Let the Games Begin

Wednesday morning dawned with much excitement, as my sister was FINALLY coming home.

At half past five in the morning my alarm clock squealed at me and ordered me out of bed. I was not a happy camper as I reached across and switched it off. Then, with a start, I realized that it was Wednesday and therefore time to fetch my beloved little one.

Suddenly the alarm clock didn’t seem like the enemy anymore. I rushed to the kitchen to make coffee for my parents in the hope of dragging my mother out of bed. After a quick shower, I threw on some clothes and was ready to rush out the door.

We arrived in Nelspruit a little early so we went for a quick coffee and then donated blood in support of the Democratic Alliance’s Blue Week initiative. Finally it was eleven o’clock and time to fetch my baby sisterling. To say I was excited was an understatement.

As we rounded the corner to the hostel entrance my heart was beating at a hundred miles an hour.

And then, disaster struck!

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed my former music teacher. Now, as a border, most of my teachers “adopted” me throughout my school career, however my relationship with this specific teacher is unbelievably special. This teacher guided me through tears and laughter and all my school child worries. This teacher is my friend.

Recently however she left the school, so I knew that if I was going to see her at all, this was my opportunity. I jumped out of the car and rushed over to greet her while my mum went to fetch my sister. In doing this I missed out on that moment I had been preparing for weeks.

As it was, when I finally saw my sister it was better than I could ever have imagined.

I was walking towards the car when suddenly this blur of grey and red attacked me! The next thing I knew I had my arms around my beautiful sister and I couldn’t have been happier!

Nothing compares to the bond between sisters; especially our bond. She is my best friend and I would be completely lost without her. My day was complete and now I was truly ‘ON HOLIDAY.’

Let the games BEGIN!

Education is Priceless

The South African Government’s schooling system is a complete mess. This is not new news. It is merely a stated fact that we’ve all become accustomed to.

In a perfect world every child would have access to a brilliant school, fully qualified teachers and the necessary text books. However we live in a country that has been raped by greedy politicians and abused by the very government that was supposed to save our nation from the horrors of an unjust past.

Instead our lovely government has brought such turmoil to our country that it is barely even recognizable.

Every true South African finds the idea of a Rainbow Nation beautiful and is excited by the diversity in race, culture and language. We all have an image of what South Africa could be and I think we can all agree that it is very different from the one we presently live in.

I was fortunate enough to go to a beautiful private school in White River. My brother however, attends the local government school and in the last two weeks has been busy with exams. As I’ve been home I have been helping him out with his studying and it completely shocked me that in grade 5 he was still being taught BODMAS!

Then I realized in horror that he was being taught BODMAS, incorrectly!

My heart broke for the little guy. How was he ever supposed to make it into a decent high-school if he was taught the wrong thing? And then it dawned on me – he wouldn’t. The truth of the matter is that the government has not invested in the youth as well as it should have. These kids are going to be our future leaders and yet they sit on the floors of over-crowded classrooms with under-qualified teachers and no textbooks.

The saddest part about it all is that if these kids were supplied textbooks they could take some initiative and self-study the relevant work, or get their parents to teach them, but for a lot of these children the financing for school textbooks is non-existent and without the aid from government they face a burden far greater than any child should ever be expected to carry.

That was when I heard the horror stories of the textbooks being demolished in Limpopo…

The sad reality is that due to one person’s incompetence an entire province’s youth will live an uneducated life. What hope or prospect does this give them? How far can one be expected to go in life if you couldn’t even receive a grade 1 textbook because of some corrupt official who was put in charge by an even more corrupt government?

So in thirty years when my generation is looking for people to train up to specialize in the various fields of life, we will have to choose between the privileged, well-educated and the unprivileged, uneducated and the sad reality is that irrelevant of your upbringing, once educated, you are far easier to train. Those with a better education will continue to excel and those without it will fall back into the slum they were brought up in.

Once in the courtroom, the war is already lost. The war needs to be battled in the classroom. After all, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

 Education Minister Angie Motshekga should stop parading her lies and realize that if South Africa’s youth is unable to succeed it falls in her lap!

Sunday Lunch

Ever seen a kid do the splits? And I'm not referring to the cute little girl with long, braided hair in a gymnastics leotard, I am referring to the offspring of those strange animals we call goats.

