The Box Comedy

I have heard a lot of the American stand-up comedy scene and process - comedy clubs that host a number of comedians in one night; all having a few minutes on stage. The established stars come to hone their jokes for the big shows (the ones that are for 60 - 90 minutes), while others come to try establish themselves. It's meant to be experimental; edgy and a whole lot of variety.

My experiences of this set-up has so far been quite disappointing. My one experience in New York was disappointing (that was more due to my poor choice of venue I think); and venues in South Africa (such as Parker's) tend to cater towards more established comedians on most evenings. I have been meaning to go to The Box Comedy show, at the PopArt Theatre in Maboneng, for a while now - but it's Sunday evening shows are impractical towards waking up early for Monday morning. Last night was my first experience - and the first for most in the absolutely packed room - and the format is much closer to the American stand-up comedy scene than I expected.

The line up was mixed - young comedians just starting out (the youngest, Panch Gasela was 16); to the established star in Kagiso Lediga; together with a one joke cameo by Loyiso Gola; and a longer, unscheduled set by SA Got Talent host Tats Nkonzo; and a superb host in Mpho Popps. The jokes were varied - and yes, some fell flat - and some of it was definitely experimental. 

Overall, it was great - one of the best comedy shows I have attended actually; and the best R50 I have spent in a long time. The Sunday evening shows may be impractical for every weekend, but perhaps next time I have a late Monday start, it would be a great way to spend Sunday evening.

Movie: The Big Short

The Big Short is somewhat like a re-enactment movie from the History Channel - with a bit less voice over, way better acting and arguably far more informative. Charting the path of three groups of investors who went against the established understanding of the US housing market - it is probably the most easily communicated story on the 2007 financial crisis. 

The negativity and the derision received by the three groups is in itself enlightening - how people in general do not like to hear contrarian positions; and how difficult it is to motivate contrarian positions. In addition, the story makes a very pointed link that the financial crisis was not just as a result of people who did not pay careful attention - but rather, that the position was a direct result of fraud and abuse of insider knowledge. 

And most worryingly, because the underlying cause of the 2007 meltdown was not really addressed - it is likely to occur again.

Movie: Spotlight

It is somewhat ironic that a new media organisation, First Look Media, financed the Oscar winning movie about investigative journalism in the old media world. With The Intercept, First Look does have some of the characteristics of investigative journalism; but that is more due to the seed of its formation with Snowden's leaks. 

What Spotlight shows, above all else, is how difficult investigative journalism really is - not only the amazingly long time it takes to really understand a story, identify sources, the emotional toll on the reporters and above all else - get the story right. It is the complete opposite of most modern media - publishing before verifying, publishing without getting the complete story or even understanding whether there is a story. 

And in some ways, Spotlight asks the really difficult question - would a similar investigation be even possible by today's media - or is this really the homage to a lost profession? At the end of the movie, Stanley Tucci's character says - "keep doing what you do" - but are there really that many investigative reporters left in the world?

History of Philosophy (Without any Gaps)

In late 2014, I came across a book covering classical philosophy - but what drew my attention more was the mention that the book was the result of a series of podcasts on philosophy by Professor Peter Adamson. While I considered buying the book, and even took down the name of the podcast - I didn't really pay attention - as I was not really into podcasts.

Then in January 2015, I discovered Serial - season 1 was winding down; and I was hooked - both on Serial and podcasts in general. Podcasts have become my defacto travel companion; and the History of Philosophy Without any Gaps series is the only one (apart from Serial) that I really started from the beginning. And after 260+ episodes; I have finally drawn level with the most current episode (now also covering History of Philosophy in India).

Prof. Adamson takes a broad perspective on Philosophy (sometimes, it can be argued that it's too broad) - covering not only the staples such as logic and argument; but also topics such as theology. But the beauty of this approach is - that it becomes more than just a recitation of philosophy. The podcast becomes an exploration of the intellectual development of human ideas - of how human thought has changed over time; and how ideas have built upon various interconnected and often surprising threads. And through all of this, there is the overall economic, political and religious history that overlay these developments. 

While there is philosophical jargon (which I don't understand, or to be honest care for); and some interviews and guests get too enthusiastic about their specialisations; the endeavour itself is a massive undertaking. The style of presentation is also worth commending, despite some cheesy puns and a proliferation of giraffes and Buster Keaton; Prof. Adamson makes the topic of the week interesting and engaging.

