Another Weird Morning but A Lovely Day!

So I was woken this morning by a piercing pain in my lower abdomen. The place where my cysts live. I tried to evict the mofo's last year but it seems that like in South Africa, whether or not you're getting rent from someone you've actually signed a lease agreement with? You can't evict them. Same shit going on with my cysts! I went under the knife! The knife! And I got three scars! And still!

I might have passed out for a few seconds in the bathroom when I went to pee after I woke. I can't be sure but I know the feeling 'cause I've passed out before from the same pain. Cold sweats and all. That's part of the order. Yeah, there's an order! Pain. Cold sweats. Head spins. Pass out. Wake up after a few seconds.

And then I was fine. Is the trick, passing out, you think?

W T F?!?!

My body aches have eased and my sinus has taken a little vacation too. Let's keep our fingers crossed for a normal morning tomorrow, LOL!

This place I telya? We sleep latttttte and wake latttttter! Today, we walked in the very welcomed rain with Linds to the mall to sort out her wifi, she has to start her online teaching on Monday. I was quite surprised, like this, O_O! To find out that they have the same public holiday as we do on Sunday, Labour Day. At home we call it, Workers Day! Trust us to make it sound hard and cruel! Paige has to work though because they have English camp going on. Oh! Oh! Oh! I was blown away when we got to the mall! A parking lot of scooters! I was like, wait wait wait! I gotta take a pic of this to show them back home! I've never seen anything like it in my life!

Sitting in the Songthaew (song-tow) right now with my mum, Lyle, Paige and Linds, it's another form of public transport. It's either taxi, songthaew or tuk-tuk. The storm is happppening in the Thailand skies as we speak! I'm like, thank the good Lord, it's raining and instead of making it hotter like back home, it actually cools things down! Dammmmm this heat to hell!

Meanwhile? Back on the streets? We are dicing with death, people! Dicing with death! We have to risk our lives running across the road because there are barely ANY robots, where you know? The vehicles stop and the pedestrians walk. Yeah, those! It's jaywalkers heaven out in this joint! There might be one of either side of the road and by that I mean, the beginning and end of it! Over therrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre! Farrrrrrrrrr away!

I'm still in awe of the way of life here. It's just incredible. No hustle and bustle of the big city life. People make their ways to live, however they can, whether it be selling roses or arm bands, stores, bars, restaurants, or whatever! It's not hard to see that they have been blessed with gifted hands here and it's a beautiful thing that they use the gifts that they were born with. And what a humble, friendly city of people? Wow!!!

There are tons of foreigners in Chiang Mai too. I was talking to the owner of Kabab House, he used to live in Bangkok and was telling us too that it's really just so different in Chiang Mai. He described Bangkok as stressed and that's what he loves most about Chiang Mai. The fact that it's not! It's clear to see what he's talking about. It was the first thing Paige and Linds talked about when they first got here. So much so that when the company placed them in teaching posts in Pattaya, they came back a day or two later, without jobs and found their own way.

So we braved the rain, feet felt ewwwwww, I scraped my toe-ring toe when I stopped myself from falling and sliding on a wet tiled floor in front of one of the businesses. Ahhhhh, it will live! Arrived at the Indian restaurant, a taste of home! Plus Paige comes here so often, her picture is on the wall along with alllll of the rest of the patron pics! Lol! That's her and her boyfriend, Kana.

After dinner, we went to look for Lyle and couldn't find him. He found another tattoo parlour to get his elephant so we chilled at one of the bars where Zoe's is. Seems to be the hip place! The place to be! Be there or be square kinda shit. Ofcourse, we left Lyle and Linds there and came home with Paige at about 10pm.

Big day tomorrow! We visit the Canyon and the Doi Suthep temple...we were too late today! Shocker, right? I only got to sleep at about 4am. First from restlessness and then being visited by Lyle, Linds and Paige after their night out! And yes, I did mean visited. Linds' apartment is next to ours. Ours is Paige's old apartment. She just moved down a few floors to a new one. Musical apartments, Lol!