When my mother decided to start farming goats on our farm I was shocked! We used to be a Drakensburger Stud farm and I loved it, but GOATS? What does one do with a goat? I don't find them cute or beautiful or even slightly majestic. In my eyes they are a complete waste of space, but my mum loves them and gets all excited when they're lambing.

In my eyes the only thing good about a goat is when it's been slaughtered and is on the spit braai!

Well it was, until last night.

You see, when the goats lamb in the middle of winter the kids often need to be brought into the kitchen where they are placed in front if the Aga stove where they can heat up. Often these are the "hans lammetjies." For those of you who don't understand what that means it refers to the kids that have been kicked out of the house.

Then these horrible animals proceed to take up the kitchen floor and when they are finally feeling well enough to stand up they find the need to urinate all over the kitchen floor! This is usually just before the time that I finally drag myself out of bed and head to the kitchen, eyes still glued shut, for some coffee. There is nothing more upsetting than standing in goat pee when you've just woken up!

Last night however, as I was sitting in the kitchen cursing the very existance of goats the cutest thing happened. The kid was trying desperately to stand up but due to its weak one day old limbs and the fact that our kitchen floor is tiled it was, to say the least, struggling. As it eventually managed to get its two front legs up however the tiles kicked in and the goat ended up doing the splits.

I didn't know whether to burst out laughing or save the stupid animal, so I burst into laughter!

After five minutes of laughter I decided the goat might need some help, so I helped it up onto its legs, but as I let go it happened again except this time it hit its head on the tiles pretty hard and it was ENTIRELY my fault. Now, while I may not like the stupid animals, I am not sadistic (always) and felt pretty bad and all the animal could do was stare up at me in pain.

You've all heard about puppy-dog eyes, but
nothing comes close to the look this poor animal was giving me. Suddenly my heart melted and I felt pretty bad about laughing at the little thing. Maybe goats really aren't that bad...

Well, as I was writing this I felt the sudden urge for a cup of coffee and as I headed for the kettle and did my ritual "stand-in-the-goat-pee-thing" I realized that no matter how many looks that little kid gave me, a goat will always be much better on the spit!

Oh, look, it's lunch time!

Home

Ever noticed that when you're away from home you really and truly miss it but after being home for a couple days you start to wonder why you missed it so much in the first place?

Maybe this is only true for me because I live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Being home does not mean that I get to see all my friends from school, or go clubbing at all the usual watering holes. Home for me, is a tiny little afrikaans dorp where the only people I know are my family, the old oomies who insist on kissing me upon greeting and a bunch of strange kids my age who are either pregnant or babysitting.

My friends from school are either in Nelspruit, Swaziland, Botswana or Mozambique and the closest thing to a club is a bar called Coalers where the young folk meet up to find out who the father of their unborn child is or to save the father from his latest bender.

So, what did I miss about this town?

Well, I missed my family. I missed my mum's cooking and my stepdad's constant teasing. I even missed fighting with my siblings. The problem is that my sister is still at boarding school and my brother is in the middle of exams. My parents are both still working and don't get holidays. So I'll just spend my free time getting to know the locals...

Well, I'm not entirely sure I want to do that either. I'm sure there are a couple of them who are really decent people, however the majority of the people I have met in this town have not left a very good taste in my mouth.

Let's see. There was this guy who was at nursery school with me. He could actually speak english but had a weird habit of ensuring he was always in my personal space. Then there was that guy my mom hoped I would marry. Decent guy, but not my type. After-all, it's difficult to start a conversation with someone who doesn't seem to have much of a life outside of farming. Then there was that girl who was in pre-school with me, but she's got a son now and is busy redoing matric for the third time...

And these are only the highlights!

I have therefore given up on the folk of Carolina. In fact my one and only friend in this town is not even from Carolina.

As my boredom grows I start looking for alternatives. Maybe I should travel the hour trip to Ermelo and back with my stepdad? Maybe I'll teach my brother his work for exams? Or, better yet, maybe I'll drive the bakkie while the guys do firebreaks?

Can I really miss a place that bores me this much?

Well, the truth is, I can. This area is beautiful. Once you've learnt to ignore the mines, the coal trucks and the power stations you realize that the Highveld is truly a stunning place. And all you "normal" people who live either in Natal or the Cape are truly missing out.

All one has to do is drive through the Skurweberg mountains into the valleys and along the Komati river to find this unrivaled beauty. Here one will find the true gem of the Highveld - Komati Gorge.
A lodge created by my father and his wife. A farm I grew up on and grew up with. A truly magnificent valley, that reminds me once more why I miss home.



