WE TALK TO: Judith Sephuma Dr. Robert Rey Akiane Kramarik Peter Tempelho EXCELLENCE OF LIFE
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CONTENTS
32
94
Culinary Delights 32
Your Easy Cooking
45
Sustainable Fisheries
48
Signature Restaurant on Long Street
53
The Greenhouse Effect
DĂŠcor & Design 178
Bead
181
Black Fabrics
186
Angel - Modern Naturals
188
Angel - Au Naturelle
190
Angel - Ocean Breeze
191
Angel - Berry Bliss
192
Hellooow Handmade
Fashion & Beauty
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Angel Spring Fashion
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Jungle Fever
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Portrait of a Lady
136
Jazz Age
Gardening 28
House Lenahan
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168 146
Health
Motoring
94
God’s Pharmacy Part 7
168
BMW i3 and i8 Concept
96
Superfoods
173
Jaquar XF 2.2
Inspirational
Photography
100
We are not supposed to be Lone Rangers
146
Walk a little on the Wild Side
104
My Lion Nature
154
Second Nature
107
Do you realise how valuable you are
161
Aerial Photographic Art
109
The Secret of a Successful Relationship
112
How blessings can come from honouring
4
Editor’s Letter
194
Subscriptions
60
Colour by Instinct
195
Stockist Listing
64
I am a living Testimony
196
Promotions
68
Strokes of a Genius
74
From Charity to Community
76
An African Odyssey
Travel
83
Marriage Enrichment Seminars
08
A Northern Mozambique Haven
87
Body by Rey
13
66 Square Feet
89
Unearth the power of Acappela Music
18
indieBerries
91
Crossing Cultural and Language Barriers
22
News From China 10 sue
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Lifestyle, Arts & Culture
Regulars
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from the Editor’s Pen Images below Rina Smit
The air is not so cool at the moment, the days are getting longer. Seemingly lifeless trees come alive. Formerly brown coloured shrubs now show radiant colour.
The flower bulbs buried in the ground during the winter months are beginning to bloom. Shrieks of joy and other sounds from children playing again in the parks and outside can be heard everywhere. The earth comes alive with God’s beauty once again. There is a fragrance in the air. IT IS SPRING TIME! A time of birth and renewal. I am not a spring chicken anymore, and with the warming of the air comes a host of seasonal memories. Every Friday was a “spring cleaning” day at home, and
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with spring came extra seasonal cleaning inside and outside. Also a good time to clean out the spiritual closet. Spring cleaning, while worth the effort, will only last for a season, but spiritual cleansing could have eternal influence. Hidden sin can destroy your life, your peace, and even your health. Get rid of old baggage. Release unforgiveness and bitterness. (Hebrew 12:1 & Ephesians 4:31-32). Spiritual cleansing requires deep cleaning. It is housekeeping that goes beyond what others see and hear. Get rid of negative talk and pessimistic thoughts. This also includes the challenge to stop complaining. (Philippians 2:14). Removing garbage from the mind. Involve Jesus in your daily life. Let the SON shine in and experience a refreshing of your spirit. Think of a crucified Christ, rejoice at His rising, feel the touch of grace, find deep truths in the act of spring cleaning. Our passion and desire with Ray Magazine is to bring you wonderful reading material with the possibility to improve quality of life in every area of life. I think one of the areas we need to address more is health. When we are healthy we sometimes take it for granted and don’t live the lifestyle to maintain it. The four aspects of our being that we have to look at are: emotional; mental; physical and spiritual. They are all vital to our overall health. If we truly want to be healthy, then we need to work on all four to ensure we have complete balance or a “smooth ride”. Riding around with three good tyres is not good enough. Unfortunately, many people sacrifice their health to the point where one tyre is completely gone. You cannot expect your ride to be smooth if you are ignoring a flat tyre. Just like your car, your body cannot perform properly without all four tyres fully inflated. Balance is the key. The amazing thing about concentrating on one’s health is that when you correct your physical health, the other three areas (emotional, mental, and spiritual health) improve automatically. A healthy lifestyle is not something we’re born with. Rather, it is something we must create. In order to improve our physical body or health, we must address our nutrition, our cardiovascular health, our muscles for bone health, and our flexibility. As we get older, we simply need to modify what we do and how we do it. It’s all about choices. We live with the consequences of bad decisions. If you eat right and exercise you will live a better life, and Spring is a nice time to start.
This edition of Ray Magazine is once again a testament to the outstanding talent that exists in our country. It has been such a delight to complete this edition, so please enjoy. From all of us at Ray, we bless you with the very best for your life in every area. With wisdom and understanding. As the Spring season brings forth fruitfulness, may you be fruitful in spirit, body and soul. Don’t miss out on good opportunities. As the earth experience renewal and celebrates its return to the glory of colours and sounds, let us renew our lives, and celebrate it. Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of Spring? Take time to smell the flowers. Then with a spring in your step, spring into action. Let life be born anew in your soul today, free from the deadness of winter, in every way! RINA SMIT
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Travel Don’t ever take travel for granted. It is such a privilege to explore different parts of the world, experiencing fascinating cultures. South Africa is blessed with some of the most spectacular landscapes and natural wonders. There is a great variety of beautiful natural diverse scenery, varying from mountains, rivers, lakes, lagoons and endless coastlines to sun-scorched semideserts. “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
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A Northern Mozambique
Haven If you have
pretty much done the safari thing in South Africa, then handsome young trainee jeep jockeys have lost their appeal, you see through the top end reserves and their GPS-based game tracking and ‘ndlovu’ codes are no longer a secret. When Kruger begins to resemble a giant zoo, it’s time to follow my lead and head for the true African bush at Lugenda Wilderness Camp in northern Mozambique. This bush gem, part of the Luweri Conservancy in the southern reaches of the 44 000km² Niassa Reserve, offers the traveler a quiet and deeply fulfilling bush experience. Did I say quiet? As I write this, I am sitting on a wooden deck, a cold gin and tonic in hand, relaxing after a 5-hour morning bush adventure. Local men across the wide expanse of the Lugenda River are ignoring the crocs as they fish for their evening meal, baboons are frantically fighting over tree fruits and an elephant is quietly breaking branches behind my luxury tent. Just last night, a leopard came into the camp and like a mischievous cat, swatted calabash lamps and ripped up lounge furniture around the pub
Text Karin Peterson Images Karin Peterson & Russell Scott
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almost within touching range from where I was sleeping. Yet I can’t help but emphasize the stillness of Lugenda. The hot winter air hangs heavy with the chirping of insects and the calls of myriad bird species harmonizing with the faint rustle of seasonal leaves, in what can only be described as Green Silence. The feeling of peace is all-pervasive. There are few five star safari destinations, which don’t offer fine service. The difference at Lugenda is that it isn’t obsequious or intrusive.
spot everything that surrounds us including a giant chameleon, perched on a high branch, as we drive by in the dark of night. It doesn’t even seem unusual that Nick, while explaining the connection between the giant Baobab under which we are standing and Cream of Tartar, quietly looks over my shoulder and says “Lion. Let’s follow it”. And we do. For an hour. On foot.
The staff don’t choose to live an 8 hour’s drive away from the nearest functional bush village because they are into glamorous lifestyles. Director of Lugenda Wildlife Reserve, Derek Littleton, Colombian ethno-biologist Paula Ferro, and head ranger Nick van Rensburg see tourism as a wonderful way of indulging their deep knowledge and love - of the Niassa bush. Camp manager Chelene Ebersohn has not only lived in the reserve for 8 years but is raising two
young children here too. Beatrice and Wimmie are confident blonde, tousled haired little human Bushbabies who think nothing of cavorting on the sandbanks of the Lugenda.
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A bush drive with this team is extraordinary. There aren’t new species around every corner, no. Tracker Buenar Paolo, however, ensures that we
The grass is shoulder high after the highest rainy season they jointly remember and as our group walks behind him, fear never dominates the realization that the feline group could be watching us from a short distance away. The fact that we are even permitted to periodically climb out of the game viewer is a breath of fresh African air after the air-hostess type safety rules and instructions that are hammered in at most safari destinations. In the end, we get to within 40 metres of the cats before they grow wary of our intrusion and amble away into the surrounding bush. This is only a little closer than we managed to get to an elephant bull a couple of days before and not nearly as close as we got to the hippos the previous morning.
Bush walks include the added bonus of tasting a variety of wild fruits straight off the trees, eating
The wilderness experience in this lush part of the Niassa Reserve isn’t limited to daily game drives. Even a short stay offers guests the opportunity to explore some of the local history by clambering up some vertigo-defying granite boulders to reach a cave dotted with 4000-year-old rock art. A rafting trip will see you canoeing down the gently meandering Lugenda River and enjoying the baking sun, marveling at the diversity of the bird life. A note here to twitchers: if names like Angolan Pitta, African Skimmer and the Livingstone Flycatcher excite you, then you will understand the richness of this bird haven. The Miambo Woodland offers some 400 listed species – enough to keep the binoculars focused for a while.
dripping wild honey off the comb, smelling unfamiliar plants, examining centuries old trees
and spotting shy butterflies amidst the indigenous flowers. Lugenda is growing in popularity amongst photographers and this should come as no surprise, given the diversity of scenery, ambient light that moves from gentle to sharp, opportunities for portraiture and wildlife shots and colours and textures just begging to be artistically explored. Of course Lugenda remains a pretty luxurious African experience. The ubiquitous local staff traipse across hot river sands to set up a lantern and starlit dinner for us at the riverside. Game drives are peppered with freshly roasted Macadamias and hot snacks. They may occasionally forget the morning coffee, but they do present an array of exotic teas and crisp freshly baked Condensed Milk biscuits that would even impress my grandmother.
+27 11 658 0633 / enquiries@raniresorts.com / www.lugenda.com
Being so isolated presents unique challenges in meeting client’s culinary needs, especially when the supply plane has failed to arrive on time. Just like the city, the Niassa Reserve is a jungle. But it is a jungle of challenges, surprises and soulfulness. A jungle of deep-rooted and natural peace. And on the banks of the Lugenda River, it’s a place of inspiration.
Directions To get to Lugenda, fly with a commercial airline to Pemba, from where you will enjoy a 90-minute flight over the bush and inzelbergs, to the lodge’s private landing strip. For service that is a benchmark in Africa, use CFA air charters. They even drove me around looking for a lost passport. +258 214 66881 cfa.pemba@gmail.com To book your own Lugenda breakaway contact
www.cfa.co.za
Rani resorts Central Reservations
Karin’s travel notes to Northern Mozambique Travel this part of Africa with a sarong. It multitasks as a towel for river swims, a modesty wrap, keeps off the cool evening breezes and can be used as a carry-all on rafting trips. Very few people outside the tourism hotspots speak English. Rudimentary Portuguese is useful.
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Take just about everything you need: insect repellent is essential for the mozzies and tsetse flies and sunblock a must. Preferably travel with your own mini first aid kit, too. Mozambican
hospitals are kind and friendly, but hopelessly underequipped. Support the SGDRN (Niassa Reserve) where you can. They are doing great conservation work under very challenging conditions. Karin Petersen +27 82 375 4083 communicationcog@gmail.com rm
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66 Square Feet in July Text Marie Viljoen Production Catherine Moore Images Marie Viljoen & Vincent Mounier
66 Square Feet
News from New York
How long have you been living in New York? 12 years. Roof Farm
Marie Viljoen’s inspiring blog “66 Square Feet” featured amongst the top ten nominated in the category “The Best Overseas South African Blog” - Blogs written by a South African in any foreign country - in the SA Blog Awards. Her work is regularly published in local and international magazines. Ray investigates and discovers more about this remarkable lady and her life in New York… Who are you?
I live in Cobble Hill, a neighbourhood in Brooklyn, and a 10-minute subway ride from Manhattan. Treeshaded streets and historic brownstones characterize it.
It’s about gardening in tight spaces. 66 Square Feet is named for the size of my tiny terrace, and is about gardening on my terrace and roof ‘farm’, cooking, and green spaces in New York and South Africa. It’s about how to live with a man and a cat in a tiny apartment with a tiny terrace. 10 sue
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Where do you live?
Please tell us a bit more about your amazing blog? What is 66 Square Feet about?
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I am a writer, photographer and garden designer.
It’s about photos, and friends, and inspiration and blackspot on the roses. It’s about food and cooking over an open flame. It’s about wine. And water. And watering... And picnics. It’s about seasons without and within. It’s about New York, and about South Africa. It’s about where I go, and what I come back to: a terrace twelve-and-three-quarters by five-and-a-quarter feet wide. My recipes are all at its sister blog, 66 Square Feet (the Food). What do you miss the most about South Africa? The landscape, the light, the stars, the biltong. Camping in the Karoo. Spring on the West Coast. My mother’s garden, my parents. The pristine beaches and Woolworths!
Estorbo enjoying the view
Watermelon
Central Park in May
com) and I have a drink together and then if the weather is nice eat supper outside on the terrace, with our cat Estorbo. After supper I usually edit my pictures and write a post for the next day. What do you do for a living? For eleven years I designed rooftop gardens in New York, but now I am spending more time on writing and photography, something I have always wanted to do. Amongst other freelance work I write a foraging column for Edible Manhattan, and I write about gardens. I still design gardens… Describe a normal day in your life at the moment. I work at home for the most part so am glued to my laptop. I am not a morning person. After my toasted baguette with butter and jam, and a cup of stovetop espresso with hot milk in the morning I become human. If I am working on a story I might cook and style something for an impromptu shoot at home or on the terrace, or go out in search of pictures. On days when I am gardening professionally I pack up my toolbag and head out to the subway to take me where I need to go. In the evenings my husband, Vincent Mounier, (www.vincentmounier.
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Name 5 things that you love about your lifestyle in New York. I love walking from our building straight into life on the street. I love the food shops within a fifteen minute walk from home: butchers, bakers, excellent cheese and charcuterie, Middle Eastern produce, and an outdoor farmer’s market three times a week. I love public transport. The cross section of supermulticultural New York rides shoulder to shoulder. We don’t have a car. I love the nature in the city. People don’t think of New York as a green place, but its seasons and parks are drop dead gorgeous. I love living in a city filled with incredibly talented and driven people. It seems as though everyone has published a book, made a movie or designed a building; the bar is set high. I was very shy when I arrived. I am now cured!
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Do you ever plan on living in South Africa again? We would like to live in South Africa, though we are concerned about security. And the Protection of Information Bill is deeply disturbing.
Central Park in May Shopping in Chinatown
Name 5 great places to visit in New York. Any street or park in New York in the spring or autumn, especially the Highline, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Battery Park Bosque, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Central Park. Union Square Farmer’s Market. The bar at Balthazar, SoHo. Order a drink and stay for fresh shellfish. Prune, East Village - for their burger. The East River Ferry – for $4, ride up the East River with beautiful views. Central Park in May Marie at Madiba Restaurant
like stories. April and May, September and October. Summer is torrid. Your favourites Food Al di La restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Drink Prosecco on the terrace. Destination The roof, to garden and look at New York Harbour. Song Take the A Train. Film Moonstruck.
Central Prospect Park ParkininMay November
If you are not working, what do you do for fun? I cook and I garden. Work and fun are the same thing. We visit a lot of the parks in New York, we picnic often, and I hunt mushrooms. New York is a wild place. Would you recommend New York as a holiday destination for South Africans? Absolutely. New York at Christmas time is magical, 10 sue
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Marie on Fire Island
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon bicarb (baking soda) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 a teaspoon ground allspice 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 70 gr chopped pecans Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Heat raisins/currants and water in a saucepan to boiling point. Remove from heat and stir in the oil. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in the sugar and the egg (if it is still too hot the egg will scramble). Sift dry ingredients (I never do, lazy) into a bowl and pour in wet ingredients. Stir. Stir in the nuts. Now, “Pour into a greased Swiss roll tin,” says my mother’s recipe. This is sweet. I don’t know if people would know them as Swiss roll tins anymore. Except perhaps in the Midwest, or Martha-world? We knew them, because we were fed freshly-made Swiss rolls stuffed with apricot jam and sugary on the outside, then, for special dessert. Those were in the days of sit-down lunches.
Culture: Local, organic food culture. Fragrance: The linden trees in June. Excerpt from her sister blog - 66 Square Feet (the Food). “These cookies were my favourites when I was a little girl in Bloemfontein, when two big glass cookie jars stood near the back door in the kitchen, every now and then going ke-chink, as a lid was lifted and replaced, very quietly and sneakily, triggering my mother to yell from the other end of the house, down the passage, “Neeeeeeeeeeeeeeil!!!” as our swift-footed, chubby young neighbour made off with his haul...The back door was always open. And Neil always came back. Can’t blame him.
Father in suit, home from chambers, children in school uniforms, home from school. Doris Day singing in the kitchen. Milk to drink, from a jug on the table. MILK!!! Central Old fashioned Park inraisin May squares
You need: 160 gr raisins (or currants) 1 cup water 1/2 a cup sunflower oil 200 gr sugar 1 lightly beaten egg 220 gr cake flour M
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Back to the cookies. Now, a rectangular cookie tin with sides about half an inch high will do, greased. Bake for 12-16 minutes until a skewer comes out clean, or a finger pressed leaves no dent (that’s my instruction. Scientific, hey?). When cool, ice with water icing (powdered sugar and water) made with lemon juice instead of water. This is key. It is delicious. After the icing has set, slice into squares in pan, I don’t know why I turned mine out to cool. They are
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easy to lift out square by square. Try not to eat them all at once. They are good for everything. Stress, sadness, an excess of anything. And brilliant for breakfast with a cup of strong coffee.� Visit www.66squarefeet.blogspot.com and www.66squarefeetfood.blogspot.com
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Brooklyn Bridge
My book: Edible Brooklyn
Our figs
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Raisin Square
Text Neil Cooper Images Che Kershaw
ONE ON ONE
WITH CHE KERSHAW News from South Korea
This month Ray chats to
one of the hippest bloggers in South Africa. Che Kershaw has a Bachelor of Journalism – specialising in Graphic Design and is the creator of the fabulous blog indieBerries. She has an immense appreciation for stationery, good fonts, dark chocolate and all things paper. She usually blows up things in the kitchen so she eats cereal all day. Mostly smiling, always creating and extremely funny on the odd occasion. This girl is going places – here is what she has to say. Who are you? My name is Che (pronounced “shay”). Usually the first question people ask me is “Is that it? Just Che?” My response is always, “Yes, that’s it. Just Che” short and sweet. I like my name.
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I’m proudly South African and I have a Bachelor of Journalism and Media Studies Degree, specialising in Graphic and Communication Design. I’ve been teaching English in South Korea for three and a half years and have recently returned to South Africa.
Where did you stay in South Korea? I lived and worked at the Gyeonggi English Village, South Korea. The Gyeonggi English Village is a kind of theme park for learning English. The village is about 40 minutes north of Seoul in a small country town called Paju. I taught English at the Village. It is basically like a theme park where English and Korean kids come for the day to practise their English in a “western village” type environment. The whole park is created to look like a western village and includes a fake bank, post office, police station and clinic. Kids come and do role-play type classes with the teachers in these different environments. Other classes that we offered include t-shirt painting, teddy-bear making, Lego workshops, storytelling and family cooking classes. We had a company of edutainers (educator + entertainer) who perform English musicals and game shows. It’s a very unique approach to learning and it’s really a lot more “fun” than teaching which is great.
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Why “indieBerries”? I’ve always been fond of strawberries. One of my favourite things to do when we go on a family holiday to Cape Town is to stop off at the Mooiberg Strawberry farm where you can buy an empty tray and go into the strawberry fields and pick your own strawberries - Delicious! Not only are strawberries the perfect mix of complimentary colours, they are fruity, fresh, aesthetically wonderful and just plain delicious. I wanted to create a blog that is individual, fresh, fun, fruity, juicily inspirational and designedly delicious. “indieBerries” is the perfect combination of all things lovely. I hope you enjoy the feast... Congratulations! You are also a South African Blog Award Winner for Best Blog Design and Best Personal Blog. Describe your feelings upon hearing this exciting news. It was really amazing for indieBerries to be awarded two awards at the South African blog awards. The Blog awards organisers contacted me a few weeks before the awards and let me know that indieBerries
It was a huge decision since it’s such a long flight and I didn’t have a lot of time to take off. The next day, I flew to South Africa. It was all very dramatic. Ha-ha. I’m glad I flew out for the awards. Did you design your blog on your own? Yes, everything on my blog is designed by me. I studied graphic design at Rhodes University so I love playing around with images and fonts. But adapting that to a blogging platform is a continuously learning process and it’s been a lot of testing different things out to get it the way I want it. I’d like to revamp the look and feel of it soon – so I’m just waiting for a free moment to play around with it again. What did you miss the most about South Africa? My family and friends. Also NikNaks, Bovril and Steers burgers. Describe a normal day in your life when you were in South Korea. 7:30 Wake up and do a work out. 8:30 Shower, get ready and eat a lot of cereal. 9:00 Clock into work. 10:00 Work on lesson development and planning for new class ideas. 10:30 Teach two classes. Since this is an ESL (English Second Language) environment and due
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indieBerries is my personal blog where I post about things that I find interesting, awesome, quirky or funny. I do a few DIY posts and I draw cartoons to illustrate my life - which are usually a great hit. People love to laugh and I think indieBerries gives a good chuckle to its readers.
had a good chance of winning one of the categories and they were wondering if I was going to fly out from South Korea to attend the blog awards.
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Please tell us a bit more about your amazing blog? What is it all about?
to the type of learning environment that we are in. These classes could be anything from pretending to be a Police Officer to dancing around like a Dinosaur. 12:15 Lunch. We often eat at the cafeteria, which is a true Korean experience. They always serve rice and Kimchi which is a traditional Korean food – made from fermented cabbage. 13:30 Teach four more classes and work on more lesson development. 18:00 Clock out. 19:00 If I’m feeling energetic will go for a run then eat more cereal. 20:00 Usually I spend this time working on blog posts and creeping all over the internet - there are so many great blogs and sites out there that I often get myself into a bit of a “click-frenzy”.
The Travelling Being a teacher in Korea has given me an amazing opportunity to travel. I have visited Thailand twice, Sri Lanka, China, Bali, Turkey, Greece and the Philippines. It has been an absolutely incredible experience being able to visit all these amazing places. The International Friends Being a teacher abroad, I have made so many new and wonderful international friends. It has been a very enriching experience to really get to know people from other cultures and countries and we often end up talking about our differences and our shared commonalities. I’m so grateful for the amazing people that I have met whilst being in South Korea.
If I’m not on the internet then I’m probably doing some kind of crafty thing with papers and other beautiful stationery. 00:00 Think about going to bed. 01:00 More creeping around the internet. Tell myself I should really go to bed. 02:30 Actually go to bed. Wake up and repeat. Name 5 things that you loved about your lifestyle in South Korea. The Fashion
Name 5 great places to visit in South Korea.
Korean fashion is so unique and free. Shopping there is so cheap and the stuff you can buy is completely different from anything I’ve seen in South Africa.
Seoraksan National Park is really beautiful and close to Sokcho beach – so it makes a great mini getaway.
The Food
Hongdae is a small area of Seoul right next to Hongik University. It is packed with awesome cafes, chilled out wine bars, delicious restaurants, amazing vintage stores and fabulous market shopping. (I was there almost every weekend!)
