Yes

Image: PostSecret

At least I am not the only one. 

People can be so damn nice

Unexpected compliments and acts of kindness always leave a warm and fuzzy after effect. I noticed strangers have been rather kind lately and when I think about it, it leaves me with a lingering smile.

Incident 1:

I walked through a popular street lined with cafes and restaurant in Greenside, Johannesburg during lunch one day. A lady ran up to me and said she is studying at Carlton Hair and wondered if I would model my pixie hair cut for them. I smiled, declined, and told her I am too shy. But I did thank her and I passed on the story to my hairdresser. She is the magician behind making my thick, curly hair viable for a short pixie cut. 

Incident 2:

The S.O* ran a race in Benoni and I went to pick him up thereafter. Amidst the crowd, I walked around the finish line a few times hoping to spot him.

"You're dressed so nice!" A lady yelled at me as I walked pass. I hollered back a thank you. 

All I had on was a floral dress, plum woolly panty hose, and red boots. 

Incident 3:

I was at Checkers buying a few urgent groceries. After I picked out the tomatoes I wanted, I handed it to the guy at the scale so he could weigh it. 

"You have a very nice haircut," he said. I told him thanks, despite thinking I needed to desperately wash it. I was glad it did not look as bad as I thought it did.

This is another anecdote I need to pass on to my hairdresser when I see her again.

*S.O - Significant Other 

Marriage - a retrospective

I've been married for about 1 and a half years, and in that time I have felt myself evolving, being pushed, challenged, and getting forced out of my comfort zone.

There is a strange sort of synchronicity and intimacy that develops when two people live together. I have found this initially terrifying, and now oddly comforting. The S.O* has become someone I rely on with anything and everything. It is he whom I will go to with any sort of a problem and he is the first one I want to share good news with. There are about a million little things that happen throughout the day and I think: "I need to tell him." And he is the only one who can challenge me in his unique way - he sees the world very differently from me.

But let me be the first to admit, it has not been easy, in fact, the exact opposite. I would describe the first year of marriage as being in a pressure cooker. Granted, we had our unique circumstances (for e.g: I was working every weekend, which meant we had very little leisure time together), but I am sure other couples have also experienced the 'first year marriage blues' syndrome. I am very glad to say it seems we have made it through.

Now we have settled into a comfortable routine, I am not working every weekend so we have time to do fun things together. We both still swear by maintaining our individual personalities, but are also nurturing our joint life. As a friend once told me: "A young marriage needs time to be nurtured." Never were there truer words spoken.

I still say I never wanted to get married, but all in all, its been an experience I think I needed. I have grown, so has he. It's not easy, but it is worth it, because it is great living with your best friend... and one you can snuggle up to.

*S.O - Significant Other 

Frustrations of social media

From working on many social media accounts, for various reality TV shows, channels, and companies, I have learnt the following (and forgive the rant!):

• The audience assumes there is an omnipotent presence monitoring the accounts 24/7, 365, and said presence has all the answers related to the brand on that social media account. No, people, it is just a normal personal employed to manage and maintain these accounts. Most of the time, answering queries is a back and forth process between departments to get just the right answer. 
• It has made people lazy to search for the information they want. Ever heard of google? Its an ingenious search engine, that will help you find anything on the web, really! Want to know what time a TV show starts, or when is the repeat? Here's a tip: Look in the TV guide.
• In relation to the above, people do not read the updates with the attention it deserves. For example, if the status update reads: "Tune into the show tonight at 17:00 on [insert channel]." We will no doubt see comments like "when is the show?", "what channel?". READ. THE. UPDATE! 
• Online, people have no filter, they say anything, and I do mean anything! It has actually made me loose a lot of faith in human kind. I wonder if such people would ever say those things in person! Highly doubtful...
• And the spam! Stop with the damn pornographic content, xenophobia, racism, ponzi schemes, and get-rich-quick cons. It makes moderating pages a nightmare! 
• People are forgetting how to spell and structure proper sentences... the level of deterioration of English is scary!
• It astounds me how the audience invests so much into these shows. Its a TV show, that is all. Get over it. 
• Audiences are rarely happy with anything that happens on a show, we've seen it all: "The judges are crap", "voting is rigged", "I won't watch the show anymore", "bring back the ousted contestant". Yawn! 

It has altered my personal approach to my accounts, and how I deal with brands too. So before you fire off on any social media platform in the future, please remember these points. 

