On Tuesday, Dean and I ventured into Long Street in Cape Town to dedicate our night to a single purpose and a great love: jalapeño poppers. For the poor souls who haven't tried these before (don't come to me with your dislike for spicy food or deep-fried stuff - geeet owwt), jalapeño poppers are pretty much chillis (or jalapeño peppers to get technical - the preference is to use them when they are dark green which is before they first go through a goth stage and then turn red)(the green colouring somehow gives more spice so I guess that's the reason for the preferene) filled with goats cheese or cream cheese usually (sometimes chefs use bacon, as the legend goes) and then deep-fried/flash-fried in a bready batter. Ie a heart attack ie a culinary wonder and delight.
So we went along Long Street to the restaurants that serve poppers, as well as Rafikis up in Kloof Street to try them out. We also made our own categories to be really professional. Sauce was determined by how well it complimented the actual popper. Batter was the thickness and quality. Spice is self-explanatory (actually not really - our favourite level of spice is the level just below where you want to rip your tongue out - assertive yet doesn't mask the taste of the whole thing). Freshness is determined by how crunchy the actual pepper is - this is sientifically factual. And filling is similar to the sauce, but I guess also the thickness and quality of the batter, and how greasy it is. Here are the scores:
1. Mexican on Long
Sauce: 4/10
Batter: 6/10
Spice: 7/10
Freshness: 9/10
Filling: 7/10
Grand Total: 33/50
Comments: These ones were healthier tasting than our cornerstone poppers at Cubana as they weren't greasy at all. Original serving is three, but you can add how ever many more for R15 multiplied by x.
2. Sgt. Pepper
Sauce: 8/10
Batter: 8/10
Spice: 6 /10
Freshness: 6/10
Filling: 7/10
Grand Total: 35/50
Comments: These were small and solidly filled. It's probably quite important to acknowledge that the serving was two chilli poppers and then four peppadew poppers - these are less spicy and more sweet so this affected the spice rating. Also important to acknowledge - I regret not getting a pizza there. Not only did they smell good, they also had a cool way of displaying the different options and also had a two for one deal. Poo.
3. Sticky Fingers
(This was just off Long Street to be exact - one of the side roads)
Sauce: 9/10
Batter: 9/10
Spice: 9/10
Freshness: 8/10
Filling: 8/10
Grand Total: 43/50
Comments: They were perfectly greasy and the batter was optimum thickness (a teenage dream for me). Serving is one per person, obviously with relevant pricing.
4. Rafiki's
Sauce: 6/10
Batter: 7/10
Spice: 8/10
Freshness: 7/10
Filling: 8/10
Grand Total: 36/50
Comments: None. Besides for this annoying guy collecting change for charity who was so demeaning of my R4.
So as it is obviously stated, Sticky Fingers was the champion of the evening*. Yet I enjoyed all of the restaurants we visited - each had it's own unique atmosphere and menu - and I encourage myself and others to eat out at the mentioned places (and also to try out others in the city. Go on an adventure young Bilbos). Pricing for each popper was very cheap (on average R12 per popper) so reliving our evening is a nifty way to predrink before more drinking. Also, we drank beer at each place. Black Label beats any beer, I don't care what you say.
*As mentioned in the second last sentence, the results of the scoring may or may not be tainted with the alcohol consumed that evening - we may or may not hage arrived at the right place at the right time in our intoxication. But I can't be sure. Try it out for yourself.
Thursday, 22 January 2015
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
"The Land of the Real Stinky Cheese" or "The Place that has my Heart" or "Switzerland"
Living the luxurious life, I recently arrived home from a tour de Switzerland and Paris (I am extremely gracious towards my parents who both work super hard so that we have the means to live a comfy lifestyle AND see and experience and understand the rest of the world and their people and cultures). This is the trip post PART A. Do not get confused - Europe is a variation of systems.
1. Travel
Here is some financial advice: Switzerland is freaky pricey. If you still wish to go there, which I direly encourage, pick your airlines wisely or inquire for deals. Do not over spend on the most hellish 15 hour part of your trip with gross creatures/people giving you cholera via shared air. (To be fair, I flew Emirates and I found the flight(s) as comfy as a flight in economy class can be - the service is brilliant, the food was not bad at all and the entertainment service was a life saver)(Also, we flew on New Years Eve - nothing exciting happened except for the pilot announcing the dawn of the new year to a mostly unconscious plane and my friend Nicole and I taking a shot of gin which I discourage strongly; and also we flew via Dubai - both of these factors made the flight significantly cheaper so here is a good example on how to fly low) .
Once we landed in Switzerland, public transport runs like clockwork. It is mesmerizing (especially compared to the standard set by South African transport). One would not need their own car in Zurich. Firstly, the trains take you to all essential places in the city and then there are tram lines connecting all parts of the smaller parts of the city. Secondly, everything runs on time and is very efficient. Thirdly, when buying tickets and asking for help on which vessel to take, the Swiss are very friendly and helpful and most speak very good English. Here is a tip: don't ever bother with first class unless you are really bourgeois - second class to me was what we consider platinum class here in Africa - also the Swiss are good and honest people and there are no security threats to riding second class (also it's cheaper). Another tip: to fit in, do not be yourself. The Swiss people are normal and quiet people, unlike the quite embarrassingly obnoxious and loud South African tourists we could so easily spot (just a disclaimer: I adore South Africa and South Africans - this trip just opened my eyes to how few of us know how to use our inside voices).
2. Old Zurich
We stayed a night in Zurich on our way to and from Wildhaus (more about that later, you enthusiasts!) - both the older, more traditional part and the more urban, just outside the city, typical-to-every-country-in-the-world and as a veteran of both areas (excluding the modern part of the city) I can say that Old Zurich is definitely the dream one-night stay if you wish to reenact my trip. As in the name, this area of Zurich is older and traditional and thus more quaint - comfortable yet different enough to experience some form of a "culture shock". The streets in the area are all cobbled and the architecture is high-rise and tight looking with much bolder colours (in comparison to a popular beige in most other areas) like blue and deep red. Very pretty. Most buildings also had shutters which was quite thrilling to see. There are, of course, many shops and cafes in the area although there are no department stores - all shops are boutique style (ie smaller scale) although there are a few well-known brands, including a Starbucks and Maccy Dees. Everything is in walking distance - including the roads to Lake Zurich (which is actually right next to/in Old Zurich but) and this old fort/look-out/church place which was quite nice to visit because you could look over the whole of snowy Zurich. Very pretty indeed.
