Monday, October 27, 2008

I have arrived

I know this is 2 weeks old now... old news really, but i haven't had much opportunity to get online... problem solved tho... i now have very high speed internet in my apartment, woohoo!

Julz and i arrived here on the 10th and since then we have pretty much settled in and adjusted to the "terrible" Fl weather, i've been working hard on my tan... life is Fl is really tough!! :)

John's Island Club is absolutely amazing, the money in that club is scary and the new Beach Club they have just built is stunning! The service standards at the club are very high, it's pretty much silver service all the way... so i have to mind my Ps and Qs! Just to give you an idea, it costs $200 000 per member to initially become a member, which is by invite only btw, and then it's $12 500 every year, on top of that the members still have to pay for their house on the estate and the meals and drinks they have at the club... so much of moneys! The luxury cars i see in the parking lot are jaw dropping...

At the moment i'm still on training, but will slowly but surely be weened off and on my own... which i'm looking forward to because all this training is becoming a little frustrating!

Anyway, i'm off to enjoy my day off in the Fl sun... tan here i come :)

Friday, October 03, 2008

6 days and counting...

i can't actually believe that i have less than a week to go before i jet off to the states... as they say, time waits for nobody!! in the next 6 days i have loads of goodbyes to say, 2 exams to write and one big farewell to have... oh, and pack, EISH!!

it's definitely with a heavy heart that i'll be getting onto that plane but i know once i'm there loads of fun will be had and i'll be doing all the travelling i want to do and i'll get to see my twins again... which i'm really excited about!

last week i spent a week in the Eastern Cape and completed the very grueling Otter Trail but i'll post fotos and stories about that adventure as soon as i have time to stop and breathe!

anyhoo, just wanted to give you a quick update :)

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

South Africa's golden games

After the disappointment of the 2008 Olympics where SA came home with one silver medal, SA has an olympic team to be proud of... the 2008 Paralympic team, who flew the country's flag high and outshone everyone at the games, well i think they did anyway!! Every race i watched on TV filled me with pride and caused an instant case of goosebumps! :)

Oscar celebrating after winning his third of 3 golds in a world record time, taking the treble (100m, 200m and 400m), what a boykie :)

With golden girl, Natalie du Toit (5 golds), and golden boy, Oscar Pistorius (3 golds), leading from the front then rest of the althletes set about smashing all records and coming home with 21 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze with a total of 30 medals and in 6th spot... an unbelieveable result and one that has made me extremely proud! :) Many world records were recorded and Natalie du Toit was awarded the the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award, all in all, an outstanding result... you guys ROCK!! :)

Glorious end for Paralympic Team SA
by The Good News

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Sjoe, where has the time gone?

As i write this i have 23 days left until i depart for the states and i'm not quite sure how i'm going to fit all i have to do into my days! Just to give you an idea... this week is my last week at work and i have 3 shifts to work as well as having an event to attend every night. Monday a birthday party in Ballito, Tuesday dinner with a friend, Wednesday i'm working, Thursday is free for now (but it is phuza Thursday, so anything could happen), Friday i'm working my very last shift (YIPEE) and then have a wine tasting evening... yum yum, Saturday have shopping to do for the Otter Trail next week and then dinner with friends at Moyo and Sunday is family day... eish, i'm tired just writing that and don't forget i have to fit studying in there as my exams are coming up very shortly as well!!

As mentioned above, myself and 10 others are doing the Otter Trail next week... really can't wait to get lost in the middle of nowhere for a while and away from the real world! We leave early on Monday morning on our road trip which will take about 14 hours but are breaking it up and taking it slowly. We are stopping in Coffee Bay on Monday night and staying at the Coffee Shack, it should be a good party. Tuesday we complete our road trip and stay at Wild Tongue, where we will be doing our carbo loading and resting. Wednesday morning we set off on the trail and will be trailing until Sunday where we return to Wild Tongue on Sunday night and then set off early on Monday morning to return Durbs! All in all, it sounds like an awesome week of adventure and i'll have loads of fotos to share! :)

the bar in casa la chapman, best pub in town and the location of the birthday party in Ballito. this pub is owned by father Richard and located at his home, it is also fulled to the max with "stuff" from all over the world

why the long face... it's a rusta wildebeest :)

Friday, September 12, 2008

Chroniciles of my kitchen

Since i'm slowly and not so surely packing up my stuff at the mo i've started taking random fotos of my little home... here are a few from around my kitchen.

met Iris and Daisy... when i moved in Iris was on her last legs but with lots of love and many conversations she has come alive in style :)

my favourite saying on magnets... what more could i ask for?

a display of my favourite wines... notice they are empty :)

the "very" full fridge... there is normally more beer in this fridge than water but i think we have more chilly sauces than anything else!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Sunflowers to celebrate spring

A friend of mine bought me some sunflowers as a get well pressie (after another episode of the flu) and i couldn't resist taking a foto or 10, because sunflowers are really beautiful in all their glory! :)

In other news, i've just had the keyboard on my laptop fixed, after an unfortunate accident rended it broken... it's fabulous to have my laptop fully functional and travel friendly again :)

Monday, September 08, 2008

States bound update

It's a month and counting now til i get on that plane... states bound!! :) i have a job, a visa, a plane ticket and a place to stay... i also have a heart that wants to take off, so everything is in check!!

