So what is to become of this here The Flipside?? Who knows, I’m getting up to alsorts of new things these days and they’re all prooving to be rather interesting. I might just fill the site with my adventures or discoveries. Tales of surfing and learning the world of surfboards, waves and wetsuits…. or howz about following my discoveries into the world of film and story telling for film. I wouldn’t mind directing a film one day and I guess its not to far from possibility, so getting into story and film is perfect training for that!!

In the meantime life goes on, and when does it ever stop really! We’re nearly at the end of a year and it was only may that I last posted on this blog, may that I had a great business idea, may that I was filled with ideas of escaping my current industry, living off the new business and finally getting back to being my own boss like I was back in my feelance design days. Here I sit though writing a blog that basically talks of staying in the same industry for another good 5 years… I have no intentions in directing a film until I am 30 at least and that’s well, two years away!! Wow scary thought….

Wikipedia describes slacklining as, ‘…a balance sport that uses nylon webbing tensioned between two anchor points. Slacklining is distinct from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut (although it is still under some tension); it is instead dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a long and narrow trampoline’

This is a pretty accurate description really! Very technically correct, but there is so much more to it!

Fitness
Its a great for full body fitness, utilising multiple muscle groups all at once. It works your legs, core, back muscles and even your arms as you are constantly moving every part of your body to remain balanced on the line. Often these movements are ever so subtle short bursts of muscle control.

Social
Slacklining is an incredibly social sport! Its something to be done whilst out with friends at a picnic, or take it along with you to the kids birthday party. It gets people connected and gets them active! I have a regular group that meets on sunday afternoons, picnic blankets, guitars, drinks & food its all there… simply so we can all get together to slackline

Entertaining
It sure is… what could be more fun than challenging friends to balance against you on the same line, learning new tricks, laughing at your mates when they battle the first few times to stay on the line. Its all about fun, and it sure delivers.

Addictive
Every person I have ever mentioned slacklining to gives me this funny look and wonders what it is… when you tell them its like tightrope walking they get just a little cautious of you! LOL! But the minute you convince them to come on out one day and give it a try, they never look back! Its totally addictive and I am yet to hear of someone who has not fallen in love with it on the first try!

Its been great spending more and more time, on the slackline. Its become my sunday afternoon ritual. Find a park, beach, or just hit the regular park… grab some chips and drinks on the way and jam on the slackline for a few hours.

Its even grown into a bigger event now with @suekieza and @animatedabi being constant regulars with @suekieza even buying her own slackline. Friends have also started joining in and instead of just being purely a slacklining session its has become a great afternoon out with friends playing thier guitars and everyone just chilling on picnic blankets. What more could you want from a lazy sunday afternoon.

I have definitely noticed an increase in my fitness levels. My legs & core muscles feeling more strengthened every time. Every new trick or maneuver asks something new from a different muscle group… the tricks I am beginning to try now are starting to work my arms which is really exciting!

So last week wednesday I ‘celebrated’ two years of life in CT. I still can’t believe everything that has happened to me in that time. Yes I cant believe I am still here but that aside its been a relatively upwardly positive experience. As I was telling a friend recently life is not to be lived feeling numb & nothing. Even during your worst breakup (yes admittedly it was totally crap) at least you’re alive you’re feeling something weather it be good or bad! So even through the lows of my life in CT, I suppose they old changed me for the better… I am a better person now than I was 2 years ago, probably a little bit more naughty but hey why not! All you CT peeps, don’t get too excited…. *cough cough* my ‘Reasons to not live in CT List’ is still very much a work in progress! LOL!

Having breakfast at Knead on Sunday, I was watching all the surfers cruising in and out of the water and I think the surfing bug got under my skin just a little. A few years back now (2007) I did a few surf lessons whilst here on holiday and I really enjoyed it… so considering that I live minutes from the beach I think its time to smashing few more sessions in the water with some slightly smaller boards… as much as a 6’5″ guy needs a 9′ board its just a little to big for my liking… thinking of having a go on maybe a 6′ board if such a thing even exists lol! I think the visual of me on a smaller board however would just be ridiculous! Its time to get myself plugged into the surfing community so I know when the good days are! Like they say, ‘when in rome…..’

It did however give me quite a bit of time… just thinking and wondering if it is weird of me to actively shy away from relationships… You see, I have seen in my own life and past relationships, the damaging affects they have.

Obviously I am a little biased, being single means that all my past relationships have failed or ended in someway or another and some would call that jaded… Call it what ever you want, I hardly feel up to hurting someone else, by putting them through the heart break that I know some of my ex’s have experienced let alone what I assume they experienced. Breakups are all rough… sure! I somehow battle to just reconcile the returns verse rewards?

