SA 'needs more PhD graduates'

I found this article on IOL this morning, and it is also featured on other news sites. The basic synopsis - to grow the economy South Africa needs more PhDs. The data seems to stem from the graduating class of 2007 - and since I belong to that club; I ought to comment :) I do however note that I do not fit the overall trend - I am not White; and I got my PhD before my 25^th birthday and not in my 30s.

The 'need more PhD graduates' needs to be contextualised; and I feel that none of the news reports trully delve into were the need stems from. But since the overall thesis is, we need PhD graduates to grow the economy, it can be assumed that PhD graduates are required by:

1. Industry, to enable it to develop competetive products and services


2. Academia, to enable a higher quality of education and research; feeding industry with higher quality university graduates, and


3. To create new industries and services, through start-ups etc

In my graduating class of 2007, there were 3 PhD graduates (in December at least, and for Computer Science only). Of us 3 - I am the only one who remained in South Africa; and all of us work in industry. Most South African companies in South Africa do not really value PhD graduates - it is clearly seen in the recruitment drives and for that matter in industry itself. This is also seen by the relative lack of R&D institutes in South Africa, that are fronted by industry. In fact, other than Sasol, I do not really know of any other South African company that has a big R&D setup in South Africa. Without viable R&D labs, are South African companies really interested in employing PhD graduates for their skills? And without a need for PhD graduates in industry, the pool of students wanting to do a PhD drops due to a lack viable job opportunities.

I agree that deploying PhD graduates within South African universities would have a significant impact on a number of factors - and not just acamedics. However, for this to successfully work out, South African universities need strong post-doctoral programs; ideally on an international exchange basis - that can be used to hone in the research skills and widen the research skill base.

Nurturing start-ups and protecting research outputs are things that South African universities and research institutes just do not seem to be good at. From my experiences at UCT, there was no drive for patents or setting up startups from the research outputs. This is a vital cog in the research process that can trully contribute to the economy. If I compare my experience at UCT with my internships at German research institutes in 2007, my actualy research output was actually higher for the time: I had one paper at ACM DRM 2008, one patent application and contributed towards 2 OMA standards for the mobile industry; all in 3 months at one research institute.

Tied into the last point, I think there is also a need to have focused research programs instead of the ad-hoc research that happens in many SA universities. It is hypocritical on my part to say this - when my own research was ad-hoc and very much removed from most other research at UCT - but if I compare my PhD experience in terms of the actual research project; to my peers in my research field around the world - formal research programs where a team of students, post-docs and academic staff work on the same research topic has a tremendous impact on the quality of the work produced. I think the outputs discussed above, with regards to my internship can also be similarly attributed - there my team was 5 persons (including me) in my specific stream and a total of 10 persons in the research program as a whole.

So yes, I agree that more PhD graduates will have an impact on economic growth - but I do not think that can happen without the supporting environment from both universities and industry. Other factors such as primary and secondary education are also important - but for PhD graduates to have meaningful impact on the economy there needs to be mechanisms for them to contribute meaningfully.

ZaCon 2

Last year, a bunch of security techies (mostly from Sensepost it seems) banded together to form a technical security group, called ZaCon. In seemingly no time, they had organised a conference/get together - which I could not attend due to work commitments. ZaCon 2 was the newer, bigger conference event. It is not really a novel concept in many respects - a bunch of people get together (on the weekend off course), organise a venue and discuss their common interest for a day - and all for next to no cost (the organisers funded some of the equipment hires; the rest was either sponsored or non existent). It is the purest form of participation really - being there because it interests you.

As with all conferences; there was the mixture of the superbly interesting to be boring - but that is to be expected. With a strong technical focus; many of the talks focused on IT vulnerabilities - how they can be exploited and/or mitigated - from Google Apps to Java JAR files.

There were a number of highlights. On the attack front, Ivan Burke's talk on the usage of Google Apps to create features similar to botnets (though, as he willing admitted, he was not a good speaker) was a great example of how cloud computing facilities not only create security challenges with regards to confidentiality of data (stored in the cloud) but also create a platform for future security exploits. Jurgens van der Merwe's talk later about the use of Selenium expanded further the potential of attacking web based systems. In fact, a potential that wasn't explored in great detail - the combination of Selenium and cloud based services such as Amazon EC2 and Google Apps could create a significant assault on data confidentiality - through exploiting gaps in web based services. Also on the attack front; Daniel Cuthbert's talk on banking website security was a sobering reminder on vulnerabilities that are created by sheer incompetence as opposed to oversight.

Ross Simpson's talk on the use of jailbroken iPhones as a means to infiltrate wireless networks did not really explore major new ground - but was a very practical walk through on the power of smartphones and a new attack vector. Like the attack vector of cell phone cameras where normal cameras are not allowed; this is yet another attack vector that is easy to deploy and hard to mitigate against.

Ollie Whitehouse discussed the forming of UnCon 10 years ago (security community in the UK, and seemingly the idea that gave rise to ZaCon) via Skype - and was impressive not only in the content of the talk (I think there is a lot of things that ZaCon can "copy") but also the fact that the technology worked. Using two different computers (one to control the screen and the other to conduct the Skype call), each with its own 3G connectivity definitely helped in this regard.

The last talk, Barry Irwin's analysis on the propagation of Conficker was quite interesting - especially the patterns on the network traffic correlated to the spread of the virus. The fact that Conficker has gone quiet is itself a worry - and the correlation of Conficker to other viruses; including Stuxnet, could be interesting research.

Overall, it was a great event - and a great learning environment. I do think, however, that there is a need to shorten the number of speakers and instead open up the floor for a lot more debate and discussion. Congratulations to the organisers for a great event!

Movie: Small Town called Descent

A new South African movie (I think it is yet to be released for general theatrical release); the movie centers around a Scorpion investigation into a xenophobic murder in a small town (called Descent). Intertwined within a fairly good crime drama, is an exploration of corruption (from the town's main mayor), police indifference/corruption, xenophobia, alcohol abuse, remnants of apartheid legacy and for some inexplicable reason, the politics of Mbeki-Zuma (I suppose the Scorpions is a link - but it has no relevance to the story).

