Graskop, a tiny town in the rolling hills of Mpumalanga is well known as the gateway to the Blyde River Canyon. But for me, the highlight of Graskop is the food. Even Mpumalanga Tourism's map giveaway for the "Panorama Route" lists "Eating at one of the restaurants on Graskop's Main Road" as one of the main things to do!
There is an obvious affliction for pancakes in this region - and Graskop spots no less than 3 pancake shops within 100 metres, and the other restaurants seem to have pancakes in their menus too! According to the locals though, Harrie's is the place to be - and their pancakes are amazing.
But Harrie's is not a Graskop phenomenon; the main highlight for me, is The Glass House. A small restaurant, with walls of glass, the Glass House is a "South African" restaurant, with a small menu composed of mostly South African delights - lamb chops, malay curries, bobotie and malva pudding. The food is simply amazing - the flavour, the taste is way better than anything I have had in Jo'burg - and I include some very expensive and well rated restaurants I have been to in that comparison. Perhaps it is to do with the freshness of the ingredients, perhaps it is to do with the freshness of the preparation; I do not know - but it was simply amazing.
But more than the great food, it was the great atmosphere and the friendly people. The decor is fairly simple in most parts, with a number of very impressive traditional African wooden carvings. We went there twice in our stay at Graskop last week, and both times, the restaurant was mostly full. The two persons serving the patrons were obviously the owners - and there was constant banter between them and the guests. The service was amazing, and all guests were given a handshake or even a hug before leaving.
It is one of the cases, where you trully leave the restaurant as if you were friends and not just another business transaction.
28 March 2011
15 March 2011
R523 to Thohoyandou
I initially took this road as a shortcut to get to Thohoyandou, and am glad I did- it is a spectacular road through the mountains, and villages and small towns that do not seem to appear in the map book. Recent rains have destroyed at least two parts of the road, and I hope it is rebuilt soon. It is a road that drivers would enjoy ...
14 March 2011
Mapungubwe
About three years ago, I saw a series of large posters highlighting South Africa's world heritage sites at the International Arrivals terminal at Johannesburg International (now off course known as OR Tambo International, and formerly known as Jan Smuts International). All but one of the posters were easy to recognize, and a golden rhino with the words Mapungubwe was the exception. Subsequently, I read up on Mapungubwe, and I have been trying to make plan to come here ever since.
Location, and how to get here
Mapungubwe National Park is located at the North Western corner of the Limpopo province, in the corner where Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe meet. It's about 80 KM from Musina, although the recommended route in both guide books and the SANParks website is through the back roads (R521) from Polokwane via Dendron and Alldays. I drove through the latter route from Midrand (about 500KM in total), and it is a fairly good road with little traffic. I have since driven to Musina, and given the amount of trucks going to and from Zimbabwe, it is a good enough reason to avoid the N1.
The park is broken up into two main areas, the large, and main part being the Western Half, while the Eastern Half has still got a large private ownership, and is not easily accessible.
While the main attractions are easily reached with a standard car, it certainly helps to have high ground clearance to travel around in the wider park. This is especially true in the case of the eastern part of the park.
Landscape
Large parts of the park is composed of high rocky hills, rolling into valleys, oars cliffs over the Limpopo. The rocky features, eroded by water and wind themselves make interesting features, especially when there are trees perched on top of them! There is also quite a bit of forest, especially along the banks of the river.
The Heritage Tour
The main attraction of the park is the Heritage tour. A forerunner to Great Zimbabwe, there was, for around 200 years, an earlier civilization south of the Limpopo. It was first based around a hill now called K2, before moving for a brief period, to Mapungubwe, about 1 KM away. Unlike Great Zimbabwe, very little structural remains of the civilization remains, but instead all that really remains are the remnants of the civilization. It is most famous for the gold artifacts found here, most notably the aforementioned gold rhino.
Mapungubwe and K2 are themselves preceded by another iron age civilization, starting around 800AD, which is also in the park, but presently unaccessible. There are plans to open a museum focusing on the various archeological highlights, but the center was supposed to open in 2008, and the buildings are still empty. It's a pity, because the main highlights of Mapungubwe are to be seen at the University of Pretoria, and reduces the impact of the tour somewhat.
The site was rediscovered in the 1930s, but the apartheid government wanted to keep it very low key, due to the fact that the site directly contradicted one of its core tenets, that all the South African tribes came to the southern tip of Africa around the same time. It was opened as a national park around 7 years ago, and the guide for my trip, Cedric, was the first guide for Mapungubwe.
Tree Top Hide
There are not that many animals in the park. Cedric's opinion is that the animal density is too low, thus reducing the chances of seeing game. Given, the tuckshop guy at the confluence viewpoint, showed me tracks of hyenas from the night before outside the shop, but also commented that the few lions, rhinos and the elusive leopard are almost impossible to see.
That said, there is still some game to see; and he park has some amazing hides, of which the Tree Top hide is my favorite (and where most of this post was composed).
As the name suggests, the hide is composed of a long walkway amongst the trees, culminating in a hide in the trees, along the banks of the Limpopo. It is a twitcher's paradise, though not much in the way of animals, beyond a couple of elephants who have been grazing on the lush banks for quite a while (according to a regular visitor). It is a very serene and peaceful area, making it perfect place to relax!
Facilities
A standout attraction, in my opinion, is the very limited cellphone reception. In fact in parts of the park, I get better reception from the otherside of the border!
