And this is what you missed - in the paper.

I made page 5 of the Weekend Argus!

Not that I did something to deserve it, unless you can call me deserving for being scammed by the evil travel agent. In which case I still think I’d rather deserve my R 16 000 back than my picture in the paper, but I wasn’t given a choice in the matter.
I guess it is still better than ending on page 6 due to a dubious outfit on a red carpet or an illicit affair with a politician, doing the walk of shame from his place in the wee morning hours. But of course the accompanying picture still managed to suck big time, walk of shame or not. I kind of knew that would happen though, even before the photographer arrived at my office and I could feel important for having my picture taken. As we know I hate to have my picture taken and usually there has to be much alcohol involved for me to volunteer. Bit of a task at ten in the morning. Then I got the instructions to gaze sadly out of the window and I knew all was lost. Just the thing I do, every day since it happened, gazing and hoping my money will reappear miraculously on the horizon. But I guess that’s how newspapers work and in all fairness it is not the photographer’s fault that my nose looks huge in the picture. I did after all just tell her to make my double chin disappear, which she did.

My friend in Canada found the online version here. Though it might not be the next Watergate, I’m happy it’s in print. We, the ETAAs (Evil Travel Agent Anonymous), are still keen to get her even beyond Dubai borders – so please spread the story and of course make sure your next e-ticket number is valid for a round trip before you board a plane.

A list.

This week I haven’t been feeling particular happy and definitely not very grateful for pretty much anything in my life. Grateful for stepmother’s throat? Please! Then I stumbled upon the blog of Moorea Seal and her 52 Lists project. Just because I always leave my grocery lists at home, doesn’t mean I don’t love a good list, so I was immediately intrigued. Especially since this week’s list was about things we are grateful for and that gave me something to think. And I realized that once again the devil is in the details and sometimes in the small things, the old, and the familiar.

So here is my little list:

¼Diamonds, almond croissants, and rosé bubbly.

I went to Cassis last night and there was a whole basket of sad looking almond croissants left from the day. My I-love-ugly-kitten complex almost won and made me buy them all. Almost. Sanity prevailed. Annika, an almond croissant is not a kitten, no it is not looking sad, it’s not looking at you at all. It is a croissant which has no eyes!!

¼The wonders of modern medicine and a GP who calls me angel, though god knows I don’t deserve it.

And anyone who knows me, knows how it would usually annoy me to be called angel, but for some reason he is the type who can get away with it, leaving me even feeling special. I blame the English accent.

¼Lonely Planet’s The Travel Book.

¼My new neighbour who looks like Antonia Benigni. But with a sixpack.

Antonio. Of course. I had to make the one typo a gender defining one. Sorry, but I don’t actually like girls with six-packs.

_¼  Having a family and actually liking them. _{Most of the time.}

¼My yoga mat a.k.a. lightsaber for inner demons.

¼My courage. Especially my courage to drink green juice.

I have come to the realization that green juicing is not for the faint hearted. So yes, I need courage to down that stuff.

¼My crappy, little camera which despite its crappiness has managed some of the most amazing pictures.

¼A non-windy Cape Town.*

*Which it isn’t. So that makes me also grateful for my never waning wishful thinking.

Pretty please, dear weather man – no more broken windows and basil blown off my balcony!

¼The tingling anticipation of planning a new trip.

¼Steve McCurry pictures.

Looking at his pictures feels like falling in love to me.

 

All pictures by Steve McCurry. Find more here: stevemccurry.com

And this is what you missed - belated edition.

As it seems I can’t even make three weeks in my attempt to have a weekly thing here. Sorry, I do try. In my defence all that you missed last week is that I had too much fun and then I got sick. Again. Certified sick, which doesn’t mean I don’t have to work, it merely means that the child has a name. Strep throat. Which I turned immediately into stepthroat because just like stepmother it sounds nice and evil and of course because I can’t spell. No surprise Google wasn’t helpful there in finding a definition for me, the ever eager patient, who didn’t really know what a st(r)ep throat meant. When it finally accepted my purposeful misspelling it gave me this: A disease which may lead to a sore throat. Dah! I could have told you that. What a let-down of definition and not nearly as horrible of a diagnosis as I feel it deserves. But I guess it’s good not to be mortally/stepmotherly ill.

So yes, all you missed is a very mopey, miserable me. As for the fun…you know what happens in Gardens stays in Gardens.

And this is what you missed II.

What got me excited…

 

 

Remember that one? Yes, this was unfortunately playing over and over in my head last week. Probably because I finally decided on my travel destination for August…drum roll please… Vietnam. Yes, I am perfectly aware that Bangkok is not in Vietnam, but the trips I’m currently looking at all start there. So when this song got stuck, I thought it could be exciting to add a crazy night or two in Bangkok to kick-start the adventure.

What made me nostalgic…
My first boyfriend got engaged. It didn’t come as a surprise, yet it still hit me just a little bit. I haven’t really thought about him or even spoken to him in years, but it’s still somewhat strange to realize that he is really and officially not mine anymore and that our plans for happily-ever-after didn’t come true. I guess I just felt sorry for a moment for my former 17-year old me, who so believed in this first love.

What made me pretty…
On Saturday I got a haircut at The Lobby for the first time. I was a bit scared upon walking in; if there was ever a place made in hipster heaven this is it. But to my surprise I learned that you can still entrust your hair to a stylist who is so hip(ster) that he wears a little hat while he cuts your hair and serves BOS ice tea. My hair now looks awesome and yes, I let it down big time at night!

What made me sad…
You also missed my Mum’s birthday yesterday. And so did I. I hate the fact that I am always far apart from at least half my family, especially on those days when there is roast beef and bubbles. Happy happy, Mami!

I've got mail.

Yesterday I was in a bit of a mood. Justified or not I felt very neglected and unloved by all my friends, had the realization that all men do in fact want a twenty-something, little blonde, and Valentine's Day is almost upon us with me sans date. I have written many times that I don't like it and think the concept silly, but this year I realized this statement only sounds convincing if I had in fact an offer which to gracefully decline. Otherwise it just makes me look a bit bitter. Anyhow…be that as it may.
Things got better though when a little package arrived after lunch. From Canada and no, don't judge! I was very excited to see that there are actually still people who not only send handwritten Christmas cards around the world, chocolate and pictures too. Luckily not of the family wearing matching reindeer jerseys in front of a fake Santa kind, but in my case reminiscences of me, my camel, and newfound friends in the Moroccan desert.
I had met Christe and Scott on my trip in August and upon return we all stayed in touch via Facebook. Eventually she inquired about my address and how long mail travels to Cape Town. Well, longer than even I expected, but I don't want to complain, because presents received when you have actually forgotten that there was a thing called Christmas, are actually the best. Especially when they arrive on a day like yesterday. I felt very touched and much loved from halfway around the world. Thank you, Christe, thank you, Scott – you guys made my day!

Dinner Party in Fez, no hands camel riding and Micky Mouse* looking a bit grumpy with Christe's hat she put on. Good timing with her picture though as the hat went flying a second later.
*Still not sure how I came up with that name...