The Barefoot Cafe, Cintsa East, Wild Coast

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When my sister’s friends in freaking Australia told her that she has to try The Barefoot Cafe in Cintsa East, we thought that it is definitely something that we had to see!

We dragged the whole family there for breakfast and loved it. It’s totally hippy and very very chilled out. Owned by surfers, the food’s good, with a range of breakfasts (definitely a hangover breakfast menu), burgers and pizzas. Interesting menu, I must say…’chicken is a vegetable’??? No chance of a decaf soy latte, but that’s okay, we’re all pretty chilled!

It’s all about the vibe and I can imagine having some decent parties in that bar – especially with ‘Surfers on Acid’ on the menu…hmmmm…

If you’re in the Cintsa area this December, go check it out and join their Facebook Group if you’re interested in keeping up with them.

Loved it.

Guilt-free food?

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I’m not talking about calories here – I’m talking actual physical guilt. The guilt you feel when you cause another to be hurt, or take part in that suffering some way.

We are all guilty of blindly eating foods that we have no idea where they came from (no, not the grocery store’s shelf – there’s a whole lot that happens before it gets there) or that we don’t know exactly what’s in them. It’s a difficult act to take part in, because once you know, you cannot ‘unknow’. Most people would rather not know how that juicy steak came into being on their plate, because if they did, they’d likely not eat it. This would cause some serious lifestyle changes that, let me tell you, are not a walk in the park.

Having watched some of the Earthlings documentary recently, I’ve started to have to think more ethically and wondering how on earth I’m going to cope with this. The scenes in that movie show you your worst fears of how animals are treated in this world in the name of ignorant consumerism – they cannot be unseen. Traumatised after 30 minutes and jolted into the realisation that humans are indeed @ssholes.

Where do you stop? How do you live a normal life? How do you eat out socially with non-vegetarians? What started as pescatarian, moved on to vegetarian, is now leading into veganism. We’re not just talking food here, we’re talking clothes, pets, cosmetics, non-animal-friendly materials and unethical products in all areas of your day-to-day life. All these things contribute to the violent torture of animals and the raping of our environment and it’s not easy to find vegan-freindly alternatives.

Having some amazing vegetarian/vegan friends along the way helps a lot, but mingling with the rest of society seems to be a problem.

I just know that I’d rather consume life-giving food than life-taking foods. And I don’t want to be part of any industry that contributes to the unethical treatment of animals. Maybe it really is that simple.

Stick around for some more posts about this journey, I’m sure I’ll have lots to share along the way. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter too.

Follow me! The gold rush

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In today’s social media age, the gold rush is to get followers. It’s like human blood for vampires, or the opportunity to speak B.S. publicly to a massive audience for Julius Malema.

It’s like the world is about to run out of air and the only way to get more is to get another follower. Social media heroine. Already I feel the need for a fix… *twitch *twitch

Let’s just all be logical about this, though. Take the needle out of your arm and focus.

Yes, you need followers. Without them, you might as well be in a black hole, listening to the echo of your own voice. But would you rather have a thousand followers who are spambots, or 100 followers that you can actually engage with? Hillbrow whore or upper class escort?

All I’m saying is that we all need a strategy – attract the right kind of followers and you’ll get far more satisfaction out of the whole experience (no I am not still referring to prostitution).

Forget the follower count, focus on engagement…the rest will come.

Pedal to the Medal – Guiness World Record Cycle Attempt

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Virgin Active is attempting a Guiness World Record for the most bums on seats on Monday 5 December at 8pm. This is a global initiative and quite exciting, as us spinners that don’t actually cycle in the real world like to take part in whatever cool spinning event comes our way. I think this one will do the trick :0)

It’s only an hour and at least we didn’t get a ridiculous 1am slot! Keen to join me? Sign up at your closest branch.

Umngazi River Bungalows and Spa – Perfect Family Holiday Spot

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I recently went on a very special family holiday to Umngazi River Bungalows and Spa on the Wild Coast of Transkei. The Transkei is one of my favourite places in our gorgeous country. It’s untouched paradise on our doorstep – screw Mauritius, hit Transkei, baby – it’s far more real (okay I wouldn’t say no to Mauritius, but you know what I’m saying).

Umngazi really is the perfect family resort and provides the easiest, most comfortable family holiday I have ever experienced. The kids have an absolute blast, with organised activities every day…bug-hunting, beach snail feeding, crab-hunting, fishing competitions, marshmallow braais etc. etc. absolutely divine. Nannies are also available to look after the kids while the adults sip cocktails at the poolside. It’s just decadent. It’s not my usual kind of holiday, but for the kind of family time we were needing, it was just perfect.

Us grown-ups also have plenty to keep us busy. Every morning is an organised walk or hike. I did the Sugar Loaf hike one morning, which is a walk along the hills on the coastline, with the most magnificent scenery. We did some whale-watching along the way from the cliff-edges – it was just breath-taking!

Gillies are around for hire and will help you organise a boat and bait and take you to the best fishing spots.

