Vacation in the Cape

I have a belief, and raise your hand (or like/comment/post/something) if you share it - a holiday isn't a good one unless you come back exhausted.

I know, I know. People have this notions that holidays should be relaxing. My dad has this notion. When he is on holiday, he is happy to just stay in the hotel all day reading the newspaper and (possibly) lounging by the pool. I, on the other hand, seem to take after my mom - trying to fit in as much as I can in as little time as possible. Sure, I can spend a day relaxing, but any more than that and I just get bored and agitated, wanting to do things.

My Cape Town holiday is no different, and I tried to make it as fun-packed as possible. I bustled into town on Thursday afternoon for a short five day trip and intended to make the most of it. Of course, Thursday was pretty much a write-off. I arrived at 16:20 and it was around 5pm when I finally made my way out with my bags in tow. Just enough time to get home, greet the cats, chat with mom, go for a walk and head out to Chinese at Reddies with mom, dad and Michael. By the time I came home, Cherie was back with her visiting boyfriend and we caught up briefly before I decided that it was time to hit the hay.

Friday started off fairly early with Cherie and I dropping mom at gym and then making our way to Tygervalley. Not particularly keen for a shopping trip, I elected to stay in the car and make Cherie do the running around while I planned the rest of my day. By the time she returned (empty-handed), it was time to pick mom up again and make our way into town for the facials that mom had planned. I am not a person who particularly likes having my face touched and examined, but it was quite a relaxing hour and a half. The only part that I did not enjoy was having a mask that was two inches thick plastered onto my face and covering my mouth and eyes. I have never thought of myself as being claustrophobic, but I certainly felt it then! Once that was done, it was a stop at Kauai for a quick lunch before I had my mom drop me at the Adelphi centre in Sea Point. There I met up with Ryan and we took a short walk to his apartment before starting to pack it all into boxes. Yes, I chose to spend my holiday helping someone move, and I have no regrets. I got to see Ryan, and I felt really productive thereafter. Certainly not bored! After moving, Ryan took myself and the two other assistants out for a nice Italian dinner (gnocchi bolognaise for me) before dropping me back at my parents' house in Welgemoed.

I woke up nice and early on Saturday and spent much of the morning in a state of exuberance as I waited for Robyn to pick me up. We had ahead of us a day of catching up and chatting and just general enjoying each others company. We walked around the Slow Market in Willowbridge, had a lovely brunch at Woolies, a cup of coffee at the cafe that her sister works out (which included much mocking of a particular waitress in a teasing fashion) and then headed back to her place (in her new car!) to just have a proper catch up. By late afternoon it was time to head back home and get ready for the braai that was to come. It is traditional whenever I come and visit that the family get together for a braai. It meant that I got to see everyone, even if it was only for a little while, and hear the news and not have anyone feeling left out. It is also a great excuse for a good meal, and we had an awesome one. Once most of the family had left, I stayed up a little later chatting away to Jade and her husband Eric and hearing what was happening in their world. But unfortunately, I had to retire early as I was on medication that had a tendency of making me feel both nauseous and exhausted, a combination that tends to make for bad company.

Sunday was my day for sleeping in, and that I did! Until 8:30!! It was awesome. Then I woke up and started getting ready for the day. Another family tradition is going out for Sunday breakfasts, and the two favourite places are Franschoek and Claremont. As the family had been to Franschoek the week before with Cherie, it was decided that the Gardener's Cottage in Claremont was the place to go. We made our way there (mom, dad, Michael, Cherie and I) and had a lovely breakfast at the restaurant before making our way around the nursery. I'd had plans to have a movie-day with Ryan at my parents', but he had to change it to coffee instead, and he picked myself and Natasha (who was to join for the movie) up and took us to Tygervalley were we got some terrible service at Oppie Koffie. Thankfully, the company made up for it, and we had a good afternoon chatting and laughing away. When Ryan had to leave, Natasha and I made our way to the cinema where we booked three tickets for Midnight in Paris. Michael joined us for the movie and it turned out to be a lovely one! I will have to write a review at some point. After the movie, we made our way home, had a light dinner of leftovers from the braai and had an early night.

