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Wednesday, March 30, 2011

My week in a post

On Friday I went with miss Kirsty Delport { someone that always activates my laughing glands } and a new friend Jinx to the Litchi Orchard Night Market in Salt Rock. It was divine.
We shared a bottle of red wine, ate biltong and organic granadilla cake { heaven on a plate } whilst chatting, giggling and listening to a musician that only knew one guitar chord and sang songs like 'Hotel California' and 'Achy Breaky Heart'. But the mood was lovely nonetheless.


Saturday saw me dragging my heels to my dad's grade 7 reunion. Meaningless chit-chat with total strangers was on the menu for the afternoon and needless to say I was wearing my unhappy face. I luckily managed to sneak off early to the greener pastures of the Mundell's house. Indulging in Chateau Gateaux delights and girl talk with two of my oldest friends Jessica and Rebecca caused the day to take a turn for the better.
I then spent the rest of the night dancing and singing "girls just want to have fun" with my parents and their friends at a 40th birthday bash. The house belonged on an episode of Top Billing, yes, it was that level of mansion. The night showed me that my love for dancing and 80's music is definitely hereditary.


Woke up to the sound of rain. Grey clouds and being home alone made me dedicate my Sunday to being a "craft-pyjama-no makeup-day" .. It was wonderful and I lost myself and the diningroom table in a sea of ribbon and pretty paper as I made a gazillion birthday cards for friends. A productive day in some way and an unproductive day in others.
Went for a 5km run that evening { working through a running programme that is supposed to make me addicted } and then hit the glassy sea for an evening surf.


These past two days I have bravely been babysitting 4 little rascals. Supermom to the rescue!
Motherhood is not for the faint-hearted. Wherever we go I have to carry more luggage than an overseas traveller and my car is cluttered from door to door with carseats, toys and soggy biscuits. I will be doing this until Friday and although I am not a coffee drinker, I may just need to cross over to the dark side.
I have a new respect for single mom's and think I'll put off childbearing for a good few years.


Last night I watched "I Am Number Four," which is like a warped version of "Twilight" with aliens replacing Vampires and shape-shifting dogs replacing Jacob and his team of werewolves. The best thing that movie has going for it is a killer soundtrack with the likes of Kings of Leon, The Temper Trap, Adele and Civil Twilight. If you don't watch the movie, at least buy the soundtrack. 


And still to come this week:


Cake or Death:
This Thursday, the Unit lineup is looking about as polished as your shoes on the first day of school. They'll be having songs sung by Hey! Hustler, Ross A Bear (From Molly and I), Durban Heights, Matthew Mole and Shani {it will be her birthday so don't forget to make her feel all special and stuff}. 
Music always sounds better when it's your friends that are making it. 


Hruki Presents: 
Then on Friday, Unit 11 will be hosting the boys from City Bowl Mizers and their vibey tunes along with The La Els and Dead Alphabet. 


I Heart Market:
The April market is bound to be another wonderful morning of all things pretty and handmade. I will be collecting two antique tea cups that I purchased online and am very excited for them to start off my collection { I shall be posting pictures soon }.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Siyabonga Jesu {Things I am thankful for}

In an ideal world, encouragement trumps criticism and positivity trumps negativity.
I am personally not a believer in 'The Secret' or any form of self-help medium that encourages you to 'pull yourself towards yourself' and think positively in order to turn yourself into a magnet that attracts good things. Karma doesn't govern the way I think or do life and I've never made use of the 'forces of attraction' or 'power of the mind.'
However, I find it funny how it seems that as humans we have a default setting that likes to point out the wrongs, the bad, the negative and be in continual pursuit for more; for that 'one thing' that is suddenly going to click our lives into place like a visit to the chiropractor and unclog the wells of happiness that we feel we are lacking. Our lives then become something along the lines of the 'Waiting For Godot' play, and we live each day as if it is just a dress rehearsal rather than the grand finale. The more we get, the more we want and the harder we are to please. We develop eyes that are focused on the supposedly 'greener grass' on the other side of the horizon, instead of realizing that true wealth is not measured in riches. We allow ambition to be replaced with ungratefulness as we compare our lives to the next person that appears to 'have it all.' Like a dog that chases it's tail, we can spend a lifetime searching for happiness that we already posses, and begin to weigh our lives up on the scale of 'haves and have not's.'


