Time and time again I am asked how I managed to obtain access to a US iTunes store account. Well, the answer is fairly simple. I just created one.

I know what you are thinking: “How the heck did he do that”?

Any South African who owns an iDevice of some kind dreams of accessing the US music and application store. It is not hard to imagine why, considering the crippled and lackluster state of the content within the South African iTunes marketplace.

With that said, gone are the days of being unable to legally and easily purchase music online or fantasizing about the latest must have US only iDevice applications. Now everyone can join in on the fun!

These are the steps to take to gain a US iTunes account:

1. First, head over to http://www.maximuscards.com and purchase a US $10 iTunes voucher (the cheapest one available). By the way, I use Maximus Cards all the time for my Xbox 360/Zune Microsoft Points, for which I have a joint US account. I have always found Maximus Cards to be efficient and reliable, and I would recommend using PayPal or Google Checkout for peace of mind.
2. Once you have your voucher code, which will be e-mailed to you, open iTunes. If you already have an account, click on the drop down arrow next to your ‘Log-In’ name and click on ‘account’. If you do not have an account, just follow the prompts and skip to part 4 of this guide.
3. The next window will show your account information. Next to the country registered for the account will be an option to ‘change country’. Click on the ‘change country’ button.
4. Next, select the country you want your new iTunes account to be set in and follow the rest of the instructions. Once you reach the page which requests ‘credit card’ & ‘billing’ information, do the following:

   A: Ignore the credit card options, for now.
   B: Insert your pre-purchased iTunes voucher code into the available text box.
   C: Use your real name & e-mail address & contact number (wherever possible use your real information).
   D: Use your real physical address (excluding city, state/province & postal code).
   E: Use a US city, state & postal code (For example: New York, New York 10001)
   Once you have entered all of the information, excluding any ‘credit card’ details, hit ‘continue’.

5. The next window should display all of your information again, but the area in which you inserted the iTunes voucher will now glow green. Additionally, there should now be a ‘none’ option under the credit card information section. Select ‘none’ before continuing with the rest of the registration process.

Please bear in mind that you modify your iTunes account at your own risk and that the above guide does not guarantee a user access to a US iTunes account. Furthermore this guide is only accurate as of the time of publication of this blog post.

There you go! Everything should work and you should now be the proud owner of a US iTunes account. Easy as pie!

It is important to note that your pre-purchased iTunes store voucher is not claimed during the registration process. It is merely used to indicate that you have a certain level of funds. As a result, you will still need to claim the voucher within iTunes. This is a simple process. You can either go into account settings and fund the account from there or merely select any item from the iTunes store and follow the prompts for adding a ‘payment method’ to your account (aka use the voucher option).

Happy shopping!

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Girl Guides is described as a “gathering of minds investigating technology from a feminine perspective” through a collective of women from all around South Africa.

The premise is simple. A group of ladies review the latest and greatest technology on offer in South Africa. In other words:

As you can see, this is made of pure ‘win’.

In all seriousness, I think that Girl Guides is a great idea. As much as I prefer to deter from using stereotypes, the fact remains that a lot of woman, both young and old, just do not ‘get’ technology and gadgets.

A clear niche exists then, to help unleash the hidden legions of untapped hot geekettes; and this is precisely where Girl Guides comes in.

So if you have a sister, partner or girlfriend who may be a closet geekette, give them a helping hand and point them towards Girl Guides.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Essentially people are cutting and dying the hair of poodles and other unfortunately fluffy dogs, to resemble other creatures, such as Panda’s, Pirates and Fairy’s. It is as crazy as it sounds and the results are just as mind numbingly hilarious.

Poodle Doodles: Endless Possibilities VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

(All photographs are © Ren Netherland/Barcroft Media)

My initial reaction to finding this was ‘what the frakk’! I immediately formed a rant about how stupid people can be… blah blah… animal cruelty… blah blah, you know the drill. So I checked it out again.

