A Year and Some Spare Change

Wow!!! One year (and some spare change later) I'm back!!!

It's been a rather eventful year. Finishing my degree, friends having babies, friends moving away... Where to start?

So last year I kind of struggled with my edumacation. I have this slight complex in that whenever I'm about finish something, I tend to lose interest in it. I think it might be due to the fact that I may not want that chapter in my life to end because that means that a new one is starting. I am not afraid to start anything new, in fact i usually approach these new chapters in my life head on, but everyone has a bit of a fear of the unknown. Don't let this (or anything) hold you back however when it is time to move on with your life. #moveforward

I struggled through the year and emerged victorious at the end of it. I cannot believe that I was unemployed for four years. It's not nice having to rely for finances from the parents, but I had no other choice. #nomoney

So the new phase in my life is about to start. Getting back into the job market.While all my other fellow graduates are stressed and worried whether they will get a job, I'm extremely calm about the whole situation. This is the reasoning behind my tranquility... Everything will happen for me at the right time. There is no reason to stress! If it is meant to happen it will happen. Everything in this universe has its time and place and if it's not your time then good luck trying to convince the universe otherwise. #nostress

One of my closest friends (Karen) had a baby last year and made me the godfather. I remember the day like it was yesterday. We went to the hospital early in the morning and was with her until the afternoon. she gave birth to a beautiful giant baby boy. My godson. He is one of those truly beautiful babies. Most babies are weird looking and a bit ugly (I've seen a few of them recently), but not him. He's such a handsome little child! #godson

Grace moved to a dangerous place called Johannesburg last year, never to return. That was a bit of a "woah" moment in my year, but she just had to get out of this place. It is too small for people like us.

Although some of my closest friends have left me here on the farm I am consoled by the fact that I will join them in the big city one day soon. #dreams

That was my 2013 in a nutshell. A very tiny nutshell... #nutshell

Enter 2014...

I started attending law school in January and so far it has been a schlep! It is a hell of a lot of work! Not helped by the fact that the people in charge do not like me very much. i have absolutely no reason why! I am soldiering on however and am getting pretty good marks without very much effort on my part. #lawschool

I always thought that litigation (the art of arguing in court) is fascinating until we had to do moot courts. I do not like it at all! i would much rather sit in my office and do paperwork and rake in the cash money! I found out that Conveyancing and Administration of Deceased Estates is where the money is and I wanna specialise in that now. I also want to try my hand at corporate law and see how fascinating that is. #cashmoney

Lastly, today is my 30th Birthday. It should be a big deal but it does not feel like that to me. I'm just another year older. Someone the other day was surprised to find out that i was 29 years old. I take that as a compliment. I may look (and sometimes act) like a 22 year old but those who know me know that I dispense snippets of wisdom that some 50-year-olds haven't even grasped yet. #oldageyoungface

So to celebrate this year of change for i have decided to host a weekend getaway for nearest and dearest. I really hope that it's going to be an epic weekend. #epic

That's it from me for now. I pray that i keep this up...

Peace. Love. Happiness. 

P.S. Because of the consequences of birth and aging (and being reminded by Trizz) I now unfortunately have to change the status of  this blog from "The ramblings of a twenty-something year old" to "The Meanderings of a thirty-something year old"

P.P.S Being the hipster that I am, I have adopted the hashtag sign ironically as a scathing indictment on this god-forsaken swag generation.

P.P.P.S I'm done!

A Little Musing

This is just a short post about a realisation I had a few minutes ago...

I don't know why but I was thinking about life and for some reason I compared it to making your way through a forest towards your destiny. I suppose that you are making your way towards your purpose.

It came to me that a lot of people take the beaten trail that many before them have carved out. That to me is the easy route where you find very few obstacles blocking your path. But on that route there is very little beauty and hardly anything that can move you.

I realised that I have never walked that path. I have never had anyone carve their way through a forest for me. I suppose that when I was younger I veered off course and started making my own way through that dark and mysterious forest. On the way I had to remove some pretty big weeds and cut my way through some bushes and even cut down trees that were blocking my path. It was all very difficult but that doesn't compare to the beauty I have encountered. What my eyes have seen, what my hands have touched and what my soul has experienced overshadows all the trials I had to overcome to get me to this point of my forest.

