The Final Story in my “First” Themed Month... My First Photo Shoot!

The “Sweet” Life strikes a pose or two...

I remember watching “The Parent Trap” when I was a little girl; you know, back when Lindsay Lohan was still a cute little girl with freckles on her innocent little face (Oh! How the mighty have fallen!) and I distinctly remember the scene where she gets to watch a photo shoot and be in a few of the pictures. It looked so glamorous and like such a lot of fun. I think that was when I realised that I wanted to do a photo shoot some day. When I was about sixteen, I had a friend whose mom worked at a world-renowned cosmetics company and my friend and I went with her mom to a photo shoot one day. The photographer took a few fun photos of my friend and I before she got to work on the actual photo shoot; we struck poses left and right and had a fabulous time (for all of fifteen minutes) and then, for the rest of the day, we just sat and watched the real models at work. That was the closest I ever got to being in a photo shoot. It wasn’t that I hadn’t had the opportunity to be in photo shoots – I had. But when people asked me to be in photographs for their portfolios, the Lodger always disapproved and (in his way) forbade me from taking part. I dare say I probably should have noticed that something wasn’t quite right about him back then already, but alas! So, it seemed as if my little photo shoot dream would never come true – that is, until a few months ago...

Sinead - Fabulous Photographer

One of my friends from high school, Sinead, had taken up photography and started her own photographic company part-time.

Keshni - Make-up Guru

Keshni, another friend from high school, had become a part-time make-up artist and she teamed up with Sinead to form a kind of dynamic duo. I’d seen some of their work posted on Facebook and I was really impressed with how professional the make-up and photos looked. I was browsing Facebook one day, as one does when trying to avoid work, assignments or any form of real productivity, and came across one of Sinead’s posts. She was looking for suggestions of new names for her photographic company, and the person who suggested the winning name would win the opportunity to be in her next photo shoot. I always enter competitions and never win anything, but I decided to enter this one in the hopes that maybe I’d strike it lucky and my little dream of being in a photo shoot might come true.

A few weeks after I’d posted my name suggestion, Sinead surprised me with an inbox message saying that she’d chosen her cousin’s suggestion as the new name of her company but that my suggestion was the runner-up, and since her cousin was already going to be in the photo shoot, I was going to do the photo shoot with him. I was so excited; firstly, because I had never won anything before and secondly, because I was actually going to be in a photo shoot! 

I spent a few days imagining what the theme might be – perhaps it would be a 50s pin-up theme or maybe it would be one of those artsy photo shoots in a park or an open field... And then Sinead sent through her ideas for the shoot. The theme was, wait for it... “Trailer Trash”. Well, it wasn’t quite what I’d been imagining but her ideas looked very interesting and edgy. I was quite excited and then I saw that I’d be doing what Sinead called “intimate shots” with her (male) cousin. Naturally, I was the tiniest little bit worried about this. I didn’t want to do anything distasteful or anything that I would come to regret. And the Greek also didn’t seem too enthused about this little detail either. So, being the paranoid woman that I am, I decided to email Sinead and clarify exactly what she meant by “intimate shots”. She assured me that I wouldn’t be expected to do anything that made me feel uncomfortable and that it would all be very tasteful. She also assured me that there would be nothing for the Greek to worry about because, in her words, her cousin is “very gay”. This put the Greek at ease and made me feel much less stressed about the situation which meant that I could spend the next few weeks looking forward to the shoot.

About a week before the photo shoot was scheduled to take place, I managed to come down with a dreadful chest infection. I spent the three days before the shoot in bed and heavily medicated in an attempt convalesce in time for the shoot. I’d been blowing my nose on a near-constant basis for a week which resulted in me having very little skin left on my very red nose, I still had quite a vicious cough and my body still ached all over, but, I had been looking forward to the photo shoot for weeks and I was not going to miss it just because I had developed what felt like the black lung!

