Karis: (noun) greek; grace...

                                    When I was 9 I wanted to be a pilot. I had just discovered my love for Maths and we were doing those problems solving questions in class that I absolutely love. Someone had told me pilots needed to be good in maths and science and that fit my description to a T! And then when I was 11 I wanted to be a lawyer. Lawyers talked a lot and knew about history and could defend themselves, and that was my whole personality then. Then 2 years later at 13 I discovered actuaries. They dealt with numbers and statistics and insurance and after one episode on SABC 2 about the day in the life of an actuary, I was convinced! I wanted to be an actuary for a while after that. Then finally 3 years later at 16 I learnt more about our then president, H.E. Dr Festus Mogae. He was an Economist. He combined his knowledge for maths and wanting to help people into being an economist. It wa...

I am really not great with birthdays, mine that is. Every time August 5 th comes around, something in my brain just starts going haywire. And as I get closer to 30, things keep getting worse. However this year I want to switch things up and look at this wonderful day with a different set of lens. So, in my impulsive decision making, I decided to do a list of things I am grateful for. One for each year that I have been on this earth. So, here goes 28 things I am grateful for   1. My life. This one is pretty standard. I have lived a healthy life and free from this horrible pandemic.  2. My son’s life ; Leruo, who is going to be 3 years old in a week’s time. Yes we are both Leos.  3. My family. See if I was smart I would name them one by one and add to my list.  4. My friends . I have a great support system in terms of my friends. They are always ready to listen to my random thoughts and offer advice where necessary.  5. Winnie. I know technically she falls und...

Title : The Notebook  Year: 2004 Director : Nick Cassavetes I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine who was utterly offended by my comments that The Notebook was just 'okay'. In my opinion, it is one of the most overrated movies of all time, tied with Titanic, but that's a story for another day. Given my friend's reaction and the fact that I had not watched the movie in close to a decade, I decided to re-watch it with a fresh set of eyes.  To start off, The Notebook was adapted from a book with a similar title by Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas Sparks is hands down one of my favourite authors! I am a huge fan of his work specifically; The Longest Ride and The Last Song. The Notebook is a story about a summer love that seems determined not to end. Which to start off defies what summer love is all about. If you have ever had the pleasure of experiencing one, you know that it's not meant to last, making it the more exciting. It's a "let's make the m...

Have you ever been excited to share with a friend a new project, be it a movie, song, TED Talk, etc by your favourite celebrity only to be shut down by said friend because we have 'cancelled' the person? Saaaame! I remember a few weeks back one of my friends was super excited about this new Tyler Perry movie and I had to educate her real quick about how we had cancelled him. She was obviously not happy. But this new habit, often referred to as cancel culture is becoming increasingly popular. With the COVID19 lockdowns in several countries, people had so much time on their hands that they started scrutinizing their love for celebrities which resulted in many of them being cancelled .  So what is cancel culture ? This refers to the practice of withdrawing support for public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered to e objectionable or offensive. It usually happens on social media, specifically Twitter where users are ready with receipts to prove ...

*Sigh*  It's been a while since I jotted down my thoughts on this blog, and by a while I mean years. I don't want to count them because I would probably start crying but I have had my reasons. The most significant one being that I became a MOTHER! Yes you heard right, I am responsible for another human being that is not me. And in the spirit of keeping my life compartmentalized, I started a mommy blog where I have been doing most of my writing. You are free to check it out here . Anyway back to my long awaited return. I am back because (yes you guessed it) we are facing a pandemic. I am of course referring to covid-19. Figures that the thing to bring me back to this blog would be a life threatening pandemic, I have always been dramatic like that. So yes, covid-19... It's Day 29 of the national lockdown (Botswana) and I have finally reached my breaking point. Let me break it down. I am fortunate to be one of those people who are still employed during this difficult time ...

The high of a great interview for the dream job you desperately want, that presentation you just had with the prospective client you courted for weeks or the   proposal you finally sent in after moulding it into perfection. That high is followed by a great downward spiral, the wait. It’s a high for a reason. What goes up must come down. All good things must come to an end. And they do come to an end as the days go by. The first 24 hours are glorious. You are untouchable, you did the impossible, surprised even yourself. There is absolutely no way you aren’t going to be successful. Then the second day comes around and at first you are hopeful. It’s only been two days, no one makes such an important decision in just two days. By the end of the week you are a wreck. Doubts have all but clouded your mind. And your feeble mind succumbs to pressure, replaying everything over and over again, until there is nothing left to overanalyse. Did I smile too much? Or maybe I made a typo. Did I ...

The annual Gaborone Diacore Marathon is one of the few local events held in the city that really pulls in a diverse crowd, both internationally and locally. Usually, such a sporty event would never catch my attention, what with my lack of fitness and all, I know, I am not proud either. But this year I found myself drawn to Grand Palm. On the 13th of May, roughly 7000 people tried their luck on the number of races offered by the event. The different races included a 4 km fun run (for the family mostly), 10 km run, 21 km and the brutal 42 km run which I can only question it’s participants. The atmosphere was electric even before the races started. If you were around Gabs during that weekend then you probably know what I mean. Roads were closed, traffic diverted and there were so many road marshalls stationed around the city, too many to count. By 6.30 am, the races had begun!  6.30 am on a Sunday seemed like a way too early time for me to be up. I was obviously happy to chee...