The plot itself is quite good; but the script wasn't polished enough; and often features over-acting/posing/theatrics that end up ruining perfectly good storylines. Added to this, the dialogue also sometimes does not seem to fit the characters. And finally, the movie finishes without completing all the story arcs - and unlike good stories where this technique is usually a mechanism for the reader/viewer to make their own conclusions - this just leads to confusion. For example, the corruption angle is never finalised and thus the exact reasons and collusions behind the corruption activities or the end impact on the participants are just not explored - even though it is the driving force behind the movie.


Overall, from a plot and cinematography point of view; it is a great movie. However, the acting and the script writing detract from the positives; and does not really make it worth watching.

Movie: The Red Chapel

I stumbled across the Tri-Contentinent Human Rights Festival, now in its 8^th year, at Rosebank while waiting for the traffic to subside on Friday afternoon.

The Red Chapel is a documentary made by a Danish reported, posing as a theatrical director, who takes two Danish comedians (of Korean descent) to North Korea on the pretext of a cultural exchange program. One of the comedians, Jacob, suffers from Cerebral Palsy; which creates two contrasting points in the documentary - firstly his speech impediment allows Jacob to truly express his feelings in Danish without anyone else understanding; and secondly, it contrasts with the rest of North Korea where there does not seem to be any other handicapped person around.

While the documentary's aim is to expose the dark evilness of North Korea, I found that, in many respects the movie fails and it is largely due to the director, Mads Brügger. Mads comments in the film, that he has no moral qualms about anything to do with North Korea - and thus forces both comedians (Jacob and Simon) to do things they are clearly not in favour of doing. Furthermore, while Mads comments on various claims (which are most likely to be true), such as death camps and starving children; the documentary has no supporting evidence to back up its claims. Another problem with Mads' thesis, is that, he gives no credit to the actual talent on show from North Korea - especially children that ends up participating with the team; and instead seems to brush it off as simply a product of the evil regime.

All said, the documentary still provides a fascinating insight into North Korea - and a great example of media and propaganda management. There are many touching moments within the movie - especially the interaction between Jacob and the translator/minder from North Korea; but in my opinion, it does not really serve as documentary evidence of North Korea's evilness.

Jo'burg Street Market

I have always been facinated by street/village markets. Supermarkets, while providing the luxury of aircon and variety have taken the fun out of bargaining and just the experience of the market. Some weeks ago, I took photos of street markets around Jo'burg as part of a photo walk; and I think I have photos of other markets from around the world too (I have also previously posted about, though not exclusively, on markets in Helsinki, Hamburg and Huaraz).



Jo'burg street markets bring in elements that are only really found in the developing world - cut price soccer shirts at a fraction of the real cost; fresh produce sold at very attractive prices but somewhat unappetising locations, ready made street food that does not have the complicated hygine rules of the west and off course the seemingly ubiquitos pirate DVDs and CDs.









Not many suburbanites venture into Jo'burg during the weekends, and they are missing out a vibrant, colourful and interesting part of the city.

Rose Boats & Toy Museum

The road to Bedarsdorp passes through the town of Napier; which would most likely not warrant a stop; except for two things: the absurdly amazingly large chruch that stands tall, and the Rose Boats & Toy Museum.




The museum is run out of a house, by its owner; focuses mostly on toys from the early 1900's to 1970's; and its standout attraction are the Rose Boats. The boats are handmade (and available for sale) out of tin; and feature cyclic flush steam engines; powered by a candle. The concept is simple, and the results are amazing; and there a number of articles and awards hung around the museum to support how well the boats are engineered. See this wikipedia article for more.



Apart from the boats, there are a number of other attractions, such as trains and cars; and although the collection is not particularly large; it is certainly a very worthwhile stop.

L'Agulhas

Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point of Africa, and a place Jay and I have been trying to get to for a number of years (and for one reason or another postponing). The nearby town, L'Agulhas naturally has a number of "southernmost" - restaurants, hotels, B&B's; although the parking lot prize goes to the Cape itself (with a parking lot, 150m from the point).



It is a fairly scenic place; but not as spectacular as Cape Point. It is a lot more laid back, and there is a great view from the viewpoint on a nearby hill. The lighthouse is the second oldest in South Africa; which is itself a small tourist attraction (which was closed by the time we got there). I found it somewhat strange that it was not built earlier given the notorius storms that frequent the Western Cape; and that at one stage there was even consideration given to demolishing it completely.

The 3D movie rant

I hate 3D movies. I see no advantage that most 3D movies have, in terms of making the audience as part of the action; over most 2D movies. I say most, because there are a few exceptions - such as U2 3D; or in the case of Avatar, where the visuals were simply stunning. However; in most cases - 3D effects are mostly after thoughts, with no real impact on the experience.

And then there is the cost aspect. To watch a 3D movie, there is a premium in the ticket price. Added to that, I discovered last night, Ster Kinekor now charges R5 for 3D glasses. It seems to be an utter waste - not only will people not return these glasses, chances are, they will not bother bringing them along to the next show either.

3D "feature" has spread to TVs and Blue Ray players; and I still don't see the point of it all. There are quite a few rants and justifications on why 3D is just a fad, on the web - so I am not going to regurgitate it - but I am honestly perplexed why 3D is promoted as a miracle experience; when most 3D media just doesn't really make much use of it; or do it very well.

Waenhuiskrans

Although the official name of the village is Waenhuiskrans, it is better known as Arniston, after an early 19^th century shipthat perished nearby killing nearly everyone onboard.

It is also very well known for its cave along the sea; which is only accessible in low tide. Unfortunately, we visited during high tide, on the day after a full moon, so the cave was barely visible.


It is a stunning laid back location, where the "expensive" restaurant at the hotel (as per the owner of our B&B) compared very favourably to mid-priced restaurants in Jo'burg and Cape Town.

Import Taxes

A few weeks ago, I bought a T-Shirt from Teefury, costing 9 USD. The shipping was another 9 USD - which combined is still not bad for a T-Shirt (approx R140). I was pleasantly surprised on the speed of the delivery, but not too impressed on the import taxes. For a T-Shirt costing just under R70, the import taxes, including VAT, was just under R55! That is almost a 80% duty, and I don't think this falls under the cheap imports from China category ;)

All said, Teefury is a brilliant concept. 1 unique T-Shirt a day, not to be repeated except for random draw once a month (or so), which is incidentally today. You can't back order, and can only order until the T-Shirts sell out. They have some very interesting designs; so all in all worth the hassle :)

Prepaid Confusion

I recently moved house (after buying a place, instead of renting); and one of the "renovations" I did was to install a prepaid electricity meter. South Africa, it seems is the only country where prepaid electricity has taken off; which I think is a pity. Prepaid utility consumption (be it electricty, water or gas) is easier to manage and offers, in my opinion, far more flexibility than the standard billing methods.

