Oysters & Champagne - a delightful Twosome!

The difficulty I find with sharing my experiences (not so much my thoughts) is that I never know how well I can paint the picture; how well I can make the feelings and images form in another’s imagination.

But I have come to accept that some emotions are impossible to share, some images are impossible to reconstruct in another’s mind. And so almost do the actual experience no justice. I shall share nonetheless and continue to try to relay these lovely parcels.

Like I have mentioned before I am exceptionally lucky. “Little miss fortunate” indeed. And so I won a pair of tickets sponsored by Whatson! Thanks Murray Walker!

It was fairly hard to decide who I was going to take with me. So I asked *Frank although I didn’t entirely think he was the best option – but laziness on my part and quite frankly not looking forward to having the favouritism talk with my friends! But he declined which forced me to make the much-dreaded decision. But I knew it was right when I had made it. I asked *Magdalena – I have been wanting to do something special with her for ages and here; a beautiful chance had presented itself. She agreed, very excited at that! I invited another friend (*Charlie) who I had been neglecting too and the 3 of us headed out to the vineyards of Durbanville to Bleomendal wine estate.

We head straight to the Champagne tasting table, we sampled each and every single Champagne they had on offer and quickly made friends with the guys. With Magdalena’s gorgeous eyes and charm it was rather easy to keep our glasses filled each time we wanted more.

We sampled the oysters on offer and decided that I’m officially wildly in love with oysters. Tasty buggers.

After slurping up our oysters we sampled some whisky with *Charlie. He loves whisky, something I never previously thought I might appreciate fully. But I have in fact been converted. After a generous taste of “ Wild Geese Strawberry Kisses” I was sold! Alcohol that strong shouldn’t taste that great.

On the last few drops of the heavenly drink *Magdalena points out another place where we can sample champagne at no cost. So we head there as they pack up and ask them to Please please let us taste some but an annoyed “No” from the man behind the counter came at us. So we trotted back to our trustee glass fillers.

A few moments later I get called from across the way and it’s the manager of the stand that had just denied us tasting of their offerings. I head over there and he points at the bottles and asked me which one I want. Are you kidding me? I happily point at the rose and voila! Just like that its mine. I head back with a huge grin on my face,

All of a sudded we’ve earned ourselves a whole bunch of friends without even giving up our champagne bottle. Fantastic. 2 more gentlemen approach us and hand us 2 half bottles of champagne – seriously?

We then head over to the dance floor to listen to some Afrikaans rock…quite interesting and groovy despite my slight reservations. We dance the night away and make some more friends. And have a lot of heavy meaningful conversations regarding politics in SA and the role of young Afrikaners in it all. How insightful. Interesting as we have this conversation the day after the very controversial Terreblanche is beaten to death by his 2 black farm labourers aged 15 and 21.(Eek...my thoughts on this later)

Some images of the astronomical, surreal whirlwind day shall follow in the coming days

The flipside of Certainty

Earlier this week I began writing some thoughts on what I was feeling at the time. The title of the post was going to be “The sweetness of certainty”.

I was feeling particularly lonely and, to be very honest, missing the pleasure of going home and knowing that someone (that loves mer and genuinely cares for me – male to be exact) will be there  at the end of the day waiting to hold me, hear my boring details of how my day was. Someone to cuddle up with and just watch movies with on a cold, wet, Cape Town winter; someone to giggle with, someone to tickle me, someone to make me laugh out loud, someone to fool around with.

Not a great place to be I admit.

And then last night happened.

Everything that I had planned to happen, most certainly did not. Besides meeting the lovely *Laila for a meeting on the next event we’re going to organise for the amazing organization we volunteer for.

We (together with 5 other friends) were meant to go to a TEDx event in the Western Cape and were all super amped to check it out.

But what actually transpired was nothing short of a cocktail of unexpected bliss (the opposite of the very certainty I was sourly missing). One after the other they each fell out of the plan for the night. For varying reasons.

