God's will or just PMS?

For the past two days I've woken up with this decidedly sinking feeling... yesterday was complete anxiety and today an absolute heaviness... Of course I can't explain it.

Granted work is a bit slow and I'm really trying to keep the faith and find ways to change this. But I'm not sure that's the root of my anxiety. Part of me thinks it may be that over the past 2 weeks I've allowed myself to fall back into my bad eating habits, so even though I've kept up with boxing and gym I'm too scared to step on the scale. This upsets me. I get so angry with myself.

I haven't kept up with my new bible reading venture and I cant explain this either because I was actually quite enjoying this pastime.

I'm feeling quite unfulfilled at the moment. I seem to be using food to fill this gap and the more I do it, the less I like myself.

I cant figure out what gets me into these spaces. These low points. I anger easily, my sister is annoying me the most at the moment, for various reasons including not following up on a potential business connection which I made the effort to establish. And then her own personal life and choices which I decided to keep out of year ago... for my own peace of mind and sanity.

There are so many things I have to be grateful for... My marriage has remained fulfilling and full of overwhelming love. We have had no significant fights in fact we wake up each day with an the spirit to want to build each new day together.
God has truly answered our prayers with regard to business for my parents, they have numerous projects which seem to have great prospect of longevity. They have been given the opportunity to start again and do it well this time, It's scary, but I almost feel like this is their last chance to make and enjoy the kind of wealth they have have always worked hard for but never properly established.

It is their 40th anniversary tomorrow. Strange that a year ago they were not even sleeping in the same bedroom. God is good.

But God why??? I know we aren't supposed to question his ways but I'm struggling to understand why he would make things come together so beautifully for my parents business and then close doors for Yolandi and I. I'm struggling to understand why he would so clearly lead me away from being an employee only to have the devil cast doubt based on our current situation. I know there are many ways I could view this... perspective is a choice. He allowed us to carry my parents through months of hardship, which I am eternally grateful for. But my prayer is that they do not now need to do the same for us. My prayer is that we can carry ourselves and create wealth as a family for generations to come.

There are so many awesome things I want to write about. A new set of wheels, wonderful writing opportunity and chance to grow my portfolio, a friends upcoming wedding, a kick ass concert we went to, an impromptu visit and rekindling of an extraordinary friendship. But I am just feeling so low, I needed to get this out here first. Funny that just writing this paragraph has already lifted my spirits. We can choose to be happy, grateful and positive... I'm going to choose positivity for the rest today.

A catch up

I'm not blogging as much as I'd hoped I would. I can't say why exactly, it's not like I don't have a lot happening in my head, I suppose I'm just not always inspired to put it in words. 

Anyway, the last 2 weeks have been uneventful in terms of anything of particular substance unfolding in my life.  My husband spent a week in Los Angeles, one of my favorite cities... I absolutely loved that place, I spent only a couple of days there back in 2007, with my parents and sister, when there was only one niece, Nothando. It reminded me a lot of Cape Town, which is why I fell in love with the city. I would love to go back, alas, this year was not the right time... What with more important things to do with the money, like reupholstering couches and the like. Such grown up things.

Work went through a quiet patch but has thankfully picked up and has significant prospect on the horizon. Thank you Lord. 

We spent last weekend in Durban. There for the Durban July and other side gigs of course. I'm always grateful for the experience, it's not always new or exciting but it's something we get to do that many can only dream of. A glimpse of the glitz and glamour world I guess. We looked cute, in our outfits that happened to match. - I'll post photos tomorrow. I did walk away with one thing, possibly a significant business venture... Something that has me quite excited. This week's research project. Thank you lord for consistent ambition and the need and will to be better.

