A recent survey on the Worldwide Web revealed Capetown to be the current number one holiday spot in the world. Here's a few reasons why I have to completely agree.
Scenic mountain walks. Half-priced sushi everyday at Food Lovers Market. Sunsets from Clifton and Signal Hill. Sinful Ice cream. Camps Bay and Clifton Beaches. Trendy clothing stores. Trendy people. Catching trains to anywhere for R13. Running for a train that you're about to miss. Gigs on Longstreet. Mercury, Purple Turtle, The Waiting Room and Zula Bar. Mr Pickwicks milkshakes. Beautiful drives along Chapmans Peak. Oceans that are coloured many shades of blue and green. Squirrels. Walking along suburban roads without being scared. Seeing dolphins and seals regularly. Kalkies for the cheapest and best fish and chips. Walking from one town to another. The Cape Festival. Cheese and Wine tasting in Stellenbosch and Franschoek. Going sokkie-ing and loving it. Marcels frozen yogurt. The Waterfront. Shopping at Canal Walk. Cheap DVD hires. Sitting on the curb. Partying at The Dubliner. Penguins. The bravest surfers in the world. Stunning views. Putting your feet in both oceans at once. Hockey games. Amazing churches. Eating meals with the homeless. Endless tea parties. Posh accents. Access Park. Having daytime last till 8pm. Going on adventures while trying to navigate your way around. Drinks at Forries. Night Markets in Somerset West. Gordons Bay. Having thousands of photo - worthy destinations. Cocktails at a fancy restaurant while looking at the ocean and mountains. Laughing hilariously at how many times you get offered drugs on Long Street. Looking like a tourist and not caring. watching shows at the Artscape. Having sunshiny days with no humidity. Not having to worry about frizzy hair. Skinny jeans. Guitars. Staying in digs. Climbing and having a picnic on top of Lions Head. Riding in the cable car. Hitting a roller coaster at Ratanga Junction. The Old Biscuit Mill. Saturdays at Milnerton market. Fabric World. Sewing. A world of media. Llandudno beach. Jumping off rocks at Crystal Pools. Productions at Baxter. Natural History Museums. UCT. drawing on paper tablecloths at Da Vincis. The Sharks Supporters Club. Main Road. Breakfasts at Polsmoor Prison. Pancake evenings. Having a real winter. Trench coats. Ankle Boots. Rain. Hot water bottles. Jumping shots. White sand that doesn't stick to your feet. Being Indie. Constantly seeing Gods creation all around me.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Fashion versus Jesus
A beautiful girl walks into the room. Before you notice her infectious laugh or her kind eyes, you notice that she's wearing waist shorts, lace up boots, a brown leather jacket and a small leather pouch sling bag worn fashionably across her body. Fashionably. This girl is immediately dubbed as "cool" and beautiful because she is wearing all the right stuff.
I ,myself, love dressing up and looking nice and seeing if any of the latest trends suit me, but lately, I have been wondering if this increasing obsession with fashion is interfering with my identity in Christ. Has fashion become an idol that I worship in order to make myself feel good and accepted and beautiful and "cool". Am I being defined by the clothes that I wear rather than by the life that I live?
Look, there is absolutely no problem with dressing so that you look nice, I'm not saying you need to dress like you've never seen what clothes are before, but, it's so easy to fall into the trap. You look all around you and there are SO many trendy people wearing what the magazines say is 'in', or rebelling from what the magazines say, or are just trying to stand out from the crowd and have their own unique style. But is that so you can impress your peers? Is it so that you can get affirmation from society that you are trendy and cool? Is that what makes you feel good about yourself?
In 1 Peter, Jesus has this to say about outward appearances, ' Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight '.
I don't think Jesus is specifically saying don't braid your hair, or don't wear gold jewellery, or don't wear that maxi skirt or those skinny jeans. I think he is just gently reminding us to check our heart attitudes, and to remember that the outward stuff is not what makes us beautiful or handsome, but rather, how we treat people and how we live out our faith what attitude we choose to convey. I think Jesus wanted woman to see that no matter what there outward appearance is, if they had a 'gentle and quiet" spirit, they would always be considered beautiful. Which is awesome .
