On the shortness of life: Seneca

"It is not that we have a short space of time, but that we waste much of it. Life is long enough, and it has been given in sufficiently generous measure to allow the accomplishment of the very greatest things if the whole of it is well invested. But when it is squandered in luxury and carelessness, when it is devoted to no good end, forced at last by the ultimate necessity we perceive that it has passed away before we were aware that it was passing. So it is—the life we receive is not short, but we make it so, nor do we have any lack of it, but are wasteful of it. Just as great and princely wealth is scattered in a moment when it comes into the hands of a bad owner, while wealth however limited, if it is entrusted to a good guardian, increases by use, so our life is amply long for him who orders it properly. 


Why do we complain of Nature? She has shown herself kindly; life, if you know how to use it, is long. But one man is possessed by an avarice that is insatiable, another by a toilsome devotion to tasks that are useless; one man is besotted with wine, another is paralyzed by sloth; one man is exhausted by an ambition that always hangs upon the decision of others, another, driven on by the greed of the trader, is led over all lands and all seas by the hope of gain; some are tormented by a passion for war and are always either bent upon inflicting danger upon others or concerned about their own; some there are who are worn out by voluntary servitude in a thankless attendance upon the great; many are kept busy either in the pursuit of other men's fortune or in complaining of their own; many, following no fixed aim, shifting and inconstant and dissatisfied, are plunged by their fickleness into plans that are ever new; some have no fixed principle by which to direct their course, but Fate takes them unawares while they loll and yawn—so surely does it happen that I cannot doubt the truth of that utterance which the greatest of poets delivered with all the seeming of an oracle: "The part of life we really live is small." For all the rest of existence is not life, but merely time. 

 In short, run through the list of all these men from the lowest to the highest—this man desires an advocate, this one answers the call, that one is on trial, that one defends him, that one gives sentence; no one asserts his claim to himself, everyone is wasted for the sake of another.

Ask about the men whose names are known by heart, and you will see that these are the marks that distinguish them: A cultivates B and B cultivates C; no one is his own master.

And then certain men show the most senseless indignation—they complain of the insolence of their superiors, because they were too busy to see them when they wished an audience! But can anyone have the hardihood to complain of the pride of another when he himself has no time to attend to himself? After all, no matter who you are, the great man does sometimes look toward you even if his face is insolent, he does sometimes condescend to listen to your words, he permits you to appear at his side; but you never deign to look upon yourself, to give ear to yourself. There is no reason, therefore, to count anyone in debt for such services, seeing that, when you performed them, you had no wish for another's company, but could not endure your own."

In defense of Kanye West

A man who dresses this good must be forgiven seven fold times. But wait a minute the good book says forgiveness should be a running stream no matter what for any man, in no particular preference. Yet the world has chosen to persecute the greatest imaginative mind in the music industry at the moment. Admittedly, there is something off about Kanye west,  clearly Kanye is no breath of fresh air- but he certainly is a Superstar!

Kanye West is arrogant- the mob shouts in chorus, persecute him and ban his music from the airwaves. He is the wrong role model cries the parent – in vain trying to keep his/her kids from listening to Kanye. Is this not an indictment that something is badly wrong with our society, quick to persecute a man for simply not having the inclination to pretext his askance with please and may i? Kanye has no manners, point taken. Kanye is a manic MC whose inspired words and rhyme have taken music to another level-This point should be taken.

Unwrapping Mr West’s album felt like walking into Picasso’s Museum in Barcelona, one is simply entering a zone. A zone where you return never the same, the grandeur of the tour is a glimpse of works of art of a genius!. A twisted genius nonetheless. Picasso introduced the world to blue and pink emotions, Kanye introduces the world to pink fantasies of a  Socrates kind,( more chocolatie) in a Murciélago.

In recent times I have had my own existential crisis. I have tried to understand my life and what life really means. I had my sad moment, until I read L. Mises and the words “the fully satisfied individual is purposeless, he does not act, he has no incentive to think, he spends his days in leisurely enjoyment of life. Whether such a fairy-like existence is desirable may be left undecided. It is certain that living men can never attain such a state of perfection and equilibrium.” Kanye made me understand that life is a constant flux .Here is one individual who is never satisfied, who has made the world of music better off!

