National Book Week (2nd - 7th September)

   It has been said many times before. But we are going to say it once more:

                     'READING IS AN EXCELLENT HABIT TO HAVE'

Monday(2nd September) sees the start of the National Book Week here in South Africa. In the next week (or so) the South African Book Development Council, the Department of Arts and Culture and the Department of Correctional Services urge all South Africans to promote reading in all its forms. The emphasis being on the reading of books.

   The statistics here in South Africa as far as reading is concerned are not good. We are told that only 14% of South Africans are readers. Even less people - only 1% - buy books. These low figures are of course largely influenced by the fact that a large number of South Africans are illiterate due to our past history of unequal education. But there is no excuse for those people who can read but don't.

   And in keeping with this year's theme of 'The Book of Our Lives', may I be allowed to list the top 5 books that have had the most influence on me. Books that changed my life, as they sometimes say. They are listed in no particular order.

         1. The Money Order, by Sembene Ousmane(Senegal) - This book was one of many set books we had to read for our BA degree studies. It details the battles that the protagonist goes through in trying to cash a money order. The setting is in post independent Senegal( or Africa). The ineptitude and corruption of the government officials depicted here is breathtaking. In addition to its exposure of corruption, I loved the way it gave us a glimpse of life in general in post independent Senegal in a well written tale. This book inspired me to aspire to become a writer.

        2. The Lazy Man's Way To Riches, by Joe Karbo(USA) - I saw an advert for this book in the old Scope men's magazine. I was blown away by what was promised in the ad - ' this book can show you how to get everything( not any one thing) in the world you really want'. Because I was in a mini depression at that time, after failing my first year at university, I fell for its pitch. I needed something to tell me that failing your first year is not the end of the world. When it finally arrived by post, all the way from the USA, I could not read it fast enough. Joe Karbo and his book introduced me to the whole world of self-help. I think he was one of the pioneers in the self-help field. Needless to say, this book lifted me out of my mini depression. I went on to finish my degree. And I have been a self-help junkie since then.

       3. Living Health, by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond(USA) - This book is the reason why I don't

eat breakfast. I only eat fruit in the mornings. It is also the reason why I know that meat(in all its forms) is not good for human beings. As a species we are designed to eat only plant based food - fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts etc. I have tried to stay away from meat and its end products, but have not succeeded. I discovered that this way of eating is too isolating in the meat eating culture that we live in. But I have managed to drastically reduce my meat intake. And I will keep trying to remove meat from my diet. The Diamonds in this book present a total health lifestyle package that also includes being kind to our environment. 

      4. Ask And It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks(USA) - It was the first time I had read a self-help book that did not say anything about doing affirmations, setting goals, visualizing etc. But this book somehow still managed to sound good to self-help fans like me. Most importantly, this book threw me into the Law of Attraction vortex that I am still in even today. What we put attention on we attract, the Hickses are saying here. And it is not them saying so, it is the Law of Attraction as presented by a group of entities called Abraham, who are channeled by Esther. Before there was The Secret (by Rhonda Byrne), there was Abraham. Long after The Secret flame has burnt out, there will still be Abraham.

     5. Personal History, by Katharine Graham(USA) - This has to be the best autobiography that I have ever read. Ms Graham's family owned The Washington Post newspaper, which is famed for exposing the Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration in the US. This book combines good writing and inspiration(for self-help fans) very well. It reminded me of why I fell in love with reading and writing in the first place. It pulled me back from the clutches of self-help books - most of which, I must admit, are not necessarily well written. After reading Personal History and loving it, I went back to read again my old varsity days English literature set books, most of which are considered literary classics. Books like Gullivers's Travels by Jonathan Swift, Nineteen Eighty- Four by George Orwell etc.                       

      

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THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

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SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT BOOKS CHANGED

YOUR LIFE?

   
                       

What Do Women Want?

   "We want to be loved. We want to be cuddled. When things are hectic at home  ( or have been at work), I want my man to hold me closely and tell me that everything will be all right. Also, we want the men in our lives to listen when we have something to say. The soccer game on TV can wait. The braai with bo-Mandla can wait too". So said one lady.

   Another lady added, "We want a man to be a leader at home. A man - as the head of the family - must be in charge, just like the Bible says. Bo-Ntate le bo-Mme must know that what you do with your makhwapheni( lover on the side) may be hidden to everyone, but God sees everything. As ladies, we want to be respected and cherished as well. But I am aware that this cherishing and respecting starts with me. I must respect and cherish myself first as a woman".

   A gentleman also weighed in, "We are nothing without the women in our lives. A woman is a homemaker. Not a house builder, by the way. A house is not necessarily a home. A house is a lifeless structure. But a home is full of life and warmth and love. And these qualities are brought into a house only by a woman".

   These insights into what makes women's hearts sing, and what they mean to us as men, were given to us by some of the people who were in attendance at a belated celebration of Woman's Day ( 9th August) held at Altmont High School on Friday(16th August). The MC at this event had invited the ladies in the house to please tell us what it is really that they want from men.

