I’m on a Boat: Day 1

My lovely sister has organised for us to go on cruise for a holiday so I’m sorry that I have been off the grid for a while.  Last Friday, literally a week after I arrived in Bloemfontein, Johann, Anneline and I boarded a plane to Cape Town with a group of friends. We spent the night at our aunt’s house, met up with Anine and the next day made our way to the Cape Town harbour.

We then spent the next two hours waiting to board the MSC Sinfonia, for our cruise holiday!! All around us good-looking crew members helped us onto the ship. I seriously was stopped at every metal scanner and had to be searched every time. We didn’t mind the wait, since it gave us chance to get pumped for the trip. Every now and again we would break out into The Lonely Island’s “I’m on a Boat.” Eventually we made it to the front of the queue. A tall handsome South African escorted us to the check-in desk and then a very, very cute geeky guy, who was dancing around to the music in the harbour lead us to outside. A short, vibey Italian greet at the gangway. “No card; no party!” We ended up seeing those guys a lot more, since they turned to be a part of the cruises’ entertainment team. More on that later.

Little bit of background: The MSC Sinfonia is a cruise ship owned and operated by the Italy-based MSC Cruises. The public spaces include two main dining rooms, a self-serve buffet, cafeteria, two-deck high showlounge, a discothèque, several bars, a casino and a library. The lido deck includes two outdoors swimming pool and two Jacuzzis. MSC Sinfonia is named in homage to the rousing symphonies of Europe's great classical composers: from Beethoven's romantic masterpieces to Mozart's lively works, paired with the contemporary tones of Debussy, Tchaikovsky and Brahms. We were placed on Deck 9, Deck Tchaikovsky, with most of our rooms right next to each other. Anine, my sister, and I shared a room, with our friends JB and Woody in the room right next door. This meant that we spent which a lot of time hanging out in each other’s rooms.

Once we had put our luggage in our rooms (with Anine practically lunging herself over my luggage at the door) we headed out to explore the ship. After about a hundred photos of the ship and photos with random passengers we settled down at the Capri Bar for a cocktail. One of the best things about the cruise was the cocktails- all with hilarious names, such as The Faithful Bitch or the Bewitched Mermaid. Eventually our whole group found each other again and we stopped at a Shelah’s Pub, the only indoor pub that you’re allowed to smoke in, for a last drink before the show. That night the Sinfonia performers put on a performance of song from musical for our entertainment. The amazing cruise cheesy-ness was overwhelming!

Due to the high winds in the Cape Town harbour we were only able to leave the second morning so we had one good night where the ship standing was completely still. Since it was our first day on the ship we had to take part in the compulsory emergency drill. 15 minutes before the drill we headed to our meeting spot which happened to be in the casino. So we all ended up with numerous photos of us wearing those giant orange life jackets:

That night the entertainment team, also known as the Dream Team, had organised a Rainbow party in the Sinfonia Lounge. I was ready and dressed in my colourful outfit before the others so I spent some time exploring the ship; only getting lost once. I found all the beautiful unknown and mysterious parts of the ship. The Rainbow party took place in the Sinfonia Lounge, which was this large room that could almost be called a ballroom. When we arrived The Dream Team was on the middle of the dance floor surround by lots of other passengers dancing so some old school tunes. Once the rainbow party ended we made our way to the Pashka Club, where we finished the night off dancing, to the tunes of DJ Black Sparrow, in the lights of the Cape Town harbour. It honestly felt like a party scene from out of a movie.

Anine, Nicole and I in our Rainbow outfits

More tales of our cruise to follow. J

100 Posts:

In the blur of all this blogging I didn't even realize that I have more than a hundred blog posts! Let’s hope this blogging vibe will continue. J

Day at the beach:

On Heritage Day this year my friends and I piled into our cars and made our way to the beach. My sister and my friend, William, came down for the week and we decided to leave all our responsibilities in Grahamstown for the day so that could have an adventure.

Considering that a few of our gang were a little hung over I’m surprised that we managed to get everyone going at 9:00. Our first stop was a large breakfast at the Pig and Whistle in Bathurst; which is the oldest pub in the area.

Next we headed down to the Kenton beach and spent a few hours basking in the sun. Jeremiah’s Pub is just up the street from the beach where we parked so we grabbed a few drinks and headed down to the lagoon; where we watched the sunset and enjoyed each other’s company. I think that a day at the beach was just what we needed. And I feel very lucky to have gotten to spend so much extra time relaxing with my friends at the beach.

