Movie: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2

The action packed finale to the Hunger Games series, delivers a fitting closure to the series. The movie is itself very close to the proceedings of the book; although the final scenes feel a bit less traumatic and jaded compared to the book. It has everything that one needs from a finale - great action scenes; death of a few important characters (but not the real heroes); a victorious hero and something of a conclusion.

Movie: Crimson Peak

M loves horror movies, so she tries to drag me along as soon as there is something interesting.  Guillermo del Toro's latest offering is the model Gothic novel - period setting love story, with a cruel, mysterious underbelly. As a line in the book - this is not a ghost story; but rather a story with ghosts in it. The creepiness comes; not from the ghosts (although, in typical Guillermo del Toro style; they are fantastic creations) - but rather the dilapidated house and the general environment. 

Crimson Peak's plot is wooden and fairly predictable (but then it is an homage to a genre); the dialogue is rather mundane at times - but that can be all overlooked by the sumptuous set and colour contrasts - the bright red clay, seeping out on the white snow in the grey skies of England. Guillermo del Toro's offerings have a lot of style; and this is certainly one of them.

Missing

Conrad Koch's new one man show was meant to finish off last night - but has been extended by a few shows at the Jo'burg Theatre. The theme is, as it has been for a while with Conrad Koch's shows, South African identity - and it is a lot more than just Chester Missing - although Chester (and his disguises) are definitely the highlights of the show. There is also a human ventriloquism piece at the end, where two audience members are asked to wear some masks and we get an absolutely amazing ventriloquist performance. 

Chester Missing's political commentary, is as ever, biting and current - and there were no boundaries for criticism - from the ANC and the South African government, to the DA, EFF and Agang - there was not much that was left out. Of the puppets, Ronnie the Monster was the weakest link; but a show definitely worth attending.

Movie: The Martian

The Martian takes Robinson Crusoe to a new level; and the whole "last person left on the planet" bit too. But unlike Robinson Crusoe who has no communications back home; Matt Damon's Mark Whatney manages to rig up an old rover; and thus make his life a lot better and easier. So, instead of a showcase on the descent to madness; it becomes a tale of scientific ingenuity and off course the inevitable rescue mission to end all rescue missions. 

It is not as spectacular as gravity - but the individual performances are as good. The script and story is not as wild as Interstellar; but it's still as good. It was more practical; more feel good and something that highlighted both the dangers and need for space travel.

JPO and KZNPO's Joint Concert

The newly formed collaboration between the the JPO and the KZNPO got off to a great start with a joint concert featuring both orchestras; in a fairly packed Linder Auditorium (and the stage was pretty packed also). After some short speeches, Junnan Sun, the principal clarinetist of the KZNPO, regaled the audience with a masterful performance of the Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. It was a pleasant change in concerto instruments (given that most performances usually showcase the violin or the piano); and it was a great showcase of collaboration.

After the break, the full orchestras were used to show case Mahler's Symphony No 5 - a symphony that would be otherwise quite difficult for either orchestra to perform on their own; and the sound of such a large orchestra was in itself amazing. I had not heard the symphony in its entirety before; and I absolutely loved the first 4 movements - each with its own emotion/tone; something akin to a tale being told. The famous 4^th movement was amazing, and certainly a performance to remember. And after those movements, the final movement was disappointing - overly dramatic, and felt very different to the rest - but at least there was the 4^th to savour over.

#FeesMustFall

I was quite shocked with a newspaper table that showed the annual fees of various universities. Shocked, because the fees for UCT were over 3 times that of what it was 15 years ago when I entered university. I can't think of any other good that has had such a large multiplier - in fact 15 years ago, my total costs (food, accommodation, tuition) was less than the current fees. 

Mass education is one of the only proven paths to achieving economic growth; and given South Africa's economic situation; it is a no-brainer to enable education for as many people as possible. Complaints of financial exclusion, high fees were prevalent 15 years ago - but it was a low rumble. The fact that the fees have shot up; and nothing has been addressed regarding fees says it all. In this respect, Floyd Shivambu's article on education funding is quite enlightening.