By the time *Laila & I were finished with our meeting and catch-up; it was after 7pm and I sure as God made green apples was not going to roll the dice and use public transport at that time by myself. So I went to the trustee spot – Neighbourhood.

*Laila came with me (what a darling). I got a glass of wine and an even bigger glass of water to keep me on the sane side – after all I was basically a homeless puppy dog hoping for the best, hoping against all the obvious odds, that my wild, crazy, fun ( yet suprisingly reliable mate given all the above traits) would come and rescue me as she usually does – introducing *Ava.  She (*Ava) had texted me earlier asking if I wanted to join her and a friend for a drink later but hadn’t heard from her since I responded with a vigorous cyber nod given the seemingly dismal state of affairs!

*Laila was hella tired and had to leave, I lapped up the last drops of my wine and walked her downstairs to a cab that was conveniently waiting on our doorstep.

I trekked upstairs and gathered some few coins together for one more glass of vino. I was going to wait but no one said it would have to be a painful wait right? As I stepped outside to search for some familiar faces, I bumped straight into a good friend I had had a bit of a fall out with mid last year. I was happy to see him – as always.  He was meeting with some of his friends from University (which is years ago for him). As he tried to call them, they pop around the corner. Intro’s all round, as the surface talk continues a table right beside me clears up and I slide right in and so do the lads.

We all chit chat away. Come to think of it, there was actually never really any moment of awkward silence as there normally is when I encounter people for the first time. I sat next to *Leonardo Di Caprio (dubbed that by a rather liquored up **randomer – typical Cape Town scene right?). *Leonardo made me laugh, a lot. Like out LOUD, several times. How refreshing.  Precisely what I needed & didn’t even realise.

When strangers ignite that within you, it warms the heart in a way I can’t describe.

Our conversation flows so effortlessly and so naturally. I’m starting to appreciate why things didn’t work out for us to go to the TEDtalk. The universe had other, better, plans for me it seems.

Later (approximately 2 hefty hours!) I come to a crystal clear realisation – I’ve gatecrashed this meeting of old friends. I dither. Should I excuse myself or stay and sheepishly point out the my realisation or, well, simply stay – I’ve come this far. And the most important part – it all feels right. I don’t feel like an imposter. Maybe they were being polite. I shut that voice down and just continue to enjoy the great company.

*Leonardo’s friend wants to go home. So we, after careful deliberation, decide that *Leonardo shall drop his friend off and we shall meet up at a different spot. Done.

*Ava arrives just as this decision receives the stamp of approval. (I sense the loud, rowdy, happy, chaos in the fairly near distance & know she has arrived...) How perfect.

Elated hellos out of the way, we meet up with some of her other (equally crazy) pals and the drinks flow.

As discussed earlier with Leonardo, I round up the troops and we head to my favourite bar in Cape Town Julep. When we arrive there I see a hand full of familiar faces which I hadn’t planned on seeing – how pleasant.

After the numerous, seemingly endless hellos and hugs. I spot Leonardo at the bar.

I join him and pick up where we left off. We meet a man who dresses up as a nun and makes the masses laugh, we reminisce on the cartoons that made up our childhood, singing “gummy bears,dancing here and there and everywhere” and a whole bunch of other rather childish songs. So much fun.

I abandon the mission to go to Fiction to party the night away, its 1am and I have work tomorrow. I politely ask him to take me home and he does.

No awkwardness when I get home. Besides not being able to find my keys in the bottomless pit of an excuse for a hand bag – but I’m female so I thinks it’s fairly acceptable.

As I lay in bed I reconnect with that electric seduction of uncertainty. Not knowing what shall happen next. It’s a gift you know. Like winning a spot prize when you least expect it.

**The said randomer shall be mentioned in a blog post later. He is a topic all on his own.

I'm in Love - Her Name is YUKIMI NAGANO!

Little Dragon, Where have you been all my life?

How beautiful is this?