Life is not about the destination but the journey. It is not too late for you to veer off course and make your own way to your own destination.

\

Enjoy!!!

Peace. Love. Happiness.

Fat Ink

It is that time of the year again for me. I am considering getting my next tattoo. Last year on the 27^th of  January I got my first ever one, dedicated to mother dearest…

*thought i'd give you a bit of face as well*

Tattoos to me should be very meaningful or profound to the bearer. I hate it when I see people getting tattoos just to have some ink on your body or because it looks pretty. This is something that is going to  stay on your body forever! That is why I have taken so long on deciding what to get for my first one. I always knew that I want it to be dedicated to my mother, but I didn’t know what to get. The ideas that were floating around in my head were that maybe I should get a Florence Nightingale tattoo (because mother dearest is a nurse), or maybe international sign for the medical profession, or maybe even a portrait of her. I finally settled on something very simple because I think that reflects the relationship between the two of us. Nothing complicated. Just Love. I got it on my wrist so that I can look at it everyday and be reminded to never ever take her for granted. Someone asked me a few weeks ago, in a very sarcastic way, “Howz that tattoo working out for you?”. He was extremely lucky that I was rushing off somewhere and didn’t have the time to retaliate, because clearly he has some mommy-issues that he was trying to project onto me… I am not ashamed of my ink so far because it portrays something beautiful and sincere: the love a son has for his mother. 

*Just a bit of a side note… why is the word “Mum” acceptable??? It is supposed to be “Mom”!!! Think about it… The word is spelt “Mother” not “Muther”… Get with the program!*

I never want to regret a tattoo that I get. That is why I have been battling with the concept of my second one, which I may get within the next few weeks. There are two concepts that I’m working with…

The first one is getting an edited version of the prayer of St. Francis tattooed on my back (maybe on one shoulder blade). I’m still not sure about placement. The prayer is as follows:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

I was thinking of editing it so that it reads as follows:

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


May I not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Obviously I am going to want it in some kick-ass script-ish kind of font.

The reason why I like this prayer/poem is because it speaks of selflessness. A trait that is lacking in today’s world. When everyone is consumed with being better than their fellow man and willing to step on anyone to get to the top, this poem speaks of being different and selflessly righteous (the good kind of righteous). I want to live like that.

The second concept that I have in mind is getting the African continent tattooed on my back. The reason I want to get that done is because, for very obvious reasons, I am an African. For many years I have fought with the idea of “being an African”. That is because when I was younger I had a very different view of what is to be an African. Back then it meant that I am from a place where crime rules, poverty is rampant and in order to advance you have to have a certain skin tone. Where the streets are filthy and the politicians are corrupt and the society will never grow because they are holding on to what has happened in the past. Today I have a totally different view of what it means to be African. It means acceptance of diversity and multiculturalism. It means community. It means survival. It means perseverance. It means respect. It means UBUNTU. Living in a first world country proved to me that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.

I am considering this tattoo because no matter where I end up in the world I want to remind myself to never forget my roots. To never forget my humanity. To never forget ubuntu. To never forget that in this world of individualism, that I am part of a community, I am an African.

I have a friend who already has an African continent on his back in a brilliant design. 

This is it…

To be honest I would love to get it exactly in that design, but there would be no creativity in that. So it looks like I will have to design my own. Commence Photoshop!!!

As soon as I have it done I will post a picture.

Peace. Love. Happiness. 

Do Yourself A Favour

I really don’t have much to say… My life lately has been spent either in front of the TV or laptop, sooo ya…

I thought I’d do a “Latest Favourite Things” post

Music

I don’t really have a specific taste in music. If it is good to my ears then I like it. Right now my Top 3 tunes are:

            Just Give Me A Reason – Pink and Nate Reuss

            Impossible – James Arthur

            Bruises – Chairlift

Just a bit of a side note… I think the duet between Pink and Nate Reuss is awesome! Do yourself a favour and check out the live performance.