The favourite tactic with the university of non paying students is to deny graduation until the fees are settled. Thus, a graduate with perfectly usable skills is not allowed to actually make use of their degree, to earn the money, to pay their outstanding fees. It's a circle of stupidity.

And the exclusion and its impact is fairly easy to see. In my latter years at UCT, I taught in the SHAWCO community outreach programme. There, some of the brightest kids in Khayalitsha were given free extra lessons - in my case IT. From a base of about 3000 students, there were a total around 90 students that went through this program. Every one of the students I interacted with, expressed a love for maths and science; there was almost no truancy - they were eager to learn. Yet, based on student numbers I have seen since; almost none of them ever made it to university. I doubt that was because they were not good enough - it is highly likely they couldn't afford it. And it is not only the fees - there is food, lodging, transport and off course books and equipment. 

There is off course a digital revolution that is also sweeping through education. In the past 9 months; I have completed (or currently taking) courses in finance, astro-physics, law, philosophy, technology and culture via edX. I have paid for one of those course - but the rest have been free. And they have been from some of the top researchers (including a Nobel laureate) and universities  such as Harvard, MIT and Cambridge. 

Sure, I am not doing these courses for degrees - just because I am interested in the topics themselves. But maybe MOOCs are the platform to get the best teaching out to everyone. Raspberry Pi's make cheap computers; we now have ever improving communication technologies. Perhaps the answer to the fee crisis is to make education in South Africa more available through technology. Instead of bringing students to the campus; take the teaching to the communities. 

Perhaps what we really need is a completely different way of thinking on how to educate.

Movie: Roger Walters The Wall

M absolutely loves "The Wall", so the one off movie screening of Roger Walters The Wall, was off course a must see event! It is primarily a concert movie - showcasing the concert performance of The Wall, toured by Roger Walters in the recent past. In between, there is a more personal travelogue of Roger Walters (sometimes with family and bandmates) visiting the graves of his grand-father (killed in WW1) and father (killed in WW2).

The concert itself is amazing - even if it was only for the absolutely amazing effects. A massive wall gets built over the course of the concert - until the entire performance ends up being behind the wall. Together with amazing video displays - this must have been an amazing spectacle live.

As an anti-war protest - I am not sure it really works. While the video displays showed various victims of war - from soldiers to freedom fighters to civilians (and all these without recent police killing victims or Syrian  refugees) - this is still a concert; so what you end up with is cheering and applause in the background. 

So, it feels like a massive disconnect. The travelogue is indulgent - but does not always make sense. And most of all, I don't know why it had to be a special screening event.

Fighting Crime with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

The Freakonomics podcast has a very interesting, two part episode on the use of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in fighting crime. Based on three, widely different case studies - fighting crime in in the inner city gangs of Chicago, rehabilitation of child soldiers in Liberia and lower risk domestic abuse cases in the UK; the podcasts certainly make a compelling case. In all three cases, participants are put through a CBT course with support and mentoring; and the results are quite impressive - an average of about 40% reduction across the use cases in the best cases.

Given South Africa's similarities to some of the case studies, I wonder if anyone has thought about using the same approach? The stories are certainly compelling.

Movie: Mr Holmes

There has been a rash of Sherlock Holmes adaptations in the recent past - from the action hero, to the modern adaptation to the faithful reproductions. In this crowded space, Mr Holmes is different - an aged, retired Sherlock Holmes tries to reconstruct his final case that led him to retirement - but his failing memory and body doesn't help his cause. In between the case recollection, there is a small side story about a Japanese man helping him with "medicinal" assistance to improving his memory and a great story about his widowed housekeeper and her young son; and more importantly the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and the son.

The highlight is undoubtedly the acting - of both Sir Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes and of Milo Parker as the inquisitive young boy. The performance of Ian McKellen as a 90 odd year man, losing his memory and for that matter other physical abilities was just astounding - especially given his rather superhero performances in the X-Men series and Lord of the Rings. The plot is rather mundane, there is not much in the mystery to be honest (and it somewhat goes against Conan Doyle's characterisation) - but the acting is a joy to watch.

