This is what happens when you get distracted by Grahamstown/work/roadtrips/term time and the general loveliness of the people around you. You forget about your blog. I was only reminded of it in a journ lecture the other day where the topic was well, blogging. So I decided to sit down this Thursday afternoon and type something intelligent, or what may seem intelligent. But just for you Jude, I will add some link love. And also let my "personality, relevent aspects of my experience and learning and informed opinions illuminate on my small screen".
Much has happened since the July holidays, Mom and Greg came for a visit and it was possibly one of the best weekends of term. The annual frivolty of Trivar and Boatraces has passed, Nicky turned 21, Georgia passed more wholesome and hilarious comments and our group of friends found a happy grounding and bond. I also took a Rhode trip down to Cape Town with my friendlings. I hadn't experienced the city since I was 9, and then I wasn't grown up enough to appreciate the beauty of it.
But the loveliest news of late, and probably the most head turning news for the campus populous is that; I am dating a ginger. Yes. Yes I am. And when we walk together or when you glance at a photo of us, it is almost too much red to see at once. Not really though.
Matty has one of the biggest hearts I know. He is a natural at care-giving, and the best listener I know. Although he is almost the exact opposite to me - we seem to gain a lot from each other and I am loving him a little more each day.
And beacuse we are both gingers, we seem to understand each other - in our ginger-powered ways (its true).
I found a GINGERS HAVE SOULS blog. And they do. If you have witnessed this video you will know how entertaining it is, and how much fun can come out of speaking about our type. I know people here love teasing but I also know that there is love there.
Non-gingers love gingers (secretly) - and evidently - we love each other too :)
Much more blogging to do, and much more thigns to say. Stay tuned!
My mom and I have always been really close. And when I think of her when I miss her in Grahamstown, one of the first things I think of is how annoying her message alert tone is on her cellphone. Sweet huh? Haha no it is her favourite Parlotones song Bird in flight and it plays the entire song until she finds her phone to turn it off. It has one of those really loud bang bang intros that when it comes out the phone speaker, sounds like hardi-dar birds. But, I end up missing hearing it.
Anyway, as a post world cup musing I went to watch one of my favourite South African bands, The Parlotones. When they first became known, I didn’t think much of them but slowly song after song I started listening to their lyrics more carefully, which on their new album – are particularly inspiring. These are some of the lyrics from my mom’s favourite tune;
Stop holding on so damn tight - love is like, it's like a bird in flight. The tighter you grip. The looser it slips, love is like, it's like a bird in flight.
I am back at Rhodes now after a nice long break, and I was just telling my mom that I feel like I have 'rebonded' with a lot of old friends. It was so nice. Katz, Sim and I had a big drunk sleep over the other night which was hell fun :) It reminded me that the precious things in life are always there, you just need to take the time to appreciate them. Sim took these photos of me that are up which are really cool too. Katz once told me that things happen when you stop looking. She was right. And plus, life is too short to look for things. It doesn’t make any sense to waste that time. I believe what the Parlotones say in one of my favourite songs by them;
Feed me fantasy, so I'll believe - We're gonna fly to the moon. Side step reality - Build my world on fantasy, We're gonna fly to the moon. We'll build a ladder, we'll build a ladder and we'll climb to the moon. We'll grow some wings, we'll grow some wings, And we'll fly to the moon.
And we'll dream with open eyes, not in the recess of our murky minds. (I adore that line)
I might not be totally aware of reality, I’m quite ditzy sometimes actaully and I often try and side step reality’s harshness and pretend I am in my own fantasy world. Have a little day dream every now and then, okay actually a lot. But its what I live off. I live off my dreams and I get all my energy from just knowing that making them into reality is actaully possible. As ridiculous as they might be. And they really are. I keep meaning to put up my bucket list but I add to it almost every day – so it would have to be edited all the time. This isn’t a bad thing :) But the cool thing is that reality is sweeetass too. It is when your fantasy world merges with your real one that firework explosions happen in life.
But people generally still seem to be concerned with what their purpose is and where they are meant to be going and are they heading in the right direction or not. My answer? It’s surely not worth worrying about too much. If you have goals and dreams to go somewhere and do something, then it is surely up to you to make that happen. And when it does, life will take you somewhere else, and you will meet people who might change your life. And ones who might not. And ones who may come back later and ones you will neer see again. How do we know what life’s plan is? We don’t. Its that simple.
I read somewhere that the description of fate is the universal principle by which the order of things is presumably prescribed. I like to think that whatever is prescribed all has meaning. And when it happens, whether we make it happen or it catches us somewhat offguard, it was meant to happen anyway. And if you are absurdly keen to know what life has in store for you, remember this – we often meet our fate on the road we take to avoid it. A french proverb told me that. It’s smart.
