I want to runaway

Sometimes I feel like my life would be so much simpler and easier if I lived someplace where no-one could find me. Where I'd be left in peace to talk with the animals (I'm convince if left alone with them for long enough that this will eventually be possible), live off the land and walk around in the nuded and free.

This spot would do just right.

Then I realised I enjoy the buzz of the city too much and know that I'd probably come running back for my daily dosage of MacDonald's, tv and electric blankets.

It's the thought that counts though, right?

Where would your perfect runaway destination be?

Ugh, get over it

I really don't get the drone-like way in which "fashionistas" seem to hail coffee as THE most fashionable drink (outside of alcohol, of course).

I find it bizarre that people genuinely WANT to be drinking coffee at THAT coffee house because...well, because it's Vida (I'm not against Vida at all, I like their ice-coffees, but please). There's an equally good coffee place around the corner and possibly you may not have to elbow your way to the counter, or squeeze your tiny little bum in the corner near the noisy silver machine that "Poofs" and "Wooshes" and pops out the cocoa goodness because there may actually be seats available!

Not good enough for me.

Then there's those who get excited when "New fashionable coffee house" *The name eludes me* opens up.

It's coffee.

It's Just Coffee.

Just coffee.

Maybe it's because I'm more of a tea drinker myself that this unfathomable obsession with having one of those small cylyndrical-cardboard-cups-that-immediately-point-you-out-as-cool is foreign to me, but I don't see how a name on your coffee cup can automatically bump you up the Cape Town Cool-Factor-Ladder (is there even one of those?).

Who knows though, when some clever brander decides to give tea a makeover and make it sexy/trendy/too-cool to drink, I may just have to swallow my words.

Hmmm.

The Weekend That Was

This was a bit of a tough weekend for me...sad news is never easy to deal with. So I was a little up and down. This weekend I...

+ Found out that when things seem like they can't get any worse, something slaps you in the face, and it's even worse.
+ Had a mini meltdown
+ Was disappointed
+Spent some time with the lovely drummer's dad (who's super cool)
+ Ate the *MOST* delicious cheese Ever. Did I say Ever?
+ Realised I take my crap out on the lovely drummer 1. Because I love him the most and 2. Because he loves me the most *Life's funny that way
+ Went to the beach
+ Made a lovely dinner with the Marja (My mommy)
+ Regretted some of my actions

Photo from here.

What did you do this weekend?

i admit it...

I have a (massive) girl crush on Zooey. Those eyes, that fringe, her beautiful white skin...

*sighs...

I think I'm going to cut a fringe. On me. Not on any one else. Just to clarify.

Happy Friday Friends
xxx

let's all just be friends...

I've really been thinking a lot about my friends lately and feeling all gooey inside about how much they're the coolest bunch around!

So, all you crazy gals (and boys) this post is just to say "Hi," and "I think you're awesome," and "yeah, that's about it..."

Love you all (you know who you are)
And also, to those of you who actually read this - you're totally awesome too, cos you know, you just are.
Please, do me a MASSIVE favour and have an amazing weekend and tell me about it on Monday.

Cool. xx

Ice Skating

Last night a few friends and I went Ice Skating at the shiny Grand West Casino.

I like the romantic idea of ice skates...and ice...and ice skating...so was really looking forward to gliding along, being all graceful and pretty much looking awesome. Of course not 30 seconds after my blades hit the frost did some crazy ass kid come floating along (at an incredible speed, don't be fooled) Right In Front Of Me and nearly left me in a crumpled and completely devoid-of-dignity heap.

Luckily I recovered and was able to enjoy the rest of my 90 minutes on the ice which is where my point actually lies.

Fact: Ice Skates Hurt A Lot.
Fact: Professional Ice Skaters (The slim beautiful kind) look so petite and pretty and gorgeous and just so damn perfect.
Fact: Their feet must be gross.