This week I've realized that ungratefulness is very unattractive and doesn't show up the colour of our hearts very nicely. I've realized that if I want to, I can be a very unhappy person who's primary topic of conversation is always about what I want or what I think would make my life better. I think I choose to be thankful instead. I choose to see the good, see the blessings, see the wonderful things, because there are just so many to see if you will only view what is right if front of you. I want to look at life using a magnifying glass rather than a telescope that always sees the things that are far away and unreachable instead of the incredible things that are right under this nose of mine.


Things I am thankful for:
My saviour, closest friend and source of all my life and happiness. A family that loves, cares for and is proud of me. Friends that span the globe. Being able to wake up every morning and see the ocean outside my window. Being able to fall asleep to the sound of the waves. My home. A beautiful hometown. Two cute pugs. My car, scratches and all. a driver's license. My church that feels like my extended family. Memories. My Blackberry and it's free internet {thanks mom and dad}. The feeling of surfing a wave. A healthy body, that is not impaired in any way. Youthfulness and vitality. My free tank of petrol every month. A closet full of clothes. People that make me laugh {I'm pointing at you aunty Carol}. Living in a country that offers an me the most incredible lifestyle. A simple life. Being debt-free. A support system of amazing people. Easy communication across the world. Always having food on the table and never having to starve. Living in a country that is not at war or affected by natural disasters. Not being poverty-stricken or disease-ridden in any way. Running water and electricity. The gift of freedom. Perfect weather all year round. A future and a destiny. Faith. Love. Hope. A job and an income. Having both parents alive and well. A life of fun and adventure. Overseas travel and discovery. Not being controlled, forced or constrained in any way. Breath in my lungs. A heartbeat. LIFE.
{Images: We Heart It}

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Me, myself and a map

Wanderlust: [won-der-luhst] 

Mayday, it seems I have contracted a severe case of wanderlust. 

Symptoms: Daydreams of jetsetting to far-flung exotic lands, frantically saving every penny for an around-the-world airticket, watching the travel channel instead of Gossip Girl, gazing longingly at maps and atlases, frequently logging onto studentfilghts.com and writing blog posts about all the places you want to travel.
I can't trace a line back to the exact moment when I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life exploring the far corners of the earth like a female Colombus with a map in one hand and a passport in the other. It could have been when i was given my first world globe that spun around on a slanted axis and lit up from the inside. Or perhaps it was when my geography teachers began to paint descriptive masterpieces of this curious planet and her continents of diversity that are just waiting to dish out scoops of adventure. Although, I am almost certain that it was when my seventeen-year-old younger self planned, dreamed of and lived out her first overseas travel expedition all on her own. It was me, myself, a travel journal, a lot of overweight luggagae, and more adventures than I could count on both hands. 
It could have been whilst strolling through Centinniel park, riding around Adelaide on a bicycle in the rain, standing on the steps of the opera house, surfing Maroubra, eating my first macaroon, skiing the snowy mountains, riding the ferry, or standing on a mountain overlooking Hong Kong city by night, that I realised I had fallen in love with planet earth. 
Since boarding my first internatiol flight I have been a woman posessed by an urge to travel. It's all I want to spend my money on, and could think of little else that excites a greater sense of childlike awe than the world we live in.
So without further adew, I thought I'd vent some of my travel dreams in this post and wet my 'wanderlustic' appetite even more...

