Innholdsfortegnelse for 6/4/2020 i Drum English

What if your problem is simply a lack of motivation? It may not be as serious as depression but it can still affect your daily functioning and therefore should be addressed. The first step is realising and admitting you have a problem, says Limpopo-based life coach Lifi Thlaki. “Begin to notice what I call ‘physiological disturbances’. This is when your jaw tightens, your stomach is tied in knots, your energy is drained or you feel symptoms of tension or stress. These are all indicators of low motivation,” he says. “The more mindful you are, the more opportunity you have to shift to an optimal motivational outlook. Motivation is a skill. You can learn to experience high-quality motivation any time and any place you choose.” Thlaki says if you’re not motivated,…

TAKE a look at that old guy – he’s picking up papers for a living. I’ll never stoop to that,” Thato said with contempt, as he munched on his ice cream. “Hey, check this out,” Lawzi exclaimed before wandering up to the old man and dropping his ice-cream wrapper on the pavement as if nothing was wrong. The old man watched, but he said nothing. He breathed a heavy sigh of disappointment and then picked up the paper. “Guys, I don’t think what you’re doing is okay,” Thuso said, feeling embarrassed by his friends’ behaviour. “Leave the old guy alone. What’s he ever done to bother you?” His friends just laughed, but at least Thuso felt he’d done the right thing by speaking out. That afternoon, Thuso sat waiting for…

Match the shadow Complete the picture Bird words Unscramble the letters to reveal the names of 10 birds. Find 12 differences Animal puzzles 1 Complete the grid by filling in the names of all the animals. When you’re done, you’ll discover the name of another animal in the shaded blocks. 2 The words from the puzzle above are all hidden in the grid below – horizontally or vertically, backwards or forwards. Find and circle them. 3 Fill in the blanks using the uncircled letters in the grid above. Start top left and work through it row by row. You’ll discover a proverb. What do you think it means? A proverb is a short sentence that people often quote, which gives advice or tells you something about life. Do you know…

WHAT DO YOU KNOW? Take our quick quiz 1 Former Idols SA contestants Viggy and Virginia Qwabe recently showed off their new…? A AudiB JeepC Mercedes-BenzD BMW 2 Which province has the most confirmed cases of Covid-19? A GautengB Eastern CapeC Western CapeD Limpopo 3 Which symbol is associated with the Ancient Egyptian god Ra? A IbisB ScarabC CatD Hippo 4 Leaders of the Gabola Church were recently arrested for…? A Breaking lockdown rulesB Drunk drivingC EmbezzlementD Public indecency 5 The era in the United States when it was illegal to sell alcoholic beverages was known as…? A LockdownB ProhibitionC The Great DepressionD The Purge 6 During peak production, how many eggs can a queen bee lay per day? A 500B 1 500C 2 000D 3 000 7 Which country does…

HE’S STILL GOT IT WHILE we’ve become BFFs with our fridges, MIKE TYSON (53) has not slowed down with his workouts, showing off his enviable six-pack abs and rocksolid pecs and biceps on Chinese social-media site Weibo. Mike, who retired as undisputed world heavyweight champion in 2005, started dabbling in acting and getting into the dagga business. But now he seems to be gearing up for greatness again. After admitting last year that he’d quit working out altogether, he’s clearly been hitting the gym in preparation for a charity exhibition fight he’s planning. He’s hoping to battle Evander Holyfield, but whoever gets in the ring with him had better start picking up the weights quickly too. PAY UP, KENDALL KENDALL JENNER has been ordered to cough up $90 000 (R1,6…

Former Idols SA contestants Viggy and Virginia Qwabe treated themselves to a new BMW. DRUM readers had their say. I remember when they were on Idols, the majority of viewers used to criticise them for not having talent and they used to say these twins are “ugly, disgusting and can’t sing”, as if they were more talented. Today they are rich and successful – well done. To those who criticised them: where is your fancy home, your cars, beauty or talent? TMK MAKAZI I love the twins’ bond, and for some reason I see them marrying the same guy! MOLEBOHENG NTATOLE Congratulations to them, but can they drive? MPHO SIGASA Do they use the same driver’s licence? I would do that if I had a twin, no point in having…

SOMETIMES all the bad news about the coronavirus pandemic can be quite overwhelming. Spiralling infection rates and death tolls, massive job losses and people facing starvation, shortages of medical equipment…how will we ever win the fight against the virus? But history also teaches us that crises bring out the best in people. In times of great need, we make a plan. And in this area, South Africans aren’t standing back and waiting for other countries to take the lead. With a heady mix of innovative ideas and technology, local bright sparks have already come up with new ways to resist the onslaught of Covid-19. They’re making things a bit easier for care workers serving on the frontline as well as ordinary people whose lives have been totally disrupted by the…

