Venting About the Situation at Hand

How "21^st century" of me to jump onto a political/educational/social situation and use it as a reason to update my blog. But I’m only doing this to get some thoughts off my chest.

I like to think of myself as a writer, I may not be Charles Dickens or Ernest Hemingway, but I find it easiest to express myself through writing. While some people can easily take to the streets and chant and cheer and shout and make an actual change and express their thoughts, it just doesn’t come naturally to me. What does come naturally to me, is writing. At least I like to think so.

I remember (like it was so long ago) when these protests started, and I will not lie to you they pissed me off. Not because I didn’t agree with the cause, but because I thought it was disruptive. I mean, for one, I felt like I was being judged at every corner simply because I was in class and not at a protest. I remember having conversations with people who would nod politely at what I was saying when they clearly didn’t agree with me. I felt that I had to constantly justify why I thought the protests were disruptive- and they were... well, they still are; And I felt as though people thought that I was completely against the protests, which I wasn’t. But I’ve had a change of heart.

I started thinking about the situation more deeply. I started thinking about myself and what the fee increases would mean for me specifically, and believe me, it wasn’t at all pleasant. I mean, I am struggling enough as it is, despite the fact that I was lucky enough to get a bursary. What if I am not so fortunate next year, and the year after and the year after that? That would mean an end to my university career long before I have the chance to become the filmmaker that I have dreams of becoming. And not to mention the debt that I would not be able to pay back, because let’s be honest, being a filmmaker is not the most guaranteed way to earn an income.

With all this in mind, I now realise that maybe the protest does have to be this drastic. Maybe I do need to feel uncomfortable about the fact that I cannot attend lectures, and hand in my assignments and prepare for exams. Maybe these things are all trivial in the greater scheme of things. Sure, it’s important to pass this year, but that won’t mean anything if I cannot afford to go back to university next year.

So I guess I feel as though this is all bittersweet. If the protests are successful, then fantastic. It means that more people, myself included, can continue to get the education they deserve. It means that just that many more people can at least hope to get an education that will better their future. But what if they aren’t... and I don’t want to be a pessimist but what if the government and the institutions and councils just won’t budge? Then will this all have been wasted time and energy?

My opinion on the protest is not ironed out, but all I know is that it is a necessary measure- disruptive, slightly aggravating but necessary and quite empowering. I know that I am FOR the cause and I believe that fee increases are ridiculous- to put it politely. But- and it's a huge but- I also know that I am completely against the violence. And I don’t care for the whole “sometimes violence is the only way” argument, violence is something that I believe can only justified in VERY select situations.

I should probably stop now, before I write a whole thesis of  brain vomit about these protests. Given half the chance, believe me, I would go on forever.

So I guess that’s all, Bye.

To 2014, and the years to come.

So, the end is near... but not in the sinister, "fantasy novel" sort of way, but in the sense that this year- may gap year- is drawing to a swift close. I remember when I started this blog to document the  happenings of my year, and seeing as I have grown rather attached to it, I may hang on to it for a while and continue to jot my experiences.

Now, what does "the end" mean for Nomsa? I mean, I have been on several amazing journeys of discovery from which I have gained a better understanding of myself and what I have to offer. I have unlocked a love for travel, meeting new people, creating new experiences and good wine (often coupled with a platter of good company and time well spent.) I have also, and most importantly, formulated an idea of what I want to contribute ,to the world; something more than just the emission of CO2 and taking up space. I have established that whatever I end up doing, should somehow influence a positive change in the world around me.

All of this is great and rather inspiring (slightly pretentious but only just,) but how do I maintain this, post-gap year, when I leave 'this' real word, for four years of 'that' real world? How do I ensure that I maintain this same level of inspiration and self understanding when I leave (so to speak) the catalyst that is the cause of said inspiration? A part of me has been growing increasingly more worried, but I think that there is a  solution.

I simply have to go into the next league of my life, as I went I to this year: with an open mind and a will to experience all that comes my way. I need to wrap my head around the fact that the end of my gap year is not the "be all and end all" it just means that from here on, any new experiences will be in a slightly more contained and structured environment, which might actually do wonders for my organisational skills. And lastly I just need to remember the things I have learnt up to this point in my life and carry them with me.

Here's to the end of 2014, *raises 3 glasses* a year spent enriching my life, making mistakes (believe me there are a few things I could have done differently) and overall just having fun. This year has been one of the best of my life and I hope it's foreshadowing for more great years to come.

So, for the last time this year: That's all, Bye! X :)

Things I'm loving: November.

