Legacy.

¹leg·a·cy

 noun \ˈle-gə-sē\

plural leg·a·cies

Definition of LEGACY

1

: a gift by will especially of money or other personal property : bequest

2

: something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past legacy of the ancient philosophers>

We are racing towards the end of the year at breakneck speed. Honestly, the realisation leaves me breathless. How is it possible that time is speeding up to this extent. 

It is in the quiet moments in airplanes or taxis while en-route to my destination that I catch my breath and think of the more important things in my life as opposed to the non-essentials like being on time for yet another meeting in one form or another OR the colour of my hair. (Yep, I'm going through a hair colour phase. AGAIN). But wait, I digress.

Legacy, my legacy, our legacy. What do we leave for the ones that will replace us?

My friends look at me strangely when I bring up this topic. True, I don't have kids but surely that does not mean that we should only consider our legacy in relation to our offspring only. It sure is a big world out there and we should to everything and anything to leave it a better place. I think...

I was fortunate to walk through the British Museum a couple of weeks ago on one of those rare sun-filled days in the capital of crappy weather. Hidden in the basement of this magnificent exhibition space you'll find an exhibition on African artifacts, both ancient and not so old. I was hell-bent on seeing the Benin bronze plaques - legacy of the Oba's. I must've spend at least an hour in that space marveling at the bronze mask and plaques. Which got me thinking about Africa's modern legacy. What will be known for in years to come?

Enters Pieter-Dirk Uys. I remember this guy as "Evita". He played a sharp witted alter-ego with a satirical take on the political situation in then Apartheid South Africa. You either loved or hated him. Anyhoo, skip to today and this guy is doing amazing work on a more social front in the battle agains HIV/AIDS. Talk about leaving a legacy. Hats off to Evita. Respect!

Give me a Home Among the Gum Trees

Not even two months into the new year and I am already feeling a need for a break. A getaway. A rendezvous!

Location wise I have the following in mind.

...a verandah,

...gum trees,

...endless blue skies,

...the sound of cicadae in the background!

That's all. 

I was in Sydney last week and chanced upon this little gem of a book at the airport. "Give me a Home Among the Gum Trees" by Bob Brown.

Sure it's not Pride & Prejudice but it still allowed for a flight of fancy or two.

Who would not adore characters the likes of sheep shearing kangaroos, a Vegemite eating Platypus or a Wombat on a rocking chair. I, for one was sold!

Daydreaming about my verandah and a break in the land Down Under.

Soon. Very soon!

Dalkgalbi 이상 고백!

 

I have zero personality in cold climates. Ice festival in Harbin, skiing in Niseko, traipsing around in Europe during Winter - been there, done that and could hardly wait to return to the Equator to defrost. My clued up friends suggested layering,  while others sworn by Rum or a Brandy. Doubles!  I took the approach of layering both Rum and Brandy in my coffee (black) which seemed to work for a while.

On a recent trip to Seoul, where it was freezing and I DID layer sweaters, CrossFit t-shirts and scarves I had the pleasure to get to know our translator, Taedeog a bit better. Taedeog is the bomb and whenever we work a Level 1 Seminar in Seoul he's our man. Anyhoo! Back to my story. The Sunday evening Coach Kim and crew treated us for some spicy Dalkgalbi at a restaurant not too far from CrossFit SAP. Now for the uninitiated, Dalkgalbi is essentially stir-fried diced chicken in a chili pepper paste sauce with sliced cabbage and tteok (rice cake) on a communal hot plate. Perfect comfort food when the weather is downright depressing out there.

While wolfing down generous helpings of Dalkgalbi, Taedeog was giving us an overview on everything from politics to dating in South Korea. Turns out he's quite the artist too with photography exhibitions in the city. You can check out his work here. As I said, awesome guy!

It was also Taedeog who gave me a little gem of a folk tale for my fable collection. This one is about an obtuse amphibian. A green one.

"Long ago, the green frog lived with his widowed mother in a small pond. The green frog never listened to his mother, and when she told him to do something, he always did the opposite. If his mother told him to play in the hills, he went to the river. If she told him to go up, he went down. If she told him left, he went right. If she told him this, he did that.

The mother frog worried about what she would do with her son—he caused her so much distress and embarrassment. “Why can’t he be like other frogs?” she said to herself. “Why can’t he respect his elders and do what he’s told?” She worried about what would happen to him when she was gone. She knew she would have to do something to break his bad habits.

Day after day, week after week, the mother frog scolded the green frog and tried to teach him the proper way to behave, but he continued to ignore her and did just as he wished. The mother frog was growing old, and she worried so much that eventually she became sick. But even then the green frog did not change his ways.

Finally, when the mother frog knew she was going to die, she called her son to her side. She wanted a proper burial on the mountain, and since she knew that the green frog would do the opposite of what she told him, she chose her words carefully. “I don’t have much longer to live,” she said. “When I die, do not to bury me on the mountainside. You must bury me on the bank of the river.”

The green frog looked at her forlornly with his head bowed.

“Promise me,” said the mother frog. “You must promise.”

“I promise,” said the green frog.

Four days later, the mother frog died and the green frog was terribly sad. He blamed himself for her death and he was sorry for all the heartache he had caused her. He knew it was too late to undo all of his past misdeeds, but he could become a good frog for her now. He resolved finally to listen to his mother’s instructions. “I always did the opposite of what she told me when she was alive,” he said to himself, “but now I will do exactly as she told me.”

