jule

La Mercy, Durban

2009-04-15T14:02:00.001-07:00

Perfect day for the beach. :-)

Earth Hour 2

2009-03-28T12:48:00.001-07:00

Guess it's not easy to persuade all to participate a good cause.

Earth Hour

2009-03-28T12:44:00.001-07:00

Road trip... Destination 1: North West province

2009-03-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

I'm sure all of us working people would like to go on a road trip, if we can... Well, at least I'd like to. So I have decided to take matters into my own hands. Since, I can't just up and go, the best alternative is to visit these places... by words.

So, today's destination, courtesy of Thisile, will be: North West province (what can I say, the child is weird).

North West is situated in the north of South Africa, sharing its border with Botswana. West of the province is the Kalahari desert, while the economic hub of SA, Gauteng, lies in its east, and the Free State to the south. North West is known for its platinum mines, nicknamed the Platinum Province.

The capital of North West is Mafikeng (I wonder if anyone we know lives there? For the sake of free accommodation, of course), which lies near the Botswana border. Other big cities in the province include Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp; other main towns are Brits and Rustenburg (Thato's home town! Accommodation is sorted!).

So what can one do in North West? It boasts the internationally famous Sun City (no, you will not see Charlize Theron walking around there), the Pilanesberg National Park, the Madikwe Game Reserve and the Rustenburg Nature Reserve. Many would say that Sun City is not to be missed, but seriously, we are not here to see man-made structures. Rather take a game drive that'd be more fun! Oh, also not to be missed are the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Vredefort Dome and the Taung huminid fossil site. The Vredefort Dome is the world's largest visible meteor-impact crater. The Taung fossil site together with Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai form the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site.

Now as oppose to Thisile's believe that there's nothing in North West, quite to the contrary there's a lots! Instead, the place is quite literally sitting on a "gold mine". About 94% of South Africa's platinum is found in the Rustenburg and Brits area. Apart from platinum, North West also produces a quarter of the country's gold, as well as granite, marble, fluorspar and diamonds. Still think there's nothing? Alright, fine! So I can't take any of those, but at least I can dream, can't I!!

Anyways, so what else can one do in North West? Well there are... white water rafting, canoeing, diving, hot air ballooning, hiking, fishing, rock climbing, abseiling, game viewing, hunting, golfing, birding, and much more!

That's all for now, folks. Stay tune for our next destination!

Religious Tolerance? Why not try to understand?

2009-03-23T07:28:00.001-07:00

For the past 2 weeks, instead of enjoying a peaceful Saturday morning. I've been alerted by the shrieking intercom, to jump out of bed or the bathroom... and only to find someone politely "inviting" me to join them in "commemorate the death of..." (at this point I was quite alerted by this statement, thinking who died?!) "... JESUS". At this point my thought was: I jumped out of bed and rushed over to get this??

I must admit, I'm not much of a religious person. In fact, I've never been devoted to any religion at all. My family is Buddhist, I went to a "Christian" school, I have friends who practice Muslim, and friends who are Hindu. I've come to believe that Tolerance is the best religion. Because from my understanding of all the religions I've come across, at the end of the day, all religions promote love and peace. So the events of the past 2 weeks got me thinking: can we really tolerate religious differences or maybe we ought to try to understand religious differences?

Now you may ask what is the difference between Religious tolerance and Religious understanding. By definition "tolerance" meant "a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own" or "the act or capacity of enduring". By this definition, it suggests that when one is Religious tolerance, he/she doesn't necessary share the same ideas, they can "put up" with your practice of religion. It's like me saying, I can't stand my neighbour playing their music so loud at night, but I would "tolerate" them to keep good faith between neighbours. And what's so wrong with that?! After all, it's difficult to ask everyone to have the same ideas, if that is possible we wouldn't have all the religious conflicts in the world. But is tolerance really enough? Yes, I may be able to tolerate the loud music, but I would be thinking the whole time: "These annoying people! Why can't they put the *#@$*(@ music off?!". Same with religion, it's easy to tolerate one another's religion on the surface, but things are never surface deep.

