Film Review: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

When six British retirees set off for India to spend their last golden years at The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel they expect it to be as the website says. However, like so many things in life it isn't quite as promised. What they do get out of India are friendships, new life experiences and invaluable lessons. The recurring theme throughout the film reminds viewers that not all is as it seems, this is more to every situation than meets the eye.

The opening scenes allow for each character to point a grim portrait of their lives in England, some with the prospect of living in a 'beige box' and others left widowed with no money and controlling children. Each retiree sets off for India, against the advice of others, and arrive to what is not quite yet The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. With missing doors, broken taps and disconnected phone lines, the hotel is run down and in need of a serious cash injection and some hard labour. Sonny, a young Indian man, who has inherited the hotel from his father, also has great plans of how it should look, but Sonny has no business sense and cannot keep track of the accounts. As Sonny's hotel is falling to ruin and his mother tries to sell, his occupants are growing from strength to strength; each finding in themselves something they never knew existed.

It won't win any Oscars and the story-line is simple but, it gives me hope that my golden years have the possibility to be entertaining . As a viewer you become attached to the idea that the hotel could one day be very grand and on ending you almost wish you could watch for another ten minutes. I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to the characters but at least I knew they all found happiness in some form or another. It is a feel-good film and if nothing else it might inspire you to visit India.

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It is a poor idea to lie to yourself

I am not sure I can fully agree with the above statement, at least not all of the time. Sometimes we lie to ourselves without realising we are actually lying. What sports psychologists will describe as self-confidence, cognitive psychologists will similarly call ‘anchoring.’ The self-confidence sports players have in their own abilities allows them to achieve what they do, without it they wouldn’t be the sports stars they are.

Anchoring or focalism is sometimes seen as a negative trait, but it can also be a very positive trait. Anchoring happens when someone focuses and relies on one piece of information, and ignores all others. ‘How can focus possibly be a negative personality trait?’ Well, imagine if you are in a terrible car accident and your mother in the seat next to you is clearly dead; however your friend in the back seat is still alive and needs help to remove herself from the wreckage. In this situation anchoring can have one of two effects on your action; you will either focus on the fact that your mother is dead next to you and your body will become paralysed with fear, or you will focus on your friend struggling in the back seat and rescue him or her, ensuring at least one of the victims survives, instead of both dying.

Although in a mild form, anchoring is your brains way of lying to itself. By focusing on your friend in the back seat your brain ignores your mother. Although it sounds almost impossible that your brain would completely ignore your mother, subconsciously it does exactly that. Anchoring is your brains way of lying to yourself, and in this situation lying to yourself is the exact opposite of a poor idea, lying to yourself might just be what saves your friend.

Sometimes you just get fixed on an idea.
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25 Things to do before turning 25

I have created a list of 25 things I want to do before I turn 25. As myself, and most of my friends, fast approach this birthday milestone I felt it was necessary to draw one up.

Although I have been fortunate enough to have experienced a lot more than many people in my twenty-two years, there are certain things money can’t buy, certain things one can only do with focus, courage, and determination.

1.    Make myself a piece of clothing.

It doesn’t matter what it is.

2.    Own stock in a company I believe in.

It doesn’t need to make me money instantaneously. I bought something which I truly believe will succeed, sometime in the future.

3.    Start a blog.

This I can tick off. Follow me at www.discoveringunchartedwaters.blogspot.com

4.    Join a professional organization.

Preferably one that runs parallel to my future career.

5.    Visit the Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda  in the Eastern Cape.

Something about it just intrigues me. I went as a young child but have very vague memories. Want/need to go back.

6.    Attend a poetry reading.

Add culture to my life.

7.    Learn a new form of dance, eg. Swing.

It doesn’t matter which one, but just sign up for lessons. And start moving…

8.    Orange River rafting.

As an experience with friends. Many of my friends have done it and raved about it.

9.    Learn to play a new instrument.

I’ve been thinking about the drums???

10. Take an interesting short-course.

I’ve always wanted to learn a European language, and with my German roots I find myself being pulled in that direction.

11. Read something non-fictional daily.

A newspaper, magazine or an interesting blog.

12. Have business cards.

It doesn’t need to have a job title attached; just something I can give to those interested.

13. Cook a 3-course meal for a large number of friends

This I can tick off. I had 40 friends for my 21^st Moroccan birthday and did all the catering myself! (Pat on the back).

14. Win something.

No matter how small. You can’t win if you don’t enter so start entering.

15. Be irresponsible.

This I can tick off. I’ve received more than one speeding fine on the mail.

16. Be paid for something I love doing.

Don’t sign a contract just because the money is good.

17. Take out personal insurance.

I guess it might come in handy one day.

18. Bake a cake from scratch.

Stay away from the pre-mixed box cakes.

19. Print photos from my travels.

They’re all still sitting on the computer.

20. Get my Dive Masters.

No reason why. Just do it.

21. Bake the perfect chocolate fondant.

It takes practice but I’ll get there, eventually.

22. Find someone I can spend the rest of my life with or leave if it isn’t him.

Don’t settle for someone who’s ok, life is too short. Leave if you aren’t in it until the end. By the age of 25, I mean. No rush before that! ;)

23. Win a game of Scrabble.

Need to start studying the dictionary for this one.

24. Run a half-marathon.

                  In under 2:30 hours.

25. Finish this list.

 

Whew, that is a long list. Challenge accepted.

Any suggestions? Any that need replacing?

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Just some good old Nuisance

I was down in Simon's Town this past Friday and must say 'what a great place to visit'.
So often us Cape Town locals write it off as 'too far away' and feel it isn't worth the journey. However, the 30-minute journey by car over Boyes Drive or Ou Kaapse Weg is well worth the views, quaint shops and plenty of restaurants that Simon's Town has to offer.
I wasn't there to do anything specific, except visit friends, but a day out there felt like a mini-holiday. Getting away from the Cape Town suburbs doesn't have to mean a drive out to near-by Hermanus or Betty's Bay for the night, especially when Simon's Town is right on our doorstep.

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The sound of one hand clapping

Listen... Can you hear anything? Listen closely... No, nothing. I can't hear anything.
When one hand claps you can't hear anything because there is nothing to hear. As a matter of fact, one hand can't clap. One hand 'clapping' is near to impossible. "But nothing is impossible!" she cried, "nothing!" So then, find something against which to clap your one hand and listen.

Find your inner tambourine and clap. Listen...

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Friends Cafe- The place where friends meet

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A recent planning meeting led me to discover the quaint cafe that is Friends Cafe. Situated on Belvedere Road in Claremont, Friends Cafe serves an array of nibbles; breakfasts, lunch and freshly baked pastries. Their speciality is a vast choice of imported teas from Asia and with the capacity to seat 40 people comfortably or 80 standing  Friends Cafe is the perfect place to host a dinner party, corporate event or even a High Tea Bridal Shower. I loved their 'cuppachinos' and the staff were very friendly.

I am currently enquiring into hosting my 5 year high school reunion there. With 65 girls Friends Cafe sure guarantees to be the place where friends will meet.


http://www.friendscafe.co.za/

Here be dragons


 

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Ever felt lost on your self-designed map? The map you have planned out for the next few years of your life?

The old saying 'Here be dragons' describes those situations in which ships travelling uncharted waters would use maps marked as such where territory was unexplored. More often than not our life maps look like the one above. What lies ahead in the future is unexplored, I've learnt this lesson the hard way. Uncharted waters are inevitable in life, but at least with a map I know they're there now. Let's just hope the dragons are friendly ones.