Off The Hoox – Going Offline

8 05 2009

Going Offline 01I have given it a bit of thought and have decided to shut down, or should I say, just leave dormant, Off The Hoox. At least for now. At least for a while.

I have a few reasons and again most of which I don’t care to discuss but I guess the biggest reason is that I just don’t get the kick out of it that I used to. Things change. People change. Some things stay the same while people change and I guess visa versa too! Cryptic as hell I know but that not important. As you can see I have posted less and less over the past little while and now it’s going to stop.

My life is changing too and I guess living it out on the internet is also losing it’s appeal. Perhaps a life with a bit of privacy could be a good thing. Just like everyone else.

I don’t know if I will be down forever. This might just be a sabbatical. I really don’t know. Thanks to all that have been so supportive and commented through all the ups and downs. To hell with the people that weren’t. Hahaha. We can’t please everyone in life now can we? But it’s ok. The world needs you too! :-)

Hasta la vista, baby! Stay kewl. See you around. Hopefully in the real world.

Going Offline 02

~Hoox


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Categories : Hmmm, Life, Random, Technology

DH Hell vs OOPS?

29 04 2009

When looking to courier important documents or require a speedy, safe and secure method of postage, one usually immediately thinks of DHL or UPS couriers. Personally I have always been fond of DHL as they are a household brand, but even though UPS is right up there, I just haven’t really given them a chance up until now. KP bless her soul didn’t want to use UPS because it sounds like OOPS and she felt that was not a good sign!

DHL UPS

UPS however, will from now on get my business wherever they are available when I require urgent secure mail. This is why:

When KP travelled here she needed to send her passport to Italy to get a visa at the South African Embassy. Immediately and without question, we thought DHL. They are the best. The passport got there just fine, but this is the return journey:

Read from bottom to top:-

DHL KP

SINGAPORE?? What the fuck? Bearing in mind that you can almost see the shores of Italy from certain parts of Albania, why did it travel to the Far East and take 5 days for an overnight courier. And then via Bulgaria and Greece? This meant that she very nearly almost missed her flight to South Africa. Needless to say I was pissed however I was grateful that it all worked out for the best and she had her passport and she was on the plane. Great. No harm no foul.

Last week I decided to get all my mail shipped in from London so I called my mail handling people at the service that I use (MBE) and asked them to set it up. They asked DHL or UPS? Again, I just said DHL as they were £5.00 cheaper. All set, lets go…

First of all I get sent 2 delivery notifications via email with 2 separate AWB (Airway Bill) numbers and when tracking them I saw one just got forgotten and left behind so I figured sensibly that there was only one package (hopefully), not that I got any notification that this was the case. I then checked regularly to plot it’s progress. I was a bit nervous as it had 2 credit cards and a debit card inside. It did ok considering public holidays etc until suddenly it went on hold at 08:29 yesterday morning:

DHL Hoox

I waited and waited but the status never changed so I called DHL’s main number and got through to someone in Johannesburg. They said the package is on hold because they have “lost the paperwork, there is no AWB attached”. For fuck sake. They are the document couriers of choice and they lose their own paperwork? So I tried to call Port Elizabeth to work things out but got no answer. Now I was pissed, so I got in the car and drove down there and had to sort this out face to face armed with the Wrath and Fury of Hoox. After 20 minutes they released it to me. I asked them what would have happened if I hadn’t been aware of this parcel or hadn’t been tracking it so closely and she said, “Well you probably wouldn’t have got it until you eventually called!” Well that’s enough! 2 out of 2 in 2 months? Now I see they put on the tracking information that it was there “Awaiting collection by recipient as requested” which is bullshit. I collected it only because they were not releasing it otherwise and it was not a request, it was a demand!

UPS, you are my new baby! Don’t let me down as I will be comparing you very closely!


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Categories : Albania, Europe, Rant 'n Rave, South Africa, Technology, Transport, Travel, UK, World in 80 ways

Dentists suck!

28 04 2009

I hate the dentist. I hate the dentist. I hate the dentist!

