How much of The Da Vinci Code is fact?

I finally got round to reading Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code". What a ripping yarn. I haven't got much time to read fiction these days, but got stuck into this and spent Saturday morning glued to each page.

SPOILER WARNING: If you intend to read the book, some of this blog entry may give details that will spoil your reading

I guess the reason the book is the bestseller that it is, is that it makes a number of debates accessible to the masses. I was not aware of the theories that Mary Magdalene was a disciple, Jesus' wife and that she had authored her own version of the Gospel. Fascinating.

I studied art and so was aware of Da Vinci and the divine proportion (PHI=1,618 not to be confused with PI), but every time I am reminded of it, it blows me away. The story behind PHI is that it is a recurring ratio in nature. It is the ratio of each loop of a spiral of a Nautilus shell to the next. It is the ratio of the distance between a person's shoulder to their fingertips and the distance between their elbow and their fingertips. It is the ratio of the distance between a person's hip to the floor and their knee to the floor. It is the ratio by which the female bees in a hive outnumber male bees in a hive. Etc. Etc. It is the basis for the perfection of Da Vinci's depiction of the Vitruvian Man.



But I was either unaware or had forgotten about the controversy regarding the possible female disciple to Jesus' right in Da Vinci's Last Supper. Brown highlights the theory that this is Mary Magdalene.




"Detail of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. As explained by Leigh Teabing to Sophie Neveu, the figure at the right hand of Jesus is supposedly not the apostle John, but Mary Magdalene, who was (according to the book) his wife and pregnant with his child. The absence of a chalice in the painting indicates that Da Vinci knew that Mary Magdalene was actually the (the bearer of Jesus' blood). This is reinforced by the letter "M" that is created with the bodily positions of Jesus, Mary, and the male apostle (Saint Peter) upon who she is leaning. This interpretation would mean that the work was missing an important apostle."

Brown also highlights the theory that Mary Magdalene was one of the key founders of the Christian church - as opposed to the traditional credit being given to Peter. Further, he outlines the tension / jealousy Peter has for Mary.

But central to the book is the chase of the Holy Grail - a grail which turns out to be - rather than a goblet - Mary Magdalene and today, literary evidence that the New Testament was constitued by Constantine to suit political objectives rather than fact. The literary evidence consists of four chests of documents rescued from below the ruins of Soloman's temple by the Templar knights and guarded ever since by the Priory of Sion.

But further to mere literary evidence, the book also shows the Priory of Sion to be a group (that has included as its grand masters, Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton and Walt Disney) that has protected the bloodline of Christ and Mary - as husband and wife.

Supposedly, the church is fully aware of this evidence and has sought to suppress it, fearing the questioning of the fundamental tenants of the Christian faith.

I won't go into any more details. Huge debate has raged around the book. The book makes no claims regarding divulging new historical facts. It merely cleverly strings together many fascinating views and facts into a thrilling account of history, deception and theory. Aspects have appeared in many other accounts and are referenced in the book (for example, worship of God through sexual union as seen in the ceremony shown in "Eyes Wide Shut"). You'll recognise these. Brown ties them together in a way that knits theories together in a compelling challenge to historical account.

There have been many criticisms of the book - some of the criticisms can be seen on the Wikipedia analysis of the book. (Wow, isn't Wikipedia the most fantastic resource?!)

Whatever you believe, the book will no doubt spark interest and debate. You'll probably pick up an art book and examine "The Last Supper" when you're next in a bookshop. You may examine the very real documents found that challenge the conventional account of the Gospel - the Nag Hammadi and the Dead Sea Scrolls.

And that can only be good for those who believe in healthy debate as the basis for faith - or not.

_______

Some interesting links

The author, Dan Brown's website

Wikipedia on The Da Vinci Code

Wikipedia on Mary Magdalene

Wikipedia on Gospel of Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene and the Disciple Jesus Loved

Syncretic View of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene

So what is it with friends that don't call?

Pet hate. Big time.

