WE HAVE MOVED.

Hi,

We have a new home and you can link to it here:

https://africanwanderlust.wordpress.com


or on www.wanderlustnlife.com


Thank you for reading!

The Art of the Brick

Nathan Sawaya's The Art of the Brick exhibition is currently on at Porte de Versailles. It is incredible to see the talent that this lawyer-turned-artist has when it comes to creating these amazing sculptures - using nothing but Lego pieces. From Rodin's Thinker to Da Vinci's Mona Lisa carefully crafted to astounding similarity to the real sculptures. My children loved it, especially my nine-year old. I would highly recommend it as one of the things to do with the kids. Word of warning: with the sweltering temperatures we have been having, the Porte de Versailles - being an exhibition hall is not very well cooled. Go with your bottles of water - they will come in handy.
The exhibition runs until 30 August, 2015.
The Art of the Brick
1 Place de la Porte de Versailles
Pavillon 8/A
75015 Paris.

Taking stock and readying myself for 'les vacances'

Funny how when everyone is winding down and readying themselves for their two months of vacation, I feel at my most inspired. I want to spend at least four hours - plan big! - writing everyday; to finish reading a book every two weeks; to go to an art exhibition every week; to try a new restaurant once a week; to write an opinion piece once a week; in between finding ways to keep my children entertained - whilst still letting them use their own imagination - and whilst all the while pondering the insanity of the northern hemisphere's two month long summer vacation.

I am setting no lofty goals of what I want to have achieved by 2016, or 2017, or...you get the picture. This time it is more measured steady steps on how I want to pace my writing; my undertaking to get fit again; a promise to myself to read more (of everything); but an even smaller though more significant goal: to be kinder to myself. It is often very easy to look at my life, evaluate, and for some reason since becoming a trailing/traveling/stay-at-home spouse and mom, come up short in my achievements. It does not help that in the mere definition of my role - no matter its importance to the people in my life - I have not 'leant in'. Sorry for having let the side down there Sheryl.

So I am leaning in in other ways: being present in my children's presence. iPhone, iPad, TV - I am going to have to share my time with you for a while; I think we should see other people; it's not you, it's me. I am holding myself even more accountable when it comes to my writing and to delivering on the goals I set myself. I am taking stock and planning and not overwhelming myself with the endless non-ticked off items on that list created more than twenty years ago on the things I should have achieved by this point in my life. I will get to it.

Wishing you all a restful vacation, and hoping to keep posting as and when that inspiration hits - which I am hoping will be more than it has been.

When a default is not quite a default

I have been watching the news and the reporting on Greece's situation - at the moment the highlight is on it now officially being in arrears with its debt payments to it creditors. It is amusing to see the euphemism being applied to what is effectively a 'failure to pay' its debts being referred to as 'in arrears'.  Of course it is a very neat euphemism for 'in default' for the very first developed country to default on its debt payments. So now we wait for Sunday's referendum when the Greek's will decide whether they proceed with more austerity and more money from the troika, or take a path less traveled in voting against the lenders' austerity measures to easing the Eurozone's financial woes.