New Year, New Fear

It's one month into 2009, and only now are the big manufacturers trickling back to their plants.

With production hitting all-time lows late last year, holidays were extended with a month, instead of the usual few days stolen while knowing the rest of the world steams ahead full blast.

The year has started off slow, with bated breathes and worried creases. But this balances out the fevered rush which heralded last year. And look how that ended up! In tears, with thousands internationally landing in the unemployed queues. As far as I can see, this hesitant beginning can only bode well. We're set to look more carefully at our tallies, our needs, our wants, and work harder to keep what we have, while encroaching the market shares at a more realistic pace.

While we have positive reports on South Africa's standing in the global economic market, we have our naysayers shouting from the sidelines - 'The only reason South Africa looks so good is that we didn't have that far to fall!'
A bit heartless, a bit comedic, a tad exaggerated.
Petrol prices have fallen, interest rates are down, housing is slightly more affordable, cars are cheaper... surely this is for the good of the common man? After all our complaints on the fast escalation of costs, surely we'd like to throw a couple of thank-yous at the feet of the powers-that-be.

Well, it seems that the spirit of Christmas was stingy last year, and there was little enough good-will to get this year started.
Perhaps a bit of love from the Day of Valentino will put the smiles back on our faces.