May 2020 - Cassricorn

Covid19 has affected everyone in some way or another, most notably are our local small businesses who are trying to stay afloat at this time. With the Lockdown level reduced to 4 this last week, we have seen some businesses reopen their doors and online stores able to deliver essential goods that have been allowed under the new regulations which seem to be changing frequently. During Lockdown only businesses registered with CIPC can apply for an essential services certificate in order to trade.

Small businesses, in particular, have been largely affected by the Lockdown and I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of places that are open right now and can deliver. With Mothers Day, Birthdays, and special occasions coming up it would be great to support local and also get your loved one a gift while we are in these uncertain times.

Here’s where you can get your local shopping fix:

MudMask SA

Offering skincare products that are all-natural. Products include mask kits, bath salts essential oils, and soaps. MudMask is a local brand that caters to all skin types and best of all – the products don’t have any artificial ingredients.

Speaking to MudMask owner Sumarie Steenkamp, she stated that she wants to keep her prices down during this time. “I’m bringing my prices down so that people can get a little joy out of life without hating themselves for ‘wasting money’” – Steenkamp.

She has also given us a coupon code to get 15% off your order. I think this is absolutely amazing especially at this time. With Mother’s day coming up this could be a great gift option or even to spoil yourself for less during the pandemic while also supporting a local business.

COUPON CODE: COVID – use this code at MudMask to get 15% off.

Shop MudMask her: https://mudmask.co.za/

Chef Leigh’s Lockdown Lessons

Professional Chef Leigh will be offering weekly online cooking lessons at R60 per lesson. She also has a 2-week package that includes a dessert class for R100 or a 4-week option at R200 including 2 dessert lessons*. I don’t know about you but this is great value for money and super budget-friendly. She plans on offering easy to follow recipes with easy to find ingredients

This is another great gift idea that does not need to be delivered everything is done online. All you will need is the recipe ingredients (which are easy to find even during Lockdown ) and a device that is connected to the internet. Chef Leigh will also provide professional assistance through a Q&A – something you don’t get while watching those viral recipe videos.

If you want to sign up for Chef Leigh’s Lockdown Lessons you can contact her at 0725732596

*T’s&C’s apply

The Dark Carnival

With masks becoming mandatory for every citizen to wear in South Africa as of level 4, I know exactly where you can get the cool ones. The Dark Carnival are selling exceptionally good quality fandom print cloth masks and at a budget-friendly price too. You can get a mask for R55.00 or get 4 for R200. I opted to get 4 so that I can rotate my masks and wash them on a regular basis. There are many awesome prints to choose from. The set I chose included Slytherin and Gryffindor Hogwarts Houses as well as a Davy Jones and Spiderman print.

As these are essentials, it is a good idea to purchase some masks but because they come in different prints you can also send them as a gift. When I received mine it was a present from me to me.

The Dark Carnival is also able to sell hoodies and T-shirts.

Click here for masks

Shop Dark Carnival here: www.darkcarnival.co.za

FanCentric

Is a small family run business that sells fanart T-shirts from various fandoms. According to their Facebook page, they have now registered as a trader under level 4 regulations. They are able to sell and deliver winter clothing.

I had a look at what they’ve got on offer so if you are into Star Wars, Rick and Morty and other comic, movie and TV fandoms you might be able to find some cool clothes here.

Shop FanCentric here: fancentric.co.za

Pink Cosmetics

Vegan and cruelty-free local cosmetics brand Pink Cosmetics is able to sell essentials such as sanitizers and some beauty products. All non-essential items such as wax melts, candles, and diffusers will not be available for delivery under the current restrictions. But according to their website, these products can be purchased but will only ship after Lockdown at ‘no extra courier fee for a second delivery.’ This means if you purchase any non-essentials with your essentials purchase you will get them at a later date when non-essentials are permitted again, without the courier fee attached.

I have never bought from Pink Cosmetics but they have an array of lovely beauty items! I wish I had known they did bath bombs earlier, but plan to buy some in the future.

Shop Pink Cosmetics here: https://pinkcosmetics.co.za/

Kulcha Kollektive

Is another local business that is able to print items like hoodies and long-sleeved T-shirts and can deliver locally in the Johannesburg region.

You can send custom designs ideas to : badmunki@gmail.com

Shop Kulcha Kollective here: www.kulchakollektive.co.za

Honorable mentions

This post was to promote local businesses but I have realized that not everyone knows what other stores are operating at this time so I will mention a few.

Takealot has been selling essentials since Lockdown began but they have expanded their selection and you can now buy makeup from them. I bought a charger cable from Takealot and it took less than 2 days to be delivered.

Lush has also been trading since level 5. They offer bath and beauty products. I bought a few bath bombs from them and their customer service was fantastic.

Westpack Lifestyle has opened up their online store and is selling essentials such as food, baking supplies, and utensils, snacks as well as stationary with delivery in Gauteng, Mpumalanga & North West. I placed an order on the 3rd of May and my order status is still on ‘processing’. I am not sure how long this takes with them and they haven’t responded to my query on social media – Though I do understand that some stores are working with a skeleton staff and orders may take longer than usual.

Clothing stores like Woolworths and Edgars are taking orders for essential items such as winter clothes but I am not sure about the delivery time.

Tips for ordering online during Lockdown

Ordering

When ordering online make sure that the site you are ordering from is indeed operating and will ship your order during Lockdown. Some sites only have essentials listed such as Takealot and everything listed can be shipped.

