Oh the working life (and failed attempts to cook)

Reason to smile for this week? I have my first paying job as a writer! Well, sort of. I'm working for Cue media which is the official paper for the National Arts Festival. It's not a proper job, but I'm getting paid fairly well to do what I love, write. And in between I get to explore the wonders of the Festival and attempt to live as a proper working grown up.

We produce a newspaper every single day, so things get a little crazy as we rush around trying to get in content within a few hours of pitching a story. I viewed a show today that involved learners from a school for the blind and deaf. They were incredible. Despite difficulties in bringing things together (the learners were not trained actors and the director did not know sign language and had to use an interpretor to explain everything), they still delivered a show filled with enthusiasm and a heartfelt message. It was such a pleasure to cover their play, and I even learnt how to sign the word 'hope', which is the title of their play.

Today was only my second day of reporting and I think I'm slowly getting into it. Since we started I've been doing a lot of walking around, and not a lot of eating. I wish I could say that the only reason for this is a lack of time, but that would be lying.

I'm not too sure how to cook and this is the first time I have neither my mom or the res kitchen to provide food for me. This has resulted in many bland meal attempts from me. I had nothing but tuna rolls on one day and I don't think I can eat tuna ever again. The following day I planned on warming up some delicious butternut soup. Unfortunately, I forgot to take it out the freezer early enough. Trying to get the right amount of soup out of the packaging when it's just a frozen block was nearly impossible.

Today I decided to be slightly more ambitious and make microwave macaroni and cheese. To be honest I don't quite know what I eventually made. It looked like watery mush mixed with milk and chunks of floating cheese and bacon. I don't know what's worse, the fact that I managed to mess up one of the simplest microwave meals, or the fact that I still ate it. 

I think that after the successes and disasters of today, a drink is in order. In a few minutes I'll be off to the Long Table, something many experienced festival goers have spoken of. Will post updates on Fest and life at Cue if there's time in between the madness of the newsroom! 

National Arts Festival - 10 reasons to get keen

With just two weeks to go until the start of the National Arts Festival, my excitement levels are definitely on the increase!

I don't think anyone can study at Rhodes University and leave without going at least once, which is why in my third year of being here I have decided to finally attend. Why go to a festival dedicated to just music, visual art, theatre, comedy, dance or film anywhere else when you can have some of everything right here?

I'll be posting updates throughout the festival as well as taking photos of everything I experience. If you can't make it to fest this year, feel free to live vicariously through this blog.

There's just so much to look forward to this year, but here are my top 10.

1) Jane Raphaely, wonder woman of the magazine world, will be speaking at fest this year. She is the biggest inspiration for me as a journalist and I cannot wait to hear what she has to say.

2) The Brothers Streep are possibly the coolest ever, because among other things, they sing about Steri Stumpies and if there's one thing I cannot live without, it's a Steri Stumpie.

3) Chris Chameleon will be performing .
Swoon...

4) Zakes Mda's Madonna of Excelsior will be staged, as well as Athol Fugard's The Island. The English Literature student part of me is doing cartwheels and happy dances!

5) Dan Patlansky. Nibs van der Spuy. Guy Buttery.
Need I say more?

6) Pieter-Dirk Uys, always brutally honest, always hilarious, always a treat.

7) No Rhodes University orientation week is complete without the jazz evening, an event that even those with no prior interest in jazz rave about afterwards. This is why I see the Standard Bank Jazz Festival (which is incorporated into the National Arts Festival) turning many people into jazz lovers. I'm looking forward to seeing up-and-coming artists perform, as well as the Soweto String Quartet who, apart from being generally awesome, also play the opening tune for 7de Laan.

8) After following Angel Campey on Twitter and reading her blog regularly (now I sound like a stalker don't I?), I'm finally getting to see this comedian do her thing on stage. High five!

9) Quality yet affordable vintage clothing will be on sale to festival goers as Guard the Vintage, Lambley and Thrifty Magpie (all local online vintage stores) join to form Guard the Lamb Pie. Silly name, brilliant concept.

10) Among all the well-known names and faces at fest will be the works of Rhodes students themselves, who I'm even more excited to see. Watch me go around pointing at random things and saying "that's my friend's work!" while sounding like an overly proud parent.

There is still so much more to look forward to, so for the full programme of events, take a look here.

See you at fest!
xx