Unlike some people I don’t sing in the shower. The water pounding on my head tends to make me rather more introspective than a singing extrovert. I start to think, sometimes random thoughts and sometimes things that are a little more deep and meaningful. At least no one gets to see when I start to giggle by myself in the shower, probably the equivalent to dancing in the rain, except seeing me dance in the rain naked would not be a laughing matter.
So this morning I am standing in the shower reflecting on my family and our little idiosyncrasies, the way we talk to one another and the way we treat one another, the baggage we carry around, the lack of respect there is for boundaries and the guilt that we carry as well. If you are wondering why guilt, you need to do a little research into Jewish Mothers! This was all tumbling around in my head when a little thought tendril branched off and started to wonder what happens when you die.
Hell no, I thought to myself, could you just imagine if when you died and you did actually head for the Pearly Gates to spend your life playing a harp on the clouds and existing in heavenly bliss with all of those who had gone before you. All those who had gone before you and their prodigious amount of baggage. The chips on the shoulder, the hate for the mom in law, the keeping up with the Jones attitude, the bickering, the unrequited love, the broken heart, the inappropriate behaviour, the waspish tongue, the sick sense of humour, the annoying practical joker, the boundary breaker…………….do you take them all with you or do you slough them off when you get to Heaven?
Do you think that when one dies and supposedly goes to heaven that they take all their baggage and their issues with them? I mean could you imagine meeting up again with all your loved and not so loved ones and having to put up with all that shit and drama for the rest of eternity because that just seems like hell to me!
Of course the other side of that coin is that your life’s experience and those very issues and baggage are what serves to make you the person you are, so if you slough them off when you get to Heaven what does that make you into, a Stepford Wife?
On Earth at least we have Valium for that.
Now I understand why I get out the shower exhausted instead of refreshed, tomorrow I might just try singing instead
Month: November 2013
Being Musical
When Keira Witherkay, the incredibly talented guitarist who plays at Indulgence Cafe on a regular basis suggested we have an open mic night I was a little ambivalent about the idea. Firstly because it was something that we had never tried before and secondly because I had no idea if anyone was going to actually turn up.
What is an open mic night you may be wondering, I know I was until it was explained to me. Open mic is when anyone who plays a musical instrument, belongs to a young band, sings or recites poetry gets to come along for the evening, put their name on the board and to stand up or sit down as the case may be, in front of a whole group of strangers to perform. It must be incredibly daunting to take that first step and find the courage to put yourself out there at the mercy of the public.
I know how I felt the first time I picked up a mic in front of a waiting audience to introduce an author at Indulgence Cafe and the first time I actually interviewed an author instead of just letting them talk to the audience by themselves, it is quite scary and your mouth dries up. The possibility of making a huge ass of yourself is a reality but unless you put yourself out there and try, you will never know what you can do.
I shouldn’t have doubted for a second though. Keira has a huge following of her own and on Friday night they came out in full force to come and play at Indulgence Cafe. It was a real treat, we have so much as yet untapped talent in Jozi and in South Africa that it was a pleasure to sit and listen to the music. You didn’t have to like everything you heard but getting exposed to it is the thing that counts as much as getting out of your comfort zone and trying out something new
Kudos to all those very talented young and older people last night, we look forward to seeing you at the next open mic evening at Indulgence Cafe or just maybe seeing you name in lights on center stage…………….
Open Mic Night at Indulgence Cafe
Thank you Keira Witherkay for making Open Mic Night happen
December, You Beauty
Zapiro on his whistle stop visit to Indulgence Cafe in November
My word it is December, almost time to wish this year, 2013, a very big farewell. I don’t know about you but this year has been one of the hardest years that I can remember both in business and personally. One can only say thanks that it is over and look longingly towards 2014 a shining star in the imminent future!
However before all that happens we still have the very pretty month of December to get through. Aren’t all those coloured twinkling lights just magical and Christmas trees with bling. I just love it. Pop into Indulgence and see all the pretty blingy decorations that the shop is adorned with, she is dressed in her Christmas splendor
November wasn’t supposed to be a cuckoo month for events but none the less there were still some really fabulous ones like the Wine and Oyster Festival with Oneiric Wines with some live music by Keira Witherkay, the Auriol Hayes Evening when she doubled up with Keira. Two incredibly talented musicians, wonderful, wonderful evening but tell me, why do people jump up and leave straight after the music instead of sitting down and having a lekker Irish coffee and unwinding? I thought it was a little odd
Keira WItherkay and Auriol Hays
Wonderful evening of wine and oysters with Bruce of Oneiric Wines
And of course there was that fabulous spur of the moment event with Zapiro, like a whirl wind he swept through Indulgence Cafe with his new book, My Big Fat Gupta Wedding. I don’t think that the 50 strong audience held it against him that he was 40 minutes late or that he couldn’t really stay that long with a Sunday Times deadline that needed meeting. As rushed as he was he still managed to chat to us a little and sign a whole stack of books for people! A very talented man that Jonathan Shapiro!
