Tag Archives: Portfolio

Corona Virus: Lockdown Journey Journal, Day 15 of Level 2, 1 September 2020.

 

Tuesday 1 September 2020, Day 15 of Level 2, Day 159 of Lockdown, Spring Day 🌸, Cap Classique Day 🥂

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a slightly warmer day today, but didn’t feel like the forecast 19C, with a very strong South Easter/Berg Wind ahead of lots more rain tomorrow ☔️, thanks to the Full Moon; for a far better admin and good writing day, following up on a number of issues, none so sweet than the final checking on my Hermanus house, occupation going to the purchaser as of today, such a relief 🙏💙; for a Camps Bay walk, Raze Katz  (our ex Portfolio Guest House contact) stopping when she drove past and she couldn’t believe the weight loss, not having seen each other in more than 5 years, as did Debra Armstrong, a South African New Zealander, getting to know each other on Facebook recently, and have a date for a tea/coffee at the new Firefly when it opens, hopefully this weekend, having missed connecting with other walkers; for a drive to Sea Point, filling up today, saving a royal sum of 38 cents before the petrol price goes up at midnight, and then heading to Landscape Art Garden Centre, where I more than squandered my saving, buying a jasmine, a daisy bush, a third plant, more pansies, spinach, and cucumber seeds. Boy, how their prices have shot up, almost doubling since they first reopened three months ago, and all Covid procedures at the entrance thrown out of the window…. 😷; for my favourite ice cream and Belgian chocolate sauce at The Dairy Den, across the road from where the nursery was previously located; for a quick planting of one set of the plants, to give them a good soaking tomorrow; for a walk through Bakoven, always surprised about how many masks I see lying on the pavement, and throw into the bins 😷😱; for buying healthy vegetables at Woolies with which I made a soup for tomorrow’s wintry weather, with loads of coriander from the garden; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙 Continue reading →

A whale of a 19-year Guest House career comes to an end, a new Food career awaits!

imageIt was Futurist Faith Popcorn who predicted a trend of ‘Recareering’ back in the ‘Seventies, one having multiple careers in a lifetime, at a time when I myself was in my first career as a Futurist. I could not have foreseen that my career path from Futurist to Market Researcher, Marketing Lecturer, Research Consultant, Food PR Consultant, and then Guest House owner for the last 19 years would lead me to my new and seventh career, to that as a Continue reading →

Noseweek Sweet Service and Gibson’s ‘Gourmet’ Burgers & Ribs Sour Service Awards!

Noseweek 20th birthday Whale Cottage PortfolioThe Sweet Service Award goes to Noseweek and its editor Martin Welz, for 20 years of service to South Africans, for identifying corruption amongst bankers, lawyers, business persons, and government officials, for speaking the truth, and ‘for exposing unethical behaviour in our society’, Mayor Patricia de Lille said at the anniversary celebration at Catharina’s restaurant at Steenberg last night.  The role of the publication in helping the ordinary (wo)man in the street was saluted by a number of speakers, but it was the moving talk by Erma Viljoen from Pretoria, whose story was featured in the June issue of the publication, that demonstrated the unselfish service and dedication to a story by Mr Welz and his team.  Mrs Viljoen worked at the University of Pretoria, and has a rare disease Mitochondrial Cytopathy, which rendered her unable to work, therefore running out of sick leave and annual leave. For the past five years she has fought for her right to be compensated by the university and its provident fund for losing her job, and approached Mr Welz more than two years ago.  Noseweek Erma Viljoen Whale Cottage PortfolioNew Pretoria-based Noseweek journalist and ex-Carte Blanche investigative journalist Susan Purèn wrote the story, each sentence backed up by information proving what was written. An offer of a R40000 payout was increased to R1,3 million by the university and paid, but Mrs Viljoen is eligible to receive much more than that, the publication believes. The University reacted to the article by submitting a complaint to the Press Council, highlighting 88 errors in the three page article, literally one per sentence in the article, Mrs Viljoen shared, sitting at the same table last night.  The article has led to an advocate offering his services to Mrs Viljoen (many Pretoria lawyers Continue reading →