Archive | 2011

‘n Oggend by Home Affairs

By Rian Truter on July, Monday 18 2011 in 2011, Life 0

As staatsdepartemente na idiome vernoem moet word, sal Binnelandse Sake die naam Departement van Job se Geduld kry.

Ek moes hulle onlangs besoek om my paspoort te hernu. Bygesê; sal enige regdenkende mens hulle sommer sonder rede gaan besoek?

Ná gruwelstories oor hoe lank ek gaan wag, en van mense wat as vermis opgegee is in hul poging om ’n ID te bekom, is ek gepantser met voorafvoltooide vorms en alles wat ek dalk kon nodig kry Binnelandse Sake toe.

Om presies twintig oor nege stap ek deur die deure van Binnelandse Sake. Hul Engelse naam, Home Affairs, beskryf vir my eintlik beter wat tussen daardie mure gebeur. Nie dat dit enigsins huislik is nie; Nataniël sal dadelik ’n binneshuise versierder vir die plek wil opkommandeer.

Dat dit ’n affair is, is baie nader aan die waarheid.

’n Mens kan hierdie hele oefening op twee maniere benader. Eerstens kan jy dit filosofies benader en ’n wilsbesluit neem dat jy jou nie sommer gaan laat ontstel nie. Of jy kan jou vooraf so opwerk oor alles wat gaan/kan gebeur dat jy jou humeur binne die eerste 30 sekondes verloor. Iets wat nie moeilik is om by Home Affairs reg te kry nie.

Ek is met die nommer-een-benadering daar in. In die ry ingeval en my nommer gekry. Eerste skok. Nommer 584!

Kalm bly. Daar is nét 583 mense met vorms voor jou. Onthou vir Esme en Jan: Elke donker wolk het ’n silwer randjie!

Ná ’n bietjie positiewe selfmotivering sak ek tussen ’n diverse Suid-Afrika op ’n bank neer. Korreksie: harde bank neer.

Die oom langs my grinnik simpatiek toe hy my nommer sien. Ek voel asof ek na die nommers van verlede naweek se lottotrekking kyk. Weer nie my nommers nie!

Die oom sê: Wiet djy dat hulle djou ’n rand vra om die toilit te gebruik?

Ek sê: Nee, maar dit is seker om al die rondlopers en bosslapers uit te hou.

Hy sê: Ma dis waarom securitie mos da is! Wie dink djy kry die geld?

Ek sê dat ek nie weet nie, maar dat al die R1-besoeke nogal ’n klomp geld op ’n dag vir iemand kan inbring.

Hy sê: Die plek is oek nie meer soes in die ou dae nie. Toe was dit bieter …

Ek sê: Wat het dan verander?

Hy sê: Hulle sorg nou net vir hulle se mense en hy trek so met sy vinger oor sy wang om te wys wie dan nou eintlik die skuldiges is.

Hy sê: Ek wonne wat hulle sal maak as iemand met ’n swak blaas nou die toilit ’n klomp keer moet besoek en hy hettie geld nie? Gaan hy somme da voor hulle laat los?

Ek sê: Ja, amper soos die wet van Transvaal!

Hy sê: Hie moet ’n man Djob se geduld hê.

Ek sê: … en Salomo se wysheid!

Skielik hoor ek ’n stem roep dat nommer 584 na toonbank drie moet kom.

Twee uur en 40 minute later loop ek by Binnelandse Sake uit. Gescan, gevingerafdruk, gediversifiseer en hopelik met ’n nuwe paspoort êrens in die onverstaanbare sisteme en prosesse van Home Affairs.

Wat gaan hulle maak as hy sommer daar voor hulle laat los?

Wie sal weet?

Bureaucracy is the art of making the possible impossible. – Javier Pascual Salcedo

I bought a doughnut and they gave me a receipt for the doughnut … I don’t need a receipt for the doughnut. I give you money and you give me the doughnut, end of transaction. We don’t need to bring ink and paper into this. I can’t imagine a scenario that I would have to prove that I bought a doughnut. To some skeptical friend, don’t even act that I didn’t get that doughnut. I’ve got the documentation right here … It’s in my file at home … Under “D” – Mitch Hedberg

Image: africa/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Green me up Scottie!

