Victoria Taylor
High School is a stressful place for any student.
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Now try to imagine being a student in one of the six provinces where the Preliminary Examinations have been postponed due to the ongoing strike.
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The fact that exams have to be postponed is bad enough, but how are the students dealing with it? Read the rest of this entry »
By Kenneth Davison
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In previous weeks I have spoken about going out into the big, bad world and trying to make a success out of yourself. I have often mentioned the importance of marketing yourself and building yourself into a valuable tool that won’t be discarded when the bosses feel that they need to make a bit more money. And trust me when I say there are fewer worse feelings than being replaced or retrenched because you don’t bring enough value to a team. I have spoken about going out and doing courses or receiving training so that you can become more specialized, and thus more valuable.
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But then I realized that I had been talking a lot about the final target of becoming specialized and not much about how you can go about getting yourself specialized. And I am not going to talk about how to get enrolled in courses or the different ways you can get specialized. Instead, I want to talk a bit more about the importance of setting your goals and keeping your mind focused on achieving those goals.
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You have no doubt heard all about how important it is to set goals. I have recently been doing a lot of work and using different sources and they all talk about the need to set goals. But there are some common themes that seem to be coming out of all these sources, and that is the need for clear, precise, positive and achievable goals. Read the rest of this entry »
Victoria Taylor
What is happening to the world?a
That is the question I ask myself when I see the headlines these days, or hear the news on the radio or television.
Because from what I see, we have simply fallen into madness.
I only hope there’s a way out.
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Our country, which has just emerged victorious in hosting one of the most successful Soccer World Cups the world has ever seen, is now tumbling headlong into a devastating crisis.a
Our people, who had so eagerly shown their smiling faces and united spirit have now turned against their own and are too easily showing how to throw their toys out of their cots when they don’t get the things they want.a
The strike that has been going on for almost a week now has shaken every community down to its roots and its steadily getting more and more out of hand.
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Read the rest of this entry »
By Kenneth Davison
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In South Africa there is massive unemployment and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that it can be quite tough to find a job. I am sure you have probably been trying, and even if you have a job, chances are you didn’t just walk into it. You probably had to work hard to get there or prove yourself in some way. What I am saying is that it is not easy to get a job. It becomes even harder when you are trying to find a job and you don’t have any qualifications.
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This last week I encountered a situation where a person was struggling to find a job and I thought I would help them out. It started a week ago, I was at a friends place enjoying myself and trying to convince them that they should lend me Batman (Awesome game btw). My stay then got a little bad when an ex-friend (a friend break up) walked in with my friend’s brother (obviously they are still friends).
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Being polite I tried chatting to them to break the silence and awkwardness. I asked about work and they said they been out of a job for a while and struggling to find a job. So stupidly I said I would keep an eye out. I went home and told my gorgeous girlfriend and she told me her school is looking to employ some assistants.
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So I let the ex-friend know and said he must send CV. That is when we discovered that he had no qualifications. He had worked as a motor mechanic and auto electrician (which are his skills) but he had no courses or certificates backing up that he can open your car up and not destroy it (as I would). But then the school said that because we know him they could help out a bit and take him on and get him qualified.
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So we let him know that he had to come and meet the people between 11 and 12 on Friday and he couldn’t lose the job. At 9:30 on Friday I got a message saying that they haven’t heard whether he coming or not. So I messaged my friend and explained the situation. I explained that he has nothing and now a place is willing to take him on and get him qualified (So even if he leaves he can get a job elsewhere because now he has qualifications).
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At 11 I met with my friend who had made several phone calls to convince him to go. It seems like he didn’t like, or appreciate, the offer. Claimed he was working and all sorts of other things. Eventually my friend convinced him but now we had to find and take him. By the end of it we couldn’t find them in time. Turns out they was at a tattoo parlor with my friend’s brother (who had a car).
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Then the excuses started and it was someone else’s fault. My friend couldn’t direct us there, his brother selfish for getting tattoo and a whole bunch of others. Turns out they had been at parlor since 9. The school will never take him now because he has wasted their time and effort. Worse is that the people that tried to help, the people that supported him, now look silly and have wasted their energy.