Einstein, that genius of a man once said; strange is the situation here upon earth. It is strange, and people are strange. But it is wonderful. As I have grown up and the people around me have grown up I have seen that everyone is starting to realise that life is too short. Especially at university and any student vibe.. It is just full of young people wanting to make something out of their lives. I think we have all come to realise that instead of being taught something and then being tested on it like we were at school, we are now just given the test straight away and the outcome teaches us the lesson.
Some Hindu spiritual guy says that the key to life is to take up one idea and make that idea your life. Think of it, dream of it, live on it. Let the brain, muscles, nerves and every part of your body be full of that idea and just leave every other idea alone. I like to think that ideas and dreams are limitless and over and above the pain this life may cause sometimes, having more than one idea or dream gives us the right energy we need. Seriously, the possibilities of this world are endless.
After all, the sun comes up every day doesn’t it? And until it doesn’t, we better give it a good reason to shine for us.
Let’s all be indispensable. And when our lives flash before our eyes one day, let’s make sure it is worth watching.
I recently watched two Sandra Bullock movies, both which I really enjoyed. She is one of my favourite big screen actors and these two movies put the pin down on some life lessons in two very different ways. I watched two really different movies in which Bullock plays two very different roles; The Blind Side and All about Steve.
The Telegraph's website, a page I visit quite often described The Blind Side beautifully;
The Blind Side is blind to ambiguity or to complexity. It’s a celluloid version of Paul McCartney and Stevie’s Wonder’s Ebony and Ivory, one in which pious, infantilizing didacticism masquerades as humanitarianism. “The past is gone. The world’s a good place,” Leigh tells Michael.
Sometimes we need that sort of boost in our lives from things like movies to inspire or motivate. We are only human after all and we can’t always get it from our own inner energy. Movies like this really remind me that my life is not so bad. The two voiceovers at the end of each movie by the protagonists were really meaningful to me;
Michael Oher; “Courage is a hard thing to figure. You can have courage based on a dumb idea or mistake, but you're not supposed to question adults, or your coach or your teacher, because they make the rules. Maybe they know best, but maybe they don't. It all depends on who you are, where you come from. Didn't at least one of the six hundred guys think about giving up, and joining with the other side? I mean, valley of death that's pretty salty stuff. That's why courage it's tricky. Should you always do what others tell you to do? Sometimes you might not even know why you're doing something. I mean any fool can have courage. But honor, that's the real reason for you either do something or you don't. It's who you are and maybe who you want to be. If you die trying for something important, then you have both honor and courage, and that's pretty good. I think that's what the writer was saying, that you should hope for courage and try for honor. And maybe even pray that the people telling you what to do have some, too.”
And then there’s Mary from All About Steve, although a complete ditz throughout the whole movie, her character made quite some sense at the end when she compared doing a crossword to life in general; “New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz says we all have a natural compulsion to fill empty spaces. I like to think he means not just with crosswords, but the empty spaces inside of us that come from making your way in a world that doesn’t always embrace unique. I try to fill my empty spaces with words.”
Yeah, evidently me too :)
Courage is a tricky thing. Whether we need it to fill empty spaces or jump from an aeroplane, we will always need it somewhere along the road in life. These two films made me realize that we may not be able to change the past, and we need courage to realise this. But at the end of the day, even though it might be hard to see it; the world is a good place. Everything that has happened did so for a reason. Personally, I have just had to let go of something I can’t change about the past, and I think we all have to at some point. And in my point of view, if something is meant to happen, it will. Just like Michael Oher said; it is who you are, where you come from, and what you do that makes you someone in this world. And if he can find courage from a back ground such as his, then why can’t we all? Whether you think the world is a bad place or good place, you’re still someone in it right?
And we have to make the most of that. It’s important.
I think we all underestimate the power of positive thinking.
When I spent my year in England last year I remember raving to all the Brits about how South Africa was hosting the World Cup. I also remember being questioned about how well I thought we would carry it out. When I look back on my World Cup experiences now, I regret not answering them with a more knowledgeable response.
Coming back from the airport for my Varsity holidays, the sense of pride and harmony in this country flooded into our small Polo just by taking one look at the endless international flags that lead from OR Tambo Airport almost all the way to my own home in Edenvale.
Despite getting inspiration and optimistic energy engraved into our hearts from all over the media in adverts, I recently experienced that kind of unity in the flesh. I was fortunate enough to attend the Bafana and Uruguay match on 16 June. Over and above the efficient park and ride system, the spirit of the fans was inexplicable.
Standing in Loftus Stadium on Youth Day was extremely significant to me. 34 years ago that day, a united cry for freedom was heard from the youth who demanded a better life and were about to make apartheid history. In comparison, we hear mighty sounds of celebration echoing, created with our vuvuzelas that replace the 1976 violence.
