Harrowing week

Local time: 2:48 pm

One hell of a delay later, here I am.  Apologies for the prolonged lapse of time between entries.

It's been a very busy week. On Tuesday, I began something of an internship at Metropolitanrepublic- an ad agency here in Johannesburg.  It's been a very busy time; quite overwhelming as one would expect of such a creativity-driven business. I've had a good time so far, it's nice to be out of the house and around lots of people.  I think it can only perpetuate good times here in South Africa.

With the good must come the bad, I suppose. Out of respect for my mother, I won't directly mention what happened.  I will say, however, that life is short, and that carpe diem is a phrase that many people should know and think about a few times a week.  You never know what may be around that next bend in the road- realistically as well as metaphorically speaking.

I have stood witness to a few rather ballistic storms the past few days. You have not seen a thunderstorm until you've spent some time in South Africa during Spring and Summer.  I rented a little Citigolf Chico, and was barraged by rain on my trip home on Friday.  Fortunately, the windscreen wipers worked.  Unfortunately, the driver's side one was loose, and began to rather lethally adjust position until it was almost off the windscreen; wiping naught but air and a small patch of glass.  Enter harrowing.  A vice-grip and a bit of torque fixed that little number after I arrived home.

Today I went with my mom to the Sunday market at Rosebank Mall, which is just up the street from us.  I had some EXCELLENT (with emphasis on the excel bit) samosas at the food court.  For those unfamiliar, a samosa is a classic Indian cuisine staple in the form of a triangular pastry filled with anything from mixed vegetables and spices to meats and spices.  There is a high Indian population here, and the food you get is really top-notch.  The market itself is incredibly interesting.  The people, the wares, the sights, sounds and smells... It's a sensory extravaganza, of sorts.  What a vibe.

A social update: I've continued the trend of meeting many people, and had the embarrassingly nice experience of exchanging numbers with a few girls at dinner last night, thanks to my Aunt.  She leaned over to two pretty girls eating next to us and told them her nephew was in town from America, then asked if they could recommend some places for me to go to.  They spouted off a few place based upon some of my interests, and then THEY gave ME their numbers.  How unheard of... I can't actually remember the last time a girl gave me her number unsolicited, let alone two at the same time.  Gotta love that American shock value!  We'll see what transpires, they were very nice and I think the best way for me to get out and have fun is with a girl on each arm ;)

Now I'm off to the war (WWII) memorial nearby.  Should be quite thrilling for me, for those of you who know about my technical curiosity.  After that, a brisk walk in the park with my cousin and his girlfriend, and then an open evening.

There goes that weird bird who sounds like a rubber chicken being squeezed...  On a side note, the avian population here has some interesting sounds.  Another bird sounds like a person spouting nonsense at random  intervals, followed by a sound reminiscent of someone honking their car horn several times, then driving by while holding it; creating a doppler effect.  I'm quite the imaginative one, no?

Cheers guys,

Adam