One of my friends is out from Oz. Every now and then I phone Oz and leave a message on his answering machine - he is never at home. N was one of my best friends growing up. I saw his brother in Cape Town in December. Brother tells me that N will be in town in late Jan. So after not hearing anything, I phone his folks to find out when he will be in town - he is already. arrived the previous night. I leave a message with my number. That was a week ago and I have heard nothing. WTF? It is not like we've had an argument or anything?

Another friend of mine changed his cellphone about four years ago and didn't let me know of any new details. So I have not heard anything of him over the last four years. Tonight I look up his dad's number in Cape Town - turns out to be his grandfather. Who gives me his dad's number. Who gives me A's number. I phone, feeling kind of weird after not having spoken to him for all this time. A is ecstatic to hear from me. We're going for coffee this Saturday.

So what is with this? There is me the bachelor vs. most of my married friends, but this lack of contact thing is irritating. It is just rude. I am always tempted not to contact friends who don't contact me. But it really seems like they're ignorant of anything wrong. They enjoy things I organise and seem to enjoy my company.

I phoned a friend in New York this last weekend. That was tough. M was my best friend for about seven years. During that time I confronted the fact that I was bi and realised I'd fallen in love with him. He definitely suspected as much, but after I admitted this to him the tension became unbearable and we argued. I have not spoken to him for about four years. But I missed him so much. He is dead straight and nothing will ever happen between us. But we know each other inside out - he is the only person who really knows me and knows that I am bi - even if others suspect it. Early last year I was at a restaurant with friends and I saw him walk past. The sadness that we'd drifted so far apart was a killer. So I finally swallowed my pride / hurt etc this year and phoned him. Good long chat. Big phone bill...

Life is too short and real friends to few to distance oneself from those that have poor manners. But jeez, it is frustrating.

Is there a photographer in me?

So I finally did it. I decided to take the plunge into digital photography. After much research and toeing-and-froeing between the Nikon D70 and the Canon EOS D20, the Canon won.

I placed my order through eBay and on the 11th of January I finally received my precious cargo. Opening a big parcel from overseas is always exciting, but this is one of the most exciting yet. I have never owned a camera (the small instamatic I bought overseas to take some snaps does not count). At school I used the school camera for my art photos and at varsity I looked down from the Jameson Hall steps at the mist over the Cape and wished I had a camera.

So here is my camera:



My first photos:

The fantastic dog I bought my parents as a six week puppy is now two years old.



A chameleon in my parents' garden.



The road in the Karoo - its beautiful colours and contrasts.



The incredible afternoon Free State rain.



Good photos are happy accidents at the moment. This camera has so many functions, it is going to take a while to learn. But I am having a ball!

Some really good photos taken with a Canon EOS 20D can be seen here.

Why do some people think they are above the law?

Quick rant. I wish that police would immediately confiscate cars with no numberplates and lock up the owners.

Who are these people who pull up to a red light, and then just carry on through?

Drives me up the friggen wall.

Why are kids so cruel?

Just watched Missing on MNet. It was about this kid that got picked on at school. Bullies picked on him. Then this girl set him up: got him undressed, tied up and then brought a whole lot of her friends in to laugh at him. Then they circulated a photo they'd taken of him. So he ran away and tried to hang himself.

Kids look for differences and prey on those. They look for similarities and try to belong to those. I guess the cruelty is about making themselves feel better about themselves and their insecurities.

I know a fair amount about Freud and Jung - the two "opposing" schools of psychology. As I do with most "opposing" opinions / schools of thought, I think their is truth in both. Rather than the oversimplification that Freud says "blame it on your mother," the idea that we are products of our experiences growing up is an important one.

But I don't believe in absolving adults of accountability because of their experiences growing up - that's too convenient, and pop-psych crap.

Nevertheless, I had a tough time growing up. I never understood why I attracted attention growing up, but I got tonnes. It wasn't just when I was 9 - it went right until I was about 17. And I wasn't a pathetic kid.