In the small, close-knit global village (yes, we are close-knit and a global village) that we live in today, we need to go one step further to reach Religious understanding. Being able to tolerate differences is only the first step. To resolve conflicts, we need to understand the differences: why do they have certain practices? Why do some people believe in Jesus, while others believe in Allah, Jehovah, Shiva, etc (Note: strictly speaking, Buddhism is not a religion, instead it's a spiritual teaching). Once we understand our differences, then we can start appreciating these differences. Why do we need to appreciate differences and how can we appreciate them, you aks? When we are able and start to appreciate differences, only then we can realise that we are really not that different. Maybe the ways we worship our Gods are different, but the core values of all religion boils down to Peace and Love. Once we can understand that we may not be so against why the neighbour play their music so loud, and perhaps the neighbour would also realise they should turn the volume down.

By this point, you are probably thinking: "yeah! In your dreams". But is it really so difficult? Understanding stems from education. So while schools have "Religious instruction" (I don't know about now, but used to only speak about Christianity in these classes), we should really be having "Religious education", giving pupils the opportunities to learn and understand different religions. More importantly, politicans should stop using religion to inctie hatred between different religious groups. Instead, they should lead by example, by taking every opportunity available to them to educate their voters.

So, yes we may not see the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or Indo-Pakistani conflict, or Islamism vs. Christianity conflict, overnight. But we need to take conscious decisions to stop waging wars or starting conflicts "in the name of God". This all start with small steps, and constant reminder that we should all believe in Peace and Love...

A1 GP in Gauteng!

2009-02-22T00:55:00.000-08:00

The weekend of the 22nd Feburary, 2009. The A1 GP comes to Gauteng. To my surprise, the A1 GP is actually powered by Ferrari... Yes, I didn't know that! To be honest, I've never been much of a fan for A1. For a F1 fanatic like me (although not been following the races for a long while), A1 has always seemed like F1 taken a handful of chill pills... not quite as fast and exciting. But, I was delighted to be proven wrong... or was it perhaps intoxication?!

The day started off with a bit of hype and disappointment. Disappointed because I had to leave my car at the Leeuwkop Prison parking... I prayed very hard that escapees do not find my car fast enough as their escape vehicle! Hype because we got guest passes to the pits and media parking! Hehehe... I know people who know people!

And then we were disappointed further more as to the level of readiness of the track. The race took place in Kyalami (duh! where else can they have it?!), driving up to the track was rather a mission having to pass several checking point by the organising committee, as well as the cops who justed wanted to have a closer look at your nice car... and perhaps a coke?? Once at the track... more confusion followed, parking areas were not clearly maked and signs were confusing... but let's not dwell more on that... SA still has a long way to go if they want F1 to come to Kyalami or Welkom (but then again who in their right mind want to drive to the middle of no-where to watch a race?!)

We got lost going from our parking to the stands. But good thing that came out of it is the B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L Ferraris we saw on display... Oh, how I wish I could be driving in one of those! By the time we finally got to our seats (after a long while, since it was really hard to drag ourselves away from the Ferraris...), we were just in time for the sprint race! Yeah, go!!! go!!! go!!! What? You ask who won the race? Who cares! The point was, the cars sounded amazing, and it's even more amazing to see them in action. Plus we were slightly intoxicated after a few beers while sitting in blazing hot weather (not a good idea!)

After the race we decided to grab some lunch... and then the unexpected happened. The people I know, got a call from the people he knows... long story short we were taking a stroll down the pit lane, hanging out in the SA garage (minus the car?!)... and then the even more unexpected happened: "Do you want to go onto the starting grid?" Hell, YES!!!!!!!! Next thing, we found ourselves taking a walk down the starting line-up as one of the "rich and famous" in all their nice outfits (except dear Ashlin who didn't have proper shoes on!). It is here that the cameras went crazy again. And far more importantly for the guys to take a few photos up close and personal with the parade ladies (well, with legs like those I think it's hard for them to say NO!). But not forgetting to snap a few shots of the cars and the drivers.

