Wow! What a fantastic week last week has been! Every day I realize more and more that (and it sounds terribly cliche reading it aloud to myself) each day is as beautiful and important as we make it. In each situation we get ourselves into, it is up to us to decide (keyword: Decision) what the outcome of that situation will be. I think we often forget that it is easy to take back the control in our lives after a period of time where it has felt like the whole world has been up against you. I must say, that after being in a meaningful relationship for more or less 3 years, it is also important to remember that once time moves along (of course we never stand still...or even so, even being stationary is making a conscious decision to move forward but not in a particularly productive and healthy way), it is best to make the most of the time that lay ahead and to embrace everything that has been presented to you, for you to make the absolute most of the unimaginable potential bestowed upon you.
In terms of moving away from a loved one--i.e. breaking up and moving on, it has definitely been a contemplative period of time. Some mornings, looking at the day ahead as a series of obstacles and challenges (that you're going to have to face alone) and rather wanting to roll over and pull the covers over your head. However, things do get better. As a wise friend told me a few months ago, "You'll see Judete, there will come a time where you start enjoying your own company. You'll start to become alive again and look forward to spending good ol' quality time with yourself". And I must say, I think that that piece of advice has made a significant contribution toward being excited to live again, and actually, for the first time discovering who and what I am. In my opinion, and upon experience, I think that it is so important to know yourself fairly to quite well before entering a relationship. If one were to think about it logically, if you are not in-tune enough with yourself, and do not know what you like or what you want out of life, how will you be able to pick a partner that accurately fits with who you are? I guess, you could say that you would be making a blind decision if you started dating someone before you really knew yourself. Also, and lastly on this topic, I have really thought about and realized how serious it is to make a commitment to another human being. We often forget what a big deal it is when we say that we are in a relationship with another person. Not only because it is a sacrifice on both ends at certain times, but also because you become very complexly intertwined in their lives. You start caring for their family, know all their pets' names, grating the cheese the way they like it to be done, have personal jokes and stories...I'm sure you get the point. My point therefore is; it is so special to be so close to another person, and one should think very carefully and not take lightly what it means to enter into such a promise. It is from this point of departure that I wanted to talk a bit about my weekend. While on the one hand, the social activities ambushed us Left, Right and Centre, it was also an opportunity for some growth and getting to know more about people and how they work. (Once again, the inner anthropologist in me makes a guest appearance) . Not only did I learn about how people interact with one another, but also how I engage and converse with others. There's a good line from a South African band's song where the lead singer says : "...and I'm so tired of hearing my own voice, wandering through these halls". What I take from that is that there comes a point after reflection and introspection that we start longing for some outside opinion and interaction with others. So, although it is important to become quiet inside and make sense of why everything is happening in our lives when it does, it's also important to get out there and to live! I have witnessed great moments of wisdom in the strangest and random places. I won't get into exactly where or when these moments took place (maybe because those parts are, in retrospect, irrelevant) but it struck me that even though we learn so much from our own experiences, how much can we not learn from others who may be going through the same things as we are, or even more so, completely different and new experiences? There is such value in paying attention to the ideas and thoughts of others; although they should never take precedence over our own, they can help to better educate our own ideologies or to edit the perceptions that we may have of things. I have met some exceptional people throughout the last couple of days. I have been left inspired and highly motivated to get out there and to do my thing! (whatever I want that to be). There is no time limit on becoming the person you want to be. We evolve on a daily basis; our dreams, goals, plans and opinions change and transform as we, ourselves change. I have, for the last while, sort of had a set trajectory for my life (let's call it a 2-4 year future plan), and now, I almost feel like saying, even though my plan was pretty cool, I'm bursting out of my chair at the thought that I actually have NO CLUE what the future may hold for me! I can decide to pack up and leave and travel at any time that I want to (and to anywhere in the world!). If I want to go to France for a few months, I can do that, If I decide that I want to work at a B&B in Stellenbosch, I can do that too. Everybody has been saying "the sky is the limit" for millennia, but (and I hate to admit this) I think I am finally starting to understand what they really