(Inspired by our beach trip my friend Claudi made a 8track playlist that perfectly reflected the mood of the day.)

http://8tracks.com/claudi-moll/to-the-sea

My sister, Anine and my friend Chels

Me and Claudi

Boat Races 2013: #Gees

Ashleigh, Brendan, me and Dan

Das Kapital: “Rhodes students love hashtagging “gees”, it seems. #Spirited.”

Last year I loved Boat Races so much that it was only natural that I would go again this year. Due to reasons I can’t admit on a public forum I remember only parts of Boat Races Fest 2013, but it was just as a special and fun as last year. This time we were lot better prepared for the camping part and loaded my car with various supplies, drinks and food. This year I loaded Sally, Dan, Brendan and Sal’s sister, Ashleigh, in my car and met the rest of our friends at the campsite.

By the time we arrived a number of people had already parked their cars and set up their camps. We parked next to these loud Stellies guys and were surprised to discover our friend Keegan’s camp right next to us.

From there we visited the cocktail bar and won Mainstay beach balls. “Oh, look! We saw rowers.” A shock in seeing the rowers this time around.

That night things got a little…BoatRatchet. Let’s just say that drinking cocktails and Vodka mixes in the sun is never really a good idea. PHfat performed first. I had seen them perform once before, but this time was even better. In a dusty tent in the middle of a field. Somehow I ended up with an owl bennie on my head; jamming next to a very good-looking boy with a tie-dye shirt and a very unique dancing style. Next up was the DJ, Das Kapital, who was just as epic. He threw a Red Bull into crowd and the guy next to me caught it and shared some of it with me.

Das Kapital on top of  a Red Bull truck. 

In one daring moment some of my friends and I Tweeted Das Kapital: “The girls in the front row thing you are quite good looking.” To which he replied. “I thought they were beautiful.” 

By some miracle I found my way back to our tent and fell asleep at the foot of the tent; only to be woke up 2 hours later when the owner of the campsite began chasing students out. By law all of us had to be out of there at 8am and shockingly many of the hung-over campers around us managed to do so.

Keegan, Maddi and I covered in purple paint. 

Back in Grahamstown I had to get back to get back to my normal life. Which including doing my BoatRaces laundry. After a while all the dirt and dust was depressing me and a part of me felt like it would have been better to burn it all.

Overall BoatRaces was amazing and I am very excited to go again next 

Sally, Tshidi and I at the Mainstay tent

Wining Mainstay beach balls with Brendan and Sally

Orion:

A few nights ago I was getting ready for bed, when the power in res cut; a common occurrence. For a second the dark engulfed me and suddenly the stars could be seen much clearer. Framed through my window I could see Orion perfectly. Orion is my favourite constellation; mainly because it is the easiest one to spot. When in doubt look for the the three stars that make up Orion's belt. 

Suddenly it made me feel very small. But it also reminded me just how beautiful our world truly is.

"Orion had fully risen and stood at the eastern horizon, and from that Inman made the time to be past midnight. The great figure of hunter and warrior stood up there like an accusation, like a sign in the sky pointing out your shortfalls. Orion was girded about tight, his weapon ready to strike. Sure of himself as a man can be, if posture is any indication of character." ~ Charles Frazier. 

Life of an Average Learning Driver

I’ve only recently gotten my driver’s license and the experience was a surely horrifying event. After months of stress and frustration I finally managed to get this stupid little piece of plastic.  

Since Beit House is quite central I’ve never had needed a car to get around G-town. Even though this is pretty convenient for me it meant that I put off getting my licence for as long as possible. I only had my car in G-town for one semester in hopes that driving around this small town would help me become more comfortable with driving.

I once wrote that one of my character’s hated driving, because it felt so unnatural and when you think about it, it is very unnatural. Human beings were not designed to control a machine mechanically the way we do when we drive.  We weren’t born for this life, but yet it’s become a large part of the coming of age process. Driving is still stressful and after only having experienced two accident so far I can say that I think it’s getting slightly better. Driving does also allow for some serious reflections.

 So look out for the Silver Polo Hatchback, with the dent in the front, cruising through G-town with my Afrikaan pop rock CD blasting. 

