Ain't Life Funny

In the past few weeks I have experienced quite a few 'mystical events', I had my tarot cards read at a collegue's farewell party, another colleague told me about this Spiritualist Church I should attend ... little did she realise I live just around the courner from the venue and it's held on a Thursday at 7.30pm, (she told me on a Thursday and I was finishing work at 7pm?). However I knew my mom is interested in all this flapdoodle so we'll be attending it tomorrow night for the first time. My friend who studies astrology read my mom's birth chart for her and something that I commented on that very morning was exactly what came out. We also did astrological yearly forecasts for my mom, flatmate and myself. It evolved around endings and new beginnings for Mom, emotions for Marc, then self and worldly exploration for me. To what extent are we cosmic puppets I wonder?

It's been fantastic having Mom to stay, great catch-ups, wonderful meals, she likes to wash dishes which is just heavenly. Last week was an emotional rollercoaster, one minute I was on an absolute high, then letting the tears flow and finally feeling grounded, just to have it happen all over again, and again. There's been considerable personality changes, mainly on my behalf but I'm sure her time is coming. I have a lot of admiration for her making such a seismic move at this time of her life, her mind is still in Bulawayo but that will take time too.

For those of you who believe in positive thoughts or prayer, please give a moment to my father who is still in Zim and feeling very lonely and alone right now, spending most evenings at home in an unlit house - due to frequent power cuts, fuel shortages etc. Please also think about my brother Kevin who has lost vision in one eye for nearly a month now, he's currently in South Africa to get proper medical attention. So far the cause has been put down to stress and trauma, the extent of the damage is not yet known.

Life is still so beautiful.


London this weekend, yay!

Smurfette Tunes

My lovely and most dearest friend, someone who far lives in Malawi yet is always close by, a girl who according to a Past Life Regresser is my sister from the 17th century (we were milkmaids in Belgium), wrote me the sweetest lyrics to keep me motivated whilst doing the 10km run. I thought about keeping it private but Desiree's humour is wonderful so I'm not going to let you miss out on it!

It's sung in all-american army style, when the comander sings one line and then the troopers sing it back to him and so on:

Smurfette is our hero today
She's decided to run ten K (kay)
For a good cause if I may say
For war and hunger to go away

Smurfette, 1,2,3, smurfette 1,2,3

She hasnt trained but she is fit
Put your takkies on and hit the grit
You have a target you want to hit
So start the race and never quit

Smurfette, 1,2,3, smurfette 1,2,3

Big boobies must be strapped down
So they do not bounce around
And knock other racers to the ground
So keep them noombies tightly bound

Smurfette, 1,2,3, smurfette 1,2,3

Smurfette will win the race I'm sure
And give all her earnings to the poor
All the african lions will roar
To make the hearts of children soar.

Smurfette, 1,2,3, smurfette 1,2,3

The Big Day!

My mom arrives today, eeeek. I'm an absolute bunch of nerves! It's off to a dramatic start with her baggage not arriving in Heathrow so we've been on the phone putting bank accounts on hold due to her having statement in her suitcase, the poor dear!
Scotland will be her place for relaxation!

Charity!

...... If you make a small donation to either Amnesty International (Protector of Human Rights), WEZ (for the wildlife) or Corstorphine Cricket Club (Bringing one of the world's best sports to Scotland), I shall get dressed, up like Smurfette below, for Edinburgh fun run on 7th May ......

Are you game?
(15/04 - 4 sponsors already!)
(16/04 - 1 - Amnesty, 1 - WEZ, 3 sponsors still deciding)
(17/04 - 1 - Amnesty, 2 - WEZ, 3 undecided)
(18/04 - 2 - Amnesty, 2 - WEZ, 4 undecided)
(19/04 - 4 - Amnesty, 3 - WEZ, 4 undecided) Woooo that makes for a definite Smurfette oufit!
(22/04 - 6 - Amnesty, 3 - WEZ, 4 undecided)

And the Clarity!

