Luck or hard work?

Xolani & I...beer on our hands...celebrating our jobs...did we get the jobs by hard work or luck?

My colleague and I had a nice debate about people’s achievements and how they get to the point where they can afford things such as houses, cars and other staff. He said it’s all about luck and I said its hard work. We both agreed though that for one to achieve something, one needs to move from one point to another. I made an example about both our lives. He started doing some maintenance jobs and is now doing signage jobs and studying to better his life. He decided to move from point A to B and all in the name of hard work. It wasn’t luck but mere hard work; although he wishes to win the lottery one day…I hope he gets lucky. As for me, I was lazy in high school! Had I not been lazy at that time I would have went straight to University and maybe became a Radiographer as I always wanted but I didn’t. I realised that I was brilliant when I went to college and knew that my family would depend on me once I was done with my studies, therefore I was always motivated to be the best. I passed with distinctions and those who went with me to college know that I worked very hard. Like Xolani, I too was working hard to change the situation I had at the time. 

Xolani & I at the Avon Justine Walk...finishing the race, was it hard work or luck?

So, the big question was why other people remain the same when others achieve so much. I concluded by saying it’s all about hard work. Some people come from nowhere and end up somewhere because they chose to work hard at getting there. Some people have brilliant minds but are waiting for something to come to them instead of them going to get it. Xolani said, some people are just lucky in life and it’s true but he believes that the only time a situation could change is when a situation says, “Hi I have come to rescue you.” Like when he’ll win the lottery…one day and then do certain staff. I don’t believe in that, if I want something I go get. If it has come then yay!

It’s a difficult debate to engage in because we ended up agreeing to certain staff and then disagreeing…so, I guess it’s a two way thing, some are just lucky in life and others work very hard to get to where they want to.  

Mutle Mothibe meets Justin.

In love with this...

What makes this man different?

Sybil...a lady with 13 personalities.

I was watching the movie Sybil. it’s about a woman who discovered she has at least 13 different personalities. She is basically insane, mentally disturbed. I then did some self-examination and concluded that I too have some personalities but the difference between Sybil and I is that I know of them and she didn’t. I think all of us have multiple personalities but don’t fall under the insanity branch. We react to different situations in different ways, meaning we don’t approach life the same way we did yesterday. We can cry now and then laugh seconds after that. We have the ability to change personalities just like that. The insane are similar to the sane; the difference is that the other group sees the others as insane.

Mafinzo with his green facial paint

Something triggered my mind from then. I am fascinated by mentally disturbed people, although I have agateophobia. Agateophobia is the fear of insane people. I would like to learn more on how they operate but I wouldn’t want to be in close contact with them. I am in a situation I can’t explain. I feel like they could do something bad to me and I can’t do anything about it because in their minds it’s possible that they’d think that what they were doing was sane and saw me as insane. What we deem as insane could be what they believe to be sane. 

Mafinzo with Silver facial paint

Most people from Kagiso know Mafinzo and we know him as the colourful insane citizen of our township. Mafinzo is a little different from us ….well maybe not a little different but more depending on how one sees him. He is regarded as crazy by the “normal” community, mostly because he wears differently and is fond of paint. He paints his head or face matching his shoes that look like they have a ball on top. His colours coordinate; the colour he paints on his head is the same colour he’ll paint on his shoes. His clothes are colourful and look like he enjoys the attention he gets when he walks on the streets. If you can have a conversation with him you can never tell whether he is insane or if he’s just playing with people, but then again he has been like this for years. Most of us like colour but we won’t do what he does because in our eyes, he is crazy. His “style or personality” is seen through colour. This if we put it in reality is what we call colour blocking. Everyone does it…He is passionate about colour and everyone who knows him will describe him as a colourful being. 

Mafinzo with white facial paint

I have also noticed that he talks to himself but that does no longer fit into the category of insanity. Most of us have found ourselves talking alone and immediately switching to a song when we realise that someone has seen us. I guess we the ‘sane people’ have similarities with ‘insane people’ we are just good at hiding it.  But then again, I guess insane people don’t switch their self-conversations with songs because in their world what they do is normal.

Colour blocking Mafinzo

So, what if we are all crazy but have not been diagnosed? What if insanity is the ultimate stage of freedom and we don’t know it? If I didn’t have fear of ‘insane’ people I’d probably be able to answer those questions by engaging with them. The main reason I am fascinated about them is that they do what they please and will never be questioned. Maybe for us (the ‘sane’) to achieve most things in life is to be like the ‘insane’. Live life freely, do what we want to do and don’t let anyone come between us and our goals. Who knows insanity might be the new sanity. 

Colour blocking facial paint.

First tattoo -exciting times!

It has always crossed my mind to get a tattoo but I couldn't get it because of fear of the unknown. My friend and I finally decided to get them after a long time of doubt. I was lucky to have had options when I went to the tattoo shop. The one I initially had in mind turned out to bore me and I went for the one I did. The sound of the machine just scared the hell out of me but I was never going to change my mind. It was one of the best experiences of my life...I'll probably do more...we'll see. 

My friend Kefilwe Moadi did a cute dove on her wrist and I did a ribbon on my back. The dove symbolizes her late brother Khutso meaning peace...she is in a state of peace and did the tattoo in remembrance of him.

Well as for me my ribbon symbolizes a lot of things but the one thing i want to share is that I've realized that I can't treasure my achievements in a box but the ribbon on my back is something that will represent the sealing of every achievement in a treasury box (my heart).