The sunset cruise is also a must – Kevin the skipper is a pro at attracting the fish eagles to swoop down and catch some fish and will also entertain you with his ‘fat mama’ dance…was a good giggle 🙂

All meals are included as well, with the amount of food at each meal phenomenal. If you enjoy fresh seafood, Seafood Saturday will have you at your knees – platters and platters of crayfish, prawns, mussels, calamari…ridiculous! There were vegetarian options, but they’re not the best. I may just be fussy in terms of the kind of food that I enjoy, but the vegetarian meals did not seem too thought out in terms of health and nutrition…if you want to see the rant (take it with a pinch of salt), see it here.

All in all it was an absolutely phenomenal holiday with the family and I’d recommend it to anyone needing  to take some time out in luxury. If you want to rough it a little bit, check out Swell Tours Guest Lodge – a bit of rough and rural paradise in the Transkei.

Spoilt, spoilt, spoilt, I heart South Africa.

Earthlings: The violent and heartbreaking truth about society’s treatment of animals

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Earthlings’ documentary on the truth of society’s treatment of animals was brought to my attention by @claremelina recently. Human beings are @ssholes. Not all of us, but as a race in general, we really mess it up. As a vegetarian, I already don’t agree with the way that animals are treated and the impact of meat production on our world, but I usually steer clear of all those shocking ‘look how horribly animals are treated’ videos.

At first I decided that I didn’t want to watch even the trailer because I know the horrific way that animals are treated and I don’t need to see it with my own eyes to believe it.

I decided to eventually watch the trailer because it has been on my mind since then and I am sure I’ll be watching the full movie as well.

It’s important for us to remind ourselves why we do the things that we do and why we believe in what we do. Especially as a vegetarian in a meat-obsessed country where it is difficult to stick to your beliefs without having some form of mockery and disbelief directed your way. We need to FEEL the impact that we have on our world and this is what makes us human beings.

I urge you to watch just the trailer. It isn’t very long, but at least be informed – whether you eat meat or not. Just know what is happening out there. Let yourself as a human being feel…I think somewhere along the way that’s been lost.

The Fat Vegetarian

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If you read my blog often you’ll know that I am quite peaceful vegetarian and don’t push my dietary choices on anyone else, ever. From time to time, though, I do need to have a rant at the ignorance of others towards vegetarianism.

I am a firm believer in accommodating others’ beliefs and most people generally are too…except when it comes to vegetarians. It’s like as soon as you utter the ‘V’ word, you become a disgrace to society and a disappointment to the human race. If certain religious beliefs require you to abstain from certain foods, e.g. Pork in the Jewish faith, how is this acceptable to others whereas vegetarianism is not?

From now on I’ll just call it ‘V’ so as not to offend anyone. Like the ‘F’ word sounds much more PC than swearing directly on my blog.

I think it is far more difficult in a rampant meat-eating country like South Africa to have a non-meat diet, which is why you lucky readers get to hear my rants from time to time.

I’m at a beautiful resort in the Transkei at the moment, which I’ll blog about when I’m back, with fully catered meals 3 times a day. The mass of food is insane, and the variety is crazy…yet I am still struggling to have a healthy ‘V’ diet here.

Any other ‘V’s out there will know how this is so, as the mentality seems to be: ‘What should we feed these stupid ‘V’s? I know, whatever we would feed the ‘normal’ people, but without the meat.’

So we end up with side veggies and potatoes most of the time (Oh ‘F’, should I have used the ‘V’ for that too?). Or a ‘V’ pasta with leftover veggies and loads of oil tossed in pasta. Or some sort of pasta bake drowned in a creamy cheese sauce. Or my personal FAVOURITE…spinach and feta in some sort of oily pastry.

I may be a bit dramatic in this post, but it honestly does not make sense to me. Generally speaking, ‘V’s are health-conscious people, so why would caterers want to feed us such rich and starchy rubbish?

In a world that is falling apart and being raped of resources (much of this is attributed to meat production) many people are already more socially aware of their impact on the environment and their general health. Where is South Africa in this debate? Nowhere.

At least be accommodating of other people’s beliefs and lifestyles, whatever they are. It helps. A lot.

On that note, let’s all go hug a tree and pray for a ‘V’.

I can totally change a tyre

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Silly story, but keen to know if any of you ladies have ever changed a tyre in your lives? On your own?

I had a flat tyre this morning, which I only noticed upon arrival at the gym. I promptly decided to forget about it, have my work out and then find a boy to help. During my spinning class, I decided that that is rubbish and I’m pretty sure I could do it myself. It’s really not that complicated.

So I did a quick google of ‘how to change a tyre’ before leaving the gym and set off to do the deed with my post-spinning gung-ho attitude. The security guard offered to help but I refused, saying ‘I’ve got it thanks, it’s not that difficult’.

I got as far as trying to get the wheel nuts off. Not one budged. At all.

So the still-hovering security guard jumped to the rescue.

Dammit.

We do need these silly men after all.