BLUE VALLEY | KOSMOSDAL | CENTURION - YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWS
Breast Cancer Awareness Mystery Circles Rose Care OCTOBER 2020 ISSUE | DIGITAL MAGAZINE
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THIS MONTH Hello There Breast Cancer Awareness Mystery Circles Managing the Pressures Faced by Teenagers in Today’s Fast-Paced World Who Needs a University Degree October in the Garden Rose Care Out & About in Focus Important Numbers Recipe Kid’s Corner Business Directory Credit Amina Saber | Editor Kathy O’Connor | Editor Maxine Martinho | Designer Photo Credit Freepik.com Pexel Unsplash
Around You magazine brings you interesting and informative local content, news and events. If you have any interesting news, stories, achievements or events, please feel free to email us in an article format, with your details for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you. Please support our community magazine by contacting us.
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HELLO THERE Amina & Kathy | Around You Editors
Spring is here! Finally…..The season of birth and renewal. Am so looking forward to the longer sunlight hours, watching the gardens come to life, the green grasses and a splash of beautiful colour. The chirping of birds, returning from their migration. Music to one’s ears. Whilst winter is important, nothing beats being outside, soaking up the sunshine with a good book in hand. Spring is definitely a season to look forward to. With the country now in Level 1, many will be heading outside. As much as we look forward to all the freedom that this comes with, we should continue to ensure that we wear our masks, wash our hands and take the necessary precautions to keep ourselves and those around us safe. Let’s continue to support small businesses. If you have any news/events or contributions, email us at aroundyousa@gmail.com or aroundyousa@outlook.com.
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research, breast cancer is increasing in numbers. With the current limited knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, early detection of the disease remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control. So what are the symptoms and how can one detect any signs of breast cancer? The following are a few signs to look out for: • Noticing of any lumps in the breast or underarm. • Flaky skin or redness on one's breast. • Dimpling of the breast skin. • Pain in the nipple area. • Changes in the size of the breast. • Any nipple discharge other than breast milk.
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS The month of October is also known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is celebrated in many countries across the world every October with the aim to aid in increasing attention and support for breast cancer awareness, and helping with early detection and treatment. Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. This is experienced both in developed and developing countries. According to
If one experiences one of the above, it could possibly be related to breast cancer signs. However, some may not even display any of the above. Therefore it is vital to have annual mammograms done and regular self-breast examination is important. If one does notice or experience any one of the above visit your medical practitioner as soon as possible. In addition to the above, as with all cancers, one should also engage in regular exercise, eat healthily, get enough sleep, limit one's alcohol consumption and avoid chemicals that can lead to cancer. At the end of the day, one’s health is of utmost importance. Early detection is essential.
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MYSTERY CIRCLES Written by Mark Cowley Unless you are under 35 years of age you will probably remember the mystery of crop circles in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, mainly in Europe, but also here in South Africa. After much speculation and publicity, some clever mathematics students revealed that they were responsible for these “works of art.” Having made them under moonlit nights, using nothing more than rope and sticks and being well lubricated by beer. They would simply lie a 1.5m stick in the middle of a wheat field, tie one end of the rope to the end of the stick, and the other end of the rope to the other end of the stick. The rope would need to be long enough to loop over their shoulders while standing. Keeping the one side of the stick on the center point of the circle, they would then systematically push over and flatten the wheat, by lifting the stick 20cm off the ground, and pushing it forwards and down with their foot. For more elaborate circles, all they needed were more beer drinking mates to hold a string or two at a fixed point and some clever mathematics. The crop circle craze even made its way
