*~Blue Saturday~*

On Saturday evening, my mom, sister and I along with our partners went for dinner at Blues in Camps Bay. This was our first time experiencing Blues and I was pretty excited, because I had heard good things about it. Unfortunately I have to say that it was not all that I had expected. The restaurant was hot and stuffy and very noisy. I suppose the noise was normal, but they recently renovated and this made the restaurant smaller which I thought maybe added to the stuffiness and excessive noise. We ordered drinks and unfortunately after asking for various beverage types, the restaurant did not have stock of many that I mentioned.

Away with the negatives, we had drinks, enjoyed the company and just looked passed the things that had gone wrong so far. We had some salads to share for starters which were delicious, however, I cannot say the same for the main course. Most of us had a seafood platter and I must say that it was by far the worst seafood I have ever had. There were no sauces, even the mussels which normally come in a creamy or garlic butter sauce were dry. The fish tasted old and the chips looked like they had been fried and re-fried in old oil. Nothing tasted good. When we asked for some tartar sauce, we were informed that they had none. This at a Seafood restaurant? We were all disgusted. I felt so sorry for the waiter, because we all knew it wasn't his fault and obviously the management/ manager (who was very young, immature and clearly full of himself) was not up to standard.

Eventually we were all in need a shot to make the food taste better, and surprise - they didn't have what we were looking for. We were all hysterical after a while, everything became a joke and I think we were just not surprised by anything after that. So we decided to get the bill and head off to find our drinks/ shots we were looking for... Lovoka. Unfortunately the place we visited next also seemed to dissappoint, so my mom saved the day with the last thing tastier than a caramal shot, Sinnful ice-cream, YUM! In the end, it was a dissappointing, yet very entertaining and enjoyable evening! We enjoyed the company, and the bad experience at Blues provided us with some entertainment and no recommendations for anyone to have a meal there anytime soon!

*~Of all the forms of courage the ability to laugh is the most theraputic~*

Laughter makes everything better... Well in my opinion it does. No matter how dull, scary, daunting or simply boring a situation may be, the best way to turn negative energy into positive energy is through laughter. Laughter is therapeutic to me, it heals the heart. No matter how depressed, stressed or scared I am, laughter has a way of taking me to a happy place. Laughter is contagious as well. One person laughing leads to another person laughing or simply smiling which in turn creates a happy cycle in life.
I found a few quotes about laughter to share with you...

Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.
Bob Newhart

Laughter is a tranquilizer with no side effects.
Arnold Glasow

Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life.
Author Unknown

A day without laughter is a day wasted
Charlie Chaplin

Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.
Mark Twain

 

 

*~A tribute to fallen products~*

"'Coz nothing tastes like Fresca!" This is slogan that will never leave my mind. Years ago, Fresca exitted our market and to be honest, I still have no idea why. All I know is if I could get my hands on a can of Fresca right now, I would! I used to love it! So many products come and go and we often don't hear the cause of their discontinuance... It's kind of frustrating, because just as they bring something onto the market and you start loving it, they remove it. Why why why?! Anyway, so here are some more products I miss... Vanilla Coke (McDonald's used to sell it, that's where I was first introduced to it), Fanta Strawberry, Holy Moly's (yummy chocolate coated rings - I think it was a Cadbury's product), and then lastly, when we were kids, they used to sell these small packets of 'fizzy-like' sweeties. They were about the size of a skittle, but flat. You could buy mixed-flavoured packets (fruity) or one-flavour packets. My favourite was the cream soda flavour... I have no idea what these sweeties were called but I sure crave them a lot and wish they'd bring them back onto the market :( Maybe one day! I'll make it a goal to find the name and try bring them back onto our shelves :)

*~The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood trauma~*

This is an extract from the book, "Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart: Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now" by Gordon Livingston and Elizabeth Edwards.
I found the following text from "The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood trauma":
"The stories of our lives, far from being fixed narratives, are under constant revision. The slender threads of causality are rewoven and reinterpreted as we attempt to explain to ourselves and others how we become the people we are. As I listen to these tales of the past, I am impressed by the ways in which people connect the things they experienced as children to who they are today. So what do we owe our personal histories? Certainly we are shaped by them and must learn from them if we are to avoid the repetitious mistakes that make us feel trapped in a long0running drama of our own authorship."

So what I can interpret from this text is mainly that our pasts shape our futures When we are children, we experience life and all its new challenges. We then learn to deal with these from the way we were brought up. This develops our way of reaction to life. Our parents teach us right from wrong and from their advice and guidance, we are able to make our own choices in life and this helps shape our morals and values. We take these morals and values with us for the rest of our lives and these help us to not make the wrong choices and life decisions. No matter the situation, our past will always play a role in helping us shape our future. I am a firm believer in this!

*~Excitement brewing~*

In less than 5 days Kings of Leon (KOL) will be gracing Cape Town stadium with their awesome presence and I CAN'T WAIT!! After moving their performance date months along, October 26th is almost here... I am and have always been a huge fan of KOL and after all the piles of work we've been knee-deep in, I think we can have a well-deserved evening of awesomeness with KOL with no guilt :) To get us all ready for the show, here are some interesting facts about the band...

1. Only by the Night was the second biggest selling album in Australia in 2008 – so much so that total CD sales actually increased compared with 2007

2. The band all actually use their middle names: the members are correctly named Anthony Caleb Followill, Michael Jared Followill, Ivan Nathan Followill and Cameron Matthew Followill.

3. All of their album titles have five syllables. The band claim that the first three (Youth and Young Manhood, Aha Shake Heartbreak and Because of the Times) were coincidence, but they've superstitiously kept it going with Only by the Night.

4. That's not the only superstition they have: before they go on stage they all sing the gospel song 'Just a Little Talk with Jesus': "Now when you feel a little prayer wheel turning/And you know a little fire is burning /You will find a little talk with Jesus makes it right."