Korean food is delicious and generally very healthy. It took me a while to really get into Kimchi (the fermented cabbage side dish), but now I’m hooked! (AND it’s been labelled as one of the five healthiest foods from around the world on health.com. BONUS!) My family came to visit me a while ago and they completely loved the food too! The Stationery I LOVE pretty papers, notebooks, journals, calendars, cards, pens, pencils and books and Korea has it ALL – in a huge, great abundance. I am hoping to start importing some stationery back to South Africa and am currently setting up a website at indieBerries.com M
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Kyobo This place is like my dream! It is a huge store crammed full of books and stationery. I would spend hours just browsing around Kyobo! There are stores located all over Seoul. Gyeongbokgung is a really cool place for anyone new to Korea to visit. It is the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty and you can catch the changing of the guards throughout the day. It is also near to Insadong, which is another really great place to see with traditional tea-houses, old calligraphy and paper stores and old ceramic stores.
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Daecheon Beach This is where the infamous Boryeong MudFest takes place. Basically people from all over Korea gather at Daecheon around July and go crazy in the mud. It’s great fun if you go with a big bunch of friends.
Destination
I love playing with paper and crafty things and I also enjoy “playing” in Photoshop. I stay out of the kitchen generally. I catch things on fire a lot.
Song
This is a tough one! I love travelling and there are so many amazing destinations around the world. I love Thailand and have been there three times so far. Sri Lanka is really amazing too and has so many beautiful untouched beaches. LOVE TO TRAVEL... If you were not working, what did you do for fun? My lovely List of travels so far: South Africa; Australia; England; Italy; Switzerland; France; I spend a lot of my free time on the Internet being Austria; Lesotho; South Korea; Singapore; Dubai; inspired by beautiful blogs and tutorials. Otherwise The United States; Indonesia; Greece; Turkey; I loved browsing around big stationery and book China; Philippines; Cambodia; Vietnam; Laos. stores or hanging out in cafes in Seoul with friends.
Would you recommend South Korea as a holiday destination for South Africans? If you’re looking for gorgeous beaches then I’d say that you’re better off staying in South Africa... But, if you are looking for the unbelievably awesome experience of immersing yourself in a culture that is completely different from your own then Korea would be a WIN. It has most unique boutique stores, food, customs, interesting and quirky places and the people are wonderful. Your favourites Food Korean Food: “Chumchee jiggae” – it is a type of spicy tuna soup that is eaten with rice. Cereal is my other staple food. Since I can’t cook and cereal is basically the only food that I haven’t exploded/ blown-up/melted/caught on fire. Yes, it’s that bad. I love my dad’s roasted vegetables. Yum.
I listen to a lot of good music so it’s difficult to pick only one song. Right now I really love Bronze Radio Return. They are really chilled out and awesome. Film I love movies with an epic twist or that make you think. I enjoyed Shutter Island and Oceans 11, but for aesthetics I would say Amelie, The Darjeeling limited and Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Fragrance I like Valentino and Lacoste Pink. Recently I’ve bought Dior Addict.
Visit www.indieberries.blogspot.com or follow Che on twitter @cheKershaw info@indieberries.com rm Hanbok Festival
Drink I love red wine (also good with dark chocolate). Delicious.
Keran Jim
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Impressions of China
Text Rory Alexander & Nathan Dube Images Rory Alexander
R ory Alexander News from China
This award nominee blogger offers Ray insight into his time spend in China. After China he also went to New Zealand and is currently in Dubai.
“It is hard to sum up the last two years in a single post but with any luck you will have been following my adventure via this blog so all that is left for me to do is to give you my impression of China. Writing this several weeks after leaving China I am able to look back on my time there with some perspective. There are several people I’ve met that have asked me, “how was China?” And my response has been this, “It was interesting but frightening at the same time.” M
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about their culture before arriving there. Now I have not only learnt, but I have experienced so much of it first hand and I found so many aspects of it different and therefore fascinating. I am not fluent in Mandarin; it is a much more difficult language than I anticipated learning. Having said that I am in part to blame as I got lazy, once I had learnt enough Chinese to get by, to order food, buy train tickets and bargain in the markets, my enthusiasm to learn any more waned. Also, in the current global economic climate, China seems to be the only country growing and growing at a staggering rate. Without figures or statistics, just from what I saw on the ground there was no slowing down. There is construction everywhere, new subway systems, high-speed rail lines and housing for the continuing urbanisation.
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When the Chinese decide to do something they do it and buildings would literally go up before your eyes. The public transport, which we relied on quite a lot, although crowded at times was convenient, reliable and safe – unlike the public transport back in South Africa. The cost of living is incredibly low; I could get breakfast for R2, lunch for R10 and dinner for R7. So for less than R20 (US$3) a day I could eat all my meals from restaurants, which was handy because I’m not a very good cook. There is also very little crime and almost no violent crime. No-one has guns, not even the cash-intransit security guards. There is some petty crime, like the time someone tried to hotwire my scooter unsuccessfully, but that was my only experience in two years. I never felt unsafe walking around town on my own, even at 2:00 am in the morning. I say frightening because the sheer scale of things in China is like nothing I’ve seen before. Admittedly I grew up in a relatively small country with a population of about 12 million people, then I found myself living in a city of nearly 8 million people with 1 million in my district alone and an urban population density of 3799 people per square kilometre which is over three times that of Cape Town. Hangzhou is approximately 180kms south of Shanghai but is connected by a highway with 4 lanes each way, lined with double-sided illuminated billboards on either side of the road for most of the way. (Very different to the 187km drive from Cape Town to Bredasdorp) Another thing that struck me about China was the staggering consumption. Looking down the streets, on the buses and up at apartment block after apartment block one can’t help but wonder at the sheer amount of resources that are consumed daily by that many people and where it all comes from not to mention the resultant waste and where it all goes.
I’m no expert but I can’t help but question whether the situation is sustainable. I think it will be very interesting to see where China is in 20 years time.” Who are you? My name is Rory Alexander. I was born and bred in Zimbabwe until my family immigrated to South Africa just after I had finished high school. After completing a Bachelors degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Cape Town and realising I needed something extra to be more employable I did a post graduate diploma in Marketing and Advertising at the Red & Yellow School. I worked in an advertising agency for three and a half years when, with the global economic crisis looming and the job market drying up, I decided to try something completely different. I did a 40 hour TEFL course and within a week had a job offer from China and started packing my bags. Part of this decision was to travel and experience another culture but at the same time I thought that if I could learn Mandarin it might set me apart in the job market in the future where China is undoubtedly going to be a large world player. While the language has proved to be much harder to learn than I anticipated it has still been an amazing experience and challenge living there, but at the same time I have learnt so many new things about the Chinese people and culture that I have no regrets about my decision to go to China. Where did you stay? I lived in Xiaoshan which is a district of Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province in China. If you don’t know where that is or if you are still having trouble finding it on a map, it’s about 180 kilometres south of Shanghai.
Please tell us a bit more about your amazing blog? What is it all about? I started my blog primarily as a way to share my experiences with family and friends without having to send out mass emails which I loathe. It was also an opportunity for me to explore the craze of blogging and see what all the hype was about; little did I know where it would lead. Despite facing several issues with popular blogging and media websites being blocked in China I found ways around it and learnt something new about blogging everyday. I have enjoyed linking up with other bloggers, adding widgets to the sidebar and embedding multimedia to make it more dynamic and appealing. Congratulations! You are also a South African Blog Award Nominee for Best Blog Overseas South African Blog. Describe your feelings upon hearing this exciting news.
from, but you can then customise this to suit your own taste. So I changed the background colour, used my own panorama image as the header as well as choosing the font and layout for the pages. What did you miss the most about South Africa while you were in China? The blue sky, seriously. The pollution is really terrible. It’s not that you feel like you are breathing dirty air but there is a constant dusty haze in the sky as you may have seen in my photos. What did you do for a living? I am an English Teacher. I started in a private language centre for my first year teaching all ages from six to sixty. I also taught at a government primary school, grades one to three where the kids are between the ages of 7 and 10 with the average class size of 40 students which was quite a challenge.
I heard about the awards before but never imagined that I would be a part of them. It was really exciting and it was a frantic couple of weeks as I tried to get every one I knew to vote for me and although I didn’t win, just to be a finalist was beyond my wildest dreams and the exposure that my blog got from those awards was fantastic with my site visits increasing three fold.
Name 5 things that you loved about the lifestyle in China.
Did you design your blog on your own?
The public transport, although crowded, is reliable and cheap with a bus trip across town costing between R2-4 and taxis are readily available for R3 per kilometre.
Not really. It’s hosted for free by Wordpress.com and they give you several design templates to choose
The cost of living is really low there. You can get breakfast from roadside stalls for as little as R1, lunch in canteens for R10 and some hand made noodles from a Muslim restaurant for dinner also under R10.
Catching a bamboo raft down the Li River from Guillin to Yangshuo
The lack of crime. While there is some petty crime there is almost no violent crime and I haven’t felt unsafe once since being there, even walking alone late at night.
outside of the major cities most toilets are squat toilets and toilet paper is rare in many public restrooms.
The parks in the city are a hive of activity. In the early mornings there are groups of elderly ladies doing Tai Chi. During the day you will see groups of children having roller skating lessons.
Your favourites
While at night music systems get plugged in and whole groups of adults dancing, some to Waltzes in couples and others line dancing to 80’s disco – it was quite a sight.
So if you are adventurous I’d say go for it otherwise you may have more of a holiday somewhere else.
Food Sushi Drink Coke Destination New Zealand
As a foreigner you feel like a celebrity, I even had my picture in the local paper on two separate occasions. You get treated often whether it’s getting taken out for meals, having drinks bought for you in bars or being invited to dinners just so the host can show off that they have a foreign friend.
Fragrance Hugo Man by Hugo Boss
Beijing has rich history and lots of the must-see sites of China.
Twitter: Rory_Alexander
“Right now you’re probably wondering “what next?”
Well as far as teaching goes, I’ve had an amazing time and have learnt a lot over the last two years but Just walking around or in the supermarket people I don’t think teaching is what I want to do for the will come up and ask to have a photo taken with you. rest of my life. However this can be a bit of a double edge sword as some days you just want to go about your business As far as blogging goes, I’ve come to really enjoy and not be bothered, but you have to remind yourself writing up my experiences and using the medium that even in the bigger cities some of these people of blogging to share them with friends, family and have never seen foreigners before. the world. So I am definitely going to continue blogging.” Name 5 great places to visit in China. Visit www.roryinchina.wordpress.com and Shanghai is an amazing city with a great energy about it. www.roryinnewzealand.wordpress.com
Yangshuo famous for its Karst limestone peaks. Nanjing where there is an incredible museum about the 1937 massacre.
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Sunset on New Years Eve in Shanghai
Guilin is home to many spectacular limestone caves. Although most of them have tawdry multicoloured lighting they are still pretty impressive. Would you recommend China as a holiday destination for South Africans? This is a tough one to answer. History, temples and pagodas aren’t my thing but I know some people love them and there is a lot of that there.
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It is a relatively cheap place to visit, but you have to be street wise as there are quite a few scams that target unsuspecting tourists. Personal hygiene is also not the greatest in China, people spit everywhere,
Chinese Whispers
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Having said that I don’t think China is very tourist friendly because of the language barrier and the touristy places are always packed with thousands of people with the dreaded tour groups following some person with a flag on a stick.
Gardening Most people find a garden a relaxing place, but for the gardener the pleasure is immeasurably increased. Firstly, there is the fun of deciding on a design, then the satisfaction of preparing the ground and planting, followed by a sense of achievement from the careful maintenance that keeps plants looking their best. Basic gardening is not only fulfilling and great fun, but is so easy to achieve that nobody is excluded. Everyone can garden at their own pace and in their own way, investing as much time and money as their particular circumstances will allow. “All gardening is landscape painting.� William Kent 10 sue
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Text Lindsay Gray Images Kim Thunder
House Lenahan The Gardens of Jan Blok The leafy suburb of Parkview, over a hundred years old, is an integral part of
commissioned him to install a water feature at her front entrance.
Johannesburg’s early history. The suburb nestles in the midst of a green belt, bordering on the suburbs of Saxonwold and Forest Town that once were covered with dense plantations of exotic trees.
The home was built in 1907. The owner constructed a row of stables behind the house and was, according to reports, fond of hitching up his horse and buggy and enjoying the sights of the still semi-rural area.
Parkview’s own gem is the beautiful, well-wooded Zoo Lake that the public frequents to stroll and relax with friends and family.
The client’s offices are now housed in what was the original stable block. The upper storeys of the house and office are linked by a recently constructed walkway and verandah that has proved to be a delightful entertainment area.
The tree-lined avenues of Parkview are graced with elegant homes built in the early 1900’s. It is not uncommon to find second and third-generation families still living here.
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Jan’s client, the owner of a successful television production company, has her offices at her Parkview home.
Client brief: To provide an attractive outlook from the elevated entertainment area, without sacrificing the historically-significant tree.
She made Jan’s acquaintance when she first
The long, narrow space, embraced by the home
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Many of these character homes have undergone renovations to accommodate a more relevant lifestyle, without compromising their charm.
However, the garden below was damp and unattractive because of a the heavy shade of a towering horse-chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum, that is probably as old as the house itself. Jan Blok was commissioned to redesign this area.
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and office, was re-worked into two terraces linked by a generous set of stairs. A long reflective pool punctuates the upper terrace, with a contemporary, slatted black granite fountain as its centrepiece. Reflected light off the water lightens the area, and has introduced a new energy into this space.
in the pebbles visually softens the surface. The stately tree, whose shade caused the initial problem, is finally acknowledged with a raised ‘love bench’ that encompasses its majestic trunk. The planter behind the bench makes use of the original soil level around the base. Three galvanized spheres designed by Jan continue the contemporary theme, adding a sculptural dimension. The fragrant Trachelospermum jasminoides slowly threads itself through the frames, rendering them a work-in-progress. The frames are softly lit at night, which, the client says, adds a truly magical touch especially when viewed from upstairs in the home.
The beautiful screens feature Victorian detail of an outer frame of square apertures with diamond-shapes in the centre inlay.
The client added her own touch to the water feature by introducing three unusual carved wooden fish that she purchased in neighbouring Swaziland. Jan is happy for his clients to add their personal touch to the design.
Sandstone tiles edge the water feature and the stairs to the lower terrace. A solid row of tiles leads to the pool along the axis set by the imposing tree on the lower terrace. For the rest, Jan chose one of his favourite floor surfaces – generous squares of multicoloured pressed pebble inlay. The colour variation
Jan commissioned a comfortable and modern clear Perspex bench for her that he positioned between the hanging baskets.
Elements of wood and stone-cladding beneath the verandah link back to the original materials used in the home. A repeat of the red screens also establishes a visual link to those on the opposite end of the reflective pool.
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Volcanic red lattice screens create a dramatic backdrop for the classic water feature, at the same time appealing to the client’s love of vibrant colour.
The client enjoys nothing more than to sit beside the water feature and read.
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The slender water feature lies on a dominant axis that runs through the space, culminating in the dramatic volcanic red wooden screens. Guests have an elevated view of this tranquil yet dynamic setting where everchanging reflections leave one spellbound.
A simple palette of plants dresses this exquisite space. Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) infuses the night air with its subtle perfume; the small-leafed ivy, Hedera helix ‘Little Diamond’, fills the hanging baskets; miniature white Agapanthus praecox surrounds the stylish bench, while Liriope muscari ‘Evergreen Giant’ tucks into the planter around the base of the grand old horse-chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum.
Sturdy galvanized wall brackets support hanging baskets filled with variegated ivy, Hedera helix ‘Little Diamond’.
The client loves the energy that Jan has infused into a once-neglected space. She feels she can confidently interpret all the elements of the design and the sympathetic way in which they link back to the grand old home.
Three galvanised bowed steel spheres add a touch of frivolity to an otherwise tranquil area. The gentle climber allows the spheres to ‘breathe’.
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jan@janblok.co.za; +27 82 455 4451 Visit www.janblok.co.za
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Culinary Delights How and what we eat lies at the heart of who we are. Food plays an integral part in our daily life. We think about food, when to eat, what to eat and who to share a meal with. It’s also an integral part of how we celebrate special occasions. But it goes further than preparing a beautiful meal... From a health perspective, it’s clear that cooking your own food gives you ultimate control over what you put into your body, and you can make adjustments according to your own taste and nutritional needs. “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own 10 sue
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Your
easycookingBlog... from Nina’s kitchen
Text & Production Adele Minnaar Images Nina Timm / Shutterstock.com / googleimages.com
Ray would love to introduce our readers to a foodie-extraordinaire of note. Nina
Timm from www.my-easy-cooking.com is famous for making women’s lives all over the world’s so much easier. Imagine you are coming home from work at 17h30 and you are able to provide a healthy and wholesome meal for your family at 18h00. With Nina’s help this is all possibly. How can this lady accomplish such a feat? By sharing her vast knowledge of food with her readers through her award winning blog. In her own words here is a recollection of her success story. “I started my career as a speech correctionist, and for many years taught children with learning as well as physical disabilities. Although my initial career choice had nothing to do with food, this passion for food and cooking had been instilled in me from a very young age.
less does not get published on her site. (only one in 2 years!) As part of the ‘PR campaign” surrounding her talent, she started blogging on Food24, Facebooking and Twitting and above all expectations she has in less than a year become their #1 ranked blogger. She has been a featured publisher on Foodbuzz and has been referred in the Woolworths Taste magazine as Site with Best Food Photography. She has been an ambassador for Kleine Zalze Wines and a finalist in The Fairview cheese Bloggers Competition. Nina tries not to get involved with competitions. “I believe that there are many that are specialists at specific dishes or genres. I prefer to aim for high quality consistency and images, constantly pushing my abilities and my readers taste buds.”
My Mom and Gran are excellent cooks in their own right and the social aspect of food has always played a large role in our home. After raising two wonderful children out of their toddler phases, my new career path was ignited by an emergency birthday gift which has after about 3 versions become... www.my-easy-cooking.com. My husband suggested that I started a website to make my arsenal of food knowledge available to everybody. For a complete computer novice like me, that was quite a challenge, but through trial and error I have managed to put a few websites together that I can be proud of. My Easy Cooking is a phenomenon in the South African blogging and amateur food photography.” Genetically predisposed to cook and entertain with wholesome enthusiasm, she has over a few years built up a cult following of folks from all over the world who are continually amazed by the variety of recipes, ideas and tips she disseminates with gay abandon. M
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A wife and mother of 2 she has every meal scored with or without her asking and anything scoring 7 or
Even though this is Nina’s outlook, this has not stopped her from being nominated for the food blog of the year twice. She was a guest speaker at the first SAFB Conference and was privileged to be a special guest at the Eat In as well as the Eat Out Awards. She has had the privilege of ending off the Year by being invited to test Reuben Riffle’s new menu at the One & Only in the V&A in Cape Town. Nina is a South African cook at heart, but more often than not she will fuse her dishes with a Mediterranean flavour or go all out international where she introduces readers to things they barely are able to spell let alone believe they could make it.
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Proof of her Cape Town roots is her most read post for Breyani which had in excess of 27 000 hits over 48 hours. Ray asked Nina to provide our readers with easy to accomplish meal solutions for an entire week… Congratulations! Your blog has won numerous awards. Describe your feelings when you heard the exciting news for the first time. I have never been one for chasing awards. The fact that someone out there thinks highly of my work, flatters me, but I get as much satisfaction from a frantic phone call, just before dinner that says: “Nina, help, I burnt the meat, what now?”
Wisely, I do believe in buying organic and freerange products, but the average household that my website is aimed at, has a budget, so I must always be mindful of that. I hunt around for the best producers of lamb and chicken and build up a relationship with them. Fresh vegetables I buy from the market and herbs I grow in my garden! You rate each dish that you prepare before submitting it on your block. Please tell us more about this rating process.
What’s your family’s regular comfort meal?
My husband and children are the judges every night. It started off as a joke after watching Masterchef, but now it helps me to “keep it real”. I have one rule at the table: No one may say “Yuck”.
Without a doubt, mutton curry. I buy my lamb from a farmer near Bredasdorp and when the meat arrives at my house, I have to pack it in bags to pop in the freezer. There are always bits and bobs (I call it los vleisies) that do not fit with other meat cuts.
The food was prepared with respect and should be treated like that. They may tell me why they do not like things; it is too salty, too spicy etc. My children have build up a wonderful taste palate because of this!
Pieces of the neck, the rib and even some shanks. These bits and bobs make the most amazing lamb curry. So whenever my children or husband see the meat arrive, they know, mutton curry is on the menu!
When you’re designing a complete meal, what factors do you take into account? How do you achieve harmony/balance?
You’re stranded on a desert island. What five foods would you want with you? What would you make? Olive oil, lemon, butter, sugar and vanilla. I would cook the fish fresh from the sea, flavoured with the lemon and olive oil. Serve it with wild herbs, sprinkled with vinaigrette of olive oil and lemon.
For a three-course meal it is important that not every course be rich and filling. I like to have a theme, for instance a typical Italian meal will consist of bruschettas with meatless toppings such as grilled aubergines, grilled tomatoes etc. The main course could be comforting lamb shanks served on creamy polenta and Parmesan and for dessert, I will serve simple grilled plums with vanilla ice cream and chopped pistachios.
For dessert, I will caramelise the fresh fruit available (pineapples or paw-paws) with vanilla sugar! What are your 5 most essential tools in your kitchen at the moment? A proper set of sharp knifes - blunt knifes are one of my pet hates. My custom-made butchers block. My Phillips Air-fryer. A big solid pan that can go in the oven and Griddle pan. What are the 5 most essential ingredients in your kitchen at the moment? Lemons - I love them. Different kinds of salt - Shiraz salt, lava salt, sea salt, herb salt. Ginger/garlic and fresh herbs. Masala dabba - an Indian tin filled with all the essential spices. 90% of what a chef does is buying the best possible ingredients. How do you choose your suppliers? 10 sue
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Melanzane Parmigiano
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Monday
Ingredients For the tomato sauce 2 tins of Pomodore Tomatoes 2 sachets of tomato paste 1 large onion, finely chopped 2-3 cloves crushed garlic olive oil 125ml white wine a little water if needed a big handful of fresh basil salt / pepper about 1-2 tsp sugar Heat a skillet and add the oil, onion and garlic and sauté until onion and garlic are soft and translucent. Take care not to burn the garlic otherwise it will leave a bitter taste in the sauce. When onion is cooked, add all the basil as well as all the other ingredients. Let the sauce simmer and reduce down to a thick concentrated sauce.... almost chunky like chutney. Remove the basil after cooking if it bothers you. I leave it in, because we do not mind it.... For the egg plant 1 small eggplant per person or 2 very big eggplants Olive oil Salt / pepper Dry oregano
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese Preheat oven to 180°C. Slice the eggplant thinly in discs and brush on both sides with olive oil. Season with salt / pepper and oregano. Place on a baking sheet and bake until soft and slightly browned. Now place one piece of eggplant in an individual oven proof dish and top with some of the tomato sauce, a little parmesan and some mozzarella and repeat the layers until you have about 3-4 slices on top of each other. Top with Mozzarella. Repeat with the other portions and bake the Eggplant Parmesan in the oven for about 10-15 minutes and eat immediately with lots of bread to not let any of the delicious juices go to waste. If you prefer you can make one big dish instead, just layer the ingredients in a big ovenproof dish. Interview Continued..
