well let's see how this one works out, shall we? which one? doing this blog post on the child's toy for a start, since this device is the best and easiest to take images off of the iTwat. which means yes, Commodore 64 mode is the way we are going here.
look you see, an image of me in Commodore 64, showing that my knacked eye is all mended now as well as revealing that i could well be in need of a haircut and a touch of beard styling.
but enough of that. the real reason for this post/moan is that i have need, it being so close to May, to trouble the South African Post Office to do the job which they are paid to do. i have several items that i shall be posting; doing so knowing that the chances of them being delivered are, alas, 50-50 at best.
this time of year, and this year in particular, poses many challenges for any sort of public service being done in South Africa. why that is we shall get to, but first, on the off chance that they are never, ever seen again after i have posted them, here is a highlight of what it is i am posting.
yes indeed i have left the pen on the envelopes in a way that i believe that Lord Hanson would have. if only i could find that image of him wafting his fountain pen around.
anyway, here are the challenges or if you like trials that this mail will feature as it heads towards South Africa. and let there be no doubt at all that Royal Mail will at least get the mail to the border of SA, what happens next is sadly out of their hands.
here are the dates that will disrupt post (and everything) in South Africa
April 18 - 21 - this is Easter weekend. i have avoided sending mail so early that it would be in SA for this particular weekend as it will be a write off.
April 27 - Freedom Day. this is a Sunday, so the Monday will be a holiday. no bad thing, except for what happens a couple of days later
May 1 - May Day public holiday. on a Thursday. which means most (all Post Office staff) will take Friday off. and the Wednesday and Tuesday before it.
May 7 - Election. a public holiday in South Africa, and look it is on a Wednesday. so most (all Post Office staff) will decide to take the Thursday and Friday off too. they will probably rather just be on strike on the Monday and Tuesday.
yes, i have gone for that "dithering" thing on the other Commodore 64 camera "app" i have with that picture above, and indeed the one below.
as you can see, then, the next 2 - 3 weeks represent a time when little, if any, work will be done by any State or public sector employees in South Africa. and that is little by their own standards. i suspect elements of this mail, having no value beyond sentimental, will simply just vanish or be discarded. and yet, still, i insist on trying as i like sending mail and cards to people.
who knows, perhaps the SA Post Office staff - in particular those who sort the mail and deliver it - have had some bizarre change of heart and simply get on with the job they are paid to do instead of just standing around thinking of reasons to go on strike.
of the items i have posted to South Africa this year, just about 50% has actually been delivered. that i suppose is a semi-impressive ratio, considering general incompetence and frequent strikes. the last i heard was that the most recent strike was about the expectation for staff to deliver the mail that had built up during the strike before, which pretty much tells me exactly what fate befell the birthday cards we sent to my beloved mother-in-law.
it will be with surprise and shock if i learn that all these items land! if they do so on time, and none are due for another month, well then so much the better.
yeah, will get a hair cut and a beard trim.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment