I got a Neotel account in April, and it has been a big waste of money. Yes, price wise they are very competitive - but if only they would deliver a service that they are offering. This is supposed to be broadband, but I have never got download speeds exceeding 100 KBps (or 800 kbps). The normal speeds I do get on a good day, is usually half that - averaging between 40 and 50 KBps.
But it is not the speed that is the most frustrating thing - it is the latency. And coupled with that - the failure to really deliver true broadband usage. Streaming video - forget it; unless you are willing to buffer it all and then play it back (so not useful for any live streaming). Streaming audio - if you must, at very patchy and unusable rates. File downloads ... hope it does not cut out - but sometimes it is so bad that even download agents give up because they exhaust the number of retries!
As for their phone service - I don't really use it to give real input. But the speaker phone functionality (on the hardware side) is awful and the voice quality is not exactly crystal clear. It has come to the stage that I am seriously considering cancelling the contract and going with Telkom - because I have no faith that Neotel will actually manage to fix all these issues with their service.
So far, in my experience, the 3G services from Vodacom has been the most reliable and the only service that offers reliable and usable broadband. However, it is just too expensive to really use it for everything - but Neotel is certainly not competing on quality.
08 July 2009
Music: Sun to Moon Festival
Jo'burg clubs seem to have a lot of "festivals" - days where a number of bands come togetehr and play for more or less the whole day. The prices are very cheap (usually around R50) but the bands are usually not much to sing about; and hence I only go in the evenings and catch the final few bands. This time around (last Saturday), the bands had decent 45 minute sets, and the mixing was of a much higher quality - definitely increasing listening pleasure.
I only saw the last couple of songs from Laconia - a Pretoria (sorry Tswane) based metal band - and they seemed quite interesting; although none of the songs seemed anything particularly special.
Soil 7t7 was a wierd addition to the playlist at this point - as their music has quite a bit of reggae/ska influences. They also try the Linkin Park idea of combining rap and rock - but not very well. The guitarist is very good though - and they have excellent variety in music - so they are worth checking out just for that.
Runica, a goth/metal (of some label or other) band, had a great performance - and had some good music; although I cannot say that there was something that stood out. I quite liked their show, and would like to see them again sometime.
The interestingly named Mrs B, was the last band of the night. Playing mostly classic rock, they were definitely the standout performance of the night - with an amazing stage presence. They really combine well on stage, and look like they are all having a lot of fun. The music is very lively, and combines well with their stage antics.
I only saw the last couple of songs from Laconia - a Pretoria (sorry Tswane) based metal band - and they seemed quite interesting; although none of the songs seemed anything particularly special.
Soil 7t7 was a wierd addition to the playlist at this point - as their music has quite a bit of reggae/ska influences. They also try the Linkin Park idea of combining rap and rock - but not very well. The guitarist is very good though - and they have excellent variety in music - so they are worth checking out just for that.
Runica, a goth/metal (of some label or other) band, had a great performance - and had some good music; although I cannot say that there was something that stood out. I quite liked their show, and would like to see them again sometime.
The interestingly named Mrs B, was the last band of the night. Playing mostly classic rock, they were definitely the standout performance of the night - with an amazing stage presence. They really combine well on stage, and look like they are all having a lot of fun. The music is very lively, and combines well with their stage antics.
Nothing to Hide
Air New Zealand's new ad campaign has gone viral on YouTube, and is certainly a lot more interesting when compared to other viral videos. The ad features pilots, air hosts/hostesses and ground staff in nothing body paint, with a tag line that they have nothing to hide - especially in their pricing.
They have also redone their safety video (Bare Essentials of Safety) - and what struck me as a fairly frequent flier; is that is actually a lot more effective in conveying information - even if the staff were to be dressed normally. The information on different brace positions, how to correctly inflate a life jacket (and not just telling you to pull tags) or what the indication lights at the floor level actually look like, is a lot more effective than safety videos of any airline I have flown in the past two years.
