If I am making mistakes at the moment please forgive me. We are all broken here and traumatized and nothing is making much sense. If I have ever hurt you in your life or disappointed you, then I am truly sorry. I have never set out to hurt anyone in this world. But I have made many mistakes.

I never thought I am good writer. My friend Craig Freimond is a good writer. He is a very good writer. But I love writing and I am confident and full of life. I am gonna try write a bit this week. I need to.

I got about 6 hours of sleep last night. I had slept about 5 hours over the previous 3 nights and this morning my head is not pounding. So I am sitting here trying to capture some of the things I have seen in the past 3 days.

We left Kyiv on Friday morning. Marta told me to pack fast. I was in a state of shock. I packed mainly food and stuff for the Bunster. I did take my laptop. I got no clothes now and will need to get some soon.

We were woken at around 5:30 am with air raid sirens blaring in the city. It was still dark and about 2 degrees outside. The sun comes about 7. The country was at war. Our lives were about to change.

The drive out of Kyiv was like something out a movie. Cars as far as the eye could see. Each packed with luggage. You could not see into the rear window of any car in front of you – the luggage was everywhere. Europe could be facing the biggest refugee crises ever. And yes, I am now a refugee too.

We are staying at Marta’s aunt and uncle’s apartment in Lviv. We are 600 km from Kyiv and away from the danger. Of course, if Putin drops a nuclear bomb this week, then who knows where it will be safe … anywhere in the world. Yes, the pandemic changed the world, and this is changing the world too.

I read this in the UBN this morning : Nobody expected that Ukraine would fight back so furiously. Boxing champions and politicians are joining the army and this is just the beginning. Nobody ever tried to fight the Putin regime, however, Ukraine did.  Do you all realize this is the beginning of Putin’s era end? 

I have heard the word “naïve” a lot today from my friends and colleagues in Ukraine. Putin may just destroy all of Europe. Don’t be naïve. If he is humiliated he will take everyone down with him. I can see that clearly now.

We did try leave to head across the border into Poland but found it impossible. We have the Bunster and some people are waiting in their cars, or on foot, for over 60 hours. It is snowing now, and we cannot sit in a car for days with a baby.

To drive around takes forever. It doesn’t matter what it says on Google. There are road blocks everywhere. Civilians are checking for Ukrainian males that may not be joining the war effort. I have a foreign accent and an Austrian passport so they let us get on our way.

I love Kyiv. It is one of the world’s best kept secrets. It is a beautiful and big city full of passion and culture. The place where Fiddler on the Roof comes from. That story was written in Kyiv and it was set in a village just outside of Kyiv.  I used to come and go from Kyiv since December 2007 when Jacques and I first came here and met Michael. And then about 6 years ago we bought an apartment there. Well, 3 of them actually, and joined them all together. It is a quite a pad. Not sure we will ever see it again. I hope I do. We loved that place. It was absolutely stunning. A work of art. We were very lucky.

In 2018 and 2019 we made a short concept film that celebrated Kyiv and the IT entrepreneurs there, and the spirit and passion of Ukraine. We were meant to shoot the film in 2020. I will never forget the date. It was April 6^th 2020. We had been preparing for over 18 months. Craig was meant to land in Kyiv that day and the small cool crew here of camera guys and sound dudes were locked and loaded. The pandemic hit the world a few months before and the film project, like so many other things in the world, had to press pause. We were then planning to start again this year. Craig was gonna fly here in May and we would continue. And now, the world changed yet again. It is a whole different story now. We were working on a narrative that explored old Soviet culture and how it shaped modern Ukrainian entrepreneurs and the tech world here. War though is a different proposition.

When we were leaving Kyiv on Friday morning it took us 2 hours to drive the first 50 kilometres. Tanks were coming into the city and soldiers in big military vehicles, on the opposite of the road. These were the Ukrainian soldiers going to fight. Fighter jets were flying over head, and bomb blasts were heard and all the cars shook. There was fear in the air and all of us were sweating non-stop. It was surreal. In the end, it took us around 17 hours to drive 500 kilometres. I did not eat for two days. Just sips of water to try sooth the dryness in my mouth. I had no appetite at all. We did not stop once and when we arrived we literally collapsed. The last 3 hours of the drive, was on makeshift country backroads, filled with potholes, that South Africans would be shocked by.

