davetapson

Hi guys What is the Kiwi equivalent of a Polo Vivo, and what would a reasonable second hand one cost? I hear that second hand Japanese is the way to go? Corolla? Yaris? What do they consider a cheap-cost-of-ownership runabout?

As a white Zimbabwean, who chose to study Agriculture in 1982, you should take no advice from me. But, my current view is that the only thing to study is Accounting. Once you know how money works, you can do ANYTHING else better from that point... and how hard can it be? All you need to know is plus and minus like in grade 3? (Or did I miss the point - is this to be able to engage delicately with the Kiwi's? Speaking of which, I remember a conversation with a boss in the UK who turned to me and said "You're lucky that I've worked with Saffa's before so won't take offence to that." I had no idea what I said that was out of the ordinary - it was just an ordinary conversation about possible options.)

I remember an ex-boss of mine telling me "You'd hate it in New Zealand - the critical issue of the day was that the ferry driving between the North and South Islands was doing 4 knots instead of 3 knots and thus 'destroying' the shore line" (or somesuch)...

Given that SARS has been looted, good luck with that. Last year I had to resubmit the same documents three times because it is easier for SARS to respond 'you need to submit your documents' each time their 21 day SLA limit is reached than just to refund your money. It still took several months after last duplicate submission to get paid. Them: You need to submit your documents. Me: I have. What is missing? Them: Your documents. Me: Which ones? Them: Documents. Me: Which documents? What do you need? Them: We can't say. You must submit them. Repeat x3. I haven't even sent in this year's return - still too angry from last year. Or is that now two years ago...? Hmm. No longer fkn care.

Yep. Having moved around a bit, my advice has always been 'for the first year, put your head down and get on with it. After a year you can start putting your head up and look around and start deciding if it's the right decision or not. ' Two years is probably better.

<INTJ> Folk are defensive. More reasons than normal to be defensive about staying in SA just at the moment. Swings and roundabouts - when things are sunny in SA it's the expats that tend to be on the defensive side. </INTJ> But that is not what this thread is about. It's a great thread, lets not drag it down.

There's a time and a place. When you are 5, that's not it.

@MTBeer - No?

http://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2016/08/22/636074272378874965-561595542_Grace%20Neutral.jpg

Yeh - it's all about probabilities. But you know Murphy's Law - hey I brought my kids out here for a better life, damn shame they got squashed when the roof fell in. I need to get on with it. Sigh. Why does Africa need to be the way it is?

This bl**dy thing is going around. I feel like I've been sick foreeeeeever. Doesn't seem to be clearing up - now into second round of snotkop after a bit of chest stuff for variety.

When we were kids my mom used to roar us around in an oval window beetle... which got flogged to buy a Renault 4. Wonder what the relative values would be about now...

Did my driving licence test in one of those...

Buy a steel cassette, cheap / mid range chain - ride it till it starts skipping in small cog, replace. Weight penalty - a mouthful or two of water? Less than a good dump. Time between changes? Long. Cash savings? Lots.

So, when I was in NZ, visiting all the touristy hot springs, thermal spas, boiling mud pools, I thought, hell, this is a pretty country, and nicely run and all that. But it's floating around on a puddle of pressurized lava waiting to go BOOM! Does this cross folks minds? Are houses built with earth quakes in mind?

You hear a lot about 'all those that came back' (and I'm one) - what you don't hear about are all those that stayed, have stable lives with stable currencies and who, apart from some sadness that things can't seem to work out for the good in Africa so they had to go, have new lives in new places. Ratio of those that come back compared to those that stay? In my experience? If it's 1:20 that would be a lot. Probably 1:50, maybe more. And folk are less likely to come back to SA as it is now compared to how it was even just a few years ago.

Done the UK. Too crowded. Too old for Aus. NZ prolly best...

Hi guys Don't know if it's mentioned in the previous 120 pages, but couple questions: 1. Did you go through an agent? 2. If so, could you recommend yours (or recommend to avoid ) 3. What is likely cost? 4. How long does it take? Currently breathing burned tyre smoke every night from Daveyton/Vosloorus (what folks use to keep themselves warm these days) and I swore last year that I would not subject myself to this another winter, yet here I am.

Read their page - and note that they haven't proof read their ad - at all. proof read their ad. proo. Given that Masterson's sells an equivalent dripper for R20 odd plus better coffee, I'm not sure what the advantage is? Given that Masterson's sells an equivalent dripper for R20 odd plus better coffee, I'm not sure what the advantage is? Considered er-cup drip filter maker.

Yes - qualification is "can you afford it..."

Jirre. R430.

What he said - I can't justify spending the cash on what I'd actually like so this has to do. Is a pain to get set up but works well enough for hobbyist type stuff. I also chucked the fence and made my own version

der handwerker in Rosettenville?

Awesome - that was my plan with mine and then I changed jobs and now am short of energy when it comes to the weekend. I really need to pick it up again. A simple little boat like this has to be a bunch of fun to muck about in. My personal hatred is sanding fibreglass/resin - have the boat tacked together with partial fillets and now need to sand them back and run fillets all around, then tape and resin inside and outside joints. Maybe this conversation will kick my ass into gear... Have a look on Facebook for James Norman Foot - has just completed a Didi Sport 15' - done a stunning job despite some tribulations. All documented on Fb if you prepared to scroll back a little while. Oh - Jim's advice for running fillets: get sealable sandwhich bags. put bag in a tin with opening folded back over the rim. Fill with fillet gunk, seal, cut corner of bag off, squeeze gunk out into fillet. If I had done this, I'd not be contemplating so much sanding...