The Muse Drop: Musings

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If you're reading this blog, you probably speak English - whether it's your first, second or third language.

There are some common mistakes that I often come across (sometimes I’m an English/grammar police so I have to refrain from pointing out these mistakes! That being said, I don't claim to be an expert in the English language.)

How many of these mistakes do you make on a daily basis?

1. They’re vs their vs there
They're - The contraction of THEY ARE.
Their - Belongs to someone - their name, their hair, their car.
There - The opposite of here - as in "over there".

2. You’re vs your
You're - The contraction of YOU ARE.
Your - Used to describe ownership - as in "this is yours".

An easy way to avoid this mistake at all costs is to put the words "you are" in a sentence. If it makes sense, it is you're and if it doesn't, it's your.

Example:
Is this your/you're phone?
Is this "you are" phone? = This doesn't make sense so you know it is incorrect!

3. It’s vs its
It's - The contraction of IT IS.
Its - Belongs to a person/thing.

An easy way to remember this is to use the word "it is" in your sentence and see if it makes sense.

Example:
Its/it's been forever!
"It is" been forever - This makes no sense so it is incorrect.

4. His vs he’s
His - Belongs to HIM.
He's - The contraction of HE IS.

Example
This is HIS chocolate (if you were tempted to say he's, ask yourself if the sentence "this is he is" chocolate makes sense).

5. You'll
This is the contraction of the word YOU WILL and not you all. if you want to use the word you all, it would be y’all.

6. Should’ve
The words should've stems from the contraction SHOULD HAVE and not should of. Basically the letters "H" and "A" are dropped in the contraction.

There term "should of" is completely incorrect.

7. Then vs than
Then - Relates to time.
Than - Used when comparing things.

8. Apostrophe usage
Noun is plural - No apostrophe (unless referring to possession - then the apostrophe is placed after the word)
Noun is singular - Apostrophe

Example:
This is my sister's house = This means that the house belongs to my sister.
This is my sisters’ house = This means that I have many sisters and the house belongs to all of them.

9. Worse vs worst
Bad, worse and worst.
Worse - Used when comparing things.
Worst - It's as bad as can be.

10. Incorrect usage of conjoining words like however/therefore

Okay, this one is VERY common. I even see it in professional emails and even books!

If you're using the word however/therefore, it either needs to:
a. Be at the beginning of the sentence, followed by a comma
OR
b. If used in the middle of a sentence, it needs to be in between two commas or in between a semi colon and a comma.

These words are basically used when you want to INTERRUPT a sentence so it HAS to be between commas (or at the beginning of a sentence, followed by a comma).

With the word "however", there are actually two meanings:
Meaning A: But
Meaning B: In whatever way as in "however you want to make the pasta".

Disclaimer: If you've seen any of these mistakes in my stories, it was pure oversight. I type whatever is in my head first and then I go through it to fix up all the mistakes.

Disclaimer: Please note that the below article is merely my opinions and not based on any factual evidence.

So I’m usually open minded when it comes to series, I can watch anything from a scene set in the 1200s to a scene set in the year 3000. I’ve enjoyed history, comedy, medical, legal, thrillers, crime... the list pretty much goes on. However, there are some series (from various genres) that I absolutely hated. Some of them lacked wholesome substance and some of them lacked the essence of enjoyability (in my opinion).

Below are four series that I did not enjoy, not even in the slightest:

1. The Walking Dead
A few episodes in and I just couldn’t continue. I found it to be painfully slow, with no real story line. I heard it picks up after a while but I just couldn’t get myself to sit through a few more episodes. I was never excited to watch it, I would actually dread watching the next episode. A lot of people told me to give it a chance but I really didn’t have the patience for it.
Rating: 3/10

2. Game of Thrones
I know, I know. How could I not like GOT? Apparently it was amazing! I watched the first season TWICE and I even watched season 2. I just could not get into it. I tried, I really tried but I found it way too vile and sick for my liking.
Rating: 2/10

3. Working mums
I thought this would be a relatable comedy. On the contrary, it’s a bunch of toxic women who are the epitome of selfish. Although it’s a comedy, it’s given me anxiety and it’s also depressed me. This is a terrible show and should not be aimed at new mothers. In fact, this show makes it seem like having kids is the worst thing that can happen. It doesn’t celebrate motherhood, it insults it. The funny thing is, this show gained a lot of traction because people loved it and found it to be very relatable. I thought that I was missing something so I continued to watch it but I found myself getting unnecessarily upset when I watched it.
Rating: 1/10

