Hillary Sargeant Fanga

So Pesach is over, the feasting and merriment has come to an end, and our shopping and spending extravaganza has now pushed our overdraft over its limit. Hmmmm….sticky situation won’t you agree? I’m sure you can remember when you opened that bank account and received your first salary how nice it was to sign on … Continue reading →

Recently it was reported that the Credit Card Debt in Israel in 2011 was NIS 9.1 billion. Upon reading this I realized that I myself contributed NIS 20,000 to this ghastly amount. Imagine that! This realization immediately sent me into a frenzy of analyzing myself and the role I played in helping my bank achieve its magnanimous … Continue reading →

The beauty and the unpredictability of life are wonders that may never cease. I committed myself to write a blog each week for one year feeding my readers with whatever comes to my mind or my way. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be sharing my life’s stories, insights of my … Continue reading →

It is easy to be distracted by our peers and that comes from our lack of self esteem yet, there’s the irony of wanting to believe that we have so much of it (self esteem). This brings the battle of separation and standing out on your own. However, when the empowerment of our faith begins charging us … Continue reading →

Katie Byron says, “There are three businesses in our lives – my business, your business and God’s business!” And that brings me to my topic “THE BIG TWIST”. The saying ‘Who laughs last laughs best’ has some truth to it however, it is not so much who does the last laugh, but the awareness of … Continue reading →

Strong, Intelligent, Talented, Brave, Magnanimous are just some of the words that come to mind when I think of this week’s FANGA Guest Writer. Andrea Yip Zidkilov is a talented designer whose friendship I happened to stumble into a little over a year ago and since then have shared a kindred spirit as lifelong friends. She’s the mother … Continue reading →

My motto has always been To Live in the Now because that is what I have to live for –  NOW! However, looking back and reflecting enhances my abilities to deal with the now in the most astute form. I look back at my past as a reference, a reference to perform and to bring a better … Continue reading →

This week it is with great pleasure and deepest respect that I share with you a blog written by one of my dearest friends of over 30 years. Monica Babb hails from Trinidad well, Tobago to be exact, the sister isle of my birth country. She is a woman whom I respect and admire tremendously and therefore it is … Continue reading →

YOUR DIFFERENCE IS YOUR GENIUS! I truly believe that. When will the time come for us to be open to accepting this word wholeheartedly – Difference! With all that has been taught and trickled down to us over the years proving time and time again that being different can be ingenious I am still amazed that most of us are … Continue reading →

Ah another Jewish New Year has come and gone! This time the holidays were four days of bliss and as always it was a grand celebration. Lots of preparation and excitement and let’s not forget the tasty, elaborate and authentic dishes. Everywhere you visited there was food in great quantities, people ate non- stop, it … Continue reading →

FRIENDS – individuals that we inherit everyday in our lives, some accidental, some intentional, it does not matter how we look at it they are part of our existence in life. Sometimes we can rely too much on our friends. Our expectations from friends can mislead us therefore bringing us to a confused state which … Continue reading →

I have always been surrounded by good people, sometimes people who I meet for the first time without knowing them or vice versa. They actually give of themselves and allow themselves to get to know me by sharing their kindness and providing me with a blanket of comfort. Since I have begun writing my blog last … Continue reading →

Forcing our ideas/beliefs unto others is something we all love to do however, sometimes it can be overpowering and can take its toll. Many times I have been accused of being opinionated, controlling even bitchy, the modern word of today. As I have never really given it a thought or saw myself in such light I decided … Continue reading →

She created an undeniable change within the eye of the television circuit as well as our lives. She made the impossible the possible. She came into our living rooms virtually and groomed us for the past twenty five years showing us that we have the power, the Fanga in us to accomplish and to feed our hunger, motivating … Continue reading →

As the saying goes “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” I know some of us are quite busy however no one should be that busy that they are unable to take some time out for themselves. Finding a slot for yourself and enjoying a moment of your time is imperative. By … Continue reading →

Peer Pressure, comes from many angles – friends, family, various outside forces, you name it. These two words can become intimidating and destructive depending on how strong is our footing. It can lead us to dark areas, areas that are forced upon us to fit in. Coming from a family of nine brothers and sisters … Continue reading →

