God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

05/24/2010 • 10:20 pm Comments Off on 24.05.2010 a burning taxi…

24.05.2010 a burning taxi…

Another story accompanying the “Ball of HOPE”. As the ball starts, two tables are empty – those of our very own employees, the HOPE Community Health Workers, as we call them.  They arrive late and quite exhausted… What happened? Two taxis were ordered to bring our employees to the Westin Grand Hotel. One taxi caught fire before leaving – and we are lucky that nobody was hurt or killed. The other taxi had no petrol…  South Africa 2010…

Today the owner apologised and promised to return back the deposit of money. This is the least he can do. For me it is amazing what all sells in South Africa – surely he was aware of the conditions of the cars he offered for good money. There is still a long way to go before ethics are established in this business sector – a sector, millions of people depend every day.

Thanks to Hardy for assisting in finding a way to bring all our employees back in one piece… – but surely, for them the eve was more stress than enjoyment.

Otherwise this day saw the new budget draft for HOPE Cape Town, a discussion with senior staff about their portfolio and a meeting with a website design company to discuss improvements on our HOPE Cape Town website. In the afternoon signing of a contract with the “Abenteuerhaus” in Germany to committ to the World AIDS Awareness Expedition II in the coming year. Watch the space… 🙂

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , ,

05/23/2010 • 10:17 pm Comments Off on 23.05.2010 After the Ball of HOPE…

23.05.2010 After the Ball of HOPE…

Pentecost and the day after the Ball of HOPE – a day of reflection and rest –  maybe more of the latter.. 🙂
A great eve, fantastic guests and most things ran smoothly..  thanks to all and everybody assisting, helping and supporting and special thanks obviously my partner in crime, Anja and Petra from the Mediterranean Villa who helped a great deal with the preparation.

Tomorrow a new week which will see me travel again, this time to Hamburg. But before some days of work @ home – so to speak . Tomorrow is HOPE Cape Town day – meetings the whole morning to discuss a new website design, the portfolios of the senior staff and the budget for the new budget year 2010/11.  And then to the Westin Grand Hotel to settle the final bill and collect all outstanding items left after the ball… Since weeks I want to occupy my new office at pharmacology.. also will be done this week.

Time is flying again – and May almost gone and looking into my diary, June is also quite busy…

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, , , , , ,

05/22/2010 • 4:20 pm Comments Off on 22.05.2010 Ball of HOPE

22.05.2010 Ball of HOPE

Coming back from Johannesburg yesterday afternoon – so many things happened in the last 24 hours… preliminary talk for recording the talk-show “Bei Beckmann” in Germany – to be screened on Monday, 7th of June 2010. Then farewell for friends leaving for Bangkok  to take on a new post. And of course all preparations for the Ball of HOPE taking place this evening. 320 guests are expected despite all the sports events taking also place today. All is ready now.. and soon the tuxedo will hopeful still fit 🙂

For the 13th time this meanwhile major charity event will take place – and I think back to the humble beginnings – 80 people and Archbishop emeritus, Desmond Tutu at the first event, at time still called “Dinner-Dance”. Lets hope that all is going well this eve – for the joy of the participants and the benefits of HOPE Cape Town.

Filed under: HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , ,

05/20/2010 • 12:10 pm Comments Off on 20.05.2010 At the airport again

20.05.2010 At the airport again

After a day of preparation for the Ball of HOPE 2010 I am now at the airport again to fly to Johannesburg. Meeting a friend in the eve to catch up and tomorrow morning a meeting of the working group of the SA-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry on energy efficiency and renewable energy. Then back to Cape Town for a pre-talk regarding my participation at the talk-show “Bei Beckmann” the week after.  In the eve a farewell party for close friends leaving to take a post in Bangkok.

At the airport I again and again notice how bad the SAA staff is trained, hardly able to handle any complaint or request – resulting in a mixture of unfriendliness and left in the dark. So we will not win the hearts and minds of those few coming to watch the Soccer World cup. SAA you can do better and instead of financing all the sports nonsense, give training to your staff and optimize what is called “service”! Don’t follow LH in this regard…

Before I left this morning I had an interesting interview for RTL on HIV and the impact on South Africa – an invite to join a TV session in Salzburg next Tuesday arrived, but not sure I can manage that.. Why don’t get priests a flight licence as part of their studies????

Filed under: General, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , ,

05/18/2010 • 10:20 pm Comments Off on 18.05.2010 Home again

18.05.2010 Home again

A safe landing this afternoon without any major hassle – Cape Town is greeting with sunshine and warmth. So nice to be back.
But reality kicks in immediately, the Ball of HOPE needs now intensive preparation. Somebody who has been a Rotarian in the same club some years ago died with 42 years and the family wishes me to do the memorial service. And there is the flight to Johannesburg on Thursday to attend a meeting of the working group for renewable energy of the SA- German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
No time to get bored or sin in any way… 🙂

Thanks to Fr Wim for being such an excellent travel companion – and I feel, that we have achieved very much in the last 10 days. I am sure Manenberg is happy to have him back as their parish priest – and I am also sure that the German sweets will find a lot of fans in his community. 🙂

Filed under: General, Reflection, Uncategorized, ,

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