Champagne and happiness

After my previous grumpy post, it is quite nice to be able to write that things are looking a little brighter again - although that might also be because of my recent wine-drinking opportunities (more on that later). 

The Bay Hotel, Camps Bay. What a setting!

The charges against poor Pravin have been withdrawn and Abrahams looks silly (and is now sad that people are judging him in social media - but my sympathy is limited given what he did, very publicly, to Pravin and our economy).  And while I am having a TRULY awesome week, Zuma isn't which isn't a bad thing in my opinion. (Unfortunately I rather suspect that he is indifferent to public opinion and can't even be bothered to feel sad). Thanks to the magnificent Thuli's State Capture Report, Zuma, van Rooyen, Eskom and the Guptas etc. are under scrutiny and even though it might just be the beginning of the process and Zuma might still pull some magic out of his corruption hat, it is a start.

And in international wins, Namibia reversed the decision about phosphate mining! Whoop whoop! We will be keeping an eye on you (and South Africa's marine phosphate mining decisions) though! A huge marine protected area was declared in the Antarctic... not just huge, the hugest and it is a pretty amazing achievement because it required collaboration from a bunch of counties (which gives me hope for other things that need inter-country collaboration, e.g. climate change mitigation and stopping fishing subsidies). And wonderful Leo is doing wonderful things (which totally justify teenage-Shannon thinking he was the best-ever.) Not only has he made #BeforetheFlood (which I haven't watched yet, sorry Leo) but he is putting his name behind other environmental initiatives too (I realise, he isn't a saint, just someone lucky enough to be famous, but there are MANY famous people doing nothing).  

Even the coffee was extra special!

Of course, there are still unresolved problems and so, dear rational and active citizenry, please don't get too relaxed yet (and looting isn't justified during marches no matter what the cause you are marching for) but it is important to celebrate occasionally too.  

I had a fabulous but slightly surreal mid-week. Firstly, I drank wine at the ridiculously beautiful Bay Hotel in Camps Bay at the Norway-South Africa Science Week. The Science Week was all about discussing future opportunities for research and collaboration between the two countries which is a wonderfully hopeful thing to be discussing (particularly in beautiful settings, first Camps Bay and then the Waterfront).

Cheese should always have glitter and come with
champagne. It was all so pretty!

And then, I got to start celebrating Christmas early... Completely out of the blue, I received an email from Pick n Pay inviting me to their "A Taste of Christmas" event. I didn't really know what to think or what it would be or whether it was real (it wasn't Google-able).  BUT, it was real and it was magnificent. I am happy anytime I arrive somewhere and they hand me champagne (which really doesn't happen often enough) but that was really just the tip of the ice berg. All the staff were so welcoming and friendly, I felt like I had mistakenly found myself in the VIP section. Judging from the bewildered but happy faces around me, I think I wasn't the only one. 

Pick n Pay outdid themselves, the setting was stunning, the food amazing, the atmosphere fantastic. I kept waiting for a catch, but the only catch I found was that I ran out of space in my stomach (and even then, we were sent on our way with Christmas cake, a personalised Lindt teddy bear, Ferrero Rocher balls and a chocolate mince pie - although I sort of stole that, wrapped in a serviette). Pick n Pay has a great range of Christmas gifts too, we chatted to one of the buyers and she said they have increased their Christmas range by ten fold (maybe, I had had champagne and am never good at remembering details). 

Champagne with a view

I was very sad to leave the elegantly glittery cheese platters and the ridiculously delicious stollen (not to mention the gin cocktails, champagne and wines that I couldn't drink too much of because of that whole driving thing), but I am so grateful to Pick n Pay for such a fantastic evening. I felt completely spoiled and loved every moment of it! I only wish that I had had more room in my belly.


P.S. Don't worry Mom, I didn't waste space on mince pies, I know yours are the only ones worth eating! 

Greek anyone? Or maybe some Latin?

Yes, I am recycling images - because recycling is
a good thing to do, right?

I am putting together an activity book which I am hoping to get printed so I can brainwash children to not litter, eat sustainable fish and love the ocean... Maybe brainwash isn't the appropriate word, but it is more fun to use. Actually, I don't currently have a way to get this printed (because that costs money - anyone know someone who would want to donate?) so in the meantime it is going to be up on the website when I am happy with it (and figure out how to make it visible - yes some of it is up there but you can't find it, in theory this is my master plan but, also, I am not sure how to add another tab to the menu). 

I am finding this immensely fun. Who knew I could actually consider this real work! Of course it isn't really in my job description but today is Friday and my boss did say it is a useful thing to do. It is mostly crosswords, match up thingys, word searches etc. 

Anyway, one of the pages I was thinking of making was to explain scientific names in a fun way (no really, I CAN make it fun). In my children's book (anyone know how to get that published) I gave a simple definition: "In biology we write the scientific names of animals in Latin (or Greek) and in italics. Species names are made up of a family name which is written first and in capitals, and a specific name which comes second (e.g. Littorina africana)" but that is because I name the characters with derivatives of their scientific names. (You already knew I was a nerd). 

To be honest, I find scientific names quite fun... hold on, this isn't a symptom of my nerdiness. For instance, I love the the scientific name for the African Penguin, Spheniscus demersus, means "wedge-shaped diver" because it is shaped like a wedge and dives!!! How beautiful is that? And that seahorses are "hippocampus" because "hippo" means horse and the common octopus is Octopus (eight feet) vulgaris (common), also cephalopod = head/feet. 

So today I have found out that the Large-scale mullet is Liza macro (big) -lepis (scale), the Northern bottlenose whale is Hyperodon ampullatus and ampulla means bottle. Cetacean (the word for dolphins and whales) means large sea animal - and I think the blue whale would agree. The Pelagic (Greek - of the sea) Cormorant is Phalacrocorax pelagicus so what does that make the Bank Coromorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus? Are you loving this as much as me? OK maybe I am a complete nerd and I did actually do Latin in standard 6 and 7 and loved it, so maybe that stuck with me. 

Photo credit: Science Friday

BUT, if you do love this as much as me, do any of you know cool definitions for scientific names? It is a surprisingly difficult thing to Google. (Not even Wiki has all the answers and I can't actually think of that many scientific names off the top of my head and no, I didn't know all of the ones mentioned either but Wiki does have this cool page). And, if you are just thinking I am a lost-cause nerd then even you will have to appreciate that there is a fungus from Malaysia called Spongiforma squarepantsii and they are thinking of naming an octopus Opisthoteuthis adorabilis because it is so cute. 

Still not convinced? Try this word search which has a bunch of marine-related words but also the names of my family's pets. 

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