4. 13 Reasons Why
This was probably one of the most depressing shows I’ve ever watched. It emotionally disturbed me and I couldn’t go past season 1. Suicide needs to be addressed but I didn’t find the way it was addressed to be helpful. A lot of people were of the opinion that suicide was romanticized in the series.
Rating: 1/10

If you love any of these series, I’d absolutely love to hear why and what you loved about it. Share your favourite shows or your least favourite shows.

Dirilis (Resurrection) Ertugrul: Based loosely off the life of Ertugrul Gazi, father of the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman.

The series follows Ertugrul as he finds love, fights off heathens and follows justice.

It’s been dubbed in multiple languages and has gained international recognition.

Top 8 reasons to watch Ertugrul:

1. History

The series is loosely based off history. However, due to the very limited information recorded in history about Ertugrul Gazi’s life, the show is dramatized for viewer interest.

2. Reliance in God

Their reliance in God is absolutely astounding.

3. All you need is an internet connection

The show can be found on Netflix, Facebook and YouTube.

4. Life lessons

It focuses on various life lessons, such as patience, love, loyalty etc.

5. Scenery

The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. With lush forests, beautiful mountains and stunning rivers, it’s very easy on the eyes.

6. Gripping storyline

The story line is extremely gripping, especially once you get into it - be careful though, you may just end up watching one too many episodes in one session.

7. Respect towards parents/elders

They have immense respect for their parents and their elders.

8. Hope and justice

There are two focal elements highlighted throughout the series - hope and justice.

Downsides:

1. Tends to get very slow or very fast

On the one hand, sometimes it takes forever for one thing to happen in the show. On the other hand, sometimes multiple things happen at once in the show, which tends to get too much.

2. Too much violence

It is pretty violent and it’s definitely not appropriate for little kids.

3. Slow motion horse riding

In EVERY SINGLE EPISODE there are multiple scenes of slow motion horse riding.

The red blood pulsed through his veins as his heart hammered through his chest. His white bones felt cold and he thought he was about to die. And the only reason for his pending death was because his heart, his bones, his blood, his kidneys, his stomach, his lungs… All of him was wrapped up in a packaging that they didn’t like. All of him was wrapped in a colour that was too dark for their liking; that was too unattractive for their liking. Somehow, his packaging made him unappealing.

But they didn’t know… they didn’t know that he was a doctor that saved lives. They didn’t know that he was a caring father. They didn’t know that he was a faithful husband. They didn’t know that he was a fearless fire fighter. They didn’t know that he was a hardworking, honest man with a beautiful heart. They didn’t know any of it because they couldn’t see past the colour of his skin.

They were too damn shallow. To them, the outer appearance was what defined a man. To them, the softness of his heart or the intelligence of his brain was nothing… Because it was wrapped in a colour they didn’t like.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where the colour of your skin defines you. We live in a world where your safety depends on the colour of your skin. We live in a world filled with people who believe that they are beautifully wrapped, when in fact; their insides are rotting with the hate they so strongly hold. Our botched definition of humanity needs to be re-evaluated.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! Racism NEEDS to STOP! Even an inkling of racism needs to be put out before it grows. And that all depends on YOU.

We have the power to change the world, to remind the haters that we are ONE human race. We have the power to demolish racism.

Stop the hate. YOU are powerful enough to stop it.

Start a revolution, stop racism.

We’re living in a very tough (weird) time. We’re confined to our homes because normal things like visiting your loved ones or meeting for coffees are suddenly considered to be high risk.

It’s hard, there’s no sugar coating it. But at the same time, it can be a lovely time if you’re living in a safe home. Unfortunately, millions of people don’t always have that same luxury, and it’s a truly heartbreaking reality.

There are also countless people who are worried sick about their means of income. Suddenly, businesses aren’t doing well, stores can’t open, salaries are decreasing, people are getting retrenched... It’s a tough economical situation. We find ourselves wondering when will this end? When will things get back to normal?

