Gas Anyone???

So I finally had to get gas for the car today.  It ended up being R440.00 which equals about $55.00 USD!  What the hell am I driving...an Excursion?  LOL!  My tiny Chevy cobalt cost me more money to fill up than my Jeep and I still had a 1/4 of a tank left.  Thank goodness I seem to only need to fill up once every 3 weeks.  LOL!  And no...I didn't have to pump my gas.  NJ and South Africa have something in common!!!  :-) 

Speaking of driving...today I saw a very interesting sight.  It isn't uncommon to see people at the traffic lights trying to sell you something or ask for money.  But today it was quite a different scene.  There was an older man who I can only assume is homeless NAKED on the side of the street at the traffic light.  The weird thing was, was that he was wearing shoes. I truly didn't know where to look, but my view was right in front of his frank and beans.  The BMW behind me must have seen this man before because he just blew the horn, told me to drive and for the man to get out of the way.  What a way to start the morning........

What a BUBBLY day!!!

Today we celebrated the launch of the new Cadbury Dairy Milk..... Bubbly which is an aerated  milk chocolate.  The month of August is to show our support for the new launch.  Every Friday the colleagues will wear their new zip up running jackets or shirts. (Yes, the company provided this for the team) The office celebrated this launch in style with delicious food, a milkshake bar, a jukebox (and yes..I picked Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi to represent), a photo booth, cotton candy, cookies, decorations, track suits and of course the chocolate.  It was a great way to celebrate and thank all the people who worked on the brand.  Congratulations to Cadbury's newest chocolate bar.  It has had huge success in the UK so let's hope it does just as well in South Africa.  A great way to start the weekend....here are some pics...

The product of the hour!!!

party in the cafeteria

pre party decorations

photo op for the office hotties

cotton candy anyone?

Music time...BORN IN THE USA!!  Yeah..I picked that!

I had a very delicious vanilla milkshake with bubbles

coffee area

decorations

walking to the party

this is how they presented the candy bar to us Sorry it is upside down.....

David's new zip up running jacket

Swaziland

Swaziland definitely has it's down falls, but it truly makes them  up with the people.  These people are the most humble, genuine people I have ever met.  They are extremely hard workers and just absolutely so kind.  The plant however is the worst I have seen.  I am amazed at how much product they can produce with such little resources.  It puts your life into perspective.  I have been to a lot of plants all over the world, each with different capabilities and I always try to learn something from each one of them.  Hoping to pass on knowledge to others for a more efficient industry.  From Swaziland, they don't have the money for a new cooker, they don't have the resources for full time line supervisors, but what they do have is the heart for their products they make.  That is something priceless and should be passed all over the world.

Speaking of products....I have experienced awesomeness.  I have eaten eclairs off the line when they are hot.  OMG..these are delightful.  I devoured a product called PS.  They are caramel candy with white chocolate center.  Holy Crap I have hit the mother load of deliciousness.  I stole a whole bag off the line.  They all melted into one big candy.  I don't care...it is still edible. 

Swaziland itself has nothing.  It is very flat and run down.  People are just trying to make a living.  The place I stayed in was very nice.  It had botanical gardens all around and crystal blue pools.  It was much hotter there than in Jo'burg.  The airport (if you can call it that) might be the size of the RD&Q center in Whippany.  And I think that is being generous.  It was a 20 minute flight on Swazilink airlines.  I didn't know what to expect.  I kind of thought to myself, if there was duct tape holding the plane together I wasn't getting on it.  But it was fine.  Definitely an experience.  I saw a lot of cattle, an Ostrich and a lot of geckos.  One was in my tub.  I made an agreement with him.  I told him he could stay as long as he stayed in the tub.  He listened so I named him Rico.  LOL!  It was a very long 3 day trip that benefited myself and the plant.  I can honestly say however....it is good to be back in my temporary home in Jo'burg. 

Here are some pics...

