Seasons of Change

"There is a time for everything, 

and a season for every activity 

under the heavens:

a time to be born & a time to die, 

a time to plant & a time to uproot, 

a time to kill & a time to heal, 

a time to tear down & a time to build, 

a time to weep & a time to laugh, 

a time to mourn & a time to dance, 

a time to scatter stones & a time to gather them, 

a time to embrace & a time to turn away, 

a time to search & a time to give up, 

a time to keep & a time to throw away, 

a time to tear & a time to mend, 

a time to be silent & a time to speak, 

a time to love & a time to hate,  

a time for war & a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes 3 V 1-8

Mark Twain said, "The only two certainties in life are death and taxes."

I think we can add ‘change’ to that quote cos life is never smooth sailing. Also, if you live in the middle east then you don’t have to worry about the tax part!

Which is where I spent 10 months of my existence, living and learning and not worrying about tax.

Some days were harder than others but I kept telling myself that this is just for a time and a season. I was being prepared and shaped, going through the refining fire of life. Hard times tend to do that you. It breaks you down and builds you up stronger.

I remember having a discussion with my mate Theesan. We were talking about how everyone has a different capacity for “life’s troubles.” Like casts of fine wine, some of us may be small and young, and others are massive and well aged (experienced). Life has a way of stretching those casts out and thus allowing us to have a greater carrying capacity for the troubles that we have to endure.

Case in point. Take a prissy 18 year old who has more shoes and credit cards than hairs on her head vs one that’s the oldest sibling of 4 living without parents, working 2 jobs and growing up on what little sustenance she can provide for her siblings. When life’s struggles strike, who would you put your money on to get through it? Who would you trust to take YOU through it?

Exactly.

Going through life’s difficulties builds character.

It is important for a young professional to learn how to predict these changes and seasons and in doing so reduce the damage that comes with these storms.

During my time in Qatar I had the privilege of building up some finances with the idea in mind that I was gonna get back to South Africa without a job. So financially, I prepared to live comfortably for x amount of months. So after a great harvest’ I prepared for a possible ‘drought’.

After I did my time in the Middle East I landed in S.A and had the time of my life with my family and closest friends, which is still going on, seeing as how it’s the festive season now. Its all part of my networking I say!

“I don’t like that Duvane boy. Ever since he came back from ‘Dubai’ you going out every night and coming home late!” – Kavir’s granny.

Sorry Aunty, your grandson was rotten before I arrived! Except now, he uses me as his excuse!!! =D

Once again, in the opposite way I went from toil and strain in Qatar to absolute bliss in S.A. The season had changed! I know, however that even this time of tremendous gratification would also come to an end at some point!

If you’re fighting a few battles right now, have a renewed hope that the end will come. Change will happen.

If you’re reaping a tremendous harvest, then best you prepare for all possible storms.

Ever heard that saying, “I’m saving it for a rainy day.”? It's a statement of preparation and future planning. Apply it. Not just financially. Life strikes our relationships, loved ones, assets, emotions and every possible thing that can change. Nothing in life is ever certain.

Revel in the harvest but know and understand that change will happen. If you can come to terms with that, half your battle of overcoming it is already won.

Everything comes to an end.

The season of your life will also one day come to an end.

Prepare.

Prosperity and Prejudice

The following article was published in 'The Witness' on Friday 17th June 2011.

It sums up a small portion of my experience in Doha, Qatar.

It is just the experience and perceptions of one individual and does not represent the country or population on a whole.

If you would like more information about my travels, feel free to mail me!


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Mythbusters - Fitness edition

After being posed with some of the most absurd fitness questions, I thought it would be apt to put some of these to rest - once and for all? …Probably not. (if you're after a 6 pack, you definitely want to read the last one!)

Myth #9 - Holding weights while doing cardio increases calorie burn

Ok well this one is partially true. Yeah you will burn a few extra calories but this amount is almost negligible.  Also, you may develop shoulder injuries from excessive movement of these weights.

Besides, it looks ridiculous! You aren’t an extra in an 80’s Madonna music video.

Just don’t’ do it man. 

So if I ever see one of you men holding weights while on a treadmill I will walk over and trip you while you’re on it.

