GRAND THEFT AUTO IV, the newest version of the notoriously violence-soaked gaming series, arrived on the shelves of local gaming outlets on Tuesday. In the game, players are able to, among others, pick up prostitutes, beat them to death with a baseball bat, kill people in a variety of ways, steal cars and build their own drug empire. One of the game's writers told United States media that parents should not allow their children to play the game. If they do, he said, they are bad parents. The fact that South Africa is a violent society needs no debating. The possibility that pirate copies of the game will find their way into teenagers' hands is also a near-certain one. To what extent do such games merely imi?tate (hopefully minority) behaviours in society, and to what extent do they actually contribute to such behaviours? The question is as old as the TV screen itself ... Cartoonist - Gavin Thomson bluebeetle@xsinet.co.za http://www.littlebluebeetle.co.za/

Backchat with Nina - 6 May 08
Have you recently "poked" several random people in a matter of minutes?

Enjoy winter while it lasts
BRRR. It is that time of the year, when we once again have to prepare ourselves for the coming of the winter season.

Community radio: a missed opportunity
COMMUNITY RADIO in the Western Cape had the potential of epic proportions when the air waves were first freed by independent broadcasters in the early 1990s.

Backchat with Nina - 22 April08
After giving it some consideration, I have decided that we could all benefit from taking up surfing ? more importantly, so could our planet.

Living in Denial
DENIAL: a simple word with a deep meaning.

The whole Shabang-bang
"GUNS don't kill people, people kill people."

What are women worth?
I WAS at an utter loss for words the other day after being unexpectedly greeted by the sound of a piercing yelp.

Backchat with Nina - 15 April08
Through the research and information gathered over the years by biologists, scientists, researchers and adventurers, we have come to understand the ins and outs of animal behaviour.

Backchat with Nina - 8 April08
Not sure if you've heard the news yet, but in case you haven't, I thought I better warn you.

Journo Adjourned...
Have you ever done the taxi shake?

Belt tightening tips
IF I tighten my belt any more, I'm going to rearrange my organs and crush my spine!

Backchat with Nina - 25 March 08
Local can indeed be lekker... so why isn't it?

Would you like fries with that?
"Sunny side up or over easy?"

Misguided travellers
BLUE skies, calm and endless beaches, beautiful men falling at our feet, a tropical paradise... This is what we envisioned for our trip to Mozambique.

All's not fair in blood and gore
I IMAGINE that working in an abattoir must be the worst job in the world.

Backchat with Nina - 4 March 08
A WOMAN stands at the front door, hurrying to put her coat on. A man appears at the top of the stairs.

Feeling funny: African Time
WE'VE all heard of African Time. I like it. I have zero capacity for time management.

Time with Toyah... Setting examples 
IT IS believed over three quarters of South African learners feel unsafe at school, with children even going so far as taking knifes and guns to school just to protect themselves.

Backchat with Nina - 12 February '08
SO, here I am, another year older, hopefully a little wiser and feeling pretty positive about the year ahead.

Make every moment count
WE all have people in our lives we meet and sometimes wish we had not, just so we don't have to deal with certain issues that arise from the friendship.

Age of innocence lost on me
CRIMINAL intent, they say, only starts at 14 years old. According to the law your child, sibling or friend is a perfect little angel ? up until the eve of their 14th birthday.

The wicked nurse of the burbs
THE witch in the modern-day fairy tale must be the state nursing sister.

We'll do it OUR way...
FROM the corner of my eye, I catch sight of a single red rose.

So Retreat, talk to me - 5 Feb
"WHERE did I go wrong?"

Backchat with Nina - 5 February 08
SO the saying goes something along the lines of, "Up the creek without a paddle", but when you have Lilo, what on earth do you need a paddle for?

Time with Toyah - Power to the people
I HAVE always considered myself to be a very positive and optimistic person.

OFF THE CUFF - When darkness falls
BLACKOUTS, power outages, power cuts... these are words that we have become so accustomed to hearing ? and will be hearing a lot more often. But what does this mean to us?

Sushi, champagne and Shakespeare ? get your tongue around that
It was a night of mixed cultures all right. I can't think why I didn't do it sooner.

Backchat with Nina - 29 January
LAST week I teamed up with the office He-Man to bring you some "important" tips on how to pick up, impress and keep your man.

Age is nothing but a number
FOR the past few months, aging has become a serious issue in my life.

Time with Toyah - What were they thinking?
IT'S official! The verdict is in. And the South African government has given new meaning to the saying, "Sweet 16 and never been kissed".

Drugs: the ultimate serial killer
DRUG addiction has become such an epidemic.

High up on a mountain
WRITING the news is one thing. Being the news is something entirely different.

Life imitates B-grade art
FANCY yourself an organ donor? After what I just read, it's not for me!

Loud and clear with Adri - Not wed is not dead...
IT seems when you reach your roaring 20s, you are bound to face the prospect of having one of your friends tell you they're about to tie the knot.