I have been camping, in the forest area, in the Eastern half of the park, and the camping facilities are superb. There is however no restaurant in the park, while the tuckshops (one at the main reception, and one by the confluence viewpoints) stock cooldrinks at very reasonable prices (R8 for a can!) and not much else. The nearest petrol station and restaurant is 30 KM away (where I am now), or in Musina about 80 KM away.
Location, and how to get here
Mapungubwe National Park is located at the North Western corner of the Limpopo province, in the corner where Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe meet. It's about 80 KM from Musina, although the recommended route in both guide books and the SANParks website is through the back roads (R521) from Polokwane via Dendron and Alldays. I drove through the latter route from Midrand (about 500KM in total), and it is a fairly good road with little traffic. I have since driven to Musina, and given the amount of trucks going to and from Zimbabwe, it is a good enough reason to avoid the N1.
The park is broken up into two main areas, the large, and main part being the Western Half, while the Eastern Half has still got a large private ownership, and is not easily accessible.
While the main attractions are easily reached with a standard car, it certainly helps to have high ground clearance to travel around in the wider park. This is especially true in the case of the eastern part of the park.
Landscape
Large parts of the park is composed of high rocky hills, rolling into valleys, oars cliffs over the Limpopo. The rocky features, eroded by water and wind themselves make interesting features, especially when there are trees perched on top of them! There is also quite a bit of forest, especially along the banks of the river.
The Heritage Tour
The main attraction of the park is the Heritage tour. A forerunner to Great Zimbabwe, there was, for around 200 years, an earlier civilization south of the Limpopo. It was first based around a hill now called K2, before moving for a brief period, to Mapungubwe, about 1 KM away. Unlike Great Zimbabwe, very little structural remains of the civilization remains, but instead all that really remains are the remnants of the civilization. It is most famous for the gold artifacts found here, most notably the aforementioned gold rhino.
Mapungubwe and K2 are themselves preceded by another iron age civilization, starting around 800AD, which is also in the park, but presently unaccessible. There are plans to open a museum focusing on the various archeological highlights, but the center was supposed to open in 2008, and the buildings are still empty. It's a pity, because the main highlights of Mapungubwe are to be seen at the University of Pretoria, and reduces the impact of the tour somewhat.
The site was rediscovered in the 1930s, but the apartheid government wanted to keep it very low key, due to the fact that the site directly contradicted one of its core tenets, that all the South African tribes came to the southern tip of Africa around the same time. It was opened as a national park around 7 years ago, and the guide for my trip, Cedric, was the first guide for Mapungubwe.
Tree Top Hide
There are not that many animals in the park. Cedric's opinion is that the animal density is too low, thus reducing the chances of seeing game. Given, the tuckshop guy at the confluence viewpoint, showed me tracks of hyenas from the night before outside the shop, but also commented that the few lions, rhinos and the elusive leopard are almost impossible to see.
That said, there is still some game to see; and he park has some amazing hides, of which the Tree Top hide is my favorite (and where most of this post was composed).
As the name suggests, the hide is composed of a long walkway amongst the trees, culminating in a hide in the trees, along the banks of the Limpopo. It is a twitcher's paradise, though not much in the way of animals, beyond a couple of elephants who have been grazing on the lush banks for quite a while (according to a regular visitor). It is a very serene and peaceful area, making it perfect place to relax!
Facilities
A standout attraction, in my opinion, is the very limited cellphone reception. In fact in parts of the park, I get better reception from the otherside of the border!
I have been camping, in the forest area, in the Eastern half of the park, and the camping facilities are superb. There is however no restaurant in the park, while the tuckshops (one at the main reception, and one by the confluence viewpoints) stock cooldrinks at very reasonable prices (R8 for a can!) and not much else. The nearest petrol station and restaurant is 30 KM away (where I am now), or in Musina about 80 KM away.
13 March 2011
Feel it! It's still here!
The first thing you notice as you drive into Polokwane is a large yellow vuvuzela spanning the N1, with the soccer fan blowing madly into the one end, and the words "Ayoba" spurting out the other. This is not the only reminder of the world cup from last year, virtually every street corner has some signage related to the event; and even the fan parks continue to be advertised. 9 months on, Polkwane is still celebrating he world cup - I wonder how many other smaller towns continue to do the same?
12 March 2011
Greening the scenery ...
For the most part, the drive towards Polokwane is rather boring, a mostly strait road, punctuated with a few toll gates (the tolls are quite high too). As you get towards Polokwane though, the mountains do lend themselves to some nice views, though it is by no means a scenic drive. A big difference to the landscape in Gauteng though, is how much greener it is. Instead of just yellow grass, there is a lot more trees and as we get steadily northwards, more variety in plants, specifically more tropicall plants like bananas and papayas. It's a pleasant change ...
28 February 2011
Movie: Winter's Bone
In a very close knit rural community in the USA, a teen is forced to ask difficult questions about the disappearance of her drug dealer/drug producing father; in order to save her house. For me, the movie is more interesting as a snapshot of a very particular American community - poor, rural, gun carrying and closed - where there is (in this case, very legitimate) mistrust of outsiders, even the police; and matters are settled within the community, by the community.
The standout feature of the movie is its acting, in particular, the acting of Jennifer Lawrence as Ree (the teen in question); and the movie has got a well deserved set of nominations for best actress.