They have also redone their safety video (Bare Essentials of Safety) - and what struck me as a fairly frequent flier; is that is actually a lot more effective in conveying information - even if the staff were to be dressed normally. The information on different brace positions, how to correctly inflate a life jacket (and not just telling you to pull tags) or what the indication lights at the floor level actually look like, is a lot more effective than safety videos of any airline I have flown in the past two years.
26 June 2009
No fences for the neighbours
My business meeting in Sweden was in a town called Norrköping, about 150 Km south of Stockholm. The train ride was through a very picturesque country-side - very much picture perfect of forest and rivers. After the meeting, I was given a short tour of the area, and one very striking thing was the almost complete lack of fences between properties. Coming from South Africa, it is a very weird sight indeed!
25 June 2009
Summer, Finally
It has been a strange week so far, weather-wise. Darmstadt and Frankfurt was cold - with almost no difference to the temperatures in SA. Berlin was warmer, but misty, overcast and mostly not too much fun (today at least, yesterday was not too bad). But finally in Stockholm, there is glorious sunshine and no forecast of rain for the foreseeable future. And it is in the mid 20s!
The SAS flight from Berlin was interesting - and unfortunately did not feature any hot blond hostesses :( The plane had three classes: business class which was basically the first two rows on the plane, economy seats and some legroom; economy plus (where I was) and economy. It was only when we got on air, that the differences became clear - business got food and drinks on nice cutlery; economy plus got food and drinks in the standard plastic/polystyrene packaging and economy had to pay for their food and drinks! It's the first time I have seen this kind of distinction on a plane - and in many respects it makes sense. I wonder who else will copy them ...
The SAS flight from Berlin was interesting - and unfortunately did not feature any hot blond hostesses :( The plane had three classes: business class which was basically the first two rows on the plane, economy seats and some legroom; economy plus (where I was) and economy. It was only when we got on air, that the differences became clear - business got food and drinks on nice cutlery; economy plus got food and drinks in the standard plastic/polystyrene packaging and economy had to pay for their food and drinks! It's the first time I have seen this kind of distinction on a plane - and in many respects it makes sense. I wonder who else will copy them ...
21 June 2009
Awesome World Cup Ad
While flipping channels, saw this awesome World Cup ad. It starts with a young boy juggling an imaginary football, and slowly getting a lot more people juggling footballs, with a great tag "Rhythm like you you've never seen before".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMlKb1npzQ0
I have seen quite a few ads by Tourism South Africa, and they are generally very impressive, and many of them are available on YouTube. What is interesting however is the comments that are usually attached - especially the highly negative ones along the lines of South Africa is a den of evil and everyone who goes will step into a warzone to the defensive.
Many of the comments are by ex-South Africans (or from neighbouring countries) such as one I have seen calling himself "ex-Rhodie-racer". In those terms, the labelling of comments as racist is justified - but the fact is, many of the comments have some seeds of truth. After all, there are not that many places in the world where people live behind electric fences - although in other parts of the world, security guards for complexes wield machine guns ... so not exactly too different.
Ultimately, the success of the world cup will depend on visitor's overcoming the negative imagery of South Africa's security. Transport problems - people at some level expect them. I have been to sporting events outside South Africa, where it took hours to get to the gate because of traffic ... and I started at dawn; or where people had to queue for the next train or the one after that, because there was no space. And stories of players and supporters getting robbed (even if the players might be the ones to blame) does not help the image of South Africa's security. But in the same vein, the success of the IPL does give us hope - but how do we combat the negative image?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMlKb1npzQ0
I have seen quite a few ads by Tourism South Africa, and they are generally very impressive, and many of them are available on YouTube. What is interesting however is the comments that are usually attached - especially the highly negative ones along the lines of South Africa is a den of evil and everyone who goes will step into a warzone to the defensive.
