zaNoob meets da Queens plot and loses it somewot

 where am i even?

i took 2 sleeping pills ater 5 beers because by god was u gonna sleep tonight innit?

nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo fure  FIRE FFFFIIIRRREEE go thee in thy teeshirt and knickers and stand in -3 degrees with a bunch of people who merely guffaw, complained or judge and wait alone in the icy wind to see it there is in fact a puff of camel smoke that caused this painful exploration and we can climb 12 flights of stair to bed or hang out more asking people for water only to be oi oi oi-ed off,

yeah 

That was nigh 19 in this charming land we love so ...carefully.

no such thing as asking for a refund iinit?

sleeo now? not a chance....

BBC...a distinct possibility...them in the sunshine with their bakeoffs and their celeb nails and shoes

ffs

so glad I came

Technology & Interior Design - South Africa -A blog I did for Chair Crazy

 

Technology & Interior Design
 - South Africa -

It was brought to my attention again today that there is still the archaic but common misconception, even in the most modern of countries, that South Africa is deepest, darkest Africa. That we have wild animals roaming our dusty streets, the (predominantly coal black) population sporting loin cloths and living in mud huts. This feels completely ridiculous, especially considering the impact of technological advancement over the past two decades, which has resulted in millions of people having access to a considerable amount of information online. And yet this mistaken belief still exists.

 

Not only are we not wearing loin cloths and dodging lions, there is a sizable number of South Africans who live, work, and play in very modern, totally on-trend, stylish homes, offices, and restaurants.

 

Technology, as the internet in particular, has enabled so much information to be shared worldwide that the local interior designers of our ever-emergent country are not only aware of fashionable trends and forecasts, but are accomplished enough to compete in the international arena.

Okha, a leading South African interior design company, specialises in creating the kind of covetable homes gracing the pages of glossy lifestyle magazines.

This office situated in Rondebosch, Cape Town, was commended in the Third International Green Interior Awards

It must be acknowledged that there is still a massive portion of our population who continue to live in poverty, and do not have access to decent education or information, let alone live or work in trendy spaces. But this does not mean there is any lack in a sense of aesthetics or trending international influences.

With the low value of the Rand, there are few people who can afford costly, original designer fittings. This is where replica stores like CHAIR CRAZY come in - making fashion more accessible and affordable for those who wish to invest in enhancing their lifestyle.

THE CONVENIENCE FACTOR

 

Our increased access to information has resulted in widespread inspiration in local talent, drawing from the extensive global diversity. Designers all over the world are influenced by each other, and by the different cultures and landscapes across the globe.

 

Gone are the days of sanctions and a lack of contact with the rest of the world, so thanks to Google and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Pintrest, not only do South Africans have a multitude of influences to draw from, but the gap in our adaptation of global trends has narrowed. This means we are now seeing international styles and trends hitting our stores a lot quicker than in previous years.

 

Technology has also had a major influence on our interior design operations. Without going into too much detail, the main results are reductions in expenses and (most particularly) production time. So if you’re someone who’s keen to stay consistently current and on-trend, changing your space is much less of a palaver than it was in times gone by!

 

 

The process of curating a space has also become more personal. These days, you don’t even have to leave your house or office to peruse a shop’s catalogue or check a designer out. You don’t need as much specialised equipment to plan your space either - there are so many computer programmes and apps at your fingertips that you now have the option of taking a leading roll in the design process.

Of course, this does not mean that interior designers no longer feature. They still have a specialised knowledge and an industry language that makes them invaluable to the design process. Up and coming designer Alison Thomson put it brilliantly, saying that “it’s the designer’s roll to understand the REAL need of the client and to represent the client’s fundamental interest, much like a spam filter. Then we communicate the client’s interests to suppliers - using modified, relevant language.”

                 

Pictured above is the official mobile app by Siesta Design Furniture. Collections, gallery and exclusive previews are especially made available for viewing on an iPad.

CHAIR CRAZY, like many other cutting-edge stores, has a well-populated, regularly updated website, where you can view our stock collections. We also have a strong social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, which (among other things) showcases our products in lifestyle shoots to edify and inspire our patrons and followers from all over the world.

Chair Crazy, as a replica store, offers a wide range of chairs, stools, and tables that are to be found as original designer products or replicas all over the world. We stock popular designs such as those of acclaimed designers Charles Eames, Phillip Starke and Hans Wegner.

