Sonnet

A happy heart makes the face cheerful,
but heartache crushes the ambience.
Effortlessly, I become fearful,
mistakenly I neglect the fact there’s always an audience.
I swiftly try and hide any trace of emotion,
I attempt to conceal them from the light.
I’m aware they’re expecting a reaction,
Cause in my pain they take delight.
I’m numb, have lost all feeling,
Unable to express myself sincerely.
Motionless, I manage to look to the ceiling,
“Dear Lord” I pray to you oh so dearly.
As I begin to realise and appreciate,
To your children, You are eternally compassionate.

My style Icons

Innovative style lover based in London and a Durban native

My unique style stems from different capacities namely photography, night life and my three style icons Derick Watkins, Ozwald Boateng and Scott Disick. Even though I have never exchanged words or even met any of my style icons, apart from an outside view of Ozwald's flagship store in Saville Row; their etiquette, savvy and attention to detail has influenced me greatly as a budding stylist, gentleman and a creative mind..... Street style dressing was never really my forte, it was a very brief stint in my life actually it was just never my thing Ive always been more of a formal dresser. 

Derick Watkins
Musician and author, host of  
From G's to Gents. 

 Around the time of my 21st birthday most of my friends were still into street/casual style and i made it a point to make the theme formal dress because I wanted to project my character and make it something very different to normal parties. My love for formal style came from seeing the way my unlces, my dad and his friends dressed. So when I first saw Derrick Watkins in the music video 'Bad boy for life' I thought; ok this guy is crazy, but I thought his dressing style was interesting. When he became host of the TV show from G's to Gents he just took it to a whole different level. His outfits were so bold, full of colour, proper and coupled with a gentlemans attitude to match. I fell in love with the style but I must admitted I was scared of trying out the colours on myself because of my dark skin. He was the inspiration for the outfit I wore to and awards ceremony in 2008, which led me to buying my very first tweed blazer.

Ozwald Boateng
 Fashion designer known 
for his trade mark bespoke
and twist on 
classic British tailoring.

I have always known about tailoring but had never really grasped the concept of it, to be frank I didnt like the idea I thought it was all just a big fuss over nothing. It wasnt until I found out about Ozwald Boateng about 4 years ago, I instantly fell in love with his suites and I thought to myself 'I need to hit the gym so I can fit into a suite like him' hahaha... I would search shop after shop for the right sizes but my clothes still didnt fit me as well as they fit him, I dont know why I was so ignorant to the art of tailoring. A friend of mine Jonathan Cash who is a trainee tailor at Dege and Skinner in Saville Row has taught me a lot about the right cut, fit, style and bespoke tailoring, so now I've become more aware of the finer details behind Boatengs chiseled fit. At the momment I see his bespoke suites as something I will definitley have in my 20 year plan because right now my bank balance does not allow me to even browse in his shop. Im a firm believer in not not spending a fortune on clothes and especially living in London where the  has lead to me being a seasoned bargain hunter.

Scott Disick
Model and television personality

I dont even know where to start with Scott Disick, his sense of style and love for fashion is impeccable and in my eyes one of the best dressed males in my lifetime. According to the Oxford Concise English dictionary style is a kind or sort, especially in regard to appearance which can be described by forming adjectives and adverbs in a manner characteristic of the sense/chosen/prefered style. I dont know; some people may think im being shallow by saying this, but Im going to go ahead and say it anyway, in my view I strongly feel that style defines ones character and Scott is the living definition of this. I absolutely love walking down the streets of urban London and seeing so many people dressed so good, but I feel that lately alot of the latest fashion trends have become like school/work uniform and people have lost the sense of originality when it comes to style.



 Like I mentioned earlier I am a bit of a bargain hunter but sometimes I do get carried away lol... 

One of my many mix and match outfits inspired by my icons:

Cotton Shirt: Uniqlo

Trousers: H&M

Leather Belt: Dolce and Gabbana

Shoes: Russell and Bromley

Jacket: William Hunt (Saville Row)

Watch: Seiko Kinetic

Zulu

Nomvula Wearing ubuhlalu (zulu beads), isicholo (hat) and a colourful umbrella

“It HAS TO BE SAID... Zulu is a beautiful Language... Spoken and Written... I just get so excited.... Get someone who knows, speaks and writes Genuine Zulu and you will know what I mean”

Those are the words that insipred me...

My heart longs for him

inhliziyo yam iyavutha

akuwona umlilo we big Nuz

loluthando lungaba ingozi kumina 

kepha angifune muntu ozolucisha

out of the blue our paths colided

ngiyafisa ukuwazi ukuthi wayevelaphi lobhuti

ofana naye angikaze ngihlangana naye

wavele wafika eskhaleni,esthubeni wangiheha

oh how he Woo'd me with his sweet words

amazwi akhe ayengafani nawabanye

aye hlukile kakhulu, ngangingeke ngimfanise nomunye umuntu,

wayezimisele, emise okwenkosi yakwa zulu, engeve egqoke kahle

iscathulo sakhe singesukum'phansi

Love takes time and so he gave me his time inreturn for my heart

wayengajahile, futhi wayezithathela iskhathi sakhe

wathi kimi, "lelilanga elethu sodwa ungesabi, yimina nawe sthandwa

kade ngangimfuna ofana nawe, njengoba sengikutholile angisoze ngakulahla"

