West Coast road trip...

I can't believe how long it's been since my last post! This year is flying, with so many new things, adventures, work and living. But that's no excuse and I plan to return to the blog properly.

Have you ever been to South Africa's West Coast? It is a surprising coastline... desolated, deserted, undeveloped.. and beautiful in all of these. It is known for its spring flowers, but when I traveled it this last week (with my amazing boyfriend) the landscape was an autumn one, awaiting this colourful carpet with anticipation.

We began in Clanwilliam, a town that gains its lifeblood from the alongside dam, and the contrast between the water and its desert surroundings is sharp and powerful. The town certainly has a spirited soul, and it was revitalizing to be there.

We traveled to Lambert's Bay to begin our meander down the coast, and here the town was almost held hostage by the sea. The place itself was scattered, with tiny restaurants amongst fish factories, and a sense of strangeness hovered over the place. The sea beside it was raging, and we found a more natural energy as we walked and climbed on the rocky outcrops, with crashing waves pounding around us. It certainly was the coast at its most real and alive- refreshing after coming from Cape Town, with its more designed and developed seasides.

This same combination of desolation and energy continued down the coast, with some places looking almost like ghost towns. St Helena Bay had a certain warmth to it. However we continued towards our destination of Paternoster, which was worth waiting for. Like a little island oasis, Greek-style house huddle on the coastline, in white and blue sweetness. Little streets, houses without fences or walls, made us feel that we were on a Greek island, or somewhere in Europe. The magical atmosphere of the village was added to by empty fishing boats dotting a desolate beach, ethereal and enchanting.

We continued to Jacobsbaai, Langebaan (one of the more developed areas, in a suffocating kind of way) and into the West Coast Nature Reserve, which surrounds a turquoise lagoon. Green fynbos against blue water brought life back into the landscape, but at the same time the reserve maintained the same loyalty to nature, seasons and sea that the rest of the coastline had offered.

Living in South Africa's cities we feel that people and place have collided at full force, with space and nature being rare and precious. Yet our West Coast remains empty, desolate, undeveloped and deserted- uneasy yet captivating at the same time. So to enjoy some space, stillness and solitude, immerse yourself between the Cederberg and the sea, and beyond.

Clanwilliam

 Paternoster

 West Coast Nature Reserve

Friday Thoughts

I believe in trusting the process.
I feel peaceful, happy and excited.
I want to sleep.
I plan to enjoy this weekend of freedom before starting work on Monday.
I know that its all going to be okay, for all of us.
I love my dogs, walks in the sunshine, drinking tea, magazines, cuddling and kisses.

Friday feeling: 'And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.' -Anais Nin

Inspirational images...

Love these collaged images I stumbled across.. inspiration for autumn/winter 2010 fashion season in SA...

  

 

See more at 

http://www.cosmoworlds.com

Invictus: 'I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul'

I saw Invictus the other day, and it just adds to what I was saying below about Malema. Mandela was a leader in the true sense of the word- he made decisions based on sacrifice, wisdom, knowledge and forgiveness. I had shivers down my spine as I watched how this man carried my country in his two hands while it could have so easily fallen apart. I was too young to remember these moments, and yet they have affected my life deeply.

Mandela understood complexity, acknowleging that the task he faced was not 'black and white.' He stood firmly by the ANC's ideals of non-racialism and nation-building, at the very moments when revenge, anger and racism could have been the easier options. He led the people of South Africa beyond these instinctive reactions, towards the ideals epitomized in the poem Invictus:

Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

-William Ernest Henley


I sometimes wonder what will happen to SA when Madiba passes on. I feel like in many ways his energy and wisdom keeps this country on a level of stability and on the path it needs to go. I just hope that when that day comes, leaders will emerge to take his legacy forward.

Malema Madness

I often wonder how plainly unintelligent people manage to gain and maintain any kind of power in the world. Exhibit A: George W. Bush. Exhibit B: Julius Malema etc etc. Because the things they say would have us on the floor laughing if we didn't have to take them seriously.

