It Could Happen to You reveals an ideology that measures value exclusively in terms of money, despite its best intentions
Lifestyle
Posted inEnvironment, Health, Lifestyle, Media
Art and mind: Healing arts in public health spaces
By Dr Thirusha Naidu Creativity, like mental illness, is mysterious to most. It is an inexplicable yet distinctly human attribute. Historically, creatives have been admired, revered, feared, ostracised and persecuted. From the genius of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity to JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, to ingenious hackers or clever moms who conjure […]
Posted inEquality, Health, Lifestyle
How vandalism in public schools widens educational imbalances
By Lehlohonolo Mofokeng The number of vandalised schools in South Africa during the lockdown period stood at 1 577 as at 19 May 2020, according to the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga. Barely 24 hours later, Kwazulu-Natal MEC of Education, Kwazi Mshengu, shared with his social media followers how Covid-19 essential goods were stolen […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
A Spanish song of resistance
The House of Paper — review of a notable series
Posted inEnvironment, Health, Lifestyle
Now, more than ever, we need Social and Emotional Learning skills interventions
By Dr Gloria Marsay Covid-19 has shown globally that there is a need for people to learn strategies to deal with adversity. Strategies to deal with anger, anxiety, fear, depression, loneliness, sadness, grief and loss. Elke Van Hoof, professor of health psychology and primary care psychology at Vrije University in Brussels, wrote an article entitled […]
Posted inEnvironment, Health, Lifestyle
Becoming “Hope Providers” during Covid-19: We can either choose anger or courage
By Dr Gloria Marsay There has been much debate around the concept of hope. There are opinions for and against the thought of whether hope is a strategy or not. World leaders have expressed their opinions. Barack Obama spoke about embracing hope and change. Rudy Giuliani disagreed with him and retorted that “change […]
Posted inLifestyle
The Magic of Yo-Yo Ma
I know that I am about to witness something magical, Yo-Yo Ma in concert at Kirstenbosch on February 8, 2020. I have been anticipating this evening, holding onto it like a talisman, ever since I decided to hell with it and booked crazily expensive tickets to see my musical hero. Things to look forward to […]
Posted inBusiness, Equality, General, Health, Lifestyle
Social and emotional skills will improve education and grow our economy
Dr Gloria Marsay People faced with adversities in developing countries struggle to bridge the gap between education and work. A key challenge for 21st century schools involves serving culturally diverse students with appropriate transferable skill domains, i.e. deep human skills and advanced technical skills essential for economic empowerment in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (#4IR), as described […]
Posted inEquality, General, Lifestyle, Media, Tech
‘Aquaman’ and American superheroes
On the way back from a conference in Berlin just before Christmas 2019, I was catching up on movies on Qatar Airlines — a carrier with exceptional leg-space in economy class, so I could sit comfortably, at least — and I managed to select a number of excellent recent films, including Marc Webb’s Gifted (2017) […]
Posted inGeneral, Lifestyle, Media, Tech
Modern architecture in Berlin
When one finds oneself on a busy street in modern Berlin — capital of a reunified Germany since June 20 1991 — it is difficult to believe that it has grown into this city in the course of seven centuries, at least as far as its written history goes. The latter records that in the […]
Posted inEnvironment, Equality, General, Health, Lifestyle, News/Politics
Searching for a new political cosmology
This morning my eye caught a report about Brazil’s climate-change denialist, neoconservative president, Jair Bolsonaro — evidently in an attempt to divert attention from his own egregious responsibility for the fires that rage unabated in (what is rapidly ceasing to be) the Amazon rainforest — accusing Leonardo DiCaprio of ‘paying’ non-governmental organisations to set fire […]
Posted inEnvironment, Lifestyle
Tasty, very tasty, indeed
Many years ago, while still involved with student politics, I tasted Lipton Ice Tea, the lemon flavour, for the first time. I immediately asked, “Is this available in peach flavour, and is this available in mango flavour?”. I was told that the peach flavour would be released soon. Immediately thereafter, I was asked what I […]