i forgot to mention...

i forgot to mention something that I did on my flight back to Korea from Cape Town. I watched a couple of movies on the plane...

(it was a pretty flight)

I watched three movies that I hadn't yet seen - yes the flight is long, a real saga. 

In fact, let's play a game of 

GUESS THE TRILOGY!

(are you ready?)

twilight. yes, that's correct.

The Fringe Arts

I received an email from Thessa Bos and Chantal Louw from The Fringe Arts a while ago telling me what they do and decided to check out their Art Pop Up project at the V and A Waterfront when I was in Cape Town for the SA Blog awards.

I chatted to Thessa Bos (co-owner) when I was there and found out a little more about The Fringe Arts. 

The Fringe Arts is a mobile art and design collective showcasing the work of South African designers, illustrators and artists. Currently they have contributions from between 50 and 60 different designers including jewellery designers, furniture reconstructors and ceramicists. All their products are conceptualised and manufactured in South Africa. The Fringe Arts POP UP has no permanent address but rather pops up intermittently in interesting and unused spaces. From November 1st, by request, they will be opening in a permanent location on Spier Wine Estate.

a few pics I took when I was there (see more in their facebook gallery)

If you're in the Cape Town Area - go and visit The Fringe Arts Pop Up at shop 6 and 7 Alfred Mall at the VandA Waterfront. If you're (unfortunately) not in Cape Town then check out their facebook site here.

day of extreme mourning.

Today was a day of extreme mourning. 

Let me give you some background: I am a South African Summer child - deathly allergic to cold weather. The first chilly weather has hit South Korea and it is time for me to take my heater out of storage. 

I made the very sad walk over to the big storage room in my building to retrieve the heater that will keep me alive during winter. This heater is (basically) my only life-source in the cold months ahead so you can understand the sign that I had left on it which I had forgotten about: 

This heater is extremely big. (it is as big as my chair.) Actually it is like it's own planet. 

More like a sun.

Here it is next to my delicious strawberry cushion:

This heater is named Chernobyl. Chernobyl has many friends:

"my friend"

"little creep friend"

"abandoned friend"

"R2D2"

Anyway, I digress, back to Chernobyl. When Chernobyl is switched on (as it is right now) it emits such immense light that not only does it look like the sun, but it is also probably emitting highly radioactive nuclear waves.  

In fact I think I can feel the radioactive waves already as I type this and winter hasn't even started...

Could we all please have a moment of silence for the loss of summer in Korea.

*Thank you*

If you are in a warm climate with the sun shining -go outside and EMBRACE it!

PS - this post is dedicated to Rachel Savitz owner of "R2D2" 

and Tony Reifel owner of "my friend"

trip home....

I left Cape Town on Monday morning. it was very sad to say goodbye to the family. but it was lovely to be out in South Africa and to see them

look at how beautiful Table Mountain is! and my family is not even enjoying it because they are too sad because i'm in the airplane.

When I got to the boarding gate in Cape Town - i saw a Korean mom and daughter standing behind me. (i checked out the cover of their passports - me = super-sleuth.) I was so excited to see some Koreans that I used my limited Korean skills to converse:

Using my limited Korean I either said:

"Hello! I'm Che! I'm sad, I'm leaving my family"

or:

"Hello! I'm Che! Buy me a drink!" 

urgh. i did do a whole bunch of mime-crying and I didn't get any drinks out of them- so i'm guessing they got it. anyway, flight to Johannesburg went ok, but when i landed in Johannesburg i suddenly realised:

I DIDN'T WRAP MY BAGS IN PLASTIC! AND I DIDN'T EVEN PUT ONE OF THOSE CABLE TIE THINGIES ON! 

oh well... it's too late now...

(for non-South-African readers - when traveling through Johannesburg airport - it's a precautionary thing to wrap your bags in 'tamper-proof' plastic. i failed to do this. PANIC.)

anyway arrive at OR Tambo Airport International Airport in Johannesburg. 

Now maybe it's me (probably) but the Johannesburg Airport is the most confusing airport in the world:

i'm pretty sure i was just here. Best we take the other path:

Che: um... excuse me sir, can you tell me where Singapore airlines are?

