SA Rocks

Tim and Bruce are cycling from Cairo To Cape Town for charity, their website is Cycle2Learn.org and they are doing it to build 2 classrooms for a rural school in the Eastern Cape. They have currently raised R85,000 out of their target of R180,000. They started on the 10th January 2009.

 15 February, Day 33

Rest day in Addis Ababa

We had no idea what to expect out of Addis Ababa, but have been pleasantly surprised. It seems backward to me, as in all my travels I’ve found the people in the rural areas to be the nicest and those in the cities to be hardened, less open and less friendly. However, the opposite seems true for Addis, a friendly city set within a valley with steep slopes, lots of trees and wide, clean streets. Walking around town is the first time in weeks that we’ve been able to walk amongst locals and not feel like a celebrities hounded by the locals asking for money, food and my new favourite – pens. 

People here are relaxed, friendly and open. We’ve just returned from a shopping/lunch excursion through downtown. Our shopping list was comprehensive and included our usual: bog roll, chocolate chip cookies, mocha cookies, hot chocolate, peanuts and of course snickers (two each) – at least we’re eating a well rounded diet on our rest day! 

We went from café to café sampling the amazing coffees and cakes they have here. The day got even better as we found doughnuts, ice cream, Super 14 Rugby Highlights, and of course our very favourite – the layered fruit juices! Aside from trying to explore our rest stops as much as possible, our rest days are also quite intensive in terms of laundry, continual bike maintenance, and our email updates back to you all – which can sometimes be quite a trying experience with the dismal connection speeds we’ve come across in some towns! 

16 February, Day 34

108km Addis Ababa to Bush Camp

Another 108km of rolling, beautiful Ethiopian hills in the legs, and we’re feeling strong! However, about 12 riders and staff members, are not in great shape, having succumbed to the fever-diarrhea bug which has raised its ugly head again. It’s one thing feeling completely awful with all the creature comforts of home, it’s an entirely different story when you’re trying to ride through Africa. 

Some have been hit so badly that riding wasn’t even an option today, and they simply had to ride in the support trucks, others, who were slightly stronger, stuck it out on the bike to maintain their EFI (Every Fucking Inch) status. Sickness aside, life on the Tour is magical. I’ve seen countless sunrises as I roll my tent up in the morning. I’ve met, ate and drank with the friendliest people who had no reason to be friendly to me whatsoever. 

I’ve hit 72km/h and I’ve grinded in granny gear at 5km/h. I’ve smiled at complete strangers and they’ve smiled back, and I’ve seen the sun set each and every day. These are the things that wash away the grime, sweat, stink, pain and sickness that I’ve also experienced, and which I will no doubt experience again before we finish in Cape Town on the 9th of May. 

17 February, Day 34

128km Bush Camp 1 to Bush Camp 2

Today started somewhat controversially… As a bit of back ground, Tim and I never came here to race down Africa, we signed up for the race solely on the grounds that you can always pull out later so you might as well start racing if there was even a remote chance of you being competitive. Many people have pulled out since Cairo, half at least. Our attitude has been that we’re timed participants not racers, we’re here to see and experience Africa not stare at someone’s rear wheel as you push yourself beyond your comfort zone. 

So far our strategy has worked well and we haven’t succumbed to the tempt of pulling out of the race. To me there’s no rule that says you have to win or even be competitive in order to be a racer, just someone that enjoys the competitive spirit of the event. We’ve had our good days with a number of 3rd places, but they’ve been entirely dependent on the day’s conditions and health of the other racers.

Today’s race was from camp to lunch and due to start as always at 7:30, slightly later than we prefer to leave on non race days as we like to ride in the cooler weather. One person had a flat before the race start, the start was delayed a little under 15 minutes then eventually started without the rider with the flat and his girl friend (she had been helping with the tyre change). 

At camp the two were a little upset that the race was started without them, they felt hard done by and hadn’t raced hard as they felt that the situation was unfair – it’s far easier to ride as a group in a Peloton as you can get pulled along by the front riders, who rotate about every 5 minutes. I write this solely as we’ve never mentioned the race apart from the occasional result. 

The issue with the two racers with the flat tyre hasn’t been resolved yet – another meeting is required tomorrow morning. I find it a little amusing how seriously people are taking the race and fascinating watching the group dynamics as allegiances are forged, arguments had, and peoples’ attitudes change all while we’re meant to be here enjoying ourselves in Africa.

A short word on the day’s ride, it was a tough day with lots of climbs mostly after lunch though most happily the 138km days distance was in fact shorter (only 128km) due to the rider, whose GPS data is used, taking a few excursions on the day last year to find a crater lake. Both Tim and I are in high spirits though we’ve both got a scratchy throat, tomorrow is meant to be a true diamond in the rough – an easier day as we’re starting to descend down to Kenya… whooooooo hoooooo!

18 February, Day 35

118km Bush Camp 2 to Bush Camp 3

First half of the day was as easy as pie, thanks to a wicked downhill out of the mountains. The second half of the day, however, was a little more trying, thanks to a persistent headwind and one monster of a climb which was lined with irritating kids. At the top of the monster we found the busy town of Sodo, and pulled into a local café for a much-needed Coke, a local donut and or course, a Macchiato coffee. 

From Sodo the road literally fell apart and we had 30km of dodging axel-breaking potholes – it was a fantastic bit of biking which suited our Scott hardtails beautifully! Once in camp we went through the usual motions of rehydrating, tent set-up, bike cleaning, stretching and of course the favourite part of the day, inhaling dinner! As we ate, the clouds steadily built around us and looked rather ominous for sometime, and as I write this from the comfort of my tent, the first drops of rain have begun to fall…. With a bit of luck, our Cape Union Mart tents will do all the things they are supposed to do and keep the rain at bay… if not, tonight could be an interesting one….

19 February, Day 36

108km Bush Camp 3 to Arba Minch

Another race day (camp to lunch), and we continued on the extremely poor road going downhill – it was awesome. We hit a snag, however, at about 5km out of camp as Tim realised he’d forgotten his Camel Back. He decided to return back to camp whilst I continued on slowly (which was no problem given that I was still feeling ill). The road was poor all the way to lunch and the kids were on top form. The best word to describe the effect we have on the kids as we pass by is “hysteria“. 

The first few riders through cause the hysteria, the kids are so excited, sprinting to the road shouting, screaming, and generally just going insane. By the time the last few riders come past, the kids have been setup at the road for a while and are starting to get frustrated – I assume due to the lack of attention from tired riders or the lack of a hand-out. As a result, and as the day progresses, the hysteria quickly turns to madness. 

To get your attention/stand out from the crowd they resort to things like throwing stones, trying to shove sticks into your spokes, pulling silly faces, stupid comments, slapping (or just trying to touch you), trying to open your Camel Back or saddle bag, and even using hand-catties to catapult stones into you! Today’s kids were made worse for us as we were amongst the last few riders for the day and by now they were seriously aggressive – which gets a little worrying when the machetes start making an appearance with threatening glares in tow! 

