because i travel

3 weeks into NO-alcohol-vember

2011-11-22T16:32:00.001+01:00

Now that I'm FINALLY over my flu and feeling like myself again, I definitely feel the effects of not drinking alcohol or coffee... more energy, no headaches :)

To be honest I haven't really missed the alcohol, maybe the odd glass of red but other than that not much. The only thing I really missed about coffee was having something warm and tasty to drink in the morning. I've actually decided to stay off the caffeine and start drinking decaf... tastes like coffee without the caffeine, win win!

One week to go of NO-alcohol-vember and 4 weeks to go before we're sipping cocktails on the beach in sunny Thailand!

A week into NO-alcohol-vember

2011-11-08T16:21:00.000+01:00

Urgh, not so sure this was a good idea... I have the flu. I can't work out if this flu has anything to do with no alcohol and coffee or from getting sneezed, coughed and snotted on by the germ monsters at school. The season of cold, grey and sickness has returned and I've been booked off work for a week. One flu down, many to go!

Serves me right for detoxing ;)

NO-alcohol-vember

2011-10-31T16:05:00.000+01:00

Over the last couple months I've found myself over indulging in the vino, I think it became more of a habit than anything else. I became tired of being tired all the time and waking up with a thudding headache and dry mouth.

Since Movember doesn't really apply to girls, except for putting up with that itchy fluff on the top lip, I decided to turn it into NO-alcohol-vember... no alcohol AND coffee for the month of November. That makes for a very long month.

See you on the other side!

Thailand for Christmas

2011-10-30T09:44:00.003+01:00

About a months ago the husband and myself started talking about what we were going to do for Christmas. We could feel the Swiss winter sneaking up on us and the last thing we felt like was another cold, dark Christmas. We had a couple ideas, visit family in LA, stay in Switzerland and do the Glacier Express, Egypt and the late comer to the list, Thailand.

To help us make a decision we drew up a spreadsheet to compare expenses and duration of stay for each destination. Surprisingly, or maybe not, staying in Switzerland and spending 3 nights in the Swiss Alps worked out the most expensive. Next came LA and then Egypt, Thailand worked out the least expensive for the most number of days... how could we say no to that, add in the sunshine and beach and Thailand is our winner :)

Once we made our decision we booked flights with Swiss and Stu got in touch with a place he stayed on Ko Phayam, Ranong, Bamboo Bungalows whislt he was volunteering in Thailand a few years back. So flights and accommodation are booked, and then the floods hit. We are watching the situation closely but we are confident that we will be ok as long as BKK remains open!

So very excited to get to Thailand and relax for 8 days.

Norma Elizabeth Peckover

2011-10-29T11:54:00.000+02:00

On June 15, 2011 I lost one of my most favourite people on this earth... my granny! She had a spirit like no other, you could always be sure she would tell it to you like it was and the stubbornness would shine through constantly!

I miss her incredibly... I miss hearing her laugh, her hugs and her greeting me with, "Hello my Robs". I miss making her laugh so much she would wet herself. I am very sad my children won't get to meet her but thankful she did get to meet and bond with Stu and was there to witness our wedding. My birthday has just come and gone and what hit me hardest was the fact that a birthday card from her didn't arrive... she really is gone!

Granny, you are always in my thoughts, love you lots and lots.

I left my wisdom in Budapest

2011-07-30T12:03:00.000+02:00

My wisdom teeth have been a constant problem in my life since they first peeked out my gums 7 years ago. Whilst living in Colorado I had one removed because it was impacted and causing infection. Over the summer it was finally the turn of the remaining 3 to be ejected from my mouth.

Living in Switzerland is an expensive habit and when it comes to dental work, it's extortion. Stu suggested we go to Budapest to have my dental work done. So I did some research and got a few quotes back on having 3 wisdoms removed and a laser teeth whitening done. The quotes were cheap, we worked out that for the price of having 3 wisdoms removed in Switzerland we could get a week holiday in Budapest for both of us including the dental work. I booked an appointment with Kreativ Dental, found a cute little apartment, booked plane tickets and off we went.

The dentist office was very professional and pretty fancy complete with huge fish tanks, comfy chairs and an internet cafe. The dentist was friendly, spoke very good English and had a pretty good sense of humour, thankfully! The whole experience as far as the dentist is concerned was painless and cheaper than expected, but the pain was extremely painful and left me looking like a squirrel smuggling nuts.

Budapest itself is a beautiful city... so cosmopolitan in some ways and very much third world in others. Unfortunately the weather wasn't kind to us and it rained almost everyday but in hindsight it was probably for the best as I was in so much pain I didn't really feel up to sightseeing. I can't say this was the most memorable trip I've ever taken but it served it's purpose and I am not wisdom free :)

Spring has sprung

2011-03-20T12:15:00.000+01:00

My blog posts seem to move with the seasons and with the threat of summer in the air i think it's time for another post (although I really should be posting more often), especially as i'm sitting on my balcony in a patch of sun. The last couple of weeks in Zurich we've had more and more sunshine and less and less cold and grey which makes me happy :) all the trees are starting to get their shoots and my spring tulips are growing fast! With Spring/Summer comes a change of atmosphere in Switzerland, the country comes alive with people spending as much time as possible outside... cafes sprout up all over the place, late picnics by the lake, frisbee in the park and of course, braais on the balcony... Summer in Europe rocks :)

Stu and i are looking at our options for our European summer holiday this year and although I would kill to chill out on some tropical island somewhere, our holiday this year has to unfortunately include some dentist work for me, so it looks like Budapest for us but we plan to extend it to include Vienna and Krakow as well. Anyway for now it's just in the planning phase, so we shall see what we come up with :)

I'm going to get back to soaking up the sunshine... have a fantastic Sunday :)

One year on...

2010-11-30T12:14:00.000+01:00

This week is a year since my permanent arrival to Switzerland, I can barely believe it's been a year already... they say, time flies when you are having fun... well it hasn't always been fun but it's definitely been a year to remember!

The first half of the year was difficult... it was cold, very cold and grey, i also had the stress of organising our wedding and adjusting to living in a new country whose native language is not English and where foreigners aren't exactly welcomed with open arms (i was even attacked by a little old lady in the supermarket... probably my lowest point)! But summer arrived and things just got better from there... I had made some awesome friends i met through afternoon drinks and the sun was shining, how could things not get better! :)

Now, things are pretty good even though winter is back and so is the cold, very cold and grey! The main reason for the change is the fact that i have a job now... thanks to my fabulous friend Paula who hooked me up with the job, i am now a teacher at a preschool for English speaking kiddies, McTots and i'm loving it! :) It's a great feeling to be able to earn my own money and contribute to the household finances, it also gives me something to do during the day, not sure i'm cut out to be a stay at home housewife... all is good in the world again :)

So here is to another good year of cheese, chocolate, skiing and wine in Switzerland... I've already had my residency permit extended for another year, so there is nothing stopping me now :)

As the first snow falls

2010-09-20T10:00:00.003+02:00

It seems summer is slowly but surely coming to an end, to great sadness... i'm not sure i'm ready for cold, dark and grey! The first snowfall of the season has already fallen on the Alps and yes, it is beautiful but it signals the end of the long summer days, the end of winding down the day sitting along the river with a beer and the end of wearing slops :(

Although not a particularly hot summer except for about 3 weeks where the temps were getting into the 30s... i think it's the long days of blue sky and sunshine that i love more than the heat.

From paddling and swimming in the lake, jumping off the bridge into the river fully clothed, picking raspberries, riding bikes along the lake, hiking in the Swiss country side or up to the highest point in Zürich (Ueitliberg) to joining in the festivities of Zürifest and Streetparade, summer has been eventful and i look forward to next summer! :)

Please come back quick :P

Beautiful, stunning, gorgeous Croatia

2010-08-07T09:30:00.006+02:00

After my first taste of Europe in the summer (Bonjour France) i wanted more! Stu and i try to stick to a rule of going to countries we haven't been to but this is proving to be a little tricky here in Europe because he has been almost everywhere i want to go! In my search for a place in Europe with sunshine, water, sunshine, where Stu hasn't been, sunshine, visa friendly to me and sunshine, I stumbled upon Croatia. I was immediately won over by the photos of beautiful coastlines, over 300 days of sunshine a year and the fact that Croatia has relaxed it's visa requirements for the summer, allowing people with Schengen resident permits in without needing a visa which i would ordinarily need having a SA passport.

After some research we decided on the island of Hvar and i managed to find a gorgeous, reasonably priced apartment with the most amazing view of Hvar Town (the website does not do the apartment justice). So with flights booked and research done on exactly how to get from Split airport to the port of Hvar we were off!

For those interested, the quickest and easiest way to get to Hvar from Split is:

As soon as you walk out of the airport there is a Croatian Airlines bus which takes you to the port of Split for Kn 30 each
The bus drops you off directly outside the ticket booth where you buy your ticket to Hvar on the Catamaran at Kn 47 each (the tickets can't be prebooked or bought online, so get there early, they do sell out)
During the summer there are only 2 catamarans a day... 11:30 and 15:00, so try plan your flights to get you there a few hours before those times or you'll have to spend a night in Split.
While you are waiting on your catamaran take a walk through the old town of Split... it's amazing

Some of the old town of Split

As soon as we disembarked from the catamaran we were hit by the beauty of Hvar... a port jam packed with Superyachts, a riviera lined with bars and cafes and gorgeous, sunkissed people everywhere. Even more stunning was the view from our apartment... we both just sat and stared out over the beautiful, little port town.

The view by day from our apartment

The view by night... i just can't get enough of it

Our 3 full days were filled with a Sea kayaking trip to the Paklinski Islands, where we did some snorkelling amongst the superyachts and had lunch at a quaint restaurant on the water in a small cove. It was tough on the arms and legs but a great experience. Laying in the sun with a book and beer on a secluded pebble beach about a mile outside of Hvar Town... stunning. Sailing from Hvar to the island of Vis, where we snorkelled in the Green cave and had a wonderful homecooked meal on board the yacht. It was a fantastic day spent at sea with the wind in our hair :)

Our mode of transport for the day mored outside the Green cave

Both Stu and i were very reluctant to board the catamaran back to Split, Hvar is a beautiful island with stunning weather, friendly people (mostly) and the sight of all those Superyachts is just amazing. Some of them can be chartered for as much as €500 000 per week... maybe in my next life ;)

Hmmm... which one to chose ;)

More photos :)

Bonjour France

2010-06-28T10:20:00.003+02:00

Now for my first venture into France :) We were invited by Glen and his family (friends of Stu's) to join them for a long weekend in a small village in Normandy. We decided to leave a day earlier to spend some time in Paris, for my benefit of course :) SO with train tickets in hand and a very kind offer from Liz for us to stay at her place in Paris... off we went.

Paris was an eyeopener for me... lots of hustle and bustle, people everywhere, a big different from Zurich, which is a tiny city compared with Paris! We had less than 24 hours in Paris and I was determined to make the most of it! We walked through the streets of the "dodgy" part of Paris, up to Montmarte, stared at the view of Paris from the steps in front of the magnificent Basilique du Sacré Coeur, stood in the middle of the Arc de Triomphe with the crazy traffic whizzing around us and finally made it to the Eiffel tower... what a whirlwind, it really bought the tourist out of me ;)

Doing amazing tricks with the backdrop of Paris

The middle of the Arc

Ain't she a beauty...

