Table wiith old books and tealight on cloth. Spectacles lying on open book in front.

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Where Words Take Us – Gewaarwording

You are aware, I hope, that every language has certain words which are just so precisely descriptive that you know exactly what they mean, even if it’s a very abstract concept. One such English word is ‘mind’. We just don’t have an Afrikaans equivalent for it that encompasses the concept in its entirety. Bur today, I’ll show you one such word in Afrikaans.

With thanks to Adam Nieścioruk from Unsplash for the feature image. https://unsplash.com/s/photos/adam-niescioruk

Helene vd Westhuizen 19th Nov 2020 8 Comments

Lizard on rock with whit, orange and blue blown-up throat

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Where Words Take Us – Throat

Although no human can hope to have such a display of splendour at the throat, our own throats are pretty spectacular. A silent air-traffic controller without which we would simply stop breathing.

Helene vd Westhuizen 6th Nov 2020 6 Comments

Msasa Trees in the Miombo Woodland with their spring leaves

Helene van der Westhuizen

Where Words Take Us – Miombo

The Miombo Woodlands is spread across southern-central Africa like a green sash. It has a truly special way in which to herald the start of the rainy season. With thanks to Meg Coates Palgrave who kindly provided the feature photograph.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/person-display.php?person_id=14

Helene vd Westhuizen 23rd Oct 2020 No Comments

Honeybee gathering pollen and nectar from a white flower.

Helene van der Westhuizen

Where Words Take Us – Honeybee

The plight of the honeybees and how you can save them so they can save you.
With thanks to Johan du Toit for the feature photograph today. https://www.facebook.com/jdtcommunications

Helene vd Westhuizen 9th Oct 2020 7 Comments

Blooming Jacarandas lining a street in the late afternoon.

Columns

Where Words Take Us – October

October is still spring, if ever it is longer than ten minutes. It’s the month of the Jacarandas in Pretoria and the arum lilies in the Western Cape. It’s the month that inspires the arts. Dis die mooiste mooiste maand.
With thanks to Sam J Basch for the image of the Jacarandas https://koisan.co.za/

Helene vd Westhuizen 2nd Oct 2020 8 Comments

Three Copper Symbols arranged diagonally from top left to bottom right on Bundles of Copper Wire

Helene van der Westhuizen

Where Words Take Us – Copper

Copper has shaped the human story since the Neolithic Period. It is shaping our lives today. Are we able to sustain its availability tomorrow if we allow the demand to jump with 250% in about 50 years? We have electric vehicles on the up and up. You do the maths.
Photo Credits: Łukasz Klepaczewski (Background Wires) https://pixabay.com/users/disign-304935/
Copper Symbol: Skylnt https://pnghut.com/user/Skylnt/2

Helene vd Westhuizen 21st Sep 2020 2 Comments

Helene van der Westhuizen

Where Words Take Us – Kerb

To have been at the spot where the Dublin part of this week’s column took place, to have passed that corner on a weekly basis, seems unreal and dreamlike as I look out the study window into the garden, back in South Africa, where the hadedas are having a field day with whatever they’re mining from the lawn.

Helene vd Westhuizen 7th Sep 2020 10 Comments

Helene van der Westhuizen

Where Words Take Us – Ballet

Breaking the rules and changing history, Kitty Phetla entered the western-centric world of ballet. She’s too tall, she’s a proud black South African, and she’s forever changed the stereotypical image of Pavlova’s famous Dying Swan.

Helene vd Westhuizen 28th Aug 2020 4 Comments

Photograph of Wangari Maathai in blue traditional dress

Helene van der Westhuizen

Where Words Take Us – Herstory

This week’s word, herstory, takes us to meet an extraordinary woman from Kenya who changed the collective mind of her country towards the environment and lifted them out of poverty at the same time.

Helene vd Westhuizen 24th Aug 2020 8 Comments

Google Images of paintings to Illustrate the artform most prevalent in people's minds.

Helene van der Westhuizen

Where Words Take Us – Creation

Where does the word creation lead us if we look wider than the traditional concept of art and painting? We enter the worlds of Mary Anderson, Melitta Bentz and Elizabeth Magie. Have you ever heard of them? You will score bonus points if you know what they had in common.

Helene vd Westhuizen 16th Aug 2020 6 Comments

Helene van der Westhuizen

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