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In this situation, the person has not realized that he was given a life line. He has no qualifications and, unfortunately, the world requires that you have them. You can’t be a manager without having plenty of experience (cos you started managing at 16) or you have courses in management (both is better). When you are as qualified as a rubbish collector, you can’t afford to waste chances (I’m being harsh but that how I feel about them). Even when you have qualifications, it is never too late to learn and do new things.
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The key to picking yourself up is to recognize your strengths and your weaknesses and then find a way to use them to your benefit. They could work on cars, so getting qualified would be a breeze. Furthermore, even if you know cars you have to keep learning due to the technology in the new cars being so advanced now. But they thought they were worth gold and were probably insulted by being trained.
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Life doesn’t give you many chances and only a lucky few will never need to work. For the rest of us, take your chance when it comes. It might not be what you want now but something little is better than nothing, especially when it will build you in the long run.
By Victoria Taylor
I am an impulse buyer. At least, compared to my sister, I am. If I see something in a store that I like and can afford, I buy it. And if I can’t quite afford it, I wait until I have the money and then I’m out like a shot to get it.
I don’t gather all the shop pamphlets and compare prices. I don’t bargain-hunt or haggle or wait for a better deal.
Personally, I don’t have the patience. But I am increasingly starting to believe I should develop some, for it may save me quite a bit of money.
Read the rest of this entry »
By Kenneth Davison
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Very recently there has been a series of events that should start to make us worry a little. These events are probably easy to ignore for the vast majority of people but they could have major repercussions for us in the future. And these events have been mostly focused on the media and the reporters who we rely on to tell us what is happening in this country.
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A few weeks ago, there was an article about Bheki Cele signing what looked like a dodgy deal when he purchased a new police head quarters for R500m. This article was reported to us by Mzilikazi wa Afrika. Within a few days of this article being published, wa Afrika was arrested. But according to many accounts, he was not arrested by a nice policeman wanting to ask a few questions, but by several men with a serious agenda from the Hawks unit.
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He was taken to Mpumalanga, questioned and some serious charges were laid against him. At this point I want to point out that just the way he was arrested is not a standard procedure and it certainly looks a like there is a bigger picture. There are some good articles and groups who have written on the subject (Just Google Mzilikazi wa Afrika to read some of them).
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But I believe this event is just a minor distraction from what is definitely a much bigger picture. Shortly after this incident, the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) came out in arms and demanded that wa Afrika be charged with High Treason. For those who don’t know, high treason is not a joke, it is perhaps the worst crime you can commit in a country and many countries still apply the death penalty if you are found guilty of high treason. This would very effectively silence wa Afrika and many other journalists.
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The ANC has recently been pushing for a Media Tribunal, which will punish bad reporting, as it claims that there is too much false or misleading reporting going on. The media has stated many times that there are people that make mistakes, but there are already ways to deal with them. I was listening to 702 earlier and an editor came on and said that there are channels to complain through if you are wronged, and the Ombudsman can even be called in. And apparently the Ombudsman doesn’t take the medias side very often and can be very harsh in punishing them. But clearly that is not enough, we need to jail them. Bear in mind it is the Mail & Guardian that led to the conviction of Jackie Selebi.
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And just to compound the picture a bit more, there is currently the Protection of Information Bill in parliament. Since many of us don’t hang around parliament or politicians, we don’t often hear of bills that might be passed. But this one is causing quite a storm, especially amongst the media and oppositions.
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The Protection of Information Bill, basically, will allow the state to classify information as confidential, secret or top secret depending on how it affects national interest and safety. In fact, whatever information is deemed to be harming the national interest can be classified. Now we have probably all heard that the US government will classify things that the public can’t handle, like the JFK assassination and the addresses of informants on WikiLeaks. We still don’t really know much about the JFK assassination other than he was shot on Elm street in public.
