I have been here for too bloody long!!
It has been a while since I updated hasn’t it!
It is not due to the fact I have lost interest in my blog – so no issues with that.
It has a lot to do with the fact that for the last two weeks I have been putting in huge hours on site and when I get home I am buggered. I am fast asleep by half past nine and wide awake at 4 am.
Has the work been fun? I would love to say yes. But while I am enjoying myself, I have never been as frustrated as I am now. My poor lads on site realise that as well. Mainly because I have entered what I call “toy throw” mode.
I was doing financial work in preparation for month end two weeks ago, and was getting really frustrated with the slow accounting system we are forced to work with. It is not on our side, but on the South African side.
This is known as when I work over the weekend the system is acceptable as regards speed. Work during the week and it is slow as a snail at a railway crossing.
To get away from the frustrating situation, I decided to get out onto site and walk around for the hour it takes and come back refreshed. The first place I walked into on site was the large Biox tanks. When I see one of the lads sitting at the door to the tank appearing to be keeping watch, my interest is piqued. I walked up and realised that whoever had chosen this individual to keep a look out had chosen badly. The lad’s eyes went wide when he saw me and he appeared unable to move. The reason? 4 welders lying against the inside of the tank “chilling”.
Needless to say, I threw my toys out of the cot.
The rest of the walk around did not go well at all. It ended prematurely with Jerome coming down and suggesting I should go back to the office and relax. I took the suggestion.
And it continues. I am losing my temper for small silly things that normally I would happily resolve with a joke.
My poor mechanic was not given the chance to explain himself clearly on Thursday. My spare part for the 35 ton crane arrived – finally after six weeks – and he came in to try and say “he needed another spare part”. I lost it. We have been waiting six weeks for one spare part and now suddenly he needs “another spare part”.
It transpires that the other spare part was in Tarkwa and he was coming in to explain that he needed another spare part which was in Tarkwa. I did not let him get to the “which is in Tarkwa” part.
I did apologise once I realised I had not let him finish.
We did manage to get away this weekend to the Beach. It was a chilled weekend, on the beach under a Lapa with around 10 of the supervisors. We drank, burnt meat and fish on the fire and splashed in the water. In the evening we went to Takoradi and I was forced to listen to the worst band I have ever heard in my life. Forced due to the fact my trusty steed threw its water pump on the way to the Beach and was parked at the hotel waiting for a rescue crew on Monday. We got back at around 11 and chilled on the beach until around 1.
Sunday was a relaxed start when I crawled out of bed at 10 (after waking up at 6 and realising I could still sleep), relaxed as hell and joined the lads for a fish braai on the beach. Home by 3:30
A nice weekend hopelessly fucked up by some woman who was also at the beach and took offence to “our heavy drinking and carousing”. This offence was displayed by an email to every tom dick and harry at head office in SA.
Now suddenly I was required to do a “please explain” email to the powers that be, why we were “causing company image problems”
We have pulled the ring out of it at the Beach before. Boy have we pulled the ring out of it! The interesting part is that this weekend is possibly the quietest weekend I have ever had at Busua – party wise.
I can only but shake my head.
I have been in Ghana for too bloody long on this stint. And it is showing. In the worst possible way.
I am due home on the 13th and to say that I am counting every day would be incorrect. I am counting every hour!
Month end is now complete – with the exception of stuff that I am waiting from SA to tie up the recons. After that I can concentrate on site again – safe with the knowledge that Carl and Jeri are back on Tuesday and I do not have to get involved in stuff as much as I am involved now.
I am learning all about weird stuff, and am actually getting more comfortable reading drawings. Which in itself is a huge leap for a bean counter like me.
Ghana however is as happy as I am – They are suffering a HUGE water shortage in the Volta region. This despite the continual rain we get on our side of the country. The upshot of this water shortage is they are unable to generate power from their Hydro Scheme. Apparently the dam is at its lowest level in recorded history – since 1965 when the dam was built – and Ghana is now subject to a series of rolling power cuts.
Not that we would notice of course as we are used to power failures.
The problem extends however to large power users – the mines been a large power user – who have been requested to cut their power consumption by 50%.
Goldfields Tarkwa is using Gensets at an additional cost of $4 million per month. (as per their press release). This means they spend less money on upgrades and major repairs. Which impacts our business.
There does not seem to be any light in the tunnel until early next year, so we will watch developments with baited breath.
Most people already have diesel gensets at their house – we do not – so they will only be affected by larger costs each month as opposed to sitting in a hot and humid house, trying to sleep.
I need to get home!!
Demmet!!!
It is not due to the fact I have lost interest in my blog – so no issues with that.
It has a lot to do with the fact that for the last two weeks I have been putting in huge hours on site and when I get home I am buggered. I am fast asleep by half past nine and wide awake at 4 am.
Has the work been fun? I would love to say yes. But while I am enjoying myself, I have never been as frustrated as I am now. My poor lads on site realise that as well. Mainly because I have entered what I call “toy throw” mode.