Swaziland Airport

apartments

random building and dirt roads

front view of my bungalow

police

view of my bedroom

airport gift shop...no joke

What a beautiful day in Jo'burg

It simply has been the best weather today.  Amazing.  So amazing that when I went for my run I didn't realize that I went 4 miles one way.  I did turn back around and "jogged" back only to take in some wonderful sites of the lush land.  I am sitting outside on my porch with my 2 new best friends Levi and Savannah (my adopted dogs for the next 3 months)  They are so friendly and keep me company all the time.  They see me off to work and when I am home.  It isn't Bally Rio and Taj...but it is a very nice companionship. 

I need to pack for my trip to Swaziland tomorrow.  Need to leave my lodge at 4:30 am.  Ugh....but I am looking forward to a new place.  It is all in the experience!!

Enjoy your Sunday my friends.  Here are some pics of my home away from home and my adopted doggies...

my home

kitchen area

oasis

gated community

LEVI

Savannah

Tennis anyone????

view from the driveway

Food for thought.....

Happy Saturday to all of you!  It was a long week, but the weekend is here!  Well, almost half way through for some of us. 

I went to the mall....today (Thinking of Robin Sparkles from HIMYM)  Anyway...it was a very clean mall with interesting stores.  There were different ethnic cuisines from hamburgers, to coffee cafes, to sushi, to pizza.  I decided to try the South African Pizza.  It was good.  I ordered a bacon pie.  I couldn't buy by the slice, just a medium or large pie.  The pie came out and it was equivalent to the small pie from Domino's.  Thin crust with veggies on it too.  Not sure if that is common to have the veggies on a meat pie, but I am not going to complain since I love the veggies.  The pizza did not have a lot of sauce on it, and the cheese looked like it had basil on it.  My comparison to the South African pizza is the frozen Celeste pie you get at the grocery store.  I will try different places too before I make my final judgement call.  David- when you are in NYC...you need to get a "slice" of pizza.  That is one staple you will have to do before leaving.  Oh and also a bagel! 

So like you all know I went to McDonald's last week.  A tid bit of information for you...their "large" size is the "America's" medium!  LOL!  Also, their "party bag" size of chips are even smaller than the US regular version.  Everything (fast food) is smaller portions here.  This could definitely explain why the woman getting me a lab coat yesterday told me I could wear the medium or even a large but I wasn't a small.  :-(  LOL!  Oh well.  I will bring my American curves here with confidence.  I am going to send David to Costco for him to see how an American eats and shops.  LOL!

I went to the grocery store today.  I am quite addicted to the Pick and Pay.  I am also addicted to the Cadbury white chocolate lunch bars.  It is great seeing all the chocolate products on display.  There is so much happiness and pride when I see that down here.  Such a difference from Hershey and Mars...especially since I work for Cadbury/Kraft.  The pick and pay is a very clean store that offers a lot of options.  I think I found 6 pick and pays in the 5 mile vicinity.  That is the only chain supermarket I have seen though.

Ok..well, I am going to watch a movie now.  Everyone enjoy your Saturday.  Tomorrow I will pack for my first trip to Swazilnd.  I am really excited.  I have huge shoes to fill being David's temporary replacement.  However, I will definitely not be pushed over.  Swaziland...meet D-WOW!  Bringing a little fiestiness to the land! 

Here are some picks of the mall, me driving, Jo'burg and the pizza.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Mr. Mandela

Today is South Africa's highest praised man's birthday.  Happy 91st birthday to Mr. Nelson Mandela.  Now unlike a US celebration, this iconic hero does not guarantee a paid holiday!  On the contrary.  Today was a day where Mandela has asked for 67 minutes of your time.  67 minutes today should have been dedicated to some charitable service.  Even if it was from babysitting, to having a bake sale or even knitting blankets for the poor, 67 minutes should be devoted to a good cause.  Kraft today had a bake sale.  Baked goods which were savory and sweet were made by the confections and the chocolate team and sold.  All profits went to an oorphanage and all left over baked goods along with Cadbury chocolate found its way to the kids as well  :-) 

