When using public restrooms

I absolutely hate HATE using public restrooms. Whenever possible I will hold it in till I'm bursting from within and it hurts whether I stand or sit until I get home and can use my own clean and safe toilet. But, this isn't always possible (and not everyone is such a sucker for pain as I am) and there are those times when the call of nature is just too far across the border line of disaster to wait till you get home. And you find yourself being forced to make use of a public restroom. Public restrooms are a major societal facility/issue (I'm sure I don't need to explain myself here...) and therefore, there are certain rules that should be followed/things that should be done when it comes to using these facilities.

This is a simple guide on what do you when you're forced to use a public restroom:

1. Firstly, you need to think of YOUR safety first! These places are a cesspool of germs. (And yes, I know that so are many places and things, such as restaurant menus and tables and money, but I'm talking about public restrooms, so lets just keep it to that for now). So, the first rule to remember is to never touch anything directly! And if you do, always wash your hands or sanitize afterwards (preferably both)
2.  Once you're in, before entering a stall, you glance in. Make sure that the floor is clean! The last thing you want is to rush into a stall and as you get in you realize you're standing in a puddle of what you HOPE is water but looks suspiciously discoloured.
3. Next you check if the toilet lid is up or down. If the lid is down, do NOT risk opening it. I repeat, do NOT lift up the lid of a public restroom toilet! Very rarely does anything good come of it. It's usually been left down for a reason... Common sense people! 
4. IF the lid is up (and the floor is clean) you then step slowly in. Making sure to take in everything of your surroundings to ensure that all is safe. You then glance into the pan. You do not STARE into it because you might find someone else's forgotten business in it, you glance so as to save yourself. In that quick moment you will be able to tell if it's safe or not. 
5. If it is safe, you then go in for a closer inspection. If all is safe at the surface level, your search for a toilet is done.
6. Before you relieve yourself, make sure to thoroughly wipe the pan. You ALWAYS wipe the pan first! (No matter where you are). 
7. You then cover the pan with toilet paper - you never ever sit directly on a toilet pan unless it's your own! (If you live in a more fortunate country I hear they have paper covers provided) You are then ready to use the toilet. If possible you may squat (this is for women, men obviously don't have this dilemma, and only if you are sure that you won't spray or miss target... and also only if you're going for a one, which I assume is the only thing you would do in a public toilet). 
8. Now, you've relieved yourself and can be at ease. But, you have to leave the toilet in the way you would like to find it. First put the lid down, then flush. Flushing without closing the lid is extremely disgusting! So what if you're the one that used the toilet, you wouldn't wanna touch your own pee, would you? So, I'm sure you don't want it being sprayed all over you along with whatever other germ have been sitting in that toilet. Also, the water sometimes has a tendency to splash onto the toilet pan, and you don't want someone to walk in and wonder if that's urine or water. Either way its still gross though. So just close the toilet lid, then flush. 
9. You then lift the lid up and ensure that the toilet has flushed properly, if not, re-flush! If all is in order you may then leave the stall.
10. You proceed to the basins and you wash your hands with soap! If there is any. A lot of times there isn't any so you just have to do a plain old water wash over. I prefer it when restrooms have those sensor operated taps, but that's not very common in South Africa at the moment. So you just have to deal with the normal taps that you have to touch. 
11. After washing your hands do NOT dry them with the hand dryer - hand dryers are unsanitary and actually spread more germs.  Rather use a paper towel, if there are none, just leave your hands wet. They can air dry as you walk or you can get a napkin at some point or use your hankie if you have one (and it's clean). 
12. The best thing to do after this would be to sanitize your hands.

And THAT is a simple guide on what to do when using a public restroom, for both your own safety and others. If you stick to those guides you should find yourself coming out of a public restroom with minimum hassle and germs (obviously this does not include unforeseen circumstances). And please, if you do not already own  hand sanitizer, please do buy some. They are relatively cheap and available in small handbag or even pocket-sized bottles and can be found in most stores like Pick n Pay, Checkers, Clicks and Dischem. You should ALWAYS have a bottle of sanitizer on you at all times.

I saw my primary school principal today

I saw my primary school principal today after 12 years. Okay, not 12, I lie, I did see him once when I was in high school about 8 years ago and he had remembered me then. I then saw him last year for a flicker of a moment and I guess he didn't have time to register my face, because he didn't say anything and so I thought he had forgotten who I was and that was that. And I'm not the type of person to really be the one to go up to someone.

So, he came in to the office today. I didn't expect him to know me after the last time... I greeted politely and he then asked my name. On hearing my name recognition registered. And he was like, "how could I NOT remember that cute little face when you were small". And goes on to say how he remembers how little I was and what not and asked after my family and myself.