Next stop Normandy and the quaint little village of Crocy. We stayed in a very cute old blacksmith's cottage, surrounded by farm animals and countryside! It was a lovely and relaxing weekend spent with Stu's friends... we drank lots of French wine, ate lots of French cheese and bread and just enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere :)

Our Crocy cottage... gotta love country living

Thank you to Glen and your family for inviting us and being such great hosts :)

More photos :)

Is that the sun i see?

2010-06-04T09:56:00.010+02:00

After what seemed like a neverending stream of cold and grey days, the big, burny thing in the sky is starting to make a regular appearance and the trees and plants are responding by turning a lighter shade of green :) Winter was hard, more because of the lack of sunshine than the cold... the benefit of cold is fresh and fluffy snow... well before it turns to black sludge that is!

Flowers are popping up everywhere

I'm really looking forward to summer in Europe... the atmosphere changes dramatically, everyone is out and about, spending long nights sitting in beers gardens along the river, swimming in the lake, hiking the beautiful hills of Switzerland and soaking up the vitamin D :) hopefully we'll be making use of my Schengen resident card by doing some travelling around Europe... stay tuned!

Even our balcony got a makeover in time to welcome summer

Looking back on THE wedding

2010-05-10T09:42:00.012+02:00

It's been over a month now since the BIG day and i thought it was about time i did a little recap on the day itself and the organising that went into the day. Weddings are a very important milestone in any relationship and some people signify that by spending an astranomical about of money and time on their big day. Our wedding was very important to us but i couldn't justify the cost of hiring a fancy wedding planner and leaving everything to them... so bring in myself! One great thing about organising a wedding yourself is that you get exactly what you want and you appreciate it a whole lot more.

My 3 biggest challenges were finding the perfect venue, deciding on food and bringing my ideas for decor together.

Venue: We wanted the wedding to be on a beach in Durban... not just overlooking a beach or next to one but on the actual sand. I did large abouts of research and the "normal" venues would only allow the ceremony on the beach and they cost an arm and a leg. Eventually i stumbled upon Beachbums, a small restaurant and backpackers right on the beach 40 mins north of Durban. After much to-ing and fro-ing and some stress things came together perfectly :)

Food: We wanted to create a very relaxed atmosphere at our wedding (having a wedding on the sand is a good start) and I wanted to introduce the American visitors to true Saffer culture. What better way to do that than with a braai, complete with pap and chakalaka! :)

So now we have a venue on the sand just metres from the breaking waves and a braai, the next thing to bring together was the decor.

Decor: While deciding on a venue, both Stu and i had one request each... he wanted tiki torches and i wanted paper lanterns. Both worked perfectly with the decor i had in mind... chilled out chic :) my vision was to have a collection of different clear bottles on each table with a flower in each, surrounded by tealights to form the centre piece, white table clothes and hessian table runners, paper lanterns hanging from the roof of the tent and sand underfoot... the result was even better than i could have imagined :)

And what would a wedding on the beach be like without a jumping castle ;) i decided to add a jumping castle just to add to the relaxed atmosphere and it was a huge hit, not just with the little kids but with the big kids as well :)

Unfortunetly the one thing we could not control was the weather and when having an outdoor wedding you are at the mercy of the weather gods... thankfully we had no rain, but man did the wind blow. Stu's only disappointment of the evening was the fact that it was to windy to light his beloved tiki torches!!

It was a fantastic day, enjoyed by everyone, especially Stu and i... that's the main thing :) A huge thank you to everyone who celebrated the day with us, especially Stu's friends and family that made the long trip from the states... it was amazing meeting you all :)

Intriguing stenciling in Zürich

2010-01-21T11:38:00.008+01:00

I mentioned in a previous post about the abundance of graffiti in Zürich. The graffiti is fascinating and ever changing... the colours and the messages are definitely eye catching but i've discovered a smaller form of graffiti that i find intriguing and in some way... beautiful, stenciling of small figures and messages that pop up in the most random places.

Below are some photos of stenciling i've found, but i'm always on the lookout for more :)

2009... the year that was

2010-01-04T11:33:00.004+01:00

Another year has come to an end... this decade has flown by, 10 years since i finished school and by golly it has been an interesting, exciting and adventurous decade! From working and travelling around the UK and the states to getting married and moving to Switzerland, as well as doing a self drive trip from South Africa to Northern Kenya and back... many tales to tell :)

2009 was a good year, with many important events or milestones (which ever is more applicable) taking place... fell in love, got married, completed my degree, survived long distance and moved to Switzerland... all and all, not complaints from my side :)

Looking ahead to 2010, it's going to be a busy year... at the moment i'm knee deep in wedding planning (which has it's fair share of ups and downs), we also have a few other trips we want to squeeze in this year including the all important honeymoon ;) i also have ambitions to learn German and maybe even find myself a job here in Zurich... right now i'm just focusing on getting the hang of this cold and DIY :)

A very happy 2010 to all my friends and family around the world... keep it real :)

FINALLY :)

2009-11-26T13:23:00.004+01:00

So after almost 5 months, loads of blood (well just a suspicious drop on my police clearance certificate), sweat (well stress anyway) and many tears i finally have my shiny new Swiss entry visa in my passport, my one way ticket to Switzerland is booked, i've finished my exams and am ready to go go go :) :) :) i am currently bracing myself for the wall of cold i'm about to hit but finally being able to start my life with my wonderful hubby will make up for everything! :)

So, that's my good news in a nutshell... i have a very busy 5 days coming up including going to the opening game at the brand spanking new Moses Mabhiba stadium, it's going to be a goodie :)

D-day has come...

2009-11-04T12:05:00.007+01:00

... and gone! Today is the day i was suppose to phone the Swiss Embassy in Pretoria to get an update on the status of my residency application BUT the second round of documents (Stu was sent a letter from Zurich side requesting documents such as a copy of his lease agreement, a sworn affidavit that he knows me and is married to me and a translated copy of my apparent crimial record) have just been sent off so i know the answer i'm going to get from the Embassy... it has not been approved yet! I'm going to give it another 2 weeks then try...

In the mean time i am knee deep in exams and studying... i have written 2 exams already and have 3 to go. It's been a stressful time but in some tiny way i am thankful for my studying because i don't want to imagine what this time in limbo would be like if i had nothing to do. I want to thank Stu for all the support and encouragement he has given me (like threatening to take away xmas if i fail anything :P) and apologise for being a stress ball at times and taking it out on him... I love you!!

Talking of Stu, he made the long trek over the equator again to spend my birthday with me. We spent a wonderful 3 or so days together in Cape Town. It was a very busy weekend with a drive along the Cape Peninsula where we saw the penguins of Boulders Bay, had lunch in Simon's Town, stumbled into baboons soaking up the spring sunshine and went to the south-western most point of Africa. We also spent a day chilling at the V&A Waterfront with friends and took a quick open-top bus trip around Cape Town, including lunch in Camps' Bay.

I'd like to thank Nic and Jules for letting us stay with them and Lynnie for taking us on a scenic drive :)

Ok, well that's the update on my life right now... i'm just counting down the days til exams are over and i make the move to Zurich... bring on the brrrrrr winter :)

Testing, testing… 1 2 3

2009-10-28T16:20:00.001+01:00

I’m trying a new program by Microsoft called Windows Live Writer… apparently i’m suppose to be able to make pretty blogs, so lets give it a go :)

adding a map – FAIL… tried to insert a map of my current location but apparently only the states exists (not surprising :P)
adding a picture – PASS… then again all blogs have this function

adding a photo album – FAIL… seems like you have to upload the photos you want in the album onto a Microsoft based program first (to much extra work when you use another program for web albums)

That’s about enough for me… i haven’t found any real benefits from this program (there are no Sparkle Pony add-ons), my web-based blog program (Blogger) offers the same features and it doesn’t use up memory or space on my little one! So… out with the new and back to the old :)

Talking of little one… Stu bought me a new laptop, affectionately know as “little one” because of it’s size! In this case size is not a disadvantage… little one packs a punch :)

Counting down the weeks

2009-09-22T12:51:00.005+02:00

This blog of mine seems to be turning into a visa info blog... i can't wait for the day i don't have a visa issue hanging over my head. To update, i'm still in Durban and it's been 2 weeks since i made the trip up to Pretoria for my date with the Swiss Embassy to hand in my residency application. I was told to wait 8 weeks and then phone them to check on the status of my application... sigh, so we wait some more!!! As things stand now it looks like i'll only be able to make the move to Zurich at the end of Nov or early Dec.

I have been trying to keep myself busy during this time... with studying for my upcoming exams taking up the bulk of my time (writing 5 exams between 30 Oct and 25 Nov), i am also helping out Cllr Warwick Chapman with some of his ward 18 issues, planning our wedding and was planning my school reunion (which was held last Saturday, it was awesome to see and reconnect with some of the girls again).

My husband will be making the trip across the equator in a couple weeks to visit me... YAY :) we will be spending our time together in Cape Town... oh so very excited :) :)

Plan M is in effect

2009-07-29T15:01:00.003+02:00

After a couple days of nervous waiting i was told by the Swiss Embassy that yes my Schengen visa will be issued but it'll take a further 4 weeks... 4 weeks i didn't have... SIGH! Once again Stu and i chatted long and hard about the situation, played with a few ideas and scenarios and eventually decided enough was enough with this visa game... we're playing no more. So all flights and booking were cancelled and Stu booked myself a flight to Durbs... he arrives in 10 days :) :)

We've decided to put Plan M into effect... do the marriage paperwork here in Durbs and apply for my Swiss residency permit, enough with these silly tourist visas!! So yes, we are doing things a little differently but it's what works for us... and that's all that matters!

So, here i sit... in Durbs (enjoying the wonderful Durban winter weather), trying to keep myself busy with this and that and procrastinating about studying... nothing new there :P

The visa saga continues

2009-07-17T17:17:00.003+02:00

I am currently back in SA on a "visa run". After much research and discussion Stu and i established that i had no choice but to return to SA to reapply for my Schengen visa and to apply for my US tourist visa. We discovered that once a Schengen visa has been issued for a certain duration, it can't be extended in the Schengen region and a new visa has to be applied for... sigh!

So here i am... once again thousands of miles away from the love of my life, waiting around on visas. The day after landing in SA (after a torturous flight full of delays and layovers) i turned up at the US Consulate and applied for my B1/B2 visa... which was intially denied because the lady was not convinced i would be returning to SA. After some pleading i walked out of there empty handed with tears rolling down my cheeks... but whilst on the phone with Stu trying to figure out what's next, the phone rang... it was the lady from the consulate imforming me she had reconsidered and is going to issue me my visa... SIGH!! :) Now my passport and application forms sit at the Swiss Consulate in Pretoria and i await a decision on my visa... not sure how much more visa stress my nerves can handle!!!

Now that i think of it, i didn't actually write a post about my engagement... oops!!!!! I think i just got swept up in everything that i forgot about my poor blog... well Stu and i got engaged on 23 june... i'm very excited about our life together and just can't wait for the "fine print" to be behind us so we can get on with it!! Right now i'm missing him terribly and am just focusing on getting home (that is now Zurich)!