mean, and all I needed was just a little reminder that I am free to make my life exactly the way I want to. All that it takes is the courage for me to make a decision and to Do it! And well, to get a job that will allow me to save up for a ticket. Lastly, to end off the post, the social itinerary this past weekend included some of the following locations: "The Union" in Johannesburg; a location that keeps changing periodically (and luckily for my friends and I, we made it there on one of the last nights it was still open!), Capital Craft; here in Pretoria; a fresh, new place (which blurs the lines between the typical Johannesburg and Pretoria social experience); it sells craft beer (it's in the name...) and some really good burgers (of which I have yet to sample), Tiger Tiger Pretoria-for a university res' after-party, and lastly, Park Acoustics; a monthly open-air event that takes place in Fort Schanskop which is also here in Pretoria. Until next time! P.S. on the menu for dinner tonight will be: Home-made bread stuffed with olives, red onions and cherry tomatoes. I'll be sure to add a photo of my creation (if the bread lasts long enough for me to take a photo of it!) x
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The first week back in Pretoria, having started the second (and final) semester has been one of the most memorable weeks in a long time. Interesting and exciting course work lies ahead in both my modules--some of what I have explained in a previous post, and not only on the academic front, the socializing has been fantastic! On Wednesday evening the girls and I got ready for the annual "Around the World" party--held by House Curlitzia this year which was held on the roof of Menlyn Shopping centre's parking lot--the old Rooftop Drive-In. We all had to dress in a way that represented a country of our choice. So, owing to the fact that I own a significant amount of striped clothing, I suggested that we choose France as our inspiration! Red lips, red shoes, neck scarves and stripes--Check!
They could not have chosen a better location for the event. There were hundreds of people; Tuks students, residence students and then, everyone else who heard of the event. The soiree was backdropped by all the lights, billboards, neon signs traffic lights Pretoria had to offer and in the distance one could see the bright blue Telkom Tower, the Union Buildings and a few other noteworthy landmarks. We were greeted by different themed stalls all offering their own, unique potion-potent-punch; everything from hippies (who strangely enough promoted the non-alcoholic punch) to German bar maids, scooping up our plastic goblets out of huge vats and passing them around to whoever was awake and sharp enough to take a cupfull first! There really was something electric in the air that night. The music and the disco/strobe lights made it feel as though we were in some strange open-air festival with added mardi gras beads and the urbanity of an event that would typically take place in Mary Fitzgerald Square/ Town Hall. People wearing Mexican sombrero's, a couple of people who've opted for the Where's Wally guy (which was really appropriate considering how many people there were), someone who thought they'd come as Harry Potter, the three French ladies with the matching outfits...too many faces to remember! At some point during the shenanigans, I think I remember a group of people next to us dancing with a white, plastic mannequin, tossing the poor thing in the air, like some sort of crowd-surfing effect. The impromptu after party was held at a venue called "Ty's"; a club across the road from the rooftop party. It was bursting at the seams with party-goers and carried on late into the night...and early the next morning. When the girls and I eventually had enough of dancing (or more accurately, our high heels got the better of our feet), we decided to bow-out gracefully and retire to our beds. Needless to say, by the time we got home, Stef and I were past ravenous, so I MacGyvere'd my way through the kitchen and made some scrambled eggs (what one could now very appropriately call a Sunrise breakfast...) and presented it to my compatriot. The next morning... hmm, (I will put diplomatically that) neither myself nor Stef were our usual bubbly selves. But the feelings of tiredness soon faded away as we grew more and more excited for our first "Ladies Nite" which we were to host at our house! We invited more or less twelve girls to come over and bring any snacks with them which tickled their fancy. Stef and I didn't have much time to get ready, as she finished work late and went to the shops for a couple of last minute "schnacks" and my anthropology class only finished at about 5.30ish. The girls started arriving as we hung up the fairy lights in the living room and dismantling the couches to arrange seating all around the living room floor. We lit the candles, played a mixed CD (proudly brought to you by a certain beau in my housemate's life) and poured the wine (and yes, someone brought rose wine...). What a roaring success of an evening! Apart from the electricity tripping every so often (due to our power box being an artefact from WWII), it was quite apparent that everyone had a ball! The most interesting part of it all was that while some of the girls were mutual friends, the majority of the girls had only met each other for the first time, and yet everyone got along swimmingly. I wished that I had taken a photo or two of the setting, but to be honest, I believe that if you're enjoying yourself enough, there's no moment to waste on taking copious