Curry and Champagne

We were invited to a dinner party on the night before Christmas Eve. 

Our lovely host cooked up A STORM. All sorts of curry dishes: fish, chicken, veggie...absolutely delicious. I loved how he explained each dish to us, what was in it and its proper name. We had some naan and rice with, what seemed like, an endless supply of champagne to accompany all the curries. 

Dinner was served outdoors, in a cabana. After dinner we started playing Heads Up. ***SIDEBAR: If you do not have this game, go into your App Store and download it now! It's basically charades with a bit of a twist.*** We had many hilarious rounds of Heads Up before jumping in the pool to chill a bit.

The rest of the night consisted of yummy desert, singing of carols and reenactments of recent news stories (don't ask). It was fun, to say the least and it finally got me into the Christmas spirit. Being surrounded by so much love made the difference. 

Mandela at the Union Buildings

Fun fact: South Africa has three capital cities.

The administrative part of South African government is seated the Union Buildings in Pretoria.  I took a trip to Pretoria (or Tshwane) to visit an old friend and also because, I just HAD TO see the new Nelson Mandela statue, that was recently unveiled.

The Union Buildings area is so pretty. The buildings are situated on a hill with lots of stairs, green grass, trees, flowers, Italian architecture. It seems like a nice place to hang out and get a good view of the city. The statue is just WOW. For me, this is what comes to mind when I think of the word statuesque. I really do love it.  It is huge and the open arms fit so well with who Madiba was. Job well done to whoever made it.

Here are a few pictures, but you should really go and see for yourself.

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Rain Urban Boutique Spa

My sister surprised me and one of her friends with a visit to Rain Urban Boutique Spa in Rosebank. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was excited but also a bit nervous about driving, it always takes getting used to because everything is opposite. The drive was a breeze (if we don't discuss the countless traffic lights that were not working), we had a bit of trouble finding the spa once we arrived at The Zone (our fault) but it was definitely worth the trouble. I had a pleasant afternoon there.

We were greeted by the lovely Amanda, who owns the spa. We were led upstairs and served a small cup of tea and some slippers to help us relax while she explained what our experience would be. The spa offers customised massages, meaning you choose everything. They even have a wide selection of music from light vocal jazz to wind instruments and piano. I chose the vocal jazz. 

Next we were introduced to our masseuses and off we went. I chose a full-body hot stone massage. I started by having my feet soaked, scrubbed and massaged while sitting in the chair and then we moved to the main event. My masseuse was great and very attentive, always making sure I was comfortable with the pressure etc.

After we were finished with our treatments, we relaxed for a bit and then went downstairs. We were served a cool glass of water to rehydrate and a small snack, some grapes and granola bar. I love the decor at Rain, very clean and minimalist. The blue paint is refreshing and really offsets all of the white. One of my favourite things was the shelf above. Half of a Yellow Sun was there and a book on start-ups along with some other interesting titles. I love to read, so I really felt that was a nice touch.

I really enjoyed my day at Rain. I would definitely recommend it, if you are looking for chic and attentive service.

Rain Urban Boutique Spa

Loft Office #6, First Floor, 

The Zone Phase II, Rosebank, Sandton

Tel: +27 11 447 4534

http://www.rainurbanboutiquespa.com

I Have Moved

One year and two days ago, I had just finished writing my first set of law school final exams. Now that I was finished with exams and was sure that I did well, it was time to break it to my parents that I was leaving law school and I wanted to move back home, to Zimbabwe. 

Today, I am sitting in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was a long and difficult journey just to get to the point of getting on that plane at JFK. There is a very thin line between having faith and being reckless or foolish. Sometimes, I'm not sure which side of that line I am on, but I do know that I have never felt more happy with and sure of myself. I have worked for things and spoken others into existence, all for the vision that I have. Over the past year, I have thought critically about what I believe, what I am willing to sacrifice and how far I am willing to go to achieve my goals. My faith in God and in my own abilities has deepened. There are some people who I will be eternally grateful to, for their constant support and belief in me. It made SUCH a difference and helped me to take a leap of faith. 

 I'll admit that I sometimes wish I had a crystal ball to predict the future. Uncertainty is unsettling, I have no idea if things will play out the way I want them to but I am at ease. I am here because I am on a mission. There is no other place in the world I would like to contribute to and build something, than Zimbabwe. My home.