The Zulu ethnic group was created by Tshaka at the beginning of the 19th century. What existed before him was an insignificant Zulu clan which was part of the Nguni tribal complex in Northern Natal. But as a result of the resourcefulness of Tshaka, the little Zulu clan swallowed up all major Nguni people in the area and became the strongest. Those that it did not swallow up ran away beyond the reach of the Zulu army. The political and military father of Tshaka was Dingiswayo, the chief of the Mthethwa ethnic group in Northern Natal. The Tsonga near Delagoa Bay established trading links with the Portuguese operating through the port of Maputo. These Portuguese traders wre interested [...]

WHEN my big old Dell XPS laptop died a horrible death, after I jammed a knife in to the motherboard whilst trying to get the damn thing open (yes, I know, what was I thinking), I needed a replacement that could handle high-end editing software, top quality games and an appeal that would have my fellow computer enthusiasts asking after it. Hours of research later, overly serious discussions (with those same enthusiasts) and after plenty of ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’, I decided to pick up a Lenovo y510p: a laptop that easily beats off the competition as far as value for money is concerned. It has been great so far, with its slim and light-weight design (for a gaming [...]

As a solo female Indian traveller, I have had the chance to explore some of India’s best locations in the last one year. When it comes to women, India is almost always dreaded as an unsafe country and I won’t argue much on it given the recent happenings. However, I strongly vouch for precautions and smart travel when it comes to women. One such city in India, where men and women both co-exist as peacefully and safely as any other city in the world, is Varanasi.

Varanasi, also known as Banaras, Kashi, the land of Gods, was my last stop in the 6-month itinerary I had planned. As a frequent traveller, I do not have the liberty to comply with the weather forecasts and [...]

When I began reading Jim Beaver’s “Life’s That Way,” I hadn’t intended to review the book. I couldn’t picture possibly reviewing or criticizing a work that had been written under such circumstances. But upon finishing the book, it quickly became evident that I absolutely had to write a review.

“Life’s That Way” is the compilation of a series of emails Beaver wrote over the course of a year. That fact itself is unimpressive until one learns that Beaver wrote those emails to keep his friends and family informed of the developments as his wife, Cecelia, battled lung cancer and his then two year-old daughter, Maddie, underwent therapy for her recent autism diagnosis. Most emails [...]