TokisoM Writes

We landed at 06.38 - London time on Monday morning. A bit delayed due to turbulence disturbance - according to the announcement . Great flight it was . I kept looking out the window as we were descending to see if I recognised any of the structures from the sky. I saw the London Eye . Hopefully it is close proximity to where I will be staying so I can visit . From the runway, Heathrow Airport looked like any other airport . Busy and buzzing with people going about their business . As we land, there is ample traffic of planes coming in and flying out. The  Captain announced that there temperature is a chilling 11 degrees. My word - I think. I best get my big ass coat out as soon as I get a chance.  It didn't take me long through the border and security, getting my bag (still in tact) and finding my driver - Moses. There is nothing mind blowing about this airport. Felt like any other big airport. I might be wrong but I think it is a bit smaller than OR Tambo....

The first time I flew long distance was when I went to Germany a couple of years ago. I was so nervous and excited I really do not remember the flight that well. So this time around, a little less nervous (especially since there was no stop over and connector flight - that shit ain't fun for a first timer) I was fully aware of my trip. I didn't make my family do the whole, drive her to the airport vibe. Instead, I spent my Sunday with my daughter and husband. I then dropped off my child at her grans, hubby then took me to the Gautrain. In the Gautrain I met a woman who lives in London. She gave me some tips on the city. The word 'Grey' was used a lot. I had checked the weather before packing and yep I know I am visiting during a grey, wet and cold time. I really need to visit Europe during their summer. This winter/autumn trend has to pass.  I have not been on a Gautrain in years, happy to see that it was still a painless process and well maintained. A...

I am excited that I am slowly finding my reading-for-pleasure rhythm after the two-year break of focusing on academics and becoming a new mom. It is only when you are done with your post-grad studies do you realise to what extent you sacrificed so much of your life to see it through. So, after a good two years of a limited social life and putting my fitness business on pause - I had to figure out how to be a social person again. Mind you in that two it was not just books I was focused on but I also moved houses twice due to a natural disaster and became a mom. So I come out of these two years a totally different person. Picking up Dale Carnegie's HowTo Win Friends and Influence People  was perfect timing for this current phase of relearning myself and how I fit into the world again. The book was first released in 1936 and since then has sold over 15-million copies. I understand why it has such staying power. It is easy to digest read, short chapters and gets straight...

Credit: BL Hectically trying to complete my Masters and learning to mother my new born baby, I suddenly had an urge to read a favourite book again. I reread Zoo by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge for one key reason: to escape to a world that has the potential to happen considering how humans are rapidly damaging the earth. My interest in the book was also peaked by the series Zoo , based on the book, which I binge watched on Netflix whilst on Maternity Leave. The series really worked for me. It captured the intensity of the book and the plot twist for TV was not too off the mark from the intention of the book. What was Zoo about? Well, imagine if all the world's animals got together and turned on us. By turn on us, I mean, hunt and brutally killed us. An animal revolution. We are told the story from the eyes of a varsity dropout biologist, Jackson Oz, who discovers that there is something wrong with the animals and no one believes him because of his lack of c...