Ivory Coast VS Brazil!

I went to my first and only World Cup match on Sunday. It was so awesome and now I wish that I was going to more matches!

The match was Ivory Coast VS Brazil. We obviously supported Ivory Coast as they are an African team and I am proudly African. It did make me a little sad to see so many South African people supporting Brazil and not an African country. That said the Brazil fans were great anyway and the spirit was fantastic!

We all got dressed up in the colours of the Ivory Coast Team and even had our faces painted...it looked great. We went to the match on one of the metro buses from Wits university. It was a totally stress free and I recommend it to anyone needing to get to a World Cup Match.

We got to the match early, got some beer (R30 for a Budweiser!), some dinner and then really got to be part of the spirit with the fans. We got involved with a Brazilian marching band, did some vuvezeling (me very badly), met fans from both sides and had our pictures taken by some international press!

The game then started...it was awesome! We got to see Drogba score a goal and even though we lost, it was still great. I was also surprised how quickly it went. I think that I may now be a soccer fan! I definitely enjoy it more than rugby!

My best experience is when i met a "Brazilian guy" at the match. He thought I was from the Ivory Coast, I thought he was Brazilian...so we took a picture together. Turns out his name is Llewellyn and he is from Montgomery Park...we live in neighbouring suburbs and we are both South African! It was really funny!

The World Cup is great and who knows...maybe I will make it to Brazil for the next one!

Fun around Town!

Past Experiences have had a couple of really busy weeks with all the tourists here for the world cup. I have taken some great Americans, Brits and Mexicans around! That said we still found some time to do an awesome "I Love Newtown" tour on the 16th of June (Youth Day)for locals. We followed the stunning Newtown Heritage trail and also took in Museum Africa, the Workers Museum and Sci-Bono...it was loads of fun!

Museum Africa is looking the best it has looked in over a year and half- they have filled up their empty exhibition space at last and have got a great June and July program. They have guides in all the major exhibitions which really add to the experience! We were also lucky enough to watch one of their daily storytelling performances. It was great and I would recommend it to as many people as possible!

Mid-tour we did our usual coffee stop at Kaldi's on Mary Fitzgerald Square. Definitely my favourite coffee shop in Joburg . They do really great coffee and tea and have a really unique cheescake- its as if a cheescake and a milk tart had a baby- a cinnamony cheesecake!

We ended off the tour at Sci-bono which is Johannesburg's fabulous Science Museum. I cant recommend it enough. Its really fun for any age and its great for people who don't normally like museums or even science- all totally interactive and awesome! My friend Tania and myself had a great time playing on all the exhibitions. Some of our favourites were the heat sensing camera (it was like being in a spy movie), the chill zone where we could listen to soccer related stories on earphones, the tiny crane which I operated while talking on my phone...rebel! Our absolute favourite though was the fighter jet which you can sit in! We went all Maverick and Goose and sang the Top Gun Theme tune "Highway to the Dangerzone"...way to cool!

If you have any spare time over the next few weeks I totally recommend going to Newtown! It is looking fantastic and its so much fun! Why not enjoy a relaxed lunch at Sophiatown or if you are feeling flush-have dinner at Gramadoelas and catch a show at the Market Theatre. The World Cup Spirit is amazing in the area so you have to catch at least one game at the fan park on the square. Have fun!

Jozi Soccer Fever!

Its finally here! After months of waiting the World Cup starts today. I'm not really a sports fan but I am a huge fan of South Africa (in general) and I am so excited! The spirit in Johannesburg is "OFF THE HOOK".

I am also really lucky because my job really lets me experience the vibe in a huge way- I have been spending loads of time in the Joburg CBD/inner city and Soweto on tours lately. I cant even put into words how awesome it is. It is also great for my clients to see...they are so impressed and shocked at how excited everyone is. When we are walking around the city we just stumble upon random Disci Dance lessons, street party's, football games through the traffic of downtown....we even saw a lone Rasta on stilts dressed in flags walking through the city!

And don't even get me started on the Vuvuzelas- they are everywhere! People have taken to just walking around town or driving in their cars blowing their vuvuzelas. I was lucky enough to be returning from Soweto on our new(ish) bus system- the Rea Vaya with a group of clients on Wednesday when everyone had to blow their vuvuzela's at 12hoo. The guy sitting behind us literally blew his Vuvuzela from Thokoza park to the city. The bus officials also now tell the bus driver that all the passengers are on board by blowing a vuvuzela! I was even woken up this morning at 6h30 with people just vuvuzelering on their way to work.