Oh how my heart melted

wase ethi "ngiyawuzwa umculo wenhliziyo yakho, uyangibiza uthi 'Qonda ngqo unge duki' 

sengifikile manje, ngizokucela kubazali bakho, ngizokuwezna owakwam"

let he not be lead astray, in his heart is is where i belong

My Zulu Warrior, with no spear or weapon he won me over, the battle was not mine to fight

Wangishela efuna ngimqome, ngasesengimthanda ngalesoskhathi, 

ngangingeke ngicabange ukumphoxha

ngangisaba kodwa ngingazi ngisabani

ngicabanga ukuth angase abaleke nenhliziyo yami, ngangizokwenzenjani

ngavele ngathi kuyena, "Lalela La, angisona isilima, futhi nje Anginaso iskhathi sokudlala"

Wangibambela eduze whathi/he whispered "thula thula, shh shh shh" wangicindezela esfubeni sakhe

ngalesoskhathi kwakuthi angikhale, kanti ngizomuzwa ethi "uwena wedwa sthandwa, lalela nayi inhliziyo yami iyaku memeza, ibiza igama lakho lodwa, lalela umculo wothando, ngiyakuthanda Nomvula"

at this point his intentions were very clear

kwakungathi ngiya phupha

kwafika emqondweni ukuthi angizi ncinze

ngizokwazi ukuvuvka ephushweni

angifuni ukuzihlupa ngiphinde ngiphuke inhliziyo ngokuzikhohlisa ngento engekho

"hawe Ma, kwaze kwabuhlungu" ngazizwa ngimemeza, ngikhala- sengizilimaza, ngiyncinza 

ngasengibona uukthi akulona iphupho leli

Kwasukasukela! Cosi! akuyona ngisho nenganekwane,

This was my reality not a fairytale

Incwadi yothando ngesiZulu

Namhlanje ngizwe ngathi ngingabhala incwadi yothando ngesiZulu

Thath isandla sami usivumele sikusondeze enhliziyweni yami

Ubumbhano lwethu akukho okungaluhlakaza

Umangikubona ngiyengizwe intokozo emangalisayo

Esikhathini esifishane kangaka usungizwise uthando olumangalisayo

Futhi ngiqinisekile ngoba inhliziyo ayinamanga

Ingqondo kuphela ekwazi ukwakha amaqhinga

Indlela osungithinte ngayo akukholakali

Ukumamatheka kwakho kuqhakazisa usuku lami

Ukukhazimula kwamehlo akho kushokwezinkanyezi

Ukuthambha kwezindebe zakho mangabe ngikuqabula

O he! Ngiyabikelwa isizungu mangabe usuhambile

Mangabe usho ngezwilakho elimnene uthi “ngiyakuthanda sithandwa sami” Kuvele kuhlasimule umzimbha ngivukwe uhlevane

Ngangingazi ukuthi nami ngiyoze ngiphinde ngiluthole uthando olungaka

Sthandwa sami ngesinye isikhathi mawulele eceleni kwami

Ngivele ngiphelelwe amazwi

Ungaxwayi mawuza ngikugijima ngesandla sami ohlangothini lakho lwesinxele

Ngisuke ngifuna ukuzwa uthando lakho bukhoma.

Oh! Kodwa sthandwa sami ngifisa ngathi uthando lwethu lungafana nendilinga, lungabi nasiphetho.

Friendships last a life time

 "True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."

 I was lying on my bed listening to music on shuffle when Janet Jackson's "Got till it's gone" came on and it just reminded me of past times when I had looked back and thought to myself only if I could get another chance. Its funny how it always takes a dramatic event for us to tell those that are close to us how much we love and appreciate them, sometimes we realise it too late when we dont even have a shot at a second chance. Our actions make the saying "You dont know what you have till its gone" so true.

It was in July 2005 when I first came to England, where I first saw him from the window, he had extremely long hair and was frantically bouncing a basketball "And1" style just like "Hot Sauce". I thought to myself "he is so full of himself, let me go challenge him to a one on one game", in my head I knew I was better than him because after all my name was Lindani "defence" "Dunk" Dube. "Game 11 Check", bounce, Cross Over, Bang, 1-0 to Meeks "I'll give him that one". "Check", bounce, Cross Over, goes for a lay up; "ah ah ah" BLOCKED "This is my house." The scuffle went on and it was clear that none of us wanted to loose. The score was 9-8 to Meeks and I had the ball "Check", bounce, bounce Cross over, Showtime aaaaah Dunk!!!!. Meeks' ball "Check", pump fake, one bounce to the ryt, shot from the three point line, Bang!!! he wins the game. Sometimes in life, you find a special friend. Someone who changes your life just by being part of it, makes you laugh until you can't stop; makes you believe that there really is good in the world. Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it. This is Forever Friendship. When you're down, and the world seems dark and empty, your forever friend lifts you up in spirit and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and full. your forever friend gets you through the hard times, the sad times, and the confused times. If you turn and walk away, your forever friend follows. If you lose your way, your forever friend guides you and cheers you on. Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to be okay. And if you find such a friend, you feel happy and complete, because you need not worry. You have a forever friend for life, and forever has no end. 

A few years ago during your time of trouble and loneliness I was powerless to help because of ignorance but after our chat before I left the words you said at the kitchen table made me realise that the mere knowledge of a good friendship made it possible for you to endure through the hardship. Our friendship was not diminished by distance, time, imprisonment, suffering or silence. It is in these very events that I can proudly say “in you Meek’s I’ve found a friend and brother for life.”

"True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice."