List your top 200 achievements

I DON'T WANT TO*cheekily says this to the Blog-Big Brother*

Imagine listing all those "achievements" all here, that would take the whole day, and I don't have time.  Yeah I know you  reading this judging me, thinking please Zanele you just plain lazy its got nothing to do with time!  Yes I am, LOL, sue me its my blog.  Plus my achievements are mine to celebrate and share with the people close to me.  Add to the fact that some of us don't like bragging and making other "kids" feel inferior.

People who know me, know that I love clothes, or is it clothes that love me...either way its a lovely affair.  I have no idea why this is the only 'achievement' that is popping in my head or no I do.  As I am typing this in my room there is a picture of me and Bonke on my wall that triggered the memories of that night.  Well this achievement was obtained in 2000 and*starts thinking hard*, well maybe we should leave the exact year, don't want to expose my real age, ha ha ha.  Well that certain night was our Residence, Huis Welgemoed's end of the year function.  Like any function there were awards being handed out for the night, and I won the Best Dressed Lady in the Res for that whole year, not the night.  So this is the only achievement am willing to share...

Do come back for the next 199.

 

Suddenly...

Life has a meaning to me, there is a song that goes like this.  Am not sure what my meaning is this morning, but I know I woke up to a breathtaking day in Cape Town.  Went on a month and a few weeks holiday and i did not want to come back.  When I woke up today that feeling was gone...You cannot help but have those "but I love Cape Town deep sighs".

Maybe its the extra sugar I put in my oatmeal...or the lovely chat I had with the security guard from my Residence, the pair of shoes I just bought that I don't necessarily afford*curse of a woman*or that 'special friend' that always puts a smile on my face of late, whatever it is its so SUDDEN...but welcomed.

 

 

 

 

What motivates me?

I have never considered myself as a feminist, but sometimes I do think men must be banished to the belly of hell, the ones that do deserve it of course.  This is mostly when I read about the terrible stories of women and children who suffer in the hands of men who are supposed to be protecting them.  When you listen to yet another friend crying because some guy took her for a "ride", the corrective rape against lesbians we keeping reading about.  There are too many injustices I could write about, and how sometimes the country itself is a terrible place to live in and how harsh women as a whole in Africa have always had it.

Yet I always find or read stories that make me proud to stand tall as black South African young woman.  Starting from the woman who raised me, who speaks and lives the truth she knows, my sisters who keep pushing when the world says IT CANNOT BE DONE, and my wonderful girlfriends from all walks of life.

You cannot help but me motivated when you read the following women's profiles:

Sbu Mpungose:  She started editing at 22, has worked for DRUM, Edgars Club magazine, Bona and True Love.  She is currently the first black woman to be the Editor of Cosmopolitan, South Africa.









Khanyi Dhlomo:  Editor of True Love at 22.  Now Founder of Destiny Magazine.












Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma:  SA Minister of Home Affairs and first South African and the first female to be elected AU Commission Chair.





 Ellen Johnson Sirleaf:  President of Liberia and the first elected female head of state in Africa.













These are the women who motivate me, and keep reminding me in the midst of the chaos, there ARE still possibilities in this country and continent.  That my dreams are attainable. 

   

Letter to my 18 year old self.. 

Don't worry I think you came out alright so far, even though there are a few things we can fix.  You were right to stand your ground and not ever want to fit in, do thank your two older sisters for that one.   You need to stand for something and know what you are about before anything in life.  Listen to your inner voice, it will never lead you astray, that does not mean you have to be a chicken though.  Oh mom was right when she said there is no rush to anything in life, the fun never runs out, in time you will be part of it, just prioritise first.  The acne will go away eventually, but you will later realise the people who truly loved you never noticed it in the first place.  You will learn that education does not guarantee success, but it will pretty much give you the upper hand in most cases.  Decide what career suits you and chase it with every fibre of your being.  God will let you date your that one guy you had a crush on, oh darling, it was just a farce, there is not much to him.  Dating won't get any easier anytime soon, but you WILL meet men that make it impossible to settle for less.  There are good men.  Yes the sheep with the purest white wool can be the wolf, shoot it if you have a gun.  You will trip and fall, but you later learn to celebrate little blessings in every situation.  Laugh, don't dwell in the future, because you might overlook the people who you supposed enjoy now with.  Let go of toxic people, don't be loyal to people who don't value nor understand the word.  The boys will always be around, even though two of them won't make it to 25.  You chose well with your girlfriends.  Don't be mad or sulk for too long, you miss out on precious moments with your friends.  Khothatso will always be around, luckily for you.  Puleng will be thousand miles away, but literally a message away anytime of the day.  Even though you bullied Bulelwa throughout primary school because you thought she was weak, she will later be the one friend who makes you laugh throughout every single tear.  You will learn that your Mom is not actually against you, but simply trying to make sure you turn out okay.  Stay away from any drugs, they really are addictive. Some of the best days of your life will be around a lot of people, but you will cherish the quite Sunday mornings by yourself more.  Keep reading and 27 will be here sooner than you think.  Never stop surrounding yourself with people from every walk of life, you will be surprised what you can learn from a mere stranger. Don't judge, but respect everyones journey.  Do not stop being protective of your friends, they will appreciate it in time.  Oh  God does have a wicked sense of humour by the way, but he will always be an ally.