By Rian Truter on July, Wednesday 13 2011 in 2011, Environment 0

The Green Ghoen

All this fuss about being white, black or coloured is a puff of smoke in the bigger picture of things.

The only colour that really matters is Green! And in how green are you?

From my early childhood I can remember a book titled Die Groen Ghoen written by well known Afrikaans writer PH Nortjé. Last year Gys de Villiers used roughly the same title and wrote a play called Groen Ghoen. A play that ask questions about how man is treating our one and only planet, mother earth.

I have decided that I will name my new recycle bin, in honour of the book and play, Die Groen Ghoen (The Big Green Marble).

The act of christening my bin fills me with anticipation and excitement. There may just be enough time left to save the earth … and ourselves.

Let’s look at just a few recycling benefits:

A well-run recycling program cost less to operate than waste collection, land filling and incineration.
Recycling creates four jobs for every one created in the waste management and disposal industries.
Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees.
The energy we save when we recycle one glass bottle is enough to light a light bulb for four hours.
Recycling conserves natural resources, such as timber, water and minerals.

It’s a proven fact that recycling benefits both the economy and the environment. And what benefits these two, benefits me and you!

Come on, where’s your recycle bin?

Dit is nou of nooit!

Our generation has inherited an incredibly beautiful world from our parents and they from their parents. It is in our hands whether our children and their children inherit the same world. We must not be the generation responsible for irreversibly damaging the environment. – Richard Branson

Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans. – Jacques Cousteau

Beam me up Scotty. There’s no intelligent life down here. – Bumper Sticker

Source: http://www.recycling-revolution.com

Smile you’re on Social Media!

By Rian Truter on July, Monday 11 2011 in 2011, Education, Life 3

At this stage in my life I needed a new challenge.

Something like Facebook.

I can hear teacups rattling and people choking on their sandwiches. Can’t you find something more edifying? Something safe? More your age? Never thought you would go that way!

I thought so too. But now that I have taken the brave step and finding that I am still alive, I am beginning to like it. Even thinking about starting to twit, or is it tweet?

But why? I hear you ask. I have a few close friends that also shake their heads in dismay and promise me that they will rather die than be on Facebook. Why so extreme? I will rather Facebook and be alive. Sounds like a better choice to me!

Let me tell you why and what I have discovered over the last weeks:

First, it’s not that difficult. If you’re able to read and know how to access the internet, you can do it. Tip: let the youngsters help you. They love to share their superior knowledge.
Facebook is not from the devil. Same with MXit and the other social sites. In a lot of these cases the unknown lends itself to wrongful and evil interpretations. But I won’t disagree that the devil may also know about these tools.
Facebook helps me to communicate with my friends and family. It facilitates the sharing of knowledge … or so they say!
It’s the biggest photo album in the world. You don’t have to wait for your children to come back from holiday to see their photographs. You can view it the moment they share it on Facebook.
News is instant. Much like the old plaastelefoon in days gone by. It feels if you are eavesdropping on your friends. The only difference; it’s legal!
But be warned! Facebook can also be dangerous.
Say only on Facebook what you would be prepared to say in public. The same with photographs. Only post pictures that you would be proud to see printed on the back page of a national newspaper.
Watch out whom you allow as your friends. Everybody is not your friend. You don’t have to accept their invitation to become friends. Especially people who haven’t been friends with you over the last fifty years. Suddenly they want to be your friend. Nonsense! Just remember that you already have enough friends as it is.
I have discovered that there is a difference between a personal profile and a page for a business. A lot of people don’t know this fact and open a personal page for their business. Do a bit of research before you dive into the ocean of social media …

Dat daar altyd doemprofete oor enige nuwe tendens/uitvindsel sal wees, is ‘n feit soos ‘n koei. Maar ek het my les jare gelede met die sage van die vrotmelkkultuur geleer! Toe ek na maande se wik en weeg besluit om tot dié geledere toe te tree, toe val die bedryf se boom uit …

Nie weer nie. Ek onderskryf nou Jack MacAllister se motto if you don’t make dust, you eat dust.

Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell. – Seth Godin

The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow. – Bill Gates

Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks. – Author Unknown

Image: Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot/FreeDigitalphotos

Wie maak vir Gansbaai lekker?

By Rian Truter on July, Thursday 7 2011 in 2011, Education, Leadership, Life 0

Die gestoei oor watter spanne in die finaal van die Super Rugbyreeks gaan speel, het my onwillekeurig laat wonder wat maak ’n span of mens suksesvol. Hoe bepaal jy hoe goed jy/skool/besigheid is en is net die wenners altyd die beste?

Miskien lê die antwoord op dié vrae opgesluit in die bekende liedjie van oorlede Worsie Visser, Wie maak vir Gansbaai lekker? In een van die aangepaste Gansbaailiedjies antwoord ’n ander kunstenaar dat dit die seemeeu is.

Ek wil hiervan verskil, want net mense wat daarvan hou dat ‘n seemeeu op hulle kom bollie, sal hiermee kan saamstem! Die iets wat Gansbaai lekker maak, is net jy en jy en weer jy! Jóú betrokkenheid maak Gansbaai lekker.

If you have never heard of Worsie in your whole life, let’s use the words of Joe Dolan to tell you who is responsible: It’s you, it’s you it’s you …

Success relies heavily on commitment and investment. Commitment from everyone involved in the process, be it education or be it Gansbaai. To achieve any form of success the role players will have to invest skill, time and passion.

And a lot of themselves.

Eighty percent of success is showing up. – Woody Allen

You don’t have to be famous. You just have to make your mother and father proud of you. – Meryl Streep

Image: Dr Joseph Valks/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You can beat Djokovic!

By Rian Truter on July, Tuesday 5 2011 in 2011, Life 2

We are the champions my friend …

While watching the epic Wimbledon men’s final yesterday these words of Queen’s iconic song echoed through my head.

At the end of the match there could only be one champion and that was Novak Djokovic. But the way Djokovic and Rafael Nadal played and conducted them selves showed that you can be a champion even if you lose.

During the match both players illustrated that the game, and becoming a champion, was much more than just physical. Becoming a champion also depends a lot on mental fitness.

Even Rafael admitted that the mental part is a little dangerous for me. (The Telegraph 4/7/2011)

Its not just athletes that have to act like a champion. At some or other stage of our lives there will come a moment that we will have to be the champion. Even if we never see or touch the grass of Wimbledon.

For just that moment I have compiled the following thoughts to help you collect your trophy, promotion, prize or what ever it may be:

1. The first and great command is, don’t let them scare you. – Elmer Davis.

2. The minute you start talking about what you are going to do if you lose, you have lost. – George Schultz

3. The desire to win is born in most of us. The will to win is a matter of training. The manner of winning is a matter of honour. – Margaret Thatcher

4. Always imitate the behaviour of the winners when you lose. – George Meredith

5. A winner makes commitments. A loser makes promises. – Unknown

6. Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure. – George E. Woodberry

7. The difference between losing and winning is usually the difference between doing little things nearly right and doing them exactly right. – Edward Simmons.

8. A winner focus; a loser sprays. – Sydney Harris

9. You only get one chance. – William Wallace

Game, set and match!

Image: nixxphotograpy

Ek het genoeg …

By Rian Truter on July, Saturday 2 2011 in 2011, Life 0

Het jy al in die middel van die nag wakker geword en besef hoe geseënd jy regtig is?

Nou die oggend vroeg was dit weer my beurt.

Ek word so drieuur se kant wakker met die reën en noordewind wat teen die kamervenster stoei. Skielik kom daar ’n onbeskryflike dankbaarheid in my hart vir my warm bed, die dak oor my kop en die ruit wat die wind en reën van my lyf hou.

Tog is die Kaap nie eenhonderd persent Hollands nie. ’n Onverklaarbare ysigheid kom kruip tussen my en die komberse in. Eintlik moet ek sê, in my kop in.

Want ek onthou skielik dat daar iewers buite mense is wat nie so bevoorreg soos ek is nie. Wat net ’n stuk karton of plastiek het om die wind en reën buite te hou. Wat nie net kan omdraai en verder slaap nie, want ’n mens slaap nie lekker as jy nat is nie.

