Refusing to forget Joy

Today I am admitting to my most pathetic attribute. I have my moments of sentimentality. I know. I am lame. Today is the 7th. Meaning me and the Fi have been together for 18 months. Maybe I am pathetic but this makes me happy.

I like thinking about the things we have gone through and the things we have accomplished. It is fun and inspiring.

Like the time we played putt-putt and I slipped in the water and he caught me. *sigh* or the time when he brought me flowers after my surgery. And the time he wrote me a song. And the time when he pgot down on his knee to ask me to be his wife... and the time.... See it's fun!

So enjoy today and relish in the moments that you may forget if you let yourself.


Keep the joy today! And happy Friday! And day...7 of NaBloPoMo!

Music Actually Rules the World....We just don't realise it yet...

Happy Thursday everyone! It is a glorious day considering 1. We have already passed Wednesday, the worst day of the week and 2. because tomorrow is Friday. And although I write an exam until late and will thus be missing the normal Fri night with the Church youth playing games and chatting about life, love, and Jesus Christ, I am really looking forward to one week closer to being done with this year of University.

Because today is so incredibly rocking, I have a game just to pass the time. Yes these are lame. No you don't have to finish reading this post. Unless I tagged you. In that case, you better or the force of a thousand ninjas on speed might just harass you in your dreams....

RULES:

1. Put Your ITunes/ music player on Shuffle

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT (or else tiny leprechauns will come to your house and eat you! or something)

Here we go:

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY?" YOU SAY:

Man Who Sold the World- Nirvana

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?:

Falling for the First Time- Bare Naked Ladies

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Nothing Ever Changes- DC Talk

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

And Can it Be? - Rob Watson

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

Knocking on Heaven's Door- Guns and Roses

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?

Introduction to Destruction- SUM 41

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

Du Riechst So Gut- Rammestein (Like I even know what this means! They just rock hard and tight)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?

I Alone- Live

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

Bloody Sunday- U2

WHAT IS 2+2? (WTFH?)

Show me Heaven- Jessica Andrews (No, no, no. I can't believe I have this on my playlist! BARF)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Zero- Smashing Pumpkins (LIES! I love my BFF!)


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Crash - Dave Matthews Band (*Sigh)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Am I Understood- Relient K

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

Bats- Tourniquet

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Elderly Woman Behind the Counter- Pearl Jam (LOL! I just died laughing.)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

Son of a Preacherman- Dusty Springfield (Ok.. so the Fi is a son of a preacherman...)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

The Closest Thing to Crazy- Katie Melua (Uber cute... awwwww)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

I Believe in a Thing Called Love- The Darkness (Um.)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

One- Simple Plan (Um. again. Maybe disgruntled maladjusted teens?)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

The Battle of Forevermore- Led Zepplin

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Over the Hills and Far Away- Nightwish (The definition of ironic. This song, this question. I miss my BFF!)

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
Pain for Pleasure- Sum 41 (Fitting I guess...)

WHAT IS YOUR THEME SONG?

End the End- Linkin Park

TAGGED:

1. Hillbilly Duhn
2. Your Artistic View
3. Carla
4. Will Robson
5. Savy


Ok, so if you are bored- this was amusing. Give it a try... Especially if you are bored. ha! Or just writing exams like me and do nothing exciting despite trying to post more frequently. Lame!

'Til the morrow!

Life in the Big City

This post was saved and I accidently posted it early before I was ready for it to be read. I am sorry if you read it before I could remove it. My comedic genius was working on making it funny (obviously!)...

Yes I do realise that Pretoria (or Tshwane as we are to now call it) is far from a thrilling city. Full of the backwardness of poor city planning I am now knee-deep in dutchmen-ville. I do get teased for the way my South African accent is turning more Afrikaans and that I no longer need to read the subtitles of 7 de Laan. I say things like 'too much of' , 'ja', and I have even caught myself saying the dreaded, 'Can like to be'. My grammar has gone out the window. All because I study English at TUKKIES! (too bad I can't record the way that has to be said. Because there is a way to say it so that is sounds strong powerful and very Afrikaans.)

