Day 550 - Warmer At Home

Wow. It was a stormer last night! It was so windy & rainy I thought the roof was going to lift off! I woke up a lot through the night thanks to the rattling wind hammering away at the building. 


And it is officially warmer in Canada than it is in Africa! How rude! In fact, I heard 4º mentioned on the radio today! Yikes! No snow yet, but they did talk about snow on the mountaintops potentially! Crazy! I'm going to have to get some warmer clothes! Tank tops & yoga pants aren't going to cut it!


This afternoon found us back in Cape Town at Dr. Singh's again. I must say, this guy is good. Even Jaco didn't bat an eyelash! Usually (not always), when I would include Jaco in some of the other 'Doctors' appointments, he would scoff & criticize what was said. But not with Dr. Singh. 


He's incredibly knowledgeable about so many areas surrounding health. I mean, that's why we picked him, but I guess we're getting more than we expected, which is always a bonus! He reviewed Jaco's bloodwork, which showed a few deficiencies. I think Jaco was surprised & I am hoping that will make him that much more eager to comply with Dr. Singh's suggestions. 


Dr. Singh suggested a one month detox for us both, using only 4 products & of course, gulp, a strict diet. After that, he uses only 4 supplements. It will be wonderful to have such a simple program! No injections, crazy juices, dash of this & splash of that... Of course, I already KNOW my biggest hurdle will be the commitment to the diet. No self-sabotage allowed. However, one of the best things I think anyone has ever said to me, I heard today. Dr. Singh said I would have to eat an alkaline diet 80% of the time. 20% of the diet would be acidic. Now, I'm sure he would strongly encourage me to eat a *healthy* acidic food vs. a slice of pizza, but he did say, if I did eat something acidic, I would have to balance it out by eating a much larger portion of alkaline food. No, I'm not looking for a loophole to allow myself to eat rubbish. But the idea that I can live & eat without feeling guilty about not attaining perfection may just be the missing link in all my quests for health. 


I don't have to throw in the towel because I caved & had a bit of chocolate? I don't have to feel guilty because I ate some chips? I'm not a failure because I just had some nachos? What a concept! Of course, I think I'm going to have to tattoo 'Will this harm me or heal me?' across my head & hands so I'll see it every time I look in the mirror or reach for food!


Wish me luck - it will be a challenge, no doubt. 


After our appointment with Dr. Singh, we headed to the Waterfront. Or at least we tried. It was meant to take 20 minutes. With Jaco's interpretation of the map, 58 minutes later, we were there. I was very excited, as we were meeting Marisa & her fiancé, Neill. I worked with Marisa on ships back in 2005/2006 & I haven't seen her since 2009, the last time I was in SA. At that time, she'd only been dating Neill for a short while. 


I'm pleased to report that, in my humble opinion, she's chosen wonderfully! Neill is handsome, charming, a gentleman & affectionate. Not to mention, he's a VERY lucky guy, as Miss Marisa is GORGEOUS, incredibly talented & her smile matches her stellar personality! 


We had a wonderful night catching up on the past two years, wedding plans, life, friends, food & everything else in between. I'm hoping we'll see each other again before the end of May! In fact, we miss their engagement party by a mere days! Boo!


We went out for dinner & enjoyed a wonderful Thai meal, followed by Italian desserts. Mmm... gelato! 


What a great day! (albeit chilly, but great...) xxxxMaria

Dr. Singh & Jaco. In case you missed Dr. Singh, he's 6'8"!!!

 Delivery truck - SA Style. Wait 'til I catch a photo of their tow trucks!

 Clouds rolling in.

 Neill's a better photographer than I am. I'm retiring. He took this photo.

 As good as I could get it!

 Hot cocoa & Amarula

 Melon Sorbet

 The newly engaged couple! Yay!

 Good times!

 Being silly!

 Love you girl!

Cape Town's version of the London Eye

Day 549 - And She Blogs...

Yup. It's a short post today. I spent a little while on the laptop today. I am officially caught up on the blog! Yay! We were going to go for dinner tonight, but I think my eyes may be crossed for a few days after all the photos & typing. 


