The Wondrous Wandering Tornado

  All around the world Tamils fast around this time, the holy month of Purtassi(September and the sixth month in the Tamil calendar) in dedication to Lord Vishnu, the Preserver. It is a cleansing time for the body and the soul as we forgo meat, eggs, alcohol, and the like for a month. Some choose to do a week but all Tamils fast on the Saturday as it is dedicated to the deity in the form of Lord Venkateswara( Balaji). I am sure by now you have discovered that in Hinduism all the Gods and Goddesses like to Cosplay into different forms or people. They're cool like that. Before I go any further, I want to tackle a very annoying comment I get when I tell people I am fasting. And it only happens in Cape Town.  The comment goes, "But that's not fasting."I suspect people get confused because the Muslim community fasts for Eid and they dry fast between sunrise and sunset. Hindus can choose to dry fast if they wish but there is more than one type of fast. Fasting can mean abst...

  As a child, I used to read the Archie comics and all the Harvey Comics favourites - Casper the Friendly Ghost, Hot Stuff the Little Devil, Little Audrey, Little Dot, Baby Huey, Richie Rich and the list goes on! That was my introduction into the wonderful world of comic books and as I write this I have flashbacks of beautiful memories of my mum and me reading these treasures. As I got older, Batman movies started appearing, piquing my interest which solidified once Spiderman reached the small screen and became my favourite superhero of all time. Still is despite my growing list of 'other favourites', I will always be a webhead. Around that time I bought my very first comic book, I can't remember how old I was, around 13 maybe. I used to buy a magazine called Top 40 Music Magazine when I could afford it and there it was. Gen13, a teaser comic book really but mine. I still have it although young me didn't really look after it. It is only years into my adulthood that I st...

  Today is the day that most South Africans will be braaing all day long and what perfect weather for it too! But why is today actually a public holiday? Why is it so special? It can't be just so we can spend the day outside braaing, surely not. The 24th of September used to be known as Shaka Day in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) to commemorate Shaka Zulu because it is presumed that he died on this day in 1828. Shaka Zulu was important for various reasons, most of all, and the reason for the celebration is that he united the Zulu clans into the Zulu Nation when he was alive. If you don't know anything about Shaka Zulu, time to educate yourself. In 1996, the 24th of September was not part of the full public holiday list proposed for the new post-Apartheid South Africa until the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) raised this as a concern. Instead of Shaka Day, a compromise was reached so that the title would be Heritage Day so that South Africa's rainbow nation of cultures could be celebrated...

Today marks the day that Lord Ganesha checks in to Earth with his mother Parvati and it's a pretty big deal for us Hindus. Of the many Gods, Shri Ganesha is one of the most known in the Hindu pantheon and most popular, not just amongst Hindus. Ganapati, one of his many names, means elephant-headed Hindu god of beginnings. He is celebrated as the remover of obstacles and is honoured at the beginning of each prayer, this was the case with the recent Luxmi prayers I had done a few weeks ago. It might be lesser known that he is invoked as a patron of letters and learning during writing sessions. That is excellent news for me since I became a ghostwriter and blogger. His creation tale is interesting and I know it off by heart because my mum tells it so well. There are other versions but this one is the most known. I will attempt to do my best but please forgive me for not being anywhere close to the way she tells it.  Mother Parvati was alone whilst Lord Shiva was out hunting and she so...

  I never thought that I would become a freelancer, working from home, using my skills to make some money, and being responsible for myself. But here I am, in my warm grey robe and comfy slippers, typing out a blog whilst I sip some tea and throw a plush steer across the passage for Widget to fetch. The term freelance is old, 1820 old. First used in the book Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott to describe a medieval mercenary warrior, a free-lance, one whose lance is not sworn to any lord but is free to work for a fee. I like that, makes me feel epic and medieval which is what I am.  The term freelancing shouldn't be confused with remote work that has become increasingly popular especially since COVID-19 appeared. Remote work is the standard corporate job that just allows you to work from home rather than go into an office. The only similarity between the two is that you don't have to wear pants but should. The work of a freelancer ranges from writing to marketing to programming but i...

  Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you..The legends themselves! Widget and Smudge.  My fur babies, my woofs, the reason I can't sleep in, my reminders to play in the garden during my breaks and to not work late, the only two creatures to get genuinely upset when I exercise and are pretty much behave like plush teddy bears that are sentient. Don't let this picture deceive you, they are vicious beasts! Okay not really, well maybe the little one sometimes but that's only because she truly believes that we all exist to serve her. Since the 26th of August was International Dog Day, it was fitting to dedicate this week's blog to these two heartbreakers. Widget is the eldest by four months but also the smallest in size. This means absolutely nothing because she will attempt to take down a dinosaur if given half a chance. She is a mix of Jack Russell and Dachshund and the first to be adopted.  We got her at six weeks because Parvo was found in the kennels so she needed to be ...

  Greetings and salutations! I thought as it is a religious day for me that I would write about what today is all about. It is by all means not a religious post just an informative one. I won't be offended if you don't want to read any further, but if you're keen to know why I wear a red string on my right wrist, get your cup of tea, and get ready. Today we Hindus celebrate Mother Lakshmi and offer her prayer, food and worship so that she will visit our homes and bless us with prosperity, love and joy. So in preparation, I spent time getting the house clean which would have been difficult if not for The Husband who knows what is needed when I pray. So all I needed to concentrate on was cooking three curries, making vermicelli, getting my lamp ready, and preparing the prayer area. That's all. Oh, and making the strings which unless you're going fancy is just some good red string tied with at least three knots. Odd numbers are important. I went a little bit big this y...