Vumba

It was Coco Chanel who made us understand the necessity of luxury in our lives. Asked what the opposite of luxury was she quipped; “vulgarity”. In today’s world there is no shortage of vulgarism – if in doubt hop on a plane and land somewhere between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, better yet Las Vegas. Turn on the TV and watch MTV cribs. If you manage to not vomit in disgust, then perhaps your stomach is sterner than mine! Standing at the edifice of the Vumba mountains I could not help but reflect on Coco Chanel’s insight- tucked away in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe at the border with Mozambique the spectre of Coco’s Luxury descended.

Yet it is not Chanel who impresses a philosophy in these parts. Rather it is the Roman Emperor Hadrian, the last of the classical era who having lived 400 years after the classical glory in Athens went about to recreate and model everything Athenian. Recreating the ebb and flow, the art and triumphs of a by-gone time as a musing to the Roman generation of his time. In essence he captured the very best Kodak moment of Athens and its satellites.

Vumba, spanning a 24 km road of sharp curves around misty mountains and steep descents, captures the very best of the Victorian England and its satellite the Scottish highlands. It is important to step into this mist of Luxury with history in mind.  The British colonial settlers at the time believed in Vumba they had found a little England,  and so went about to pick their favourite grand pieces in Victorian times, recreating the cobble stone roads, architecture , castles, gardens and lakes in the most picturesque mountains and valleys.

The best in Luxury of the Vumba culminates at Leopard Rock, named after the Leopards abundant in the mountains. Perhaps it is important the reader understands why I write about the Vumba and Leopard rock in particular. Zimbabwe, after the lost decade has some of the most appalling and overpriced hotels in Africa. Most with the exception of a few tell epic stories of former glory and the hospitality is disparate and poorly.  Leopard rock, recently refurbished is munificent with grandeur of the highest notch and gives one reason to still believe in the Zimbabwean hospitality.

It was refreshing, being welcomed by dapper members of staff in navy blue blazers, white shirts, striped ties and chino trousers that were quite adept in handling the trivial and peculiar requests of a gentleman at leisure. I was suitably impressed with the home-made vanilla ice cream that comes in generous proportions and served on the terrace overlooking the wondrous garden. Every detail in the hotel has been done by a deliberate hand and an eye with a penchant for timeless splendour.

Horse riding in the game reserve, betrays visions of the English gentleman hunting hounds in Winchester- with the backdrop of whispering spring waters racing down a gorge. The gardens defeat in meticulousness all that is beautiful in Bath and rival Chateau Versailles. Decadence of mind and body is best served at the spa, after which a leisurely walk in the gardens inspires romantic prose even in a brute.

On occasion, I sampled the best of Vumba. Driving leisurely I meandered the sharp bends, reminiscent of the South of France, up the mountain right up to Mountain Heights- at the apex the breath taking view was an awesome reminder of the creative hand that moulded earth. A walk in the botanical gardens is like stepping in into the very best of Hardy’s distinct prose. Everything dressed in perfection.

 Further down my inquisitive pursuits landed me at Eden Lodge. It is at Eden Lodge, I found the staff very helpful and again bending backwards in entertaining my little nuisances. Upon discovering a quaint spot in the gardens overlooking the gorge, I was obliged with a table and chairs and devoured my generous portion of  t-bone steak with rice. Priced at $10, this was a dead giveaway, considering the calf whose fine cut of tender steak I made my lunch, was slaughtered on the Estate that very day. I was tempted to simply take a nap after such a meal right there in the garden, without further hesitation I made a pillow out of my jacket and snored the afternoon away.  Early evening saw me peddling a canoe at the Eden dam, a pleasant way of sipping sun downers.

Again another show stopper, is the Inn on the Vumba that serves a five course dinner. The Inn is not in the best of conditions, a little TLC would help, but the dining room is such a warm and cosy hideout and the food divine. Serving  aLá carte menu, I chose the five course menu starting with chicken livers with bread fingers, and the appetiser homemade maestro soup. Trout, captured that afternoon, was my main course served with jacket potato and delicious vegetables. I skipped desert and settled for cheese and biscuits served with tea.

For Afternoon High tea then Tony’s coffee shop is the idyllic rendezvous. Its confectionary, I was to be made aware of is world renowned. I consider myself a connoisseur of confectionary of sort and I have numerous tooth fillings  to show for it- and this has to be the BEST cake and coffee shop  in the whole wide world. Total decadence, scouts honour! This is the sort of place that needs no Homer myth to populate its sweetness. Only your test buds will attest.

I realise I could go on, and tell of every tale of the Vumba, but the locals will attest zviri nani kuzvionera pamhuno sefodya- its better you see it for yourself.  

Apologies for this post not appearing earlier. 

