Phuthu Stay Phut, Don't go!

I go there every Friday afternoon. It’s like Sunday school but with more beat, more noise and more want. This is a children’s ministry called King’s Kids at Embo, a small community near Hillcrest, KZN.

What do we hope to achieve?

Our mission is to build relationships and teach them about God. If they go home with just one verse or a single thought, we have accomplished what we have set out to achieve.

Okay, so what do we do?

We are a few teachers and each of us has a Zulu translator; most of them still in high school. The language barrier can be quite challenging and frustrating as there is always that gap (where translation happens) before you can bring life to your thought process. And with a memory like mine I often forget what I was saying just before the translation happens.

The kids usually stroll in around 13.45 on a Friday afternoon and the Embo community hall echos their excitement, joy and anticipation. They’ve come for a show and boy, will they get one! We generally start with games and each of us have a turn to facilitate the games – up to now I’ve managed to lay low on this one. This is usually where I start pleading for a solid pair of ear plugs.

After the games someone else will take over and lead them in singing songs, where after yet another teacher takes over and tells a story – dramatically. I love this part! You need to really give it to them. The story must have oomph, an element of surprise, visual stuff, noise, acting and a few sudden movements to keep them intrigued. This part also happens with a translator.

After the story the kids all go to their classes together with a translator. I am the teacher for the Gr.1′s – what an adorable bunch of kids! During this time we reinforce the lesson, get to know them a bit better, pray with them and have them do a related activity like colouring in. This is also the point in time where I accept the fact that I will never get to pronounce or remember their names. Ever. Where we have names like Mary and Sue, they have names like Nombuyiselo and Ntombikayise. Helloooo! Is it just me? I just cannot do it. I’ve asked them to repeat their names to me plenty of times, but still have no luck remembering.

When we’re done with the lesson they queue for something to eat and drink and we all go home. Until next week, that is.

Why I love’it

I’ve always thought that I’ve missed my real calling: Acting. With kids you can never be too over the top which means that I don’t have to put in that much effort. At Embo I don’t only get to sow some eternal seeds, I get to play, love and act.

By Elzet

Ok, now I don’t think you will need to revise on algebra for this and it certainly doesn’t use as much grey matter as yesterdays headscratcher… phew that was a hard one.

Each Pattern is worth a certain value. The values are 3 consecutive odd numbers under 10. With 6 segments, there are 6 values, with the total sum being 16. What is each pattern worth?

weave = ?

brick = ?

mosaic = ?

Good luck everyone.

What happens when you combine delectably tasty food with an all you can eat buffet? A very full tummy, but more than that, an experience I would definitely like to try again and tell everybody I know to try it. I was invited to Bhowani Game Lodge for a Sunday lunch all you can eat buffet. At R70 per person I was envisioning a Holiday Inn type scenario and to be honest, I was not expecting too much.  I could not have been more wrong…….

The buffet had an array of roasts, curries, stews, lasagna, which was accompanied by the roast potato, sweet potato, salads, veggies. I had a  seafood craving, so I was ecstatic to see plates and plates of freshly prepared prawns ( like, serious prawns) and crumbed calamari being brought out.  There were sauces, gravy’s, pap en sous, mint jelly, everything under the sun.

Now I am not normally an all you can eat kind of gal, I generally just pick throughout the day and that normally does me just fine, but I couldn’t help but to pile my plate to the ceiling with a little spoon of this and just a small piece of that.

Our lunch conversation consisted mainly of moans of delight, due to the most incredible taste sensations, followed by groans of discomfort as you try and fit just one more morsel into your mouth and just when you think you are never going to eat again, the main buffet is replaced by a dessert buffet…………

I sound like a kugel when I say this but ‘that baklava was to die for darling’

From start to finish, we had a lovely tasty experience, the ambiance and the view of 1000 Hills just made it all that more special. Make sure to book in advance as there are already loads of faithful followers you might have to fight off in order to get a table there.

By: Kerry

Okay all you smarty pants, this is a little warm-up to get all your grey matter working for tomorrow’s mind-boggler.

Each of the symbols represents a value. Which symbols would you need to add to balance the last scale?

The Toyota adverts involving animals with human characteristics are forever popular, which is probably why Toyota keeps making new ones! We posted the Sophisticated Dog Corolla ad not long ago, and now we’re going to give you a good laugh again with the same dog in a Hilux, as well as an old Hilux ad which was banned in New Zealand…

“Buddy does Hilux” is the most recent of the popular Toyota adverts:

This Toyota advert was banned in NZ  a few years ago for the phrase “sheep shagger.” Definitely worth a look!

Cape Town has the 5th best blue sky in the world, according to the UK’s National Physical Laboratory.

The only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace Prize winners is in Soweto. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both have houses in Vilakazi Street, Orlando West.

South African Breweries (SABMiller) ranks as the 2nd largest brewing company in the world. It supplies up to 50% of China’s beer.