Archive for April, 2007

Don’t worry, Don’t panic

Monday, April 30th, 2007

I’m sorry if I’ve worried anyone - I’m on holiday. Things busy at work before I left, and didn’t get a chance to update the old blog. Anyway, I will be back next Monday.

Right, off to drink wine in the sun.

The Great Turtle Race

Monday, April 16th, 2007

I almost forgot. Steve at Our Man in Granada is covering the Great Turtle Race.

I picked Stephanie Colburtle, and what do you know? She’s winning. Hurrah. Go Steph. However, knowing my luck in these kind of things, she will probably be eaten halfway to the Galapagos, and I will be plagued with terrible guilt for the rest of my life. I should never have got involved. I’ve practically sealed her doom.

Right, I’m off home to eat some cheap tuna.

Blah

Monday, April 16th, 2007

Sorry - bit quiet. Working hard. Really craving a small pot of chocolate mousse. You know the ones - all gooey and sweet, and made with too much cream.

Also quite fancy a crumpet.

Back soon with an inspiring review of Windhoek’s swinging hotspots, as requested by Susy.

That is all.

Label me theftproof

Wednesday, April 11th, 2007

We had some ups and downs at work last year. One of the downs was a kleptomaniac receptionist who in her short tenure manning the phones managed to abscond with:

1 scanner
1 projector
1 fan heater
1 cash box full of cash
N$100 from my purse
N$100 from a colleague’s purse
N$44,000 in forged cheques, which she cashed at the bank, and which eventually led to her rather dramatic ’surprise’ arrest one morning in our boardroom. It was a bit like a surprise party, but without the punch and the streamers.

So in a drive to reduce the incidence of theft from our offices, one of my colleagues has been shuffling around my little office for the last half hour sticking stickers on everything that could be construed as ‘company property’, and asking me what things are so he can tick them off on his sticker list (”Rachael, what are these in English?” “Pliers”).

I was sitting here minding my own business, tapping some numbers into a spreadsheet as is my wont, and he came over and just lifted up my keyboard. While I was using it. Then he stuck a sticker on the bottom. I didn’t realise there was so much crap under my keyboard - or that I’d lost that much hair lately.

There’s a sticker on the phone (Telec6009), a sticker on my monitor (Compt1015), one on the back of my chair (Furnt1505), and one on the free UNICEF Alcohol Aids HIV wallplanner, of which we were donated 250. Given the way staff are regarded in this place, I’m hugely surprised I didn’t get one stuck to the back of my neck (Volnt2007).

I don’t really see how it’s going to help though. The one on my chair has only been there three minutes, and it’s fallen off already.

Absolutamente Nada

Tuesday, April 10th, 2007

Like my improving Spanish? I learned that from Pan’s Labyrinth, a film that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Anyway, I haven’t got much to say because I did nothing over the weekend. My friend Marie and I just sat around in our pyjamas for 48 hours, drinking bloody marys and watching DVDs.

So I have nothing of any interest to say. I looked in the paper, and there is a mysterious outbreak of dead pigeons up north which could have been amusing, but somehow my heart wasn’t in it.

I’ll try and remedy this lack of inspiration by tomorrow though.