Zapiro at Indulgence Cafe
I had thought we would wind the year down gracefully but you know what I am like, just had to have a little bit of this and a little bit of that and before you know it the month is filled like the Christmas stocking at the end of the bed. Look what we have lined up for you until we close on the 24th……………..
December Calendar:
4th Deep Fried Man live
6th to 7th 30% Off Sale
6th Keira Witherkay live
11th Quiz Dinner
12th Author’s Cocktail evening
13th Twisted Night Market with live music
14th AuthorTalk with Karen Maughan
18th Hamilton Wende Children’s Reading
19th Carols by Candlelight
23rd Pensioner’s Christmas Lunch
24th last day open
6th January 2014 back at work!
15th January Charmaine Pauls , Winemaker with Chilean wines
We have a whole bunch of delicious goodies that we make for the festive season like gammons and turkeys. I actually thought that this year we might stick to roasted turkey rolls instead of whole turkeys, that way at least it is all meat, no bone and very little waste. How does that grab you? No reason you cannot have a little stuffing the side as well (Talking about the turkey here!)
We also do Christmas puddings, mince pies and a diving Black Forest Roll that is just the perfect dessert for Christmas lunch. Pop me an email or give me a call and take the pressure off yourselves this Christmas. Let us cook for you!
We have been asked a couple of times if we would open for lunch on Christmas Day and I have to tell you that I have given the idea some serious consideration but I keep coming back to the fact that this holiday, I think, is about family and being with family, whether you love them or tolerate them and I cannot ask my staff to spend the day with me and you instead of their loved ones. So no, not this year but you never know what’s gonna happen next year…………………….
Deep Fried Man appearing at Indulgence Cafe 4 Dec 2013
Laughter at Indulgence:
He is funny and he is musical. He is the Deep Fried Man or Daniel Friedman, no relation that I am aware of. He is performing for one night only at Indulgence Café and you are invited to join us. The tickets are R100 per person. Dinner is available off the menu and we are fully licensed, tequila is half price between 6pm and 8pm. Come laugh with us!
Booking and pay through http://www.hitmusic.co.za please
The link to the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/595056403874080/?ref=5
BIG BIG SALE
We are having a sale, a big, big sale!
It is time to clear out a little stock on our shelves to make way for some new and other exciting things. Everything that is for sale in the shop will be less 30% on the 6th and 7th of December from open until close of business. As an added bonus on the 6th Keira Witherkay will be here with her guitar making some awesome background music as only she can from about 6pm until about 9pm. Good way to ease into the week end and get a little discounted Christmas shopping done and I promise we haven’t marked the prices up
The link to the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/589704404429507/?ref=5&source=1
Quiz Dinner
Quiz Dinner
We are squeezing one more in before we say farewell to 2013, Wednesday 11th December. The quiz dinner evenings are proving to be huge fun and starting to develop a bit of a following with teams coming now on a monthly basis to hash it out against the others and I have to admit they are a fun and eclectic group of people (Not unlike myself of course)
They braved the huge storm in November and waited the rain out before we could even start but it was worth it in the end. I think we are having a Christmas themed evening………….any guesses why!
Teams of four or less at R120 per person, includes a light dinner. We start around 7pm and we finish a couple of hours later. Book your table today and become part of the fun!
011 782 5063 or lollipops@telkomsa.net
The link to the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/1380808095492739/?ref=5
2012 Animals in Distress event with David Bullard and Charmaine Pauls Feb 2012
Author’s Cocktail Evening
We at Indulgence Café are incredibly grateful to all the authors who grace our doors during the year, they help to make this café the great place that it is, or that I think it is. We want to thank them and at the same time give you a chance to have a friendly chat with a couple of them. I have invited quite a few of the authors that have been here over the past two years for canapés and cocktails and I am really hoping that you will join us too for a little bit of a mingle. This isn’t an AuthorTalk, you need bring nothing along. It is just a casual evening with some really great writers. I know that Michael Sears, Jassy Mackenzie, Joan De la Haye, Hagen Engler, Anton Harber, amongst others will be here and you can be too, all you need to do is book with me!