I'll be leaving on a jetplane on 9 October, landing in Orlando the following day after almost a full day of travelling and then making my way to Vero Beach, Fl which will be my home sweet home. My job involves working as a waitron at a very exclusive country club called Johns Island for 8 months, until 31 May 2009, after that i'll decide whether or not to extend my contract! I'll be sharing an apartment in Palm Estates, Vero Beach with fellow employees of Johns Island.

This is going to be a whole new experience for me... i'm doing the states differently this time, oh and my friend Julz is coming along for the ride... watch out America, a little bit of South Africa is arriving!! :)

Sunday, September 07, 2008

2010 stadium... the amazing progress

I can see this stadium from work and everyday without fail and stare at it for a couple of seconds and admire the amazing progress that is going on... it makes me really proud that South Africa and Durban can pull off something so amazing!! Bring on 2010... we will be ready :)

The progress is amazing... that arc grows everyday!

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Jelly fish in a tank

I got a bee in my bonnet the other day and decided to sort out all my fotos from my travels and life and rediscovered this foto i took at the Denver Aquarium... Jelly fish under the spot light, one of my favourite! :)

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Winter beach

Salt Rock on a chilly winter's day

Spring has sprung :)

Spring has arrived in South Africa and here i am, sick in bed with flu... oh the joys, but after my last experience with the flu which landed me with a dodgy ticker i've decided to take it easy and not push myself!!

Winter was a very busy season for me, loads of events from mid-xmas and The July to Madam Zingara and the Durban Airshow, not to forget supporting Trish as she ran the Comrades and helping out the the KZN Rowing Regatta... i think my liver got a big wake up call, but i had an awesome (yes i used that word) winter and met some fantastic people! :)

But i think the biggest developement is my pending return to the states (37 days and counting), i got my visa, resigned from Billys (really enjoyed that) and am now just waiting on the plane ticket but everything is in place... except my head, which is lagging a little but coming around slowly!! As much as i'm excited about going back to the states, i've been home for 2 years now and have settled back into the South African way of life and am really enjoying myself, but i know i need to go... for many reasons, its a chance of a lifetime!

I'm now in the middle of studying for a couple of exams i write before i leave and planning a trip to Cape Town and the Otter Trail at the end of September... loads to look forward to in the next couple of weeks... so, as the song says, "Wake Me Up When September Ends" :)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Winter is HOT, HOT, HOT in Durbs

It's been a busy couple of weeks in Durbs... definitely the best place to be during winter in SA with temperatures averaging around 23C!

the Beach Cafe and a beautiful winters' morning in Durbs

Two weekends ago myself and da crew made the trip inland to Underberg, where we had rented an 8 bedroom house, Haycroft Lodge, complete with it's own lake, industrial kitchen and full on bar for mid-xmas!!! We indulged in a full on xmas dinner and a suffient amount of alcohol... it was an awesome weekend and great to get out of Durbs for a little while!

da crew enjoying mid xmas dinner

the amazing view from our house


This last weekend was the famous Vodacom July, myself and da crew rented our site, doned our gear and packed our cooler boxes for a fabuloous day out at the races... yes, there are horses at the July! The highlight of the evening was the very yummy bunny chow... you can't beat curry in bread! :)

the girls tarting it up

the boys... being boys

proof that there are horses at the July

Today is exactly TWO years since i arrived back on the shores of South Africa... i can't believe its been so long. I never thought i'd manage to stay 'home' for this long, but i seem to do everything in 2s and with my pending trip to the states coming up, the trend looks set to continue!! It's been an eventful and challenging 2 years in which i have achieved quite a bit... travelled through Africa, almost finished my degree (btw, i passed all my exams), made some amazing friends and most importantly, i've grown as a person!

I have my visa interview at the US consulate on Wednesday... so i'll let you know how that goes, fingers crossed!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Wake me up when September ends...

