Trust high waisted-pants to give you that elegant look…

Being a student is more than just attending classes, submitting assignments and so forth. You get to meet different people from diverse backgrounds with different styles and in different ages. The reality is: We can’t be all in one category in terms of style or fashion and this article is not about which style is better than the other but for me at the moment, high waisted-pants are ‘thee’ business.

Whether in jeans or leggings, these pants go well with almost everything. A lady in them looks very sophisticated and honestly when wearing them, you won’t have to worry about pulling them up when getting out of a taxi (if you’re using one), no one will have to see your ‘line’ because of the pants hanging.

One can show a bit of flesh by wearing them with crop, peplum and tank tops or actually tucking the shirt in and can never go wrong with this style anywhere in the world. The most beautiful thing about them is that they make you look a bit slimmer and taller and you can actually get away with those rolls around waist by looking like a ‘thick’ woman rather than a big one, because let’s face it…looking fat in clothes is so not part of any woman’s plan when going out, that's why we always ask our boyfriends that one annoying question, "Do i look fat in this?"

I’ve seen girls around Long Street, Cavendish, Canal Walk etc and and yes, they look rather fashionable in them and I’ve also noticed that they go well with any type of shoe, be it platform heels, wedges or even pumps. I’m proud to say that I myself, own a few of them but very sad at the same time because I don’t have my personal favourite in my wardrobe: Pleather High-wasted pants.

Locally, I’ve seen the ever-so gorgeous Minenhle Dlamini and the SABC 1’s Live Amp Co-presenters Luthando Shosha and Pearl Thusi rocking them and internationally Kanye West’s fiancee Kim Kardashian and ‘Riri’ are my queens. I know we’re fast approaching summer and Cape Town weather temperatures are going to be very high in the next couple of months but nothing’s stopping anyone to do high-wasted shorts.

I mean it doesn’t really matter whether you’re thick or skinny, short or tall because anything high-wasted looks good in women; we have great bodies so why not show them off and feel good about it? What do we have to lose really? I’m planning to get myself a few very soon. :)

Um sometimes it’s just an infatuation…

So the dude you’ve been eyeing on campus or at work FINALLY asks you out on a date. You’re thrilled and anxious at the same time because this is something that you’ve always desired…wait did I really say that? Well, I happen to know at least 5 types of crush; Adult crush, Office crush, Twitter crush, Celebrity crush and the one i'm going to focus on right now; the REAL life crush.

Having a crush is one of the most aching and exhilarating things a girl experiences in her lifetime. You keep on bumping into this guy, you steal a glance at him and he looks your way and when your eyes meet you both smile and swiftly look away. Hahaha Isn't it a great feeling though?

On the next day, you see him again, he greets you in ‘that’ voice and he’s walking right in front of you as he starts preening himself and looking at you by the corner of his eye and you’re thinking to yourself, “haha! I’ve got this.” You get so excited that you feel like the world is turning against you when you bump into him in the following week and he ignores you so hard that you even start to doubt your own existence.

That’s when you start trying to get his attention by doing random stuff. After sharing with ‘tweeps’ the craziest things we do to get our crushes’ attention, I realised that people would do anything to get their crushes attention and everyone can be a Personal Investigator and I'm not here to judge.

But what happens when he finally asks you out?  You go out on a date, get to know each other and as time goes by you realise that yes, he’s cool and all that but as you keep on going out with him, you don’t find the fun that you thought you’d find anymore.

What causes this? Ncumisa Siko (23) admitted that too much expectations and high hopes can actually cause this. “When you have a crush on someone you don’t really know, you imagine things that you would like to do with him and when he doesn’t fulfil your expectations, you start to lose interest,” she chuckled.

It’s all fun and games hey? You get up in the morning heading to campus or office knowing that you’re going to see your ‘special someone’ and feel all those butterflies in your tummy and be all jittery when you see him. Yes, some crushes do lead to a ‘real thing’, some people end up dating and marrying each other but sadly, some aren’t like that.