Backchat with Nina - 22 January
AS a single woman, I often find it very hard to figure out exactly what I need to do or say to impress a man. Men and women are so different, it can often be overwhelming to figure each other out.

Backchat with Nina - 15 January
SO in true Backchat fashion, I welcomed the New Year with loud music, dancing, great friends, champagne, high heel shoes, a bit of bling and a brand new party dress!

Toyah talks... Resolve it
PAGING through last week's YOU magazine, I couldn't help but smile (and occasionally giggle) at some of Tinseltown's new year's resolutions for 2008.

Your life belongs to you
WELCOME to two thousand and great. They say it is going to be a great year.

Like, umshini wam , dude
WE'RE back! And man, what a holiday it's been.

The lighter side crime
'Twas the season to be robbed, for me, anyway. Not that I wasn't merry, mind you.

When days are dark...
WELCOME to a bright and new 2008! Well, then again, maybe not so bright.

Backchat with Nina - 11 December
ONCE upon a time, I used to be naive, innocent and even pure.

Bring back Christmas
WHAT an amazing week this has been.

Toyah talks... 11 Dec
WHAT is the difference between habit and addiction?

Monday, bloody Monday
MONDAYS are not called blue for no reason.

Disservice delivery
"WE wish you a black Christmas."

So Retreat, talk to me
ISN'T it sad how we take our bodies for granted?

'Tis the season to drop shopping?
IT'S about that time of year when the whole world goes a bit wonky.

Backchat with Nina - 4 December
EVERY now and then we are reminded how fragile life is ? whether it's in losing a loved one or holding a newborn in our arms, we are given a glimpse into this reality.

The scares and scars of life
LIFE is precious. I was reminded of this once again this past week.

Toyah talks... 4 December
SOMEONE once told me that the virtue of friends isn't finding the perfect person, but by loving the imperfect person perfectly.

So Retreat, talk to me
DEMOCRACY is a funny, fickle thing.

Keep it in the family
THE global community probably deserves a good pat on the back.

Backchat with Nina - 20 November
A VERY wise man (he paid me to call him that) told me a story the other day that was just so true and so fitting to our conversation.

How well do you hide Mr Hyde?
IMAGINE my disappointment when I recently found out the person I trusted more than anybody else turned out to be a bit of a fake.

Toyah talks... 20 November
A VERY special friend recently told me that "no-one can go back and make a brand new start, but anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending".

Be a man: Ask for help
THERE are many behavioural things I have come to accept from the opposite sex.

So Retreat, talk to me
SPRING is here, and everywhere I drive I see council workers grafting very hard to cut the grass that has grown wild over winter.

Bitter-sweet is the end of the road
FUNNY, isn't it, how at the tail end of the year your body feels something like it would the day after you were unexpectedly forced to do your bit in a three hour triathlon?

Backchat with Nina - 6 November
What do the people we associate with say about us?

Fear not the unknown
LAST week I was asked by the False Bay College to present a motivational talk to the matric learners at their valedictory.

Backs up, bottoms down and babies at bay
IT has only been a week since my last column, but as I sit and write before you, I feel I am a changed person.

Happy Van Hunks Day?
SOUTH AFRICANS have a strange habit of celebrating traditions that had absolutely nothing to do with us in the first place.

Live with your choices
I MET a few interesting characters last week. Unsavoury, to say the least, but interesting all the same.

So Retreat (women) talk to me
IS it just my imagination or are all the chairpersons of all the major organisations in Retreat men?

Money's too tight to mention
BEFORE you say that I'm whining, let me state up front that I realise there are people out there making a difference, and giving their all to do so.

What a wonderful world?
OUR resident wordsmith and sub-editor, ?Ilde, yesterday commented, while in the throes of a deadline, just how sick and tired she had become of having to read through and edit so many stories about death in the news queue this week.

Backchat with Nina - 30 October
I was very fortunate last week to find myself in possession of two rather hot tickets.

Time is precious, so live and love it!
WHEN I first heard that one of my brother's best friends (aka a brother from another mother) had been seriously injured in a hit-and-run motorbike accident, I was overwhelmed with a sense of anger.

Living la vida loca
PAMELA ANDERSON, Kate Hudson and Heather Locklear.

Hello summer, hello tourists
SUMMER has finally arrived and, inevitably, with it will come stinking, drinking, photo-snapping, loud, arrogant tourists.

Dare to be different or go home
HOW often don't we judge people only by appearance and persecute them for being different to what we're used to?

Backchat with Nina - 23 October
SO its the final minutes, everyone in the place waits with bated breath for the clock to stop.

Our blood runs green and gold
HOW proud we all were to be South African on Saturday evening...

A win for all!
GROWING up we are told that if you want your dreams to come true, you have to work hard.

'I saw a ship a-sailing...'
The wind in your hair and the water at your feet... there is a lot to be said for sailing.

Green blood, red faces
FIRSTLY, let it be known that I am no rugby fan. I don't see the point in watching men run around after one ball.

So Retreat, talk to me
BULLIES really make me angry.

