Perspective

This week, Nelson Mandela was in hospital...and then he was released from hospital...and now he is at home recovering. As were a whole bunch of other good people. To me, what is incredible about the story is that he is 93. That's good going!

Now I would never downplay Madiba's greatness, humility and compassion (etc.), as he is an icon worthy of his status, but he is, too, a man. An old man. A 93 year old man who is sick, and in theory, has passed the average age in every category under which he falls.

My problem is that, as South Africans, and the world, we are expected to stay up until midnight, to light a candle in his honour and, as stated, "regardless of your religious group, pray for his speedy recovery".

The candle part is just rubbish, but I think the praying bit is important. Why though, only for Madiba? When/(If) I pray for the sick, surely he will fall into that category; when I pray for the country, I will thank God for Mandela's role in the peaceful fight for a better SA; if 'his day' is coming soon (yes, we actually have no say in this), I will pray for those dying and that they may have a dignified and pain-free death.

But as for me, today I pray for the family of the unknown man who's body I saw lying on the N3 in front of a car last night. I pray too, for the hungry children less than ten minutes drive away; I pray for the families in distress because of finances; I pray for the safety of my loved ones; as well as discernment for people in power on a small, and large scale.

Why do I do this? Because THAT is what is going to make South Africa a better place to live in.

Mmmm - delicious. Hair.

The Sunsilk hair products are so good, they should start a range of, umm, I'm not sure - you can't really venture too far from hair products. Anyway.

My favourite at the moment is the pink one. Not only because it's pink, but because it smells really good. I was a bit dissapointed when I realised it smelt alot like Strawberry Pops...but between that and the gold one, I just keep going back for more.

Even the guy from "Perfume" would be distracted.

Google Earth

Even though hand writing a letter may seem like a foreign idea...this might actually make it worth it!

Check this out:




Who doesn't benefit?

Pencil crayon jewellery.

I love the idea, the look and the colours!

I'm in love with a website!

Oh wow! I have always expressed my style as vintage/retro, but never had the guts to actually delve in too deeply.

In fear of being too vintage or too retro, or even, I don't even want to say it, too kitsch(!), I tend to end up playing it safe every time. And I'm fine with it - I don't like to be the one who stands out - I like being in the background.

I was looking for some crafty craft ideas and stumbled upon the website: http://www.etsy.com/

Yes - there are a lot of crazy things on it, but there are some amazing things that I love. A lot. I could build my entire planetary life around things found on this site and be in peace in that regard.

The site is a place where you can register a 'company name' and sell any home made goods anywhere in the world. It is American based, so even if you buy something from your buddy next door, it's tons of dollars you have to deal with. Not so keen on that.

We really need something like this in SA...as we're not lacking the talent. We have so many amazing local masterpieces that would keep something like this alive. Anyone keen on starting it up?

Some things I found and love:

Back to school!

It is a little surreal really, being back at my old primary school. School is fun. Unless you are a learner.

Hard to believe - by most, including me sometimes, that I am finally working again; being referred to as Miss Faller (or Mr Fellow, by the Grade R's); and running the entire school library. With books, a budget, and everything. I feel important - such a wrong reason to assume worth. But I do.

I get to wear my fancy clothes, but am still at liberty to paint my nails any colour I want!

I get to see every class in the school once a week, which can be a bit daunting, as you can't give the same speech to the 5 year olds as you do the teenagers (or almost), but in a way, that's what I love most about it too.

Many people can't handle the mundane, monotonous things, like checking 700 bar-coded cards on a computer, or sifting through the small print, but to me it is like going to that place where only a good novel can take you. I find it therapeutic.

I like the silence of the library.

I like that I can be 'teacher me' in class, and 'normal me' all the time. I think they overlap a lot!

I get to boss people around - my secret addiction I guess.

There is still a marketer/brander/event manager/advertiser in me.

And I think, that is what makes it even more special.

Oh, and by the way, the magic word, according to the Gr 2s is Dragon! Who knew!!??

Damn, it's good to be back!

CS Lewis quote

You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.

