Licensing Blues

On Thursday I discovered that my bike license expired at the end of February, not the end of March, as I had thought. Panic. Fortunately on Friday we stop work at lunch time, so I sprang into action.

Unlike the driver's license, which one can process at any centre, renewing vehicle licenses has to be done within your residential municipality. I live in Johannesburg, but work in Benoni, about five minutes away from the Boksburg Licensing Department!

Anyway, I zoomed through Boksburg, stopping briefly at an ATM to draw enough cash for the license, then headed for the Johanneburg city centre as fast as I could, to get in before their 3:00pm closure.

Everything went perfectly. I was there shortly after 2:00pm, and had no problem finding a parking - having a bike, I simply parked on the pavement outside the front door, where bikes are expected to park!

Before I could get to the front door of the building, I was accosted by a couple of very persuasive men, who demanded to know what I was there for. When I told them, they expertly whipped out the appropriate form to fill in and announced that they would help me to complete it very quickly. I looked at them sceptically and asked if they worked there. They looked pained - and the one announced that the other one was "a consultant". They looked even more pained when I told them that I was perfectly capable of filling out a form without the help of consultants! "Well, at least buy us a cold drink," they whined.

Once inside, it took only moments to fill out the form, and there was someone on hand to show me which queue to join. Before too long, my number was called and someone processed my papers, then kept them and told me to join a different queue. That took longer, but a half hour or so later, a batch of numbers, including mine, was called and we were told which counter to go to. To my relief, that queue went fairly quickly - but it wasn't the goal yet. We were simply given our papers back, then told to join any of the others queues along a certain section, where the cashiers were.

3:00pm had come and gone, and the queues became shorter as no newcomers were allowed in. By shortly after 4:00pm, I had the goal in sight and was consoling myself that it had been worth it. At least my bike would be on the road legally again within a few minutes.

When my turn came, my papers were scrutinized, then shoved back at me. "You have an outstanding amount to pay on another vehicle," was the announcement. "Go to counter 20 and get a R114 form. You'll have to pay that before you can get this."

Turned out that there were outstanding license fees on a vehicle that had been in someone else's possession for some time, but had never been transferred - so instead of having to pay R108 for my bike license, I now needed to pay R693.30. By the time I'd received my R114 form with the due amounts, counters were closing rapidly as people packed up for the weekend. "Do you accept cards?" I asked with resignation.

"Yes, no problem. Just go back to one of those cashier counters that are still open."

So back to the final queue I went, sorely depressed, but with the knowledge that at least I'd get my license disk now.

When I got to the front, I pushed my papers under the window, along with my card. The woman looked up, with what seemed to be a triumphant glint in her eyes. "We can't take cards," she announced, "we're off-line! Come back on Monday."

I limped out with my tail between my legs, and rode home as unobtrusively as possible. No prizes for guessing where I'll start my Monday......

Jozikids - March/April Events

Here are some listings of events for March and April, provided by the Jozikids website. The site has a wealth of information, event listings and places of interest in the Johannesburg area to keep your kids busy during the Easter school holidays. For more information, visit their site at www.jozikids.co.za

MARCH / APRIL EVENTS

ANIMALS Shumbashaba, Self awareness through horses for teenagers, Diepsloot, March.

ARTS/CRAFTS Smudge Art Centre music wkps & art activities, Craighall Park, Tues-Sun Mar 10-Apr 26.
Art Classes for teens & pre-teens w/Yda Walt, Auckland Park, Fridays. 1 free trial lesson.
Bryanston Organic & Natural Market puppet show & puppet making workshop, Apr 11.
Color Cafe ceramic painting for beginners, ladies night, moms & daughters, Hyde Park, Mar 13,27
Crystal Kidz Creativity Wkshps, Petervale/Bryanston in Feb/Mar & Easter Programme in Mar/Apr.
Ethno Art Studio charcoal wkshps & adult art classes, Honeydew, Mar 14, 28.

BOOKS Exclusive Books Children's Book Festival for kids u/12yrs Jhb & Pta, Mar-Apri.

BUFFET LUNCH Family Sunday Lunch ,at the Hyatt Regency Hotel w/ kids activities, Rosebank, every Sunday.

COOKING The Bread Workshop ,hands-on bread making wksps, Diespsloot, Mar 28,29.
Little Cooks Club , kids cooking classes, Rivonia, Kyalami, Fourways, Bryanston, Mar & Apr.
uShef Cooking Courses for kids from 7yrs & domestic workers, Olivedale, Mar & Apr.

DANCE Kim Field Winter Dance Workshops, breakdancing & hip hop lessons, Fourways, Mar 27-Apr 15.

EASTER Ludwigs Rose Farm Easter Weekend w/egg hunt, pony rides & more kids fun, Pretoria N, Apr 10-13.
Zwartkops Quad Centre Easter Egg Hunt!, Centurion, Apr 12.
Crystal Kidz Easter Creativity Programme @ Crystal Essence, Petervale/Bryanston.
Easter Bunny Cullinan Steam Train, Friends of the Rail, Apr 13.

FRANCHISEES Equal Zeal® Franchisee Training, Life Coaching Studio for Kids, Chartwell North, Mar 27-30.

FUN The Teddy Bears’ Picnic, Society for Animals in Distress, Midrand, fun for kids & adults, Mar 18.
Sinbad's Stunt Show Gold Reef City Theme Park Mar 28-Apr 14.
EQual Zeal™ Training Family Fun Day - Zeal the Zebra shows his True Colours Book Launch, live music, storytelling, life skills wksps etc., Chartwell, Mar 21.
Honeydew A-maze-ing Mazes Alien Sunday at the Lost in Space Maize Maze, Mar 15.
Playdays @ Elf's Hill, Randburg, Mar 18.
Drakes Party Farmyard, pony rides, waterslide & feeding farm animals, Linbro Park, every Mon & Wed.