5. In the season two finale of The Mighty Boosh ('The Nightmare of Milky Joe'), the only object that Vince Noir (Noel Fielding) brings with him in case of shipwreck is a copy of Aha Shake Heartbreak. His justification is that "It's a blinding album; better than their first one. And they came up with it really quickly."
6. Caleb has claimed that 'Sex on Fire' took the longest time to write. "I kind of wrote it when I was drunk. I didn't want it to be too cliché and too corny. I knew the hook so I wrote one song about two people that hated the sight of each other but the sex was so good that they couldn't stay away. And then I wrote one that was just way too explicit. I just kind of tried to find a happy medium there somewhere."
7. Nathan and Caleb started out singing country music and playing at rodeos around Nashville before the band switched to rock'n'roll

8. They have many high-profile fans: Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Kelly Jones of Stereophonics are some who have sung the band's praises, with Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse praising the band's production ethic on Aha Shake Heartbreak: "I understand there was very little overdubbing on that record. Even the vocals were live. It hurts me how psyched that makes me."

9. They're sick to death of answering questions about their father, their being home schooled or forbidden to listen to secular music when they were growing up. "After a while you feel like you're a story and you're not being recognised for what you're actually out there sacrificing everything for."

10. They've already decided what their final album will be called The Altar Call. It'll break their five-syllable-title rule; but then, if it's to be their last, they won't need the luck anymore.

To those of you going, enjoy! It's going to be a night to remember! :)

KOL - Closer, one of my favourite songs! (Performed live in Germany)

*~Only bad things happen quickly~*

It's so scary how quickly car accidents happen, without any warning... When I first started driving, my mom would constantly warn me to be aware of everything around me and how when you drive, you are driving for the other person as well... You have to constantly focus and once you lose concentration, even if it is for a split second, anything can happen. You need to think about the person driving in front, behind, next to you as well as looking far ahead to cars and people away from you. It's quite amazing that we don't see more accidents happening. Sure, accidents happen every day, but in relation to the huge population, it's not that much. In a split second of losing concentration, you may wonder off the side of the road, drive into the back of some one else, or even hit something and flip the car. Accidents are scary things and they often cause extreme injury or death. They are definitely regarded as really bad things and certainly happen very quickly.

*~What are the chances?!~*

So in order for you to fully understand the craziness of this occurrence, you really need to watch the clip below... Last weekend a trail cycle race took place at the Albert Falls Dam Nature Reserve where Evan van der Spuy was hit by a Red Hartebeest. van der Spuy is the South African Youth Cross-Country Cup Series champion and part of Team Jeep. During the race, his teammate, Travis Walker was cycling behind him with a GoPro handlebar-mounted camera and captured the entire event.

Here are some questions that they asked van der Spuy:
What was the first thought that went through your mind when the buck hit you?
"I didn't have any thoughts, I was knocked unconscious.... When I woke up I couldn't remember what had happened"
Looking at the footage, it seems like you sped up once you pointed at it - why didn't you stop?
"Often buck run in front of you when you are doing trail rides. One buck had already run past me and I could see the other on my right. I didn't realize how fast it was running at me and that we would end up colliding."
Did you see the buck coming straight at you? What was your first reaction?
"I saw it when it was about a meter or two away and started to brake, but at that point there was nothing I could do."
Has this experience changed your views on trail riding? Will you be more cautious when riding in the bush?
"There is nothing I could've done to prepare for it. So it hasn't changed my views on trail riding. I will be back on my bike in a couple of weeks."
 Looking back on it, what are the first thoughts to come to your mind?  
"I'm overwhelmed! When I got to school this morning I didn't realize there would be that much hype around it."

ONLY in Africa folks! ;)

*~Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid~*

I would say this is a pretty bold statement ;) Cheesy I know... But on a serious note, we all live different lives. Some of us are bold and daring or better known as risk takers. Others prefer to constantly be kept in their comfort zones and never wonder to a risky side. We are all different. I know that I like to be a bit bold and daring from time to time. It tends to keep me sane, and make sure that I am still living life. If I constantly stay in my comfort zone and never take risks, I feel useless to myself and the rest of the world. Being bold, daring and risky definitely brings mighty forces your way. Once you have taken a risk and successfully accomplished it, a sense of power and pride occurs... Some people need to feel this, others are happy with their quiet, secluded way of life. Each to his own I always say...

*~Something exciting~*

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned one of the many amazing things on my wish list - the Le Creuset product range... As I have also told you before I absolutely love baking, so while paging through the latest "Sarie Kos" (Sarie Food) magazine, I came across a competition combining two of my favourites... Le Creuset is giving away a variety of their brand new tea collection sets to the lucky winners of their baking competition. I couldn't resist and decided then and there that I would be taking part in the competition. I have to bake and photograph 3 tea-time treats on a 3-tier cake stand with the recipes and send it in by the 25th of November 2011. After all this stress from varsity in the past couple of weeks and weeks to come, I have something other than my holiday to look forward to. I can't wait to decide on my theme and get going with this task. Hopefully I am one of the lucky winners, but if not, at least I did something that I enjoyed :) So now I can't wait for the last hand-in of the assignments and exams... Let's see how it goes! (I'll let you know :) )

Pretty in pink!!! :)

*~The last lecture~*

Our last lecture has unfortunately not yet been and gone. We still have a couple left and then an exam or two before we draw this year to an end. I am very excited, but at the same time find it sad that I will not be seeing the same faces everyday (well, except for Fridays ;) ), because our class was in fact pretty awesome! :) It has been a good year, however I am excited for it to come to an end as I will be obtaining my Degree in Public Relations and be entering the big wide scary working world next year... It has indeed been a good year. We had some cool lecturers and at the same time some "sucky" ones too, but overall I can say that I learnt a lot, gained new friends and enjoyed my one year at CPUT. It was a good year to look back on...