Monday was a particularly busy day, as it was essentially half a day spent enjoying myself and half a day spent travelling. It started early with taking my mom to gym, stopping in at the chemist to get pills for mom and dad and stopping in at my aunt's new shop to take some photos. From there it was a rush to the giant sports shop beside Tygervalley to get some running shoes (a job in itself considering how many people had decided that the Monday before school was the day to go uniform and sports good shopping), a stop at home to pick up Cherie and a dash to the airport. We got there on time and I was checked in with time to spare for some lunch, so we decided to go to Mugg and Bean, since it was the closest and healthiest place around. A bad idea if ever there was one. The service was terrible and slow, and I ended up having to scoff down what I could in 5 minutes before jumping up and hoofing it through security. I made it through, but not before being called by the announcer. This could have been highly embarrassing, but they pronounced my name wrong (as they always do) and so I felt far more worse for any Ms Solomon's in the building. An hour and a half later, I walked out of the airport and met Ashlea who took me to my car and I was back on my way to Grahamstown. Usually I drive as fast as possible to get back as soon as possible, but I'd heard that there were a huge number of policemen hiding on the road, so I tried my best to stick to the speed limit and made it in just over an hour and a half.

And so, my holiday completed, I arrived at my house and practically collapsed on the bed. It was the best sleep that I have had in ages. Imagine just how good the holiday must have been!

2012

2012 has arrived! Every year at this time, I make resolutions. They usually involve losing weight, taking up hobbies and spending more time doing the things that I love with the people that I love. But I also know myself, and I know that a week after I write up those resolutions, they fall to the wayside. This year, I have decided that I am not going to write resolutions, but I am instead just going to write down what I hope the year 2012 will be like in general.

2012 will be a year for photography. I have been a bit lax of recent with not picking up my camera and taking it out for a spin, but I am thinking of doing yet another 365 project, and considering that I did take photos yesterday and that today is only the second day of the month, it is definitely a possibility. However, even if I don't end up doing a project, I still want this to be the year where I really get my ass into gear in terms of my photography. I am launching a website which I have big ideas for, I am building a studio in my garage and I am sincerely hoping that I can get a business going on the side by December next year. Why December specifically? Well, because I went for walks around the botanical gardens a few times last month and every single time I went, there were at least 3-5 weddings going on and photographs being taken in the gardens. Next year, I want to be one of those photographers.

2012 will be a year for fitness. Yes, I say it every single year, that I am going to buck up and get healthy. And I am not exactly off to a good start, since New Year's Eve was a drinking binge fest which needed to be smoothed over yesterday by breakfast at Spur (not particularly healthy). But, I have taken up squash and want to do that at least three times a week, and have resolved to join the gym this year, since I recently found out that ex-Rhodents can join for the same price as students if they get an alumni card. Healthy eating is something that is going to come slowly to me, since it is not just myself that I would be cooking for, and cooking in itself is not something that I have the energy to do often. But at least I want to get moving and get exercising.

2012 will be a year for writing. Writing has definitely taken a sideline over the last few years. Though my job last year involved a lot of communication with clients and writing newsletters and writing brochures and such things, this year there is going to be less of that. Well, still communication with clients, but definitely less newsletters and such since I am no longer the Communications Agent at the company, but have been promoted to the Accounts Manager (or a title along those lines). But I do not intend to let that stop me. I won Nanowrimo last year and am hoping to try it again, but in the meantime I am going to keep blogging and am thinking of writing up some articles for the local newspaper occasionally just to get back into the journalistic style of writing.

2012 will be a year for fun. I was a bit of a downer in 2011. I hardly ever went out, I hardly ever did anything fun or exciting. I think that I was in a bit of a slump, but no more! I am going to make 2012 the year for fun and partying and enjoyment. I want at least one more of those before my big 2-5 in 2013. And, after all, 2013 may never come (according to the Mayans) so I might as well live it up while I can. ;) I am the only person to blame for my lack of fun in 2011. I complained and moaned about not having friends when my friends were right in front of me and when there was a town full of people going out on a nightly basis that I could have become friendly with. I know that this is not going to be easy, but Kath and Emma, if you are reading this, I expect support and assistance and for you guys to drag me out of the house more often, because I know that if it were up to me, I would just be curled up in bed with pjs and a book every single night.

