Celebrating Birthdays: The Power of Collective Joy September 29, 2024

As I head into my 47th year I am reminded how my late mom loved celebrating birthdays with everyone. Each year on our birthdays she would call us and sing “Happy Birthday”. 2024 is a year of many firsts for us a family and community that knew my mom. During September and October we have the most celebrations happening so it’s a bitter sweet time this year round.

At this time I choose to be reminded of the blessings and good things when you still get to celebrate with those around you. And allowing others to be part of celebrating life.

Birthdays are a time of joy, reflection, and celebration. But when those birthday wishes come from “all of us,” they carry an extra special meaning. It’s not just one person acknowledging your day—it’s a collective expression of love, support, and appreciation.

There’s something heartwarming about being celebrated by a group, whether it’s your family, friends, or colleagues. It creates a sense of belonging, a reminder that you are surrounded by people who care. A shared balloon, a group card, or even a simple message of “Happy Birthday from all of us” adds a layer of togetherness that makes the day even more memorable.

Group celebrations remind us that life’s milestones are sweeter when shared. Each person contributes their own piece of joy, making the celebration feel bigger and brighter. It’s a beautiful reminder that, while birthdays mark our individual journeys, those around us are part of that story too.

In the end, it’s not about how big the party is or how fancy the gift—it’s the shared connection that makes birthdays celebrated by all so special. Here’s to the power of collective joy!

Soft Life: A Journey Through Heritage and Innovation September 27, 2024

In South Africa, Heritage Month serves as a time to honor the rich cultural tapestry that defines us as a nation. For some, it’s a celebration of traditions passed down from generation to generation. For others, it’s about finding new ways to connect to the past while embracing modernity. For me, it’s a time to reflect on how technology and innovation can serve as bridges between the two.

The phrase “soft life” has gained traction in recent years, symbolizing ease, comfort, and luxury. I have been using it more frequently in conversations with friends when discussing how my age has crept up on me rather quickly. Also how accepting being in my late 40s has helped me to realize that I deserve to live a soft life now. But for many of us, especially women in tech, the soft life takes on a deeper meaning. It’s not just about material comforts, but about living a life where balance, fulfillment, and purpose coexist. As a woman navigating the tech landscape in South Africa, I’ve come to appreciate how my journey aligns with the spirit of Heritage Month. It’s about more than where I come from—it’s about where we’re going.

The “Soft Life” in the World of Tech

As a social entrepreneur, I didn’t always have the luxury of ease. Breaking into the tech world meant overcoming hurdles, from gender biases to racial barriers, especially in a country where inequality still echoes. However, through perseverance and innovation, we carved out a space where technology could thrive, not just as a tool for progress, but as a means of preserving our unique cultural heritage. In this sense, soft life is about creating sustainable solutions—where tech doesn’t replace culture but enhances it.

Tech offers us opportunities to safeguard our languages, customs, and stories through digital archives, apps, and platforms that make the intangible aspects of heritage accessible to the next generation. As we celebrate Heritage Month, I reflect on how technology and culture, two seemingly different worlds, can work harmoniously to bring about social change.

Embracing the New and the Old

Heritage Month is not just a celebration of where we’ve been, but an acknowledgment of how far we can go. The idea of heritage is evolving, much like our technology. While our grandparents might have passed down stories by the ‘fire’, today we have podcasts, video content, and social media to share these narratives on a broader scale. The modern “soft life” blends these old traditions with new innovations, allowing us to honor our past while shaping our future.

The diverse languages and cultures of South Africa are a treasure, but they’re also at risk of fading in the fast-paced digital world. By bringing technology skills to the table, we’ve seen that tech can help preserve and amplify these cultural riches, ensuring that future generations know who they are and where they come from.

Celebrating Heritage, Empowering Women

As a woman in tech, I take pride in contributing to a future where South African women, especially young girls, can live their own version of the soft life. Not just one of comfort, but one where they are empowered to use technology as a tool to express their identities, preserve their heritage, and live out their dreams. Heritage Month is a reminder that we can hold onto our cultural roots while forging paths of innovation.

