April A-Z Challenge – Cocktails & Memories

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter Z

Posted on April 30, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

Z is for … Zipline

I am not the most adventurous when it comes to physical activities. Give me a passport and a random air ticket and I will jump on the plane and ask questions later (Hear that The Amazing Race?)

Physical stuff? Not my forté.

When a friend from Australia visited in 2010 and only had time to visit Gauteng and not the Western Cape, I was slightly distressed.

The Cape is one of our best tourist spots in the country. After only a short car ride, you can be sipping glasses (note the plural) of wine in the winelands. You could spend a day watching the whales or the kite-surfers by the sea. On a clear day, you would want to explore the very top of Table Mountain; the possibilities are endless.

I scrambled to compile a list of activities that could be enjoyed in and around Johannesburg, and one of them was Ziplining. I had never done this before and it looked like fun.

After a short briefing, we were kitted out and ready to go:

Sexy Straps

Our next stop

Tharien FAILING at looking scared (Well done Shez, you nailed it)

If you are ever in Johannesburg, there are a host of activities to keep you busy & I am sure you will love it as much as I do:

Visit he Bird Park at Montecasino and realise that birds are more interesting than you thought
Grab a delicious milkshake at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice (They use entire bars of chocolate!)
Visit the Lion Park and touch a lion cub if you are lucky – the older cubs are more grumpy when you disturb their sleep
Take a day trip to Parys and have lunch at a decadently decorated restaurant called Rubys
Go next door to the little coffee shop and mess around on their awesome lounging chair, clearly made for some with long legs.

And so, the April A-Z challenge has ended.

It has been an amazing month of blogging. I have enjoyed being forced to blog and had fun trying to come up with a theme for the letter of the day.

The best advice I saw was a post that said, “There is no such thing as not enough time, even 5 minutes a day will yield a great post – all you need is practice”

I actually tried the 5 minute challenge and excluding photo selection and uploading, it worked out pretty well once I had a topic in mind.

I will not be taking part in the May Challenge due to a few circumstances happening this month, but I really look forward to doing one soon again.

Thank you to all who read my blog and to those who shared the love by commenting, no matter what you say, I appreciate every word.

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter Y

Posted on April 29, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

Y is for … Year End Party

Every year our company has big year end party. An event for the 60+ employees at our branch to forget our troubles of the year, throw away any negative thoughts and just have fun getting to know our colleagues as people.

We have had some truly memorable events; Dress up as the first letter of your name, Night at the Oscars, The Grammys, etc.

In 2012 we had our function on the rooftop deck of a restaurant; overlooking the entire city. It was a gorgeous night and we had a ton of fun. A colleague even stole a rock from the gardens and I now use it as a doorstop!

Before the party, we were given ballot forms which contained various categories:

Little Miss Sunshine

Mr Grumpy

Miss Helpful

Mr Happy, etc

I won the Little Miss Wise and was awarded my very own pair of Harry Potter Glasses. I had never thought of myself as wise before then … but I’ll own it!

What category would you be most likely to win?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter X

Posted on April 28, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

X is for X-Ray

Not my x-ray.

You are looking at a photo of my cat. Impaled by a metal pole.

I never believed that a cat had 9 lives until I found my cat lying in the garden of the unit below me, meowing.

I lost a few lives of my own as I tried to remain calm whilst pulling the pole out of the ground and trying not to move him too much.

Greys Anatomy taught me to never remove a ~~log impaling 2 people after a train-wreck~~ metal pole protruding from the top of the cat’s “armpit” to his groin.

My boyfriend at the time and I- squeezed into the car- pole and all and raced to the vet.

Miraculously he had survived his fall from the top floor and had survived the pole-skewering as it had missed all his vital organs.

4 days in hospital and he was on the road to a full recovery.

To this day, I cringe when I look at this x-ray. To think of the pain he must have been in; yet he let me pick him up and hardly struggled at all.

Sadly, a few years ago, he went missing and I never saw him again 😦

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter W

Posted on April 27, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

W is for …Weddings

We recently attended the wedding of one of my high school friends. My backup husband when I reached 40.

Both of us have thus far managed to be the only 2 single people amongst our high school friends because we share similar ideas about marriage; Don’t compromise, do it properly.

Just over a year ago, he met the most perfect woman. She is bubbly, intelligent and genuinely nice. she shares his interests in activities and she compliments him beautifully.

The wedding was at a gorgeous garden venue, complete with hidden pathways and secret spots.

The ceremony was short and sweet and it was infused with some fun moments and laughter, very different from the conventional stuffy ceremonies I have attended.

A deluge just after the ceremony on our way to the reception dinner was unfortunate, but luckily the wet weather abated in time for our dinner.

All in all, it was 1 of my favourite weddings. (also… not being a bridesmaid, meant I got to enjoy it a whole lot more)

I have found that as I get older, my idea of the “perfect wedding” has changed very much.

I no longer want every single person I have ever met, to be there. I want my close friends and family. I want an intimate affair so that I get a chance to talk to everyone at the wedding.

I also know that I will be wearing comfortable shoes!

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter V

Posted on April 25, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

V is for … Venetian Mask

Since before I went to Italy, I have always been fascinated with the Venetian Masks and I have always wanted my own so that I could get all dressed up and attend my very own masquerade ball.

