Invest more in your brain than your weave dear sister!

In attempt to keep those who's attention span is less than that of a five year old, I will get the core of why I think it is particularly a good idea to invest in your brain than the weave that covers the scalp within which the brain is contained.

The women that have invested in their brains by getting educated can afford expensive weaves. I mean the higher you go with your level of education , the more your earning potential.

Couple your weave with a book to read,  see while you are getting it done you could improve your vocabulary and become a more interesting person just by reading a book.  Reading among other things , expands your  frame of reference , improves your vocabulary and sentence construction and these benefits will stay with you far longer than the weave will last.

Newspapers are also not that bad I promise , they will save you the embarrassment of looking all so beautiful and not knowing who the deputy president of the country you live is....

Dear sisters and divas we need to have a balanced diet to feed both our appearance and our brain capacity. Give both your body and your brain and your body a good workout for maximum impact.

Lets make beauty with brains the in thing. Be a woman of substance!

The sound of one hand clapping

Nothing irritates me like someone who can never see any good in anyone or anything. Such a person sucks the joy out of life and I have never seen someone like that make a meaningful progress in their life. The one thing that he/she does best is criticize other people and get a kick out of putting other people down.

There are a few people that still know how to give  a genuine complement where its due and even less people who offer encouragement to a person in need of it.

The kind of complements if at all that one hears often are lines like ' well done but you could have done better if...', ' you look great but ...' , nothing good ever follows those lines and it sure is not constructive criticism that follows.

It is in effect the sound of one hand clapping as opposed to a round of applause. Haters don't get too far in life, if you have nothing good to say , please shut up!

Not all who wonder are lost

Very few thing are straight forward in life.  The road which lead to the career path that I have chosen was a very long and winding one. I started out wanting to become an Occupational Therapist , I was very much in touch with my humanitarian side at that time and thought that would be the best way in which I can make a difference in the community that I grew up in.

My second choice was to be a journalist because writing had always been my passion. To cut a long story short , I studied journalism for a year and a half  , I didn't complete the course, then I went for beauty therapy, that too I did not complete and lastly I found my home in Public Relations management.

This is the challenge that being a jack of all trades presented me with, since I have a lot of talents and interest, till I found a career that incorporates not all but most of my passions, business being one of them. To many I seemed to be lost , because I couldn't name exactly what career path I wanted to follow at that point. The one thing that I have always been sure of is that I am going to make a success of my life and I am going to graduate no matter what.

It may have taken me a long time to figure it all out but now that I have, I am ready to take on the world.

formular milk on prescription to reduce infant mortality

Of all the things that the Minister of health could target to address the issue of infant mortality he decided to go for formula milk. A few year's back formula was considered the healthy option but that's besides the point. Did the Minister consider the situation at the state clinic where for any ailment you take a child in for you are given panado syrup and the terrible treatment in general that people receive from the health administers in various government hospital and clinics.

As far as I understand malnutrition is also one of the causes of  infant mortality. food prices increase rapidly and unfortunately one cannot even say that veges and fruits are cheaper because they are not, baby food prices are even worse , now considering that we have a lot of people living below the bread line what are the chances that they will be able to feed infants the right food let alone afford formula milk.

I have also heard of some research that has established that the vaccines that are administered to babies can also weaken their immune system, whether true or not  I think formula milk is the last thing the Minister should be gunning for unless formula milk has been declared the number one cause of infant mortality, instead maybe he should look at subsidising healthy baby food and improving the health care system focusing on how to better treat babies and how to do it efficiently.

There's bigger infant health problems to address than formula milk.

What is the worste thing that could happen to you?

We all at one night or the other have a nightmare. Apparently nightmares are made of the things that we fear in our days. We all have fears , some bigger than others. what are your biggest fears? I had to ask myself this question and the answer I got was something that I think a lot  people would find unusual and may even label me cold for for feeling that way.

I know a lot of peoples fears are about losing the special people in their lives but its not my biggest fear. I love my relatives very much , they are my family because technically speaking , I don't have a family. I also love all my friends but  I find that  losing the people that I love is not the biggest fear that I have. Don't get me wrong I would be devastated and maybe I wouldn't be functional for a while, well depending on who died , but I just mean that I know that I would still survive and my life would still move on.

My fears have a lot to do with me as an individual  ,  not becoming a success , being diagnosed with a chronic disease , things about me that are irreversible. I am afraid of just wasting my life, looking back and realising that I have not made a difference , that  I have not achieved everything that  I have wanted to  and there is nothing to show for my time on earth, besides children of course- that is one my nightmares and my fear. My biggest fear has to be dying and going  to hell, now that's my fear !

