Angels Of Mercy - Boat Ride for Mother's Day 2011

Please Copy/Paste this to all of your bbm contacts, your email contacts and post it on your Facebook wall or as a Facebook note - for DURBAN People. A chance to suppor, you can even Copy/Paste this to your own blog! Let's support an awesome initiative and have fun while doing it! (Sent April 28 2011)

Angels of Mercy Care Centre is a non-profit organization that provides services to all communities regarding pregnancy, STD, HIV/AIDS and other related diseases and their conditions. Angels of Mercy Care Centre also offers education, prevention, counseling and testing by qualified personnel. Angels of Mercy Care Centre have organized a mother's day boat trip at the Durban Harbour in aid to raise funds.

Treat your mother or a significant woman in your life to a relaxing afternoon cruising around the Harbour. Tickets cost R120 pp or R100 pp for a group of four or more. Children under the age of 15 years old pay R60pp.

Date, Sunday 8 May 2011
At Durban Harbour by the Royal Natal Yacht Club. Time 16:00-17:00 but please check in at 15:00.

For bookings or further information please contact TK on 0722462087 or
email angelsofmercy@live.co.za

Places are limited.

THANK YOU
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Thorngate Novels I and II

After ten years of writing and editing in the cracks between my daily life, I am proud to say that both of my Novels are finished!

A real dream. I have to raise funds now to get the first book off the ground and then I can get the second follow-up novel out there.

Belinda Hellerle - a talented and amazing artist and dancer from Durban North, has designed the cover for Book I and will be blowing me away with the cover for Book II soon... :)

I have worked hard and have never lost focus, I hope that everyone enjoys them!

Take care

Sandy Bigara

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The Tree in the Corner of the Room

Just popping in to say rather ashamedly... That it is APRIL and my Christmas Tree is *STILL* up!

*blush...

Sandy Bigara
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Food Crit : BOOST JUICE BAR @ Gateway

Ok, if you value your kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, brain (you get the jist) then BOOST Juice Bar at Gateway Umhlanga is the place for you.

Situated beneath the movie complex, placed just before the 'Circle of Shame' i.e. The other fastfood outlets to the left of the movies... BOOST Juice bar is a real experience.

All the fruit is freshly squeezed before your eyes, order the Energiser Juice (Fresh Juice with no added sugar) comprising of orange, strawberry, banana and an energiser pack, and you'll watch an eye popping load of whole peeled oranges whizz and juice to frothy heaven before your eyes. Yes, orange juice when it's not tampered with, is frothy. Divine.

The first time we bought from BOOST, I had the Tropical Storm R30 (Mango, Banana, Tropical Juice, coconut Milk, Mango yoghurt and Ice) I drank it so fast that I got a headache!! Worth it!! My husband ordered a plain orange juice, once we were over the shock of how many oranges were actually IN the drink, we thoroughly enjoyed every sip! Infact, Francis went BACK and ordered a Tropical Storm!

The second time we went to BOOST - I ordered the Energy Lift with an added Vitamin Pack, my husband ordered the Gym Junkie with a protein booster. Wow.

BOOST is similar to Kauwai but without the semi-religeous piety that comes with a Kauwai cup of juice. They have FUN making your drink, they tell you COOL STUFF about your drink if you ask them. You can CUSTOMISE your drink.

I warn you, You will become highly protective of your juice. If your friends are with you they will 99.9% probably ask "Can I taste yours?" And, you will say No. well, you'll probably say yes. They are THAT good.

Do your body a favour, don't buy some wheat filled cholesterol coated gastronomic suicide-in-a-bun. Get a BOOST.


Sandy Bigara
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Japan Earthquake and Other Disasters: Tsunamis, Dust Storms and Fires...

What is going on in the world? I ask in all seriousness. It is all beginning to feel a little apocolypto to me. Read on – I have done some reading across the board:

 

 

FIRES

8th February 2011  "Wildfires that ripped through the outskirts of the Western Australia capital Perth over the weekend have destroyed at least 41 homes and damaged another 19."

And,

"Just day earlier a category five cyclone, the largest tropical storm to hit Australia since Europeans first settled there, flattened scores of properties in Queensland causing an estimated $3.5bn of damage.

The freak cyclone came just weeks after severe flooding hit two-thirds of the state, killing at least 35 people."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1354423/Australia-fires-First-floods-Cyclone-Yasi-bushfires-wreak-havoc.html#ixzz1GIjHfDl9

DUST STORMS

September 23rd 2009 "A huge outback dust storm - 500 km (310 mi) wide by 1,000 km (620 mi) long - swept across eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday, September 23rd 2009 … the worst dust storm Sydney has seen in 70 years" http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/dust_storm_in_australia.html

 

 

TSUNAMIS

26 December 2004 I had family in Phuket as well as two close friends who survived by being so very brave (and running quickly!) The following is a cache of a really good first hand account :

Personal Notes from Mark Oberle:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:epArvofmYosJ:faculty.washington.edu/moberle/Tsunami/Tsunami.htm+Tsunami+phuket&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&source=www.google.com

 

 

EARTHQUAKES

Christchurch: "Crews work through night to free people after 6.3 magnitude quake, New Zealand's worst natural disaster in 80 years" The Guardian.