67 minutes of charity work is based off of the 67 dedicated years Mandela has served towards South Africa.  He kindly asks all South Africans "Rich or Poor, black or white"  that 67 minutes of work today might reflect a lifetime of improvements and happiness.  Some people have taken the 67 minutes to the extreme.  On a local radio show, the crew decided to volunteer for charity work at a local inner city school.  However when they got there, they saw the extreme improvements, equipment, attention, and care that the building needed so they made it a year long project.  The first order of business, fix the broken windows, set up a security alarm system so the laptops and gym equipment do not get stolen anymore, and paint the outside of the building.  The year long project will also include after school programs, a new futball field (soccer for my US friends) a new garden and a program to attract more volunteer teachers.  The influence this man has on this nation is incredible.   88% of the South African and World population based on numerous poles, place Nelson Mandela as the worlds most significant leader.  Closely behind him....Martin Luther King Jr and Obama. 

So once again, Happy Birthday Mandela.  Enjoy your favorite dish tonight (tripe) and have a long and healthy life.  If you don't know too much about Nelson Mandela, I would suggest you read some articles on the man who never backed down, fought for the people and the land he loved so much.   

Little swimmers and Avocados

I went to the grocery store for the first time yesterday and the first thing I walk into is a stand of avocados and beer.  One thing I have noticed is that avocados are very popular here.  A lot of people bring an avocado, scoop it out, spread it on bread add salt and pepper and that is their lunch.  Pretty healthy lunch but is it filling?  Plus, I do not like avocados so I will stick to my soup.  I officially am starting a diet tomorrow.  Since being here I have been eating like crazy.  I would love to enjoy the cuisine, but I need to do it moderation.  I have been having a big lunch and big dinner.  I asked Yvette here to prepare me smaller meals when I eat at the lodge.  Even at the lodge there are avocados everywhere.  Kind of odd, but in Thailand I experienced everyone ate mushrooms.  So I guess this is the choice of the people.

I do have to apologize to some today.  I am in a foul mood today.  Stress has been getting to me.  No one said that this job would be easy and I never anticipated it.  I just never assumed I would be dealing with so much on the East coast as well.  Eventually in the coming weeks my communication and work load will have to diminish from the East.  I worked yesterday for 14 hours.  I am very appreciative of this opportunity and I am relishing in it as much as possible, however the stress today and yesterday hit me.  Travel plans have been set and I will be travelling a good amount.  I like to travel...but to Nigeria?  I don't know.  But it is part of my job now....so it has to be.  I am sure it will be fine.  David likes it there.  But then again David isn't me.  So for the people I have spoken to today and snapped at I apologize.  I do want to reiterate though, I am not being treated like a princess.  The lodge is not heated at all.  The only thing heated is the floors.  Since winter is only 2 months they don't include insulation or a heating system.  So when it gets down to 30 F here all I have is this bedspread to keep me warm, but by the time I get home I am exhausted so the cold is a minor problem.  Yvette is great, but I can cook as well.  However when I get home from a 12 hour day the last thing I want to do is cook.  Oh and my "accident" wasn't that big of a deal.  Though the hubcap would beg to differ.  Sorry for the bitching and clarification, but this isn't a vacation.  It is however a great experience and I am very grateful for it.  I do miss everyone though.  I feel like I have been gone for a month and it has been only a week.

So moving on from my bitch fest..stress out...I was flipping through  South African Magazine and came across a very interesting article.  It was about male sperm and how many men in different regions have "active" sperm or little "drowners"  Come to find out the US and UK have the most little drowners while South America and Sweden have the most productive little men with the CAN DO attitude.  You ask why I bring this up....well, the advertisement before the article was a martini glass filled with Swedish Fish!!!  And yes, they are Swedish Fish.  My question to you all....do we get a profit from this and who the hell are we selling our license name to?  LOL!