In retrospect, I wish I'd clocked a few of those kids early on. I will certainly advise my kids to, as a last resort and after due warning, smack a bully - especially a verbal one, hard. Ten to one, it'll shut them up. Obviously I'll spend time teaching them to love themselves too. That's the most critical thing.

Part of that is being happy with who I am now. I am. Part of it is, but that's not enough.

A big part of life for me has been growing to forgive the kid I was. Telling him he's worth loving.

This is a pretty deep, dark post. But tonight's TV show reminded me of the importance of looking after the kid within - and the kids around us. Never underestimate the effect of bullying - especially emotional on a kid. No kid wants their parent to get involved in their battles. Helping a kid cope is complicated but essential.

How do you heal a heel?

Or more precisely, how do you heal "Plantar Fasciitis?"

There appear to be two major causes of heel pain: heel spurs and plantar fasciitis. Other causes are listed in the table below. A heel spur is a bony growth on the underside of the heel bone. The spur, visible by X-ray, results from stretching of the long band of tissue that connects the heel and the ball of the foot. Both heel pain and heel spurs are frequently associated with inflammation of the band of tissue running along the bottom of the foot, from the heel to the ball of the foot. The inflammation is called plantar fasciitis and can be quite painful. The condition occurs when the plantar fascia flattens out and elongates beyond its normal extension, causing the fascia to tear at various points along its length, including at the heel bone. I have the latter, plantar fasciitis. I am ready to cry (I have been in reduced activity mode for the last five months after straining a ligament in my neck at gym, and I have a road race coming up at the beginning of March, for which I need to start training).

Differential Diagnosis of Heel Pain Disease or injury Differentiating clinical features Neurologic causes (entrapment syndromes)   Radiating burning pain, numbness and tingling, especially at night Tarsal tunnel syndrome   Diffuse symptoms over plantar surface Medial calcaneal branch of the posterior tibial nerve entrapment   Medial and plantar heel symptoms Abductor digiti quinti nerve entrapment   Burning pain in heel pad area Skeletal causes   Bony point tenderness Calcaneal stress fracture activity   Pain with weight-bearing; worsens with prolonged weight-bearing Paget's disease   Bowed tibias, kyphosis, headaches Tumor   Deep bone pain; constitutional symptoms late in the course Calcaneal apophysitis (Sever's disease)   Posterior heel pain in adolescents Soft tissue causes     Fat pad syndrome   Atrophy of heel pad Heel bruise   History of acute impact injury Bursitis   Usually retrocalcaneal; swelling and erythema of posterior heel Plantar fascia rupture   Sudden acute, knife-like pain, ecchymosis Tendonitis   Pain with resisted motions Plantar fasciitis   See text.

The following from The American Family Physician website - a fantastic resource.

The disorder classically presents with pain that is particularly severe with the first few steps taken in the morning. In general, plantar fasciitis is a self-limited condition. However, symptoms usually resolve more quickly when the interval between the onset of symptoms and the onset of treatment is shorter. Many treatment options exist, including rest, stretching, strengthening, change of shoes, arch supports, orthotics, night splints, anti-inflammatory agents and surgery. Usually, plantar fasciitis can be treated successfully by tailoring treatment to an individual's risk factors and preferences.

Resting provides only temporary relief. When you resume walking, particularly after a night's sleep, you may experience a sudden elongation of the fascia band which stretches and pulls on the heel. As you walk, the heel pain may lessen or even disappear, but that may be just a false sense of relief. The pain often returns after prolonged rest.

Treatment

In general, plantar fasciitis is a self-limiting condition. Unfortunately, the time until resolution is often six to 18 months, which can lead to frustration for patients and physicians. Rest was cited by 25 percent of patients with plantar fasciitis in one study as the treatment that worked best.

The major issue is the healing time. I have had this condition before when I ran a lot more than I do now. It did take a very long time to heal.

The treatments described by The American Family Physician include:

Stretching and Strengthening

Modifying shoes

Arch Supports and Orthotics

Night Splints

Anti-Inflammatory Agents

Iontophoresis

Corticosteroid Injections

Surgery

And these are just to speed that extremely long 6 to 18 month recovery time.