Thoughts on Love and Romance:

Since I am so heavily inspired by John Green it is only fitting that I comment of his opinions on love and romance. But watch the video first:

Here are some of my responses to some John’s responses to the questions:

1)    Use your words. Easier said than done. I’ve often had moments in my life when I’ve had the opportunity to tell someone how I truly feel, but fear overwhelmed me. This is the reality of being a human being. You over-think things and you complicate things in your mind. You can’t spend your whole life pining over someone who has no clue that you do. In a world where we are terrified of rejection and failure using your words is far from easy.

2)    From now on I’ll use my words. I’m not an Avox.

3)    I agree. Don’t stand on birth control pills.

4)    I believe the Venna Diagram speaks for itself.

5)    I still love you, Cheerios! In our society women are often labelled as being ‘slut’ when they behave in the same way men do. This double standard in society is very disturbing. There are many men who sleep around, yet expect to marry a virgin. Why can’t women be free to choose? Why do women have to ‘pure’ according to society, yet men aren’t? And why can’t people realize that. 

 

6)    Toby Turner is crushable. He should be in a band.

7)    I ship Who-lock. It’s a real word.

8)    Yeah, he IS a douchebag if he just wants a hook-up.

9)    My husband will have to watch Supernatural with me.

10) Kiss who you want to kiss… when you want to kiss them.

PS…

11)  No one understands hickeys.

Paradise Fears:

Paradise Fear is a band consisting of six high school/ college students in Vermillion, South Dakota. With their infectiously catchy and musically developed rock-pop songs, this band sure knows how to touch the hearts of many young people struggling with issues. Their music infuses elements of pop, alternative and even spoken word and they maintain above all, an authentic and genuine lyrical message. The band is made up of Sam Miller, Cole Andre, Michael Walker, Jordan Merrigan, Lucas Zimmerman and Marcus Sand.

They saved up all of their money from working full time jobs, deferred their college admissions and recorded an album, produced by Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount. On June 14th, 2011, the band released their debut full length "Yours Truly," and set out following every US pop rock tour. During the summer of 2012, the band sold out headlining shows in eight major markets. In just 8 months, their Facebook, Twitter, and social networking profiles have acquired tens of thousands of fans/ followers, and are still rapidly expanding by hundreds daily.

The connections they have built with their listeners and their genuine passion and compassion for their fans has resulted in a maniacal, loyal, and constantly growing fan base that calls themselves the Turtles. 

They have since released their most recent EP "Battle Scars". Along with their original music, the band has released several covers on Youtube, including a cover of Payphone by Maroon 5 which has accumulated over 2.8 million views.

I find their music very inspirational and very innovative. 

http://www.youtube.com/user/paradisefears/videos

Swimming

I’m a swimmer… At least that’s how I used to identify myself. In High School I used to be able to do at least 64 25m lengths a day and up to 120 lengths during the holidays. Thinking back I can’t believe that I did the Midmar Mile four times. But since coming to Rhodes University I have lost track of my training and I’ve only recently realized how much I missed it.

I started training again this month and I can tell you for sure that I feel very rusty. So far I’ve managed to get it up to 32 25m lengths. (Half a Mile.) Once or twice I’ve managed to do 40 length, which is 1km. Any more than that and I think I’ll pass out. Being back in the pool has been the best experience though. All the memories of the hours spent in my high school pool come rushing back to me.  I grew up surrounded by swimmers and my gran was a swimming coach so I’ve basically been in the water since just after I could walk.

The only thing that pops into my mind is: Muscle memory. Even though I feel unfit it is as if my body remembers the comfortable feeling of the different strokes. There is a strange sense of peace that comes over you as you move through the water. Unless you’re a swimmer you can’t really comprehend how beautiful the specs of light that radiate through the water looks the moment you diving in. The feeling of the water like velvet. The smell of chlorine on your skin later.

As much as I know that I have to exercise, running is not to for me. It always feels like I am not in control of my body when I’m running; too many bits jiggling around. Swimming is different. It’s all the exercise without the strain (and the public embarrassment.) I love the way in which you can just dive in and forget about everything around you. All sense of time and place is lost in the blur of the different strokes.

During this morning’s training session I realized just how much I loved being a swimmer. I took much better care of myself when I was a swimmer. Hopefully I’ll be able to keep this up. 