And finally, most of all, 2012 will be a year of awesomeness. I know it. I sense it. Let's make it so.

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!!

Deck the Halls!

I love this time of the year, and I know that is a little weird what with me being Jewish and all, but it is true. Christmas always brings back the best memories – decorating the Christmas tree with Granny Ellen, baking (and eating) mince pies and Christmas pudding, Christmas lunches with Uncle Ashley and my mom’s side of the family and, on the few occasions that I haven’t been home, spending Christmas with friends.

This year, Grant and I are staying in Grahamstown, which means that we aren’t going to be with our families. Our friends are spreading out around the country to celebrate with their own families, some going to Zimbabwe or Cape Town and others just visiting nearby Boknes. Even Jono (our housemate) is travelling to Limpopo to be with his family, leaving Grant and I on our own! This will be a first for me. But we weren’t going to let that get us down! All that it really meant is that we had to celebrate Christmas earlier than usual this year, while our friends and family are around!

This last week has been the week of Christmas for us. The festivities started on Wednesday with a Christmas/Birthday dinner at Mike and Vicky’s. Vicky has always seen her birthday as the start of the Christmas season, since it was only after her birthday that her family started putting up the trees and decorations and started getting ready for Christmas proper. So what better time to celebrate the festive season than with a Birthday dinner including all of the Christmas favourites? Well, some of the favourites and some of their own modern twists! Dinner kicked off with homemade sushi which was followed by a turkey-sized chicken, gammon, roasted sweet potatoes and veg. Once we were all filled to the brim, it was Secret Santa time and we unwrapped gifts galore before finishing off the night with some mince pies and custard. Yum!

With Friday being a public holiday, Thursday became the Friday of the week and we were all in great moods by the end of the day. Grant was in a particularly good mood as his dad and stepmom were arriving on Thursday evening. A little shuffling was in order as Jono’s sister was also staying with us at the time, but with a ton of space in the new house it was no problem getting everything in order! Natalie moved into what will soon be Grant’s bar and Grant’s dad moved into our Study with Sharon. Everything was back in order and our long weekend began with a trip to the driving range where Rob, Grant, Jono, Natalie and I swung away at golf balls. It has been way too long since I last did this and I was completely out of practice – picture balls bouncing in every direction but at the course – but by the end of it I was back in the swing of things and balls were flying into the distance (though not nearly as far as Rob’s, Grant’s and Jono’s. Clearly I need more practice.) Having had a late breakfast of scrambled eggs, no one was particularly hungry at lunch time, but we made up for it by having a homemade lasagne dinner which was delicious as always.

Saturday dawned nice and early as Sharon and I had to drive Jono and Natalie to PE airport stopping for some coffee, some shopping and a Nanaga break on our way. When we arrived back, I was surprised by a small LED Christmas tree together with decorations that Grant and his dad had bought just for me! I spent a good portion of the afternoon decorating it and presents were then brought out of the woodwork and put beneath it. Saturday has become Grant’s favourite day for a braai (we have had one every week since we arrived at the new house and even had two on the weekend that we arrived thanks to a power outage) and this one was no exception. Mike and Vicky came over and an abundance of meat ensued – chicken sosaties, kudu steaks and wors – with the potato and table salads becoming the fillers. But Saturday was nothing compared to what was to come on Sunday!

With Grant’s family down for the weekend, we decided to take the opportunity to have our own Christmas celebrations by having a Christmas lunch. Or what was supposed to be a Christmas lunch and ended up being a Christmas linner (lupper? lunner? sunch? dinch?) The day started nice and early with everyone waking up at 8 and starting on the dishes from the braai so that we could have something to cook with. With dishes ready, Grant started preparing the turkey. And my God was it a big one. So big that we weren’t sure that it was going to fit into our teeny tiny oven. Which it thankfully did. The gammon that we bought was also pre-cooked, which meant that we didn’t have to worry about that having to go into the oven. What we did have to worry about were the potatoes, stuffing and veg, all of which did require oven and stove-top cooking in an oven that could barely fit the turkey on its own and a stove that could only have two plates on while the oven was going. Not fun. Preparations were also halted when Grant sent his dad out to get toothpicks that were essential for the turkey cooking and his dad ended up getting distracted and chatting in the street for an hour while we waited for the toothpicks to arrive. 

