In Harmony Events Management

It’s almost that time of the year when everyone is starting to think about planning end of year work functions, weddings and a whole variety of awesome functions to usher in the festive season. Personally I’m great at planning things, and by planning I mean day dreaming within the walls of my mind the execution part isn’t really my area of expertise…enter Harmony Botya who is the queen of execution.

I had the privilege of attending the Launch of In Harmony Events Management earlier this year and I was thoroughly impressed by the lengths Harmony goes to in order to make your event successful and memorable for all the right reasons. I also had the opportunity to pick her brain and find out more about her, her business and some other ‘random’ things I was curious about. Oh and she was also featured in Eastern Cape Today….this girl knows her stuff

Thando: Who is Harmony Botya?

Harmony: I am what my name says I am… harmonious very passionate, driven by my career and love for people in big and small ways *smiling*

Thando: Can you let me in on what do you do and why you chose events planning as your career?

Harmony: In Harmony Events Management is a wedding and party planning business. We specialize in the planning from A-Z, meeting all your required needs for your event and coordinating the event so it runs perfectly. Wedding planning has always been my passion, thanks to Colin Cowie and Preston Bailey who introduced me to this amazing world of ‘fairy tale creation’ The choice of making this my career came naturally, like I said it’s a passion and only a passion can be on going and appearing in your everyday life.

T: What attracted you to the world of events and wedding planning and is it really as glamorous as it appears on telly?

H: like I said Colin Cowie and Preston Bailey introduced me to this industry. It was through an appearance on the Oprah Show where they were displaying their work. I was amazed by the way they had setup the tables, beautiful flowers and how they had put it all together to make a ‘fairy tale’ become a reality. Yes, it is as glamorous as it appears on TV and surprising affordable. All it takes is a passionate, professional and creative person to put it all together.

T: As a young businesswoman how do you ensure your clients take you seriously?

H: I always carry two things with me, passion and professionalism.

T: Who do you look up to locally and internationally in this in this industry?

H: Locally, Aleit from The Aleit Group and internationally Colin Cowie and Preston Bailey.

T: What has your career highlight been so far?

H: Every event that I have worked on has been a highlight, because they all have signature pieces and moments that make them unique and in harmony.

T: It seems that as South African’s we don’t take our event’s planning as seriously as our international counter parts, why do you think that there is more of a ‘buzz’ and more glamour with international events?

H: The international events are all about the finer things in life, added with a bit of elegance and perfection. Just those words finer, elegance and perfection compliment the word glamour.

T: Who is your dream client and which event would you love to put together?

H: My dream client in SA is Zizo Beda (former Miss Teen SA) and the event I would most like to put together is the opening of Parliament in Cape Town.

T: Of the following who would you date, flush or marry: Denzel Washington, John Mayer and Ryan Reynolds? (**,)

H: John Mayer- date

    Denzel Washington- flush

    Ryan Reynolds- MARRY *blushes*

What I love most about In Harmony Events Management is that she does it ALL on your budget and personalizes your event to your individual taste and style. Glamour and fabulocity on a budget…. Harmony where have you been all my life???

In Harmony Events Management:

Harmony Botya-  Cell : 073 374 1196/ 073 673 8791

Email- hbotya@gmail.com

Yes you can blog, but can you write?

The situation right now is that us poor bloggers are getting serious lip from ‘professional’ writers on social networks, such banter is unwarranted bloggers have feelings too. We have been accused of being shallow, insecure, narcissistic kids who feel out of place in the real world and seek attention by imposing their child like uneducated opinions on the inhabitants of cyber land who by viewing our blogs stroke our frail ego’s, my response????

OUCH!! (._\)

Am I insecure? Yes, I have my moments we all do. Am I a narcissist? I plead the 5^th lol but seriously a lil self-love never hurt anybody. Do I need my ego stroked by strangers? Nope…that’s why I got me a puppy; Chin is amazing at validating my self-worth. Jokes aside though, I totally get where the serious literature gods are coming from. They are old school and still believe in studying, spending time honing their craft while creating a unique writing style and love playing footsy with publishers. Seems like a shlep to me (bloggers can use words like ‘shlep’ without being kept up at night by the ghost of William Butler Yates ) all this seems like too much work, my generation does not believe in the concept of hard work, we are believers of being discovered.

