Shattered Dreams

 I figured that I had more than enough experience of business systems and practices to get some contract work on the South Coast and to enjoy a healthy retirement there. How wrong I was. The bottom had fallen out of the economy down there and the infrastructure seems to determine that it will never recover. People don't choose holiday destinations where the power goes off three times a day for two hours at a time and  where the water supply dries up with monotonous regularity (Ramsgate was without water for weeks), when for the same expenditure they have multiple choices of wonderful destinations that actually deliver.

Then Covid-19 hit. My daughter was in the restuarant business and found herself without a job. Things went from bad to worse very rapidly. We were forced to pack up and return to Gangsters' Paradise, otherwise known as Gauteng, notoriously presided over by Johannesburg.

And here we are, happily surrounded by family again, battling harsh reality. Thankfully Covid restriction levels allow for many people to be back at work and, despite the struggles for jobs at any wages, it can make the difference between starvation and fulfilling basic needs; having a simple roof over one's head or being homeless. Homeless, when Covid restrictions tell us to stay at home.

I do believe that many people will take less for granted and be more conscious of what we do have. And perhaps how do do more with less.

I lived fairly well before I retired.  I had a nice (though rented) home, medical aid - and so on. Today I live in a room behind someone's house, draw a State pension and rely on government clinics for medical needs. I've had to feel how the others live.

At 70 it doesn't do any harm to simplify one's life, even to this extent. It's certainly opened my eyes - and vision - to a different lifestyle, not least of all, old age.

With all that we have been through in the past two years, nationally and globally, I simply cannot imagine what it would have been like without WhatsApp! Viva WhatsApp!

I Blinked.....

....and suddenly five years have passed since my last post. Suddenly my grandson is eight years old. Cell phones do have marginally better battery life and oodles more memory, not to mention magical integration almost negating the need for a PC. Zuma bowed out somewhat less than gracefully and Robert Mugabe is keeping more than a stiff upper lip somewhere below the Zimbabwe ruins, to which he contributed so generously.

We have the advent of Senor Trump, a property development genius, I'm told,  planning a monumental Wall between the United States and Mexico, I imagine, to boost air traffic and reduce road congestion. It would also contribute a little something to boost tourism. much like the Great Wall of China does for China. After all, who wouldn't take serious note,  these days, of things made in China? China probably used fairly cheap labour at the time for that great enterprise, so perhaps the intrepid Mr Trump will use an American construction company in Mexico to build the Wall from the Mexican side....and just to demonstrate a spirit of co-operation, he might use illegal immigrants to build from the American. side.


A great deal has happened across the globe in those five years, but it seems that I'll have to do a lot more blinking before any real change happens here in South Africa. Or perhaps I just can't see it with all the power outages...

A couple of months ago.  I retired to a lovely little town called Margate, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. The lifestyle and the people are truly wonderful - and this is where my blog tapped me on the shoulder to get back to it.

Life is a lot different here from the hustle and bustle, gangsters and crime of the Gauteng province (Johannesburg and the East Rand), where I formerly resided. Here, people are friendly and neighbourly. Even the teenagers  and drunks are polite and agreeable. Somehow there's no guilt or resentment at being overcharged for goods and services, it's all just conducted in a mellow spirit of  brotherly acceptance, lol! Until recently power outages occurred  three times a day for two-hour stretches each - and even though it was extremely disruptive, it was accepted with a shrug. For us it was just a case of when we should plan to go to the shop, when we should cook  - and go to the beach during the outages; or be in bed. Oh....and, of course, to see that the cell phones and laptops were charged in time! Very important, that. We can skip a meal, but perish the thought of missing a WhatsApp message or neglecting Instagram!

Time  to shake the sand from my shorts and take a careful peek back into the global community of Tweets, rumours and exciting technology!

South Africa A Decade Down the Line.

This weekend, my grandson turns three years old. Before I know it, he'll be thirteen. What will the South Africa he'll live in be like ten years from now?

