FIVE 75 WHERE YOUTH CULTURE LIVES
WE’RE BEATING THE WINTER
ISSUE 05
JULY 2018
FIFA WORLD CUP GOES INTO THE VAR FUTURE CHRONICLES OF A WOMB-MAN VOL. 2 IS BABY MAKING WEATHER REAL?
Flex Von Doom {the villain himself}
JULY
CONTENTS 1. Chronicles of a Womb-man 5. Stop consoling yourself 9. How to shella
39. Beauty tips to beat winter 15. Is baby making 41. Awesome winter weather real? activities 19. Flex Von Doom is 47. V8 The speed Flexin on em edition 33. Five Fashion (AW 51. FIFA World Cup 2018 essentials) Russia 53. Hustler’s corner talks personal branding 57. Naked Season by Tsholofelo Molosi
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Bilicia Khosana DESIGN
Nkanyezi Gumede
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Bonginkosi Makwakwa CONTRIBUTORS
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Editor’s note
H
ey Unicorns Holidays are in full swing not for me though cos I’ve got second opps and work waiting on me. Home is an explicit reminder of the disappointment that I’ve come to know so well. Soon as I’m here it welcomes me so warmly, it kisses my cheeks, throws a blanket over me, walks me through the house, feeds me and sits with me in bed and we catch up. It stays up with me til I have to politely ask it to leave me so that I can sleep. It kisses me goodnight and reminds me that it’ll watch me through the night and will be there waiting to welcome me in the morning and usher me through my day and me? I just nod and let it love me. Disappointment smothers me. It hugs so tight that it suffocates me, it kisses so hard that i bleed, it caresses so much that my skin hurts and speaks so softly and gently that it ends up being all that I hear. Smothering beloved won’t leave me. Truth is, I love it too, it’s reliable, friendly and loving. It’s always there, even when I don’t need it. It’s never too far. We recognise each other. I embrace it too. When I leave, it whispers to me, promise you’ll come back and i nod and tell it that we’ll be together again soon Bilicia ‘The Unicorn’ Khoana
Photo by Samantha Qeja
TH
ES
E
O R N H ICL C
OF A WOMB-MAN W K W. M AKWA
A
B.
B
Y
I
n my own definition, a woman is a man that came out of a man. The only difference is the womb. Hence called “Womb-man”. I have noticed a certain habit done by men which has been a way of life that some women have gotten used to as if it is good in the sight of all the world’s creatures. You see some men have ruined the true meaning and essence of love, they manipulated women to believe that they have no element of power in them without the existence of men. Some men have taken a whole career from some ladies, made them pregnant, they had to drop out of school to take care of the child, the man will continue with school and his career then when she tries to stand on her own feet again the greed in that man will put a little ring on her hand and take her to his home. Before she knows it she
is totally dependent on a man who has paid half of the lobola for her and has a career while she gave hers away for him.
woman who has been in a relationship that is so abusive but the thought of moving out makes her fear for her life, let alone her stomach. I have been observing Somewhere there is a and what I’ve observed woman who was abused still erects my hair when I so much that she no think of it. longer trusts a man, even Somewhere there is a if a pure man comes in woman who has made truth she will reject him peace with the idea that simply because one man if her man does not beat decided to destroy all that her up then he does not is in her to love a man. love her enough. Somewhere there is a There are fathers, uncles, woman telling her friend cousins, pastors, elders that, “chommie, he made and friends who have a mistake, this man loves done this before. They you so much, you cannot took what is precious give up a good 3 years for from these women and a mere clap”. they have stripped them naked with force and Somewhere a man is without their consent, raping his partner, forcing some were even under her to be intimate with age! In black families, him even if her body is such things are not not ready nor seek sexual reported. They’d rather pleasure at that time! But call a meeting, let the you know what? That victim face her animal women thinks it is okay and respect him once because a man ought more after every bit of to get what he wants, life he dragged out of whenever he wants it. the young girl just a few days ago and of course Somewhere there is a she won’t be allowed to
“They have reluctantly come to terms with allowing others to live at ease at the expense of their existence.” talk, even if she does what sense will come out of her mouth in all that trauma and fear? Indeed they will talk the matter through, on how it was a mistake and it shall never occur again. The wrongdoer is not even apologising and the victim has no choice but to take it in and continue with life. Here and there an animal will be slaughtered to cleanse “isinyama”. And that is exactly how you women are dying every day. This is what women have chosen to do. It is what they have agreed to
settle for. They have made ill peace with making others happy with their sanity. They have reluctantly come to terms with allowing others to live at ease at the expense of their existence. In this day and time of femicide, where women are killed by their so called lovers, in this scene of children who are just murdered. Let not one of you stay in such a relationship or homes until you die. Do not wait for the relationship to reach a level of irretrievable breakdown
for it might find you dead. I challenge women to never take things like these lightly and to find it in themselves to stop tolerating nonsense and stand firm as it is for their lives this time around. Fight! For it is written in the Holy Bible (Luke 22:36 New International Version [NIV]): “He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.” Therefore, I say fight!
