PPG or Powered Para-gliding and my 1st wedding anniversary!

Well another occasion and another opportunity to do something interesting presented itself on our first wedding anniversary... and considering we'd been looking out for stuff to do - we noted down information on PPG from a bill-board on the N1 highway towards Johannesburg CBD from Midrand.

Now PPG or powered para-gliding is your simple plain-vanilla paragliding only using a micro lite aircraft to fly you up and around the flight zone. Here in Jo'burg, it seems you don't really have a mountainous area to jump-off as one would expect normally; so you power your way up - rather than jump down!

So we met these instructors called Tony and Riaan at their club area called "Grasslands Sport's facility" (the board that announced the same had apparently been blown away by wind) -under the banner of 'Flying Unlimited'- and followed an unpaved road to the Xcitor micro lites all up and ready to go. Got into our flight suits and helmets, followed basic precautionary instructions on how to brace oneself if god-forbid the worst was to happen, what to expect on the flight up, about and finally while getting back down etc.  Took numerous shots of the Xcitor and ourselves and I went tandem with Tony while my husband with Riaan. Here are a few clicks.. :) ... 

The Xcitor I flew in...

 This was very chilled and non-scary as compared to hang-gliding, you sit and smile (and of course keep some customary butterflies in your tummy for a 'just in case' situation!) :D, so even though the microphone on the helmet between me and Tony wasn't working I am sure he heard me go "weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" sitting behind him (and him being polite didn't say anything :P)... Murali (my husbands' microlite apparently did some stunts by suddenly swerving down then correcting up which gave him a slight lurch in his stomach) still we had an awesome time looking at stuff below and being in the air! ( for 20 minutes perhaps, not more).

Murali's microlite

Post flying - Murali and Me :)

And as for the Anniversary, I baked... umm.. went crazy & lost it a bit... baking out of over flow of love :P... more pics....

I still pat my back for all my 1st time bakes :D, but you gotta try doing it once to realize how MANY calories go into everything and thou shall quite patiently wait for some far off ( trust me quite some years' far off) occasion to beckon you to bake ever again :P... Can't let self-torture in gym go to waste; not when I am 30 billion years minus 6 months from losing any sort of weight ... sigh :/..!

"City of Djinns" by William Dalrymple

A thoroughly enjoyable and well written narrative of the authors' 1 year stay in one of the most ancient cities of the world - Delhi. The place I was born and brought up in, yet due to the rigmarole of 'life' never ended up knowing its history or origins .. really! There were times in school during history classes when we were kind of forced to read about all the kings, queens and battles and really, in all earnest, I didn't give 2 hoots on the subject. History and boredom was indeed and perhaps still is a hand-in-glove cliche!

    But in reality I always liked a good story, thanks to my dad ( who was and is an awesome story telling machine ...literally). And so, I read a lot ... started with fairy tales and fiction and slowly progressing on life stories, biographies and also a little bit of history. :) 

    So when I picked this, well recommended book (thanks to my mom-in-law) I was sure I would learn far more about my hometown than I knew - and I did! I liked the personality of the author himself - a happy and down to earth, observant person who shows an immense capability to learn about a place so completely off a White persons' comfort zone. ( Really, my notion as an Indian about Westerners/ Whites are as people accustomed to extreme luxury and spending lives in pretty posh conditions - even if you keep aside the ghettos of NY and London etc. which never surface in the news and the austerity brought on by tough economic situations etc.) .. still.. so I completely appreciate Mr. Dalrymple for his efforts.  This was written in the late 1980's - I was just a kid then of 5-6 years perhaps - reading it now perhaps a tad less than quarter of a century later!

    He takes you through the eras of emperor Shah Jehan, Humayun, Aurangzeb, Tughlak, Nizamuddin etc. and through the stories behind all the old monuments in Delhi and its outskirts that I conveniently ignored forever even though I have passed by them countless number of times - like the Red Fort ( I have vague memory of staring at it from outside, but if you don't know its history it just looks like a very reddish big fort and nothing else), even that old and common site of Qutub Minar and the inside gullies of Old Delhi - Chandni Chowk ( where one only visits on instances of marriage and to eat some old world delicacies and sweets) - it is after all reputed for some intricately brocaded wedding attire that you just might not find anywhere in India ( this though may not be completely true now coz if you pay a lot more than what its worth, you would find intricately done Indian wear in most plush malls all over New Delhi- only they charge a bomb!) - so shell out and buy anything! 

    Also, he goes through most topics unique and lovely about New Delhi - how still the people inhabiting the capital of India are in many ways more superstitious than one could have possibly imagined - considering how certain superstitions started like a million years ago, how chauvinism is a part and parcel of life there, how you still find a lot of yogi's (more fake than genuine) on the banks of river Yamuna (which he interestingly keeps calling Jumna) fasting and meditating, how seasons are always extreme, how people living in Delhi still reminisce about everything having changed for the worse every year every season every generation. He also talks about eunuchs and beliefs behind them and their way of living, also touches upon the old ritual of pigeon owning, training and pigeon flying that still happens in Old Delhi - along with cock fights and bettings. Seriously I thought that used to happen in the era of the kings and not active now. 

    He talks about Vedas, and how still the oldest and longest manuscript of the hindu religion the 'Mahabharatha' is still widely read, learnt and taught to every new generation. He also goes through a lot of archeological evidence of the existence of the past and all the proof lying around that people have completely lost interest in!

    I am soo soo intrigued now, I really feel like going back home and visiting all that skipped my eyes and understanding - I also feel like literally digging down deep into the history of Delhi and knowing a few things about my race a bit more! I recommend the book to people interested in the city of New Delhi, India!

