Married for an ENTIRE year

I think congratulations are in order. Congratulations to my husband for not killing me in the last year and congratulations to me not going entirely crazy in the first year - which is supposed to be the HARDEST year. All jokes aside, we celebrated our first year wedding anniversary this weekend and I could not have asked for a better life partner.

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Dear Flip,

I'm finding it difficult to write how this year has changed me. Changed you. Changed us both. For the better, for the stronger, for life. Marriage has taught me so much about acceptance, letting be, letting go and forgiveness. Marriage has taught me about unconditional love, even if it means staying up till 2 am and arguing - because, you know, you're not allowed to go to bed angry. 

The only way I could think of writing about our marriage was to quote from my wedding speech, but I can't even find that. I am at a loss for words to say how much I love you.

Yes, I will probably always moan about the Grand Prix, but then I know I can at least watch an hour or two of Keeping up with the Kardashians without a single whinge from you. You're good at compromise, better than I am. I will learn to compromise like you. 

Yes, we are both home bodies and there are the odd days where one of us wants to go out, but the other doesn't. I promise, one day, we will both feel like going out at the same time. 

Yes, I will always try and push you off the couch and off the bed, steal the blankets, hog the dogs, eat all the chips, chocolate and popcorn, but when I am doing those things, I am in a zombified state. Yet, you still love me, even when you are shivering cold and have to use your arms as coverage.

Yes, you will always drive me nuts with your crazy made-up songs, your silly jokes, your whistling and your inclination to tickle me, pick me up and carry me around when I'm trying to cook, or get dressed, be all up in my face when I'm trying to get ready for work - but the minute you are not around, I miss all of those things. 

Even though we don't get each others' love language, I can say that we are each others' love language. It's the little things that outsiders don't understand, that they find weird and perhaps demeaning, that make us work. Even though there are many uncertainties in our future, we are each others' certainty. You are where I can confide, and where I can find confidence. You are where I can let go of all my negativity, and in return only find positivity.

Thank you for being the beautiful face I get to wake up to every day, and thank you for loving my face, even though you wake up to me every morning - matted hair, raccoon eyes, crazy left-over breath. You are my all. You are my best.

Forever yours,

Megan

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Berlin Bike Tour

Listen, the best way to travel in Berlin is not by tram, bus or train, which is both expensive {unless you abuse the system, which you shouldn't do, and which I totally didn't} and super confusing to work out, but by bicycle! I recently spent a five-day stint in the city of bloggers, artists and parliament.

On my first day in the city, I used all trains, taxis, trams and buses and by the time I reached my destination, I was so overwhelmed that I just cried non-stop. The S-bahn and U-bahn gets easier as you go along, but then - as soon as you get off - you still have to navigate the streets. Let me tell you something, one kilometer in Berlin is a communist kilometer! You end up walking five kilometers, even though the map indicates just one. The city's layout is confusing as heck for a first timer. Here in Joburg, if someone tells you that something is one kilometer that way, it is literally one kilometer in a straight line that way. Berlin, well Berlin isn't. 

So, I decided that as I had a Berlin Pass, which was about R1800 for two days - but includes free trips and museum entrances and many other things - I would make use of a bike trip with Fat Tire Bike Tours. I had a number of options, but chose the All-in-One City Tour. Best decision I could have made while in the city. Believe me, it is just the best way to travel. 

Our trip started on the Sunday afternoon at 16:00, with Andrew as our tour guide. Now in SA, the sun starts setting not long after that in autumn, but in Berlin autumn - albeit a bit chilly - the sun only really started shining then and shone until 7ish. Our tour lasted well into the night, and I made some solid friends - two New Zealanders named Sam and Angeline - while on the tour.

The tour takes you to see all of the most important landmarks in the city - great, if you do not want to walk yourself to death! - and included highlights such as the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, The Wall, Museum Island and a break in a beer garden, in the middle of Tiergarten, the huge park in the middle of the city.

Our tourguide, Andrew, was like google on wheels and gave so much insight into the history of the city and all of the sites we saw. For history afficionados, like me, it was a real treat. And even when we peppered him with questions, he was still so well prepared to answer them.

The great thing is that you can also rent a bike for about 10 euros a day - or R150 - and explore the city on your own. This is only advisable if you do not mind getting lost or treading far.

The next day, I met up with Angeline and Sam (the New Zealanders) and did just that. Angeline was born in South Africa, but her parents moved to NZ when she was 9 years old. However, she still speaks Afrikaans, so we spent the whole day chatting away, while poor Sam understood little more than asseblief and dankie.

TOP TIP: The Europeans drive on the wrong side of the road, so you have to check yourself when riding your bike. Are you on the correct side of traffic and are you in the wrong bike lane {or on pedestrian territory}? I got many foul scowls from German pedestrians because I was not in my lane. It can be very confusing.

Also, if you hear a cling cling cling coming from behind you, it means "Get the hell out of my way!". All the bikes have little bells on them that warn people that they are about to get hit by a bike. People also don't seem to like when you ring your bike bell out of enthusiasm. In Germany, it is strictly about business. Don't be the girl or boy who cried bike bell - you will get such awful looks.

