"Out of the country"

As you all know, our ex-president died on the 5th Dec.

We had about 15 minutes of a tribute that very next morning which I participated in (and Instagrammed - gosh, do things happen if they're not shared?!) and which was very moving. I was very teary.

And then most of the big corporates, I'm sure, set things up nicely on the Tuesday for the memorial service at the FNB stadium.

My company did too.

There was a 3-hour gap set aside for watching on big screens and those that wanted to go to the stadium had the leeway to go.

E.g my one friend in my old team took her 3 sons to the stadium and there was no issue with ex-boss (of course! this is Mandela!!!).

That was for the rest.



Of course in our team any time spent doing non-billable things is frowned upon greatly.

Do you know all I caught of the 3-hour thing was about 15 minutes while drinking a cup of tea, and then later I insisted that I needed to eat lunch and while I was eating I would be watching (our building is set up nicely for this type of thing).

I am fully aware that other things are important but for goodness sake, this is Mandela and it's once in a lifetime! And I'm in a mixed marriage, which would have been a no-go had he not been freed the previous year.

So I feel like I've been out of the country over the last week.



Like I've read on the blogs about how people have gone to the house to put flowers, and to the square, and I've done nothing.

Not to say I would have done something (I find death a bit...erm... off-putting) but it would have been nice to have had the mental space to at least watch the memorial and grieve in my own way.

Instead, it was a two-pill day because I had morning and afternoon meetings with him.

Onwards and upwards - only 6 working days before the Christmas break.... and I still haven't ordered all the Woolies food. Online shopping is my friend because I can't ABIDE crowds.

Are you on leave yet?
PS Aside from Jeanette who made considerable effort :) did you do anything Mandela-wise?