Homer Simpson quote

“Marge! There's a spider on my car keys!”

Rob Bell quote

Christian = great noun, terrible adjective.

IPL is rolling it in

My crazy interest in the IPL is most probably due to the ridiculousness of it all.

There is more money thrown around than anyone ever thought possible through betting and branding and buying players from all over the world.

Who needs match fixing these days?

Cricket is religion in India, and with the IPL being hosted in SA two years ago - I got a bit of an education regarding how it all works.

I am faithfully supporting my team - and winners of last years IPL: Super Kings.

Too legit to quit indeed.

It's a crazy schedule of non-stop cricket, that you just can't keep up with no matter how hard you try!

The first exciting part of the whole tournament is how much these teams, owned by very rich companies and celebrities, are willing to fork out in what seems to be nothing less than public human trafficking. But India give us our players back, which then makes it legal.

Here is the list of who was bought for what amount...and take note - these values are in US Dollars!!!

Player Name Country IPL Team Cost (USD)
Aaron Finch Australia Delhi Daredevils 300000
AB de Villiers South Africa Royal Challengers Bangalore 1100000
Abhimanyu Mithun India Royal Challengers Bangalore 260000
Abhishek Nayar India Kings XI Punjab 800000
Adam Gilchrist Australia Kings XI Punjab 900000
Aiden Blizzard Australia Mumbai Indians 20000
Ajit Agarkar India Delhi Daredevils 210000
Albie Morkel (retained) South Africa Chennai Super Kings 500000
Alfonso Thomas South Africa Pune Warriors 100000
Amit Mishra India Deccan Chargers 300000
Andrew McDonald Australia Delhi Daredevils 80000
Andrew Symonds Australia Mumbai Indians 850000
Angelo Mathews Sri Lanka Pune Warriors 950000
Ashish Nehra India Pune Warriors 850000
Ashok Dinda India Delhi Daredevils 375000
Ben Hilfenhaus Australia Chennai Super Kings 100000
Brad Haddin Australia Kolkata Knight Riders 325000
Brad Hodge AustraliaKochi 425000
Brendon McCullum New Zealand Kochi 475000
Brett Lee AustraliaKolkata Knight Riders 400000
Callum Ferguson AustraliaPune Warriors 300000
Cameron White AustraliaDeccan Chargers 1100000
Charl Langeveldt South Africa Royal Challengers Bangalore 140000
Cheteshwar Pujara India Royal Challengers Bangalore 700000
Chris Lynn AustraliaDeccan Chargers 20000
Clint McKay AustraliaMumbai Indians 110000
Colin Ingram South Africa Delhi Daredevils 100000
Dale Steyn South Africa Deccan Chargers 1200000
Dan Christian AustraliaDeccan Chargers 900000
Daniel Vettori New Zealand Royal Challengers Bangalore 550000
David Hussey AustraliaKings XI Punjab 1400000
David Warner AustraliaDelhi Daredevils 750000
Davy Jacobs South Africa Mumbai Indians 190000
Dinesh Karthik India Kings XI Punjab 900000
Dirk Nannes AustraliaRoyal Challengers Bangalore 650000
Dmitri Mascarenhas England Kings XI Punjab 100000
Doug Bollinger AustraliaChennai Super Kings 700000
Dwayne Bravo West Indies Chennai Super Kings 200000
Eoin Morgan England Kolkata Knight Riders 350000
Faf du Plessis South Africa Chennai Super Kings 120000
Gautam Gambhir India Kolkata Knight Riders 2400000
George Bailey AustraliaChennai Super Kings 50000
Graeme Smith South Africa Pune Warriors 500000
Harbhajan Singh (retained) India Mumbai Indians 1300000
Irfan Pathan India Delhi Daredevils 1900000
Ishant Sharma India Deccan Chargers 450000
Jacques Kallis South Africa Kolkata Knight Riders 1100000
Jaidev Unadkat India Kolkata Knight Riders 250000
James Franklin New Zealand Mumbai Indians 100000
James Hopes AustraliaDelhi Daredevils 350000
James Pattinson AustraliaKolkata Knight Riders 100000
Jerome Taylor West Indies Pune Warriors 100000
Jesse Ryder New Zealand Pune Warriors 150000
Joginder Sharma India Chennai Super Kings 150000
Johan Botha South Africa Rajasthan Royals 950000
Johan van der Wath South Africa Royal Challengers Bangalore 95000
John Hastings AustraliaKochi 20000