My nightmares have  a lot to do with demons , fire and dark places , oh! and all the evil people I have encountered in my life , both dead and alive....

I am a dreamer and a Diva at heart

I am a dreamer and a Diva at heart.

Most days I wake up and feel like a queen and some I wake up and feel like Table Mountain is on top of me. Whichever side of the bed I wake up on, it doesn't matter, I cherish every moment that I am alive. I have seen tough days and have been through the storms of life and I am testament that life does get better. I go through life fearlessly because I know God is with me and he has my best interest at heart and He made me for a great purpose. While I cannot say I fully comprehend what that purpose is that God created me for, I am guided by all the things that I am passionate about and by my dreams.

I am a big dreamer and my dreams are the wind beneath my wings. I have a vision of the kind of future I want even though it is not clear how and when I am going to get there.

I enjoy the finer things in life and I love beautiful things be it cars, houses, clothing you name it. I love the bling and because I do I am working hard to make sure that I can afford the bling lifestyle I aspire to live. I am not sure what my claim to fame is going to be but I am going to be famous and celebrated.

I have a soft spot in my heart for disabled people it breaks my heart that I can't do more than volunteer work here and there but I intend to make a significant contribution in future.

Even though for now my social life has been sacrificed at the altar of academics, I have a very active social life. I enjoy hanging out at nice places with friends. I also enjoy entertaining at home. I love cooking and experimenting with food. I try to live a healthy lifestyle so I do go to gym when I get the time in my busy schedule. I work part time, so between work and studies there's not much time left for anything.

Even though I have become a bit of a socialite in my circles, I love to spend time by myself either reading , writing, watching movies , cooking , it doesn't really matter what I do but there's times that I just want to be alone. That quality time with myself, besides times that I set aside to pray, keep me focused in life. That where I get to think and reflect on things and make choices and decisions.

The only down side about my life at the moment is that I am far away from my family and I miss them constantly and I miss all my friends back at home. I do plan on going back to Johannesburg some time but I am still not sure when that is going to happen.

I love my life with all the challenges that come with it. I love myself, every shape and fold in my body, although some days I don't like what I see in the mirror, most days I love every bit of me. I do have some bad habits but I do work on them. I am not perfect but I try every day to be a better person.

I have been blessed with friends that love, adore me and accept me just as I am. I love them all too and they know it. I love the diverse friendships that I have; each person adds value to my life in their own way.

"If you spend your whole life fearing a storm, you will never enjoy the sunshine" author unknown. These are the words that give me courage when I need it. That's Wendy Motsisi in a nutshell.

How do you step from the top of a 100 foot pole?

How do you step from the top of a 100 foot pole?

 

They say that all things are possible to them that believe. To step from the top of 100 foot pole one must have faith that they will be okay or they must be ready to die. Often life presents us with 100 foot poles and places us in positions where we need to step off.

It is a risk to step of at that height yet we are confronted with risks every single day, some bigger than others. It is a risk to cross or to drive on the road but we do it because we have to.

We have the flight or fight mechanisms built in our bodies naturally for this reason that life is full of risks and mostly risks that we cannot afford not to take. To avoid risks would be the equivalent of not living at all.

It is a risk to start a business, yet it is necessary when starting one is the only way that you can make money and do what you love. It is a risk to study a particular course because you might not get a job when you are done.

Life offers us no guarantees all that we can do is take calculated risks, which will make a difference between crossing the road safely as opposed to being at the top of a 100 foot pole where there is very little chance that you will live if you jump.

 

 

 

We are what we do

We are what we do

Looking at it from a career perspective and a social standing, we are what we do. Whether you like it or not people define you and judge you by what you do for a living.

People make assumptions about your character, your personality, lifestyle and how much you earn according to what you say you do for a living. What you do also determined whether or not some people want to date you or befriend you.

When people say they are networking often it just refers to deliberately going to a place to meet people that will help advance you one way or the other. So in that sense people are only worth what they can do to benefit others and all they are is what they do.

We are afraid of the wrong things

We are afraid of the wrong things

 

We pay for medical aid because we are afraid we might get sick or be involved in an accident and not be able to afford the medical care we need at that fateful time. We pay for security companies because we are afraid of losing our valuables to thieves.

The wrong things are the source of our fears. We are afraid of accidents but accidents are a result of some wrong doing. If it's a car crash, there is always a party that is wrong a car that malfunctioned causing the accidents.

All of the things we fear are a result of wrong things.