Personally, I found the storyline to be rather predictable, and the movie to be rather slow paced. Also, I found that the story hints at a much bigger set of subplots, which are ultimately not explored. In short, it is not really a movie I would watch again, or recommend to others.
The standout feature of the movie is its acting, in particular, the acting of Jennifer Lawrence as Ree (the teen in question); and the movie has got a well deserved set of nominations for best actress.
Personally, I found the storyline to be rather predictable, and the movie to be rather slow paced. Also, I found that the story hints at a much bigger set of subplots, which are ultimately not explored. In short, it is not really a movie I would watch again, or recommend to others.
26 February 2011
Movie: Jane's Journey
The movie, Gorillas in the Mist, is famous for retelling the story of Dian Fossey, for her study of Gorillas; and her subsequent activism to save Gorillas being poached to extinction. Jane Goodall is a fellow primatologist, famous for her work with Chimpanzees (who admits to being mistaken as the lady from Gorillas in the Mist, a mistake which I must admit I also made initially). But unlike Dian Fossey, her activism has extended beyond the primates, to general protection of the environment coupled with social activism; from refugees, to ecoturism activities and beyond.
The documentary, Jane' Journey, traces her life from a very young age, to her ground breaking study of chimpanzees to her current globe trotting, and activities with regards to her two foundations - The Jane Goodall Instituteand Roots and Shoots. her work with Roots and Shoots is particularly impressive, especially as the movement was co-founded with a number of teenagers in Tanzania who were inspired by her talks in their school.
For me, the highlights of the documentary is certainly the first part; where there is a lot of footage from her early time in the Gombe Reserve and the chimpanzees. The latter parts of the documentary are filled with the obligatory repetitive quotations from admirers "on being a beautiful soul" etc. most of which I do not think really need any enforcement.
Jane's journey is partly an autobiographical documentary, partly a documentary on the perils of climate change. However, unlike Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth, it does not focus on statistics, shock and awe - but rather engages directly with the different factors - people need land to survive, the needs of progress, the challenges of economics, aided by her own observations, footage and documentation. It comes across more grounded and realistic - that climate change will require not only a change in human behaviour of the developed world but also needs to address the economic needs of the developing world. That is perhaps the most important message in the movie.
The documentary, Jane' Journey, traces her life from a very young age, to her ground breaking study of chimpanzees to her current globe trotting, and activities with regards to her two foundations - The Jane Goodall Instituteand Roots and Shoots. her work with Roots and Shoots is particularly impressive, especially as the movement was co-founded with a number of teenagers in Tanzania who were inspired by her talks in their school.
For me, the highlights of the documentary is certainly the first part; where there is a lot of footage from her early time in the Gombe Reserve and the chimpanzees. The latter parts of the documentary are filled with the obligatory repetitive quotations from admirers "on being a beautiful soul" etc. most of which I do not think really need any enforcement.
Jane's journey is partly an autobiographical documentary, partly a documentary on the perils of climate change. However, unlike Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth, it does not focus on statistics, shock and awe - but rather engages directly with the different factors - people need land to survive, the needs of progress, the challenges of economics, aided by her own observations, footage and documentation. It comes across more grounded and realistic - that climate change will require not only a change in human behaviour of the developed world but also needs to address the economic needs of the developing world. That is perhaps the most important message in the movie.
20 February 2011
Sunjata
Africa has a rich tradition of oral story telling, but somehow this tradition does not seem to have really translated to movies or other contemporary entertainment forms. Sunjata, is one such story that features the brilliant mix of magic, prophesy, feuding kings and off course, the customary good vs evil.
Sunjata, also spelt Sundiata, was the founding king of the great Mali Empire, probably most well known for Mansa Musa. Sunjata's story is the story of legends - born to the king of the Manding, who married a hunchback woman on the words of a prophesy. He was born, effectively crippled, who taught himself to walk, and then became a great warrior. He then united the various Mali kingdoms, starting by defeating the king of the northern kingdom of Sosso, who had invaded Manding after the death of Sunjata's father.
I learnt the tale of Sunjata, through a play at the Market Theatre. Directed by James Ngcobo, the play focuses more on the birth of Sunjata, instead of his life on the two contrasting kings - Maghan Kon Fatta or Maghan the Handsome (King of the Manding) and Soumaoro Kanté (King of the Sosso); who receive two contrasting parts of the same prophesy. Maghan receives the prophesy of how he can get a son to continue his reign, by marrying an ugly hunchbacked woman; while Kanté gets the prophesy of how his cruel reign will be ended by a young warrior, who is just a boy.
The play starts of in a rather annoying fashion, but as the main story starts, the acting and the story is simply superb. In a genius move of role reversal, all the main male parts are played by women while the main female parts are played by men (although each of the actors have a number of different roles).
The costumes and the sets are minimal; but they are not needed - this is the telling of a legend, in an oral tradition brought to modernity - the acting is stunning, the story crafting is superb - all that was missing, was sitting around a log fire under the African sky ...
Sunjata, also spelt Sundiata, was the founding king of the great Mali Empire, probably most well known for Mansa Musa. Sunjata's story is the story of legends - born to the king of the Manding, who married a hunchback woman on the words of a prophesy. He was born, effectively crippled, who taught himself to walk, and then became a great warrior. He then united the various Mali kingdoms, starting by defeating the king of the northern kingdom of Sosso, who had invaded Manding after the death of Sunjata's father.