Gruetzi from Zurich

2009-06-20T13:14:00.012+02:00

From my previous post you would've picked up that after many months of talk, anxiety and stress i've finally set foot on Swiss soil... and very nice soil it is! Zurich is a beauitful, efficient city, the countryside with it's green rolling hills and cows, just like a scene from Sound of Music and the people are friendly yet quiet... the language (Swiss-German) is a whole nother story.

the Letten down the road from my apartment

It's been 3 weeks now and i think i've settled nicely into the role of house-girlfriend... my days consist of cleaning, laundry, gorcery shopping, studying, exploring the city and cooking for my wonderful boyfriend, who spends his days working hard (had to add that because i know he'll read this at some point) :) the only thing i'm battling with is the language... but that'll come with time!

During my time here i've made a few observations about the city:

For a city that is so health and environmentally concious... this is obvious from all the effort that goes into recycling and the number of "normal" sized people on the streets (after my stint living in the states, it was one of the first things i noticed... very few obese people), the Swiss are very relaxed on the smoking issue, most places still allow smoking indoors and in public places, the smoking of weed is also not frowned on and there is a wiff of weed almost everywhere you go (yes, i know what it smells like)!

Sex shops and Erotica clubs can be found on almost every corner (something like McDonalds)... apparently the Swiss have a "healthy" interest in sex, this comes as a surprise considering how tame the Swiss seem to be, obviously this all changes behind closed doors!

Graffiti is another surprise, the Swiss seemed to have imbraced these random, colourful scribles that find themselves on public and private walls... they have graffiti zones in Zurich where people are free to express themselves to their hearts' content, in my opinion a good move... and it actually brightens up some areas that have the potential to be pretty dreary looking.

Swiss wine... or wii (Swiss-german)/wein (German), it's one of the best kept secrets of Switzerland but it wasn't kept from me for very long, they make some awesome wines... what a combination, Swiss chocolate, cheese and wine :) on my to-do list... exploring the wine making regions of Switzerland.

All in all, Switzerland so far has met up to all those expectations i've been holding onto for many years... i do need to spend some time in the countryside, get aquainted with the cows and their bells and experience the magic of the Alps... but that will all come in good time.

a storm moving in over Zurich

the See (pronounced say) with the Alps in the background

Next on the agenda... sorting out my visa issues, my life would be empty without a visa problem hanging over my head!

Just a little side note... this is my 100th blog post, yay me... keep on reading :)

Dubai... the city under constuction

2009-06-05T13:51:00.010+02:00

As i write this i am finally in Zurich! :) it's been a long time coming and very happy to finally set foot in Switzerland and be able to be with Stu for an extended period.

I flew out of the US on 20 May and into Jozi on 21 May where i met Stu, we then proceed to surprise friends and family but more importantly... my mom :) it was a very hectic and busy week, with loads of meeting, greeting and admin stuff but an enjoyable week... it was great to see everyone again and i'm happy that Stu got to meet all the important people in my life! :)

Enjoying a few refreshments in the oasis (pool bar)

On 29 May we boarded the plane for Dubai... a quick 2 day stop over on our way to Zurich! As i have a South African passport, i need a 96 hour transit visa for UAE and with no precise guildlines on how to acquire this visa... i was basically holding thumbs that things would work out. After going through the process of handing money over to 2 different people, waiting around and a conversation with an immigration officier following a misunderstanding... 90 minutes later i had my passport stamped and was allowed to proceed! :)

View from hotel room

Dubai is an interesting city... very hot (around 40C) and dusty and there is construction everywhere you look! Skyscrapers and cranes line the horizon as well as those famous landmarks, ie Burj Al Arab and Burj Dubai. The best part of Dubai was the pool bar at our hotel... we spent many hours in the pool cooling off and sipping of "softdrinks" :)

City of construction

Burj Dubai... topped out at just over 800m

On the surface the city looks amazing with all the development and some stunning architecture but when you take a closer look there are faults... some construction has come to a standstill and the buildings are falling apart, many buildings have been put up in a rush and workmenship is sloppy and some buildings are incomplete but are inhabited.

All in all it was an enjoyable 2 days and an eye opener... i can see why people have flocked to the city, i mean where else can you go skiing and half an hour later be tanning on the beach (all in a desert), but i wouldn't call it a holiday destination... from my point of view anyway!

Next stop... Zurich, Switzerland :)

Florida storm

2009-05-13T17:04:00.005+02:00

We've had weeks of very hot and humid weather here in Florida... i officially think it's hotter here in Florida during spring than in Durbs in February... eish! Last night a storm finally rolled in bringing some much needed rain and of course, thunder and lightning... which i've taken a fascination to... gone are the days of me hiding under my bed during storms!!

I think i may have found my new hobby... well photography has always been a hobby of mine but photographing storms is something i could get into :)

Coming to an end

2009-05-05T00:36:00.005+02:00

My season at Johns Island is coming to an end... slowly but surely, it's actually unbelievable that i have been here for almost 7 months. It's been a long and hard season but a good one, it's a bit of an anti climax now... we were busy for weeks on end through spring break and easter, working 60 hours a week and now in the last couple of weeks business has dropped off, members have returned up north and staff levels have almost halved! It's been sad having to say goodbye to all the friends i've made in the last 7 months and especially saying goodbye to Julz, she has gone up to NYC for a couple weeks and is then off to Block Island to work for the summer... who knows when i'll see her again.

I'm now in the process of packing up my house and moving out... the remaining staff have to be moved around because some apartments have to be handed back to the leasing company... so i'll be living out of a suitcase for 2 weeks... urgh :P

My days in the Florida sunshine are numbered, i've been working very hard on my tan... i may even look like i've spent 7 months in FL, make all the people in Europe jealous ;) all plans for my departure are set and things are coming together nicely, i can't wait to see my sexy geek (Stu) again :)

Looking back...

2009-04-23T19:15:00.003+02:00

I was chatting to a friend the other day and he asked me if i had achieved everything i wanted to on this trip, if it was a success and if i was satisfied... my immediate answer was yes but it also made me think about what my objectives were before this trip, the reasons i came over here and what i've gotten out of being in the states!

Within a couple weeks of me being here i realised that yes, maybe i had originally come here for the wrong reason... trying to make something out of nothing, fix something beyond repair, etc but i came to terms with that very quickly, moved on and decided to make the most of me being in the states! I made a list of things i wanted to do and places i wanted to see... visit my twins in denver, go skiing again, get to the bna xmas party, go to nyc, see a bit of florida, get back to disney, go to new orleans, work hard, make some money, meet new people and see old friends and all and all everything bar one was done... i haven't made it to new orleans yet, but i have plenty of time for that yet, besides it was substituted by key west... a fair compromise :)

These last 6 and a bit months i have worked hard, i've done some travelling and met some great and some not so great people, i've done some growing and some forgiving... i've also realised that the success to a relationship of any kind is compromise...

The most important and special part of my trip to the states is me meeting Stu... a kind, wonderful, caring, funny and sexy man who makes me feel special and who i love deeply! Stu is proof that all things happen for a reason and that there are no regrets in life, only lessons to be learnt... so looking back, yes my trip has been a success and i am more than satisfied!

I am now ready for the next chapter to begin... let the journey continue :)

Switzerland here i come

2009-04-09T03:16:00.011+02:00

After 10 days of nervous waiting, the Fedex man finally dropped my package at my front door and Julz had the responsibilty to open it (because i was at work) and inform me whether or not there was a Schengen visa stuck in my passport... after a very long and nerve racking day, at 4:05pm i finally received an sms from her reading, "your foto looks cute in your schengen visa, YEAH" i haven't been that relieved and happy in a long long time!! :)

Now all the plans that Stu and i have been discussing seem real without the visa cloud hanging over my head (well except for the usa tourist visa i now need to apply for)... i can now let myself get super excited about my summer in Switzerland and Europe... YAY :) details to follow on plans whilst in Switzerland... there is nothing concrete yet!

Taken from the beach at JI... a flock of pelicans doing a fly-by

Other than the visa excitement not much else is happening in Zero Beach, except for work... we are mid way through Easter week, the week we were told we would be the busiest the entire season but so far business has been slow... it would seem that this economic recession has hit even the rich! The US unemployment rate reached a 25 year high of 8,5%... at this rate they are going to leap frog over SA, a scary thought for the "world's most powerful nation"

Once Easter is behind us our season is basically over, a large majority of the members return up North and a number of staff go off to start their summer jobs... i can't believe it's been 6 months already, it's been a hard season but a very enjoyable one! :)

Sunset over the Beach Club

Time for SA and cricket to show it's true colours

2009-04-07T14:21:00.002+02:00

South Africa's hour

SA has a chance to show the world what it is capable of... go on the little country that could :)

Up, up and away and St Augustine Beach

2009-03-30T17:50:00.008+02:00

I've just realised i haven't blogged about my escape to St Augustine Beach with Stu! St Augustine is about 3 hours north of Zero Beach, it's the oldest inhabited town is the states and a really quaint and pretty little town with loads of history... the beaches are beautiful as well. After been postponed a couple of times, we were fortunate enough to see the STS-119 (NASA Discovery) launch which was about 100 miles south of us... it was an amazing sight, this fireball travelling through the sky :)

Discovery shuttle launch... amazing sight

The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing, exploring the town and long walks on the beach! :) oh, i almost forgot... our weekend started off with a scare as Stu discovered he had "misplaced" his passport... after a few phone calls we located the little blue book, he had left it on his flight from NYC to Orlando... thankfully the airlines in this country are a lot more honest than those in SA!

Sunrise from our hotel room

See you in 52 days babe :)

The waiting game...

2009-03-30T17:41:00.005+02:00

After weeks of research and document collecting i have finally submitted all my documents and passport to the Swiss consulate in Atlanta and am now playing the waiting game... "patiently" waiting for my passport to be returned to me with a Schengen visa inside... fingers crossed :)

Work is crazy at the moment, i'm working 60 hour weeks with little time for my body to relax so i'm feeling really drained and tired... but i know it's only for another 2 weeks (til the end of easter) and all for a good cause, in 51 days i will be jetting out of here, onto bigger and much better things :) i'm really excited about what (more like who) is waiting for me across the Atlantic!! :) :)

So watch this space for news on my visa...

Florida at it's best...

2009-03-13T23:51:00.010+01:00

... the last week or so we've had the most amazing weather (clear skies, sunshine, a slight breeze) and i've been "blessed" to get to work outside and stare out at the beautiful ocean and all it's shades of blue!! Sometimes i really do hate my job when i have to slave away serving the more fortunate while they get to enjoy the amazing weather and view! I thought i'd share my misery with you...

I now have the most attractive uniform tan to show for my hours working in the sun... i'll be working on correcting that this weekend when i take a well earned break! Stu is arriving in the morning... so super excited and we will be spending the weekend chilling on the east coast of FL in a town called St Augustine, soaking up the rays and destressing! :) Catch ya'll on the flip side... hehe ;)

Schengen Visa application process update

2009-03-05T17:34:00.005+01:00

So as my luck would have it, a week after Stu and i meet the Swiss decide to join the Schengen, which means South Africans now need visas to visit Switzerland! The application process is not complicated, just time consuming with all the documents that have to be collected... and when you are dealing with services in SA things become delayed!!

I've managed to tick most of the requirements off the list (itinerary, flights, travel insurance, letter from employer, bank statements), i'm now just waiting on UNISA to get their act together and send me the docs i'm waiting on (this could be a long wait)... grr!!

The countdown continues, with 76 days til i leave the states... it's getting very exciting :) i have another countdown running... 9 more sleeps til Stu visits again, for now that is even more exciting!! :) we are just planning to spend the weekend chilling on a beach in FL somewhere... get away from it all.