amounts of photo's. The best way to remember a realllly good gathering is by being fully present in the moment. In the practical sense, photo's help for memory lapses perhaps, or factual evidence for court cases (depending on how hard you party), but if you have a blackberry like I do, you know that being able to take a good picture means sacrificing at least ten minutes of party time on trying to find the best "Scene Mode" in which to take the picture, let alone if the flash of the camera helps make the photo look good or not. And, by the time you've located the best possible combination of photo settings, the opportune moment has long passed and everyone has left the frame to refill their wine glasses (or the battery is dead). It was so refreshing to meet a new group of girls. Learning about everyone, where they are in their lives and the crazy things they get up to; in an environment where everyone is relaxed and not focused on trying impress anyone, there is no better way to connect and unwind than how the ladies did last night . One of the highlights of the evening was hearing about one of the girls' recent trip to Cyprus. She gave almost a full report on everything from the geographic conditions of the country to the best party locations and social tips. It was with true conviction and something just shy of a slideshow presentation that she told us about her holiday there. Crystal blue waters and beautifully-bronzed boys. We were sold! Oh how a night of oestrogen does a gal good every now and then! Not only on a level of being in the company of girls only, but more generally-speaking, around a group of such positive influence and humility was what really stood out for me and what made it so special. Sharing stories and laughing, cringing, EATING (another highlight), one remembers that it's simple to be happy. All you need to remember is to be exactly who and what you are, and to allow others the freedom to be that too--in their own rights. The rest follows on its own. I cannot wait for the next Ladies' evening, I'll be sure to write a follow-up post on it! Stef and I have a few more aces up our sleeves... I, like the next person, consider myself to be somewhat of a budding wine connoisseur. I think a lot of girls, in their mid-teens (probably around the age of 16 or 17) start experimenting with rose wine with their girlfriends and add lots of ice and practice letting their inner coo-girls come out in each other's company. This is often accompanied by gossiping and gabbing over the latest news at school (or varsity later on) and exchanging stories, relationship advice and embarrassing moments.
As the years have gone on, and as one tries to move away from sweeter wines and such (or just raid your parent's wine rack), I have come to find that the drier and older wines have much more interesting stories to tell. When you taste your mom's white wine as a youngster, you are immediately put off by the dry and bitter taste of it and compare it to drinking vinegar or paint thinners (not that I have ever tasted that, but I guess that is what I would've imagined it to taste like, back then). But, as time goes on, you learn to enjoy not only the taste of a white or dry red wine but the process and flavours embedded into the wine and associated with it. The wine I want to talk about today is one that is arguably a very good wine for almost any occasion. Boekenhoutskloof in Franschoek (which is in the Western Cape of South Africa) is responsible for bottling "The Wolftrap" wines. I've tried both the white/ chenin blend as well as the Syrah Mourvedre Viognier Rhone blend. The normal retail price is around the R37 mark (but I bought mine on special at Checkers for R32.99!). Not only is the shape of the bottle as well as the labeling and branding on the wine unique and eye-catching; the iconic wolf on the bottle never leaves one's memory. As far as the taste goes, one can definitely smell and taste the wooden (oak) barrels in which it was matured. What I can taste are hints of nutmeg or cinnamon. The Wolftrap tastes better the more it gets a chance to breathe; some might say that the initial sharpness is a bit much, but, as the evening goes on, and there is a bit of oxidizing that takes place, it calms down and reveals its more velvety side and you are finally able to let the wolf out of its snare... (How's that for poetic?) This vintage; the bottle that has taken up temporary residence on my desk is only a 2013, which means that it is for immediate enjoyment and will compliment any occasion from a first date (impressing the lady with a suave choice of wine) to cooking up a bowl of pasta or warm veggie stew with your best friend on one of Pretoria's crisp, chilly winter evenings. Below is an image of the complete selection of The Wolftrap wines. They have a white, rose and of course the red wine as well. I apologize for not providing my own photo of the bottle, but have instead opted for the photo which can be located on their website : http://www.boekenhoutskloof.co.za/front Sometimes, in the life and times of a student, as many of you should know, the budgeting skills are still in their formative stages and so, for those reasons, there are times where we are confronted by the choice between going out with the gang later this evening or having a decent meal to eat. I, however, feel as though I have made some progress thus far (this being my third year out of the house) and so, at times, when boredom strikes, I whip out the inner master chef in me and summon up a meal of sort-epic-proportions and make the most of a dull (fridge) situation.
