Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Dog's Bollocks


On Saturday, I went to the Dog's Bollocks for the first time. I'd heard so much about this place and was super excited to try it out. 

For those of you who don't know, The Dog's Bollocks is a secret burger joint in Gardens that's just recently opened. News has spread like wildfire that this is where one can sample the best burgers in Cape Town.

Now, as everyone knows, in Cape Town we have two main competitors contending for "Best Burger in Cape Town" - Royale Eatery and Hudson's. I've eaten at both, and I think that Royale is more date night than cool, cheap hangout. As for Hudson's, the burgers are good and the toppings are creative. But still, there's always room for more!

The Dog's Bollocks is set up in an alley way just off Buitenkant. The decor is simple and kinda kitsch, in the best way. Garden chairs, pot plants and a small one man cooking area teamed with chilled music and the eccentric owner make up a very cool, relaxed little place.




Maar, wat vannie burgers? There are about eight or ten to choose from, with such interesting names. How about a Chocolate Molé or a Pepperberry Mushroom?

I went for the Jalapeno Cheese, while Boyfriend and HNPB chose the 1950's Slider and the Chilli Cheese burgers. 




And man, were they good! They were huge, HUGE, I tell you! Home made juicy patties, delicious, fresh ingredients. The cheese sauce concoction on my Jalapeno Cheese was so good




There's no waiter, no bills, hardly anything at all. Just good, old fashioned burgers. Delish. 

I will definitely be going again. Like every week. You should too. 


The prices range from R50 - R55, I don't think there was one that was more than R55. 










Sunday, January 29, 2012

SIX 2012

Yesterday, Boyfriend, HNPB and I went to the Southern Ink Exposure Tattoo Convention, to check out some tattoo artists. I didn't get anything done, but did chat to Leon from Sins of Style, about what I want to have done, and booked myself in for Tuesday afternoon. SO EXCITE!

I want to get two swallows facing each other on my shoulder blades. 

Poppin' my tattoo cherry!

The poster for the tattoo conv art exhibition


The gig I died to go to, and still didn't make



Boyfriend giving duckface

ah. freaks in love

ooh!

Just really liked the stone floor juxtaposed with the stone shorts
Pervert


Examples of what I would like to get


Friday, January 27, 2012

16 Stitch

Who remembers 16 Stitch? God, I remember listening this when I was about fifteen/sixteen and feeling so fucking hardcore. I totally had a SA rock revival in my bedroom tonight - The Narrow, Pestroy, Not My Dog, 16 Stitch, I got too excited and couldn't sleep, so I decided to share it with yooou. Also a new band, Newtown Knife Gang - so effing awesome they deserve their own post. 


So here's a short playlist, time for bed, barbies, your pretty little ears will break.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Compare












Here's a little Maxi Jazz...

Just because. 





Linton Kwesi Johnson - Dub Poet

Please allow me to introduce you to the amazing dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson. 


Born in Jamaica and raised in the UK, Johnson is one of two living poets to have his work published in the Penguin Classic Series, and the only black poet. So he must be pretty damn good. 


Aweh.


Y'all know how much I love ska and dub, so when I came across LKJ I was ecstatic. 


LKJ sets his mainly politically themed poetry to soul shaking dub-reggae music, rapping about the hardships he has experienced living as an Afro Caribbean in the UK during the seventies and eighties.




When I listen to his music, I immediately think of Maxi Jazz from Faithless. Both artists have this cool, collected style, rapping about hardcore, emotional life situations. 


LKJ is regarded as one of the predecessors to modern day rap, and I sure am glad I got this album.


Here's some of his work.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

New Followers!

Welcome to my new followers! And thank you to those who also follow on Instagram! 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Monday's Movie - Underworld: Awakening

Dressed in that infamous black leather cat suit and flowing cloak, guns cocked and piercing azure eyes a blazing, Kate Beckinsale plays Selene, the warrior vampiress. Don’t expect too much after that, though. This reboot tries very hard to bring the vampire series back to life, but fails despondently - mainly due to a poor script and storyline.  

After trying to escape the city, Selene and Michael are captured during “The Purge”, a human movement to rid Earth of all vampires and lycans. They are imprisoned in cryogenic suspension for 12 years at Antigen, a corporation looking to find a cure to all vampirism and lycanthropy

Selene, known as Subject One, is released by another captive, Subject Two, whose identity we are yet to learn. Upon escape she discovers a world where almost all vampires and lycans have been killed off by genocidal humans.

