As the year comes to an end...

By now we are all fed up of the constant workload that we have, and with the last stretch that is here we somehow cannot find motivation. This year has been long and I have no idea why the lecturers choose to give us the bulk of the work (assignments/ test/ presentations that weigh the most) towards the end, it should be the other way around.

Since the beginning of this year, I have changed. Changed in a good way, changed in that my time management may be starting to kick in and changed in that I like to wear formal clothing now and then, must be a sign of me getting ready for the big bad world. I have also changed my mind about what exactly I want to do with PR, and that I will leave unanswered because I also don’t know yet.

As for this blog . . . it may have been an inconvenience at times, but I have enjoyed writing. As this year comes to an end, this blog title brings me to the last story I’d share with you. I may or may not continue writing, I may even create a new blog page . . . so for now these were stories written by me for you to read.

Of all the forms of courage the ability to laugh is the most...

Of all the forms of courage the ability to laugh is the most beneficial. Laughter is, without anyone noticing, very beneficial and sometimes can be contagious. By contagious I mean, whenever there is someone who is continuously laughing, laughing so much they cry, and you kind of end up laughing because they laughing.

Laughter is the most beneficial, as a form of courage, because it ultimately is good medicine. With a bit of research done, here are the benefits of laughing:

·         Reduces Heart disease

·         Natural pain killer

·         Improves breathing

·         Helps you lose weight

·         Decreases stress

·         Makes you look young

·         And boosts relationships

With that said I’d like to just remind you that of all the forms of courage the ability to laugh is the most beneficial.

Halloween Party

For the past 4 years of during my studies, I was not able to attend a Halloween party due to ‘that time of year’, where you have to behave and study for exams. Every year I hoped to be able to attend a Halloween party, this year that wish came true. This year I was lucky enough to not have exams or have to study just yet, I did have work due but I dedicated the rest of my weekend to my work.

About a week before Halloween, I heard there would be a Halloween party at the Two Oceans Aquarium so google’d it. The party did exist and then soon after that our tickets were bought, all that we needed was costumes. I was super excited and had crazy ideas for a costume, like Desmond Tutu, Freddy Kruger, Robin from Batman and Micheal Jackson.

I then really wanted to dress as Micheal Jackson, but I had a slight problem…I had boobs. That didn’t get me down however, i just thought if anyone were to ask who I am I’d tell them “Micha Jackson”, lol. So, when we got to the party there was a lot of different costumes, a lot of devils, angels, count dracula’s but I was the only Micheal Jackson J . Overall I had a great time as that was my first time at a Halloween party and my first time at the Two Oceans Aquarium.

The statute of limitations has expired on most of our childhood trauma

Some of us are stuck on looking back at our past (our childhood). Some even try getting remorse from friends by telling everyone about the trauma they survived. Others don’t and have practically become better people from the trauma they experienced. No matter your past, change is the essence of life.

I, like many others, may not have had a prefect childhood (no traumas) but one thing I can say for certain is that by learning to live in the present, we can move forward in our lives. By living in the past, we tend to linger about how tough life is and to my opinion this clouds our vision to look forward in life and make the most of what we have at the moment.

Bad things happen quickly

Rather than looking at the bad things that happen quickly, I’d like to focus on the good things (happiness), just because I’m optimistic like that ;) .

When something good happens the effect lingers for longer however when something bad happens we try and find a solution to fix it immediately. Good things take time. The following words found from my search on google – say it better than I ever could:

“When we think about the things that alter our lives in a moment, nearly all of them are bad: phone calls in the night, accidents, loss of jobs or loved ones, conversations with doctors bearing awful news. Virtually all the happiness-producing processes in our lives take time, usually a long time: learning new things, changing old behaviors, building satisfying relationships, raising children. This is why patience and determination are among life’s primary virtue.”

Quick easy recipe

This week I’d like to share a recipe from a Pick n Pay “Fresh ideas” booklet, I tried out over the weekend.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

1 onion, sliced

2 leeks, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 can (400g) chopped peeled tomatoes in tomato juice

3 cups (750ml) frozen garden mix

8 cups (2L) vegetable stock

1 cup (250ml) elbow macaroni

1 cup (250ml) frozen spinach

Salt and pepper

Grated parmesan, for serving

Serves 4-5

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot.

