My World 2010 #2
WELCOME AND NEWS
Hi everyone and welcome to another edition of My World. Rose and I are now back in the UK, luckily suffering no volcanic disruption on the return journey. We left a rapidly cooling South Africa and were hoping for a warmer UK… but so far, Leeds isn’t playing ball and the barbecue’s not been able to make an appearance yet!
There are a few Leeds and surrounding area gigs for me solo and a ‘Duelling Pianos’ one coming up in May and June:
Monday May 17: Rob Russell solo: Coronation Club, Castleford Road, Normanton WF6 1QY
Sunday May 23: Rob Russell Solo: Burley Sports Bar, Burley Road, Leeds LS4 2ET
Wednesday May 26: Rob Russell Solo: Morley Working Men’s Club, Fountain Street, Morley, Leeds, LS27 9EH
Saturday May 29: Rob Russell Solo: Kippax Central Club, Gibson Lane, Leeds, LS25 7BA
Monday May 31 Afternoon (from 12.30): Rob Russell Solo: Seacroft WMC, Ironwood View, Leeds, LS14 6EW
Monday June 7: Rob Russell Solo: The Commercial, Commercial Street, Morley (Monday Night Club, starts just after 6PM) LS27 8AG
Saturday June 12: Rob Russell Solo: Seacroft Green Social, 242 Brooklands Ave, Leeds, LS14 6NW
Sunday June 13: Rob Russell Solo: Cross Church Street WMC, Victoria Ave, Morley, Leeds, LS27 9DX
Saturday June 19: The Duelling Pianos: Beeston Hill Social, 130 Beeston Road, Leeds, LS11 8BB
Saturday June 26: Rob Russell Solo: Wetherby District Social, Sandbeck Way, Wetherby, LS22 7DN
(If you need to know where ‘Rob Russell’ or the ‘Duelling Pianos’ are playing in the rest of the country – please just send me an email at rob@robrusmusic.com)
Lots of people are still reading this newsletter on Myspace with the total views now exceeding 3040. I’ve also added the blog to the well known WordPress site, and it looks particularly nice on the black background. Don’t forget that you can also read it on my Website. Here are all the links:
http://robrusselldavies.wordpress.com/
http://www.myspace.com/robrusselldavies
http://www.robrusmusic.com/news.html
(all links will open in a new window)
THE WORLD CUP BUILD-UP
As everyone knows, the football world cup is just over a month away and it’s been very interesting to watch the gradual build-up whilst in South Africa. A few statistics, figures and comments I’ve heard seem to paint a bit of a negative picture. About half a million oversees fans were originally planned for, and now it seems that figure has been downgraded to about 200 thousand. Ticket sales within SA seem to be quite strong, especially for the cheaper seats. I have a feeling that many matches could be played in front of mainly South African crowds with just a scattering of oversees fans. The main thing, I suppose, is that the grounds are full and I did hear on the news a few days back that all tickets for Cape Town and Durban are already sold, with a full house expected for the opening match (SA vs. Mexico) and the final.
By the way, the Mexicans have just released the names of their squad for the opening match.
In goal: San Francisco
Full Backs: Costa Brava and Hopelez
Left and Right Backs: Juan Andonly and Manuel Gearbox
Midfield: Don Criformi-Argentina, Skrewdigalz, Luis Canon, Speedy Gonzalez and Caramba Strikers: Sombrero and Chihuahua Jose.
No shortage of Vuvuzelas at Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo Airport. Apparently these things can individually reach volumes of well over 110 dBA and there were a few rumours about that FIFA might even ban them on safety grounds. Keeping in mind that these things only play one note… very loudly… and endlessly… and I’d be tempted to ban them on mental health grounds. But let’s not be cynical… they’re very much part of the atmosphere at South African games, and I’m sure (um… well… hopeful) that oversees fans will grow to love ‘em! By the way… don’t forget your mining helmets either – very much part of the SA ethnic look!
Driving around Johannesburg a few weeks ago, I’m not too convinced that the road works will be finished… there’s hardly a stretch that isn’t dug up in one way or another. The new Jo’burg Gautrain system still seems to be a bit of a mystery to many locals, and just how much of it will be working in time for the tournament remains to be seen. From what I’ve heard and read, it appears that one route may be operating – carrying passengers from Jhb. airport to the suburb of Sandton. Municipal workers could also have picked a better time to go on strike, and they don’t do themselves any favours or win any public support by then chucking rubbish all over cities main streets in protest. (A way of claiming overtime when they eventually get back to work?)
On the positive side, I believe the stadia are just about ready and my friends in Durban tell me that the Moses Mabhida stadium looks great. I’ve seen a few pictures of the Johannesburg and Cape Town stadia and they too look pretty spectacular! SA have, of course, already proven in the 1995 Rugby World Cup and the 2003 Cricket World Cup that they can run big tournaments very successfully.
A funicular carries visitors from the north side of the stadium to a viewing platform at the top of the arch, offering a view over city and ocean. The south side features a 550-step adventure walk. On 24th February 2010 the worlds largest swing opened at the stadium. The swing allows clients to jump off the 4th ladder rung and fall toward the pitch before being swung out in a 220 meter arc over the pitch. (Any player who misses a penalty has to jump without the rope!)
Some South Africans have the opinion that the country is going a little over-the-top with the tournament. An example I found close to our Stilfontein home is that the small airport at Potchestroom is having it’s runway lengthened, it’s control tower put back into operation and it’s disaster and fire equipment upgraded. Why?… because Spain have put in a request to use it for all charter movements during the world cup. Let’s hope the benefits of all this work stretch beyond the tournament.