Psst...Hey, let me tell you something!

Sometimes I Dress up & Sometimes I sing

Introducing "The FUnky DivaS"

Caitllin "Dutchesse" Hill. Nonhlanhla "Tiger Lily" Mditshwa. Didintle "Still Deciding" Ntsie

Indeed the year of experiences. 

The "FUnky DiVas" are born of a tipsy night out on the town singing in the car at the top of our lungs on the way to a dinner party in Sea Point.

"Killing me softly, with his songggg! Telling my whOoOle life with his words, killing me softly..."

So Miss Nonhlanhla - pictured below with the gorgeous one-of-a-kind colourful outfit, is the one who put us to it. She brings Cape Town: "Tiger Lilly presents Boundless Artistic Expression" She heard us belting it out in the car and so a few days later "FUnky DiVaS" was born.

Our next performance will be on Sat 20th March at The Daddy Long Legs Boutique Hotel in Long Street Cape Town.

Come Grin & Bear it.

So back to my downright SHIT week

As soon as I located Ruby I was quickly reminded that I have a whole bunch of unfinished business when I would eventually have her in my shaky arms again.


Her license disc is expired. But unlike most, I somehow managed to go a whole year & bit without renewing it. This means an additional R500 on top of the slightly short of horrendous & obscene amount I had to pay to get her out of the impound. Lets not even go into the unpaid fines and possible outstanding warrants for my arrest (some of you might have to put some bits of change under your beds for Didi’s bail collection money in advance)


It catches up doesn’t it? Sigh.


Then there was the heat – now under normal circumstances I would relish the very bright, relentless presence of the sun & his rays. I’m a self confessed & proud sun lover. But this, ladies & gentleman, was a little short of slow cooking in our skins, stuck in our badly ventilated homes.


I then remembered what I did NOT miss about the Pretoria (highveld area) heat. That kind of ridiculous heat brought back childhood & adolescent memories and realities of a dry bleeding nose (great), a rush of crusty, itchy eczema (fantastic) and sneeze attacks that would come in gangs of 11 loud uncontrollable sneezes in a row (fabulous for public spaces, when you’ve run out of the last morsel of tissue in addition to hearing echoes of dad’s advice “you should carry a handkerchief, its cheap, easy to maintain & its better that toilet paper & tissue - ,my child its not just for old people”)


((Useless tit-bit – My dad really does use the term “my child”. I love him. ))

The weekend was not a particularly restful one either. That annoying acquaintance *FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) decided to possess me at the most inopportune time (oh but offcourse); when I had volunteer work crammed in the “extreme procrastination” pigeonhole.


I had it all worked out in my mind:


Friday night: After a stressful day at work chill out & get some much-needed & deserved rest & me-time.

Saturday: Work through some volunteering work, go to Danya’s birthday braai-party-pool-do, SKIP 340ml live performance no matter the pressure so I can be fresh & functional on Sunday.


Sunday: Early morning I’d be a model for a photo shoot my friend asked me to help him with for his portfolio - yes buddy I shall be there 6am sharp, then come back home, relax with a glass of wine by the pool, finish off what I didn’t manage to finish off on the volunteer work pile & then my reward; date with *Frank.


What actually transpired was nothing short of embarrassing. I did none of the productive items on that list – forget it. In actual fact I went and did some extra stuff that was not on there like fixing my hair (I must admit it was much needed – when your white male friend asks you what’s going on with the weave & when its coming out & what WE are going to do about I, you know its time. It’s non-negotiable. It had to be done)


Just a snippet of how embarrassing: having not slept after a night of partying and seeing 340ml (insert shy, sheepish smile) heading straight to the location for the shoot after a quick bath only to find that that shoot had been cancelled while already on the way there. Stunning. At least I could go get some shut-eye.


