Birth Buddies is born

Well I have put together a site for my newly hatched doula service (birth companion) venture.

IT IS HERE!

Please take a look and give me feedback. Any comments or criticism or suggestions are very welcome.

If you know anyone in or around Cape Town that would like to hire a doula, call me!

Thanks!
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What is a doula?
A birth doula is a trained labor support person who provides emotional and physical support to a laboring woman and her partner. While she is not a medical professional, she can offer a wide range of comfort measures during labor - from massage to aromatherapy to continuous reassurance and coping techniques.

Women supported by a doula during labor have been shown to have:

50% reduction of caesarean rate
25% shorter labor
60% reduction in epidural requests
30% reduction in analgesia use
40% reduction in forceps delivery

My Celebrity Look-Alikes

I nicked this idea from Dave, who uploaded his Celeb look-alikes on flickr.

For thoroughness I decided to try running it several times with different pictures. 3 were pictures taken when I was done up and about to go out, and the last was of me bedraggled wet-haired and just showered, so no make up or other disguises or enhancements.

The results are below (click image for larger view) ...









I have Annie Lennox, Cheryl Tweedy (?) and Julianne Moore twice

Eliza Dushku with 78% on one photo.

Interesting! ( and I just realised that most of the women I look like are (well) over 40... NICE! (not))

So now I know who to look up when they make a film of my life ;P

Ok, so let's see yours then!

Christmas Daze

Well Christmas came and went and a good time was had by all.

We decided this year to stay at home for the day and to make it just a day for our own family. We woke up when we wanted to and had no fixed schedule or responsibilities for the day other than what we wanted to make of it. Luverly.

After a cup of coffee and cuddling in bed we all went through to the lounge to see what Father Christmas had brought us.

The boys were understandably excited by the pile of tempting loot under the tree. They soon got into the business of opening their presents and were thrilled with everything they got from boxer shorts, swim suits, goggles, through to the larger gifts like cricket set, bow and arrow pool set, meccano set etc.

I am really glad to see how grateful and appreciative they were, and they have no issues with what the other one got, and whether they have the same or even the same number of gifts. Well done boys!

Richard got a Diesel watch, 2 large silver Buddhist inspired mantle piece ornaments, a bicycle helmet and cycling gloves from me, and 4 P.S chocoates from the boys.

I got lacy undies, black suspender stockings, a watch, several CDs and some beautiful sparkley crystal bracklets.

Quinn was thrilled with his Meccano Crazy Inventor set, and said several times 'this is really cool', 'I like this', 'Wow this is quite NICE'. We spent a good portion of the day building it and I was amazed at how it held Quinn's attention and how much of the construction he was able to do. Some of it is pretty fiddly and tricky and he got a good fine motor work out twiddling the bolts and nuts etc. I also found out that he is pretty practically and mechanically minded as I was reading the plan and he pointed out a few times that I had made a subtle mistake and or found easier ways of doing what I was doing - like when I tried to very awkwardly screw into a tight corner he mentioned it would be easer to put the screw driver through the hole on the top and point it straight down to the screw I was inserting. D'oh! We built on a nd off through the day and eventually had to send him to bed at 10:30pm when he was half asleep but still wanted to finish it.

There was a lot of swimming throughout the day, although I avoided the sun altogether because my Christmas Eve sun burn is pretty bad, and is still very sore 3 days later :(

Richard spent much of Christmas Day cooking up a storm. He is a confirmed carnivore, and althought there were only to be 4 of us for lunch we had to have a smoked pork roast, big stuffed chicken and ANOTHER chicken, this was rounded off with loads of roast potatoes, and sweet potatoes and butternut, and I made gravy and a salad. I felt bad that we could have fed a small African country on all the food we had... but once I tasted it I forgot about my guilt, because it was delicious.

After lunch we lay around recovering and wishing it wasn't so hot, and we weren't so full. As soon as we started to feel human again and were able to roll off the couch we looked at each other and said, 'Pudding!' and started on the Christmas pudding and custard. It was delicious. I LOVE Christmas pudding, and you only get to have it once a year but - Arrgh!

Yesterday I decided to go to gym to stay out of the sun and move some of the artery lining I had accumulated the day before. Strangely (or maybe logically?) I had a lot of energy and ran nearly 10km on the treadmill and then we did some weights. Later in the afternoon/evening we went Ice Skating and I skated for close to 2 hours until I was really tired and at risk of falling. We went home gorged ourselves again on left overs and now it's today.

So far so good. This is the life.

More pics on Flickr

Merry Christmas

Well it's 5 minutes to Midnight on Christmas Eve...

I have neither written a Christmas letter nor sent out cards this year... oh well. At least all the gifts are bought and wrapped and under the tree. (The poor tree has dried out a lot in the heat and dryness that is Cape Town at the moment. It still smells nice though.)

