Patriotic

so you walk up the street past some Chinese stores in a ZA town, and suddenly a group of guys approach you, encircle you, and start patting you on the shoulder. "My friend, my friend!" They keep shouting, with huge menacing smiles spread across their faces. You know "daar's 'n slang in die gras" (Afrikaans idiom literally meaning there's a snake in the grass), and as a reflex action you lift your arm up to push them away; I mean, they're invading your personal space and you don't even know who they are. One second later they're running for dear life down the street, around the corner, laughing like hyenas. Then you notice your cellphone is missing. You've been served.

But then again, life isn't so bad here. In fact, South Africa has [in my opinion] the best climate in the world. It doesn't really get below freezing where I live, and not too hot either. Not too much rain, not too dry. We even get some snow in certain parts, which, when you're staying in a quaint old cottage, is perfect for an idyllic winter break-away.

Besides a wonderful view almost wherever you are, South Africa has a very colourful history, including the good and the bad. And we are a rainbow nation! Despite still struggling with racial differences, there are tons of people from different cultures and backgrounds who come together as great friends and can relate without judging each other because of skin colour. I speak from experience.

And yes, although many people immigrate to Down Under or the UK, we locals can still enjoy the spectacular coastline, mountain ranges, and nca (c is a dental click formed by placing the tongue on the back of front teeth and pulling away, as if sucking air...n-'C'-ah) Indian briyani, Afrikaans boerewors, Zulu/Xhosa ipap, and oh-so-delicious melktert (milktart). We have 11 official languages, 9 provinces, awesome cities, and random treasures of all types all over the country to stumble upon (e.g. Vintage stores...ice skating rinks, home-bakery stores, our own little Eiffel Tower in Bloemfontein:D).

I don't think I'll be moving anytime soon. :-)

the writer

Since I was a leeeetle child I wrote short stories about princesses, kings who painted huge castles :O, and stories based on apples. Yep, apples . I've always wanted to write and publish a book, and it's number 3 on my bucket list.

Since I've been 9 yrs old or something, I would start a story--not really having a plot--hoping I had a future best-seller here, bust I'd just reach the first few paragraphs before my creative juices supply would run dry, or I would get bored with it. I'm still doing that now. However, thanks to this blog, I can write short stuff with an ending, which is a good thing. I need experience.

I've been praying real hard for a worthwhile, smart, fun, or even gripping subject to write a book about for a very long time. I know it's going to come some day. Patience. But I just hope I have enough determination by then not to drop it after a few sentences!

So to all the aspiring writers out there: if you want to write, & you have something worthwhile to say, don't wait around for better times or whatever, JUST DO IT.

All the best
Lara

"Writing is a lot easier if you have something to say."
Sholem Asch

Sea Sounds

I can hear it... The distant swooshing of the waves as they crash and tumble into the water from which they rose; the soft fizzing sound as they retract into the horizon to swell and tumble again in all their glory. As I hold the seashell that I picked up while scouring the beach for shells of interesting colours and shapes against my ear, the nostalgic feeling engulfs my heart and brings me back to those wonderful days at the beach. Even though I'm not standing facing the Indian Ocean with my feet covered with coarse, light-brown sand, the shell I'm holding against my ear takes me back to a place filled with wonder and joy. How I wish I was there now, diving into the salty, cool, blue water. This is one of my favourite memories. One that can easily be relived just by taking a shell that's lying around my house, and holding it against my ear. Some sand that I never managed to wash out of the shell escapes and falls on the floor, but I don't mind. It reminds me of all the times I spent at my country's extraordinary seashore.

Respect

Recently I started noticing the foul language in films, books, music…most media for that matter. One thing that really stood out the most for me though, was the unnecessary and incorrect use, in my eyes, of God. Yes, I am a Christian, and it does upset me when God’s name is used in vain. It might seem so conservative and boring and predictable and old-school of a Christian to say that, but honestly, how would you feel if people used your name disrespectfully? Sure, it may be the norm to use God's name like that (and it might even not be disrespectful in your eyes), but is it really necessary to throw it around like any other word? Because that draws the line for me: It just isn’t any other word. I’m sure people of other religions [and convictions] will not be so happy if others use their god(s)’s name in vain. But then a lot of people don’t realize what the “OmG” phrase implies, or they just don’t care. All I’m asking for is respect. Just like it is expected that we respect the gods or heads of other religions, at least show respect for the God I believe in.

What really puts me off too is that a lot of Christian films are not as professional and entertaining as I would wish them to be (but I do realize how hard it is to make a film), and other mainstream movies insult God, so the options on my menu are limited. I don’t think I can wait until I make my own films one day, and I’m not even sure they’ll be nearly as good as I want them to be. What then can I do to make a change? Well, I’ll pray for satisfactory Christian films, and intelligent films that aren’t derogatory of my faith.  The rest is an open road, and my spiritual/moral GPS will guide me further. 

Shift to Be Me

People can either “overdo” things or “under do” them. I tend to overdo a lot. Whether it’s over thinking something, overstating my point in conversation (while telling everyone to stop freaking out when I’m the only one who IS), and overreacting. Sometimes I try too hard to prove myself to people I really don’t have to prove myself to. I know overdoing may be trying too hard, or even caring too little…

So I need to find the balance on the scale and too little. Overdoing and under doing. Because when I do, I am who I really am—myself. I’ll be free. I won’t be the girl trying so hard to get others to like her, I’ll be the girl who is comfortable in her own skin. Because no one likes a fake.  And maybe, just maybe, I can help others to be their true selves too. 

Lara W.

"We may not know it, but most of us live to be known as someone else and not who we truly are."

Shift and TV

For a very long time I've wanted to start a blog. But not just an ordinary one--a creative, out-of-the-box blog. I've also wondered for quite some time what I would call this blog. Tonight while watching tv, my dad wanted to know how to switch from watching tv to the radiostation, Classic.fm on DStv. I wasn't listening to the conversation, I was staring at the screen having "namer's block." I heard my sister's reply to my dad, "shift and tv," and I knew this was my blog's name. So I hope this blog is as quirky (a word which fashion magazine, ELLE, has "banned" :P) and anti-zef (hopefully you know what that means, if not...google it) as it's name indicates. Totsiens.