Right now, I'm enjoying the cool breeze on the balcony and listening to the rave music going on across the road downstairs. There's a man talking on the mic. I can't see him but I'm sure they can hear him from Mars! It's loud. These two places come alive, every single night! And that's just how life is here. Work in the day and enjoy the night with friends or whomever! Until 12 that is! New rule is that all clubs and bars must be closed at 12 midnight. By now, Lyle wants to move here! Hahahahaha!

And now? Ya Rambler's gonna say goodnight, from Thailand!

See y'all tomorrow!

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Thailand In The Daylight

Firstly? My body? It was like, "IIIIIII think Ima punish you jussst a little bit for putting me through all those hours of flying!" And it did. It still is. After my shower, once we got in from the airport, my body basically collapsed. Every inch of it hurt and when I say, head to toe? I mean, head to toe.

I've flown to and from the US many, many times and on no trip, has my body felt this way, which is just weird. So I've been popping pills for the pain and the flu / sinus that also chose joined the party.

I slept half the day away. And then some more in the afternoon. Got up and went to Ploen Rudee Night Market in Chiang Mai. It's a street with vendors on both sides of the road with clothing and stuff. They are ready to barter and the moment that you walk away, some of them grab you and I've heard, "Buy now, buy now. How much you want pay?" And the more you say, "I'm gonna look around and I'll come back?" It's more of, "Buy now, buy now...."

At the beer garden / eating spot, I saw a guy. His balls could barely breathe. I'm assuming. I was standing at the smoothie vendor and he walked by me and because his pants were THAT tight? I couldn't help but notice how unhappy his groin area was. It's like I could hear his penis and balls screaming, "Save us, save us!!!!!" In Thai language, ofcourse. Well? I bought my guava smoothie and left those suckers to die a slow and horrible, skinny jeans, death. I don't understand Thai and besides...?

What could I do? There you go. Not a damn thing. But man? That looked painful as shit.

Paige, Lindsie and Lyle went to the club and my mum and I continued walking along the street. Ended up in Tongta massage, getting an hour-long foot, leg, back and shoulder Thai massages which felt both sore and relaxing.

I noticed that life is pretty simple out here in Chiang Mai. Barely anyone dresses up, most of them wear shorts and tanks and sandals. I guess because of the immense heat that is this place. It's apparently burning season? Which is when they burn the grass and whatever so trying to get a clear view of this beautiful Doi Suthep mountain is close to impossible. It can be seen from Paige's balcony but more like a hazy outline because of the smoke and heat. We're going there tomorrow and will be visiting the Doi Suthep Temple there too. It's the highest point in Chaing Mai. Three hundred steps to the temple. O_O! I can't promise to make it up, hahahaha! Not with a broken body. But I sure am gonna try.

On our way to the night bizarre, I noticed too that many of the homes are businesses too. And then people are out 'til late at night, chilling at the bars and restaurants, driving their scooters or motorcycles, having a good ole time. I haven't seen one bus. But I did experience a tuk-tuk ride on our way home. That was a lot of fun.

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

We've Arrived

Yall can imagine just how ecstatic I am to finally see my daughter!  I haven't seen Thailand in the light yet cause we landed at 11pm.  The journey was very long but worth every second to step outa arrivals and see Paige and Linds vigorously waving at us.

I can't wait 'til the sun rises.  This is my first visit to Thailand and Paige has some plans set up already.  Meanwhile, my ears are still blocked.  But that's quite fine.  I'm sure that's not anything that shopping won't sort out.

This place has my kinda clothes.  Boho heaven!

And now?  Ya Rambler's gonna knock off for the night.  Or morning.  I'll be back soon.

Sent from my Samsung device

My Travel Buddies

Let me introduce you to my mum and my nephew!


Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Allllmost Outa Here

Hello, hello!

Yup, that's me looking like I need a seat. But they're all full and I don't mind the floor in the least. Ya Rambler's waiting at her International gate, for boarding to open up.

I'm very comfortable, thank you for asking... :-)


Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

BYYYYYYE DURBAN!!!

