No offense, but...

 ...stop calling me.

Ah the bane of our lives. Telesales.
I will admit there is a small part of me that feels bad for the poor sods who're earning a living cold calling people. You cannot win. There is never a good time to call anyone if you're not a friend or family member. During office hours, we're working (or writing blogs... ya know?) and after hours you're invading our "me time". How very dare you?
So I do try my best to be polite and patient. Honest.

Actually I've even started to feel bad for the "beep-bank" employee on the radio advert who keeps phoning people only to have his fortune read to him by people who already bank with FNB (or is it Nedbank? See I'm not sure if this series of ad's is effective for me anymore).
I think it started out as a brilliant concept, I mean who hasn't had daydreams about messing with that pushy person interrupting your day. It played nicely on schadenfreude for all of us as well.
But now the campaign is in it's 4th or 5th installment and I'm actually really starting to want to give poor Steve a hug! "Be polite you imaginary bastards! Yes your bank is cooler, but Steve's just doing his job. He has to eat!"
When I caught myself yelling this at my radio the other day I had another of those moments where I realize I'm a bit mad.

The telesales problem has continued to spiral more and more out of control for a lot of people and there are some innovative ways I've seen to try and keep your cool when the 3rd call of the day happens:
• Place your phone on counter and walk away to make some coffee.
• Try to sell THEM your couch. And when they say they already have a couch... just say "precisely"
• Start singing
• or the most popular reaction: talk over them saying "no thanks no thanks" and hang up. This has to be done really quickly before your blood has time to heat up at all, let alone begin to boil.

Then again, there's apparently THIS option someone sent me the other day. I haven't signed up yet, but if I do I'll let you know how it goes and I hope you'll let me know as well if you get to it before me.

"The DCM (Don't Contact Me Database) helps you to make sure your address, email address, telephone and cell number are no longer available to organisations, who are members of the DMA, who want to make offers and send information that you do not wish to receive."

You can of course also do this by contacting companies directly and asking them not to contact you... but WHO has that much time to phone so many people... unless of course you're in telesales.

Awkward. What a cool word!

Just call me Socially Awkward girl!

I had another one of those evenings a friday and a bit ago, where you're sitting in a pub, in your home town and about 9 people you went to high school with stroll in.

What the hell does one do? No matter how hard I try I can't bring myself to stroll over and hand out hugs as if we're long lost friends. Sure, that would be lovely, but I'm half the time not sure they even remember who I am! There've been more than two incidents where the conversation has gone something along the lines of:

"Hi there 'popular person because of your surprisingly strong jawline as a teenage boy from class of 1999'. How are you?"
"Oh hey! Um... Kezia er Kiera right? Yeah! Great! How goes it"

(let it slide let it slide)

"Yes, really well thanks!"
"Are you still with that guy you dated back in highschool? The really short one from the sound and lighting crew?"

(at this point do you still just go with it even though that's completely false... or do you go with the possibly more gut churning "hahah I wish! No I didn't date anyone in highschool... ever. Remember?")

"No, that didn't really go anywhere...since he didn't know about it."
"Oh wait! Aren't you gay now?"
"Not in recent rumours I've heard... I think it died down a bit after 2001."

(Awkward silence as the person tries to decide if I'm joking or not. While I start to giggle like a loon.)

"Anyway it was nice seeing you..."
"Yes definitely! You still have a really nice strong jawline by the way."
(...and flee in terror)

This same Friday in question I was also involved in a conversation that went like this
"What do you think Keyna? Is Jessie more a girl or a boy's name?"
"I think it could be a more boy dog's name?...Oh wait... shit... are we talking about names for your baby?"

SO to all those who spot me out and about from school years, PLEASE see my friendly wave as the heartfelt hello it's actually meant as!
Some believe it's a miracle I venture out in society and have friends at all.
Thank goodness for those that understand my gibberish and especially to my boyfriend who's clearly bloody nuts to stick it out half the time! Bless you!
This is how it went down with us huh?

Just like that.

Dear 2012

First, a small confession about my NYE post. I actually wrote it just before I rushed out to a 3hour car ride to Struisbaai where I knew I'd have no real internet connection to write something up.
This doesn't really make any difference I reasoned, since it was all reflection on 2011 and I was quite convinced that everything that could happen was pretty much wrapped up 3 days before all our calendars flipped over to 2012.
Right?

I still feel fond emotions for 2011 as it treated me quite kindly, but not so much all my friends and family. Seems some rather ridiculous things waited to happen in the last 2 months to people that I only just recently heard about. So here is an extra post... and a small request.

Dear 2012, 
Please be a little kinder to all my close friends and family. I hold them dear because they're already so strong and have proved themselves survivors of sadness and heartache. Could we give those two themes a break and bless them all with happier moments in the months to come. Chat to your friend Karma, because I'm pretty sure she has a lot of debts to pay up – she seems to be fond of slacking.
My friends are beautiful enough...

This song is dedicated to The League (which contains an extraordinary gentleman...).

Gosh 2011...

... You were awesome.

Looking back over previous New Years posts I've done, it's kinda clear that although my 20's weren't the worst years of my life, they weren't exactly a piece of cake either.

This year, I am grateful for so many things, I feel a bit as if I'm bursting when I think about it. This of course makes me very nervous because although I'm often told I can be an incorrigible optimist (read "annoying"), I'm actually pretty good at "Final Destination" imaginings and all too often get the "Crud. I'm happy. What's going to go wrong here?" feeling.

Well, give a big welcome to this years resolution – to banish thoughts like that and relax.
Now on to the list for 2011:

• Travelled! Finally! TWICE! (what more is there to say? That in itself makes me so happy I get a big smile just thinking about it.)

Hopefully in 2012 I'll find a moment to make one of these for our wall at home. Clever ain't it? Express your love for all the places you've seen for all to see.

• Studied. Proud of me. I have no idea if I passed or not yet, but just the fact that I finished something feels just fine thanks!
• Painted. Not the 6 paintings I meant to paint, but 1 for my long-waiting Aunt. Also drew and doodled more than any other year.
• Spent 2 weeks alone with my partner in mischief and we didn't kill each other. We came close twice, but recovered well. (Trust me this is a great thing to be grateful for! Worries are now cast aside)
• B-b-b-b-bb-bought a HOUSE!

2011 is leaving me feeling more rested than I have in quite a while and I'm so grateful to all my friends who have helped make it so. It's weird thinking about everything that has actually happened in the world as it's turned upside down in so many ways. I'd already forgotten half of what happened this year... I hope future children in school will find the number an easy one to remember when they sit in their history exams!

Lets look back with Jib Jab. It's pretty America focussed but still worth a watch, if only for the fact that it's all done by a popsicle stick puppet choir!

P.S. In 2012 I plan on watching a WHOLE lot more Korean cinema and series. Care to join me? If so you're a bit behind but I'll wait for you. On the list so far is the highly recommended "Castaway on the Moon" and then also the chick flick "Sunny". Go! Go! 

Ah yes... and for series watch "The First Shop of Coffee Prince". I was addicted. 

Gong Yoo: More recently stars in "Finding Mr Destiny" and "The Crucible" which are on my to watch list.

(Anyone care to introduce me to him? huh?)