Things I like about this country

I so often am very critical of this country and yet this place has truly been very good to me. I think I have achieved so much more than I would have if I hadn't come here. So in an effort to become less critical and learn to like (maybe even love) this country, I'm going to be putting down a list of things that I like about this place in an effort to count my blessings.

1. The wonderful singing
   As evidenced by this, though I haven't had an opportunity to see them yet. I'm constantly amazed by the way the people here sing, especially the black people. Even when they are demonstrating on the streets, their protest songs are just so nice, one would think they actually meet and practice and yet it's spontaneous. I think the men sing better though.


2. Amazing race
   Though this series is not actually South African. This is where I discovered it, and boy do I love this show!
   
3. The amazing job opportunities.
   There are soooo many jobs here. I mean, look at all these here. Where else in the world would one find so many jobs listed. Mark you, this is just one of many websites.
   
4. Graduate recruitment
   This is kind of related to 4 above. Not one company came to recruit students from my university. While at Wits, they have whole 2 month period of graduate recruitment. Blows my mind. Again just goes to show how many opportunities there are here.
   
5. Clothes that fit - Need i say more?

Baby talk

Arabo = Ayabo
Vroom Vroom = Vyoom Vyoom
Rat = Yat
Rice = Waish

30 Things...

As the clock ticks relentlessly towards that big milestone age, here are a few fun things I would like to do/achieve. I originally meant to post this on my birthday but forgot. Hopefully, the achievement of the things in this list should distract me from the all – consuming fear that age inspires in me. So without further ado, presenting below is a list of 30 things I would like to do before I get there.

1. Learn to play an instrument, preferably the violin.
   
2. Learn to speak a new language, preferably French.
   
3. Leave the African continent.
   
4. See a real circus.
   
5. Watch a play at the theatre.
   
6. Go for the ballet.
   
7. Go for a concert.
   
8. Learn how to swim.
   
9. Participate in a protest match.
   
10. Eat sushi.
    

Ok, evidently, it is not yet quite 30 things yet, but your comments, suggestions and other wild ideas will be considered for my list. I will update the list periodically as and when i achieve any of the listed items or when I receive new ones. This idea was stolen from my littlest sister J

More photos

Sterkfontein caves

Bus to Suncity theme park from the parking
At the theme park
Man-made waves/sea
Death defying water slide

Weekend update - belatedly

I will do this piece-meal so that i can update the many photos i took. As usual, the photos with people other than me will come down as soon as you've all seen them.
Thursday
Went to B's house after work to pick up my braids that she was giving me as a birthday present. She said she wanted me to plait them by my birthday so i don't look bad on the day, which naturally led me to ask: was my hair really looking that bad?
Went home to change.
Went to J's for supper and then afterwards we headed out to the Blues Room to watch Dr Victor. It was really nice dancing after a really long time. We were getting home and finally going to sleep around 3.30am, with the plan to wake up and leave directly for Maropeng at 7am Friday morning and thus the reason why she slept at my place.

Friday
Finally got startled out of sleep at 8.20am (whats that they say about the best-laid plans?). After grooming and breakfast, we were leaving the house 2 hours later. Why does that sound like those trips when we always used to plan to leave home soooo early and only get on the road after 8am?
Got to Sterkfontein Caves around an hour later, thank God we were late coz the place is only about 45km out of town.
It was actually quite nice and not as claustrophobic as i expected underground. Actually it was pretty chilly down there, but thank goodness there were no bats or other creepy-crawlies, atleast not any that i could see. Instead we saw many stalactites and stalagmites (aka amabere ga nyina mwiru), i learn that the ones with the g = ground so they grow from the ground, i can't remember what the other one.

Sign showing its owned and run by Wits Uni.

Caves entrance from within
Random picture inside the cave
Hole in the cave
Us at the exit of the cave, with the picture of the guy who discovered the 1st ruins i think

Whats a perfect Friday evening/night?

Watching TV while surfing :-))

On TV?

Forest Whitaker discussing The Last King of Scotland on Oprah!

Ati Oprah is from a small village off Liberia though she soooo wanted to be Zulu...pshhhh, please. Meanwhile Forest is part Ibo and part Ghanaian, they traced their ancestry through this

Test picture upload

Woe is me

So indulge me as I wallow in self-pity.

When I received my CISA exam notification I guess I was too excited to read the whole email correctly, so I just perused it. I thought it said something about them sending me the application forms to now apply for the certification now. So i've just been compulsively going to the post office weekly checking to see whether that has come. Then awhile back i decided, what the heck and put it on my CV that i'm CISA-certified and starting sending out this updated CV with my new qualification.

BIG MISTAKE!

Apparently after re-reading the email and going onto the ISACA website, it turns out that i can only apply for certification after a total of 5 years IT Audit experience!!! So far i only have 3 years: 2 years i get by default because i've completed a 4year university degree, 1 year i'm able to substitute for a year of other IT work. So that means that i need 2 more years of IT Audit work experience in order to apply for certification.

As if i'm not under enough pressure from myself to get a job in IT Audit, the exam results will expire if i don't register for certification within 5 years. Oh, and how do i explain this to all the people who've already received my new updated CV? I'm sure claiming to have a certification you don't have is some kind of fraud. Also, how do i put it on my CV that i've actually done the exam but need them to give me their jobs so that i can get the 2 years of experience that i need?