I've no doubt that mobile phones and the social media will be just as prevalent to the  lifestyle of teenagers as they are now - but the handsets will, no doubt, be fully-fledged computers, a lot faster, smarter and with oodles more memory than they have now - and maybe even have marginally more battery life! Snowballing technology will be even more amazing than the gains its made during the past ten years.

But how about Life here? Somehow, I don't see much changing. Probably the same proportion of youngsters will be using weed, drinking and misbehaving as they are now. Crime will be much the same. Potholes will be bigger, some of them perhaps even being declared "National Heritage Sites" and be protected by law from repair.

Zuma may have acquired another wife or two, and Malema will be still be making the same noises, this time with the inexperience of an elder rather than the inexperience of a youth. No doubt Helen Zille will still be dancing in the streets, probably no closer to making it on "Idols" for her performance.

Sad, but frankly the only real changes I can foresee are technological. Corruption investigations - only names and places will change; and perhaps the size of the budgets for those investigations that the taxpayer has to foot the bill for. That'll be a tough burden for taxpayers, considering what the price of meat is likely to be, not to mention cheese. The presently-popular "bring and braai" will be replaced by "bring a coupla beers and the ashes from your last braai and let's discuss the good old days."

I guess there's some security there for those who battle to accept change............; not much to worry about here.

Mandela - Emulate Him, Don't Just Sing His Praises.

We mourn the passing of one of Life's greatest men  - Nelson Mandela, so fondly known here as Madiba. I doubt if there's a single soul in this land who doesn't love him and respect everything that he was and everything that he stood for.
We understand that his time is due, that he endured for perhaps longer than we could have hoped for and that he probably deserves the rest and peace after a life so wonderfully lived; but we still feel the pain and loss of his passing. He's one of those rare people that we would have wanted to keep with us forever.
It's such a pity, though, that so many people pay him lip service instead of emulating him and living according to his values - according to the example he set. We've had this wonderful, living icon, living amongst us - we need to emulate him, not just sing his praises.
Farewell, our Father, our loss is Heaven's gain. You may have passed on, but this land will never again be without your presence. Wherever there is love and compassion for the people, you will be there.

Internet Passwords

Do you have trouble remembering all your zillions of internet passwords?

Because we have so many - numerous e-mail accounts, internet banking, blogs, online shopping, social media, affiliate programs, favourite sites - so many of us attempt to build in some sort of pattern or logic to our passwords in order to jog our memories. Unfortunately, that kind of logical thinking works in favour of hackers and identity theft syndicates. What we really need are passwords that have no sort of logic or sequence to them, with a a mixture of all sorts of letters, numbers, symbols, upper and lower cases, that would be for more difficult to crack. But how to remember all of them?

There are a number of genuine sites these days, which remember your passwords for you. One registers on one of those sites, using one effective password (of which that site does not keep a record), then keep a list of all one's sites and passwords there. One can then utilize effective - albeit it difficult-to-remember passwords - and not have to rely on one's memory (or forgetory!)

Once subscribed, there is only one password to remember to get into your "vault". (Use the virtual keyboard to type in your password). Once in your vault, you simply click onto one of your listed sites, and you'll go straight in.

I utilize LastPass for this purpose. It's free if one is only going to use it from a desktop, but there's a small annual fee to be able to use it from mobiles as well. There are a number of such sites, but do be careful to choose a trusted one. I have listed a link to LastPass under my "Internet" section, if anyone would like to take a look at it.

S.A. HAS Got Talent!

I'm blown away by "S.A.'s Got Talent", aired on e-tv on Thursday nights at 8:30pm! (Click here for the official site).Without a doubt, it is my No.1 show on the box!

The variety of talent, and the degree of skill in many cases, is quite astonishing, particularly when so many of the successful contestants have minimal formal training. I find the enthusiasm among the contestants, so many living under very trying circumstances, to be very inspiring indeed.

