Graffiti - rose amongst the thorns

So this past weekend, as i was washing the dishes, I got to thinking. How is it that there are so many vandals out there??? But i'm not referring to those vandals who tear things and do damage on other's property, no. I'm referring to those who spread messages by spraying paint on others' property. Graffitti artists.

As much as people hate to admit this, these guys have talent. Sure they could choose somewhere else to show this off, but maybe; and im just spitballing here; there's a reason behind the placement of these messages. Sure, I dont think anyone would like to walk out of their house one morning to see something spray painted along their front wall, but has anyone really appreciated the artistry that went into one of these "scrawlings"

Sure a lot of graffitti is linked to gangsterism and most people think that its just a bunch of street kids getting up to no good. But has anyone ever considered the reasoning behind this behaviour? As an art lover, i look for meaning in every piece of art. whether its a painting, a sculpture, or even a scrawl on the sidewalk. Subject matter of art is influenced by society, its influenced by what an artist knows and has experienced. Graffitti artists are no different. Their method of spreading their messages to the world comes by means of a bottle of spray paint and the largest "canvas" available to them, being a wall or a sidewalk.

If we would look and see where popular culture has its roots, (well 21st century popular culture) if you could see where the stars of today, lived their yesterdays then you would see the slums and the hardships that many of these artists came from. These are people full of imagination just bursting to show the world their creativity, however, as society does, these kids, "juvinielle delinquents" as they're known, are pushed to the side and no attention is paid to them. So in order to get some attention they choose to take extreme measures and show their skills on the sides of the buildings in their cities and neighbourhoods.

And naturally, they get into trouble for this.

I just wish that there could be a platform where awareness could be raised, and where these artists could broaden their knowledge of art and maybe create a career out of the imaginative and creative talents which they possess. Give them the tools and they will listen. The only messages they spray are those for love and a shoulder to lean on. They spread these messages for people to stop and take notice. IF someone could cut their work out, IF someone could put their work in a gallery, take their "vandallism" out of the street and into a place of hope, then perhaps these "delinquents" would have their chance to say, "hey, look at me" in a more tollerable way, without risking their futures. Graffitti is an art, graffitti can become a career. Just in the right environment. Because everyone is entitled to hope.

*Pictures are from Google Images Graffiti Pictures

"Nemo"

Medical marvel... So according to the leading information source on the "World Wide Web" Wikipedia, an Ovarian Cyst is a basically a sack that fills with fluid in your ovary (ladies, of course... once again the men of the world are free from another problem we ladies need to face) and it makes the ovary swell. Hmmm ok so thats all very good and well (or maybe not) but then how do some women have more than one cyst on one ovary? I don't understand. And then there's me... (yes I am a freak of nature, before you ask), how do I end up with a cyst on my left hand side... If i don't even have a fully developed ovary on my left? Yes I know, I'm slightly lop-sided (you may call me Nemo if you wish)

You're probably scratching your head, asking yourself why on earth I would type a blog about this... Well, mainly because I've been lying flat on my back for the past day and half with nothing else to think about. So I figured i'd write it all down. Make it all pretty in type and share my freakiness ith the global village :) Am I not kind?

well, the story goes like this. I was in hospital to get rid of a ovarian cyst, (in a procedure commonly known as an Endoscopic Cat II Laparoscopic Cystectomy) which was 6cm in diameter... HOLY COW thats crazy right. Well yeah its quite big. I even had to pull out a ruler to explain it to my dad. Anyway, after an amazing anaesthetic induced sleep, I wake to find my mother all excited (yet weirded out) sitting at the end of the thing the hospital calls a "bed" (Really its a bench with a small amount of sponge and a plastic covering which makes priceless sounds with every move I made) So she says, and bare in mind I had just woken up, "you are a medical mystery". I was perplexed. "wha???" I muttered as i looked at her through my barely opened eyes. "You never had an ovary/ tube on your left!" (I'm gonna add a note right here: NEVER TRY TO EXPLAIN SOMETHING SLIGHTLY HIGHER GRADE TO SOMEONE WHO HAS ONLY JUST WOKEN UP AFTER AN HOUR SURGERY. Just a small tip)
So looking rather pleased so politely called my boyfriend and dad and went along her merry way.