Many of the comments are by ex-South Africans (or from neighbouring countries) such as one I have seen calling himself "ex-Rhodie-racer". In those terms, the labelling of comments as racist is justified - but the fact is, many of the comments have some seeds of truth. After all, there are not that many places in the world where people live behind electric fences - although in other parts of the world, security guards for complexes wield machine guns ... so not exactly too different.
Ultimately, the success of the world cup will depend on visitor's overcoming the negative imagery of South Africa's security. Transport problems - people at some level expect them. I have been to sporting events outside South Africa, where it took hours to get to the gate because of traffic ... and I started at dawn; or where people had to queue for the next train or the one after that, because there was no space. And stories of players and supporters getting robbed (even if the players might be the ones to blame) does not help the image of South Africa's security. But in the same vein, the success of the IPL does give us hope - but how do we combat the negative image?
Co-incidence
While queueing for the flight to Frankfurt last night, I met an old friend I had last seen at UCT about 4 years ago. He was on his way to Dusseldorf, and was seated in the row behind me. Furthermore, he actually lives in Centurion, not too far from me (last I heard, he was in a different province altogether)... it's a small world.
I arrived in Darmstadt early in the morning, and the hotel allowed early checkin. I had originally planned to travel to Stuttgart, but the journey times was not attractive (or I had to pay a lot of money for the fast train tickets) - I should have planned better. Instead, I took the opportunity offered by the hotel, and rested :) 10 hour flights on board Lufthansa economy class are quite tiring.
Although it is supposedly summer in Europe, it does not really feel like it. It is in fact only a few degrees warmer than it was in Johannesburg. And there is a slight drizzle - so exploring Darmstadt is not much of an option either. Well, at least Berlin is a lot more promising.
I arrived in Darmstadt early in the morning, and the hotel allowed early checkin. I had originally planned to travel to Stuttgart, but the journey times was not attractive (or I had to pay a lot of money for the fast train tickets) - I should have planned better. Instead, I took the opportunity offered by the hotel, and rested :) 10 hour flights on board Lufthansa economy class are quite tiring.
Although it is supposedly summer in Europe, it does not really feel like it. It is in fact only a few degrees warmer than it was in Johannesburg. And there is a slight drizzle - so exploring Darmstadt is not much of an option either. Well, at least Berlin is a lot more promising.
16 June 2009
Vodacom Funny Festival
The Vodacom Funny Festival kicked off for the 3rd edition last night, starring a number of highly regarded local comics and two international acts. Of the local acts (3 dedicated acts excluding Marc Lottering himself), Trevor Noah was my personal favourite. I have seen him before at the Blues Room in Sandton, and he has an amazing ability with languages and makes full use of it. Tumi Morake, the opening act, and the only lady, brought a fairly different set of jokes to the stage; while Nik Rabinowitz was very much a comic taking the maximum advantage of Western Cape politics.
Of the international acts, John Lenahan's magic show was certainly very different to standard comic performances - although, as he himself commented, the magic itself is not the focus of the act.
But by far the best act on show, was the crazy Japanese duo called Gamarjobat. Part mime, part slapstick and very clever - they managed to get the audience laughing (in fact it probably ranked as a ROFL and not a LOL :D) without a single spoken word. Their act is theatre and comedy at its very best, and somewhat similar to the comics of the silent screen. They are not playing for the whole festival - only until 1 July, and if nothing else, they are the reason to go attend the festival.
Of the international acts, John Lenahan's magic show was certainly very different to standard comic performances - although, as he himself commented, the magic itself is not the focus of the act.
But by far the best act on show, was the crazy Japanese duo called Gamarjobat. Part mime, part slapstick and very clever - they managed to get the audience laughing (in fact it probably ranked as a ROFL and not a LOL :D) without a single spoken word. Their act is theatre and comedy at its very best, and somewhat similar to the comics of the silent screen. They are not playing for the whole festival - only until 1 July, and if nothing else, they are the reason to go attend the festival.
