How I Spent my Birthday

I took a day's leave from work and...

Went for an early morning walk.

Hint of sunrise

Got spoiled (flowers from Angie and the camera from mom & William).

Enjoyed some pampering at Pumula Beauty Salon.

Donated a pint of blood at the South African National Blood Service. There was also good news at the blood bank in that my health has improved quite a bit since the last time I donated in 2010. From nearly failing the iron test, and taking close on 45 minutes to fill the bag I was in and out in 30 minutes.

Then mom and I bought some blankets, bowls, collars, leads, food and harnesses and toys and donated them to the Kempton Park SPCA. We then volunteered for a few hours at the sanctuary, mainly walking the dogs, feeding them dog biscuits and giving all the dogs and cats some love. It really is sad to see that so many pets are without homes but they are in good hands at the various rescue centres around the country.

Thereafter we had some tea and cake at the Mugg & Bean.

Then ended the day off with dinner at Fahrenheit.

I had such an awesome birthday, and loved giving back to those in need. I challenge everyone to support a worthy cause on their own birthday. It does not matter how small the gesture, it will make the world of difference to those affected and effected.

There was also good news at the blood bank in that my health has improved quite a bit since the last time I donated in 2010. From nearly failing the iron test, and taking close on 45 minutes to fill the bag I was in and out in 30 minutes.

Thank you to everybody that wished me, I loved reading each and every message and chatting to the callers.

Here's to the start of a fantastic year!

On the Eve of my 28th Birthday

Another year has zoomed by (ringing some truth into the phrase that time flies by after the age of 25) and tomorrow I will be 28. Wow, when I was younger anyone over 25 was deemed OLD!

28.Two years away from the big 3-0.

It is around this time that the average person starts thinking of everything they wanted to do before attaining the age in question, but have not due to whatever reason.

This past year has been a really good one for me. I have ticked off most of my goals for 2014 (save and except for the scuba diving course that I really still want to do) so therefore it has been a productive year.

A few things I can say about getting older is that:-

1) Sleeping past 7am on a weekend is damn near impossible (and staying up after 11pm is a record); 

2) You realize who and what makes you happy (and who/what doesn't);

3) The realization that you need to look after yourself (there's no such thing as a soul transplant) Eat healthy, exercise regularly, reduce alcohol consumption, etc; and 

4) Listening to your own instincts or intuition is more reliable than any prior knowledge.

If I think of how different my life at 27 compared to my mom's life at 27, there is really no comparison. My mom had been married for six years, had a three and a half year old daughter. She was also a widow at that age. I am neither a wife nor a mother, and have thankfully been spared the heartache of losing my significant other. Our experiences up till now have been extremely different, but I am so lucky to have my mom. I have learnt ALOT from her

Goals for my 29th year on Earth:

1) Do that scuba diving course! 

2) Travel to Egypt and visit the Pyramids & Valley of the Kings;

3) Be a better person than I am today; and
4) Develop Soleil-Femme (a logo and official hosting would be a nice facelift)

Where's that chocolate cake?

Throwback Thursday: Euro Trip for Mom's 50th - Part 2

Previously on the blog... We ended off at the Kurdish island of Kusadasi and had a fantastic shopping spree. 

Our next port of call was the historical town of Rhodes, and it was also Grandpa's 79th birthday. The third biggest of the Greek Isles, Rhodes combines ancient castles and medieval villages with beautiful beaches. The temperatures were sweltering, and William and I both felt the effects of heat stroke during the tour of the Grand Master's Palace (it did not help that out tour guide spoke in a monotone). 

View of Rhodes

Gardens at the Grand Master's Palace

Entrance to the world heritage site

Grandpa's birthday

And mom's

Our tour guide Lisa (far left) and the crew of waiters

Happy birthday!

My grandparents

My mom, William and I

We returned to the ship shortly after the tour ended, feeling rather drained. Having grown tired of Moussaka, I opted for a pizza for lunch and it was just what the doctor ordered. That evening was the Captain's dinner, and our waiter kindly organised my mom and grandad a birthday cake.

