I had to race into the the other office, had the taxi driver wait for me, I reset the equipment there and headed back to the first office, to work on my equipment there.

Worked at the office all day, spent some time explaining the basics of the system electronics to the local manager person. Went in to the other office for email and the conference call, and to reset the equipment there. While I was talking to the Canadian ex-pat, he got a phone call (on the ever-present cell phone) and started speaking in portuguese to someone in Angola. These people talk to and talk about travel to other african countries with as much a casual attitude as we think about adjacent states.

Also while there, an American ex-pat walked past and announced to others: "I got robbed at the ATM machine again!" Now THAT got my attention!! I had visions of 7 ex-cons in a stolen car with AK-47's holding this guy up! Turns out its more likely a computer error or fraud issue, with cash being withdrawn from his account, coulda happened anywhere.

Actually, I have found that this place in MUCH safer than I was origionally led to believe. Locals talk about how anything will get stolen in this country, they even steal the copper wires from phone lines. The papers are FULL of crime stories. But, like Thousand Oaks vs South Central LA, Sandton has a lower crime rate than Soweto. Sadly for them, the majority of blacks who make up 80% of the population cannot afford the security gates and self defense guns etc hence they make up more than 80% of the crime victims.

Some'a the folks at work took me out for dinner (beats fast food in front of CNN again). We went to a MEXICAN restaurant, Cantina Tequila, they had a band their playing a mixture of rock and country, the closest they got to mexican music was La Bamba...One'a the black waiters said there were NO mexicans working there. now that's a change for a guy from Arizona! So, I get to spend a friday night in africa drinking and dancing! Still have not seen a Kudu or Wildebeest, except cooked.

After getting back to the hotel at 12:30 or so, I went to the roof top parking lot for some air.

On the way back into the hotel, I had an interesting experience.

I think I got propositioned by a prostitute as I was walking back into the hotel, (and after stopping by the ATM and taking another 800rand ~$130 out).

There is a gate between the mall and the hotel that is closed and when I walked out at 12:45, a guard (there are guards EVERYWHERE here.) had to open it for me and others coming back in to the hotel. I told him I'd be about 10 minutes, so when I walked back and approached the gate, there was an educated looking black lady near the gate on the mall side, and the guard was on the other side coming to unlock it. I said hello or something to the lady to be polite, and she asked if I was staying in the hotel, I said yes, she said, "can I join you" at first I didn't understand what she said, (these people have funny accents, and the whites are harder to understand than the blacks!) She repeated it and when I finally understood what she was offering, I said that I didn't think it would be appropriate, she asked if I wanted companionship, so I showed her my hand with the wedding ring and said no thanks.

By this time the guard had opened the gate and I walked in, she walked away.

Oh well....

I've lived single for a week now, I guess I can survive one more night alone.