Foodie or Faddy? Taste Testing Online Food Markets

                                                                                                                                       29 May 2015

We have entered an era of conscious food consumption where those who can afford to be picky are steering away from food that’s pumped up on hormones, battery bred and preserved for months. The people (read upper middle class and hipsters) spoke and they wanted REAL FOOD. One or two little food markets emerged in amongst the trees where the truly health conscious walked amongst the fairies and got seasonal fruit and vegetables on Sundays.  Hipsters got wind of it and suddenly these markets were springing up on rooftops, in nurseries and in commune backyards, selling an array of homemade products. Then the upper middle class and Noaks-followers heard about it from their hipster friends, pulled in with their SUVs and brought the dogs and kids along for the ride.

Naturally, it was time to evolve again. This time it went online and conscious of doing what I can to preserve my family’s good health, but not keen to confuse foodie with faddy, I tried it out.

The Home of Paddington Brown

6 March 2015

Not many people over the age of 8 share my enthusiasm over Paddington, the movie. I was filled with childlike excitement to see it from when the billboard made its appearance outside of my local shopping centre and even got a little cousin the book for Christmas.

Finally I got my way and dragged my mom and husband, first to Spur for Buffalo wings and then to the cinema for Paddington.  

Twelve Plus One Tiger Christmas Tales: Part 3

The First Day of Christmas

Date: 25 December 2014

Original Gift: A Partridge in a Pear Tree.

South African Gift: My true love and I both really like Pride of India, so that’s what I got

Price: R40. Pride of India happened to be on special, but an actual young pear tree: R300

Food: Snappy Pear Salad

Saint: Jesus Christ

Scripture: Matthew 1 (you can get a free copy of the English Standard Version Bible on Kindle)

Activity: Church Service

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

Festivities everywhere, time with family, specially selected gifts and delicious food. Unfortunately the excitement leading up to Christmas, mostly created by the retail industry, is often met by disappointed when it abruptly ends on empty pockets and overfull stomachs. For those who feel that something is amiss, it’s good to remember that this holiday which does not discriminate between sex, race, age, status, or even religion, has a little more to it, and lasts a little longer. 

Twelve Plus One Tiger Christmas Tales: Part 2

Advent

Date: 31 November 2014 – 24 December 2014

Gift: Advent Calendar

Price: R70 – R170, depending on whether or not Lindt made the chocolate in your advent calendar

Food: HotButtered Rum and the chocolate from your advent calendar

Saint: Andrew the Apostle

Scripture: John 1 (you can get a free copy of the English Standard Version Bible on Kindle)

Activity: Preparation

A large part of the excitement of Christmas is the preparation time leading up to it.  Putting up and decorating of the tree, baking cookies and fruit cakes, singing carols and shopping for gifts in the festively decorated stores.  Retailers are particularly fond of promoting certain gifts as appropriate for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  All of this leads up to the wonderful day filled with strewn wrapping paper and stuffed stomachs… and then it’s all over.

“I’ve started a book club”

Say that at any worthy social gathering and you’re sure to get at least one envious response, “Oh, I’ve always wanted to be part of a book club.”

The trouble usually is there aren’t enough interesting people who are interested.

The Thieving Crows

Cold bodies inside

Looking back, a few things should have alerted me to the fact that a single and frightening story was hatching in two different worlds simultaneously. Linked by a dweller in both. 

The very end of the month petrol stop

I zeroed the odometer. Apparently any good car has 40 k’s left in the reserve when the light goes on…. A proudly South African story of how Ubuntu beat payday to it.

Why was everyone complaining about the price of petrol?

Cloistered Reality

“Pliz press the bell inside de gate opposite 2 de shop,” Sister Winnie SMSs me.