 

Rhys- Hair Extraordinaire

 The Greek dropped me off at Sinead’s house after lunch on the day of the shoot so that Keshni could do my make-up and Rhys, Sinead’s “very gay” cousin who would also be in the shoot, could do my hair. Keshni did an incredible job hiding my red nose, and I dare say that even if my nose was red, my eye-make-up would have taken all of the attention away from my nose anyway! My eye make-up was incredible; it looked like the kind of thing you see in trendy fashion magazines. Rhys, who I think should be dubbed “The Hair Extraordinaire”, gave me a hairstyle edgy enough to be on a poster in a salon somewhere. My hair had never known volume like that before Rhys came along! Sinead dressed me up in a skin-tight little black number teamed with trashy fishnet stockings and killer black heels that I literally couldn’t walk in, and then we were on our way to Newtown for the shoot.

Sinead chose a really quiet spot near an old building to take the photos. By this time, it had already started to get very cold and since I was rather scantily clad, I was definitely feeling the drop in temperature. Sinead got to work quickly, telling Rhys and I how to pose for our individual shots. She had us both do some quite daring poses, and some of the people walking past stopped to watch for a while. When we started taking some of the “intimate shots” that Sinead had spoken about I found it quite difficult not to laugh. She kept telling us to look serious and sexy and I felt like one of those girls in the movies being told to “growl” and act like a “tigress”! I didn’t exactly feel comfortable posing provocatively with another man but all the laughs and fun we were having made it much more bearable and Sinead kept to her word and made sure that I was comfortable with everything that she was photographing. We moved to a different spot for the last few photos and a group of tourists walked by and asked if they could take some photos of us, too. By this time we were feeling like pro’s and we happily obliged but I sincerely hope that they didn’t think that South Africans walk around looking like “Trailer Trash” on Sunday afternoons!

Once we were done shooting, we made our way back home where I had to remove my fake lashes and wash my face about five times before my fabulous eye make-up came off. I also had to take about fifty clips out of my hair and carefully brush out all of my curls and try to tame my wild hair after it had been hairsprayed so much that I’m sure the style would have lasted at least a week. And, just like that, my little photo shoot dream and come true and come to an end. It was really one of the most exciting and fun experiences I’ve had. Sinead was such a professional and made sure that I was comfortable throughout the shoot, having a photographer who can give you direction while still keeping the atmosphere fun and relaxed makes a world of difference for someone who has never done a photo shoot before. Sinead, Keshni and Rhys really make such a fantastic team – they are all friendly, professional and true artists in their respective fields. Being given the opportunity to make my little dream come true with such a fabulous team definitely made for a sweet experience!

The photos came out beautifully, I think that they made “Trailer Trash” look quite classy, actually. The photos were edgy and arty and everything that Sinead was aiming for.

Check out the photos from the shoot, as well as Sinead’s portfolio of work at https://www.facebook.com/SAVPhotography

Also check out photos of some of the amazing work that Keshni has done at https://www.facebook.com/MakeUpByKeshni

Stay tuned for more stories from The “Sweet” Life.

The Third Story in my “First” Themed Month... My First Vaccination in Years!

The “Sweet” Life gets vaccinated!

For most of you, getting a vaccination is no big deal. Sure, nobody enjoys getting an injection, but it’s easy for most people to handle. This is where I’m really quite different. I have a fear of needles that I’ve never really seen in anyone else my own age. I’ve always been deathly afraid of needles; I distinctly remember my dear Mom taking me to get a flu vaccine when I was about nine years old and our doctor (bless him) had to chase me around the room until he eventually managed to give me the injection! I also remember when the clinic came to my school to vaccinate all the thirteen year old girls against Rubella, if I remember correctly – and I dare say I do – I was the only girl in the grade who cried. I didn’t have to deal with needles again until I had my wisdom teeth removed, but I actually passed out that time. So, to wrap up, I don’t like needles.

Anyway... A few months ago I was given an assignment for my text evaluation module; we had to find a patient information leaflet or a brochure and evaluate it in terms of text-focused methods. The Greek’s mom is a pharmacist so I asked her to get me a few brochures from the pharmacy so that I could look them all over and choose one to work on for the assignment. Out of the very wide variety of brochures that she gave me, I chose one that gave information on Human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer. The brochure was really informative but some of the statistics mentioned in there really scared me so, I did a bit of research on the topic of HPV and cervical cancer. It turns out that HPV can lead to all kinds of untoward issues like genital warts, too. What really scared me was the fact that, according to www.health24.com, cervical cancer affects one in thirty-four women in South Africa. There aren’t really symptoms, so oftentimes you don’t know you have it, until you do.

