WOZA FRIDAY!

It's Friday and I couldn't be happier! Eight more weeks of work and then we pack up our house and head out for a two week holiday in the Cape.

My 12 week Bootcamp ended two weeks ago and the outcome has left me discouraged-- I had hoped to introduce our Producers to the concepts of planning and professionalism and have failed miserably. I have been struggling away trying to write my final report-- emphasizing the positives-- but am sadly forced to conclude that we are facing a systematic malaise that pervades Soweto TV. It is a culture of excuses and blame. It is going to take more than 12 weeks of me emphasizing "solution oriented" work to change this approach. I know the reasons for this behaviour are cultural and complex-- more than one little Canadienne can solve! So, with my final 8 weeks, I will do all I can to improve show content and get them delivered on time, contributing what I can to this highly challenging community station.

It's Friday and few people have showed up at the station. Thursday is knows as "Pusa Thursday" here, one of the main nights, along with Sunday, to go out and party here in Soweto. My colleagues here at the station tell me that many clubs don't even bother to open on Fridays and Saturdays! All I could think is that means that Mondays and Fridays are write-offs in terms of work-- that's how middle-aged I've become.

On a sunny note, we transitioned from winter to summer about a month a ago-- the weather is perfect this time of year-- cool nights and sunny days (about 25C). Soon the glorious jacarandas will be covered in their unique mauve blossoms. But summer is the rainy season here in the highveld. Rain is not a gentle occurrence here-- in Joburg it pounds down in a chorus of thunder and lightning-- we are enjoying every day until the rains start.

Glen and I had hoped to get away for a weekend as he has been tied to his desk most weekends for months finishing a major report on how to improve throughput rates for engineers in South Africa. We weren't able to get a booking as it's a school holiday, so instead I suggested we have a little holiday at home-- steaks on the braai tonight followed by a fire in our portable firepit, massages tomorrow, a stroll through Art in the Park at Zoo Lake, and a movie. October starts tomorrow and we know time will continue to speed up as we head to December and our departure for Canada.......