Phuthu Stay Phut, Don't go!

It is National Women’s Month and we celebrate women of all ages and cultures. We celebrate our uniqueness, differences, strengths and potential.

Our challenge to you (male or female) this month is to spoil our South African woman with random acts of kindness. Whether it’s getting domestic and baking mom some cupcakes, surprising the cashier with flowers, taking your sister for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast or giving an old gogo a lift. It’s not the size of the gift or act that matters but the fact that it’s given with a genuine loving attitude.

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

- Maya Angelou

Let us know how you are sharing the love this month!

If you haven’t had a chance to watch any of the films at Durban’s International Film Festival (DIFF) as yet, this weekend is your last chance. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the festival, where films and filmmakers from around the globe gather to share and appreciate the beauty of cinema. With over 200 screenings across eleven days, DIFF is definitely not short of talent and diversity. Films range from heart-breaking documentaries, to light-hearted and humorous short films, many of which introduce first-time actors and feature directorial debuts.

For reviews of some of the films at DIFF , Click Here

See the full film schedule here

The sardines arrived in Pennington on the South Coast on Tuesday, which means they will more than likely be hitting Durban this weekend. The sardines normally reach Durbs by the end of June – just in time for the winter school holidays. But you’re fashionably late this year, guys! Well… rather late than never, hey?

Sharks Board deputy chief executive officer Mike Anderson-Reade said that “things are looking up and with a bit of luck, we just might see sardines off Durban by the weekend.” Although the shoal this year is not as big as those in previous years, it is still as exciting as ever to see the sea bubbling with activity and people frantically filling buckets, towels and anything they can get their hands on really, with sardines.

The Sardine Run usually occurs between May and July when millions of sardines – or more specifically the Southern African pilchard Sardinops sagax – spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward along the east coast of South Africa. Their sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline. The run, containing millions of individual sardines, occurs when a current of cold water heads north from the Agulhas Bank up to Mozambique – where it then leaves the coast line and goes further East into the Indian Ocean.

In terms of biomass, researchers estimate the sardine run could rival East Africa’s great wildebeest migration. However, little is known of the phenomenon. It is believed that the water temperature has to drop below 21°C in order for the migration to take place. In 2003, the sardines failed to run for the third time in 23 years. While 2005 saw a good run, 2006 marked another non-run.

The shoals are often more than 7 km long, 1.5 km wide and 30 meters deep, and are clearly visible from spotter planes or from the surface.

Sardines group together when they are threatened. This instinctual behaviour is a defence mechanism as individuals are more likely to be eaten than large groups. The bait balls can be 10-20 metres in diameter and extend to a depth of 10 metres, but they are short lived and seldom last longer than 10 minutes. Dolphins are largely responsible for rounding up the sardines into bait balls. Once the sardines are rounded up, sharks, game fish and birds take advantage of the opportunity.

So people, get your nets (or buckets) ready and head for the wonderful spectacle that is the world renowned Sardine Run – in Durban this weekend!

Reference: Independent Online, Wikipedia