WOW! It's definitely been too long. So long since I've been on a lonnnnnng flight outa here! 2013! That's three whole years ago!

And THAT'S why I had to make a big deal about today! :-)

So now? Here I am......up, up, and away, in the crisp atmosphere, ecstatic to the core!



Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

The Day Has Come!!!!!!!

No more waiting! :-)))))))


Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

What I'm Gonna Do Is....

.......Sleep.

Just ONE more time, before I'm forced by my own overwhelming desire take the countdown to another level and start counting down the hours!

^_^


Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

A Different View

I was standing over the kitchen sink, staring outa my window this morning, while swallowing two antibiotics tablets the size of small aeroplanes. :-/ Nobody's throat deserves that. The view was breathtaking, in a polluted sorta way. That's what you get when the area below your home is an industrial zone. Eh, I'd say it's a few steps up from living a stones throw away from an oil refinery since I was two. Moving on up....right?

Wrong.

You know they tried to blow up that refinery when I was younger, right?
Huh? You live in Switzerland? Okay, maybe you don't know.
But yeah, matter 'f fact? They actually DID blow up a few parts of it that night. My sister and her now husband were sitting like two lovebirds in the car outside our house and saw the flares slowly coming down and then BOOOOOOM!!!!! I SWEAR, PRACTICALLY EVERY MEMBER OF THE COLOURED COMMUNITY WAS ON OUR CIRCLE WATCHING THE REFINERY, waiting for the word to take our ID's and run for cover to the racecourse.

Apparently that was the safe place. Not sure if we were meant to gallop away on a horse when we got there or what? One horse per family, maybe. I'll never know. Sighhh, so much has changed since I was little. That racecourse is no more. Just a ginormous, untidy open space.

The innocence of life, is no more.
Face value, is no more.
Nothing's at all like I remember it to be.
Since Saturday.
Not even like I can tell you what happened on Saturday, no matter how much I want to. My blog would be shut down and I don't want that. All I can say is that so much around me, near and far, makes sense now. Not good sense. Very bad sense. But sense, nonetheless.

When I was in primary school, our motto was, Knowledge is Power. As I sit here typing this, those three words mean more to me than they ever did. I don't remember my two other school motto's. I blame Geography. It scarred my recollection skills.

Shew! I know, I know. Lemme stop. Shawdy got low low low low low low low low......Know what?!?! Ima take a deep breath right now and not put a dampener on my countdown!

Yup, it's that time!

People???? After I sleep tonight? And tomorrow? Two, one finger plus one finger equals two. More. Sleeps! :-))))))))))))))))))! That's all I wanna think about right now.

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

A Switch In Time

I'm home.

Annnnnnd, what's changed, you ask?

My weekend routine, that's what. Switched it up a bit. Whoop-whoop, right? Routine is one of those things that drives me absolutely bananas but that's not why I did it. My weekends are normally about as exciting as a boring history class. Ofcourse, the odd party comes up but other than that....

Friday: Home sleeping early
Saturday: Home vegging out on the couch
Sunday: Home cleaning

When I got home yesterday? Mannnn, I felt as though I was sleepwalking. For some reason, probably 'cause I was so exhausted, I felt seriously down. Like miserable down! Down like my emotions were dragging their lips on the floor, down. Cried while driving home down.

But?

Once I got home, my eyes dried up as soon as I noticed that the time hadn't come yet where homes would spontaneously clean themselves. Was it shock?
(Shrug)
Doubt it.
So I got the washing done and cleaned the house. Took all of that useless sad, tired energy and I poured it into all-purpose cleaner, a cloth and a vacuum.

Today? Emotions sprung back but vegging out on the couch was strictly prohibited. Ya Rambler had things to do and people to see. I was up bright and early at 4.30am to do what I needed to do.....like, hanging the washing in the violent wind at 6am. It woulda been earlier but uh-huhhh----I'm not tryna hang washing in the darkness. What if those grey monkey's aren't morning people? Grumpy grey monkey's with neon blue balls? No, thank you very much!

