Voting...Internationally

So... my beloved country has its general elections in three days.

And, it is going to be a fairly important one...what with the man who is president of the current ruling party having had a few hundred criminal charges just dropped against him some short weeks ago...

A ruling was overturned, allowing for South Africans temporarily out of the country to vote abroad - if you qualified that is. Initially I thought I'd missed the deadline - and I had - but they moved it, so I took the chance and was approved.


Wednesday past I made my way to London Town to have my say in the future of my country! Many people will argue that expats should not be allowed to vote for numerous reasons - like they don't live there...and have no idea what's really going on in the country.

Having come across a few South Africans...and other nationalities...who've not been home for years and years....they may not know all the nitty gritty, and they may, or may not, have family still living at home...but wherever you are in the globe - the country you were born in, and where you were developed as a person - it remains home.

Always will.

And because of this - what happens in your country will always always matter. Having a minuscule say - it is important.

I was in more than two minds about this election and the opportunity to vote internationally. The one thing I was determined to do was vote because I am headed home - and I firmly believe that not voting means you have no right in complaining about what the government does or doesn't do right or wrong!

I had resigned myself to having to just go home, and be - for five years before being allowed to have my say...but now that won't be necessary as I have had my say. It was a momentous occasion... one I've still not fully processed. It is one I'm glad I had the opportunity to be part of ... standing with other South Africans, for an average of two hours before entering the High Commission - South Africa House - on Trafalgar Square.



Many amused Brits and tourists looked at the queue of people and asked what we were waiting for...and the answer was met with a 'Oh' and off they went about their business...be it being a tourist or grabbing lunch. There was quite a positive atmosphere, and everyone waited patiently for their opportunity to make their X!


They only allowed 50 people in to the embassy at a time... I was very tempted to take photos of the patient waiting indoors, but I probably would've been told off, so didn't try!

I received my indelible ink mark on my left thumb and my ballot sheet - the man who stamped my ID told me 'Well done, I see you've voted in all the elections,' since I've been legal that is... made my X, double sealed in two envelopes, dropped it in the ballot box and made my way out.

There were two security guards standing just inside the door we exited from and one asked me what was wrong - I was mulling over the huge moment of actually taking part in my country's national elections in a foreign country! - I just shook my head I think...and then he asked me whether I was old enough to vote...I mean seriously.

S.E.R.I.O.U.S.L.Y!

I replied with...Sir, I am twenty five. And proceeded to walk out.

(this being thought I'm way younger than what I am is fast getting old...and everyone telling me you'll appreciate it when you're older just annoys me to no end...you are not the first person to say that to me...I recognise this...I even appreciate it...but the commentary...enough! Pick on something else - not that I apparently look seven years, if not more, younger than my actual age)

Happy I'd done my duty as a S.African citizen...I made my way to Regent's Park to soak up some of the summer sun, before catching a train back to Brum...

Ignorance

I've not come across such ignorance in the UK as I did today.

Started a new job.

One chickie asked me where I've worked previously and where I studied. So, I tell her.

She looked all shocked and surprised when I told her I studied in Cape Town - she asked ' There are dieticians Cape Town?'

The shock in her voice was too real to be an April Fool's joke. Seriously.

I have no idea what the look on my face said. But, I tried my utmost not to roll my eyes and give a reply along the lines of

' We have lions in roaming freely in our back yards and our hospital uniform is loin clothes!'

SERIOUSLY!

Told myself not to be mean to someone I don't know on my first day at a new job so I just kinda smiled and said, 'Yes, we have dieticians in South Africa.'

Honestly!

Public Transport!

This is a rant...you've been warned.

Generally, I have no problem with the public transport system in the UK - because, it works. There are timetables - bus times, train times, metro times...and these various means of transport arrive, and depart, on time.

Usually.

The trains I've had no real problems with - if there are delays, they announce it. Train delays have yet to infringe on any of my plans.

Buses however...they've just been pissing me off lately. In particular, the one bus I need to catch to get to the rink.

It is never on time...always late...despite this - I've managed to get to my lesson on time. Today, however, it does not show!

