{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter Z

Z is for ... Zipline

I am not the most adventurous when it comes to physical activities. Give me a passport and a random air ticket and I will jump on the plane and ask questions later (Hear that The Amazing Race?)

Physical stuff? Not my forté.

When a friend from Australia visited in 2010 and only had time to visit Gauteng and not the Western Cape, I was slightly distressed.

The Cape is one of our best tourist spots in the country. After only a short car ride, you can be sipping glasses (note the plural) of wine in the winelands. You could spend a day watching the whales or the kite-surfers by the sea. On a clear day, you would want to explore the very top of Table Mountain; the possibilities are endless. 

I scrambled to compile a list of activities that could be enjoyed in and around Johannesburg, and one of them was Ziplining. I had never done this before and it looked like fun.

After a short briefing, we were kitted out and ready to go:

Sexy Straps

Our next stop

Tharien FAILING at looking scared (Well done Shez, you nailed it)

If you are ever in Johannesburg, there are a host of activities to keep you busy & I am sure you will love it as much as I do:

• Visit he Bird Park at Montecasino and realise that birds are more interesting than you thought
• Grab a delicious milkshake at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice (They use entire bars of chocolate!)
• Visit the Lion Park and touch a lion cub if you are lucky - the older cubs are more grumpy when you disturb their sleep
• Take a day trip to Parys and have lunch at a decadently decorated restaurant called Rubys
• Go next door to the little coffee shop and mess around on their awesome lounging chair, clearly made for some with long legs.

And so, the April A-Z challenge has ended.

It has been an amazing month of blogging. I have enjoyed being forced to blog and had fun trying to come up with a theme for the letter of the day.

The best advice I saw was a post that said, "There is no such thing as not enough time, even 5 minutes a day will yield a great post - all you need is practice"

I actually tried the 5 minute challenge and excluding photo selection and uploading, it worked out pretty well once I had a topic in mind.

I will not be taking part in the May Challenge due to a few circumstances happening this month, but I really look forward to doing one soon again.

Thank you to all who read my blog and to those who shared the love by commenting, no matter what you say, I appreciate every word.

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter Y

Y is for ... Year End Party

Every year our company has big year end party. An event for the 60+ employees at our branch to forget our troubles of the year, throw away any negative thoughts and just have fun getting to know our colleagues as people. 

We have had some truly memorable events; Dress up as the first letter of your name, Night at the Oscars, The Grammys, etc.

In 2012 we had our function on the rooftop deck of a restaurant; overlooking the entire city. It was a gorgeous night and we had a ton of fun. A colleague even stole a rock from the gardens and I now use it as a doorstop!

Before the party, we were given ballot forms which contained various categories:

Little Miss Sunshine

Mr Grumpy

Miss Helpful

Mr Happy, etc

I won the Little Miss Wise and was awarded my very own pair of Harry Potter Glasses. I had never thought of myself as wise before then ... but I'll own it!

What category would you be most likely to win?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter X

X is for X-Ray

Not my x-ray.

You are looking at a photo of my cat. Impaled by a metal pole.

I never believed that a cat had 9 lives until I found my cat lying in the garden of the unit below me, meowing.

I lost a few lives of my own as I tried to remain calm whilst pulling the pole out of the ground and trying not to move him too much. 

Greys Anatomy taught me to never remove a log impaling 2 people after a train-wreck metal pole protruding from the top of the cat's "armpit" to his groin.

My boyfriend at the time and I- squeezed into the car- pole and all and raced to the vet.

Miraculously he had survived his fall from the top floor and had survived the pole-skewering as it had missed all his vital organs.

4 days in hospital and he was on the road to a full recovery. 

To this day, I cringe when I look at this x-ray. To think of the pain he must have been in; yet he let me pick him up and hardly struggled at all.

Sadly, a few years ago, he went missing and I never saw him again :-(

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter W

W is for ...Weddings

We recently attended the wedding of one of my high school friends. My backup husband when I reached 40.