We live by these social constructs which govern how we dress, how we judge others and how we judge ourselves. When we wake up in the morning we shouldn't be starting our day thinking ' what can I wear today that will make me look really trendy and will show off my best assets', but rather be starting our day off with ' how can I best show the people around me that I love them', or ' how am I going to shine Gods light today'. This is what should be governing our thinking and our living.
Living life from the inside out is what sets us apart from everyone else, and believe me, people will notice your beauty and individuality no matter what you are wearing. Living life from the outside in ,however, just leaves a whole lot of room for self-judgement, insecurity, ego, and jealousy to get in the way. Plus, most of the time, no matter what outfit you put together, you just end up looking like everyone else. Which is boring.
Personally, becoming consumed with self-image has had a hugely negative effect on my relationship with God, and its something I'm working on to improve. I've realised you don't need clothes to define you, God defined you a long time ago when he 'knit you together in your mothers womb'. He made you in His image and He is perfect, so guess what that makes you? It's not a hard one to figure out.
So don't let a piece of material or the opinion of society give you an identity, because you already have an identity and his name is Jesus Christ and he's just waiting for you to realise it.
I ,myself, love dressing up and looking nice and seeing if any of the latest trends suit me, but lately, I have been wondering if this increasing obsession with fashion is interfering with my identity in Christ. Has fashion become an idol that I worship in order to make myself feel good and accepted and beautiful and "cool". Am I being defined by the clothes that I wear rather than by the life that I live?
Look, there is absolutely no problem with dressing so that you look nice, I'm not saying you need to dress like you've never seen what clothes are before, but, it's so easy to fall into the trap. You look all around you and there are SO many trendy people wearing what the magazines say is 'in', or rebelling from what the magazines say, or are just trying to stand out from the crowd and have their own unique style. But is that so you can impress your peers? Is it so that you can get affirmation from society that you are trendy and cool? Is that what makes you feel good about yourself?
In 1 Peter, Jesus has this to say about outward appearances, ' Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight '.
I don't think Jesus is specifically saying don't braid your hair, or don't wear gold jewellery, or don't wear that maxi skirt or those skinny jeans. I think he is just gently reminding us to check our heart attitudes, and to remember that the outward stuff is not what makes us beautiful or handsome, but rather, how we treat people and how we live out our faith what attitude we choose to convey. I think Jesus wanted woman to see that no matter what there outward appearance is, if they had a 'gentle and quiet" spirit, they would always be considered beautiful. Which is awesome .
We live by these social constructs which govern how we dress, how we judge others and how we judge ourselves. When we wake up in the morning we shouldn't be starting our day thinking ' what can I wear today that will make me look really trendy and will show off my best assets', but rather be starting our day off with ' how can I best show the people around me that I love them', or ' how am I going to shine Gods light today'. This is what should be governing our thinking and our living.
Living life from the inside out is what sets us apart from everyone else, and believe me, people will notice your beauty and individuality no matter what you are wearing. Living life from the outside in ,however, just leaves a whole lot of room for self-judgement, insecurity, ego, and jealousy to get in the way. Plus, most of the time, no matter what outfit you put together, you just end up looking like everyone else. Which is boring.
Personally, becoming consumed with self-image has had a hugely negative effect on my relationship with God, and its something I'm working on to improve. I've realised you don't need clothes to define you, God defined you a long time ago when he 'knit you together in your mothers womb'. He made you in His image and He is perfect, so guess what that makes you? It's not a hard one to figure out.
So don't let a piece of material or the opinion of society give you an identity, because you already have an identity and his name is Jesus Christ and he's just waiting for you to realise it.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The road to Europe - Part One
Next year a group of friends and myself are planning on doing a EuroTrip where we will be spending just over a week in Italy and then another week travelling to a few other countries. These kind of trips require so much planning, organising and saving. Here is a {hopefully} helpful guide for planning a Eurotrip of your own!
LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES
If you have any good mates who have family or family friends that live in Europe, you definitelyy need to take hold of that opportunity because it could mean saving a lot of money. I have family in different parts of Italy who are able to offer us food, accommodation and transport for free which gives us more money to spend on visiting other places.
GRAB A MAP
You need to decide where exactly you want to go, taking into consideration how far one place is form another, how much it will cost to get from place to place, and which places have the most to offer ( although the whole of Europe is pretty darn amazing). Here are some of the places that we'll be visiting on our tour of Europe!
