Mexican meal at Joe Mexican in Pretoria East

*On the quest to try out different cuisines, find new restaurants in and around Pretoria*

 For the whole of last week I couldn't wait for the weekend, I kept on thinking about what I was going to eat come weekend.  Planning on going to a new place and trying out something different has never excited me this much. On Saturday evening I drove to Constantia Park in Pretoria South East. I found a Mexican restaurant on Google called EL PISTOLERO in that part of town. I have never  been to Constantia Park - though I have passed there. I found the place pretty quick,  only to be told that they were closed for the evening because of a private function. I guess that's what happens when you don't pre-book.  Lesson learnt!!

Google directed me to another restaurant in Garsfontein ( which was nearer to home, yippie). The restaurant is at the Eastdale Pavilion Shopping Center, Corner of Jacqueline Drive & Solomon Mahlangu Drive. I know this complex so it was easy to find. I arrived at Joe Mexican and I instantly liked the place. It was inviting and mellow. I didn't feel like I was in one of those places that expect you to have your dining etiquette manual on hand.

    

 





   

Upon being seated a bowl of popcorn arrived, now that was a first for me but hey I love popcorn. I requested warm water with lemon and it was delivered in a split of a second. They served their meals in enamel dishes and plates. This was a different, I am not sure whether in Mexico they (traditionally, perhaps) served meals in enamel dishes or it was part of what makes the restaurant different.



 

 CORN DOGS

 I ordered corn dogs. The corn dogs were fried and coated in cornmeal butter.  They were served with salsa, sour cream, corn and guacamole.

  

  

 The yellowish sauce in the mug had a sour taste and was not too thick. The sausages had a cheesy filling inside.  The corn crust around the sausage tasted like cake ( not so sweet) almost like fat cakes. I wish they served only one though - They were quite large.

 

  

 ENCHILADAS

 I ordered a pulled pork tortilla stuffed with drunken beans ( don't know what this means), gallo pinto rice and enchilada sauce. It was covered in cheese and baked. This meal came with salsa, sour cream, corn and guacamole.

 The enchiladas was very tasty, it kind of reminded me of breyani with the rice mixed with beans and pork meat.  

I used my knife to cut the enchilada and place it on the plate, then I was able to use the fork and knife to eat. Something tells me I was not eating/doing it right, oh well  I will do my research proper next time.

CHURROS - Dessert

I ordered churros- which is dough covered in cinnamon and sugar, served with melted chocolate.

           

The chocolate sauce was not rich but very sweet. Without dipping it in the sauce the dough tasted like fat cakes except it was covered in sugar and cinnamon. I couldn't finish my dessert - guilty voiced screamed "so much sugar!!".

 

 Except that one runs a risk of gaining tons of weight from the food served here, I really enjoyed my meal. It was tasty, full of flavour and hearty.  Service was good, food arrived quick, plates were cleared just as quick, manager / supervisor came out to ask if everything was fine. Really I can't fault them in that department.

 

Music was playing in the background, from the sound I guessed it was Mexican. The vibe was great I felt like standing and breaking into the Mexican Hat Dance.

 

  

 

* All photos are mine unless otherwise stated*  

Freedom of EXPRESSION and ARTISTS!

Last week, AKA, a South African rapper raised a debate when he took to twitter his political preferences. I do not know what prompted his tweets but he basically said that he will never perform at any political party (Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)  & Democratic Alliance (DA),  to be specific) event except those of the ruling party. See his tweets below.

 

Of course and as expected some people took offense to his tweets. Some reminded the rapper that his supporters come from all parties and that as an artist he shouldn’t be seen to be partisan.

Leaders of EFF, clearly did not take kindly to AKA’s tweets. EFF President, Julius Malema tweeted AKA concerning the issue, he warned the rapper not to turn himself into an enemy of the EFF * this sounded like a threat*. AKA and his followers reminded everyone that his right of expression and association is enshrined in the constitution.   See below the tweets between the politician and the rapper.

Now, I understand very well that in South Africa there is freedom of speech as well as freedom of association.  These privileges are to be enjoyed by all those who reside in this beautiful country.  When I saw AKA’s tweets, the first thing that went through my mind was “he shouldn’t have”. Not because he doesn’t enjoy the same rights as everyone else but merely because he is an artist. Personally, I feel that artists (this goes for business as well) shouldn’t isolate some of their supporters by being vocal about their affiliations. People are not blind, they will see which events you attend the most/ colour t-shirts you wear etc. all this could be an indication of your preferences but to be blatantly vocal about it may not sit well with some of your supporters.