Since I got off work on Friday afternoon, we have been to see the Christmas lights and night market on Adderley Street. Where we bought a beaded parrot to go in our outside thatched gazebo. Pictured below.
We have braved the throngs and did our Christmas food shopping in Constantia Mall, I am sure we don't have half of what we need, but the only way to come out of an experience like that with some sanity is to go with the follow and not expect to achieve much. We do have a smpoked pork roast and lovely free-range sage-stuffed chicken so it's all good. Visited some friends. Spent some time in the Mayhem which is Canal Walk, it is quite fun being there when your shopping is already done and seeing the frantic people rushing around all flustered and impatient.

We went to Camps Bay beach beach. Where the boys acted like boys! Evidence pictured below!
We went to the Cricket club (me via a run) and played Cricket and had a picnic. We have swum several times each day, and lay out in the sun to dry - I am now horribly sunburned. Tsk tsk.

This evening we went to see Happy Feet, which was sweet. Father Christmases cookie and milk was set out, and it has been dutifully consumed, and now I am off to bed.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Watermelon Verskrik

So I may have mentioned that I am ever so slightly addicted to Watermelon?

From the first time they become freely available at the beginning of November till they go out of season sometime in January I virtually live on the stuff!

I easily go through a watermelon a week - all by myself, because I am the only one that eats it in my family. I take it to work for lunch, have it as a late night snack, a mid-afternoon snack, you name it. Our fridge is always full of watermelon.

Richard has noticed this over the past few years, and a couple of weeks ago I was presented with this gift.

Bangbroek Mountain

We went to see Bangbroek Mountain at On Broadway last night and it was BRILLIANT!

On Broadway is a lovely little Cabaret Dinner Theatre, I blogged about it before when we went to see Two to Tango.

I didn't have many expectations, but it sounded like it might be fun, and would be a good evening out, so we booked.

We met another couple there and got in the mood over several bottles of wine and a light meal. We had a table right in the front and to the side so we had a perfect view of the stage.

The show started and I was mesmerised by it, the production, direction, scripting, acting, singing and choreography was excellent, and having seen Brokeback Mountain the parody was really well done. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It helped that the actors were rather yummy, especially the one with the tight buns (the shirtless one pictured above). The singers are called The Cowletts, they are large black ladies, who are fabulously stylish and sassy.

The audience vote during interval as to whether they want the happy or sad ending. The audience (as usual apparently) chose the happy ending, despite me trying to get people to vote for the sad ending... Still the happy ending was fun and funny and I was not disappointed by it.

I really enjoy going to On Broadway. The shows are good, the venue is great, the food tasty, and it's all reasonably priced. What more could you want? I will definitely be back.

Here's someone's blog account of going to the show.

Here's a review:

BangBroek Mountain – A South African Musical About Camping

Ed's note: "BangBroek" -- translated literally from the Afrikaans means "scaredy pants" but the figurative meaning is 'coward'.

This hilarious musical parody of Brokeback Mountain has a funny South African twist and a complete absence of subtlety. The story follows the lives of two sixteen-year-old boys – Emmil (Grant Almirall) and Jacques (Marcel Meyers) – who meet at a Boy Scout ‘camp’ and fall in love. Every five years they reunite at the camp at Bangbroek Mountain and as their relationship becomes more intimate, they are faced with various dilemmas, including the decision whether or not to leave their wives and open a B&B. A unique feature of the show is that the audience gets to choose whether they want a happy or sad ending. Half-way through the second half, the votes are tallied and announced, and the ending proceeds according to the audience’s wishes. Marcel Meyers puts on a convincing performance of a sensitive gay boy just reaching out for love and affection and Grant Almirall is fantastic as an awkward, unwilling male coming to terms with his own sexuality. The passage of time is marked effectively through the changes in the music (composed by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder) and outfits of The Cowletts -- a trio of divas who are sweet in the sixties, sport afros in the seventies and dance ‘the robot’ in the eighties.

Here is an interview with the writer-director Fred Abrahamse.

This is another review "Bangbroek Mountain "A Musical About Camping" is a riotous musical comedy revue that follows the life of two men who meet, as boys, at a Voortrekker Camp in the Bangbroek Mountains of South Africa in the mid 1960's. This hilarious musical revue follows their lives and their relationship from the ages of sixteen to their fifties; and their ultimate dream of building a bed and breakfast lodge in the Bangbroek Mountains. Brought to you by Fred Abrahamse and Charl--Johan Lingerfelder, the outrageous duo who gave you - AbbAtoir, Discovery and Bouncers; Bangbroek Mountain "A Musical About Camping" promises to be an equally uproarious evening of comedy and music at On Broadway. With all new original songs composed and arranged by Charl-Johann Lingerfelder backed by the powerful vocals of Three Tons Of Fun as The Cowlets, audiences are in for a side splitting evening of entertainment in this irreverent send up, featuring the comedy and vocal talents of the classically trained Marcel Meyer (Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet) and Grant Almirall (Cats, Joseph and We Will Rock You). A unique part of this quirky musical is that the audience gets to choose the ending they want - the happy ending or the sad one. You'll never look at camping in the same way after seeing Bangbroek Mountain the Musical. "

And that ends my week on the gay scene!

More MCQP pics etc

I have been checking out the coverage of MCQP.

Here is a press article - a bit over critcal, but hey you can't please everyone.

The official MCQP picture gallery is here.

Complete with pics of FHM's Captain Beer!

