I know this Blog was started over two years ago, but at that time a lot of other issues took priority and i couldn't focus on it, and quickly left the mother continent for Distant shore, to resolve those other issues. Now i can safely say i am in a better state to focus on this, as initially intended.
I am hosting it on my own site: www.nonhlanhla.com/thisisafrica
The African!!!
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Africa
ohh Africa.. the land of my birth, how did i become so enstranged from you?
wow... it had been a year, and a long, busy, exciting year. i have moved continents, discovered, put things into perspective, and i am still in love with the continent, despite all it's challenges, it's special...
East Africa is in my mind now, i am not sure how that will pan out, but that is what my heart yearns for.
wow... it had been a year, and a long, busy, exciting year. i have moved continents, discovered, put things into perspective, and i am still in love with the continent, despite all it's challenges, it's special...
East Africa is in my mind now, i am not sure how that will pan out, but that is what my heart yearns for.
Friday, 2 November 2007
Yearning for more
About two months since my last post…within these two months, I found myself firmly sticking to my early conviction about this place. Winning the World Cup, as much as it gave me a misconception of a united South Africa…, more than anything, it brought forth the deep rooted issues, that this place has to seriously deal with. Without beating about the bush, I am yet to come across a place so segregated as this place, in every way, between whites and blacks, locals and foreigners, Zulus and Vhendas, the elites and to working class. I mean every facet of this place…bore some form of segregation, in every corner you turn, every alley, every cupboard you open. You can hear it, smell it, and even taste it… as if that wasn’t bad enough… nepotism, classis… is rife, with corruption rearing its ugly head in every state department…
Each day, I find myself loosing the love I had for this place, each day, the passion, commitment, warmth I once felt for this place, is replaced by shame, fear, sadness. The very thing, that made me give up a seemingly familiar, comfortable place with people and things I held dear, because I felt I had to give and would feel complete or more fulfilled doing something for my continent…instead the past few months have been unpleasant. This is not entirely due to the environment, but also personal struggles and internal conflicts have exacerbated matters. But I believe, had this place been the home I thought it was, or what I expected, the personal issues would have been bearable.
It is funny how, it took being somewhere to know that, this is not it. True that, it takes having experienced the worst, to know and learn to appreciate, the best in life.
That’s said, I must acknowledge that, this place has come a very long way, it amazes me each day, I mean only yesterday I was in a minibus taxi, and it had a telly inside…I was a bit confused of my location… it has soo much going on. And a lot of Europeans choose to be here, they make this their home, place of businesses, holiday destination, etc. I personally think in the process of getting this place to be as competitive in the global market, we lost track of the real simple issues, that need to be tackled…and depending on different personalities, to me, these mean more to me, than the technological advancement, economic and infrastructural growth and development. It should be noted, that each and every one of us, sees the world in our own unique lenses, and what matters is the colour of our own, So this is my own perception, and I have come across different people who do understand where I am coming from, but have different motivating factors, from mine…theirs is not necessarily wrong or right, we simply are after different things. In the past few years, I have discovered simplicity, and learnt that there is more to life… than what I had always believed.
Each day, I find myself loosing the love I had for this place, each day, the passion, commitment, warmth I once felt for this place, is replaced by shame, fear, sadness. The very thing, that made me give up a seemingly familiar, comfortable place with people and things I held dear, because I felt I had to give and would feel complete or more fulfilled doing something for my continent…instead the past few months have been unpleasant. This is not entirely due to the environment, but also personal struggles and internal conflicts have exacerbated matters. But I believe, had this place been the home I thought it was, or what I expected, the personal issues would have been bearable.
It is funny how, it took being somewhere to know that, this is not it. True that, it takes having experienced the worst, to know and learn to appreciate, the best in life.
That’s said, I must acknowledge that, this place has come a very long way, it amazes me each day, I mean only yesterday I was in a minibus taxi, and it had a telly inside…I was a bit confused of my location… it has soo much going on. And a lot of Europeans choose to be here, they make this their home, place of businesses, holiday destination, etc. I personally think in the process of getting this place to be as competitive in the global market, we lost track of the real simple issues, that need to be tackled…and depending on different personalities, to me, these mean more to me, than the technological advancement, economic and infrastructural growth and development. It should be noted, that each and every one of us, sees the world in our own unique lenses, and what matters is the colour of our own, So this is my own perception, and I have come across different people who do understand where I am coming from, but have different motivating factors, from mine…theirs is not necessarily wrong or right, we simply are after different things. In the past few years, I have discovered simplicity, and learnt that there is more to life… than what I had always believed.
Friday, 31 August 2007
My home
Through my journey to try and rediscover this place I cal home, and try and find myself as an African child, I’ve discovered that I don’t know and understand this place… I cannot relate to it. The women that I have become in the past two years is, incomprehensible to the land of my birth, I have become estranged from this place, it’s children, culture, it’s ways… my soul yearns for more, I have searched from the southern tip of Africa to the Northern part of South Africa…and all I discovered was that home is where love resides, where the color of my skin bares no significance.