The new prepaid electric meters are also very cool - the utility installs the tamper-resistant meter at the external distribution box (i.e. a straight swap with the old meter) and then provides the user with a remote unit that is used to indicate the value of electricity purchased, usage (accurate to the watt) as well as to buy more electricty etc. The interface unit communicates with the main unit via powerline ethernet - so another cool usage of technology.

As for the confusion - the contractor who installed the prepaid meter, installed it at the wrong house, even though I was given the unit. So, I paid for my neighbour's electricity for a week and the previous owner paid for mine. The guys at the City of Johannesburg offices were stunned at hearing about the mistake - and we all had a good chuckle. Even the contractor couldn't beleive his mistake ... although he blamed it all on his labourer. Personally, I blame them both - the labourer for not being able to do a simple job; and the contractor for not doing his supervision job correctly.

Karl Jenkins' Stabat Mater

Stabat Mater is a 13th century poem, largely about the crucifiction of Christ; but focusing on Mary. Over the years, a number of composers have composed musical arrangements around the hymn; with Karl Jenkins being the latest.

Almost everyone has heard Karl Jenkins' work; as the programme pointed out last night - his breakout "hit" Adiemus being the staple of spas and restaurants (and in ads, lifts and every other place with piped mood music). He is probably the most successful living classical composer; and although a number of his works feature Christian hymns; he often intertwines them with other cultural pieces; such as Arabic, Aramaic and English verses in his version of Stabat Mater.

As part of Arts Alive, the University of Johannesburg Choir, Akustika Chamber Singers, backed with a full orchestra, performed the full Stabat Mater, conducted by Karl Jenkins himself. The concert also featured two smaller pieces; The Palladio Suite, a string orchestra piece; and La Folia, a concerto for Marimba accompanied by a string orchestra. The latter was particularly impressive - and provided a great fusion of musical styles; with a superb solo performance by Magda de Vries.

The main event itself was spectacular - and Johannesburg City Hall is a spectacular venue; especially as the stage is framed by a stunning organ (not sure if it works though). Interestingly, given the somber nature of the work, the music was rarely somber, and was in some ways fairly joyful. The pieces in Arabic and Aramaic, ironically, provided the most somber notes to the piece.

It is also very interesting to see how different choir members participate - especially in such a long piece. There were performers who seemed to be genuinely enthralled - swaying and smiling through the whole performances; while others were more somber and were almost non participants.

I am not a massive fan of choir music - but I must say that I have now been to quite a few this year, and all have been interesting. And all of the feature pieces have been based on Christian hymns - maybe I need to expand my horizons.

The Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble

Classic FM often plays pieces performed by the Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble, but it was only recently that I learnt that the ensemble is largely a children's group; with a great story behind the formation and the success of the ensemble. Started 13 years ago by Rosemary Nalden, the project has grown tremendously and now features a number of support staff and many more participants. The project showcases an annual concert at the Linder Auditorium, and this year, it was particularly well advertised.

The standout highlight of the evening, for which the soloist, Simiso Radebe, got a thoroughly well deserved standing ovation, was Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen. The piece is fast, complex, and was extremely well played - and I would love to hear it with the backing of a full orchestra (check these Youtube videos out to hear it). The performance was actually breathtaking, given its incredible complexity towards the end of the piece, and he was well supported by the ensemble.

Another highlight piece was Fauré's Élégie, played by cellist, Gilbert Tsoke. As the name suggests, this piece is rather somber, but in many respects is well complemented by a Cello.

The concert also highlighted the multiple talents of many of the key ensemble members, either with singing (there were two Jazz pieces, and a few more traditional Kwela pieces at the end of the show), or other instruments (mostly percussion instruments).

In the program, Rosemary Nalden (who also conducted the whole performance), notes that yesterday was a notable achievement in hosting an International rugby match in Soccer City (or FNB Stadium), in Soweto - and that hopefully one day art programs like her ones would get similar attention and patronage. My personal opinion is, that a Soccer City like venue would actually detract from the performance; but the ensemble definitely has the talent; and programs like Buskaid and others, should really get better billing and more exposure. And perhaps, they can spread their wings and play around South Africa too - because they deserve to be seen and heard.

The Unanswered Question

I was really looking forward to last night's JPO performance, as it was going to feature the full recital of Mozart's Mass. It's nothing to do with the religious nature of the work - just enjoy the combination of symphony and choral. But this piece was cancelled, as the choir was apparently not ready; and will be performed next year instead (perhaps the pre-Easter show?)

While that was disappointing, the program was still briliant. It started with a short piece by Beethoven (Coriolan overture, op.62); followed by Charles Ives' The Unanswered Question - which I thought was just absolutely brilliant - not only the music, but the performance itself. The conductor, Bernhard Gueller, gave a short talk on the piece as well as a bit of background on the composer - which definitely shed some light on a very different piece.

The first half rounded off with Barber's Adagio for strings; which is instantly recognisable for most movie watchers as the theme tune from the movie Platoon. It is beautiful, and was superbly played by the JPO.

The full symphony was Schubert's 9th Symphony, which was interesting, but like the other pieces of the evening seemingly very different to other symphonies. It was a pity that the concert was not well attended - it was one of the best I have attended.

Movie: Inception

As I was walking into the movie on Saturday night, R sends a sms "P & I just finished watching Inception. We reached consensus that there is too much hype. It's like Thirteenth Floor meets Ocean's Eleven."

Inception is not the most original movie around. Lots of movies and stories previously have made use of layers of dreams and reality. The Matrix for example, is a very easy example of such a concept, and science finction stories exploring "other worlds" (e.g. Narnia series) feature distrotion of time, and the inability to separate reality from the dream state. Sergey Lukyanenko's Night Watch series also features layers of "Twilight", separating reality and the magical realms; but also feature the distinctions used in Inception - the distortion of time and the the ability to influence the outcome in the real world through actions in the dream/magic world.

