Phuthu Stay Phut, Don't go!

FIFA have named England and Germany as two of the many culprits that continue to portray South Africa in a negative light ahead of the World Cup.

Organisation’s general secretary Jerome Valcke said: “It’s sad that every morning you wake up and every morning there are articles from the world’s football family saying that people should not fly to South Africa, that this is a dangerous country, that this is not good, that there is no way this person should fly to South Africa because it is a crazy country, that FIFA and (Sepp) Blatter made the wrong decision to host the World Cup in South Africa.

Ok, here is my opinion on the matter. Yes you need to keep your wits about you when you come to our country, people should not be blind to the fact that South Africa has crime issues, the same crime that is becoming more prevalent in most first world countries.

But there is keeping your wits about you and there is going overboard, for example, ‘certain’ companies in ‘certain’ countries insisting that all visitors to South Africa should invest in a bullet proof jacket! Now come on, the international media is painting a picture of extreme violence where people are being randomly gunned down in the streets, where nobody is safe. That is certainly not the case. We have a beautiful country with many amazing features, which people never really get to hear about because of all the negative press.

FIFA did not make a mistake in selecting South Africa for the World Cup, in fact this event is going to show just how friendly and welcoming the people of South Africa can be. There is no doubt that each and every visitor will return home a couple of Kilograms heavier (due to world class beer and food), a spring in their step and the memory of a unique African experience they will never forget.

By:Kerry

Reference: Sport24.co.za

HHP (Hip Hop Pantsula) aka Jabba is refreshingly South African and brings a unique local flavour with his music that he performs in multiple languages; primarily Setswana. He was a firm favourite with the viewers on Strictly Come Dancing and also starred in the musical soap Rhythm City.

HHP went to the US over January and stayed at a non-profit organization for two weeks, where his mission was (and still is) to unite the hip-hop communities in SA and the US as to advance cross-cultural consciousness about real issues like HIV/Aids, diabetes, arts and education. During his stay he spoke at schools, juvenile detention facilities and universities.

“We invited Hip Hop Pantsula because of his tremendous accomplishments as a recording artist and his selfless commitment to serving his community,” said John R. Chambers, founder of BloomBars, a Washington-based non-profit organization that works to inspire and unite communities through the arts while nurturing artists committed to serving the community.

Not only is Jabba gifted, but he uses his gift to make a difference. A man with a mission. Respect! Here is a taste of what he can do - I just cannot keep my feet silent on this one:

 *shoves the office chair away to make room for a bit of Pantsula”
Uhmm.. yeah..Mr Loverman, Jabba..uh-uh..music an’ lights…yeah

By Elzet

Reference: SA Good News

We finished the Dusi in one piece and we’re proud to say that the goodship HMS Phuthu survived too. Dusi was a novelty again after having had a break for 3 years. Our 4 training sessions definitely paid off and we seemed to peak at just the right time!

The start was pretty civilized.

Mission rapid – scraped through. I’m laughing here at Gina (our machine seconder!) who is shouting “GO HUNNNNNNNi” at the top of her lungs whilst perched on a rock in the river.

The guy holding the paddle asked us why we had Indian Elephants on our boat. How on earth did he know they were Indian Elephants? I was distraught – there I was all along thinking these were born and bred African ellies. But then I found out that this dude was a game ranger and figured he’s probably the only one who can see the difference on a little profile picture anyway. That’s what I’m telling myself at least.

All you need to know about this picture is that the middle guy is single. This pic makes him look a bit gay but that would be misleading..

Up close. Single ladies I repeat single.

Gauging Weir….

Sjoe – made it! The guys on the far right of the pic didn’t though…sorry for you!

Day 2 on the dam was long and we had to portage over the dam wall because of a hyacinth block.

But lucky we had snacks to keep us going…

…and this boat’s wave to sit on

Dillan and Lyndal – Did someone say we whipped you by 4 minutes? hee hee!

End of day 2 – the sleeeeepy look.

Start of day 3 – Negotiated Tops Needle without serious lung seizure. Falling out here is not fun and the water is cold. Been there, got the t-shirt. Actually all I got was a lot of water down my throat and bruises on my butt.

The finish at Blue Lagoon tra-la-la-la-la!

The plan for next year? K3! Now that looks like fun!

Until next time..

Scenario: You walk into a bank to apply for a credit card and you’re asked to choose one of these causes to support:  Arts, Environment, Children, Sport. What do you choose and why, sista?

Louise
Without a doubt, I’d strike the ballpoint pen in the box that supports environmental issues.  Nature is so fragile and we have a responsibility to take care of it, it’s as simple as that. If we don’t, we’re in groot kak.

Elzet
Thinking with my heart, mine will defintely be children (predictable, yes, sue me). First of all, this cause has a direct influence on people and the human element will always be above all else in my books. I believe that all children have the right to the carefree life of “being a child”, have a happy, loving home, some food and a solid eduction. The aim is to have each child grow up well balanced and happy, ready to take on the world (that Louise and Kerry are busy saving) and be the best version that they can possibly be. Deep.

Kerry
Environment. After all if the world blows up or freezes over or stops rotating, no amount of literature, sport, art, children, education or health contributions can fix it, we would all be homeless and obviously dead.

If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.  – Mary Engelbreit

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.  – Victor Frankl

Dave and Anne moved into their new home and then went to the DIY hardware shop to make an important purchase. ‘How much is one?’ asked Dave. ‘R15′ came the reply. ‘What about 20?’ ‘That will cost you R30.’ ‘Ok, well we need 2042.’

What were Dave and Anne buying and how much did it cost them

It all started, when I walked into the local video shop on a typically rainy and miserable afternoon in KZN. Desperately looking for a movie that a: I haven’t seen before b: will keep me occupied and interested for a whole two hours. So I scanned the shelves and came across District 9, now I had heard somewhere down the line that it was quite a good movie and if had the chance I should watch it, so thinking, ok, an Independence Day type Sci-Fi could be entertaining, I took it home.

I had no idea what I was in for-

District 9 is a story about aliens who make contact with Earth and the relationships with humans and society. The creatures were set up in a makeshift home in South Africa’s District 9. Control over the aliens has been contracted out to Multi-National United (MNU), a private company uninterested in the aliens’ welfare. Their sole interest, alien technology and weapons. Weapon research would mean huge profits for the company. Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) is placed in charge of the filed operation to evict, remove, and place the aliens in a new holding facility. Conflict and tension threaten the operation as agents move in.

I won’t tell you anymore, you have to see for yourself. The gritty tongue in cheek humour of a stereotypical Afrikaans south African character in the form of Wikus had me in stitches at times and kringing in others. With a mix of brilliant special effects, combined with a totally unique play on your typical Sci-Fi plot as well as inspirational acting sequences from our local talent pool, all rolled up into a comedy thriller with a distinct South African flavour, makes this one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. It doesn’t surprise me that District 9 has been nominated for 7 BAFTA awards.

Warning: This movie is not for the faint of heart, leave your preconceptions at the door, sit back and enjoy the ride.