The following morning we docked in Heraklion. Unfortunately, as with Patmos, we did not have more than a few hours to explore the town, so we walked the streets for a while before returning to the ship.
 

Our one good find in Heraklion, this stunning bakery

Our last stop was the picturesque island of Santorini. What a surreal feeling to look at those beautiful blue roofed structures - the postcards really don't do Santorini justice. We had an afternoon on the island, and not selecting any excursions, we toured the town, admired the beautiful views and indulged in their famous iced coffees. Definitely a place to return to. As our tour guide so aptly put it, this trip was like sampling a case of wines. Discover your favorite then go back and enjoy the vineyard.

Looking out over the bay of Santorini

Mom finally made it to her dream destination

Beautiful church

The next morning we disembarked the Orient Queen one last time, and drove to Delphi - believed to be the centre of the Earth, and also the site of the precursors to the modern Olympic Games called the Pythian Games. What a magnificent place, the history was so rich it felt like we had stepped into a time warp.

Delphi

Saturday morning I woke up with the most terrible earache ever experienced in my life. It started at 3am and continued throughout the morning. My mom and I went to the local hospital in Athens, and saw a Greek doctor that barely spoke a word of English. What I was able to decipher was "infection". Typical Gorven luck in action again! I was prescribed antibiotics and sent on my way. We spent the rest of the weekend in Athens before catching our flight to Croatia...

Third and final installment to follow shortly.

5 Things Thursday

A fellow blogger created this series called '7 Things' and I found the idea extremely appealing as it would bring variety to each post. Instead of rambling on about one subject for 12 000 characters which could possibly result in a reader (or even myself) losing interest, I am able to include multiple topics without making them seem inane or irrelevant of one another.

So here goes, a wrap up of the week that was:

1) The Oscar Pistorius Trial. No matter where one goes in South Africa, we are bombarded with up to the minute coverage of the trial. We have a dedicated radio and television channel broadcasting the proceedings live (a world first - fist pump for SA), newspaper headlines lead with the latest developments - it's even all over social media. Now in its' third week, and with no prospect of the end in sight, some members of the public are getting frustrated. What started off as interest has been replaced with boredom. The fact of the matter is he shot dead his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. No question about it. Now, the issue at hand is whether it was premeditated or self defence, and the sentence he receives will be based on this outcome. Witnesses of all calibers have been called from neighbours of the paralympian athlete to experts from the USA. Everyone has an opinion on what happened that fateful night, but only the court's verdict counts. 

2) The disappearance of flight MH370. The aircraft, carrying 239 people, disappeared on 8 March. No distress signals were transmitted, and according to engineers all modes of communication were severed  a mere hour into the flight, setting off theories of a hijacking. If it was a hijacking, wouldn't the captors have made contact and given their demands? I find the "Lost" theory very hard to believe. Basically the aircraft has landed on some remote island (possibly as part of the hijacking). Seriously, it's a Boeing. It requires a certain distance of runway on which to land, and wouldn't someone have spotted the plane? The chances of these people being found alive are virtually zero. They would not have had enough supplies on which to survive, and if the aircraft landed/crashed into the sea, they would have required immediate rescue. Another interesting theory (and one I'm tending to agree with) was compiled by Chris Goodfellow, a pilot. Read it here.

Earlier today, assumed pieces of wreckage off the western coast of Perth were spotted via satellite. Ships from multiple nations converged on the area but the weather was poor and visibility limited. The search will resume tomorrow, and hopefully some closure will be brought to the matter. I can't imagine what the families of those on board may be experiencing, but to find out what happened may ease their sadness somewhat.

3) William celebrates his birthday this Sunday! My other half will be celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the day of his birth, and we are going to spend the day doing whatever he wants. It's only right seeing as though it is his birthday. Happy happy birthday my love, I wish you a year of health, wealth and happiness and a lifetime of joy in abundance.

4) Tomorrow is Human Rights Day in South Africa. Ramsey Clark said "A right is not what someone gives you; it's what no-one can take from you." Be kind to your fellow man, and accept them for who they are. Humanity has fought enough fights. Live and let live.

5) This week I received my first compliment from my boss! Happiness is. 

Wishing you all an awesome long weekend.