That said, Inception is a very polished movie with a very good script (when compared to many Science Fiction and Fantasy stories); although there are some very glaring plot holes. The mechanisms of the heist, and for that matter, the inception at the heart of the story, is well thought out, and cleverly written. And unlike many heist stories, where there is a clear winner (either the thief wins with our support, e.g. Thomas Crown Affair or Ocean's Eleven; or the heist is foiled, and the theives are brought to justice), there is no real winner in Inception(and for that matter, there is no clear moral position on which side the audience should be supporting either).

Is it worth the hype? Yes - partly because of the lack of really good movies this year, partly because of the good acting (another rarity in Science Fiction/Fantasy movies), partly because of the polished production. In terms of Christoper Nolan's movies, this is not a classic like Memento or The Dark Knight; but rather like The Prestige - it is good, but not great.

Fresh Seafood

Boston is well known for it's seafood, and many seafood restaurants Feature fresh seafood. What is interesting about this approach, is that they assemble their menus based on the fish bought that day, and print their menus every day (complete with the date on the menu). At least that somewhat justifies part of the price premium :)

Conundrums caused by etiquette

Last night, was the "social" event of RSA TechFest, at the headquarters of RSA. There was a tour of the RSA facilities, and I was on the last tour. The impact of that was, we were effectively the last people to arrive for dinner - by which time, there was 1 plate and 1 set of cutlery, for about 25 people. This led to a social conundrum - taking the plate would be rude to everyone else, while not taking the plate would mean that everyone looked stupid, staring at the food and the last plate. Ultimately, everyone decided to look stupid - and wait while new dishes and cutlery was cleaned and delivered; but it's one of those awkward social situations which are just very funny (at least to those who are there).

The Cheese Cake Factory

Normally, American restaurants, especially chains, are either ok and expensive, or cheap and bad; both in terms of taste and nutrition. Near the hotel, there is a restaurant, The Cheese Cake Factory, with an incredible selection of cheese cakes and an equally incredible waiting line. What was also surprising was that the food was very good too - especially given the price. The service (or our particular waiter at least) was briliant, and thus made a very good evening!

Immigration

I have always had trouble with border control - I have a passport from one country, but was born in another. I have as one, immigration official put it, "a different name", which in these times of overblown showcases of security, is always an excuse for hassles. But this has also led to weird and interesting conversations with immigration officials (the chatty ones at least) like a discussion on cocaine smuggling and fake passports (at the three borders in Brazil).

But I have also discovered that, when the rules work, and you play by the rules, there is some sort of reward. The Schengen visa for example, if you travel more than three rimes in a year, it is much easier ro get a year long one. And, I was really surprised at the US immigration this afternoon. Instead of my normal grilling, I got the normal check of biometric credentials (fingerprints and face) and that was it. More surprising is that I can stay a full 6 months in the US, which is normally not granted to non visa-exempt persons.

That said, I am still expecting "extra" security checks on my way out, the apparently random ones that I have never missed in my 6 previous visits to the US.

Dreikönigskeller

South of the river Main, almost directly opposite the Dom (Cathedral), is an equally impressive church, called Dreikönigskirche (Three Kings Church). I do not know the history behind the name, but it is very impressive from the outside.

In the event guide in my hotel room, I found that there is a live music venue called Dreikönigskeller (Three Kings Cellar), and which was seemingly the only venue in town hosting live music last night.

The venue is incredibly small (about 3m wide, and 7m long), with the stage taking up a very cramped front end. As the name suggests, it is housed in an old cellar, and the owner has certainly gone to great effort in getting excellent sound facilities (with the room dimensions giving excellent acoustics). I did not get to see the act that was mentioned in the guide, since I left after the first two acts (I was very tired, after walking a lot), but the other two acts (whose names I don't know) were excellent.

The first act was fronted by an expat (American or English, or maybe even Canadian) with the rest of the band members being German. The songs were all in English, and featured some really cool lyrics, with "Skin" being a particular highlight for me. The music style is hard to describe; but it seemed to be a mix of punk rock - I would say, think of a mixture of "Bed on Bricks", "Parlatones" and "Knave" to get the various styles. The musicians were really good, and it was really enjoyable. The second act was an all German, rock band. The music was decent, but nothing spectacular. And since I don't know much German, I cannot comment on their lyrics.

The venue seems to be a hive of music activity, with a lot of posters for next acts. But there wern't that many people last night, and the venue wouldn't hold that many anyway.

Marketing South Africa

The main shopping foyer of the Mannheim Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station) has a series of spectacular photos and commentary (in German and English), by the Eastern Cape Tourism board. Photos covered the usual (J-Bay, Tstisikama, PE, Ado) but also some really spectacular rural photos, including some really off the beaten path locations.

I think it is a very smart move - especially as this week is the German Grand Prix, and Mannheim is where to get a train to Hockenheim. And with the World Cup just finished, SA is still in many people's mind (incidently, it is easy to spot a tourist boarding a flight in Jo'burg - they are the ones carrying vuvzelas).

I did not spend too much time in Mannheim - in and out for my meeting. It did look like a nice town, but nothing spectacular.

Karen Zoid and The House of the Holy Afro

I think many people would be surprised to hear that in the past month, the Market Theatre in conjunction with the Department of Arts and Culture was hosting "South African Music Festival". It was a fantastic decision - right next to the Newtown Fan Fest, it is a great place to showcase South African music. But it was poorly advertised and the details were rather sketchy.

The whole festival seems to have been hosted around "The House of the Holy Afro", which started just after the 8:30pm match finished while one or more artists played before them starting around 8pm. There seems to have been some great artists across a number of different genres on show.

I last saw Karen Zoid live about 18 months ago in the Blues Room. Since then (or around then), she disbanded her band in Jo'burg, moved to Stellenbosch, reformed her band - and also seems to have written a few new songs :) She was also very chatty - talking about her dislike for the more conservative Afrikaners from Pretoria (Moreleta Park in particular) to some astute observations about South Africa. Amongst her new songs, I particularly liked "big mouth", where she has also changed her style to rapping parts of the lyrics.

It is difficult to describe what "The House of the Holy Afro" actually is. I think the best way to describe it is, that it is a performance piece featuring dance and music - but that is rather tame. The music - largely derived from various traditional songs in South African cultures has been modernised in terms of musical instruments and probably even tempo and rhythm. The dance and the general performance is high energy, high tempo - non stop action for 90 odd minutes. Fantastic costumes rounded up a very polished performances - and it is no wonder that the show has got such amazing reviews. It is a South African show about South African music, but until June 2010, the show had not been performed in South Africa; but toured the world for a number of years. Can someone please bring it back to SA - and publicise it more!