The Renaissance man

In recent years men have been described by many adjectives in light of the recent advancement in our human civilisation and socialisation of the 21^st century. As the walkman was replaced with the ipod, the yesterday man and his mantle have been replaced by today’s man with his mettle.  The iconoclast verve epitomised by Beckham is the metro-sexual, diametrically in opposite to Claude van Dame, the brute of the 90’s. 

While the debate ensues on the world’s idealistic creature to amplify manhood- an amble crisis of sort has landed on male shores. Maleness crisis is symptomatic of how masculinity has become emasculated, blurred and the prospects bleak. Similar, to the 14^th century nonchalance that persuaded individuals to seek inalienable truths of the world, rather than accept the then collective mantra. The answer then, as is now, is the Renaissance man.

A renaissance is a renewal; then in 14^th century Italy it was a renewal of Athenian classical antiquity virtues and ideals. The Renaissance man was simply one who had mastery of skills or knowledge from a wide variety of fields. It was a belief that man possessed all the essence and determination to excel in all exertions mental, physical and aesthetic.

Samuel Johnson says “A man may shoot the man who invades his character, as he may shoot him who attempts to break into his house.”And so it was a man’s strength of character, determination and ability that saw him rise above the parapet of societal standards and distinguish himself amongst his peers.  Often the renaissance period is called the humanistic period, a notion in art, science, travel and idea that firmly puts the individual as the nexus of worldly experience.

The Athenian man was first a seeker and lover of wisdom. The word philo (love for) sophy (wisdom), thus he engaged himself wholly in the quest to seek the truth about the world and exercised logic in his daily life. He was a philosopher! The Renaissance man in 14^th century Italy begun to study Athenian Philosophy and Homeric texts. From these he gained the substance and form of what life is and gained strength of character to discern foolishness.

And so I am confused when the current world lauds the metro-sexual, I ask myself if at all he is a lover of wisdom –a Philosopher beyond just reading, writing and counting?  The blame is squarely on Hollywood and our educational system that disguises knowledge with robes of exams. The man who succeeds is one who has mastered the ideals of passing an exam and not necessarily the man willing to die for the truth that he believes.

Another ideal of the Renaissance man was the Warrior ideal. In classical times, a man was a warrior, who defended his family, country and what he believed in. The Roman Empire grew on the basis of these men that would farm their lands during the growing season and fight to increase the empire during the winter. The most revered men were conquerors, men who had exercised ability, skill and determination in the world and not in some film in Hollywood.  Valour and a heroic spirit walked side by side with him. Today engrossed in repetitive 9 to 5, shuffling paper, nothing in a man’s spirit calls for his initiation and bravery. He risks nothing, and gains nothing!

Theodore Roosevelt has imparted wisdom and importance of being the man ready for battle; man in the Arena

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

 Recently in a bus I overheard a group of girls talking, one claimed she only dated Bankers and the other claimed she had been cursed with only Accountants. On reflecting and unveiling this conversation I was sad for a moment and sadder for the men mentioned. But such is the world we live in where a man is qualified purely by his vocation, never mind that the world has over a million doctors- he is just defined as a doctor.

Asked who am i? My vocation immediately conjures my personality, success and mindset.  My individualistic personality now hardly recommends me or like in most cases my vocation has become the straight jacket in which my individual personality has merely fizzled into. This contrast heavily with the Renaissance man ;perhaps the quintessential renaissance man of this period was Leonardo Da Vinci, who was an artist, an engineer, an anatomist and also pursued many other disciplines with great success and aplomb.

 Finally the classical definition of manhood was exemplified by conduct. Decorum was a virtue taught in every man, and each man would in turn become a poet in his life and create the flair -avoir un don pour- to personalise his deeds. Today’s language this is known as swagger, for the Renaissance man it is panache. Valour and Wisdom led the man to battle, but his conduct in battle was equally important. It was not just enough to win a battle, it was important to win with honour.

Why I love man's fashion: a short essay

Accomplishment is best capped by an immaculate dress sense. Those that have disagreed with this are usually of distasteful inclination to anything aesthetic or have a personality of an ant. Why should an accomplished man be immaculately dressed? Because a man like a chair can never be staid on one leg. A brilliant mind, ability and social grace can all be summed in impeccable dress.

 A man’s wardrobe, it has often been commented is an extension of his personality, I argue it is his personality. Think about it how can a snazzy dressed man with swooning presence turn out to be a bore? Dressing, done appropriately epitomises one’s outlook on life and a pedigree in aesthetics- a swagger with a tradition as long as washing hands with soap!