Nonetheless, dinner was ready by 4 and it was certainly a great one! Our linner of turkey, gammon, stuffing, roast potatoes, carrots and cauliflower was followed by pressie opening which in turn was followed, a good while later, by dessert of mince pies, Christmas pudding and fruit cake with custard and ice cream. Of course, the ice cream was all that anyone wanted to eat since Sunday ended up being an absolute scorcher of a day, and by the time it was all over I was ready to collapse into a food coma. It is now almost 24 hours later and I am still full!

And so, our Christmas celebrations have come to an end. Grant and I are still looking forward to celebrating actual Christmas together, but the big gespiel has been completed and we are looking forward to a relaxing Christmas day rather than a rushed frenzy of food.

Here’s hoping that everyone else’s Christmas is as merry as our early one and looking forward to speaking to and seeing you all in the new year!

Fish and Friends

There is a saying that my Biba (read grandfather) has that, like many of my Biba's sayings, is both humorous and completely true.

Fish and house guests go off after three days.

I think that of my Biba's sayings, this has to be one of my favourites. And I really didn't realise how true it was until I moved to Grahamstown and started having friends come to visit.

I was excited about my first visitor. I had been missing my friends more than anyone should ever miss anything and was feeling particularly lonesome in Grahamstown despite my amazing boyfriend. This is why, when my friend Natasha asked if she could come and stay for 12 days, I was uber excited. I would have a friend around again! Someone to talk to about girly things with. Someone to hang out with. It was going to be like old times, and it was going to be awesome.

And then Natasha arrived, and there was much joy and happiness. For awhile. But things were not like the old days. At all. Instead of lounging around and being filled with happiness, I was now working and had 9 hour stints of customer service ahead of me. When I got home, instead of relaxing as I was used to, there were plays to see and things to do, people to entertain and money to spend. None of this was Natasha's fault, of course, but I soon realised that having a guest stay with me was tiring business. A tiring business that I am still recovering from in some ways.

And then my mother reminded me of my Biba's quote, and I felt myself fill with laughter and relief. I was not alone in the realisation that having guests stay was a lot of work. This made me feel a lot better.

As soon as Natasha left, I missed her. There was a presence that was missing from the house - an indent that she had left in the spare room that could not be removed, kind of like the stain that covers the carpet from where Alexia's medicine was dropped, or the hole in the floor of a house on Gowie street where a house party was once held. And as soon as she left, I knew that I would have more friends come and stay. I already started making the plans, started making promises of future visits in years to come, but always with a time limit of no more than a week in the back of my mind. Because as amazing as it is to have friends stay, having another person relying on you wears you out. Or maybe it's just me.

Either way, there are at least two more visits that I am looking forward to this year - Robyn and Meghan. And ladies, you are warned, one week max ;)

Friends (Again)

I hate being in a new town. It means not knowing anyone, not having any friends, not being able to talk to people about things that are wrong and not having anyone to go out with. You would think that being in Grahamstown would be different – I lived here for four years, my boyfriend is here, I know the lay of the land – but it’s really not.

Practically all of the friends that I had before I left Grahamstown have moved on – some to Cape Town, some to Johannesburg, one or two to neighbouring towns like Port Alfred or Port Elizabeth. The few that have remained are either ridiculously busy with work or studying, were never particularly close friends or have changed so much that we have grown apart. Or is it me that has changed? I can’t really tell. All I know is that I am left friendless, and I feel like I am in a Ghost Town – haunted by the memories and good times that I shared with my friends without them actually being here.

I can hear what some of you are thinking – you have Grant. And I do. And he is awesome and amazing and the best boyfriend a girl could ask for. And while he is one of the closest friends that I have, our friendship isn’t quite the same as, say, my friendship with Amy or Robyn or Ashlea or the other BFFs that are scattered around the world. That isn’t to say that it’s worse. It’s just different. I cannot go out and dance the night away with Grant. I can go out, but it tends to involve sitting at a table nestling a beer while he chats to some of the guys whose names he doesn’t remember. I can’t talk to him about the things that I talk to my girlfriends about. I can talk to him about just about anything, but not series, not gossip, not girly things. Well, I can, but he isn’t nearly as interested as my girlfriends would be!