Three acts in particular brought literal tears to my eyes - and the judges seemed similarly effected; the final act of the first show (30th Aug.), the singing twins from Cape Town who stunned audience and judges alike into a state of awe and disbelief, the 15 year-old dancer in last night's show who is physically disabled but one of the most "abled" people in body and mind that I have ever had the privilege of seeing, and the 11 year-old girl, also in last night's show, who "recited" poetry (including one of her own poems), but in fact grabbed us by the minds and made us live her words, rather than just reciting.

Those three acts were the most emotional experiences, to my mind, so far, but there were so many more that were so entrancing, exciting, inspirational and left one applauding and shouting excitedly even in our own homes!

The judges, in my opinion, are knowledgeable, fair, direct, but human (and humane) and encouraging. Even if Randall does seem to have less than an affinity for guitars (perhaps he prefers Bach's "Air on a G-string"), one feels that they're involved, caring, and just as enthusiastic as the contestants are, rather than some of the harsh, judgmental personalities that one might find on shows of this nature.

This show is impossible to watch without becoming emotionally involved (positively so), even for the calmest of us. If you haven't watched it yet, make a date for S.A.'s Got Talent next Thursday night on e-tv at 8:30pm.

Got Questions about Christianity?

GotQuestions.org is a Christian website that I am happy to recommend to anyone who wants straightforward, no-nonsense answers to questions pertaining to the Christian faith. I now subscribe to their weekly "Question of the Week", which comes to my mailbox every Friday.

I welcome an organization where one doesn't have to wade through a maze of dogma to get to unbiased, comprehensive answers to simple questions - questions that are relevant today as well as to any other period.

More strength to GotQuestions.org.

Double-Edged Spear

There's a lot of controversy here about the painting by Brett Murray, entitled  The Spear, depicting President Jacob Zuma with exposed genitals. The argument seems to be raging about "Freedom of Expression" versus the infringement of rights to personal dignity.

Freedoms are accompanied by responsibilities. In my opinion, while freedom of expression is a right of great importance, the abuse of it is not a right. Whatever Brett Murray may think of  Zuma the man, the highest office in the country deserves some measure of respect. Freedom of expression to expose wrongs or maladministration is laudable. Cheap shots to boost oneself are not.  In this case, the so-called Freedom of Expression does nothing to expose any wrongs, or to improve any situations. All it achieves is to display a total lack of respect, in a country where respect is already an entity in short supply.

It doesn't build, it simply breaks. To my mind, Brett Murray has simply gained himself some publicity at the expense of the nation's dignity.

Jozikids - My No.1

When I first wrote about Jozikids, it was a relatively new website. Since then it has exploded into one of the most relevant local websites in its genre on the web.

Now that my grandson is a mighty presence, my daughter and I have been using Jozikids as our first - and usually last - port of call for just about anything imaginable regarding kids. Whether the question is about birthday parties, activities, child-rearing, classes, suitable gifts - you name it - Jozikids has the answers and the relative links. The site is bookmarked on both our phones and enjoys an exclusive spot on my site links here.

I recently stumbled upon Chai FM, a local radio station (101.9), while driving, and discovered that Merle, the dynamic mother of two and creator of the Jozikids website, had a regular spot on Chai FM in peak time, with updates on activities for the week and to discuss relevant issues.

For those of you parents in the Johannesburg / Gauteng areas who haven't yet discovered Jozikids, I strongly recommend that you visit the site and subscribe to their regular newsletter.

Merle, you and your team really rock! You've become a site that no "Bookmark" should be without.

Naught No More!

Recently, my neighbour's little boy asked me how old my grandson is.
"11 months," I replied.
He looked confused. "How much is that?"
"Well, in another month he'll be one," I said.
He looked puzzled. "Does that mean he's still naught?"

That's downright demeaning! For someone who is "naught", he is - and has been - one Mighty presence!!

Well, good news, My Boy - today is your last day of being "naught"!! Tomorrow is the big day when you become ONE! And, of course, the next day, Saturday, we'll celebrate your first Birthday Party, which your mother is getting into a frenzy arranging.

I guess that means you were under age to be driving before tomorrow?

Go get 'em, Tiger, this is South Africa! You can always bribe your way out of it with your birthday money....

