Movie Addict : Mediocre March Movies and some other info

Good morning all you lovely people!

I have a few things to let's get straight into it. 

1. I have been having a problem getting onto my blog - so I can get onto Blogger but not onto my actual blog site which is annoying me to no end ... is anyone else having this issue? Clearly not if you manage to actually read this post.

2. I have joined the A-Z April challenge which means that for the month of April I will be posting everyday except for Sundays and each day will be titled after the letter of the day. If you want to join in, you still can, I'm looking forward to it.

I thought of theming it but I haven't had a chance to plan 26 posts to one theme but who knows, if I get a chance later today I will do a list because I have a vague idea. Either way, whatever the theme is it will still be very much like my normal posts because they are so random - and you know you love it ;)

3. Can you believe that we are one third of 2014 down?! And in South Africa it means we are heading into Autumn which is one of my favourite seasons so I can start wearing boots and scarfs :)

4. March was such a mediocre book month, seriously! So here's a list of movies you can watch but only if you must. You will not gain any great emotion from them more than moment's laughter or tear.

Frozen River - I knew it was dodge because I don't like Nicholas Cage movies but I gave it a try and it was actually the best movie I watched on circuit this month but that's because it's based on a true story. 

Essentially, there's this cop, who is supposed to be leaving Alaska, but before he can his last case is one where a guy kidnaps and kills girls but he appears to be a normal guy and the cops in the town are corrupt so no one believes one of the girls escape, that's until Cage gets the information. 

300 Rise of the Empire - Boring! I had not watched the first one on circuit so I rushed out and bought it so I could watch this one, I did not need to do that and there was very little eye candy in the movie and the acting  (and accent) was B-Grade and I was just not happy.

Tyler Perry's Single Mom's Club - I definitely should have saved this one for watch on TV at home, it's sweet enough but again, not great acting or much of a storyline.

About Last Night - While I had Laugh Out Loud moments, the storyline was so dense and predictable and frankly annoying at times. 

Did you have better luck than me this month with movies?

The Fault in Our Stars (John Green) - Blogger Book Club

"That's the thing about pain," Augustus said, and then glanced back at me. "It demands to be felt."

This book is beautifully written with the obvious tragedy and yet I still could not put it down.

The love is beautiful in this book. It's sad, funny and at times heartbreaking but beautiful all through it. 

With Hazel Grace being a cancer sufferer, I enjoyed the fact that she did not bullshit (sorry for the use of this word) how she loves to live life to the full because of her cancer instead she's honest. There are definitely good days but she also shared the bad days which made me like her so much more. 

I loved the initial connection between Hazel and Gus (because I am a sucker for romance), from the first few lines of her describing being in the room with him, it was just clear how much this could grow. 

The thing I particularly enjoyed about the book was that it illustrated the scary and sad paradox of dying being that dying allows one the opportunity to completely open up and simultaneously close one's self off from others.

Gus' way of speaking to Hazel at times took my breath away. Their love story is beautiful and heartbreaking like just about every Epic Love Story ever told.

"Because you're beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence"

I know the movie is going to be coming out later this year and I can't wait to watch it all I hope is that the actors portraying Hazel, Gus and especially Hazel's dad are all convincing in their love.

Linking up with Kay's Best Intentions for the blogger book club review.

Have you read this book? Will you watch the movie?

While we weren't watching

You know that feeling of missing a couple of episodes of your favouite TV show and when you finally get to watch it so much has changed. Even though you've managed to read the updates online and heard all about it from your friends who are also faithful about watching the show but when you finally switch the TV on.. hear the familiar TV tune you soon realise so much has changed.

That's how I feel about a certain relationship(s) in my life.

I mean, I know the person (we'll work with singular because it's easier) - well and yet their reactions are so different to what I expect or how I have come to know.

I almost feel as if I never knew the person or watched the show and just can't seem to get back into it.

I think it's hard to understand because I don't think I am the one who has changed in the relationship therefore I find myself questioning at what stage did this happen? Did I do something wrong to this person? Was this unavoidable? Was my affinity to protect them - which was necessary - the way I lost them?