On your blog, who would be your “ideal diner?” The average South African family. It gives me endless pleasure to empower a working mom, who gets home at 17h30 and must eat by 18h00 in between doing homework, doing washing etc, to cook an affordable hearty meal for her family. What’s is your favourite newly discovered ingredient? Smoked Paprika. It is amazing how even as little as ½ a tsp can make a world of difference to your food. Are you curious of other cuisines (Chinese? Italian? Etc.). Yes indeed, I love Thai, Indian, Greek, French Provençal. 10 sue
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Melanzane Parmigiano / Parmesan Stacks (serves 4)
About 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
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After the indulgence of the weekend, we normally try to avoid meat on a Monday, but it does not mean your meal have to be boring at all!
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Greek Tomato Tarts
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Tuesday Tomatoes are not only the most versatile of all the vegetables, but it is the most rewarding thing to plant in your garden. A few plants will yield plenty of plumb juicy tomatoes.
Greek Tomato Tarts with Kefalotiri and fresh Rocket Ingredients - 4 medium sized tarts. 400gr cocktail tomatoes - if you use different colours, it is even prettier salt / pepper a few glugs of olive oil fresh mint and thyme - chopped a splash or two of good balsamic vinegar 1 roll of puff pastry, egg wash Pre-heat the oven to 200째C. Cut out 4 rounds from your puff pastry and then pinch the edges together between your thumb and forefinger to make an edge. Use your imagination to make a pattern! Now halve or quarter your tomatoes and mix with all the other ingredients except the egg wash. Place spoonfuls of the mixture on the pastry cases and brush the pastry with the egg wash. Bake until the pastry is cooked and golden brown. Serve with a simple salad of fresh rocket and a light vinaigrette and Kefalotiri cheese! If you cannot find Kefalotiri Cheese, Feta will be ok to use!
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Citrussy Chicken Curry
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Wednesday By Wednesday you should have a serious craving for warm and comforting food and in my house this means some kind of curry. Citrussy Chicken Curry (serves 4) Ingredients 1 free-range chicken - cut up into portions 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 large onion - chopped 1 clove garlic - crushed 1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger - grated 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp dry ginger 1 tsp turmeric 2 heaped tsp curry powder 1 liter chicken stock 1 tin or cherry tomatoes 100gr candied citrus peel - I used Moirs about 1 tbsp flour salt/pepper if needed sultanas optional fresh Coriander for serving Heat some oil in a cast iron pot and sautĂŠ the onion, garlic and ginger. Add all the dry spices and stir for a minute or so. Add the chicken and brown the pieces slightly in the curry onion mix. Add the stock, place the lid back on the pot and allow to slowly cook for about 40 min. Add the citrus peel and tomatoes and just allow to heat through. If needed, you can thicken the sauce slightly with the flour that you mix with a little water and then add to the curry mixture. Allow to come to boil and thicken. Serve with fresh coriander on a bed of fluffy rice.
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Beef Tacos Thursday If you have children in your house, especially teenagers, spoiling them with “junk food” scores you major brownie points. Tex Mex is always a popular choice! Beef Tacos (enough for about 1012 taco shells) Ingredients 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 onions finely chopped 4 cloves garlic - finely chopped 1 tsp chili flakes 1 Tbsp ground coriander 1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 kg lean beef mince 1 red pepper, chopped 2 cans chopped tomatoes 1/4 cup tomato ketchup 1/4 cup tomato paste 1 cup water 25gr dark (70%) chocolate 2 cans red kidney beans salt and pepper to taste. Heat oil in pan. Sauté the onions until soft, add garlic and fry for 1 minute. Add chili, coriander, and cumin and stir well. Toss in the meat and brown. Stir in red pepper, chopped tomatoes, tomato ketchup, paste, water and chocolate and mix well. Simmer
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Friday for 45 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Add kidney beans and season well. Transfer to serving dish.
Who wants to cook for hours on a Friday night? These easy fish cakes are a breeze to make, but is full in flavour and nutrition!
Place the beef and small bowls on the table with guacamole, tomato salsa, grated cheese, coriander, shredded lettuce, chili and some sour cream and let the good times roll!
Fish Cakes
If you could not be bothered to make your own taco shells, buy them ready made, but I did feel a sense of accomplishment for trying. Tacos 2 cups cornmeal ½ tsp salt 260ml water Mix cornmeal, salt and water to form smooth dough. Separate in 12 pieces and form balls. One at a time put dough between two pieces of wax paper and flattens onto a disk using a rolling pin. Heat ungreased frying pan over medium-high heat for about two minutes. Bake tortillas, flipping constantly until dry and light brown specks appear.
Ingredients 1 425gr tin of pilchards in tomato 125ml oats 2 eggs 1 onion, finely chopped a big handful of chopped coriander, parsley or mint Mix the pilchards, oats, onion, coriander and eggs together and form small patties. Fry in shallow oil and drain when ready. Serve with a simple green salad and some oven-fries!
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Fish Cakes
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Lamb Chops with Rosemary
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Saturday Traditionally South Africans braai on a Saturday night. Lamb Chops with Rosemary, Garlic and Lemon Ingredients 8 lamb chops 3 cloves of garlic 1 lemon a few sprigs of rosemary salt/pepper olive oil Place the garlic in a pestle and mortar and bash until it becomes a paste.
Abigail Donnelly - Editor of the Eat Out Magazine. I dedicated a whole post to her, she is my foodie hero! Food + Passion = Abigail Donnelly. Her warm, humble and honest approach to food is admirable! Can your avid fans expect a cookbook from you in future? (We can’t wait!) Most definitely! What behind-the-scenes secret can you tell us about “My Easy Cooking”? Ha-ha, one member of my family gets the perfectly styled plate of food (the one that you see on the web). The others are not terrible, but this one is perfect. We take turns, who get that meal.
I love Cornflakes and cold milk. There, secret is out! Your logo is so original – For the chef in all of us – and speaks a thousand words… about your passion for people and cuisine and that you like to encourage every person to try their hand at cooking. Am I right? Please tell us if you feel that through your blog you have accomplished your goal / goals? I really do love inspiring other people. Normal people who say they can’t cook. I think we all can and I find great pleasure in teaching people easy do-able skills.
Close and leave in fridge for at least ½ hour, although overnight is best! Cook these chops on a griddle pan or the open fire. When you are ready to cook the chops, remove from the bag and scrape off the excess marinade. Heat your griddle pan until it is very hot and grill the chops to perfection. Grill the chops about 2 minutes or less per side, turning only once. Enjoy!
The feedback that I get through comments, phone calls and emails, is positive and reassuring, so I think I am on the right track! 10 sue
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Who in this industry’s work do you admire and why?
What is your biggest culinary guilty pleasure?
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Interview Continued...
You can add some coarse salt that will help the process somewhat. When it is a soft paste, add some olive oil and mix. Add some lemon juice and you are ready to go. Place the lamb chops in a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it.
Sunday Sundays are for families to get together around the table and celebrate life and love. What better way than to make an old fashioned lamb roast with all the trimmings. Sweet potato, roast potatoes, cauliflower with white sauce and of course dessert!
Leg of lamb Ingredients 1 Leg of lamb - mine was about 1.8kg - gland removed... ask your butcher 4 tsp salt 1 teaspoon whole coriander - dry roasted and crushed in a pestle and mortar pepper lemon infused olive oil rosemary 3 clove of garlic - peeled and cut into slithers Preheat oven to 200째C.
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Rub the meat with the olive oil and then rub in the spices and the salt. Make incisions with a sharp knife and insert some garlic and small sprigs of rosemary. Place the leg of lamb in a casserole dish with a lid and place in the oven for about 1 hour. (NO WATER!) After an hour turn the heat right down to 100째C and let the meat roast for another 2-3 hours. Just before serving, drizzle with some more olive oil and place in a HOT oven for about 10-15 minutes, just to brown slightly. Your meat will fall off the bone! rm
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ecosystem whose balance has been sufficiently tipped to jeopardize the existence of a number of key species. 85% of the world’s fish stocks are either overexploited or exploited to their maximum (2010 United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation report).
Images Sam Petersen, Jaco Barendse, Peter Chadwick
The state of our oceans Can we safe it?
Many nontarget fish or endangered species of albatrosses, sharks and turtles are accidentally caught as bycatch. Globally, it is estimated that approximately a quarter of what is caught is thrown
The Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI)
Placed at the interface between civil society, the private sector and government, the program has the unique ability to work across the seafood supply chain to address this challenge in the holistic manner required.
The ocean has always been viewed as a bottomless resource but the reality is that marine resources are finite.
Today, however, the ancient tradition of fishing has in many cases left in its wake dangerously depleted fish stocks and an
THE SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES PROGRAMME back, often dead, and wasted (2010 United Nation’s Food and Agricultural Organisation report). Marine ecosystems exist in a delicate balance – therefore harvesting a species can have implications for the function of the entire system.
The Sustainable Fisheries Programme (SFP) forms part of the WWF Sanlam Living Waters Partnership, a holistic approach to implementing meaningful marine conservation in South African. It contributes towards two of the Partnership’s targets for the marine sector, which are to:
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The ocean provides us with tremendous and often unseen economic, social and cultural benefits; it acts as a vast highway for commerce, it provides a place for recreation and, importantly, it supplies food or income for 2.6 billion people worldwide.
Although this problem may seem insurmountable, it is not and the WWF Sustainable Fisheries Programme is in a unique position to provide practical solutions.
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Text SASSI
Despite global efforts to address this challenge, our marine resources continue to dwindle, and it has become abundantly clear that different management strategies are necessary for the sustainable use of our marine resources.
Apply an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries in South Africa and reduce the impacts of destructive fishing practices to acceptable levels. Restore at least half the over-exploited fish stocks to sustainably managed levels, whilst maintaining or improving the state of other stocks. The Sustainable Fisheries Programme aims to meet these objectives through activities, which can largely be divided into a) how fish are caught and b) how fish are traded. The Responsible Fisheries Programme (RFP), which works directly with the fishing industry and resource management, addresses the former component whilst the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI), which focuses on retailers, restaurants, chefs and consumers, largely addresses the latter.
Figure 1: The seafood chain of custody Create awareness on marine conservation issues.
This is being achieved through: Facilitating multi-stakeholder Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) workshops to stimulate the implementation of an EAF.
These objectives are realised through a number of different avenues, which are all dependent on whether the target audience is comprised of restaurants, retailers and seafood suppliers, or the consumer.
The development of an EAF tracking tool to track an EAF, Participating on various government working groups, and Providing input into policy and legislation.
Restaurants, retailers and seafood suppliers
The Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI)
The main goal of SASSI’s Participation Scheme is to shift demand away from overexploited fish stocks towards more sustainable choices and to encourage voluntary compliance with the law amongst seafood traders.
SASSI has three main objectives: Promote voluntary compliance
with the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998 through education and awareness. Shift consumer demand away from over-exploited species to more sustainable options.
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SASSI’s work with participating seafood traders incorporates a comprehensive strategy to help these participants change their seafood procurement policies, improve their seafood labelling and implement training for their staff, whilst communicating their commitment to sustainability to
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Contact
both their staff and customers alike.
Janine Basson | Manager: Seafood Consumer Outreach
Consumers Up until now, very little information has been available to consumers about the harmful environmental impacts related to the seafood they enjoy.
WWF Sustainable Fisheries Programme +27 21 421 9167 +27 79 505 4059
To help consumers make informed seafood choices, SASSI has compiled a seafood guide to facilitate choices that are better for the environment.
086 723 4681 jbasson@wwf.org.za www.wwf.org.za/sassi rm
Please refer to this attached guide to make informed choices next time you buy fish or eat out at your favourite restaurant. The SASSI list informs consumers about the conservation status of recreational ‘no sale’ species, popular fish species through a or from severely overexploited ‘traffic-light’ system: stocks and unsustainable fisheries. This system thus allows consumers to consider their seafood choices from an ecological perspective. Together we can make a world of difference and save our oceans to still be enjoyed by the future generations…
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Green-listed species are the best choice, orange-listed species should be viewed with concern, either because of the sustainability of the species or because of impacts on the marine environment by the fishing method, and red species are either illegal specially protected and
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R oberto De Carvalho
Text The PR Team Images Roberto’s
Signature R estaurant on Long Street
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Renowned
Executive Chef, Roberto De Carvalho, a member of the Chaîne des Rotisseurs as Maitre Grillardin and part of the South African Culinary Olympic Team, has opened his first 60 seater restaurant on the corner of Hout and Long Street, Cape Town, aptly called ‘Roberto’s Signature Restaurant’. Roberto, well known for his unique, Mediterranean and Portuguese cuisine with a healthy mix of eclectic South African touches is also famous for bringing Fynbos infused cuisine to the public and over the years he’s gained an impressive reputation
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on the local and international market while representing South Africa at numerous culinary events. Aside from the signature menu which offers many vegetarian options, a theatre menu has also been created for those on their way to the theatre upstairs. Comments Roberto De Carvalho, “I’ve always wanted to create a place where people could enjoy traditional cuisine whether it’s Portuguese, Spanish, Greek, Italian or African influenced. I hope this new restaurant will encourage people to kick back
and relax and truly enjoy a meal with friends and family without unnecessary formalities and in doing so bring back the culture of simply sharing a meal together. I also didn’t want the cuisine to be categorised but rather explain it as a celebration of global cuisine.” The historical building that is now home to Roberto’s Signature Restaurant was once the YMCA built in 1883 by Charles Freeman and to complement the history, yet welcome modern day décor and design, the layout has remained the same.
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Presented on a tranquil palette of whites, taupe, leather, suede, sand, driftwood and terracotta, embraced by white, flowing drapery, the bespoke décor at Roberto’s creates a calming refuge from today’s busy lifestyle – and exemplifies a casual, Mediterranean style and feel. Roberto’s is framed with tall hedges to offer privacy and create a typical sidewalk café or bistro atmosphere one would find on many of the avenidas in Lisbon, Madrid, Athens, Milan etc. This offers guests the opportunity to also dine alfresco and enjoy the energy of Long Street. Drinks in the lounge bar area are the perfect start to an evening. Relax in leather chairs while learning more about Roberto and his impressive career history with memorabilia showcased on the walls. Or take the time to view the impressive, custom built ‘parede do vinho’ (wall of wine) while looking through the menu and enjoying an aperitif. This vibrant area is the perfect introduction to the serenity of the main restaurant. Open for lunch and dinner, except Monday, Roberto’s can also facilitate boutique meetings during the day with one of Roberto’s signature menus to match any occasion.
Central MusselsPark in a divine in Maysauce
Opening hours: Monday – closed Tuesday – Sunday lunch from 11:30 – 14:00 Evening – 17:00 - close Contact 44 Long Street, Cape Town +27 21 – 424 1195 reservations@robertoDecarvalho.co.za info@robertoDecarvalho.co.za www.robertoDecarvalho.co.za Follow Roberto on Facebook or Twitter rm
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Text Nanita Chadha Images Timo Santala
Grand Chef Peter Tempelhoff The Greenhouse Effect Eat Out’s Restaurant of the Year
The Cellars-Hohenort’s award-winning gastronomic restaurant, The Greenhouse, expertly showcases Cape Town’s first Grand Chef Peter Tempelhoff’s acclaimed conceptual approach to cuisine. He is also a MasterChef Sa guest judge.
Here the tasting menu is inspired by the imagination, a place where anything is possible. The cuisine evolves and reinvents past classics resulting in dishes that surprise and leave a lasting impression. With emphasis placed on local produce and African flavours the tasting menu, paired with superb wines from the surrounding wine regions, will impress even the most seasoned diners. Limited seating, for just 45 people, ensures that each guest experiences the most intimate dining affair. 10 sue
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How did you get involved in this industry? I just loved cooking from my boyhood but never realised it could be a career option until my late 20’s. I spent most of my life travelling and working in different countries and studied economics at University before discovering my true passion for food. After training at the ‘Institute of Culinary Arts’ in Cape Town in 1996 I finished top of my class and was awarded a bursary to study at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. The rest as they say is history… Tell us about your culinary career so far. My first chef position was at Grande Roche Hotel, Relais & Châteaux, under the late Grand Chef, Frank Zlomke where I spent 2 influential years.
Ostrich Tartar
Two years followed in my first Michelin starred restaurant with long time mentor and friend Aaron Patterson of Hambleton Hall, after which it was back to London for a year at another one Michelin starred restaurant, Zafferano, owned by Giorgio Locatelli. In 2005 I accepted the position of Executive Chef at Automat in Mayfair, which gained instant applause as being one of the coolest places to eat in London, with some of the simplest yet finest food. Awards soon followed which included ‘Top Table in London in 2005’ and was nominated for ‘Restaurant of the Year 2005 by Harpers and the Queens Restaurant Awards’. Returning to South Africa in October 2006, I took over as Executive Chef at the award winning Grande Provence Wine Estate in Franschhoek. During my time there I was named ‘Sunday Times Chef of the Year 2007’, ‘Franschhoek Life Chef 2007’ and also elevated the restaurant to the ‘Eat Out Top 10 Restaurants in South Africa’.
In January 2008 I accepted the position to oversee the 3 Relais & Châteaux members properties within ‘The Collection by Liz McGrath’, boasting 5 distinguished restaurants. Since then I have been awarded 3 Stars in The Rossouw’s Restaurants guide and the Eat Out Winner award for The Greenhouse Restaurant. Between The Plettenberg, The Marine and The Cellars-Hohenort Hotels, I currently hold 9 Rossouw’s stars, more than anyone else in the guide’s history and indeed the country. Sand @ The Plettenberg has also won best Hotel restaurant on the Garden Route for 2 consecutive years by CXPress Newspaper, 2009 and 2010. What’s your regular comfort meal? A mild Chicken and Chickpea Curry with steamed fragrant rice, spicy sambals and Mrs. Balls chutney! Kitchen disaster stories are always interesting. Do you have a specific one to tell? In London we had an open kitchen at Automat - one Friday afternoon we were packed to the brim in the middle of service. Nitro Ice
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Ray’s Nanita Chadha spoke to the genius behind the concept.
What followed was London’s Quo Vadis with Marco Pierre White for a year.
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This intimate experience coupled with the unforgettable cuisine, where guests find themselves lingering over every bite of the extra-ordinary, creates a culinary story unique to The Greenhouse.
I was standing at the pass - which happened to be in the restaurant, there was nothing I could do except bury my head. Eventually after 15-20 minutes they got the power back, but not before half the restaurant had left without paying their bills! You’re stranded on a desert island. What five foods would you want with you? What would you make? It would be about survival and subsistence for me … Salt - for curing fish and vegetables. for some reason the electricity to the extractor fan was cut… needless to say that within minutes the restaurant filled with smoke, people started gagging and panicking. Then the fire alarm went off and the fire doors started closing… it was chaos.
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Sugar - for jamming fruit. Live ducks - eggs and roast duck are important to me. Corn- to fatten the duck liver for foie gras… to make maize meal for bread and pap and planting a crop Potatoes - very versatile, boiling, baking on a fire etc - planting a crop.
If you were being executed tomorrow, what would be your last meal? It would be a serious 7-course meal of all the forbidden or hard to get foods… Fugu Sashimi Blue Fin Tuna Tataki
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Scottish Lobster Tagliatelle Grilled Kobe Beef with white Truffle Risotto and seared Foie Gras
I don’t really have a favourite; all my ‘children’ are special in their own way!
Chocolate Gateaux with fresh Yuzu Jelly and Gold Ice cream
Smoked Ostrich Tartare with oysters served from an ostrich shell.
What is the most essential item in your kitchen?
Abalone Carpaccio.
Common sense!
The look of a plate is very important. What do you
my mate Luke also does a good boiled egg at The Test Kitchen. When you’re designing a complete meal, what factors do you take into account? How do you achieve harmony/balance? The balance of flavours is crucial - salty, sweetness and acidity. What’s your favourite kitchen tool? My Masamoto Sashimi knife that Grand Chef Mikuni chose for me at Tskiji fish market in Tokyo is
Banana Dessert
What do you cook at home that you never cook at the restaurant? Spicy Curry. 90% of what a chef does is buying the best possible ingredients. How do you choose your suppliers? We hunt around for the best ones, get to know their philosophies and commitment to quality and build a long lasting relationship. Cooking is mostly learned in a kitchen from masters. With whom did you learn the tools of the trade? Marco Pierre White and the late Frank Zlomke of Grande Roche taught me intrinsic cooking.
Nitro Ice
consider your best colour, texture and taste matching?
essential in my cooking.
One eats with the eyes first. Abalone Carpaccio with seared tuna, pickled Asian mushrooms, cucumber, crispy seaweed and powdered dressing.
Yardstick Pinot Noir
Are you curious of other cuisines (Chinese? Italian? Etc.). Have you ever adapted a recipe from another country? We do it all the time; exotic tastes and combinations are very prevalent in my cooking, loads of Italian, Japanese and some Chinese find their way into my menus all the time.
Name three great wines you love to drink.
Moet & Chandon Klein Constantia Madam Malbrook 2004 In your restaurant, who would be your “ideal diner?” They are all special, but out of all the world’s population, I would love to have our very own Madiba for dinner.
Where do you go when you want to eat at a restaurant?
If you weren’t a chef, or in the food business, what would you be?
We love Nobu for great Japanese and Barussos for excellent pizzas;
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Roast Ortolan in its own broth
What do you consider to be your best creations, and what are the classics that you like to feature on your menu?
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Shark Fin Soup
What’s the largest number of people you’ve ever cooked for, and how many different dishes were served?
when you have a booking for a luncheon party of 20 in September month (Nobody is allergic to anything)
Not that many, every year I cook for about 700 at The Table of Peace & Unity on the slopes of Table Mountain, it is a great charity event and we serve about 2100 plates in just over an hour.
Menu
What did you learn from your mother/grandmother that you use every day in the kitchen.
Wine Klein Constantia Brut 2007 Local Water Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomato Salad
Be patient when cooking.
Avocado mousse, dehydrated heirloom tomatoes, olive oil powder, dehydrated black olives
What’s is your favourite newly discovered ingredient?
Wine Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2010
I have started to appreciate Bergamot and Hibiscus lately both is flavourings for teas and is great in sauces and desserts.
Slow Cooked Karan Beef Sirloin
Please give us a complete menu
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Canapés
Pomme fondant, Jerusalem artichoke puree, red onion marmalade, young turnips & carrots
Wine Yardstick Pinot Noir 2010 Toasted Almond Bavarois Bitter chocolate square, Rooibosreduced milk ice cream, Rooibos tea poached pear Wine Vin de Hohenort 2007 Over the last 3 years Peter has also had the good fortune of working with some of this generation’s greatest chefs, including - Joel Robuchon, Anne Sophie-Pic, Michael Caines, Kyomi Mikuni and Yoshi Takazawa. The Greenhouse is open for dinner, Tuesdays to Saturdays +27 21 794 2137 reception@cellars-hohenort.co.za Visit www.petertempelhoff.com rm
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Lifestyle Arts & Culture
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Art is a continuous discovery of reality. The world we live in consumes and runs on copious amounts of artistic expression. Society is heavily influenced by every form of art. A massive vogue living of music, television, film, design, publishing, advertising, magazines, fashion, fine-art, and architecture, to name a few. God’s invisible attributes, His artistic nature, are seen in a sunset and sunrise, each day uniquely different, exquisitely beautiful, a fresh painting new every morning: each wisp of cloud, each frond of burnt orange, breathtakingly placed for maximum effect.