A good portion of Sunday was spent trying to locate my cell phone, which thank goodness was off, so that meant I could call it and find precisely where it was without too much trouble. When I showed up at Danya’s place to collect it – I suddenly realised I was wearing the same outfit as the “night before” to her and the rest. The same damn dress – it looked self-explanatory to the outside, unknowing eye. Any explanation was not going to be bought. Quicksand situation. So I didn’t try hard enough to convince.


Fast forward to today, I’m Joburg bound on a flight that I’m not meant to be on. I missed mine, even with 2 alarm clocks, a mom that worries and would normally call to wake me up (but didn't) AND the cab driver sleeping outside my house who also managed to oversleep – honestly? Yup, I know. Well, I did only go to sleep at 2:30am knocking away at the work I didn’t manage to do over the terrible weekend. Which had now jumped into the “critical procrastination” pigeonhole. But it’s done and that’s what matters.


I’m going to step back into the present and chow down on my breakfast & listen to some music.


I shall rant & rave again soon, I’m almost certain. After all I am approaching Johannesburg…only my least favourite city.

The man in the big black car...

So this afternoon, my mom and I were standing at a traffic light [yeah I call them that these days – Robots seems so like backward! (*insert attitude-fueled head movement from side to side & vigorous finger wagging plus an annoying ear piercing twang*)]

We were at the corner of Outspan & Rivonia Road in Morningside and I had been thinking all day about how out of place I feel in this place. How awkward I feel with the values and beliefs I hold dear. Makes me feel like they are flimsy. Like my ideas about the real importance of money are absolutely outdated and unrealistic.

In this place there are so many big flashy cars, flashy shiny shoes, flashy hair weaves, big flashy houses, shiny-skinned girls, with shiny lips, with expensive taste in clothes, social settings and fat-walleted men. Oh, don’t forget the nails.

I feel awkward here.

I have the most busted out feet in the history of a woman. I dare you to look at them. Double dare you to touch them! And would pay you to massage them - its an invitation Seriously. And it’s because I actually do stuff with them. You know, like hiking, walking barefoot in & around the house, and I love outdoorsy things. You know, ordinary stuff. Point is I use my feet, for something either than getting them to look good. (Okay I have to admit, I should sort them out, but why really? What is the pressing reason?)

Recently I have been feeling quite inadequate. Asking myself why I have not accumulated much (of anything let alone wealth) after so many years of giving of myself and of my talents. Why am I still in a financial position that forces me to look at selling my beloved Ruby, so I can have some extra bucks. I work damn hard. Harder than most people I know but I just don’t see it in my lifestyle. Come the 15th I’m outta cash & stressing big time.

Anyway with this back drop in mind. Back to the story – my mom & I have just come to a stop at the red traffic light. As we approach I take extra notice of the car standing beside us. A big black jeep with a wealthy looking man smoking out of his car window, he’s wearing a black shirt & a pair of dark sunglasses. Handsome too.


I don’t realise it but I must have been noticeably analyzing him. He looks right back and says “Hi”, “Hi, how are you?” I reply slightly surprised (not typical Joburg behaviour, I think), “Good thanks” he replies. “How has your day been?” he asks, I take a deep sigh taking stock of what a hectic day I’ve just had (beginning with a missed flight from Cape Town & all of a sudden ,in an instant it feels crazy, that I find myself where I am) with a deep sigh I begin to answer ”Wow, ridiculously, hectically busy & tiring actually, yours?”, he shakes his head “It’s mad isn’t it? We run around so busy all the time”, “Yes, its crazy!” I retort, “Right now, I’d rather be on an island somewhere actually enjoying my day” he says, we both stop to absorb that fantasy. He continues “You know I’ve spent so much time running around, working hard to get all these things, and now I’ve got them and realise that I was happier as a 22 year old with no money” The robot turns green and we both have to drive off.

What a deep meaningful conversation.

In that one, short conversation at a traffic light in Morningside I get the reassurance I’m after. I am not on the wrong path at all. And, I don’t need all that flash & cash to be happy. I’m better off as I am. A 22 year old with not much at all, but having a helluva lot of great, fullfilng experiences. Cash or not.

