AK TLHWAELE

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AK TLHWAELE

Reflecting on my world views.

21 May 2024, 00:56 Publicly Viewable

Every person's perspective of the world is determined by their own cultural background and their personal adventures, in this blog I will explore how cultural society has influenced my interpretation of the world we live in.

The first basic skill that my cultural group has taught me and values so much is how we value and admire nature as we all know that there's no individual that is more advanced  than the other except that we all a unit of complex networks. That belief has influenced my understanding in a different way that now I see myself as in charge of maintaining and nurturing the environment for the upcoming years and the lessons have put foward an awareness and acknowledgement that we are all justified as one unit of a broad world. 

The second teaching my cultural group embraces that much is about Ubuntu which means ''I am because you are'' and it guides us on how we should treat each other respect and be being nice to other people regardless of who they are and we should always appreciate the integrity of every person.

A day in the life of a student.

16 Mar 2024, 23:34 Publicly Viewable

As I wake up, I start my day with a little bit of outstretch and a yawn being delighted in the sensation of the refreshing linens and the fine fragrance of fabric softener blowing off through the air. After a quick breakfast I pack up my things and step outside into the cool morning air the assurance of a fresh start and the fresh smell of damp earth are carried by the crisp breeze that caresses my face. As I go to school, the sound of my footsteps bounces smoothly against the pavement with each step as a prompt of the journey ahead of me.

Upon reaching school, one can feel the lively vibration of students chatting and laughing all around them with every brushstroke on the vibrant murals that cover the walls tells a short story of artistic expression and creativity. A soothing tune of pens scraping the paper and chit chattering voices greet me as I get comfy in my first lecture, initiating the day's learning agenda.

It's time to work out at the gym and release some stress after a day full of talks and lectures the air is filled with the sound of effort and will power as my sneakers thump flowingly against the treadmill. I get home just as the sun is starting to set, my muscles aching from a nice, hard workout. My shower's warm embrace helps me forget the stresses of the day and leaves me feeling renewed and re-energized and with the sizzling scent of spices filling the kitchen, dinner is a sensory feast.

At last, I find myself in a warm, peaceful bed my senses are finally at rest after a day full of energizing events and social relations as I nod off to sleep to the soothing sounds of the fan, the soft rustle of the sheets, and the nice perfume of lilies.

SANL activity

13 Mar 2024, 10:58 Publicly Viewable

Reflecting on my own assumptions I have discovered how constant stereotypes and stigmatization can be regardless of our best efforts to embrace it and stay open-minded, reminders of how language may be misinterpreted and be perpetuated in false narratives may be found in Wainaina, Miner and Ngozi's work on TEDTalks. 

Wainaina's ''How to Write About Africa'' uncovers the Western desire to exoticize and stereotype Africa reducing its generous diversity of cultures and people to plain describe representation, and Miner's ''Body Ritual Among the Nacirema'' provided an additional eye-opening example of how cultural practices can be misinterpreted and misunderstood when looking from an outsiders view which made me re-evaluate how I interpret different traditional practices and it made me see how important it is to be respectful about other peoples cultures.

The essential requirement to question prevailing narratives and uncertainty of attaching to one story were also called into attention by Ngozi and Williams TEDTalks, while Willam's focused on the part media participated in forming our identities and determining our perceptions Ngozi's argument focused on how limited perspectives can promote prejudice and diminish certain groups.

In conclusion I've grown to become more aware of my own habits to stereotype and classify people based on their external aspects whether positive or negative, these assumptions can contribute to the negative narrative and create ''otherness'' going forward people should be committed to questioning their own biases seeking out different perspectives and challenging the support of stigmatization and stereotypes and by so doing we will be contributing to a more sympathetic world where people value differences rather than ignore them.