Text Ally Mesnard Images Nic van Rensburg
Nic van Rensburg Colour by Instinct
Nic van Rensburg is one of those multi-talented artists who specialises in a variety of art. Learning how to paint by acute observation, without formal training, Nic developed his individual style.
Starting out with a Tuscan theme in 2003, Nic developed this style until, in the years to follow, he could produce a variety of themes such as classical figures, children, wildlife and landscapes. Nic has been a full-time artist for the past 12 years. He mainly works in Oil or Acrylics on canvas and leather, but is also known for his bronze sculptures.
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The spirit of Africa comes to life through his unique work and he does wildlife commissions only on request.
In 2001 Nic was invited by the South African Embassy to exhibit his wildlife sculptures in Paris. Today, some of his work can only be seen in private collections throughout England, Canada, France, America and Australia. Van Rensburg remarks: “I use colour by instinct... Colour makes a narrative atmosphere for the paintings and gives them oomph.” My work does not ‘abstract’ from nature, it is just that all these things are in you and if you are in touch with these memories they do come out in the work... My compositions are intuitive. I start with a line, with certain ideas or feelings in my head, and work from there. Things start to happen and I think that process is reflected in the work. Humour and contradiction are all a part of it.” In this interview
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Nic shares with our readers a glimpse of his life… Please give us a bio, where you are from and how you started in this field? I started painting for a small gallery I had in Graskop, and decided to paint full time in 1995. It was a lifelong dream and a leap of faith for me to eventually do painting full time. At what moment did you first discovered your creative talents? When I was in school I drew and sculpted in the evenings at the kitchen table before there was television. I did all my classmates’ biology drawings in boarding school. Could you tell us about some of your favourite art pieces? I did life size sculptures for MP Parks’s board that was special for me and I did a lot of large paintings that was difficult to transport. I like to do larger than life paintings; something that leaves an impression when you look at it. How will you describe your artistic style? Realism with generous elements of Impressionism. What’s your strongest memory of your childhood? My father’s influence in my life. He was a hunter and a good story teller. I only have good memories that I treasure till today. What themes do you pursue in your art? Themes that people can relate to in the form of Landscapes, Wildlife portraits and close ups. What is your approach to life in general? We have only today - yesterday is a mere memory. Tomorrow is a promise, but today is a gift, make every second count! Any influences or anyone you look up to when it comes to painting? I admire Jaln Barnovich, a wildlife artist from USA. Adriaan Boshoff was and still is an extraordinary painter of Africana. Share with us something funny that has happened to you recently. I had to transport a huge painting on top of my vehicle roof. I had to stabilize it with my hands through the window and the wind nearly blew it away. 10 sue
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You and your wife are a unique team, with her overseeing the administrative side of the business. Please tell us a bit more about your family.
Describe yourself in 5 words.
My wife is the most important link in our business. Everything will go astray without her. I only want to be creative and focus on my art.
Any words of advice you may have for aspiring artists?
My eldest son Nicky is 29 and also a full time artist. He is married to Mia, a violinist. Wesley my second eldest is in modelling and Armand my youngest would like to become a professional golfer. How do you bridge the gap of the business side of art? My wife Ria handles all the correspondence immediately. It is comforting to know it is in good hands. Any illustrator, painter, musician etc if they want to develop their work, live exclusively from it and achieve the best results, they have to have a good profitability so they may take on all the projects they wish without the obstacles that having other jobs to obtain financial security. Therefore finding clients, keeping contact with agencies, galleries, editorials, etc has to be constant and focused in a commercial way, but always respecting the essence of the work. M
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Eternal optimistic, always positive.
Try and create your own ideas. I know it is difficult, but artists who have talent must be able to create their own style. What is the most important idea or message that you want to address in your art? Colourful serenity. My clients would want to stay in my paintings. The farm scenes; everybody must relate to it and feel relaxed by looking at it. Where can the public view / purchase your remarkable art? The can view it in my gallery or at most of the galleries in the country.
Contact Ria van Rensburg +27 83Â 313 1850 or nic.vanrensburg@telkomsa.net rm
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Such is the passion igniting each performance, evident on songs such as ‘I Am A Living Testimony’, ‘Write Me A Letter’, and ‘Mme Motswadi’ among many others found on A LEGACY: LIVE IN CONCERT. And it is this passion for the art of live performance that motivated Judith Sephuma to stage the shows through her company Lalomba Music, in order to record A LEGACY: LIVE IN CONCERT in association with The Lyric Theatre and Sony Music Entertainment. Judith Sephuma explains, “… I am that driven by performing live that I plan to continue staging my own shows well into the next year and beyond”. Judith Sephuma performed her heart out to capacity audiences, supported by a mini orchestra, and conducted by none other than Themba Mkhize who specifically arranged the music for strings and horns.
Text Nanita Chadha Images Sony Music
‘I AM A LIVING TESTIMONY’ AND ‘LIVING THE MuSIC THROuGH SONG’ THE 10th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION JUDITH SEPHUMA TO RELEASE LIVE CONCERT DVD ON 3 SEPTEMBER 2012 “Music is my life and it is a wonderful journey to experience - I thank God for the last 10 years of great music. I am very happy to bring you A LEGACY: LIVE IN CONCERT. I have worked with great people in my life throughout my entire career and my wish and dream is that this DVD represents class and maturity, filled with a lot of fun. Thank you to everyone who has made an effort and worked very hard to make sure the music is presented in this manner. Enjoy and be blessed. I am forever humbled!” South Africa’s venerated multi-award winning songbird, Judith Sephuma speaks passionately about her experience as a vocalist, and performer, ahead of her first live concert DVD release.
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“I have sustained a career through living the music through song” says Judith Sephuma with conviction, “I love recording studio albums, but I was raised to sing live with an orchestra - it’s all about the “live” experience – bringing the music to life, and keeping the songs “alive” through new arrangements. Each show becomes a unique experience for me and the audience.”
A LEGACY: LIVE IN CONCERT features special guest appearance by Oliver Mtukudzi on the song ‘Kupedza Nguva’ backed by an incredible line-up of musicians – all in all over 2 hours of music, in an intimate setting revealing true artistry and a real tribute to Judith Sephuma’s fans across the continent, for the support they have shown through attending her shows since the 2001 multi-platinum debut release ‘A Cry, A Smile A Dance’ and throughout each stage of her career to date.
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It’s no wonder that Judith Sephuma has sustained a successful career for so long with a deeply rooted respect for Sepedi culture and a firm belief in herself,.She has managed to expressed through her incredible vocals songs that have warmed the hearts of fans around the world, and over the last decade, taken her rightful place in South Africa’s rich music heritage. Her debut album A Cry, A Smile, A Dance.... was critically acclaimed and she later followed it up with New Beginnings and Change Is Here and more recently her forth studio album, I am a living Testimony. Let’s hear what Judith has to say. What inspired your album ‘I am a living Testimony’? ‘There was this lady, I don’t know her, and I have never met her. She said she was going through a lot in her life, you know, and she did not believe in Christ. And from hearing me speak on radio, she called in and she said “… you know what… just from hearing you speak I am going to turn my life around, and now I understand what my situation is about, and why I am going through this”. She really, really had it tough, so that’s why this song is special to me.
Judith you are an inspiration to us all. How did you manage to overcome setbacks in your life and to come out victoriously? Thank you, I am humbled. I don’t focus much on the negative of this industry as I believe that we make the industry what it is today. Focusing on what’s important is what matters to me and I believe hard work and never stepping on anyone’s toes is also important. Not taking any kind of work for granted is also what’s important. Tell us about the formal training you had in music and the steps you took to get to where you are today – A phenomenal success and a legend in the entertainment business. I trained with a wonderful woman Mrs. Virginia Davids in Cape Town and that has sustained me until
You have travelled and performed all over the world. How has your experiences been, playing in South Africa? How was the response to your brand of music, and how is it different from the response you get in other countries? The truth is in the world South Africa is loved. Our music is appreciated so much and I have performed and still perform in places where the whole venue would be full even though I am not from their country. Music is much appreciated out there. I have had wonderful memorable times performing to a 12000 audience of people who didn’t know me. You have a unique sound. Would you care to define your sound? My sound is very inspirational and what makes it unique is the way I sing my melodies and my lyrical content, I also sing in Sepedi and Zulu with a touch of Jazz elements in them. That’s special to me. What was it like to work with the renowned Kunle Ayo in producing: I AM A LIVING TESTIMONY? Kunle’ is amazing as a producer. He has a good heart
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It was such an emotional song for me but because of where it came from it sat positively in my heart until today when I listen to it, It hits home. And I believe that a lot of people out there are going to listen to the song and relate to it. It is not a bad thing to say “I am going through something”, “I need help” or “I am going through something, what can I do?” It is a good thing to say because that’s where you’re healing begins.’
today. It was not easy to be under training but it was worth it. The other thing is, knowing that your career is a business.
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So I wrote this song once off. I was driving and I sang it on my phone. When I got to the studio, I said to Luyanda… I said “Luyanga this is it! I don’t know what we are going to do with this but let’s try and do something with it”.
and he is the one who pushed me to start writing and told me to stop being lazy. I heard those words so many times that I wanted to shut him up and just start being creative. He’s wonderful to work with. Anyone who respects another idea would be great as a producer. What crucial lessons has life taught you and was it difficult to apply it in your life? Life is beautiful and we shouldn’t complicate it. I learn everyday and I will never stop learning. But I
The dresses that you are wearing in the making of your album are the brainchild of Coenie Hattingh, Head Florist and Floral Dress Creator of Franz Grabe Flower Couture. What was it like to wear these magnificent creations? It was very interesting, I had never worn fresh flowers before and I loved it. I looked so beautiful in live flowers and it’s amazing how creative people are. What was it like to work with the famous photographer Merwelene van der Merwe during the making of ‘I am a living Testimony’? It was wonderful, she is an amazing photographer and she has an eye for beauty. I love working with her and I would work with her again. She’s amazing. What message would you like to send out to your avid fans with this album? I would like them to just enjoy the music and be inspired. Judith’s favourites: Colour: Red, Blue, White, Yellow was told a long time ago to never let fame go to my head. And that statement is serious. So I pray for humility always. Who can you single out as your greatest mentor? My mom has always been that for me. Who in this industry’s work do you admire and why? I admire the work of a lot of artists, from Caiphus Semenya, Letta Mbulu, Sibongile Khumalo, Gloria Bosman, Lira, Zonke, Thembisile, Siphokazi, Zama Jobe, and Wanda Baloyi; actually these are my favourite ladies of song and a gentleman. The list is endless.
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Smell: Fresh
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Genre: Gospel, Jazz, Soul Destination: Italy, Rome Fragrance: Pure White Linen, Estee Lauder LABEL MANAGEMENT maria.hadjidimitriadis@sonymusic.com +27 828242841 scooby.fassie@sonymusic.com +27 11 274 5000 Busi Thabethe; Lalomba Music - Artist Manager +27 11 487 2671 busi@lalomba.co.za
A Legacy: Live In Concert DVD Release Date: 3 September 2012 Also visit www.judithsephuma.com rm 10 sue
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My mother was a Lithuanian immigrant educator and my father a chef from Chicago. In our rural Illinois home our family had no money, no friends, no relatives, no television or radio, and our life was quite simple: long walks in nature, open conversations, and hands on explorations of knowledge. When I was four years old, I suddenly started experiencing vivid impressions about different dimensions and a great desire to express them through art utilising whatever medium was found on hand: candles, lipstick, fruits, vegetables, charcoal or pencils. Though once in a while I would share many details about the universes I was seeing, most of my spiritual experiences, however, I kept secret, so as not to overwhelm my parents. Whether people believed it was my vivid imagination or real experiences, my realistic drawings of mostly faces, impressed everybody, and during the first local art exhibitions people often had a hard time believing that I had created the work.
Text Adéle Minnaar Images Akiane Kramarik
Akiane Kramarik
prodigy, considered the youngest binary prodigy of both realist art and poetry in recorded history. Her original masterpieces have been selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars making Akiane the most successful living visual art prodigy in the world. She is inducted into the Richest Kids Entrepreneurs of America, Kids Hall of Fame and World Council for Gifted and Talented Children. Oprah has the following to say about this remarkable artist: “Akiane is a gifted and seasoned artist who is totally focused on her work. Considered one of the most versatile and accomplished fine artists of all time…” She shares with Ray her own life story. Please tell us about yourself, your background. My life began in an unusual way, with an underwater home birth in a shack on the edge of a cornfield. Although during my first years the family experienced severe hardships, I was growing up in a nurturing and unstructured home-schooling environment.
By The Light Against ocean waves My senses hold eroded canyons On a nine-mile-high cliff today I see You From different scenes all in sync Where inspiration is under construction Where I keep afloat the universe Where boat never sinks boat Where tasting sweet air and fear of heights Footsteps explore drop-offs Only from dark coal tunnels White diamonds come But only by the Light They are recognized
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An internationally recognized
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Strokes of a Genius
Soon afterwards, I plunged into the world of colours, and a few more years later into the world of poetry.
Gradually my days became filled with thinking, painting and writing, and at the age of eight I completed my first five-foot long oil paintings, mastering realism. Both the paintings and the poetry that accompany my images often were filled with riddles, symbols and codes. I choose my subjects from vastly different epochs or realms and real life models from all over the world and from all the races. Now I am eighteen, and I continue to express myself through art and poetry, trying to inspire countless lives, one person at a time. I continue publishing books and art, and helping needy families with the funds from my gallery sales and auctions. I have been truly blessed - my originals are being sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, many are valued at millions, my art exhibitions have been held in museums, galleries, halls of fame, embassies, universities, monasteries, churches, and corporations across the world. Today because of hard work and support from my family and art lovers I have over 100 published art works, 800 literary creations, two published books and almost 300 million hits a year on www. artakiane.com.
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Rebirth
What does art mean to you? The time has come for the art to bring everyone even closer than ever before - everyone loves art regardless of its genre and style and it becomes the perfect ground to stand or fly off. In my opinion - art has always awakened people from all over the world by evoking feelings and thoughts. Art lasts forever. Art is US. The harmony of arts will heal and bring everyone closer together … Can you recall the first painting that made people go WOW? It was the painting ‘’Prince of Peace’’ which I completed at the age of 8 that was and still is today my most appreciated and highly regarded painting I have ever done. Do you have any formal training regarding art? No formal training at all... If you had the option to stay home and paint all day, sooner or later you would improve your style and achieve self discipline. I had that opportunity to do just that. I learned from my own mistakes, many days were
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Love
Security of the beauty is like an eternal womb from where we break into the new finite worlds. Beauty is a delicate string playing our own harmony. What is your favourite painting, either your own or someone else’s or both? Describe its creation or meaning to you? There are so many but probably the most touching to me are two paintings. ‘’Metamorphoses’’- I felt I was a part of it - growing, morphing in many shapes and forms and finding myself.
What are your favourite subjects to paint and why? Faces, because without seeing or touching a face, to me, we cannot live or survive, we need to have that human contact. I especially love painting their eyes because it is through the eyes that you see their spirit and the very soul. The tools of your trade: What medium do you prefer to work in mostly and why? Acrylic... Mostly, because to me, that is the easiest to create details and enhance the colours. And once in a great while I paint in oil.
‘’Barefoot’’ - The village got raided, and all people got captured or killed except for two little children - the boy who cannot see and the girl who cannot walk.
How would you describe your painting style?
Neither could have escaped without each other’s help. The miracle of their escape is their vision and determination. The lame girl was guiding the blind boy through wide fields, forests, tunnels, stairs and
Your faith is so important to you. What message would you like to convey to the world through your art?
Akianism - a blend of visionary, realism, imagination and contemporary style.
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Define the word “beauty”!
doorways while the boy was carrying her sight. The ruins of the abandoned castle are the last safe place left for them to start a new life.
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very challenging for me even when I was not in my studio. Wherever I go I’m constantly observing and studying human and nature interactions and emotions.
Forbidden Fruit Some of us convinced ourselves that we have already found the truth, some of us are still searching for the greater power, but the ultimate truth lies humbly within each of us. Yet how will we share it with others is the ultimate challenge and gage of peace. Name three artists whose work you admire and why. I only recently started noticing and reading about different artists. Johannes Vermeer is one of my favourites, I love the way he captures the light so well, and draws the viewer to see the world through his eyes. Carl Brenders, because of his brilliance, his patience and focus on the detail of the animals. Lastly, but not least, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, because of his focus on the gentleness and purity of the female beauty.
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I absolutely can relate to one of his quotes:’’ Each day I go to my studio full of joy; in the evening when obliged to stop because of darkness I can scarcely wait for the next morning to come… if I cannot give myself to my dear painting I am
miserable.” Do you have any immediate plans for the future that you’d like to share? To travel, continue my art, publish my 3rd book, photograph, paint and also get my pilots certificate. Paintings Rebirth (Akiane Age 15) Rebirth” is a story of transformation from life to death, and from death back to life. The vines full of blossoms have surrounded slowly eroding pillars and fully participate in extending their last moments of life. Only a few of the columns are left to support the unity of decaying and crumbling structure, but by the time the architectural antique is completely gone, the rose-vine garden will stand in its place. Rebirth symbolizes a continuous restoration of matter and spirit where the end is part of further growth. As eternity rampages our destiny yesterday refuses to remember today.
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By remodelling our destiny we may forget what has been replaced.
After my prayer I began painting a young woman’s portrait next to a branch of fruit.
At a guillotine struggles take a crown of misery, and icicle eyes melt like an unsolved riddle.
Suddenly I felt God say, blend all the races, because this is Eve, the mother of all mankind.
But just like a dream being nursed to life - we are nursed back to eternity.
Right then and there, I understood the meaning:
LOVE (Akiane Age 13)
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is full of forbidden fruit: red for the knowledge of evil, the green for the knowledge of good.
The hands are portrayed as comfort and affection of love. The unborn babies, vulnerable and dependent, represent all life.
It was created to be tempting, fragrant and easy to be picked. Although the fruit resembles the grapes, it was not.
Forbidden Fruit
At first, Eve thinks that she will gain wisdom by biting into the fruit of knowledge, but unexpectedly she finds the deception as the red blood of suffering drips from the green fruit.
(Akiane Age 10) One morning I woke up earlier than usual, and right away I decided to paint, but I could not find any canvas in my studio. My family was still asleep, so quietly, still in my pyjamas, I searched my art closets and found one small canvas that I’d worked on a few years ago, but later gessoed it in black.
The knowledge of good and evil is simply too much to understand and experience for a human, and now Eve is looking up to God for forgiveness and help... Perhaps I wanted to catch it, perhaps not. rm
Metamorphoses
Hey, I’m not saying churches shouldn’t have any charity events, distribute food, offer short term help to people in need or partner with aid organizations, I just think the long term goal of any church should be long term relationships across manmade fences.
Text & Images Jaco Strydom from Echo Youth Development
From Charity to Community A lot of us give money and send stuff because we are touched by the stats we read in
newspapers or the stories of human suffering we hear in church. The problem is that stats and news stories don’t move you to love; at it’s best it leaves us with feelings of guilt or even fear. You need human contact to truly experience empathy and share a true sense of love. There is a great difference between hearing stats and seeing faces. Every now and again a pastor will phone me saying that they had a charity event at church and collected some canned food or Christmas gifts, asking if we could help by “providing the poor” - explaining that he is eager for his congregation to have a first hand experience of what it’s like “to reach out to the poor”.
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It drives me crazy, but since we can do with all the food we can get, I try to be polite. Want to know what I really think? They’ve been a church for how many years and still they don’t have any long-term relationship with people in need? And that in poverty stricken South Africa - of all places? What were they doing all these years?
I was recently invited to speak at a congregation at their annual “Aids Sunday”. As they listened to the stats I could see that they were deeply touched - some even wiped a tear. When at the end I asked if those who know someone with Aids or any of the more than 2 million Aids orphans would raise their hands, there was none. Shane Claiborne noted that the biggest problem is not that we don’t care for the poor but that we don’t know the poor. There is a difference between charity and community - and in this context I mean the typical feel good handout type of charity verses a compassionate caring community with those in need. The homeless, the lonely, the poor and the suffering need more than our charity, they need our presence. They need God’s people to connect and to at least try to understand. A caring community has a way of making people feel human again, giving them back their dignity. Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, wrote a little book called “From brokenness to community”. The title says it all: brokenness is unconnectedness while healing is found in community. The number one negative emotion in most kids that come our way at our ECHO community seems to be a deep sense of loneliness. Even after basic things like physical hunger has been addressed, a dark shadow of spiritual emptiness seems to prevail. You can often see it in their eyes. We have to realise that a house isn’t necessarily a home and that even the best meal doesn’t satisfy the deepest hunger. Kids need more than something, they need someone. Charity alone just doesn’t cut it. Presence makes the difference. Doing charity does not make us as Christians unique. Everybody does it - even the bowling club down the street has an annual charity event. Handing out blankets on a cold night or canned food
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to the hungry isn’t wrong (it’s better than doing nothing), but while you’re putting in the effort, try to catch the compassion bug. Wouldn’t it be nice if in the process long-term relationships could be established? Here are a few of the core differences between the charity and the caring community approach: Something vs. Someone Jesus didn’t only send us stuff from above. He came down himself. God didn’t only send us gifts and tools to sort out our mess. He gave us a Person to join us in our struggle. We should do the same. Short term vs. Long term There is sometimes great and often badly needed short-term benefits that comes out of charity, but in the long term charity without community tends to sustain poverty (often with the only long-term “positive” outcome being that the rich feels better about themselves). Don’t be surprised if short-term initiatives have only shortterm outcomes. Guilt vs. Love My definition of charity is as follows: you give a homeless guy on a cold winter night a blanket so that you can sleep better. Community allows for the pains of real empathy. Where charity is often guilt driven, community is driven by understanding and love.
a passion for Jesus. Few though, share the passion of Jesus. His passion was people. Jesus didn’t only send us stuff; He didn’t only give us something; He gave us Himself. We should do the same. We are called to do more than just remember what He did and quote the words He said. Discipleship implies sharing his passion for people, especially those who are vulnerable and marginalized. While charity might have its place in society, we as followers of Christ are called to journey deeper. We are called as His body to carry His presence in the lonely spaces of human suffering. Not only to give handouts, but to connect. Not only to send a light, but to be the light. Not only to share hope, but to be hope. Contact Jaco Strydom is the Director of ECHO Youth Development, a non-profit organization that provides support to youth in need. Visit www.echoyouth. co.za / info@echoyouth.co.za / +27 12 3312341 rm
Giving vs. Sharing It’s not so much about having a soup kitchen or not, but there is a core difference between just handing out food and sharing a meal. From a position of security vs. from a position of vulnerability Charity often happens over a distance from a position of comfort and security. Community makes you vulnerable, it demands a certain level of intimacy with those in need. We are called to move into the world of others – as Jesus did. Do this mean that individuals and businesses should never send food or money? No, it means that there should be a greater emphasis on supporting projects with a community character and less on sponsoring feel good charity handouts. It also implies that if you follow Jesus you can no longer hide behind the charitable endeavours of your business or church, you have to get involved in someway with someone on a personal level. There is something beautiful (with a real Jesus ring to it), when a professor becomes the friend of a street child; when a business executive starts making friends in the squatter camp. Imagine what it would be like if every Christian in South Africa would make a long-term community type commitment with even one person in need.
