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Friday, December 06, 2013

Nelson Mandela 1918-2013: A True Statesman Dies And Leaves A Legacy Of Hope For South Africa After Apartheid; Ubuntu..In Memoriam ♥

The last thing I read on my Galaxy tablet last night was that one of my heroes, Nelson Mandela, had died peacefully at his home at the ripe old age of 95 :(

His demise had been expected for quite some time but, now that it has come about, one truly realises the loss of a man with a vision and who was a great statesman.

Having grown up in South Africa during the apartheid era as an English speaking white member of society, I enjoyed all the privileges and benefits that being white entitled me to. Although I realised from an early age that the system was biased and oppressive, there wasn't all that much one could do to change things as the Nationalist government had zero tolerance of any dissident ideas and being thrown in jail for expressing an opinion was not a pleasant option.

The Afrikaans and English speaking citizens didn't get along well either so we also went to separate schools which cost the tax payers alot more than was necessary!

My father was born in Matatiele in East Griqualand and after he was discharged from the army in 1944 he worked for the Chamber of Mines..first as a blaster in the gold mines and then as an interpreter as he spoke and understood 3 tribal languages ( one of them being Xhosa and he could 'click' correctly) and finally as the Compound Manager on a colliery near Witbank.
 He almost lost his life there during an uprising in the compound where migrant workers lived. The uprising was due to old grievances they had had with the previous compound manager.
 He worked hard to better life for the migrant workers but it took its toll on his health due to endless battles with the head office in Johannesburg for, mainly, extra money to get the job done and went on to retire at age 58. He was given a huge send off by the compound staff and workers and some even shed tears.

I often attended presentations for different competitions among the black miners and our house was just a stone's throw away from the compound so I was aften greeted by workers as they came off shift. We had a black cook and housemaid at home and they and I were good friends. Our cook, Paulus, always spoiled me with my favourite foods when I came home from boarding school. Johanna brought me up to date on the local gossip.

My schooling was, for the most part, at different catholic convents and the nuns did a lot of missionary work and teaching in the black communities. The black school children had to pay for their own books and uniforms even though they were poor and we donated books and other items to these schools. They also walked many km to and from school but they were keen to study and the distances didn't stop them.

Nelson Mandela experienced all of this injustice and rebelled against it and, even though his methods were not the wisest ones, he paid the price for wrong choices and changed his way of thinking while in prison. It seems he was always a true gentleman and always kept his dignity.

If South Africans of all colours, tribes and creeds really want the country to flourish they need to seriously work together for the common good. White people are also suffering today and are living in camps and are poverty stricken.
When I lived in South Africa tribalism was rife and I only realized how really strong it was when I asked two women of different tribes to help me clean the house we were living in before we emigrated. They agreed but both said they would not work together because of tribal differences. They came on different days.

All children need to have a good basic education and this, in turn, is an investment into the future. Without education people become slaves and this is the aim of the corrupt and greedy!
Corruption and greed hide behind all forms of extremism and corrupt religious leaders and politicians incite ignorant and uneducated persons to violence and destruction for their own devious ends.

I believe that Nelson Mandela wanted a thriving and united South Africa and if his goal is not striven after, his sacrifice will have been in vain and apartheid and slavery will rule forever!

R.I.P.

Zahara sings to Nelson Mandela

Loliwe

He smiled, and I knew I would never see him again

Biography

Nelson Mandela had six names

The philosophy of 'Ubuntu'

Video: Asibonanga/Johnny Clegg

Mandela and his three wives

Graca Machel

Mugabe did not want Mandela released

Monday, November 25, 2013

Tuesday, October 08, 2013

Baby P: Peter Connelly; The trio who caused his death!

I followed this case and my heart still gets sore when I think about the way dear little Peter Connelly was treated during his sojourn on earth! One cannot understand why his mother allowed him to be brutalized by two adult men the way he was! Hopefully baby Peter is in a better place and resting in peace!♡
No doubt his murderers will be judged for their despicable deeds by a Higher Power!

Baby P: The trio who caused his death

Tracey Connelly given freedom at taxpayers' expence

Sharon Shoesmith wins £679,000 payout

Sunday, July 07, 2013

Successful Breast Feeding!; Thriving on breast milk;

Just lately I've become very interested in breast feeding again and how to make a success of it!

The reason for my renewed interest is that I have become a Grandmother and my daughter decided that, by hook or by crook, she was going to persevere until she got it right because, at the end of the day, it is the best start in life one can give to an infant.

