Revisited: iwasshot in joburg :)

April 12, 2015

Maboneng on a Sunday morning (artists: Top- Obey, Bottom- Mein)

You might remember when I first mentioned this organization, back in 2013; we bought some funky artwork, and I was completely enthralled with the organization. Since then, we've purchased several more prints, and I have big plans for a wall display back when we're in Canada.

But, I digress. The point of today's post is to show off a really cool walking tour we recently participated in. It was with some of the "iwasshot in joburg :)" photographers, and was lead by Jo, whom I've also written about before. The "tour" included walking around Maboneng on a Sunday morning and learning interesting facts about the graffiti/artwork in the area. More than that though, per the "iwasshot in joburg :)" mission, the tour was about finding beauty where there seemingly is none. 

Starting off at the "iwasshot in joburg :)" headquarters.

As it turns out, we were not the only Canadian in Joburg who thought the tour was a great idea. 

Getting a lesson in artistry from an "iwasshot in joburg :)" photographer.

Attempting to get the right angle...looks kinda cool, but I'd be lying if I said it always works...

Cool arch (artist: Superblast).

M with the kids (artist: Nelson Makamo).

Safari ledge on the left (artist: ROA), and Jo and the cow on the right (artist: Spaza Gallery).

M and Madiba (artist: Freddy Sam).

Madiba through the rubble, and Ponte through the wire.

 

 Grazing sable in front of a very old church (artist: Freddy Sam).

Roar (artist: Sonny).

Proof that graffiti can most definitely be "art" (artist: Sonny).

In and around Maboneng.

This is a building often seen in city-scapes of Joburg. I was happy to finally get up close to it (artist: Steve Espo Powers).

Downtown Joburg (photo courtesy of our fellow Canadian).

M and I in our city (photo courtesy of our fellow Canadian).

So many layers.

M took a photo for this Mama and was waiting for it to process.

Through the looking glass.

Morning of Canadians.

Cape Town...4.0?

April 2, 2015

Cape Town, 4.0.

At what point must I stop tracking our visits to Cape Town? I'm actually not really sure what the number would be anyway- as we've flown into the Cape Town airport to travel to other places in the Western Cape- like when we went to Hermanus to see the whales, and when we went to Franschhoek to spend some time in wine country, for example. While it feels like we have been there a lot, we really haven't spent time in the city itself since December 2013 (or so my blog tells me...). We typically make the trip over a regular weekend, without the luxury of a slew of public holidays to extend our vacation. Extra-long Easter weekend in the Mother City? Don't mind if we do.

In the spirit of full disclosure, the purpose of this trip was really to run the Two Oceans Half Marathon. It is one of the most popular races in the country, and registration sells out within minutes every year. After conflicting plans in both 2013 and 2014, I made it my goal to secure a spot for the 2015 race. I sat guard at my computer in late November last year, counting down the seconds until registration opened. As luck would have it, with fewer than one thousand of the sixteen thousand spots left by the time I got in (less than two minutes after entries opened, no less), I managed to successfully register, and was on my way to the chance to cross the "world's most beautiful marathon" off my bucket list.

As with every visit to this picturesque city, we found loads of new things to keep us busy. We even stayed at the V&A waterfront (at the Portswood Hotel)- a first for us. We hit up a local comedy club, toured the city on the City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus (aka the "red bus"), marvelled at the view from the Cape Wheel, and had a glorious five-course lunch at the ever-acclaimed Test Kitchen. We also spent time with M's boss and his family, who were also there for the race. They are veterans of Two Oceans, and make the trek every year (he does the 56km Ultra as a warm up for Comrades. Enough said). We loved every minute of hanging out with them and sitting by the sea in Hout Bay enjoying a wonderful post-race/Easter Monday braai.

This place perpetually spoils us with new sights and memories, and if it didn't have a special place in our hearts before, it does now, and we're holding it there for keeps.

Graffiti in the Mother City.

More funky graffiti.

The Test Kitchen: supposedly one of the top restaurants in the world, this place books out months (if not years) in advance. I booked our lunch reservation six months in advance.

Five-course tasting lunch.

Lovely date with lovely company.

Awesome space with a very cool open-plan kitchen.

 The Cape Wheel at night: ferris wheels can be for grown ups.

 Enjoying the view from above.

Table Mountain and her table cloth at dusk.

The route.

So excited to get this thing going!

Looking back at the crowd in the pen.

Holding pens pre-race.

Table mountain in the distance as daylight slowly breaks.

So many people (all of whom seem to be ahead of me...hmm, maybe because they are not stopping every 5 minutes to take pictures?)

It's *just* a hill, get over it.

Dark storm clouds over the finish...unfortunately, M missed me at the finish line, as the shuttle from the parking lot to the finish line was drastically behind schedule...oh, and he missed me because I was super fast (not exactly, but I'm going with it...).

Done! 2:11:55, for anyone curious. Loved every minute of this race!

 Contemplating life at the Old Biscuit Mill market post-race.

Splurge on Easter brunch at the Twelve Apostles Hotel. 

