Some truths...

...I cannot hide from:

Image taken from here.

Chocolate Monday: Week 14

A 400g slab of lovely Cadbury! Image taken by Prixie. 

Don't you hate those Mondays that feel as if you did not have a restful weekend? Today is one such Monday! Let me tell you about it: Friday after work, the S.O* and I went shopping for paint and other DIY things. After an early morning yoga session on Saturday, we went looking for furniture and those seemingly elusive vinyl folding doors (BTW, if any of you readers from Johannesburg know of a place where I can it, please let me know. We went to one DIY store, where they were very rude so on principle, I am not getting it there). In the afternoon, we went to the dressmaker who is altering my clothes for the wedding. I first saw her in July, and after numerous fittings, they are finally complete and fitting perfectly! At night, we went to a surprise 30th.

On Sunday, we rallied the troops - S.O's* parents and cousin, and made our way to the new house to paint. Naturally, we forgot a few things, so I went to the nearby DIY shop to buy those items. We only managed to paint the lounge and dining room area. I have to admit, this is the first time I have ever painted and I feel such a sense of accomplishment. We are still not done and need to go back next weekend to finish it up. So today, I am exhausted and my body is sore - I suspect it must be from the combination of painting and yoga. I also suspect, till the house renovations are done, and the wedding is over, my weekends will be like this. I might as well, grudgingly, make peace with it.

So here I am, on a Monday, in dire need of chocolate to perk me up. Luckily, I was given this gorgeous 400g slab of chocolate after a friend visited Dubai. She said: "I saw it and thought of you." Needless to say, I am thrilled. S.O* had the nerve to take it out of the grocery cabinet and say: "This is for sharing." I  looked at him with cold eyes and stonily relied: "No, it is not. Put. It. Back." 

*S.O = Significant Other 

A New Home

The house hunt is over. Last night S.O* and I picked up the keys to the place we bought. That's right, we have bought a house! Since then, I have had this silly smile on my face. I can't help it. Who knew that something as simple as keys would turn me into this sentimental, mushy character? You know, the one that wants to shed happy tears, hug everyone and tell them how much I love them...that sounds awfully a lot like my tipsy/drunk-self too!

The thing is, I always wanted a place of our own. I have desperately wanted to leave my parents' place for many reasons. After living on my own in London, I could not wait to do it here in Johannesburg! For various reasons (safety, cultural aspects, financially) I have not gotten a place sooner. It feels right though, to do this with my S.O. Once we are married, we will move it together - that is because of the traditions our parents hold dear. In the mean time, we will start to furnish the house, re-do the kitchen and a few other things.

The seller and his family seem like lovely folk. He bought us a pot plant with a card that read: "To wish you everything of the best in your new home, may you spend as many happy years as we did in it."

*S.O = Significant Other 

Chocolate Monday: Week 13

I cannot recall where I found this image, but the smiley on the end of the spoon is much too adorable. And I really need something like this today because I did not sleep well last night, so I am rather cranky and irritable. I wish I could leave work and snuggle into my duvet...if only for a few hours.

Chocolate Monday: Week 12

I mentioned in my previous post how busy I have been and how much has happened during my Blogger-ville hiatus. One of the more recent events is that I turned 30! Ten years ago, it was an inconceivable thought. But, lo and bold, time sneaks up on you.

What's a birthday with no cake? So, I baked a chocolate one this weekend. The recipe itself is vegan friendly, but I used nutella as icing (my cheats way out to make baking faster) and I sprinkled flake on top. I gotta admit, I enjoyed this cake. And I do plan to make it again this coming weekend.

Almost vegan friendly chocolate cake. Images taken by Prixie. 

Do you have any baking tips? Do you have a go-to-recipe that always works? Have you baked without eggs? Let me know in the comment section!

Chocolate Monday: Week 11

Image found on Imgfave. 

I have been so atrociously busy at work, I have neglected many parts of my life, including my blogs. So much has happened in the interim too, that I feel that could be a post all on it's own. For now, it is another Monday and that means everyone needs to survive it. And the picture of this mouthwatering cake may do the trick...  

Tag 2 of 2

Thank you Azra, for the tag and sorry for taking so long! I've been a bad blogger of late - and I blame work, fully!

Enough of that, though...here goes:

1. What is your favourite saying, or motto?
Face the sun and let the shadows fall behind you. - Not sure who said this.

2. What is your dream job?
A travel writer for National Geographic, or an established author of fairy-tales, science fiction, fantasy and other weird stuff.