12 June 2009
Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra - Again ...
After my first visit to the JPO, 2 weeks ago; I was hooked. Hooked enough to be contemplating a "season" ticket for the next season, starting in August. This time around, it was a Russian evening once again, with a young American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara, as the soloist.
The first short piece was the overture to Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla Opera followed by Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor a very impressive musical piece, and Mahidhara's performance was brilliant, richly deserving the standing ovation at the end. The last piece, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 4 in F Minor was really a celebration of what an orchestra is all about - a lot of different musical instruments combining with perfect timing. Particularly humourous for me, were the guys standing up to play the triangle and cymbals (after sitting down for about 90% of the piece).
The first short piece was the overture to Glinka's Russlan and Ludmilla Opera followed by Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor a very impressive musical piece, and Mahidhara's performance was brilliant, richly deserving the standing ovation at the end. The last piece, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 4 in F Minor was really a celebration of what an orchestra is all about - a lot of different musical instruments combining with perfect timing. Particularly humourous for me, were the guys standing up to play the triangle and cymbals (after sitting down for about 90% of the piece).
06 June 2009
Wonderboom
Wonderboom are old hands on the rock scene in South Africa. With numerous hits, and a long time on the South African scene; they are one of the most professional bands - and their gigs show it. They have their own crew, mixing was perfect and guitars and equipment were all set up before the gig. But most of all, the band has chracters and great on stage performance - from the drunk and essentric drummer (Danny), the subdued lead guitarist, Martin to a very energetic bass guitarist, Wade and great vocalist in Cito - they combine well, and give a great show.
Back 2 Basix is a strange venue in many respects - it used to be a house - and so it feels quite intimate. But despite the great band, the crowd was quite small - about 30 to 40 - and not the 100 odd expected (as per the barman). But despite the small crowd, it was a rocking show, and definitely one of the best rock shows I have been to in Jo'burg.
01 June 2009
Security and Liberty
According to the Mail and Guardian, the founder of Auto and General (a South African short term insurance company) has offered the government R1 Billion to fund a new approach to crime fighting.
Essentially his plan is to provide a lot more technology tools - satellites, helicopter patrols, computers etc. While the motivation is certainly noble, as is the business motivation (less crime leads to less theft leading to less payouts for A&G), two questions need to be asked.
1) Is funding the main cause of South Africa's, so far, unsuccessful battle against crime. And,
2) Are high tech solutions such as satelites and CCTV cameras worth it.
On the first question - I don't think money itself is an issue. The South African police need better pay, better training, more motivation, better tools. I somehow doubt R1 billion is what the government has been missing and thus could not implement. That said, every little bit helps.
In terms of high tech solutions, I am reminded of the quote:
that is often brought up in privacy papers (and in Civ 4). There is always a trade-off between security and indiviual liberty. The tighter the security controls, the less individual liberty and vice-versa. It would be good for the police to all have computer systems that can efficiently capture reports (crime, accidents etc) and provide correlation of different crimes in terms of time and location. However, linking police solutions to high end monitoring solutions such as CCTV cameras with facial recognition would start to erode liberty that South Africa struggled to achieve.
Ultimately, the root causes of crime in South Africa, including the lack-lusture justice system need to be addressed. Better policing will help, but not necessary solve the problem.
Essentially his plan is to provide a lot more technology tools - satellites, helicopter patrols, computers etc. While the motivation is certainly noble, as is the business motivation (less crime leads to less theft leading to less payouts for A&G), two questions need to be asked.
1) Is funding the main cause of South Africa's, so far, unsuccessful battle against crime. And,
2) Are high tech solutions such as satelites and CCTV cameras worth it.
On the first question - I don't think money itself is an issue. The South African police need better pay, better training, more motivation, better tools. I somehow doubt R1 billion is what the government has been missing and thus could not implement. That said, every little bit helps.