You know, it may not be conventional but as long as the animals are well looked after and have a good life, I do not think it is as bad as it could be. After all, it is only for one day of the year and it is just hair which will grow back. Besides, some of those dogs do look pretty cool. Come on, admit it! Who would not want a Pirate dog? Which brings me to the following question:

Should I give Chocolate, our beloved Bouvier, a funky once off makeover?

I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter as well as suggestions for what Chocolate could become.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Yes, I have been quite the slacker when it comes to updating my blog. I have no excuses this time though. Truth be told, I have just not felt like updating.

(Picture courtesy of AlaaShaker)

Granted I was abroad for over 5 glorious weeks but what people in the blogosphere do not tell you is that blogging is hard. It takes time & skill to write good posts worthy of garnering attention and building a ‘following’. I have found that it is much easier to simply update my social networks with information than to have to sit down and consciously write and edit stories about my life.

With that said, I cannot help but feel ‘guilty’ for neglecting you. Yes you, a member of the undeniable legions of readers I fool myself into believing are actually there. Thus, I will persevere. However, I will no longer fill your dreams and hopes with empty promises. I shall blog but I will do so randomly and without any form of predictability.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Last night we went to watch David Copperfield live at the Hollywood theatre in the MGM Grand Hotel. I have seen Copperfield live before, he came to South Africa many years ago, so this was not my first time seeing the legendary magician flex his card tricks. However, because we enjoyed his performance so much the last time, we decided to do it again, and boy did I get my money’s worth.

Let me be honest. The guy can sometimes come across as a bit arrogant, often prompting the audience to clap for him while generally seeming unenthused about his performance. The introduction video of ‘how great he is’ did not help matters either. It is a shame really, since some of his acts are simply mind boggling while others are, sadly, downright dismal. I am actually a little perplexed as to why he is still performing, goodness knows he does not need the money or the recognition. After all, for an illusionist who thrives on pushing the boundaries, when last did you actually hear of David Copperfield? yeah, that is what I thought.

Anyway, the main reason for this post has to do with what happened during the show. In short, I was called up as an unwilling participant. I say unwilling because I was dreading being called up, my stomach was twisting before I got picked, and, as luck would have it, I was randomly chosen.

The act was all about how Copperfield could predict a random set of numbers and words given to him by the audience, which were recorded on a piece of paper, a tape and a set of vehicular number plates, all locked up in a silver chest suspended above the audience. To make it even more interesting, it is later revealed that the number plates belonged to his grandfather.

In order to participate I had to answer two questions, this was after informing him that I was from South Africa, after which he began laughing hysterically. I have my reasons as to why he caught the hysterics, but I will let that pass for now.

The first task asked of me was: “Name any two numbers of your choice between 1 and 50”. I chose five and nine. The second, a question: ‘”When last did I get lucky”? Wh… what?! Yeah, that is right. Mr Copperfield wanted to know when was the last time I had sex.

Milieunairs, if you do not know by now, although you should, I am still a virgin. I have previously admitted to being proud of my ‘V’ status, but it is one thing to be proud and another feeling entirely to admit my lack of a sex life to a 250 strong crowd of people, in Las Vegas of all places; a city second only to Amsterdam in terms of liberal sex. I know that may seem a tad hypocritical, being proud of something I believe in yet not standing for up for it, but I believe it was simply the circumstance of being caught off guard that warranted my initial reluctance.

So what did I do? Instead of simply saying “I am a Virgin”, I paused, for an uncomfortable amount of time, before uttering “What if I say never”? I kid you not when I say that you could have heard a pin drop in the theatre. It was deathly silent. As if I had committed some heinous crime. Copperfield laughed and proceeded to write ‘Virg’ on his white board – which we would later find out was code for Virginia. He made a further crack or two at my Virgin status, which got the audience laughing, before inviting me up on stage with the other participants. I swear, I think my face was beetroot red through most of the act.