Animal Farm - The Stage Production

I first read Animal Farm in high school, before really knowing its reputation (it was not school work, although I read it after 1984, which was). The story of struggle, achieving a free and equitable society, which then collapses is perhaps more pertinent than ever - in South Africa and elsewhere.

Market Theatre recently concluded an incredible stage adaptation of Animal Farm, with some South African references (e.g. the installation of a firepool) and wider African references (e.g. Napoleon dressing up as Mobuto Sese Seko). 

The highlight was certainly the incredible acting performances from the entire cast. Each of the actors took on multiple roles, but each role was perfectly cast and executed. M called the performance the best we had seen; and it was not just the plot line. There was something in the performance that is difficult to explain; but it was impressive and just kept the audience spellbound. 

It's a performance that deserves to be seen, again and again.

JPO in concert with Joshua Bell

At the last Joshua Bell concert, the hall was overflowing. This time around, it was a near capacity crowd - but not full. The ticket prices were very high - so it was not that surprising. The JPO is finally out of business rescue (resulting mostly from creditors writing off their debts), and the concert also launched a new era, with a close partnership with the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra, resulting in a joint CEO of Bongani Tembe. Hopefully, this concert was a good start toward a successful future.

Like the last Joshua Bell concert, this one also started with Weber's Der Freischütz Overture. It starts slowly, but slowly builds up tempo and instruments before a big flourish at the end. It's a fun piece to start off a concert. The symphony concert for the evening was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 2. I love the final movement of this piece; and find it quite different to the previous 3 movements - almost as if it is not even part of the same work. While the middle two movements are slow (and quite boring in my opinion), the final movement is energetic, frantic and lots of fun.

Joshua Bell's performance was Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto; a virtuoso piece that brought the audience to a standing ovation. It was a mesmerising performance, and was definitely worth the ticket price.

Buskaid 2015

This year's annual Buskaid concert was a couple of weeks earlier than usual, but there was still an almost capacity audience at the Linder Auditorium. 

The program started with Rameau (sort of a Buskaid tradition) - Overture to Pigmailion and Dances from Zaïs. At least in South Africa, Buskaid seems to be the only ensemble that plays a selection of composers outside the greats (Beethoven, Mozart etc.) - and the Rameau is an example of that. I can't say I love the style - but it is nevertheless enjoyable and different.

My personal favorite was Sibelius' Impromptu for String Orchetra. It is an amazing piece - slow and moody at the start and end, sandwiching a very energetic middle. It was an amazing contrast to the Rameau; and the performance was mesmerising. In fact, I went and found a performance on Apple Music to listen to while completing this post!

Camille Saint-Sans' Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso is played quite often on Classic FM, but this was the first time I have heard it live. It is a virtuoso piece, and Simiso Radebe's solo performance brought the audience to its feet. A perfect follow up to the amazing Sibelius.

The last performance before the interval highlighted another great difference between Buskaid and other classical ensembles. I had not heard Luigi Boccherini's Night Music of the Streets of Madrid before - but the ensemble took it further; by having a coordinated dance performance while playing the music. It was fun to watch, it was fun to see and gave a real feel for what the music was trying to achieve - something Boccherini himself was unsure could be achieved.

The second half started off with Khachaturian's Waltz from Masquerade, before going through to three movie themes - Theme from Age of Innocence, Theme from Cinema Paradiso (soloist Kabelo Monnathebe) and Tango Por Una Cabenza (probably best known for as the tango in Scent of a woman, soloist Simiso Radebe). 

As with all Buskaid performances, the movie themes indicated a transition to the kwela, gospel and Afropop - to bring the evening to a close. Once again, Buskaid delivered a standout performance. 

The Test Kitchen

The Test Kitchen has been the No 1 ranked restaurant in South Africa for a few years now (and also has significant global attention). Located at The Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town, the restaurant itself is rather relaxed; with an open kitchen where the patrons can see the chefs working their magic. The restaurant has a long waiting list - I booked in March for an August date - and it was definitely worth the wait.