So I'm finding myself needing to spend more time speaking to God lately. I realized a long time ago that I don't know the bible and part of me has wanted to change that. Many people have said that reading the bible is like reading a series of stories, so I figured I'd try it. I have never known where to begin though, because I don't like big books with small writing. So I've figured out a way. Thanks to technology, there a few wonderful apps, one in particular keeps me up for hours most nights. Quizup, basically, you select a topic and the app pairs you up with an opponent who you then match against over a series of questions. The topics are endless, my go to topic thus far has been vocabulary, which I must admit, contrary to the level I believed I had mastered, my use of the English language is limited to a minuscule, probably very average.... What's the word, *as I search for a synonym  for usage* none the less you catch my drift. So I've been using the app to further expand my concept of the language. I digress... Back to the bible, the second topic I've decided to compete in although I fail most dismally against most opponents is the Bible. Again, I've decided to use it to learn and feel my way through getting to know the bible better. Each question I get wrong leads me to another verse or book that I didn't know existed, and another story to be read... It's interesting. It's intriguing. I'm on my third day and I can't say at this point that it has brought me any closer to God but I can say that I'll have a better sense of one of the oldest books in history with each read.

As for my relationship with God, it's a tassel at the moment. I'm praying for plently more faith as I continue to question him about things that currently just don't make any sense. Particularly the situation my parents find themselves in. I'm saddened by it and confused. What lesson is God teaching me or them, if he is still to reveal his plan for them at this stage of their lives when they should be well into the enjoyment phase, why is he taking so long? Why is he making it so difficult? Show me God. If it is about me then show me. Or show them. So yes, I'm wrestling. But at the same time believing. 

There is a lot of good in my life and much to be grateful for. And I am. My prayers are always with God before the thoughts are even together. He knows my heart. Lord, you know my heart.

Good night.

Let's try again tomorrow

Some days are just not for anyone. Today took me through a series of events that completely uprooted any plans I may have had for peace and contentment. Here is a step by step guide on how to have a bad day.

Step 1

Wake up and put a load of washing in the machine as intended. Then get caught up doing other house hold chores, delaying all other plans.

Step 2

 Leave the house 20 minutes after your husband calls to let you know he has landed from LA. Yes, you are now late in picking him up from the airport after not seeing him for a week.

Step 3

On the way to the airport, try to book a very busy Chartered Accountant for a magazine photoshoot. One day before the shoot.

Step 4

Arrive at the airport to an unhappy husband who wants an explanation for your tardiness. Have a forced conversation about nothing all the way home.

Step 5 

Get home and receive a phone call about a miscommunication regarding a payment that should have gone off husbands account but didn't.

Step 6

Have an argument about said payment.

Step 7

Call Outsurance to cancel insurance for car you have recently sold. Have consultant essentially tell you that you are lying about the reasons for canceling the insurance, telling you that you must have found cheaper insurance and that there is no way you are simply not buying another car. Get really angry and stop short of telling consultant to FUCK OFF!

Step..... Where was I?? 8

Receive a phone call from the technician at the Samsung repair centre where your laptop has been for the past 10 days, to inform you that he cannot do a backup of your computer and that when he reinstalls the software everything will be lost! Tell technician he may not install anything! 

Oh wait... I skipped a step between 4 & 5

Receive a phone call from your sister/colleague who is on her way to a meeting to discuss the documents she had asked you to read in preparation for said meeting. Which you failed to do as you were unaware the meeting was today.

Step 9

Drive to collect laptop from Samsung and pay 700 odd rand for the repair of.... Oh yes, an LCD panel, which you had no idea was broken in the first place and had no consequence on your productivity. Leave with no solution to the reason you took the laptop there in the first place.

Step 10

After getting to step 8 of this guide, have your cell phone battery die before any of the post has been saved. lose it all and start again.

Much like I will do tomorrow I suppose.

Because Everyday, in every way! I will get better.

That's the way weddings-not love- goes

This is hard for me. I wish I could write about it honestly but I couldn't do that without hurting important people in my life. Who knew weddings could be so difficult even after you're married. It's been a series of episodes to an ongoing saga for about a year now. Four weddings and a funeral. For real. And it's no comedy.

