My little racist brother

I am driving in my car past a location - township. I see 10 little black children sitting next to the road huddled around a box. My immediate thoughts are: will they kill the puppies in the box after severely abusing them or will they use the kittens they caught to knit a life blanket after which they will slowly club them to death like innocent baby seals. I drive on and hate my thoughts. Why do I think this? But it probably true - again - Why do I think this? I pull over and turn around. I will go back and say hello while having...

Read More

Culture shock

I am a passport holding European. I live in Africa. I love Africa. I see myself as a pale African. I belong here. In a continent of conflict - in a continent of love - in a continent of life But once in a while I go back to my 'mother'land. I visit the poor bastards who believe vitamin D starvation is natural, who believe that three days sun in a row is a great summer, who believe white people can dance... I have never been so angry. I fumed for days. I needed to be calmed down. I wanted to punch some lovely people in the head. - I didn't...

Read More

Cannabis Honey

When I was a youth worker, I was often confronted by older people with complaints about my young people. I always disagreed. Young people are awesome. They have dreams. They believe they can change the world. They often do. Older people however, have always freaked me out. They seem too smooth. Smooth is never good. Unless you are a life insurance salesman... which is also not good. So never! I finally have proof of my ever present suspicion towards the elderly. I was invited to do a talk at a local walking club about Beekeeping in...

Read More

The curse of private education and medical health

I have private medical aid. My children go to a government school which is not free. I live a good life. I live a comfortable life. I am mid 30ies so my life resolves around planning my future, starting new projects, sustaining old ones, raising the two most wonderful kids... I live a busy life. The busyness of life makes me disconnect with the struggles of the people around me. As a white middle class pale African, I realize that my life is very good compared to the world average. My life is also great compared to the South African...

Read More

Cancer

I am slightly 'beneuk' - read overly scared - of getting cancer. When I found out that I had three new brown spots on my back I got seriously worried. I tried to make light of it, but my mind kept thinking the worst. My mind is my most powerful muscle. Unfortunately it's not been trained very well. I started thinking about a world without me. I started planning my estate. My mind started projecting all my unfulfilled dreams on the sky canvas around me. All this for three 5mm spots on my back. My mom is a doctor so I got her to have...

Read More

Your naughty child

It happens to some of us. We will deny it in public, but we know deep down that it's true. You have the naughtiest child in the class. You made it. You put it in the class. And now you have to carry the consequences of those foolish acts. You'd expect people to understand your hardship. You want people to show you some mercy. They surely know it's not your fault. You are wrong. People like to judge. They will not let you off the hook lightly. Their accusing glances will haunt you wherever your paths cross. Here is a guide for parents...

Read More

A story of two Countries

I am busy exploring a new business venture. The basic idea is to ship raw materials from Europe to Africa for processing. There after, for the processed product to be exported again. It should be a simple process or so I thought this would be. As the raw product is agricultural, I have to deal with the Department of Agriculture. I wanted to do this project in South Africa. This is home. This has however shown to be very challenging. I have made numerous calls to different people who have all proven to be extremely unhelpful. The...

Read More

Soul Travelling

Darkness surrounds - it captures Hope feels years away The lesson not to give up has to be relearned Every day Every moment Pain is the only constant Yet the soul keeps travelling on a road knowing that one ray of change will light it a...

Read More

Blueberry trial in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Part 3

Year One Evaluation: Currently, the plants are 18 months old. This is a short evaluation on their growth. I removed all their fruit. Sharpblue: Healthy growth, developed a nice spread of branches. Dixi: The majority of the plants died, there is hardly any growth with the surviving plants, the worst performer by far. I have very little hope that they will come right. Powder Blue: I thought Powder Blue and Misty would be great varieties, but they have not performed well. There has been very little growth and both have lost a few plants....

Read More

Letting go

I let my first member of staff go. I fired him. It feels terrible. It feels really wrong. This is not why one pours his or her life in a startup. I want to create job. I want to see people thrive and reach their potential. But with G this didn't work out. I hired G in December. His family back ground is complicated. His dad...

Read More