So next time you ask me where I am from, don't laugh at the fact that I live in a tiny afrikaans town that no one has ever heard of. Rather remember the beauty of the place I call home while you stare at your cement walls.



Balancing On An Uneven See-saw

There are very few people in life that succeed in every aspect of their lives. Finding the balance between family, work and hobbies can be very difficult especially when you are a successful business man.

I recently spent some time at a friend of mine’s house. Her family was very different to mine and I was intrigued by their relationships with one another. I hardly come from a broken home, but my “real” parents got divorced when I was seven. I say “real” because, as far as I’m concerned, my step parents are just as much my parents as my own.

That said, my sister and I have always been at boarding school and my late father owned a company that required him to work on weekends until recently. This meant that for all of us to be together was a miracle!

So, as I sat there, watching her family, it intrigued me that they spent so much time together and that they had formed more of a relationship as a group. A foreign concept hit me; one could be a successful business man as well as a family man. A feat I had never known possible.

It doesn’t stop there however. Not only is her father a business man and a family man, but he is also in the process of having his book published and he paints regularly. By painting I do not mean an average sort of mess on a canvas, I mean stunning, gorgeous paintings; landscapes, portraits and all sorts. Oh, and every now and again he writes beautiful poetry.

 This man is extremely talented, but has an even more amazing ability to balance his life; spending time with his wife and his two daughters as well as making time for his hobbies. This is the essence of what life is really about – BALANCE!

There are many important things in life. Some things have to be done, others we want to do and at some point in the middle is a place that balances your life out perfectly. That point on a see-saw that ensures that neither end is up or down.

So how do we create this balance? Well it is directly proportional to the ratio of things you NEED to do and WANT to do. One needs to realize that you cannot spend your entire life doing only what you want to do. No matter how much you say you enjoy your job there will always be other things that you would rather be doing, unless you’re a professional SCUBA diver I suppose. However, having a job is a necessity (for most of us anyway).

Ensure that you balance the amount of time you spend working with the amount of time you spend doing other important things. Make sure you find a healthy balance between the good and the bad; because without the bitter, the sweet isn’t as sweet.

SALE

For one day, and one day only, Steers (the fast food chain) has decided to sell their Rib Burger for R10.00 instead of the usual R26.95. As one would expect there are queues all over South Africa of people waiting to get their hands on these burgers. In some towns there are people who have been waiting for hours.

All this too save some money. There is very little that people will not do in order to save some money. However, if you think about it, you’re really not saving very much at all. Firstly if you have taken off work to get hold of this special offer then you’re wasting time that you could have used to earn money which means that in order to save R16.95 you have now lost an afternoon’s pay. Secondly, if you haven’t taken off work because you happen to be free (probably because you’re a student) then you could actually have been doing a promotion or be spending time finding a job. Are you really saving money?

Time = Money

So if you’re one of those people currently standing in line then I hope you realize that you are wasting your time and therefore wasting money.

However, even knowing this, I shall soon be joining that queue, not because I wish to save money, but rather because in sixty years time I wish to be able to tell my grandkids (provided I have any) that when I was young I could buy a burger for R10.00…

Actually I have no idea why the thought of a sale is so attractive, but I know that when I see a shop with a “SALE” sign in the window I am immediately drawn into the shop and feel like I have to buy something! I often see myself throwing things out of my wardrobe that I have never worn knowing full well that I bought that item on sale and didn’t actually love it.

We buy the most ridiculous things merely because they are on sale. The things worth paying for are the things we actually like. So why do I insist on walking into every store with a “sale” sign out front? Well, I’m not entirely sure what the reasoning for it is. I’m sure it has something to due with my ingrained stinginess.  It is absolutely pathetic.

But, seeing as I know for a fact that I love Steers’ Rib Burger I shall now head to my closest Steers to join the queue whilst telling myself that I wouldn’t be able to do anything productive anyway. After all, I am a student and it is my duty to society to be completely useless!

Ego Boost

A friend of mine asked me a couple questions today that got me thinking about my incessant need to blog. Why do I do it? What value does it serve? Is it really that important?

Well, the truth is that I have become rather addicted to it. It’s the perfect invention for me as it allows me to use my passion for writing as well as my passions for South African politics and various other matters.

Those who know me know that I am a highly opinionated person. I read articles or hear stories and once I have an opinion on that topic, I find myself needing to express it and what better way to do it than to write about it.