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A lot of people are very passionate about Jesus. They wear Jesus caps, listen to Jesus music and have “real men follow Jesus” bumper stickers. They have
An African Odyssey M
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Nikki Maherry In conversation with Ally Mesnard
Text Ally Mesnard Images Nikki Maherry
“Painting for me is like breathing in fresh air and living. Without my art I feel lost. Every new task is like a gracious new beginning. Colour to a painting is like sunlight to the earth.
Sabie to the mysteriousness of the Drakensberg town of Donnybrook in Kwazulu Natal. I eventually settled down in Ermelo on the Highveld region of Mpumalanga, with its lovely sunsets and hidden beauty.
The sky with all its splendour is my muse and my source from which I translate my emotions from deep within my soul.
I started painting when I was very young and as I developed in my art career I discovered my love of landscapes and portraits.
I was born in 1974 in Johannesburg, thereafter moving from town to town, from the plateaus of
Studying fine art for one year at the University of Tshwane, I found myself in the unfortunate position
of having to take over the family paint shop after my brother passed away. This coupled with a number of personal life tragedies inspired me to never quit what I loved so much.” Nikki’s inspiring work has captured the attention of both locals and tourists alike. She experienced an enormous increase in the sale of her art during the last four years. Her most recent exhibition with artists Radiante (Mozambique) & Drini Jacob hosted by SANAVA received huge accolades from the President of SANAVA www.sanava.co.za (Anton Loubser) as well as Curator (Pieter V Heerden). “I currently have works sold in the USA bought by
an art collector, Netherlands, UK & France.” “The emotions are sometimes so strong that I work without knowing it. The strokes come like speech“ Vincent van Gogh. What does art mean to you? I find it so inspiring to be able to express all my thoughts and emotions onto canvas. Can you recall the first painting you done that made people go WOW? A replica I painted of Paul Gauguin’s “TWO TAHITIAN WOMEN 1899”. Paul Gauguin’s art is a huge inspiration to me. “LIFE IS HARDLY MORE THAN A FRACTION
OF A SECOND. SUCH A LITTLE TIME TO PREPARE ONESELF FOR ETERNITY” PAUL GAUGUIN.
Who/what are your influences?
Do you have any formal art training?
What is your favourite painting, either your own or someone else’s or both? Describe its creation or meaning to you?
I believe in my work as a combination of feeling and inspiration. My work portrays brush strokes and the ability to play with colour. Where is your favourite place to live and work as an artist in the world and why? Western Cape. The tranquillity, beautiful land, seascapes and indescribable sunsets, which features in most of my work, really is a huge source of creativity. Define the word “beauty”! For me anything that evokes happy feelings is beautiful! How does your personality change when you let the creative juices flow? I would not call it a personality change, for me it is more an escape from reality.
”MICHELANGELO AND THE SISTINE CHAPEL.” His work speaks for itself. I would love to see this with my own eyes. “A BEAUTIFUL THING NEVER GIVES SO MUCH PAIN AS THUS FAILING TO HEAR AND SEE IT” MICHELANGELO. Describe a day in your personal or professional life. The privilege of having my family so close every day is enough to fulfill my life. What are the biggest personal or professional challenges you face on a daily basis? Personally, I believe giving our daughters all the love, attention and discipline. Teaching them about life and its obstacles to prepare them for the future. Professionally, staying creative and original. 10 sue
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How technical is your art?
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I studied fine art at the University of Tshwane.
Nature, people – mostly all of God’s creations.
What are your favourite subjects to paint and why? People and Landscapes. People are all so different; everyone has a story to tell. Happy or sad. Landscapes with beautiful vibrant skies or a mysterious moon peeking out. I’m a total romantic. The tools of your trade: What medium do you prefer to work in mostly and why? I work in oils, because I love the richness of the medium. How would you describe your painting style? Expressionism combined with Surrealism. My work portrays feelings and dreams. Tell a little secret about yourself that no one knows... I can’t sing, no musical talent this side. Even my little girl of four asks me to stop. Luckily my husband’s got more talent than I when it comes to music.
Name three South African artists whose work you admire and why. WENDY MALAN - Her paintings and the dreamlike reality whispers to me and is very inspirational. “WENDY`S WORK EMBODIES THE ROMANTIC, THE SURREALISM AND SUPER REALISM, THE OLD WORLD AND THE CONTEMPORARY IN A WAY THAT PLACES THE WORK IN A CLASS AND TIME OF IT`S OWN. THE REASON WHY SHE MANAGES TO COMBINE ALL THESE VARIOUS ELEMENTS IN HER WORK IS BECAUSE SHE DOES NOT WORK ACCORDING TO THE LOGIC OF THE WORLD. SHE IS WORKING WITH THE LOGIC OF DREAMS AND ASSOCIATIONS. THE LOGIC OF THE CHILD AND THE PRIMITIVE, THE LOGIC OF THE HEART.” (QUOTED FROM
DORPSTREETGALLERY.CO.ZA IRMA STERN – I love her versatility in all mediums. GERARD BHENGU – His ability to portray facial expressions in his work. What would you have done differently during your artistic career so far and could this be an advice to others? Learn with your eyes. Take criticism and advice and never think you are better than others. I don’t think there is something I would have done differently. Live life and everyday to the fullest! You manufacture your own frames as well. Please tell us more about the process… Yes I did about four years ago. I stopped when we had our little girl. It was handmade wooden frames with special techniques and depth. 10 sue
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Where can the public obtain your amazing art or get in touch with bookings / assignments etc. Currently I’m stationed in the lovely Highveld, in a town called Ermelo, Mpumalanga. PETER +27 76 0 830 532 NIKKI +27 824 332 229 Facebook nikki maherry oil paintings Also visit www.nikkimaherryart.com rm
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Relationship Marriage Enrichment Seminars
Expectations in a Marriage 10 sue
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Text Sors & Lida Geldenhuys Images Shutterstock.com
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It is quite human to enter marriage with certain expectations which are usually not expressed or clear up front.
We all hold the opinion that our own expectations are realistic. But marriage is a union between two different people and we may not share or have the same expectations as our spouse. This may lead to disappointment and frustration. However there are solutions and ways to address these conflicting expectations. Why not come to one of our Marriage, Relationship Enrichment Seminars? These seminars render practical advice to couples on how to solve
conflict, experienced in marriage. There are ways to constructively address these challenges. It is our responsibility to work on our marriages in this way until we find an amicable solution as we are a team in God’s eyes. The degree to which reality fails to measure up to our expectations, usually determines the degree to which we feel disappointed. If disappointments are repeated quite frequently it often leads to despair and resentment.
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In our years of hosting these marriage enrichment seminars and counselling couples, we found that the differences in expectations which lead to frequent
conflict are most prevalent in the following areas: Intimacy issues, how and on what to spend money on, how and where to go on holiday, time with family, spending free time, communication styles and habits, diet, clothes, sleeping habits, pets or no pets, socialising, having children or not and how to discipline them, finances (giving, saving and investments), interior decorating, roles of the husband and wife, domestic issues like cleaning and doing the dishes, entertainment and choice of friends. Do you recognise some of these areas where expectations from one or both parties have caused
conflict in your own life? Many of our expectations are in general subconscious and never mentioned. For example, a woman gets married “assuming” that husband and wife go to bed at 10 o’clock. (After all this is what her parents did). Meanwhile the man envisions that they will stay up late and if he isn’t tired at the same time as his wife, he can stay up later (reading, listening to music or be busy with his computer. (This is similar to the role model he had as a child). The potential conflict this creates requires clever solutions. What can we do to minimise conflict cause by these expectations?
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Let’s look at some practical advice. Write everything that you appreciate, admire, like or anything positive about your spouse on a piece of paper. Share this with each other. Take turns in telling your spouse how you feel or what attracted him/her to you. Give each spouse an opportunity to convey what was written, whilst the other spouse need to listen carefully. And then you change roles. What a surprise. Stick it to the mirror, the refrigerator or wherever it will be most visible for both of you daily. Take time to glance at it daily and see how this contributes positively. Everybody wants to feel appreciated and if we as couples just bombard each other with perceived negativity, the relationship will soon become strained. Consider the following comparison: A Vulture and a Hummingbird are flying over the same territory; what does the Vulture and the Hummingbird both see? Well the one looks for carcasses and the other for flowers. I am sure that the Humming bird do not even see the carcasses and the Vulture do not see the flowers.
Do away with unrealistic expectations. If you both utilise your entire salary and above every month, to cover living expenses, it is not realistic to expect that you are going on holiday at a villa at the south coast every year. Be more reasonable, lower your expectations a little and be really creative with how, you may equally enjoy a less expensive holiday somewhere else. Distinguish between demanding and hoping for something. Learn to be content. Be appreciative of what you have. Develop an attitude of gratitude. Those with the long “wish lists” tend to be the unhappiest people. Be willing to be more accepting. Heb 13:5: “and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, Php 2:4: “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own. Php 2:5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: Rom 15:1: we ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves.”
Take turns in telling your spouse how you feel or what attracted him/her to you. We have a tendency to see what we are looking for. Therefore if we are wearing blue spectacles, figuratively speaking, the world will appear blue. Focus on the positive and make a remark about it and subconsciously you will see this becoming the focus. Just bear in mind that you do not solve a problem when one or both of you are angry! Also try the following frequently: Share your expectations with each other, which you have also written down, after you have shared the positive things you wrote down.
Rom 15:2: Instead, we should all please others... for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith. Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you. Rom 15:7. It is very wise to use this principle when discussing expectations
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Stubbornness won’t further your cause. It may lead to a breakdown in communication that lasts days, a volatile home environment, which are never good for the couple or the children and eventually resentment by all parties involved will follow.
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Both parties need to be willing to compromise a little and put their own needs second. For example, if the wife wants to display “beautiful” pictures of her grandparents and her husband would rather display the stuffed heads of his slain Buffalo collection gathered from his hunting trips, some compromise is required.
with your spouse. It is this principle that you must apply in everything that you discuss with your mate. Be willing to put your partner’s interest first and set an example of regularly making time to talk to your partner.
the remainder of the year (2012):
Always reflect on what you have learned as a couple from solving things amicably and discussing problems when both parties are in the right frame of mind and not upset. It is not just what you have experienced, but what you have learned.
Couples Seminar (Also follow up on Marriage Preparation Seminar)
I challenge you to start building bridges and break down the walls, instead of being safe behind high walls (where you will never be known). Do this prayerfully under the leading of the Holy Spirit as your “Councillor” and you will be amazed how your relationship changes.
Singles Seminar
Rom 15:5. And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus. Rom 15:4 & 6: “Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which God’s Word provides. So that you together may praise in one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. You will be amazed how your partnership changes for the better!
Marriage Preparation Seminar for couples 31 Aug to 2 Sept, 14 to 16 Sept, 19 to 21 October
8 to 12 August, 28 Sept to 02 October, 7 to 11 December Singles Follow up Seminar
30 Nov to 4 December 28 Sept to 02 October
9 to 12 August,
Other Seminars: Teenager Seminar 28 Sept to 02 October (Kwaggasrus) 10 to 14 December (Oudtshoorn) For more information on these and other seminars contact Sors & Lida Geldenhuys +2712 546 8098
Why not join us on one of these marriage enrichment seminars and strengthen your relationship with some practical advice based on biblical principles.
+27 832 516 725
The following seminars are available for booking for
Visit their website: www.lewensverryking.co.za rm
info@lewensverryking.co.za
Always reflect on what you have learned as a couple from solving things amicably and discussing problems when both parties are in the right frame of mind and not upset. M
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But Dr. Rey is even more remarkable and charismatic in person. He is also amazingly humble and treasures his relationship with his family and God. Dr. Rey’s positive outlook on life is definitely contagious. Although he currently resides and practice in Beverly Hills, he is originally from Brazil and here is a short clip from his book, “Body by Rey” in which he reveals his secrets to shaping your body without surgery: ‘Growing up I was frequently reminded that I was the least attractive child in a family of two sisters and two brothers. Furthermore, I was the last student to learn to read in my first grade, inner-city, public school class. Despite this rocky start I was able to soar to great professional and personal heights. How? I believe in myself. As we look back in history, rarely has success gone to the most beautiful, richest or most intelligent. Some examples: Moses struggled with a speech impediment yet his mission was to communicate to the masses. Napoleon was short and not of the French aristocracy, yet he went on to lead a country. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before Text Nanita Chadha Images Michael Maherry
Body by Rey
R eality is only limited by our belief in ourselves At Ray Magazine we had the wonderful privilege of meeting Dr Robert Rey,
the famous plastic surgeon, from Beverly Hills, California when he visited South Africa to introduce his new book,” Body by Rey”. Dr. Robert Rey specializes in MINIMAL SCAR Plastic Surgery. Dr. Rey brings to Beverly Hills, from Harvard Medical School’s Beth Israel Deaconess fellowship, the absolute latest minimal scar, endoscopic, fiberoptic and laser techniques. Through treating a large number of film, television and fashion industry patients, Dr. Rey is keenly aware of the importance of minimal or no scars and is highly dedicated to a natural look.
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I am sure all of you are familiar with his show on television, in which he illustrates how his operations transform the bodies of many in the States.
getting the light bulb to work consistently. Abraham Lincoln struggled with depression and was still able to change the face of slavery. Einstein had difficulties at school and went on to give us understanding into some of the greatest scientific theories in history. These leaders believed enough in themselves to overcome adversity. Success comes down to believing in ourselves. When we defeat ourselves with negative attitudes, we foil our self discipline. When we foil our self discipline, we erode our self esteem. When we erode our self esteem we lose our self confidence. When we lose our self confidence, we cannot achieve even a fraction of our natural potential. Attitude is the key to success.’ What is the motto you live by? We must eat like our ancestors did if we want to achieve a Wow body.
My book, “Body by Rey” contains practical principles to live by, which I personally follow. In order to be all we can be, we must look after our health, body, mind and spirit. It is also a simple guide to attaining optimum physique and a healthy, energy-filled lifestyle to counteract the aging process. The book presents a plan for how to take your “NOW” body and transform it in to your personal “WOW” body using simple diet and exercise techniques. It is sold exclusively at selected CNA stores nationwide and retail for R239-95. Are you planning on expanding your existing health care range? Apart from the current Sensual Solutions Skin Care range, I also want to add more skin creams, shampoos, lingerie and also introduce these to South Africa. Sensual Solutions Skin Care products are exclusively to selected Edgars and Red Square stores. What did you enjoy the most about your visit to South Africa? You are a beautiful rainbow nation, you have beautiful woman, some of the architecture I managed to view are awesome and you have a beautiful country. What advice would you give to someone born in difficult circumstances? Dream big, think big! Everything is possible to him that belief. We are our own worst enemy because we limit our thoughts and ultimately ourselves. The three most valuable lessons your personally apply in your life are? I Believe in my God. I Have a concept of not living a mediocre life. Be positive, do not limit yourself by thinking and speaking negativity. “Body by Rey is an excellent book and provide principles to be healthy, physically, spiritually and mentally. Definitely a must read! It will change the way you look at your life forever. Contact
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Brand Ambassadors -Thulane Hadebe
We must go back to how our ancestors ate. Lean meat, fresh vegetables and fruit and exercise (even just a little daily).
Thulane@brand-ambassadors.co.za
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What is the message you would like to share with South Africans regarding their health?
+27 11 021 5998
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Unearth the power of Acappela music The Soil comprised of three young Acappela singers from Soweto – Ntsika Fana Ngxanga, Luphindo Ngxanga and Buhlebendalo Mda have had an incredible run of success since the release of their debut album through a joint venture between Native Rhythms Productions and Sony Music. It is very rewarding to have true talent recognized, especially when it comes from local and international experts in the arts. With their music they aim to bring a message of hope to the audience, by telling the audience about daily issues and still producing an original sound. This is what the Acappela group, The Soil, is all about. Having featured in the Fringe programme with their performances at the Library Hall, the Soweto-based ensemble aims to heal the audience with their music. It started off with 20 or so members who met approximately six years ago, while they were
Singing in after-school jam sessions on Fridays, they honed their sound and now the ones that are left, Luphindo Ngxanga, Ntsika Ngxanga and Buhlebendalo Mda say that their other member is God. The group performs without musical instruments, with the back-up being beat-box sounds of their own making. Ntsika Ngxanga says “we have never had access to instruments as artists so we made our own instruments.’ This group recently received a Standard Bank Ovation after a series of Grahamstown Arts Festival performances. ‘Sedilaka’ off their self-titled debut has also been secured for placement on an international film starring Halle Berry (Dark Tide). It features in the body of the film for over 2 minutes in a stills and video montage of the main character (Halle Berry). Dark Tide was shot in the United Kingdom and in Simonstown and Seal Island, South Africa. Their first single was ‘Joy’ (We Are Family). Julia Stewardt from Ray spoke to The Soil for a peak into their world. The following members contributed: 10 sue
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The Soil
learners at Tetelo Secondary School in Protea North.
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Text & Images Julia Stewardt; Sony Music
Ntsika Fana Ngxanga (NFN); Luphindo Ngxanga (LN); Buhlebendalo Mda (BM) Describe the moment when you won the Standard Bank Ovation Award. What was it like? What went through your mind? NFN: It was beyond remarkable and I tried so hard to hold back the tears as I jumped for joy. Tell us more about your background? Are you close to your family? NFN and LN: (Brothers) we grew up with our paternal grandmother in Meadowlands; during our primary schooling years she taught us everything that we know and instilled great values in our hearts and the love for music came from everything and everyone that surrounded us. BM: Mine is not one of the best backgrounds, but through the love and unity of my siblings we managed to survive. My brother and sisters are very close to my mother. We sometimes call each other “shlobo” - the bond we have can only be broken by God. I love my family a lot! At what age did you know you wanted to pursue music as a full-time career? What events led to this decision? LN: I grew up in a musical family, and that made me believe that it is possible for me to venture more in to the music world, and meeting the guys that were then members of The Soil at high school events made my dreams about living a life with music reach new heights. At the time I was around 16 years of age. Who had the biggest influence in your career by far?
Please describe your sound to us. Extremely Angelic…very heavenly, sacredly unique! Are there any artists in your music genre that you admire? NFN: Since we are the only ones in our genre, Kasi Soul for now, I also listen to the late Amy Winehouse, John Legend, and the late gogo Miriam Makeba... just to name a few. LN: Simphiwe Dana, Governor and Adele. BM: Camagwini, usisi Thandiswa Mazwai, Hlengiwe Mhlaba, Simphiwe Dana, Gloria Bosman... and the late mama Busi Mhlongo. What can your avid fan base expect from you for the rest of the year? Out of this world live performances. They must expect the unexpected! Contact Interview requests Sony Music Entertainment Africa +27 11 274 5000 Booking and Management Enquiries Native Rhythms Productions
Where did the name of THE SOIL originate from?
+27 11 325 2632; +27 11 325 2641
You had an incredible run of success since the release of your debut album (6 June 2011). In which way did your life change? NFN: Increasing awareness of our music has brought recognition from people within and outside the music industry - we are also finding that we being noticed by people out there as they stop us and tell us how much they love and appreciate what we’ve been blessed with.
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BM: Adrenalin got the better of me. I had mixed emotions. God indeed exists, thank you!
BM: GOD.
From the strong belief we have - the one that stems from knowing that we are mediums that God created using the very soil through which He intends to pass messages of hope, love, courage and faith amongst many. Amen.
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Sedilaka’ off your self-titled debut had been secured for placement on an international film starring Halle Berry (Dark Tide). Describe the feeling and emotions you experience while hearing the extraordinary news.
Live performance bookings are to be directed to Native Rhythms Productions. rm
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been to France, Holland, the UK, Nashville, Russia, Mozambique, Australia and other places finding that the heart of worship would be the only way to cross cultural and language barriers. Riana won best pop album of the year at the Huisgenoot Tempo awards! She has had 4 nr 1 hit singles in less than 11 months off her latest album “Die Moeite Werd”. This is one they would call a must have! We had a closer look. Who is Riana Nel, the person, the artist and who had the greatest influence in your life? I’m just a girl who loves singing and finally figured
Text Nanita Chadha Images CO Productions
Crossing cultural and language barriers through music. Riana Nel is a South African artist who needs no introduction. I personally recognised this
remarkable talent when close family chose her “Be the Centre” track for their wedding. The song really expressed the heart of the singer and people were in awe as His presence could be felt in a tangible way. It was an immense spiritual moment for me. However for those of you who have not yet heard about her, she was born in Namibia and after growing up in Windhoek, she moved to South Africa to start her career as a South African singer / songwriter.
She has written songs for Juanita Du Plessis, Bobby Van Jaarsveld and for Lianie May’s most recent album, ‘Lank Lewe Die Liefde’. Riana Nel has shared a stage with her sister Nianell, Bobby van Jaarsveld, Lianie May and many more. She has
The worst thing that can happen to anyone is to be promoted before the time is right! I feel so ordinary in a life so exciting! Born in Namibia and singing to prostitutes in the hotel lobby at 1 am in the morning to being on a stage singing in front of 200 000 men at the mighty men’s conference! What I can say about myself is... What you see is what you get. I am the same on and off the stage! I’m the best me when I’m just myself! This reflects through my song that I wrote, I’m real and honest and sometimes it bites me to share so
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Her latest album “Die Moeite Werd” appeals more to the secular market and has reached Platinum status and continues to top South African Music charts. Riana has also starred in the Afrikaans movie, ‘N Saak Van Geloof’ alongside her co-star Robbie Wessels, the well acclaimed South African singer / songwriter comedian.
out what I want to do with my life! It feels like I’ve been everywhere and like I have been through so much to train me for the life I’m living now.
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Her songs have been described as including elements of “Pop & Country”. She had firmly placed her roots in Gospel music on release of the albums; “Oopmond”, “The Cure”, “Someone With Skin” and won many awards including the “Crescendo award” in 2000.
much but I can’t be what I’m not. Just like Sheryl Crow, Sarah Mclaghlan and any great country singer songwriter... If you don’t own your music and believe what you are saying, it will never have the impact that it needs to have! You mention on your website that you need to put His Bride above your dreams. How did you managed to get to a point where His Will for your Life takes priority in your career? The day I realised that my career is more kingdom than anything else and it’s not a career but living out His purpose for my life! I get to reach so much more people now than when I was only singing in churches. When you are evangelistic you need to get out there! What or who inspired your album “Die Moeite Werd” and what is the overall message and goal of the album?
Any upcoming events that you would like to share with us? The Gospel skouspel the 1st September in Grand West Cape Town and the Afrikaans is Groot show in Moreleta Auditorium in Pretoria are going to be highlights for me. What advice would you give young and upcoming Gospel musicians in SA? Be real! Consider the people who need to hear your songs and believe in your songs, and then people will believe in them! And know that only God promotes, not man! He opens the doors that no man can shut! Work hard and give it your best! That is good enough for Him! He will do the rest! I thank God for this gift and that I get to enjoy it in this way! Amen!