Through initiatives like RLabs, we’re empowering communities to blend technology with tradition, building a future that respects where we’ve come from while fully embracing where we’re headed. The soft life isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a reality we’re creating for future generations.

Let’s Celebrate!

So, as I celebrate the last couple of days of Heritage Month this year, I’m filled with pride—not just in the customs and traditions that define our past, but in the ways we are shaping the future. The soft life I pursue is one where culture, technology, and empowerment intersect, creating a space where women, like me, can thrive and contribute to a South Africa that honors its heritage while innovating for a brighter tomorrow.

Here’s to living the soft life—a life where tradition and technology meet, creating a future that’s as rich as our past.

Hong Kong Day 1 July 12, 2020

China trip Day 15. After the Disneyland visit the previous day I was so exhausted to say the least. But it was a new day which meant packing up again, getting a taxi to the airport, another flight and a new place. Next stop was Hong Kong.

Now before we left Cape Town the news has been full of the riots happening in Hong Kong and how it’s part of China and wants its independence. When we arrived this was my sentiment exactly. It felt like a completely different country. Well it might as well have been since we needed to change our currency at the airport.

Once again we grabbed a taxi and drove to our hotel. This hotel was also linked to a mall and the subway so it was easy to get around the city. By this time all the hotels looked the same and felt the same. So in Beijing I complained about the humidity but the humidity in Hong Kong is on a whole new level. Even my hair couldn’t handle it.

On the day we arrived we settled into our hotel and went out to check out the lay of the land. Because the hotel and subway to the streets were all had air conditioning, by the time we stepped outside you couldn’t breath until your lungs figured that it should breath for you. We came across a market place that sold everything and just about anything. By just looking at any item immediately got the attention of the sellers and they were on you so fast that you nearly had your money out before realizing that you didn’t want anything at that stall. English was limited by they seemed to know we were tourists.

After melting for about 2 hours or so we found some cover indoors and grabbed ice cream desserts. We had dessert first then later before heading back to our hotel we grabbed late lunch/supper. With it being so hot and humid we didn’t eat much except for breakfast and one other meal a day.

Day 1 was really spent just checking things out and planning the next day.

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Disneyland Shanghai July 11, 2020

Day 14 China Trip. Did you ever want to visit a place but the person you most wanted to go with you didn’t want to? Well that’s my story with my husband. For as long as I can remember I wanted to visit Disneyland. But it was one of the places that my husband completely had no desire to visit. We have traveled to USA, Paris, Malaysia and Singapore. All of these countries have a Disneyland and each time I would suggest that we do something fun and visit a theme park when we were on vacation. I always got the same response. A big fat NO!  So you can imagine my surprise that when we actually ended up there. While we were on the bus the previous day and saw the signs that directed you to Disneyland Shanghai, I briefly mentioned that I wish we could go and visit Disneyland. When we got back our hotel that night I had no idea that my husband was doing his own research probably because you needed a bit of planning to get the tickets and of course need a whole day set aside. He got us tickets and booked a taxi to drive us to Disneyland. You can imagine my surprise that this was going to happen.

I was like a little kid and couldn’t sleep. Excited much? I was up early, dressed and was down at breakfast on time. Usually I sleep till the very last minute and end up rushing half dressed to make it in time for breakfast. But this day I had no time to waste because I was about to tick another thing off my bucket list. I was just hoping that my partner (husband) would not be bored and complain the entire day and want to leave early. You know when someone has to do something they don’t really want to do, how they can be and it just ruins the mood?

I don’t have the words to give justice to the experience on this day. It was everything I dreamt and so much more. I must say they really exceeded your expectations. Just when you think that what you have just seen was amazing or it looks so real, you reach another area of the park and see more and again you are blown away. Also my partner ended up loving the day and all it had to offer. There were so many people and lots of kids but many adults – like us being kids. The parades were every hour and an alarm went off in the park to warn you to clear the pathways and line up. These were particularly special since it was locals dressed up and parading as all the characters.

