Weekend getaway to Cape Agulhas...

Enjoying some laughs on the balcony

On Friday, June 22, 2012, six friends and I decided to go on a weekend getaway to one of their holiday houses in Suiderstrand, Cape Aguhlas (the Southern most tip of Africa for those of you who do not know0.  This weekend away was exactly what I needed as I had been working non-stop and hadn't really had a holiday yet.  And just before I'm about to start my new job beginning of July (more on that later), it was the perfect opportunity.

It was a three hour drive there (actually, a little bit longer thanks to 'wrong way Dave' getting us lost!) but it actually worked out well as the route was very scenic and made me realise what an absoloutely beautiful country we live in!  From being surrounded by mountains with babboons on the side of the road, to dams that had a sheer glass reflection of the trees surrounding it, and not forgetting the beautiful ocean, we really are fortunate to have all these things 'on our doorstep'.



There are not too many things to do in Cape Agulhas, so it was the perfect location for a relaxing getaway. If you are visiting, however, you could go to the lighthouse and climb up the stairs to the top; you could sit at the Southern most tip of Africa where the two oceans meet; you could go to the beach or visit art galleries or even indulge in some amazingly fresh fish and chips.



'Wrong way Dave' and Mushfeeka
preparing the delicious 'potjiekos'








 



Enjoying more funny moments

Our weekend consisted of playing games, watching Euro 2012 soccer matches, making 'potjiekos', relaxing by the fire, and taking breathtaking walks on the beach to admire the absolutely beautiful surroundings of Suiderstrand. The weekend came to an end far too soon for my liking, and before we knew it, it was time to leave and back to reality. As all good things must come to an end, I am glad that the weekend was spent making unforgettable memories with amazing people!

What motivates me?

I really had to think about this question before attempting to answer it.  We very seldom give credit to the things that motivate us, but without these motivating factors, we would all just be going through the paces of our daily lives without working towards something specific or attempting 'greatness'.





So what does motivate me?  The answer is, I actually don't know.  I don't think that I have a stand out factor that motivates me.  Overall I just want to be successful.  I'll have to come back in a few years time to try and define that term for you, though.




On an academic achievement front, I motivate myself to always do my best and to work hard so that I can achieve my goals.  I am a very strong-willed and determined human being, and I like it this way.  As I am the one that motivates myself to always achieve my best, it makes the end result that much more worthwhile as I know I am doing it for me and not for anybody else.  I am motivated to be independent and successful and to not rely too heavily on others.  And let's not beat around the bush, what motivates most people in this world today is money.  Whoever says otherwise is either in denial or a good liar.  Without money, we cannot fulfil our basic needs.  Money can buy happiness and that is the main motivational factor for the majority in this world.

Apart from self-motivation, in my life I have been faced with a lot of factors that also motivate me, but not in a positive way.  What I mean by this is that particular circumstances have motivated me to do the opposite of what the other person has done.  It has taught me not to make the same mistakes in my life as the other person. This is a great motivational factor for me as I was able to see first-hand what the result of that person's actions was.  The result was obviously one that I did not favour, and this has definitely motivated me be a better person than what they are, and to treat others the way in which I want to be treated.

Lady Gaga coming to South Africa!

When 5FM kept playing a clip on the radio of a performer who would be coming to South Africa later on this year, the nation was kept guessing.  My friends and I, however, had a slight suspicion of who it might be.

Lady Gaga is coming to South Africa to perform for her Born This Way Ball in November and December 2012!  I was very excited at the news that Big Concerts, in connection with 5FM, is bringing the five time Grammy Award winner to our shores.  Now, I like most of her songs, although I would not say she is my favourite artist of all time, but is this a concert anyone can afford to miss?  I was not prepared to take that chance!  At R715 for a general standing ticket, it had better be everything that I am expecting and more!

Following Gaga's previous outlandish stunts such as wearing an all-raw-meat dress and shoes, "hatching" out of a coccoon-like egg, and not to mention her crazy hair colours and equally vibrant outfits, I am sure she will put on a show that will have South Africans talking for a long time.  She will be performing at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on November 30, and at Cape Town Stadium on December 3. 

When the news broke on Monday morning, Fluxmag.com wrote "Gaga has a reputation for orchestrating electrifying live performances. This could be the concert of the decade so you don’t want to miss out."  My tickets are booked, and now I cannot wait to experience the weird and wonderful world of Lady Gaga and the rest of her little monsters live!

