Yoga School Dropout

It's official, I'm a yoga school dropout. I haven't been to classes since April! Various excuses for not going - my bestest yoga teacher stopped doing my usual classes, a month of birthday festivities, a overseas holiday, my dad getting sick etc. Excuses are terrible things, but for whatever reason I have taken a break from my path to enlightenment. But I'm feeling it, and my body is begging to go back.

Thanks to a friend's Book Club, I have just finished reading Yoga School Dropout by Lucy Edge. It's a true story about this ad exec from London goes on trip to India. The Plan: find a guru and return a yoga goddess - a magnetic babe attracting strong and sweaty yet emotionally vulnerable men with her pretzel like body and compassionate grace. I enjoyed every single bit of this book, it really makes me wanna pack it all in, run away to an ashram and wear orange robes. My kind of life. I helps that I love indian vegetarian dishes, mmm… all the paneer I can eat.

But the universe must be sending me a message. First the book, then an article in the paper about Iyengar Yoga - with my old teacher's phone number… So watch this space, I need to get my Chaturunga Dandasana sorted before I show my face in India.

Dad

My dad passed away on the 14 September, after a long stay in hospital. These last 3 months have been very difficult, but also a blessing. My dad & I used to fight A LOT, but since I moved back home in February I was able to appreciate my parents more. It was just nice to know that they were there, should anything happen.
So when my dad got sick it was a huge wake up call. ICU is not a fun place to be and I spent on average 2 hours a day with my dad, keeping him company. In fact, I think we spoke more in the last 2 months than in my entire life (arguments not included!) and it was really nice to take the time just to chat and get to know one another. I am so grateful for that opportunity I was given.
My dad was so strong, he put up with 74 days in ICU and fought with all his strength until the very end. I am so proud of my dad.
This is a hard time for my family and I, the biggest problem is coming to terms with the fact that dad is not coming back. We will always keep our memories close to our hearts, but we miss him so much.

Life

Life is a funny thing. One day you are treading along, ladida, at Point A and everything is cool bananas. Then BAM! just like that the rug gets pulled from under you and you are at Point B. It all happens so quickly that all you can do is be humbled and have such appreciation for everything in your day. The things you took for granted when you were at Point A. Waking up to another beautiful day, driving safely to work, your family, your friends, your job. You get used to B, it becomes the norm - just another average day - and you forget that A used to be the norm.
The thing is, where do you go from Point B? I have found that even if things start to head towards Point C, I start to panic because I know how quickly things can go pear shaped and don't want to become complacent. I am so grateful for the basic things in life that will I ever feel deserving of C or even A again? I am afraid of wanting more, when I am just so happy to be alive. Do I really want more money, a fancy car, shiny new clothes?

Maybe this is just a phase, so I can only wait and see how things change. I have been reading my SARK book, on Finding Pleasure Everywhere - I guess I have to just learn to let go again.

Confetti

What a delightful movie! Confetti follows three couples as they fight it out to win Confetti Magazine’s competition for the ‘Most Original Wedding of the Year’. At stake is a £500,000 dream house, a cover shoot with Confetti and, of course, the most special day of their lives.

It's a mock-umentry style and the acting is just brilliant. The actors developed their characters through an extensive workshop process with the director and worked entirely in character for the production period with no script. The wedding planners are just fabulously gay and funny. In fact, a couple of the scenes reminded me so much of scenerios that I had seen before. If you don't laugh out loud at some of the absurdities people deal with every day, then you must be from another planet. It is a such a ca-ute story, oh and btw there is loads of full frontal nudity…

dolce and gabanna anyone?

M N P

Mobile Number Portability is so going to change your life! I have been looking to move to a cheaper mobile service provider for a while now, but wasn't keen to have to change my number. Well from the 18 September, you will be able to 'port' your number across any of the networks.

Sorry Vodacom - it's a been a fabulous few years, but it's time for us to go our separate ways… I'm think I'm gonna compare costs between Cell C and Virgin Mobile, but I'm thinking Virgin Mobile. They are cool.

Pizzeta

Met the girls for lunch yesterday at Pizzetta. It's run by the same peops from Cafe 1999, and I've been dying to try it out. They do gourmet pizzas and salads, and a rather wicked frozen margarita. It was great to catch up with the girls, and Maria brought some beautiful pics of her travels around south africa this year. The pizzas were so delicious and well priced (Debonairs is more expensive, and there pizzas taste ass) I had a smoked salmon and marscapone - heaven.
We met a very vorsprung waiter (long story) who was kind enough to explain the real difference between men and women, with the aid of a quick Google on his mobile. I'm not sure what it means if your waiter has a better mobile contract than you.

Sunday lunches will never be the same again…

uShaka Marine World

I scored a free ticket to uKaka, and went to check out the aquarium on saturday afternoon. It was nice enough, but I'm glad I didn't pay for my ticket. It was cool, but not over-the-top fabulous. Fish have such simple lives, swim, eat, swim, eat. Okay, they all have that glazed eye look, but you can't have everything. The jellyfish were the best. So pretty and translucent.

Here is some underwater inspiration…

Bot Soc Plant Fair

Went to the Plant Fair on Saturday, and this year I finally got organised and brought this trailer on wheels of my dads. Very useful for lugging loads of heavy plants. I had a close call when one of the organisers tried to take a picture of my wagon and me (with my Lipton ARE YOU GREEN? t-shirt). I could just see me making front page of the Berea Mail… that sort of thing can ruin a girl's reputation! But the weather was stunning and the plants were cheap, so it was all good.

Bolly Baby

Last night we had a month end pardee and farewell at work and with the resident party planner being a farewellee, I keenly offered to organised the 'do'. She smiled and seemed VERY happy to hand over the baton. I now know why…
Plans were going very well with all the pretty pardee stuff, only to realise an hour before the party that no one had ordered any BEER! I have never seen men jump into action so fast in my life. Note to self: 1 case of beer is NEVER enough.
The theme was Bollywood and I borrowed a DVD of bollywood music videos for the big screen - those vids are something else… We also hired a slushy machine and had frozen margaritas and strawberry daiquiris, and finished all 20 litres! Not me personally though. Unfortunately, I kept it very tidy. Nick got very drunk and his white linen pants kept falling down and revealing his fetching Hulk y-fronts. He also did some serious dance moves and is officially my favourite drunk friend. Joanne met some charmer who turned out to be married. In fact, there were far too many old married men there for my liking. One of our sales guys who likes to get his kit off was in his element and there was a LOT of dangly bits under his punjabi. Not pretty I can assure you.
At the end of the day, the party was such fun but I am in no hurry to do the party planning malarky again. The complaints had already started 7 hours before the party! I found it far too stressful, and am not evolved enough to let it all blow through me like a hollow reed. Next time I will just arrive, look purdy and have fun.

Ben Lee

I mentioned before that I went to a Ben Lee gig whilst in London, well I only recently popped in at his website to have a looksy. I really enjoyed his blog, he updates it often and his posts are all cool and spiritual and about life and learning and joy and mistakes and stuff. Stuff to make you think without being too heavy. He really has a positive outlook on life. You'll get all inspired and go out into the world and do fabulous crazy things. Go check out his blog and leave a comment.

Here is a bit off the blog…

Here I am, 27 years old, having more fun and being more fulfilled by more work and life than ever before, and I have no time for old boring limits. No need to for tired ideas about who I'm meant to me. No sentimentality for keeping things the way they were. I am determined to break through any idea that wants to keep me small. And its really not that hard. You can start by juggling three balls. I hope you're all breaking down barriers that need to fall. Find something small that scares you today...and get over it! more