Taking a bite out of the Big Apple...

2009-02-20T22:39:00.011+01:00

... and landing up with toothache, literally!! Not sure what it is with my wisdoms and the states but for the second time my one wisdom tooth has chosen America as the place it would like to play up and put me in pain! Luckily i caught the infection before i hit lob-sided chipmunk stage again but it's again been a costly and painful ordeal... for now i get to hang onto the troublesome tooth and the Vicodin will help with the pain ;)

So i've been home from my romantic getaway for 2 weeks now... wow, what a weekend, NYC is an amazing city and being there with Stu was the cherry or was it the apple on top?? :P i'd done all the touristy stuff on my pervious stopover in the city so Stu and I just did a lot of walking and looking. I met his close friend, Dave, which was cool... he's a local so gave us Dave's tour of the city :) on the Saturday night we met up with a few BnA peeps (there were more than 3 BnA members present at the bar so it was an official meetup) including one of the founders, Sean, it was a fun and interesting evening and i landed up drinking Tusker, a Kenyan beer... the closest i could get to a SA beer!

I've finally made a decision on my next move once i'm done here in Florida... i'll be spending the summer (the Northern hemisphere summer) in Zurich with Stu! :) i'm super duper excited and can't wait... the countdown has started, 13 weeks to go!! I've weighed up the pros and cons and the pros won hands down... being there gives Stu and i a chance to build on what is already an awesome relationship, it gives me the opportunity to do some travelling around Europe... something i've been longing to do and it gives me time to study so i can write my last round of exams at the end of the year and finally finish my degree! Have i mentioned i'm very excitied :)

All that's left to do now is convince the Swiss consulate to give me a Schengen visa :)

4 months down and having a good time :)

2009-01-30T15:44:00.009+01:00

After all the promises of me doing better with this blog and i've slipped into my bad habits already... i need a kick in the arse!! Ok, so i've been in Florida for almost 4 months now and so far so good... no complaints expect for the fact that at times i wish i could throw in the tray and go lay on the beach that i stare at all day! :)

Another "tough" day at the office

Work is going very well, i'm really enjoying the people i work with and the rich, old people aren't that bad!! ;) It also helps that at Johns Island hard work is appreciated and rewarded... i was given a raise a couple weeks ago, so all is well!

I've managed to squeeze some travelling in as well... went to Portland, Oregon in Dec for a BnA party... was loads of fun and i met loads of very cool interesting people, including one in particular who i will get to shortly. I also ventured to the west coast of FL, to a place called Clearwater, which is the home of Scientology (no, i'm not trying to tell you anything)... beautiful beaches and sunset! :) In Jan i took a week off and spent a very romantic 4 days in Key West and then myself, Julz and Roo jetted off to CO to visit my boys and do some skiing... lots of funness! I have another romantic weekend coming up next weekend in the Big Apple... yipee, so very excited!! :) :)

Sunset in Clearwater, FL

Roo, Julz and myself at A Basin, CO

Ok, so now you are probably wondering about this particular someone and all the romantic getaways... well his name is Stu and we've been seeing each other for 2 months now, he's wonderful, amazing, kind, caring (i hope you are reading this Stu) and i've never felt this way about anyone... he has swept me off my feet!!! One small problem, is that he lives in Zurich, Switzerland... which is a strange way is actually a plus cos i love Switzerland (altho i've never been, but have always wanted to)... so there are decisions to be made, but i know it'll all work out soon :)

Cheese... me and Stu in Key West :)

So that's all my news, i'm in the process of uploading fotos, but you can also check them out on the F to the B!! :)

I have arrived

2008-10-27T14:41:00.005+01:00

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 :)

6 days and counting...

2008-10-03T13:31:00.004+02:00

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 :)

South Africa's golden games

2008-09-17T07:42:00.005+02:00

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

Sjoe, where has the time gone?

2008-09-16T13:01:00.005+02:00

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 :)

Chroniciles of my kitchen

2008-09-12T09:27:00.007+02:00

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!

Sunflowers to celebrate spring

2008-09-10T13:11:00.006+02:00

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 :)

States bound update

2008-09-08T18:26:00.003+02:00

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!! :)

2010 stadium... the amazing progress

2008-09-07T18:16:00.004+02:00

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!

Jelly fish in a tank

2008-09-04T08:32:00.008+02:00

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! :)

Winter beach

2008-09-02T09:31:00.006+02:00

Salt Rock on a chilly winter's day

Spring has sprung :)

2008-09-02T09:05:00.005+02:00

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" :)

Winter is HOT, HOT, HOT in Durbs

2008-07-10T16:23:00.003+02:00

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!

Wake me up when September ends...

2008-06-11T09:24:00.005+02:00

... 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 :)

Zebra crossing ;)

2008-05-24T14:12:00.007+02:00

A zebra X-ing :)

My altercaton with a motor vehicle

2008-05-23T13:10:00.010+02:00

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!!

Row, row, row your boat!!

2008-04-26T14:18:00.009+02:00

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! :)

Home sweet home

2008-03-21T16:37:00.006+01:00

The view from my front door

The view from my balcony door

2008-03-09T07:24:00.005+01:00

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? :)

Durban Harbour

2008-01-18T22:42:00.001+01:00

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! :)

Potd: A day at the cricket

2008-01-12T08:28:00.000+01:00

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

Potd: My best friend's wedding

2008-01-09T12:03:00.001+01:00

The bride and bridesmaids doing the Baywatch!

Bridesmaids gone wild :)

Potd: Dragonfly

2008-01-08T06:38:00.000+01:00

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

Flower of Weenen

2008-01-04T14:59:00.001+01:00

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 :)

Turning the Golden Mile Green

2007-10-29T07:21:00.000+01:00

The celebrating is still continuing as the Springboks and the Webb Ellis Trophy do a South Africa road trip! Sunday morning was Durbs' turn and after a quick Wimpy breakfast we joined the hundreds of Springboks fans alone the Golden Mile to applaud our World Champs! The atmosphere was amazing as a group of people sang Shosholoza and got everyone involved!

AMA BOKKE BOKKE

2007-10-21T13:09:00.000+02:00

What an amazing game and night... and to wake up in the morning with this feeling of being the World Champs again, thankfully there was something to mask the hangover... it was all worth it!!!

Myself and a group of friends went to the rugby party at my flatmate's parent's house in Ballito... there was a sea of green and an amazing atmosphere! We are greeted at the door with a Springbok shooter and that set the tone for the rest of the evening! :)

The celebrations carried on into the early hours of this morning... to see the photos, click on the Picasa Photos Link! :)

AMA BOKKE BOKKE rule the world! :)

Coming face to face with the sharks of the open sea

2007-10-09T11:47:00.000+02:00

So i arrive at work on a Tuesday afternoon after a hectic weekend, where Billys opened on a rare Sunday afternoon to host a Redbull function which featured an awesome South African duo called Goldfish, to the news that i was going diving with sharks the following Saturday! What, where and how??? Apparently there was an incentive for us waitresses... whoever sold the most Vodka Redbulls would win a shark dive... oh cool! :)

Saturday morning arrives and a group of us are off down the coast... the morning started a bit chilly and overcast! We arrive at Blue Wilderness, Rocky Bay and are quickly kitted up with wetsuit, flippers, goggle and snorkel. After a group shot and a short orientation from the lead diver, it as time to hit the beach. The rain started to come down at this point and the sea was looking very rough. We had a pretty rough but exciting 30 minutes boat ride to the dive site where the chum was dropped and within seconds we saw our first shark from the safety of the boat! While staring in disbelief into the open waters... we spotted a Southern Right Whale jumping in the distance! :)

After about 20 minutes of chumming the water, we were surround by sharks, who were breaking the surface is a frantic race to get to the sardines... gulp!!! The lead diver then says, "get in"... what, in there??? I eventually pluck up all my courage and plunge into the depths of the Indian Ocean. Once i got the water out of my goggles and controlled my breathing i realised i was surrounded by sharks, everywhere i looked! The visibility was very poor and the sea very rough which made the experience even more intense. There were Black Tip sharks swimming around us, below us and through us... it was crazy awesome!

That's me with the bright yellow flippers!

After being in the water for about 30 minutes, and floating on the rough surface i started to feel the horrible feeling of sea-sickness and nearly threw up in my snorkel... i an attempt to avoid that and attracting the sharks i made a beeline for the boat so i could throw up from the safety! I remained in the boat for the remainder of the dive unable to get the sickness under control, only to watch as one of our guys received medical attention on his shark bite... yes, shark bite! Well it was more a scratch... but inflicted by a shark no less, there goes the companies 10 year safety record!!! :)

Thankfully, for my sack we headed home on what felt like the longest and roughest boat ride of my life... but fun never-the-less, i never shy away from a roller coaster ride! :) myself and my stomach were very relieved to have my feet firmly planted on sand again.

There are not many words that can describe an experience like that... something you always think is impossible until you're actually there and realise how awesome it is! Yes, i would most definitely do it again... but with motion sickness pills in tow! :)

You can have a look at more photos by clicking on my Picasa Photos link!

The Tanzania Dash through Rasta's eyes

2007-09-03T18:51:00.000+02:00

I apologise for the delay in filling you in on the adventures of my amazing journey through Africa! That duty now falls on the hairy shoulders of Rasta, the littlest member of the Dashers... here is the story (which is being updated everyday) through his eyes!

I'd just like to say thank you to Marilyn for putting Rasta's story together!

Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam hotel rooms

2007-07-25T09:25:00.000+02:00

Ian and i boarded our flight to Dar es Salaam very excited and apprehensive... i didn't really know what to expect! The flight was pretty uneventful and everything was going far to smoothly until it came time to collect my luggage... thank you SAA, i didn't need my bag anyway! My eyes were opened to the ways of Africa almost immediately as we navigated our way through Dar es Salaam city centre... not a good idea at 4 in the afternoon. As we waited patiently at a robot behind a fuel truck we watch in amusement as a guy walked up to the tanker very casually with a spanner and packet. He opened the outlet valve, filled up his packed with fuel and walked off... all as casual as ever, something tells me he's done that before!! He tried a repeat at the next robot but the driver was waiting for him with a panger...

We were up at the crack of dawn the following morning to board our flight to Zanzibar... thankfully my bag had arrived during the night so we picked it up on our way. It was a very smooth and short flight to Zanzibar on a 16 seater... just flying over the island was amazing. Next stop Stonetown... the town is made up of a maze of very narrow alleys, 4 and 5 storey buildings with huge wooden doors and small markets. We walked through the meat and fish markets... not a good idea if you have a weak stomach, it made me think twice before ordering a meal for the rest of the trip. A tour of the Slave market is also a must... defiantly an eye opener (there is now a hostel at the Slave market site).

The wiring system in Stonetown

Barry and I walking through the narrow alleys of Stonetown

Ian, Barry and myself in the Slave chambers... excuse my wardrobe, thank you SAA again!

We stayed in Nungwi, on the Northern part of the island at Smiles Beach Cottages. The locals are very friendly and tourism orientated, their favourite phase is "Hakuna Matata" (Swahli for "no worries"), which is very much the attitude in Zanzibar! The typical response from the locals when we answered the question of where are you from was, "Bafana Bafana"... which i found very amusing! Sunsets in Zanzibar are breathtaking and i made sure i didn't miss any of the 3 we were there for.