This is in effect an attempt at a singular compendium of how human intellectual thought has progressed - and there is a very long way to go. As covered in the podcast series; Philosophers have always valued commentators and their contributions to preserving philosophy. Prof. Adamson has probably already become the supreme commentator when it comes to how many he has commented upon; and what he has set out to perform. I hope that it continues till we get to Prof. Adamson commenting on his own achievements when the series catches up.

Xiaomi RedMi 2 - The Really Long Usage Review

I bought my Xiaomi RedMi 2 exactly a year ago in Hong Kong. I had originally wanted the Mi4 (which had just launched) but getting a guaranteed genuine Xiaomi phone was surprisingly difficult. This is because one of the networks has (had?) a monopoly, and the Mi4 specifically was only sold through the Xiaomi outlet at the time. Even in that store, there was a daily limit of sales for non-contract phones - making the whole purchasing experience rather surreal. The RedMi 2 was more widely available, cheaper (which allowed me to also balance out my iPhone purchase) and less hassle to get.

It's my first proper Android phone, and I was immediately more receptive of using it in comparison to other Android phone I had tried - especially various Samsungs. This is mostly due to the MiUI Android fork used by Xiaomi. The interface is sleek, and very iOS like. That said, there are still a lot of small interface issues that I just haven't managed to figure out - like can I get rid of the Google search bar on the main screen or at least reduce the estate. 

My other major gripe relates to the level of Google integration- my contacts are annoyingly integrated so searching for a name to call brings up email addresses and I keep getting notification updates on gmail when I have read emails on my iPhone (or desktop). The contacts part can be suppressed but doesn't seem to be permanent - every time I update or some other random even seems to switch it back to integrated mode.

I use the phone as my work phone, so I have had really good usage. Most of my blog posts in Hong Kong were done on the phone, and the photos were superb. I haven't had issues with memory limitations, but then I do use a limited set of apps, and clear my memory often of unused apps. I have had some occasional issue with volume (both microphone and speaker) but it seems to be difficult to work putt a pattern.

Overall, I am very happy - although I would probably just get another iPhone as a work phone in the future. Xiaomi just launched phones in South Africa, and it is definitely a good alternative to other Android phones. If I were to get another Android phone, it would definitely be a Xiaomi.

Buskaid at Johannesburg International Mozart Festival 2016

Sometimes, Rosemary Nalden brings her teacher persona into the concert hall; which can lead to the detriment of the experience. Yesterday was such an occasion, leading to, in my opinion, a more subdued audience. While welcoming the audience yesterday afternoon, a young boy spoke a bit loudly - leading Rosemary to first comment that the concert is not for "under 6", before ejecting parent and child. 

There was a murmur from the crowd (the lady next to me commented, "She is very bossy, eh?" while another later commented on "how strict" she was) and Rosemary did explain that external noise was distracting during the performance. It was therefore quite amusing that a loud thunderstorm decided to intrude during the later part of the performance leading Rosemary to comment that she couldn't control the heavens unfortunately.

Personally, I think this attitude is one that detracts people from attending classical concerts, as it comes across as snobby and aloof. After all, if children are not attending concerts (given that this concert was at a school too!) at a young age, how can we expect them to develop a following later in life? The atmosphere of concerts has also changed - modern day classical concerts compete with pop, rock, jazz and even musicals - all of which encourages healthy audience feedback. Given that the concerts I have attended in Soweto tend to be quite boisterous affairs - perhaps the Buskaid should encourage similar attitudes for all audiences.

The distraction aside - this year's programme was the most enjoyable since I have attended Buskaid's concerts. It had the usual amazing diversity in composers and style and really showcased the talents of the young musicians.

The concert opened with Rameau's Overture to the opera Zaïs. While it is traditional for the Buskaid to always play Rameau, I think this was the first piece that I really enjoyed. It was lively (aided by guest musicians playing woodwinds and the Harp) and felt more engaging than the usual pieces performed by the Buskaid.

Jules Massenet's Meditation from Thaïs, featuring Kabelo Monnathebe, fast-forwarded the era of music by a few centuries, and was a stark change in pace to the Rameau. However, it did go very well with the next piece - Reverie; performed by the modern composer Angela Morley. The composer's life story is in itself interesting, and it is a haunting piece on her conflict being a woman in a man's body before her sex change operation. The solo performance by Mzwandile Twala was amazing - and was also a stark reminder on the youth of the performers - I first saw Mzwandile in the first Buskaid I attended, and he was barely bigger than his violin. Yesterday, as he commanded the stage in his performance - he towered above almost everyone on the stage! The last performance of the first half was the full performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No 3. It's a popular piece that is played often - but I don't think I have ever heard the full piece live.

