backtosa.com

Of heart and courage
A film featuring the Béjart Ballet Lausanne
Directed by Arantxa Aguirre
Encounters Documentary Film Festival
Nu Metro Waterfront Cape Town
15 TO 29 AUGUST 2010
Spain 2009/80 minutes

All the naysayers and doom mongers have been proved wrong and the streets have been rolled up and put away. The World Cup was a great success!
But how does South Africa go back to normal ... what is normal? ... does South Africa want that? And, importantly, how does the country build on the unmistakeable momentum, and preserve the memories and promote the legacy of the day the Greatest Show On Earth came to South Africa.

Presented by Image Incubator and Exposure Gallery. Curated by Clare Louise Thomas.
Twenty photographers. One image each. The Image Says It All exhibition celebrates South African photographers – from those who are well known both at home and abroad, to talented newcomers and unsung heroes.(Photo: Ed Suter)

Circus of Life

Kerrin Kokot writes:
Madam Z’s is back in town. If you thought that you had seen it before,think again.

If you ever visited Cape Town’s original Madam Zingara’s famous dinner-show, you would have been greeted by gorgeous Moulin Rougean creatures, indulged in chocolate-chilli steak and been dazzled by spectacular physical performances.

Words and pictures: Clare Louise Thomas

When Italy played Paraguay (on Monday night, in the 12th game of the World Cup), in Cape Town, visiting Italian fans could have been forgiven for thinking they were back home in the grips of a European winter as icey squalls lashed the city, leaving it sodden and chilly.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter blew away the hopes of a small (softly spoken?) group of soccer fans around the world when he said, “We’ve survived the vuvuzelas, everybody has survived the vuvuzelas ... I don't think we can just take them away.”

The controversial vuvuzela (picture: Clare Thomas) certainly got people blowing off steam in these parts. I was in London and bore the brunt of a few blastings.

words fail me ... it is so amazing. The nation has recaptured pride, patriotism and that 1994 unity ... I hope at least some of it remains.
The atmosphere in Johannesburg is absolutely electric. This is fever pitch. Go Bafana!
I was there!!!!!
Soccer is so much more fun to watch with queens! "So how long is that game?" "You are too white to blow that Vuvuzela!"
When did they change the shape of the ball? I thought it was oval?

Words and pictures:
Clare Louise Thomas

Down here in Cape Town, we're often accused of being a bit slow on the uptake.
It's explained away by pointing out that the mountain-meets-beach lifestyle is naturally a laid-back one and how so many people come on holiday here that their vacation pace rubs off on us locals.

South Africa vote for Table Mountain!

Sabine Lehmann, CEO of Table Mountain Cableway, said 98% of the votes received since Table Mountain was shortlisted have come from outside South Africa.

Commenting on this the Archbishop said: “Isn’t it fantastic that people from outside of South Africa recognize Table Mountain as a treasure? Now South Africans must open their eyes and see the treasure in our midst.”

The other event I am sad to miss is the launch of FreshlyGround’s new CD at that old haunt of ours, the Assembly Rooms. It feels like a new CD is long overdue, and what a perfect place to launch it.

We have heard FG’s ‘old’ album being played in various venues in the last two months, including the Cricketers, a lovely pub in East Horsley, UK, and a branch of the Wok restaurant chain in central Barcelona.