Yearly Archives: 2012

Running through my week(s)…

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1. Max is our friend’s labrador and so gorgeous – he just wants to be with everyone. 2. Spinning class. If I don’t get there by 5pm, I don’t get a bike for the 5:30 class! 3. The day it snowed in Jozi we all ran out in to the street to play. #Memories. 4. Melrose Arch where KK works. 5. Saturday lunch at Yamatsuki sushi in Bedfordview. 6. Lunchtime menu in Soweto. 7. Sitting on the M1N in traffic on my way home. 8. A workshop held at The World Of Yamaha. Lots of toys for boys and girls! 9. Surprised with free soup at Pize e Vino. Yummo.

Juggling life without dropping balls

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You need to regularly invest in a relationship if you want to regularly get dividends from it. – @leadingguru

Is it just me or does it feel as if in our everyday lives, it’s sometimes difficult to know and to decide what comes first and  what takes priority when it feels as if everything is important.

I make lists of important things to do at work but the list just gets longer and longer. I skip gym for 2 weeks and when I go back, my fitness levels have dropped. I don’t brush my dogs and the lounge is full of dog hair. I am leaving nail polish on my nails for far too long, hoping to get away with it. I buy hundreds of books but don’t get around to reading them. Magazines are piling up next to my bed and I still have not finished reading the June edition of Shape. I am still trying to get through all the PVR’ed episodes of Gossip Girl which ended weeks ago…

But somewhere in all the middle of this mess, I have lost touch with those I love the most.

As any runner knows, you have to find time to train, to run races and to rest. If you let anyone of these drop, the others will suffer. If you don’t train, you don’t do well in races. It’s only when your body is injured that you are forced to rest. It’s a constant juggling act to ensure that you get it right.

It’s the same with relationships. Unfortunately, it’s only when something goes wrong that you realise you’ve dropped the ball. And it’s only when you realise loved ones are hurting that you realise you have not paid attention. But by then it’s too late.

There’s way too much going on in our lives to put everything first. There’s too much to do, so much to get done and so many people to keep happy. It comes down to making the right decisions, negotiating with yourself and to compromising. If you get it right, let me know…

5 things I’ll remember from London 2012

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It’s all over. As quickly as the Olympic Games arrived, it ended even quicker. But wow, what a great two weeks it was! There were many highs and lows but five key things stood out for me:

1. Pushing yourself to the limit … and then going even further.

It was absolutely incredible to see so many personal bests, new Olympic and World records being set and competitors pushing themselves beyond what they thought possible. What stood out for me? The runners, of course. But watching the weightlifter’s step out on the mat, time and time again, to lift weights that seemed impossible to lift was fascinating to watch. Maybe it’s the smack from the coach across the face that did the trick or the loud shout before the lift? But there’s definitely a look on their faces that you start recognising which tells you ‘they’ve got this in the bag’.

2. Different strokes for different folks.

I really enjoyed most of the swimming, track & field and gymnastic events, but I must be honest when I say that there were some events which I did not watch. In fact I am baffled by the fact that they are even part of the Olympics at all and yet hundreds of spectators filled the grandstands to watch these events. It made me realise that maybe I don’t enjoy watching them but others do. I guess we’re all different and we all enjoy different things.

3. Great legends come with great responsibilities.

I watched in awe and amazement every time two of my favourite stars of this year’s Olympics, Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, came out to compete. However, both ‘legends’ acted very differently in front of the crowds and cameras. Phelps was humble and took time to congratulate other swimmers. Bolt on the other hand revelled in the limelight and became a tad too arrogant for my liking. What disturbs me somewhat is that younger athletes look up to them and I do not know if Bolt realises the power he now holds and the message and image he portrays. Legend, yes. But role model? I’m not so sure.

4. I love you South Africa!

My country is a proud one and one to be proud of! Watching the four gold medallist rowers belt out our national anthem was such an emotional sight! Seeing both Bridgitte Hartley and Caster Semenya’s infectious smiles on the podium was stunning and made me smile too! And who can forget Bert Le Clos – no explanation necessary. I can still hear him saying, “Beautiful!” in his husky voice. I am filled to the brim with pride!

5. Even good athletes give up, but great ones don’t.

I watched the women’s marathon with keen interest because two of my favourite South African runners were participating, but my attention was on the runner who came stone last.  Ireland’s Catriona Jennings in my mind demonstrated true guts and determination. The awesomeness of the crowds as they cheered Jennings home over the final agonising mile of the marathon. Crippled with the pain of a foot injury, Jennings finished last in the women’s race, a full hour after the winners. She was overcome with emotion and I’ll never forget the visible pain on her face as she crossed the finish line and bawled her eyes out.

The lesson: She did not give up, no matter how much it hurt. She showed me that even great athletes also have bad races; even good runners can struggle and come last, but winners never quit.

See you in Rio!

Lunch with Pablo Picasso and the boys

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I have no real interest for most things artsy fartsy. Growing up, I was always more interested in reading the entire Virginia Andrews series or doing research into the Kennedy assassination than getting my fingers full of paint or putty. I was the brains of the family while my sister was the creative one. Even today, I’d prefer to spend three hours running a half marathon than browsing through an antique shop – something my mom and sister love doing.

So you can imagine my surprise when I visited the Standard Bank Gallery to see the latest French Masters of the 20th Century exhibition. The artwork is original works by Degas, Renoir, Manet, Matisse, Picasso and many more and shows how each artist depicted the human body through painting, printmaking, film and photography. I was filled with such awe and admiration!To see artwork that dates back to the early 20th century left me breathless. The detail. The colours. The frames.

Every time someone accidentally stepped too close to the paintings, an alarm would go off and the security would give a disapproving look. I’ll admit that some of the art looked way too weird for my liking. Some of them I did not understand and there were one or two that looked as if my niece had painted it. (mmm, a giveaway of my fine arts knowledge). However, how many chances in life do you get to stand in front of a Picasso or Renoir painting?

Visitors to the gallery get the option of strolling around unguided daily or a tour by the curator on Friday’s between 1pm and 2pm. Some of the facts she highlighted about the artists where really interesting and made me look at the paintings in a whole different way. (before I got bored and giggled every time the alarm buzzed.)

My colleagues and I felt like VIP’s as if we had “back stage passes” to the gallery and the curator allowed us to take a few photos (without a flash, of course). Just a perk of being part of the marketing team at the blue bank. Thank-you Mandy. And to you, Mr Picasso!