Do this instead:

Man up and give the farmers walk a try. It burns alotta calories! (This is no substitute for cardio exercise)

Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells and let them hang naturally, at arm's length, next to your sides. Walk forward for as long as you can while holding the dumbbells. If you can walk for longer than 60 seconds, use a heavier weight.

Myth #8 – Protein shakes are bad for you.

No they aren’t. Do you eat meat? Or vegetables? Are they bad for you?

They are all forms of protein.

With that said, it can be potentially dangerous for someone that bases the main portion of their diet on these protein shakes. Don’t do stupid things like that, instead, refer to the next myth.

Myth #7 - You need supplements to get in good shape

Supplements should be used for what their name implies, to “supplement” and outstanding eating regimen. I understand that as young professionals it’s hard to find time to prepare 5 million quality meals a day, in which case a protein shake provides a quick alternative. However, this should only be used on those “lazy” days or when you simply cannot fit in a meal between work, weekend sports and taking your lady out on a date.

It is WAY more beneficial to EAT your daily calories rather than drink it. The food you eat has many more essential nutrients that aren’t included in the liquid forms. With that said, it may also be hard to achieve the allotted amount of daily protein intake without a protein shake…. But please... try?

Do this instead: Prepare a meal plan in advance so you know what you’re going to be eating for the week.

Myth #6 - More hours spent in the gym leads to better results

A few weeks ago a colleague of mine asked me some fitness advice. He began explaining his training schedule which was seven days a week! So I asked him, “When’s your rest day?” He said he didn’t want to rest. I expressed my disagreement with this scheduling and told him the dangers of his endeavours.

About 2 months down the line he’s in the hospital seeing a doctor cos he’s constantly fatigued and can barely get out the bed.

This is called ‘overtraining’. It occurs when your exercise exceeds your recovery capacity. This also has a direct effect on the immune system and can lead to its prolonged suppression.

If you’re trying to build muscle you want to avoid overtraining at all costs. When you overtrain you start to break down muscle tissue instead of building it!

Do this instead : Have a healthy balance between exercise and recovery. If you feel that you aren’t performing like normal, take a break. A week off from vigorous training is good for the body and mind!

Unless you’re training for endurance type activities or have a sound professional training program for sport specific purposes you should limit your gym sessions to an hour. Remember, you don’t grow when you’re lifting weights, you grow when you’re recovering.

Myth #5 - If someone looks fit, they know what they're talking about

Who would you rather take advice from?

The guy on the left, Professor Tim Noakes is one of the leading Professors in the world on exercise science.

Unfortunately, more often than not people would listen to the genetically “perfect” human being rather than the one who knows more about Adonis’ body than Adonis himself. (Sorry to the dude who's picture i used, I'm sure you're a clever lad!)

Familiarize yourself with the term “Broscience”: Word of mouth knowledge passed off as fact, primarily among bodybuilders + weightlifters where the anecdotal reports of ripped dudes are considered more credible than scientific research.

Some of the evidence also stem from lifestyle magazines and supplement manufacturers.

I’ve only had ONE client who’s asked me, “What qualification do you have?” That was his very 1st question.

Some people are blessed with good genes and look good despite their training and eating habits. We have these 2 guys at our gym who are ripped and well proportioned despite their pathetic form and choice of exercise. They’ve been training for mere months and have achieved more than what most people would in a year or two.

That’s the ‘Law of individual Difference’. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another. For MOST people, you need to find out what works best for YOUR body.

A perfect example: There are these other 2 guys in our gym that embarked on a training and diet program together while starting an anabolic steroid cycle (I do not condone the use of anabolic steroids. That’s another topic on it’s own, so don’t ask me about it!). ‘Guy A’ gained 8kgs in a few weeks and ‘Guy B’ gained a mere 2 kgs. Everybody’s body responds differently to different stimuli. Steroids have severe side affects and should not be used, other than for their intended purposes.

Don’t get frustrated and lose hope after reading about people who go from flab to superhuman in 8-12 weeks when you’ve been at it for 6 months with little results.

-You don’t know what they did to get that way.

-You don’t know about their previous fitness history.

They could have been track & field stars in their day and merely let themselves go, only to rediscover their genetic potential after hitting the gym again.