Both of us have thus far managed to be the only 2 single people amongst our high school friends because we share similar ideas about marriage; Don't compromise, do it properly.

Just over a year ago, he met the most perfect woman. She is bubbly, intelligent and genuinely nice. she shares his interests in activities and she compliments him beautifully.

The wedding was at a gorgeous garden venue, complete with hidden pathways and secret spots. 

The ceremony was short and sweet and it was infused with some fun moments and laughter, very different from the conventional stuffy ceremonies I have attended.

A deluge just after the ceremony on our way to the reception dinner was unfortunate, but luckily the wet weather abated in time for our dinner.

All in all, it was 1 of my favourite weddings. (also... not being a bridesmaid, meant I got to enjoy it a whole lot more)

I have found that as I get older, my idea of the "perfect wedding" has changed very much.

I no longer want every single person I have ever met, to be there. I want my close friends and family. I want an intimate affair so that I get a chance to talk to everyone at the wedding.

I also know that I will be wearing comfortable shoes!

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter V

V is for ... Venetian Mask

Since before I went to Italy, I have always been fascinated with the Venetian Masks and I have always wanted my own so that I could get all dressed up and attend my very own masquerade ball.

The first thing I did when I got to Venice was begin the hunt for the perfect mask. I had no idea what I wanted, but I knew I would know it when I saw it. (Kind of like wedding dress shopping, you know)

We saw ornate masks, creepy masks and gorgeous masks. I saw the perfect one! A cat mask. Featuring little black velvet ears, sequins and black lace, it was the most exquisite piece I had ever seen. I was bitterly disappointed to discover that the store was already closed.

The search continued - and I found my 2nd perfect mask.

I have had it since 2005 and I have yet to attend an event where I get to wear the mask. Go figure!

It has always been a dream of mine to visit Venice and attend the annual masked balls, it must surely be something spectacular to experience.

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter U

U is for ... Uncomfortable Shoes

We've all done it. 

Given in to impulse and bought a pretty pair of shoes, only to wear them once, experience extreme levels of pain and throw them into the back of your cupboard.

Mine are pink - obviously

One of our bookless club themes was Uncomfortable Shoes; giving us the opportunity to wear these shoes again and get some extra mileage from them so as not to feel too much buyer's remorse.

Because we sit a lot of the time, our feet get to look pretty, but without the pain. 

Win - Win!

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter T

T is for ... Tarot Cards

I have the most gorgeous set of Arthurian Legend Tarot Cards. All watercolour illustrations by Anna-Marie Ferguson depict the legends; Kind Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Queen Guinevere etc.

These cards are a piece of art in their own right - soft colours and romantic scenes. I almost wish I could have them framed.

Tarot requires you to constantly practise and to become attuned to your intuition. Like anything, if you leave it, you become rusty.

I have not practised for years, and really wish I made the time for it again. Maybe someday...

 

My last prediction was that a friend of mine would get a new job and finally move out of her 7 year hell-hole and she did.

Are you familiar with Tarot? Do you consider it evil?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter S

S is for ... Solitude 

I am 1 of those people who is comfortable being by myself. 

I remember always being told when I was younger that you are not ready to be happy in a relationship, until you are happy with yourself.

How true those words are.

I have travelled solo on numerous occasions and I am grateful that I was able to experience foreign countries and new experiences because I was willing to travel alone. Too many people hold themselves back by not wanting to be seen alone. 

If only they knew how liberating it was!

One year I spent a few days in Cape Town after a business trip and I visited the beach every day. It was a pretty quiet week.

One day as I was basking in the warmth of the sun I looked up and saw a lady sitting on her own, gazing out at the sea.

I always wonder what runs through a person's mind when they watch the sea or a fire - there is something hypnotic and soul-soothing when doing this.

Was she thinking about her late husband, or was she wishing she had taken that tomboy many years back? Is she wishing she had learn how to tap dance or is she wondering how the new rosemary bread will taste when she bakes it for the family?

What do you think she is daydreaming about?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter R

R is for ... Rhino

There are not many times in my life when I have been terrified.

But there was a particular moment that I distinctly remember that feeling as a small fission of fear tickled it's way up my spine.

I was on holiday with a friend at a private game reserve called Welgevonden. We had been out on a very enjoyable game drive and were anxious to get back to our rooms to have a nap and freshen up- in anticipation of our evening feast in the outdoor Boma. 

As we were driving back into camp, we were greeted by the incredible sight of a rather large rhinoceros. She was having a bad day and was clearly PMSing.

As we stopped to take some photos, she suddenly turned and began to rake the ground (Warning sign #1) and blow out large gusts of air that disturbed the sand beneath her nose. (Warning sign #2)

Before we could even blink, she was charging towards us and as the driver raced our bulky vehicle away, she continued to gain ground on us. I recall thinking to myself, "As long as I am in front of one other person, she will get them first" Survival 101 - HAHA!

Luckily the camp's entrance was on a steep hill for just this occasion (we had all thought the ranger had made up that story) and she was eventually forced to slow her pursuit until she could not continue to follow us any further.

Nervous laughs and shaky hands and we all alighted the vehicle safely. But phew! I will never forget this large lady:

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter Q

Q is for ... Quad bikes in Mozambique

This is me making my maiden voyage as a Quad Biker:

I think I was the only one in my entire circle of friends who had never ridden a quad bike.

I just never seemed to have had the occasion to - and I have not since then. 

I am extremely accident prone and I think in some way, the universe has kept me away from these beasts. 

I have fallen while standing still on my roller-skates (read; skates, as in 4 wheels per foot) and broken a ligament in my coccyx. It remains broken to this day, which means my coccyx jiggles loose.

I have fallen on my butt whilst ice skating and as a result, the bottom 5 vertebrae are usually fused by inflammation.

So on holiday in Mozambique, I decided to try it out and had the most incredible experience. 

We rode on sand dunes on the beach, we rode through a poor neighbourhood, catching a glimpse of the sadder side you never usually see when on holiday. 

We rode along the rocks on the coastline and stopped to watch the waves violently smashing themselves up against the cliff face. It was a beautiful moment to reflect on the power of Mother Nature.

I only walked away with 1 teeny tiny injury - I had burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe - note to self: wear longer jeans when riding.

I look forward to having another opportunity to ride again - what adventurous activities do you like to partake in?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter P

P is for ... Pocket watch

I started this hobby after I inherited my grandfather's pocket watch (Left of the photo)

I have always been fascinated by that era of old-world sophistication.

I can imagine back to a time where the men would pull out the watch and exclaim, "Dear me, it's time that we were on our way"

I bought my 1st pocket watch in Switzerland, it took me hours to choose the perfect piece. That is the Matterhorn mountain depicted on the front and the back has a beautifully engraved pattern.

The 2nd pocket watch is a recent acquisition from Ireland, made from Mullingar Pewter (1 of the 1D members actually hail from Mullingar, so I took it as a sign that this was the right one for me)

I loved the Celtic Trinity inside the clover design.

The 3 watches currently hang from my wooden tulips (bought in The Netherlands) but I sometimes wish I could actually use them instead of simply displaying them.

Do you collect any interesting articles? Are they displayed or do you use them?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter O

O is for ... Orchids

My favourite flower.

There is something about this flower that speaks to me.

I feel a calming feeling float over me every time I look at this beauty.

They take a while to grow, but when they do... perfection!

My dream wedding will have a cascade of orchids on every table.

When visiting Malaysia, I was stunned by the variety of orchids. The climate is insanely humid - the perfect condition for the plants to flourish.

We visited the Kuala Lumpur World of Butterflies - the largest in the world - and it was a highlight for me.

Orchids, bonsais and butterflies - a world of perfect beauty.

If you are ever at a loss for a gift for me - an orchid is always a safe bet! :-)

What is your favourite flower?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter N

N is for ... Nature

I am fortunate to live in a country where I can experience the beauty of Nature as well as the glitz of the city, all within an hour’s drive from my home.

