Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Motherland Coffee getaway

Last week Friday evening me and my group members Tammy, Anita and Lerato went to finish off our day, and our Honours assignment at a local spot in Rosebank called Motherland Coffee Company.

Motherland Coffee Company

I was fashionably late, all because I came out on the wrong side of the train station and had to walk and find the place.

It is this beautiful, modern/ retro African coffee shop that has taken 'African Revolution' to a whole new level. Our brief required that we do a healthy brand audit, which meant we had to find a brand that we believed was living up to the healthy brand elements. After much brainstorming, we found that this coffee shop was the perfect option to represent a healthy brand.



The coffee shop set up
They business is built around being a healthy brand, from purchasing coffee that is strictly African, having the Fair Trade certification, having premises that represent their values and purpose, to how they treat their employees. I could go on about this coffee shop, but we did a presentation (that earned a distinction) about it and if anyone wants access to it, they could request. But honestly, the nitty gritty is for those who are interested in branding.


Supports Fair Trade which means the producers of the coffee get a fair share of the profit
So for those who can, go pay them a visit. They are in Rosebank Mall. They are available on Twitter, Facebook and you can access their website here. You would have to ask around to find the place though, my direction ability is a bit...

See some pictures:

They serve more than just coffee.

Take away bags and the t-shirts they sell.

A coffee for those on the run!
Im not much of a coffee person though, juice does me best
Anita working on our presentation
 
The smokers section.

trendy/ retro lighting arrangement
  
Custom All Stars.
 pictures via: me and their website


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Just a thought

image via: web


We all need a little bit of...

Hey everybody, today I had such a bad morning. And not because I chose to be in a bad mood, but because I came across obstacles that really infuriated me. For as long as I can remember (this year), I always wake up with a smile on my face and prep my day for happiness. This has worked, because I haven't felt this completely happy in a long time. As much as it is always preached that we need to make ourselves happy first, before we can expect happiness to come from another person, a lot of this does not necessarily ring true. Many people's lives are directly affected by the happiness of the people around them, and on how those people make them feel. When your child, mother, sibling, lover, friend is unhappy; what are the chances that you will be completely happy in that moment? Very few, I think.

The world goes around preaching happiness as if it is something difficult to achieve. In my case, I reckon happiness is constant. Like breathing, if I may use this as an example. But then there are external (and often internal) factors that come and cause ripples in this constant. I do not think you loose happiness when you find yourself sad, or angry, or confuse, and the like. You still breathe, but there is a disturbance to the peace that is your happiness. And as soon as things become sunnier again, that constant re-surfaces. It did not go anywhere, you just had your energies focused on something that cause a ripple in your life. I do not want to preach, and everyone is entitle to their own opinion. This is mine and I just hope that it can make sense to someone, or someone can find value in it. There are so many people (including friends of mine) who are confused, hurt and seem unhappy. Something has got to be bigger than that, you just need to find it. We all need this in our lives:

image via: web

Love
Sindz

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Lyricism - Throwback Thursday


Kanye West - Through the Wire

Yo G, they can't stop me from rapping, can they? Can they, huh?
I spit it through the wire, man
There's too much stuff on my heart right now, man
I'd gladly risk it all right now
It's a life-or-death situation, man
Y'all, y'all don't really understand how I feel right now
It's your boy Kanye to the... Chi-town, what's goin' on?

I drink a Boost for breakfast, an Ensure for dessert
Somebody ordered pancakes, I just sip the sizzurp
That right there could drive a sane man berserk
Not to worry, Mr. H-to-the-Izzo's back to wi-zerk
How do you console my mom or give her light support
Telling her her son's on life support?
And just imagine how my girl feel
On the plane, scared as hell that her guy look like Emmett Till
She was with me before the deal, she been trying to be mine
She a Delta, so she been throwing that Dynasty sign
No use in me tryin to be lyin', I been trying to be signed
Trying to be a millionaire, how I used two lifelines
In the same hospital where Biggie Smalls died
The doctor said I had blood clots, but I ain't Jamaican, man
Story on MTV and I ain't trying to Make a Band
I swear this right here, history in the making, man

I really apologize for everything right now, it's unclear at all, man
They got my jaw wired shut for like I dunno, the doctor said like six weeks
Y'know he had, I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw
I looked in the mirror and half my jaw was in the back of my mouth, man, I couldn't believe it
But I'm still here for y'all right now, man
This what I got to say right here, dawg

What if somebody from the Chi' that was ill got a deal
On the hottest rap label around?
But he wasn't talking about coke and birds
It was more like spoken word
Except he's really putting it down?
And he explained the story about how blacks came from glory
And what we need to do in the game
Good dude, bad night, right place, wrong time
In the blink of a eye, his whole life changed
If you could feel how my face felt, you would know how Mase felt
Thank God I ain't too cool for the safe belt!
I swear to God driver two wants to sue
I got a lawyer for the case to keep what's in my safe safe
My dogs couldn't tell if I
I looked like Tom Cruise on Vanilla Sky, it was televised
There's been an accident like GEICO
They thought I was burnt up like Pepsi did Michael
I must got a angel
Cause look how death missed his ass
Unbreakable, what you thought, they'd call me Mr. Glass?
Look back on my life like the Ghost of Christmas Past
Toys "R" Us where I used to spend that Christmas cash
And I still won't grow up, I'm a grown-ass kid
Swear I should be locked up for stupid shit that I did
But I'm a champion, so I turned tragedy to triumph
Make music that's fire, spit my soul through the wire

Y'know what I'm saying?
When the doctor told me I had, um, that I was gonna have to have a plate in my chin, I said
"Dawg, don't you realize I'll never make it on a plane now?
It's bad enough I got all this jewelry on!" Haha
She can't be serious, man

lyrics via