I know that if I could bring myself to go out, I would make friends in a heartbeat – I am the kind of person who tends to make friends easily that way. But I can’t bring myself to go out without someone to fall back on, without a friend already there to hang out with in between meeting the new people, without someone to talk to.

I have been through this friend-finding thing too many times. First when I arrived in Grahamstown as a naïve 17 year old, again when I moved to Korea and now I have to do it once more in Grahamstown, when I am a slightly more matured 23 year old surrounded by naïve 17/18 year olds and when I am no longer a student and have lost that connection to most of Grahamstown’s population.

So my question for today is this: How do you make friends in a new place?

Why Grahamstown?

After yesterday's rant about trying to find a job, it struck me (not for the first time) that I am not exactly in the ideal place for finding one. Grahamstown is a small town, mostly populated by students, and unless you want to get involved in the academic side of things by becoming a lecturer (not really something I am qualified to do), there are not too many job opportunities available. So today I thought I would write about why I wanted to come to Grahamstown. And no, this is not going to be a sappy love story because, though my boyfriend's living here was a big contributor towards my moving here, there are other reasons to live in Grahamstown.

Let's start with one of the biggies. When I went out with my friends in Cape Town, a lot of them were shocked that I had a midnight curfew when I was almost 23 years old. They were even more shocked when I told them that my 28 year old sister has the same curfew. A little understanding came in when I explained why. After a serious break-in two years ago, my parents are extremely worried about crime. They have put up laser beams and electric fences around the house, jacked up their alarm system and implimented a number of security measures within the house as well, including burgular bars over every door, mobile panic buttons and nails holding in the sliding door (where the burgulars came in the first time around). My parents will also wait up for us to come home to make sure that no one stole our remotes and we aren't being followed by some dodgy characters.
When I first heard that Grant doesn't set the alarm at night (I heard about this because he came home to find the alarm on and had no recollection of the code), I was absolutely horrified.
"I don't want to live in a house that can't be alarmed," I practically shouted down the phone.
And then I remembered. This isn't Cape Town. Though crimes certainly do happen here, they are rarely of the serious nature that crimes in the bigger cities tend to lend themselves to. There are muggings, there are smash and grabs (I had more than enough of those), there are break-ins, but these are usually crimes of opportunity - someone sees a laptop easily grabable and decides to snatch it. They are rarely premeditated.

A lack of serious crime is a big reason for wanting to move away from the big cities, especially after living in Korea for a year where I got used to not locking my door at night (it had an automatic lock, but I also never had any problems) and walking around on my own. But there is more to it than that. Another big part of wanting to come to Grahamstown, and a big reason why Grant has stayed here as long as he has, is because of all the friendly faces that we have come to know and love. I feel the need to burst into song here - Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came. This is definitely the case in Grahamstown. Though most of my friends from my university days have now moved on to better places (Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Alfred), I am always pleasantly surprised when I walk down the street and hear my name being called or when I walk into a bar to a warm reception from the manager. I can walk into any bar in Grahamstown, any restaurant, any shop and can practically guarantee that there will be at least one familiar or friendly face.

Familiarity is another big reason for wanting to stay in Grahamstown, and here I don't mean the familiarity of people. It is nice to live in a town and know exactly where things are without having to look it up in a mapbook. It is nice to stay somewhere that you have spent some time getting to know. The fact that Grahamstown is small certainly contributes to this - I have lived in Cape Town for most of my life, and will still have to look up directions to places. It is great when you can talk about a place with someone and they know exactly where you mean. It is great to know the hidden treasures of a town, and yes - even a town as small as Grahamstown has hidden treasures. Ask anyone about Grey Dam and you will see what I mean.