Artists are people of influence, they influence through their art, fashion, social media etc. It will not be far-fetched to think that some young people may choose a political home based on who their favourite rapper supports. Also, it is not far-fetched to think that some people may stop buying products of a certain artist solely because of their affiliation. It is easy to argue that one has rights, that one cannot be responsible for how other people behave but in a new democracy like South Africa, where people still get very emotional about politics, I would argue that it is dangerous for an artist to publicly announce their affiliations. It is dangerous but more so irresponsible, mainly for the reasons I shared above.

On the other side of the coin, artists are citizen too, they are part of the country and they should be able to associate with any political party without fear.  Each and every voting citizen has a right to influence the future of the country. Not twitting your affiliation doesn’t mean that you are not part of the process nor that you don’t have rights. It simply means that you keep it to yourself because you are sensitive to people from different political homes that you rely on for survival.

 

Tweet from Minister of Sport to AKA

I wanted to get a sense of what other people thought of this matter so I posted a question on Quora “Should artists (musicians, actors etc.) talk about politics? Express their preferred parties?”. I received a few responses like this one:

“As far as them having a responsibility to be neutral, I don't believe in that at all. They're artists to begin with, and art is, by its very nature, subjective. They make a living by expressing themselves. So why shouldn't they express their thoughts on politics? It's part of the game. Personally, I tend to have a higher respect for artists that risk criticism by doing so……”

 

“Well it's a matter of fact, what do you think that musicians are not a part of a country. Don’t you think when recession strikes they are also ones to suffer or when something bad occurs in country they don't get affected or when an unjustified government officials take some inappropriate decision at indulgee themselves in certain conversation which reflects a bad image of country.

Later, I edited my question and I asked “Is it wise for artists to express their political choices especially on social media?”  Below is a response I received:

“Yeah it's true, one should not publicly open up talking in favour of one or other party but what I meant to say is everyone has right to speak their thoughts, yeah but on same hand one doesn't need to publicize some other party.”

 

I stand by my opinion on paragraph 3, artists should be sensitive towards their supporters. After all these are the people that keep them where they are. This still doesn't mean that artists are not part of the process or that they don't get to choose who governs.

 

 

 

 

 

Thai Meal at Lotus Thai Restuarant

As a Pretorian there are a few places (restaurants, theatres, parks etc.) that I have been to. Basically, I don't know Pretoria. Often I will know the shopping centre and the neighbourhood but I wouldn't know what that shopping centre has to offer.  I have decided to sample restaurants around Pretoria, more specifically the food they offer. I am interested in different cuisines.

 

 

 

 

My first stop is the Lotus Thai Restaurant situated in Glen Village Mall in Faerie Glen, Pretoria East. I went there for dinner Saturday night. Upon arriving at the restaurant, there was a minute awkward situation, something told me we were not a likely client (now, I don't know whether black people don't eat Thai food or black people in Pretoria don't visit the restaurant). Of course, we were seated immediately after that "awkward situation".

 

 

 

I loved the setting and the ambiance. I kicked myself for coming for a take away, it is definitely a place where one has to sit in and enjoy their meal.  Their menu offers Sushi and Thai dishes.



For an appetiser I ordered the deep fried ground chicken and prawn dumplings with sweet chilli dipping sauce. For main I ordered the beef sweet and sour stir fry with noodles. My meal was a take-away so I took it home and dished it out on my own plates.

I enjoyed the dumplings so much; I wish I had ordered times two.  The pastry bag was just right not to hard or soft, dipped in the sweet chilli sauce it offered a delicious sensation.   The stir fry was just as good. The sweet and sour taste tantalised my taste buds. The vegetables were still crunchy - which I loved as the food was not overcooked and I could actually identify their taste individually. The noodles were also not overcooked; the main dish was offered a savoury taste.

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Overall, I loved the food. It was tasty and different from the ( bland or junk) meals I have everyday. I will go back to the restaurant soon to try something else from their menu.

 

 

 

*All photos are mine unless otherwise stated*

Trendy Timepiece

I recently bought a watch, from the Era Amplified Edition by DJ Zinhle. I have been seeing DJ Zinhle's watches on Instagram for quite a while now. I liked the watches the first time I saw them. Of course seeing something on the internet is not the same as seeing it live. For an example I thought the watches I liked had leather straps, telling from the price I was not expecting genuine leather.  Imagine my surprise when I received the watch and realised that the strap was not leather like I had imagined.

Image from DJ Zinhle online

 

The strap is silicone. In as much as I was surprised I was also glad, leather straps for that price were/ are not going to last. Though I must add that the watch is perfectly priced, it is affordable and trendy. The Era range watches come in smooth silicone watch bands, with an attractive use of colour; brown green, white and pink.

 

 

My understanding of silicone bands is that they are designed to withstand extreme conditions, they are water durable and comfortable. I think it is a great timepiece for an active person.