I have never seen so many flags in my life..they are everywhere. Shops, houses, cars, street lights, buildings, trees, people! Joburg is looking so fantastic and colourful! I have also never seen so many flags for sale- a guy selling flags on every street corner! My business Past Experiences has joined in with an flag on the gate. Our car has a couple of South African flags and even an Ivory Coast Flag as we are totally supporting the African continent (and going to the Brazil vs Ivory Coast match). Our offices are in Northcliff and we have spotted some awesome flag decorations around the suburb- my favourites are the giant "Go bafana" sign and the trees wrapped in the participating countries flags.

Also adding to the excitement are the huge amount foreigners who are in Joburg and of course the international press. I was doing tours at Hector Pieterson Memorial and Mandela house (with some British sports journalists) and I saw so many other journalists and cameras. I even saw a huge broadcasting van with an Argentinian number plate...they must have shipped it over!

Joburg and its people are so amazing at the moment and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now....Good luck Bafana Bafana!

Newtown In Pictures

I don't really have time to write this week so I have decided just to post a couple of images of Newtown. Justin took these recently and I think they are great.

Newtown really is an amazing part of the city!

The images are of : Workers Museum, Sci Bono cracked mirror fun, Turbine Hall and Graffiti (All images by Justin aka Monkey)

Hill Walking, Face Painting and Road House Visiting- Another Weekend in the City of Gold

Had a super busy weekend around town again!

On Saturday woke up early and headed to the CBD with one of my favourite people- Kezhia (Hope she reads this!). We hit the shops along Small Street. This area definitely has some of the best street fashion around! And the prices are crazy! It was also great to shop without working for once. It gave me time to appreciate how awesome the Joburg CBD is looking

We then spent the afternoon at Kezhia's moms house as it was her sisters son- Junior's 3rd birthday (one of the cutest kids I have ever seen!). We spent the afternoon, painting faces and blowing up balloon animals (or rather balloon pretzels- the instructions were lost until much later in the day). My boyfriend Justin acted as official photographer and took the most stunning pics of the kids and activities. Was really a stunning party- beautifully decorated along the theme of "Cars", their was also an awesome jumping castle. I want a birthday party now too!

After such a busy day we didn't feel like cooking so we decided to try out the new Road House on Beyers Naude. Its called the "Choose a Burger" Road House and is across the road from Steve's Spar. One word- Awesome. Its open to about 12h00 every night and its going to be a great spot for middle of the night/ after partying food. Its also sooo great to have a road House in the area. We used to sometimes make the trip to the Burger Box in Krugersdorp which has been around for ever. Hopefully this new venue gets a lot of support from the area. A great idea is to go for dinner their in the evening and then why not make the short drive to the Veldskoen Drive in. A great 1950's themed evening out and also pretty reasonably priced.

Sunday was Mothers day and after a delicious lunch with the family we were absolutely stuffed. So myself, my boyfriend, sister and puppy-Digital Dog From the Future decided to make the long walk up Northcliff Hill. Having lived in Northcliff my whole life I have done it before but not in a long time. I love Northcliff Hill and always proudly tell everyone on my tours about its long history. Did you know that archaeologists have found both Stone Age and Iron Age sites on the hill! It is thought to have been occupied by humans for over 250 000 years...and still is. According to Wikipedia the hill has 3 vegetation zones, is home to numerous animals and at 1807 metres, the ridge is one metre lower than Observatory Ridge, the highest point in Johannesburg. The view from the top is breathtaking and I was happy to see that their were loads of people at the top, watching the sun set and flying gliders. What a great way to end the weekend and we are planning to walk up again this week!

Just another fun week in the city of gold. As I always emphasise their is so much to do if you just know where to look and get creative. 30 days until World Cup and I can wait to share this city with tourists coming to see the Soccer! What an exciting time to be living and loving Joburg!

(pics- Justin, my sister Sarah and Digit looking out at the view, and me standing next to the Water Tower- a Northcliff landmark)

And some people say that there is nothing fun to do in Joburg!

Have had a couple of crazy weeks in Joburg again. There is so much to do here if you know where to look! I am also proud to say that I have done and seen things for the first time and learnt a whole lot about the city. All this just makes me love Johannesburg even more. It is definitely turning into my biggest passion.