 

 "The mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker, told local radio that up to 200 people could be trapped but later lowered the number to nearer 100. It was the country's worst natural disaster since a 1931 quake in the North Island city of Napier killed 256." The Guardian.

 

Japan: "The most powerful earthquake to hit Japan since records began has struck the country's north-east and triggered a devastating tsunami.

Japanese TV showed cars, ships and buildings swept away by a vast wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude quake. A state of emergency has been declared at a nuclear power plant but officials said there were no radiation leaks.

At least 60 people have been killed by the quake, which struck about 400km (250 miles) north-east of Tokyo. The death toll is expected to rise significantly.

Some reports quote Japanese police as saying 200 to 300 bodies have been found in the port city of Sendai. The tremor, measured at 8.9 by the US Geological Survey, hit at 1446 local time (0546 GMT) at a depth of about 24km. A tsunami warning was extended across the Pacific to North and South America."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12709598

 

"the 8.9-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan to strike the east coast towns of Hualien at 09:32 GMT, Taitung at 09:36 GMT, and Jilong at 10:04 GMT" http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/03/11/taiwan-issues-tsunami-warning/

 

Some Tweets:

 

SabrinaDeep‎ #breakingnews thousands found dead in the city of Sendai in Japan #tsunami #earthquake It's getting worse :(

 

CruisenGo‎ RT @cnnbrk: 200 to 300 bodies found in the coast city of Sendai after #Japan earthquake, #tsunami.

 

sarahmclellanny‎ RT @smh_news: Chaos as airports closed, flights diverted #jpquake #earthquake #tsunami #japan

 

 

VOLCANOS

March 2011 "Like Indonesia, Japan lies on the so-called "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines surrounding the Pacific Basin. A 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Kobe, western Japan, killed more than 6,000 people in 1995, while the 7.9- magnitude Great Kanto Quake of 1923 destroyed 576,262 structures and killed an estimated 140,000." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-11/tokyo-buildings-shaken-by-7-9-earthquake-highest-tsunami-warning-issued.html

 

 

What is going on? Facebook me your thoughts: www.facebook.com/sbigara

 

Sandy Bigara

 

Image Reference:

01 Tsunami http://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/5174-tsunami-hits-pacific-after-japan-earthquake

02 Tsunami http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/03/11/taiwan-issues-tsunami-warning/

03 Tsunami http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

04 Earthquake http://newsesource.com/world-news/mount-merapi-still-erupting-volcano-at-indonesia

05 Fires http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1354423/Australia-fires-First-floods-Cyclone-Yasi-bushfires-wreak-havoc.html

06 Dust storm http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/dust_storm_in_australia.html

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset Food Market Time! March 17th

SUNSET FOOD MARKET TIME AGAIN!

Thursday 17th March

5-9pm

Norwegian Hall

St Thomas rd Musgrave

Being Worth It

As women we tend to do the same thing…all of us are guilty of it at some point or other – we think that we are NOT WORTH IT. Whatever "It" may be, a car, new shoes, that diet you've been putting off, finding a new partner after a breakup. We have all done it.

I have written a Novel – it is nearly ready to go to print, I just need to raise the funds to do so – it has been a BIG "Am I Worth It" experience, to put aside the hours necessary to edit and ready this book has been a constant source of stress for me. Never mind the chance that it might actually make it out there and be a success! (I hyperventilate just thinking about it being in libraries and book stores…) But I have slowly realised that I AM WORTH IT!

A friend of mine had the life changing experience recently of starting to date again after a long stint of single life. After a deep soul search she adventured out there and met someone with whom she is having a great deal of fun, it is great to see! SHE IS WORTH IT!

Why do we do it? Why do we put our needs last? As mothers we are the worst culprits! For example: I arrived home from a family trip and in the car I said

"Wow I am so thirsty and I need the loo!" (overshare  - get over it) and about an hour later my husband said:

"Have you had a drink?"

My answer?

"NO, not yet, no loo either"

Husbands reply was:

"Why not??"

My reply:

"Well, I have made lunch, fed baby K, changed baby K, played with Sav and now she's also settled for a nap…now I can drink and go potty"

I could have easily had a drink and gone to the loo as we got home. I AM WORTH IT.

Even something like dieting and exercise…we put it aside in favour of "duties" like being at home with the kids (when our partners are perfectly capable of looking after the kiddies for one night a week) and often feel guilty for being out of the house! WE ARE WORTH the effort that it takes to look good.

Do you do this? Do you think you are NOT worth it?

I am going to try VERY hard to allow blessings into my life, to take the love and care offered to me, to exercise and eat right for my body, to take time in the bath to read a book, to have that nap, to have the last cappuccino sachet…

WORTH IT.

Sandy Bigara xx

The Sunset Food Market

I believe in supporting LOCAL, this new Sunset market is a great idea and so far it has enjoyed a good start – I need you all to go to this market and let me know what you think! I will hopefully be singing there soon ; )

 

Let's all support Colin and Barbara Penn and make this market a wonderful success!