While on stage I had to unlock this silver chest using three keys. Since he knew I was South African he asked me if I know how to speak Afrikaans. I said yes. Why I did, I am not sure because he then wanted to know what certain English words were in Afrikaans. To say that my Afrikaans is laughable, would be an understatement. I barely managed to inform him that ‘lock’ is ‘sloot’ and right is ‘regs’. He lapped it up anyway and instructed me to unlock the chest. Since I was a Virgin, he kept going on about a ‘slow screw’ and what ‘not to do’ while in the sack, to turn the lock slowly so as not to ‘rush the climax’ and so on and so forth. It was funny and I laughed with the audience, regardless of how mortified I was.

This act was by far the best one of the evening, even more so because I was able to be a part of it. How he managed to do what he did, is beyond me.

All in all I had an amazing time and I feel immensely privileged to have been a part of a legendary David Copperfield performance, despite his apparent fall into mediocrity.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

How freaking cool is that?

So make sure to tune in for regular posts about my quarter life crisis inspired trip.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Location:Unnamed Rd,College Park,United States

It is Music Monday and thus time for another Vivaciously Varietal Vibe!  

• Flavour: Pop

• Artist: Shakira feat. Freshly Ground

• Album: CD Single

• Song: Waka Waka (This Time For Africa/The 2010 Official Fifa World Cup Song)

Rationale: For those who do not know, and unless you have been hovelled in some cave somewhere, South Africa will be hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Other than our beautiful country scrambling to get ready for the event, quite a process in patience for its citizens, FIFA have released the official 2010 FIFA World Cup song.

Although many South Africans were rather peeved that the song was not performed entirely by a South Africans, I do believe that FIFA did the right thing by approaching Shakira. Truth be told, and in my opinion, we needed a famously ‘international’ artist to carry the song. Granted, we do have a lot of talent in South Africa but the problem is, how much of that talent is really recognised by the rest of the world? Knowing FIFA, they wanted to make a big splash and there was no better way to do that then to associate their brand with an already popular and well known artist.

Besides, our very own Freshly Ground feature in the song. Take that, all you naysayers.  I still think they should have thrown in a few Vuvuzela’s for authenticity… *runs off to irritate the neighbours with his own Vuvu*.

Check the song out below and let me know what you think!

As always, whenever I post about Vivaciously Varietal Vibes on Music Monday’s, simply click on the name of the song to be taken to a web page that displays the songs lyrics.

Until the next time, “Milieunairs”!

For quite some time I have considered mobile blogging. Unfortunately, the WordPress mobile website is far from satisfactory. At least, that was the case with my previous Nokia and Windows Mobile devices.

I haven’t mentioned it to you all yet but I have made the move back to the iPhone. Yes I know, I was really negative about my original iPhone 3G back in 2008 (which I still haven’t been paid in full for after I sold it) but that was all pre-iPhone OS 3.0. Now, with my iPhone 3GS and the latest iPhone OS, I feel like I can see colours again!

The post you are reading now has been compiled on the WordPress iPhone application. It is pretty good. Not perfect, but acceptable enough for me to actually want to use.

Anyway, this was just a short and sweet post about the fact that I am back into the mobile blogging scene. Hopefully this new application will allow for a more organic blogging experience.

Until the next time Milieunairs!

(Update: I bought a new app called BlogPress and have edited this post with it. It cost $3 but it appears to be worth it)

Every South African knows of the legend that is Leon Schuster. He is our original prankster, made famous by his uniquely South African candid camera work. Although he may have departed from his original film tactics in recent productions such as Mr. Bones and Mama Jack, Schuks Tshabalala’s Survival Guide to South Africa sees Schuster return to his comedic roots.

Schuks Tshabalala’s Survival Guide to South Africa is pure Schuster. If you have enjoyed any of his previous candid camera focused movies, you will no doubt enjoy his latest foray into slapstick South African comedy.

The film attempts to weave each candid camera scenario into a larger background story, in this case a Mr Schuks Tshabalala offers a tour of South Africa to a group of poorly acted ‘foreigners’. However, all these slapstick interludes serve to do is annoyingly retract from the real comedic elements. Even though some of the lyrics to a few of the Highschool Musical inspired interludes were brilliantly tongue-in-cheek, they felt somewhat disconnected from the story as a whole. I would equate it to like watching a reality show on MTV which is split by music videos.

