Finally, ooh finally, modimo o na le mosa le one mohau. Ga go tlhokege gore ke tlhole ke tshabela diketso tsa me. Monongwaga ke itshepisitse gore popego ya me e tlile go nna e e farologaneng. Ke itumela go kwala jaana gore dilo tsotlhe di tsamaya ka tolamo le maikemisetso.
Ke tshedimosetso e e tlhabosang go re ke ts`habo e e tolameng le malatsi a a maleba gore ke bo ke le mo maemo a ke leng mo go ona.
Ke leboga go menagane...
Kitso le tshedimosetso ke di tlhabo tse di gagametseng e le ruri.
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Friday, 1 May 2009
The impact of Smoking...
One of my colleagues asked me to accompany him last Thursday when he was going for a smoke break. When we were outside, I asked him for a puff, and he gave me the cigarette. I lit the cigarette and puffed away, and after that I felt relaxed and calm. Yes, I do smoke but I smoke casually, and the last time I smoked was last year December until last week.
So, there I was in December when I was spending festive season with my loved ones, then I got to realize that all my childhood friends do smoke. Most of all my home friend, Lebogang, he smokes like a chimney. Wow, the guy can finish over 25 cigarettes in a day. Then, me being silly, I decided to try the puff and pass. I bought myself a full packet. What a feeling! I was starting to enjoy it but me being afraid of my mom; the poor woman discovered a packet in my jean pocket. I had a lot of explaining to do. I am from a family where no one is smoking, so you can imagine the lecture I had to sit down to.
All of this got me thinking, as usual everything and anything gets me thinking. Then, I asked myself what is it that drives one to start smoking.
o Peer pressure?
o Stress?
o Boredom?
Those were the three main reasons I thought of that tends to draw people to smoke. Then I started projecting my life in two years time smoking. I did not like what I saw. Smoking is addictive and it is one of the most difficult addictions to break. I know because smoking got me to loose my uncle, he was a great man but he smoked his life away, and I don't want to end up like him. So, that is why I decided never ever to touch a cigarette again. Pity, someone out there who has been smoking for years can't easily say what I just said.
Smoking is a social activity as well. Many people who smoke do so as a way to start conversations and interact at parties or in crowded places. This is known as "social smoking," and it usually involves alcohol as a complement.
At first, smoking may seem like a cool thing to do, but we don't realize how much risk we are getting ourselves into. Here are few diseases that are caused by smoking:
• Heart disease
• Bronchitis
• Lung cancer, and many other forms of cancer
• Strokes
• Emphysema
Growing up, my brother and I used to argue with out uncle for smoking inside the house when we were around. We were exposed to second hand smoking, but we could not do anything about it since he was older. Most, people don't realize how much they are affecting those around them when they smoke; either you smoke inside the house or on the streets.
I am now more worried about my friend than ever. Lebogang is only 24 years old and his smoking is influenced by uncountable personal reasons, and smoking will definitely affect him as he progresses in life.
Now, suppose you smoke close to 10 cigarettes a day, everyday. How much do you think you can save up if you were not smoking? Hypothetically this is how much one spends in a week smoking.
• A smoker needs a mouth refresher, so one can spend in a week close to R 12.00 on minty gum.
• A lighter can cost up to R 5.00
• Now suppose one cigarette cost R 1.50
This is how much you can expect to pay only if you buy “loose” cigarettes.
On average you do smoke 12 cigarettes a day and you spend R 125.70 a week. In total, the amount you spend a week amounts to R 142.70.
• Monthly you spend R 570.80
• Yearly you spend up to R 6,849.60, and that is a lot of money.
If you continue to smoke for four year, you will end up spending R 27,398.40 and that’s a lot of money.
Now, what is it that you get in return?
• Blocked or damaged lungs.
• Bad breath
• Eye problems
• Discolored teeth (ugly stains on your teeth)
Most importantly, it has been proven that if you have been smoking for over 5 years you are drastically decreasing your breathing capacity e.g.
If you are 35 years old and you have been smoking for 12 years, then you can have a smoking capacity of a 50 year old individual. So in essence, you are shortening your lifespan.
Quitting is hard; so one has to think hard if they want to make smoking nicotine a part of their life. I realized that I have a tough job on my hands, which is, convincing my friend to stop smoking and showing him the benefits of doing so. The only thing I can do now is to support him, and encourage him. So, you out there, think twice before you think of entering this “cool” world of smoking. SMOKING kills.
So, there I was in December when I was spending festive season with my loved ones, then I got to realize that all my childhood friends do smoke. Most of all my home friend, Lebogang, he smokes like a chimney. Wow, the guy can finish over 25 cigarettes in a day. Then, me being silly, I decided to try the puff and pass. I bought myself a full packet. What a feeling! I was starting to enjoy it but me being afraid of my mom; the poor woman discovered a packet in my jean pocket. I had a lot of explaining to do. I am from a family where no one is smoking, so you can imagine the lecture I had to sit down to.
