Cape Town Diaries: Sunset Cruise

I thought I would try a new series of posts where I chronicle all my Cape Town adventures - I might even back-date some of these posts and post about last year's adventures.
For now, we will start with this year's chronicle: during O-week (Orientation Week, basically a two-week fun fest before varsity starts) I took one of the Sunset Cruises that depart from the V&A Waterfront. The cost of these yacht cruises is not as expensive as one would think ranging from R250-R350 per person for a 90 minute/2 hour cruise including complimentary bubbly and it takes you just beyond the harbour where you can see all the wonders of the Cape Town skyline (both building and mountain) painted in the pink rays of the setting sun. I highly recommend doing this cruise during summer when the wind is not as violent at night and its still fairly warm by the evening time and you can take in all the beauty without freezing your socks off.

Jewel of the Free State

On my last weekend of holiday at home, we decided to venture out of the province and visited a quaint corner of the country close to Clarens in the Free State. The holiday lodge was surrounded by mountains and tranquility and it was a weekend filled with putt-putt, quad-biking and wonderful little eating places - all the key ingredients to a weekend away in the Drakensberg.

For your reading pleasure

The magic of reading is once you find a really gripping book, hours can pass by without you even realising. I was lucky enough to read three such books this past month - Yes Please!, Catcher in the Rye and Mornings in Jenin. I don't usually read one genre of books (as this short booklist reveals), my main concern is that it's not a slow read. I thought I would provide my short review of these three books that kept me entertained over December (or rather for a few days at a time in short bursts).

Yes Please! by Amy Poehler

I am one of those people who are fascinated by the lives and stories of other people so this kind of book was right up my alley. It's a mixture of Amy's wisdom and life experiences all wrapped up in her humour. It's filled with so many take-home lessons such as the one below. 

And it's only made me regret not starting to watch Parks & Recreation sooner!

The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

This coming-of-age novel doesn't have much of a plot to it but again, the lessons one can learn from the main character, Holden Caulfield are truly valuable - as you can see I'm about both entertainment & learning!

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa 

Never before have I cried buckets of tears after reading a book, I cried for the fictitious family in the novel, I cried for all the different kinds of losses in both this novel and reality, I cried for humanity. The story centres the Palestine-Israel conflict from its beginnings to the current day. It is a well-written book about such a large part of human history about which I had been ashamedly fairly ignorant. This single blog post does not quite do the mastery of this book justice. Below is one review of the book that encapsulates some my feelings towards this book: 

'In a note to readers, Susan Abulhawa writes, “I have always believed in the power of literature to reach the heart, stir the mind, and remind us all of our common humanity.  And I have always admired writers who chose storytelling as a way to tear down the barriers between peoples.  It is for this reason that I chose to write Mornings in Jenin.” Well, she has certainly accomplished the stirring of the heart, reminding us of our common humanity, and tearing down barriers in this novel. This book is a masterpiece.'  

Sunday Songs.

My previous two Sunday Songs posts (here & here) have been about French songs, so I thought I would try and keep up with that and post another French song for your listening pleasure. Quelqu'un m'a dit by Carla Bruni isn't actually a new song, it's been around for quite a while but I am quite obsessed with it's quaint, romantic melody and hum-along-tune.  (excuse the disjointed lyrics)

On me dit que nos vies ne valent pas grand-chose Elles passent en un instant comme fanent les roses On me dit que le temps qui glisse est un salaud Que de nos chagrins il s'en fait des manteaux Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit... (refrain) Que tu m'aimais encore C'est quelqu'un qui m'a dit que tu m'aimais encore Serait-ce possible alors ? On me dit que le destin se moque bien de nous Qu'il ne nous donne rien et qu'il nous promet tout Paraît que le bonheur est à portée de main Alors on tend la main et on se retrouve fou Pourtant quelqu'un m'a dit... (refrain) Mais qui est-ce qui m'a dit que toujours tu m'aimais ? Je ne me souviens plus, c'était tard dans la nuit J'entends encore la voix, mais je ne vois plus les traits "Il vous aime, c'est secret, lui dites pas que je vous l'ai dit" Tu vois, quelqu'un m'a dit... Que tu m'aimais encore, me l'a-t-on vraiment dit... Que tu m'aimais encore, serait-ce possible alors ?

