The Ultimate Hard and Fast debt clearing mission

Kepp

Morning everyone

Very sorry to be taking over Dinah's diary but would appreciate as much advice as possible. I have posted the bit below on my own diary and just wondered what everyone over here thought as well. Sorry, it is a bit long

Africa:

Booked and paid for my flight a few months ago to go to SA in November. A friend who I met while volunteering in Namibia had started working at a project there and I was going to go stay there with him, see what was going on and costs would have been minimal once I was there.

In the meantime I saw that another girl we had volunteered with had also gone, she seemed to be enjoying it and was quite involved, talking possible employment to then she left quite abruptly to go back to the US.

A couple of months on and the guy leaves too, starting work at another project (setting up his own).

I've already booked my flight to the first place so decided I would still go regardless of whether he had left. I assumed he just wanted to run his own place.

I've been in contact with them both - whilst I got a slightly less hysterical view from the girl, they both amount to the same thing - they had discovered that a lot of the conservation side going on was fronting canned hunting Although still legal in SA it is NOT something I EVER want to be involved in.

I contacted my travel agent (first time I've ever used one to book a flight and I'm so glad I did this time!) My ticket is non-refundable although he would be able to try to get some tax back. Tax is a shocking £500 of an £800 flight. It's at the airline's discretion but I think if anyone could get it back it's this guy, he's been brilliant.

We've discussed various options for changing flights, and he suggested keeping the Joberg leg as that's the main expense, cancelling the Polokwane leg as obviously I don't need it anymore. However, should I add another flight on from Joberg I would have to pay a £120 admin fee plus any extra costs. There would also be the costs associated with anywhere else that I would be staying etc, bearing I mind I expected to maybe spend £200 on food and that's about it initially.

The guy I was originally going to stay with has said that provided they get their predator licence (they are expecting a positive decision in the next couple of weeks) then I should still come and work with them at the new place. He could pick me up from Joberg as it's about 2.5 hours drive from there, therefore sorting my flight costs and making my costs once I arrive minimal again.

However (and I don't blame him for this) he has decided to publish a lot of information he gathered about the last place over the next few weeks. He understandably feels it's wrong what is going on and is concerned that the guy will not let him move the leopard he rescued at the last place to the new place. (Leopards for trophy are worth a sizeable amount so I can understand the concerns) However, this guy is getting nasty and may well involve the police. Over here I wouldn't worry about it, but over there it can be a different story. My friend is already getting money together to pay them off should he need to.

So - I could lose £800 and go nowhere. I will obviously be disappointed but at least it won't cost me anymore and I'll be well out of a potential mess.

I could look at other options but most will require money I do not have. My Mum has offered to lend it but do I want to be going further into debt for the sake of not losing that initial £800.

I could still use my flight and go and help the guy with this new project. The current aggravation could have blown over by then and it woould be exciting to be involved with the start of a new project.

Dinah93

Hello strangers. Miss us?

Enjoying having Grace home, this afternoon she's with her Gran which is a bit hair raising for me as we haven't left her with anyone else before.

We were at the specialist hospital this morning about her lung surgery/ACD diagnosis and had quite cheering news from the specialist consultant about the scary ACD - to quote "if I was a gambling man I'd say she doesn't have it". While a large part of me wants to scream at all the sobbing and pain this diagnosis has caused since it was given as a definite rather than a possibility, I'm also thrilled that he's thinking like my favourite consultant at the local hospital in saying the changes seen were caused by the cyst/emphysema rather than being a genetic structural issue.

Having Grace home is brilliant. Nim is back to work Monday, which will be odd, but we have to start getting into a normal pattern after these 4 months of limbo.

wendz86

Yay you are back, we have missed you lots!

Glad you are enjoying having Grace home, first time you leave them with someone is very strange.

That is really good news, really hope he is right. Is terrible though if they have put you through all that if the original diagnosis is wrong.

Beccie - maybe you should go with your last suggestion of using the flight to go help the man with the project as it does not sound good that two people have left. It's a tricky one, think the whole thing would make me very nervous.

ruby_eskimo

I am so pleased that things seem to be looking up for you guys! Hoping that it was just due to all the things happening at the time and not due to any other underlying cause.

Been a strange day at work, was the only one working all morning because the network went down on everyone else's machine apart from mine. Heading home soon, can't come quickly enough!

clearmydebts

Lovely to have you back Dinah and great news about Grace

Beccie - I think the whole thing sounds a bit dodgy and if it were me I would just cancel the whole thing. Thanks for stopping by my diary. I promise to stop by yours soon.

slowlyfading

So glad things are working out well Dinah

starnac

Hi dinah

So glad things are going well. Yes the first time you leave them with anyone is scary (no matter who it is). Glad you to ome positive news from the consultant.

Bet NIM will struggle to go back to work and tear himself away from his lovely ladies. Take care of yourselves

Birdie85

Beccie, I think you should see if things settle down with the bad stuff and go to help the chap in this new project if it is safe to do so. Bit of a tough situation to be in though!

So nice to hear from you Dinah, and such lovely news too! Really glad Grace is doing well and that the doctors are backtracking from their scary diagnosis! :T Really happy for you guys!

I'm very glad it's Friday, and payday to boot! :j Going to see Batman tomorrow and OH is so excited about it, he's been looking forward to this for a good year so I hope it lives up to his expectations! I'd be more excited if Tom Hardy's face was actually visible in the film and he wasn't playing the baddie. He's my new filmstar crush and this could ruin it for me! Other than that, not too much planned, got to do some work on Sunday (at 6pm sharp, what an annoying time!) but luckily it can be done from home and I get double time... and of course if it only takes me an hour I'll be putting down 2 hours on the overtime sheet to make up for the inconvenience!

Dinah93

Morning all. Grace decided to start squawking at 5am, so gave her a bottle, and since then she's refused to go down in her cot, in her swing, be hugged.... all she is happy with is lying on my legs with her feet up my front.... my daughter is strange.

My dad has been doing some sales for a friend lately, and it's actually been going really well, but the graphic designer he's been using has been consistently letting him down on really basic errors that should be gotten through proofreading (or whatever its called when you look at pictures and go 'ooh, that shouldn't be on top of the text/that text should all be the same font/why do I have a completely irrelevant picture in this brochure') and he's asked me to see if I can learn the software required to help him out. Mostly it's just doing layouts for leaflets, postcards, museum gift shop type stuff. Right now I don't even know what software that would be though. I'm looking to sign up to a graphics course when I can find one, the local art school haven't released their September classes yet. I'm really excited to learn something new, I've always loved creating in the real world, so it will be interesting to turn my hand to the digital world.

Firemen are coming to visit this morning. I'm kind of regretting saying yes to this right now as I would prefer the peace and quiet after 5 hours sleep but they called and offered a free home fire safety check as we had to tell them we now store oxygen in the house. I think my MSE brain kicked in and went 'oooh freebie, we'll have that' ... but now all I can think is the attic is rammed full of stuff, but much worse than that the landing fire alarm vanished when we took it down to put a new battery in and didn't have the right size. Now we just have a battery and no alarm. They're going to be unhappy.

Kepp

Thanks everyone I have spoken to the travel agent again (once again so glad I used one this time! I would highly recommend him, small independent business) and there would be no chance of a refund for only cancelling a part of the flight.
We have decided that I will wait a few weeks - see what comes of the new projects predator licence and if the threats die down.

Fingers crossed for a good outcome!

Dinah - so glad to hear things are going well with Grace, sounds like you've got your hands full!

Hope everyone has a great weekend