Not all crushes ought to be pursued, some are actually meant to just remain crushes, forever. I know it’s kind of harsh for me to say this but sometimes it happens that the person you’re crushing on isn’t the ‘right guy’ and he’s going to bore you to death once you get to know him or hurt you(you don't want that now, do you?) or one of you is seeing someone or even married which is inappropriate or he’s just way out of your league and maybe "not that into you" sorry.

There’s no expert in heart-related issues but if you have a crush, I’d say enjoy while it last. I mean, It's fun .*giggles*

Being a young woman...

Hitting the juncture that shapes up the inner you in your glamorous-self…

So this other day, I’m roaming around my department on campus and bump into this rather petite, elegant “Yellow-bone chick” in skinny jeans and high heels, looking so tangled and in haste she asks me for directions into one of the classes.

Well, obviously I don’t know everyone in my department but I could tell that she was new and very nervous. With God’s Grace, our paths crossed again later that day and we officially met and honestly I’d say we just “clicked” and she told me she was there for a Selection Test for her anticipated course that she would like to do next year.

Amanda is her name and yes, she and I  shared a very, deep and thought-provoking conversation which touched the stage that we are in at the moment: Young Adult Phase, well specifically being a young woman.

It’s one of the hardest yet fascinating phases in one’s journey. It’s where one stops depending on parents for almost everything, completes her studies and begins to plan for future and that includes career and family.

“I feel like I’m under so much pressure, I hustle for almost everything and there are always those friends who seem to be progressing smoother and faster than me,” she says in a rather stern face. I guess it’s a norm; people around you seem to be moving forward, peers getting engaged and some getting married, starting families with their careers flourishing slickly. I walked my "newly found friend" to the taxi, came back to my room with tons of questions.

You feel like you want to get out there and do marvellous things for yourself like everyone else and yes you’re trying by all means but at the same time you feel like you’re a bit behind, well maybe your love life isn’t as great as your best friend’s or the job you’re currently doing isn’t what you thought it would be and you wonder why? Where did you go wrong?

Trying to stay healthy is part of your game plan and weight problems are part of the obstacles you come across daily.You're trying to break into the “real” world, building your brand, on the other hand you're losing friends and meeting new ones, your whole life is just that busy.

You hit the club with your girls and booze like there’s no tomorrow, hook ups now and then but STILL, that inner voice telling you that something is missing doesn’t seem to fade away and the funny thing is that you don’t know what is it exactly because it happens even if you‘re seeing someone.

Reaching the young adult stage is more than just having fun, this where you learn to make responsible decisions and have fun while you’re at it. It’s where you need to start thinking hard because the challenges you meet shape up the person you will be after, say…ten years from now.

I’m not sure what the future holds for me at the moment, but I’ve decided to just go with the flow, make those mistakes but learn from them because, regretting myself won't help me to just undo them...they're part of this phase, right?

HERITAGE DAY

Has it lost its meaning in this generation?

It’s a day that is supposed to be celebrated by all South Africans embracing their diverse cultures and traditions across the country. It’s a day where people from different tribes and nations commemorate the cultural heritage of all the cultures that make up this beautiful ‘rainbow nation’.

As a student who’s staying in residence, I walked around campus on the Heritage Day just to see the vibe on the day. The noise at the pool house welcomed me, girls giggling non-stop, while guys were braaing and holding beers, eyes sparkling, chatting so loudly and music pumping.

“Hey girl, It’s a National Braai Day, loosen up come have fun with us,” said one of the guys inviting me to join in. I thanked him for the offer and told him that I was only there for my assignment and I wouldn’t know if he really understood me because I could tell that he was already drunk.

I sat there, asking myself questions…wondering if this is how people, specifically young people think the day is all about? Is it about boozing and braaing only? What about the past, the present and the future of our heritage?
Siyavuya Ketshengana (21) a third year who’s doing his National Diploma in accounting believes that there’s more to Heritage Day than drinking and having fun. “We’re supposed to be celebrating our cultural traditions, our unity in diversity as the country and obviously as time goes by, everything is evolving and we have to try by all means to keep and maintain our different traditions,” he said.