Certainly the kids have a negative effect on your day, but we always try to keep in mind they are only children and acting the only way they know. Apart from the kids the day went okay, the road improved closer to Arba Minch and we were able to get into camp early and find a shady camp spot, though riddled with thorns… Showers were had, it had been a solid 4 days since our last access to any sort of excess water, and the shower can only be described as heavenly. Tyres were then changed in preparation for the next few week’s of riding – described as the toughest on tour… by far… bugger!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Out of approximately 33 000 participating our very own South African food blogger, Cooksister sneaks in at number 46 on TimesOnline’s list of top 50 Food blogs around the world.

I think this is a sterling achievement and to be honest it seems as though Jeanne just can’t put a foot wrong with her little gem of a blog.

Last year it won various SA Blog Awards and is a shoe-in to do the same this year amongst many, many other awards.

I am extremely lucky and proud to have her as a regular blogger right here on SA Rocks!

Please head over to her Author page to read more of her blog posts on this blog and head over to Cooksister, the website, to show your support and gain some valuable cooking knowledge.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Tim and Bruce are cycling for charity in the Tour ‘d Afrique from Cairo to Cape Town, 12 000km’s in 120 days.  The money is all going towards the building of 2 classrooms for a rural school in the Eastern Cape. So far they have raised R84,000 and their target is R180,000 so please go donate on their website www.cycle2learn.org

10 February, Day 29

165km Bahir Dar to Bush Camp

What a day!  Today was the day of the tour for me.  It started poorly, I woke up feeling average despite the 2nd consecutive day of 11 hours of sleep and antibiotics.  Once on the bike I felt worse, there wasn’t one thing in particular that was sore. My tummy was fine, I didn’t have diarrhoea and I wasn’t nauseas – I just felt lousy and couldn’t keep up with Tim.  After 20km I was struggling, and then, as if a switch was flipped, I started feeling better and made it to lunch without too many concerns.  I also had an appetite for a change and ate plenty.  The race was from lunch (70km) to the refresh stop (125km).  I rode alone and in my own world cruising happily with an incident free morning.  As I approached the town at 120km (can’t remember it’s name – sorry), I was climbing a steep hill and school had just come out… there were hundreds of kids lining the road and by the time I had got there everyone of them had a stone… with little to do I simply put my head down and grinded away taking the hits – mostly small stones not thrown too hard. 

Bruce taking a quick break...

Next a seemingly local rider came up behind me and passed me up the hill – a little embarrassing given he was in long pants with a bike that creaked loudly with each crank and a wheel that wasn’t completely round.  I quickly realised that the kids calmed down considerably with him nearby, so I stuck to his wheel like flies to dung.  After a number of kilometres and many screaming kids/locals, I eventually decided to unleash my frustration on my knight in shining armour by asking why these #$%&^&* kids kept harassing me and pelting me with stones – I hadn’t done anything to upset them!  I expected the rider to not understand me at all so when he replied ‘stick close to me and you be fine’ I was a little shocked to say the least…  The two of us rode on together for some time chatting.  

My knight’s name was John (Johen in Amharic) and he was from Dongola (my favourite town in Sudan), he moved to Ethiopia a number of years ago to seek a better future for himself, something I found very surprising.  John had studied history and teaching in both Gondar and Barhir Dar – our previous two rest day towns, and John was one switched on cookie.  I asked him if I could buy him a coffee and he said he knew a place.  We pulled over and shared two coffees, taking in the town and watching the occasional harassed TDA rider pass by.  The clouds were looking ominous so I asked John if it was going to rain – he assured me it wouldn’t.  After coffee, John asked me if I’d like some ‘makoni’ – not entirely sure what this was and given that my stomach was feeling better and ready for another assault from Ethiopian food, I agreed, thinking you got to give everything a go.  We headed deep into town to John’s place – it was a modest single room house but clearly his pride and joy.  By now I had realised that John was cut from a different cloth to everyone else I’d met in Ethiopia, this guy was an entrepreneur feeding himself with his local produce and selling the extra at the market, as well as filling in at the school when a teacher was sick and he had his own regular extra curricular class he taught and was in the process of publishing his very own English/Ahmeric phrase book/dictionary for grades 4 to 12.  

I spent a while paging through John’s photo album, filled with pics of his family, graduations and his girl friend.  John set about preparing the ‘makoni’ (which I realised by now was actually macaroni), he boiled the pasta, fried the onions, garlic, peppers (all from his garden) and served up a treat.  Now it started to rain, John felt like a bit of an idiot after assuring me it wouldn’t, and he suggested we have one of those layered fruit drinks I like so much.  Back on the bike in the rain, we headed to the juice stand – no juice except avocado… so we had a beer glass full of avo juice with a strawberry squeeze sauce – it was great!  

John and his family with Fatima

Still raining, John asked me if I wanted to meet his girlfriend, her house was round the corner.  I was a little hesitant as the macaroni had taken a while to make, serve and eat and with the juice I was starting to run a little late.  John assured me that his girl friend’s friend was worth the trip and that I should definitely come meet her – I quickly agreedJ  Mista’s place was also a single room house, inside was a bed and a set of small Ethiopian coffee cups and small portable charcoal fire for the kettle.  I met Fatima – soon to be my wife I was told – and she was stunning, so I wasn’t backing away from the idea in too much of a hurry.  

At a TDA rider meeting we’d been told that the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony is quite long… I can now vouch for this.  First Mista had to get the charcoal, light it, wait for the coals to form by fanning the fire, then fill the pot, boil the water, serve the coffee and sugar into the many cups, and serve.  This is repeated a further 2 more times – apparently the Ethiopians have three coffees in one of these sittings.  The coffee, though from a sachet, was lovely and I had a fantastic time chatting with John, Mista, Mista’s sister, Mista’s land lord, some random and Fatima.  Not sure Fatima was keen on the idea of our pending  marriage and I was still out with the jury, but John and Mista were convinced they’d found the perfect match!  

After coffee I told John I seriously needed to leave, the girls were sad.  Digits/email addressed and of course the cycle2learn website address was exchanged (Fatima if you’re reading this hiJ), hugs given and I said goodbye to the girls.  John cycled with me out of the town and on for a fair amount further ensuring there were no more little brats sporting freshly picked up stones.  We said goodbye, shook hands and made our separate ways…  I looked at the time, past 5 and I still had 35kms left… thoughts of not making it to camp in daylight filtered through my head, so I pulled finger and rode like the wind.  To my seemingly endless luck of the day, it turned out the last 35km were pretty much all downhill.  I passed a frantic TDA van coming towards me with the medic, Alex, Miles the chef and oracle of the TDA, and Tim – all very concerned for me.  I felt terrible, I was due in camp at least three hours before and no one knew where I was.  I said I was fine and cycled the rest of the way, as I entered camp I received a loud applause and told my story to everyone at dinner. The story went down and a treat, and guess what…. Unbelievably it was none other than macaroni for dinner!