I got to eat pretzels, ice cream and hot dogs. Of course not at the same time. But each time we passed a cart selling these items I needed to have them. It was so hot there and we kept looking for the coolest place to walk and visit especially those that had mist sprinklers cooling the air.

Also hearing Mickey and Goofy speak Chinese was super cool and made it feel more real. On TV we only hear all the Disney characters speaking English and got so brainwashed. But realising that these characters were created for everyone in the world so of course they can sound and look different yet they were recognisable. Not sure how they managed to pull this off but it was great to visit Disneyland in another country. I will always remember being awestruck by the magnitude of this place and how each area was so different, the music and scenery changes according to the new theme. I loved seeing and walking through the castle and watching all the girls getting dressed up as princesses. All these little girls were running around in the park in full princess gear.

This was our last day on mainland China and we spent it at Disneyland! Of course this post has the most pictures. I didn’t upload all of them here. WordPress has a limit even for pics of Disneyland. Definitely a memory for the books.

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Shanghai Day 2 July 10, 2020

Day 13 of China trip. Our time in Shanghai was just for 2.5 days so we wanted to pack as much sightseeing as possible in one go. When we arrived the previous day it was late so we didn’t get to see much. But on our first full day we decided to do a bus tour to see as much as we could. It is another one of my travel tips, when you have limited time in a new city, get on a city sightseeing bus tour. I try to do this in every city on day 1 already to get a sense of where everything is.

It was such a contrast that after all the sunshine and heat since we got to China we had a rainy day in Shanghai and deciding to do the Bus Tour and helped me to to stay out of the rain as much as possible.

In Shanghai we definitely used the city bus to get around. It rained since the time we arrived so our first full day in the city was a bit dull. We managed to sit on the bus and drive around the city in the rain. We didn’t get to have many stops but we visited the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Museum. It was fascinating to see how the city has evolved over a short period of time. As well as their vision for 2035. We also managed to stop at a gardens and have a walk through it and of course found a Starbucks for a caffeine fix.

I must admit that I loved the bus tour going over the bridges over looking the skyscrapers and crossing the rivers. Most of the day we were the only people on the bus and I felt sorry for the bus driver as it must have been lonely for him. Day 2 in Shanghai was pretty low key and while we were sightseeing on the bus the rest of the city just carried on in the rain . We went back early to our hotel and had an early night because the next day was going to be super exciting and another item will be ticked off my bucket list.

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Shanghai Day 1 July 9, 2020

Day 12 of China Trip. All good things must come to an end or in the case of this trip “all good things get to continue”. Waking up in Beijing for the last time of our China adventure, was so peaceful and we knew that that was the last time we were to wake up surrounded by nature with peace and tranquility. Next stop was Shanghai. It is China’s biggest city and global financial hub as well as home to the worlds 2nd largest building.

We literally jumped from the one extreme to the other. And we did this by getting on the Bullet Train from Beijing to Shanghai. Another item to tick off the bucket list – ride the world’s fastest passenger train. With train speeds up to 350km/h, it was so fast that you hardly felt it moving. The train ride was just over 4 hours. When arriving at the train terminal we went to a coffee shop for a quick coffee. Opposite us sat a family of 3 and they kept staring at us. It was no use trying to figure out what their deal was because they kept talking to us in their local tongue. After much deliberation the one lady got up from her seat and points to my phone (which was in my hand) and points to herself and then to myself and my husband. From what we made out was that she wanted a pic with us. One of her family got up from their seat and came over to take my phone out of my hand and point it at us. The lady then stood between us and smiled and they gave our phone back and went back to their seats. How random to have a photo taken with a complete stranger? Anyway it became part of my fond memories of the trip.

The train station or terminal was busy and had so many lines where people were queuing for the trains to various destinations in China. The Bullet train to Shanghai had a long line but we managed to get through the hordes of passengers and make our way down the escalator to the platform where the train was waiting for its passengers. We were welcomed by a friendly hostess and guided to our seats and given a blanket and were told to relax and enjoy the ride.