With that said, some trainers may not have the relevant qualification but have many years of experience in their field. So while listening to what they have to say make sure you are critical of it and adapt it to your unique situation.

Myth #4 - Eating 5- 6 meals a day will speed up my metabolism.

Says who? The millions of supplement companies that fund these studies? They want to promote the sales of their meal replacement shakes and protein powders. They interpret the results of these studies in a way that suits them best. Out of these studies, which may be poorly conducted, arises half- truths and faulty conclusions. When reviewing these studies, one needs to be critical of all facets. Fitness magazines reach a lot more people and have a lot more influence than scientific studies, which require some sort of academic background to decipher and thus, mainstream media have the advantage of the reaching the masses. Those who have experience with research methodology will be able to provide you with a critical analysis of these studies.

Back to my point.

When you eat, your metabolic rate increases. It takes energy to breakdown this food and utilize it AS energy. This creates a paradox within itself. If you eat a 1500 calorie meal in one serving or if you have it in 5 small servings, it will still take the same amount of calories to metabolize it. Thus, meal frequency has no effect on the rate of metabolism. Personally I eat 5- 6 meals for the sake of convenience, as this method of eating allows me to consume the large number of calories required for muscle building. I prefer this method rather than having to put down large quantities in each seating.

If you want to lose weight you need to consume less calories than you burn. If you want to gain size, you need to consume MORE, quality, calories than you burn. TOTAL CALORIE INTAKE is whats important.

For those interested I have included some reading material on this topic:

STUDY 1

STUDY 2

Myth #3 - "I don't want to get muscles that are too big"

 This one REALLY grates me.

Guy walks into the gym and when you ask him his goals he says, “I want to get bigger, get more muscles but I don’t want to be TOO big”

Dudes. Seriously. Stop this behaviour!

You aren’t gonna become Arnold overnight. You aren’t even gonna be like that 2 years from now. I can assure you, after a few weeks of going to the gym, you wont wake up one morning and find yourself with 10kgs of extra muscle. From the millions of people that I’ve heard quote the above mentioned statement, guess how many have gotten “big”?

None.

I blame the media for this one. Fitness seems to be all about aesthetics. People disregard the physiological health benefits associated with exercise and tend to give up when they don’t see their abs after a few weeks of crunches.

Developing a decent physique takes time and devotion and to be honest, MOST people are never gonna have either of those. Don’t walk into the gym and expect to look like a cover model in 3 months. It ain’t gonna happen!!!!

Most people I see going in and out the gym get results that go hand in hand with their efforts. Some have almost no change at all, despite going to the gym for months (external factors like diet and exercise prescription may be at fault here).

Have realistic expectations. That’s all I’m saying. Everybody can have the body of their dreams but achieving that body comes with varying difficulty.

Myth #2 – This one is for your girlfriends who say, “I don’t want to do weight training cos it will make me muscular like those female bodybuilders”.

Let me say this. It’s virtually impossible. The female body doesn’t produce enough testosterone to achieve that kind of muscle mass.

Ladies SHOULD include weight training into their exercise regimen if they want to burn more calories and lean up. Full-body weight training burns a lot of calories!!

Myth #1 -  Doing crunches and ab workouts will get rid of belly fat

DON'T BE THIS GUY

You can do a 50 000 000 crunches a day and you wont even see a dull shade of an abdominal muscle.

That’s cos achieving a 6-pack has everything to do with your body fat percentage. Guess what your abs are covered with? No, its not a protective layer for your muscles, its fat.

You CANNOT target fat loss on a specific body part!

You simply can’t pick and choose where you would like to burn fat. So please don’t go buy those ab machines they advertise on tv.

Do this instead:  Combination of cardio and strength training with a balanced healthy diet. This will reduce your fat percentage so you can start seeing those bad boys again!

Degree vs. Experience - the constant battle.

It seems that in today’s economic climate, the battle between formal education and experience seems to be raging fiercely. Is a degree even worth half as much as it was 10 years ago?

Of course, in fields such as medicine, engineering law and other sciences, a degree is obligatory.

Recently I’ve considered furthering my studies. Should I be doing masters? Should I change my field of study? Or should I try and get more work experience under my belt?