The beautiful thing about blogging is that you can do you, no conforming required and no crazy grammar to adhere to. You can go wild and go about things the way you want and this relaxed nature is why more youngens * new word for youngster* are turning to blogging as an outlet to spew out their thoughts. Another thing these second rate Shakespeare's….I mean writers need to realize is that we are not trying to win a Pulitzer prize in literature or make the New York Times best seller list purely on blog posts we realize that writing is serious business that’s why we are taking a short cut hahahah.

 I have an analogy to try get my point across…. a medical student doesn’t enter Med school and then boom they are cutting people up and sowing them back together within their first semester, but something takes place between their first day in class and the day they graduate and become a medical professional. This thing that takes place during the interim is called learning, much like what is happening with me and my blogging, there is a plan here.

 I plan to write a book or two one day but I’m realistic enough to know that  right now I have no ‘juice’ ‘life experience’ or ‘stuff’ to write about yet. It may appear airy fairy but I’m going somewhere with all this It may not make sense to you but it doesn’t have to because it’s not our plan, it’s mine. Most youngens have a plan and are actually going somewhere with their seemingly silly ideas.

The microwave generation is one that likes nice yummy things, but we won’t just settle for yummy we want it yummy we want it fast and we want it on our own terms. Gone are the days of begging music executives to listen to your demo and offer you a deal ( when last did you hear of an artist approach an executive? Don’t worry I’ll wait….)  we You Tube everything and get our stuff out there ourselves. No longer do we sit around waiting for some dude in some office to believe in our dreams we have taken matters into our own hands and play the hero in our own stories, we are redefining the game and tailoring it to fit our individual style. We are different people; we have different stories, paths and views. Dreams are not one size fits all. Oh and grown-ups, weren’t you the ones who said we are all unique and special? Well we have realized this and have decided to run with it. Don’t blink you WILL miss it; we are going Usain Bolt on these dreams.  

Definition of a Full-Time Cool Kid

FULL-TIME COOL KID

Street and book smart. A Full -Time Cool Kid is comparable to King Midas. Only difference is that whatever he/she touches. Turns into cool. Tearing down conventional perceptions. Creating new paths and inspiring those around them, a Full- Time Cool Kid oozes style-from fashion, business, academia and the hustle * hee hee hee*

They dominate. Ground breakers. Go getters. Trend setters. Game changers. Play hard. Work harder. Leave a legacy.....Full-Time Cool Kid. Are you one?

To Graduates, with love

 

Our Opinion: To graduates, with love

 

Times Record News 

Saturday, May 19, 2012

This is a love letter to the Class of 2012, those graduating from high school and college.

And, even if some of this is harsh, remember, it is, in the simplest of terms, written with love. You embark on a journey that will cross our paths, in work and play, and we must find a way to love each other.

Or at the very least not hate each other.

Experts, most three times your age, spend a lot of time defining your generation, labeling you the millennials, or Generation Y, and stereotyping you as far less superior than themselves.

Grown ups do that sometimes.

You know better, and we need better.

You're not chop liver. Let's face it, your generation, born between 1980 and 2000, includes spectacular accomplishments. Mark Zuckerberg is a millennial.

Don't let your future be defined by our own definition of you.

Of millennials, we're told:

You arrive at a new job thinking you're qualified to be the boss. Gotta love the confidence.

You've been told all your life you're the best at what you do. Here's a trophy.

Six in 10 of you have switched careers, not just jobs, at least once. Ouch.

Only one-third of millennials say their current job is their career. Great.

A significant majority, about 60 percent, say it's not likely they'll stay with their current employer until retirement. Get the goodbye tablecloth ready.

The statistical information was obtained from author Rosetta Thurman's findings.

There are endearing qualities of millennials, and our future can benefit from the enthusiasm, the I-can-do-everything, I-deserve-the-trophy attitude. You arrive on your first day knowing far more than we about today's trendy gadgets and technology. We have a lot to learn from you.

You can benefit from our we-know-you-don't-know-everything willingness and patience to help you succeed.

You have a lot to learn from us.

