Lost

We all rush after the beauty and sparkle of the ordinary things in live. We go to a shopping centre and see this piece and that thing and everything so artificial, manufactured and put there to get us spell bound. Yes, do not get me wrong, there are certain things that we need, some things that in it`s design form and function that is a piece of art. But those are usually for the few who truly understand them. It is like looking at a piece of Art. You can judge or critique it, but what is it that the artist is portraying. Is it a master piece due to technique, or is it the message that is being translated to us, or is it both? There is a very fine line between these things, and the majority of the worlds population just cannot see this. They look at art and wonder why, they cannot grasp the complex yet simpleness of it. Is it so hard to let your inner walls down, and entertain a thought only to eventually broaden and make yourself a better person, more diverse and interesting in nature. Not only that, but more educated as well. Not just running after everyday things, and one being money, and fame and all these unnecessary things we are exposed to.

I took a walk, and found a different world around me. I walked away from home, into a field with tall grass. There was a sense of fear in me, cause I didn`t know what to expect beyond the tall grass and trees. So I entered this cluster of trees, and suddenly felt I have a vantage point, and I felt safe for a moment. Surrounded by nothing, yet in this cluster of dense branches the sun was dancing around on the floor and I felt completely separated from everything else that bothers me. I wanted to take this feeling with me, just being me and clear of thought, purely enjoying the moment and having nothing to worry about. The warmth of the sun on my skin, and the sound of leaves rattling in the wind.

Walking back home, cars and people once again intruded and made me weary. Coming home, there was people and the irritating noise of voices and televisions and a heavy feeling coming over me. I cannot escape it, this cold and hard feeling of death and decay. It is killing me slowly, and finding me to become lost in it. If I need out, then it was now. But as all thing happen, nothing is instantly achievable. For me to find my own sanctuary and a place of quiet to turn to and let my thoughts wonder, this I accept is all part of settling in again, turning my back on this world, and finding myself again. My soul feels empty, and I can only wait. Wait for the day my soul can be relieved from all this evil and corruption, and misery.

I wish for a day where I can say: "I am me again, not judged by this world, nor involved in anything that drags my soul down and binds it to a pole exposed to the misery of this world. I can be free and live beautifully to be happy and content in my soul." Maybe to share this with someone else, but to know that we will do it as one. I have been through enough heartache and moments of bare lust, driving away anything that is humane, and causing my heart to harden every single time. It is like wearing a jacket, and every time you rub against something and it leaves a dirt mark, adding up as you walk. And at the end of the day, you are filthy and in dire need of a new jacket.

"this winter there is no place like home. . ."

_home is one of the leading home ware stores in South Africa. A few years ago they launched their furniture range (livingspace) which has taken of with great success! Their new winter range (for those who live in the southern hemisphere) has launched, and is taking South Africa by storm. From textured scatters to funky and edgy monochrome prints, to 'black is back' combined with striking silver highlights and while white still makes a clean cut statement, right? Warmer undertones in white create a softer feel to a bedroom, where as cool whites keep you fresh and on edge for that office environment.

Have a look at their new winter range on this following link:
http://www.home.co.za/mirror.asp?linkpage=Catalogues/winter2009/main.html

INFORMATION

www.home.co.za

Contact Person: Matt (decor consultant)
Tel: 011 916 7900 / 3
email: MattP@home.co.za

MINI Design Competition 4

Design, Enter, Win: New Design Competition
Time to get out your cameras, pens, paper, and other design artillery and get crackin' on the newest MINI Space design competition. The theme is "Always Open."

Your designs will be shown on MINI Space where the top three will be chosen by the MINI Design team. In addition, MINI Space users can vote for their favorites, and the most popular design will win a Wacom tablet.
Prizes (click for info)
1st - Apple Macbook Air
2nd - Canon digital camera
3rd - Design book by PHAIDON press
4th (Popular Vote) – A Wacom Design Tablet 20 top finalists will receive recognition on MINI Space.
Creative Briefing/Some Tips for You
Reinterpret the topic "Always Open" by designing a background for the MINI Space website. We took our inspiration for this theme from the MINI Cabrio Campaign, but your work does not need to feature the MINI brand, or even the MINI car to win. Our theme can be taken literally, but it certainly doesn’t have to be. When you think "Always Open," you can think of anything from a flashing neon sign in front of a shop late at night, to a creative mind hard at work, always open to new ideas and new channels of inspiration. Remember, in the end, this is still about creative use of space, and since your space is your computer background, we want you to think creatively, but also logically, about using it. Keep in mind that the left side of each uploaded background will always be covered up by MINI Space content. Think about how your design can work with the format of the site and fit with the content that is already there. We want your designs to be seen clearly by all our users. So maybe you want to use vector graphics and photos to create a really stunning and original design, or maybe you want to use other forms of expression, such as collage, drawing, sculpture, or typography. The voting system is now updated but the competitive design edge remains the same, so go for it! To sum up: - Designs should be created to work both as a background image for the homepage of MINIspace.com and as a stand-alone image.
- The design can be made out of any type of still media (photographic, illustration, graphic, etc.) as long as you have the rights to all design elements that you use.
- You are welcome to use MINI material in your design but it is NOT necessary nor will it increase your chances of a win.
- Your image should be 1280x800 pixels in size and JPG format.

Deadline
Upload at least one (and up to 9) design/photo until 1st of April 2009, 11:59am GMT.

Link:

http://www.minispace.com/en_us/background/?country

Things that make me go: "Ah!"

These are some pictures that made me go ah, I wish I could live this moment forever!