Eames	Starke	Wegner

 

DESIGNER TRADE SHOWS - SA

As in all the design Meccas the world over, South Africa plays host to a number of shows that provide a platform for both local and international designers to showcase their talent. August sees the 100% Design South Africa show, held at the Gallagher Convention Center in Gauteng, where it takes place alongside Decorex Joburg (9-13 August).

Since starting off as a fledgling show in 2014, 100 Design South Africa has matured into “Africa’s premier exhibition and sourcing platform for high-end contemporary design”.

If you have the opportunity to attend, you can expect an extensive variety of displays that extend across the various mediums and style that encompass the wide world of interiors, textiles, architecture, furniture, and product design.

As stated on SA Creative Network, “talents across the spectrum of local and international design are all given time in the limelight, with exceptional quality, innovation and ingenuity as the recognised hallmarks of the event”.

100% Design South Africa is the largest curated exhibition platform for sourcing high-end contemporary design in Africa.

“This will be so much more than just another interior design show,” says Cathy O’Clery, international design authority and Programme Director of 100% Design South Africa. “Visitors to this year’s 100% Design South Africa can expect no less than wall-to-wall proof of the artistic and aesthetic genius of their fellow South Africans - the sort of genius that’s helped make our country as gorgeous as it is.”

Felling inspired? CHANGE YOUR SPACE and take advantage of our sale starting 24^th July!

SQUEEZE AND RELEASE

 I'm all wrung out

I have nothing to say

T’s and C’s Apply

We wake at dawn, my daughter and I, in order to get us both to school (on the opposite sides of CT) on time. It’s not amazing. But we are now in a ritual where, after pressing snooze about 50 times, I rouse my warm, sleepy little girl and get out of bed to put on the kettle, prepare breakfast and switch on the radio. I then take our breakfasts back to bed and we sit there in sleepy silence shovelling in mouthfuls of cereal, and wearily listen to the (usually quite annoying) music and the cheerful chattering of the DJ’s. And, ye gods! the incessant advertisements.

 I don’t really pay attention to them, but as the days go on I am becoming more and more aware how after advertising absolutely anything from polyfiller to pretzels to concert tickets, that T’s and C’s apply. Like, really? What a sad testament to society that cheesy radio ads have to have this legal jargon incorporated. It makes me nauseous. You can have this “amazing” thing but terms and conditions apply, which means that actually maybe you can’t, because you don’t fit whatever criteria is stipulated in the fine print. Buy two bags of naartjies and you get one bag free, T’s & C’s apply (ie the third bag is dripping and mouldy and from last years crop). And, yes you can have this lovely ladies watch for only R199 but you first have to purchase this flat screen TV for R12000, and unless you uncheck this box we will spam you every half and hour for the rest of your life. It’s funny cos it’s true!

It’s like having to sign an indemnity form to acknowledge that should any thing go wrong, the products company are not in any way liable. Just the fact that if someone chokes on a raison in a muesli bar and then attempts to sue the company that produced the bar, is ridiculous and yet not unheard of. And secondly that company’s are so nervous of being liable for anything that they have to include this form of indemnity thus releasing themselves of being criticized or getting bad press. Passing the buck back to you! Ugh!  Where is the love people? Where is the trust and transparency of trade and produce?

It feels like a sci fi novel or movie, where society has been corrupted and has changed so radically that the food comes in the form of a pellet, hover crafts pass by your windows in your sky loft, and toilet paper is no longer used because there is some other weird system which deals with that … situation…(see Demolition Man, 1993). Or like in The Fifth Element where advertisements are tailor made to suit your position in society and plague you where ever you go. Maybe I’m exaggerating a bit, I realise I am rather cynical, but you know what I mean – these things develop so fast that it’s not hard to imagine it spiralling out of control. There are enough extremes and dogma to deal with already thank you very much!

