. If it does badly, he gets fired. Every department has to make a profit. Hey, they’re doing it in Dubai, and It’s not from oil revenues which are only 4% of their income. The dept that hands out visas for visitors is making $600m a year. Just because they’re efficient.

But I’m not sure if it’s possible where corruption is regarded as acceptable and medical officers olive oil and onions cure aids… then there’s the millions that don’t have work and have to steal to stay alive. How do you convince them that working 10 hours a day for $250 a month is better than earning a $1,000 for 5 minutes work when they steal the Beemer at the traffic lights from a Sandton Susan?

So what option do we have? Bitch and moan like pomms? Piss off like most of the educated? Or adapt, mutate and use the system – sell cheap Chinese generators to the masses, grow dope in your garden, sell submarines to Zuma, get a contract to supply the dept of health and welfare with olive oil and onions… and hope to hell this doesn’t become Zim two..

Deep in thought

Church

I don't spend much time in church, not since the compulsory six times a week army version of kirk we all endured in the 1980s. But I love cathedrals - I can spend hours in them. I know its nerdy, and its not just the architecture - there is a feeling of spirituality there, of tranquility. And peace. This was taken in Vienna. I have a huge attraction for this city.

Desert rain

Having spent most of my life in various deserts of the world, rain has a special meaning. Its been raining for four days now. Work is impossible, but rain is regarded as a valid excuse. So instead of work, I went for a drive in the desert.

Empire State

Street photography

I took this photo about 18 months ago in New york, just south of Times Square. One of my favourite New York pics.

2008

The Christmas tree is back in its box, the baubles are wrapped in paper again, the New Party hangover is gone and I'm back at work. Here we go again... hope its a good year for all of you