What's on with Life Of uZ

Hello world. It's been a while since my last blog post. Not that I've been idle, no, quite the contrary. I have been rather busy of late. Work mostly. And travel. And family. And cooking. And the occasional bout of geekery. Well, these things:

Travel:

My family and I recently did a holiday in Turkey. It was our first post-pandemic holiday outside of South Africa and, might I add, a much needed getaway. Turkish people are a really wonderful hospitable nation and are always ready to welcome you into their homes, their businesses and their hearts with a friendly smile and and an even friendlier cup of tea. Tea is something of a national past-time in Turkey and something we don't do seem to adapt properly back home. Tea time means unwinding, completely. It's those 7 minutes several times a day, sitting on a little chair at that corner café and engaging in face-to-face conversation with people from all corners of this blue earth, a comfort that we should be ever grateful for, given that a year ago such luxuries were marred behind digital screens, masks and social distancing.

Spiritually, this trip was extremely uplifting. We managed to perform our evening prayers, magrieb, in the Hagia Sofia and I cannot really put the experience to words other than it was a feeling of utter and absolute peace. People of every faith sitting quietly while the Muezzin called the faithful to prayer and that goosebumps on my neck feeling for the after-prayer qiraah (recitation from the Quran). It felt as if I had stepped through a time portal and back into the golden ages of Islam.

I have many, many more highlights from our trip from the amazing food journey (more of that further down) to the diverse cultural heritage and rich Islamic traditions. Alas! there are too many to mention here but ever the fondest memories of Istanbul would be those moments of inward reflection with my wife and daughters at a corner café with a baklava and cup of Turkish tea.

Hiking:

So fitness, health and diet are a big deal for my family. Both my wife and I are into hiking these days and well, there really isn't much more to say. Invest in a good pair of trail shoes or hiking boots, stay hydrated and be in good company. I hike with a rather jolly crew that always keep one motivated, laughing and in non-literal stitches. We recently completed and overnight BoemanksKloof hike and it was probably one of the most scenic hikes I have ever experienced. 

Foodie:

So, back on the travel buzz. Turkey is an amazing foodie destination and Istanbul has some really highlights for food travel. From the decadent nutty phyllo Baklava's to their famous grilled kebabs & durum wraps, the scrumptious steamed 'wet burger' the hundreds of variant savory pastries, the giant breakfast spreads, baked breads, ice cream antics, roasted chestnuts and tea. Lots and lots of tea - Istanbul is a foodie's dream city. So yeah, I guess we do travel for adventure, for experience, for contemplation and hopefully some much needed rest. But mostly, we secretly travel for food!

Back home, my inner-foodie has been busy as well and you will undoubtedly know from this blog, I do share a lot of my home-tried recipes. And yeah, there will be more to come. For anyone kinda doubting their food prowess or whether or not they have what it takes to aspire to being anything but trouble in the kitchen know this: Cooking is much easier than you think. Like with any activity, the more you do it, the better you become.

Lunchbox Dad:

Honestly, this was just a whimsical thing that has kind of taken off in a way I didn't expect. I now suddenly have moms (and dads) sending me DMs on my lunchbox inspirations. So, I try to keep their lunchboxes easy as we all know the morning school rush can drive one crazy. But easier doesn't have to be boring. Heck even a regular old chockers peanut butter sandwich can turn out great if you just jazz it up a bit. I opt for healthy as often as possible - brown bread instead of white, fruits, veg and the occasional treat.

Work:

My work as a specialist solutions architect and team lead has kept me motivated, inspired and well, rather busy of late. I recently embarked on a Udemy learning path for my career which means that 2 nights a week are solely dedicated towards my studies. For anyone unsure of Udemy and online learning, I assure you it is an amazing platform but it does require, as with any stream of learning, utmost diligence and commitment. At the end of the day, the rewards of being proficient and even mastering a particular field makes the sacrifice even more worth it.

XBOX Gaming:

Sadly, I have very little to report in terms of new games. We're still playing the occasional bout of Aliens: Fireteam as well as the absolute awesomeness that is Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge. This classic brings back all the joy of the legendary arcade games sans the obvious pocket drain from all the coins we dropped into the arcade slot! Play as you favorite turtle or even as Master Splinter or April. Then, I also played through some light story-driven gaming in As Dusk Falls which was...weirdly reminiscent of Netlfix's Black Mirror 'choose your own narrative' style gaming. I also complete Square Enix's Guardians of the Galaxy and that was a really fantastic team-dynamic. I wish the storyline were longer as I really enjoyed the banter between the team and the overall mechanics were really well thought out and cool.

Reading:

Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn trilogy. I've just completed the first book in the series, The Final Empire and boy oh boy, Sanderson's work is an absolute thrill to read. Filled with explosive action, intrigue and memorable characters, this has got to be my favorite fantasy book since...well, since a very long time. The magic system is also really well though out and defined. I'm officially hooked into Sanderson's cosmere universe.

Board Gaming:

I'm chuffed to say that our post-pandemic gaming roundup group is back in full swing with monthly kick-off sessions again! We started with a bout of Hellboy: The Board Game and will be progressing for the remainder of the year with fairly standalone adventures and various board games. 2023 is when the big, top secret D&D board gaming campaign takes off but until then, our merry group of adventurers are quite happy with once-off gaming events. We plan on playing some D&D, Doom, some more Hellboy some Marvel Champions or whatever the guys bring to the games night table. I will probably be doing a live vlog soon so watch this space!

LCG Gaming:

I'm still hooked onto Marvel Champions LCG from Fantasy Flight and have the Red Skull expansion as well as both Captain America and Doctor Strange hero packs. I will be doing a playthrough of that this week and have a blog post review on it soon. Then, I've still got the Arkham Horror LCG as well as the Lord of the Rings LCG which I do solo from time-to-time. I have a new LOTR Khazad Dhum scenario pack that begs me to revisit Moria again some time with my company of Dwarves.

D&D:

So the main D&D campaign that I have been planning for literally years now is finally come to fruition. I have all the new heroes up on this blog as well as a few custom villains, with more coming shortly. The actual campaign will only really commence in 2023 and I'm still ironing out the narrative and overarching storyline. I also intend including a separate science fiction standalone campaign that borrows elements from the Aliens and Predator universes. 

Small Screen:

There's been a lot off buzz on the small screen lately now that Disney Plus is officially launched in South Africa. I will be doing a post of what to watch soon but in the meanwhile you are living under a rock if you haven't at least been watching Stranger Things S04, Sandman, Obi Wan, Prey, Ms Marvel, Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder and my new favorite dramedy Only Murders In the Building.