It's a man's world

“This is a man’s world, this is a man’s world/ But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl”

These were the wise words sang by the legendary “Godfather of soul”, James Brown. Brown wasn’t too far off, but I can’t help but object – that’s only because men had a head start (no, I am not just saying this to console myself). This song has been playing in my head like a stuck record all week mainly due to the overwhelming number of males I’ve encountered this week when I started my first day of work in Jo’burg. I suddenly found myself adjusting my voice to sound little deeper, or quickly turning around to google a few facts about the cricket world cup, or the results of last night’s Barcelona vs Arsenal game...and when all else fails, I’ve decided to add the occasional “I know hey!” when somebody mentions how “Player A” was in good form or how “Player B” was offside (*names have been changed to protect the individuals’ identity). Ok, back to the principle of this article...

So Brown confidently lists the wonders that men have made; “cars that take us over the road...trains to carry heavy loads...electric lights that take us out of the dark...boat for the water...” As I listen to this song I think about what women have made in the past million years, then I come to an epiphany (word used for dramatic effect): it was a woman who made that man who made that car, boat, light bulb, train, so I came to a realisation, Brown and I have been on the same page the whole time! He was talking about gender equality!

On paper it all sounds good, this gender equality thing but in reality it’s not that simple. While women are trying to step up and compete with their male counter parts, they still have to report to other duties outside of work; being a wife, a mother, or both. The reality of this struck me while we were busy in a meeting and one of my colleagues asked to be excused so she could go pick up her son from school before it got too late. This got me wondering; how much would I, as a woman have to sacrifice to climb up this corporate ladder? I need some inspiration!*cues for Alicia Keys’ “Superwoman”*…

Land of Milk and Money

On the 10th of January 2011 I entered a new chapter in life: the working world. Five weeks down the line I am proud to say, I love my job! It's been really hectic, waking up at 7am, attending presentations, playing paint ball, factory visits, laughing with the directors, breakfast with leadership teams and fun workshops...yep, hectically fun! So now I am faced with two more days of this Fabulous Life of the Young Professional then reality hits!

You'll often hear people comparing working life in Johannesburg to working in other parts of this country. Johannesburg has earned titles such as "city of gold" and "concrete jungle", characterized by a fast paced life, well I've been at the other end of the radar, the Western Cape. Let me paint you a picture, today I was working with a rep in Hout Bay, just driving around makes you think you're on holiday, you're constantly surrounded by mountains and beaches. Traffic out of Cape Town subsided in approximately ten minutes, I've been here for barely a month and I have almost forgotten about life in Joburg. Then there's Stellenbosch where staying 10 minutes from work means actually get there in less than 10 minutes (note: no speed limits were exceeded). This is the life I've been living but it's all about to end as I get ready to head back to Joburg where the real work begins: now I have to learn foreign languages like Waking up at 4h30 and getting 101 guide books titled "How to make it in Johannesburg after you've been away for four months"...