So, with such disillusioned and complex thoughts occupying my mind, I then have to find something appropriate to wear to school. Something that covers my tattoos isn’t too low, too short, too revealing etc. There is a crisis in education in this country, we really need good teachers; altruistic, highly talented and qualified individuals who don’t expect to earn very much and will dedicate their lives and energy to adequately educating the increasingly (in my situation) reluctant youth. There is nothing more important!  But…
Terms and Conditions apply.                                              

Which brings me to this very thorny and delicate subject, the crown of thorns, the sword in my side (I do not have a Christ complex I’m just running with the metaphor), which is being employed by a school. I cannot say too much here, however what I can say is this. Unless you are employed by the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) you have no real sense of job security, because as a Governing Body (GB) educator (that is, employed by the school rather than the State) your contract gets renewed annually. That basically means that you live in perpetual terror of losing your job for what boils down to 'financial issues', which is seriously an unpleasant environment to live/work in.

How can one, as a teacher, focus on the arduous tasks in hand when one is worrying about how long it will last? The students themselves will be affected by the teachers own sense of tenuous frailty, it disrupts the flow, the continuity, sense of safety and balance if teachers are swapped around and replaced all the time, surely?  I learned in my PGCE course last year and have witnessed it this year myself, that for the learners to have the best chance of gaining any knowledge and sustaining their development, they need to establish a sense of trust in their teachers and in the system.

 It brings to mind the way some people advocate the use of  ritual and routines when caring for an infant. For example, 6 o’clock is bath time, followed by a feed and then to bed. This is supposed to give the infant a sense of safety and comfort, and hopefully gives the parent or care giver an easier time during this period of adjustment and development. So it helps a child / learner to know what is expected of them, where boundaries are shaped, and a form of reassurance that they are in safe hands.

This tenuous position of a GB post is in direct conflict to those who have a WCED post. These teachers are, between the unions and various government organisations, untouchable. This means that one of these teachers can do all manner of things and it is virtually, by law, impossible to fire them. This can result in stagnation, and the making of what my lecturer at UCT termed “the grey lizards”, meaning teachers who have been in a school since forever and have not altered their techniques or opinions or ways of teaching which are, or rather should be, constantly being adjusted, renewed and/or enhanced to fit in with the current epoch, much as society itself does. Then again, some of these teachers remain incredibly resilient to this kind of deflation, and power on with giving all they have to the school, the learners, the world. There are  many of them out there, people who have inspired generations of kids with very little thanks (or remuneration). 

As I mentioned in my previous piece, Technobabble, today’s kids are not like the kids of yesteryear, hence they are naturally a part of a system which is in constant flux. As are the subjects that are taught, and the curriculum documents adjusted for optimum results (though perhaps not as rapidly or fundamentally as it needs to), so must the teachers readjust themselves and, like any decent medical practitioner, should stay current , motivated and continually curious about their subject matter and how it is perceived in the world around them.

These are the terms and conditions of teaching. As I discussed initially, this does not avail the required transparency that ones needs in order to feel secure and valued, and it is this issue that seems to be plaguing many of the institutions that are “shaping” the youth who in term will be involved in shaping a future society etc etc.

Anyway, it’s not like I have solutions to these issues, and as I said in my first blog, this is just a window into my life and thoughts. My platform on which to rant! If iget it all out here then maybe I can avoid getting cancer from all this pessimistic angsting sitting in ma belly! But that’s a topic for another time.

Have a good week yawl! Don’t stagnate!

Peace,

Anna

TechnoBabble

 

I have recently become very aware of some distinct changes in society.

 Not just in terms of technology, but the actual people. I teach mostly grade 8s and 9s and I’m convinced that they are much more… what’s

the word? I want to say sophisticated but that makes them sound too refined (which in some cases is the very last thing I would label them
as), but they seem like a much older version of how I was at that age.

I was so completely naïve compared to these kids, I mean I was still riding bikes and getting excited about being able to tape my fave songs on the Top 40 on Radio 5 on Saturday mornings, Alex Jay or Barney Simon bloody well talking over the beginning of the song so that you cant ever hear that song without automatically expecting to hear one of them bla-ing on! I still assume that if I hear Come-on Eileen that Lovecats will inevitably be the next track. And when we went out riding around the neighbor hood, playing in the streets, nobody could get hold of us and it was not a bloody crisis.

Cell phones were things that came out of a futuristic sci fi movie, along with hover boards and time machines. Movies which we could watch at an independent movie  theater and not have to deal with an entire hurlingly scary cavernous mall. (I hate malls).

