Let me backtrack. The week before, I realised I spent 11 hours in front of my laptop in one day. I told my French class about it, and from the concerned looks on their faces and my teacher’s solemn comment, “Ce n’est pas sain!” – that’s not healthy – it dawned on me that this is no way to live.

So, in the name of mental and physical health, I decided to start walking my dog in the morning (as well as the evening). She is very happy with this development.

I took my coffee, my dog, and my husband to the nearby Silvermine Wetlands, and, in the beautiful early morning sun, as I was using stepping stones to cross the low stream, I lost my footing (mornings aren’t my strong point) and fell forward, dismally looking at my coffee dispersing through the water and shoes going out to sea, soggy and sad.

Shout-out to my husband who ran into the stream, jeans, sneakers, and all, to save my shoes.

Luckily, I didn’t hurt myself, and we ended up laughing, calf-deep in the wetlands, confusing other early-morning dog walkers with our fully clothed frolic in the stream.

I wonder if it was life’s way of humorously teaching me that ‘failing’ is in the eye of the beholder.

Society often sees failure as a punishable offence. From when we are little, we are told to go to the dark naughty corner; we sit there crying, feeling epic shame. I think it’s high time for a shift in narrative, and I love Matt Matheson’s approach. He created ‘The Church of Fail’, where the staff ‘congregated’ and confessed their biggest work fail for the week.

The ‘church’ had amazing results. Employees realised that everyone makes mistakes, and they learnt from each other’s. It normalised, essentially, being human. It built a culture of honesty and compassion, and allowed the team to improve.

The other life lesson I gleaned while falling into that river? Quite literally, to go with the flow. To surrender. If I had tried to fight to stay upright and hold onto my precious cup of coffee, I would have seriously injured myself. As I fell, I just said, “Oh well,” and accepted my soggy fate. It was deeply liberating.

I’m currently listening to an inspiring audiobook by Miranda Hart, I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You and I love how she puts this: “The world shouts at us, ‘Fight, battle, push, fix, control, achieve, override… Happiness is your goal, and success makes you a good person… The truth gently shouts, ‘The way to peace and healing is acceptance, trust, hope, self-compassion, and rest. Vulnerability is strength and surrender is a place of transformation’.”

And according to the ultimate life expert, my dog, splashing in the wetlands on all fours is the best way to begin the week.

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

Ghost stories you won’t want to boo

Got Halloween FOMO? Catch up with the best ghost stories you’ve never heard before.

Heidi Klum becomes E.T. for Halloween

Her costume was out of this world and took one year to make!

Halloween dog parades – a long-standing tradition

Have a look at the best pooch Halloween costumes over the years, from Frida Kahlo to Superman, ahem, dog.

Lost Mayan city discovered in Mexico

An Indiana Jones-worthy discovery of an ancient city hidden in the thick of the jungle has revealed thousands of buildings including pyramids!

In a series of podcast interviews with experts and celebrities, including actors, singers and sports coaches, “uncomfortable” topics are discussed, as well as conditions like addiction and depression. Interviewees candidly reveal how they overcame their particular demons.

Burnout is a predominant topic and significant at this time of year when workloads and stress spike in the rush towards the December holidays. It also ties in with the official 2024 theme of World Mental Health Day: prioritising mental health in the workplace.

One of the discussions delves into how burnout has become a “badge of honour” in South Africa. Our workaholic culture has us comparing how much overtime we worked and how stressed we are at the water cooler as if it’s an achievement. But, the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) cautions that constant, high levels of stress are unsustainable, and burnout has a massive impact on us and those around us.

Emotional symptoms include feeling drained, unable to cope, being sad, angry, irritable or not caring about anything and reaching for alcohol and other substances to feel calmer or “zone out”. The physical symptoms include high blood pressure and low immunity, resulting in us being constantly sick. 

So how can we manage or reduce stress effectively, when for many of us, the advice of doing meditation, mindfulness and yoga is way outside our comfort zones? Here are a few evidence-based, practical suggestions:

• Exercise – regular exercise, no matter what it is, and only 30 minutes of it, reduces your stress levels and perks up your mood (and your butt, if you work hard enough!).
  