 

How scary is that?! Luckily there is a little ray of hope at the end of this very gloomy tunnel. There is now a vaccine that can prevent the spread of HPV and therefore, cervical cancer and another vaccine that protects against these medical conditions as well as genital warts. What will they think of next, huh?

However, I didn’t want to jump into anything that may have untoward effects later on so, I did a little research on that too. It turns out that there are some temporary side-effects that might be experienced after the vaccines, some of which include: 

•  Light-headedness
• Headaches
• Flu-like symptoms
• Nausea

Another potential issue is that one vaccine doesn’t cut it—it takes three vaccines, the first one, then one a month after that and the last one five months after the first. And at around R650 – R750 a jab, you’re looking at paying a pretty penny so, medical aid is advised! Another catch is that the vaccine is only recommended for patients under the age of twenty-six; so, if you’re like me, you only have a few years left to do it. While the temporary side-effects, costs and other pre-requisites might seem like a schlep, I think it’s important to remember the benefits as well. If you can protect yourself and eliminate the chances of being that one in thirty-four South African women who is affected by this dreadful illness, then why not? Right?

Well, that’s what I kept telling myself on the way to the doctor anyway. I was too much of a pansy to go on my own so dear Sarah drove me to the doctor and promised to come in with me and hold my hand. I was so nervous, my palms were sweaty and my heart was racing so fast I thought it might actually jump out of my chest, slap me across the face and jump back in. When we went into my doctor’s consulting room, I promised myself that there would not be a repeat of the running-around-the-room incident, mainly because that would be ridiculous at my age but also because I really like my new doctor and I would hate to have to go through the annoying process of finding another new one. So, instead of running around the room, I decided it would be a good idea to beg the good doctor not to hurt me. The man deserves a medal for being so nice to me, he was so sweet and understanding and he promised to be as gentle as possible. Sarah stood next to me and actually held my hand while I got vaccinated and told me that I am, without a doubt, the biggest baby she has ever met in her life. I cannot argue with her on that one! Now, Dear Reader, I should mention another side-effect of the vaccine... It hurts like the dickens!!! 

After this whole ordeal Sarah was nice enough to take me for ice-cream, and I’m not kidding when I say that it really did make me feel better. Unfortunately for me, I experienced all of the temporary side-effects after my first vaccine. My arm was swollen, red and very sore for about a week after the injection and I also managed to turn my flu-like symptoms into a chest infection. But at the end of the day, I survived. My second vaccine wasn’t nearly as bad and I managed to escape with none of the side-effects the second time around, apart from my arm being red, swollen and sore again. I even went to the doctor all on my own for the second vaccine and I didn’t even need an ice-cream afterwards (how brave am I, right?).

My final vaccine is due in November, after which I will be protected against HPV and cervical cancer. I dare say that three little vaccines, a bit of a hefty price and some mild side-effects are a very small price to pay in return for protection against some really scary illnesses. I’d recommend the vaccine to all of my friends and readers. The great thing is it’s not just for women. Since HPV is spread mainly by semen, men are responsible for protecting the women in their lives too. If a woman gets vaccinated, she protects her cervix but if a man gets vaccinated, he’s protecting the cervix of every woman he has a sexual encounter with. So, to all my readers, please consider getting vaccinated! For more information on the vaccine visit: www.everything-i-can.co.za.

Stay tuned for my final “first-themed” post. Until then, keep it sweet!

The Second Story in my “First” Themed Month... My First Graduation Ceremony

The “Sweet” Life gets qualified!

Qualified for what, I am not sure... You see, dear Reader, my first tertiary qualification is a BA Degree. I majored in English and Visual Culture and Communication while also taking modules in Information Science, Art History, Sociology, Psychology and Economics, among others. One of the big jokes on campus regarding BA students is: “What’s the difference between a BA Degree and a chicken?” and the very witty answer to that is: “A chicken can feed a family of four”. Ha ha ha... Note the sarcastic laugh. Us BAs shrug these comments off and laugh along with the crowd but the truth of the matter is that they hurt! I cannot speak for other BA students and graduates, but I am really quite petrified that I won’t find a decent, well-paying job with my BA Degree. Especially since I just did a general degree as opposed to a degree in which one specialises in a certain field. I suppose that I am trying to compensate for that by doing my Honours now.