It was ear-drums blowing to be standing right next to the starting line (behind the fence of course), watching all 23 cars blazing pass by you kind of gives you an unexplained adrenaline and euphoria. Next stop Formula 1!!!

P.S. Thanks guys for a great Sunday... Ashlin, Ruben and Darrin.

Jule

Medinat Habu

2008-11-15T02:21:00.000-08:00

2008-11-15T02:17:00.000-08:00

2008-11-15T02:15:00.000-08:00

The Great Pyramid, Giza

2008-11-15T02:08:00.000-08:00

From Comfort; To Discomfort

2008-08-29T01:05:00.000-07:00

People always say Joburgers like to complain, about traffic, about work, about almost anything and everything. But, if you live in Johannesburg, you’d probably notice changes taking place around you. Changes… not always for the better. These days, it’s hard to tell when is peak/off-peak traffic, because whenever you’re on the road the traffic just seems endless; then there’re the numerous pot-holes, which are badly “patched” up; or the digging of “trenches” on random streets. That’s just on the roads, not to mention, there are still the endless day-to-day things to worry about: high fuel price, high interest rates, and high inflation rates, also not to forget higher electricity cost. All of these means a trip to the grocery store could give you a heart attack.

This got me thinking about Comfort and Discomfort. Up until now, we (middle- to upper-class population) have been in pretty comfortable position. We could afford the big houses, nice/fast cars, reasonable standard of living. In fact, for the majority of Africa, South Africa can be considered as the Europe of Africa. Although we may not have it all (compared to the developed countries in the world), but we pretty much have everything the rest of Africa didn’t have. People tend to be happy with what he/she already have, and then aspire to have more. But the moment you take away what they have accustomed to, it’s all hell break loose… this is not how it used to be… I want what I used to have…life was so much better in the old days… remember when you can get a lollipop with 50_C… Hence in Service Marketing theory: it’s easy to meet/expectation customers’ expectations by giving them value-add (free magazines, peanuts, etc.), but once you take that away customers become unhappy, because it has become the standard, and you’re falling behind expectations.

Falling short of the standard doesn’t happen overnight. It starts with something small, accumulates over time, and one day, bursts out like a broken pipe. For years, Government has fall short of service delivery, it busies itself with plans for “transformation”. But in actual fact, it got rid off the people with the knowledge, and replaced them with unqualified people, all in the name of transformation. I do not object to the idea of transformation, but one cannot sacrifice quality for the sake of transformation. Now, we not only have unqualified public servants, they are also illiterate! Majority of our public servants, people whose purpose is to run the systems of the country only have Primary or Secondary education. It seems as if though, you do badly in school, don’t worry, you’ll get a job in Government, and you can make lots of money – corruption. So we are faced with small cracks that have formed over the years, and it has now caused part of the wall to collapse. Yet, we are still busy arguing that it is the people that built the wall who did a poor job; we should get the cousin of the cousin to try and paint the wall; we are not doing so bad the wall is still standing and it is still better than the other people’s walls. What we fail to realise is that although other people’s walls are not as good as ours, they are busy building it, piece by piece.

When will we wake up from the dream that South Africa is still the best in Africa, and realise that Africa is slowly going to leave us behind?

From comfort; to discomfort – maybe it is exactly what we need to make us see the reality. Will the discomfort poke us in the ribs so much that we will stand up and act? Or will we keep on sitting under the Baobab tree and complain about the unfairness in the world?

Colonialism: good or bad?

2008-08-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I got to think about the effects of colonialism. Is it good or bad? I suppose in essence, for the people being colonised, it cannot be a good thing. The idea of colonialism is to take resources from one country to use for the benefit of the colonising country. Some may argue they did it out of religion: to spread the gospel. But in reality, it comes from the power struggle within Europe. It is a competition in resources, military muscles, political agendas, at a time when Europe began its booming age.