  
• Digital detox – ok, did that freak you out? Well, the good news is there’s no need to go hardcore. By reducing your screen time – albeit significantly – you’ll sleep better and feel less stressed.
  
  
• Spend time with your (furry) friends – anyone with pets in their lives knows their power to heal just by being in your space. And there’s science behind it. Petting your fur kid causes your body to release oxytocin, one of the “happy hormones”. According to the SA College of Applied Psychology, pets can help us lead mentally healthier lives.
  
  
• Schedule me-time, also known as “self-care” – this is an oft-neglected area in our lives and can even feel selfish. Wrong, say the experts! “People who engage in self-care typically have lower levels of stress and improved quality of life, while a lack of self-care is associated with a higher risk of stress and burnout.”
  
  
• Change your scenery – “Travel has been linked to stress reduction and can alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression,” says WebMD.com. You don’t have to go large and cross-continental with your travel plans. Even a weekend away has mental benefits. And if you can’t travel, explore a new venue or try a new experience and enjoy the benefit of “rewiring” your brain – aka neuroplasticity – helping it break the old patterns that get you down.

But if you could do with a little counsellor support and advice, SADAG has several 24-hour, toll-free hotlines with a caring voice on the other end. Remember: it’s okay to not be okay.

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this week

Pizza and cocaine, anyone?

A pizzeria in Germany has been bust for delivering its top-selling pizza with a side order of cocaine!

The Chinese send their fur kids to work

With pet popularity soaring in China and pet cafés on the rise, people are dropping off their fur kids at these venues to “work the crowds”. And earn a salary comprised of snacks!

Airport farewells slapped with a time limit

At Dunedin Airport in New Zealand you may not hug goodbye for more than 3 minutes in the drop-off zone!

Going with your gut pays off

An American man who didn’t buy a lottery card felt compelled to return to the store and buy it after all. Guess what? He won big time!

Now, before you roll your eyes and mutter something about yet another social media trend, hear me out. There might just be something to this one. With over 36 million posts on TikTok, the #OctoberTheory has quickly become an internet sensation.

The gist? October is being hailed as the new January. A time for fresh starts, goal-setting and general life-sorting. It’s like someone’s hit the reset button on the year, giving us all a last-minute, second chance at those New Year’s resolutions we abandoned probably somewhere around the end of January.

Start a habit now, and by the time January rolls around, you’ll be 90 days in. That’s well past the often-quoted (but slightly misunderstood) 21 days it supposedly takes to form a habit.

In fact, let’s bust that myth wide open. James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits” and a bit of an icon here in the Big Ambitions digital office, has dug into how long does it actually take to form a new habit (backed by science). Clear reports that in a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, researchers found that on average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behaviour becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact. And it can vary widely, from 18 to 254 days, depending on the person and the habit.

As Clear puts it, “Understanding this from the beginning makes it easier to manage your expectations and commit to making small, incremental improvements — rather than pressuring yourself into thinking that you have to do it all at once.” So, October gives you a nice head start.

But why might we be more inclined to dust off those resolutions in October? Psychologists point to the “fresh start effect” associated with temporal landmarks and also the fact that our behaviour can be influenced by seasonal changes. For those of us in the Southern Hemisphere, we’re shaking off the winter blues and embracing the energy of spring. Historically, springtime was a period of abundance after a scarce winter, inspiring a mental shift towards setting new goals and embarking on fresh projects.

Research by Meyer et al. (2016) found that cognitive function, particularly sustained attention, tends to peak around the summer solstice. Interestingly, working memory performance peaked around the autumn equinox. This variability in cognitive function across the year might explain why October feels like such a potent time for change and growth.

Now, here’s a game-changer for your October reset: habit stacking. James Clear introduces this concept as a powerful way to build new habits by linking them to existing ones. The formula is simple: “After/Before [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].” For instance, “After I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate for one minute.” This method takes advantage of the neural pathways you’ve already established, making it easier to stick to new behaviours.