*~Summer time~*

So it's only the end of September and already we have been lucky enough to have a small taste of what summer will be like... I cannot wait! I absolutely love summer! All the sun kissed tanned bodies, lazy beach days, swimming, cocktails and salads and all things fresh! Summer is filled with vibrant things to do. There is no reason not to be outdoors which suites me perfectly_I love all outdoor activities. Being able to put away all those baggy winter jerseys and pull out the bikinis, summer tops and tanning oil. I cannot wait to wake up to a sunny day everyday and head down to the beach to work on my tan. I can't wait to spend weekends on various wine farms with friends, talking, laughing, eating and drinking wine. I cannot wait for summer to officially make its entrance! :)

*~Watch this space~*

It's so strange how this statement seems so appropriate for when I will be finishing my studies this year. At the moment my life is filled with uncertainties, however, there are so many things I still want to do after completing my Btech in Public Relations. I still want to do a couple of short courses to strengthen my knowledge and expand my horizons even further. I am not sure what I will be doing next year, but I do know I want to be working and studying part-time. This life is so filled with so many wonderful opportunities and it's up to us to make the best of each opportunity we pursue. All I know is: watch this space... I predict many great things to come from the rest of my life :)

*~My favourite Cat in the Hat book is Green Eggs and Ham, because... ~*

Technically I cannot remember reading many Dr. Seuss books as a kid. I was more of a Raoul Dal kind of child :) However, one of the books that I enjoyed or quotes that I can remember is from "Green Eggs and Ham." It's so weird how it makes absolutely no sense, I mean Green Eggs and Ham, eeeuuww.. However, that was Dr. Seuss, totally crazy. I remember this quote from a movie called "I am Sam". I watched it many years ago, and still cry every time I watch it.

“Do you like green eggs and ham?

I do not like them,

Sam-I-am.

I do not like green eggs and ham!

Would you like them here or there?

I would not like them anywhere.

I do so like green eggs and ham!

Thank you!

Thank you,

Sam-I-am.”

*~Greyton: a little gem~*

My aunt celebrated her birthday this weekend and decided to invite us all for lunch at Abbey Rose, a quint little restaurant in Greyton. This was my first time visiting Greyton and I must be honest, I was not too struck on the one and a half hour drive just for lunch. However, on arrival my breath was blown away. Greyton is one of the most beautiful towns in South Africa. It seems so isolated from the rest of the world, almost like you are the only people left on the planet, but in a good way. It is incredibly peaceful and just naturally beautiful. It is more of a village than a town and is situated between the Riviersonderend mountain range and the curving hills. All the houses have a country feel to them and are situated on the streets with no fencing, except if they have horses or animals which need to be kept inside. All the plots are massive. The houses are right in front on the street and the backyards stretch almost all the way to the next river... While taking a slow drive through the streets, we came across a Staffy, which was just lying in the middle of the road. He didn't even move and just lay there, as stubborn as a rock. We had to drive around him, talk about a lazy dog. It was too funny :) Then and there, I decided that one day I would own a house in Greyton. It is the perfect getaway from the mad rush of our everyday lives. Who know, maybe even retire there :) So in the end, the one and a half hours trip was so worth it. I'll be sure to be back very soon!

*~Did you know?~*

Some interesting facts I never knew, that I thought I'd share with you...

* On average, 100 people choke to death on ball-point pens every year.
* Only 1 person in 2 billion will live to be 116 or older.
* Plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
* Rumor: Marilyn Monroe had 6 toes. (Eeeuuuw, haha)
* Pearls melt in vinegar.
* Turtles can breath through their butts! (Haha, how hilarious)
* In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world's nuclear weapons combined.
* Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
* The electric chair was invented by a dentist. (scary stuff!)
* 'Go' is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
* A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
* Cigarette lighters were invented before the match.

:)

*~Why I have conversations?~*

Simply put, conversations build relationships. They are the starting point at a first meeting and form the basis for our relationship building with other people. I like to have conversations to gain an understanding of what type of person I have met, learn more about them and where they come from and build meaningful conversations about common interests. Conversations also build knowledge and stretch our thoughts out of our comfort zones. Without conversations the world would be in complete silence. No one would know anyone and no one would have relationships. We wouldn't have friends to share anything with nor lovers to be happy with. Technically speaking we wouldn't exist because our parents and their parents parents would never have met, how strange... That would be a very sad world indeed.

*~Bucket list~*

Being only 21 years old (going on 22 in a month :) ), I have yet to complete my top 100 things to do before I die... I have a list, but it has not yet reached 100. However, by the end of my blogging journey for this year, I will make sure that I have 100 things listed. :) Here are some of the things to do on my list until now...

See/ travel the world, visit all the Mediterranean Islands around the world, take the Underground, walk on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, gamble in Las Vegas, experience a Rugby World Cup (live), stand on the top of the Eiffel Tower and scream something completely random in French, learn to speak French, learn to speak Italian, learn to speak Greek, learn to speak Mandaron, eat macarons from Ladure in Paris, eat real pizza and pasta in Italy, visit the place in Greece where Mamma Mia was filmed, eat a real corn dog from the USA, walk around New York and experience the craziness (Time Square), take a yellow taxi ride (and whistle to get one - I wonder if that really works), go shopping on Rodeo Drive in LA, learn to ski, learn to play golf properly, take a hot air balloon ride, swim with dolphins, shark cage dive, get my scuba and divers licence, scuba around various blue oceans around the world, learn to samba and salsa, take pole dancing classes, be super fit, do the Cape Argus, do the 2 Oceans Marathon, Do a baking and cooking course, perfect the macaron and make a perfect macaron tower, take part in a reality cooking show (Masterchef), own my own bakery and restaurant, do an apprenticeship at Carlo's Bakery (Cake Boss) and learn all the wonderful tricks and skills to making those amazing cakes and pastries, cooking course in Italy, learn to make clothes and execute them successfully, design my own shoe label and have it launched, do a photography course, become a photographer (if not full-time, then photograph a friends' wedding, professionally), spend my entire salary (one month) on shopping (amazing!), own a house on the beach, take my mom and sister on a luxurious holiday around the world, start an NPO for all the stray, abandoned and abused animals, own a Chihuahua, Yorkie and Jack Russell, grow my own veggie garden, get married, have kids, be a good parent.... LIVE LIFE!!!