All these worries can take a toll on you and affect your mental health. If this happens to you, I implore you to PLEASE speak to someone. Don’t allow social isolation to put you in a dark place.

That being said, I believe it’s time to speak about more positive and laid back topics. For starters, I’ve been swamped at work. It’s been so hectic, especially because I’m working from home. That, paired with household duties is surely one of the most challenging things I have ever experienced. But at the same time, I enjoy working from home.

I thought that with lockdown, I may have more time to bake, to work on my blog, to write more fiction but boy, oh boy, have I been wrong! Although, I did manage to make garlic bread (garlic bread is LIFE) and I did manage to bake a few cakes so that’s been refreshing. I had absolutely NO TIME to work on my blog and that sucked really badly. Because I’m the type of person that starts with a blog topic in my head and it grows into something exceptional from there. But it stays in my head for so long and I don’t end up having the time to put those thoughts into a post so it dissipates into nothingness.

So what have you been doing during this time? Did you manage to do all the things on your to do list or have you been so demotivated and worried, that all you wanted to do was nothing? Because either way, that’s PERFECTLY okay. It’s a tough time and you should NEVER feel pressured to suddenly do all these activities just because everyone else is. Look after yourself and stay safe!

Peace and love!

So I’ve been MIA for the last few months. Life happens and suddenly, the year is almost over and I’m just getting older.

What happened to 2019? I swear, it felt as if I just blinked and majority of the year disappeared. Where does the time go?

Anyway, I believe I have good reason for going completely AWOL on my blog. You see, back in February I did one of the hardest, most rewarding things I have ever done. I gave birth to little baby girl. Up until today, I still question HOW mothers do it. Giving birth is painful and having a baby comes with its fair share of challenges - albeit rewarding. It sounds cliche, I know. But it is amazing and I wouldn’t change anything about it.

I took six months of maternity leave and I’ve been back at work for three months now. I’m still reeling over how fast time has flown!

I’m not one to share too much about my life but since I did disappear off the gram, I thought I’d share this little update with you.

Stay tuned, I have a bunch of giveaways in the pipeline and hopefully some great content to follow.

Lots of love

Did you know that Johannesburg houses one of the largest man-made forests in the world? And what's even more awesome, is the fact that this "forest" not only contains green trees but also purple trees which create a gorgeous kaleidoscope effect.

During my university days I pretty much hated this time of the year. Our lecturers used to remind us that the moment we see the "purple flowers blooming", we would need to start studying. So obviously I didn't appreciate the Jacaranda season.

In fact, the whole season would pass by with me cooped up in my room, my eyes focused on my books. It wasn't until my aunt came from overseas and couldn't stop gushing about the "beautiful purple trees" that I truly started taking note of the beauty that surrounded me.

Our high school entrance was decorated by a good few Jacaranda trees and unfortunately, I never really appreciated it in school. In fact, I barely noticed it at all - not until two years ago when my husband drove me around in search of Jacaranda trees so that I could take Instagram worthy photos (most of us have done this, let's not judge! *wink*)

A few years ago, when I was sent to Pretoria on a work assignment, I convinced the team to take a break and we ended up spending the afternoon at the Union Buildings. The only reason I wanted to go there was that so I could enjoy the Jacaranda views. And it was totally worth it!

And then last year, my sisters, friends and I went out for brunch and then decided to drive around the area. We drove through Greenside and Melville and we were met by streets framed by the vibrant trees. It was going pretty well until some creep drove past us slowly. You know how it is.

Last week, we drove through Houghton and I couldn't stop gushing over the Jacaranda trees. They were beautiful and picture perfect. How did I miss these beauties growing up?!?

My next stop is Northcliff Hill. Everyone is always gushing about the beautiful views that meet your eyes when you're there. I can't believe that I still haven't been there to enjoy the city views!

Share your favourite places to view Jacaranda trees in and around the city of Johannesburg!

1. Read a book at least once a year.

2. Prioritize your life and pay attention to the most important aspects of your life.

3. Be kind.

4. Invest in great skincare.

5. Use sunscreen every day.

6. Write a letter to yourself and read it in a couple of years (futureme.org)

7. Speak the truth.

8. Stay calm in stressful situations.

9. Spoil yourself, even if it just means taking a ten minute break during the day.

10. Love more and hate less.

11. Forgive people for your own good.

12. Take a few deep breaths every day.

1. Get a special perfume for a special occasion (like your wedding day), so every time you smell this scent, the feeling of nostalgia will overcome you and take you back to that special day.