Mother City beckons

There's something about Cape Town that makes me feel it is the beautiful Cinderella of South Africa, and Johannesburg, it's ugly step sister.

The S.O* and I went to the Mother City for a blitz, first year anniversary trip.** I once again fell head over heels in love with Cape Town... the ease of transport, the location, the beach, the vibrancy... there is an atmosphere there that allows me to breath easier, where I can be more myself, and enjoy more outdoor activities.

Johannesburg, however, does have its perks as well. There is a great work ethic in this city, and if there is anything you are looking for in South Africa, you'll probably find it in Johannesburg (except the beach).

The gorgeous Bo Kaap.

Charly's Bakery... 

An early morning walk on the Promenade, with a sea gull to keep me company.  

A trip to the Aquarium. 

All pictures taken by myself. 

And as I publish my blog post, I find this read, "15 Reasons Cape Town Should Be No. 1 On Your Travel Agenda" on Huffington Post. 

*S.O - Significant Other 
**The company I work for sent us on this trip, after I had what I like to call a mini break down due to the intense busyness we were experiencing. 

New Home in Pictures

The S.O.* and I got the keys to our first house in November last year. We only moved in after the wedding in March. In those few months we managed to paint, renovate the kitchen, add a bookshelf, replace carpets with laminated floors and replace four of the conventional swinging doors with sliding doors (to save space). So, without further ado, here are a few pictures!

The kitchen: 

The lounge and dining area: 

The bedrooms: 

And the all important bookshelf: 

It is still very much a work in progress.I have a vision of what I want my home to look like, and I am getting there, slowly and steadily.

*Significant Other 

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!

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.

Chocolate Monday - Week 5

Image found on Imgfave

Okay, I know I have been slacking off on Chocolate Mondays. Sorry about that!

Reason being is that I have been on leave for a very short while. But on the down side my company is talking about restructuring Editorial to Cape Town. While I would love to move to that beautiful city, it is not possible at the moment. S.O* and I are getting married, I cannot ask him to resign and start anew because my job needs to move. And I cannot just pack up the rest of my life and move to another city for the sake of a job...

There has been talk of retrenchments and I suspect because I cannot relocate, I will get the axe. It has been a scary and stressful few weeks in this regard. 

*S.O = Significant Other 

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

If I could shut my brain down for a bit, I would

Recently, I've been irritable, listless and needing some down time. Work wise, I have not really taken decent leave since April 2011 and you know what? I think I have reached the end of my tolerance threshold.

December was a crazy, and I mean an absolutely insane month, having taken on some responsibilities of a colleague who had resigned, plus having had new tasks added to that. Burnt-out and frustrated, that is what I am. I am also so annoyed by how companies everywhere are treating employees in this current economic climate - it is really not fair! It makes me want to punch many CEOs!

I have been fantasising about taking leave from my life, even if it is for a short while. Venture off to an adventure where I am anonymous and not accountable. Dangerous, I know. But what is a gal to do? S.O* and I are hoping to set a date for a wedding in March next year - the families will meet this Sunday to discuss it. Yeah, that is how my little ethnic community operates. Sigh. We want to get a house and make it into a home. I want to begin our life, under our roof and I cannot wait for that. Yet, me and marriage go together like wearing a bikini in a snow storm. I feel I am going against my very nature. (If you need to remember just how much I am against marriage, read this post.)

My dreams have also been vivid and downright odd. I've been waking up long before my alarm, recalling them perfectly, only to fall asleep and have the dreams fall through my memory. That makes me sad. I remember one dream could have been a great fictional story and now I cannot bloody remember it. I wish I could kick myself at times.

I have also been reading a lot less that what I usually do. This is not because I have a low supply of books. No, it is because I am too tired in the evenings! When I do read, I manage a few pages, before I realise I am not concentrating and the book is falling out of my hands. Another reason to kick myself!

This post perfectly reflects my state of mind: scattered, unfocused and downright grumpy.If you managed to read it till the end, a huge congratulations to you. Thanks for lending an eye to my venting session.

*S.O = Significant Other

Don't you love it when books speak to your heart and soul?

"My dad says that being a Londoner has nothing to do with where you're born. He says there are people who get off a jumbo jet at Heathrow, go through immigration waving any kind of passport, hop onto a tube and by the time the train's pulled into Piccadilly Circus they've become a Londoner."
- Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch 


I think my heart and soul cannot be in more agreement.

Well, that's that, then!