Having an Honours degree in Sport Science and working as a personal trainer is comparable to qualifying as a medical doctoral student and working as a nurse. I could have done a 3 month course in fitness and still be equipped to do the same job (provided I had the relevant experience) instead of spending four years of my life as a student and pushing out a thesis.

However, I’m told, you have to start somewhere.

One fallacy, among many, that we’re taught to believe is that getting a degree will get you a well paying job. This is far from the truth. Getting a degree may not even get you a job.

A recent poll on an employment website asked employers what kind of candidate they preferred, one with experience, or one with qualification. Experience won by a landslide. I can’t find the link I had for that so you’re just gonna have to take my word for it.

Employers aren’t interested in what you know. Only in what you can do! A degree does however, show employers that you are able to see things through to completion. It shows that you have commitment and dedication.

And sometimes your resume won’t even make it to the employer’s desk if it doesn’t accompany a relevant qualification.

Still, there is no substitute for the school of hard knocks.

It goes without saying that education is EXPONENTIALLY better with experience. This is what makes internships so beneficial.

(This is based from the point of view of graduates and young job-seekers)

We tend to leave school/ college with a false concept of reality. Our expectations and what we experience in life are actually poles apart.

Here is a few things that college WON’T teach you about the ‘real’ world.

The Godfather

1. No job is beneath you

When you’re asked to do something by your boss, you should do it happily no matter the task (within legal reason, especially if your boss asks you to ‘take care of someone’).

Even if it “isn’t your job”. Doing something outside of your job description is a reflection of your character. Of course, you still have a choice. But do it, and earn greater responsibility and respect.

2 The world doesn’t care how you feel, how hard you worked or what your sacrificed. Just how well you perform.

3. Academic intelligence isn’t everything

In school, the smartest kid with the best scores came out on top. In the real world the best person at the job isn’t always the smartest… just the one that knows how to do something that you don’t (through experience).

4.Naïve honesty

We’re taught to be trusting and that the world is just and fair. The world is never fair and justice is flawed. You will never know the whole truth about everything.

Being completely open and transparent with your thoughts, decisions and actions can lead you into trouble and leave you wide open to be taken advantage of. People look out for themselves, especially in a corporate environment. You need to look out for yourself. Never reveal everything at once. Keep a few bullets for your defence.

5. Problem solving

In class we put up our hands and shout out the answer. Or we point out a problem and someone fixes it. In real life you find the problem, provide the answer AND fix it yourself. Anybody can find problems. Few can provide and follow through with solutions.

6. How to voice your opinion

You think your teacher was hard on you? You can tell your teacher off. Go ahead. They don’t pay your salary. Your boss however, won’t take too likely to it. Bask in the roasting.

7. Team Work

Unless you played in sport through school and in college you won’t grasp the real concept of team work, communicating within a team and handling team responsibilities. Nobody can do things alone and people that think they can, end up with a lot more stress and far more enemies than they can deal with. If you need help, ask. That is also a form of team work.

8. A degree doesn’t = a job

The reason school leavers get a degree is to get a job in their desired field. This was true in the 80’s and 90’s. These days every other person has a degree in something and many of them are either unemployed or working in a different field to their qualification.

9.Taking risks and learning by trial and error

Many small businesses started by people just ‘winging it’ and taking things as they come. On the outside we see a working professional with a business, a brand, a plan and a product, when actually, from an insiders view its just one or two individuals doing what comes to them and making decisions and following them through by trial and error. You don’t have to know every single detail of everything in order to succeed.

10. There are more than one way to get to your destination

I had this conception that I would finish high school, graduate from university, get a well paying job and buy my own apartment all by age 23 at least. This seemed like the only logical way to proceed through life and achieve success.

I graduated, spent a year enjoying life and working part-time then ventured overseas, learning valuable life lessons (due to return in a couple of months). We shall see how the rest turns out.

11. Social intelligence and networking

A fundamental key to human function.

Seeing as we all function within a society. It affects every aspect of your life (dating, family, friends and work). It is the key aspect to networking. Take a look around at some of the most successful people in the world. If you don’t have a unique idea or product, you better be socially intelligent.