Hugh Masekela and Special Guests

Wow! There are only two shows (last night and tonight) at the Teatro at MonteCasino, and if you have an opportunity - go. Hugh Masekela is a legend in the jazz world; and last night's show proved everything on why he is such a legend.

To start of, there is obviously his music; his trumpet, his singing (he has an amazing voice range, with some amazing sound effects - the steam train on Stimela is particularly impressive) and various other small instruments that he plays. But it is also the improvisation within the music - whether it is to admonish a patron for taking a photo; or to tell a story, or a joke - and yet still maintain the overall song.

Then there is his stage performance and stage presence. For an old man, he dances exceptionally well, and it is an integral part of the show. And he manages to get the audience up on their feet and dancing and singing along with him. And like a school teacher, he was not afraid to admonish the audience when we did not meet his expectations in participating! Not many artists can take command of the stage like that!

And then there were the special guests. The standout guest for me was Tshepo Mngoma, an exceptional violinist (as well as a good singer). His "solo" performance with the backing band was very impressive - and I would love to see a solo show featuring him! His backing vocalists included a vocal band "Complete" - who also have their own story on how Hugh Masekela came to work with them. And they can sing well on their own - with some exceptional vocal ranges. The other guests included Tshepo Tshola (who I had not heard of before, but most of the audience clearly did) and Thadiswa Mazwai, who was introduced to do a tribute for Miriam Makeba, before doing one or two of her own songs.

At three and a half hours (including a break), it the longest "solo" concert I have been to and with Hugh Masekela's library of hits, he could have done a lot more. I found that his live show was a lot more entertaining than his CDs; and it's a lot easier to enjoy his show live when you don't understand Zulu.

Earlier this year, there was a show starring Hugh Masekela at the Market Theatre called "Songs of Migration" which I wanted to attend, but never did. It is coming back in November and I don't want to miss it then.

"renew your justified lack of faith in our company"

Last month I rented a car from FirstCarRental, when my car went in for an unscheduled electrical check. I chose them simply because they were the closest to my office, hence easy to get to. The rental itself was painless; but after returning, I was charged for additional damages. Upon further investigation, I found that they had charged another client's damages to my account - and it took almost 4 weeks (!) to get my money refunded; and that was after a particularly nasty email was sent since polite emails, phone calls and even rocking up at the office twice didn't have any effect.

In the last email, which was very appologetic (though they didn't even pay me my interest on the overcharge), I came across the following line:

"I trust that you will allow us to be of service to you again in the future so that we may have the opportunity to renew your justified lack of faith in our company."

Really? I should try them again, so that they can renew my already low opinion of their services?

FWC 2010: Uruguay v Ghana

As Gyan stepped to take the penalty on the last minute of extra time, the ground was in ruptures; willing for him to convert, and "make history". It was a well deserved place to be in - except for the first 20 odd minutes, where Uruguay definitely had control; Ghana played really well, and looked the better team. They seemed to be running harder, trying harder, and playing better.

It would have been well deserved - Ghana were the best African team this year. And it's not only because they got to the quarter finals. They played better than the Nigerians and Cameroonians - and they handled the loss of their star player better than Ivory Coast. They did scrape by in the group stages, but played each match to win.

Sadly it was not to be - and despite the consolation from his team mates; I think everyone knew it was not going to be Ghana's night after his miss. Gyan was devastated after the penalty shootout, so much that he was almost carried off the field by his teammates afterwards. And the Uruguaians carrying Suaraz (who deliberately handled the ball to stop a certain goal) in celebrations after the penalty shootout rubbed salt into the wounds of the near 80 000 Ghanaian supporters (there were about 85 000 people in the ground, and except for a small section of Uruguay supporters, everyone else spotted red, black and yellow).

The world cup in South Africa, has been a great success in most respects. Every one of the visitors I have spoken to have loved their experiences. A Canadian family I met on the bus to the stadium was gushing about how much they have enjoyed their travels in South Africa; a traveller from, I think Malta (or one of the mediteranean Island countries) was looking forward to his first game drive in the Kruger on Sunday while the Australians on the bus to Sandton were very complimentary about the service they had recieved in their hotels and guesthouses (although they thought the Metrobus system could have been done better in terms of ticketing).

And the fans, have been very colourful - as per the photo below. I had great seats yesterday, 8 rows (actually 6 since, the first 2 were blocked out) from the corner flag - allowing me to get some really cool pictures of the game.

FWC 2010: Argentina v Mexico

Sunday's match was the most competetive and most exciting match I have attended at the World Cup so far. This time, I went with a friend and his family using the park and ride at Gold Reef (allowing us to see Germany's thrashing of England) - though I think this was a lot less effecient when compared to the bus system I used for the previous game.

One of the great things about the World Cup, is the array of colourful fans that attend the event. There are off course the supporter clubs, this one being from Argentina, but there are also the stunning sombreros etc. Certain footbal traditions such as the toilet paper rolls being thrown on to the field have also been transported to South Africa - although they were cleaned up pretty quickly. So it is not only the export of the vuvuzela to the wider world - but also the import of various fan regalia.






Drums and celebration using drums are nothing new in football, and the Argentians were in high spirits after the game (and apparently it carried on inside!). Though I think the medley of drums and vuvuzelas at the Ghana v Serbia game was a lot more interesting!



Maradona has been criticised a lot, although he has succeeded well so far. But no one can really criticise his involvement at training. In the warm up before the game, he was very much involved in training with the players - instead of standing back and barking instructions. Maybe that is one of the factors behind his success?





Tevez's first goal was clearly offside from where I was perched - but that didn't stop any celebrations from the Argentians around me once the goal was given by the referee - although they did seem to accept it was offside once it was inadvertantly shown on the big screen; leading to the players' protests. But this also showed how easy it would be to deploy television replays as part of the game in large tournaments. The entire process took less than a minute; and big screens ensured that it was fair and easy for every one to judge.


My side of the pitch featured 3 goals, and I did manage to capture Higuain catching the stray pass from Osorio, on his way to the goals.

There are not that many games left in this world cup, and my last live game is tomorrow, where I hope the Ghanaians finally beat the Uruguayans.