I learnt the tale of Sunjata, through a play at the Market Theatre. Directed by James Ngcobo, the play focuses more on the birth of Sunjata, instead of his life on the two contrasting kings - Maghan Kon Fatta or Maghan the Handsome (King of the Manding) and Soumaoro Kanté (King of the Sosso); who receive two contrasting parts of the same prophesy. Maghan receives the prophesy of how he can get a son to continue his reign, by marrying an ugly hunchbacked woman; while Kanté gets the prophesy of how his cruel reign will be ended by a young warrior, who is just a boy.
The play starts of in a rather annoying fashion, but as the main story starts, the acting and the story is simply superb. In a genius move of role reversal, all the main male parts are played by women while the main female parts are played by men (although each of the actors have a number of different roles).
The costumes and the sets are minimal; but they are not needed - this is the telling of a legend, in an oral tradition brought to modernity - the acting is stunning, the story crafting is superb - all that was missing, was sitting around a log fire under the African sky ...
Movie: Black Swan
Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake is one of the most famous and popular ballets; and certainly has some of the most memorable (classical) musical pieces that I have heard. The story centres around a princess who is turned into a (white) swan by an evil princess and then needs to find true love to be restored. It is a tragic story; as the princess is robbed of her true love by the evil sorcerer's daughter (the black swan) - and unlike most fairy tales, there is no happily ever after.
The movie focuses on Nina, played brilliantly by Natalie Portman, who is a technically brilliant dancer (and thus can play the White Swan with perfection). However, she lives a sheltered life with a very protective mother (who is a former ballet dancer, who had to give up her dreams when she fell pregnant with Nina, seemingly unplanned); and as such does not, initially have what it takes to become the sensuous, care free, black swan.
Nina's transition is the subject of the movie, and is part horror, part thriller - focusing on Nina's (and to a lesser extent, her mother's) rather unstable mental state. It is perhaps a dedication to what it takes to be single minded in the pursuit of an artistic ideal (which in some respects would also apply to other professions, where repeated practice is a requirement for any perfection); and the movie is part gore, part scary and at the same time, supported by some incredible acting. It is not a straight forward tale - and stylistically is more like a David Lynch movie - which in some respects suit it; and in others makes it even more convoluted.
The movie focuses on Nina, played brilliantly by Natalie Portman, who is a technically brilliant dancer (and thus can play the White Swan with perfection). However, she lives a sheltered life with a very protective mother (who is a former ballet dancer, who had to give up her dreams when she fell pregnant with Nina, seemingly unplanned); and as such does not, initially have what it takes to become the sensuous, care free, black swan.
Nina's transition is the subject of the movie, and is part horror, part thriller - focusing on Nina's (and to a lesser extent, her mother's) rather unstable mental state. It is perhaps a dedication to what it takes to be single minded in the pursuit of an artistic ideal (which in some respects would also apply to other professions, where repeated practice is a requirement for any perfection); and the movie is part gore, part scary and at the same time, supported by some incredible acting. It is not a straight forward tale - and stylistically is more like a David Lynch movie - which in some respects suit it; and in others makes it even more convoluted.
16 February 2011
SA Music Audience Demographics
Madam & Eve's cartoon on U2, in this specific instance is not as accurate - but the general demographics in most music events in South Africa are far from representative of the Rainbow Nation. U2, was proportionally the most representative of the shows I have been to in the recent past - and it is not a white thing, or a black thing or <insert a race here> thing.
I frequently attend the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra performances and other classical music concerts. There, the audience is predominantly old white men and women. In contrast, gigs for rock and metal music (including concerts for bands like Rammstein) is predominantly frequented by young white guys and gals. Jazz concerts on the other hand, are often more predominantly black audiences; though more mixed in terms of age groups.
I am not sure, what is the reason for such discrepancy - especially when it comes to age. I know a lot more young people who listen to Classic FM compared to those that actually attend the concerts. Likewise, I don't think race is a predominant factor when it comes to the enjoyment of music styles - the varied audience and music playlist of stations such as 5FM are a testament to this. But it does not seem to translate to actually attending events - is it money, is it location or is the existing audience itself a barrier?
14 February 2011
U2
I have been a fan of U2 for a very long time - and probably more than any other band, U2 was the band that I really wanted to see live. Last year, I considered very seriously to go watch them live in Dublin (around June), but the costs were slightly more than my bank balance. Due to various reasons, I didn't manage to get the tickets I wanted (General Admission, though I would have paid for Red Zone) - and instead only managed to secure seats, fairly high up. While that was certainly a loss in the intimacy offered in the field; it also provided a spectacular view of the stage and lighting effects.
All in all however, the experience was, as I told my colleagues this morning - 3 and a half hours of pleasure followed by 3 hours of logistical nightmare ...
The Support Acts
I didn't know anything about the first support act, Amadou and Mariam, other than they were from Mali, so I wasn't too sure of what to expect. The music was a cross between rock, blues and jazz - but it was well blended, and some excellent solo pieces from the various band members. Language aside, it was a great performance, but perhaps the music was better suited to a more intimate venue.
I have been a fan of The Springbok Nude Girls for a long time, and their set did not disappoint. However, I am not sure if their punk-/rock music style was really suitable as a support act for U2. While Arno and the guys put on a great show, I think that a band such as The Parlatones would have been better suited. This comment is supported from my observation on the number of people around me who actually knew songs from the Nude Girls.
