Happy new year from the architects.

And a happy New Year. 

Merry Christmas from the architects. #4

And of course..... 

Merry Christmas from the architects.

Of course our other concesion to your stubborn insistence on Christmas trees and other adornments may be go compleat OTT and create an elaborate element with only one application once per year. Of course. 

Merry Christmas from the architects. #2

Well you know us architects. Why on earth would you want to hang a wreath on our masterpiece. 

Merry Christmas from the architects

It is safe to say that this is not a new one but I though it was worth a stab. 

A light at the edge of Africa.

We were on a trip to cape point. Which if your not from here is the most south western tip of the African continent. The most southerly point is cape agalus I'm told. But cape point is by far much more spectacular point of the continental stepping off point into the great blue yonder. Let's call it the edge. Anyway at the very tip of the last outcrop into the ocean is a light house. Which I find quite a hopefull statement of the vast and harried African continent. Sort of like here, here we will like your way in dark and stormy seas. Here we will bring light and hope for a bright tomorrow. Holiday thoughts. 

Ordinary Surgeon

Ordinary surgeon - some how I like the idea that mild mannered uber nerd sergeon types are get the opportunity to feel like space rangers boldly going when no man has gone before. Anyway the mind wonders a little. Perhaps I should go outside today. ;0) 

The gall of it... Get it :0)

Well so I find myself trapped inside a hospital rather than at the beach right now. And well I may have been reading one too many terry pratchitts by this point. Going out of my mind with boredom. Any who the mind goes where it goes. 

Sky Hooks

If you read the newspaper , in whatever form you may have heard of this building co-laps in which 81 south Africans where killed. A building where unscrupulous Evangelist added additional floors onto a building without reinforcing the foundation. In the news today they are saying that they are struggling to identify the persons because of the state of initial decomposition. They left these people in the baking sun of days while they pointed finger, and blamed the sky for the collapse Above are represented 81 dots, one for each person who perished. And a reminder to people who don't seem to understand things that small children who play with blocks have figured out by the age of 2. Sky hooks do not hold up buildings. You can believe all you want but gravity's a bitch. We need science also. 

Put them in a box, and send them to Santa

Yes it's that time of the year again. Where you will spend weeks thinking of the perfect gift for your loved ones only to disappoint them in some way or the other. When I asked my Father what he wanted for Christmas he said 'A grand child'. I know he may have been joking but seriously, some stuff you keep to yourself.  In a highly scientific and unbiased pole consisting mostly of the people in our office, I have deduced that this is a universal problem. Family should be boxed up around Christmas and sent to Santa, until Dec 26th. This may also apply to , weddings, pregnancies, and national holidays. 

Broken Crayons

It is one of life's fundamental truths. You do not control much in life besides how you react to the things that happen to and around you.  So use what you got and do amazing things with it. Good or bad. 

"Brain the size of a planet....'

I know I'm a nerd. You need to understand to get through 12 years of schooling and then think its a good idea to add on an extra 5 years is a good idea. You kind of have to be. This year I have spent an inordinate amount of time doing drafting work , window schedule, sections, details etc. Which is not really what you dream of doing at 2:30am in archi school. or as i recently read some place Architecture : 5 min of inspiration and the rest is window schedules.  If for some reason you don't understand the reference please read  "The Hitch hikers guide to the galaxy." Which you may purchase Here  if you so desire. 

Design Drunk , Draft ( Sober?)

Ok, ok it is November the time of year when Architect every where curse our awesome jobs. Some one asked me the other day  if i find architecture enjoyable, my response was as follows , you spend about 5 min being creative and the other 365 days are paper work. 

I Moved your cones

"It was I. I moved your cones. "
Let me clarify, I work in the city and like all cities in the history of the world there is just not enough space to park your , dragon, cart or car.  I've have been waging a war against an incredibly annoying firm who seem to think that is it OK to corner off public parking space so that their visitors should never have to park 2 blocks form their office. Like I now have too since their security guard has place parking cones in front of every bay on the block. ( There are approximately 5 cars that park their permanently) Having fought with and driven over their cones for over a year, this is war bitches. I have now reverted to a simpler method. Every morning as a walk past these parkings I now move two or three cones out of the parking bays. This give me immense  satisfaction. What can I say, I am easily amused and  a little subversive ok?

Perfect little arrangement of attoms

Before I get into it today, I really would like to remind you that you really are a perfect little arrangement of atoms. You really are. 

Routes

Seriously, there is some kind of conspiracy going on. Every time i use a mobile GPS I feel like this is how I travel as apposed to some complealy normal and uncomplicated path. I mean are these people in co-hoots with big oil, spending my petrol (gas) money my creating more mileage routes to any given destination?

completly normal ( and unique)

Well you get the message. You are indeed. Embrace that fact. 

heavy boots.