11 February, Day 30

118km Bush Camp to Forest Camp

Hell’s bells there are lots of people in the country. Wherever we are, they  just seem to appear from nowhere to watch the circus roll-on through. There are hardly any passenger cars at all on the roads, just people trekking from village to village with donkeys, cattle, goats and chickens. Needless to say, we cause quite a stir in our cycling kit as we whiz through. But if you’re wise – like we naturally are – you leave early in the morning and aim to be amongst the first riders to be seen for the day, this ensures you are just gawked at, rather than stoned and harassed for money, which is what happens if you’re at the back of the pack. 

Aside from the teeming population here, we can also confidently confirm that Ethiopia has mountains, and lots of them. Today we gained about 1800m in elevation, descending 1320m, and we’re camping tonight in a pine plantation at an altitude of 2500m above sea level – the high altitude alone caught us sucking on a bit of gas this morning, I mean we’re beach bums back home! 

Like yesterday, today was a beautiful but challenging ride with some big climbs, with the legs now just a little tired and right on time for tomorrow’s Blue Nile Gorge challenge – the nasty bit being a 22km climb with an elevation gain of 1600m – let’s just hope we’re ahead of the pack and the stone-throwing masses. 

12 February, Day 30

89km Forest Camp to CPAR Camp – Blue Nile Gorge Day

(CPAR – Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief) 

A little over 20kph on the rolling hills in the morning, 45kph plus down the gorge and about 10kph up

Because today was such an epic day – we’ve both described it from our own personal view points – ENJOY!

Bruce’s account:

Blue Nile Gorge… KLAPPED IT!  What a great day.  I’ve been dreading this day for sometime now, camp site rumours of a 1.5km ascent over some 20km spread like wild fire and when the worst was confirmed true I experienced shear panic.  South Western Australia (where I did all my pre-tour training) just about has it all – beautiful beaches, warm weather, vineyards, breweries, etc just about all except hills.  In saying that hills may not of helped cause today I climbed a mountain.

Going down the gorge was scary due to the steep descent and of course, given this is Ethiopia, countless people on the narrow steep roads with screaming kids and the occasional dog chasing our rear tyres.  I had a great time climbing, I paced myself beautifully sitting in granny gear ticking along checking out the breath taking view.  Switch back after  switch back we climbed.  Towards the top I read messages of encouragement from the TDA staff written in chalk on the road surface which kept me going.  With a few hundred meters to go, but still a steep climb, I saw Erin the medic – she shouted support and gave me a quick push up the last switch back – an awesome moment.  I cross the line feeling great and most importantly like I could do it again if I needed to.  It took a while but it’s finally dawned on me that this is a very, very long journey and the name of the game is pacing yourself…  At camp we had a really treat – a game of table tennis!  Also two of the best cups of coffee and finally a shower.  Ending the day with a braai of sheep shoulder blades, knuckles, necks and ribs and one of our last hot chocolate mixes (we treated ourselves on a big day – thanks once again Collin and VivJ).  Tomorrow is another big day with a 500m climb in 10km, we reach the highest point on tour, a little over 3100m before descending back below 2700m… looking forward to it!

Tim’s account:

Below and to my left is the Blue Nile, and just up ahead is another steep 180-degree switchback. As I look down at my tanned chicken legs spinning, sweat falls off my face and cools  my knees. 

The happiest I am on a bike is directly proportional to the size of the mountain I’m climbing. The bigger the climb, the broader the smile, and today was a perfect ride! A fun and challenging 18km descent into the gorge, followed by a 22km time trial climb out of it. Pacing is the key for a climb like this, and my goal was to get to the top and NOT be tired. Mission accomplished! I  had so much energy left at the top that I even put in a sprint finish just for fun for the timekeepers. It was a tremendous feeling for all who rode the day. Everyone had a different story to tell, everyone went at a different pace, and everyone shared the euphoric feeling at the top of having climbed a beautiful bit of mountainside. Afterwards an ice-cold Pepsi was had at the local village, followed by amazing coffees, and even a braai for dinner. Good times!

13 February, Day 31

90 CPAR Camp to CPAR Camp

(CPAR – Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief)

We climbed to 3200 metres above sea level today, the highest point of the Tour, and yes, the lungs were most certainly burning for most of the day! With lungs longing for air, we just took it easy and rolled along pretty leisurely for most of the day, even stopping in at a local village for a seriously strong cup of coffee! It’s been great staying in the CPAR camps as they afford you a little bit of space from all the inquisitive eyes. The added benefit of today’s CPAR location is that it is just around the corner from a ‘hotel’ which is perched on the edge of a beautiful ravine. Needless to say we hit the place up for a beer, sat right by the edge, and just enjoyed the serenity of the view and the many birds soaring on the thermals. 

14 February, Day 32

105km CPAR Camp to Addis Ababa

Rolling hills for most of the day then a fast convoy down the hill into Addis

Tim and Bruce with their 'beards'

I had an awesome birthday today!  I’m not a cycling purest, I chose to come along on TDA because I wanted to see Africa, have unique experiences and meet some interesting people, but yesterday I understood why some people, the cycling purists, love nothing other than to cycle.  It was a great morning’s ride through the rolling hills with spectacular scenery and a festive mood for the rest day ahead.  We made our final climb then had to wait for the all the other cyclists to arrive for the convoy into Addis.  There were a few shops selling soft drinks and cookies, but despite asking everywhere there was no coffee available for sale.  Next minute one of the ladies Tim had been speaking to motioned us into her shop for coffee.  We sat there for well over an hour enjoying the authentic Ethiopian coffee ceremony – the lady roasted the beans, crushed them in a mortar, and then brewed the coffee with incense burning – all in her tiny little stall on the side of the road.  It was simply the best coffee I’ve had and a fantastic experience.  After arriving in camp and setting up tents we headed out for birthday drinks. Amongst the many beers a samoosa, doughnut, pizza and even a piece of cake was had!  The rest of the evening was spent bar-hopping playing drinking games and ending at a local night club dancing the night away.  What a great way to bring in your 27th birthday.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Have you heard of SASSI? That’s the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative – a public awareness and educational project that aims to inform seafood consumers and dealers about legal and conservation issues surrounding seafood and aims to promote legal and sustainable seafood choices. And they have developed an extremely cool tool to help consumers choose fish from healthy populations and thus relieve the pressure on overexploited species

Say you’re sitting in a fancy schmancy seafood restaurant and the waiter informs you that the linefish of the day is geelbek. If you want to know whether geelbek is an ethical choice, all you need is the FishMS service. You text the name of a fish to the number 079 499 8795, at standard text message rates, the fish name is checked against the WWF database, and you’ll immediately get a message telling you whether to go ahead and order, think twice before ordering, or avoid the fish completely completely.

The information has up to now only been available as a booklet or a condensed wallet card, which reduces information about the impact of fishing on stocks of local seafood species to a simple traffic light system:

* Species marked with a green fish can generally be eaten with a clear conscience because their population numbers are healthy (e.g. gurnard, hake).

* Species marked with an orange fish are legal to sell, but if you have a choice you should opt for one of the “green” species (e.g. geelbek, kingklip).

* Species marked in red are illegal to buy or sell in South Africa (e.g. abalone, musselcracker).

Full details of how the classification system works are available on the SASSI website.