Although there were quite a few gems in terms of the candid camera work, the Helen Zille and Seapoint squatter camp scenario’s being among them, Schuster has not attempted to push the proverbial envelope in any way. Instead, each candid camera scenario is simply a rehash of something we have seen from him before: Golf Club scene? Check. Fooling rookie cops? Check. Scaring taxi drivers and occupants? Check, and so on and so forth. This is by no means a bad thing, after all, as the adage goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Even so, it feels like a missed opportunity for Schuster to push the boundaries in the same way he did in the 80s with You Must Be Joking.

Nevertheless, if you enjoy South African slapstick humour then Schuks Tshabalala’s Survival Guide to South Africa is not to be missed.

Verdict: 6/10.

The film opens nation wide on Friday the 28th of May 2010.

As is always the case with any Sterkinekor event, there were many delicious snacks and ample refreshments for all red carpet guests as well as numerous paparazzi. I have got to give it to Sterkinekor , they always make you feel like a star when visiting their ‘happy place’ during premiere events.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

So it is of no surprise that when my fellow Twitter friends, @RubyLetters and @JessicaMcD, tweeted about their blog posts entitled ‘102 Random Facts About Me’; that I would instantly feel compelled to join in on this fun and revealing new Internet meme.

In celebration of what will no doubt be quite a momentous task (just think about how hard it is to think of 5 interesting things about yourself, never mind 102), I have created the ‘102 Random Facts About Me’ blogger badge. This badge will be awarded to anyone who can successfully write 102 things about themself. If you can complete the task, chances are quite good that you will receive a badge.

Without further ado, I present to you, ‘102 Random Facts About Me’.

When I set about writing this blog post, I vastly underestimated how difficult it would actually be. I thought, “okay, 102 things about me… this should be easy enough”. It is all fine and dandy thinking of 102 things about yourself, but trying to find 102 interesting things about yourself, that is another story all together. Needless to say, this is by far one of the most challenging posts I have had to write, but I did it. I hope you enjoy what I have written and I look forward to your feedback!