Take Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa for instance. When he 1^st arrived on the scene, singing and dancing and causing an uproar, we thought, how could people ever vote for such a man. But scratch the surface and you’ll hear stories of his benevolence and compassionate demeanour. A story from a ‘friend of a friend’ told a tale of an esteemed Jacob Zuma at an important lunch where he noticed the strain taken on by the waitress that was serving the table. He quickly got up and helped her with her tasks of serving the prestigious guests and kindly asked her name and if she was ok. He knows how to read people, treat people, and talk to people. Charisma- social intelligence- will get you everywhere.

Here's some food for thought. You do the dishes...

“…The fastest runner doesn't always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn't always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don't always lead successful lives. But time and chance happen to them all.”

                                                                    - Ecclesiastes 9 v. 11

What women want... by Sanolia Naidoo

To say that this blog post is delayed, would be...well, probably the biggest understatement... but for good reason of course!

Let me introduce myself...

It would be easier to hide behind a pseudonym but I know you'll probably want to facebook the brilliance that I am :) haha.

My name is Sanolia Naidoo... and this here blog belongs to a gentleman who is one of my best friends. (I've put up with him for 6 years!).

Now that we're briefly acquainted I should put one little thing out there. I am a blogger, fashion designer and entrepreneur.

I have a fashion/lifestyle blog and I don't often get to rant! So I will be using my guest posts here as a platform to share my ideas about life, love and everything else from a ladies perspective. Sometimes you boys need the help!

(Please note that these are merely my opinions and any mentioned characters may or may not have reference/link to any person living… or dead). You can also visit my blog Cocktail by Sanolia

With that out of the way, let's get started....

When ‘The Gentleman’s Quarters’ asked me to write a guest post I really didn't realize how difficult this would be, I blog for a predominantly female audience and most of the readers of this blog are, hmmm, MALE. I wondered how they would feel if I started dishing out the things ladies complain about.

Like how we hate it when you poke us on Facebook and send us ridiculous inbox one liners. Who do you think you are!?

But after thinking it through I've decided to be completely honest here. The posts may be long but do yourself and current/ future girlfriend a favour and read it ...

Also, ditch reading the Cosmo (don't act like you haven't) and pay attention.

These are the dirty little secrets that girls don't share with you.

Welcome to my world…

So, it's Sunday, after some deliberation I thought I might share a little something about what women really want…

Get some tea. Get comfy…

...Lets begin shall we?

So as much as I may be 'single' at the moment, I've also been through relationships.

Like most girls my age I have loved, lost and been hurt.... So when I speak of my personal experiences, believe me when I say that I know what I'm talking about!

Contrary to belief, there are not only two types of guys anymore. There used to just be the “jerk /bad boy” and then the ‘old faithful nice guy’.

If only we could return to the days of such simplicity.

Let's name the different types (if you don't watch gossip girl,I suggest you google these characters quickly! You could learn a thing or two!).

So here we go....

*Nate- Ah Nate. Pretty. Almost edible (yeah I just said that), he's the guy every girl wants to have on her arm. But he's far from perfect. Shallow almost. Not the brightest crayon in the box, and very quick to move from one girl to another.

*Chuck- NOW. Chuck.Oh Chuck… Modern day bad guy. This is the guy we hate to love but we do. He treats girls badly. He gets his way. He leaves us-and we keep running back. He has the ability to turn the most powerful woman into a sobbing teenage girl.

We need to hate Chuck.

*Dan- The first word that comes to mind is loyal, faithful, a solid good guy but a bit of a pushover.

Although, he knows what he wants.

Girls don't realize it till they've been through the Nate's and Chuck's of this world… But, Dan is the one we really need!

As much as I made a reference to a tv series, I really wish guys would realize that they really aren't these characters. All they are in fact, is the above mentioned behavior types or character sets. Sorry boys!

Girls aren't perfect either. We are flawed in more ways than one. But when you make the choice to care for one of us, please do just that. Care. for.just.ONE AT A TIME.

We like to feel like we're important. We would like to make you feel important too.

How about giving us the chance? How about giving yourself the chance!

Nate, please. Shut up. Grow up. And develop a working brain!

Dan, please be brave enough to tell us how you feel. It's okay to make a move on the girl that you don't think you can get. Cos who knows...

And Chuck.... dear dear Chuck.

We may love you. But we won't always be waiting for you. Make up your mind because whilst you're out ‘playing’ bad boy, chasing what might be good for now....Dan is taking what could have been yours. We won't be there for you, forever.