....if they can ever catch you!

Strike Out!

It's great to have our collegues from the Metalworkers' Union back at work!

Disruptive though it may seem, I'm fully behind them in their quest for a living wage. While Business loves to talk percentages, the talkers amongst the business hierarchies are not the ones who stand in the lines at supermarkets wondering what 7% or 8% difference is going to make to the contents of their trolleys. Top management who get 7% or 8% on their salaries see significant thousands added to their paychecks, but at the average wage-earner's level....well Eskom has eaten up that little bit of cash in their latest abominable electricity increase, without it ever getting to any supermarket trolly.

What bites my rear-end even more is that, while wage-earners hope for a bonus at year-end or holiday time, the fat-cats at the top of the food chain reap all sorts of other bonuses as well. They are well rewarded in an extensive array of opportunities over and above pay increases.

In my opinion, the discrepancy in earnings between workers and upper management is downright immoral. The problem in our economy is not that the workers want too much, it's that top management earn obscene amounts of money by comparison and they would rather destroy people, families and the economy than earn a little less so that others can also live. In many cases, those top earners are not even competant at what they do.

Percentage increases should be higher at the lower income levels and decrease further up the ladder. Top management have more than enough perks, bonuses and expense accounts to ensure that their comfort zones are never short of luxurious. The lifestyles of the upper, the trendy, the wealthy in our society is actually quite obscene in the face of the suffering of most of our people.

Mandela had a vision. The people who could live that vision echo the words, but are blinded by greed. They should be ashamed to even live in his shadow, not pay lip service to his vision and steal his light as if they actually deserve to be a part of it.

Happy Mandela Day!

Whatever Nelson Mandela's birthday may mean to Nelson Mandela, his birthday is a very happy day for this nation and everyone who has had the priviledge of meeting, or inter-acting with, this wonderful man!

The way this country has progressed or degenerated in terms of governance only serves to highlight the quality of Mandela himself. Clearly no-one else matches him or could take his place, as is evident from the disarray in government, not to mention social misbehaviour. The Land does not match the Man, but what a blessing he is, and how happy we all are to celebrate this great man's birth.

Happy Birthday, Sir, we salute you - every single one of us!

Hey, That's Private!

This morning a young colleague of mine updated me regarding currently acceptable behaviour:

"These days," he said sagely, "you can touch people's private parts, but you can't touch their cell phones - because THAT'S PRIVATE!"

That's a rather disturbing reality, but I guess it's true - I've never seen a rapper clutching his cell phone on stage!

Jobs Indeed!

Another great job site that is not restricted to a particular agency is www.indeed.co.za The online search covers numerous jobs in your area, spanning numerous agencies and ads.

There is a link under "JOBS" on this site - or just click here and check it out.

Good luck with your job hunting!

Sunday Afternoon Reflections

Sunday afternoon in 'sunny' South Africa. The consistant patter of raindrops reassures us that the floodwaters are still being abundantly fed. It's a season for ducks and tow-truck drivers.

In our complex, "quiet time" on a Sunday is between 2pm and 4pm. I know that it's soon after 2pm, because my daughter has just turned up the volume of the DVD that she and her boyfriend are watching, in a subconscious teenage effort to combat the curse of adult tranquillity. (In the spirit of fairness, she has just gladdened an old man's heart by complying cheerfully to my request to turn it down!)

25 weeks and counting in the miraculous formation of her little boy. The pregnancy is both exciting and daunting. If I thought that the mood swings of the monthly curse were excruciating, I had some surprises in store! I feel for her ...the sensitivities of pregnancy just have no chance against the harshness of life's daily realities. Despite her increased needs for attention and sensitivity, life around us insists on continuing in its perilous path of demands and inevitable consequences where demands are not met. "Utopia' is more a case of "You Cope Here".

Medical Aid in this country is, I've discovered, no Utopia either. Despite it being the biggest single monthly wage-eater after accommodation, the specialists still insist on a sizable "levy" for each visit, which is not generally recoverable from Medical Aid - it seems to be their way of overcoming the restrictions of charging medical aid rates.

