An afternoon with Quaz

Meet Quaz. I first got introduced to him in 2009, when a friend of mine sent me tracks from his mixtape and I later saw him on Facebook. I invited him and we started occasionally chatting. It was only later in the year that I got to meet him face-to-face when he invited me to the Orange Book Vol2 book launch which took place in downtown Johannesburg, at Kekeletla! Library. He did not disappoint, he was everything I imagined he would be, based on the little that I had picked up from our chats. I was a stranger, and he treated me like he had known me for many years. It was many years before I saw Quaz again, this time at the 2012 Back to the City festival. Strangely, even though we barely see each other or talk, we still click. I consider him my friend. Real name Richard Rodriguez Roodt, he hails all the way from Potchefstroom. A spoken word artist, a teacher, a brother, a son, a friend, a community organizer with a smile of note, he gave me time in his day to take a brisk walk through the things that are not usually written about him.

Quaz's Mixtape

Poster for the book launch in 2009

The first day I met Quaz.

Sindz: Besides Poetry, what are you passionate about?

Quaz: Teaching! Most of the work I’ve done involved(s) teaching. Funny thing is it feels like I’m the student though. I’m always learning new things about myself, about people and life. I also love making music. Being in that space is the most liberating experience. It’s just you, God and your creativity. Oh, I also love cooking. I have the most disturbing addiction to the food channel.

S: What has been your most favourite read (book, website, article, etc.) and what are you reading currently?

Q: I have many favourite reads. I constantly run into new favourites. Sometimes it’s a tweet and sometimes it’s a facebook status. I read everything from books to websites, business documents to the back of air freshner cans. I love science fiction. I think Isaac Asimov is a Sci-Fi god so anything by him always gets my nod of approval. 'Indaba My Children' by Credo Mutwa totally changed the way I saw life. I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Spud. It reminded me so much of high school. I’m currently reading two books by two of my other favourite authors 'Jingo' by Terry Pratchett and a compilation of Afrikaans writing by Ingrid Jonker.

Alek Wek!

images via web

Martha Hunt for Free People

Sometimes I like what they like, and Martha Hunt for Free People is a refreshing step into the oncoming Spring Season in South Africa. Currently Neons and Pastels are in...oh and colour blocking, and I am one of those whose fashion know how lags behind in the race. So simple colourful dresses, short sleeved knits, and chunky accessories with a fresh looking face will be the order of my days.

Here Comes the Sun - Lookbook by Anthony Nocella

Every slender girl deserves a dress like this in her closet...

Knit could go well with skinny jeans and sandals, or even that wedge if you may.

Linen shorts are a must have for both Summer and Spring seasons.

I cannot pull this off as I am short, but for the taller of us ladies, I love the relaxed and hippie look.

Loose fitting prints are a must have.

On both arms? You have got to be kidding me! Works!!!

images from FGR

For the love of Spring, signing out...
StreetSindz

Puma Digs Egoli and I won!

Hey guys!!

So stoked! You know why? On Tuesday morning I found out that I had won my first competition in like FOREVER! I entered a give-away on Milli's blog where she was giving away three double tickets to the first three people to comment on the post. I tried my luck, and because I do not usually enter competitions or any like, I was pleasantly surprised that I won.

Puma is launching its first stand-alone store in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. Word is they are opting to go for the mining look and feel for the store, which is an ode to the rich and sometimes tragic mining history of Johannesburg, the City of Gold. I definitely look forward to attending and meeting all these other bloggers who I just usually see on the internet.

Whoop Whoop, signing out...
StreetSindz

How to Guide for You my Friend

I had a brief chat this morning with my friend Zona over at Hook and Eye about getting people to become members of my blog (followers), to comment on the posts, and to generally interact with me and this blog space. I realised that this might not be clear to most people, as it is evident that I get a lot of people viewing my blog, but I don't really know who they are or how they feel about the content on this blog.

So I decided to do a kind of tutorial to get You my Friend to understand better how to 'use' my blog. I hope it helps.

How to become a Member of my blog:

When you get to the landing/ home page of my blog, on the right hand side under the 'About Me: Sindz' sidebar is the 'Followers' section.

Click on 'Join this Site' and choose which existing account you would like to become a member of my blog with. There is Google, Twitter and Yahoo! and three others underneath those. Becoming a member of my blog does NOT EXPOSE you to HACKERS or to SPAM EMAILS. YOU WILL GET NO EMAIL FROM ME, OR THE LIKE. Just Click on your option and you will be asked to sing into your account for verification and you are done. You will now be officially a member of this blog.