Sadly the help and information she was given while still in the maternity unit was very inadequate and scanty.
Baby was finding it difficult to grab the nipple and finally, after much unnecessary stress for both mom and child, she was given nipple shields but not before a blister had developed on one nipple which was rather painful and could have lead to an infectiAAon and possibly the use of antibiotics.

We started reading up on the pros and cons of breast feeding and how important it is that baby attaches properly to the nipple from the word get go and that breast milk is in itself a useful treatment for cracks and blisters.

It is important to remember that the breasts are a 'dairy' and that fluids removed in form of milk have to be replaced all the time by more fluids..water being the preferred medium.

Demand feeding is the way to go in the beginning and this is very tiring and stressful for both Mom and Baby as both get far too little sleep for a number of weeks. However the more baby sucks, the more milk is produced and that's the key.

Apparently the baby does not need water to quench its thirst if Mom is drinking at least one liter per day more than she usually drinks.

In all this struggle a supportive Dad is a great asset! He can take Baby for periods so that Mom can get some sleep even if only power naps.

Mom also needs to keep taking her vitamin supplements and her diet should be a healthy one.
Certain foods containing a lot of sugar and which cause winds and gas should be avoided as what Mom eats affects the baby's delicate digestive system leading to cramps and colic.

Regular weighing of the baby lets you know whether it is getting enough food and, contrary to starting supplement feeding and wrecking the whole breast feeding plan, the answer is to feed hourly or two hourly until the 'dairy' starts to regulate itself and baby gradually takes in more food as its sucking power increases.

Perseverance triumphs and both Mom and Baby win out in the end when victory is reached.

My granddaughter weighed 3kg at birth and now, 8 weeks on, she weighs over 4kg after losing 200g after birth. She has also grown more than 5cm in length.

Feel free to ask questions should you read this posting and are unsure.

12 August 2013

Today my darling granddaughter turns a whole 3 months old!

She is thriving on breast milk and now weighs over 5 kg and is many cm taller.

She sleeps for about 6 hrs at night before waking up for the next feed and is lifting her head and rolling over and taking notice of everything around her! She has 'found' her hands and feet and enjoys talking to herself. She even recognises her fluffy toy giraffe and likes to
have it close when she drifts off to sleep.

Because Sweden has experienced some very hot days this summer, Mom has had to increase her fluid intake somewhat as baby gets very thirsty. Sometimes she drinks as if it's the last milk she'll ever get!

All in all I would say she is a very contented child and hopefully will continue to follow this curve!

17th July 2014

Thought I'd update this seeing as my Granddaughter has turned 14 months and is now being gradually weaned from breast milk seeing as she will soon have 8 teeth and Mum will be going back to work.

In these 14 months she has had 2 colds and recovered rather quickly from a bout of Rotavirus. After the vomiting and nausea had subsided she carried on drinking breast milk and I think this was the reason she recovered so quickly.

Having a grandchild is the greatest blessing and I do feel blessed!

Hopefully this input will be helpful if you're having problems!


Rotavirus

Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Central Park Jogger Case: 'The Central Park Five' documentary;

I've just watched the documentary made about the rape and assault of a female jogger in Central park in New York in 1989.  It seems there is an ongoing civil case and I do hope the 5 accused men who were in their teens at the time, get their very overdue compensation from the state for a job very badly done!

- Ken Burns Fights City Hall Over His New Film on the Central Park Jogger Case

- Kharey Wise, exonerated member of 'Central Park Five' calls girlfriend's claim he threw a brick at her a 'shakedown' attempt.

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Jason Becker : 'Not Dead Yet'; Guitar player and composer; ALS ( amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/ Lou Gehrig's disease )

Today I watched a film/documentary about a very gifted guitar player and composer named Jason Becker.

- 'Not Dead Yet'


- Review

He was born on 22nd July 1969 which means his birthday is one day after mine which is very cool!

At age 19 he was diagnosed with ALS ( amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/ Lou Gehrig's disease ) which to date is incurable.

- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Sadly his promising career as a super guitarist was cut short.

This year of 2013 Jason is turning 44 and composes music still.

His attitude to life is mindblowing and he is an inspiration second to none I think!

- A Real Guitar Hero: Jason Becker Interviewed

Where there is life there's always hope!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

The Last Rhino


Video: The Last Rhino


It seems that mankind is on the rampage to wipe out both Rhino and Elephant.

Greed and superstition has driven up the price of rhino horn and ivory.


Sunday, January 06, 2013

Jyoti Singh Pandey: Victim of Indian gang-rape is named

Victim of Indian gang-rape revealed


Hopefully the perpetrators get what they deserve and may Jyoti Singh Pandey rest in peace!