Earth Tremor

Today I felt an earth tremor. I first heard this rumbling sound - like thunder in the far distance. Next thing I felt the tremor and even my windows rattled! Immediately the song "If the World was ending" came to mind. It got me thinking. We have never had a major earthquake here in South Africa. What would I do if ever there was one? Scary thought. I would rather not dwell on it. Nope. Let me not even go there!! Update: After some research it turns out it was an earthquake. It measured 3.50 on the Richter scale.

Onai (To See)

Onai is a musical work about persevering through hardships. The message herein is that life is a struggle littered with hills and valleys that can only be navigated by focused resolute individuals, absent of slothfulness. Onai also underlines the importance of offering gratitude to God for the little that we have. In Shona (African language) Onai means "to see" or "behold".

Freelance Virtual Administrative Personal Assistant

As the corona virus ravages through communities globally. It has caused great moves to play out in the market and individuals have been taking advantage of this. Our lifestyles and more, will, and, have changed. 

Crisis moments present opportunity, more sophisticated and flexible use of technology. Unfortunately, those without easy access to broadband will be further disadvantaged. The paradox of online communication will be ratcheted up. It creates more distance, yes, but also more connection, as we communicate more often with people who are physically farther and farther away. The COVID-19 crisis has already forced people back to accepting that expertise matters. People are finding new ways to connect and support each other in adversity. COVID-19 will sweep away many of the artificial barriers to moving more of our lives online. Especially now with so many that have lost their jobs as a result of companies closing. Many companies cannot afford to keep their full staff on in various departments. 

Not everything can become virtual, of course. While not every job can be done remotely, many people are learning that the difference between having to put on a tie and commute for an hour or working efficiently at home was always just the ability to download one or two apps plus permission from their boss. In other words, it turns out, an awful lot of meetings really could have been an email. And now they will be.

This was a time for me at looking within and asking: “What can I authentically offer? I have a life, a history. What do people need?” I have experience in a variety of categories that I am able to offer online. I had to reinvent the wheel so to speak. I am now offering my services to any Corporate entity, or individual Business owner, anywhere across the globe. I am offering my services as a Freelance Virtual Administrative Personal Assistant. Virtual Reality allows us to have the experiences we want even if we have to be isolated, quarantined or alone.

I will be your Virtual Administrative Personal Assistant

Over 15 years professional experience in an Administrative Personal Assistant capacity providing support and assistance to both a single department and multiple individuals throughout a company.

A comprehensive working knowledge of various computer applications including MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Wordpress.

An independent worker who uses her initiative and organizational skills to get the job done.

My expertise includes:

• Drafting any correspondence, emails and agreements
• Proofreading and editing
• Translation from German to English, or Afrikaans to English, or English to Afrikaans – my written German is not that great and therefore do not want to disappoint by translating anything INTO German. I can translate FROM German into English.

See the services I offer within my profile with price options on the link below. I no longer offer these services (updated 3 November 2021).

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The Pandemic On My Life

I sit in deep thought and give one big sigh. I question "why" and "how". I reflect. I get angry. Who do I blame for this upheaval in my life? I ask myself: "Where to from here?" This pandemic has wreaked havoc on my plans, my goals and my dreams. It has isolated me from friends, family and neighbours. I long for the friendly, and sometimes biting banter between my family, as we enjoy a meal or coffee and cake together. 

How long will this last? Will I still achieve my goals and dreams? I wish I could see a “light at the end of the tunnel” – a tunnel that at this moment appears without end. I feel like I am stuck in a circle! The angst I feel feeds an intense desire for certainty. This pandemic has pulled the rug from under my feet! The seeds I had planted are now frozen. The result of that, well, I had to reinvent the wheel, so to speak. It took some time, but time was endlessly available, thanks to being "house bound". This was no time for complex deliberations. 

Another consequence of the pandemic, a positive at least, has increased my sociability and has boosted my appreciation of my family and friends, and even a yearning for warmth and comfort, the realisation that we cannot hack it alone. The pandemic has altered who I am and how I relate to people and the world. I suspect many people will look back and see this as a time when things changed in their lives. I heard this song and it could not be more apt to dealing with the pandemic right now, and with us having a "strawberry full moon" eclipse right now.

