May 2021
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Kagiso Lediga (virtually)
pure bunkum*
* Snorkel in Simon’s Town, savour the Wild Coast + Bliss out in a spa on Mother’s Day
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others work so hard and have such a reputation for being good that Hollywood went and made a movie about what happens when moms take a break. It’s called Bad Moms, and while it’s totally tongue-in-cheek and over-thetop and full of moms-gone-wild shenanigans, it does hint at a few things we should probably remember about the most important woman in all our lives. Firstly, moms are people, too, and also deserve to live a little, let their hair down, swing from the chandeliers occasionally. Moms should get a pink ticket from time to time. And not just on Mother’s Day. Secondly, while it’s safe to assume that our mothers are perfect, that they can do no wrong, never stayed out late, never bunked school, never kissed boys behind the library, and always finished all their vegetables, we should perhaps remind ourselves that almost every mom once upon a time had her wayward moments. Good for her! Thirdly, our moms didn’t come into this world with a guidebook for raising us. Moms have to figure out the nitty-gritty of motherhood on the job, exchanging their former lives for the dedicated, round-the-clock, ‘always on’ task of nurturing another human being. It is probably the world’s most thankless entrepreneurial endeavour, and the reward for their efforts in terms of love and attention from us – their offspring – is diminishing. Nowadays, it’s within a few weeks of giving birth that moms must prepare for the likelihood
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that their smart-arse offspring will demand an Xbox, be permanently glued to a smartphone, and spend more time communicating with some digitised algorithm than having meaningful conversations with the woman who made it all possible in the first place. Recently released on streaming television, Tali’s Baby Diary gives another comedic perspective on motherhood – being a mom in the context of the social media age. Today being a mom includes endlessly recording your child’s every gurgle and fart for all the world to like on Instagram. Moms have to be mobile film studios and PR agencies all rolled into one. This month, for one single day, moms everywhere take centre stage. Busy executives order flowers online, seldom-heard-from sons and daughters buy chocolates or treat their moms to wine-soaked lunches. There are picnics with grandchildren and happy group hugs and family-sized selfies. That’s great. But why should moms get this kind of attention only as a special treat? Surely the woman who gave us life deserves our love and gratitude every day. If the last year has taught us anything, it’s that life is unpredictable, and the amount of time we have with the special people in our lives is unknowable. We at kulula.com wish all moms a happy Mother’s Day, not only on 9 May, but every day. Because you are one-of-a-kind, and to us – your sons and daughters – you will always be the best mom.
@kulula
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May 2021
e-edition
yours forever - download me please
Kagiso Lediga (virtually)
All the web addresses you see in this magazine are clickable. Just hover your cursor over the URL and click.
pure bunkum*
* Snorkel in Simon’s Town, savour the Wild Coast + Bliss out in a spa on Mother’s Day
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et K Me a
Contents
21
MAY 2021
PUBLISHED BY PICASSO HEADLINE a proud division of Arena Holdings Hill on Empire, 16 Empire Road (cnr Hillside Road), Parktown, Johannesburg 2193 PO Box 12500, Mill Street, Cape Town, 8010 EDITORIAL Editor Keith Bain Copy Editor Nicci Collier Content Manager Raina Julies – rainaj@picasso.co.za Content Co-ordinator Vanessa Payne
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ART Head of Design Studio Jayne Macé-Ferguson Senior Designer Mfundo Archie Ndzo Junior Designer Bulelwa Sotashe Production Editor Shamiela Brenner Cover Photographer/Retouching Sven Kristian
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EXPERIENCE 7 THE SOCIAL SPACE Take care out there. 11 NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Where to munch that isn’t at home.
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EXPLORE 17 REST ASSURED Zhoosh sleeps in the City of Gold. 23 BELOW Remember to clear your snorkel. 31 STATE OF BLISS Where to treat your beloved this Mother’s Day. 37 THIS AIN’T HOW YOU DO IT The Wild Coast is forever.
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DISCOVER 44 HER MOTHER’S DAUGHTER America’s first-ever woman VP, and the woman she owes it all to.
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uell a
47 HOME AND AWAY Matching underwear, a sublime garden, and a cornucopia of colour.
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A FEW GOOD BOOKS A pile of novels with women at their centre.
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SALES Project Manager Merryl Klein – merrylk@picasso.co.za, +27 82 895 7260 Sales Consultants Stephen Crawford, Richard White, Sameegha Wolhuter Advertising co-ordinator Johan Labuschagne management Business Manager Lodewyk van der Walt – lodewykv@picasso.co.za Management Accountant Deidre Musha General Manager, Magazines Jocelyne Bayer Kulula.com Chief Executive Officer Comair Ltd Glenn Orsmond Executive Manager Sales and Marketing, kulula.com Brian Kitchin Brand Communictions Manager, kulula.com Luane Lavery Comair Limited 1 Marignane Drive, Bonaero Park, Kempton Park, 1619 Tel: 011 921 0111 | kulula.com | contact centre: 0861 KULULA (585852) Copyright: No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for unsolicited material. khuluma is published monthly by Picasso Headline. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Picasso Headline, kulula or Arena Holdings. All advertisements/advertorials and promotions have been paid for and therefore do not carry any endorsement by the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents, neither kulula, nor the publisher can be held responsible for any omissions or errors, or for any misfortune, injury or damages that may arise therefrom. We reserve the right to edit interviews for layout purposes.
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SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE EXPERIENCE
1 Who let the dogs out?
THE L A I C O S E C A P S IT SA FE KEEP
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Big-eyed Emma Stone plays Cruella de Vil, one of Disney’s vilest villains, in a new liveaction spinoff from the studio’s 1961 classic, 101 Dalmations; in the animated original she’s an insane woman obsessed with making a coat from the fur of dogs she kidnaps for this purpose. Cruella is essentially the villainess’s origin story. Stone brings to life the young, rebellious, creatively talented Estella whose haute fashion ambitions compel her to embrace her dark side. In cinemas 28 May.
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EXPERIENCE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
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2 4 2 Catch Kaalkop live ‘I entertained my family from the day I could stand on two legs,’ says Nataniël, the singer, cookbook writer, TV host and wearer of dramatic outfits. He is also an unrivalled raconteur, whose knack for dry, honest storytelling has earned him a cult following. You can see Nataniël in a variety of sumptuous outfits in a number of live performances this month. Check the full line-up and book on his website. nataniel.co.za
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3 Monster ride On 5 June, the Fedhealth Magalies Monster MTB Classic returns to the North West Province for the 18th time. The event happens at the ATKV Buffelspoort Resort and cyclists have three distances (of around 16km, 33km or 65km) to choose from. For tiny children, there’s a sweet little 2½km ride as well. The event will strictly follow Covid-19 regulations and entries close on 31 May. stillwatersports.com
4 Take it outside Galileo Open Air Cinema is expanding its footprint with more film-going options. There’s their VIP status Galileo Royale experience at several intimate Cape Town venues, their classic Galileo Picnic experience, with food vendors on site, and their Galileo Drive In, which harks back to those days when you snogged watched from inside your car. Movies start at sunset, and there’s a packed programme of cool flicks to check out. thegalileo.co.za
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SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE EXPERIENCE
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Words: Keith Bain, Pictures: Supplied
5 Schalk Sings Badly Comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout doesn’t take himself too seriously, and his latest show – Schalk Sing Sleg – is evidence of that. Picking up from where he left off in the film Kanarie, in which he had to sing, he has crafted a show that combines comedy and singing. He’s accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Wesley van der Westhuizen, but the songs are Schalk originals. Whether he can sing them without audiences laughing at him is another story. computicket.com
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6 Mountainous movie The great Mary Twala passed away last July, leaving behind a legacy of stellar performances, including her captivating role as an 80-year-old widow in This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection which this year became Lesotho’s first-ever official Oscar entry. The film’s feisty heroine halts arrangements she’s making for her own burial in order to drum up resistance against the building of a dam that will force her entire village to be resettled. It’s at cinemas from 21 May. numetro.co.za, sterkinekor.com
7 Find your rhythm Pictured above are Afro-soul songstress Sammy Bee and poet, Gqobhozimbawla, two of the artists performing at Rhythm n’ Poetry in Gqeberha on 29 May. The event is a showcase of young comedians, poets, hip-hop emcees and neo-soul musicians who are using their talents to speak out against challenges faced by today’s youth. The stage will be set up outside Heritage Café, 25 Constitution Hill; noon till 7pm, free entry. 073 597 6429, rhythmnpoetry68@gmail.com
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RR D SE N R A ND GR
fe.com e, u
or y-ca
Our menu is all about easy-eating, and fun flavour combinations that will make you feel at home.