With a debate that has been going on for a while about the day being re-branded or renamed to “National Braai Day”, Ketshengana stressed that the day might lose its meaning. “Look around you, young people are starting to forget their roots, think about what’s going to happen in 5-10 years’ time? This day only comes once in a year what’s so hard in forgetting about ‘Western stuff’ and come together as ‘Africans’ to just embrace and enjoy it?” he added.

However, 19-year-old Zimkhitha feels like the heritage day is a waste of her ‘precious’ time. “Who cares about these ancient traditions anyway? Time is ticking and life goes on we can’t be going backwards all the time, people need to F***en move on,” she said as she flicked her 16-18 inch weave.

I also had a privilege of talking to an elder, Sibongiseni Mkhive who works as a security officer on campus. He insinuated that the current generation is lost and the national braai day is an insult to Africans. He believes that after this generation our cultures and traditions will be extinct. He said, “Our fathers have tried to pass this onto us and we also tried to pass it to this generation but it’s hard because of the things like this braai day.”

Mkhive went on to say that people are trying to destroy our traditions because Heritage Day will no longer have a meaning and that will have a negative impact on people because tradition teaches us humanity and there’s no way that a braai day will do that.

One of the most influential people on twitter Khaya Dlanga tweeted: “I am concerned that years down the line, children will think that #HeritageDay is about braais and not history.” I’m not sure if it’s true but I believe that time will tell.

MY LOVE and PASSION FOR RADIO

The vital role IT has played in my life...

 

 

 

Okay this takes me back to 2012... when i enrolled for Journalism course. As I'd expected/heard, journalism is a very broad course with a variety of fields to choose from. The moment I walked in the radio journalism class early last year...my dear GOD... I was nervous as hell…I kinda thought that I was in the wrong place, everyone was talking about “vox pops” and as a newbie in the class I was confused not that I didn’t know what a vox pop was but because it was my first time to actually participate in one.

Few minutes after that, I felt warm and welcomed and suddenly that feeling of doing what you were born for and meant to do hit me. As a Radio junkie I felt deeply in love with the Media Production  subject which was divided into two modules:Radio and Photo Journalism. (but i didn't really like photo-journ)

I quickly thought of Makhosi Khoza, Alex Jay, Patrick Hayworth, Siyabonga Ngcangisa, Luckeez Mfowethu, Sizwe Saliso, Mzukisi Solani, Mark Pilgrim, Pabi Moloi, Ryan Seacrest, Bongi Mbelu, Poppy Ntshongwana, Luyanda "luks" Gidane, Kabelo "KB" Ngakane, Ndumiso Ngcobo, Lucky Sefatsa, Anele Mdoda, Dineo Lusenga, Stacey Norman,Ms Cosmo...Okay wait...whooooa...HOLD ON snaz!! Why do i feel like i'm such a hypocrite for mentioning all these people in one paragraph? well..YES, they might be competing for LISTENERShip but they all have one thing in common: Passion for radio!!!!!

I kinda feel bad for being a "traitor" or "radio slut" who listens here and there but i can't help myself because these Radio Personalities have shaped my career or should i say life? in one way or another. I fell inlove with radio during my teenage years but i never knew that i'd be THIS obsessed with it. It started when i was 15/16, while other kids were out playing/ meeting their boyfriends and girlfriends i was that weird lifeless girl who'd always have radio/stereo next to her.
At first it was all about the music...POP music and then their voices as they were talking i had like, my very own pictures in my mind on how they looked liked or what they were doing while presenting. But then as i grew older and older i realized that there was more to radio than that! There was this something really SPECIAL about it and the relationship between presenters and listeners (even though they would argue at times) was just too cute.

I noticed that the presenters could sometimes be LISTENERS and vice versa. I used to focus only on presenters but as time went by i learnt that it was a give and take platform because these people shared their experiences and advised each other.