You may not stick around with us for long, but we'll make it worth your time.

  © 2012 Scripps Newspaper Group — Online

Top ten inventions from 2011

          In the five years that Popular Science has run the Invention Awards, we’ve seen a lot of remarkable things come out of people’s garages. Some are designed to treat the sick or save the planet. Others are simply fun to play with. But no matter what the purpose, the brilliance of the inventions and the dedication of the individuals behind them are always inspiring. 

This year’s 10 honorees carry on the tradition: a pen that can screen for prenatal diseases for less than a penny, a machine that uses a boat’s exhaust to treat onboard waste, and even a jet-propelled body board light enough to carry from your car to the water. Each of last year’s inventions takes on a different challenge—and solves it in its own ingenious way.

      

            The Stark Hand

John B. Carnett  /  Popular Science

Created by Mark Stark, The Stark Hand prototype provides an ingenious, comfortable, and very inexpensive alternative to the hook his friend Dave Vogt had worn all his life. With the new hand, Dave can now catch balls and grip wine glasses.

You can read more about the Stark Hand, and watch the video of its throwing and catching abilities, here.

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The BodyGuard 

John B. Carnett  /  Popular Science

David Brown designed The BodyGuard, a crime-fighting armored glove, as built-in self protection. The demo model has a camera, a wrist mounted stunner and lots of room for future improvements. The idea came to David while talking to his friend, Kevin Costner. 

          The PrintBrush 

Jonathan Worth  /  Popular Science

Weighing in at less than a pound, Alex Breton's PrintBrush easily fits in a laptop bag and prints on any flat surface, from wood to fabric to plastic. Alex worked on the project for 11 years, but a version with a bonus built-in camera comes out early next year. 

         The Katal Landing Pad

Jussi Grznar  /  Popular Science

Aaron Coret and his friend Stephen Slen came up with the Katal Landing Pad after Aaron had a nasty snowboarding accident. The board, which was used during the 2010 Winter Olympics, provides a giant cushioned landing for snowboarders and helps make the sport safer.

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Dynamic Eye Sunglasses

John B. Carnett  /  Popular Science

Unlike regular sunglasses, Chris Mullin's glasses block glare instantly with liquid crystal lenses that darken the most where the sun's light is the brightest. A particularly sunny commute inspired Mullin's invention. 

         The Bed Bug Detective 

John B. Carnett  /  Popular Science

Built to imitate a dog's nose, the Bed Bug Detective sniffs out bedbugs quickly. Chris Goggin plans to create a model that can detect other pests, too, including mice and cockroaches.

         A Prenatal Marker to Screen for Pregnancy Complications 

John B. Carnett  /  Popular Science

Designed by a college student and his classmates, the Prenatal Screening Kit, or safety pen, helps detect complications in pregnancies at an early stage. The pen will be quite cheap, costing only a third of a cent per use, making it a perfect tool for hospitals in developing nations. 

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The Zero Liquid Discharge 

John B. Carnett  /  Popular Science

With a pleasant name for a gross procedure, the Zero Liquid Discharge, or ZLD, completely oxidizes and evaporates sewage from boats, airplanes and RVs. After flash evaporation, the waste leaves as a harmless, odorless aerosol

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        Kymera Motorized Body Board 

John B. Carnett  /  Popular Science

The lightweight Kymera Body Board is Jason Woods's solution for a timeless problem (for lucky people): how to have fun at the lake without the hassle of lugging a boat around. The latest version of his motorized body board hits speeds of 25 mph. 

Want to see this part-boat, part-body-board in action? Check out more info (and a video) here.

         The Medical Mirror 

John B. Carnett  /  Popular Science

While it can't tell you if you're the fairest of them all, the Medical Mirror can tell you your heart rate, which is probably more valuable in the long run anyway. A webcam behind the mirror captures variations in reflected light on your face, and an algorithm translates that into heartbeats. 

Read more about this futuristic mirror here — there's even a video of it in action.

One Hit wonders...I wonder if they will ever make a come back?