   This function at Altmont High was organized and hosted by the school's male staff members to show their appreciation of their female colleagues. And I am sure I speak for every man who was there - both the invited male guests and the schools' male staff - when I say we all took the above pleas from the ladies to heart.

   I can also honestly add that, without a shadow of doubt, this was one of the best functions that I have attended this year. The 'feel good' factor during and after the function was unbelievably high. 

                                                      Some Thank You's

Ma'am Baloyi ( the Deputy Principal) - for 'Insights - Part 1'.

Ma'am Shubane - for 'Insights - Part 2'.

Komati Mashile ( the MC) - for a performance from the top, top drawer. "You should start charging."

Ntate Baloyi ( SGB member) - "A house is not a home indeed, ntate."

BaBa Mthethwa ( SGB member) - for your attendance.

All the ladies and gentlemen in attendance - for giving this event its energy, vigour and excitement.  

                                               ==========================

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                       ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL

GOOD THIS WEEK?

                 
                                                      
                                                        

                                                                 
  

Tales from the Deep South, Part 2 - A Service Delivery Protest Up Close

   We have only read about service delivery protests. We have never really experienced a service delivery protest here in Protea South. This past Thursday( 8th August) this phenomenon finally arrived in our 'kasi'. And it was not a pretty sight.

   We woke up to barricaded streets on Thursday morning. Rocks, stones and all manner of 

items( cement slabs, etc) were used to stop vehicles from leaving or entering Protea South. It was not only the streets inside the suburb that were blocked. The bordering roads - like the Chris Hani on the east side and the Ndaba drive on the north side - were also blockaded.

   Our neighbours from across( mekhukhung) had decided to make known visibly - on that 

day ( Thursday) - their grievances about the unsatisfactory living conditions in their part of Protea South. Primarily, from what could ascertained, this protest was about the lack of electricity in the mekhukhung section. Secondarily, there were other issues like the lack of proper sanitation, the proliferation of Pakistani - owned spaza shops( small business entities selling groceries, run from private homes), etc etc. 

   Inevitably, this protest turned violent. The protesting mekhukhung residents became engaged in running battles with the police. The police used rubber bullets to try and disperse this crowd of protesters. In the process some protesters were hurt by the rubber bullets, while about 19 of them got arrested.

   The police become involved after the protesters - in addition to vandalizing property - started looting the shops around the area. One wholesaler on the Chris Hani road - owned by an Indian - suffered damage to the value of R70 000( or so). And it was not just the shops around the area that felt the effects of this protest. The nearby mall - Protea Gardens - ended up closing because the Eskom transformer supplying it with electricity was vandalized, which left the mall without power. The whole of Protea South suffered the same fate( of lights out) later that evening.

   As fellow residents of Protea South we do understand where our neighbours are coming from. We are witness to some of their problems as we live next to them. But what we do have a problem with is the anarchic and violent nature of this protest. These kind of protests belong in the old South Africa. Today we have elected representatives( local councillors) whom we can engage with, or vote out of office if needs be. Besides that, the Protea South mekhukhung section is now a transit camp of sorts. There is process in place move to the mekhukhung residents to a better place called Luferheng. This new place has proper houses and a better infrastructure.

   That there was no loss of life during this mayhem is fortuitous. As residents of  Protea South we should all be grateful for that.

                                          ============================= 

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                 ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL

GOOD THIS WEEK?

                      

      

              

Tales from the Deep South, Part 1 - Protea South, My 'Kasi'

   The Protea South suburb( 'kasi') is located next to that of Protea North. These two suburbs on the outskirts of Soweto are separated by a small river( a stream really). And like the north-south divide all over the world, Protea South( 'South' for our purposes) is not as well off as Protea North('North'). It is a poor cousin of North.

   We - as a family - used to stay in Protea North. But when we fell on hard times, North was unforgiving. Valiantly, we had tried to remain in this 'kasi'. In the end we had to read the writing on the wall. As some so called family friends kept saying( behind our backs): we could not afford to stay in upmarket North any longer. So we moved out. 

   The South on the hand, welcomed us with open arms. The peace of mind that came with moving into this suburb was unbelievable. The constant struggle to keep our heads above water while living in north had been tiring physically and emotionally. The South - relatively poor as it was - proved to be a breath of fresh air.

   To most outsiders Protea South appears to be a mekhukhuland( a place overrun by mekhukhu, which are corrugated iron dwellings/houses). A perception that - to be honest - is not totally unfounded. But there are other types of houses in the midst of these mekhukhu. We also have the RDPs( four-roomed government issued houses) and 'bonded'( bank-financed) houses. In addition, there are the 'madala'( big old previously white owned) houses. 

   The 'Deep South' in the heading above refers to the area of South where my family lives. This area is deep inside South. It is an area of 'bonded' houses( numbering 50 or so) that is completely surrounded by mekhukhu. To the left, right, back and front of us is mekhukhu. The tales in this series will come mainly from the relationship between residents living in 'bonded' houses and those living in the surrounding mekhukhu. This co-existence is challenging at times. Mostly, it is peaceful though.

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THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.

                                                 ===================

SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL

GOOD THIS WEEK?