en -gl orning n Smuts Av www.m 146 Ja burg orner, s Park C d, Johanne oo Parkw
The EASY-EATING-ALL-DAY-CAFE. Welcome to the Morning Glory Cafe - we’re serving up the best brunch and the sexiest coffee on the block.
NEW TASTE SENSATIONS EXPERIENCE
New kids on the block Buck the order-in trend with flavours conjured up at these tasty culinary newcomers
Meet the dumplings
Dumpling is a catch-all for a family of wrapped or pocket-style morsels originating in China. Dim sum, a Cantonese invention, are typically made with rice flour and served in bamboo steamers. Those fan-shaped dumplings (also called pot-stickers) are called jiaozi. Wontons are the round dumplings with a thin pastry wrapper. Baozi, or bao, are yeast-leavened (usually steamed) buns and can be stuffed with almost anything, pork being most popular. kulula.com
In the eye of the beholder
At the V&A Waterfront Food Market, The Ugly Dumpling has ‘cult food experience’ written all over it – chef Sepial Shim serves up all kinds of fresh dumplings and bao buns for takeaway (and delivery). While the traditional pork dumplings are evergreen favourites, Sepial has a knack for experimenting with available ingredients and coming up with frankly enthralling combinations (Pak-choi and prawn? Yes, please! Calamari and spring onion? Absolutely!), plus she does fried mushroom dumplings, Korean-style fried chicken bao (like little chicken burgers), pork katsu, chicken wonton soup, and maybe a fresh seaweed and cucumber salad. uglydumplingza.com M AY 2 0 2 1
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EXPERIENCE NEW TASTE SENSATIONS
Rise and shine
Morning Glory in Parkwood is basically the golden retriever of Joburg coffee shops – easy on the eye and destined to always make you feel warm and fuzzy. Of course, here the comforts are caffeine-related, and instead of golden blonde, you’re in for lots of white subway tiles offset by pastel pink. Plus, breakfasts to kick-start your day just the way a hug from a doe-eyed dog might do. morning-glory-cafe.com
Table for one?
Look, we get it, everyone has their thing. You don’t do carbs because Tim said ‘No!’ and that yoga instructor you follow on Instagram has taken you to the edge of veganism, while your trainer at the gym is all keto-to-the-max. Well, at Nadia Singh’s Bespokery in Parkview you can pick a different dietary disposition for every day of the week. They are here to cater to the fussy, the strict, and the intolerant, and everyone walks out feeling satisfied by chef Michael Hibbins’s food, no matter how bespoke your eating habits. bespokery.co.za 12
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NEW TASTE SENSATIONS EXPERIENCE
Art of the view
If you’re in Durban, head north to Umhlanga’s Danté for instant holiday vibes thanks to the tropical views through large picture windows. Plus, there’s a matching atmosphere inside of year-round beach-bum celebratory magic spread across three floors of varying degrees of elegance and fun. Each space affords a slightly different hit – so whether you want to be around cigar smokers, spirits sippers or the languid lunch crowd, there’s a spot catering to your prevailing mood. There’s a gin garden, too and another bar on the roof – views and a dreamy crowd will follow you around. Also, importantly, there is head chef Kyle Govender’s kitchen expertise – applied to the likes of his surf-and-turf espetada (linefish, prawns, and 30-day aged beef skewered and served with house-cut chips, roasted garlic and seaweed butter). thedanteexperience.co.za
Words: Keith Bain, Pictures: Supplied
Embark for adventure
Swish, savvy, Swedish
A Swedish chef named Jesper and a sommelier named Mario. Put them together in this chic space on Kloof Street, and the result is ëlgr, a place of serious culinary spoils. You cannot go wrong. elgr.co.za
Keep on turning
Proud Mary in Rosebank, Joburg, turns heads with its bold colours, rich fabrics, wood and brass, but it’s the food by onetime Jamie Oliver HQ chef, Christo Nortier, that really makes Mary proud. Order several small plates to share: tender sticky pork belly with teriyaki, perhaps prawns in XO butter. Something slightly bigger? The porchetta – oven-roasted pork belly stuffed with pistachio and mortadella – is a favourite. Plus, epic breakfasts like the spread below. From zhooshed-up beans-on-toast, to green shakshuka, or a good old ‘Proud English’ breakfast, nothing here is average. proudmary.co.za
In Parkhurst, Embarc affords ‘fine dining’ sans pretence. The menu has hints of decadence but the flavours (pork belly served with polenta; ostrich fillet with Malay pumpkin wontons) are down to earth. Sweets? If you’re at all adventurous, you’ll need to try the onion caramel tart with blue cheese ice cream at least once. embarcrestaurantza.com
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Only Fedhealth allows you to choose how, and how much, you pay for day-to-day benefits. In times like these, you do need medical aid. And you need to know exactly what you pay for, and what you get. Take Fedhealth for example. It’s the only medical aid that lets you choose between a FIXED contribution for your day-to-day savings, so you pay the same every month like every other scheme, or FLEXIBLE, where you can save thousands upfront by only paying for day-to-day savings when you actually need it. With Fedhealth, YOU create your perfect medical aid. From the benefits you want, to how… and how much… you pay. It’s all YOURS to control.
Want to switch to medical aid that YOU create and YOU control? Call Fedhealth today on 0860 002 153 or visit fedhealth.co.za to find out more.
Create your aid.
MARINE ADVENTURE EXPLORE
EXPLORE Here. There. Everywhere.
Jackass symphony?
Words: Keith Bain, Picture: Supplied
Ultimate penguin lookout!
Designer digs in Jozi kulula.com
Pampered to within an inch of your life… Epic breakfasts with dizzying sea views, cushy sofas in dreamy lounges, a heated plunge pool… Plus, the plushest linens, perfectly contouring pillows and bathrobes that’ll stave off the cruellest cold of the coming winter. And, should you leave your windows open, you’ll be serenaded by the mellifluous sound of the sea, and the vaguely perceptible braying of donkeys… Wait! What?