Damn?

I-I just dozed off while typing this. Falling asleep and it's barely 8pm on a Saturday night! I should be ashamed of myself! But I'm not. What I am is, walking backwards to my room with Cruz hot on my heels while I finish off this post.

I'm sorry for the abrupt ending to this post but I really gotta lay me down to sleep. I'm seeing double. When I wake? It will be my dad's birthday and one less finger I'd need to include in my countdown.

Night, night!


Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

......How Many More Sleeps?

SCREAM IT WITH ME NOW...........FOURRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!

YESSSS! That's less than FIVE! That means, I'm down to counting on just the fingers on my one hand!

Byyyyyye thumb!

HELLO HAPPPY!

^_^!!!



Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Now The Real Countdown Begins...

YES YES YES YES YESSSS! With just a week left to go! The excitement is mounting! Guess it's pretty clear, huh? Especially when you see words like mounting and excitement! Heh-heh-heh! Look at you! Dirty, dirrrrrrrty minds, I telya. Leaping to wickedly filthy conclusions. See, here's a typical example of when holy water is needed.

What if-----what if I bought a shiny black horse? No, I didn't. 'Cause well, the government...but what if I did? How would you feel when you see me all straight-back saddle-mounted up on Black Beauty after thinking those----those things you were thinking? Bet you'd be drinking that water by the gallons, huh?

Now, now......I know that I haven't divulged what's got me palpitating at the heart! Or buying a horse! YET......! But if I have to wait, then we allllll have to wait. All for one and one for all!

U-N-I-T-YYYYY, U-N-I-T-YYYY.


Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

And We Have A Winner!!!

The carbs.
Sunday, the carbs won.
Again.
I've accepted defeat. Y'know why? The desserts were so damn delicious, my will was like.."Byeeeeeeee, Felicia!" I didn't appreciate the disloyalty but you think I ran after it? Nope! I politely followed it right on over to where the cake was. I was my will's bitch, for realllll! That's all there is to say. I'm not even gonna sugar-coat it. I've sugar-coated a lot more than I should have this weekend but I told myself. "Rambler? It's okay, it hardly makes you a failure. Failing doesn't make you a failure, dear. Only human. Just do better tomorrow."

See, there was also this little brownie thingy, right? For all I know, it could have been an actual brownie. But it was lighter in colour. Maybe it's from the brownie family. A frownie. No-no-no, not a frownie! Frownies sound like something one would usually spit out into the napkin. Like olives.ewwwwww!

Yesterday, though? I climbed my ass right back into the saddle. On the horse! And I'm still riding. Like Zoro, giddy-up, giddy-up!

This coming weekend? I shall willingly dive off of it again. Look! There are just some things that no matter the diet plan, you never exclude them. Like movie popcorn? Movie popcorn is not to be resisted! If I had to be totally honest, that's what motivates me to go to the movie to begin with. Forget the drop dead gorgeous actors in blockbuster movies.... puleeeeeeeze?!?! Who goes to the movies for that? Stop it! Put ya hand down. If anything, that's like a depression session waiting to happen. 'Cause wacha gonna do when it's time to step outa the movie theatre and back to reality? Look around trying to find at least one person who even slightly resembles the fantasy that you just left in there and what? Disappointment! That's what.

I have a movie date on Saturday and there's no chance in hell that I'm gonna watch the movie all loyal to baked crumbed chicken and green salad with a hint of dressing. I really hope nothing comes up, I'm looking forward to it that much! Yes, THAT much!
>_<!
Whaaaaat?
I see that excited, tell me tell me tell me look in ya eyes.
No hot news here peeeeeeeeeeople!
As. You. Were.
C'mon, you should know me better than that. Only hot thing going on in my life is the sun, stove, the kettle or the microwave! My laptop battery too, on occasion. Just to make sure that clarity prevails, I'm not tryna find the heat either and if and when I happen to be offered to be roasted or baked, it's like water off a ducks back. I'm not anti-men or anything like that. That couldn't be furthest from the truth.

