I’m drinking in “all” the FAME!

I’m a bit giggly today. I LOVE having stuff I said or written be published or recorded. I originally said that my blogging and YouTube career will be a hobby, but MAN wouldn’t it be nice if I get to have 1 million friends all around the world? A girl can dream, hey.

So, we have this in-house magazine at the university for their employees. It is published once a month and they have interesting stuff (and not so interesting stuff) in there. It’s called “eish!” . The really cool part is (well I think it is) is that it gets published in 3 languages (Afrikaans, English and Tswana) to accommodate everyone. How neat is that! 

Let me explain why I am so giggly about this in-house publication today. They asked this question in the previous edition, “If you could invite anybody (dead or alive) to dinner who would you invite and what would you like to discuss with them?” My colleague and I had a little discussion who we would invite and I thought to myself, what the heck I will send it in and see what happens. 

To my surprise (no really, I was seriously surprised considering that there is more than 10 000 employees and the university), I got a call one day asking me for a photo. At first I thought “what?”, “cool”, “wait! why?” and as the guy started explaining I’m like “hell yeah!!”,  I made it into the magazine! Hooray! 

So, who will I invite you ask, none other than Abraham Lincoln. For some unexplainable reason he intrigues me. If one day I have saved up enough money I would LOVE to visit Washington DC and visit his gigantic seat and of course record a video and take lots of pictures! Who wouldn’t!?

This is the page as it was published in the magazine.

It is in Afrikaans, but here is the English version:

Ms Elre van den Heever (that's me!), administrative assistant, Examination Section, Potchefstroom Campus: “I think the best person to invite to dinner would be Abraham Lincoln.”

“Although I don’t know much about American history, I would like to know what he did to deserve his enormous seat in Washington DC. It is definitely one of the places I would love to visit one day.”

“I would like to ask him if he always spoke the truth. I would like to do a lie detector test with him to see how truthful his answers are.”

Yes, this is my piece that is going to make me famous! haha I wish! 

So, this is my bonus blog for the week. I couldn’t wait till Saturday and seeing that I have to stay active I thought I’ll spoil you with extras ‘cause that is how I role! hahaha

I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment, please follow. Lots and lots still to come!

Have an awesome day!

e xx :)

Cansa relay for life_Potchefstroom

I actually don't know how to start my blog today. It's all a merry go round in my head, so let me just line up my thoughts.

Okay, last week we participated in the Cansa relay for life Potchefstroom event. Now, here is a very nice summary of what this is about:

"CANSA Relay For Life is part of an international movement that unites cancer survivors and the communities that care about them. It offers everyone in a community, both young and old, the opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer and to honour those who have been touched by cancer. It is an opportunity for SURVIVORS and their loved ones to fight against cancer together. Relay For Life is a fun, overnight team event, which is volunteer-driven and community owned. At Relay, teams of 10-15 friends, neighbours, families and co-workers commit to having at least one team member walking around the track at all times for 18-24 hours, because cancer neither slumbers nor sleeps."(https://www.facebook.com/potchrfl)

It was supposed to be held in March, but we had so much rain that they had to postpone it. Any who, it took place the 17th of May. So geared in our "outfits"  we set off on our 12 hour day.

All lo-ve-ly (can you hear the sarcasm?) 

We ate a-lot of "not allowed foods", but hey, we walked it off right? hehe It was really nice. I love the food at events. You don't get it under "normal" circumstances. 

So, Ice cream, cotton candy, chocolate doughnuts and coffee it was!

My friend was so nice to come and say hi. I appreciate it. That is really nice.

 

She even did 2 rounds with me.

Now, we worked on a 400m distance for this field so after about 5 or 6 hours (I can't remember now) I reached my 10km goal. That was officially the farthest I have ever walked. Oh my goodness, my dog just farted. HOLD YOUR BREATH! It dies from inside! hehehe Anyway. I have proof of my 10km. Like in this picture. So, all the rounds we did after that was "bonus" levels!

So, on and on we went and by just after 8 we decided this is it. We are done. We were both so crooked and I promise you I couldn't stand up straight any more!! Everything was stiff. My feet, legs, my hands, my body. Man, I think I aged  10 years! We even had blisters! OUCH!

We calculated and concluded, it was a total of 21km!!!!!!!!! Officially the farthest and longest I have walked in my LIFE!

The day was precious to me. I did this for my gran who passed away in 2010 because of cancer. I also did it to celebrate the people who won the fight. I was so emotional when the survivors did they victory walk and all along the field there was bags with candles in memory and celebration of the brave people. It touched my heart. 

I am glad that I could be a part of this day and I hope that they will find a cure one day. 

We were totally dead beat the evening, but it was worth it and I will do it over and over again!

I don't have much to say. It was a emotional, precious day and worth all the pain for the 3 days thereafter. 

I will speak to you soon or sooner!! 
e xx

Ouma, dit was vir jou en ek mis jou elke dag! Ek sal jou eendag sien!

How (NOT) to bake a cake!

I really like baking. Really I do. I am not that good at it though, but it makes me yell of pure frustration, throw a lot of things around the kitchen, scare my husband and then when I see the end product..bliss and sometimes a tantrum. Yup, that’s my order of baking.

So, my friend is visiting from Australia and she came to stay with us for 1 night (which would have been 3 weeks, but due to super allergic reactions to my kitty she could not-I forgive you my friend-I’m joking with you. It was really super bad..the allergies)

I wanted to treat her to some dessert after dinner and I found this lovely 7 minute recipe for microwave chocolate cake and it was a “Eureka” –moment. Not expensive at all and easy peasy...IF you follow and read the recipe BEFORE you start baking and NOT substitute any ingredient.

As I was taught in school in Home Economics, I collected all the ingredients and grouped them together and got everything ready (almost). I did not have coco and white sugar so that’s the two ingredients I substituted with brown sugar and coffee.

And off I go. Start my video and I am happy and excited and tongue tied. First mistake, I added ingredients together that should not have been added together and I am all chatty and realise this when I actually read the instructions. Embarrassing!! Well, you just laugh it off. Second mistake, halfway through I realise I did not add the baking powder. Third mistake, I had a pretty good plan for the bowl (I did not have), I just created my own, which would have worked if it was bigger...

So, after I “corrected” my “little” mistakes, the cake is on its way to the microwave in a make-shift bowl and ready for the 7 minute heat. In my excitement I watched the microwave like a hawk and I promise you it did not make it to 3 minutes when I saw it all going way west.

Half of the batter boiled over onto the glass and my first reaction is “man, now I have to clean all of it”and damn, we might not have cake (keeping in my mind that I threw a little tantrum if you remembered what I told you in the beginning). In a way to “save” the cake I adjusted the watt of the microwave, but it was too late. I let the 7 minutes run out and yes, this is what I was left with...

 

 

 

Not to disappoint my viewers and convince myself that it is not THAT bad, I let it cool, got it out of the bowl (by the way it broke into pieces) and presented it. It was not a pretty picture, but I was in such a great mood that I laughed about it and thought; well this is going to make a great video and blog off course.

I learned a few lessons:

* Do not substitute ingredients the first time around and after you understand what the functions of each are.

*Your make shift bowl is not always the best idea

*READ, with reading you will go far in life.

*Laughing is the best medicine

We had a laugh at my little mishap, my friend said it did not taste that bad (I knew it did, coffee is not a good substitute for coco) and we enjoyed our cup of coffee. I made a promise that I will bake her something marvelous and I will re-bake the cake (after pay day). So I got some stuff to do and a promise to keep!

Keep smiling, let me know your thoughts in the comment section 

Speak to you soon or sooner!

exoxo