So that is the start of my bucket list... It doesn't sound too impossible :)

"In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away" - Shing Xiong

*~Yummy~*

Having a bit of a break from Varsity, I decided to turn my attention to my baking skills. I absolutely love baking. One thing I dream to do one day is to own my very own bakery with the most gorgeous and awesome cakes and delicacy's... So this week I made the vanilla cupcakes with butter cream icing (which turned out yummy), the old classic fudge (which I burnt my fingers on, but was worth it in the end), and tried my attempt at a very unusual kind of sweet treat, Macarons. With the simplest ingredients, I never realised how hard it would be to perfect these delicate treats and the skill that comes with it. They truly are an art.

I tasted my first Macaron this year when looking for the perfect selection for my moms' Birthday. I tried many stores, however some had closed down so each store would recommend another... Eventually I ended up by Daniela's in the Cape Quarter. Luckily these were absolutely divine and we have been back for more since then :) Macarons are small round meringue biscuits, crunchy on the outside and a soft and chewy custard on the inside. Although their name is French, they only arrived in France in the 10th century when Catherine de Medici came from Italy to marry Henry H and brought her pastry cooks with her. Their name comes from "Macaronner", which means to mix the batter until its firm and only slides slowly off the spoon. They are a popular part of the French Patissier's art. The most beautiful and famous Macaron shop is Ladure in Paris.

Neat less to say, my Macarons did not turn out the way I had expected. They were still chewy and extremely tasty, however, the outer shell had seemed to be a bit too fragile and thin... However, that is not the end of my Macaron journey, with the next holiday approaching in November, I will be sure to perfect these works of art :)

*~Fun facts about dogs~*

So I recently came across a program on Animal Planet called Dogs 101. Being a dog lover, I was pretty interested in what they had to share about various dogs. I found it so interesting and educational, so here are some facts about different breeds of dogs...
Did you know, the French Bull Dog:
- Is a mixture between an English Bull Dog and the Pug.
- Are not athletic (they are really short).
- Are heavy snorers - Their mushed in faces (nose) makes it hard for them to breath properly (which explains why they are not too athletic either).
- Cannot naturally reproduce - They are top heavy so it is impossible so are therefore artificially inseminated.
- England is the only country who sees them as a specific breed.
- Are great companions.
- Do well in small spaces, are good family dogs and if you scratch its belly, it will love you forever :)











The Airdale Terrier:
- Is the largest terrier of its breed.

- Are highly intelligent - they served in the military and the White House.

- Can be clownish, but are great guard dogs.

- In WW1 were used as messenger dogs.

- Were bread to chase ground animals.

- In the 1920s were the most popular dogs in the USA.

- John Wayne received his name, The Duke, from the Airdale Terrier.

- Extremely high intelligence, energy and learn tasks very easily and need lots of exercise.

The Chihuahua:
- Is the oldest breed in the USA.
- Love to be pampered.
- Smallest breed in the world.
- Love to be the centre of attention with relentless snuggling.
- Native to Mexico.
- It can have an apple or deer shaped head.
- It has the largest brain in relation to its size of all dogs.
- 1 person dog who are protective over owner.
- Are good service dogs.
- Healthiest breed around.
- Live for 15-20 years.
- Are sensitive to hot/ cold climates.
- Are great dogs to own, but not good family dogs (Don't get along with small kids).

So those are just a few facts which I learnt about these breeds... I would really love to own a Chihuahua one day. They need lots of love and attention and are just the most adorable dogs around :)

*~My big fat BIG dream~*

My big fat BIG dream is not just one dream that I can define! I have lots of dreams which I hope to achieve one day... However, there is one specific big FAT dream that I have. In short, I have a huge passion for animals (as some of you may know by now), and hope to one day help all the abandoned, homeless and abused animals by owning a small holding where I provide a home, food and tons of love for each of them. Animals are not able to fend for themselves and so often get mistreated. It really upsets me and because they are not able to stand up for themselves, I would like to stand up for them and provide them with the life they deserve. So that is my SPECIFIC big fat BIG dream. One day it will become a reality!

*~Just for fun!~*

So this week I've been kind of bored with varsity work... I just can't seem to get motivated with any of these massive assignments we've been given. So, I decided to find some fun and interesting facts to share with you :)

I bet you didn't know:

• A rat can last longer without water than a camel.
• Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.
• The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.
• A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top (I have to try this!!!).
• A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.
• Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying (Doesn't work with me).
• On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily! (That explains a few mysteries...)
• Sherlock Holmes NEVER said, "Elementary, my dear Watson."
• Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood (That's just sad).
• There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange, purple and silver.
• Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them (Hahaha!!!!).
• The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo (Shame man).
• Weatherman Willard Scott was the first Ronald McDonald.
• If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will instantly go mad and sting itself to death. (Who was the sadist who discovered this??)
• Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down so you could see his moves. That's the opposite of the norm.
• The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."
• The original name for butterfly was flutterby.
• The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.
• Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet.
• By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.
• Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a hehe).
• Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

Hope you enjoyed reading these, I know it certainly helped distract me from my other important work, but at least I learnt something :) 

*~Conventional is a good fallback position isn't it?~*

The one thing that comes to mind when reading this topic, makes me think of how times have changed and people developed, but yet, returning to conventional methods of living always seem to work best. A simple example could be how years ago, people who supplied (and still supply) Woolworths and other Supermarkets with freshly baked breads and pastries used to bake each bread or pastry from scratch and with true manual labour (if you can call it that). Things used to taste home-made and fresh and you could almost taste the persons passion for what they have produced. Each batch had an individual taste. Nowadays, with the rapid growth of technology, we have machines that do everything for us. All these producers of breads and pastries need to do is press a button. Now everything tastes the same, and seem to be more boring. Yet, we still have home bakers who supply us with real home baked goodness which is the more conventional way of doing things. We often find these little jewels at slow food markets over weekends where the home-made foods are celebrated and devoured. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather prefer good old conventional methods of baking if the end result is that tasty... YUM!

