Do you remember ?
Chance e-mail from my wife to a client led me to find my old school mates and while I have never really been one for reminiscing and reunions it was really good to hear from Graeme, Delia and Stewart. If I am honest I have over the years occasionally thought about school friends and what they are up to now and if they are pursuing a career that they had planned for or dreamt about at school, “are you”? “Am I” ?
My initial career path was to become a fighter pilot in the SAAF, however you needed three brain cells for that job so with only two I chose the next best thing, I wanted to be in the hospitality business, this primarily being because in standard eight, while living in a Vanderbijlpark I got a part-time job at a steakhouse called “The prime Rib”. It was my first real job and I earned a huge R2.50 per shift, with a free meal and a T-shirt thrown in. “I was hooked”
I decided to send an e-mail to my three school mates for some info as to their present day careers and if it was what they had wanted to do while making career choices at school. Graeme got back to me, “Thanks Bru”……. Delia and Stewart were obviously busy :-) and here is what he had to say.
“ I wanted to be navy diver at school, this however was not to be, I also thought about being a marine biologist, but my dad dissuaded me as he said there was no money in it. I got involved in the publishing business and I do enjoy it, however if I was to win the lotto or have a chance to choose my career again, it would be as a marine biologist”.
So at the moment I am an Estate agent, “did I ever think it was something I would do ?………. “Definitely not”, coming back to Clarens however has made me think out of the box and do jobs or work I would not normally have even considered doing or even thought was capable of, indulge me for a moment while I list what I have done in Clarens to keep the home fires burning.
Hospitality industry
Taken away refuse during a municipal strike
Sold wood
Sold horse manure
Garden service
Taught at local school
Ran a tuck shop
Worked as an extra on a advert
Written stories for local tourist magazine
Taken people on walking tours
Busy with a tunnel to grow herbs and vegetables
Looking to make compost
Looking to use flies that were made for trout in another way to make money
Exporting of skins and African items to Iceland (in the pipeline)
So while I may not be earning the big bucks or living in the lap of luxury and stashing away the dollars, yen or pound by working in a foreign clime so when or if I do eventually come back to SA will be able to buy a house or start a business in a fraction of the time most other hard working South Africans who live in the country take a lifetime of hard work to achieve, “I have learnt a hell of a lot by living and working here”. I also must make mention that Tania has also worked hard and she is busy getting Crafty stuff up there so that we can live in the lap of luxury and take that overseas trip that we would love to take Gabby on.
Pretty excited this week as my good mate Paul Els author of “We fear naught but God” and Umgulumbashe, both great reads laid out my book for me and now I feel it looks like a book, so want to get cracking on it, get it finished, source what photos I want to use and ask Keith to edit for me, “Please Dad”. My last Blog had names of good friends that had I written about, but to my embarrassment forgot to include the following gents.
Mr Paul Els
Mr Manuel Ferreira
Mr Jonathan Pittaway
Mr Alberto Morais
All four gents I have met through the book “Phantom of the Forest”, people who have given unselfishly of their time and have assisted me in this project and have become firm friends. Thanks guys for all that you have done for me and for the assistance when I have needed it.
I am busy on a story about bikers and biking at the moment and have just had dad (Keith) edit a story or me called Through the eyes of a child, a couple of people have said its not bad so I will put on the Blog for you to read and you are more than welcome to give comments.
Well that’s it for this Blog, “Ciao”
Chance e-mail from my wife to a client led me to find my old school mates and while I have never really been one for reminiscing and reunions it was really good to hear from Graeme, Delia and Stewart. If I am honest I have over the years occasionally thought about school friends and what they are up to now and if they are pursuing a career that they had planned for or dreamt about at school, “are you”? “Am I” ?
My initial career path was to become a fighter pilot in the SAAF, however you needed three brain cells for that job so with only two I chose the next best thing, I wanted to be in the hospitality business, this primarily being because in standard eight, while living in a Vanderbijlpark I got a part-time job at a steakhouse called “The prime Rib”. It was my first real job and I earned a huge R2.50 per shift, with a free meal and a T-shirt thrown in. “I was hooked”
I decided to send an e-mail to my three school mates for some info as to their present day careers and if it was what they had wanted to do while making career choices at school. Graeme got back to me, “Thanks Bru”……. Delia and Stewart were obviously busy :-) and here is what he had to say.
“ I wanted to be navy diver at school, this however was not to be, I also thought about being a marine biologist, but my dad dissuaded me as he said there was no money in it. I got involved in the publishing business and I do enjoy it, however if I was to win the lotto or have a chance to choose my career again, it would be as a marine biologist”.
So at the moment I am an Estate agent, “did I ever think it was something I would do ?………. “Definitely not”, coming back to Clarens however has made me think out of the box and do jobs or work I would not normally have even considered doing or even thought was capable of, indulge me for a moment while I list what I have done in Clarens to keep the home fires burning.
Hospitality industry
Taken away refuse during a municipal strike
Sold wood
Sold horse manure
Garden service
Taught at local school
Ran a tuck shop
Worked as an extra on a advert
Written stories for local tourist magazine
Taken people on walking tours
Busy with a tunnel to grow herbs and vegetables
Looking to make compost
Looking to use flies that were made for trout in another way to make money
Exporting of skins and African items to Iceland (in the pipeline)
So while I may not be earning the big bucks or living in the lap of luxury and stashing away the dollars, yen or pound by working in a foreign clime so when or if I do eventually come back to SA will be able to buy a house or start a business in a fraction of the time most other hard working South Africans who live in the country take a lifetime of hard work to achieve, “I have learnt a hell of a lot by living and working here”. I also must make mention that Tania has also worked hard and she is busy getting Crafty stuff up there so that we can live in the lap of luxury and take that overseas trip that we would love to take Gabby on.
Pretty excited this week as my good mate Paul Els author of “We fear naught but God” and Umgulumbashe, both great reads laid out my book for me and now I feel it looks like a book, so want to get cracking on it, get it finished, source what photos I want to use and ask Keith to edit for me, “Please Dad”. My last Blog had names of good friends that had I written about, but to my embarrassment forgot to include the following gents.
Mr Paul Els
Mr Manuel Ferreira
Mr Jonathan Pittaway
Mr Alberto Morais
All four gents I have met through the book “Phantom of the Forest”, people who have given unselfishly of their time and have assisted me in this project and have become firm friends. Thanks guys for all that you have done for me and for the assistance when I have needed it.
I am busy on a story about bikers and biking at the moment and have just had dad (Keith) edit a story or me called Through the eyes of a child, a couple of people have said its not bad so I will put on the Blog for you to read and you are more than welcome to give comments.
Well that’s it for this Blog, “Ciao”
You forgot to add that you have also done the following as jobs in Clarens:
ReplyDelete* Organised the Steelwings Harley Davidson rally
* Owned " Been to Clarens" events company, which held weddings, pubs and conferences
* Been co-owner of a white water rafting company.
* Assisted with Abseiling, Clay Pigeon shooting events
* Supervised the rennovations of clients house
* Sold and rented various properties in Clarens
* Been a tour guide
* represented Clarens at the Tourism Indaba (3 times!)
* written monthly articles and stories for the Speckled bean magazine
* that you are Clarens' "TO-go-to" guy... if someone needs something, they know you are the guy to go to!!