Bollocks. I am getting old and the body is creaking.

Why must builders lie?

Addendum / update to a previous post.

So now we are merely 3 months late on finishing the last few things on a 3 month project.

The difficulties appear to be related to installing a patio roof and pond without a leak. About fifty waterproofing treatments down the line, both still leak. Of course I will only know if the patio roof still leaks if we have some more rain, so I am praying for another Jo'burg monsoon. But, I know the pond still leaks as it dropped overnight again. And every time I speak to my builder, he mentions how much he has spent on waterproofing - a fact I ignore and ask when he will have finished with a working solution.

I have consoled myself with the fact that my place looks awesome and that my builder appears to have integrity. That was until I became suspicious of my built-in-cupboards. I originally asked for the quote on cherry wood veneer. After accepting his quote he convinced me to go for something darker to match the rest of the woodwork. I agreed. Now, looking at the edging, I wonder "This looks like melamine.." Sure as shit, I check with a wood supplier today and that it is.

So, my builder is desperately trying to complete things so that I will pay him the outstanding balance. At that time, I will bring my knowledge of his deception to light. Fucker.

What do women want?

Right - I'm going to get pasted on this one. Having read the highly entertaining debate on SV's blog and having had this discussion at a party last night, I thought I'd have a bash through sharing my experience / opinion. Also, I had some feedback on my Kiera-girl experience that I did not necessarily agree with - but the saga there continues and I'll post the outcome one day. But we're very good friends at the moment - at least.

My opinion and experience refers to a sampling of women in the under 30 age group who want to marry and have kids one day. I believe that what women above 35 want may be significantly different. Opinions welcome. Is Sex in the City a reliable gauge?! I've spent a lot of time in New York, and I must say, women there are different! Also, I am more experienced with women than some, but less experienced than many. :)

I do not speak for the male population, nor is my opinion of what women want descriptive of all women.

The first thing: what women say they want and what they actually want is often poles apart. I say often. Now and again the stars align and you meet a woman who says what she wants and means it. And most often us men will miss that and think, "So what does she really want?"

Right, on to my experience / opinion.

I do believe that girls and guys do have completely different starting points to assessing one another. Part of that is because the consequences of a sexual relationship are so different. Guys can walk away. Girls could be left with a baby. Fundamentally guys start with "Will this girl be fun to be with?" I believe girls start with a far more long-term screen.

Of course there are guys - and girls - who start by saying, "Wow this person will be great in bed."

I agree that dishonesty to get something from someone is despicable. Sadly there are many dishonest guys out there looking for nothing more than another notch on their bedpost.

I believe that basically (and absolutely, oversimplifying) women are driven by three powerful forces: I'll call these the time-bomb, the father effect and the bad-boy effect.

The time-bomb effect: as women approach 30, behavior actively changes to hunting. Spurred on by the realization that time may be running out, women appear to be far less tolerant of anybody who isn't marriage material. Now this is crucial, because it defines a starting screening position, and this is a fundamentally different starting position to guys.

The father effect: I have to agree with Ranty - women look at men as potential fathers. It is not the starting position but it often follows quite quickly (depending on the severity of the time-bomb effect - age related).

The bad-boy effect: this one mystifies me. It is somewhat contradictory to the first two. Absolutely, there are many girls who like nice guys ("Jacques Kallis seems such a strong, stable and nice guy"). But experience the Vin Diesel explosion - "Oooh, he's nice. I wouldn't mind him with some strawberries and cream." And of course there is Brad Pitt - bit of a mixture: bad boy in Thelma and Louise and A River Runs Through It. Good boy in others. But then there's Toby Maguire. So I'm a bit lost on this one. What I do know is that no girl likes a wimp. I believe girls want a guy who'll stand up to defend them. Makes for good genes too!

I do not believe that it as simple as many believe that most girls look at a guy for company, intelligence and personality first, and that guys look at women for their looks.

