13 minute read
DANGLING A LINE
COUNTING THE CAST
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2020 IS A YEAR THAT FEW WILL FORGET. THE MAN AND WOMAN IN THE STREET, JOE AND JANE AVERAGE, HAVE BECOME MORE AWARE AND INFORMED OF HOW VIRUSES TRANSMIT THAN THEY EVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT POSSIBLE. BUT THROUGH IT ALL, SOME OF LIFE’S SIMPLE PLEASURES REMAIN, WRITES GARETH GEORGE.
Close your eyes after Christmas and New Year – and you wake up in March! The year gained so much momentum in such a short space of time that people were left wondering if the holidays were a figment of the imagination.
For every family man or those unfortunate enough to be committed to a partner who fails to comprehend an infatuation with fish, “the holidays” can be a relative phrase. Obligation might seem like a heartless term, but be honest, how much time was spent doing exactly what you wanted to do in December? Life is all about compromise, but if you weren’t allowed to throw a line over the festive season, it’s time to consider your genetic origins from the knuckle-dragging, breast-beating beast and be a man!
A fishing resolution is a simple one, spend more time doing it. It’s a good thing that most fish have a season, so at least we can plan a campaign on what to target and when. Understanding that time is the most significant constraint, coupled with the postfestive season finances, it’s advisable to take a good look around at local options to whet the appetite. (And, no, that doesn’t mean casting covetous eyes at the Koi in your neighbour’s pond.)
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Staying in the shallows and demonstrating full extension on a forward cast (top) leads to catches such as this delightful yellow which Gareth George holds up for the camera.
ABOVE:
Everything a keen angler looks for when casting for tiger: a ragged, toothy smile and sleek, swim fast stripes for the epic struggle which ensued when Rhuan Human hooked it – and then let it free to fight another day.
Being invited to an event is always a guarantee for some quality fishing time, but don’t wait for that call: be proactive. Get the lads together and make it happen. Should you be in the unenviable position of having to justify a boys’ weekend, it’s possible to pitch it as having been selected, which brings me to the most important aspect. Join a club! You don’t have to attend all the meetings, or even read the newsletter (although it might well improve your fishing technique and knowledge), but it provides any fishing trip with some legitimacy. Heck, start your own club: that way you get to control the whole process.
It’s important to plan at least one big excursion. It’s not always possible every year, so strategize and get everyone’s sights set for 2021. The incredible benefit of fishing is the places it can potentially take you, so ensure you get out of your comfort zone. Reach for a new destination and the opportunity to notch up some fresh species. If necessary – and I say this with caution – plan your next family holiday around this. This could backfire should you not have ensured that the fishing far outweighs the tourist attractions. As enthralling as the environment and cultural history might be, should you be within casting length of tailing fish whilst listening to some tour guide drone on, it’s likely to end in a proverbial boxing match.
Consistency is key as it gets your friends, work colleagues and especially family to associate you with the sport. (And yes, they need to be convinced that it is a sport!)
Granted, it lacks the agility of football or the speed of an Usain Bolt and the average angler is definitely no Schwarzenegger to look at, but finesse and skill it certainly takes. We all know this, having seen the seasoned Pro consistently teach the fish a lesson. And that’s the real point, all it takes is practice. As a good friend of mine once wisely advised, “There’s nothing wrong with your fishing that a decade or two on the water won’t fix!”
The benefits of the great outdoors are irrefutable and necessary more than ever in today’s manic society. The need for periodic digital detoxing is paramount and provided each time you go out fishing, you don’t have to Uber home and stumble incoherently into bed, your better half will realise that this is valuable time in which you get to destress and make sense of our existence.
So stop making excuses as it’s not about making every cast count, it’s making sure you don’t have to count your casts.
LOCKDOWN
HOW TO HOST AN EPIC SOCIAL IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL DISTANCING
Want to host a little get-together that’s both social and distant at the same time? Sure, raising a toast with your besties and dancing the night away might not be the same as a year ago, but that doesn’t mean that fun times have been cancelled altogether. Here’s how to get the most out of a party in the second half of 2020!
Hop on your favourite video-chatting platform to tell everyone about your upcoming event. Or you can also keep it simple with a WhatsApp group message. Just make sure to add the date and time.
Some people might not be comfortable to be around big crowds yet, so maybe give your friends the option to attend virtually or in person. Also invest in some customised face masks that are exclusive to your event. Not only are they practical, but they can also serve as a nice reminder of your party afterwards.