Below, I have used the following ingredients for lunch: *Artisan bread/loaf (Only R16 from Food Lovers Market) *Cherry tomatoes (a huge packet for a mere R12 bucks) *Calamata olives (R9) *Some sweeeeet chili sauce (which goes with everything) *Worcester sauce *An array of spices (rosemary, good ol' S & P, some coriander etc etc. whatever you have on the spice rack) *Strange PicknPay Balsamic and Onion dip (R16 special, if you use your Smart Shopper Card) Everything was fried up in the pan...or Sauteed, if you will. And the bread was toasted... in a toaster. So, Wednesdays start with an 08.30 lecture on campus. Visual Culture Studies. At the moment, we're learning about Places and Spaces and how these different geographical spaces (and even imagined spaces) are embedded with different meanings and have meanings bestowed upon them either by individuals or collective communities. We associate certain types of behaviors or activities with certain types of places--obviously. Take for example, the kitchen in your house, that's where we make food, wash the dishes, chat over a cup of coffee, borrow your housemate's sauces... All these activities and behaviors make sense when we're in this environment and therefore, something as simple and as straight-forward as this is just another element which contributes to the stability and order of life as we know it. On this note, I have decided to share with you my breakfast. Note: this picture was obviously taken before the Worcester sauce or the tomato sauce for safety and hygiene precautions. Table cloth proudly brought to you by housemate "Stef Originals" circa 2003 primary school days.
This is where all the magic happens. Well, not really, this is just where I write about all the magic that did or did not happen. The best part of the day is between 14.00 and 16.00 in the afternoons; the sun comes beaming through the windows and lights up the whole room. From outside my bedroom door in the passage which is quite dark (our commune is huge and old, with wooden floors and a granny that occasionally visits), it looks like there's a halo of light around my door frame (and Narnia is on the other side...).
As is probably obvious, the point of this blog is more or less a day-to-day diary. So, the more diverse the posts are on this blog, the more diverse my days have been.
What I would like to achieve with this blog: -Photography: Inspiring or cool pictures from my day; whether it be a day walking to or from Campus, to PicknPay, or whatever I see. Note: I only have a cell phone camera, therefore the quality is not always top-notch. -Foooood: I luuuurv cooking and experimenting with new dishes (or whatever I can find in my cupboard or fridge because of budgeting reasons). Sharing recipes, showing off my cooking skills, sharing other people's recipes as well etc. - Music recordings or clips. I play a bit of guitar with my housemate Stef. We like collaborating on songs and just plain time-wasting with the guitar and doing vocal exercises (Stef likes those, I don't). -Talking about daily issues or things that I have come to find in my twenty-one years of existence. Future plans, ideas, goals, dreams and the like. -Since I would like to write as a primary source of income one day, I think it will also be useful to include reviews on the wines I buy or food I go out to eat at Restaurants here in Pretoria or in Johannesburg or wherever really. I would one day like to write along the lines of travel journalism or to become a review writer, SO, what better place to start than one's own blog? (I have done this before, i just forgot my previous password as well as the security questions...). Anything else that I have left out, will soon be added. Watch this space! Au revoir* Happy Tuesday!