Just over 4 hours later we were in Shanghai. After we disembarked the train we found the line for the taxi’s pretty easy. I have mentioned before that I absolutely love the ride from the airport of a new city. Your eyes are still adjusting to a new place and memories of the previous city starts fading away. It was also our first experience with getting stuck in traffic and rain at the same time. Because the train arrived in the middle of peak hour and our hotel was situated in the city centre and with the rain, the trip to our hotel took over a hour. One of the other things we seemed to do a lot of was taking a walk through the city where we stayed at night and people watched. Our hotel had easy access to the main road with shops, coffee shops and shopping mall. But the exciting one for me was the Starbucks Reserve just a few metres from our hotel. It looked like a big open restaurant with these huge metal containers and machinery that was used to roast the coffee beans. There was a seating area and coffee bar and even mini store where Starbucks merchandise was sold. We popped in at this spot a couple of times during our stay in Shanghai.

Everything was open late in the evening, all the stores in the mall and on the high street with many people walking about in the rain. With the humidity you don’t mind getting wet because you dry just as quickly. Day 12 down and dusted!!!!!

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Great Wall of China Day 2 July 8, 2020

Day 11 of China Trip. On this morning, waking up with the sun streaming in through the windows and only hearing the sounds of trees ruffling and nothing else was amazing. To be in a place that left you with a serene and calm feeling, was pretty new to us after the hustle and bustle of our daily lives and even the first few days of our trip in China. We got up, got dressed and took a slow stroll down to breakfast. I had a spring in my step, since this was going to be the day that I would tick another thing off my bucket list.

If anyone knows me like really knows me, you know I totally dislike hiking. My husband promised me that we need to do a small little walk to the wall and then just walk the wall. He also promised that it would take less than a hour for this complete exercise. Of course this was not the case for me. Firstly the little walk to the wall ended up being a 40 minute hike!!!! Well it took me 40 minutes because I had to stop so many times to catch my breath. The climb was steep and at some places you had to hold onto a tree for support. The only good thing was that it was shaded with trees, so we didn’t have the sun beating down on us.  I was completely exhausted and exactly 3 times I said that we should turn back and that the “Great Wall of China” would then be something I could not tick off my bucket list. Each time my husband encouraged me and cheered me on to just go a few more steps and promised that the wall was just beyond the tree. When I think about it now, I cannot believe that I actually believed him each time. Or it could be that it was the hope within me that just maybe it was true and the wall was just beyond the next tree.

40 minutes later we entered a gate that read: Great Wall of China! Now there was no trees to be used for shade but bright sunlight reflecting off concrete between endless greenery. The sight was one to behold and acknowledged for it beauty. I did think that once we were on the wall we could just walk, but of course there had to be another something to climb. It was a walk way mixed with actual steps that led you to a tower above. I was taking a break and sat on the wall while my husband decided to run up and see what was on the other side. He came running back down saying that I have to come and see the views and that it would be worth it.

The rest of the walk was super easy and I was happy that there were not many people on the wall. Since it was connected to our hotel it was for private use only. The wall is over 21,000km in length. Something I found on Google: “Did you know? When Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered construction of the Great Wall around 221 B.C., the labor force that built the wall was made up largely of soldiers and convicts. It is said that as many as 400,000 people died during the wall’s construction; many of these workers were buried within the wall itself.” Now this was not something I was thinking about when walking along the wall or even stopping to sit and appreciate the magnificent view. As far as your eye can see do you see the wall stretch beyond and behind you.

After the walk and hike back down (which went must smoother than going up), we came across a film shoot. In my first blog post about this China trip I shared how it came about and how addicted I have been to Chinese and Korean series. Now what presented itself to me after the walk down was an actual film set with real Chinese actors. I was so awestruck that I had to pause because I wanted to run on set and just have a closer look. My husband had to stop me and remind me that they might not appreciate me just being an extra on their set. We walked slowly passed them and I got to see the main actors sitting in the shade on those directors chairs. Even though I just got a tick on my bucket list, this was my highlight of the visit to the Great Wall of China. The film crew was around and filmed a couple of scenes which I got to watch from afar.

