Viva La Mexico

It's 5.04pm and although my body tells me I should sleep (11.04pm back home),  I've whacked some Piz Buin allergy suncream on (yes, I am one of those fortunate people who is plauged with attractive heat rash) and am sitting on the rooftop in the 30 degree heat, fiercely ignoring the steady increase of red dots on my chest. 

Flight was long but made bearable by about a thousand episodes of The Big Bang Theory, a friendly Swiss fella sat next to me and this killer view as we came into land.

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of big sis but in the meantime we have the obligatory group meet up; a time where you awkwardly introduce yourself and secretly suss everyone out. 

I'll leave you with a few highlights of my afternoon:

1) When I understood the taxi driver's rapid (and complementary) Spanish -"yes, I have collected Madeleine...the one with the beautiful eyes".

2) "How long is it to Chichin Itza?" Me. "How long to Chicken pizza!?" (Driver could barely get his words out he was laughing so hard at his joke). 

3) Devouring an ice-cold frappe after 30 hour journey.

4) Looking up at the pretty pot plants above me.

5) A rather large lady happily lying in the tiniest black thong and nothing else...with not a care in the world.

6) The sound of bottle tops coming off beers and falling to the floor. 

Until tomorrow...

Flower Power # 100 Happy Days

I walk into my classroom this morning and I find the most stunning bunch of flowers laying waiting for me from the class teacher. A card says "thank you for all your hard work this term". The kindness and acknowledgment was very touching indeed.

On a side note, I am off to Central America tomorrow for a month so (without sounding smug) will undoubtedly find many experiences there that will continue my contribution to the 100 Happy Days challenge..!

Rainy Day #100 Happy Days

Typically, after a day like today, I would have most likely come home and bitched about it; only remembering and consequently focusing on the negatives. However, with this little challenge I am undertaking, I was forced to shift the memories of broken shopping bags in the rain, waiting for buses in the rain and general getting soaked scenarios to the nicer aspects of the day. 

For starters, lunch at Bills with this lady definitely perked up my rainy day. Great company coupled with bacon, avocado and spinach salad, broccoli with chilli and sesame seeds, sweet potato chips and (heart shaped!) capuccinos will do that for you. 

Then, at a particularly wet point in the afternoon, I remembered something which left me smiling from ear to ear as I trudged along. I asked a boy at school where the sunshine had gone as it was meant to be spring. He was silent for a couple of seconds, clearly deep in thought and finally responded with, "I think maybe the sun has gone off on an adventure to Africa today. But don't worry, it will be back soon". If only those fleeting years of endearing thinking could extend to adutlhood.

Maison St Cassien #100 Happy Days

What made me happy today? 

Lunch with my lovely mum at Maison St Cassien -a sweet little place in Wimbledon village run by lovely Lebanese men with Cheshire Cat grins. We devoured creamy hummus, our favourite, baba ganoush speckled with pomegranate, flat breads and chargrilled halloumi in the shape of hearts.

One of the many important life lessons I learnt from my mother is that a dab of innocent flirtation will get you a long way. And today, it got us free chicken with our hummus and bite-sized baklavas as we left. Bonus.

To make matters even better this evening, I was pleasantly surprised by my heart shaped nandos chicken. This has been a happy food day indeed. 

100 Happy Days

...Wrong. Lets try and make the time.

This ingenious challenge basically requires you to document something that makes you happy every day for 100 days and share it. The challenge involves submitting a picture everyday but for some that might not always be possible, so why don't you do what I'm going to do and write them down in a notebook/ in a Facebook status/ on a blog instead? If you're anything like me, sometimes after a long day you lose sight of the small and somewhat inconsequential things that made you happy during the day. But if you are forced to reflect on them, I bet you will be surprised. Even just a small thing - the last seat on the tube, a slice of cake or talking to a nice dog (just me?)

"#100happyday challenge is for you - not for anyone else. It is not a happiness competition or a showing off contest. If you try to please / make others jealous via your pictures - you lose without even starting. Same goes for cheating."
Being mindful of what is making you feel happy is a fantastic concept and I'm definitely up for the challenge. Join me.

I suppose this could be thought of as a branch of mindfulness. I have found mindfulness to be very effective and I find myself significantly calmer when I truly take the time to practise. I try to be aware and focussed but at the same time, non-judgemental and accepting of what is happening in the moment; be it my emotions, thoughts or sensations. 

Anyway, moving on. Happiness today was coming across this little guy again on one of my favourite blogs.

Only 18 months later

Since I last wrote a blog entry, only a poxy 18 months have passed. Son of a gun, how time does fly. So, a new blog name, a new design and the blog's new lease of life. 

I realised I shouldn't be tied down to the fact that the blog was formerly focussed on South Africa. I will just change the name! Nor should I worry that blogging is often perceived as being somewhat 'self indulgent' (to quote the kindest term I've heard used). When I read my posts back, it's like leafing through an old diary; nostalgic and comforting. So if that's self-indulgence then so be it.

Quite a bit has happened over the past year and a half and similarly, lots of exciting things are imminent. I'm going to stick to what I love best and write you a little list.

1) I returned from an extraordinary year living in South Africa. Nothing will ever tarnish the memories I made during 2012. 

2) I'm living at home and loving every minute..! You can guarantee I'll be the one out of us four still living here when I'm 30.

3) Rog & I survived (barely) a year of long distance. After a few trips out to Cape Town on my end and one to the UK on his end, we decided enough was enough and he has now settled in the Big Smoke that is London. I am very happy to have him here.

4) I have been working with children with Special Needs since returning, a job that has been fulfilling, demanding and emotional all muddled into one. This September I am starting a masters in Clinical Nutrition which is an exciting new step for me.

5) My big brother Matt and wonderful girlfriend Thitima are engaged and Emma and I will be the proud bridesmaids this May.

6) I took a fantastic trip to San Diego ("drink it in, it always goes down smooth") in February to visit Mum & Dad. It was a very special time of sunshine, cycling and salads. 

7) Emma and I are off to Central America next week for some culture seizing, volcano hiking and rum drinking gaiety/ exuberance/ merrymaking (what brilliant words). 

8) This is the year I get a dog.