Airport Man: Yes, terminal B.

Che: ok.. thank you very much. (starts walking away)

Airport Man: Lady, do you know where terminal B is?

Che: No! I have NO idea what I'm doing!

Airport Man: Ok... come, I show you.

Finally get to the right gate - thank you lovely Airport Man.

Go through the gate. try to buy an iphone. iphone purchase fail. (it's a long story)

Get onto the airplane. 

Generally my international flying experience goes as follows:

(flying long distance totally sucks. but it is totally worth flying back to South Africa for one week to win two blog awards :) :) and Singapore Airlines was really great.)

Finally made it back to Korea in the cab on the way back to my apartment. Visions of my apartment:

but it wasn't that bad... just really cold :( 

and... best of all Nothing was missing from my luggage! GO AFRICA!

I wish I was still in Cape Town!

*more about the blog awards to come...

What if Wednesday

What if the wheel had never been invented...

Take a road trip

en route...

Sitting in Singapore airport - can't believe I've left Beautiful South Africa already! :(

This is just a fun thing they have at the airport here - it's a wood block thing that you can do crayon rubbings on:

it says: "Make your own woodblock print with local icons. A popular medium of art in Singapore during the 1950s and 1960s the woodblock print technique is less seen today. Take this opportunity to create your own images and icons using these hand carved woodblocks designed by Singapore artist Justin Lee. These woodblock images are inspired by popular culture in Singapore"

i used the back of my paper - i'm green like that.

(sorry these are the unedited photos but i don't have time to fix them in photoshop. i have a plane to catch and i don't want to miss it... i've done that once before.... and it wasn't pretty.)

I'm a WINNER! :)

Last night were the 2010 South African Blog awards. They were held at the One and Only Hotel next to the V & A Waterfront. It is very fancy.

We had some delicious wine and cocktails. 

Che may have overindulged haha - sorry if i was obnoxious to anyone - (in particular the don't party people, {in my defense you were the competition} sorry!) Don't Party is the The Olmeca Edicion Black Best Music Blog winner.

me and my pretty mommy at the awards - perhaps we should have zoomed out. oh well.

Best parenting Blog: The Reluctant Mom

I wore my pink dress that is in all of my cartoons. unfortunately it lost it's triangle shape in transit from Korea... and i had people taking pictures of my multi-coloured-highly-fashionable toenails. (thanks to kristi who painted them) haha. i wouldn't trust che's fashion advice. she just does whatever she wants. rather go with Kim Gray - winner of best fashion blog on that....  

Little indieBerries won Best Havana Club Rum Design Blog and Best Personal blog. 

double whammy! 

YIPPEEE!!!

(me: very happy)

but had serious concern about the prospect of this happening:

thankfully, it did not.

It was a really lovely evening and i had a chance to meet some of the very talented bloggers out there. A huge thanks to everyone who was involved in making such an awesome evening. 

When i got home, my big little-brother gave me a booklet that he had copied from a book that he has called "101 things to do before you're old and boring":

"Dear Che, I was perusing through this book and realised you were the perfect candidate..."

Start your own blog.

(sorry for the terrible picture quality in all of these pics. let's call it post-party jitters)

Win Something.

Succeed at something you're bad at

"In case you didn't catch the joke of the previous page then the next page should illustrate the type of humour that I was talking about. All my love."

cook a meal

(i don't cook. actually i blow stuff up in the kitchen. but simply delicious does... [winner of best new blog and best food and wine blog] )

I have the best brother in the world. and everybody should be jealous that Blake isn't their brother :) Actually my whole family is pretty AMAZEBALLS. thank you mommy and daddy and blake :)

woke up early this morning (jet lag and need for water) and beautiful sunrise out the window.

Best photographic Blog: Guy with Camera

it's my last day in cape town. sob* i don't want to leave! oh well...sigh... champagne breakfast with my amazeballs fam to celebrate. have a lovely Sunday x

the morning after... i'm such a gangster.

Go and check out all the Blog award winners: click here.