Natural hair...

The other evening on 3^rd degree Debra Patta covered the topic of natural hair versus weaves. I found the topic very interesting. I personally don’t have a problem with people choosing to wear weaves, but I would rather encourage individuals to embrace their natural hair. I love and embrace my natural brown curly hair. I refuse to become influenced about what is socially acceptable when it comes to hair.

My 200 top achievements...

Conversation starter: Global warming...

( the-reaction.blogspot.com)

In first year of studies, I was obliged to watch Al Gore’s An inconvenient truth as part of an assignment. And honestly….All the bar graphs, statistical information and predications estimating all the malfunctions the world may encounter…Freaked me out! The reality is that it’s happening and we all need to do our bit to slow down the process. Go green!!!

What motivates me....

( ucfknight46.wordpress.com)

My mother’s passion, hard work and dedication not only motivate me but also inspire me to persevere in order to achieve my goals. My mother studied to become a nurse in the 1970’s, during the Apartheid era. She had it tough studying and facing the adversity of the country’s political system at the time. Yet she pursued her career and today she is internationally qualified in her field. She motivates and inspires me to always do my best.

                                           The harder the challenge, the sweeter the victory!

So proud of Charlize Theron...

( filmannex.com)

Every time I see a Charlize Theron movie on the South African movie circuit, makes me feel more and more proudly South African.

Charlize grew up on a farm in Bernoni, Johannesbury, South Africa. At the age of 18, she went to Los Angeles to try a career in the movie industry. Her first role was a young mother in a park in a B-film in 1995. But it was a non-speaking role with three seconds of screen time. February 29, 2004, she was awarded with her first academy award for her performance in Monster (a movie).

Her success abroad is truly an inspiration to me. Allowing me to believe that one can make anything happen if you believe in yourself and work hard at your dream. Well done Charlize!!!

10 unexpected consequences of being online...

( thatgirlisfunny.com)

I could name plenty of unexpected consequences of being online. But I would have to say the most unexpected consequence is having your future employer or boss view your very social pictures of the weekend you had. These days, the future employer has access to get to know a prospective employee beyond the first impression at the interview. Your projected social network identity may just cost you, your dream job. Be aware of this! Develop social media etiquette.

Why I should stop smoking...

I’ve been an active smoker for nine years. Yes, nine long years of my life. I knew the dangers of smoking when I started. And I have not tried to quit since. It’s an expensive habit. I ‘ve come to realize exactly how harmful it is to my health after reading www.biomedcentral.com:

( usmlemd.wordpress.com)

·         If their increased risk of cancer, heart disease and other ills isn't enough, smokers may be persuaded by simple vanity to kick the habit.

·         In South Africa, seven million people smoke, 80% have tried to quit at least once and 90% of people started smoking before the age of 18. Here's how it affects your heart health.

·         People who smoke cigarettes for 20 years or more are about 40 percent more likely to die of colon cancer

·         Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body and causes far more diseases than once believed, the top US health official said Thursday.

·         Smoking is not usually associated with breast cancer, but women who have smoked heavily for years may have a greater risk of developing the disease.

·         Smoking doesn't just raise the risk of pancreatic cancer, it radically accelerates the onset of the highly virulent tumours in patients who have a rare inherited disorder

·         Smokers already worried about their risks for cancer and heart disease now have another reason to quit: Tobacco may raise the risk for type 2 diabetes, say two new studies.

·         The more you smoke, the higher your risk of one type of skin cancer, report scientists from the Netherlands.

·         Smoking during pregnancy could reduce the fertility of baby boys when they grow up. Sons of women who smoked also have smaller testes.

·         If you smoke and you're expecting a baby, expect to spend a lot more sleepless nights in the nursery.

·         Smoking is responsible for 30% of all cancers. The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has organised a No Tobacco Radiothon to encourage smokers to kick the habit.

·         Although smokers tend to be thinner, the effect of smoking on the endocrine system (glands which secrete hormones) often results in the abnormal distribution of body fat

·         Because smoking restricts blood flow, it is a major cause of coronary heart disease and stroke.

·         Neurological experts stress that although nicotine stimulates the central nervous system, providing a temporary rush, it is unlikely to improve the way the mind functions.

·         Smoking increases the risk for gum disease, a condition that destroys the supporting tissue of the teeth. This can cause tooth loss; smokers are twice as likely to lose teeth.

·         When a pregnant woman smokes, so does her baby. Carbon monoxide and nicotine are transferred from mother to baby, leading to lower levels of oxygen intake and a higher pulse rate

·         Smoking accelerates the natural ageing processes, which is most apparent in the facial skin.

·         Smoking increases your chances of becoming blind due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by up to four times.

·         In addition to lung cancer, smoking can cause or worsen other lung conditions, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema

·         Many smokers who undergo serious operations take longer than other people do to recover.

I think it’s time I kicked the habit!!!

( slices-of-life.com)

elephant in the room...

(showyourhope.com)

I am proudly South African.  One of the main reasons being, our peaceful transition from the horrors of apartheid to a new South Africa. We have a constitution which is second to none.  However, eighteen years into our democracy, race is still the elephant in the room. We try to make as if it doesn’t matter but it’s there, we put people in boxes which they don’t belong because of a way of thinking which was entrenched during apartheid.

 People were desensitized by apartheid and are not fully aware of its true effect on majority of South Africans as pointed out by Alistair McKay’s article  in the City Press (www.citypress.co.za/columnists/How-whites-can-reconcile-20120630).  What is required to remove this elephant is for everyone to understand our history and to put things and people into context.

This requires a bit of work on our part as citizens, (government cannot change our mind sets). Instead of stereotyping we need to get to know our fellow South Africans, their stories and their journeys. In understanding and sharing we really become the rainbow nation celebrating our differences, embracing the spirit of ubuntu and all that is beautiful about South African people.