One Moment in time

Dear Reader,

I have always loved the performing arts (thanks Mammie!). As a teenager, I went to see shows on my own – very comfortably in the safety of light, music, entertainment, action! There is a certain magic that comes with the heavy curtain lifting, the first musical note…It brings chills of excitement and expectation.

…. and Wow! Currently on stage at The Mandela at Jo’burg Theatre is a show you do not want to miss. Trending on Twitter in Jo’burg on opening night, #greatestloveofall is the ultimate Whitney Houston tribute. Showtime Australia in association with Mzansi Magic presents us with a performance of note! Heading up the team is Showtime CEO and director John Van Grinsven Snr, Kenny Wizz as Artistic Director and Dale Scheepers as Music Director.

Hopeful artists from 12 countries, 15 000+ auditions and the leads role was awarded to one of our own, Belinda Davids from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Fiercely proudly South African, this alone stood out for me.

Belinda has been performing professionally from the age of 14, has never had vocal training and she blows you away with a 4 octave vocal range. Her fascination with Whitney started as a teenager and she sang her favourite stars songs whenever she could, from local talent shows to overseas performances.

This talented performer takes the audience on a wave of dancing, tears and singing along to well-known hits resulting in spontaneous standing ovations and dancing in the aisles. The clarity in her voice is unbelievable and the opening note to “I will always love you” honestly has you in the palm of her hand. “Run to me” is my personal favourite Whitney Houston song. I have seen #greatestloveofall twice now, and each time I was moved to tears (which we all know I don’t do very silently!)

Ticket prices range from R100 to R250 and the show will be running until 2 June 2013. Direct ticket line is 0861 670 670 or visit the theatre online.

Thank you to everyone who made opening night such fun in the #tweetseats! History in the making. @SirNoid and I had a great time and it was wonderful to be invited to share in such a special occasion!

@joburgtheatre – Opening Night – 9 May
#tweetseats Team @Gnat_J @DonoWhite @tamwhite @NocturnalWenchy @jasonradon @Liesldb @‏@Jodenecoza

HUGE THANK YOU to @SirNoid for taking his Mom Mary, my daughter, Victoria and I to the performance for Mother’s Day.

For every girl who ever wanted to dance with somebody who loves her, to every boy who ever wanted his baby for the night.

What is your favourite Whitney Houston song?

Saving all my love for you,

Wenchy
PS. You can “like” Jo’burg Theatre’s page on Face Book to stay up to date with what is happening ……. #StarlightExpressSA is gonna rock this city!

Today

Hello dear readers:

I borrowed this today from Urban Buddha who is taking part in The Simple Woman’s Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window… is huge trees.

I am thinking… about what to wear to the awards dinner tonight.

I am thankful… that @SirNoid and his team did so well this month. Will help with those targets at year end!

In the kitchen… I smelled toast being made earlier. Not mine however.

I am wearing… PJ’s…. I am bathing in an hour to get ready for tonight.

I am creating… a Face Book album for @laurakim123 and @flavid ‘s wedding.

I am going…to have all these stupid boxes unpacked by the weekend.

I am wondering…how my sister, Rentia is doing. She is fainting again.

I am reading… The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

I am hoping…all my clients have paid.

I am looking forward to…being part of the new media team Joburg Theatre and seeing every detail of #starlightexpressSA come to life! Blog to follow.

I am learning …to be the change.

Around the house…is silence.

I am pondering…why?

 A favorite quote for today… If life is a stage, I want better lighting.

One of my favorite things… affection.

 A few plans for the rest of the week: Awards dinner tonight and seeing #greatestloveofall at Joburg Theatre on Thursday…. gym at some point.

A peek into my day… I worked on a rhino poaching project today.

I wish you enough,

Wenchy

 

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When your sister has Lupus #epicfail

My sussie, Rentia

It is kinda like when your ice cream cone falls on the floor, or your balloon pops on grass.

You imagine the little child looking up, and seeing you can’t fix it, they do that cry. The one where you wanna buy them all the soft serve in the world, all the loons you can blow up.

…..but you can’t.

My sister has not had great luck with health. Okay, some ailments were self inflicted, but she started off on a bit of a negative when she was born with defective heart valves.

She had open heart surgery at 18 months, 16 years and again last year at 36 years. Besides this, she (and I…) are quite mental. Like for real, not like a boss. Schedule 5 kinda lunacy.

Our family is one that suffers with bone inflictions. You know, the odd creek when you go up and down the stairs. Ankylosing spondylitis. Nothing too hectic. My Mammie has enjoyed being ill so much her liver has stopped functioning. True story. Side effect when you in pain and you don’t know what’s wrong with you and all those with the degrees don’t seem to know either. Until one day they do. A bit late if you ask me.

In the end, I am not sure which illness I have going when, if I judge by my research and where and how I feel pain. Fibromyalgia seems the most accurate, but my scans shows signs of the bone giving it a spondylitis too. Who cares? I do feel pain. 100% better than a year ago.

