Latest news with #Adulting
Times
4 days ago
- Times
Yes… I crashed my son's gap year. Here's what happened
I never had the faintest intention of 'crashing' my son's gap year; I just planned an extraordinary holiday for us both within it. And when I shared this idea with my 18-year-old son, Rider, he was excited. I know my son, and we are entirely capable of enjoying extended periods of time together while respecting each other's boundaries. If you like the sound of a gap year holiday, then here are my tips: 1. Make sure they know what you're planning. 2. Don't arrive until they've been away for several months and have spread their wings. When they are at the point where they most appreciate the Bank of Mum and Dad, they will be genuinely enthusiastic about seeing you. 3. Plan some tantalising adventures they haven't yet managed. Note: spa breaks at luxe retreats may be your idea of heaven, but for them it's The White Lotus. 4. When catching sight of your beloved offspring for the first time in months, try not to burst into tears in public. 5. If, like me, you manage three of the above, you're winning. I arrived in Brisbane on Good Friday, after the least stressful long-haul flight of my life — just 24 hours before Rider's flight arrived from Melbourne. At my Airbnb I slept, rehydrated like an athlete and got sufficiently abreast of any jetlag to get my Adulting Gap Year itinerary so watertight that the Royal Navy could deploy it as a submarine. We would be so busy that I would need another week to recover. (Luckily, I'd factored that in.) Travelling light has never been part of my skill set. Now, however, I recognised that three pairs of trainers, Ugg slippers plus not one but two pairs of niche footwear for plantar fasciitis was probably pushing the packing boundaries too far (and don't get me started on the vitamin supplements). Nonetheless, by the time my son and I were reunited in domestic arrivals, my pre-adventure to-do checklist had been checked. Within the hour (thanks to Rider) I had bought an e-sim to avoid mobile roaming charges: we recommend the Holafly app. • Kathryn Flett: Should I crash my son's gap year? By 7pm we had caught an Uber into Brisbane's central business district, where four fifths of my Aussie family had convened for Easter in a glamorous high-rise Airbnb overlooking the twinkling city. However, I barely registered the views; I had two nephews I had never even met to distract me. What a joy. During our heady week getting to know Queensland, Rider and I had precisely one argument, right at the beginning of the next day: Adventure Day 1. At the SeaLink terminal in the Brisbane suburb of Cleveland for the ferry to Stradbroke Island, I realised I didn't have the tickets — and the ticket office didn't seem to be open. Neither my son nor I are at our best in the early morning. As I made it clear to everyone within earshot that I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't hear Rider mutter 'zip-it, Karen', though he may have. Instead, while I was trying to explain to the staff that the tickets had already been paid for — I just didn't have them on me, Rider cut to the chase and simply bought two more, on the boat. Which reminds me, I still owe him for those. • Best hotels in Brisbane Forty minutes later, at North Stradbroke, we set off on a four-hour Aboriginal tour of the island that the local First Australian Quandamooka people call Minjerribah, with Elisha Kissick from Yura Tours. Engaging with the island's beauty ensured that we healed our minor rift. From the serene bush-fringed inland lakes to the seafood beach picnic of Moreton Bay bugs, crab and stir-fried ugaries — tiny saltwater clams we had prised out of the sand, ('Now you're hunter-gatherers,' we were told), via a bouncy 4×4 trip along pristine beaches, Elisha imparted the magic of Brisbane's nearest faraway place. 'First Nations people are born storytellers,' she said. 'It's what we've been doing for thousands of years.' 'Is that a koala?' Rider pointed at a furry blob in a gum tree. 'Wow! Well spotted!' Elisha said. Our Day 1 Aussie wildlife bingo scorecard eventually featured: two koalas, three wallabies, one semi-submerged turtle (possibly), numerous herons, cormorants, curlews and … then I started singing, 'Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree/ Merry, merry king of the bush is he/ Laugh Kookaburra, laugh Kookaburra/ Gay your life must be.' Rider was well within his rights to deploy his AirPods. However, my mum used to sing it to me — albeit not when I was 18. After a pitstop at the stylish island shop run by Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, whose gorgeous textiles, ceramics and jewellery sell internationally (if only my bags weren't already full of pointless pairs of shoes) we were back on the mainland, on speaking terms, heading for plunge pools and saunas at the Bathhouse Albion. We've previously thalassotherapied together in Cornwall and been massaged side-by-side in Marrakesh. However, this was the first time either of us had had an entire pukka spa all to ourselves. The infrared sauna was a game-changer; I lingered for much longer than I do in the traditional kind. • Read our full guide to Australia By the time we were ordering beers and burgers at (big, bold and very buzzing) Felons Brewery in Howard Smith Wharves, right beneath Brisbane Bridge, we were bonded again; a fully functioning mum and son duo up for more adventures. 