The 10 most unexpected consequences of being online

A scary thought, isn't it?  Especially considering that the Internet has become such a norm in this day and age.  Not a day goes by that I do not make use of the Internet, and I'm sure the same goes for you.  Think about it:  It is so quick and easy to access, and can help you to find things out that you previously did not know, or to answer a question you might desperately need an answer to.  We often only think about the pro's of having access to the Internet and constantly being online, but what about the con's?  Here's my list of the 10 most unexpected consequences of being online in 2012:

1. Being online opens up a world where it is a walk in the park for stalkers to gather information about you and to follow your every move.  #Scary
2. It is unavoidable to have to 'be friends with' or stay in contact with someone you really do not have any intention of being associated with.  #Awkward
3. The Internet can be a very unreliable source of information, and when you repeat this invalid information to others, it either starts rumours or makes you look like a fool for believing the false information.  #Naive
4. We become so used to communicating with others online that we gain confidence and self-assurity.  Albeit, it is a completely different story when face-to-face communication and physical interaction is required, and we revert to our shy, passive selves.  #Misconceptions
5. Due to the vast amount of information that is available online, we can sometimes conjure up our own thoughts and assumptions which can confuse us even more than we were in the first place.  #InformationOverload.
6. Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are online sites where we are able to socialise with friends and post pictures and statuses about how drunk we were on the weekend and how hard we partied the night before.  It may make you look cool to your friends, but your boss certainly won't think so and could form the wrong perception of you.  This is very important when applying for a new job as we often forget the fact that these social networking sites are available to everyone!  #FirstImpressions
7. We miss out on experiences because we're so glued to our computers and cell phones.  The world is literally passing us by without us even knowing it.  "Sorry I can't go watch my favourite band perform tonight, I need to update my blog."  #AntiSocial.
8. When we're online, do we even have any secrets or personal thoughts anymore?  Everything we think or feel gets published and before you know it, nearly every person you know (even the unintentional associations mentioned in number two) knows what's going on in your life and even pretend to care.  #Annoying
9. Being online does lead to more crime.  Why?  Because it's just that much easier when you're doing it on the Internet.  For example, piracy, distributing child pornography, paedophiles having easier access to vulnerable children, to name just a few.  #Sickos
10. Meeting new people.  While this is more often a benefit rather than a consequence, how do we know who we can trust or not?  When meeting someone face-to-face we can judge more carefully whether they are trustworthy and what their intentions are (I like to believe we can do this most of the time!)  But when we're on the Internet, we have to believe what the person tells us without being able to make our own conclusions.  It is extremely easy to be lead astray while online.  #TrustIssues.

Even though I've just listed 10 very important and scarily relevant consequences of being online, the Internet is a phenomenon that has literally taken over the world and we would be silly to think it will ease up any time soon.  My advice to you is to try and not get lured in to any of the acts listed above, and hopefully, you will be a-okay (for now).

Steers: Bad planning or brilliant sales campaign?

With the whole of South Africa abuzz about yesterday’s Steers R10 burger debacle, it is only fitting that I post my comments about it too.  So here goes.  What do I think about this whole situation? One word: Brilliant!

On a normal day, who would have usually thought about going out and getting some Steers for lunch or supper (especially in the middle of the month)?  Definitely not as many people as there were queuing yesterday inside (and outside) Steers franchises nationwide.  People started queuing as early as 09:00am, wanting a rib burger for breakfast!  This would not have been the case on a normal day.  So what do you, as a fast food place that does not usually make many sales on a particular day of the week or certain time of the month, do?  That’s right.  You put out a ‘special’ that will have the crowds coming in masses to your establishment and choosing you over your competitors.  Case in point, Spur Monday burger nights!

After ‘under-catering’ and drastically ‘underestimating’ the amount of burgers they would sell, Steers knew that the people who had already specifically made their way to their nearest Steers branch would have thought to themselves ‘oh well, now that I’m here, I might as well just get something else off their menu.’  Steers also knew that customers are more inclined to make a purchase now that they are already there and have psyched themselves up for that mouth-watering burger.  According to TimesLive “some stores had to close as early as 4pm yesterday, after not only running out of rib burgers, but of their entire stocks.”  Point proven.

Something this big is not done without planning.  Surely they would have known that by not placing a limit on the amount of burgers allowed per person, or by still accepting telephonic orders (where companies placed orders of 160 burgers or more!) that surely they would run out of stock at some point?

How about Steers knowing that customers would think: ‘well, seeing that it's only R10 for the burger, I might as well get two burgers then.  And maybe I should add an ice-cream and a side order of chips.  I’m still saving so much money!’  Once again, Steers is making sales they would never usually have made.  Let’s not forget about all the hype on Twitter, Facebook and HelloPeter websites about this ‘special’ which, although most were complaints, it was still creating exposure for it and enticing people to go check out what was going on.  I’m sure most people thought ‘the Steers near my house surely won’t be that full, let me go have a look.’  Surprise, surprise!