We stayed in Hotel Adler while in Zurich. The beds were the first highlight of the holiday as they practically digested you (slowly) as you slept (ie very comfy). The rest of the room was very spacious and had everything we needed for our short stay. The staff, typical of the Swiss, were very welcoming and polite. The hotel is a bed and breakfast so we had to go off into the wild to scavenge for dinner (luckily there was an "affordable" pizza place close by) but the breakfasts were extremely satisfactory seeing as they came in the buffet style and had TWO types of croissants to choose from and tiny little Nutellas (like the tiny jams and butters you get at restaurants, very exciting) as well as the other usual breakfast options. I think you had to pay extra for a cooked breakfast but you could boil an egg as part of you B 'n B plan. Also, as I encourage staying in this part of Zurich and also as I encourage staying in the Hotel Adler and also because I am a connoisseur, order a hot chocolate for breakfast because it's quite tasty.
Just a heads up: I have said this before but this place is pricey, especially Old Zurich. If you are on a tight budget, there are about a billion fast-food places around the area including the usual McDonald's and some other traditionally Swiss take-out places. Try to go just after new year just like me because all of the clothing shops had massive sales (like 50% off - pure madness although we didn't buy anything).
3. Wildhaus
Wildhaus was the location of our purpose in Switzerland: skiing. Wildhaus is the town in the valley of mount Toggenberg. The weekend before we had arrived there had been a massive snow storm so we arrived to thick, soft and beautiful snow. For weeks before this particular storm, the snow count was nil - so let this be a lesson of hope, it will snow at some point. Even while we were there, there were (very) light snow falls. And on the slopes, they have snow machines which synthetically produce snow crystals (which are smaller which causes the flakes to last longer) so all will be okay. While we were there, the weather warmed up quite a lot (all the way to 2 degrees Celsius - what a treat) and the sun was out everyday, so a lot of the snow melted which exposed the thick green grass hibernating beneath - and I must say, even with a mash-up of snow and grass, Wildhaus is and must be stunning in either season. I would love to visit it in one of the warmer months to see the grass all over the mountains in the valley, with cows grazing away merrily to paint the image of the everyday-life of Heidi.
The town is mostly based on one main road - the rest of it is made up of houses stretching up the mountain. A summary of the more exciting shops: a Spar (for all your Swiss chocolate and beer needs)(Note: Swiss beer is delicious - and bloody cheap. We bought a pack of 24 cans for thirteen Swiss Francs which is about R130 - the chocolate, especially the Toblerone, was equally and surprisingly as cheap)(This is where we stocked up on snacks/lunch/pre and post drinking snacks/gifts), a general store (crafts, sweets, magazines, cigarettes because everyone smokes a pack a day almost) with its own special souvenir section, and the ski shop and hire place. This ski shop was just down the road - mind you a quick walk down the road, yet carrying boots etc back up was what I liken to labor camp material (this is a joke). The guy that runs it and helped us was really great - helpful of course - and gave us a deal on our ski gear (big ass ski boots which will bruise your shins until you learn to ski properly, skis and poles - everything else, ie clothing, is stuff you must bring with you - borrow the actual ski jackets, pants, gloves and apres ski boots or, at most, buy it for "cheap" off gum tree. Fleeces and beanies I guess can be bought or borrowed depending on you, but at least you can wear those again in the near future. Also buffs which is a fleecy thing to put around your neck/chin/head/face is very useful as a headband-come-beanie; and goggles if you are a pro. Actually polarized glasses or goggles are quite necessary once you start going fast because otherwise you will cry a river). You will buy your ski passes here - keep it in your left breast/arm pocket of your ski jacket because you will have to pass through the ski gates everyday with this. Everything had been pre-organised so it was just really collection. Also (another strange and honest act) we only had to pay for the equipment at the end of the week EVEN THOUGH we had all of it in our possession. Truly fascinating. The Swiss people are pure.
I had never skied before so the first two days were for learning - along with my mother, sisters and friend. Hire a ski instructor for these two days unless you have really good eye-body coordination. Skiing looks relatively easy. It is not. For the first day my crew could not move, we merely stood there on the snow waiting to die. But ski instructors - especially our two - were essential. They taught us the basics of skiing posture (the boots kind of direct this, but for ultimate control and comfort, listen to you teacher), walking up hill (actually only needed when you are learning), stopping (plow) and turning. Also they were really nice people, especially Laila whom was very motherly when I had a crying strop on the second day. But they also throw you into it - everything will be okay I promise, these people are pro-skiers. This means they will take you down a blue slope which is at first terrifying (so terrifying in fact that you have to almost get a piggyback on your instructors back), and getting off the ski lift with your skis on (harder than it looks. My sister took out a local child). But once you get it, it is amazing. It's completely up to you how fast and where you go (stopping and turning are NB techniques), so you begin to enjoy yourself by either ski-strolling or getting an adrenalin rush. We went with people (including my dad) whom had skied before, so we were chaperoned from the blue slopes to a few red slopes (black slopes were closed due to the melting snow). The most stressful part at this point of skiing was the T-bar lift - this is a lift in the shape of an upside-down "T" that you rest (NOT SIT) your butt against and then at the end have to throw it into its channel while maintaining balance and moving out of the way so the people behind you don't crash into you. Oh, and it stops whenever someone falls - you may end up waiting in an awkward position on a steep hill its dragging you up for a couple of very long seconds. But you will soon get the hang of it. On the other hand, the chair lifts were very peaceful and the one that took us up to the red slopes was quite long so it gave us time to observe and appreciate the beautiful snowy and forested terrain. It was so quiet.
Our trip was, in a way, directed by a family that has been going for about twenty years to the same hotel in Wildhaus. They invite a bunch of their family friends and typically take over the hotel with loud South Africans. Surprisingly, they get cheaper prices for the whole party. They also are experienced visitors so it was really comforting being with them as they know the essential people in Wildhaus, transport systems, and where the good bar(.) was. They were also the reason we got a cheaper deal with our ski stuff, so try your best to latch onto people like this. Otherwise, good luck.