I did a song a few years ago titled “It’s not that easy being green,” I never paid any attention or thought to it. However, a few days ago I was driving at around 19.00 in the evening, the sun was setting and I drove by this beautiful park that I usually past by almost every … Continue reading →

When my girlfriend Resa sent me a SMS telling me Amy Winehouse had died I sent back a reply saying it was only a matter of time. I was not sad about her death, I was angry at her for being so disruptive to her life and cheating us by leaving us so soon. There … Continue reading →

Growing up in a spiritual home going to church was imperative. But in addition to going to church we also went to Sunday school (Sunday school is an extension of after church where we, the children, were schooled and told bible stories; stories of Noah and the Ark, John the Baptist, the Three Wise Men and … Continue reading →

A FB friend of mine posted on his wall a video of the most monstrous act ever. I could not believe what I was looking at. My eyes filled with tears, my heart sank, my stomach ached, I could not sleep that night after viewing the video of a man being severely beaten. Then to … Continue reading →

This week I take the pleasure to share with you a piece written by a dear friend of mine, Yafit Israel. There is so much more I can say about Yafit but I think this week’s blog would speak for itself….so enjoy and feel free to share your thoughts. FANGA! “Nudnik” – A Hebrew word coined in … Continue reading →

“I am trying my best to change and not to repeat my mistakes but I cannot seem to do it. It will take me some time to make the change.” Does that sound familiar? Why do we make these excuses? Over and over again we walk the path of safety. I am reaching out and … Continue reading →

Few months ago I re-connected with a dear friend I had not seen in the last eight years, maybe more. We communicated regularly on the phone for the past few months and I am grateful that I had that opportunity. He was quite the intellect and conversing with him was always a pleasure. His willingness to … Continue reading →

Life today for some of us can be challenging. The global situation is grim and most of us are working tirelessly towards improving our situation. As challenging and painful as it is, it can become demoralizing and it is important for us to surround ourselves with friends and family with healthy minds who can support … Continue reading →

Did you ever stop and seriously ask yourself what are your true goals in life? How successful would you like your life to be?  Where are you now? I often ask myself this  question and it takes me straight back to my childhood. Growing up as a child all I ever wanted was to be a … Continue reading →

Israelis are a driving force for creativity and hard work. Their stimulus level is undeniably astute and over the years I have come to respect its people and I am highly influenced by them. With such diverse cultures and deep-rooted traditions stemming from different parts of the globe their melting pot is huge – Iraq, … Continue reading →

If life could be a wish list it would be wonderful! Having everything our hearts desire could be tempting but really what would life be? There will be no room for disappointment, sadness, or happiness our minds will be as dull and gloomy as a cloudy day. What I discovered is that each one of those words that I … Continue reading →

Some time ago I was leaving a rehearsal and going towards my car when I saw a sort of commotion going on at the opposite side of the street. There were about twenty elderly men, two vans and a lot of bags on the pavement. Out of curiosity I decided to go to see what … Continue reading →

Joseph Hochstein….Photo taken by Tobias Hochstein This week we are privileged to share in the personal experiences of one of my long time friends, Joseph Hochstein. I asked Joe to contribute some insights into a few events that he encountered in his lifetime and to share how they really  affected him. So below is just a glimpse … Continue reading →

Babies are like uncut diamonds so precious. Like diamonds eventually they are shaped and polished therefore, they should be shaped and polished into bona fide diamonds. Hillary Sargeant. Having lunch with a friend discussing our everyday life situations led us to the topic of parenting and how it is perceived differently by each parent. In today’s society, being … Continue reading →

Dutch Jews lining up for roll call during the Holocaust Violence! What do we derive from it? Is there enjoyment? Why is it so uncontrolled especially amongst our youths? Going back into history from the days of slavery progressing to the massacre of the Jews, the ethnic cleansing of the Slovakians, the Tootsies of Rwanda … Continue reading →

Dr Joseph Murphy,  the author of the book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind says, “Fear is a person’s greatest enemy. It is behind failure, sickness and bad human relations. Live life in the joyous expectancy of the best and invariably the best will come to you”. I agree whole heartedly. We fear to live, we … Continue reading →

The word FANGA! Originates from the West African Mandingo lingo. Literally it translates: Power! – It hits you to the core, in its multifaceted, powerful meaning: everybody has his or her own FANGA! – To me it is resilient, not only powerful, in essence the African rhythm in FANGA! inspires me with a spiritual enlightenment … Continue reading →

