Posted on by sipokazinyeleka

That’s my line

Since I began my postgraduate research — trials at Mariendahl and ultimately lab analysis — I have found a new appreciation for the weekend, a sincere one. Like most aspiring academics, I use weekends to catch up on work, yes. But Chido (my roommate who happens to love the weekend) always says, “God

Chido and I when we are not movie watching

was not a fool when he created the weekend.” What do I do at the farm on the weekend? I watch movies. Well… only sometimes when work is slow — ok… most of the time. So I thought I should share movie lines that have become so significant to me that I sometimes use them to express how I feel. Therefore, behold, my borrowed wisdom:

1. “Petition the courts if you must, but do something about it and stop complaining” (Hidden Figures)
The excitement I had about my analysis died a sudden death on

My best friend , EXY

the first day of fat analysis. On this day I mixed up my samples, spent the whole day weighing and shaking the wrong samples (I died inside upon this realization). Anyway, by the end of the first day I remember calling Sesetu (Twin) and Xatyiswa (BFF) and sharing with them my not-so-pleasant experience and they, being such go-getters, referred me to the movie where I head this revolutionary line. You see the thing about these two people is that they don’t allow themselves and me to wallow in self-pity for more than a minute. To them an entire day of self-pity is equivalent to suicide. Self-pity and complaining is the death of action. The line caught my attention like a hook on the right cheek — so much that I paused the movie and started packing my bag for round two of the match against lab work.

Sethu and I
Spot the difference…

2. Sometimes the place you’re in is not where you belong (Queen of Katwe)
Three weeks in the lab and my arms were painful, the milling machine was broken and the horror of all horrors was that the fiber analysis results were not making sense (another death). So during that weekend I did what I do to get back in the game; I gave myself another movie fix. Ironically when I heard this one I was reassured that I should just walk away from it all (Laughs), and my tired self was quick to conclude, “It’s so true, I don’t belong in that lab anymore” (Laughing very hard). Eventually I came to my senses, I mean it’s not every day the machine will just breakdown and analysis results will have to be re-done. So then I reminded myself that for the duration of the analysis, I belonged in the lab in fact it was home, well for the most part of the day.

3. This is war gentleman, there are no rules (Think like a man, act like a lady)
It is strange how much a chicken trial is like war! No, not the blood, guns, and screaming. But in both there are rules of engagement and believe you me they ought to be mastered if one is to succeed. And in both you will still have disasters striking even when you do stick to the rules! I sometimes think about this line and I am reminded that in war, there are times to regroup and refocus because maybe the original plan isn’t working…. War definitely sounds like my experiments and lab work but I’m enjoying every bit of it.
4. You sir, you’re the boss, you just have to act like it ( Hidden figures)
This one is my absolute favorite and I’ll tell you why. It is spoken by a woman who in her work place had identified her obstacle (some guy who won’t acknowledge her work to her boss thus hindering her progress). To her it felt like her very existence and ultimately her purpose was being undermined and so she did what had to be done, or in this case said what should have been said. I also like it because it reminds me to decide I’m in control of my life — you know like I’m the boss and I should act like one. Standing up for yourself is never really easy but when it’s the only thing between you and what you really want then one must do it. So every now and then I always remind myself “Sipokazi, you’re the boss, you just have to act like it.”
There’s a quite a number of them I can quote and share but these ones are the most significant at this moment in my life. I hope the next time you face a weekend of work you will be reminded that sometimes it’s more constructive to watch an inspiring movie 😉

Posted on by Mathapelo Seopela

Building a cohesive world

“Dream,” by Mathapelo.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the 9th HOPE Meeting in Japan, with 110 delegates. This was quite an educational and exciting opportunity. Apart from learning about the culture and people of Tokyo, which included writing in Japanese, we had the chance to interact with Nobel Laureates. Through their unwavering consistency, these researchers achieved major scientific discoveries.

A Nobel Prize medal that belongs to Professor von Klitzing.

They, of course, gave us lectures on their Nobel winning work, but we were also given the opportunity, in small group sessions, to have discussions with the Laureates. These included their mindset, postgraduate journey, challenges and triumphs. They highlighted their need for consistently seeking knowledge, asking and answering questions differently, as well as resolving problems. They key driver to their success was the environment they were in at every stage of their lives.

The need to create relationships with people not only assisted them in growing as individuals, but also fostered their involvement in intercontinental research.

Team K

And we had the experience of true team-work and thinking with those who can challenge you. We we placed in teams, comprising exceptional doctoral and post-doctoral students from the Asian-African-Pacific regions. WOW!!! My passion was truly galvanized by this group of individuals. All teams arrived at similar conclusions: if we don’t work together, our progress as a world will be tainted. And, if we resolve mundane or even global problems, do the people who can use these solutions have access to them? We need to create platforms that ensure that science is not restricted to formal publications, but is distributed to societies through platforms they regularly have access to.

Photoshoot

Each delegate also had the opportunity to present their work. This was done in the form of a 60 second presentation and poster! If you haven’t done this before, you have no idea how hard it is to condense your life’s work into a single minute…The works covered ranged from chemistry to out of this world science (astronomy). I left the meeting feeling that the future is indeed bright in the hand of the young people I met there.

As we thrive to become individuals in a world full of pressures, in addition to inner drive, it is through the relationships we build that we are propelled into becoming better beings. Most of the idioms that carry us through the perils of life, mostly talk about giving rather than receiving. A Chinese adage I often reflect on speaks to “the life of a candle never getting shortened by giving light to another”. We cannot evolve as individuals and society without the aid of people that we come along in our path. On the whole, South Africa – at its best – is a true reflection of this example. Ubuntu: working together, encouraging each other and effectively bringing change to our world.