More than just the familiarity of the town, I love the simplicity of small town living. I like being able to park my car and take a walk around the town. I like that there are only two areas to do shopping in, and everyone knows exactly where they are. I like being able to do everything in one go - go to the doctor, then walk next door to the pharmacy, then walk next door to do some grocery shopping and finish it all off by walking next door to do some clothing shopping (or window-shopping as the case is for me at the moment). Everything is so close and life here is so simple. There are few stresses (the lack of crime and the lack of traffic taking away some of the more serious worries of big-city living) and the few that they are are fairly easily solvable.

I mentioned this earlier, but I feel the need to mention it again - the fact that Grahamstown has no traffic is a HUGE plus. Not having to sit around in a car for half an hour to get to work and another half an hour to get home (and I am being incredibly lenient here) is an absolute pleasure. As I said before, a majority of the people residing in Grahamstown itself (and I am not talking about the outskirting townships here) are students, and a vast majority of these don't have cars. There is no need - in a city where you can walk everywhere you need to go, why do you need to have a car? This essentially means that the most traffic you will get is five minutes waiting at a four-way stop when people are confused as to where to go.

And, though there are a number of other reasons why living in Grahamstown is great, there is one more reason why I love living here in particular. As I drove into Grahamstown after my ten hour drive from Cape Town, it hit me just how beautiful this city is. As I drove past the dam by the Botanical Gardens and through the streets lined with Jacarandas, I remembered how much I love this city and what a pleasure it is to be back. It is everything that I missed in Korea - green, wide open spaces; elegant, historical buildings, towering cathedrals. As I said to Ashlea when she visited last week, everything in Grahamstown has a history, and it is oh so easy to read that history from the faces of the houses and buildings that you see all around you.

So basically, despite the soul-destroying job-hunt, it is wonderful to be back in Grahamstown! My question for today: What is one of the fondest memories of a place you used to call home?

My extra special day

Let us respect gray hairs, especially our own.

- J. P. Sears

I always look forward to birthdays. I am not one of those people who believe that a birthday is just another day. If anything, I am one of those who believe that everyday should be like a birthday - everyday should be a celebration of the fact that you are alive! Of course, no one has the time or the patience to make everyday a celebration, so when my birthday comes around, I tend to look forward to putting in the effort on this one day of the year.

The days leading up to this year's birthday were a little different. I wasn't getting excited. I wasn't looking forward to anything. It was as though I was trying to keep my expectations low so as not to be disappointed when things didn't work out. Because you know, of course, that nothing ever works out like you had imagined it. I also could picture my birthday turning out like last year's - with me lying in bed, sick and alone with a cake to eat and no one to eat it with. Needless to say, it completely sucked, and I didn't want to get all excited only to have it suck again. And so, the night before my birthday, despite Grant's attempts at cheering me up, I happened to be a little depressed and not the best company at all. I had an early night.

I woke up ridiculously early in the morning for no apparent reason, and my waking was shortly followed by Grant waking up beside me to sing me a happy birthday.
"Do you want to see your present?"
"Ooh," I said, perking up a little. "Yes, please!"
I was pretty sure that I knew what I was getting. Months before, I had pointed out a boardgame (Mind Trap) that I thought would be cool but that I could only find online. When, weeks before, Grant had told me that my birthday present had arrived, I knew that it had to be something that he had ordered online and prepared myself for the inevitability of getting this game as my present. As Grant passed me the present, I couldn't help thinking that it was rather smaller than I had imagined. And rather lighter too. As I carefully peeled off the sticky tape and revealed the cardboard box underneath, I was utterly confused. This wasn't what I had expected. I stared at the plain cardboard for a good minute or two before I noticed the black label on the top that read: "Amazon kindle". I doubt that you have ever seen anyone get as excited as I did in that moment. It was honestly the last thing that I had expected to get, and the prospect of bringing it with me to Johannesburg and showing it off to everyone that I passed was just too much to bear. Needless to say, my birthday was off to a good start.