(I've added a listing on this site under "Health and Wellness", in case anyone would like to check the major Medical Aid schemes. However, if any visitors to this site have recommendations in this respect, we'd be delighted to hear them.)

Being neither a duck nor a tow-truck driver, I think a short snooze would be the order of the day. Perhaps I'll dream of the perfect medical aid scheme in a world where tumble-dryers don't pack up when the rainy season starts.

Matric Results

The great day has arrived! The matric results have been published for the 2010 students. If you missed a newspaper, here's a site where you can check the results online:

http://matric.mg.co.za/ieb-exam-results/

Good luck to all our 2010 matriculants!

Job Hunting - a useful resource

I have added a link to www.jobrapido.co.za under my "Jobs" section. A useful feature of this link is that it covers numerous web sites advertising jobs that you search for - in a variety of countries.

Happy hunting - and may you find success!

Sneakers, sneakers or sneakers

My daughter, probably like many kids of her age, has an absolute fetish about sneakers! I feel like an uneducated moron when I'm shopping with her and I don't understand the ooohs and aahhhs about what I'm looking at. To me they're just a lot of money with labels on them.

If you feel as uneducated as I do on the subject, have a look at a great sneaker blog, called myairshoes.com !Suddenly I'm a lot more clued up - I feel quite "empowered" to be able to add to the conversation!

Seriously, it's a great site - have a look at it!

Holiday Activities - Courtesy of Jozikids

As we in S.A. are very aware, with the Soccer World Cup in progress, school holidays have been extended to an unusually long period. The Jozikids team have, as always, provided plenty of exciting information about activities in the Gauteng area! Here is their newsletter. For more info - lots more - visit the Jozids website.

What a week awaits working parents. Not only do you have to juggle watching the soccer and organising holiday programs for your kids but there's also a public holiday (June 16th) and Father's Day (June 20th) to think of. Here's a list with links that will help you find what you need:
Holiday programs on offer this week
June 16th theatre, holiday programs, day trips & more.
Father's Day buffet, picnics, concert, crafts & more
Watch the Word Cup at child friendly places with your family.
New family shows opening this week include
Beautiful Creatures live at Montecasino, Jun 18-Jul 4
The Magic Drum and other tales, Sandton, Jun 21-Jul 3.
The Wizard of Africa Irene Village Theatre, Pretoria, Jun 21-5

We bring you the first in a 4 part series entitled Making fun out of nothing with ideas of kids activities you can do at home by creative parenting expert, Nikki Bush.

Amongst the new advertisers to join us this week are party venues, holiday clubs, companies selling african dolls, wendy houses and a DVD with activity ideas for parents.

Child drownings are preventable with layers of safety around the pool. Get a Solid Safety Cover from PowerPlastics Pool Covers and avoid a tragedy.

Articles:
Making fun out of nothing , week 1 of a 4 part series by Nikki Bush, also a game designer & toy judge.
20 recommended toys & games to play with your kids, targeting different age groups, by Nikki Bush.
what's on this week?
ACTION A-maze-ing Mazes holiday opening, quiz designs, Honeydew, Jun 17.
Magalies Holiday Winter Warmer, fly-fishing, picnics, bike trail, Magaliesburg, Jun 1-Jul 21.
Wild Cave Adventures, guided tour, Krugersdorp, Jun 10-Jul 12.

ANIMALS: Ranger Days at Lory Park Zoo, Jun 15,17,22,24,29, Jul 1,6,8.

BABY: Creativity Workshops stimulation program for toddlers, Paulshof, Jun 17,24, Jul 1,8.

COOKING: Karma Kooking Indian Cooking Lessons, Pineslopes Centre, Fourways Jun 15,17,19,26.