Movies

Well Pitch Perfect is one of my all time favourites. I must have watched it about 15 times. One cannot go wrong with Pitch Perfect.

I would really like to get myself the DVD box set of Kill Bill. Urgh! I just never seem to get to it. One of my all time favourites.

The other day I watched The Perks Of Being A Wallflower. I will comment on this movie in the following section.

Books

Before I started exams last year I read 50 Shades of Grey. I finished the first 2 but I just couldn’t finish the 3^rd one because I found it extremely boring. Maybe I’ll finish it one day but right now I really can’t be asked.

I also discovered The Perks of Being a Wallflower after I saw people discussing it on Facebook. The title really caught my eye. I immediately downloaded the book and a few hours of non-stop reading I was done reading. It is such an unassuming and simple book and yet it is so good. There are some good life lessons hidden in the story. I would definitely recommend that you read it.

After reading the book I got hold of the movie and I have to say that I didn’t have high hopes. My expectations were fully met. The casting was absolutely horrid. Not one single actor echoed the character in the book. Although I know that Emma Watson is not a good actress (ever since her Harry Potter days), it was still a bit sad to have it confirmed by this film. Maybe she should just become a socialite. The only redeeming quality of the film is that it did not stray from the book too much. Bottom line: the book is much better than the film. Do yourself a favour and read it. *It’s free online*

I have been reading The Wheel Of Time series now for a very long while. I have just discovered that the final book, A Memory Of Light has been released a few days ago. I really want to read it soon. I have been avoiding online forums and WOT websites like the plague! Hopefully I’ll get it sometime this week. I’m so excited, but also sad because it’s coming to an end and I have to find another series to read after this. A lot of people have suggesting A Song Of Fire And Ice. Maybe I’ll start it next month…

TV

My favourite TV shows are…

The Big Bang Theory

There’s really noting to say about TBBT. You either find it funny or you don’t...

Modern family

The same can be said for MF. The relationships and quirks of this family is just hilarious!

House Hunters

This is a series that follows people who are about to buy property and each episode chronicles their journey. I suppose I like it because it allows me to see how other people live elsewhere in the world.

Selling New York

Now this is a show and a half. This show follows three/two New York realty brokers and the multi-million dollar properties that they sell in The Big Apple. Some of these apartments are just absolutely exquisite and so ridiculously expensive!! If you like to dream big I would suggest you do yourself a favour and watch this series.

There you go… Those are just a few of my favourite things at the moment… Enjoy!!!

Peace. Love. Happiness. 

Sometimes I wish...

I was meaning to do a new years post a few days ago, but honestly, I’m over the hype and excitement. Six days of the new year have already passed and although I’m trying my best to have a good outlook and positive attitude, something in my gut just tells me that this is going to be a trying year.

I will however make you this promise, that I will take whatever life throws at me this year with all the courage and strength I can muster (and that is saying something!).

Melancholy-ness aside, this year marks a milestone in my life. It happens to be my final year at university. Next year (hopefully) I’ll be graduating with my law degree. I’ll be the first to have a degree in my family, immediate and extended. It’s a big deal. A phase in my life is coming to an end and a new one is going to start.

It’s actually quite a nerve wracking transition because I have been out of the working world for almost four years now. I am sure however that I will succeed in whatever I do. During my life I’ve been through many of these transitions and to some people they may have seemed like difficult periods, I have always found that things happen at certain times in ones life for a reason and it is best to just accept the hand that you have been dealt and make the best of it. Fighting change is useless.

People want to stay in their comfort zone and are rattled when these types of situations are thrust upon them, but I believe the true test of character is how you react to these conditions.

I have always been one who has just gone with the flow of life and embraced every trial and test that I have been dealt and let me tell you that so far I am quite a happy bunny.

If there is one piece of advice that I can give you for this year it would be to embrace life. The good and the bad.

Sometimes I wish I can just be more superficial and shallow and not think about thing too deeply, but then I realise that I am an old soul and the wisdom that has been granted to me is for a higher purpose.

PS. A few hours ago I was wrestling with this one situation in my life and this post was meant to be about something different and miserable, but thanks to this post I actually feel a bit healed.