2. Take out an hour of your day for yourself. Self love is more important than you may think.

3. Invest more time in your relationships rather than your career.

4. Have a night time routine so that your mind and body can automatically begin to rest as you get ready for bed.

5. Use an under eye cream.

6. Drink a lot of water.

7. Live in the moment. You don't always need to document every moment of your life. If you're too busy snapping pictures, you might just miss the moments completely.

8. If you’re not happy with a product or a service, complain in a respectful manner. If you drop your hard earned cash on a product or service, you deserve exceptional quality.

9. Stretch every morning when you get up.

10. Be happy for other people's happiness.

11. Dress up for yourself - even if you're just going to be at home all day.

12. Don't post every detail of your life on social media. Some details should be kept private.

13. Compliment others.

14. Don't allow negativity to take over your life.

15. Never go to bed with makeup on.

16. Spend time with people who really matter to you.

17. Want to gift a close family member or friend without spending too much money? Over the course of a year, create an email address/folder/private site for them and write them letters and share pictures with them. This will be a great way to relive old memories.

18. Learn basic self defense and keep pepper spray on hand

19. Smile more than you frown.

20. Never give up!

I was a very quiet , insecure kid. I didn't speak much and I hated being the center of attention. Large classrooms felt daunting and large crowds were even worse.

I didn't believe in myself. Often, when we were asked about our talents, I believed that I didn't have any. I didn't think I was good at anything but I had accepted it and moved on.

I used to engross myself in reading and writing. I loved burrowing myself in my own little world, away from everyone else. At the tender age of ten or eleven I began to write fiction. I didn't really write it for anyone but myself. I didn't show my work to anyone either. I kept all my stories filed away and I'd read and re-read them occasionally.

In Grade 7, we had a creative writing exam. I was just eleven (I started school at five) and in that essay, I gave it my all. I still remember the first line of that exam "As Haley and Anny walked home from school in the fresh summer breeze, they glanced at each other as if looking in to a mirror."

My teacher called me to ask me about it and then he said the few words that probably changed my life forever. "You really have a talent in writing."

As of that day, I became more confident in my writing. I began to write stories more and I'd share them with friends or family. In high school, I started writing in my spare time and sharing my writing with teachers or friends.

Then Facebook happened. Those days, there were applications that you could add to Facebook. I added one where I could anonymously post stories and I started. I ended up getting thousands of likes and comments. To be honest, I wasn't really proud of that story of mine but everyone seemed to enjoy it. Sadly, that application was eventually deleted and Facebook changed yet again. I continued to write for myself but then when I started university, I didn't quite have the time. Instead, I concentrated on the large projects we'd have and I'd proofread them all (my husband says I have the tendency of a perfectionist, I don't really think that I do).

Anyway, throughout these years, I always had people telling me they enjoyed my Facebook statuses or birthday messages. I was told to write a book in order to share all of these things because people really seemed to enjoy them.

Then eventually, people would mention that I should start a blog. Little did they know that I had wanted to for years but I didn't know where to start and I didn't have the confidence that came with it. I didn't want to put myself out there, for the world to see. And to be honest, I still think that I haven't completely put myself out there. I just don't think it's the right time yet. But then, I noticed the wonderful world of Wordpress and I started a blog. In fact, I started a blog multiple times but none of them seemed to take off. I didn't know much about blogging so most of my blog posts were story chapters. In between story posts, I'd have miscellaneous posts. It looked messy and because I didn't post often, I'd lose traction.

I was young and silly so I thought that if my blog was any good, I'd get traction overnight. But I didn't realise that like everything in life, this too takes time.

Eventually I closed all my blogger profiles and stopped writing completely. I always made the excuse that "I don't have time". I had forgotten how happy I used to get when I wrote, I'd forgotten how therapeutic it is to write.

During that time, I started a makeup page and I'd write mini reviews on products that I tried. Eventually, with Instagram's algorithm continuously changing, I posted less and less.