GENIUS KidsLab & TeenLab Workshops, an intro to Genius Mind!, Jhb, Mar 21
The Matrix Workshop Wiz1, about how exactly we are 'plugged in, Jhb, Mar 28,29.

KIDS WORKSHOP My Suite Hyatt Mini Hoteliers program, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Rosebank, every Saturday.

MARKETS Body, Mind and Soul Fayre for holistic fun & entertainment in Edenvale/ Pretoria, Mar 7,8; Apr 5.
Rosemary Hill Market w/ quality produce & kids activities, Pta East, 2nd & last Sun of mnth.
The Rustic Food Market w/homemade and farm produce, Fourways, every Sun.
blubird Whole Food Market for fresh produce, Birnam, every Sun.
Jozi Food Market in Parktown North every Sat morning.
Urban Midrand Market, for quality goods and kids activities, 1st Sat of every mnth.
Crafter's Market at Bokkie Park, 1st Sat of every month in Boksburg.
Craighall River Craft Market w/organic food, playgd & pony rides, 2nd Sat of every mnth.
Bryanston Organic & Natural Market, food, crafts, kids activities, every Thurs & Sat, 9am-3pm.
Irene Village Market at the Smuts Museum, Irene, Pretoria, 2nd & last Sat of every mnth.

MUSIC Old Mutual Blues, Jazz and Roots Festival @ Emmarentia Dam, Apr 4.
Music Rose Festival @ Ludwigs Rose Farm, Spiced Coffee Restaurant & Butterfly Garden, Pta North, Mar 21-22.
Music for Toddlers, Smudge Art Centre,Craighall Park, every Fri.
Sundowner Music Concerts, at UJ Kingsway Art Centre, Auckland Park, every Mon.

PARENTING Bright Ideas,wkshps by Nikki Bush for parents & anyone raising kid, Bryanston, Edenvale, Mar-May.

SHOWS Planetarium, shows & lectures, Braamfontein, Thur, Fri & Sat.

STORYTIME Dibuka and Alliance Française story telling by Izindaba, music, theatre, Zulu, French, English, Parkview, every 1st Sat of the mnth.

THEATRE Black Light Theatre of Prague, "Cartoon Theatre" UJ, Auckland Park, Mar 18-22.
SA Ballet Theatre Studios Cinderella, Braamfontein, Mar 20-Apr 5.
Porralicious The Finalsh @ Pieter Toerien Theatre, Montecasino, Mar 4-15 excl Mon & Tue.
“Not the Midnight Mass” Montecasino, Mar 4-15 excl Mon & Tue.
Joburg Promusica Kidz Roald Dahl's "Danny the Champion of the World", Roodepoort, Mar 2-28.
Into the Woods, Jnr by Gecko Productns @ Wits Amphitheatre, Braamfontein, Mar 12-21.
The Rocky Horror Show Barnyard Theatre-Broadacres, Fourways, Mar 3-Apr 12, excl Mon.
High School Musical at Montecasino Teatro, Fourways, Jan 24-Mar 15th, excl Mon & Tues.
Jack and the Beanstalk at the Peoples Theatre, Braamfontein, Mar 9-Apr 25.
The Secret Garden at the National Children's Theatre, Parktown, Mar 9-Apr 25.

TRAINS Friends of the Rail, Steam train trip to Pretoria-Tshwane, Cullinan/ Bela Bela, Pretoria, Mar 29, Apr 26.
See EASTER for Easter train, Apr 13.
WALKS/HIKES Check the calender every weekend for a list of regular walks or hikes in Gauteng.
Walk at the wilds with TJ, a leisurely spring snack-pack stroll, Houghton, Apr 26.
Braamfontein Spruit Sandton Field and Study Centre, Sandton, Apr 26.
The National Zoological Gardens of SA (Pretoria Zoo) 5km Fun Run/Walk, 3rd Sat of mnth.
Delta Park Walks Victory park, every 3rd Sun of month.
The Zoo Trot at JHB Zoo, Apr 19, May 17, June 14.
Alberts Farm Walk in Greymont, 3rd Sun of every month.
Small Mammal Biodiverstiy Assessment, Melville Koppies Central, Mar 21.
Kloofendal Nature Reserve Weekly guided walks & talks, Roodepoort, in Mar & Apr.
Giloolys Farm, Linksfield Ridge & Harveys Park Walk, Giloolys Farm, Mar 29.
Melville Koppies Central Walk, Emmarentia, every Sunday.
Melville Koppies West Walk , Westdene, 1st Saturday of every month.
Sandspruit Walk in Rivonia, every Sunday.
Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve in Mondeor, every 2nd & 4th Sun of the month.

WEEKEND RETREAT One Breath Celebration Kung San people take us on guided journeys, workshops, drum circle, etc. Mar 27-29.

Thanks to the guys at Jozikids for this info - keep up the great site!

If you would like to subscribe to their regular newsletter, go to www.jozikids.co.za and sign up. It's packed with information.

Some Great Gift Ideas

Thanks to Jean of Gift For All Occasions for this award!

Her site has some great gift ideas - a LOT, in fact, not some! Why don't you pay her site a visit at http://giftforalloccasions.com - I'm sure it'll be just the first of many visits.