Black and Red

By day... By night

Living in Denver, i hardly ever get a chance to dress up. Coming from a status conscious part of the country, where it's all about the shoes, the bags and the labels that you wear.. It was nice last week to attend an awesome company function where i could dress up. During the day, i wore my regulars.. happened to be Black and Red (see shoes).. and by night i wore a simple cocktail dress (see bag).. :-)

THE GOOD OLD (UGLY AND NASTY!) DAYS...........................

Ah guys remember all this????


.. There is a land that you can see.. although it sometimes isnt there.. (what??) na na na ask her for her name she'll say its Maya.. na na na little bee called Maya!! (HAHAHA)


Kyk - Dis Lafinia!!










Hullo Benny Book Wurm (Ek ken nie die liedjie nie!!) teehee






OK - This is a classic! We thought the A-Team spoke Afrikaans in real life! WUUUHAAAAHAA

There was a song we made up with the whole "A-team crew" I dont remember the words though... hmmmm

WAHHHHAHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAHAA!!

What my week has been like....

This has been a very busy week for me. I had deadlines coming out of my ears, worked late hours and ran around like a chicken on crack!

But as always - Friday is something to celebrate!

Monday: Normally, like everyone else, on Mondays, i can't believe its ACTUALLY Monday! I schloop myself out of bed and get ready for my date with hell! When i get there, it's not so bad. We talked about the weekend, and sort of get my brain jump started again. This Monday actually started on Sunday, with emails that i needed to attend to and work i needed to research and information i had to obtain from others - needless to say, i was not Ms Popularity.

Tuesday: Tuesday started off with a bang, we got notice of a new project late on Monday evening and then we had to have early morning meeting and it was frantic all day. The nice thing is that i work with a really laid back team, when the pressure is high, they usually just try to make light of it! After an exhaustaing day, i left work, went home to tidy up and went to dinner with some friends.

Wednesday: In keeping with the same "big bang" effect happening in my work life, Wednesday was a disaster of note!! i had to email a few people to ask them to send me work by the end of this week that would normally take a month to do - and yet again.. i was public enemy number 1!! I went home to watch America's next Top Model which starts at 7pm and then at 8pm i had to come back to the office to do more work! Even though i have a BlackBerry (tracking device!), i don't have a laptop, so i had to trek my bum back to the office! Then, got home around 10pm and watched the re-run of Porject Runway, took a call and got to bed after midnight.

Thursday: So Thursday comes around and i am MOEG! Thursday seems to prod along without incident, i hear whining and knashing of teeth because of my unreasonable and ridiculous requests - i just laughed - it was kinda funny!! But then i remembered that i too am in the pressure cooker, because i need to get that info!!! Then i remember, its Thursday - Purple Martini day!!! YAY.. After work i went with my pals to Purple to have happy hour stress relief.. good day.. get home, have a quick snack and am on the phone again till midnight.

So, then today is Friday - Hallefreakinglujah!!!

And today - i dont care what happens, i am taking it easy - taking it as it comes.. and hoping this weekend will be a fun, relaxing one!!!

** HAVE A GOOD ONE **

What is the taste, the sound and the look that comes out, when you touch the centre of your sorrow....

!!Come on Africa!!

KUNGANI NGINGAKUSIZA?!

(Please don’t read this if you are a sensitive person)

Last night I watched America’s Next top Model, the new season has started, and ofcourse I am hooked (as we all know!).. I was really touched and greatly disturbed by the Somalian girl’s story that she had been circumcised when she was 7 years old. I had heard of this many times in my life, as it’s a normal practice in certain African cultures (particularly in Muslim sections of the population apparently).. I used to think that it was the partial cutting of a girl’s private area in order that she will not experience pleasure during intercourse for the purpose of avoiding infidelity during marriage.

I do not agree with this practice in any measure, but to be honest, never did much research on the subject either. I have now come to the knowledge that it is a much more severe practice than I had thought!!

Female circumcision is the total cutting away of the external female genitalia and “sewing” together certain parts so that no pleasure would be experienced by the woman, this has been practiced for centuries in parts of Africa, generally as one element of a rite of passage preparing young girls for womanhood and marriage. Often performed without anesthetic under septic conditions by lay practitioners with little or no knowledge of human anatomy or medicine, female circumcision can cause death or permanent health problems as well as severe pain.

This is completely outrageous and unacceptable!!!!!!!! How do I speak out against this practice?? I find this appalling, and a complete violation of a woman’s right to be what God created her to be!

As an African and more importantly a woman - I have decided to pursue this as a course to fight against from this day forth!!!

Please join me in stopping this abuse...

http://www.petitiononline.com/fgm2003/petition.html

http://www.squidoo.com/female-circumcision

Fears and such

What is the worse thing that people can say about you?

For me, I have often thought that the worst thing people can say about me is that I have been stupid, easily duped, not savvy enough or quick enough to see things clearly..

Yet – it seems that all the “horrible” things we fear people will feel and think of us – is like saying – I fear people will think I am not perfect! And hey psssssssssssst NO ONE is perfect.