So, that leads to today's thought. These are my top 13 tips to living as an American in Pretoria.

1. Don't tell anyone that you are American. Either they will ask you something retarded like whether or not you know Oprah or their third cousin twice removed who lives in Canada, or they will try to rip you off trying to make you think that you have to pay to walk on the sidewalk.

2. Don't leave your windows open at the traffic lights. The beggars/hawkers will reach into your car and steal your stuff. And you probably like your stuff and don't want to chase a one or two legged man down the street just to get your cellphone back.

3. Try not to speak. You accent will give your nationality away. See Number 1.

4. Learn Afrikaans. It is a lot of fun to eavesdrop when no one knows you understand what they are talking about. Hours of entertainment here... Especially when you get the luck of them talking about you while you are in the room.

5. Don't drink the water. No, really, I think someone might have died in the reserve they pump it from. When people drink it for extended periods of time they begin to like Steve Hofmeyer and adore Vernon Koekemoer and say things like 'Can like to be'.

6. One word. Loftus. Avoid it and the traffic created by it.

7. Don't bother trying to find parking. Walk everywhere. Sure it might be more dangerous, but if you take your car it will most likely get stolen then you will have to walk home anyway.

8. If someone says 'for you my friend I'll give you special price' understand one thing. You are not their friend, everyone gets the 'special' price and you are most likely getting ripped off.

9. Buy a new map book every 6 weeks. Pretty soon after all the name changes you won't know where you are going. Ever. Try and keep ahead of the game.

10. Don't give money to ANC supporters. Despite failed promises, a collapsing economy and increase after increase in everything from the 60% increase in electricity prices to the incredibly ridiculous taxes to interest rates they will continue to vote ANC until they die.

11. Learn how to ride a dead horse. You have to deal with things not working. Broken this and that, Bank systems will be offline and even power outages when you want to cook dinner/dry your hair. If you understand how to ride a dead horse maybe you will cope easier with all the dead things in Tshwane.

12. Eat at Po's Kitchen. It's the best Chinese in the world. Expect maybe in China. And say hi to Po for me!

13. Don't carry money while you walk home. Spend it all while you shop. Black people who are dressed better than you, who actually still have a car and have their party of choice in government will probably stop you and give you a long story about their brother's sister's cousin's child who is hungry and how a neighbor gave him a meal and now he needs money to buy a thank you gift to the child's neighbor. Confused? I was too.

Missing the Rainy State

Sometimes I really miss Oregon. REALLY miss it. I found this list (thanks mom!) and had to share it for some joy!! You know you are from Oregon when....

1. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.
2. You use the statement "sun break" and know what it means.
3. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
4. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
5. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.
6. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal.
7. You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain.
8. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon, Yakima, and Willamette.
9. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
10. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark—while only working eight-hour days.
11. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.
12. You are not fazed by "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain," and "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers."
13. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation
14. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.
15. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover.
16. You notice, "The mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
17. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
18. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.
19. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
20. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or people from california
21. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time.
22. You measure distance in hours.
23. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
24. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer & Elk season (Fall).
25. Your grandparents drive at 65 mph through a rain storm without flinching.
26. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
27. You carry jumper cables in your pickup and your wife knows how to use them.
28. Driving is better in the winter because almost everybody stays home.
29. You blame everything that's not right on ex-Californians.
30. You are sitting at a red light surrounded by Subaru Legacy Outbacks.
31. A tree or mudslide has ever damaged your house or car.
32. You live equidistant to a symphony hall, a winery, and a volcano.
33. Your children learned to walk in Birkenstocks.
34. You complain about Californians as you sell your house to one for twice as much as you originally paid.
35. You only honk your horn if collision is imminent and never for anything else.
36. You consider something a "hill" (not a mountain) if it doesn't have snow on it or has not recently erupted, regardless of its altitude.
37. You find a wallet with $500 and give it back to the owner.
38. Know at least eight people who work for Intel or Nike, or used to work for Tektronix.
39. You think skiing always means being covered from head to toe, in snow or water.
40. Have ever called your insurance agent to ask if your homeowner's policy covers falling trees, flooding, or mud slides
41. You believe swimming is not a sport but a survival skill to prevent boating deaths.
42. Obey all traffic laws except "keep right unless passing."
43. You think downtown is "scary" because you were panhandled there....once...
44. You know that Burgerville has the best hamburgers...ever.
45. You have only used 5 main freeways/highways: I-5, 217, 205, 26, and 84.
46. You know that Kindergarten Cop and The Goonies were filmed in Astoria and Cannon Beach, respectively.
47. You know where Astoria is.
48. You think that the Beach is the best place to go for vacation, or just for a day off.
49. You love going to the Original Pancake House....because its original....
50. You take pride in Lewis and Clark and know who Sacagawea is.
51. Were excited when the Crater lake, Oregon quarter came out.
52. You went to Washington Square....just to eat lunch at Panda Express...or Scoozi.
53. You love the smell of rain.
54. You are the only person in the line at the grocery store who asks for paper, not plastic (because while paper "kills trees" it is recyclable, and plastic bags will sit in our landfills for the next millennia).
55. You know the exact day you had school off because it snowed like....one inch.
56. You have been to camp 18...or just driven by it.
57. You are sad during christmas because it never snows in the valley.
58. You know where the valley is.
59. You go out of state and wait in your car for someone to pump your gas.
60. Your state and local legislatures are republican but your state executives and national representatives are democrat.
61. You are more concerned about packing a sweatshirt or a jacket when going to the beach than packing a bathing suit.
62. You smile at people you don't know as you walk by them on the sidwalk.
63. People call you a hippy and you just smile because you can't hear them over the grape-nuts.
64. you make subtle remarks about washington drivers, but save your real road rage for california drivers.
65. You've witnessed 300 nude bicyclists just cruising around downtown like its no big deal.
66. You yield to pedestrians who are standing on the sidewalk.
67. You know that it is illegal to buy or sell marijuana, but it is legal to smoke it on your own property.

Television heartbreak

I am not a big fan of the TV. I don't have access to one 5 days of the week and its only when I stay with my parents that I veg into oblivion in front of the TV. I hate it. Don't get me wrong... I love certain progams (obviously!) And certian movies- (like yesterday I sat drooling, plastered to the TV watching Health Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You *sigh*) Ok, so despite my adoration to certain elements of TV, there are very uncool elements. Like my unstimulated brain. I come up with no new ideas, no new explorations, no new thoughts while I am absorbed into the TV. Where as when I read, I marvel at more. Even when I watch movies I can think about what makes it successful, why I am enjoying it (other than great looking men). Because as a novelist, you are trying to keep your readers attention for 2+ hours just like a film writer/producer/director.


I received this is a post from Dumblittleman in my email box the other day. Other than my weekly one hour of Wives or Greys, i really should cut out the other crap- like How do I look, Isaac and Clean House (TSN network should die! It is the ultimate time sucker)


Treating The TV Addiction

• Thirty Day Experiment. Take it upon yourself to start a 30-day experiment, in which you will not watch a single minute of TV. After this month is complete, feel free to analyze the results and make an informed decision. After the 30 days, it's solely up to your discretion if you want to go back to TV, or if you'll take on a new, more fulfilling hobby.


• Journal Your Progress. In retrospect, it's not always easy to see day-to-day progress because we simply and easily forget our experiences. Your mission will be to take a few minutes at the end of each day to write about how you spent your TV-free time, how you felt about this, and any other ideas that you have during this time period.


• Insert Good Habits. Whenever you're taking out a bad habit, it is important to insert a good habit into the void. Otherwise, this void, which works like a vacuum, will suck you right back into your bad habits. Below I will list 5 things you can do during your prime time, other than watching TV.


• General Task List. Make sure you keep a general task list of things you can pick up and do at absolutely any time (much like the items you see in the list below). This way when you get a brain freeze and can't think of your next action, and your daily to-do list is empty or requires action from someone else to begin, you'll have something productive to do to fill in the time-gap.
  