There is no way that ANY person can spend hours on the ice, training, falling, splooshing, slipping, gliding whatevering, and not have hideously ugly feet! I mean I have blisters from just an hour and a half of flighty "wooshing" as Se's friend might say ( x )

So, I'm sure you'll all be happy to know, I am no longer desperately disappointed that i couldn't (ok, just didn't) become a professional ice skater being whisked along by some hot althoughbeit-in-very-tight-spandex ice skating prince. And that's because I like my feet the way they are.

And I'm pretty sure the lovely drummer boy does too.

Photo from here.

*Smiles

Mini Me's

Ok, so they're not actually mini ME's but these little fig.s are too awesome!

Makes you start to think *What would it be like living as an ant?* Don't even GO there! Once you've begun shrinking your mind to assimilate the size of an ant's mind there's no saving you...you become (dare I say it?) SmallMinded dundunduhhhhhhhhhh!

*Note: Please excuse postor of this blog's apparent craziness: being cooped up all day while it's sunny outside doesn't bode well for her sanity.

The End.

See more Mini Me's, yes Me's (muhahahaha) here.

Things I like

This guy's stuff is really cool

Owen Gildersleeve (what a cool surname right? Sounds like something from the medieval times). Anyway, I would love to be able to make stuff like Owen makes stuff...my little heart can dream (and be inspired and motivated ;) )

See more of his awesomeness here.

The Fall

The lovely drummer and I watched a movie the other night called The Fall (I must boast, I picked it out :) )
This is a must-see...the story, the characters, the journey, the images...please see this movie.
It's a story of love, not only between two lovers but between friends, family and strangers.

Catinca Untaru, the young girl playing the undeniably endearing Alexandria stole my heart within seconds. She's brilliant.

What makes this film so magical however is the cinematography, the scenes, settings and composition. It was like visiting the art gallery whose pieces are scenes out of your own mind - the scenarios couldn't have been portrayed in a more poignant way aesthetically. I love the scene when the bandits meet the Mystic for the first time, and also when they eventually reach the evil Odius' castle the Escher-like scene where the guards run up and down the steps toward one of our heroes is stunning to watch.

Sometimes, when I'm seriously bored, I [day]dream that some gorgeous, eloquent masked-bandit will sweep me away from my buzzing PC and carry me off into perfect sunsets (in the form of the lovely drummer of course!) and then the reality hits and I realise that those archaic thoughts and worlds of the knight in shining armour (probably) come resplendent with long annoyingly difficult-to-walk-in dresses/skirts, no hot water, no Gossip Girl (whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?), uncomfortable hay beds and the very (very) very real possibility of the Shiny Knight turning into an expendable knight/soldier-type-thing/man who then turns to ale (which gets caught in and permeates his beard, further ferments there), eating too much (thus acquiring a lovely Roast Pig boep) and finally wanting (and expecting) me to still find him attractive. Eeuw.


The scenes I liked:

Best lines:
Luigi: [reading from Evelyn's locket] My dearest daughter, never marry for money, fame, power or security. Always follow your heart. Your ever loving father...
Blue Bandit: It says all that on that little locket?
Luigi: Si.


Roy Walker: What's that?
Alexandria: Food.
Roy Walker: Where'd you get it?
Alexandria: The chapel.
[feeds him a communion wafer]
Roy Walker: I'm sorry I shouted at you. I was angry.
Alexandria: No problem.
Roy Walker: Are you trying to save my soul?
Alexandria: [not understanding] Hmm?
Roy Walker: Are you trying to save my soul? Do you understand me?
Alexandria: What?
Roy Walker: Did you understand what I meant?
Alexandria: What you said?
Roy Walker: I said, are you trying to save my soul? Giving me that?
Alexandria: What mean that?
Roy Walker: The Eucharist.
Alexandria: What?
Roy Walker: The Eucharist. The thing you gave me. It's a... it saves your soul.
Alexandria: Hmm? The thing I give you... what?
Roy Walker: The little piece of bread that you just gave me. It saves your soul.
Alexandria: What? What? *What*?