'This is the life, eh?' I was happy to embrace cliché as we toasted the end of Day 1, which had been a long one. 'I wonder what tomorrow brings?' 'It's been amazing already,' ider said, 'but I'm fine without eating more ugaries.' I agreed; perhaps we weren't hunter-gatherers after all. Either way, we were up for whatever Queensland wanted to throw at us, together. So we drank to that. But not too much — there would be another early start tomorrow. Kathryn Flett was a guest of Tourism and Events Queensland ( and Qatar Airways, which has return flights London-Brisbane via Doha from £1,149pp (
The Citizen
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Thembinkosi Mthembu: From DUT student to one of SA's leading men on screen
'I used to dream and say that I wish to get to where I am, but I never expected it would happen so fast,' said Mthembu. Ten years ago, Thembinkosi Mthembu was still based in KwaZulu-Natal, completing his Drama and Production Diploma at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). Mthembu recalls murmurs that there will be auditions for a TV series on a historical figure, Shaka Zulu. 'Watching iSibaya, knowing that there will be auditions [for Shaka iLembe], you know obviously that you're not gonna be part of it because you're still a student and my parents won't allow me to go to Joburg and go shoot-it was never gonna happen because I know how strict they are at home,' Mthembu tells The Citizen. However, it did happen. Mthembu is one of the leading characters in the TV series, and it returns to screens for a second season next month. He portrays the character of King Dingiswayo (formerly Godongwana kaJobe). 'I didn't think that, at this time, I'd be part of uShaka [iLembe] because the conversation about being on Shaka started when I was doing my first year at DUT.' ALSO READ: 'Most are excited about the Shaka guy, in theatre I'm a different guy' – Calvin Ratladi after winning award Thembinkosi the leading man Today, at 30 years old, Mthembu is one of the country's most in-demand leading men on screen. In a short time, Mthembu has played some of the most memorable characters on screen in recent times. From being the villainous Mabutho Dimba on The River, to being the young married Bandile Biyela on Outlaws, who is a womaniser, to portraying the high-achieving corporate maverick Bonga Tembe on Adulting, his catalogue is thicker than his years in the industry suggest. 'Fast-forward to now… I always say that I'm grateful. I used to dream and say that I wish to get to where I am, but I never expected it would happen so fast.' The multi-award winner says he had given himself at least 10 to 15 years to reach the heights he's already reached. 'It's not of my own doing…it's my family, my ancestors and my God. I also think the productions that I've worked with as well,' he says. He says being involved in the TV series The Republic, produced by Tshedza Pictures, was his big break. 'I've done five shows with Tshedza [Pictures]. It was a blessing to meet them,' he shares. Mthembu said that from the one audition he did with Tshedza for his role as Junior on The Republic, other doors opened. 'I auditioned for that character, and they gave me other characters because it was easier because I've worked with them.' Tshedza has produced three of Mthembu's most significant works: The River, The Republic and Adulting. ALSO READ: Lemogang Tsipa on 'deep-found respect' for Shaka Zulu after filming S2 of 'Shaka iLembe' Being on Shaka iLembe Shaka iLembe is produced by The Bomb Shelter, and he says working with them,too, has been a joy. He portrays King Dingiswayo (formerly Godongwana kaJobe), who played a crucial role in Shaka Zulu's life as a mentor and a respectable male figure. Mthembu says portraying himself as a revered monarch made him look at himself as a man and a role model to others. 'It made me look at myself and ask if I'm actually like this, maybe towards my friends…because it's hard to say if I'm like that [a role model figure] as I'm the last born at home. I'll see when my nieces, nephews and my own children are older, if I can be that sort of role model.' Shaka iLembe ignited a sense of pride among Africans, such that after each episode the show would trend and people from other ethnic groups would ask wonder about when whether stories of their own people be told on screen. Mthembu says all ethnic groups' stories must be told. 'We want stories about the BaPedi or other tribes because at the end, I don't only want to learn about Shaka Zulu. Even my child has to learn about the Xhosa people. My wife is Xhosa, so I would like for a show about Xhosas, about the Pedi, the Venda people, Tsonga…because it's beautiful to watch,' Mthembu shared. NOW READ: Nandi Madida creating a village for moms with new podcast 'The Motherhood Network'
News18
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Kusha Kapila Shocks All With Her Sudden Transformation, Netizens Ask 'Ozempic?'