He asked what I did after school, and I won't lie, I was shamefaced and trying to figure out a reason to explain my current situation. There is nothing wrong with being a secretary at all, so I'm not trying to belittle the position/job title in any way. But, I was one of their "good" students. And I know all my primary school teachers, especially the principal had had high hopes for me. So, it was a bit tough for me to be there in my current position. Especially after having studied 4 years to get an expensive degree and to then end up doing a job I could have walked into after high school.

Anyhoo, I told him that I studied to be a writer, though in my effort to convey this without using the words journalism or media, I ended up mumbling everything. So, I said I studied that, but could not get any jobs so I'm working at my current job and studying part time. I'm not sure if he fully gauged what I tried to say though...

I had always thought that if I were to bump into one of my school teachers it would be when I was doing quite well for myself and reasonably successful. And the teachers would be so proud and be like we always knew you would do well or make something of yourself. And then they'd go back and tell the story of how they met an ex student of theirs and the student has achieved this and that...

Okay, so I probably sound like a bit of a douche, but it's not that I had/have an air about myself or anything, it's just that I expected life to be so much simpler than it turned out to be. Yet, there are so many of my peers that have accomplished so much (and yeah I know you don't compare, I'm not, I'm just saying that others have done it and I don't know how and it sometimes seems unfair). So I was just disappointed that I didn't have "more" to show for myself when I met my old principal.

My life is nowhere near where I'd planned it to be at this age, and I feel the weight of that every single day. But, I keep trying to be positive and move on. Then, I see my old teacher and it all comes back tenfold.

It was a bitter sweet moment. I was truly happy that he remembered me but I wished that I had lived up to his expectations of me. He was one of my favourite teachers in primary school and was really and truly an amazing principal, we were truly lucky to have him. And having him see me now, it's like I've let him and myself down, as well as everyone who ever believed in me. And that just made me really sad.

But, I know I'm still relatively young. And my life isn't over yet, so I can still make something off it. I just wish I knew how and had more time. I wish time would stop running out and I'd get my early twenties back. I wish I could go back to primary school where everything was so simple and fun. I just wish a lot of things and I guess that's just what it'll be...

I wish.

Pitch Perfect - Beca's Audition (When I'm Gone)

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My heart smiles when I hear her sing :)

Pitch Perfect - Titanium

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Her voice! Ah.

Pitch Perfect: Don't Stop The Music Treblemakers

It's "Please Don't Stop The Music" as sung by theeee Treblemakers!  - In the movie "Pitch Perfect". I only watched this movie this year, and I absolutely LOVE it! Okay, so the movie itself isn't exactly "top notch", but the whole music part and the performing/performances are just amazing. And as for the Indian dude! I SO LOVE him! He is spectacular! For me personally he steals the show. And he busts out his rap - oooooooh *swoon* He is so sweet and cool and just simply awesome in just about everything he does in this movie. (And I have also fallen in love with Anna Kendrick since this movie.)

Anyhoo, while this may not exactly be one of my favourite songs in the movie, I still love it and think it's pretty good. (I happen to love the entire soundtrack of this movie, and I even watched The Breakfast Club since watching Pitch Perfect!). I digress, as usual, so yeah, I just decided to share this song first.

Enjoy :)



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Things I've learnt today

1.     "The higher up the corporate ladder you climb the smaller your balls get."

We were all so ripped when we heard this. I'm sure the guy who told us this knew exactly what he was saying, but he's very good at playing ignorant/naive. 

Anyhoo, what he basically meant by this is (other than to get our attention by insulting corporate people and their balls): you start off playing soccer in the township, then you move up the corporate ladder and start playing tennis and what not till you end up playing golf or the sort which uses smaller balls- as you move up the corporate ladder the smaller your balls get...

2.      Companies get big name celebrities to endorse their products. Us people on the ground are so taken by these celebrities that we want to be just like them in whatever way possible, which means using the same products they use. Or, we trust their judgment and so we will trust a product used by them... So we as customers will see, like, David Beckham, driving a Porsche and decide that we too want to drive a Porsche. However, David Beckham was given the car free of charge by Porsche (or at a ridiculously low price) to market the product. Their job is done and that car is paid for when we, as dumb consumers, go and buy a Porsche. However, David Beckham got the car free of charge, but we will be paying through our asses to pay off that car. 

Essentially - consumers can be really dumb (is that not what this theory is saying...?)

3.      If you buy airtime from Edgars it's likely to last longer than if you buy airtime from Pep. True story.

Hahaha, okay, not true. Basically what is being said is that people tend to go for status. A certain status goes with Edgars and people want to be associated with it, whereas people would rather shy away from an association with Pep, even though you could save money on airtime. So even though it’s the very same airtime and you're going to be getting exactly the same thing, and at a discounted price at Pep, people would rather buy airtime from Edgars. It's just of a better quality you know.