Tomorrow I'll be flying back to England, and will start posting to plep sometime over the weekend. It's been a very enjoyable and educational trip, and I'd like to head back down to this part of the world to do something similar in the future.


The art of Ndebele beadwork. 'Travellers through the flat southern Transvaal landscape are struck by the vivid colours and patterns of Ndebele homesteads, and if lucky, may see Ndebele women dressd for special occasions in their dazzling beadwork finery. Some people familiar with the people and area may observe current changes from glass beads to plastic beads, braid and other innovations, and may bewail these as a loss of 'tradition'. To consider whether this is so, it is necessary to know a little of the history of the southern Transvaal Ndebele ... '

Greetings from Jo'burg.

Trip down to Durban was good, involving a diversion via untarred roads in Zulu
country (one of the highlights of the trip so far (along with Soweto (amazing place), the eclipse and the company of good friends - the latter being also
one of the highlights of the US trip earlier this year, thank you jp.). Durban is also a very pleasant, relaxed place, and the Drakensberg quite beautiful. The low-light of the trip was definitely being thieved from , (don't worry, it was surreptitious and not violent) - these things happen from time to time. Things are good here. Apologies for not updating for a few days but the Internet cafe in Durban didn't like Blogger for some reason...


Some things I've seen or been interested in :-


The
Classical Constellations: Southern Hemisphere.

Exploring
the Southern Hemisphere Constellations.


Soweto online. 'Where millions don't have plumbing or telephones, who needs the Net? '

Inside
Africa: Soweto Uprising Remembered. 'It was a picture that got the world's attention: A frozen moment in time that showed 13-year-old Hector Peterson
dying after being struck down by a policeman's bullet.'


Sam Nzima
- Apartheid Photographer. 'In 1975 the South African apartheid government passed the Bantu Education Act, which required the use of the Afrikaans
language in several secondary-school subjects. South African blacks resented being forced to speak a language not their own, and on June 16, 1976 a protest
was organized at the stadium in Orlando, a township ofJohannesburg. The police opening fire on the crowd of approximately 10,000 protestors with tear gas and then
with bullets. Two children were immediately killed.The first was Hector Zolile Peterson, age thirteen.'

'Sam Nzima took this photo of Mbuyiswa Makhubo carrying Hector's body away from the now-rioting crowd. '

Coelacanth: The
Fish out of Time. 'Virtually unique in the animalkingdom, with a saga steeped in science and popular imagination, the fabulous Coelacanth ("see-la-kanth"), that 400 million year old "living fossil," swims on.'

'Professor
James Leonard Brierley Smith stared at the page in
disbelief. The day was January 3, 1939, and a letter had just arrived from a Miss Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer who was the curator at the East London Museum, South Africa. Courtenay-Latimer was writing to Smith, a South African chemistry professor
who had taught himself ichthyology, to get his help in identifying a strange fish she had just obtained as a museum specimen, but could not find in her reference
books. Even though the chairman of the museum's board of trustees dismissed the animal as just a "rock cod," she thought there was something special about
it...'


Gandhi's Phoenix Ashram. 'The Phoenix Settlement, established by Gandhiji near Durban in 1904, was formally reopened on February 27, 2000, at a ceremony attended by the President of South Africa, the Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini and many other leaders.'

'The settlement - the first Ashram of Gandhiji - had been damaged in 1985 riots when some African squatters occupied much of the settlement, and named it Bambayi. Though the Indian community was deeply distressed, it refrained from seeking the forcible eviction of the squatters. The Phoenix Settlement Trust, with financial assistance from the Government of India, recently restored Gandhiji's house and established a clinic, an HIV/Aids Centre and other facilities to serve all the people in the area, African and Indian.'



The Snake Incident at the Phoenix Ashram. 'Long before Gandhi became famous, he was drawn by the ancient idea of hermitage (ashram) where men and wild animals had coexistence in natural surroundings. He founded a community-settlement with European and Indian friends near Durban (South Africa) on Tolstoyan principles. Comprising one hundred acres of fertile land, it had a school printing press, house of healing, flour mill, everything managed by hand! The colony was to be as much self-supporting as possible and life's material requirements were to be reduced to minimum. Hence from cultivation to publication, the inhabitants tried to manage everything, the natural way ... '

Delegorgue's Pigeon. Native to southern Africa.