For your nearest TOPS at SPAR store, phone our share call number: 0860 31 3141 or visit www.topsatspar.co.za.
This is a social distancing get-together, so you can really play around with the idea of space and quarantine in a fun way. Keep your décor simple and stripped down and allow enough space for people to easily move around each other. If you’re going to do a table setting, maybe consider only setting every second space. Add some handy hand sanitisers to finish the effect.
Because it’s a ‘quarantine zone’, why not serve your guests individually sealed meals: packed gourmet sandwiches, packets of crackers and cheese, and sealed desserts. You can also package the meals in personalised boxes. It will definitely make for some interesting around-the-table banter.
No Social Distance Get-together is complete without some Quarantinis. Remember to serve your themed martinis in disposable cups to complete the effect.
To stick with the social distancing theme, nothing beats a good old game of Shouting 30 Seconds. Have teammates sit across from each other on either side of a room and shout the clues to each other. They might not get the answers, but you’ll definitely get the laughs.
CHARACTERS IN ACTION
DRAMA TAKES MANY FORMS: PHYSICAL ACTION AND HIGH SPEED CAR CHASES, STIRRING THE EMOTIONS WITH A HARROWING FAMILY TALE OR GETTING WRAPPED UP IN AN ANIMATED CARTOON STORY. AND THAT’S BEFORE CONSIDERING THE DRAMA BETWEEN THE PAGES OF A BOOK OR THE EFFECT WHICH MUSIC CAN HAVE!
FAST & FURIOUS 9
top pick
Roaring engines, squealing tyres and sexy cars in some exotic locations.
Making this ninth instalment of the Fast & Furious franchise even more appealing is some of the heavy acting talent lending stature to the movie – actresses such as Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron. Theron in particular is chillingly wicked as cyber criminal Cipher, rocking a combination of Purdey and pudding bowl haircut, while exhorting John Cena’s character Jakob to take on and beat the skills of Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto.
As hard as it is to believe, the action is once again fast and furious and includes a host of stunts never seen before. Filmed in England and Scotland (London and Edinburgh), as well as Georgia and Thailand, the film reunites Michelle Rodriguez in the role of Dom’s wife, Letty, while wielding his tools in fine tuning the engines is Ludacris as mechanic Tej Parker.
MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU
Good news for fans of the little yellow blobs in denim dungarees wearing snorkelling masks is that they are back on movie screens, promising just as much hilarity, heart string tugging and gasping at some of the stunts they get embroiled in!
Taking its cue from movies such as Star Wars, this animated franchise has come up with a prequel. This full length animated feature details the as-yet-untold story of a 12-year-old’s dream to become the world’s greatest supervillain.
Steve Carell is back providing the voice for the supposedly despicable Gru who embarks on a wicked scheme – and naturally drags all the cute, gobbledegook spouting minions with him in his caper! Some of the voices to look out for in this film include Julie Andrews, Taraji P Henderson, Dolph Lundgren and JeanClaude van Damme.
As expected, there’s much hilarity as well as pathos, along with signature subversive references, pop-culture sophistication, great music as a backdrop and heaps of over-the-top action.
WAVES
“Set against the vibrant landscape of South Florida, it traces the emotional journey of a suburban family as they navigate love, forgiveness and coming together in the aftermath of a loss.”
That bald statement doesn’t adequately describe how acclaimed director Trey Edward Shults weaves a tapestry of complicated emotions into a moving picture of grace and sensitivity which is superbly reflective of the troubled times in modern America.
There’s high school athletic achievement, parental pressure on a talented young wrestler nursing an injury – and stealing pain pills to self medicate to continue competing ... Of course there’s a girl and the relationship gets complicated – with a resultant post-school dance showdown that has devastating consequences for all.
Waves is a heart rending story about the universal capacity for compassion and growth even in the darkest of times.
SUCH PRETTY FORKS IN THE ROAD
ALANIS MORISETTE
Inked in for release this month is a new album from Alanis Morisette, her first set of new material in eight years. Such Pretty Forks in the Road is the talented singer/songwriter’s follow-up to 2012’s Havoc and Bright Lights.
The album’s lead single, “Reasons I Drink”, was released in December 2019, co-written by Alanis and Michael Farrell. In trademark fashion, the honesty and edgy truth are out there in the lyrics. It’s almost hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since the artist announced her presence with the release of her smash hit album, Jagged Little Pill.