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Uh, no, scratch that. They’re not donkeys, they’re jackass penguins, or – more accurately – African penguins. Tintswalo Boulders, a gorgeous luxury guesthouse in Simon’s Town, overlooks their protected colony at Foxy Beach, setting you just metres from the shore. All through 2021, they’re offering a twonight Marine Exploration package, with snorkelling and kayaking among other inclusions; read more about the guesthouse and the adventure on page 23.
How wild can you go?
PLUS Spa daze
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LILIAN LOFTS WELCOMES YOU Lilian Lofts, in the heart of Johannesburg’s CBD, is a contemporary hotel committed to delivering excellent personal service Lilian Lofts offers superb luxury modern contemporary loft-style accommodation. The executive apartments are fitted with all the comforts of a modern hotel. Lilian Lofts is focused on service and tailor-made packages to accommodate all travellers’ requirements. Centrally situated in the heart of Fordsburg with Newtown, Braamfontein and Mayfair within walking distance, the hotel’s location is perfect. Its proximity to the Oriental Plaza and China City makes it an ideal choice of accommodation for travellers, wholesalers and business people. Fordsburg is a multicultural suburb filled with a wealth of history, offering visitors a truly special experience.
FEATURES • Wi-Fi • Spa • 16 two-bedroom self-catering rooms • 6 twin rooms • 7 loft units • 12 one-bedroom apartments • Portuguese Restaurant • Conference venue • Tours and transfers • 30 min to O R Tambo International Airport
ATTRACTIONS • Apartheid Museum • Cultural Attractions • Local Oriental dining experience • Arts on Main
Contact: Lilian Lofts 48 Lilian Road, Fordsburg, Johannesburg info@lilianlofts.africa www.lilianlofts.com
010 109 7788 Cell: 076 202 1450
SHOPPING • Dragon City • China City • The Oriental Plaza • Fordsburg Flea Market ENTERTAINMENT • Joburg Theatre • Gold Reef City • The Orbit Jazz Club • Township Tours
SLICK SLEEPING SPACES
EXPLORE
A BITE OF AFRICA’S BIG APPLE
REST ASSURED 1. Fine design in Sandton Boutique in scale, yet oozing wit, imagination and a clear sense of knowing how to stand out from the crowd, The Mighty Fine is Joburg’s most anticipated 2021 hotel opening. Due to launch in Strathavon, Sandton, there’s a timelessness in the way this swanky new 61-room hotel has been put together under the eye of award-winning interior designer Tristan du Plessis.
kulula.com
Looks-wise, a stunner, but the hotel is set to be a scene-stealer beyond merely being easy on the eye. It’s conceived of as part-hotel, part hang-out, with all sorts of cosy spaces in which to work, meet, or share a moment. Emphasis will be on how it looks after guests, making you feel at home, fawned over like a VIP with all the fun of being part of the family.
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EXPLORE
SLICK SLEEPING SPACES
Starvin’, Marvin? Rather than fine dining, The Mighty Fine has partnered with the team from Parkwood’s Morning Glory (see page 12) to provide a chic, delicious caféstyle experience at the in-house restaurant, Hank Marvin – good, wholesome, creative, flavour-focused food without pretence and open all day. Plus, there’s an out-of-theordinary ‘treehouse’ watering hole. Because ordinary won’t cut it.
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Things about The Mighty Fine that’ll make you smile? Swish studios and suites that feel like home-away-from-home hideaways. Thoughtful touches and bespoke everything – artworks hand-picked by Latitudes, chairs by David Krynauw, furnishings and fittings from the likes of Dokter and Misses and The Urbanative. Plus, a mix of tip-top, locally sourced amenities for spoiling yourself, as well as smart digital enhancements to make you feel like you’re part of the future. And laugh? Among the creative collaborators involved in conceptualising the hotel’s art and design is the frankly very funky creative duo Jana + Koos whose sense of playful ingenuity will add another layer of daring fun to what guests can expect, both in their rooms and throughout the hotel. Expect sophisticated humour and bold touches designed to raise a chuckle. Good to know? It’s designed to feel intimate and personal with a community buzz, a public pool, and
a co-working space in the lobby. The aim, say its creators, is to forge a sense of community. OMG factor? There’ll be a podcast studio that you can hire. Not for you if… you prefer oldworld nostalgia, clunky antiques and doilies on the tables. There’s a chic, clean contemporary aesthetic here. How deep are your pockets? The hotel’s scheduled March opening didn’t happen, but like all good things, it’ll be worth waiting for, and pocket-friendly pricing is promised. themightyfine.co.za
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SLICK SLEEPING SPACES
EXPLORE
2. An oasis in Fordsburg
Words: Keith Bain, Pictures: Supplied
Fordsburg, near Jozi’s CBD, has a long and significant place in the city’s often bruised history. Apart from once housing mine workers and later becoming a site of apartheid resistance, it’s where Gandhi and 3 000 supporters burned their ‘pass’ documents at the Hamidia Mosque in 1908. Today it’s known as a vibrant multicultural hub – public art, Indian restaurants, and endless shopping for fabrics, bridal outfits, silk flowers, almost anything… Now this colourful suburb can also claim one of the city’s newest, funkiest hotels, Lilian Lofts. Things about Lilian Lofts that’ll make you smile? Done out in an audacious industrial style, the hotel affords instant access to the adventure of Fordsburg. And it is also a refuge from the bustle.
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It’s where you can escape into a chic, clean-lined oasis of subdued colours and moody lighting. Its grey, dark-hue palette is offset by black metal, blonde recycled wood, smatterings of colour, and plush seating. It’s a human-sized hotel, with just 38 suites in a variety of categories according to how much space you require. You can even have your own in-room kitchenette, with steps leading from your cushy lounge to a loftstyle bedroom. Book an executive suite if you crave every possible comfort (and need space for four people) – it’s like having your own apartment. Good to know? Most places in Fordsburg observe Muslim prayer times on Fridays. The hotel, including its kitchen and soon-tolaunch restaurant, is fully halaal; there’s also an on-site Namaaz room. How deep are your pockets? We found a twin room from just R791 in mid-May; a family-size suite that sleeps four was R1 620, including breakfast. lilianlofts.com M AY 2 0 2 1
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KAGISO LEDIGA MEET
Brave new world
You’re never too old to learn
Picture: Sven Kristian
Hello! Dumelang! It’s me, Kagiso Lediga! Something I’ve figured out since becoming a father is that everything we parents say and do gets absorbed by our children. Whether we speak and act mindfully, or furnish their young minds with garbage, a lot of what goes in is on us. I’m a storyteller, that’s my thing. And as South Africans, we always have a lot of stories to tell. Funny stories, gripping stories, a lot of tragic stories. That’s South Africa – a weird and wonderful place that was dropped on its head as a baby. Some of the damage is because of the garbage drummed into us early on – dodgy beliefs that became our reality. Most of us can afford to unlearn quite a lot. In the process, we’d make space for new ideas, new ways of seeing the world. This month I turn 43, and – eish! – saying that out loud might sound old if you’re still in your twenties, but there comes a point when you realise that ‘old’ isn’t a number, it’s a state of mind. The older you get, the more you realise you don’t know it all. Last year, just as the thrill of dropping my Netflix action series, Queen Sono, was washing over me, there came a global crisis that brought us all to our knees. At such times, it makes sense to make space for new ideas, new ways of thinking. Because, in the blink of an eye, everything can change and when it does, you don’t want to be weighed down by garbage. kulula.com
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ADVERTORIAL
Whale View Manor Guesthouse lies among three of the Cape’s ecological treasures: Cape Peninsula Nature Reserve, Boulders Beach (famed for its Jackass Penguin colony), and False Bay (calving ground of the Southern Right Whale). Overlooking a beautiful swimming beach from where guests can watch penguins, seals and, of course, Whale. Whale View Manor Guesthouse is ideally located, nestled between Fisherman’s Beach and the mountains, it is only three minutes away from historical Simon’s Town and forty minutes from Cape Town International Airport by car. The constant motion of the sea or the still calmness of the surrounding mountain are the privileged views from the en suite bedrooms.