to South Africa, in the form of bored farmers planting their crops in interesting patterns. However, that ‘mystery’ is child’s play compared to the other mystery circles here in Southern Africa that you may or may not have heard about, or perhaps even have seen for yourself. In Namibia you will find something called ’fairy circles‘, millions of bare patches of soil in the arid grasslands of the Namib dessert, a few meters in diameter. Scientists have been studying these circles for years and are still not entirely sure why they occur. One of the theories for these circles is that they are caused by termites living underground in the middle of the circles. Not only do they eat the grasses but that they also create channels for any water that falls (rain or dew) to sink deep into the soil, too deep for the grasses to thrive. The other theory is that they are caused by grasses competing for water, where the grasses grow long roots into the center of the circles. Both theories are being tested. Some of the circles have been found to
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have termites nesting in them, but there is no explanation as to why they would make their nest areas so perfectly round. There are also circles that have been found with no termites in the vicinity, however the scientist promoting the termite theory says that he will help to show that termites would have existed on the spot at some point in time. Then just when you thought that was strange, here in South Africa we have something even stranger. Stone circles ….. everywhere, by one estimate as many as 10 million of them. If you ever have the privilege of flying in a microlight, or another small, low flying plane out east of Pretoria, look out for them, they are not too difficult to spot on virgin bushland that has not been under a plough. Next time you go to the Kruger Park or the Lowveld and need a break along the way, Machadodorp has a few sites open to the public of more developed stone circles. Theories for the existence of these circles range from colonial settlements to ancient African tribal
homes and cattle kraals. Many of these circles have obviously been used as cattle kraals, but a lot of the circles also have no doors or windows, leading to speculation that they must have had some kind of religious purpose or perhaps have been created by aliens. Then there is something called ‘Adam’s Calendar’, believed to be the oldest man-made structure at 300 000 years of age. You can find these series of circles just above the town of Kaapsche Hoop, overlooking the Barberton Valley. These standing stones resemble a mini Stonehenge. Another theory about these circles says that they are nothing more than a cattle kraal from the 16th century! Be warned however, if you search the internet too deeply you will find some even stranger theories involving ‘energetic episodes’ and all sorts of healing properties coming from ‘harmonious frequency’ that the earth releases and which these stone circles amplify.
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MANAGING THE PRESSURES FACED BY TEENAGERS IN TODAY’S FAST-PACED WORLD Being a teenager has never been easy. It has always been an awkward and difficult time, but teens today are under more stress than young people were a generation or two ago. The teenage years are always challenging because of all the changes to which the individual is subjected. The teen is no longer a child, but not yet an adult. This is often a time of confusion and self-doubt, but these anxieties have always been a part of the teenage years. So, what is different NOW?
What is new and different is the world in which we live. The world is fast-paced and busy and teenagers worry about not keeping up with the Kardashians. Schools, family and social media put pressure on teens which means that today’s teenagers are more stressed than those in the past. Technology has improved life in many ways, yet has made teen life more complicated. Many teens worry because they are not like those perfect images which they see on social media. At school today, many teens feel the
pressure to know what they want to do by the time they have reached Grade 10. At the age of fifteen, does anyone really know what they want to do for the next fifty years? Stress at school also stems from most teens feeling that they are expected to go and study at university. After university they are expected to land a high-paying job and be able to assist other family members financially. This is a lot of weight placed on the shoulders of a teenager. Some teens think that they are expected to be good at everything and that failure is unacceptable and disgraceful. What can we, as parents, do? Parents have to be there to help their teenagers. Teens are living in a stressful world and they do not usually have good coping mechanisms. They have still to learn to manage the worries and pressures of life. As a parent you need to communicate with your teenager. Talk to her about her hopes and expectations. Discuss her anxieties in an open manner and make sure that you listen to her. Make sure that she knows how much you love her. Some parents find this hard to express. Your teen really wants to hear it from you, even if she knows it inside. Be generous with your praise and be careful of criticizing. Find reasons to compliment her. She made tea for her grandmother; or he helped his sister with her homework. Be on the constant lookout for anything for which you can praise your teenager. They need that constant positive reinforcement.