Looking for single male/female smart, good looking, sense of humor……. the list can go on. The dating game, the search for love, if played smartly you might find that moment of excitement. However, the question is how long would it last? What is it and why is it so hard for most of us to … Continue reading →

Wow! So yet, another year has gone by and I am one year younger, thank God! As I promised, I had a Fanga-ful day. Thanks to Facebook well-wishers I received greetings in abundance. As the song says, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world”. I am lucky to be one of those … Continue reading →

Laughter strengthens the heart but a simple smile warms the heart of others! This was one of my quotations last week and I will like to elaborate a little on the topic, ‘A simple smile!’ A smile not only warms the heart of others but can also do tremendous miracles. It can unlock doors opening … Continue reading →

As I continue to be inspired by my friends and well wishers in writing this Blog every week I thought it necessary to continue to share with you, my readers, the words of wisdom that can often be found within us. So this week I am delighted to share with you some inspirational thoughts from … Continue reading →

Earlier this week I sat deliberating about the topic for this week’s blog and BOOM it manifested itself.  A friend of my long life companion called, I answered the phone and there was my story. He asked me, “Hillary, where did you learn to write so beautifully?” Well my friends I had no clue that … Continue reading →

Having dinner with a couple of friends two weeks ago, one of them said to me, “Hillary, this morning I was thinking how we are born into this world, work very hard to achieve so much (and) then we die.” Few days ago another friend said almost the same thing and of course it set … Continue reading →

There are no frills on the cover of this book, what you see is what you get. Rabbi Greg Wall  (RGW) a man of pure unadulterated liberation. My meeting with RGW was enthralling; unlike the atypical Rabbis, he is out of the box being himself. Interacting genres and bridging other cultures by playing his saxophone … Continue reading →

You meet someone for the first time and you are not yourself. You begin to fidget, you are at a lost for words or just can’t find the right words to say. It’s as if you are having a superficial experience trying to impress that person.   Did you ever stop and wonder, take yourself back into your … Continue reading →

Alvin Roberts  This week I am pleased to introduce to you a long time friend and fellow musician, Alvin Roberts. I’ve known Alvin for many years and always held great respect for his musical abilities and moreso for the inspirational conversations we have had time and time again. So this week I wanted to share … Continue reading →

One of my gifts is having great parties. For me it is the epitome of enjoyment, a few hours of sheer delight amongst friends. Planning a party is lots of fun, whether you order catering or decide to cater for yourself; it is a getaway holiday at home. A complete relaxation for a few hours … Continue reading →

There is a saying, “Don’t hang your hat higher than you can reach.” For most of us, it is common to do that. We all desire to have beautiful things in life and nothing is wrong with that, I do it all the time. To have a nice car, a beautiful house, lots of money … Continue reading →

Understanding and connecting to our inner existence is as crucial as our outer physical form. It is important for us to know and to be aware of our bodies. By doing this we may boost our lives giving it a quality beyond comprehension. As we all know proper food for the soul is as important … Continue reading →

“What?! You want to tell me that I cannot have a picture of my nephew to put on my desktop that I will have to go to FB to see his pictures!” When I heard this I laughed my ass off so hard. It was funny but at the same time sad that we no … Continue reading →

I once wrote a poem titled “Pondering about Tomorrow”. The irony of the poem dealt with how we procrastinate, convincing ourselves that tomorrow we’ll do the task of today and tomorrow comes and yet still it’s not done. Dualism is supposed to be a part of our being yet we tend to often use part of … Continue reading →

I would like to show my deepest gratitude to a special woman who came into my life with no expectations and became a driving force in the most defining point in my life. Her diligence, focus and meticulous way of doing things helped me to shine through and gave me the freedom to be creative … Continue reading →

Discrimination is prevalent throughout the world. Looking at that heading I guess you are saying she is right, she is on the button. It is a fact we live everyday with this expression so let’s get down to the wire….. My intentions today are not to debate about the race card but to raise the … Continue reading →

Once I first met my long life companion I told myself “This is a tryout after all for sure he’s not my soul mate and he’s too old for me anyway!” 🙂 I started my game of “let me have some fun,” after all having a short fling one could never go wrong. Twenty-three years … Continue reading →