Take a Hike!

I felt like a new man this morning. Not a hundred percent sure what it is, but my spirits are up and I'm feeling like I'm full of pep and rearing to go. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that it's the start of a new month, my birthday month for that matter.

My birthday sucks, it's on Boxing Day and I don't normally celebrate it. Since it's the day after Christmas; most of my friends are usually on holiday, away somewhere with their families and if they are around; they're normally too tired from the aftermath of celebrating the day before. At most, I'll usually be home in Port Elizabeth and have a home made dinner with a tight knit group of friends. More often than not it's just me, the family and Wang, my other brother, who's real name is Bryan (Bryan is his slave name) whom my family adopted years ago while living in Port Elizabeth. We'll sit around the dinner table finish our meals and eat some type of cream cake or better yet an ice-cream cake. That's it, and that's how it's been done for years, simply a very simple tradition. Ahhh good times.

Every couple of years when I'm in Taiwan on my Birthday, members of my extended family, some whom I really couldn't tell are related to me will try and out do each other to make up for my modest and lack of celebrations. Poor, poor, uncultured and uneducated South African boy they will think to themselves and try to throw some feasts of epic proportion to make up for years of absence in my life. So in the space of a week, I might celebrate 10 times - more than enough, to stock pile and make up for a few birthdays.

Usually one of my Grandfathers will win the battle in out doing each other. They would never spend money on themselves, or even for their own children for that matter, but for their grand kids the sky is the limit. I remember once, one of my grandfathers even took me on a holiday to Japan. When I was very young, I was quite a spoilt little boy, such so, that my parents finally intervened and had to tell them to stop spoiling me and my brother. A very good move on my parents behalf, as otherwise we would probably not be quite as well adjusted members of society as we are today.

We were supposed to spend Chritsmas in Taiwan this year, but due to the strength of the rand and my grandfathers untimely illness, it was decided best not to.

I've gone on quite a tangent it seems, I was supposed to be explaining my good mood, but somehow veered off on a completely different train of thought. Weird how that happens. Anyways, I reckon the good mood is courtesy of all the endorphins generated from all yesterday's exercise.

As I was on my way out of the gym early in the morning, I was met by Candi, Andi and Gabi whom with their feminine whiles, somehow convinced me to go on a hike off the Silvermine trail in Table Mountain National Park. The hikes are organized by Marcus every Sunday; already tired, I was at first reluctant; but trekking along, I grew more fond of the idea and actually thoroughly enjoyed it...even with the lactic acid build up and the inability to walk properly, I'm still in high spirits. Bring on the rest of week!