Uncertainty

Ouch, a lot of things are in flux which brings a lot of uncertainty to our job security. Trust and integrity plays a big part in what I believe. Now nothing is clear and insecurity is norm. All I have is God to which I can lean into. I have to reaffirm my hierarchical order which top most is God, then family, and thirdly the company I work for. I believe I am a loyal person, well I hope I am, now the branches of my job security is being shaken and all I can rely on is that the roots into the God base on which I stand is deep and strong.

Farewell Kay, may you find peace in all this.

And as I crawl up into a little ball, pressing into the feet of God, I ache to hear His voice. "Have courage" I hear as a whisper in the quietness of the dark, "have courage".

The Upside Down Tree

For those readers who have followed my blog would know that the company that I work for, eKayaMedia is going through a transformation, gearing up for something big. The growing pains have not being easy. eKayaMedia is about to change its name, I can’t say what it is yet as that is still under wraps but it has to do with Creation, Africa, Baobabs, and Zebras. Now that is a big clue.

On our boardroom table proudly sits a wireframe of a baobab tree or as African legend calls the upside down tree. The legend goes something like this, a long time ago, when the Creator made all the plants and animals, a tree sprouted up alongside a lake. As this tree grew tall and strong, it saw all around it all the beautiful creatures that came down to the lake to drink but then the tree saw its own reflection in the water and was shocked. Its own flowers lacked colour, its bark was thick and wrinkly. The tree started to complain to everyone about the bad deal he got. Eventually the Creator got tired of hearing the whining, so in exasperation or maybe to preserve his sanity, he ripped the tree out of the ground, turned it over and replanted it upside down. Now the tree could not see its own reflection and complain. So since that fateful day, the upside down baobab tree had to live in silence, providing shelter for all the animals from the harsh sun.

Now has this legend something to do with the new eKayaMedia or is it that kings and elders use this tree to hold their meetings knowing that the now wiser tree would guide them in their decision making.

African Gypsy

Instead of the old Shaka Day, we now have Heritage Day on the 24 September, which is tomorrow but in the Spirit of Heritage Day, we all came to work wearing our tradition clothes. Well all expect little old me as I was slightly confused as to which culture I should dress up as because all 4 of my grandparents are from 4 different European subgroups, Scottish, Irish, German, and Dutch, ouch. You could say I am representative of the European Union.

 Anyways above is Zanele dressed all colourful Zulu garb and below is a video of Ilana who also comes from diverse European subgroups, dancing a little gypsy belly dance for me. Okay, okay, Ilana was dancing for my blog, not me.

Nou gaan ons braai!

Mpho contemplating Life

It is Friday and the end of a long and rocky week. The weather is changing as a cold front is heading for us and me well, when deadlines are set to make us fail, well Jerome is not a happy chappy.

Anyway it is Friday and my weekend is looking as bleak as the weather because of those impossible deadlines that somehow still have to be met. Mpho, shown above, ties out the bubble chair, contemplating life in the warm office why the air gets colder outside. What will our future hold?

Pop goes the Bubble

Finally the bubble chair that was ordered from Italy in April arrived today with our team all excited but wait isn’t there made in China on that box? Oh well lets be like an iPhone which is I hope designed in the US but made in sweat shops in China. So without popping anyone’s bubble, this bubble chair must have been designed in Italy and manufactured in China.

Musical chairs anyone? Because of the long wait, great expectations was built up and now is the time to test ride this baby.

Ahhh about time - Nomanangaliso

This is comfortable - Kay

Let me think - Velile

I can just plop into it - Lesego

Get me out - Malibongwe

Quiet Contemplation - Ilana

Uhmmm - Paballo

As much headroom as a Ferrari - Desmond

No, no, this freaks me out - Julius

Yes my child - Terrence

Lol - Adam

Welcome Zanele

And finally our side expands by one. Welcome Zanele to the writer’s team. Yes I know it is Friday and we are all looking forward to the weekend but we can all do with a little help from Zanele about now.

Order, order!

Okay since we have a new writer on board, how about a question, an English question that all we first language English speakers follow but don’t know why. Who can tell me the order of adjectives?

Uhmmm, thought so, not easy but we do use it without realising it.

1. Quantity or number 
2. Quality or opinion 
3. Size 
4. Age 
5. Shape 
6. Colour 
7. Proper adjective (often nationality, other place of origin, or material) 
8. Purpose or qualifier 

Here is what the book “The Elements of Eloquence” has to say about the order of adjectives...

"adjectives in English absolutely have to be in this order: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose noun. So you can have a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife. But if you mess with that word order in the slightest you'll sound like a maniac. It's an odd thing that every English speaker uses that list, but almost none of us could write it out"

So with a big welcome to Zanele and an English lesson out of the way, let’s go enjoy the weekend.

Penny! Penny! Penny!

Oh well I suppose the big bang theory quotes are out now, because as of today a real life Penny has started on the graphics side. So sick as I am, let’s all give our real Penny a huge big warm eKayaMedia welcome.

Yay, although it is the first day of spring, bah humbug, now let me take some medicine and go back to sleep.

Julius, Merlin, and the Hedgehog

What have these three in common?

Well nothing other than all three happened to cross my path today as I staggered along my path. I feel like the bus is hurtling towards me and all I can do is remain frozen in the oncoming lights. I don’t feel that well and all I am doing is trying to stay on my feet as long as I can. Sing happy birthday to Julius as it is his name day. Yay, may you have a blessed day Julius.

