“I know Saddam poses no imminent threat to the United States, or to his neighbors…I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a US occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. I knowthat an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than the best, impulses of the Arab World, and strengthen the recruitment arm of Al Qaeda. I am not opposed to wars. I am opposed to dumb wars. You want a fight, President Bush? lEts finish the fight with Bin Laden and al Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism and a homeland security program that involves more than colour-coded warnings” Fall 2002, Barack Obama

Welcomes…almost every week there is a welcome is naaaaais! Carl, Isabel, Wendy, tumi, welcome to the weekly newsletter. Should you have any comments or suggestions please mail me or visit http://www.mondaymail.blogspot.com/, alternatively should you have no use for this please do let me know and I will remove you.

Yaw, I don’t know why you are getting so worked up about this infidelity thing, bra its been happening, it is happening and will continue to happen…Crime has been happening, is happening and most likely will continue to happen, but that doesn’t stop us from saying its wrong and that something needs to be done about it?! Very chuffed that the last email got a few feathers ruffled. Hopefully if u see ur mate, boss etc. crossing the line like /he is going to the shops to buy milk, you will have the inclination to say what u r doing is ka aaaak, then start singing “what goes around, goes around goes around comes all the way back around…”

Another beautiful day in Africa, well at least from where I sit, In the the words of Robert Nesta Marley, “Sun is shining the weather is sweet, makes me wanna move my dancing feet”. Hope all is well in your world, if not, trust u me, as long as u r breathing, as long as u can see a smile on a friendly face, as long as the sun is shining the birds singing, there is hope of a brighter 2morrow!

Speaking of a brighter tomorrow, that’s definitely what the world needs now. The world is in a pretty sensitive state at the moment (in terms of war etc.) and that’s all thanks to Mr. George W. Bush, some might argue otherwise and I would love to hear those views. Bush is definitely on his way out and in my mind so to the Republicans, enter the new regime, is it a ‘black’ man whose name rhymes with Osama, is it a female Bill??? Yip that’s right unless a huge curveball is thrown those are the 2 candidates that the democrats are going to put forward to run for the 2008 elections. For a while now Hillary Clinton had been seen as the face of the Democrats, but over the last few months, I cant really say a year, this man called Barack Obama has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons a bit.

He hasn’t just popped up, he has been around for a while but under the radar doing good work for the people of Illinois. His whole life has been dedicated to serving the people. There was a popularity poll conducted recently as to who the Democrats would like to see representing them in the race for presidency and it was a 2 horse race with Hillary ahead of Barack, but that’s not too bad considering he only made himself available for the race earlier this month.

Just a brief history about Mr Obama, born on the 4th Aug ’61 in Honolulu Hawaii, to Kenyan Born Barack Hussein Obama Snr and Ann Durham of Kansas. His parents split when he was still a toddler and he was brought up by his maternal grandparents. His pops returned to Kenya and his mom remarried an Indonesian man. His pops died when Barrack was 21yrs old. He didn’t really grow up knowing his real father, he only knew his father through stories and photographs. He has admitted to using coke and weed to help him deal with his issues when he was growing up. But it looks like he turned out just fine. His mother passed away from cancer in 1995. He studied at Harvard Law from 1988, in 1990 he was the first African American to be elected president of the Harvard Law Review (not sure what this is but its mentioned in everything I have read about him, so it must be beeeg). In 1996 he was elected to the Illinois State Senate. Before and post this election his whole life has been dedicated to serving the people. His efforts have ranged from more recognition and support for war veterans, immigration laws, the war in Iraq, opposing what he termed ‘Paris Hilton’ tax relief which was a tax relief for billionaire heirs and heiresses, raising funds, peace in the middle east, encouraging people to take HIV tests and the list goes on.

He has written a couple of books one of those books, “Dreams from my father” (written in 1995 and then reprinted in 2004) which I guess is a narration of his childhood, earned him a Grammy award in 2006 for best spoken word album (it was also produced in Audio Book form). In 2005 TIME magazine listed him as one of the most influential people in the world.