STOP CONSOLI
ING YOURSELF
“We dream, we might as well dream big�
T
he problem with us today is we tend to console ourselves, we pat ourselves on our shoulders and we lie to ourselves and say that everything will be okay while it wont be. Drake says being second is just being the first to lose so we should stop consoling ourselves. Eric Thomas says that the problem is that we do
not want to succeed as bad as we want to breathe, instead we do a bit then we go back to patting ourselves on the shoulder on some at least i did something, well i have news for you it is not enough you have to slave away for now and be able to reap the benefits later. it is also highly influenced by the company we keep,you
cant keep friends that have a Prius mindset while you have a Bugatti mindset those people are destined to hold you back because they are unable to think beyond a specific point,or it is drilled in their mind that it is impossible. We dream, we might as well dream big. It is very important for one to take their Ls with their Ws, i mean life is about making mistakes but it is also about trying to be great. You lose absolutely nothing if you try, a winner is someone that knows what losing means. We all want to succeed but we do not want to put in the work. Zig Ziglar says motivation is like bathing, and it is required daily, it is nice to get motivation it gets you hyped up and makes you feel like you can move mountains but like energy drinks it can only last for so long, so the importance lies in surrounding yourself with people that are just as hungry as you and that will remind you of your purpose if you have lost your way. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, yes some people are born with shiny spoons, some people are smart, some people are born with both parents, some people this some people that, those people are not you, they are not built like you and there will never be anyone else like you so stop comparing yourself or feeling sorry. This is your life, you are going to live it by any means necessary. The world does not owe you anything, we all have 24 hours yes we are not born with every single thing but one shouldn’t make a mistake of thinking the world owes us anything, life is tough it is supposed to be
and at the end of it you get to choose if you were that person that was always whining about what they had and what they didnt or are you gonna be that person that fought for everything they have and instil the values into the next generation. Adopt a fighting spirit, admit your losses, mourn your losses then pick yourself up and keep moving forward, any boxer that has ever found themselves face-down in a ring will tell you that a knockdown is not a knockout and as long as there is breath in your body then you keep moving forward. Success does not happen overnight i could count and run out of fingers the number of people that have succeeded with next to nothing, their trials and tribulations, their wins and losses. Success, there is no right or wrong way, no shortcuts and there is certainly no proven recipes. We need to understand that we all going to make it but we not all gonna make it now. Back to the people we surround ourselves with, friends will not pressurize you into success and they will not console you instead they will help you reach your limits and surpass them. Back in high school or primary level after they have taught us about all the important needs they include companionship, these are people that diminish depression, suicidal thoughts and other factors that will hinder success. Do not console yourself!
HOW TO SHELA
There are two general types of animals in the animal kingdom, there are preys and there are predators. I can remember checking out history books and found that the male species has been responsible for suiting. With technology taking over, we have lost the traditional way which has resulted in the art of suiting to lag. Have you ever been out of the game for so long that you wouldn’t know what to say if they took away your phone and you couldn’t get in those sweet words in from the comfort of your mobile device? There is no right or wrong way of shelling so if what you have been doing works for you then this article is for reassurance and the ones that are hopeless like the mate writing this article do sit and take note. The doctor is in session and from thorough research and a couple of interviews with the ladies that we are trying so desperately to bae. I passed around this question and this is what the ladies had to say;
1.
It all depends on your approach. Summon all of your confidence; suck in your stomach, chest out, chin up and walk up to her with confidence.
2.
DO NOT over do things, you don’t want to be that creepy guy that scares girls off.
3.
Dress for the occasion, and I don’t mean like David Beckham or all these prominent figures, just something decent we all still on the come up after all, just look presentable.
4.
Smell good. You need to make sure that your hygiene is on 100 and having a nice scent can go a long way.
5.
Complement with moderation. Too much will make it seem like you coming off too strong and too little will make you seem not that interested.