With the new FishMS system, this information will be available at the touch of a cell phone button, even if you’ve left your reference card at home. SASSI hopes that the ingenious system will not only help consumers make informed choices, but will also demonstrate to retailers and restaurant owners that customers are willing to give up popular menu choices if these are not eco-friendly – which should in turn alter restaurants’ and retailers’ buying habits. SASSI has also launched an initiative whereby restaurants and small retailers can sign up and pledge not to sell fish classified as red, and always to have green options available to customers. It is hoped that by giving over-exploited species a break, their populations can recover and they can once again become more widely available.

The FishMS feature resulted from cooperation between SASSI, local IT company iVeri Payment Technology and developer Tony Seebregts - a rocking South African initiative.

Popularity: 7% [?]

So, as you are reading this 2 South Africans are busy riding on sore and numb asses in the middle of Ethiopa after having already cylced through Egypt and Sudan. You see on the 10th January these 2 guys, Tim and Bruce, started to partake in the Tour ‘d Afrique a cycle race from Cairo to Cape Town.  

They have support vehicles carrying their luggage etc, there are a couple other South Africans also riding and a mix bunch of people doing it to see Africa, do something  different or just to have a  nice 6 month break from everything.

So now WHY are these 2 guys cycling almost 12,000 kilometers over 120 days?

The answer id be to build 2 classrooms for a rural school in the Eastern Cape, just outside East London near Kidds Beach. And to do this they need R180,000 so far they have raised R72,000 jusy by asking people to donate R100 which would cost you 2 pizzas and a coke. 

To follow their trip SA Rocks has kindly agreed to publish weekly updates sent it in by Tim and Bruce and hopefully together and with the online community of SA we can reach their target and make a difference to at least 50 disadvanted kids.

Their Facebook group currently has just over 550 people, we need a further 1000 to push the numbers to 1,800 people who all donated R100 and the target is met.

Their website has a weekly blog update (which will also be posted here) and daily diary entries together with photo’s of their trip. Below is their last couple of days on the Tour, enjoy.

7 February, Day 29
118km Gondar to Farm Camp

Today started poorly for both of us, Tim still had his bout of diarrhoea and I woke up with a sore tummy and no appetite.  But once on the bikes, we got back into the swing of things and not only survived the day, but enjoyed it too. 

The day’s ride route had an elevation loss for a change, so apart from two steepish switchback climbs, we mostly headed downhill.  We were able to see some quite impressive views of the countryside as we twisted and turned round the mountains. The kids were dead on aim today pelting the both of us numerous times, in particular me on the helmet from front on – luckily I ducked my head or else I’d have collect the stone on the face..
It’s so difficult not to loose your cool with the kids as they scream aggressively ‘You, You, You, GIVE, GIVE ME MONEY!’ or my personal favourite ‘Whereareyougo… whereareyougo’ to which the answer, ‘Addis Ababa’ is met with confusion as they don’t actually know what they’re asking but simply repeating a learnt phrase.  Ethiopia certainly has
it’s challenges – starkly different challenges than those overcome in Sudan, but we’re taking each day at a time and enjoying the experience - diarrhoea and all.  Tomorrow is a half days ride then the first of the TDA organised parties followed by another rest day, this one on the banks of Lake Tana… whoo! 

6 February, Day 28
Rest Day in Gondar

I’m shattered. At about 2am last night, diarrhoea and fever assaulted my body. It’s been a long and trying day for me, spent trying to rehydrate and keep anything down. This left to do all the admin that we normally do together on rest days – bike maintenance, laundry and internet updates. With a bit of luck, and of course some drugs, I’ll hopefully be up for the ride tomorrow…

5 February, Day 27 
105km from Mountain Camp to Gondar

Nothing bonds people like hardship, we experienced this on the quite trying ferry ride from Egypt to Sudan and even more so after today’s extremely tough days ride.  We knew from past riders and camp site rumours that day 2 of Ethiopia is arguably the toughest day of the tour and we can confirm this.  The day started with rolling hills till a small village in a valley then the hill began… and what a hill. 800m ascent over 12km on a dirt road with screaming kids and people everywhere.  At the top of the hill was another village where we stopped for a Mirinda (much like Fanta orange) and the first taste of Ethiopian coffee – it’s fantastic. 

Following this we descended rapidly to lunch on thankfully a tarred road.  We’d been told after lunch is tougher than the morning climb due to the slow overall elevation gain over many short steep hills, this might have been the case but luckily the sun disappeared behind the clouds cooling the day nicely. 

The race ended at 95km and we knew it was a tarred road from then on however the steepest climb of the day was left to the hill upon which our hotel grounds we’re camping are situated.  It’s was almost surreal climbing and switch back private hotel road – stopping at the top and knowing our proximity to beer was a fantastic feeling.

After setting up camp, showering (it was cold but oh so good) we grabbed a few beers and went out to the hotel driveway to welcome the other riders in.  It’s was a specially moment in the tour to have those of us that had finish clap the riders in, day was tough and having the group encourage each other was great.  The highlight was waiting for Lloyd to arrive.  Lloyd is a Canadian in his mid fifties, he cruises along at his own pace and always has a kind word, never one to complain.  He’d turned down the option of getting in both the truck and the Ethiopian runabout vehicle we have here instead he just carried on cycling.  It was getting dark with the whole group gather Lloyd came cycling in after almost 12 hours on the bike smiling to a standing ovation – it brought goose bumps to your skin. 

Tomorrow is a rest day and most needed after six very challenging days of cycling – I think we’re all going to take tomorrow very easy firstly to rest and secondly to nurse our hang over’s!

Popularity: 8% [?]

Street food – it’s such a great concept. Something cheap and readily available, sold on the streets in a portable format, and eaten by the average local. Think Leberkaese rolls in Austria; grilled corn on the cob in Morocco; falafel or shawarma throughout the Middle East; frites with mayonnaise in Belgium; poutine in Canada; tacos in Mexico; chilli dogs and corn dogs in the USA; and arepas in Venezuela.

In South Africa, we have the usual collection of generic international street food like hamburgers, fried chicken, or fish and chips, but here and there you will find some truly South African food being sold on the streets, like Durban’s home-grown favourite: bunny chows.

There is some discussion as to the origin of this steet food which broadly consists of curry ladled into a scooped-out loaf of bread. One theory is that it originated at a restaurant in Durban’s Grey Street when, in the early 1900s, caddies from the Royal Durban Golf Club were unable to get enough time off over lunch to dash to predominantly Indian Grey Street to pick up a curry for lunch. The caddies would ask their friends to bring back curries for them and because there were no polystyrene containers back then, the shopkeepers sent the curry in holowed out loaves of bread. There was also no disposable cutlery, so the bread was useful as a tool to dip into the curry and use instead of a fork. This theory might also explain the rather unusual name: the shopkeepers on Grey Street were called banias (an Indian caste of merchants), and “bunny” could be a corruption of this. Another similar theory is that bunny chows originated as a means for the (mostly Indian) labourers to take lunch onto the sugar cane plantations of Kwa-Zulu Natal in the days before disposable containers.

