Source: Visualise Us

I’m one of those unfortunate souls who have the remarkable ability to remember, that which is best forgotten.  Other people say things like “I don’t know how I got home”.  It doesn’t matter how inebriated I am, how unable to co-ordinate my feet or control my tongue or negotiate corners – I can remember every humiliating moment in crushing detail as soon as I start to sober up.  Four gin and tonics and one Dom Pedro later (the Dom Pedro definitely gave me the hoof) on Sunday and I was into a debate on religion versus reality with all the fervor of a self-declared genius.  Give me a dance floor and red bull and nobody is sexier, give me gin and I become confrontational and aggressive and right! What I may have lacked in argument (somewhat slurred and occasionally illogical) I made up with volume and impassioned gesticulation (vaguely threatening) and I seem to recall my husband sidling past discreetly once or twice (also hoping to avoid a fight), asking me between clenched teeth to tone it down. Nevertheless I was convinced I was making a dent in the other person’s argument or I think “sway” was the word that came to mind.  He remained calm throughout (with a few feeble attempts to change the subject which I skillfully swatted aside – by this time almost having a chat with myself), amazing that he bothered to maintain the conversation at all, what with me carrying on with all the disgusted self righteousness that gin can muster – note I say nothing of dignity.

Later the same night I relived each painful moment, sucking on my large bottle of water and trying to swallow my peanut butter sandwich with no saliva, my brain the size of a pea rattling in my skull. In younger years this tried and tested remedy was reserved for the morning after (whether because I partied longer, or I was just younger I’m not sure). Movement, light and noise are very painful at this stage and a combination may result in many happy hours renewing acquaintance with the bathroom tiles. Anyway, days have passed, and I have managed to write this now without blushing (although I still feel ridiculous) and the gin and tonic has been untouched in the fridge since then – my husband’s tongue-in-cheek offers to mix me a drink have been scorned. I am obviously too old for the “hair-of-the-dog” trick – if it ever worked (I think he just likes to watch me go green).

Okay so I’m what you’d call an Immediate Woman. And here’s the blog.

I’ve just finished a very nice lunch by a new and exciting bunch of people called Nourish {Gourmet to-go!}.

For $6 I got a Thai Green Curry with a spicy little salad on the side. Tasty, good value, delivered warm and on time.

I’ve decided to get a meal a day this week to test run Nourish, but if today is anything to go by … I’m signed up for a good while longer.

Taste test them – write to: nourishgourmet [at] gmail [dot] com

Source: Visualise Us

Got to confess to more confusion now. Short-term gain vs. long-term disaster is dumb, but makes a wee bit of sense. But this!

Last week someone from the accommodations at Avondale Police station drove into our Durawall. It was about 0300 in the morning but he woke someone up. It was a Toyota Prada, and the driver parked, got out, and walked into the accommodation area with a beer bottle in his hand. One section of our wall panels is destroyed. An initial report was made at Avondale Traffic – RRB 1331739, to a Sergeant, and next morning a couple of us went across to get the full story – TAB 228/12.

The full story we got was that we were making allegations that he was a policeman, or known to the police, and allegations that he was drunk. And why did we not get the licence plate number?

All well and good, these were allegations. We did not KNOW anything (except the wall was destroyed)!

So, we are back again the next day to see the right person, and the day after that, and finally we discover that an admission of guilt has been signed and a fine paid. “But, we want our wall fixed.” Come back and we will give you the papers on the alleged culprit, and your insurance company can sue his insurance company and and, and, …

Immediately I have to make a correction. “If he has signed an admission of guilt, it is no longer an allegation.” He has committed a crime.

Ah yes, well, come back …

And in the meantime, while watching the hole in our wall, we discover that a load of Durawall panels has been dropped off and it looks like the wall will be fixed. Which is fine. We have what we want. Our short-term gain is fulfilled.

But the criminal who broke our wall? (Allegedly a drunken policeman). There was definitely a conspiracy on the part of the police to cover up for him. First, they were not sure they could locate, or even identify whoever it might be. Then, we were making allegations against the police! Then, he was found, but even after signing an admission of guilt, he was still an ‘alleged’ criminal. And to date, no name has ever been given to us. However, he has a criminal record. He paid a fine. He is fixing the wall. What short-term gain did he get?

As for long-term disaster?

The police have serious mud on their faces. Smeared all over. They stink. And for what gain? First, they have not managed to harbour any fugitive, he was still caught and he has still paid for breaking the law. And now they, the whole Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), are seen as an organisation that attempts to cover for criminals. The whole block of flats now believes the police are not to be trusted. Not to be given information. Not to be drawn into any activity. So even the good ones (and there are many) are seen as being less than ‘real men’. Less than decent humans.

After all, what would be the decent, human, ‘real man’, thing to do? It is an accident, a mistake, an error. And what does a decent human do when they make a mistake? They confess to it, and apologise. Go next door and say, “Sorry I broke your wall. I was drunk, it was a mistake, so sorry. I will fix it.” You have nothing to gain by not doing that. You still have your criminal record, you still have paid your fine, and you still have to fix the wall. So why not do it nicely?

Why drag the entire police force into it, and make them complicit, in your drunken mistake? You have gained nothing by doing it all underhand. You have only lost your credibility. And lost a good deal of credibility for the entire ZRP.

So, destroying your long-term future for short-term gain (like shooting all the rhinos to make money now, and making them extinct) may be more than just a little bit silly. But there is at least a short-term gain. It does make some, immediate, sense. But pissing away your long-term future for no immediate gain is just, well … not a course of action I would recommend.

It is sheer stupidity.