Dit is dan wat ek skaam word dat ek kla en nog wil hê, want het ek dan nie reeds genoeg nie?

Dit is ook dan dat ek die antwoord van die tuinwerker aan die miljoenêr onthou …

Miljoenêr: Ek verstaan nie hoekom jy nie ook so baie geld en besittings soos ek wil hê nie?

Werker: Want ek het genoeg …

In die vroegoggendure rol ek rond en wonder oor wanneer genoeg dan genóég is?

Ek slaap nou glad nie en dit voel of die wind en reën net met my praat.

Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. – Oprah Winfrey

Persons who have been homeless carry within them a certain philosophy of life which makes them apprehensive about ownership – Jerzy Kosinski

Image: Maggie Smith

Legends

By Rian Truter on June, Tuesday 28 2011 in 2011, Leadership 0

Die polemiek woed weer in die pers oor wie die beste is of was. Wie gee wie die reg om hom of haar as die beste ooit te klassifiseer? Amper tot legendestatus te verhef …

Tydens ’n besoek aan die KKNK het ek ontdek dat sommige mense soos oom Gert van Tonder skielik ‘n legend geword het, want al die jonges wat saam met die oom gesing het, het hom ‘n legend genoem. Is dit dalk omdat hulle hom van hulle doek- en Wielie-Walie-dae onthou, want oor sy sang kan dit nie wees nie.

Hierdie kwistige gebruik van legend voor en agter het my laat wonder oor wie en wat nou eintlik ‘n legend is.

Volgens my beskeie mening is Staal Burger, tannie Evita Bezuidenhout en die Toyota-bakkie ‘n legend. Maar om sommer links-regs enige iemand met die titel legend te bekroon, wil vir my ‘n bietjie goedkoop voorkom.

Ek vermoed die mense probeer eintlik sê die betrokke persoon is ‘n held. Maar in hierdie tyd waar alles cool is, het held ook seker êrens in die stof gebyt? Legend is nou die woord op die tong.

Nou hoe lyk ‘n legend dan nou eintlik?

Om as ‘n legend geklassifiseer te word, voel ek, moet die persoon as eerste vereiste darem sy/haar eie leeftyd kan oorleef. Daarmee bedoel ek, jy moet darem lank na jy die tydelike met die ewige verruil het, nog altyd oor gepraat of onthou word.

Legends moet ook ‘n bietjie opgeoffer het vir ‘n saak groter as hulself. Om net op ‘n KKNK-verhoog te verskyn en liedjies met drie versreëls te sing, plaas jou nie summier in dié klas nie. Nostalgie of te not!

Legends moet ook guts hê. Soos ‘n Wolraad Woltemade wat ten koste van homself sy perd die branders inry om absolute vreemdelinge te red. Om net Kaptein span die seile te sing, laat jou nog nie eens uit die hawe kom nie! Sarah Palin het die eienskap netjies raakgevat toe sy die volgende opmerking gemaak het: “…the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mum; it’s only the lipstick.”

Wat vir my egter die belangrikste aspek rondom ‘n legend is, is die stories wat hy/sy vertel. En ook die stories wat van hom/haar vertel word.

Suid-Afrika het vandag genuine legends nodig. Nie kunstefees- legends nie. Legends wat ook leiers is. Mense wat bereid is om stories, wat as ‘n morele barometer sal dien, vir die kinders en mense van Suid-Afrika, te vertel. Mense wat ons onvoorwaardelik as morele voorbeelde aan die wêreld kan voorhou.

Fred Harburg meen as leiers die krag van ‘n storie verstaan, maak hulle ‘n blywende verandering. Hy verwys in dié aanhaling na ‘n maatskappy, maar ek dink dis net so van toepassing op enige land in die wêreld. When a company is blessed with leaders who express compelling stories about things that matter — grounded in fact and reason, tied to values that are widely embraced, constructed with logic and expressed in positive, emotionally passionate terms — people not only listen, but are moved to action.