6.
Observe your target. What you don’t want to be doing is approaching someone that looks in a hurry or someone that looks agitated. I had to learn this one the hard way but that is a story for another day.
7.
Humor is very important. Drop a joke or two and this will increase your chances of securing the bae.
8.
Make a good first impression. It is all in how you speak to them in general. Getting the number, it’s no secret that if you give a girl your number they probably won’t text back, so when you talk to her for the first time make a good impression show interest.
9.
Intention. Make your intentions clear, the last place want is to be stuck in the friend zone with someone you really like.
Shellington is a place you need to go a couple of times before you can step into something serious and you kiss a couple of frogs before you find one that will turn into prince or princess. So at the end of the day it is all up to you, the night is cold at times we can all do with a human blanket once in a while. And since we are living in modern times the tables have turned and the prey and predator phenomena can be overlooked and switched up, depending on how open-minded you are.
IS BABY MAKING WEATHER
R E A L? BY LAWRENCE ADAMS
Y
es, baby making weather is a thing. Although it pains me to admit it but the weather does seem to play some part in when we are most likely to get some. I think we can all agree that winter sucks! No outside activities, skin is flaky AF and shrinkage (guys) are just a few of the reasons why it being cold outside is annoying. The upsides of winter however are hoodies, hearty food and bomb sex. Yes! Bomb sex Sex is a topic that never grows old, everyone has sex related question that they are often too afraid or too shy to ask about. Well, I found myself with one of these questions lately and it was of course instigated by the cold weather. I found myself craving intimacy - which does not happen often. I read up on why people are more prone to having sex in the winter and this is what I found. The body heat is appreciated more in the cold. Everyone is just trying to keep warm and be cosy and what better way than being butt naked under the sheets with someone else. Heat from another person is one of the best sources of heat in the cold because not only are you getting warm you also feel a sense of belonging and comfortability on those icy days. Naked bodies are more attractive in the cold. This is because we are always
bundled up from head to toe showing little to no skin and once we see a little bit of skin, we already wanna hit. Think about it though, the scarcer it is and harder to get, the sexier is becomes. My best friend told me this once and I did not believe him and I had to do both research and conduct a couple of experiments and it landed me on the conclusion that we are more prone to having sex in winter because women are more likely to orgasm more when wearing socks. Another reason for sex in winter is cuddles. Cuddling is much more enjoyable in the cold winter and you know how cuddling brings people together and due to its intimate nature, it makes people release endorphins and facilitate for bonding. Sex also happens to lasts longer in winter because of the drop in temperature. We are less sweaty and we are in no hurry to finish bumping bellies because there is nowhere to get to, its way too cold outside. Men are also just hornier in the cold and hormones are doing the damn thing. So when we type #BMW please let us flourish. Weather ya dumela.
“So when we type #BMW please let us flourish. Weather ya dumela”
photo by Toa Heftiba
FLEXIN’ ON EM!
FIVE 75 PRESENTS, FLEX VON DOOM
Written by: Bilicia ‘The Unicorn’ Khosana photographer: Nkanyezi Gumede Jacket by Sabali South Africa
F
ive75 magazine sat down with 25-year old hip hop/rap artist from the Vaal, Lesego Moeletsi, better known by his stage name, Flex Von Doom. Flex Von Doom has recently released an album called The Palm Tree Project which features amazing talent from the Vaal and has also featured Blaklez, pH and Sean Pages on a track titled Disclaimer (Remix). The man is effectively a rising star in the local music industry but he still had time sit down and have a conversation with Five 75. Here’s what we found out about the young MC
So who is Flex Von Doom? “Flex Von Doom is an extraordinary human being * chuckles * But seriously, Flex Von Doom is a simple guy from the Vaal who had a dream and followed through on it, man. Basically, where everybody has a talent, you know, I had one and I didn’t believe in it much but the people around me did and I received the opportunity to actually live it out and I just grabbed it with both hands, ran with it, kept running and never looked back.”
What was the inspiration behind your name? “It’s a two-parter. The name Flex originated from primary school, it was originally Reflex Angles. I could never really understand that because they were actually making fun of me but uhm, it stuck with me in primary and then came with me into high school and then people got tired of saying the whole name and they started calling me Flex. The Von Doom part is from my favourite fictional character being, Dr Doom from the Fantastic Four. As people we
have two choices in life, you could either be a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain, the name takes a lot of pressure off of me so that I don’t always feel the need to strive to do good, necessarily. The thing about villains, you could say, is that they have their own ideas of the world and how they can fix it. The way that they go about it wrong but they have the best intentions in mind and I always have the best intentions in mind with everything I do, it’s just that whenever I do something and it is wrong, people will see it as wrong but I would always feel like, you know, I did the best that I could in the situation. It also translates into my musical style cos it is highly emotive.”