I don’t know much about this man, but from what I read he seems a good natured sort, a lot of his speeches are about unity, be it republican be it democrat be u Muslim, be u Christian, be u white be u black. He in my mind may currently be the best person to unify America and I guess rebuild its credibility with the rest of the world. Why do I say this. His Father was Muslim (became an Atheist in later life), his maternal grandparents who brought him up were Baptist and Methodist, his mother believed religion to be akin to superstition, his pops was a black man from Kenya, his mother a white lady from Kansas. He has an half-Indonesian half sister who is married to a Chinese-Canadian. He grew up not knowing his pops, he is a Law student, graduating magna cum laude from Harvard nogal. He traces his maternal grandparents roots back to Native Americans. His name Barack is of Hebrew origins meaning blessing. Now that’s the whole of America captured in this man, religion, race, broken home, smart people, compassion and last but not least ability. .In Mr Obama, I think America has hope of reconciliation, hope of repairing the damage done by the Bush administration.

Here is another quote that I thought was pretty interesting. “Figures like Oprah, Tiger, Michael Jordan give people a shortcut to express their better instincts[…] I think its healthy, a good instinct. I just don’t want it to stop with Oprah, I’d rather say, if u feel good about me, there is a whole lot of young men out there who could be me if given the chance”
That’s me for another week. My thoughts are with all of you who may have something of significance happening this week, may it go as the universe plans it (always an easier way to look at things ;-)) I hope the universe’s plans and yours coincide, particularly those of you who are awaiting part II results, may the force be with you!

Don’t forget Wednesday 21st March is the beginning of Lent.

Birthdays
18th Susan, Lourie
22nd Lindsay, Anja, Victoria Mac
24th Kirsty N

Maximum respect

If you want to grow, you've got to let go"

Human progress has always been slow because we are reluctant to accept new ideas and to let go of old ideas.
We are creatures of habit and comfort and even if we do not particularly like where we are, we will look for ways to justify our situation so that we can feel comfortable in it.
Often we will resist change and growth because we feel that we do not deserve anything better.
We will never do more than we think we can, so change your "picture of possibility" and break through your self imposed or accepted limits.
There is pain in change, the pain of accepting that long held and cherished beliefs may be wrong.
But remember this, your beliefs will either limit your potential or unleash your potential.
Learn to constantly challenge yourself, to constantly try to do something more, something different, something differently.
We are too scared to take risks, yet the greatest risk of all is to risk nothing, for then we miss out on any chance of life.

- Johan V Campbell -

Another week passes by, more experiences under the belt, more thoughts to discuss, more wrongs to right, more rights to uphold. I trust all is well with you guys, on the surface things are fan-dam-tastic in my world but below the surface, the worlds not alright with me. My soul is not settled. But before I go on a few welcomes Zahir, Eve, Adjoa, Glenda, Vuyani and Federica, welcome to our ‘weekly’ mailing list. I hope at the very least it gives you some food for thought. If not we would really appreciate your input on how to make this a better place. If you have any comments or want to read some of the older ‘articles’ please go to www.mondaymail.blogspot.com. Alternatively if you are getting no use from this please do drop me a mail asking for your removal and I will duly oblige!

Before I go on let me say I write this mail with my cap in my hand, head bowed and I guess rather ashamed, for I am as guilty as those who prompted me to write this mail. To add to this I must really say that in my youngest brother Nana, I know the most mature and worldly-wise 24 year old around, I’ll tell you why later.

Earlier today (Sunday) I was talking to my pops and told him that I have no more real life goals at the moment. Not that I have made it and I am superfly, but I just don’t know what else to aim for, money is great, but I refuse to ever make it a focal point in my life. He on the other hand like many of my uncles and aunts…and my dear mommy have a goal for me…”Yaw, what are u waiting for? Get a wife, make us some grand children etc.” and as logical a process as that seems to them. That process doesn’t seem to be that logical to me and this past week along with some other happenings in the recent past have highlighted why.