PPS. I should really stop listening to depressing music like Chairlift. This band has got me emo like hell. (OK maybe I’ll just keep listening to Bruises)

Peace. Love. Happiness.

A Family That Bleeds Together....

So I have come to the realisation that all families are dysfunctional. There's no way around it. Some may hide their dysfunction better than others but it is still there. Swept under the emotional rug, festering and becoming even more and more distasteful and hateful.

I know these things because I have seen glimpses of it in other families. People one would look at and think "aaaawwwww why cant my family be this happy together?" Those are sometimes the families with the biggest lumps of dirt under their rugs.

My family is screwed up (and I love it). Needless to say that the size of our lump has increased over the span of my lifetime, but one has learnt how to deal with all the little nuances of family life and its tricky waters one has to navigate.

The saying goes "You can choose your friends but you cannot choose your family". The way I deal with family drama is a way that works for me and is totally different to the way I handle other relationships in my life. I do not entertain non-familial relationships that tend to introduce drama into my life. The way I see it is that (especially having a big family) your family is your family and there is nothing you can do about it and you just have to suffer them no matter what... It is inevitable that issues will crop up somewhere sometime but this is the hand that life has dealt you. You can either choose to fight it out with them (not physically of course, I mean trying to work it out with them for the sake of the "family"), or live a solitary life. I do remember however this one incident which involved two of my cousins, both girls. One of them hit the other one over the head with a full bottle of beer, resulting in the "victim cousin' having to get sixteen stitches. This is the part where my love for my family comes in, because although that was a heinous act from one person to another, because they are family they forgave each other and not even a week later they were laughing about the situation.

I understand that to some people that may sound extremely convoluted and out of this world, but it is the lot that my family was given to bear in this life. I am a part of this wonderful organism which at times can be the most beautiful of things and at other times it can be the most hurtful.

I have very few friends (screw you! I'm not saying it in a "pity me" kind of way. I'm proud to have only a  few people I call friends). The reason I have so few friends is because I will not tolerate drama mongers in my life. You know those kind of people....? The ones who gossip incessantly about everyone and everything... If I have to, then I will deal with it if it was a family member, but I will not allow unnecessary chaos into my life, where all I want is peace.

Now don't get me wrong... A certain level of drama is acceptable in a friendship. without it the relationship would frankly be quite boring.

But do not come here and try to start something. I'll kick you to the curb faster than you can say "did you hear about...?"

It has been Christmas now for 1:47 minutes... The festive season always makes me appreciate my family more.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

PS. I don't really like it when people say "xmas". Try saying that word in Xhosa... it makes no sense!
PPS. I'm never using Blogger again to compose or edit a post. spell check on this thing sucks!!! One is rather gonna write up posts in a Word document.

Peace. Love. Happiness. 

Internal Festivities

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around the house my poor mother is running, finishing up the feast for tomorrow. Sadly she'll be working all day tomorrow while we, the lazy bastards she calls family, enjoy her hard work...

As I have "grown up" I have lost my excitement for the festive season. I cannot put a finger on why that is. My mind instinctively jumps to the fact that I obviously don't get the same amount of gifts that I used to get when I was younger, but then I check myself and I convince myself that I cannot possibly be that shallow... I really cannot be... I would die if I was like that...

Earlier on in the evening I had a conversation with a friend and I pointed out that my body is not what it used to be.... I realise that as one gets older your body dies, but my spirit is still so young. When I was still a spring chicken I used to party on Christmas eve, come home Christmas morning, sleep, wake up, eat then sleep again for the rest of the day. I would then start partying again on Boxing Day... A few years ago I realised that Christmas is absolutely not about the partying, but it is about appreciating and spending time with family and those whom you love (and love you back). Not to mention that all the drama/dysfunction of ones family is quite entertaining :)

That may sound awfully noble but it's the truth.... I do not even talk to the people that I used to party with back then and I think that is a testament to the truth of my revelation....

I will however concede on the point that I am shallow enough to be a tiny bit jealous of those who are out painting the town red, but I am mature enough to know that there is a better way.

This December choose your family over a party.

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Peace. Love. Hapiness.