My younger brother(left) and his friend.

MY FRIENDS(TRUE SISTERS) AND I...

We are conditioned!

Why do we laugh at a Black Man/African people who are struggling to speak or write English and not laugh at a White man speaking appalling Zulu, seTswana, isiXhosa, xiVenda, Xitsonga or Sesotho? "We all have done this, we thought that Boxers, Musicians and/or Soccer Players who cannot speak English are idiots (Siyabonga Nomvete, Steve Lekoelea, Vuyani Bungu, Mandoza, Bashin Mahlangu)!
Have you ever thought about De Klerk who does not even utter a single Zulu, Xhosa word, he cannot even pronounce your name to start with. In the office they pronounce your name wrongly and you just smile (Mental Oppression I tell you!). You are impressed when Mrs. van Wyk tries to speak isiZulu, seTswana or isiXhosa. In 15 years Van der Merwe managed to learn Sawubona, Molo & Dumela only...and you are impressed by that sickening and Lousy Crap !!

Why does it never occur to you that Mrs. Van Wyk is an IDIOT, a Certified Moron... who is not capable of learning one single African Language! What is compelling me to be writing this blog in English and not in Zulu, seTswana, Xhosa; even though I know that all the Recipients are either amaZulu, baTswana, baVenda, baTsonga, amaXhosa or baSotho? Is it because I know that you will be able to read and understand this email instantly without asking for interpretation? The excuse "I am faster when I read or write English", My Foot; That's a big crap! You and I were not born speaking English but we attended English schools,"
You listen to your voicemail; it is in English and how many Whites call you compared to your fellow Africans? Why do you have to cater for the 10%? You do not even have a single White friend yet your everything is in English. That is pathetic, I say!!
If I told you that I had a Degree in Zulu, Setswana, isiXhosa or seSotho you would all laugh your head off, for you do not see why someone in his right mind would want to do a degree in vernacular instead of English, yet French classes are overflowing...Your son or daughter cannot even write a mere Zulu, seTswana, isiXhosa or seSotho, s/he detest the language and no one should be learning the Zulu; seTswana, isiXhosa or seSotho by Slave Mentality!

Nokia recently introduced a phone with menus in Zulu, isiXhosa & seSotho...and we think that's 'for people who cannot read/understand English', Amaqaba/Barbarians!! When you phone Vodacom Service Centre you always press 1 (to be helped in English press 1, Zulu press 2 (Xhosa), Sotho press 3, Afrikaans 4). Why is it that you'd rather stammer than proudly speak your own vernacular language? That is because we are all conditioned...they got to our minds and we can't see it, our minds have been crippled and will never be free until we free ourselves...

"Emancipate yourselves from Mental Slavery, no one but ourselves can free our Minds" so said Bob Marley and even Steven Bantubonke Biko said something to that effect!No one will free us from mental slavery except ourselves..!''

Stay African, for you are sons and daughters of the African Soil!!!

Here I am.

WE ARE ME!

A Forward Look, with a backward glance.

I once went to Golden Gate Highlands National park, which is the real highlight and main attraction of the Free State. The vegetation in the Golden Gate nature reserve consists mainly of indigenous grassland. Long hiking paths lead through the quiet mountain world, vigorous and boisterous river for river-rafting. I am fond of nature reserves, away from the hustle and bustle of the eclectic city of Johannesburg.

What stood out for me were the massive, colourful sandstone formations, which shone golden-yellow in the evening sun, and from which the area takes its name. But the splendour that I personally marvelled at was; after a long day of swimming, hiking, canoeing and foo-foo sliding-was reaching the tip of Golden gate in the evening and wanting to live there for eternity. I felt a sense of accomplishment and I felt that I had gotten my pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Everything I had done throughout the day was rewarded by that magical moment of reaching the cliff and starring into the ‘beautiful’.

