It's not Goodbye, it's See You Later

This week, one of my mom's oldest and dearest friends (we worked it out to 20+ years) Jill, moved down to Cape Town to start the new chapter in her life.

After investigating the option for some time, everything fell into place at the beginning of the month when Jill's official employment transfer papers were signed, and her first day at Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital was determined as 1 April. Jilly was moving to the Cape, to be nearer to her daughter, Kelly. The news registered, but reality hadn't quite sunk in.

My mom was thrilled for her friend, and supported her during those rather busy weeks. The night before the two day journey to Cape Town, Jill stayed at my mom's house and the two of them went for a last dinner together (only for a few months). I said goodbye to Jilly that evening, not being very strong when it comes to farewells, and after trying in vain to stay dry eyed, I broke down. This was it. 

Jill worked a registered nurse at the Linmed Hospital in Benoni, and always the first person we'd contact for advice when someone we knew had fallen ill, or had some sort of medical issue that we weren't sure of. She was also our go to lady when a friend or family member was having an operation or procedure performed at the hospital, and would diligently check in on that person in the recovery ward then let us know how they were doing. Jill popped in when Courtney was in theater preparing to deliver Dylan, and checked on William when her damaged his knee playing football last year. Her wealth of medical knowledge has proven invaluable to us and to all the other patients that she has treated/cared for over her many years at Linmed. We thank you, Jilly.

The things I'll miss most is discussing the latest films at the cinema, and Jill relaying some interesting general knowledge to us - we've all learnt so much from you!

Jill and my mom were both single parents and that shared bond meant we did many things together. Jill, Brad & Kel were regular features at our family events too. Memories of many weekends spent away at the farm, trips to the beach and game reserves, flood our minds and we have so many photographs to remind us of these happy occasions.

BUT, it's not goodbye. It's see you later.

Cape Town is a two hour flight away, and you can count on us visiting soon. My mom has two other close friends in the Cape - Michelle and Hayley - so when we go down our visits are always filled with wonderful catch ups.

Jilly - we are so happy and proud of you, and wish you every success in your new home and workplace. You are an asset to any company and although we will miss you, bigger and better things await. Johannesburg's loss is Cape Town's gain, and I know Kel will be so happy to have her mum nearby again. 

This photograph was taken at my 21st birthday in 2007, Jilly dressed as a surgeon as part of the "S" theme

My mom and Jill at the Barnyard Theatre, August 2012

Kelly, my mom and Jilly at my mom's 50th birthday lunch last year

"Good friends are like stars. You don't always see them, but you know they are always there."

Why I Love Birthdays

Birthday. That day of the year when the pendulum swings into the next year of our lives.

Some people don't like birthdays and will go to extreme measures to downplay the occasion. Whether this is due to not wanting to accept the fact that they are getting older, or don't like being in the spotlight, the reason varies from person to person.

Personally I LOVE birthdays. Obviously the age bit is less than ideal, but the huge plus factor, in my opinion, is the celebration. Birthdays (and unfortunately funerals) are the two occasions that bring people together, and that quality time (birthdays only) is what I treasure. Having a casual braai at home (having a house full of people is one of my all time favorite things in life), or going out to a venue -  the 'what' isn't the operative word. Rather the 'who'. The pleasure of your friends and family's company.

We don't celebrate enough. We get wrapped up - or tunnel visioned - in our lives and stress over many facets of our existence (finances and work to name but a few), that we actually forget that life is passing us by. We'll never get those days back, and one day when we're watching the replay of our time on Earth, what will we regret? I'll regret the days spent worrying over matters I have no control over, instead of the time that I said yes to a friend's invitation. There's nothing more expensive than regrets, and that I truly believe.

It's not about being the center of attention either. Yes, you'll receive more calls and messages than any other day, but why not think of it as a compliment that so many people treasure you and want to wish you a happy birthday? Honestly, I think a lot of birthdays would go unacknowledged if it weren't for Facebook and it's daily reminders, however, the wisher still took the time to send the wishee (is that even a word?) a message.