FATHERS DAY: Eagle's Fare father's day lunch buffet , Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Jun 20.
Choc Delite Father's day Workshop, make your own choclate gift, Florida, Jun 19.
Dare Dad for a day of fun, Gold reef City Theme Park, Ormonde, Jun 20.
Eclips at the Sappi Picnic Concert, Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens, Jun 20.
Fireball Spellbound Puppet Show about the 2010 soccer, Oakdene, Jun 20.
Friends of the Rail Father's day Diamond Express, Pretoria, Jun 20.
Orienteering adventure in the bush, Mohales South, Magaliesburg, Jun 20.
River Cabin Father's Day picnic, Chartwell, Jun 20.
Secret Garden Father's Fun, play soccer, breakfast & lunch buffet, Fourways, Jun 20.
Serendipity Father's Day activities, t-shirt painting, picture frames, buffet, Jun 20.

FUN: Fairy Dust with Illusionist Vicus Cruywagen, fun magic show, Emperor's Palace, Jun 10-Jul 11.
Jozi's Winter Circus acrobats, jugglers, clowns, Gold Reef City, Ormonde, Jun 10-Jul 11.

HOLIDAYS:
Find holiday activities starting this week which focus on the following themes:
Animals at Pta zoo and Montecasino Bird Gardens.
Arts & Craft incl drawing, painting, beading, mosaicing, pottery, decoupage & more.
Camps find sleepover adventure, pony, soccer camps & more.
Childcare for supervised play dates, outings, fun activities & more.
Cooking,healthy cooking, baking, making sweet treats & more.
Dance styles incl hip hop, break dance, tap, ballet, latin, acrobatics & more.
Drama singing, acting and dancing.
Family Holidays with dolphins in Mozambique.
French learn through theatre, games, films & songs.
Holiday Care offering full or half day care with varied programs
Mixed Programs offer a range of activities.
Music incl traditional african music, songwriting and singing wkps.
Shopping Mall kids activities ie. skating, foosball, making soccer hats & rides.
Sport programs incl diving, tennis, golf, pilates, soccer, yoga & horse riding.

LIFE SKILLS: Resilient Kids and Teen workshops by Make a Change, Randburg, Jun 14-18, Jul 5,6.
Parenting Teens Workshop, Jhb Country Club, Woodmead, Jun 19.

MARKETS: Ongoing events has a list of regular markets in Gauteng.

MUSIC: African Music Workshops at Promusica Theatre,Roodepoort, Jun 14-Jun 18.
Beautiful Creatures live concert at Teatro Montecasino, Jun 18-Jul 4.
Jesse Clegg's live concert at The Fringe at Joburg Theatre, Braamfontein, Jun 17-20.
Music Festival at the market Theatre, Newtown, Jun 15-Jul 11.

NATURE: The Planetarium space travel for kids, Wits University, Jun 20.
Stargazing Events at Maropeng, The Milky Way, Tumulus Restaurant, Jun 12.

PLAYGROUNDS: Ongoing events has a list of party venues with playgrounds that are open to the public.

SCIENCE/TECH: Sci-Bono Exhibits Science of Soccer, lego stadiums, soccer film fest. Jun 12-Jul 11, Newtown.

THEATRE: African Footprint, Emperor's Palace, Kempton Park, May 27-Jun 20.
Cinderella People's Theatre, Braamfontein, Jun 1-Aug 8.
Drumstruck, interactive drumming and dancing, Old Mutual Theatre, Sandton, Jun 8-Jul 10.
The Big 5 a tribute to Tina, Rod, Elton, Michael & Madonna, Barnyard Broadacres, Jun 2-Jul 11.
The Boys in the Photograph musical, Mandela Theatre, Braamfontein, May 23-Aug 8.
The Magic Drum and other tales, Old Mutual Theatre on the Square, Sandton, Jun 21- Jul 3.
The Wizard of Africa Irene Village Theatre, Pretoria, Jun 21.
Seussical Jr at The National Children's Theatre, Parktown, May 24-Jul 17.

TV SHOW ETV Great Expectations Shows for June, every Mon-Wed 11.30am.

TUITION: Winter School Gr 12 revision, Beatus College, Strubens Valley, Roodepoort, Jun 21.
Matric Revision Master Maths, Midrand, Jun 14-Jul 9.

