Tea With Tee

An essay reading.

In this episode , Mncedisi and I stretch our minds and engage on the idea of existence . We begin with a description of our environments , what inspires us to think in certain ways and how these traits craft our understanding of the life experience . We engage with ideas such as religion , love and commitments to higher levels of self .

 This episode is a read out of an essay I wrote about internalized rage titled “I Burn.” I explore the condition of constant sadness , why that can leave one feeling hopeless and what that sadness has now become . Make sure to brew a cup to go along with mine ! 

Happy new year ?? It's March and Tee is back on air with a new season of Tea With Tee . In this episode she welcomes us with a conversation on behaviors and how this is tied to our neural pathways. Her stance ? When we identify problems from the root , we are able to deal with them in a productive way . 

The truth is said to have the ability to change the trajectory of our lives and to influence the decisions we make . This episode focuses on truth as a tool in love , why honesty matters and what we stand to benefit from the practice of it .

In this episode, I reflect on the life experiences that have shaped my creative desires and the prayer pathways to these experiences. I speak on my love for reading and writing, what words means to me in the context of creation and how an acceptance of any reality is the beginning of change.

Forgiveness is an act that follows after one party commits a wrong to another. It is a complex human emotion that challenges us to explore whether there is such a thing as redemption and how we "bring people back into the fold of community" once they have done us wrong. Lethabo and I cover the dynamics of redemption and attempt to establish the pathway to it.

In this episode Temazulu and I sit down and unpack the audacity of big dreams by following her life from her early days to her life in Boston. We discuss the idea of forging our own paths and going against the grain of societal norms and ceilings to dreams. Tempting Fate is an episode in which we unpack what it means to tempt fate - and whether or not we are ever in control . 

This piece of writing was birthed from a leaning into the human condition . It was a reflection of how often we forget ourselves in the midst of growing and unbinding. Gently, is how we get to the core of our hearts . It is a reflection on how understanding as a gift gives you a peace that is worth the unbinding I hope you enjoy this episode brewed specially for you. I publish updates of my work on @shewritesandspeaks, a curated page on Instagram .

I am a huge believer in the betterment of the self through reflection. In this episode, I read an essay I wrote about accepting oneself- regardless of how one feels about one self in any moment of space and time . Make your cup of tea and sip with Tee. You can fine me on Instagram on @shewritesandspeaks.

The term “Phuma silwe”. Is a Nguni phrase which is an invitation to the individual being addressed to come out and fight . In recent years it has also been used to describe and classify individuals who are likely to exercise violence to solve a matter. We define a few key terms in the title by unpacking each part of the phrase and play around with the terms to give the listener an insight into how we individually unpack the title . We then explore whether oppressed individuals have the right to violence and substantiate our conversation with examples , world events as well as personal liberty and self preservation . 

In this episode we explore the art of storytelling and the different stylistic approaches to telling our individual stories. We contrast this art of storytelling to its importance in preserving the self through space and time, and consequently, others. We discuss the features of great stories and their common characteristics and how these stories have helped us navigate the story of our own lives while cultivating the bravery to tell our own stories .  

In this episode Thandeka and Mengeti speak about the importance of actively pursuing and participating in community and why this is an essential aspect of our development . They discuss the dynamics of community and how a radical community not only allows us to belong but ensures that we are rooted firmly in structures that are aligned with our core values . They also explore the different ways in which a great community influences us and transforms our lives for the better. 

This episode welcomes the new season of the Tea With Tee podcast using the evidence of things seen and things not seen by speaking about the different stages of farming and what they then produce for those who tend to the land . This conversation seeks to portray the godly nature of everything and to give thanks for that which we have while we are in seasons of abundance ( first fruits & full fields in the presence of the current season) while knowing with certainty that there shall be dry seasons. I hope you enjoy and find some green moments in your lives aswell.