Then here comes my sister from the left field. Lupus. This girl is on fire!

Almost a year to the date of her last open heart surgery, Rentia was back in hospital. Heart failure. Only they examine her and finds that she has sores all over her body. Her heart responds very well but she is in tremendous pain. Let’s order some scans, blood tests etc. See us in a month, heart is cool, go home. Sorry about the pain. Kinda like thanks for the fish.

Only the check up a month later turned into us all going “Lupus”? What the hell is that. They give meds, she goes home – I give it a google. I have too many questions, too few answers – none matter.

Two weeks later my sister is admitted to hospital. She says she feels like she is burning, her hair is on fire. I noticed a couple days before that her bbm’s are illegible. Usually her spelling sucks, but this was different – I could not understand what she was telling me. Episode of “Touch” for us!

Her memory and thought process is cloudy, she is in pain. She slurs when she speaks. She can’t remember. We are scared. She remains calm, fierce and fearless. Braveheart.

Eventually small counties in Africa had to go without food as the amount of tests, scans etc is very expensive. The medical aid gave her three days of testing. Doctors conclude all symptoms are Lupus related. Too little fluid on her brain. Cholesterol and sugar double digits. Extreme pain. Sores all over her body that itches. She is still on fire. She speaks funny. Not in a comedy kinda way. More Stephen King.

“IT”. Lupus attacks skin and seeing as your body is made of the cells that form skin it pretty much eats away at everything. There is no nice way to approach it and candy coat it at all. – @Jinx_dj

Sometimes ice cream falls in the sand, balloons pop and your baby sister gets Lupus.

This is life.

I wish you enough,
Weทchƴ¸.¸.☆¨

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Shattered Lives

Shattered Lives : The story of Advocate Barbie by Laurie Pieters, Liezl Thom

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book captures the saga surrounding the relationship between Cezanne Visser and Dirk Prinsloo. A sordid tale of a mousey girl with a brilliant mind but low self-esteem. Cezanne comes across as naïve and dazzled by the very successful and charismatic sexual predator we find in Dirk Prinsloo. Both Advocates, one could be forgiven to think that they would be esteemed, moral and fulfilling the laws of the land. Church goers even.

As other people in the book said, what consenting adults do in the privacy of their bedroom (bathroom, kitchen or any other space really) have my blessing, but exploiting young children, desperate woman and prowling for prostitutes just doesn’t fall into my scope of approval.

The book covers the story of the different people whom they interacted with in terms of staff, young girls and woman they either molested or paid for sex. It describes their home and the amount of publications of porn displayed all over the house, digital porn as well as pornographic images of children as a place that would have Lolly Jackson look like a Pope. Celibate. Never touched a nipple. Descriptions are quite vivid in places.

The pictures in the book are quite explicit in terms of nudity of Cezanne who does not appear to be a battered woman to me. Perhaps a woman who got fell in love and lust… and when it got harder to keep to the straight and narrow, and in order to hang onto her perverse lover, threw caution to the wind and indulged in all things possible to cling to her man. I do think she must have enjoyed the attention of men everywhere, the media “personality” her dear man was trying to create and going from church mouse to blonde bombshell. Who wouldn’t? I felt just a pinch of pity for her once or twice.

The sexual deeds and misconduct described in newspapers and in the book, I am not sure if a seven year jail sentence is adequate. Cezanne does not appear to feel or show great remorse in her part of sexually abusing young girls, and the trauma caused to the characters is so deep seated and painful. I felt pity to their domestic worker who I am sure did not sign up to be washing sexual toys as part of her day. Prinsloo flee to Russia as is currently in jail for robbing a bank. By the time he gets back to South Africa to face these charges, Cezanne should be out of jail.

Overall, I would give the book a 3 star rating because it gave insight into the people wronged, their lives, how they got involved, got out… or sadly died. The book has a spelling error in the first couple of pages. No real chapters, but paragraphs just randomly starting on a new page. The book could have done with more proof reading! The reason this really annoyed me, was that I had paid R200 for my copy from PNA and I expect at least a spell check and proper layout for that price! I do like that the various behavioural and mental issues are explained at the end of the book as well as contact details should you feel after reading this book that you may be in an abuse situation.

View all my reviews

…pix mix sweets

Hey,

My life is very “Lion King” singing a loud rendition of “The circle of life” acapella – a haunting echo through empty spaces and minds.

Everything happened to fast. Steady boyfriend, marriage, budgets, home loans, babies, divorces. Repeat and rinse. Repear and rinse… Need I continue? Liam James started running at 9 months. Why walk if you can run right?

Here I am. Almost 40 and the empty nest season settled with a big gush. No kids living with Noid and I full time. Weekend visits that passes too soon.

I am learning to cook for two. I could have left out the “for two” bit. LOL

We are busy relocating to a smaller place as two people are lost in a four bed roomed house. Neither of us want a pool nor a garden. Noid wants DSTV. I want books and rooibos tea. Settled.