Unlike TV, Magazines (oooooh i love them by the way,but that's a story for another day) and Newspapers...RADIO is NOW!!! and one doesn't need to be literate to understand it because in S.A we have more than 19 radio stations with all different S.A languages so it it's easier for  people in all different age groups to access the happenings around them without having to read about it.

Radio's role is to inform,entertain and educate people and the people i've mentioned above have that in mind and i've listened to all of them and they've never disapponted me,EVER!

www.spraguephoto.com

It inspires different people across the globe, it brings them together, makes changes in peoples'lives(big/small),it brings hope to the hopeless and knowledge and honestly i don't know where i would  be without my radio because I learnt more about the course that i'm doing at the moment (Journalism) on the radio and Siya Ngcangisa was my inspiration.

 

 

THE NEW PHENOMENON “SWAG”

 

 

You can see it from afar, I’m talking about the snapbacks/ straight caps worn sideways, the skateboards, the baggy trousers, the chains, the Jordan’s sneakers, the walk, the ‘twang’ / (accent), the printed t-shirts, the pants hanging, and tell that this new style is taking over the South African ‘decent’ way of dressing up and living.

This trend is mostly common in black and coloured communities where most kids went to so-called “model-c” schools. They call it hip-hop style because it’s actually derived from the hip-hop music genre and in order to have it, one has to be ‘cool’ and the coolness is associated with: ‘doing greenies’ (smoking weed) wearing baggy clothes and snapbacks, be able to twang (speaking like an American) and listen to "dope" hip hop artists like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Drake etc.

Well, originally the acronym SWAG was formed by a group of American men during 60’s which simply meant “Secretly We Are Gay” but that was back then…because in Africa, South Africa to be specific, it has a different meanings from Sexy With A bit of Gangster, to Something We All Got and the most recent popular one is: SWAG (Something We Africans Got) . They call themselves cool kids, cool cats, and in an institution like CPUT you will hear them using rather harsh words like ‘niggas’ for male students and bi****s and ho*s for female students and words that are popular in America like 'Fam, nig, Yo,Sup' are part of their vocabulary.

 Inspired by rappers like Young Money, these kids spend loads of money buying clothes almost every month, they’re too forward and have a big Fear of Missing Out (known as FOMO) and they don’t do any other drugs other than the cannabis also known as marijuana /weed and booze and mind you, they don’t just buy any type of booze, I’m talking about expensive stuff here because they like attention so much that they spend all they have just to brag, all in the name of YOLO (You Only Live Once) more like izikhothane but they don’t ruin their clothing and spill alcohol like them.

As we all know that swag in America is associated with luxuries, fleshy cars, money etc…this is a different story in South Africa because not all of these kids are rich, some are actually coming from disadvantaged backgrounds financially and they are using National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS>government’s loan) to pay their tuition fees yet they act so ‘cool’ around campus and call themselves money makers.

You would swear that they are kings and queens of the manner when walking around campus, bragging about everything. They act so overly confident like ‘Mr.-know it alls’. Yes, there are so many meanings of swag across the board being of course used in different contexts but mostly used to describe one’s fashion style and the way she/he carries her/himself. This trend includes your hair, clothes, the way you express yourself, language and accent are extremely important because as someone who has swag you can’t just say something like: “I wasn’t able to successfully hook up with the girl I’ve been eyeing so I’m blaming my failure on false actions” you have to cut your sentence short and it has to be American (even though you are a South African) like “shawty trippin” which means exactly what I’ve just written but it’s shorter (check Ghetto Translations on twitter @UrbanEnglish) . Another example would be a phrase like: “you aint sh*t” when you mean to say that someone seems to have it in his/her mind that she/he is important and bare significance but it’s quite the contrary.