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Help her to set goals which are attainable. Support her choices and remember that not everybody has to be an academic wonder. Happiness is more important than status or a parent being able to brag about erudite offspring. Encourage your teen to focus on her strengths. Doing things she likes can be relaxing and a way of dealing with stress. Tutoring younger children or volunteering at her church may be enjoyable and a good way to boost her self-confidence. Physical activity is also a good stress reliever. You could sign up for a yoga class with her and it would become a good mother-daughter bonding activity. Being active with other people has an important social side to it, as well as warding off stress. Help your teen to feel happy about herself and believe that she is a good and treasured person. If she is confident within herself, she is less likely to be greatly affected by external factors. Urge her to do something towards improving the lives of other people. This will give her focus and help her to handle her own circumstances with more energy and determination. Make sure that she knows that you believe that she is the best teenager in the world. Keep reminding her that you are proud of her. She does not have to be like all of those celebs out there – she is so much kinder, braver and more compassionate. You love her. A teenager with this firm support base will be able to deal with the stress of our fast-paced world. Well done, you have raised a confident teenager! AROUND YOU
WHO NEEDS A UNIVERSITY DEGREE Written by Jae Soobramoney
I completed my degree in 2007. It was a BCom Informatics specializing in Economics. I choose this degree because it had a good balance on Information Technology and Business Subjects. This seemed like it would be very useful for the future. Now more than ten years on, I reflect on the value of degree and I wonder – has it been useful? WHO NEEDS A DEGREE Before I ramble on about my personal views on tertiary education, I think it’s important to mention who definitely needs a degree. I think that people who operate in critical areas need a degree. If you’re a doctor, I expect that you’re going to have a degree before you operate. If you’re an engineer building a bridge, you had better have that degree. Without a doubt there are certain individuals who should have degrees. I’ve noticed that people with degrees also do tend to think differently. They can think more abstractly, strategically and in a holistic way. This is critical if you’re working on serious matters.
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However most of us will never work on anything that will have serious implications for society. In that case a degree may not be necessary. I fall into this category. WHY I GOT A DEGREE The absolute only reason I got a degree was to increase my earnings. That’s it. I worked as a creative and got paid poorly. I could also code which always came in handy to get work. But I never got paid the same as coders with degrees. Hence, I decided to get the degree. Was it Useful My degree was without a doubt useless. I learned things that were outdated and hard to implement in a meaningful way. The IT knowledge my degree gave me was not relevant. All the technology stuff I knew already, I had basically figured out or learned from excellent courses by certain corporations. The economics material was very compelling and very engrossing. I really delved into that. However a year after
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finishing my degree the 2008 Global Financial Crisis hit – and that highlighted exactly how useless the business and economics part of my degree was. As much as it was useless, it made me realize that the economics we’re taught is just a facade designed to perpetuate economic dogma and rhetoric. It’s a narrative designed to keep us poor. This lead me to read tons of books of non mainstream economics which in turn led to me getting into crypto which was huge for me. In that sense the degree was useful, in that it was so useless it forced me to questions things. THE FUTURE My personal experience has led believe the tertiary education predominantly useless.
to is
Vocational training would suffice in most areas, and it should get the respect it deserves. Personally I’ve got more respect for a farmer than a banker. At least the farmer
produces things society needs. Given that millennial’s have insurmountable tertiary educational debt, robots can do the work better anyway, and AI will automate away much of our jobs – it makes sense for us to rethink education. It makes sense to change it from being a status tool to more about turning a person into a beneficial member of society. CONCLUSION I think my degree was a massive waste of time. I would have rather have spent that time reading five hundred books about things I’m interested in. Many things are changing right now. Old bloated systems that can’t justify themselves will fall or radically reinvent themselves. I suspect the tertiary education sector will be one such industry will experience the latter. Once knowledge is taught again because it is useful – then we will all see a more positive future.