Mother's Day

My Mother kept a garden, a garden of the heart. She planted all the good things that gave my life its start. She turned me to the sunshine and encouraged me to dream. Fostering and nurturing the seeds of self-esteem. And when the winds and rain came, she protected me enough. But not too much because she knew I’d need to stand up strong and tough. Her constant good example always taught me right from wrong. Markers for my pathway that will last a lifetime long. I am my Mother’s garden. I am her legacy. And I hope today she feels in heaven, the love reflected back from me. Wishing all my friends and family a Happy Mother's day! 💜💝🍀

Subconsciously

Subconsciously, she wonders What it's like to be in love She wants to be his everything But a pride relents too much [Chorus: Sabrina Claudio] In another lifetime, she'll lose control And she'll give it all and leave room to grow In another lifetime, she'll be more at ease And then, finally, admit I am she [Post-Chorus: Sabrina Claudio] She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready, yeah She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready, yeah She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready, yeah She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready (Give her a moment) She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready (And she'll set herself free) She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready (When she is ready) She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready (I know 'cause she's me, oh) She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready [Verse 2: Sabrina Claudio] Subconsciously, she wonders How it feels to give herself up She died to be the one he needs But his dependence is overdone [Chorus: Sabrina Claudio] In another lifetime, she'll lose control And she'll give it all and leave room to grow In another lifetime, she'll be more at ease And then, finally, admit I am she [Post-Chorus: Sabrina Claudio] She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready, yeah She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready, yeah She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready, yeah She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready (Give her a moment) She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready (And she'll set herself free) She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready (When she is ready) She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready (I know 'cause she's me, oh) She'll love when she's ready She'll love when she's ready [Outro: Sabrina Claudio] Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm

Literally And Figuritively Drained

This past week I was literally and figuritively DRAINED 😒. Sunday I started feeling strange. Loss of appetite already told me something is wrong. I usually eat supper latest 19:30. The way I felt reminded me of the time I had double pneumonia a few years ago. I eventually only got hungry at 10 on Sunday night. During the course of the night I had a high temperature. Monday morning got up. Felt bleh..I just couldn't keep my eyes open! Then the chills started. I crawled back into bed. I slept until after 11. Got up. Was hungry, ate my muesli. Next thing I have to run...cos I have the runs! So now I google symptoms. Alarm bells and panic sets in. Well, I have to ride it out. I have mild symptoms. No cough. No shortness of breath. I can breathe fine. As the day goes on I feel better. Even ate supper. During the night things change again. Temperature so high that I need to get up and keep my face in cold water. Morning comes I need to get up quickly. I barely make it. It's just water!! This carries on til mid morning. Then I start feeling better again but no energy. Tuesday night hardly ate. During the night have to change PJ's twice as they are drenched with perspiration. In the morning I barely get to the loo. Still water! I feel so weak. Back to bed. It was crazy how it came in waves. When I spoke to Rita or Jason or Sharon on the phone it sounded like I was dying. Yet when I spoke to Angie or Karin or Fazila, I sounded normal. Wednesday the stomach cramps started. No matter what I ate...it went straight through! I was going to phone the Doctor later on Wednesday but then felt fine again. Wednesday after I had showered and washed my hair, I took the hairdryer and blasted the hot air around my nose. I remembered seeing a video somewhere where some chinese doctor recommended doing this if you thought you were infected. Yeah I know...I ONLY started coughing when I pulled that stunt!!! Did I curse that chinese doctor from a dizzy height in my mind!! Anyways, Wednesday night I even cooked up some homemade chicken soup. It was delicious! And then bam...that night was my worst ever in terms of drenched PJ's...chills and cramps. Thursday morning I never made it to the loo...I called my Doctor that morning!! Now a different procedure. If you suspect you are infected you can't just make an appointment. The doctor calls you to assess you first. Which my Doctor did. He asked me my symptoms. Asked me to breathe deep, in and out, through my nose, then again through my mouth, to establish a dry cough. The cough I developed from the hairdryer stunt had disappeared. I told my doc about that and he said it's all BS. Anyways, he said it does not sound like I have been infected with cv19 but that I do have a bacterial diarohea which is doing the rounds. He suggested I come for a blood test and if it does not show as this germ that he suspects, then he would do the cv test on the weekend. In my state as I lock the house I realise I have locked my house keys in the house!!! Panic stations at first until I "think" again. Right, call the landlord for the spare keys. Sorted. Had the blood test. My doctor said he would call later with the results. He only called Friday morning. So its a bacterial diarohea that I have. He is concerned that my illness rate for this (he called it Cp something or other. This test can tell how ill you actually are) is very high at 60% and says I need to get the antibiotics asap as well as something called smecta which binds the stomach and a probiotic. So as soon as I got the script I raced off to get the meds, like a child able to spend money on sweets!! So far so good. The doc and I still joked when he asked my email adress...I said its marina2...but after this week there's only one of us sitting on the couch!! 😂😂😂 Today is Monday. I am slowly but surely getting better! I am still battling to get my energy back, but hey, after a frigging week of hell...that should be understandable!