Others are still taking orders of non-essential goods which can be a bit tricky. In some instances, if you include a non-essential in your order that has essentials, you may only receive the full order after Lockdown. While other stores are allowing you to purchase both essential and non-essential items, with the shipment of the essentials going out now under level 4 and shipment of the non-essentials only being able to ship after Lockdown or when these restrictions are lifted.

You can check a shops website for information on what they can deliver now. Social media such as Facebook is also a good way to check updates on stores and what they can sell and how they are operating.

Delivery

Once you’ve filled your cart delivery is the next thing that you need to take into consideration. A lot of stores are charging a flat rate for delivery and delivery prices may vary depending on your location. Lockdown has also affected some delivery costs so you can expect to pay more for delivery from some places.

Your delivery might be delayed because of high demand and the skeleton staff at the store as well as the delivery service they are utilizing. So be patient.

Be safe

When your order arrives take the necessary precautions. Sanitize your hands before and after collecting your package from the delivery man. Also wear a mask.

You can wipe down the package with a disinfectant and also throw away any unnecessary packaging. If you have ordered clothes or shoes pop the items in the wash before wearing them and wipe down shoes.

I hope that everyone is staying safe during this time. If you don’t have to leave the house and can shop online, do it and most importantly try to shop local.

If you know of any local stores that are operating let me know in the comments below.

Who would have thought that a teen comedy-drama series would bring me out of my writing hiatus to share my thoughts on the number one trending show on Netflix right now?

When Never Have I Ever, popped up into my ‘New Releases’ feed a couple of days ago I had no idea what I was in store for when I hit play. It seemed like an interesting enough show to watch while I drew (I like background noise when I draw) but soon found out that my eyes were glued to the screen, as I watched the life of Devi, a 15-year-old Indian girl unfold.

The show follows Devi, as she navigates the trials of being a teen and handles the societal and family expectations that come with being part of an Indian family and community, all while dealing with a traumatic family event. I don’t want to give too much away about the show so this review is SPOILER FREE. The show is endearing and is eloquent in its powerful yet subtle message – this is like any coming of age piece but it is modern and so sophisticated in steering through the unique circumstances of its characters.

The format of the show is also fresh and entertaining and I believe this is what made the show so special to me. The show is narrated by American tennis player John McEnroe. I thought this was a very interesting choice, given that this is a coming of age drama about a teen girl, who is Indian. It is strange, to hear a 61-year-old tennis legend narrating Devi’s story but the show explains why this is early on – by breaking the fourth wall and giving the audience a reason as to why he is telling her story.

This adds a pleasant dimension to the show. Through the narration the audience is included as a key part of the show itself, we are not merely watching but we are included through McEnroes, commentary and it creates a sense of warmth and comfort that draws us in. In episode 6, the narration is yet again showcased as an important element in the series. The show does a point of view switch, from Devi’s perspective to that of her rival Ben’s and with the switch comes a change in narrator, the awesome Andy Samberg – all I could hear was detective Jake Peralta of Brooklyn 99.

The cast was spot on as well. I was surprised to see Sendhil Ramamurthy, play Devi’s father Mohan – The last time I saw Sendhil was in Heroes back in my teen years. We also had the beautiful Poorna Jagannathan as Devi’s strict mom, Nalini and Richa Moorjani as Devi’s cousin Kamala, from India who is staying with the family. I loved Kamala’s character, her personality and balance between fulfilling her own dreams as well as genuinely trying to make her family proud was a lovely facet to the story.

The star of the show was Maitreyi Ramakrishnan who is a Canadian actor, of Tamil descent. She portrayed the struggles of a teen convincingly and her chemistry with Jagannathan, showed a true mother-daughter relationship that I could connect with.

What I loved about Never Have I Ever most was that it did not try hard at all. I find that in a lot of today’s series and films, POC characters are thrown into narratives that are not their own. This is quite messy and it is difficult to relate to them because of the implausible scenarios they are injected into. While Never Have I Ever includes all the ingredients of a classic teen drama it also creates something new that everyone can enjoy. I didn’t feel uncomfortable watching it, the problems the characters faced, and how they handled it weren’t forced or inserted into the narrative just to ‘tick a box’ This makes me think that the creators of the show should be very proud.

Speaking of creators, I had no clue going into this that Mindy Kailing was involved until a friend pointed this out and I then did my research. Never Have I Ever was created by Mindy Kaling and writer Lang Fisher. According to a Netflix interview, Kailing said that she was approached by the online streaming service to do a show about her childhood. After saying yes, she recruited Fisher who was perfectly suited to tell the story from a young woman’s perspective. The show is semi-autobiographical as it is inspired by Kailing’s own life. With this she took the opportunity to portray nerds in a different light to the common socially awkward and studious, stereotypical cast type these characters are usually resigned to.

And Kailing did just that. Finally, a show that depicted ‘nerds’ as more than one boring thing. I was truly happy for this as a nerd myself I have always known that there is more to us, and finally that story is being told.

To wrap this one up, Never Have I Ever is a show I wish I had growing up as a teen. It makes me so proud to see someone that looks like me in a lead role, in a teen comedy-drama that is actually good to watch. Growing up it never really bothered me that there weren’t many brown leads or characters that I could look up to and I just went off, of a character’s personality traits that I could see in myself. But I know for some it is important that we have representation and I am glad that this show will be it for some girls out there.

I loved the authenticity, warmth, and edginess of Never Have I Ever and the shows final episode has definitely set up for a potential season 2. As the show was only released a couple of days ago, on the 27th April 2020 it will be at least a month before Netflix announces if we will get another season. But with a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I’m betting that we haven’t seen the last of it.

What are your thoughts on the show? Let me know in the comment section below.