Feng Shui of Hong Kong after 1997. 'This is potentially a politically sensitive topic although I have no
intention to discuss it within a political or economical context. As I am a Feng Shui practitioner in Hong Kong, I would like to analyze the present situation and predict the future of Hong Kong based on Feng Shui theories. Any comments from any part of the
world on the following discussion are welcomed.'

Feng Shui Society.



Madelaine
Vionnet: Oh To Be Worth. 'To have a boutique in Place Vendome is not easy. Disregarding the fact that the rent is outlandishly expensive, it is difficult still to find space. And, for business to survive there is even more impressive. A few select labels, designers, names, have been able to withstand the pressure. Although Place Vendome may be obnoxiously exclusive, it is exclusive quand meme. '

'Madeleine Vionnet is one of these designers. Born in 1877, she began designing in the 1920s. Her invention of the bias cut in 1922 is her greatest contribution to fashion. It made her famous. Throughout her career, she was compared with Coco Chanel. However, she had a very distinct, revolutionary style... '


'India has pledged substantial funding to reopen a historic school at the Phoenix Settlement in South Africa that was started by Mahatma Gandhi during his stay there at the turn of the last century. '



Savage Girls and Wild Boys: A History of Feral Children. 'In the years since the fall of communism, as the social fabric of Russia fell apart, street children became a common sight in Moscow and St Petersburg. Like the homeless in London, they were both ever present and subtly invisible - a backdrop to city life; an irritating intrusion on the process of simply getting on with things. But one of these Moscow street kids was different. He was actually to find the visibility that had so long been denied to him ... '

Gandhi and cricket.


The Tolkien family in Bloemfontein. Via Tolkien Gallery. JRR Tolkien was born in hot, dusty Bloemfontein - an early inspiration for Mordor?

Tolkien Timeline - The Early Years.



Herman Charles Bosman: Mafeking Road and Other Stories. 'One can easily imagine Oom Schalk Lourens, descendent of the early Dutch colonists of South Africa, sitting on a "stoep" and nursing his pipe in the scrubby Marico district of what used to be called the Western Transvaal. He'd be full of parochial prejudices, to be sure, but he'd also be full of pithy maxims and charming jokes which had been honed over the years on the thorny veld, among other ox-herding Boers. He'd have that fresh peculiarity of attitude and perspective that pioneer folk tend to cultivate, which may come in part from their hardships associated with living close to the land, but is certainly influenced also by observing the beauty and workings of that land. Oom Schalk would be full of tales-- the trek of oxen through difficult mountain passes, homemade brandy, the occasional city-boy who wanders into the region, conflict with neighboring peoples, and of course the dramatic events instigated by romantic love ... '

Xhosa, Zulu royal houses unite in marriage. 'The 13th and
last day of the wedding between Princess Nandi Zulu, 25, the second daughter of King Goodwill Zwelithini, and Chief Bovulengwe Mfundo Mtirara, of the Thembu clan of Eastern Cape, was a showcase of two South African cultures yesterday.'

Wedding of the year.

More,
with some pictures.


Bigfoot creator was just trying to scare thieves. 'When the late Ray Wallace strapped big, wooden feet to his boots in 1958, it wasn't intended as a prank to revive the legend of Bigfoot, a former logger said.'
'They were supposed to scare thieves away, 71-year-old John Auman said Friday.'



Woolly writing creates new poetry. ' A North East writer has been given a grant of £2,000 to use sheep to create random poems, which also utilise the deepest workings of the universe.'

South African urban legends :-

Really Bad Day.

Polished Off.


Eclipse :-

'A view of the sun during the total solar eclipse near Mussina in Limpopo province, South Africa, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2002. The next total solar eclipse over southern Africa will occur on the Nov 25, 2030.'

'Tourists watch the eclipse in the Australian outback town of Lyndhurst.'

Historical Images of Apartheid in South Africa.


Peter Magubane - A Legend in His Time.
'Living legend Peter Magubane is guaranteed a place in photographic immortality. With a lifetime of documentary photography behind him, his work reflects the spirit and events of his times and stands testimony to the talent and commitment of a remarkable man.'