It's been both a great, existing year and also an incredibly busy and stressful one. I was having a bit of heavy boots for a few days. Actually this post and the one about the Sea aught to be in the same post.
I all of the amazing people that are swirling in the heavens this year.

To the wonderful - Gertru, I'm so sorry there wasn't a century of time for you to be even more amazing and to accomplish all your dreams, I'm sorry the cruel world took you too soon.

To the most lovely and gentle -Future, I'm so sorry you didn't get too see your son complete high school, or too go home one last time. I'm sorry there wan't more time to say good bye properly, too soon is all.

and lastly to John-John you wonderful boy. I'm really sorry there wasn't more time for you. For your brothers and family, to grow up and become the man they dreamed you'd be.

And work and stress and amazing trip to Germany to much - of fun and meeting so many amazing new friends, and learning new things, and seeing family and champagne (ok sparkilng wine) and pizza and beer and pasta, and all the great friends here at home and abroad.

Live you live's to the fullest. Life is so fleeting, make your contribution count, even if its only to your self, or your kids or that one homeless person who's day you made by handing out a sandwich. Make it count.

Give your self a break

You know when you look in the mirror and you see some vision of yourself that exists only in your mind. You have my permission to give your self a break.

The sea is lonely

There is a lovely song I know. Its written in Afrikaans , by a great bands called 'die die heuwels fantasties ( in eEnglish that's the hills are fantastic, which a agree is great name for a band ).
It goes like this well the first verse anyway.

'die see is baie diep en plat
die see is alleen
soms as ek na die see kyk
voel ek soos die see' 

Loosly 

the see is deep and flat

the sea is alone

sometimes when i look to the sea

I feel like the sea.

Which is admiditly not very poetic when translated. You may find it on I-tunes over here is you are so inclined. 

There is also this fantastic poem 

I MUST go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must down go to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.
John Masefield

Well I guess that prooves that the see is in deed, flat and deep and the sea is alone and sometimes we all yearn for the land and for its company. And sometimes we all feel alone. 

Every thing you think.

Apparently or so i'm told, the rain in Spain does in fact NOT fall mainly on the plain. Which goes to prove a point, you really should not believe everything you think or read without proper consideration , academic discourse and a good spoonful of common sense.

You definitely should not believe much you think about your self. its clouded with way to little objectivity, based on a case study of one. And is usually biased toward the mean kid or the dumb ass teacher who told you, that you where dumb and would never amount to much in the 2nd grade. Prove them wrong be awesome.

*ps the rain in Spain falls mainly in the Northern mountain - you may find out about this on this link.
The rain in spain

*pps if you have some spare cash do consider donating to wikipedea keeping the world smarter at no cost to you. 

Keep Calm & PANIC

Well yes, Ladies you know there really is no way that either option doesn't cause you to panic - 

option 'a' i'm not pregnant i'm a hopeless loser who will die alone and childless in a house full of cats and they wont find the body until week later.

Option 'b' oh no I'm not ready to have kids, what if i'm utterly negligent parent , what if my kid hates me, what if I cant afford to look after it. Oh my word I'm not ready to have a kid. 

Really men are the only winners in this scenario - 

Male brain option 'a' - Few dodged a bullet there have another beer mate. Option 'b' - Oh cool a kid, - good on you. Have another beer and a cigar too. 

Well you get the picture. Life . 

( although not being able to spell calm the same way on two side of paper..... Kids they say really.... they say..... ; ) You would never believe I have a masters degree in architecture. ) 

Reality

These are some thoughts on the nkandla home stead debarkel. So instead of housing 14750 people we have housed 6 wives, JZ, and his kids perhaps 16 I've added 2 staff member of every person in the immediate family. Also this is the figure JZ revied for spousal support in 12/13 tax year R216 504 702,77 that is all if you haven't recieved a house or running water, or a sewer system in your home stead or village this may be why. 

Oh wait let also consider JZ has been president for 5 years that's : R 1 082 52 3 510 I'm not even sure how to pronounce that number. That is all. 

Alone

Sometimes this is what it feel's like being a South African, or perhaps a johanesburger. The constant stream of friends and family members who have some place else to be. With the subtext of some place better to be. Even though you are surrounded by people the constant cycle of people leaving can be a little exhausting, sometimes you feel a bit like being in an apocoliptic movie like everyone's turned into a zombie and there are only a handful of people left on earth. Rediculouse I know but that's how it feel some times. 

Black

Black, I must confess really is a happy colour ( also please note according to the oed colour is spelled with a u ) it's the funist colour to wear as it requires the least amount of for thought on the morning. It oddly makes things invisible like windows, doors and steel gates. 