I always wanted to believe that weddings couldn't possibly be as fraught with issues as people claim. I believed that people create their own drama. For as long as I can recall, I considered myself quite the realist, never falling pray to any airy fairy notions of romance. Not the tears for snotty speeches or soppy movies type of girl. Well our wedding was a clear demonstration of how much I really have romanticsed this part of my life, all of my life. Sadly the real in my head and the reality we experienced were poles apart. 

I don't know how people even consider doing this more than once. Maybe it's like having babies, apparently you eventually forget the pain.

Being modernly bred has quite a number of disadvantages when you live in country that is still very rooted in culture and tradition because you are forced to find a balance between the two. Something people take for granted, believing its easily achieved. My issue with anything traditional in a modern society is the lack of follow through. People have such strong desires to remain connected to their roots, the place where it all began, so we attempt to regurgitate traditions through practices passed down from ancestor to ancestor. We simultaneously want to filter the practices through the sieves of our modern day lives, dotted with feminism, opinion, personal experience, marriage and divorce, religion and distance to name but a few of the influences. The most problematic filter is probably a desire use tradition in an attempt to dictate in spaces where you should not. But this is human nature, if it weren't tradition there would be another element to distort.

As a result, of many many varied tales, opinions, warped messages, resistance and most importantly history, we have had 3 weddings, a funeral between 1 and 2, and we are in the process of negotiating a forth.   

My husband and I are taxed. Emotionally worn out. In an effort to keep all parties happy, we choose to bite our tongues and to speak up, we choose to transfer some messages and not others, we choose to fight with one another rather than those we are trying to protect. In an effort to retain some semblance of peace between three families who know too much about one another and yet not near enough, we choose to recognise the love that everybody wants to believe they are fighting for and cast a blind eye to the hurt they inflict in trying to show that they love the most. We now have to choose to allow a self mending period where everyone who stepped down, back, sideways and out of the way can step forward and have their hurt acknowledged. Because even though no one thinks it matters anymore, that they have done their part and will do no more, that they will stay in their lane and speak only when spoken to, it is this part that matters most. This part that is the marriage which should have brought three families together and instead created a gaping wound, that will continue to be infected and seep its horrid bile into our forever.

To the naked eye, we have had three beautiful weddings. We may have a forth. If only our futures were determined by what the naked eye observes. Weddings are not yours. It is only for you to navigate a road with the least speed bumps. It is only for you to use the advanced option to produce one result that reflects everyone's personal filters. And on your day (any of the 3 or 4) you can feel love in the general vicinity and hopefully one of those days resemble the romance from your canvas.

#EngagedinChina

Today is June 17. Nope not just another day. The day that my person asked me to marry him after 9 years of being together! I remember the day like it was yesterday, honestly, not the most romantic proposal in history but definitely filled with a lot of love.

A random day in China with some of our closest friends is what it was meant to be. Instead it ended up being a story I will be relating to people forever... It goes something like this.

We had arrived in Guangzhou the night before so were ready to take on touring the city. We had just enjoyed a good hotel breakfast and fooled by the air conditioning, Lefase and I were dressed in slightly warmer sweaters than the warm humid air outside required. In a quick dash upstairs we left the boys waiting to secure us a taxi expecting them to use some sort of broken english in an attempt to navigate our way through the city.

Now I suppose this is where you would expect me to lead you through a days activity of romantic gestures that would follow me through Guangzhou's quaint but smelly nooks and crannies, that my very romantic person had set out in a build up to the proposal. Well No. That's not how the story goes. Actually as soon as Lefase and I arrived back downstairs, Siso could not contain himself as he dropped to his knee and jumped straight to the question, "will you marry me?" No recital of any song or poem or long winded recap of any turbulent history which would now turn into ever lasting love. Nope. Right there, at no significant point in time or at any significant touristy love memorial, my person declared the front door of the Holiday Inn Guangzhou city center a monument of love forever. Well at least for the two of us.

