Shattering all illusions

                            

Simultaneously texting the lovely gorgeous Ms. E.J as working on blog and she's given me the idea of a new title for my blog 'shattering all illusions' - at her surprise that I failed my driving theory twice!!! Well my no-holds barred blog is going to shatter lots of illusions about me and my perceived capabilities, such as the embarrassing not being able to ride a bike (well I saw it on one other person's 30before30, so I'm not alone). Well turns out that was an illusion I had in my mind (for all these years dammit!) and I can in fact ride a bike.

Lazy Saturday brunch

I love the weekend. You can just meander about and take things super easy and make UH-MAZING brunches such as my favourite, garlic-paprika prawns, with tomatoes, salad, asparagus and sprouted grain bread. One word YUM!!

There's one secret ingredient that I could not live without, that I actually get cravings for,

Sloaning it up at the Saatchi Gallery

           Spent a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday afternoon (super lovely gorgeous weather) hanging out along the King's Road, with the view to spending some time in the Saatchi Gallery, but spent more time hanging out along the food stalls (yum) and listening to live music courtesy of a Brazilian singer including renditions of Bob Marley songs. Anyway finally managed to make it into the gallery and spend a few hours in there. Really interesting and I am the anti-supported of modern art (i.e I just don't get how an unmade bed is ART!!), but found it really fascinating and my favourite installation was Richard Wilson's 20:50 which I spent ages staring at as it was oddly beautiful.

Oh yeah- passed my driving theory test (blooming finally!)

                                   
Finally passed my driving theory test last Friday (yipee). Shamefully it was third time lucky, given that I failed in April for arrogantly thinking I did not need to practice my hazard perception and failed in 2007 for arrogantly thinking it was basic common-sense and revision was for losers. So did a bit of practice on Thursday night and passed on Friday. So lessons will resume in September, post-Paris and hopefully, I will have a driving license by the end of 2011. Not going to get a car till I need one - i.e when with family. No need to drive in London, but will be able to drive when I travel abroad.

My first lindy-hop

                          
Went to my first lindy-hop class today and it was fun, but lacked a particular sense of  'soul' and the energy which I had hoped to get from it, but hopefully that will come later. Very interesting though that there were not very many people of colour there and I just thought how funny that was considering it's Harlem origin. Never mind, suppose it's the same with jazz, rock and roll, b-boying etc. (Note to self -This is not a political blog!!)

Drowning in paper work

Got home after first lindy-hop class and realised that I haven't blogged in over two weeks which is just not acceptable and not making myself sufficiently accountable to myself or my imaginary followers. :)! So from now on, I will blog every Sunday, Tuesday and Friday - three time a week is enough methinks. Anyhoo, tonight's action towards 30before30 goal was to sort out my paperwork and it definitely felt like back-breaking work and took about an hour. Step-by-step this is what I did:

.....just pull up your pants and do the rock-away - LEAN BACK, LEAN BACK (without screaming)

                                         

Not blogged in a little while as been too busy with work and been suffering from dreadful PMS, i.e fatigued, crippling dysmorphia heightened by the crater of spots on my face and severe retention. TMI but I am determined to face this byatch head-on - reading a 14 day herbal cleanse which I will start to implement once I get my behind down to the herb store, but I digress.

A beautiful, uncluttered, organised and efficient life

Been pondering on what a beautiful life means to me and it means sooooo many things but thing I can break it down to the following:

• Being full of health and energy
• Being free of worries
• Spending time with people I care about
• Revelling in simple luxuries (freshly ironed sheets scented with White Musk powder, L'occitane pillow spray, a cup of herbal tea before bed
• Having everything in place and easily accessible
• My home and workspace being clean and free of clutter
• Taking care and loving everything that I own

Yummy berry breakfast

Nothing better than a scrummy berry shake in the summer for breakfast. This one is raspberry blended with coconut milk, a dash of raw honey and topped with hemp seeds, bee pollen and chia seeds and mint sprigs.

Quinoa tabboleh

Cooled quinoa, mixed with cucumbers, plum tomatoes, spring onions, mint, lemon juice and tabboleh - filling and tasty - there really isn't much to my recipes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

When Riverford gives you lemons, make lemonade

I get a ton of lemons from Riverford that I can't use in the week, so when I have a lot left over, I make homemade lemonade.