What makes a good birthday? In addition to the advantages I've mentioned above, CAKE! If there's one day of the year (OK, Christmas makes two)  where it is absolutely imperative to stray from the diet it's a birthday. Eat, drink and be merry! Have your cake and eat it too. Life is too short not to.

Gifting. This is where the waters get murky. The average person cannot afford to buy every single friend a present. Sadly, in today's world, a 'decent' present (if buying a voucher or contributing cash) is considered approximately R300. Multiply that by the number of friends you would normally buy gifts for and it's rather expensive over a year. If there's one thing I hate it's being invited somewhere just to give a present. The host (possibly a friend of a friend of a friend) doesn't care for your presence, and you may only be acquaintances -  but you've been invited to their birthday party. Why? 

William and I have decided to only buy gifts for friends on landmark birthdays and special occasions (weddings, baby showers, etc)  as it is simply too expensive. By the same token, we do not want or expect gifts from friends on our birthdays. So friends -  if you're reading this, please don't be offended that we haven't bought you gifts, this is why. Age brings with it life lessons, and what was important 5 years ago is not up there on the list of priorities now. As a child I was always excited to open my birthday presents, the higher the number the better. As an adult my values have changed, and now gifts are the least important.

I make big deals out of birthdays. Celebrations would last a week if I had it my way. There's nothing better than showering your loved ones with love and attention, for no other reason to show them how much you mean to them. And yes, we should show this appreciation every day, it's that much more special on a birthday. I plan William's and my birthday parties a month in advance, and countdowns start at more or less the same time.

You're the oldest you've ever been, and youngest than you'll ever be again.

Powerful statement. Make the most out of life.

William is the most recent person in our family to celebrate a birthday. Here are some photographs taken today.

5 Things Thursday

A fellow blogger created this series called '7 Things' and I found the idea extremely appealing as it would bring variety to each post. Instead of rambling on about one subject for 12 000 characters which could possibly result in a reader (or even myself) losing interest, I am able to include multiple topics without making them seem inane or irrelevant of one another.

So here goes, a wrap up of the week that was:

1) The Oscar Pistorius Trial. No matter where one goes in South Africa, we are bombarded with up to the minute coverage of the trial. We have a dedicated radio and television channel broadcasting the proceedings live (a world first - fist pump for SA), newspaper headlines lead with the latest developments - it's even all over social media. Now in its' third week, and with no prospect of the end in sight, some members of the public are getting frustrated. What started off as interest has been replaced with boredom. The fact of the matter is he shot dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. No question about it. Now, the issue at hand is whether it was premeditated or self defence, and the sentence he receives will be based on this outcome. Witnesses of all calibers have been called from neighbours of the paralympian athlete to experts from the USA. Everyone has an opinion on what happened that fateful night, but only the court's verdict counts. 

2) The disappearance of flight MH370. The aircraft, carrying 239 people, disappeared on 8 March. No distress signals were transmitted, and according to engineers all modes of communication were severed  a mere hour into the flight, setting off theories of a hijacking. If it was a hijacking, wouldn't the captors have made contact and given their demands? I find the "Lost" theory very hard to believe. Basically the aircraft has landed on some remote island (possibly as part of the hijacking). Seriously, it's a Boeing. It requires a certain distance of runway on which to land, and wouldn't someone have spotted the plane? The chances of these people being found alive are virtually zero. They would not have had enough supplies on which to survive, and if the aircraft landed/crashed into the sea, they would have required immediate rescue. Another interesting theory (and one I'm tending to agree with) was compiled by Chris Goodfellow, a pilot. Read it here.

