stornoway, take me with you.

My goodness.  I’m not going to even comment on my flimsy attempt at being a daily blogger as the lack of bloggitude speaks for itself.

I just felt it was time clear the dust from my dashboard, plonk away at my black and white keys and hope that the Library of Democritus spews out a little bloggy universe that makes some sense.  Thank you Daniel Dennett.

I like Stornaway.  I like Stornaway a lot.  They are just so wonderfully British and folky that it almost hurts.  Almost.

I love that they have a double bass and a banjo.
I love the narrative nature of their songs (Listen to Fuel Up).
I love how low-budget their music videos are (Watch Zorbing).
I love their idealistic lyrics (Listen to We are the Battery Human).
I love how British they are.
I love how said Britishiness makes me giggle when they try to scream (Listen to Watching Birds).
I love their beautiful harmonies.
I love how the lead singer (Brian Briggs) studied Zoology at Oxford.
I love how he doesn’t disguise his glorious tenor voice (Listen to Zorbing).
And most of all, I love how god damned British they are (I might have mentioned that already).

It is very rare that I enjoy an entire album all the way through.  In fact, not one comes to mind.  Stornoway nearly take first prize as apart from one track, I adore them all.

Here is my favourite.  It makes me feel so gleeful and hoppy and skippy and summery.  Alas, it is a mere two minutes long.

Loving love,

Sophia

(and I would love it if my little blog was discovered by Stornoway and made them smile a bit too.)

33° 55′ 0″ South, 18° 25′ 0″ East

A vintage globe found at "A Clockwork Orange" at the Biscuit Mill Market, Woodstock

Salutations abound from a tired but satisfied traveler.  I have spent the last week in the Mother City and have a blush inducing confession to make.  After only seven days, I have been converted into an evangelical happy-clappy Cape Town devotee.  Really.  It’s the place to be.

Expect a show and tell installment soon!

S.

greetings from the very small screen.

I have been a very very bad blogger.  Yes – I know and yes, you may slap me on the wrist.  Not only have a failed to write, but to do all the other things I had planned for this holiday!  I didn’t read lots and lots, I didn’t get Micaela and my business on the road and I didn’t go to Joberg.  I did however, have the most glorious, deliciously busy holiday and thinking back on it, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.

Three days into the new semester and I am already pulling out the cover up to hide the circles under my  eyes.  Although I would love to say it’s because I have been storming ahead with the ever growing mountain of philosophy, politics and linguistic readings I have been assigned, I feel transparency is necessary.  I, dear reader, have become a lady of the night … but instead of walking the streets, I walk the isles. Instead of slinking off into dark corners, I sink into dark seats and instead of getting paid to *cough* entertain, I pay to be entertained.  You guessed it – I have become a vampy-film-festival-goer.

With 11 venues showing about 28 different movies a day, how can one be anything but distracted by the Durban International Film Festival?  So far I have already seen three films and plan on seeing another 9 – gasp!  Their identities will be revealed in the not too distant future.

In the next episode, some vital questions will be answered:

What will Sophia watch next?
Will we see a re-appearance of her long lost love, Sleep?
Will she begin to understand Being and Knowing?
And in the season finale, will Sophia survive to the end of Second Year?

To be continued…

S.

holidays are happy time.

So, it has been a good week.  My “Oh! Woe is me!” mood has passed and since then, everything has been wonderful and glorious and other such adjectives that fit under the broad umbrella of Awesome.

Yesterday was the I Heart Market and Micaela and I were a little nervous.  Thanks to the ever giving FIFA, we had to move from our usual spot to a new destination … across the river.

It turned out to be a huge success and the new venue (The Hellenic Centre) brought along a whole new group of people who really liked both of our stuff!  It seems that people from the other side of the Umgeni get very excited about over-sized rings.  I sold lots and lots and now am a very wealthy young lady.  That trip to Joberg doesn’t seem too far away!

So many of my lovely friends came to visit, including Xavier, Rachel, Seham and Clarissa.  Yay!  If you didn’t get a chance to pop round, here is what my stuff looks like.

In other news, I am about half way through the mammoth task of cleaning the homage to my youth that is my bedroom.  I don’t know why I even call it a bedroom.  The bed bit is pretty much obscured by the amount of rubbish that lurks in there.  But seriously.  The things I have found are priceless and thus require a post of their own.

