In an attempt to break my Netflix series binge addiction I have been trying to find solace in the comfort of a good read. I was at the mall a week ago and there was only one book that could possibly get me to smell the biblichor in a heartbeat. That book is Arundathi Roy’s new gem “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness“. Given that her first novel “The God of Small Things” came out 20 years ago when I was still a fledgling dreaming of a life that was yet unknown; I can confidently

Horror movies have been criticised for their graphic violence and are often dismissed as low budget, B-rated and sensationalist flicks. Nobody seems to care that some highly respected directors and major studios have particulated in the genre. The genre itself is misunderstood and subject to atracks not dissimilar to those found between the blood-stained curtains on the celluloid. For some, horror films are little better than pornography, focused purely on evoking a reaction

Reblogged from TED Blog: Marianna Torgovnick attended the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in North Carolina and shared her Top 9 on TED. Stories We Tell, Manhunt, American Promise and A Will For The Woods are my preferred documentaries to look out for in 2013. Stories We Tell is a 2012 documentary film by Sarah Polley that chronicles the story of her family, including the revelation that the filmmaker was the product of an extramarital affair. The film looks at the relat

By my calculations (which are always questionable…), considering that I generally finish a novel or book within 48 hours, in my 40 years of life I should have been able to have read nearly 3,500 titles in my time. Well, that hasn’t happened… My favourite authors are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Irving, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, John Saul, Mitch Albom and Salman Rushdie. I should most probably add Bentley Little, Richard Laymon and Terry Pratchett to that line up too. “Favourite”

And, so, I am now offiically in my 40′s. That’s a lot of living under the belt. The very first CD “we” (my hubby) bought was The Simpsons Sing The Blues… I am not ashamed. I still have an awesome collection of Vinyls with really good music on them. I will never forget the exact moment when I first heard Rock Me Amadeus by Falco or literally danced like no one was watching to Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. School was bearable because of the rebellious tracks like We

Auld Lang Syne The song, “Auld Lang Syne,” is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the New Year. In spite of the popularity of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, it has aptly been described as the song that nobody knows. Even in Scotland, hardly a gathering sings it correctly, without some members of the party butchering the words. Written by Robert Burns in 1741, it was first published in 1796 after Burns’ death. “Auld Lang Syne” li

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful to all the artists out there who fill the gaps in my life with their expressions of painting, music and poetry. My life would be incomplete without all the richness that they bring to my world. I am more content for it.

Sometimes I wonder whether people who keep up with social media and blogging ever get to read a 'good-old-book' anymore. It would be a great pity if pop culture led to a generation of people who are led and informed only by other people's opinions, and not through their own analysis and conclusions which reflection and investigation provides. Of course it is easier to read a couple of blogs in one day than time would permit to sink your teeth into a decent novel. And, our liv

I loved this video! There's a quote that says "she didn't know she couldn't do it, so she went ahead and did it"; this clip sums up this quote for me. The power of believing in yourself and never giving up...

This is a review I wrote for jozikids.co.za. Fireball! was a puppet show about the 2010 soccer extravaganza with a wonderful South African twist. Click here to goto the review. Please leave a comment so I know you’ve been reading…