R100 per head excluding drinks
The link to the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/173868006148791/?ref=5
Twisted Night Market
The Christmas version! Kinky shopping for those that do, and those that would like to but not for everyone! 5pm to 9pm, dinner is a braai at R60 per head, regret no under 18’s
If you would like to take a stall let me know and we will make space for you!
Link to the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/191726854346462/?ref=5&source=1
Love is War, the Modimole Monster by Karen Maughan
The Modimole Monster Book
Our final book event of the year and we are going large. He is the stuff that nightmares are made of, the bogey man made real, The Modimole Monster, the kind of man we don’t want our daughters to marry. He terrorised Ina Bonnette, he murdered her son in front of her eyes and now she is coming to Indulgence to tell you her story with the journalist who wrote the book, Karen Maughan. Love is War, the Modimole Monster is now available for you to read. Come meet this incredibly brave woman who refused to become a victim.
Please note that this talk will take place in English and in Afrikaans as that is what Ina speaks
Saturday 14th December at 2pm, book your spot today!
BRING me two books along please, one to swap and one to donate, this is the price of entry into this event! It the last month that we can collect books for Animals in Distress for 2013 and I would like to collect as many as possible for them. Let’s finish this year on a high note please people, it is a small price to pay for a good afternoon
The link to the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/1445318699028643/?source=1
Arabella, the Moon and the Magic Mongongo Nut by Hamilton Wende at Indulgence 18 Dec
Story Time @ Indulgence
Hamilton Wende has written a delightful book called Arabella, the Moon and the Magic Mongongo Nut and he will be here on the morning of the 18th December to read from it for your kids, so bring the kids, come along, have a cappuccino and spend the morning with us as Hamilton holds your children’s rapt attention with his tale. This book makes for a fabulous festive season present as well and will be available for sale by the author on the morning. There is no charge for this event but please let me know if you would like to come along so I know how many little people and adults to expect. Wednesday 18th Dec at 10am
The link to the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/539179946157818/?ref=5
Carols by Candlelight at Indulgence Cafe 19 Dec
Carols by Candlelight
Here is fun for the whole family, an evening to delight old and young, Carols by Candlelight. Feel free to pop down with the kids and spent an evening in “joyous song” with us and our keyboard player. We will have song sheets for you and candles. Food is available off the menu, great milkshakes for the kids and a nice glass of wine if you fancy or my secret Christmas drink concoction. 19th Dec at 7pm, No charge just pay for whatever you eat or drink
The link to the FB event: http://www.facebook.com/events/429941533772951/?ref=5
Pensioner’s Christmas Lunch at Indulgence Cafe 23 Dec
Pensioner’s Christmas Lunch
Last but not least our annual Pensioner’s Christmas lunch will take place on Monday 23rd December at 1pm. Come have a very festive traditional Christmas meal with us. Bring along crackers and inexpensive pressies for your friends and share a little Christmas cheer with us. The cost is R100 per person and booking is essential for catering purposes!
Finally, thank you one and all for sticking with us this year. We have loved feeding you and we look forward to continuing for many years to come
A happy, healthy, fabulous and safe Christmas, and festive season to you all. If you are driving be safe on the roads and come home safe and sound so we can see you next year
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, may the best of 2013 be the worst of 2014
Love ‘n Lollipops
Mandi,
Greta, Gladys, Fortune, Matamela, Liza, Martin, Lydia, Thithi, Elizabeth, Gugue, Patience, Abigail and of course Amiga
15 Minutes of fame for us all………….
The Month That Was…………..
Oneiric Wines for the Wine and Oyster Tasting on the 15th Nov from 5pm
Greetings All
I know I am late getting this news off to you but October was a little on the crazy side and November is fast catching up. Although we don’t have as many events lined up for you this month we still have a few really good evenings planned. Oh my word, October was HUGE. A jam packed month full of really amazing people and events. I should just about have moved my bed in the Indulgence Cafe I spent so much time here
The October events were really wonderful, everything from the Fantasy and Horror Festival to the Pieter Dirk Uys breakfast and all the stuff in between was really entertaining and a whole bunch of fun
I hope that you at least managed to get to one of the events here
15 Minutes of Fame …….
Northcliff Melivlle Times 29 Oct 2013
The craft Beer Tasting with Jonathan from Three Skulls was interesting, there were some fun characters here which made for a really enjoyable evening with a dash of colour.