Of course, being the person I am, I didn't make this any easier for him. I didn't breakdown in tears or shout in elation, rather, I screeched with laughter... yes, I laughed. I still am not sure why and cannot give you a definitive answer, perhaps it was the shock and confusion of which I feel I was most entitled to, given that nothing about the situation produced any forewarning or inkling that this activity was about to take place. Perhaps it was my disbelief that Sibusiso had not booked a restaurant or gone to any extravagant means and yet I was the happiest person in China at that moment, and I mean there are a lot of people in China! Perhaps it was that he managed to keep this from me for who knows how long. It doesn't actually matter because the point is, I laughed till eventually he looked up at me with a very concerned expression as asked "so is that a yes?" To his relief (and everyone else) it was.

He put the most beautiful, dainty ring on my finger and we got into two separate taxis. While being driven through the extremely bustling streets of this foreign country I couldn't help but replay what had just happened over and over in my mind. Reiterating that it was real.It felt like the whole world knew what had just happened, it felt like I was walking with my left hand in the air and everyone who passed would congratulate us.

Every time I looked down at my ring, I realised just how well this man knows me. He let his nerves take over and made the decision not to follow through with his intent to ask me at the end of our holiday in what would probably have been a beautiful romantic setting in Hong Kong, because at the back of his mind he knew that this particular setting was so us- it was spontaneous and romantic without any of the pretense. No nails or hair did, no fantastic outfit or meal. Just us in one of our realist moments. With Vuyo, Lefase and Squinzo there to witness and celebrate it all with us. I mean who would we have recapped the story with if not for them? Who would have given us any back story about how Vuyo refused to hang on to the ring in case Lefase found it and thought it was for her? or how Siso decided that the moment had arrived only seconds before?

Siso and I were engaged in the most random place, in the most random moment that was such a truthful depiction of who we are.

18 months later we got married. In a very detailed and planned ceremony and shared the day with many more of our closest people. Of course we could never let such a day pass without some randomness of its own. A story for another day.

Randomness back in full effect!

So its been absolute ages since I've blogged... For once this does not apply to my writing in general since I've done quite a lot of this in the Notes application of my phone. I cant tell you why I don't just do it here. I suppose I've just never wanted this blog to turn into my personal diary, which is the current direction of this post. Moving along... I have also finally started writing on a more professional level! Yay me! Something I have wanted to do forever but never pursued. But more on that later. Last night I decided that I would attempt to utilise this blog more efficiently since my head is always full of thoughts that I generally don't get to share with people due to my current self employed work situation which has me seated at my lone home desk in the corner of my lounge for most of everyday. Yes so you see a lot has changed since my last blog. But I don't want to go back only forward and so will write about all the developments, well as they develop I suppose. I should probably make note of the fact that I have changed the Blogs name from Peace, Faith, Love and Hope. This is not to say that these values no longer apply to my life but simply that I've been meaning to give the blog a more user friendly title that one could remember without having to figure out if Love comes before or in between faith and hope, which honestly is something I often needed to apply my mind to. So I've decided to call the blog Random Writings, for the very obvious reason that that's what it is. A lot of random writing from a random writer, who simply enjoys putting thoughts down in words and is lucky enough to sometimes get paid for it. I hope the few unlucky lovers who get to read these random posts enjoy it somewhat and that I can remain disciplined enough to keep at it. Caio for now!

Not quite my story yet

So it's been a while since I've written anything. Life is moving. 2013 has had its fair share of difficulties but has been good to me thus far. I am grateful.

Newly engaged. New home owners. Continued lessons been learnt. And with all of this I have seen my family's love for me shine brighter than ever before. They have been absolutely amazing, in guiding me, supporting me and simply being proud of me.

Fear hasn't left me yet. My future is daunting. My friendships have changed. I'm still trying to figure out what my dreams really are and I am terrified that life is running way ahead and taking with it any chance of those dreams becoming reality. I am trying to learn not to freeze. I am trying to learn not to be so disappointed in myself.

These things I want to do, I wish I would just suck it up and do them.

There is a lesson I learn very often and especially this year, everything happens in Gods time.