3. What part of the world do you have little interest in travelling to? And which part of the world is next on your “list”?
I have no interest in places that are overly hot and too humid - that counts out most islands for me! I would love to do see the Northern Lights next.

4. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
London or New York.

5. When you travel, do you prefer to go to the city or the countryside?
Both.

6. What is the last thing you think about before falling asleep?
About my day, I suppose.

7. Are you a gardener, or a garden admirer? You can be both!
A little bit of both - I have a potted garden at the moment.

8. Do you enjoy cooking? If so, what are some meals you like to prepare when you entertain?
I adore cooking - it actually helps me to de-stress! :-/ I cook within my vegetarian diet, but folks do enjoy it. I often get asked for recipes. :)

9. Do you parallel park or drive around the block?
Drive around the block, so I can find one bay to alley dock into.

10. If there were 7 people from any time period you could invite to dinner, who would they be?
Jane Austen, Gregory David Roberts, Neil Gaiman, Pocahontas, Leonardo da Vinci, Desmond Tutu, Joss Whedon.

11. Have you ever written or would you like to write a short story, memoir, or novel?
I have scribbled down a few things, and yes, I would love to write a novel. There is only that pesky lack-of-time-and-discipline problem.

12. What kind of music helps you unwind?
Soft, soothing music.

13. When was the last time you cried?
Last week Saturday.

14. Which lyrics aptly describe your love life?
Okay, this is going to be corny and schmaltzy! S.O and I are getting married soon. I've never wanted to get married, so this entire experience is rather weird. Nevertheless I noticed, it has brought us closer. And we have both overcome many personal and joint problems to get to where we are. I am so proud of how S.O got his life back together, I feel astounded by his progress. I guess, Lonestar's Amazed are the perfect lyrics for now:


"I don't know how you do what you do, I'm so in love with you, It just keeps getting better, I want to spend the rest of my life, With you by my side, Forever and ever, Every little thing that you do
Baby, I'm amazed by you..."


15. What do you most enjoy about blogging, and what advice would you give new bloggers?
I enjoy blogging because it is a release from the daily grind. Sometimes the daily grind gets too much and I put blogging aside for a short while. I love the sense of community and the bonds formed. I love to share what I find interesting, to vent if need be, to share my opinion on matters. And hey, coming across like minded people!

New bloggers should start, and keep at it, when and where they can. Write from the heart!

Cupcakes and playlists in Japanese

The Red Velvet cupcakes for S.O's Bday.

The S.O* had his birthday recently. I decided to bake Red Velvet Cupcakes with a Cream Cheese Frosting to celebrate the occasion. This was the first time I had ever attempted to bake such cakes. Usually I stick to my go-to-quick-and-easy eggless cake recipe, so trying this out was a bit of a risk. Added to that risk was that the recipe called for eggs (I do not eat anything with eggs) so I used Egg Replacement. I was terrified it was going to be a huge flop, but thankfully it did not. The only problem was that they rose beautifully, but sunk a little after baking. Thankfully the icing covered it up! Since I do not usually eat desserts (eating only eggless goodies limits my options), I found the icing much too sweet. Other than that, they were yummy.

The playlist in Japanese. 

On a different note, I recently bought a CD - yes, some people still do that. As I ripped it to my computer, this is the music titles that came up. Who else understands Japanese? Bizarre and curious, don't you think? Has something like this ever happened to you? And here is the other strange part of this story: the music came on two CDs and the second CD pulled through the English music titles!

*S.O = Significant Other 
P.S: Happiest of birthdays to S.O. Celebrating this special day with you for the past 11 years has been beyond awesome. 

World's. Largest. Chocolate!

OhMyGosh - I read an article about the largest chocolate sculpture and man, oh man, I want it now! 

Qzina Speciality Foods built it to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Read the article here on the Gourmet Guys website.  I love how they pay homage to the Mayans, and take into account the Mayan calendar too.

Excuse me as I wipe the drool off my computer.

**Still salivating though.**

PS: They may sign me up to 'destroy the structure' in December 2012.

Guest Post Chocolate Monday: Week 10

Image sourced here. 