I know that people say that you shouldn't choose favourites. Actually I'm sure that's just something say about their children. But anyway, I have taken it upon myself to share with you some of the things that I am loving currently, and in general. Yes, this is inspired by beauty bloggers and vloggers but this will not be about make up and facial products because that is something I know very little about. I fear that if you took my advice on such things you may end up looking and feeling worse  than you did before so... Moving along.  I have decided to do a monthly favourites thing just so that I can write about some of my favourite things for that month. So here are some things, non beauty/make up related for November:

1. Snapchat: I recently got Snapchat because windows is always delayed with apps (windows phone 7, that is) and it is so much fun just to send ridiculous pictures to people.
2. Headscarves: Ok, this is slightly beauty related and it's a love that started way before November,  but still. Headscarves are great because when my hair is looking not so fine, I just chuck a scarf on it and it looks 10 times better.
3. RHOH: Which if you don't know, stands for- Real Husbands Of Hollywood. This is possibly the funniest fake reality show ever made. It is my guilty pleasure and I binge watch it on the reg.
4. Frank Sinatra: I have been listening to a lot of old music and Sinatra just does it like no one else in the world. Also amongst the people who do/did it like no one else in the world are Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers and a million others.
5. George Clooney: After watching a whole lot of his films I have fallen in love with George Clooney and his general demeanour on screen.
6. My kindle: I must admit that I am one of those people that prefer to read an actual book, but my kindle, which was a gift from some lively people, is great because it saves space and money and I am slowly getting over the fact that it's not an actual book.
7. YouTube: Let's face it, this will be on my list of favourites always until I die and there's no need to explain why.
8. Chester Missing: Before now I did not know of this incredibly funny ventriloquist puppet. He makes  humourously accurate comments on south African politics and other such topics.

So those are some of the things that I am loving this month. That's all, Bye! :) x

Applying for uni

After what seems like years, I am here again. One would think that because of my being away so long I have been extremely busy, but that hasn't been the case. In fact I have just been doing a whole lot of boring admin type stuff, most of which is linked to  university.
Which also happens to be the topic of this post.
 First and foremost, I have been accepted into my course of choice at my university of choice which is super duper exiting and I could hardly breathe when I got the news. I almost had dig up my asthma pump which I probably haven't used in at least a century. So now I have been planning various aspects of how I will prepare for university and how and when to do everything that needs to be done.
The above has inspired me to make this post a mini guide for uni applications in the hope that it may give someone the help and information that I had to google or speak to people for. It's tough enough that in your last year of high school  you have to stress about exams, let alone university applications, so having information makes it that much simpler.
To make this as easy as possible I will put everything into steps. That way, the order of things and how you need to do them will be clearer- hopefully.
Before you can even think about anything, pause and ask yourself whether you do actually want to go to university. After all, university isn't for everyone. And I don't mean that in the hipster, "I live in the moment" sort of way, I mean it in the sense that we are not all academic and some people would be better off furthering their education in some other way. Also, you might want to take a gap year- I did. I will do another post in the future about gap year taking  and how to work your way around it.
Another thing to remember, is that university applications sort of start in grade 11 because you use those final marks for applications. Having good grade 11 marks means that you can get provisional/conditional acceptance which means you already have your foot in the door. (This is in terms of South African universities.)
So here are some steps to follow, assuming that you have asked yourself question 1 and you would like to do the university thing.

1. Find out what you would like to do one day, what are your interests what are you good at what subjects have you been taking and enjoying and use that information to find a university course that correlates. Speak to your teachers (believe it or not they're there to help), google it, go to open days, all that kind of stuff.

2. See which universities offer that course or a course similar to it, also see other courses that you might like so that you have a second choice. Look at other things about the university, where it's located, how big lectures/classes are, extramural activities, is it campus or city- all that kind of stuff which is also important to a great uni experience.

3. Get info on when applications start and the sort of information you'll need to apply. I believe that you should do the application yourself, and if you need help, sure, ask for it, but doing it yourself means that you're taking the whole journey and it's a great way to see whether you actually are cut out for university.

4. Do things as soon as possible because universities can often be slow at processing things and that way you have enough time to check on how your application is going and call if you need any other info.

5. People say that you should apply to as many universities as possible but I think not too many- especially if you are confident with your level of work. Fewer applications means less paperwork, lower application costs and an easier choice when you have to choose your final one. I applied to three and they were all universities that I would've been happy to go to if only one of them had worked out.

6. Once you have applied, check up on your applications every now and again just to see how things are going and if you need to do anything else- again, call the university if you really must know.

7. Once you've done the hard part, now comes the even harder part: thinking about finances, and where you will be living. If you choose to live in res, you would have applied along with your actual university application (make sure that you have the correct forms because sometimes they are located in different places or they are sent to you separately.)