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OCTOBER IN THE GARDEN Written by Sheryl Thiel October is the month of flowering profusion with the queen of flowers, the rose, putting on a glorious first flush of blooms in the Highveld. Roses have also become synonymous with Garden Day, happening on Sunday 11 October this year. Since Life is a Garden, let’s spend some quality time celebrating our green sanctuaries on Garden Day, regardless of their size – potted window sills and patio planters deserve a little celebration too. Edibles The “grow to eat” concept of shortening the food chain time from soil to plate is growing in popularity. Edible gardening is easy and fun, regardless of the size of your space. Life is a Garden, so if gardening means a few potted plants, so be it! It’s always exciting to try out new varieties. Here are a few amazing new squashes to tempt you: • Lemon sun squash is a patty pan that produces sweet and tender fruits on vigorous plants. The male flowers are also perfect for frying. • Easy pick gold and easy pick green squash are smooth textured no-fuss zucchinis. • Butterbaby squash is a small, sweet butternut that can be grown up a trellis to save space. • Honeynut squash is another mini butternut that has exceptionally sweet fruit, is easy to germinate and produces high yields of fruit. • If you want to try something funky then sample the vegetable spaghetti squash. It has unique flesh that separates into long, clear strings, which resemble pasta. It has a slight crunch with a mild squash flavour and can be used just like spaghetti. It’s the ideal way to get small children into eating veggies and also the perfect vegan spaghetti. AROUND YOU
Tip: Don’t forget to include a South African favourite, the gem squash or squash Rolet or Little Gem. Continue spraying for fruit flies and codling moth. If you have not started or are unsure of what to use, consult your local GCA Garden Centre. Sow The seed racks at your local GCA Garden Centre will be filled with a full summer range of flower, herb and veggie seeds to be sown now. Tip: Remember to sow your watermelon seeds in early to mid-October if you want them ready to eat at Christmas. They are usually ready to harvest 70 to 85 days after sowing. Plant Plant amaryllis bulbs now if you want them to be in flower for December. They flower 8 to 10 weeks after planting. Visit the Life is a Garden website www.lifeisagarden.co.za for more gardening inspiration or join the conversation on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lifeisagardensa
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Thuli Madonsela rose: This novel rose is vigorous, with strong roots, and diseaseresistant leaves, able to thrive despite climatic stresses – just like her name suggests. The striking two-tone pink and white blooms have a perfect hybrid tea shape but carried in abundant clusters. The colour is prominent, feminine pink and white for purity. Grows to about 1.4m high. Princess Charlene de Monaco: A beautiful Hybrid Tea rose, which has very fragrant double flowers, light apricot to shell pink in colour. It has excellent disease resistance and a good choice for use as a cut flower. Anneli van Rooyen rose: An extremely free-flowering hybrid tea that loves when the sun brings out its exquisite colour - a blend of deep cream to coral. Grows to shoulder height. People’s Princess rose: Named after Diana, the Princess of Wales, who was widely loved by people. The pointed, greenhued buds develop into large, firm petalled blooms; deep silk pink, the colour of pigeons’ breasts flows from the tips of the petal edges towards the centre of the high pointed, exhibition shaped flowers.
ROSE CARE Written by Sheryl Thiel
October is pink month or Breast Cancer Awareness month. In honour of pink, here are some stunning pink Celebrity roses that you may want to have in your garden:
Visit the Life is a Garden website www.lifeisagarden.co.za for more gardening inspiration or join the conversation on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lifeisagardensa
Hannon rose: Named after Hannon - the Glam Guru. A new variety of Hybrid Tea rose with deep pink flowers! It blooms and flushes throughout the season and makes the perfect and most stunning cut flower. Grows to about 1m high.
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OUT & ABOUT IN FOCUS This month, in out Out and About In
the Lory Park Zoo. They engage in
focus, we feature the Lory Park Zoo,
educational
Animal and Owl Sanctuary
schools
The Lory Park Zoo is a small, privately owned
zoo
situated
in
Midrand,
between Johannesburg and Pretoria. It all started out by Eddy Van Eck, an ardent animal and nature lover. The zoo first opened up its gates in April 2000.
and
also
aimed
at
participate
in
several CITES 1 breeding programs. Some of the critically endangered birds and animals that one can find at the Lory Park Zoo include the Ocelot, Siberian Tiger and Southern ground hornbill If you are looking for a cosy place
It is a zoo with a difference! It is often referred to as a boutique zoo based on its size. It provides a small, cosy atmosphere, where animals can be viewed up close and does not require long dreaded walks without seeing anything for a long time.
programs
and a good family outing, why not pay the Lory Park Zoo a visit. Enjoy a cup of tea in the Tea Garden whilst socialising with the birds, or even engage in some playtime with some of the cubs when available.
The Lory
During school holidays The Lory Park
Park Zoo consists of different kinds of
Zoo offers children the opportunity to
animals. One can see an assortment
attend ranger days where they are
of both exotic and and indigenous
able to learn about and participate
mammals, birds and reptiles.
in wildlife care. Contact them for
Conservation is an important part of
more info.