Have you seen this film yet? What did you think?

Yummscumptious Snack

Last night I felt like chocolate chip cookies, but it being 10pm, and with me being too lazy to run on down to the 24Hour place (which probably wouldn't stock the best version of what I was looking for anyway) I had to make do with what was in the fridge.

So, I'm here to share with you that mini rolls, Camembert gooeyness cheese slices, dried cranberries and a thin layer of mayo is delicious. Just so you know.

Bands I saw...

On Saturday night I visited Zula Bar in Long Street to see a band.

Blaque Haze are a foursome with style and class (and best of all a collective sense of humour) who play Jazzy, Soulful Funk with such eloquence that I immediately liked them. Their M. Jackson tribute was heartfelt and played with such sensitivity, and they owned their version of Solange's Sandcastle.

I found my expectations of them being whiny and too R. Kellyesque were completely squashed under my dancing feet. Goh-Lee!

I also saw Good Luck, a dj-type, sax-keyboard vibe with female singer onstage ball of energy, all with one thing in mind - to get the masses dancing. They really got everyone into the dancefloor, but for me lacked the personal touch that Blaque Haze gave their audience.

Photo from here.

Love you Zula xox

The Weekend That Was

Glad the weather seems to be warming up...this weekend I:

+ Spent some chilled time with the Marja (Mom)
+ Watched so many movies/dvds
+ Realised sometimes I can be a brat, and I need to reign it in a bit
+ Bought some new shoes (*Yay)
+ Spent time thinking about my future. A Lot
+ Went for a hike with some friends and realised I love being outside

What did you do this weekend?

Photo from here.

Hair Bear

I really like this Bear Hair.
That's all.
Oh, I also like the Hare, the Dog, the Rhino and the Elephant here.
x

Feeling Better Today

For the past couple days (weeks? months?) I've been feeling a little (actually a lot) frustrated and stuck. Things sometimes happen so quickly in your life (and sometimes too slowly) that it all gets a bit much.

This past week has been a bit of a bad one, but in true Shiny-Armoured Knight style, the lovely drummer boy came to my rescue. He took me out for a quiet dinner for two & a movie lastnight. It's amazing how much the little things like spending time with your best friend/closest companion can make you feel all safe and on top of things again.

*Thanks* lovely drummer boy, I love you

Oh, erm, that's kinda gross

So yesterday the boss was out at a meeting in far out world somewhere. He usually (and very nicely, thank you boss) gives me and my two other collegues a lift home after work so when he figured he wouldn't be back in time he asked me to go ask his mother to drive us home (our offices are near his parent's house).

Along I go, knock on the door and very politely say "Hi, How are you?", "That's good, I'm fine thanks...[Boss] asked me to ask you if you could please lift us home?".

Easy enough. Now somewhere along I must have had an itch on my side and subconsciously went to scratch supposed itch because all of a sudden boss' mother tells me some very disturbing news...the conversation went a bit like this:

Boss' Mom: You're not itching are you!?
Me: Um *stops hand in midscratch * no...
Boss' Mom: Oh Good! Cause I've got this terribly contagious scavies I've been battling for six weeks and I thought maybe it had been spread onto you lot, ha ha.
Me:*...uh
[Inside my head: CONTAGIOUS SCAVIES!? What the Hell!? Ah, what do I say? WHAT DO I SAY?]
Me: *Takes a step back*  uh... *walks back to the office*

Seriously, just the thought makes me itch all over!

Photo from Here.

About Schmidt

I watched About Schmidt last night for the first time and it was nothing like I imagined it to be (not that I'm sure I had even imagined it to be anything).

I wanted to laugh at this movie cause in my mind it had all the ingredients for a comedy: sad man with a quite unappealing & annoying wife, man is retired, man's old work wants nothing really to do with him, man writes hilarious letter to young boy in Africa (is it Africa?) whom he is sponsoring, man has quite the temper which he tries to keep under wraps...but then the film took on this serious, desperate note that just wouldn't be ignored despite my insistence that it was supposed to be a comedy.