WALKS/HIKES: Adventure Walk for kids, teddy bear picnic fundraiser, Kloofendal Nature Res. Jun 15.
Bird Walk at Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve, Kibler Park, Jun 19.
Ongoing events has a list of regular walks in Gauteng.

WATCH WORLD CUP: Barnyard Theatres in Jhb, E Rand, Pta match screenings & a show Jul 2,3,6,7,11 .
Da Vinci Alfresco Restaurant match screenings, Inanda, Jun 11-Jul 11.
Emperors Palace at Family Fun Park, match screenings, E Rand, Jun 11-Jul 11.
Garden Cafe match screenings w/ meal and kids fun, Bryanston, Jun 11-Jul 11.
Goethe-Institute World Cup screenings & cultural program, Parkwood, Jun 11-Jul 11.
Fan Parks in Joburg, Soweto & Sandton, Jun 11-Jul 11.
Township TV match screenings, Joburg, Soweto, Ivory Park etc, Jun 11-Jul 11.

Upcoming events:
ANIMALS: Bird Identification at Pta Zoo - Jun 23-24, scavenger hunt - Jun 28-29.
Cheetah Outreach program at Pretoria Zoo, Jun 21,22.

BABY: BabyGym Foundation Course, Children's Therapy Centre, Bryanston, Jun 23, 30, Jul 7.

DANCE: Winter School SA Ballet Theatre, Braamfontein, Jun 21-25.
Swan Lake at the Dance Factory, Newtown, Jun 24-27.

HOLIDAYS: Holiday activities for the upcoming week Jun 22-28, which focus on:
Arts & Crafts drawing, painting, beading, mosaicing, pottery, decoupage & more.
Camps sleepover bush, adventure, soccer, pony camps & more.
Cooking healthy cooking, baking, making sweet treats & more.
Holiday Care full or part time with varied activities
Free Library Programs with crafts, movies, storytelling & games.
Life Skills for kids and teens using games, movement & mindfulness exercises.
Mixed Programs offering a range of activities.
Sport such as golf, horse riding, pilates, soccer and tennis.

MARKETS: Body Mind Soul Holistic Fayre - alternative healing etc, Menlo Park, Jun 26.
Ongoing events has a list of regular markets in Gauteng.

MUSIC: Johnny Clegg Spirit is the Journey 30th Aniversary Concert, Braamfontein, Jun 26-27

PARENTING: Left-Hand Learning workshops, Fourways, for parents Jun 24, with children Jun 26, 30.

THEATRE: Jack and the Giants Aerial at the UJ Art Centre, puppetry, music and magic, June 28-29.
Shaka the Musical South African celebration, SA State Theatre, Jun 26-Jul 18.


We welcome your feedback. If there's something we have missed, please email us with your suggestions. Meanwhile, please share this with your friends and encourage them to sign up for this FREE newsletter.

Regards
The Jozikids Team
011 482 4310

Football Fever

I have very mixed feelings about this so-called "Football Fever". We live in a country where Life itself is not respected. People are killed for cell phones - or even for the possibility that they might have something worth taking. We have the highest incident of child rape in the world. Poverty is rampant and employment is a privilege. The nation won't rally around that - but they'll rally around a football!

There are those who say that sport is a vehicle for "reconciliation". (I'm not sure what, precisely, they mean by that - should we be reconciled to poverty, corruption, rape and murder?). Perhaps they mean "rehabilitation"....?

My problem is this: Is this country so desensitized to the child abuse, the gangsterism, the drug paradise and the indiscriminate killings, that the only thing they are willing to rally around is a sport? Are we a nation of delinquents? Is the only common ground self-gratification?

Hosting the Soccer World Cup is not enough to make me "Proudly South African". It's just another diversion from issues that are - and should be - extremely disconcerting.

I won't be flying any flags. Frankly, I hope that the most skilled team wins. It's a pleasant event and I hope that the whole world enjoys it; but it does nothing for my own sense of nationalism or national pride. It'll take a renewed concern for human life to do that.