Earlier today, assumed pieces of wreckage off the western coast of Perth were spotted via satellite. Ships from multiple nations converged on the area but the weather was poor and visibility limited. The search will resume tomorrow, and hopefully some closure will be brought to the matter. I can't imagine what the families of those on board may be experiencing, but to find out what happened may ease their sadness somewhat.

3) William celebrates his birthday this Sunday! My other half will be celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the day of his birth, and we are going to spend the day doing whatever he wants. It's only right seeing as though it is his birthday. Happy happy birthday my love, I wish you a year of health, wealth and happiness and a lifetime of joy in abundance.

4) Tomorrow is Human Rights Day in South Africa. Ramsey Clark said "A right is not what someone gives you; it's what no-one can take from you." Be kind to your fellow man, and accept them for who they are. Humanity has fought enough fights. Live and let live.

5) This week I received my first compliment from my boss! Happiness is. 

Wishing you all an awesome long weekend. 

Time Management - A Skill I need to Develop

Having re-entered the workforce last week, and therefore not being able to keep my own hours, I have been forced to budget my time. 

Balance and moderation is everything.

I need to factor in all my time drivers such as gym, walking, preparing for my Saturday morning lectures, social events, blogging and everything in between. Last week (the first week) was an abomination. I actually felt like I was in a washing machine. The world continuing around me, but I didn't know which way was up. I was disorganized and unprepared for the major change that had just taken place. Disorganized. Unprepared. Two words not normally used to describe my character. As much as I hated it, I needed that wake up call to kick start my survival mode and figure out a plan of action.

I normally reply to any sort of communication immediately, but being new and under the watchful eye of my manager and colleagues, my phone remained securely in my handbag. Previously I was ever present on social media, constantly refreshing my news feeds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I felt compelled to stay up to date with every event happening in people's lives - from close friends to acquaintances, I had to know everything. Now I sneak in a few minutes on the above mentioned platforms (waiting for the kettle to boil or while dinner is in the microwave). Strangely enough, I don't miss it. Missing out on some status updates is of no consequence or effect in my life. Quite a powerful realization that was.

Many people all over the world juggle their time every day, some are even married and have children. Granted I don't have children so I skip the homework and extra mural taxi service gauntlets, but I still have to prepare dinner and make lunches for both William and I. Yes we have a domestic worker three days per week so cleaning the house isn't on my checklist, but I do still want to keep it tidy. Making the bed, packing the dishwasher, sorting laundry and the dreaded grocery shopping all take time out of my day. These items must be included.

My working hours are 7 - 3:30 Monday to Thursday, and I attend lectures every Saturday from 8am -  3pm. We are given homework to complete before the next lecture. I have worked and studied before, and somehow managed to get everything done then so this time will be no different. If I set aside one hour per day, four days per week I can complete the homework and will be in a better position come exam time in May. From June onward I have no intention of studying until January when I register for Honors. The break will do me good, I can regroup and enjoy not having to study -  the first time in 8 years.

In addition to all of the above, I want to see my friends, go to movies, catch up with my mom (yes, we live a few steps away from each other but still), and generally have fun. I realize I will have to choose between walking and the calisthenics class I attend for an hour Monday to Thursday. As walking has yielded the best results in terms of losing weight and fitness (a story for another post), it seems to be the most logical choice. I can always attend a class if the weather is unfavorable for walking, and other days when I can squeeze it in.

This week has gone a lot smoother as I am finding my groove (or keeping the balls airborne) and although I don't have a set timetable it may not be a bad idea to create one (this is a typical Virgo trait so please don't laugh).

Have a fantastic weekend all.

Being the Newbie

My first week at my new job is complete, and it has been challenging to say the least. Sunday night I barely slept, nerves got the better of me and come Monday morning I was still out of sorts. I don't think anyone can't NOT be nervous when starting a new job.

