I also thoroughly enjoy Autumn in London – it really is the most magical month.
Much better than Summer, oh wait, that’s because London skips Summer and goes from an elongated Spring straight into Autumn.
These Autumn inspired pics below were taken while I was out and about in East Dulwich, my new hood, where I love to document my runs.
For me, Oslo is like a dreamland, where all my anxiety dissipates and peace of mind is the only option.
I know you think OK, well all holidays feel like that, right? No. Not for me. Some are stressful. Some come with irritations and exhaustion. Not Oslo.
I have a few friends that live there, making it more appealing and it makes for a really awesome holiday destination because I get to see the city through the eyes of locals. But also for many other reasons which I will now go over:
It is a healthy society with a high standard of living and equality.
Low crime, low social unrest, good education system, good incomes, pensions, care for the weaker in society, etc.
Amazing landscapes, especially in the Fjord country, but all over.
Being arrogant is frowned upon, there is a sense of openness to others and a respect of differences.
They have a tax structure that prevents huge inequalities in society, equality of opportunity in education and work for all.
They have the highest per capita newspaper readership, high engagement in political debate with few barriers for people entering politics.
It feels like everyone is an activist. But that may be only those in my immediate network.
It feels like my idea of Utopia. If there was ever anything close to it, Oslo would be it for me.
Have you been? What did you think?
Missing home a lot this week.
Found myself closing my eyes this morning on the train dreaming of sitting somewhere on kloof street with a coffee and a magazine, maybe a friend too.
When I start imagining signal hill-running I have to stop, otherwise I float into a world of endless dissatisfaction with ‘now’
It’s quite tough here. And its making me tough. Which is why I stay.
Toughness is relative, but to me, its constant highs and lows. But I do find, the lows last longer here.
Have realised how totally sheltered I was from the world and things not going my way.
Have grown up.
Will be forever grateful to my friend Julia Durrant for talking me through her experience in London. Her words echo every time I doubt why I moved over here.
When I come home, which will be sometime soon, like within the next 18 months, (who knows, I keep telling myself that to keep me going) I will be clearer on what type of life/home/job/ I want. and I will be able to get it. I will have the confidence to get what I want and ask for what I need. I will appreciate the mountain more, and the stillness. I already feel all these things, so am hoping the next chapter here before I come home will only bring about more growth and epiphany’s.
I will hug my sausage dog Thandi, and never let her go.
But first, I have the Temper Trap and Gypsy Kings to see live before the Olympics start at the end of July.
Endless ‘once and lifetime opportunities’ in Londontown.
I complain and bitch about you London, but its also how I feel about my family. So really, you should be flattered.
amyout
Soooo, I haven’t blogged since September last year. What a lol.
Why?
Who knows. Busy? Uninspired?
Both.
TODAY, something awesome has inspired me to share. It’s a posterous, about London Transport: http://funderground.posterous.com/
If you have ever spent any time in London, or better yet, live in London. You will enjoy this for sure.
I spend at least 1.5-2 hours everyday commuting and one really must try to find the humour in the experience, if one doesn’t? One can end up angry and depressed. It can be infuriating and depressing.
I spend a lot of my time photographing my experience to keep my spirits up and creative juices flowing…
Enjoy the lolz.
Some kiff stuff has been happening dudes.
its been a while since i have written. i guess i have been busy.
lets reflect.
as the days roll by, my life here in London brings more and more magic. Summer is coming to an end, but we are still being blessed with some blue skies.
I am going to be an auntie.
Ekhard Tolle has taught me how to let go of time and switch off my mind so i can enjoy the moment instead of being defined by yesterday and looking for satisfaction in tomorrow. The only time is now. What a relief!
I went to Paris and spent some good quality time with my Dad.
I have conquered some demons. Conquering them has brought me to my knees and therefore lifted me up to a place where i feel at peace and in self. Conquering them has brought love back into me and therefore strengthened other love partnerships.
One of those love partnerships has reached an whole new level of consciousness and after over a year apart, physically, we will finally be together again. as 2 almost wholes. not 2 halves.
I have the most wonderful house-mates. i have the most wonderful home. i just love coming home at night after a long day at work.
mel and stu
oh and i work with wonderful people too. i am laughing more than i have in years. i am a stones throw away from some of the most beautiful cities in the world and it costs close to nothing to get there.
i am going home in december, to THE most beautiful city in the world to see family, friends, the sun, and my beloved dogs.
my bitches.
but before that, i can look forward to two weeks off from work in November to go on a long overdue holiday with my love, in the English countryside.