CONTACT US 402 Main Road, Murdoch Valley, Simonstown reservations@whaleviewmanor.co.za
021 786 3291
www.whaleviewmanor.co.za
A WATER WONDERLAND EXPLORE
Below Keith Bain embraces the chill and snorkels with Simon’s Town coolest creatures
What is it? One degree? Minus two? Somewhere in the freeze-my-butt-off zone, that’s for sure. We’ve been in the water just a few minutes and I am shivering. A typical Durban-born ninny, spoiled by a childhood spent in the Indian Ocean. I’ve been assured (and had this corroborated by a meteorological website) that it’s actually a balmy 13 degrees. Celsius. It strikes me that numbers are meaningless when it comes to physical experience. My blood is warm and I feel the cold. Still, I suck down the sense of rising anxiety, slough off the shivers, prime myself for the joyous act of underwater discovery; it is, after all, a beautiful day in Simon’s Town and the little cove we’re snorkelling in is presumably full of wonders waiting to be glimpsed just below the surface. kulula.com
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EXPLORE A WATER WONDERLAND
Besides, we’re in good hands, being guided by conservationists from Shark Warrior Adventures, an eco-exploration outfit based on Seaforth Beach. I recall my water-baby friend Pippa’s consoling words: ‘A cold internal fire will keep you warm; your body just needs to remember how to withstand the cold.’ Apparently, withstanding the cold just requires a bit of Zen-like mastery. Mind over matter. It works. For a while, at least. But I do find myself wondering if I should resort to that old scuba trick and wee in my wetsuit, put a little bit of warm liquid between myself and the cold Atlantic. I hang in there, though, because our guide, Terry, is showing us one curious creature after another. Between the gigantic kelp fronds, it is indeed another universe. Fish dart this way and that, sunlight glinting off their silvery scales, some with vibrant patterns in splendid colours, others designed to blend in with the green kelp or the dark rocks. When Terry shows us a spiny starfish and lets us hold it, I feel it shaping itself to grip gently around my fingers and I’m in awe. At one point, I turn to face a little patch of beach and mentally convince a pair of penguins to join me in the water. True as anything, they hop into the water and swim to within metres of my face. I almost forget to clear my snorkel. I tell myself that if these little birds can withstand the cold for hours at a stretch, I can manage for a while longer. Surely? ‘See the penguin,’ I tell myself. ‘Be the penguin!’ Of course, my newfound spirit animals have their own agenda and have more important things to do than help me regulate my internal thermostat. Without warning, they duck below the surface and are heading towards their fish hunting grounds far out to sea. 24
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Wear your mask covering nose & mouth for the entire duration of your travel journey & sanitise regularly check-in online to limit contact at the airport
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arrive early and be at the airport at least 2 hours before your flight’s departure
need special assistance submit a request 48 hours, prior to your departure
drop off your bag at the bag drop counter or head off to the Security gate if you don’t have any bags to check-in
our aircraft are sanitised after each flight and equipped with HEPA filters that recycle the cabin air every 3 minutes to remove germs and viruses
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Catering has been temporarily suspended, only water will be served on request. Please avoid bringing food, drinks and snacks (including chewing gum) to prevent cross contamination.
For more information on Covid-19 click here.
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Change the way you store your skincare products Use a Glo Box – a mini fridge – to store skincare, cosmetics and more! WHY do YoU need a mini Fridge For YoUr BeaUtY ProdUCtS? • Keeping your products cool can extend their shelf life, especially products that do not contain preservatives, sulphates and parabens. • It reduces the risk of harmful bacteria developing. • The use of cool products constricts blood vessels thereby reducing puffiness, alleviating itching and calming irritated skin. Perfect for your eye creams/gels. • It saves you time as you have access to your chilled products right where you need them. • Using a kitchen fridge to store skincare products can result in active ingredients being frozen, damaged and broken down due to the temperature. A skincare fridge is cool enough for your products, but not cold enough to damage them. • A mini fridge serves as a stylish yet functional way to organise your bathroom, vanity or bedroom.
WHat Can YoU Store in tHe Fridge? Cold Setting: We recommend storing skincare products such as eye creams, face masks, facial mist/sprays, toners, serums and facial tools. Warm Setting: We recommend storing small, wet towels for an at-home facial experience, waxes and massage and massage oils.
www.globox.co.za
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A WATER WONDERLAND EXPLORE
When penguins hop into the water and swim to within metres of my face, I almost forget to clear my snorkel
Things get even more exciting, though, when Terry signals our group to rally in his direction. Half of us are thinking this will be the moment when we meet some distant cousin of the mollusc who starred in My Octopus Teacher. The rest of us assume we’re about to see the sharks Terry is trying to find. When we catch up with him, though, the thrilled expression on his face tells me there’s something altogether more unusual below the surface. I dip down, my lower jaw now chattering uncontrollably from the cold. There’s a large shadow-like something down there, dead still, but somehow too perfectly shaped, too thin and flat to be a rock. And then it moves, glides, starts to soar. It flaps its enormous wings, drifting like some alien spacecraft set adrift among the stars. As it takes off through the water, streaks of white on its underside become visible. It is utterly gorgeous. And reasonably deadly if it should lift its tail – a sting ray, Terry tells us, one of the biggest he’s ever seen.
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We try to swim after it for a while, watching it glide effortlessly between the rocks and seaweed, and then it disappears. I stick my head above the surface, feeling my heart racing with excitement; seeing this creature in the wild like this had felt otherworldly, like I’d been exploring another planet. Suddenly I hear one of the other snorkelers, someone who surfs and dives regularly, turning to Terry and shouting out: ‘Do you mind if we start heading back? I’m getting really cold!’ Only then do I remember my body, as though I’d temporarily left it behind. I’m jolted back into reality, and realise that my knuckles are white. I am managing, but very cold and it’s a relief when I finally walk out of the water back on to Seaforth Beach. Even after someone helps peel the wetsuit off my body, I am still shivering and shaking like the Durban ninny I am. But at least I haven’t peed in my wetsuit.
