Taking a look at the bigger picture…

This past Friday, March 18, 2011, I attended a double birthday bash. It was a joint part for friends of mine, Lindy and Jay. The party was held on a farm in Tokai on an estate called Silversteen Estate. It was such an amazing venue and we had the most incredible evening with our own private outdoor party.

I was having an awesome time but eventually I decided I needed to get some sleep as I had decided to attend K-Day the next afternoon. Off I went to my friend’s car as we had arrived too late to pitch our tent. I fell asleep pretty easily with the help of some powerful liquids and lack of sleep from the weeks work load.

The next morning I woke up fairly early and scrabbled to get my bag to check the time on my phone to see what ridiculous hour I had managed to awaken. Needless to say when I open my bag the entire contents had been emptied out. This included my brand new blackberry (which is on a two year contract that still has to be pair even though I don’t have a phone anymore), my camera I bought in the states, My wallet (with my Standard bank card, student card, Woolies gift card-R150, drivers license and R250 cash) as well as my spare set of car keys. I was horrified and so shocked I at first thought my friends were playing a joke on me but when reality set in this was no joke.

After a huge freak out session and my mom coming to collect me and running through a thousand emotions my mom eventually put me in my place by saying; “you do realise that you were in the car when they stole everything and the fact that you are harmed in no way is the biggest miracle of all so stop complaining and look at the bright side of the situation.”

This really helped to put me in check and see the bigger picture and I’m extremely grateful to be alive and uninjured.

We are afraid of the wrong things

‘The road not taken’ – Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And be one traveller, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –

I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

This has always been one of my favourite poems and fits in almost perfectly with this weeks blog post “We are all afraid of the wrong things”.

Robert Frost explains through this poem that in life we need to take risks and not just sit back and let life happen. Why do we always want to have routine in life?? Yes it helps but at the end of the day when we die wouldn’t we want to have taken more risks and have enjoyed life more?

The fact is by taking the path less travelled by; we are creating an adventure in life. I myself am facing this huge predicament head on at this very point in my life. I have just been offered the opportunity to take on a fantastic job with an awesome company and all I would have to do is put myself out there, hit the interview head on, get the job and go from full time studies to part time. Easy as pie but the problem is I’m Shit scared!! I’ve never done anything so out there before. Yes we all did our internships but this isn’t even in our field. It is however based in a field that I’m extremely interested in and that is Brand Management at a huge retail store.

So after some deliberation I have decided to go check out the other path, give it a bash and if the interview goes well then its bye bye Full Time and hello Part Time; and if not well at least I tried.

I left my heart in San Francisco

The heading for this blog could not be more true, fours years down the line and I’m still dreaming about good old San Francisco. What a place.

Anyone who knows me can vouch for how I go on about this city. It is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited in my life. I lived there for just over year in 2006 and I will never forget my time spent there. I was lucky enough to have au paired the most beautiful little girl, Dawson, whilst I was there but you can read about her in my previous blogs.

San Fran or ‘The City’ as it’s referred to by locals, is actually a lot like Cape Town. It has the same sort or climate and laid back atmosphere about it. The day and nightlife are both extraordinary. During the day you can visit China Town, Alcatraz, The Golden Gate Park, The GG Bridge, Marin County, Haight Ashbury, the different outlet malls (factory shops) and let’s not forget about the many festivals that take place in the city. At night there are plenty of awesome clubs, Irish pubs and comedy shows to attend and of course baseball and football matches in season. 

The people are super friendly and are extremely intelligent contrary to popular belief when it comes to Americans. Another plus is where the city is based, you have wine country (Nevada), skiing (Lake Tahoe) and gambling (Las Vegas) and awesome sight seeing such as The Grand Canyon, Yosemite Nature Reserve and Death Valley all at a stones through from your door step.

 

I could go on for pages about this fabulous city but I think the best option is to tell you guys that this should definitely go on your ‘to do lists’ before you die so get of your lazy butts and start making some moola cause a gem like this doesn’t come cheap.

"It's an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city and possess all the attractions of the next world" - Oscar Wilde

Fish falling from the sky.