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So how do we decide what is in the public interest? And who gets to make the decisions? Surely the president being found photographed with 10 lovely ladies all in the same Jacuzzi is not going to reflect well, so we classify it in National Interest. Keeping the people safe and happy? Or protecting the President? Look at what happened to Tiger Woods, I’m sure he would love for that to have never come out. The problem comes in when determining what national interest is, or personal/ party interest. Already there is evidence that the ANC doesn’t differentiate between state and party, it is all ANC.
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But worse still, I did some surfing through our legislation and found the Promotion of Access to Information Act. (The difference between an act and a bill is that an act is signed in as law while a bill is still trying to get signed in). Already on the first page they describe why they introduced this act. The Act states that the government before 1994 was very secretive and unresponsive and this led to abuse of power and human rights violation. The act further states that we have a right, as enshrined by our constitution, to access information held by the state as this will allow us to protect our rights.
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The Act also mentions that “the State must respect, protect, promote and fulfill, at least, all the rights in the Bill of Rights which is the cornerstone of democracy in South Africa”. The Act was introduced to promote transparency and accountability by giving effect to the right to access information. There are certain instances when the public are not allowed to access information (such as national security) but generally we can.
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The proposed Bill could very easily do away with all that. And in doing so will just promote the ANC to the same level as the Apartheid government, which millions had to bleed, suffer or die to remove from power. So keep your eyes and ears open and voice your opinion on the subject. Maybe even organize some protests at University like they did in the old days. Recent riots at Wits have been pretty tame and selfish, maybe it is time to up the tempo so that they get the message.
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And remember, if there is no one able to tell us what is happening with the politicians, it just leads to serious abuse of power and suffering for the rest of us.
By: Victoria Taylor
There is nothing better than sitting on the beach with the sun on your face and a cool cocktail in your hand. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore is so relaxing and it’s not difficult to forget about all the things that are weighing on your mind.
What more could a person want, sitting under palm trees in a paradise?
In Johannesburg, a beach is the last thing you’re going to stumble across, let alone palm trees. But there is a place not too far away that any peace-lusting Joburger can disappear too for a weekend.
The City of the Sun.
I always hear so much about Sun City, but until recently I had never been lucky enough to go. And so when the time came for a few friends and I to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, we headed off to soak up the sun on the closest beach we could find.
Which happened to be at Sun City.
And we were not disappointed!
After the long and exceptionally cold winter, a day in the sun was just what we needed and we were more than happy to discard our jerseys and jeans for a pair of shorts and our costumes.
I am not too proud to admit I screamed like a little girl as I hurled myself blindly into a tunnel of darkness, clutching on to my little blue tube for dear life. And as I shot out into the sunlight and landed in a pool of freezing cold water, I couldn’t help but scream with laughter. Looking over at my equally cold friend, we shared excited grins that probably resembled the smiles of a couple of ten year old boys.
We hit the tube ride twice, and after deciding it was simply far too cold to do it again, we headed towards the sandy beach that overlooks the Valley of the Waves.
I honestly didn’t think I would need the sun block I had packed under the insistent eye of my sister, but one should never be in the sun without it and so we lathered up nicely.
And in no time, I was lying back in the sun shine with the between my toes and a cocktail in my hand. The ‘waves’ crashing along the horizon, children playing in the little pools.
Small children are lucky in the way they don’t feel the cold. They can swim and run through sprinklers come rain or shine. Sadly, we lose the urge to do that as we grow older. And so, that thought in mind, I wonder why Sun City doesn’t have heated water for all their wondrous attractions. It would make sense, when you get to thinking about it. With heated pools and water, people would flock to Sun City all year round.
They probably do anyway, but water just a few degrees warmer in the Valley of the Waves and in all the rides would guarantee a constant usage and there for an influx of more money.
And that place must rake it in!
Sun City certainly is one of the best places to go when you just need a break, a few days away from the things you see every day. It a beautiful destination and it almost feels like you should have to use your passport to get there.
I would recommend it any day!
By Kenneth Davison
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Today was probably a good day if you are a scholar at government school. This is because these schools are manned by public servants and the public servants decided that today would be an excellent day for them to strike for better wages. If you are at any of the schools where teachers have been striking, you got a four day weekend, courtesy of the public holiday yesterday.
