Month end Saturday - and no month end stuff to do
Well, it is a month end weekend and here I sit at the office doing month end stuff….. let me rephrase that – I came into the office to do month end stuff and looked at the month end checklist and realized that everything I could do, I had already done.
Which is bloody marvelous!!!
All we have to do is complete the creditors, which is always left until the last day so we can catch as many invoices as possible, and ledger reviews. Finally we seem to be getting the knack of it, and everyone is doing their bit to make month ends as painless as possible.
So – everyone is away, except for some work happening on site and here I sit in the office, pondering on life and its vagaries.
We all ended up at the Manganese Mine Club and Restaurant last night for a happy hour and chop (courtesy of Group Five) as our year end thank you for customers and remember us in the New Year when business is handed out. All the local mines were well represented and the small group of diehards left – dare I say “staggered” – out at around 11.45. The chop was good (the ubiquitous Food Services Braai (or Bar-B-Q as they call it here) with the local rice and fire sauce. Bacardi Black was the only rum on offer, so the sweet stuff it had to be. I was fairly pissed off that the JHB office did not send up my care pack with the guys that few up on Wednesday, or I would have at least pulled out the Captains to drink some decent rum!
Met a whole range of new people and even managed to get some business over the glasses. So all can not be that bad. It is also interesting to see the “old” people in Ghana. That is the guys that have been here for four or more years, and hear the stories that come out from over the table. I spent a whole lot of time laughing at the escapades people can get up to when you are single and bored, far from home.
Where else can you.
• Pay the local hunter GHC5,000 per shot to take his home made shotgun and take pot shots at nothing in particular cause u want to make a noise.
• Phone a mate and ask him where he is. He responds – “in my pool drinking”. Your response is “You cannot be in your pool drinking, cause we are in your pool drinking, so come on over cause the party is at your place!”
• Arrange a pig braai on Sunday, and then have to designate someone to go to the local village and get a live pig, slaughter it and skin it, so it can be braai’d. (believe it or not – That is the party I am invited to tomorrow)
There were other stories as well, but some not for this site and others that have been lost in the maze lubricated by the rum.
This reminds me. In a previous blog I mentioned I had a replacement Gelunderwagen and it smoked more than I did. Well proof has been obtained that smoking kills! The Replacement Gelunderwagen died a slow death between home and the office, and coughed a few times before demanding someone skilled look under the bonnet and replace parts. The joys of a hired vehicle means phone “TT” (the lad who is hiring the vehicle) and tell him “Come Fix!” The replacement vehicle at the same price, a bloody HUGE land cruiser. I kid you not when I say it is like driving a bus. Very very wide, and the grunt of 12 elephants after finding a marula tree. Comfortable drive supreme. Because it is so big, you cruise over the smaller bumps and the bigger potholes do not feel ½ as nasty as they do on the smaller cars. Road holding is however not a strong point, and you forever feel that the immense weight and centrifugal force will cause you to end up in the banana trees.
I have further mentioned that the roads are pretty narrow and local drivers (and this expat driver) has a habit of driving in the middle of the road. This and the irrational fear I am going to side swipe one of the 17 million locals walking in the road and think it was a pothole, makes the drive home a sedate one. That and the bloody thing drinks fuel like a wino locked in a bottle store for 3 hours only!!!!.
I should get the Pajero back again soon.
Driving home from the mine last night was challenging and my bloody security guard was asleep when I got home, meaning some late night tooting was required.
The imam decided to regale us with his full sermon from 4.30 am – 5.45 am and I am now about ready to kill. However there is light at the end of the tunnel. All the project people have left, and there is now the question of storing furniture and what to do with the expats that remain that were staying in the big house (I Kid you not – 23 rooms). The solution. I move to the double story (where I originally stayed until I found the house I am in now), we use the lower part of the house to store the furniture and equipment, and the expats will move into my house, which is private enough to allow them to “entertain”.
All in all – a farking good idea!!!!
So that happens next week.
I will now be able to sleep until 5am! - oh what bliss – oh how the mighty has fallen.
What to do for the rest of the day. Well I am going to save money – you see the accountant in me – and turn off the genset (running a 200KVA genset for 1 person, 1 aircon and a sat system is a tad wasteful), and toddle off to the market and see what goodies I can get hold over for …….count of money I have ….. GHC430.000.
There is rugger on this afternoon – the pissants have decided to time it at the same time Man U are playing *sigh*, and of course the Saturday night diet of survivor, movie and sleep. And not to forget a little phone call to Nessers which should put a smile on BOTH of our faces. She is out partying tonight (with my daughter as well) and I am a tad peeved that I am unable to join. She is saying farewell to an aussie mate, who is off back home “to earn some real money”. Cocktails followed by Melville…….. damn – I am missing out.
I may even pay a visit to the imam to complain, if my mood is as bad then as it is now. (the mini hangover is almost gone….I say almost)
Oh yeah!! - I had a great shower today with hot water and pressure. Now that’s a bonus!
3 weeks until home time, and I have managed to secure a holiday flat in Durban (dad’s holiday flat is been rented out – the bugger) to spend some nice beach time with Nessers (and loads of sex!!!!) and do the scatter ash thang for mum.
My sons 21st is on the 6th of January, I was convinced it was the 5th, so we will get back in time for a HUGE party and see how many of his mates we can embarrass. *chuckle*
The fact that he is 21 makes me feel old. But!! I started young – so I canna be old at all, and the only part of my body that reminds me of my age is my knees, but that’s because of years behind the stumps playing wicket-keeper. (that’s my excuse and I am sticking to it!)
I ramble
Therefore I go
Oh yeah: My mate Esther ( http://www.3sth3r.blogspot.com ) is in Abu Dhabi as I type. She gets to the most interesting of places doesn’t she?