At the cricket some weeks ago I chipped a tooth or rather I should say a side piece of a tooth came off next to a filling. I cringed. I knew it was going to hurt and I was right. Then the bigger fear set in. I hate the dentist!

So in my wisdom I thought if I just left it long enough the pain would go away. Believe it or not the theory actually worked. Eventually! But I had to think that I will one day soon be travelling to crazy paces again and I really don’t want to have to attempt a dentist in these places again. Also KP threatened me with my life if I never went!

So eventually I agreed. And I went last week. Now the dentist thinks I’m crazy. See why!

IMG_0427

KP, the adrenalin junkie majmun from Alibanya came along!

Turns out it was 100% pain free. This was the best dentist I have ever been to in my life! I am going back next week to quickly fix one filling and have a good clean and I’m done. How’s THAT? Brilliant!


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Categories : Good News, Life, South Africa, Transport, Travel, Wishlist, World in 80 ways

Snap snap weekend

27 04 2009

For a long time now I have been toying with photography. This weekend, thanks to a heads up from Moo, I went on a photo workshop out in the sticks. It was very good. Pine Pienaar is a famous photographer from the region and he is an absolute wizard behind a camera so it’s simply incredible to study under him even if just for a few short days.

The course went through all the basics of camera menus and functions, shutter speeds, aperture, ISO, etc etc. Then most importantly, how to use all of these when trying to capture an incredible image. One thing you do also need is a very creative eye. Its all very well and good taking a camera and setting it up properly but if you don’t have a good eye then the photo will fall flat. I’m not even saying you need exceptional subjects to be photographing. Pine can honestly take the most simple and seemingly boring items and bring them out in a WOW photo! He has been doing it for many years though.

I learned a lot from him this weekend and am most grateful to have someone with his ability making himself available for tutoring.

Do yourself a favour if you have an interest in photography. Go check out: http://www.learnphotography.co.za/.


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Categories : Photography

Off the radar

27 04 2009

This seems to becoming a habit lately and I don’t really have a good reason or excuse. Sometimes blogging just falls to the back of my head when other life is carrying on.

Things haven’t really been too exciting I must admit. There has been some IPL cricket going on where we (mate and I) have attended the matches at St Georges Park in Port Elizabeth. Again today is another match at 4:30 which we will be cheering for excitedly. I have no idea who is playing but we just go along for the atmosphere.

Voting was pretty kewl. Actually I found it very funny. I had to vote at the wrinkly farm, which is the unofficial nickname that we have given the old age home around the corner from my house, and I got there early to avoid crazy queues. Just as well because queues around the country went ballistic and were 500+ people long in some places. Getting there early though before opening time meant that I had to wait anyways for the door to open. I was now surrounded by residents of the wrinkly farm and I couldn’t help but laugh. It truly seemed like a snippet out of an episode of “Waiting for God” or “Grumpier old men”. Some old duck who must have been 95+ wobbling through on her Zimmer was ordered to the back of the line by some sour looking old fart of about 65. He just barked, “We are all waiting here, what gives you the right?”  Fortunately sense prevailed with the assistance of some other old ducks and she was led up to the front otherwise I think she really would have kicked it before reaching the voting booth.

Vote Morning

Voting results were announced and of course to no surprise, Egghead Zuma and his fuckwit cronies have taken the seat of power. What the country is very relieved about though is that he never did achieve the 2/3rds majority so we have some level of sanity hopefully. What does fuck me off intensely though are the lethargic, bleating, cry me a fucking river, pseudo South Africans abroad. After all the complaints and fighting with the Constitutional Court etc for the RIGHTS of South Africans to vote abroad, less than 10 000 bothered to show up! Roughly 7000 in London and around 1500 in Canberra I think it was. Thanks very much to those who did. For those who didn’t, unless you had a very good reason like you were not registered (which is questionable in its own accord), or you were in theatre donating a kidney to save the queen, or you were busy saving 14 kids from a burning bus at the time, you can all fucking go to hell! Burn your South African passport as you should no longer have the right to carry it. You have forgotten about your country and so your country should forget about you. Stop wearing the Springbok jersey “with pride” and bleat about how fucked up your country is getting back home. You let South Africa down in her time of need but still we managed to curb the ANC without you. We don’t need you! Think of that, less than 10 000 cared enough!