 Indeed this was a generally accepted rule in the days of yonder when a man would take at least 3 hours to dress up in the morning. The elaboration was not lost to the lady folk of the time who would scrutinise and deduct a man’s character purely based on his cloth and use of thread. A potential employee would list his bespoke tailor as a reference. Hitherto every man, commoner and noble distinguished himself through the cut and make of his attire.  Even when fighting his enemy, cavalry distinction was usually an extension of his beautiful uniform.

 So what has changed over the years? Today’s man is described as colour blind and with other non flattery expletives. I suppose like all medieval chivalry, it no longer matters if a man’s character is worth insignia. Men have even abrogated the six week bespoke tailoring experience to off-the rack internet based synthetic suit- and with no shame whatsoever his lady does the buying. Is there a worse insult, than your lady buying a suit for you? Never mind the glaring innuendos about the man’s sartorial sense; this alludes to just how desperate the lady is in the mating game. Imagine Al Capone or the architect Le Corbusier mating with a desperate lady who does his wardrobe shopping. This insult is inconceivable.

 Every super hero has a suit- this is not just mere coincidence that saving the world requires appropriately dashing attire, it should be the staple food for any man. Not just the gay man who has taken man’s fashion to be his fiefdom- the straight man needs to reclaim what has always been his kingdom. Savile Row remains the one place in the world I feel like a man, where an appointment with the tailor takes the same importance as a woman’s appointment with her gyna. Where every pampering accentuates my manliness and not as endeavours to question my sexuality. Where upon leaving I am gleaming as ever!

 So what is it that I love about man’s fashion, notwithstanding the current state of affairs? I love how naturally important and dashing an impeccably dressed man looks.  Because a man who puts much thought and effort to his clothing and sense of style has measured attention to his work and craft. An elegantly uniformed soldier will draw his elegant sword, and fight an elegant fight. Why else would a soldier dress in an immaculate uniform shine his buttons, sword and shoes only to fight in the meadows of dirt, blood gashing in all directions? It’s because he understands the importance of virtues and strength are exemplified by his uniform.

 Once on a plane trip, I complemented an elderly gentleman on his attire- he turned and looked rather surprised. For the next 20 odd minutes he spoke to me about where and how he got every piece of clothing he had on.  We talked of how the different fabrics available feel on the skin, laughed about what to do when you gain weight and the trousers don’t fit anymore and reflected on why Anderson and Sheppard made the best blazers in the world. We lamented the death of the full Windsor tie, chuckled at Hugo Boss attempts as a serious man’s clothier and agreed that probably the English are plain looking on account of their dress in as much as the Italians are effervescent on the same account and the German’s as stoic as ever.

 As a parting shot, the elderly gentleman gave me a business card. I looked at it and smiled, it was a Cobblers’ business card of one eminent cobbler from the hinterland of Florence. I have never been to Florence- but it has now become one of the places I want to visit and perhaps in the stride get a handmade brogue.

 Perusing over the top dressed man in history I came across a photograph of Sir Sean Connery and the caption captured my imagination, it went “ because has anyone ever made it look easier?”.  The 007, glad in a suit touting a gun and fighting the bad guys was probably my first encounter with Film, the word “espionage”, GQ magazine and then his seductive moves with the ladies made it all look easy, until I tried to buy a suit, watch, and tried one of those cocky lines- in all attempts I failed. And only because I failed did I realise what Sean Connery had and looked simple was just not only a Scottish accent!  The entrepreneur Lapo Elkann has taken over this dapper savant mantle in recent years.

 What has caused me to write this short essay on Fashion? Coming from Melbourne at the airport, bored stiff I went into a clothing shop with man apparels. I had no intention of buying anything – until I came across this Pictoria/Art illustration book by Jeremy Hackett simply titled Mr Classic with photographs by Garda Tang( book review) . My face lit up and impulsively offered my credit card. The shop keeper looked at me, smiled and asked if it not be better if I first perused the book and see if I would enjoy it.  

The Man of the shop angry at such a proposal looked at the lady shopkeeper and exclaimed in a loud voice- “Its Hackett for God’s sake, that’s enough convincing anyone needs”. I smiled a second time, as the gentleman decided to offer me a 50% discount on an aftershave- Taylor of old bond street.

 15 hours of flight I spent nibbling at every word Jeremy had to say, sighing at the very detail exposed by the photographs- exposing my ignorance in many sartorial matters, and gaining valuable lessons on life, manhood, courting a lass, clay pigeon shooting and many other adept subjects-and of course fashion.  Who says man’s fashion is boring?

