Unit 4

As I sit down to reflect on my networks, I'm reminded of the intricate web of relationships that shape my life. My networks are a tapestry of individuals from various walks of life, each playing a unique role in my personal and professional journey. I will write about the people who make up my networks. My personal network consists of family a complicated network because i do not have a choice of choosing it it just happens there I feel a sense of belonging and being and we exchange teachings and every important aspects that can change my life. What i feel to my entire identity.  Close friends which I can say are my day ones, those who know me better than I know myself i would even say, This network is based of on emotions and being there for me when somethings I cannot doo myself, can testify to a whole more than what my family would say. Mentors know my goals setting and we exchange ambition and how ones goals can be achieved as well as great support and guidance. These networks are personal therefore they offer love and emotional support, and encouragement. These relationships are built on trust, empathy, and mutual understanding. We share our joys and struggles and offer a listening ear and a helping hand when needed. I am because they are. In a world that is constantly spinning I could say they make so much sense.

My professional network includes schoolmates, collaborators, and industry peers. It is a variety of different people from different walks of life. We do not know each other on a personal level but we give each other teachings and lessons from our different backgrounds.  We exchange knowledge, resources, and expertise, working together to achieve common goals. It helps when you're working together and you have a certain drive for what you're doing, the networking can be very successful. These relationships are built on respect, communication, and a shared passion for our work. We learn from each other's experiences and support each other's growth and development. You actually find people you can keep for a very long time in workspace, for example schoolmates whom you can work with till your entire degree comes to an end.

My online network is a vibrant community of like-minded individuals from around the world of which some I have never met before. We connect through social media platforms, blogs, sharing ideas, insights, and perspectives. You might find that you're friends with someone online you have never even seen but you just click. These relationships are built on shared interests, openness, and a willingness to engage in meaningful conversations. We inspire and motivate each other and expand our horizons through our digital connections.

Looking at my networks, I'm reminded of the importance of nurturing and investing in these relationships. By doing so, I've built a support system that fosters growth, learning, and personal development. My networks are a reminder that we're not alone in our journey; we're connected through our shared experiences, interests, and passions.
 

I was born and raised in Soweto Johannesburg to a very strict Zulu household where tradition demands to be followed. My father was born and raised in eMadadeni KZN where he gained and learnt knowledge about everything, he taught us. It all started from my great-grandfather passed to my grandfather to my father to normalize polygamy. My great-grandfather had 5 wives, my grandfather has 2 and my father has 3. The belief that came out of all this was that it is okay to have polygamy in the family because it is our ethnicity, and it is indigenous to our Zulu people it was practiced a thousand of years back even in the era of Shaka Zulu. I know in society today polygamy is considered not far but to me it changed my entire view of life and the world. As a child born and raised in polygamy marriage it is easy to go out to the world and face it on my own. I have had conflicts with my siblings from the other wife, I have seen different personalities on my siblings and most importantly I have gained social skills at home. You learn how to share even though you do not want to you have too. I realized I would not mind getting married into polygamy as well because of the benefits and the long history behind my family tradition. One could ask about the benefits of it is that you get to share responsibilities and chores. We live in a modern world yes and I would also want to work for myself, and polygamy marriages give you a bit of flexibility of freedom to do what makes you happy because you have a helper. It is a norm to use African people and it has been carried for years and years.

Another teaching I got from my Zulu household is that it is a must to recognize ancestors and give thanks to them. We do highly believe in good but also, we believe some of our reality and blessings we hold are from our forefathers. If I have just received something for example a car it is important to burn Incense and slaughter a goat or a cow. That is how my father was raised, and he passed the tradition to us to do. We know that it works in a form of data connection between you and the ancestors. It is also believed that if you do not show appreciation a lot of bad things will happen to you, from getting sick to lose of life and others even lose jobs and financial stability. 

All of this comes from our great fathers and the teachings are still being passed down to us. To us who travel the country for example my latest relocation was to Potchefstroom we see those things are different from how everyone else does or view them. How things are done KwaZulu is so foreign and strange to other tribes you meet but that is us. 