The lovely Azra put up this pic on Facebook of a 5kg jar of nutella! Not even my best dreams make me this happy. It pleasantly haunted my memory (and taste buds) so I asked her to do a Guest Post for Chocolate Monday. She says:

"You have not lived until you've owned a 750g jar of Nutella... but a 5kg jar would also do! :)"

A gal close to my heart, that one. **Very content sigh**

Chocolate Mondays have been created to banish Monday Blues, or at least lessen the sting of a new working week.

Tag 1 of 2 - in recent tags

Raj  tagged me in the  7×7 Link Award. Thank you!

Basically, this is what needs to happen:

1: Tell everyone something about yourself that nobody knows.

2: Link to a post that fits the following categories: The Most Beautiful Piece, Most Helpful Piece, Most Popular Piece, Most Controversial Piece, Most Surprisingly Successful Piece, Most Underrated Piece, Most Pride-worthy Piece.

3: Pass this on to 7 fellow bloggers.

Right then, let me get to it.

1.
Hmmm...I almost studied Optometry instead of Journalism. I know, I know, those are worlds apart. Let's just say I had some family influence thinking I could do the former. Thank God I got back to my writing roots.

2.
Linking to these posts was more difficult than I realised. I have this blog since 2006 and by George, I cannot even remember what I used to post back then. It was also difficult to think of my blog posts in these terms too. Nevertheless I dug into the archives:

The Most Beautiful Piece: I hate thinking of my writing in these terms, but I really enjoyed writing this piece.

Most Surprisingly Successful Piece: Every damn year my parents have to remind me when I was conceived. Read that post here.

Most Helpful Piece: I like to to know everything about something I am interested in. And so it was with the Phantom of the Opera. Want to know more about how the story started in Paris? Read this.

Most Popular Piece: My most popular pieces in terms of views must be Chocolate Mondays. See them here.

Most Controversial Piece: I don't really do controversial.

Most Underrated Piece: I think this has to be it. Find it here.

Most Pride-worthy Piece: Again, it was difficult to think myself proud of my writing. However, I did feel proud of SA when I attended the opening of the Oprah Winfrey School. Read more  here.

3. 
Pass on to seven bloggers. Any takers? Especially if you have started thinking of your blog posts in these terms...go on and do this tag! Let me know.

I've been tagged

I am feeling rather popular - I have been tagged twice in a matter of weeks by the lovely Azra and the fascinating Raj.

This is a promise post that I will do the tags as soon as I possibly can. Work is currently giving new definition to the word 'manic'!

Thanks!

Are you a fan of these tales of yonder?

There seems to be a fierce resurgence of fairy tales in popular culture. Think about it, there are current TV shows like Grimm and Once Upon a Time alongside movies like Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman (upcoming), Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (upcoming) and Jack the Giant Killer (upcoming). Am I missing out on any? Please do let me know!

All I can say is that I am really loving this period. I have always adored fairy tales, and still buy as many books as I can. Even though I am almost 30, I have to admit I still enjoy browsing through them, soaking in the artwork and the goodness.

From what I have seen, some of these new adaptations refresh the old tales with modern twists that are witty, entertaining, scary and hey, some characters are even empowered more so than the original story. Some stories merge beautifully and it leaves me thinking: 'Why couldn't I think of that?' The escapism leaves me feeling so refreshed, and looking at the world with eyes of wonder again. And that is very important for a writer, I reckon.

It could very well be introducing these stories to an entire new audience, and that is always a huge plus. These stories manage to teach about bravery, being good, following your dreams, being courageous and even though women were more the 'waiting for a prince to save me' sort in the originals, the new versions throw that notion out the window and door.

Have you managed to watch any of these TV shows and movies? If so, let me know your impressions!

Chocolate Monday - Week 9

Image found on Imgfave

As much as I would love to say this is my fridge, it is not. But can I say how much I approve of this person, whoever and wherever they may be!

On Love Never Dies

Being such an ardent phan of the Phantom of the Opera, I was curiously compelled to buy the DVD of the theatrical production of the sequel, Love Never Dies, filmed in Australia.

I know it got luke warm, to frigid reviews when it opened up in London. In fact there is also a website and Facebook group called Love Should Die (tsk, tsk)- set up by those who feel The Phantom of the Opera needs no sequel.

With excitement and trepidation, I slotted the DVD into the player and began to watch. If you want to know about the basic plot, please read it on the Love Never Dies Website.