The curry used in a bunny chow varies according to taste – chicken, lamb, beef or vegetable are all popular, and the level of heat varies (beware – Durbanites like theirs HOT!). The bread component of a bunny chow may be a whole, half or quarter white loaf, and the scooped out centre (known as the virgin) is replaced on top of the curry before serving. The virgin is then dipped into the gravy before and eaten as an appetiser, and it is considered very bad form indeed to take somebody’s virgin without asking . As the level of the curry drops, you can rip off bits of the bread bowl to use instead of cutlery – so all in all it’s a fun but potentially messy meal and not suitable for first dates or important business lunches!

Bunny chow terminology is a minefield for the uninitiated. When suggesting to friends that you should go and get bunny chows for a meal, using the word “chow” marks you out as a clueless foreigner – the correct term would be “let’s go get some bunnies for lunch”. And when ordering, you shouldn’t even use the word bunny – you merely order a whole, half or a quarter, depending on the portion of bread you want, and specify the type of filling you want (e.g. a half beef, or a whole chicken). And be very careful if you have a funny bunny – this is a bunny made from the centre of the loaf rather than the end and, as such, has no crust at the base. Make sure you support the base, otherwise your friends will quickly let you know where the “funny” part of the name came from

The recipe below is a great basic lamb curry and could also be served on rice. If you are making bunny chows though, be sure there is enough liquid for plenty of gravy: you want the gravy to soak properly into the bread “bowl”. I was lucky enough that my lovely friend Simla brought back a packet of Osmans Taj Mahal roasted Durban madras curry powder for me last time she went home, which I use in my curry – but you could use any ready-mixed curry powder that you like and which is available where you live. You can also add chopped chillies at the end to spice up individual portions if some diners like it hotter than others. And as always, if you have time try to make the curry a day in advance because the flavours always improve on the second day.

So what are you waiting for? Try these for yourself and experience the authentic taste of South African street food!

BUNNY CHOW (serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 kg lamb, cubed
1 medium onion, sliced thinly into rings
2 large tomatoes or 1x400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2-3 curry leaves
1 stick cinnamon
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1.5 tsp crushed ginger
1.5 tsp crushed garlic
4 tsp Durban masala (or substitute shop-bought curry powder,as hot or mild as you like)
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
3-4 potatoes, cubed
Salt
1 or 2 (depending on the size) crusty, square loaves of bread
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

Cube the meat and slice the onion; peel and dice the tomato.

Heat the oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, onion and curry leaves. Fry until the onion is light golden brown in colour.

Add the masala mix (or curry powder), turmeric, ginger, garlic and tomato. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mix resembles a puree.

Add the meat and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the poatoes and about 1/4 cup of water. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender and the potatoes cooked. Keep an eye on it to make sure the bottom of the pot does not burn.

When the meat is cooked through and the potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes), add the garam masala mixture. Test for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Simmer for a further 10 minutes on a low heat.

In the meantime, take a fresh loaf of white bread – it needs to be crusty on the outside with a nice, soft crumb. Little farmouse loaves half the size of standard loaves are ideal. Halve the loaf and scoop out the soft white crumb, leaving the crust to form a “bowl”.

Spoon the curry into the half loaf and serve, garnished with coriander leaves. The soft crumb can be dipped into the curry and eaten as well.

Popularity: 12% [?]

When I’m an old woman, grey, frail and allowed to be cantankerous, I’ll gather my grandkids about me, puff on something seemly for my age and station, and launch into a tale about the many, many Aussie whippings that I watched dished out to us. The spectre of the Waugh brothers at the Wanderers crease, the world cup agonies, the humbling series defeats, the glimmers of hope that were so cruelly bowled over by Messrs Warne, McGrath and Co…. And my grandkids will nudge each other impatiently wondering what the point of my tirade is. And then I’ll get to the tour of OZ in 08/09 and everything will be much clearer.

The twin victories in the test and ODI series are massive to South African cricket, South African sport but even beyond sport- It is a triumph over the ugly politics, the discontent over the board’s commitment to play a team that is reflective of the country it represents, the emigrations en masse ala Pieterson- these victories speak of a nation that is prepared to roll up its sleeves and fight through the night.

When Graeme Smith was dressed by Morne Morkel in Jacques Kallis’ shirt and Paul Harris’ stained pullover and faced ten gut wrenching balls with a plastered forearm, that fighting spirit was exemplified. The series was already won, we could have gone easily into the good night, it was a dead rubber, it really wouldn’t have mattered that much, but Captain, Hero, you call him what you like so long as it is sufficiently adulatory, he showed what it meant to be a Captain of a South African team. It’s little wonder Kevin Pieterson resigned the England captaincy soon thereafter, he probably realised this captaincy business had been set standards he wasn’t likely to scratch up to.

We may be accused of dishing out an unfair portion of our glee to Mr Pieterson, but you see these victories have justified in the most everything that KP has so publicly and liberally criticised about SA cricket. Among the stars of the test series were JP Duminy and Hashim Amla, players whose place in the team would previously be labelled spots of affirmative action, they flouted the misconceptions and silenced the detractors with every stroke of the ball while playing among the other rising stars, the Morkels, Steyn and within a team united in purpose and spirit.

And the spirit in which the Proteas approached the tour is in itself something to be proud of. Far from the maddening controversies that mired India’s tour down under, the Proteas, led admirably by Captain Fantastic, were not duped into engaging in wars of words. Even in the immediate aftermath of the ODI series victory, Johan Botha, called on the team to be humble. Truly signs of a great team.

With bat and ball they played, with bat and ball history has been made. Rock on SA!

This post is a contribution from http://kayenchantey.blogspot.com/

Images contributed by my friends Courtenay and Tam who, for the moment, live in Aus and attended the great ass-whipping of ’09!

Popularity: 7% [?]

A while ago, there was a post on SA Rocks about dual citizenship, which generated some discussion and a whole lot of questions. I went back to that post last week and was amazed at the comments that it had accumulated, as well as the number of questions that people had about the issue. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to what forms are needed, where to find them, and what exactly the law says.

So I’ve put together in one place links to the resources that might be of assistance to those of you grappling with this issues, as well as answering the specific questions that were asked in the comments. Feel free to ask more questions – having been through the process myself I will be happy to point you in the right direction if I can. Please note that the info below deals with dual UK and SA citizenship only.

DUAL CITIZENSHIP – WHAT THE LAW SAYS

Here is an excerpt from the South African High Commission (UK) website:

South African Citizenship Act, 1995 (Act 88 of 1995)

Section 9 which regulated the deprivation of South African citizenship in instances where a major South African had made use of the citizenship or nationality of another country was repealed on 15 September 2004 by the South African Citizenship Amendment Act, 2004 (Act No. 17 of 2004) and replaced with the following sanction:

“A major citizen who-

(a) enters the Republic or departs from the Republic making use of the passport of another country; or

(b) while in the Republic, makes use of his or her citizenship or nationality of another country in order to gain an advantage or avoid a responsibility or duty
is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months.”.

A South African citizen who by a formal and voluntary act acquires the citizenship of another country, automatically loses his or her South African citizenship.

Resumption (Section 13): A person who has lost or has been deprived of his or her South African citizenship may apply for resumption at any Home Affairs domestic office. Application must be on a BI 175 and a prescribed fee of R128-00 is payable.