I've always wanted to work for a "big" company, and am loving the vast number of employees (approx 150 in Johannesburg alone), and the professional environment. I was, however, unprepared for the amount of admin I would be required to complete - and that was only part of the new employee take on procedure! I have manuals covering just about every facet of the Human Resources function and apparently I am attending an induction next month, where new employees will be taken on a tour of the entire premises and have the finer details explained to us. I'm looking forward to this as I'm one of those people that like to have a broad understanding of the bigger picture. Completeness if you will.

I joined the finance team (consisting of 30 people) at their busiest time - month end. As the company is a multinational and is required to report it's financial information to the holding company in the Netherlands, major month end reports are run and the figures contained therein has to be completely accurate. This places a huge burden on the team to ensure the variances between budgeted and actual values stay within an acceptable range, or a very good explanation for the difference must be provided. We have four days to run the procedures (on the accounting program and Excel),  make any adjustments, then investigate unacceptable differences before reporting the end result by midnight on the fourth day. 

Now I know this doesn't sound like much, but considering the volume of transactions and the fact that we are required to prepare Namibia's financial information as well, I felt like a goldfish in the Atlantic. The month end procedures will fall under my duties so I asked many questions and even performed some of the tasks under the supervision of the financial manager. It was... Interesting. The tasks are not difficult, but the person needs to have a firm understanding of the business and the transport industry in order to produce accurate results.

Whilst my colleagues have been friendly and welcoming, I sense they suspect I will not last long in my position. I was asked numerous times on Friday alone, how I felt month end went and it was so awful etc. I said no, it was not that bad but because I'm new to the company it is obviously more demanding. Come next month I'll be even more familiar with everything, and it will run smoother. My predecessor apparently only lasted a year in the position, so maybe they think the job will get the better of me and I too will resign.

Not going to happen. I'm not a quitter (my love of chocolate has proven this) and I will master this job and it's responsibilities. Their doubt in me has pushed me to prove them wrong, and that is my aim for the future.

Have an awesome weekend further!

The Job Hunt is Not for Sissies - but it's OVER!

7 Interviews,
5 recruitment agencies,
3 tanks of petrol,
2 calendar months,
1 box of tranquilizers, and
Countless competency tests and explaining myself to so many different individuals later...

I AM NO LONGER UNEMPLOYED!

Whoohoo!!

It has been quite a journey, one that definitely built character, but I am glad it is over nonetheless.

I started my new job as an accountant at a multi-national freight company today. I did not post this news until the signatures were on the dotted line (one never knows, anything may happen) but now that they are I am able to share the news. The office is situated a mere 13km from home, and with a professional environment and flexi hours, it is a match made in heaven.

The very first recruitment agent I met with secured the interview, which took place last Thursday. After a rather challenging interview comprising both Excel and Accounting competency tests as well as a personality assessment on top of the usual interview questions, and loads of competition, I felt that I would not get a call back. That afternoon my self esteem was at such a low, while doing my grocery shopping, I found an empty aisle in the store and proceeded to have a quick quiet cry! At home, I even went back on to PNet and applied to a few adverts. Imagine my surprise when the agent phoned a few hours later to say I had been selected for a second interview this time with the Financial Director. Nerves! I was elated. Low to high instantly. The second interview focused on interpersonal skills and how I would handle certain situations in the office. I answered to the best of my ability but when my interviewer's face didn't register any clues, doubt instantly set in again. Besides, they were still interviewing people and while I was waiting for my meeting, another applicant was undergoing the competency test! I told myself to hope for the best but expect the worst. Later that afternoon, the recruitment agent phoned with excellent news. I had been offered the job!

I am excited (but also nervous) to start this new chapter in my life. It has been a long time coming. And I can tick an item off my list of goals for 2014. Things are going great this year.

Thank you to everybody that supported me throughout the process, from letting me cry on your shoulders to forwarding my CV to your contacts to sending words of encouragement when I needed them most - it means more to me than I can put into words!

Oh, and thanks for keeping the economy going and paying your taxes whilst I was out of the workforce (haha).

Wishing you all a pleasant week.