Later Maxy and I toke ourselves to the vet. Maxy is still in pain when he tries to open his mouth wide which is affecting his eating. The antibiotics are not working so now they back to steroids. Merlin the Great Dane was at the vet to greet him but Maxy tried to open his mouth and pain shot right through his little head. He thought Merlin did something to him and now wants nothing to do with Merlin. As for myself well they can take me out back and put me down.

Battling to stay awake and planning to head straight for bed after supper but my plains were shattered by Maxy’s death screams. Lynda rushed out to investigate, then returned just as quickly to call me to come see. The dogs had cornered a hedgehog. Maxy must have tried to bark at it but the pain of just barking was too much for poor Maxy.

I gently picked up the frightened hedgehog who was tightly curled into a ball. The terrified hedgehog rattled his quills as I carried him back into the veld.

Well that’s it, bed for me.

Hey Black Child

Hey black child you can do it. The possibilities are all there, if only you believe in yourself.

Steward shown above has his heart set on helping black children and Terrance has helped him design this t-shirt in support of his initiative.

Hey black child, you can be who you want to be.

Nicole

Happy days everyone, after a shortened week, it is weekend again and bonus, it is Nicole's birthday. Okay it was yesterday but somehow Nicole tried to keep it a secret and everyone knows that is not allowed. So happy birthday Nicole for yesterday and may you have an awesome birthday weekend.

Having Fun

All work and no play is quite boring and it is quite easy to get into a rut. Late this afternoon Pabs son, Bokamoso was arrived at work. It was near the end of a long day and so why not have a little fun as Lesego shows us that it is all about people and not just a job.

Matthew and Mummy

Ohhh this heading of this blog reminds me of not the most scariest episode of Dr Who, the baby Weeping Angels episode, but one that had one of the most profound effect on my son Matthew’s mind, the one during the Second World War when a “Are you my Mummy?” plague spread through wartime London.

This is another Matthew, a sick Matthew, whose mummy is Nicole. Sorry no gas masks but a not so well Matthew.

Glow Awards

Please excuse my usual shirt hanging out, as some of us have to work, but here is Happy, yes that is her name, awarding me with the a Glow Award this afternoon. So finally, the troubles have started to fade into the distant past as the silver lining of the dark ominous clouds have come to the fore.

Besides being Hump Day and the hump of the week has being summited with only downhill till the weekend, a plumber has fixed our hot water problem at home, my long lost Vespa is in final assembly, and the Watson Corporate Academy has awarded me with a thank you gift of Glow luxurious pralines wrapped in Cadbury chocolate for the work I put in helping them to achieve their Global CCU Compliance Certification from the Global Council of Corporate Universities.

Writers Block

I really do care when my imaginary friend stops talking and I am left talking to myself. This is what our writers call Writers Block and it is proudly quoted on their creative design on the cupboards in their office. So remember life is short so write stuff that matters and have fun at the same time. Oh and don’t use big words. They mean so little.

Awesome Ideas

Yay, it is Friday so quickly, wow this week has flown and it hasn’t even touched sides. My Friday was extra special as firstly it is Friday, secondly Kay gave Noma and myself a 24/7 Book of Awesome Ideas, and thirdly the granddaughter baby Rebekah is coming to visit this evening.

Now I need to find some awesome ideas to fill this book, which hopefully knowing me I am full of positive and of course awesome ideas.

Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru

Do you remember those three wise monkeys from Japanese folk lore, Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru? No well this might help, see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil, yes now you remember, those three monkeys, one who covers up his eyes and sees nothing, one who covers up his ears and hears nothing, and the last one who covers up his mouth and says nothing.

Doesn’t this photo of Adam, Terrence, and Jeanine having lunch just outside my office remind you of that scene of Mizaru, Kikazaru, and Iwazaru covering up their eyes, ears, and mouth?

Three Days

What a 3 day week this has been, no stop with impossible deadlines and personal issues everywhere I look but I am a year wiser. So after a nonstop day, I look up from my desk, staff are hurrying home for the long weekend. The signage team has completed the designs on my cupboards which looks awesome. Well I better pack up too and head across the city to Benoni to pick up Matthew and start my long deserved break.

Permanent Ink

How to change the world? Mankind has being grappling with this problem for a long time. Can it ever be done in our own strength? The Starfish Foundation want to do it one starfish at a time, Half the Sky Movement want to turn oppression into opportunity, and now us at Bosasa, can we make a difference with Transforming Lives?

So here we are, the eKayaMedia New Media team, late in the afternoon, working out the strategy and a new way of thinking for our website Transforming Lives.

And then this happens, halfway through the meeting of our minds, we realise all our inspired ideas have been written in permanent ink on the white board.

Life happens.

Making the Chicken Run

Paarp! Let the chicken run begin again as many of my friends have left these shores in the last few months that my mind boggles trying to keep count. Now one more family is making the chicken run as Rob and his family are heading for Adelaide down under.

We are going to miss you Rob, so blow the vuvuzela and be on your way before a tear rolls down.

Ernest Kantrel

The branding of our offices continue as our signage department reaches our building today with the glass décor and transforms our fishbowls into a brand. Here are Ernest and Kantrel from branding plying their craft.