This all ties in with the story of my first graduation ceremony because while most people are incredibly excited for their graduation ceremonies, I was actually dreading mine. Most peoples’ parents are extremely proud of them for graduating while my Dad was probably just grateful that I’d eventually managed to get my degree! You see, my undergraduate studies were a rocky road that my Dad and I travelled together for what felt like decades. I studied Consumer Science for a year and a half before I switched to BA. I met so many wonderful people and made treasured memories with them during my first year-and-a-half of studying but I was just not cut out for that field of study. Naturally, my poor marks (and many failed modules) left me feeling despondent and actually led to me falling into a pit of depression until my darling Mom convinced my Dad to let me change my course of study. Bless her; she may just have saved my life!

Of course, my dear ole’ Dad wasn’t pleased with me. He’d practically wasted a year-and-a-half’s worth of tuition money on me, and anyone who has ever studied will know that this sort of thing doesn’t exactly come cheap! But he supported me and stood by me in my decision and with the help of my big sister I chose a BA degree and selected my many, many subjects. Luckily for me (and Daddy’s finances) I thrived in my new BA environment! I loved most of my modules and my marks improved enormously and eventually I found myself signing off the forms to confirm that I would be attending the Autumn graduation ceremony for BA graduates.

In the weeks leading up to my graduation ceremony I kept hearing this annoying little voice in the back of my head... It kept repeating those stupid little BA jabs and saying things like: “Please, no one will ever hire you...” and “You’re just a BA...” and “What a waste of four years of studying...” My sister kept asking me if she should make a booking somewhere nice so we could all go out for lunch to celebrate after the ceremony and she and my Mom kept asking me what I was going to wear and while I knew they all meant well and they were just excited for me, all I could hear was the little voice that just kept getting louder and louder until eventually it started shouting at the Greek a few nights before the ceremony when the dreaded topic came up in conversation. The Greek was so supportive and tried to console me but, needless to say, I was not particularly thrilled at being consoled by my genius Chemical Engineer boyfriend! So, I just bottled up all my insecurities and let them fester at the bottom of my heart until the “big” day arrived.

I woke up on Monday 23 April 2012 with a cramp on my tummy - nerves no doubt, and a big lump in my throat. I felt like I might just crack at any moment and be reduced to a sobbing mess all over again. My folks came to fetch me from the flat so that we could all drive to the venue together. They looked so fancy, all dressed up and excited for the occasion. None of the friends I’d made in class were graduating with me so I went to my seat alone and waited for the ceremony to begin. It was fairly straight-forward as far as graduation ceremonies go and because my surname begins with a “C”, I got my degree certificate fairly early and ended up watching about two-hundred other people get their degrees and about fifty others get their post-graduate degrees. I think the only exciting part of the whole ceremony was when I walked off stage and almost forgot to collect my degree certificate from the ladies standing at the side of the hall! Can you imagine?! Then all that fuss would have been for nothing!

The family lunch afterwards was lovely. The food was incredible and the hugs from my proud family, especially the cuddles from my beautiful little niece, were so special. My family wanted to know how I felt now that I had graduated and I was honest with them about how worried I was that it had all been a waste and that I wouldn’t ever find a job. They couldn’t understand how I could think that it had all been a waste. My Mom argued that no form of education is ever a waste; it’s something so valuable that no one can ever take from you. My sister pointed out that she and her husband both got degrees and now they are both doing incredibly well for themselves in fields that have nothing to do with what they studied! My Dad didn’t say anything, he just sat and listened. But I know that he felt proud of me. Knowing that made me feel so much better about the whole situation, and seeing how my sister’s life has turned out made me realise that everything works out as it should and according to God’s plan for us. Perhaps it’s a little bit pointless to focus on the future so much when I should be enjoying the present. At the end of the day, I got my first degree and I think that’s pretty sweet!

The First Story in my “First” Themed Month... My First Greek Easter

The “Sweet” Life goes Greek... Orthodox, that is...