Craft beers Galore
Quiz dinner is always a lot of fun and you get to realize quite how much you don’t know about the stuff around you. One of the most fun and interactive evenings of the lot was the First Annual Horror and Fantasy evening. Great, great fun. I have dedicated an entire blog post to it, see the link below.
From left Monique, Joan, Mandi and Dave
Pieter Dirk Uys is and always will be the consummate performer and without a doubt he has his audience eating out the palm of his hand. He was here for breakfast and to chat about his book, Panorama which came out in July. My copy is still sitting on my desk but I intend getting to it soon now that I have Gareth Crocker’s Finding Jack, out of the way. If you need to read a delightful book, are an animal lover and need a bit of a cry, that is the book to read!
Pieter Dirk Uys
Panorama Breakfast
27 Oct 2013
Our Lee Marcus event was also superb. What an incredible woman she is. At 92 she was having a smoke and a whiskey at the table whilst signing books. I loved this lady and have asked her to adopt me as a grandchild. She agreed very reluctantly and only after I had lit her cigarette for her! My bad!
Lee Marcus
Basha, Baby
October 2013
We rounded off the Halloween Month with a Halloween Dinner evening that was very nicely supported and where the burgers all sported some rather unusual ingredients……………Happy Halloween it was!
Halloween Dinner at Indulgence Cafe
The Twisted Market was a great success this time around, the rain held off until the evening which was awesome and we had an event onsite that you wouldn’t normally see in a public forum. Two girls with hooks in their backs pulling against each other. Sorry no pics are available and to see such a thing you really need to pop into the next market which is happening in December.
Other pics from the market tho:
The Twisted Market
A few quick reminders about things that happen here at Indulgence Cafe all the time like:
– Free WiFi with Telkom Mobile, 60 minutes free, all it costs you is an sms to get going.
– We are open Monday to Friday evenings with our burger menu. Monday’s we offer you a free
beer with your burger and Thursdays are Two for One burger nights! Who needs to cook when we are here to feed you
– Our rotisserie chickens are available daily from 4pm at R50 a chicken. These delicious chickens are available in the evenings as well with chips and salad.
– We are fully licenced and carry a large range of craft beers, our wine list is interesting and unusual
– Pensioner’s lunch is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, R30 gives you a main meal and dessert. Incredibly good value for money
– We are on twitter @indulgence_cafe, @AmigaFriedman
– Every Friday is Tequila Friday, some even have a little live music attached to them. Join us and start the weekend off properly!
Link to the review of the Fantasy and horror evening evening on WordPress: http://wp.me/pVdYg-fB
YouTube link to a snippet of the First Annual Horror and Fantasy http://t.co/VlnLRMwQLa
November Calendar:
13th Quiz dinner
15th Oysters and Wine tasting with Oneiric Wines
20th Would like an AuthorTalk here but waiting for someone to confirm!
December Calendar:
11th Quiz dinner, last one for the year
12th Author’s Cocktail Evening
13th Twisted Christmas Evening Market
23rd Pensioner’s Christmas Lunch
25th and 26th Closed
30th and 31st Closed
1st Closed
Coming up
13th November Quiz Dinner
Quiz night on the 13th which is always a really fun evening. The cost is R120 per head and includes a light dinner. The winning table will have half the cost of their meal as their prize. Book today for a truly superb evening 011 782 5063
15th November
We have wine tasting with Oneiric Wines from Elgin in the Cape. We are offering you oysters with your wine tasting. R50 gets you 6 oysters and you get to taste all the wines. Pop in from 5pm on Friday evening and come sample the good stuff. I have it on very good authority that the Chardonnay is delicious! You are welcome to order and purchase some of the fab wines you taste and if you are hungry order some food off the menu. We will be here till about 9pm
Oneiric Wines
20th November
I am hoping to line up an author for the evening but I haven’t as yet got anyone booked, watch this space
🙂
I have included the December Calendar but I have yet to give you any details about it. Trust me when I say there are one or two very exciting things happening here during the month of December. Jozi may be a little quiet and a little empty but we have things lined up to keep you entertained!
Have an awesome November and we cannot wait to see you soon
Love ‘n Lollipops
Mandi
Love & Lollipops 