Operation Barcelona

There is something so confusing about sitting in an airport, partly because every airport in the world looks and feels the same (which is instantly disorientating) but partly because you have no idea which emotions to feel! 

Chances are that you are relatively excited about your destination and if you are anything like me then you are positively bouncing off the walls in excitement. But you're also dreading the flight. 

Let's be honest, whether you get motion sickness or not, whether you are a nervous flyer or hate tight spaces, or even if you're just the average human, chances are you don't love flying. There is nothing enjoyable about being super uncomfortable while eating crappy food and being bugged by the massively overweight or horribly smelling person sitting next to you. 

In fact the flight itself is usually pretty awful especially if you're from somewhere like South Africa where every destination is far! 12 hours as a sardine is no fun for anyone especially the poor guy who has been seated next to the crying baby! 

And then there is the wait at the airport before the flight. Those three hours of complete boredom where you suddenly become a professional profiler who could work for the FBI. You sit around staring at the ceiling so that you can avoid making eye contact with that guy sitting across from you for the one hundredth time until eventually you're called up for boarding and then the real wait usually starts. 

It is awful and nobody enjoys it. 

But at the end of the day it is worth it, because you know when you get to the other side, a new adventure begins! Whether you are traveling or moving or there for business, there is a purpose for your visit and it is definitely better than sitting in an airplane. 

So here I am, sitting in the airport, en route to Barcelona knowing that what lies before me is 12hours of flying followed by more airport time followed by a second flight and yet I am excited! I am super excited and over the moon. Because what comes after the flight is an incredible adventure. And there is nothing I love more! 

A New Adventure

3... 2... 1... Happy New Years!!! 

And just like that, 2017 was off to a flying start! There was no time to fumble for what year it was, no time to reminisce over 2016 and definitely no time to get a journal out and start to plan for the new year! 

In fact, the only thing there was time for was a scribbled list of resolutions and an empty promise to myself that this was going to be the year I gave up chocolate. 

I have already failed on the chocolate front but for the moment, the rest of the resolutions seem to be holding up and that is actually why I have decided to do some writing on this blog. 

It has been far too long since I last posted anything which is a pity seeing as 2016 was such a full and exciting year, so my resolution for this new adventure is to write about it. To write everything and tell you all about my exciting new stories and (inevitably) my massive disasters! 

A lot has already happened this year and I will get back to all of that at a later stage but for now, let me just say that I am sitting in an airport with my handbag and my teddy bear and an airplane ticket to Barcelona! If that isn't an exciting start then I don't know what is. 

So bring on 2017! And bring on the next adventure, because I am ready! 

Foodie Heaven

My mom and I have a lot in common but one of the things that the two of us bond over most of all is our love of food. The two of us are complete foodies and between the two of us we could start a library of cookbooks. So when I travel to all these new and exciting places the first question my mom always asks me, is what am I having for dinner?

I think she might be the only mom in the world to ever ask this question out of curiosity as opposed to concern!

The problem is that she asks this question knowing that she doesn’t actually want to hear the answer because she inevitably, whatever I am eating is going to make her jealous. And this is a huge problem in a City like Vancouver which I am certain must have the highest concentration of foodies in the world. Every food-truck, every restaurant and every small, backend diner has got some incredible thing that makes it completely unique.

So my mom asks the question, I answer (usually with a picture) and then she proceeds to hate me for the next 24 hours before it is time to ask the question again. So what have I been eating that has sent my mom into random bursts of jealousy?

Well, one of the first things I did was to go and get a Ceaser from Score on Davie. This is quite a big deal in Vancouver and seeing as it is only a block away, I had no excuse. A Ceaser is essentially a Bloody Mary (but don’t tell the Canadians that) and this particular places serves them with a full on meal on top. And no, I do not mean that you get the meal with the drink, I mean that it is literally on top of your drink! It is incredible and a must have for any visitor to Vancouver.