Ah, Easter - such a magical time for young children. When I think of my childhood Easters, I recall plenty of chocolate Easter eggs and white candy-coated Easter eggs, waiting for the famous Easter Bunny to deliver more delicious Easter treats and then spending most of Easter Sunday in bed with my family, munching on hot-crossed buns and chocolates. I was brought up as a Methodist Christian, so some of our Easter Sundays were spent at church but mostly, we just made sure that we were together as a family on this day.

However, as I grew up and stopped believing in the Easter Bunny, I found that this time of year became a great deal less whimsical. Instead of being excited about the Easter Bunny’s arrival, we were excited about all of the public holidays around Easter. Instead of chocolate treats, my dear Mother would buy me Easter panties – my Mom loves underwear, she’s one of those moms who always told us to make sure we were wearing pretty underwear in case we were in an accident so that if we were stripped of all our clothes we would be covered on the pretty underwear front! Little things like Easter panties and lying in bed together eating hot-crossed buns are what formed the bulk of our Easter traditions.

Greek Easter, on the other hand, is an entirely different story! I would come to learn this quite quickly as I embarked on the little adventure that was to be my First Greek Easter. The Greek had told me a little bit about Greek traditions when we started seeing each other but he got really serious when he explained Greek Easter to me around the middle of February. I think I ought to mention that the Greek Orthodox religion isn’t just a religion – it’s a lifestyle. This seemed a bit odd to me when I first started dating the Greek because I lost touch with my faith during my high school years and never really found a place of worship or a place in my own heart that made me feel close to God. To be with someone who is so passionate and devoted and dedicated to his religion is a truly refreshing feeling for me and it is one of the many reasons why I love the Greek so very much. But I digress. Let’s get back to Greek Easter...

The Greek told me that Greek Easter was basically the most important time of year for the Greek Orthodox community. This time of year reminds us of how God sacrificed His Son for the forgiveness of our sins and how Christ was resurrected from the dead and will come again. In order to commemorate this very important time of year, Greek Orthodox Christians fast for a period of seven weeks.

Fasting is not for the faint-hearted! Fasting includes giving up all meat, fish, dairy products and oil. Those who are particularly strict on themselves during fasting (like the Greek) will avoid alternatives to these products such as soy milk and soy protein products as well. Seven weeks of vegetables, soups, lentils and baked beans is hardly an appetising menu. Not to mention the amount of carbs in the form of bread, rice, potatoes and pasta that these people consume. Keep in mind though, that not all Greeks take this time seriously, and a very rare few will actually fast for the whole seven weeks. Most Greeks will fast for the first week and the last two or three weeks of Easter, but not my Greek. No, he was serious! Now, you may be wondering how fasting would affect me since I’m not Greek Orthodox (yet). The answer is simple; I spend two or three weekends a month at the Greek’s place which means I would be fasting (more or less) for three weekends a month for about two and a half months. I also had to stock my cupboards with Greek Orthodox approved foods for the weekends that the Greek would be spending at my place. The fasting part was really hard on the Greek and his family, everyone got a little grumpier with each passing week because, let’s face it – there’s only so many bowls of lentil soup one can eat before they stop being tasty. The Greek and his family got thinner as the weeks passed which irritated the living daylights out of me because there is only so much that three days of gym a week can do with so many carbs! I had never had to change my diet like this before and I could feel my waistline expanding week after week.

This change to my diet wasn’t the most drastic change I made though. I started going to Greek church every Sunday. I became so devoted that I found a Greek church in Pretoria so that the Greek and I could go to church even when we weren’t in Johannesburg to visit his church. I had never been the sort of person to go to church regularly, much less every Sunday! Some people said that I was only going for the Greek, and it may have started out that way, but by the middle of Greek Easter, I was excited to go to church on a Sunday. I was starting to find that I felt closer to God when I was at Greek church. It’s certainly very different from any other church I’ve ever been to. It is a very structured type of worship; every Sunday we pray for the same things and we are reminded of the basics and fundamentals of the religion, I think that maybe this is what’s been missing for me. I like to be reminded regularly about why I’m at church, what the fundamentals are and what I should aim for spiritually.