How to Comment on my blog:

At the bottom of each blog post is a section made for you, the reader. Here you can rate the post as 'love it', as 'interesting' and as 'a bore'. You can also comment on the post by clicking the 'Comments' section. Here you can write your thoughts and your suggestions for questions. Nice and easy, with no need for you to verify yourself so that blogger knows you are not a robot (those things irritate me, lol).

And that's it with my attempt at a tutorial how to guide, and I hope you sort of enjoyed it.

Glad to be of help, signing out...

StreetSindz

Sleeping on these 'Distant Relatives'

On May 18th, 2010 Nas and Damian Marley released the much anticipated hip-hop and reggae fusion album 'Distant Relatives'. It contains themes that touch on poverty, politics, ancestry, friendship, belief and the plight of my continent Africa. I have had this album on repeat today, and today just also happens to be the first time I am listening to the whole album. I am one of those people who sleep on things that everyone is hyped up about, and I wait. My wait this time though has been very long. And the wait has been worth every single beat of this album I missed initially.

To quote 'when music hits you, you feel no pain' is perfect for today. Because it does not matter when I listened to this album, it would have sounded exactly the same as it does right now. Perfect. Nas happens to be my second favourite rapper after the late Tupac Shakur. And Damian happens to be the son of a legendary reggae artist and respected revolutionary Bob Marley. What better way to compile music built for my ears? For me, this album was bound to be perfect.

On repeat is 'Patience' which has mystic undertones, with a sample from the song 'Sabali' by Amadou Bajayoko and his wife Mariam Doumbia. It is a mellow track with sharp lyricism, a clear indication of the talent of both Nas and Damian.

My favourite though is 'In his own Words' which almost reduced me to tears. I had to discipline myself because I was at work, and that is very unprofessional. The chorus: "Jah told you in his own words 'I'll see you through'. To guide you in this cold world, and 'I'll see you through" sung by Damian is a vocal testament that makes me feel good! The lyrics between Nas and Damian sound something like a prayer, a testimony, admitting flaws and a stand against the despair in the world.

Its hard to love or enjoy every song in an album, and I have not skipped any throughout repeating the album. I will admit that I play some songs more than others, and sometimes I cannot really hear what Damian is saying. The balance is fair, if you love hip-hop more, it caters for you without taking away from those who love reggae more. For those who, unlike me, were more eager to get their hands on this album, what are your thoughts on it?

I have read both positive and negative reviews about it, and I personally think if one does not understand the African dream, the plight of hip-hop, the preaching of reggae, then this album will not make sense. We are growing wiser, and society needs to understand that it takes a black man to understand himself better than anyone else. Its Real.

For the love of music, signing out...
StreetSindz

On my Bedside and In my Bag

I am currently reading two books, something that I do not usually do. They are so different in so many ways, yet they both serve a purpose now fading to humanity. Reading.

The first was given to me by my mentor, as a guide and preparation for my future. The second is a 'must-read' for every African, so I had to taste the honey. At the end of both journeys, my vocabulary will have expanded even more, I will have gained knowledge and I will have fed the hunger to constantly read.

In my Bag

About Chimanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun, Chinua Achebe says: "We do not usually associate wisdom with beginners, but here is a new writer endowed with the gift of ancient storytellers. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie knows what is at stake, and what to do about it. She is fearless, or she would not have taken on the intimidating horror of Nigeria's civil war. Adichie came almost fully made." I am not going to get into a synopsis of what this one is about, as I would like you to get it for yourself and find out. It stirs all kinds of emotions in me, and I am only on page 41 of 433.

On my Bedside

An interesting Memoir about this woman's career path, how it impacted her life, the choices she had to make and the stereotypes she went through. It has insights on leadership, decision making, education and the ins and outs of business. At age twenty-three, she was a law school dropout who had no idea what to do with her life. Twenty-two years later, Fortune Magazine named her ”The Most Powerful Woman in Business” and she was recruited to be CEO of Hewlett-Packard as the first female CEO with a mandate to shake things up. One of her big themes is that in the end business isn’t just about numbers; it’s about people. This book goes beyond the caricature of the powerful woman executive to show who she really is and what the rest of us male or female, in business or not can learn from the tough choices she made along the way.

The next few weeks should be interesting as I navigate this maze, a memoir vs. fiction and balancing the information to make sense of both stories.

I pledge to read the written word, signing out...