I think i can call this a gratitude list.
The seed has been planted. The first domino has fallen.
They say very few people only have one tattoo because after the first, you always want to go back for more.
Getting a tattoo was never anything I would have imagined I would do. I had kind of thought about it, like, ‘ya that would be nice’ – but nothing had happened, or meant enough to me, that inspired me to want to ink it onto my body forever. Until I got to London, and went to Norway. Until my life transformed. Until I felt a transformation occurring inside me. A transformation that spurred on a sequence of events that led me to go to Angel in North London on Friday afternoon, 12 August 2011, a celebratory day already for me, to get a tattoo of the words Jeg elsker deg on my wrist.
The tattoo is for me. To remind me that if i love me, no matter what, everything will always fall into place. To remind me of this time. To remind me that in fear, i must look to love. It’s written in Norwegian for many reasons, because of my soul sister, Nosizwe Baqwa who taught me Jeg elsker deg when we were ten years old in junior school – and i have never forgotten those words, because my magical trip to Oslo this year reconnected me with myself. And whats coincidental, is that a week after i returned from Oslo, they experienced their worst massacre in history. And i watched, online, all the Norwegians come together in love. Not war. But love. And that, my friends, is inspiring and something we can all learn from.
I feel amazing. Doing something for me, like this, has made me feel more IN myself than ever before.
Life is good. Just for today.
magic.
Oh if I could describe it in words I could. Pictures dont even do it justice. And it wasn’t only the city, but the people i was with. The energy. The warmth, the vibe. My oldest friend Nosizwe. The only friend who truly liberates me, reaches inside my soul and reveals my truth. That explosive Amy who believed in everything, in herself, in the world, who slowly over time became corrupted by society and all the disappointments and expectations. Who lost faith. Its always been there. And I’m slowly finding it again.
Singing in the streets, taking over the dance floors. Nosizwe attracts love and vibrancy. Together we create magic. And now she has given the world a gift of a child. A warrior, Aaella.
warrior.
Cautiously happy. But not cautious. Wondering, should I be cautious?
Communitcaing with love on an entirely new level. The love I have inside for me, and for others.
I have love scattered all over Germany, London, and now Norway. I need to see more, meet more, feel more. There is so much. This is what it is all about people. This is why I came here. Not to live some structured planned-out life thats fits into a box. Not to control my destiny, but rather to live it. Let it be. Let it unfold organically. I choose to not live the life my conditioning tells me I ‘should’ live. Screw the ‘shoulds’
This post takes emo to an entirely new level. But i dont care! Your opinion of me is none of my business anyway.
Recent life happenings have spurred on some great eiphany’s folks! These are the joys of change and suffering. They bring about these rays of shiny bright perspective.
My most recent one has been, that although when we part ways with some people in our lives, through death, or love, or circumstance, we dont ever really lose that person. As we never owned them in the first place. We never owned them. This. Was. Huge. For me.
I dont own anyone. Well of course I dont! Heavens above Amy. But really, the loss I feel is just a consequence of reality. All people that have had a great impact on my life, exist in my heart and in my soul. They are never lost.
Kinda defeats that song by The Temper Trap, right?
‘Our love was lost, and now we’ve found iiiit’ – it was never lost you fool!
pic. deviantart. http://bit.ly/qVhJPs
NOT lost her. NOT
One of the few sentimental belongings I kept when I left Cape Town was an excerpt from a book called ‘Eternal Echoes’ by John O’ Donoghue that my good friend Alex hand-wrote and left in my post box many, many years ago when I was going through something, unpleasant. I brought it with me when I moved to London, and while I was cleaning my room today I came across it. Its truely beautiful. I’m not going to write it all out – but I will share ‘A Blessing’.
“May you be blessed in the holy names of those who carry our pain up the mountain of transformation.
May you know tender healing and shelter when you are called to stand in the place of pain.
May the places of darkness within you be surprised by light.
May you be granted the wisdom to avoid false resistance and when suffering knocks at the door of your life you may be able to glimpse its hidden gift.
May you be able to see the fruits of suffering. May memory bless and shelter you with the hard-earned trust of past travail, may this give you confidence and trust.
May a window of light always surprise you.
May the grace of transfiguration heal your wounds.
May you know that even though the storm might rage, not a hair of your head will be harmed.”
Thank you my plantil. I love you.
My light, its there. Here.
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