paradise

finally! the Hennie trust owns a beach house in Langebaan! its taken 5.5 months (and some interest rate hikes - thanks Tito) since I decided what I want - to get it. one day my grand kids will realise with a thankful smile that the old guy had a vision. I can but only hope to follow in the footsteps of an exceptionally special woman who broke herself to give her grand kids the same - I’ll be forever grateful. and if one day when I grow up, I end up being half the legend she was, I would have succeeded.

this in one of the worst financial decisions I could ever make (a serious confession for an investment professional who evaluate every decision from a risk-adjusted approach), but it will never be about the financial returns – that’s insignificant. maybe “sharing the good life” is a more accurate description.

I’ve learnt a number of lessons through this process: NEVER trust anyone, especially not attorneys. always demand all costs to be disclosed up-front and challenge invoices the day you get them. never pay anything without asking for a discount. be pro-active and document all contacts. read your contracts and learn when to let go – I always follow a principle based approach and defend what I believe in to the end, however sometimes its better for your sanity to take the knock, cut your losses and move on. don’t expect business dealings to be conducted ethically and never, in business, bank on acting in good faith – you’ll come short. when doing something for the right reasons, sign these minor setbacks up to experience and write it off as a bad loss. life is about more than that!

remember to follow the VISION!

what a ride

"welcome aboard the roller coaster!" These could have been rather apt words never spoken during orientation at Acc 4.5 months ago. Sure, my case might be unique - after all, last night I realised whilst enjoying a Thirsty Thursdays drink with some work mates that most people who joined with me have been on the same project for the entire journey. Ouch. The longest I've been on the same project is 4 weeks, the average... about 1.5 weeks. Needless to say it isn't expected to be up at 04:00 in the morning attending to a deliverable (we live by these!), however... you gotta do what you gotta do! At least there's a fair amount of variation & challenges! Its been a thoroughly interesting ride. Sure, at times you're too tired to enjoy the present, but on the flip side I could have been bored out of my bracket. Once I learn how to wing the system, sleep might return!

Who wants a highway if you can get the scenic winding coastal road?

tough life

Its SO easy to moan about how bad your job is and like a typical woman, we all want ALL of this, some of that, the whole lot of so-and-so, every last drop of thhhaaat, and this here, but not so-and-so as in the standard offering, rather tailored to these-and-these specifications. And by the way... none of it is EVER good enough, obviously. (Otherwise men would have the ability to understand woman and the world would be a boring place)

The point here being: here I am savouring my self regulated Americano (order a regular espresso and add hot water to taste) whilst reading the Harvard Business Review! (Sure, yesterday's Americano was better, the coffee fresher and the aroma richer... but hey, we all have "off days", even my coffee.) What a tough life! I love it (well, mostly)!

paradise... about to happen

133 days ago I posted a dream and titled it "My Place in Paradise" here http://33s18e.blogspot.com/2007/02/my-place-in-paradise.html. I first noticed this little spot 18 months ago and there and then decided that I wanted it - with NO idea how I'd orchestrate the affair. Sure its taken a while, but... chances are that by the end of the week a trust which I'm a beneficiary of, in conjunction with the bank, might own it! Yip, my first house is a beach house - that's the way life should be! Check it out at http://5oostewal.blogspot.com/

transfer: MTN to Vodacom

Just a quick note to tell you that I've switched from 083 to 082. If you're important to me - or I just felt guilty for not including you, (and the network didn't drop the sms) you would have found sms notification of my new #.

Time

Shortly before midnight on Friday I realised that 4 months ago, to the date, I arrived in Joburg - tanned, positive, full of energy and with bright eyes... eager to start a new phase of life the following morning. It was amazing. Really. You're read all about it, well not really as life took its usual path of being more rushed than what it should have been, resulting in my sharing a whole lot less here in the blog than what I would have liked to. Apologies, we'll catch up - just hang in there.

I'll tell you all about the highlights of my first four months of work some time, but not now.

Today in a month I'll be 30... And if all goes well by then I'll have the right of use to a beach house in Langebaan, made possible by the Bank and my trust. Can't wait. There's so much to put the Hennie-label to. One day....

Vodacom finally came to the party and I have now made the switch from MTN. My MTN number will carry a voice mail with my new Vodacom number for the next month.

By the end of the week we should have loads of pics uploaded to the blog & also a more complete view of what's happened in the last 4 months.

Its good to be back...

Quiet, but still here...

Life's good - especially if you've just returned from Langebaan. Allbeit for a short 41hr stint, its still worth it. Loads of news (more than 2 months of it) and little time (30 secs to go)...

Visit 5oostewal.blogspot.com to see what else I'm getting up to. And drop in on facebook sometime...

We'll update soon - vasbyt.