South Africans Supporting African Teams

While waiting for the game to start, C, the diplomat, had asked a very interesting question - are South Africans genuinely supporting African teams like Nigeria, Ghana etc. or is it a hype made up by the media? It is a very pertinent question - South Africans of late have had a history of xenophobia, and some of our fellow African brothers have less than stellar reputation (Nigerians anyone?).

In some respect, support for Ivory Coast because of Drogba, or supporting Cameroon because of Eto'o is not surprising - but would we support Ghana without Essien, and what about Algeria?

I was at the FIFA Fan Park at Mary Fitzgerald square in Newtown last night for the screening of the USA v Ghana match; and I found that there is genuine support for the Ghanaians. It did help that they played great football - but the true nature of support can be easily ascertained when fans heckle the referee for legitimate calls going against "your" team, show despair at the opposition's goals etc.

Last night was a great game, and yes, South Africans are behind Ghana. And I am looking forward to their match against Uruguay on Friday night.

Transport Blues?

Apart from security, the next biggest fear about the world cup was the transport system - or the lack thereof. In the space of 3 days last weekend, I got experience both the highs and lows of the transport system.

For the matches at Loftus in Pretoria, I used the Park and Walks. What was amazing was the efficiency - not only in the signage and policing - but also how little time (comparatively) it took to actually get in and out of the stadium. In the Denmark v Cameroon games, I got home 65 minutes after the final whistle had blown. I drove to the same area this morning for work, and it took 25 minutes. Given the volume of people leaving the stadium - that was really impressive.

For the match at Soccer City on Sunday - I decided to park at Sandton City, and then make use of the Metrobus to the City Centre, and then the Rea Vaya, bus rapid transport system to the stadium. The tickets were R50 return, and a further R9 for parking at Sandton City - not bad in my opinion. The return trip - from the end of the match to getting into my flat, took under 90 minutes, which is very respectable.

This mode seemed to be very popular, with a lot of tourists making use of it; and with a very festive atmosphere (esp with the bunch of Brazilian fans that got on the bus with us). It was not a smooth start. With tickets being needed to be bought on board; and our general lack of orderly queues, it was a bit of chaos to actually board the bus. While I have had similar experiences in many other countries (Peru, Brazil and India stand out), it could have been controlled a lot better. But then again, this is Africa.



But thereafter, it was a pleasure. The bus dropped us of at Westgate BRT station, where there were a lot more orderly queues to board the BRT buses to Soccer City. The attendants were helpful and the system really works.

It was the first time I have used public transport in Jo'burg, and I was truly impressed. And the other South Africans with us were seemingly also impressed - especially the BRT. Not all South Africans - among the people in our bus from Sandton were three teenage girls (sisters I believe), who were quite spoilt and was aghast that they were actually going into town (the standout comment - "Town, eewwww gross. Mommy - you didn't say we were going to town!"). Their parents were however quite impressed - and stated as much.

Early Monday morning however, also brought out the deficiencies in our transport system. A Mexican/American friend of mine (and his girlfriend) were wanting to travel to Rustenburg for the Uruguay v Mexico game; and there does not seem to be any transport arrangements in this regard. A number of shuttle services charge outrageous amounts of R1500+ for a return trip. While they had booked a car, his credit card had a huge block from a previous rental (when he went to Polokwane to watch the Mexico-France game). Luckily, I managed to help him out with the transport arrangements - but what about all those people who were travelling alone?

The transport arrangements at the World Cup shows that we can do this correctly, and do it well. It has also shown the areas we need to improve on - the ticketing, the queueing and the coverage. This is all good news - I just hope that we keep on implementing these. And I hope, that in future sporting events - be it cricket, rugby or football; we carry on using these arrangements.

FWC 2010: Brazil v Côte d'Ivoire

Soccer City is an amazing stadium - not only beautiful at night, but also really good organisation (even with the inevitable disorganised South African queues at the security check points). Very spacious, it really defines what sport stadiums should be like! And with a near full house (over 95% attendance), it was an absolutely amazing atmosphere.



The Brazilians truly dress up for the occasion, and while Zakumi draped in a Brazilian flag was a stuffed doll, there were people dressed in various animal costumes, a fan dressed as a Mexican wrestler cum super-hero and a whole lot more. And there were plenty of replica world cup trophies; leaving no doubt on the expectations that the fans have of their team.



The game itself was high scoring, and with the red card for Kaka, featured a bit of everything. But the Ivorians were mostly outclassed - not in their ability to stand up to the Brazilians, but in two crucial areas: bad defending (and communication at defence) and even worse passing. Countless opportunities were lost where the pass was just too strong, and the striker or wing just not being able to get to it in time. There was also some rather bad decision making in terms of passing to the wrong player or not striking or passing the ball when there seemed to be an opportunity.





This is the only Category 1 ticket I bought for my games, and had an amazing view of the game; which also allowed to take some nice pics. I really enjoyed the Soccer City experience, and look forward to my next two matches there.

FWC 2010: Cameroon v Denmark

Ultimately, this ended up being a fairly depressing night for African football, as one of the best African teams on paper, became the first team to crash out, without scoring a point. It had started so well, but Cameroon fluffed so many chances, they trully did not deserve to win.

It was a great game from the Danish perspective, and the Danish fans were a great bunch (I was surrounded by them). They played better football overall, and had some very fast counter attacks.

Loftus, was once more, not full - and yet again it seems mostly to be the hospitality sections. Maybe Loftus, being the stronghold of the Bulls, just has too many hospitality suites and not enough standard seats; but empty seats are not good signs regardless.

Fan Diplomacy

On Saturday, I sat next to C, a temporary dimplomat working in the German Embassy. The German embassy has created a fan embassy, travelling around with the German team. The intention is to expedite any issues German visitors may encounter in SA - typical German efficiency! That said, C, did think that it was just an excuse to travel around SA watching football. C, the temporary dimplomat was in SA to staff the normal embassy operations - and he didn't mind as he is taking the opportunity to watch as many games as he can!

What was most interesting however, was his comments on the world cup so far. In his knowledge, there have only been two incidences that have been dealt with the fan embassy - lost passports in Durban. On that basis, this has been a very much trouble free WC - and that is great news to hear!

He did think that PE was not a good choice for game venue - it was simply too far from other venues; and that is his rationalle on why the games haven't been well atteneded. PE is too far to drive from Gauteng for a day trip (unlike Nelspruit, Polokwane and Rustenburg) or in fact from Durban and CT. In many respects I agree - but I also think the Arts Fest etc. did not advertise well enough of the merits and could have made it work better.