I know that you have either crossed the line or know someone who has crossed the line. No one in the world cares anymore, its all about ME!!! NOONE CARES! It was the harsh reality that smacked me in the face on Thursday, after chatting to this lass I held in such high regard. She told me that she knowingly crossed the line with a married man very recently, lets forget that this brother is most probably the skankiest married man in Jozi, but alas. Needless to say I was very disappointed to hear it. His poor wife must be aware of his antics cos everyone else knows he is dodgy. Why does she stay? But I guess that was the icing on the cake, well so I thought till on Saturday I went to this mates birthday party and there was what seemed to be this innocent sweet lady there, not at all young, so you would expect her to have her wits about her. She had an affair with her married boss for 5 dam n years. And apparently its only I who didn’t know about it. But what she also told me was that there are a lot of married men where she is that are doing it and everyone knows and its OK, its not FU CKIN OK DAM NIT!!!! On Tuesday I’m having a chat with one of my boys and he tells me that there is this married woman after him. What the F….!!! On Friday I went to a braai, u guys must think I just hang around with shady people and I am beginning to think that this may not be far from the truth…but anyway so my mates relay this story to me about 2 mates who go out on the pi ss with one of the guys ‘girl’, the other mate gets too hammered and cant make it home. So the 3 pass out on the same bed. Mate 1 (with the girl who is in the process of a divorce) wakes up to find ‘his lass’ getting hammered by mate 2. I repeat NO ONE CARES ANYMORE! The person relaying this story to me was in histerics laughing, why would he laugh u may ask well not so long ago, mate 1 did the same thing to one of his closest mates. KARMA, don’t f uck with it cos when it comes back to you it’s a Mutha!!! How is this for madness, yesterday I went to church and guess what the sermon was about? Brokenness in families!! So anyway on Thursday I am pretty distraught so I having a chat with Nana, my bro, telling him the world doesn’t care anymore, people are just going around doing what they want and not giving a damn, his words were very simple to me, “you don’t neither” and he was right! I didn’t!!

I am no angel and I realize my faults hence why I feel I can write this email. I have done wrong. When I did wrong, I was ashamed (honestly I was), yet at the same time I was chuffed to tell my boys. No excuses, but I was going through a bit of a rocky time and I wanted to tell myself that I am back and its all good! THAT’S BULL!! I soon realized that it was so not on! Karma, bra, it will come! Yes I was unattached, but one of the 10 commandments states very clearly “thou shall not covet another mans wife” if I am not mistaken and to me that extends to girlfriends too! What we as outsiders to a marriage and even worse those in a marriage fail to see is the sanctity marriage, its before God and Man, regardless of what God you believe in, a marriage, any marriage has the blessing of your god not so! So why agree to all these things if you wont fulfill em? I am so disillusioned now.

Lets even step away from religion for a bit! What are we to benefit from this? So he buys you flowers, flies you to Durban for dinner, takes you up to Sun City for the weekend, diamond earrings…(us guys get nothing, just a shag if we are lucky and we are happy) AND THEN??? What is he going to leave his wife for you, give me a god-damn break, Y the fu ck should he? He is on a perfect wicket, wife at home and skank wherever, what would he want to complicate his or her life for? U r not a fool, well so I’d hope, so what the fork!!

On the other side too, those in relationships that cheat, why do we do it? Boredom, to just believe that you still can, power? What is it? I mean why even bother getting into a committed relationship then if you will go around shaggin/kissing every impressionable young lady/man that you can manipulate. Its gotta stop somewhere. We all ask why this world is so messed up now, its cos of u and me. We make this what it is. We live our creation! The spill over effects, in your homes, all ur kids see is their folks fighting. What ur mates see is us guys willy nilly chasing skirt or pants any attached or unattached, we look past it cos its like whatever. No its not whatever its BULLL!! STOP IT DAMNIT. I sit here and I believe in my heart of hearts that I could not be the guy who cheats on his wife or girlfriend, I don’t want to be that guy, its just wrong, I am very stubborn, for example I only started boozing in 3 year varsity out of principle and stubbornness, its been downhill since, but not too badly, but I question myself sometimes.

So why do we do it. I have no excuses, I did it because I was looking to other people to tell me I’m Loreal (worth it) and I still got game and that’s just k ak. Once again my bro Nana, put it very clearly in one of our conversations many moons ago. Yes you need other people in the world, but essentially you go through this life alone. You live alone, u love alone, u write exams alone, u suffer alone, you decide alone, at the end of the day u come into this world alone and u leave alone. U must just reach a level where u r happy with who u r. There can be no other way. Looking for affirmation from others will never lead to your own personal happiness, NEVER!!