1. My parents tried for nine years to have a child. They were thinking of adopting, before a small miracle happened… me (that’s how my mom likes to describe it).
2. I’m a preemie. I was born one month premature, thus I spent one month in an incubator. Even though I was premature I managed to weigh in at 3.4 kg at birth.
3. I firmly believe in self preservation. Unfortunately, I managed to break my first bone last year, which I am still undergoing physiotherapy for.
4. I have only ever known one of my grandparents. My fathers mom, whom I only ever affectionately knew as ‘Ouma’. Sadly, all my other grandparents died before my birth.
5. I primarily write in cursive, much to the detriment of everyone else. A teacher once described my hand writing as “beautifully neat from a far, but illegible up close”.
6. There are only a few select people who I will fart in front of. Aren’t they lucky?
7. I am from German and French descent – I can speak and understand French semi-fluently.
8. I still enjoy building and playing with Lego sets. Much to the chagrin of my younger cousins.
9. I’m great with kids. I’m like a kid magnet. Kids love me for some reason. Seriously!
10. Whenever possible, family always come first. Family take priority.
11. I adore symmetry.
12. I am a bit of a self confessed sadist. I will laugh at someone else’s misfortune, within reason of course, before attempting to help them. For example: I would laugh at someone falling on the floor if the chair they were sitting on had to break. With that said, I would never ridicule nor laugh at any kind of person who has a legitimate disability of any kind – this I feel strongly about.
13. I get presents every six months because I’m born in June. Awesome, right? As I have mentioned before I like symmetry, so it works well.
14. I dislike being dirty and I wash my hands more often than I care to take note of. I can also be a bit of a germ freak.
15. I prefer to hug than to shake hands with people (you never know what they’ve been touching).
16. I come from a very warm and close knit European styled family. So I am very ‘hands on’.
17. I have been told that I am an oblivious flirt. Apparently I do it without realising it. Must be my dormant French heritage
18. I always unpack a trolley by grouping items together and I become irritated if the teller scans the items that I have grouped, in a different order.
19. I think I may have a slight case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
20. I have never moved and have only ever called one place ‘home’.
21. I have an ‘innie’ (bellybutton).
22. I am extremely good at keeping secrets.
23. There are personal aspects of my life that I have never discussed with anyone.
24. I am very close to my parents.
25. Although I have been shouted at by my folks, I have never been ‘smacked’ by either of them.
26. My parents have never restricted me from doing anything. They seldom say no. I am an only child after all.
27. I have never been drunk.
28. I have never smoked a cigarette.
29. I have never taken any form of a recreational or abusive substance (drug free).
30. I am still a Virgin *surprise*.
31. Jurassic Park is one of my favourite movies of all time.
32. I still have a vested interest in all things Dinosaur related.
33. I read… a lot.
34. I adore the feeling of getting into a crisp, clean and cool-to-the-touch bed. With that said, I cannot stand it when my bed is creased or has been lain in or upon.
35. The first thing I do when I wake up is reach for my mobile phone.
36. I have had shoulder length hair since 2005. Before that I had a number 2 or 3 ‘buzz’ cut, styled with gel.
37. I love taking photographs – a passion I would like to hone.
38. I am committed to learning how to play the piano. One of my new years resolutions for 2010.
39. I photo-bomb, but only in jest and with those I know and care for well.
40. I graduated with a ‘High Distinction’ (cum laude) for my undergraduate degree and an ‘Honours First Class’ for my honours degree (summa cum laude).
41. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Communications with an emphasis on new media technologies, Ludology and convergence cultures.
42. I am a professional procrastinator.
43. I become irritable with people who cannot spell or who use grammar incorrectly.
44. I cannot bend my left thumb without causing my left index, middle and ring fingers to involuntarily bend in unison.
45. I have a knack for always choosing and liking the most expensive item in a store regardless of the brand. Much to the detriment of my bank balance.
46. Whenever I see a character holding his/her breathe in a movie or on television, I always attempt to hold my breathe in for as long as he/she can.
47. I watch a ridiculous amount of television series.
48. I have an extremely broad taste in music; ranging from the pop synth of Britney Spears, to the rock of Muse, to the velvet voice of Michael Buble, and the symphonic works of Beethoven, all within my vast music collection. What I choose to listen to, all depends on how I feel at that time.
49. My God son is exactly 14 years, 364 days and 12 hours younger than me.
50. This year I will turn 25 – a quarter of a century and half way to 50. 
51. I was born on a Wednesday. Contrary to the popular poem ‘Wednesdays Child’, I am anything but filled with ‘woe’. If anything, I am a glass is always half-full kind of person because I know that I have already sipped down the other half
52. I am a self-inflicted insomniac – I can fall asleep… but there is always just so much to do and never enough time to do it all in!
53. I enjoy writing poetry; I just never make the time to do it.