 

 

The watch is warranted for a period of twelve months covering materials and manufacturing defects. I am hoping that this watch lasts me more than just a year.

 

 

If you are looking for an affordable, stylish watch then visit DJ Zinhle's website, it is more than just a watch to some of us but also in support of black businesses.

 *All photos are mine unless otherwise stated*

Basics of nail care

We are  approaching winter, to some of us winter is here already ( not GoT lol ). Temperatures have dropped tremendously I took my coats to the dry cleaners and took out all my boots yesterday. Dry winter months leave us with dry cracked skin, dry brittle nails and cuticles, vulnerable to infections and influenza virus.

I want to address one thing that one can easily look after - your nails. Just because it is winter you do not have to have brittle nails and dry ashy looking cuticles. It is best that one removes cuticles and the extra skin  ( read dead skin) around their nails once in a while. I personally cannot do that myself, I need a nail technician  for that. In the mean time while I don't visit any nail technician I use a vitamin E based oil to keep my nails and cuticles moisturised and soft.

I use Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle oil. You can purchase this oil at Clicks, Dischem and any other cosmetic shop that stocks Sally Hansen products.   You apply the oil on your nails and on the cuticle areas around your nails and rub it in.  You can do this  three times a week or as often as you want. Trust me your nails will thank you.

3rd Week of CHANGE

Week 2-3  proved to be the most difficult and the weather was not helping. Over the weekend I consumed more hot chocolate than I can remember, also I ate a whole box of rusks. Sunday came, it was still very cold and I couldn't bring myself to eating my boring bleh meals so I ordered pizza and some chocolates.

 

It was the worst decision ever, this I also realised when I woke up in the middle of the night with the most excruciating stomach pains and a running tummy. My body was kicking the bad foods out - this I get and I want to try and not have such foods again especially in large quantities like I did on Sunday.

 

The show must go on though, so on Monday I prepared meals for week 2-3 and below is what my food looks like this week.

 
Breakfast

I wanted a break from eggs and I bought cold pressed juices from Woolworths. Almonds for protein, avocado for some good fat and grapefruit for that dose of vitamin C.

Lunch and Dinner

 

Chicken livers/ Butter beans, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and sweet potato.

 



 Exercise

I last went to the gym on Thursday 12 May and went back yesterday Tuesday 17 May, four days later.  In just four days, I wasn't as fit as I was on Thursday, I still walk the treadmill but yesterday I could only walk at a lower speed than before. Plus I didn't lose any weight ( I weigh on Monday), instead I gained 0.40 kg from last Monday. I blame my weight gain on the food I ate over the weekend. I hope such I will not repeat, I hate working backwards.

1st 14 days of CHANGE

Since I made a decision to make a life style change I have been preparing healthier meals, drinking more water,  green tea and of course exercising. At the moment I walk, I do about 40 minutes at 5.5 level, 1.5 incline on a treadmill at the gym. I figured I will walk for at least a month or two before I try on other things like the circuit, running and other machines.

This what my meals look like now:

Week 1-2

Week 2-3

MEAL PREP: Skinless chicken breast, eggs, butter beans, green beans, broccoli and sweet potato. This is breakfast, lunch and dinner for five days.This is working for me since I am usually lazy in the evenings.

 



 

Lifestyle change vow

I had a moment of awakening on April 28, I thought I was either having a heart attack or stroke ( well about to).  I was at work, sitting on my desk going on about my work. I felt a heavy pain in the middle of my chest ( I started experiencing this type of pain in 2016, never before) but this time around it was heavier and tighter than before. I panicked, thinking I am about to experience a heart attack or a stroke? At some point the pain moved from middle chest to right shoulder.  I quickly went on Google and I found different types of chest pains and what they mean ( Pulmonary embolism (PE), Angina, Heart attack (myocardial infarction) etc.).  I was scared for my life and I concluded that it must be that I am obese.

 

Right at that moment I found myself saying a little prayer. I prayed for my health, I asked God to give me a chance to change my life. I kept on saying "please God, not today. I promise I will eat better foods and exercise". I practically begged God to give me a chance to change my life. So this is where I am, that very same day I went to the gym in the evening and I haven't looked back - I am at the beginning of week three. I don't go to the gym everyday, I do three - four days, skip one day and go back the day after.

 

I've had gym membership since last year July but I've been to the gym about fifteen times only and never in the past seven months. I made a promise to God, this is the promise I don't intend breaking.  I have experienced the chest pain about 2 times since that day and it was not heavy and too tight. I have not experienced it in the last seven days.  Maybe I am doing something right.

 

 

I dusted my running shoes and started walking.