No more tik, for the love of all gods
I'm tired of tik.

Sailing in the dock of the bay
YACHTING in Table Bay Harbour has always been somewhat of a fantasy of mine...

Backchat with Nina - 16 October
I MADE a decision this Sunday while wat?ching the Bokke whip the Pumas' cute behinds that Bryan Habana and Percy Montgomery are my two favourite people in the world! (Well, okay, just for this week.)

Cat nap? No, cat slap
SO, last week I spoke about my new kitten. Well, guess what? This week will be no different.

How does that song go again?
RUGBY WORLD CUP fever has hit the country in full force, and it was in good spirit that I switched over to Radio 2000 to listen to my first game for the season this Sunday.

Be a tourist in your city
BEING a Free Stater means I'm used to long stretches of nothingness on the road: The endless acres of land, rocks, lowveld plants and air.

Storytellers abound
EVERY community has a personality and Retreat, Steenberg, Lavender Hill and the Capricorn area are no exceptions.

The curious incident of the fainting dog
I love my dog. A little too much, says my husband when he comes to bed at night and Hamlet is snuggled under the duvet with me.

A new start, a new learning experience
THE alluring pulse of a new and unknown environment.

Backchat with Nina - 9 October
So there I was, minding my own business, having a pretty average weekend.

Of mice and women, chainsaws and madmen
WE all have our fears, mostly about crime, or being caught for a crime, as the case may be.

Scratching beneath the surface
IT is really a funny thing how not only human beings, but also animals need to feel comfortable and have a sense of belonging in order to be themselves.

Travelling without moving (far)
"TRAVEL is like adultery: One is always tempted to be unfaithful to one's own country. To have imagination is inevitably to be dissatisfied with where you live," mused American journalist Anatole Broyard.

Getting abreast of ourselves
WHAT makes a woman feminine?

So, Retreat, talk to me
MAKING my way back to Retreat has taken a very long time; an indirect meander of events that in retrospect looks so direct.

Backchat with Nina - 2 October
WITH all the hype on TV lately about South African Idols, there are a whole lot of hopefuls waiting to see if their dreams will come true.

What about our children?
IT has been five months now since the inexplicable disappearance of British four-year-old Maddie McCann, yet the media hype surrounding this controversial issue is as big today as it was the day she went missing.

Shameful beings around us
I HAVE always been a bit cynical, but lately I've eased up and started believing in the human race again. Man, was I wrong!

Survivor SA should try a reality episode at home
THE inventors of Survivor have obviously never been to South Africa.

More than just a nine to five
I WALKED into Retreat's bustling Main Road just over a year and a half ago...

Backchat with Nina - 25 September
THERE was a joke I read the other day that said, "When Schalk Burger swims he doesn't get wet, the water gets Schalk Burgered!"

Appreciation goes a long way
OVER the last few weeks I have realised just how important it is to appreciate those people we are closest to.

Dare to change your ways
LET me ask you something: Who of you think you are too old to change?

The last word
A FRIEND and I recently had a debate about the role of the media in today's society.

Horsepower versus donkey power
THERE'S no better way to rejuvenate from a hectic deadline quite like driving R360 000 up the West Coast.

Elegantly wasted ? out of sight and out of mind
WINE, like all good things in life, is apparently only for the rich. Papsak vino is so, you know, not cool. And now it's also illegal.

Braai Day ? Our Day
PLEASANT weather, good company and a robust yet inviting fire more often than not translates into good times. Most of us can relate.

The new home of trendy
HOUSING: The bone of contention stuck in everyone's throats right now.

My antique store soul
Words from a song by a little-known Afrikaans band. The girl sings about how she likes the guy?s Antique Store soul.

Backchat with Nina - 18 September
So what is the deal with this dating stuff anyway? Can somebody please tell me what the rules are, and where I can find them?

Know your town's character(s)
MANY people like many towns for many different reasons.

Baboons aren't people too
WITH the way things are going in the Deep South, I may actually be able to afford a shack in the sticks out there one day soon.

Backchat with Nina - 11 September
THERE is a poem by John Hodge which was made famous by the fantastic Ewan McGregor in the 1996 Academy Award-nominated film, Trainspotting.

Be grateful for the privilege
I WAS sitting the other day, thinking about how much I moan about everything.

Paging through life...
AFTER watching the epic tale of acclaimed novelist Jane Austen's early life story in the movie Becoming Jane, I have to say it left me feeling rather disturbed.

Cape of thorns in my side
THE new slogan for Cape Town should be: "Rates: The one con everyone falls prey to".

Where's the testosterone?
I MIGHT  be  a girl, but I am also a rugby ?fanatic!

An odd weekend of planes, trains, goats and dreams
I AM so excited I can barely string a sentence together.

End of learning as we know it
WITH the introduction of new closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras in a number of city schools, it seems not much will be left up to the imagination regarding the daily goings on in our state-run schools.

Backchat with Nina - 4 September
Spring has, according to the calendar at least, sprung at last!