COVID-19 VISITS & RULES • To make sure you are safe at all times Lory Park will be following all government regulations. • Please make sure if you are 4 years and up, you are wearing your masks. • We will be limited to 50 people at a time in the zoo, please be patient as there may be a waiting time. • We will not be running any animal encounters at the current moment to limit contact with our keepers and our animals. • Our tea garden will be open to serve you food and beverages. Lory Park Zoo An educational experience to enjoy! Open Hours | 10am - 4:30pm Telephone | 011 315 7307 Email | info@lorypark.co.za
AROUND YOU OUT & ABOUT SPOTS IN GAUTENG IMPORTANT NUMBERS Midrand Police 011 347 1626 Olievenhout police 012 652 0086 RIETVLEI NATURE RESERVE
HENNOPS HIKING TRAIL
Electricity Issues 012 358 8514 Water Issues 012 358 2111 012 358 99 99 (7:30 - 16:00)
IRENE DAIRY FARM
THE BIG RED BARN
Power Failures 012 358 9999 (7:30 - 16:00) SMS or onlne | SMS the word “power”followed by your account number to 082 612 0333 or 44676 Police 10111 Ambulance 107 012 310 6300
ROSEMARY HILL
BISHOP BIRD PARK
LORY PARK ANIMAL & OWL SANCTUARY
Fire & Rescue 10177
BERRY SMOOTHIE Contributed by Videhi
This is a very rich and satisfying smoothing . Preparation: 10 -15 minutes
DIRECTIONS
INGREDIENTS 1 cup (250ml) raw cashew nuts soaked in water for 2 hours. 1 can coconut milk
1. Soak the cashew nuts in water for a minimum of 2 hours. Drain the water after soaking. 2. Peel & Slice the bananas before freezing them.
½ cup (125ml) almond or soy milk 2 large ripe banana peeled, sliced & frozen 1 ½ cups (375ml) fresh and blueberries and strawberries (frozen or fresh) 5-6 tbsp maple syrup Fresh strawberries or other berries to garnish AROUND YOU
3. Pop all the ingredients into a blender and blitz until smooth. 4. Serve along with fresh strawberries or berries of your choice.
KIDS’ CORNER HAUNTED MASK PUMPKIN TREAT LANTERNS TRICK ORANGE BROOM OCTOBER SPIDERS CANDY GHOSTS
Halloween Jokes How do vampires get around on Halloween? On blood vessels. What do you call a witch’s garage? A broom closet.
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BUSINESS DIRECTORY COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLOR Difficulty coping? Talk it through and discover a path to a more fulfilling way of living. Online and face-to-face Delia A Strondl | 072 279 1796
SIYANQOBA WEALTH MANAGEMENT Financial Solutions for both organisations and individuals. An authorised financial services provider. Zama Dhlamini | 072 757 9264
BEYOND DANCING Paola Diaz Uribe |pao.d.uribe@gmail.com
THE RANI Queen of Curries 079 752 8172 | 082 051 3366 www.therani.co.za LOW-CARB HAVEN Liezl Venter | 083 557 2388 GARDENING SPROUT LANDSCAPE GARDENING Gina Switala | 083 745 6015 www.sproutlandscapes.co.za
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BABY GUARDIAN VACCINATION CLINIC DE WETS PRIVATE CLINIC Baby, Child and Adult Vaccines Andrea | 083 320 0266 andrea@adewet.com ONLINE SERVICES
FITNESS
FOOD & DRINKS
VUSI’S LANDSCAPING COMPANY 074 458 2424 MEDICAL
FINANCIAL SERVICES
PERSONAL TRAINING Charlie | 084 601 3479 mmovement18@gmail.com
GRASS CUTTING/GARDEN SERVICING Thomas | 062 273 3840
GO.GLOBALNATIONS Online services include dance classes, fitness classes, language classes (basic french, portuguese & greek), and consultancy classes. Go Global | 076 2742996 goglobalnations@gmail.com PET CARE/GROOMING/VET ULTIMATE PET CARE SERVICES Grooming at your House, Vet Services, Accessories, Walking Services, Food Delivery, Pet Sitting. Ina Jooste | 063 893 4444 PROPERTY MANDATED PROPERTIES Jasmine Pillay | 083 378 8774 jasmine@mandated.co.za
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