The first thing I did when I got to Venice was begin the hunt for the perfect mask. I had no idea what I wanted, but I knew I would know it when I saw it. (Kind of like wedding dress shopping, you know)

We saw ornate masks, creepy masks and gorgeous masks. I saw the perfect one! A cat mask. Featuring little black velvet ears, sequins and black lace, it was the most exquisite piece I had ever seen. I was bitterly disappointed to discover that the store was already closed.

The search continued – and I found my 2nd perfect mask.

I have had it since 2005 and I have yet to attend an event where I get to wear the mask. Go figure!

It has always been a dream of mine to visit Venice and attend the annual masked balls, it must surely be something spectacular to experience.

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter U

Posted on April 24, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

U is for … Uncomfortable Shoes

We’ve all done it.

Given in to impulse and bought a pretty pair of shoes, only to wear them once, experience extreme levels of pain and throw them into the back of your cupboard.

Mine are pink – obviously

One of our bookless club themes was Uncomfortable Shoes; giving us the opportunity to wear these shoes again and get some extra mileage from them so as not to feel too much buyer’s remorse.

Because we sit a lot of the time, our feet get to look pretty, but without the pain.

Win – Win!

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter T

Posted on April 23, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

T is for … Tarot Cards

I have the most gorgeous set of Arthurian Legend Tarot Cards. All watercolour illustrations by Anna-Marie Ferguson depict the legends; Kind Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Queen Guinevere etc.

These cards are a piece of art in their own right – soft colours and romantic scenes. I almost wish I could have them framed.

Tarot requires you to constantly practise and to become attuned to your intuition. Like anything, if you leave it, you become rusty.

I have not practised for years, and really wish I made the time for it again. Maybe someday…

My last prediction was that a friend of mine would get a new job and finally move out of her 7 year hell-hole and she did.

Are you familiar with Tarot? Do you consider it evil?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter S

Posted on April 22, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

S is for … Solitude

I am 1 of those people who is comfortable being by myself.

I remember always being told when I was younger that you are not ready to be happy in a relationship, until you are happy with yourself.

How true those words are.

I have travelled solo on numerous occasions and I am grateful that I was able to experience foreign countries and new experiences because I was willing to travel alone. Too many people hold themselves back by not wanting to be seen alone.

If only they knew how liberating it was!

One year I spent a few days in Cape Town after a business trip and I visited the beach every day. It was a pretty quiet week.

One day as I was basking in the warmth of the sun I looked up and saw a lady sitting on her own, gazing out at the sea.

I always wonder what runs through a person’s mind when they watch the sea or a fire – there is something hypnotic and soul-soothing when doing this.

Was she thinking about her late husband, or was she wishing she had taken that tomboy many years back? Is she wishing she had learn how to tap dance or is she wondering how the new rosemary bread will taste when she bakes it for the family?

What do you think she is daydreaming about?

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter R

Posted on April 21, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

R is for … Rhino

There are not many times in my life when I have been terrified.

But there was a particular moment that I distinctly remember that feeling as a small fission of fear tickled it’s way up my spine.

I was on holiday with a friend at a private game reserve called Welgevonden. We had been out on a very enjoyable game drive and were anxious to get back to our rooms to have a nap and freshen up- in anticipation of our evening feast in the outdoor Boma.

As we were driving back into camp, we were greeted by the incredible sight of a rather large rhinoceros. She was having a bad day and was clearly PMSing.

As we stopped to take some photos, she suddenly turned and began to rake the ground (Warning sign #1) and blow out large gusts of air that disturbed the sand beneath her nose. (Warning sign #2)

Before we could even blink, she was charging towards us and as the driver raced our bulky vehicle away, she continued to gain ground on us. I recall thinking to myself, “As long as I am in front of one other person, she will get them first” Survival 101 – HAHA!

Luckily the camp’s entrance was on a steep hill for just this occasion (we had all thought the ranger had made up that story) and she was eventually forced to slow her pursuit until she could not continue to follow us any further.

Nervous laughs and shaky hands and we all alighted the vehicle safely. But phew! I will never forget this large lady:

{April A-Z Challenge} The Letter Q

Posted on April 20, 2015May 27, 2015 by Chantelle

Q is for … Quad bikes in Mozambique

This is me making my maiden voyage as a Quad Biker:

I think I was the only one in my entire circle of friends who had never ridden a quad bike.

I just never seemed to have had the occasion to – and I have not since then.

I am extremely accident prone and I think in some way, the universe has kept me away from these beasts.

I have fallen while standing still on my roller-skates (read; skates, as in 4 wheels per foot) and broken a ligament in my coccyx. It remains broken to this day, which means my coccyx jiggles loose.

I have fallen on my butt whilst ice skating and as a result, the bottom 5 vertebrae are usually fused by inflammation.

So on holiday in Mozambique, I decided to try it out and had the most incredible experience.

We rode on sand dunes on the beach, we rode through a poor neighbourhood, catching a glimpse of the sadder side you never usually see when on holiday.

We rode along the rocks on the coastline and stopped to watch the waves violently smashing themselves up against the cliff face. It was a beautiful moment to reflect on the power of Mother Nature.

I only walked away with 1 teeny tiny injury – I had burnt my leg on the exhaust pipe – note to self: wear longer jeans when riding.

I look forward to having another opportunity to ride again – what adventurous activities do you like to partake in?

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