Being Marica

All it takes is a U-turn to inner self – By Mahadi Moloi As I've mentioned prior, many book's require's of me a different pace to get into them. Some longer than others, since more understanding and reflection is required to get into the story-line and into the head-space of the author. This read took me longer since it was a personal journey for me, the reader, while a very personal journey of the Author. Mahadi Moloi’s , All it takes is a U-Turn to inner self , is firstly a religion based book.  Mostly, it's a factual read of how this women went within the canvases of her own life experiences and tapped into her soul, relying on her faith based religion to take her through fires of heartache and eventually to a place of absolute restoration. An impressive read from this emerging author. Clearly this smart women, whose life experiences which could easily have robbed her of so much, literally took a U-turn from the world as we know it, and stepped into...

Orchids brings an exotic rarity to a space that can be associated with luxury and refinement.  With more understanding, the context of the flower can invoke deeper meaning than meets the eye. Perhaps it’s the unusual way in which the orchid plants flowers, which lead to ancient sexuality, virility, fertility and even romantic connotations having been attached to them. With over 20, 000+ accepted species in their genre, that varies in sizes with the smallest orchid being just 2mm wide, orchids are notably scent-filled and sensual in presentation. More than this, they are well documented for medicinal, spiritual and even botanic condiment production . Vanilla is the product of Orchids and historically, men would eat the larger bulbs entrusting for a male child while women the smaller bulbs for a female child.   The Aztecs combined chocolate with vanilla for perceived power and strength capabilities. The Asian’s considered the live orchid plants for lung and cough cu...

So much can be said of a "simply beautiful" window. Be it in the detailed craft, the view, or both - a beautiful window invokes and conjures personal sentiment and in most instances calls for a moment of inner reflection- of a beautiful kind. There’s certainly something profoundly beautiful, about a beautiful window! Fortunately the world has many to showcase. While one can only think the inspiration behind beautiful windows found in places of worship has something to do with man’s yearning for heavenly and divine connection, stained glass windows have owned religions venues of all faiths. This could be seen in Spain’s La Sagrada Familia, Brazil’s Santuario Dom Bosc and Iran’s Nasir Al Mulk Mosque. Westminster Abbey reigns in color of intricate stained glass detail. The most spectacular detail has been seen in stain glass skylight type windows and delicately placed windows that usher in light. This being said, beautiful windows are not limited to stained glass ...

An easy and intriguing read, I felt like I was having a conversation with Alpesh as I have on a few occasions in the last 20 years or so of knowing him. Alpesh has shown me a side of his life I would never have known until I read his book. A side I strongly connected with as a tenacious, committed, aspirant businesswomen and believer in the “impossible” myself. Real, authentic, sincere, passionate, tenacious, brave, committed, empowered, disempowered, unfair, foolish, fucking smart (you swore alot) are all the words that come to mind as I reflect on this book - whose soft copy I “devoured” in the last 48hours. I could have completed the read in a day and a bit, however being the festive season,  I needed doses of  Vitamin D and had to leave bed to join family and get some sunlight only to rush back into the thick of TESTED. I can safely say that Alpesh is the first of many firsts and will continue to be just that no matter what his next journey is. Alpes...

Years ago, while working at a radio station,  my daily ritual would be a morning coffee,or three, at the same cafe and before heading to the office. Daily I would see many of the same faces of which were bankers, lawyers and other corporate "suits" from the the surrounding business district. After a while of frequenting the place, the natural response would be a courteous greeting to the many familiar faces. Back then, I was super fit and maybe that had something to do with what I'm getting into. One particular morning I walked into the nicest comment - "you're always smiling," said a seated stranger who I saw daily. More surprising, I hadn't realized I always was. This was an icebreaker comment that lead to a friendship between a respected, elderly advocate and myself. It also lead to me introducing him, in a very short space of time, to an elderly female friend who he then went on to marry. I smile just thinking about my "cupid" ...

A Women in a world where only the Heart mattered – a recollection by a women, who knew a women, who chose to never stop believing in people and in the essence of the Human Spirit Every year Siobhan watched the seasons flow from one into the next. An unmarried thirty something urbanite, she was deeply removed from what the world regarded as “normal”. She walked slowly in her fast paced world and while her thoughts raced faster than many others. By public vocation, she was an attractive women with olive skin that felt soft to the touch and a shape that naturally seduced. Her full lips were beautifully closed as when she spoke, she whipped with smart cheeky retorts. Short of no male attention, she resorted daily to her peaceful and neatly placed home finding rest in her crisp white Egyptian cotton sheets. She would have preferred her king size bed to be shared with an absolute equal and endearing partner who kept her in his arms…forever.  Her fancies deemed simple, ...

I've hit the ground speeding, leaving cool flames for footprints, as any entrepreneur with an expansion plan would! Between engagement demands, business processes, meaningful seconds of calm, great eye cream and life sometimes sorely happening to me, resides an apparent "chaotic magic". A driving force that consumes, and as someone recently labelled - "a driven, brilliant & beautiful beast unlike any other met". I'm still processing it. The last few weeks with strategic partners has been exhilarating in that, even in apparent moments of sweating blood, there's seemingly no real hunger to going back to well paid, executive roles - unless ofcourse it's Ashish or Elon who have me on speed dial and payroll. This is the unspoken given, and just yesterday roared out loud between us stakeholders and associated entrepreneurs alike. The cause and our belief is far greater than any temporary challenge. But back to business. A meeting with a retail...