In this episode, Thandwa & I relax and chat like two friends do over a cup of tea whilst we tell stories which highlight the necessity of love and the necessity of war through tools of storytelling such as poems, excerpts, film scenes, tinganekwane, musical compositions and any other expression of stories where individuals absolutely had to wage wars or insist on love as a revolutionary tool. This conversation involves an analysis on the importance of storytelling and how it does an incredible job of reminding us to be alive.

A deep dive into the ideas that govern how we exist as black dynamic individuals in a world where freedom is a constant quest for us all . Luvo and I disseminate the idea of collective & individual dreams and the barriers to entry of those dreams - be it cognitive or physical. We use examples from music , education , systemic evidence and spirituality to defend our stances and engage with each other . 

In this episode , I sit down with Tee's board of directors (Me LOL) and just reflect on some essential and life changing lessons that I have learnt over the last few months , weeks and days in relation to my personal growth and development . I span these ideas across four major cornerstones which are related and yet each is extremely meaningful and important to who I am and how I perceive that around me . I hope you enjoy ! Reach out to me on Instagram ( _iits_thandeka) or Twitter(@_ItsTeekay) to share your thoughts on this episode .

This conversation explores the experience of womanhood in its relation to Southern Africa's current climate and the progression of these experiences . We touch on feminist frameworks and sip on our tea while we reflect on the remarkable lessons that the women in our lives have taught us even as they forged their way in a society that oftens neglects those who bring life into the world

In the third and final part of the friendship series , Angela Malaza and I delve into the experience of friendship and reflect on the journeys of self actualisation accomplished through friendship. We speak about authenticity , the extension of grace and the acceptance of people in our lives . We also highlight areas of growth and possible opportunities in the pursuit of true friendship .

In the second part of the friendship series, Tee sits with Mbulelo to discuss the concept of friendship by navigating friendship experiences, break ups and lessons learnt along the way. We also share excerpts about friendship that encapsulate the idea for us and cement those in real life experiences.

In the first of a three part series, Tee explores the idea of friendship while reflecting on how she has witnessed the concept in her own life. She breaks down the idea into various aspects; venturing into the dynamics of how friendships transform our lives. You can find her on Instagram @_iits_thandeka or on Twitter on @_ItsTeekay

What is justice? Who gets to decide what it looks like? Who are the Damned? In this episode, we explore the questions around justice and injustice. We discuss what a world without punishment and prisons would look like.

A discussion around silence and how it wages war on our convictions and the experiences we know to be true to the human experience.

A beautiful conversation with Minilenhle Mavuso who often faces the sun , about the nature and symbolic nature of time , our experiences. What time is in friendships , relationships and experiences . We speak about music & love , truth and justice and we laugh as loudly as we can while holding the sobering realities of our lives in the other .

We must care about the economy because it also belongs to us . Tumelo & I have a discussion about the crisis in our states and discuss alternatives around acceptable systems . Get some tea and engage your mind in this discourse .

Lindo & I dive deep into our environmental issues and how they shape who and what we are . Thank you for 2022 , happy holidays .

Tee talks through the tea session with love & care. This episode is a movement towards trying to understand what our limitations are and if they're justified in a world that is unsafe . We're on the (n-1)th episode for the year . Thank you for growing with Tee

What's a choice to a man and who are we to judge ? Take a moment of your time to sip some tea while Yenzile and I explore the art of possible and all else in between . Happy listening besties , thank you for being here.

Here she goes again with the philosophical analysis about mere existence. Join Tee with your tea as she spills some of hers about letting go even in the face of desperation to hold on . Enjoy !

Hey besties ! Here's a 20 minute chat about where you might be in the heat of inflation and intense politics . You cannot solve all the problems , you can only control your reactions . I hope you hear the depth of the chat , and I hope it's a great start to your chapter today . Thank you for listening !

The state of our existence is an attempt of the world to understand itself through your eyes . Why are you here if you aren't becoming the best version of you . Tune in to be in tune :)

I've heard a couple of start up stories , I've never thought I would speak of my start right in the middle of my new beginnings. Please get a cup of tea as you listen to me speak ( and rant ) about the beginning of difficult but rewarding journeys .