“Die Moeite Werd” is my first mainstream album after three gospel albums. I want as many as possible people to hear the songs and be encouraged by them! For some reason the gospel songs never got the chance they deserved, so although the message didn’t change, the label did. This means that the message and goal of the album is to encourage and bring hope again. Just being real and authentic, not trying to have it all together but also knowing where to get help. My heart still loves my Jesus and my music confesses it! But everyone gets to hear it now! Over 65 000 albums sold already and I know it’s my heart that people now have in their hands! Hope they take care of it! You have written songs for yourself and other artists, is this something you think is important for an artist to be able to do? I love writing my own songs because I know I have something to say. Writing for other artists is fun, you get to climb into their characters and write what they would have wanted to say! It’s a little like acting. This way I get to bring a positive message through more than one channel! This track I wrote in a little stuffy room in Kings Langley England in my lowest moment ever. I never thought that this song would be the one I would sing in front of over 200 000 people. This song is the very reason for the album! What do you do when you are not busy producing songs? How do you spend your free time? I love spending every free second with friends. They shape me and teach me and they end up being my muses! M
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CONTACT Corne Oosthuizen corne@coproductions.co.za +27 83 380 3810 ; +27 12 751 3601 Web www.coproductions.co.za; www.riananel.co.za
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Health
The list of health benefits derived from regular exercise is a long one, and science shows that just 30 minutes a day can already contribute to a happier, shapelier, more energised new you. A tiny bit of effort up front is all it takes to get the energy ball rolling. This is because exercise speeds up blood flow and your breathing rate, which in turn brings more oxygen to your heart, lungs, brain and muscles. You are never “too old” or “too set in your ways” to do something to improve your health. The real truth is that good health is a day-by-day commitment of eating right and exercising. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Drink lots of clean, purified water. “It is health that is wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” Mahatma Gandhi 10 sue
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God’s Pharmacy Text Herman Uys Images Shutterstock.com
Part 7
Cabbage Cabbage was used by the ancients for medical purposes as well as nourishment. Cabbage used to be a punishment to children, because of its bitter taste (magnesium), but today cabbage has lost most of its mineral properties, due to soil quality deterioration. But it still has many of its anti- inflammatory powers and also carries certain chemicals that aid as a prevention against cancer. M
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Cabbage juice relieves eye infection and is an excellent antacid, if eaten raw. Raw cabbage
disinfects an inflamed colon. Cabbage often relieves headaches. Raw cabbage leaves can be used on inflamed wounds to draw out poisons.
Carrots Carrots keep lymph glands clean and healthy. If carrots are eaten regularly, a woman’s monthly cycle can benefit by it. Carrots are anti inflammatory, as well as an antiseptic. Why not get a bag of carrots every month from your grocer and juice them, freeze the juice and drink a glass of carrot juice every day. The changes in your general health will surprise you. Especially do this if you’ve been on a sickbed to get
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your immune system back on track. Raw carrot juice can also be poured onto wounds to fight infection and heal sores quickly.
Cucumber Cucumber is rich in vitamin C and can be used as an inner and outer body cleanser. It’s a good skin cleanser, and an excellent anti-inflammatory vegetable. Drink cucumber juice for inflammation and arthritis. Cucumber juice is a good remedy for stomach ulcers and heartburn. If your eyes are irritated, tired, stressed and overworked, cut two thick slices of cucumber. Place them on your eyes, lie down on your back for 20 minutes, and pray. Cucumber juice on sunburn skin cools the skin off and soothes out the burn. Drink cucumber juice every 2 minutes to bring down fever. Herman uys
Celery This veggie has a calming effect on the nervous system due to its high calcium levels. Celery must be eaten raw - the leaves as well as the stem. Celery seed is rich in iron and vitamins A,B, and C. Celery seed is an excellent liver tonic, and fight high blood pressure. Celery is healing to the kidneys, and does wonders to urinary tract infection and bladder infection. Celery soup before a meal, suppresses the appetite. State, South Africa.
Rev. Herman Uys is the founder of Koinonia Ministries, and moves nationally, as well as abroad, as a public and conference speaker. He is the author of the book: God’s Pharmacy. He grew up in a small town, Bethlehem, in the Free
He graduated from the University of Pretoria in 1984 with a BA and BD degree, and a diploma in theology. His interest in the field of natural healing took him on a road of intense study in this subject. His book: God’s Pharmacy was birthed in 2003, as a spontaneous overflow, and as a result of public demand. He believe that there is no sickness, disease or physical condition that is allowed to exist on our planet that we experience on earth, without our Creator already having provided an effective antidote and / or medicine in nature. These natural remedies are found in the form of plants, fruit, or veggies, created for us earth dwellers to be healthy and well, we simply might not know about them. He says: “You are what you eat and what you don’t eat.” rm
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Text: www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/ or www.thirdage.com/aging-well/ Images Shutterstock.com
Superfoods Why not add nutritionally dense food to your diet this Spring, by consuming more
superfoods/fruits that offer nourishment, protection from disease and many other health benefits. Superfoods/fruits are known for its superior nutritional value and natural colour is often a great indicator of nutritional density. Organic fruits and vegetables are vibrantly rich in various pigments which protect our health. The superfoods mentioned below are brimming with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and flavour that will keep you energized this season. Include loads of it in your cooking or eat them raw this Spring, to ensure you and your family benefit optimally from your meals this season. Alliums: The allium family includes: garlic, green onions, chives, shallots, onions, and leeks and provides a great foundation for salads and savoury dishes. With a long history of health promoting properties which include stimulating the immune system to lowering cholesterol, they are a must in your kitchen. To get the most health benefits from garlic, mince, slice or press your garlic and allow it to “rest� for at least 5-10 minutes to allow the health promoting compound called allicin to form. More of this phytonutrient is produced when you chop or mince your garlic finely. That also adds to the distinctive
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aroma. If you do not let it sit, the allicin is never formed and you miss out on the benefits.
Rhubarb is an outrageously colourful vegetable that thinks it’s a fruit. Rhubarb that has been forced in pots in January usually has yellow leaves, but later in spring the field-grown variety replaces the forced variety and tastes even more delicious, in my opinion. Rhubarb contains vitamin C, vitamin K and calcium, but is particularly high in dietary fibre which helps to lower blood cholesterol levels. Rhubarb leaves are highly poisonous and should never be eaten. When cooking Rhubarb, avoid using an aluminium saucepan. The metal of the pan reacts with the acids and other constituents of the juice. Rhubarb is really quite adaptable contrary to opinion and can be used in a variety of ways.
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Tip: Combine flavours with Rhubarb to make the tartness more palatable. Rhubarb is delicious in a sage and ginger sauce with Duck, in a salsa with Lamb, or oily fish and tastes delicious in a fruity crumble topped with toasted almonds.
Spinach contrary to popular belief, spinach is
not an especially good source of iron, although its dark leaves do contain a lot of valuable nutrients. Spinach is a rich source of foliate - the B vitamin that helps in the prevention of heart disease, dementia and colon cancer. If everyone were to eat at least one serving of greens, including spinach, each week they would be 20% less likely to develop cancer of the colon, according to a research paper from Italy. Lutein, another compound found in spinach fights against macular degeneration. In a recent Harvard study, spinach was highlighted as a significant preventative
Tomatoes Red fruits and vegetables are known for the lycopene it contains. This is a powerful cancer fighting antioxidant. Specifically, it’s known for reducing cell damage caused from toxins. Include generously in your spring salads or add to your sauces to ensure you get the benefits of that lycopene this Spring.
Let’s have a look at Superfruits: Blueberry Blueberries contain high levels of Fiber, Vitamins E & K, and Selenium. They are most notable for their antioxidant properties which battle free radicals that speed up aging and deteriorate the immune system. They are also rich in manganese, which plays an important role in bone development. Blueberries can aid in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s.
Blackberry Blackberries have a very high Fiber and Selenium content, and just like blueberries are full of antioxidants. They also contain polyphenols and anthocyanins which may help prevent cancer and heart disease. Blackberries are different from blueberries in that they can grow anywhere, while blueberries only grow in acidic soil.
Raspberry for strokes.
Watercress contains super high levels of vitamin C. It also contains way more calcium than milk and high levels of iron as well as ample quantities of vitamins B1, B6, E and K and lots of important minerals including zinc. Watercress is reported to be a super liver cleansing agent, so an excellent overall detoxifier. Do ensure you wash watercress thoroughly, as unwashed watercress can contain liver fluke, which you don’t want in your body!
Raspberries nutritional value is highest in Fibre, Vitamins B2 & K, Calcium, Iron and Selenium. Raspberries most unique nutrient is ellagic acid, an important antioxidant not sold as dietary supplements. Its antioxidant properties are linked to possible health benefits in reducing heart disease diabetes, and cancer, aiding in visual function, brain function, aging, and providing antibiotic properties.
To be continued. rm
Tip: It is best to eat watercress raw and added to salads, added to a sandwich or on its own with fish. You can also make your own watercress pesto, swapping basil for watercress, or try a tuna, white bean and watercress salad with olive oil and balsamic dressing.
Broccoli This low cost cruciferous vegetable has it all. Cruciferous vegetables are known for a compound that neutralizes toxins in the liver and helps cleanse the system, keeping us looking and feeling great. 10 sue
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Inspirational The message of the Bible represents the timeless truth of God. Understanding the meaning of the Bible is a challenge that faces every reader of the biblical text. The psalmist reminds us, “His truth endures to all generations” Psalm 117:2. Jesus said, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” John 8:32. Jesus Christ is the greatest person who ever lived. There have been great men and women whose lives have made an impact while they were here on earth. But the greatest of them does not hold a candle to the blazing brilliance of His life. His person, character, wisdom, love, and grace leap off the pages of the New Testament into the hearts of all who believe in HIM. 10 sue
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Text Rina Smit Images Michael Maherry & shutterstock.com
We are not supposed to be “Lone Rangers” Life is difficult for everybody. There are hard jobs, hard marriages, and hard
family dynamics. But some people compound their problems by ignoring basic principles that can help them get where they want to go in life. One of the principles is that we are not supposed to be “lone rangers”. We need other people around us to function properly. Each of us is part of a team. Whether we like to admit it or not, we rely on others and others rely on us.
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What matters most is not how we stand out as individuals but rather how we make the team better with our time, energy and spiritual gifts. When we make our team better, that same team gives back to us in our moments of need.
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If we embrace the gratitude of teamwork, we will become leaders who make others, and ourselves, better. True team players also become the greatest and most followed leaders. Remember the old childhood lessons? One was: “There is no I in team” Team is about working together. If you bring others in on each new effort you attempt, you will find that you will grow stronger with them. The best thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side. There is something uplifting about having others around in both good and bad times. We need to be able to share our victories and defeats with the people around us. Being part of a team means you will never be alone. Being part of a team makes you more like Christ and more likely to do the kind of work He did, including reaching out to those in the greatest need. Jesus surrounded Himself with the disciples. Team is often defined as a number of persons associated in some type of joint or community action with a corporate goal. It is a group of people who are united by a cause. Team is all about relationship. Nonetheless, some people persist in believing the lie that they are totally independent. They don’t need anyone and no-one needs them. Whether we admit it or not, this is usually an easy way of getting ourselves off the hook when it comes
to helping others, since we don’t “owe” anybody anything. But life usually teaches us that such a view is a lie, and sometimes the lesson is painful. There is also an old saying that said: “It is lonely at the top’’. However, that is usually only true because those at the top stop letting others into their world. Not only is this exclusionary attitude short-changing those who close the doors and build the walls, but it can also have dramatic effect on the professional success of businesspeople that fall into this practice. When Jesus began His ministry, He formed a team. The twelve He chose each had special talents, distinct experiences, and unique motivations. When mixed together, their differences became their strengths. Jesus taught His disciples about individual responsibility and team play. When we stick the Name of Jesus on marquees in neon lights, we sometimes forget that He was a real person here on earth. A person, with real friends. Jesus shook hands, hugged those He loved, and taught mighty lessons in everyday ways. He got rocks in His sandals just like everyone else. In the way He humbly went about the work of His Father, He presented to us the importance of relationships with family, friends, and co-workers. Jesus was perfect, and He was still part of a team.
when they needed to be praised and when they needed to be taught a lesson. He began the book of 1 Corinthians by thanking and praising the members of the team. He then asked them to stop arguing because it was hurting the team. Over and over in his letters to the churches, Paul used the word “we”. Today, more that nineteen hundred years after his death, Paul’s life, actions, and words are still bringing new members to the team.
Jesus showed us through example how to nurture relationships if we want to have any hope of changing the world. He took the time to listen to the woman at the well and offer her a spot on God’s team if she was willing to give up her old lifestyle. He recruited new team members wherever He went. Could he have changed the world on His own? Sure, He had the power of ages at His beck and call! But Jesus came to teach the world how to live in relationship and work as a team, a lesson that quickly spread far and wide. Saul of Tarsus was incredibly arrogant. Before he was struck blind on the road to Damascus, he was sure he needed no one. His goal was to wipe out the
Consider something else about Paul. To many, he would have been thought of as an outsider. He was a citizen of Rome. He had worked for the government. He had once sought to punish Christians for their faith. Thus he would hardly have seemed suited to become part of a team that followed Jesus’ teachings. So those who came to know and accept Paul as not just a member of this team but also a team leader had to forgive him of his past transgressions. They had to open their hearts and trust him when he had once given them no reason for that trust. Teams are made of people who are not perfect and not exactly like you. In fact, a team is best when
The key is for all the members of the team to be seeking the same goal. Every saint has a past, but every sinner has a future. team that Christ had put together, and he was going to do it all by himself.
the members have different talents and different perspectives.
Yet when he became Paul the apostle, he immediately wanted to become part of a team.
The key is for all the members of the team to be seeking the same goal. Every saint has a past, but every sinner has a future.
You don’t have to look far to understand what team meant to Paul. He wrote letters explaining it. In those letters, he thanked his team for their support and hard work. He provided them with game plans for how to better play the game of life. His writings to the churches might have singled out some for special thanks, but they also included this vital message: “You are one body.” What is a group of people who are one body? A team, of course. M
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You can tell, in Paul’s writings, that he took the time to get to know his team members. He understood
When Paul was Saul, he had the ‘god of your world” complex. That complex has destroyed more successful people than any other single attitude. Scores of entertainers, politicians, businesspeople, and even preachers have taken a quick plunge simply because they thought they knew everything and weren’t willing to listen to anyone else. Rather than live by the law, they believed they had the right to make their own laws. This same concept has destroyed countless families too. Take a moment and look around you. Who are the happiest people you know? They’re people who work with others, not above others.
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They’re people who not only offer answers but also ask questions. They are men and woman who grow with the times rather than hide from a changing world. The happiest people recognize that they don’t know everything and that God didn’t make them more special than anyone else. Therefore they are curious, eager to have others teach them, and not afraid to admit either their ignorance or their mistakes. They will open their doors and accept people who look different, think different, and come from different backgrounds. It is people who embrace teamwork. rm
The best thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side. There is something uplifting about having others around in both good and bad times. We need to be able to share our victories and defeats with the people around us. Being part of a team means you will never be alone.
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Text Nevil Norden Images Shutterstock.com
Nevil Norden
My Lion Nature Malcolm Crank said:
“The power of God is given to enable us to do a spiritual thing in a spiritual way in an unspiritual world.” In the Bible God compares the righteous person to a bold lion. Proverbs 28:1 (MLB): “The wicked flee when there is no one pursuing, but the righteous are as fearless as a young lion.” To the believer this is possible, because in Christ Jesus God offers us a right standing before Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says: “For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus).” In that sense, Jesus gives us His lion abilities and His lion nature.
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These abilities enable us to become bold and fearless and to live a victorious life. Fear is the opposite of faith. A fearful person is normally a faithless person, but a fearless person is a faith-filled person.
Faith-filled people are fearless people. As a faith-filled person, you become positioned for a miracle, because faith pleases God. Hebrews 11:6: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him (God)…” Boldness has a stroke of genius, a release of power, a door of freedom, a door of opportunity and it speaks a word of faith without fear. To be a Christian in the true sense of the word is to be bold. Boldness is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to trust God regardless of a fearful situation. Now, the challenging question: What does it mean to be “as bold as a lion”? In essence, it means four things: Being a person of confidence. This is a person of assurance. No place for doubt. Confidently I can now declare: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). My confidence is not in myself, but in Him who
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began the good work in me. Philippians 1:6 (AMP): “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing that He (God) who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ.” Being a person of courage. This speaks of fearlessness in the face of danger. David, a young shepherd boy, faced Goliath, a giant and a welltrained fighting machine. David’s courage was rooted in the God he served and his deed of courage saved a nation from slavery. Being a fearless person. This is God’s ability in me to constantly deliver me from any form of fear. God’s love has been poured out in the heart of true believers by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. That love constantly gives the believer hope and hope is the door to faith. Biblical hope is the expectation of future good. Fear is a spirit and only love can break the power of that spirit. Yet that love needs to be God’s love that has become a reality in the heart of the believer. 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…” God’s love in Jesus Christ is perfect love as God paid the penalty for all my sin when Jesus died in my place on the cruel cross of Calvary. God’s love doesn’t kill; it gives abundant life – a life abundant in quantity and superior in quality.
Being a daring person. A daring person dares to obey and act upon God’s Word. These four qualities are different from each other, yet they work together in unity. When the Jewish nation had to possess their Promised Land, God spoke to their leader, Joshua, and said to him: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). God’s abiding presence will give you courage and if you believe His promise that He will never leave or forsake you, you will be kept from terror and discouragement. Ephesians 3:12 says that in Him “we have boldness”. I love the boldness of King David. In Psalm 51, after David was confronted for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba and for murdering her husband to cover it up, he cried out to God – not just for pardon, but for purity; not just for comfort, but also for cleansing. Although David’s heart was crushed, he knew that God is a God of mercy, so he dared to ask God for a restoration of joy and to once again experience God’s presence. True brokenness restores your lionlikeness. In a children’s church meeting, as a little girl of five was listening to the story of David, boldness rose up in her heart. When she went home she
confronted her daddy who was a heavy drinker. She said, “Daddy, because of your drinking, I never have a loving daddy with a lap to sit on and I’ve had enough of daddy’s drinking.
The next moment Jesus shocked them by saying: “… before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58).
I need my daddy.” She rebuked the spirit of bondage that had enslaved her dad and declared that the bondage to alcohol was broken over him.
I am the bread of life. (John 6:48)
Her father was struck by her boldness, but most of all by her authority in Jesus’ Name. He got up from his chair and poured the rest of the contents of the Brandy bottle down the drain and to his surprise he
I am the door. (John 10:9)
Jesus boldly declared who He was:
I am the living bread. (John 6:51)
I am the light of the world. (John 9:5)
God is a God of mercy, so he dared to ask God for a restoration of joy and to once again experience God’s presence. never touched the bottle again.
I am the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25)
We need a bold generation. We need a generation of bold young lions.
I am the good shepherd. (John 10:11)
Faith in God’s forgiveness, as demonstrated through Jesus, will restore your boldness. In a church in Belgium there was a young girl who had been rejected by her parents.
I am the true vine. (John 15:1)
She always looked down and hardly spoke a word to anybody, yet she kept coming to church as if drawn by an unseen force. She heard the words of Jesus spoken from the cross of Calvary in Luke 23:34:
Real, bold, Biblical living is never filled with the unholy trinity, ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘my’. It is never egotistic, offensive and ugly. In Romans 8:29 we read that Jesus was the firstborn among many brethren.
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Those words cut right into her heart and softened her hardened heart. All of a sudden this girl looked up, got up in this church and said loudly:
Therefore, in Him we have the ability to overcome, to reign over sin and to be more than conquerors in this life!
“Lord Jesus, forgive my parents for rejecting me!” There was a total silence in that church for about thirty seconds. Then all the people stood up and started cheering and clapping hands. Boldness returned when the forgiveness was spoken and the stronghold of rejection was broken. Boldness comes from within, for Matthew 12:34 says: “… for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” The people of Jerusalem said of Jesus in John 7:26: “But look! He speaks boldly and nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?” Jesus was confident wherever He went and He was fearless in the face of men’s threats. One day, as He stood before the Jewish people, they began exalting their father Abraham. M
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I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
(All Scripture references have been taken from the New King James Version, unless where otherwise specified.)
A Word from Nevil Norden Since the
establishment of Living Word in 1986, it has been my and Rina’s desire that Living Word will be and stay a true renewal congregation. It is our desire to truly have people hungry for the Living Word of God and to see the Word grow in strength (Acts. 19:20). www.lewendewoord.co.za +27 12 845 8300
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Do you realise how valuable you are? Text Rina Smit Images Shutterstock.com
As a result our gifts stay undeveloped. Sometimes we allow disappointments and failures to steal our confidence, and again, our treasures remain buried. Insecurities and low self-esteem can convince us that we have nothing special to offer. We live in an age in which it is easy to miss our destiny. Too often we measure ourselves against the standards of our time, sometimes without realising it. If only we could comprehend how much we matter to God, we could look at the world around us, and at eternity itself, with an utterly new vision. God did not create you to be ordinary. He never called us to be average. We were never called to be
Despite the discouragement you’ve had, regardless of the hurts, challenges, or insults you’ve experienced, God already equipped you to achieve your destiny. We were called to be great men and women of God. If you are following God by faith, every once in a while He will lead you to a moment where He will call you to take a step and try something you can’t do. When you try things you can’t do, you get a chance to see what God can do; you get to see God’s miraculous power take over. God said to Joshua, “I want you to take the first step.” Taking the first step into something you can’t do is always the hardest step, and requires complete trust in the power and goodness of God. Stir up your gifts on the inside. God is saying, “I will take you
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within us. YOU too have gifts to share with this world. They are buried treasure within you, laying dormant, waiting to be discovered. Your full potential has not been released yet. Your Godgiven divine destiny awaits you. Too often we procrastinate or we allow negative thoughts and selfdoubt to discourage us from chasing our dreams.
mediocre. He did not bestow gifts so that they could go undiscovered or grant potential that would be unfulfilled.
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Every one of us has secret dreams and desires along with seeds of greatness implanted
somewhere that you’ve never been before. I will open new opportunities. I will give you new ways to increase. Are you prepared?”
May you grow daily in the knowledge, and joy, of how much you matter to HIM! I encourage you to expand your vision for life.
God didn’t create us to be victims of a challenging world. He created us to be conquerors. God has given us the ultimate gift, Himself, to guide us when we’re lost, counsel us when we’re trying to make a difficult decision, teach us to succeed, comfort us
Remain faithful. Live with expectancy. Remember we are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.
Remember we are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. when we’re in pain and ultimately give us the power to conquer seemingly impossible obstacles. If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes. The implications of our identity in the eyes of God are staggering. We have legal access to walk in greater manifestations of the anointing until we come to the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ. M
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Carve your name on hearts and not on marble. Do all the good you can, to all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can. The greatest of all insights are that we can’t be tomorrow what we don’t do today. That is why today or the present matters so much. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 rm
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The secret
of a successful relationship Text Pastor Olivier Kizika Daniel Images Shutterstock.com
The alarming divorce rates, the disintegration of families, with its consequences, the urban solitary lifestyle, are just a portion of a rather bleak picture that our “advanced societies� represent.
