MAI MAI market in the city – a fascinating place
In search of traditional Swazi and Zulu dancing props, Sisiwami and Portia swung past the buzzing Noord Street taxi rank on a mission to find the downtown Sangoma market “under the highway”. Officially known as the MAI MAI market, it is a fascinating hub of rural wisdom and spiritual ways, the prices are higher than we expected but walk around a bit before you buy and if you’re up for it,… remember to negotiate! It’s well worth a visit! MAI MAI MARKET Corner Anderson & Berea Joburg City CLICK HERE FOR PICS OF MAIMAI Thanks to the City of Johannesburg website for the full info as alwasys – click here for the full article: “It is the oldest market in Joburg – dedicated to traditional healing. Apart perhaps, from the Faraday market, no other complex can boast such a rich concentration of traditional herbs and healers. The sickly of the city flock here to have their ills, physical and spiritual, divined and treated by traditional healers. But, following years of neglect, the Mai Mai bazaar began to generate. Now moves are underway to restore the market to its pristine beauty and promote it as a prime tourist destination in the city. The market has now been brought under the management of the Metropolitan Trading Company, a council-owned company dedicated to the construction and maintenance of markets throughout the city, and already, signs of improvement are beginning to show. Dubbed “Ezinyangeni” – the place of healers, the Mai Mai is nestled on the eastern wing of the city centre. Jabu Vilakazi, manager of the market, describes it as “Afrocentric”, catering for indigenous needs and practices, and indeed, it is here that some spiritual and cultural elements of indigenous knowledge have been reworked and preserved. Many consider it to be the “muti” (traditional medicine) capital of Johannesburg, with most of its 176 units dedicated to traditional healing. Mai Mai is also home to some 600 people, many of whom have lived in the complex for decades, evolving into a close-knit and self-contained community. Dance competitions featuring dancing troupes from hostels across the city are a regular feature of the complex. “What sets the Mai Mai apart is its unique product, the presence of an established community in the premises and of course, its cultural richness,” says Nhlanhla Ndovela, of the Metropolitan Trading Company. Tourists fascinated by its exotic offerings stream to the market. “They come here to buy traditional artefacts, including Zulu attire, clothes made from animal skins and feathers, walking sticks, knobkerries, shields, sandals, beaded items. Some also visit the place to have their ills diagnosed,” says young shop assistant...
Fear not, till Birnam wood Do come to Dunsinane
When shall we three meet again In thunder, lightning, or in rain? When the hurlyburly’s done, When the battle’s lost and won. ***************** There’s no art To find the mind’s construction in the face. ************** Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts! unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top full Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood, Stop up the access and p…assage to remorse, That no compunctious visitings of nature Shake my fell purpose. ************** Fair is foul, and foul is fair. If you recognise any of the above quotations that probably means you studied Macbeth at school or later on at tertiary level… Doesn’t it just bring back those chilled out feelings of carefree days – lying around trying to decipher Shakespeare? Go and relive those studious youthful moments at the WITS Arts school rendition of MACBETH this Spring! It’s directed by Megan Wilson – which means it should be good! “The Wits School of Arts in collaboration with First National Bank presents William Shakespear”s MACBETH in the Wits Theatre, 13 – 24 September @ 19h00; directed by Megan Willson and featuring students from the Wits School of Arts with special guest, Dale Cutts in the role of ‘Duncan, King of Scotland’ – all the deceit of a soap opera, the battles of a fantasy trilogy, without the cheesy one-liners. If murder and mayhem, intrigue and equivocation excite you, see Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a tale with universal resonance: see what happens when a couple’s greed for power and iniquitous behaviour sets them on a path of spiritual dissolution.” PRODUCTION: Macbeth by William Shakespeare VENUE: The Wits Theatre, corner Jorissen and Station Streets, Braamfontein. SEASON: 13 – 24 September @ 19h00 BOOKING: Computicket ENQUIRIES: (011) 717-1376 / pisantic@theatre.wits.ac.za Tickets are very reasonably priced at R 35,50 ( includes Computicket’s service charge ) and a discount price of R 24,50 ( includes Computicket’s service charge ) is available for students, scholars, pensioners, block bookings of ten and more and Wits staff. WitsTix nights ( pay ten rand only! ) are 13 & 20 September @ 19h00. Light meals and a full cash bar can be enjoyed in Cafý Dulce, situated in the Wits Theatre Foyer. Free, covered parking in the adjacent Senate House ( the entrance is on Jorissen Street ) ensures peace of mind....
ANIMATORS – another gathering in Jozi tonight!! 3 AUG.