In terms of high tech solutions, I am reminded of the quote:
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." --- Benjamin Franklin
that is often brought up in privacy papers (and in Civ 4). There is always a trade-off between security and indiviual liberty. The tighter the security controls, the less individual liberty and vice-versa. It would be good for the police to all have computer systems that can efficiently capture reports (crime, accidents etc) and provide correlation of different crimes in terms of time and location. However, linking police solutions to high end monitoring solutions such as CCTV cameras with facial recognition would start to erode liberty that South Africa struggled to achieve.
Ultimately, the root causes of crime in South Africa, including the lack-lusture justice system need to be addressed. Better policing will help, but not necessary solve the problem.
29 May 2009
Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra
I don't know the technicalities and the jargon of music - especially classical music. However, I really like listening to classical music - it is very different to rock, metal, jazz and hip=hop - there is a certain grandeur and complexity that is just not present in most modern music. There is also a certain air of "class" - performers are all dressed up and the audience is all dressed up in smart/formal wear. And although most of the audience is old grey haired pensioners, there are more than a few young people.
I came across the listing of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra by chance - and the lineu-up of russian composers was intriguing (not that I recognised any of the names). The first piece - Overture to Prince Igor (Alexander Borodin) - was comparatively short, and an excellent warm-up to the rest of the concert. The second piece, Piano Concerto No 3 in C Major (Sergei Prokofiev) featured Japanese soloist Ayano Shimada, and had a amazing conclusion. While the first parts were seemingly simple, the latter parts featured amazingly complex musical performance - both from the soloist and the supporting orchestra. The last piece was my favourite for the evening - Scheherazade, Opus 35 (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov) - a trully grand masterpiece involving a mix of a number of differenct musical instruments and sounds.
Apart from the music - two other thoughts: watching the conductor do his thing is quite a lot of fun and the guy who plays the cymbals had impecable timing, but looked quite bored most of the time. I am still not sure why the conductor is so valued, but his direction of various performers was quite amusing to watch.
Orchestral music is amazing in its complexity - the number of different parts and the timing of the various actors. I am really keen to go again - esp in two weeks time for the last concert of the current season featuring a few more Russian composers, only this time I know of them :)
I came across the listing of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra by chance - and the lineu-up of russian composers was intriguing (not that I recognised any of the names). The first piece - Overture to Prince Igor (Alexander Borodin) - was comparatively short, and an excellent warm-up to the rest of the concert. The second piece, Piano Concerto No 3 in C Major (Sergei Prokofiev) featured Japanese soloist Ayano Shimada, and had a amazing conclusion. While the first parts were seemingly simple, the latter parts featured amazingly complex musical performance - both from the soloist and the supporting orchestra. The last piece was my favourite for the evening - Scheherazade, Opus 35 (Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov) - a trully grand masterpiece involving a mix of a number of differenct musical instruments and sounds.
Apart from the music - two other thoughts: watching the conductor do his thing is quite a lot of fun and the guy who plays the cymbals had impecable timing, but looked quite bored most of the time. I am still not sure why the conductor is so valued, but his direction of various performers was quite amusing to watch.
Orchestral music is amazing in its complexity - the number of different parts and the timing of the various actors. I am really keen to go again - esp in two weeks time for the last concert of the current season featuring a few more Russian composers, only this time I know of them :)
28 May 2009
ITWeb Security Summit
I have been to many conferences, but this is the first time I have been to an industry only focussed conference. Apart from the product placements, the key difference between academic and industry conferences is in the level of detail and the practical application of the knowledge. In academic conferences, there is real in-depth knowledge and discussions while most presentations at industry seem to be at the glossy level - and stop just as things were getting really interesting. Conversely, the practicality of issues dealt with at this conference was much more tangible than that at academic conferences.