... cos i'm leaving on a jet plane at the beginning of October, Florida bound! :)

Going back to the states has always been in the pipeline but i haven't been able to get it right... until now and i'm super stoked! I've got a waitressing job at one of the top golf estates in the states, Johns Island Club in Vero Beach, Fl... the job sounds almost to good to be true but it is true and i'll be there (visa pending) at the beginning of October! Watch this space for more details :)

In other news, i've just finished another semester of studying... this degree is slowly but surely getting done and who knows maybe one day i'll have some kind of qualification from an actual university and not just honours from the university of life! :)

The Billys crew

This Sunday just past was my work xmas party... yes, xmas in June, this is what we do! :) we had an awesome day, the first half was spent chilling at the dam on bean bags around a fire while some of the crazy boys went Wake-boarding... bbbbbrrrrrr. For the second half of the day we took over Taco Zulu for lunch and a few too many drinks, but fun was had by all! :) i am gonna miss the crazy bunch i work with but i'm moving onto bigger and better!!

The bestest waitresses in Durbs, oh and the bossman :)

Friday, May 23, 2008

My altercaton with a motor vehicle

So, there i was... doing the responsible thing by catching a cab home from work a couple Fridays ago! The cab had to do a U-turn to make it's way towards my humble abode... i hadn't even been in the cab a minute and we hadn't moved more than 10 meters when all of a sardine some drunken arsehole comes flying down the road and slams into the back of us. The whole thing happened so quickly, i don't really remember how i got hurt but a couple seconds after the impact i realised something was wrong. A friend of mine came running over and pulled me out the cab, took one look at my head and rushed me off for ice... by this stage i was curious as to what all the fuss was about, i put my hand to my left eyebrow and damn... i had inherited a golf ball!!!
Taken at the hospital, just after the accident

The paramedics arrived and decided i needed to visit the hospital just to ensure there was no internal head injury so i got my first ride in an ambulance... was a little bummed though, there were no sirens or lights, i was obviously not that important. The doctor did a once over of my head, had a giggle about the size of my golf ball and a laugh about the fact that i was off to a wedding the following day looking like Quasi Moto... hehe!

The next morning... getting ready for the wedding

My accessory at Tristan and Jackie's wedding!

Anyway, 2 weeks down the line and i still have a black eye that would rival any black eye given by Mike Tyson. I'm actually quite proud of my shiner.... pretty good for a first attempt! :)

2 weeks old... looking like permanent make-up!!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Row, row, row your boat!!

Some how i managed to get a weekend off work that actually corresponded with something... KZN and Gauteng Rowing Champs at Albert Falls. Budg and i packed our stuff and headed to the dam on friday afternoon, we were greeted with a hail storm as we drove into Martizburg.

Once we got the boat lauched, we were out on the water putting the final touches on the lanes... 4 lanes, 4.3kms and 400 buoys per lane, no easy task laying those, which had been going on since the weekend before! We set up camp and enjoyed a few cold beers and a braai at the yacht club!

Home sweet home


Up early and on the water before sunrise on regatta day to add yet more final touches... finally, let the race begin! The regatta was a complete success thanks to all the hard work put in by everyone including budg... well done you! I was promoted to an official during the regatta as well... i became a time keeper, great fun!!


The Saturday night party was a big one... needless to say i can't remember how, what and when i got back to my tent and woke up on Sunday morning with a mother of all hangovers!!! I spent a lot of Sunday lying in the sun... recovering, whilst the others pulled in the lanes again! This process continued well into the evening and we finally finished in the freezing cold, driving rain!!!

It was a long night of hard drinking

All and all it was a great weekend... i met some awesome people and have some great fun! :)

Friday, March 21, 2008

Home sweet home

The view from my front door

The view from my balcony door

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Durban is in the middle of a usual summer heat wave, with temps hitting 32 degrees and more everyday. I ventured down to the beach front this morning and took this photo... doesn't it look gorgeous? :)

Friday, January 18, 2008

Durban Harbour

Ok, i'm crap... posting a foto a day is a little to much work for me, so it's now a foto a week... or when i remember! :) i took this foto from the very cool and chilled Bat Centre... a very cool spot to enjoy a drink or 3 and watch the daily grind of Durban Harbour! :)

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Potd: A day at the cricket

Mom and i went to watch SA play West Indies... SA is of course kicking arse!

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Potd: My best friend's wedding

The bride and bridesmaids doing the Baywatch!

Bridesmaids gone wild :)

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Potd: Dragonfly

In an effort to improve my photography i'm reinstating the pic of the day feature... i'm gonna try really hard to post a foto a day taken during my day!
Taken on the farm in Weenen

Friday, January 04, 2008

Flower of Weenen

Weenen you ask... where the hell is that??? Well it's a little farming town in the heart of KZN and where a friend of mine has a pecanut farm! I've just returned home from a chilling 3 days on the farm, where i did nothing more than chill, eat and walk the beautiful gardens taking fotos... here is a sample, click here to see the rest! :) i'm very keen to start taking photography more seriously... like that's my next project once my degree is done with!





I hope everyone had an awesome christmas and new years'... my festive season was very quiet but very chilled and it's been great catching up with family and friends again! Here's wishing you all a fantasic 2008, may all your goals be achieve! :)

The xmas gang :)