Nwana wa tshikolo...direct translation is 'My child of school'. I think white people refer to this as a 'Big Sister Program' and probably have a launch at the beginning of the year for these wonderful girls who take on younger girls to mentor. Well, to us, this was just a girl child you liked in school, they become your 'child' and often that makes them and their family and their family's family your family. You know how we like to make relatives everywhere. My mother's School Child is Abby; Mr Smith. He was there from before I was conceived so I was born and raised with Abby as my brother...so you know not to mess with me neh....ask,they'll tell you who my Banker Bro be.
Anyway, I have a couple of children of school...isshh,vhana vha tshikolo maan; and I'm very involved still in their lives. Zwanga is one of these.
Her mom loved me soooo much as I was growing up. This despite me being the prodigal daughter of the lokshin who smoked in public and didn't give a hoot. Zwanga's mother was there when I was growing up, we even took a vacation to Durban together. She was an amazing cook and taught Home Economics for the longest time. Naturally, being the strong character-ed person she was, there was NO way her baby was not gonna learn how to cook. Zwanga's mom passed a few years ago, but mos you know no one leaves before their time. She raised an amazing daughter who is rapidly climbing the career ladder with a very good (and gorgeous) head on her shoulders. She teaches Sunday school, is Communications and Marketing Officer for a big corporation finding missing children and organises fashion shows and all things fancy with Mercedes Benz Fashion Week people. Shiiiiine!(yes, I'm showing off my child....phela I stand and whoop and scold and set right and cry and whoop some more when needed hawu).
Anyway, Zwanga wrote the below piece. I love it! After the weight-loss I'm taking cooking lessons. There is absolutely nothing cool about not being able to cook. I'm certain even Victoria Beckham cooks even though they can afford to book out restaurants everyday of the week maan.
So girls who can't cook. So you think your husband and kids will eat take aways every day? Even if you have a maid. What happens if she is not there? Truth is, as girl you won't always be this pretty and you won't always be in the mood to have great sex. One day, cooking maybe the one thing that saves your marriage.
Growing up, my mom would always tell me " no one was born with the ability to cook, we all had to learn". Cooking is not rocket science. Its not a super power that only some are born with and some not. I think of it as something like writing and walking, its a skill that we are all capable of acquiring.
I'm not saying that we must all be Jamie Oliver but cooking is a skill that every woman should have. And at the end of the day if you still decide cooking aint your thing, there are lots of not too bad tasting "ready mix" products available for people just like you. So there is just no excuse for a girl who can't cook, none what so ever.
I find it funny how girls like to complain about how men of today don't do this and don't do that. They love to point out how "men of today don't even buy flowers". Maybe the men of today don't buy flowers and do all those cute little romantic things that we want because we can't cook like those women that got flowers. In my opinion, if we are going to kill tradition and be modern that's fine, just make sure we kill all of it and not just some of it. Don't cook = no flowers, plain and simple.
The other excuse that girls love is " but I don't have time to cook, I'm a working girl" my response to that is "Girl please!". Go to Makro, you will find blenders and food processors and other funky appliances that were created to make the life of working girl in the kitchen easier. Mccain even save you the time of chopping up veggies. So that I don't have time excuse won't fly.
Yes there is more to life and being a good girlfriend or wife than cooking. True! But cooking is also an important aspect that should not be ignored.
I often have this argument with my friends of whom most disagree with me about this whole cooking thing. I respect their "modern day girl" opinions and try my best not to impose my opinions on them. I was raised in a household where I was told that no amount of education and money will ever be able to make up for a girls inability to cook. No I'm not saying girls must not be educated, what I'm saying is "with that university degree and that 6 figured income, you must still be a woman".
And at the end of the day cooking is not even about keeping a man or whatever. Its about you and taking care of your body and loving yourself enough to eat healthy. Its about you knowing how food works so you don't one day raise obese babies.
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