Whatever your October goals might be, remember this: change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about small, consistent steps. And if you stumble? Well, as James Clear would say, treat failure like a scientist. Give yourself permission to make mistakes and develop strategies for getting back on track quickly. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some October goal-setting to do. After all, why should January have all the fun?

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

No skinnies for spring!

Millennials, Gen Z and cancel culture has come for your skinny jeans. Here’s how to make a fresh style start.

Love in the air – and mud

A fresh start for your marriage? Couples in Maine, USA, are getting down and dirty in this wacky wife-carrying competition.

This pup’s commute is better than yours

Move over, grumpy commuters! Minnie, the golden retriever, is brightening everyone’s day on the Mumbai local trains.

Need Halloween costume inspo?

Google’s here to help. Browse Frightgeist, Google’s experiment of costumes so good, it’s scary.

I’m all for this nostalgia. I’m buying those relaunched 90s lipstick shades as fast as you can say Central Perk and You’ve Got Mail. But this is nothing new. I’m known in my family for my trunks (yes, trunks) of keepsakes and memory boxes. Nostalgia is my favourite feeling, and I recently learnt that, far from being stuck in the past, it’s very beneficial to well-being and mental health.  

CEO of The Happiness Research Institute, Meik Wiking, writes in his book The Art of Making Memories: “Happiness research suggests that people are happier with their lives if they tend to hold a positive, nostalgic view of the past. Nostalgia is a universal and ancient human emotion and, today, academics across the world are studying how it can produce positive feelings, boost our self-esteem and increase our sense of being loved by another.”  

 So it makes sense we are collectively going gooey for the autumnal shades and ‘cutesy demureness’ of the pre-smartphone/social media era, when we used fold-out maps larger than our bodies and telephone booths to ring our parents – in my fellow writer’s case, a booth at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower no less (if that’s not a postcard for nostalgia, I don’t know what is).  

Reminiscing isn’t limited to those who lived through bygone times; younger generations enjoy the warm and fuzzies they evoke, too. It’s group healing, a nostalgic, safe space where we can find respite from screens, hustle-culture, and traumatising world events. It may help explain why people are taking extreme (tree-climbing) measures to see Oasis reunion concerts and why nostalgia travel is trending hard. 

The 90s might not be your ‘jam’, but never fear; there are other ways to nurture nostalgia. Wiking recommends “harnessing the power of firsts”.  After gathering stories from people across the globe in a quest to find out what happy memories are made of, he found that “People were remembering experiences that were novel, meaningful, emotional and engaged the senses”.  

 It could be something like the first time you saw snow or the smell of your grandmother’s house. 

Travel features so prominently in our happy memories because it ticks all those boxes – it’s an incredible way to harness the power of firsts. The first time on a plane. The first time travelling on your own. The first time visiting far-flung family in five years. New food, new smells, new places to get lost in (with fold-out maps that never seem to refold neatly). 

But doing something novel doesn’t mean you need to fly across the globe. It can be as simple as trying out a new coffee shop with an old friend – just special moments in our everyday lives.  

Don’t forget to take a snapshot (maybe whip out the Polaroid camera) and keep the coffee-stained coaster so you can feel nostalgic about it for years to come! 

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

X-files 

The world’s first private spacewalk recently took place courtesy of a tech billionaire and SpaceX. One small step for Isaacman… 

‘Cabspotting’ on London’s streets 

40 of London’s iconic black cabs will get a Saffer makeover, wrapped in images of the Mother City to celebrate Norse Atlantic Airways’ new Gatwick-Cape Town flights.  

Like, just relax, dude 

Could doing less be the secret to productivity? Say goodbye to pushing yourself, and hello to letting go. 

Central Perk 

Puzzling over where to get your cup of Joe(y)? Here’s a guide to SA’s best coffee deals. It’s the perfect excuse to catch up with Friends! 

The bridal couple themselves have been UK residents for the last few years and chose South Africa for their celebration as it was the most central location. The ever-glamourous bride was perfectly on trend from her show-stopping (self-designed) haute couture teal gown, a customised ceremony that included beautiful verses and quotations, and a lady marriage officiant.

