Sandra's rocking the grey...

Now this is how you wear this season's biggest colour trend.
Well done, Sandra. You're normally one of the most boring people on the planet when it comes to wardrobe, but this time you got it right!

"The Queen" vs "The Last King of Scotland"

Where do I begin to compare the 2 latest movies that I've seen? The Queen vs The Last Kind of Scotland.
How are they alike?:
1. They're both about controversial "leaders".
2. They both document turbulent times in their relevant countries.
3. They've both produced Oscar Award winning performances from their lead actors.
How do they differ?
Well... in a nutshell: one was completely unforgettable and outstanding, and the other was quite "blah", for want of a better term.
Sure the attention to detail on The Queen is phenomenal, and yes, I'll admit it, I got a little choked up when I saw the actual footage from Di's funeral. Read more about it here. But, if you want to watch a movie that will change your life, you simply cannot afford to miss The Last Kind of Scotland! Pretty much everyone seems to agree that Forrest Whittaker gives the performance of his life in this terrifying story set in Uganda and recounting a few months in the life of a doctor working for Idi Amin. I was literally on the edge of my seat and you will be too, I can guarantee it! I happened to catch an interview with Forrest on the E-Entertainment channel the other day, where he talks about his portrayal of one of the most feared and hated men of all time. He was saying that he is very aware, as a fellow black man, of how black leaders would have been vilified and demonised by the West in a time when black people around the world were fighting for their freedom from colonial rule and western oppression. Yes, he knows that Idi Amin as a dictator and killer, but he wanted to show the man that Uganda loved and put into power first, before we see what we already know about him, - the paranoia, the ruthlessness... Forrest was going for a multi-dimensional portrayal of a man that everyone only knew one side of, and he's achieved it. He more than deserved the Oscar for best actor. I doubt that he will ever find a role like this one again, but even if he doesn't, believe me when I say that Forrest Whittaker's work is done here, people. He can quite happily retire, knowing that he has nothing more to prove to the world!

"Perfume" Patrick Susskind ****

Amazon.com says: Upon its publication last year in Germany Susskind's first novel Perfume immediately became an international best seller. Set in 18th-century France, Perfume relates the fascinating and horrifying tale of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, a person as gifted as he was abominable. Born without a smell of his own but endowed with an extraordinary sense of smell, Grenouille becomes obsessed with procuring the perfect scent that will make him fully human. With brilliant narrative skill Susskind exposes the dark underside of the society through which Grenouille moves and explores the disquieting inner universe of this singularly possessed man. The translation is superb. Essential for literature collections.
I say: Geez... And I thought that Running With Scissors was messed up! Patrick Susskind has taken "sick" to a whole new level, but in a completely unimaginable way. And the worsed part is that you totally empthise with the murderer and you completely want him to succeed. (A lot like American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis, where you so want Pat Bateman to get away with it all!) This book gets top marks for creativity and imagination. And it has to be one of the best researched book of all time. Only after I read it, did I read the bit about the author... turns out that Susskind is a historian. That would certainly explain the attention to detail. I've also got to give top marks to the translator. If you've ever tried to translate something from one language to another, the first thing that you realise is that a literal word-for-word / phrase-for-phrase translation is simply insufficient in getting the message across. Certain parts of language rarely mean what they actually are written as anyway (proverbs, sayings...). Any literary theorist (like myself) will tell you that language is an ever evolving means of communication that is loaded with social implications that are specific to where/what/why/how it's used. To cut a long story short... you can't just translate a book to get its meaning across. You have to rewrite it using "the language of the people/time". What a special book! Just read it, - trust me!

Durban at night

These are just 2 images captured from the Roma Revolving Restaurant, showing off my great city at night.
Who thought Durban could ever look so cool?

Books, babes and breadsticks

Wednesday night saw our second book club get together, and this time Maria chose to host it at the Roma Revolving Restaurant. She chose it for the awesome 360º views of Durban. Breathtaking! What a fabulous night! The final 2 members (Terri and Sacha) signed on officially, bringing our number to a perfect eight, and they’ve both thrown in some incredible books for us to devour!
For those of you who’re wondering why we have our book club get togethers at restaurants, I can’t remember if I’ve explained why in my previous book club blog. Anyway, here goes a brief summary anyway. Seeing as not all of us have our own places, or want to be bothered with preparing a meal for 8 on a weeknight, or are tired of complaining that we live in a city that we know very little about, - we’ve decided that we will each have a turn to choose a different Durban “hot-spot” that we could visit. We meet on the first Wednesday of every month and so far it’s been great! Now when people ask us if we’ve been to “that cool new place they featured in this month’s Glamour magazine” we can answer in the affirmative.
We’re quite chuffed with ourselves that we ‘re killing several birds (not each other!) with one stone:
- awesome company
- the sharing of great books
- brilliant conversation
- entertainment at a different venue everytime
... And now we can also add Maria’s positive community project to the long list too.
I’ll tell you more about it when we stop talking about it and actually make it happen.
This time I’ve borrowed Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” and a book called “Mao’s Last Dancer” (I’ve forgotten the author) and I started reading IMMEDIATELY!
Watch this space for my reviews and inane observations...