 

 

Fish falling from the sky

Fish falling from the sky

The government is notorious for bad service delivery however we have an Israelite syndrome dominating among some of our disadvantaged people. In the bible times a big exodus happened as they were going from bondage (Egypt) to the Promised Land (Canaan). Along the way the Israelites were constantly grumbling and complaining about everything and expected miracle from God and Moses all the time. The point is that the Israelites were provided with the necessities to along the way to the promise land that would be flowing with milk and honey. They had manna falling from heaven every single day and they had water flowing from rocks when they needed to drink yet even so the Israelites still found reason to complain and where even nostalgic.

The current state of social issues in South Africa is similar to that. Our promised land much like the American dream is a land where we have jobs, house and can afford all our basic human needs. While we are in a democracy we are still progressing towards that state of all the need met, yet in the process there's those that are expecting manna to fall from heaven and are not doing anything to get themselves in a better position by taking hold of whatever opportunities within their reach instead they are waiting for the ever so slow government to spoon feed them.

There are opportunities to learn how to make a living instead instead they choose to rely on hand outs and expect hand outs. As the saying goes "instead of giving a man fish, teach him how to fish". Some people just don't want learn how to fish yet even worse they expect fish to fall from the sky.

 

The Public Protector needs protection

The Public Protector needs protection.

I was watching morning live when the public protector was interviewed about the controversial 500 million police headquarters leasing deal. She went briefly over what the procedure that was supposed to have been followed is as opposed to what General Bheki Cele and Minister Mahlangu-Nkabinde did.

I was happy to see that there is someone who is trying to combat corruption in government yet I also found myself wondering whether the case will have a happy ending were the corrupt officials are being punished. With the mafia way that South African politics run, a couple of scenarios of how the people investigated could get out of the whole thing came to mind. It's no secret that corrupt officials will go to any lengths to cover their tracks an example of that would be the Mpumalanga killings that happened in between 2008 and 2009. In this instance though my imagination went only as far as case files going missing or the Public Protector being investigated and sacked for some odd thing.

This morning I felt like kicking myself for not taking a bet over what I thought would happen to the Public Protector vs. Cele case when I saw an article in the Sunday Times which read "Sleuth's Cele files deleted by hacker". The article speaks how files relating to the Roux and Cele case have been destroyed from an investigator's laptop. It has been a trend with high profile cases that files would go missing or evidence would get tempered with one way or the other so it was not hard for me to predict that it could happen even in this case.

My only hope is that investigators made back up files because if there are no backup copies that would either prove incompetence and negligence or foul play and I do hope that in the end General Cele and Minister Mahlangu-Nkabinde lend up in court to answer for what they did. The government and opposition parties all talk off combating corruption yet it doesn't seem as though they are playing an active role in making sure that justice is served and that cases are investigated as quickly and thoroughly as possible instead of dragging long enough for evidence to go missing in the process. I also don't see much happening in protecting those dealing with these high profile corruption cases and those exposing corruption and irregularities in government processes. It is however good to see that the Public Protector is getting support from the public.

What is the colour of the wind?

What is the colour of the wind?

 

Wind is air moving and air has no colour. We cannot see wind but we can see the effects of the wind. We see the motion of the wind from the objects that the wind moves. We determine the direction in which the wind is blowing to or from by looking at the things that the wind moves like trees and flowers or even own skirts and dresses.

The wind is always associated with dust, the stronger the wind the more dust in the air. Just as the wind often moves various objects of different sizes, colours, shapes and in places like Cape Town we get winds that are strong in enough to lift a person. I would say because the wind has no colour of its own, it becomes the colour of whatever it moves or affects. So then the wind is a very colourful thing. It is the colour of brooding clouds, the colour of sand and the ocean, the colour of the dress that you would regret wearing on that windy day.

I am

 

Wendy Motsisi

Friday, February 11, 2011

I am

By name I am Wendy Maphefo Motsisi. I was born and bred in Johannesburg, Soweto. I moved to Cape Town as a teenager in pursuit of my dreams. The road to my dreams has taken many detours however I am close to reaching just one of the many dreams and that is obtaining a degree in Public Relations. I am an introvert with some characteristics of an extrovert in terms of personality. I am an ambitious, hard working, passionate and driven individual.

 

I subscribe to a Christian value system yet I keep an open mind on my view of the world. I spend a lot of my time reading for pleasure and also as a requirement to be effective in doing my job as a Bookseller.  Customers somehow expect booksellers to have read all the books and get surprised if we haven't never the less a bookseller should be able to recommend books to a customer. Apart from reading I enjoy other things like listening to music, watching movie and just spending time or going to some social places with friends. While this is not all that I am or who I am, I think it's a great starting point for anyone interested to get to know me.