Scramble for Africa - part 1051

So we're continually told that there is nothing of worth in Africa right, so why are hedge funds engaging in a scramble for African land yet again and with the same hallmarks of the colonial approach of land grabbing? Moving farmers off their land to grow sugar cane and the like for biofuel (which will not be made in Africa), raising food prices and enabling further flooding of African food markets and increasing poverty.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13688683

Food glorious food -Marinated tomato salad and kohl rabi salad

Just had an uber delish, super-filling salad and thought it's high time that I blogged my recipes which I've been collecting for the last couple weeks.

First up is today's dinner - really lovely, really simple, really quick.

Weekly update

Soooo much has happened over the course of the week and I'm so buoyed by all the excitement and words of encouragement from my friends. You guuuyyyysss. :). The best part of it all is that I'm going to be joined by two of my bezzie mates who are in the process of completing their lists!!!!!
Getting other help from friends as well including the luscious Ms. J. E-J, my culture-vulture partner in crime who came round for dinner today and to help me declutter my wardrobe. Her invaluable help led to three items (this is after my major overhaul of about 20 items last week) being added to the Oxfam pile.

Ode to my 30before30 list and blog inspirations

A necessary post which should probably serve as an introduction to how I came to doing a 30before30 challenge. There are three people who have been instrumental in inspiring me to this undertaking and I am eternally grateful for having encountered them.

Pill head

As I struggled to swallow my vitamins with my green juice (spinach, lettuce, cucumber, garlic, lemon and ginger trust me it tastes a lot better than it sounds) this morning, I questioned why I was doing it. I have an abundance of vitamins which I am loathed to throw away as they cost so much. I once spent over £150 one Saturday at the Organic Pharmacy (and I wonder how I got into debt!). So I want to take all my vitamins so I'm not throwing away good money and then no more. I honestly believe that we should get all vitamins from food sources, and a few choice palatable 'superfoods' (hate the term). My faves to date are:

The need for alternative news sources

Sooooo glad I've got my iPod as it means I've been able to download lots of podcasts to listen to (although to be honest I've mainly been listening to soca :) and today, fell in love with Stevie Wonder all over again. Ebony eyes - oh lawd!) but glad I can download Democracy Now and Chomsky lectures and recently been turned onto fellow Woodhouse alumni, Johann Hari (know Mrs Grice, ex A-Level Politics teacher is super proud, especially as he's working at the Independent with Mr Grice) and he's so insightful and funny and he's listed James Baldwin as his fave ever writer, so I like him even more.
Johann spoke about the Equadorian proposal to the G8 economies to pay money to stop the extraction of oil which would destroy the Amazon. Amazing concept but as I realised today doing some reading around slavery of primary source materials from the National Archives, (and it pains me to learn the level of African collusion, really does) we know sooooooo little about EVERYTHING.

On serendipity

Life is beautiful.... soooooo beautiful that when you really want something the whole universe conspires to help you achieve it.

Post-work, met my lovely gorgeous soul sister, Ms.Miel. We meandered around Hyde Park, ate an impromptu picnic of my leftover grapefruit and kiwi, combined with her leftover posh cheese, mooched into the Hilton Park Lane for tea, but commonsense prevailed and we decided against the extortionate prices. Found a hidden-away square around Curzon street and had THE most delicimo dinner at Sofran (ooohhhh all the lush flavours) and just spent some proper restorative time with each other. One of our conversation pieces was serendipity as I reflected that since I started writing my list, several serendipitous things relating to my challenges have happened:

First day of training for marathon

The alarm went off at 6:00am and I jumped out of bed, full of beans despite only getting four hours of sleep. I fixed some green juice, did 15 minutes of downward dog warrior and mountain poses and then put the trainers on, headed out for my morning walk/jog. Did a half hour stint, whilst listening to soca hits 2011 and came home to fix my breakfast of fruit smoothie. Let's see if I can rack up sufficient sleep tonight before starting the whole thing all over again tomorrow.