After seeing Grant off to work, I took my time getting ready for the day, choosing a dress to wear that I wasn't able to fit into when I left South Africa in order to celebrate the day in a bit of a special way. Then it was off to the bank. Not the ideal place to spend a birthday, but the world doesn't stop when you want it to and there were people to be paid and arrangements to be made. Thankfully there wasn't too much of a queue and the teller, though a little rude, I thought, was mostly helpful. After finishing up there, it was back home with me, and I had barely gotten there when I got a message from Grant saying that a package had arrived for me. A very special package. A package that I knew was supposed to have arrived in Grahamstown before I did, and had chosen this very day, my extra special day, to pitch up. This package was my birthday present from Korea, sent from my awesome KBFF Amy. The contents included, but were not limited to a most awesome t-shirt that read: "And when you smile the whole world stops and stares for awhile because you are amazing". As I said, this was not the only awesome thing in my package, but I still think that it is my absolute favourite part of it!!

After picking up my package, it was back to lounging around for awhile. I couldn't really make any plans for the day itself, as Ashlea was coming through to Grahamstown and I wasn't sure what time she would be arriving. And so, a few hours were spent doing nothing much around the house until Grant arrived home and I simultaneously received a call telling me that Ashlea had arrived in town. After attempting to give Ashlea some terrible, TERRIBLE directions (and reminding myself that I should no longer count myself as a local after not being in the town for a year and a half), Grant and I went to find her and bring her back to our place where she was to spend the night.

A couple of beers for Grant, Jono and Ash and a couple of glasses of wine for me later, we were off to the Rat and Parrot for a celebratory drink with Mike. We arrived at the Rat to find it absolutely packed with no tables available for us. Thankfully, we do have some pull with the manager, and Doodoo secured us two small tables placed together with the promise of attempting to find us one upstairs (in the smoking section) should one open up. Ash, not used to such crowds or to waiting so long for a drink pounced on the poor waitresses bearing our beverages before she even had a chance to put the drinks on the table, and this led to one of the beers crashing to the floor leaving us with a very angry waitress, a very apologetic Ashlea and a very thirsty Grant. As Ash said, however, this was probably the best way to start the night, as she was unlikely to have an accident like that again and at least it was now over and done with. She was all too right, and the rest of the night was spent eating delicious food, getting involved in brilliant conversations (even between Ash and Mike who I had pictured butting heads on more than one occasion despite Mike's remark that he was sure they would get on splendidly) and drinking. Though a headache threatened to ruin the night for me, Doodoo saved the day once again by securing me some Aspirin, and before long I was back to drinking happily.

Once dinner was done, Ash insisted that we move upstairs where she could smoke to her hearts content, and we found ourselves some seats at the bar. This was possibly not the best idea, as it meant that Ash could quickly order shooters without my even noticing what was going on, and by the end of the night there had been Susans (Tequila, Cape Velvet, Blue Cuarico and something else), Ponchos (coffee tequila), Pina Coladas, Malibu, Purple Turtles (Apple Sours and Potency) and an assortment of other shots that I do not know the names of and do not care to remember. I was also taught a number of new ways to say cheers and a new way to drink shots that I am really rather fond of. By midnight I was utterly out of it and we all decided that it was about time to go home.

We arrived at home and Ash and I made ourselves comfortable on the couches while Grant passed around another round of beers. Music played in the background and we all chilled around with none of us really being ready for bed. Suddenly, Ashlea pulled from her bag a nightmarish device known as a lip-tint stick and the worst part of the night commenced. When I woke up the next morning, with a headache and a full memory of the night's events, it was to legs and arms covered in lip-tint (which was rather harder to get off than either of us had imagined) and Ash was far worse off with her stomach and back also having taken a beating at the hand of the red stuff. Each of us spent a good half hour (at least) in the shower trying to get the stuff off of us, and even after scrubbing at it with exfoliant, a red tint still remained on my skin to show where the marks had been. Ash had it far worse off - even four days later, her stomach still read "ET phone home" and her belly button looked like it was a giant bruise.

In anycase, the day ended up being a rather perfect birthday celebration, made extra special by Grant, Amy and Ashlea and their mutual awesomeness. Thanks so much guys! I thought I would end this post off with my favourite of the new cheers that I was taught.

Te verderer, te naderer, te hoorderer, te laaderer. Ek kyk hom, hy blink nie. Ek ryk hom, hy stink nie. So wie die fok se ek mag nie hom drink nie?

In English -

The furthest, the nearest, the highest the lowest. I watch it, it doesn't blink. I smell it, it doesn't stink. So who the fuck says I may not drink it?