10 Things I have learnt this week

1. It is possible to just quit smoking.

2. Boiling water in the morning really must be an acquired taste.

3. When it comes to learning “Embrace what you do not like” – Federica Marchesini

4. My new favourite milkshake flavour is turkish delight.

5. I am still the Queen of Procrastination.

6. Times really does fly. It’s almost March!!!

7. If you have money in your purse/wallet you will spend it.

8. I judge a book by its cover. Even though I love a good thriller, pink and baby blue chick lit covers call out to me all the time.

9. I honestly do not give a shit about work anymore – I’m not bothered pretend to care either.

10.  It’s time for my 10 things to evolve – new weekly posts will feature 10 things I like, 10 things I don’t like, 10 things I want to do before I die, 10 countries I want to see, 10 movies I can never get enough, 10 anything really.

Don’t you just hate it when

Remember this post? And this one? Gosh I used to yap on and on about things that irritate me on a daily basis. This is just a friendly reminder that I have not turned into a happy sunshiny fra-la-la-la-la kind of person. So here goes – my most recent pet peeves and no it does not take much to get my rage going.

So you at work. You get an email addressed to your whole group. Someone and there is always that one person that decides to hit Reply All. This then quickly spirals out of control. Someone else (and there is always that one angry colleague) will inform everyone to please not hit reply all. At this stage there might be another idiot or two also begging us all please not to reply all. The average worker now thinks s/he is the CEO and does not have time for these silly emails and expresses him/herself. I read every single email. The whole thing just becomes hilarious. Doesn’t make it less annoying though.

Can all please just for once go out with our friends and not turn it into a photo shoot frenzy? I am trying to have a meal. I am trying to have a decent conversation with good friends. It’s great to capture these moments. But every single moment? C’mon guys, please don’t post and tag that photo of me stuffing my face. Please don’t force me to smile whilst I’m supposed to be busy chewing my food. For once can we just hang out like normal people? I do not want a play-by-play of my entire night on Facebook either. I want to go out and enjoy myself and not think of technology just for a wee bit. D’ya think you can do that?

Which brings me to my next point – do not text or even look at your phone when you are out with friends or family. I get it sometimes you need to reply to an urgent message but certainly not every 2 minutes. I find it extremely rude to talk to someone who is constantly checking their phone or sending texts. Hey, guess what? Here is a real live girl sitting across from you. She would love to speak to you especially since she bothered to wash, get dressed and come outside to play for a change.

I’ve written about Facebook before – here’s my current list of vein-popping pet peeves. One could ask why do I even bother with Facebook but that’s a question we can tackle another day.

• Change to a pink Facebook. Huh??
• What is your mood today? I don’t think you want to know.
• What is your love level? Come closer and I’ll show you.
• What is the meaning of your name? As if I care.
• My pic rank has been updated. When? How? By whom?
• Someone answered a question about you? Great! Despite the fact that I haven’t seen you in 10 years and can vaguely remember you. It’s good to know I made an impact on your life and that you know so much about me. It’s quite possible you know me better that I know myself. Who needs an identity crises with ‘friends’ like these?
• Here is your horoscope for today? What does it all mean? Let’s get high and reflect on the tides and the phase of the moon.
• A new fortune cookie has been delivered to you. It has? What does it say? I’m intrigued. Not!

PS. I don’t care who views my profile either.

10 Things learnt

Picture taken inside Mr. Pickwicks - Long Street

Today’s list is from one of my readers – Thanks Zee.

1. I don’t trust people who don’t eat….they usually have to find other (devious) ways to spend their time.

2.I love 80’s music..Cyndi Lauper and all.

3.Don’t get reality shows..there’s scripts, there are actors, so where’s the reality?

4.Prefers the ‘no make-up’ look, we came with no mask, I suggest we leave without it.

5. History intrigues me, that’s probably my nerdyness speaking but the thought of a visit to the museum, still gets me excited!

6. Trains in Cape Town is not for the faint hearted it’s like playing russian roulette…you may not lose your life, but you may just lose your valuables (so go easy on the gold).