I enjoy the single life and the freedom is affords me, obviously I miss the intimacy, and connection relationships allow you to have with another person whilst dating.

Its a very pessimistic view point I suppose… assuming that a relationship will fail, and that I will hurt the other person. The question is… Is this the norm… or am I the only one?

I definitely know quite a few guys and gals who don’t spend much time wondering about the results of their actions, maybe its those few who do think this way that are still single?!

Suffice it to say, change is not impossible, the key… not loosing sight of the goal/dream! We can very easily get swept back up into our regular lives simply by waking up on a Monday morning and going to work and finding ourselves trapped in a regular routine…. that is where our lives are lost! Routine… creatures of habit.

I’m writing this whilst lying in bed late Sunday night. I’m feeling extremely motivated to change my life, making it what I want it. The steps however are not easy, or straight forward… they’re more than likely very much out of my comfort zones and its not like there are guides in our lives. People come and go and it can be a life time friendship that moulds us, or simply something said over dinner or at a bar over a beer that completely puts you on a new pathway.

It’s time to make that step, time to make that change. This is life, its happening right now and if you’re not living it, you’re wasting it… take it and live it!!

I plan to push my comfort zones, ask people I feel can guide and influence my life to dinner or for a drink in an attempt to gleam as much knowledge as I can. It’s happening, and you’re gonna probably be a part of it!!!

C

Now firstly… ladies you’ve all read these… but how many times has it happened to you? If it hasn’t, would you like something like this to happen to you?

The reason I ask is when does this happen and when does it cross ‘that’ line to the point where a guy looking at a girl across the room just becomes ‘pervy’? Guys are visual beings and so for us its a hard habit to break… in the same breathe at bars/clubs whats the reason girls dress up? To look good, did I hear you say? *cough* and who for?

Anyway getting slightly off topic here, what I am talking about is the eye contact the look that lingers! Across a bar, sure it happens… I know because I’ve done it! Its a flipping bold thing to do, especially in this day and age where eye contact barely ever happens! Its not in our nature. Try walking through a shopping center and make eye contact with someone longer than a brief flash… most of the time people will very quickly look away! Now translate that to the bar/club situation… everyone is automatically programmed by societal pressures to look away. Why? Respect? To avoid being labeled as that ‘perv’ who keeps checking me out? Lack of Confidence?

Everyone looks away, even when we don’t want to… and often even more so when you’re actually attracted to the person you just glanced at!

Venture a few minutes outside of the city in either direction and you could either land up partying in seapoint/campsbay or going the opposite direction in woodstock/obs.

However that’s where it begins to dwindle… yes claremont has a few clubs and restaurants, the odd spots draw the best crowds but from there on into the southern suburbs it dies a horrible death. Ur choices drop to just about nothing and even if you land up in kalkbay you’re seeing a 1% sliver of the people!!

Not that joburg is any better in terms of people, cape town city bowl cannot be beaten for density of interesting people, but where cape town has density, joburg has diversity & a great even spread of locations… you are more likely to find a great spot within your area, more likely to find people of similar interests in those locations. It’s just an all round better situation than cape town for anyone not living a stones throw from the city bowl.

I dunno how you peeps with kids do it, finding time between the kids and life to just try and be you, try to look after you. *high five* In my life its the simpler things that get neglected, and it all starts with food. I used to love cooking, so much so I nearly became a chef before landing myself in the animation industry. However here I sit with a lack of time and knowledge in ways to feed myself, yet at the same time keeping it healthy, keeping it simple and fast and last but not least keeping it within the restrictions of not being able to keep fresh food  for long… being a bachelor means I don’t eat at home every night & I don’t eat large quantities so food does not last around me. My lack of freezer space also makes cooking meals and freezing them for later a challenge.

So any thoughts everyone? Any great well proven and tested recipes you’d like to share? Any tips to diets that make use of foods that last…. I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this

Its been nice getting out and about and spending more of my time exploring and doing new things! Slacklining has become a weekly occurrence after finding a great park just round the corner from me. It lets me head out, do some slacking after which I can head out and do all the odd weekend chores all in one trip!

Its going to be interesting seeing what comes of everything that’s happening in Joburg… the way its going it may end up with a visit to Cape Town I also have family visiting me this weekend, so everything is looking in a general upward direction which is super exciting! Hopefully along with all my little tweaks and changes I am making in life and thoughts of furthering my studies will add up to make 2011 one super fun year!!

~C