Next Chapter

Where to go for a late coffee on a week night

I wanted to start a poetry discussion group and find people from my tribe. I set up a Meetup on my favourite poem: Desiderata.

Unfortunately, I really battled to find a coffee shop that was opened til late and I had to do a great deal of searching. I was in Windermere for a meditation class which ended at 7.45pm. So I needed to find something on the area that was open til late, was cosy and was quiet enough to have a poetry discussion.

I found a place called: Next.Chapter on Florida road. I thought that the name was quite fitting for a discussion on literature.

Our discussion was done over cappuccinos and a triple layered lemon cake. I was quite apprehensive about the cake at first, however it was quite familiar and tasted like lemony creams.

We spent 2 hours discussing the poem and making friends. Reading a poem with someone else allows you to see into their world and into their life. One line could mean something to someone and a completely different thing to someone else. I have read that poem a dozen times, but discussing it in a cosy environment with someone with their own story is a totally different experience.

My favourite line that I keep coming back to: The Universe is unfolding as it should...And right now, at this point in my life, I guess I will just have to trust that. I am such an indecisive person at times especially when it comes to venues for Meetups and the finer details. This line even works for that day. I do my best, and the universe is doing its own thing, and it will be alright in the end. You may not see it, but I am on the right path.

Tips: phone before hand as ask them when they have their live music nights. These are lovely, calming old school songs sung by local artists which compliment the venue and crowd.

So go enjoy a good conversation over coffee and cake with a good friend at 9p.m. on Florida Road. Tell them Melissa from HiJinks Events sent you.

Boss Lounge

Where to go for a night out in Durban?

There is something very special about a ladies nite, after all, girls just want to have fun!

For this ladies night, I came across an event on Facebook by Boss Lounge. It said: 031 boys; free entrance; free show; free cocktails on arrival and free goodie bags...and us Meetup people love free things!

I managed to ramble up a group of more than 40 ladies with very lil' effort. I took a risk on this event as I had never been to this in before.

When I got there, I was pleasantly surprised. The only clubs I had visited were those frequented by university students. This place was very different. It had 3 floors, all of which have bars with reasonably priced alcohol. They have dance floors on all of these levels and are spacious with lots of space to kick back and relax.

On the night that we went, they were half an hour late in starting the show. As a consolation the manager offered us a free bottle of tequila for my group of ladies. It is understandable they sometimes shows are delayed, but never had I ever had such good service where we were actually compensated. I was very impressed.

The show with the 031 Boys was a ladies only show...and for very good reason! They are a group of 4 men who dance, show some skin and grab some ladies from the audience and do some clean, naughty dances with them.

Being a lady, we have to act like ladies...but when the men are away...We let our hair down and just let go. Conservative ladies were allowed to be free in this safe environment, we laughed, we danced and we had the best time.

After the show we were all in such a good mood, we lingered around until the early hours of the morning. We danced, chatted and just had a good time. It was so freeing not having to worry about men coming up to us, trying to pick us up, trying to grind up against us or staring at us. We did the grinding ourselves! Hahaha!

All in all, I was very impressed by the venue, the service and especially the Freebies!

Tip: keep on checking their Facebook page for their up and coming events.

Tell them Melissa from HiJinks Events sent you!

The Spoonful Eatery

Where to do Sunday Lunch?

I have recently discovered the most quaint little restaurant in Davenport. There are very few places were I can say that the food is made with love, but with this place, it is clearly evident.

I first went there for a friend's birthday. We sat outside under the trees with a beautiful breeze and sunshine. It was quite picturesque. They are also dog friendly and leave water outside for your animals. What a loving, caring touch.

Recently, I have tried to stay away from big franchises. This is the type of place that I love. The owners are always present, and they are hands on. They make sure that their guests feel welcome...and I use the word "guests" because that's how I felt. I felt that I was being welcomed into their home.

Sunday is their spit braai day. They make the most exquisite braai. This is another element that made it feel like home on a Sunday afternoon. Spit braais are very labour intensive, and the meat and fire has to be nurtured for hours. You also get to watch this process and smell the divine meat as you enter. The spit braai lamb that Sunday was the best meat I have ever had. The meal comes will a mielie, mint sauce and spitbraai roasted veges! Yum!

I knew I had to take the Meetup peeps there. Unfortunately, it was raining so we couldn't sit outside. At first I was very disappointed, but once inside, it felt so warm and cosy. It also had a hipster feel to it.

We sat, we ate and I had never laughed so hard in my life. It was the perfect place to engage with others.

I was banting, so the spit braai made it very easy to keep to my diet, I just asked them to remove my mielie and chips. I cannot comment much about the cupcakes...but I heard a lot of "oooo's and mmmmm's" from the others. I was told that they have the best cupcakes.

So, next time you wanna have a good Sunday Lunch which feels like it was done at home and amongst family, I suggest that you try this lil' place.

Tip: if you expect to arrive after 12, phone ahead and ask them to reserve a serving of their spit braai for you.

Tell them Melissa from HiJinks Durban Events sent you 

https://www.meetup.com/HiJinks/events/

The Spoonful Eatery contact details:

http://spoonfuleatery.co.za/

031 201 2585

info@spoonfuleatery.co.za

113 Brand Road, Glenwood, Durban

Join us for our next event!