However, I'd still joke about blogging and starting a Youtube channel (so much so, that my husband bought me a camera for that Youtube channel - which had always been a joke).

Then I came across a friend's Facebook page where she posted religious fiction. I was hooked onto her stories. On a whim, I wrote a piece and sent it to her, not expecting anything (we didn’t know each other at that stage). She replied almost immediately and minutes later, asked me to join the team. I started to write again and I remembered how much I loved it. How could I not? It was the only way I could express myself clearly.

I eventually made the firm decision to start blogging. I was going to do it myself but when I mentioned it to the hubster, he offered to create it for me. Unfortunately, he got super busy and I was getting super impatient. Eventually, I made a deal with him. He had to create my blog by a specific date and if he didn't, I threatened to throw a tantrum (seriously! Haha). True to his word, he begin to create my blog and simultaneously, I started to write posts.

So that's how my blog was born. I should give a special shout out to my husband for tolerating all my annoying requests and to my sisters for their much appreciated opinions. Also, my dear cousin deserves a special shout out because she has been supporting my blog since its inception. Thank you all!

And then of course, a very special thank you to all my blog visitor's! Had it not been for you, I would have never gotten over a mere ten views. You guys are amazing!

He woke up in the wee hours of the morning and got ready for a long work day. He had multiple meetings and traffic was always a nightmare. He needed to get to work on time and complete some work before his first meeting. The day passed by in a hectic blur, he ran from pillar to post, trying hard to get all his ducks in a row. He worked late and lost track of time. By the time he got home, he was too tired to think. He jumped into bed and closed his eyes, vaguely thinking about how he hadn’t spent any time with any of his loved ones. He needed rest before tomorrow. After all, it was essentially a replay of today.

I get it if you’re a workaholic. A lot of people are. I mean at the end of the day, working gives many people a sense of purpose. And it’s great, it really is. Loving your job is truly a blessing. Rising for the grind is amazing. Getting up every day and working towards your career goals is true perseverance - and perseverance is something everyone needs.

But sometimes working too hard and too long is a curse. Especially when your career creates a wedge between you and the important people in your life.

It’s easy to get lost in your work; to block out the entire world and concentrate on the task at hand. It’s easy to forget about everything else and get so engrossed in your work that you lose track of time.

But if you’re going to spend all your time concentrating on your career, when will you find time to work on your relationships? After all, if you had to die today, your company will end up replacing you. But your family? Your family will mourn you and think about you for years to come.

The sad thing is that we often fail to realise just how much emphasis we’re placing on our career and not enough on our relationships. If we continue spending too much time at work and not enough time with our loved ones, we are sure to create problems in our personal lives. Problems in our personal lives will most definitely result in problems in our professional lives. It’s important to find a work-life balance and to stick to it.

Here’s a breakdown of a typical working class person’s day:

There are only 24 hours in the day:

-8 = Amount of healthy hours required for sleep
-1 = Time it takes for breakfast and to get ready
-1 = Time it takes to get to work
-9 = A typical work day including lunch and coffee breaks
-1 = Time it takes to get home and run errands
-1 = Preparing dinner and eating/other essential tasks

=3 hours (if you’re lucky and you didn’t have to work overtime) to spend with your loved ones.

Is three hours or less enough to maintain the important relationships in your life? Probably not, but there’s absolutely nothing you can do to change that. I mean, you can cut down on your sleep for more hours in your day but won’t less sleep just make you more miserable?

Work hard and set daily goals so that you can complete all the necessary tasks within your eight working hours. If it’s not urgent and if you’re too busy, delay some tasks for the next day. Try to plan your days so that you finish all your work within the applicable hours so that you do not have to work overtime. Try to complete all your work for the week by Friday COB because weekends need to be spent in maintaining relationships.

Once in a while, it’s okay to work overtime and work on weekends but doing it often will result in a bad habit. Such a bad habit can have a negative influence on your life.

Work smart. Plan. Prioritize.

Common English mistakes many people make

Popular series I hated

Top 8 reasons to watch Dirilis (Resurrection) Ertugrul

Racism Rant

Quarantine Chronicles

Life update

Jacaranda Appreciation

Life advice's from a 20 something year old (Part 2)

Life advice's from a 20 something year old

Why did I start blogging?

Relationships > Career

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