And then, people actually READ it!

They go out of their way to find my blog and read it. It is a major compliment. Especially when one of my friends tells me that they actually read it on a regular basis! Not only do my opinions start to matter to someone else, but they find it semi amusing and they look forward to my next post.

So maybe it’s just an ego boost, maybe it’s because I have an opinion about something and desperately need to share it, or maybe I am writing it hoping that one specific person will read it. Whatever the reason for writing the article in the first place, the most rewarding part about it is knowing that there are people who enjoy it.

So, as I log on to my blog page the first thing I do is head to the stats page to see how many people have viewed my blog.

On a completely unrelated note, I have now got purple streaks in my hair. J

Kissing Frogs

On my usual tour of the latest and greatest videos on YouTube I came across a rather disturbing group of videos. Now, don’t let your minds run away with you. I understand that there are many disturbing things to be found on YouTube. However, this didn’t disturb me because it was obscene or vicious! This disturbed me due to the mere quantity of videos available based on the topic.

“Signs to spot an affair”

Now, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if your relationship is in such dire strain that you’re on YouTube to find out whether your spouse is cheating or not, then it is already too late!

As far as I’m concerned the most important thing for a healthy relationship is trust. If you cannot trust the person you are with then you are saying that you do not agree with his/her moral code. So why are you with that person in the first place?

It comes down to one simple motto, do not date a person because you think you have the ability to change them into what you want, you don’t; date a person who is already what you want and save yourself a broken heart. And don’t give me that nonsense about not being able to find YOUR prince. On the search to finding your prince you will kiss many frogs, but remember that your frog is another girl’s prince and if you try to change him he won’t be right for her either!

Don’t put up with people who aren’t perfect for you, it’s not worth it. And remember if he’s not right for you, you’re not right for him either!

So, get off YouTube and go kiss some frogs...

Pineapple

According to Wikipedia (not the most trustful source, but in this case I’ll make an exception) a pineapple is a tropical plant with multiple edible fruits consisting of coalesced berries, named for its resemblance to the pine cone.

A lot of big fancy words that describe a yellow fruit…

However, many moons ago, a dear friend of mine and I sat, horribly bored, in a particularly boring design and technology class. It got to that point of boredom where we finally came to the conclusion that the word pineapple needed a new definition!

Unfortunately, due to the fact that this definition is highly classified I cannot divulge its true meaning (sorry Lara).

However, I wish to share with you the importance of such a word. Having a word which only makes sense to you and a friend allows you to understand one another whilst confusing the rest of the group, as well as giving you the perfect word to use in times of need. That word which you can use when you don’t know the answer to a question, when you can’t think of anything productive to say or when you’re just looking to start a conversation. Most of the time, it is used to change the current topic of conversation.

It’s perfect. This word has gotten me into and out of trouble more times that I could possibly remember. It has allowed me to conduct interesting conversations with, otherwise completely boring, people. You can use it whenever you want, because as far as the rest of the world is concerned, it could mean ANYTHING!

This is why the true identity of the pineapple must remain unknown to the rest of the world…

Does it truly have another meaning? Most definitely! And merely due to the fact that I understand both mine and my friend’s mind, I can positively assure you that you really DO NOT want to know!!!

 One day, you’ll be sitting with a mate, bored out of your skull and you’ll think back to this moment and realize that the importance lies not with the meaning of the word but rather to why it is being used in the first place!

Pineapple!

Vote for Change!

Breaking news: The South African Police Services (SAPS) has recently self-imploded due to serious structural damages...

Honestly, what were we expecting? How much longer could we possibly expect such an organization to succeed at the hands of failed politicians?

How about we actually let policing be done by real policemen? There must be at least one properly trained South African police officer who could be put in charge of a police force? The last time South Africa did that we had George Fivaz and believe it or not, he actually retired! He wasn’t sentenced to fifteen years in jail (apparently jails look like hospitals in our country) nor was he suspended pending an investigation. He was able to unite eleven policing agencies into one effective organization.

Am I really asking too much?

Is asking for a police commissioner who isn’t a thief really that outrageous?

It is a very scary thought. We all have role-models in life. And often those role-models are people who succeed in our current occupational field. Are the younger police officers looking up to these people? Are they taking their advice? Are they learning the tricks of the trade? Because if they are then South Africa is in far greater trouble than I first imagined!