As ons leiers hierdie tipe stories begin vertel, kan ons almal lustig saam sing met al ons helde op die verhoë dwarsdeur Suid-Afrika. Ek sal dan weet dat die legends van hierdie land se stories ‘n verskil gaan maak wat langer as die 90 minute van die vertoning sal duur.

There used to be a time when the idea of heroes was important. People grew up sharing those myths and legends and ideals. Now they grow up sharing McDonalds and Disneyland. (New York, 1989) – Bob Dylan

True Legends never die. – Unknown

Image: mieliestronk

Recycling in Cape Town

By Rian Truter on June, Sunday 26 2011 in 2011, Environment 1

It is just when I thought that there is nothing that a politician or bureaucrat can do that would surprise me that they manage to pull another rabbit from their hat.

Big was my surprise when I opened my mail and received a notice from the City of Cape Town that they are going to provide me with a recycle bin.

Can you believe this?

Not a new tax, but indeed an initiative to start recycling! At last!

Did you know, according to the pamphlet, that on a year average, every person living in Cape Town throws away about 1, 5 kilograms of waste every day? This totals a massive 2, 3 million tons a year.

At first I thought the 2, 3 million tons was per citizen, but after quick revision of my grade 7 mathematics I realized it was impossible. It was the whole city of Cape Town that roughly wasted the weight of half a million African Elephants!

Can we wait any longer? Can yóú wait a day more?

Start recycling now. This may be our last chance to save our city, and country, from becoming a huge landfill.

And when a species doesn’t learn to fit in with Mother Nature, it gets kicked out. Every day you look in the mirror now, you’re seeing an endangered species. – Rob Watson

It’s not easy being green. – Kermit the Frog

Franciscan Benediction

By Rian Truter on June, Thursday 23 2011 in 2011, Life, Presentations 0

I have used this prayer in a few presentations and always people ask for a copy. Maybe its the unconventional requests in the prayer that speak to them? I first read it a book by Philip Yancey called Prayer. Does it make any Difference?

May God bless you with discomfort

At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships

So that you may live deep in your heart.

May God bless you with anger

At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears

To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,

So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and

Turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

To believe that you can make a difference in the world,

So that you can do what others claim cannot be done

To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen

Oranjerivierkool

By Rian Truter on June, Monday 20 2011 in 2011, Culinary 0

My friends, Martina and Leon, on the Orange.

Have you heard of the Groot Gariep River?

No. Not yet. Nada. Non comprende.

Maybe it is better known to you as the Orange River? The mighty one that rises in the Drakenberg in Lesotho and after 2 200 km flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Alexander Bay.

The Orange is also well known for the river rafting trips as it flows down to the sea. Let me urge you; if you have not done such a river rafting experience; don’t wait. Go for it! Do it sooner than later.

It was on one of these trips that a guide called Pieter showed me how to make Oranjerivierkool (Orange River Cabbage). This recipe has been a favourite with our family and I would like to share it with all the enthusiastic outdoor cooks. This is more or less how it’s done:

Ingredients: 1 big Cabbage

1 packet of White Onion Soup

1 packet of Brown Mushroom Soup

½ a brick of butter

1 packet of bacon

Heavy duty tinfoil

Method: First fry the bacon in a pan and keep separate. (Use diced bacon or cut it into smaller pieces after it’s done.) Then shred the cabbage. Take a fairly large piece of the foil and place the shredded cabbage in the centre. Remember that you are going to wrap the cabbage into a packet/parcel made from the foil. Put blobs of butter on top of the shredded cabbage. Then sprinkle the two packets of soup over. Spread the bacon pieces evenly on top of the cabbage. Fold and seal the parcel tightly. If the parcel is not sturdy enough, wrap some more foil around your parcel or use a double layer of foil.

Put the parcel into the coals next to your braai. Heap a few coals on top and remove it from the coals after 45 minutes. Do not use too hot coals because the cabbage will burn. Let it rather steam slowly in its foil bag. To serve, place the bag next to the other food, open it up and let the campers help themselves to Oranjerivierkool.

But be warned! Too much of a good thing may turn your canoe into a sail boat. Wind power all the way …

• Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. – Mark Twain

• Having a good wife and rich cabbage soup, seek not other things. – Russian Proverb

Sunset at Felix Unite

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