Sunday, 30 December 2012

I'm Officially a Newbie (and my iPad is a dumbass)

Oh, God, why?!

-covers face in shame-

Did I not mention the fact that my iPad is a dumbass?! When I type long posts, it eventually stops letting me scroll down which is why I had to type that post, and then this one. It will also explain why my sentence stopped mid-word and it will also explain the "the side jdjdjdjdof the corridor my apartment is on". I giggled at that one.

I don't even know what I wanted to say with the whole "for the r" thing. Anyway. I'm a happy girl. I am a privledged girl. I now live in one of, if not the most, beautiful cities in the world. I have the world at my feet and I am looking forward to many more adventures.

Though that isn't to say I don't miss home a hellava lot. (Hi mom - LOVE YOU)

I'm Officially a Newbie

I'm sitting on a fold-out-mattress on the floor of my new messy bedroom in my new empty apartment in my new beautiful city I now call home. Cape Town. Unfortunately I cannot pleasure your eyes with any visuals of my first-independent-day because I'm blogging off my iPad and to attempt to take and upload pictures by any method that isn't my laptop will not aid my persistent effort to be happy.

However, this day certainly did aid such an effort of mine. After I had been left with the keys of my apartment; after going through the gory admin details with the estate agent; after my little sister had been fetched by a friend - I was alone in my dusty, empty apartment and I had never felt lonelier.

But! Never fear! Thanks to two of my beautiful friends - I had a rich supply of new songs to blow my speakers with and prance around to, pretending I know how to dance. I started putting my belongings into their new places in their new home, found their new places in their new home to be too dusty, found my feet to be pitch-black because of said dust all over my apartment, called mom to ask what to buy at the supermarket and then set off to partake in my first independent shopping expedition.

For someone who considers herself to be the least-domestic person on the planet, I think I pulled off quite a decent job - shopping up a storm and spending more than I had planned to. Student-living isn't going to be easy. I just bought the basics - and I threw in a tub of chocolate mousse because sometimes I like to be a drama and think of future nights involving me crying in front of a black and white romance on tv, tub of dessert in hands, tissues strewn across the room.

I got lost trying to find the parking to the supermarket. But once I arrived back home was when the real fun started. I wish I could take a picture - but since I can't I'll have to describe it. My parking bay is a parallel parking on the bottom level of my apartment block. I have to walk up a winding staircase to reach the first door, which, when opened, blocks one half of the corridor - Murphy's Law: the side jdjdjdjdof the corridor my apartment is on. The front door to my apartment has a trelly-door in front of it. The actual door to the apartment has two locks to it.

Upon arriving at home, I certainly did not want to make two trips to the car to get all the groceries, and so I tried to take everything all at once. I held packets of groceries and single items anywhere I could - I filled up every possible opening. I put things under my arm. I put things in my mouth. I still wasn't able to carry everything. Two trips would have to be made. Once I had reached the top of the winding staircase, I had to put all the groceries down on the stairs to try and find the right key to open the gate with. There are eleventy-thousand keys on the keychain that was given to me. Because the groceries were stacked awkwardly on the stairs, they all started falling down the stairs and out of their packets, and I had to do a professional-dive in order to save the eggs. Once I had the door open, I had to keep it open with one foot, while reaching to try and grasp at what grocery bags I could. I then had to pile the groceries on one side of the door, close the door, and then attempt to pick up th groceries again.

I did this with little ease and moved on to discover my next challenge - I couldn't open the door to my apartment. To be honest, I'm still not sure how it works. I'm not even sure if I'm locking it properly when I leave the building. I didn't know whether I was meant to be two keys in at the same time in both locks - I wasn't sure how I was going to do that. I thought I was going to be locked out of my apartment forever, left only with 18 eggs and a tub of chocolate mousse.

I called mom. Mom didn't answer. I managed to get the door open, and then I killed myself laughing in the kitchen for the next fifteen minutes.

The rest of the day (fortunately/ unfortunately) did not produce as many challenges. After that, I soon left to the V&A Waterfront to meet up with my Aunt and Uncle. We watched The Hobbit, wandered around, bought myself a towel (did anyone actually realise how expensive towels are?!) and shared a plate of sushi on a balcony overlooking the Cape harbour. It was one of the most beautiful nights of my life.