54. Before bed I will always, without fail, brush my teeth, wash my face and moisturise.
55. I always kiss my parents goodnight.
56. I do not abuse the phrase ‘I love you’ (in other words, I do not say it for the sake of saying it). I will say ‘I love you’ but only if I honestly and truly mean it.
57. I am most definitely a dog person and I am purportedly allergic to cats.
58. I am a boob man.
59. I talk too much and, if I’m really passionate about something, too fast.
60. I’m not a nerd, but I am probably a bit of a geek.
61. I have been told that I have a very good sense of style and fashion.
62. From the age of two, I have been choosing which clothes to wear.
63. I always dress well, even if it is just to go to a convenience store.
64. You will never see me barefoot unless I’m at the beach or in a swimming pool.
65. I have been told that my hands and feet are exceptionally soft.
66. I eat everything… except pork; courtesy of ‘Dr. Gregory House’.
67. Mosquito’s, to my itchy misfortune, absolutely adore my scent. With me around, everyone else is safe.
68. I love new technology and gadgets and I am often always fortunate and privileged enough to get my grubby paws on the latest and greatest tech.
69. I’m addicted to Twitter and the Internet. I had to include it. Being able to access, use and distribute information, from any location and about practically any topic is simply incredible.
70. I have yet to become someone’s ‘Knight in Shining Armour’. When it happens though, I will be sure to tell you all about her
71. I have an affinity for numbers. They intrigue me.
72. I do not have a tattoo but, on more than one occasion, I have thought about getting one.
73. I have only ever said/used the acronym for ‘Fornicating Under Consent of the King’ twice (I distinctly remember each unfortunate utterance). I prefer not to ‘cuss’ as I believe it degrades a persons character and class. However, this is not to say that I steer away from all expletives. I still use some of the more common ‘swears’, although only fairly rarely.
74. I enjoy curling up with a good book, particularly when it rains and it is overcast and cloudy.
75. I love watching liquids move, any and all. I enjoy examining different kinds of liquids, how they move and react to different stimuli as well as experimenting with a liquids viscosity.
76. I thoroughly enjoy anything with chocolate but I am not a fan of ‘sweets’, per se – you know, things like Jelly Tots, Winegums or hard candies. I also prefer eating tarts to cakes.
77. Sometimes I really enjoy simple foods. For example, the smell and taste of buttered toast is enough for me… *begins salivating*.
78. I love milk and can often be seen with a large glass of full cream dairy goodness.
79. I only drive German born ladies – I’m talking about cars here people! At first I was with ‘Goldie’ but now I am with ‘Vivushka’.
80. I only recently learnt that I should floss before brushing my teeth. Yeah I know… *face palm*
81. I have been told that I have a high pain threshold.
82. I have never dyed my hair. I am ‘au natural’.
83. I have only put highlights in my hair twice. I prefer naturally occurring highlights to the artificial kind.
84. I despise people who lie and I know how it feel be betrayed by those closest to you.
85. I know how to forgive and move on but do not expect me to forget how you made me, or those closest to me, feel.
86. If I have something to say, chances are good I will say them to your face instead of behind your back. I am fairly direct but I am not tactless.
87. I cry, unashamedly, in sad movies.
88. I was always the tallest kid in school (nursery/primary/high). I reached my dad’s height at the age of 13. I have grown quite a bit since that time and I appear to have leveled off at a ‘comfortable’ height of 195cm.
89. I have heard all of the “how is the weather up there” jokes.
90. I started shaving at the age of 13 and I am convinced that I have a beard of steel. Razor’s just do not last.
91. I have only ever been asked once, up until this point in my life, for any form of identification when entering an age restricted area.
92. When asked to guess my age, most people think I am in my late twenties.
93. I have been told that when I was two years old, a few people used to think I was at least 5 or 6.
94. I have become completely ambidextrous; after breaking my right dominant arm. Needless to say, it comes in handy (no pun intended ).
95. I do not drink carbonated drinks because they give me more gas than I care to have to deal with.
96. Most of my cousins, aunts and uncles used to (some still do) call me ‘Hansie’.
97. I have been given the nickname of ‘Hunni Bunni’ by most of my younger cousins. My God son calls me ‘Huntsy Buntsy’.
98. I do not physically bruise easily but I do scar quite badly.
99. I am secure enough with my sexuality to not care about what anyone thinks. Thus I am not afraid of wearing colour and I actually really like soft pastel coloured clothing.
100. I love laughing so hard that it spurns on tears, causing my hidden abs to spasm which results in a shortness of breathe. Laughing truly is the best medicine.
101. I am known for being happy, for always having a smile on my face and for laughing, for no apparent reason.
102. I am psyched to think that I did it. I managed to write 102 random facts about myself.

Funny thing about this ‘102 Random Facts About Me’ meme is that I actually thought of more random facts about myself towards the end. I will, however, save those for another day.

I’m tagging Freddy & Louisa for this meme

I hope you all enjoyed learning a little bit more about me.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!