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EXPLORE A WATER WONDERLAND
They don’t call themselves Shark Warrior Adventures because they’re out there fighting sharks. Quite the opposite. They’re here – on penguin-inhabited Seaforth Beach in Simon’s Town – to educate humans about the worth of marine life, and that includes the apex predators that are so badly misunderstood. Apart from snorkelling adventures, they run guided kayak and SUP tours of the locality, and the conservationists who mind this eco-venture do all sorts of work (in collaboration with AfriOceans Conservation
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Alliance) to stave off the ravages of human-manifested destruction. They keep beaches clean, protect penguin-occupied boulders and nesting areas, and take visitors on walks along the coast so they can learn more about the birds that have made this part of Cape Town such a draw. They also run land-based adventures, always with an eco-sensitive mind-set. These include day tours of Cape Point, fynbos mountain hikes, and also multi-day sea kayaking tours up the West Coast and five-night kayaking missions on the Garden Route. sharkwarrior.com
Bed down with penguins
Cradled within a fynbos-covered landscape and with just ten suites, Tintswalo Boulders puts you right in the heart of the penguin action – plus all those dreamy views of the ocean and a heartthumping soundtrack of crashing surf that continually reminds you just how close to the water you really are. Don’t mistake this for any ordinary beach bungalow B&B, though – it comes with every imaginable luxury, including scrumptious beds in individually styled, graciously laid out sleeping quarters, and superb dining for when you don’t head out to explore the local culinary landscape. What you will want to do while you’re here is sink your toes into the sand, watch the African penguins waddling across the rocks, and meet the folks at Shark Warrior Adventures (they’re a short stroll beyond the garden gate). You can also curl up and simply witness it all from the intimate rooftop terrace where there’s a heated pool and views that go on forever. Downstairs, a variety of lounges, terraces, nooks, huge picture windows facing the sea, and quiet garden spaces provide opportunities for deep reflection. tintswalo.com
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Pictures: Shark Warrior Adventures, Lesley Rachat, Jon Monsoon, Supplied
And also above…
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BEYOND THE PUMMEL PARLOUR EXPLORE
‘D
o you have a massage for me?’ is probably not the best question to ask when you find yourself outside a backstreet pummel parlour in Cape Town’s wildlands. But throwing caution to the wind, and looking for a good yarn, I plunged in. I should have walked on by. Led into a back room, far from the essential oils and aromatherapy calm one expects of a spa, the bouquet was one of dirty feet, sweaty socks. It turned out to be the best thing about the whole experience. The toupee-wearing therapist – let’s call him Bruce – splashed oregano oil on to my back and told me it was a good liver detox. Then he proceeded to, well, pummel me, accompanied by the trills of the harmonica coming from the flat upstairs and what sounded like a bar brawl outside. It took a week for my bowels to settle. It took about a year before I ventured near a spa again. But venture I did, and this time around it was a far more delicious affair. Walking into the sun-drenched lobby, I was consumed by the aroma of fynbos – surely from the oils and unctions used in the treatments. The serenity was instantly calming. This was going to be good – but it was better than good. Disrobing in my own cubicle, I buried myself in the soft, fluffy gown neatly folded on the chair. And was led to the therapy room. Here the sounds
were of panpipes wafting in through cleverly hidden speakers. Though, to be honest, I could have done with less of the panpipes and more of the silence. The massage was bliss, the therapist expertly rolling my aching muscles under her strong hands. The oil used was a secret blend and the aroma was hard to place. There was a pepper, a mint, and a wild sage to it. At least, that is what it smelled like. Afterwards, in a state of consummate relaxation, I slid down the hall to the recovery room, my legs a liquid shade of comfort. Here, the tasty, healthy, nibbly bits and fizz were designed to be the bridge between the sheer indulgence of a massage and the real world. For a state of calm mindfulness and repose, there is little better than a full-body massage under the expert hands of a properly trained and qualified therapist. Everything should be designed for your pleasure, from the muted colours of the spa and the dimmed lighting, to the thick carpets muffling the sounds of walking. Even the low murmur of other voices dialled down to almost inaudible. This is how a spa experience should play out, a soundtrack to a zen-like peace. If you love someone, send them to a spa.
State of bliss
Leave your stress zone behind with the Lorraine Kearney spa guide kulula.com
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EXPLORE BEYOND THE PUMMEL PARLOUR
Beach, please! A spa safari Rewild in Ballito
The thing about the Esse Concept Store in Ballito is that it only uses Esse products, designed in Richmond, KwaZulu-Natal. They’re organic, they’re vegan, they’re probiotic, and they’re beautiful. The Esse Experience and the Ultimate Esse Experience are the two signature facial treatments, and both use pre- and probiotics to improve the microbial balance of the skin. Talk these days is often about rewilding. Well, Esse is on a mission to rewild your skin, by helping to imbue you with a healthy skin microbiome. esseskincare.com
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Looking to spoil mum this Mother’s Day? The signature Luxury Mini Package at The Gwahumbe Spa – at the Gwahumbe Reserve in Illovo, KwaZulu-Natal – includes a 45-minute spa treatment, a two-course lunch with wine, and a game drive, so the most important woman in your life will get to experience the whole of Gwahumbe. Located in the African bush, the spa overlooks stunning valley views. It’s a relaxing, peaceful spot totally immersed in nature. And it is just an hour from Durban – an easy day trip. gwahumbe.co.za
Like it hot?
In Chintsa, on the Wild Coast, Crawfords Beach Lodge offers a blissful hot stone massage at its Senses Spa – the warmth and muscle tingles will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. And then there’s that glass of bubbly and an indoor Jacuzzi to remove any residual stress. Afterwards, take a walk on the beach and watch the Indian Ocean crash against the shore. It’s about an hour from East London. crawfordsbeachlodge.co.za
Since there are few more relaxing places on earth than the Wild Coast, you may be tempting a coma by going in for the ‘bathing ritual’ at the Umngazi Spa. Perched on a hilltop – the highest point of the entire Umngazi resort (more about that on page 41) – the spa offers the opportunity to relax in a bath overlooking the beach and the ocean. With sliding doors flung wide open to allow the sounds of the sea in, it’s pure magic. And then there are all those welltrained hands offering extensive therapies and treatments combined with delicious aromas (and sublime sea views) – the allure of perfect pampering is ceaseless. umngazi.co.za
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BEYOND THE PUMMEL PARLOUR EXPLORE
Spa in a stable
Pictures: Claire Gunn, Supplied
Seaside shhh…
The Sea Whisperer treatment at the Suncoast Hotel Spa in Durban offers a fusion of different types of massage styles from around the world. The signature treatment uses aromatic oils and a relaxing massage technique that trades in long strokes, thumb and palm pressure to relieve stress and recharge your body, mind and spirit. Finish with a cocktail on the pool deck or hit the Promenade for a stroll. tsogosun.com
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The spa journey The Saxon Spa, at Joburg’s Saxon Hotel, is an oasis of calm in a city known for its buzz. Its Signature Journeys are utterly unique experiences, and the Digital Detox Journey is the first of its kind in the country. It includes a mindfulness exercise, a full-body exfoliation, a combination of silicone cupping and deep tissue massage and finally a lymphatic drainage. It sounds like a lot, but no doubt it is worth every minute. Round it off with a high tea in the Piano Lounge. saxon.co.za
It made its mark thanks to the curvaceous roof of its pretty chapel, and now Bosjes – a guest farm at the foot of the Waaihoek Mountain in the Breede Valley, some 28km from Ceres – has added a spa. Located in the farm’s original stables, Die Stalle has two treatment rooms, a sauna and Rasul chamber, all imaginatively rendered by interior designer Liam Mooney to create a seriously sublime sanctuary. While you can make a day of it, you could also dip into one of their packages – two nights in the boutique guesthouse, breakfast, dinner, fullbody massage, hydrating facial, and a hydrotherapy session. A perfect Mother’s Day treat. bosjes.co.za
Sip and spa
In the foothills of Cape Town’s gentle Steenberg, next door to the Norval Foundation art gallery, the Steenberg Spa is on a wine farm, so there’s an inherent understanding of the role played by nature and the elements in making us feel at peace. The setting is totally sublime and so, in addition to serene indoor therapy rooms, Steenberg offers (weather permitting, of course) outdoor spa treatments in its scented garden, as well as poolside manis and pedis. It even has mini spa treatments for your mini me. Don’t forget to take a turn at the Norval when you’re done; or perhaps you’ll simply want to settle in for lunch on the estate or grab a suite for the night. steenbergfarm.com M AY 2 0 2 1
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A WILD AND AN UNTAMED THING
EXPLORE
I
This ain’t how you do it
did the Wild Coast. And I did it all wrong. Well, perhaps I didn’t do it all wrong but if I did it again, I’d do a couple things differently. For one, I’d only venture ankle deep into the sea. Provided I could resist the call of these endless oceans, that is. I say this after hearing about someone being mauled by a shark in knee-deep water in a gentle estuary stream somewhere along the coast, and about dangerous Wild Coast riptides. These ferocious seas have claimed countless nautical victims. There was the ill-fated Oceanos in 1991: Captain Yiannis Avranas famously abandoned ship, leaving rescue operations to the vessel’s musos and magician who managed – abracadabra – to heroically help save all 571 people onboard.