Last Updated: Kusha Kapila has not reacted to the rumours about her physical transformation as of now. Kusha Kapila left everyone surprised on Thursday night when she was snapped by the paparazzi in Mumbai. In a video that surfaced on social media, the actress was seen smiling as he posed for the cameras. She sported a blue shirt with matching denim. However, her weight loss transformation shocked everyone with netizens wondering if she has undergone some surgery. While some expressed that Kusha looked very different, others mentioned that she was 'unrecognisable". Some even questioned if she had work done on her teeth or used Ozempic. 'Wonder what made her change all her features? Achchi not achchi but why would someone change their whole face – seems slightly shady to me," one of the users wrote. 'She's khusha??? Can't believe 🤷♂️🤷♂️," added another. 'She is looking so dry and old!" a third comment read. 'Ozempic + face surgery," claimed another. Kusha Kapila has not reacted to the rumours about her transformation as of now. Kusha Kapila is a popular Indian content creator, actress, and social media influencer known for her humorous sketches and relatable characters. She gained widespread recognition through her work on Instagram and YouTube, where her comedic videos and witty dialogues resonated with millions. She is now also an actress and has been a part of projects like Thank You For Coming, Adulting and Life Hill Gayi, among others. Recently, Kusha Kapila also dipped her toes in entrepreneurship. The social media personality launched her shapewear brand – UnderNeat. It is offering shapewear, bodysuits, underwear, bras, and other related accessories targeting young women. While the brand has limited sizes available now, it plans to be more inclusive and introduce more sizes and colours. Reports mentioned that the brand has secured funding from Fireside Ventures, with Mamaearth co-founder Ghazal Alagh also joining in as an investor. First Published:
News24
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
‘I've only been aroused twice on the show' – BU Mthembu on Adulting S3
Since Big Brother Mzansi, Luthando BU Mthembu has made a name for himself playing the charming Vuyani in the Showmax Original series Adulting. BU has also established as a rapper who goes by the stage name Ludo, with his music featured on the show. As an actor, he's also been on chart-topping shows like Ayeye: Stripped and Redemption. On Adulting, we've seen him go from being in his toyboy era to making an effort to turn his life around and finally, he does. In the third season now, Vuyani (his character) steps into his role as a club owner. The new season raises the stakes as the gents confront their deepest fears and desires while striving to keep their friendship intact. Reflecting on the previous season, BU says, 'Vuyani's vice lies in his love for women. Despite being a young, healthy, intelligent, and well-grounded individual, he still struggles with unemployment. What stands out about him is his ability to leverage his strengths to navigate life and achieve his goals. Without giving too much away, I can say he steps up significantly this season. I'll leave it there to avoid spoilers!' Read more | 'I'm an actor telling a story' – Mapaseka Koetle on playing Naledi on steamy Adulting S3 With how steamy and controversial the show has been, there have been scenes that will not only live rent-free in people's minds but will always have tongues wagging. One of these has been Vuyani frog jumping with Thembi Seete's character. BU shares that this particular scene has made people believe that he'd do that in real life. 'I think it's a matter of education. When you portray a character really well, people can become so convinced that they can't see beyond what they're watching. For instance, they've seen my character do a frog jump with Thembi Seete's character, and now they think that's who I am. That's the scary part for us as actors - people tend to hold on to moments like that. But it's all part of the job. It just means I played the role really well and made it believable.' Still speaking on the scene, he says intimacy scenes require a lot of trust between co-actors. 'I believe it's important to understand people and recognise that everyone is vulnerable. When it comes to sex scenes, even I felt uncomfortable at first. I remember my very first sex scene was with Rosemary Zimu on Ayeye: Stripped. She guided me through that scene, and what I took away from that experience was a sense of ubuntu. 'In Adulting, we have intimacy coaches, which helps a lot. I've also observed Thembi Seete and tried to apply the skills I've gained through life to make the space as comfortable as possible. I approach these scenes with the intention of staying true to the purpose of the scene and contributing to what we're trying to create for the show,' he adds. Read more | Mpho turns a new leaf in Adulting season 3, Thabiso Rammusi spills the beans Of all the intimate scenes he's had, BU admits that he's only been aroused twice throughout the show. 'The first time was the kiss at Konka, which is weird because it was just a kiss. The second time was during that scene [where I used my teeth to remove a g-string], though I didn't feel aroused while shooting it - only when I watched it. This is the edited version, so it's cleaner. Using my teeth was my idea, but I had to ask for permission.' This season though, we are in for a treat as BU also taps into the emotional side of his character. 'But I'm even more excited about my emotional scenes. I think we've seen everyone else show vulnerability, except for Vuyani and Mpho - though Mpho was going through a lot from the very beginning. This season, we'll get to see Vuyani shed a tear, and viewers will really feel what he's going through.' New episodes of the show drop every Saturday at 8pm.