We had the tasting menu, lasting approximately 3 hours. The food was perhaps a bit too slow paced - but otherwise the service was excellent. However, I would not say that it was my best fine dining experience. A corporate dinner at the 2-Michellin starred Dolder Grand in Zurich was amazing in its oppulence, setting and off course its food and I would rate Hartford House as the best fine dining experience (despite its colonial setting). That said, the Springbok Rose (main course at Test Kitchen on Saturday) is probably the best dish I have had.

Overall, the Test Kitchen is definitely worth getting a reservation for. The prices are fairly reasonable (although the waiting time should definitely be used to save up). However, I don't know if I would specifically plan another trip around going to the Test Kitchen (although the past weekend was a long weekend, hence I targeted this specific date). It's a great experience - but not necessarily a repeat one.

The bread was fresh out of the oven - with an interesting variety. The pie like one was definitely the most praised.

The first appetiser

The second appetiser - Tuna and Cabbage 3 ways - maybe the best cabbage dish I have ever had?

The pickled fish starter was amazing - my second favourite of the day. Layered with a variety of fish, it was somewhat like a sashimi course.

My second course was guinea fowl and foie gras. I wasn't as enthusiastic as the rest of the table; who raved about the scallop and mirin tea (below).

The third course was the choice between the line fish and the pork belly. The pork belly was amazing.

There was a variety in the main courses. The Springbok Rose (above), was by far my best dish of the day - in terms of both food and presentation. M raved about the parsnips in the vegetarian mains although the lamb (below) didn't get too many wild adulations.

The meal concluded with two deserts - Tropical (above) had a fruity theme, while the Milk Stout Sponge was more cake and pastry. They were both great tasting deserts - but I found both to be quite disjointed, especially the Milk Stout Sponge. 

Marikana - The Musical

M and I had completely opposite reactions to the multi-award winning Marikana - The Musical, now on at the State Theatre until mid-August. I saw the miner's song and dance akin to a war dance, while M saw it as positioning the miners as an arrogant bunch of thugs. I found the lyrics and positioning to confront the socio-economic dynamics, while M saw it as a reflection of the miners committing to their own demise. Both of us contrasted the performance to Rezad Desai's Miners Shot Down, which focused quite a bit on the political machinations around the tragedy - something the musical doesn't really focus on; and I think the documentary will remain the definitive voice on the tragedy. Neither of us read any reviews before going to the performance, and there a few criticims (esp with regards to attribution of cause) - but we did both agree that the performance itself was amazing. 

The set design was genius - the hill serving as both the musician cage and the prop. The music traversed various styles; and the vocalists were great. The translations of various vernacular phrases was patchy (some of it was projected) but there was enough English around to keep the story in line. And the acting was equally impressive - regardless of the viewpoint of the interpretation.

I think I convinced M on my interpretation -  but I suppose it is to be expected that different people will interpret art differently. As long as it is accepted that the musical itself is not a full portrayal of the events; I think it will be fine. Like the last two scenes - first by the widows followed by a father - the musical is also an eulogy that reminds all of the socio-economic factors that hold down our fraught labour relations. 

This is an amazing performance that needs to be seen by all, and at R100 a ticket, the musical is very accessible.

Art of the Brick

It took quite a few months to convince M that we should go see The Art of the Brick - an exhibition of artwork by Nathan Sawaya, made of Lego bricks - and we were both glad to have finally gone. There are some amazing sculptures - both replicas of famous works and original works. Almost all the works are made from classic lego pieces (of differing colours off course); which really showcases the versatality of the toy. The show has been extended by a few days - if you haven't gone; go.

New Bike

I bought my old bike 10 years ago. Back then it was a good bike for the price - it had front shocks (yes that was a novel feature) - but most of the components and features are significantly outdated today (such as v-brakes). Since I restarted cycling seriously 2 and a bit years ago, I have been itching to get a new one. Once MN landed one of the only Sliverback Slade 1s in the country a few weeks back; I decided to get one too.