We stayed at Hotel Hirschen - which was on the main road and conveniently a stop for the bus that took us down to the ski gates and lifts (your bus ticket is included in your ski pass). The hotel was extremely satisfactory. Our bedrooms were spacious with separate, large single beds and a well-fitted bathroom. We had a room on the back side (hehe) of the hotel but we still had a decent view of the wooden chalets climbing up the side of the mountain. My parents and some of our friends had even larger rooms with balconies that looked onto the main Toggenberg mountain. The whole hotel was heated by central heating, so the attire for hanging around the hotel was pants and t-shirts. It was very casual, so most of the time I wore leggings with a t-shirt and cardigans. Use summer pajamas - the heating with the thick duvets will boil you otherwise. Obviously you will need to bring warm and comfortable winter shoes (I had boots) and a coat and scarf and probably a beanie for wondering around outside. Also a swimming costume is a good idea. Just a packing tip I learnt from my mom: don't over pack - pack underwear (for example) for the first five days (for example) and just bring along a bar of Sunlight soap so you can just wash your smalls on the go. More room for chocolate.
Breakfast and dinner were included in our hotel fees. The breakfast was a buffet, again with the essentials, and was typically all you could eat - so we filled up big time on breakfast ( my typical diet: bread, bread, cheese, ham, bread, yogurt, a fruit, another fruit which I smuggle up to my room for later, green tea, hot chocolate, if I was quick enough a croissant.)(They also had eggs and cereals so it was satisfactory to everyone). Dinner for our party was split into two: adults and kinders. We were meant to sit with the adults because we are so grown up and mature, but sat with the kids most of the time as they were our squad for the week. Also, their food was very normal and came in heaps - chicken nuggets, chips, spaghetti carbonra, the occasional salad when demanded. The adults had a range of traditionally Swiss meals. This is one criticism I have of Switzerland: their food is not that great, to me at least. But to be fair, I only had a cheese fondue (the one night we strategically sat with the adults) - the cheese was extremely strong smelling (so strong that we could smell it in our fourth floor room). The taste wasn't as bad as it smelled, but it was just very over-powering. My second and last criticism of Switzerland is the lack of vegetables: I'm all for carbs but it would be nice to see some greenery every now and then (hence the quite startling demanded salads). Also some of the food (bratwurst) looked a bit phallic. All in all, dinners were entertaining and very filling which was the main priority. Our food was always tasty (although we had the same meal seven nights in a row), and for the price we were paying for the hotel, it was a huge win.
After breakfast we would go get our ski stuff on and catch the bus down to the slopes for a spot of skiing (from about 10 am to 2pm, average). On arriving home, we would rarely be starving due to the previously mentioned gouging of oneself at the breakfast buffet, but (also previously mentioned) if we were a bit peckish, we would pop down to the Spar which was conveniently next door to the hotel for nutritional snacks: chocolate, pretzels, pastries, chips, and beer. Typically we would go to the hotel's spa which was part of our deal, and swim in the heated indoor pool which overlooked the snowy slopes. The pool also had massage jets, very nice for the first two painful days of skiing. The spa also had a sauna and surprisingly us youth spent a lot of time in there. We would usually go back to our own rooms after this, shower and nap, and on waking up get ready for dinner (the hotel and dinners were extremely casual - leggings and cardigans for the whole week) and chill in a crew members room, drinking and chatting, until 6:30 pm when our dinner was served. A few nights we walked down the road - a small group of sixteen years and older kids (sixteen is the legal drinking age in Switzerland) - to a dingy bar which was very homely. Thank God we had a friend who was living and working in London, so had enough cash to buy us decent drinks (although the cheapest beer was not bad at all). We would chill here, maybe play around in the parking lot and surrounding snow, and then walk back later. The street was always empty and quiet at this time (then imagine introducing drunk South Africans), with a total air of calm and security. One night (as the legend goes) my sister and her friend walked back up the road to the hotel, alone - and lived to tell the tale. Other nights we would chill in each others' rooms, drinking (surprise) and chatting (surprise) which was even more of a good time (I will say this several times, but it's the people that make the party). If we were feeling a bit splashy with our money, we would go down to the hotel bar and order cocktails (I got a mojito for R140. It tasted like gold. Kind of). This was our itinerary, and despite it following a pattern, every event was different. Especially the skiing (the line between life and death was often blurred -but honestly skiing was so much fun, I adored it) and hanging out with our squad was also interesting at times...but that's for another time!(Also very personal stories and moments occurred, and I am a respectable confidant).
One afternoon we caught a bus to a neighboring town called Buchs. The bus fare was ridiculously expensive so I don't encourage this day trip unless you are set on checking out European shops. We drove along a road which wound through the mountains - decorated with forests, waterfalls and streams, before driving into a bizarre flat (we hadn't seen "flat" in a while) town. This place was more inhabited, so this is another accommodation suggestion if you prefer being around more people - the bus fare to the mountains everyday would just get quite pricey obviously. Our main purpose of our day-trip to Buchs was to shop along the main shopping street. Of course, my sisters and friend just had to try Swiss McDonald's which was normal tasting to me (?), and then just browsed through well-known "oversees" shops like H&M and other shops with exotic names. It wasn't a successful trip for me but it was quite interesting to see another part of Switzerland - the middle between Zurich and Wildhaus. Also, it was another example of the transport supremacy.
Sadly, as all good things must come to an end, at the end of our week in Wildhaus we had to get a bus to the Buchs station and a train to Zurich. The rest of Switzerland (the urban part) was nothing new, and was just a blur of catching trains and planes to the second part of our trip (Paris - in PART 2).
Switzerland, especially Wildhaus, was absolutely perfect. I have great respect for the people and admiration for the beauty of their land and culture (despite their really stinky cheese). I encourage you, beyond belief, to visit it despite the expense (ESPECIALLY if you have never seen snow). I can't wait to visit it again. I miss it so much.