I am Yaw Oppong Peprah, born in Accra Ghana, not the wealthiest of places, but amongst the richest in terms of people, culture and morals(some). I was raised in Umtata Transkei, the best place to have grown up in South Africa during the 80’s. Yes I am black, with an oddly shaped pip. Sometimes funny, generally pricinpled. I live for my friends and my family, I live to add value to their lives and them to mine; I don’t live their lives nor live for their approval. I am who I am and I can only hope that’s good enough! Acceptance of yourself, faults and all…ceasing to compare yourself with others now that’s a good start. “You are who you are, don’t change…” (a song on Fresh House Flava something)

I don’t step over the line when I am in a relationship cos firstly there is respect for the other person, secondly I think to myself how would I feel if she were to do this to me. Same thing should apply before u cross the line with an attached person. How would u feel if this was my wife/husband, girl/boyfriend??

Its gotta stop! Enough ranting from me

Birthdays
11th That man they call Z
12th Garrin
16th Jane

“In reading the lives of great men, I found that the victory they won was over themselves. Self discipline with all of them was first” Harry S Truman

“A smile is a light in the window of your face to show your heart is at home” Anon

Maximum respect

Y

And the list goes on…Welcome Mr Townsend, Miss Price and Miss Moalusi, hope u guys get some value out of this mailing list, should you have any suggestions please feel free to impart them, if you have any comments you would like to make or would like to read some of the older stuff please go to www.mondaymail.blogspot.com

Its so insane how one week you are at a loss for words or ideas of what to write about and then the next it is near impossible not to write about this specific topic. This weeks topic better invoke some response! Now before I go on, I would like to make it very clear to all that I detest crime, it disturbs me when I pick up the newspaper and the cover story is about a 14year old who was raped and then stoned to death, that’s beyond crime its psychotic! I don’t do violence, in my 30 years…hmm make that almost 31 years (dear lollies I am almost 40 J) on this earth, bar a few playground scraps when I was younger and the younger brothers (no more scraps with them cos they huge now!!), I have never been in a fight, cos firstly someone could get hurt and that could be me and secondly and most importantly what purpose does it serve?

I am very tired and so bored about people willy nilly going on about how this government doesn’t care about crime etc. Hey, I am with all of you there is a lot the government can do to curb the spate of violent crimes! BUT, we make it seem as if the crime is something that is starting only now. I have lived here for 23 years this month. Crime has been here since I got here. I really don’t like talking about the bad old days, or living in the past, cos its all about moving forward, but I think its very relevant in order to make a point. I was a victim of crime in the late 80’s/early 90’s, before the new government took over. My brother and I had our first bicycles stolen from us at knife point, we had our car stolen. That my friends was crime. Ask a person who grew up in the worst parts of Soweto or the Cape Flats if the crime of today is any worse than it was when they were growing up? I was chatting to my mate Simon yesterday, and he grew up in the flats, and his response was that he has known crime all his days and it was much worse then than now, walking to school there could be a chance that you could end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Boipatong, Umlazi, June 16, Wouter Basson, Vlak plaas, I don’t want to go into details, because it serves no purpose and I don’t have much details J but this thing we called crime has been around forever. We, even I, point a finger at Jackie Selebi (which I think is very correct) for having a tainted image, yet in the past the head of police and the defence force were just as bad if not worse, they gave out orders to kill and maime and torture and then burry the bodies somewhere, that my friends is utter BULL!! We all cry crime now because its not just something that’s happening to those poor people over there, its now coming to find us. Its not just concentrated in that area over there but its right under our nose, and now all of a sudden the crime is getting bad, uh huh! Its always been bad, but now it can happen to us too!

Crime is the problem, my question is what is the solution? And I really believe we all have a part to play in finding the solution. A lot of us are in a position to make a difference to one persons life, be it one day, be it one year, be it 5 years. For example, FNB was going to run a campaign that would collect data about people that have been affected by crime to put pressure on the presidents office to take action. I don’t think the man is blind, he reads the same newspapers u and I do, he is aware of the crime issue. If it’s an issue for u and I somehow I doubt that he will be overlooking it. Now FNB were going to throw roughly R20mil at this campaign. When I first saw they had pulled the campaign, I was bleak, but then I thought about it R20mil can go a long way. How many bursaries can you provide? How many police officers can you employ for say 5 years? How many low cost houses can you build? How many homes can you provide water and electricity to? Yes its what we pay taxes for, but dropping R20mil into a campaign that does not much more than showing a person a blade of grass and telling them hey look this is a blade of grass, to me is an utter waste of very useful resources.