Is there anything more insulting to an artist than being remembered as a one hit wonder?....no?.... yeah I agree, on the upside though at least we do ‘remember’ them in one way or the other. So let’s go down memory lane shall we, I had so many cute and hilarious memories from my childhood while browsing through these. Hope they spark some memories for you too, happy Friday * insert huge smile*

• Wheatus- Teenage Dirtbag ( 2000) this is STILL one of my favourite tunes, I was 12 when it came out and all my white friends used to pump it at our slumber parties aaaah so young, so naïve, so bright eyed and bushy tailed and so skinny I think I weighed like 45kgs *sigh*

• Los Del Rio- Macarena ( 1996) hahahahah this dance was all the craze, I remember my dad asking me to teach it to him so he could bust out some ‘moves’ at his work Christmas party. As fate would have it there was no baby sitter available that Saturday night and I was forced to witness the horror of him grabbing his backside and wiggling his waist * pukes a little in mouth from flash backs*

• Baha Men- Who let the dogs out ( 2000) yeah this one was big hey, looking back with more wisdom the lyrics were actually rather lame…but it’s one of those songs that I still sing along to * hangs head in shame*

• Right Said Fred- I’m too sexy ( 1991) I’m too sexy for my blog….too sexy for my blog… Oh T stop it, you have no time to record an album you silly sexy talented lil blogger you

• Survivor- Eye of the tiger ( 1982) I wasn’t even a twinkle in my daddy’s eye when it came out but this song was written for me ( true story) I pump this song  at ignorant levels when I’m on my way to my kick boxing classes  ( which I haven’t been to in ages because I want people to love me for my personality and not just my hot bod….I kid…I kid. Laugh out loud. Smiley)

• Sinead O’Connor- Nothing compares to you ( 1990) what a song gosh! When I heard it I couldn’t wait to fall in love…fast forward to 2009 and I the words  “it’s been 7hours and 15 days since you took your love away” were no longer just words I sang along to but words that cut seriously deep. But him and I are great friends now ( lol no really, we are and I’m glad, he is an amazing man) I downloaded this song like 3min ago and I’m playing it right now……

• Europe- The final countdown ( 1986) IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, this song means business. Ok so I have nothing to say about this song I think I’m still feeling tender from the previous song, allow me a sec to summon my humour.

• Lou Bega- Mambo No.5 (1999) this song was played at all out school discos good gosh they killed it…dead.

• Aqua- Barbie Girl ( 1997) “ I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world, made in plastic it’s fantastic. You can brush my hair undress me everywhere” did u know this was Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian’s nursery rhyme when they were little? So overtly sexual yikes…and we wonder why those two turned out the way they did * rolls eyes*

• Vanilla Ice- Ice Ice Baby ( 1990) his rapping was so terrible he had black men world over  rethinking the two career paths they had (namely being a rapper or pro athlete) our brothers were looking for a ‘real job’. But alas, that only lasted for a minute and they were back on that ‘ hustling grind’

• The Weather Girls- It’s raining men (1979) how cheesy is that? A group named weather girls with a song about rain????? ….boy oh boy how I wish it would rain Asian  men, even though I’ve found my lil Asian stud but still…it would be nice you know…just to look…ok maybe stare -_-  * makes mental note to not mention this post to the Asian stud*

• Afroman- Because I got high ( 2001) This will always remain a stoners anthem…. I will assume Afroman got so high he forgot that one needs to release more than one song to sustain a career.

Things to NEVER say to 'dark' skinned girls

I have come across a few decent guys, who have said some really inappropriate and awkward things and we live in a very progressive society and dating across the colour boundary is something we see a lot of. Having said that however there are something’s that none- black guys should NEVER under ANY circumstance say to black girls this excludes Asian men because they can do no wrong in my eyes. Let me go right ahead and spill all about the dumbest pick up lines and random awkward stuff I’ve heard from the ‘other’ guys ( this post was inspired by a very cute but awkward guy I met yesterday, and babe I didn’t fall for his lame line.. ok just had to clarify in case he sees this post )

So, as I was saying I met this guy yesterday and this is what he said ‘I know your hair is fake, but the impression I have of you is real’ (uuhhm this is wrong on so MANY levels, yes I am well aware of the fact that I bought my hair and he didn’t need to point that out. There are something’s white men should not say to black ladies and this is just one of them,  but he killed me with this it was too funny. I saw the humour)