 

Sandy Bigara

 

 

 

"The Sunset Food Market goes International!

This is Durban's newest hotspot and it's getting bigger and bigger…better and better…

 

You can now eat 'international' in our fabulous tea garden; Hungarian, Thai, Italian, Indian, South African, American and Greek followed by mouth-watering desserts… or you can take it all home with you.

 

Enjoy the mellow sounds of Colin Penn and his Pennants, whilst sipping a few glasses of your favourite from our wine bar. It's the perfect sunset scenario

 

PLUS

 

We have a cheese bar, special diabetic delights, cakes, fresh fruit and veg, mayonnaises, spreads and more. It's all here!

 

IT'S THE PLACE TO MEET…IT'S THE PLACE TO EAT

 

THE SUNSET FOOD MARKET

 

THE NORWEGIAN HALL ( 214 ST THOMAS RD)

THURSDAY 17TH FEBRUARY FROM 5PM TO 9PM

(Free off road safe parking)

 

Hope to see you all there!"

 

Third Time's The Charm - Another Short Story

They say "third times the charm" but as Lindsey waited at the airport she knew that this time it was for real.

The first time she had left him standing before hundreds of people, and missed her wedding, was because she panicked and ran. The second time he was left by himself, alone and humiliated while his mother shook her head and his Father said "I told you so, Martha". She had simply not been ready. This time however she was more ready than she had ever been.

 

Thomas had made things a little more difficult for her this time. He was waiting for her in Gauteng and she was to meet him on a specific street corner where they had bumped into each other five years ago. She held up her cell phone, a week ago he had typed in the details - the number house to meet in front of (she had no memory of the location) and the number of his new cell phone. She hadn't really had a chance to look at them and still could not get used to his new number, it just wouldn't stick in her head.

Her flight left at two and she had to meet him at four o'clock so that he could drive them to their third and final wedding.

 

He had shown her trust by making this wedding as wonderful as the last two. As she waited her stomach turned with excitement. This time tomorrow she would be married! The rules for today where this: He would only wait until five o'clock and then he would leave.

The wedding would be called off and their relationship would finally be over, he would go on their honeymoon alone and that would be the end. She did not know where he was staying, and as she checked her phone to see if the battery was charged, she made a mental note to learn all the details as soon as she was on the plane. With her arm held out dangling her cell phone she rummaged through her carrier bag. Suddenly she was bumped quite roughly from behind. Her cell phone went flying through the air and skidded across the second storey deck that she was standing on; it shot off the edge and went plummeting downwards. It hit one of the jutting supports and shattered before falling with a splash into the giant aquarium which dominated the foyer below. Her heart stopped for a minute. She didn't know all of the facts. She couldn't remember his number. What if something went wrong and she couldn't reach him? He would leave and they would be over for good. She leant on the railing and gasped for air. Her heart felt as if it was being pulled through a mangle!

 

She straightened out and walked slowly towards the departure line and waited, thinking only of him and their life together. She was sure she would be able to find the street corner, she remembered which shopping mall it was near and that there was a pre-school across the road. She started to dream of the beautiful children they would have, the Christmases and birthdays they would spend together. There was no other man for her.

 

As she reached the front of the line she felt her bag move and spun around to see her zipper hanging open. She looked inside the bag and knew instantly, her wallet was gone along with her drivers licence and credit cards. This was the second horrible thing to happen to her, She felt drained and stared ahead slack-jawed. As she reached her queue for flight 333 there was uproar from the crowd around her. She looked up to the flight display board and thought, "third time's the charm"

Next to each flight number red words taunted her:

 

CANCELLED  CANCELLED  CANCELLED

It Moved - Another Short Short Story

Ah yes, I remember now…

It moved, and I'm scared to touch it.

It is alive, and it knows I'm watching.

The warm light shimmers on its tiny wriggling body. I stare, slack-jawed at its details, adjusting Daddy's magnifying glass in my small hand, to get a better view. My big blue eyes follow the jagged edge of its little quivering broken wing, shining golden and translucent. I feel really awful you know, because to my right, about an arms length away in the furry brown carpet, is its other wing. I think I picked it up a bit too roughly and now it can't fly anymore. I'm sure It can still fly in circles though.

 

I think I am going to move it to where I can see it better. I'll take some of Mommy's writing paper here, and slide it under the little thing and carry it, slowly to the porch and into the sunshine. I am amazed at how brilliantly I can see every detail outside in the natural light.

I notice a bright spot of light in the view of the magnifying glass.

 

I have an idea… I have decided that I will have a 'Broadway Show' and the thing is my Broadway Star! I move the beam of white light over the thing and it really knows that it's on stage! It squirms and dances under the bright beam like a dancer in sequins. Then suddenly, a bright flash, and the thing is gone. There is just a fine black smudge and some steaming ash – I think it disappeared, it vanished clean away! It's not even under the paper!

So the thing wasn't a dancer after all, it was a magician!