Where do you get you derive your artistic inspiration? “From everything, from life nje, you know. I feel like being in hip hop, one thing that people tend to do is talk about flashy things, you know, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It is something that
you could aspire to get and you can talk about the type of actions that you want to define yourself as and you can aspire do just that and to think like that and to be that and to get those things. I, on the other hand, talk about real life things, things that affect me. Nobody can my story better than me and that is what my music is. As musicians, we take up that mental and that responsibility to actually to try and fix the social ills of the world. I’m not trying to fix the world, I’m just, you know, trying to help it along and for the most part it is a very selfish thing on my part, doing the music thing. It is therapeutic to me but then because of the emotions I put in it, a lot of people can relate.”
What are your thoughts on the music scene in the Vaal right now and South Africa as a whole? “In the Vaal it’s pretty much the same, it’s just that now people are starting to take themselves very seriously, which is an important thing. You know, just the other day I was googling artists that came to mind and here is google describing
this person as an artist and this person is actually from my hood. That to me is a beautiful thing, it is forward movement for us but then it is snail pace because there are little pockets of heat here and there are little pockets of heat there and over there, everybody is not really pushing together. I don’t blame them because it is hard to get to where you are and some people just want to share your resources without having put in work that you have put in. That’s understandable but then if we all were to come together and work together, it could be the most epic thing that the world has ever seen. *takes a breath* There is also a lot of trap but then that’s the language of the youth right now, that’s how they convey their emotions and their frustrations. I honestly don’t mind trap because that release is better than drugs and being on the streets, the problem I have with trap is that it condones certain behaviour but at the same time they are expressing themselves so it’s tricky. Le yona, there needs to be a balance. As for South Africa, there are a lot of people who are following the idea of hip hop, people who are in it
for the wrong reasons. The thing is you can’t copy. The world already has a Lil Yachty, there is already an Uzi Vert, they already exist and are the best at what they do, that’s why they are at the level that they are at, so then you can’t now try and regurgitate and bite their whole style and just try to appropriate it to your own story, that’s wack. Music is about creativity, it’s about originality. That is the one thing I have a problem with but other than that, we are in a good space because people are listening now and people actually want to listen, they want to listen to the bars and the lyricism.”
Musically, who are you biggest influences and who are your favourite musicians? “My biggest influences are the old school guys, man. There is a lot of South African cats and American dudes, like Jay Z, number one and from the South African stand point, it’s people whose musicality I enjoy, people who take it seriously. People like AKA and Tumi and The Volume, from the time he was still working with The Volume.
It was right around that time when Tumi wrote a poem called Yvonne, things like that man, inspire me. The musicality of it, the story that he painted with the poem
was very vivid and that was carried through in the music that he was making at the time and even now still. He still has the ability to construct stories that are
thought provoking. Also J.Cole , I am big J.Cole fan. Huge J.Cole fan. Kendrick aswell and there is a bit of Drake in there too.�
Tell us about The island of thought. It is the can see time and energy Palm Tree Project different letters that I wrote, invested is with money cos “Basically, The Palm Tree Project started conceptually with the track Disclaimer. Disclaimer was three different letters that I wrote to myself at different stages in my time. The Palm Tree Project is literally a walk into my psyche. The name of the project came from another project that I am working on called Three Hills and a Palm Tree and we gonna be dropping music very soon, the first EP is titled Silhouettes. It started out as joke cos we look like that, our silhouettes, myself with the dreadlocks, Thoriso who is a vocalist, Stash who plays the saxophone, produces and sings and then the dj, Dj Crazy Mo, when all of us are standing next to each other, it looks like three hills and a palm tree. We came up with it as joke but then it stuck cos the more I thought about it, the more it made sense cos we are sharing music that stems from emotions, music that stems from thought and thought could be thought of as an island of thought. So, we are all coming together and creating this island of thought and the Palm Tree Project is basically you walking with me in my
like a journal entry type thing. It was always gonna drop, I just didn’t have the concept for it until Three Hills and a Palm tree came along and everything just fell into place.”
