No more Nationwide?
Shame man. What of the folk who had plans to fly away this holiday? Now that Nationwide is no longer a legal eagle people have to scramble for new bookings.
I can’t really say I blame the Civil Aviation Authority for closing them down. I would never have flown Nationwide anyway. I’d rather fly Kulula or Mango but Nationwide and 1Time freaked me out too much.
That was even before the engine-falling-off-the-plane debacle. I don’t know why I thought that way but it just never seemed safe. Perhaps I’m just a snob.
Anyway, I hope the passengers can somehow sort their stuff out. Happy holidays!
Trying to survive
What a week it’s been.
Driving through the Eastern Cape can be trying at times but with all the detours and potholes it was nightmarish. I’m so glad we finally got to the place where we stayed. It was in Jeffrey’s Bay, a place on the beach and it was wonderful.
The wedding itself was beautiful and the bride looked gorgeous. Fortunately the venue had a generator because the power was out for the entire day there. Needless to say my hair looked crap (hello, coastal air = mince!) but I consoled myself with the fact that nobody was looking at me anyway.
But, now it’s back to work and trying to survive the next four weeks. Can you believe it’s the end of the year already? No? Neither can I. But I’m holding on because in about a month it’ll be my birthday and that’s always a happy occasion.
And today I’m holding thumbs for my friend, Mrs M, who’s trying to get her visa so she can finally join her husband in the states. *holding thumbs*
I’ll keep you posted.
Weddings for wimps?
It’s that time of my life when many of my friends are getting married, are married or are planning to get married. In a few days I head off to my third wedding of the year so I read an article about marriage piece with interest.
I always doubt people who start with “I’m not a (racist, sexist, ageist, etc).” It usually means they are whatever they’re saying they’re not. Anyway, I digress. In this article, Wedded Blisters, this woman writes about marriage being a form of torture, basically. It’s an awful, shocking, medieval way of making prisoners of women the world over.
I find this article hugely problematic. Her arguments seem bitter (even though she insists they’re not). She uses statistics and figures as if they’re bullets but, bar one or two, they all seem rather petty and vague. Clutching at straws comes to mind.
She also victimises the woman. Makes her the weakling. As if she has no mind of her own and implying she can’t make choices. This is 2007 darling. Wake up and smell the freshly brewed java – we’re not the weak wimps men would believe us to be.
Women make choices and they choose to get married. I’m obviously not speaking of women in countries where forced marriages are the norm and prepubescent girls are still raped by older men who marry them. But then again, neither is she.
I’m no cheerleader for marriage – I think there are many couples who live more fulfilling, satisfied lives without ever having put a ring on their finger. People can be committed without having to declare it to all and sundry. But again, I digress.
If a woman chooses to marry, it’s her choice and that choice could be influenced by a great many things.
Perhaps she’s following a tradition. We’re in an age where our parents are still old-school and traditional. It’s expected of us to get married. Our parents believe in the institution because it’s what they know. If she wants to have her dad walk her down the aisle because it makes him happy who are you to tell her she should just go ahead and break his heart? So if a woman decides to marry to make her parents happy who are we to cast stones?
Or maybe she wants to get married because she thinks it’s the right thing to do. Maybe she feels that it would be the beginning of a great, satisfying relationship with her partner, her soulmate, her equal. So who are you to tell her she’s being a dumbass weakling?
The problem with people who pretend to be feminists is that they give the rest of us a bad name. This writer does not do anything to advance the cause of women; instead she just views them as any old sexist male would do.
So do I think she’s talking a load of crap? Well, yes, I do.
Geen vrede in Vredenburg
Uh oh. The freaky folk of Vredenburg have done it again.
Months ago I wrote about the guesthouse owner who declared unmarried couples would find no favour in her establishment because they’re a Christian place. This after she hadn’t declared it on her website or any other way other than when I enquired about prices, etc. Now someone has turned away a gay couple using the same excuse. Tut, tut.
What kind of God is this anyway?
One who penalises those who don’t harm others? One who casts judgement on people who have done nothing wrong other than choosing to do things in a way different to religious zealots?
What kind of God is so wrathful and angry? The same God who mobilises nutsos to get a columnist fired because he dared to speak of Satanism?
Is this the same God who was used to sanction apartheid? The same God who was responsible for millions of people being tortured and murdered by Hitler? Is it the same God who spoke to men and told them to fly into the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001?
What God is this who is still used to defend the persecution of people across the world? Is it a God who refuses gay or single parents adoption rights because they’re “not normal”? The same God who allows the death of women across the world because abortion isn’t His way? A God who thinks it’s okay for women to be infected with HIV because condoms are not acceptable?
All I can say is. . . Thank God I don’t believe.
Odd ramblings
I know it’s been rather silent here but this week was a bit manic. Even though the time flies by it feels as if I haven’t got anything done.
It’s also been a week of many sad, depressing stories and my faith in people have taken a knock. I can’t understand why there are so many cruel, cold, unfeeling people. Ok, I can understand why but sometimes it gets a bit tough to deal with.
But after yesterday I’m feeling better again. I have lots of friends at work (how many people are that lucky?), I do enjoy my job (except when I have to interview grieving families) and I am in good health (except when I fall over from exhaustion). All in all, my life is good.
So in that spirit, I’m going to say I hope you all have a good weekend. Do something nice for someone (even if it’s just one thing) and feel proud of yourself for doing it.
Oh thank heavens for Paris
Oh. My. Like, Gosh. This is just too much for me.
Geez, Paris Hilton is nothing if not entertaining. She’s now patron saint of drunk elephants it seems. Read more here.
Just an extract from The Guardian’s piece:
“Conservationists today hailed the socialite Paris Hilton, who was convicted of drink driving earlier this year, for apparently trying to highlight the problem of binge-drinking elephants in north-eastern India.
Activists said the celebrity endorsement would raise awareness of the plight of pachyderms that got drunk on farmers’ homemade rice beer and went on the rampage.”
I am so totally, like, cracking myself. I mean, like, really.
TOBBHERHANK 