There is Only Now

I have thought that it is impossible for me to feel any form of love.
Meaning a heart warming experience, something that creates the feeling of security and being safe. For the past few
weeks gone by, I could say I might have come accross this feeling. It is yet to sink in, at this stage it all feels like a dream.
My dreams are becoming positive, I see beauty in things I use to, and I have become more aware observing my thoughts. Discovering once again the feeling
of excitement and courage. I only wish that in this new found confidence, I do not come accross as arrogant or harsh. I have always been someone
to bend my ways to suit others, yet I sometimes find myself consumed for days by my wondering thoughts. Thus sometimes making me anti-social, causing
me to shut down from this world. But at the same time, I can get so inspired by those thoughts, it would be as watching a blind person paint the
most beautiful picture. Or a deaph man compose a masterpiece never to be heard. I might be intreaged by the philosophy of existentialism, yet some
days I find myself converting to an optimist. Only to find the facts of being and humanity to creep back and cause my leaves to turn brown and fade, and fall off.
Is this going to happen again, in so many ways I am scared, to face the truth, to live my destiny. But I am changing that, moving on to a place I know
I belong. I was not put here to be used, abused and live in fear. I know that there is a time to scream, and a time for silence. A time of faith has come to me,
and I don`t know if I can handle the outcome ever. As this world is not my home, and its infected ways, causing decay in every way thinkable.
There is only now, and the time is now.

Making me Confused

During the past 7 months I have gone through a growing phase in my life. I have found that some people I have been friends with turn out to be true friends, caring and finding time to ask how I was. Then I could almost say in the same sentence that some I have found to be the opposite. I have betrayed people to win the trust of others, I am not proud of that, yet all seems lost in the end. As I have found that the true nature of someone can never be fully understood. The lack of communication, the advantage of playing with someone's feelings, sometimes finding oneself lost in the extremities of another's emotions displayed at random. I find this truly disturbing, as I do not feel I know myself at all. The world and society presents you with a picture of idealism. Yet the mere thought of it leads to existentialism.

At first I set out to go and find myself, to free my mind and soul of the ideals of this world. Then I found that I merely moved towards a different interpretation of my vanity inflicted soul. Everyday has become a process of dilapidation, one thing after the other slowly breaking down the wall of thought that I wound myself into the past few years.

So I have come to find myself enraged with the feeling of confusion, not knowing where to find myself in this world. I feel like dying, yet it always happens on another day.

Phew. . .

To all you fab readers, I will be offline for 4 weeks. Thank you for your support!
See you in 4 weeks!

Urban Sketch

This was taken with my mobile phones camera, then I went and edited it with photoshop to create my "Urban Sketch".
Tell me what you think, and why you like it, and why you wouldn`t like it. Or even where you`d make it better. I`m open for criticism!

Urban Sketch, presented to you by MJP.

Setting Moon

This was taken very early (to me at least) in the morning from the roof where I stay.

4 / 06 / 2008

I was sick for the past few days. There is a stomach bugg in the air and it caught on to me. From last week Friday until today I was sick as a dog. I won`t go into detail. . . for good reasons! But all I would say is that I felt like I was dying!

So, the story goes, I had pills etc, but that didn`t stop it right away. I only started to recover yesterday, and today was my first day up out of bed. I do not want to experience that again! ! ! I don`t even wish my enemies that!

Somehow, I feel my system has also detoxed itself in the process of eliminating the bacterium. So, I had been spring cleaning the whole afternoon! Thus eliminating the crap in my living space! And it feels so much better!

Thus, this has brought me to the conclusion that I am going to make a fresh start from today onwards! I want to be who I know I can be, I don`t want to be bound by the rules and forces of this world, but instead become someone greater than the ordinary. Yes we all have this dream you could say, but I know and have the faith do go and do something about it. So, I will keep you updated as to what is happening in my life.

The first good step I have taken is that I am taking lessons for my violin again. I haven`t been working on my playing for a few years, yes I played, but I didn`t do anything to advance further and become better. My teacher wants me to play for the Kwazulu Natal Philharmonic Orchestra latter on this year! It is all very exciting, and I would love that! When I have my first concert I will send anyone who wants, a ticket! :) I need to practice a lot now, so I hope my neighbours don`t complain to much! Lol!

Cheers for now!

Kono Michi

Bon jour tout!

I have been thinking a lot, but I am yet to find the awnser to my questions.

South Africa is a deteriorating country doesn`t matter what the news and propoganda tell you. Living and seeing what is happening day to day makes me worried and feeling why do I contribute so much in trying to make a change for the better. I would much rather give my effort to a country that is worthy of it. Unless I find myself in a "click" of superstisious believers, I do find things telapedated and wearing from it being missused and soon to collapse in misery.

I do not know how it is in the rest of the world, but to me everything seems vague and pointless. Why do even carry on running after money and find ourselves empty of moral thought and sanity in living a full live. Valued and nurtured by the very essence of beauty.

I find my existence in this place a mere whisper, as I do not feel at home here. Aboring the very existence of live as we know it is in its very own right the only thing I can do at this stage.

At the same time I am excited as to knowing what lies ahead of me. It is no normal thing, as I do not always know why I can stil laugh and find certain things amusing and funny, yet, I enjoy the moment when it happens.

This live of ours seem to lead us on strange paths, finding within it no meaning but in the surroundings we are caught up. To see where it leads us, and slowly every day finding new meaning in it. It makes us want to walk another step even though we would hate to find out what lies around the next mountain of possabilities. But we walk on.

Je suis de retour!

Ik ben appologise omdat ze niet hier in bepaalde tijd. Ik vind dat ik niet echt de behoefte voelen om elke dag, en ja, ik heb het gebruik van Mijn Space meer in de afgelopen maanden.

So to those of you who thought I had vanished from the face of the earth, I am stil here and very much so alive and well yet overworked!

My New Space

Please click this link to view my new space.

http://matti-boy.spaces.live.com/