And what about SlikourOnLife? “I literally sent Slikour the email with the track attached and he responded and he liked it. He asked me if the beat was original and I said no and in having this conversation I realised that I needed to start taking myself seriously. I needed to find the producer and I found the producer and told him that I wanted to use the beat but then he never responded so I had to track down where the beat was. I had sent another email, like yo, dude, imo lace the beat but he still didn’t respond until I eventually bought the beat. And it was expensive. Joh! Gotta do that shit in dollars! It was expensive but then that’s the thing, you need to invest in yourself. You can’t expect people to invest their time and energy in you if you are not willing to invest in yourself. The most tangible way you
that embodies it. So if you aren’t willing to invest what you have for yourself, you can’t expect people to invest a second on you and that’s what I did. I think I am the only dude on the Incubator album that wasn’t on the SlikourOnLife website but then the song made it on the album. That’s just the level of skill I have, I took time to hone in the skill, took time to practice it. I wrote, rewrote, wrote, rewrote. I wrote poetry, over and over again and it got me to a point where I am comfortable with the skill that I have and I am content with my ability and I know that mentally, I cannot allow myself to produce a wack song because I know that I wouldn’t allow myself to do that. So, I sent him the email and he liked it and he told me that he will get back to me in three months. He gets back in three months and he sends the lease agreement saying yo, I want you guys on the SlikourOnLife Incubator, which is the first of its kind, I signed it and the rest was history, man.”
What have been some of the challenges you’ve faced in your career this far?
tiring, it is very tiring for me emotionally because I put so much of myself into it and I end feeling like I have nothing left, so just finding a balance and maintaining “Firstly, there is nothing that balance is a challenge natural about what we are cos that rounds you off as a doing. There is nothing person.” normal about being placed on a pedestal and how people What’s next for react to me now, it’s weird Flex Von Doom? man, cos there are people “Next step is world that stay true and those are domination! * Laugh * the people I keep around It’s a joke but then it’s to me, their energy resonate work on my angles and well with mine. Then, I have work my magic to the point people who knew me back where the world becomes then and all of a sudden my niche market. they start switching up. Right now, I am just People just started treating expanding on the niche that I have and the beauty about me differently. Just how people perceive me it is because the music I and how people are around do stems from real, raw me is a big challenge cos I emotion and it will always was originally an introvert find relevance in people’s but had some extrovert lives. Even the response to qualities. The introvert part The Palm Tree Project, it of me is to itself, I am very to has been a gradual thing, myself and because I am so it didn’t just all happen sensitive to energy, it really overnight. It didn’t drop messes with me but then it’s and then everyone liked it, all about hunkering down it is a gradual thing, it grows and staying focused on the on you and it stays with you goal and my mission in life. and if you like a track on The people I keep around there, you probably gonna me, our energy is always like it for a very long time aligned so long I keep up and that is the kind of music that I wanna keep doing but my end of the bargain. From an emotional aspect, then on bigger scales. I want doing what I do is very to give people an experience
and not just the music. People respond to visuals, people respond to things actually happening, so me saying that I am gonna shoot a music video with Blaklez, pH and Sean Pages for Disclaimer (Remix), it can’t just drop with a link, there needs to be an event. I need to be the superstar that people want me to be and I need to give them just that. It is all in creating a product and supporting it with experience as well, that’s what I’m working on now.”
Who would you like to work with? I would like to work with people who are willing to work. I need to share that energy with people. When I make songs, it’s a very delicate process where I am sharing my statement with someone and if another artist is coming at it and there is something faulty in the reasons as to why you are doing this then the track itself won’t be a success. The people that I would like to work with are just people in Vaal, The KKM boys, I like what they doing cos they are hungry and they want to work and they are pushing
themselves, and they are not waiting for a put on. I want to work with people with forward movement, that’s what I love to see and that’s what I see for myself and that’s what I want to see for people around me as well. “
Do you have any owrds of advice? “Don’t stand still, don’t wait for a put on. What you need to do is to stay true to yourself but above and
beyond all of this, constantly work. You can’t wait for an opportunity and when the opportunity arrives, you don’t have product. What happened with the Incubator, they wanted a song from me but then I gave them an album. The put on happened but I backed it with more material. So, when opportunity presents itself, you grab it with both hands and you take the pinky, the hand, the
whole arm and the rest of the body and become the opportunity now. Embody it so much that it becomes a part of you. So work. Don’t ever stand still. “
Five Fashion
AUTUMN/WINTER ESSENTIALS 2018
Photo by Michael Fenton
Y
ou have spent many years warm during the winter seasons because your parents usually buy your winter clothes. As much as it might not have been trending at the time it kept you warm so you didn’t mind. Now that you are growing older you need to define your own style that expresses who you are, it is very easy to look at trending things and just pick put those pieces from the shop. However when you invest in those trendy clothing pieces you might find yourself having allot of clothes in your wardrobe that you don’t sometime swear if you keep shopping according to trends. If we really become honest some trends die out and if you are not careful you will find yourself with a wardrobe of baggy jeans and printed hoodies. So you walk in the shop and find yourself with that limited budget that your parents gave you, so which items do you choose that will keep you warm while still remaining stylish and catching your crushes eye.