Walking into the UB sports arena on Wednesday morning, I had pegged the De Beers Entrepreneurship Catalyst Conference as just one of those events that I would benefit nothing from. You know the events that I am referring to. Where rich stuffy guys come and tell us about how they made it in long boring lectures. Boy was I glad that I was wrong. The event was nothing short of star studded, from 9 time Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis, to representatives from Stanford University. Which was expected, after all it is De Beers. To kick off the day, Peter Hong from Google gave what to me was a life changing lecture. He comes from a science background having been a marine biologist at some point in life but has managed to end up at Google with some other interesting experiences in between. His talk, I can confidently say was the highlight of the day for me. Perhaps it was because it was first on the agenda in the morning but I would like to think it was more because of what he said. He f...

I am a nomad and I have learnt to accept it. Truth be told I probably got it from my mum. When I was growing up we never stayed in one place too long. By the time I was done with primary school I had been to 7 different schools. Yeah seven, as in the number of levels there are in primary school. Same thing with junior school. 3 separate schools, one for each form. So naturally I never got attached to any one place. The only time I ever cried when we moved was in standard 5, I was only 11 and literally at the prime of primary school life and then up we left. I vowed after that to never get too attached to one place. This is probably why I never bothered making friends because who knew how long before I would have to leave them again.   It was only at tertiary level, that I stayed at one place for an extended period of time. But even then I attended two different universities, seas apart, just to complete my degree. In short I have been a nomad all my life.  This has proved to...

My graduation dress is a little over year old today. I remember the first day I laid my eyes on it. It was one of those moments when you just knew, that yeah, this is the one. Obviously it wasn’t my first choice, not by far, had to try on a whole lot more dresses before I found the one that fit in all the right ways. It’s kind of like life really, something which I have learnt over the past year. Sometimes what you really want isn’t exactly what you get or what is good for you. You have to try on a few more ‘dresses’ until you find the right fit! Since graduation I have had a total of 3 different jobs before I found the right fit for me. It sounds like a lot doesn’t it, but it’s actually not. Let me start from the beginning. Like every fresh graduate out of uni I was more than hopeful that I would almost immediately get a job. Even in the dire economic climates, I expected to be unemployed for at most 2 months before I landed my perfect job. After all I did go to a top tie...

Disclaimer real quick: Just because I am from Africa doesn't mean I have a jungle for a backyard. Just because I am from Africa doesn't mean that I have once found comfort on a tree as shelter. You laugh, but the reality is that this is the Africa everyone else thinks exists. The ignorance of the western world runs deeper and longer than the Nile River and yes if you didn't know the Nile River it's the second longest river in the world and can be found in Egypt, Africa. No Africa is not one large country where you can easily walk from one part to the other. There are 54 distinct countries that make up the continent that is Mama Africa. And no, Botswana is not a city in South Africa, we are an independent country with laws and regulations that are unique to us. And no, just because you once went to Tanzania on a school trip doesn't magically qualify you to be an expert in all things Africa. I am African and I am still trying to understand the magnificent, d...

Let me tell you about my shoes. They might look rundown and worn to you but to me they are more than that. When I look at them I remember every single significant thing that happened to me while I had them on. They have taken me places that I never imagined possible.  Five years ago in 2012 is when I first laid eyes on my babies. I was only a child then, still a teenager. And I had been dreaming for years to get myself a pair of my own with my own money. So when I was finally a university student, I took the plunge. I even remember which store I got them from, the Options store from Game City, its probably not even there anymore. My partner in crime, Attie, was there to share the experience. We had been preparing for this day for the longest time. With the little student allowance we received, we made the purchase. My very own Converse All Stars, you should have seen my face then. Even when I went hungry that month I couldn't complain because I knew that I had made the right...

Dear lonely girl, I know its hard, I know its hard to wake up every morning ready to fill your day with anything and everything that could distract you from your thoughts. I know its hard some days to pull yourself out of bed and face the world when all you want to do is crawl back into bed, into oblivion. I know its hard not to finish an entire ice cream tub in one sitting because you will do anything to fill that whole deep inside your heart. I know its especially hard to resist drowning that whiskey bottle hoping against hope to find what you are looking for at the bottom of the glass. Dear lonely girl, I know its hard to ever feel beautiful because each and every person that ever said you were didn't think twice about leaving you behind. I know its hard to take any compliment seriously, after all if you were that awesome, that amazing, then that one guy that you thought was the one would have never left, right? I know its hard to believe that anyone will ever stay till...