And I am glad I had the opportunity to discover what home could and should be like, in the few months I have been back here…I have felt the most loneliest. Much as I love this continent and it’s children, I hate what colonialism has done it. Colonialism stripped Africa of its warmth and love, and its children of ubuntu (humanity). It has been a painful journey watching the remnants of apartheid, and how this animal is clinging soo tightly, refusing to let go and free Africa. The most horrific result of this animal is the destruction of mind and soul, it has destroyed many.
To be continued…
And I am glad I had the opportunity to discover what home could and should be like, in the few months I have been back here…I have felt the most loneliest. Much as I love this continent and it’s children, I hate what colonialism has done it. Colonialism stripped Africa of its warmth and love, and its children of ubuntu (humanity). It has been a painful journey watching the remnants of apartheid, and how this animal is clinging soo tightly, refusing to let go and free Africa. The most horrific result of this animal is the destruction of mind and soul, it has destroyed many.
To be continued…
Friday, 10 August 2007
been a while
i know... i promised a lot when this blog started... but i had to deal with personal crisis... and soo much has happened...
all i can say, Africa is beautiful and it is home... and gosh....
i need to sit down and tell all, sometime soon.
all i can say, Africa is beautiful and it is home... and gosh....
i need to sit down and tell all, sometime soon.
Sunday, 1 April 2007
Only in South Africa
Well, I still wonder if the plane from England didn’t detour to the US rather than Africa. Picking up my usual Sunday paper, I couldn’t believe it. There has been delays with the construction of the Gautrain, an underground train between Pretoria and Jo’burg, now Khulula, one of the budget airline company, saw a gap in the market. Instead, they will launch their shuttle flights, between Sandton, Pretoria, and the OR Thambo International Airport (formerly known as Johannesburg International Airport or Jan Smuts Airport, depending on how old you are). This is meant to operate exactly like the train, but cheaper, undercutting the proposed Gautrain by 30% to 40%. It might be called Gauplane. A 100-seater jet operating every 15 minutes, the duration of the flight will be 6 minutes. Apparently it will really be quick and easy flying within the City, with short check in times, no checked luggage, with refreshments on sale, and you can use your mobile and wifi internet on board.
Basically u’d just pack your car and hop on the flight to work in the morning, then hop on the flight home latter in the afternoon. I laughed the entire time reading the article, usually I’d say only in America, you get these kind of things, but nah…now Mzanzi is really acting American in more ways than one, I thought the Nando’s drive through was as far as this will go, but I bet soon, there’ll be drive through drug stores.
Why don’t they have one in Cape Town, traffic is ridiculous, I wouldn’t mind hopping on a flight to the office, and spend only 6 minutes instead of an hour or more. Maybe a move to Jozi won’t be a bad idea then.
Basically u’d just pack your car and hop on the flight to work in the morning, then hop on the flight home latter in the afternoon. I laughed the entire time reading the article, usually I’d say only in America, you get these kind of things, but nah…now Mzanzi is really acting American in more ways than one, I thought the Nando’s drive through was as far as this will go, but I bet soon, there’ll be drive through drug stores.
Why don’t they have one in Cape Town, traffic is ridiculous, I wouldn’t mind hopping on a flight to the office, and spend only 6 minutes instead of an hour or more. Maybe a move to Jozi won’t be a bad idea then.
Sunday, 21 January 2007
'T was a shock
I remember my very first day in London, walking down High street Kensington, i came across a guy who was busy doing some labour jobs on the pavements. i stood and stared at him for what must have been 5 minutes, you see he was white, that to me just did not look right. i wanted to ask him, what the hell was wrong with him? how can he be white and be doing odd jobs like that. and after a long while i walked away, realising for the very first time, how much Apartheid had penetrated me, as much as i, understand the effect of our system and how the rest of the world operates. But it was imbedded in me, that is all i have known and understood. I have always know whites were superior and you NEVER find a white folk doing that kind of job. in my country, that is a black man's job. it was in my subconscious ness, it was a painful revelation.
On Friday i walked around the CBD in Cape Town, there we quite a few constructions going on, i was frantically s3arching for just one, not even white, maybe coloured or Indian soul... i did not even find a single one. i must have seen over 50 men, ALL of them were blacks, and that suddenly felt a bit odd for me. this country sure has a very LOOOOOONG way to go where that is concerned. as much as things might be different theoretically, the reality is sad.. it is a very marginalised society.
On Friday i walked around the CBD in Cape Town, there we quite a few constructions going on, i was frantically s3arching for just one, not even white, maybe coloured or Indian soul... i did not even find a single one. i must have seen over 50 men, ALL of them were blacks, and that suddenly felt a bit odd for me. this country sure has a very LOOOOOONG way to go where that is concerned. as much as things might be different theoretically, the reality is sad.. it is a very marginalised society.
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