Songs about swimming: 

"And so I started my love affair with water..."

Water by Brad Paisley:

Swimming by Florence and the Machine:

Swim Until You Can't See Land by Frightened Rabbit:

Badger Blue

I want to tell you all a story of the bunny rabbit that touched our lives in the most expected way. When I arrived home during the June holidays I found that my siblings, including my “adopted” brother Calvin, had bought a tiny, black, pocket bunny. They had named her Badger Blue, after a computer game character, which got a little confusing, because she was a she and she was black and certainly not a badger. It was strange, but we loved it, and her, anyway.

Badger quickly snuck into our hearts and for a large part of the holiday she was cuddled up on someone’s lap while we watched movies. When you sat on the floor with your back against the couch she loved to snuggle into the hollow of your back. Sometimes she would sit by our feet and keep them warm. She was also so tiny that she could fit into a large coffee mug comfortably. 

Near the end of the holiday though she stopped eating and stopped hopping around as much as she used to. One night she was very jumpy and her heart was racing. We went to bed and the next morning we discovered that she had passed away. In a month and a half a tiny soul had given us so much joy. I still miss that little bunny. 

Youtube musicians

I’ve talked about my love for Youtube quite a lot, but I’ve recently discovered a few amazing musicians who write, perform and promote their own music. With the help of Youtube these young musicians are able to show the world their talents and continue what they love doing. 

My friends and I have been listening to Sam Tsui since the days when we had to share one pair of headphones just to watch Youtube videos during our CAT (Computer Applications) classes. Sam Tsui is an American musician and Internet celebrity who rose to fame on YouTube. He is best known for covering songs by popular artists, as well as for his original songs, medleys, and mashups.

Kurt Hugo Schneider

He is an American video editor, musician, singer and songwriter, whose primary medium is YouTube music videos. He produces music videos for various Youtbe musicians, such as Sam Tsui, including the musical medley videos in which Sam Tsui sings as a one-man choir. He occasionally makes comedy songs: 

Dave Days.

The ultimate boy-next-door. He is a musician, entertainer and YouTube personality from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, currently living in Los Angeles. He is best known for his YouTube channel featuring pop-punk covers and parodies of popular songs, as well as original songs.

Alex Goot & Chad Chugg

These two cuties are truly amazing singers and their covers have helped me fall in love with cover songs.  Goot and Sugg are American singer/ songwriters, with separate careers, yet they often work together on songs. Alex Goot created the company "Gootmusic" to help him in his goal of distributing his music. He currently makes covers of famous songs and posts them on Youtube. Backseat Goodbye is the stage and recording name of pop-folksinger-songwriter Chad Sugg.

Luke Conrad & Landon Auston

Two great, adorable singers. In the same video!! Please check out these amazing musicians, who, in their spare time, are also Youtubers.

Peter Hollins

The King of Acapella. He is an American pop singer, songwriter and producer. He has been involved with a cappella music since 1999 when he and Leo da Silva founded the University of Oregon's a cappella group, On The Rocks, known as the first official collegiate a cappella group in Oregon.

Lindsey Stirling

Dubstep covers using a violin. Need I say more??! (But I will.) Stirling is an American violinist, dancer, performance artist, and composer. She presents choreographed violin performances, both live and in music videos found on her YouTube channel, Lindseystomp. 

Personal space

If you are a woman in today’s modern world then at one point in your life you have been harassed, to some degree, by a man.

Walking home from a night out, as we have to do in the little town of G, my girlfriends and I were approached by a group of young men clearly intoxicated. Sensing no threat at the time and recognising a few of them from our classes we let them walk with us until our paths spilt. This unfortunately, seemed to give them the wrong idea and they began flirting with us. Being tired and ready for bed (our own), we paid them no attention, but they became more and more persistent and thus we became more and more an uncomfortable. Most of them were polite, but one got very touchy with all of us. We eventually made our way across the street when he grabbed my friend’s ass. Thinking we should have said something at the time, but we were tired and scared. It disturbs me that incidents like that happen so often that we have become a little desensitised and just “deal” with them. 

I felt like I needed to tell you guys that little story to give you an indication of how uncomfortable it is for woman to be treated like this. I’ve been poked, prodded and groped by groups of men who think that they have free access to my body. I think it’s disgusting and so degrading. I promise you if you come up to me, tell me your name, ask me mine and simply speak to you I will be 90% more willing to engage with you than if you simply lunge* me.