With every generation present from toddlers to grandparents, naturally topics of conversation were diverse. Travel, however, was a central theme at our corner of the wedding table, where family members had journeyed from as far afield as New Zealand. We shared stories of our gap years and overseas adventures and laughed about how, back in the day, we used to scour cities for internet cafés and phone booths! Yes, they really did exist, not only in the movies! I recall dropping the bombshell on my folks that I was no longer with the family in Austria, from a phone booth at the foot of the Eiffel Tower!

We giggled about postcards and letters, remembered the astronomical costs of overseas landline calls, the many currency conversions at Foreign Exchange counters when travelling across Europe and the language complexities. Oh, and the physical maps! Remember those? I plotted my Parisian exploration in a Montmartre bistro with a black pen, and the map spread out over the chequered tablecloth, held down by a carafe of red. “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”

Now, the super-wealthy are jetting off to explore space while the tech-savvy are navigating destinations through augmented reality apps and wearable tech. And how wonderful we’ve waved goodbye to dodgy hotel rooms and disappointing experiences as virtual tours give us sneak peeks from the comfort of our couch. Translation apps help us “win friends and influence locals”, and even pesky passports look set to fall by the wayside.

What’s heartening to me is that just like fashion trends, travel comebacks are no exception. The retro travel revival is going strong with classic destinations like Rome and Paris in huge demand, often inspired by popular culture (looking at you, Emily in Paris).

When I lived in Europe, I was a “train tripper”, loving nothing more than a window seat to the landscapes whizzing by from Amsterdam to Antwerp, Lake Bled to Lake Geneva. Today, with the high cost of flights and a rising interest in train aesthetics, train travel is making a resurgence. It also feeds into two other trends – slow travel and sustainable travel.

While not a comeback, I’m particularly delighted by the solo travel trend. Singletons are marketed to and catered for, whereas in my day, travelling solo was cause for consternation – like, didn’t you have any friends?

Whether we opt for nostalgia or embrace new advancements, travel continues to bring us together and create precious memories. Saturday’s glorious garden wedding was a perfect example of how modern travel and tech enabled a beautiful event to be planned remotely, reconnected long-lost people, and even included absent friends via the magic of live streaming.

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

Spain’s pineapple trolley tango takes dating by storm
Forget swiping right. A new viral dating trend in Spain involves an upside-down pineapple, a supermarket, and bumping your trolley into someone you like…

RIP beloved beluga “spy whale”
A friendly beluga whale who captivated many hearts and imaginations has sadly been found dead under mysterious circumstances in Norwegian waters. It was suspected that “Hvaldimir” was once used as a Russian spy.

For sale! Half a house for half a million
A California house was damaged by a fallen tree, leaving half of it standing. The property’s now been listed as a half a million dollar “bargain” with an “open-concept floor plan”!

A star is born
A talented Cango Caves tour guide has been demonstrating the acoustics of the 20-million-year-old cave system with impromptu opera performances. Two show tickets for the price of one!

It all started with TikToker Jools Lebron and her recent “very demure, very mindful” workplace-friendly makeup and clothing style video. Before long, everyone from the White House to Dunkin’ Donuts was jumping on the bandwagon. Even United Airlines got in on the act, showing us how to board a plane in the most demure fashion imaginable.

Now, I’m no stranger to boarding chaos. I’ve seen passengers transform into Olympic sprinters at the mere whisper of “now boarding”. But United’s TikTok? It’s a masterclass in composure. “See how I line up for the plane? Very demure. I don’t rush, I take my spot, I don’t intrude”, the voiceover purrs as we watch a passenger waiting to glide towards the gate with all the grace of a swan on a still lake.

It’s enough to make you wonder – have we all been boarding the wrong way this whole time? Should we be practising our demure walk before our next flight? And more importantly, how do we maintain such poise when faced with the last overhead locker space?

But this trend goes beyond boarding etiquette. It’s seeped into every corner of our lives. Want to cancel student debt? Do it demurely, says the White House. Fancy a doughnut? Make it a demure one, suggests Dunkin’. Even NASA’s getting in on the act, describing Saturn’s rings as “Very demure. Very cutesy. Very mindful”. Who knew celestial bodies had such impeccable manners and mindsets?

