I survived the A to Z Blog Challenge

I finished the April 2014 A to Z Blog Challenge, every single last letter.

Here's what I learned:

- I visited over 100 blogs
- I am following a new 8 blogs
- My followers only went up another 7
- 12% of my visitors use iPhones, WTF?
- My visitors came from these top 5 countries : United States, Russia, Germany, United Kingdom and South Africa
- I detest word verification. Its my new massive pet peeve.
- Some blogs also require you to sign up with Google+ to comment on their blogs. I didn't bother commenting on those ones....how irritating
- My daily visitors increased during the challenge from about 400 visitors a day to about 500 visitors a day
- I didn't comment as much as I wanted to with my week-long Easter holiday in amongst the challenge.
During the week away I didn't even look at my blog....naughty, I know but I was on holiday.
- The list of blogs to visit was simply overwhelming, perhaps next years you should make it mandatory to select a category and have the blogs listed per category.  Bite-sized chunks.  Then the list won't be quite so overwhelming ?
- Most blogs had a theme, which was awesome and everyone dug deep into their creative pits and put together well-thought out and well-written posts.
- My new favourites Kevin and Ermie

Congratulations to everyone to participated and finished the A to Z Blog Challenge. It's not easy-peasy task.

Here is the linky to share your A to Z Blog Challenge Reflections Post

See you next year, maybe.

Local is Lekkerrrrrrrrrrr

Lekker [pronounced lekk-irr with a rolling r].  From the Afrikaans word for delicious.  Lekker means nice, cool, fun or tasty.

Lekker is a commonly used word in the Dutch language that is more similar to the word English word luscious than the word tasty. Lekker is used to denote something delicious or sweet, and is more commonly used by the under 30 crowd as a term for a woman having sex appeal.  Lekker, like luscious, has a sexual connotation. In South Africa, however, lekker has primarily been used in place of the English terms "cool" or "sweet," with a much more broad, less sexual, undertone.

Usage: “We had a lekker time last night.” 

or

"Hey I just found 100 bucks! Lekker man..."  

or 

"That chick in the bikini checks out lekker hey?"

 

Kwela is Kwaai

We are almost half-way through the A to Z Blog Challenge *going laaik a boeing*

Today's Southafricanism is:

Kwela [pronounced kw-eh-la].  A popular form of township music from the 1950s, based on the pennywhistle, a cheap and simple instrument taken up by street performers.  The term kwela

comes from the isiZulu for "get up", though in township slang it also referred to the police vans, the kwela-kwela.   It is said that the young men who played the pennywhistle on street corners also acted as lookouts to warn those drinking in illegal shebeens of the arrival of the cops.

Check out Lemmy Mabaso who was famous for this type of music.

Izit?

Izit (pronounced iz-it). (a) This SouthAfricanism is used when you have nothing to contribute to the conversation.  It's basically a word which can be used at any random moment to start a conversation or carry it on.  Derived from the two words “is” and “it”.

It can be an expression of surprise, used even when the preceding statement did not include the verb “to be”. 

Izit also shows all sorts of emotions:

1. The sarcastic izit - "Really, is that so?" 
2. The questionable izit - "You're having me on."
3. The suspicious izit?  "I don't believe that for a second.".  


For instance:  If someone says “The Russians will succeed in their bid for capitalism once they adopt a work ethic and respect for private ownership,” it is rather appropriate to respond by saying “Izit?”.

 

Hey Howzit Goin'?

Enjoying the A to Z Blog Challenge, everyone?  

I certainly am.  I've visited over 60 blogs already and found a good few new blogs to follow. 

Some bloggers are rockin' some pretty fekkin' awesome themes.  Go check some of them out - even if you don't want to link up - you'll be sure to find some new brilliant bloggers to read and follow.

We're tackling the Letter H and today's Southafricaism is :

Howzit (pronounced hau-zet).  A South African slang word for an exclamation or greeting.  It's the equivalent to "hello" or "how are you".  All the locals use this one, usually coupled with the gesture in the picture below.  

Usage :  "Howzit, Boet - surprised to see me?"

Hard Times Will Always Reveal True Chommies

Happy Day No. 3, Pretty Plonkers and that means today is the letter C.  

I think the most diverse thing in South Africa is our culture. They don't call us "The Rainbow" national for nothing.  With eleven official languages and so many ethnic and cultural differences, South Africans pride themselves on their hospitality. 

Chommies [pronounced ch-om-eez] is today's Southafricanism, if you haven't realized it yet.  Chommies is a term meaning "friend" or "buddy", which originates from isiXhoas, one of SA's 11 official languages, which also happens to be Mandela's home language. 

South Africans love making new Chommies, we love entertaining our Chommies and we know the importance of Chommies!  I know I certainly do, and I don't forget to tell my friends how much they mean to me and how much I love them.  I couldn't live without my friendships.

Usage :  "Howzit!  I'll be drinking with my chommies, wanna join us?"

My BFF aka My Bestest "Chommie"

A to Z Blog Challenge Theme Reveal Vloggy #atozchallenge

Go sign up for the A to Z Blog Challenge this April.


 

A to Z Blog Challenge April 2014

 

I'm taking part in the A to Z Blog Challenge this April and I have a theme thought out, I have began scheduling posts...not over-taking myself just yet.

There is still time to sign up for the challenge.

I will be revealing my theme soon.