Learning Xhosa: Your move.
In August, i invited you all to Come and Xhosa with Me. After two weeks i shared a post called Xhosa and Effect, highlighting some of the things i was thinking about as we were busy with the course. […]
Sitting with people: Intro
One thing tbV and i have in common is we both love people-watching. [Who doesn't!] Sitting in a coffee shop or a bench at a popular tourist attraction or in a restaurant and just watching the people around us. Trying to imagine stories, attitudes, experiences, fun things about the person from the little bit that we see. But there is something even better. Later this morning my friend Nicky Lloyd and i will be heading [...]
Breaking Bread [with Trev]: Finding the Words
Following closely in the footsteps of, 'Breaking Bread [with Trev]: Changing Your Mind' comes 'Finding the Words', the second post in a Tandem Blog Conversation piece which sees a conversation of 5x100ish words each, this time on the topic of the languages we speak [or don't]: = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Brett: My wife and i started learning isiXhosa just over a month ago which is [...]
How to be an Ally: The Ten Commandments of Communication
My friends Alexa Russell Matthews and Nicole Joshua recently ran a workshop titled, "The 'Colour' Elephant in the Room" which you can read some of a participant's experience of over here. What stood out to me though was this list of what was referred to as the 'Ten Commandments' which was the basis of a commitment to engage well with each other. For those of us seeking to be positively involved in conversation and action in the [...]
How to be an Ally: Intro
When i was looking for an image to reflect the idea of becoming an Ally i found this poster and really liked it. Because the question that i am wrestling with at the moment is just that: How to Be a Better Ally, specifically when it comes to matters of Race. And possibly one of the biggest pieces of this puzzle is that the answer should not have to come from people of colour. [...]
Taboo Topic: Cancer – Journeying with Aaron [Testicular Cancer] – Part The Cooler Side of Chemo
Continuing to share some of the stories from the archives of Aaron Fullerton to be found in full on his blog, 'Aaron Laughs With Cancer', and in this one Aaron takes some time during the chemo, to mention some things he is appreciative of during what is a tough and scary journey: THE COOLER SIDE OF CHEMO I’m typing with my left hand because my right is hooked up to an IV that’s pumping me [...]
The Difference Being i Don’t See Dead People…
We can all remember that iconic moment from the Bruce Willis/Haley Joel Osment thriller 'The Sixth Sense' and if you have not seen it yet, then be warned of the biggest spoiler of all. The face of Cole Sear peeking out from behind the safety of his blanket as he whispers the iconic, "I see dead people!" i feel like that on a far-too-regular basis on The Facebook as i read statuses of people negative [...]
Taboo Topic: Cancer – Journeying with Aaron [Testicular Cancer] – part Laughing With not At
The first of our Aaron Fullerton journey stories was published two years ago and is reblogged with permission: The original title: Laughing With Cancer, Not At It: When Lance Armstrong fell from grace a few weeks ago, I didn’t really care. I’ve always appreciated him for the icon he is, for the modern miracle of his health and success, but when I think of Lance Armstrong, I think of three things: bracelets, Michelob Ultra, and [...]
Taboo Topic: Cancer – Journeying with Aaron [Testicular Cancer] – Intro
This is going to be a little bit of a different one. i 'met' Aaron online, as much as you can 'meet' anyone online [i think you can] and i don't even remember how although it might have been through Hashtag Game tweets or some other comedy moment. And we got chatting, which is a little strange for strangers on Twitter. And especially when it turned out that one of the strangers is a writer [...]
Xhosa and Effect
Ndiyavuya Ukukwazi. It means “no worries, for the rest of your life”. Oh no, wait, that’s something else. ‘Ndiyavuya ukukwazi’ is the Xhosa phrase i am trying to learn today, as tbV and myself and a roomful of others move into week two of our six week Xhosa class and attempt to get the basic conversationals under our belts. It is nice to meet you. i just thought that since this is such a significant [...]