imaginary friends

I used to have an imaginary friend. I think that having an imaginary friend is one of the strangest things a person can do, but I the thing is I never chose to have one. She was just there, like a real person. Her name was Katie and she was about my age (which was maybe three or four years old).

I don’t know why I imagined Katie. I did have real friends (really!) and I had more than enough fun playing around with them. Katie was just another one of them… except that no one else could see her.

My gran always tells the story of how Katie told me to hide in her big wooden wardrobe one day. It’s a true story. She was a bit of a trouble-maker, that Katie…  She told me to hide in the wardrobe until someone found me, which seemed to me like the most ingenious idea in the entire world. So the three-or-four-year-old me climbed into the door, sat on some old saris and shoes, and hid with Katie for literally hours. Little did we know (actually, maybe Katie did know, now that I think about it) that downstairs, pandemonium was breaking out as my gran, aunt, cousins, and their neighbours searched the entire house and street, looking for me.  My gran always tells this story, and she always blames me, which I think is a little unfair. After all, Katie was the orchestrator of the shenanigans (I love that word) and even though Katie was a figment of my crazy imagination, I cannot be held responsible for her – she was a loose cannon!

I still think imaginary friends are weird, and I’m kind of embarrassed that I had one. It’s crazy and amazing how the human mind works, even when we’re so young we can hardly form proper sentences.

 I love my imagination. It's one of the reasons I am never bored; it makes the world a much more exciting and beautiful place to live in.

my favourite advert

(posted by Grant)

I love creativity.
I love innovation, and fresh thinking, and new ideas.
I love it when people “DO”.
So, it makes sense that I like this advert:

to fly

one of my favourite dreams to have is the flying dream. in my flying dreams, i sort of float around the earth in a cool way, and it's the most amazing feeling ever. and when i wake up, i'm filled with this deep, empty longing; i feel like something beautiful has been taken away from me and i'll never get it back.


i have a slight obsession with flying. and i don't mean flying in aeroplanes (because that is an uncomfortable experience like no other. plus, the only time you realise you're actually flying is when you take off and land) i'm obsessed with the idea of floating above ground, with no wings, no plane - nothing but yourself. it's one of my biggest wishes and it's something i dream about from time to time. i even wrote a song about it, once. it was a lame song. :) 


when i dream about flying, i am completely happy and at peace. my heart beats loud and fast; it feels like i'll never be happier. i don't really know how to describe it... it's exciting, slightly scary, invigorating, beautiful. 


to fly is my wish. i don't really know what to do about that wish. all i can do is dream. 


"My soul is in the sky."  - William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

image from etsy.com

the beach

the beach is an amazing place. i think it's one of the most beautiful gifts on earth; a crazily extravagant present given to us by God for no good reason. it can be the source of so much joy, so much peace, so much wonder and awe.

one of my favouritefavourite things to do is swim in the sea. often, i'm a little hesitant to jump into that wild, salty water ("Ah, man, that'll mean i have to wash my hair again!"), but i never ever regret it. the sea is a source of endless entertainment. seriously, you can spend hours just jumping up and down as the perpetual stream of waves comes towards you and never get tired or bored. it's better than any movie, any theme park, any shopping spree... it's one of the most fun things a person can do.

it's an invigorating experience: you are sandy, salty, tired, hungry, and so so happy afterwards. and there's nothing quite like a good meal after a day at the beach :)

here are some pictures of beaches around Durban:

letting loose - it's good for you

two nights ago, i went to a crazy concert. it was by a band called Desmond and the Tutus (i love that name), and it made me realise something.

it was a hot, heavy, humid Durban night and the venue was packed, which meant that even just standing still caused sweaty foreheads and upper-lips. for some reason, i love these nights. there's something about that intense heat and those flashing lights that gives the evening a surreal, dream-like quality. when you look back on the evening, you remember it as if it was the perfect night, like a beautiful, fleeting dream.

so the atmosphere was intense and heavy, the room was dark... and then the band started to play. Demond and the Tutus play this crazy dance music, which seems even crazier because of the lead singer's ridiculously cool hairstyle and dance moves, and his speak-singing voice. the crowd went crazy, and i started to dance. it wasn't just normal, nodding-your-head-to-the-beat type of dancing, either. it was unrestrained, flailing-arms-and-feet type of dancing, and it felt amazing. it made me realise that maybe we all need to let loose once in a while. and i don't mean just getting drunk or doing something reckless: for some people, it might just mean a night of crazy dancing. it's the best feeling in the world to let go a little bit, to stop worrying about yourself and your image, and to just enjoy the moment.

dancin' like a fool

i love dancing. which is funny 'cause i can't really dance. i ain't got no "natural rhythm". at all. in fact,  i look like a complete loser when i dance... but it's okay.

the thing is, everyone looks like a dork when they dance (well, except those crazy-cool people on Step Up and suchlike). if you don't believe me, just look at people the next time you're at a party: arms flailing, lips pouting, hips shaking in ways you've never imagined... they look a little lame. but the important thing is that they're enjoying themselves. they may never boogy their way into a 50 Cent music video (i like the word "boogy"), but at least they're allowing themselves to have fun.

i used to be one of those people who just looked on while others tore up the dancefloor, but after a while i realised that i really wasn't having fun. so i tried a little dancing... i nodded my head in time to the music... i allowed my friends to drag me onto the dancefloor... and it was the best feeling ever. a couple of years afterwards, and i'm still making a complete fool of myself with the best of them :)

everyone looks lame when they're dancing. but the one thing that's lamer than that is being too scared to dance at all. because, believe me, there is nothing more fun than moving along - completely out of time and carefree - to the beat of an awesome dance tune.

just look at ol' John Travolta - does he look ridiculous or what??