Our activities on Zanzibar included walks on the amazing beaches, chilling in the sun, a boat ride and snorkelling trip to Mnemba Island (the colours underwater were absolutely amazing... so many different species of fish) and the boys also went scuba diving (which by the sounds of things was also amazing). A large amount of time was spent at one of the many bars along the beach... i can't think of a better way to spend an evening than sipping on a cocktail, under the stars with your toes in the sand!

Mnemba Island is a private island and at $1000 per day we didn't step foot on it!

Unfortunately our 3 days on Zanzibar had to come to an end and it was back on the 16 seater for our return flight to Dar. On our return to the Seacliff Hotel, Ian discovered he has LOST his passport, $1000 and 2 cameras... ouch! One word of advice, not a good idea to loose a passport in a foreign country, especially when we are planning on driving through another 5 countries!!! We had to delay our trip for the next 3 days and camp out at our hotel in Dar for a couple of reasons, the main one being waiting on an emergency passport, but the Land Rover had to have it's power steering fixed (the first of many problems to follow) and John had fallen victim to blood poisioning and needed medical attention. I somehow fell victim to the famous Africa guts and spent the next 3 days in bed watching TV... fun fun fun!

Barry lending a hand in fixing the Landie

At noon on Friday the fantastic news came that we had the passport and we were out of that hotel and on the road to Tanga quicker than we could say Hakuna Matata...

Leaving on a jetplane

2007-06-14T19:09:00.000+02:00

I can't believe the time has finally arrived... 1 more sleep til i board my flight to Dar es Salaam!! Not sure how much sleep i'm gonna get tonight mind you! :)
I'm not taking my laptop and my phone probably won't work outside of South Africa but i'll try update the blog whenever i get the opportunity!
hope everyone has a great 4 weeks... i know i will! ;)

Tanzania Dash Itinerary

2007-04-24T17:45:00.000+02:00

Here is the rough... ok not so rough but very well planned and thought through itinerary for my trip that we are gonna try and stick too! I only join the group on Day 14 (15 June) , so i'll start from there:

1-13. Mozambique

14. Dar es Salaam (Tz)

15. Dar es Salaam (Tz)

16. Zanzibar (Tz)

17. Zanzibar (Tz)

18. Tanga (Ken)

19. Tiwi (Ken)

20. Nairobi (Ken)

21. Samburu (Ken)

22. Lake Bogoria (Ken)

23. Lake Bogoria (Ken)

24. Masai Mara Gate (Ken)

25. Masai Mara (Ken)

26. Musoma (Tz)

27. Nansio (Tz)

28. Serengeti Gate (Tz)

29. Serengeti (Tz)

30. Ol Doinyo Lengai (Tz)
31. Ol Doinyo Lengai (Tz)

32. Dodoma (Tz)

33. Uyole (Tz)

34. Karonga (Mal)

35. Nkhata Bay (Mal)

36. Senga (Mal)

37. Senga (Mal)
38. Tete (Moz)

39. Cahora Basa/Chicao (Moz)

40. Chicao (Moz)

41. Bandula (Moz)

42. Bubi River (Zim)

43. JHB

44. Ballito

Meeting Kingsley Holgate

2007-04-19T14:05:00.001+02:00

As preparation continues for my African adventure, myself and the other 4 happy travellers had the amazing opportunity to meet the great explorer himself... Kingsley Holgate! He is as down to earth as he looks with that beard and hair and has given us some invaluable advice and tips! :) His next trip is called Cape to Cape, where him and his team are planning to travel the entire coast of Africa, and should take about a year... amazing! We've been invited to join the Mozambique part of the trip in Feb/Mar next year... decisions, decisions! :)

At the back is Ian, Me, John and Richard and sitting is Barry and Kingsley!

Just as a side note, i've been asked by the editor of southafricalogue.com to write an article a week about what's going on in the beautiful city of Durbs... so i expect everyone to read, it'll be checking up on you! :)

Tanzania Dash

2007-03-27T10:51:00.001+02:00

It is creeping up to 9 months now since i've been home and i've survived the heat that is a Durban summer! :) A trip back to the US of A was in the pipeline but that has fallen through because of a number of factors but i'm very excited to report that i have another trip planned!

On 15 June 2007 i board a plane to Dar es Salaam... i never thought i'd ever say that! Once i land there i'll be meeting up with a few fellow travellers and we'll be carrying on our 4x4 adventure! So far in our itinerary we plan to spend a few days in Zanzibar, we then carry on up north into Kenya and the Masai Mara to see the migration, then it's back down south and back into Tanzania, through the Serengeti, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe and after 4 weeks of this incredible journey we'll end up back in South Africa! :)

I'll keep you updated as i know more... as it stands now i have booked my one way ticket to Dar es Salaam and the visa process will be starting soon!

Well this is going on i'm trying to keep focused on studying and working... easier said that done! :)

Summertime

2007-02-19T15:48:00.000+01:00

It looks like i've slipped into my bad habits again... taking so long to post an entry in my blog! I do apologise for this, i don't really have an excuse... i suppose it's a combination of not really getting up to much and working loads!

Work is going well... keeping me busy and out of trou... oh who am i kidding, it's seems to be getting me into more trouble than keeping me out but that's what you get for working in a famous bar like Billy's... hehe! :)

For those who don't know, the A1 Grand Prix is hitting the streets of Durban this weekend, which is really exciting for Durban! I've managed to land a job for the main race day on Sunday... should be good fun, hopefully i'll have time to take a few photos!

Otherwise Durbs is it's same old extremely hot self... although February has been kind to us so far. At least i've had the time to work on my tan, looking human again after 4 years of being pale!

Still not 100% sure of what's gonna happen with me in the next couple of months, there are a few options each with their own pros and cons... i'm trying my best to work it out! Right now i'm trying to take one day at a time!

It was my godson, Jack's first bithday on 12th February... i can't believe he's a year old already... my how time flies! Talking of time flying, i've been home for almost 8 months now and it has flown!

And also on the subject on flying... it's Steve first flight today as a commercial pilot! :) i'm very proud of him and i know he'll make a success of this new job!

very merry merry

2006-12-24T12:44:00.000+01:00

Just a quick post to wish all my 'loyal' readers a very merry xmas... i hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends! This is my first xmas home in 5 years and it's gonna be good spending it with family and friends again... although i'm not to sure about the heat, i'd rather trade it in for a white xmas!

Oh also to let you know... i passed my exams, so i'm now fully embedded into my second year of my BCom... i will finish it one day! :)

Have a great one!
Luv Me

Adventures of an American in SA continued

2006-12-11T12:26:00.001+01:00

So where was i... oh yes, on our way to Cape Town! We were up at sparrow's fart to get catch out 7am flight to CT... we flew the ever entertaining kulula.com! Upon arrival we picked up our hired car... a Ford KA, the cutest little car you'd hope to find! :)

So now to put my plan in action... get from the airport to the Cape Peninsula, drive along there to Stellenbosch where we would be spending a couple of nights. Once we found our way to the Peninsula it was plain sailing... and let me say, one of the most beautiful drives you will ever take! Our first of many stops was Camps Bay for brunch... wow, the beaches and buildings are amazing! We arrived there on Sept 1 (first day of spring), our waiter informed us that it was the first time in 7 years it wasn't raining on the first day of spring... of course Steve claimed to have something to do with that! After eating and a walk along the beach it was back into the KA, making our way towards Cape Point... stopping at regular intervals to take photos of the amazing scenery!

Just before we eventually arrived at the Cape Peninsula National Park we stopped the Cape Point Ostrich Farm and an impulsive decision was made to have a look! We were given a tour of the farm... very interesting stuff, baby ostriches are very cute. Then it was time to reach the South-western most tip of Africa... and what a view and feeling standing there looking out to the horizon! The trek up to the look out point was not that much fun tho! We arrived at the park with only 2 hours left til closing time... much to the disappointment of Steve.

Once we had taken in all we could and the sun started to disappear we jumped back into KA and made our way towards Stellenbosch... eventually arriving in the dark... i think i should take up a job as a navigator! :) We checked into our hostel... The Stumble Inn and hit the student town of Stellenbosch for a great dinner and some live music.

Next morning... Wine Tour! :) We joined a group of about 10 people and were driven around the beautiful wine regions, visiting 5 wineries (Simonsig, Fairview and Boschendal are 3 i remember) and sampling large amounts of delicious wines! Steve... who loves his wines fell in love with Simonsig's Tiara... very yummy (not sure that is the correct way to describe an award-winning wine)! It was an amazing day... i honestly couldn't believe how stunning that part of South Africa was... just breathe-taking, something i'll definitely do again! We were dropped off back in Stellenbosch are 5pm... a long day of drinking, so nap time before a night out! We went back to the restaurant we'd eaten at the previous night for another delicious dinner... not before being insulted by a drunken man insisting that he was our bodyguard!!

Sunday morning dawned... time for a yummy breakfast and back in KA to make our way back along the Cape Peninsula to Simon's Town and Boulders Bay! We were treated to a frolicking display by Humpback whales in Kalk Bay on route to Simon's Town! A tour of the South African Navy Museum in Simon's Town was a must since Steve was in the US Navy... i even found it interesting! Next up... a visit to the penguins of Boulders Bay. There are thousands of them going about their daily lives, not really worried about the thousands of people gawking over them... very cool!

On our way back in Cape Town we came across a troop of baboons taking over the road, there were cars everywhere trying to get the perfect photo! Once back in CT we damped our stuff at The Big Blue hostel and made our way down to the V&A Waterfront to meet up with my aunt and cousin for coffee! Once they left Steve and i enjoyed a very romantic dinner and walked around the waterfront to see what we could see. Back at the hostel bar we drank and chatted with fellow travellers... always fun! :)

The final morning of our whirlwind adventure arrived and thankfully it was a perfect day to make our way up Table Mountain! Another breathe-taking experience... 360 degree views of CT and beyond. We decided to do what we thought would be a little trek to one of the highest points of the mountain... turned out to be a 3 hour hike, nothing like getting the blood pumping! We managed to get back to the cable car in one piece and in time to get back to the airport!! I'm not gonna go any further with the details because leaving Steve and returning to Durban is something i never want to repeat!

I had an absolutely amazing 2 weeks and still remember every detail like it was yesterday! I know Steve loved his time here as well and will definitely return one day! :)

Thanks again to Steve for the use of his fotos... see you in 3 months! :)

The show must go on...

2006-12-06T08:34:00.000+01:00

On Friday morning my gran, mom and myself set off for Cape Town to attend my cousin, Cindy's wedding to Ryno! We landed in Cape Town and true to form were almost blown back to Durban... well my gran was anyway! The weather forecast for the next day wasn't looking pretty, which was concerning since the wedding was set to be outside at the Ashanti winery.

My aunt took us off to the V&A Waterfront to meet up with my uncle (mom's brother) and his family... i finally got to meet my youngest cousin who is now 5 and my 2 other cousins i haven't seen in many many years! My aunt then got a text informing her that Ryno (Cindy's husband to be) might have appendicitis... things weren't looking good at all between that and the weather!

Almost the whole of my mom's side of the family... family reunion!

Anyway... saturday morning dawned with blue skies and the news that Ryno would be able to hold out for a few days... the wedding will go ahead! :)

It was an absolutely amazing wedding... everything was beautiful, my cousin looked amazing and the groom looked pretty dapper himself! Many beautiful and thought provoking things were said... it was just an amazing day! A very simple and down to earth kind of day... perfect in my eyes!