In 2007, a friend was married outside under a canopy of trees on a nature reserve, the Cradle of Humankind. Off the beaten track, but still close to home.

Guests were driven by 4x4s to the venue. The bride was 45 minutes late because the 4x4 had a flat tyre!

Under the shade of the trees (which offered little respite from the African heat) we watched a gorgeous bride marrying our school friend.

I loved the contrast between the starkness of nature and the pizazz of the guests, dressed in wedding goer attire.

What you can't see in this photo is that our feet are covered in a layer of fine brown sand! 

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter M

M is for ... Moon

All I have ever wanted, is a photo of the moon.

Yet no matter how hard I try, I end up with a teeny tiny little white dot in a black sky.

One night I was walking back to my hotel room and I looked up and was amazed at how gorgeous the sky looked.

I kicked myself for not carrying my camera with me, all I had was my Samsung S3.

I snapped a shot and managed to capture a beautiful photo of the moonlight peeking between the clouds and illuminating the sea below.

Here is a previous attempt:

Are you more successful? Any tips for me?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter L

L is for ... Leopard-Print Panties

At 1st glance this photo looks like it is meant to be a sexy suggestive photo to be sent to a boyfriend. In actual fact I sent this to my best friend... intentionally!

Why you may ask?

To show her how much weight I was gaining! My jeans would no longer button up.

I still have this pair of jeans and hope that one day, they will be able to live out their dream of travelling with me instead of living inside my closet being ignored.

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter K

K is for ... Kindness

In 2004 an elderly gentleman walked into the optometrist where I worked and asked for a pair of reading glasses.

As we looked through the various options, he suddenly looked straight into my eyes and said, "You have beautiful eyes, they remind me of a leopard looking back at me"

I was hugely flattered to be compared to a wild cat and told him so.

He went on to tell me how he used to be a wildlife photographer with his wife and then suddenly says, "Are you a Gemini? You look like a Gemini - Feisty"

The man was spot on.

That man was John Sinclair. For 2 years we would visit me every single week, each time spoiling me with an anecdote, buying me lunch or my favourite railway coffee.

He recalled me with stories of his wife fighting with a leopard and her prey because they were messing up her tent, or the time he had milked a rhino just before she gave birth.

Tall tales! Or so I thought, until one day he comes in with a stack of photographs. All the stories he had told me were there on the photos - Incredible!

John looked through a few of my holiday photos and told me I had a good eye for photography & that   I should pursue it more. To this day, if I take a particularly striking photo, I find myself wishing he was around to see it.

One of the last gifts he surprised me with was a book of his that he had managed to track down at a 2nd hand book store. He paid R500 for his own book and wrote an inscription inside for me.

Some time later, we moved premises and the practice was just too busy to continue our regular visits. He stopped in from time to time, but one day he just didn't anymore. 

I found out that he had died in hospital after a fall broke his hip. I had missed the funeral and whoever had kept his phone had not informed everyone in the contact list.

He always said he was grateful to me for showing him kindness that very 1st day we met, but I always maintain that it was his kindness that enriched my life even more so.

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter J

J is for ... Jewellery

Not many girls I know do not like jewellery. In one form or another, every girl has adorned themself with something pretty.

Some like sparkles and others like big chunky pieces, and others again will like something simple; a plain silver band or a small stud.

The concept of Nomination, Troll Beads, Pandora - and the predecessor - the old fashioned charm bracelet, is an in genius idea; collectables.

Give a girl 1 little thing that is part of a collectable and you have a money-spinner!

My parents surprised me on my 30th birthday with an almost complete Nomination bracelet with my name and age on it as well as a few links that characterised my interests: A rose for my nickname, a music note for my love of music, a Gemini starting and a cat.

Since then I have added a whole variety and I am busy collecting a link to represent each country that I have visited.

Recently I discovered a company who does the erm... "budget variety" links. They fit the Nomination bracelet and are also stainless steel. 