' "History has always inspired and motivated me," says Peter. "I want to leave history with the people - documentation is important." '

'It is a historical record compiled in times good and bad. Peter first made his name as a photographer in the apartheid era. After doing some photography with a Kodak Brownie as a schoolboy, he became "hooked" and the seed was sown for the illustrious career to follow. He was greatly impressed by the "Family of Man" photographic exhibition brought to South Africa at that time and similarly inspired by the work of photographers of the day, especially the social issues being covered by Drum ... '


Diaries | Peter Magubane. ' Having recorded the turbulent events in South Africa over the past 45 years on camera he tells of the journey to his homeland of today. '
Via Millennium Diaries.


' In the men's bar 77-year-old barman and local celebrity Cecil Traut say of his collection of 2 000-odd ties, which cover an entire wall, "It's rather like rabbit farming. It goes on by itself." '


'This was described as a "legal" squatter camp. It had running water and portable toilets.'


Architecture for Humanity.


The Story of an African Farm by Olive Schreiner, 1883.

Olive Schreiner. 'After several years as a governess, she went to England in 1881, taking with her the manuscript of her famous novel, The Story of an African Farm (1883). The novel, which has been likened to Emily Brontë?s Wuthering Heights, is an intense story of two children living in the African veldt; it was controversial because of its feminist and anti-Christian sentiments. '


' Sowetans are well practiced in mourning. In this sprawling black township southwest of Johannesburg, attending funerals is a weekly ritual as regular as going to church, washing the car or buying groceries. People attend more funerals more frequently than perhaps in any other community in the world.'


Aids: A South African Horror Story.


(Off on the road to the Drakensberg and Durban tomorrow, so it's unlikely I'll be online for about a week).

Operation Mandela and other not so true tales. 'From the tale of Winnie Mandela's operation to the story of Kansas Mncunu's wife, rumours about the famous have long been part of our way of life.'

Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto.
'A young Cornish lad, John Albert Baragwanath, arrived on the gold fields to make his fortune. The surname "Baragwanath" was derived from the Welsh word "Bara", which means bread, and "gwanath" means wheat ... '


'Themba points to traffic lights below us: when the light turns amber, "HIV" is visible on the glass, and "AIDS" shines up on the red light. "There are two sets of lights like this in Soweto." '



'The taxi industry has evolved an elaborate sign language used to indicate the desired destination. Wherever you are in the country, you will find locals using their fingers to stop the taxi going in their direction. The sign you use depends on where you happen to be - so it is useful to ask locals for the appropriate signs to use.'

Aids: The Agony of Africa. ' As the death toll from AIDS recedes in America, Africa is reeling from an epidemic of Biblical proportions. South of the Sahara, AIDS is worse than anywhere else in the world, and this catastrophe is transforming the continent forever.'

'This series explores AIDS in Africa. Based on hundreds of interviews conducted in nine countries over six months, the series covers the social, biological, and human ramifications of HIV: the deadly consequences of denial, the heroic response of some African communities, the origin and future of HIV, the corrosive effects of racism and colonialism, the role of women in the spread and prevention of HIV, the grim options for treatment, and the hope for a vaccine ... '

Via spinning jennie.

South African Flag.

'Red for bloodshed
Blue of open blue skies
Green for the land
Black for the black people
White for the european people
Yellow for the natural resources ie. Gold
The Y symbolizes the merging nationalities - ie unity '

(The trip's going well, but online time is limited due to being busy seeing the country and the occasional electrical storm. This accounts for the occasional iffy formatting! Will try and make it a bit more readable soon ;) ).

Mayibuye.
'The Island and the bay of great beauty in which it
nestles, makes Robben Island Museum ideal as a site
museum. It is well placed to participate - even lead -
in the broader contemporary worldwide move to transform
museums from remote institutions into dynamic spaces
of learning, engagement and relevance. '

'Nevertheless, the Robben Island Museum (RIM) is also
strong in a traditional museum sense: behind the
visible island operations and visits, the museum
manages a collection of artefacts, historical
documents, photographs, art works and audio-visual
material that is on par with any other institution of
its kind. '

'These materials are housed in the UWC-Robben Island
Mayibuye Archives, the official collections management
unit of RIM. The Archives provide a unique and often
fragile documentary record of South African history
and culture, particularly with regard to the apartheid
period, the freedom struggle and political
imprisonment in South Africa ... '

Builders of
the Nation poster exhibit.




Claiming Art | Reclaiming Space.
Post-apartheid art from South Africa.