In 1994 the majority of South Africans voted for change. We were promised a bright new world with amazing possibilities, and while I understand that these things take time, things should at least be moving in a forward direction. One would expect a new government to slip up a couple times, but to turn (and RUN) in the opposite direction?

I think South Africa is once again coming to that point where we are going to be asked whether we have the enthusiasm, courage and will to vote, once more, for change! For POSITIVE change.

Will you take that leap?

http://www.zapiro.com/cartoon/606923-111204st
http://www.zapiro.com/cartoon/127313-100805tt

Social Life?

Due to a month of exams I am now the proud owner of a completely non-existent social life. My only friend is my teddy bear and even he won’t talk to me! I have therefore spent every spare moment updating all my social networks in the hopes of feeling like a part of society. It is this form of procrastination that has led me to become completely addicted to my blog’s stats page.

It is on this very page where I can view how many people are viewing my blog each day which articles they are reading. Analysing which articles have had more popularity has led to the belief that I may actually have friends. Alas, it was with a rather sudden jolt that reality finally hit me and I realized that just because people view my blog does not, in fact, mean that they wish to be my friends.

I am not saying I no longer appreciate those who do follow my blog and enjoy reading my articles. I have merely come to realize that this does not mean that I have friends. A rather depressing thought if you ask me!

However, soon exams will be over and I shall hopefully go back to being a fully functional human being with a student social life, and to ensure that this does happen, my flatmate and I have decided to celebrate the end of exams with a bit of a party… with REAL people!

To say that I have been looking forward to this event for a month is a gross understatement.

The problem with celebrating the end of exams however, is that you completely forget that due to your lack of drinking during exams your alcohol tolerance has dropped to a mere fraction of what it was and now you find yourself feeling rather intoxicated before you’ve even made it to town.

This forgetfulness occurs every semester, and every semester you wake up the next morning and say “Never again,” only to do the exact same thing the next time exams come to an end. It seems to be a global problem. Students seem to have a built in need to socialise and when this is delayed for a month we tend to go a little crazy.

So, this year, I intend to ensure that I fulfil my role as a “stupid” student!

When I start complaining on Tuesday morning, remind me that it’s my own fault!!!  

Just a Man

The most difficult thing to be in life is somebody's hero. I don't mean the silly, cartoon superheroes that we see in movies. I mean a real hero; to have someone looking up to you, knowing that you have to protect them from the world. It becomes your responsibility to shelter them from the world and yet prepare them for a time when you will no longer be able to protect them.

It is your duty to save them from their deepest fears. Be it a truly harsh reality or a fantasy of fear. You, and only you, are their shield from the world, irrelevant of your life; of your fears. When your world is crashing around you, but you get called out, it becomes your duty to worry about a problem far bigger than yourself.

You cannot cry. You cannot fall. You cannot be caught bleeding.

Our heroes are generally unseen, unheard and unloved. They are ordinary people trying to live ordinary lives and yet they have a duty to their believers to protect them. To be an unsung hero, is to dedicate your entire being to a cause with no hope for recognition, no applause. And these are the people who keep our world at peace.

It’s not the people who expect recognition. It is not those who seek fame. The true heroes are those who do what they need to protect those around them on a day to day basis. They fight for a cause far bigger than themselves.

They are just people!

And yet, if our heroes ever do fail us, it is not forgotten. It is not quietly swept under a rug. Don’t heroes also have the right to bleed? To dream???

To Die?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRz4FY0ZcwI&ob=av2n

Stranger Than I

A sudden thought
Gone before it came
A whisper in the dark
Waving as it parts
Followed by a wave
Of dreaded misery
Fragile
And a single tear
It's come and gone
Before I hear the scream
With no time
To register its origin
A crimson streak
Runs down my neck
The screaming stranger
Staring at me
Pleading
No
Begging...
For life?
The darkness engulfs me
As the mirror crashes
At my feet...
My feet?

Phat to be Fat?

I came to a rather depressing realization today – weight loss is NOT easy! Actually losing the weight is not THAT difficult but keeping it off??

Virtually IMPOSSIBLE!!!

I know there is a lot of debate between men about what a girl “should” look like, but quite frankly I don’t care what they think. I am not trying to lose weight to impress the male “species” (another story, for another day). No, I want to lose weight because according to my BMI weight to height ratio I am officially OVERWEIGHT!

That is a very intimidating concept!