But, that's not what got me thinking. What daunt on me the one day is the different impact that colonialism has on its colonised territories. I may not be correct in saying the following, after all it is only my personal observation...

One thing for sure, all colonised countries go through a period of downward spiral after liberation. But if we look at the world today, some interesting scenarios emerged. While some countries took what they learnt from their coloniser, i.e. technological advancement, and used it to its own advantage, some even manage to surpass its past oppressor. On the other hand, there are countries which struggled or is still struggling, in civil wars, in economic upheavals, and various other problems. What is often used as scape goat for these countries' current reality is... Colonialism. If the white men did not come to our country and ruin everything... If the white men did not take away our natural resources... If the white men...

Surely, we've all heard of such hypotheses. But my question is: What sets the successful previous colonies apart from the rest? Why are they not complaining about the white men? And what was done differently that make them successful today? Some examples: India, colonised by the British, was ruled by a "young" country compared to its rich & long history. But according to one Indian historian (his view may not be true for all, but), who said it was because of the British, we now have a united India. And today, India has one of the world's fastest growing economy, the IT hub of the world, and one of the BRICs countries which is on its way to become one of the future superpowers.

Another example, Taiwan, used to be one of the Four Tigers of Asia. It was colonised by Japan in the 19th Century. Taiwan was rich in natural resources, such as coal, timbre and fishery. It also provided staple food supply, i.e. rice, sugar, during the Second World War. In fact, Japan would have exited the War much sooner, if it did not have food and other much needed supply to fuel its war in Asia. But Taiwan's later success was based on the foundation of what the Japanese left behind. Basic education meaning high literacy rate, with a strong elite - doctors, lawyers, bankers, economists, artists, etc. Japan also established telephone lines and road systems; upgraded railroad systems. Although Japan invested in all these infrastructural developments for its own strategic presence on the island. The people of Taiwan was able to use these to its own advantage.

I think perhaps before blaming our misfortunes on past events that we cannot change, we should ask ourselves what can we do to change our situations TODAY. Every person/country in this world has its own unique background. Some are luckier than others over the years/centuries, but it is our current actions that set us apart.

Colonialism: good or bad? It all depends on what you do with it.

One Cosmo, please!

2008-05-27T23:46:00.001-07:00

Who's Your Sex and the City Match?

My Result: Carrie

Smart, driven, and the kind of girl that could be the star of any show, it's no surprise you lead the pack. Whether trying out a new hairstyle or mixing and matching your wardrobe, with a look and a lifestyle all your own, you're sure to inspire those around you. You're honest about what you want out of life — even when all you really want is the latest Balenciaga bag or a corner table in a hot new restaurant.

But your playful exterior doesn't fool everyone — deep inside you've got a lot on your mind and it shows. Standing by your friends, working hard, and always staying a step ahead (while, of course, doing it in Manolo Blahniks), isn't exactly easy. So now that everything else is in place, we couldn't help but wonder — is your next great romance right around the corner?

What are you?
http://web.tickle.com/jumpto?test=sexandthecityogt&c=50652

Streets of Joburg

2008-02-29T04:53:00.000-08:00

People say many things about the streets of Joburg... the crime, the traffic... After almost one year living in Joburg, I must admit, it's still as entertaining if not frustrating as Day 1.

I mean there are the forever frustrating & annoying traffic jams. What does it matter whether it's peak or off-peak traffic?! Then you get the frequent "load-shedding", which means Joburgers lose all ability to obey simple traffic rules, because there are no robots. Thanks to the Outsurance point-men, at least there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

The new addition to the streets of Joburg would be none but the unavoidable pot holes. One would mistakenly think that they are in the roughest roller coaster ride in an amusement park, unfortunately there's nothing amusing about it. There was a report of some 1,000 pot holes in Joburg, after months of non-stop rain.

If you think that's bad enough, let's not forget the hard working, law enforcing JMPD. Lucky for you if you run into them, because you can either spend a lovely weekend behind bars or get a hefty fine. But there are always rooms for negotiation, Christmas gifts during December, coke/ice cream during summer, there are various things the officers need and the public is there to provide. Just remember to be discreet about it... though one can never tell whether you or the cop should be the discreet one.