Fry onion and leeks until soft.

Add garlic and fry for another minute, stock and pasta and simmer for 15minutes.

Stir through spinach to wilt and season well.

Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and a grating of parmesan.

Bet you didn't know...

Mother Teresa

At the age 18, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu voluntarily left her parental home to join the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish Catholic religious order in India. Over the course of her life she devoted herself to caring for the ill and impoverished in Calcutta, India. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and made a saint after her death in 1997.

The Dalai Lama

Born into a peasant family, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people has a doctorate in Buddhist Philosophy. In 1959 he was forced into exile after the Chinese military occupied Tibet. He’s worked tirelessly to set up both cultural and religious institutions in order to preserve the rich heritage of Tibetan people, and he’s championed peace across the world.

Mahatma Gandhi

After completing a law degree in London, Gandhi spent several years in South Africa working to improve the living conditions of Indian minorities in KwaZulu-Natal. Upon his return to India, he initiated a series of non-violent campaigns against British rule. His resistance to oppression through peaceful demonstration won him worldwide praise.

Benazir Bhutto

Born in Pakistan, Benazir came from a prominent political family and held degrees from Harvard and Oxford universities. She became prime minister of Pakistan at the age of 35, and was the first woman to do so in an Islamic country. During her reign she brought electricity to the rural countryside, built schools and improve healthcare. She was assassinated in 2008.

Be bold and let mighty forces come to your aid

William Benjamin Basil King (1859–1928) was a Canadian-born clergyman who became a writer after retiring from the clergy. His novels and non-fiction were spiritually oriented. He was born on February 26, 1859, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

A major turning point in King's life came from a teacher who spoke of the ingenuity and adaptability of the life-principle, which had somehow arrived on earth and for eons had continually met adversity and remained undefeated. King realised he was allowing his own wealth of ability to lie fallow. He rose to the challenge but still struggled with the seeming fate of Nature and his own untapped spiritual faith. He needed to heed his own advice: "Be bold-and mighty forces will come to your aid."

The last lecture

Besides having almost the best year, I have learnt an insane amount of things in class, whether it was subject related or about the friends we have . . . I enjoyed it. I’d also like to add that I had a great pleasure meeting new friends and they are awesome in their own ways!!

About the last lecture . . . I believe that it may be sad for some of us and a relief of the amount of work we had, all at once, for most of the time. That was annoying!!! I think that our last lecture should not be spent in a class but rather at a mutual venue where we can all let loose and just chat to one another. And because that may be the last time we ever see each other, I think it would be a good opportunity to say good bye and exchange contact numbers as part of networking.

I fear. . .

. . . Grasshoppers

. . . Ignorance

. . . Neglect

. . . Rejection

. . . Disapproval

. . . Loneliness

. . . Failure

. . . Judgement

. . . Defeat

. . . Loss

. . . Death

. . . Disrespect

. . . Silence

. . . Intolerance

. . . Weakness

. . . Fear itself . . .

Watch this space

This weeks’ blog is not at all complicated, some may write of what still has to come, and others may take the title figuratively. Some may find this lame but without further ado. . .

Nationl Braai Day

National Braai day is actually a South African public holiday called Heritage day, but due to everyone braai-ing as part of their heritage, everyone just started calling it ‘National Braai Day’. National Braai day fell on a Saturday this year and there was only one thing to do, and that is to ‘braai’.

About a week before the public holiday we planned to braai at Oude-Kraal, just past 12 Apostles, but on arrival we noticed it was too full. We then called everyone else and to the braai to Tokai Forest in Tokai, it was just as full but we were lucky enough to still get in.

When we eventually got to start the braai, it was successful, most of the people that were invited pitched and the ones who did not show up, obviously missed out on a sunny fun day. Laughter and conversation filled the air and with like any coloured occasion, there was alcohol and loud music in the background. This event is the future and a must for those up-coming out door summer Saturdays for anyone in the mood for good food and a nice tan.

WTF media conference 2011

On the 23^rd of September this year I attended the 13^th annual WFT media conference and this years’ theme was “It’s a starter world”. I enjoyed the TED-like presentation format that has been chosen to enable 24 speakers to deliver the deliver the very essence of what excites them in this sphere. The two speakers I enjoyed the most was David Alves and Mike Sharman, both these speakers bio was gotten from the WTF media conference 2011 booklet.

David is a Social Media Community Manager at Aqua Online in Johannesburg. He manages brands on a daily basis that market their campaigns, products and message digitally and specifically through social media channels. For an opening presentation and for his first time doing a presentation, I believe that David a great job at informing the audience about ‘The Truth about Social Media’.

The second last speaker of the day, Mike Sharman, spoke about ‘The one-man brand’. Mike is the owner of an award-winning digital communication agency – Retroviral. He also believes experimentation is the most important aspect of online communication to ensure that his advice and consultation is of the highest standard. I think he was a great because straight after the lunch, everyone was full and wanted to fall asleep, instead Mike came along and ‘woke everyone up’. He had everyone in stitches and clearly brought his point across.

The overall experience was truly unforgettable.

My favourite Cat in a Hat book is .? .? . because . . .

I have to admit that back when I was younger, I did not read much and did not have a favourite ‘cat in a hat’ book. I used instead do a lot of sports like, swimming, tennis, athletics and cycling. When I did read it was because I had to or it was books based on scientific facts.

I did however know about the cat in a hat books and the one that was a popular read among my class members was, “Cat quizzers”. In the book, Cat in the Hat challenges readers with seemingly silly questions like: Do pineapples grow on pine or apple trees? Do roosters sleep on their backs or sides?

Thoughts about: Procrastination

Upon a second the second blog for this week I found myself procrastinating. This is a condition/symptom we suffer from, time to time. I then "google'd" images to find inspiration for this blog, I realised that I was complicating things. I came across this picture which sparked a blog topic: "Procrastination". I like the picture as i can relate to it and I am pretty sure many others can.

In trying to find out what procratination really is, i found this awesome video by Johnny Kelly about it. I just had to upload it and share it with whoever else procrastinates :).

Why I have conversations

I have conversations as because I like hearing what other people have to say. I don’t mind the amount of people I have a conversation with but I enjoy conversations because of what and how people speak about different topics.

I have conversations mostly to gain some sort of knowledge. I tend to end a conversation when I feel it is not going anywhere and that I cannot learn anything from it. I have conversations to gain some sort of understanding. I tend to question things from different people, from different countries, different religions and even similar backgrounds.

I have conversations to say the things that need to be said. I tend to tell jokes, be sarcastic and give advice. Most importantly I have conversations to initiate conversations. I tend to make friends by starting of conversations of similar interests. When I’m with a group of friends I tend to bring them closer through conversations.

And if this was not a blog topic, this would be another topic for a conversation because I would have liked to hear what you would have to say.

My Bucket- list Part 2

My Bucket- list Part 1

Dreams vs Wishes

We are all continuously asked what our dreams or wishes for the future are and these change all the time. I know the dreams or wishes I had in the beginning of this year may be different or may have altered since then. I have to add that I wonder if dreams are perhaps wishes, or the other way around.

For instance, I wish to have a big house with a balcony that looks out over Cape Town and that I’d have a walk-in cupboard filled with brand name shoes and clothes. Or I dream to have a beach house with two dogs and a big fire place to host all my friends.

The same or is it the similar? Confusing if I look at it like that but what is the difference between the two (wish and a dream)? Well, I’d say the difference is that a dream is if 'you want it to happen, and work towards it' and a wish is when 'you do want it to happen, and could happen by chance'.

My big fat BIG dream

I woke up one day and I was super huge FAT!! I felt heavy and was not able to lift myself to use the loo. I managed to roll over onto my side only to find myself on the floor (I didn’t realise I fell off). That’s when my sister, Caroline, walked in and started yelling at me.