If it was possible I would tie them all and put them in a sacred place with beautiful glowing ribbons but I can't, so I've decided to have this as an alternative. I've achieved and I am on a journey to achieve more, therefore I have a sacred place stored with beautiful wrapped achievements that are yet to be discovered. Something has been ticked of my bucket list, this too shall be sealed with a beautiful ribbon and be stored. Such is life :-) and should be lived. 

I too hate rats!

Bloody Rat must have been saying, "Catch me if you can sucker!"

I’ve always wondered why people hated rats so much until I had my own experience last night. I got home from work and a rat had entered my room leaving traces of its journey everywhere. It ate my kid’s snacks and I was left in disbelieve. Having made peace with the whole idea of a rat eating my child’s food, I slept only to be wakened up by an irritating chowing sound and yes you’ve guessed it, it was that little rat eating something in my wardrobe.  I was too afraid to approach it. I removed some of the things that were possible ‘prey’ to the ‘predator rat’. As I closed the wardrobe it started again! My dad didn’t even entertain the situation. He probably has musophobia and wished I didn’t ask him to intervene and luckily for him I didn’t. I slept anyway after a long session of frustrating chowing sounds. I guess I’ll deal with the matter during the weekend. There goes my hatred for rats…mxm borex!

Kgololosego's Birthday

Today is a special day to me, particularly because it is Kgololosego's birthday. I met him when i was still in my teens and i look at him now and realise that we have come far as a young couple. I pray that we go even further.

Hlogi, Bokamoso & me (Paballo)

I sent him a special message at 12:00 am and he replied immediately, of course he was awake...i guess it happens to a lot of us on our birthday. We wait for the first message at 12:00 o'clock shap, then we'll see the others when we wake up in the morning. My nephew sang for him just before he left for school. I sent him a present at his work place but it hasn't been delivered yet. We will have a cake and party packs (Hlogi's request) later when i knock off from work. It is just going to be me, Bokamoso and Hlogi.  I think we have executed everything well, except for the delivery thing, we'll just have to wait and see.

I think every birthday needs a celebration even though the person is not there in person to celebrate it with us. This day is special because, even though Kgolo is far from us the vibe is there and we have a perfect excuse to eat cake!

The image i made for him. The Legend in the making.

I just wrote this as a safe keeping page of the image i made for him on this day.  He loves it and i am happy. Happy Birthday Kgololosego Phiri, we love you!

Drunk In Love

"Drunk In Love"
(feat. Jay-Z)

[Intro: Beyoncé]
I've been drinking, I've been drinking
I get filthy when that liquor get into me
I've been thinking, I've been thinking
Why can't I keep my fingers off it, baby?
I want you, na na
Why can't I keep my fingers off it, baby?
I want you, na na

[Verse 1: Beyoncé]
Cigars on ice, cigars on ice
Feeling like an animal with these cameras all in my grill
Flashing lights, flashing lights
You got me faded, faded, faded
Baby, I want you, na na
Can't keep your eyes off my fatty
Daddy, I want you, na na
Drunk in love, I want you

[Hook: Beyoncé]
We woke up in the kitchen saying,
"How the hell did this shit happen?"
Oh baby, drunk in love we be all night
Last thing I remember is our beautiful bodies grinding up in the club
Drunk in love

[Bridge: Beyoncé]
We be all night, love, love
We be all night, love, love

[Verse 2: Beyoncé]
We be all night,
And everything alright
No complaints from my body, so fluorescent under these lights
Boy, I'm drinking,
Park it in my lot 7-11
I'm rubbing on it, rub-rubbing, if you scared, call that reverend
Boy, I'm drinking, get my brain right
Armand de brignac, gangster wife
Louie sheets, he sweat it out like wash rags he wear it out
[Studio version:] Boy, I'm drinking, I'm singing on the mic to my boy toys
[Video/Live version:] Boy, I'm drinking, I'm singing on the mic til my voice hoarse
Then I fill the tub up halfway then ride it with my surfboard, surfboard, surfboard
Graining on that wood, graining, graining on that wood
I'm swerving on that, swerving, swerving on that big body
Been serving all this, swerve, surfing all in this good, good

[Hook]

[Bridge]

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
(I'm nice right now)
Hold up
That D'USSÉ is the shit if I do say so myself
If I do say so myself, if I do say so myself
Hold up,
Stumbled all in the house time to back up all of that mouth
That you had all in the car, talking 'bout you the baddest bitch thus far
Talking 'bout you be repping that third, I wanna see all the shit that I heard
Know I sling Clint Eastwood, hope you can handle this curve
Foreplay in the foyer, fucked up my Warhol
Slip the panties right to the side
Ain't got the time to take draws off, on site
Catch a charge I might, beat the box up like Mike
In '97 I bite, I'm Ike, Turner, turn up
Baby no I don't play, now eat the cake, Anna Mae
Said, "Eat the cake, Anna Mae!"
I'm nice, for y'all to reach these heights you gonna need G3
4, 5, 6 flights, sleep tight
We sex again in the morning, your breastases is my breakfast
We going in, we be all night

[Bridge]

[Verse 4: Beyoncé]
Never tired, never tired
I been sipping, that's the only thing that's keeping me on fire, me on fire
Didn't mean to spill that liquor all on my attire
I've been drinking watermelon
I want your body right here, daddy I want you, right now
Can't keep your eyes off my fatty
Daddy I want you

[Bridge]