VISITING a clinic is, at the best of times, a harrowing experience for many South Africans. There are the long queues of shivering people who have to huddle together on dark and chilly winter mornings, waiting to collect their medication from clinics, or to see healthcare workers. There’s the anxiety about getting to work late, or discovering medication isn’t available. But now, for many people, clinic visits have become a matter of life or death. Yvonne Mnisi* is one of them. She’s HIV-positive and needs to collect her ARVs, but she’s terrified of becoming infected with Covid-19. Some clinics have come up with innovative yet simple ways to ensure social distancing and to speed up the dispensing of medicine, but at others the throng of patients is no different than…

IF THERE’S one thing lockdown has forced most of us to do it’s to slow down. You might still be busy with home schooling, cooking and cleaning, but that frenetic rushing around is just not happening anymore. You’re no longer dashing between home and school, work and extramural activities, gym and doctors’ appointments. We’ve unexpectedly been thrown into the Dutch practice of niksen. Put simply, niksen is the art of doing nothing – or of doing something without a sense of purpose, such as staring out the window or listening to music. It sounds simple, but for many of us who are used to ticking off lists and achieving goals, niksen can be a challenge. Yet lockdown is the perfect opportunity to learn to do it and to reap the…

RIVERS usually flow into another body of water such as an ocean, a lake or another river. Sometimes as the water nears the mouth of the river, its flow slows down enough so that the sediment – solid materials such as sand and stones – that had been carried in the currents settles on the riverbed. This build-up of sediment causes the river to branch out into several shallower streams flowing around the sediment (or sandbanks). Eventually, the sediment forms land masses on which grasslands or wetlands can form. This is a river delta. In rare cases, a river flows out onto a plain instead of into another body of water. The Okavango Delta in north-western Botswana is one of these rare deltas. The Okavango River never reaches another body…

WORDSEARCH NO. 435 HOW TO DO IT Find a word, circle its letters and cross it off the list. Words might be forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonal but are in a straight line, never skipping letters. Some letters are used more than once. Tick the small box next to a word as you find it in the jumble. A diagonal line between words indicates they can be found separately in the grid. SOLUTION TO PICTURE PUZZLE NO.1285 PICTURE PUZZLE NO. 1285 KEYWORD Clue: These are small round seeds eaten as a grain. Answer: Quinoa. WINNER This lucky reader has won R500: Mpesi Elephant of Leondale. SUDOKU NO. 135 SOLUTION NO. 134 HOW TO PLAY The Sudoku puzzle is a grid, divided into nine columns up and down, nine rows…

AT FIRST it was a novelty. Lockdown meant no more getting dressed up, tackling traffic and settling down in an office that’s either too hot or too cold. Working from home meant you could slouch around on the sofa in your pyjamas while getting your work done faster. But fast-forward a few weeks and your back aches, you’re irritable because you’re constantly being interrupted by family members and it looks as if this work-from-home business is going to continue for the foreseeable future as the pandemic is going nowhere. It’s time to get serious about setting up a healthy workspace. Here’s what you need to know. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Ideally you need a dedicated room to work in, preferably one you can close the door on at the end of…

THE crowd roars, but their mouths aren’t moving. In fact, the football fans in their colourful supporters’ gear, holding flags and posters, aren’t moving any parts of their bodies. It’s hard to imagine but this may well be the future of football. Bundesliga and K League matches resumed in Germany and South Korea in May, but it’s been far from business as usual for the world’s most popular sport. Recordings of audiences cheering echo through near-empty stadiums where sparsely populated seats are filled with cardboard cut-outs and mannequins dressed like fans. On the pitch, there’s just a skeleton support staff for each team. Coaches wear facemasks, as do the players when they come off the field, and spitting and nose-blowing are banned. As other European leagues cautiously prepare to resume…

THE name has a definite ring to it. For some South Africans, the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) conjures up reassuring images of South Africa’s leaders sitting around a table, trying to come up with a strategy to wage war on the virus. Yet others are agitated that a handful of people have so much power to make decisions as the coronavirus crisis rages on. Everything from the rules of lockdown to how they’ll be enforced are decided by the NCCC, and it’s a body powerful enough to sway President Cyril Ramaphosa, as it did after he announced tobacco would be sold during lockdown level 4. So who exactly is on this council that led to the about-turn on the tobacco ban? Who are the individuals driving decisions about how…

POOR PERFORMERS DONALD TRUMP (73) The American president has been handling the crisis badly, by most accounts. The US has more than 1,5 million confirmed coronavirus cases, with a death toll of over 90 000 – the highest in the world. Trump was slow to enforce a lockdown and quick to push for reopening the economy. He’s been blasted by scientists, medics and other world leaders. Even former president Barack Obama said the US government’s response has been “an absolute chaotic disaster”. From the outset, Trump downplayed the danger of the virus, reassuring Americans “it’s something we have tremendous control over”. He’s gone from denial to blame to suggesting household disinfectant as a treatment to touting an anti-malaria drug as a cure, all against the advice of experts. JOHN MAGUFULI…