Once we got back to the hotel we had ice cream and coca cola in an air-conditioned lounge. We decided to go for a swim and chill by the pool before having an early supper.  That evening I had a good sleep and dreamt about the movie set…

 

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Great Wall of China Day 1 July 7, 2020

Day 10 of China Trip. Knowing that we were off to a new destination in China caused us to be up early, do final packing and have last our breakfast in this part of Beijing. We were off to the Great Wall of China for the last few days before we left Beijing. This was obviously another item on my bucket list but also a must do or see when visiting China. Or that’s what all the travel sites tell you.

My personal tour guide (my husband) arranged all our travel in China and booked all the hotels and transport. I just got the times and locations and was in charge of repacking our suitcases each time we move hotels. I didn’t mind this as its definitely less stressful than thinking about safety, efficiency and all the other logistics around moving from one place to another in a strange country with a different language, currency and time zone. He was in China before for a conference and stayed at the Commune at the Great Wall and wanted to go back. I was told it is located right at the wall and you have a private entrance so that you don’t need to navigate the crazy lines at the public side.

So armed with the necessary info to prepare me for this trip, we loaded our luggage into the back of another cab. I lost count by now how many times were have taken a cab to or from an airport. This was drive was going to take a couple of hours so I was prepared to enjoy the sights of Beijing while driving across the city. When we arrived at the Commune (yes, it’s actually called that), we checked in and had to be driven up to our accommodation. The rooms are all part of mini complexes with a communal entrance and lounge area. Each one has a different design and sits snuggly against the mountain and between the trees. No traffic around and only one road in and out. It was so quiet and serene. English was not commonly spoken and there was only 1 person at reception that spoke English and luckily he was there to help us check in.

After watching the same person drive us up to our accommodation and carry our heavy suitcases up all the stairs I was exhausted and hungry. We made our way down again and opted to take a walk to the only restaurant in the Commune. It rained a minutes before we arrived because the ground and outside seating area was still wet. Of course we wanted to sit outside and enjoy the scenery. We had a light lunch and were told the restaurant only opens the evening for supper.

After lunch we went hunting for the swimming pool and had a nice swim and relaxed on the lounges. It was the first time we were really relaxing as all the other days we were either at the conference or tourists being out all day sight seeing. I will remember my time at the Commune as just that, a time of pure relaxation infused with peace and tranquility. There were people around but everyone was on their own buzz and not up for conversations, which suited us just fine. Being away from the hustle and bustle of the city definitely gave me a couple of peaceful nights of rest. Oh yes, the internet connection was really bad so we were pretty much off from communicating with the outside world.

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Beijing Day 3 July 6, 2020

Day 9 of China trip. When waking up on this day we had a plan which included getting into the Forbidden City. Since we couldn’t the previous day without our passports, we made sure these were packed in the bag along with the umbrella. Breakfast was good and it made me happy to look out of the window and not see rain. I did have a love hate relationship with the rain in China. Generally I don’t like the rain but when it got so hot over there a little bit of a shower was a good way to cool off and even if you got wet, the humidity would dry you quickly.

Once breakfast was done and made sure we packed our passports we made our way out of the hotel, into the shopping mall and on the subway to the same destination as the day before. Standing in the long line once again was not that bad because we knew what to expect at the security point. We then followed the crowd toward the Forbidden City. It was such an intimidating building and almost secretive as you didn’t know what you will see once you go through the gates. Once we got inside we were surprise by the amount of people standing around and just chilling as if they are waiting for something. That was when we noticed a huge sign saying that the tickets were sold out and that they sold 80,000 in the morning alone. Clearly we were not meant to go to the Forbidden City. We just took some pics outside and made our way through another gate and discovered there was palace you could have a look at.