We have outgrown family garments that no longer fit and have embraced a new design which, not being familiar, does not fit all that well as yet, giving way to the silent world of tears.

Thankfully smiles too.

I wish you enough time,
Weทchƴ¸.¸.☆¨

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The Semicolon Project

Dear reader,

My daughter, Victoria (13) is an avid activist even if she is not aware of it as yet. I have watched her take on issues and raise awareness on the platforms available to her – somehow reminding me of Eva Peron as I always tease Victoria about her the way she wears her hair. :) She speaks out over many issues that touches her with confidence and conviction. Be it in a school environment (where she has only just started High School), in a social media setting and in personal interaction.

Over the weekend she spoke to me about the semicolon project. I could certainly identify with her words and once I googled it, I wish today I had the means to go and ink a semicolon on my wrist because it indeed sums up so many days and experience in my life… and in hers.

So today, please be aware and encourage one another. You may not know the road the person next to you  is travelling.

On April 16th anyone who struggles with self harm, is suicidal, is depressed, has anxiety, is unhappy, going through a broken heart, lost a loved one, etc. draw a semicolon on your wrist (;)

A semicolon represents a sentence the author could have ended, but chose not to…The author is you and the sentence is your life.

Thank you Chicken. Mom loves you so very much.

I wish you enough,

Wenchy

Train insane or stay the same

“Never discourage anyone…..who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.” – Plato

Hello my friends,

You know in a horror movie when the girl is in the shower and the killer is walking up the stairs? We scream “Look behind you!” as we can see the neon sign with flashing lights above the bathroom door screaming “VICTIM HERE!”?

That is very similar to the fat girl joining the gym.

Wenchy

We signed up at @virginactiveSA gяєєиѕтσиє when Liberty Life launched their “Own Your Life” product end November 2012.

As I am by no means a small or average size girl, I expected to feel rather out of place and self concious. I felt very aware of my body and its limitations. The truth is very different.

So what did I find it is like as the fat girl in a busy, mainstream gym?

* If you are not the cute girl with the tight pant with the ponytail (some even sport make-up!), don’t worry. Nobody else does. Honestly.

* Put your ear phones on and just do your thing. No slow dancing with the moon music! You need up tempo angry chick kinda music. LOL Pink works well for me.

* Bring a bottle of water. I have a 750 ml bottle and it is finished in an hour. I wouldn’t mind a bigger bottle.

* There are trained staff to help you. Ask! Pace yourself. I started off doing 20 minutes of cardio (bike/treadmill etc). Start slow and build. I now do 60 – 80 minutes of cardio and sweat till my clothes are wet. THAT makes me feel kinda bad ass. LOL

* You must bring a sweat towel, it is the right thing to do. I sweat like a pig, although I have personally never seen a pig sweat! You need that sweat towel to wipe your brow, but also to leave equipment hygienic for the next user. There are however many cleaning staff that spray (no spit) and polish each machine after each user. It is very proper.

* I have found a packed gym to be less social than a deserted grave yard. The only time people truly interacted with me, is when the staff at the front desk swipe my membership card.

* The one exception to the above is when I wore a shirt that revealed more ink. Always the same question: Did it hurt?

** Answer: Off course it hurt! You are paying someone (in my case, Brent 076 914 7030) to use their creative skill to cause socially acceptable mutilation in a pretty pattern and/or colour. So YES, taking an sharp object, cutting your skin and injecting ink – hurts! (Why *I* personally ink, is another blog post on its own.)

* Men remain friendlier to me and may *smile* kinda in recognition that you see each other often at the same time. Woman, not so much.

* On the weights floor, big boys dominate. I find the showing off big boys annoying. They are like little kids who keep wanting you to say how fabulous they are each time they do an action. Ugh! I prefer the section with no light action telling you to move to the next machine. You find more humane people (mostly male) there who is also just doing the best they can.

* I have not ventured into any class situation. Don’t have the confidence for that… So I have not done water aerobics, yoga etc. Hopefully one day!

* The ladies change room is a funny place! Black ladies are far more confident than any other race and in my opinion much prettier. Everyone else tries to kinda hide unless they FHM material. I can with confidence tell you that FHM material are few and far between when nakkid with no make-up. Most woman are flawed. Hallelujah! Okay everyone didn’t go to town with the concept like me, but real, naked woman look nothing like the movies!

* I am not a sauna fan, but I l♡ve the steam room. My skin looks better and my sinus feels better. I always seem to have some or other sinus issue!

* I pack hotel size shampoo, conditioner, face wash, body wash and a great big towel. I often forget my hairbrush so I look kinda windswept when I leave.

* I find tracking my visits and what I did on that particular day helpful. There are facilities to track via PC, so at the end of my visit, that is the last thing I do.

* There is a creche for small kids but I can give no feedback on that as my kids are now big.

* ….oh and a small organic type outlet for smoothies and such. Just a tad expensive.

There you have it.

I wish you enough,
Weทchƴ¸.¸.☆¨

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