All of this got me thinking, as usual everything and anything gets me thinking. Then, I asked myself what is it that drives one to start smoking.
o Peer pressure?
o Stress?
o Boredom?
Those were the three main reasons I thought of that tends to draw people to smoke. Then I started projecting my life in two years time smoking. I did not like what I saw. Smoking is addictive and it is one of the most difficult addictions to break. I know because smoking got me to loose my uncle, he was a great man but he smoked his life away, and I don't want to end up like him. So, that is why I decided never ever to touch a cigarette again. Pity, someone out there who has been smoking for years can't easily say what I just said.
Smoking is a social activity as well. Many people who smoke do so as a way to start conversations and interact at parties or in crowded places. This is known as "social smoking," and it usually involves alcohol as a complement.
At first, smoking may seem like a cool thing to do, but we don't realize how much risk we are getting ourselves into. Here are few diseases that are caused by smoking:
• Heart disease
• Bronchitis
• Lung cancer, and many other forms of cancer
• Strokes
• Emphysema
Growing up, my brother and I used to argue with out uncle for smoking inside the house when we were around. We were exposed to second hand smoking, but we could not do anything about it since he was older. Most, people don't realize how much they are affecting those around them when they smoke; either you smoke inside the house or on the streets.
I am now more worried about my friend than ever. Lebogang is only 24 years old and his smoking is influenced by uncountable personal reasons, and smoking will definitely affect him as he progresses in life.
Now, suppose you smoke close to 10 cigarettes a day, everyday. How much do you think you can save up if you were not smoking? Hypothetically this is how much one spends in a week smoking.
• A smoker needs a mouth refresher, so one can spend in a week close to R 12.00 on minty gum.
• A lighter can cost up to R 5.00
• Now suppose one cigarette cost R 1.50
This is how much you can expect to pay only if you buy “loose” cigarettes.
On average you do smoke 12 cigarettes a day and you spend R 125.70 a week. In total, the amount you spend a week amounts to R 142.70.
• Monthly you spend R 570.80
• Yearly you spend up to R 6,849.60, and that is a lot of money.
If you continue to smoke for four year, you will end up spending R 27,398.40 and that’s a lot of money.
Now, what is it that you get in return?
• Blocked or damaged lungs.
• Bad breath
• Eye problems
• Discolored teeth (ugly stains on your teeth)
Most importantly, it has been proven that if you have been smoking for over 5 years you are drastically decreasing your breathing capacity e.g.
If you are 35 years old and you have been smoking for 12 years, then you can have a smoking capacity of a 50 year old individual. So in essence, you are shortening your lifespan.
Quitting is hard; so one has to think hard if they want to make smoking nicotine a part of their life. I realized that I have a tough job on my hands, which is, convincing my friend to stop smoking and showing him the benefits of doing so. The only thing I can do now is to support him, and encourage him. So, you out there, think twice before you think of entering this “cool” world of smoking. SMOKING kills.
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
The story of my relationships
So, have you been in a relationship or met someone whom you end up spending the night with? Then in the morning you are puzzled, and the only thing that you can do is to ask yourself," What the hell have I done?” Don't get me wrong, I do not do one night stands nor have friends with benefits. One night stands revolts me. Why? Well, my last relationship ended because of them one night stands.
I have been through different kinds of relationships before, but there is one that takes the cup cake. I was involved in a relationship in 2006 till late 2007 which ended up in a disaster, and left me with emotional scars in the process. I am over that, and I am glad my work was there to keep me busy. I don't talk about this part of my life a lot, but I think it is time I put it down on paper. There were things that bothered me a lot within this relationship, but there is no greater feeling in being aware that there are people who are there to help you out with what ever problem you are faced with. My friends were there for me, thank you guys.
I don't know what changed, all of a sudden I saw myself sacrificing a lot of thing that mattered to me. This is what I had to go through:
• Declining of an opportunity to study for masters at Wits. Why did I do this? Well, my partner kept on telling me that if I go and study in Johannesburg then I will not only be uncommitted in the relationship but I will be moving on with my life alone. My partner insisted that I try enrolling at UCT or UWC or still stay a student at Stellenbosch University.
• I also turned down a scholarship offered to yours truly to go to Japan and do masters there. For what? I ask. Well, for the sake of being with the one I believed loved me.
• The worst thing is that, I was expected to spend every weekend at my partners place. Quality time I was told, and then what happened? My school work started suffering, but I made sure to pull up my socks during the week to make up for lost time. Funny enough, the weekend ended up the both of us fighting.