*~Butterfly Dreams~*

Papillon Belle is the next item on my wish list. A good friend of mine introduced me to this amazing jewellery a few months ago and I am absolutely besotted! Papillon Belle is an exclusive range of jewellery designed by Cape Town graphic designer and illustrator Audrey Botha. She uses real butterfly wings (once they have passed on) and creates amazing jewellery. Their lifespan is between 1 and 4 weeks, so Audrey wanted to find a way to immortalise the beautiful creatures in pendents in order to hand them down from generation to generation. They are very special. The exotic butterfly wings are set in Stirling silver frames with a choice of perspex or glass setting. They range between R1700 and R3400. Quite pricey some would say, but to me they are worth every cent! They are absolutely stunning! I'd love to own one one day in order to be able to pass it down to my daughter and for her to pass it down to her daughter and let the generations continue. Just by looking at them, creates a sense of calmness to me and that is another element which makes it so special...

  

*~You cannot chase two rabbits at the same time~*

This statement reminds me of a similar one: You can't have your bread buttered on both sides. The first thing that jumps to mind.... MEN! Short and simple, guys always seem to want everything their way and no other way. But, unfortunately for them (or fortunately in some cases), females know what they want and how to get it, so manipulating a guy to understand that it is not acceptable to chase two rabbits at the same time or have their bread buttered on both sides is a pretty easy task! :)

*~Cooking with magic pots~*

So, another item on my wish list (because of my passion for cooking), is the range of Le Creuset cookware. Since 1925, the skilled craftsmen at Le Creuset have perfected enamelled cast iron cookware at its foundry in Fresnoy le Grand, France. Le Creuset continued to use the hand-crafted techniques and the original process of forging and casting in the manufacturing of its cookware. The attention to its heritage is also characteristic of the design. The Cocotte (French Oven), was one of the first cast iron items produced by Le Creuset and it is still the most popular item sold in a range of bright retro colours. The Flame (orange) one, is the company's trademark.

Beautiful cookware!

The Le Creuset cookware range comes at a high price, but I know that it will last a lifetime! I hope to own the entire range one day, so guess that it'll be one of the places for my wedding registry ;)

I think I may just pop down to the sale, maybe start my collection at the right price :)

*~Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea~*

Alain said: "Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea". I completely agree with this statement. Having only one idea can result in disastrous consequences. Many people have a more creative side and therefore are not as clued up when it comes to the business side of things. Creative people such as designers, inventors etc often have an idea (creative idea) and decide to run with it, without consulting what the consequences could be... Running with the one idea that they may have, could lead to financial loss, reputation damage and many other unnecessary negativity's. That is why, it is always best to have a back-up plan, or if you do not have the business sense for it, appoint someone to create a back-up plan in order to prevent failure of your one, very good idea...

*~Something BIG taking over Paarl~*

There are a couple of festivities which take place annually in Paarl, but not one as big as INTERSCHOOLS! Interschools takes place between the two/three biggest rival schools in Paarl - Paarl Boishaai (who team up with Paarl Girls' High) VS Paarl Gimnasium. It is the biggest Interschools in South Africa and well none across the globe (so we have been told). It takes place during the first weekend of August (this weekend), but already starts the week before. The town is filled with banners, flags, and stripes of the different colour schools... It really is insane. Not a single tree, lamppost, door or any object in the town for that matter is safe. Everything is filled with the blue, white and green vs the red, yellow and green banners.

Both the primary and high schools take part with the sports including; hockey, netball and rugby. Rugby is the main event (or the one that people look to for which team has won). The main game takes place on the Saturday afternoon at the Faure Street stadium and is packed, packed, packed! Even though it is a school event, I would have to say there are more "old boys" and "old girls" present than students. Paarl is filled with loyal people, each supporting their school and it is taken very seriously... However, it is very much about the celebrations. The drinking and socialising goes on ALL week long. One of the famous bars/ restaurants have informed us that they go through more than 40 Cases of Brandy alone over the weekend. So, you can just imagine the craziness! At the end of the day, no matter the score, it is pretty cool to be able to party with everyone, no matter the school they support.
So if you are looking for a perfect example of team spirit and good sportsmanship, you need look no further. Paarl during Interschools is the place to find it, and I guarantee you'll have an awesome time!

*~Have you figured out the second head fake?~*

When I first read this question/ topic, I was very confused, as I had no idea what it was about... I then went on to trusty Google and found out about the man who created the Second head fake, Randy Pausch. He was a life teacher and what an inspirational one he was. Randy was a Carnegie Mellon Professor with terminal cancer who died at the age of 47.
His final speech became an Internet sensation and the basis for a new book called, The Last Lecture.

I have yet to watch his entire speech, but some interesting and true quotes that I found, said by him include:

"You cannot change the cards you are dealt. Just how you play the hand."
"Don't complain. Just work harder."
"Luck is truly where preparation meets opportunity."
"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."
And one of my favourites:
"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to chow how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough."

What I have found thus far about Randy Pausch has been truly inspiring and I am so glad we were given this topic to introduce him to me...

Lastly, he says: "Did you figure out the head fake? It's not about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life the right way... the dreams will come to you. Did you figure out the second head fake? The talk's not for you (implying his students). It's for my kids."
With this he wanted his children to know the kind of man he was and to teach them what he had learned...

*~*~*~*~Wish upon a star~*~*~*~*

So my recent interest has led me to discovering new, pretty and expensive things that I want want want!!!

Even though I have always known that you need money in order to get the things you want, reality has hit me that much harder lately since my Wish list has started growing to a scary level... Being a student is tough when you're not working. I have come to terms with the fact that I will have to earn a fortune one day in order to satisfy my shopping addiction and slowly but surely start crossing off the items on my Wish list :) Even though this may depress my slightly at this point in time, it just motivates me to work that much harder (at varsity now and in the workplace one day).