Tomorrow?  Maybe.

S.

today – the first day of the next two months.

Aaah.  So this is what it feels like to have nothing that needs to be done?

I must admit, it’s a little less thrilling than I thought it would be.

For example:  You know that list of stuff I said I couldn’t wait to do this holiday?  Well, it seems I can wait.  Now that I have over 60 free days to do it in, the desire has gone.  Suddenly, the prospect of cleaning my room does not fill me with excitement, but could rather be described with a simple “mneh…”

Or maybe the fact that I got excited about turning into a 1950′s housewife is the crazy part after all.

Oh well.

Maybe I will feel more inspired tomorrow.

S.

freedom is coming tomorrow (quite literally).

My room has been taken over by a swarm of bloodsucking mosquitoes.  Sitting and studying in here it proving to be more fruitful for them than it is for me.

So far I have managed to kill three.  I am sure I clapped down hard on at least four others, but they just sat back up, dusted themselves down and flew off with a decidedly minxy “zzzz”.

Lack of concentration may also be due to that fact that as I have one more exam to write, all I can think about is the long long vakansie ahead of me and all the wonderful things I am going to do.

These are the places I go to in my mind when I should be studying for Italiano:

Isn't it pretty?

A lake. Some trees. Two Canoes. Two happy people.

Thanks Cup of Jo for showing them to me.  I don’t know where these places are in the world – all I know is that they are where I want to be.

What are your plans for the holidays?

S.

twattery, in all its twatty forms.

Twattish is the word word I would use to describe myself not only today, but for the last week. I can think of a number of more fitting Afrikaans words, but for the sake of the sensibilities my imaginary readership, I will refrain from using them.

Reason for Twattishity/Twattishness:

1. I wrote a political philosophy exam today. Response: Machiavelli, you evil evil, little Italian man.
2. Exam time is a time of procrastination. Thus, I thought I would write a number of eloquent, thought-provoking and damn right smashable posts.
   Number of eloquent, thought-provoking and damn right smashable posts written: 0
   Number of hours spent looking up random people on Facebook: 769.5
3. Also, I have made no jewelery since the last I <3 Market and feel like a useless fish.
4. I have however, eaten almost continuously. Although I get points for consistency, I somehow don’t think this qualifies me for any brownie points. (Oooh! Brownie!)
5. I own far too much stuff and have far too little space.

Therefore, this blog post is a promise to myself. Every exam time I write a list of things I am going to accomplish in the holiday proceeding. Since this holiday lasts a whopping two months, I literally have no excuse but to stick with it.

This holiday I am going to:

1. FINALLY sort out my room and with a ruthless flair, throw out a mass of things that I do not use, like, wear, look at, read anymore.
2. Get my jewelery into at least two stores!
3. Get Micaela and my new business venture on the road.
4. Read lots and lots, learn lots and lots and therefore be able to talk to fancy lecturers, tutors and bearded gentlemen about lots and lots.
5. Visit Johannesburg.
6. Contemplate my life as a whole and try and figure out exactly what is it that I want it to become.

Enough now.

S.

look! how exciting!

Salutations!

Look!  I was featured in a blog!

Totally made my day.  Like, totally.

I heart market, I heart you.

S.

Oh!  In other news:

I now officially have an “older posts” icon at the bottom of my page.

This makes me feel like I have accomplished something.

Even if it isn’t my mounting philosophy exam prep.

when i join the french navy.

This is what a shall wear.

Monday.

Tuesday.

Wednesday.

Thursday.

Friday.

And for other occasions:

Summer Jaunts.

Hopping ashore.

Day tripping.

The Annual Sailor Dance.

Where I shall wear my medal:

Médaille de la Fidélité de la baleine de la Française.

In these outfits, with telescope in hand, I shall single-handedly catch Somalian pirates and bring justice to these here waters.

Ahoy.

S.

(ModCloth, you make my heart sing … sailor songs, of course!)

oui oui!

The French navy.
A French navy ship.
French champagne.
French 80′s music.
Mini french food.
Two French officers.
French Navy afterparties.
French Dancing.
And Springboks.

Basically. An amazing night.

Prepare for a longer and more detailed blog. Once I have regained the ability to spell words correctly the first time round.

S.