I am flabbergasted that the last time I updated Hans’ Milieu was just under five months ago. In fact, I am appalled that I have neglected you – my fellow readers and the blog itself, which I regard as the online extension of my living entity – for so long.

So much has happened over the last several months that it would be almost impossible to detail it all in a single post. I will eventually get to updating my milieu, but until then here is a brief account of the major events that have transpired:

• I am another year older.
• I have almost finished my Masters – something I am both excited and anxious about.
• I am a now Mac user – who would have thought?!
• I have made wonderful new friends.
• I have grown stronger emotionally, mentally and, most importantly, spiritually.
• I am still single.
• The Upper Palatte is making a glorious return – beginning again in August.
• I have started a website for video games and technology: Vamers - officially launching in October.
• One of my Tweets went viral.
• I am committed to going from Flab to Fab by December this year – just in time for Summer.

I will attempt to update as often as possible, at least once a week from this day forward, but my education comes first. So until my Masters is complete I will be unable to update as frequently as I would like. Only a few months to go!

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”!

To mark this special year, which also happens to be divisible by 5 and you all know how much I love numbers, I have committed myself to 10 resolutions for this new year.

I actually had a grand plan of revealing each resolution on each new day of the first 10 days of the new year via Twitter. Unfortunately, this did not work out as planned. Nevertheless, this is the long awaited and eventual blog post to sum everything up. Without further ado, I present to you, my new years resolutions for 2010:

#1: Obtain the infamous "6 pack" by my 25th birthday.

#2: Sleep more. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night.

#3: Blog more. I would like to try and output a minimum of three quality posts a week.

#4: Procrastinate less. Whenever possible, do today what could be left for tomorrow.

#5: Maintain a good posture. Breaking my arm threw everything out of whack. Time to get it all back!

#6: Learn to play the piano. A new means of emotional expression.

#7: Go on a long road trip. Life is about creating memorable moments and experiences.

#8: Adhere to the speed limit and attempt to avoid reckless road rage driven drivers.

#9: Letting go. Stay close to those who add value to your life, discard those who only cause pain.

#10: Make the move. It is no longer if, but when.

All I have to do now, is actually stick to this list of resolutions *eek*. Far easier said than done, but it is not impossible.

I certainly am looking forward to this new year. I do believe that it has a lot to offer and I plan to make the most of it!

God speed to you all and may you all succeed within whatever it is you put your minds to!

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

As I have mentioned before, I have been neglecting the personal posts with which my blog was originally built on. Believe me, I actually feel bad about it. I love sharing my experiences, whether good or bad, and listening to people’s opinions. Or lack thereof. Consequently I will attempt to revive the personal aspect of Hans’ Milieu.

Okay, a quick recap of the last week:

I am actually in Melbourne, Australia, at the moment. I arrived last week Monday. The flight was pleasant with a total travel time of around 16 hours (including transit and flight times from Sydney to Melbourne). Actually, I wonder why there are no direct flight to Melbourne? Considering that the flight has to fly over Melbourne anyway. Very odd. However I have heard that Virgin will be flying direct to Melbourne from next year. Thank heavens for that as it will make travelling just that much better.

For those who are unfamiliar with my families ‘Australian’ history, all you you really need to know is that we have been planning on immigrating for the last 8 years. Well not really ‘planning’ per se, more like procrastinating. This year, however, I finally had enough of all of the indecision and took matters into my own hands. Thus I kindly told my parents, in the nicest way possible, that, if we could afford it, I would like to continue my Masters and Doctoral studies at Monash University in Australia. A logical move, considering that I am a Monash University Alumnus and already paying exorbitant international student rates, since that was the only way for me to be able to do my Masters at Monash University in South Africa. As a result I am currently enrolled as a Master’s student at Monash University’s Clayton campus in Melbourne, via external candidature (which allows me to stay in South Africa). Unfortunately, it is as complicated as it sounds.

Considering my current academic situation and our continued, but never fruitful, desire to begin a new life in Australia, it makes perfect sense for me to spearhead our Australian move. However, it is proving to be quite a lot harder than we originally anticipated. More so in terms of finding a place to live than actually obtaining entrance to the country (for me anyway). Subsequently, the last week has been focussed on finding me a place to stay while I am in Australia pursuing my studies. Needless to say, ‘house hunting’ is incredibly tedious and rather tiring especially since options are rather limited, courtesy of the strengthening Australian dollar and constantly weak South African Rand. Regardless, I do have hope that we will find a moderate place in a respectable location.

In other news I spent some time with my cousin Terrence, who is currently in Australia via Monash University’s undergraduate study abroad program, I managed to watch New Moon (review coming soon), got tickets to Britney Spears’ Circus Tour for this coming Friday *school girl scream* and have generally been having a wonderful time in Melbourne; further experiences that I will continue to write about when I have the time.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

It is once again that time of year. A time of the year which proudly salutes how many years one has existed as well as serving as a macabre reminder of the time one has left. Above all, however, one’s birthday offers an unbarred opportunity to let loose and party until the sun comes up!

Today I will be spending the day with my beautiful parents and most likely end up shopping up a storm. This evening my folks and myself will eat out and most likely watch a newly released blockbuster. Tomorrow night, however, is when the real party begins! I will spill all the juicy details on Sunday but, if you are curious for a hint as to what we will be doing, click here.

In honour of my 24th birthday, I will post 20 useless interesting facts of life as well as four juicy morsels of information about myself, for a total of 24 pieces of information.

‘20’ Facts of life:

1. According to a recent survey, more Americans lose their virginity in June than any other month.
2. An eyelash lives for about 5 months.
3. An Octopus has 3 hearts.
4. A whale’s penis is called a dork.
5. An ear of corn always has an even number of rows because of the genetic formula which divides the cells.
6. The Titanic was the first ship to use the SOS signal.
7. The owl is the only bird to drop its upper eyelid to wink. All other birds raise their lower eyelids.
8. When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red.
9. Google is actually the common name for a number with a million zeros.
10. The attachment of the human skin to muscles is what causes dimples.
11. The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.
12. The only part of the body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air.
13. Do you know the names of the three wise monkeys? They are: Mizaru (See no evil), Mikazaru (Hear no evil), and Mazaru (Speak no evil).
14. If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.
15. The housefly hums in the middle octave, key of F.
16. A blind chameleon still changes colours to match the environment.
17. "Typhlobasia" is the practice of closing one’s eyes when kissing.
18. The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.
19. A sneeze can travel as fast as 100 miles (200 kilometres)per hour.
20. Every time you lick a stamp you consume 1/10 of a calorie.

‘4’ Facts of Hans Haupt:

1. I have three beauty spots on my face.
2. I have a five centimetre long scar at the back of my head, obtained when I slipped while getting out of the bath as a child.
3. I cannot bend my left thumb without bending all of my other fingers on the same hand.
4. I am still a Virgin and not ashamed or embarrassed to admit it.

I hope you enjoyed my birthday post and that you will stop by again soon for a full recap of ‘Hans’ Brady Bunch Birthday Bash’!

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!