YOUR skin often takes a bit of hammering as we slide into winter, and can get dry, patchy and even flaky. That golden rule of skincare – moisturise, moisturise, moisturise – is more important than ever. But it’s also vital to know what type of hydration is best for your skin. Prepping your skin is essential for both face and body. Here’s how. Oily/combination skin Choose products that contain salicylic acid for a deep cleanse. Facial and body brushes can be used to exfoliate skin but be gentle and don’t use an exfoliating product if you’re using a brush – this will be too harsh on your skin. Quench it The skin on your face is thinner than the skin on the rest of your body, which is why your…

WITH billions of people around the world experiencing some sort of restriction on their freedom, we’re conducting what the World Economic Forum has called “the largest psychological experiment ever”. Apart from the long-lasting financial impact, the Swiss-based think-tank warns of a serious mental-health problem after we’ve been released from lockdown. “We can expect to see a secondary epidemic of burnouts and stress-related absenteeism in the latter half of 2020,” it says. Even before our lockdown, a recent review of 24 studies published in The Lancet journal on the psychological impact of quarantine found those people were very likely to develop a wide range of symptoms of psychological stress and disorder. These include low mood, stress, insomnia, anxiety, anger, irritability, emotional exhaustion, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms. So, it’s not surprising…

It sounds easy and the benefits sound great, but niksen can be tough for some of us to do – even for five minutes at a time. It’s simply because we’re not used to it and because we feel like we should be doing something, says Samantha Taylor, founder of The Nurture Project. “There’s a guilt associated with being unproductive,” she says. “It can make us feel anxious. Our brains are so used to being entertained or distracted that it doesn’t feel right to do nothing.” Lockdown gives us the perfect opportunity to practise. If the idea of doing absolutely nothing fills you with terror, try a relaxing activity without any purpose for the same psychological effect. Some ideas include: * Listening to music * Staring out the window *…

IN UNCERTAIN times it pays to have insurance. Since lockdown began, insurers have experienced an increase in calls from policy holders. Some are worried about what will happen if they can no longer afford their monthly premiums. Yet despite the pressure on finances, more clients are taking out extra cover in light of the pandemic, says Schalk Malan, head of BrightRock insurance. We look at six of the most common concerns raised by policyholders. 1 CAN I CLAIM AND APPLY FOR COVER DURING LOCKDOWN? Yes, life insurance is considered an essential service. You can claim or apply directly on the insurance company’s website, telephonically or via a financial adviser. When you apply for a policy, medical tests are often required. Insurers are postponing these requirements because doctors and nurses currently have…

WATCH THIS SERIES Ready for upload Andy Allo is an “angel” in this new sci-fi comedy THE SHOW Set in the near future, Upload is about an app developer, Nathan, who is injured in a car crash. His consciousness is uploaded to Lakeview, a virtual “heaven”, styled like an old-fashioned American hotel. Cameroonian artist Andy Allo plays Nora, a customer service agent, or “angel” assigned to look after him. TRIPLE THREAT The 31-year-old singer, songwriter and actress has worked with Prince, who produced her 2012 album, Superconductor. Andy also performed with the late singer and his band, New Power Generation, before his death in 2016. As an actress, she’s also starred in the TV series Chicago Fire, The Game and Black Lightning, and on the big screen in Pitch Perfect…

THE zebra with its distinctive markings is one of the most beautiful creatures in nature. Its coat has been copied by fashion designers, and in some countries pedestrian crossings are called zebra crossings because of the black-and-white stripes. But this horse-like mammal is more than just a pretty coat. It’s also the national animal of Botswana, where it can be seen in the Okavango Delta among other places. Let’s learn more about it. THREATS AND FAMILY PROTECTION The zebra is vulnerable to predators such as lions, hyenas, leo-pards and cheetahs. It uses its speed to get away, but if cornered, a herd of zebras will work together to drive off predators, especially if one of the group is injured. The other zebras will then circle it to protect it. The…

‘It makes us very happy that we can be helpful, especially to older people’ HE WATCHED the snaking queue of elderly people with a heavy heart. After standing in line for hours, they made their way home, arms laden with carrier bags. Like many in the impoverished township of Olievenhoutbosch in Centurion, Gauteng, Thulasizwe Ntshangase had been queuing at a local school for food parcels. “I had gone to collect food for me and my grandmother, and there were long queues,” he recalls. “While I was waiting, I saw how people who had received their food parcels were struggling to carry them. Especially the old people because these parcels are quite heavy. “I thought to myself, ‘Even if they did organise transport, it was going to cost them an arm…