Category: learning curve

Not naming and shaming but…

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When it came down to getting Junior a motor car, we narrowed it down to two different possibilities.
And this is a lot of money and a tight decision, so we went and we researched extensively, and we test drove each of them on a few different occasions.

And of course the salespeople – both men in this case – were lovely and charming and helpful and friendly. But we look past the salespeople and we look at the actual car. Because we’ve met salespeople before.

Still, they had a job to do, and they did it: both extolled the virtues of their option and mildly exaggerated the actual facts on the spec sheet. And to their credit, they didn’t do too much shouting about the negative side of things regarding the other choices out there.

They each got their contact just about right, as well: not too much, not too little. We were neither ignored nor bombarded. And they seemed to respect the fact that we would have to make a choice at some stage. Because… well, we cant afford both. (I’m still not 100% sure that we can afford one.)

So when we finally made a decision, it seemed just good manners to let the one guy know that we were going with the other manufacturer. Not something we had to do, but we’re big on respect and politeness in this household.

And so we sent him a message (all contact both ways had been via Whatsapp apart from the times when we were actually at the dealership), saying thanks for your time, but we’ve chosen to go with the other vehicle, all the best, Us.

His response was friendly and magnanimous:

Ah well. That’s a shame. But thanks for letting me know and all the best.

Ja right. Was it bollocks.

Nothing back. Mr Friendly for the past three weeks couldn’t even be arsed to respond.
Cut us dead.
Because Mr Friendly was actually Mr Salesman-Twat in disguise and it was all an act.

I mean, I shouldn’t have expected anything else but wow. What a two-faced POS.

I’m not naming and shaming. Why stoop to his level?

Just see it – like we have – as a reminder that salespeople are always going to salesperson, and you’d do really well to overlook anything and everything they say and do, and make sure that you are clued up and have everything – EVERYTHING – down in writing.

And just be nice, and as genuine as you can.

Last minute bargain? Beware.

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Just be careful out there when you’re looking for your (very) last minute bargain for a Christmas gift.

They know that you’re (quite reasonably) panicking about getting that Xmas gift you overlooked, and they’re ready to take advantage.

Sometimes it’s subtle:

A frankly ridiculous price for a shitty knock-off backpack anyway.

But sometimes they are even more brazen and the thievery is even more heinous:

I’ve mentioned before just how much I love Checkers, but this time, I’m leaving my card in my wallet, thank you very much.

As ever, whatever you’re doing today, have a nice day.

Geoguessr help: Poland Edition

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Almost as demarcated as those maps I shared of Germany a while back (here and here), how’s this map of the ending of town names in Poland?

This is a bit more North West/South East than anything else, but as ever, it’s because of history and you can see it in the political landscape too:

KO absolutely KO’ing PiS in the North West, PiS peeing all over KO in the South East.

These are examples of Poland A & B, the division between the ex-Prussian area and the Austro-Russian areas in the Partition of Poland in the late 18th Century. And while that might seem reasonable for the town names which were around then and would have persisted, it’s amazing that the divide is still evident in elections held this year:

Still, really helpful when you land in a field in the middle of nowhere. Is that nearby village an -owo or an -ów?

Got to be good for a few extra points.

Koppie Foam Grasshopper(s)

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Dictyophorus spumans to his and her friends.

These guys were plentiful in the long grass on the west side of Koringberg over the weekend.

Fully 10cm long and CHUNKY, they’re actually harmless – unless you try to eat them.

And we weren’t about to do that.

I’m fairly sure that this is a female (big one) and a male (little one), but I’m no expert.

Their name comes from their ability to secrete a toxic foam as a defence mechanism from their thoracic glands. The toxins come from their diet, which includes Milkweed – and if you’ve ever encountered milkweed sap, well, you know.

But despite having a face that only a mother could love, they kept themselves to themselves, despite having a lens shoved (probably) a bit too close to them.

So don’t let them put you off coming to South Africa.

It’s the lions and the hippos you need to watch out for.

Postcard from Koringberg

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Back then from a lovely, restful weekend away in Koringberg. A little town miles from anywhere (although still very convenient for the N7), overlooking the rolling Swartland countryside. As the name suggests, its history is very much an Afrikaans settlement, based on the wheat farming in the local area. The huge, out-of-place grain silos and the NG church with its wheat-ear weathervane being the only two notable buildings emphasising its origin.

We stayed here, and made full use of the pool, the spacious wood-fired hot tub, and the huge braai areas. Wine, fresh bread and chocolates on arrival, a friendly host, firewood for days: everything we needed right there. The property is right on the edge of town and literally on the fields, with – as the name suggests – incredible views east towards the Groot Winterhoek mountains and beyond that onto the Koue Bokkeveld.

When we’re away, we usually do things, and I sometimes feel like we are missing out if we don’t try to experience everything that a place has to offer, but since there was really not much to do here, there was no guilty feeling when sneaking away for an afternoon nap, or lazing around doing nothing.
And that was great at the end of a long, hard year.

But I still managed a nice run around the place before the heat of the day kicked in – a red and white blur in likely the only Sheffield United shirt Koringberg has ever seen – and then a couple of walks with the camera and some playtime with the nifty fifty.

This clearly isn’t the place to come to if you are after pubs and clubs, nightlife and music until all hours. But if you’ve done enough of that in your life and you want a change of pace to something more tranquil for a few days: it’s perfection.

The weather was rather more breezy than we were expecting, but every bit as hot, and we were very glad of the air-conditioning in each of the bedrooms. But that heat, together with the rich, golden fields and orange earth made for some lovely contrasting warm colours against the always blue skies.

And now? Back to reality for a few days before we head off again for a few days, but this time as part of a large group of friends, which will likely be equal parts fun and chaos. Not quite the peace and restfulness of Koringberg then…