London
I want to walk down Oxford street with a Topshop bag in one hand and a Zara bag in the other whilst Big Ben's gong resounds in my ears. I want to buy a vintage leather jacket from the Portobello markets and take photos in front of Buckingham palace with the queen's guards. I want to drive through the country and make plans to buy and decorate my own cottage with all things 'Cath Kidston.' I want to ride in the tubes and toss a coin into a busker's hat after watching him strum in the station. I want to visit London. 
Berlin
I want to walk what's left of the Berlin wall whilst reading 'a dummy's guide to speaking German.' I want to go back in time and ponder the life stories at the Jewish Museum, then stroll around the Charlottenburg gardens on a sunny day. I want to sit on a bench, licking a Häagen-Dazs ice-cream and admire the architecture and pinch myself that I am in yet another country immersed in yet another different culture. 
Tuscany
I want to drive in a convertable on cobble-stoned roads that wind their way into the heart of the countryside whilst my hair floats in the Italian breeze. I want to lie under the Tuscan sun on a checkered picnic blanket and find hidden pictures in the clouds whilst a handsome italian boy pours me another glass of red wine. I want to spend days gorging on the richest pastas and pizzas and learn how to pronounce and then prepare different Italian foods. 
Paris
Want to take photos of Asians taking photos of the Eifel tower and then go to the very top of it and watch my first Parisian sunset. I want to substitute all my 'hello's' with 'bonjour's' and all my 'yes's' with 'wee's'. I want to eat obscene amounts of macaroons and croissants at trendy roadside cafe's whilst watching a beret-wearing artist paint the Notre Dame. I want to spend entire days lost in museums of fine art and then appreciate the art of fashion as I cash in my Euros for a Chanel handbag. I want to read a newly bought book in a park cluttered with Cherry Blossom trees and sigh as I realise I have lived the perfect day.
Switzerland
I want ski down the alps and then build a snow man kitted out with a scarf, gloves and a carrot-nose. I want to eat my weight in fine chocolate {preferrably dark} and sip hot-chocolate by the fire of a cottage in the mountains. I want to ice-skate over a frozen lake and wear layers of clothes that make me feel warm and snug. I want to see snow falling for the first time and marvel at the delicate intricacy of a snowflake. 
New York
I want to walk through central park, arm-in-arm with a good friend whilst we childishly sing "New York, New York" in deep voices wearing trendy coats and winter boots.
I want to put my arm in the air and actually see a yellow taxi pull up beside me. I want to stand at the foot of a colossal building and feel dizzy from it's height and then let Time Square mesmerise me at night. I want to buy an I Heart New York shirt and a Yankees cap just for the fun of it, and spend an entire day shopping in stilettos. 
I want to watch 'Grease' on Broadway and see Lady Liberty standing tall and poised. 
Canada
I want to go to secret gigs and discover a whole stack of new Indie Bands. I want to see a real live Polar Bear at Churchill and snowboard the Rocky Mountains. I want to eat a maple syrup pie whilst sipping on a hot cup of Red Rose tea. I want to sleep under an electric blanket and think to myself "is it even possible for it to get this cold?"
Melbourne
I want to drive to Melbourne and surf Bell's beach along the way. I want to stroll around the Finder's Keeper's market and delight myself in handmade crafts whilst reading Frankie Magazine. I want Hamish and Andy to make me giggle and the melodies of Triple J Radio to make my Indie-loving heart happy. I want to walk the stylish streets and stop to take a look at every quirky, trendy and amazing store on route, and then treat myself to a White Chocolate Chai at Max Brenner after a hard day's shopping. I want to drown in arts, crafts, music and culture and be inspired. 
California
I want to Longboard at Huntington in the summer, ride my bicycle along the promenade drinking some form of iced Starbucks beverage. I want to see the Hollywood sign up on the hill and then play 'Spot the famous person' as I walk the streets. I want to let my inner fashionista jump for joy along Sunset Boulevard and sip a frozen martini at a coctail bar whilst counting the number of Hummers and Limmos that drive past. 
I want to suntan on Laguna Beach whilst listening the sound of infinity pools from the mansions behind me. I want to drive with the windows down listening to 'California Girls' because it just seems to appropriate. 
Caribbean Islands
I want to snorkel over coral reef jungles and sail around islands that belong on the cover of postcards. I want to have lazy afternoons on a hammock under palm trees and live on a staple diet of freshly picked fruit. I want to go out dancing at night and do the Samba with local islanders and then sleep under a blanket of stars. I want my skin to be as bronzed as a brazillian beach babe and wear nothing but a bikini for days.
{All images: We Heart It}
And the list could go on for blog post after blog post. {watch this space for 'Wanderlust' - part 2, coming soon to a computer near you}

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Love and some verses...

This evening as I sat
With a cup of Rooibos tea
I ended up loosing myself
In the pages of poetry

Tonight a series of fortunate events led me to pick up 'The Albatross Book of Living Verse' which {to be honest} I had bought as a decorative piece and had never intended to read. Before I knew it, a minute had turned into ten and when I looked next, I had lost myself somewhere in between pages of poetic brilliance.

Words have always enchanted me. I could feast on delectable sentences all day long and never tire of their beauty. Tonight as I licked the tip of my index finger and turned to each new page I was captivated by the creativity of talented wordsmiths. It would be cruel not to share them with you, so here are some of my favourites... 
Love Not Me For Comely Grace
{Author: Unknown}

Love not me for comely grace,
For my pleasing eye or face,
Nor for any outward part,
No, nor for a constant heart:
For these may fail or turn to ill,
So thou and I shall sever:
Keep, therefore, a true woman's eye,
And love me still but know not why-
So hast thou the same reason still
To doat upon me ever!
When We Two Parted
{Author: George Gordon, Lord Byron}

When we two parted
In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted,
To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold,
Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold
Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning
Sank chill on my brow
It felt like the warning
Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken,
And light is thy fame:
I hear thy name spoken,
And share in its shame.