Anybody who denies that sexual attraction from both sides is fundamental to a relationship is just off their head. And anybody who thinks sexual attraction = supermodel looks is just inexperienced. Attraction can be based on the way someone laughs, the way they smile, their complexion, and yes of course, their looks. But some people will find someone else the most attractive person in the world - while others will disagree. Even if that attraction is based purely on looks. Witness any feedback on HotOrNot.com: I am sure everybody's experience will show that their ratings are fairly widely dispersed.

Witness also "Bum guys" vs "Legs guys" vs "Tits guys." 'Nuff said.

All this stuff about girls are heroin-chic waifs because that's what guys dictate is a load of crap. Did anybody see the Feeders program on TV about the guys who are attracted to grossly overweight women? To each his own. Ultimately we each have to be happy with ourselves. Whether we are is a product of our own experiences. If we were teased at school because we were overweight, we'll probably feel better being thin. Kids look for differences and prey on those. If cosmetic surgery helps remove a deep-seated insecurity, then fantastic. If the person feels better about themselves, chances are others will too.

But I digress. Attraction is key. But perhaps girls do give attraction more time to develop than guys.

If there is attraction (at some level), then I believe we come to the fundamental difference in starting points. And I'm not saying this all happens in the first five minutes or from across the room. Girls start the screening process above, and guys think "Is this girl fun to be with?"

And this is where things often go wrong. When guys feel themselves being screened they typically back off. "Whoa, this girl's way too intense. Why is she checking me out as boyfriend? I was just having fun."

It is not that guys are fundamentally scared of commitment, or just want sex. If a guy is having the time of his life, he'll get to the thought, "Hey, it's fun being around this girl and I want this to continue. I could marry this girl."


As for the desert island question on SV's blog. It would depend. Who I was attracted to. And for me that remains a fundamentally face-to-face measure (which is why I try to meet an Internet date as quickly as possible after I have determined whether they are an axe-murderer or not). It wouldn't be much fun being in bed with either the Ice Queen or the Bomb-In-Bed if you weren't turned on...

And guess what? Guys also want someone who loves them when they're down, when they're not the image of Brad Pitt they were when they were 30. It wouldn't be fun otherwise. :)

How do you empathise with disaster victims?

The scale of the Asian disaster is horrifying.

Some numbers from the New York Times, where articles update by the minute:

76 000 now confirmed dead.

Reported deaths now cover at least 40 nationalities, reaching from South Africa to South Korea, with surprising concentrations of people still unaccounted for from European countries.

Those still missing include 1,500 from Sweden and 700 to 800 from Norway, 300 from New Zealand, more than 200 each from Denmark and the Czech Republic, 100 from Germany, 100 from Italy and 188 Israelis.

These numbers will get far worse.

20,000 to 30,000 Swedish tourists were vacationing at Thai beach resorts when the disaster struck.

"Thailand is one of the most popular places for Swedes to go during Christmas and New Year's," he said. "Only six Swedes have been confirmed dead, but we think many, many more people have died."

The Indonesian government's official death toll stood today at 32,836, with an additional 1,240 people registered as missing. But that number did not count any of the people who have likely been killed in Aceh Barat, the district where Meulaboh is located.

Attention has also shifted to the broad flat region to the south around the city of Meulaboh, about 100 miles from here, where officials now estimate that as many as 40,000 of the district's 174,744 people may have been killed.

If things go on at this rate, my guess is that there will be well over 100 000 dead. They are only now going to islands that are off the map where they are finding survivors living off coconuts.

But what makes it difficult to deal with is that it is easy to get caught up in these numbers. For each number there is a family suffering immense loss.

Before they found themselves at the epicenter of this week's disaster, tsunami was not even a word in the local lexicon for people here, including Yusmadi Sulaiman, a 60-year-old delivery man, and many of his neighbors.

That changed in an instant on Sunday morning. After being shaken awake, Mr. Sulaiman found himself and his wife and four children fleeing a massive wave that rose above the coconut trees on his street near the shore here.

