Posted: February 7th, 2009 | Author:Thorks | Filed under:News, Random | Comments Off
It’s actually been a while since I put anything personal on here, and that has mainly been down to a lack of time. With summer in London, comes late nights, lots of parties, and many many weekends spent drinking in the park having a braai.
So given that it’s now winter and I have a lot of time on my hands, I thought I would give you an update.
Firstly summer was good. After a late start it kicked into high gear, only to fizzle out quite quickly.
That was kinda to be expected. It’s been a funny year weather wise. Spring was early, summer was later, autumn came and went in a flash, followed very quickly by winter.
What did I get up to in Summer? Well honestly, I cannot remember. I know that I made some very good friends, and had a really good time with them. I ended the summer getting to know Nandos incredibly well. Amazing and awesome.
Oh just one thing: Unless you are very very serious about a girl and think you are/could probably marry her, then do not, I repeat, DO NOT go to Italy on a holiday with her. I have spoken to 4 or 5 guys about girlfriends and holiday in Italy, and no matter the city, none of the trips ended well. We all seems to have “lost” the girlfriends during or right after a trip to Italy.
But that does lead me on to another story. Florence - what a beautiful, awesome city. I have never been a “lets walk around a city all day, visiting museums, looking at the sites” type of guy, but Florence is different. Florence is full of old Roman architechture with its grandious scale. Full of great museums with ancient history, breathtaking sculptures like David. They know how to eat there, they know how to drink wine there, they just have it right. Now that not to say that I could live there, I would definetely get very very annoyed with tourist like myself walking around taking photos of everything and eating at all the good resteraunts and forcing Italians to speak English. But to go and visit, I am up for it anytime, everytime.
And now I am 36 days away from some fun in the sun. Yes thats right, its annual lie on the beach after a awesome morning ski time. 37 days on pure sunshine. And saying that now will probably jinx it, and it will rain. But who cares, it will still be warm. HOT HOT!!!
Plans for the next few weeks, lets see. I have a few christmass parties to go to, I have a brand new brand communication idea to put into place and launch, a few countries local sites to rollout, I might even have to go watch South Africa vs England at Twickenham. As an aside, taking Nandos along too. Think its the first time Nandos has watched rugby at Twickers. I’m sure we can both do this. And then I fly.
“I’m leaving on a jet plane, kinda know when I be back again. ”
UPDATE:
So we went to the rugby at Twickers and WOW what a game. We won and by a large margin. Such a great time. Yes we managed to go to the rugby together and it was fine.
Sometimes technology can be beautiful. Take for example this post. This was written from my iPhone while sitting on the tube. That’s not to say that actually submitting it happened until I was in a wifi area that I could access. Why? Two reason, I only have a first gen iPhone and secondly becuase if that very reason I font have a data package as part of my cell phone package. BUT that’s not the point of this post, the point is to how that technology can be very cool. So cool because I am always connected to the net in some form now. Never without a link to the big wide world web.
I have always been a fan of the Dakar race and it was unfortunate that this year the race was abandoned because of the threat of violence. Needless to say the organisers were 100% correct to move it, and that they have.
So currently the Cannes Advertising festival is on, and I’m not there. I can only assume that my ticket got lost somewhere. I spoke to Colin, Guy, Malc, infact just about everyone and no ticket, but sadly that is besides the point.
But why does that matter, well mainly because its the “be all” place for advertising and the best place to see the worlds best advertising.
I am toying with the idea of calling in sick for the next two days and jetting off.
Delegate fees might be a slight set back. I believe that they cost in the region of £3000 per person, or something utterly ridiculous like that.
Posted: February 8th, 2007 | Author:Thorks | Filed under:News, Random | Comments Off
So I suppose I should tell people what I have been up to.
One thing is for sure, I haven’t been updating this blog. But I will try. It’s just very hard when most days are spent on the beach. Well actually thats a lie, most days are spent working, while watching the beach and mountain.
Hmm, lets try catch up from Jan.
Jan 1 – 6th was in knysna with the family. Most days were spent waking up early, going for a ski, trying wakeboarding and then lying on the lawn all day reading while waiting for the afternoon to go ski again. Although I should point out that we are incredibly picky when it comes to when to ski. If the water is not like glass, well we don’t stick a toe in the water.
6th Jan to 24th: Cape Town: Living the life of luxury. Basically doing a little bit of work here and there. Driving around in a Freelander. spending the early afternoons taking the dogs for a walk on the beach, and not wearing shoes. As they say in Kommetjie (where I am staying) I have been “verKommed” which basically means, living life easily.