A turtle neck sweater
This very classic and elegant piece covers your neck, taking the job of a scarf. (Do not wear a scarf and turtle neck please) In addition to keeping you warm it also gives detail to your jaw line which adds a bonus two on your handsome rating. It is a very versatile piece and allows you to wear it formally and casually too.
A good pair of boots
The popular styles are leather and waterproof suede. When picking the material make sure that you are able to look after them. Its not wise to pick the most elegant boots if you’re going to walk in the rain and mud a lot. Boots when matched with jeans give you a manly scruffy look. It also gives you an extra few centimeters of height.
An overcoat This item is perfect for layering your outfit when it is cold outside. As much as this is a very easy item to wear, many men get it wrong. You could play it safe by picking the traditional grey and black or the very trendy Navy blue or light brown colours. If you live in places that are extremely cold (Vaal) go for heavy materials
A bomber jacket So many people think that this particular piece is something that was recently discovered, however, that is not the case. Like the fade it came from the past. This item is more for the casual and street wear guys and also allows for our formal brothers to put the tie down once in a while. It also adds a whole new level to layering that you can play with this year. When it comes to colour, go wild if you really feel that you can make it work, but if you starting to build your wardrobe then go for your black, green and burgundy. Keep away from the floral print this winter. I promise you, it will not work. More recently the new line of suede bombers have been released, this is mind blowing.
Sweatoants This is an essential for winter as it may come as a surprise for many guys reading this. Sweat pants can be used for those lazy days when you are not up for dressing up. This works well when you have a paper to write and you just pulled off an all-nighter. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT! That you get the right fit or you will just look like a person who does not put effort towards the way you look and no one likes that guy.
Photo by Khoman Room
Wingter
Beauty tips for beating winter
Wrritten by Dawn Barendse
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
The winter is cold and the air is a lot dryer which wreaks havoc on one’s skin and hair. Keep yourself moisturised more than you would usually do, use oil-based moisturisers or add some coconut oil, castor oil, tea-tree oil or olive oil to your moisturisers. If you do not have the perfect brown shade in eyeshadow pallet. Use your bronzer to smoke up your eyelid for a sexy winter eye. Make your own toner/make up remover. The winter is already drying up your face, do not help it by using harsh products. You will need one cup of boiled water, one tablespoon of coconut oil and a few drops of whatever cleanser you use to wash your face daily. Mix it all together in a container (I use my mom’s Tupperware containers - God forbid she finds out). Dip your cotton pads into the solution whenever you want to remove your make-up.
Stay hydrated to retain moisture to keep your skin soft and supple.
Refrain from using piping hot water in showers and baths, it feels good but it dries your skin and your hair.
6.Protect your hair with protective hairstyles and head-wear for the winter and use lots of conditioner.
Save your lips by keeping a small tub of Vaseline with you at all times.
Awesome Winter Activities Photo by Becca Tapert
I
t is an extremely cold winter and as much as many of us might be sitting, coffee in one hand and the remote in the other, with our gas heater on or sweating it out at the gym. It has become such a clichÊ to call up girls for a booty call especially when it is cold outside. I’m not here to try and shut you down no, instead I am writing to the fellas who want the play book on how to get that one caring, loving and supportive girl. The one who will stay with you for all seasons and not just the cold one. In this article we are going to go through the various things to do to this winter that will help you be more charismatic and interesting.
Reading books I know this is an activity done mostly by our ladies however this should encourage us guys to read more as this is the secret to understanding girls better. Look at books as a movie where you are the movie maker playing every role. No one is going to fight you on what you imagine in your head. Pick whichever genre best fits you. Here are some recommendations that I have read personally and would recommend to you: The Alchemist, Mocking Bird, Animal Farm, The Hlomu series and the Bible. Yes, you read right, the Bible. Whatever belief you have you should make sure that you put effort into it and trust me this will help in the long run. I am currently reading through books by John Green. This will help you have better conversations as you will have credible stories to tell rather than speaking about the cold weather. When a lady sees that you spend time reading, she sees that you are a person who puts effort into gaining more knowledge. For the fellas in a relationship, you could read a book with your partner and share how you each feel about the book.