Lucy was running down to the local market in Kensington. She had decided to make dinner for her family. Mommy hadn’t been feeling very well and well daddy wasn’t much of a cook. Little Alfi offered to help but being only seven years old, Lucy knew he wouldn’t be able to do very much. All the same she decided to let him tag along for the walk down to the market.

Alfi loved to walk around and just stare at things along the way and the market was one of his favourite spots. Lucy could not decide between a pot of delicious vegetable and lamb soup or a nice piping hot roast. She was hoping something at the market would point her in the right direction.

Along the way she started to feel a bit chilly nothing out of the normal for this part of the world but all the same something seemed to be wrong. Lucy carried on skipping along the cobbled path all the same with Alfi at her side whistling a sweet little tune.

As they reached the market there was an awful, load CRACK and a massive FLASH of light and as it happened Lucy and Alfi were both shoved out of the way by the local butcher who was screaming; “RUN FOR COVER!!”. As we rushed under the nearest coffee shops rooftop we heard the thuds beginning. We looked out and as far as the eye could see were massive bass thumping the street. They were coming from the sky. It was an incredible site and little Lucy and Alfi were so shocked they couldn’t even speak.

When it was all over there was no two ways about it; fish was definitely the order of the day. Dinner is served!!

What is the colour of the wind?

The wind is the colour of our seasons. It changes as rapidly as a lady of the night’s undies. The winds mood swings also aid in its change in colour.

The Namibian wind is a fierce and cruel wind. It whips up red and brown sand and spits it all over anyone who dares to pass by. It wraps these poor innocent souls in mounds and heaps of red in order to ward off others who may attempt the walk through the Namib dessert. 

The grumpy European wind never seems to see any other colour except grey. This poor wind is not the happiest of winds and always seems to be taking it out on those closets to him; blowing autumns leaves up into their faces. One may think these leaves are all colourful and bright but alas the Europeans have managed to trod all over them making them just as grungy grey as the wind.

Let’s not forget the Mexican wind. Ohhhh and what a wind it is, full of colour and excitement. You may even mistake it for an old over inebriated local. This wind brushes all the tourists with gusts of gold tequila and strawberry margaritas, in the midst of wafts of nachos overflowing with guacamole and salsa.  Nothing is more entertaining or friendly than the Mexican wind.

The colours of the wind around the world.

Anywhere and everywhere you go in the world the colours of the wind will follow you bringing an explanation of its location and people.  Never underestimate the colour of the wind.   

The Brightside of Life!

This blog post is all about inspiration and determination both of which Bettina Eistel and her horse Fabuleax 5, encompass!

Bettina was born in 1961 in Germany, without any arms due to a drug, Thalidomide; which in the past was given to pregnant woman before they knew that it caused birth defects.  

Bettina has never let her disability stop her in life.  As she grew she learned to use her feet and toes as her hands and fingers. She decided at a fairly young age to start horse riding and her parents were brave enough to let her go for it. She had special riding boots made for her with cut-out toes so she could use her feet and toes as her hands and fingers whilst riding. Bettina manages to do all the normal things for her horse; she can saddle, bridle, hose down and even blanket him. She rides Fabuleax 5 by steering with her legs and holding the reins in her mouth.

So far Bettina and Fabuleax 5 have won two silver and a bronze at the European Championships in Portugal in 2002 and three silver at the World Championships in Belgium in 2003 and won two silver and one bronze medal at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Not bad for someone with ‘arms’ never mind without.  

One needs to also consider what sort of horse would let this kind of a rider be their partner. What temperament is needed to perform at high level dressage as well as take care of a disabled rider? I do believe horses have a 6^th sense when it comes to people, I mean I know for a fact that majority of horses I’ve ridden are far nicer to children than to adults. Bettina trained Fabuleax 5 via voice command, head movement and leg aids.

Over and above being an amazing horse rider, Bettina also hosts a Talk show. Showing weekly in Germany on a TV station called ZDF. She is known as a bit of a media star and is hugely popular with her following.

The reason why I wrote this post is because it touched base with me; many of us give up far too quickly and never manage to get past our fears in life. Bettina proves to us that with effort we can do whatever we wish in life and she should be an inspiration to us all.

"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have..!”