“What the hell, I told you to wait for me to help your fat ass!” she said. I was confused and ashamed because she was my younger sister and I remember that I was not skinny yet I was not obese.

I looked at my thighs and my arms and they were enormous, none of my clothes fit like they use to. All my clothes that did fit me looked like tents, this disgusted with myself. Caroline then helped me up, helped me to the toilet, dressed me and by then I was exhausted.

I was driven to the doctor, and she said “Dhonaye you are definitely morbidly obese and you are going to die”. I cried, I was about to throw up I woke up . . . turns out, I was dreaming.

I panicked, this was my big fat BIG dream and I promised myself to try everything in my power to not ever be that fat ever. That is why I have signed up to a fitness boot-camp in October. J

Thoughts about: Fingers

I think fingers are weird and random. There a lot of different looking types of fingers, ugly ones, pretty ones, short ones and crippled looking ones. We don’t realise how much we need our fingers until we break them, fracture them or even lose them.

I think that fingers are weird because of the movements they make. Try stare at your hand, move your fingers in different ways . . . up and down, left to right, wiggle them, try form shapes or letters with them. Pretty weird hey?

I think fingers are random because nowadays people use them as a form of art. I have recently come across really funny pictures of fingers that have faces drawn on them. The faces range from happy to sad, to faces drawn on fingers of a hand, that represent a group of people as different characters.

This is just my thoughts on fingers, random and weird, but this is just another little story.

Conventional is a good fall-back position isn’t it?

I would have to agree with this blog title. Conventional means conforming or adhering to accepted standards, which for each of us may be different.

We all like trying out new restaurants, but because we are afraid the food might be a let-down or the food you ate was just not what you felt like having in your mouth. So we go back to the restaurant where we already know the food is good. We’d also go back to that same restaurant every other month and we eat the same dish every time.

This is where ‘conventional is a good fall-back position’ fits in to the story. A really big portion of us tend to just stick to what we are used to. Others are more daring, they try out new things and live out of the ordinary, this is how we all should try and live for the moment.

Puppy No. 2

So. . .on Sunday the 14^th, I woke up with an idea for Dawn’s birthday the 13^th of September, and immediately I BBM’d Ozy (my housemate). I was thinking of getting Dawn a puppy, as she has been hinting in a jokingly manner that she wanted one. At around 12 that day, Ozy came to us and showered me a picture of a brown and white pitbull (it was like he was reading my mind). Just for interest sake I asked him how much the puppy cost and he said R1000, I was in shock. Because Dawn was in the company of Ozy and I the entire day, it was difficult planning getting her a puppy J.

Ozy then made a few phone a few phone calls and found another puppy (black and white) for R700. We were a bit afraid that Dawn might not like her but I said “lets just do it’. Ozy made another phone call and then we planned on how to get the puppy over BBM. The two of us decided that we’d ask Dawn to take us to Canal Walk, and then he’d ask her to ‘please collect insurance papers up’ (code for getting the puppy). The plan work like a bomb, she had no idea what we had planned.

When we got to the puppies we let her choose a puppy, and this made her super excited. Dawn didn’t even drive her car home that night because she wanted to hold the puppy. The puppy is 8 weeks old and we named her Juno. It’s been 4 days with her and she’s a naughty little shit. I’m on my 3^rd cellphone charger already. Because this is a little story, written by me for you to read, I just hope that Juno will grow old with us. I don’t want the same thing that happened to Asia to happen to Juno.

You cannot chase 2 rabbits at the same time.

Let us put all the deep intellectual quote stuff aside and look at the figurative side of things. I would imagine that you cannot chase 2 rabbits at the same time. Rabbits are cute and small and as far as I no, they run really fast. Having to chase two rabbits and eventually catch them is not a walk in the park (not easy) and not exactly possible.

This scenario make me wonder, why would one want to chase two rabbits at the same time and catch it (what would the purpose then be)? Do people that hunt rabbits maybe know a way of chasing 2 rabbits at the same time? I, however, think that having two people chase two rabbits at the same time would be possible.