Jealousy makes you nasty
LAST week I wrote about trust and betrayal. Well, this week the issue of jealousy seems to have cropped up in many conversations I have had with a number of people.

Judgement withheld!
WHEN it comes to the media, there is a thin line between fair, accurate reporting and pure sensationalism.

What's a knife between races?
SO a stabbing incident at school is "not that serious", is it?

Revenge of the machines
COMPUTERS definitely have teeth. Big, pointy, yellow ones that can do a lot of damage to a innocent human. They are monsters looking to torment their next unwitting victim.

Friends in high places - the usual suspects
AM I the only person who isn't the director of 50 companies?

The present ? your greatest asset
"THE present informs the future." Or so the saying goes.

Backchat with Nina - 28 August
SO I presume by now you have all heard that the Husky killer is dead?

Betrayal of a trusting soul
SO when was the last time you betrayed someone, be it a friend, a relative, a spouse or even a colleague?

Spring it your way!
SITTING in the office on yet another miserable, rainy Monday morning, I'd be lying if I said I can't wait for the heat of summer.

Going back to my roots
AFTER a few years' absence, like a prodigal child, I revisited my hip hop roots.

'Tis de time for De Mockracy and crosstitution
IT'S that time of year again. The prostititians are queuing up to betray us once more.

Gimme that fever...
I CLEARLY remember purchasing my current pair of winter boots ? barely even worn out yet ? as if it were yesterday.

Backchat with Nina - 21 August
The Bridget Holiday ? part four: "The final instalment"... 

Tradition in the breaking?
WHAT is to become of the tradition of celebrating 21st birthdays now that the legislation determining when one is legally an adult has been amended?

Living life through the eyes of a child
VISITING my brother this weekend I couldn?t help but admire my nephew. There is just something about seeing the world through a child's eyes that makes you too want to be a child again.

Everyone's a protester these days
SO the Metro Police want more money, do they?

The death of conversation
I NEVER had an imaginary friend as a child. But now as an adult I think I might have quite a few ? only these ones exist in cyberspace and not my creative mind.

Race card played with poker face
I AM well aware that racism is still alive and well in South Africa ? some intentional and some incidental ? but I was nonetheless taken aback when I was accused of being "one of them" on Sunday.

P(l)ay it your way
FOR many ? well, the unfortunate few I know, at least ? August has been a very long month.

Backchat with Nina - 14 August
The Bridget Holiday ? part three...

Ex-dated, overrated and understated!
WHY is it that exes always, at some point or another, think they can come running back to you?

Stop turning a blind eye
MYTH: Crime is not my problem. Fact: As a community, we are letting ourselves down.

To smack or not to smack
"SPARE the rod and spoil the child" is just one age-old adage in a string of similar sayings relating to children and their discipline.

Amphibian alarms and a colony of leapers
THE frogs are upon us. I don't mean the French, although there are plenty of them in Cape Town too.

They call it jealousy
FUNNY man Jamie Foxx said it best when he once dedicated a whole segment in his stand-up comedy gig to honour a tricky but very human characteristic.

Backchat with Nina - 7 August
The Bridget Holiday ? part two... 

Women of substance stand tall
SO, it is the month for women.

Banish your laws and back off, Murphy!
IF this weekend has taught me anything it is that sometimes you just have to stand back and laugh at life.

Smoking, banshees and brats
CHILDREN  do  not  belong  in  smoking rooms.

Gluttony is thy name
OF all seven cardinal sins, gluttony has to be the most fun.

Baby steps to a woman's world
AS part of a practice I suspect has become somewhat routine by now, in a few days' time we will once again be paying homage to the women of our country.

Giving a dog a bad name...
IN 1939 TS Eliot wrote that "the naming of cats is a difficult matter..."

Backchat with Nina - 31 July
I have returned safe and sound (and a little more tanned), from my amazing trip to the Greek isles. What an amazing experience, what a beautiful place and what fantastic people!

What dreams may come
ARE dreams real or is that all that they are - dreams?

Next time I'll just settle for e.tv
NO matter how many criminals there are out there who continuously rob our country (and its people), I still like to believe the best in people.

'Tikked off' at Mr President
WHAT is tik, Mr President?

Shopping in a man's world
NEVER send a man to buy handcream.

There's nothing like Harry Potter to age you
I'M getting old, or let's just call it not-so-gracefully aging.

Spare the rod, save the child?
I REMEMBER back in Stardard Three (at least when it was still called that,) how my friends and I used to smear an impermeable layer of Pritt onto our little hands to numb the nasty sting that would inevitably be left by the notorious class "plankie".

Backchat with Nina - 12 June
I had been playing around with two ideas for this week's column. Sunday being Father's Day I, of course, wanted to make mention of all those dedicated fathers out there, including my own wonderful dad. But also, I didn't want a significant day like Youth Day to pass without making mention of that too.

Backchat with Nina - 5 June
The new Spiderman has hit our screens and with the surge of superhero sequels heading our way again in the coming months, a debate has broken out about who is the best hero.

