Weekly Tips To Challenge Ordinary

I’m sure most of you have been to a wedding or function where the DJ was just not bringing the vibe. I recently attended a wedding where the DJ seemed to be playing what he wanted to hear. He would play a great song, and everyone would flock to the dance floor – then he’d play the next one, and everyone would evaporate back to their seats.

I have never come across a more tenacious and protective little bird than a kiewiet. I often go for runs where these birds nest. If you have not encountered a kiewiet before, know this: step within a certain radius of their nest and they will dive-bomb you while making the most piercing, relentless noise. It is most comical watching my kids walk the dogs and see them duck and weave as these determined birds defend their ground.

Each August I join a group of guys on a two-day kayaking trip down the Berg River. You pack everything you need into and onto your boat before setting off to complete the 110 kilometres to Velddrif. Some of the guys spend a lot of time on rowboats so they know what they are doing, but the rest of us are novices at best (including me). This was the third time I joined the trip, so I thought I had a good idea of what to expect.

I was mostly wrong.

Making green and black memories Making green and black memories he first time I watched the...

What brand of tomato sauce do you prefer?

I would guess that most people would pick All Gold. It is a classic, after all. I like Wimpy; it tastes like going on holiday. We all have brands that we love and are loyal to. Some people put Apple stickers on their cars, but I can’t recall ever seeing a Samsung sticker on a BMW.

This is seriously getting out of hand. We write these pieces every week, about something that happened recently. The last couple of months, it has felt like I’ve had to write one every second day. That is how quickly time seems to pass. Okay, enough of me sounding like an old man.

neighbour of mine who lives up the road has a beautiful vegetable garden on her sidewalk. The other day, as I was walking by, she was busy with her daily harvest, picking kale among other things. I’ve tried kale before and did not like it, so I asked how she prepares it to make it safe for human consumption. So she told me she bakes them in the oven to make crispy kale chips, and that they are really good. Being someone who cooks a lot, I asked whether it would work in the air fryer as well, to which she shockingly replied: “I don’t know, I don’t have an air fryer”.

This past week I had an experience that made me seriously question humanity.

Quick context: I had paid someone a pretty penny to assist me with a task and then asked for feedback. The individual responded in such a vulgar, aggressive, and insulting manner that I felt a horrible surge up my neck – the kind I’ve come to associate with a deep clash of values. (I’ve written before about an encounter with someone who was parking illegally in a disabled spot.)

As a student in the early 2000’s I remember attending an improv-comedy event one night. The actors were performing sketches similar to those on Whose Line Is It Anyway? (Remember that show?). Given that this took place more than 20 years ago, I don’t remember anything apart from the one actor coming up with the line:

“Fast is for losers! I go slow.”

As a young kid, I spent significant parts of each afternoon, weekends and school holidays on the tennis court. I started playing after finding an old racket at my grandparents’ house and going outside to hit balls against the wall. As far as I can recall, I loved it immediately. One side effect was that I started watching a lot of tennis on television, too. Growing up in a household that loved sport, this was no problem at all. As long as my mom got to watch Egoli at 18:00 and 7de Laan at 18:30, everything was fine. During the winter months, we would watch as much of the French Open and Wimbledon as possible. That tradition continues to this day.

I had the amazing privilege of going to see Disney on Ice with my girls last weekend. I love musicals and Disney, so I was so excited that I woke up very early on a Saturday. It was magical seeing all the little kids dressed up as their favourite Disney characters – picture princesses everywhere!

By default, I am not a very good listener. It takes deliberate effort during conversation to create the space to listen. Personally, the experience of having a conversation with someone who is a poor listener isn’t particularly noteworthy. It usually leaves me feeling unheard, unimportant and meh!

If there is one thing I know about myself, it is that my laugh is way too loud. Some have called it unnecessarily loud. The thing is: I can’t help it! It just comes out that way – especially when something really funny catches me off guard, without warning.

What will you do with this one chance?What will you do with this one chance? I watched the movie...

June is my birthday month. You know it’s getting close when the aloes start to bloom. The rest of the year, they are invisible, but as soon as the middle of May rolls in, they start showing off.

Some of my closest people have already started asking what I want for my birthday. Apparently, I am difficult to buy for. Probably because I don’t really think about stuff all that much. When it comes to things, there are two I know I want: A charcoal G-Wagon (preferably a G63) and a gravel bike (any colour should be fine). So if anyone wants to get me one of those, reply to this mail, and we’ll sort out the details…