A crap couple of weeks But sunshine still exists

I received this Quote Of The Day this morning and it sprung out to me so so relevant for what I've been experiencing lately.

"Life is tough, and if you have the ability to laugh at it you have the ability to enjoy it." Salma Hayek

The past few weeks have been rather rough on me. Rather shit to be exact. Where do I begin?

My car was towed away from my house without me realising that it was towed and not STOLEN. Yes I shed a tear or 2 (more like bucket load) only to realise that the car was stolen by the cops who didn't have the decency to leave me a note... It would have read something like this "Dear pretty young lady, your annoying snooty neighbours decided it was time to make your life more difficult and thought up a reason to do so, so they settled on this reason - there is a school down the road and in the mornings its difficult to get past your house - the 2cm over the pavement was just too much to bear so there, we're getting the cops to take your car"

So this has delayed my attempt to sell the car to my new found stalker - *William. He is obsessed with my car & will stop at nothing to buy it. Good for me I guess, but parting with Ruby to pay off debt is going to be hard - Imagine that? Selling you friend cos you're in a money rut. Sad. Except that (as much as I would love to believe this) she , Ruby that is, has no soul, no emotion, no feelings (it actually hurts to write this, because funny enough she would respond to my pleadings on a cold, rainy, misty Cape Town night stuck at on a busy intersection. A few rubs & "Come-on Ruby baby" would do the trick)

My lucky  passengers (lucky to be alive) soon learnt the tricks of the trade

On to my hard life tale, I have suddenly realised that I am in debt (not suicide enducing or anything, but debt nonetheless) and its starting to feel like I'm in a quick sand pit to nowhere. Its frustrating me. I got a phone call while at the Navy festival in Simonstown at 20:35 on a Friday evening to remind me to make payment on my account! What the fuck?

So now I cant even chill with my friends on a Friday night out & not be reminded of my ever looming dark cloud of debt. Great.

Then I had a fight with a former friend ( effective immideately - yes, it was that bad). What's upset me is not that I have lost her as a friend. Its how I lost her as a friend. That energy sucking leech. It was bound to happen, the relationship had run its at-first-rather-pleasant-and-fun-soon-thereafter-slightly-bumpy-most-times-turbulent-and-recently-downright-unpleasant course. It was time. 

What upset me was the fact that this individual, we'll car her *Grumpy (I wonder why this pseudonym) has these unbearable traits that she doesn't realise she has. One of being stubbornness. It makes it pretty hard to see and therefore change what is unpleasant about you to others. 

But that's her journey to undertake. I've learnt.

There is more on my shit week I shall divulge but the reality of deadlines, trips to johannesburg tomorrow morning with a flight ticket that is yet to materialise hang over me. I shall rant and rave later. 

Ranting of a Mad Black Woman (20 years since Mandela'a release)

 So a few days ago was the celebration of 20 years since the incredibly brave Madiba (Nelson Mandela) was released from Robben Island.

I was browsing facebook in search of interesting posts related to this very exciting day. Instead I came across this interesting piece of writing which I feel is more relevant to where we are since that 20 year release took place. Where we stand as a people. Or a snippet at least

I will let the piece do the talking (Thanks to Shikoh Gitau for letting me share this)

 

The ranting of a mad black woman – By Shikoh Gitau

"I usually note that i became racist when i came to south africa, and with good reason; i was brought up in a metropolitan town, with a large population of the asian and arabic community, went to school with them, played with them and did what most kids do and i honestly it really never registered in my head that they were that different. Given, they had a lighter skin pigmentation and i wanted their hair, but truly it really did not matter.

When, i came here all that changed, i became more conscious of my skin color and it does get to me sometime...but weeena today, i thought this race thing is madness, i was standing on a supermarket till behind an old white woman, i mean really old that she had started curling up.