So here is what I have been up to lately.

A couple of Saturdays ago...I had just the busiest day out doing a whole lot of completely new things. First I started off the day with a visit to the Rand Club with the "Friends of the Joburg Art Gallery" and my mom and sister. What an awesome tour (given by a longstanding member). The club- established in 1886 was from the beginning the social centre for Joburg's elite. The building built in 1904 and then refurbished in 2005 after a fire, is beautiful. The art is amazing as are the stunning stained glass windows.

After tea at the club myself and my mom and sister then drove the short distance to one of my favourite areas in the city- Fordsburg. The vibe at the market that takes place here on Saturdays is great and the food is to die for. One of the best things about the "deli's" in the area are that they give you tastes of everything! The Indian Sweetmeats are the best and don't even get me started on the the savoury snacks. We also visited the spice and prayer shops. I have a tour of the area in May which ends off with dinner at one of the famous restaurants in the area so be sure not to miss it. Its great as you get to experience another one of Joburg's awesome cultures.

I then rushed home and got ready to do something I have never done before- I went to a rugby match at Ellis Park (lions vs Sharks). I know that most locals are shocked that I have never done this but I am not a huge sports fan. When a friend offered to get the tickets I said yes as I feel that since I am going to a World Cup match at Soccer City, I should also give rugby a chance. We had a really good time- watched some rugby, drank some beer and bought some tiny illegal bottles of brandy! What did sadden me though is that everyone seemed to be supporting the Sharks- they'r not even a Joburg Team.

After the match we ended up at the the Devonshire Hotel in Braamfontein's, Long Bar. I love this bar- great vibe. The hotel has been open since the 1930's and the bar was a really popular student hangout in the 1970's and 80's. What a great day out although super busy!

I have also done some other awesomely fun things recently!

I have spent loads of time in Diagonal Street in town- either taking tours or just hanging out! Love this area way to much. The fact that the street is diagonal gives it such a unique feel- It reminds me of Diagon Alley in Harry Potter (silly I know). I also love the really unique tiny shops that have been owned by the same family's for decades. My two favourite shops are the famous "Kwazulu Natal Muti Museum" (the smell of the dried herbs, skin and dead animals is crazy) and the shop one street down that specialises in beautiful Sotho blankets. I also discovered a really unique shop in Jeppe Street that has played a large part in many migrant labours lives- it sells farming implements which seems pretty unique in a bustling modern city like Joburg. They even had the pieces of wood that go on oxen when they pull a plow. I can just imagine migrant mine workers in the past, buying various farming equipment to sent home.

As usual I have gone to the Guildhall a great deal recently. Most of our Joburg Tours end off here (the poor mans Rand Club). They make awesome Portuguese food (my dad was heard to say the best he has ever tasted) and its a great place to have drinks while looking out at the city! What I also find quite interesting is-the argument surrounding "which is the oldest bar in Joburg". The three bars in the running are the Guildhall, the Radium Beer Hall on Louis Botha and Kitcheners in Braamfontein. Evidence that I have taken a look at says that the Guildhall is the oldest (1888 and in the right part of town to be the oldest) and Kitcheners the second, although people on my tours always like to add what they have heard which is great.

Probably one of the most important things happening in Joburg at the moment is the unveiling of a really awesome new fossil find- Sediba. This new fossil has been on show at the Origins Centre at Wits for the few days and will continue to be on exhibit for the next couple of weeks. This really is a once in a life time opportunity and the Origins Centre is unmissable. I went to have a look and was lucky enough to listen in on a tour being given by Sediba's finder Lee Burger. Sooo interesting and it made me realise once again how great it is that we live right near such a world famous and important archaeological area. I cant emphasise how much everyone should go and take a look. I am also doing some fun tours of the find and an easy intro to evolution and past finds, which I think really helps everyone understand why Sediba is so important and how it fits into past finds.