English Easter Sunday was a week before Greek Easter Sunday this year and I didn’t have my traditional family Easter, just a visit with my parents that afternoon. The next day marked the start of Holy Week. This is a very special week for the Greek Orthodox community because every night at church, part of the story of the crucifixion is told.

My First Holy Week

The Monday service was about two hours long which was short in comparison with the Tuesday, Thursday and Friday services. The Wednesday service took place around midday and focussed on the power of confession. I felt so honoured to be part of this very special week. I only missed two of the services that week – the Tuesday and Wednesday services – because I had to attend classes in Pretoria but the rest of the services were incredible. The Thursday night service was four hours long, the little church was full and everyone glowed in the light of the candles lighting the place. Friday’s service was also very long but it was such a different experience for me that I barely even realised how long it was.

Friday night commemorated Christ’s crucifixion and His being placed in the tomb. Each Greek Orthodox church has an altar that stands in the church and can be carried around the church later on. The altar at the little church was decorated with hundreds of white and purple flowers and symbolised the tomb in which Christ was buried. At about eleven o’clock the whole congregation, led by people carrying the “tomb”, walked around the church holding candles to light the way. This was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been part of, the candles looked like hundreds of fairy lights and everyone had a beautiful golden glow to them. When the congregation reached the entrance to the church again, the “tomb” was lifted up and each person had to re-enter the church by walking under the “tomb”. After the service was finished, each person walked to the “tomb” and kissed the icon of Christ and was allowed to take some of the flowers from the “tomb” home with them.

On Saturday morning the very brave members of the congregation went out into the crisp Autumn air and headed off to church where the service focussed on “awakening” Christ. The congregation stamped their feet and banged on the pews in order to make a loud noise that would signal that Christ will rise. It was a very lively service that marked the end of the “mourning” period. I have never attended a service that filled me with so much energy before! After the service most of us went for tea at the local Greek restaurant, Meze. After that we went home to prepare for the festivities that would take place that evening. We baked traditional Greek biscuits, made chicken soup and boiled some famous Greek red eggs – all of which would be enjoyed once the fast was over.

On Saturday night we made our way to church a little before ten o’clock. The little church was so full that we had to join several other people outside to watch the priest give a short service. We then lit our candles and made our way to the entrance of the church where the whole congregation sang the traditional Greek hymn, Xristos Anesti, which means “Christ has risen”, and celebrated the resurrection of Christ. All but about thirty of us, including the choir, altar boys and the priest, went home after that. Those of us who stayed attended a short service and sang Xristos Anesti a few more times before going home to celebrate Christ’s resurrection with red eggs, lamb and chicken soup, tea with milk and biscuits and good company.

It was such a special time for me. I never thought that my first real taste of the Greek culture and traditions would become such a spiritual journey for me. It was such an honour to be part of so many incredible, new traditions. I dare say that the Greek is ultimately the one I ought to thank for including me in the traditions and also for awakening my faith which is what encouraged me to try to strengthen my relationship with God. It has made The “Sweet” Life so much sweeter!

A long overdue update on all things “Sweet”

I’m back in the land of the living, Dear Readers! And I’m very excited to catch you up on what’s been happening in The “Sweet” Life.

Time has been a stranger to me these last few months... Not because I’ve lost my watch or anything, but because I haven’t had any time for anything but my studies and a few little adventures here and there. I realise that I’ve been neglecting you (through no fault of my own) and while I’m dreadfully sorry about that, I’m pleased to tell you that I have so much to tell you about the few exciting things that have happened in The “Sweet” Life while I’ve been hiding under a pile of work that can only be described as “Klein Everest”!

 

I’ve given a great deal of thought as to how I’m going to share my stories with you and I’ve decided that instead of spilling them all out at once in a single entry, I’m going to give each story its own moment in the spotlight in its own entry. Most of the exciting things that have happened recently are “firsts” in The “Sweet” Life, some of which include my first ever Greek Easter and my first Graduation. I guess you might say that the month of June will be dedicated to “firsts” and in keeping with this theme I will be writing my first set of exams at post-graduate level in June, too!

So, stay tuned for my “first” themed month of blogging, which funnily enough will also be my first “themed” month of blogging... See what I did there?!