They name thee before me,
A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o'er me
Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee,
Who knew thee too well:
Long, long shall I rue thee
Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met
In silence I grieve
That thy heart could forget,
Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee
After long years,
How should I greet thee?
With silence and tears.

Beauty's Self
{Author: Unknown}

My love in her attire doth show her wit,
It doth so well become her;
For every season she hath dressings fit,
For winter, spring and summer.
No beauty she doth miss
When all her robes are on;
But Beauty's self she is
When all her robes are gone.
Love Will Find Out The Way
{Author: Unknown}

Over the mountains
         And over the waves,
Under the fountains
         And under the graves;
Under floods that are deepest,
         Which Neptune obey,
Over rocks that are steepest,
         Love will find out the way.

When there is no place
         For the glow-worm to lie,
When there is no space
         For receipt of a fly;
When the midge dares not venture
         Lest herself fast she lay,
If Love come, he will enter
         And will find out the way.

You may esteem him
         A child for his might;
Or you may deem him
         A coward for his flight;
But if she whom Love doth honour
         Be conceal'd from the day--
Set a thousand guards upon her,
         Love will find out the way.

Some think to lose him
         By having him confined;
And some do suppose him,
         Poor heart! to be blind;
But if ne'er so close ye wall him,
         Do the best that ye may,
Blind Love, if so ye call him,
         He will find out his way.

You may train the eagle
         To stoop to your fist;
Or you may inveigle
         The Phoenix of the east;
The lioness, you may move her
         To give over her prey;
But you'll ne'er stop a lover--
         He will find out the way.

If the earth it should part him,
         He would gallop it o'er;
If the seas should o'erthwart him,
         He would swim to the shore;
Should his Love become a swallow,
         Through the air to stray,
Love will lend wings to follow,
         And will find out the way.

There is no striving
         To cross his intent;
There is no contriving
         His plots to prevent;
But if once the message greet him
         That his True Love doth stay,
If Death should come and meet him,
         Love will find out the way! 
Sonnet 18
{Author: William Shakespeare}

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?



Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date: 
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd; 
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest: 
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

Daffodils
{Author: William Wordsworth}



I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;
A poet could not be but gay,
In such a jocund company!
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Sonnet 116 - Love Is Not Love Which Alters
{Author: William Shakespeare}


Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.


There Is A Garden In Her Face
{Author: Thomas Campion}

There is a Garden in her face,


Where Roses and white Lillies grow ;
A heau'nly paradice is that place,
Wherein all pleasant fruits doe flow.
There Cherries grow, which none may buy
Till Cherry ripe themselues doe cry.

Those Cherries fayrely doe enclose
Of Orient Pearle a double row ;
Which when her louely laughter showes,
They look like Rose-buds fill'd with snow.
Yet them nor Peere nor Prince can buy,
Till Cherry ripe themselues doe cry.

Her Eyes like Angels watch them still ;
Her Browes like bended bowes doe stand,
Threatning with piercing frownes to kill
All that attempt with eye or hand
Those sacred Cherries to come nigh,
Till Cherry ripe themselues doe cry.
Auguries of Innocence
-Extract-
{Author: William Blake}

To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

Love's Secret
{Author: William Blake}

Never seek to tell thy love, 


Love that never told can be; 
For the gentle wind does move 
Silently, invisibly.
I told my love, I told my love, 
I told her all my heart; 
Trembling, cold, in ghastly fears, 
Ah! she did depart!

Soon as she was gone from me, 
A traveler came by, 
Silently, invisibly 
He took her with a sigh.


The Old Stoic
{Author: Emily Bronte}

Riches I hold in light esteem,
And Love I laugh to scorn;
And lust of fame was but a dream,
That vanished with the morn:

And if I pray, the only prayer
That moves my lips for me
Is, "Leave the heart that now I bear,
And give me liberty!"

Yes, as my swift days near their goal:
'Tis all that I implore ;
In life and death a chainless soul,
With courage to endure.
Love's Stricken "Why"
{Author: Emily Bronte}
Love's stricken "why"
Is all that love can speak-
Built of but just one syllable
The hugest hearts that break.




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