A weekend in Irene

The best way to describe the Irene Country Lodge is as an escape from the city, in the city -  a breakaway from your home. Irene has long held a special place in my heart, it is one of the suburbs I covet, and would love to live in. It reminds me of the English countryside, with its diary farm, stretching green lawns and rock walls.

We were greeted by the friendly receptionist and lead out onto a veranda, where we were not only treated the most beautiful sunset, but also some delicious cocktails. It was hard to believe that, while sipping on our cocktails and listening to the birds settle for the night, we were only an hour's drive from our house, and not even nearly out of the city. In fact, we were almost smackbang in the middle of Centurion.

After cocktails, we were invited to a buffet dinner, served by a culinary school's students. Although the food was not the greatest I've ever had, owing to my prawns being undercooked and Flip's calamari having the same sad affliction, the pudding more than made up for it. Honestly, it did not disappoint.

I love, but love meringue and the mine meringue bites were just perfect and the right amount of crunchy and sweet. I wished that I could eat all of them! I would definitely recommend the Irene Country Lodge for a high-tea, bridal shower or baby shower as the desserts were out of this world. We both had a caramel mousse tart and I had a bite of Flip's chocolate mousse tart. Listen, I'm not saying it was similar to a very loud scene from When Harry met Sally, but it was clearly audible how much we enjoyed these puddings. Eye-closing moments.

They are also relaunching their menu on the 25th of October, with something foodies like to call a molecular gastronomic menu. I am excited to see what that is all about.

The lodge recently refurbished their rooms and we had this huge bed waiting for us after dinner. While we missed out on our complimentary spa treatment because of time constraints from our side, just thinking about plunging into the bed after a looong hot bath was therapy enough for me. I had also just returned from Berlin {I will still post about that, promise} and had a little bit of jet lag, so I just wanted to have a relaxing night in. But, for the more hyped-up ones, there are several clubs, bars and trendy restaurants in the area to enjoy a night out. Having a night cap at the lodge was the better option for me though.

What I liked: the room was big and oh so beautiful! I also loved the big bath. The property is stunning, I love the out-of-city feel it provided, perfect for a little weekend getaway.

What I didn't like: the fact that the food was a let down; we were also invited to enjoy a picnic for lunch and was told to arrive at the hotel at 12:00 to pick it up. We arrived, was kept waiting for 45 min and then told that the picnic basket was taken to the dairy farm and that we had to collect it there. When we arrived at the dairy farm, the managers had no knowledge of the picnic baskets and said that we must pick it up from the hotel. This confusion just really let me down and I threw in the towel, not even worrying about the picnic and the delicious food it might have contained.

The next morning, after a lofty breakfast, we visited the Irene Dairy Farm, which is only about 500 m down the road from the lodge. I love cows and wish I could have a dairy farm. While other people might think it is gross to have a cow lick you up and down, I loved it! Their tongues are actually quite raspy, like a cat's tongue, did you know?

We also spent the rest of the day snooping around at the Irene Village Market, which is about 1 km from the lodge and said hi to my grandma, who lives in GEM Village close to the market.

For a weekend spent in the city, this was quite the treat!

You can find the Irene Country Lodge on Nelmapius Road, Irene, Centurion. Make a booking by phoning them on 012 667 6464 or visit their website // Our stay was sponsored by African Pride Hotels.

Applying nail polish 101

I am the worst girl ever. I somehow missed the boat on hair braiding and also didn’t pay attention in class when nail polish application was mentioned.

For me, applying the perfect coat of nail polish on my fingernails is like asking someone in a weelchair to stand up – impossible. (Except if you’re Kanye, then anything is possible). So here are my (entirely tongue-in-cheek) tips to not suck at being a girl, or applying nail polish.

1. Get a manicure

Honestly, the best way to ensure that your nails absolutely don’t suck is to have it done by a professional. They have been trained to do it, so if you can fork out the money to make your talons look extra pretty, I’d say that this is the best and easiest option. Unless you are squeamish like me. I find manicures to be very painful and I HATE it when they have to file your nails. HATE it. (Totally suck at being a girl)

2. Don’t do anything for a few hours

Unless you have those super quick drying nail polishes that cannot smudge, just don’t move for a couple of hours. I have pink nailpolish on my teeth today, because I smudged a nail and stuck it in my mouth to smooth it out. This is why it might be better to do your nails in the evening while watching tv and doing nothing else. Or just go to a nail salon.

3. Paint outside the lines

Listen, if you are not to worried about this, paint outside the lines. Paint your nails in the evening and go crazy with that polish. The next morning, in the bath or shower, just {trying to think of a nicer word, but can’t} scratch the polish off from the sides of your fingers. If you managed not to smudge your nails, it should look perfect.

4. Use a nail polish with a flat brush

I don’t know why, but I have found that those flat brush nail polishes are not as easy to mess up as the traditional round brushes. They don’t go outside the lines. Or check the interwebs for ways to apply nail polish correctly.

5. Put your nail polish in the fridge

It's supposed to last longer that way. I’m guilty of keeping my nail polish for months, and often find that it’s stringy and sticky and won’t move from the brush to the nail. Keeping it in the fridge also helps it to go onto your fingers more smoothly. Or you could just chuck the old polish and buy some new ones. 

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Pics from Pinterest
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