Nicci Collier does th eW ild C oa st
ng wro all
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EXPLORE A WILD AND AN UNTAMED THING
And the ostensibly ‘unsinkable’ Waratah steamship, the ‘Titanic of the South’, which lived up to the same fate and disappeared off the Wild Coast in 1909, its wreckage never found. Make no mistake, the Wild Coast is not so-called for the long-horned bulls plodding (and pooping!) unattended across the beaches. The famous Pondoland cattle, kept in kraals at night and released at dawn, return around midday for milking, then stroll beachwards in the afternoon. Photographer Christopher Rimmer, who studied and documented the cattle, says of this mysterious habit, ‘As resistant as I am to anthropomorphising, I could come to no other conclusion than: the bulls visit the beach daily because they simply enjoy being there.’ On a cow-free morning, I hiked the Double Mouth Nature Reserve (from the inviting Morgan Bay campsite to Bead Beach) in search of treasure from the Santo Espiritu – a doomed Portuguese
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vessel returning from India in 1608. Shards of Chinese Ming porcelain and carnelian beads can still be scavenged near the Quko River mouth at low tide. I returned empty-handed, but with a full heart. Nothing compares to having an immaculate wilderness like this practically to oneself. My second mistake? Driving to Double Mouth in a Yaris. It’s doable, but a fourwheeler would certainly navigate the rocky, ditch-riddled road better. I make it to ‘the cliffs’ for sundowners that evening but only thanks to the kindness of strangers: Alex, who offers a lift. Warren provides the G’nTs, and his cousins host me for a braai that night. I’d already suspected that there’s just something different about Wild Coast-ers. In a really good, unbelievably kind, ultra-hospitable way. And these new friends only confirm it. From the Umngazi River boat driver whose convincing fish eagle cry lures the magnificent birds into sight, to Nikki and Erica at Morgan Bay Hotel’s reception desk (they print dinner menus each day
Clockwise from top left The famed Hole-inthe-Wall near Coffee Bay; Wild Coast beachcombers will share the shore with Pondoland cattle; the riverside bar deck at Umngazi; a wild beach ride with Wild Coast Horse Riding Adventures; endless views from Prana Lodge
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S L L A F ’s t le
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Victoria Falls holiday packages from R5 558 pps for 2 nights The long-distance love affair is finally over! Looking through pictures and videos of the majestic Victoria Falls is lovely, but it's definitely not the same. Kulula holidays excited to once again be your travel companion to the iconic Victoria Falls and we’re falling in love all over again. Book online at holidays.kulula.com or via the call centre on 011 285 3000. T&C’s apply
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Pictures: Keith Bain, South African Tourism, Wild Coast Horse Riding Adventures, Supplied
A WILD AND AN UNTAMED THING
with a personalised message to each guest), everyone here feels like family. Perhaps it’s because this is the land of my forebears? Granny Wendy grew up in the Transkei – her father was the magistrate, and Freemantle High School in Lady Frere was named in his honour (whether this honour was for his habit of performing headstands on bar counters or his magisterial work, we will never know). Mount Ayliff, Lady Frere, Mthatha, Queenstown… All place names I recall my grandmother bandying about when she spoke of her childhood. Several of them went hurtling past the Yaris’s window as it dodged goats, donkeys and potholes on this road trip. It made me think of my Granny as a baby, traversing these same green hills almost a century ago – by ox-wagon! It wasn’t all giddy sessions on bumpy roads, though. There was the pure joy of fattening myself on the Morgan Bay Hotel’s generous meals and reading to the sound of crashing waves in the beautiful ‘Quiet Lounge; No Children’. And all that gracious time spent at Umngazi, a slice of tropical paradise whose natural good looks are matched by the resort’s raft of endlessly fun activities – plus beach walks, outdoor showers, unbeatable feasting tables… Total escape. Ultimately, though, I think my biggest mistake by far was that my Wild Coast adventure was too short. Next time, I’ll stay forever.
kulula.com
Serene sleeps Umngazi River Bungalows and Spa To sample the Wild Coast’s pleasures without roughing it at all, check in at this charming family resort on the Umngazi River mouth. Set within its own nature reserve and flanked by dense coastal vegetation, it overlooks an estuary and beach, with boats for hire, and waterskiing on offer. Thatched bungalows (like the beautiful Honeymoon suite pictured above) have outdoor showers and are set amongst indigenous gardens on the bank of the river, which is crossed by boat for idyllic beach walks (ring the gong to be fetched in time for tea and cake). Explore mangrove swamps, cast a line, boat or canoe up the river, unwind at the pool, indulge heartily at mealtimes, join a torch-lit crab hunt with the kids. And don’t miss the spa. umngazi.co.za
EXPLORE
Morgan Bay Hotel Morgan Bay is a dream for nature lovers, with a mile-long stretch of beach and magnificent cliffs crisscrossed with hiking and MTB trails. Select from a variety of bed combinations to suit your group in the spacious, tastefully decorated rooms, and enjoy a plethora of activities on offer, from rock climbing to fishing, canoeing to horse riding, bird watching to poolside tanning. morganbayhotel.co.za Prana Lodge In Chintsa, Prana Lodge is a family-owned luxury hotel on a 17-acre private beach estate – just 40 minutes from East London in a dreamy dune forest. Top-notch cuisine; private plunge pools; restful, Persiancarpeted suites; and direct beach access. Plus a pamper-perfect spa. pranalodge.co.za M AY 2 0 2 1
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KINGJAMES 52135 ut
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*R
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Add flight tickets to your shopping list.
Go to your nearest Pick n Pay supermarket or Hypermarket to book your next kulula.com domestic flight in-store.
For more information, go to www.pnp.co.za/money/value-added-services/flight-tickets. Travellers must adhere to the Covid-19 travel protocols stipulated by government to be allowed to fly. Ts and Cs apply. E&OE.
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SHORTS THAT MATTER DISCOVER
DISCOVER People. Ideas. Things.
