Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Ode to Chocolate

I don't care what people say, chocolate fixes everything! The other day, I was having an awful day... work was sucking and I didn't wanna go home coz it reminded me of how much the rest of my life was sucking; then I ate chocolate that someone bought me and wala, all my troubles were swallowed up by the rich, sweet goo that was oozing down my throat! Even better was that when the chocolate was finished and the after taste was gone, the feeling of freedom from all my woes stayed on and the rest of my day was fabulous! It happened exactly as Barney often says; I just stopped having a sucky day and had an awesome one instead, all because of chocolate - true story!

Friday, February 12, 2010

The Man in the Arena

I discovered this the other day and loved it! It’s from a speech by Roosevelt called "The Man in the Arena" check it out:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."
So what can one possibly add to that? Here is a measly attempt at unpacking deeper meaning: For me, the man in the arena is a gladiator because let’s face it, Russell Crowe made the gladiator the hottest hero ever! After reading this extract I thought to myself, I have two options here; I can sit on the sideline and watch life happen. I can turn away in fear as I see people collide with each other and make a mess of each other’s lives, I can wince in pain as I see the wounds they cause each other and vow never to make the same mistakes. On the other hand, I can join in with the game; I can face, though in fear and uncertainty, the starved lion pouncing for my neck. I can scream in pain as a sword pierces my very muscular bicep and I can stand victorious with the people I stood alongside in this battle called life( that was cheesy!), because that is the beauty of living. Without battle wounds, we have no stories to tell. Without failed attempts, we have no way of knowing our true potential. Without all these experiences, good or bad, well- life is no fun!
May you dare greatly; may you live your life to the fullest and may you have battle scars that tell of great adventures!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Just another morning in Umtata

Every single day I spend in this, my home town, i find something new to... like (?) about Umtata.

Like the other day for example; i got kicked out of a taxi at 7:45am! You heard me, kicked out of a taxi at peek hour traffic in Umtata!!(after i paid the taxi fare, just by the way). In my defense, i was, how do you say?... unfairly dismissed and the taxi driver was unfairly treated. In his shoes, I would have probably done the same thing and then some!

who was to blame then, you may ask. Well, let me just first say that owning a vehicle does not mean that you know everything there is to know about taxi drivers and their driving habits. In fact, i would go as far as to say that you don't know anything about taxi drivers because you own a vehicle.

Ever wondered why taxi drivers are such terrible drivers? because they have 14 back seat drivers very "knowingly" guiding them as to which routes to take into town, how fast to drive and of course when he may or may not change gears.

why does he stop in the middle of the highway to drop off a group of school kids? because, those kids' mother is in the taxi throwing snide comments at the inconvieniance of pulling over at a safe place because it's not as close to the school as right there in the middle of the highway!

well, the taxi driver in question must have gotten sick of these comments. After being chirped for his "incompitent" driving and terrible condition of his taxi, this frankly patient gentleman took us over the white Umtata bridge, up Madira road and over Sutherland Street before very calmly pulling over and telling u that this was as far as he was wiling to take us. To my suprise, no one said a word as they got out of the taxi and went about their day. It could have been because he driver looked ready to pull out his gun and shoot every one of us if we gave him any nonsense; that is if he had a gun.

needless to say, i am sure that those passenger pretty much spoiled that guy's day and i doubt he will ever come back to North Crest again. Ever