Bring back artisan skills & stimulate entrepreneurship Higher education and critical thinking The recent ‘#FeesMustFall’ campaign got me thinking yet again about the role of University education, entrepreneurial career paths, the importance of artisanal skills and trades, and practical preparation for the world of work. I have a post-graduate degree myself and taught at tertiary […]
Who decides what makes a ‘World Class African City’? And on what basis? There has been recent controversy around Joburg using the line ‘ A World Class African City’ in its advertising and marketing. I came across Michael Clark’s article– brief but interesting – around what it might mean to be a “world class city” […]
The Shosoloza Express between Johannesburg and Cape Town We have had a number of guests at Liz at Lancaster Guesthouse who travel by rail either from Cape Town or down to Cape town. A recent guest wrote a review about the Shosholoza Premier Classe on Tripadvisor. She writes of booking through an excellent 3rd party website which is good […]
Instead of a sea cruise take a land cruise: The Shongololo Express Guests from Australia who stayed recently at Liz at Lancaster Guesthouse had been around South Africa on the Shongololo Express. Shongololo is a colloquial South African word for a millipede. These creatures have hard segmented exteriors and coil themselves into a spiral when threatened […]
Midlands Meander, KZN I was lucky enough to have a few days break a couple of weeks ago – my locum was free to step in here at Liz at Lancaster and friends in Southbroom down on the South Coast had agreed to have me to stay for a few days. So I set off […]
2 biographers of 2 key political SA figures converse Yesterday Boekehuis hosted Mark Gevisser, Mbeki’s biographer, in conversation with Fiona Forde, Malema’s biographer. Mark engaged Fiona to expand on some of the issues raised in her biography of Malema: ‘An Inconvenient Youth’. An informed, informative, measured and fascinating interchange followed. Malema’s significance Forde’s take is that […]
Mercury and Venus in the night sky Watch Mercury overtaking Venus early evenings this week. As it starts to get dark, look over to the west for the very bright “evening star” – Venus. Venus is so bright it can be seen in twilight. As the earth turns you will see: Mercury appearing as a […]
Mark Gevisser – always an excellent read Mark Gevisser wrote about South African identity in both the build up to the World Cup Cup http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/article439527.ece/I-want-to-imagine-the-SA-of-my-dreams as well as after the final whistle had been blown: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/10/south-africa-unites-over-football . See his latest take on what it means to be a South African in late 2010: http://www.arttimes.co.za/news_read.php?news_id=2683 by
Local Game at Soccer City Two Australian guests staying here at Liz at Lancaster were determined to see Soccer City and to experience a local game. The Chiefs/Pirates match on Saturday night gave them the perfect opportunity. They booked their tickets and set off to Soweto, Richard supporting the Chiefs and Pippa wearing a Pirates bandanna. […]
SA The Good News By Azure Janneker – SAB and Steuart Pennington – SA Good News “I’ve been to Soccer City and the Innes Free Fan Park, but I’m going to watch the next game at a Castle Kingdom tavern in one of the townships.” “A what?” “A Castle Kingdom…you know, the true personification of […]