2012, A Mach 2 fly-by

Where did this year go to?

New Years Eve was just the other day!

It’s October and there are Christmas decorations in the shops already!

These are but a few clichés that we have become so accustomed to every year. Yet, the constant question I ask myself is how do I handle such speed? Has 2012 flown by faster than previous years? It could be, but not as fast as the planes that I saw.

Two weeks ago, I was lucky to attend the Africa Aerospace & Defence Expo in Pretoria, widely known for the ‘jaw-dropping’ and breath-taking fly-by maneuvers by million dollar aircrafts. 

For me the major attraction of the airshow was South Africa’s very own Gripen. The Gripen is the most sophisticated aircraft in the military’s arsenal and is capable of speeds over 2 000km/h. incase you missed that, let me repeat it “… Speeds over 2 000km/h.”

The pilot, squadron name ‘Cpt. Hawk’ had a solo fly-by in which he showed how to handle such power, with ease and ‘playfulness’.

Later that day, I bumped into ‘Cpt. Hawk’. He was very down to earth and relaxed for a man who flies a Million dollar aircraft at Mach 2. The time spent talking to him left a huge impression on my life. As I share this, I hope, I will be able to create that same if not similar impression on you.

“Son, remember this: You never to young to start, never to old to learn and never to serious to enjoy.”

The Captain’s words raced through my mind as he explained where he was from: KwaZulu-Natal, The Zulu Kingdom. Currently he is one of the five qualified Gripen pilots in South Africa and the instructor for new recruits in the air force.

Cpt. Hawk spoke with such simplicity and humility. He joked and laughed just as you and I would. He spoke of how ex-girlfriends would never agree when a comment was made of how ‘Cool’ he was. Contrary to what I expected a soldier with wit and humor.

2012 may be, your Gripen or even mine, but (There is always a But) if Cpt. Hawk could treat it like a toy in the air yet still respect it and have such fun with it, what is stopping us from such greatness with 2012?

Remember “Greatness needs no introduction” – V.Moonsamy 

Where did the Holiday excitement go?

I could barely wait for the September mid break. As the days grew closer, it was as if I had a pocket full of tsetse flies biting me. I lost interest in lectures and that was a sure sign a mid-term break was long overdue. I almost failed my Group Dynamics mid-term thinking of ways to spend my break!

In my opinion, certain aspects of university are overrated; after all, our knowledge and effort gets us the degree. However, let me save that rant for another blog post. Caught up in planning how I would spend my breaks when the actual break came, I had nothing to do. I was stuck in bed, with no desire to even have a shower.

Literally, I wish there were no mid-term breaks to begin with. They make students lazy. I wasted my time watching fossil series. What ever happened to my plans for a week of junk food binging, catching up with friends or even reading ahead of class? I felt like the bed had taken over my life.  When the break arrived, it was another case of Boredom 101.

Then I thought Helderberg College should allow students to opt out of a mid-term break. If that were the case, I would be a College Graduate by now. I worked out that in this year alone the total weeks of a break together make up about 2months of our academic year. If I include the two months to my 3-year degree, I would have graduated in the first semester of 2012.

Put the precious mid-break to good use like vacation school, mass study in the gym, or extra courses. I say, let’s get up a petition to stop mid-term breaks.

That is the reason we have weekends.

It All Starts With LOGGING OUT

Before you start reading this, I suggest you Logout.

Is social media the reason students are becoming more and more anti-social? I have walked in the computer lab at different times of the day on different days. At almost every moment, there is a student with eyes glued to a computer screen, surfing the net.

It’s virtual reality that draws students to social media. They spend more time on the internet and less time actually living. I think that at this very moment several students on campus are stuck at their computer desks glued on a social networking site. I believe the most appropriate word for this behaviour would be anti-social. I am part of the crowd who are always busy doing something on the World Wide Web. It’s like a disease. It’s everywhere; cell phones, on our laptops and with the all access Wi-Fi, it makes it harder to escape.

 I am always complaining about anti-social behaviour, and yet who is going to approach me with a phone stuck to my ear?

What happened to face-to-face interaction? Isn’t it important to interact outside of “virtual reality”? Aren’t we supposed to be real people? It could be the lack of well-organised social events on campus or a fear of socialising. It seems to me that my fellow students are unable to connect and interact with others outside of the lecture rooms. If social events were scheduled and frequent, they would spend less time on social media. We need to get up and break the ice with one another. Instead of waiting for events to happen, we need to create their own activities.

There is a life outside of the small glowing box.

Get up, start socialising, get out your virtual reality, and start living your own. My message is clear don’t wait for Tom and Stanley to create events make it happen. “GET OFF THE INTERNET”.

Life after graduation, I say let's get married

 It is time for us Helderberg College 2012 graduates to wrap up on this phase of our life. The excitement is contagious because it is the celebration of years of hard work and dedication to education. I’m thinking about my future: will I work or for how long I will keep the couch warm?

What do I really want to be when I grow up?

 Whenever I speak to my fellow future graduates, most seem confused and a little scared. Some are still unsure of what they want to be when they “grow up”. The question comes back to me, “what do you want to be when you ‘grow up”. I want to be a homemaker. Such an ideology could get me shot as traditional social roles do not bind women anymore.

Do we all have to be ‘miss independents’’?

 Most young women I meet tell me how they want to become big corporate women, demanding respect. Don’t get me wrong. I do believe in treating females as equal to men. After all Eve came from Adams rib. I’m all for female education in some way I strongly support the Women Empowerment movements. I’m well aware of feminism and education of the girl child. I accept the concept of equal opportunities and roles for both men and women.

But, have we forgotten that home is where the wife is, true feminism?

True Feminism rests in the woman’s ability to bear offspring and ensure that her children grow under her watchful eye. Marriage and the work of a homemaker or of any woman is sacred and of divine order. I will get an education; but in the words of my grandmother, ‘that degree doesn’t keep you warm at night’. True Feminism is in the home. There I’m a wife and a mother, there is no greater calling. I shall proudly walk down the graduation isle an educated homemaker.

The Team

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