I also did a really fun "Bustling Braamfontein" tour over this last weekend. What an awesome way to spend a sunday morning. We started with delicious coffee and Muffins at the Devonshire Hotel (on Jorrison Street) and a trip to their 17th floor to take pictures of the city skyline. We then began our lazy walking tour of the area. Some of the stops we made and topics we discussed are Kitcheners, city rejuvenation and public art. We also made a surprise stop at the new Scientology Centre on Jorrison Street who welcomed us in when they saw us taking a look. I like to think that I am really open minded so I found it interesting learning about a religion that gets such bad publicity (thanks TOM CRUISE). The church of Scientology has renovated an old bank building beautifully and have installed a interesting museum on the ground floor- it has an art deco, Egyptian and African feel- really well done. Luke who showed us around told us lots of interesting stuff about the church and its leader (did you know L. Ron Hubbard lived in linksfield for 7 months during the 1960's?). Really interesting although I don't see myself becoming a member anytime soon.

So as you can see have done loads of interesting new things around town lately- cant wait to see what Joburg has to offer next!

A Fun Couple Of Weeks In the City Of Gold

Have done some really awesome stuff around Joburg recently so I thought I would just share some of my experiences with everyone. Also apologies for not having written in a while, I have just been soooo busy with tours etc. From now on I am going to write at least once a weak so please check in as much as possible .

First up a couple of weeks ago I was invited to a party in the Joburg CBD (Central Business District). i dint know the person but I super happy I went along. The party turned out to be in the Anstey's building (59 Joubert Street). I have one word to describe the building- WOW. It is now a national monument and is absolutely breathtaking. According to The Joburg Book (Ed Nechama Brodie) it originally housed the Norman Anstay and Company Department Store, which was known for its amazing window displays. Another interesting bit of trivia is that Umkhonto We Sizwe member and actor playwright Cecil Williams (who disguised Nelson Mandela as his chauffeur before his arrest in 1962) once lived there. The building was built in 1937 and is a beautiful example of Art Deco design. Probably the most unique feature is the awesome brass monkey frames in the foyer..again wow. And the party was fun too, met a lot of random people and had two very eventful lift experiences- I love how in South Africa you can meet complete strangers in the list and have a great time.

I also recently visited Lindfield Victorian House Museum in Auckland Park. Totally unique experience and I recommend that if this sort of thing interests you...check it out. The house is owned by Victorian enthusiast Katherine Love who also takes the tour. She dresses up as a Victorian parlour maid and goes through the house describing life in Victorian times. It costs R60 which includes tea afterwards. The house is in desperate need of repairs so please try and visit it if you can or make a donation(Katherine Love- 011 726 2932).

A couple of weeks ago my company received an invite to the Joburg Zoo Snooze-a camp out at the Zoo. What an awesome night. We pitched our tents right near the Lion enclosure and so got to hear them all night. We also got to go on a behind the scenes tour and a night tour. Such an awesome experience camping in the middle of the city and listening to the lions roar.

I have also been spending quite a lot of time in Soweto recently planning and taking tours. I know Soweto relatively well as I have spent time their over the last five year- I tutored English every Saturday for 3 years and also have taken a number of tours. That said I love spending time their and also have a complete passion for South Africa's history and museums. I really recommend visiting the Hector Pieterson Memorial- absolutely amazing and moving. Every school child in Joburg should have to visit it and realise the sacrifices the youth of Soweto made. Also worth a visit is Mandela House-Nelson Mandela's former House. Its only a short tour and worth a visit. There is also a really good and budget friendly restaurant across the road (Mandela Family Restaurant) which serves yummy traditional Soweto food. We will be doing a tour that takes in these sites in May.

Also worth a mention is Diagonal Street in town. I have done quite a few tours recently which take in this famous street.It is definitely one of my favourite places to visit in Joburg. Firstly i love how it runs diagonally (hence the name). You realise how unique this is, if you have been to the top of the Carlton Centre and gazed at the layout of the city. it is so uniform and straight and then you stumble across diagonal Street and the areas around it and it is just so different and special. If you are interested in bargains an unique buys this is definitely an awesome area to visit. The other day I bought three never before worn vintage hats from a little old hat shop for next to nothing. The area is full of small Indian shops, traditional African shops (The Muti Museum is situated here) as well as some really awesome modern buildings. If you are interested we have a CBD shopping tour on the 24th of April which takes in the area.

As you can see it has been a really interesting and full couple of weeks. Their is just so much to do and see in Joburg if you know where to look and I really want people (locals and visitors) to see this. I should have some more interesting finds next week so keep tuned and hopefully we will see you on one of our tours soon.

(The images are of the foyer at the Anstey's Building and of the random people we met in the lift)