Then again you can always count on the guys who are convinced that they are Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder or Vin Diesel in the Fast & the Furious, who would pull some crazy maneuver on you. Zig zagging through traffic is just the norm, the goal is to get ahead! You snooze, you loose. And the most ardent believers of this game are no doubt the taxi drivers. But don't blame them, because they are just trying to get you to your destination on time... never mind if you don't reach there in one piece.

All is good on the streets of Joburg. If the above "disadvantages" puts more pressure on our already strenuous lives... no worries! Because there are the forever entertaining street acts! You'll find them on almost every major intersections: the leading the blind-man act, the fake-a-limp act, the safe the environment-I'll bag whatever I can act, the silent comedian act a.k.a. give me money & I'll make you laugh act, and there is the age old classic - "My donkey was arrested... 3 wives & 10 children to feed" - sign board act!

Recently I saw, by far, the best street act so far. Trust me, if there was an academy award for street acts, this guy would win it! It was a normal working day, I was taking my 10 deep calming breaths before hitting the major traffic, when I saw... A man dressed in a red flowery DRESS! Yes, the same one that Eddie Murphy wore in the Big Mamma's House. To top it off, he had his hair straightened (he could be wearing a wig). This "lady" casually strolled up and down the road with her fashionable "black plastic" chatting to eligible bachelors for a few rands. And to make it more convincing, he twirled his hair like a girl. Now, doesn't that deserve an award?!

So, for whatever people say about the streets of Joburg, you can't deny that it maybe the little entertainment that Joburgers get to have in their crazy schedules.

Long time...

2007-07-03T02:31:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been awhile...

I guess not writing for such a long time has somewhat impaired my ability to think of what to write. Hahaha! To be honest, life has somewhat settled into a routine that has no value to extra-mentioning of it.

Well... actually that's not entirely true. Over the past one & half month, my folks have come and gone. I've finally got a car! :-) Mental note: Need to post some photos of the new ride. Yes, I know, I should sound more... EXCITED!?

Though I must say, life is such a rat race lately. It's just been a huge blur.

Besides all the non-excitement & complaints (well... if one can call that complaints), there's really not much to mention. Except... agh never mind, I suppose most people know already.

Peeps, I must apologise for the not-up-to-standard post... guess my creative brain cells have been suffocated by this cold winter and unbearable city.

jule

Here are 50 questions for the people who are a little more "mature"...

2007-05-24T02:23:00.000-07:00

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
Rent... because it's expensive!

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
Supposedly, Pomodoro Ristorante...

3. Last time you puked from drinking?
December 2005, after the National Conference. 'twas an unpleasant meeting with Jack Daniels.

4. When is the last time you got drunk and danced on a bar?
30th June~1st July 2005 - Celebrating on officially taking over as MC of AIESEC South Africa. Although, we weren't really drunk... but we did dance on the bar!

5. Name of your first grade teacher?
... I don't remember, 'twas a long time ago!

6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
Snuggled up in bed, with a nice large cup of coffee, and watch a good movie... Alternatively, just anywhere that is sunny & warm!

7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
An archaeologist

8. How many colleges did you attend?
The one and only - University of Pretoria

9. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
Because it's warm!

10. Gas Price?
Don't know... don't have a car at the moment.

11. If you could move anywhere?
Any city that is warm all year round, and has a nice beach.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
It can't be 6:10...

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
I hope I don't have to wake up in the morning!

14. Favorite style of underwear
Anything comfy... as long as it's not the granny pant!

15. Favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex?
I'm no expert on Men's underwear.

16. What errand/chore do you despise?
Dishes, dishes, dishes!!!

17. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer?
Maybe

18. Get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in... it's too cold to be anywhere but my own bed.

19. What is your favorite cartoon character?
Bugs Bunny!

20. Favorite NON sexual thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
Having a drink at the bar and talking up a storm on how we can safe the world.