A woman's Declaration of Independence
I AM so tired of reading about women who are being abused by the men in their lives, whether it be their fathers, brothers, cou?sins, husbands or even unknown strangers.

Change your world today!
LISTENING to a song on my way home from work last week really got me thin?king. The song was Waiting On The World To Change by John Mayer and one of the verses was "now we see everything is going wrong with the world and those who lead it, we just feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it - so we keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change. It's hard to be persistent when we're stan?ding at a distance, so we keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change".

When bad service gets even worse
WHAT does one have to do to get some decent service in this place?

A vibrating issue
I HAVE heard of some weird things that have been stolen during house break-ins, but last week the Wynberg Police confiscated their most vast range of stolen items, including a vibrator.

Saturday night live ? if you're lucky
ALTHOUGH my customary Sunday afternoon G 'n T is in its usual spot at my right hand as I write my column, I am seeing it in a somewhat different light. A guilty light.

We're not as unlucky as we think
"HEAD-ACHE! P-aain! F-eever!"

Backchat with Nina - 8 May
I had already decided that I was going to stick with the events calendar for this week's column. With Mother's Day looming it seemed a good choice, but this past weekend?s events really confirmed my decision.

It's so hard to say goodbye
LAST week I sadly was not able to write a column as I was ill and going through a really troublesome or rather decision-making stage in my life.

Who removed my words?
"I CAN'T take this anymore, I am going to tell her to stop using my stationary. I have had enough of this. Who does she think she is anyway?

The joys of being a parent
I HAVE often heard my mother say that as a mother you never stop worrying.

Every girl needs a dad
THE song goes "this is a man's world...but it ain't nothing without a woman or a girl".

Listen to the growing pains
TRYING to understand one's siblings is always difficult, what's even more difficult is when they are in their adolescent phase.

The waiting room is going to be the death of me
FOR a profession that would appear to hinge on a quick response time, doctors have taken the concept of waiting to new levels.

What's in a name?
SURELY nothing can be quite as embarrassing or tarnishing to one's image as having your name dragged leisurely through the mud.

Backchat with Nina - 24 April
The last time I wrote about sports and cricket, it was with a note of negativity due to the disturbing events taking place around the world cup.

Decisions, decisions...
HOW many of you are like me ? just when you think life couldn't be better, something jumps up out of the blue.

Once bitten, twice a coincidence?
SO last week I wrote about my car being broken into. Well guess what?

Moving on out - and up in my complex
WELL, it seems that I am once again at that time in my life where change is inevitable.

Proudly South African costs
OVER the past few years numerous campaigns have been launched to lure South Africans into buying only locally made goods and support local artists by purchasing their works and not pirating them.

Things that squish and slither in the night
UNBELIEVABLY we have just moved house again. We are now ensconced in a house straight out of Hansel and Gretel ? only at the beach in Kommetjie and not in the woods in Poland.

Won't miss the water until the well runs dry
SHOCKING to hear, and equally difficult to swallow is that in this day and age, any progressive government can even seriously consider stripping from its people, a basic necessity such as access to clean, running water.

Backchat with Nina - 17 April
OVER the past couple of years I have become a bit of an Internet junkie.

Change is good for all of us
THIS week has been all about change for me. I must admit that being outside of my comfort zone and doing things that I rarely would do is quite scary.

Crime doesn't pay, but the victim does
SO what a surprise I had when I went to fetch my car in the parking lot after work last night. I unlocked my car and noticed that something was different.

Call me anything, but a triskaidekaphobe I am not!
IF your life is anything like mine, you'll agree this past Friday the 13th truly lived up to its reputation.

Adieu, parting is such sweet sorrow
IF you thought that, judging by the headline, my column this week would be about Shakespeare unfortunately you are wrong.

Remember when Nuisance was a dog, not a bylaw?
WHEN I was growing up, Nuisance was a dog, if not yours then the neighbours', or else a granite Great Dane in Simon's Town.

Spare a thought...
IT'S really funny how things work out, even when one's intention is to do good.

Backchat with Nina - 3 April
It has been a great past week of comedy, comedy and more comedy!

Holding on to you
THIS weekend I moved into a new home. The prospect of moving had me all excited until I had to pack up and pack out - literally my whole life, within two days.

Making a difference matters
I WAS thinking about what to write about this week and I was stumped. I really did not have anything interesting or exciting happening that I thought would be of interest to the readers in greater Grassy Park.

My memories of Moulood
OVER the next few weeks mosques across Cape Town will be infused with sweet citrus scents as Muslims celebrate Moulood-an-Nabi, the birth of the Prophet Mohammed (Peace and Blessings be upon him).

As long as no one is offended it's okay
IT is becoming increasingly difficult to describe a person without insulting them. And if not them, someone else.

A small world, after all
APART from the glorious, lazy December holidays, thanks to scores of teens and tots prancing around for as far as the eye can see, April is probably the worst time to be planning a well-deserved break from anything remotely associated with the office, right?