25th Jan drove up to Johannesburg or Jozi. Awesome drive. Countryside that seems to go on forever and ever. Complete opposite from the UK. Specially London.
26th Jan. After getting lost in Jozi and having to get my cousin to come and find me, I went to the airport to pick up my dad. JHB is just tooo big and toooo many cars, billboards and taxis.
Spent the day with my Dad, doing a little shopping and then had a braai with my aunt and cousin and the other halves. Very cool.
Flew back to CPT on 27th and then drove up to Kynsna on the 2nd of Feb to suprise my gran for her 86th birthday. We got delayed en-route and therefore had to meet them in George.
Actually suppose should tell the whole story here.
So my gran is in her eighties, and she looks forward to the times that her family come and visit.
So after everyone left in Jan, my aunt was going to suprise her for her birthday and fly down to Kynsna, but she decided to tell Elvis (our nickname for my gran) so that Elvis would have something to look forward to. What she didn’t tell was that her daughter, Kyle, was also going to fly down. As well as the two of them Geoff, his girlfriend and myself we also going to be there.
Sonja, Geoff’s g/f was in JHB to see her parents and she was going to fly into George and we were going to pick her up, without Elvis and Bar, who would be picking up Kylie, seeing us.
As I said, Geoff and I were delayed en-route and so Bar had to pickup Sonja aswell as Kylie. She then told Elvis that they were picking up Sonja, because her uncle was late, and could not make it to the airport, and that they should keep Sonja company until her uncle arrived. They were actually waiting till Geoff and I arrived, which we did, and supprised my Gran. I walked in, and in a loud voice, asked it this seat was taken. When my Gran turned around, she had the biggest smile on her face. It was all worth it.
And so onto today, where I am back in Cape Town, sitting here typing this instead of working. And now back to work.
Posted: September 26th, 2005 | Author:Thorks | Filed under:News | Comments Off
First I think you need to read the article and see what you think. These are my thoughts, and I’m going to make my excuses upfront. They might not make sense, but I am incensed by what I read.
Posted: August 23rd, 2005 | Author:Thorks | Filed under:News, Random | Comments Off
I suppose as with all things there is a beginning, and as such here goes.
VASBYTE (Afrikaans for hold tight – South African mantra) is a word I have been hearing and thinking of for about 2 weeks now. Those that I have spoken to will agree that I was not a happy chappy when I arrived here, truthfully I was so desperate to come back to London, I was looking up airfares on-line and getting to the final stage of buying them, before I would come to my senses again and close the browser window.
It took many phone calls to my parents and friends for me to actually realise that leaving in the first week would be absolutely silly. In fact down right mad.
Lets give you play by play of what’s happened since I left London:
Wednesday 3rd Aug: Landed at Ottawa where I had to convince the immigrations officer that I was not trying to sneak into the country, but rather I was just there to go to the US consulate cause the US consulate in the UK had a 4 week waiting list.
Thurs 4th: Met with lawyer and went to consulate, where I sat for about 2 hours and then had my interview which went something like this: I (interviewer): Name? Me: Thorkild Clausen I: How do you pronounce that? Me: Torkil Klowsen I: Right and I see you going for a blanket visa, that’s fine, I just need to sign this and then you can come back tomorrow and collect your passport with the visa.
And that was the full extent of my interview. No why are you coming to the US, are you planning on going to flight schools while you are here? etc.
Highlight of the day: Buying my PSP. Thanks UK office. Got it.
Friday 5th: Picked up visa and flew to Chicago, where I had to run to catch next plane to San Francisco. So didn’t get to see much of the airport at all. Things to note, was the tiny plane from Ottawa to Chicago, and I mean tiny had 10 – 15 passengers at the most. The trip from Chicago to San Fran being an 8 hour flight I would have expected snacks and drinks, but all you could get were drinks, no snacks, no meals, no food to buy on the plane. Some people had even been to MacDonalds and bought some burgers to eat on the plane.
So arrived in San Fran and had to try get into the city and figure out where I was staying and how the hell to get there. Found the cab ranks, and then forgot the address of my temporary housing. The only thing I could remember was the name, and luckily the can driver knew the place.
Get to St Francis Place (the accommodation) and got to my apartment where I found a coke in the fridge. Don’t think I can think of a better welcome than that.