But hey, the doctor explained it slightly better. But basically, my left hand ovary and tube never fully developed, so the cyst grew in the remnant of what did begin to develop and then just decided to stop. Making me a Nemo. haha weird right.

So from the underdeveloped me.
Asta la vista. I have some pain pills to dig up
Meerkat out

Ode to the paycheque

I was lied to... they told me that becoming a young adult would be some of the greatest years of my life.. well, right now, I would do anything to go back a couple of years to where I didn't need to stress or work so hard for nothing!

Why do we work so hard? Why do we spend all our lives doing something simply for the sake of money? Why do we need to care about money as much as we do? Whoever said that money made the world go round, was crazy but 100% correct. What is the deal with money anyway? Can't there be a "reset" switch? You run out and you just flip the switch. But hey, we only live once right.

Money is a life wrecker. It works if you have it, but if you don't, it comes back and kicks you right in the gentle areas in the form of bills.

Yes... today is payday... And I maybe the only person to say this, but I HATE PAYDAY! why? you may ask as you read this and scratch your head in utter confusion, well because YEY you have money, and then you think , "Hmmm i can actually buy something for myself today, ecause i have money." well that thought should be killed while being conceived! DO NOT SPEND MONEY UNTIL YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU'LL HAVE AFTER EVERYTHING COMES OFF!!!

Sigh... deep heavy sigh.

Emo, depressing post tonight. And even if it is only me that might read this, there's nothing better than putting my feelings in print, than letting lose at the first person that asks, "Why so glum?"

Peace out.
xx

(At least writing doesn't come at a hefty price)

SWC-- South Africa 2010 wrap up

So the Soccer World Cup is over and now there is simply not much to watch on tv anymore... at least this is the opinion of many. Not particularly my opinion, however the soccer was most certainly a very entertaining way to keep oneself occupied for 90 minutes at a time. For me the entertainment came from proving a theory I had the whole way through the tounament.

My theory was that any team that chose to play in white, would lose or draw the match. Of course a few countries set out to prove my theory wrong (and in turn i chose not to support them after this... thats right Germany and USA!) but for the majority of the tounament, any team that played in white would get the short end of the stick. Clearly word got out about my theory as the teams seem to have become a lot smarter, in that they chose not to wear white. but then they were in the final stages of the world cup and didn't want to take any chances.

Of course, whenever I brought this theory up in social gatherings, my peers would say I was crazy, and then look at me with total awe when their side (who conveniently decided to wear the "taboo-ed" colour) had lost their match.

Of course the upsets of the tournament will be talked about for years, France bombing out to the host country South Africa. South Africa's disappointing exit from the tournament despite making their country proud, Italy... well who could've seen that coming? Brazil and Portugal... initial front runners beaten by the likes of the two teams in the finals respectively. and lets not get started about England. Uruguay's boy with "the hands of God" Suarez dashing the hopes of the ENTIRE African continent with a blatant hand ball that was so obviously a cheat.

All in all however, the tournament was amazing. and to have it take place in my back yard is something I will never forget. I can say "I was there" and I will be there in Brazil in 2014.

Peace :)

Hello

Believe it or not, but a meerkat writing a blog is obviously unrealistic... but nowadays what does reality matter? Everyone is so focused on the mystery of everything and reality is taking a back seat when it comes to what is right in front of them.

Realism for me, means writing unrealistic tales about love, adventure and all sorts of other sappy things that if I'm lucky enough, maybe even the millionth vampire love story to hit the shelves of the ever popular book stores.

But honestly, in all fairness, the only unrealistic thing that I plan on writing here is basically the name i'll give myself. Because seriously, can a meerkat really type? of course even i cant answer that question, because i have never seen one type. I may live in Africa, where the human race apparently started (if you believe into that whole evolution game) but seriously, a monkey may be able to type and travel into space. And a meerkat may have long claws, but the idea of a meerkat actually sitting behind a laptop typing a blog, is something the next hit animation could base itself on. Hmmm Timon and Pumba starting a blog... wouldnt that e a hit. :) LOL

I'm going to go,
But remember this, these words are from the crazy meerkat.

Follow me on twitter @crazymeerkat.

Cheers