For South Africa, hosting this event is about far more than just a tournament. To most of us, whether we are aware of it or not, this world cup is more a celebration of the long road we have travelled to get where we are today to host such a renowned international event.
The final result of the symbolic match at Loftus might not have reflected the kind of soccer victory we hoped for, but as I left the stadium I heard people shouting things like “Don’t worry, we’ll beat France!”, and that we did. The gusto on the way back to the park and ride was barely any different from the vibe on the way in.
Another World Cup memory of mine is the night I spent away from the city on 22 June when South Africa played France. A friend of mine had invited my family and I to Waschbank Village in Limpopo, where a centre is being constructed to help aid the local community’s education and welfare. When the locals played a friendly soccer match of their own against some of the other guests, the dirty dust storm that was kicked up into the air was blown away and replaced with the energy, positivity, joy and warmth that the people emitted. The feeling that I felt just from playing volleyball with the local children before we beat France, was just as rewarding than any triumph between two soccer teams.
This world cup is not just about the growth of our economy or sustaining jobs and tourism. It is a time to recognize and commemorate Madiba, FW De Klerk, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and our other post-apartheid presidents. Their dedication to this country becomes a significant part of this event. For me and for all my fellow young South Africans, wherever they may be in this country – it is so important that the World cup has contributed to laying the foundations of our futures.
In a recent survey done with the South African public, it was concluded that 79 percent believe the international tournament will unite the people of South Africa, 88 percent view it as a boost for South Africa’s image abroad, while 91 percent expect it to create more jobs and 95 percent think it will strengthen the tourism sector. Although these results are more positive than negative; for me, it is not about statistics or the weedy negative opinions of less than 20% of the country anymore. It is now simply time to feel it for ourselves, which I am sure the majority of the people of South Africa have done. People of all ages, races and backgrounds all fly the same flag. We sing the same anthem and when do it we sing it with the same intention. Our positivity has brought us power beyond measure.
Although I have not mentioned that Bafana are now out of the tournament, I think I have made it clear that our spirit has overcome our soccer results. The cries of elation that came from those children’s mouths and hearts when we scored both those goals against France seemed to me just as priceless as getting into the next round would have been. Bafana played superbly, and it is moments like those that will be imprinted forever in my heart after this World Cup. They are the moments that South Africa will flourish from after this incredible experience comes to an end.
We are no longer pariahs anymore. We are hosts of the world. Is anything beyond our capability after this? No, South Africa is beyond pessimism now.
I just finished painting my mom a picture for her birthday and realised how much I miss painting. I just sat in my room (it was freazing outside) ah and I just painted with some chilled music on. It was really theraputic. Later when I have my own house, I'm gonna have a room, just for painting. Yup. And I'' let my kids paint what they want on the walls and and it will be full of canvases and different coloured paints..
My favourite type of painting has to be the kind that shows expression, and when you look at it you can imagine that the artisit had a good time doing it. You can almost imagine him or her sweeping or dabbing the brushstrokes along the canvas, and behind the paint is a happy, carefree life. Paintings full of colours that don't necessarily match or look real, but they look right. Some of my greatest inspiraions; not only for painting and art, but for life in general...
Matisse, Master of Colour
Le bonheur de vivre (The Joy of Life)
" Creativity takes courage."
- Henri Matisse
Kandinsky, Master of Abstract Expressionism
Autumn in Bavaria
"Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and for colors, and that you be a true poet. This last is essential."
- Wassily Kandinsky
Van Gogh - Master of dreaming
Cafe Terrace at Night
"I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day."
Vincent Van Gogh
One of my favourites...
Monet; Master of impressionism
Water lillies
"I am following Nature without being able to grasp her, I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."
- Claude Monet
And another ...
Impression Sunrise
"People discuss my art and pretend to understand as if it were necessary to understand, when it's simply necessary to love."
Jackson Pollock; Master of chaos Lavender Mist
"I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own."
"The modern artist is working with space and time, and expressing his feelings rather than illustrating."
And my favourite of them all...
I dream of painting and then I paint my dream- Vincent van Gogh
Today, I will paint.
I will paint great things; Greater than you could ever imagine.
I will paint as though getting covered in this creamy, silky smooth consistency is completely irresistible.
I will paint furiously and spontaneously with a free spirit, making it quite impossible to not end up speckled with paint.
Paint will speckle my hair and my face. Speckled, resembling tiny beads of dew on morning grass or specks on birds' eggs in the spring.
Paint will trace the outlines of my fingernails. Smeared across the surface, the paint will create a keen resemblance of a poor attempt toward removing tried-out, cheap, convenient store nail polish.
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