• There was one thing that always puzzled me. My partner always wanted to know all my friends, and where I have met them and what do we say to each other. If I put down a phone I get to be asked, “Who was it? And what he or she saying to me?” No problem with that, but to be asked all the time, hallooooooooo! That spell jealousy, an extreme one for that matter, well, your phone might as well be bugged.
• My so called x partner had a house, and I was always told, the house is my home too. Funny enough, when decisions were made, I was not consulted. I then told my x partner that there in no use in saying the house is my home but I am not consulted or simply told of anything that happens. That led to a lot of disputes. My x partner would cover the situation by saying I was being surprised. I was surprised indeed.
• There were times when I felt like being alone or go visit my friends. I will do that, but when I return to the house my x will be tempestuous. If I leave I have to say where I was going and when will I be back, but my partner would leave without telling me where to look if something is wrong.
• I was expected to be by my ex.’s side at all times when my x is having a get together with friends, a bbq or something.
• My partner always reminded me about past relationships that did not work out and If I am planning to do the same thing, I have another thing coming. I was reminded regularly re my ex.’s time at prison. Too much baggage for my liking.
• My x used to buy me a lot of gifts of which I refused most of them. The only thing that I accepted was a phone and a laptop, but they were seized from in a malicious way when I wanted out. The news of me wanting out were not welcomed, I was labelled a gold excavator, unattractive and selfish person.
• My x was so "concerned" about me to extend that jobs were explored on my behalf and I was told which one will be best suited for me. Where the hell was my self-esteem? Mmm…
• My family were fond of my ex, but I never spend 10 minutes with my ex.’s family.
• I am not going to touch the mood swings and violent tempers. Those ones were eldritch and shuddery. I feared for my life. I remember the kitchen door got smashed and dismantled.
• Everything that escalated was always seen as my fault. Silly I, I always kept quiet when my partner screamed a storm in the house. I was regarded as the cause of the screaming. Screaming for simple issues? Well, professional help is needed.
Above all this, I got to realise that my ex's is someone who lacked confidence and self-sustenance at that time. So, whoever was around, had to feel the same. I hope you understand what I mean by this. I ended up doing a lot of introspections and I decided to call it quits before I self destruct. The baggage from my ex's youth life and other previous relationship experienced made it not easy to have a normal relationship.
Due to the fact that I ended the relationship when my x least expected. I was called a gold digger, anti spyware (my ex got into my emails account with out my permission, examined my phone messages and asked one of our mutual friend to translate those written in my mother tongue), but now it turned out that my ex's current friends are told I am the one who was doing that. Apparently my ex bought me a car (my ex's current friends were told) , and on top of that I left, leaving my ex with a debt of over R30k, which I caused. Oh man, what did I buy?
The only things that I got out of all the relationships I was involved in, is to love myself first before I can love the other person and be there for the person who is in my life, by talking things through and sure as hell not to be a victim by ignoring the inner voice. I gained control of my life and I don't intend to let anyone take control of it while I am still alive. I strongly believe each and every relationship is a lesson and I have learned at least 30% of such.
I have been through different kinds of relationships before, but there is one that takes the cup cake. I was involved in a relationship in 2006 till late 2007 which ended up in a disaster, and left me with emotional scars in the process. I am over that, and I am glad my work was there to keep me busy. I don't talk about this part of my life a lot, but I think it is time I put it down on paper. There were things that bothered me a lot within this relationship, but there is no greater feeling in being aware that there are people who are there to help you out with what ever problem you are faced with. My friends were there for me, thank you guys.
I don't know what changed, all of a sudden I saw myself sacrificing a lot of thing that mattered to me. This is what I had to go through:
• Declining of an opportunity to study for masters at Wits. Why did I do this? Well, my partner kept on telling me that if I go and study in Johannesburg then I will not only be uncommitted in the relationship but I will be moving on with my life alone. My partner insisted that I try enrolling at UCT or UWC or still stay a student at Stellenbosch University.
• I also turned down a scholarship offered to yours truly to go to Japan and do masters there. For what? I ask. Well, for the sake of being with the one I believed loved me.
• The worst thing is that, I was expected to spend every weekend at my partners place. Quality time I was told, and then what happened? My school work started suffering, but I made sure to pull up my socks during the week to make up for lost time. Funny enough, the weekend ended up the both of us fighting.
• There was one thing that always puzzled me. My partner always wanted to know all my friends, and where I have met them and what do we say to each other. If I put down a phone I get to be asked, “Who was it? And what he or she saying to me?” No problem with that, but to be asked all the time, hallooooooooo! That spell jealousy, an extreme one for that matter, well, your phone might as well be bugged.