1. Travel
Here is some financial advice: Switzerland is freaky pricey. If you still wish to go there, which I direly encourage, pick your airlines wisely or inquire for deals. Do not over spend on the most hellish 15 hour part of your trip with gross creatures/people giving you cholera via shared air. (To be fair, I flew Emirates and I found the flight(s) as comfy as a flight in economy class can be - the service is brilliant, the food was not bad at all and the entertainment service was a life saver)(Also, we flew on New Years Eve - nothing exciting happened except for the pilot announcing the dawn of the new year to a mostly unconscious plane and my friend Nicole and I taking a shot of gin which I discourage strongly; and also we flew via Dubai - both of these factors made the flight significantly cheaper so here is a good example on how to fly low) .
Once we landed in Switzerland, public transport runs like clockwork. It is mesmerizing (especially compared to the standard set by South African transport). One would not need their own car in Zurich. Firstly, the trains take you to all essential places in the city and then there are tram lines connecting all parts of the smaller parts of the city. Secondly, everything runs on time and is very efficient. Thirdly, when buying tickets and asking for help on which vessel to take, the Swiss are very friendly and helpful and most speak very good English. Here is a tip: don't ever bother with first class unless you are really bourgeois - second class to me was what we consider platinum class here in Africa - also the Swiss are good and honest people and there are no security threats to riding second class (also it's cheaper). Another tip: to fit in, do not be yourself. The Swiss people are normal and quiet people, unlike the quite embarrassingly obnoxious and loud South African tourists we could so easily spot (just a disclaimer: I adore South Africa and South Africans - this trip just opened my eyes to how few of us know how to use our inside voices).
2. Old Zurich
We stayed a night in Zurich on our way to and from Wildhaus (more about that later, you enthusiasts!) - both the older, more traditional part and the more urban, just outside the city, typical-to-every-country-in-the-world and as a veteran of both areas (excluding the modern part of the city) I can say that Old Zurich is definitely the dream one-night stay if you wish to reenact my trip. As in the name, this area of Zurich is older and traditional and thus more quaint - comfortable yet different enough to experience some form of a "culture shock". The streets in the area are all cobbled and the architecture is high-rise and tight looking with much bolder colours (in comparison to a popular beige in most other areas) like blue and deep red. Very pretty. Most buildings also had shutters which was quite thrilling to see. There are, of course, many shops and cafes in the area although there are no department stores - all shops are boutique style (ie smaller scale) although there are a few well-known brands, including a Starbucks and Maccy Dees. Everything is in walking distance - including the roads to Lake Zurich (which is actually right next to/in Old Zurich but) and this old fort/look-out/church place which was quite nice to visit because you could look over the whole of snowy Zurich. Very pretty indeed.
We stayed in Hotel Adler while in Zurich. The beds were the first highlight of the holiday as they practically digested you (slowly) as you slept (ie very comfy). The rest of the room was very spacious and had everything we needed for our short stay. The staff, typical of the Swiss, were very welcoming and polite. The hotel is a bed and breakfast so we had to go off into the wild to scavenge for dinner (luckily there was an "affordable" pizza place close by) but the breakfasts were extremely satisfactory seeing as they came in the buffet style and had TWO types of croissants to choose from and tiny little Nutellas (like the tiny jams and butters you get at restaurants, very exciting) as well as the other usual breakfast options. I think you had to pay extra for a cooked breakfast but you could boil an egg as part of you B 'n B plan. Also, as I encourage staying in this part of Zurich and also as I encourage staying in the Hotel Adler and also because I am a connoisseur, order a hot chocolate for breakfast because it's quite tasty.
Just a heads up: I have said this before but this place is pricey, especially Old Zurich. If you are on a tight budget, there are about a billion fast-food places around the area including the usual McDonald's and some other traditionally Swiss take-out places. Try to go just after new year just like me because all of the clothing shops had massive sales (like 50% off - pure madness although we didn't buy anything).
3. Wildhaus
Wildhaus was the location of our purpose in Switzerland: skiing. Wildhaus is the town in the valley of mount Toggenberg. The weekend before we had arrived there had been a massive snow storm so we arrived to thick, soft and beautiful snow. For weeks before this particular storm, the snow count was nil - so let this be a lesson of hope, it will snow at some point. Even while we were there, there were (very) light snow falls. And on the slopes, they have snow machines which synthetically produce snow crystals (which are smaller which causes the flakes to last longer) so all will be okay. While we were there, the weather warmed up quite a lot (all the way to 2 degrees Celsius - what a treat) and the sun was out everyday, so a lot of the snow melted which exposed the thick green grass hibernating beneath - and I must say, even with a mash-up of snow and grass, Wildhaus is and must be stunning in either season. I would love to visit it in one of the warmer months to see the grass all over the mountains in the valley, with cows grazing away merrily to paint the image of the everyday-life of Heidi.
The town is mostly based on one main road - the rest of it is made up of houses stretching up the mountain. A summary of the more exciting shops: a Spar (for all your Swiss chocolate and beer needs)(Note: Swiss beer is delicious - and bloody cheap. We bought a pack of 24 cans for thirteen Swiss Francs which is about R130 - the chocolate, especially the Toblerone, was equally and surprisingly as cheap)(This is where we stocked up on snacks/lunch/pre and post drinking snacks/gifts), a general store (crafts, sweets, magazines, cigarettes because everyone smokes a pack a day almost) with its own special souvenir section, and the ski shop and hire place. This ski shop was just down the road - mind you a quick walk down the road, yet carrying boots etc back up was what I liken to labor camp material (this is a joke). The guy that runs it and helped us was really great - helpful of course - and gave us a deal on our ski gear (big ass ski boots which will bruise your shins until you learn to ski properly, skis and poles - everything else, ie clothing, is stuff you must bring with you - borrow the actual ski jackets, pants, gloves and apres ski boots or, at most, buy it for "cheap" off gum tree. Fleeces and beanies I guess can be bought or borrowed depending on you, but at least you can wear those again in the near future. Also buffs which is a fleecy thing to put around your neck/chin/head/face is very useful as a headband-come-beanie; and goggles if you are a pro. Actually polarized glasses or goggles are quite necessary once you start going fast because otherwise you will cry a river). You will buy your ski passes here - keep it in your left breast/arm pocket of your ski jacket because you will have to pass through the ski gates everyday with this. Everything had been pre-organised so it was just really collection. Also (another strange and honest act) we only had to pay for the equipment at the end of the week EVEN THOUGH we had all of it in our possession. Truly fascinating. The Swiss people are pure.
