3D REFLECTIONS OF LIFE

The cast of Music Alla Kaap 4 at the Grand West Arena Spending the evening soaking in the sounds of local music I woke up this morning with the R&B group, Denim's catchy refrain " We gonna rise as a people, going higher and higher" ringing in my head. This is what happens after you had celebrated the power of local music at the Music Alla Kaap 4 concert at the Grand West Arena on Saturday evening. Local is indeed lekker. The theme of this year's concert was the celebration of our musical diversity and the rich talent of our emerging artists. The young artists and the seasoned artists performed side by side in an eclectic blend of opera, Jazz, R&B, hip hop and soul. An accomplished soprano dedicated the Ave Maria to the music greats who had shaped the path for the current and future generation of local musicians. Highlights of the Music Alla Kaap 4 concert The young artists dominated the first half of the show. The brilliance of the youn...

Sunset or Sunrise for us? Violence against another human being is wrong. It is evil.  We must stop abusing our language and our silence to cover up our own damning prejudices.  Once again, we have the horrendous manifestation of xenophobia in the spotlight. Ordinary people like you and me are forced to flee like animals because they are being attacked under the guise of  their being foreigners. Most of us are horrified by this fresh spate of violence on innocent folk.  Sadly, many of us want to pigeonhole these attacks as purely criminal activities. We say the brutal attacks on fellow human beings is criminal and therefore the perpetrators have to be punished. On one level, there is the comfort that our courts will deliver on this mandate.  Those who broke the law will be punished. More concerning though, is that we have the Elephant in the room, a much more complex  layer of attitudes and culture that has to be addressed.  This is where we...

Buskers bring our cold cities to life. These creative street performers transform our public spaces into community centres.  Have you noticed how strained people look when they walk in the cities or in the shopping malls?  Yet, when there is a busker in the vicinity, you will see how a crowd forms spontaneously. Somehow, everybody will look relaxed and smile more freely. Street performers bring about this magic through their art. It doesn't matter where you are. Where there is a busker, there is a group of people who have been connected. A living statue street performer at the Boardwalk in Port Elizabeth. On our recent visit to the Friendly City, Port Elizabeth, we spent a morning at their Boardwalk. The beautiful village layout of the boardwalk is charming. As you stroll along the boardwalk lanes and the fountain focal point, you can feast your eyes on the eclectic sites of quaint shops, eateries, entertainment zones - and generally sullen-looking folk.  ...

Sasha and her 1D friends My breathing has stabilized, finally. There is life after 1D. South Africa may be a dim memory for the 1D Boy band who is taking Dubai by storm in the next two days. The 1D hotties had probably forgotten about us AND I am glad they are out of my hair.  Yesterday, 1 April, was 1D day for my 1 Directioner and all the other fans here in Cape Town. They say our Cape Town Stadium rocked with 1D energy and delirious crowds.  There is still the after glow of last night's 1D concert , but we can be normal in this house, whatever that means.  You will only understand if you have been living with five poster boys in your daughter's bedroom and if the smartphone is shoved under your nose to see another 1D fascination. Or if you feared for the collapse of the walls of your house when a 1D video appears on TV. Or, if all life in your car ends when the 1D songs play on the radio.  Yes, life with 1 Directioners is that intense. These last few wee...

The Jupiter generation having a super chilled time here. We are not even going to debate a mother's love for her children. That's a given. But, pray, why do MOTHERS always have to deal with the moodswings of their teenagers and young adults? You know the rage that resembles the Red Spot madness on planet Jupiter? That's the one I am talking about. At least Jupiter's hurricanes have a scientific basis to explain why those storms have been swirling about for the past 400 years. The core trigger that activates our young people's moodswings is laughable in comparison.  The only thing moms have to do is ask for cooperation in the home. When you dare ask them to organize their spaces, you will set yourself up for  The Rant, The Sulk  and then the Big Ignore. Packing away laundered clothes is a sore point in our home. I like the clean laundry to be out of sight as soon as possible, while my three young adults don't see the laundry in the first place.  Those ...

Basil and I had a fantastic breakaway at the Caledon Spa hotel. It has always been his desire to visit the Caledon Spa as a guest and not as a visitor to the casino. So, luckily for us, the Caledon's Spa Midweek special was on and off we went to the Overberg. The Caledon Hotel, Spa and Casino trio meet the needs of most of local tourists or the stay-vacationers as I believe, we are called nowadays. View from Da Vinci's restaurant.   Before we look at the Caledon Spa delights, let me just say this about midweek breakaways. Midweek breakaways are fantastic because these are the added treats: You get value for money because the same holiday could cost you twice as much. There are fewer people so the the atmosphere is more chilled and you can pretend the place belongs to you! Guests become familiar faces and you will find yourself greeting one another wherever you meet up. You may also meet interesting folk during your time there. Now on to the Caledon ...

Our Princess Bella relaxing on the table Bella, our pitbull terrier, is sometimes more human than her family. I had just arrived home, kicked off my shoes and raced to the back of the house. I needed to sit in the shade because the day was baking. Of course, Bella had already sprinted to our favourite spot under the Brazilian pepper tree canopy. While I was making myself comfortable, Bella was ready to doze off. She eyed a spot on the table and there our Princess lay in the dappled shade, surrounded by all the trinkets. She wanted comfort, shade and companionship. That's it. Aah... the joys of simplicity...