To qualify, former South African citizens by birth and descent must have returned to South Africa permanently. Former South Africans by naturalisation or registration must have a valid permanent residence permit or exemption from such permit and must have taken up permanent residence in South Africa.

In a nutshell, this is what the above means:

* In the past, people who wished to hold two passports were obliged to get a letter from the Department of Home Affairs authorising them to hold two passports, and always had to carry this letter with them when they travelled. Recent amendments mean that you no longer need to have or travel with such a letter.
* you DO have to get permission from the SA government before you apply for your foreign passport. If you acquire foreign citizenship without first asking permission from the SA government, you automatically lose your SA citizenship
* you DO have to enter and leave SA on your SA passport, not your foreign passport (although you can use that freely outside SA)
* you CAN’T while in SA rely on your foreign citizenship to gain an advantage (e.g. VAT rebate) that SA citizens do not have.
* Travelling into SA on your foreign passport or trying to use your foreign passport to gain an advantage in SA is a criminal offence and can get you a fine or even land you in prison if you are caught.
* If you have already gone ahead and got a foreign passport without getting permission from SA, you can apply to get your SA citizenship back, but to do so you must apply in South Africa and demonstrate that you are living in South African permanently.

HOW TO APPLY FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP WITHOUT LOSING YOUR SA CITIZENSHIP

Step 1 Write to the British Home Office asking for a letter confirming that you have not yet acquired British Citizenship. The letter should not be more than 3 months old when you apply to retain your SA citizenship, so only get it when you are ready to start the process.

The office to write to for this is:

The British Nationality Division
3rd Floor India Buildings
Water Street
Liverpool
L2 0QN

Step 2 Fill in Form BI-1664 (ignoring paragraph available from the High Commission website: http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Documents/bi-1664.pdf
This is your application to retain your citizenship despite taking on foreign citizenship.

Step 3 Fill in Form BI-529 fully – available from the High Commission website:
http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Documents/bi-529e.pdf All South African Citizens who are abroad at the time of lodging a passport application form must fully complete this form. The purpose of the form is to establish that as a South African Citizen you have not lost your Citizenship. If certain questions are not applicable the mark as N/A. If certain questions are not known, for example, your mothers Identity number, then mark it as “do not know”.

Step 4 Call the SA High Commission and make an appointment (the London telephone number is 09065 540 799). Yes, calls cost £1 per minute from a BT landline. No, there is no other way…

Step 5 Attend the appointment, taking with you:
· Your filled in forms BI-1664 and BI-529 as described above
· Certified copies of your current passport (only bio-data page and UK residence visa page need to be certified).
· Your letter (under 3 months old) from the British Nationality Division confirming that you have not yet acquired British Citizenship.
· A self-addressed special delivery envelope (obtainable from any UK Post Office) for the return of your documents.
· the prescribed fee of £10.00. Only cash or Postal Orders are accepted. Postal Orders must be made payable to South African High Commission.

A few days later you get a letter saying you are still an SA citizen and you can go ahead and get dual nationality if you want.

And THEN you can start the process of applying for British citizenship providing you have been over here for long enough legally etc etc – have to write a completely ridiculous “Britishness” test, then attend a ceremony and swear allegiance to the queen (!) and THEN you can apply for a UK passport. (Feel free to ask me questions about this process too and I will do my best to help.)

Obviously, all of the above is only applicable to people wanting to acquire UK citizenship in addition to their SA citizenship. Other countries have their own rules and some (like the USA) do not allow you to hold two passports at all.

Q&A

Here are answers to the best of my ability to reader questions:

On 22 Jan 2008, Kate asked:
Jeanne (or anyone else who knows!) – what reason did you give on the forms for exemption? It seems to be one of those “tell them what they want to hear” situations… only I have no idea what they want to hear!
Also, where do I find the 2 forms you speak of?
And should I do this sooner than later? Or wait until just before I apply for UK citizenship? (only eligible in a year from now)

Answer: As a reason, I just said that I still have strong ties to South Africa – family, property and investments – and I will be returning there on a regular basis.
See my explanation above for links to the forms, but all can be found on the http://www.southafricahouse.com website. I don’t think it really matters how long before you apply for UK citizenship you do it – the only time-critical thing is that the letter from the UK stating that you don’t already have citizenship must be less than 3 months old.

On 26 Jan 2008, Terence asked:
I also would like to know about those 2 forms that where mentioned. I am also applying in 12 months time for my citizenship. so im trying to get all the facts in order so I know what to do when i got to do it.

Answer: See my explanation above for links to the forms, but all can be found on the http://www.southafricahouse.com website.

On 4 March 2008 Liv asked:
Hey guys, just wondering if anyone knew what happens if you already got dual citizenship (SA/UK) but didnt apply for permission from the SA Government first??
What a numpty, yeah i know!
But seriously, before applying for british citizenship, i googled dual nationality, checked the sa embassy in london, home affairs website, etc etc. because i was worried about this exact same thing happening! But never came across this before! Ive only heard about it today from a friend who is also applying for dual nationality!!! I cant believe i may have lost my SA citizenship, well upsetting!
Is there anything i can do to retain my SA citizenship without giving up my English citizenship?

Answer: According to Section 13 of the South African Citizenship Act 1998, a person who has lost or has been deprived of his or her South African citizenship may apply for resumption at any Home Affairs domestic office. See forms required below and a prescribed fee of R128-00 is payable. To qualify, former South African citizens by birth and descent must have returned to South Africa permanently. There is no need to give up your UK citizenship, but you do have to demonstrate that you are back in SA for good.

Steps to follow
· Complete application form BI-175 http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/forms/bi-175e.pdf and BI-529 http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Documents/bi-529e.pdf.
· Complete application form BI-9 (ID book application) – only available at consulates and Home Affairs offices.
· Submit two ID-size photos.
· Submit a written confirmation by the applicant that he or she now lives in South Africa.
· Submit a copy of your identity document (ID).
· Submit a copy of your marriage certificate if you are married or have been married before.

On 11 March 2008 Sandra asked:
Hi
re_dual citizenship & passports:
I was born in UK and have been living in SA since 1970. I travelled once to UK (on a SA passport) but now that I have kids of my own and am married am looking at applying for UK passport. Do I still qualify for UK citizenship (I have my original UK birth certificate which is in my maiden name) I also took on my stepdad’s surname (which was my maiden name)
Can anyone direct me to the correct channels or organizations to help on my case?

Answer: If you were born in the UK before 1983, you are automatically considered British by birth and as such entitled to apply for a passport, but obviously you have to prove that you were born there. If your current passport is in a different name to your UK birth certificate, you need to prove each link of the chain of your name changes – your birth name, how you acquired your stepfather’s name, your marriage certificate if you changed names again etc etc.
There is a comprehensive explanation of British citizenship eligibility on Wikipedia and if you call the British consulate in your city in SA, they are usually helpful and knowledgeable and cal tell you what paperwork you need.