Supporter Clubs

One of the impressive aspects of the FWC, is the "Supporter Clubs". The temporary dimplomat from Saturday explained, that there are a number of supporter clubs in Europe, especially Germany, who go round the world watching football matches. The supporter clubs rank up "points" on the games they show their banners at - although he was unsure of what the points entailed.

Grosblie, is one of those prominent clubs - but there are a lot more - and they certainly lend an interesting dimension to the experience.

FIFA Fan Park

I decided to go watch the Spain v Switzerland match at one of the FIFA Fan parks; and had initially decided on Innesfree Park in Sandton. However, the parking arrangements for the fan park is convoluted, and not exactly welcoming - so decided to head to the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown instead; where parking is literally round the corner.

The Fan parks are well set up, with plenty of food and beverage stalls; as well as various other smaller stalls selling clothing, DVDs (bliksem DVD is an awesome concept), crafts etc. The atmosphere was festive, and despite the bitter cold; people were thoroughly enjoying themselves. There was also some DJs and dancing during the half time break on the stage.

FWC 2010: Serbia v Ghana

Match 8, Serbia v Ghana, is the first of my 5 FIFA World Cup Games, and took place at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. One of the standout achievements of the World Cup so far, has been the organisation - which has run almost like clockwork. And it was evident at Loftus. I used the park and walk and not only was it easy to find and navigate to; but getting out was a comparative breeze. From getting into the car, to reaching home (about 35 Km away), it took just over an hour - and about 30 minutes of that was in the parking lot. As a comparison, it took over an hour, just to get out of the parking lot at Carnival City! Even then, suggestions can be made - like starting to fill the parking lot from the front; so first arrivals get better spots.

The game was rowdy - as can be expected. Not only was there the buzzing vuvuzelas, but also a range of drums and trumpets - mostly from the Ghanaian supporters, who easily outnumbered the Serbian supporters. And the team showed appreciation - not only greeting the fans after the match around the stadium; but also before the beginning of the match.

Ghana played the better football throughout the match - they seemed to be a lot faster, a lot more skilled and more hungrier to win. That said, this only seemed to apply to the 80% of the pitch - the moment they came to the 20% near the Serbian goalpost, their passing strayed, their shots were wide and the headers were off mark. That said, Ghana was quite unlucky(or Serbia was very lucky) in having two attempts bouncing off the goalposts. The score of 1-0 reflected correctly that the better side was Ghana, but while both sides had plenty of chances, neither actually got to scoring in the field of play.

The stadium was surprisingly not full although most of the free seats seemed to belong to boxes; which probably means that there was a huge number of hospitality seats that were not sold. I wonder if FIFA does fireside sales to drive up attendance for poorly sold matches. It was a great experience, and am looking forward to my next match on Saturday, Cameroon v Denmark, also at Loftus.

Johannesburg Philahrmonic Orchestra

The JPO's last concert for the second season was last night, and it was a trully different concert. The JPO is providing the backing music for the World Cup ceremnoies, and working with Lebo M (who is the producer). So, Lebo M performed an unscheduled song - with the full orchestra backing! The song was originally a tribute to his mom, but he changed it to a tribute to to Siphiwo Ntshebe, an opera singer who died of meningitis recently; and was intimately involved in the performance.

Schubert's unfinished symphony was the first "scheduled" performance piece; but I did not enjoy it much. And I think it was more the performance than the piece in this case :(

But the real attraction was Beethoven's 9^th Symphony, with a full choir (Gauteng Choristers), and soloists from Opera Africa. The orchestrata performance was superb, and at a high tempo - with excellent choral performance. Unfortunately, the soloists were rather poor last night, with the Soprano overwhelming the other members. But the choir and orchestra made up for their lack of performance!

It seems that next season also features similar collaborative efforts - I am looking forward to it.

Bafunny Bafunny

Went to watch super team of South African stand up comedy last night at Carnival City. Comprising of Mark Banks, Barry Hilton, Marc Lottering, Kagiso Lediga, Nik Rabinowitz, Loyiso Gola, John Flismas and Trevor Noah, it was missing only one other top comic in my books - David Kau.

Politically incorrect (to the extreme in the case of John Flismas), most comics focused on a healthy dose of politics (Zuma, Malema and Zille being the prime targets), immigration, crime and off course soccer (with a smattering of rugby and cricket). Personally Nik Rabinowitz and Trevor Noah were the best comics in the show, but each of the comics had their standout moments.

Given a show time of about 3 hours including the interval, the R200 for the tickets was well worth it. However, Carnival City as a venue, is certainly not my favourite. Not only is it far, but the traffic congestion within the parking lot was horrible (took almost an hour to get out).

Super 14 Final

Rugby in Soweto - not as novel as last week, but still an incredible experience. One of our key security suppliers invited a colleague and myself to the final, and it was an incredible experience.

It was not only the setting - but the atmosphere outside the ground was also quite impressive. The locals really took it to heart, and well, tried to make a few bucks also by offering "secure parking"; often with signs in Afrikaans to help, such as the offer of "koue biere vir Blou Bulle".

Orland Stadium is actually very impressive, with excellent view of the field. The "big screens" are rather small, but apart from that, it is an excellent stadium for sport watching; with an incredible atmosphere. And the vuvuzelas, really trumpeted; mostly blown by the rugby supporters themselves; as opposed to being blown by locals. Given this, I think it is highly hypocritical for rugby authorities to ban vuvuzelas from their stadiums!

The game itself, while good rugby, was marred by the Stormers consistently giving away penalties, within kickable distance from the posts. That more than anything else gave the Bulls the victory. And while it can be debated whether the Stormers were denied a try; Bulls did, overall, play a better game.

But the standout memory of the afternoon occurred on the way to the game. About a KM away, while waiting in traffic, one of the guys needed to go to take a leak. So he and his friend jumped out, and went to the toilet at one of the houses on the side. Later, he commented, any other suburb in predominately white communities, this would be unheard off - even if it was in the neighborhood of Loftus or Newlands! And when they came back, a French girl, also jumped in. She was a reporter for a French radio station, and spent some time interviewing us of what we thought of the event and our experiences so far. Just before the stadium, she jumped out, probably to interview more people!

Apple Standardised?