Ain't no Thang Ceaser from Score on Davie

The other thing I did was to go and get Poutine. A normal Poutine is basically French fries topped with squeaky cheese curds and covered in hot gravy that should start to melt the cheese curds. Naturally however, Vancouver has put a huge spin on the good, old-fashioned poutine and now you can get almost anything in your Poutine: from smokey barbeque meat (at La Patate Belle) to jerk chicken (from The Jerk Truck) and any other topping that you heart desires.  It is incredible and is the ultimate comfort food.

Poutine from La Patate Belle

I also had sushi from Tojo’s (the guy who invented the Californian Roll), homestyle chilli from Tim Hortons (Canada’s answer to Starbucks), Treats from Granville public market, a crispy chicken wafflewich from The Capaital and about a hundred different chilli dogs, cheese burgers and smokeys from various food-trucks throughout the city.

But my ultimate favourite, Canada’s crème de la crème, has got to be Japadog!!! Japadog is a hotdog - Japanese fusion restaurant that has hit the nail on the head with their Spicy Cheese Terimayo. This incredible invention consists of a hotdog bun, a sausage that is loaded with cheese and jalapeños topped with fried onions, seaweed, teriyaki sauce and Japanese sushi mayo and is absolutely to die for. And their food is very well priced as well!

I still have two weeks left in Vancouver to try and top the Japadog, however, I fear that if I do my mom may never speak to me again. That said, even though Vancouver has some extra-special, super amazing treats, I don’t think anything will ever top the Japadog. Except maybe the donut-wafflewich which is next on my “to do list”!

What's Next?

So now that I have looked back upon this year, mostly with smiles, it is time to start looking forward and planning what is to come in my future. I have become so addicted to traveling the world and my interactions with people around the globe make me so excited about all of the places I still want to see. And I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.

Yesterday I received my flight tickets back to Europe which sadly means that on the 20^th of August, my time here in Vancouver will be over. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand I am completely and utterly in love with Vancouver, and on the other hand, I am super excited to get back to the beautiful yacht on which I work and see the wonderful faces of the people who work with me.

Sadly though, my time on the yacht is limited, as the end of my contract looms over my head like a dark and stormy thundercloud. This is one job that I am going to be heart-broken to leave. I learnt so much in my short time working on this boat and met such a diverse, crazy and special group of people. I will miss them all dearly.

But with the end of one chapter, comes the beginning of the next chapter and after a short escape to the Caribbean (yes, you are jealous) I will be heading back to Sunny South Africa! Upon my arrival I will stuff my face full of biltong, demand a braai with my family and then watch the sunset with a glass of proper South African wine in my hand. These are things that I sorely miss whilst on all of my adventures.

In between catching up with my friends and family and getting in some good wine tastings I will finally start planning my next course of action, but considering that I moved to Canada with only two weeks’ notice, this is considered a long term plan in my books.

So that is career out of the way and due to the fact that my two-year relationship just came to an end, I think we can skip my love life as well. This leaves me, and my wellness and my exciting new commitment to the BBG Community. Over the next 12 weeks I will be battling myself in an all-out war to complete my first round of the BBG workout plan.

For those of you who do not know what BBG is, it basically comes down to this; a group of ladies who work-out often, eat clean and motivate each other to be fit, strong and healthy. It is a wonderful community and with the help of Kayla Itsines and her workout plan and meal guides I intend to get fitter, healthier and stronger than ever.

After all, if I intend to eat my way around the world (which I fully intend to do) I better have some help along the way.

So that is me in a nutshell for now. There will be more to follow, I am sure!

New Year's Resolutions

At the beginning of this year, Facebook kindly reminded me (a hundred times) that it was time to make New Year’s Resolutions. So I did, but like a lot of you, I did not have very high expectations. I don’t think I have ever achieved my New Year’s resolutions and if I have, it was purely by mistake.

You see, I start every year full of positivity and good energy but before I know it I am trampled on the ground, with even bigger thighs, even more broke and it is Christmas time again. Life has this funny way of knocking you back down to size, very quickly, and usually quite harshly.