“I’m here for the summer….could you give me the ‘African’ experience?” (Ok sooooo, like I kinda knew this dude was not talking about me taking him to the Lion Park or holding his hand while we stare into the sunset at an elephant farm. So that’s what these men call it today….the ‘African’ experience. He should hang his head in shame)

“I can see my unborn children in your beautiful eyes” ( Now firstly I have very dark eyes, if they were an exotic colour maybe I would have blushed for him. Secondly why are they ‘his’ unborn kid’s selfish twit!!!? I will be carrying them the least he could’ve said is ‘our’unborn kids. And lastly….I was wearing sunglasses *sigh*)

“I would leave the gang if I had a girl like you” * He was coloured…..enough said*

“ Wow, doctors here do a much better Angelina Jolie lip, mind if I take a pic to take back home?”   ( Uuhhm yeah take a pic because I really felt the need to inject even MORE fat into my body by making my lips bigger * insert sarcasm* It kind of made sense when he said he was studying to become a cosmetic surgeon, but we really are tired of the lip and butt remarks. Surprise us with something new)

“Toronto or Tahiti” (OMG I love Tahiti that’s were my Asian hubby [assuming I find one] and I are going to retire. Gosh this guy almost had me swooning the only reason I maintained composure is because my dad was standing a few feet away, gee talk about mood kill dad!!!!! Ok so it sounds lame now that I’m typing it out because now I’m thinking gee Thando he could’ve been asking where I’m from or which is the better place between the two. Whatever. I choose to believe he was hitting on me ok? Oh so what made this a no no is the father thing…do not hit on a black girl with her dad in the same room. You might just find yourself coughing up cows instead of the bill for the coffee you were asking her out to.

So there it is, moments that have made me laugh, shake my head, and feel squeamish. If I can impart any wisdom here to the none-black guys its this….The black girl stereotypes need to stop we are just normal women [ there is on such thing women are crazy LOL ] so please enough of this African experience stuff and there is a 99.9% chance that her lips and booty are real so please don’t ask her.

It's black and white

In the very loud and colourful world we live in there is something beautifully haunting about black and white photography. I was in a very tender and emotional state when I found these ( yes, you care)  and I guess the simplicity of it all and how it boils down to just two colours drew me in. Life is real complicated right now, so much for me to figure out, so many important decisions to be made and I really wish that it could be 'simpler' ( I won’t lie and pretend to be ok, you’re just  getting to know me and we can’t start this cyber relationship of ours on lies now can we?)  

These are a few pictures that drew me in and in some or other way got me thinking about the people in the pictures and the stories they were communicating….on the up side though I’ve lost some weight ( yes u care about this too) mwaaaa hope to be better in the next post.

 

 

 

My love for love runs deep...

 

 

 

 

It's a man's world.... i'm cool with that as long as they can dress

Men's streetstyle is ALL the craze

 

 

 

 

I adore men's clothing, I literally live in my dad's closet my brother let's me wear his stuff  too ( depending on his mood though) as for the guy in my life... his formal shirts are my shirts too * insert wink* here are some ladies killing this 'boyfriend' look !!!

 

 The formal shirt thing i mentioned earlier, this I LOVE

 

 

In honour of Africa day

LORDS OF POVERTY

 

They call the Third World the lazy man’s purview; the sluggishly slothful and languorous prefecture. In this realm people are sleepy, dreamy, torpid, lethargic, and therefore indigent—totally penniless, needy, destitute, poverty-stricken, disfavored, and impoverished. In this demesne, as they call it, there are hardly any discoveries, inventions, and innovations. Africa is the trailblazer. Some still call it “the dark continent” for the light that flickers under the tunnel is not that of hope, but an approaching train. And because countless keep waiting in the way of the train, millions die and many more remain decapitated by the day.

“It’s amazing how you all sit there and watch yourselves die,” the man next to me said. “Get up and do something about it.”

By Field Ruwe

Field Ruwe is a US-based Zambian media practitioner and author. He is a PhD candidate with a B.A. in Mass Communication and Journalism, and an M.A. in History

THE GRIM REALITY, BUT WE ARE SO MUCH MORE

....WE DO SMILE, DREAM AND HOPE