Warren Schmidt's wife dies and he realises that he's quite lonely and unwanted. It's an up and down story, much like life I suppose, and the best thing about it is Jack Nicholson's bedraggled portrayal of a man past his prime and with very little to live for.

I guess you could call this film a Comedrama or a Dromedy

Best Quote:
Warren Schmidt: You're making a big mistake, don't marry this guy, don't do it.
Jeannie Schmidt: What are you talking about?  
Warren Schmidt: The other night I had a dream and it was very real. Your mother was there and you were there and your aunt Estelle. And there was a... well, it wasn't really a spaceship, it was more like a blimp or an orb of some kind. And then a bunch of weird creatures came out and started trying to take you away, and you wanna know what? They all looked like Randall. Do you understand? And I was jumping up and down to save you.


The lovely drummer is taking me out to dinner tonight, *happy!

My Treat

Today, in a fullscale war on this cold weather, I smugly tucked a packet of Tennis biscuits into my bag for work.
I love them and there's nothing the rain outside can do about it.
I am no going to make myself a delicious cup of tea and munch my biscuits...I'm happy to share (kind of)
*Yum

PS This Lovely Print is by Hennie Haworth, to see more of his pretty work go here.

Itching Fingers

Sadly this one's not mine but I like this style.

I am feeling lately like I need to find an outlet for the creatively adept genius that I know is shyly hiding away inside of me and psychotically desperate to get out...

There are a few things I want to get into/back into. I really want to start sketching/drawing/doodling/scribbling again! I've always enjoyed pen and paper and the subsequent consequences but have never had much confidence in my abilities so rarely keep at it.

I'm (is this a stupid idea?) considering doing one sketch/drawing/doodle/scribble a day for the next month to try keep my heart (and fingers) at it...

If I don't succeed in keeping up my daily quota then I will wash the dishes at home for a week (no, I'm not one of the "I'm-so-happy-I-walk-with-a-bounce-in-my-step-because-I-have-a-dishwasher-therefore-am-free-from-wrinkly-fingers-for-the-rest-of-my-and-my-dishwasher's-life-provided-I-don't-spend-too-much-time-in-the-bath" people...don't you just hate them?grrrr)

So there. My pledge: 1 doodle a day from now until 14 August

*Sighs

The Weekend That Was

 Phew, these weekends fly past! This weekend I...

+Went to Panchos with three lovely girl friends
+Satiated (well, almost) my craving for Chilli Poppers
+Discovered that Berry flavoured Brutal Fruit is too sweet for words, or for drinking!
+Was excited for the last of the 2010 games
+Spent rainy Saturday doing much nothingness (and made the lovely drummer a fridgetart)
+Was Happy that Spain won (Viva!)
+On Monday (not quite the weekend but so close it counts) I went on the Big Eye in Cape Town
+On Monday I was also scratched by a curious squirrel trying furiously to get my peanuts (which meant this morning I had to get a tetanus shot)

What did you do this weekend?

Photo from here.

Things I Want...

I entered a competition to win something lovely from Durban-based jewelry designer, Genevieve's collection. She makes things that make me happy!

Wish Me luck and why not enter the competition on Being Brazen's blog too? *Holding Thumbs

Dreams

Last night I dreamt I was walking in a field. It turned out to be the sports field of my university and there was a soccer (go figure) game going on.

Then it ended and the celebrations were chaos! There were people everywhere and colourful bits of paper flying through the air and people dressed in giant Disney character suits (Mickey and Dumbo especially) all huddled in on me. The thought they had me convinced that all they wanted was a hug but I'm sure they wanted to suffocate me.

Damn giant suits trying to suffocate me. I woke up and was not impressed. I mean who wants the papers to read "Girl Suffocated by Giant Disney Characters with Cheesy Grins!" Not me, that's for sure.

Photo from here.