Btw... the orginal title was There will be a wedding... this gave a few readers the wrong idea so i changed it! :)

Summer is officially here :)

2006-11-30T10:28:00.000+01:00

Well this is my first Durban summer in 5 years and man is it hot... i'd forgotten about the humidity in this place! I am also officially sun burnt for the first time in 5 years... i look like a tomato lobster... ouch! :) well at least i have some colour in me!!!

This month has been pretty crazy, finished exams finally (still waiting for the results) and have been working so much i can't remember the last time i had dinner at home (it reaps rewards tho, got the highest turnover for Nov... bonus)! My shifts for Dec are also insane... think of the money Robyn, every bit counts towards getting me back to the states!!!

I am now off for 4 days tho... jetting off to Cape Town tomorrow... yay! :) Going for my cousin, Cindy's wedding... it's gonna be an awesome weekend, i'm really looking forward to seeing all my family again! :)

Look out for fotos next week and i haven't forgotten about the to be continued story! :)

PS some exciting tourism news... 'Tourism growth in SA double that of the world'

Adventures of an American in SA

2006-11-22T14:13:00.000+01:00

Aug 26th... Steve walks through the doors at Durban International, after a very long 6 weeks of anticipation and excitement! All i will say about his arrival is that my heart skipped a number of beats! :)

We spent the first 2 days in Durbs. Landed up at Warwick's (my flatmate) parent's house in Ballito the first night and a fantastic evening was had by all, esp Steve, who was introduced to the great hospitality of a true South African family and a braai... i kicked ass at pool as well! The second day's activities were dominated by a Cessna flight down the south coast to Margate and back piloted by the cousin, Shannon! It was a beautifully clear day and we could see for miles... amazing stuff! :)

Greatest house bar in the world!

On the Monday we picked up our rented car, Super Tazz and made our way up the north coast on the N2 towards Hluhluwe. We stayed at Isinkwe Backpackers Bushcamp... a beautiful setting and location right in the bush! That afternoon was spent at the Emdoneni Cheetah Project up the road from the hostel to watch and participate in the feeding of Cheetahs and a few other wild cats... it was wild!

5am wake up call the next morning... safariing we shall go! After a very cold 30km ride on the back of an open safari truck we arrived at the entrance of Hluhluwe Game Reserve for a full day of wildlife watching! Within the first hour of the safari we saw Rhino, Zebra, a variety of buck, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Giraffe, Baboons and i'm sure there were many more! Steve was loving all the photographic opportunities as he is a very keen photographer and very good at it i might add! The rest of the day was a bit of a disappointment, all the wildlife seemed to go into hiding and our tour guide (nicknamed potato head by Steve and i) seemed to go to sleep! As the afternoon rolled on, the clouds rolled in and so did the rain! Another cold 30km ride back to the lodge lay ahead of us but this time with a few rain drops. It was a great and tiring day, great photos were taken and every animal except Lion, Leopard and Elephant were seen! We spent the evening enjoying a few drinks, a good meal and a game of darts (which i won... again!)

Wednesday morning dawned, we packed up the Super Tazz again and made our way to St Lucia! I was really looking forward to this part of the trip because i'd never been to St Lucia! We arrived and checked in at Bibs with gale force winds blowing us to all parts (later heard that the Durban Harbour had been closed because of the wind and swells). Because of the winds all 'normal' St Lucia activities had been cancelled so after enjoying a cup of Illy coffee, much to Steve's delight, we took a drive up to Cape Vidal! What a beautiful beach, even with the wind blowing like it was it was amazing! The drive up to Cape Vidal is made through a game reserve, we saw a few buck and a lonely Rhino. On the way back Steve decided to take the now famous 'loop road' which just seemed to be this endless road of nothingness... you had to be there!

Me outside Bibs in St Lucia

Cape Vidal... ain't it beautiful

Our night in St Lucia was spent with the fellow travellers staying at Bibs, we spent the evening drinking beer and whisky, watching the local church group sing a few traditional songs and then made our way in the pouring rain to the local pub, i think it was called the Cheeky Monkey... an awesome evening was had by all, hanging out with fellow travellers rocks! Next morning we awoke to pouring rain and headaches! After another cup of Illy coffee and a delicious breakfast we took a drive down to the estuary and watched a large group of hippos and a couple crocs frolic in the waters... very entertaining! :)

We arrived back in Durbs later that afternoon and Warwick took us out for a good ol Durban curry! It was another early morning the next morning as we made our way to Cape Town! To be continued... :)

Just to end off, I have to apologise for the over use of the word 'and' and thank Steve for all the great photos!

Down to the Hibiscus Coast

2006-11-20T16:30:00.000+01:00

I was invited to join Sandy (my god mother), Graham (Sandy's husband), Hayley (my best friend), Jack (my god son and Hayley's son) and a friend of Hayley's down the south coast this weekend in a holiday town called Margate where they have a holiday house! I arrived there on Saturday morning to rain and grey skies! Anyway, not to waste an opportunity to relax we took a drive into the hills to scout out Hayley's wedding venue and then spent the rest of the afternoon around the braai (BBQ for the foreigners) drinking wine and tequila :) I feel asleep pretty early after working a 15 hour shift the day before!

My godson, Jack... just learning to stand on his own!

Sunday dawned and so did the grey skies! Never-the-less, we took a short walk down to the beach and trundled among the rocks and i spent a good 15 minutes watching the waves crashing on the rocks... can't think of many better sights! Later that morning the skies changed to a brighter shade of blue and we made our way to the very famous Waffle House... it's an amazing little restaurant specialising in... you guessed it... waffles, yummy!!!

After filling our tummies full of waffles, we made our way back to Durbs! It was a great weekend... just what i needed to de-stress and relax in the company of great friends. Before returning to my flat we stopped off at a family braai on the bluff which looks right over the sea, only to spend the afternoon watching whales frolicking in the sea... amazing! :)

Well that was my weekend... i have today (Monday) off as well but it's back to the grind stone tomorrow for a 6 day week!

I'm back

2006-11-14T10:54:00.000+01:00

Well i've finally fought my way out from under the piles of notes, textbooks and study material i've been hiding under for the last 2 months or so! Wrote my last exam for the year this morning... if the results go my way, i'm now half way! :) So, let life begin again...

It seems i have quite a bit of catching up to do, i'm a bad person for leaving it this long... a few trips i've taken, a special visit and general goings on in my life at home are all to come!

Ok, to catch up on the general stuff! I've now been back in good old durbs for 4 months now... wow, time does really fly! It hasn't been the easiest 4 months of my life, lots of adjusting and sole searching has been done and a fair few tears have been shed! Anyhoo, i'm living in an awesome flat with a very good friend of mine... thanks Budg for putting up with me for this long, so from that point of view i'm pretty settled! After job hunting for about 2 months and coming up with nothing that would pay me enough or allow me enough time to get my studying done i finally gave in and got a job at Billy the B.U.M.S ... any of you that live in Durban, i expect a visit! So i'm pretty much back to my student life... study all day and work at night and somewhere in the middle i try get some sleep and see my friends! Now that exams are over i have a little more time to do stuff!

I'd forgotten how much rain we get at this time of the year... the sun has finally come out after 4 straight days of downpours and flooding all over the place. Apparently we had over 80mm of rain in 6 hours yesterday... i'm sure the ducks were delighted! :)

That's enough info for one post... more to come very soon, but just to give you a little taster, i'll leave you with this photo! :)

Oh and one more thing... i'll be adding a few new features, mostly interesting news tidbits and articles about travel and tourism... since it is my 'thing' and line of study and anything i find funny and entertaining so brace yourself! :) there are way to many 'ands' in that sentence!

Here's the first... SA attracted 2.7mil tourists between January and April this year (reflecting a 16% increase from the same period last year), not bad at all! :)

I know, I know...

2006-10-31T13:02:00.000+01:00

... I'm crap! :)

I'm still alive, i promise... just been so busy with life and trying to get it back to a normal... if live is ever normal!

Anyway, i'm still in Durban... surprising i know! My life at the mo consists of studying (i have 2 more exams left for the year), working (i'm working as a waitress at Billy the B.U.M.S - great student job) and finding ways of getting out of here again! :)

I had an absolutely awesome 2 week trip around SA (well KZN and Cape Town) last month with Steve which i will post about once the exams are done... just wanted to say hi and assure you that life is still ticking over!

Hope everyone out there is well! :)

3 weeks on

2006-08-03T15:47:00.001+02:00

ok, maybe a little over 3 weeks!

Well, i think i'm finally starting to adjust, as i said in my previous post i found things extremely rough at first... but everything is slowly but surely settling down. I've registered for this semester and studying is underway. I'm finally moving into my new flat this weekend, which i think is just the change i need... not that living with mom has been tough, but i need to get out on my own again. The drivers license thing is still a total cock up... i'll get back to you about that next year sometime. I sent my CV into the Suncoast Casino, they got back to me the next day and said i had all the relevent experience, etc but i had to wait for the boss to get back in August before anything could happen... so that's what i've been doing, it's a hurry up and wait situation!!!

The BIG 5 in sand

Other than that, i've been up to a few things. My cousin, Shannon, who has his PPL took me on a flight up to Richard's Bay and back... it was awesome, i'm very proud of him! Then last weekend i went to my first rugby game in about 5 years... the Sharks had to spoil my fun and loose tho! We also enjoyed an awesome day at Durban Botanic gardens, drinking wine, eating cheese and biscuits and listening to Watershed play live... most enjoyable!

So live in Africa goes on! I do have something extremely exciting to look forward to tho... i have a very special someone coming to visit at the end of this month and we are doing a whirlwind tour of Durban and Cape Town... very, very excited!

Til next time
Cheers :)

Durbs by the sea

2006-07-18T15:45:00.001+02:00

Here i am... back in Durban! I find it hard to call it home, cos for some reason i walk around here and i just don't feel like i am at home... that'll probably change with time i suppose.

Well nothing much has actually changed since i've been gone... everything is still pretty much where it was, with a few additions here and there! The first couple of days i was back, my head was spinning... i wasn't use to walking around hearing South African accents, i had to keep reminding myself that i as indeed back in SA!

There is so much that i need to do and it has me all a little stressed at the mo... job hunting, studying, moving flat, trying to organise a drivers license (which is a total cock up) and just trying to keep focused... it's all a little much at the mo, but one step at a time!

Anyway, thought i'd just update everyone on my where abouts and yes i know i haven't finished my recap on Alaska... will get there with time!
Hope you are all well :)
Robyn

2006-07-07T00:18:00.000+02:00

The gang... all 14 of use! :)

2006-07-07T00:17:00.001+02:00

Last Alaskan sunset over the ring of fire!

(Day 6 and 7) Last night in paradise

2006-07-06T23:54:00.000+02:00

We arrived at our campsite late afternoon (altho it looked like mid morning) and man was it windy! It was quite a challenge getting the campsite set up, everyone had to chip in! Once that was sorted we all huddled up the pebbled shore with beer in hand and discussed our week long adventure amongst other things! As usual Marla (the Irish gal) had us in stitches! Whilst we were all chillaxing, Mike our trusty guide was cooking up a storm.... fresh Halibut (caught by some of the people on your trek in Homer), potatoes and salad... it was a great last meal and we worked out had cost $900 (9 people went fishing and $100 a head)! :)

The rest of the evening was spent around the bonfire, drinking, chatting, laughing... get way to end a very long, tiring but absolutely amazing week! At about 2am, the frisbee made an appearance (bear in mind it's still light at this time), so the lot of us stumbled around the camp catching and throwing this frisbee whilst trying not to make to much noise... hehe (didn't succeed very well)! Most of us were in bed by 3am!