7. You should never have to change to please someone else or for the convenience of someone else…a cliche but true.

8.Watching a movie in a cinema is, and always will be cool, provided its a good movie.

9. For some people, love don’t exist unless its put on display, so you couldn’t tell your loved one, what you wanted to their face? It had to be broad casted via Facebook, twitter and any other social network that would house your OTT DOA?

10.I’m good at organizing things, provided its something I want to be involved in, anything creative works for me 😉

for the love of food

It’s great when you learn new things about your friends or yourself for that matter. This week in Italian class my lovely teacher Fede was asking me questions in Italian and I was masterfully attempting to reply with my limited vocabulary.

The question was: Do I/can I cook? Ha ha ha. Well of course not. Not exactly a state secret. My teacher however was surprised by this revelation as she firmly believes that I am capable of anything and have many hidden talents. It’s not that I can’t cook but it’s that I don’t enjoy it. Don’t get me wrong though – I LOVE FOOD and I LOVE TO EAT, regardless of whether it’s something simple or lavish.

I do have weird taste when it comes to food. Eg. I don’t like mince but love it in lasagna but don’t eat spaghetti at all. And I only like to eat rice when it is in sushi. Despite all this I do love good food and love stumbling upon new places to eat at. So when my fave sushi place lost their chef and I was unable to get my fix I did what any self-respecting sushi junkie did – I started looking for a sushi place nearby to get my next hit. After walking a few blocks down Long Street I turned down into Vredenburg Lane which is hidden away lane and found Bamboo. Good sushi and decent prices. I found my new favourite place.

A craving for something sweet drove me out of my Bamboo cocoon and into the welcoming warmth of Lola’s. A cute little restaurant slash coffee shop in Long Street with wholesome food and with the best cheesecake I have had in a really long time. Will definitely be going back for more. Might have gone a little camera crazy – that’s not at all annoying. In fact I’m starting to wonder what other hidden gems Long Streets holds – must investigate.

Timeline

Timeline to democracy

 I’ve just finished reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm and it amazes me how a book written in the 1940’s can still be relevant today’s time. SA’s Farmer Jones (Apartheid) has been abolished and we have been a democracy since 1994. However, even though a new government starts out with good intentions should we be fearful of the fact that a Napoleon could be in our midst? Almost 20 years later there are still so many promises that has been made to us that has yet to be delivered.

10 Things I have learnt this week

1. It’s great seeing others progress and move on to better things.
2. There’s only one earth and we should all do our best to look after it.
3. When your usual sushi spot is closed all it means is that you’re about to discover your new sushi spot (nom nom nom)
4. I really don’t like fancy restaurants.
5. Lola’s baked cheesecake in Long Street is the best I have tasted in years.
6. When learning something new it’s important to persevere on those days when you just can’t seem to get it right.
7. It is possible to become addicted to exercise. Well almost.
8. I can’t stand wearing socks anymore.
9. Walking after eating (read stuffing your face with sushi and cake) is a smart thing to do.
10. Collecting mulch (straw and horse shit) is not as gross as I thought it would be. I also managed to not freak out when one of the horses walked right up to me and smelled me.

Sneaking a peek into secret gardens

Crime? What crime?

According to most of  modern civilisation and the western world South Africa is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to visit. We’ve even been nicknamed the rape capital of the world. A sad reality for such a beautiful country. Recently two colleagues on two separate occasions were mugged on their way home from work. This is quite scary as I take the same route to get to the bus station at night. Many foreign tourists are aware of this and rightly so as one needs to be cautious and constantly aware of your surroundings.

It’s interesting that the one thing I was constantly warned about before my trip to Barcelona was to be aware of pickpockets. I have never been mugged (touch wood) in my life and I was going to make sure that it does not happen to me overseas. On our first night one of the girls that was staying at our hostel was pickpocketed. Sadly I think the reason why this did not happen to me is because growing up in Cape Town has already taught me to be vigilant. Bag always in front and hand securely held over bag. It’s a no brainer and I certainly did not have to consciously think about doing this it was as natural to me as breathing. Look left, then right, and then left again and don’t forget to check your blind spot – it’s a little bit like the K53 driving system.