8. In terms of finances, (which you may not have to worry about if you or your parents are rich and willing to sponsor,) speak to your parents or guardian(or someone older and wiser- sound of music reference) as to how you will fund your university tuition. Some obvious options might be:

• financial aid, which is offered by the university
• bursaries  and scholarships which are awarded by companies, indie people or the university and these are usually awarded on the basis of financial need and academic/sporting/cultural ability.
• student loans from the bank

My advice for all of these is: do as much research as possible as early as possible. Also know what the various funding options will cover.

9. This is possibly the hardest part but this is the part where you wait. Check your applications regularly- not religiously, just enough. If you have the chance speak to people who are actually in university during this time. Don't stress yourself out either, save that for finals.

So, that is just some information on how to go about university applications. Sure it's not everything you need to know, but it's just a way to process everything in a way that makes sense and makes the process slightly less daunting.
I hope that this has been somewhat helpful to someone and if not, oh well. Just have as much fun as you can with it, and if all else fails, just think of all the sophisticated, smart, cultured and attractive university boys/girls  that you will have access to... In 4th year maybe.

So just take it step by step and good luck. That's all, Bye! :) x 

Photo & Film Expo 2014

Today's post, ironically, will be lacking in pictures because only I could go to a Film and Photo expo and not take a million pictures of things. But I do have a few and I will have to sort them out later because I am having various technical difficulties, ok, only one technical difficulty and that is that my laptop is acting up and the only way that I can get images from my phone to anywhere is by using Zune which is on my laptop. Anyway, you’ll just have to use your imagination. You’ve go one of those, right?

Basically, for the past few days (starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday) I was at a photo expo in Johannesburg learning things about cameras and photography and even a little bit about videography and film.

It was an amazing experience and I learnt most about editing and ensuring that you’re editing looks realistic and pleasing. So soon, once I get back into the swing of things, I can translate these skills into the videos I make and hopefully have better quality content.

The expo happens every year at round about the same time and it is a great place to get great deals on cameras and all those things but it’s also a great place to learn things- useful things. This is the first expo that I have been to and I think that I may go again, and it may even become a tradition. It has also inspired me to dabble in photography and see what I can do, mostly for fun though. 

As a result of the expo I have taken up basic Photoshop and in the near future I will invest in the whole Adobe package, okay, maybe distant future because it is hella expensive and a girl’s gotta live.

That’s all, Bye. 

The things on my Agenda

Although I may be back from my 6 month stint in the UK, my gap year isn’t over so I am still in the process of looking for things to do for the next few months until Uni starts. For now I have been merely soaking in the presence of my family, which has proven to be an exhaustingly pleasant feat, especially after 6 months of being away.

Coming back was a bit of a culture shock in itself, but not in a bad way, In a way that has had me thrown back into the rituals of home life and the happenings of African Culture. A big contributor to this is the fact that the weekend I got back, was also the weekend that lobola negotiations were being done for my cousin- If you do not know what lobola is, I suggest you Google it. As a result of this my body has had to readjust itself from the ways of western life to that of my African family.

It has been great to actually be old enough to understand how this important part of African culture works and to be fully immersed in it. It has shown me all the things that I have missed about being back home, and I now know what to expect when I get married one day- when I am 85, maybe. On the downside of this, is the fact that every other family member approaches me and says “you’re next aren’t you? Will it be a white man?” To which I reply with a nervous giggle and a shrug of the shoulders.

Now, to my agenda. I do not have anything planned as of yet, but I am hunting around for jobs and things to do and I have come across the Johannesburg film and photography expo which I hope to go to at the end of next month. I think it is something like the largest of its kind in Africa so it should be really exciting. Other than that my plans are pretty flexible, I have loosely organized to go to Cape Town, to see old school friends and Pietersburg to see my lovely grandmother.

Most of my time however will be filled, by finishing touches to university things and an interview which is in the near future.

In between everything else I am enjoying being back in the African sun, which at times is rather scorching. But I guess it’s the perfect balance after in a country that has season commitment issues.

That’s all, Bye! :) x

My day in North Devon (11th Sept)

Aaaaand, we're back. It seems like every time I abandon this blog (albeit very temporarily) I come back with a million and one stories to share and this time is no different. Today I will disclose the details of a Magical Mystery Tour (as it was so described) that I was taken on around the North of Devon.

Anyone familiar with Devon will know that it is an extremely beautiful part of the country and (as I have discovered) that the North of Devon is a particular gem. Anything that I could say in words would not even begin to portray how beautiful it is, so I have assembled, a collection of photos that will sum up my day.