Well, to get started, a very short-medium-length story about the blog and where the inspiration came from: "A day in the life of Eugene"... You might be wondering 'Who the heck is Eugene, if the author's name is Judete' ? Funny story actually. It all started in High School ( the tender and moody age of 16) where the girls and boys were lined up outside maths class; it was the beginning of a new school term, and, South African schooling being as regimented as it is, our teacher preferred to have us sit at assigned desks going according to our surnames--so that she could cross-reference with the class list/ register whenever she was unsure of who was asking questions, misbehaving, rocking on their chairs, not wearing the correct school uniform etc etc. Anyway, whilst we were waiting for our names to be called one-by-one to get given a seat in class, it was drawing nearer and nearer to the letter "F" (my surname being Fourie), and, what I probably should add right about now is that "Judete" has always, for some strange reason, been a very difficult name for the majority of South Africans to pronounce. I guess, people here haven't heard it frequently enough to know how to say it, and so, for that reason, I always get a little rosy when I know someone is about to say my name, because they always get it horribly wrong. The worst part is, even though most people get over the fact that they have to correct others when saying their name later in life, while one is in high school and trying one's best to blend in seamlessly with the rest of one's peers, a name like "Judete" is not exactly cut out to camouflage a young, teenage, sliiiiightly awkward girl. Maybe it is a different story in France or Portugal where the name (or variations of it) originates, but over here in South Africa, I've been face-palming for the past twenty-one years! I've heard every version of my name imaginable, and like Thomas Edison, a couple hundred ways of how Not to get it right. Getting back to my story, the teacher was running through the surnames: "Ferreira......Foba.....Fourie"...and, to the best of my knowledge, I was the only "Fourie" in my maths class, I waited for this new teacher to call out my name. And low and behold, having the class list in her hand, in other words, my full name and spelling in front of her eyes, she utters out the name: "Eugene Fourie. You're up!". Needless to say, my self-confidence had gone from questionable to non-existent. I may as well have turned into a bottle of Tabasco Sauce. I was bright red and hotter than one of those Ghost peppers they're always talking about on BBC Food. I covered my stunned face in dismay, as I walked to the front of the queue and quietly whispered my (real) name to her. She tried a couple of times to correct her (unforgivable) mistake, but I gave up and proceeded to my new bunker of shame in the fifth row, second from the back. I didn't hear the end of that story until my friends and I left school (which was three years later). Let alone my school friends, my family have now unofficially dubbed me as Eugene Fourie. I think a name like "Eugene" reminds me first and fore-mostly of the geeky teenager in the movie Grease (the nerd with the pocket-protector, cow-lick and suspenders). I don't mean to offend anyone with that name; I think there are probably millions of Eugene's around the world who are good looking, of social-butterfly descent and at the height of popularity within their peer group. We know what Bill Shakespeare says anyway; a rose by any other name still smells as sweet! (I was just paraphrasing there). I guess the reason I decided to incorporate that name into my blog is because I guess we all have a little bit of Eugene in us. The side we all pretend at times not to have, or hope for goodness' sake that there are not any general citizens of the public around when something involuntarily-crazy should happen. For the most part, we're all pretty weird, in a normal kind of way, but pretend that we don't really have those moments of pure LIFE happening to us. The irony there is that, it is in those moments when we want to crawl under the couch, shun our own existence or hide our faces away from others that we are the most beautiful and raw versions of ourselves. It is exactly then that we are unique, quirky, fresh, original human, living beings. I think, for that recent realization and reason, I have decided to harness my inner "Eugene" and make the most of every single day. To no-longer deny that part within me that makes up so much of my spirit and has contributed largely to why people want to get to know me and be proud to call me their friend. A true friend. There will be news-worthy days, and there will be days more mundane than rolling out the wheely-bin to the drive-way. A day is a day is a day. It is slightly cliche to mention, but we know that sometimes the most significant things happen when we are in those situations when we think nothing is possible. Those moments where we are caught 100 percent off-guard, those moments that we have not seen in movies, those moments that people don't think have happened according to plan. Once we strive for or even just embrace those things, elements such as popular social media and advertising will no longer have the power or authority over us as it has exercised for so many years. So, what I hope for you to take out of this is: Whatever you want! I think there's a win-win situation; I get to talk about my day and everything that happened in it, and someone gets to read about it. Since I currently study Anthropology as one of my modules, I know that the things which I talk about on this blog can be used as interesting fieldwork or findings for a research of some sort i.e. "How the psyche of a crazy person is compiled". Even more so, if there's anyone who feels that they can gain from the things I talk about, or my experiences, even better! I think we should share as much as we can, we all move forward together, in one way or another. |
AuthorHi there, my name is Judete Fourie. I am a twenty-something-year-old writer living in Stellenbosch in SA's Western Cape. Follow my day to day adventures that involve wine, wit and braaibroodjies. Archives
June 2017
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