Selene starts to see mysterious mental flashes of someone else’s point of view. Assuming it to be Michael, she is surprised to discover they belong to Subject Two, Eve (India Eisley).  


With the help of the compassionate detective, Sebastian (Michael Ealy), and a sexy vampire named David (Theo James), Selene must break back into Antigen to rescue her hybrid daughter, the ethereal Subject Two, who is being held captive by the poorly portrayed villain, Dr Jacob Lane (Stephen Rea). 

Rea’s performance is unconvincing, an underdeveloped character that could have been so much more, and the same goes for the rest of the supporting cast. A host of bland and boring characters, quite unlike the fascinating, interesting characters in the previous installments.

There are many intense action scenes, one after another, fending off genetically modified monster Lycans, which the male audience should enjoy. I certainly did not.

The entire film had a rushed feeling to it, especially during the beginning and at the end. It felt like an extended TV episode, mainly due to the fact that the new directors, Mans Marlind and Bjorn Stein, have mainly TV direction experience.

The film was pointless, relying on the previous installments for background information. With virtually no plot, this Underworld chapter does not do the previous films justice, and should surely appeal to diehard fans only.

There is an unsure ending, leaving space for another sequel, if this one brings enough turnover in at the box office. Oh, how Hollywood does love a faux end.

A film to skip, taking an idea a little too far. As the saying goes, quit while you’re ahead.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Now, Ladies

A Haiku




Gray and cold mountain
Clouds swirling and wind gusting
Warm inside, my heart





Sunday, January 15, 2012

Billie Achilleos for Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton commissioned the highly talented artist Billie Achilleos to design these gorgeous animal sculptures made from, *gasp*, hundreds of cut up Louis Vuitton bags, belts and wallets.









Why? To celebrate Louis Vuitton's 100th anniversary. The world renowned fashion house has named this campaign "Maroquinaris Zoologica".

The artist Billie Achilleos describes herself as a "Versatile Artist and Maker of Things". And that she is. 

 From Billie's blog: (which you should totally check out - it's awesome!)
"Each animal highlights an element in the design of the products. The Armadillo was to highlight the soft yet durable quality of the leather. The Chameleon displays the variety of colour. The Grasshopper is constructed from products with zips and poppers that make satisfying noises like that of the musically gifted insect. And finally my favorite, the Beaver, who’s functionality chops wood, builds dams…and provides cleaver ways of organizing ones life in men’s bags and wallets."
Here's the 'Making of' Video:

Word of the Week



Verbal Handcuffs - Taken from Urban Dictionary 



When someone won't stop talking (usually about a subject you have no interest in). The talker has verbally forced you to stand there there and listen, even though you have given many clues that you have checked out. Examples: vacant stares, looking at your watch, checking your phone, answering in short one word phrases.
Girl 1 :So then I realized my cat really likes Meow Mix more than Frisky's but only if I mix it with Fancy Feast.

Girl 2: (Stares blankly)

Girl 1: Unless of course it's Chicken Livers from 9 Lives, Snowball loves that. It's her favorite.

Girl 2: Uh-huh.

Girl 1: Of course on her birthday I give her the good stuff, real tuna!

Girl 2: (Thinks fuck me, verbal handcuffs)

Wimpy's Braille Burgers

Fast food ads usually inspire feelings such as mirth, guilt (for me anyway), surprise, and normally, horror at the amount of cheese on that burger! But Wimpy has just launched a touching ad campaign aimed at the blind.

It shows Wimpy's chefs meticulously placing sesame seeds to create messages in Braille on burger buns, such as “100% beef burger just for you” etc.

We then see the buns delivered to a few sight impaired people, with their surprised and overjoyed reactions to the burger’s messages filmed. 

It is extraordinarily moving to see their reactions when they realize that their burger is talking to them. The video explains that “For people who use their hands as their eyes, this is the first time they could do more than just taste their food, they could see it.” :D

According to 2006 data, there are more than 300,000 blind people in South Africa. And this ad is part of Wimpy’s campaign to make SA more aware of that fact. The video was made to “let people know that Wimpy is a place where everyone can feel at home.”  

Did you know that Wimpy has been producing their menus in Braille since 2002? I wish there were more restaurants making this effort!

I noticed a few things though:

The entire ad is totally visual, with no voiceover or any kind of vocal explanation for their target, the visually impaired, and even though it shows the ad going viral in the social network world on blind-friendly computers and smart phones, I’m sure that there is quite a large majority of impoverished blind people (especially in South Africa) who do not have access to computers, or are computer illiterate!