I have learnt that being a fool sometimes won’t kill me. Maybe embarrass me a little – who ever died of humiliation? My very wise College Professor once said.. sometimes the only road to humility, is humiliation! ( I used to think he was smoking a little something something..) but infact in truth – harsh as it may seem.. there are so many varying facets of humility and finding yourself in a situation where you hit yourself on the forehead and say: ‘Damit, what are people gonna say / think about me now?”

Do you care? YES – we all care. I used to fool myself in believing that I don’t care, but we all do – in different variations and circumstances, but we all care to some degree.

One of the ways to combat this is to see failure, rejection and even embarrassment in a new light. And redefining yourself, others and reality.

The reality is: People fail.
The reality is: You fail.
The reality is: I fail.
The redefinition is: Failure is only a life lesson.
The solution: Get over it and relax, enjoy life and stop allowing other people to have so much power over YOUR life!

obladi oblada

11 Things I LIKE:

Ok Amy – before you accuse me of “stealing” your blog ideas:-P I will give you credit.. I read your likes and dislikes and I was inspired to do some of my own – air out ‘me dirty knickers as it were (as if there are any of those left anymore!!) LOL

1) Formula 1 – I get totally depressed between seasons, I am obsessed and a total psycho! (I like most forms of motorsport and anything with wheels.. but this surpasses them all).

2) Going to Purple Martini on a Thursday after work with my friends and having a good laugh

3) Friends and Smallville, I get so absorbed in these two shows, which cannot be more different to each other – but a lot of my life and lessons learnt have been from watching it! (really!)

4) Playing in the thick , fluffy snow in the mountains while the Colorado sun shines in my face – oh happy day!

5) Watching my turtles do their little funny tricks in their tank and talking to them as if they have any comprehension of who I am accept for the hand that feeds them!

6) Visiting London on the way to visiting home.. it gives me total joy and peace to reconnect with my scattered roots and seeing my little Nephew who by the way has the cutest little British Accent!

7) Watching movies – I go alone, I go with everyone and I watch them ALL!!! I think you all know this about me already – it drives me mad when someone asks: “Have you seen this movie” and I haven’t!! arrggh!

8) Chatting online and writing in my blog / writing poems. It’s a total relaxation for me to put my feelings, my rantings, my heart and soul, my poems, my thoughts and my mouthing off at the world on a medium that I know always bites me in the ass!

9)The African sun and the diversity, realness and ruggedness of home.

10)Travelling the world – savoring every culture, architecture, people, history. I just love to be absorbed in things that are different and foreign. Its exciting, enriching and a total mind-blowing experience.

11) Trash talking – pretending that I can beat anyone at anything! It drives them crazy **evil grins*

11 Things I DISLIKE

1) People constantly commenting on my weight – its so annoying that people think its ok to say: “you have put on weight.. or have you lost weight” - or the best one yet “Is your diet working?” - What difference does it make?? It just makes me more self conscious! Stop it already! I like me – I like being a plump, round, size 0 with chipmunk cheeks! Leave me alone!

2) Stupid reality shows like Big Brother, make me a supermodel, mums and daughter competing in beauty pageants, (there are really good ones out there) – but enough already with the freaking pretend we are not pretending!

3) People who eat with no knife – how weird must you be to dig into your food sans a knife, come on people – are you shoveling a grave or something??

4) Losing – hey Amy – you and me are sisters on this one.. In any circumstance.. if anyone seems to come one up on me – it drives me INSANE! (hence the trash talking – refer to my likes)! HAHAHA

5) People damaging the environment.. This just gets my back up – no comment.

6) Bad, inconsiderate drivers – A short lesson in driving: Car manufacturers created a little “stick” on the side of your steering wheel (your type of car will determine on which side it is – but feel free to play around and get familiar) – when you are changing lanes or turning – USE IT!!!!!!!!

7) Exercising. Ok – I know some of you smartasses are gonna say – if this was on my "likes" list – I wouldn’t need to be dealing with number one on my "dislikes" list in the first place! :-P well, whatever – I try - the passion for it just won’t find me…

8) Being TOLD what to do. In general, if you have “rights”.. like say I married you or you pay me (i.e. my boss) – don’t think you can tell me what to do! Ok, also If you are my mother – then its ok too! J

9) Whiners, hypocrites and people are melodramatic about everything. Arggh!

10) Not having money! Come on – who likes that anyway? I mean how fair is it that some chick in the USA was born to a guy who owns the largest Metal Steele manufacturing company in the world, and then has a $60million wedding and lives happily ever after?? Come on – how does THAT suck – so don’t tell me money can’t buy you happiness – well, I would ATLEAST like the chance to prove that theory!

11) Materialism! Don’t you just hate it when all people talk about is money and material stuff?? Argh I am SO over it!

What was.... What is....

I started at this job in June of last year, they stuck me in a nice little quiet office with a nice view. Every morning when i settled in at my desk, i would look out the window and stare off into the distance at the old Methodist church on Broadway and Tremont..