Get animating, get it out there! This month we have more goodies to get you fired up and creating: Dave has managed to get a hold of Stash 07 and 08 – more slick work to be seen! Phil has sourced some interesting tidbits for our viewing pleasure as well as some showreels. Matt has a copy of “Kung Fu Hustle” from which we will show some selected scenes containing really incred…ible effects work! Denise from VideoLab will be bringing an award-winning short film entitled ‘Le Building’, recently released at Annecy. Show us what you’re up to. Even if you have some wireframe captures, we’re keen to see them! As usual, there will be some beers, wine , snacks and lots of good company. Come along and bring a friend to: The Convent, Wits Digital Arts 3 August Be there by 6.30pm!...
Remember the postings on XENOPHOBIA? It’s your time.
REMEMBER this posting on police XENOPHOBIA experienced first-hand by Represent readers living in Johannesburg – watch this weeks SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT that EXPOSES all, ‘Kwere Kwere’ 13 September 2005 SABC3 21:30 On Special Assignment this Tuesday, we investigate allegations of abuse, xenophobia and assault by the Booysens police. Following our expose of extortion and bribery by …the Booysens police last week, we now look at the experience of a Congolese woman who was allegedly beaten with a wheel spanner by the Booysens “raiding squad”. The woman received ten stitches after the alleged assault. When Special Assignment arrived at her house about two hours after the event, she was still covered in blood. There were several witnesses who described in detail what had happened. The Congolese woman and her Nigerian partner live in Rosettenville. One Sunday morning in July, the Booysens raiding squad stormed into their house. Without identifying themselves, they demanded to see the refugee papers of two people who were visiting them at the time. The police looked at the papers, threw them aside, called them kwere-kwere (foreigners) and allegedly beat the woman with wheel spanner. Her partner was then arrested for allegedly interfering with a police investigation. A pistol was allegedly pointed at him. Both people claim that the police warned them not to attempt to lay a charge as they would “get back at them”. The husband was locked up for the night. When the woman went to the Booysens Police Station to complain and to find out what had happened to him, she was again told not to bother to lay a charge as it would not be investigated. Special Assignment has spoken to various other immigrants who also allege abuse and assault. From our investigation a clear pattern of xenophobia on the part of the Booysens police has emerged. ************************************************** 1 August Our EXPOSE BAD/GOOD ATTITUDE posting, is the forum for people to complain about bad service, driving, attitudes, racism, sexism, bad manners, bad smells… you name the charge, we publish it. In the name of Ying and Yang we decided to extend this posting to also highlight GOOD ATTITUDE – so if you have some good service experience let us know! Represent reader “TRUTH” tells us about her bad experience when it comes to dating a foreigner: I have just read an article posted on your sight by an angry “South African” whose partner was arrested at Hillbrow Police station and had to bribe a police office to let him out. Unfortunately this sort of abuse happens to so many of us (South Africans with foreign partners). I too had the misfortune of such...
Things that make you go WOW – read this book!!!!
WOW NEW BOOK BLINK The Power of Thinking Without Thinking! Thanks to Mich for the tip – this is the MUST-READ book that all business leaders are reading at the moment … so if you’re someone that likes to follow the trends of ‘-must-reads’ or want to get ahead in your career or your life, read about those ‘blink moments’. ONG From the WEBSITE: “It’s a book about rapid cognition, about the kind of thinking that happens in a blink of an eye. When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of buying, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds to jump to a series of conclusions. Well, “Blink” is a book about those two seconds, because I think those instant conclusions that we reach are really powerful and really important and, occasionally, really good. It’s on sale at Exclusives for R154. ——————————————————————- 24 August 2005 This is a new Represent feature – thanks to Stoffel for the idea – THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO WOW. This posting will feature anything that we come across that cheers us up, inpires us, touches us in some way or simply makes us go WOW. We start with a great book. Are you having a BLUE MOMENT in your life or are you simply in need of a little help in your quest to gain PERSONAL FREEDOM? Go and buy ‘The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz’ – that’s if you don’t have it already. It’s been on the New York Times best seller list for 2 years. We’re a little cynical and tend not to overdo the esoteric book shelves, particularly when it comes to pseudo Indian American imagery, but this book made it through our cynicism net and comes with HIGHLY RECOMMENDED stamped all over it. You can probably read it in a day, although it’s the kind of book you want to keep with you for a quick reread in times of downers. It gives you four simple agreements to follow that can help you find personal freedom. The one that we like the most is ‘Never take anything personally’ – whatever someone says or does to you, it’s generally about their own issues and their own problems and has very little to do with you. So next time someone tells you you look fat in it, don’t believe them. They feel fat. Thanks to KHANYI for the recommendation. THE FOUR AGREEMENTS DON MIGUEL...
We will be back!