'Space and the representation of space are fundamental
concerns of any artist. In South Africa this purely
formal problem was complicated by the politics of
segregation, separation, and repression. Nevertheless,
this hostile environment forced artists to clarify
their purposes, giving direction and content and
imbuing their works with an emotional force. The works
in this exhibition differ widely in appearance and
form. The range of emotional expression is also broad.
Yet within this rich diversity of creative expression
there are recurring references--both direct and
metaphorical--to space, barriers, and transcendence.'



Arms into
Art.




An Introduction to Cursing in Afrikaans.




Afrikaans Language Museum.



South African
Seasons.



The Khoisan.
'The hunters of today have no collective name for
themselves. They use their own group names, such as
Ju/'hoansi (people who live on the border between
northern Namibia and Botswana) or Hai//om (people who
live around Etosha National Park) ... '




Survival International: Bushmen of Botswana.



The Big Issue,
Cape Town.



The Barefoot
Press. South African poetry.
'Welcome to Barefoot Press, South Africa's first
dedicated poetry website and home of free poetry.'




English to Xhosa Translator.


Xhosa to English.



Zulu Culture and Traditions.
'The bulk of both the text and the graphics in these
pages has been extracted from the book 'Zulu - People
of Heaven' (ISBN 0 620 20663 2) by kind permission of
Uli von Kapff.'



Rick Becker.




African Colours. South African landscape artist.




Eloquent Elegance. Beadwork in the Zulu cultural
tradition.



Lucas Sithole.
South African sculptor.


Zulu War Historical
Art Prints.

History of Soweto.
'Officially only recognized in 1963, when it finally got a name, its existence dates back to 1886.To understand Soweto's birth, it is necessary to go as far back into history as 1652, the year the Dutch settlers arrived at the southern tip of Africa ... '




Sun City and Lost City.




Modjadji the Rain Queen, 'She Who Must be Obeyed'.


Modjadji History.




History of Afrikaans.
'Afrikaans, the modern version is more than merely a Dutch derivative as some would suggest. '

'Inextricably linked for the last century with the development and application of apartheid within South Africa, the immense reach and value of this language has often been overlooked within the wider political climate ... '




Profiteers resell Africa's cheap Aids drugs.
(Guardian, Oct. 4 2002) 'Shipments of low-cost Aids drugs which were intended
to save the lives of thousands of impoverished Africans have been intercepted, flown back to Europe and sold at vast profits, it emerged yesterday. '




South Africans to get Aids drugs from the state.

Aliens, strangers and urban legends of South
Africa.

' In pre-1990 South Africa, The Stranger Among Us was
the Communist, the Satanist and the Dissident: people
or institutions that represented everything that was
alien to the mindset of the South African
establishment. In the post-1990 era, communists have
been revealed as teddy bears, and satanism more often
than not an excuse to keep "experts" in business.'

'But a new candidate has been waiting in the wings,
biding its time until South Africans had shaken off
more pressing fears.'

'The illegal alien, in the mind of the public, now
perfectly fits the bill of The Stranger Among Us:
taking our jobs, seducing our loved ones, snatching
away all available accommodation, and intensifying the
spiral of crime.'

Via
Legends
from a Small
Country.

Cleaner polishes off patient. South Africa's most infamous urban legend.

' This is the way the world was introduced, in July 1996, to the story of South Africa's most careless
cleaner. There was little reason to disbelieve thetale, as it not only cited a credible source (the Cape
Times) and a date of appearance, but also quoted officials confirming the tale quite categorically,
even down to the wonderful detail of an electrician fitting an extra socket.'

'Problem one: the story as it appeared throughout the world bore little resemblance to the original Cape
Times story, and the original Cape Times story bore little resemblance to the story's first mention in
print.'

'Problem two: life support systems not only have battery backups, but include alarm systems to alert
staff if anything goes wrong, as well as monitoring equipment that would reveal an interruption in the
information flow.'



AfriCam 'welcomes you to the world's first virtual game reserve.'



Aids in Africa. Special reports.


World Aids Day.


Mr. Dutton Goes To Mozambique.


The Sowetan.

History.

Building the nation.


Obituary of Joe Slovo, died 6th Jan 1995.
'Born in Lithuania in 1926, Mr. Slovo came to South Africa at an early age with his parents. He became a
political lawyer, joined the South African communist party and later the African national congress, and was
an early member of its military wing. He said last May he had to keep pinching himself to believe democracy and freedom had finally come to South Africa ... '

ANC page ;
funeral speech.



Weird & wonderful villages.