I mean seriously, it was my last lesson before grading next week. I was sitting at the train station for 1 HOUR before a bus came..and then the stupid bus driver tells me that he is new and doesn't know the route...I could still have made the last maybe 10min of my lesson...but no...he doesn't know where is going.

I briefly burst into tears on the bus whilst waiting for him to figure out what's what, then I got off it. I burst into tears largely out of frustration. Hid behind the graphic novel I was reading. Kicking and screaming, throwing a hissy fit, swearing at the bus driver - is not going to achieve anything.

There is a parking bay where buses wait before they go to the respective stands. When the bus was about 10min late, I walked up and asked the one driver if he perhaps knows where the bus is. By this time I'd already called the travel line and all they can tell me is that the bus is due at such and such a time. I was like I know. It's not here. Where is it. This, they couldn't tell me. Gave me the providers number - and of course their office hours are Monday to Friday...didn't bother to hold on to hear the times.

So anway, this...insolent...bus driver tells me that everyone runs late on Sunday, when it is so quiet. He is even late. He doesn't know where the bus I require even goes to, and it's a different provider. He figures that this bus driver is having a cup of tea somewhere!

I turned and walked off...because if I stayed any longer I would have said something very nasty to him.

Instead I turn around and tears of frustration start welling up...and this frustrates me even more!

Urgh.

To say I was annoyed would be an understatement.

I very nearly went back home, since I was still at the train station...it was on time. Then I checked the other bus stops, figured there's a bus that goes close to where I want to be. The reason I only figure this out now, is because I don't know the bus timetables or routes...I only ever remember these things on a need to know basis.

Get a different bus, and then from it's stop to the rink was about a 15min walk. There's no point in walking to rink from the train station because I will miss my lesson. But today, I missed my lesson anyway.

On the way back... waiting for this bus. From the rink this time. It was supposed to come at quarter past and quarter to the hour. I get to the stop just after half past. Come quarter to - nothing. On the hour - nothing. Annoyed? Of course.

So i walk - to the the stop about 15min away of the bus that actually comes when it is supposed to!

This is not the first time I've had issues with this particular service either.

A few weekends back, I went through to London for a friend's birthday - I was counting on the bus coming on time so that I could catch the train - 2 trains per hour since it's a small station - it was 15min late...I missed BOTH trains that hour...so I had to wait ONE hour at the train station for the next one...and of course this delays my travel plans - as I was due to leave from a station in the city centre to London. Lucky for me - I had a rail ticket valid all day, and not just a particular train. Then of course, just to add to the delays, someone had decided - near a station about 30min from London, that today I no longer no longer want to live. We had a 40min wait while the tracks were cleared.

So.

I'm annoyed. And pissed off - because I missed my lesson!

This is the time when I miss having a car.

And...me bitching about the public transport in the UK is an indication that I've been here long enough to become accustomed to things running more or less properly because public transport back home is shite.

Most people have a car - the petrol tank may sit just above empty nearly all the time...but there's a car.

I have to plan things so that I get to the station in time to get the train to make sure I get to my destination on time...having a car, doesn't require all this planning. The times having a car sucks is when there's peak traffic (and yeah, ok...when everything decides to break down all at once), but otherwise...it's pretty good.

Gets you from A to B and it doesn't make you miss your skating lesson!
Hrmpf

Where am I???

So, I'd organised work after my Ireland tour - needing money and all, thought it would be a good idea.

Had a list, opted for Wales, since I've not been and I'd like to get to see the place. I was told job was in Cardiff. Checked out the hospital site - didn't tell me much of anything and google maps told me it was about a 30min drive from Cardiff... I thought it shouldn't be too bad. And then dismissed all thoughts of work (more or less, mini freak out when I received timetable whilst on tour) for 10 days.

Contacted the hospital, told there's not a station near here, but there's a bus that stops at the hospital.

My earthly possessions and I made our way to Cardiff... 4 bags - duffel (heavy!) on wheels, one bag containing sleeping bag plus odds & ends (no space in duffel), laptop backpack (plus textbooks) on my back...and sling bag with all the other important randoms.

