Just thought I would pop in with a quick post on this strangely-weathered Wednesday afternoon. The day started off bright and early at around 5am to catch the train to Pretoria, to attend my Visual Culture class. We covered some strange topics today--focusing on Virtual culture. This included discussions on online profiles, TV programs such as Catfish (as seen on MTV), creating your own avatars, and the varying degrees of which people emotionally invest themselves in these profiles. I guess there is a lot to think about, especially for the people of our generation, or subsequent generations; it's inevitable that we are becoming (if not already) a global, interconnected society in which technology and online interactivity is at the nucleus of everything we do. At times I don't know if I'm happy or upset about it. Something that I urge my readers to think about is online safety. I don't want to rant and rave like parent, I think we all understand the importance of keeping our private lives, private. Check those privacy settings, and always OVERTHINK and OVERSTRESS a photo or statement before sending it out to the public. Expression is a fantastic and therapeutic way of letting people take a quick trip into your psyche or getting your opinion on a topic, but an idea or thought is always respected a bit more if it has evidence of being well thought through and/ or backed-up (and spell-checked). And as for those photo's... Hmmm guuuurl, 'aint nobody need to tell you that posting those risqué selfies of you in a candle-lit bathtub with flower petals and a sultry up-do can possibly cause funky implications later on. I always do the "old-skool family check" : How would you feel if your 60 and 70-year-old relatives saw the photo or comment you made? If it passes the test, you're safe :-) I'm not saying that you have to create a false pretence of who you are online, just to please other people, but it might help, just in case you're on the fence about whether you should say or post something. And in other news... a last little bit of sumthin'-sumthin' to maul over is practicing some kindess :-) While I was on the train yesterday--at round about 4 o' clock, and tired from quite a stressful day, an out-of-the-blue announcement came from the driver of the Gautrain (which almost never happens, unless there's technical difficulty) to say: "Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, we are taking a relaxing cruise at a speed of approximately 110kph, please sit back, relax and enjoy the ride! Have a blessed evening!". How cool is that?! At the point leading up to the announcement, one could feel the dampness and slight depression on the train, and thereafter, I saw at least three or four people crack a smile. A few of the passengers even shared a laugh. Immediately, the mood in the cabin changed and I even ended up chatting to another passenger after we had left the train. Like a lot of things, kindness can be found in the small things--the details. Something as little as letting someone join the traffic instead of cutting them off really benefits you a LOT more than it does the other person. Not only do you practice some patience, but in the larger scheme of things, your self image improves, and that way in which you see yourself becomes more positive and healthy--and at the end of it all you have more love and respect for yourself--Which can only be a good thing! It's okay to be a good person, whether other people see it or not. Ultimately, everyone wants to do the right thing, and the feeling from staying true to who you know you really are, is a feeling that is up there with the best of them. Have a lovely Wednesday! Here's just one or two things that symbolize kindness to me :-) (proudly brought to you by www.pinterest.com) Thanks for the continued support of everyone!
Until the next post! Adios amigos 8-)
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AuthorHi there, my name is Judete Fourie. I am a twenty-something-year-old writer living in Stellenbosch in SA's Western Cape. Follow my day to day adventures that involve wine, wit and braaibroodjies. Archives
June 2017
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