A quick tip for any fans coming over. Don’t forget that SA can get very cold in the winter, especially inland in the highveldt areas which include Johannesburg, Pretoria, Potchestroom and England’s first port-o-call Rustenberg. There can also be big swings between very cold nights with minus temperatures and warm days – sometimes getting up to the high 20s centigrade. So along with your miner’s hats, vuvuzelas, face paint and football kits… don’t forget a few coats and jumpers!
Many people are concerned about South Africa’s high crime-rate and my advice here would be to stay with your group and please don’t wander, or drive around alone, especially at night in the big cities. The government have, of course, assured us that security will be on high alert…
CLARENS, GOLDEN GATE AND A BIG PUSSY CAT
We took in some different places and did some interesting and varied things in South Africa through April. A few weeks ago we spent 5 days in the little village of Clarens in the Free State Province. This was a first visit for us and I must say that the place lived up to, and even exceeded expectations. The town only has a few streets, but is packed with restaurants, bars, art galleries, curio shops and b & b’s, amongst many other intriguing things. You certainly won’t go hungry or thirsty here! We were told by some of the locals that franchise and large corporation establishments are discouraged from the town centre, and this was reflected in the very individual and charming character of the local businesses.
A clothes shop in Clarens with quite a famous pram parked outside. The owner came out to tell us that this was the pram used in a past SASOL advert. Here’s the ad on YouTube:
(It’s in Afrikaans, but I’m sure you’ll get the jist!)
This shop selling all sorts of African musical instruments must have had a bit of a problem with unruly kids!
So you’ve given up gardening and wondering what to do with your old spades. No problem… turn them into a chair!
These were on display at a curio shop in Clarens.
We met a friendly lady bar manager one night, who told us that she came to Clarens for a holiday 16 years ago, and has never left!
Clarens also has a reputation for being safe, and it’s great to wander about at night visiting the restaurants and pubs without having to worry about crime! On the Saturday night we saw a great three piece band in one of the pubs. Well… they started out as a 3 piece, but half way through the gig seemed to lose a member and turn into a 2 piece. I’m not really sure what happened to the other guy, but it’s the first time I’ve had a few and seen less rather than double! In spite of this trio to duo transformation, they still managed to get the crowd going, and by the end of the night many of them were singing and dancing up on the tables.
I’ve never seen so many shooters drunk in one session. For one round alone, we watched the barman line up 20 shooter glasses and top them up from a variety of different bottles. All in all, the round came to over R530 (about £50) and the buyer paid with his credit card. A few minutes later another guy, credit card at hand, appeared and ordered the same round again! And so it went on…!
A short drive from Clarens is the beautiful Golden Gate area of the Free State. Some of the eroded sandstone cliffs, caves and outcrops here have to be seen to be believed. Wildlife in the area include mongooses, eland, zebra and many species of birds. Numerous palaeontology finds have been made in the area including dinosaur eggs and skeletons.
We took 2 different drives through the Golden Gate park. The first was on a typically African sunny day where you can see for miles and all the cliffs, hills and mountains in the distance were clearly visible. But perhaps the second drive was more interesting. It was one of those days that alternates between thunderstorms and sunny skies. On a few occasions we even had what we at school used to call a ‘monkey’s wedding’ which is when it rains while the sun’s still shining. At one stage we had a clear sunny sky on one side of the road, with thunderclouds over at the other, and the cliffs looked quite spectacular in such unusual and contrasting lighting.
The Sentinel Rock.
Dark stormy skies ahead, and the eerie feeling of ‘the road to nowhere?’
Another treat awaited us when we got back home to Stilfontein. Good friends Gideon and Angie who own a farm in the area, invited us around for a very special visit. Their land is situated right next door to a farm which breeds and sells lions, as well as a other wild animals, and you might have seen the rather gruesome pictures of the lions eating a horse in my October 2009 newsletter. One of the lionesses had recently given birth, and with a bit of sweet-talking Gideon had persuaded his neighbour to bring a 6 week old cub over for a visit. Wow, what an experience… Unforgettable!
He seemed quite relaxed although a bit nervous of our company, and was a bit disorientated after the short car ride from next door.
I was amazed at how soft his fur felt, almost like a fluffy child’s toy. One thing’s for sure though… I won’t be cuddling him in a few months time!
LAST BITS
An old Durban friend of mine; Shaun Potts, put this on Facebook the other day, and I’m still giggling over it:
Mahatma Gandhi seldom wore shoes so had huge calluses on his feet. He also ate very little which made him rather frail. All this plus his odd diet which gave him rather bad breath. Therefore he must have been…….
(cue a drum roll…)
a super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Some good ones from Tim:
I’m in trouble at McDonalds after a very large girl served me food yesterday lunch time. She said, ‘sorry about the wait ‘
I said ‘ don’t worry, you’ll lose it eventually ‘
Paddy is walking down the road eating a bag of doughnuts, Murphy meets him & says…
‘ if I can guess how many doughnuts you have in the bag, can I have one’?
Paddy says, ‘ if you can guess how many doughnuts are in there, you can have both of them’!!
So Murphy says ‘Four!’
And finally, this apparently true one from the USA courts of law! If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman. He was being cross-examined by a defence attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the police officer’s credibility…
Q: ‘Officer — did you see my client fleeing the scene?’
A: ‘No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away.’
Q: ‘Officer — who provided this description?’
A: ‘The officer who responded to the scene..’
Q: ‘A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?’
A: ‘Yes, sir. With my life.’
Q: ‘With your life? Let me ask you this then officer.. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?’
A: ‘Yes sir, we do!’
Q: ‘And do you have a locker in the room?’
A: ‘Yes sir, I do.’
Q: ‘And do you have a lock on your locker?’
A: ‘Yes sir.’
Q: ‘Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?’
A: ‘You see, sir — we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room.’
Thanks for reading, and catch up with you soon.
Rob.