This is still my path. It is a better one everyday. It is the best one for me. Eventually my story will be the one I want.

Hyundai "don't tell" advert... Teach your kids to TELL

For the past two weeks I've seen this Hyundai Sante Fe advertisement that promotes children keeping secrets from their parents.... For the life of me I cannot understand how this can be viewed as anything but detrimental to a parent and child relationship that is void of any distrust....

I have two nieces and the minute they were able to understand anything was the minute that they were taught not to keep secrets from their parents.

This is such a dangerous behavior to encourage, particularly in a society where child abuse is extremely rife. Today it's a secret about an ice cream you bought for your child before lunch and tomorrow they're keeping a secret about the fact that they have been abused. Because your child was told "don't tell your mommy and daddy".

I don't believe that this is a lesson to ever teach our children not even in jest.
Brands and advertisers need to be a lot more conscious of their message,particularly when the advert directly or indirectly appeals to children.

We must do better.

Quirky kitchens

House hunting.... One of things in life that you love and hate. We've started and abandoned this process numerous times.

So we've started again.... Anyway, I've been really inspired by some of the places I've seen and have taken to searching for the most awesome kitchens, if I can't find one that exists in the home we choose my plan is to create it!

I want quirky. I want homely. I was modern but sorta country. I want this....

Set in stone that constantly breaks into pieces

I am still on that path. Everyday, in every way and I am getting better. I'm getting better at it all. Im getting better at accepting my path and it's ever changing course. Getting better at learning that I can change my path and that I am capable if I want to be. I am getting better at learning to accept the things I am struggling with and embrace the fact that those things will change in time.

I am struggling with life moving just moving on as if nothing happened. I'm struggling with the concept of death and losing loved ones. I'm struggling and I don't understand, it doesn't make sense to me. It takes my breath away and my soul screams in agony as my mind dares to even briefly, for a moment play with the thought. I can't.

My best friend lost her dad a month ago and I still breakdown as if it were my own father I've lost. I can't. I don't know how to make sense of it. I feel betrayed.

A day later we celebrated my own fathers 60th birthday. I felt like I betrayed her, my friend. I spoke at his celebration and as I spoke I realized how many things he still needed to be in my life for. I realised that I am still my parents last born child.

This inability to control deaths timing is not something I'm getting better at accepting.

Another year done 28 on the 23rd. I remember most birthdays and the awesome love that has enveloped each one of them and I realize that nothing I could ever do could express my gratitude, my love.

This is getting older. Attempting to spend your day with those who love you regardless of whether or not you want to.

I am getting better. Stronger. Wiser. Everyday, in every way.

In Retrospect: An old post, a past story, a constant truth

So 25 is closing in pretty fast now (we're counting days now...*sigh*) and there are quite a number of things going through my mind. I keep wondering why this particular number is so daunting and I just cant figure it out...Perhaps its because I only have a few days to become a charted accountant (changed my mind in std 8), write a book, travel the world and open my own -random- creative store of some sort and be mighty rich... yeah, so I clearly cant be 25 yet...I feel like ive had as many fleeting dreams as I do thoughts and each of them touch different parts of my life. My mind constantly moves me in directions that sometimes, I may be hesitant to move in. But one's heart and soul tend to be a lot more nimble than the mind.Strange how this organ and its spiritual counterpart can tell of so many happenings in one's life. Nothing can tell a story like the clear beating of a heart at the memory of events passed and words spoken, let alone the emotions captured at each.So im sitting here trying to figure out how I've gotten to be this person that I am. This person that I have gotten to know and that I have chosen to share with the people in my life. and then I realise that it is my soul that has carried me...I feel God in my life more now, than I did even a year or two ago. I feel the working of a higher power and although I believe in parts of different forms of spirituality, I feel the guidance that comes from more than just the influence of people around me.I could write for ages about the influence of various people in my life, specifically that of my loved one's and their love that has always guided and protected me. but I dont see how any of this love is humanly possible on its own. what does this biological organ have to do with this emotion that pours most uncontrollably from the depth of our souls.How can we possibly do it alone? How can we possibly live this life alone?There have been a lot of phases in my life when I have felt trapped. Our freedom is so often compromised by outside forces. My freedom is often hindered in this country by my inability to live in complete safety and without fear, its hindered by our people's inability to learn about our future by embracing our past, and the other way around. Yet in the same breath, I am free everyday in my ability to choose a better life, to choose to serve in a country that is constantly growing, to serve a me, that is constantly growing... My freedom is epitomised by my ability to think freely and to speak these thoughts, by my ability to learn and teach, to create and be judged only by my creator and to be true to myself no matter what that truth is.At 25 I've learnt that my soul is organic, fresh and healthy for as long as I keep it that way. I suppose the one who feels it knows it... I am simply on that path