One of the people in the Super 14 party yesterday, commented that one of the nice things she likes about her new Apple iPhone is the "standardised connector". At first pass, this sounded rather wierd - but she explained that both her iPod (about 4 years old), her kids' iPod (more recent), her husband's iPod (very new) and her iPhone (also new) - all used the same connector, and for that matter same charger system. In comparison, her Nokia phones she had used previously all had different chargers; while her husband's Blackberry (he is on his third or fourth one now) has also had different chargers.

In the IT world, we think that standardisation is a globally agreed set of principles - but maybe, just consitency in usage and design within a manufacturer is enough! Maybe, the whole concept of long standardised, interoperability - which is often long winded, compromised and even more often, ineffective, would be rather better served by stadradisation and consistency within the manufaturer?

Fight Night, My Life on Fire, 40 Day Journey and Groundstar

It has been a while since I was last at Back2Basix (but nothing has really changed). There was a small crowd, mostly friends of the bands it seems. Maybe, I need to find some new venues! A general comment, with regards to the venue - their sound mixing really sucks. Except when there are high profile bands (who probably bring their own sound guy, the mixing is quite bad - with a lot more instrumentals and a lot less vocals. That, or the bands are just covering up their weak vocals :)

Fight Night
A very unremarkable band, with almost non existent stage presence, inaudible lyrics (though that could be due to the mixing) and songs that sounded alike. Nothing to like, and quite disappointing. They do have a Facebook page it seems.

My Life on Fire
Their warmup was already better than Fight Night, but again nothing really amazing. The singer seems to have a lot of potential, but was once again drowned by the mixing. Quite good energy on stage, though nothing really amazing. They band did give away a few T-Shirts, but they really need to learn to throw :) They do seem to have a Facebook page.

40 Day Journey
A 3-piece metal band, they were probably the best musically, with an incredible drummer and a really high energy set. Very entertaining to watch. They do seem to have a Facebook page it seems.

Groundstar
Definitely the most interesting band in the lineup, playing mostly rock (as opposed to metal), featuring a female lead singer and 2 backing male vocalist. This combination has a lot of potential, allowing for a wider range of vocal performance; which was sadly not really utilised too much. The stage performance wasn't that briliant either - but definitely a band with some potential.

Counting Crows, Police Escorts and a lot of expensive storage

I was in Boston for EMC World a very big vendor conference. EMC is largely known for its storage solutions, but there are a number of other products and services, notably VMWare and RSA. My engagement with EMC has largely been around RSA, so it was a good opportunity to learn about the other products and services offered by EMC. The big disappointment in my view was the under representation of RSA and VMWare,with a lot more focus on storage and software products.

It is quite interesting to attend an event of this size. The Counting Crows, were the entertainment for the first night,but they were really disappointing. They had no interest and their engagement with the crowd, understandable given that they have already been paid, and thus have no real stake in the performance. Another day, the shuttle bus from the hotel was given a police escort, easing the way through traffic. Being a Boston based company, EMC obviously has some clout in the city.

It was certainly a good experience, and the side discussions and networking certainly helps!

Newest Toy

My first experience of an Apple Store, was in New York on 14th Street (near Chinatown). It was the day before the US elections in 2004, and the store was revealing their 30" LCD monitors. Since then, I have bought an iPod and a Macbook, in previous trips to the US.

As a retail store, the Apple Store has always facinated me in how much more effecient and engaging the staff are when compared to other retailers. There seems to be a much higher percentage of sales staff to customers, and the sales staff really know about their products.

But what is most interesting, for me, is the whole mobile sales process; and the evloution thereof. When I bought my iPod, (2005 IIRC), the sale took place at a traditional till point, with a traditional receipt. 2 Years later, when I bought my Macbook, the sale took place with a mobile terminal right next to the area where the sale took place (and the salesperson was not too sure on how to take the sale in all cash).

So this long post, is really to gloat about my newest toy - the bottom of the range iPad (no 3G). The mobile terminal has evolved further, featuring an iPhone (or an iPod Touch) with a barcode scanner and a card reader. I had booked my iPad on Sunday, so it was really a collection together with getting an iPad case (the Apple case is better than the other cases I have seen so far) and off course payment. The receipt was emailed to me, so there was absolutely no paperwork.

The iPad is my riskiest tech purchase I think, with no International warranty coverage, and no access to official iPad apps. So, Spirit jailbreak and Cydia it will be. I am also not sure what I really want to do with it (other than surf the web from my bed), but I have been impressed with it as a device so far.

Blame it on the volcano?

My flight from Frankfurt to Boston was delayed by just over an hour. When the announcement was made in the lounge, the flight was apparently delayed "due to the volcano" - although the German version of the announcement made no such references. And seeing that the flight did take place, just over 90 minutes later; with the flight path directly over Iceland, it raises the question - are all delays for the next while going to be blamed on the volcano?

SAA Departure Lounge at ORTIA

The new SAA departure lounge at OR Tambo is absolutely stunning, in both layout and facilities (although the food section seems to be lacking a bit). There is a stunnign view of the airfield, and individual areas with TVs, business centre, kids area, etc. It is definitely one of the best lounges I have been to (although, to be honest, I haven't been to many of them).

Company Innovation

I have recently changed my responsibilities, and one of my old responsibilities was in innovation management within my company. Innovation is a tricky subject, and there was a lot of frustration, in getting the right audience to take innovative ideas seriously.

I am travelling again, and my shuttle driver, Steve, and I got on our seemingly favourite topic - the Gautrain. In my opinion, the Guatrain does not necessarily represent a threat to Steve's company - but rather a potential for new and different business models. He agreed, and we started talking about very different ways that the Gautrain could actually help his company instead of hamper the company's services.

That said, a clear fact also emerged - his company did not value input from employees - and in fact, when input was given, the credit was frequently taken up by management instead of the employees. And for that reason alone, Steve would not approach his bosses with any new ideas.

Innovation is a critical success factor for any company, but I think the integrity in how employees are treated is more important to get right first.

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Previous post about conversation with Steve.

Conversation with taxi drivers from Hamburg and Amsterdam.

Gmail Cleverness

I was writing an email in gmail, meaning to send an attachment (which I forgot to actually include). However, I did write "I have attached ...", and GMail picked it up, and asked whether I wanted to attach file to the email. Which obviosuly leads to the question - what combinations of the word attach does GMail understand? Investigation is warranted ...