What sort of a year has 2011 been? Personally, it's been filled with:
...denial, anger, pain, frustration, bitterness and hurt.
...hiding, isolation, loneliness, solitude and confusion.
...a blur of remorse and tears.
...a fight to keep the threads of my life sewn and to keep on breathing.
...forgetting my passions like writing, cooking, reading and blogging. Thereby forgetting myself too.

And because of all the above, the last two months or so has been filled with:
...rebirth, renewal and revitalisation.
...an re-awakening of all my senses.
...promises to build a better 2012 - and onwards.
...talk of engagements and weddings. (My own! Eek! God, help me!)
...hunting for a place to call home.

So I reckon 2012 has gotta be better - full of those sorta huge life changes. And I hope it is not my misguided optimism at this time of the year. Maybe S.O* and I are on our way to a Happily Ever After.

These two secrets from Postsecret  pulled at my heart:

Finally, a very happy new year to you! May 2012 fulfil every wish and dream, even those in the deep corners of your imagination. Shine and thrive, everyone!

*S.O= Significant Other

Chocolate Monday

If you're a Harry Potter fan, this will make you laugh...and eat loads of chocolate. Image found here.

If you need an explanation, here is how Remus Lupin explains it to Harry:

"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them... Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself...soulless and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life." - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

If a person has a brief encounter with such a creature, chocolate proves to be a good antidote.
Chocolate Mondays have been created to banish Monday Blues, or at least lessen the sting of a new working week.  

Chocolate Monday plus a bit of a rant

These chocolate hearts look simple, happy and appetising - exactly what I need today. Picture found here: Imgfave.

In addition to Chocolate Monday - I will indulge myself in a bit of a rant. I hate over drinking, always did and always will. The last time drank bit too much was 2009. So, anyway, back to this incident. It was a public holiday in South Africa on Saturday - Heritage Day, and also National Braai* Day. S.O** decided to have a little braai. Much to my delight, he bought chocolate vodka. Needless to say I am in love with that drink and will voluntarily have more and more, simply because it tastes like chocolate cake in a shooter glass. But it done me in on Saturday. All my emotional baggage suddenly became hoards of luggage, and dare I say, it was not pretty. That is why I do not like to drink - you loose control and every fear, resentment, threads of hopelessness, dashed dreams and every other negative emotion bubbles to the surface and makes it's ugly self known. I hope to never get into that state again. And I do apologise to S.O for saying things that only stem from my deepest, darkest self. And no more to copious amounts of chocolate vodka!

Chocolate Mondays have been created to banish Monday Blues, or at least lessen the sting of a new working week.  
**S.O - Significant Other 
*Braai - South African term for barbecue

World Addiction Day 2011

Today is World Addiction Day. I have had experiences with addicts and continue to try and support someone close to me with an addiction, so this is a very important topic to me. I live the struggle everyday and it is not easy. And that is what people need to realise - addiction takes over your life. When you decide to stop whatever you're addicted to (be it gambling, drugs, alcohol), that is when the work begins. That is when you live with the consequences of your choices and cope with this mental illness. It becomes your life partner, in a way.

So to all those who have a problem, to those who have loved ones with an addiction, to all those who are clawing their way out of the addiction pit to live some semblance of a normal life, today is your day. Be proud, brave and wise. Let the cycle of lies, stigma, mistrust and dependence end. Start fresh, embrace honesty and be good to yourself. 

More info can be found here: World Addiction Day

A quote that grabbed me

I got this emailed to me today. It sorta sums up a lot about life, don't ya think?

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you CHOOSE."

- Dr Seuss -  

Do it, for your heart

I happily discovered this tweet by Essentials Magazine! 

essentialsmagSA essentials magazine 

Tip of the Day: Latest research says that chocolate can reduce heart disease by up to 37%! Best news ever!

So, have as much chocolate as possible, guilt free! For the sake of your heart... 

Into the land of fantasy

I've always been a great fan of stories with fantasy and magical elements such as Chronicles of Narnia, Peter Pan, The Lord of the Rings and so many more.  I have dozens of my own ideas dancing around in my head,  I am only too scared to type them out. The fear of mediocre work overwhelms me and it paralyses me into immobility. Regardless, there are others who think like me and this image proves that. It gives me a little courage to bring my magical creatures alive on paper and into the hearts and minds of readers.

Should I be worried?

I'm so OCD that having my play list on shuffle makes me anxious. I've tried but it's better if you know what song will be playing next...better for me anyway.

Let's...

I found this tweet on the Postsecret  and thought it was really touching and sweet!