I have to go out now. I will continue catching up later!

Peace!


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Categories : Life, Rant 'n Rave, South Africa, UK, World in 80 ways

Welcome world. Back to the grindstone!

16 04 2009

It was roughly this time last year that I decided to hell with life on the road and living in crazy places and acquiring crazy amounts of air miles. It was also then that I decided to go ahead and do my CPL (Commercial Pilot’s License). It was then that I decided to mothball and pack away my multiple passports for a while.

Well now it’s roughly one year later. Things change.

It’s time to cut the cord. Are we human?

~The Killers

Yup, I think you’ve guessed it. I am now deciding to hell with flying and going back to “The Life” out at 32000ft, departure lounges, crazy places and environmental situations that you will never truly “get” unless you have lived it and lived it hard!

There are many reasons for this re-change of mind. Many that I will talk about, many that I can’t talk about since they are simply feelings and thus relatively difficult to put into words. But in a nut-shell, I just don’t think it’s for me. I gave it a shot and by God I had some fun doing it. There were tough times, great times, nervous times and exciting times.

  • The aviation industry is a crazy, backstabbing and thankless one. I am not saying that the corporate world in the land of construction and throat cutting isn’t but at least I understand that. I might as well stay in craziness that I “get”!
  • Everyone at my level of piloting and hoping to join the industry are mostly 10 years younger than me. I don’t have an issue dealing with age but I do find it frustrating dealing with the young, dumb, full of… shit, cowboy attitude. It kills! It has killed!
  • I am very new in the industry and already I know of loads of people that have crashed by no fault of their own but they all get blamed with “pilot error” until they can prove otherwise. There is NO professional support. I had a saying in IT that I will still stand by when comparing to many careers such as flying and medical support and security. When I have a bad day, NO ONE DIES!
  • I guess I have to say it. Money is an issue. Unless by some miracle and speedy advances in the industry, I am almost too old to earn enough to retire. I am 34 years old now and the best salary I could expect per month entering the industry with my “massive” 200 hours and a baby pilot CPL is R10 000. That’s roughly $1000 to live, eat and imagine a life when not airborne. Not much at all when you consider the 75% pass mark requirements on very tough exams and almost R500 000 in expenses when taking accommodation into account for the year of training.  All of this and then to be responsible for 6, 10, 20 + lives and a $1 000 000 + aircraft which you will immediately be blamed for if anything should happen to it. Fair? Hmmm!
  • I love flying and I guess I also just don’t want to remove the fun and joy I get out of it. To make it a job and forced to work more than your legal limit while hour building in your first 2 or 3 contracts would just destroy the dream I think. I recall a situation I was in some months ago when I was forced to fly against my wishes as I wasn’t feeling well and was down right irritated but it was out of my control. I just ended up staring out the window thinking to myself, “Is this as good as it gets? Is that what I can expect for the rest of my life?” Earning reasonable money and flying privately I get to do what I want and where and how! And by that I mean actually enjoy the flying!
  • I love Port Elizabeth and I love my new life but I have to admit there is a huge something missing from it. I am missing the adventure, the new story to tell and the new drama from around the world. I have had recent adventures which I have loved and written about but even that outlined the fact that I wouldn’t have been able to do it had I not saved up enough from my previous life and if had to work a normal life and job.
  • That gets me on to the “normal” discussion. I have officially declared, that is a fallacy! There is no such thing as normal. Normal is what your blinkered views will see when you look at your life and compare it with everything else around you. If there is anything that doesn’t fit into your little cookie cutter size and shape of what you think life should be like, you declare it “not normal”. The life I live certainly doesn’t fit into the average cookie cutter, but it’s the normal that I forged for myself. Yes it isn’t always easy and I end up bitching a lot about everything but show me life that is easy. Since I have been home I have seen many people bitching about a whole lot of stuff. At least between my bitching I get to live and experience the world a million times over and meet incredible people that I can truly share this life with. That’s normal! The Old Hoox returns.