While not as angry, aggressive and raw as “Ironic”, the tracks on the new album are just as real with the artist mining her life experience to make music. And that’s one of the reasons audiences and listeners love her; the authenticity and shared experience.
NME stated it best when reviewing this new album: “Morissette has previously been open about her struggles with an eating disorder and has described alcohol as a “secondary addiction”. It’s these battles that she revisits in both the song’s title and its later lyric: “Here are the reasons I eat/ Reasons I feel everything so deeply when I’m not medicated.”
ACTRESS
ANNE ENWRIGHT
YOU LET ME IN
CAMILLA BRUCE
DISCLAIMER: All books featured here are supplied by Penquin Random House South Africa
TO DIE FOR
SAM SMITH
The British vocalist, who publicly changed to genderneutral pronouns “they/ their” last year, revealed that the third studio album, To Die For will arrive in May.
The artist also promised that the album would be upbeat and poppier with fewer ballads – yet the first single released “To Die For” is notably sad and heart achingly vulnerable and wanting someone to love.
In an interview, Smith opened up about the inspiration behind the follow-up to 2017’s “The Thrill of It All.”
“I‘m more proud of this album than anything I’ve ever done. I’ve really set myself free the last two years whilst writing this,” Smith wrote on social media.
“I feel like I have recently shown a side of me which I normally keep to myself or for my family and friends. I showed everyone and they loved it. It’s almost given me permission to kinda do what I’ve always dreamed of doing but I was always scared to do, which is pop music.”
BON JOVI 2020
BON JOVI
“It’s not a political album but it is socially conscious,” is how Jon Bon Jovi, the frontman for the long lived rock outfit described their new album, appropriately titled Bon Jovi 2020.
Inspiration for the musicians spanned everything from the environment and climate change, gun control, family relationships to the state of global politics.
“It’s encompasses life, love and loss,” Bon Jovi said in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. The first track released is “Limitless” and is all about hope and opportunity when faced with the standard pressures of work, mortgage payments and more. From the Booker-winning Irish author, a brilliant and moving novel about fame, sexual power, and a daughter’s search to understand her mother’s hidden truths.
This is the story of Irish theatre legend Katherine O’Dell, as told by her daughter Norah. It tells of early stardom in Hollywood, of highs and lows on the stages of Dublin and London’s West End. Katherine’s life is a grand performance, with young Norah watching from the wings.
But this romance between mother and daughter cannot survive Katherine’s past, or the world’s damage. As Norah uncovers her mother’s secrets, she acquires a few of her own. Then, fame turns to infamy when Katherine decides to commit a bizarre crime.
Actress is about a daughter’s search for the truth: the dark secret in the bright star, and what finally drove Katherine mad. Brilliantly capturing the glamour of post-war America and the shabbiness of 1970s Dublin, Actress is an intensely moving, disturbing novel about mothers and daughters and the men in their lives. A scintillating examination of the corrosive nature of celebrity, it is also a sad and triumphant tale of freedom from bad love, and from the avid gaze of the crowd. From a startling new voice in contemporary Gothic fiction comes a superbly creepy debut about the elusive nature of truth, the stories we choose to believe (or not), and how we choose to tell those tales ...
“‘I wanted someone to know, you see. To know my truth, now that I am gone. How everything and none of it happened.”
Everyone knew bestselling novelist Cassandra Tipp had twice got away with murder. Even her family were convinced of her guilt. So when she disappears, leaving only a long letter behind, they can but suspect that her conscience finally killed her.
But the letter is not what anyone expected. It tells two chilling, darkly disturbing stories. One is a story of bloody nights and magical gifts, of children lost to the woods, of husbands made from twigs and leaves and feathers and bones ...
The other is the story of a little girl who was cruelly treated and grew up crooked in the shadows ...
But which story is true? And where is Cassie now?
ANNA K
JENNY LEE
Welcome to the dizzying heights of New York’s Upper East Side: where privilege, partying and scandal rules.
And Anna K knows the rules by heart. Beautiful, rich and popular, she takes care to maintain her status as the perfect girlfriend, daughter and student.
Then a chance encounter at Grand Central station with notorious playboy Alexi “Count” Vronsky changes everything. Anna knows she needs to avoid Alexi, but sometimes fate has other plans ...
Soon Anna finds it impossible to resist him, and finds herself willing to risk everything she has to be with him – no matter the consequences.
After all, the course of true love never did run smooth ...