Ag man!

WHY won't Sabina wear a sweater and just make me, her loving mother, happy?
Just once?!
Just look at how cute this little guy looks. His mother made it for him and he wears it in Winter to keep his old bones warm. I WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING FOR MY CHILD TO WEAR!
... But unless I want to get mauled and have to go around looking like a recovering heroin addict who's just tried to slit her wrists, I better banish the thought.
Forever.
People always talk about the joys of motherhood, but nothing ever really repares you for the pains for motherhood...
I guess you just have to realise eventually that, even though you've loved and raised them, you must know when to let them be the people that they really have to be.
("Ting!" - the sound of the light bulb in my head suddenly switching on.)

I'm trying to figure out how to do proper links...

... so bear with me as I get it right!

There are loads more awesome pics of Paolo Nutini on his official website. So check him out when you get a chance. He's just beautiful, don't you think?

Lemme know if that damn link works, m'kay?

Who is this Paolo Nutini?!

And how is it possible that his cover of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" is actually better than the Any WInehouse version?!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=uV0yeeP1X2E&mode=related&search=

Do yourself a favour and check it out...

When you're good, you're good!

It started out as a simple dream really, - to create a mouthwatering hummus that any Middle Eastern babe would be proud to put on her table. Several botched attempts later... Tah dah! The dream came true!
But I couldn't keep it to myself... Oh no! I've decided to share the joy with my friends and family, starting with the girls at my friend, Debbie Veldman's, baby shower this Saturday. It was a hit! (Debz even asked if she could keep some for her dinner later that night...)
Thanks, Noodle, for taking that beautiful pic. Now I have proof that I really am a living legend.
Tee hee.

It’s official: The cutest dog in the world lives in Umhlanga!

Look out beyotches and ho’s!
His name is Reggie and he’s the hottest bachelor in Durban.
Reggie’s only 4-5months old, but he’s already turning heads as he strolls/sniffs around the park. Maybe it’s the twinkle in his eye… maybe it’s his debonair almost regal look… it could even be the way his belly hardly ever leaves the ground? But whatever it is, Reggie is Poochie Heaven!

Reggies turn-ons:
- bulleting around the park, top speed
- toes
- a comfy lap to nap on

Reggies turn-offs:
- being sent outside
- having his toys taken away
- being ignored

Sigh...

Some day, when I get my shit together, I'm gonna look just like Halle Berry.
Some day...
Well, not "just like" her, but maybe something like her if the person looking at me is cross-eyed, high, drunk and in another room altogether. Yeah... That'll do it!
:-/

And the Oscar goes to...

Here they are eveyone! Hot off the presses. They've barely ended their speeches and the winner's list is out on the web!
So what do you think? Did this lot deserve that gold statuette?

Best Picture: "The Departed"
Best Director: Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"
Best Actor: Forest Whitaker, "Last King of Scotland"
Best Actress: Helen Mirren, "The Queen"
Best Film Editing: Thelma Schoonmaker, "The Departed"
Best Song: "I Need to Wake Up," "An Inconvenient Truth"
Best Original Screenplay: "Little Miss Sunshine"
Best Original Score: "Babel"
Best Documentary: "An Inconvenient Truth"
Best Documentary Short: "The Blood of Yingzhou District"
Best Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"
Best Foreign-Language Film: "The Lives of Others"
Best Visuals Effects: "Pirates of the Caribbean 2"
Best Cinematography: "Pan's Labyrinth"
Best Costume Design: "Marie Antoinette"
Best Adapted Screenplay: "The Departed"
Best Animated Feature: "Happy Feet"
Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine"
Best Sound Mixing: "Dreamgirls"
Best Sound Editing: "Letters from Iwo Jima"
Best Live Action Short: "West Bank Story"
Best Animated Short: "The Danish Poet"
Best Makeup: "Pan's Labyrinth"
Best Art Direction: "Pan's Labyrinth"