  

The 10 most unexpected consequences of being online

There are alot more consequences of being online, these stood out for me:

1.  Its addictive you cannot go a day without updating or sharing what is happening in your life and there is that constant need to share, its like an irritating itch that must be scratched.

2.  There is little pivracy, and by constantly updating people can usually track where you are and where you live.

3.  Makes a person unproductive, there is a certain site that when I have logged on I barely see that the time is flying by.  Most companies have also blocked most social networks because their employees are constantly online instead of working.

4.  There was a survey that was done that showed that more people are suffering from insomnia because they are always online. 

5.  Its made falling inlove and having sex instant.

6.  Puts pressure on people to lie about their everyday lives.

7.  Its started cyber bullies.

8.  It creates a sense of you are never really alone.

9.  People do not know what not to share online anymore.

10.  It has the power to promote propaganda or liberate an entire nation.

The elephant in the room

Oh gosh mine is PINK, just standing there in the midst of my tiny house that is my mind.  I am quite a straight forward person, who has surrounded myself with people that always shy away from the truth or as they say, they think positive.  So am the bloody pessimist in the room, while everybody else says the glass is half full. 

Needless to say, as stubborn as I am, sometimes when people keep saying the same thing to me maybe its time for some self evaluation.  My elephant, is the way I over analyse things, I dwell on them, till I am satisfied that yes this glass maybe is half full, bleh.  This I truly believe am doing to protect myself, to avoid disappointment and to be able to live with me, myself and I.

Sometimes though am too precautions that I end up missing on the fun am told*so overrated by the way*, even though am not someone who believes in missed opportunities.   Take yesterday for instance, yesterday I took a chance and did something that I did not think through, the end result, adrenalin rush that lasted exactly for 3 minutes...but now my ego is bruised.

So my Dear Pink Elephant, please overstay, I will just have to work around you.

Johannesburg - Maboneng

We all have some kind of phobia, I know most black folks are scared of snakes, my male friends are scared of frogs and cats*superstitions really* and my Mother is terrified of worms to the point that in her Will she has stated she wants to be cremated to avoid being devoured by worms.  I on the other hand am petrified of Johannesburg...the programs I watched on TV really messed me up.

So for the past few years I have been avoiding or refusing really any invites to come visit my friends who have relocated to the Streets of Gold.  I always imagined that the moment I got off Park Station, I would take a wrong turn, get mugged and the incident with the girl at Noord Taxi Rank  just put me off completely.

As life would have it, one of my closest friends Chocky moved to this side when I moved to Cape Town.  The long emails, phone calls, daily BBMs could not be enough for our friendship.  Plus I miss being in her presence, she is the one person who shares the same passion for books as I do, and has the most amazing laugh that comes from the pot of her belly.  So here I am blogging from her bed, in a room full of books, I did not get mugged, nor did I see the Tsotsis I have always imagined roam the streets of Johannesburg.

In the few days I have been here, she has shown me her Johannesburg, its the places I would have liked if I stayed here.  Newtown is more like Obz, the hub of the artsy fartsy people, my kind of people.  This city never sleeps, the building have so much character, there is something for everyone.   The Hip-Hop sessions are insane...I may not be back soon, nor will I leave my beloved Cape Town, but Johannesburg you not so bad after all...and please do be kind to my Chocky:-)