5 Smarter-Than-TV Tasks

• Clear You Mind (And Your Desk). It's common sense that when you're in a clean and organized environment that you're mind will be clearer and more focused on the task at hand, instead of the mess at hand. Take a few minutes to make a clean-task-list in which you'll categorize which areas of your work-area, or your home, need to be cleaned up.
  
  
  • Work Desk
  • File Drawers
  • Book shelves
  • Bathroom
  • Bedroom
  • Kitchen
  • Living Room, etc.
  
  I know it can be mind-boggling to look at the way you've let your area go, which makes it hard to get started. However, if you take 15 minutes a day in order to speed-clean a certain area, it will make it much easier, or unnecessary to clean on "cleaning-day." This is a task I love to do while plugged into an audio book or into some speedy techno music.
  
  Other than organizing your living area, you'll also want to organize your mind by having yourself a...


• Mental Vomit (Onto Some Paper). One way to clear your mind and focus is to organize your physical environment. Another very useful way is to organize your internal environment. This includes sitting down with that ol' pen and paper (or in my case MacJournal), and doing some major planning. Some of the things you can plan out are:
  
  
  • Tomorrow's Task List
  • Weekly Goals and Task List
  • Monthly Goals
  • Yearly Goals
  • 5 and 10 year Goals
  • List of things to-do before you kick the bucket.
  
  At this point you must think I'm some kind of organization freak, even if I do only half of the things that are on this list. However, experience dictates a few very important facts about organizing your thoughts into task lists.
  
  
  1. If you trust your mind to remember what's important, you're going to forget.
     
     
  2. If you keep too many open-loops of things you need to be doing, you're going to procrastinate on getting them done.
  
  
  3. If you write it down, your much more likely to get it done.
  
  Remember, planning is a time investment that earns huge dividends. Without constantly setting goals that make you reach outside of your comfort zone, you're bound to settle into a life that is neither exciting nor anything greater than mediocre.
  
  While measured output is a great way to spend time, another productive skill set to adopt is...
  


• Read For Fun and Profit. What are YOU filling your brain with today? Is it the TV junk that's all geared toward making you a top-of-the-line consumer, or hand-picked books that will improve your character, increase your knowledge, help you get some culture, and teach you skills that you've always wanted to have?
  
  Prime time is a huge chunk of time that you can use to read. Reading is much better for your brain than television, because it's 'usually' not full of commercial advertisements, and doesn't flip between images every 7 seconds or more. With reading, you really have a much better chance of monitoring your brain's input.
  
  You can read novels for fun, self-improvement books, or books that will help you make money directly or through your field of work. It's also a pretty nice way to unwind and relax after a long day of work while expanding your vocabulary.
  
  All this sitting around is highly productive, but once that's over with, it's time to get your butt up and...
  


• Burn Baby, Burn! (Like disco inferno?) Okay, well, what I'm talking about is exercise. You've been watching TV for so long, and gawking/envying all the hard body actors and actresses, that you're practically an expert of what sexy is, and know just how sexy you'd like to be yourself.
  
  I don't want to tell you that you'll be happier if you get your body into stellar shape. It might, or it might not, that is really not of any consequence. What I can tell you is that you'll have an overall feeling of well being if you do daily exercise, which will strengthen your muscles, give you more energy, and invigorate and focus your mind. Some of the ways in which you can do this are...
  
  
  • Take up running. This is something that I just got into myself. If you're not in the best shape of your life, you can start out by walking, then walking faster, then jogging, until finally you're able to run. The key is constant and never ending improvement.
  
  
  • Pick Up Games. You can find a fun pick up game at your local park, gym, or social club. The key here is that the people and the fun will keep you coming back, and the sport will get your sweaty and feeling good.
  
  
  • Exploration/Shopping. You want to be active, and you need to do this no matter what. A fun way to do this is to walk around (or bike, or run), and explore a new area. Explore a new city, park, or even a shopping center if that's what you're into. Go at a fast pace that is comfortable, but challenging, so that your heart rate is increased and you're actually doing some work!
    