21. When did you first start feeling old?
What do you mean feeling old?! I'm young at heart!

23. Favorite 80's movie?
I was born in the 80's... What do I know about 80's movies?!

24. Your favorite lunch meat?
Tuna or chicken...

25. What do you get every time you go into Sam's Club? Or Walmart?
Never been there before!

26. Beach or lake?
B-E-A-C-H!

28. How many people do you stalk on Facebook?
I don't stalk, I just POKE!

29. Favorite guilty pleasure?
Taking long lunch breaks.

30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about?
... if I wouldn't want people to find out... WHY on earth would I divulge such information on my own blog??!!

31. What's your drink?
COFFEE!!!

33. Cops or Robbers?
Cops?

34. Who from high school would you like to run into?
uh... virtually no one.

35. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
Don't have a car right now! Used to be 5FM, but it has lost the ROCK!

36. Norm or Cliff?
Cliff...

37. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons?
The Cosby Show

40. If you could get away with it, who would you kill?
Hmmm~~ I can really get away with it?! Can someone send me more information regarding this??

41. What famous person(s) would you like to have dinner with?
Dalai Lama

42. What famous person(s) would you like to sleep with?
Hey~~~ I would be so intimidated by them, let alone sleep with them. But if I must choose...

43. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Luckily, NO!

44. Last book you read for real?
I've been reading a number of books... but haven't so far been able to finish them.

45. Do you have a teddy bear?
Yes, but don't tell anyone!

46. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
On Punjabmail between Mumbai to Agra, India.

47. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
Never been to California.

48. Do you go to church?
No

49. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
New career... already have a new relationship :-)

50. Just how OLD are you?
23

Yes! Guilty as charged!

2007-05-22T01:14:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know I haven't been a good blogger lately. In fact, if there is a policy governing blogging ethically, I'm definitely in serious violation of the Code of Conduct.

So, here I pledge not to post so many online tests, so to fill the blank void on my blog. Please understand, it's a serious addiction... I need all the support & positive energy in getting through this.

jule

Crazy weather & crazy traffic

2007-05-22T00:55:00.000-07:00

I'm sure by saying this, I'll probably be attacked on the street faster than I can say "Eina". Anyways, this is just my simple observation about drivers in South Africa.

On a perfectly fine, sunny day in South Africa, people can drive relatively fine (although we still manage to knock down pedestrian(s), crash into poles or robots, have a few bumper bash incidents).

However, under extreme weather conditions, i.e. rainy, windy or extreme cold temperature. Drivers in South Africa seem to loose their basic ability to drive decently. Not only the rates of the above mentioned "accidents" tend to increase, the traffic condition also tends to deteriorate. Strange enough, if people drive slower in bad weather. How is it that it's still morely likely for them to be in an accident?

What's Your Vibe?

2007-05-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

Your vibe is Tickled Pink

What's Your Vibe?

You've got a sweet side that likes nothing better than to be tickled pink. That's why your charming vibe always rubs people just the right way. An affectionate soul like you is always thinking of others, and you find joy in being a generous and engaging part of your community. After all, you know it's much more rewarding to give than receive.

This doesn't mean that you won't stand up for yourself when necessary. But you think things through before acting, and you tread lightly when you can. And there's no better way to make a bigger or more lasting impression on people than by leaving them tickled pink too.

Brought to you by Tickle

2007-05-09T05:59:00.000-07:00

You could have been a famous Artist

Oil painting, sculpture, photography. No matter the medium, it's clear that an imaginative soul like yours must have been an artist in a former life. With your creativity and originality, you've got a unique approach to the world that just begs to be shared with everyone.

Like the great masters who came before you, you march to the beat of your own drummer and don't follow the herd. You live life by your own rules and aren't afraid to express your ideas. Lucky for all of us, they're great ones. So, keep expressing yourself. You're sure to be legendary!

Who Were You in a Past Life?

Brought to you by Tickle

2007-05-09T05:46:00.000-07:00

You're a Snugglebunny!