I'm saving myself! Yup. That's it in a nutshell. I should've done that a lonnnnnng, lonnnnnnnnnng time ago. Remember though? It's never too late to right your wrongs. Whether you're 23, 43 or 63 years old! Remember that always!

Where was I? Oh, yeah! The movies.

Usually, it takes my bestie and I approximately three, four, five, nine tries before we get it right and when we do, it's as if we've never been apart. Our friendship is a gift. We don't get to see each other as often as we'd like. Life. It just keeps going. So we plan, cancel, plan, cancel, plan, cancel, (can you taste the determination in this sentence?) And we plan and cancel until we're in the same car heading to a movie feeling somewhat complete and accomplished at the fact that we successfully avoided anything more that would thwart our plans for the umpteenth time!

I gotta ask. Have you ever eaten movie popcorn with Cadbury chocolate whispers? I don't mean, the chocolate before the popcorn or the popcorn before the chocolate, I mean both in ya mouth at the same time...... Ooooooooooooooo-whooooooooo!!!!! That's a bucket list item right there. The absolute! I'm salivating at the thought. Meanwhile, I just read that studies have found that eating too much sugar has the same effect on the brain as if I'd snorted cocaine. To that I say....

Study DEEZ! LIIIIIIIIES LIIIIIIIIIES LIES! What study? Who studied?
Doc-doctors?
Okay, you got a point there. Hmmmm? I refuse to believe that hogwash. Because why aren't the poor drug addicts not just buying sugar then? My brother used to eat bread, butter and a pile of sugar, daily. Not once have I seen him high from it. Wait....naaaaah, no, he's never been high from it. Just full. There's a big difference between high and energetic. Study's talking 'bout the brain and similarities and facts. Who wants facts allll the time? I'll bet if they did a study, they would find that your brain does the same thing too when you have an adrenalin rush.

But! Ima give credit where credit is due. Too much sugar is incredibly unhealthy, obviously. I'm from earth. I understand that. But that goes for anything. Too much pizza, too much liquor, too much broccoli, too much sex..too much of anything, is not healthy. But I take offence when it's then put in the same box as a drug abusing. It's an addiction, a different type of, and that's where the label should end. What if I'm addicted to sand? You laugh but I was told last week that anaemic people sometimes crave sand. But if I'm a sand addict, I'm suddenly akin to some poor soul who is addicted to cocaine? No! And I say poor soul because drug addiction is very real, very destructive and very fatal and I have to imagine that on some level that poor soul would love nothing more than to be healed.

URGH, see this is what I don't like, I'm tryna blog and the onions are tryna burn! Lemme concentrate and get this curry cooked, unscathed!

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Embarrassment He Is, Yes!

That's not the only thing he's being called these days.......


http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-86516101/


And here is an open letter to mr. president by former activist Ahmed Kathrada....


http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2016/04/02/Read-Letter-by-Ahmed-Kathrada-to-President-Zuma

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

Celebrations!

Once again, yesssss. Say it! I know you want to! "Y'all celebrate too much!" You just saying that 'cause I was out celebrating my nieces' 30th birthdays last night. And now here I am all deep in the celebrations again! What you want me to do people?

It's a bit better than it used to be. These days, I choose to choose my celebrations. There's no running like sheep to any and every party going. I've been upgraded to a cow. Heh-heh-heh. Ya Rambler has grown since we first met.

Lemme tell you what I'm not celebrating? This week? I worked my ass off eating low carb alllllllll week long and what did I do? Blew it all tonight. Flushed it right down the toilet! I'm not talking to me right now. A girl was good! I was GOOD! I was better than good to the point that I began cursing every low carb item I came across. Low carb diets are not cute. Neither is fat, I guess. (Shrug). Argument settled.