  
  
• Bondage, bond... I mean family time. Someone somewhere gave family time a bad name. It doesn't have to be arguing, fighting, and hating on each other as often portrayed on TV. The difference between TV and real life is that on TV someone else makes the plot; in life our actions and decisions dictate how the movie will play out.
  
  Generally speaking, your family members are the group of people whom you can most trust and rely upon. On the other hand, these people can be the most critical of you as well, which could make them a less than ideal group to come to when you have problems.
  
  This creates a fun game you can play during prime time every day. Build the amazing relationship that you've always wanted with your family, while they're still around for you to enjoy them. You can do this in so many ways, that the possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
  
  I'm talking about cleaning together, planning together, reading together, exercising together, and yes, even having family time together as a family. I know it's a stretch. You can make money together, pray together, accompany each other to social events, aid each other in fortifying your morality, ethics, and character.
  
  When you start thinking of your family as home base and strengthening this social foundation of your life, you'll notice a lot of magical things happening. You'll feel better in general, as well as get a lot of support in areas of your life. Next, you'll notice that your relationships with other people are getting exceedingly better as well.
  

This list represents just a few things from an infinite list of activities that are better and more productive than watching TV. I'm sure you can think of even better ways to spend your TV free time.

Written on 10/27/2008 by Alex Shalman. Alex is an avid reader and is constantly learning how to improve his life. You can catch him at Practical Personal Development .

Ok, so I definitly cannot commit to everything on the list. But I can cut out TSN. Except for Whose Wedding - thats like IDEAS time! :)

Princess is SO last winter

What is it about wedding dresses that are so dang appealing? I must admit to the THOUSAND times that I paraded around my house with a sheet draped over my head pretending to be a bride. Or princess. Or the Bride princess. Or even the Princess Bride. (man I loved that movie... 'No more rhyming I mean it... Anybody want a peanut? *Sigh*)

Yesterday my mom and I paraded around Joburg in search of a less expensive wedding gown (the very last thing on my to-do for this week) than the previous dresses I had liked. Let me just set the scene here:

We drive by the place once. Why because it is dirty, mangy and not at all bridal-esque. Both of us were... apprehensive at best. We walk in to a few brides trying on a few dresses and are led into the back with the racks of dresses. Two assistants tried to help us, jabbering away in Afrikaans. After trying on the first few ugly dresses we decided to ditch the help. So they went and ate potato chips on the bench. The main seamstress lady decides she knows what I want. So she wants me to try on the meringue dress. (Gosh, if there could be an dress that is the antithesis of me and my personal style it would be this dress) Sure, it's pretty and a lot of girls would kill for a dress like it... But me? No thanks. I can't help but giggle to think of me in such a... thing. I would look like a cupcake dropped upside-down and made into a meringue tart.

We tried on all sorts of dresses. And this was frustrating. I knew what I wanted and I wasn't getting anything CLOSE! I didn't want to be picky, I just wanted to look great and feel great.

I tried on a dress with the train longer than I am tall. And I am a tall girl, 5'10 and a bit. It was massive. When it was bustled, Which was quite a mission in itself, the fabric tugged on my bum pulling it towards the ground with its weight. UGH!

I got to look Medieval. Which was funny. Too bad the web page doesn't offer a photo of that dress. What is the difficulty of clean, modern lines?!?

I tried this dress on. It looks way better on the model. But not by much... In the end, Just as we were about to leave the store thinking everything was hopeless... We tried it. The one that sat there in the corner. The dress with the... details that cried out for attention...

And it was it. And after negotiation R1300 off the initial price, she is mine (for the day anyway!)

What? You think I am going to put picture up of it? No ways! You get to wait until the wedding. What if the Fi saw? Exactly. *Disaster*

NaBloPoMo fo'sho

30 posts in 30 days. That's all I gotta do. November is National Blogging Month and so hello! I am blogging away!!

I learned about the 30 day challenge and well I already knew I had wanted to blog for 30 days in a row just to see what I could come up with. So here I go, NaBloPoMo!

I am #9197 of NaBloPoMo baby!

If you want in on the action go to NaBloPoMo

Let's rock!