He clung to a tree with his 4-year-old son in his arms, only to see the son slip away into the raging waters.

His wife, a short distance away, held on to their 8-month-old daughter and called to her husband. "Hold me, Bang, hold me," she yelled, using the Indonesian term of reverence for a spouse.

He has not seen his wife or his four children for four days but he still searches the streets for them, hoping they might still be alive. "Maybe there's a chance," he said, as he sat by candlelight in a friend's home, with the electricity out.

In a region known even in this Muslim country for its strict adherence to Islam, the devastation represents a test of faith. "In Muslim society, God only gives us his goodness and we have to learn lessons from a disaster like this," said Zulkarnain, a 33-year-old salesman who escaped the flood waters with his family. "This may be God saying he is angry with human conduct in the world."

For Mr. Sulaiman, who lost his entire family, comfort came in the words of friends and relatives who gathered with him today for evening prayer.

As he told the story of having lost his son's grip during the flooding, Ucyusi Rusadi Pura, a businessman from Jakarta whose company employs Mr. Sulaiman rested his hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault, it's not your fault," Mr. Pura told the tearful Mr. Sulaiman. "We're your family too and we'll stand by you through all of this."

Should I stay in / return to South Africa?

So I followed the homecoming revolution ad campaign to the website: homecomingrevolution.co.za. It was quite a sad experience.



The message boards are clogged with messages from embittered South Africans who have left or who want to leave. Which contrasts drastically to the many positive things I have heard over the past few weeks. In the last week I have heard from three friends coming back to South Africa. I heard Sven Koenig talking during a break during the cricket about his impending return (cutting short a Middlesex contract by two years). Why are all these people coming back? They talk about the amazing positivity, the national pride that has developed.

Most of those that have left / are leaving, and have posted on the site, talk about crime, AA / BEE, standard of living and standards in general.

Sadly, I think things have been inflamed by polarised views. I think that polarised views inflame many things in South Africa / about South Africa and always have done. Most times when confronted by opinion, I remind myself that the truth almost undoubtedly lies somewhere between my opinion and the other person's.

I chose to stay in SA and continue to do so despite the fact that most of my friends left SA after varsity. I am now 31 and continue to make my life here. Some friends have since returned and further friends (and many family) have left.

I am lucky enough to have worked in London, New York, Paris, Stockholm and Jakarta. I am as qualified as some to have an opinion on the pros and cons of SA versus other countries and less qualified than others.

I may well leave sometime next year, but that decision will depend purely on career motives rather that country ones. And the move is likely to be a 2 year sojourn.

But I digress. I am always left sad when people feel they need to convert the world to their opinion. Whether that opinion be to come back to South Africa or to leave. Which begs the question, should FNB be setting up the site? No doubt they see a business opportunity in servicing returning South Africans, and an opportunity to exercise some of their social responsibility. Anyway, I'm not sure the site is a bad idea - I'm not sure their intention was to say to expat South Africans, "You should be coming home" - it shouldn't be. Sometimes they do and they need to be careful of that - the message boards are clogged with backlash.

Of course living in SA is about a deeply personal choice. In the heat of argument over that choice many make the rationale for their own choice the reasons anybody else would be mad to stay or go. And they tend to get a good few facts hopelessly confused for good measure. It is easy to peddle stats to make your opinion sound factual and correct. South Africa has such volatile numbers, that you could use them to make whatever point you liked.

Many postings talk about crime. Like this one:

Aussie
Date Posted: 2004-12-25 20:50:24 Not Again
My GF and I arrived home at about 11pm on night to our flat in Rondebosch CT. As we arrived 4 men ran to our car and one of them put a gun against my window and ordered me to open the door. At the same time on of the other hi-jackers ordered my GF to open her door. When both doors were open they ordered me to get out, when my GF tried to get out they told her, "no; you stay!" She still tried to get out and then THEY SHOT HER! I then went crazy and wrestled the gun from the one assailent and told my GF who had fallen out the car to scream. The vermin then ran and I returned fire with the gun. One of them was hit as blood was discovered. The ambulance arrived and took us to Hospital. The next morning the cops arrived at my flat and wanted to charge ME for attempted murder. What kind of fucked up law system is this where the victim has less rights than the perpetrator. Almost 2 years later and not a word has been heard about the case. I must be mad to think thatthis is a country where I want to bring up children. I will not let myself, My GF or any member of my family go through that again.

