Euro-African Life in Namibia

German philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel to this day is credited with coining the term 'Zeitgeist' (he'd apparently said something slightly different but it essentially amounted to the same thing) and Hegel is also reputed to have said 'no man can surpass his own time, for the spirit of his time is also his own spirit.'  Pope Francis I is the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest and oldest Christian congregation in the Western world and after a manner, personifies Hegel's Zeitgeist as a modern religious leader. He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, in Argentina (the old 'Third World'), and opted to be the first papal 'Francis' thereby expressing a lifelong admiration for Saint Francis of Assisi (1182 - 1226) whose life and work as a religious leader (in those murky times) closely mirrors that of the current pope.  Surprisingly, Pope Francis I has piqued the curiosity of millions and is 'trending' in a big w...

You’ve been financially responsible throughout the year, and you might feel the pressure to spend and splurge now that the festive season is approaching, but it doesn't have to be this way. You can be financially savvy throughout the festive season, especially when it comes to gift ideas for your loved ones. Ester Kali , Executive: Retail & Business Banking at FNB (First National Bank) Namibia: “It’s very easy to get carried away in the silly season, especially when it comes to buying presents. You want to see your loved ones happy, but this doesn't mean that you have to blow your budget in the process. There are a number of ways to remain financially smart during this time of the year.” (Photograph: Ester Kali , Executive: Retail and Business Banking, FNB Namibia) First, draw up a budget for the merry season. Kali says it can be as simple as writing down who you’re going to buy presents for, and what you will be buying. She says that ...

Omba Gallery is proud to host a solo exhibition of recent works by Nicky Marais. Her first in five years, the exhibition is scheduled to run from Monday, 2nd December 2013 to Sunday, 22nd December 2013 . The nature of non-representational fine art with its conscious departure in the depiction of imagery from recognisable objects and visual references in the world, results in art bearing no trace of reference to anything recognisable. ( 'Small Books' by Namibian fine artist,  Nicky Marais) The past fifteen years have seen Nicky Marais’ work follow an increasingly non-representational trajectory. Colour, shape and line combine on paper and canvas to create paintings of formidable intensity. She expresses an obsession with the random patterns of contemporary urban life sharply contrasted with the orderly patterns of natural objects, the underlying premise for the artwork at this exhibition. The artworks express her fascination with not only pattern but also the mov...

My six year old goddaughter wants to be a 'princess' . She wants a fancy hairstyle, a magic wand (that's a fairy, isn't it?), a castle, a tiara, gold slippers and she needs a 'princess' dress in order to be a princess. Fair. A little prodding into her concept of 'princessification' will release from her mouth a flowery description of a surprisingly detailed imaginary life as a princess and tellingly appropriate for her age, an absentee prince (typical). My goddaughter lives in a fairyland only she can access; a place where amazing things are possible, animals talk sense, magical transformations of everyday objects occur and...it makes me uncomfortable because we're not royalty. Not even close.  (Insert: Mercy Academy , Louisville, Kentucky USA, advertising campaign 2013) In 1990, Collette Dowling published a book 'The Cinderella Complex' which lifted a hatch in female psychology by postulating the  'fear of independence'  (emot...

     The world's best-selling doll, Barbie , produced by Matell Inc., is undoubtedly the queen of dolls on the shelves of local retailers and toy stores.       It's almost Christmas and if you're the aunt of two pre-teen girls, it's hard to resist the temptation to buy blissfully smiling Barbie dolls (one for each sweetheart), and a few stylish Barbie accessories, for Christmas eve.       Barbie dolls make for great gifts for young girls. The doll has great physique, great attitude (always smiling), good taste, stands on tiptoe and is flexible; her arms, legs can bend, etc. It's not a ''boring'' doll, you know? The only problem I have with the Barbie dolls available locally, in Namibia (read ''Africa'', please), is the wide variety of blonde (blonder, ash blonde, golden blonde, Nordic blonde) Barbie dolls on sale.      I'm not going to argue a moot point. Barbie is an American product and was the idea of Ruth Han...

