I have been tagged! Thanksalot!

So I've been tagged - thanksalot Caz. But having made grouchy noises, I'm quite ok with doing this meme because the topic is 5 reasons why I love South Africa.
Here goes: (oh, word of warning here - non-saffricans may need to google some of the references and most saffricans may be mildly bored by my choices?)

1. SA has a rhythm, a tempo, a beat. I know y'all don't know what I mean, neither would I have understood this reference till I went to Japan. Then I kept feeling that something was missing in that admittedly wonderful, strange, polite country. But eventually, the sense of quiet rhythmless order made itself clear to me and I knew I was missing the pulse that is South Africa. It's not something you hear with your ears, it's a beat you feel in your heart.
2. Braai's - not that I'm all that fond of overcooked, slightly charred meat, but nothing smells quite like a braai. (bbq to the rest of your philisti...foreigners). Beer tastes best with the smell of braai in your nostrils, hair and clothes. Friends are funnier, children are acceptable and dogs can eat all the leftovers. Then you throw the plates in the bin (paper of course), stash those strange plastic/straw paper plate holders and bin the empties and look forward to the next one.
3. Biltong - I am not going to explain this to the foreigners - how do you explain that dried raw meat flavoured with coriander and dangerously capable of giving you toxoplasmosis - tastes divine and soothes the soul.
4. Game reserves. You can watch all the Animal Planet and NatGeoWild you like, it doesn't come near to going on a night game drive. The excitement of seeing a herd of elephants pass within spitting distance of you and being filled with amazement at how silently they move is unbeatable. Never mind how remarkable it is to see a mother lion eating a deer whilst her cubs play around her....Omigosh toooo wonderful.
5. Spur, Nandos, Steers, Windhoek Beer, Ocean Basket, beaches, mountains, bush, fynbos, the V & A Waterfront, wire sculptures and plastic bag guinea fowls, ah hell who can choose.
6. A bonus extra one: the love & affection that saffricans show each other daily. With all our differences and the cruelty of the past regime, we can laugh together and share triumphs and tragedies alike without having to explain anything and we have the best slang ever to do it in.

I'm tagging Don't believe a word I write, Angel, Sweets, Becauseican, Trash'd. Hope you all enjoy this slight departure from my usual grouchy self.

Link back to the meme creator (that would be Caz)
Link to the person who tagged you (that would be me http://charmskool.blogspot.com/)

Give (at least) 5 reasons why you love SA
Tag at least 5 peeps
Let me know when you've done it!

Threats, invocations and hairy Greeks

A very keen reader has threatened to send a hairy Greek after me if I don't write something.... anything... even what I'm wearing will apparently suffice, so here is some random stuff for you all to read.
I'm wearing black pants and a black and melange twofer with a pretend white shirt under it. And black socks from Woolies and black ballet pumps. And a black stretch velvet jacket. A red glass bead necklace with silver stripes in the beads and a pewter, silver and lampwork bead bracelet. The jewellery is made by me and is very beyoootiful!
I'm working my little tochas off at my new job and my brain is so deeply occupied with the complicated stuff that makes up my job and answering the questions of my assistant and dealing with the phone and the clients and ....etc that I haven't had time to really focus on the blog. Also what with not wanting to offend any sensitive readers I've been a little hesitant to be my usual acerbic self.
Oh yes, I'm also really happy at work so my mood is too good to think of anything to grouch about.
Ah well, maybe just a few things:
Taxis! Yep you have heard all you want to hear about taxis, but I have to have a teensy little moan here about the spawn of Satan. See, I park in a parking structure in one of the main streets in the city (paid for by the employers lucky me hey?) and every morning I have to screech to a halt as the bloody taxis stop dead without warning in the lane I need to be in to get to my parking garage. Then as I collect all my clothing that fell off with the sudden stop, the bastards stop in the entrance to the garage and offload twenty-seven passengers, while I sit behind them, indicator flicking away like an '80's disco and wait till they unblock the way and I can get up the ramp. Natch behind me is a collection of red-faced motorists who are all hooting at me like it's my fault! Sheesh!
Then there's the smokers! The entire city of Cape Town stinks like an ashtray! When I walk to my office I'm the only person in the road without a cigarette in my hand - at 7.15 a.m. ugh the smell is enough to make me puke. Every doorway has 5 smokers huddled there like a bunch of junkies and the smoke hangs over them like something in a forties film noir. Also there's always at least 4 or 5 good folk who walk with their cigarettes poking out at their sides and when I get home I find all these holes burned into my clothes from the flying cinders.
The upside is - it takes me about 10 minutes to get to work and I can buy excellent coffee on the way down the road to work - although our tea lady would be most upset - she hovers over me with an anxious look anytime she sees my coffee cup is empty and is only happy when she can fill it again - so I oblige - my liver is on it's last legs.
Also there is a Woolies in spitting distance from the office and I don't have to find parking to go shopping anywhere any more. And a Pick 'n Pay in the parking garage building - oh bliss.
And I'm still using the same tank of petrol I put in my car on the 18th of August !!!!!!!!! There is still a half a tank left. And the employers pay for my petrol so I'm going to have to jol further from home these days.
I am reeelly looking forward to the 19th of September because La Lue, Beach Girl, Boat Boy, Frequent Shopper, Billy the Kid and I are going to Diaz Tavern for supper and to listen to Ernesto! Oh wonderful, Portuguese food, and a Paraguayan singing in Italian, La Lue chattering in Greek and Beach Girl talking Afrikaans and Billy the Kid talking to every woman in the whole place, red wine, dancing and general debauchery - I can't wait. Btw La Lue says Ernesto is absolutely gorgeous looking and predicts I'm going to fall in love with him....good I could use a new interest in life. Joburg hunk has gone back to the ex-girlfriend so he's off the stalker list.

Betenoir took portrait pics of me a couple of weeks ago. I had to feed her and Panic Embryo roast chicken, roast potatoes and veggies (they brought the pud) as a bribe. She tells me I look like Stevie Nicks (before the drugs says Bete) with my new curly hair style, but I wouldn't know. She HASN'T LET ME SEE THEM YET!!!! Keep an eye on her Flickr site (convenient link here on my blog) and soon you will all have an idea what the Charmy looks like - hmmm... stalkers to follow shortly I guess?

Well, it's ten minutes to home time so I'm going to pack up and leave shortly. But before I go I want to state here and now that if I have offended anyone with this post. Tough luck.