The Successful Extreme Makeover For 89.7 FM

When I left for home last term I was leaving behind an incomplete RMR station, still needing final touch ups following the reconstruction, and a makeshift studio. I came back to a brand new 89.7 FM.
I forgot to mention that I am a newsreader and news reporter and am about to venture into producing a show on Rhodes Music Radio, Rhodes University's campus community radio station. The last 6 months have been quite busy and fun... at times. At least the graveyard part of it is over.

So when I came back for 2nd semester I went to check it out and it looks pretty awesome. The entire station got a makeover and now it looks like a proper professional radio station. I worked at Jacaranda FM this past vac and was shocked when, on arrival, I noticed how their production studio and broadcast studio looked just like those at RMR. It was at that moment that I realised that 89.7 FM had state of the art equiment, something which many community radio stations cannot boast about. It actually places the station right up there in the same league as all those many commercial radio station across South Africa. The sound system is in a class of its own its unbelievable.

I must say it is also a pleasant environment to work in; it's organised, well-structured and orderly. It's generally a very impressive makeover and I, for one, am proud to be part of that radio station.
Now, I just have to get myself set for the Saturday morning news. It's going to be a killer for my Friday nights, but I guess it comes with the territory.
Crash & Burn...

My First Dawnie... And I'm Still Alive

I am particularly happy to say that I survived my very first dawnie since being at Rhodes. A dawnie is the earliest session/period of the day, which happens at 7:45. As a Humanities student I was not familiar with what it means to have a dawnie until this morning when I had to attend my Journalism tutorial, which was a double session. I had to leave res at 7:30 in order to make it on time, since the AMM (Africa Media Matrix) is 15 minutes away from "home".
I must admit it felt somewhat odd walking all the way to the AMM without seeing a single person on campus. I can't say I like it very much, but I do have a newfound respect for those Commercial students who have to mission out of their beds so early in the morning, when half of campus is still snoring, to go to lectures and tuts.
Although, I'm not very hopeful about keeping it up; it's such a mission to wake up for an 8:40. What more if I have to make it out of bed for a 7:45? I guess I have no other alternative but to squeeze it into my daily routine somehow.
It's definitely going to be a rather interesting semester.
Crash & Burn...

The Politics That Is South Africa...

Earlier today, with the help of other individuals, I stumbled across the Mail&Guardian article on the net about Cyril Ramaphosa's running for the presidency. Now, some hours later I go back on the site and see another article. Only this time it's about Ramaphosa himself declining any of the reports made about him.
Apparently City Press is to blame because they published a story in Sunday's paper concerning the issue. The first thing that came to mind was the state of reportage in our country. Either the big man himself is lying in an attempt to take the heat off himself or some aspects of the media need to be revisited. How did they even get that kind of information without speaking to him and verifying it? That just shows extreme incompetency as a publication.
I don't know how true this issue of City Press is, but I intend on looking into it a bit more though.

This doesn't help the credibility of our media at all. It actually makes them all seem unreliable and incapable of providing the masses with correct information, which is sourced from reliable and trustworthy sources.
Naturally, I feel very strongly about this. I'm also bothered by it seeing as I am a journalism student, who's expected to work in an environment similar to that which released this supposedly false information. For the sake of the media and all that is good in this war-torn world, I hope this matter is looked into by those responsible and that it's fixed. It would be a shame if this is what the state of journalism in South Africa came to.
Crash & Burn...

Back To The Slug And Grind... And The Nasty Weather

I came back to Grahamstown 2 days ago and it has been quite a start to the third term. Before I even landed at PE Airport I could feel my feet starting to get cold and my jacket didn't really keep the cold away either. I didn't expect this horrible, nasty weather. It's aweful. I'm just more of a sunny person seeing as home is in the Limpopo Province, where it's actually going at 25 to 30 degrees celcius each day. For a moment there I truly thought winter was over.
I'll always love the sun.
Crash & Burn...

The Sole Survivor

I just watched the Finale of Survivor and I cannot believe that Steph didn't win it. I was crossing my fingers for her from day 1, but I guess second place is better than any other if you're not going to be the one taking home the million dollars... and that beautiful car.
She played an awesome game and did amazingly well for someone that has been shot down in the previous season. Big ups to her!

Although I could have done without Judd's touchy attitude during the 'grilling session'. Talk about a sore loser! So what if you were betrayed and backstabbed? The point of the game is to OUTWIT, OUTPLAY, OUTLAST. That is the way the game is meant to be played, and if you're not man enough to do it that way then maybe you should find another less challenging game to play!

Next up is The Amazing Race and apparently in this season there's going to be teams of not only 2 but 4 people. If you ask me that is just staring chaos in the face. It would be very interesting to see how the producers are going to manage flying groups of 4 all over the globe. That is definitely one reason to be seated in front of the TV every Tuesday nights. Let the race begin!
Crash & Burn...

What Is A Blog??

This was the question I was faced with when this little child, to whom everybody reckons I'm related, walked in on me 'blogging'. See, she thinks she's my sister but I have every reason to believe that she was adopted at birth. She's in serious denial.
Anyway, so I had to explain to her that a blog is something like a website... only much more fun and a lot less complex. I can do just about anything I want on it. Naturally, I'd have to find the time first... which hasn't been easy. That is why I am determined to make a success of my second shot.
Crash & Burn...

This Time Around

This is my second attempt at putting together MY very own blog. I'm hoping that this time around I will be able to manage it and not slack... like I did the first time.
Welcome to my universe, I'm Tumi.
So much happens in my life that I feel the need to share it. I always have something to laugh or cry about and what better way to survive it than to share it with others?
I hope to be sharing the first of many of my accounts about my crazy encounters with different beings, which ought to be very entertaining. It's going to be one hell of a ride.
Crash & Burn...