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For those who are not aware, the public servants (which consist of teachers, policemen, fire fighters etc) were offered a 6% wage increase but they felt that many other unions received much more so they have gone on strike. They are demanding an 8% wage increase, which isn’t too much to ask, as well as a R1000 a month housing allowance.
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It is the allowance which I think is interesting and might be asking a little too much. They probably got the idea from Eskom, whose employees demanded a housing allowance. So if they don’t get all their demands, I think it will be because the housing allowance was pushing the barrier a little. But I did enjoy the statistics on how much the ministers and president earn (Thank Mr Vavi)
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At this moment I just want to assure you that I whole heartedly support striking as a means to get fair treatment. You need to speak up to unfair or oppressive conditions and striking is a very effective method. Many might think that rioting is as effective but it just lowers your standing and makes it tougher for people to sympathise with you.
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I also think this group should be commended as they have not torn the streets apart and played in the filth. That is quite unlike some of the others in the workforce who felt that acting like a savage is the way to get noticed, be taken seriously and make a statement for demands.
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But amongst all these strikes for wage increases over the last year, there have also been many jobs lost. The number is over 500 000 (as far as I am aware) jobs lost in the last year. So this means that the systems should be under pressure if they are releasing workers at an incredible rate. It also means that it becomes even harder to get a job now.
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To get a job in an environment where there are not many is tough. It becomes even tougher when you do not have anything that makes you more valuable than the person next to you. In this environment you can’t rely on luck alone to get a job, you need to equip yourself with skills and attributes that make you valuable.
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You can do this by recognising your strengths and building on them. Make yourself useful to other people, rather than being just like everyone else. I wrote a piece on building your brand a while back. If you are big, you could try becoming a sportsman or, more likely, a bouncer or body guard. Try and think outside the box in terms of physical stuff.
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But where you will really separate yourself from the rest is through education. Try and take courses to improve your knowledge, add them to your CV. Take classes at a school, university or college to further increase your depth and understanding as well as developing many other schools.
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If you are short on cash, apply for a bursary or scholarship. There are many places that might sponsor you if you can use your skills to help them. Many places may even fund you as part of their charity requirements (the really big companies have to do charity work).
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You need to do what you need to do to make it out there, and education is the best long term strategy. It will take a little time but it will last a lifetime. But make yourself valuable by getting qualifications and improving your knowledge. It is only a few courses to go from a gardener to a grounds man.
By Victoria Taylor
A friend and I decided to trick ourselves into thinking it was a Saturday by going out on a Sunday night. So we headed to the new Hooters Bar that opened up in the Buzz Shopping Centre on Witkoppen Road in Fourways.
I know what you’re thinking… ‘There’s a Hooters here?’
And the answer would be yes. The “delightfully tacky yet unrefined” chain has opened up in South Africa and is quite the ‘in’ place to be.
As you can imagine on a Sunday night, the place wasn’t exactly packed, but it wasn’t really dead either. There were a few happy chappies at the other end of the bar, dancing away to the old school music that played through the speakers. Hooters girls dashed past us in their tiny neon orange hot pants and little white tank tops, each one laden with giant mugs of alcohol. You have to believe it to see it, but a girl can pick up four mugs of beer.
And contrary to popular belief, Hooters is not a ‘titty’ bar but is actually a fully franchised restaurant and bar.
Read the rest of this entry »
Victoria Taylor
On the glorious day of June 8 2010, an engineering masterpiece was unveiled to the citizens of Johannesburg. Completed a full nineteen days ahead of schedule, the Gautrain offers a train service between the area of Sandton and O.R Thambo International Airport that is hassle-free, great for the environment and much faster than going by car.
For residents of Sandton, Rosebank, Marlboro, Midrand, Hatfield and Rhodesfield (Kempton Park) it means that getting to either Johannesburg, Pretoria or O.R Thambo International Airport just became a lot easier. It also means that traveeling between the place mentioned above also becomes simpler, as all that is required is to get to the station closest to you and hop on a train. Read the rest of this entry »