I also spotted that the oven in the ad was quite grimy. Icky!

All in all I think the ad was well done, and hope that it does make one appreciate the efforts Wimpy make next time they eat there.

I have been told of a friend of a friend who is blind, and how she has to feel her food to recognize what it is. I can only imagine how technology enriches the lives of the blind, and hope that some profits from this ad will go to equipping blind institutions and charities.

The ad won "Ad of the Month - November"

While researching this post, I read how a blind woman was turned away from McDonald’s because she had her guide dog with her. SO unfeeling!

Here’s the ad, what do you think?


Hope You're Having an Awesome Sunday!

Things that are awesome to do on a lazy Sunday

1. Sleep late and have yummy breakfast in bed. Hopefully you have someone lovely to make said breakfast in bed. 


2. Play card games all day - it's been so hot we've taken to sitting in our underwear next to the fan playing poker and Rummy 



3. Reading lazily on the couch/bed/floor


4. Baking cookies!


5. Watch hours and hours of TV series. I mean hours!

Friday, January 13, 2012

Mmmm Breakfast!

Well, like I mentioned a few weeks ago, I started a little exercise routine. Check it out here. I've doubled and increased it over the past few weeks a few times, so I'm starting to see and feel results. >YAY<

Sometimes I just felt so exhausted later in the day, and so hungry, that I knew that I must have be doing something wrong. It definitely comes down to what you are eating to sustain your body after all of this physical stuff! 

I normally do my exercise before breakfast and then would follow it with oats, but was I still feeling SO TIRED. I did some research and turns out that eggs are the perfect breakfast. Poached, boiled, scrambled, fritatta style, whipped up into an omelette, any old eggs!

My favourite is poached eggs, but they are quite tricky, nay impossible when done the traditional way, to make, so I thought I'd share a little tip with you! CLING FILM!


Here's a step by step guide. You can thank me later...



STEP 1: Line a ramekin with a square of cling film
STEP 2: Drop a tiny bit of veggie oil onto the clingfilm, making the film is covered nicely. Then crack an egg into it
STEP 3: Twist the clingfilm shut 
STEP 4: Lower the pouch into a pan half-filled with simmering water, cook for three minutes
STEP 5: Submerge the whole thing in iced water. 
Once it has cooled down enough, turn the film out, and VOILA, amazing poached eggs!
Yum! Boyfriend, take me for eggs benedict NOW!

SO here's the proper way to do it, it's all about whirling the water into a small hurricane like affair. Let me know if you get it right, it's so damn hard!

The perfect poached egg - recipe *poached* from Felicity Cloake

Large pinch of salt
1 large fresh egg, preferably organic 
1 drop of malt or white wine vinegar (optional)

1. Half fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt.
2. Meanwhile, crack the egg into a small jug or bowl and add a drop of vinegar.
3. Stir the boiling water vigorously with a balloon whisk until you have a whirlpool then immediately slip the egg into the centre, lowering the jug a couple of centimetres into the water.
4. Turn the heat down low, and cook for three minutes – use a timer to prevent overcooking.
5. Drain the egg on kitchen paper, and serve immediately. If you're poaching it in advance, drop it straight into a bowl of iced water instead, or it will carry on cooking; to reheat, simply warm the egg through in a pan of gently simmering water.


If this is all too much effort for you, get yourself a pair of these - silicone egg poachers. I saw a pair at AtHome, and I will be buying them in the not too distant future. Easy and cute. 


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Monday's Movie - Midnight in Paris

A delightful and magical Woody Allen film starring Owen Wilson as Gil Pender, an accomplished American screenwriter working on his first novel, which his wife, Inez (Rachel McAdams) dismisses as a flimsy daydream. They join Inez’s wealthy, right wing parents on a business trip to the city of love, Paris. This film is a gem for those infatuated with classic American literature and iconic 20th century artists.

Gil is obsessed with the romance of Paris, the sidewalk cafes, markets, gorgeous parks and wonderful art scene, while Inez is an obsessive planner, shopper and money spender. McAdams depicts herself absorbed rich, whiney character flawlessly, and it’s quite sad to realize how many women out there are so similar.

Gil goes along with Inez and her stiff, oh-so-boring parents for the first few days, shopping for chairs costing $22000 and dining at Paris’ finest gastronomies. They are joined by Inez’s friend Paul (Michael Sheen) and his wife. Inez finds Paul wonderful and intelligent, while Gil, and most viewers should too, is annoyed by his constant pretentious intellectual remarks.