That is the moment when it dawned on me; this is how I would like the rest of my life to play out. Adventure coupled with hard work and enclosed with a magical reward afterwards.
Even now after my trip, I still see the glaciers vividly in my mind and every day I try to take myself back there. Try to reel in all the ecstasy that the cliff brought to me. But I have come to an alarming thought that what if with time I will slowly start to forget or maybe my mind will equate and transform all those memories to a fragment of my imagination.

So I decide to take a canvas, paint brush and paint... relive all those memories on paper for all to see, for my future to remember and witness all that I had experience in a moment of my life on a cliff... in my past. For that moment was life changing, it gave me perspective on how I would like to feel with all new experiences. In completing my artwork and master-memory I hung it on my bedroom wall, so as see it each morning when I wake up and glance back at it before I go out to the world and create my future.

All my dreams and hopes hang on this memory. Just as in life! In order for anyone to have a goal in life, we need to have a clear picture of what we would like to achieve. It has to play out like a movie in our heads, that way when opportunities knock at your door, we may quickly and easily identify it and welcome it in! We would’ve prepared a room for it and it will fit in like missing puzzle piece in your lives.

Then again in order to achieve this goal you need to have direction. This will be encompassed from the starting point to the destination-having a backward glance comes into play! Just like how I always glanced back at my painting and grab the euphoria that will help me through the day. That is the principle we should all adopt. Capture that memory that will be conducive for ones growth. Then glance at it once in a while so as not to forget what you are working on and that you can get a clear picture of where you would like to be.

Whether it is your studies, career, relationships or whatever else that needs your undivided attention, may you rediscover yourself, define your future and take the journey in a forward look with a backward glance!

Zoe Maphala- Tuks Magazine

Me Expressed

Not only are words expressed through words

But through Mind, Body and Soul

Our inner-most feelings evoked by experiences, challenges, pasts...

And everything this life has lead us into.

The comparisons I've chosen, are those I have chosen in my life's path.

Roads I've tread on,

Decisions I've made

and so the trail of my life will remain

In existance of me

And those who choose to follow it's History.

The passion of words and the manner in which I choose to place them.

-Zoe Maphala

MY SECOND AND FINAL NAME

Sometimes I am just ugly in a beautiful way!

Sometimes I am just ugly in a beautiful way


Hi peeps, I am back again with my ramblings.
Today I looked in the mirror and realised “Woah, I sure am ugly” LOL
I know you probably thinking “BDD (Body Dimorphic Disorder) Alert! BDD alert!” But honestly, I look in the mirror and I have a different expectation of what I will see. I hope to see a light skinned girl, with no dark marks, cute pink lips, with gorgeous lustrous hair and a... wait for it... an English nose! *blush* But what do I get? Me!*sigh* My girls tell me all the time that I am pretty, even random people I meet on the street tell me I am pretty, but I don’t know what goes on in my mind that leads me to think I am not. I don’t have a low self-esteem, I don’t have major insecurities and I am definitely not a BDD patient.

I must tell you, I am the most confident person you will ever find. I don’t feel the need to hide my face or put huge amounts of make-up, but I do deal with those minor insecurities! I don’t know if it’s just me or a lot of girls suffer that. I think at this point it doesn’t matter how beautiful I become, I think I have been cursed with the gift of NOT seeing it! LOL (Whatever that means) I do sense I am not ugly, I just dot think I know or understand my beauty!

Or maybe, I am just humble [Laughing My ass Off] *and fading away from my nonsensical mind*

So yeah, under all that placidness and confidence is the insecurity of hoping that I looked like Beyonce (bloody perfect b*tch) LOL.

A 24 year old and marriage

I just smiled before I wrote this note... ok let me be honest, I giggled a bit. I giggled at the thought of how I am letting in the reader into the corners of my not-so-stable mind.

Firstly I look around and notice my peers and ladies slightly older on how they all get excited for marriage. Now dont get me wrong, that's well and good, but what frightens me is how they view the concept of marriage. I am not saying there is something wrong with how they think, its just that they get me freaked out on how differently I think.