Someone told me that our lives aren't a big thing(*guess it means something important) They pass on the instant as discolour roses Someone told me that the time that pass is a bastard that is making topcoats from our grief However someone said to me... Refrain Who do you still love, This is someone that've told me that you still love me. Is it possible then? Someone told me that the destiny is scoffing at us dont't give us anything and that promise us everything Appear that the happiness is only for the reach hands Then they tighten the hand and find themselves crazy But someone have told me... Refrain But who can tell me that today you are loving me? I don't remember more it was late in the night, I'm still hearing the voice, but I don't see anymore the ?points? "He loves you, it's a secret, don't tell him that I tell you" You see, someone told me... Who do you still love, he really told me... Who do you still love, is it possible then?

Durban Street Food Festival

I did some adventuring today, venturing to the old Rivertown Beerhall to eat some yummy food at the Street Food Festival. Unfortunately, I didn't choose the right time to go as it wasn't as buzzing as it would have been in the evenings and not so cleverly went after lunch so there were plenty of burgers and full meals available to buy which I didn't have the appetite to savour.  Nonetheless, the music was festive and we ate some delicious deep-fried oreos and melt-in-your-mouth macaroons. The last day is tomorrow and it's going on tonight till late, as well.

summer wishlist

Although we are already full swing into the summer heat, it's never be too late to post a few items that I want for my closet this summer.

1. Hooded Poncho
A poncho is great to throw over whatever you're wearing in the evening if it gets slightly chilly, which is generally not the case here in Durban but is definitely a useful item for breezy Cape Town evenings. It's effortlessly chic & minimal which I love.

2. Halterneck Pleat Dress
I love love love this halter neck dress. The pleats make it so pretty and whimsical - perfect for twirling around. Paired with some wedges and statement earrings, it's my favourite kind of summer chic that can be worn either day or night.

3. White fringed dress
This dress is just one of those cute, casual dresses that can be worn on any kind of summer day. I love dresses like this that are not too tight as it's much more comfortable to wear as you're not pulling and tugging at it all day ensuring you're not exposed.

4. Denim dungarees
Whether you call them dungarees or overalls, this is a want that is at the absolute top of my list. Dungarees are the most versatile pieces of clothing that can essentially be worn all year around. For summer, my ideal would either be wearing a crop top or a printed tee underneath it.

5. Striped jumpsuit
Jumpsuits are another piece of summer clothing that are so fun & easy to wear because it can usually be worn by itself but you can always pair this jumpsuit with a statement bangle and some heels for a dressier look.

6. Slim White Jeans
I would normally not touch any pair of jeans in this heat but for some reason white jeans are so summery and appealing in this weather. For me, they're extremely dangerous as I know by the end of the day they will not be clean. Nevertheless, I am willing to risk it paired with a loosely fitted white shirt and a pop of colour in either my make-up or jewellery.

I realised that the colour scheme of my wishlist is very neutral but all these items I would definitely pair with some brighter colours so that it's not all a washout - bright and chic are two adjectives that can be synonymous right? 

Glitterati

I'm a firm believer in all things glittery and sparkly, especially in make-up or on nails. It's the easiest and most effective way to add some fun to your wardrobe. So to add some festive fun this month I went for this gold glitter nail polish which I absolutely love - I'm that person who gets distracted by their painted nails and this is my favourite distraction so far.

There are so many other ways to add glitter or sparkle to your wardrobe, especially in your make-up look. Byrdie posted a wonderful article on how to incorporate glitter into your make-up.  Below are some of my favourite looks from the article & from Pintrest that I'm waiting for an occasion to try out. Most of the glitter is in the eye make-up but sparkle can very easily be included in your wardrobe in the form of sequinned or embellished wonders. Glam never quite goes out of style. 

nails: Morgan Taylor Glitter and Gold
images: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5