I had never skied before so the first two days were for learning - along with my mother, sisters and friend. Hire a ski instructor for these two days unless you have really good eye-body coordination. Skiing looks relatively easy. It is not. For the first day my crew could not move, we merely stood there on the snow waiting to die. But ski instructors - especially our two - were essential. They taught us the basics of skiing posture (the boots kind of direct this, but for ultimate control and comfort, listen to you teacher), walking up hill (actually only needed when you are learning), stopping (plow) and turning. Also they were really nice people, especially Laila whom was very motherly when I had a crying strop on the second day. But they also throw you into it - everything will be okay I promise, these people are pro-skiers. This means they will take you down a blue slope which is at first terrifying (so terrifying in fact that you have to almost get a piggyback on your instructors back), and getting off the ski lift with your skis on (harder than it looks. My sister took out a local child). But once you get it, it is amazing. It's completely up to you how fast and where you go (stopping and turning are NB techniques), so you begin to enjoy yourself by either ski-strolling or getting an adrenalin rush. We went with people (including my dad) whom had skied before, so we were chaperoned from the blue slopes to a few red slopes (black slopes were closed due to the melting snow). The most stressful part at this point of skiing was the T-bar lift - this is a lift in the shape of an upside-down "T" that you rest (NOT SIT) your butt against and then at the end have to throw it into its channel while maintaining balance and moving out of the way so the people behind you don't crash into you. Oh, and it stops whenever someone falls - you may end up waiting in an awkward position on a steep hill its dragging you up for a couple of very long seconds. But you will soon get the hang of it. On the other hand, the chair lifts were very peaceful and the one that took us up to the red slopes was quite long so it gave us time to observe and appreciate the beautiful snowy and forested terrain. It was so quiet.
Our trip was, in a way, directed by a family that has been going for about twenty years to the same hotel in Wildhaus. They invite a bunch of their family friends and typically take over the hotel with loud South Africans. Surprisingly, they get cheaper prices for the whole party. They also are experienced visitors so it was really comforting being with them as they know the essential people in Wildhaus, transport systems, and where the good bar(.) was. They were also the reason we got a cheaper deal with our ski stuff, so try your best to latch onto people like this. Otherwise, good luck.
We stayed at Hotel Hirschen - which was on the main road and conveniently a stop for the bus that took us down to the ski gates and lifts (your bus ticket is included in your ski pass). The hotel was extremely satisfactory. Our bedrooms were spacious with separate, large single beds and a well-fitted bathroom. We had a room on the back side (hehe) of the hotel but we still had a decent view of the wooden chalets climbing up the side of the mountain. My parents and some of our friends had even larger rooms with balconies that looked onto the main Toggenberg mountain. The whole hotel was heated by central heating, so the attire for hanging around the hotel was pants and t-shirts. It was very casual, so most of the time I wore leggings with a t-shirt and cardigans. Use summer pajamas - the heating with the thick duvets will boil you otherwise. Obviously you will need to bring warm and comfortable winter shoes (I had boots) and a coat and scarf and probably a beanie for wondering around outside. Also a swimming costume is a good idea. Just a packing tip I learnt from my mom: don't over pack - pack underwear (for example) for the first five days (for example) and just bring along a bar of Sunlight soap so you can just wash your smalls on the go. More room for chocolate.
Breakfast and dinner were included in our hotel fees. The breakfast was a buffet, again with the essentials, and was typically all you could eat - so we filled up big time on breakfast ( my typical diet: bread, bread, cheese, ham, bread, yogurt, a fruit, another fruit which I smuggle up to my room for later, green tea, hot chocolate, if I was quick enough a croissant.)(They also had eggs and cereals so it was satisfactory to everyone). Dinner for our party was split into two: adults and kinders. We were meant to sit with the adults because we are so grown up and mature, but sat with the kids most of the time as they were our squad for the week. Also, their food was very normal and came in heaps - chicken nuggets, chips, spaghetti carbonra, the occasional salad when demanded. The adults had a range of traditionally Swiss meals. This is one criticism I have of Switzerland: their food is not that great, to me at least. But to be fair, I only had a cheese fondue (the one night we strategically sat with the adults) - the cheese was extremely strong smelling (so strong that we could smell it in our fourth floor room). The taste wasn't as bad as it smelled, but it was just very over-powering. My second and last criticism of Switzerland is the lack of vegetables: I'm all for carbs but it would be nice to see some greenery every now and then (hence the quite startling demanded salads). Also some of the food (bratwurst) looked a bit phallic. All in all, dinners were entertaining and very filling which was the main priority. Our food was always tasty (although we had the same meal seven nights in a row), and for the price we were paying for the hotel, it was a huge win.
After breakfast we would go get our ski stuff on and catch the bus down to the slopes for a spot of skiing (from about 10 am to 2pm, average). On arriving home, we would rarely be starving due to the previously mentioned gouging of oneself at the breakfast buffet, but (also previously mentioned) if we were a bit peckish, we would pop down to the Spar which was conveniently next door to the hotel for nutritional snacks: chocolate, pretzels, pastries, chips, and beer. Typically we would go to the hotel's spa which was part of our deal, and swim in the heated indoor pool which overlooked the snowy slopes. The pool also had massage jets, very nice for the first two painful days of skiing. The spa also had a sauna and surprisingly us youth spent a lot of time in there. We would usually go back to our own rooms after this, shower and nap, and on waking up get ready for dinner (the hotel and dinners were extremely casual - leggings and cardigans for the whole week) and chill in a crew members room, drinking and chatting, until 6:30 pm when our dinner was served. A few nights we walked down the road - a small group of sixteen years and older kids (sixteen is the legal drinking age in Switzerland) - to a dingy bar which was very homely. Thank God we had a friend who was living and working in London, so had enough cash to buy us decent drinks (although the cheapest beer was not bad at all). We would chill here, maybe play around in the parking lot and surrounding snow, and then walk back later. The street was always empty and quiet at this time (then imagine introducing drunk South Africans), with a total air of calm and security. One night (as the legend goes) my sister and her friend walked back up the road to the hotel, alone - and lived to tell the tale. Other nights we would chill in each others' rooms, drinking (surprise) and chatting (surprise) which was even more of a good time (I will say this several times, but it's the people that make the party). If we were feeling a bit splashy with our money, we would go down to the hotel bar and order cocktails (I got a mojito for R140. It tasted like gold. Kind of). This was our itinerary, and despite it following a pattern, every event was different. Especially the skiing (the line between life and death was often blurred -but honestly skiing was so much fun, I adored it) and hanging out with our squad was also interesting at times...but that's for another time!(Also very personal stories and moments occurred, and I am a respectable confidant).