In the past year Malema's statements have sunk to the lowest of the low- in my opinion the worst was when he called Zille 'a racist little girl' who chose her cabinet because they are 'her boyfriends and concubines, so the she can continue to sleep around with them.' I find it scary that such an immature, pathetic comment has been uttered by a politician and that no one seemed particularly bothered. Tambo and Sisula must be rolling in their graves at what their legacy in the ANCYL has become. And that Madiba has to witness this, after he once lead the youth league.. to pass on his legacy to someone like this is, in my opinion, tragic.

Malema may represent a generation that were failed by the Bantu-education system, and perhaps many people look to him to stand for them. But do we really need "leaders" like this, who perpetuate a shallow and victimized way of being? How can the youth and others have any kind of meaningful, real conversation about this country when Malema continues to make statements such as this? As Chris Roper (editor of The Mail and Guardian Online) says: 'with Malema writing the script, we're veering towards Looney Tunes.' Does anyone else find this worrying?

Human / Dancer

Photo by Orli Barnett

Add 'The Killers' to the blog post below. Definitely something I'm loving right now. Their concert in Cape Town was one of the most phenomenal things I have experienced in a long time, and went way beyond all expectations. I mean, when you are in almost the front row of 15 000 people, and this band explodes into 'Human' as the first song, what more could you want? The energy, magic and pure art of that first song continued throughout the show, in a slick, sensational and stunning showcase of sound.

Brandon Flowers not only has an incredible voice but is a fantastic performer- with charisma, sensitivity and sexiness he captured the audience from the start. His powerful stage presence and talent gave the show that extra edge that left people speechless. Add his multi-talented band, pyrotechnics, lighting and an explosion of stage production, and it was truly a flawless musical experience.

And I watched it all from the third row. Deciding that if we were going to do this we were going to do it properly, we got Golden Circle tickets and were at Val de Vie by about 4pm. We didn't face any traffic on the way in and the Golden Circle queue was well organized. We found a spot at the front easily, where we relaxed in the beautiful surroundings of the wine estate. The mountains, greenery and sunset definitely beat a stadium!

Yes, returning to our our car we faced the chaos of being parked in by cars everywhere. Yet we kept our cool, made new friends and waited it out, still enjoying the adrenalin of the concert pumping through our veins. Parking marshalls and car rows would have been simple ways of organizing things better, and hopefully Big Concerts will take note that such bad organization will always taint a brilliant event. Capetonians should be proud that they stayed relaxed for those 3 hours after the concert, made it to work the next day and did it all with smiles on their faces. I know that even with the traffic, I would have done it all again in a heartbeat.

So, are we human or are we dancer? I think everyone was a bit of both that night, feeling alive and dancing our hearts out.

What I'm loving at the moment...

Osumo: I have them on speedial. Amazing, delicious salads, incredible smoothies (and also wraps, sandwiches, breakfasts...). Capetonians are a healthy tribe and Osumo makes our lives easier! They are leading the way with their innovative, fresh and exciting food & brand. "Osumo!" (as the Osumo ladies say!) http://www.osumo.co.za/

Slick: Favourite clothing store for many years. Today I found beautiful summer dresses there. They are great for unique finds and on-trend pieces. With their friendly and warm staff, their clientele are extremely loyal! http://www.slickonline.co.za/

Mr Price: For their always-affordable, perfectly fashionable finds. You have to look for the right pieces, but it's worth it! Found my summer gladiators there! http://www.mrprice.co.za/ and check out their fashion blog for glimpses at what is happening is the fashion world... http://www.mrpricefashion.blogspot.com/

Style Guide Cape Town: And talking about fashion blogs, this is simply the best in Cape Town. Enough said: http://styleguidecapetown.blogspot.com/

Summer in Cape Town: Sweet, sexy and sultry, its worth waiting for. I feel so blessed to live in this place- the sun on my shoulders, watching sea and mountains and sunsets (all draped in perfect light), Kirstenbosch concerts, beach days, tanning, swimming in the icy Atlantic ocean, partying, perfection...

Coral: Loving this summer colour- on nails and clothes... it perfectly complements tanned skin, metallic accessories and a summer smile!

Twitter: I still love Facebook, but Twitter is growing on me! It's great for networking, especially in the media industry. Follow me! http://twitter.com/TaliBarnett

<3