On 21 April 2008 Anita asked:
I have the same problem as Liv. I hold a Dutch passport though and did not apply to the SA Home Office to retain my nationality. I did my research but did not find anything. Have you heard anything further about this and if you can retain your SA nationality?
The SA website does not say anything about the 2 forms or that you need to apply in writing to retain your SA passport. They do say that you do not need the dual nationality letter to travel on another passport.
If anyone can let me know where i get these 2 forms from as my fiance is applying for his British passport – it would be most helpful.
Also if you have any info regarding apply to retain your SA passport – would also be helpful.

Answer: For the two forms you need for retention of SA citizenship in your fiancé’s case, please see the links in the “What the law says” section at the top of this page. And for how to reinstate your SA citizenship, please see my response to Liv directly above.

On 27 Aprl 2008 Jeanette asked:
Does anyone know the options of getting a British passport if your grandparents were born there? I would like to be able to come and go to UK as I please and not have to leave after 6 months, which is the case now as a visitor. I do not want to loose my SA citizenship either.
Any ideas for me?
Thanks Jeanette

Answer: You are not automatically entitled to a British passport if your grandparents were British. However, as a Commonwealth citizen with a grandparent born in the UK you DO qualify for an ancestral visa. This visa means you and your spouse can live and work in the UK for 5 years and then apply for residence, and a year later, citizenship. However, you would have to LIVE here in the UK in order to obtain a passport this way. You will not be able to live in SA for the 5 years mentioned.

On 25 May 2008 William Smith asked:
I was born in Englad and have lived in South Africa since 1956. I became a South bAfrican citizen in 1965 having broken my stay in S A. In the 1970’s I worked for a foreign government who objected to my travelling on a SouthAfrican passport. I got a new British passport and a letter, in Afrikaans nogaal, allowing me to travel on my British passport and instructing immigration officeres to stamp both passports when I left or entered South Africa. This worked weel as S A did not need me to have my passport stamped in the countries that I visited. I understand that I can still travel outside S A on my British Passport but cannot use it to leave of re-enter South Africa. If I go anywhere will the country that I am visiting want to know why there is no exit stamp on my British passport. Can anyone advise me?

Answer: The British authorities no longer stamp your passport when you leave – at least, they certainly haven’t bothered to stamp mine since I got it! The only country that stamped me (and even that was only in, not out) was the USA. I think that unless you are singled out for special attention, immigration authorities in most Western countries don’t really care where your SA exit stamp is.

On 17 June 2008, Justine asked:
Hello,
I was born in 1982, my mom was born in England and I am trying so hard to apply for a British passport. Is there anyone that has gone through this process that can help me? I am so desparate but don’t know where to go from here. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Answer: Quick question – was your mom still a British citizen when you were born in 1982? If so, you are in luck! There is a specific form to fill in for people born to British mothers between 1961 and 1983 in order to register as British citizens.
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/nationality/form_ukm.pdf
There are various documents that have to be sent along with the application, including your and your mom’s birth certificate – these are listed in the guide to filling in the abovementioned form:
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationforms/nationality/guide_ukm.pdf
Your first step is therefore to obtain your mom’s full UK birth certificate. You can do this via online services like http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/order_certificates/obtain_certificates/how–to–apply–and–pay.asp

If you receive British nationality this way, your kids will only be British if they are born in the UK, not if they are born in SA.

On 29 June 2008 Jeunell asked:
I would like to know what reasons to give for retaining my South African Citizenship?

Answer: Well, what are your reasons? You have family there? A bank account? Property? You were born there? Those all indicate strong ties to the country and are all valid reasons to retain citizenship.

On 5 August 2008 Nikki asked:
I get my Portuguese citizenship when I was 14 I now realize that I may have lost my SA citizenship years ago.
But hey I got my ID and my Passport in South Africa and its never been an issue.
My advise is follow the rules, always go out on your SA passport and come back in on it as well.
I have a sinister suspicion that they only want the info for SARS trust me. Another thing the day the say you must choose which citizenship to keep is a big warning sign that we will be going down the same route as Zimbabwe.
I think it is unpatriotic to have dual citizenship for but I am only a patroit where my bread gets buttered.

Answer: It is possible that you did not lose your citizenship years ago because of this exemption:

People who have lost their South African citizenship under Section 15(1)(a) of Act 44 of 1949 (by acquiring foreign citizenship) before 6 October 1995 may apply for retrospective exemption, which essentially means that upon approval of such an application, the client will be deemed to have remained a South African Citizen when he/she acquired foreign citizenship.

Steps to follow
· Form BI-1666 to be fully completed http://www.citizenship.co.za/downloads/bi1666 Exemption from loss SAC.pdf You can ignore paragraph eight of form BI-1666.
· All clients must fully complete form BI-529 http://www.southafricahouse.com/Consulate/Documents/bi-529e.pdf (All South African Citizens who are abroad at the time of lodging a passport application form must fully complete this form. The purpose of the form is to establish that as a South African Citizen you have not lost your Citizenship.)
· A certified copy of your current South African Passport.
· Proof of how and when you acquired your foreign citizenship (e.g. naturalization certificate) .
· A certified copy of your South African Birth Certificate.
· A certified copy of your marriage certificate.
· A self-addressed special delivery envelope (obtainable from any UK Post Office) for the return of your documents.

But as you say, if you apply for an ID and passport when you are home in SA on holiday, nobody asks any questions at Home Affairs. But if you are worried, then you can always pursue the route above.

On 30 September 2008 Randall asked:
I will be applying for dual citizenship. I already qualify. I want to know one bit of info please – anyone. What do I say in the letter to the home offices? Do I ask them to state whether I have citizenship? Do I tell them why I need the letter from home office? What do I write? All of the above? What?

Answer: You tell them exactly what you want – there’s no trick to it. They don’t really care why you want it and they are used to getting these letters every day. A template could be:

“Dear Sirs

I am shortly going to be applying for UK citizenship. However I wish to retain my current South African citizenship and in order to do so, I need a letter of confirmation from yourselves that I have not yet obtained UK citizenship.

My details are as follows:
SURNAME:
FORENAMES:
NAME AT BIRTH:
DATE OF BIRTH:
TOWN & COUNTRY OF BIRTH:
SIGNATURE:
FULL POSTAL ADDRESS:”

The letter you requested will then be posted back to you.

On 30 October Ilse-Marie asked:
Hi everyone
I just applied for British citizenship about a month ago and didn’t know I needed to apply for dual citizenship to keep my SA citizenship! I still haven’t heard anything yet about my application for British citizenship, but was wondering – what difference practically would it make if I didn’t have my SA citizenship anymore? If I decide to move back to SA one day – does that mean I’ll have to give up my British citizenship (if I hopefully get it)?
Just a bit confused about it now!

Answer: It’s probably too late now to ask for the letter from the Home Office saying you are not yet a UK citizen as they will pick up that your details are already in the system being processed for citizenship. So yes, when you get your UK citizenship, as far as SA is concerned you will automatically lose your citizenship. Practically, it does not make much of a difference though – if you are living in the UK, why do you really need an SA passport? If you need to prove in SA who you are, you still have your SA ID book, right?