The final morning dawned and we all packed up our tents for the last time, most of us with heavy hearts... i was very sad at the thought of leaving this beautiful part of the world! Everyone loaded into the van and made our way North toward Anchorage (a 4 hour drive). We stopped at Portage Glacier for lunch (sandwiches again). Glaciers are amazing things... they are so big. We then made a quick stop in a small ski resort called Alyeska, which was dead due to the fact it was summer!

On our final stretch towards Anchorage, a damn State Trooper spoils our fun and pulls the van over! Mike was going 11 miles over the speed limit and he got a fine... that put a dampener on the day!!! Once we arrived back in Anchorage, everyone dispersed to their hotels or hostels and no doubt the first item on the agenda was SHOWER! I think in those 7 days i showered 3 times... up to the nose, smells like a rose! We then all met up in downtown Anchorage for a final dinner... most people had King crab, not me... ribs all the way! :)

After a few goodbyes, a few of us headed to a local pub and we spent the night drinking, laughing and playing darts! It was a fantastic way to end the tour and i want to thank all the people in the group for contributing to an amazing experience and of course to Alaska for being so damn amazing!

Photos are now available on my Flickr page, so check them out! :)

BTW, got my exam results... i kick arse!!!!!

2006-07-05T22:17:00.000+02:00

Me eating Halibut and chips and drinking Alaskan Summer Ale out a jar... yummy! :)

2006-07-05T22:15:00.000+02:00

Humpback whale's tail!

(Day 4 to 6) Where the land ends

2006-07-05T04:36:00.000+02:00

On the road again and heading way south to a town called Homer and the long, thin stretch of land that expends into the sea known as Homer Spit! It is a fantastic place to camp because you are surrounded by sea and mountains.... absolutely amazing!

The camp ground was pretty windy and chilly but nothing a bonfire (started by myself) and an excellent bowl of chilly (thanks Mike) couldn't fix! Once we were all settled in, a few of us who weren't getting up at 5am to go Halibut fishing went across the street to the local... Salty Dawg Saloon! Very cool and interesting place, it had thousands of $1 bills stuck to the walls that people had signed and left... so of course i followed suit! Myself and an Irish girl, Marla were the last 2 standing and after a few good beers and come interesting conversation with drunken fishermen made our way back to camp at about 330am... and for the first time in 5 days i saw Alaskan darkness... it was very weird!

Morning arrived far to quickly and it was time to pack up again and make our way across Kachemak Bay on a water taxi... it was a very bumpy but very enjoyable ride, to a small group B&B called Across the Bay for a chillaxing day and night in "luxury" accommodation! It was a stunning little place... absolutely amazing scenery and very relaxing! After 5 days of really roughing it most of us were really excited just to have a pillow for the night... hehe! We spent the afternoon and early evening drinking beer and playing horse shoes. Tony, the owner cooked us a mighty fine salmon dish for dinner with salmon freshly caught that afternoon and i even tried rhubarb pie... getting a little adventurous in my old age!

After a comfy sleep in a bed we were fed and then it was sea kayaking time! After a quick sea kayaking 101 lesson it was all systems go. I was in a single kayak because there weren't enough doubles and i'm not scared of a little adventure... i kicked arse btw!!! :) We paddled for about 2 hours stopping to watch sea otters and harbour porpoises... they are so cute! Once we got to where we were going, there was a quick picnic lunch and back out again. There was also a very cute harbour seal following our boats... apparently it had been rescued and released in the bay and it loves to follow the boats around!

On the way back i got chatting to our kayak guide, Katie and she was telling me about the native people and the problems they are having, it's pretty sad really. All they do now is drink and gamble! I also learnt something very interesting... in Alaska the men out number the women 7 to 1, and there is a saying in Alaska... the odds are good but the goods are odd... hehe!

Anyhoo, the kayak was a wonderful experience, def something i'd like to do again! Once we returned it was pack up and go time again... back in a water taxi (altho some in the group took a float plane) and back to Homer! Once we got back on dry land, it was back in the bus and a 45 minute drive North to another small town called Ninilchik for our last night in the Alaskan wilderness!

(Day 3 and 4) We found Hope in Alaska

2006-07-02T19:34:00.000+02:00

So we packed up the camp (which will become a pain in the ass as the trip goes on) and headed towards the forgotten town of Hope, Alaska (a one horse town that never had a horse)! Main St consists of 4 buildings, one being a house, another the local store, then there is the Seaview restaurant where we took over the place for dinner... i had Halibut & chips and an Alaska Summer Ale in a jar... very yummy! The last building (if you can call it that) it this very very rustic cabin, held together but spider webs and that was home for the night! We all opted to pitch out tents and camp in the garden instead!

Before i left for Alaska i was warned about the mosquitoes and how they would carry me away (they are the size of dragonflies). Having been eaten alive back home i decided to stock up on Deet but to my surprise and absolute joy they don't like me! The mosquitoes in Hope were deadly.... hehe!

Day 2 in Hope arrived and a couple of us decided to go for a 10 mile hike whilst the others went white water rafting (i didn't go cos of cash and the fact it was grade 5 and i've never been before). The hike was stunning and the views over Turnagain Arms at the end were worth every step i took... absolutely beautiful!!!

Everyone was finished by mid afternoon and it was pack up and move along time again! Next stop Homer and the Homer Spit campground!!!

BTW, i'll post all the pics on my Flickr account as soon as i return to Denver! :)

(Day 1 to 3) Seward, Alaska

2006-06-26T10:28:00.000+02:00

So we finally got under way after sitting around for a couple of hours! Our guide Mike is very entertaining and full of beans. The group is multinational and everyone seems to get on very well (i'll report back on that one by the end of the week)! First stop Fred Meyer... Grocery shopping and then a 3 hour drive to Seward with a few stops on the way for photographic opportunities! I still can't really get over how beautiful this place is... it's breathtaking and def the Last Frontier!

Seward is a pretty small coastal town on the shores of Recurrection Bay, we were camping almost right on the shore line and i don't think you could've dreamed for a better view from a tent (fotos later)! We were surround by water and snow capped mountains! The weather on the first 2 days on Seward wasn't the best, it rained on and off and the wind is very chilly but otherwise not to bad!

First day in Seward was basically set up camp (thanks Mike for our Tent 101 lecture), get to know our fellow trekkers, make dinner (Mike's world famous burgers) and then off to the bar... Hobo Jim (an Alaskan Legend) was singing, so naturally we couldn't pass up the chance to see Hobo Jim live! It was quite an experience, i think the whole community of 100 people had come out to soak it up!! I tried the local brew... Alaskan Summer Ale, very tasty! I was ready for bed by about midnight but the sun wasn't... it only goes down around 2am and only for between 3 and 4 hours, freaky!

On our second day in Seward we all went on a 8 hour cruise out to Holgate Glacier and back... def worth the price! It was incredible and the wildlife we saw was amazing! I was pretty determined i wanted to see whales and Alaska delivered. We saw 3 Humpback Whales... what an experience, they are so huge and beautiful and that noise as they blow air out their blow holes is incredible! The Puffins were amusing... there was a feeding frenzy going on and the Puffins had obviously eaten way to much because they were trying to take off and couldn't get off the water... we were all willing them on! We also saw Sea Otters... very cute; Steller sea lions... who were doing what seals do best, sleeping; Coastal Mountain Goats... they were very fasinating because they were feeding on a sheer rock face, how do they do it; Dall's porpoises... they were swimming with the boat, very cool and they look like mini Orcas; and then as an extra treat we spotted a Black Bear on the shore so the captain got us in really close... it was just pottering around on the shore looking for food! I think that's all the wildlife we saw, the Park Ranger on board said that our cruise is one of the luckiest this season with regards to wildlife viewing! :) We enjoyed a buffet of prime rib, salmon and all you can eat dessert on the boat... yummy in my tummy!! Oh yes, i almost forgot about Holgate Glacier... one big block of ice! It was amazing to just watch it and listening to the ice cracking off and falling into the water.... calving they call it!

Third day started with a small hike to Exit Glacier, were i actually got it touch it and see for myself how big of a block of ice it actually is... massive btw! The rest of the day was spent at leisure, i walked around downtown Seward (which i think is a little over touristy, every shop sells tourist crap... but hey, they have to make a living i suppose) and then parked off on the shore and watched the world go by for a couple of hours! Got to see a Bald Eagle swoop down and pluck a fish from the water, settle on the shore to eat it's catch and fly off again... amazing! All and all, a very good day... it's been a long time since i've been able to just sit and soak everything up! We then packed up the camp and hit the road to Hope (that's the name of the one horse town), more of that later! :)

Mindblowing (Day 1)

2006-06-25T18:33:00.000+02:00

So i arrived in Anchorage at 1058pm... to sunshine and blue skies, it felt like midday... incredible! I was so tired by the time i got to my hostel but there was so much to take in and the fact that it was so light meant i got about 3 hours sleep last night (on my second cup of very strong coffee)!

The flight in was amazing, seeing all the mountains covered in snow and the water and, and, and...!!! I really can't wait to set off on our tour... it's gonna be incredible!

I am currently sitting around waiting for the rest of our group to meet up with us... so far we have 1 guy from Boston, 2 Irish girls, an english couple on their honeymoon, a girl from Equador and a kiwi girl (who was very excited when i asked where abouts in NZ she came from... apparently i'm the first to not call her an Aussie)!

We are going on a cruise tomorrow to see what we can see, i wasn't gonna do it but i thought what the hell... lets blow the savings! :)

More details and fotos as soon as i can!
Bye for now :)

Alaska, watch out... here comes trouble!

2006-06-25T01:46:00.000+02:00

I can't really believe June 24th 2006 has arrived... i booked this trip months ago and never thought i'd get there!

Well i got to DIA (Denver International Airport) the traditional 2 hours early for the first leg of my flight to Anchourage, only to be told that my flight to San Francisco had been cancelled... nice one United! After a little bit of a panic, i was rebooked on a flight to Seattle and then onto Anchorage... so here i sit at Seattle International Airport for a very long 6 hours... thank goodness for wireless internet! :) I now get into Anchorage 3 hours later... but better later than never hey. I'll probably be able to squeeze in about 5 hours sleep before i'm off on my little 7 day camping trek!

I'll keep you updated as best as i can whilst in Alaska! Bye for now! :)

2006-06-21T16:19:00.000+02:00

Cloud Gate... $26million bean

2006-06-21T02:10:00.000+02:00

Cloud Gate (aka The Bean)... me taking a foto of me

The end is here

2006-06-20T23:07:00.000+02:00

Well i never thought this day would come, but here it is! Today is 20 June 2006... the day my J1 visa expires, which means i'm officially unemployed!! I can't believe 2 years have gone by!

The family has been away (in Mexcio) since last friday and get back after i've left for Alaska (in 4 days btw) so i've been bumming around the house and Denver for the last couple of days! I have a bedroom to paint tomorrow and my bedroom to pack into 2 suitcases by Friday... should keep me extremely busy!!

The new au pair arrives while i'm in Alaska... should be an interesting time for the family and my little cheeky monkeys!!!

