At last, the last!

Well, I’ll get on with the last bit of my travel tale, although I’ll admit that it’s been so long in the telling I’m in danger of forgetting what the hell I did.

So I got back from Paris and headed home to re-pack and finish some odd tasks. It took me a bit longer than expected (but then doesn’t everything?) so I set out for Victoria a bit late, but managed to wrangle my way onto a bus leaving right there and then for Ringwood, in the New Forest.

I was going to visit a childhood friend of my mother’s, Ann who lives in the forest itself. It was a pleasant journey to Ringwood – the coach was nearly empty and I had plenty of space to stretch out, listen to mp3’s, read a book and watch the countryside go by.

Most of the time I spend with Ann was joyfully domestic in its way. Ann had come to stay with my family in South Africa some years ago, and it was good to see her again. She lives alone in quite a large house, teaches german part-time and ladles attention on her pets, especially Theo, the dog. It was lovely to visit her, I was so well looked after and we realised that we share a few more interests in common than expected.

We went for walks in the forest with Theo, took a drive through all the little New Forest towns. We also went down to the coast and took a walk along the boardwalk and had ice-cream at the beach – despite the weather being a little chilly. Ann fed me lovely breakfasts and suppers, she even packed me a lunch for my bus trip home!

I was sad to have to leave so soon, but glad that I’d finally managed to find a few days to relax. I left Ringwood on the Friday afternoon, specially timed that I’d make it back for my last session of Jitsu.

I was sad to say good-bye to everyone, and I’ve promised I’ll be back – someday. The next morning I was up early to pack, dashed down to Tooting to visit a friend, Claire, for her birthday, then dashed back. Alex met up with me and LaLa took us to Victoria to catch the express. Thank goodness for their help, since I had far to much luggage, and I would have been completely unable to manage it myself. Even Alex and I would have had trouble getting it through the tubes.

All worked out fine. I battered my eyelashes and managed to get a reduced charge for my excess baggage (and little did they know that Alex was round the corner with another 10 kilo’s of hand luggage..) We had a farewell drink and I boarded the plane for South Africa.

At the other end, swearing I’ll never fly Nationwide long distance again, I managed to find all my luggage and, eventually, Grant who’d kindly come to fetch me too.

It was great to be home, although I was feeling a little at a loss due to the fact that my organisational skills had vanished in the last few months I was in the UK and also Johannesburg is impossible without a car. This was not improved by the fact that I had managed to catch Claire’s cold / flu in the brief time I’d spent with her, so I pretty much hermitted myself away till I flew down to Cape Town a couple of days later.

And so there pretty much ends my recount. No more of the long winded “What I did on my holiday” type essay that most of us had to suffer writing at the beginning of school terms.

Things are still somewhat up in the air with my life. I’ve decided that for a variety of reason I’m not going to take the position in Cape Town as a full time job. However, I have said that if they’re amenable I’ll sign a three month contract – providing I don’t find a permanent position some time in this week. I’ve yet to hear if they’re amenable though. I’ve heard nothing from Monday’s interview. I’ve got an agent trying to put me forward for an utterly fantastic position, but she’d apparently having trouble pinning the client down. I’ve also got an interview with a company here for a three month contract, which sounds relatively fun, and is either offering too little, or a bit of a fortune depending on whether the money offered is for the whole period or per month.

I am pleased that my shipment from the UK has arrived, so at least I’ve got some more of my stuff! Stuff good! I’m figuring out methods to market myself in the new year if I land up in a contract till then. Otherwise I’m just really enjoying being back in Joburg with my freedom. Driving again is so much fun!

Also I’m trying to get Davis to actually tell me where TJF ZA trains. I managed to get times out of him when I emailed and said I was up in the province and free to come through, however he cunningly failed to give me the location. Arg. Pretoria is a fair-sized city and hence I can’t just drive round it asking random strangers “Excuse me, but do you know where I might find South Africa’s newest Jujitsu club?”