The next day, on the outskirts of Lviv, on our next part of the adventure, to attempt to drive to Poland, we saw civilians on the sides of roads taking down road signs so that Russian infiltrators did not know where to go. I saw so many things that looked truly bizarre. Road blocks of course are everywhere. Checking for Russian aggressors and Ukrainian men (who are being called up to fight). And yes, there are babushkas with guns.

I made notes of so many things I saw. It is all surreal.

Our attempt to cross the border into Poland did not work. We had a plan with a diplomatic connection. But alas the law changed in the last few hours of our plan, and well, this is war. Nothing makes sense. Yes, we tried some chutzpah move and almost pulled it off, with a connection, but we are now back in Lviv, with family, and this is where we will stay for this week. We literally were waiting for two days and a night here in the West to cross the border. There are millions of people trying to cross the borders in the West of Ukraine.

I have been flooded with love and support – thank you. I have also swamped with nonsense. People telling me that have a friend who can help, or, when I get to Poland they have a friend who will take us for dinner and look after us. No one can help. But thank you. And if anyone was insulted by my behavior on WhatsApp then get over it. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a kind person and one thing I am not is rude or unresponsive. So again, please just get over what ever it is that made you feel insulted. We live in such a selfish world with such big egos. I also am getting a taste of that now again. Last thing on this, I am also getting messages (way too many) from people I don’t know. Please do not give my number to anyone. I cannot keep up with the texts and no one can help us. I know you mean well, but you are not helping us at all.

I will try write again more soon. It was a good release now. I am gonna go play with the Bunster after this. He is a cool little dude and he makes us smile and laugh. We need to laugh. Where there is laughter there is hope.

God help us all, and the world.

I was reading in The Kyiv Independent about “Ukrainian oligarchs, businessmen leave country en masse. According to the Ukrainska Pravda news outlet, over 20 private jets left Kyiv on Feb. 13. Over the past two weeks, planes owned by oligarchs Rinat Akhmetov, Victor Pinchuk, businessmen Vadym Novinsky, Vadym Stolar and Vasyl Khmelnytsky all left the country.”

https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2022/02/13/7323857/

If these geniuses all want to help Ukraine then they can stay away. Yup, don’t come back.

It is fascinating how these parasites who take and take and take are the ones that are leaving. They are not role models and they don’t help anyone. They are actually a big part of the problem. They create no value for the country, they create no jobs, and they are corrupt and twisted. In my simple view, they help no one but themselves. So again, help Ukraine and never return.

The situation in Ukraine with the Russian army parking on the Ukrainian border is causing a lot of stress. And yet, Russia has said repeatedly that they are not planning to invade Ukraine. But Western media continues to suggest that an attack could happen any day now. And again, Russia keeps saying they are not not going to invade Ukraine. So what exactly is Russia doing?!

If Russia does invade then isn’t Russia a big fat liar. Who would ever trust Russia again? And why would they attack Ukraine? I understand Russia is not happy about NATO’s expansion over the years but why then attack Ukraine. Attack NATO if you are not happy with them but what has Ukraine done to Russia. Russia does not want Ukraine to join NATO but as it stands Ukraine is not part of NATO so what is the problem. Yes, I know I am over simplifying things but the questions here really are simple. Is Russia going to invade Ukraine and can Mr. Putin really be such a madman. I can’t believe that. I am not getting it. Russia keeps saying they are not planning on invading Ukraine and on the news last night the Americans and the Brits are telling their citizens to leave Ukraine right away. Again, what exactly has Ukraine done to Russia?

Russia says Ukraine is a part of Russia and that they are their brothers. Who kills their brothers ???

