Scorched earth!

We are in the throes of a heat wave kids, just as photos of cold and snow beyond belief pop into my inbox from the Frozen North. Heathrow seems to have come to a standstill, and we are in serious danger of runaway fires here. Let's hope that we don't have any fires started by litterbugs (yup, Suzy Q's back on her hobby horse) throwing their stompies out of their windows as they drive by with their boom boxes blaring. It may interest to you to know that there is a dedicated line in Cape Town (because of the high fire risk in summer) so that civilians can report people who flick their stompies out their windows. Just note the time, place, make and registration of the car, call 021-4247715 and they will get a warning letter, or at worst, be traced if a fire breaks out in the vicinity of the incident. There have been too many incidences of runaway fires, resulting in massive use of resources, and risk to life limb and our precious indigenous flora and fauna. Do your citizen's duty and put the scummy stompie litterers on the hot spot!


See: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2012/01/11/stompie-hotline-nailing-the-smoking-nuisances

There is  general moaning and groaning and gnashing of teeth as we who are privileged enough to live in the burbs try to cope with the heat by doing our errands in air conditioned cars, and cool off in our swimming pools or have easy enough access to the beach. Yet again, my heart goes out to Agnes, our weekly domestic helper, who travels in hot, crowded taxis and trains and returns to her shack which must bake in today's 42' heat, with nowhere to run or hide. She always has the opportunity to shower when she works here as she still has no running water at home, and leaves, I hope, feeling a little refreshed after her day's work. For all this, and call me the coward I am for I have never asked, not wishing to pry or overstep the mark, I doubt that she has ever had the pleasure of a relaxing soak in a bath. 

The things we so easily take for granted may never happen in her lifetime. Remind me to tell you about Singapore sometime. I'll try not to bore you, as I have such admiration for that model state, founded with so little in the way of natural resources, but with so much vision and great leadership, where even the lowliest of workers have a solid roof over their head, running water, good state education and in everyone I met, there was a great sense of pride and hope for the future of their children, so lacking here. We can only but dream of a leader and visionary of the calibre of Lee Kuan Yew.

And need I say, no stompies or litter to be seen anywhere there either, which may be as a result of civic pride or fear of the law which strictly forbids such anti social behaviour. I don't care that it might be called a draconian society - it clearly works!