The official Gay Pleasure picture gallery is here.

Here are a whole heap of pictures here- this is the last pic, work your way back from there. There are some lovely shots including THIS ONE of MichaelB my kata-box instructor! I was searching for him the whole night and never found him. He was wearing Quinn's rather small batman cape! We should have arranged a meeting place because assuming you are going to find someone in 10 000 people is a bit optimistic!

There are also some more nice shots here.

I also spoke to this guy, I thought those feathered eyelashes were just AWESOME!

I liked these Incredibles and these Spy Vs Spy and Cat in the Hats and Sponge Bob Square Pants' etc.

This and this is an idea of what the main dance area looked like.

Em Cee Queue Pee

Yee Ha! MCQP was last night and it was a BLAST!

Everybody knows the MCQP party is the highlight of my year and the first thing booked into my social calendar. This was my 8th time attending and I think it was arguably the BEST ever.

It was again held at the fabulous Ratanga Junction, which is definitely the best venue to host this party, as it has great facilities, including good clean toilets, lots of bar areas and decent food vendors too, and most importantly it is sheltered from the inevitable gales of wind. There is also a good combination between in door and out door spaces so you can cool off and warm up as you need too, and there is always enough fresh air.

The theme this year was Comic Strip, and as usual Richard was in charge of costumes. We had already decided to incorporate my Camden market purchase from my London trip in January. It's not like I would ever have another occasion to wear it (outside of the house that is...). So it was decided we would be Nurse Barbie and GI Joe. Richard created some fun accessories and signs.

GI Joe was in camo gear, and had a few war wounds, and sported a sign reading 'War on Bush' on his back.

I had my shocking pink vinyl nurse outfit, white stockings, bustier with suspenders, clunky black buckled shoes (also quite Camdenesque but they were purchased locally and I seem to wear them to MCQP every year), and a sign reading " M*A*S*H Muff Area Shaved Hairless' !!!

We also decided that Barbie would just have to be blonde... oh my! The cringe worthy result shown. (Now you know why I had to put so much time in at the gym this past week or so!)

On the plus side I think I was pretty unrecognizable, even Richard said I didn't look like me. So I was able to role play a bit and go a bit mental in disguise.

We arrived at the venue at about 9pm, and as usual we had to make an entrance on a stage in front of the crowd and pose for photos. I find this a little nerve wracking, but it was fun too and a good few people cheered for us. Yay!

We stayed and watched the crowd and new arrivals for about an hour. As usual there were some amazing costumes and very creative ideas. Then we decided it was time to kick things up a notch and see where the action was. We walked around and found a dance floor we liked and danced there for a while. Then we found some friends and mixed with them a bit and then moved on to the main arena. That was pretty vibey so we danced there for quite a while.

After that we wheedled our way into the woman's only LUSH lounge. The dykey girl at the door would only let Richard in if he wasn't holding my hand (???). The LUSH lounge is basically all women DJs and generally only women allowed in, but the odd non-threatening and behaving man is allowed. Last year this was one of the best rooms to be, and there was a nice vibe again there this time. Although the nurse outfit was attracting more female attention that I needed, but it was all in good fun so it was cool. One girl came up to me and asked where I got my dress from and what label it was. It was nice to be able to say, 'Oh I bought it in London...'. But sadly it's no Gucci nor Dior!

We spent a lot of time dancing alternating between the main arena trancey area, the 80 room which is always a hit, the LUSH lounge and some time in a more main stream area and a more drum and bass area too.

The main arena also had live dance acts from mucho muscle men bump- and-grind dancers to the Cape City Ballet, who were a surprisingly big hit with the crowd. Roger Goode followed with an excellent set as usual.

At one stage we took a walk down to where the rides are and the Merry Go Round was running. We stood in line at go a turn to ride it. It was silly but really fun riding a musical merry go round with a bunch of grown adults all dressed like and acting like kids with sugar rushes at a birthday party. We took a few photos there but none of them came out very nicely unfortunately. Some more of my pics are here. Hopefully I'll find some on-line soon. We also bumped in the one and only Captain Beer from FHM. HE was wearing a bright pink satin Captain Beer outfit, instead of his usual black, and even as big and lardy as he is he manages to pull countless lithe and nubile babes wanting their picture taken with him.

All in all it was great fun, and it was weird but nice being a blonde for a night and getting a completely different reaction from people than I normally do. Countless people feigned fainting as I walked past and said, 'Oh I feel sick!'. So I should have taken a big rectal thermometer with me. LMAO.

We danced and danced until our feet ached and I was starving, so we ended up eating a chicken burger at about 2am. Then we went to the lower energy 80s (oldies) room where we had some slow dancing Frank Sinatra and Ertha Kitt to dance with exaggerated theatrical expression. Then there was a Frank Sinatraesque version of the Oasis song 'Wonderwall' which must be the Paul Anker swing version.

We final sat down in the Leather couched Admiral's Bar next door when what else but my very favorite 'Don't feel like Dancing' by the Scissor Sisters came on, so we had to leap up and dance to that too.

We finally decided it was time to call it a night and made our way home, getting in at around 4am... MCQP rocks!