Milan....
...is not only the fashion capital but is also filled with beautifully designed cathedrals, night markets and tourist attractions such as Gardaland ( Italian Disneyland), MinItalia.
Venice...
...is just a two hour car drive away from central Milan and is also filled with plenty to do. The ocean is warm and inviting, the houses are surrounded by water, the buildings are created with exquisite architecture, and we get to ride on a gondola!
Naples...
...is home to the famously known Mt Vesuvius, a dormant volcano which frames the country landscape. Just beneath this great mound of earth is an entire city named Pompeii which was completely destroyed when the volcano erupted thousands of years ago. You can explore the uncovered ruins of the city and even see complete human bodies which are mummified by hardened lava. It's hardcore.From Naples we will be visiting places like Florence, Caserta, Rome and the Isle of Capri.
LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES
If you have any good mates who have family or family friends that live in Europe, you definitelyy need to take hold of that opportunity because it could mean saving a lot of money. I have family in different parts of Italy who are able to offer us food, accommodation and transport for free which gives us more money to spend on visiting other places.
GRAB A MAP
You need to decide where exactly you want to go, taking into consideration how far one place is form another, how much it will cost to get from place to place, and which places have the most to offer ( although the whole of Europe is pretty darn amazing). Here are some of the places that we'll be visiting on our tour of Europe!
Milan....
...is not only the fashion capital but is also filled with beautifully designed cathedrals, night markets and tourist attractions such as Gardaland ( Italian Disneyland), MinItalia.
Venice...
...is just a two hour car drive away from central Milan and is also filled with plenty to do. The ocean is warm and inviting, the houses are surrounded by water, the buildings are created with exquisite architecture, and we get to ride on a gondola!
Naples...
...is home to the famously known Mt Vesuvius, a dormant volcano which frames the country landscape. Just beneath this great mound of earth is an entire city named Pompeii which was completely destroyed when the volcano erupted thousands of years ago. You can explore the uncovered ruins of the city and even see complete human bodies which are mummified by hardened lava. It's hardcore.From Naples we will be visiting places like Florence, Caserta, Rome and the Isle of Capri.
The Alps...
...One of my aunts lives in a quaint little cottage just below the snow-covered Alps. We are definitely planning on taking a few skiing and snowboarding lessons and doing some beautiful and tranquil hikes as well as visiting a famous lake known as Lake Como.
France...
...is going to have us taking in the view ( and catching an elevator) to the top of the Eiffel tower, learning how to dress fashionably, visiting the Palace of Versailles, admiring the collections at the Louvre, and riding in a Parisian boat along the River Seine.
Greece...
...is home to many beautiful places such as Santorini, the island of Cyprus and the city of Athens. All of which we hope too visit in our short stay there, enjoying activities such as sailing, wine-tasting, donkey rides, viewing historical places like the Parthenon and the Acropolis and feasting on delicacies like baklava.
Spain...
...invites us to enjoy beautiful beaches and very good-looking people. I'm looking forward to feasting on Tapas and Paella, watching a traditional bullfight, learning how to dance the Flamenco, and visiting the city of Seville which is home to the Alcazar Castle.
{Images: WeheartIt}
** Watch this space for updates on planning a Eurotrip **
being a country girl
This weekend called for a short trip up to the Drakensberg to meet up with family and breathe in some country air. Now I must admit, I am very much a city girl - I like to have my comforts and shopping malls and 'nights on the town', but I also like to get away now and again to appreciate the mountains, the rivers and nature in general. We were blessed enough to stay in beautiful accommodation at a place called Mount Champagne where I hurriedly chose the loft bedroom. I find that lofts, for some reason, always provoke in me the urge to read, write and daydream. It's almost magical. On our first day, I went on a bit of a photography mission, attempting to capture all the beauty that surrounded me - the flowers, the water and the rustic bridges ( the mountains were unfortunately concealed by heavy grey clouds). I then decided to challenge my mom to a game of tennis. Turns out I should just stick to playing squash.