Now, before you all start hating on me...There are definitely the female equivalents of the above mentioned males. Maybe girls that are even worse than guys.

But I'm here to enlighten you on how girls feel. So there you go...

In the end that's all we really want. A Man.
Time to grow up little boys.
(PS: We're not looking for a fairytale, let's just start with some respect)

xoxo

Guest Posters

                  

Distinguished Guests

 

Sanolia Naidoo, born and raised in South Africa, holds a Bcom Business Management degree. She is the owner and founder of her own clothing line called ‘Cocktail’. A brand that is featured in the pages of many lifestyle and socialite magazines.  She has a distinctive taste for all things fashionable and elegant. With an air of sophistication, Sanolia is a leader and trendsetter for our generation of young professionals.

You can vist her blog at:

http://cocktailbysanolianaidoo.blogspot.com/

              

        ~The Gentleman’s Quarters

Mavericks take GOLD!

To follow up on my last post. Mavericks Football Family won the Gold medal in the Premier Division! Well done boys!

We are number one!!!

Mavericks.

Mavericks Football Family

 

Back in 2008 I got invited to play social soccer with a bunch of mates one evening and we continued this trend for weeks on end. Gradually I invited a few friends of my own and weekly soccer games started growing in numbers. What started as a social soccer scene has expanded into 2 action soccer league teams.

The guys that had originally asked me to play had to briefly stop during mid year exams, so I took the initiative to get a whole bunch of my own friends to fill the weekly spot.

This bowled over into those mates bringing friends of their own. Some nights we ended up with 4 teams!

Theesan and I had always talked about joining the league but no one else was as keen. So it was an idea that remained in the back of our minds for months. We asked every one of the guys who came to play if they would play in league side with us and not one was to be found!

One day during socials I suffered a partial tear on my Achilles tendon, pain like I have never felt in my life.

-Who was it that drove my car home? Byron? I can’t remember.-

 But I remember him and Thees carrying me up to my apartment and leaving me on the living room floor. Shot.

I would be out of action for the next 6 weeks. When the guys played I still went to watch, cos there was always late night food and drinks missions after the game.

After about 2 weeks I got sick of watching them play so I enquired about the league, got the forms, filled them out, Thees and I settled on a team name and we sent the forms in.

We only had 2 players on our team of 6 =D

So we asked Malcolm and he said yes, work schedule pending, and he brought Chrissy with him. Byron was keen cos he’s white and fearless. 

(Our current kit has the words I.M.O Byron G emblazoned on the front, this serves as a reminder of the brother we lost. Your memory lives on through us).  

We convinced Nishalin and Prinolan not to be pansies and Shaun was ready to rumble as always. 

So we eventually got a team together and proceeded to play in our 1^st season at the bottom of 2^nd division. We were clearly inexperienced and unfamiliar with the rules but never gave up! It was a tough season!

We ended the season by going to the final of the knockout round, winning the gold medal and achieving promotion to the 1^st division.

We went to the final of the 1^st division, finished 2^nd and got promoted to the Premier division!

In our 1^st season in premier league we were getting hammered all season but managed to make the knockout rounds where… you guessed it, we made it to the final and lost by a narrow margin to take silver. We continued to play a 4^th season and finished 2^nd again.

Now in the 5^th season and still in the premier league, Mavericks have made it to a 5^th successive final… this coming Friday….

During our 3rd season we formed a 2^nd side and entered into the league, these were from our same group of mates that played every week with us.

Beach days with the Mavericks!

They chose to call themselves ‘Junior Mavericks’ but later changed their name to ‘Mavericks B’. When choosing people to play for our teams we only had a few simple requirements:

1. That they have played socials with us.
2. That they braai and hang with us after the games.

This is not a team for superstar imports for “important games” as you see with other teams in the league. This is just a bunch of mates. And shall forever remain that way.

Those that have joined from outside our circle of friends have been absorbed into our social circle anyway.

What started of as social soccer has grown into a bond between all of us and our families, who came out to watch us play in knockout games and final’s. The support we have received has grown season after season.