The only time you will want to be an SA citizen again is if you move back to SA. In this case, if you are no longer a citizen, you would get embroiled in all sorts of visa requirements, like other foreign nationals. But the good news is that as long as you move permanently back to SA and intend to stay there, you can apply to resume your SA citizenship (see “What the law says” above). Neither SA or the UK requires you to give up your UK citizenship to do so.

Popularity: 9% [?]

OK, so we may suck at Olympic sports, but at least we can cook.

Team South Africa has returned home to a heroes’ welcome after winning five medals at the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) in Erfurt, Germany. These include a gold medal in the Hot Kitchen (warm dishes) category, three silver medals and one bronze in the Cold Kitchen(cold dishes) category. The IKA, commonly known as the “Culinary Olympics”, is the oldest and most prestigious international culinary competition in the world and the first competition took place in 1900. Today, the event has grown to more than 750 chefs from 34 nations, and has events for individual competitors as well as national, regional, student, and military teams.

Team South Africa comprises 11 chefs and two logistics officials, and is managed by Garth Shnier (Executive Chef at Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg). Executive Chef of Vergelegen Wine Estate situated in Helderberg, Henrico Grobbelaar, also individually won a silver medal for his contribution.

Although they are partly sponsored, none of the team members get paid for their involvement in the competition, and have to cover their costs with ticket sales and personal funds. If you would like more details of who the team members were, click here.

Team SA came first in the Restaurant of Nations component of the competition (also known as the Hot Kitchen), earning the Team their first gold medal in this competition in 16 years. For this event the team was required to prepare a three course meal for 110 people that reflected South Africa’s unique cuisine. Here’s what they made:

* a crayfish tomato terrine starter with curried crayfish flan, butter poached crayfish, mustard dill cured salmon trout, corn salad and a cucumber raita;
* a main course of beetroot and thyme-marinated springbok loin, creamed barley with juniper braised springbok shoulder and smoked porcini mushrooms, truffled celeriac purée, with a beetroot and pomegranate jus; and
* a uniquely South African dessert of naartjie and chocolate malva pudding, naartjie sorbet and a mascarpone and Van Der Hum macerated fruit slice.

Let’s hope that Team SA’s win boosts South Africa’s profile as a rocking fine dining destination ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. Well done, Team SA!

Popularity: 6% [?]

I received the following email today. I am really very unsure of how I feel about it. I think that it’s great to promote voting but I think that smear campaigns are a ridiculous waste of time and punting voting and registering to vote alongside voting for the DA is ethically questionable if you ask me.

The DA should either be trying to educate voters, or educate DA supports.

Here’s the email:

Worried about our future under Jacob Zuma?

Join thousands of volunteers who are giving just a few minutes of their time to help Helen Zille & the DA stop Jacob Zuma from getting the two thirds majority he wants

:: Find out how here ::

Dear DA supporter

Our country is in grave danger of Jacob Zuma and his allies achieving a two thirds majority in parliament. The consequences would be disastrous: it would give the new rulers of the ANC, people like Julius Malema (ANCYL), Blade Nzimande (SACP) and Zwelinzima Vavi (COSATU) complete power to change our Constitution and weaken the rights enshrined in it – rights like judicial independence, property rights and press freedom, all of which are under attack by Zuma’s radical supporters in the ANC Youth League, South African Communist Party and COSATU.

The threat is great. But there is hope if you take action

Infighting has weakened the ANC: disgruntled Mbeki loyalists might form a new party, recent opinion polls show a sharp decline in support for the ANC and a Sunday Times article recently said “the ANC and DA are neck-and-neck in polls in major cities seven months before next year’s general election…” (The ANC’s strongholds have shrunk to the rural areas).

We have a golden opportunity to prevent Jacob Zuma’s ANC from winning a two thirds majority in next year’s General Election. But to do this, we need you to join the thousands of volunteers who are already making a difference by taking a few minutes of their time to tell their family and friends about the importance of registering to vote and voting DA.

Here are six things you can do to make a meaningful difference to the result of next year’s election

1. Give 30 minutes of your time to call 20 unregistered voters from your home, and ask them to go and register. Each new voter who registers and votes DA puts a two thirds majority for Jacob Zuma and his allies further out of reach.
2. Spread the DA’s positive message of a safe, secure and prosperous future for all South Africans by writing in to newspapers, blogging on the internet or calling in to talk radio shows.
3. Build momentum for the DA by attending events and rallies, and show the country how ordinary South Africans like you and me are lining up behind the DA’s positive vision for our country.
4. Join other DA volunteers in local door-to-door registration drives and neighbourhood walks. Activate DA voters to register and vote, and prevent Jacob Zuma from getting the two thirds majority he wants.
5. Grow Helen Zille’s DA volunteer team by asking your family and friends to get involved, and grow the team working to protect our Constitution and safeguard our country’s future.
6. Volunteer to help on Election Day. We need thousands of volunteers to encourage DA voters to go out and vote, on the phones and by going door-to-door. We also need election monitors inside the polling stations on Election Day to help ensure a free and fair election.

:: click here to sign up today ::

Your DA volunteer team is standing by to help you

However you want to help, our team is on standby to assist you.

We are ready to:

* send you lists of 20 voters to call and help you get started
* help you get in touch with newspapers, blogs or talk radio shows
* notify you of events and door-to-door registration drives in your area, and
* interact with you about how you’d like to help out on election day in your area.

Take action today

Thousands of South Africans are already giving a few minutes of their time to stop Jacob Zuma from getting a two thirds majority next year. By signing up today, you can too. Help secure our country’s future by taking any of the easy-to-do actions listed here. Your DA volunteer team is standing by to help.

Sign up today to contribute to change, and help build a safe, secure and prosperous South Africa for all our people.

:: Yes, I want to join Helen Zille’s DA team! ::

Sincerely,

Johan van der Berg

DA National Volunteer Coordinator

PS – our country cannot afford a two thirds majority for Jacob Zuma and his radical allies. By volunteering today, you can help Helen Zille and the DA stop them. Decide how you want to get involved, and spend as much time helping as you’d like. Click here now to join the thousands of South Africans who are already giving a few minutes of their time!

You are getting this email message from the democratic Alliance because we need your help to secure a bright prosperous future we know our country is capable of delivering to all South Africans. If you would no longer like to receive email updates from the Democratic Alliance, CLICK HERE.

I haven’t placed in all the links that the email featured because they were repetitive and redundant. There were approximately 11 links to the very same page in the email. They all pointed to www.contributetochange.org. Which seems to be innocent enough yet is actually a DA site that is further embarking on a smear campaign.

Please don’t misundertand my intention here, I am well aware of the nature of politics, I know that there are smear campaigns, I know it’s a cutthroat business. But let me ask you this: After reading this email would you vote for the DA because you wanted to vote for the DA or because you were scared of Jacob Zuma and his supporters?

I think the latter. I am sorry but I would rather not vote than vote out of a feeling of fear invoked by another political party. These tactics are reminiscent of the Bush “Terrorism” propaganda that was fed to millions of people in the USA which allowed Bush a second term in office. And look how well that turned out for the world.

The DA got this one hopelessly wrong in my opinion.

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