Durban Meditation Centre

How to relax on a Saturday morning in Durban. 

How to de-stress after work. 

Where to find a meditation class in Durban.

For almost a year, I have upped my spiritual game. I have decided that my health is based on my peace of mind. After I had joined this group, my life started to change from the inside out.

Kadampa meditation centre is located in Westville. It is run by a local Buddhist Monk with several meditation classes a week.

The classes are about an hour and a half, longer when there is a special course and they concentrate on inner peace. The classes usually consist of 2 meditations, no more than 5 or 10 minutes each. The rest of the lesson is teaching us how to cope with the stressors of life...and we all have those stressors in our lives. Not only are these lessons profound, but they are very practical and are focused towards us in our modern lives.

The classes are Buddhist based, but these classes attract every denomination. The teachings are universal and everyone is welcome. The cost of the classes are on a donation basis to help run the centre.

Every few weeks they have retreats in the Midlands where you can take in the fresh air and allow yourself time away from the hustle and bustle of Durban. Food is prepared by Carol and everything is homemade and organic from the surrounding farms.

Tip: There are many classes in and around Durban. Visit their website for Facebook page for something in your area.

Visit the centre and tell them Melissa sent you.

Contact details:

http://meditateindurban.org

https://www.facebook.com/KadampaMeditationCentreDurban/

Check out HiJinks Durban Events

https://www.meetup.com/HiJinks/events/

Life is a Beach!

I absolutely love this chubby mermaid!

She is beautiful, and fearless and is just so happy.  I love this artist on Instagram and I suggest following her.

This post is about being fearless in the beach of life...because life can be a beach!

I love waking up at 5am, looking outside and seeing the beautiful Durban sun. Before, I used to hate that sight, it meant that it was going to be a terribly hot and humid day. But now, I embrace it, I look forward to it. By 5.30am I have rambled up a friend and I am on my way to the beach, not a fancy one, not one that I have to drive 1000 miles to, just by own 15 mins away humble South Beach.

Nothing fancy on me, no picnic basket, no sunglasses not even a towel on most days. Just me and the ocean. Nothing more, nothing less.

Before I used to stay at the shallow part of the beach, I would enjoy the waves breaking against my knees. I was always told to stay there, don't go in too deep. I thought that only great swimmers could swim passed the waves. I didn't question it. I used to look at the surfers and people beyond the waves and think that they were crazy.

But I was happy in the shallow end. I could sit and allow the lil' waves to engulf me a bit. I thought that that was the whole experience. I took it, as well as a bucket load of sand under my costume that I had acquired from sitting in the shallow end.

Then one day, a friend showed me what it  was like to swim beyond the breaking of the waves. I don't know if he wanted to go there, or if I felt safe going out when I had the support, but there I was. The truth is, in this unventured space, I thought that I would be terrified  but I wasn't. I was in absolute peace.

Before the waves break, the deeper you go, the stronger and scarier the waves get. I always wanted to venture out deeper but I hated being tossed about, It really is terrible, not being in control, wanting more, being smacked down over and over again. I just wanted to enjoy the beach for what it was and then...BAM! another wave! rolling around, salt water in my eyes and up my nose and before I can get up and see what is going on...I would get slapped over by another wave.

I don't know who else had a terrible 2016, but I definitely did. In fact I have had a terrible time for a very long time, and the harder I tried the stronger the waves came at me. And somehow, it became about picking myself up and trying not to drown than actually enjoying my life for what it was. 

But when I learnt to swim beyond the waves...wow. Yes, I had to fight a couple waves to get there, but also I learnt to go under them. I had a friend to hold my hand when I got tossed around (it's easy for me to get tossearound, I am short and I have no balance whatsoever). But he was there, laughing with me when I looked like an idiot rolling around. But we carried on and in a couple minutes, we were in a beautiful place beyond the breaking of the waves. 

It wasn't as deep as I thought it would be, in fact, I could stand by myself. It was peaceful. And the waves here weren't against use, when they came, they lifted me up gently and placed me back down.  I even learnt how to jump with them and enjoy that little challenge. Big obstacles seemed so much easier before they became chaos. Even when I couldn't touch the ocean floor, I felt no fear. I was one with the ocean and I went with it.  I felt peace in something that I had been fighting for so long.

Here we could talk and relax and enjoy each other's company while we floated without the roaring of the breaking waves. I didn't have to keep track of when the waves were coming so that we could prepare for them, we didn't have to stand our ground and try not to fall over. Here we could concentrate on enjoying the sky, the birds and even some dolphin sounds in the water. I have never heard dolphins myself, and that day I did. Something that would never have happened in the shallow end. 

I used this metaphor to think about my life. We have to venture past all the point of chaos. Because life shouldn't be about the chaos. We shouldn't have to keep on fighting against it and I guess, once we realise that this is only part of a much bigger experience can be actually find peace in it. It may be scary at first, maybe no one you know has done it, but it is possible. Maybe you just need a good friend to hold your hand the first time, to let you know that there is more, to make you see that life is not only about those stupid harsh waves, but the ebbing ones that lift you ever so gently and make you feel like you're flying. 

So, I know it is scary. But maybe, when you are ready, come swim beyond the waves with me.