Last week Mavericks won their premier division playoff to go to yet another final! We await the best team in the league, a team with a mix of natal players and SA beach soccer players. A team that has only lost one match (to us) in the last 2 seasons of playing in this league. Our chances of winning are slim. None of us play professionally, we don’t even practice. We just fight our hardest, never give up and give 100% every time. Except when we play Mavericks B. then we only need to give 10% hahaha… (when u beat us then you can take the bragging rights)

A big thank you must go out to Nitsa Kuys from the arena for putting up with us for this long. Her patience and phenomenal service has been appreciated to the highest degree.

The relationship that we have built with the arena will no doubt be a long standing one!

Since I left to Qatar, those tjops have been too lazy to book and organize socials, so at the moment they’re all only playing league. Bunch of wastes!!!! Especially Kavir!!! aka Bully Boy!!

The Mavericks gold/ silver final will be played on the 3^rd of June 2011 at 19:50. @ the Durban North Action Arena. Come through and watch the game and join the boys for a braai afterwards!

Lists..

Last week I came across someone’s bucket list which inspired me to create my own.

What is a bucket list? A list of goals, experiences you wish to have before you… kick the bucket.

After writing this list I realized how much there is still to achieve. I realized where I am now in life and started plotting my path to achieving everything on this list. Seems like a monumental task…

So how do you eat an elephant? … one bite at a time.

If you really think about it, how much do you achieve in a year? Days, become weeks, weeks become months and then it’s the start of a whole new year.  Our day-to-day activities blur into each other and time quickly passes us by.

This is more than just a to-do-list. Entries of a bucket list are anything and everything you ever wanted to do. It shouldn’t be limited by health, wealth or mental status =D

Of course, the list will change with time. What you may have wanted to do in your 20’s wont necessarily be what you want to do in your 50’s. In the same way, more things should be added as you move through life and experience more of it. I always wanted to be on K-tv Reggies rush. I doubt that’s gonna happen anymore haha.

Not everything on the list has to be superficial and self- centered.  Your bucket list should be unique to who you are. Mine includes minor acts of kindness and dreams of larger ones. I saw a bucket list on a blog which had “Go to heaven” on it. I’d like to see him achieve that while he’s alive. Clever.

Achieving things on your list will deepen your character as you experience new facets of life.

What have YOU always wanted to do?

NOTE: This is very much an incomplete list... there are still many additions to be made within the next few weeks. I have also purposefully left out majority of the travel destinations as those alone would compile a never ending list. They will however be added at a later time. 

Click the book for a full view!

 

The Retronaut

HOW TO BE A RETRONAUT

 I came across this cool website on living in the yesteryear. It really gives you an insight into the societal norms and perceptions before mass media came along. Back when propaganda was blatant and people knew little about the world around them. Also how the ideas back then shaped the world we know today.
Like Twitter!

Check out how major world events influenced culture, marketing, advertising and stereotypes.

Heres a list of some of my favourites

The original "twitter"

How 1910 imagined what the year 2000 would be like

Nuclear toys

GPS in 1930

The evolution of famous logos 

Brand names

I thought this was pretty cool. impossible these days.

Australian criminals from the 1920's - I like the dude that "refused to open his eyes". haha.

The day Niagra falls dried up

A city below ground from the 50's 

Japanese Anatomy from 1603

The evolution of the BATMOBILE!!!!!

Avatar - The original 

Adverts for the 1st home computers 


How the Statue of Liberty got there

Resucitating chivalry...

 Where have good old fashioned manners disappeared to? Really, how often do you get a polite gentleman who properly uses his basic ‘please’ and ‘thank you’? With a quick glance around a crowded room you will notice that there are very few true gentlemen among us. I think this twisted generation has relegated chivalry to an archaic practice used by weak men.

The rude and impolite mannerisms get to a point when you want to walk up to them and say “What would your mother think!”… especially if he’s Indian, just mentioning his mother will scare him haha.

What you believe about your ‘knight in shining armour’ is true. Chivalry was associated with ‘knighthood’ and ‘nobility’. These knights were trained to be courteous, honorable and to protect the weak. They were of a prestigious and esteemed class of warriors and gentleman.

Then somewhere along the timeline things got a bit blurred….