Adding to the fact that we don't have a printer & I had to Photoshop 16 pages of forms for Jaco & I's appointments tomorrow with Dr. Singh. Yikes! It's been a trying day! If I can safely get Jaco into the car on time tomorrow & drive to the appointment without a divorce, we'll be that much better off... Give me strength. And patience. And the wisdom to bite my tongue. And all the other redeeming qualities that make a wife loveable. 


I better go to bed before I get myself in more trouble!


See you tomorrow... xxxx Maria


Oh & if you're not 'following' the blog - let a sister know that you're out there! :o)

Day 543 - Dr. Singh & Henko & Mia

Today Jaco & I went to an appointment in Cape Town. We went to Health Nation to see Dr. Singh. He is a Medical Doctor & I have been seeking someone to help Jaco & I with our diet/lifestyle as we both seem to struggle from time to time. Additionally we are both adjusting to being around each other on a more permanent basis, so I thought this would benefit us both! Since Jaco is also a Doctor, I knew he would appreciate the fact that Dr. Singh was a certified Physician & not just 'another' Naturopath. 


Dr. Singh has an interesting approach. He believes strongly in the diet affecting health. He used to work at a centre for people with eating disorders. He noticed how diet affected the health & success of the patients with eating disorders & wondered why the rest of the medical realm didn't apply the same principles.  Here's hoping we can find some solutions.


When we plotted our journey to Cape Town on google maps, I found a potentially fatal flaw.  Google maps gives you the shortest route possible. Not necessarily the safest route. It routed us straight through the heart of the townships. Sigh. I'm not from here. Maybe it would be safe, maybe it wouldn't. But a fool should err on the side of caution, no? Thus, we ended up driving a fair distance to skirt the questionable area. 


I think Jaco was a bit apprehensive about our appointment, as he made a few *wrong* turns, had to stop for a break & didn't seem too rushed to leave on time. Thankfully we were there in time. When we walked in, Dr. Singh appeared from a doorway across the room. He had to duck under the doorjamb. He was that tall. 6'8" to be precise. I don't know if I've ever met someone so tall. Incredible!


Our session with him was wonderful. He didn't try to sell us hundreds of dollars worth of supplements from the first session. He requested blood work & spoke on a level that both Jaco & I were able to understand. We'll meet with him again to set up a plan to assist us both & I can't wait! If you're in the Cape Town area, I'd highly suggest seeing him! Even if you're not, he can work via Skype & email.


After our appointment we drove towards the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. It is a modern, stylish & sophisticated area with shops, restaurants, theatre & aquarium in one location. On our way, we drove past the rugby & cricket stadiums, the University, and the new football stadium used in the 2010 World Cup. We didn't stay too long at the V&A, as it was getting late & we wanted to stop & see Johan & Suzaan & the kids. We'll come back again to the Waterfront, I'm sure!


By the time we arrived, unannounced, Mia, the newest addition to the family, was already in bed. We snuck a quick peek at the sleeping beauty. What a head of hair! Henko was still up & he has grown so much! Wow! He is adorable! He even remembered me! I was impressed, as it's been about 2 years since I've seen him. Jaco & I brought him a little toy that makes soldiers out of your toast & has a little Humpty Dumpty guy that holds your egg so you can dip the soldiers in the yolk. Thankfully there was a chocolate egg inside, as I later found out from Grandma that Henko is allergic to eggs! Whoops!


We had a great visit with Suzaan & Johan. I hope we'll make it back there again soon - during the day time so we can see Mia! If all goes well, I'll attempt some photos of Mia & Henko. They are too cute for words! We finally left their house about 2230. I think they were ready for bed long before that! Two little ones will definitely steal your energy! Oh boy!


Back to Hermanus about 2330, we headed for bed. But not before a quick chat with Mom. She has yet to understand that when she's in the mood for a visit, it's 2 in the morning over here! Love you Mom!


xxxxMaria

As we say back home, 'He's a TALL drink of water!' 

 The rugby stadium

 One of the entrances

 The Cricket stadium

 I wish I had long eyelashes!

 The Sea Point Stadium where the 2010 World Cup was played!

 Other side of Sea Point Stadium

Henko & the dog crashed!