noodle was here: July 2006

Closer

is on the telly tonight… I am the only person who STILL hasn't seen it yet?

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

Oriah Mountain Dreamer

smile… it confuses people

It was during the cold, short days at the start of 2006 that Sandi Thom had her Eureka! moment. Instead of driving to gigs up and down the country with her band in her clapped-out car, as she had done for years, the singer from Scotland resolved to try a different approach. She bought a webcam, and announced a run of 21 shows to be performed on consecutive nights during February and March in the basement of her flat in Tooting, South London. read more

A career based on a few webcasts? Believe or not, Sandi was HUGE when I was in London, and I heard her first single, 'I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair' on 5fm on saturday, so watch out for the next big thing.

"I was born too late to a world that doesn't care"

daddy long legs

If you are planning a weekend away to Cape Town during the 'secret season' go have a look at Daddy Long Legs website. It's a kind of boutique style travellers hotel on the social hub of Long Street. Each room has been designed by a different artist. Some of the names include: Protea Room, You Are Here, The Photo Booth and Please Do Not Disturb. They also have self-catering apartments. Really cool and okay priced, considering how central it is.

If you post a blog and no one comments, does it even exist?

So here's the deal. According to my Site Meter I get plenty of visitors every week, yet if you check my comments - nothing. I can understand if you have popped in once and it's not your cup of tea. But the unwritten rule with any blog is that if you visit frequently, it is only polite that you should post a comment.
Bloggers don't operate in a vacuum, we need a feedback from our visitors, tell us if you like something, tell us if you hate something. It is also a nice way to let others know about your blog. At the end of the day, I don't have a lot of spare time on my hands, and if anything this a way to connect to people I don't see often. So talk to me ya'll.

Make the connection.

p.s. things have been a bit quiet on the posting front, I will try to get going again soon.

What took so long?

Finally it seems that our days of putting up with shitty banking service may be drawing to a close. Are we the only country on this planet who have to pay through our teeth for a credit card? Well, thanks to Richard Branson things are a changing. My current credit card expires later this year, and I will not be renewing it. I really think we should all try to support this initiative - I hope this can spark a transformation in our banking industry. I have been very unhappy with my bank's inflexibility. It costs me a lot of money each month and I still don't get what I need, and they don't seem concerned. They no that the current choices out there aren't much better. For now.

Here is some of the blurb off the Virgin Money site.

Ta da! We're Here! Back in the early 80s Richard Branson was probably best known for Virgin Records - the legendary record label that signed major names like the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and The Human League. Soon his empire included a maverick gang of companies one of which was Virgin Money, which was started in 1995. Virgin Money has a phenomenal track record, in Australia and Britain, for offering great service and value for money and always being a step ahead of the other banks. Virgin Money offers financial services in plain English. Our mission is to give you:
• A super deal
• Fantastic financial products
• Brilliant service
Now we’re in South Africa, continuing our quest for great service and value for money. We think you deserve better! Up until Virgin Money arrived you have been ripped off with obscene interest rates, bank charges, expensive reward schemes and poor service. Here’s how our deal is different.

P.S. the Virgin Mobile deal is also a breath of fresh air. For a second you forget that you are in Africa, because someone is finally taking us seriously. We don't have to accept second best anymore.

It's Pimm's o'clock

One of the best parts of my trip was finding the PIMM'S® bus at the Wireless Festival. I have been dying to try PIMM'S® for ages (I remember my friend Debbles waxing on about the joys of PIMM'S®). Well, PIMM'S® is now officially one of my favourite things.

Think of a big jug with sprigs of mint, strawberries, cucumber, lots of ice, lemonade and PIMM'S®. And two of the thinnest straws you can find. It is so refreshing, perfect for a long summer afternoon.

I drank a good few glasses of the stuff at my brothers place in Ascot. I love how the sun stays up so late, it allows for some really extended sundowners.

This is the recipe I found on the web: Mix 1 part PIMM'S® No.1 spirit drink with 3 parts chilled lemonade. Serve in a jug with lots of ice, the refreshingly fruity taste of PIMM'S® is irresistible. Why not add some fruit? Pieces of orange, mint, cucumber, strawberries, apples and lemon all look delicious and enhance the fruity flavour.