There were some great talks in the past three days - Phil Zimmerman's keynote on VoIP security, Tyler Moore's talk on economics of security, Fransisco Artes' talk on security of MMO games and really interesting talk by "The Grugq" on why there are criminal hackers.
What was ultimately annoying, was the short time spans of some of the really interesting technical talks (20 minutes) - hardly much time to discuss complex topics such as internet telescopes, privacy from data correlation across multiple online sources or even seemingly simpler topics such as security of IPv6.
I was also involved in a "pubcast" (which has yet to be released) - seemingly out of the blue. And I won a bottle of French Champagne at a product launch - although lost out on the Russian vodka, personalised golf clubs, the portable hard-drives, blackberries and numerous other lucky draws from vendors.
There were some great talks in the past three days - Phil Zimmerman's keynote on VoIP security, Tyler Moore's talk on economics of security, Fransisco Artes' talk on security of MMO games and really interesting talk by "The Grugq" on why there are criminal hackers.
What was ultimately annoying, was the short time spans of some of the really interesting technical talks (20 minutes) - hardly much time to discuss complex topics such as internet telescopes, privacy from data correlation across multiple online sources or even seemingly simpler topics such as security of IPv6.
I was also involved in a "pubcast" (which has yet to be released) - seemingly out of the blue. And I won a bottle of French Champagne at a product launch - although lost out on the Russian vodka, personalised golf clubs, the portable hard-drives, blackberries and numerous other lucky draws from vendors.
24 May 2009
Melodic Mayhem @ Tempo's
Although I have known about Tempo's since I have been in Gauteng, I have only gone there a few times. Tempos frequently organises "festivals" comprising of a lineup of a number of bands - although whether there is a theme to the bands is questionable. While the festival started early in the afternoon, I only went through in the evening, so I did not catch all the acts. This post only covers the notable bands IMO. I was quite surprised at the small crowd, and most of them were family and friends of the bands.
By far the best band of the evening was Soul Picnic. They are a new band, playing largely "old school" rock - similar to Perez in a way, and despite the small, non-interactive crowd - they put on a great show. Their songs are great, and their combination of different musical styles is a good breath of fresh air. I am definitely keen to see them again.
Only Forever and Holly and the Woods were the best supported bands of the evening - although, it was a pity that most of the supporters only pitched up during the performance, and left soon after. Only Forever had a dynamic performance on the stage, although I thought they were rather ordinary musically. Holly and the Woods do not feature any band member called Holly, but their lead singer Melissa is not exactly the stereotypical rock star wannabe. She does have a great voice, and a great collection of songs. Furthermore, the combination of cover songs by bands such as Skunk Anansie and their own made a great lineup. Of the two, I definitely found Holly and the Woods more entertaining.
Autumn Sun was the band I was really interested in seeing. While the music was definitely interesting (the keyboard element of the bands makes it more symphonic - but it has not really translated into the performance itself), the mixing was horrible. I would really like to see them again, and hopefully with better mixing.
By far the best band of the evening was Soul Picnic. They are a new band, playing largely "old school" rock - similar to Perez in a way, and despite the small, non-interactive crowd - they put on a great show. Their songs are great, and their combination of different musical styles is a good breath of fresh air. I am definitely keen to see them again.
Only Forever and Holly and the Woods were the best supported bands of the evening - although, it was a pity that most of the supporters only pitched up during the performance, and left soon after. Only Forever had a dynamic performance on the stage, although I thought they were rather ordinary musically. Holly and the Woods do not feature any band member called Holly, but their lead singer Melissa is not exactly the stereotypical rock star wannabe. She does have a great voice, and a great collection of songs. Furthermore, the combination of cover songs by bands such as Skunk Anansie and their own made a great lineup. Of the two, I definitely found Holly and the Woods more entertaining.
Autumn Sun was the band I was really interested in seeing. While the music was definitely interesting (the keyboard element of the bands makes it more symphonic - but it has not really translated into the performance itself), the mixing was horrible. I would really like to see them again, and hopefully with better mixing.
