RossW

The day is approaching. Will be good to have some pocket change Hoping that SARS doesn't audit me while over here!

She got a Liv Pique 1. Also an aluminium frame and the exact same spec as mine. Went out this morning for first ride and she was grinning ear to ear.

Window shopping is a bad thing! Accompanied my wife MTB shopping over the weekend. Walked into the local Giant dealer and while walking around heard the assistants discussing their performance bike sale, starting the next day. The short; 25% off all Trance, Reign and Anthem's as well as the equivalent in the Liv brand. Needless to say, window shopping quickly changed to swiping plastic for both of us. I picked up the 2017 Giant Anthem 1 (650b). Full aluminiumFull XT 1x11Carbon rims with boost spacing front and rearFox 34 performance elite 120 mm fork and EVOL metric shock 110 mm.Dropper seat postThe guys also added all new accessories at the 25% discount with free tubeless conversion. I picked up a Giro Hex helmet and matching bottle cage. All in, $3,875.

And then you say this...

Agreed. The high blood pressure cleared my arteries nicely on my way home. Great way of highlighting earning difference and making anyone whose child doesn't go to a "decent private school" inferior. Proper bell end. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It was quite amazing how many people left and how quickly we all left, in a way. The spruit was good fun. I first need to start commuting et cetera, and then I'll start seeing regular faces. I see the regulars on my morning bus to work and walks to the office.

The first photo makes me think of the tunnel at Victory Park on the spruit in JHB. I looked and thought, oh yea, she's put an old pic up, but then it was clean so I had to look again .

Existing visa holders seem to be fine - from what I can find quickly now. PR is ages away; 1 year and 9 months. Unless of course my skills are reintroduced to the scarce skills list, which I doubt will happen. News coming in is that existing visa holders will have a "grand-father" arrangement. I'm on a 4 year visa which remains eligible for PR. The 2 year visas are now limited and not eligible for PR at the end of their term.

I arrived on the 457, 3 months ago. Breathing through my sphincter doesn't quite explain how I'm feeling right now.

I'll welcome any and all photos from that part of the world. I had a great little outing on Saturday to North Stradbroke Island. Weather wasn't amazing in the morning but it cleared shortly before lunch. Ferry trip across was easy and a lovely day out. Not many photos to share from my side.

Keeps one entertained.

My best wishes for a speedy recovery, Wayne. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The background shows snow-topped mountains. Other than a general haziness, there are no clouds. I don't think you have anything positive to add this conversation.

I used ubag to get some of my things to Aus. Very good pricing but be careful. After paying for Qantas freight handling, quarantine inspection (coming from South Africa it's basically unavoidable) and a clearing agent (freight and quarantine ate not open over weekend) and I was at work already, I paid more than the cost to get 2 boxes (60kg) here. The guys at ubag will day it's an easy process to clear but I didn't experience that. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

On the Vumatel network, your line rental and data is billed as one price. I was R 648 for 20/20 and capped at 1 terabyte. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I remember the sand on Durban beaches as a kid. Had me in tears a couple of times. You tried walking barefoot only once. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Is the black sand more abrasive than our white sand? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The 2017 Element is going to be a different animal to the 2016 version. BDF, when do you expect to receive the 2017 bike? I really wish I could be thinking of an upgrade from my Vertex right now but my money tree isn't producing yet.

You have been doing some baking ...

Friday thread come early

Little pearl found today: http://businesstech.co.za/news/columns/136623/why-i-miss-dstv/

There is the Vuma installation fee of 1,710. My ISP connection was 988. I selected the uncapped option but it's soft cap limited at 588Gb. Monthly price of 688. Edit. Forgot to add, that I'm on a month to month option. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My fibre is via Vumatel. Using Cipherwave as my ISP. Chose the symmetrical 20Mbps option. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I really couldn't have said it better Hayley, perhaps you have simply been socialising with the 'wrong' crowd, if this is a surprise to you. Having said that, a lot of my friends are high flying chartered accountants, lawyers or work for banks and they have always had a domestic to clean up around them. Just this morning, I was hanging washing on the line, helped change the bed linen and I've got the vacuum out already in prep for this afternoon. I've got a deal with myself that on a Wednesday, I can only ride once I've vacuumed and washed the floors.

Excellent translation I'm still mulling over that. The cost of living being so much more elsewhere. It's such a difficult thing to quantify the cost of living from $$$ to RRR. Certain things are cheap but of late, the cost of things are outpacing my little bit of disposable income very quickly. My answer to that is to be sensible, create a budget and live within your means even if it means cutting back on things.