There's no Thirst like Bathurst

It is safe to say that Grahamstown is a small town. There is one very small and outdated movie house, many historical buildings, a couple of churches and chapels, one cathedral, extremely bad roads, and no McDonalds. Despite this there is usually something interesting happening and we students don't often find ourselves at a loss for something to do. During the week there isn't enough time as we are kept busy with lectures, tuts and various assignments. On Fridays and Saturdays there is always a party happening somewhere, usually many. However then we reach Sunday. On Sunday's there are no restaurants or shops open (with the exception of fast food, the BP, and Pick 'n Pay), and there is seldom a party. In general Sunday's are reserved for sleeping off the hangover or rushing through your procrastinated assignments. 
This past weekend my friends and I said no to the typical Sunday, and set out for Bathurst. Now if Grahamstown is a small town, then Bathurst is a small village. It's like one of those quaint places you see in movies, where everyone knows everyone else. The main road in Bathurst consists of a pub; the Pig and Whistle, a cafe or two, and a few vintage-craft type shops. There is no ATM. Bathurst may be a small town, but it is well known in the Eastern Cape as the venue for the annual Ox Braai. 
There is another thing that Bathurst is known for, and that is the Big Pineapple. Most of the farms around Bathurst are pineapple farms and on one of them stands the Big Pineapple. It is 16.7m high and has three floors with an observation deck at the top. The ground floor has been made into a gift shop where you can buy all sorts of pineapple-y stuff. It's R10 to go up, unless you're a child or student, then lucky you it's half price! Also on the farm is a restaurant and bar that serves an assortment of admittedly delicious pineapple cocktails.
I am aware that visiting the Big Pineapple sounds like a fairly random thing to do on a Sunday, but don't knock it before you try it. It really is kind of fun in an inner-child kind of way. 

So if you're ever in the area, I would definitely recommend you check it out. Not many people get to go inside a giant pineapple after all.

   

Low-life fridge thief, get your own damn food

My faith in humanity has once again been placed under doubt. On my return to res this Wednesday, Halloween as it were, my lovely mum gave me some koeksisters. I don't particularly love koeksisters but these ones were really good, and so I placed the remaining ones in my res fridge with my name clearly marked on the punnet. I know some people have been complaining about food being taken from the fridge recently, and I myself have suspected for a while that someone has been drinking my milk. I never thought, however, that someone would stoop so low as to steal 3 koeksisters that were clearly marked as belonging to someone else. Come on people, really? How low is the human race to stoop before hitting rock bottom? What kind of person steels another persons food as it is, let alone 3 lowly syrup coated doughnut-braid. I ask you. What angers me most about this is that there will be no justice for the thief. It's not so much that I won't get to eat the koeksisters, but that one of my fellow res mates is a deceptive swine with weak morality. What I would give to look them in the eye and calmly explain how little I think of them, followed by a swift slap and/or punch, whichever feels right in the moment. Someone in res has taken a stand against the food thief, and to whoever they are, I have great admiration for them. This person has stuck a sign on the fridge threatening the thief, which can be seen in the pictures below. I have also just this second made another discovery, that my brand new, clearly marked juice has been opened and half of it has been consumed, and not by me. The low-life strikes again... and next time they will get a nasty surprise.

xxx Jamay

see pics below

Letter on the fridge to the thief

The scene of the koeksister theft

My opened and half finished juice

When all the fun things become legal

Today is my little brothers 18th birthday, Happy Birthday bruv! In SA this of course means he can now legally drink, drive and other things we tend to do illegally anyway ;P So I'm a cake person,I love baking. My bruv and I have a tradition of me making him a kick ass birthday cake which I have to top each year. So far I've managed but this year was hard since last years was sooo amazingly awesome and extremely ambitious. I always use this gorgeous brownie recipe for the cake part, and then go to down with the decorating and such. 
Check out the pics of this years cakes and some of the past ones :) 

xxx Jamay

2012- and collage of things he likes

ipod and rowing blades

bike helmet

2011 cake, full sized bass guitar

2010 cake, double chocolate death by chocolate