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October 2026 Issue 9 Volume 1
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Keys To My Dream Home
I bought a $13 enamel keychain when I lived off of tips and came home smelling like eggs and toilet cleaner. A time when each frivolous iced latte sank like a stone in my gut. “KEYS TO MY DREAM HOME,” the keychain says, full of coy confidence. I was living at my parents’ house when…
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Pens And Planners Are More Than Vibes and Aesthetics
How I’m intentionally navigating life post-healing, including being purposeful in planning and no longer subscribing to performative-based lifestyles. I’m a planner. I love using my glitter pens and writing in my floral planner. Detailing the things I have placed on a daily to-do list-while also using an alarming amount of sticky notes-brings me joy the…
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Eat Cake
It was my cousin’s eighteenth birthday and my wedding day. Hustle and bustle, moving in every direction, my mind a jumbled mess. The ceremony was a formality, that’s all, I told myself. Go through the motions – the church, the exchange of vows and rings, rice-throwing, and exit to the reception via the sleek, shiny…
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Bench
It was that time of year. I always had to return to the bench, partly to pay my respects, but mostly just to remember. I couldn’t believe that six years had passed already; the days are long, but the years are short. I took great interest in watching the sunset as often as I could;…
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A Glimpse To 2030
Inside my one-bedroom flat, gazing at life from a distance. My eyes pop out because of disbelief, and my jaw drops because of amazement. Year 2030 looks like a year that’s not from planet Earth. Almost everything is artificial and unbelievable in 2030. Starting from how people look with too much makeup, Brazilian Butt Lifts,…
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What’s Bugging You?
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is my response to one of the most interesting writing prompts I’ve ever responded to: “An exterminator is called to a house for an infestation of memories. These memories are nested in the walls, chewing through the floorboards, and leaving droppings of half-forgotten faces everywhere. The exterminator gets to work…” ——– Carl…
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The Reed Dance Festival
The Reed Dance Festival, known as Umkhosi woMhlanga in Zulu or Umhlanga in Eswatini, is a major annual cultural event held in late August or September. Tens of thousands of unmarried, childless young women gather to celebrate womanhood, preserve traditional values, and present cut reeds to the royal family. Key Traditions and Meaning of the…
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Portsmouth, UK: A Place You Will Want To Visit And Stay
Portsmouth, England, UK. It is located on the South Coast of England in Hampshire. Portsmouth is the country’s only island city, with miles of beautiful waterfront to explore and see. There are world-class visitor attractions that include waterfront shopping, a rich calendar of events, and a fascinating history to discover. A 4-night, 5-day holiday turned…
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Get the Kids Outside! The Case for Outdoor Education
Summer has come to an end, and kids are going back to school, where they will spend most of their time inside. After a full day of staring at Smart Boards and computer screens, many will then turn to their phones and video games. Very few will venture outdoors, let alone play outside until the…
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Making Friends When There’s No Expat Bubble
How people living without a ready-made foreign community find their way into local life There is a version of this story you have heard before. A newcomer arrives somewhere with a decent-sized foreign contingent already in place, finds the Facebook group within a week, and is at a quiz night by the fortnight. It is…
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Siwaphiwe
Gifted not lent Yet I feel like a liability to the world My soul feels borrowed And my mom? I feel like I owe For much more than I can count “We are given A gift more bitter than limonin While its purpose is greater than insulin and Ritalin” Every time those words fall from…