In my very Christian and African upbringing i have been taught to treat older people with uttermost respect, so you can imagine my surprise when the supermarket attendants watched without flinching as the poor woman struggled to read the sum total of her purchase, as in she leaned so close to the monitor, that her glasses touched it; then painstakingly slowly counted out the money, at that point i would have offered to help but i feared that she would think that i am out to rob her. I watched as she begged the attendant to allow her push the supermarket trolley to the parking lot where she was being picked...can you imagine the nerve of the woman in stopping her.

Then the most heart wrenching thing happened she leaned back and whispered in my ear," thank you so much for your patience, you know i have a problem with my ears, and my eyes (obviously) and i have a brain tumor!!" i had not seen her face properly so true to all horror medical films i have watched, her face was twisted to the side, and one of her eyes was swollen. When it was my turn, i was almost in tears, the teller with a quizzical smile asked "why are you concerned?" (the nerve!!)to avoid deportation on grounds of assaulting a local (verbally and otherwise) i made my purchase and ran after the old woman and asked her if she needed any help, i give her this, she is a strong and brave lady, she said she needed to get to the parking space if i could assist her onto the lift.

I understand, there were some crazy white folks who were out to no good; but honestly do you have to take it out on someone who is inches from meeting there maker, what good will that do to you. I mean what does it take, in screaming out (if you have to) the total on the monitor and then helping to count out the total, does it take away human dignity in helping out someone that old onto a lift, and honestly where do you think that woman will take damn trolley, am sure if they walk around UCT they will find a few to replace it.

At what point does racism replace humanity. Would you want to be treated in the same way were you in her position.
I am really sad about this, but i am so mad, so mad that i am going to change me and my view of this black and white thing, i am human first!!!

Ohh yah it is 20 years since mandela was released!!"

The Power Of Failure

 I am a firm believer in the power of failure and its ability to unwittingly make you stronger, a better person or just to teach you an immesureable lesson you would otherwise never have learnt had it not been for that harsh or shocking experience of failing.

I found this video of J.K Rowling giving a speech at Harvard University. She is amazing. 

She is a great reminder that we are all capable of being great and of following our hearts and what we know is right for us.

She inspires me. 

This video has inspired me.

I hope it ignites the same thing within you. 

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Help Taahir Davey (4 years Old) to get a new kidney

So a young lady came into the shop I work in this morning and told me that I could help her with something. I thought to myself "Well, I'm pretty broke, so I'm not sure I will be of much use to you if its money you need".

But I decided to sit down and listen to what she had to say. She had lots of documents in a beat down looking envelope. I read the first page, which is an official letter from the hospital which serves as proof that the story is indeed  true.

This is the situation she needs assistance with: Her 4 year old son; Taahir Davey was born with a faulty left kidney, the doctors performed several tests and discovered that the left kidney is not performing its functions and will shrink as he grows older. He went for several test and recently it was discovered that the infection that had affected his left kidney has spread to the right kidney as well which was, until this point, doing all the work.

Taahir is currently making use of a dialysis machine in order to take the strain off of the struggling organ.

Fortunately a donor (9 year old girl) was found who is - according to tests - 98.7% compatible.

The transplant will cost R60 000 and is scheduled to take place on the 4th of March. The story was broadcast on a local radio station in Cape Town and have now managed to raise as much as R59 590 and now only require R410 to reach the critical target.

I don't know who might read this but if you feel you can help and would like to get in touch with Quantia Davey (23 year old mother of Taahir Davey) you can on the following numbers:
+27 (0) 73 888 6774
+27 (0) 21 448 8671

I have scanned all the original documents that she brought in with her including the out-patient history card. Which is attached below.

You could also call me if you would like any further information that I may be able to help with.
Email me by clicking here:

Taahir Born: 12/07/2005
First Date of DMSA scan: 12/08/05

Thank you for laying your eyes upon this even if you are unable to help.

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Pssst... Hey... You!

 

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