Before I allow you to feast your eyes on the beauty of my assembly of pictures, I would like to mention some very special people who designed and facilitated this "Magical Mystery Tour." Sandra and Pete (Sandra's son), who  invited me to their part of the country, are also responsible in allowing me to do the amazing leadership course that I mentioned in a blog post here a while ago. So a huge thank you to them for being a part of my amazing experience in this beautiful country and for immersing me in the most picturesque sites for a day.

After some thought, I realise that I could just pop some pictures into this space but I would rather take you through my explorations and show you where I went and what I did there. Sound good?

First, I arrived at the train station in a town called Barnstable (which is pronounced "barn-stable" for reference.) I was welcomed here by Sandra and Pete whom I had never met before so I spent a few split seconds, as I was disembarking the train, stressing about whether I would have to approach random people and ask if they were here to pick me up. None of that was necessary, although it would have been quite an experience in itself.

We then drove to Instow, to get a taster of some of the lovely sites to come.

I had to jump out of the car to get this shot overlooking the Estuary

Next was a town called Bideford. Here we popped into a place called Golden Bear belts, and had a peek into the process of leather belt making. Each belt is customized to the preferences of the customer, so no two belts are exactly the same. This is also all done in the most environmentally friendly way. 

The next league of our tour was to the only place in the British Isles to have an exclamation point in its name (yes, it is possible, apparently.) There is a  story of how Westwood Ho! came to get such an extraordinary name and it involves a bestselling novel (back in the day) and a brainwave as to how tourism could be induced in the village. I was also treated to possibly the most delicious vanilla Ice Cream that I have had in my life. 

A Panorama overlooking the coastal views that one would get from Westwood Ho!

Next, was off to lunch at what is described as the best pub in all of Devon: a claim with which I will not argue. The home of this pub (the old Smithy) is a place called Welcombe. I had a veggie burger which can actually compete with other non-veggie burgers that I have had, yes, it was that good. 

The exterior of The Old Smithy

Pete and I conversing about something. It's probably very interesting.

A candid of me saying something. Photo Credit: Sandra (she is a photographer so a few more pictures will pop up that were taken by her.)

After lunch we went for a coastal walk along Hartland and its quay. It is very hard to walk along this coastline and not say "wow" or "amazing" or "beautiful" at every single corner that you take. It's not only beautiful because of the nature that lies around it but also because of the geology of the area, where you have these gigantic cliff faces that seem to have buckled into grotesque yet oddly charming formations. It almost seems as though the rocks will start moving and crumbling as you walk over them. Another beautiful yet slightly unnerving feature, is the stillness of the water. It seemed almost counter intuitive to be near the sea and have it be so quiet. It was very peaceful though. 

Driving to Hartland.

Some burnt shrubbery. It looks quite artistic, don't you think?

A snap by Sandra of me taking a snap of the beautiful views.

I especially love the rays of light in this one. 

Some of the rock formations I was speaking about. And the still water. 

Some flowers.

A view of the quay. 

To end off the tour we went to what I think should be referred to as a postcard town. Mostly because you could take a picture of anything in Clovelly and you could place it on a postcard and it would look outstanding. Understandably this picturesque town is appealing to many tourists and I found myself wondering how the residents felt having all these strangers walking through their town taking pictures of their houses and streets. 

At some point my battery died so I could not take too many pictures but luckily I had a photographer with me so I did get some lovely shots. 

Some donkeys that we came across at the top of the village before we started walking down towards the quay. And note the cobble stones which run all the way through to the bottom of the village onto the quay. 

A view of how the main street stretches to the bottom of the village.

I wonder how this resident feels about my taking pictures of the flowers on their balcony.

A look at the quay and some boats.this is the point where my battery died so the following pictures were all taken by Sandra.

One of the boats and a leveled view of the quay.

We had some natural fruit juice after a tiring decent through the village. We were also joined by Jen who is on the left. 

 Some wide angled views of the surrounding area. 

When we got back to the top of the hill I thought that this cow was in some need of photographing so Sandra did the honours. 

The "Magical Mystery tour" then drew to an end and it was time for me to head on home. It was back to Barnstaple and onto a train that would take me to Totnes. I was lucky enough to meet a lady called Amanda who was on the train with me so it wasn't a lonely ride back. And it also meant that I didn't run the risk of getting onto the incorrect trains because she was very familiar with it all.

Again, the hugest thank you to Sandra and Pete, for ensuring that I had a truly magical day, and for adding to my memories, an incredible tour around the North of Devon.

That's all, Bye! :) x