8 months later, i am sitting in a "stunning" beige / grey / cream / brown (or something else).. cubicle.. When i attempt to stare off into the distance my eyes hit an instant backlash. It took me a few weeks to adjust my eyes and my psyche to this whole phenomenon. Many a joke has been formulated about the corrolation between cubicles and prison cells:

IN PRISON ... you spend the majority of your time in an 8x10 cell.

AT WORK ... you spend the majority of your time in one 6x8.

IN PRISON ... they allow your family and friends to visit.

AT WORK ... you can't even speak to your family.

And the list goes on.. however... i am starting to make mine a little homier.. more comfortable.. if you look closely, i have my F1 hero keeping things into perspective for me on the one end and on the other.. a little reminder of my homeland..

One GOOD thing and difference about WORK versus PRISON.. i get paid to be here!

Big bonus! :-P (ok maybe not THAT big.. but whatever!)

Here is to all of you who spend your life behind corporate bars! Then have to go to social bars to recover!

Revenge and Regret

It has been said: "There is nothing more destructive than a civil war".. I tend to disagree..

Perhaps in the magnitude of destruction and lives lost, it may seem far more justifiably grievable than the single lives lost in every day life and then further more diminished is deemed the destruction of the emotions and heart of another person...

Why do people who take emotional revenge on another seem to be surprised by the consequences and regret? How can you take back the pain you cause another? Much like a life lost by whatever means.. you cannot. Yes, i agree - a death can never be recovered.. but hearts heal and wounds repair over time.. but is it any less an abomination to assassinate the character and the feelings of another person, simply for revenge?

Utilitarianism, seeking the greatest possible total self-happiness, would require some people to (by whatever means)appease their own greedy desire to not be on the receiving end of anything negative and when so received.. revenge is their "logical" answer! It seems to some, forgiveness and being the "bigger person" is somehow a form of weakness..

However, i also believe that the more one attacks us, the deeper the strengths that are awakened in us. This is the very thing i have fought against my entire life (seeking revenge) because i believe in intimacy with life.. with your people, your world, your work, your soul mate, your friends and your "neighbor", and I fail to comprehend in my (somewhat naive) view of life, why people still take the road of MOST destruction to another.

Another tactic is inventing private definitions of revenge, of morality, consequence and conscience. For if you create your own, then you are not bound by any other. And that makes it OK!

But - oh happy day because i firmly believe that conscience has its own revenge and Karma is a bitch!

And - why am i ranting about this?? Cause it is my blog and because i can!!! LOL :-)

**FACEBOOK**

It was probably about 8 months ago when my friend, Nic, asked me “Are you on Facebook?”. And I was like: “What is that?” I later registered and put up a profile, which is not unusual for me, because I have profiles for Africa on every site known to man! And because it was new and foreign to me and looked rather busy and complicated, I didn’t bother much with it, much like my “MySpace Profile” it just sat there in inner space… minding its own business.

After a hectic few weeks on a financial project, I had nothing much to do and needed to drain those pesky numbers from my brain, I decided to tractably explore “Facebook”, with innocence and curiosity…

After I made my way around the navigation and making myself comfortably familiar with the magnitude of applications, I soon took leave of my sanity and any spare moment I ever thought I had left! What was I to do, being distracted between passions and now having the dilemma of constantly wanting to “bite chumps” as a virtual vampire and making my vampire stronger than all the others?? This appeals to my competitive side in almost every application, you are constantly being challenged with various quizzes and “games”.

(No: Facebook is not paying me for this post!)

I have been often told that I have an addictive personality – no, no – not that everyone who comes into contact with me, is addicted.. the other thing.. that I get addicted very easily. Ofcourse, in my constant state of denial, I say: “Me?? NO!”

And voila!.. enter FACBEBOOK!

This is Colorado

So, last weekend i took to the mountains of Vail and tore it up on a snowmobile. It was the most fun i have had in the snow in a while. The snow was so thick and fluffy and the views from the mountain top, incredible.

We arrived in Vail late on friday night and got to the lodge, went out for a nice dinner (i had oxtail WOW first time in the USA!) , the snow was coming down really hard, it was so pretty. It is such a different dynamic when you are out in the mountains and the snow is falling, it creates a carefreee feeling. In the city i could do without the slush and the muddy snow!

We went walking in the waist deep snow. Feeling like a kid again, i made snow angels, and rolled down a snow hill. It was awesome. (oh, BTW.. i didn't gain 1000 pounds, that was my XXL suit over all my snow gear! :-P)

I just had an awesome, fun time.

While racing down the white mountain with the wind icing up my face, a few thoughts went through my mind:

My emotions in life have always been articulated through passion and poetry and writing, and when i was doing something new, i felt as though there is a time and a place in life to just let it rip and some good old fashioned fun!! And i was glad to know that i still know how to!!! SUCCESS!!

Ok, so it has been about 3 weeks since i said goodbye to my blog. Alas i have not yet completed (nor started) my new venture and i have been dying inside without having my blog to express myself on.. so, i have decided to continue until i have gotten my new "thing" up and running!!

YAY! (it's mostly cause i can't shut up is all!)