The Slade 1 has medium range components (Shimano XT, Rock Shox Gold) and an amazingly light frame. I decided to get cleats also, and it has taken me a while to get acclimatised to cycling with the front of your foot. And it is a joy to ride - especially uphill! I took it on my current circuit at Groenkloof and made good time for a first ride - 8 minutes up on the previous ride, and 0.8 km/h faster. Once I get used to bike, I expect even better times and speed.

Lastly, Anton from Summit Cycles has provided great service in the process - from measuring before order, to setting up the bike optimally. Looking for a bike in Northern Jo'burg - go check out Summit Cycles.

Coffee and Chocolate Expo

Expos can be a hit and miss affair, and IMO it depends on the combination of exhibitors, activities and the uniqueness of the combination. This weekend's Coffee and Chocolate Expo was largely a miss.

For R100 entry, you didn't get much. Yes, there was a band playing, but it was outside and cold; so not much going there. The exhibitors were largely the same that you find around Jo'burg - either commercial chains such as Vida and Seattle Coffee or those that frequent weekend markets. There were some gems in the rough; but overall it wasn't worth it.

Movie: Jurassic World

20 years ago, Jurassic Park was a ground breaking movie - not only the visual effects but the scary impact of genetic engineering taken to the limit. Jurassic World, pays quite a bit of homage to this past; and introduces a dinosaur that is "bigger, scarier and cooler" - made by genetically splicing a number of species of modern and ancient species - that is both dangerous and intelligent. It is not groundbreaking like Jurassic Park, and the concept is more like a zoo gone mad than a natural park (as anyone who has been to a safari can attest); but it is still fun. Throw in some family drama, regurgitate some plot lines from the earlier movies, and even better special effects - and you have a highly entertaining movie; despite the poor script.

Xiaomi Mi Band - The Long Usage Review

There are two amazing features of Xiaomi's Mi Band - it's price of 99 HKD and its battery life of approximately 180 days.I bought mine on my first day in Hong Kong (on 2 March); and have worn it for most of the time since. The band is comfortable, although I would have preferred a band that stretches a bit more. I do take it off before showering - so I can't vouch for its water-wear.

The band has two major functions - step counting (as the general activity monitoring) and sleep monitoring. The step counter, at least when taking steps, is quite accurate. I actually tested in on the 4 odd Km walk around the top of Victoria Peak, and the distance counter was spot on. I am not sure how it works for other activities though - the reading during my bike rides seem a bit low for example.

The sleep counter has been more iffy - it largely gets it right; but I find that it sometimes gets waking up times wrong - especially if I have hit the snooze button a few times :) I do like the view of "deep sleep" and "light sleep"; but can't really vouch for its accuracy! There have been some other weird bugs - like recording sleep activity when I was not sleeping (e.g. watching a movie or reading a book for a long period of time) or not recording sleep activity during a short nap in the afternoon. Since I don't do either of those type of activities frequently, I have only noted a few examples of this occurring.

The software does integrate to Apple Health - though this aspect has been quite buggy in a few different ways:

• Apple Health and Mi Band double counts. If I have my iPhone in my pocket, and walk - Apple Health counts both those steps and those recorded by the band; and instead of correlating it adds these up.
• The sleep tracker in Mi Band is editable (to record more accurately waking time at least). However, edits do not seem to feed through to Apple Health.
• The sleep tracker in Apple Health does not account for "deep sleep" and "light sleep"

When I was in Hong Kong, the Mi Band was great to keep track of how much I actually walked in the city; and there has been a great contrast in the drop off in walking since then. I often miss the 8000 steps default target during the work days -  although this does depend on which office I am based at. The activity tracker has not changed my actual routines - but has made me aware of the level of activity that I have taken. So in that way I suppose, it is quite positive.

Movie: Mad Max: Fury Road

I remember bits and pieces of the Mad Max series - although Tina Turner in Beyond the Thunderdome sticks out the most. This is quite different - in fact, Mad Max is not really the main star of Fury Road; but rather Charlize Theron's Imperator Furiosa puts in the commanding performance as the hero. 

The cinematography is stunning, the stunts are stunning, the sound track is perfect - and Charlize Theron puts in a really great performance. It is a great action movie and great fun.