Artistic jeweler, Frieda Lühl , is finally home after spending many years abroad training as a goldsmith and living in Cape Town, South Africa, where she also opened her first studio. In April this year, she opened a studio in Namibia and Omba Gallery is the venue for her third solo exhibition, aptly named ‘Riveting’ . The word ‘riveting’ has two meanings when used in reference to jeweler Frieda Lühl. Firstly, ‘riveting’ is a relatively well-known technique used to connect, join and fasten material without the application of heat. In Germany, traditional riveting incorporates soldering to join metals for setting stones and other materials. Secondly, the word ‘riveting’ is also an adjective to describe and engrossing experience, similar to ‘fascinating’, ‘gripping’ and ‘intriguing’, all of which are suitable adjectives for Frieda Lühl’s latest collection of jewelry. Unique, handcrafted pieces of jewelry  made with a variety of metals, ston...

On the 5th of November 2013, First National Bank (FNB) of Namibia officially handed over their sponsorship amount of N$ 86 250.00 towards the production costs of 13 new episodes of Season II of the children’s television programme 'I am the Key' (Namibian Broadcasting Corporation). The television show was officially launched on 8 March 2013 and was aired on NBC from the 5th of April 2013. Season 1 has run its course and is currently repeated on NBC TV on Sundays at 8h30 in the morning. Season II is expected to start airing on 6 December 2013 . It is produced by the Dalarize Development Project and Yambeka Children’s Media.   (Photograph: Story-time on 'I am the Key', NBC) Jane Katjavivi , Chairperson of the FNB Foundation said: “‘I am the Key’ aims to positively address issues that affect children academically, socially, and morally. It creates a calm, safe place for children to learn about themselves, about others, and about the world around them. It ad...

Housing in Namibia remains a hot topic because of prices, availability and affordability. FNB Namibia, the forerunner in home loans, remains committed to ensuring that as many Namibians as possible are able to buy or build their own home. “We believe that a property remains one of the best investments a customer can make, not only because of peace of mind that no one can take the roof over your head away from you, but also because of the fact that this investment will always yield a positive growth,” said Thomas Slabbert, Head of Home Loans at FNB Namibia.  (Photograph: Thomas Slabbert , Head: Home Loans, First National Bank of Namibia) Not only does FNB Namibia publish an article regularly about the housing index, but would also like to present the public out there with some well researched information to assist customers to make informed decisions. Today’s article concentrates on the deposit and why it is important. Slabbert: “Putting down a deposit, even a m...

When John Ndevasia Muafangejo died of a heart-attack on the 27th of November in 1987 at the tender age of 44, he left a permanent footprint on the changing landscape of art in Namibia in the form of 5000 hand-carved lino-cuts and slightly more than a dozen paintings. He was a prolific artist, hard-working to the point of exhaustion, producing on average 1 lino-cut a day and by the time his eyes closed forever under the Namibian sun, his unique experience and interpretation of life was known in the galleries and private collections of Europe and the United States of America. He inspired hundreds of local artists in the art of printmaking. Existing literature is scant with regards to the 'person' that was John Ndevasia Muafangejo. We know he was born in southern Angola, at Etunda lo Ngadhi on 5 October, 1943. As a child, he served his family as a cattle-herder by day and took pleasure in the moral and philosophical discussions with the village elders, at night. After his fat...

The philately division at Nampost has produced two different stamp products: a normal standard postage stamp that will be available at post offices right across Namibia and a five-stamp personalised stamp sheet . For the past three years, NamPost has been producing personalised stamps, allowing customers to have his or her own picture printed alongside an actual postage stamp. The initiative was recently expanded to include para-athlete, Johanna Benson .  (Photograph: The iconic image of Johanna Benson after she won the Women's 200m T37 race, London Summer Para-Olympics 2012) In total, 5 000 personalised Johanna Benson stamp sheets were printed thus far in honour of the Namibian para-Olympian gold medallist. This is a wonderful opportunity for every Namibian to associate themselves directly with Namibia's golden athlete, by having their own picture printed alongside an image of Johanna. The personalised stamps will be available at the Namport Erongo Business and Tour...