I really could go on but what’s the point? If you are even remotely interested then let’s get together for that bottle of red wine and let’s have a L&J (laugh & joke) about it all and life in general! No matter what you think, I can almost guarantee I could convince you that what I have chosen is the way forward! However saying that I have been told I should have been a lawyer or politician! God help us all!

The World

So now the plans for the future? You should know better than that. I don’t discuss the future, I make it daily. So just for now the plans are to get back to work, back into the thick of it and settle back into “the life”. Options are open for now. Option 1 is I have a great opportunity to go and work for mates that I used to work with in Iraq. It’s a different company and now they are operating in Afghanistan, in and around the Kabul area. I would be heading up all their communications installations and IT infrastructure. Option 2 is an email that just popped up the other day for incredible work on a 3 on and 3 off rotation in North Africa for a major oil company. Option 3 is an unknown entity working with another good friend who has also changed companies and is trying her damndest to keep me out of war torn territories! Great girl! Miss the Italian conversations!

So I guess that sums it up. I can assure the world that this has not just been a fleeting decision. This has been coming for a some time and I didn’t want to rush into anything. I am still not rushing and these 3 options can take a while to come to fruition but at least it’s in that direction. I have not regretted taking this time and continuing my flying as I have done. It has been a wonderful year of catching up with good friends, buying a house and half settling down and spending more time with my folks than I have done in the 10 years prior to this. I have done so much in this last year. Loads of travel and seeing amazing people and learning new skills. Simply amazing. But now its time to pack that suitcase again, dust off the passports and make my way through security, immigration and the departure gates.

Goodbye Sleepy Hollow. See you soon! 8)


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Categories : Africa, Badgag, Badrash, Camp, Good News, Holiday, Kiting, L & J, Life, Money, Politics, Project, R & R, Rant 'n Rave, Road Trip, South Africa, Technology, Transport, Travel, World in 80 ways

Life’s tough!

15 04 2009

This is just a little something picked up along the way.
I can’t agree more! This is life!
It’s Arushi’s world! 8)

Teddy Bear


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Categories : Life, Road Trip

The Easter Weekend

14 04 2009

I think everyone had quite a kewl weekend all in all. A four day holiday for most but I have forgotten what that feels like since I have been on holiday for so long.

Rethom had a morning flight back to Durban. Thanks again for great company once more. Perhaps next time we should plan a little? Hahaha! Naaa!

Of course there was loads of rugby again for the Super14 as well. The Bulls did really well but I don’t really care much for them. What really screwed everything up was watching the Sharks getting ripped apart in probably the worst game of rugby I have ever seen them play! They truly sucked! It was a killing. And what’s worse is they lost to the team on the VERY bottom of the log. The Cheetahs’ ONLY win and a slaughter at that! 31-6. Horrifying!

Dead sharks

Soon after I quickly removed any trace of rugby from my mind and chose to simply live in denial and pretend the Super 14 does not exist. There was some pretty good power boat racing going on down at Kings Beach that I felt was definitely worth the watch. Some pretty good entertainment until a boat flipped and chopped some dude’s arm off putting a halt to the day’s events for a little while. Poor chap.

Sunday… hmmmmm Sunday. I can’t remember what happened on Sunday so it couldn’t have been worth much. Input anyone?

Monday was the day! Monday was a full day of cricket at St George’s Park watching South Africa take care of business over Australia. There is just way too much beer available and time to drink it at a game of crickets that lasts something like 8 hours. FANTASTIC!!!

Cricket

(KP, the crazy adrenalin junkie majmun from Alibanya is still playing in South Africa!)

The day ended with a splendid win and a pre-arranged lift got us home safe and sound. Apparently. Tuesday morning I felt like I was going to vomit. I surveyed the damage in my house. Popcorn everywhere and a couple of empty bottles of wine. Only thing is I have no idea how many people were here or how much more we decided to drink! Hahahaha. The weather was splendid so a visit to the pools was in order. Tuesday afternoon I still felt like I was going to vomit.

Pools

Just think, IPL 2009 is just around the corner with loads more fun and games at the game. We have secured a ticket for every game being played in Port Elizabeth! Drink up! Hic. Whooooo hooooooo!!!!