For the r

Friday, 21 December 2012

Drop-by and Deliver: A Treat for the Book Worms (And Christmas-must-read)

This is the first quiet afternoon I've had in a while. Since my room has been packed up (and taken away on the moving-van this afternoon) and my car is gone, there isn't much to do. The only thing left on the agenda is to enjoy my last eight days in Joburg, and to relax.

Throughout this week - seeing people, packing up - all I've wanted to do is read my book. I'm three-quarters of the way through The Chamber by John Grisham and I'm hooked. It can be quite a bad thing because while I should be spending time with the people I won't see for a long time, all I wanna do is bury myself in my small single mattress in my empty room duvet and lose myself in the pages of my book with a cup of coffee in my hand.

I was quite happy to get back to Sam Cayhall and Adam Hall this afternoon. However, I've also found some little gems on the internet that I thought I'd share with you.

I don't often get to read - or I haven't been able to read much over the last couple of years, and so I am taking full advantage of it now. I joined a virtual book club on Facebook called Close Reads Cafe. In turn, this led me to a couple of other wonderful sights.



Novel Sounds - a young adult book blog that combines a song or two with every review. (Books and music? There is seldom a better combination. It also gives me many books to add to my December-January reading list. I love this idea.)

BookMooch - give books away. Get books you want. (An online exchange system - it gives a personal touch to book-shopping - another idea I love.)

And in the spirit of Christmas and remembering loved ones, or spending time with loved ones, I thought this was a beautifully written and very sentimental post - even to those of us who are lucky enough not to have lost anyone close to us. To those who have - I can't imagine what these words must mean to you. Always Do. You'll Be Glad You Did by Ashley Ambirge.


Happy reading/holidays!


Wednesday, 19 December 2012

Approaching a Milestone

I remember a few months ago I had a countdown for every exciting event that was going to take place in the next six months of my life. It's crazy to look back at that now, and think that every single event that I was looking forward to has now come and gone.

I have finished my mock exams. I have had my Matric Dance. I have had my two year anniversary. I went to Afrojack. I have finished my final exams. I came back from my matric VAC a little over a week ago. Now I am facing the next big stage in my life, and probably the biggest one in years to come: I am moving to Cape Town and starting my indepedent student life.

It's been a crazy December. On the first of the month, as mentioned, I left to Durban with all thirteen girls in my group of friends. We stayed at a guest-house, spent every day on the beach, and spent every evening into the early morning in some club that every matriculant was gathering at that night to drink and dance until sunrise.

Since I have been back, I've been enjoying my mom's home-cooked meals, trying to cure myself of VAC-flu (a common thing at this time of the year) and losing myself in the bliss of having absolutely nothing to do after the hardest year of my life (so far).

In the last few days, my life has been all about moving to the beautiful city of Cape Town. A transport company came and collected my car this afternoon, and tomorrow I'm packing my bedroom up into boxes and sending it off to meet me in my new home. I've been so excited - so, so excited. I haven't even stopped to think about what this all means, and what I am leaving behind. I am been so focused on what is in front of me. Some may argue that's a good thing - but I'm forgetting to relish what matters in my daily life now...

... until the other day. I can't remember what it was that brought the reality of my move to my attention, but when it happened, the tears, of course, flowed. Now I am busy trying to see all of the people who won't be in Cape Town next year, spending time in my home, and with my incredible mom who won't find letting me go easy - on any level. I keep looking at the small things in my life now with tears in my eyes, because no matter how excited I am, this house I live in now has been my home for eight years, and all the most significant moments and years of my life have been spent here.

Though, not wanting to cry too much, I've been thinking forward to next Saturday. My plane lands at 11h40 after which I will meet the estate agent with the keys to my apartment. I will wait for my belongings and car to be dropped off with me. I will do my first grocery shop of my own, and I will go to the beach. I cannot emphasise how often I will be going to the beach next year. Plus - the beaches of Cape Town? There really is nothing better.

P.S. I'm got my man back in my life, and I've never been happier. Life was never the same without him. I guess sometimes you do have to be without something (or in this case - someone) to know how much better your life actually was with it (or in this case - him) and how much you took for granted.
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