The second half started with Mozart's Overture to Il Seraglio, to keep to the theme of this year's festival of all things Turkish, followed by Sibelius' Impromptu for String Orchestra. The final piece before the kwela and gospel performances; was an amazing arrangement of Bruch's Kol Nidrei featuring two of the senior performers of the Buskaid - Tisetso Mashini on Viola and Gilbert Tsoke on Cello. It is an amazing musical score - and the hand off between Tisetso and Gilbert was seamless. It was a showcase of proficiency - and a perfect piece to finish the formal concert.

Movie: The Hateful Eight

The 8^th movie by Quentin Tarantino (I assume he considers Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 to be one movie) does not reach the heights of his 6^th and 7^th movies - but I didn't expect it too. And while the movie itself does share a common thread in the last few of his movies - revenge and retribution - it is more of a whodunit, than a revenge movie.

Sadly, the movie does not project in the touted Panavision 70 projection; but the snowscapes and the initial chapters are stunning. As can be expected from a Tarantino movie, there is tremendous dialogue - with some great acting performances - especially Jennifer Jason Leigh and Samuel L. Jackson. The story is compelling; and achieves what every good movie should - complete escapism - and the 3 hours go by without much notice. 

Movie: The Revenant

Mauled by a bear, shot at (by guns and arrows), riding off a cliff and submerging in a frigid river - nothing seems to be able to kill Hugh Glass. In a set of experiences that would probably have killed most of Marvel's super heroes, it seems that a mortal man did manage to actually survive. 

Much has been written about The Revenant and the movie does deliver on its hype. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as the survivalist Hugh Glass is amazing; the scenery is jaw dropping (it is difficult to imagine that such wilderness still exists on earth); and while the story is embellished (if compared to Wikipedia's version) - it remains an epic story of survival against all odds. 

Amongst the controversies of this year's Oscar nominations, at least it can be said that this performance and the movie itself are worthy nominees.

Thrifty Car Rental - No Frills Danger

Thrifty Car Rental is quite well known for promising no-frills, highly competitive car rentals. And it was exactly what it looked like when I booked online for last December - they had a number of well designed options, which led to a very competitive rate. 

The veneer started to come off at collection. Despite a confirmed, partially prepaid, reservation - the reservation was nowhere to be found on their systems. After about 15 minutes to fiddling, the agent proceeded to create a new booking; highlighted the same charges as per my booking on the printout, took the remainder of the hiring fee noted in my reservation document (plus the deposit off course); and we were on our way.

The trouble began after the return of the car; when I noticed a hefty charge deducted from my card. Upon enquiry, it seems that the new reservation was actually on a higher day rate than what I had actually booked. I looked closer on the printout, and it was true; although it was not highlighted. Suddenly, the well priced, competitive car rental turned out to be quite an expensive rental - one that didn't come with air miles that the "high frills" competitors provided, now at a lower cost. 

Given that I had signed the rental - I have no real recourse. When I mentioned my experience, at least 2 others mentioned similar experiences with Thrifty. Perhaps it is their business model - who knows. I have learnt my lesson with no frills competitors, it is easier to just stick to the high frills car rental agencies. I know what I will get, and in either case, I have always have consistent service and never had billing errors in the past.

Movie: The Lady in the Van

Wikipedia's plot summary is excellent:

The Lady in the Van tells the true story of Alan Bennett's strained friendship with Miss Mary Shepherd, an eccentric homeless woman whom Bennett befriended in the 1970s before allowing her temporarily to park her Bedford van in the driveway of his Camden home. She stayed there for 15 years. As the story develops Bennett learns that Miss Shepherd is really Margaret Fairchild (died 1989), a former gifted pupil of the pianist Alfred Cortot. She had played Chopin in a promenade concert, tried to become a nun, was committed to an institution by her brother, escaped, had an accident when her van was hit by a motorcyclist for which she believed herself to blame, and thereafter lived in fear of arrest.

The movie has an absolutely stunning performance by Maggie Smith, who also played Miss Shepherd in the play. The movie itself, is a great examination of mental illness and homelessness - and a very uncomfortable examination on society's general attitude, and interaction with homeless people.

Run Racist Run

Eusebius McKaiser has certainly become a prominent commentator on race and race relations in South Africa. Run Racist Run is a more raw, focused follow up to the earlier "Bantu in the Bathroom" collection; exploring racism, race relations and impact thereof in various dimensions. 