But this year, was going to be different. So I decided to minimize my list of resolutions. Instead of writing a whole page of resolutions (in the hopes of getting at least one done by pure coincidence), I decided to stick to just three. Short and simple: I will get fit, get healthy and get a kickass job.

New Year's Resolution

So there it was. I posted it to my timeline for all the world (okay, just my friends) to see and I hoped like hell that I was going to get around to doing at least one of them. Two weeks later and I started working on a wine farm in Stellenbosch called Dornier and as soon as I met my new colleagues I knew I could tick off one of my resolutions! I had found a kickass job.

Dornier Wine Farm

I spent a couple of months working as a Harvest Intern in their wine cellar and I think I learnt more in the first week then I did in my entire University career (the extended version) and I loved every second of it. From exploring the vineyards and tasting the wine to learning how to process grapes and make them into that heavenly nectar, I did it all and throughout this journey I had an incredible mentor and an even more wonderful partner in crime!

Shoveling Wine!

This also gave me the motivation to start being more healthy. Granted I was drinking a lot of wine, but other than that I was trying to stick to the good books and before I knew it the weight was just peeling off. I was doing the Stellenbosch Park Run (a five km run through the vinyards) on the weekends I had free and I was starting to feel good about this year’s resolutions. I was on track, and the fact that I had even started made me proud.

And just as things were starting to look good my internship came to an end and I was en route to Europe to find another yacht job. This meant living in cheap accommodation and eating really cheap (and processed food) and the job hunt was so demeaning. Dockwalking is a bit like sticking a fork in your eye: it hurts like hell and nothing good seems to come of it!

I knew I had reached a new all-time low when I found condensed milk in a tube, and to make matters worse, it was cheaper (per 100g) to buy the “maxi-format”, ultra huge tube, and so I did! I am embarrassed to say that I did it more than once and both times I sat in bed, watching series and didn’t share the tube with anyone! My resolutions were shot to hell and I could just see myself waking up on New Year’s Eve and realising that I had done it again.

Heaven in a Tube

And then, just when things were looking really bleak, I got a call about a job interview but I had to be willing to travel 2 hours each way on the French rail system which was (and always is) on strike. I was so negative that I nearly passed it up but I eventually pulled myself together and confirmed that I would be there.

The day after that interview, I was sitting in St Tropez waiting for the boat to arrive so that I could join it! And boy, oh boy was I excited! It was an exquisite looking vessel and the crew I had met thus far had all been incredible. I was back on track and on my way to completing my resolutions after all.

I am currently sitting on my bed in a five bedroom apartment on the 15^th floor of an incredible building with a magnificent view, in Vancouver, Canada!!! I ran my first 15km run last night and I am healthier than ever! And all of this, because I took that interview in La Ciotat.

The View

The year is not yet over and I have many exciting things planned for the rest of the year, but more on that later. All I want to say for now is that there is still time for you to complete your resolutions, and just remember that the only thing standing between you and your goals is yourself. If you put your mind to it, anything is possible.

So go ahead and scroll down your timeline all the way back to January and check out what your resolutions were. Start right now! And enjoy every second of it! 

Celebration of Light. Celebration of Life!

Something has got to be said about festivals. Everyone at their best. With people in good moods, well dressed, good music and this intangible vibe that makes you feel like you are on top of the world. There are big smiles everywhere you look and food trucks filled with yummy treats.

Yes, festivals in all their "hipster" glory are incredibly fun.

So what makes this one so special? Why am I writing about it? Well this is the Honda Celebration of Light and this is only the first night of three.

The main focus of this event: fireworks!

Three countries competing against one another in an attempt to show of their firework prowess and it all starts with the Netherlands tonight.

So here I am, sitting on a log on the beach surrounded by thousands of people with a bag of mini-donuts and a lemonade and I could not be happier. Soon the sun will set right in front of me and then as night falls the fireworks will begin.

I feel like I am seven years old again! I can just imagine my sister and I running around on the beach on a sugar high that will keep my parents up all night, kicking up sand onto other people's blankets and screaming wildly.