A while ago I was reading about an Argentinian travel blogger’s experiences during the 2010 word cup in South Africa and he explained how he felt constantly fearful and paranoid. When a group of street kids joked and told him they knew the security code to the gates of the hostel he was staying at he stayed up all night on the lookout for a possible break in. I laughed when I read this but then I realised that it not funny at all and that his fear was real. I think I’ve probably become desensitized to all the crime around me.

Despite all the crime – people however fail to mention that most South Africans are warm, kind, friendly and generous to assist others. The reality is no matter where you travel to it is always best to exercise caution and use your common sense.

10 Things I have learnt this week

Me on a 150cc bike

1. I am now able to stop making lame excuses for not exercising.

2. I am a quick learner.

3. Cold ice-cream can cause a numb tongue and slurred speech.

4. Beautiful views are particularly distracting when one has to study.

5. What good is a pencil without an eraser? Let me tell you – it’s no good.

6. Four day weeks are awesome – so take Friday’s off.

7. It’s amazing how you can go from dreading something one minute to finding that same thing exhilirating.

8. I am becoming allergic to naps – this is worrisome.

9. I have a mild case of climacophobia – fear of falling down stairs or up and don’t laugh this has happened to me – true story.

10. Even the smallest achievement/success is a major confidence booster.

Let your currency decide where you travel to

It’s no secret that the South African Rand is pretty weak against the Dollar, Pound and Euro. This makes saving up for travelling a long process which includes planning ahead and booking plane tickets months in advance. There is however another option – simply choose a country where your currency is stronger.

Before you get too excited be sure to also check out the cost of living for each country to give an idea of how much money you will need – I like using numbeo.com. Currently the cheapest holiday destinations include: Hungary, Croatia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Czech Republic. So instead of pining for Paris go somewhere you never thought of going.

Below is a list of exchange rates and there are some countries definitely worth a visit.

Click here for regular forex updates – Current Exchange Rates

Foreign Currency to South African Rand

Last updated on Friday, 03 February 2012
One Rand equals X currency		One currency equals X Rand
0.130559 US Dollar (USD)		7.66 ZA Rands
0.082596 Pound sterling (GBP)		12.11 ZA Rands
0.0993287 Euro (EUR)		10.07 ZA Rands
0.121901 Australian dollar (AUD)		8.20 ZA Rands
0.130452 Canadian dollar (CAD)		7.67 ZA Rands
0.823242 Chinese yuan renminbi (CNY)		1.21 ZA Rands
0.755261 Croatian kuna (HRK)		1.32 ZA Rands
0.0581345 Cyprus pound (CYP)		17.20 ZA Rands
2.49168 Czech koruna (CZK)		0.40 ZA Rands
0.738347 Danish krone (DKK)		1.35 ZA Rands
1.01252 Hong Kong dollar (HKD)		0.99 ZA Rands
28.995 Hungarian forint (HUF)		0.03 ZA Rands
16.064 Icelandic krona (ISK)		0.06 ZA Rands
6.41784 India Rupees (INR)		0.16 ZA Rands
9.94298 Yen (JPY)		0.10 ZA Rands
0.393767 Malaysian ringgit (MYR)		2.54 ZA Rands
0.156572 New Zealand dollar (NZD)		6.39 ZA Rands
0.761291 Norwegian krone (NOK)		1.31 ZA Rands
0.416225 Polish zloty (PLN)		2.40 ZA Rands
0.431661 New Romanian leu (RON)		2.32 ZA Rands
3.94228 Russian rouble (RUB)		0.25 ZA Rands
0.16274 Singapore dollar (SGD)		6.14 ZA Rands
0.880803 Swedish krona (SEK)		1.14 ZA Rands
0.119704 Swiss franc (CHF)		8.35 ZA Rands
0.229603 New Turkish lira (TRY)		4.36 ZA Rands
Foreign Exchange Rates supplied by South Africa Travel