So, even knowing that it was unwise, the green frog buried his mother by the river. And when it rained, he stood watch, praying to heaven that the water would not rise. But when the monsoon rains came that Summer, the river rose higher and higher—it flowed over its banks and washed his mother’s grave away.

The green frog sat in the pouring rain by the river bank, crying and crying for his mother. And that is why, to this day, the green frogs cry when it rains."

Thank you Taedeog :) / 당신은 Taedeog 감사

Spotting a Pukeko.

I had a wonderful two days coaching at CrossFit New Zealand in Auckland. To boot, it was my first time in Kiwi Land and I honestly look forward to returning for a longer period of time in the not too distant future to explore the isles.

Anyhoo. I was working with my group outside the box where one could see a swamp on the opposite side of the fence. As you do, we were catching up on some rays and fresh air before heading back for another lecture when I spotted a chicken-lookalike-but-not-a-chicken wading through the swamp. And so enters the Pukeko, my world.

And talk about timing. Just earlier during my lecture I mentioned how we South Africans adore animal analogies to explain how I use the term "chicken neck" when training athletes to retract the head thus ensuring a straight bar path when performing any of the movements in the Shoulder Press series. We were in stitches at my attempts of changing chicken neck to Pukeko neck. You try saying "Pukeko" as fast as you can a few times...not pretty.

So intrigued by this feathered friend was I that I had to Google it later that night back at the Hotel. Yes, I am a nerd. Confirmed, once again.

And look what I found! A children's story based on the pecking and wading mannerisms of the bird. Gotta love it, certainly explains a lot :)

Why the Pukeko Lives Near Swamps

"Many years ago the pukeko used to live in the hills. One day, however, one beautiful pukeko, dressed in his lovely blue plumage and proudly showing his crimson legs and beak, was walking along and flicking his tail at nearly every step he took, when he came across some Maori children playing near a geyser, not far from their pa. The pukeko patiently watched the happy children playing. When their mother called them away to have some food, the pukeko went to see what toys they had been playing with. He noticed, among other things, a handsome greenstone tiki. Very pleased at finding such a curious object, he decided to show it to the other pukekos. So, taking the tiki in his beak, he hurried home as fast as he could go.

As he was crossing some swampy land, a hungry eel bit his leg. Startled, the pukeko opened his beak, let out a squeak–and so lost the tiki in the swamp.

The poor pukeko felt very sad, for he wanted to return the tiki after he had shown it to his friends. When he told them his unhappy story, they said, ‘Don't worry, we shall all help you to find the greenstone tiki. We shall not live in the hills any more, but near the swamps.’

The pukekos have been looking for the tiki ever since, in the swamps. I hope they find it—don't you?"

by G. N. Lansdown

Keeping the feet firmly on the ground...no matter what!

It's been a while since I watched "Gangs of New York" but up to this day Leo's description of Cameron sticks in my head. He describes her as a "prim-looking stargazer".  For some reason the idea of a stargazer resonates with me. Not in a dreamy sort of wishful thinking way. More like having ones feet solidly on terra firma while, well...star gazing. Totally present with an eye on possibilities. That's my interpretation anyway.

Which leads me to Jeff Brown's latest offering, "Ascending with both feet on the Ground".
To say I'm looking forward to his latest is a severe understatement. I recall reading his first book "Soulshaping" with a pencil in hand because it was just so inspirational that I had to jot down notes or reminders to myself. His brutal honesty when it came to facing his demons and accepting them made a huge impression on me. He describes himself as a "grounded spiritualist" - there we go star gazer!

It's been a while...

Oh my goodness! Hard to believe just how quickly time flies, especially the past few months since opening Reebok CrossFit Enduro. It's been a period filled with hiccups, growing pains and the likes but also plenty surprises and wholesome goodness.

I was invited along with Kevin Lim to judge at the CrossFit Games 2012 in Carson, CA.
(Talk about an unexpected e-mail :)

My best friend Heloise and JOD came to visit in Singapore - how much fun can four people have at Universal Studios. Plenty! I have photos to prove it.

I played model for a morning and the result was a four page spread in the local Shape magazine. We had a blast despite me being camera shy.

...and then my brother in Johannesburg decided to get married. A whirlwind of a trip to South Africa and a lovely, intimate wedding filled with countless special moments I'll cherish in my heart forever. She's a lucky girl, Ettienne.

Every now and then a person with soul depth crosses one's path. At times, not always,  the crossing of paths leads to a reawakening in some way. This of course can be gentle or literally rock your world.
My world is rocked and I am compelled to share to this with you...

The Art of Possibility.

I sure am the luckiest gal alive. My good friend J, gave me a copy of Ross and Ben Zander's book "The Art of Possibility".

Wow x 1,000,000. For real!

Below an excellent parable Ben's Dad used to explain our limited grasp of the vastness and nature of the Universe's abundance.

"Four young men sit by the bedside of their dying father. The old man, with his last breath, tells them there is a huge treasure buried in the family fields. The sons crowd around him crying, "Where, where?" but it is too late. The day after the funeral and for many days to come, the young men go out with their picks and shovels and turn the soil, digging deeply into the ground from one end of each field to the other. They find nothing and, bitterly disappointed, abandon the search. The next season the farm has its best harvest ever."

...and watch Ben in action - the Energy!