Airport Sunday Syndrome

Its almost June and at this time of the year conversation generally revolves round how cold it is or how fast the year has gone, neither of which is wrong. For me winter always comes with a huge dose of the blue’s. And every winter I try to fight it. This year seems to be a lot better, Ive managed to keep running from it by staying busy at work and more recently with my studies. But airport Sundays generally have it all catch up in a breath… I really love living in Cape Town but I miss my people so much. I miss my family and my friends, I miss being able to do drinks on a random evening. For some reason the past couple of weeks have had me extremely nostalgic. Its been almost a year since we moved to Cape Town and things are so different, in both good and not necessarily bad but not so good ways. Im alone. And winter and Sundays don’t let me forget that. Its strange though, this feeling is not unfamiliar and every year since I can recall, I remember thinking of some reason that could explain why I feel this way. In high school, it was literally Sunday anxiety for the week ahead that I had perhaps not prepared for and in varsity it was generally the same. At some point it was also the feeling of being stagnant, the feeling of wanting to be out of home, the feeling of wanting to live with the person I love and not have to say goodbye. But no matter what the reason, the feeling was the same, is the same. This year I call it the airport Sunday syndrome, except today is Thursday...Today I miss my mommy, my boyfriend and my friend. Today I’d like to be surrounded by the people I love. Today I’m remembering the build up to goodbye of last year and how I was constantly surrounded by love of my family and friends in the time before we moved. Im remembering how my dad would pitch up at my home in the middle of the day for a cup of tea and a chat on his way somewhere. My people. I wonder how people do it, just perpetually live in isolation. I quite like doing it for short periods at a time or so I think until I have the company of a close friend. Anyway, this was just a quick catch up. With myself mostly. Im blessed, I always have been, I know this.

23 October... 27

Devilish Chocolate for a blessed birthday

The Help vs The Help

Last week I went to the movies with my mother and against my better judgment I chose to see The Help. The reason my judgment was against seeing this film was not because I thought it would be bad but because I knew it wouldn’t be of the quality as the novel from which it is adapted by Kathryn Stockett (2009).

Yes, the story of The Help has stirred some controversy concerning the acknowledgement or the lack there of, that was given to the contributors of the stories. None the less, the book is written in the voices of three of the characters which makes it that much more intriguing, it really is a page turner. It is written with such awesome detail of which very little is captured in the film, I don’t even think that the deep southern accent detailed in the book is as thoroughly delivered on the big screen.

I never understand how films always manage to lose parts of the story that really embrace a lot of the essence of what is being told. How is it that the director decides to completely change certain characters, their appearance and the role that they play... it really upsets me.

Of course reading the book before watching the movie almost always guarantee’s that the pictures you’ve conjured up in your own head will most probably be shot to hell and gone and even some of the scene’s you’re most excited to see, you’ll be lucky enough to have a fraction of it retold.

The story told is based on the well known race tale of the 60’s before and during the civil rights movement. Stockett however, focuses particularly on the story of the black maid, the white master and the unspoken of truths that existed between the two. It tells the tale of these average people who had a lot to fear, that decided to relate the day to day stories of their average lives, stories that were honest to their thoughts and feelings , stories that were in many ways the same as their comrades but that were still their own.