A DAY IN MY LIFE: HOME EDITION 

A Saturday morning, my bed facing the east, so the sun rays hit my face directly from the window. I could feel the bright and warmth of the sun or rather yellow hue on my skin. I just got home around the a.m.'s from a friends party the previous night. The curtains not closed so the sun decided to let its self in. As I am fighting a pulsating headache from the cocktails and my body feeling like I got by a truck lethargic and numb all I could hear is my mother's raspy and hoarse voice singing a song by Seal called kiss from a rose. That's when I knew the day has begun.   

I had no plans of waking up but the redolent smell of amagwinya (fat cakes) that my mom makes on weekends got me out of those sheets. As i sing along to the RnB playlist my feet hit the ground. I slowly make my bed and arranging the linen as my fingers run through the smooth fabric pf the sheets. I thought oh I should shower as I drag my half dead body to the shower to freshen up before heading down for breakfast. I stood in the shower washing off the grit from last night, giving my fatigued body some vitality. Wrapped the shower then went on an adventure of my cluttered wardrobe to decide on what exactly to wear. Ended up decided on an elegant and sophisticated summer dress. As I walk to the kitchen to have the breakfast I have been whiffing the whole morning.

I get to the kitchen, and it smells crispy and savory. I greet the whole family, and all were staring at me like a mad woman who is ready to put a show. My brother leans in on me to look closely at my upper neck. Only to find out the is a hickey on my neck. The atmosphere in the kitchen changed from roses to a corpse flower in a split second. From the RnB mood to being lectured about pregnancy at a young age. My father leading the discussion was worse. I would not hear the end of it. My mother appointing my brothers to escort me everywhere was the cherry to the cake, all of a sudden I was danger to myself with just a hickey. Breakfast table was bitter and the only that made up for it was the hot golden brown, soft bread like centre of amagwinya my mother made very delicious. What is a Zulu house without drama and fights in the morning.

After breakfast we all got in the car to visit my grandmother in Orange Farm a small township in Vaal. The car ride was unpleasant and depressing. I was born to stress my parents out because I am the only girl. They were reminiscing about the morning discussion we had at the breakfast table. The drive is 1 hour but it felt like the duration of the civil war. 

We finally got my grandmothers place, the was a young lunch with my aunts and cousins. The house felt like love I have not felt in a long time. It was so adoring and affectionate. My grandmother cooked all my traditional favorites from umgodu nojeqe (tripe and dumpling) to inyama yenhloko nophuthu (head meat and dry pap). The house smelled like the uShaka Zulu era. Music playing in the background, everyone on their feet dancing and kids running around the yard it all felt like fulfilment and contentment. 

My brothers briefed my other cousins about what happened in the morning, and I was called in to explain further. I wanted to burst into laughter, but I could see they are concerned about me and the fact that I have grown into a lady but also young to them. It all felt like a prosecution of a murder case, and it is just a hickey that would fade in a couple days but I understood where they were coimg from as older brothers.

With drama and the food that tasted so amazing, The day definately ended with kisses and hugs to our parents as me and my cousins decided on a sleepover at our grandmothers house to catch up more and bond. Grandmothers house always feels like a glue to hold us together. Every moment is always worth it

PEOPLE MEAS AFRICANS WHO ARE NOT BLACK ~ Binyavanga Wainaina 

The most powerful tool is language. It gives reflects on entanglement of human identity and by that, so the reader gets to gather great knowledge about themselves. 

Stereotypes such as "Black girls do not want to study and further their education." My assumption would be that it is true to people on the other side of the tunnel but to us this side it is not. The otherness in this is that the are those who push to make it out and actually overcome stereotypes that are made a social norm. The stigmas we have been thrown at how in most cases we are displayed is more reason to thrive at it. 

My assumption about black women is that they are strong. That is what I believe in but how women are displayed as weak and dependent that is the idea you get when you are reading. I learnt that it is from which side you are actually cutting the cake. Experience also plays a role in your views or not. 

The is a certain way in which women are presented in which we read about a lot in books as African women are strong are leaders and take care of households. Without them in place a lot can actually fall apart. That is the type of description we expect from literature to paint women as gods. 

Black girls thrashed hard by stigmas and scandals of teenage pregnancy as if they all come from the same mother. All that can either be made or destroyed by language in literature the tool of course.

"When I think of black girls, I think of opportunity."