Crime is not just the governments problem, its our problem, it stems from abject poverty, lack of education, lack of something to do with my time. Big business has big cash! If a CEO can pay himself something like R60mil for a years work, I think there is some spare change to go around ;-)

We can all do something to help, I am sure we can! Call me an eternal optimist or a fool! We all believe that we cant make a difference cos the problem is just too big, but once again let me challenge us, and say just make a difference to one persons life, that my friends is one less person who’s hungry, uneducated etc. S/he may have a friend who is into crime and s/he can change this persons views mind, or not! But the bottom line is at least U tried. After all what are our options? We can bi tch and moan about how useless the government is, we can pack our bags and leave, or we can stay and make this beautiful country/continent work and I think we can, if we channel all our energies in the right direction there is nothing we cant do! This country is unique, it works, it has the beauty of Cape Town and the Eastern Cape, the hustle and bustle of Jozi, the insane opportunity to see game roam in the bush, no boss you can go, I will take my chances with cops throwing me in the back of the van for no reason and I will stay! One step at a time, one person at a time, one problem at a time, education and compassion is the key. Treat me like I am beneath you and I will not respect you just as you don’t respect me. Its that simple.

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” – Chinese proverb

Hows this for a coincidence, on Friday I received the same email from Tracey and Jeremy, which highlights the positives of SA, just finished reading it and I am sure you some of you may have already read it but I will copy and paste part of it below.
I have devised my own pledge of allegiance and I'd like to repeat it to you now : "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Republic of South Africa and to the interesting people, places and idiosyncrasies for which it stands, one nation under several religions, languages and cultures, yet indivisible, with freedom, basic needs and progress for all."
That is my pledge of allegiance to my home, our home. I pledge to help others see what is so good about it.
Our Beloved Country!!! South Africa, almost alone amongst emerging market economies, is set to escape virtually unscathed from the latest bout of investor panic sweeping the developing world's fragile economies (The Times, London, August 2001)
The SA banking sector has been consistently ranked in the top 10 in terms of competitiveness (MD, Switzerland). When Nelson Mandela was inaugurated President in 1994, SA was insolvent (liabilities exceeded assets).
Today the Government's deficit is negligible - one of only a handful of countries in this position. We've had single digit inflation since 1993 - following 20 years of double-digit inflation.
Mortgage rates are at their lowest level since 1988. South Africa is one of only 12 countries, where we can drink water from a tap. Our tap water was found to be the 3rd best quality in the entire world.
Remember 15 years ago, in 1986: A state of emergency was declared White men did two years compulsory military service * 64 184 black people were removed from "white areas" * 3989 people were detained without trial * Our economic growth rate was 0.7 percent - today it is 3% * 64 countries had sports boycotts against SA!!!
South African wines win international awards every year and we have the longest wine route in the world. Nelson Mandela, an international icon of forgiveness, tolerance, and humanity is our favourite son. The Kruger Park has the most innovative management of a national park anywhere in the world - and is the world's most profitable game park. Eskom is the largest producer of coal-fired electricity in the world and South Africans pay the least for electricity in the world. South African Breweries is the 4th largest brewer in the world and produces over 50% of China's beer!
Mercedes Benz C Class, BMW 3 Series and VW Golf/Jetta vehicles for all right-hand drive markets throughout the world are produced in South Africa. Didata grew from a local IT service provider into a huge, global networking company with branches in 30 countries. The Cape Peninsula has more species
of plants here per hectare than any other area of the world.
Magnificent highways, warm, friendly, vibrant rainbow people! The world's most progressive Constitution; Kreepy Kraulies - a South African invention - Mrs Ball's chutney and biltong. The world's best looking population.
"For every guy who holds up a gun, there are 99 who hold out a hand of friendship" - Dennis Beckett, journalist.
This is something I've never done, but after reading this, all I ask from you is to send this on, to your friends, family and others. Let us in this way deal with our negatives and let us try to be positive. By being
positive we can continue to go far in life and we can all strive for a better and more positive life and country.
Regards to you all, peace, and positive thinking - that's the way to go!
- Extract from an article by Guy Lundy, think I mentioned this to you sometime last year or the year before because I went to a breakfast where he was the guest speaker

Birthdays
8th Bro Kwaku, Bibi H, Mr Degbor

That’s me for the week, maximum respect as always

Y