One evening after a boozy dinner, Paul suggests they all go dancing. Sick of his constantly pedantic personality, Gil declines the offer and goes on a little stroll. This is where the magic begins! Gil is picked up by an antique car, and goes along with the passengers to a party. Upon arrival he meets a couple by the name F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. At the piano is Cole Porter, singing songs declaring his love for Paris. Very much confused, the evening carries on, with Gil meeting Ernest Hemingway and other writers from the era. Gil slowly puts two and two together, figuring out what is happening.

The next evening he tries to explain what has happened to Inez, taking her to the spot he was picked up at, hoping to show her this fascinating phenomenon. She tires of waiting and leaves in a taxi.

Ten minutes later, the clock strikes midnight and another antique car, this time with Hemingway as passenger rolls up. He takes Gil as promised to meet Gertrude Stein, to read and give her opinion on Gil’s novel. Kathy Bates plays the no nonsense American just as I have always pictured her – strong, wise, opinionated and practical.

Gertrude introduces him to Pablo Picasso and his lover Adriana, who is played by the wonderfully seductive Marion Cotillard. Gil starts to fall in love with her, and she shows him the Paris he has always dreamt of, the smokey bars, the music halls, the cocky waiters and the inspirational art scene

There is incredible attention to detail in this film. The costumes and scenery are perfect – adding an overwhelming sense of authenticity. One can almost smell the fresh croissants and espresso in the street scenes.

Marion Cotillard’s performance is outstanding. Her portrayal of the whimsical Adriana is romantic, and to the tee. She yearns to live in the 1890’s just as Gil hankers after the Jazz Age.

Adrien Brody is brilliant as the over the top Salvador Dali – for me this is the star performance of Midnight in Paris. He is eccentric, wild, intelligent and just as strange as Dali was.

This is Woody Allen’s 41st film as well as one of his most highly acclaimed films in the past twenty years or so. I imagine him to have had a lot of fun writing and directing this, as he is known for his love of Paris and literature.  Those who share his love of art and literature will fall in love with this captivating story.

My favourite quote of the entire movie:
Man Ray: A man in love with a woman from a different era. I see a photograph! 
Luis Buñuel: I see a film! 
Gil: I see insurmountable problems! 
Salvador DalĂ­: I see rhinoceros! 

Here's the trailer. 
Til next time 
Xoxo





Monday's Movie

Hi folks :) What's crackening?


I love movies and spend quite some time watching and chatting about them with my friends, so I have decided to write a film review every Monday. These will be reviews of new releases, old school classics, my favourites and anything that you, lovely readers, request. So feel free to leave comments, or email me!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Fifty First Dates

This blog post is especially for my silly boyfriend - I love you Morkypooh! (CHEESE!)


Have you seen the movie Fifty First Dates? Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. It's one of my favourite RomComs. And the soundtrack is awesome. It's set in Hawaii so there's lots of reggae and beachy island style tunes. My favourite! And 311 feature as well. Very happy Carmi.


Playboy Henry (Adam Sandler) falls instantly in love with the beautiful Lucy (Drew Barrymore),only to discover that she has short term memory loss, and doesn't remember him next day. The story progresses with lots of funny antics, Henry trying to get Lucy to remember him and epically failing. It's a sweet and touching story with loads of typical Adam Sandler laugh out loud moments and a romantic ending.


New Year's Whattylutions?

I'm not one for New Year's Resolutions - I normally set myself goals for the year, 3 month, 6 month, and long term goals. But this year I have decided to have a resolution. Just one.


I want to be healthy and fit.


I don't want to be skinny, I'm not into that. I wanna look like myself, just more glowy. Because when I think healthy, I think toned, tanned and sexy.


So I started exercising again last week. And it's fun.


So this is the routine I do every morning. I do it twice, and plan to increase it every week.







I turn up my favourite music and just get into it.


Then when I'm craving unhealthy food I go over to Stirring the Pot and have food porn time. Seriously. It's such a yummy site. 


What are your New Year's Resolutions? 


Xxx

Monsieur Pricé

Mr Price has some really pretty things at the moment. 


On my wish list are:
Jumpsuit - because I am way too lazy to put a top and shorts on


Feather tunic - because I am all about extra large
long tops, tights and sneakers for a laid back look
Flamingo Sweater - because you can
never go wrong with a cute sweater