U2
The show from U2 was everything I expected - a mixture of the great hits (Where the Streets Have no Name, Pride (In the Name of Love), I Still Haven't Found What I'm, With or Without You and off course Sunday Bloody Sunday); with the newer hits, including Vertigo, Beautiful Day and some songs from the latest album (most of which I don't know, and to be honest, don't really like).
And as expected, there was an integration of politics that Bono is well known for, into the show - from the support of the recent Egyptian Revolution, Ang San Suu Kyi, Madiba and a message from Desmond Tutu.
The two hour set was well paced, covering the ballads and the more harder rock songs; with great interaction with the crowd (unlike Rammstein a few days previously), and the stage really allows for a better interaction with the crowd.
The Stage and The Show
U2's Claw like stage, deserves its own mention - a behemoth that was taller than the stadium - is an impressive sight. In fact, it looks like one of those Martians from Spielberg's version of War of the Worlds. The opening bands didn't get to use all the nifty features of the stage; but U2's entire show is really based around all the nifty things that are enabled by the stage.
There is the simple stuff - moving bridges that allow the band members to walk between the inner and the outer stage, interacting with the golden circle from above. Then there is the lighting - brilliantly constructed not only in the various spotlights (manned by people hanging from the "legs"), but also how it all combines to cover the entire stadium. The lighting is one of the effects that people in the ground level will not be able to fully appreciate. But the most amazing part for me, was the screen, that is actually built up of many smaller screens assembled in a weblike fashion - allowing it to be expanded and contracted according to requirements. Hydraulics further allow it to be lowered and raised, allowing the band to be almost totally enveloped by the screen if needed.
And like Rammstein's pyrotechnics, U2's stage show is worth seeing; even if you are not a fan of the music.
The Logistics
I have been to 3 matches in FNB Stadium (or Soccer City), during the World Cup. It was a slick operation, where getting to and from the stadium was a breeze (except the well known problems on the first day), and food and drinks at the stadium were plentiful and efficiently delivered. The concert was a mess - and it seems that all the learnings from the world cup were mostly ignored.
Starting with the food and drinks inside the stadium, the problems are many. There was the confused system of tokens, where it was unclear whether tokens were needed or not needed. The lines at all the outlets were long, and insufficiently staffed. In the one I stood in briefly (I left after 5 minutes when the line hadn't moved a bit, and the guy in front said he was waiting about 20 odd minutes), was staffed by 2 people who were serving 6 queues - this is two people doing the cash handling, the order taking and serving. The average fast food restaurant employs more staff during its off peak period. The only vendors that were efficient were the ice cream vendors, although they did seem to have a problem with change. Seeing the ridiculous prices, and the restrictions on what could be brought in to the stadium, one would expect much better service and organisation.
But the worst part was the transport logistics. I took the park and ride option, parking at Constitution Hill and then getting a bus. Instead of the highly efficient Reya Vaya buses, we were saddled with coaches that didn't utilise the efficient bus lanes. In addition, the parking lot was jam packed with the buses fully loaded but stranded in the parking lot for about an hour. There was no crowd control in the buses, so people had to hunt for the appropriate bus, further complicating the bus system. I heard from a colleague, who took the train, that the train was equally messed up, with it standing in the station for a good hour or so.
The transportation and the food and beverage service for the world cup was well organised. Perhaps, instead of throwing away those lessons, it would be best to improve upon that system for all future big events at the FNB Stadium? Otherwise, the logistical nightmare would be a strong detterent to any attendance ...
All in all however, the experience was, as I told my colleagues this morning - 3 and a half hours of pleasure followed by 3 hours of logistical nightmare ...
The Support Acts
I didn't know anything about the first support act, Amadou and Mariam, other than they were from Mali, so I wasn't too sure of what to expect. The music was a cross between rock, blues and jazz - but it was well blended, and some excellent solo pieces from the various band members. Language aside, it was a great performance, but perhaps the music was better suited to a more intimate venue.
I have been a fan of The Springbok Nude Girls for a long time, and their set did not disappoint. However, I am not sure if their punk-/rock music style was really suitable as a support act for U2. While Arno and the guys put on a great show, I think that a band such as The Parlatones would have been better suited. This comment is supported from my observation on the number of people around me who actually knew songs from the Nude Girls.
U2
The show from U2 was everything I expected - a mixture of the great hits (Where the Streets Have no Name, Pride (In the Name of Love), I Still Haven't Found What I'm, With or Without You and off course Sunday Bloody Sunday); with the newer hits, including Vertigo, Beautiful Day and some songs from the latest album (most of which I don't know, and to be honest, don't really like).
And as expected, there was an integration of politics that Bono is well known for, into the show - from the support of the recent Egyptian Revolution, Ang San Suu Kyi, Madiba and a message from Desmond Tutu.
The two hour set was well paced, covering the ballads and the more harder rock songs; with great interaction with the crowd (unlike Rammstein a few days previously), and the stage really allows for a better interaction with the crowd.
The Stage and The Show
U2's Claw like stage, deserves its own mention - a behemoth that was taller than the stadium - is an impressive sight. In fact, it looks like one of those Martians from Spielberg's version of War of the Worlds. The opening bands didn't get to use all the nifty features of the stage; but U2's entire show is really based around all the nifty things that are enabled by the stage.