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Categories : Albania, Female, Friends, Holiday, Home, South Africa, Sports, Wishlist

Deepest, darkest Africa

8 04 2009

Or should I say, The Far Eastern Cape? The ex Transkei and ex Ciskei are still stuck in the history books somewhere. Even though the roads are better than I expected, they are still mostly one lane and lined with free roaming animals that like to charge out in front of you when doing 120kmph. Drive slowly! Don’t drive at night!

Armed with a bag of RedBulls, some energy tablets and a pocket full of patience, we programmed the GPS and duly followed instructions. The intention was to head for Coffee Bay and stay there or around the corner at the “Hole In The Wall”.

Hole In The Wall

Very touristy I know. But I would have been wise to check for accommodation in a touristy spot a few days before the Easter weekend and just after schools broke up for holidays. We got there only to discover there was no more room at the inn. Everywhere within 50kms was fully booked. DOH! Executive decision time. East London. Now! Since we were there we might as well check out this amazing Hole In The Wall so we did. As we got there it started to piss down with rain. It was all dirt roads and we were in a car. We could not stay long. We managed a few drenching photos and reprogrammed the GPS for East London. Tourism done at light speed!

On the way I thought it could be a nice surprise to call Narg and find out if she wanted to join us for dinner. She was very surprised and agreed eagerly. It was actually a very nice evening as we ended up meeting up with my gran, an aunt and a cousin with his girlfriend as well. Dinner with the old folk never really goes on too long but that suited me fine! I was buggered. My eyes needed rest.

Fortunately for us aunty had room as the rest of the family was away so we stayed there at her place in Winterstrand. Such an amazing house. I love it! The next morning was very calm and we got up when we were good and ready to, got dressed, had a chilled cup of coffee and then got back in the car. East London to Port Elizabeth is only 3 hours so we were in no rush at all.

With a quick stop in Nanaga, home of the world’s best pie, and meeting up with Mullac who just happened to be in the area, we were off home.

I must admit, as fantastic a time as I had the entire 4 weeks, it was good to be home and parking the car knowing that I didn’t have to get anywhere in any hurry from now on. Thanks to everyone involved! It was incredible!

I was home! 8134.6kms later!

End of trip 01 End of trip 02


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Categories : Family, Friends, Holiday, Road Trip, South Africa

The long journey home begins

6 04 2009

After dropping KP off at the airport I had a fleeting thought of just hitting the road again and just keep driving home. It was late in the day already, evening actually, it had been a long day on the road and I was a little emotional and very tired. Driving just did not make any sense at all. My good friend Shan to the rescue! Thanks again!

Before leaving for Johannesburg, AH had asked if I was going back via Durban to Port Elizabeth. I just laughed. Then Rethom said if I did then she would join me through the Transkei. Deal done. That’s all it takes in this place to make plans!

N3 Durban

After a good night’s rest at Shan’s place, I ran a few errands in Johannesburg sorting out one or two things for my car that I have been needing to do for a while then I was back on the N3, back down to Durban. Moo had advised me to listen to SAFM on the way down cos they were announcing the decision made not to charge Zuma. What a fucking farce. It’s a disgrace. It quite simply made a complete mockery of this country, it’s constitution, it’s democracy and the essence of everyone being equal in the eyes of the law. Seems like George Orwell’s famous quote returns as he was describing communism and dictatorship, “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”. And that’s all I’m going to say about this fucking pathetic charade!

I got back to Durban in good time considering I had to drive the speed limit. Just because our corrupt president to be can get away with fraud, corruption, rape and other charges, doesn’t mean I will get away with breaking the speed limit.

Once back in Durban I had enough time to jump through a shower and head down to Ballito to see GIBBO Lecs for a dinner at the Spur. Awesome seeing her again and just a pity KP didn’t get a chance to meet her when she was still here. After saying our farewells I made it back up to the folks house and called it a night around midnight. There was lots of driving still to do and I needed sleep!


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Categories : Family, Female, Friends, Holiday, Home, Road Trip, South Africa, Travel

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