It was a little chilly/windy for outdoor dinning, but there was a bunny on the deck. Happy Easter!

 Handsome Hubby (with Lion's Head in the background).

 Camps Bay from the red bus.

Camps Bay. Seriously, this place is real.

Red bus in the Cape.

 Funky night out at a hidden little spot at the V&A- even with the intermittent splashes of Zulu and Afrikaans that went well over our heads, it was a decent show!

Braai and post-race drinks on the beach. Perfection.

Inside Dunes. They even make the inside cool, although, with a location like this, who would really want to sit inside?

 Man, this view is terrible.

Dunes, Hout Bay.

R and C Tie the Knot

March 27, 2015

Ready to celebrate R and C's nuptials!

This is a day we've been looking forward to for awhile; the day our good friends R and C tie the knot. Back when we were deciding whether to extend our time in South Africa or not, being able to be stay long enough to make it to their wedding was high on our list of factors to consider. As it turned out, they planned their wedding early enough in the year that we'd have been able to make it either way, which was amazing!

Every detail of their wedding was thoroughly thought out, planned to a T, and 99% was done completely by hand. Including, but not limited to, the mother of the bride making the bride's dress (as well as the bridesmaids dresses)! Truly a labour of love.

The day was overcast initially, with the rain making an appearance in time for the ceremony. Shortly afterwards though, the sun broke through the clouds, making a gorgeous scene as the light streamed through the rain-drenched trees.

R and C are native South Africans, and their wedding contained many traditional elements. However; before you conjure up images of tribal dancers and feathers, remember that there are many, many different cultures in South Africa, and not all of them involve feathers :) There were not many differences compared to a traditional North American wedding, however some of the traditions are ones that have fallen away in North America in recent years. For example, throwing confetti on the newlyweds as they exit the church after the ceremony is standard practice here; it's something I've seen in movies, but have never actually seen done at a wedding. Confetti and otherwise, we had an amazing time celebrating their big day, and we were so honoured to be a part of it!

All spiffed up.

The boys.

Goin' to the chapel and we're gonna get married...at the Hertford Hotel, Lanseria. 

Love their expressions in this shot.

Starting the party with champagne in the garden.

Forever young, indeed.

All the single ladies...

Penguin cake.

...and, a little photo-booth fun to round out the night!

Two Years

March 22, 2015

On a beach in Mozambique, sometime in early 2015.

Today marks exactly two years since we arrived in South Africa. I remember when we first started toying with the idea of moving here, how long two years seemed. And then, when we first arrived and people would ask me how long we've been here, I remember thinking that I looked forward to the day when I could say we've been living in Africa for two years. I wanted to know what it would feel like, and to have that experience as part of our story. 

Now that it's actually here, and we've called South Africa home for no less than two years, I'm struggling to figure out how to explain what it feels like. These types of posts are not easy for me to write, because it seems that no matter what I write, it comes out all wrong. I either over dramatize the experience or don't do it justice. Or both. Eish...

Year one was all about baby steps to set up our lives in South Africa and formulate our new reality. Year two, on the other hand, was all about big leaps and settling into life here. We ticked a lot of items off of our bucket-list in year two, we welcomed a lot of visitors, we made some big life decisions, and we truly lived in South Africa.

Being able to tackle bucket-list experiences was a huge reason we wanted to live here in the first place, as it provided the chance for us to have these idyllic destinations a stone's throw from us. In addition to loads of local travel, we also visited eight different countries during our second year here: Mauritius, Réunion, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Botswana, Madagascar and Mozambique. M calls it a whirlwind, I call it efficient :)

Not only were there big trips for us in the last twelve months, but also for some of those closest to us. We welcomed three different sets of visitors, who spent a combined total of over 16 weeks in South Africa during our second year here. From watching elephants at a waterhole from a sundeck in Zimbabwe with my parents, to sipping wine and eating delicious food in the Western Cape with M's parents, to kayaking with breaching whales with close Calgary friends, we truly enjoyed sharing our life in this stunning part of the world with them.

Through the process of settling into life in South Africa, we realized that two years was not going to be enough time for us, and taking a trip back to Canada was an opportunity to put this realization to the test. We had our first trip back to Canada after having been away for nearly a year and a half. This was a chance to not only reconnect with family and friends, but also a chance to see how it felt to be visitors in our home country. We loved being home and having our fill of Starbucks, talking hockey and driving on right-hand side of the road with our windows down. But, it reiterated that in all aspects of our lives, it felt like we'd be leaving unfinished business if we were to pack up after the two-year mark. And so, we made the decision to extend our stay in South Africa for another year.

The thought that we have another year to soak in this experience (and be away from snow...), feels freeing and reassuring at the same time. The part I am most looking forward to is just being here and seeing where that takes us.

I saw this artwork in Maboneng at Arts on Main a while ago (and yes, they gave me permission to take a photo of it); I love the message, the colours, and the randomness of it all together. I suppose, that's what I love about Africa, too. You know, if you want to get all philosophical about it...

Hold on, year three is underway.

What I'm really trying to say is, I ♥ Africa.