Find the bus depot, asked where I'm to catch this bus...was given a bus timetable and directions - one thing - the Welsh, they are certainly friendly. At least my experience so far. Drag duffel along, finally get to stop - read bus timetable and according to me the next bus only in 2 hours... I was like no way...back to the train station. Had a hour wait there anyway - reread the bus timetable and saw I misread it. Oh well...

So, the closest railway station is Pontyclun - pronounced 'pontee-clean' - get there, and it's just a stop. And nothing else. Two elderly ladies kindly direct me to the centre of town - 2 min walk down the road. I'd asked whether it was far - I really could not drag that bag much further - I could feel the start of blisters, even though I'd alternated hands while dragging the monstrosity with pretty much all my stuff in it.

Get into the 'town centre' - at the local chippy (fish & chip shop) get a few numbers for taxi providers, call for one, 10min wait and off to the hospital. Only about 10/15min drive - but it's along the highway so definitely not walkable - unless I want to risk getting bumped!

Pay the six quid for the taxi, get room key from reception and head to the accommodation block. Decent. Ensuite bathroom. Shared kitchen. Doable for five weeks. Pretty hospital grounds, trees everywhere ,stream outside my window. Trees on the surrounding mountains/hills (whatever they are).

All in all not to bad right?

Uh, wrong! But wrong on a more personal level. This now becomes a rant...

So, doable accommodation - but there's limited public transport. Weekdays it's fairly regular busses at like 20min intervals...about 1hr bus ride to Cardiff (found out today it's 20/30min by car) since it stops in all the dorpies...and on a Sunday the bus is every TWO HOURS!

Bloody hell! What am I going to do with myself? There are decent shops closeby - but along the highway! So, not really safe to walk! 5/6min by bus - which I can't really do on a Sunday, since there aren't enough stores to kill 2 hours before the return trip!

So I arrived on Saturday, sort of unpacked, realised no hangers, went to Tescos - forgot to buy hangers. And only realised on Sunday that the bus comes two hourly... then I was like and now what?

Add, my mobile 3G broadband, is now mobile 2G - probably cos of all the trees...who knows...but not in my room, and not in the kitchen does the signal improve. So the connection is slow. And unstable....and it frustrated me near immediately. I don't know what I'm gonna be like after 5 weeks of this!

On the upside I do have internet...but that's not the point!

No car, and reliant on an infrequent public transport service means I have no idea how I'm going to get anywhere and see anything, before having to head back to catch the last bus! Argh!

Also, in Wales, they speak Welsh (duh). It sounds so weird. And looking at the spelling of places it's completely nonsensical - all signage is in Welsh and English. Have no idea how to begin to pronounce anything.

Cymru = Wales
Caerdydd = Cardiff

The taxi driver was listening to a rugga game (I think) and the commentary was in Welsh - all I heard was a whole lot of guttural g sounding words (like the Afrikaans g).

The hospital is in a place called Ynysmaerdy (at least in the postal address) - how that is pronounced I have no frickin' clue!

Hence I have no idea where I am!
(feels like unpronounceable, but pretty, arse end of nowhere!)

No idea what I'm going to do to occupy myself!
( I could buy out Borders - it's of the shops closeby, but I don't have the space to carry all the books! Add wonky net connection and even stumbling is going to drive me to frustration since pages will all take forever to open. and online chatting is constantly disconnected and reconnected and disconnected! and then can't reach network provider. and then disabled. aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!)

No idea how I'm going to get anywhere!

No idea really!

Ranted to a buddy online asking why do I do this to myself.

It was (is!) seriously daunting getting to a place and then realising where you acutally want to be is further along and then getting there and it's like riiiiiiggggght. now what. and i haven't even started work proper yet. Today was boring Trust Induction. Work will at least occupy 8 hours a day...5 days a week... Depending of course on how busy it all is. That I find out tomorrow.

Anyway, my buddy's reply - because you don't want to get attached. Which - if I'm completely honest, is probably true! And going into that is not a good idea right now. Ever actually. Reasoning like seeing more of the UK - may be true, but that's only part of it!

In elk geval...let me try and figure out how to fill my evenings for the next 5 weeks.
:/