The essays are more nuanced, more direct and covers forms of racism that are not easily identified. Although it is written very much from a South African perspective of a coloured man growing up in a township during Apartheid; many of the perspectives and insights can easily translate to other countries - be it similar environments such as the US; or diverse environments that do not exhibit outright racism but still has hints of tribalism (or classism, casteism? etc).

As to be expected the arguments are well thought out and well reasoned; the examples pack a punch; and ultimately each of the essays leave something to think about. It's a collection of essays that everyone should be reading, and discussing. As with the Justice course on edX, this is something everyone should reading and discussing - and maybe even being taught in schools and corporate diversity programs.

De Hoop

I tried to go to De Hoop just over 5 years ago, and while J and I (with J's wife K) managed to get to Bedasdorp; for various reasons we didn't actually manage to make it to De Hoop.

From all accounts from the staff, De Hoop is not well known - and many of the patrons are actually regulars. One lady was staying for 7 days, and this was her 4th consecutive visit over Christmas. She was also excited that she had already secured a spot for 2016.

And De Hoop is a gem - there is off course the unique landscape and environment, but it is the absolutely amazing staff that makes De Hoop such an attractive destination. Most are locals - they have grown up around the area; and some can trace multiple generations in the area. They are very friendly and very approachable - hospitality at its best. And many of the waiters/hosts double up as guides with amazing knowledge of the environment. There seems to be a concerted effort in skills training based on the stories of their experiences but as one guide mentioned - it is not only the knowledge; it is how well they can interact with the guests that really define how successful they are. 

Broadly, De Hoop has three environments - fynbos hills, the coast and a "vlei" (translates to a marsh, but more lake/estuary). There is not much variety in terms of large animal life in the fynbos - lots of eland and bontebok, with some cape mountain zebra and ostriches. De Hoop is a marine sanctuary, and so whale season leads to frequent sightings of whales and their calves; and the rock pools are teaming with actuatic life. The bird life is amazing - blue cranes, fish eagles and oyster catchers - there is a lot of variety to be seen (apparently 260 species in total).

The dunes are dramatic, the beaches are pristine; and the staff are very hospitable. I do want to come back for the whale trail hiking trail; or perhaps for the whale season. While I doubt I will make it an annual pilgrimage, I can certainly see what the attraction is.

L'Agulhas

It has been 5 years since I was last at the southernmost point in Africa; and the most noticeable change has been how the towns of Struisbaai and L'Agulhas has grown. There are now houses and shops everywhere - and a sleepy town has been transformed.

Justice

At the beginning of the year (or was it the end of last year?), I came across a book review of Harvard philosophy professor Sandel's book - Justice. The book captures the key philosophical background discussion points that define modern legal systems, discussing the modern political flash points - abortion, gay marriage and affirmative action; and many more of the underlying principles. Ultimately, it tries to identify the very basic, but very contentious and murky question of "what is just"?

The book itself is based on a very popular course given at Harvard; and now available for free at edX. The course covers 24, half hour lectures, approx 20 "poll questions" and quite a few readings etc. Unlike many other edX courses I have done, the lectures are direct recordings of lectures given at a cavernous lecture theatre with a lot of class participation and discussion. While the book covers a lot more topics (e.g. canibalism and euthanasia), I found the edX course to be more accessible and easier to digest. 

While the course itself is a philosophy course, I think it should really be considered as an essential course for everyone. As covered in the course, Aristotle considered man's participation and contribution to the "polis" as the key contribution to virtue, and thus the ultimate purpose of life. 

While modern (wo)man's participation in the polis may be reduced only to voting and political rallies (including #___mustfall marches); this is the the type of course that every (wo)man needs to understand the world. More than any other philosophy and intellectual discourse, I found the course and discussions to really give me perspective on how different people understand the concept of justice; and thus take their positions. It uncovers the motivations behind those who consider government should be limited and those who consider a nanny state to be ideal; those who don't consider the sins of our forefathers matter and those that call for slavery and colonial restitution. It is more than political pandering and ultimately for our own democracy and political world to prosper, people need to at least identify and understand the underlying philosophies - if nothing else to debate their inconsistencies. 

The course is available online, for free, at edX until 15 January 2016. I highly recommend it.

Jacob's Ladder

While not the stairway to heaven, Jacob's Ladder is one of the many staircases linking Main Road and Boyes Drive. Located near the St James station, the staircase is deceptively steep - as much of it is hidden in the foliage from the gardens. The views of false bay are well worth the climb; and certainly less populated than Main Road. 

The SA National Gallery

It has been years since I last went to the SA National Gallery; and although M and I always seem to intend going, we never end up going for various reasons. At least , this year we got over that hurdle.