One afternoon we caught a bus to a neighboring town called Buchs. The bus fare was ridiculously expensive so I don't encourage this day trip unless you are set on checking out European shops. We drove along a road which wound through the mountains - decorated with forests, waterfalls and streams, before driving into a bizarre flat (we hadn't seen "flat" in a while) town. This place was more inhabited, so this is another accommodation suggestion if you prefer being around more people - the bus fare to the mountains everyday would just get quite pricey obviously. Our main purpose of our day-trip to Buchs was to shop along the main shopping street. Of course, my sisters and friend just had to try Swiss McDonald's which was normal tasting to me (?), and then just browsed through well-known "oversees" shops like H&M and other shops with exotic names. It wasn't a successful trip for me but it was quite interesting to see another part of Switzerland - the middle between Zurich and Wildhaus. Also, it was another example of the transport supremacy.
Sadly, as all good things must come to an end, at the end of our week in Wildhaus we had to get a bus to the Buchs station and a train to Zurich. The rest of Switzerland (the urban part) was nothing new, and was just a blur of catching trains and planes to the second part of our trip (Paris - in PART 2).
Switzerland, especially Wildhaus, was absolutely perfect. I have great respect for the people and admiration for the beauty of their land and culture (despite their really stinky cheese). I encourage you, beyond belief, to visit it despite the expense (ESPECIALLY if you have never seen snow). I can't wait to visit it again. I miss it so much.
Monday, 22 December 2014
LUSH and other lush things
So I recently read and completed and thought about the book We are all Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Jane Fowler -which is an absolutely fantastic novel with a fantastic twist which also left me with a list of things to study further into - lots of psychology references and interesting incidences - so on my own terms I thoroughly recommend the book as it is both sad and beautiful and is written in such a special way - Fowler's writing (again in my own terms but also my mother's whom is the voice of reason to me the child-adult) is unique and perfect and natural and inspiring. Minor spoiler alert (?) as the story is centered around the use of animals in testings for the benefit of humans- food, cosmetic and scientific - which the one character is developed around and this particular character's account of the exploitation of animals has, for life, put me off ANY use of animals in our own race's gain, and also off eating mammals*.
I have never disagreed with PETA or self-proclaimed animal rights activists because I know the raising and treatment of animals has always been horrific and sadistic, and testing chemicals on animals is extremely revolting. I encourage you to read some horror literature on some of these testings (or not, if you visualize things really easily) but I am demanding that anyone that reads this BOYCOTTS any products and companies that dare to use their human superiority over other creatures and pour acidic chemicals into rabbits eyes (also come hug a tree with me).
Bu seriously, it ain't (gosh darn) that hard. In South Africa, my circle of friends (okay, honestly the wealthy elite that can afford ridiculously high priced shampoo) buy stuff from Woolworths. Woolworths' eggs are all free-range (although there was some suspicion a few years ago as to whether their products made with eggs used free ranged eggs - I'm not sure if this is true (sorry Woolies) but I'm also too lazy to look it up so decide for yourselves!), and all of their own brand cosmetics and bathroom thingys are all "beauty without cruelty" which is fantastic and I think their version of the "no-name brand" is pretty affordable.
A few really nice cosmetic companies that do not test their products and ingredients on animals (which is quite worrying as why do we have the chemicals in majority of our products are cousins to chemicals that burn hair off dogs and what not - what if there is an odd batch and you end up with no hair? You then deserve it, you selfish swine. Buy animal friendly stuff dammit) include Inglot and Elizabeth Arden and of course the Body Shop which also use free-trade ingredients thus respecting and supporting the communities that supply the factories with raw materials. All bloody expensive companies for a broke student (poor me, living in a house in the rich bit of Cape Town) but really really worth it as all are high quality and delicious.
But my current favorite "beauty against cruelty" cosmetics and bathroom things company is Lush. All of their stuff is handmade so that is where the testing is held - on real human hands (okay just had another thought - is a cat's skin the exact same as a humans? Does a cat work like a human? Is a cat a human? No. So if it works on a cat, how the hell do they know it's not going to burn a hole through our faces?). All of their stuff is also damn fresh - holy shit the smell when you walk in about a kilometers radius of a Lush shop is heavenly.
Listen to this and be persuaded by the magical world of friendly and happy cosmetics:
Hold on one more sec - Lush is seriously one of my favorite shops and you can get literally all cosmetic things there - from face masks to dry shampoo, from custom-made lipstick and mascara to play-dough soap, from fragrances to hand-moisturizer bar things. Some really great stuff is going on in Lush and I highly recommend you go check their stuff out as I have not yet been dissapointed and am hoarding most of my Lush stuff as to me it is too special to waste on an average bath(I love them so much *cries*) (also I have used up tons of their stuff including shampoo and bathbombs which turn your bath water into a rainbow so don't hate on me k)(Gott in Himmel that took forever)(The End).
*I really wish I could go full vegetarian (while still eating animal whole-products from well treated and free range furry children) but alas my mood and mind need some kind of sustainable (animal) protein and I sadly have to eat chicken and fish so I don't murder my family. I really try my best to not eat mammals (I have always found the idea of eating a fucking baby lamb revolting, honestly I don't know how anyone - including my family - can stomach the concept. Anyway.) as in the book there is some reference to how cows, when in the slaughterhouse, change the color of their meat from fear. How true this is, I'm not sure, but it has put me off beef for eternity.