If I had to chase two rabbits at the same time, I would need help (whether it be people or equipment). I’d need at least three other people (equals four people) who are fit enough to run after them, and two cages to place the rabbits in it once we successfully caught them. And that’s just a little story, thought through by me, for you to read. J

Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea (Alain)

He did not have other ideas

This is a quote that is straight forward and to my opinion . . . true. Not all ideas can be dangerous, but having one idea only is more dangerous. I think for some of us an idea may not even be that dangerous, some of us are lucky enough to only need one idea.

By having an idea, usually entails that you are planning to do something, and with that a natural chain of thoughts (more ideas) fall into place. If there are no other ideas that fall into place, things could be dangerous (as we could not really have a plan).

Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when you only have one idea because no matter how awesome you are you still need a back-up plan (ideas). With at least 3 other ideas our sole idea would no longer be dangerous.

Letter to: My Sister (Caroline)

Dear Pixie,

My sister and I

I’m doing great here in Cape Town, and I really hope you are doing better after the last week. It must have been a tough one when you find that your friends aren’t really your friends. I also would like to let you know that I really miss you and I promise that from now on your getting hugs all the time when I’m home.

Yeah, so my former days were not all bright and fluffy. I did have it tough and now it’s a thing of the past, we’ve grown since then and I’m glad that I have a sister like you. You are smart, funny, silly, talented, crazy and I know you got balls (that I don’t have), all that rolled up into a strong heart that only you have!!

As for the people (your friends) who tell you that you are rude and everything else that they might say to bring you down, never mind them, sometimes our bestest friends could be the cruellest people. I’d like to think that friends are tough on us only so that we can be become better people. You can email, facebook, tweet or call me or even Dawn whenever you want to speak.

By the way, I do read your blogs and I believe that you’ll be a great writer, you might just even be better at blogging than what I would ever become. Oh and that blog about us . . . http://pixie1996.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-sister-and-i.html adorable and heart-warming. Also I think you’ve found what your great at ;).

I miss and love you Pixie

Your sister,

Donna

“Have you figured out the second head fake?”

Said Randy Pausch (a well-known life coach) and continued, “The talk’s not for you. It’s for my kids”. Randy even wrote a book called ‘The last lecture’, that I will certainly still have to read (it’s on my bucket list), which contains many motivational quotes and inspirational life lessons for everyone. Before the ‘second head fake’, Randy wrote about the ‘head fake’, which he explained that ‘It's not about how to achieve your dreams, it's about how to lead your life,  if you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself. The dreams will come to you.’

Life Lesson no. 53

A quote from Randy that caught my attention was ‘Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.’ What I take from this quote is that experience is the knowledge you gain while working hard even if the end result is not what you wanted.’ The quote: “Do not tell people how to live their lives. Just tell them stories. And they will figure out how those stories apply to them”, is one that we all should take into consideration as it is their life to live and it would up to them to figure out how to apply those lessons.

A letter to: My dad (Andreas)

Dear Dad,

My dad, me and my mom

I am doing well here in Cape Town, although I have to admit that I miss you and the rest of the family back in Swakop. It has been more than a month ago since I last saw you and the little ones. I hope you are all doing well.

I am writing this letter to try and let you know how thankful I am that you have made me apart of your family about 13 years ago. I would not have wanted anyone else to be my dad. As any other dad would, you have taught me a lot of things (mostly what a dad would teach his son, but I enjoyed it). You taught me how to swim, how to set the channels on the tv manually, how to change a bulb, how to clean the pool, how to change a wheel and I have even learnt a few cooking tips.

Although we have not spent a lot of time together like any other family, I appreciated every moment we had spent together. Every time you visit me in Cape Town and then leave again, I get sad. Not only have you been a great dad to me, your also an inspiration to me (I may have never mentioned this but its true).

This letter is not just to say thank you, but I would also like to take this opportunity to apologise for anything that I may have done to disappoint you. Whether I misbehaved, been disrespectful and even if I just did not listened to you. I have grown since then, and learnt right from wrong. I also know that whoever I end up with one day and whatever I end up doing, you will support any of my decisions and still remain proud of me.