I have an addiction to shoes, specifically high heels, however, because I find myself being slightly on the tall side I struggle to wear heels, but LOVE them. I often buy them, but hardly wear them, however it adds glam to the closet so it's all worth it :) One pair that I am most probably going to spend the biggest part of my first paycheck on is the Christian Louboutin Daffodile Aurora Boreale 160mm heels. I am completely obsessed with them. They are extremely high, but gorgeous! :) Anyone interested in surprising me, I really won't mind! ;)

Gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS!!!!

*~How hard is it to follow instructions?~*

This makes me think of a typical scenario in the everyday life of men... I would have to say that women tend to follow instructions much easier than men do (just because we have a proper brain ;)). Men have a certain ego and 'face' that they are always trying to protect. Rather than doing something right the first time around, they always have to try and prove that they know best.

A typical example, (which I have experienced a number of times) takes place where a new hi-fi system/ table/ outdoor umbrella is purchased by a man and woman. The man accepts his role of assembling the new item, however, to try and prove his 'muchoness', he decides to skip the instruction manual and assemble it the way he thinks it should be assembled. In the end it fails and there is always something missing/ lose or unstable. All because...he couldn't follow the instructions and let his ego get in the way. This will never change, unfortunately. So, we will forever be stuck in a world with 'mucho men' and new unstable items in our households... Oh, the joys! :)

*~15 minutes of fame!!!~*

If I could be famous for 15 minutes of my life, I would choose to have my 15min of fame being able to save someone/ people's lives... 15 minutes can make a huge difference to someone and being in the right place at the right time can definitely help save as life.

If it were possible for me to go back in time, I would want to have been someone who would of had a premonition of the 9/11 attacks and been able to save peoples lives... It would have been hard, but I would make sure that all the people on the four planes about to be hijacked and in the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon be evacuated within minutes and close off any nearby areas to the buildings... This way, the nearly 3000 people who died would possibly still been living today, all the families involved would not still be going through pain from their lost ones, and the war between the USA and al-Qaeda members would not have gone on for so long... It would have been amazing!

A bit off the subject, but a movie that has stuck with me called, Remember me. The main character (Robert Pattinson) is a troubled teen, whose brother committed suicide years ago... He blamed his father as he believed his father pushed him too hard at work and therefore could not handle the pressure anymore... Long story short, in the end, Robert Pattinson forgives his father and as he waits in his fathers' office for him one morning to finally declare their 'war' over, the camera zooms out, allocating September 11, and you see him standing in one of the Twin Towers, with his father still in a cab on his way to the office. All of a sudden, one of the planes crash into the building, and that is how the movie ends... Can you imagine how many of those 3000 innocent people were not prepared for what was about to happen to them? It breaks my heart having to think about it all over again...

So that is what my 15 minutes of fame would be. Not to have fame from the world, but just a thank you from the people whose lives I saved, that would be good enough for me...

One of my favourite quotes and something I like to think about...
Ghandi said that whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it, because it's a good bet... nobody else will...

*~They really do love eachother...~*

No, this is not going to be a story about a happy couple and their happy ending... It is about my two adorable Rottweiler 'pups' and their love for one another...

So let me first start by introducing you to our 2 other family members, brother and sister - Zoe and Zeus. These are not your usual Rottweilers, they are pretty loving and caring (well with us and the people we know), I wouldn't send a stranger into our yard, because they can be vicious at times... (which is good) ;) Zoe and Zeus can fight about the stupidest things, just like any brother and sister I'm sure... Mostly about territory though and when they start their fight, you don't want to be in the middle. After a few minutes they come right and all seems to be forgiven :)

We often have to take them to the Vet for their annual check-ups, but ever so often, one of them decide to have some growth in their gum, or unusual mark on their body, and one of them need to go to the Vet without the other... Zeus has always been the 'ill' one, and when we leave Zoe at home and load Zeus in the bakkie, Zoe goes ballistic. We have learnt to lock her up in the backyard so that she cannot see her brother leaving, but she still knows. It's so sad really and I've cried numerous times, because it just shows how much she really loves her brother and cares about him... She cries and cries and doesn't want anything (not even a biscuit) except her brother. Eventually she calms down and once he returns, they play and hop around like two young pups, it's very sweet.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, we noticed that Zoe has not been wanting to eat. Almost like she didn't like the food. So, we changed their pellets, but she still had no interest. We then thought she had a sore in her mouth so decided to feed them softer food, such as rice, pasta and even just gravy for over their pellets. She seemed to eat a bit better. Still, she hadn't seemed to be interested in the dry pellets, so we decided a visit to the vet was the only way to find out exactly what was going on... On this day, we had to take Zoe and leave Zeus at home for the very first time... Zeus is normally the calm, chilled one, whereas Zoe is the hyperactive, energizer bunny. Once we loaded Zoe into the bakkie, she was calm, but all of a sudden, Zeus leaped to the front, and as the gate was opening, ran out and into the street, going completely crazy! We had to lock him in the back, and then thought everything to be fine... Zoe was going in for a cat scan, so was going to be under sedation for a couple of hours. On return to the house, we went to the back to let Zeus out. But unfortunately, he had managed to get himself stuck between the braai wall and the garage wall (approximately 20cm wide, if that) with the half of his body stuck between the wall. He couldn't move and we could see he was in pain... Yet, he was going ballistic. We called the Vet and on arrival, she gave him an anaesthetic injection to calm him down and try and get him out. He was still hysterical. She gave him another shot and eventually after it didn't help either, she phoned the other vet working on Zoe, and he arrived with another injection. Eventually Zeus calmed down and the vets had to work carefully, dislocating his legs and head to wangle him out of the gap...

My babies :)

Once Zoe returned, Zeus was very tired from all the anaesthetic... They lay next to each other, both with sad faces... It had been a hectic day for the both of them. We are still waiting for Zoe's test results, but for now she has two shaved patches on her head.

