The DREAMS DO COME TRUE Tour - Part 19, Reasoma High ( Grade 10s), Protea North

   In football( or soccer) they call it lack of match fitness. 

This is when a player exhibits rustiness when playing in a competitive match, after not having played in such a game in a long time. The player will seem out of touch during the game. When in possession he may not anticipate his fellow players' moves into empty spaces. If he is a striker, he may shoot way over the bar when attempting to score.

   The solution to this malaise is that the player must get more game time. He must play more competitive matches.

   During this DDCT Talk to the Reasoma High Grade 10 students I felt like a player who lacked match fitness. Even though I have done quite a few of these motivational talks already, I was nervous in places. I did not flow the way I wanted to during this talk. This Grade 10 group was not even that big as to appear intimidating. It was only one class ( out of a possible three).

   In trying to find the reason for my unsteadiness in this instance, I surmised that it must be due to the fact that I had not done a DDCT Talk in a longish time. The last time I gave this talk was about two and half months ago( at the same school incidentally, to the Grade 12 students). Like a player who lacks match fitness, I had become rusty from not having spoken in front of a live audience in a long time.

   I needed to get more game time, I concluded. I must grab the opportunities to give DDCT Talks whenever and wherever they present themselves.

                                                      SOME THANK YOUs

Ntate Mathetsa( the HOD) - for arranging this talk. 

This Grade 10 students group - for hearing me out.

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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 MADE YOU FEEL

GOOD THIS WEEK?

                      

  

         
           

Doing Our Bit for Mandela Day

   One has to be careful in choosing the activities to do on Mandela Day. That is if you plan to make 'every day a Mandela Day' as it was asked of us this year. 

   I say 'be careful' because I wasn't. And the result was that by the end of the day on Thursday( 18th July) I was physically worn out. What we did at the Soweto Association of Persons with Disabilities( SAPD) was hard labour, ladies and gentlemen. It was back-breaking stuff. Activities included preparing a cement mix (ludaka) and then building a storage room wall thereafter, paving one area of the yard, laying lawn grass in another area, sowing vegetable seeds etc, etc. All of these were physically demanding. As I was taking part in these activities I kept wondering if it was this hard for utata Mandela to fight for our freedom during those 67 years. 

   But hey, I am not complaining. One could not have passed up an opportunity to pay back utata Mandela - even in a small way - for what he has done for us batho ba Mzansi.

   Much love to ausi Shoni and ausi Johanna - both of the SAPD - for hosting us. Thanks to Thema for suggesting the SAPD as a place to do my Mandela Day bit. Many thanks, as well, to RandWater staff - bo-ausi Mmamorena( a fellow poet), ausi Cleo, ntate Nyathi et al - who formed the core of the group that chose to help out at the SAPD on Mandela Day.

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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?

                                                     

Contribution by All to Help Save a Young Life

   A youngster( early 20s) and street neighbour, whom we shall call 'M', got badly hurt yesterday. Hurt as in someone hitting him with a machete on the head. 

   And the way fellow street neighbours, his friends and my own family rallied together to save his life was truly heartwarming. 

   Youngsters being youngsters, M had gotten into an argument( or fight) with another youngster over a girl at a drinking spot. But the fight did not end there. This other youngster, with his two friends, thereafter decided to follow M home, which is located in our street. At the entrance to his home's yard - after more arguing - is where the machete was then used on him. After this hacking job the three fled the scene.

   The immediate task for those of us nearby was to stop the profuse bleeding from the gaping head wound. My mother - who is a trained nurse - started trying to stem the flow of blood by dressing the wound and wrapping old t-shits around M's head. Meanwhile, M's friends, my sister and me were frantically phoning an ambulance. We did this phoning fully aware - from past experience - that ambulances to take long to arrive. But we had to try.

   Indeed two hours later the ambulance had still not arrived. The makeshift bandages on M's head were proving inadequate in stopping the bleeding. We then started flagging down passing motorists to ask them to help us get M to the nearest hospital - the Chris Hani Baragwanath. And to be honest, most of them were not interested. Those few who agreed, immediately changed their minds on seeing the bloodied approaching M. I remember one of those who stopped saying his car belonged to 'amadlozi'( ancestors) and will be tainted if someone else's blood touches it.

  Our biggest worry now became M possibly losing his life from too much bleeding. There was blood all over - on the lawn, on the pavement and on the clothing of some of us. 

   The day was eventually saved by the arrival of M's uncle. He had had to drive all the way from Kempton Park, which is on the other side of Johannesburg, to come help get his nephew to hospital. And fortunately they made it to Bara on time. But having driven like maniacs to get there, we were later told.

   This M incident shook all of us up. It also served to remind us, once again, about the dangers of alcohol abuse by both young and old. A young life could have been easily lost just like that.

   "Nice one." to M's friends - bo-Thibang, Tshepo, Zeff et al. You guys really came through for your friend. And a 'big up' too, if I may, to my own family members - my mother( Duduzile) and my sister( Teboho) - for chipping in. 

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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?

                 

      

   

               

         
      

Launching the Protea Discussion Group

   A long held wish for yours truly and a few friends became a reality this past Saturday. We formed the Protea Discussion Group.

   The main reason for starting such a grouping is to create a forum where fellow readers and thinkers in the Protea North and surrounding areas can meet regularly(once a month at least) to 

discuss matters and share ideas. In this forum we hope to debate and dissect burning national issues and those taking place outside the country.