There is the simple stuff - moving bridges that allow the band members to walk between the inner and the outer stage, interacting with the golden circle from above. Then there is the lighting - brilliantly constructed not only in the various spotlights (manned by people hanging from the "legs"), but also how it all combines to cover the entire stadium. The lighting is one of the effects that people in the ground level will not be able to fully appreciate. But the most amazing part for me, was the screen, that is actually built up of many smaller screens assembled in a weblike fashion - allowing it to be expanded and contracted according to requirements. Hydraulics further allow it to be lowered and raised, allowing the band to be almost totally enveloped by the screen if needed.
And like Rammstein's pyrotechnics, U2's stage show is worth seeing; even if you are not a fan of the music.
The Logistics
I have been to 3 matches in FNB Stadium (or Soccer City), during the World Cup. It was a slick operation, where getting to and from the stadium was a breeze (except the well known problems on the first day), and food and drinks at the stadium were plentiful and efficiently delivered. The concert was a mess - and it seems that all the learnings from the world cup were mostly ignored.
Starting with the food and drinks inside the stadium, the problems are many. There was the confused system of tokens, where it was unclear whether tokens were needed or not needed. The lines at all the outlets were long, and insufficiently staffed. In the one I stood in briefly (I left after 5 minutes when the line hadn't moved a bit, and the guy in front said he was waiting about 20 odd minutes), was staffed by 2 people who were serving 6 queues - this is two people doing the cash handling, the order taking and serving. The average fast food restaurant employs more staff during its off peak period. The only vendors that were efficient were the ice cream vendors, although they did seem to have a problem with change. Seeing the ridiculous prices, and the restrictions on what could be brought in to the stadium, one would expect much better service and organisation.
But the worst part was the transport logistics. I took the park and ride option, parking at Constitution Hill and then getting a bus. Instead of the highly efficient Reya Vaya buses, we were saddled with coaches that didn't utilise the efficient bus lanes. In addition, the parking lot was jam packed with the buses fully loaded but stranded in the parking lot for about an hour. There was no crowd control in the buses, so people had to hunt for the appropriate bus, further complicating the bus system. I heard from a colleague, who took the train, that the train was equally messed up, with it standing in the station for a good hour or so.
The transportation and the food and beverage service for the world cup was well organised. Perhaps, instead of throwing away those lessons, it would be best to improve upon that system for all future big events at the FNB Stadium? Otherwise, the logistical nightmare would be a strong detterent to any attendance ...
10 February 2011
Rammstein
Beyond the "Thank You/Dankeschön" and the obligatory "We love you" after the encore, they didn't say a word to the crowd. It didn't matter - Rammstein put on a show, that will be hard to replicate - especially given the constraints of the enclosed Grandwest Arena.
The signature pyrotechnics were amazing - especially when synchronised to the music, as were the props (or props and pyrotechnics blended together). Starting with the iconic "Rammstein" through the classics such as "Du Hast" and "Büch Dich" to the latest hits from "Liebe is Für Alle Da", it was an amazing performance - possibly the best live music concert I have ever been to.
They played most of my favourites; even though they did leave a lot out (given their repertoire, that was always going to happen) - but I did miss Amerika, Engel and Rotter Sand in particular. But the ones they did play - it was well organised, really flowed from one song to another, with the energetic anthems (with the appropriate amount of pyrotechnics) leading to grand finish.
Rammstein has been one of the bands I have always wanted to see; and it was definitely worth the additional expenses of traveling to Cape Town. Congrats to Grandwest also - the venue was super organised, and leaving the parking was a breeze (Carnival City, please take some lessons).
The signature pyrotechnics were amazing - especially when synchronised to the music, as were the props (or props and pyrotechnics blended together). Starting with the iconic "Rammstein" through the classics such as "Du Hast" and "Büch Dich" to the latest hits from "Liebe is Für Alle Da", it was an amazing performance - possibly the best live music concert I have ever been to.
They played most of my favourites; even though they did leave a lot out (given their repertoire, that was always going to happen) - but I did miss Amerika, Engel and Rotter Sand in particular. But the ones they did play - it was well organised, really flowed from one song to another, with the energetic anthems (with the appropriate amount of pyrotechnics) leading to grand finish.
Rammstein has been one of the bands I have always wanted to see; and it was definitely worth the additional expenses of traveling to Cape Town. Congrats to Grandwest also - the venue was super organised, and leaving the parking was a breeze (Carnival City, please take some lessons).
31 January 2011
Coincidences
Yesterday, while buying electricity at a petrol station (which I don't usually use), I ran into a friend from varsity, who is briefly visiting SA on holiday. Coincidences are wierd - the perfect blend of being at the right place, at the right time - no wonder it's considered to be some sort of a miracle.
28 January 2011
Mozart's Requiem
Mozart's Requiem (Mass in D minor (K. 626)) is one of the most famous choral and orchestral pieces, even though it is not completely written by Mozart (he died, leaving the piece unfinished). That said, it is still a very strange piece to play on his birthday anniversary.
The Johannesburg International Mozart Festival is back, although, this year I have far fewer chances to go to concerts due to other commitments. The theme this year is "One Wings of Songs", and the majority of the concerts feature vocal pieces. What is also nice, is that a number of concerts feature music and songs from South Africa.
The opening concert featured 2 pieces by by the "resident composer" Mokale Koapeng, and Mozart's Requiem. The performance was given by three choral groups - Schleswig-Holstein Festival Choir from Germany, Chanticleer Singers and the Chamber Choir of South Africa; supported by the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra.