I have never disagreed with PETA or self-proclaimed animal rights activists because I know the raising and treatment of animals has always been horrific and sadistic, and testing chemicals on animals is extremely revolting. I encourage you to read some horror literature on some of these testings (or not, if you visualize things really easily) but I am demanding that anyone that reads this BOYCOTTS any products and companies that dare to use their human superiority over other creatures and pour acidic chemicals into rabbits eyes (also come hug a tree with me).
Bu seriously, it ain't (gosh darn) that hard. In South Africa, my circle of friends (okay, honestly the wealthy elite that can afford ridiculously high priced shampoo) buy stuff from Woolworths. Woolworths' eggs are all free-range (although there was some suspicion a few years ago as to whether their products made with eggs used free ranged eggs - I'm not sure if this is true (sorry Woolies) but I'm also too lazy to look it up so decide for yourselves!), and all of their own brand cosmetics and bathroom thingys are all "beauty without cruelty" which is fantastic and I think their version of the "no-name brand" is pretty affordable.
A few really nice cosmetic companies that do not test their products and ingredients on animals (which is quite worrying as why do we have the chemicals in majority of our products are cousins to chemicals that burn hair off dogs and what not - what if there is an odd batch and you end up with no hair? You then deserve it, you selfish swine. Buy animal friendly stuff dammit) include Inglot and Elizabeth Arden and of course the Body Shop which also use free-trade ingredients thus respecting and supporting the communities that supply the factories with raw materials. All bloody expensive companies for a broke student (poor me, living in a house in the rich bit of Cape Town) but really really worth it as all are high quality and delicious.
But my current favorite "beauty against cruelty" cosmetics and bathroom things company is Lush. All of their stuff is handmade so that is where the testing is held - on real human hands (okay just had another thought - is a cat's skin the exact same as a humans? Does a cat work like a human? Is a cat a human? No. So if it works on a cat, how the hell do they know it's not going to burn a hole through our faces?). All of their stuff is also damn fresh - holy shit the smell when you walk in about a kilometers radius of a Lush shop is heavenly.
Listen to this and be persuaded by the magical world of friendly and happy cosmetics:
"We believe in making effective products from fresh, organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics.We invent our own products and fragrances. We make them fresh by hand using little or no preservatives or packaging, using onlyvegetarian ingredients, and tell you when they were made.We believe in buying ingredients only from companies that do not commission tests on animals and in testing our products on humans.We believe in happy people making happy soap, putting our faces on our products and making our mums proud.We believe in long candlelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and in the right to make mistakes, loseeverything and start again.We believe our products are good value, that we should make a profit and that the customer is always right.* We also believe words like fresh and organic have honest meaning beyond marketing" (From the Lush Website)
They want to make their mom's proud and want you to enjoy a delicious and caring bath time. Their stuff is pretty pricey depending on you budget and what you are buying (I bought a Figs and Leaves soap for a friend the other day and almost projectile vomited Exorcist-style onto the cashier's face when they announced that it would be R155 for a block of soap)(they tend to price per kilogram)(I also lied and said it was for my sister whom loved figs which is bullshit but I panicked and wanted to be cool in front of the cool staff and not someone who just buys their friend a nearly R200 gift). But it is so worth it as you feel like a fairy princess and know that your stuff is organic and good quality and animal friendly.Holy shit their stuff is also so much fun - seriously check out their website or a shop near you (flicks you the hand guns and a smile as the screen fades to black).
Hold on one more sec - Lush is seriously one of my favorite shops and you can get literally all cosmetic things there - from face masks to dry shampoo, from custom-made lipstick and mascara to play-dough soap, from fragrances to hand-moisturizer bar things. Some really great stuff is going on in Lush and I highly recommend you go check their stuff out as I have not yet been dissapointed and am hoarding most of my Lush stuff as to me it is too special to waste on an average bath(I love them so much *cries*) (also I have used up tons of their stuff including shampoo and bathbombs which turn your bath water into a rainbow so don't hate on me k)(Gott in Himmel that took forever)(The End).
*I really wish I could go full vegetarian (while still eating animal whole-products from well treated and free range furry children) but alas my mood and mind need some kind of sustainable (animal) protein and I sadly have to eat chicken and fish so I don't murder my family. I really try my best to not eat mammals (I have always found the idea of eating a fucking baby lamb revolting, honestly I don't know how anyone - including my family - can stomach the concept. Anyway.) as in the book there is some reference to how cows, when in the slaughterhouse, change the color of their meat from fear. How true this is, I'm not sure, but it has put me off beef for eternity.
Monday, 9 June 2014
Bitch, I'm bout to blew up too
Can we just talk about Azealia Banks and the song
(Yes I know it's not brand new, like I care). Is Azealia Banks the Tracey Emin of the music industry? Let me just make some sense of myself: so Tracey Emin is considered a feminist artist (and of course has been highly criticized and shamed) and I totally agree with this. Emin bases her artworks on seemingly personal and erotic subject matter. As in very graphic drawings, a photograph of her enjoying a euphemistic "personal" moment (she is masturbating, the horror) in the bath and a tent with appliqued names of every single body she has slept with (note: this isn't entirely sexual - included are her grandmother and an aborted fetus which still adds to her message). Of course, her work totally goes against the dominant image and expectations of women in (an especially Western) society as she is highly expressive of her personal life (most women are considered "gross" and "unladylike" when discussing periods for instance, but Emin has used her real period blood-stained underwear in her piece "My Bed" - hello, my period shows me that I am FERTILE AS FUCK) and isn't a gentle, quiet female expectation from society. She acts like a man - despite the fact that in Western societies women have equal rights and freedoms to men so why can't we discuss our personally picked private life situation with the public?
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Linking this to the music industry, some anonymous soul (blessed be thy name) posted this on tumblr the other day which is kind of the inter textual basis of this post:
"#YesAllWomen because Rihanna can make a song about enjoying sex and sing about the way she likes it, and it gets banned in 11 countries, while Robin Thicke can completely diminish the line of consent and objectify women in the process in a song and it is a ‘smash hit’ and gets to number one in multiple countries."