Posted by Wendy Motsisi at

If I were the boss?

If I were the boss ?

If I were a boss I would work hard to remain the boss and to be the best boss there is. Given that being a boss means managing people and processes I would adopt whatever leadership style suitable to get the work done efficiently, successfully and profitably. I would make sure that I keep learning and make sure that I know all that there is to know to stay on top of my game and in order make well informed decisions and sound strategies. The kind of leadership style that I choose would also be dependent on the organisational culture and the kind of people that I would be leading. I would make sure that my company attains and maintains a good reputation and that I also conduct myself in a respectable and professional manner at all times. I would good business ethic and etiquette and would encourage my employees to do the same. I would make sure that legal and fair labour practices are followed. "If you want a real return on your investment, never knowingly underpay an employee" Raymond Ackerman (A sprat to catch a mackerel). The people that one is leading are the ones that give the vision life.

 

As the saying goes "With great power comes great responsibility" I would take the responsibility just as long as it is accompanied by a fat pay cheque. I would want my lifestyle to reflect the fact that I am boss. My personal problems as a boss should not have finances to do with them especially when I do a great job of keeping a company profitable and successful, be it mine or someone else's.

I would own a mansion worth being featured on Top Billing, drive Top gear's sports car of the year and live a lavish lifestyle and afford all of it. Being a boss doesn't come easy, especially for people like me that don't just want token positions, it is hard work. I know because I am working on being a boss one day (studying and keeping a job is tough) and so the hard work has to pay off. Being boss is not for cowards as Raymond Ackerman puts it "Building a business requires 90% guts and 10% capital" as boss a lot rests on your shoulders. So at the end of a tough decision and profit making day as the boss I would want to go home and enjoy the de-stressing effect of my Jacuzzi and a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne. I would want to enjoy my retail therapy, spar treatment and meals at top restaurants. I would want to enjoy vacations at exotic Islands and fly in private jets. Yes this sounds like a wild dream but its attainable and I am not delusional about what it takes to get there, what it takes cannot be summed up in a one page blog. It takes character, patience and a whole lot of other stuff, add a good therapist for good measure and you are set.

And finally I were the boss, I would make sure that I feature in the Top women in business and politics publication and win a copious amount of awards in my lifetime. I would write books on how to be a great boss and retire a wealthy woman in every sense of the word.

If I were the boss?

If I were the boss ?

If I were a boss I would work hard to remain the boss and to be the best boss there is. Given that being a boss means managing people and processes I would adopt whatever leadership style suitable to get the work done efficiently, successfully and profitably. I would make sure that I keep learning and make sure that I know all that there is to know to stay on top of my game and in order make well informed decisions and sound strategies. The kind of leadership style that I choose would also be dependent on the organisational culture and the kind of people that I would be leading. I would make sure that my company attains and maintains a good reputation and that I also conduct myself in a respectable and professional manner at all times. I would good business ethic and etiquette and would encourage my employees to do the same. I would make sure that legal and fair labour practices are followed. "If you want a real return on your investment, never knowingly underpay an employee" Raymond Ackerman (A sprat to catch a mackerel). The people that one is leading are the ones that give the vision life.

 

As the saying goes "With great power comes great responsibility" I would take the responsibility just as long as it is accompanied by a fat pay cheque. I would want my lifestyle to reflect the fact that I am boss. My personal problems as a boss should not have finances to do with them especially when I do a great job of keeping a company profitable and successful, be it mine or someone else's.

I would own a mansion worth being featured on Top Billing, drive Top gear's sports car of the year and live a lavish lifestyle and afford all of it. Being a boss doesn't come easy, especially for people like me that don't just want token positions, it is hard work. I know because I am working on being a boss one day (studying and keeping a job is tough) and so the hard work has to pay off. Being boss is not for cowards as Raymond Ackerman puts it "Building a business requires 90% guts and 10% capital" as boss a lot rests on your shoulders. So at the end of a tough decision and profit making day as the boss I would want to go home and enjoy the de-stressing effect of my Jacuzzi and a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne. I would want to enjoy my retail therapy, spar treatment and meals at top restaurants. I would want to enjoy vacations at exotic Islands and fly in private jets. Yes this sounds like a wild dream but its attainable and I am not delusional about what it takes to get there, what it takes cannot be summed up in a one page blog. It takes character, patience and a whole lot of other stuff, add a good therapist for good measure and you are set.

And finally I were the boss, I would make sure that I feature in the Top women in business and politics publication and win a copious amount of awards in my lifetime. I would write books on how to be a great boss and retire a wealthy woman in every sense of the word.