I do think that had Steers implemented this campaign more effectively (i.e. placing limits on orders and making sure they were sufficiently stocked up) that more positive exposure would have been generated and it would have been much more successful, especially for possible future plans and campaigns.  Even though customers were disappointed and many claim that the brand has now suffered, you can bet your life savings that if Steers announces next week that they’re running the same special again, the majority of those people who went yesterday will be back there again, accompanied by those that were not able to partake.

Even after the negative feedback received by the public, it seems to be the new trend for fast food chains throughout the country, as Spur and McDonald’s have also jumped on the bandwagon by offering specials on their breakfast and quarter pounder meals, respectively.  This can only be good news for the consumer, I think.  Funny thing is that these places are still making a profit on these 'reduced' deals, which shows how much they are actually ripping us off when we buy things at full price!

The elephant in the room

We've all been in a situation where there has been an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed.  Something that is too awkward or sensitive to speak about.  And sometimes I think it is actually better not to bring it up.

On one hand, it is always good to speak about something that is bothering you, as bottling it up is not a good thing to do.  You may think that you are fine, but after a while it will keep eating up at you and you will eventually break down in tears or explode with anger.

On the other hand, however, sometimes you just need to keep things to yourself, as speaking about it could create an awkward or hostile environment, which is never pleasant.  It all depends on the situation at hand, and of course, the type of person you are.  I am someone that does not like to burden others with my issues or problems, but I am a very good listener when it comes to listening to other people's problems and being their shoulder to cry on or pillar of support.

At this moment in time I have almost daily encounters with 'the elephant in the room,' but I choose to not confront it or address it as I simply do not want to.  I have addressed it in the past, and I know from experience that talking about it now will not do any good and will also not change the current situation either.  So I ask myself, 'what really is the point then?'

I know that one day that I will have to address this enormous elephant in the room, but I figure that I will just cross that bridge when I eventually get there.

Jeff Dunahm - Controlled Chaos!

I was privileged enough to be able to attend Jeff Dunham's Controlled Chaos show at the Grand West Arena on Wednesday, June 6, 2012.  As a huge fan of Jeff Dunham (for those of you who don't know, Jeff Dunham is an American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian) and one of my favourites.  Jeff is superbly talented and barely makes a movement while conversing with the dolls and talking to the audience on their behalf’s.  He is extremely entertaining and his characters are equally sharp and witty.  At first I was very sad that I would miss his tour of South Africa, after all being a broke student does not allow you to spend hundreds of Rands on a ticket to this sort of show.  However, it is once again proved that it is not what you know, but who you know :)

A friend of mine that I worked with while doing my internship now works for a company that does PR for Grand West Casino.  She was given tickets to the show and invited me along with her.  My response to her question "hey, do you want to go see Jeff Dunham tonight?" was "what? Are you joking!!!???" - Notice the excessive use of explanation marks and question marks.  I could not believe it!  I had been hustling people the whole day to enter competitions for me to win tickets to the show!

The show was absolutely hilarious and literally breathtaking for the most part.  Jeff, along with Walter, Bubba Jay, Peanut, Jose the Jalapeño on a stick, and Achmed the dead terrorist, entertained the crowd for just under two hours with fast-paced and witty comedy that left me laughing non-stop during the whole show.  My friend on the other hand, not knowing much about Jeff Dunham, did not find him as funny or entertaining as I did.  This did not deter from my experience of the show as I was fully focused on the events taking place on the stage.

This is definitely a must-see show that will have you in stitches for the majority of the night.  If you don't know much about Jeff Dunham or his shows, I would suggest that you brush up on the characters and maybe watch one or two of his previous shows before hand to get a feel of it.  Other than that, if he is in Cape Town again, I highly recommend booking a ticket to go watch him live!

Every day is a good day

Is every day really a good day?  I don't think so.  Sometimes we all experience days where really bad things happen (usually in 3's for the superstitious type).  Think about it, imagine getting a speeding fine when you're really broke at the end of the month; or you're walking down the street to an important meeting or interview and your heel breaks; or it's your wedding day on the beach and it begins to howl with wind and pour down with rain.  Would you be having a good day then?

Bad things happen all the time, it is inevitable and, for the most, uncontrollable.  Albeit, I do agree with John S. Hinds who stated that "a day will never be anymore than what you make of it."  You can choose to see the glass half full or the glass half empty.  Your mood and attitude, and how you choose to interpret the events that unfold, will determine how good or bad your day is.

However optimistic you may try to be though, there will always be those days where you can't help but be a "glass-half-empty-kind-of-person."  And there's nothing wrong with that.  We all need to have a bad day every once in a while in order to fully appreciate what a good day really is.  If you think you're having a bad day, just remember that there is someone else out there who is having an even worse day than you are.