Clearly there's a lot going on in my head as always but while I deal with it let me go back to watching something that's constant and predictable like re-runs of One Tree Hill knowing that Lucas will always go back to Peyton or with the Bold and the Beautiful where Brooke and Taylor will always passively hate one another because despite the fact that it's predictable at the very least, I can take comfort in the fact that, that hasn't changed while I turned away for the TV...

Have a terrific Tuesday and thanks for reading my random thoughts.

Days 21 - 45 Happy Days

                            

21- Wimpy Coffee // 22- Smooth Legs // 23- Finished The Book Thief // 24- Bad day and the best part was that the day was over// 25- Uptothemoon ran her race and came second, super proud of her! 

                                      

26- New Recipe Lemon Cream Cake // 27- People with power using their influence for good// 28- Pancakes // 29- Ash Wednesday (faith) // 30- Football jokes 

                                    

31- my Mom and Dad are awesome on this particular day they killed an insect for me! // 32- sushi with my bestie// 33- kids, they see life so differently // 34- reading Blohs and watching Greys! // 35- anticipation

                                    

36- My parents celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary //37- my cousin's baby bump has grown so much// 38- getting to see one of my friends get married // 39- Good fortunae cookie advice// 40- My Blog turned 1!!!

                                     

41- I got to visit Uptothemoon// 42- TDL email, helped me feel sane //43- Dstv Cat Up // 44- My fav take out, Nandos // 45- Naps!!! got to love them

Are you still considering joining the 100 Happy days challenge? Do it, you'd be surprised how quickly it passes! Plus there's something really heartwarming in acknowledging when something made you happy that day. I'm almost half way through and it's awesome :) 

What made you happy today?? 

A Beautiful Wedding for Lerato & Christiaan

The couple saying their I dos

This last Friday I attended a wedding of one of my friends I made at the beginning of my Undergraduate degree. While I could write an entire post on Lerato and my friendship, I don't want to distract you from the reason for my actual post being Lerato got married on Friday to Christiaan.

The Father of Bride and the Bride walking up the aisle. 

Firstly I'll state the obvious, they are clearly from two different cultures. Lerato is from an African background and Christiaan is German. The second most obvious thing is that the cultural differences and challenges are irrelevant in light of how they feel about one another.

The first dance as husband and wife

The top of the wedding cake

Lerato may have been open to love but I'm not entirely sure if she believed in it completely until Christiaan and more so until she felt how much he loved her (warts and all, figuratively speaking)  and how much she was capable of loving him.

Me with the Bride

I've only met Christiaan on a handful of occasions and on each one I've watched how enchanted he is by Lerato. 

One of the Center pieces

Their wedding was incredibly beautiful, despite the overcast Johannesburg weather. It was lovely but the reception was where things were even more sentimental. While the Bride and Groom could barely step away from one another, it was their respective fathers and siblings which gave the wedding an extra special feeling.

A Panoramic view of the reception

The Bride's brother (and MC) said a poem which related back to a younger Lerato and her youthful insistence that she would not marry although he knew she would. The Bride's sister then went on to give a touching and appropriately funny speech about how she always wanted to be like her big sister and that her recent fears of losing her sister have been replaced by comfort in her gaining a brother in Christiaan.

The Groom's siblings did the most adorable and corny (which I LOVED) musical performance of "Ob La Di" but with new lyrics telling the love story of Lerato and Christiaan.

The thing I take away from their wedding is, Love is truly beautiful, you just have to be open to it. I wish Lerato and Christiaan all the happiness in the world in their new life together!!!!

My party people for the evening, Shavon, Kris, myself and Lloyd

I have used a combination of photos which I took as well as one of my friends (Thanks Kris!!!) 

If I knew I wouldn't fail I would...

... Sign up to run a marathon - I have NEVER ran in a competition, why haven't I bothered to try?

