It's been a while since my latest installment of news about the new complex we moved our shop to 3 months ago. And a lot has happened, most importantly the whole centre has almost filled up!
Apart from the slight increased difficulty of obtaining parking, the atmosphere here is much more lively, which makes work so much more enjoyable. I seem to thrive off energy, so the increased hustle and bustle is awesome! When we moved to the centre 3 months ago 5 shops out of 10 were occupied, but one is used as storage, and the other a church which generally operates after business hours. One shop was occupied by the letting agents, so there were only 3 actual businesses including us!
If you have followed my blog, the butcher who (noisily) moved next door has turned out to be a godsend. Their meat is very good and cheap!!! (And right next door!!!) I can even get organic eggs there. They are definitely responsible for most of the increased traffic in our centre. They are also pleasant people. I learnt that the creepy brother seemed that way as he is slow, apparently caused by a fit at birth. My husband and I have grown to love him as he is so very passionate about everything he does! On Fridays and Saturdays they sell wors rolls, and he helps with that rather than work in the shop. Wors is a traditional South African spiced beef sausage cooked on a braai (barbeque) and served in a long bread roll with the accompaniment of your choice. He passionately declares, buy a wors!!! when you pay him a visit. He passionately sets up the braai, and with a great degree of passion disassembles it at the end of the day. Once he was sent to borrow a hammer from us, and he didn't take his eyes off our worker who was sent to fetch it for him. We adore him. I think we should all live our lives like him.
The bridal shop on the corner is still busy moving in after 4 months! My husband wanted that shop originally, but it was already being let to the bridal shop owner, even though it was empty. There are dresses in it now, and some sporadic activity, but it is not yet open for business. We are already acquainted and on friendly terms with the owner of the shop being used as storage, as we have both had businesses in this town for well over 20 years. Unfortunately I did experience a situation with one of the church owners/representatives. We had asked permission to store our furniture outside the church, which was granted. But a lady came to see me in the shop during the week aggressively stating we were leaving a mess outside the church. I saw she was spoiling for a fight, in which I also detected racial undertones, and since we need that space, I sucked it up and was impressed at my ability to sweet talk her!!! She ended up doing some shopping in our shop. She was clearly in the wrong, we had had some hectic wind which had blown the rubbish in the corner, but I kept the peace for practical reasons, though I was irritated. I was slightly horrified at how easy it was to be false.
We have had a couple of incidents with some of the other tenants. The lady from the curtain shop began to take liberties in our shop and especially began to get on my nerves, by interfering in my work. I was about to deal with her (tactfully), but I made the mistake of telling my husband about my frustrations. My husband has zero tact, he told her, my wife says you are like a fly! She didn't step inside the shop for a month. Very slowly the frosty relations have thawed, but unfortunately her first attempt at kindling a friendship was to gossip about someone we both knew. I'm not interested in that kind of friendship, so my answer was monosyllabic. One of the new businesses is an insurance agent. I have had previous dealings with her, and she is well, a little dodgy. She quickly showed her true colours and also took liberties at the shop, this time annoying my husband who told her off.
The latest business to move in is a beauty salon. Today they are having a jubilant party to celebrate their opening. Some of the other businesses are, well, a little judgmental of the noise caused by their celebration. It is a cultural thing and doesn't bother me, you only open once. I am happy, I only need to walk twenty steps to get a wax!!!
The only business that has moved out are the letting agents. Due to being around a while I know a few people. My husband and I quickly theorised why the centre had become so deserted in the first place. There were reports of the rental being raised by exorbitant amounts which caused the previous tenants to move out. I know the niece of the owner (who I discovered was overseas a lot) and told her our theory that they were charging way over the rate the owner wanted, and were pocketing the balance for themselves. A month later they were out, and new letting agents are running the complex. Their premises are the only remaining empty premises...and my husband wants it. (But that is a story for another day!