Working out I know that most of us do not work out during winter because the gym is usually empty around this time. No one wants to get out of their warm jackets or blankets, but working out does not strictly mean going to the gym. With all the food that you are eating you need to find a way to burn the energy or it will turn into fat. Doing your 100 sit ups and push ups will do before you start your day. This is going to help especially when the snow defrosts and you can no longer hide your love handles with that thick coat. Running is also very effective when looking to stay in shape. All this will require you to have a winter workout outfit which was mentioned in one of our previous articles. Rock those comfortable sweat pants and get down to work.
Cooking I really hope that no one reading this is saying that the kitchen is a place for women, a hard headed man in the 21st century won’t survive. Open minded men are in short supply especially in our beautiful country. Cooking is a relaxing activity that can be done alone or with a partner. During winter you may shift towards ordering out fast food as an easy alternative which requires less effort but this is bad for two reasons. Some guys don’t even know how to cook so when any lady finds them out on this they’ll feel like they’re going to have to play mommy throughout the relationship. Secondly the fats in the food we order is detrimental to our bodies and will lead to you having a belly and man boobs come this summer. There is nothing wrong with occasionally having dinner with a lady at a restaurant but having it every day just shows a lack of effort. When you cook healthy and delicious meals that keep your body looking good and impress the lady then you have the perfect combo. Consider buying a cooking mag for starters the next time you go shopping.
Playing board games Okay before you roll your eyes hear me out first. There is no better way to break the ice or just push time when with a group of friends. This will allow you to show the fun side that you would usually try showing by making some lame joke that sometimes works. Playing board games like 30 seconds will help you show off your hidden talents that no one knows about. Whichever game you choose this can be played indoors so all participants are warm and having fun, warning you might see some scary sides to some people but it is hilarious. Add a wager to the game to make things more exiting for example the loosing team has to order pizza for the night, which would be perfect after an evening of gaming. This is not only exclusively restricted to board games. If you have a console that can accommodate gaming for the number of people present then that can also work perfectly. Just make sure that everyone agrees to this, in some cases girls are not big fans of games.
Watch a movie I put this as the last one because it is not ideal for a first date or a preferred set up to get to know someone. Firstly because not a lot of talking will happen since you both will be watching the movie. Secondly you won’t exactly just cuddle with someone you just met. To be honest with you this is perfect for someone you already know, where you both are comfortable enough to just sit in your pyjamas and enjoy the movie or series. In the rare case that you have the craving to watch a whole season of a specific series then by all means go for it. Just keep in mind‌ This is not an invitation or a pass for you to now put no effort into the date. Do not be the guy who shows up with cheap cool drink and snacks that are bought on the side of the street. You could cook prior to the movie but do not cook alone, do it with your companion. This will give you time to speak since this activity does not allow for a lot of speaking. Alternatively you could go to the cinema, which I personally feel is better during summer. This is because some cinemas are cold and you don’t want to be sitting all dressed up with half your wardrobe trying to keep warm. All the above are great ways to spend the evening alone or with someone else. These are however not restricted to only winter, the same activities can be enjoyed during the warmer seasons and can have the same results if worked out well.
V
THE SPEED
V8
D EDITION
Chuck Yeager some American lad, was the first person to break the sound barrier in the late 40s when we didn’t exist. You reach supersonic speeds and there’s a big boom in the sky once the barrier is broken, the air for a couple of seconds is literally visible. Oh you have to be going at 1234,8 Km/h(Mach I) to break this.
Felix Baumgartner remains to have been the only person on planet earth to have Skydived from space, the technical term is space jump but either way its pretty crazy
l Capone is one of the first people well, mobsters shall we say, to have a bulletproof limo that would eventually be adopted by the POTUS.
The VW polo is the best-selling car of all time. Unfortunately, it is also the most prominent brand in hijackings in South Africa. People love themselves some Polo, even if it doesn’t have a horse prancing on it.
The two buttons that you often see behind the steering with a plus and minus sign are called pedal shifts, they replace the manual or stick shift found in traditional vehicles,
Carl Benz invented the first car, and named it after his daughter, Mercedes. His wife Bertha was technically the world’s test driver. Mercedes Benz was a whole family affair.