I will be walking down the street, meeting cute couples holding hands,  And instead of smiling and celebrating their love, I resent them. Scrolling down on Instagram couple posts and giving them the side eye 'cos I used to be just like that. Can't even appreciate love when it's genuine and real 'cos guess what, that's just how broken I am. I look into an innocent baby's eyes and all I see are the tars and pain that the mother endured, is still to endure in the hands of the father. From Adele to Ed Sheeran,  they have all been blocked from my playlist; I can no longer listen to music inspired by love because all it remind me is of what was and what could have been. I read my favourite fairy tales and all I want to do is scream FU Disney! You sold me dreams and I fell into the trap of 'true love', a love that doesn't exist. My friends are getting married now, yes we are at that age, and the only thing replaying in my head is how I will ha...

FINAL SCENE As Nora climbed up the rails of the bridge she couldn't help but smile, thinking back on her life. For only 22 she had lived a full live up to this point. She thought of her happiest memory which now seemed like a lifetime ago. Sleeping under the starry sky night with her family while the cool summer breeze washed over them. She thought of more recent happier memories, her 22nd birthday that James had thrown for her. It was one of the happiest days of her life and she couldn't believe that someone could actually go through that much trouble for her. The last memory left her in tears. Who knew it was possible to be sad and and happy at the same time, she thought as she smiled through tears. Once up on the ledge of the rails she took a while to take the view in. Tonight wasn't too cold, which made this all the more easier, but the city had quited  down. And from up the bridge she could see the entire London skyline. Looking down into the Thames made her questio...

JAMES II "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Dear James, happy birthday to you!" sang Nora and James' housemates Brad and Cooper. It was James' 21st birthday party and Nora had made sure that her beloved boyfriend would enjoy it. James had his birthday in March, only 8 months after the two had gone legit but by that time Nora was already in love. She didn't even hesitate when making the plans for her boyfriend's birthday. Despite all she had gone through in relationships, she was sure James was 'The One'. Funny thing is, she wasn't even looking for him. One day he had just presented himself and bam! That was it. Nora beamed at James' smile, in all the time she had known him, she had never seen him smile that way. Content, happy, like a kid who had just seen Santa. Of course it made sense partly. Being nervous about her first birthday with James, Nora had gone all out. She had gotten him a gorgeous watch, a coffee m...

THE AFTERMATH When Nora awoke the following morning she couldn't remember anything. But after a few seconds it all came back. At first she thought it had all been a dream, a colossal nightmare that she unfortunately had had many times before. But this time it wasn't a dream, James really had left. She couldn't remember when or how she fell asleep, all she remembered was the crying. And right on cue the tears came rolling down. It felt like someone had punched her in the stomach and tore out her heart all the same time. She was in literal physical pain. And speaking of her stomach, a weird sensation crept up on her. Almost toppling down the stairs, she rushed towards the bathroom. Just in time to hurl her insides out into the toilet. After almost 5 minutes of vomiting she was finally able to get herself sat up straight against the wall. "I am really sorry," she began recalling James' words. To be fair, he really did seem genuine when he said it, pained even....

I was barely out of teenage hood when I first set foot in England. Despite my family and friends' teary departure at the airport (yes you know yourselves), I was pretty excited. Who wouldn't be, I was embarking on a whole new journey, on a different continent, ready to re invent myself. Of course before we left we were all told a million things about what to expect and all the culture shock we would come across but nothing really prepares you for a brand new place. Right off the bat as I left the airport to catch a train to Leicester I was met by something I had only seen on TV. There was this young couple sitting opposite me just going at it, I am talking heavy kissing and petting here. Obviously right now if I saw something like that I wouldn't even bat an eyelash. But back then I was fresh from home, from a very conservative nation that didn't encourage such public displays of affection. I think it was at that moment that I truly realised that I was no longer at home...

JAMES James wasn't Nora's first boyfriend not by far but she was quite certain he would be her last. Theirs was an interesting story if there ever was one. Like Nora, James was gifted. They had been enrolled in the same schools since they were 12. Academic rivals was the best way to explain their earlier relationship. In fact, when Nora was awarded her college scholarship, James was the only other person in her school who also received it. But they never interacted on a social level. Just a few polite hellos at most had been exchanged between them for 6 whole years. There is no 'Nora and James' without Eddie. When Nora was 19 she started seeing Eddie. Eddie was charming and funny and quite popular among the girls so naturally she was very flattered by the attention. What started out as casual dating blossomed into a full blown relationship in the space of two months. That's when Eddie introduced Nora to his friends. "This is Jess, Brad and I think you know ...

So I wrote this short story that I have finally decided to share with the rest of the world. I will be publishing it in parts and this is the first part: NORA Nora was relatively happy. In fact she had never thought of happiness as a fleeting emotion. Sure sometimes she would get sad or angry, but it was always temporary. Sooner or later she would be happy again, content. It was her state of being. Even as a child she was bubbly. Despite her abusive step father, she somehow found a way to stay grounded. She had this one memory that she held on to. One summer night when she was 12 her mother decided the night sky was too beautiful not to watch. So she took an old rug and set it outside. There was a cold breeze quenching the night of it's humid heat. All her four younger sisters and her mother slept on that old rug that night. Just looking up at the stars making up theories of how they got there. She had never felt so peaceful. That was Nora's happiest moment. Over the years s...