18 May 2009
World Superbike Championship
The 6th round of World Superbike Championship for 2009 took place this weekend in Kyalami. I am not a big fan of Superbikes, and apart from Moto GP I don't really follow any bike racing (I follow Moto GP mainly through weekly columns in the Autosport Magazine). And apart from Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa, I haven't heard of most of the riders. That said, bike racing is usually very exciting with lots of action (both crashes and passing). And it was not disappointing - lots of passing, a few crashes (especially the big one in front of my grandstand) and great racing. The event was dominated by the Ducatti team though, with 1-2 finish in the both races.
The event was very well organised - park and ride facilities worked very well (esp in placement - one was 15 minutes walk from my flat) and very good crowd co-ordination and information booths etc. There was also other entertainment dotted around the circuit - from live music (though the "biker gang" musicians playing cover songs weren't that good) to a small amusement park for kids. The one thing to complain about however is the lack of food facilities - queue lines were usually over 1 hour in waiting time, and there was very little variety. While I can understand alcohol sales being controlled - there should have been more people selling cooldrinks and water. For a full day event, I think these are crucial components for a sucessful event.
My other gripe was the small viewing screens and the limited number of them. Kyalami is an oddly shaped circuit, and viewing screens are essential to follow the race. That said, the race commentary was excellent, and did not require a radio.
16 May 2009
Jazz at the Lincoln Centre Presents ...
The Lincoln Centre is one of the major cultural patrons in New York, and hosts all the "high" culture events like operas, ballet and Shakespeare performances. Together with the US government, their Jazz foundatin takes prominent Jazz musicians to other parts of the world. At the Bassline last night (and for that matter tonight) the program presented two artists.
I like Jazz, but I don't really follow it. I have been to a few Jazz gigs at Kennedy's in Cape Town - but nothing seriously. There were not that many options last night on the live music front, so decided to see what it was like.
Salim Washington is a saxophonist and was supported by a number of South African band members - playing a number of fairly long Jazz numbers. The music was quite somber, almost blues-like, and the collaboration with the band members was quite impressive. He is due to perform in Durban and Grahamstown Arts Festival in the next few weeks.
Helen Sung is a pianist, and was supported by her own band. The music was far more lively, and a lot more varied - including jazz interwoven with poetry. It was a really impressive performance and very entertaining. She will be playing at the Baxter next week, with the UCT Big Band.
So overall, it was definitely a good idea to go to the Jazz ... should go more often in fact.
I like Jazz, but I don't really follow it. I have been to a few Jazz gigs at Kennedy's in Cape Town - but nothing seriously. There were not that many options last night on the live music front, so decided to see what it was like.
Salim Washington is a saxophonist and was supported by a number of South African band members - playing a number of fairly long Jazz numbers. The music was quite somber, almost blues-like, and the collaboration with the band members was quite impressive. He is due to perform in Durban and Grahamstown Arts Festival in the next few weeks.
Helen Sung is a pianist, and was supported by her own band. The music was far more lively, and a lot more varied - including jazz interwoven with poetry. It was a really impressive performance and very entertaining. She will be playing at the Baxter next week, with the UCT Big Band.
So overall, it was definitely a good idea to go to the Jazz ... should go more often in fact.
10 May 2009
IPL: KKR vs DD
So, I finally went to an IPL game. Incidentally, it was also the first game I watched start to finish. It was an impromptu decision, so had to buy tickets from a scalper at inflated prices. Although the cricket itself was not the great (a lot of bad shot selection for KKR, some really bad fielding, and not that great bowling from some pace bowlers), it was really an amazing atmosphere and very entertaining. It's not just the cricket - but the whole package of the cheerleaders, music, live bands (Prime Circle for today) and the fireworks. It is a very well packaged, entertainment show - and the ground was packed by people of all ages: from babies to grannies.