Seeing young girls wearing skanky-revealing clothes, looking ‘fly’ with eccentric hair colours, drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana with boys all in the name of being ‘cool’ is rather disturbing.  In his version of “Preparing Ourselves for Freedom Culture and the ANC Constitutional guidelines” Albie Sachs says, "Culture is us, it is who we are, how we see ourselves and the vision we have of the world.” But wait…piercing, weaves and tattoos are part of swag, is that how we see ourselves? Is that how we picture ourselves in future and is that the vision we have for our beloved country? Sachs says, “The problem is whether we have a sufficient cultural imagination to grasp the rich texture of the free and united South Africa that we have done so much to bring about; can we say that we have begun to grasp the full dimensions of the new country that is struggling to give birth to itself or are we still trapped in the multiple ghettos of the apartheid imagination? Are we ready for freedom or do we prefer to be angry victims?”

Well, I for one think that we are not still trapped in the multiple ghettos of the imagination; this generation is free, too free that we do what we want and sometimes because of that we even forget about our own future because we don’t think critically. Sachs goes on to say, "African society, like all societies, develops and has the right to transform itself. What has been lacking since colonial domination is the right of the people themselves to determine how they wish to live.” So yes, our society is developing and transforming itself, maybe this is one of the ways? Maybe, just maybe we ought to accept that we are developing because we are slowly but surely turning into Americans and America is a developed country. Like he says, “every country has its positive and negative aspects. Sometimes the same cultural past is used in diametrically opposite ways.”

Personally, I think following trends and actually being fashion forward is cool but I also think that there has to be boundaries, our youth should know where to draw the line, because wearing tees such as those that reads disgusting stuff is just not cool, it doesn’t make you cool it just degrades you, what you wear actually does represent who you are.

I do not own any of these pictures

I reblogged them from

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fNhsBAOveOw/TmbVljNYyUI/AAAAAAAAAL0/liz3gWZdpgI/s1600/LittleBoySwag.jpg

A young South African giving back to the community

So while I was in the library yesterday browsing through newspapers and magazines i ran across to this Mail &Guardian publication where they published 200 young South Africans who are making a difference(be it small or big) in Mzansi Communities. Amongst what i would call top 20 was one of the inspirational and influential celebrity in the country, Sibusiso leope aka Dj Sbu.

I know a few people who call him a jack of all trades because he seems to be everywhere but this young man is not only the Radio/ and TV personality...he is also the motivational speaker, and a mentor to young South Africans who actually need a little push up to get the f*ck up and better their lives.

With him, it's not about where one comes from but about where he/she's heading in life. He sees the best in everyone and is dedicated to make a change in communities. Leope is the founder of a non-profit organization Sbusiso Leope Education Foundation which supports the enhancement of education and better matric pass rates in TOWNSHIP and RURAL schools nationwide.

Many young people can relate to his inspirational stories as he visits three schools every week to talk, motivate and encourage learners to do their best to improve the state of affairs they're in at the moment for a brighter future.

Yeah well, as a young lady who spends most of her time observing the happenings on twitter i have noticed that young adults really do appreciate what he's doing but as a human being, he can't be liked/loved by everybody. I've seen people criticizing him for what he does, claiming that he does everything for publicity but does it really matter though? The guy is doing wonders for leaners out there and through the bursaries that the foundation is giving away every year, kids who had no hopes of entering the varsity doors are busy studying and two of them now are university of Johannesburg graduates. Now who cares about what haters say when people are benefiting from this?

Now i begin to understand his mantra which says, “Focus on what matters" because that's what he's doing. Leope seems to be practicing what he's preaching and he's ignoring all the negativity he usually gets on social network platforms. “The main thing YOU and 'HATERS' should have in common is the fact that you're both focused on YOU," he tweeted the other day and i thought to myself, "I couldn't have said it any better."

On the 11th of October the Mzansi's 'number one knoxman' will be releasing his first official book titled "The leadership 2020 book" which will empower us young people to a whole new level. Honestly, I for one am looking forward to reading the book and i know that I’m not the only one...his fans, haters are impatiently waiting and you can tell that by the responses he got when he broke the news on twitter.

Shine DJ SBU!!!!