The Spicy City

A week ago I had the privilege of visiting the über awesome city that is Durban. Where it never really gets...cold. Even on an overcast and rainy day, Durban gets suuuper warm (and humid). Besides having a year-round summer, Durban is a hub of all things wonderful and colourful, even though it has its flaws like any other city. But the good overrules the bad. So from the Golden Mile next to the beach to the different eras' architecture, from the friendly (and often quirky and interesting) people to the spicy Indian food, I just fell in love with this unforgettable city again. 

Gratitude

Even though we don't have Thanksgiving in South Africa, I think we could do with one. We have SO much to be grateful for, in contrast to others who have nothing. Take for example the Dalits (or untouchables) in India. They literally have nothing. Well, nothing that comes close to what we have. They're mostly looked down upon, and the majority of the Dalits have no bright future ahead of them.

We don't need to have a Thanksgiving where we have the best dinner of the year; rather, we need a Thanksgiving that kick-starts a grateful attitude in our nation, and in return an attitude of giving. Even here in South Africa you'll find many underprivileged people wherever you are, and giving to them something of what you have that you know they need, or even just giving them your time and showing them you care, can change the hearts of many people and give them something to be thankful for in turn. Because after all,

1. "we make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give" (Sir Winston Churchill).

   
   

   And let's keep the Dalits and others who are underpriviledged in our hearts and prayers. 

   :)
2. 
   

Clocks

Tonight, looking back on my previous posts, I realized how quickly things have changed over the past few months since I started this blog. A few months ago, the year still lay ahead far into the distance. But now I'm already looking back at the year as one that has come to an end. Next year was next year, still far in the future. Now next year is almost in sight; plans for the year ahead are cemented into place...whereas a few months ago I was still living fully in 2012. Now I'm living on the edge of a year slipping into the next, picking up speed every day.

Time flies, as we all know. And yet many times it feels like the time just cannot pass quickly enough (I had quite my share of those moments this year). Our time is ticking away so quickly and we don't always realize it. There are so many things I wanted to do this year that I simply just didn't get around to, because every time I thought, "there's always tomorrow." Tomorrow turned into next week, and...we all know how that works. But we can't live our lives thinking we've still got more than enough time. If you know you should do something, especially when you know God's putting it on our heart, don't just sit there waiting for better weather. DO IT. Do not delay. If you see someone who needs help, don't wait for someone else to come along...it may be too late. Benjamin Franklin once said: "You may delay, but time will not."
DO SOMETHING.

Show and Tell

I have, much to my disgust, come to the stage many bloggers have been through themselves--that of "I-haven't-posted-on-my-blog-for-ages-and-now-my-blog-is-dying." Eeew.

However, I don't intend on leaving my blog to rot and decay any time soon. So I've finally dragged myself to the PC with the little commitment I still have left and vowed not to leave until I have successfully written and posted something worthwhile.

I was in the Western Cape (a beautiful province here in South Africa for all those who don't know) for 6 weeks and came back home last week. I could bore you with the usual "oh, it was really exciting and awesome" story, but I think it'll do much better to just say that the Western Cape is now my second home. If I could, I would've made it my first home in the first place. From the people to the views, from the beaches (despite the water being so cold it can freeze a melted chocolate within seconds) to the food, from the shops to the farms (and I could go on), the Western Cape really has it all. The Western Cape has the most quirky, inspiring, unique, and exquisite places to brag with, and now I can at least show some of it through my (and my camera's) perspective.

“This cape is the most stately thing and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth.” 

– From the journal of Sir Francis Drake, on seeing the Cape for the first time, 1580

Wheat fields ready to for the harvest

My sister and I in my fave pic of all time...

AMAZING Rockformations
 (Wolfberg, Cederberg Mountains)

Young fruit trees in blossom

Colourful pavements at Kalk Bay, Cape Town

Green Point Stadium (Cape Town),
12  o'clock at night after a concert.

One of the coolest places [a MUST visit]:  Sedgefield Classic Cars 

Western Cape, you can expect me to be back very, very soon.

:)