...  Start a new career path, perhaps in something more social

...  Open my own NGO, actually make a difference

...  Write a book and self-publish it

...  Move away and teach English to students who want to learn

...  Stay in South Africa and teach

...  Look to cure cancer (I just finished the Fault in our Stars) or HIV

...  Start a TV show, something between Oprah// Ellen// The Talk

... Move to England and stalk Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres periodically (I could live between London and Liverpool)

...  Apply to be Channing Tatum's PA so I can watch him the whole day and Jenna Dewan Tatum won't mind!

Today I'm linking up with Jordan from All The Small Things. If you blog, join in, if not... comment and tell me what you would try!

One Year Later Of Blogging

I realised this morning that today marks the anniversary of my first blog post (which was not on Blogger) but it's sort of weird how one year of blogging catches up with my train of thought today.

You know I wanted to start a blog for a number of years, I had been thinking about it and then last year I decided to just do it.  I was reading about three or four blogs when I started and had no idea what blogging actually entailed.

A year later and I am a little disappointed in myself, because I find that although I have a blog and I love it at times I've felt myself not be me at times.

Now my fellow bloggers are probably  thinking well of course you're not because you have to do what your readers want and blog about what they want to read about and while I love the people who read my ramblings for visiting my little piece of the World Wide Web but I have also recently taken some time to reflect and remember that I still want my blog to be very ME. You see, I didn't start this blog because I wanted readers or stats or prizes I just wanted a space where I could say what was going on with me or what I was doing or what I was thinking and if it resonated with other people then GREAT, if not, I think I'll survive.

Also I've noticed that a lot of bloggers give away things for their Blogiversary but I haven't figured out what that could be so who knows when I'll figure it out.

It's also kind of incredible to realise how much my life has changed in the last 12 months and while I'm trying to figure out what's going to happen in the next 12 months of my life, my blog is going to reflect the changes too.

So I am just going to continue being me in life and my blog because I like my brand of me! I want to continue to be honest and true to myself and you.

What has happened in the last year of your life?

PS: Thank You for reading my little world! Happy Dance!

Champagne and Roses

Marriage is not easy.

It's not all about champagne and roses. It's not what the movies make it to be but it is special - when it's right. 

As many of you may know, I am not married but I have had the pleasure/honour/joy/pride to watch one of the best marriages I know my entire life. Today my parents are celebrating their 31st wedding anniversary (read what I said about their 30th)  and while there are many couples surrounding them who are crumbling they are staying strong. 

I spend a lot of time with my parents, I've always been a homebody but I think it has allowed me the opportunity to see the makings of a marriage. 

My parents were 20 and 21 when they got married and while there were many doubters (as you can imagine) I can proudly say that now most people I know refer to my parents' marriage as the one they want to have. 

It's not because they drink champagne or that my dad sends my mom flowers every now and then but rather it's the fact that my mom can only drink my dad's tea. My dad's favourite meals can all be made by my mom. My mom has the ability to listen to the same stories my dad enjoys retelling without necessarily advising him that she already knows how it ends and my dad who would drive up and down within hours if my mom needed or even wanted something (big or small).

My parents are the High School Sweethearts we all hoped to be (when we're in High School) and the thing about them is they still walk around holding hands not to display PDA but rather to just be near one another. Their's is a marriage I hope for. I don't need the champagne and roses if I one day get what they get. 

Anyway, have an awesome day and I wish my parents the happiest wedding anniversary yet, I look forward to watching the next 31 years!

My Reaction to ATM Fraud

Not sure if you saw my rants on Facebook or Twitter yesterday but I was woken up yesterday morning with the calls and text messages from my bank regarding possible fraudulent use of one my cards (there are two for this particular account) and this is how I fee about it.

Phone rings and continuous text messages wake me up before my alarm

Me reading test messages and listening to voice mails

first reaction:

realization that the call was important

Then on the phone with the Bank's team

Oh wait I have to go to two banks to sort it out

And while I could continue to describe my feelings to the whole situation I am glad the bank contacted me but the entire situation is annoying and well after a week of crappy ways to wake up (or battling to sleep) at least I got a post out of it!

How's your week been and more importantly, what are your weekend plans?