Western news suggests that missiles could bomb cities in Ukraine as part of the first Russian strike. This sounds like terrorism. When Israel gets missiles fired at Tel Aviv that is terrorism, but this is not about terrorists. This is about the Russian army. They must have a plan but at this stage no one has a clue what it is.

Our little man is almost a year-and-a-half old. Wow, time is flying. The Bunster is such a cool dude. We love him to bits.

Corona finally got us. Felt like a kak flu – feeling better today. Phew. We were lucky. Many people have died from this freakin’ thing.

We have been so scared to catch corona, especially with the Bunster and all, but now we can tick it off the list. We are fully vaccinated and have been so careful but we caught it somehow. And so many people who we know have it too. The corona craziness continues.

A bigger disease in the world though has been around a lot longer and it is far more devastating. It is called greed.

I was in bed for the weekend and was thinking: is greed and selfishness the same thing … ? I looked up on Google and found this: Selfishness is when you want something just for yourself. Greed is when you want more than what you need.

I am a selfish person. But no more selfish than the next person. We live in a selfish world. But I don’t believe I am greedy, or ever have been. And sadly, so many people I have met in my life are very greedy. Doesn’t mean I don’t like them or that they are bad people. But this global greed disease is damaging the world, way more than the corona virus.

I read something on Twitter this week that really got me thinking: Money can’t make rich people happy, but it can make poor people happy.

We all need to give more. After all, the best way to receive it so give. One way to help cure this greed disease is to be more generous. Patience, love, generosity … these all used to be more evident in simpler times. That is my perception.

Do you know which is the largest country in Europe? I have a feeling you didn’t know. Go to Google and take a look. The answer is: Ukraine. Most people don’t know this, and for sure, like where I come from (South Africa) most people don’t know what or where is Ukraine.

My partner Dimitri wrote this text below – I am sharing it here. It is a good read.

Ukraine has been in the limelight a lot recently: over 20 unicorn start-ups, thriving culture and much more. Now the largest country in Europe is in the news once again, and this time it is not for a good reason. The ongoing crisis between East and West is culminating in Ukraine, where the debate is being played out politically and physically.

Now is the time to hire Ukrainian and Eastern European talent, keeping the working economy healthy. We stand with our teams and friends across Ukraine as work and life continues despite the mounting pressure on the border with Russia.

From PYGIO’s view, we are born in the cloud and remote-work native. We do not need to be in any particular space to do our work to make our clients win. We work with teams globally and are committed to helping each of them be safe where we can.

We were recently in Kharkiv (very close to the Russian border – a peaceful university city), Kyiv (the bustling capital) and Lviv (Western Ukraine) and we believe these cities will remain stable, prosperous and free.

For a succinct analysis into what is transpiring in the region, see Fareed Zakaria’s take here: https://youtu.be/bVwd7TW_v-4

For 6 reasons “Why are US and Russian tensions escalating over the Ukraine?” click here : https://youtu.be/LCK6daF9fNc

Today has a been a peaceful and soulful day. I hope the rest of the year is like this.

I saw a funny thing on the Net earlier that said “Let’s make Year Three of Covid the best one yet !!!”

Yeah, there certainly were a lot of jokes flying around in 2021. We needed to laugh – it is always the best medicine. It was not an easy year for most folk I reckon.

I closed the books last night on some stuff and those stories need to stay in the past. As my one mentor once told me “Every problem has an expiry date.” I think 2022 is going to be another challenging year for the world, and I also think the stock market bubble will finally pop during the next 12 years. Then we are going to see more craziness.

I walked a few different paths this year on the work front. The PYGIO journey, which was filled with important lessons and milestones, will continue this year and we start off this month with some exciting potential. On the film front, we are waiting to receive on offer from a distributor for our documentary “57” about violent crime in South Africa. The film turned out very good – it is an important and powerful piece of work. I hope we conclude something in the next couple of months. We have another film project just raring to go.

Happy new year. Try and remember that it is better to be kind than to be right. The world needs more kindness in 2022.