Dad, I appreciate everything you have done for me over the past few years and I have to confess that with everyday that goes by, I miss you more and more. You are the greatest man I have ever met!!

Your daughter,

Dhonaye

Thoughts about: ‘Observation’

So this one day I was staring into nowhere and did not realise it until I was asked what I was staring at. I then thought ‘what was I staring at?’, but i was actually in deep thought. I tend to look at something, someone or people doing something and then I wonder. I know they say it’s rude to stare but I like to observe and then think.

Since that day I have, for some or other reason, been doing that all the time. I named it ‘observing my surroundings’. I would ‘observe my surrounding’ and see, e.g. a man painting a wall yellow, and immediately my mind becomes flooded with thoughts and while this happens I stare unintentionally.

With that example, thoughts like:

·         Why is he painting the wall? (Could it be renovation, or simply a seasonal change?)

·         What made the person in charge choose yellow? (Was there no better choice, or was there a sale on yellow paint?)

·         Why is a women not painting the wall? (Are there no women painters out there, or are they maybe painting the inside of the building?)

I have silly thoughts like that, but then again I love to wonder. Observing things and people makes me wonder and think. I sometimes think of how things are made and who came up with it, if people are happy and even what they studied. Observation has become an everyday thing. I’d do it in class during a lecture, observing fellow students, what they do, how they react to what the lecturer may be saying.

How hard is it to follow instructions?

Following instructions should not be hard at all. I think some of us make things seem harder than they actually are. Some people find that following instructions can be extremely hard or they don’t follow instructions at all.

 Instructions can become complicated, however, here are 10 reasons why they may be complicated:

1.       They don’t make any sense

2.      They are in another language

3.      They are in the wrong order

4.      They are illustrations but are the opposite of what you should be doing

5.      You, yourself cannot read

6.      You do not understand them

7.      The person giving them does not make sense

8.      You did not listen to the person giving them

9.      You think you know better

10.   Your not afraid to die

Whatever your reason may be our lives become easier if we listen carefully, understand fully and give better instructions.

Andy Warhol said, “In the future everybody will be world famous for fifteen minutes.” You can’t choose the 15minutes but why would you be world famous?

I believe that this is where being online comes in, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or even just you attending a party once upon a time. I do not however think that everybody will be world famous for 15minutes, simply because there are still a large number of people who unaccounted for. Also if we were to be famous in the future we would probably not all have exactly 15minutes of fame.

With the world growing at such a rapid rate I do to some extent think that we may be famous, not by name, but for anything less than 15minutes. And I’m not talking about the people who are already famous, just us normal folk. Also some of us don’t really want to be famous, we just chill in the background and keep a low profile.

I may have had my ‘less than 15minutes’ moment already, but it was not what I wanted to be famous for. And like the blog topic says, ‘you can’t choose it’ I’d say that time did not happen. I can’t choose the 15 minutes but i would be world famous for inventing machinery that generates electricity, without fossil fuels, at a cheaper rate for everyone. Bold but watch this space.

A day in my life: Sunday (26 June 2011)

This was a day before Dawn and I had to return to Cape Town sadly. Our day started off like usual, breakfast with my family and soon after we changed as we took the kids (my siblings) out for the day. We had decided to go dune climbing and sand boarding. We packed lots of snacks and were on our way to Walvis Bay where the highest dune, Dune 7, in Namibia can be found.

We got there pretty late, just before 1, the sand was boiling hot but made a mission to climb to the top. On our way up it became unbearable and went back down running for water. As we wanted to leave we discovered that the bakkie had a flat wheel and we had never changed a wheel ourselves. It took us less than half an hour to change it, all it took was ‘girl power’, soon enough we were on the road again.

We then got to our next stop, sand boarding. We had bought 4 boards, floor polish and a cloth to polish the board. We each had a board to carry up the dune, polished the boards and I was the first one down. We all had a few go’s but stopped as climbing the dunes was tiring. We got home just after 4pm, when my dad told me we’d all be going out for dinner at 6pm. We went to a Chinese restaurant and by 10pm we were all full and just wanted to sleep so we went home.