Tonight I met up with more Germans for a drink, they are studying in Bath on a uni exchange program called Eramus but taking time out to explore Scotland. It's an amazing connection when people meet and 'enlighten' each other on different sides of life, and the world!

Earlier today whilst undergoing my vigorous fitness training, I ended up racing a random Australian at the swimming pool. He's a regular scuba diver so can hold his breath for two lengths, I could only do one and a half and at that point I could feel my muscles aching for oxygen. The air was so sweet afterwards. We take something so powerful for granted! ... Breathe deep, relax and enjoy it!

I've had an amazing week. Contacts that I did not expect have sponsored me for my run, you've truly warmed my heart! Another thing that has stood out was a phone conversation I had with a girl called Martine. She and I were good friends, we shared a love of horse-riding, went to the same junior school, did our two final years at the same high school and even lived on the same street. In 2000 Martine's father was killed in his own farmhouse and soon after that her mother, brother and self had to flee the country for their own safety. Due to emotions we lost contact from then on. I remember seeing a BBC documentary about Zimbabwe in 2002 with her mom being interviewed and I cried. I always wondered if fate would ever let us meet again and on a special day of this week it did! Wow, I was so nervous and excited before ringing her .. only to find out she wasn't home. But she soon called back and we had a long chat. She's just finished her MsC, during which she spent a year in Australia being who she naturally is - a cowgirl! Her uni work has revolved around horses :o) We spoke about how our Doctor said Zim is now a prozac nation and the general Zimbabwean demeanor has changed. She mentioned that she now struggles to let people get emotionally close to her and has noticed this in other Zimbos. Snap, I said. We also ofcourse had the friends catch-up session, which took a while with everyone being scattered and doing varied and interesting things.
Martine and her family have done so well for themselves. I felt an emotion so powerful, so much happiness and admiration for her. Although I didnt expect anything less.

Tonight when explaining my life I told it exactly how it is. My home is in my head, if I ever feel homesick I find myself a quiet place then close my eyes and return to that memory, there's no reality in going home for Festive holidays. Life is a series of moments that need to be treasured, they don't last so make the most of them and don't forget them (I guess that's where my fascination for photography stems from ... hence me buying the camera of my dreams this Saturday).

Thank God, life is so beautiful.

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Growing up in Zimbabwe where homosexuality was outlawed I never quite understood it. Moving to Cape Town, one of the world's gay capitals, I got a wee fright. After living in the UK for a while same sex relationships, along with many other African taboos, became everyday stuff. Still not sense to me though.

After talking to a very interesting and open-minded girl this weekend, I heard a click. Being bisexual herself, she challenged my mental view point and eloquantly asked "why let something so small as the physical form stop you loving a soul?"

I couldn't agree with her more. Well I could but I'm still hetro.

And the countdowns

7 days until my mom arrives in Edinburgh. Horaaaay! It's been over 2 years.

24 days until the 10km run .......

The ups and the downs

Earlier this year a friend who attended one of the Mind fundraising evenings at the Raj last year organised a similar night. A gym friend came to the same Mind evening with her sister, who is now holding a fundraising event at the Raj. One of my managers who brought his family to my first fundraiser is looking at doing his own charity challenge.

Goodwill is truly infectious.

For everyone who read about or met John, the homeless man outside Tesco on Leith Walk .... He disappeared a few months ago but his friend took his spot for a few weeks and sat there regularly with the lovely and well known dog Prince. John had not been well and news was he'd been seeing doctors and didn't have the energy to come out. Latest I've heard (from one of my clients - it literally is 'news on the street') is John's on his last legs. Fingers crossed for him x

St Andrews

I return home after 2 amazing days in St Andrews, I am a better person for it. I had an extremely inspiring time with an awesome individual. So much emotion .. how do I describe it? I don't know where to begin .... and just this minute an email pops up with a short story that puts some of my weekend in perspective.

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze. "Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked. She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...""No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me. After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know. "As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets. "She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.