Brands are scrambling to associate themselves with this suddenly desirable quality of “demureness”. It’s a perfect storm of viral marketing – a catchy phrase, a relatable concept and the allure of being part of something trending. But as brand strategist Sarah Walsh warns, there’s a fine line between clever marketing and trying too hard. The challenge for brands is to embrace the trend authentically without bending their identity beyond recognition.

As a writer, I’m also intrigued by how words evolve and mould themselves to our context. “Demure” has gone from meaning modest and reserved to becoming a term for, well, just about anything you want it to be. It’s the linguistic equivalent of the little black dress – versatile, classic, and apparently, very mindful. This evolution speaks to the power of social media and internet culture in reshaping language.

So, as we navigate this brave new world of demureness, let’s explore what it means for us mere mortals. How can we incorporate it into our day? Can we make our morning commute more mindful? Our workplace more cutesy? Or maybe we’ll find ourselves boarding our next flight with all the grace and poise of a TikTok sensation. Now wouldn’t that be demure?

Here are five ways to embrace your inner demureness this Monday:

1. Plan a very cutesy, very demure vacation
2. Navigate “demure” as a brand
3. Explore being demure at work
4. Create a demure home
5. Master the art of chaotic productivity, demurely

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

Never too late?

A 121-year-old postcard has finally arrived! And no, it didn’t go through the SA Post Office.

Making school cool

A group of experts urge schools to include ice lolly-making in the curriculum. Because it’s educational.

What the internet can teach us

People are amazed at this “new” simple way to enjoy a pineapple. No mess, no fuss.

Dog ate your homework?

An insurance company shares the most unusual pet insurance claims of the year. Moral of the story? Never underestimate your pet.

Their company creates everything from weaponised pumpkins to office chairs that are so uncomfortable they drive employee productivity (employees literally can’t sit back and relax).

But my favourite product has to be Project Jabberwocky. An innovative, dynamic solution that would revolutionise the world. The catch? It wasn’t a real project – a team member dropped the ball, so they had to create an illusion to hide the fact there was no product at all.

Ted and his supervisor deliver a presentation of Project Jabberwocky Silicone-Valley-style to buyers, which is essentially a load of business jargon, hyperbolic terms, stock images, and flamethrowers (do yourself a favour and watch it here).

And because none of the buyers want to appear like they don’t know what’s going on, the project is a huge success and sold at a high sum to another company. 

Why the recap of a noughties show? Three words. AI language model. 

Left to its own devices, AI pulls off the perfect Project Jabberwocky. It’s an expert in jargon and creating the illusion of effective communication. It can say nothing in 1,000 words. It loves words like “innovative”, “revolutionise”, and my absolute worst – “vibrant tapestry”.

Reading this kind of writing makes my eyes glaze over. I start thinking about what’s for supper – not the words on the page.   

We’ve forgotten that writing is about connecting with people. Today, so much is written for the sake of creating content instead of writing something people will want to read.

We ask ourselves, “What does a press release/social media blurb/blog sound like?” using AI to string together words and sentence structures that fit that template. The result? Project Jabberwocky.

We should be asking ourselves – “Would I want to read this? What message am I trying to communicate?”

The most important thing is giving substance and doing it simply, not providing a paragraph of words that leave your audience going, “What is it, though?”.

If all else fails, here are a few words AI has murdered. Please avoid like the plague:

Vibrant tapestry

Thrilling

Dynamic

Innovative

Revolutionary

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

Copenhagen carrot approach

Instead of implementing fines, fees, and water gun protests (like in Spain), Copenhagen is rewarding tourists who behave themselves.

All by myself

This couple found themselves to be the only guests at a five-star resort – and it wasn’t fun.

Goats don’t make good guides

A sadistic goat is part of Viator’s new advertising campaign, and it’s hilarious.

Don’t go wasting

Explore these zero-waste recipes that prove you can have your apple and eat it, too! Yum.

The ability to forgive, however, is a difficult and complex process for many of us. It explains why we revere individuals throughout human history who’ve been able to demonstrate forgiveness. The challenges stem from a combination of psychological, emotional, and social factors.