Chivalry had nothing to do with women, which is how it’s perceived now. We think of chivalry as a way to show special courtesy to women. Sorry ladies, that isn’t chivalry. Typical of the female species to make everything about themselves. Fortunately I can’t get into trouble for saying that =D

Chivalry is just plain old ‘good manners’!! It has nothing to do with gender! In contemporary times it’s also used towards women to show her that you treat all people with respect and dignity.

Be careful though ladies, chivalrous acts can often be imitated as a means to an end. In a ‘date’ type situation, ‘chivalry’ or ‘good manners’ have little or no bearing on how he interacts with other people. Remember that.

There’s also that fine line of “equality of sexes” that messes up everything! With feminism at an all time high, we don’t want to offend a lady, who’s perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Recognize at all times that the fine ladies that surround you have fully functioning mental capacities and that they should be respected. If she says she wants to do something for herself, let her!

Open a door for her, lend her your jacket on a cold night, be the valet and fetch the car if its raining… but don’t, whatever you do, don’t order her meal for her. Even if you do know exactly what she wants. It’s rude and condescending. Unless she asks for a suggestion, keep your opinions to yourself. There’s nothing more patronizing to a lady than a man who chooses for her. 

I also can’t stand people who are constantly swearing. Seriously, have you no other way of expressing your thoughts? Especially in front of a lady or in a workplace situation. You look unprofessional, arrogant and rude. It will not earn you any respect with your subordinates and colleagues either. I know I know, girls these days have foul mouths too. And to think they kiss their mothers with those filthy things. Tone down the language. All of you.

When you chew with your mouth wide open and forget your ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ not only do you look like an idiot but you’re telling people that you don’t care about anybody but yourself. Do that at your girlfriends house in front of her parents and watch her dad’s hopes and aspirations for his princess die. Right there. Choking at the dinner table. Probably on a chicken bone that you shot outa your mouth while you were chewing.

 I know someone’s gonna message me and say that not all ladies deserve to be treated like this simply cos they don’t appreciate it, they’re demanding, unappreciative bla bla bla…

A true gentleman is such a man regardless of the lady in concern.

I once got punched in the face for standing up for a lady. I had to get stitches across my forehead. Yes, that situation does fit quite aptly into this paragraph. Needless to say, many lessons were learnt that night.

Yes, there are many high maintenance, gold digging drama queens who can add very little to a relationship… or the bare minimum at best. If she doesn’t appreciate your chivalry and reciprocate, then you’re probably wasting your time. No wait, you’re definitely wasting your time. No guy wants to carry dead weight through a relationship.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not about getting something in return.

Ladies should show their appreciation, good manners & respect too. Buy him something he’s been talking about, make some chicken soup when he’s sick. It shows that you care about your partner & appreciate him. Relationships are a two-way street. Don’t get taken for a ride dude. Also, that sentiment that women should be treated equal to men doesn’t mean you need to treat her like a dude. She may be just as capable as a man, but she is in fact a lady.

One of the finest examples of a gentleman that I have come across in this lifetime is a young man that goes by the name of Byron Georgiades (01/06/1984 - 15/ 03/ 2010).Those who knew him would know that this is no exaggeration. He’s one of those boys where upon meeting your parents, they would say to you, “Why can’t you be like this boy!” His manner of speaking, his politeness, courtesy, work ethic and humility were unrivaled. Don’t for a second think he was a pushover, do something wrong and you’ll be sure to get a good roasting for it. I once complained about the physicality of the action soccer league that we had joined…. Byrons response was, “Cmon bru, this is soccer, not ballet!” I never complained to him again haha.

A well rounded chivalrous gentleman and A true friend who taught me much.

Chivalry should extend into every day life. Respect your elders (so rare these days), hold a door open for somebody following closely, thank somebody for a service they provided, tip generously, when you motion for the bill at a restaurant there’s no need to shout across the room, whistle or click your fingers. Just a quick glance at the waiter, a little hand signal and it’s done. We’re forgetting how to communicate effectively.

Be polite, don’t lose your temper, don’t curse. Is it really that hard for you? By no means am I saying be a slave to etiquette. It’s just about treating others with respect.

Man up.

I know a few good men that are still out there. That can only mean that chivalry isn’t completely dead… but it is on life support.

HERE'S TO REVIVING A CREED OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN WHO TREAT EVERYBODY WITH RESPECT, HONOUR & COURTESY.