It just goes to show that even though they may want to kill each other at times, they truly love and care for one another. Zeus just wanted to be by his sister and now she was home, laying by him, as they fell asleep...

*~Top 200 Achievements~*

I know myself well enough to admit that I have a memory of a goldfish... It would take me days and days and days to remember 200 achievements which I have achieved in my life... What I can say is that I most certainly have 200 achievements which I am sure my mom is proud of, but they may not be all that big, but big enough to me and everyone who cares about me :) Here are a few of my achievements that I can think of...

1st step,
1st word,
1st run, 1st swim,
1st mudpie (making and selling them with my sis),
1st cultural exposure (going to a Jewish playschool),
learning to sing in Hebrew,
taking ballet for 7 years,
1st entrepreneurial adventure (selling things at our schools' market day),
1st baking session without a flop,
1st meal I cooked,
u/13A hockey team,
swimming team,
athletics team,
orchestra,
playing the violin for a decade,
singing in front of an audience on numerous occasions,
1st job,
1st interview,
working at the 2010 FIFA World Cup,
learning to drive,
passing my learners licence,
passing my licence,
1st drive on my own on the highway,
passing matric and all grades first time,
walking to school everyday in high school,
organising my matric farewell after party on my own in one day after the organiser let us down,
entering a beauty pageant,
1st climb up Lions Head,
getting over my fear of dogs and now owning 2 Rottweilers and having a huge passion for animals :), obtaining my Diploma in Public Relations,
moving to Cape Town on my own...

The list can go on and on and I am certain by the time that I have left this planet, I will have thousands more. Every day we achieve something, even if it is something very small. An achievement is an achievement and its what makes us want things in life so much more!

*~Crying: a sign of weakness or strength?~*

Everyone may have their opinion on what crying is a sign of... But, in our family, we are all very emotional people. My mom, sis and I cry about the smallest things... Even if something isn't as sad to my sister or mom as it is to me, they'll cry because I am crying... So to me, crying is a sign of strength. In our family it shows that we deeply care about one another and even if we have no words to describe the way we are feeling, the tears start rolling and we understand one another, and later have a good laugh about it. It may sound weird, but it's what makes our bond strong. That is my way of looking at crying being a sign of strength! 

*~A skilled set called Leadership~*

Leadership is not an easy task. You have huge responsibility and everyone looks to you for guidance, no matter which field you are in and leading. I'd like to believe that we all have some leadership skills... The one thing to me that distinguishes a leader from a great leader, is how he/ she combines and uses those skills in order to make the final product a success! Some people enjoy leading, while others enjoy following... We can't all be good leaders, imagine what a disaster life would be then!

*~Growing up...~*

In school, we were a pretty big group of friends, approximately 14 girls... It has been 4 years since our matric year and most of us are still pretty tight... I am the only one of all our friends that decided to come to Cape Town for my tertiary education... I have certainly missed them, but we still keep in contact and every time I see them, it feels like nothing has changed...

Our Matric Farewell :)

We recently had our annual girls reunion in Cape Town and once again, it was one of those nights none of us would forget. Because I don't get to see them all that often, I notice changes in them, even if they are very small. One dominant change that I have seen in each of us, is that we have all grown up... Grown into the people we know we are but were sometimes too scared to show all of... It just shows that we have grown up in the sense that we now want these 'differences' to be portrayed, which makes us even closer, because every time you share something new with a friend or friends, it makes the bond stronger... I know that we will all be friends for a very long time, and one day when we are old grannies, we'll have so much to laugh about, because there is never a dull moment when we all come together!

*~ Frank ZAPPA - crazy man~*

"Rock journalism is people who can't write interviewing people who can't talk for people who can't read".

Wow! Personally, this quote is way to complicated for my liking. It definitely makes you think, but also makes me think... what on earth was this guy smoking?! I have heard of him and I'd probably know a song if I heard it, but I had to look him up in order to get an understanding of what he was saying... Frank Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film editor. So that was who is, but now back to the quote... Personally, I don't have much to say about this quote, but what I can say, is that Frank Zappa must of been a deep passionate man to have written this along with some other quotes I found said by him... Another quote that I found quite interesting was one he wrote about Freak Out (which was his debut album in 1966), saying:

"On a personal level, Freaking Out is a process whereby an individual casts off outmoded and restricting standards of thinking, dress, and social etiquette in order to express creatively his relationship to his immediate environment and the social structure as a whole."

Crazy musician, Frank Zappa!

*~The BIG move~*

My grandparents have lived in Johannesburg ever since I can remember, and I have lived in Paarl since the age of 1. Throughout the years, they visited us in Paarl during Christmas time, special occasions, birthdays, but not as often as we would have like to see them... They have always loved Paarl and I can recall them saying on numerous occasions that they would like to retire to Paarl one day... I didn't really believe them until about 10 months ago when they broke the news that they would be moving to Paarl in June 2011. We were all very excited and before we knew it, they were here! It is so amazing to be able to stop by and see them whenever I want and know that they are no longer thousands of kilometers away... Not to mention all grans home-cooked meals, mmm... :)
Fortunately, I was on holiday when their moving truck arrived, so I helped them unpack and get everything ready for their new home. It was all very exciting. My gran was determined that she needed new bedding and some new furniture to suit their new lifestyle, so my mom and I took them to Canal Walk one Saturday for some shopping. After many hours, we had gotten all that we needed and my grandparents are very much at home in their new house :)
The only thing left to do now, is to get my aunt, uncle and cousins to move down to Paarl or Cape Town, so that they can also be close and our whole family can spend Sunday afternoons at my grans dining room table enjoying a good meal and fantastic company with lots of laughter! :)

*~~What motivates me?~~*

In short, the first thing that sprung to my mind when I read this question was EASY... My mom. She is my biggest motivation. Just by looking at all the things she has been through in order to get where she is today, she is my biggest role model and the biggest "thing" (if you could call it that), that motivates me to do everything I do to my very best ability. My biggest fear is to disappoint her and that is why I always try my best to make her proud... She always makes me feel good about every task that I embrace and motivates me to do what makes me happy and what I feel is the right decision. She guides me, but never forces me. She is the strongest person I know and for some or other reason, I can't help but agree with the phrase that all us 'children' hate to hear: Mom sure does always know best! :) Love you mom! Xxx

*~ Namibia - Part 8 (final) - Amanzi Noordoewer to PAARL~*

The following morning, we headed to the camp reception to collect our gear for our row down the Orange river. It was our last day in Namibia and we were going to make the most of every moment! We met a couple of other South Africans who joined us with our row down the river... It was incredible. There wasn't a breath of wind and it was a perfect summers day... We had such a good time, chatting and laughing in our canoes :)

The view from our tent early in the morning...

