I have recently experienced the heartbreak of smashing my phone. Not just your average cracked screen but the kind of break that literally stops your world. I can no longer unlock my screen, I can no longer reply to messages and I can no longer instagram. So basically I now have a clock. It’s funny, not having a phone. At first you think it’ll be ok, that you don’t really use your phone that much anyway so can do without it for a few days. But then after day two you realize how much you actually need it.
Want to catch the bus? Guess what you’ll have to just go to the stop and hope it comes, because you can’t check your Trip View. Need to transfer money? Hope you know your ID login because you can’t access the app anymore. Like that flower? Cute, remember it because you can’t take a photo. So basically, you can’t really do anything. You go for dinner with your friends and sit in silence while they instagram and hashtag your meal. You go for a walk in the park and shock-horror you actually have to listen to nature because you can’t listen to your phone. Your mum tries calling you 4 times a day, sorry can’t talk to you – ok that’s a slight positive in this situation. I found after day four things started to get easier. I realized how much time I used to spend with my face in my phone. I found myself with time to do things I had always meant to do but never seemed to have the time. I started reading again, something I used to make a habit of before bed, until instagram took over. I started to actually enjoy my food for the taste instead of the presentation quality on insta. Sure, it is a struggle. And I definitely appreciate the usefulness of a phone in today’s world but it’s made me realize how much we miss when we have them. I find today it’s almost as though we’d rather live through our phone then live in the real world. We’d rather take a picture and stare at the beauty on our screen then actually look at what’s in front of us. We’d rather message our best friend then make the effort to see them and talk. It’s almost as though we’ve lost touch with what living really is. Now I’m not saying I’ve become someone who is throwing away modern living and reverting to the old days because in all honesty I can’t wait to have my phone back (Saturday, 3 days and counting) but I really am going to try work on living. Something I’ve found really amazing is my concept of time. The other night I went for dinner with a girl friend and we both left our phones in our bags, ok I made her leave hers. But we chatted and ate and laughed and before we realized it was already midnight. I never let time slip away from me, I always feel like there’s too much to do during the day and not enough hours but it was so refreshing. To sit there with someone I loved and actually be in the moment. Yes it was just dinner. And yes I see her everyday but it was still just…nice. I guess this isn’t really about anything. I guess it’s more so a personal reflection on how I am going to (try) and continue my life, phone or no phone – preferable with a phone. But it’s something to consider. Maybe don’t go out and smash your phone so you are left in the wilderness like myself. But take a day where there’s no phones allowed. Go and enjoy what’s around you, because no matter how many filters you add – the world is always more beautiful just the way it is. Let’s be honest for a second. We all have them, you know, the saggy, stained underwear that we eagerly reach for once a month (and sometimes on laundry day). We would die if anyone actually saw these ruined old undies but we love them too much to ever throw them away. They are our dirty little secret that we hold so dear to our hearts. But it’s 2017 and there is a game changer on the market.
Thinx. This new brand of panties is the latest thing for periods. Forget the disgusting briefs you hid away. Forget the annoyance of ruining another pair of knickers because you live on the edge and didn’t change your tampon. Forget the tampon!! Everything we once thought about periods is about to change. Because, although we are all aware of TSS, there are many of us (me included) who are extremely lazy and forgetful and often don’t change our tampons every 4 hours. And pads haven’t been worn since we were 13 and those menstrual cups… yeah it’s a no from me. So, what on earth is a pair of panties going to do for our periods? Well, Thinx have designed underwear that you can wear without said tampons/pads/cups. WHAT?!? Yep. That’s right. These bad boys hold up to 2 tampons worth and keep you dry and fresh the whole time! The magic is in the design. The panties have an absorbent top layer that soaks up what comes out and while fighting bacteria and keeps you dry! Then the second layer stores the rest without any leakage!! That’s right, no more getting your girlfriend to check your behind after you’ve been sitting down for ages. No more avoiding white pants once a month! So, now I know what you are thinking, “Ew, they are probably ugly granny panties that are thick like diapers.” Wrong again! There are six different shapes to choose from. Hiphuggers, Hi-waist, Boyshorts, Sport, Cheeky and Thong. Basically any style of regular panties to can buy, can now be a style that will protect you when you need it most. Now for the best thing of all, as if this all hasn’t already blown your mind! These babies are reusable, meaning you are going to save big! Tampons are crazily overpriced and something that pains us all to buy. But these panties are washable, meaning they’ll work again and again and again. Of course there is also the health and environmental benefits to this wonderful new conception too. It’s recently come out that most tampons contain some pretty nasty chemicals which, once inside us, get absorbed basically straight into our bloodstream and can cause things such as birth defects, hormone disruption and even cancer. Then you got to think about the amount of sanitary products being discarded around the world on a daily basis. It’s a massive issue, which is never spoken about enough. There is so much that we, as women, are kept in the dark about still today and it’s totally up to us to start enacting change. That’s why this company is a little drop of heaven. The possibility of this becoming a standard product when it comes to periods could do wonders in our world (and lives). So what are you waiting for? Hope onto the link below to find out where you can get your new pair of period panties, ones you can wear proudly! www.shethinx.com Last year in August, My partner, Mother and myself went back to my home town East London, South Africa. It was 10 action packed days that were filled with family reunions, wildlife experiences and overeating at the highest level. I know what you're thinking, "If you're from Africa, why are you white?" well I'm not, I'm a chocolate brown and love it. But no, I'm not black. And yes, there are white people in Africa. Now that we have that sorted. I wanted to share some of the amazing, out of this world experiences that we were lucky enough to have. First off, East London probably won't be at the top of your list if you do go to South Africa (Cape Town usually is the go too) however if you do happen to come to the slummies there is PLENTY of things to do and see. For keen surfers you can't miss a wave at Nahoon Reef. It's an infamous spot that definitely won't disappoint. If you don't surf, like myself, it's a great beach to get a tan at, although most beaches are. Now, to get the life animal experience you HAVE to go to a game reserve called Inkwenkwezi. It has a beautiful dining hall that does buffet lunches on a Sunday (thus begins your overeating experience) and the food is delicious! However, it's the rooms that really make this place. Army style tents, with wooden decks built into them, a free standing bath and a shower that looks into the bush is what you'll find. Your guide, who takes you around the reserve and is basically there for you for whatever you need drops you at a meeting point and walks you down to your individual tents. You are completely surrounded by bush and can't see anything else around you. It's just you and the wilderness. The local meeting point is where you meet each morning to get a lift to the dining room, which has a glass fireplace in the middle, thatched roofing and stone walls. It is breathtaking. You then get to spend the day out looking for wild animals. You'll see Giraffes, Kudu, Springbok, Ostrich, Rhinos and Lions. If you are lucky, you will see the three Elephants they have roaming around too however, they have a meet and greet with them if you happen to miss them on your drive. Believe it or not, they are great at hiding, despite how big they are. You can not pass up the interaction though. It's incredible watching them appear silently out of the bushes, following the trackers who monitor them daily to ensure they are always safe, poaching is a problem, even at the smaller parks such as these. They stand patiently as you feed them and stroke their trunks and hear about how they all came to be residents at the reserve.
So, for a small coastal town, East London does pretty well. You definitely won't be bored and will come back with a little bit of Africa in your heart. To find out more about the places mentioned above see below. Inkwenkwezi : www.eastlondon-info.co.za The Kings Children's Home : www.thekingschildrenshome.org Areena Riverside Resort : www.areenaresort.com |
Author - Jayde Heathcote
How to be a Modern Goddess in this Modern World | Recipes and Lifestyle for the modern woman Archives
January 2019
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