Have a great one everyone!!!
Which is bloody marvelous!!!
All we have to do is complete the creditors, which is always left until the last day so we can catch as many invoices as possible, and ledger reviews. Finally we seem to be getting the knack of it, and everyone is doing their bit to make month ends as painless as possible.
So – everyone is away, except for some work happening on site and here I sit in the office, pondering on life and its vagaries.
We all ended up at the Manganese Mine Club and Restaurant last night for a happy hour and chop (courtesy of Group Five) as our year end thank you for customers and remember us in the New Year when business is handed out. All the local mines were well represented and the small group of diehards left – dare I say “staggered” – out at around 11.45. The chop was good (the ubiquitous Food Services Braai (or Bar-B-Q as they call it here) with the local rice and fire sauce. Bacardi Black was the only rum on offer, so the sweet stuff it had to be. I was fairly pissed off that the JHB office did not send up my care pack with the guys that few up on Wednesday, or I would have at least pulled out the Captains to drink some decent rum!
Met a whole range of new people and even managed to get some business over the glasses. So all can not be that bad. It is also interesting to see the “old” people in Ghana. That is the guys that have been here for four or more years, and hear the stories that come out from over the table. I spent a whole lot of time laughing at the escapades people can get up to when you are single and bored, far from home.
Where else can you.
• Pay the local hunter GHC5,000 per shot to take his home made shotgun and take pot shots at nothing in particular cause u want to make a noise.
• Phone a mate and ask him where he is. He responds – “in my pool drinking”. Your response is “You cannot be in your pool drinking, cause we are in your pool drinking, so come on over cause the party is at your place!”
• Arrange a pig braai on Sunday, and then have to designate someone to go to the local village and get a live pig, slaughter it and skin it, so it can be braai’d. (believe it or not – That is the party I am invited to tomorrow)
There were other stories as well, but some not for this site and others that have been lost in the maze lubricated by the rum.
This reminds me. In a previous blog I mentioned I had a replacement Gelunderwagen and it smoked more than I did. Well proof has been obtained that smoking kills! The Replacement Gelunderwagen died a slow death between home and the office, and coughed a few times before demanding someone skilled look under the bonnet and replace parts. The joys of a hired vehicle means phone “TT” (the lad who is hiring the vehicle) and tell him “Come Fix!” The replacement vehicle at the same price, a bloody HUGE land cruiser. I kid you not when I say it is like driving a bus. Very very wide, and the grunt of 12 elephants after finding a marula tree. Comfortable drive supreme. Because it is so big, you cruise over the smaller bumps and the bigger potholes do not feel ½ as nasty as they do on the smaller cars. Road holding is however not a strong point, and you forever feel that the immense weight and centrifugal force will cause you to end up in the banana trees.
I have further mentioned that the roads are pretty narrow and local drivers (and this expat driver) has a habit of driving in the middle of the road. This and the irrational fear I am going to side swipe one of the 17 million locals walking in the road and think it was a pothole, makes the drive home a sedate one. That and the bloody thing drinks fuel like a wino locked in a bottle store for 3 hours only!!!!.
I should get the Pajero back again soon.
Driving home from the mine last night was challenging and my bloody security guard was asleep when I got home, meaning some late night tooting was required.
The imam decided to regale us with his full sermon from 4.30 am – 5.45 am and I am now about ready to kill. However there is light at the end of the tunnel. All the project people have left, and there is now the question of storing furniture and what to do with the expats that remain that were staying in the big house (I Kid you not – 23 rooms). The solution. I move to the double story (where I originally stayed until I found the house I am in now), we use the lower part of the house to store the furniture and equipment, and the expats will move into my house, which is private enough to allow them to “entertain”.
All in all – a farking good idea!!!!
So that happens next week.
I will now be able to sleep until 5am! - oh what bliss – oh how the mighty has fallen.
What to do for the rest of the day. Well I am going to save money – you see the accountant in me – and turn off the genset (running a 200KVA genset for 1 person, 1 aircon and a sat system is a tad wasteful), and toddle off to the market and see what goodies I can get hold over for …….count of money I have ….. GHC430.000.
There is rugger on this afternoon – the pissants have decided to time it at the same time Man U are playing *sigh*, and of course the Saturday night diet of survivor, movie and sleep. And not to forget a little phone call to Nessers which should put a smile on BOTH of our faces. She is out partying tonight (with my daughter as well) and I am a tad peeved that I am unable to join. She is saying farewell to an aussie mate, who is off back home “to earn some real money”. Cocktails followed by Melville…….. damn – I am missing out.
I may even pay a visit to the imam to complain, if my mood is as bad then as it is now. (the mini hangover is almost gone….I say almost)
Oh yeah!! - I had a great shower today with hot water and pressure. Now that’s a bonus!
3 weeks until home time, and I have managed to secure a holiday flat in Durban (dad’s holiday flat is been rented out – the bugger) to spend some nice beach time with Nessers (and loads of sex!!!!) and do the scatter ash thang for mum.
My sons 21st is on the 6th of January, I was convinced it was the 5th, so we will get back in time for a HUGE party and see how many of his mates we can embarrass. *chuckle*
The fact that he is 21 makes me feel old. But!! I started young – so I canna be old at all, and the only part of my body that reminds me of my age is my knees, but that’s because of years behind the stumps playing wicket-keeper. (that’s my excuse and I am sticking to it!)
I ramble
Therefore I go
Oh yeah: My mate Esther ( http://www.3sth3r.blogspot.com ) is in Abu Dhabi as I type. She gets to the most interesting of places doesn’t she?
Have a great one everyone!!!
1 Comments:
hmm, there's not much to do in abu dhabi, especially not in this heat! thank gawd for airconditioners
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