I am sure we all heard how little girls dream of their wedding when growing up. How they picture the dress, the man of their dreams and co-hibiting together. Sorry to burst the bubble for all my sisters, but I didnt share the same sentiment. I didn't picture a hubby or a picket fence or children. I only went as far as my own house and a dog... maybe I saw a manly figure hovering around in the backround... but that's as far as I went.

Even now, I still am not faffing around the idea.

Now that you got me all wrong- I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU WHERE I STAND.

I see myself married, I see myself with kids and I see myself with a husband. But I dont see it as a goal, or an achievement that has to be reached. I dont work towards mariage, becase I believe I will work at marriage when I am in it. I see alot of gentleman and ladies who plan their lives like its a car that they have to acquire befor 21yers, or a house that they want to by by 28, or a Job position that they need to be in by 30. I believe the day you start taking marriage in that light, you will either marry someone you dont love, or grab anything that is willing to resemble a wife/husband. And we all know where all of that will lead to...

I believe marriage a standard. No man is an island, is what God said. So we are bounf to be married. Instead of waisting time preparing for something you have no control over- rather focus on you. Yes, I did not stutter! As a single, you need to work on your character, personality, morals and principles. There is nothing as worse as two completely strange and unstable people trying to get to know each other and figure out each other, when they dont even know individually who they are themselves. That will result in chaos and in divorse. What happened to waiting for God to show you your wife and to fulfill your needs at the appointed time that He feels it will be good for you?

Intro-Ninja

Hello... I guess

I am a first time blogger and I am going to try express as much as I can. I chose to do this because I have a lot going on in my head that I feel close to exploding! why not let it out this way and have people tell me if I need to be booked into a Mental asylum or not.

I go by the name Kunoichi- which means a female ninja. Now you may be wondering why I call myself a Ninja, but its really simple. I have always wanted to be different for as long as I remember. When I was young I was hoping to be an only child so that my siblings and I never did or received the same things or treatment. When I was in in high school I always went out of my way to get to know my teachers and their intricate ways of teaching. Why you may ask? So they can treat me and talk to me different from other learners. I know that extreme and weird- but those are the lengths' I go through in order to bring a different flavour to this life.

I also found that I am quite a J.O.A.T 'Jacqui Of All Trades' in life. Ever since i was young I knew that I would be capable of doing what ever I put my mind to. Looking back I think it was weird for a 5 year old to feel so over confident- or maybe I was just self absorbed. I knew how to sing, act, good painter, was good in sport, A student, a good writer, I could draw pretty well, could cook well- still can. I remember even when I joined the girls soccer team, I became the best player there. I joined cricket and became the best bowler there too. Did Rugby and mastered the game in no time, but as I got older I realised I didn't have time to do everything. So slowly but surely I started feeling like a headless chicken, because I was jumping from one thing to the next. I started feeling the pressure of having to master one thing that I am really good at... till now I am still doing everything- trying to figure it all out.

I am one of three siblings. The only girl in between two brothers. My older brother is one person I have been looking up to all my life and he is the reason for my 'Tom-Boyish tendencies... the reason my boyfriend and I fight all the time for who wears the pants... the reason why I fend for myself ... the reason why I am so happy in life when I came from a very traumatising childhood.

I love life, I love friends, I love family and I love the Lord. I am very spiritual (as in I pray, go to church and read the Bible frequently), very gregarious, very social, lively... But boy do I love my space. I can have friends and can be the life of the party- but I need my space where I can re-group and re-collect myself,, I can have a boyfriend, but he must just let me be at times.

I am a Poet...I love writing and reciting. But my favourite thing I have discovered is to do Spoken Word. I run Monthly Poetry Sessions at a very spectacular club called Blues Room, village Walk, Sandton, South Africa. I have also branched off to a slam Competition in Maponya Mall, Soweto (yeah... the one and only). I love performing live- be it singing or Slam.

This is me and and i hope we enjoy this journey of getting to know me and the madness that occurs in my brain moment by moment.

Love NinjaGirl
(^^,)