The gallery has a set of permanent exhibits together with a number of featured exhibitions. The permanent exhibitions seem to be organized in a few themes, and the sculptures - in my opinion - are the highlights. Of the featured, but temporary exhibitions, the landscape work of Moses Tladi, is amazing - especially those of a much rural Gauteng which has been transformed to an urban jungle. Except for the Tladi exhibition, there was very little with regards to explanation of the pieces or wider discussion on the pieces. Apart from that, the gallery is an excellent stop in Cape Town's tourist circuit.

Besides the Butcher Boys, three more recent sculptures stood out for me. Congolese artist, Maurice Mbiyaki's "E-Mukishi" transforms computer keyboards and mice into a threatening dark menace. In the current context of cyber threats, the sculpture is the physical manifestation of a very real threat to modern society. There is no official interpretation, but it is the work that spoke to me the most.

Mary Sibande's "The Reign" takes a very different take on the horse rider sculpture that is fairly common across western culture. It is colourful, and a refreshing take. The work is part of a wider series but this is an apt installation to showcase the power of her work.

The last one, is Paul Thavhana's "Nowa Ya Tsireldzo - Snake as Protector"; a humongous wooden sculpture of a smiling cobra.  I couldn't find anything on the Internet about the piece or the artist, so I am not sure if it is a single piece of wood (as it seems to be) - but it is amazing piece regardless.

Dinosaurs at Kirstenbosch

Although I have been to Kirstenbosch a number of times, it has always been for anything but the gardens themselves - a few concerts, a party or at the tail end of a hike. M wanted to visit the fragrance garden, and thus for the first time I actually visited the garden for its own sake.

Being the height of summer, there weren't a lot of flowers - but the garden is still very scenic, and peaceful. Aside from an owl (which blended in to the trees remarkably well), the highlight for me was the dinosaurs in the cycad garden. 

There was the majestic, in the form of a T-Rex and a few other large ones; but it is the small ones hidden in corners that made me smile - and it's a fun addition to the gardens.

Constantia Nek to the Dams

It has been more than a decade since I had gone up all the way up the trail at Constantia Nek. The weather started off as perfect for hiking - warm (but not hot), cloudy with a light breeze. By the time we got to the top, it was foggy, cold, with a steady drizzle. So, unfortunately there were no amazing views of the bay and Cape Flats or of the dams. We took refuge at a small museum chronicling the building of the dams, including a steam engine, an ironsmith's forge and a few other bits and pieces; to wait out the drizzle before heading back. 

Poor weather aside, it's a good hike with a lot less people - need to do it again on a day without the tablecloth.

Michaelis' Graduate Exhibition

I last went to an exhibition at the UCT's Michaelis School of Fine Arts when I was still at UCT. But I keep getting exhibition invites, and off course not showing up. Since I am in Cape Town for a while this month, I decided to see the sprawling exhibition of the graduate class, housed in 6 buildings of the Hiddingh Campus.

Most of the work seems to be quite self indulgent, an air of self importance; that probably comes from the fact that the artwork presented is also marked for the student's marks. But there are some amazing gems - works that stand on their own, or makes one think.

For me, the highlight was the Ubulungiswa/Justice Collaboration - a multi media installation encompassing a number of students, exploring topical themes of 2015 - xenophobia and the RhodesMustFall/FeesMustFall movements. Encompassing video, performance art, costumes and ohotography, it was novel, interesting and thought provoking.

Equally thought provoking was Simphiwe Ndzube's installations exploring migrancy through discarded clothing. The installation was a harsh visual representation of the migrant world - especially given 2015's various stories on migrants.

There are many more interesting works - and the showcase is very diverse; and will caters for almost every type of art work. And maybe if you like something, you can get it for a bargain - you know, before they become famous :)

Movie: Spectre

Daniel Craig has been widely quoted that he doesn't wish to play Bond again; and Spectre does feel like a farewell. Not only does Spectre manage to tie together a number of previous bond films' plot lines; Bond himself comes across as slightly jaded by the world he has to constantly save - and ironically, the entire spying apparatus comes under strong criticism.

Spectre opens with one of the best (if not the best) opening sequences for a Bond film, and generally stays true to the James Bond formula of over-the-top villains, amazing car chases, beautiful women, beautiful locations and great action sequences. However, in some ways it's also overtly political - with national, unrestricted surveillance and more importantly how such a system could be misused as one of the core plot points. In the age of technology, the movie makes a strong case for human spies instead of digital spies.

I don't think it was as great as Skyfall; but it still has a lot going for it.