Especially, because I had no idea (yes, apparently I am stupid enough not to realize that I’m fat). I knew I wasn’t skinny but I never thought that I could possibly be classified as “unhealthy.” I have always been very comfortable with the way I look, but “unhealthy” just isn’t going to cut it!

Granted, I only just fall into the “overweight” category and those of you who know me, may (hopefully) think I am over reacting. After all, only dogs like bones. But health goes way beyond men and feeling pretty!

So, in an attempt to keep myself alive for a couple more years I have joined the ever increasing world of dieting! Due to my otherwise-useless-BSc degree I am able to see through some of the obviously false promises and fake diets and find the ones that are a little healthier.

But, as far as I’m concerned, I shouldn’t have to! Are there really that many diets available on the internet that I would need to sift through them in order to find the more reliable ones?

Well, yes! There were far more than I could ever possibly imagine. And they were followed by stupid questions like “How much weight would I lose if I didn’t eat for a month?” and “How many dieting supplements is it safe to be on at any given time?”

I was truly shocked by the sheer quantity of people out there struggling to lose weight. I obviously do not know their reasons or what their current weight is. But I am utterly shocked that there can be that many people out there with weight issues! I know that I am one of them. I am included into the gros statistics. But how did this happen?

How did we manage to become so much more conscious about weight and its medical implications while simultaneously becoming a grossly overweight species?

Nandos!!

As far as banned South African advertisements go, Nandos has always been way ahead of the pack. This fast food chain that serves the best of Portuguese styled chicken has always been at the forefront of political advertisements. Type “Nandos Banned adverts” into the YouTube search bar and you’ll have your pick-and-choose of adverts banned due to the Political Incorrectness.

And I love it! I think Nandos and their head of advertising should be our next leading political party! Okay, well, maybe not! But they really are brilliant and deserve a huge round of applause.

Lately they have been in the news even more so however due to their latest Xenophobic Advertisement titled Diversity. It deals with the rich diversity and culture found in South Africa and how only true South Africans will embrace this diversity.

And yet, it has been banned??? I think that it has a fairly positive message that all South Africans should agree on. However do to politics and the fact that the media is now so highly censored it has been removed.

Its fine though, because it won’t be long before the government kicks out another reason for us to laugh at them and Nandos can make a new ad. Until then, have a look at the latest one.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R7vu9SuxaQ

Death Trap

A large portion of society thinks of bikers (and by this I mean people who ride motorbikes) as rowdy old men with ponytails and leather jackets who are a menace on the roads. Lets face it the world of bikers has always had a rather negative stigmatism. They are known for their rowdy rallies and even nosier bikes.

I too, was a believer in the fact that motorbikes are a huge taboo and that they are merely a death trap. I would never ever have gone anywhere near them. I don’t pretend to know the statistics but you always hear that motorbikes are far more dangerous.

And then, my eyes were opened!

I was exposed to the world of motorbikes and I completely understand the obsession now.

About a week ago a friend of mine offered to take me for a ride on his shiny Harley Davidson. There was no way I was missing out on such an opportunity and so I agreed. I loved every second of it. I actually enjoyed the journey, not just the destination. It was amazing.

There is a freedom which one experiences on a bike which cannot be matched by any car I have driven. Now, I realize that the Harley Davidson of cars is a Lamborghini or a Ferrari and I realize that I have never been exposed to such magnificence or beauty, but never again will I judge those on a motorbike.

The sheer power of the bike is exhilarating! I have never experienced such an overwhelming sense of freedom. The views look so much brighter as they whizz past you at breakneck speeds. And that is the scary part. The speed! But the adrenaline kicks in and you start to love it. You start to feel this overpowering sense of awe.

Is it worth the risks involved with riding a motorbike? Most definitely!!

Freedom for a second is better than a life behind bars.

And it is definitely worth growing a beard for! 

Today

Today the world is painted grey, no extra light or special colours. No sepia filters to add effect. Just I, facing a world of hate, am hoping that my paint will bring back the colour. To be creative is to bring colour into this world but without a muse, being creative becomes a chore...

Today the world has lost its song. I'm standing singing all alone in a world of deathly quiet. And as I try to sing my song the words fall flat with no melody, and no sound. It is a harsh world. I lack an accompaniment without which my song is just words. All this, because today is a day of sadness, a sour song sung in a colourless world. Hysteria, anger, sadness and a pain beyond what my soul can handle. Inexplicable.

Today the world lost a brilliant man. But today, I lost my father.