And black is sexy ask the French/ Italians. Trust me when I comes to fashion no one is better at it. Trust me black is a damn sexy colour darling. 

First time proposal nerves

We we try to act like we don't care, nad where goth and behave like hipsters everywhere  every time a client doesn't like our work , or rejects our proposals by truthfully we are sensitive little artist types be nice to use. 

Marter Mom

Honestly, you know this person and I suppose we call become guilty of this at some points, but honstly if i hear the words ' I can't eat / take /do that i'm pregnant from another pregnant friend. I am barf. We get, your growing a human, its amazing, but we all know the second that kid is born you are going to pump it full of all kinds of drugs at the first sign of a sniffel with no regards for the consequences. So do us all a favour and take the medication to make you healthy. 

fok off

Because, sometimes this is really what we'd like to say to the world. Also I may have been terrorizing the neighborhood with 'fok of polisiekar' last night.  I feel that once or twice a year they need to hear some good Afrikaans anger and agst. If you have no idea what i'm talking about you may find a song here. Ps not for the easily offended. 

Daily emotion meter

Yes well , a good therapist would say we should be aware of our emotions. The problem is that most therapist work nine to five jobs and don't have clients who use words like , it doesn't speak to me , and i'm not feeling the vibe and yellow? I have yellow. Shut up I promise it will be amazing if you listen to me.

Better after yoga

Bad day's aside of course everything is better after yoga. Its really the adult form of an ice-cream cone for the body and soul. Try it sometime. 

Gone to bed

It has not been a good day today. That said it's a Monday that started off at the Dentist, so there is that. Also these words " We cant extract it today ,I forgot to tell you not to take anything which may cause blood thining." Call me an idiot but I'm not a dentist, we forget these details. Also there was the leave for meeting , drive half way there and THEN get a phone call to say i need not attend. Frown. And the client who's email system doesn't bother to inform you when its too full and bounces your mail back , so now the drawings are oh a week late. Sigh.

Ball of emotion

My husban would agree with the statement "Woman don't ask questions."  Also I really feel i should have been better informed about the hazards of switching birth control before hand. Really the pill should come with a warning label that reads, 'Warning.May cause erratic and irrational behavior is stopped. ' 

Only Dead fish....

Well this one is a little self evident. 

Salad

It may be better for you , but no good story started with someone ordering a salad.....

Entanglement theory

'Entanglement theory is when to atomic particles act together in an entangled system. i.e. when you do something to one of them the other responds accordingly.' I prefer to think of it as what happens in your bag, to your carefully wound up ear bud cable to make it impossible to unravel in the 15 min it took to get from your desk to your car. 

Lego

That is all ! 

He who must not be named

If you do not understand this joke. show it to the nearest person to you with small kids. 

THE GRIM TWEETER

I may have been reading too many Terry Pratchet novels of late. But don't you think Death also wants to be cool.

clandestine surveys

For all of my wonderful friends who do things like, statistics analysis, data capture and anything else to do with people wondering around with clip boards or annoying viral please take our surveys. Now you too can be cool.

Details

Some days this is what if feels like to be an architect. Like I said its been a long year.

Paper Wasters

Yes its true when you've done 35 revisions of something to correct the font size etc. Its time you plant the picnicking person.

Scheduled

You know the story, you spend a week planning a course of action - and then the client phones at 4.55pm and demands a drawings by 6pm.

Yes. I am judging you.

Thought you should know - that while I am designing your 1200m2 House I am judging the amount of space you've allocated to your domestic worker. 

Still Messing with you

Because? Well, its just so much fun. 

Do NOT touch this dot.

Especially for the anal retentive types among us. 

I Do it just to mess with you

Ok so its ONLY March 27th but its been a long year of drawing so far. I'm working with a particularly pedantic architect at the moment - the next few cartoon may reflect some of that frustration. Everyone needs a catharsis this is mine.

You know the type, of Co- Worker who nit picks every single little thing in some ones work - starting with I don't like your font..... 

Happy New Year 2014 - Strip

1. Life is never really as bad as it feels.

2. Contrary to general belief. If you had breakfast this morning, and lunch and expect to eat a good dinner. Your life is probably not terrible. Take the Bad with the Good.

3.Never ever - believe how amazing other people lives are, by reading Facebook. They most likely are not. ( Or they lied )

4. You life is not as bad as you think it its.  Its most likely about as good as your friends on Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest.

5. Always remember other peoples life, experience , stuff always looks better and more exiting mainly as a result of it being  not yours. This is the nature of the world.

6. So start where you are, dream your own dreams and water your own garden. Be content with where you are right now. Its good enough, as any a place to start. Water your own grass and stop worrying so much about everyone else.

Happy 2014. Its not so bad.
Brigs