What is happiness

I never did learn much from high school, I was one of those students that breezed through. So every time a high school friend starts a conversation along the lines “do you remember back in high school when...” I shrill and freeze before nonchalantly nodding to whatever they remember. However, I do remember assemblies, and at a boys only school the experience was heightened by the male bondage when the school song was sang.

I don’t even remember the school song now! Usually after the school song, the gentlemen would sing a hymn. Of course I don’t remember most of the hymns but I rather remember this little chant that was sang with male passion and gusto. I don’t know why but I was humming to the tune today and it reminded me of what happiness is and why male bondage is an exceptionally unique ritual:

Happiness is where you are and what you want to be,
If you look you're sure to find the rainbow of your dreams,
Tomorrow's fuller than a thousand yesterdays,
With a vision of a new day in your heart.

Like many lessons in high school I never stopped to reflect. Amazing that with so many holes in my memory I can still remember these particular words. I sang the words but never unravelled the meaning. Today i fully understood the meaning.Happiness is where you are and what you want to be.......

10 worthwhile investments for a man

1.       Watch, not only because the wrist requires an expensive timeless accessory but because a gentleman must always be on time. This is the only mandatory jewellery piece on a man, anything else is just overcompensating for some inherent weakness or simply displaying a knack for distasteful antics

2.       Library, whatever certificates you have accumulated are only an indication of how good you are at preparing for an exam- and not how educated you are.  A man only gains substance by owning a library of books. Fiction is useful but should not define the collection.

3.       Blazer, I have never seen a man who doesn’t look good in a blazer. A Blazer is everyman’s near experience of being a highly decorated 18^th century general. Because it’s an investment, bespoke is a must.

My early memory of my father’s towering dapperness was seeing him in a double breasted navy blue blazer. There was something about those six shiny gold crown buttons that every one respected; there was no reason to justify his opinions they were taken as orders!

4.       Vintage car. I am young enough to feel the pressure of the rat race, and doing better than the next guy. What better way to attract young lass than the latest BMW. But the most interesting gentlemen I have ever come across own a classic car. Jaguar 1968 XJK, mustang viper 1968, Aston Martin DB

Admittedly it ages one considerably, but is that not what makes George Clooney sexy.

5.       Soccer team or F1 or breed race horses. Nothing says I have arrived more than owning a soccer team, winning F1 racing cars or a couple of pure breed horses!

6.        Foreign language. I can never forget a time I attended a seminar and the speaker was Japanese, and by way of introduction spoke in Japanese, he had some encrypted message to convey, he challenged the audience to guess what he had said. In the 2000 strong audience of high flyers, a Romanian gentleman stood up and spoke to the speaker in Japanese. This gentleman became the most interesting person in the room.

7.       Hobby.  Because everyman requires his quiet moments, alone far from the world to reflect or just to have a sigh. I remember an uncle who was so obsessive about his garden, he spent his quiet moments in the garden or propagating flowers in the garden shed. No-one was allowed to disturb him, it was just him and the flora. I now understand why, beyond leading and taking care of a family, beyond the demands of a highly successful career and other social activities a man needs to do something that he truly owns, by himself in his own cocoon without disturbances.

8.       Children.  There is a natural inclination for a man to bequeath even just his surname to the next generation. In every culture/society around the world this is a important ritual/tradition especially if the off-spring is male. But how many people have taken the due time and care to think about how their children will turn out.

Your kid’s well being is important, therefore investing in a capable mother for them is important, a trust fund even before their born and ensuring they receive direct tutorship in their education. A governess is important to shield them from the vagaries of mass education.

9.        An adventure: We live in a society were travelling is not as encumbered as it was before. Thanks to the airline folks many of us find it easy to travel to distance lands and experience different cultures. This has become dogma, but few of us invest in an adventure of a life time. The once off, I have been saving up for this for the last 12 years, not just physically, mentally and financially. For example Phileas Fogg  around the world in 80 days.

10.   Tool Kit. Manly dexterity is such a marvel. You never know when you will need a screw driver or a power drill, owning a tool box  is purely functional but a stitch in time saves nine. I have also spotted men with to die for all out silverware Barbecue tool kit, of course there is nothing particularly difficult with a barbecue, but some men have made this into an art.

From a vintage point I observed a jaw dropping performance as this particular dude opened his metal case of tools, the crowd cleared, he pulled his shirt sleeves up, with tools in hand it was a delicate performance- standing ovation all round.