South Africa2018-09-03T06:40:08+02:00

SOUTH AFRICA

These are some of the recent posts that i and others have made to hopefully challenge and encourage and educate you as you try and figure out how to do life better in South Africa. Please feel free to share any of these posts that are helpful with people you think it might help to take one more step towards…

All Lives Smatter – a collection of thoughts about race, painting all people with the same brush and the need for whites to engage with whites

All White Lives Matter – a “Black Lives Matter for Dummies” kind of post

Ask before you leap [to conclusions] – a post looking at how we engage when we engage with others on race

8 Steps to help me become a better ally of my friends of colour – a short but helpful reminder

But pity the mutants – a painful look at how white people are able to feel more empathy for fictional characters and pets than black people

But What Can I Do? – 40 Tips for white South Africans genuinely asking this question

Entitlement with an “i” – a brief glimpse into the problem of entitlement in our country

If I were white, I’d have been able to breathe – guest post by Thandi Nkomo

Race with me – short video clips explaining race issues simply to white people

She turned to me and asked me if being an Umlungu was something i enjoyed.

The Better Black/Coloured/Indian – some friends share stories about the standard of whiteness that has been pressured on them

The queen, my dad, and Sarafina – guest post by Thandi Nkomo

Ways in which white people are better than black people [part I] – a very short post.

Ways in which white people aren’t better than black people [part II] – a more wordier post.

When someone with an African name gives you their “easier” English name.

When the offence is that you’re offended – looking a little deeper into entitlement in South Africa.

A few good [South] African books… for children

By |February 21st, 2018|Categories: inspire-ations, positive ideas for change, South Africa, stories, thorts of other people|Tags: , , , |

After asking for a selection of recommended books to read about or by South Africans, my sister-in-law asked me if i could do the same thing for children. Which i did. And wow, did you [...]

A few good [South] African books…

By |February 20th, 2018|Categories: inspire-ations, positive ideas for change, South Africa, thorts of other people, what i am reading|Tags: , , , |

Looking for great South African [and African] books to read? My friend Shelley Finch tagged me in this status on Facebook the other day: Friends, I am crowdsourcing a book list. Kind of a "recommended [...]

Always Another Book Review of sorts…

By |February 16th, 2018|Categories: inspire-ations, South Africa, what i am reading|Tags: , , |

This morning at around 2 am i finished reading Sisonke Msimang's 'Always Another Country'. Which was my second Christmas present from tbV after 'Americanah' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. To be fair, i think any book [...]

A Few Woke White Men

By |February 6th, 2018|Categories: South Africa, things to wrestle with, thorts of other people, tricky things|Tags: , , |

Are white women more open to becoming wokified than white men? If you're not sure what 'Woke' means in this context, a quick delve into Merriam-Webster should help you out: Stay woke became a watchword in [...]

The [Cape Town] Life Aquatic: How do we go from here?

By |February 1st, 2018|Categories: challenging thorts, change the world, inspire-ations, race vibes, South Africa, things to wrestle with, thorts of other people, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , |

Day Zero continues its menacing approach like a menacing Sith Lord approaching with somber orchestral accompaniment in the background...                     Cape Town readies itself by desperately grabbing [...]

Water we do now: a collection of helpful posts and stories

By |January 30th, 2018|Categories: pain and Hope, South Africa, thorts of other people, tricky things|Tags: , , , |

Cape Town Water Day Zero approaches rapidly with April 12th being the latest prediction. And people are talking about it everywhere... and there is some really helpful stuff... and so i thought it might help [...]

Dear South Africa – meet a privileged white woman

By |January 30th, 2018|Categories: #NotOnOurWatch, South Africa, things to wrestle with, thorts of other people, what i am reading|Tags: , , , |

Dear South Africa... This is an interesting one. i was sent this story and asked if i could share it anonymously. And only realised when i copied it in here that it was a two-parter [...]

Cape Town Water Crisis: The Longer game…

By |January 26th, 2018|Categories: pain and Hope, positive ideas for change, South Africa, things to wrestle with|Tags: , , , , |

i have written and shared a number of posts about the water crisis in Cape Town and the approaching Day Zero. It is super important that we think about those things. And continue to. BUT, [...]

A Christian’s foolproof solution to the drought in Cape Town

By |January 25th, 2018|Categories: inspire-ations, local news, South Africa, things to wrestle with, what i am reading|Tags: , , , , , |

Dear Christ-following people of Cape Town, Apparently a million or more people were praying yesterday for rain. That is an amazing thing. Okay, let's go back to the checklist and see what else is there: [...]

Day Zero approaches: Water we going to do? Meet Shana’s realisation

By |January 24th, 2018|Categories: inspire-ations, South Africa, things to wrestle with, thorts of other people|Tags: , , , , |

Yesterday i posted a Facebook status by my sister-in-law Shana who was celebrating the fact that she had managed to combine a shower, hair wash and condition, teeth wash and leg shave all just using [...]

Day Zero approaches: Water we going to do? Meet the realisation.

By |January 24th, 2018|Categories: South Africa, things to wrestle with|Tags: , , , |

"We've been doing this for years!" As we celebrate and cheer ourselves on for reducing our water to comply with restrictions [ a good thing - the reducing, not the cheering] many of our eyes [...]

Day Zero approaches: Water we going to do? Meet Shana Kreusch

By |January 23rd, 2018|Categories: inspire-ations, South Africa, things to wrestle with, thorts of other people|Tags: , , , , |

i would like to introduce you to my sister-in-law Shana and her easy and doable water-saving idea combo: = = = == = = = ==  Guys. I did it. I brushed teeth, showered, shaved [...]

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