Salutation

It’s amazing how quickly things can change. Welcome, Nikki ;-) . Have a look around, and I hope you find something you like. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Songs about August

Today was probably the first time that I listened to the "Live Across a Wire" album from the Counting Crows, and it once again took me back to those first memories of the Crows. Its a sweet reminder of why I fell in love with them; our long term relationship remains solid. If you don't have the album, go out and buy it now, get in a car and drive into the night with only the music as company. If you have nowhere to go, so much the better. If you can't get a car, collapse on a sofa and just shut down. And stop making excuses.

Celebrity Make-over

I'm always tinkering with this site. It's a year old now and I'm working (little-by-little) on re-doing the entire thing with PHP and SQL. This is mainly just for me for practice. Plus it makes maintenance easier. And it might work better. Anyway, until I get the new things up and running, the updates will lag a bit; I'll still be posting, but with all the work, there isn't much to say.

When everything is done, you hopefully won't see the difference (unless you have a trained eye). ;-)

What Happened??

I know that, somewhere, there exists people who are not students: they continue and August is just another month. The year continues its steady pace and time rolls by like it usually does. The trees have only just started to bloom and I suspect that in the Northern half of the world there isn’t even a hint of autumn yet.

Somewhere in South Africa, however, there is a little town in a frenzy. The Maties have already started decorating their Christmas trees, because they know: the year is over.

This quarter, which has only just started, is over in two weeks’ time. And everyone knows that the final quarter is a write-off. The academic year ends (for the lucky ones) in early November, which suddenly seems awfully close.

Too much to do, too little time. The end of the month suddenly seems like a tsunami wave approaching silently.

Slow Motion

So ends another academic week... it feels as if the last Friday was two days ago...

Things are weird at the university: it feels as if the "academic spirit" is in limbo. Its weird when you think about it. The work continues, but it isn't difficult or new (or, sometimes, interesting) - its just work. Not too much, not too little. We're a month into the final semester; things usually starts to pick up around now. Usually we'd say its the calm before the storm, but this feels different; literally like a depression of the greater academic authority. It leaves you feeling uncomfortable. I don't know...

Maybe I'm just paranoid.

I'm going home for the weekend. Mmm, my own bed..

Silent Sunday

This entire weekend has been bleh. Everyone’s either deceased or animated. I didn’t get around to anything important. Meh. That’s how the mood in the whole house (if not the whole peninsula) has been, tho.

The day after tomorrow is Women’s Day. Its now a public holiday, but Women’s Day has always been good to me. In primary school they would always take all the girls into the assembly to listen to talks and stuff, while we got like this super long break. Now it allows me a day without classes. To all the women in the world, an honest, sincere, heartfelt, thank you! :-)

Tomorrow is going to be fickle.

I think I’m going out to go to a movie now.

Back in August

This morning heralded in not only a new day and a new week, but also the start of August, my self proclaimed quasi-insightful time of year. August has no significant meaning for me (apart from it being my brother’s birth month). I am not more inspired than at any other time. Our minds have been dulled to the spectacle of dead leaves on a tree, rain is no longer revitalizing but irritating and the cold that burns your lungs not rejuvenating, but rather smothering. In this time life is engulfed by another wave of work and academic responsibilities. Life continues and we settle for what must now surely be mundane.

That’s why I (probably sub-consciously) chose this month to re-examine everything with fresh ideas. When I had to create an identity for this site I was drawn by the dark and colds nights and the loneliness of empty streets and rooms as the winter reaches its zenith. Although I somehow ended up with an autumn feel, I liked it and the top banner and buttons at the bottom that’s frames everything remain my intellectual retreat. There is something about this month that strikes me – it seems to hide secrets everybody is too busy or too tired to seek out. Somewhere far away, where I grew up, spring has already begun and Eden can be found on a sandy meadow. August also holds opportunities that have always been there, but now has new meanings.

It’s all psychology. That doesn’t make it wrong. It also doesn’t make it less real. Its real to me and it plays a constructive role, therefore I declare it real. Easy, isn’t it? The critical point is that I am also not less inspired than at any other time.

If it means anything to you or to anyone else, I hope you find your inspiration.

In July, the pieces were set up. Now, in August, the game will play out.