The next day the weather was a bit kinder to us, so we grabbed the opportunity to go on a short hike, and when I say short hike, I actually just mean a long vertical walk. The day moved at a fast pace after that and we landed up going tubing down the river. I ended up getting stuck on every possible rock that there was to get stuck on and almost did a nosedive down a small waterfall, but I survived with a smile on my face. The day ended with some afternoon canoe-ing, an early evening braai, a few games of scrabble, and lots of conversation (my family is Italian - we talk A LOT).
Our final day began wondrously with a trail ride on horseback through mountainous terrain, open fields, and a whole lot of wild life. I had the opportunity of cantering through a field whilst zebra and blesbok watched me pass by, and I just felt so free and peaceful. The feelings I felt in that moment were incomparable and would never be felt in the city, and as I was finishing off my ride on Moonshine I decided that being a country girl wasn't such a bad thing after all.
The next day the weather was a bit kinder to us, so we grabbed the opportunity to go on a short hike, and when I say short hike, I actually just mean a long vertical walk. The day moved at a fast pace after that and we landed up going tubing down the river. I ended up getting stuck on every possible rock that there was to get stuck on and almost did a nosedive down a small waterfall, but I survived with a smile on my face. The day ended with some afternoon canoe-ing, an early evening braai, a few games of scrabble, and lots of conversation (my family is Italian - we talk A LOT).
Our final day began wondrously with a trail ride on horseback through mountainous terrain, open fields, and a whole lot of wild life. I had the opportunity of cantering through a field whilst zebra and blesbok watched me pass by, and I just felt so free and peaceful. The feelings I felt in that moment were incomparable and would never be felt in the city, and as I was finishing off my ride on Moonshine I decided that being a country girl wasn't such a bad thing after all.
appreciating the good stuff...
...Swimming pools
It was a hot December day -as usual. We spontaneously gathered at a friends house, made some pancakes, played some sweet tunes on the guitar, and of course spent most of our time in the pool. Gotta love summertime.
...Perfect views
This was taken in Capetown from a giant boulder that gave us an amazing view of the Clifton beaches as well as this magnificent mountain range known as the Twelve Apostles. Views like this are timeless and just remind us of how beautiful our Earth is.
A great excuse to throw a pretty party and eat lots of delicious chocolate and cake with a group of wonderful friends. After all, it is the day of love, and I really love my friends!
...Jumping Shots
We've all been in at least one before. I love these kind of photo's because no matter where they're taken and no matter what kind of hair day you are having, they always turn out looking really fun and happy.The most hilarous part is seeing how many times you have to jump before you get the ideal shot ( I personally think it's a great way to exercise! ).
...Soccer World Cups
Especially ones that are held in South Africa! I was lucky enough to attend the Spain vs Swiss game at the Moses Mabida stadium in Durban and it was truly an unforgettable experience (even though Spain lost that game). It's great to see such passion, love and mutual patriotism in one's country, as well as all the very good-looking foreign men that passed me on the sidewalks!
...Girls nights
Painting nails, face masks, cucumbers on our eyes, Taylor Swift playing in the background, chocolate brownies, back massages, cheesy movies, sleeping over....it was pure girl heaven.
...Roadtripping
Ok so we only "roadtripped" about an hour and a half from where we live, but we had so much fun along the way. I think it's a great way to bond more with friends and allow yourself to be open to whatever adventures lie in wait for you. In our case, in our case those adventures were playgrounds, gigs, yummy food and narrowingly avoiding death when a certain friend failed to check her blindspot. Basically fun.
...Gigs
I love music, I really believe in supporting local artists, and I love an excuse to dress up and spend a night out with my friends. We go to gigs at least once a week and we always have such a blast regardless of how small the venue is, how good or bad the band is, and how disgustingly sweaty we are by the end of the night.
...Sunsets
I often refer to these as 'Gods Paintings' beacuse no matter how often I see a sunset, it always looks like a piece of art that is to perfect to not have been created purposefully by someone far greater and far more creative than I am. This one was taken from Signal Hill in Capetown - one of my favourite sunset-viewing places.
There may be a lot of not-so-good qualities about this country, but in my mind the good things totally outweigh the former. I am very much Proudly South African and am so grateful to be born into this place that's enriched with culture, colour, history, triumph and hope. It inspires me and it's a beautiful place to live in.
I think sometimes when theres so much sadness and despair and negativity in the world, it's good to just sit back and think of the good stuff and be thankful that we get to experience it.
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