According to the University of Kansas: “Forgiveness is both a process and a choice… It is a complex and enigm­atic concept, hard to pin down because it can apply in different ways to different situations; not everyone experiences it in the same manner.”

Forgiveness often means letting go of something significant, whether it’s our sense of moral outrage, our self-righteousness or an urge for revenge, and our attachment to these prevents us from moving forward. But unresolved conflicts can affect our physical and mental health. A Johns Hopkins Medicine article titled: Forgiveness: Your Health Depends on It explains: “Chronic anger puts you into a fight-or-flight mode, which results in numerous changes in heart rate, blood pressure and immune response. Those changes, then, increase the risk of depression, heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions.” Numerous studies have found that the act of forgiveness is a powerful tool for healing, reversing these changes.

While we’re familiar with human-to-human acts of forgiveness, a recent story of human-to-animal forgiveness made a huge impact on me. A shark bite survivor from Buffels Bay on the Garden Route has not only returned to the water to swim with the creatures that caused him to lose a leg, but he’s also become an advocate for shark conservation.

Caleb Swanepoel chose to feature in a short film by the WildTrust, part of their Sharks Under Attack campaign, which aims to educate the public about these misunderstood and feared “big fish”. As apex predators, sharks play a crucial role in maintaining a balanced and healthy marine ecosystem, but their sensationalist portrayal in movies and the media, misconceptions about their diet and behaviour (humans are not their food source; attacks are often accidental), as well as overfishing, are just some of the issues they face.

Making the movie was cathartic for Caleb, who wanted to understand the species that changed his life forever. “I am so grateful for this opportunity to reconnect with sharks,” he has said. “I made this choice to continue to process my experience through leaning into new challenges and opportunities, to learn more about sharks and to help protect these incredible animals.”

This Mandela Day, why don’t we work a little (or a lot) on forgiveness. Let’s take that first step – a call, an email or simply setting the intention to soften towards a person who has aggrieved us. Or try to understand an animal that may have harmed us. The benefits are many…

Monday Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

This paid gig’s no joke

A hotel in Scotland has placed a job ad for a comedian to entertain their guests at breakfast for the duration of the Edinburgh Fringe festival. Perks include payment, accommodation and travel to the event.

New museum’s extreme exhibits

The world has its fair share of different and whacky museums from toy museums and sex museums to chocolate museums. And now there’s a poop museum!

Ireland deals travellers a blow

A major travel news story this past week was Ireland’s shock announcement that Saffers (and other nations) now need visas to visit the country. Offering very little wiggle room, travellers’ plans have been badly thrown off course.

Shopping centre bans gnomes

A Polish green “gnome” has become a viral sensation on TikTok but a mall has been harassed to its limits.

Swift’s The Eras Tour, currently (and literally) sweeping across the world, is more than just a concert series. It’s a masterclass in spectacle, storytelling, and savvy business know-how. With 152 shows across five continents over nearly two years, this global phenomenon is rewriting the rules of more than just entertainment. 

The sheer scale is mind-boggling: 3.5-hour performances, 47 songs, outfits that spark countless articles, and a production value that blurs the line between concert and theatre.  

Then there’s the economic impact, dubbed ‘Swiftonomics’ – even sparking courses on the subject. The Harvard Gazette reported the tour is set to become the highest-grossing of all time at $1.4 billion. The “Swift effect” is so potent that Air New Zealand even added flights to cater to the “Swift surge” in demand – and she’s not even performing there.  
 
But beyond the glitz and guitar strums lies a treasure trove of lessons for us mere mortals. As the tour continues its European leg in Amsterdam this week, here are Seven things we content creators and marketers can learn from Swift and her tours: 