What’s the buzz?
Words: Keith Bain, Picture: Supplied
Forget the navel-gazing, these swimming shorts are doing their bit to give bees a chance. Having seen from the inside how South Africa’s garment industry took a tumble, conservation-minded Jeff Liss has applied his textile and fashion know-how to create Chasing Bees, a family business producing a sustainable range of casualbut-buzzworthy clothing and accessories such as kikois. Aside from doing their bit to support local producers and crafters, a percentage of their earnings goes to Ujubee, a research organisation studying wild bees and other pollinators. Their research feeds into a global initiative to protect the planet’s biodiversity by preserving the genetic integrity of pollinating species. The bees will be happy, but so will you with your shorts made from durable, comfortable, quickdrying fabric and put together with triple-stitched seams. Lovely prints, too – check out more designs on page 51.
Kamala’s mom kulula.com
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Briefs, bras, cups and saucers
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Novel heroines
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43
DISCOVER THE VP’S BELOVED
Her mother’s daughter 44
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In this intimate extract from her book, The Truths We Hold, US Vice President Kamala Harris highlights the part her mother played in making her who she is today. It’s dedicated to all the moms who are with us, and those who are no more
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THE VP’S BELOVED DISCOVER
Extract courtesy of Penguin Random House, Picture: Lawrence Jackson, courtesy of the White House and the Office of the Vice President of the United States
M
y mother’s condition worsened, she needed more care than we could provide. We wanted to hire a home healthcare aide to help her – and me. But she didn’t want help. ‘I’m fine. I don’t need anybody,’ she’d say, though she could barely get out of bed. There was a fight to be had about it, but I didn’t want to have it. Cancer – the disease she’d devoted her life to defeating – was now wreaking havoc on her. Her body was giving out. The medication was making it difficult for her to function – to be herself. I didn’t want to be the one who took her dignity away. So we muddled through. I cooked elaborate meals for her, filling the house with the smells of childhood, reminding us both of happier times. When I wasn’t at the office, I was usually with her, telling stories, holding hands, helping her through the chemotherapy misery. I bought her hats after she lost her hair, and soft clothes to improve her comfort.
She knew who she had raised. She knew her fighting spirit was alive and well inside me
At one point, I had just gotten into the attorney general’s race and she asked me how it was going. ‘Mommy, these guys are saying they’re gonna kick my ass.’ She’d been lying on her side. She rolled over, looked at me, and unveiled the biggest smile. She knew who she had raised. She knew her fighting spirit was alive and well inside me. When it was time for hospice care, we took her home and, finally, she let a hospice nurse come with us. Maya and I still didn’t believe that she could die, to the point that when she said she wanted to go to India, we booked plane tickets and started planning her trip. We worked out how to get her on a plane, arranged for a nurse to accompany us. We kulula.com
* From Penguin Random House, Kamala Harris’s autobiographical The Truths We Hold: An American Journey has recently been republished in a new soft-cover edition. were all in a great state of delusion – especially me. I couldn’t bear to tell my mother no – not because she couldn’t take it, but because I couldn’t. Whether it was a question of bringing a nurse home or staying in the nursing home or going to India, I didn’t want to accept what saying no to her meant. I didn’t want to accept that she was running out of time. One night, Maya, Tony, Meena, and I were all at my mother’s house when Aunt Mary and Aunt Lenore came for a visit. I cooked. I’ll never forget that night – I was making beef stew. While the meat was cooking down in red wine, all of a sudden my brain figured out what was happening around me. I began hyperventilating – short breaths in and out. I felt I might faint. Suddenly, the delusion was gone. I had to face reality. I was going to lose my mother; there was nothing I could do. We had called our uncle in India to let him know she was too sick to travel. He flew from Delhi to see her. She waited for him to say goodbye. She passed away the next morning. One of the last questions she asked the hospice nurse, the last concern on her mind, was ‘Are my daughters going to be okay?’ She focused on being our mother until the very end. I miss her every day, carry her with me wherever I go. I think of her all the time. Sometimes I look up and talk to her. I love her so much. And there is no title or honour on earth I’ll treasure more than to say I am Shyamala Gopalan Harris’s daughter. That is the truth I hold dearest of all. M AY 2 0 2 1
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IDEAS GREAT & SMALL
DISCOVER
/ innovate / disrupt / recycle / reimagine
Home + away / ideas for our changing world
+
/ the stuff you need in your life right now
kulula.com
Frankly fantastic funderwear Turtles on your tush, avos on your heinie… They even have leopard print for your wild days. What began as Frankees, a cheeky startup created by Siya Kolisi and fellow rugger bugger Tim Whitehead, has recently evolved into a global business now rebranded Franklees. Their fun, funky matching designs for him and her are perfect for couples who simply want to hang at home together wearing nothing else. franklees.co.za
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DISCOVER IDEAS GREAT & SMALL
Magic garden 2.0
Sunken marvel
U
nreal to say the least, there is something almost miraculous about the new indigenous gardens at Bosjes, the Breedekloof farm that made architectural headlines a few years back when its new Steyn Studio-designed chapel was unveiled, transforming the 18th-century estate into a lauded destination. Bosjes has since seen multiple innovations on the farm. What you’re seeing here is another miracle: an expression of dizzying architectural imagination and engineering prowess, this shell-shaped, hooded façade curves fantastically around the exterior of the Spens (pantry), a café situated within – and in fact sunken into – Bosjes’s exquisitely conceived, rather sensational garden, which has been overseen by plant-lover Hugo van Niekerk and his team from Square One Landscape Architects.
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kulula.com
Pantry of plenty
T
he wooden trellis-style marvel of engineering that wraps the façade of the Spens continues into and culminates within the café – the effect is dazzling since it’s like being inside
IDEAS GREAT & SMALL
a complex piece of geometric problemsolving. Décor is by iconic local designer Liam Mooney. The Spens has a daytime menu of breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, and wholesome
DISCOVER
dishes like Karoo lamb shoulder and pork porchetta. Like any decent pantry, there are goods to take home, too – like pickled garlic, onion marmalade, fig and almond jam.
Soul balm
W
andering through Bosjes’s indigenous garden, or along the Boombrug treetopwalkway, is balm for the soul. Plus, embedded in the garden is an unparalleled children’s playground with swings, climbing contraptions and even a mini zip line affording all kinds of fun that grown-ups don’t seem to be able to keep away from either. bosjes.co.za
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DISCOVER IDEAS GREAT & SMALL
Tough love
Y
eti, known for creating the ultimate cooler boxes for camping, has expanded into super-durable luggage. Apart from its waterproof Panga range, there’s the Crossroads Collection – incredible backpacks, soft-sided suitcases and duffel bags. They’re made of rugged abrasion- and waterresistant TuffSkin nylon, capable of withstanding truly tough conditions. If adventure beckons, this is the kind of bag you want – on your back or over your shoulder. yeti.com
Recyclable shoes?