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP MOVES INTO THE FUTURE WITH V.A.R
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h my! That 5 to nothing opening game, how about that? Abuti Messi taking all the Ls and the record broken for most penalties in a world cup. This is the most unpredictable world cup in its rich history. David keeps slaying Goliath, Iceland put up a good fight. The shocker goes to Germany crashing out in group stages, get this Germany has finished top of any group they found themselves in since 2002 so you can understand the depth of the loss and why so many people are mourning.
AS FOR V.A.R
The VAR, or Video Assistant Referee VAR is the South African slang which translates the truth of the field, anyway it is there to help regarding match defining decisions like penalties, free kicks, off sides and red or yellow cards. The ref will signal by drawing an imaginary rectangle with his hands and go to the screen to review the issue and with the help of his team. Fans are however divided on this, I mean a football match is quite lengthy already, imagine if there was VAR during the Maradona era, the hand of god would’ve never had existed. The FIFA world cup comes once in every four years, and it is where every superstar of every calibre from every corner of the world comes to showcase their talent and potential and wear the colours of their nation with pride. I hope that you now understand why it is such a big deal. It is four years of preparation, to show the world what they are made of, and one month to lay it all out, those few weeks to present to the world the beauty of the game. We cannot wait for the final an by the way Brazil has won more world cups than any other country, will they take it again this time around?
’ s r e l t s u H r e n r o C
Personal Branding E
veryone has a hustle. We are striving to make a few mandelas from the activities we engage in on a daily basis whether it is in the near or distant future. As a youth, lifestyle and development magazine we created this feature in order for us to be able to share tips and tricks so that you can excel in whatever your hustle is.
The importance of building a personal brand for your hustle.
Whether you are a professional, an academic or an entrepreneur it is important to have a personal brand. A personal brand is the process of marketing yourself; it includes your appearance and the perception of you
that you are portraying to others through your interactions.
Why is it important to see yourself as a brand? Well, firstly, a brand has set values and missions that it prescribes to. A brand is also easier to market whether you are looking for employment or trying to acquire funding for a project.
Being a brand makes it easier for you to interact with others, especially when conversing with other people in a professional setting. Personal branding requires you to sit down and decide what it is that you want people to think when they see and interact with you. It also requires that one do a lot of self-introspection and to have self-awareness. Self-awareness helps you build a solid personal brand, which means you will be in a better position to work on your strengths and weaknesses and will be your guide/.
How does personal branding benefit you as an individual? 1.Personal branding is essentially attempting to
alter people’s perception of you. I know we grew up in a time where things like “screw what you think, I am living my life” but what if what that person is thinking about you is messing with your money? What if their opinions about you can drive them to denying you an opportunity? Be careful of what you put out and be aware of your setting. 2.Having a solid brand builds trust and a perception of a more goal oriented personality which makes people more willing to listen to your opinions and are more likely to want to work with you and invest in you. 3.You have a higher perceived value as a brand when you go
hunting for a job you are likely to earn more or earn you partnerships if you are an entrepreneur. 4.Having personal branding highlights you authenticity and differentiates you from your competition. It makes you appealing and refreshing. 5.It will encourage people to look to you for reference and guidance. Your personal brand is your number one weapon in getting what you want and getting people to pay attention to you and your moves. It’ll be the reputation that goes where you can’t and the voice that will speak for you in a room where your presence is absent.
NAKED SEASON
Every organism has its original form, from “gestation” to maturation. Every organism goes through a period of rebirth where new elements replace the old…and the cycle continues, one can call this a “winter period.” The period of nakedness on earth and coldness, the period of hibernation of animals and the period of humans doing what they can to keep themselves warm…this may include ‘creating” new humans. A human hides their legs and arms for warmth…what they will obviously gain is new pigment for the next season. Trees shed their leaves and fruits in order for new “clothing” to fit. Animals hibernate in order to protect themselves and for new little ones to pop up…evidently so, the biological “winter season” is needed, however, what about the social “winter season” that humans find important? Is it essential? Of cause it is! As a human…you need to “bunk” humankind a little bit, hibernate as animals do to discover new beings, in this case…you need to discover YOU. Give a little cold shoulder in order for yourself to feel at ease with yourself. Winter is the season of nakedness and discovery, one needs to be alone…to allow naked truth to take over one’s life and take over their path of self-discovery. Tsholofelo Molosi
THE END