There is a potent stench of weed wafting over me and I think for the first time in my life that it may actually be legal. I am certain that I will be high by the beginning of the fireworks but I am too enthralled by this experience to care.

Yes, this is life. And this is what it feels like to be living. This is the reason why I have left my loved ones, my home and my country. Not because they were not good enough, but because I have this unquenchable thirst to explore.

And this festival, although it promises to be incredible, is only the beginning! 

Bum in the Butter McGinn

Recently my mother has taken to calling me “Bum in the Butter McGinn”. Now I don’t know if this is one of those well-known English sayings or if it is another one of my family’s crazy sayings that has been used so often in my life that I assume it to be normal, but either way it comes down to this; I always seem to land with my bum in the butter.

Apparently this means that I somehow, magically always end up in the best possible situation often by complete mistake. And for once in my life, I couldn’t agree more with my mom. She is one-hundred percent correct this time; I am in the most incredible situation.

It has been a little over a week since I landed in Vancouver and since then I have experienced some of the most incredible things. Some of them were really daunting and scary, whilst others I couldn’t wait for but all of them have reconfirmed my wanderlust!

Vancouver is an incredible city and foodie heaven, which is lucky for me because I have a little fat girl who lives in my head who leads me astray whenever possible. This means everything from poutine (chips with cheese and gravy) and sliders to yummy Asian stir fry’s and Alaskan king crab, not to mention all of the yummy donuts! But even my little fat girl wasn’t ready for what awaited me at Kirin restaurant.

I am staying with a Taiwanese family who have been kind enough to take me with on some of their excursions. This included a tour of Stanley Park and Granville Island, some huge feasts and a night at Tojo’s (the restaurant where Californian rolls were invented). It also included a tasting menu at Kirin’s.

For those that don’t know, Kirin is a Cantonese restaurant frequented by the multitude of Asians who live in Vancouver and when I walked in to find that I was the only white person, I immediately got excited. Only the best Asian restaurants are filled with Asians.

But oh, was I in for a surprise.

There was food everywhere I could look and the Lazy Susan in the centre of our table was buckling under the weight of all the glorious food. My little fat girl was dancing on my brain and I was completely overwhelmed. The first couple of courses were great until suddenly I looked down at my plate and saw what could only be a duck’s foot.

Yes, you read that correctly!

A duck’s foot, complete with webbings, was sitting on my plate staring up at me and I was lost for words. I had tried all of the weird and wonderful things that they had put on my plate up until this point and being a farm girl, I am no stranger to life’s weirder cuts of meat, but this was destined to be a bit much for me.

I stared back at it, daring it to run right off the plate, but it wouldn’t budge and I slowly looked up to find 10 pairs of eyes staring at me expectantly. I am certain that they could see the fear in my eyes, and I gulped hard before I finally prodded it with my chopsticks. I slowly picked it up and put it to my mouth… and that is as much as I can tell you about this story without physically being ill.

All I can say is that gooey, chewy duck foot webbings are not a thing that I will be trying again anytime soon.  In fact if I never have to eat duck feet again, then I will sleep easy for the rest of my life.

The worst part was looking back up after I finally managed to swallow this gross thing and seeing everyone looking at me, waiting to hear what I thought of it. I daren’t tell them that their favourite part of the meal was now doing cartwheels in my belly and that if it wasn’t’ for sheer will power I would be throwing up. So I smiled nervously and was saved by the high-pitched squeal of their three year old daughter who had just gone plunging to the floor in a hysterical fit of laughter… at my expense no doubt.

The meal continued, although I was thoroughly put off and didn’t touch my plate again for the rest of the evening. But as I looked around the table and heard the different languages and snippets of conversation and laughter, I realised just how lucky I was to be experiencing something so authentic and so different to what I know.

After all, this is the reason that I travel. And if living in Vancouver, rent-free, with this family (and being paid for it) allows me to travel and experience these wonderful things then yes, I think I certainly have landed with my bum in the butter.

I can only hope that they will not stir-fry it!