It was also a smooth operation from the organisers, police etc - well controlled and this definitely bodes well for the football later. One point of concern though - could there not be more park and ride areas? It is a lot easier to have safe parking away from the ground and then a bus/shuttle to the ground than trying to navigate car guards along the streets!
It was also a smooth operation from the organisers, police etc - well controlled and this definitely bodes well for the football later. One point of concern though - could there not be more park and ride areas? It is a lot easier to have safe parking away from the ground and then a bus/shuttle to the ground than trying to navigate car guards along the streets!
04 May 2009
Sharkcage
My first visit to the Shark cage in Durban (ABSA Stadium, formerly known as Kingspark) was a bit underwhelming. The rugby was rather patchy, with handling errors galore. And despite the limited choices in getting a ticket, the stadium was not at all full ... and the atmosphere could not be compared to a full Newlands for example.
It is however very easy to see how the stadium can be overwhelming - the stands are very steep and even down a few rows, there is a feeling of being in the spotlight, surrounded by people - I wonder how the players feel.
Hopefully, next time I go there, the stadium will be full, and the game will be a lot better.
Oh, the new stadium for 2010 next door is quite stunning!
It is however very easy to see how the stadium can be overwhelming - the stands are very steep and even down a few rows, there is a feeling of being in the spotlight, surrounded by people - I wonder how the players feel.
Hopefully, next time I go there, the stadium will be full, and the game will be a lot better.
Oh, the new stadium for 2010 next door is quite stunning!
27 April 2009
So, what do you think of the elections?
The shuttle driver, Steve, from the airport this evening was particularly chatty, and he asked me the question after passing the first big elections poster (Vote for Hope, Vote for Cope) on the R24. When I answered, that I was surprised that there was a substantial number (about 23%) of registered voters who did not vote - we ended up with a very lively, and interesting discussion.
Steve was not suprised with the lack of turnout - in fact he could name a number of areas that apparently had low turnouts. The reason is apparently, a large number of people did not want to vote - because the past governments did not deliver services they expected. Apparently, in Alexandra people refused to vote because they did not get (free) houses. The driver was not very impressed with this - his view was that people cannot expect to get the government to do something if the people themselves do not participate. This also brought up other topics - the gravy train and corruption with the issuing of housing construction tenders (the winning bidders prefer to buy new cars and chase women instead of building houses and paying their workers), his own long wait on the waiting list for housing (he still does not have one) and what he are the focus areas for the new government (1. education 2. safety 3. health 4. housing) and even a stimulating discussion on job creation (basic idea: why does the government not have a system in place to suport people with ideas for new businesses? answer: they do - but it clearly is not as accessible ...).
We did not discuss who we voted for - but I think almost everyone really wants the same thing ... who we think can effectively deliver is another matter entirely.
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Conversation with taxi drivers from Hamburg and Amsterdam.
Steve was not suprised with the lack of turnout - in fact he could name a number of areas that apparently had low turnouts. The reason is apparently, a large number of people did not want to vote - because the past governments did not deliver services they expected. Apparently, in Alexandra people refused to vote because they did not get (free) houses. The driver was not very impressed with this - his view was that people cannot expect to get the government to do something if the people themselves do not participate. This also brought up other topics - the gravy train and corruption with the issuing of housing construction tenders (the winning bidders prefer to buy new cars and chase women instead of building houses and paying their workers), his own long wait on the waiting list for housing (he still does not have one) and what he are the focus areas for the new government (1. education 2. safety 3. health 4. housing) and even a stimulating discussion on job creation (basic idea: why does the government not have a system in place to suport people with ideas for new businesses? answer: they do - but it clearly is not as accessible ...).
We did not discuss who we voted for - but I think almost everyone really wants the same thing ... who we think can effectively deliver is another matter entirely.
-----------
Conversation with taxi drivers from Hamburg and Amsterdam.
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