The palace like most of the buildings we have seen in the past 2 days was old with so much history. I must admit that I will not be able to give you all the details and quote the rich history of each of the palaces or temples we visited. But this was unique to me since there were bridal parties everywhere taking pics. Quite fascinating to watch their photo shoots. They all wore beautiful red dresses and the grooms were all in suites or traditional attire. Apparently on a Saturday it’s common to see the bridal parties having their photoshoots. So many people come just to watch them and not actually to visit the palace grounds.

With the sun beating down on us during midday we made our way away from the Palace and the Forbidden City. After getting lost and walking for a long time. It felt like 10kms to me we managed to get back on track (with our street map) and make our way to the Beijing Zoo. Now this was one place I did imagine I would end at in China, a zoo! But it was on the list of tourist attractions so why not. After purchasing our tickets and picking up some ice cream we started the walk through the zoo. I haven’t been to a zoo since I took my niece and nephew at least 12 years ago and that one had so few animals and looked so dreary. But the Beijing Zoo was green and of course huge and full of people. I found out where Kung Fu Panda lives. In the shops you could find basically anything Panda related. This zoo looked like a park with lots of grass, trees and pathways leading you to the various animals. Now since I live in Africa I have been on many game drives and seen live elephants, lions, tigers, etc but seeing them behind a glass or fenced in was a bit off putting. The animals should have more freedom. Not to say that on the game drives the animals are not enclosed by electric fencing at some places but the area to roam is definitely larger.

After the zoo we made our way back to the hotel via the subway and through the shopping mall. That evening we were so tired and needed to pack as the next day we were off to a new city!

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Beijing Day 2 July 5, 2020

Day 8 of China trip – started off with heavy rains. While having breakfast and looking down at the cars driving in the rain and cyclist cycling in streets, I sat and couldn’t believe that I am finally on vacation! This was our first breakfast at this hotel and it was jam packed with families and kids running around and wanting pancakes. I was one of the kids and stood in their line waiting for the chef to serve us pancakes. The breakfast variety was even wider than the last hotel. Because we were out and about all day and didn’t really have time to stop for lunch we made sure we ate a hearty breakfast at the hotel before heading out.

Once breakfast was done we grabbed an umbrella from the concierge and headed out for our next adventure. The aim was to visit the Forbidden City and visit the Palace as well. After many minutes of walking, subway ride and long line to get into the area of Forbidden Palace we were told that you need your passport to enter through security. Now being typical tourists, we obviously locked our passports away in the safe at the hotel, not thinking that we might need it to access a tourist attraction.  The journey back to our hotel was too far that it was not worth going back to fetch our passports. So we decided to just walk along the areas we could visit without a passport. It rained when we got there then the sun came out so brightly that I had to use the umbrella to protect me from the harsh rays of the sun. Another new thing I discovered is that everyone has an umbrella either tucked away in their bags or just walking with it. It rains and then the sun comes out, so either way the umbrella comes in handy.

We had a city map with tourist attractions and another place we wanted to visit was Silk Street. An indoor market where you can negotiate with the sellers. Some items are original (or so you think) and others are amazing knock offs that you cannot tell the difference and then the items that are sold at fifth of its original price, that says large but is actually a small you know is a knock off of a knock off. I am no good at negotiating prices for goods and I just feel sorry for the person trying to make a sale. There are so many places selling the same or similar goods that competition must be tight. My husband seems to love this concept of negotiating and making sure that each sale is way under what the original price was. I ended up buying items that had the sizes completely wrong because I felt sorry for the lady trying to make a sale. I am such a sucker!

After the market visit we found a restaurant selling pizza. We didn’t really want pizza but it was raining so hard that we decided to wait it out and you couldn’t just sit at the restaurant without ordering. So we had pizza in China. Since we are staying at the hotel literally in a shopping mall we found a cinema while walking back to our hotel. My husband loves cinemas in other countries and movies anywhere, so guess what we did on the night of the second day of our vacation. We watched Spider-Man in 3D and ate caramel popcorn!

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