*~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 :)