Week 1: Elimination Diet

On Monday I visited the doctor for a check-up and to my horror I have been put on an elimination diet - it literally means eliminating foods and beverages that could aggravate my digestive problems. So either I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which is aggravated by stress or I have a food intolerance. Now to ensure I do not get an ulcer I have to eat super healthy and make sure I stay away from tomatoes (or anything tomato-based), onions, spicy foods, gas soft drinks, alcohol and coffee. I wanted to cry when I heard that list! I absolutely love spicy foods (especially jalapeno poppers, spicy curries and chillies in olive oil and garlic) and coffee - freshly brewed filter coffees and cappuccinos being my favourite. I thought the first month would be difficult, turns out the first week has been horrid - I have serious withdrawal symptoms and only for coffee!

The only plus from this elimination diet is that I have already lost 1kg in this week. Will update you all as the elimination draws to a close and the weight melts off as I was instructed to start exercising again.

Wish me luck!

6 Years

These 6 years have probably been some of the BEST years of my life because of one special and truly remarkable person, my boyfriend and best friend, Gershwin.

Our Matric ball

He asked me out on 18 April 2006 outside the gates of our high school - at first our relationship was a huge shock to all our friends, class mates and teachers because he was so introverted and quiet while I was extroverted and crazy. But by Matric everyone knew about us and we were affectionately known as "Ouma and Oupa" because we had been dating so long.

21st Preparation

Soon it will be my much-awaited and anticipated 21st. I am anxious yet excited with all the planning and preparations going on around me and sometimes even over my head. I will sometimes come home and my mother and sister will have gone out and bought things for my 21st and come with ideas without asking because they're so excited!

One night I came home to my sister painting my vintage Coke bottles and my mom had a crate on one side filled with glasses, serviettes, doilies and other pretty things.

I cannot wait for my 21st but it is so unfortunate that I have exams in the weeks before my 21st and therefore I have had to tone down my excitement to focus on my studies. Yes, student life sucks but somebody has to pay the bills one day. That is another reason why most things have been left in the hands of my mother - I sincerely love and appreciate her excitement, it's actually quite cute.

However, I would like to share a little bit about my theme - it is Vintage. Most of the items at my party will be second hand or handmade - including my outfit, I hope. Even my cake is going to be specially and uniquely made - it will be based on the cake I found online though.

My invitations were also handmade and my envelopes had a special touch. Most of the invitations have already been delivered but with varsity and all my tests and assignments I forgot that I still have a stack to deliver!

What I sort of have in mind...?

But... I only have one problem - let's call it, the dress dilemma! I want a second-hand or thrift dress but finding one has proved to be quite challenging, the things I have found are either too old (that you'd struggle to make it look good with new items) or just too ugly! I approached a local vintage clothing site today though and am hoping for the best. Choosing an outfit is always the most difficult part, I suppose.

I know it's all going to go well and I can't wait to see my beautiful décor and just watch how everything falls in place. Thanks in advance to my mom, dad, Aunty Vanessa, Aunty Carol, my Pa, Ma and CJ for all their prep work!

Will keep you posted on the dress dilemma...

I am unique...

I believe I am a very unique and different person - I haven't met anyone who is exactly like me (not even my friends - they're all different and that's what I love about them), which is challenging in a society where many times people aspire to be like another person. Don't get me wrong, we are all unique, but I cannot help to notice that so many young people (the Y-Generation, in particular) are all dressing and acting in a similar way. Sometimes people even appear to be carbon copies of one another (and they're not even identical twins!)...

I'd rather walk around wearing my leather sandals and 'strange' dresses, skirts, t-shirts or complete outfits  and look like an individual than conform to the collectivist attitude all around me... I don't need to look like other people to feel good about me.


I thank my parents, boyfriend, sister and friends - Souad and Romana for embracing me for who I am :) - they are all as uniquely them as I am. 

My Commitments this Lent

I am not the most religious person, and for the last 7 months my faith has dwindled, but as of 2012 I have decided to start over and find my faith and spirituality again. 

It is important that in today's society I remain open-minded, particularly with my path of studies, I cannot for one minute allow myself to become ignorant. I have to keep my own faith strong, but still be open to engage with many diverse people of different religions, cultures and belief systems - I have friends and acquaintances who are agnostic, Muslim, Greek, non-denominational, born-again, and even atheist. For me people are people, regardless of their belief systems.  

Lent is the forty days leading up to Good Friday and Easter, when Christians prepare themselves as Jesus did before He was crucified to save humankind from their sins.

As a Catholic, I believe it is of utmost importance for myself to take the same journey my Lord and Saviour had taken before He died for my sins. As of last year I have started sacrificing small things (not to the extent that Jesus did, but I hope that with time I will do the same as He had done - sacrifice all food and lead a simple life for forty days and forty nights), last year I gave up meat and chicken and this year I have decided to give up meat, chicken and decided to strengthen my faith through weekly devotions and putting my name down to possibly be a reader during Sunday mass. 

I write about this not because I am an extremist who wants the world to do what I am attempting to do, but because I want to share my journey of strengthening my faith and spirituality, and hopefully not stray off this path - having to keep my blog updated about my spiritual journey will encourage me to strive on. 

If we live in the Spirit, 

let us also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 NKJV