Look at me now
Having to write my column proved really difficult this week. Having just almost recovered from the flu I find myself having writers block.

'Got to be there', in my case, get there
WOW, this past Thursday evening I experienced an overwhelming feeling.

All four one, one four all!
IT IS is amazing what effects men can have on some women. Speaking from experience, as well as observing my girlfriends at the best of times, I know men can drive us to do some crazy things.

Journo adjourned...
THIS week I found myself contemplating whether it's really all that worthwhile to be the proverbial "bigger" or "better" person.

Don't settle for second best
I AM a firm believer in setting goals for oneself. I believe life is all about choices and aspirations, and that there are no limits to what you can achieve if you put your heart into it.

Backchat with Nina - 27 March
I HAVE been accused of many things in my lifetime, but one thing no one could ever accuse me of, is being a sports buff. That much I can promise you.

Backchat with Nina - 20 March
Tomorrow is Human Rights Day. An important day by all accounts.

The curious incident of the intruder in the night
ON Saturday night I made the call we all hope we will never have to make.

Know your heart, then shout it out
WHY do some of us find it so incredibly hard to tell someone how we feel about them?

Backchat with Nina - 6 March
Do you think it is possible for a song to change your life?

Allow me ? to tell your story
AFTER being "let off the hook" by former People's Post Lansdowne reporter Lavern de Vries, after two weeks, I find myself writing my first column.

You are the sunshine of my life...
DESPITE the fact that we live in a world filled to the brim with crime, violence, trauma, war, heartache ? the list is endless ? there are those people we meet who touch our hearts in a good way.

Home is where the heart is
GROWING up in a town like Somerset West, nothing irritated me more than always running into people I just did not feel like seeing.

Journo adjourned...
EVENTS this week have led me to take a retrospective look at life changes and the ripple effect that they have on so many aspects of our respective lives.

It's a free-for-all in the Deep South
I FIND Kommetjie far more to my liking than Camps Bay.

Our Cosby turns 70
THEY say that when you are a child a mother's love is all you really need.

Backchat with Nina - 20 Feb
Being strong and independent isn't always easy, especially when it comes to facing tough decisions in life.

Always say a little prayer...
THIS past Friday I received heart-shattering news from my mom.

Burn rubber, not your soul
I WILL never forget the day my brother got his first big motorcycle, a Suzuki RGV500, for his 18th birthday.

Journo adjourned...
SO Valentine's Day has come and gone, having evoked many mixed emotions among people I know - not to mention the girls here in the office.

Listen to the lyrics of our youth
AS most of my friends will know, I'm a huge fan of Tupac Shakur ? and though most people may frown on his cursing and derogatory names for women, I believe there's some wisdom in his lyrics.

My Funny Valentine
DESPITE my anxiety about Valentine's Day (someone loves me, someone loves me not), the red day took off to a good start.

How do I love meat? Let me count the days
I JUST don't seem to be able to turn down a challenge.

A whole new ballgame
THANK goodness that at least someone seems to care about the wrongdoings some of our local teens get up to when the sun goes down.

Backchat with Nina - 13 February
The world has been invaded! But forget War of the Worlds. There are no extraterrestrials hiding below waiting to attack. (I HOPE!)

Valentine's Day fever ? and I am sick
JUST my luck! It is the eve of Valentine's Day, and instead of being shot with Cupid's love arrow, the only shot I will be receiving is from the doctor to try and cure me from my dreaded cold.

There's life after St Val's
WELL, tomorrow is the official universal day of love. That special day when the whole town is painted red and white.

Journo adjourned...
I OFTEN feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I need to make those frequent calls to unfamiliar sources to ask them for information relating to the role they play in some or other story that I am gathering information for.

A hard-knock world for poets
I RECENTLY made some enquiries about getting a book of my poetry published and was saddened to discover how difficult it actually is.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother
DESPITE having worked at People's Post for nine months, I am still a little surprised when I stroll the streets in search of stories and people approach me to enquire about my brother.

Alyways - Crime and I are becoming hefty issues
I HAVE come to the conclusion that to survive in a country awash with violent crime one must be very fit.

Life is love and love is Valentine's
WITH Valentine's Day hovering over us, so much so that by now I can even smell freshly snipped, long-stemmed roses dripping with dew right under my nose, I must confess that this week I have an apology with Cupid's name written all over it.

Backchat with Nina - 6 Feb
So it's nearly my birthday. A day which I always look forward to.

Perfection in an imperfect world
WITH Valentine's Day fast approaching, everyone is anticipating the perfect gift, the perfect words and not to forget the perfect person.

Click it or stick it...
IMAGINE if we had the power to fast-forward past all the negative things that life so generously dishes our way with a simple click of a button?

Journo adjourned...
EVERY day the idea of age creeps into many a discussion and drives many an interaction that I have been part of.

When the war is over...
IT would appear that the gang violence we thought had been laid to rest has once-again reared its ugly head in our communities.

