Authentic Living as a Public Affair.

A controversial lifestyle blog.

  • Spilling some tea.

    I overheard the conversation at a tea party at an unknown location. The ladies were all dressed to the nines, in floral and in frocks: the Upper-East-Side-Of-Manhattan type. To be quite honest, the babbling could have been considered as breaking news for the gossip column, or page six (I think there is a reason why…

  • Woudbos.

    Woudbos, dit is die skakerings van bruin en groen wat ‘n blaredak van herinneringe opwakker en ferm om jou kom koepel. Alleen en rou, ‘n asem van vae herinnering en die glorie van eendag lank-lank gelede. Dit is nou ‘n besienswaardigheid – ‘n herinnering van reinheid en eenvoud. ‘n Voorbeeld van heilige grond. ‘n Verhaal…

  • You’ve Got Mail

    To: Santa Claus CC: Team Rudolph I thought of starting this letter very formal and sophisticated, but my emotional batteries now identify as “non-existent” and as it is, my status update reads as follows: subscriber unavailable until further notice (please read in sarcastic tone). I am thus side stepping the lovey dovey bits and making my…

  • Stellenbosch – it is in the Name, it is in Legacy.

    Lounging in a corner coffee shop, I overheard the man proclaiming in Afrikaans: “Mevrou – het jy werklik die guts om te slow dance met Stellenbosch en sy spoke?!” Looking up, I saw the man in his final leap of safety, hitting the sidewalk before the cyclist could bump him. I had to smile, not…

  • Fractals in a monotonous reality – Organized chaos in the Mother City

    It is in the lush life. The hustle and bustle of its inhabitants and the sound of serenity that meets the sensorium unlike any utopia you’ve imagined. There is a reason why the locals promote the mantra: “maweer.” This is also where the proverb originated: “Marry someone who will love and fight over you like your Auntie…

  • The art of Humanity.

    Entering a gallery is truly exhilarating. You are challenged and tempted to re-evaluate every perceived idea and to leave any conservative and orthodox mindset at the daycare. If you resist the process – you will enter a mindset encapsulated as a cacophony. I would then recommend that you rather stay at home. By observing or…

This is how it all started…

I once read the following in an article in a Vanity Fair Magazine: “She had the insatiable desire to do it all, but you do not get the feeling that it’s stressing her out…she is just doing it with joy, and that’s very, very contagious.” I thought this to be brilliant and a golden standard to work towards. The reality, however, is that you should not gain the whole world at the expense of your soul and authenticity.

As an occupational therapist, I am fascinated with subjects such as adult neurology and phycology. I believe authenticity and imagination make each individual unique. We are all storytellers, and we leave a piece of writing on the hearts of those we meet. We however live in a time where you have to morph to fit the mould, and all authentic writing are lost in the process.

I write, not just to express and create, but to make sense of my own reality and in an attempt to keep my perspective my own. I am writing from my perspective – a girl, finding her feet in grown-up world.

Disclaimer: This can be seen as a controversial lifestyle blog – it is letters written by myself, to myself, filed by myself, all in an attempt to think outside of myself. I am not making use of any AI tools. All creation is from scratch, and authentic. Enjoy.

Annemie Nieuwoudt

Qualified Occupational Therapist / Writer by Heart