• My so called x partner had a house, and I was always told, the house is my home too. Funny enough, when decisions were made, I was not consulted. I then told my x partner that there in no use in saying the house is my home but I am not consulted or simply told of anything that happens. That led to a lot of disputes. My x partner would cover the situation by saying I was being surprised. I was surprised indeed.
• There were times when I felt like being alone or go visit my friends. I will do that, but when I return to the house my x will be tempestuous. If I leave I have to say where I was going and when will I be back, but my partner would leave without telling me where to look if something is wrong.
• I was expected to be by my ex.’s side at all times when my x is having a get together with friends, a bbq or something.
• My partner always reminded me about past relationships that did not work out and If I am planning to do the same thing, I have another thing coming. I was reminded regularly re my ex.’s time at prison. Too much baggage for my liking.
• My x used to buy me a lot of gifts of which I refused most of them. The only thing that I accepted was a phone and a laptop, but they were seized from in a malicious way when I wanted out. The news of me wanting out were not welcomed, I was labelled a gold excavator, unattractive and selfish person.
• My x was so "concerned" about me to extend that jobs were explored on my behalf and I was told which one will be best suited for me. Where the hell was my self-esteem? Mmm…
• My family were fond of my ex, but I never spend 10 minutes with my ex.’s family.
• I am not going to touch the mood swings and violent tempers. Those ones were eldritch and shuddery. I feared for my life. I remember the kitchen door got smashed and dismantled.
• Everything that escalated was always seen as my fault. Silly I, I always kept quiet when my partner screamed a storm in the house. I was regarded as the cause of the screaming. Screaming for simple issues? Well, professional help is needed.
Above all this, I got to realise that my ex's is someone who lacked confidence and self-sustenance at that time. So, whoever was around, had to feel the same. I hope you understand what I mean by this. I ended up doing a lot of introspections and I decided to call it quits before I self destruct. The baggage from my ex's youth life and other previous relationship experienced made it not easy to have a normal relationship.
Due to the fact that I ended the relationship when my x least expected. I was called a gold digger, anti spyware (my ex got into my emails account with out my permission, examined my phone messages and asked one of our mutual friend to translate those written in my mother tongue), but now it turned out that my ex's current friends are told I am the one who was doing that. Apparently my ex bought me a car (my ex's current friends were told) , and on top of that I left, leaving my ex with a debt of over R30k, which I caused. Oh man, what did I buy?
The only things that I got out of all the relationships I was involved in, is to love myself first before I can love the other person and be there for the person who is in my life, by talking things through and sure as hell not to be a victim by ignoring the inner voice. I gained control of my life and I don't intend to let anyone take control of it while I am still alive. I strongly believe each and every relationship is a lesson and I have learned at least 30% of such.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
The meaning of Life...
I have been trying to figure out what life means, despite the fact that it is defined as a characteristic of organisms that exhibit certain biological processes such as chemical reactions or other events that results in a transformation.
Life is full of the good and the bad, from one being happy and the other searching for happiness, while others are feeling lonely, sad, empty even though the might be having "a thing" that makes the world go round, money. I was once told that if I truly want to be happy I should carve my path to happiness and joy by knowing God. Well, I grew up going to church, both my brother and sister studied Theology but all I have gathered is that I went to church regularly not to know God but to be counted amongst those that do attend church service and to also to follow my parent's wishes. I do not regret going to church, I met a lot of people through going to church. That still does not give a meaning to life. Most of the time I do feel that life is quintessential of high school environment. When you are with your parents, you still get to be controlled, when you are with other elders the same thing happens, even at work, in a relationship (any kind of a relationship).
Does life means being controlled by your superiors or one serving his or her purpose on this earth?
I am still puzzled...
Life is full of the good and the bad, from one being happy and the other searching for happiness, while others are feeling lonely, sad, empty even though the might be having "a thing" that makes the world go round, money. I was once told that if I truly want to be happy I should carve my path to happiness and joy by knowing God. Well, I grew up going to church, both my brother and sister studied Theology but all I have gathered is that I went to church regularly not to know God but to be counted amongst those that do attend church service and to also to follow my parent's wishes. I do not regret going to church, I met a lot of people through going to church. That still does not give a meaning to life. Most of the time I do feel that life is quintessential of high school environment. When you are with your parents, you still get to be controlled, when you are with other elders the same thing happens, even at work, in a relationship (any kind of a relationship).
Does life means being controlled by your superiors or one serving his or her purpose on this earth?
I am still puzzled...
Thursday, 12 February 2009
A pure STAR...
I always say there are stars and there are followers. Jennifer Hudson is a STAR, no one can dispute that.
If you do not believe me check out her video, rather her performance at the 2009 Grammy. Outstanding performance.
If you do not believe me check out her video, rather her performance at the 2009 Grammy. Outstanding performance.
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