OMG I know how ridiculously true is that right. So finally I heard this song 212 by Azealia Banks (Ft. Lazy Jay) and I was like this girl is filthy, I love it. She again "acts" like a man in the music industry - literally how radio stations play songs from the rnb and hip hop genres which (majority okay) objectify women and glorify the seemingly "only usable" aspect of women - their bodies. Like you never hear guys singing about how dayum intellectual and selfless their bitch is. Look I'm not a complete pretentious shit, appearance is highly important - presentation and grooming are vital. Objectifying really isn't. Anyway Azealia Banks literally sings about how she is totally empowered and also by getting pleasured (instead of a man being in control of girls and getting pleasure from them). Again, she isn't considered "ladylike" with her vocabulary in the song - I repeat the song is filthy but it's totally about how women can fight the oppressive ideology and be powerful and sexual and dirty like men in the music industry as well as society.
I am not for matriarchy, like the majestic Nelson Mandela (in relative senses) I am against domination from both sexes: I am fully for equality especially in expression between women and men, and I completely dig this song for this reason.
Sunday, 8 June 2014
Lana Del Rey // Ultraviolence
First of all, this is going to be a huge challenge for a person who a) already has a tumblr (balance is the key to all things in life, I am hoping) and b) has a frustratingly stubborn (and particularly negative) outlook on things that require an effort. Alas, here I am, not giving a fuck and at least trying. So.
Well, to jump straight into it, let me begin with a list of things I absolutely adore temporarily and permanently (the differentiation between the two is my secret)(quite pointless I know but I'm trying to full up space okay).
1. Arctic Monkeys - FOREVER AND ALWAYS (if they headline Rocking the Daisies I will probably have a heart attack at Alex Turner's feet).
2. Plants - not just a freaky cat/animal lady, currently adorning my room is chorophyllic babies.
3. Alexa Chung - clothing goddess
4. Horror films - what a way to feel alive! Har har! Exams am I right!
5. Lana Del Rey
Wasn't that a lovely passage into the meaning in this post. I have been a good grasshopper and have listened to my English tutor at varsity. So Lana Del Rey. Recently I have been worshiping (literally religiously listening to a song at least ten times in a row) her earlier and mostly unreleased tracks - a few of the audios aided by her own hand-made "moving collages". No doubt (as can be judged via YouTube/internet - disclaimer: I am probably the most technologically handicapped adolescent in the 21st century - my statistics) my top six pre-publicity Lana (as in when she was still known as Lizzy Grant) are her "National Anthem Demo", "Put Me in a Movie" (huge Lolita influence - which has latched onto me as a very active viewer), "Lolita Demo", "She's Not Me (Ride or Die)", "Jealous Girl" and "Is It Wrong" (See Addendum A for these songs - I'm not joking, you will transgress perhaps to the sixties and be filled with pretty flowery sin)(Also not joking about the addendum part) .
To my absolute joy, and so worth the support and defense (literally school-yard fights. this is a joke. please) of Lana's music and character - for she really is a creation of a larger thought process questioning the American Dream - she is in the process of releasing her newest album "Ultraviolence" by slowly (almost painfully) releasing tracks. And to elevate my thoughts to the golden realm of thoughts, her newest tracks are so brilliant and unique yet so familiar and similar to the magical tracks I have been pining over the past couple of months. "Brooklyn Baby" is hauntingly beautiful and empowering for a woman - I am a femme fatale. Of course, there's also "West Coast", "Shades of Cool" and the album's namesake "Ultraviolence" . All of her work is art - the thought and effort into producing not only her music yet also this persona, this feeling of living fast to die young in such a tragic and beautiful manner is why I am in such awe of Lana and her work. Also, Lana's performances (especially her dancing) are on point.
Addendum A - The Lizzy Grant Era
National Anthem Demo
Lolita Demo
She's Not Me (Ride or Die)
Jealous Girl
Is it Wrong
Well, to jump straight into it, let me begin with a list of things I absolutely adore temporarily and permanently (the differentiation between the two is my secret)(quite pointless I know but I'm trying to full up space okay).
1. Arctic Monkeys - FOREVER AND ALWAYS (if they headline Rocking the Daisies I will probably have a heart attack at Alex Turner's feet).
2. Plants - not just a freaky cat/animal lady, currently adorning my room is chorophyllic babies.
3. Alexa Chung - clothing goddess
4. Horror films - what a way to feel alive! Har har! Exams am I right!
5. Lana Del Rey
Wasn't that a lovely passage into the meaning in this post. I have been a good grasshopper and have listened to my English tutor at varsity. So Lana Del Rey. Recently I have been worshiping (literally religiously listening to a song at least ten times in a row) her earlier and mostly unreleased tracks - a few of the audios aided by her own hand-made "moving collages". No doubt (as can be judged via YouTube/internet - disclaimer: I am probably the most technologically handicapped adolescent in the 21st century - my statistics) my top six pre-publicity Lana (as in when she was still known as Lizzy Grant) are her "National Anthem Demo", "Put Me in a Movie" (huge Lolita influence - which has latched onto me as a very active viewer), "Lolita Demo", "She's Not Me (Ride or Die)", "Jealous Girl" and "Is It Wrong" (See Addendum A for these songs - I'm not joking, you will transgress perhaps to the sixties and be filled with pretty flowery sin)(Also not joking about the addendum part) .
To my absolute joy, and so worth the support and defense (literally school-yard fights. this is a joke. please) of Lana's music and character - for she really is a creation of a larger thought process questioning the American Dream - she is in the process of releasing her newest album "Ultraviolence" by slowly (almost painfully) releasing tracks. And to elevate my thoughts to the golden realm of thoughts, her newest tracks are so brilliant and unique yet so familiar and similar to the magical tracks I have been pining over the past couple of months. "Brooklyn Baby" is hauntingly beautiful and empowering for a woman - I am a femme fatale. Of course, there's also "West Coast", "Shades of Cool" and the album's namesake "Ultraviolence" . All of her work is art - the thought and effort into producing not only her music yet also this persona, this feeling of living fast to die young in such a tragic and beautiful manner is why I am in such awe of Lana and her work. Also, Lana's performances (especially her dancing) are on point.
Addendum A - The Lizzy Grant Era
National Anthem Demo
Put me in a Movie
Lolita Demo
She's Not Me (Ride or Die)
Jealous Girl
Is it Wrong
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