1. Enchanted: Swift’s songwriting success boils down to one key aspect – storytelling. 
   The takeaway? Don’t forget the story to be told. That’s the power of good content and marketing.  
2. Shake It Off: Swift’s tour celebrates her different ‘eras’ and the power of reinvention.  
   The takeaway? Adaptability is key. Embrace resilience. It’s ok to get down and then get up again.
3. Blank Space: Swift’s ability to do something new with each album shows the power of embracing the unknown and starting fresh. 
   The takeaway? Starting with a blank space is ok – you’ll fill it in as you go. 
4. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart: There’s value in the past.  
   The takeaway? Whether it’s learning from past mistakes or repurposing old ideas, we’d be silly to overlook our past experiences and the value they still hold. 
5. You Need to Calm Down: Swift delivers 3.5-hour performances of 47 songs, demonstrating the power of being calm and focused.  
   The takeaway? Planning will never go out of style, and it helps you keep calm. 
6. Anti-Hero: Swift’s openness about her struggles resonates with fans.  
   The takeaway? Authenticity and vulnerability can build stronger connections and foster a more supportive environment. 
7. You Belong with Me: Swift showed her appreciation by handing out bonuses totalling over $55 million to her tour staff, including a $100 000 bonus to each of the 50 truck drivers.  
   The takeaway? Let’s stick together. We saw this during the time that shall not be named, when tourism and hospitality took a beating, and we didn’t know if there would be a way out. But we worked together and emerged stronger. Let’s not forget our friendship bracelets.  

Whether you’re a die-hard Swiftie or a rookie, there’s something to be learned from The Eras Tour phenomenon. So go on, chase your Wildest Dreams. A new month, a new Monday. There’s no better time to start.  

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

No Bad Blood?

Have a look at Who’s Who in the Zoo – our new GNU Cabinet was announced last night.  

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me? 

An American woman has finally achieved her Stanford Master’s degree in education – aged 105! 

I Knew You Were Trouble 

A rainforest animal called a kinkajou was rescued from a highway rest stop in the US. 

Look What You Made Me Do

Move over, Barbie. ‘Inside Out 2’ tops $1 billion at the global box office, the first film to do so since ‘Barbie.’ 

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the Olympics for flowers. It’s held in Chelsea, London, in spring, and flower fanatics and exhibitors from all over the world and the British royal family (from their biscuit-producing, West Country organic Duchy estates) flock to its pavilion and garden paths. They don’t kid around – the gardens planted feature tall trees, bridges, Tuscan terraces, open kitchens, fountains, waterfalls, artistic pavilions, and rare specimens from all corners of the planet.

And this year, South Africa won the equivalent of an Olympic gold medal… or three. Leon Kluge (horticulturist, floral artist, and basically SA’s version of a plant David Attenborough) and his team were awarded the prestigious ‘Gold Medal’ plus ‘Best New Design’ and ‘Best Exhibit in the Pavilion’ for their protea garden masterpiece. I won’t try describing it because only viewing the videos will do it justice. But I will mention it included proteas that smelled (naturally) like cookie dough (they attract mice that pollinate it by feasting on its toffee-like nectar – oh, to be mouse napping in sweet, red protea petals).

It’s a fantastic win not only for SA horticulturists but also for SA tourism, as it showcases our fynbos in all its magnificence, attracting international anthophiles like mice to cookie-dough proteas.  

This week when we go to cast our vote in the elections, this incredible protea garden will hopefully serve as a reminder that the grass is not always greener on the other side. That if we tend to our gardens, we can do great things together, even when loadshedding shuts off the sprinklers for a week (a Champagne problem but also a metaphor).

P.S. Did you know that Babylonstoren, another SA garden champion and wine farm, produces the official RHS Chelsea Show rosé wine? The Mourvèdre Rosé has delicious hints of raspberries, pomegranate, watermelon, and rose petals and is available here.

P.P.S. If you want to see another garden Leon Kluge has created, head to Sterrekopje in Franschhoek. A stay costs approximately the same as flying to London to see the RHS Chelsea Show, but maybe they’ll let you peek over the fence.

Mindful Musings

What the world was musing over this past week

Pet Gala 2024

Move over Met Gala movie stars. These pooches are stealing the show.

Pooch-approved flights

Thursday saw BARK Air’s first flight take off. This new luxury US airline for dogs offers a ‘white paw experience’, with treats, cabin seats, and earmuffs for its canine high flyers (and owners). 

Visa win

South Africa’s new remote working visa has finally been signed off by Home Affairs.

MIA Poster

Where are all the ANC election campaign posters?