A society must have dynamics that guarantee its progress i.e. its collective philosophies, its beliefs and values. In the 18th Century in Europe before the industrial revolution, first came the philosophical revolution.
The progress of a society cannot be measured only by economic growth and better conditions of living.
It was a time of the formulation of great theories on democracies and free societies. America was born
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human relations that ensure our sustenance and survival as a race.
While striving for these ideals, let us not forget that what enhances our life is not just the pay cheques, but also the fact that we can benefit from each other as humans.
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At the core of every blossoming and developing society there’s need for strong and solid
at this time and the French revolution also happened around the same time. Belief precedes behaviour, as concept comes before the product and values pave the way to valuables. A society or person that pursues products and valuables while compromising on values and principles is doomed to fail. One of the great legacies of this historic philosophical revolution of the 18th century is the promotion of human rights. We cannot be indifferent to the fact that thanks to the promotion of human rights we have made strides when it comes to justice, equality, dispensing fairness and mitigating abuses of all kinds. However, this is my shocking statement: God does not promote human rights! But rather, God promotes human values. The only right we have as Christians is what He gives to us, not what we proclaim for ourselves. He owns us, and He only gives us freedom as a margin to manage our lives. Regarding the other person as having value will sustain and build strong human
marriage you have the right to divorce, but don’t you value your children enough to consider their welfare? Society gives rights to women to terminate their pregnancy through abortion, but God says, before rights comes human value. If you consider the worth of the life that is in your womb, you will not attempt to kill that destiny. The biblical concept of forgiveness is the giving up of your right to pay back and let God judge! God does not promote human rights; He promotes human value and worth. The ideal of equal rights across the board for all is an illusion. Reality tells us that the persons who can afford good lawyers can get away with almost anything. Politicians who are in theory civil servants feel like they have more prerogatives and privileges than the masses, therefore the practical application of rights is never equal. But when it comes to human worth and value, no one can dare think he is more valuable than the rest of us.
Beyond rights, let us see value in the other person. Let us consider the potential in each individual we come across . relations, which is the acid test of an “advanced” society. In South Africa we have overcome apartheid and we have been given human rights, but we are yet to value each other. The way you treat something depends on the value you place on it, not its rights! The one you value, you will respect and protect. We are promoting human rights, yet today you can be shot for a cell phone, because there’s no discourse on human value! We are drowning in the ocean of rights whereby every tendency, impulse and vice is permitted so long as it is within our right to do so. The militants of human rights erode the pillars of morality and ethics, let alone spirituality. What about our values as human that distinguishes us from beasts? Your boss at work pays you because he respects your human right, but if he valued you more he will pay you more. Rights are necessary to safeguard mutual respect and fairness in dealing with each other, but value is far better.
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People can become selfish by insisting on their rights; but valuing others will promote better relationships. If you are having problems in your
For human rights, people fight but for human value God sacrificed His Son to show how much we really mean to Him. Beyond rights, let us see value in the other person. Let us consider the potential in each individual we come across with. Human beings judge and assess you by your performance, but God will deal with you based on your worth and potential. That’s why He never gives up on you. Even after many mistakes He still believes in you and your value. The secret of a successful relationship is simple: put value before rights. Value promotes ethics but rights promote liberties. This trend can lead to the legalization of suicide, euthanasia and the cloning of human. In its inception, the universal declaration of human rights was almost synonymous with the promotion of human dignity and value. But we need to understand that unregenerate humans are inherently immoral, inclined to excess and vice. As long as the mind is creative, as long as people have personal preferences, the rights and liberties we claim will be endless. In the process we are tempering with ethics and
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Does the decriminalization of prostitution or the legalization of euthanasia (the so called “mercy killing”) promotes our human value or reinforces our rights? Think about it. When God gave the law to the Israelites, it elevated them above all peoples, it imparted special value and dignity on them as God’s people. For this reason, in biblical times, they were not to abase themselves in marrying foreigners or adopt their ways. This is not a case of restricted liberty, but rather restraining you to high standards and values! God knows that natural tendencies are always downward and prone to compromise. Therefore by law, you are expected to maintain high values in keeping with your worth as a human being even more so as a child of God. In today’s secular humanistic world, laws and ethics are determined by a collective conscience of the majority through what is viewed as normal and acceptable. We basically have a system in place that says: the majority can’t be wrong! Whatever the majority comes to believe as normal and acceptable, that’s what is valued and promoted.
The ethics and principles of the past generation, which were mostly inspired by spiritual truth, have been replaced by what the majority decides in their quest for more freedom and rights! New tendencies and ideas are creeping in through the media, arts and education into our culture, therefore the collective conscience of the majority is bribed and shifted from what used to be right or wrong. Democracy is said to be the rule of the majority. What if the majority is wrong, corrupt and deceived? As the world progresses, there will be a continuous quest for more rights and liberties. What is our place as human beings created by God in His image, endowed with worth and value, that He did not hesitate to sacrifice His Son for our redemption? The Bible says the Sabbath was created for man and not man for the Sabbath. That means, before any law or right, God places value on human beings as being precious. We need a revolution in the society, a fundamental change on what we promote, what we defend and what we pursue. Value someone today. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT WATCHMAN CHURCH 00267 713 72524, 00267 723 51913
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My question is should we make laws to reinforce our rights or limit them? We have the choice to reinforce our rights, I mean any right, or we can choose to promote human value instead?
50 years ago you could easily believe someone on his or her words. But today, you can’t even lend a thousand Rands to your cousin without him signing on a piece of paper!
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human value.
Text Rina Smit Images Morguefile.com / Shutterstock.com / Akiane Kramarik
How blessings can come from honouring According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, honour (from the Latin word honos, honouris), is the evaluation of a person’s social status as judged by that individual’s community. Accordingly, individuals are assigned worth and stature based on the harmony of their actions, code of honour, and that of the society at large.
Honour can be analysed as a relativistic concept, i.e. conflict between individuals and even cultures arising as a consequence of material circumstance and ambition, rather than fundamental differences in principle.
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Alternatively, it can be viewed as nativist, that honour is as real to the human conditions as love, and likewise derives from the formative personal bonds that establish one’s personal dignity and character.
In many countries the term honour can also refer to an award given by the state. Honour is a primal code of behaviour that defines the duties of an individual within a social group. Margaret Visser observes that in an honour-based society “a person is what he or she is in the eyes of other people”. For us to honour other people, is to treat them with respect and recognize their value. If we look at the 10 commandments of the Lord in the Bible, before He says: “you shall not commit murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal”... He says: “Honour your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land the Lord your God gives you”.
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It is the only commandment with a reward. I think it is pretty important if it is addressed before murder and adultery. Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honour your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” Ephesians 6:1-3. Unfortunately, we live in a day in which honouring or even respecting your elders seem to be lost. When I was growing up, we were taught to say “Yes, ma’am” and “No, sir,” not only to our parents, but to anyone who was an adult. It was called respect. Even though society has changed over the years, God’s Word hasn’t.
The last verse in the old Testament says: “And He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse”, Malachi 4:6. We need to realize that this is not a one-sided curse or problem, but it has several layers. It’s true that God says to all sons and daughters that we are to honour our fathers and mothers. But there is, once again, the flip side. “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4. “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands love your wives and do not be bitter towards them.
The commandment to honour your mother and father sounds simple. So simple that it’s hardly given any notice, especially when compared to some of the other Ten Commandments. But if we look closely, we will see how important it is to all our lives.
Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Colossians 3:18-21. We all need to work on this together. Why? So it can be long and good for us while we are still on the earth.
Honour your father and mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12.
When Jesus was hanging on the cross dying, He asked one of the disciples to take care of His mother. We can’t begin to imagine the agony, physically and spiritually, that He was going through at that
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honour your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: It’s only fair to remind you that for every up there is a down, for every north there is a south. In this case we need to look at the other side of the coin to see how important God’s Word is here. Honour your father and mother, and it will be well with you. Don’t honour them, and it will not be well with you. Honour your father and mother, and you will live long on the earth. Don’t honour them, and well, you fill in the blank. By ignoring this one commandment, one can release a curse that will block the blessing of God from your live.
If this is your case, decide to forgive, decide that even if you cannot say that you love them, you will honour God by honouring them the best you can, and God will honour you and break the curse off you and your family.
There are more levels of spiritual blessings. What about those over us in authority here on earth? “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” Hebrews 13:17.
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This kind of love is an emotion, but honour is an act of obedience. It’s sad to say some parents haven’t earned the love of their children by their actions.
moment. Yet with all that Jesus was facing, He still remembered His mother.
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Notice that God did not command us to feel love for our parents. You cannot command someone to feel love.
We live in a society that teaches us to disrespect people in authority. We don’t need to agree with the things they do, but we should still show respect. “The faces of elders were not honoured” Lamentations 5:12. Respect your elders; used to be a common admonishment that parents gave their children. It all starts at home. Children should be taught to also respect those in authority in society. And also respect the man or woman of God. Hebrews 13:17. Obviously, God was not talking about giving blind obedience to just anyone; but if you have decided that God has put a man or woman into your life as a shepherd, “let them do so with joy and not grief.”
It is not always easy to treat people around us with respect according to their actions, but the best way to be able to do that, is to realise that God created everybody with the same love, in His image with purpose and destiny, and then try to think what is inside and not what we see on the outside. Look at the life of David. When Saul was still king, and did all the wrong things, even direct unto David, he chose not to disrespect him. There is great reward in honouring. Do we honour to get reward? No, we honour by realising that the greatest price was paid for us all.
Jesus loves you and me so much that He came to bless us in every area of our lives. Jesus loves you and me so much that He came to bless us in every area of our lives. “I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly” John 10:10. He shed His precious, redeeming blood, so that you and I can have an abundant breakthrough life. There are more scriptures to read about honouring in different levels of society: 1Timothy 6; Ephesians 6:1-3; 1 Peter 2:17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; 1 Timothy 5:17-18.
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Start praying for people around you in all levels of society. Don’t speak out the wrong things and the problems you see, start speaking to the potential and call that forth. If you treat people with respect, recognize their value and honour them not for what they do, but for whom they are, honouring will become a natural part of your fibre, the curse will be broken and blessings will be released. rm
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Spring Season
Say Aloha to the 1950’s
Ageless Style Bloomy spring flowers are in abundance; pastel hues and a myriad of vibrant colours narrate nostalgic femininity and bring back the Hawaiian chic style the 1950’s stands for. Everything old is really new again. Classic patterns are reinterpreting in new shades and shapes, making this collection a heart-melting cool look. Smell the blooms and touch the sunshine. The 1950’s laid-back styles are all that the warm air breathes now.
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SPRING FASHION
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Jungle Fever
We celebrate women who are pinnacles of style at every age. The collective message being: live your years to the full, as one thing you can guarantee is that the passing of time will never wear thin a true love of fashion.
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Portrait of a Lady
Words Ally Mesnard Production & Styling The Angel Lifestyle Team Photographs Chris van Dalen
All clothing & accessories available from Angel Lifestyle
Shot on Location at The Oyster Box, Umhlanga
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Jazz Age
Models Ice Model Management
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Hair & Make-up Lisa Bailey
Jungle
Fever
Smile
at the palette of happiness. Vibrant colours and tribal jungle patterns resonate memories of happiness. Chase the breeze, swing with waves... Warm and sweet, nature is an orchestra; the foliage and the mighty ocean perfect instruments for a dynamic backdrop. Feel with your heart and the kiss of the wind as winter gives way to spring. Listen to the tranquillity of nature. That’s the purest way to be...
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Portrait of a lady Romance
is a poem. Spell femininity with what you wear. Charm lies in delicate textures, graceful details and soft pastel hues. This “portrait of a lady� look bears a perfect blend of soft fabrics, nostalgic vintage sophistication and out-and-out elegance.
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Jazz Age
The best
discovery is the look that constantly visits the classics. Revive treasures from good old times and extend the charm to present. This vintage-inspired looks are reminiscent from the 1940’s and 1950’s. Look towards the classic beauties from this era for a little inspiration to channel this iconic look. Think Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn and “Queen of Jazz” Ella Fitzgerald.
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Photography It is a very good idea to spend time choosing the right camera and lenses, but it is easy to neglect the bits and pieces that you should take with you when you go out to take pictures. Some accessories are luxuries, but many are essential and help you necessitate the most from your camera. Light is the main raw material that you require to make a photograph work, and the quality of light can turn an average shot into a winning one. “The Earth is Art, The Photographer is only a Witness� Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Earth from Above
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W e alk Melonie Eva sid d a li l i ttle on the w Text Patrick Ndlovu Images Melonie Eva
From the first look to Melonie
Eva’s images, you will realise that you are in front of a real talented photographer that is fond of portraiture, nature and nature photography. Her photos let us discover another dimension for the beauty of nature and life.
In 2007 Melonie tragically burnt in a petrol fire almost costing her life. After 2 years in rehabilitation and having operations to save her right hand to hold the camera she was back in the bush. Melonie’s images are remarked with the balanced composition and fresh colours that reflect the life behind these amazing shots.
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Her photographs require us to stand along and try to understand this deep relation between photographer and nature and ask questions about how she reached
this talent. Many questions come to our minds that only Melonie can answer. Here is the chance to meet with this great talented photographer and learn more about her life and photography. Please tell us about yourself, your background. I am a just a farm girl. I have lived in 5 African countries and feel most at home in the great outdoors.
My father was a farmer so we were very privileged growing up with hunting, fishing, freedom and space to wonder in the bush, as we wanted. I only go to the city if I really have to for weddings or funerals… that ‘s about, as close to the city you will get me.
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From a young age we were taught to be content with ourselves, finding company with my siblings or amusing ourselves creatively. I love poetry, writing and would escape to a tree or the river as a teenager to write and dream, watching the clouds roll by. You have lived in various places across the world. Where are you currently staying? The beautiful lowveld farming community of Komatipoort, Mpumalanga, South Africa, just 8 km from Crocodile Bridge gate entrance into the Kruger National Park. When did you decide to become a photographer? It was never really a decision. I always liked photography and the arts in general. But never thought I was any good. In 2004 I sold an image and my work got noticed. That was the start. From about 16 years old I wanted to study war journalism and pursued a photography career in journalism. I never got accepted into any related field, so I put it off. I still do not see myself as a “professional” and haven’t yet had the courage to quit my day jobs. But I love what I do and I like that it brings joy to others.
What does photography mean to you? Photography means the world to me. I can never understand why, when photographing a wedding the bride and groom negotiate the price of the photographer. The cake, the dress and all the other elements will be eaten, fade and be forgotten, the only lifelong memory that you will have of that day are the photos. So why skim on this department? Photography is a priceless moment of a memory, a glimpse of an emotion captured in time. Nobody can change or take it away. I do not see photography about the money, the fame or the recognition. It’s about the memory, the joy, peace, serenity and contentment the moment brings me. Can you recall the first photo you took that made you go WOW? I was in a vehicle in Etosha National Park, it was October and very hot, Impala where in rut. Three blacked faced Impala came running towards the vehicle and meters from the car they buckled down and started fighting. I got as low as I could and took a few shots. Later back in camp I showed my friend and travel companion Carol Polich (world renowned outdoor photographer), she said: “Mel that is wow”… I thought why? She said look at the lines, the eyes, the depth and the perception. It felt great; here this amazing photographer wanted a shot that I got…
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Do you have any formal training regarding photography? No, I have learnt from reading and understanding my subjects. My mentor and friend World-renowned photographer Carol Polich has taught me so much. I owe my career as photographer to her. She gave me the time and opportunities of a lifetime, developing my eye to see shape, colour that I never thought possible to capture in a lens. She has helped me grow as an artist and given me perspective that I never thought possible. How technical is your photography? I see the camera as having film. So I shoot in AV or M, and ISO, WB for every scene. I like to get things right in the field and don’t want to waste time on the computer. I will rather wait days for the perfect light than manipulate a sunset. Digital photography has made us into computer junkies and takes us out of the field and the chance of being outdoors. I do not like that… Where is your favourite place to live and work as a photographer in the world and why? This is a tough one; I say this smiling because there are so many amazing places. Some I have experienced and some I am yet to explore. So once I have seen the world I will give you your answer. Define the word “beauty”! Beauty is a combination of all qualities and properties such as harmony, serenity, form, colour, excellence, artistry, truthfulness and originality that bring delight to the senses and please the mind. My eye sees beauty, my ear hears beauty, my emotions are stirred and I feel beauty, my hand touches beauty and my senses delight in beauty. Beauty is what I hope to capture and bring delight to those who view my work. How does your personality change when you look through the camera lenses? I see everything differently. I look at Zebra with the naked eye and see a Zebra, but through the lens I see shape, stripes, leading the eye; I see lines, colour, and perspective of the object changes…
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I become more focused, my senses are heightened and the world around me drifts away.
It’s just the subject matter and me. I sometimes get I enjoy cooking and can make some killer seafood. lost in the moment and realize that I am thirsty or my So getting together with my siblings and family for hands are now freezing from the cold. a seafood dinner and great wine on the farm is a day well spent. What is your favourite image, either your own or someone else’s or both? Describe its creation or meaning to you?
The camera is never far away. I just might capture my niece or nephew doing something priceless.
I would have to say my Bison in a snow blizzard. To know what the Bison endures through the long harsh winter in order to survive.
What are the biggest personal or professional challenges you face on a daily basis?
Then to capture him in those conditions was amazing. It is -40 degrees Celsius, the wind is blowing, and the image tells you all about the elements and the extreme conditions. There is nothing as far as the eye can see but ice, snow, cold… and a beautiful Bison bull. Priceless! Describe a day in your personal or professional life. I love music, enjoy cooking, wine and family. A day off is spent with my Max dog (Australian cattle dog) and Basil (wire headed terrier). My day will start with a cup of great French press coffee. Some Jack Johnson or Van Morrison playing on the stereo.
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I think that we all face the challenge of TIME… we are so caught up in the human rat race that we forget to take time out for what is important. There is a great sunrise or sunset every day, how many of us take a minute to notice it? I have to manage my time to capture the beauty that will be gone in seconds, unless I capture it for others to enjoy. One needs to find balance, there is a time to put the camera down and just to experience the joy of the moment and there is the time to take the shot. What are your favourite subjects to photograph? Wildlife! I like dust, water, ice and snow. To capture the elements in which these animals live and survive are truly amazing.
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With Humans I love hands. I like to photograph hands, after all hands have concord and destroyed the world. What types of assignments are you attracted to mostly? ZEBRA, STRIPES, WILDLIFE‌ Extreme, challenging and wild. I like a challenge and can never let a dare go. So the wilder the assignment the more I want to do it. One of my favourite days as a photographer was being on the Lamar Valley in Yellow Stone National Park in ice-cold conditions photographing a little Red Fox.
subjects I never had the intention of photographing, but when the opportunity appeared I captured the moment and have sold a variety of images worldwide. In your opinion, what makes photography an art? Photography is an art by the emotional connection we have towards an image. It stirs an emotion, pleasure, sadness and awe. When you can smell the dust or feel a chill when that lion stares at you... You have captured an artistic moment.
Melonie_eva@yahoo.co.uk +27 83 663 4219 rm
How do you describe your photographic style? Do you have a special style in your photographs that can single you out like strokes in a painting? I think everyone has a style. I have an F8 style. I like to mirror image my subjects. But I think one’s style evolves because you have to make the best of your surroundings.
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I never thought I would be photographing weddings, yet I do. I also had no idea I would fall in love with photographing reptiles and I have. These are all
Text Adele Minnaar Images Kirsten Frost
Kirsten Frost
Second Nature I was blown away the first
time I saw Kirsten Frost’s images. While we have many talented photographers in our country, I was impressed with how this 20 year old had already built up an extraordinary portfolio and how humbled he appeared when I subsequently emailed him to ask if he’d like to be interviewed for Ray Magazine. His images have been featured on covers of Nature’s Best, Africa Geographic Calendar 2011, Wildside Magazine, Go Magazine, Birders World Magazine to name only a few publications and he has won numerous awards for his stunning photography. I wanted to interview Kirsten to see what insights he had to help those considering following his footsteps into the awe inspiring world of nature photography and subsequently discovered more about his passion for photography, love of the outdoors, the business of photography, and his stunning images.
Kirsten, we were impressed with how you manage to capture the essence of these creatures, their magnitude, but also at the same time their vulnerability and beauty. How involved are you with conservation causes? Responses such as these assure me that I’m on the right track to achieving what I set out to do. It was my interest in nature that fuelled me to start photography. I want to be more involved with conservation causes, so much so that I’ve just begun my studies in Nature Conservation this year at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). I must admit, the studies have taken a lot of time away from my photography, which is awkward for me who’s used to spending mostly time in nature and in contact with clients. Despite the study ‘hurdle’, I strive to become the best at what I do in future. My enthusiasm for photography and knowledge gained from this study period will give me ample opportunities to do just that. How long have you been in the business of photography? Please give us a bio of yourself. I was born in 1991 in Cape Town, South Africa, and from a very young age I shared a passion for the outdoors with my father. A lot of our free time was spent travelling South Africa, visiting national parks and nature reserves. I have been fascinated by Africa’s natural beauty and its creatures ever since. I started taking an interest in photography during my first visit to Kruger National Park in 2005 when I was 14 years old. With a small ‘point-and-shoot’ camera in hand, I spent countless hours wondering around the rest camps in search of interesting subjects. In December of 2006 I was given my first DSLR camera kit. Only in 2008 would I say I started entering the business side of photography. I try not letting business interfere with my creativity; my plan is not to create commercial images but rather create images to please myself. How did you go about selling your first photograph?
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Clients, mostly magazine editors, started to take notice of my work after appearing in the media for winning photographic competitions. Selling images
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was a learning process at first (and still very much is), but I quite enjoy working with editors and magazine staff. They are enthusiastic about their job and endeavour to produce quality work for the public to enjoy, similar to how I feel about my photography. This common ground makes it easy to communicate and ask questions, as we both are often perfectionists. They helped me sell my first photograph as well as to understand the industry and the business involved. What initially interested you into photography? Growing up, my dad had a towering collection of ‘Getaway Magazines’ in his cupboard. Every now and then we’d sit on the floor of his room with magazines scatted all over. Pages full of exotic locations spilled out over the floor. We’d plan trips and dream of wild African places. I could spend forever paging through looking at the photos.
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My love of nature and eagerness to experience it grew. Times when I did see the beauty of the outdoors, seeing wasn’t really enough. When I see my images in a magazine I like to imagine some kid taking a second look and being inspired. What would you say is more important Good Knowledge / Good Equipment? Good knowledge, but to take full advantage of such knowledge one needs good equipment. When it comes to my genre of photography I’d rather be the guy owning a cheap camera with a vision, a vast photographic know-how and understanding of nature, than the guy waving around expensive gear, not knowing exactly what to do. Simply because the guy with the cheap camera will have better results. But lend him the expensive gear to try out, and then he’ll produce even better and have a higher success rate. Good luck asking for the gear back though! He just realised how much his equipment has been limiting him.
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I also admire South African photographers doing well in the business of photography such as Shem Compion with his successful photographic safari company (C4 Images & Safaris). I admire the team at Outdoorphoto shop for their ongoing support. If you could work alongside any one photographer in the world during an assignment who would it be? Someone who tries to photograph moments that stands out from the rest. I would like to work with someone who has a vision, tries different techniques and never gives up until they’ve captured the scene they had in mind. What goal are you working towards within your photography and when will you know you have reached it?