Diamonds: A girl's best friend?
AFTER chaotic production deadlines on Monday, I normally look forward to Tuesdays as they are the only days which are fairly stress free.

Alyways - I'm all for land grabs, as long as I get a piece
JUST when you think you've heard the last of them for a while, a politician goes and dies and the whole unseemly mess has to start over again.

Mind your manners next time
IF there is one thing that has the potential to really unnerve me, no matter the context in which it plays itself out, then it would have to be any action that shows disrespect or, if you will, plain rudeness.

Backchat with Nina - 30 Jan
So I decided recently that I am ready to be inked again.

Signals lead to the bigger questions
THERE are things which happen in our lives which often leave us in a state of confusion.

You can knock, but no entry
GROWING up, one of the many sayings I always heard my mom say was "never bull talk a bull talker" (to put it nicely).

Journo adjouned...
I'VE always sworn that the commercia?lism bug would never get me, especially when it comes to the little people I brought into the world.

It's good to be back home
AFTER what seems like an eternity, my long stint out of the office ? and the country ? has finally come to an end.

From the mouths of babes
BEFORE my foray into newspapers, I worked in the magazine industry...

Alyways - Against the odds at the Met
DESPITE demonstrating a profound lack of talent for it, I have decided to take up betting.

This is for the lovers only
JUST 14 days to go and, what do you know? It'll be that day again...

Backchat with Nina - 23 Jan
Do you ever feel as if you are still waiting for your life to start?

Love can be bigger than hurt
WE have all been hurt in our lives. We have all experienced pain that to us was unbearable.

To date or not to date?
WHAT is it about the dating game that makes singletons such as myself want to run full speed ahead for the nearest convent?

Journo adjourned...
THERE are some stories that rattle you so deeply that the victims and their families remain etched in your memory, even though you've never even met them and have only read or been told by police sources about the things that have happened to them.

Where there's smoke, there's (gun) fire
I'VE always known that smoking might kill me. But I've always envisaged a slow and steady demise by a brutal form of lung cancer, not a quick gunshot wound to the head or heart failure caused by intense fear.

Alyways High road, low road, no road is best
I SUSPECT that one of these days, one day soon, travelling on Cape Town's roads is going to get the better of me.

Backchat with Nina - 16 Jan
HELLO everyone and welcome to 2007!

Look on the bright side of life
WOW, what a festive season it has been. These past three weeks for me have taught me so much about who I am, what I want and where I am heading in my life. It was really a life altering experience for me.

Farewell 2006, Hello 2007
I MUST admit, this time of year always brings a sense of nostalgia which leaves a bitter-sweet taste in my mouth.

Journo adjourned...
SO we're back at work, after a period where most of us took some time out for rest and rejuvenation.

Now is the right time
TIME flies when you're having fun.

A new dawn has come
A MERE week has passed since I've been back at work and I am already longing for holiday hours spent lazing about with absolutely nothing to do.

Alyways - Making the big move
I HAVE decided to move to the Far Side. From Camps Bay to Kalk Bay, or thereabouts.

Another year, another cause
TWO weeks into 2007 and sadly, already I've broken at least one of my new year's resolutions.

Backchat with Nina - 12 Dec
So, it's that time again, when we start to reflect on the year that was.

Make time to enjoy life's pleasures
Go out for a romantic dinner, listen to good music, ditch the shower and lie in a hot bath, manicure your nails

The body is a temple
IN life, I solemnly believe that one should always live by a personal motto applicable to one's own morals and beliefs.

Journo adjourned...
LAST week I experienced my first real pang of envy while I was driving around ? trying to time manage articles...

We are a family...
IT'S a typical manic Monday in our office in Tokai ? our editorial team is banging away at their keyboards ...

Kick back, relax, spare a thought...
THANK goodness, it's almost Christmas...

Backchat with Nina - 5 December
At this time of the year many of us are focused on how many days are left until the holidays start, on how many shopping days are left until Christmas or what party to attend for the big New Year's eve bash.

Making a relationship work
HOW do we know that the person we are in love with is the "one"? Does the concept of the "one" even exist?

Enough is enough
EVERY Christmas, for the last three years, instead of spending ridiculous amounts of money buying every family member a gift, a tradition has arisen that we pool everyone's name and each draw one, in addition to everyone buying something for the children.

Journo Adjourned...
MY SIGNIFICANT other and I have been engaged in the exciting but scary task of looking for a house.

2006: a rollercoaster of change
WHAT a year it's been.

Mecca monologues: the journey begins
AFTER weeks of riding on an emotional rollercoaster the day of my departure to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina has finally arrived.

Let's talk about sex , baby
A FEW years ago, while I was doing my in-service training, I kept bumping into a photographer who could have been the original model for the Marlboro Man advertisements.

Never count your pigeons...
SOMETHING I've just recently learned is that too much responsibility can quite possibly kill you.

Reflections in the mirror of life
THIS year is slowly drawing to a close. The best thing to do is to sit back and reflect.