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S
hoes are a complex amalgam of materials. One pair may include leather, EVA, rubber, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyester, polyamide, plus other synthetic and natural fabrics. This makes them complicated to recycle. For Salomon, known for designing specialised mountain shoes, this gap in the sustainability aspect of their business has been a challenge to overcome. Three years of R&D has produced their recyclable
Index.01, a road running shoe (incidentally with great performance enhancements) combining a polyester upper and TPU bottom unit – just two different
materials put together so they can be disassembled and recycled separately for an afterlife in other products. Not yet perfect, but it’s a start in the right direction. kulula.com
IDEAS GREAT & SMALL
Buzzworthy boardshorts
French flair
These three fabric designs are from eco-innovative Cape Town clothing brand Chasing Bees; you can read more about them on page 43
Gallic kitchenware brand Le Creuset launches botanic-themed box sets
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Words: Keith Bain, Pictures: Dave Southwood, Claire Gunn, Supplied
ornucopia. It means, literally, ‘plenty’ and refers to that classic Roman symbol of abundance, a goat’s horn overflowing with flowers, fruit and other fresh harvest. For kitchenware company, Le Creuset, it refers to colour – rich, splendid, and abundant, with signature hues designed to give your kitchen and dining table a lift.
Just launched, to help you find that spark of abundance, is Le Creuset’s Botanique Collection consisting of box sets of single stoneware items in four different natureinspired hues. Pictured are their 200ml cappuccino mugs, in fig
DISCOVER
(the maroonish one), nectar (yellowish), deep teal (bluish) and artichaut (greenish) – names that might spark colourful dinner conversation. Just remember to tell your guests how your pretty tableware brings a rich, er, cornucopia of colour to the table.
The range of gift-friendly box sets includes cappuccino mugs, 100ml espresso mugs, mini ramekins, spoons, mini bowls and side plates, and they’ll be adding mugs, mini cocottes and cereal bowls. Also available (but not in box sets) are eggcups, teapots, and coffee presses. That’s loads of beautiful gear to bring some colour into your home as autumn and winter take hold. Chameleon sadly not included. lecreuset.co.za
Field camo
Like you’re waist-deep in pretty blooms
Admiral
Aye, aye, Captain!
Flower Power
Equally perfect for the beach or for your next hippie music festival
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LADIES’ CHOICE DISCOVER
Freudian fruit
Well, well, well… Daisy Buchanan’s Insatiable (Sphere) is an eyebrow-raiser, unflinchingly taboo. Funny, filthy and rather addictive, it’s as fleshy as the citrus fruit that’s being torn apart on the cover. It’s a kind of sexual awakening story in which its heroine must find out for herself – by following the seductions of a couple who throw debauched, swinging Friday-night parties – if what she thinks she wants is really what she needs. And if it’s what will ultimately be good for her. Is more always the answer to the questions that lurk deep within us?
Heroines of every stripe
Also this month A new sci-fi thriller by Christian Cantrell on page 54. And, on page 56, books linking past and present, including Helen Fisher’s sentimental Space Hopper, and Dawnie Walton’s Afropunk rockstar story, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev.
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A few good books
Artfully invisible
Umiko Wada isn’t really invisible, but she has a curious way of simply not being seen. It makes her an interesting heroine for Robert Goddard’s The Fine Art of Invisible Detection (Bantam Press); in it, she finds herself embroiled in a full-scale international criminal investigation so complicated you end up turning the pages just to see if Goddard will pull all the pieces together.
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DISCOVER LADIES’ CHOICE
Terry’s edge
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here’s quite an offbeat edge to filmmaker and writer Terry Westby-Nunn. Her award-winning debut novel, The Sea of Wise Insects, evidenced her taste for the macabre and her unformulaic approach. It centres on an accident-prone, scar-riddled Capetonian named Alice who finds herself working at London’s euphemistically named Hotel Tisca, where the mentally unstable are left to their own devices. Then Ralph comes along and although there’s an attraction, he might be ‘too normal’ for Alice – weird sub-plots and horrific realisations ensue. Clever, wonderfully bonkers and it has a hectic twist.
From Penguin Random House, The Artist Vanishes is Westby-Nunn’s new literary crime novel centred on a dark and infamous artist named Sophie who has been missing for years. But when a whiskey-swilling filmmaker looking to restart his career discovers that he’s living in Sophie’s former home, he sets about digging into the mystery of her disappearance which happened after her final exhibition led to the suicide of one of its participants. The novel is full of colourful scenes that play out in Cape Town, and the characters are even more colourful. It is weird, atmospheric, and enormously addictive.
Future menace
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oftware engineer by day, writer of extremely successful speculative fiction by night – or whenever he finds the time… American novelist Christian Cantrell has his finger on the pulse of what could, would and might happen when some of our worst fears are realised. He’s penned such heart-racing sci-fi novels as Containment (set in a time when we humans have colonised Venus – not Mars) and its 2015 follow-up, Equinox. 54
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Cantrell’s new pulse-quickener is Scorpion, ideal if you like a thick plot with action rooted in tech and forbidding ideas about the future. In this one, a series of 22 murder victims around the world seem linked by one ominous clue: they’ve each been branded with a numeric code either tattooed, burned or carved into their flesh. CIA analyst Quinn Mitchell is summoned to investigate – soon she’s tracking an ice-hearted, tech-enabled assassin unlike anything seen before and with seemingly limitless resources. Plus, of course, a shocking twist. kulula.com
DISCOVER LADIES’ CHOICE
Oral tradition
Three connecting past and present
Dawnie Walton’s debut novel makes fiction feels like history
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Back and forth In Helen Fisher’s Space Hopper, time travel is a conduit to rekindling a relationship with the mother she lost as a child. It’s touching, but hardly ground-breaking.
Never one to kowtow, Opal’s reaction causes a riot with violent and deadly consequences. Now, in 2016, with the promise of an Opal and Nev reunion tour, a music journalist lands the opportunity to write their story. Through her interviews, she weaves together a vivid portrait, and turns up some unexpected twists. It’s almost hard to believe that the novel is in fact a work of fiction. It’s structured in the form of an oral history, summoning a multitude of voices to construct a narrative that feels like documentary. This only adds to the book’s gravitas – the sense that we are witnessing something urgent and real. It’s no straightforward feel-good musical comeback tale either, instead conjuring some chilling strands – with all the social, political and racial tensions that have factored into the lives being examined. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev is published locally by Penguin Random House. It’s been named one of the most anticipated novels of the year, a riveting and powerful debut by a thrilling new literary voice.
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Now and forever Jodie Chapman’s Another Life will break you. Lovers Nick and Anna split up just because they’re still too young for a lifetime commitment. Years later they reconnect and must grapple with still being madly in love despite having forged lives with other people.
Time and again A mystery set in Tasmania, Jane Harper’s The Survivors examines how one stupid mistake in the past can have shattering consequences down the line and come back to haunt us. kulula.com
Words: Keith Bain, Pictures: Supplied
es, yes, of course it has sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, but that’s not the point nor the substance of The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, Dawnie Walton’s rollicking debut novel. Because, although it is about a rock star, you will discover that Opal Jewel is no ordinary music icon. Not only is she fashioned from within Walton’s fertile imagination, but she represents the kind of rock star who, at one point in music history, didn’t yet exist. Walton felt she wanted to summon from the ether the sort of Black female role model she herself wished she’d had to look up to when all the rock stars were men, and white. And so this tale of a fictional Afropunk idol was born. It harks back to the 1970s, when Opal – ‘an outcast Black girl from Detroit’ – had partnered up with Nev Charles, a goofy red-headed English rocker. During one of their label’s showcase concerts, though, the muck had hit the proverbial fan when another band brandished a Confederate flag.
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