Well i'll be seeing all of you in South Africa soon... miss everyone lots :)

2006-06-15T19:26:00.000+02:00

Beautiful Denver sunset over the Rockies

2006-06-15T19:22:00.000+02:00

The slogan of my weekend in Chicago... We drink our share & the rest!

2 days to go

2006-06-15T19:07:00.000+02:00

Well it has come down to the last 2 days of work here in the US... i can't really believe that it's all coming to an end and i'll be unemployed pretty soon!!! Yesterday my tickets home arrived via Fedex and to my surprise my heart sunk and i felt really sad! But on a more joyful point, i am off to Alaska in 9 days... and man am i getting excited, hopefully the mosquitoes won't carry me off! I'll be spending a week at home alone before my trip to Alaska because the family is off to Mexico on Saturday, so by the time i get home i should be well rested!!!

On a quick housekeeping issue... Blogger are still working on the whole photo uploading issue so i apologise for the lack of photographic evidence but you can click on the My Flickr link on the right and check out the fotos i've uploaded so far! :)

Ciao for now... more updates will follow shortly!

What happens in Chicago....

2006-06-13T18:22:00.000+02:00

.... stays in Chicago! Ok, so Chicago is no Las Vegas, but it was loads of fun!!!

I arrived late (thanks to trusty Southwest Airlines) on Friday night in a chilly and windy (who would've guessed that in the Windy City) Chicago and made a mad dash to find the hostels i was staying in! Once i had checked in, it was another mad dash for the pub to meet up with the Bootsnall clan and what a great clan they turned out to be!!! After downing 3 beers to catch up with the others, i was on my merry way! I had a most enjoyable evening and it was ended by a visit to Weiner Circle... a famous hotdog stand where you get service with a smile... hehe, oh no you don't! It's a great way to finish an evening... been greeted with, "What you want, bitch!" and they don't give you your order till you tip them... it was actually very funny, cos the customers give them the same attitude back! (Chocolate Shake... you had to be there) We then had a long walk back to the hostel in the pouring rain and what i thought was the end of the night turned out to be just the start with a bottle of After Shock appearing... the rest is history! :)

Saturday morning got off to a very slow start and very eventually made it to breakfast at about midday! Once that was in our bellys we headed into downtown Chicago for a spot of sightseeing. First stop, the Chicago Blues Festival... there was more food being sold than blues being played so we decided on an Irish Pub for lunch! Then was a gentle stroll to Lake Michigan... it's incredible to think it's a lake when you can't see the other side, but it was great to see a large body of water again! We went a little snap happy around the Cloud Gate or The Bean as we like to call it, it's an fascinating structure where you can see everything around it at every angle! That was the sightseeing for the day... time to return to the hostel for a much needed nap before another night on the town!

Refreshed and ready to go, we piled in a taxi and found our way... no thanks to the taxi driver, to the Map Room, a very interesting travellers tavern, where we met up with more BNA members! It was a great evening spent sampling beers from around the world and chatting with other travellers! Once most of us were well saturated in alcohol we headed for a karaoke bar! The hostess has to be bribed to allow you to sing and as a group we sang For The Longest Time by Billy Joel... hehe!!!! It was then time to hit Weiner Circle again for a yummy and well fought for hot dog!

Sunday, we met up for breakfast at our diner and then most of us parted ways... people were heading back to all corners of the states and overseas! I headed back downtown to do a little more walking and geeky touristy stuff... walked around the whole of Navy Pier and then made my way up Sears Tower (the 3rd tallest building in the world) to see what i could see and man i could see loads!!!

All and all, it was a fantastic weekend in Chicago in more ways than one! ;) Chicago is a beautiful city with something always going on and it was great to meet some other members of BNA (www.bootsnall.com)

I have a couple of days of work left and just under 2 weeks to go til my trip to Alaska... woohoo, bring on the holidays! :)

2006-06-08T19:06:00.000+02:00

There's the motivation Americans need! :)

(USA back track 6) I left my heart in San Francisco

2006-06-08T05:47:00.000+02:00

Hehe... ok not really, but i couldn't think of any other title that had to do with San Francisco, so i apologise for my corniness (if that's even a word)!

September 05: Well summer in Colorado was pretty quiet and extremely hot... we had an eleven day stretch where the temps were above 100F (which is 38C)! This place defiantly goes from one extreme to the other in terms of temperature.

The excitement came when mother dearest took the long haul trip to visit me. It was fab seeing her again! On her first day, we went on a little 3hr road trip into the Rockies, to a beautiful town called Grand Lake... and by the name you can work out, it's built around a huge lake! A couple of days later mom and i took in a brilliant John Fogerty and John Mellencamp concert at Red Rocks Ampitheatre (it's an amazing natural ampitheatre in the foothills of the Rockies)... what an experience and mom absolutely loved it, she still raves about it!!

Next on the agenda, a 3 day trip to San Francisco. I was like a little school kid, walking around with my mouth wide open, taking in all the sights and sounds i'd seen on TV and read about! Of course we did all the touristy things... riding the Cable Car was one of the more pleasurable experiences because the drivers and conductor were very entertaining. Mom and i hit Pier 39 first cos our hotel was within walking distance and what would a trip to Pier 39 be like without a ferry ride past Alcatraz and to the big red bridge and back! Also hit up Ghirardelli square, which is apparently is the best chocolate in the world... it wasn't bad at all, but nothing beats South African Cadbury.

The next day, mom was feeling brave and decided we needed to walk up to the crockest road in the world... i think we walked up the steepest road in the world. Anyhoo... man, is that road crocked, i think the builders must have been pissed! The rest of the day was taken up by walking around the city and of course... shopping. We walked through China Town, where there was some festival on the go... Got Sushi? They had dragon dances, music and magicians and loads of Chinese food on the go, it was mist enjoyable!

On the last full day, mom and i decided to take a trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Wood and a small seaside town called Sausalito! The forest was amazing, you feel like a tiny ant inamongst those trees... i had this amazing feeling of peace walking around there. Sausalito was tiny and pretty uneventful, mom and i stopped by a pub and had a quiet drink.

San Francisco is an amazing city and it's definately a place i would go back to! Mom's 2 week visit came to an end pretty quickly... even quicker due to the fact that she got her departure date wrong and i realised 3 hours before her plane was outta here... go mom go!!! :)

PS I've added a link to my Flickr page on the right, so you can see all my photos (well almost all) that i've taken on my trips... i'm still updating it so bare with me! :)

Btw, i apologise for the lack of photos but the blogger program is experiencing technical problems at the mo, so as soon as it's working i'll add them... you can check out some photos by clicking on the My Flickr link

(USA back track 5) Salt Lake City

2006-06-03T17:02:00.000+02:00

May/June 2005: I nearly forgot about my little trip over the Rockies to Utah... it was associated with my exams and i tend to forget about anything to do with exams. Speaking of exams i have just finished this semester's exams which means, provided i pass all of them, i've finished my first year.... woohoo!

Ok, back to Salt Lake City... now this definitely wasn't on my places to visit when i arrived in the states, but thanks to the wonderful organisational skills of UNISA (University of South Africa)... said with a touch of sarcasm, i landed having to write my exams in, what turned out to be quite a pretty city! I made 2 trips over the mountains, the first was fairly uneventful, i went there, wrote the exam and come home. On my second trip i had to stay for a couple of days... i stayed at the University of Utah Guest House (lovely little place) and enjoyed a touch of American campus life minus the students (summer vacation), i later found out that i was staying in the 2002 Winter Olympic Village.

Inside the Union Pacific Depot... amazing building

On the day i had no exam, i hoped on the Trax of made my way downtown to do a little sightseeing. I had a look around Market Square where the Mormon Church (or to be more specific... The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints) and the Tabernacle Choir are located... very fascinating place (still don't agree with the whole thing, but each to their own)! Next was a walk down to The Gateway Plaza, which is an extension of the Union Pacific Railway Depot and was built mainly to service the Olympics. Other than that, i didn't really have time to see and do loads more, cos there was studying to be done... but it was an enjoyable unexpected side trip.

Stay tuned for more updates now that i have more time on my hands!

2006-05-28T20:57:00.000+02:00

Look mom... no hands. Little Jack, a little bigger! :)

(USA back track 4) A trip over the pond

2006-05-23T17:01:00.000+02:00

March 2005 came along, which marked a year since i had left Nottingham and time to return! I was extremely excited about getting back... couldn't wait to see all my friends and my 'second' home again and i wasn't gonna let anyone stop me from getting there... including a very snotty immigration officer (what is up with me and immigration!). After landing at Gatwick 2 hours late, thanks to a snow storm in Chicago and then having to wait a line at immigration for about an hour while the people with British passports sailed through (i'm not gonna go there), the immigration officer decided to play mind games with me! Apparently i had immigration problems and was going there to get married (all i wanted was a holiday), i was sent to the naughty corner and after a further 30 min was finally called over, warned not to get married and sent on my way... needless to say i ran for it! :)

Being back in Nottingham was fantastic, and seeing all the friends was even better! Everything was still the same, except for the fact the trams were up and running. I was there for 3 weeks and was gonna make the best of it... meaning to the pub! :) For the first week, i was in some pub or club (Cookie Club and Hogs Head being the fav) every night catching up with all the peeps, oh and we had Helen's 25th to celebrate.

The oldest inn in the world

I decided to do a bit of the touristy thing whilst there, because i had spend 2 years in the city and hadn't even been to see the Robin Hood statue! Also i hoped on a train a couple of times, once to Manchester to watch my 'brothers' (who were on a school soccer tour) play soccer/football and again to London to visit my cousins, aunt and a friend (that is another story... Cheers pub in Piccadilly Circus rocks)!

Introducing a few of my very good 'friends' (Helen, Adam and Donna)... i hope the wind doesn't change direction and their faces stay like that! :)

All and all, it was just what i needed and also a chance for me to sort out a few issues! The 3 weeks went by far to quickly and most of my money was spent on alcohol! :) Nottingham will always have a big part of my heart!

PS my lil ol blog has now received over 100 hits... keep on reading and commenting! :)

Just as a quick footnote... and thank you Adam for the reminder, i'd like to thank Adam for providing my accommodation... a beautifully painted yellow bedroom and a very cosy sleeping bag... top draw! :)

This is the life!

2006-05-22T01:29:00.000+02:00

I have spent the last couple of days doing practically nothing and have been loving it!The family are away in Phoenix and i'm house and dog sitting. My days go something like this... wake up at about 8am, have a cup of coffee and some toast on the deck, read the paper, check my emails, have a shower... by this time it's lunch time. Then it's time to do some studying, off to the gym or shop or for a bike ride (there are some great bike paths around here), come home, sit on the deck sipping on a cold beer.... you get the picture... bliss! :)

No...i didn't make a quick trip to the Caribbean (i wish), this is Boyd Lake in Loveland. I took a little roadtrip today to join the rest of the South Africans that live in Colorado for a braai (for the non-South Africans, that's a BBQ)! It was great to be amongst so many South Africans again... made me miss home even more (i now have less than a month til the visa expires) and to top off the day i won 3 bottles of Nandos sauce... yummy!

Local is lekker!

Well i have one more exam to go and have started putting the finishing touches on my little weekend break to Chicago, so things are moving along nicely! Still not sure when exactly i am returning home... the agency is taking it time with booking my ticket, but i am really looking forward to setting foot on South African soil again :)