Flexible Bones: Acroniques Event

                  Wow!

 That’s what I said to myself when I saw the Acroniques act  Saturday, October 27, 2012.

 I have been here three years and I have only seen them once before , but  this time what I saw was epic.: children from the High School, with the assistance from some adults from around the Helderberg area, performing in ways that makes one question if gravity truly exists to somw people.

Anderson Hall was the place to be on this day. I entered the building and walk up stairs so I could have a bird’s eye view of everything and then suddenly the lights go off and music starts playing. The curtains open to the beat of the music  and we see  young boys and girls standing in rows of five.  They introduce themselves and do an act; they carry each other in different ways, every group of four doing something different. The song then changes and the people on stage leave for more people to enter. This time a group of about 15 people start forming towers as they climb on each other. The act continues with different towers being built as humans balance other humans on each other.

                  The event was magical especially towards the end when the team on stage walked back and started building a tower with two ladders being held  by adults. Then when the human tower was well balanced, two small boys started climbing the ladder to the top of the tower and stood on top. Surprisingly nobody fell and I was amazed  that they could balance themselves for more than a minute at a time, truly fascinated. At the end of the show,  people were asked if they wanted to learn a few tricks  -  cheating gravity I call it. Several people went forward;   I didn’t.  I was tempted, but I love my life too much and  don’t believe that I should be the one to cheat gravity! 

My Journey to…

It has been four long and amazing years. It feels like just yesterday when I was accepted to study at Helderberg College. Now, I am a few weeks away from leaving a college that has taught me to cope with a wide variety of circumstances other than the obvious academic growth.

And it is with faith that I step out into the ‘Great Big Unknown’ of this so-called vicious world that many label it to be.

But, is that really the big picture?

Speaking to many people in the ‘Big World’ and those in lecturer roles, I began to create a picture: An Airbus A380-800 taxing towards me at an international airport where an old well groomed gentlemen walks up to me, cap under his arm while holding his briefcase. His Gold wings standing out on his white shirt.

He looks at me with the greatest of smiles, and utters three words that take my breath away: ‘She’s all yours.’

That is it. The ‘Big World’ is waiting for me to take it by the controls and fly my own path in life. Yes, there will be turbulence at times and there be smooth flying, but I will never forget that I am in partnership with Jesus, is at the helm of it all.

It does seem scary, yet the excitement out-ways my fear. My perception determines my future, what about yours?   

Where has the Social gone?

In a world where the iPod, Blackberry, iPhone, Social networking and interactive devices have made it so simple and convenient for us to communicate with each other, we are quickly and very sadly losing the essence of man’s existence on this planet: for us to all feel loved and touched. This technological epidemic has gone global and viral to such an extent that you now see 7 to 10 year olds walking around with earphones in their ears or they are chatting to their friends via the Blackberry chat service (BBM). So what exactly has this epidemic done to the human race?

The answer lies in how you and I live our daily lives. We have become accustomed to having virtual friends and creating friendships through various mediums for convenience, yet we are loosing that one special touch that only man has to offer on this place we call home, Earth. The sense of touch and understanding. Our social life plays a major role in how we mature as individuals and how we learn to adhere to certain principles. It teaches us how we should overcome certain social or corporate conflicts. These cannot be learned through Facebook, BBM, music etc. We are taught these through experience that we are slowly letting go of.

Many times we each fall short of truly understanding each other. We all have our weaknesses. Yet we thrive on painting and glowing those around us, to keep our weaknesses at bay and far from anyone’s reach. We have become selfish. Leave the criticism for another time; in fact leave it all together.

Because of our technological advancement we have become shallow in how we show our appreciation. When one is good, go out of your way to show they are important. You feel better after uplifting another. Lastly we need to learn how to speak the language of others. It is important to never impose yourself on a stranger, but break the ice on their terms. Become accustomed to the liking of those around you and show an interest in them so that the communication channels will flow easier and faster with progress and stability assured.

Lets put the Social back into being. 

Messi vs. Ronaldo

It has been two weeks since the El-Classico and the talking about Messi and Ronaldo have stopped. This is unusual. When people speak about Real Madrid and Barcelona in the same sentence it’s also grammatically correct to have the names Ronaldo and Messi in them. Yet this is not happening.

Could there also be a new understanding amongst football fans?

Although both players play to the highest standard in world football, many players have come before them and have left their mark in football history, but none as huge as these Two maestros, Ronaldo and Messi.

As a football freak, I love Ronaldo’s playing style; and in the same light I love the dribbling skill of Messi. They are both good players and both good team players.

I am not taking sides as to who’s the greater player for the simple reason that according to me, Football would not be where it is today if neither Messi nor Ronaldo were not playing. The rivalry between them has lifted the game to a new intensity and the fans are feeling it.

Learning to accept them as players and not rivals and appreciate the game for the skill and talent on show has changed my perception and is helping me raise my bar higher and higher.