The opening concert featured a new piece specifically written by Mokale Koapeng for the festival. I was not too sure of what to expect, other than choral gospel piecese (it is based on biblical passages). It was stunning - with the music perfectly matching the vocals, and the use of plucking strings and percussion beats gave it a more "African" vibe, and a really nice pace.
Mozart's Requiem itself, while great, did not seem to have the oomph that Verdi's Requiem from last year. Perhaps it is due to the smaller choir, but it just didn't seem to have the awesome power that certain passages (such as Dias irae) has in other productions I have heard. That said, the soloists were great, and it was certainly an enjoyable performance.
The Johannesburg International Mozart Festival is back, although, this year I have far fewer chances to go to concerts due to other commitments. The theme this year is "One Wings of Songs", and the majority of the concerts feature vocal pieces. What is also nice, is that a number of concerts feature music and songs from South Africa.
The opening concert featured 2 pieces by by the "resident composer" Mokale Koapeng, and Mozart's Requiem. The performance was given by three choral groups - Schleswig-Holstein Festival Choir from Germany, Chanticleer Singers and the Chamber Choir of South Africa; supported by the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra.
The opening concert featured a new piece specifically written by Mokale Koapeng for the festival. I was not too sure of what to expect, other than choral gospel piecese (it is based on biblical passages). It was stunning - with the music perfectly matching the vocals, and the use of plucking strings and percussion beats gave it a more "African" vibe, and a really nice pace.
Mozart's Requiem itself, while great, did not seem to have the oomph that Verdi's Requiem from last year. Perhaps it is due to the smaller choir, but it just didn't seem to have the awesome power that certain passages (such as Dias irae) has in other productions I have heard. That said, the soloists were great, and it was certainly an enjoyable performance.
23 January 2011
Facebook Valuation
Facebook's recent valuation of 50 Billion USD, has created quite a lot of commentary - mostly centred around it being way too high (from most commentary I have read). The valuation is based on what Russian (and part South African) venture capitalist firm Digital Sky Technologies and Goldman Sachs were willing to pay for a share in Facebook. In essence, most commentators have argued, that they paid too much.
In terms of classical economics, that is true, or at least based on given information. Afterall, Facebook is a private company, and thus its financial results are not public information.
However, valuations can also be based on the net worth of Facebook's assets. And its biggest assets have currently no real means of being objectively evaluated - personal information. Facebook has over 500 million active members; which in turn translates to personal information including likes, dislikes, freinds, connections, activities, photos, and a whole lot more of 500 million people on the planet.
If one ignores Facebooks' traditional assets (servers, datacentres, offices etc) and liabilities, it means that the personal information of 500 million people is worth 50 billion dollars - or 100 dollars an individual.
The resultant question is simple - is the personal information of you, or any other person worth more or less than 100 dollars? In fact, if someone would offer you 101 dollars, would you give them more information than what you have willingly published in Facebook for free?
50 billion dollars? I think Facebook is undervalued ...
In terms of classical economics, that is true, or at least based on given information. Afterall, Facebook is a private company, and thus its financial results are not public information.
However, valuations can also be based on the net worth of Facebook's assets. And its biggest assets have currently no real means of being objectively evaluated - personal information. Facebook has over 500 million active members; which in turn translates to personal information including likes, dislikes, freinds, connections, activities, photos, and a whole lot more of 500 million people on the planet.
If one ignores Facebooks' traditional assets (servers, datacentres, offices etc) and liabilities, it means that the personal information of 500 million people is worth 50 billion dollars - or 100 dollars an individual.
The resultant question is simple - is the personal information of you, or any other person worth more or less than 100 dollars? In fact, if someone would offer you 101 dollars, would you give them more information than what you have willingly published in Facebook for free?
50 billion dollars? I think Facebook is undervalued ...
17 January 2011
Taraf de Haïdouks
The lead 1st violinist of the orchestra in the movie, The Concert, (Gheorghe Anghel) is a member of a Romanian band, Taraf de Haïdouks. This is a bit of trivia I found on IMDB, but the Gypsy music of Taraf de Haïdouks is just brilliant, and well worth listening to. See some of their YouTube videos or their MySpace page for samples.
16 January 2011
Movie: The Concert
Every now and then, a movie trailer actually makes you look forward to a movie. Even though the story itself is predictable (genius forced out, in this case because of political reasons, intercepts an invitation, reassembles his orchestra, overcomes numerous hurdles including temperamental soloist to perform hugely successful show), the acting, the humour and most of all, the music, makes this a highly enjoyable movie.
The story centres around a celebrated conductor, whose concert of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, is cut short dramatically mid-performance due to political reasons (in Soviet Russia). So when he intercepts an invitation to perform at Paris' Théâtre du Châtelet, he decides to re-assemble his old orchestra, and put his demons to bed. There is off course a complicated side story involving the soloist, oligarchs who "sponsor" the trip, Russian orchestra members who are thinking of using this as an opportunity to get out of their dreary life and ex-KGB communist party official who reminisces on the glory days of communism.
The opening concert of last year's fourth season of Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, featured Daniel Rowland playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. It is a stunning piece and unlike many movies of similar type (be it rousing speeches, novels or other works of art), the movie pays full homage to the music with a full performance. The emotion, the music and the story telling is worth the ticket.