As I type this, I'm considering whether or not I should just forgive myself and let carbs be bygones. You seriously don't wanna give yourself the silent treatment when you spend so much time with that self of yours. My advice would be to become your own best friend. Besides, tomorrow I can simply go back to cursing protein and vegetables. I gotta. Gotta get ready

Well today is a new day. It's a lil before Sunday, less than an hour from, actually. One of my favourite nieces turns 21 when the clock strikes twelve. Cinderella! Uhhhhh, maybe not quite the same story but that's how rumours get started, huh?! We hear "strikes twelve" and whether it was a clock or a serial killer, suddenly Cinderella's involved! Sorry.

Sorry for misleading you.

I'm sitting here in the midst of ultra loud music and lights that could make a sane person start hallucinating! I'm not even sure that I wasn't dancing with myself just now. >_<! I didn't carry my tested night glasses, okay? I see now that that was a bad idea. I've learnt from it. Now I shall move on and make sure I hold my cousins hand when we dance next. Just for ease of mind. That way I won't be the drunk aunt who was recorded, battling herself on the dance floor. That wouldn't be fair, I'm not even drunk.

Now? Me and my not so favourite carb-gobbling friend. Still me. We're going to leave so we can get some rest!
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

So Much Appreciation

So here I am, minding my own business, right? On Facebook. No, see? Don't be nasty on a Tuesday. Okay, be nasty 'cause even I said that to myself as I typed that. "If you can call it minding your own business while reading everyone else's business."

And then a very dear friend sends me this-------------"Hi there. A friend of mine who is on a business trip to Kenya sent me the following........ Bru when u speak to Stacey again please tell her that if no one enjoys her writing she had a brother from Durban who constantly finds himself in other parts of the continent and reading her blogs.....she keeps me going"

Now? Normally, I start sweating after a shower 'cause it's 912 degrees celsius in Durban but tonight it's cool. It's actually raining. My perspiration was brought on by sudden appreciation. Don't pretend that's never happened to you. We're all adults here. We all have different reactions to kindness too, don't we?

I don't know who my brother in another----wait, I'm thinking---------------------------my brother in another----damn, and I have the nerve to call myself a poet! I should be ashamed of myself. But I'm not. That's that for tryna be cute but I don't know who my brother from Durban is but if you are reading this right now? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND SUPPORT, NOT TO MENTION YOUR KIND WORDS, IT'S NOTHING SHORT OF INSPIRING TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE OUT THERE IS POSITIVELY AFFECTED BY SOMETHING YOU'RE DOING!

:-)

The week started off partly stressful and partly wonderful. Unexpectedly, we found ourselves at the mercy of work last night until almost 9pm. I didn't sweat. Just? My veins were sore. I'm so serious! I was like, "Cuz? My vericose veins are sore! Now you know when ya veins are sore....." I thought I was being funny, until she cut me off with, "Mine too! Must be our age." At that point, I stopped complaining about sore veins and started complaining about backache. That didn't help my attempt to ignore what she said about our age but we got the job done and for the most part? Tired as I was, I thoroughly enjoyed it because it reminded me of baaaaaaaaack in the day when I joined and we all worked together. There wasn't a thing of departments and that's not part of my job and whatnot. We were all in it together.

I've got Cruz laying here next to me, not feeling the best. I can't tell you what happened yesterday while he was home alone in the daytime because I left hime well and when I got home, he was clearly in pain. Breakdancing can do that. Just-just a theory. Dogs are pretty intelligent you know! 'Course I didn't say that to the vet today though but he did say that he might have jumped down from somewhere and hurt his back.

See what I'm saying? Everything points to my theory!

Doc stuck a thermometer up his ass, not hisssss ass, Cruzzy's ass. Why would?!? Anyway----to check his temperature, gave him an injection and then literally shoved an antibiotic down his throat. I've been doing it all wrong! I've been putting whatever tablets in his mouth and then holding it shut until he has no choice but to swallow. He wouldn't take them otherwise and I'm new to this being responsible for a dog thing. But that doctor?!? He put his entire finger down this little throat, my eyeballs near jumped outa their sockets like, "Nooooooooooooooo, what the.....!

I dunno. Cruz has somehow made me feel, more. Is that normal?

Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!

The Now South Africa In A Nutshell

This pretty much sums it up.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-86380572/
Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom - let your email find you!