My thoughts?
I've just watched The Queen this weekend and DAMN, Helen Mirrin was AWESOME! She really had it down, and she really captured the general feeling about the royals in the UK (amongst the British themselves) right now. They HATE the fact that the royal family get to live in the lap of luxury, but at the same time, eveyone gets a tear in their eye when they hear God Save The Queen. The royal family is a very big part of British identity and as much as they hate them today!
I'm off to see The Last King of Scotland next weekend. My brother has just checked it out and he says it's PHENOMENAL. I saw the making last night and Forest Whitaker said some very interesting stuff about how conscious he was (throughout the filming) of the fact that Idi, although a total a/hole, was also the last big African dictator that the racist West could demonise. A lot of what the public around the world actuall read was big time propaganda. Don't get me wrong... We KNOW about the eveil stuff that went down, for SURE! But Forest was saying that he didn't want to show just a one dimensional character, but one that the people actually voted into power in the first place. Interesting...
I'm don't know how I feel about Jennifer Hudson getting the gold for Dreamgirls... I've heard that her performance was very cool and she gave it her all. But I don't know what it is about HER that I don't like...
I'm glad Marie Antoinette got it for best costume. Jeez, they deserved it!
And it's about time Martin Scorcese got an oscar. He was a GREAT fish in Shark Tale, heh heh heh...
I'll leave it there.

I blinked and missed Christmas.

... And now we're already into Lent!
When I was younger and surviving on carrot sticks and black tea, it was easy to give up just about everything as my fast / sacrifice over the ±40days. (I used to consume nothing but fruit, veg and dairy.) But now... Let's just say, I LIVE for that scotch&soda on a friday! I thrive from one steak in red wine sauce to the next! I've been spoiled by the good life... So now it's harder to give it all up. I guess that means my fast is even more important to me now. I understand now. So here's what I'm giving up this year:
1. Booze
2. Red meat
3. Any junk food / "luxuries" (chocolate, soda, chips, etc)
But... Enough of that! The left hand is not surposed to know what the right hand is doing, blah blah blah...
So! To all my Catholic friends, I wish you a wonderfully profound, sincere and sacred Lent. I hope we use the time to reflect and meditate, and I hope we each discover something special and meaningful through it all.

God bless.

Wow! What a crazy couple of weeks it's been!!

... And thanks for bearing with me during this blogging dry-spell!
I've been busy jorling. Tee hee!
It all started with the first ever get-together of our brand new book club on Wednesday, 7th February at Elements, The Beverly Hills Hotel (Umhlanga). It was awesome getting together with such amazing and amazingly different women. Talking, drinking (Mojito's... Yikes!), eating (Cape Salmon) and being inspired by the many different things we've all been up to! We're all travelers, readers, creatives and FABULOUS! I'll be posting a book review soon with the very first book I've taken out. Watch this space.
THEN I went on a cruise with my family to the Portuguese Islands, on board the MSC Melody. What an unforgettable trip!
I’m waiting for my pics to be developed and to get a bluetooth adapter so that I can link my cell-camera to my laptop, so I can download the pics I’ve taken... There’ll be a cocktail-by-cocktail account of all my antics soon. Watch that space too!
And it all culminated in the very best Valentine’s Day ever! No... I haven’t met my dream man and fallen madly in love. My mom and dad were my Valentine’s this year, preparing an unforgettable chinese dinner for my Valentine-less brother and me. The day started with me finding a rose on my desk from my “secret admirer”. I know it’s probably from the guys at work... But it still made me smile! I know it’s kinda goofy, but it was quite sweet spending the day speculating over who it could be or rather, making up some fantastic Mr Perfect who happened to spot me from across a crowded mall, followed me to my office and secretly left me a single red rose... Hot! I then made my way home to be greeted at the door with cocktails served up by my mom and dad. They lead us through to the diningroom, where they had set the table in red and white, and placed chocolates all over the place. My mom had cooked her killer stir-fry. Dad was in charge of drinks and serving up the dessert. What a great evening. Let me tell you, no guy has ever made that kind of effort for me, so I felt really really special. Thanks mom and dad. You guys are the best!

The coolest MOST ROCKING thing in the world!

http://roxik.com/pictaps/index.html

All sushi'd out?

You know, you'd think that after a MASSIVE sushi dinner on saturday with Noodle (my best mate) and a GIGANTIC sushi with the girls two nights ago I'd be all sushi'd out. But it really is quite the contrary! I'm addicted. More than ever. I do think that Durban's summer heat has something to do with it. The thought of eating anything even vaguely hot/spicy just freaks me out!
OK! I know what you're going to say... To much sushi is a bad thing. Even the japanese themselves restrict their sushi diet for week to week. And the fish is not as pure/clean as we think it is, when you consider the polluted state of our water. But I say... BAH!
BAH TO YOU, SUSHI PARTY POOPERS!
Oh... and pass the wasabi, please.

2007 is the year of The Greens!