Two people walked out of a building into a story

Two people walked out of a building into a story.

 

It was normal boring Thursday day night, but for Bruce and Mark it meant half price drought after burning the midnight oil at the news room while their girlfriends are watching chick flicks on TV at Mark's place. This is the night were Marks curfew was extended by two hours by his bully girlfriend. The pair had been best friends since kinder garden and did almost everything together much to the irritation of their girlfriends.

Bruce had always wanted to branch into being an investigative journalist and hated being stuck with writing obituaries, while Mark on the other hand was just happy being a community news journalist. Mark came from wealthy home and his parents forced him to get a degree in journalism and work in the family business. His father was world renown journalist of his time who retired to start his own publication which in was the best in its category of publications.

 

That night, Mark had a surprise for his friend. They had had conversations about living life to the fullest and trying something new. While Bruce was busy typing obituaries Mark went over to his desk and placed what looked like a sweet in a silver wrapper in front of him. Bruce looked up at Mark asked "what's this, are we buying each other sweets now?" "Just open it" replied Bruce with a grin in his face. 'What is this', oh gosh! Is this what I think it is? Mark exclaimed. "Yep it is" replied Bruce, tonight is the night. How do we do this I have never done this before? Asked Mark. Well I saw in one movie people using a straw to inhale it, replied Bruce nervously.

 

So shall we? Bruce asked after cutting a thick straw into two and laying the powdery white substance on the table and splitting it into rows.

Mark took the first line and they took turns till there was nothing left. They sat in silence for a few minutes each basking in the feeling.

Wow, this feels so great Bruce said. Yeah! Said Mark. So now that we've done this what next, what do we do with all this energy, Bruce asked in an almost screaming voice? I have an Idea, let's go to that abandoned barricaded building and see what's in it, said Mark excitedly and half leaping from his chair.

With that the pair left the Top News building and went to the one across. As they were about to cross the road the noticed a man dressed in police clothing lurking about in front of the building they wanted to get into, so they decided to stop and see what he is doing before approaching the building.

As they were standing planning their next move, now hiding behind the shadows so the police man won't see them they saw hooker approaching the police man. Both the police man and the woman went into the dark building. The police guy had the keys to open the place. Upon opening and entering the police man left the door unlocked. After a minute Bruce and Mark followed them in the building what welcomed them either than the sound of foots steps was a foul smell that they have never smelled in their lives yet they followed on to every direction that the police man and company were going, tip toeing. After a few minutes of a few minutes of the police man getting into one of the rooms in that dark scary building a little light went on inside the room, the pair had to find a hiding place so that their shadows are not seen.

After another few minutes that seemed like an eternity, the woman let out a frightening scream. While Mark and Bruce were contemplating going in to rescue her, the scream was followed by dead silence then the police man's foots step going out of the room. He looked out of the room then went back in to switch off the light and went out again. As he was walking and had just come pass Mark and Bruce's hiding place, Bruce had a jump at him, they struggled to the floor till Mark jumped on to help subdue the police man and tied him up with their belts. Mark went to find the light switch using the torch on his cell phone till he found it. Bruce joined him and they went into the room to see what had become of the woman and found her dead body along with another woman's decomposing body. They both sobered up at the sight and were overtaken shock. Mark decided to go see what was in the other rooms while Bruce called the police and their girlfriends and occasionally kicking the now unconscious police man. Mark came back with a more horrid look in his face, from the discovery of bones and more decomposing bodies in other rooms. And that became breaking news and in turns their story.

Designer PR

On the 29th January this year we had the annual JMB met. The hightlight of this event is always what various celebreties wore to the met ,who designed their outfits and which couple was the best dressed. There is always a theme to be followed and it changes from year to year.

For important occasions and events most people especially from the elite society insist on wearing something out of the ordinary and custom- made for various reasons. Some do it to impress, to stand out or just to get people talking and we have those who do it to make a statement about who they are and their status. A typical example being the opening of parliament. Bearing in mind that not all designer clothing look that great.

The approach to Public Relation be should like that of  a fashion designer to a high profile client. Each organisation has different  objectives that it would like to achieve and  the PR person should design a strategy that will achieve those objectives for the organisation.

Creativity is another charecteristic of  a designer that a PR person should have in abandance as well as know what the trends are. Theres always a fine line between being a trend setter and being badly offbeat. Just as designers know what fabric will work for which season and what colours make a great combination, so should a PR person know their own tools what will have the desired effect in reaching any organisational objectives.

While I know that there are many kinds of designers , I chose only one , which is fashion design to make my comparison. I believe that there are similarities in all design processes.