There are however things that the film does for one’s emotion that the book doesn’t quite manage. Bringing to life some of the emotion that is experienced while reading. The film allows you a more vivid understanding of the relationships that existed between white and black people in the south and particularly in Jackson Mississippi, a town that was considered one of the most racist in the 60’s. The film explores the deeply intimate relationships that existed despite the blatant hatred and hurt that was consistently inflicted. It explores and creates an understanding of the self conflict and immense confusion experienced by the children of white families who were brought up and loved by the very people they were meant to hate. It scrutinises the inconsistency that was present in the way that white people treated black people and the appreciation that a lot of them felt and even sometimes displayed toward black people.

So the book vs the movie? You have to appreciate the moments in the film of humour, hurt, vengeance and love that the actors bring to the characters but it could definitely have given a lot more attention to the detail that Stockett achieves in the novel.

The First Grader- The simplicity of Freedom

So I seem to be making a habit of going to see movies at the Labia.... or at least I’m trying.

Last night we went to see The First grader, a movie I’ve been dying to see and for the most part it lived up to some of my expectations. The film is based on a true story of an ex Mau Mau fighter from a remote village in Kenya, who at the age of 84 decides that he too wants to take the government up on their offer for free education for all, an education he could not afford to get before.

Moments of sadness and anger are balanced by some humour, from a chorus of local men and taxi drivers who constantly have their two cents to add, and warmth that keeps it from being completely consumed by the painful political milieu on which the story is based, giving you the chance to be inspired by the hope and humanity of Maruge (Oliver Litondo) instead. The children in film have the most beautiful souls that you can see through their wide eye’s and they demonstrate, as only children can, the meaning of acceptance as the take Maruge into their classroom and lives. Most of Maruge’s life is a sketch of his fight for freedom, which although Kenya eventually succeeded in getting, the film depicts him as still fighting for, even after the British are gone, in his desire to be literate and to be at peace.

With believable and inspirational performances all round Kimani Ng'ange'a Maruge’s story is given much justice in the way it has been told. Although, in as much as the story is an inspirational one, the line of the tale told is lacking in some aspects, it doesn’t quite manage to invoke the emotion you would expect from a story like this one. Characters such as Charles Obinchu played by Tony Kgoroge and his relationship with his wife Jane (Naomie Hrris), could have been more thoroughly explored. Quite frankly there are just moments that could be small climaxes in the film that are simply not fulfilled and leave your tears backed up in their ducts.

Overall the story is an awesome one, wholesome... the screenplay, not exactly award winning but one I would say you should at least watch for some insight into a history that may not be your own but the story of an individual that could teach for generations to come.

Pieces of Home

So apparently, your home says a lot about who you are... I think ours is a good mix and I think I actually like our home.








what can I do but indulge his ambitions of being a skater boy



Our growing collection of hats & scarves



A bigger more solid wine rack soon to come

Klein Paternostertjie

Food with a view




The epitome of sophistication is utter simplicity. Maya Angelou

Viva Riva Movie-ing in Cape Town

Being at the Labia on Orange has a certain wistful ambiance that I can’t particularly describe... the unchanged building has so much character you’re happy to just have a cup of coffee in the foyer or maybe even a slush dashed with a choice of vodka or gin (gotta love it) from the chocolate bar.





This cinema was the perfect place to watch the first film out of the DRC in 25 years, Viva Riva written and directed by Djo Tunda wa Munga. A depiction of Kinshasa’s shanty towns, local night life and a glimpse of a decidedly mysterious culture is incorporated into a well known storyline of gangsters, a girl, a score and Riva... this simple plot manages to keep the entire theatre engrossed with laughter, revolt and gasps throughout the film.

Brown Paper Packages tied up with string

My first Lost & Found purchase... Absolutely love the thought of a brown paper package!!

Thanks Amy... you've created an amazing experience

Contact Amy for a great range of vintage clothing.
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