Messi and Ronaldo both delivered their best in the El-Classico and they both deserve to be treated as equals, for the skill, passion and love for the game we call football, Well that is my thoughts.

Respect to Messi and Ronaldo

Football, for the Love of the game. 

LOL

Up until the beginning of this year, I had no idea what the acronym LOL meant. For some reason I always thought it stood for ‘lots of love’. It sought of clicked when I was texting a friend of mine. You see the message was about something hilarious and in response, she wrote ‘LOL’. Now being a backward person, I had to ask her why she decided to write lots of love after a joke.

Do you know that awkward moment when you turn red with embarrassment?

Yes, that was how I felt. ‘Laugh out loud’, who would of thought? Now if LOL is supposed to be a replacement for the old hahaha, why are people using it as a preposition, abbreviation, and my old time favourite the ‘friendship saver’? You can easily offend someone and pull out ‘LOL’ just to save the day. Nevertheless, apart from LOL replacing the good old full stop, it has actually become a word.

Let’s admit it we are abusing the word.

A normal conversation would go something like this.

“Hey?”

“Lol, how are you, I heard you got robbed last night, lol “

“Yeah I was robbed lol”

I mean it’s great for those lazy days when you just don’t want to chat much. However if LOL is going to start and end your sentences then surely you need invest in a thesaurus.

LOL!

Heritage Day: Cultural Pride and Diversity the sweet dessert

Diversity is a slice of a sweet and sour cake, known to many as life. However, there is more to this cake than meets the taste. Diversity is made from a priceless recipe. Its flavours are unique and difficult to gather, yet it brings a nation together. Former president Nelson Mandela said in 1996, “When our first democratically-elected government decided to make Heritage Day one of our national days, we did so because we knew that our rich and varied cultural heritage has a profound power to help build our new nation”. Mandela went on to refer South Africa as a rainbow nation of which it is indeed.

Helderberg College began a custom several years ago to celebrate the 24th of September with its staff, students, and lecturers. Today the custom continues with the flame still burning brighter than ever. Heritage Day has become a unique and joyous celebration to many individuals who live both on and off campus. It’s a special day where no matter what colour you are white, black, yellow or green you can show your cultural pride as never seen before.

Traditional instruments sound a distance away as I approach Anderson Hall. The earth shakes as the instruments build in rhythm. The sounds increase in pace as I start climbing the stairs to the lobby. Yes, it’s that time of the year when cultural pride is tattooed on all five senses. September 24th 2012 is here and the mind is saying, “today I take you back to the great motherhood roots”.

 Inside the hall the soft seats relax my mind and body, while music starts to play. Flag bearers start walking down the aisle carrying their respective countries’ flags to the front. China, Brazil, South Africa, United States of America, India, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Philippines, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Lesotho, Namibia, Cameroon, Argentina, Indonesia, Botswana, Malawi, Madagascar; such diversity  is surely unique  on  such a small campus as Helderberg. A buzz of noise vibrates the room as the congregation rises to the respected national anthems. A young boy gazes at the empty canvas ceiling above as he sings the South African national anthem louder than most: a little solo you might say. The clock seems to be moving faster now as the last anthem is sang.

 Silence fills the room as groups organize themselves to present traditional dances, poems, plays and songs in the hall. Zulu women approach the stage in orange attire. They pause for a second after arranging themselves on stage, in an instant the hall is mute and just before you can hear your own heartbeat they start dancing. The dance is cut short, but it does not kill the pride on their faces as they walk off stage feeling good about their cultural heritage. Zimbabweans present a skit with inspirational motives and comedy, describing their beautiful culture. Countries keep coming and going as they describe several things about their beloved nations. Two Asian women perform a magical dance with traditional attire and for a split second, I felt like I belonged to that country. It was like I teleported to that country for just that performance. I had never seen so many countries represented in Helderberg before and for a moment; I was wishing I could have represented my beloved Kenya. The colours in the hall were pure inspiration, if Michael Angelo was in the building he would truly have painted the masterpiece I was seeing.

The celebrations conclude from the hall, but as lunch approaches, a glance at the programme says Traditional Meals in Cafeteria. Like a flock of hungry vultures, the crowd rushes to the cafeteria where cuisines from around the world await them. The cafeteria was suffocated with beautiful aromas from all over the world. The dishes stood out on tables as the crowds increased in the building. Samples are given to anyone who wants, the Brazilian table present two dishes named pastel and the other Bobó de camarão. A South African table further away displays a traditional Zulu dish called the isit shulu, a very delicious lamb stew. The mouth-watering lamb concludes a perfect celebration of cultural pride and diversity.

Diversity the slice of a sweet and sour cake known to many as life, made from a priceless recipe. An ingredient that unites nations, conquers inequalities, promotes freedom and cultural pride.