"Just Letting" - Estate Agents in Jo'burg - Avoid Avoid Avoid!!

So we shifted on the weekend and month-end of July, 2011. A certain J. Leboho was the agent who showed us the new house, he is employed with 'Just Letting' Halfway Gardens in Midrand, a supposed well connected and large estate agent in the Jo'burg area and possibly in all of South Africa.

There were strong initial signs from the behaviour of this fellow that we shouldn't have continued his guidance in finding a house. Say, he would be curt while showing the houses - a tone that says "take it or leave it, I will find someone else" kind. The most striking trend was how he would show a new house and mention it in a light which was always positive ( which is normal for any agent to do) but would give a distinct comparative analysis of how better it was compared to the last one he himself showed. I mean, it leads one to believe that every new house has something better than the previous he showed and suppose you end up selecting whatever he is showing you currently, there ought to be something he is not telling you as well! Information that could be critical and useful on what is 'wrong' or something essential which is just not there. Finally after being weirdly dodgy he showed us a place which was located ideally, seemed fine but with a few fixtures needing repairs - which he promptly shrugged off as something he would 'obviously' take care of before we moved in!

He managed to bluff for a whole month on the repairs and ended up doing nothing, followed by repeated calls to him and to the house owner etc. He would also not let us re-inspect the house without him being there, pretty much afraid of us contacting the previous tenant. It only begs you to suspect what he was trying so hard to hide!

In the end, he did nothing and the house owner came and repaired every single fixture that needed attention. Calls for one to wonder what Just Letting is in the middle for?! They hardly perform any of the functions that an agent is paid to do! 

This agent had managed to put us down, irritate and cut calls on us.  So on the day of move-in, even the house was not ready or cleaned and we had to wait till it was done ( by the house owners' personal maid lol... the agency didn't even bring in their own cleaners!). With no agent to talk to as we arrived on shifting day, I was hopping mad with anger. We had a strong verbal altercation with this Leboho chap who was on his worst possible behaviour! No manners, no sense but a weird air of snobbishness for god knows what reason! Now we refuse to deal with him on any account and have requested the house owner to change the contact person - which well we don't know whether he has done or not - but thankfully haven't heard from this s&%%$d fellow!

So if you are in the Midrand area, you might just do some good for yourself by avoiding Just Letting completely! All the headache absolutely not worth it!

Shifting houses - Seems like all pain and a slowly disintegrating gain :/

Since the time I lived on my own I have had numerous experiences shifting residences... Just about till the point where I was ...WAS... gonna declare myself an expert!... Only just.. If you deal with agents the number of times that I have had to, its gotta count as some sort of expertise for sure!

Following are some basic and handy thumb-rules you have to know before you deal with house agents:

1. They are A******s...! 
2. They are trained to bluff (no 2 ways about it).
3. They are on the look-out for idiots... complete and utter ones; and if you show hints otherwise - they will  be downright rude, and the language eventually be something equal to a boxing mid-fight talk.
4. They are after your money. The moment it goes off your hand, kiss it goodbye!
5. Security deposits are weapons of threat! It is not just a measure of covering damages inflicted by the tenant on the house; but more importantly and especially ( if you are a sane tenant whose left the walls, equipments and fixtures of the house intact) its a motive for both landlord and agents to start using imagination in a WILD manner!

To counter the above, prepare yourself with the following:

1. Give back what you get. (Has worked EVERY time for me!) - If the agent yells, yell in a manner that he would need hearing-aids next (or simply ask him to mind his/her tone) - if he threatens you, threaten back - sometimes if they are being unreasonable, just walk out beforehand ( if you still are to sign on the lease). And if fighting it out is not your scene, seek out alternate agents from the agency itself - and if they also do not help; just find other accommodation!
2. Read the lease agreement with a magnifying glass! - Do NOT , not not not sign it until you know what you are getting into. Clarify all points and bug them numerous times even if they show signs and indications of extreme irritation. Else, the moment you default on anything - you surely shall be made to remember the sneers when they point out things from the lease they can screw you over for.
3. Clarify ALL deductions that might possibly be done from the security deposit. ALL! 
4. Know your alternative solutions (in case of extreme necessity) - police cases, legal issues for example. 
5. Discount everything an agent says by 60%.
6. Check on the plumbings, fittings, cooking gaskets, the heater, water supply, security and check whether the door/windows, grills etc work smoothly without getting stuck.
7. Know dead-lines for payments and do not default. Date and time!
8. Never take shit! Do not be meek and never ever hesitate to ask a zillion questions that are related to their handling of situations, previous tenants, news on the area etc. ( Even if they mention that its non of your business - coz it is!)

Now, why am I writing this post?! I am shifting residence in South Africa from one area of Midrand to another. And we are dealing with a really weird/difficult house agent. I am sure to write about him soon, once things are done. Do look out! :)

:O didn't write anything in July

Ahh I kept wondering and contemplating topics to write on ALL July! :O ... not mere procrastination but just a general sense of auto-editing on what might be appropriate to write. And today it hit home that perhaps considering its MY blog and hence, completely MY domain... I should be able to blabber whatever I want, whenever I want ... and two hoots to anybody who thinks whatever they want to think( errmm I brewed up a weird concoction in my head about what all can be thought by others)  :D ... hehe... so well.. Hello again nameless readers ( don't tell me your name just yet, I will automatically start wondering what is/must be going on in your brain .. :D..)... I am a girl, what did you expect :P... Here, I'd like to say that I am kidding.. but I am not sure.. maybe I am / maybe not... who knows. :)