Home Bru Graft Café: my go-to coworking space in Durban

Jul102018 by Meneesha1 Comment

Home Bru Graft Café: my go-to coworking space in Durban

Home Bru Graft Café: my go-to coworking space in Durban [caption id="attachment_2451" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Part of the joy of being an independent agent is being able to choose where I work.[/caption] There are days when I crave human contact. I love the solitude of my home during the weekdays. Me, the cats, the dogs and the silence. But it’s also quite an isolating existence. After working in an open-plan newsroom for close on 20 years, some things cannot be replaced. Popping my head over the partition for some advice on a headline with my colleague, mundane conversations at the coffee machine, morning diary meetings … human interaction feeds the brain and the soul. (more…)

Jul32018 by Meneesha1 Comment

What the … freelance!

Lifestyle, Worklife

What the ... freelance! [caption id="attachment_2441" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Being my own boss is a minefield I negotiate every day.[/caption] After almost 20 years of working in a newsroom as a sub-editor, lifestyle writer, night editor and online editor, I’d done a range of exciting jobs. But it just wasn’t enough. I realised I’d hit the glass ceiling and atrophy was slowly creeping into my body and mind like a snake in the dark. A combination of events gave me the necessary kick in the rear to take charge of my career and make a change. I needed a new challenge. I needed to wake up in the mornings with a sense of purpose. Being an automaton was just not in my DNA! (more…)

May202018 by Meneesha1 Comment

Are you ready for a coworking environment?

Durban, Lifestyle

Are you ready for a coworking environment? [caption id="attachment_2188" align="aligncenter" width="640"] It's time coworking gained more traction in Durban. Picture: WOCinTech[/caption] For me, one of the pitfalls of working from home is the sometimes intense isolation. And it’s at times like these that I long for the hustle and bustle of a newsroom. Don’t get me wrong, I love that I can roll out of bed, brush my teeth (maybe 😁) and head to my office to get stuck in a day’s work. Sometimes, if the need arises I can even work from my bed. A sick day means I can still be productive without infecting an entire office of people. (more…)

May202018 by MeneeshaNo Comments

Sunday read: Johannesburg

My Journey

Sunday read: Johannesburg If you’re going to write about Johannesburg on the day Nelson Mandela died, it has to be pretty special or breathtaking. That’s my take on that day. A nation’s heart broke on that day. It was a life-changing moment in South Africa, as much as the man’s release from prison was. (more…)

Nov152017 by Meneesha6 Comments

The Slow Movement: What it means and why it’s relevant

Lifestyle, My Journey

The Slow Movement: What it means and why it's relevant Slow has never been so fashionable as it is now. And for that I am glad. The Slow concept originated with the Slow Food campaign in 1986 when Carlo Petrini protested the opening of a McDonald’s restaurant in Rome. The Slow Food movement arose out of a desire to protect local food cultures and place more emphasis on the pleasure of food rather than the instant gratification of the fast food culture. Today, this movement is seeing the growth of a global culture that respects quality food, locally sourced ingredients and care for the earth, coupled with a strong emphasis on pleasure. (more…)

Nov72017 by Meneesha7 Comments

Support Local: Why I think this movement is important

Durban, Lifestyle, My Journey

Support Local: Why I think this movement is important “Think globally, act locally” is a motto that is slowly, but steadily, emerging as a world trend. It’s all about consumers moving towards locally-sourced products and is directly related to the movement of reconnecting with local traditions, foods and life in general. In a fast-paced world where globalisation is seen as sucking the authenticity out of living, many are embracing the culture of supporting and buying local. And now this label – “local” – is gaining such a massive following it is becoming a stronger prerequisite for buying than even “organic”. (more…)

Nov12017 by MeneeshaNo Comments

Buy local, support Fair Trade: buy a Rain Christmas gift this year

Durban, Lifestyle

Buy local, support Fair Trade: buy a Rain Christmas gift this year I am passionate about buying local and pride myself on supporting slow, ethical brands wherever I can. It’s for this reason that I buy many of my bath and body essentials from Rain Africa, one of my favourite stores – EVER! Rain was started “to provide jobs, skills and hope to people living in desperate poverty, particularly women and the disabled”. (more…)

Oct22017 by MeneeshaNo Comments

Review: My facial at Skin Renewal Aesthetic Clinic

Durban, Lifestyle

Review: My facial at Skin Renewal Aesthetic Clinic A while ago I was invited to enjoy a complimentary facial at the newly-opened Skin Renewal Aesthetic Clinic in Morningside. After a severe bout of flu, I felt my skin needed a bit of pampering and rehydration, so gladly accepted. Skin Renewal is part of the Renewal Institute, which claims to take an integrated approach to health and aesthetics. It consists of Skin, Body, Health, Brain and Sleep Renewal – each offering specialist treatments in those areas. The institute is one of the largest medical anti-aging companies in South Africa and boasts 16 branches nationwide. (more…)

Aug232017 by Meneesha2 Comments

Author, Ali Land, to launch her debut novel in SA

Books

Author, Ali Land, to launch her debut novel in SA Ali Land, author of one of the most extraordinary, controversial and explosive literary debuts of 2017, with be launching her book Good Me Bad Me to Cape Town audiences in September. She will be participating in a number of events at the Open Book Festival between September 6 and 10 She will also be at the following venues: Elsie’s River Library on September 7 at 11am Kalk Bay book store at 5.30pm Fishhoek Library on September 8 at 10am Exclusive Books Cavendish on Stepember 14 at 6.30pm. Take a look at my review of Good Me Bad Me earlier this year. You can also read an extract from the book and a Q&A with Ali Land here. Good Me Bad Me is published by…

Aug222017 by Meneesha1 Comment

Blonde: Not so dumb after all

Lifestyle, My Journey

Blonde: Not so dumb after all The gene pool can often be a murky morass from which we may inherit some pretty horrid traits. Well, that’s how I saw my white hair for most of my life. The first strand appeared on my head when I was a mere 10 years old! Every time I saw it I’d pluck the offending hair, inspect it carefully and bin it quickly. Not a hint of colour there. Many factors cause hair to go grey prematurely – stress, anaemia, a lack of vitamin B12, genetics. In my case it is the latter. (more…)