   Our first meeting turned out to be a lively affair indeed. For example, we touched on the issue of tata Mandela's state of health that is currently consuming the country. While it is a good thing to be concerned when he is hospitalized, there is no need for the country to go into a state of panic each time this happens. At his age frequent hospital visits are par for the course. As a nation we must allow the medical professionals taking care of him to do what they know best in helping him get well, the group members felt.

   On Julius Malema's rumoured political comeback - by forming his own political party - the group  agreed that he is going to battle. His support outside of the ANC is going to prove negligible. But there is certainly no harm in anyone starting their own political party. He is welcome to try.

   The old adage that time flies when you are having fun is so true. Once the group got started on an issue it was difficult to stop and move on to the next one. The 2 hours(or so) we had allocated for that day's discussion flew by very quickly. We had to shelve some topics for the next time we met. 

   Many, many thanks to my fellow group members - Emmanuel Tshivhase and Mpho G Mohatle - for helping to get this discussion group project off the ground.

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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?

                 

          

Congratulations to Our Comrades Winner

   Claude Moshiywa, by winning the 2013 Comrades Marathon this morning, made a breakthrough of sorts. The 'up run' route - from Durban to Pietermaritzburg - has not been won by a South African runner in the past 21 years( since 1992). 

   The Comrades - at 87kms in length - is more like an ultra marathon really. This distance is more than twice the length of the normal marathon distance of 42kms. So to complete it - never mind winning it - is quite a feat.

   The nice touch about this year's race was that a lot of runners ran it in memory of Vuyo Mbuli. Vuyo is the much loved SAFM Talk show host and SABC Morning Live presenter who suddenly passed away recently. He had run a few Comrade races in the past and was preparing to run the race again this year. 

    To the men's race winner - Moshiywa - and the Russian twin Elena Nurgalieva, who won the women's race( for the 8th time), we say well done. Big up, as well, to all the runners who participated in this year's race.

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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?

                      

                     

Reasoma High School Essay Awards

   We should all be writing in our home languages more often here in South Africa. I should be writing this post in Sesotho, for example. There is beauty in our African languages that we sometimes overlook because we tend to use English most of the time.

   This realization was brought home after I attended the Reasoma High Essay Awards ceremony this past Wednesday. Here the matric students were asked to write an essay on any subject using  four(out of 11) of our official languages. These were Setswana, Sesotho, Isizulu and English. The top 8(two from each language category) were to be given prizes at this ceremony. The students not only had to write the essays but they also had to read them out to us.

   Yours truly - as the appointed adjudicator - had the unenviable task of deciding which of the 8 essays should win the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes. And I must say that it was such a pleasure to see that - in this age of  English smses, English Twitter posts, Model C/private schools that use English instruction, etc - our matric students can still write and read their home languages very well. 

   Therefore deciding who among the 8 should win the laptop(1st prize), digital camera(2nd prize), and cell phone(3rd prize) was a big challenge for me. What ultimately influenced me the most in choosing the best three was the universal message contained in each essay and the way the language was used to convey it. 

   The first prize winner was an essay written in Setswana by a lady student called Lesego Mathe. I loved how layered this essay was. It started off like a family history, then later turned into a sibling rivalry tale, then it was about a shattered dream for their mother's favourite daughter. This shattering  was actually not real. But was a wish by the narrator and her less favoured sisters that expressed itself in her sleep dream.

   The second winning essay was by Iris Majola and  was done in English. It dealt with the concept of beauty in women. Iris was saying beauty comes from inside. It was not found in a thin waist or pretty face. In the final analysis all women were beautiful. 

   The 3rd prize went to Precious Myaka, whose Isizulu essay was about children who were taking their newly bestowed rights too far. It has become difficult, as a result, to discipline kids at home and in school, Precious was saying.

   'Nice one' to all the matric students who took part in this competition. An even bigger 'high five' to the Sowerto group(bo-Zimbali, Lunga, Thokozani et al) who took the initiative to organize this essay competition.

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"Le saleng hantle. Hare kopaneng hape bekeng e tlang.(Goodbye. See you again next week.)"

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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?

                      

                                         







     

   
   
      
         
            

We Are The Champions!

   Who is 'we'? You ask.

Well, we are Kaizer Chiefs. We are Amakhosi Amahle. 

We are the winners of the South African Premier Soccer League title for the 2012/2013 season.

That's who we are.

   We have waited a long time for this. A whole eight years have passed since we last won the PSL title. In those eight years we watched with longing as the league title changed hands between our bitter arch rivals - Orlando Pirates(twice in a row) - and other teams( like Supersport United - three times in a row). And, yes, we did shed a tear or two as we waited on the sidelines. We wondered when our turn will come.

   That wait and longing is now over. Our new coach - Stuart Baxter( a Briton) - has delivered. Him doing so despite claims from certain quarters that he embellished his CV when applying for the Kaizer Chiefs coaching job. What mattered in the end was that he can do the job, CV inconsistencies or not. Credit must also go the players(bo - Shaba, Khune et al). Nice one guys. Big up, too, to our chairman - Kaizer Motaung - for sticking with our new coach when the CV controversy broke out early in the season.      

   And our 2012/2013 season could get even better after this coming Saturday( 25th May). That is because on this day we will be playing in the Nedbank Cup final( our own version of the FA Cup) against Supersport United. If we win this game we will end the year with a 'double'(i.e. League and Cup titles). Then we will truly be back as a Soweto giant. Be back, in fact, as a South African footballing giant.

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

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?