The story centres around a celebrated conductor, whose concert of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, is cut short dramatically mid-performance due to political reasons (in Soviet Russia). So when he intercepts an invitation to perform at Paris' Théâtre du Châtelet, he decides to re-assemble his old orchestra, and put his demons to bed. There is off course a complicated side story involving the soloist, oligarchs who "sponsor" the trip, Russian orchestra members who are thinking of using this as an opportunity to get out of their dreary life and ex-KGB communist party official who reminisces on the glory days of communism.
The opening concert of last year's fourth season of Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, featured Daniel Rowland playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. It is a stunning piece and unlike many movies of similar type (be it rousing speeches, novels or other works of art), the movie pays full homage to the music with a full performance. The emotion, the music and the story telling is worth the ticket.
13 January 2011
German Inefficiency
Every now and then, you encounter German inefficiency, which sort of pulls them back to normalcy. But the strange thing about inefficiencies that I have come across - they know about it, they are very apologetic about it; and they don't seem to do anything about correcting it.
Two recent events give rise to this post, and both happened within hours of each other. The first, happened in Mainz, where I was meant to change trains (to the airport). Ariving at the platform, there was an electronic and verbal announcement (in German, but fairly easy to translate), that the train was cancelled. For me, that is a minor inconvenience - Mainz is very well connected to Frankfurt, and the airport, so an alternate is easily found. Not so fortunate for others, who were going to places beyond the airport - and there was no ready help at hand to assist in determining the best way forward. One passenger I met had particular trouble - this train was a connecting train to yet another train. This cancellation had a massive impact on his travel plans. The inefficiency comes in, not that the train was cancelled, but how it was handled afterwards. Furthermore, the cancelled train was an Intercity Express - which run from one end of Germany to another - surely, such information should have filtered through to the booking systems?
The second instance, relates to "Tax Free" services at Frankfurt Airport. In most European countries, you can claim back a certain percentage of the VAT, if your non-perishable purchases are made through "Tax Free" affiliated stores. The store provides you with a stamped form (with the amount) and then you need to first get a customs stamp, before you can claim back the money (either cash at the office in the airport, or by credit card or bank deposit through post). The process itself is well documented and easy. however, the customs office, once you are past passport control is in Departure B only, after security. The customs office in Departure C, which is where many of the large long haul planes leave, is closed (under further notice). So, to get the custom stamp, one has to go all the way to Departure B and clear security. Those of you who have made this trip, will know that this quite a long walk - about 15 - 20 minutes, depending on how many people you share this journey with! So taking account of clearing security, the round trip was almost an hour; and luckily I was able to leave my bags in the locker in the lounge ... otherwise, I don't think the effort would have been worth the refund!
Two recent events give rise to this post, and both happened within hours of each other. The first, happened in Mainz, where I was meant to change trains (to the airport). Ariving at the platform, there was an electronic and verbal announcement (in German, but fairly easy to translate), that the train was cancelled. For me, that is a minor inconvenience - Mainz is very well connected to Frankfurt, and the airport, so an alternate is easily found. Not so fortunate for others, who were going to places beyond the airport - and there was no ready help at hand to assist in determining the best way forward. One passenger I met had particular trouble - this train was a connecting train to yet another train. This cancellation had a massive impact on his travel plans. The inefficiency comes in, not that the train was cancelled, but how it was handled afterwards. Furthermore, the cancelled train was an Intercity Express - which run from one end of Germany to another - surely, such information should have filtered through to the booking systems?
The second instance, relates to "Tax Free" services at Frankfurt Airport. In most European countries, you can claim back a certain percentage of the VAT, if your non-perishable purchases are made through "Tax Free" affiliated stores. The store provides you with a stamped form (with the amount) and then you need to first get a customs stamp, before you can claim back the money (either cash at the office in the airport, or by credit card or bank deposit through post). The process itself is well documented and easy. however, the customs office, once you are past passport control is in Departure B only, after security. The customs office in Departure C, which is where many of the large long haul planes leave, is closed (under further notice). So, to get the custom stamp, one has to go all the way to Departure B and clear security. Those of you who have made this trip, will know that this quite a long walk - about 15 - 20 minutes, depending on how many people you share this journey with! So taking account of clearing security, the round trip was almost an hour; and luckily I was able to leave my bags in the locker in the lounge ... otherwise, I don't think the effort would have been worth the refund!
10 January 2011
Bi-lingual schools
I discovered on Saturday, a fairly recent innovation in Germany, bi-lingual schools. The intent, I am told, is to encourage mor fluency in English. Thus, a certain percentage of subjects (in the case of my friend's children, all the sciences) are taught in English, often with native English speakers. Other subjects, are taught in German.
The thinking is obvious, the learners get fluency in two languages as they are forced to use two, with a degree of regularity, but is not forced to learn everything in the foreign language, as would be the case with English medium schools. Given the number of official languages in South Africa, maybe this is also a viable way of encouraging bilingualism? Personally, while I was taught Afrikaans at school, there was no motivation for gaining any level of fluency, since it was only one subject, and a minor one at that. Being forced to learn Afrikaans, for another subject, would have certainly provided greater practice and motivation to learn.
The thinking is obvious, the learners get fluency in two languages as they are forced to use two, with a degree of regularity, but is not forced to learn everything in the foreign language, as would be the case with English medium schools. Given the number of official languages in South Africa, maybe this is also a viable way of encouraging bilingualism? Personally, while I was taught Afrikaans at school, there was no motivation for gaining any level of fluency, since it was only one subject, and a minor one at that. Being forced to learn Afrikaans, for another subject, would have certainly provided greater practice and motivation to learn.
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