(In this country, it’s hard to talk about this kind of stuff causally or contextually, because domestic violence and rape are such serious social and political issues. Yet if we don’t speak out against harassment then we are condoning this kind of rape culture mentality. A woman’s body is not an object that can simple be used and abused. I don’t think I’m that qualified to speak about that aspect fully, so why don’t you look up a rape survivor rights activist Michelle Solomon’s blog for a better articulated discussion. http://journoactivist.com/aboutmichelle/)

*Lunge- Rhodes slang for attempting to kiss someone randomly. 

Howl: Florence Welsh review

Fun fact about me: I absolutely love Florence and the Machine and I particularly love the lead singer, Florence Welsh’s soulful voice. It's an amazing song which evokes a lot of meaning and emotions. At its core Howl is about the way in which love and desire can bring out the animalistic instincts in you that you never knew you had.

The song is basically about WANTING and LUSTING after somebody. When it says "you are the moon for which I have to howl" it means she is mesmerized by someone like a wolf is drawn to the moon.

“Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers

Starts so soft and sweet and turns them to hunters

A man who's pure of heart and says his prayers by night

May still become a wolf when the autumn moon is bright"

The start of the relationship was soft and sweet, which was why she fell for him, but it progressed into a really strong, more animalistic love. Even the most pure of heart can turn into a wolf under the right conditions. Lust may be all there is in the beginning, but afterwards, it could mess everything up because that’s all there was and nothing else. To me, this is about lusting after someone so intensely that it consumes you. You pine for your lover when you're apart, and can't control yourself when you're with them. You'd go to the ends of the earth to get to where they are, because you're driven by this primal instinct to be with them and touch them.

This song, which started of being originally about a werewolf before developing into a song about extremely passionate love, was clearly influenced by the gothic horror stories she read as a child. Welch told The Scotsman January 25, 2009: "When I was a kid, I was physically afraid of monsters and ghosts, vampires and werewolves. It was a scary couple of years and I don't know if I am over it yet. I've toned it down but I still have to wake up at night and turn the light on. Now I translate it into songs and try to become the werewolf."

"I was in a really intense emotional state for this one! I’d been so drunk and so badly behaved that I felt like a beast, I felt feral. I turned up to the studio wearing the same clothes from the night before and I was an emotional wreck. I was thinking about the extremes you go to when you’re in love, the way it takes over, and how that then turns into wanting to rip and tear.. Young love starts off so intense,  but then you make mistakes, and it becomes sordid, sometimes. And dangerous. Then while we were in the studio, I got so over-involved with the idea of werewolves! I took this idea and ran with it, and all the ideas just came from Gothic horror: werewolves and wedding dresses, and licking beating hearts.. It was cool, because it got me out of my bad place, and into a creative place. When I was singing the refrain and doing the piano part, I suddenly realised, ‘At least something’s come out of this.’ It’s a release, for me."

http://www.florenceandthemachine.net/news/0-6/florence-on-lungs-part-one

Wedding Bells (A Misleading title)

I found out of that of the girls who Matriculated with me had recently gotten married. That’s right. Gotten legitimately married. A full white dress, happily ever after-like wedding.  I hadn’t known her well in High School; she used to sit behind me in some of my classes and we occasionally talked after we matriculated. If I think about it clearly, at the age of 20, she is the first girl who matriculated with me to get married and the thought scares me a little. Even trying to send her a message was awkward for me. How does one tell a 20-year-old to enjoy her life with her husband? I got stuck on the word “husband”. Someone my age has a husband…

In the words of Ashleigh Brown:

“Shacking up at the tender age of 20 doesn’t make sense to me!”

I take the concept of marriage quite seriously, because I’ve seen what a terrible marriage and a divorce does to people. I’m blessed to have two happily married parents and a strong family, but I know that there are many people out there who aren’t as lucky. I’ve seen friends with families who’ve been ripped apart and children abandoned. Coming from a family in which love is given so easily it’s hard to imagine anything less. If you think that you are ready to get married then you better damn be sure. At the moment I know that I’m not ready to get married and I’m perfectly happy waiting.

Jenna Marbles sums up perfectly how I feel:

 "Oh, you just got married. Congratulations. I looked at pictures of cats today.”