After studying I want to be in the position where I’m living and working in the wild with opportunities on my doorstep. I want to create some never seen before photographs and make strides in the sales of my work. I don’t think I’ve really started; there’s a lot of hard work and a lot of fun to be had. I’m really looking forward to the future. How would you characterize the style of your photography? As the photographer, I see my images differently to others – I remember the morning fresh air, the hours of waiting and the challenges faced. I like to think of my style as storytelling, thought provoking, vibrant and pretty simplistic. I enjoy seeing the reactions of people looking at my images for the very first time.
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I enjoy the work of Chris van Rooyen; his ability to photograph birds in action is very impressive. I had the privilege of shooting with him in 2008, it meant a lot to me.
I have so many goals, so many things I want to achieve in my photography… sometimes I struggle to sleep at night because my mind is filled with goals I wish to accomplish.
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Which photographers work do you admire and why?
One such reaction that stands out from the rest was from a waiter in Kruger National Park. He almost fell off his chair when he noticed a crocodile in the foreground of what he thought was a classic riverside landscape. Later on, I found out that he and his buddies enjoy the occasional fishing trip under the bridge close to camp, hence his rather petrified response. I don’t know if he has gone fishing since then. The tools of your trade, what equipment are you using at the moment? I’m using Canon equipment. Mostly a Canon Mark II camera body, 35-80mm and 400mm lenses.
Contact Have a look at my website, www.naturephotography.co.za, to leave a message and see more of my work. kirsten@naturephotography.co.za
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photography, Paul van Schalkwyk is highly regarded as a legendary photographer and filmmaker in Namibia. He has received more than 50 awards, both locally and internationally, for his work as photographer, cinematographer, director and writer. His wildlife films have been broadcasted on National Geographic, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and other television channels around the globe and his photographs are regularly published in local and international magazines. Paul’s passion for the visual image is the driving force behind his entire life and has spurred every venture of his colourful career, culminating in the launch of Paul van Schalkwyk Photography, his photographic art brand. In 1987 he founded the first Namibian film and Production Company as well as the leading
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Paul van Schalkwyk
No newcomer to the art of
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AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC ART
Text Adele Minnaar Images Paul van Schalkwyk
advertising agency Advantage Y&R. He also started Venture Publications, publishers of a wide range of tourism and environmental magazines and books, including Namibia’s national airline in-flight magazine, Flamingo and in 2003 he launched One Africa Television, Namibia’s only independent, freeto-air television station. Nevertheless, the camera remains his first love and his appreciation for the light, composition and subject of life inspires him to capture beauty through the lens. From the cockpit of his aeroplane he was now able to roam the skies, to find and capture images of the most extraordinary colours, textures, light and composition. This freedom of space and time enabled him to develop and produce what is best described as aerial photographic art, inspired as always, by the haunting beauty of the Namibian landscape. Here follows what Paul van Schalkwyk has to say about his passion. What does Aerial photography mean to you?
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To me Aerial photography means exactly what the combination of those two words does. It combines two of my great passions, flying and photography, into one single pursuit. It also enables me to share with a wide audience the beauty and pilots’
experience. On a personal level it is a big challenge to me to find unique compositions and to create images from the air which will stop people in their tracks and attract their attention. You have received numerous awards, locally and internationally. Which award was the most memorable for you? Over the years I have been fortunate to win a few awards where people I really admire sat on the judging panel. As a creative there is nothing more satisfying than gaining peer recognition. It’s like flying. If my passengers compliment me because of a good landing it is nice, but if a fellow aviator or instructor compliments your flying it really means so much more. What initially interested you into photography? First without doubt it was the mystery and anticipation of film photography which attracted me. Later when I started to do my own processing and printing it was the magic of images appearing in the chemical baths. These days digital makes it easy. You can see what your picture is going to look like on the built-in
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digital screen of your camera and you can print it out immediately from your computer. In the film days you had to use your imagination to visualize the picture you are making. And then there was the long wait to have it processed and printed. Sometimes there was the disappointment of pictures “that did not come out”.
Photography starts in the eye and the imagination of the photographer. Although he did not intend it to be applicable to photography, Mark Twain’s quote that “you cannot see clearly if your imagination is clouded “in my mind, is also the essence of good photography.
Once I began to master all the technical aspects of photography it was just a natural progression for me to become interested in the artistic aspects of photography.
Would you say photography is a hard line of work to get into?
Without a doubt good knowledge. Good equipment is absolutely secondary. A painter is never asked what brush he used. You can create stunning pictures with anything ranging from a cell phone to a camera which will set you back many thousands.
How technical is your photography and how do you feel about digital manipulation and to what extent do you utilize it? My work is not very technical. If I had more time to master new techniques and if I were smarter it would probably have been far more technical.
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What would you say is more important Good Knowledge or Good Equipment?
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I get enormous satisfaction from the creative process. I am really very happy when I can share it and when I realise that it evokes feelings and emotions. I really enjoy life when I am looking through the viewfinder.
Yes I certainly think so. Things have changed quite a lot but it is still difficult. When I started out there were not many opportunities and just because of the nature of film photography it was cost prohibitive and difficult to get in. Nowadays there are many more opportunities but also very serious competition. The end result is the same – it still is very difficult. Without passion, hard work, dedication and “vasbyt” you will not be successful.
Every photograph is a manipulation. In the film days photographers selected film on the basis of what effect they wanted to achieve. The next decision was the lens in front of the camera, this glass thing transformed reality in many different ways.
The famous landscape photographer Ansel Adams who was admired for his darkroom techniques once said: “the print is not realistic, but (it is) a faithful equivalent of the visualization.�
Finally it was the darkroom. Many techniques were used to manipulate the images in some way or form.
If you could work alongside any one photographer in the world during an assignment who would it be?
With digital it has become a lot easier and painless. I am very glad that I will never again have to spend long nights alone in cold darkrooms breathing chemical vapours. Digital does not only make things easier it also offers infinitely more possibilities. It really challenges creativity. It is fantastic. Because I shoot my pictures in raw mode, I have to process them digitally. I spend many hours on each image before I am happy. Sometimes I do it over and over again during many days or weeks.
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Basically I slowly build an image by treating each element of importance to the final picture individually. I work towards the final picture slowly building the different elements layer upon layer until I am happy with the end result. Although it takes long, I consider it an essential part of the creative process and I derive a lot of satisfaction from it.
I would love to work alongside Gregory Colbert the creator of the Ashes and Snow photographic exhibition which is touring the world. Go and look at them on www.ashesandsnow.org. His images are all planned and created in every aspect. They are awe inspiring. What have become your biggest marketing tools in the last two years? Without any doubt the internet and the way it enables you to spread your wings around the world right from where you are sitting behind your computer. The internet is empowering millions of people around the globe and I am certainly also benefitting.
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Paul van Schalkwyk is synonymous to? Someone intoxicated with the beauty and serenity of the world and the people around him. Are you working on any important project at the moment? What is this project all about? Please tell us more. My major project at the moment can be called the “Aerial Art of Namibia.” Namibia has big unique and unspoilt landscapes with lots of variety. Many of these have become stereotyped.
system ranging from super wide angle to extreme telephoto lenses. For more information, please contact
I use Nikon digital cameras Hasselblad and Phase One. I have a fair variety of lenses for each camera
elmarie@paulvans.com / elmarie@mac.com.na www.paulvans.com rm
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The tools of your trade, what equipment are you using at the moment?
Elmarie van Rensburg – Managing Agent +264 81 277 3334 +264 61 220 410
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I discovered new and exciting perspectives from the air. These can be super realistic but also abstract in the extreme. I have been working on this for the past four years and I am now slowly achieving the images I am really satisfied with. It will probably take me another two years and many more hours of flying to complete.
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Motoring The 19th century saw tremendous advances in engineering as mechanisation transformed production in factories. Inventors turned their attention to replacing the horse with something that could go faster and further. It was one amazing feat to build the first practical motor cars, it was another to start making more and selling them, and convincing people of their benefits. Only the extremely wealthy could afford a car. Owing your own car is more readily accessible today. “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.� Henry Ford
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BMW i3 & i8 Concept Text & Images BMW Group SA
World premiere
of the BMW i3 Concept and BMW i8 Concept. Reithofer says: “A milestone in the history of the company.” The BMW Group showcases its visions of future mobility in the shape of the BMW i3 Concept and BMW i8 Concept studies. Unveiled for the first time, these concept vehicles provide a glimpse of the first electrically powered production cars from the new BMW i sub-brand, due to be launched as the BMW i3 in 2013 and the BMW i8 in 2014. “We are marking another milestone in the history of the BMW Group. As Chairman of the Board and an
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engineer myself, I am very proud of this project,” declared Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, at the premiere of the two vehicles in Frankfurt. “As the world’s leading premium car manufacturer, our aim is to offer customers purpose-built electric drive cars as well,” he added. With its zero-emission electric drive and a range of approximately 150 kilometres, the BMW i3 Concept has been specifically developed for use in an urban environment, its dynamic 125 kW electric motor and rear-wheel drive ensuring BMWstyle dynamic handling. Thanks to its innovative
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BMW Group presents mobility of the future
LifeDrive architecture featuring a carbon passenger cell, the BMW i3 Concept combines an extremely low weight of 1,250 kilograms with optimal interior space and the highest crash safety levels. With four seats and a 200-litre luggage compartment, this vehicle is fully suited for everyday use. Draeger: “A revolution in car design.”
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“This vehicle will mark the launch of the first volume-produced car featuring bodywork largely made of carbon. It’s a revolution in automotive design,” stressed Klaus Draeger, Member of the
Board responsible for Development. The application of this new CFRP technology allows a weight reduction, compared to a conventional electric car, of between 250 and 350 kilos, and that means more dynamic handling coupled with a greater range. The BMW i3 does the 0 to 100km/h sprint in less than eight seconds, while a high-speed charger achieves an 80% battery charge in just an hour. Thanks to the emission-free drivetrain and a value added chain designed to be sustainable all along the line, life cycle emission figures for the BMW i3 are at least a third lower than for a highly efficient combustion-engine car. If the BMW i3 is run on electricity from renewable sources, the figures improve by well over 50%. BMW i8 Concept: new-generation sports car The BMW i8 Concept goes from 0 to 100 km/h in less than five seconds and boasts fuel consumption of less than three litres per 100 km. Its plug-in hybrid drive with a system output of 260 kW allows a range of up to 35 kilometres in electric mode – sufficient for most everyday journeys. For more dynamic driving or out-of-town routes, a high-performance three-cylinder petrol engine also comes into play. The sports car has an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h and space for up to four occupants. “The BMW i8 Concept is the sports car for a new generation – pure, emotional and sustainable,” Draeger underlined. With BMW i, the BMW Group is corroborating its position as the most innovative and sustainable auto manufacturer in the world, as reflected in the fact that it has been the super sector leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the sixth year running. With BMW i, the BMW Group is providing answers to the mobility challenges of the future while pursuing a holistic approach. In addition to purpose-built premium vehicles with electric drive, the company is also offering intelligent mobility services.
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The focus here is on solutions for improved use of parking space, intelligent navigation systems with location-based information, intermodal route planning and car-sharing schemes such as DriveNow.
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Following MyCityWay, ParkatmyHouse marks the second investment by the recently launched venture capital company BMW i - Ventures in a company providing internet-based mobility services. Parkatmyhouse allows private individuals to use the internet or Smartphone app to rent out their private parking spaces on a short- or long-term basis. Both the BMW i3 and the BMW i8 will be built at BMW’s Leipzig plant in Germany. Some 400 million Euros are earmarked for investment in new buildings and facilities by 2013, while 800 new jobs are to be created. Vehicle production will be CO2 neutral and will draw on renewable resources. The company is currently investigating the possibility of erecting its own wind turbines on the plant site.
Interesting facts The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 25 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. During the financial year 2010, the BMW Group sold 1.46 million cars and more than 110,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for 2010 was euro 4.8 billion on revenues amounting to euro 60.5 billion. At 31 December 2010, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 95,500 employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last six years.
For questions please contact: Corporate and Governmental Affairs Edward Makwana, Manager: Group Automotive Communications
Ralph Huber, Head of Technology Communications +49-89-382-68778, Fax: +49-89-382-28567
BMW South Africa (Pty) Ltd, +27-12-522-2227 or edward.makwana@bmw.co.za
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Tobias Hahn, Technology Communications +49-89-382-60816, Fax: +49-89-382-60816 M
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XF 2.2
Text & Images Jaguar Land Rover South Africa
uSES A SINGLE TANK OF DIESEL TO COMPLETE PRETORIA TO DuRBAN ROuND TRIP
Jaguar’s XF 2.2 has used just 4,9 l/100km to get from Pretoria to the Durban Beachfront and back. Jaguar South Africa set out from the Union Buildings in Pretoria to attempt to do the round trip on a single tank of diesel. Two Jaguar XF 2.2–litre four-cylinder diesel models completed the journey with seasoned economy run expert Roger Rouessart and IGNITION GT presenter Marius Roberts doing driving duty under the watchful eye of Richard Carstens from Motorsport South Africa.
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The pair of XF’s arrived back in the capital city on Monday afternoon having each completed 1 265.8km on a single tank of diesel. The frugal luxury sedans used 64,461 litres (Marius Roberts) and
62,351 litres (Roger Roussaert) over the two-day journey. “Traditionally a Johannesburg to Cape Town run is attempted but we wanted to do something different to demonstrate the efficiency of our cars,” explains David Barns, Jaguar Brand Manager and organiser of the attempt. “Pretoria to Durban and back is far more challenging in that one has to contend with the numerous toll gate stops and high traffic volumes; however, the cars were up to the challenge and completed the task with little fuss.” The N3’s multiple toll gates – which increase fuel consumption due to accelerating back to speed -
special preparations ahead of the event and both cars managed to match Jaguar’s extra-urban cycle claimed fuel consumption figure. “Our aim was to demonstrate what Jaguar drivers would be able to achieve for themselves, it was therefore important that we didn’t try to optimise the vehicles or the conditions in anyway,” adds Barns. IGNITION’s Marius Roberts represented the ‘ordinary’ driver and demonstrated that even without specialist knowledge one is able to achieve exceptional fuel consumption figures.
as well as the city driving elements in and out of Pretoria and Durban, made it a realistic, real-world attempt the ‘ordinary’ driver would be able to replicate. This was proven by Roberts’ 5,1 l/100km accomplishment compared to Roussaert’s 4,9 l/100km. Jaguar’s acclaimed 2,2-litre diesel engine delivers 140kW and 450Nm of torque to allow 8,5-second acceleration to 100km/h and a top speed of 225km/h yet the luxury sedan remains frugal at the fuel pumps. The vehicles used received no Contact Lesley Sutton: Media Affairs Manager Jaguar Land Rover South Africa +27 12 450 4000 +27 83 233 4812 lsutton5@jaguarlandrover.com www.jaguar.co.za www.facebook.com/JaguarSA
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insight
DĂŠCOR HOME
Bedrooms are our private sanctuaries where we retreat to and escape the stresses of the outside world. Throughout our lives, our bedrooms are intimate and personal spaces, where we write our deepest thoughts, where we talk to ourselves out loud and where we all probably made our first design decisions. Beyond bed skirts and bolsters, see how the clever use of gorgeous bedding and accessories turn your bedroom interiors into great design spaces. We change our physical appearance with new hairstyles and clothes. Why should our bedrooms stay the same?
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We are all for supporting the local market, celebrating South African creativity and our nation’s innovative, individual style. The rich local handmade craft traditions on our doorstep are sought after commodities and travel well to all corners of the globe.
Text Bead Images Elsa Young
BEAD, a soft furnishing and
textile design studio in Johannesburg is owned by Taryn Lamberti. They hand dye natural textiles like cotton velvets, hemps and linens and adorn them with fine beadwork. They use a wide variety of beads from glass and semi precious stones to hand cut ostrich shell, coconut shell and old brass trade beads from all over Africa. The main business is to supply decorators both in South Africa and abroad with once off bespoke pieces for their clients’ homes, lodges and boutique hotels.
They bring in their various fabric swatches and other references which they match to create eyecatching accents to enhance their schemes. We make cushions, wall hangings, bed covers and throws. We also supply “The Conran Shop” in Europe with about 100 cushions a year.
+27 82 454 0856 info@beaddesignstudio.com www.beaddesignstudio.com
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Black Fabrics was established in January 2004 as purveyors of fine fabrics, leathers and wall coverings. Their business entails the wholesaling of decorative fabrics, wallpapers and leathers and the owner of this fine company is Mr. Stephen Black. The company is also in the process of getting fully BEE compliant. The following Brands are represented Local – Black Fabrics design team, Jay Smith, Wolfe Street, House of Passementrie, Anne Colle, Timeless Furniture, So Kiff. A platform was created by them for a multitude of South African brands to be showcased in their showroom. These brands are individual companies in their own rite and include African Sketch Book, Carol Mills fabrics, Jay Smith fabrics, Lula Fabrics etc. International – Harlequin UK, Robertallen USA, Robertallen at home USA, Beacon Hill USA, Design Forum UK, James Brindley UK, Jim Thompson Thailand. Their showrooms are in Cape Town; The Palms.
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Their customers include, Decorators, Architects, Hotel Groups, Furniture retail shops, Furniture Manufacturers, Upholsterers, Curtain makers etc. They have recently acquired Wolfe street fabrics to their Johannesburg showroom, which has been a great addition to the product offering they have and is a collaboration designed to make it easier for the customer, as they now house a huge variety of product under one roof, covering every design style, taste and price point. They also pride themselves in offering the largest selection of local products (made in South Africa) in Kramerville, as well as a huge offering of international product. Angela Fawcett +27 1476 568 935 +27 78 01257 081 +27 1476 567 704 angela.fawcett@btopenworld.com rm
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ROOM INSPIRATION from Lifestyle
Words & Production The Angel Team Photos Michael Maherry Shot on location at Weylandts, Brooklyn Collaro Designs, Brooklyn Products These beautiful duvets and bed-in-a-bag sets are available from Angel Lifestyle. Accessories are available from Weylandts and Collaro Designs.
Modern Naturals The trend of shading colours from modern natural hues is making its mark everywhere in bedrooms, from wallpaper to bedding and furniture... to evoke a sense of natural harmony.
Au Naturelle
MY BEDROOM MY SPACE MY LOOK
Let your bedroom resemble a tranquil haven with “au naturelle” décor items. Amp up its feel-good factor with gorgeous bedding and find inspiration in the natural clean and pure design.
O C E A N B R E E Z E
Berry Bliss
Rejuvenate your bedroom zone with nuances of bright berry bliss to add an element of fun to your personal space.
Products These stunning beddings are available from Angel Lifestyle. Accessories are available from Weylandts and Collaro Designs.
It all started with love... Text & Images Hellooow Handmade
Hellooow handmade
offers a range of handmade jewellery, gifts & stationery, ceramics, homeware and lighting - all proudly made by the women of sunny South Africa! With Africa in their blood, and inspiration from the rest of the world, they produce beautiful & original pieces, working with talented local people, drawing from their culture and craft heritage to create unique pieces which combine ceramics, knitting, crochet, felt and shwe-shwe fabrics with a unique South African flair. Hellooow Handmade creates gorgeous ceramic chandeliers that are available for you to hire for functions along with a full matching range of wedding accessories to transform your venue into a romantic and sophisticated setting. Included in the range are table “chandelier candelabras” & ceramic beaded cake stands... The ultimate statement for the dramatic & romantic wedding or function of your dreams! It all started with love...
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The founder and owner of Helooow, Merewyn de Heer, loves beautiful things, especially when they
are made with love and by hand, by some-one who has a genuine talent. She grew up sitting on the floor of her mum’s sewing room pinning things together, making crazy Barbie outfits, fantasy animals and peg dolls; hence her passion for handmade goodies was greatly inspired by her very talented mother! She later studied graphic design in Durban, and launched herself into a career in the advertising industry, eventually building up a successful design business over 15 years of blood, sweat and many tears. The experience gained while working in design and advertising across numerous local and international clients and brands was priceless. Design, fashion, art direction and styling remains. Merewyn’s passion. The adrenalin rush, of looking through the camera whilst working with very talented photographers, and creating world class images and design... is what kept her interested. But slowly, she did realise she was neglecting what was in her heart. She says ’I’ve always had an enormous empathy for anyone less fortunate than me and into that category fall animals, children and underprivileged anybodies. I felt led to share my passion and gifting with others to help them to grow
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In 2010 Hellooow was working on product designs for Diane von Furstenberg through Vital Voices. Contact For more information, stockists & prices contact me@hellooow.co.za or +27 82 465 1845 or Visit www.hellooow.co.za
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She always had the vision and the passion but couldn’t do it all by herself. She also realised that she is good at conceptualising and coming up with Ideas, but need people with a creative eye and good attention to detail to help bring her dreams to reality. That’s where her team of talented & enthusiastic ladies comes in. Together, they learn new skills daily, working with crochet, knitting, pottery and needlework, creating gorgeous handmade products, while keeping the ladies employed and giving them
skills that they will never forget.... and having loads of fun at the same time!
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and have a sense of worth and achievement. Thus the birth of Hellooow handmade and my range of products from South Africa, my awesome home...’
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Where you can find all the fabulous goodies on our pages Angel Lifestyle Tel: +27 11 234 4664 / +27 12 361 2444 / www.angellifestyle.co.za Bead Tel: +27 82 454 0856 info@beaddesignstudio.com / www.beaddesignstudio.com Black Fabrics Tel: +27 11 262 3130 www.blackfabrics.co.za Blok Landscaping Tel: +27 82 455 4451 jan@janblok.co.za / www.janblok.co.za Collaro Designs, Brooklyn Tel: +27 12 752 0001 lindsey@collaro.co.za / www.collarodesigns.co.za Helooow Handmade Tel: +27 82 465 1845 www.hellooow.co.za Weylandts, Brooklyn Tel: +27 12 346 0418 Annelie.Olivier@weylandtshome.co.za www.weylandts.co.za Fashion Pages Models Ice Model Management Tel: +27 11 447 6141 www.icemodels.co.za Hair & Make-up Lisa Bailey Tel: +27 82 897 8770 lisabailey@mweb.co.za Styling and Production Angel Magazine Team Model Photographer Chris van Dalen from Studio 77 Tel: +27 83 234 0437 Product Photography Peter Carr from Spinaxis Advertising Tel: +27 11 609 2965
Contact us We love to hear from our readers Postnet Suite 77, Private Bag x37, Lynnwood Ridge, 0040 Tel: +27 82 880 0001 / +27 81 557 6883 / +27 12 809 4436 / +27 12 809 2940 Email: marketing@ray-magazine.com / editor@ray-magazine.com Website: www.ray-magazine.com Magazine designed by Michael Maherry (Kreative Productions) Tel: +27 81 270 2392 Email: michael@kreativeproductions.co.za Information has been included in good faith by the publisher and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. No responsibility can be accepted for errors and omissions. No articles or photographs in this publication may be reproduced, without written permission from the Editor. All copyright for material in this magazine belongs to Ray Magazine and /or the individual contributors. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. 10 sue
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Reader Oer To stand a chance to win these products simply send an email with all your contact details to marketing@ray-magazine.com Subject: Product of your choice. Winners will be notified in person.
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