Jonathan Vandiar South Africa Royal Challengers Bangalore 20000
JP Duminy South Africa Deccan Chargers 300000
Kevin Pietersen England Deccan Chargers 650000
Kieron Pollard (retained) West Indies Mumbai Indians 900000
Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka Deccan Chargers 700000
L Balaji India Kolkata Knight Riders 500000
Lasith Malinga (retained) Sri Lanka Mumbai Indians 500000
Luke Pomersbasch AustraliaRoyal Challengers Bangalore 50000
M Vijay (retained) India Chennai Super Kings 900000
Mahela Jayawardene Sri Lanka Kochi 1500000
Manoj Tiwary India Kolkata Knight Riders 475000
Manpreet Gony India Deccan Chargers 290000
Matthew Wade AustraliaDelhi Daredevils 100000
Michael Hussey AustraliaChennai Super Kings 425000
Michael Klinger AustraliaKochi 75000
Michael Lumb England Deccan Chargers 80000
Mitchell Marsh AustraliaPune Warriors 290000
Mohammad Kaif India Royal Challenges Bangalore 130000
Moises Henriques Australia Mumbai Indians 50000
Morne Morkel South Africa Delhi Daredevils 475000
MS Dhoni (retained) India Chennai Super Kings 1800000
Munaf Patel India Mumbai Indians 700000
Murali Kartik India Pune Warriors 400000
Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka Kochi 1100000
Naman Ojha India Delhi Daredevils 270000
Nathan McCullum New Zealand Pune Warriors 100000
Nathan Rimmington Australia Kings XI Punjab 20000
Nuwan Kulasekara Sri Lanka Chennai Super Kings 100000
Nuwan Pradeep Sri Lanka Royal Challengers Bangalore 20000
Owais Shah England Kochi 200000
Pankaj Singh India Rajasthan Royals 95000
Parthiv Patel India Kochi 290000
Paul Collingwood England Rajasthan Royals 250000
Piyush Chawla India Kings XI Punjab 900000
Pragyan Ojha India Deccan Chargers 500000
Praveen Kumar India Kings XI Punjab 800000
R Ashwin India Chennai Super Kings 850000
Rahul Dravid India Rajasthan Royals 500000
Ramesh Powar India Kochi 180000
Ravindra Jadeja India Kochi 950000
Rilee Rossouw South Africa Royal Challengers Bangalore 20000
Robert Frylinck South Africa Delhi Daredevils 20000
Robin Uthappa India Pune Warriors 2100000
Roelof van der Merwe South Africa Delhi Daredevils 50000
Rohit Sharma India Mumbai Indians 2000000
Ross Taylor New Zealand Rajasthan Royals 1000000
RP Singh India Kochi 500000
Rusty Theron South Africa Deccan Chargers 85000
Ryan Harris AustraliaKings XI Punjab 325000
Ryan ten Doeschate Netherlands Kolkata Knight Riders 150000
S Badrinath India Chennai Super Kings 850000
Sachin Tendulkar (retained) India Mumbai Indians 1800000
Saurabh Tiwary India Royal Challengers Bangalore 1600000
Scott Styris New Zealand Chennai Super Kings 200000
Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh Kolkata Knight Riders 425000
Shane Warne (retained) AustraliaRajasthan Royals 1800000
Shane Watson (retained) AustraliaRajasthan Royals 1300000
Shaun Marsh AustraliaKings XI Punjab 400000
Shaun Tait AustraliaRajasthan Royals 300000
Shikhar Dhawan India Deccan Chargers 300000
Sreesanth India Kochi 900000
Steve O'Keefe AustraliaKochi 20000
Steven Smith AustraliaKochi 200000
Stuart Broad England Kings XI Punjab 400000
Sudeep Tyagi India Chennai Super Kings 240000
Suraj Randiv Sri Lanka Chennai Super Kings 80000
Suresh Raina (retained) India Chennai Super Kings 1300000
Thisara Perera Sri Lanka Kochi 80000
Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Lanka Royal Challengers Bangalore 650000
Tim Paine Australia Pune Warriors 270000
Travis Birt Australia Delhi Daredevils 20000
Umesh Yadav India Delhi Daredevils 750000
Venugopal Rao India Delhi Daredevils 700000
Vinay Kumar India Kochi 475000
Virat Kohli (retained) India Royal Challengers Bangalore 1800000
Virender Sehwag (retained) India Delhi Daredevils 1800000
VVS Laxman India Kochi 400000
Wayne Parnell South Africa Pune Warriors 160000
Wriddhiman Saha India Chennai Super Kings 100000
Yusuf Pathan India Kolkata Knight Riders 2100000
Yuvraj Singh India Pune Warriors 1800000
Zaheer Khan India Royal Challengers Bangalore 900000