Where Nomination costs R380 ($40) and upwards, this version is only R20 ($2)

The difference? Nomination uses real gold or silver on it's embellishments and enamel where applicable.

Budget option is gold or silver plated and also uses enamel.

Can you tell the difference?

I will have to buy the real deal for the travel links, but for anything else, I can buy the budget option and create a few bracelets to wear all together.

How do you feel about cheaper alternatives? Do you stick with the real thing and pay a bit more, or do you compromise?

Incidentally - J was the last letter to be added to the alphabet and was derived from i. Now you know!

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In other news, I featured as a Guest Blogger on Inspired Living SA, go check out my Confessions of a Blogger Interview

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter I

I is for ... Italy

In 2005, my boyfriend at the time and I travelled through Europe on a whirlwind Contiki holiday exploring all the tourist spots.

(We fought every night, but loved every second of the trip regardless)

Europe is rich in culture and historical architecture.

1 of my favourite countries of the 11 we visited, was Italy.

Our tour guide (who turned out to be a South African) saw me reading the Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) and recommended that I start reading the book when we travel through Rome as the tour covered many of the attractions visited in the book.

It was a fun journey. My photos could almost have become an illustrated version of the novel, as I read a chapter, I snapped a shot of the place that had been mentioned.

A mentionable place to visit in Rome is the Piazza Navona - once the site of a stadium where ancient Romans would watch the games.

The site features 3 fountains each displaying various statues of Tritons, Gods and the like.

The Trevi Fountain was a place I had always seen on movies and dreamed of visiting. Many visitors were couples holding hands and whispering to each other as they make wishes and declare their everlasting love for each other. I wonder how many of those wishes come true for the long term?

1 of the lesser known places I adored about Italy was the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary. They can be found inhabiting a sunken piazza; a spot where Julius Caesar was apparently stabbed in the back.

The sanctuary was founded by a former opera singer and has been the home to many abandoned and homeless cats over the past 20 years. 

We visited the kitties and found them all very friendly. They had no problem letting the tourists show them a bit of love in exchange for a quick photograph. 

Florence with its’ cobbled streets and gorgeous leather goods was a lovely city to visit. The small shop fronts and narrow streets almost had one believing that we had stepped back in time. A time where life was simple and bartering your handcrafted leather wares in exchange for a hearty dinner was the order of the day.

We also visited Pisa (not much to see besides the tower and the baptistery) and Venice. and of all the cities, it was my favourite - you can read more about it here.

Have you been to Italy? Where is your favourite European country to visit?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter H

H is for ... Heirlooms

My grandparents were not well off and relied on their measly state funded pensions and my parents to live out their retirement years. 

When they passed away, we did not inherit money. Instead, we inherited special items which my grandparents had cherished.

You know how old people are - Their special clothes are carefully wrapped in tissue paper, their precious belongings lovingly stowed in a box, all ready to be paraded at the next family gathering. I recall finding a jersey I had bought for my gran, wrapped up in tissue paper, with the tag on, waiting to be worn, but she never go the chance. 

That was my life lesson: 

Wear your pretty clothes now. 

Use your pretty crockery today. 

You never know when it could be your last day. 

I inherited a cutlery set & a teapot which my gran had used for entertaining. They had not been used in years.

I know try to use them as often as possible; so that in a way I can be close to her. 

Every time I lay the table, I have an internal conversation with my gran. Just the 2 of us. 

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter G

G is for ... Gypsy

I created our Book Club back in May 2008 and it had 2 rules:

1. There has to be champagne (sparkling wine) at every meeting
2. There has to be a theme

(No mention of books!)

As times have evolved, we no longer have a need to buy books and swap them out to read, we now read on our Kobo/Kindle/iPad and it has since become Bookless Club.

The same rules as above apply.

Recently our last theme was Gypsy and I had a blast utilising a mixture of eye-shadow colours that I would usually apply separately and much more subtly.

Looking at the photo, I can see it's me, but I look very different to everyday me. 

That's the best part of dress-up isn't it?