And when we had a school project we looked stuff up in books and painstakingly hand wrote and drew the pictures ourselves. No Internet,
no Wikipedia, no Google! The Horror! This generation has no clue what its like to live without these modern technological must- haves. Grade 9’s are already aware of and experimenting with  drugs, booze, sex etc. 

I was discussing this with some friends the other day and realized that our (my) generation grew up in a very interesting time – on the
cusp of all the modern tools we have these days, tapes and records making way for CD’s and then ipods and mp3’s etc. and we were there for it all.

I will never forget buying my first tape. It was something like Top of the Pops 37 or some such. I think I was 8 years old and all I wanted in life was to own a copy of wake me up before you go go by Wham. So my god father, bless him, took me out to musica and we found this tape that contained the song and many more (not that I cared much about them). I was a short lil shit (back then, you know, cos now I'm towering over everyone)…so I had to stand on my tippy toes to reach the counter. So I held  up the tape to the guy and asked if it was the one with wake me up before you go go on it. what did he do? HE LAUGHED.  Positively guffawed! I was mortified to my back teeth. This was serious stuff you know! But then he did confirm that it was indeed the one I should get. But by then I felt so embarrassed that I wanted to run as far away as possible. Then again, I wanted the tape desperately -, so with burning cheeks I handed over the money and excitedly rushed out of the shop so that I could get home and play it. And play it I did. My poor parents! The only other tape I had at the time was a taped version of the Best of Abba, say no more!

Technology shifts, and so  society shifts with it - but I still think its way sad that kids cant ride their bikes around on their own or play rounders in the road. Not here anyway. Perhaps that is too sweeping a statement, too generalized, but nobody can deny that times have changed what with the rise of the cell phone, media in general and the basic safety of ourselves and our kids. It's sad. Did the horrendous things I hear in the daily news happen when I was little and it wasn't public knowledge or is the absolutely vile and unforgivable  actions perpetrated by some, such as the rape of children, become more common place? In which case, WHY?? Why is society damaging itself more and more all the time? and is it due to our technology. Cos if you think about it something like WAR used to be clans of young and old men battling it out on a field, with swords, knives, and later guns -  whereas now we have nuclear bombs which could obliterate the entire globe.

Makes you think, doesn't it?

Nothing Good

Ag nee man! I got it in to my head somehow that it was Friday (eve) and so had anticipated doing Friday night kinda stuff, not necessarily going out so much as just having a chilled, non week day dread filled evening, sms a friend or two to pop in for a drink, eat junk foodish type vibes. And THEN…sob…I realised it was Thursday! SWAK! Like, really, thee swakkest (looks longingly at six pack [of amstel not stomach muscles {I wish}])

Thee. What is up with this word, cos all my students write ‘thee’ instead of ‘the’? Is this a thing, or are they all just really bad spellers? I thought it was an amusing mannerism when one of them critters used it in a BBM to me (yes! That happens!), but now I see they all write it like that. I am obviously not that down with the lingo no more! Please explain. Thanks.

So I have to admit that I am no longer looking longingly at the six pack because I broke down and am slugging the sweet nectar of the hops - slow brewed and extra matured -  because I have decided to celebrate that it is in fact Thursday and that I can get all ampt for Friday all over again. Or something. Am still working on the exact nature of the justification. Justification! This is where my real talent lies. I can come up with a very believable and diverse listing of excuses to: not attend work, a function, to not leave the house, to eat anything bad, to drink, to not use protection, to spend money on whatever, to sms him/her, to stay  in bed etc So, dear reader, if you ever need help finding a valid sounding reason to do or not to do, anything – I’d be honored to work with/for you on all manner of justification needs you might have, Gratis, for free!

Although jissis I could do with a cash injection round about now. I had to borrow money to buy my meds which I have to take in order to go to work and make-a da moneys. You know mos the drill, ne?

So, on an even heavier note. Someone I kinda know through some people I definitely know, committed suicide this week. I am so very sad about it, sickened, that someone who I always thought of as a confident, lively, life-loving kinda guy resorted to such extremes. I feel sick that I never knew of his suffering or could help or something. It’s so bloody shocking and awful. And to think I have considered it so many times myself, in my freaked out emo moments, of which there have been several. It is just such a hectic thing to do. It’s so…final. How does one, who is in any way related to a person who does this, ever come back from it. I’m devastated and  sickened, and I barely knew him. Being in such a dark space where you can see no relief,  have nobody who you feel would care if you ceased to exist, that is truly shattering.  I know that I have to some been very dark spaces in my head and have had histrionic reactions to some of the slings and arrows that life has thrown at me, but yhoh! To actually carry that yearning for it to stop to the ultimate place is just so very heartbreaking.