... Well for me, at least!
Happy 2007 everyone. I'm so sorry for not wishing you sooner (or even saying goodbye before my holiday, for that matter - oops!) but life's been... life's been... what's the word?... life's been for the living, I guess.
This holiday I made sure that I lived it, - not vegging out on the sofa day after day, but getting mylsef out of bed early each morning and doing SOMETHING everyday. Even if that "something" was as small as driving along the coast, with the sun on my face and the wind in my hair, and stopping to have lunch on the deck of a restaurant overlooking the beach. Beautiful.
But now that I'm back to reality, Green is the new Fat... And I'm LOVING IT! After just a week at work, detoxing, working out and eating "clean" I'm feeling stronger, slimmer and more "alive" somehow. Ok so I had a couple of glasses of wine a few nights ago, but I watered them down with some sparkling water and felt SO proud of myself all of the next day!
And read my lips! This is no New Year's resolution. This is a way of life. And it's going to be easy for me to implement because I've already been putting the various elements into place one by one during the course of last year. So this year, all I've done was give up ONE thing... The Final Thing that makes the whole plan come together... BREAD!
Goodbye Saturday morning toasted sarmies.
Goodbye free restaurant breadrolls.
Goodbye midnight peanut butter sarmies washed down with a good scotch & soda.
Goodbye special bakery cheese loaves and croissants...

And goodbye heartburn, butt-block, 2-day bloat and not fitting into my dresses anymore!

I won't miss you, bread. You're like an emotionally abusive boyfriend. I've always somehow known that you were bad for me, but you just felt so damn good.

Now that you're gone, I look you and I can't believe that I ever loved you so much.
Go make some other woman miserable!
I'm over you.

Birthdays ROCK! Drunk driving SUCKS!

My friend, Gail (the aunty in the middle of the pic), had her birthday at Bean Bag Bohemia last friday... What a jorl!!! The food was incredible: thai chicken wontons, YUM! And the people were great. My mom and I pretty much spent the evening shooting the breeze with Noodle (first from the left).
I was totally bummed that I was driving and couldn't really let my hair down, but it was a good thing I kept it tidy. On the way home, mom and I went through our first road block for the season. The Booze Bus was parked on the side of the road, next to the rows and rows of cars belonging to drivers who flunked the breathaliser test. Scary! I'm always really irritated when I go through these things. I go to all the trouble of staying sober, and the cops don't even ask to see my license! They just assume that, as a woman, I'm less likely to be driving home wasted, but let's face it... In this country I think the chicks take just as many chances with drunk driving as the men! Those of us who are single still want to have a good time, and we still need to get home somehow! Cops need to catch a fat wake-up! I know everyone keeps telling me that I'd be singing a different tune if the cops DID catch me for drunk driving. Make no mistake: You do NOT want to spend a night in jail in this country! But, I limit my drinks, pace myself and even if it means I've got to stop drinking and move around for a couple of hours to sober up, then that's what I do! People who get behind the wheel while they're still smashed should also take responsibility for what might happen to them if they get caught! (Boy. When I think about how young guys brag about getting home while trashed, I actually feel sick.)
I often get to work in an absolute STATE after having driven in front of / behind / near a reckless driver. It always frightens me that the reckless people are rarely hurt / killed in the accidents that they cause. They can see it coming, so they're "prepared" for the impact. It's the innocent guy/girl that gets hurt/killed. They're blissfully unaware that driving safely/defensively simply isn't enough. If some reckless a/hole is gonna take you out, they're gonna take you out and there's nothing you can do...
Boy that was a bleak blog.
It started out so good, and then it got wierd...
ANYWAY! The message is this: Be careful on the roads this festive season. I've lost far too many people lately, and I can't do any more funerals.

Lynette (1971-2006)

Lyn...
Christmas Day was always our day together. Every year, you'd come over in the afternoon and we'd laugh 'til 2am the next morning, over shooters and a bunch of dumb jokes. So, wherever you are, I know that you know I'm going to miss you very much. I don't want to be sad, but I'm already getting choked up whenever Christmas day pops into my head. This lump in my throat is going to suffocate me. I'm trying hard to do what you always did in tough times: put a radiant smile on my face and never let them see me down. But I can't do it like you did. The lump in my throat keeps squeezing big, giant tears out of my eyes. I'm going to miss your baking and the thoughtful gift. I know that your folks need us this festive season more than ever, but I can't look at them. I just can't. I wanted a change of scenery... maybe Christmas lunch at a nice restaurant somewhere. Anything to be able to stay away from the memories... But my parents need the comfort of their own home right now. As much as they don't want to think about you too, they want to be near the places they know you'd be happy.
I'm going Christmas shopping today. I'll be picking up something for Liam, Tatum and your folks. But I don't think any store out there has what we'd all really like this Christmas:
1. Lump-in-Throat Remover
2. ... and few more moments with you.

Is it Christmas time yet?

No?
Oh well... bummer.
...
...
...
...
How 'bout now?