Still just as cute!!

This is Adam at Christmas time. He's now 20 months and still the best nephew ever. He is so super busy investigating, discovering, copying, jumping, chatting, and leaving so many people smiling in his path.

His latest sayings are "Happy New Year", and "Thank you very much". He knows how to put on the charm.

2010 - The year that overstayed it's welcome.

2010 ended up as more of a gap year than anything else. I really felt like I was living a student lifestyle again – depending on my parents, being able to structure my time and having no money.

As I had been officially ‘unemployed’ for the last year, I also had to make a plan to bring in some cash…leading to a very interesting year! (All legal and dignified!)

During this time I seriously had no control over my finances, work, health or life in general – leading to a BIG test of my faith, but despite all the obstacles, there were plenty miracles, one being that I am still here!

I would love to write everything about the year to give you the full experience of ‘packing up your life and moving back home’, but I’ll spare you the details (you may now collectively sigh in relief) and live it through pictures I took along the way…enjoy – or pretend to at least!

Two of many AMAZING things that happened this year need to be mentioned.

A friend of mine was in a very bad car accident, and as he doesn’t have Medical Aid, he ended up in a government hospital. It was really hard to see him in such a uncaring environment and with such little treatment. When they finally did surgery, they discovered his lower intestine had burst and his body had basically poisoned itself. The wound from the op went septic, so they literally ripped it open with no anesthetic. I have never seen anyone in so much pain in my life and his body kept going into shock with every breath he took from the pain. I saw him on a Friday evening and honestly thought he wasn’t going to make it through the night. We had all organised for people to pray for him, and just through Facebook and word of mouth, he had support from all over the world. A R100 000 cheque arrived from a guy in the UK who didn’t know him but had heard his story. By Sunday, my friend was in such a bad state that he had given up and realized that he wasn’t going to make it. Many of the prayer groups happened on Sunday night, and on Monday morning, he was completely healed. Other than the wound that needed dressing, there was nothing wrong. He could walk around and was home by the Wednesday. I’ve never seen anything like it! He is still doing really well and loving life.

I’ll try keep this one short! My uncle was diagnosed with cancer in the beginning of the year. It had spread to his lungs and was too close to his heart to be operated on. He had a bad reaction to his meds and ended up in hospital to build up strength for a different chemo. After lots of prayer from all over the world, he had a routine scan, and the cancer had cleared! He completed his radiation treatment and has recently had another scan confirming that he is in remission and only has to go for another check up in 6 months!

Sometimes it is hard to see, but God is so good all the time.

We already have exciting news about 2011! We found out the other day that Adam is going to be a big brudder (brother) as Nicki is due in June!

My exciting news is that I am starting a job at Leicester Road School (where Nicki teaches) running the library! (Who would have thought??). It is a three quarter day position, so a good job for getting back into the working world. And I’ll finally be earning a salary again which I think my parents are most excited about!