Eating Out

Last night we had Chinese. I ordered the Chicken Chow Mein but I think I preferred my mom's Ginger Chicken.

What's your favourite food?

Last night I...Supported Uruguay

I caught a train after work to town to walk the fanwalk from Grand Parade last night. It was crazy, there were thousands of people wearing orange and all walking in the same direction, I felt like I was part of some kind of Great Migration.

During the evening I:

Paid R10 and had a Uruaguay flag painted on my cheek
Bought a Vuvuzela (and I still can't blow it properly)
Had some guy dressed in an orange lion hat pour Amarula down my throat
Had same said orange lion hat guy funnel his beer with my Vuvuzela :/
Walked amongst thousands of people walking in the same directio.
Had my favourite purse pickpocketed from my jacket (there was only R10 in it, I hadn't found an ATM :) )
Got into Quay Four
Watched Netherlands beat Uruguay
Caught the train home.
Slept.

I support Spain.

Fantastic Mr. Fox and Bright Star

We watched Fantastic Mr. Fox and Bright Star the other night and I loved them both for such different reasons.

Fox: Wes Anderson has such a great way of captivating awkwardness and making it so entertaining. This rendition of Roald Dahl genius is truly brilliant with such appealing energy and some of the sharpest dialogue I've seen in a movie lately.

Best Quote (it was so hard to choose):
Agnes: I'm still your lab partner.
Ash: No you're not, you're disloyal

And

Ash: Do you think I'm an athlete?

Mr Fox: What are you talking about?

Ash: Well, you know, I think I'm an athlete, and sometimes I feel like you guys don't see me that way.

Mr Fox: What's the sub-text here?

Star: This movie is the most perfect portrayal of love I've seen. It captures the agony of being rejected, and loved, and left behind, and an artist and the whole misunderstanding of the entire world of the human soul.

Fanie and Keats have such chemistry but not the modern-day sexual kind, it's a love that's so real no other two hearts could possibly understand it and Jane Campion manages to bring that across while making the film a poetic feast for the eyes.

Best Quote:

The whole of John Keats' poem read as the outgoing credits roll slowly away.

Too magical!

The Weekend That Was

1 Picnic

2Picnics

Another busy one, this weekend I...

+ sat in 3 hours of 2010 World Cup Traffic (traffic makes me claustrophobic)
+ saw the last half of the Germany/Argentina game
+ studied for my learners (I passed, yay!)
+ had two anniversary picnics
+ fed some horses halved apples
+ chilled with a very furry cat
+ met a curious Egyptian goose
+ went to the planetarium
+ fell asleep at the planetarium
+ found out that not every boy is as lovely as the lovely drummer
+ remembered my love for Turkish Delight
+ went to a "cool" party and realised "cool" people are also just people

Photos I like from my weekend:

A squabble

A moment

A toy

A floor

A room

A furry cat

A gee

A bag

A brand

A ceiling

I love my camera.

Smallest Surprise

Photo from here.

Today I succeeded in surprising the lovely drummer with a ready set-out picnic in the public gardens in Town.

I'm super proud of myself because I can't keep exciting/happy secrets from him. I bought him some fresh bagels, smoked salmon (I'm not really a fan) and cream cheese. It was lovely and afterwards we fed the friendly gulls, pigeons and nosy egyptian goose.

Then we went to a showing at the Planetarium. It was really cool how dark that room is and how magical the sky can be but I fell asleep during the show :/

Happy Three Years my lovely drummer ♥

Now we're getting ready to go to the soundcheck for his gig. He is playing at a Puma Party.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!
x

Photo from here.

Some days are slower than others

Today the rush stopped. I was feeling so tired this week, always having something to, somewhere to be or someone to help but now I'm feeling more tired than ever with nothing really to.

I'm writing my learners on Monday so will dedicate this weekend solely (this is a lie) to studying my big yellow learners book.

The lovely drummer boy and I turn three on Sunday ♥

Photo from here.