**Please note, there are major spoilers below. Read at your peril!**

Upon on initial viewing, the Coney Island setting freaked me out, but then again I generally hate circuses and clowns... oh God, clowns! The songs did not grab my attention at first, the haunting melodies from the Phantom that made me such a phan to start off with, seemed absent - at first. But then I searched for the lyrics and listened to them some more, and hey, there are few gems in terms of music - "Beneath a Moonless Sky", "Look with Your Heart", "Devil Take the Hindmost" and "Love Never Dies".

Putting my antagonism for circuses and all associations aside,  the Coney Island sets are amazingly beautiful and some of the effects does leave your jaw dropping to the floor, especially when the song "The Beauty Underneath" is sung.

As for character development, it had to happen, else the story could not have continued - you might as well watch the original again if you wanted things to remain the same.

I think Christine seemed stronger in this version. She admitted she loves the phantom (hooray!), she admits to having spent a night with him before her wedding, was heartbroken to find him vanished in the morning because she was ready to 'declare her love for him'. Upon finding him alive she was fiercely angry that he made them all think he was dead. And the whopper - their night together resulted in a son, Gustave!

Raoul turns out to be one helluva drinker and gambler. In fact, the family is in debt. A dashing, young Vicomte he is no longer. He admits to not being able to understand Christine's passion for music and the stage. This is obviously how she connected with the phantom - their passions complemented each other, their souls connected and it exploded into brilliance on the stage. The initial puppy love between her and Raoul did not sustain into a solid relationship. I did not find this surprising. Maybe I even silently cheered on Raoul's demise, even though I felt incredible pity for his wretched state.

Madame Giry and Meg - I think their development led most to the plot's soap-opera-feel. Turns out, Madame Giry becomes quite resentful when the phantom lures Christine to New York, feeling slighted that all she has done for him in the past 10 years, will be for nothing. After all, he is going to leave his inheritance to his son! Meg, it turns out, wants nothing more than the phantom's approval and attention. And it was thanks to her 'bedding so many men' that the phantom had the financial resources to set up the Coney Island wonderland. She even attempts to drown Gustave, but ends up shooting Christine by accident. Did I not say it became like a soap opera? I still shake my head thinking about this plot progression.

Finally, the phantom! After 10 years, he is still a tortured soul, longing for the one who can bring his music to life. Even though he is in Coney Island, he seems less powerful, alluring and charismatic compared to the original, despite revealing aspects of his dark side in Love Never Dies. When he realises he has a son, he becomes more human in my eyes and I don't think I like that very much. He still has a powerful voice, and his musical genius is still present, but he is no longer on the right-side-of-danger that I found appealing.  As one of my friends have said: "They took the phantom up from the sky and crushed him down to the human level." Despite Christine dying, at least he finds acceptance from his son, acceptance he has always sought, despite his disfigurement. And maybe that, along with Christine admitting she does love the phantom, were the two saving graces that emerged from Love Never Dies.

How scared are you?

Look at the calendar today...And you should realise it is Friday, the 13th. Cue spooks, ghouls and other creatures that haunt your nightmares and leave your spine frigid.  What scares you about today? Do tell!

Have a happy weekend everyone!

A century of chocolate-ness

Guess what? The humble Oreo biscuit turns a hundred years old today! Happy birthday to one of the best treats around. These sort of chocolate related milestones should rightly be acknowledged and celebrated! :) Read the entire story and get great recipes on the Eat-In website.

That Oreo martini really catches my eye. Note to self to try and make it at the next braai*.

*Braai - South African term for the word barbecue. 

Whoop! Another Tim Burton movie!

I do so love the minds of movie maker Tim Burton and writer Neil Gaiman. Now, now, no need to judge. :)

I am thrilled to see another film release from Tim Burton. If you need a reminder, he did films like Alice in Wonderland, Edward Scissorhands and so on... The animation looks very much in the style of Corpse Bride, while it pays homage to the classic story of Frankenstein.

The story is about Viktor who looses his dog Sparky. But he manages to bring his beloved pet back to life again. And my word, I adore the quirky dark undertones.

Watch the trailer and lemme know what you think. If you cannot see it below, click on this link to take you to Yahoo movies.

Chocolate Monday - week 6

Godiva truffles - LOVE!

The Lovely Azra  brought this to my attention this morning on Facebook. Could there be a better start to the week?

Chocolate Mondays have been created to banish Monday Blues, or at least lessen the sting of a new working week.

Word cloud

I found this through Saaleha and I had to share it. Click on it to see the larger version.

I created this word cloud from words on my blog and it was much fun to do. Go to Tagxedo and do it yourself!