StreetSindz

Home Aspirations/ Accessories

I recently moved into my own space and have a little project/ goals up my sleeve as I am now faced with an empty pint sized bachelor cottage that I can do as I please with.

Insight: Since 2008, I have been praying for a place where I do not have to share living space and recently God answered my prayers. With this experience, I realised that the moment a person says a prayer, the answer is put into action. This may take a long time, but we have to remember that the answer to our prayers not only benefit us, but also impact other people's lives. And this is why some prayers take a tad bit long to answer. Isn't God just amazing?

Anyway, the place has to be decorated and customized according to my style and taste. I have been 'rummaging' the internet looking for inspiration, window shopping trying to pin-point pieces that would be a beaut at my place and just spending days daydreaming of what it will look like when I am done.

Accessorising a house does not have to be expensive, and I am sure to most it sounds like a very big deal. But simplicity paired with stylistic flair goes a long way! DIY is also a great way to complete the look of your home. Nowadays, even things that would have been considered rubbish yesterday, make the world of a  difference.

The following are some Items and Ideas that interested me today and might make an appearance at my place:

Bathroom

For my bathroom window sill.

My bathroom is extremely tiny, so I do not plan to do much with it. The blank wall will have some hanging/s frames, but one has to be careful of what kind of frame goes in there as the bathroom is usually steamy.

Bedroom

I have already implemented this book arrangement for my books which were previously kept in boxes.

Kitchen

Currently my kitchen has been set on off white and silver. I think a burst of colour will do wonders for the space, and to illustrate how white and silver work with colour, the picture above says it all.

I still have to decide which colours will fill my kitchen but I plan on using vases and maybe wall hangings to decorate.

images via web

Join me on this journey, signing out...
StreetSindz

Snowy Affair in Jozi

Yesterday seemed like an average day. My day started at 05:00 when my best friend PING'd me in our usual ritual to waking up every morning. We exchanged greetings, little familiar pleasantries and I went to take a shower. I do not own a television, so I depend on Twitter weather updates to keep myself in the loop. In all honesty, the only reason I would want to own a TV is for the news and the weather. I did the morning checks and was stunned with the predictions of 'Johannesburg -1 to 9 degrees' with chances of afternoon rain. I dressed up warmly, packed my lunch and went on my way. I was in the office by 07:30 and the day progressed in its usual manner.

As I was making coffee, with a large window right next to me, I started noticing white flakes falling. I figured it was sleet and went on my way. Shortly thereafter, the office went into an uproar as it was now apparent that it was not sleet I had seen, but rather snow. I was shocked, the kind of shock that will last me a lifetime. I recovered and joined the others in the windows to marvel at this miracle. The thing is Johannesburg is not meant to have snow and for many like me, this was a first.

All my life I had imagined I would have to one day travel to the US just so that I can experience a white Christmas as in the movies, and ofcourse, snow itself. Little did I know that one day, I too would be privy to this experience. In that instant I walked out of the office, freezing, time stood still. Excitement took over me and I joined in the euphoria that was going around.

Snow is a rare find in Gauteng and has been experienced in May 1956, August 1962, June 1964, September 1981 and June 27, 2007. As expected, Gautengers all around were to be seen outside taking photo's and posting them all over social networks. Snow-fights sprang all over the golf course and buildings emptied out. It was beautiful to say the least, and I am so happy to have experienced this first hand. Now I can also walk around saying I know what snow feels like, and it feels magical.

Great Art Movements Interpretation

I came across these images on a fellow blogger Milli's blog and anyone who knows me very well will know that I could not resist. Art is my first Love!

Graphic Designer Outman Amahou has made interpretations of some of the greatest Art Movements through his eye. It is simplistic, yet captures them to full effect. I can hear my fine art teacher pronouncing these movements and I remember my wonder as their words rolled around my mouth and I familiarised myself with the different elements that represent each.

Amandla!

Many a times we go on about pretty blue eyed white girls with the perfect wardrobes and perfect acting flair and skill, and we overlook the beautiful brown eyed black girls with the perfect wardrobes and perfect acting flair combined with lots of dramatization and tears. Well...to step out of line, meet 13 year old Amandla Stenberg (if you have not seen her before). A sweet beautiful face that has me feeling like I could mother a child looking exactly like her...sigh! I first noticed her on the opening scenes of the highly action filled and entertaining movie Colombiana, but first saw her on Why did I get Married too? She has also recently made an appearance on Hunger Games (which I still have to watch by the way).

Her beautiful self:

the make up is a bit much for a child, but she looks lovely...

how stylish is she? love the mustard and pastel blue combo