Okay now Im depressed. I’m quite sure that I deserve to have another cold one. You know, cos, like, Im sad and stuff and I need to erm , you know, stop, feeling, so…and like beer is like …awesome and stuff.

Also, if you are reading this, you probably need one too, so go ahead, Ill wait here while you procure this elixir of delight. By the way, I apologise for the dark nature of where I got to in this piece, and hope you do not feel too disturbed or bothered, or agonisingly indifferent, there we go, have a beer, you deserve it now. Shame.

Due to the nature of what this blog ended up being about I’m just gonna leave it here, cos anything I write now will come across as trite or unsympathetic.

Be good, and Happy Thursday

Anna

A Little Academic Rant

In which I talk about Teaching with Curiosity and Vulnerability

Last year when I was doing my PGCE , one of my assignments was to write an essay based on a quote by Joseph Mc Donald who contemplates the questions we often ask ourselves, our subject matter, and about our students:  What shall I teach amid all that I might teach? How can I grasp it myself so that my grasping may enable theirs? What are they thinking and feeling – toward me, toward each other, toward the thinking I am trying to teach? How near should I come, how far off should I stay?

This links up nicely to what I was writing about in Chips, Rice or Baked Potatoe where I speak about how I see the learners as individuals and take the relationship I have with them past the boundaries of the subject I teach and even out of school entirely. 

The premise of my essay was basically about how it is so important to maintain ones own curiosity about a subject; it is this curiosity that will bring about the imaginative ideas and it is this curiosity that will bring about the most passion for the subject, the most satisfaction and the most attentiveness from your students. For them to be aware that you are a fallible human being and not as a know-it-all ATM of knowledge. That you too are seeking to know more about the world and the subjects you teach. And the more passion and genuine curiosity you show and feel the more it will interest them into the subject too. Ideally anyway!

For a student to see this fallible side of you, for he or she to think you are “just like me” one needs to display some vulnerability in the classroom, provided of course, it is appropriate for you to do so. This vulnerability is by no means a lack of control (over students or subject matter), or a state of woundedness, for me it is rather the lack of arrogance, a humility which to my mind, if coupled with passion and curiosity, will be the optimum stance for a teacher to take with a class in order to facilitate learning and personal growth.

It’s easy to forget that teaching is a relationship. Vulnerability is an essential part of building trust and authenticity in the teaching relationship (and of any relationship Id say). It is after all not a class one is teaching but a group of individuals, of souls and hearts, and those are what need to be reached. Our students need to know that we, as teachers, continue to be students, and that learning is a lifelong pursuit.

It must be noted at this point that this most assuredly does not mean you lose your authority in the classroom. As McDonald pointed out in an email to me: “The chemistry of the triangle creates incessant uncertainty, though of course, teachers have to act with authority despite the uncertainty.” (2011) 

What I think he is saying is that, as a teacher one is still the ever-present director, or aid, but not necessarily the sage. I like to think of a teacher as an orchestral conductor, ever summoning, enhancing or lulling the tempo of the music of a class, designing the program or show rather than being it. It’s a symbiosis of sorts where neither (nor the learning) could exist without the other.

To extend this metaphor, it may be useful to picture a conductor / teacher, standing in front of his orchestra / class channeling all these emotions, sometimes through his face, sometimes through his whole body. Praising, admonishing, encouraging collaboration and harmony till noise becomes music. Chaos becomes order. Knowledge is instilled.

Sometimes the directing gestures are grandiose and expansive, other times it could be the very slightest expression change or nod of the head. It is this type of intuition that is needed between a teacher and a class, and this has to be initiated by you (me) as a teacher.Sometimes it is listening, sometimes reacting, sometimes acting or a combination of all of these, which will bring the harmony. It is the questions that we ask ourselves, as seen in McDonald’s quote, that give us the time signature, the key, the clef and tempo in a piece of music.

What do you think?