I was doing financial work in preparation for month end two weeks ago, and was getting really frustrated with the slow accounting system we are forced to work with. It is not on our side, but on the South African side.
This is known as when I work over the weekend the system is acceptable as regards speed. Work during the week and it is slow as a snail at a railway crossing.
To get away from the frustrating situation, I decided to get out onto site and walk around for the hour it takes and come back refreshed. The first place I walked into on site was the large Biox tanks. When I see one of the lads sitting at the door to the tank appearing to be keeping watch, my interest is piqued. I walked up and realised that whoever had chosen this individual to keep a look out had chosen badly. The lad’s eyes went wide when he saw me and he appeared unable to move. The reason? 4 welders lying against the inside of the tank “chilling”.
Needless to say, I threw my toys out of the cot.
The rest of the walk around did not go well at all. It ended prematurely with Jerome coming down and suggesting I should go back to the office and relax. I took the suggestion.
And it continues. I am losing my temper for small silly things that normally I would happily resolve with a joke.
My poor mechanic was not given the chance to explain himself clearly on Thursday. My spare part for the 35 ton crane arrived – finally after six weeks – and he came in to try and say “he needed another spare part”. I lost it. We have been waiting six weeks for one spare part and now suddenly he needs “another spare part”.
It transpires that the other spare part was in Tarkwa and he was coming in to explain that he needed another spare part which was in Tarkwa. I did not let him get to the “which is in Tarkwa” part.
I did apologise once I realised I had not let him finish.
We did manage to get away this weekend to the Beach. It was a chilled weekend, on the beach under a Lapa with around 10 of the supervisors. We drank, burnt meat and fish on the fire and splashed in the water. In the evening we went to Takoradi and I was forced to listen to the worst band I have ever heard in my life. Forced due to the fact my trusty steed threw its water pump on the way to the Beach and was parked at the hotel waiting for a rescue crew on Monday. We got back at around 11 and chilled on the beach until around 1.
Sunday was a relaxed start when I crawled out of bed at 10 (after waking up at 6 and realising I could still sleep), relaxed as hell and joined the lads for a fish braai on the beach. Home by 3:30
A nice weekend hopelessly fucked up by some woman who was also at the beach and took offence to “our heavy drinking and carousing”. This offence was displayed by an email to every tom dick and harry at head office in SA.
Now suddenly I was required to do a “please explain” email to the powers that be, why we were “causing company image problems”
We have pulled the ring out of it at the Beach before. Boy have we pulled the ring out of it! The interesting part is that this weekend is possibly the quietest weekend I have ever had at Busua – party wise.
I can only but shake my head.
I have been in Ghana for too bloody long on this stint. And it is showing. In the worst possible way.
I am due home on the 13th and to say that I am counting every day would be incorrect. I am counting every hour!
Month end is now complete – with the exception of stuff that I am waiting from SA to tie up the recons. After that I can concentrate on site again – safe with the knowledge that Carl and Jeri are back on Tuesday and I do not have to get involved in stuff as much as I am involved now.
I am learning all about weird stuff, and am actually getting more comfortable reading drawings. Which in itself is a huge leap for a bean counter like me.
Ghana however is as happy as I am – They are suffering a HUGE water shortage in the Volta region. This despite the continual rain we get on our side of the country. The upshot of this water shortage is they are unable to generate power from their Hydro Scheme. Apparently the dam is at its lowest level in recorded history – since 1965 when the dam was built – and Ghana is now subject to a series of rolling power cuts.
Not that we would notice of course as we are used to power failures.
The problem extends however to large power users – the mines been a large power user – who have been requested to cut their power consumption by 50%.
Goldfields Tarkwa is using Gensets at an additional cost of $4 million per month. (as per their press release). This means they spend less money on upgrades and major repairs. Which impacts our business.
There does not seem to be any light in the tunnel until early next year, so we will watch developments with baited breath.
Most people already have diesel gensets at their house – we do not – so they will only be affected by larger costs each month as opposed to sitting in a hot and humid house, trying to sleep.
I need to get home!!
Demmet!!!
4 Comments:
seems not even being kept busy kept you out of mischief, I can't believe some woman took offence to your behaviour on the beach.
That's got to be my mom. I swear. I didn't see her that week-end and I have a feeling she flew down there to cause you mischief. Shame. Shame. By the way, what were you boys really doing? Come on! Just between you and me .... Esther and everyone else don't read the old boy when he confesses.
Remember me? This is your old boddy. KChicago. Well, I lost the password to my blog and had to start afresh. And what do you know, I am now blogging. Big deal for me, I must say.
Sorry about the incident with the camera. So you would think indeed! With all this Jesus this, God that, you would think such things don't exist. Christians! God-fearing! My ass.
Well, till next time, from Chicago.
Me thinks it is time to go home lil bro, chill out and have lots of S.A. treats!!!
One week left (more or less) and you will be on your way, I hate seeing you upset..... Love you lots and will call you once you are in sunny S.A. xxxxx
Great to know you are still alive and kicking and bloody getting horny. Oh, about my blog? Well, what can I say! I plead guilty, as accused.
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