Concerning French Fruit

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This morning Tash and I decided to explore our neighbourhood a bit. We discovered that, in addition to the two grocery stores right below our apartment, there is also a sizeable fresh fruit, veggie, meat, seafood and cheese market (the Marché St Martin) just around the corner. We spent half and hour and €20 chatting to Eric, the fresh fruit guy. He knows that we are South African students because that's all we can say in French. He gave us a quick lesson on the French names for fruit, laughed when we finally explains we wanted an eggplant (AUBERGINE! Ohhhhhh!) and even gave us a free pineapple (ananas). I also taught him to say "naartjie" instead of clementine :)

What a great guy. What a great place! He made us promise we'd go back tomorrow. Maybe there'll be more free stuff!!

Much love to everyone. Life is beautiful! There are some more photos of us around Paris.

Concerning Wolves

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Wolves Cafe (just past the Wanderer's) is the cutest little coffee, cake, & croissants place around. Although it's further from the quaint Post in Braam and the trendy Vovo Telo at 44 Stanley (at least for us South kids), Wolves has a chilled vibe of its own.

Warren, Adam and I spent 3 hours here today, playing very loud games of UNO and 30 Seconds. The wait staff are friendly (as well as easy on the eyes), the place is cool and cramped in a comfortable way, and everything on the small menu is delicious and totally open to your personal re-arrangement (I'm pretty sure they'd put anything on a croissant if you asked nicely). They're really chilled about catering or parties or lunches, too.

I give ample credit to Josh for bringing me here last year - it's on my faves list for sure. Give Wolves a go! Just don't leave without a red velvet cupcake - you'll sorely regret it.

Wolves Cafe
4 Corlett Drive
(011) 4472360

Concerning The Sea

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2012 and I met on the coast. It was really special! I nearly stayed behind (seriously), but I'm so glad I didn't. I met such beautiful people, and met such beautiful parts of people that I already knew. How wonderful! What a way to ring in the New Year. Yay!

Concerning One October Night

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You only live once.

Coldplay are a phenomenal band. Their music tends towards the epic in a way that can only be fully appreciated once listened to live in concert with 100,000 others. It's funny how I listen to music alone, wishing I was enjoying it in a crowd, but only feel truly satisfied by live music when it makes me feel - among throngs of people - that I am completely alone.

As lines of the new album hit me, I remember the optimistic swells of that October night. I want to thrive. I want to jump. I want to fall. I want to be a comma, living without wanting, without waiting. Not stuck or unsure or ambiguous, but leaping.

Life's already here, man!

Concerning Something I Ordered

I ordered a book off the internet yesterday (from netbooks.co.za - a website designed to burn the eyes of anyone who's ever designed a website) and just received the cutest confirmation e-mail. It reads as follows:

"Thank you for ordering from Netbooks!
Your goods have been carefully removed from the shelf with white gloves and slowly unwrapped from their silk cover so that the shock of bright light does not stun them. Thereafter they have been gently wrapped in plastic and lightly heated, before being blessed on their journey by our resident Swami. Thereafter they were securely wrapped in the finest recycled cardboard to prevent any damage, and decorated with your Name. A specially padded truck has taken your parcel to the local Post Office, where the staff will stomp on it and play soccer with it. However, since it is so well packed, this will not matter."

I'll probably post about the book when it arrives. I love mail!

Concerning Post

POST is an amazing little coffee shop that falls under the creative jurisdiction that is 70Juta. Cnr Juta & De Beer in Braamfontein, this quaint, light bistro offers not only amazing delicasies, but is only a 5 minute walk from Wits (score!). If only they delivered! (sad).

Here's me and Jase enjoying our homemade lemonade and latte. Go to post! And ask Alan for his wi-fi password (he's kinda awesome like that - this post is brought to you by POST_Alan (password currently unknown - investigation pending)).

We love POST!

Concerning Bathi

I just got back from my Human Rights Community Workshop - we travelled to the NW Province and, as part of our assignment, visited a group of underprivileged kids in a disadvantaged community near Rustenburg.

This is Bathi, and she is 6 years old. Other than those two facts, I know only that she enjoys writing on people's faces with facepaint pens, and gives great hugs.

It's a beautiful thing, the love of a child. It's a beautiful thing to be unashamedly hugged by a kid who knows nothing about you - not even your name. So beautiful!