Life's unplanned moments
AS this past weekend approached, I was intent on my plan to dive straight into bed the minute I arrived home on Friday evening...

Backchat with Nina - 28 Nov
If you had never heard the names Lilli Slaptsili or Felicia Jolly-Good-Fellow before, you might wonder what generation or time line they could possibly have descended from?

Three's a company
BORN in the middle of the year, in the middle of the month, I am a Gemini in the true sense of the word.

The ultimate frontier
OVER three months behind schedule but, hey, at least I can say that I'm nearly there.

Backchat with Nina - 21 November
Every now and then I am approached by people with the opening line, "Do you know what you should write about..."

Embrace the precious moments
TAKE one day at a time...

Embrace your present
NOT so long ago (at least to my mind that is), I remember my mother saying to me that the older you get, the quicker time goes by.

Journo adjourned...

Salaams to all my readers
THE time has come for me to bid farewell to all of you (albeit temporarily) as I embark on my journey of a lifetime within the next few days.

Never give up, never give in
IN case our readers haven't noticed, my weekly column is self-indulgent.

It's the time for giving
I HAVE never really been one for gracefully accepting presents - I think it might be a trait I inherited from my mother.

Backchat with Nina - 14 Nov
So a few months back I decided I wanted to jump on the Virgin wave that has swept into our country with great force.

Patience is a virtue
SO, my exams are over and all that is left now is the wait... the wait for my final results. It is the most frustrating thing in the world... waiting.

Waste not, want not
AS I LAY in bed the other night, about to drift off to my happy place...

There are times when adversity breeds friendship
A GREAT man once said there are no troubles, but these are experiences...

Change is inevitable
THEY say a change is a as good as a holiday, change is inevitable and that change is constant.

Going to the Chapel of Love
AS last week's column was filled with all things pre-nuptial, it won't take a rocket scientist to figure out that this week's column is about weddings.

Are we there yet?
THERE comes a time of year when all you want to do is lie on a warm, inviting and deserted beach somewhere and do ? observe the conviction of my words - absolutely nothing at all.

Backchat with Nina - 7 Nov
Country and Western superstars, The Dixie Chicks, have just released a documentary about their recent experiences after a somewhat controversial statement provoked a backlash they could not have prepared themselves for.

Wish upon a star...it might come true
DREAMS are like wishes... and what is a wish or a dream without "hope"?

A question of fate?
SOMETIMES I wonder if God is simply staring down at me having one of his good old chuckles because he knows something I don't...

My 30-days-in-office report
THIS is our fourth week of publication of the People's Post, Claremont/Rondebosch edition...

Life and its bittersweet moments
HAVE you ever had moments when you weren't sure whether to laugh or cry because something happy yet sad happened all at once?

Shower me with your love
I'M AT that (dreaded) age when most of my friends have developed the highly contagious M&M disease, that is, marriage and motherhood.

High time that we move on
I SUPPOSE we should be thankful for the old Rainbow Nation-Madiba magic profile South Africa has going for itself.

Backchat with Nina - 31October
Parents and teachers all around the world have been heard, at one time or another, telling their kids to always look left, right and left again when crossing the street.

A woman's world of emotions
WHY are women so emotionally driven? We allow what we feel to control how we act.

I salute you my friend!
A COUPLE of months back I was at a serious low point in my life.

Sweet, sweet November
NOVEMBER starts tomorrow, and with it the first faint jingles of Christmas bells can be heard in shopping malls and other public places.

Journo Adjourned...
"So what? Are you trying to be cool?"

The nation and the rod
THE other night I was watching a television programme in which corporal punishment was discussed, amid moves by government and certain social groups to ban parents from hitting their children.

This is a man's world...
WHILE I was driving to work the other day, an old school jam started playing on the radio.

A mission too impossible
R20 mil is what Metrorail believes will ensure that when you and I travel to work, to the shops or to school and back we'll at least be reasonably safe.

Blame the fool, not the tool
YOU take a good hard look at that little electronic gizmo you have nestled so deep in your pocket or handbag, protected and lo?ving cradled like a newborn baby.

Reading between the lines
PICTURE the scene: you're in a club on a Saturday evening, dancing to Justin Timberlake.

Eid Mubarak everyone!
BY now you've probably noticed that the sombre hungry faces of the Muslim children in your street have been replaced by energetic youngsters running from house to house with chocolate streaked faces.

Journo Adjourned...
SO, the first editions are out, and what an experience it was.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
There are times in life when people just make you so angry, and all you want to do is throttle somebody...

'Don't grow up too fast...'
A WISE woman once said something to me of such great significance that I couldn't even begin to grasp it, until now.

Feel free to be you
THE other day I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and she was telling me how depressed she was feeling.

Backchat with Nina
Can you believe it's the end of October?

Backchat with Nina - 10 October
There seems to be a running theme to a lot of my columns lately - perhaps it's the idea that it's almost the end of another year. Perhaps it's all the birthdays happening around me at the moment.