Tuesday 11th April 2023
A fake Monday feeling prevailed today due to the long weekend. But I'd planned to drive the 30km to Midrand to collect my driver's license that was ready. The misty rain from yesterday was sucked up by the thirsty sun and the drive was pleasant with the traffic not being at full steam yet. Schools return tomorrow.
I waited a grand total of 5 minutes for my card to be brought out and I love the fact that everyone at this traffic office wants to keep the flow going. From the security people directing traffic to every single staff member, they were all polite, friendly and wanting us helped and out as quickly as possible.
I decided to drive a different road back and trusted my Google Maps to take me through. I was amazed to stop right outside the main entrance of the Kyalami Car race track. The surrounding area is now completely built up since I was last there. Although it is probably been around 30 years or more. I smiled while driving around it, thinking about my climbing up scaffolding pipes to hook camera cables over the veld, remembering the lonely far corner that my TV truck was parked at - with its awful portaloo that the crew guys don't manage to aim at. The memories feel like another lifetime ago and I suppose it was.
One of memories involved Leo Sayer in 1993, who followed the F1 circuit around the world. He was interviewed by the Breakfast show and I think I was starstruck.
I laughed at remembering how my colleagues all vanished when the French crew came in complaining about bad satellite signal during the rehearsal round. I'd been told that solar spots would knock the satellite down and broadcasters were warned and recommended not to film in advance. I had no idea really what it meant, but I was faced with the bad-breathed technicians shouting..
" Zun spot? Vot ees dees a-zunspot?"
My engineer colleagues had all disappeared and I was trying to calm zee Fwench man down.
It's such a pity that I didn't keep better record of all the interesting incidents that happened in those years. But it was nice to see the race track all built up in modern surroundings and they are even expanding the road! Seeing construction is comforting in a way, it means that people are still planning ahead.
Comments