Once we returned to our campsite, we made lunch and Kylan and I headed up the river to take a swim down. The current was strong enough to pull us all the way down where we got out by our campsite. We all went and had a shower to freshen up. We had packed most of our things in, as us four were planning to sleep on only our mattresses and sleeping bags under the stars for our last evening. But all of a sudden, we saw a mist in the far distance which looked like rain... But, it wasn't. The wind began to blow at an incredible pace and before we knew it, we were in the middle of a sand storm. It is the worst weather I've ever experienced. there was sand everywhere, we could hardly stand up straight and all of a sudden we heard a bang. As it calmed down a bit, we wiped the sand particles and dust from our eyes, ears and mouths and saw a thick branch of a tree had broken and fallen onto another campers' bakkie. Luckily the damage wasn't too hectic, but it still left bad marks... That was the quickest pack-up session we had endured that holiday. Our plan to leave in the morning fell away and before we knew it, we were making our way to the South African border... Just like that, our holiday came to an unexpected end... It was still amazing though...

Our campsite.

Kylan rushing to get all the gear packed and ready to go...

The sand particles from the sand storm.

I had the most incredible time and had an even better time than I had expected... Namibia is a true gem and I'd love to revisit it and tour the rest of the country one day. My amazing holiday was also due to the people I went with and without them I wouldn't have had the opportunity to go. We had lots of fun!! I formed a new kind of appreciation for nature and Namibia as a country with all its beauties and upsets. I would urge any and everyone to experience it in their lifetime, you don't know what you are missing! ;)

*~Namibia - Part 7 - Amanzi~*

The following morning we got an early start, as it was a long drive all the way to the Namibian side of the border, i.e Noordoewer - Amanzi Trails (Campsite). We stopped by Helmeringhausen for their legendary toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwich on their farm bread, yummy! :) We then continued the drive and stopped for a bathroom break by one of the smallest towns in Namibia, Seeheim. It only has a hotel and train station. The strangest thing I had seen that day was a very tame Gemsbuck who was surrounded by chickens, sealed off by a chicken mesh fence. It was just laying there very happy with all his friends surrounding him, too cute. :)

The yummy Toasted ham, cheese and tomato :)

The Gemsbuck and his chickens :)

We continued on the long road and took a detour to the Fish River Canyon. It was breathtaking. We read about the 5 day hike that you can do with a tour guide, which we all seemed very keen to do one day... :) We took some pics and headed back to the main road...

The Fish River Canyon.

The four of us by the edge of the Fish River Canyon.

We arrived at the Amanzi Trails campsite just as the sun was setting. The campsite is located right on the Orange river, and our site was almost in the Orange river, absolutely stunning! :) We set up camp and started the fire for our dinner... A long day on the road with a well deserved meal and sleep...

The view of the Orange river from our campsite...

*~10 most unexpected consequences of being online~*

A few unexpected consequences that I think result from being online...

1. Becoming an online addict (social media specifically).
2. Wrong information being portrayed to others about yourself.
3. Getting caught in an online scam of some sort (there are so many online geniuses out there trying to catch the not so genius online addicts).
4. Being listed on a site that you do not wish to be associated with.
5. SPAM SPAM SPAM from all over!
6. On the positive side - being continually up to date with the world and its happenings.
7. Competition increase as a result of all the many powerful marketing tools online can offer.
8. Being able to communicate at the fastest pace possible, reaching the masses.
9. Your personal information being provided to the wrong people or companies.
10. The pace of production reducing to a minimum due to the large amount of hours employees spend  on online sites.

*~Namibia - Part 6 - Sesriem continued~*

The following morning we had a good breakfast an headed for Sossusvlei. Here, we embarked on the extremely long and steep walk up the Big Daddy Dune. It was tough, definitely not for the faint hearted, but so worth it once we reached the top... Usually the Sossusvlei "dam" is dry, but due to all the rain they had had, it was pretty full. Kylan and his moms fiance couldn't help but take the moment to dive in and have a cool down... It was literally a once in a lifetime opportunity...

The BIG Daddy dune, longest and steepest walk, but stunning!

We then headed for a picnic spot to set up for a brunch to regain our energy for our next walk. We drove to the beginning of the next starting point for the long walk to the "Dooie vlei". It was one of the longest, toughest and hottest walks of my life. I hadn't thought of the heat of the sand and what it would do to my feet. 1/3 the way, my feet started burning like they had never before. Kylan had to walk all the way back to the bakkie to fetch my tackies... Shame, I really felt bad, but had no other choice, my feet were on fire and going to be filled with blisters. Anyway, after the long walk, we reached the destination point. It was stunning and incredibly quiet. Absolutely breathtaking. On return to the bakkie, we each helped ourselves to a drink.You could say my prayers were answered, the Savanna Light was frozen and NEVER tasted that good. :)

"Dooie vlei"

We dusted ourselves off and headed for the Sossus Canyon. It also had some water in it from the all the rain, but luckily we could walk through it... It was amazing :)

Walking through the Sossus Canyon...

It was time to head back to our camp where we enjoyed a braai and couple of round of cards. It then started to drizzle so we headed for our beds... Left with the sounds of the jackals crying, with only material separating me from them, yet I felt safe...