And I say hey, hey, hey, hey

I still have "What's Going On" stuck in my head after last night's karaoke session at Catu Irish Bar. I was too full and food coma-ed out to do anything so I enjoyed people scream their hearts out instead. My favorite was when the same lady went out for 5 songs in a row. And my least favorite part was when the karaoke DJ tried to pull me out on the stage when he saw me singing along to "Fly Me to the Moon." I persistently denied because I didn't feel like making a fool out of myself.

The reason for me being so food coma-ed out was because a group of us went to Africa Café for dinner beforehand. Located on the corner of Hout Street, it looks pretty standard from the outside. But when we entered the restaurant, we were greeted by two beautiful South African women dressed in traditional wear and makeup. As they escorted us to our table, I caught a few glimpses of the restaurant; there were so many colors and crafty decors that I couldn't help but squeal. And the best part about it was my friend recognized a few of the Wola Nani bowls at their giftshop! I'm glad they're really getting out there and I am going to do my best to make them known. But back to the dinner table. We were told that we were going to be sharing a "communal feast" which is common in South Africa, where meals in bowls come out continually. I can't remember the count of how many different dishes we tried, but it was definitely over 10. From cheesy Cassava bread, to Zanzibar bean stew, to Morrocan chick pea and phyllo parcels, to Ethiopian Sik Sik Wat, just to name a few. But before we feasted our hearts out, we began with a hand washing ceremony where the ladies came around with a pitcher of fresh lemon water and a bowl to catch the falling water from our hands. They said South Africans tend to use their hands a lot during meals so it was only appropriate. Lauren, Katie, Natasha, and I shared two bottles of 2006 Riesling from the local vineyard, Stellenbosch. Nothing but delicious and refreshing. The ladies came out again and brought with them bowls and bowls of food, along with explanations of what each food was and where it originated from. I've never seen so many colors and flavors on one table before. My favorites were the Spicy Chicken Salad, Mozambican Peri Peri Prawns, the Cassava bread, and the Ethiopian lamb cooked in paprika sauce. Mmm'mmm'good! After all the courses came out, we could decide if we wanted to order anything else. The price is fixed because it is a set menu, so we could eat away to our heart and stomach's content without being charged for it. I'm glad I had a light lunch yesterday because it is definitely a meal that you want to be prepared for - pretty much like Thanksgiving. Oh, and to end it all off, we were brought out teacups poured with an option of Rooibos tea or Kenyan coffee, and a Lemon & Almond Tart to nibble on. It was definitely one of the best dining out experiences of my life, and my favorite one so far in Cape Town. Altogether the price came out to R220, which is a little over $30. WELL worth it, though. I took photos of each dish that came out and warned my dining mates beforehand how obnoxious it will seem, but c'mon....someone's gotta do it.

I'm pretty much spending my month's food money on this week alone because I still have two or three big eating experiences. One in just a few hours with Donielle - we will be going to Sushi Zone right around where we both work, and the best part....it has a Korean menu! I am so ecstatic about it. Another is this Saturday for a Connect-123 organized trip to eat a Strandloper lunch. It's going to be located at a stunning beach on a lagoon where we basically just eat and eat and eat with the accompaniment of live guitar music. Meals will be served in individual courses extending over a three to four hour period (10 couses. oh my god!). There's going to be an open braai area with mussels soaked in wine and traditional treats like paella, angel fish, sweet potatoes, and bread.

So much for losing my France baguette weight.

Just a random goal I have: I want to open a huge restaurant (size of a factory) where I will have 4 compartmental restaurants once you get inside - flavors from all over the world, but personal to where I've been and am attached to. France, South Africa, South Korea, and probably Atlanta or Boston. I'm shooting for by the time I'm 30. My brother already said he'll manage one of them. Haha. But seriously, food is my life. It's everyone's life if you really think about it. There are snooty connoisseurs who eat nothing but the best, and there are ordinary eaters who are content with items from the McDonald's dollar menu. But the point is, everyone needs food to survive. And I'm sure it's not just my favorite thing, but isn't good food in good company one of the best things in life? Food is like glue - it brings everyone to the table, young and old, black and white, he and she.

But enough of my shpeal on food, I have an important announcement to make.
I will be skydiving next weekend with a few friends from my internship program and I am scared out of my wits. Some e-moral support will be nice over the next week, please. :)

Work is picking up again. I got a new project I'm working on and it's a lot of fun and just around the corner of what I love to do - working hands on with colors, combinations, and developing new products.

I wonder if it's possible to extend my stay here for the rest of my life...?