The Passion Predictor

When you're in love, the whole world knows it. The excitement of romance shines from your eyes. After all, love is grand. And so is intimacy, whispering sweet nothings, the occasional PDA, and the joy of being cuddled up and cozy with your partner...Yikes. Is that a sugar headache coming on?

Nah — we're just jealous. Fact is, you've got a leg up on most folks when it comes to welcoming romance and nurturing its growth. Recognizing your gift for knowing what you need to stay happy in love will guide you through uncertain times. What more could anyone ask for?

Here's the catch: You might want to check in with yourself from time to time to make sure you're not avoiding real intimacy or hiding behind romantic games. We know, we know. It's more fun to just play. But keep in mind that true love is worth the work!

Brought to you by Tickle

I just don't understand...

2007-04-26T02:30:00.000-07:00

Consider some of the things that have happened lately.

I just don't understand...

I don't understand how can people blame their own mistakes on other people...

I don't understand why people cannot be more pro-active...

I don't understand why people feel the need to lie & cheat...

I don't understand how some people always try to take advantage of others...

I don't understand why some people won't stand up for what they believe in...

I don't understand how people can stand by watching disaster taking place, yet did nothing...

I don't understand why is it so difficult to help other people...

If anyone can answer any of the above question, please get in contact with me.

Are You High Maintenance?

2007-04-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

Apparently I'm not so high in maintenance...

Material Upkeep
Although you definitely appreciate a first-class lifestyle, you don't feel a constant need to indulge yourself. Sure, it's fun to spoil yourself with fancy dinners or designer clothes every once in a while, but you probably don't need everything in your life to be top of the line all the time. Congratulations! You know how to indulge yourself the right way — in moderation.

Emotional Upkeep
Okay, you're either awfully secure in your relationships, or you have very low standards. Sure, it's admirable that you don't need your significant other to give you constant reassurance of his/her feelings, verbally or with actions. But you should be sure that you're keeping quiet for the right reasons. Do you think you don't deserve respect and attention? If not, you probably don't think highly enough of yourself. On the other hand, if you are truly satisfied with your relationship and don't have any unfulfilled expectations, then congratulations — your low-maintenance attitude probably makes both you and your partner very happy!

Personal Upkeep
You definitely care about how you present yourself, but probably not enough to let your appearance dictate what you do, where you go, and who you spend time with. Sure, you take pride in your appearance, but you know that some things are more important than looks. That's a great attitude — looks like you've achieved a very healthy balance between narcissism and neglect.

Winter is on its way...

2007-04-18T01:45:00.000-07:00

It has been rather refreshing so far, coming from the cold Northern Hemisphere just a little over a month ago. But it seems slowly & unknowingly, winter is approaching the South.

For people who has never been to Africa/South Africa. One may think that SA only has summer all-year-round. BUZZZZZ! Wrong answer! South Africa is nowhere close to the Equator, therefore cannot have summer all-year-round. Since, it's seasons are opposite to that of the North, i.e Summer in the North = Winter in the South. I'm feeling the cold!

I've just came from a 3 months freezing period in Taiwan, and now it will be winter in South Africa. Ok, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself... after all, it's only May. Winter don't start until June. Point is, I just came from cold climate, but I'm pretty adjusted to the warm weather, and now more cold weather... not cool (no pun intended!). Things certainly don't help when the change-of-the-season rain has seem to start. Another issue is that due to the limitation of luggage weight, I had to abandon 90% of all my winter clothes... So until my folks make their way down South, I shall be in semi-summer, autumn outfits for the time being. I just hope that it won't be an early winter, and they can arrive before the winter...

A slightly cold jule

One month anniversary

2007-04-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

Today, 12th April 2007...

It's been one month since I arrived back in South Africa. It's unbelievable to think how quickly time has gone by.

It certainly had been an interestingly exciting month. Coming back to South Africa again... Meeting old friends again, making new friends... Starting a new job, working on new projects... Moving into my first flat... Hew~~~ that has been quite an eventful month I'd say. :-D

jule