South African crime is frightening. I don't blame anybody leaving because they feel unsafe to the point of living in fear. My cousin shot and killed an intruder in his bedroom. As they wrestled with the hell afterward I urged them to leave. Who cares if nothing else would ever have happened to them. It was important that in their minds they were safe. And if living overseas gave that to them, then psychologically they were right to go. I hope and prey that nothing ever happens to my mom, girlfriends, etc.

Most of the postings go like this one:

mc
Date Posted: 2004-12-27 20:39:31 daft to come back
Why should the Whites come back just so that can be unemployed because of a new racist practice called affirmative action??

They make me mad because they are so wide of the mark. For reasons why, come back later when I talk through some of the crap people dig up on AA / BEE and how my company has made things work.

But then just before calling it a night, I read this one:


Date Posted: 2004-12-27 23:47:15
Wena uphumaphi? (Where do you come from?) Me well let me tell you my story if you really care. I was born in a small mining town. My parents never earned alot of money, but I can say that I got everything I needed. When it came time to go to high school, I had to travel about 47km each day to school by bus, it was to far for my parents to fetch me after school so I could not do after school sports etc. But I enjoyed it 1994 elections came and I remember being escorted to school by a casper, because the our school was one of the first to open up to black pupiles the AWB wanted to bomb the busses? I mean a school bus full of children. However we had afrikaans speaking people on the bus to and the ANC wanted to bomb the bus. Having a bomb scare at school was a regular thing. Being beaten up in primary school by high school afrikaaners because A I was english and B I stood up for my black friends was also not uncommon. During High School I wanted to study computer science, well the school I went to did not offer it. Instead I had to travell another 30km to a school that did. May parents arranged transport and some nights I would only get home after 9pm. But it was worth it. I got a matric in CS (the first in my school) I went on to do a BSc at TUKS (that I had to pay for myself because my parents did not have money.) I leant Java 1997 (BTW java was invented in 1995 1 year after democracy) It grates me when people I know battle to find jobs, it grates me when white and black hate each other. It grates me that Java Positions are AA when any Java developer should have had equal opertunity. It hurts when I see black schools getting PC's and my school does not. But such is life. I spent over a year in the UK on business, and I travel alot. But I can tell you one thing when that plane lands at JHB I want to cry. Because I love this country I love the people and despite the negative views on this page (for those people you have no clue) I believe that we (South Africans) will be the greatest nation on the planet. I really do. Maybe not while I am alive but maybe for my children. And for the comments on 2 years behind in IT ha ha ha. That is why I get sent to the UK to fix issues? Me a South African that is 2 years behind the rest of the world. Its a great country, believe in it and its people.

I may be white but I am by no means a European. I am an African.

That brought tears to my eyes.

I posted the following:

Date Posted: 2004-12-28 03:57:47


I can't believe some of the rubbish on this site. Then I read your post. So much rubbish is the stuff on this site (about AA and BEE mostly) and so genuine is your post, that I want to interview you for a job. We have made equity numbers a non-issue. We're a major company and a people business - management consulting. We care about people with the right attitude. Academics, career experience are tickets to the game - we only employ top performers. We would never turn down a candidate and tell them "Sorry, its AA" - we just look very hard for top black performers. You seem to have the attitude - if you're interested in being put into our recruitment process and think you could crack it on the academics, career experience side, reply to this post and I'll figure out some way of getting my details to you without this whole damn site spamming me.
Message to all the BEE / AA moaners: if you accept this country has to radically address its past, you can be part of its future.